To Mimic the Greats...Be An Influential Writer

I'm learning something about writing lately. Mainly I'm learning it because of the British Literature class I've been taking. The class isn't geared toward writing, although I'm learning much about writing an essay, which is very helpful.

What I am learning though is that many of those fabulous authors that we still revere today are remembered because they wrote with a purpose. There was something that they wanted to discuss or point out to the world, and one of the best ways to do it was in story form.

Perhaps that was not the way the story began. Many times an author began a new novel simply to earn what money he could. Even so, they knew how to manipulate the plot in order to make it worth while for a person to read and that manipulation became a cause.

Below are some books that made a difference because of what they discuss. I have not read all of these books and so cannot recommend them all, but each one is significant (in many cases, world-wide!) for how it covered a current trend or event, or even how it took a stand for a particular belief.

• Uncle Tom's Cabin is decidedly anti-slavery.
• Little Dorrit points out the shortcomings of the government and social society, as well as showcasing imprisonment in various forms.
• A Picture of Dorian Gray gives us a creepy view of morality, or rather, immorality and it's utter selfishness.
• North and South contrasts an industrial northern England with an agricultural south, and represents a transitioning time from the old, traditional ways to the new, progressive approach that came with the industrial revolution.
• Les Miserables explores redemption, and the characteristics of the law and of grace.

There are a few more contemporary novels that portray similar characteristics.

• The Hunger Games also depicts the government and how controlling and dominating it can become.
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich centers on oppression from authorities and prison camp survival.
• To Kill a Mockingbird exposes the racist views that were still extremely prevalent at the time of it's writing. (And often still are.)
• Cry, the Beloved Country showed the disintegration of a culture and way of life to native South Africans. 

These books resonate with a truth that appeals to people. These books have made an impact and so have the people who penned them in the first place.

That got me to thinking. So much of what is being written nowadays is written purely for entertainment. Now there's nothing wrong with having a great adventure just for the sake of having an adventure, but the truly great books are the ones that show you something about life while you're having that adventure.

I mean really, do all of those vampire-stole-my-heart stories really have anything to offer us other than a chilling thrill and a hint of danger? No. Not even the junky, so-called "Christian" ones. (Honestly, if you're a Christian you should know better!) In my opinion the whole vampire thing is a fad and will fall away in it's turn in a similar manner to Furbys from the 90's. Granted Twilight will hang around and still be popular as the trendsetter of it's day, but there's nothing about those books that is really going to appeal to people for forever. They aren't important. It's the important ones that have made an impact.

As long as we are on this earth there is going to be a government that we are going to have to deal with.  Oppression, redemption, and change are things that we will always be coping with.

So, the question I begin to ask myself is, will my writing be influential? Are my books pure entertainment? Granted I have a few "just for fun" books lying around for when I'm in a lazy mood, but if I'm really serious about my work, and if I'm really trying to do my absolute best, then making people think and react to my work is something that desperately needs to be considered.

This applies to any kind of writer out there, not just Christians. Fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or contemporary, sci-fi or historical. If you want to be like the Greats, then it's not just a matter of expanding your vocabulary (watch this video!) it's a matter of being influential.

It's the difference between fluff and something to really chew on. It's the difference between a kindergardener's schoolroom and the Library of Alexandria.

NaNoWriMo, Turris, and an Omnia

                          Source: imgfave.com via Kelly on Pinterest

It's been absolutely eons since I last posted, I know. Some of you who know me might be surprised that I haven't said a word about NaNo on this blog. Part of that would have to do with the fact that I wasn't terribly excited about it.

HOWEVER! I am doing NaNo, and I am much more excited about my novel than I was when I started. I began outlining late, so I only have eight outlined chapters before I start treading in the darkness of a story without a story. Scary thought. The positive side is, that I haven't reached that eight chapter yet, and I've already written 11,000 words, and discovered another thread that I can really use!

If you're at all interested in discovering what my novel is about (*cringe!*), then you can check out my profile on the NaNoWriMo website. In a few words here, I will tell you that it is about a tower. A really, BIG tower.

One last note. I was annoyed to discover that the name I had chosen for a digital device in the story, Omnia, has already been used for a cellphone. I'm keeping it for now, but will probably change it later. It's just disturbing to learn that I'm not the genius I thought I was.

You Had Me at Page One

After reading Jenny's post about first sentences in books, I thought it would be fun to go through some of the books I've been reading lately and see what their first sentences are. The following first sentences are taken strictly from fiction that I have read in this last year, and it does not mean that these are favorite books, by any means, although many of them are good.

                          Source: lady-endy.tumblr.com via Eyebright on Pinterest

Listen!
~Chris Walley, in The Shadow and Night


Nekonkh, captain of the Nile boat Silver Beetle, paused for the fiftieth time beside his vessel's high beaked prow and shaded his eyes to peer anxiously across the wharfs. 
~ Eloise Jarvis McGraw, in Mara, Daughter of the Nile

"Galwyn's feeding the fishes again," the mate called as I emptied the odorous bucket overboard. 
~ Anne McCaffrey, in Black Horses for the King

"Well, if there be any truth in the old adage, young Herman Brudenell will have a prosperous life; for really this is a lovely day for the middle of April - the sky is just as sunny and the air as warm as if it were June," said Hannah Worth, looking out from the door of her hut upon a scene as beautiful as ever shone beneath the splendid radiance of an early spring morning. 
~ E.D.E.N. Southworth, in Ishmael

Awful as the anguish of his parting with Claudia had been, it was not likely that Ishmael, with his strength of intellect and will, would long succumb to despair. 
~ E.D.E.N. Southworth, in Self-Raised (Ishmael's sequel)

The dreary March evening is rapidly passing from murky gloom to obscurity. 
~ Edward P. Roe, He Fell in Love with His Wife

Peter Blood, bachelor of medicine and several other things besides, smoked a pipe and tended the geraniums boxed on the sill of his window above Water Lane in the town of Bridgewater. 
~ Rafael Sabatini, in Captain Blood

Taran wanted to make a sword; but Coll, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes.
 ~ Lloyd Alexander, in The Book of Three

Rose sat all alone in the big best parlor, with her little handkerchief laid ready to catch the first tear, for she was thinking of her troubles, and a shower was expected. 
~ Louisa May Alcott, in Eight Cousins

Abbot Bernard folded his paws deep into the wide sleeves of his garb. 
~ Brian Jacques, in Mariel of Redwall

Tor raised his eyes toward the very top of the high hill where the Castle of Camelot stood. 
~ Eugenia Stone, in Page Boy of Camelot

Now, if you read all of those (double points if you did!), tell me in the comments which ones you liked, or ones that made you want to know more, or ones that you thought were exceptionally good first sentences, and tell me why!

I Won NaNoWriMo

Yes, you read the title correctly.  I am quite pleased with myself.  Oh, and I did it with one word to spare, too!  Not too bad.

This is my second year attempting NaNo, and my second year as a winner.  Several things that I can compare about the two years are as follows:

• I actually had a plot this year.  Granted, it was a short plot and didn't get me to 50k, but it's one more plot than I had last year!
• Last year I was in a totally awesome group on Homeschoolblogger.com where we could talk and share about NaNo and other random things.  This year I was part of a totally awesome group with a total of five people, where we talked about NaNo and other random things.  I really miss the old group, but I couldn't dispense with the new.
• Last year's novel was about a small boy caught up in a mystery that basically revolved around child labor and other similar topics that I tried not to touch upon.  I still haven't edited it.  This year's novel is about a young man, a prince, who can only think about trying to please his awful and slightly abusive father (The way that sounds, it makes it seem like a really horrible thing!  I mean, it is, but it's definitely not anything intense.  Please don't mistake that.), and misses a lot of other things in life because this is his one and only focus and drive.  I...still haven't edited it. (Sorry, that's too much to expect from a person!)
• Last year?  Some NaNo people wore Viking hats, I'm pretty sure.  They did that this year, too.  I'm not sure what the whole Viking thing is about.
• This year I am going to get get the CreateSpace proof copy, or whatever it is.  This means that I will get it no matter what, even if I don't have a second draft finished.
• Last year I wrote 50,000 words in a month.  I did it again this year.  It was hard work, and I'm a little disappointed with my novel, but I can't describe how awesome it is to win.  I had forgotten that from last year.  I feel like I'm walking on clouds.

NaNoWriMo: Day 17

Alright, this is my first NaNo post of the year, I think. It might be a little odd to randomly decide to post in the middle of the month, but I've got to update sometime, right?

My novel is about Prince Dev, who has spent almost all of his life trying to prove himself to his Father, and be accepted by him.  Those who truly love Dev had tried to persuade him that he can't be so obsessed with this one thing, but it's useless (of course!).  It takes a new friend, a huge mistake, and the loss of both his father and brother, to make Dev realize that there is more to life than what he had been living and believing.

Amazingly enough, I actually had a basic plot written out for this novel, and I finished it just barely in time for NaNo to begin.  As I have gone on writing, I have been surprised as many plot twists have almost fallen place, and I have been inspired right when I needed to be.

As far as word count goes, I have fallen behind by about 5k, after not writing for a few nights.  Oops.  I'm working on catching it back up, and I still consider myself to be in the way of winning.  If I do, this will be my second, complete first draft!

Are you doing NaNoWriMo?  If so, how is it going for you?

What Are Your Thoughts On The Subject?

I have read so often that to be a good and successful blogger, you should pick a subject and stick to it. If you are going to be crafty, stay crafty. If you are going to be political, stay political, etc. If you feel you must branch out to something different, have a different blog. That's what they say.

The first thing you need to decide when you build your blog is what you want to accomplish with it, and what it can do if successful.  -Ron Dawson

I agree, for the most part. If I go to a crafty blog, I go to see  crafts! I don't mind the occasional rabbit trail, because it adds variety, and insight to the keeper of the blog. I myself have had a separate photo blog, and several joint blogs covering crafts, writing, and others I'm sure.

Now I come to the question of this post. Do I have a theme or drive to my blog? Is there a particular subject that I write well, or that you, as the reader, enjoy the most? When you think of my blog, do you think crafts? Photography? Writing? What comes to mind?

A blog is what all “websites wanted to be” updated on a regular basis, contains content that is of interest to a select or target audience and is easy to update and change. - Unknown

As a side question, what do you think of having separate blogs for different subjects, and what do you think of combining all of your interests into one blog? What are your thoughts on the subject?

A Camping Trip & Three Resolutions

I went camping this last weekend with the Church, and had a blast. My cousin and I climbed up to the top of one of the rim-rocks, we checked out Lake Owyhee Dam, and we had an all around good time.

On reflection, I came back with three resolves, which are extremely interesting ones, considering I was on a camping trip.

The first one came about because one of the ladies was talking about a trip to Canada that they are going to make next summer. Instantly I was all ears and wishes, especially since they are going to good old P.E.I., a.k.a. Prince Edward Island, home of "Anne of Green Gables".  Wouldn't any Anne fan just adore going there?

So the resolve I formed there is to start saving my money. There are actually several things I need to save my money for, and it's not that I have been extremely frivolous, but I want to start saving for a traveling fund, so that when I get the opportunity, I can be ready.

The second resolve was inspired by the same person, and I was impressed with how disciplined they seemed to be. It is kind of necessary if you are going to be a teacher, I suppose, but I decided that getting a little more disciplined in my daily life wouldn't be such a bad thing. I spend too much time on one thing, and not enough time on another.

So, this resolve is to set up a flexible schedule, to appropriately balance my activities. I need to spend the proper amount of time reading, if I am going to learn more about things, and I need to spend the proper amount of time knitting if I am going to finish Christmas presents and start designing patterns! (Another post to come, perhaps. )

The final decision I made was to start reading a few less novels and start reading more books that I can truly learn from. Right now, I am semi-in-the-midst of reading a book called "Unveiling Islam", and I am learning a lot! I want to read many more books on different subjects (i.e. Homeschooling, World Religions, Missionary Stories, Practical Non-Fiction), so that I can more and more be equipped to make my own decisions about what I believe, and to defend and discuss them accurately.  I am going to start with the books I have here at home, but I am also going to purchase a critical thinking book from Rainbow Resources to help me learn how to carefully weigh both sides and choose accordingly.

So, somewhat bizarre conclusions to an outdoor adventure, but important nonetheless.

What have YOU resolved on lately? What have YOU learned lately?

Glimpses of Morning Life

This morning I went on an interesting walk.

I saw two bees, who must have had a hard day yesterday, because they were still in bed, sleeping in the center of a lovely, yellow wildflower.

Standing on either side of the road were two quail, keeping watch over their young. The ridiculous children couldn't make up their mind which side of the road they wanted to be on, or rather they couldn't decide which side offered more breakfast, or rather they couldn't decide which parent was in a better mood.

I took pictures of the sunrise, as well as several before and after, but as I waited for that glowing orb to ascend, I did have to walk around a bit, to try and keep warm.  Fall is here, and winter is coming!

On my way back to the house, I startled a quartet of birds, who flew away as though they had been interrupted from a secret tryst of some kind. Sorry, birds.

Then I entered the house to find a mother trying to escape her maternal duties, and running rampant through the house. She was quickly put outside, while the puppies she was trying to escape from commenced to growling and tussling. 

Finally, I came into my room, turned on my computer, and wrote this post.

Inspiration, Thou Art Fickle

For my birthday, I got a book called "Handmade Marketplace: How to sell your crafts locally, globally, and online". I am really enjoying it so far!

One of the things that the author suggests it making an inspiration banner.  Just string a cord across your workspace wall, and hang anything on it that inspires you.

I thought that this was a really great idea, and as far as making crafts to sell, I have needed a little inspiration lately. Not only that, but inspiration is also the key to writing, and even (for some people) living!

Sometimes, though, inspiration can be such a finicky thing. It comes and goes as it pleases, like a child with a mind of it's own, and never cares whether it leaves you furiously creating away, or lonely and desolate.

Anyhow, after a particularly trying battle with a box under the bed,  I grabbed a stack of magazines that my Grammy had given me, and started to flip through them, cutting out anything that remotely interested me.  I shoved it all into a folder, and then felt so much better! Seeing a cute chair with wildly colorful fabric, or a red and white striped yard tent, or cute arrangement of silhouettes made me happy, and making me happy obviously improved my mood.

So, folks, I guess what I'm saying is inspiration is a very cool thing. When you have it. It's okay when you don't have, too!  Just save all of your inspiration, and you'll have something to pull from on those uninspiring days.

Yes, this is kind of a weird post.

The Speeding Trolley of Time

Excerpt from my journal, August 24, 2010

What a long day, and such an extremely long week this day was in. I think we are all a little too tired for the time to whizz by like a speeding trolley car bound for a destination we can never reach again. Time the Trolley car is headed for the past.

The sad thing is that we are too tired and impatient to take advantage of the lethargic hours as we should. Time is a one-way ride, and if you let the attractions glide by without jumping off to check them out, then they will be lost forever without even a memory to have made it's existence worth the while.

In other words, on those hot and sticky summer days when everyone is grouchy and tired, make sure to stop and smell the roses!

My Dream Library

Ever since listening to the book The Game of Sunken Places, and hearing about the troll's library, I have cherished a picture of my dream library.  I don't know how the author imagined the troll's library, but this is the way I see it.

A short little stairway descends into the small sunken room, curving along with the circular wall.  The rest of the room is covered in dark bookshelves, and of course there isn't an inch of space to be found on them for all of the books.  I can see their dusty tops and sides, and relish in the thought of running my eyes over the titles, hoping to pick one out.

There is also a small fireplace that graces one side of the round room.  I'm pretty sure that would somehow be a fire hazard, but since this is a dream, I guess it's okay.  Finally, nestled in the crook of the curving steps, rests a large, over-stuffed chair for me to rest in as I read myself away into Neverland, Farholme, or Ancient Britain. Cozy, no?

In my mind, it is all so perfect.  Maybe someday I can have my dream realized, but for now, I'll just settle with reading a book. 

At Grandma's House

I am sitting here in my Grandparent's dining room, listening to the conversations, noises, and laughter of the people around me.  There is going to be somewhat of a party tonight, with some people coming from several different states.

Chicken enchiladas, beef tacos, chips and dip, three apple pies, Dump Cake, and Blueberry pie are the promised fare for tonight's festivities, and I can hardly wait for their tastiness to slide down my throat and into my tummy.  The slightly exotic smells that are pervading the air are tantalizing my tastebuds.

People are bustling about in the kitchen, while others are working at computers.  Still others are enjoying the friendly competition that comes with playing games on the Wii.

Everyone is feeling friendly and fine, and the evening promises to be full of fun.

We Ride Before the Break of Day

We ride before the break of day,

to seek new things; in forests play.

To have good times we all do pray,

we ride before the break of day.

We ride before the rising sun,

chasing after fleeing fun,

refusing rest until we're done,

we ride before the rising sun.

We ride before the dawn awakes

to traipse upon the road we take,

adventuring will make or break,

we ride before the dawn awakes.

We ride before a morning glimmer,

and see our quest before us shimmer.

what awaits us grows not dimmer,

We ride before a morning glimmer.

We ride before the break of day,

to seek new things; in forests play.

To have good times, we all do pray.

We ride before the break of day.

Inspired by Creative Writing Prompts

Book Review - Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Punctuation is rapidly being lost in the storm of today's texting, e-mails, World Wide Web, and even the traditional book. This bothers Lynn Truss, the author of this delightful little book.

In Eats, Shoots & Leaves she shows the importance of a well placed comma. There is a rhyme and reason for the rules of grammar and punctuation, and she shows us the why and wherefore thereof. Not only does she share various rules of punctuation, she also tells the history of said punctuation, and how applicable it is to today's society.

As for my own opinion of this book, I thought it was pretty good. I did learn quite a bit, but it may or may not be obvious from the punctuation in this review. Lynn Truss presents her opposition to sloppy writing in a funny, yet informative way that keeps you reading.

This book does contain a sprinkling of adult language, so be warned. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others.

View all my reviews >>

© 2009 Defective Compositions

Englishese ~ Part 1

I have for a long time thought certain things about words were odd and strange. Many of you have probably had questions about weird names and how they could have come about, why there are so many words for one meaning, making english hard to understand, and crazy spellings that don't make it any easier.

Weird Names

Have you wondered why certain things have the names that they do? Did you stop to think, "Who on earth named it that? What were they thinking?" for instance animal manure.

Horses have road APPLES,

Bison have buffalo CHIPS,

Cattle have cow PIES, and

Goats have nanny BERRIES!

Isn't that odd?Why would anyone want to name manure after food? It's enough to lose your appitite!

How about words that name something they arn't? There is no dog in a hot dog, no ham in a hamburger, sweet meats don't have meat, it's candy, and sweet breads are not sweet and they don't have any bread, It's meat!

Some words are just a mistake in hearing. The Pennsylvania Dutch are not Dutch, They are German. Deutsch is the German word for German, but when someone heard it they mistook it to mean they were Dutch.
I can understand the Dutch, But I can't understand the manure. Were they hoping to trick someone into thinking it was more pleasant that it really is?