Writing challenge #4

Well, guys, I'm happy to report that I've been on a writing streak.  After getting clogged up in sheer lack of creativity through all of February, I've broken through at last, and, hoo-wee, is the poetic air nice.  (Funny thing is, a lot of other my fellows authors got stuck in writing oblivion last month too...I guess the return of flu-season brought along an anti-author virus as well...  ;))

Unfortunately, the ideas that I'm spawning are spewing absolutely everywhere and making a mess of my frantic life.  I've actually taken to carrying around my mom's iPhone because I get inspired to write huge blocks of text in the most random of places (e.g. while blow-drying my hair, in a half-way translated Latin sentence, and, of course, at night in bed), and a notebook and pen just aren't mobile enough.

All that to say, my writing life has been excellent!

Now, what about you guys?

In case if you haven't had any success with your own writing businesses, I've got a writing challenge for you, to loosen up all the stiff, creativity ground...so, without further ado:

What elements would you put in a jail-break scene?

Suspense?  How would you build up suspense?  Would you include a battle between the guards and the prisoners?  Would the prisoners be successful?  What would be necessary to escape from a locked cell?  Would there be preparation involved, or would the escape be spontaneous?

Write the scene and copy it to the comment box below, or just comment with a few ideas.  :)  Any and all thoughts are winners.  ^.^

Write on!
Clove

A Poem in the style of Emily Dickinson/Edgar Allen Poe

I am marooned here in a Crowd

whose nagging rays--blindly--

beat down.

Warm fodder--please--

can I devour--hungry as I’m?

No--

Of course not.

They’re dour.

Their food is sour.

Then--to speak to the birds--

hello!  no more--

I’ll pay well--be sure--

for a single word.

A shame--then!

I am to die in this Crowd.

No hope for 

Penelope’s shroud.

~ ~ ~

Explanation: The first line, "I am marooned in a Crowd", refers to an individual who lives in the midst of many people and cannot find anyone with to relate.  The individual of the poem feels outshone by the Crowd and minuscule within it.

In the second stanza, the individual seeks to find the "warm fodder" of encouragement in other people but cannot do so because his friends are too "dour", making their so-called food (aka. conversation) "sour".

Losing hope, the individual then wishes to greet birds but, obviously, doesn't speak the language of animals.  So, in the end, the poor individual is resolved to die while in a "Crowd" of so many, all of whom are nearby and able to help but refusing.  Lastly, a final allusion is made to the Odyssey written by Homer, where Penelope, Odysseus' faithful wife, promises that she'll marry one of many suitors when she finishes making her father's death shroud.  According to the Odyssey, Penelope would cleverly unwind the shroud at the night, however, and thus avoid her promise.  So, in other words, the individual of the poem is saying that there is no hope for delay - death is imminent.

~ ~ ~

And voila~!

So what do you all think?  Did I do Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe justice, or were my symbols too confusing?  (Poetry is haaard, y'all, much harder than writing stories in my opinion.)  I await your response in the comment box below!  :)

Write on!

Clove

Old joking habits are still old joking habits...

Hey-yo!  How farest th'all?  (It's like "y'all" just with "thou" instead of "you"...don't get it?  Blame the Shakespeare.)

This week has been sorta poor for me.  While suffering from a 72 hour-long (and still going) headache, I was assigned two of my least favorite violin exercises: scales and double-stops, I was supposed to attend a party but wasn't able to, and I finished the Harry Potter series for the first time in my life, so I'm kind of going through reading withdrawals despite the fact that I'm trying to finish A Hole in Our Holiness, Pundit's Folly, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Dante's Inferno within a month.

Yes, yes, I'm still writing, and Chapter 5 is still being edited.  I apologize for the delays.  :\

...but, anyway, I sat down and said, "Well, I have to blog something."  This is what I came up with:

Welcome...to...my life.

...and what's even more sad is that I sort of create the characters that I want to marry.  Oh well, at least I know what to look for forty-fifty years down the road.  ;)

Meanwhile, the New Oxford American Dictionary says that writer's block is, "The condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing."  Whoever wrote the NOAD was obviously not an fictional author.  ^_^

I just save my paragraphs and put 'em in other stories.  Just goes to say: DON'T DELETE YOUR WORK!  Save it and reuse it!

Obviously, the characters in the stories that I want to marry all have pristine writing capabilities.  Duh.  xD

This would be true except for the top right square...because all of my friends are authors as well.  :P

...join the Dark Side.  x)

ALAS.

And there you have it!

Write on!
Clove

Romance!

AUTHOR/EDITOR'S NOTE:
This blog post idea is attributed to Scarlett, who, at the end of a recent post, asked, "I also need help because, unfortunately, I have no love life, so romance is a foreigner to me.  Any suggestions?"  Go check out her blog.  :)

~ ~ ~

Well, guys, it's Valentine's Day (...or Single's Awareness Day).  Unfortunately (or lack thereof), I've no Valentine today, and, to be honest, none of my friends do either, so the concept of ooey-gooey romance is foreign to me.  Obviously, this poses quite a problem when I want to include romance into my writing.
However, for those of you who are like me, I come bearing good news!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT OTHER TO ADD ROMANTIC ELEMENTS INTO YOUR STORY.

In fact, if you seek to write a certain something, you don't ever need to possess that certain something in real life.  All that is required is a healthy pair of eyes and ears, an analytical mind, and literacy.
For example, with romance, adults all around you are in love, your parents are in love, some of your classmates may be in love.  Study them!  Then write down what you have studied - when they kiss, when they hold hands, when they fight, what they talk about, what they whisper, what they shout, the sacrifices they make, the chivalry, the rude physical thieveries and violations, the roses, the sunsets, etc.  Throw in a little plot and voila!

Romance.

...but let's open up this topic a little more:

In order to add romance, you have to understand what level of romance your characters are committed to.  If they just want to kiss and have late night adventures, they're going to face some serious character development needs when they realize that *gasp* humans have flaws!  (If you write about two characters who are "in love" and without differences, I promise I will hunt you down and delete/burn the document mercilessly.  x))  However, if they are loyal and faithful, they will have to make the painful decisions necessary to keep such a noble, chivalrous status quo.

Lastly, let's be clear: romance is fairly awkward.  Don't believe me?
   --If guy likes girl and girl likes guy but they don't know about their mutual feelings, they will be awkward around each other.  Plus, they'll spend all their time questioning their own identities and the other's identity until they finally spit those three words out in the air.  "I. love. you."
   --If girl doesn't really like guy but has friends who are totally shipping the relationship, the end result will be awkward, and the girl will probably end up hating said boy.  Vice versa applies.
   --If guy likes girl and the relationship is clear, the BRO CODE APPLIES.  No other guys are allowed to interfere with the girl, and, if they do, the end result will be awkward in what you call an unhappy "love triangle".  (What does a love triangle look like?  Think of Edward, Jacob, Bella - Leia, Luke, Han Solo - Peeta, Gale, Katniss - and the list goes on forever.)
   --If girl is a player and the guy is stupid, the guy should not be your protagonist.  Trust me.  He ends up sounding like a dweeb, and awkwardness ensures.  Vice versa applies.
   --If girl and guy have a clear relationship but are restricted from contact, they will do anything, literally EH-NEE-THEENG to be in each other's presence, including being awkward.  Don't underestimate the stupidity involved in this sort of scenario.
   --If guy breaks up with girl, girl will go on a rampage and tell all her friends and attempt to exact revenge and will frequently seek love in another guy.  Enter, awkwardness.

This list of relationship options could go on forever, but, as it is, I'm off to go gorge myself on a box of chocolates...all...by...my...self.  ^_^

Write on!
Clove

One-liners

As a homeschooled Asian teen, I can't promise to be the wittiest person in the world.  Generally, I think public-schoolers are the funniest people, and movies like Ocean's 11 leave me sitting in the dust, imitating Gru's minions:

"Whaaa...?"

So I'm at something of a setback when it comes to sharp writing.  Every so often, I feel like a good one-liner would enhance a semi-tense scene, but...nope.  Nothing comes.  (Obviously, in real life when confronted by a semi-tense scene, I'm the sort of person who calmly debates to the root of the problem.  Thank the classical education.  x))

As a result, I've taken to copying one liners from various movies and sites.  With a little bit of creative tweaking, you can mimic what someone else has set down without plagiarizing word-for-word.  Here are some of my favourite cocky one-liners and retorts:

~ ~ ~

A: "Somewhere in the world, you're depriving a small, needy village of an idiot."

A: "If I wanted to kill myself I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ."

A: "Hey, you have something on your chin... no, the third one down."

Daniel: "You know what your problem is?"

Tess: "I only have one?"

~Ocean's 11

A: "If your brain exploded, it wouldn't even mess up your hair."

A: "Does that dress make me look fat?"

B: "No, your fat makes you look fat."

A: "I could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong."

Student A: "I smell pizza..."

Student B: "It was a teacher's appreciation lunch."

Student A: "What?!  Why?!  We're doing all the work!"

Will: "Are you awake?"

Halt: "No."

~The Ranger's Apprentice

A: "I think I pulled a muscle."

B: "You have a muscle to pull?"

Halt: "You know, Horace, you used to be a most agreeable young man.  Whatever happened to you?"

Horace: "I've spent to much time around you, I suppose." 

~The Ranger's Apprentice

A: "Am I getting smart with you?  How would you know?"

~ ~ ~

Write on!

Clove

My Top Five Technical Writing Pet-Peeves

Well, while I haven't had much time for the actual further creation of my stories, I've been editing papers and other stories (and I learned that other college students will pay to get their stories edited, which made me super happy - $_$).  As I've been spilling copious amounts of red ink on beautiful, crisp, unmarked papers, I realized that I have some serious technical writing pet-peeves.  If I listed them all, we'd be here forever, so I'll just do My Top Five Technical Writing Pet-Peeves.

Number 5: Starting every sentence with 'the', a pronoun, or a subject

   Students who have little writing practice tend to violate this pet-peeve.  They tend to forget that they can open a sentence with a clause or prepositional phrase.  They try to find complete sentence to put down.  The end result is that they all sound like mechanical robots.  The sentences that they write blur together without cadence or rhythm.  Readers quickly get lost.  They could read their papers out-loud to get rid of this problem.  They could also hire a paid editor...like me.
   (See what I just did there?)

Number 4: "OK"

   Please.  Guys.  Just spell it out, okay?

Number 3: Lack of an Oxford comma
   Of pet peeves 5, 4, (COMMA) and 3, this one is of greatest importance to me.  x)  (For those of you who don't know, an Oxford comma is the comma that you put in between the second and third items when you're listing three items.  For example: We went to buy glass-bottled root beer, fresh-churched vanilla ice cream, (<--- that's your Oxford comma) and pretty cups for our root beer floats.  Some people will say that the Oxford comma is not necessary, but...just...just...does it take that much more effort to press another key on your keyboard?

Number 2: !? instead of ?!
   I've seen plenty of non-professional authors use "!?", but, if you pick up your nearest adventure book where some angry stepmother is shrieking, you'll always see "?!"  Of course, if you don't want to bother about that question mark, I have also seen professional authors ask questions like: "WHY WERE YOU  OUT WITH STEVE!  I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!"
   Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the inconsistencies of the English language.  Why don't we all just switch to Latin, eh?

Number 1: Anything wrong with quotation marks
   "Why is this a pet-peeve, Clove"?
   Clove sighs.  "Punctuation goes inside of the quotation marks, dear reader."
   "Is this better?" You ask with a short laugh.
   "Yes, except that now you need to un-capitalize your 'you'.  If the phrase outside of your dialogue is an action tag (versus a dialogue tag such as 'said', 'asked', or 'mumbled'), then you capitalize the first word of the phrase outside of dialogue.  Any other time (excepting proper nouns), the first word of the phrase outside of dialogue is un-capitalized."  Clove begins an action tag, closes her dialogue with a period, and glances at her confused reader.
    You nod hesitantly and say, "I think I got it.  Is this right?"
   "Yep!"
   "Phew..." you sigh.
   "Oh, and that's another confusing thing.  "Sigh" can be either an action tag or a dialogue tag."
   "Yeah, I could speak with a sigh," you sigh, "And I could sigh after I speak."  You sigh.
   "Exactly," Clove says, happy that you're catching on, "Except that now you have a new problem.  Anytime an action or dialogue tag interrupts dialogue," Clove says knowingly, "then the first word of the re-opened dialogue is not capitalized unless if it begins a new sentence.  For example, I have sentence one." Clove paused to interrupt her own speaking.  "Then I have sentence two.  The first word of sentence two is capitalized because it is...a new sentence."
   You give a roar of frustration.  "I GIVE UP!  This is ridiculous!"
   Clove shrugs.  "Agreed."  She cracks a grin and adds, "If you have a question, just pick up the book nearest to you and look for a dialogue piece that is like yours.  Match your punctuation to that of the book's, and, 99% of the time, you'll be writing technically correct."

Write on!
Clove

Sneak-Peek Quiz!

Sooo, ladies and gents, January is over in another few short hours, and I didn't get my chapter up because life exploded in January, and reality needed more attention than fiction.  Editing has gone slow, and writing has gone even slower (though I've been inspired as never before by death and cadavers and much more).  I hope you'll taste the fruit of life's rain of tears soon enough, but, for now, I thought I might treat you to a sneak-peek quiz concerning my third and final protagonist, who you'll meet in Chapter 5.

Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

Character name: Pleibea Katarion

Age: Seventeen

Appearance: Blond hair.  Brown, sparkling eyes.  Full lips.  High cheek-bones.  A model-worthy frame.

1. What do you know about this character now that she doesn't know yet?

   I know that one of her best friends will die...muahahaha!

2. What is this character's greatest flaw?

   She is antagonistic towards weakness and doesn't know the meaning of mercy.

3. What do you know about this character that she would never admit?

   I know that she is really, truly pretty and is an excellent doctor.

4. What is this character's greatest asset?

   She is very determined and easily gets what she wants when she puts her mind to it.

5. If this character could choose a different identity, who would she be?

   She would work for pay (instead of as a slave) as an out-going, cheerful free-man.

6. What music does this character sing when no one else is around?

   She's very fond of pop music, but she hates everything about pop culture...funny mix, I know.

7. In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith?

   Of everyone that she knows, Pleibea trusts her older (and only) brother Roz.

8. What is this character's favorite movie?

   Well, Pleibea has been a slave since she was five, so I don't think she remembers any movie that she currently appreciates.  Before she was subjugated, she watched a lot of princess movies, but she mocks those now and sees reality for what it "really is".

9. Does this character have a favorite article of clothing?

   Pleibea is rather third-world when it comes to clothing.  She practically wears what doesn't hamper her and doesn't bring unnecessary attraction to her, preferring comfortable over fashionable.  Also, even if she were given the chance, she'd never buy anything designer-made.

10. Does this character have a vice?  Name it.

   She's prouder than any of the other characters in this book, but she's fatalistic in her worldview, making her quite the paradox.

11. Name this character's favorite living/dead person.

   Her favorite living person would have to be her brother Roz.

12. What is this character's secret wish?

   She wishes to find a panacea for all of life's ailments - fevers, coughs, and slavery.

13. What is this character's proudest achievement?

   Pleibea is most proud of saving a sick patient from death using her medicine skills.

14. Describe this character's most embarrassing moment.

   Pleibea's most embarrassing moment was...er...hm...probably when she got beat by her overseers in front of her friends.

15. What is this character's deepest regret?

   She regrets being born into the family that she was.

16. What is this character's greatest fear?

   Pleibea would never admit it, but she fears the death of her friends and her brother.  As a whole, however, Pleibea scoffs at fear and sees it as an unnecessary emotion.

17. Describe this character's most devastating moment.

   Her most devastating moment would be when her own mother sold her as a slave.

18. What is this character's greatest achievement?

   Pleibea considers her greatest achievement to be her survival as a slave.  Most everyone expected her to die under slavery's harsh conditions, but she's lasted so far...

19. What is this character's greatest hope?

   She hopes most for salvation from slavery and for security from physical dangers; she's tired of looking behind her shoulder and taking measures to keep a wide margin.

20. Does this character have an obsession?  Name it.

   She's obsessed with medicine and helping others, though by her grim demeanor and determined fight for strength, you'd never tell.

21. What is this character's greatest disappointment?

   Pleibea is most let down with her father for leaving her mother.

22. What is this character's worst nightmare?

   She has a reoccurring nightmare of a real-life incident where Roz had been sick and in a coma, and she didn't think he'd recover.

23. Whom does this character most wish to please?  Why?

   This changes every day, as Pleibea treats different slaves daily, but she always seeks the comfort and stability of her patients.  As to why she does this, she says that she's been hurt to irreparability herself, so she's set to do as much good as she can before death takes her.

24. Describe this character's mother.

   From Pleibea's point of view, her mother is a selfish jerk who deserves to die.  Vivalee Katarion is a fashion designer and model who married the famous, Iron-man-esque Rayz, and she's like a more voluptuous version of Pleibea. 

25. Describe this character's father.

   From Pleibea's point of view, her father is also a selfish jerk who deserved to die.  From the pictures that she's seen, Rayz had naturally-wavy dirty-blond hair and brown eyes that were sharp and deep-set, glinting with pleasure and happiness.

26. If she had to choose, with whom would this character prefer to live?

   Pleibea would love to take her friends and her brother and live together up in a mountain cabin where there is little grass and clear air.

27. Where does this character fall in birth order?  What effect does this have?

   Pleibea is second-born and last-born, so she always expects Roz to be her source of advice, rebukes, and leadership.

28. Describe this character's siblings or other close relatives.

   Well, I already described her mom and dad.  Roz is the only other sibling that she has; he has blond, wavy hair and the same glinting brown eyes as Rayz.

29. Describe this character's bedroom.  Include three cherished items.

   Bahahaha...wow...well, see...er...Pleibea's bedroom is a rectangular hallways that stores a hundred and fifty other slaves, and she doesn't own anything but the clothes on her back and a faded picture of her mom and dad, so...yeah.

30. What is this character's birth date?  How does this character manifest traits of his/her astrological sign?

   I prolly shoulda looked through this quiz before I took it...  x)

31. If this character had to live in seclusion for six months, what six items would she bring?

   Pleibea would bring a scythe, which is the weapon she is fairly proficient with, as she's used it for her harvesting tasks before.  She'd also bring the photo of her parents with her, a source of light, a pack of matches, a canteen, and a serrated knife.

32. What makes this character angry?

   She gets angry if others show weakness, but she's also upset whenever she sees the ostentatious living over the upperclass world.

33. What calms this character?

   Blowing off on a large rant always works for Pleibea, but she really prefers standing in cold rain with a cup of hot chocolate.

34. List the circumstances over which this character has no control.

   Practically all of Pleibea's life is out of her control.  Really, she chooses her friends and chooses her attitude, but her physical status is orchestrated by overseers.

35. What wakes this character in the middle of the night?

   Nightmares and abnormal noises wake Pleibea, but, if she's feeling very annoyed with someone and doesn't settle her differences before bed, she might wake in the middle of the night to demand that the matter be solved.

36. How would a stranger describe this character?

   One might describe her as having a crazed light in her eyes that balances on the verge of madness and genius.  She walks with pride and power, but she sighs frequently to herself and rolls her eyes even more frequently at her companions, proving that she takes herself very seriously.

37. What does this character resolve to do differently every morning?

   Basically, each morning Pleibea resolves to live another day and stifle her ire.

48. Who depends on this character?  Why?

   Though they both don't acknowledge it, Pleibea's best friend Jordelle is very dependent on the strength that she sees in Pleibea.  Jordelle was born into a generation of slaves, so she accepts her fate without much passion, but she admires the fire in Pleibea and will listen, enraptured, when Pleibea talks about her life before enslavement.

49. If this character knew she had exactly one month to live, what would she do?

   She would probably continue on as normal and spend as much time as she could with her brother...though I'm not sure.  Pleibea's rather volatile.  x)

50. How would a dear friend or relative describe this character?

   Roz would probably say she's the craziest, most stubborn-headed brat he's ever met, but then he'd laugh and hug Pleibea who would roll her eyes and push him away, saying that they had more important things to be doing than joking around.

51. What is this character's most noticeable physical attribute?

   Her eyes, by far, are the most attractive physical attribute that she owns, but Pleibea is overall really beautiful, being the daughter of a model.

52. What is this character hiding from himself?

   Pleibea would never admit to herself that she's scared of being trapped as a slave forever, and everything she does outside of her medicine world exhibits her fear being channelled into training. 

53. Write one additional thing about your character.

   I hope you guys like her.  x)  To be honest, Pleibea is more like me than Millis and Patra are.

~ ~ ~

By the way, if you've got your own writing blog, you should definitely copy and paste this quiz, fill in answers for your own character(s), leave a link in the comments below, and let me read about your charries too.  ^.^

Write on!

Clove