If Belle's Library Were Mine, I'd Probably Never Leave

You cannot ask me to go to the library without picking something up for fun.  It just won't happen, not if I have all of five minutes (and haven't somehow left my library card behind).

This week, I went to the library and left with two books for fun.  I was really trying to limit myself (well, I do have a half dozen books I bought after Christmas that I've been waiting to read for over three months).  This week's winners, hailing from the teen section, are The Cloud Chamber by Joyce Maynard and The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barrow.

I was just browsing the shelf, not looking for anything in particular, and I thought, "Hey, I wonder what would be around where my books will (eventually) be shelved?"  And that's when I saw a familiar name.  My own.  Maynard.  But I don't know who Joyce is.  Still, long lost cousin or not, the writeup on her novel sounded interesting.  It sounds like a mystery.  Young Nate is juggling many (pre)teenagery things: baseball tryouts, a science fair project, tree house plans, and a girl who likes him.  But even with all that swimming in his mind, he can't get his mind off of the day he came home to the police surrounding his house, his dad bleeding and arrested, and his mom shivering.  And that's what I got from the back and inside covers.  Sounds like a fun summer read.

Merlin, I picked up because I didn't want to only take a book that bears my name.  I know that sounds silly, but it's true.  I took it home, though, because it also sounded interesting.  Merlin when he was young; who knows what kind of mischief and cool things he could have gotten into?  Also, I've recently seen the first episode of Merlin, which plays off of the same thing.  So, yes, I was intrigued by the different take.

I love libraries.  Now if I can just make sure I have time to read.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real ~ Thanks to Like Mother, Like Daughter



From my friends' house. When I watered their
flowers, these bloomed for me.



Have you seen Like Mother, Like Daughter?  Tis a grand blog.  Auntie Leila was a big help to me when I had to take over the care of a household.  Her down-to-earth but kind advice and wisdom are usually directed toward women who have small children and babies to take care of and not enough time for a shower, but it helped me, too, a twenty-something college student taking over her ill mother's around-the-house jobs.  Auntie Leila is truly a blessing.



And she's recently started this, Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real series, another encouragement to me.  Things at home haven't gotten any easier, and honestly I fall behind on a lot of things.  As such, it's harder to see the pretty that's around the house, and I appreciate the photos and the idea behind them.  We all have those pretty, happy, funny, and most certainly real moments.  Sharing is part of the fun, and it's encouraging.  My situation may be a little different than the target audience for Auntie Leila's blog, but I know I'm not alone.



A winter meal that made everyone's tastebuds and tummies happy, and I was learning that, yes, I can cook.



I may or may not be able to participate and contribute anything (worthwhile) to the {phfr} posts, but now, at least I'll be looking to recognize those moments in my life.  I'll get to enjoy others' moments caught on camera, and I'll look for my own, even if I can't catch them in a non-blurry photo.  What's more, I'm looking for the little things that are pretty; it's a nice distraction in which rest can be found instead of being overwhelmed by the mess and to-do list that don't go away.



On the morning I saw this, I understood perhaps where the inspiration for Cars came from.



For now, I'll share some pictures from the past.  They fit the bill at the time, why not share them now?



This was simply very real.



Quotes and Tags

I quote movies.

While I don't know as many movies as Rebekah Roberts does, I love to use the one-liners, or even entire conversations from films in daily life (My household is particularly fond of quoting the family scenes from While You Were Sleeping—These mashed potatoes are so creamy...).  Sometimes the folks I'm chatting with don't get it.  Other times it can open up further and fun conversation because we have seen the same movie and enjoyed it (particularly with my friends who also quote movies in normal conversations).  And mostly it's just fun.

But imagine my surprise when I was watching a rerun of one of my favorite shows, Human Target, and the leading man, Christopher Chance, seemed to quote Han Solo.  Not just in one episode, but in two!  I need to watch more to see if he does it more.  Granted the lines used are actually older than the heartthrob scrounge, but in the context of the scene I couldn't help but wonder if the writers threw that into the show as a character trait for Chance.  Since he is a bit of a Han Solo character (rough around the edges, a romantic at heart, gallivanting all over the world), it would make perfect sense for Chance to quote him on purpose.

That's a pretty fun tag for a character, isn't it?  (A tag is an identifier for a character, like the tag on the back of your shirt.  It can come in dozens of forms such as clothing and jewelry, side items, speech patterns, gestures, and more.)  I've seen the quoting tag in another place.  Tony DiNozzo of NCIS is always quoting or referencing the plots of movies.  This is one of his endearing, as well as annoying, traits.  But what a great character tag.  If someone in the show is referencing a movie, it's either Tony or because of Tony's influence.  But it always points back to Tony.  If a case is looking like a movie plot, Tony will point it out (and he has been right).  His tag can be handled in numerous ways, but it's always there.  Tony loves movies, and he's seen a lot, so his tag has quite the variety to keep it interesting and almost always amusing.

I'm thinking about tags to give my character for my next short story to flesh him out and make him jump off the page.  Tony and Chance could provide some inspiration.

What are your favorite sort of character tags?  What's the hardest one you've ever tried to write?

Seeker's Intro

I missed a week of blogland and accidentally did not post last Friday.  So, let me tell you what I saw this week.

I saw an episode of Legend of the Seeker for the first time this week.  I think it was the first episode since all of the characters and the story problem were introduced.  I've seen lots of sci-fi on TV before, but I can't say I've ever seen a fantasy series.  It's cool.  Horses, pretty dresses, halfway decent special effect (some better than others).  I'd like to watch more and see where the story goes (I know, I'm behind the times. Please, no spoilers.).

I liked the intro to the characters and the story.  Richard's intro showed him in action in his element.  He's strong, capable, and clever enough to build a bridge by himself.  This we learn before a word is spoken.  It slows up the pace, but after Kahlan's flight a change in pace give viewers a chance to catch their breath.  Then we learn Richard's name with the little boy's "Hi, Richard," adding humor as well.  We're given a chance to see the caring side of Richard—he crosses the bridge to assure the boy it's safe—before we see his other, not quite as favorable characteristics.  This is a good thing.

I have been told to introduce my protagonists at their best.  Yes, they should grow throughout the story, but readers need a reason to want to follow that growth.  This is accomplished by showing the protagonist at his best at the time.

With Richard, once the trouble starts we see he is reluctant, a tad whiny, and not perhaps the most respectful of young men.  But, since I have seen him hard at work and looking out for a little boy, I have hope for him, so I want to keep watching.

Is Richard's introduction dishonest?  I don't think so.  It's just a layer of him, one that we need.  When everything's hunky dory, he is fine, hardworking, and nice.  When things fall apart, he's not so much, but we know that he can be.  He just needs the motivation to reach for the story goal.  Once he's motivated, we have a good dynamic in this one character to keep things real and interesting.  What will kind, stubborn, capable, resistant, hardworking, lazy Richard do when x disaster is thrown in his face?

Good question.  Don't you want to know?