Pages

 photo botslide.jpg

Do Your Words Mean Anything?

28 April 2014

People often say, "words are cheap". To a petty and often conversational extent, this saying holds true. A girl will spew out compliments she doesn't really mean in order to appear kind. A boy will whisper sweet phrases into the ear of his sweetheart that soon reveal themselves to be sweet nothings. Every day, people make promises they never keep.

These sort of bad habits lead us to believe that words don't mean anything. They're empty; they're just words. And while some may abuse the great gift of speaking and communicating in this fashion, it is our job as writers to mean what we say.

When you write a story, don't form your phrases to make yourself sound intelligent. Say something hard hitting, that will get the point across. As you form an intricate plot line for your story, don't simply crank out a book to sell. Speak about something you feel passionately about. Tell a story because it needs to be heard. Maybe you learned a valuable lesson and you feel the need to share it. Whatever your motive, make sure it is noble and that your words actually mean something.

In a fallen world where the gift of words is so often abused, spat upon and stomped on, it is our task as writers to take back the privilege of written communication and use it to uplift others. Don't write to simply thrill your reader for a short period of time. That would be just as shallow as the sly, charming boy who tells you he loves you and then slams the door in your face. Rather, tell a story to heal a wound, teach a lesson or share an important story.

Whatever you do, mean what you say.

My 100th Post!

21 April 2014

You guys...THIS IS MY 100TH POST ON MY BLOG!!! :D Are you excited? You should be. Cause if you're not, you can just leave....just kidding! Actually, yeah, no party poopers allowed. The door is right above you, if you want to click that little 'x' button on your open tab.

I don't really have anything super monumental or exciting planned for this post. But if it's okay with you, I thought I would just share a little bit of my blogging experience with you. About a year and a half ago, on December 31st, 2012, I uploaded my first blog post with the intention of uploading a new post every week. For the most part, I maintained that resolution fairly well. Not to mention it was easy to do as I became more and more interested in the great wide world of bloggity blogs.

By posting weekly (or, almost weekly) I have received helpful, thoughtful comments from many of you guys. When I began uploading work from my previous novel, your treasured feedback came pouring in and it was some of the best encouragement I have received. I've found other small bloggers, and fellow teen writers as well. It's wonderful to see people my age who share my passion and get excited about the same things I do.

Overall I'm glad I joined this place, and I hope to be a part for a while yet. :)

Happy blogging!

Sometimes, You Have to Settle

09 April 2014

If you are a writer, you will never be 100% satisfied with the work that you produce.
I hate to break it to you sweet cheeks, but deadlines and work plans are necessary because if you plan on polishing your novel until you are completely happy with it...you are never going to see it published.
 Maybe you've already figured this out, but if you haven't, you may just want to let this reality sink in for a minute.

You can't afford to write until you are totally pleased. You have good instincts and you've thoroughly researched the current literary market and are well aware of what it requires to crank out a bestseller.

Put your skills and creative incentive to use and WRITE something. Write to tell a story that needs to be heard. Write to make a difference. Write to employ your gift for the craft that is words.

Those should be your only goals, really. Perhaps there have been great writers who have written solely to satisfy their ego...but they were great. You and I are still learning. And that's why we have to maintain a goal in mind.

If you want to see an idea of yours out on bookstore shelves before you die...get writing and do the best you can. Produce something you can take pride in. Even geniuses find fault in their masterpieces. But we shouldn't strive for perfection. We should strive to create something that will entertain, last and impact.

The only thing you should let yourself settle on, is your own satisfaction. Perfect until you have written what you first desired. You will never be completely happy; instead, you must rest in the comfort of a job well done.

You're a writer. Go write, and stop fretting.

MARCH BOOK CLUB "The Maze Runner"

01 April 2014

This month's book club will include the reviews from Mr. Drew Carson and Miss Skylar Finn! I hope you enjoy our thoughts on "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner and I will leave a link to their blogs below. If you are interested in participating in the next book club or leaving reading suggestions, write a comment under this post with your email address and I will be in touch!

Drew: The Maze Runner is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first, second, and now the third time reading, which means that the author, James Dashner, did his job well. Most of all, I love the premise, the idea that a bunch of scientists would brainwash kids and put them in the middle of a giant maze. It’s just crazy, and had me wondering, what would I do if I were Thomas. How would I cope? The inhumanity of it all reminds me of the Hunger Games (although if you read the sequels, The Maze Runner Trilogy doesn’t seem quite as well thought-out). 
     The Grievers had me on edge the whole time, and I even got goose-bumps during the chapter where Thomas saves Alby. Unfortunately, it could have been a lot better. Dashner, it seems, got so excited with his idea that he dismissed any further plot and character-development efforts as superfluous and sat straight down to pound it out. Maybe it was deadlines, but the bottom line is, the main character didn’t have very much depth. But his memory was gone! True, but Dashner could have spent a little more time recording different angles of Thomas’ natural personality. The three existing angles were: his bravery (in the maze), his friendliness (with Chuck), and his tenacity (when sharing his ideas with other Gladers). Beyond that, any display of character was small enough to go unnoticed.      And the Gladers. Sometimes I felt like, aside from minor differences in language, they were interchangeable. I would have appreciated more personality distinction between Gally, Alby, Newt, Frypan, and so on. Chuck was the exception. He stood out from the group because of his innocent nature, and I really got a feel for who he was. At times, he was annoying, but not nearly as annoying as the pet-phrases I noticed Dashner using. The one that really bugged me was, “Despite his lack of memory, he was positive he’d just been through the most traumatic night of his life…” blah, blah, blah. I marked two instances of this, on the first page of Chapter 22 (loc. 1952 on a Kindle), and also three pages into Chapter 23 (loc. 2060).
      Keep in mind, though, that these two examples were not the first. Those were the first I marked because I was so bothered by the pattern. “Patterns, schmatterns,” you might say, and I would agree. Unless you’re reading this book with an author’s mindset, you probably won’t notice the things I pointed out. Which is okay. All things considered, it’s still a very entertaining read, and I never once got bored. If you haven’t read it, I would definitely recommend you try it out.

Skylar: Ahh The Maze Runner. How do I put my thoughts together into a semi-coherent thing that you all can actually read? First of all, I’d liked to say that I didn’t even know this book existed until I signed up for Karoline’s write-a-review. Apparently, it’s very popular. 

I loved the setting. The only other books that have such original setting and creatures, etc. are, to me, Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t read a lot of books where the characters live in a terrifying maze. Dashner did an amazing job with the world-building! I could imagine everything in my head. But…Thomas didn’t click with me. I mean, he does amazing things and he has crazy bravery (or stupidity), but his whole attitude got on my nerves. He’s tactless and pushy. He also has a tendency to think that everybody should listen to him because he knows. On the other hand, he’s protective over the other people and he does take responsibility. And the way he takes care of a certain character convinced me that he wasn’t all annoying. The other characters were well written. Sometimes the emotions that were put with actions were a little weird but I connected to most of the characters. 

Characters are a huge thing for me. They are usually the most important part of a book and are what makes me keep reading. Honestly, the first half of The Maze Runner wasn’t all that exciting to me. The characters were good but not amazing. I was annoyed by the main character. It seemed to drag on for me and the things that kept me reading were the setting and the unanswered questions. Dashner is king of unanswered questions. Seriously, guys. But the second half of the book is what blew my mind. PLOT. THE PLOT. It twisted and turned. There was action. Things happened that I totally didn’t see coming. Questions were answered in the most shocking way possible. It was amazing. And the last page. That’s all I can say. Go read it, because the second half definitely makes up for the lag in the beginning. Besides, there’s a movie coming out.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Karoline: I agree with Drew and Skylar that Thomas wasn't the most likable character. This could be attributed to the fact that his memory his limited, which constricts a lot of depth that would normally flesh out someone. At times the other boys seemed so similar that it was easy to get them mixed up. Let me say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed "The Maze Runner'. As someone who doesn't read much fantasy, especially modern fantasy, this book was surprisingly enjoyable. At times it felt like Dashner was pandering to the audience, though that could be due to the fact that this book was targeted towards younger teens rather than older teens. At times I found myself rolling my eyes and saying, "Yeah, we KNOW Thomas has lost his memory, you only mention on EVERY page!" The story, however, was intriguing and unique. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in trying something new. 

Be sure to check out Skylar's Blog and Drew's Blog!

Do Your Words Mean Anything?

People often say, "words are cheap". To a petty and often conversational extent, this saying holds true. A girl will spew out compliments she doesn't really mean in order to appear kind. A boy will whisper sweet phrases into the ear of his sweetheart that soon reveal themselves to be sweet nothings. Every day, people make promises they never keep.

These sort of bad habits lead us to believe that words don't mean anything. They're empty; they're just words. And while some may abuse the great gift of speaking and communicating in this fashion, it is our job as writers to mean what we say.

When you write a story, don't form your phrases to make yourself sound intelligent. Say something hard hitting, that will get the point across. As you form an intricate plot line for your story, don't simply crank out a book to sell. Speak about something you feel passionately about. Tell a story because it needs to be heard. Maybe you learned a valuable lesson and you feel the need to share it. Whatever your motive, make sure it is noble and that your words actually mean something.

In a fallen world where the gift of words is so often abused, spat upon and stomped on, it is our task as writers to take back the privilege of written communication and use it to uplift others. Don't write to simply thrill your reader for a short period of time. That would be just as shallow as the sly, charming boy who tells you he loves you and then slams the door in your face. Rather, tell a story to heal a wound, teach a lesson or share an important story.

Whatever you do, mean what you say.

My 100th Post!

You guys...THIS IS MY 100TH POST ON MY BLOG!!! :D Are you excited? You should be. Cause if you're not, you can just leave....just kidding! Actually, yeah, no party poopers allowed. The door is right above you, if you want to click that little 'x' button on your open tab.

I don't really have anything super monumental or exciting planned for this post. But if it's okay with you, I thought I would just share a little bit of my blogging experience with you. About a year and a half ago, on December 31st, 2012, I uploaded my first blog post with the intention of uploading a new post every week. For the most part, I maintained that resolution fairly well. Not to mention it was easy to do as I became more and more interested in the great wide world of bloggity blogs.

By posting weekly (or, almost weekly) I have received helpful, thoughtful comments from many of you guys. When I began uploading work from my previous novel, your treasured feedback came pouring in and it was some of the best encouragement I have received. I've found other small bloggers, and fellow teen writers as well. It's wonderful to see people my age who share my passion and get excited about the same things I do.

Overall I'm glad I joined this place, and I hope to be a part for a while yet. :)

Happy blogging!

Sometimes, You Have to Settle

If you are a writer, you will never be 100% satisfied with the work that you produce.
I hate to break it to you sweet cheeks, but deadlines and work plans are necessary because if you plan on polishing your novel until you are completely happy with it...you are never going to see it published.
 Maybe you've already figured this out, but if you haven't, you may just want to let this reality sink in for a minute.

You can't afford to write until you are totally pleased. You have good instincts and you've thoroughly researched the current literary market and are well aware of what it requires to crank out a bestseller.

Put your skills and creative incentive to use and WRITE something. Write to tell a story that needs to be heard. Write to make a difference. Write to employ your gift for the craft that is words.

Those should be your only goals, really. Perhaps there have been great writers who have written solely to satisfy their ego...but they were great. You and I are still learning. And that's why we have to maintain a goal in mind.

If you want to see an idea of yours out on bookstore shelves before you die...get writing and do the best you can. Produce something you can take pride in. Even geniuses find fault in their masterpieces. But we shouldn't strive for perfection. We should strive to create something that will entertain, last and impact.

The only thing you should let yourself settle on, is your own satisfaction. Perfect until you have written what you first desired. You will never be completely happy; instead, you must rest in the comfort of a job well done.

You're a writer. Go write, and stop fretting.

MARCH BOOK CLUB "The Maze Runner"

This month's book club will include the reviews from Mr. Drew Carson and Miss Skylar Finn! I hope you enjoy our thoughts on "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner and I will leave a link to their blogs below. If you are interested in participating in the next book club or leaving reading suggestions, write a comment under this post with your email address and I will be in touch!

Drew: The Maze Runner is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first, second, and now the third time reading, which means that the author, James Dashner, did his job well. Most of all, I love the premise, the idea that a bunch of scientists would brainwash kids and put them in the middle of a giant maze. It’s just crazy, and had me wondering, what would I do if I were Thomas. How would I cope? The inhumanity of it all reminds me of the Hunger Games (although if you read the sequels, The Maze Runner Trilogy doesn’t seem quite as well thought-out). 
     The Grievers had me on edge the whole time, and I even got goose-bumps during the chapter where Thomas saves Alby. Unfortunately, it could have been a lot better. Dashner, it seems, got so excited with his idea that he dismissed any further plot and character-development efforts as superfluous and sat straight down to pound it out. Maybe it was deadlines, but the bottom line is, the main character didn’t have very much depth. But his memory was gone! True, but Dashner could have spent a little more time recording different angles of Thomas’ natural personality. The three existing angles were: his bravery (in the maze), his friendliness (with Chuck), and his tenacity (when sharing his ideas with other Gladers). Beyond that, any display of character was small enough to go unnoticed.      And the Gladers. Sometimes I felt like, aside from minor differences in language, they were interchangeable. I would have appreciated more personality distinction between Gally, Alby, Newt, Frypan, and so on. Chuck was the exception. He stood out from the group because of his innocent nature, and I really got a feel for who he was. At times, he was annoying, but not nearly as annoying as the pet-phrases I noticed Dashner using. The one that really bugged me was, “Despite his lack of memory, he was positive he’d just been through the most traumatic night of his life…” blah, blah, blah. I marked two instances of this, on the first page of Chapter 22 (loc. 1952 on a Kindle), and also three pages into Chapter 23 (loc. 2060).
      Keep in mind, though, that these two examples were not the first. Those were the first I marked because I was so bothered by the pattern. “Patterns, schmatterns,” you might say, and I would agree. Unless you’re reading this book with an author’s mindset, you probably won’t notice the things I pointed out. Which is okay. All things considered, it’s still a very entertaining read, and I never once got bored. If you haven’t read it, I would definitely recommend you try it out.

Skylar: Ahh The Maze Runner. How do I put my thoughts together into a semi-coherent thing that you all can actually read? First of all, I’d liked to say that I didn’t even know this book existed until I signed up for Karoline’s write-a-review. Apparently, it’s very popular. 

I loved the setting. The only other books that have such original setting and creatures, etc. are, to me, Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t read a lot of books where the characters live in a terrifying maze. Dashner did an amazing job with the world-building! I could imagine everything in my head. But…Thomas didn’t click with me. I mean, he does amazing things and he has crazy bravery (or stupidity), but his whole attitude got on my nerves. He’s tactless and pushy. He also has a tendency to think that everybody should listen to him because he knows. On the other hand, he’s protective over the other people and he does take responsibility. And the way he takes care of a certain character convinced me that he wasn’t all annoying. The other characters were well written. Sometimes the emotions that were put with actions were a little weird but I connected to most of the characters. 

Characters are a huge thing for me. They are usually the most important part of a book and are what makes me keep reading. Honestly, the first half of The Maze Runner wasn’t all that exciting to me. The characters were good but not amazing. I was annoyed by the main character. It seemed to drag on for me and the things that kept me reading were the setting and the unanswered questions. Dashner is king of unanswered questions. Seriously, guys. But the second half of the book is what blew my mind. PLOT. THE PLOT. It twisted and turned. There was action. Things happened that I totally didn’t see coming. Questions were answered in the most shocking way possible. It was amazing. And the last page. That’s all I can say. Go read it, because the second half definitely makes up for the lag in the beginning. Besides, there’s a movie coming out.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Karoline: I agree with Drew and Skylar that Thomas wasn't the most likable character. This could be attributed to the fact that his memory his limited, which constricts a lot of depth that would normally flesh out someone. At times the other boys seemed so similar that it was easy to get them mixed up. Let me say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed "The Maze Runner'. As someone who doesn't read much fantasy, especially modern fantasy, this book was surprisingly enjoyable. At times it felt like Dashner was pandering to the audience, though that could be due to the fact that this book was targeted towards younger teens rather than older teens. At times I found myself rolling my eyes and saying, "Yeah, we KNOW Thomas has lost his memory, you only mention on EVERY page!" The story, however, was intriguing and unique. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in trying something new. 

Be sure to check out Skylar's Blog and Drew's Blog!
 photo envye.jpg
envye blogger theme