Invincible Summer

     Well. I thought I could keep up the blog thing while traveling, but it turns out that's a no. I just have a short little post today, since I'll also be away next Monday. 

     For the longest time, I couldn't choose a favorite quote. However, I recently discovered one which instantly became my favorite.

     "In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an Invincible Summer." ~Albert Camus

     During the school year, I tend to be despondent. Everything is meh, it's cold, I'm tired, school is hard, and I just want to sit and mope. But even in that ugly mood, I must remember that within my heart lies an Invincible Summer.

     Life is not going to all be flowers and laughter and free time. That has already been proven. But we also have the Joy of Christ which shall not fade. It's the same idea as an Invincible Summer. Because of it, I can look up when everyone else is looking down. I will hold tight to the Invincible Summer, and when I come to the depths of despair, it will be the rope that assures me I'm still all right. This summer is going to be over all too quickly. But I have my Invincible Summer that will stick with me always. No one can break it or steal it or tell it to go back to school. I hope it will rub off a little on everyone.

     I drew the title image you see,(featuring the OYAN compass, which reminds me of something else and is a different post for a different day) and I'm going to write the quote out so I can be reminded of the Invincible Summer when I see it. Growing up is scary, and it's going to be hard to keep hold of my Joy, but hopefully the reminders will help.

     Comment: What's your favorite quote? 
 

Critiquing Tips

      Quick post today. (Since I'll be gone on Monday.) I thought a post on critiquing might be helpful.

     Real fast, there are two basic types of critiques, 'line-by-line', and 'general thoughts'. I prefer to call the latter 'thought dump' but it's not as official-sounding... Line-by-line is as the name implies, where one carefully reads through the excerpt of writing and comments on things throughout, down to the nit-picky details. (Well, depending on what draft it is.) General thoughts is a bit more, well, general. For that one, a person would ignore the tiny issues and make blanket statements about what the excerpt needed or lacked. It mainly gets the big problems. Line-by-line critiques are usually better for work that's further along, and general thoughts can be helpful for a first draft. 

     Now that that's sorted, let's get into actual tips.

     1- No grammar. If they wanted a grammar critique they could have asked their mother. It truly isn't helpful; grammar isn't the meat of the story at all. I’m guilty of pointing out spelling and things... I do it because messed up grammar makes things impossible to read for me. Don’t be like me. In a line-by-line, you can sometimes get away with fixing grammar here and there since that type of critique is often fairly dense in other comments, but as a rule, unless someone specifically asks you to point out grammar problems, DO NOT DO IT. 

     On the other hand, if you submit something to be critiqued, try and catch as many of the grammar issues as possible before sending it, believe me, it helps the critiquer a lot. (Yeah those squiggly lines under stuff in the word doc? They usually mean something's off.)

     2- Choose a focus. Ask the person you're doing a critique for if they have a certain element that they most want to improve, and examine that the most. Characters are my specialty, and I enjoy character-driven books as opposed to plot-driven, so I find myself making comments that reflect that, where I point out ways to help people get more into characters' heads and things of that nature. It's impossible to critique everything about a novel, so find your niche and help in your way. 

     3- Analyze the genre/target age/setting and critique accordingly. Make sure the things you point out aren't specific to your preferences. There's nothing wrong with saying "this isn't my type of book, but if you added sports/romance/clowns/talking dragons/oompa loompas/whatever it would be more appealing to me." However, it's important not to force someone's writing to be something that it isn't. If you like sci-fi and are critiquing a medieval fantasy, there's a slim chance time travelers are gonna zoom in on a space ship. (Although by all means, give people crazy ideas like that. It might be helpful.) Likewise, a middle-grade book is going to be geared towards that age, and while it can still be enjoyable for older people, it might not resonate with them as much as with the intended age range. 

     4- Use your discretion with sarcasm. I am a sarcastic little human. However, the first time I got a sarcastic critique, I totally felt mocked and was a bit offended for kind of a long time. (I now find sarcasm in critiques entertaining, so all you snark sharks have full permission to go all out on my work.) For me, deciding whether to tone down the sarcasm or not depends on the person. If I don’t know them very well, I’ll definitely toss sarcasm out the window. If I sort of know the person, depending on their personality I might put in a bit. And then with my very good friends it’s just like a wall of sarcasm. But when in doubt, throw it out.

     5- Be truthful but tactful. This goes along with the previous point. Be considerate with how you present comments. Don’t dismiss things as “well this is the most horrible sentence I’ve ever read.” Remember that writers are people too, and for some people it takes quite a lot of guts to show writing to someone else, and even more to accept others' feedback on it. Writing is a little part of someone's mind, soul, heart, so be very careful with how you suggest changes. That being said, don't sugar coat stuff. Don't say something is good if it needs alteration. Be gentle and thoughtful with critiques. Of course, like with the sarcasm thing, once you know someone well enough you can get a feel for what degree of blatancy they can handle. 

     Overall, when critiquing, keep in mind the Golden Rule and remember you're trying to help the other person's writing improve, you aren't there to gratify yourself by pointing out other peoples' flaws. 

A Bit of Conversation

     Well, summer is almost here, and my life is officially crazy. I promised myself that when school was over I'd be able to relax and read all day and draw and listen to music and finish my novel and all the things. Ha. Ha ha. I should never believe myself when I say things like that. This week is shaping up to be quite full. Ice cream party, pool party, SAT, a dance recital(I don't dance, but several of my good friends do and I'm going to be supportive and nice and go watch it)... And then next week also has a heap of things. Not to mention next Saturday my family is leaving for a three week road trip. I'm totally excited and totally not ready.

     All that to say, no, I haven't had time to plan a blog post. *cries* I do apologize. However, this is your chance to have a say in what sort of posts I write this summer! :D I'm gonna ask several questions and I'd be very pleased if you'd comment and answer.

     What writing-related posts would you like to see?
     What posts would you like to see related to other things?
     What has been your favorite post so far?

     Ok so enough about my blog. Let's hear about you. What are you most looking forward to this summer?
As I said, we're leaving next Saturday and we're going to a teen writers workshop hosted by the One Year Adventure Novel and I am very pumped.(and unprepared) In July I'll be at a service project daycamp sort of thing for a week.

     A last little thought: Make goals this summer. Don't just flop around. (although relaxing is good) Remember all the things you were yearning to do during the school year and get out there and DO IT. A good idea might be to grab a friend and discuss goals and then poof you will be accountable for each other.

Double Review: 'Airman' and 'The Marvels'

     --A quick announcement: My last post was published one day after the exact one year anniversary of this blog! So a big thank you to all you charming folks who actually read it and comment and all that. ^.^ It's nice to know I'm not over here typing to myself.--

     I've recently discovered two very great books, so why not review/give thoughts on them?

     Part 1: Airman, by Eoin Colfer.

     I spent a long time trying to figure out what genre Airman was, and finally decided on 'alternate history, with an air of steampunk'. The setting is the non-fictional Saltee Islands off the coast of Great Britain(yes I looked them up and they exist, but not quite the same as the author has us imagining them) in the Victorian era.

     The book centers around the idea of flight(as in, airborne travel) and freedom, and is filled with beautiful prose and lovely description. Each character has a very distinct voice and individual personality, which is one of my favorite parts of a book. The characters weren't all from the Saltees, either. There were Frenchmen, Englishmen, Irishmen, Americans, and even a dandy pirate. The main character, Conor, has definite goals, dreams, and values, and it makes us care for him from the start.

     As many books will, Airman slowed down toward the middle section, and while it felt slow going with hardly any action to speak of, I never lost interest, so strong was Conor's determination, and so enjoyable(or detestable) were the characters. Unlike any other book I can think of, this one made me cry a little near the beginning, instead of at the end. It invoked emotion the whole way through.

    I would absolutely recommend Airman to everyone. (although maybe those under 10 wouldn't understand it or enjoy it to its full level) It did have light swearing, but other than that, there was hardly any objectionable content. In fact, it would make an awesome read-aloud. (I mean, who doesn't want to practice their different British, French, and American accents?) I can only describe it as a wonderful and inspiring read.



     Part 2: The Marvels, by Brian Selznick.

     One thing you should know about Selznick: He tells parts of his stories with huge sections of illustrations, and it is fascinating and glorious. (Especially to me, as an artist) His other books are also amazing, and I believe I mentioned them in a previous post.

     The Marvels is a super quick read. The illustrations weave a magnificent history, and when it got to the prose section I didn't want to stop looking at all the fabulous pictures. They're all so well thought out, one can tell Selznick didn't just like scribble them all out, they're very meticulously planned and composed.

     I won't spoil it for you, but I must say the picture story and the prose story connect beautifully in the end, and there were lovely symbols and continuing ideas and everything matched and tied together. I was impressed. And it totally didn't end in the way I expected.

     However, I came away unsatisfied, because there was mention and acceptance of homosexuality. -_- How dare you associate such a thing with such a great book?! In all other ways, though, The Marvels is brilliant. I'd recommend it to anyone 12 or older.


     At any rate, both of these books inspired me, and they're grand. The Marvels is fairly new, and my library, for one, doesn't have it yet, and it costs a pretty penny at Barnes and Noble, but perhaps you're like me and have a fantastical best friend who decided to buy it and is willing to loan it to you. Airman should be easier to find at the library, and definitely costs less if you want to buy it. Anyhow, go find something awesome to read!

     What amazing books have you been reading lately?

The Quest for Inspiration

     So I was inspired to write a blog post. Ironically enough, it was another blog post that inspired me. Just goes to show, inspiration can be found almost anywhere. Outside, in the grocery store, at the dinner table, youth group... The list goes on. Everywhere you look, there is a piece of dialogue, an object to describe, a plot point, a character. Inspiration should be easy. You only have to look for it. Searching for inspiration is a skill you develop.

     Sometimes the smallest things can lead to a burst of inspiration. A little spark can throw you into a dreamy, inspired mindset for a whole day. Inspiration can't be faked. You can force yourself to write a story or draw a picture. And that's great. But it isn't the same as writing or drawing under inspiration.

     Inspiration can't be faked, but it can be found. You can't decide when to be inspired, but it certainly helps to know where to look for inspiration.

     I have a list of things I do when I'm searching for inspiration. So here:
-Take pictures. Zoom in, look closer than usual and everyday things.
-Go watch a play. There's nothing better than seeing a well plotted story being acted out right before your eyes.
-Read a story. Analyze what bits are your favorite, and how you might implement them in your own writing.
-Go for a walk. Fresh air, flowers, trees, sky... Quite inspirational.
-Observe the people around you. Take time to wonder what really makes them tick. I guarantee you will at least get a character trait out of it.
-Scroll across Pinterest. Ok. This one's tricky, because Pinterest can also turn into "Oh, look at this hilarious cat meme." And that's not inspirational. (I mean, maybe it is to some people.) But I find that looking at writing boards or travel boards or character boards or art boards are most inspirational for me.
-Visit a few writing blogs. Some amazing ones are GoTeenWriters, StoryForger, and This Incandescent Life.
-Write a letter, or journal, or something that's not what you need inspiration for. (For some reason, writing in cursive makes me feel really fancy and that sometimes inspires me to continue along in my creative endeavors.)
-Do something new. Changing it up can get you out of your usual pattern of thinking.
-Play an instrument or listen to music. Unplugging and just immersing yourself in music can be a great way to get thoughts going.
-Organize something. This one's more of something I do, because organizing relaxes me. Also having a clear work space is important.

     A few months ago I did a post on artist's block that kind of builds on this topic.

     ...That's about all I have for today. Apologies for the late post. I haven't got an excuse for it, either. Although I did manage to type up 700 words in my WIP after having writer's block for a while!

     What inspires you? (Comments are great, and guess what? They inspire me to write more posts. <3 )

[Descriptions:] Writing Beautiful Characters

     People are fascinating. I love just sitting somewhere noticing how very unique everyone is. (Haha, yes I know, that sentence was an oxymoron. But it's true.) I enjoy peoples' little quirks and mannerisms to no end.

      It seems the more one gets to know somebody, the more that somebody's uniqueness is made obvious, and the more beautiful they become in one's eyes. Eventually, when I know someone very well, when I think of them, their personality is what I imagine, not their physical appearance. Noticing the individuality of humans increases my wonder at the glory of God and how amazing his creation is. When people love each other and find joy in one another, it's only a very tiny sliver of what it's like to be loved by God and find true joy in him. 

      As writers, we want to reflect the uniqueness of real people in the characters we create. We want readers to relish the beauty of our characters. So how do we do that?

     Start by figuring out what your character looks like. In real life friendships, the first thing you get to know about a person is their appearance. So it should be with fictional characters. A reader will assume your character is a person by default. So there's no need to say something like "She had two eyes below her forehead, and just under the space between the eyes, her nose protruded from her face, right above the lips." Just note the details of your character, the ones that make them stand out. Important parts of someone's looks to mention are their hair (color, length/style, and if it's curly/straight), eyes (people notice eyes and eye color. So give your reader this detail to visualize.), body type (height, build, physical condition), and anything unusual about their appearance (maybe they have a scar from some childhood accident, or a mole that's more noticeable than normal).

     The second part of a character's appearance is mannerisms. Does your character have the need to be moving at all times? Does he have certain body language that he favors? Just as each person has a different 'voice', (specific words and expressions they use, and how they arrange them) people have certain motions they use more than others. For example, in reaction to a friend proposing plans for an outing, one character might nod, and another give a thumbs up.

      You can add more depth to a character's mannerisms if you really dig into what makes them tick. Say you have a drummer character. He's always tapping his feet or patting something with his hands in a rhythm, because he loves playing the drums. A character doesn't have to be a drummer to like that sort of tapping, but when we have a reason, it makes it a bit more interesting. I'm not saying that every tiny little motion has to have a reason behind it. Most people don't analyze themselves and figure out reasons for every tiny flick of their hand; it's not necessary. But writers are the analysts of the world, who dig a little deeper than the rest into the reasons things are.

     Once you're familiar with the outside of your character, it's time to look on the inside. There are lots and lots of methods for getting to know characters. Try several to see which ones work best for you. List the personality traits of your character and expound on them. What is your character's favorite subject of conversation, and why? (Always ask why.) Even if your character doesn't know the answer why, you will know. One can tell a lot about a person the closer you observe them. What is your character's opinion on social gatherings, the outdoors, sports, music, *insert whatever you wish*? How does the character's background and childhood affect how he acts and thinks now? What would his description of an ideal friend be?

     An outward description can help a reader visualize the character, but it's really the inward attributes that will cause a reader to love your characters. Everyone has an extraordinary personality, and the more you develop your characters, the more apparent that will be.

     P. S. I haven't got a question for you this week, but comments are always very encouraging!

On Fandoms

     Ah yes, the widespread topic of where one's loyalties lie as far as books, movies, TV shows, and what-have-you are concerned. (Stories. The word I'm looking for is stories. That covers all four of the things I just mentioned.)

     Loosely defined, a 'fandom' is a collection of people who are fans of something. I've fallen into many fandoms over the years, and find it hard to answer when people ask which ones I'm in. Inevitably I forget a few when listing them all off. Several of my fandoms include: the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Who, Anne of Green Gables, Tangled(and other Disney movies), the Princess Bride, Les Miserables, Star Wars, How to Train Your Dragon, Ranger's Apprentice, and the list could go on and on...

     I've heard it said that a person's favorite character is often who it is because he identifies with them the most. So too, people have the strong desire for a story they relate to. We may not live in outer space or Middle Earth or Narnia or a galaxy far far away, but that isn't what makes a story relatable or not. People fall in love with stories that contain real life situations, not because the places are familiar. The world may not be full of people running off on quests, but it is full of friendship and choices and people in need of a hero. C. S. Lewis said, "We read to know that we are not alone." And that is completely true. That is what catches people's hearts in stories; the feeling of being understood because 'oh look, someone else is thinking in just the same way I do, and they have the same problems I do'.

     Not only do fans have things in common with the characters in a story, the people in each fandom often have a lot in common with each other. (They at least have the similar enjoyment of whatever it may be.) Fandoms are inviting. Who wouldn't want to band together with a group of people who appreciate the same type of story as you? Shared excitement over things is an important form of support. It's encouraging to know you're not the only one crazy enough to want to live in other worlds and befriend made-up people.

      People express appreciation of things in different ways. Within fandoms, there are various outcomes of people voicing their delight uniquely. Some dress up as certain characters, a few write fan fiction, others draw fan art. The diversity of humans is so glorious, and we can enjoy each other through giving support.

      For me, a successful story is one that inspires me, and a successful drawing is one that does the same. Fandoms are a way for people to rejoice together over imagination and emotion and artistry. They provide a platform of common ground, from which the 'members' can inspire each other and dig deeper than surface level, analyzing the innermost parts of whatever-it-may be, and sharing excitement over it.
Without shared joy in stories, we might think ourselves more alone than we actually are.

     What fandoms are you in?


     P. S. My very cool friend has started a vlog on YouTube. You should check out her first video and subscribe so that you can stay tuned for further epicness. (And also perhaps follow her on all those different social media things she has.)