Here I am, the night before Bethany's Novel Writing Month begins. I still haven't thought of a cooler name for that. Shouldn't I be preparing more? Eh, probably. I was going to get a head start on the rest of my homework this weekend so that I would be free to do all of this writing, and then I got a stupid crick in my shoulder/neck area. Why on earth do we get those?
I've basically just been relaxing. What a buzzkill those cricks can be. But I'm not going to let it stop me! I probably won't be posting on here every day, letting you know how many words I've got, but I think I need to write about 2,000 words a day. I'll try to do it often enough, but I'll at least post every Saturday with the updated word count.
On another note, today is the last day in March, which means that in about 25 days and 1.5 hours, I will be graduating! Haha, finally!
Oh, and other news--General Conference is this weekend. I'll be going to the Sunday afternoon session. And I'm going to a Christina Perri concert (Birdy will be there too, which is pretty much why I'm going). It's a packed week! Or weekend, rather.
Oh, and I'm going to see Divergent tomorrow night. I have a feeling that I'll enjoy the film better than the book.
That's all folks! Good night, and happy April Fool's Day tomorrow. By the way, let me know if any of you do some epic April Fool's jokes. I always love a good story.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Hear Ye!
I've been wishing for another Nanowrimo because I feel like my Novembers are always super packed with nasty school business. Needless to say, I didn't make it very far in my attempt to write a novel in a month.
But now . . . I find myself suddenly with time to spare. I do this thing though, where I get super busy (like the first couple of months of the semester) and my days are seriously packed! Saturdays were pretty much my only day to do grocery shopping, homework, and laundry. I got tired of getting up at 6:30am to go to the grocery store on my Saturday. Once I get past that initial busy streak (or drop an unnecessary class) I have some spare time and want to spend that relaxing. So then I get into this mode of relaxing in all of this spare time because my body and my mind don't want to get that busy and stressed again.
Well, I think I've done enough relaxing, and now I'm looking at the upcoming WIFYR and thinking about how much I just don't have written. I'm ahead on my assignments, and the last day of school is just 3 weeks away! It would seem that the timing is just right, except it's not November.
I was thinking of calling April "Bethany's Novel Writing Month" so it would be Benowrimo. Yeah, maybe I'll try to think of something cooler to call it, but I am declaring it my novel writing month! And I would really love to do the same in May! I mean, when else am I going to be just graduated from school with a lot of free time?
Also, I just came up a plan B for NYC as I was talking about things with some people in my building. Here's the deal: If things don't go well at all in NYC, I will buy a motorcycle, shave my head, and bike all the way to Seattle where I will start new! I don't know that I'd shave my whole head. Maybe I'd do that half-shaved look. I don't know how to describe it, but it looks better than just plain shaved. I'll make a documentary. How does that sound? You know, it's kind of exciting. I guess it's good to have a plan B that's pretty cool.
But now . . . I find myself suddenly with time to spare. I do this thing though, where I get super busy (like the first couple of months of the semester) and my days are seriously packed! Saturdays were pretty much my only day to do grocery shopping, homework, and laundry. I got tired of getting up at 6:30am to go to the grocery store on my Saturday. Once I get past that initial busy streak (or drop an unnecessary class) I have some spare time and want to spend that relaxing. So then I get into this mode of relaxing in all of this spare time because my body and my mind don't want to get that busy and stressed again.
Well, I think I've done enough relaxing, and now I'm looking at the upcoming WIFYR and thinking about how much I just don't have written. I'm ahead on my assignments, and the last day of school is just 3 weeks away! It would seem that the timing is just right, except it's not November.
I was thinking of calling April "Bethany's Novel Writing Month" so it would be Benowrimo. Yeah, maybe I'll try to think of something cooler to call it, but I am declaring it my novel writing month! And I would really love to do the same in May! I mean, when else am I going to be just graduated from school with a lot of free time?
Also, I just came up a plan B for NYC as I was talking about things with some people in my building. Here's the deal: If things don't go well at all in NYC, I will buy a motorcycle, shave my head, and bike all the way to Seattle where I will start new! I don't know that I'd shave my whole head. Maybe I'd do that half-shaved look. I don't know how to describe it, but it looks better than just plain shaved. I'll make a documentary. How does that sound? You know, it's kind of exciting. I guess it's good to have a plan B that's pretty cool.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Looking at the Grimms
Phew, I need a break from my paper. Blog post! I haven't posted much lately, but I have been doing lots of research. As I was writing today, I realized that I needed to do some more research on the Brothers Grimm to find out if their writing was meant to be subversive in any way. What I found was actually quite fascinating.
The Grimms, being a part of the Romantic movement, included a lot about nature in their writing. It was meant to be a reflection of a purely German heritage, to take things back to their own roots. Interestingly enough, though, quite a few of the stories in their collection of fairy tales, such as "Little Red Riding Hood" can be found in earlier collections, like in Charles Perrault's collection of French fairy tales. I didn't find much about the Grimms intending to subvert children (in fact, the Grimms' fairy tales, in one of their later editions, even had a sort of parental advisory in the introduction because of how violent some of the stories were). However, I did find that during the rule of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, they instituted the Grimms' fairy tales in every school. These tales were good for children because "they increase German self-consciousness and stimulate the fighting spirit, the will of victory, which, luckily, is reborn with every German youth and every German girl again and again."
This quote was taken from the article, "Grimm's 'Household Tales' and Its Place in the Household: The Social Relevance of a Controversial Classic" by Linda Degh.
I had no idea about this before, but I'll definitely be using that in my paper. I'm certain that the Grimms had no idea that their fairy tales would be used for propaganda. Their aims were much more literary than that. And the propaganda did have a bad effect after World War II because they wanted to separate themselves from that mentality. Still, that passed and the Grimms' fairy tales are quite prevalent in our society.
On a different, but slightly related subject, I have been watching ABC's Once Upon a Time. I'm enjoying it, seeing how they play with the various characters. Still, I kind of wish that Disney wasn't in charge of it though. Sometimes the show can be a bit cheesy, but it's still interesting to see what they do to the fairy tales. I wish that they would branch out a little more too. Granted, I've only just finished the first season (playing catch-up here) but they could branch out to some lesser-known fairy tales, like "Bluebeard". That's an interesting one if you haven't read it. Even something like "Briar Rose", something similar to what we've already encountered, but new. By the way, most of these fairy tales that Disney has made into movies and that are in Once Upon a Time come from the Grimm's collection.
Also, I had a super cool idea the other day, though I'll bet that someone has already done something like this. What if someone rewrote a bunch of the fairy tales as science fiction? It would probably mean taking out the magic and replacing it with technology, and obviously the settings would need to change somewhat. Wouldn't it be kind of cool to see though?
The Grimms, being a part of the Romantic movement, included a lot about nature in their writing. It was meant to be a reflection of a purely German heritage, to take things back to their own roots. Interestingly enough, though, quite a few of the stories in their collection of fairy tales, such as "Little Red Riding Hood" can be found in earlier collections, like in Charles Perrault's collection of French fairy tales. I didn't find much about the Grimms intending to subvert children (in fact, the Grimms' fairy tales, in one of their later editions, even had a sort of parental advisory in the introduction because of how violent some of the stories were). However, I did find that during the rule of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, they instituted the Grimms' fairy tales in every school. These tales were good for children because "they increase German self-consciousness and stimulate the fighting spirit, the will of victory, which, luckily, is reborn with every German youth and every German girl again and again."
This quote was taken from the article, "Grimm's 'Household Tales' and Its Place in the Household: The Social Relevance of a Controversial Classic" by Linda Degh.
I had no idea about this before, but I'll definitely be using that in my paper. I'm certain that the Grimms had no idea that their fairy tales would be used for propaganda. Their aims were much more literary than that. And the propaganda did have a bad effect after World War II because they wanted to separate themselves from that mentality. Still, that passed and the Grimms' fairy tales are quite prevalent in our society.
On a different, but slightly related subject, I have been watching ABC's Once Upon a Time. I'm enjoying it, seeing how they play with the various characters. Still, I kind of wish that Disney wasn't in charge of it though. Sometimes the show can be a bit cheesy, but it's still interesting to see what they do to the fairy tales. I wish that they would branch out a little more too. Granted, I've only just finished the first season (playing catch-up here) but they could branch out to some lesser-known fairy tales, like "Bluebeard". That's an interesting one if you haven't read it. Even something like "Briar Rose", something similar to what we've already encountered, but new. By the way, most of these fairy tales that Disney has made into movies and that are in Once Upon a Time come from the Grimm's collection.
Also, I had a super cool idea the other day, though I'll bet that someone has already done something like this. What if someone rewrote a bunch of the fairy tales as science fiction? It would probably mean taking out the magic and replacing it with technology, and obviously the settings would need to change somewhat. Wouldn't it be kind of cool to see though?
Thursday, March 13, 2014
I made it! The big 25!
I was going to post this yesterday, but it was a busy day! It's not every day that you turn 25! Yup, a quarter of a century. What did I do? Well, mostly homework, not out of choice though. But it was fun still. Oh, and the super big news of the night--my brother got his mission call to North Carolina! We were all really excited about that. He'll leave at the end of May, which really isn't far away at all.
Today, since I had to do a bunch of research, I did some extra thinking. First of all, I really like Jack Zipes. The man has written so much on fairy tales and folklore, and I feel like a lot of what he writes just blows my mind. I was reading again about children's literature, and I had these two contrasting articles--one about the Italian author Gianni Rodari and his quest to change literature for children and empower the child with words, and the other about how, since the 1970's the market for children's literature has boomed and has become more and more controlled by corporations and a bottom line.
Sometimes, I seriously have to just sit back and wonder at how complex the world is. Isn't it amazing that two ideas so juxtaposed can be happening at the same time? I would say that there are many authors out there who seek to publish good books. I don't think they're trying to pick our pockets or turn us into the perfect consumer, and yet that is sometimes what happens, isn't it? Also, isn't it interesting to think that it is, in fact, adults who have defined children's literature. What if children actually want something drastically different than what we think they want? Wouldn't it be interesting to see a book of fairy tales or stories that actually was written by children? Maybe it exists already, and I just don't know about it, but I think someone should do it.
All of this just had me thinking about publishing a lot, especially since I've made up my mind to go to New York City to work my way into the publishing business. I love books, always have and always will, but it became evident to me today that I will have to do my best to try to publish good literature. Needless to say, it gave me some interesting food for thought, and it will likely continue to tumble about in my brain for some time.
Well, I'm not always this pensive, but there you have it. I'm 25 and full of some deep thoughts today. I think it's going to be a very good year.
Today, since I had to do a bunch of research, I did some extra thinking. First of all, I really like Jack Zipes. The man has written so much on fairy tales and folklore, and I feel like a lot of what he writes just blows my mind. I was reading again about children's literature, and I had these two contrasting articles--one about the Italian author Gianni Rodari and his quest to change literature for children and empower the child with words, and the other about how, since the 1970's the market for children's literature has boomed and has become more and more controlled by corporations and a bottom line.
Sometimes, I seriously have to just sit back and wonder at how complex the world is. Isn't it amazing that two ideas so juxtaposed can be happening at the same time? I would say that there are many authors out there who seek to publish good books. I don't think they're trying to pick our pockets or turn us into the perfect consumer, and yet that is sometimes what happens, isn't it? Also, isn't it interesting to think that it is, in fact, adults who have defined children's literature. What if children actually want something drastically different than what we think they want? Wouldn't it be interesting to see a book of fairy tales or stories that actually was written by children? Maybe it exists already, and I just don't know about it, but I think someone should do it.
All of this just had me thinking about publishing a lot, especially since I've made up my mind to go to New York City to work my way into the publishing business. I love books, always have and always will, but it became evident to me today that I will have to do my best to try to publish good literature. Needless to say, it gave me some interesting food for thought, and it will likely continue to tumble about in my brain for some time.
Well, I'm not always this pensive, but there you have it. I'm 25 and full of some deep thoughts today. I think it's going to be a very good year.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
The Rithmatist
I just finished reading Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist. It was a pretty good read. World building is definitely one of Brandon Sanderson's strong points as a writer. The Rithmatist is a steampunk/gearpunk YA novel that takes place in a world very similar to ours, but different. The United States is actually the United Isles. I believe there are about 60 islands total. We join the main character, Joel, at Armedius Academy, where they train Rithmatists to defend the world against wild chalklings--yeah, wild creatures made of chalk. But they're pretty dangerous. A couple of times, we find out what happens to someone attacked by these chalklings, and it's not very pretty. Like I said, Brandon Sanderson is great at building new worlds and then taking us into them.
That being said, I think I prefer his adult novels. The Mistborn trilogy is still my favorite, but I haven't yet been able to dive into The Way of Kings. I'm waiting until I graduate for that one--I think I'll need the extra time. And, getting back onto my train of thought, his YA novels aren't as compelling to me as his adult novels. The endings was still surprising and good (I've never been disappointed at the end of one of his books). I was pleased that things weren't wrapped up quite in the way that I was expecting. There was just enough resolution of conflict to satisfy me, but at the same time "the plot thickens."
I'm not quite sure that Joel has the voice of a 16 year old, especially since he often is accompanied by a girl of his same age, yet he rarely thinks about her in a romantic sort of way. Maybe there are some teenage boys that don't think about that, but I would guess that plenty do. He does seem to be pretty engrossed in Rithmatics, so perhaps that obsession pushes all romantic notions out of his head.
Those are my only complaints. I'm curious to see what happens in the next installment.
Brandon Sanderson is a pretty big name in fantasy these days, but if you do't know who he is, you should check out his website. And if you haven't read Mistborn, put down what you're reading (if it's boring) and pick that one up!
http://brandonsanderson.com/
That being said, I think I prefer his adult novels. The Mistborn trilogy is still my favorite, but I haven't yet been able to dive into The Way of Kings. I'm waiting until I graduate for that one--I think I'll need the extra time. And, getting back onto my train of thought, his YA novels aren't as compelling to me as his adult novels. The endings was still surprising and good (I've never been disappointed at the end of one of his books). I was pleased that things weren't wrapped up quite in the way that I was expecting. There was just enough resolution of conflict to satisfy me, but at the same time "the plot thickens."
I'm not quite sure that Joel has the voice of a 16 year old, especially since he often is accompanied by a girl of his same age, yet he rarely thinks about her in a romantic sort of way. Maybe there are some teenage boys that don't think about that, but I would guess that plenty do. He does seem to be pretty engrossed in Rithmatics, so perhaps that obsession pushes all romantic notions out of his head.
Those are my only complaints. I'm curious to see what happens in the next installment.
Brandon Sanderson is a pretty big name in fantasy these days, but if you do't know who he is, you should check out his website. And if you haven't read Mistborn, put down what you're reading (if it's boring) and pick that one up!
http://brandonsanderson.com/
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Yes, kids can read the classics!
Yesterday, in my publishing business class, Jennifer Adams came as our special guest. I had never heard of her before then. She's an editor, author, and bookseller. I loved looking at her kids books! they're the cutest things! Check it out.
Aren't they just awesome? If I had some little babies, I would totally buy these! Classics for kids--it's . . . classic!
It's always cool to hear from the guests that come to my class. We haven't had too many picture book writers and editors, aside from the teacher, Rick Walton, who is a pretty successful picture book writer. These have to be some of the coolest picture books I've ever seen though. And they're the board kind, perfect for little chubby hands and are non-toxic (you know how much kids love to eat things).
Anyway, I just wanted to share these. If you're interested in checking out her blog, here it is!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Bad Dating Chronicles #1
I had a thought today. I've gone on lots of bad dates, so why don't I make a little record of my bad dates? I'll change names of course, but I thought it might be fun to do, especially since I added to that list of bad dates just this weekend.
I had thought that this date might be different. The guy seemed intriguing and intelligent, both good things. But alas, I was disappointed. Not all of it was bad. He really did seem like a nice guy, and he did some things right, but then he did so many things wrong.
Things to consider when going on a first date:
#1. Be open and honest.
You're on a date for heaven's sake! Two people are trying to get to know each other, and how are they supposed to do that when one party continues to answer in vague, one-word responses that kills all conversation? The answer: they don't.
#2. Avoid talking about past dates.
Maybe this is obvious for some, but not for everyone. It rather ruined the illusion of him when he told me that he has asked out numerous other girls in the exact same manner. Oh, and most of them told him he was creepy and left. To an English major who likes to read between the lines, what am I supposed to think you're trying to tell me here? Whatever it is, it's not positive.
#3. If you ask the girl to lunch, you should probably pay for the lunch.
I know that money is tight for most people, and I don't ask for much. I just had the cheapest 6-inch sub that was there, so we're talking $3.50, plus tax. But that's one sure way to kill a date, unless of course the woman is just swept off her feet by the words, "So, you brought your wallet with you, right?" And I think it goes for guys and girls. I'm sure it's kind of nice for the guy to get a break when you ask him on a date.
#4. Do not talk about your plans to take out two girls at once.
This was the cherry on top. I really can't think of anything more attractive than a man who wants to have two girlfriends at once. Are you with me on this, ladies?
He texted me.
I haven't responded.
And I never will.
Most of these are no-brainers, but if you can keep in mind these four points, you'll at least be ahead those on the bad dating chronicles.
Be sure to check back for more bad dating chronicles. I've had quite a few! I'll even throw in an awkward story from my mission (since you aren't supposed to date while on a mission). Doesn't mean that people won't try to propose! The suspense may kill you, but I'll add to the bad dating chronicles before too long.
I had thought that this date might be different. The guy seemed intriguing and intelligent, both good things. But alas, I was disappointed. Not all of it was bad. He really did seem like a nice guy, and he did some things right, but then he did so many things wrong.
Things to consider when going on a first date:
#1. Be open and honest.
You're on a date for heaven's sake! Two people are trying to get to know each other, and how are they supposed to do that when one party continues to answer in vague, one-word responses that kills all conversation? The answer: they don't.
#2. Avoid talking about past dates.
Maybe this is obvious for some, but not for everyone. It rather ruined the illusion of him when he told me that he has asked out numerous other girls in the exact same manner. Oh, and most of them told him he was creepy and left. To an English major who likes to read between the lines, what am I supposed to think you're trying to tell me here? Whatever it is, it's not positive.
#3. If you ask the girl to lunch, you should probably pay for the lunch.
I know that money is tight for most people, and I don't ask for much. I just had the cheapest 6-inch sub that was there, so we're talking $3.50, plus tax. But that's one sure way to kill a date, unless of course the woman is just swept off her feet by the words, "So, you brought your wallet with you, right?" And I think it goes for guys and girls. I'm sure it's kind of nice for the guy to get a break when you ask him on a date.
#4. Do not talk about your plans to take out two girls at once.
This was the cherry on top. I really can't think of anything more attractive than a man who wants to have two girlfriends at once. Are you with me on this, ladies?
He texted me.
I haven't responded.
And I never will.
Most of these are no-brainers, but if you can keep in mind these four points, you'll at least be ahead those on the bad dating chronicles.
Be sure to check back for more bad dating chronicles. I've had quite a few! I'll even throw in an awkward story from my mission (since you aren't supposed to date while on a mission). Doesn't mean that people won't try to propose! The suspense may kill you, but I'll add to the bad dating chronicles before too long.
Frozen
Well, I finally saw Frozen! I didn't really feel that much of a need to go see it before, but we talked about it on three or four separate occasions in my senior seminar on fairy tales. I finally decided, that in order to add to class discussion the next time we rambled onto that subject, I needed to see it.
I liked it. I don't feel a driving need to see it again, and I probably won't buy it when it comes out. I don't buy many films though--lack of money and lack of space make a person much more selective. Anyway, like I said it was nice. I was actually thinking that it was going to be pretty bad and cheesy based on the bits of music I had heard and the previews I had seen.
So why didn't I love it? Well, I thought the story needed some work. Bear in mind though, I'm picky about my entertainment, and I'm not saying that I'm any kind of professional critic, but I have been working on refining my tastes, and I trust my instincts when it comes to a story.
I like a gripping conflict, one that's simple enough to understand but poses many complex questions, answers, and actions. The Hunger Games is a great example of this. You have Katniss who is placed against her will in an arena with a bunch of other kids. Only one of them can survive. Suzanne Collins struck the gold mine there! It's so simple, but so complex at the same time. It brings up so many complicated issues, I love it!
Frozen did not "grip" me, so to speak. Couldn't the two sister have communicated some? I know there were limitations, but it just makes the plot so obvious. Of course if they don't communicate at all, they'll have relationship issues with each other, and knowing Disney, of course their relationship would end up being a key factor in fixing the problem, and everything would end, for lack of a better term, "happily ever after." I wasn't surprised at the plot twist. I wasn't surprised by anything that happened. It was actually kind of disappointing that I called all the shots.
I suppose I like to view my entertainment as a sort of challenge. I always try to see if I can figure out the ending to the story. If I can, it doesn't mean that I win. I don't know what it means exactly, but it leaves me unsatisfied. The best is when I think I know what's going to happen, but I'm surprised completely by the ending, and it's better than the one I came up with. So, Frozen did not do that for me. However, the music was nice and it was nice to just relax I suppose. And I did like Olaf, the snowman. But the story was not, shall we say, intellectually stimulating.
Now onto a slight tangent, I've heard a lot about the hidden meanings of Frozen, and I've heard a lot from people who are upset at those reading too far into the meaning. Which side of the argument does one take? I really think there are hidden meanings in film and literature and there always has been. I'm actually going to be writing my paper on this. But really, everything in our society is written and made by adults (even if it's for children), and it is nearly impossible for authors to separate themselves from their work. Without consciously meaning to even, we have certain structures, stereotypes, and stigmas in our entertainment, and I think we'd be fools not to see it. I think it can actually tell us quite a lot about what the values of society are at various points in time. Were these meanings meant to be there? I have no idea, and I'm not about to come up with an opinion on that--I don't have time if I'm going to get all of my homework done. But aren't those of us studying in the field of the Humanities searching to uncover deeper meanings within art, music, literature, and film?
I liked it. I don't feel a driving need to see it again, and I probably won't buy it when it comes out. I don't buy many films though--lack of money and lack of space make a person much more selective. Anyway, like I said it was nice. I was actually thinking that it was going to be pretty bad and cheesy based on the bits of music I had heard and the previews I had seen.
So why didn't I love it? Well, I thought the story needed some work. Bear in mind though, I'm picky about my entertainment, and I'm not saying that I'm any kind of professional critic, but I have been working on refining my tastes, and I trust my instincts when it comes to a story.
I like a gripping conflict, one that's simple enough to understand but poses many complex questions, answers, and actions. The Hunger Games is a great example of this. You have Katniss who is placed against her will in an arena with a bunch of other kids. Only one of them can survive. Suzanne Collins struck the gold mine there! It's so simple, but so complex at the same time. It brings up so many complicated issues, I love it!
Frozen did not "grip" me, so to speak. Couldn't the two sister have communicated some? I know there were limitations, but it just makes the plot so obvious. Of course if they don't communicate at all, they'll have relationship issues with each other, and knowing Disney, of course their relationship would end up being a key factor in fixing the problem, and everything would end, for lack of a better term, "happily ever after." I wasn't surprised at the plot twist. I wasn't surprised by anything that happened. It was actually kind of disappointing that I called all the shots.
I suppose I like to view my entertainment as a sort of challenge. I always try to see if I can figure out the ending to the story. If I can, it doesn't mean that I win. I don't know what it means exactly, but it leaves me unsatisfied. The best is when I think I know what's going to happen, but I'm surprised completely by the ending, and it's better than the one I came up with. So, Frozen did not do that for me. However, the music was nice and it was nice to just relax I suppose. And I did like Olaf, the snowman. But the story was not, shall we say, intellectually stimulating.
Now onto a slight tangent, I've heard a lot about the hidden meanings of Frozen, and I've heard a lot from people who are upset at those reading too far into the meaning. Which side of the argument does one take? I really think there are hidden meanings in film and literature and there always has been. I'm actually going to be writing my paper on this. But really, everything in our society is written and made by adults (even if it's for children), and it is nearly impossible for authors to separate themselves from their work. Without consciously meaning to even, we have certain structures, stereotypes, and stigmas in our entertainment, and I think we'd be fools not to see it. I think it can actually tell us quite a lot about what the values of society are at various points in time. Were these meanings meant to be there? I have no idea, and I'm not about to come up with an opinion on that--I don't have time if I'm going to get all of my homework done. But aren't those of us studying in the field of the Humanities searching to uncover deeper meanings within art, music, literature, and film?
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