http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 5 Sep 2009 19:27:00 -0500 Sat, 5 Sep 2009 19:27:00 -0500 I have a new blog where I now usually post about my writing and thoughts on books, authors, and writing in general.  Please come by and be sure to comment! http://philipamcmorrow.blogspot.com/ ~Molly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/724287/ Sat, 5 Sep 2009 19:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/724287/ Okay, 3 months is far too long for any excuse in not posting. My biggest priority (besides for Bible and school) is writing. But not just writing...it is in getting my RH story done for good. I am about 36,000 words into the first draft, (I've been working on it for about a month) and usually my first drafts tend to be about 50,000-ish. But I am totally serious about this book. I have NEVER felt this way about any of my other stories. What's the difference between that and anything else? Well there is a tremendous difference. Firstly, I believe it's me. Last year I had a very childish view on things - including romance. One of my biggest dreams was to meet a man like Rean-Hammon and get married. This year everything seems so different - I think I just took another step to womanhood, it takes many to get there. I believe I am more content where I am, and the looming 'fear' that I had last year "What if I don't ever meet the man. What if I never get married?!" isn't here at all anymore. I am looking forward to collage and my career, namely, to get a librarian degree and become a librarian and full time author. Secondly, I believe that because of my own growth in maturity, I have greatly changed my outlook on my stories. I can't write only when I'm inspired - that's not good enough anymore. Lately I have been getting up at 5:00 in the morning and writing until 7:00 when I have to eat breakfast and start school. And believe me, when I hear the alarm sounding in my ear when it's still dark outside, the last thing I want to do is to get up and walk down the dark hallway to the computer room, turn on the computer, and wake up doing Write or Die. I am dead serious. I WILL have my novel ready for publication by next winter at the latest. Can you believe it? I am 16 and a half now, by next winter, I will have just turned 18. I've run out of things to say, so I'll just stop here. ~Molly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/721158/ Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/721158/ I am giving a try at Irish Dancing!! There are two places in my town who offer it, and the first class is free, so I will give them both a try, and see which one I like better. But I am sooo exited, and it probably sounds as if I am bragging (I don't mean to) I'm just so happy! I have always wanted to learn Irish Dancing even when I was a little girl, but I have never taken it before - until now! So I shall give you an update on how that's going after I go to the class. As for my writing...*cries* My family has been watching two dogs for the past 10 days, and they have ocupied so much of my time, I have not been able to sit down at the computer to write anything. And when I don't write in like two or three days, my writing mind turns to mush. I have a huge writer's block right now because of that. I can't seem to write a single thing! I fare ye well! ~Molly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/696310/ Fri, 5 Jun 2009 18:51:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/696310/ Yes! Rean-Hammon! I am starting to edit my old Rean-Hammon story that I was writing with Katie last spring. As I have said before, I sorta gave the whole Rean-Hammon story up for lost. But now that about 7 months have passed since I have written anything with RH, I was suddenly surprised to find that I wanted to write that story over again! You know, Faithfulness and Deceit - FAD. I am sooo exited about it though! I have a whole big adventurous plot lined out, the first bit of real adventure I have written since November. So I am very very exited about it!! *gives Rean-Hammon a tight hug* But his name won't be Rean-Hammon, it is Kelton. Anyway, I must go off and write some more! I already have the prologue and the first chapter written and up on my story blog: www.homeschoolblogger.com/theborderlands I fare ye well! ~Queen Flora (aka, molly) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/687350/ Sat, 9 May 2009 19:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/687350/ Whatever Happened to Justice   Whatever Happened to Justice, by Richard J. Maybury, is a book about law and government. It takes us from what our founding fathers believed about law and government, to where we stand today. It covers Political Law and Natural Law. Political Law is fake, made up law; Natural Law is real, fundamental law.   In the U.S. abortion is legal, it wasn’t always, but eventually the majority voted for it, and now it is legal; majority rule, Political Law. In Germany before World War II, killing innocent people was considered murder, but eventually it became a law that killing a Jew was not illegal. Majority rule. Political Law is fake, made out of nothing, it is primitive. What the power holders want is what comes. What the power holders decide against; goes. Political Law is whimsical, unpredictable, business men can’t plan ahead, for the law could change when the power holders decide to change it.   In Natural Law there are two fundamental laws: “Do all you have agreed to do.” And, “Do not encroach upon other persons or their property.” These two basic concepts agree with all religions and philosophies. Natural Law points back to a Higher Law, a law further above any law government can give. After World War II, the Nazi’s were put to trial, at Nuremberg, where the Nazi defendants claimed that they were following orders from their government – they were obeying their nation’s laws. However the prosecution contradicted saying that, “there is a higher duty” then anything that our governments can bestow on us. Natural Law is real law, it does not change, when there is Natural Law there is a decrees in poverty, business men can plan ahead.   In the U.S. today all we now have is Political Law. Nearly 100,000 new laws and regulations are enacted each year in the U.S. Tax rates change with the laws, money supply, trade restrictions, and many other business rules are being changed constantly. That is the reason why we have such a rickety economy, employers can’t plan ahead. James Madison says in Federalist Paper #62, “It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” Some real examples of political law are: In Massachusetts it is illegal to put tomatoes in clam chowder. You are going against the law of Vermont if you whistle under water. When two trains meet at a railroad crossing each shall come to a full stop and neither shall proceed until the other has gone, if you are in Texas. If those examples make you laugh, you laughed at the law.   I enjoyed reading Whatever Happened to Justice? and it is a book I greatly encourage everyone to read. It introduced me to law, government, and power, and what is going on today in the U.S.A. It is a book that every American should read.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/686369/ Wed, 6 May 2009 18:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/686369/ I realized I have not given an update on my writing in a long time! ~Trista (my 08 nano novel) A few weeks before I finished my 2nd draft of Trista! I still have to add complete chapters to it when I go around and do my 3rd draft of it. I finished the draft with a total of 42,286 words in it. I was disappointed when I found out how short it really was - less by nearly 8,000 words! But it is so much more polished and smoother sounding. But it still needs a lot more work. ~All For a Rose This is my newest novel, I started it a few days ago. For a few years now, I have wanted to write a retelling of the fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. I talked about doing it for last NaNo, but I didn't. I again thought about doing it for this November, but I didn't want to wait. So I have a blog for it now to post my chapters as I get them written. www.homeschoolblogger.com/theborderlands One more note, Thank you all soo very very much who read my Trista story and posted comments on it!!! It was extreamly helpful and so encoraging. I bid ye all farewell! ~Molly   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/685019/ Sat, 2 May 2009 13:22:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/685019/ I can't believe it's been about five months since NaNoWriMo! My nano novel, Trista is on the eleventh chapter of being edited. Although I laugh at the word "edited" for of my eleven chapters only like about 1000 words of it is from the original November story. My plot has changed a lot. Edred, instead of being a prince, is an average person, his father is not the king anymore, nor is his brother. Instead of adventure at every turn of the story, I'm taking out 99% of my adventure I formerly had. It is very different to say the least. However, I especially like the way Trista is turning out though. I now have to write an adventure scene, but it shouldn't take too long and then I'll be able to write some more GOOD/SWEET stuff. I was also talking to Katie about the difference of old books and new books. I don't like the whole writing style of new books, to me it seems that it is missing something. They seem to be missing the words. You know, those delightful, exquisite, fascinating, words that just make you want to stop and read them again. It's as if the idea's are all there, the detail, but it is just a pencil sketch, as in this quote by Rhys Alexander: "Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors." That is why I don't enjoy new books very much. After reading books by the classic authors and authoresses it feels as though I'm wasting my time on the new books. I read most of Inkheart and though it is enjoyable and has fun characters, I really missed the old beautiful words. I would not care to ever read that book again. On the other hand think of L.M. Montgomery, or Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Jane Austen. See the difference? The opening paragraph in Anne of Green Gables reads as following: Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof. Think of how different that could have been written, no, I mean really think about it. It could have been written like this: Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a hollow with many kinds of flowers, and by a brook that came out from the woods of the Cuthbert place; it was a bigger brook farther back in the forest but was just a little stream by Lynde's Hollow, for not even a brook could go past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's house without being nice; and it probally knew that Mrs. Rachel was at her window looking at everything that passed by, and if she noticed anything odd she would never rest until she had found out why. Isn't the first version so much more lovely? I mean, my little sentance described the same things pretty much, it only left out much of the beautiful words she used. So that is why I like to read old books. I believe they are much more delightful to read. Even the sound of the words! How many new books have you read where you will read a scentance or two, and say: "Wow! That was beautifully written!" And then go back and read it over again? Or do you read it just merily for the plot of the story and afterward, not care to pick it up once more? Because I think many modern authors have lost the art of using our bountiful language to the extent that it could be used. So I encourage all of you to think about it more and try to write as to cultivate our lovely source of words and sew them into our liturature once more. After all, what joy is there in a story that is poorly worded or expressed with the bare minimum when you could express it with the full lushness of our launguage. Think about it. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/676575/ Mon, 6 Apr 2009 16:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/676575/ Today I went outside and raked away a lot of leaves that were piling up at the edge of our backyard fence. As last autumn's leaves were pulled away, I could see bits of green! I was so exited that I quickly took a few pictures of it. I had already been seeing buds on our trees for the past two weeks, but I hadn't actually seen GREEN plants as of yet. Here are the pictures! ~Molly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/665302/ Wed, 4 Mar 2009 16:48:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/665302/ Sorry for being away for so long! February Madness got to me, and I didn't even get 30,000 words. I got almost 26,000 though, and it got another novel on the making which I am very exited about. Now, however, I am working on "editing" my nanowrimo novel. By editing I only mean adding what I left out, and making it in order, deleting/adding new stuff. So I set up a new blog to put up my edited version of my nano novel. click here to see my blog with the story on it. www.homeschoolblogger.com/trista I shall now do my best to keep my blog updated, I plan to post an entry once a week at the least. Soon I shall have a post on my nature observations and Spring. I'll talk to you later! ~Molly http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/664945/ Tue, 3 Mar 2009 21:08:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/664945/ A week and a half, that's all it took! I want to cry and laugh at the same time, I don't know which one to do! A week and a half writing together with Katie was interesting, I may say. Upon day one, Katie and me were freaking out, but in a good way. For the first whole week, up to Saturday the 7th, altogether me and Katie had close to 30,000 words written in FAD. We were hooked, and had the most coolest plot, but alas, it didn't last. What's new? It was Sunday, no...it was Tuesday evening, the 10th, I believe. We had to face it, it could never work out. It was MUCH too hard to keep all of our character with equally good and GOOD plots together. Katie called me, and I was standing upon my bed, looking out a high window that was situated over my bed. The rain was falling gently down, and I had my window open, letting the cool breeze blow over me. We realized that we couldn't possibly write it together anymore. The good new is that I can keep all that I wrote that week and a half with Katie, so it wasn't wasted. Also, 30,000 words is what me and Katie got to in the old FAD when we stopped writing it this last summer. I am so thankful that we found out our story wouldn't work together...with only having worked on it for TEN days, not 2 YEARS! So here I am, half way through February, and I am behind on my word count, but I don't mind too much, I just have to get at it, and I will finish my first draft this month!! I have 14 days left, and i will get 30,000 words done! ~Mooly   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/658425/ Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:19:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/maidenoftheforest/658425/