I have this thing about following traditions. I don't like to. At all. Which might be considered ironic when one considers that I have fairly traditional values. But then maybe it is because of that. Anyway.
I have several reasons for not making New Years Resolutions this year.
1. There is much too much chocolate in this house to consider abstaining from it.
2. I made several goals for my year in Ireland which began and will end in June. I'm still focusing on those.
3. I don't want to make goals at this traditional time. Simply because, yes, I like to flaunt tradition. Even good ones. I do think that the yearly practice of evaluating yourself and trying to improve yourself is a good one.
But while my mom and I were discussing this we came up with a brilliant idea. Even by our standards.
Anti-New Years Resolutions
Examples
1. Eat all the chocolate in the house.
2. Watch too much tv
3. Read all the novels you want
4. Sleep in
I don't know. They seem like more fun than giving up chocolate. Even if that is what I should probably do.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012 in review
One of said manuscripts was a NANOWRIMO, which means I wrote 50'000 words plus in 30 days Lived in:
Orlando-- I was still there for a couple days at the beginning of 2012
Idaho-- Lived there until April.
Colorado-- Lived there April/May.Pennsylvania-- Lived here about a week before moving to drum-roll please.
Galway Ireland.-- Lived here since June 2nd.
Visited:
Ireland (Republic of)
Galway-- Well, I live here but it is great and a major tourist attraction so there.
Cliffs of Moher
Poulnabrone Dolmen-- older than the pyramids.
Connemara
Kylemore Abbey
Cork --practically lived here, traveling every week for a class.
Limerick-- There was a castle
Dublin-- I've been before but it's only a few hours by bus and a great city.
Northern IrelandBelfast-- how could I be so ignorant of current events????
Also a YSA conference I didn't hate, lots of new friends and Latin dancing. Latin dancing isn't what I think of when I think of Northern Ireland (Well, it wasn't until this activity) but it was really fun.
ScotlandEdinburgh-- One of my favorite cities I have ever been too. The whole time I felt like I was in Hogsmede because it is such a historic city. I had breakfast twice at the Elephant House, a.k.a. the birthplace of Harry Potter.
Pretty sure I've left stuff out. But oh well.
Done
Completed Disney College Program Internship
Tech. Phedra out of the goodness of my heart with two nights to learn my part.
Graduated College with Degree in English and minor in theatre
Had play accepted into BYU-I Research and Creative Works Conference
Said play won best dramatic work in advanced creative writing class. I won a Gothic candle stick as a prize. Only slightly marred by the fact that I was the only student to attempt to write a script.
Got a job abroad
Moved abroad
Took a film acting class
Wrote 2 novel manuscripts
Discovered I like photography
Own a briefcase Called as Youth Sunday School Teacher
Started wearing small, stud earrings because it is more difficult for children to yank them out of your ear lobes
Started reading for fun again
My brother got married. I wasn't there and it isn't by any means my accomplishment, but it would be wrong not to mention it.
Started sketching again
Now I have for sure left stuff out here.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Story telling/literary pet peeves.
I have a degree in English, emphasis in creative writing with a minor in theatre.
So basically I have spent a lot of time and money one being able to see a movie, read a book, see a play and point out what they should have done differently.
Now I don't believe if you follow the rules you will end up with a perfect story. That's rediculous. And your loyality, as an artist, is to your piece, not to your critics.
But here are somethings that I feel are very important for artists to take note of.
1. "In the beginning" (Janelle, if you or any Children of Eden veterans are reading this then you are welcome for the song now pulling you into a post-traumatic stress disorder flash back.)
Writer's, especially beginning writers, begin too early. You need to know what you write. But your reader doesn't need to know all that.
Expostition should be as short as possible.
Who are we with?
Where are we?
Answer those questions and move on to the plot.
2. Deus ex Machina -- Don't do it.
For those of you who had a life in college beyond classic Greek texts this means when a god-like figure arrives at the last minute and saves everything.
Biggest let down for audience or readers who wanted to see how your protagonist was going to triumph against all odds. Now all they get to see is a plot interrupted.
3. CONFLICT
I cannot emphasize this enough.
Now, just in case you are confused. Conflict is not a battle. It is not agent X stopping the bomb with minutes to spare. It is not even your name being drawn in a death lottery.
These things are "external conflict". It does have its place. That is where most the plot comes from.
However, external conflict is never, never, enough on its own. It needs its friend Internal conflict. Faulkner wrote that the only thing worth writing about was "the human heart in conflict with itself".
For example in the King Arthur legend Guinevere loves Lancelot. Lancelot loves Gueneiver. But she is married to King Arthur. Who is a good king and a good husband. Gueniever refuses to leave him. She loves him. Lancelot hates himself for his love of Gueienver because Arthur is a beacon of all that is good to him. Arthur knows what they are doing behind his back. But he refuses to do anything about it because he thinks that if he admits he knows the truth they will both leave him. They are his family. So one does anything until the enemies of Camelot take advantage and Arthur is faced with a choice-- watch his wife be burned alive or allow the kingdom of justice he has fought for crumble.
See that is conflict!! Impossible made worse by relationships.
Beautiful. That is why the King Arthur legend has lasted so long.
Unfortunately is is a tragedy so in this particular case the situation really is impossible. They all die and the kingdom is destroyed anyway. Sorry if I just gave something away.
So basically I have spent a lot of time and money one being able to see a movie, read a book, see a play and point out what they should have done differently.
Now I don't believe if you follow the rules you will end up with a perfect story. That's rediculous. And your loyality, as an artist, is to your piece, not to your critics.
But here are somethings that I feel are very important for artists to take note of.
1. "In the beginning" (Janelle, if you or any Children of Eden veterans are reading this then you are welcome for the song now pulling you into a post-traumatic stress disorder flash back.)
Writer's, especially beginning writers, begin too early. You need to know what you write. But your reader doesn't need to know all that.
Expostition should be as short as possible.
Who are we with?
Where are we?
Answer those questions and move on to the plot.
2. Deus ex Machina -- Don't do it.
For those of you who had a life in college beyond classic Greek texts this means when a god-like figure arrives at the last minute and saves everything.
Biggest let down for audience or readers who wanted to see how your protagonist was going to triumph against all odds. Now all they get to see is a plot interrupted.
3. CONFLICT
I cannot emphasize this enough.
Now, just in case you are confused. Conflict is not a battle. It is not agent X stopping the bomb with minutes to spare. It is not even your name being drawn in a death lottery.
These things are "external conflict". It does have its place. That is where most the plot comes from.
However, external conflict is never, never, enough on its own. It needs its friend Internal conflict. Faulkner wrote that the only thing worth writing about was "the human heart in conflict with itself".
For example in the King Arthur legend Guinevere loves Lancelot. Lancelot loves Gueneiver. But she is married to King Arthur. Who is a good king and a good husband. Gueniever refuses to leave him. She loves him. Lancelot hates himself for his love of Gueienver because Arthur is a beacon of all that is good to him. Arthur knows what they are doing behind his back. But he refuses to do anything about it because he thinks that if he admits he knows the truth they will both leave him. They are his family. So one does anything until the enemies of Camelot take advantage and Arthur is faced with a choice-- watch his wife be burned alive or allow the kingdom of justice he has fought for crumble.
See that is conflict!! Impossible made worse by relationships.
Beautiful. That is why the King Arthur legend has lasted so long.
Unfortunately is is a tragedy so in this particular case the situation really is impossible. They all die and the kingdom is destroyed anyway. Sorry if I just gave something away.
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Irish
Guys the Irish are so nice.
When I first got here my host mom was like "People here are the nicest in the world."
Being my cynical self I was like "Okay." But thinking. Well, you would of course think that. It is just what you are going to think.
But it is true. It is completely true.
I have lived a lot of places. But the Irish are just so naturally nice.
Like this weekend I was freezing because the heating was off in my acting studio and I already had a cold.
Then this classmate of mine went down to restaurant (we use a room upstairs) to ask them if they would please turn the heating on for us. They weren't able to please turn up the heating. They couldn't because the manager with the keys had left for Mass. "Welcome to Ireland." As my friend said. But then instead of just running back upstairs she bought herself a tea and me a hot chocolate. This is a great girl, but we are little more than aquaintances. But she still bought me a warm drink just because.
Not only that she bought me a warm beverage that wasn't tea or coffee. Possibly the only thing that the Irish and the English agree on is the necessity of tea.
The thing with this film class is the commute. I am sure I have ranted about this before. But, anyway here we go again. To get to this class I have to leave Friday night, 3 hours on a bus. Then stay at a hostel. They know me by name now. Then Saturday I go to class and then another 3 hours on a bus.
Upon hearing this two people-- neither of whom had known me more than the morning-- offered that I could stay with them. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to offer a spare room to a stranger. Which, at least in America, it isn't. One even said. "I've only just met you but you don't seem like an axe murderer or a thief of any kind. So here is my card. We women have to look out for each other."
Then there are the people at the hostel I stay at weekely (despite the nice invitations my American sense of privacy can't just let me invade someone's home unless we are blood relatives or have known each other long enough we might as well be.)
They let me skip the line to check in or check out.
They give me travel tips.
They are my friends.
Then sometimes when I am walking with my kids ( the kids that I mind) and waiting to cross a road someone in oncoming traffic will stop, thus stopping all traffic, just to let us pass.
Today this happened. And while I was walking with the little girl across the road she starts screaming. I knew she had dropped her glove. So I told her we would just wait until the cars went by and we'd go back and get it.
Then the nice guy who had stopped traffic for us pulled over. Got out of his car, picked up her glove and crossed the road to give it to us.
It was so nice.
And these are (relative) strangers. Not the awesome people in my ward or my awesome family. These are just people on the street. Bottom line. The Irish are awesome.
When I first got here my host mom was like "People here are the nicest in the world."
Being my cynical self I was like "Okay." But thinking. Well, you would of course think that. It is just what you are going to think.
But it is true. It is completely true.
I have lived a lot of places. But the Irish are just so naturally nice.
Like this weekend I was freezing because the heating was off in my acting studio and I already had a cold.
Then this classmate of mine went down to restaurant (we use a room upstairs) to ask them if they would please turn the heating on for us. They weren't able to please turn up the heating. They couldn't because the manager with the keys had left for Mass. "Welcome to Ireland." As my friend said. But then instead of just running back upstairs she bought herself a tea and me a hot chocolate. This is a great girl, but we are little more than aquaintances. But she still bought me a warm drink just because.
Not only that she bought me a warm beverage that wasn't tea or coffee. Possibly the only thing that the Irish and the English agree on is the necessity of tea.
The thing with this film class is the commute. I am sure I have ranted about this before. But, anyway here we go again. To get to this class I have to leave Friday night, 3 hours on a bus. Then stay at a hostel. They know me by name now. Then Saturday I go to class and then another 3 hours on a bus.
Upon hearing this two people-- neither of whom had known me more than the morning-- offered that I could stay with them. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to offer a spare room to a stranger. Which, at least in America, it isn't. One even said. "I've only just met you but you don't seem like an axe murderer or a thief of any kind. So here is my card. We women have to look out for each other."
Then there are the people at the hostel I stay at weekely (despite the nice invitations my American sense of privacy can't just let me invade someone's home unless we are blood relatives or have known each other long enough we might as well be.)
They let me skip the line to check in or check out.
They give me travel tips.
They are my friends.
Then sometimes when I am walking with my kids ( the kids that I mind) and waiting to cross a road someone in oncoming traffic will stop, thus stopping all traffic, just to let us pass.
Today this happened. And while I was walking with the little girl across the road she starts screaming. I knew she had dropped her glove. So I told her we would just wait until the cars went by and we'd go back and get it.
Then the nice guy who had stopped traffic for us pulled over. Got out of his car, picked up her glove and crossed the road to give it to us.
It was so nice.
And these are (relative) strangers. Not the awesome people in my ward or my awesome family. These are just people on the street. Bottom line. The Irish are awesome.
Friday, November 30, 2012
One of those days.
What happens when a cold and a flu germ form an alliance in your body? It
happened to me today. I was feeling guilty for not being more fun for children due to all of us being sick. .
The milk was off this morning. I was so busy getting the children something with good milk I spaced on getting myself a new bowl of granola or a new cup of hot chocolate.
I spilled half my lunch on the floor. Apparently I can't turn around from the sink to the micro-wave without spilling a bowl of pre-scrambled scrambled eggs all over the kitchen floor.
This resulted in a small lunch after a small breakfast.
I know this is my fault for not eating more later.
General coughing and feeling dizzy.
Stressed out about grad. schools stuff.
Stressed about if I will be able to do my mono well enough in my acting class. It requires a performance of extreme emotional lengths.
Stressing out about not getting enough exercise combined with my habit of
eating too many chips. (French Fries.) And what this combination is doing to my
figure. Student loans, while perfectly manageable, I hate being in dept.
Got sick to my stomach on the bus. But. Despite this entire guess what I did do today?
I finished a draft of novel.
Which means for the first time in my life I am a National (Let's face it, it is international) Novel Writing Month Winner!!!!!
That's right. I completed (barely) over 50'000 words in one month.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thanksgiving
Yes I am away from home this thanksgiving.
No this doesn't bother me.
Anyway today my host mom was like "Are you homesick today?"
Me: "No."
Host mom: "Not even a little bit?"
Me: "Not really. No."
Traditionally Americans play the grateful game. You sit around the table and take turns saying what you are grateful for. You know, before you wake up at an unholy hour the next day to bludgeon other people for new things.
My family never really did this because we take eating very seriously. We were much too busy eating and sleeping off what we'd eaten and eating more and possibly watching a geeky movie to bother with sentimental traditions.
But here we go. Things I'm grateful for in no particular order.
1. One of the few traditions we did have at thanksgiving was watching an old, recorded, episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats". The show's host with his wire rimmed glassed and cynicism could have been my dad's twin. So that was fun to watch him make the perfect turkey and be-little all his fellow cast members.
2. BBC nothing like good drama!!
3. The film class I have been taking and the very helpful tutors and coaches there.
4. Being in Ireland.
5. Hot showers.
6. Bed.
7. That I finally graduated this year!
8. Swedish Fish. I haven't had them in a long time.
9. Scarves. They are possibly my favorite clothing article.
10. Cornelia Funke books.
11. Harry Potter.
12. Shakespeare.
Yeah that's really all the energy I have. My computer lost everything I did yesterday for NaNoWriMo so now I'm behind again.
No this doesn't bother me.
Anyway today my host mom was like "Are you homesick today?"
Me: "No."
Host mom: "Not even a little bit?"
Me: "Not really. No."
Traditionally Americans play the grateful game. You sit around the table and take turns saying what you are grateful for. You know, before you wake up at an unholy hour the next day to bludgeon other people for new things.
My family never really did this because we take eating very seriously. We were much too busy eating and sleeping off what we'd eaten and eating more and possibly watching a geeky movie to bother with sentimental traditions.
But here we go. Things I'm grateful for in no particular order.
1. One of the few traditions we did have at thanksgiving was watching an old, recorded, episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats". The show's host with his wire rimmed glassed and cynicism could have been my dad's twin. So that was fun to watch him make the perfect turkey and be-little all his fellow cast members.
2. BBC nothing like good drama!!
3. The film class I have been taking and the very helpful tutors and coaches there.
4. Being in Ireland.
5. Hot showers.
6. Bed.
7. That I finally graduated this year!
8. Swedish Fish. I haven't had them in a long time.
9. Scarves. They are possibly my favorite clothing article.
10. Cornelia Funke books.
11. Harry Potter.
12. Shakespeare.
Yeah that's really all the energy I have. My computer lost everything I did yesterday for NaNoWriMo so now I'm behind again.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
NANOWRIMO
Those of you who know what NANOWRIMO is are wondering why I am writing a blog rather than working on my NANOWRIMO. But I ask you, what are you doing reading my blog rather than working on yours?
So, let's agree to not judge each other for needing breaks.
Anyway.
For those of you who don't know what NANOWRMO is this blog is an attempt to elighten you.
National-- Though it's pretty international now.
Novel -- 50,000 words of fiction. I hate the label "fiction". As if epic poems, teleplays, screenplays and scripts are not "fiction" for the purpose of my defintion I am saying that fiction is anything that is not based in reality. The novel is 50'000 plus words in a book MS format. But I guess you got the book part worked out from the novel thing. Forget it. This whole defination was a waste of space.
Writing-- Giving the truth scope!!! Or sitting your butt down and typing, scribbling and trying not to get sucked into Netflix... too often. I mean, we all need inspiration.
Month "one-twelfth of a solar or tropical year. " Thank you dictionary.com
Okay. Basically people attempt to write an entire novel manuscript in one month's time.Why? Because getting an English degree was painful. Horrible. Now we are so used to punishing ourselves with the written word that we can't stop!!!
No, really, it's because we want to write. And this is a month to prove to yourself that you don't want to write, but that you do write pretty fun and great.
Here is what I have learned in this expedition.
1. Art is time management.
This was the catch phrase of a professor in the art department I used to model for.
2. It's actually not that difficult to get 2000 words down a day.
3. It is EXCRUCIATING to get 2000 words done a day.
4. Headphones give me a headache.
I think that's all I've learned. But it's actually really fun. I encourage all to try. Don't be inhibited that you have started late. Here's a calculator to help you figure out daily word count. http://www.intothelabyrinth.net/mystuff/nanocounter/
Also, I have a bunch of friends who already have a draft and are celebrating "Revise" version of Nanowrimo. They are editing like crazy this month instead of word vomiting.
Or, one of my favorite writers is celebrating this month by just writing whenever she can. Like she doesn't give herself a word count, but she still writes. Like non-organized NANOWRIMO.
So, not that's all I got. I have to go get a few thousand words written... or at least a few words.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)