Time Required: two hours
Here's How:
Choose a scene from one of your short stories or novels that seems to drag. Scenes designed to be more action-oriented are particularly well-suited to this exercise.
Rewrite the scene as a play or screenplay. In other words, tell the story using only dialogue and brief descriptions of action and characters. (If you aren't familiar with screenwriting or playwrighting formats, don't worry. This isn't an exercise in formatting, but in thinking visually.)
Practice economy. Think strategically about how character can be revealed through action and dialogue. (Syd Field has excellent examples of how this can be done in his classic book, "Screenplay.") Instead of telling the reader what a character is like, find a way to illustrate character as the plot unfolds.
Rewrite the scene in prose, abstaining from back story and long descriptions, and incorporating some of the details you have added in writing it as a screenplay.
Take a few days off from the work and return to it later, noting how the pace of the work has changed.
Tips:
In some instances, backstory will be necessary to the plot of a story. Determine what's absolutely necessary and what the reader can surmise from the dialogue and the action. Readers generally pick up on and remember more details than you might expect.
Don't confuse foward-moving fiction with fiction written for the screen. It's possible to write rich, literary work that also has movement.
It's easy enough to reinsert any necessary information later. When you start to get feedback on the work, people will let you know if anything is confusing:
You're supposed to do this exercise with a scene you've already written but after going back and looking at what i've written I don't know that any of them lend themselves to this exercise. Sooooo in the spirit of adventure and the fact that I HAVE to write for two hours everyday i'm going to create a scene in dialogue. Feel free to rip it apart in editing as today it's just a writing exercise ;-)
"I am so sick of having first watch Kevan".
"Aww Page it could be worse ya know you could have last watch, or second to last watch, or hell you could be the one out in the forest foraging for food".
"Yeah except I don't know the differance between a poisonous mushroom and a tasty one, also I don't like domestic labor Kevan it gives me the willies"
"Oh aye you'll make some man a wonderful wife Page"
"I've no intentions of making some man a wonderful anything! I've devoted my life to the Watchers and small children disgust me, they're sticky and are always wiping grossness off on people! No thank you this chicka will pass"
"Wow you're that sure you'll be celibate the rest of your life Page? I'm two years older than you and at 17 i'm not even sure i'm ready to call it quits on that part of my life!"
"Here! Here! Gavin!"
"Oh stop it both of you and leave Page alone. If she says she's made up her mind then she has you know girls mature faster than men anyway so technically Page is a year older than you Gavin and Kevan we all know you just want to flirt with anything of the opposite sex".
"Thanks Annabeth. It's good to know at least someone understands where i'm coming from!"
"What are you all talking about?"
"Hey Magnus, Kindyl, think you could settle this debate?"
"What debate Gavin?"
"Well Page says she's not gonna be anyone's wife or mother and Annabeth says that since girls mature faster than us guys that technically she's a year older than me. She also says Kevan is a horrible flirt and will hit on anything that moves."
"Hmm doesn't sound like much of a debate to me Gavin. Sounds more like you want Kindyl and I to make a ruling on ya'lls argument and I'm not sure that you and Kevan really have a leg to stand on here".
"Well baby brother the good news is we're not reliant on a logical ruling so you can relax and let your more base instincts rule here."
"Oh that's nice Gavin just reduce your higher thinking brother to the level of a caveman"
"I saw you roll your eyes at me Page".
"Children, children calm down the real argument here is whether or not Page is old enough to have pledged her entire life to the organization alone. Not whether or not Gavin is an immature slob, which we already know to be true, or that Kevan is a lad with a wandering eye, something we also already know to be true. So to be fair and unbiased we'd have to consult the Good Book!"
"Wow you brandished that about rather dramatically Kindyl I hope you have a specific passage you're going to refer to, be a shame to ruin all that drama with no idea of where to go."
"Gee, Gavin you are such a treasure! I can't understand why some girl hasn't snatched you up for her own yet?"
"He hasn't found anyone desperate enough to settle that's why Kindyl"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Self Directed writing exercise#6
This exercise is quite possibly the most difficult, demanding and important exercise a writer can ever do. The poet and critic, T. S. Eliot, coined the phrase "objective correlative" to designate what he believed was the most important element in writing: Rendering the description of an object so that the emotional state of the character from whose point of view we receive the description is revealed WITHOUT ever telling the reader what that emotional state is or what has motivated it.
The late John Gardner, recognized in his lifetime as the leading creative writing teacher in the United States, developed the following exercise for students:
A middle-age man is waiting at a bus stop. He has just learned that his son has died violently. Describe the setting from the man's point of view WITHOUT telling your reader what has happened. How will the street look to this man? What are the sounds? Odors? Colors? That this man will notice? What will his clothes feel like? Write a 250 word description.
I'm going to tweak this exercise a bit because I've got an idea of scene I want to write for my own book.
Andrea heard the generals boots long before she smelled him coming. The dinstintive ring of the his metal heels striking the stone floor of the dungeon down below always reminded her of silver bells. If she ever got out of this place alive she would never again be able to endure that damn sound! She could hear the other occupants of the cells scurry to hide and a few whimpers and cries floated out of the darkness. Not for the first time Andrea wondered who else occupied the cells down here and how long they had been here. When she had first woken up from the drug induced sleep she was too distracted with her own fear to take into account her surroundings. Now she cursed herself for a fool for not paying closer attention before they brought her down here. She was a fully trained Praetorian Guard she knew better than to let an emotion rule over her like that! Andrea snorted indelicatly and thought about what her brothers would say if they were here, Gavin would probably crack some joke about her being a chicken and Magnus would just pat her on the back with that look on his face. Just the thought of it made her blood boil and her anger helped clear her mind and sharpen her focus. If she were going to get out of here and be of any use to anyone again she'd have to keep her wits about her.
General Bertram always derived a sick sort of pleasure in hearing the scurry of his prisoners in their cells. He wore these particular boots everytime he paid a visit to his "honored guests" knowing the sound would echo sweetly off the stone and announce his presence to those locked in the dark and dank cells. Bertram would recieve no pleasure in this evenings errand however, he was distracted with one prisoner in particular, so much so that he was finding it difficult to focus on the larger scheme. He was so distracted he didn't even notice he had walked by the prisoners cell until he was three doors down from it. Turning quickly on his heel he marched back to prisoner 242's cell door and barked out an order to his jailor to open it up!
Inside her cell Andrea could hear General Bertrams footsteps ring past her door. She felt her body relax, unaware that she had been holding herself rigid until then. Just as she was about to go back to feeling along the stone walls for some sort of way out she heard the Generals footsteps back track. Why would General Bertram be back tracking? Andrea cocked her head to the side and pressed her ear up against her cell door trying to hear what was going on, all of a sudden her head was ringing as she heard him call out to the jailor to open the cell door for prisoner 242. Whoever prisoner 242 was it sounded like they were in for a long, unpleasant visit with the General.
The late John Gardner, recognized in his lifetime as the leading creative writing teacher in the United States, developed the following exercise for students:
A middle-age man is waiting at a bus stop. He has just learned that his son has died violently. Describe the setting from the man's point of view WITHOUT telling your reader what has happened. How will the street look to this man? What are the sounds? Odors? Colors? That this man will notice? What will his clothes feel like? Write a 250 word description.
I'm going to tweak this exercise a bit because I've got an idea of scene I want to write for my own book.
Andrea heard the generals boots long before she smelled him coming. The dinstintive ring of the his metal heels striking the stone floor of the dungeon down below always reminded her of silver bells. If she ever got out of this place alive she would never again be able to endure that damn sound! She could hear the other occupants of the cells scurry to hide and a few whimpers and cries floated out of the darkness. Not for the first time Andrea wondered who else occupied the cells down here and how long they had been here. When she had first woken up from the drug induced sleep she was too distracted with her own fear to take into account her surroundings. Now she cursed herself for a fool for not paying closer attention before they brought her down here. She was a fully trained Praetorian Guard she knew better than to let an emotion rule over her like that! Andrea snorted indelicatly and thought about what her brothers would say if they were here, Gavin would probably crack some joke about her being a chicken and Magnus would just pat her on the back with that look on his face. Just the thought of it made her blood boil and her anger helped clear her mind and sharpen her focus. If she were going to get out of here and be of any use to anyone again she'd have to keep her wits about her.
General Bertram always derived a sick sort of pleasure in hearing the scurry of his prisoners in their cells. He wore these particular boots everytime he paid a visit to his "honored guests" knowing the sound would echo sweetly off the stone and announce his presence to those locked in the dark and dank cells. Bertram would recieve no pleasure in this evenings errand however, he was distracted with one prisoner in particular, so much so that he was finding it difficult to focus on the larger scheme. He was so distracted he didn't even notice he had walked by the prisoners cell until he was three doors down from it. Turning quickly on his heel he marched back to prisoner 242's cell door and barked out an order to his jailor to open it up!
Inside her cell Andrea could hear General Bertrams footsteps ring past her door. She felt her body relax, unaware that she had been holding herself rigid until then. Just as she was about to go back to feeling along the stone walls for some sort of way out she heard the Generals footsteps back track. Why would General Bertram be back tracking? Andrea cocked her head to the side and pressed her ear up against her cell door trying to hear what was going on, all of a sudden her head was ringing as she heard him call out to the jailor to open the cell door for prisoner 242. Whoever prisoner 242 was it sounded like they were in for a long, unpleasant visit with the General.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Self Directed Writing assn. #5
Write a narrative descriptive passage in a vernacular other than your own. Listen to the way people speak in a bar, restaurant, barber shop, or some other public place where folks who speak differently ("He has an accent!") from you, and try to capture that linguistic flavor on the page.
Magnus reached down and helped Kindyl to stand, he looked her over for injuries and seeing none he felt relief rush through him, until he saw the brief glint of guilt in Kindyls eyes. Whatever that blast had been Kindyl knew something about it and Magnus was determined to find out what it was. He didn't have time to question her now and for that Kindyl was relieved she needed time to think and time enough to figure a way out of this impossible situation. How did she always find herself in these predicaments!
"Oy Kindyl come over 'ere and check this out" Kevan yelled.
Kindyl scrambled the rest of the way to her feet and rushed over to Kevan.
"what's up Kevan? Did you find something?" said Page dusting herself off and walking over to the blast site.
"Mebbe I needs Kindyl to look a'it and tell me what she thinks. I'm thinkin' mebbe it's a light grenade but wit'out the punch ya know?"
Kevans parents were Scots/Irish and he came to the Keep to be trained only a few years ago. Magnus and Gavin had gotten used to the odd tempo of Kevans speech but newcomers still had a hard time understanding him. Kindyl wasn't sure whether he had said light or lot, she was still struggling with what he had said when she reached the blast site.
"Keendyl I needs ya to put on them special glasses ya got and look at this" Kevan handed a smooth rod covered in what appeared to be squiggly lines over to Kindyl.
Kindyl didn't need the glasses to see what was hidden on that rod. She'd seen this before the night that old crone at the fair had called her into her fortune telling tent. Making a show of needing the goggles Kindyl pulled them up from around her neck and adjusted the superviolet lens's pretending to focus on the rod. Hoping against hope she was wrong she watched in dismay as the superviolet words appeared "They will not control us, they will not be victorious, we see you even when you don't see us". Those words haunted Kindyl's every waking moment and her dreaming ones as well. Pulling off the goggles Kindyl looked up and said "It's not a light grenade, the markings are wrong and the superviolet is off. Could be a bad copy but meh who knows, might be why there was no punch to it".
"heh weel I guess I was wrong, but I wonder why sumun would go through all the trubble of makin' a fake bomb?"
Magnus reached down and helped Kindyl to stand, he looked her over for injuries and seeing none he felt relief rush through him, until he saw the brief glint of guilt in Kindyls eyes. Whatever that blast had been Kindyl knew something about it and Magnus was determined to find out what it was. He didn't have time to question her now and for that Kindyl was relieved she needed time to think and time enough to figure a way out of this impossible situation. How did she always find herself in these predicaments!
"Oy Kindyl come over 'ere and check this out" Kevan yelled.
Kindyl scrambled the rest of the way to her feet and rushed over to Kevan.
"what's up Kevan? Did you find something?" said Page dusting herself off and walking over to the blast site.
"Mebbe I needs Kindyl to look a'it and tell me what she thinks. I'm thinkin' mebbe it's a light grenade but wit'out the punch ya know?"
Kevans parents were Scots/Irish and he came to the Keep to be trained only a few years ago. Magnus and Gavin had gotten used to the odd tempo of Kevans speech but newcomers still had a hard time understanding him. Kindyl wasn't sure whether he had said light or lot, she was still struggling with what he had said when she reached the blast site.
"Keendyl I needs ya to put on them special glasses ya got and look at this" Kevan handed a smooth rod covered in what appeared to be squiggly lines over to Kindyl.
Kindyl didn't need the glasses to see what was hidden on that rod. She'd seen this before the night that old crone at the fair had called her into her fortune telling tent. Making a show of needing the goggles Kindyl pulled them up from around her neck and adjusted the superviolet lens's pretending to focus on the rod. Hoping against hope she was wrong she watched in dismay as the superviolet words appeared "They will not control us, they will not be victorious, we see you even when you don't see us". Those words haunted Kindyl's every waking moment and her dreaming ones as well. Pulling off the goggles Kindyl looked up and said "It's not a light grenade, the markings are wrong and the superviolet is off. Could be a bad copy but meh who knows, might be why there was no punch to it".
"heh weel I guess I was wrong, but I wonder why sumun would go through all the trubble of makin' a fake bomb?"
Self Directed Writing #4
Writing Character Profiles - Additional Questions
If your character has a job, is he or she good at it? Does he or she like it?
What are your character's bad habits?
Magnus has a tendancy to overthink a situation which may cost him valuable time. He also has a deep rooted sense of justice that can sometimes lend itself to coldness judging in black and white rather than seeing the gray areas. Due to Magnus's need to evaluate, weigh, and measure every situation and person he meets he can sometimes come off as distant, cold, and arrogant though nothing could be farther from the truth.
If you asked about his or her greatest dream, what would your character tell you?
Magnus's greatest dream is to follow in his fathers footsteps and become head of the Praetorian Guards. He dreams of being a brilliant military strategist with the ability to be a confidant leader.
What's a secret dream that he or she wouldn't tell you about?
Secretly Magnus wishes to find his soulmate. A woman who completes and compliments him in every way. A woman who is strong where he is weak and who has the humility to allow him to be strong where she is weak.
What kind of person does your character wish he or she could be? What is stopping him or her?
Magnus wishes he could be more spontaneous and lighthearted like his older brother Gavin, he is slightly jealous of Gavin's ease and confidence around other people and wishes he could make friends as easily as Gavin.
What stops Magnus from being as extrobverted as Gavin is his need to have all the information before he acts. Magnus is driven by his own inner compass and is at most times a slave to it.
What is your character afraid of? What keeps him or her up at night?
Magnus's biggest fear is failure or not doing the right thing because he made a bad judgement call.
What does your character think is his or her worst quality?
Magnus believes his worst quality is his inablity to "let go". he has a tendancy to overthing a situation or read too much into what someone or something is.
What do other people think your character's worst quality is?
Other people see his worst quality as being his percieved cold, dispassionate demenour when making a judgement call.
What is a talent your character thinks he or she has but is very wrong about?
Magnus thinks he is good at blending into any given situation but he doesn't he stands out no matter what because his eyes always give him away.
What did his or her childhood home look like?
Who was his or her first love?
Magnus hasn't had a first love yet. I'm toying with the idea of it being the character Kindyl. that however is subject to change. :D
What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to him/her?
The most terrible thing to happen to Magnus is the abduction of his mother and older sister Andrea.
What was his/her dream growing up?Magnus is 15 years old at this current moment his greatest ambition in life is to become a strong leader like his father.
Did he/she achieve this dream? Not yet. If so, in what ways was it not what the character expected?
If your character never achieved the dream, why not?Magnus is in the process of becoming a leader and fulfilling the power of his name.
In what situation would your character become violent?
Only in a situation that demanded it. Such a battle, or if one of his loved ones were physically threatened with death.
In what situation would your character act heroic?
Magnus is the reluctant hero. He would only act heroic if he was driven to it or if he truly felt as if he were the only one capable of doing what needed to be done.
If your character has a job, is he or she good at it? Does he or she like it?
What are your character's bad habits?
Magnus has a tendancy to overthink a situation which may cost him valuable time. He also has a deep rooted sense of justice that can sometimes lend itself to coldness judging in black and white rather than seeing the gray areas. Due to Magnus's need to evaluate, weigh, and measure every situation and person he meets he can sometimes come off as distant, cold, and arrogant though nothing could be farther from the truth.
If you asked about his or her greatest dream, what would your character tell you?
Magnus's greatest dream is to follow in his fathers footsteps and become head of the Praetorian Guards. He dreams of being a brilliant military strategist with the ability to be a confidant leader.
What's a secret dream that he or she wouldn't tell you about?
Secretly Magnus wishes to find his soulmate. A woman who completes and compliments him in every way. A woman who is strong where he is weak and who has the humility to allow him to be strong where she is weak.
What kind of person does your character wish he or she could be? What is stopping him or her?
Magnus wishes he could be more spontaneous and lighthearted like his older brother Gavin, he is slightly jealous of Gavin's ease and confidence around other people and wishes he could make friends as easily as Gavin.
What stops Magnus from being as extrobverted as Gavin is his need to have all the information before he acts. Magnus is driven by his own inner compass and is at most times a slave to it.
What is your character afraid of? What keeps him or her up at night?
Magnus's biggest fear is failure or not doing the right thing because he made a bad judgement call.
What does your character think is his or her worst quality?
Magnus believes his worst quality is his inablity to "let go". he has a tendancy to overthing a situation or read too much into what someone or something is.
What do other people think your character's worst quality is?
Other people see his worst quality as being his percieved cold, dispassionate demenour when making a judgement call.
What is a talent your character thinks he or she has but is very wrong about?
Magnus thinks he is good at blending into any given situation but he doesn't he stands out no matter what because his eyes always give him away.
What did his or her childhood home look like?
Who was his or her first love?
Magnus hasn't had a first love yet. I'm toying with the idea of it being the character Kindyl. that however is subject to change. :D
What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to him/her?
The most terrible thing to happen to Magnus is the abduction of his mother and older sister Andrea.
What was his/her dream growing up?Magnus is 15 years old at this current moment his greatest ambition in life is to become a strong leader like his father.
Did he/she achieve this dream? Not yet. If so, in what ways was it not what the character expected?
If your character never achieved the dream, why not?Magnus is in the process of becoming a leader and fulfilling the power of his name.
In what situation would your character become violent?
Only in a situation that demanded it. Such a battle, or if one of his loved ones were physically threatened with death.
In what situation would your character act heroic?
Magnus is the reluctant hero. He would only act heroic if he was driven to it or if he truly felt as if he were the only one capable of doing what needed to be done.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Self Appointed Writing Exercise #3
Writing Character Profiles - Questionnaire 2 (Child Characters)
Ok for those that may not have figured it out yet I'm having some trouble finding my place in my newest story. So when in doubt go back to the basics. I would appreciate any insight you all can give me as no one writes a book in a vacuum. Elizabeth I know you've been my only reader so I guess this is directed at you..lol. Ok so if you see a question mark next to a question about the character it's because I haven't figured that part out yet..frustrating I know but there it is. Feel free to throw your own two cents out as i said before no one writes in a vacuum. Andrea actually wrote some of these herself.
Ok for those that may not have figured it out yet I'm having some trouble finding my place in my newest story. So when in doubt go back to the basics. I would appreciate any insight you all can give me as no one writes a book in a vacuum. Elizabeth I know you've been my only reader so I guess this is directed at you..lol. Ok so if you see a question mark next to a question about the character it's because I haven't figured that part out yet..frustrating I know but there it is. Feel free to throw your own two cents out as i said before no one writes in a vacuum. Andrea actually wrote some of these herself.
- Name: Magnus Jayce ? (I'm thinking Praetor as in old English it was a word given to the local magister/judge and Magnus will become the head of the Praetorian Guard..eventually)
- Age:15
- Birthday: June 6
- General physical description: Tall, Muscular with some baby fat in areas, Dark curly hair, Black eyes, cupids bow mouth.
- Hometown: St.Louis
- Type of home/ neighborhood: Praetorian Guards Keep, Think Mississippi river warehouse on the outside, antique museum on the inside. Neighborhood is city, urban.
- Father’s name, background, and occupation:
- Mother’s name, background, and occupation:
- Brothers and sisters: Andrea Nicole, Gavin Otto
- Position in family: Youngest
- Other close relatives: Uncle B'Zahn and Aunt Aurora Askari their three children Sylvia, Thomas, and Sean, Aunt Lafon and Aunt Sarah
- Family relationships: Mom is head of the biblical library and spends most of her time researching and decoding, Dad is head of the Praetorian Guards he spends his days overseeing the placement of guards around the world and in his "spare" time he teaches and trains his children in he ways of the Praetorian, Aunt Aurora is the chatelaine for the Keep, she is usually friendly and kind but quite formidable when her rules are broken, everyone steps lightly around Aunt Aurora when she is "on a mission", Uncle B'Zahn is the head weapons master and runs the training for all children sent to learn at the Keep. Their three children Sylvia and Thomas (twins) and Sean are Gavin and Magnus's closest allies and they spend many hours cooking up pranks. Aunt Lafon is head of the Armory but is also extremely gifted in other mediums of art she is an artist who is often sent on missions of great but mysterious importance. Aunt Sarah is the head of the Infirmary and instructs the children in battlefield first aid as well as teaching them the restorative properties of many of the native plants found in Missouri. All of the Aunts are related to Ismeralda the children s mother. The children s father no longer has any family left alive after the last world war. Everyone lives contentedly and everyone has a place and a job within the institution. Gavin and Magnus are close in age, Gavin tends to be more of a leap then look kind of warrior and he is the jokester of the family. Magnus is the more serious one who takes his time to make a move or a decision preferring to have all the facts and as much of the information as he can get before making a move. He has a more dry, subtle sense of humor than his brother Gavin. Andrea is the older sister, She is by right of being a girl the more mature of the three and when she's not off on a mission likes to remind the "boys" whose boss. Gavin and Magnus tolerate her bossiness because deep down they know she would give her life for them and vice versa.
- Special friends: Kindyl, Annabeth, Page, Alyssa, Michael, Kevan, Elijiah, Mycah,
- Enemies: Gage (bossy leader), Tyler (ginger haired freak), Tory(celtic bad ass), Olivia (the Wicca priestess).
- Influential person or event: ?
- Grade in school: Schooled in the Keep by different tutors.
- Attitude toward school: Magnus loves school he's a fact/information driven person..a strategist at heart.
- Grades: 10th grade
- Favorite pastimes: chess, games of strategy, figuring out how things work, puzzles, non-fiction reading. He likes to help his mother research in the library.
- Hobbies (music/art/reading material):mostly non-fiction leans heavily toward biblical archeology and history, he loves classical music for it's difficulty and he prefers techno for modern music, his Aunt Lafon has instilled in him her love of art in all it's forms and Magnus prefers sculpture because he gets to work more with the clay.
- Favorite sports: fencing, horseback riding, archery
- Favorite foods: anything, Magnus likes good cooking and does not discriminate if it's free it's his.
- Dress style: mostly dark colors that help him blend into the night or a shadow.
- Religion: Lutheran
- Attitude toward religion: Deeply religious
- Relationship with boys: uh he is a boy..lol..just kidding he makes friends slowly but the friends he does have are true and loyal.
- Relationship with girls: appreciative, prefers girls who can cook, think, and fight equally well.
- Leader or follower:Leader
- Strongest positive personality trait: Can think of a strategy of attack quickly even when under pressure.
- Strongest negative personality trait: Takes a while to get emotionally attached to people and doesn't really talk much about himself which sometimes makes new people timid to talk to him.
- Sense of humor: More dry and subtle. Doesn't jump out and make a joke but says it more out of comment not for laughter.
- Temper: Very cool-headed. Doesn't get angry easily. When angry he doesn't lash out or yell.
- Consideration for others: Magnus is always considerate of others feelings so much so that he will often go to great lengths to avoid hurting someones feelings or to shield them from pain taking on the pain himself in an effort to "save" others.
- How other people see him/her: They can see he would prefer to think more than talk. Since he's a strategist he like to think of ways to solve problems or issues so that it works out for everyone fairly.
Or in the case of warfare to win with the least amount of damage to either side. - Opinion of him/herself: Magnus is the "baby" and often feels like he has to prove himself as worthy of the name that he has been given at birth. He is also the youngest person in his family to have earned his middle name and feels the pressure of being the best. he is often envious of his older brother Gavin's ability to shrug off responsibility and be so care free and fun loving.
- Other traits, especially those to be brought out in story: Deep inner strength, flexible logic thinking skills, ability and willingness to take on more responsibility than is necessary often times to his detriment.
- Ambitions: Magnus's ambition is to follow in his father's footsteps and be the head of the Praetorian Guard.
- Philosophy of life: ?
- Most important thing to know about character: Magnus is strong willed and slow to form an opinion but once formed he will not change it. He is one of the points of the lightbearer's triangle though he does not know that yet.
- Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?Readers should like this character. They will appreciate his flaws because they will be what makes him more human than supernatural. He should be easy to relate to and to look up to. Readers should respond to his ability to weigh all sides of a situation and take the road that leads to the quickest/and safest possible outcome while still holding true to his own inner philosophy of life.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Self appointed writing exercise #2
Write a dramatic scene between two people in which each has a secret and neither of them reveals the secret to the other OR TO THE READER.
"You never listen to me!" Kindyl shouted at Magnus.
"That's because you never make any sense. Always talking in riddles and cryptic remarks, it's like you know something the rest of us don't and you're too proud to just say it."
Kindyl opened her mouth to retort but then quickly snapped it shut. The truth was she did know something the rest didn't but she couldn't tell them, not now, not after what the old crone had said at the county fair. The secret was there in her eyes Magnus could see it surface and sink before the words ever left her mouth. Why wouldn't she tell him? Didn't she trust him after all this time to protect her? Kindyl looked down trying to use her eyelashes to shield the truth from Magnus's prying eyes. She had always been told that her eyes were the most expressive, powerful, part of her.Unfortunately it also meant she was a very bad liar.
Magnus stared at the top of Kindyl's head in frustration. He was tired and frustrated with the cryptic remarks. Wasn't it hard enough having to live with the knowledge of where they were going without having to deal with this puzzle of a woman? Kindyl was close enough that he could smell the raspberry shampoo she used to wash her hair. If he leaned a fraction of an inch closer he'd be able to rest his chin on the top of her hair and breath her sent in. Just as he was about to give in to the desire Kindyl raised her head and opened her mouth to speak.
"Magnus I need to tell you something but the others, they can't know OK, you can't tell them."
"Kindyl what is so bad that we can't tell the others?" Was is possible? did she know the truth of where they were headed? Just as Kindyl was about to tell him what was so bad there was a flash of light and rush of wind they turned to see what had caused it when a huge force of air blasted them to the ground. Magnus wouldn't find out about Kindyl's secret tonight or before it was too late to change the outcome.
"You never listen to me!" Kindyl shouted at Magnus.
"That's because you never make any sense. Always talking in riddles and cryptic remarks, it's like you know something the rest of us don't and you're too proud to just say it."
Kindyl opened her mouth to retort but then quickly snapped it shut. The truth was she did know something the rest didn't but she couldn't tell them, not now, not after what the old crone had said at the county fair. The secret was there in her eyes Magnus could see it surface and sink before the words ever left her mouth. Why wouldn't she tell him? Didn't she trust him after all this time to protect her? Kindyl looked down trying to use her eyelashes to shield the truth from Magnus's prying eyes. She had always been told that her eyes were the most expressive, powerful, part of her.Unfortunately it also meant she was a very bad liar.
Magnus stared at the top of Kindyl's head in frustration. He was tired and frustrated with the cryptic remarks. Wasn't it hard enough having to live with the knowledge of where they were going without having to deal with this puzzle of a woman? Kindyl was close enough that he could smell the raspberry shampoo she used to wash her hair. If he leaned a fraction of an inch closer he'd be able to rest his chin on the top of her hair and breath her sent in. Just as he was about to give in to the desire Kindyl raised her head and opened her mouth to speak.
"Magnus I need to tell you something but the others, they can't know OK, you can't tell them."
"Kindyl what is so bad that we can't tell the others?" Was is possible? did she know the truth of where they were headed? Just as Kindyl was about to tell him what was so bad there was a flash of light and rush of wind they turned to see what had caused it when a huge force of air blasted them to the ground. Magnus wouldn't find out about Kindyl's secret tonight or before it was too late to change the outcome.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
My First self appointed writing assignment
English 50 – Intro to Creative Writing: Exercises for Story Writers
More Exercises:
Write the first 250 words of a short story, but write them in ONE SENTENCE. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct and punctuated correctly. This exercise is intended to increase your powers in sentence writing.
Once upon a time I was an angsty teenager, OK I'm still an angsty teenager but I've gotten better, actually that's not true either most days I’m actually worse, but can you really blame me I mean I have to deal with long distance friendships and some that are way too up close and personal and some that I'd really rather not go into at the moment because they are way too complicated on top of that I have to listen to my step mom go on and on about world issues, like I give a crap about the rest of the world when I'm having to deal with my own slice of it right in my face, my dad doesn't get me either but at least he doesn't make me feel bad for being selfish, I'm a teenager I'm supposed to be selfish and self centered that whole global consciousness thing happens after, like 25 or something, you know when your real life is over and the whole "adult" thing has to take over, ok so anyway this story is about one of those times when you know stuff happens to you that you have no control over and yet you’re the one paying the price, yeah it’s one of those stories, a story about a basically good kid, that would be me, who has a lot of not so good stuff happen to her, that would also be me in case you hadn’t figured it out on your own.
More Exercises:
Write the first 250 words of a short story, but write them in ONE SENTENCE. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct and punctuated correctly. This exercise is intended to increase your powers in sentence writing.
Once upon a time I was an angsty teenager, OK I'm still an angsty teenager but I've gotten better, actually that's not true either most days I’m actually worse, but can you really blame me I mean I have to deal with long distance friendships and some that are way too up close and personal and some that I'd really rather not go into at the moment because they are way too complicated on top of that I have to listen to my step mom go on and on about world issues, like I give a crap about the rest of the world when I'm having to deal with my own slice of it right in my face, my dad doesn't get me either but at least he doesn't make me feel bad for being selfish, I'm a teenager I'm supposed to be selfish and self centered that whole global consciousness thing happens after, like 25 or something, you know when your real life is over and the whole "adult" thing has to take over, ok so anyway this story is about one of those times when you know stuff happens to you that you have no control over and yet you’re the one paying the price, yeah it’s one of those stories, a story about a basically good kid, that would be me, who has a lot of not so good stuff happen to her, that would also be me in case you hadn’t figured it out on your own.
Someone save me from myself!!
Quick!!! I need someone to save me from the melacholy i've slipped and fallen into! I don't know what happened I powered through February with very little incident and now...now it's March and I can't seem to shake this funk. It's annoying to say the least and it's downright unbearable at best. I'm so blah even I don't want to be around myself! Ughh. 
I hosted a Moms night in at my house the last friday in February thinking "yes this will work. This will trick my brain into forgetting that it's still winter." I'm going to stop trying to fool my brain it's obviously smarter than I am. The party was good a little bit of drama but with that many women in one room it's bound to happen. What really has me peeved is this: My name is unusual enough on it's own and ok i've come to terms with the oddness of it but is it really necessary for fully adult women to make fun it? I mean correct me if i'm wrong but it seems just a tad bit, oh I dont know, immature!!! to be tagged a made up name like Wrainbeau Vagina fluffy dickman. No it's not amusing, no I don't find it funny, no i'm not ever going to laugh at this. First off you come into my home and call me a vagina..then compound the insult by telling me that my headband looks like a dog collar so we should just call you fluffy and you find this humorous AFTER I've told you I wont tell you my middle name because it was horrible..so you figure you're just going to make one that's even worse. The thing about that incident is the person who started it, did it to be malicious and mean. She doesn't like me (there's a history there)and she was peeved because for a tiny little bit she was not the center of attention of which is the only place she knows how to be. I know i'm not the only one that finds this person abrasive, I also know that there are a few moms that are so put off by her that they refuse to attend any function where this person may show up. I happen to be a moderator for this group so I don't have that luxury which may be why i'm in such a foul mood this week.
I hosted a Moms night in at my house the last friday in February thinking "yes this will work. This will trick my brain into forgetting that it's still winter." I'm going to stop trying to fool my brain it's obviously smarter than I am. The party was good a little bit of drama but with that many women in one room it's bound to happen. What really has me peeved is this: My name is unusual enough on it's own and ok i've come to terms with the oddness of it but is it really necessary for fully adult women to make fun it? I mean correct me if i'm wrong but it seems just a tad bit, oh I dont know, immature!!! to be tagged a made up name like Wrainbeau Vagina fluffy dickman. No it's not amusing, no I don't find it funny, no i'm not ever going to laugh at this. First off you come into my home and call me a vagina..then compound the insult by telling me that my headband looks like a dog collar so we should just call you fluffy and you find this humorous AFTER I've told you I wont tell you my middle name because it was horrible..so you figure you're just going to make one that's even worse. The thing about that incident is the person who started it, did it to be malicious and mean. She doesn't like me (there's a history there)and she was peeved because for a tiny little bit she was not the center of attention of which is the only place she knows how to be. I know i'm not the only one that finds this person abrasive, I also know that there are a few moms that are so put off by her that they refuse to attend any function where this person may show up. I happen to be a moderator for this group so I don't have that luxury which may be why i'm in such a foul mood this week.
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