tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53933241844498363252024-02-21T06:59:25.246-07:00Lichen CraigWelcome to the website of writer Lichen Craig.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-20243981844954758802019-09-03T17:04:00.002-06:002019-09-04T12:49:21.651-06:00Confronting Writer's Block . . .for Good! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlyVYDUTiMM566KZrh2X7g7J5rq9D4yJ22Zmf1Y7kCt6gyhvYG8HrlthI8TqidSXofAf7sBWGyBpd27Te_JvMDm-0aiSGwRKWzNz3dcCyHmh7XRJZ_aVX1o4wFoTXl7c4YvPKSByk5b7O/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlyVYDUTiMM566KZrh2X7g7J5rq9D4yJ22Zmf1Y7kCt6gyhvYG8HrlthI8TqidSXofAf7sBWGyBpd27Te_JvMDm-0aiSGwRKWzNz3dcCyHmh7XRJZ_aVX1o4wFoTXl7c4YvPKSByk5b7O/s1600/images.jpg" /></a>As an editor, I can't tell you how often I hear writers talk about "writer's block". Over several decades of working with writers, I have come to believe there is no such thing. Rather, "writer's block" is a collection of issues that are usually very easily resolved. In particular, an editor you can trust comes in handy when you are trying to sort out why you can't seem to progress in a writer project. Furthermore, when a person doesn't seek help and/or is unable to resolve the conflict, they often put the work aside and it never gets finished. I wanted to take this blog to talk about some of those issues. I hope it proves helpful.<br />
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First, understand that every writer gets stuck. It's a normal part of a healthy writing process, and the mark of a writer who truly cares about the quality of their work. Discovering the cause sometimes takes some firm self-talk and some exploration into the subconscious. There are tricks to get to that. The brave, professional writer accepts that these temporary stalls are normal, and determines to work through them with the same enthusiasm applied to the actual writing itself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKoOZvgE7uWWHwCm0-0PHFjZeNp3JA-0mwCJ52p8O2sf10aAIZwdTihMdK4Ejt9hPD_sCTVAHD3i0DM1zbBVacGGJ7z8qUGsyK7fURlNoo-m07epvJyJ2Mrl_L8LKs-4Uq6jt0yS1Nc27/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKoOZvgE7uWWHwCm0-0PHFjZeNp3JA-0mwCJ52p8O2sf10aAIZwdTihMdK4Ejt9hPD_sCTVAHD3i0DM1zbBVacGGJ7z8qUGsyK7fURlNoo-m07epvJyJ2Mrl_L8LKs-4Uq6jt0yS1Nc27/s1600/download.jpg" /></a>Let's separate the chaff from the wheat: there is a proportion of "writers" who use "writer's block" as an excuse for laziness. These are those people who like to proclaim they are writing a book, but have no real idea how to do it, and more importantly lack the drive, commitment, and love of writing to get it done. They are the people who like thinking of themselves as a "writer" despite the fact they have finished nothing - they are after the adulation they imagine writers get; they want to be thought of as a special, creative sort of person with a terribly complicated inner life. I have little patience with such people, not only because it's so phony - I feel they distract and subtract from what a real, dedicated writer does. Their posturing and pretense is insulting to the craft.<br />
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And writing IS a craft. It has to be practiced and honed, to be done well. I find that the best and most industrious really like the <i>process</i> of writing: they love the rush that comes from having written a passage and knowing it is well-done. They love counting their words every morning and evening and measuring progress, and watching the piece as it is molded into something with a life of its own. Mixed with feelings of triumph upon its completion, is a little sadness at letting it go out into the world. These people understand the process of <i>birthing</i> a book. I am addressing these kind of people - those who, despite loving the process, find themselves stuck without a clue why or how to get out of the rut.<br />
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<b>These are the most common issues for a writer who can't move:</b><br />
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<li>The plot structure is non-existent, sloppy, or simply needs reworked. </li>
<li>The characters are not well-developed, and so the writer is unsure about their motivation.</li>
<li>The characters are very well-developed, and want to take the work in a different direction.</li>
<li>The narrative needs to be in a different voice. </li>
<li>The wrong character is in the lead. (This is related to the point above.)</li>
<li>The spirit of your grandmother/parent/boss/spouse/Joe Public/God is reading over your shoulder.</li>
<li>You feel in over your head with a sex scene, a violence scene, or in the case of historicals, in terms of authenticity. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNY89sbl9bv3F4Q2DOPqxn7TLlYJjlfvOuJARzt_lp72E-TgJvhxq7K-N8ybFoYBBeJAg5f_xwOVgw1X11RUC_a3a24e8HJ7lB4Lb5744djUevYrUsyXIiiq1BaWZEoAAJ9TSjIYY0LBF/s1600/download+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNY89sbl9bv3F4Q2DOPqxn7TLlYJjlfvOuJARzt_lp72E-TgJvhxq7K-N8ybFoYBBeJAg5f_xwOVgw1X11RUC_a3a24e8HJ7lB4Lb5744djUevYrUsyXIiiq1BaWZEoAAJ9TSjIYY0LBF/s1600/download+%25282%2529.jpg" title="" /></a><u>Plot structure</u> is a big one. The fact that your plot feels messy to you is a good thing: it is proof that you know enough to know a messy structure when you feel it. I'm not a big believer in "pantsing" - a word I really detest as an editor. Inevitably, when I work with a new writer who says they are a "pantser", the work is structurally a mess. (Experienced writers can get away with a little more chaos, because they know how to do the outline in their minds.) Again, writing is a craft. If you understand that as a writer, you respect that craft, and your own skill, enough to at least rough out an outline before you start. When you do, you see whether you actually have a plot or you need to work on the idea a little more. Although your outline will be altered as you work, its very existence from the beginning keeps you on track structurally. Often, when your structure starts to crumble, you give up a little and get stuck. If you don't <i>see</i> the road ahead, you stop, confused. The solution is to put the work aside and refer to your outline to see what isn't working. Or make an outline if you haven't. </div>
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<u>Characterization</u> is a big issue in being blocked. I know several experienced writers who actually write out short bios of their main characters before they begin: even if they don't use all the material, they themselves have a good solid feel of who the character is as they write, and thus don't hesitate over motive. They instinctively know what this character wants and would do in a situation. When you try to push and pull and prod characters into directions that are illogical for them, you get stuck, and the work doesn't ring true.</div>
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Conversely, a very well-written character takes on a mind of his or her own and can insist on taking the writer in an unexpected direction. This happens commonly with experienced writers. The solution is to let them go. Fighting a strong character is a very common reason for a writer to feel stuck. "But that will change the whole plot!" So what? The end result could be brilliant, and will likely be better than your original plan. Trust your characters to take you in the right direction. If they are well-conceived to begin with, they will never be wrong. Think of it this way: A great writer has deeply-developed characters from Chapter 1, then merely gets out of their way and lets them tell the story on their own terms. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv2xZvirWAhqUyUyDgB7O7u8B4JwFF0F8JQIMCB6qKWfrbl5sumKTXEyBRwNlJacD1XOvZB3tPeadmY9FhIM6CBMzEZdNsRiarnW6ssYNYpGqdeMtBQPQNTABnhipbJnydly1_ugJvTM9/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv2xZvirWAhqUyUyDgB7O7u8B4JwFF0F8JQIMCB6qKWfrbl5sumKTXEyBRwNlJacD1XOvZB3tPeadmY9FhIM6CBMzEZdNsRiarnW6ssYNYpGqdeMtBQPQNTABnhipbJnydly1_ugJvTM9/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a><u>Wrong narrative voice</u>. I am currently working on a novel where I have changed voice four times. A lot of work? Absolutely! Frustrating? You bet! Enlightening? You have <i>no idea</i>. I don't regret a minute of it. This was my dilemma: First person lends an immediacy that took my reader into a past era in a very intimate way. On the other hand, limiting the voice to first person kept me from exploring other scenes involving other important characters in depth, since every scene has to come through this main character's perceptions. It's a complicated trick. I have her describing her brother's first experience in battle - and have to explain how and when and why he told her about it. Ugh. I switched to third omniscient (too cold and removed), to limited third (better but still impersonal), back to first. I may end up in a sort of double first - switching voices between two characters. </div>
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I have worked with dozens of writers who were struggling with a work. After talking to them about the story, I suggested they try another voice. When it works, it's magical. Sometimes when you feel you are struggling with a story - when it's hard to maintain the fire and care about the next chapter - when it all feels like a chore - you simply need to change voice. You should always feel the prose singing along. </div>
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<u>Wrong character in the lead.</u> Oh boy. This is related to the above issue. Sometimes, the wrong character is in the lead role. Simply switching the point of view throws you into a new reality and that prose starts singing. Don't fight this idea - rewrite the first two or three scenes from a new character and see if it feels good.Try it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEBzZil3IZtDzZFlAAzddi_JeVrb6tYwgqbmVmqxmD4xj4SU9thJvfnTIahAha7OQwmFXXcF2T3cLIkTosKEunVffRXf-3DjyPSa5WmtDfHVZGBtIAbgzuawVuj0ZQJ0-3QL1yoiFva2g/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEBzZil3IZtDzZFlAAzddi_JeVrb6tYwgqbmVmqxmD4xj4SU9thJvfnTIahAha7OQwmFXXcF2T3cLIkTosKEunVffRXf-3DjyPSa5WmtDfHVZGBtIAbgzuawVuj0ZQJ0-3QL1yoiFva2g/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u>Critic over your shoulder</u>. Even an experienced writer can fret over what people will think or say when the newest book hits the public. I have a golden rule for writers: Get it on paper, then worry about it in the edit. Just let that critic float away, and write from your soul, with the idea that not everything you write has to make it into the final draft. You'll be amazed how freely creative you will be. Chances are, when it comes time to remove some of it, you'll be so pleased with how it turned out that you'll risk the questions from Grandma. Or go to Plan B: Use a new pen name and Grandma won't know a thing! </div>
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<u>In over your head</u>. This happens to the most experienced writers. With new writers, it's because once you begin to write a scene that is highly erotic, or very violent, or even very emotional, you have no idea how to come up with something that "sounds" remotely authentic. The truth is that these scenes are tough and take practice, and sometimes take guidance from an editor and/or experienced writer. </div>
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I know a case in which a very experienced, talented writer, was confronted with writing a highly erotic scene in a novel because the plot demanded that it be shown. Her decision was a good one. Problem was, she wrote it - about two-thirds of the way into the book - like a porn scene. A bad one. Lots of dirty terms, moaning. You know what I mean. It was jolting to the reader, because up until that point the book had avoided eroticism. Plus, as I said - it was just bad. </div>
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Now I have a theory as to why writers stumble over sex scenes: they are uncomfortable with it - and it is tough to do without some knowledge as to how to do it. I have another entire blog about writing sex <a href="https://lichencraig.blogspot.com/2014/07/toward-better-writing-series-part-2.html" target="_blank">here</a> that you might check out. There is a way to do a graphic sexual scene that feels real, isn't porny, and doesn't hurt the quality of the book.</div>
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There is also a great way to do violence without making it sound overly-gory (thus amateurish - this isn't a video game for fourteen-year-old boys, after all!) or forced. But that also takes some knowledge and confidence, and perhaps guidance. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-tZM3a-k1XkbyrGyNp_9df3nckYPT-bC6KIQ2bD11JqaXu_yM4-PXYUobSfd5dLE9PXIhdIloAbYeR29iSSzNUy3F-pe13aI_aO-6YvQVLzi5trkLR0frlAIlYeTWGDpNPx-tayry0lT/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-tZM3a-k1XkbyrGyNp_9df3nckYPT-bC6KIQ2bD11JqaXu_yM4-PXYUobSfd5dLE9PXIhdIloAbYeR29iSSzNUy3F-pe13aI_aO-6YvQVLzi5trkLR0frlAIlYeTWGDpNPx-tayry0lT/s1600/download+%25283%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
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People get into a lot of trouble with highly emotional scenes, particularly scenes with arguments or scenes with romance. The first ends up sounding illogical and forced and phony. The second can result in some hilarity: a scene between thirty-year-olds that plays and "sounds" like two fourteen-year-olds at a school dance. </div>
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Sometimes you will feel stuck when you lack the background knowledge that you know will make the scene sound authentic. There are two things to do in this case: 1) Keep writing. Don't worry about how it plays right now - just get the bare bones of the scene written with the tools you have. You can add historical, forensic, or other details later when you have them. Then, 2) Go back and do the research, slowly and thoroughly. Enjoy it. Get excited about how you can work detail into the scene to give it an authentic feel. It isn't a chore to fill your head with authentic detail; rather, it's a fun challenge to make another world come to life for the reader. Watch how much the richness of that scene multiplies as you place those details here and there. Enjoy the process! </div>
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In conclusion, let me say again as an editor and a writer, that when the method is sound, and you have given yourself great tools - organized plot, developed characters, researched setting, the correct narrative voice, freedom for the characters - the piece will write itself easily. It will sing along and you will enjoy the <i>process</i> of writing. This is how you <i>should</i> feel when you are working in a sound, healthy fashion. You should wake up in the morning thinking you can't wait to see what your characters can do next. If you find yourself hesitating to write forward - what we call "writer's block" - remember that you are hesitant for a reason. Don't feel defeated, but be proactive and out what that reason is. </div>
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There is truly no such thing as writer's block - not in the sense that it is some magically paranormal roadblock suddenly thrown up in your way, and that you just can't conquer. NONSENSE! You create every block for yourself by not using sound methods. Every. Single. One. Knowing how to explore which of the above issues could be getting in your way is the road to taking control over your writing process, and throwing away the crutch of excuses so that you can really <i>enjoy</i> writing that book, beginning to end. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-74047333294615931212019-05-03T13:59:00.000-06:002019-11-14T20:06:57.475-07:00When Abusive Women are Heroes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiSI31vD-ZCFd7BMGQuEgIvgMq41V_DxSiuySJ0Q0F4KE8FaH91khfJVERZG8ZKgQT5wyzMB5Z8uP_ie9Smb_12QsHkhPUIDwMUUfh_sMQ3WffIC4goYnsvgrybTkiR9FdQlHWO95mOtw/s1600/ChiPD_S6-KeyArt-Logo-Show-Tile-1920x1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiSI31vD-ZCFd7BMGQuEgIvgMq41V_DxSiuySJ0Q0F4KE8FaH91khfJVERZG8ZKgQT5wyzMB5Z8uP_ie9Smb_12QsHkhPUIDwMUUfh_sMQ3WffIC4goYnsvgrybTkiR9FdQlHWO95mOtw/s320/ChiPD_S6-KeyArt-Logo-Show-Tile-1920x1080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've lately become hooked on the NBC show "Chicago P.D.", and during the past two months I've binge-watched six seasons of available episodes. This is crazy for me, because I truly don't watch major network TV. At all. But this show has been a pleasant surprise: great writing, great performances, grittiness without pandering to gratuitousness or smut - just good television. Reportedly, real police advisers participate in all episodes to make sure the raids and shoot-outs look as amazingly realistic as they do. You all know me - I'm a sucker for action done well.<br />
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One character in the latter seasons, though, is keeping me up at night - and not in a good way. The character of Hailey Upton - a tough young cop who was meritously promoted to detective after a year on an undercover assignment (as opposed to by time on the job and/or conventional experience). She is the newest addition to the team. Unfortunately she's also the most arrogant. The writers seem to have failed to give this decent actress the opportunity to flesh out a character - as I saw one astute fan online put it, she has three dimensions: angry, angrier, and bitchy. And that's about it. Is that what the writers think a strong woman looks like?<br />
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What disturbs me about the Upton character is two-fold: I see a fan-base of millennial-age women cheering her as "ass-kicking", tough as nails, some sort of female hero icon; secondly, I see a societal trend toward some forms of abuse being acceptable by virtue of one's gender; like so many societal shifts, it is first illustrated in things like music and TV shows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKAaFo7o4UzTwKCsj9KIpHwE0fGBJOBg9vUYZGLeIY7gmzmXd0Cwp3UFJMjEpccaHknKDc2gkc1GfnkT-eecfK4Qo-TtI4n2JjO5DAdQzFy1i4Sw2ugLBMtjtC_yAEAwoFrn5DwEVp1DD/s1600/Hailey-Upton-Chicago-PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKAaFo7o4UzTwKCsj9KIpHwE0fGBJOBg9vUYZGLeIY7gmzmXd0Cwp3UFJMjEpccaHknKDc2gkc1GfnkT-eecfK4Qo-TtI4n2JjO5DAdQzFy1i4Sw2ugLBMtjtC_yAEAwoFrn5DwEVp1DD/s320/Hailey-Upton-Chicago-PD.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11.2px; text-align: center;">Hailey Upton, played by Tracy Spiridakos. </td></tr>
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Let me explain. This character is not a nice person. She's self-centered. She's rude. She's conceited. She is not a team player. Actually, she embodies a lot of the traits that we in the real world know would get us fired pretty fast. I can hear the objections now: "But she's a Strong Woman!" I would argue that she isn't that at all. I think too many young women nowadays - as judging from their social behavior, the people they profess to admire, and the entertainment media they react to - think that excessive rudeness - particularly toward men - is being a "strong woman". Call me old-fashioned, but I'm pretty sure that being a strong woman has something to do with things like self-control, generosity, compassion, humility and self-sacrifice, simple kindness.<br />
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But those traits are traits we traditionally think of as <i>feminine</i>. And because traditional forms of<br />
feminine identity are now frowned upon, these traits aren't "cool" enough. That means that in place of things like self-sacrifice, compassion, empathy, self-control . . . young women have put aggression, intolerance (for anything they themselves deem not in keeping with their kick-ass view of things), controlling, self-aggrandizement, and impatience. They see a TV character who screams at men, "puts them in their place" (never mind that, as in the case of Hailey Upton, the men are usually just good men trying to do right in the world), and aggressively pushes her own agenda in peoples' faces, as the <i>ideal woman</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdV0Su2nbvkY7bAm8gATAZqqJz5qx73urgTv8IZaIlpT7kG0hxEmso6YtZk0WkGaL2p-Ohgkjo57LqLOGeEd5N2liQhftTL8bJaG0693prPTo6ItnwswcV5QwG6WNF9ISir6xF0cDAErK/s1600/NUP_184985_0225-1014x570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1014" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdV0Su2nbvkY7bAm8gATAZqqJz5qx73urgTv8IZaIlpT7kG0hxEmso6YtZk0WkGaL2p-Ohgkjo57LqLOGeEd5N2liQhftTL8bJaG0693prPTo6ItnwswcV5QwG6WNF9ISir6xF0cDAErK/s320/NUP_184985_0225-1014x570.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11.2px; text-align: center;">Upton, no doubt bitching out Rusek (Patrick John Flueger) as usual. </td></tr>
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This is the most disturbing aspect of the Upton character: the young male detective she is sleeping with - Adam Ruzek - bears the brunt of most of her abuse. She has zero patience with him, she reminds him of her superior rank, she insults him and his family members, she constantly browbeats and berates him at every turn. She displays no respect for him. The few moments she attempted to show any compassion for him were weak and nearly humorous, given her excessive bitchiness any other day of the week. A few episodes back, we have her pursuing him through the hallways, biting at his heels like a tenacious chihuahua, shrieking, "You're going to tell me what is going on RIGHT NOW!" There just has to be a more mature, respectful way of communicating with a colleague than that.<br />
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The writers have not offered the male character so much as the opportunity to say to the little witch: "Look, your rank be damned, you speak to me like that again, this is OVER." No.... he is simply expected to shake his head and take it. Over and over and over. I am angry about it as a fan, because it is so disrespectful to his character - who really would not take this. He's a gentleman - he'd give her the benefit of having a bad day the first time. But after that?<br />
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<b>And this is my larger point: Upton continues to perform what amounts to real emotional battering upon Ruzek, week after week. And I guarantee, if we had a male character emotionally bash a female with whom he was sleeping, week after week - there would be a huge fan outcry. He would not be seen as a "strong male". He'd be seen as an abusive jerk. And that is exactly what Hailey Upton is. But in the modern PC up-is-down male-is-female wrong-is-right culture we are in, we can have a character abusing another and make a hero out of the abuser - just as long as the genders are arranged correctly. </b><br />
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How have we come to a point where a woman who displays all the characteristics of a batterer, is a hero? And that a man who is emotionally battered by her is expected to man up and take it? This is progress? Seriously? Again, call me old-fashioned, but abuse is abuse. I don't enjoy watching it either way. In my fan fantasy, I have Ruzek telling her off good and kicking her to the curb until she learns some manners.<br />
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<i>Chicago P.D. is part of the NBC "Chicago One" series of shows, which also includes Chicago Med and Chicago Fire. All three air Wednesday nights consecutively, with Chicago PD bringing up the finale. Chicago P.D. seasons 1-6 are all available on Amazon, and current episodes can be seen on HULU. Visit <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCChicagoPD" target="_blank">Chicago P.D.</a> on Twitter for episode updates, cast info, and more. </i></h4>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-56754000534975355422018-05-10T11:48:00.000-06:002018-05-10T13:07:45.446-06:00One American Man’s Thoughts on Britain’s "Day For Freedom"<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are excited to welcome guest blogger Jamie Horan! He is insightful, smart, and will give you something to think about. Jamie is an American and a Philadelphia native. He's married with four kids, owns his own business, and finds time to think and write about the important stuff. He started writing as a youth when spending days ditching school and hanging out at the public library. Apparently, it worked for him - he has a fine mind and a gift with a pen.</span><i style="color: #9fc5e8;"> </i></span></div>
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<i>Recently, advocates for freedom of expression/speech in the UK, against the government's increasingly censoring "hate speech" laws - a completely subjective phrase - held a rally in London. Although liberal progressive news media called it "dangerous" (</i>The Guardian<i> was most ridiculously alarmist - Heaven knows, when those who don't toe the company line get uppity, world chaos might ensue!) and estimated the crowd from 2,000 to 4,000, many who actually attended put estimates at 10,000 to 60,000. Speakers were an international assembly of the cream of the anti-globalist crop: Tommy Robinson, Milo Yiannopolis, Lauren Southern, Anne Marie Waters, Raheem Kassam. Although one progressive liberal article cynically pointed out that the speakers, while decrying censorship, stood and said whatever they wanted to - it ignored (or was too ignorant to know) that several of these people have been arrested for just that: speaking. What follows is Jamie Horan's account, and some astute thoughts.</i> - LC</div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May 6<sup>th</sup> was a hot day in London. Though I wasn’t there personally, I could see it on the faces of throngs of British Citizens gathering for what they called “A Day For Freedom.” A festive event in many respects, but with an object no less important than the reclamation of the dignity of free expression earned for them by their forebears, and taken from them slowly but ceaselessly over their lifetimes.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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"Freedom of Speech" has only one meaning.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the United States it is codified in writing as the </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">first</u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> item in the Bill of Rights.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our constitution would not have been ratified without it. Its main operating principle is that our government </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shall make no law</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> which respects or restricts the following four things:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<li>Religion</li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although she enjoys no such codification**, Great Britain provided the basis and the inspiration for each of these four items. I won’t bore you here with my thoughts on how it did so, but suffice it to say that without Great Britain, we wouldn’t have this language in our founding document.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For some years now, I and I’m sure many like me in the states, have watched the happenings in Europe, and particularly in England, with increasing alarm:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the demographic slide into malaise; the lame-brained reactionary social policies foisted upon people by those in power (in many cases unelected); <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the dangerously under-thought importation of the labor Europeans and Englanders alike failed to produce at home. We watched as the governments of these nations moved in directions opposite their polity and watched with particular disbelief as the polities bought the big lie, that economic security is more important than individual liberty. As it happens, that’s not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just wrong, but demonstrably and completely wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then, in June of 2016, Great Britain gave us hope when she voted to leave the EU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appeared that</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">once again, the She was rising to save Europe by example and not rhetoric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Millions of Americans were ecstatic at this outcome. Predictably though, the backlash began before the vote was counted, as those who bought the lie, and those in power who perpetrated the lie, sought by many means to soften or even erase the decision compelling them to throw off the lie. They haven’t finished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many very bright and thoughtful people continue to resist this effort by the political elite to mislead the people, and have made their positions known over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did so on major news networks and television shows, in debate halls and on social media, and all too often in direct opposition to mobs of indoctrinated pseudo-intellectual, virtue-signaling imbeciles, themselves holding advanced degrees in stupidity of one type or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an outsider I watched these bright people eviscerate these infants on countless occasions, but knew and still know, that change happens on the ground and by the people who live there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, a listing ship is never righted by men in conning towers alone, but always it is righted by those on and under her decks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited, I watched, I wrote what I could, noticing here and there ground-level groups organizing around one type of flawed approach or another, but who always aimed toward the same objective: the refusal to cede ground on the basic human dignity enshrined in and carried forward by the freedom of expression.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then it happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some young guy from Luton Town, later to be named as Tommy Robinson, decided to take the fight directly where the fight needed to be:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not in the clouds where the educated debate the lofty ideals of democracy, tolerance and free speech, but in alleys and on the streets of his little town where the fight for his family’s future was much more visceral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was fighting the <i>real</i> fight - the fight to resist the tacit imposition of blasphemy law, a draconian system of control long thought to be dead in the West, and which had risen from the bowels of the massive importation of a poisonous ideology by the above-mentioned infants. I watched as he was castigated and marginalized as a far-right racist extremist, imprisoned, beaten, battered, conned and indulged - but unsurprisingly, not silenced. He’s not glib, or posh, or privileged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s just a young man who won’t abide the encroachment on the rights of his children in order to appease a coddled and abhorrently violent subculture in his town.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On May 6<sup>th</sup>, I saw this young man put together a gathering of what I could see as about 60,000 people. These people would remain standing for hours in the heat right in front of Whitehall, the seat of British government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were numerous speakers who’ve gained fame in social media circles, and whom I’ve enjoyed for years, but my favorite was the first guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name, as I recall was “Inman.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t posh or privileged or glib, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the guy who fights the battles; the guy who rights the ship. He’s the guy the elected lean to when they’ve got themselves into something they’re not equipped to handle, and wouldn’t know where to start. Further, he’s the guy who knows there is no such thing as “pooled sovereignty.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows that just as a nation, an individual is either sovereign or he is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He‘s an Englishman, and like Tommy Robinson, a classic bull dog in every respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Standing before him in the crowd were so many like him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were of all stripes, men and women, old and young, gay and straight, etc. who considered this event important enough to attend in person. What they seemed to me to have in common was the need to physically demonstrate that they’ve just had it -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that they’re done being told by their elected officials, their media, their police, and so on, that their priorities are unimportant; that they and their progeny are no longer needed for the future of Britain, you know the one that they and their forebears <i>built</i>. They’ve had it with this new, less free Britain where their concerns are subordinate to the priorities of a significant, but simple-minded minority who have never built or had to defend anything at all. Had I been able, I would have stood there with them with an American Flag in one hand and a Union Jack in the other.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tweeted recently that “<b>there are none more dangerous than a free people compelled to silence</b>.” I am bewildered that after alarming events - for many, in living memory - the political class in Britain and elsewhere seem not to know this. The trend in British Government has been toward this incremental silencing, electronic surveillance and other Orwellian methods of censorship for so long now, these simpmletons convinced themselves that it’s all okay. In fact, it’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No trade of liberty for security ever does what it is intended to do - namely, protect citizens - and always does what it was <i>not </i>intended to do - harm citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXgK0AZMoW4qpAil4OtzOwYM6S87aw7cUeYeVk8HLtVKa-xMObbckyPWrqRlITqiUDCjrag6dPXURqfdJYH5F6ohjVp75uqq3i4-A5kIteUmHl0iQHIix6thDLeEZ7R6mNYroP2MWVA_4/s1600/51IGfvBcseL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXgK0AZMoW4qpAil4OtzOwYM6S87aw7cUeYeVk8HLtVKa-xMObbckyPWrqRlITqiUDCjrag6dPXURqfdJYH5F6ohjVp75uqq3i4-A5kIteUmHl0iQHIix6thDLeEZ7R6mNYroP2MWVA_4/s200/51IGfvBcseL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is astonishing to me that the mere mention of a critical thought of one protected group or another (of which are so many now) can land a British citizen in court or even prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse still is the tendency toward hate crime law, a thought to me as an American so abominable as to be akin to national suicide. So damning a trend has this become that now London is arguably not British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is </span>not for its cosmopolitan composition, but for the failure of its leadership locally, and its parliament nationally, to stop their casual and incremental abandonment of the rights, will and traditions of British citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What this group did on Sunday and will undoubtedly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>continue to do, was to let their elected officials know that they’re just there to hold a place for them; they are there to move the ball for them - make what is already there better for them, and to my mind they did that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One after another, the Youtube stars and the bulldogs alike let the tepid houses of Parliament and the prime minister know that their Britain still is <i>Great Britain</i>, and they’re not going to see it taken from them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For Tommy, I recommend he take the next rally to Buckingham. It is, after all, Her Majesty’s government. For the elected, I recommend what they themselves like to call Active Listening, because although this group numbered in the thousands, they exist in the millions, - and frankly, the elected are running out of time.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">** </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although Great Britain previously held law that protected the right to speak out against specific things like religions, this coding was abrogated by its adoption in 1998 of the European Convention's Article 10 into the domestic Human Rights Act, which contains numerous exceptions to free expression - many inherently vulnerable to a changing subjective interpretation. As of 2017, two major news outlets in the UK said that an average of </span>nine persons per day <span style="font-weight: 400;">were being arrested for violations of the law through online speech, and that of these five on average were convicted. Big Brother has at last come to Great Britain. </span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16.1px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tommy Robinson's books can be found at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Robinson/e/B076P6H2RX/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-48608336629412303652017-11-29T20:54:00.001-07:002019-07-10T20:27:50.384-06:00An Open Love Letter to MenDear Men,<br />
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Recently, a female acquaintance commented that I seem to bowl better in my Thursday night mixed league than in my other three women-only leagues. I told her that year to year, I have the highest average (not to mention the most fun) when I bowl with men. She seemed perplexed, perhaps naturally, so I hastily blurted, "Well, I just enjoy the company of men more, present company accepted, of course!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNdBq4a2VxO7XgFxi-pcsnSrnKxFlJlieEELZKIcZrhMv8kL_OPLQpy9NlXf8grzq1lmqXN1zQ4gMWbOkKtLYJhrZmVFS90VOfcIOswE9CTk0dL_FVHVqawWpoXaLnCg2kqVwNN58huXv/s1600/pexels-photo-269192.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="940" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTNdBq4a2VxO7XgFxi-pcsnSrnKxFlJlieEELZKIcZrhMv8kL_OPLQpy9NlXf8grzq1lmqXN1zQ4gMWbOkKtLYJhrZmVFS90VOfcIOswE9CTk0dL_FVHVqawWpoXaLnCg2kqVwNN58huXv/s320/pexels-photo-269192.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Truth is, I bowl better with you guys. I like the no-nonsense approach you have. I like the way you incessantly analyze the ball trajectory against where you stand against the current oil pattern. I like how you exercise your minds until the world makes sense. I like how you keep the cattiness down and gossip to a minimum - it might interest you, but not for two hours like it does the women. I like the way, when I throw a gutter ball, you look me in the eye and say, "What the hell was that?" Without smiling. I don't want to be coddled; I want to be expected to get my shit together by the next turn.<br />
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The world does make better sense around you men. When it's ugly, you know exactly why. Sometimes, you're the cause of the ugliness, but if you don't own up, you do manage to make each other pay in the end. I like the way you confront each other. Women smile to one's face while plotting his future pain just because they don't like the color he wore yesterday. But a man? He'll make you miserable right on the spot, without apology (at least not immediately - that would be pointless), and he'll have a damn good reason to do it. A reason that is, well, <i>reasonable</i>.<br />
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Men are rarely intellectually lazy. They can't afford to be, because they have to earn a complete living. The least educated knows his way around an engine, crop fertilizers, a meth lab. Men take real joy in a bit of verbal sparring - some annoyingly have never learned to combine that urge with self-control. But all that jousting forces them to use their brains. Constantly. They don't give each other an inch, or a break. Just a good hard contest.<br />
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Men value things like integrity and honor and courage. Check out some novels written by women - they also present some higher ideas - often love, sacrifice - but it will be those written by men who contain sweeping and profound truths about the human condition. Men ponder these things - with regularity. Men tend to contemplate and comprehend patterns of the universe, realities of war, subtleties of affection, hope, loss . . .<br />
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Men spend a lot of effort and time shielding their loved ones from difficulty. I see this a lot - and it often goes unnoticed. Their female companions take it for granted. Women whose fathers, boyfriends, brothers, husbands all protected them, rarely note the ways in which they are shielded from too much hardship - or even too much inconvenience. Those of us who have had little such care or protection in our own lives, though, notice it all the time, everywhere, with so many men.<br />
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Women often have some shield to hide behind, some safety net to catch them. Most men don't. So you men have to be brave - there isn't another choice. And you are brave, so often, and often in quiet ways. Every once in a while, one of you will do something spectacularly and idiotically cowardly - being men, you always go big - but when that happens, your fellow men call you out on it loudly. You don't get to pretend it didn't matter. It will always matter if you behave as a coward, when you're a man. For that reason, you must be terrified when fear comes. Women fear other things, men fear <i>themselves</i> most. That's what I would guess.<br />
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Men don't pussyfoot around. They insult you, they tell you off, they acquire disgusting habits. With men, you get exactly what you see in front of you. There isn't a lot of secrecy, manipulation, backbiting. It's all laid out on the table. When I was 30 years old, I informed a doctor that I liked to be given the respect of being told the truth up front. So he looked me in the face and told me, two days before emergency surgery, that I would be wise to "put your affairs in order this weekend", because my life as I knew it might be over. Or simply very literally over, actually. I trusted him from that moment. Here was a person who put sentiment aside and prepared me for reality to hit. My mom on the other hand told me, "I know everything will be all right, honey." I wanted to scream, "NO, YOU DON'T!" I did not trust her advice, believe me. Even today, when a female friend coos, "It'll be all right." I feel little but rising disgust at her disingenuousness - but I know that downplaying of pending disaster is a learned trait in females.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N6AkXdPWJ7VOmMoLhlLFQid2tQx2XFeZ0AkykStP-kWoF4KEcC4QEXkDld5XgjSeJ20B2jeU6_e7r2YvRyHGbPeoEsCjTqVC9QPi6hfVGWNDf6WO76UPK-B9ZGxTFE4qUz6GOcnVSC6P/s1600/LK53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1264" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0N6AkXdPWJ7VOmMoLhlLFQid2tQx2XFeZ0AkykStP-kWoF4KEcC4QEXkDld5XgjSeJ20B2jeU6_e7r2YvRyHGbPeoEsCjTqVC9QPi6hfVGWNDf6WO76UPK-B9ZGxTFE4qUz6GOcnVSC6P/s320/LK53.jpg" width="320" /></a>I like the way you smell. I love your cologne, and your skin. I love the stubble on your chin. I love the ease with which you swing an ax - and the joy you have in doing it. I love the way you set a fencepost straight and then pound it in. I love the way you hold fast to the rope and squint up at the rearing horse above you, knowing your brain will keep you from being trampled. I love the way you love that suicide bike you refuse to sell. I like the way you snap the briefcase closed and swing it off the desk. I love the way you smile at your daughter across the table. I love the way you throw a baseball. I love the way you smooth your hair back and turn your face up into the shower after an exhausting day. I love the way you plan surprises, and how you worry about whether your wife, or kids, or grand-kids will have to pay too much tax on your holdings when you die before them.<br />
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Oh, I know some of you cheat, many lie, too many of you walk around thinking your dick is bigger than it actually is - both figuratively and literally. I know some of you are inexplicably and unforgivably selfish to the core. I married one of those once, and that difficult twenty years was enough to last a lifetime - believe me. But I know I might have been very lucky had I chosen a different one of you - I wish with all my soul that I had another lifetime to get it right.<br />
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In today's world, too many of you are being maligned. You're blamed for that which isn't your doing. You're shamed for carrying testosterone. Your natural instincts are treated as threats to be suppressed. Today we refuse to acknowledge that your hunger for progress built empires, your beautiful curiosity and need to conquer brought technological innovation, your soaring spirits brought the biggest piece of the world's great literature, art and music; your tendency to protect what you love fought and won wars for peace we take for granted now. How many of you willingly ran toward a sword, a spear, a fire, a gun, a bomb, for something you understood was far greater than your one tiny life?<br />
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Yes, over a beer, or a bowling alley, I do love your company. I love the candor, the stumbling lack of finesse, the mental gymnastics, the uniquely male insight on the world, the instinct to protect or to conquer. I know that so many of you are bombarded daily with reminders that you as a gender have somehow failed your species. I'm here to tell you that's hooey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyanYSU5EeobsAlcP9za89rb4_NqalOCEOAw8DvIYMeIt7411yovr55sT-w1bkNVhiLRACTOlTIigID6D_KlDy0Qn9LPqKAfWzqNht6pdAh_oQ6wlNEvtyRAMKflwo9GuA-tkhZ2Qi425/s1600/pexels-photo-457446.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="940" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyanYSU5EeobsAlcP9za89rb4_NqalOCEOAw8DvIYMeIt7411yovr55sT-w1bkNVhiLRACTOlTIigID6D_KlDy0Qn9LPqKAfWzqNht6pdAh_oQ6wlNEvtyRAMKflwo9GuA-tkhZ2Qi425/s320/pexels-photo-457446.jpeg" width="320" /></a>You're wonderful and glorious and beautiful to look at. You're strong. You're good for the world. And ultimately - no matter what you're made to feel - you are <i>necessary.</i> What you were on the day you were born, and what you have grown into, will always be exactly what you are supposed to be. In my book, that's pretty damn wonderful.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-30963144702745808082017-06-22T23:56:00.001-06:002017-09-13T08:52:27.830-06:00Protecting the Vile <span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #f9cb9c; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a disturbing encounter this evening with a person who mistook one of my comments. This person was a conservative, someone who knew nothing about me and the fact that I have written on the dangers of radical Islam for over a decade, extensively, under a pen name. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #f9cb9c; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In response to a call from someone to ban the Muslim advocacy organization CAIR (Center for Arab-Islamic Relations), I had suggested that banning wasn't the answer, since banning organizations starts us down a dangerous road, as Americans. The conservative in question jumped on me, shrieking that I was defending an organization of "pedophiles" who believe in beheadings and female genital mutilation. When I explained that they had in fact misunderstood my tweet, they screamed that I was being condescending and repeated the accusation that I was defending the likes of CAIR. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It got me thinking about something that has become more and more disturbing as the country's political stances grow further apart, and the rhetoric gets hotter and hotter. There seems to be a trend amongst young people - with the best of intentions - to "ban" anything they don't agree with. We have to ban organizations, ban houses of religion, ban publications (the Koran), ban even ideas. These people are the product of an educational system that has failed to help them understand why our First Amendment exists, and specifically what it protects. Furthermore, they seem to have no comprehension of a world where we have tossed that most important amendment away. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Out of this zeal to ban what we don't like, rises movements like the current Antifa movement and its droves of indoctrinated, wide-eyed and loud-mouthed eighteen year olds, who storm the buildings and auditoriums hosting conservative speakers at college campuses. For two years, those of us who do understand the value of the First Amendment have cringed to watch these incidents, and grown nauseous at each failure of school administrations to stop it. This casual determination to allow the silencing of speech - and thus ideas - is terribly dangerous to our entire way of life. But how do you communicate that to an entire generation that never learned the concept of freedom of expression? They have grown up free to speak their minds - they never had to pause to question that ability. Worse, they have never had to stop and consider the real potential evil of forcibly taking it from another person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a small light in this dark, turbulent political night we have been living in, when this week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against censorship of freedom of expression, stating that no right exists to prevent another person or entity from using a brand name that others may find offensive. Apparently, a pop band made of Asian musicians, which calls itself "Slant" was sued by some social justice warriors who just had to point out that the name could be interpreted as a racial slur; they appointed themselves the PC police and took the poor kids in the band to court, with the attempt of actually forcing them to change their name - something the band has stated they use with a sense of pride. (But never mind how the people with the slanted eyes actually feel about it. What has that to do with anything, in this world where we must correct others for thinking the wrong thoughts?) The ruling of SCOTUS is an enormous pro-First Amendment statement. The owners of the Washington Redskins, to name just one nervous entity - not to mention their many fans - are breathing a hopeful sigh of relief. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is not about allowing anyone to be insulted. It isn't about supporting an offensive slur, gesture, or book. What it is about is freedom and respect. It's about giving each other the respect to back off and allow another to decide what is right and wrong for <i>them</i>; it's saying that we cannot appoint ourselves to be the thought monitors of other people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been more than a little disturbed by the public celebrating this past week when a conservative journalist, Laura Loomer, rushed the stage at a Central Park, <i>Shakespeare in the Park</i> performance of <i>Julius Caesar</i> in which the lead character is a Trump lookalike, and of course undergoes the inevitable assassination. Conservative talk show hosts were cheering Loomer right and left, for standing up for civility. But from where I stand, she was simply lowering herself to the same tactics the Left has been using for two years, and somehow doesn't understand the hypocrisy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this political climate, it's always going to be the other side who is wrong. It's always their hypocrisy when they perform exactly the same act that we ourselves might feel morally justified in doing. That's why it is so imperative that we hold ourselves to a higher standard. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem is, we lose all legitimacy to complain about protesters interrupting conservative speakers the next time that happens, when today we applaud the likes of Laura Loomer, who did exactly the same thing. Remember, the 1st Amendment doesn't exist to protect speech we like, it exists to protect the most vile of speech. If we start censoring </span><i style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">this </i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">thing... why not </span><i style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">that </i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">thing, and the next and next? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then it gets very messy, because the question becomes - who decides what speech is going to be acceptable? The Left? The Right? No... THE GOVERNMENT. And then there we are, in Big Brother territory. We just can't condone the actions of Loomer, if we want to stand for Freedom. It's true that the First Amendment comes with exceptions - but these are inevitably exceptions that have to do with imminent public safety - never with censoring ideas. Never. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some might argue that when the protected speech has to do with killing our president, it's gone too far. There have been cries of "inciting violence" - a totally inaccurate application of that legal concept (the violence in "inciting violence" must be under very specific conditions, and it must present immediate public danger). But actually we have already said as a nation - through previous rulings of the Supreme Court - it hasn't gone too far. We allow for example the burning of a flag - an act that so many of us find so vile and heartrending that it is almost beyond words. But because it doesn't pose immediate public threat, it is protected expression. We have decided as a nation, that the expression of a passionate political idea - no matter how disgusting - is more important than is stopping the expression of that which some may find objectionable.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laura Loomer is wrong. If she wishes to complain about students banning conservative speech on campuses, she must allow a Julius Caesar Trump, and furthermore she should allow the audience the respect to view the play and make up their own minds. (It is worth noting that the play's entire theme is anti-assassination and anti-violence; the assassination scene is intentionally performed as tragic and emotionally alarming). And those who want CAIR banned are wrong. CAIR is suspected to be a funder of Hamas, and has been declared a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia. But in this country - where we don't regulate the thoughts of citizens - and where CAIR has yet to commit a violent act - we don't ban organizations for their ideologies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We have to start correcting our younger generations when they talk about "banning" what they don't agree with. Our forefathers - and in cases like my father, our ancestors - shed their very blood for the idea that a person should be free to express themselves politically as they choose. We can't let these commitments to the First Amendment change, if we want to remain America. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2e2e; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-70224582372301122792016-08-15T21:53:00.003-06:002016-08-16T18:11:14.843-06:00REVIEW: "Polarity in Motion", by Brenda Vicars <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGT4J5hMPZJEH-XbrZT_Ip9hy088a1qeba2yAbfQy3zYbhPeU8MMYhRapVHsa6sxRmGn8yXbEiosxT118T_zLOwNkrSiMup0HYPcB12r-BXOEpwAoPOKSM3cmjPYvj_DDWOu1aCA2WL7y/s1600/51VohzsRauL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGT4J5hMPZJEH-XbrZT_Ip9hy088a1qeba2yAbfQy3zYbhPeU8MMYhRapVHsa6sxRmGn8yXbEiosxT118T_zLOwNkrSiMup0HYPcB12r-BXOEpwAoPOKSM3cmjPYvj_DDWOu1aCA2WL7y/s320/51VohzsRauL.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Genre: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Whodunnit<br />
Publisher: Red Adept, 2014<br />
Length: 266 pages<br />
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This book was recommended to me as being an especially good representation of the genre. I almost never read young adult novels - they just rarely interest me, and so few are well-done. So it was with a little reluctance that I began <i>Polarity in Motion</i>.<br />
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About ten pages in, I was hooked. The opening was expertly-written, immediately grabbing the reader as it should. As I read, it occurred to me that I would like to use it as an example to beginner novelists I am working with as a mentor and/or editor, as I try to instill in them the terrible importance of a great opening to a novel. At that point, I double-checked to see how many books the author had under her belt; I was surprised to find out that this was her first novel.<br />
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The next thought I had was that she had an excellent editor. Not only was the text <i>clean</i> (I think I found two typos and one grammar error - this is present in any novel, no matter how thoroughly edited), but the book was structurally extremely sound. This wasn't an easy task for a beginning novelist: the book is at its core a mystery, and with that type of book plot structure must be near-perfect: in order to keep the reader wondering and the story flying along, a writer has to do some painstakingly careful plotting. Foreshadowing must be continuous but not overwhelming; tension must be maintained to a high degree; most importantly, all the strings of plot must come together neatly at the end. The reader must be surprised by the ending, and yet satisfied and not surprised at all by what they learn. This book, for the most part, accomplished that.<br />
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<i>Polarity in Motion</i> is about a young girl caught up in a sexting scandal at a high school - one in which she is victimized. We follow her as she is removed from her school and home, and - during the impending formal investigation - becomes a temporary ward of the state. I really liked this section of the book, because I think it deftly illustrated the confusion, helplessness and anger of a child in such a situation. The main plot revolves around the discovery of who set her up, where the photo originated, and how it came to be a tool of bullying as it was disseminated among the peers in Polarity's social and academic world.<br />
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This book is entertaining and suspenseful and would entertain anyone from 12 to 80. It contains a lot of teen angst, crazy teachers, annoying parents, bullies, cute boys and a little romance. It really is a bang-up debut young adult novel, and is far above most others out there in terms of both quality of writing and of story. <br />
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As an editor, I did have one reservation about it, and it is one particularly interesting for me to bring up because it concerns all beginning novelists. This book makes one mistake that is very common in first books: it wants to be too many things. It hovers between being a mystery novel and meandering into various social issues that really have little to do directly with the plot. Although these passages do build layers of character and add atmosphere, they are a bit clumsy and neither advance the plot nor affect the outcome of the story.<br />
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I want to take a moment to speak about this in general terms, for the benefit of writers. Oftentimes, first-time novelists try to work a social issue that is near and dear to them personally into their story. This is perfectly fine, <i>as long as the issue is shown within the plot of the story and has some effect on the plot's outcome</i>. Too often, a new novelist wanders occasionally from the narrative of the plot to get on a soapbox of some sort. In terms of the technique of writing there are a few problems with this:<br />
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1 - <u>It slows down the tension of the plot.</u> In some cases pontificating about some moral concern goes on for paragraphs, in the middle of what should have been a continuous build of dramatic tension. The new writer will justify this as "well, but the main character is talking about it, so..." I appreciate that it is worked into the character's thoughts or dialogue, but that isn't enough. It still has to advance the plot, and be directly related to the story. Otherwise the impatient reader is skipping those passages in frustration.<br />
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2 - <u>A reader is satisfied by a well-defined theme.</u> A great reading experience requires that the book know what it's about. As I said above, this problem is so common with beginning novelists - especially the intelligent, involved, engaged people who have real passion about a cause - and I often find myself saying to someone I'm editing, "Do you want to write a good novel, or do you want to do some real research and write a good <i>non-fiction</i> book about this issue? Because you need to pick one." When the narrative is interrupted by paragraphs of moralizing - even when it is part of the characters' thoughts - and that moral message doesn't directly affect the plot or move it along, it causes the reader to get an overall sense of disorganization in terms of theme. It's very hard to explain to someone inexperienced with writing that a novel is not the place to lecture the reader about social issues. Which brings me to my next point...<br />
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3 - <u>Readers don't like unsolicited lectures.</u> The reader of a novel is in it for two reasons. The first is enjoyment. An uninvited, unexpected lecture on a moral issue can be annoying and takes away from the enjoyable experience of being told a story. But secondly, some people like to learn something as well from a novel. It may be argued, in fact, that the greatest novels in literature explore the social issues of the day. I would absolutely agree with that. But I guarantee you that every one of those great novels presents that social issue in a way that it is 1) incidental to the fabric of the story (that is, it never interrupts the flow or reads like a lecture to the reader) 2) completely and intricately woven into the plot itself: that is, the social issue is the <i>primary</i> cause of tension, affects the plot, and affects the outcome. It takes some very experienced writing to deftly work a moral lesson into the weave of a good story, and the best writers learn to do it well... which brings me to the last point...<br />
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4 - <u>Readers don't need to be beaten over the head.</u> Especially not with the author's life philosophies. Not outright, anyway. Ask my editing clients how many times I said to them, as we worked on a first novel, "Less is more. Less is more." What I mean is, if you are going to work in philosophizing - and you certainly have the right to as a the author - work it in subtly. Most beginners don't understand how smart the reader is going to be, and how much a reader likes to work things out for themselves. Do you remember when you were a child how your mom used to tell you the same thing over and over to make her point, and how annoying that was?<br />
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Beginning authors explain way too much about the meaning and morality of the tale. They need to <i>show</i> it, not tell it. Too much telling - in this case talking about this social or moral issue or that (regardless of who is doing the talking) - feels to the reader like being hammered over the head with a moral. Especially when there are several (let's define that as three or more) places in the novel where that happens. I would argue it doesn't <i>ever</i> need to happen in a well-written novel, because the moral message should be conveyed subtly by the very <i>action</i> of the tale alone, and never have to be stated outright.<br />
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In the case of <i>Polarity in Motion</i>, the moralizing is separate from the plot. There is a lot of talk about race, and a lot of talk about inequality of privilege as regards race. But within the story this point is not illustrated: all the kids at the school seem to have the same opportunities for success, and successful individuals are presented in all races. Consequences for characters have everything to do with action, and nothing to do with race. Everything that happens in the story could have happened regardless of what color everyone's skin is. There is some suggestion that only kids of color end up in juvenile detention, which anyone who has worked with teen offenders knows is hooey (I can say from personal first-hand work experience that many are white). There is suggestion that the kids of color are less often guilty of the charges that put them there - but it is never shown positively that this is true. And again, it's a side-plot.<br />
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One disturbing element was Polarity's many descriptions of her love interest's skin color - so many that the reader wonders if the girl is a bit obsessed with him precisely <i>because</i> he is black. Which would be in itself, of course, a type of racism, wouldn't it? And that would be a subject for a whole different story and possibly a legitimately interesting plot it itself. But it doesn't belong here - because in the end his skin color has nothing to do with anything. I think this feeling comes, again, because the reader is being beaten over the head by the fact his skin is brown - the implication being isn't it cool that this white girl can fall for this great black guy. But I think most modern 13-year-olds already know that.<br />
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At the end of the book, to her credit, the author valiantly tries to tie together bullying, racism, economic under-privilege (of white "trailer trash" and blacks), and then other various notions about inequality, all together... but it ends as a jumbled bit of yet more philosophizing (not to mention some bad poetry - such as that our 15-year-old character would in fact write) and it ultimately feels out of place - because there is too much effort to make it fit neatly in to a package. The mystery story works well, and would have felt more organized, if this moralizing had all been left out or had been worked into the actual plot with subtlety.<br />
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I don't mean to seem to pick on this book - I want to state again that it is overall well-done and an exceptionally competent first effort at a novel. I simply want to clearly illustrate for potential writers who read my blog how easy it is to get caught up in trying to convey one's personal passion and political philosophy; and without the skill to do it right, you can end up lowering the quality of the novel for the reader.<br />
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I did some research on the author of<i> Polarity in Motion </i>after reading it, and find that she has an extensive background in secondary education. This was apparent in the book, in which the reader is taken into the inner workings of high school administration. Ms. Vicars has openly stated her passion for questions of inequality among teens, and I'm sure that it was tempting to try to work some teaching into her novel. I really hope to see another novel, and perhaps some of these sub-themes worked in again, but less blatantly and more closely with the plot line.<br />
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<i>Polarity in Motion</i> is widely available and can be found at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Polarity-Motion-Brenda-Vicars-ebook/dp/B00OEJ9BX0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1471392647&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, where I posted a portion of this review.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-4697815105956054592016-04-29T21:56:00.003-06:002019-06-04T21:01:20.518-06:00Me, He, and She: A Writer's View on Infidelity<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiWMpcHjqQPkp2UXAbxbkTjXBs0Gqh3Qni34iOU8IJ-sbWcC-682ooLK3QkSJNB0EWraLkk1cKaoyqyksjjX2Q38BR5OGdmeuCeiK5HYsQKsk43JvwLtdGlbBy-p2sO9npa3ppF8wCYD8/s1600/infid4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiWMpcHjqQPkp2UXAbxbkTjXBs0Gqh3Qni34iOU8IJ-sbWcC-682ooLK3QkSJNB0EWraLkk1cKaoyqyksjjX2Q38BR5OGdmeuCeiK5HYsQKsk43JvwLtdGlbBy-p2sO9npa3ppF8wCYD8/s320/infid4.jpg" width="320" /></a>So I'm sitting with a long-time friend recently, chatting about our mutual lives and people in them, and she alludes to something that causes me to glance up at her in astonishment.<br />
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"You knew I had a boyfriend, right?" <br />
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I burst into astonished, semi-amused laughter. "No, I did not know that." <br />
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This friend has been married for nearly thirty years to the same man. They were married very young. I have never asked, but knowing their background, I would say that they probably got married because everyone expected it, and were too young to really have a clue about anything beyond puppy love. Four kids and several grandkids later, things have soured. Her husband has health issues and a problem with erectile dysfunction. Despite her pleading with him to seek medication and/or marriage counseling, he has refused to show any interest in fixing the problem. The problem being not so much that he can't get it up, but that he doesn't want to, and she is a good-looking, red-blooded and often horny woman. This isn't a novel. This is a real adult life.<br />
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My writing buddy recently asked how my new book was coming along, and as I heard myself enthusiastically relay some possible plot twists I had considered, it occurred to me that I am again writing about - and maybe obsessing about? - infidelity. It's a subject that is so interesting to me that I can't stop working it into my plot lines. <br />
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As a writer, I have learned a lot about the subject of infidelity; I have learned more as a writer, perhaps, than I did years ago as a cheated-on wife. Now, there is something I never would have thought possible. I thought you all - writers and others - might like to hear about some of that.<br />
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My book <i>Gentlemen's Game</i> involved quite a bit of cheating. Some of it was mindless "for fun" cheating - where the spouse doesn't find out and the perpetrator feels no guilt. Some of it was "I'm cheating because you have given me no choice by your behavior". I think that it took many years for me as a person to understand that sometimes, there is justification. Sometimes, as in much of life, the issue isn't all that black and white. I had to laugh at the many reviews for <i>G Game</i> that mentioned the infidelity, usually in the vein of "there is cheating, but . . ." and some praise of the book as a whole. People really, really don't stomach infidelity easily. And I noticed more than once that it is the young, the more recently-married (say less than ten or fifteen years), who are the least tolerant of the notion. <br />
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Now don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that infidelity as a concept should be morally acceptable! I'm saying that for me, there was a point in life where I realized that cheating is common (more than it should be), that all who cheat are not pigs, that people can be good spouses and still cheat, that people can be good people in much of their lives, and still cheat. It's more complicated than we want it to be. I am speaking about tolerance of the notion in the sense of a writer - that when one has the maturity to tolerate the thought of infidelity enough to try to understand it and allow one's mind to explore it, a given book might be more enjoyable and more of an enlightening experience than simply an emotionally difficult one.<br />
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Infidelity in the publishing world is interesting. In literary, mainstream fiction, it's acceptable. In the romance genre, it most often isn't; publishers' guidelines will state outright that infidelity is not to be presented. Most interesting to me, many publishers of erotic romance - the most X-rated - also don't like to publish infidelity, unless it's a group sex thing where the spouse/significant other is involved. This is amazing to me: so often the conflict of relationships, in real adult life, involves some sort of infidelity, whether strictly emotional, or sexual. And yet it makes readers of romance so uncomfortable that publishers are shy about it.<br />
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I confess that I was once one of those readers. Well, I never could stand romance novels - haha! - but I was that kind of <i>person</i>. I could not read about infidelity. I could not watch a movie about it. I was terrified. I did a lot of thinking about why I was terrified (I'm a writer, it's what we do - obsess about the whys of human behavior). This is what I believe: I could not allow my mind to go to a dark place where everything I wanted to believe in would be rendered, perhaps, null and void. I was afraid the book or film in question would present cheating in a sympathetic light. And then what would that mean for my beliefs and my views of the world? Would it suddenly have to be a place where The Cheaters were not so bad, and we - the ones who would never cheat - were doomed to be deceived, lied to, <i>hurt</i>? What kind of backwards Hell would that be?<br />
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If you've read this far, I'm going to reward you with a juicy personal story. I want to tell you the story so that you understand how my feelings about cheating evolved as a writer to a point where I can write a sympathetic character that happens to be cheating. And there will be a point to all of this, I promise. Here goes.<br />
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I was about thirty-five or so. I'd been married for about a dozen years by then. I was fairly attractive, I had a lot of friends. As a wife I was fun, kind, if a little bullheaded. My husband was not so kind, not much fun, and I had married him too young to know that someone who is egocentric doesn't get better through the years, but worse. But I was raised with some old-fashioned values, which is probably why I hadn't walked out years before, and as long as he was faithful, I was committed.<br />
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He had a colleague and best friend, whom I'll call Mark. He often hung out with us. I didn't care much for him.... he was fairly young, maybe late twenties, and he had a high-school level locker room style humor that often offended me. And I had nothing in common with him. Plus, my forty-year-old husband acted like an immature ass when they were together. But Mark never knew my feelings. His maturity level wasn't his fault. And they had known each other and worked together for several years by then.<br />
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The day came when Mark suddenly got married, to a girl from his hometown he'd known for a few <br />
years and dated off and on. He said his parents didn't like her - I wondered why - and didn't explain further why the relationship hadn't been more on than off. But at any rate, now they were married, and he brought her to our area to live and work. My husband met Angela, came home and mentioned how gorgeous she was. She was from another country and culture originally - not unusual in our circle, since my husband was also foreign and many of our friends were immigrants.<br />
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They married on Valentine's Day. Within a month, the four of us were spending a lot of time together. Angela was also much younger than I was, and I had little in common with her either. She was nice enough, but a little full of herself. I chalked it up to the age and maturity level, and did my best to help her feel at home in a new place. She adored me. She used to bring me little gifts, tell my husband how wonderful I was. I liked being looked up to.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4kD12EiqsEkYsgQ6jRrKvoY9c1UA6-zKINEUFxJ1d2io8__qU_fNjRWWrTpgJBApCnhvHW0W9VfGvmvIMe6avJc0KhGNbMJTt1VuvTUB_OPY0co7p1e0wuTizUAXqBQ94GIjTUQP8IRf/s1600/infid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4kD12EiqsEkYsgQ6jRrKvoY9c1UA6-zKINEUFxJ1d2io8__qU_fNjRWWrTpgJBApCnhvHW0W9VfGvmvIMe6avJc0KhGNbMJTt1VuvTUB_OPY0co7p1e0wuTizUAXqBQ94GIjTUQP8IRf/s320/infid3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Meanwhile, my husband insisted we spend a lot of time with them. Maybe two evenings a week, plus time on weekends. I gradually started to resent it. Before, we had always had Friday as a "date night". Now the date was always a double date. <i>Always</i>. When we weren't with them, he was<i> talking about them</i>. I started to go a little nuts with it. But the months went on, and I didn't say a lot. After all, Angela was getting used to being married, in a new place, and she often sought my advice.<br />
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Once, she confided in me that she appreciated my friendship, because she had never had a lot of female friends. "Women don't like me. They always think I will steal their boyfriends." She laughed. I thought it was a rather arrogant thought on her part. But I couldn't argue, she was a very pretty and very, very sexy girl. She was from South America, and displayed an easy physical sensuality that so many Latina women have. In addition she was funny and charming, and had just finished a law degree. I imagined she might invite a lot of jealousy from women.<br />
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And advice she needed. They both did. The fights were often, and childish. My husband and I spent not a few evenings with them indulging in a bit of impromptu marriage counseling. But they seemed to be a good match, and Mark certainly loved the girl. I never could quite figure how <i>she</i> felt about <i>him</i>, but I didn't want to judge something so personal.<br />
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I spent early evening of Halloween at their apartment. Angela had summoned me there, saying she was in some crisis and needed to talk. I remembering listening to her and wondering what the issue actually was. She rambled on about the usual, her frustration with Mark, their fighting. But I didn't get a feeling of crisis and wondered why I had had to drop everything and drive over there. It was weird, and I felt rather manipulated. Mark and my husband arrived at some point, and things were even weirder. Mark seemed oblivious. My husband seemed annoyed. Have you ever had that feeling that something is definitely going on in a room, but you haven't been made privy to it and can't put your finger on it?<br />
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Next morning, my husband nervously told me he had to tell me something. I remember him shaking as he told me - sitting there on the side of the bed, this man who usually didn't care what I thought about anything - that he and Angela had been having an affair since May. <i>Since two months after her marriage</i>. He was having an affair with his <i>best friend's wife.</i><br />
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Now... this is where it gets really interesting. Because this is where I started learning what infidelity really is, and what it really means. It isn't about someone having sex with someone. That is just a tiny detail in the end. It hardly matters. (Believe me, it doesn't.) What matters is that your judgement failed you. You failed to see the signs. Your mind failed to protect you from your worst nightmare. You were deceived by the person closest to you. Everything you believe about yourself, and the reliability of your intelligence, explodes around you. He would not have told me because of an attack of conscience, mind you. He told me because they had quarreled and she had threatened to tell me. He had merely beat her to it.<br />
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I didn't scream. I didn't yell. <i>I was numb</i>. He asked if I was going to leave him. I told him I didn't know. I cried a little. It was immediately apparent to me that this man who was often so cold, so arrogant, so <i>dismissive</i> of me, was now shaking, so small and terrified that he would lose me. I wondered if he was surprised too. (Looking back, I know he was. He never saw her again. Hilariously, after that day the fun of it was gone for them. The sneaking around made it interesting. They didn't even like each other much as people, and both were painfully aware of it in the end, much to my great amusement. Last laughs, poetic justice, all that, you know.)<br />
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And then as I watched him sitting there wringing his hands, I said something that surprised me as much as it did him. And I am proud of it to this day, because I learned how terribly strong I was, and I knew in that moment that of the four of us, I was the strongest. And I knew he knew it too.<br />
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I said, "I don't know what will happen. But I will tell you this: you have 24 hours to tell Mark. If you don't, I will."<br />
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He said quietly, "You would do that, wouldn't you?"<br />
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I said, "Try me. He deserves to know the truth about his life and what he is married to. He deserves better than her. And better than YOU."<br />
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In the end, he told Mark, after begging me to be present. He told him like a man, apologized like a man. A few hours before, Angela, forewarned, had gone crazy. She begged, threatened, cried to me, "You don't understand! Mark isn't like you! He isn't going to understand and he'll divorce me."<br />
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Tough cookies, little girl. You made this bed.<br />
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<i>Not like me</i>? Who said I wasn't going to leave? What did she imagine I was? A saint? I was no saint, but I was no fool either.<br />
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Mark surprised me, moved me, and humbled me by his reaction. He was calm, he didn't try to kill my <br />
husband. Within weeks, he'd forgiven him and they were working out together. He did file for divorce the very next day. I didn't feel sorry for her one bit. I did feel sorry for Mark. He did deserve better. Anyone would.<br />
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I stayed in my marriage for several years, but I should not have. It took time to get my mind to stop obsessing over the deception. Because that's what you obsess over. It isn't flashes of possible sexual rendezvous. It's memories of the moments your partner looked you in the face and lied. And questions about how you were so easily fooled.<br />
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Here was another surprise. A revelation. It took a while to come to me. But finally one day I said to my husband, "You know... I have a feeling that Angela's sleeping with you had something to do with..."<br />
<br />
"... fucking you? Of course it did. It wasn't about me at all." He finished the thought for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziNI7aX63k6u0AqvCAjUi9KTUl0ijxN6ta-KkIkcykB8TMfArhZWgbcN-p4BSCpK69bVI0ErJ_obyomTNC2BvCrvkpo3tFYieWu8vs5NS9mFrZCVgQ4uGA6STZGGI0ftOJrX6Qf3dDcvY/s1600/infid7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziNI7aX63k6u0AqvCAjUi9KTUl0ijxN6ta-KkIkcykB8TMfArhZWgbcN-p4BSCpK69bVI0ErJ_obyomTNC2BvCrvkpo3tFYieWu8vs5NS9mFrZCVgQ4uGA6STZGGI0ftOJrX6Qf3dDcvY/s320/infid7.jpg" width="320" /></a>Infidelity is ultimately a terribly selfish act. It's the deliberate deception of the person who relies on you to keep them emotionally safe in this emotionally brutal existence we all share. It's the ultimate betrayal from the ultimate friend. It's ugly.<br />
<br />
It's also selfish on the part of the co-cheater. Angela wanted to stick it to me: someone she couldn't be. She called me, in fact, a few months after the divorce. "Mark and D-- are still friends. Why can't we be friends?" she whined. <br />
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"Are you crazy? You fucked my husband. That is why we are not going to be friends. I have no respect for you. Now get the hell off my phone." I knew that she knew I was a bigger person than she was. That was enough for me. I hope she grew from it, but I really don't care. She was a big girl, she destroyed a marriage and nearly two. She knew what she was doing. Now for the rest of her life she gets to know what she did and regret it. <br />
<br />
When I was younger and more innocent, I thought infidelity was <i>always</i> unacceptable. I don't believe that now, despite the ugliness of what Angela and my ex did. I think of relationships, particularly marriage, as a literal contract. You screw me, prepare to be screwed. I used to tell my husband in those latter years, "I guess you owe me a freebie." Meaning that I could, without guilt, sleep with a man of my choice for a few months. At any time. I enjoyed watching him squirm, wondering if I'd do it. I never did. Because in the same way he chose to live deceptively, I chose to live honestly. Like I said before, I should have left him immediately after. But I was young and dumb. Marriages may survive infidelity but they are never the same again. This is the bottom line: A person who is capable of that level of deception will always be capable of it. Each individual has to chose whether living with such a person and the fear of the havoc they can wreak in your life, is really worth it. When I did leave him finally, he knew that I would always deserve better than he had been. Because I never would have done to him what he did to me.<br />
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Characters are never interesting if they are saints. Sometimes good people do bad things. Selfish things. Maybe even unforgivable things. The wounded party, after an affair, understands this as no one else can. All of this makes for multi-layered relationships, real multi-layered characters, and interesting stories. Affairs are common. We all know the stories. We all can predict every scene and the ending. But can we all understand the emotions? The nuances of the experience? I think that is where one can weave a unique tale. And we are all individuals, certainly experiencing infidelity differently, both as the offender and the offended party.<br />
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I do believe that some philanderers have good reason - or at least an understandable reason. Coming up with those reasons as a writer is the fun part, and does allow me to reflect and invite the reader to reflect, on some of the more difficult aspects of human behavior. Jack Miles, in <i>Gentlemen's Game</i>, came to believe he was in a terrible, bad marriage, to a selfish person, and strayed to explore who he really was. Jack was basically a good man who did some bad things. In my story <i>Frozen</i>, Ethan is a selfish man who keeps a young gay man on the side, masquerading as a straight and happily-married man with small children.<br />
<br />
My friend, after bowling me over with her announcement that she had a boyfriend on the side, quickly explained that her husband knows and doesn't seem to care. I listened for half an hour, and at the end of our conversation, I said, "Good for you, Girl!" And I meant it. Her boyfriend is also married, his wife knows, and this works for all of them. Divorce for either couple would affect children and many lives, and isn't the best option. For them it is not a moral one.<br />
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Life is messy. People are messy. A writer that is afraid of looking at messy never gets their hands dirty, and misses a lot of fun playing in the mud. Okay, my writing buddy Becky is the Queen of Metaphors and I'm not, but you get my point. Wallow in the mud, Writers! Figure out the real whys of why people do what they do. Putting all behavior in a "this is good" and "this is bad" box is cowardly for a writer, and will stifle your voice and imagination. Don't be afraid of exploring the darkest places.<br />
<br />
You are not your characters. I would never do what Jack Miles did. I would never live as Ethan's piece on the side. I am infallibly honest to my friends and lovers. But then . . . I'm much less interesting than my characters are. ;) <br />
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<h4>
<i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Gentlemen's Game and Frozen can be found at Amazon.com and other online retailers. See reviews on this page and at <a href="http://lichencraig.com/">lichencraig.com</a> . </span></i></h4>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-77717952550472453422016-03-31T02:09:00.001-06:002016-04-17T19:05:12.458-06:00The Tragically Disappearing Value of Letters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a letter dated 1852. It is written by an ancestor - Reuben Peacher - to his son-in-law Zachariah Elkins and his daughter Nancy Jane. The young couple, who had been married some three or four years by then (she had been only fifteen, but he almost a decade older), were living only a few counties away, but in an age when there was no email, no phone, no motorized vehicle, it was a few days journey. They both came from large, tight-knit families, and it must have been a big decision to leave; in a few years more, they would join the wagon train on the Oregon Trail, going from Independence, Missouri, to a new home at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.<br />
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The letter tells us a great deal about them. It is written on light blue, unlined paper. The weight and quality is such that it has survived intact for 164 years. The black, uneven ink pen lines belie the use of a fountain pen. The hand is neat and well-schooled, the grammar good but not perfect. Spelling wasn't yet standardized. Reuben was educated. Zachariah was obviously capable of reading it - although he had been raised in the wilderness of Kentucky and later Missouri. I don't know whether Nancy Jane could not read or whether common custom dictated that the men should write to one another and bypass the women.<br />
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At any rate, Reuben had a bit to say, over two pages. Although the details are mundane, they paint a picture of domestic life for a frontier family, and the very real individuals who lived what we can hardly imagine now. Imagine their world, where one couldn't exist without a horse or a plow or an ax or a rifle or a thorough knowledge of agriculture and hunting. Imagine staining your fingers with ink as you wrote, knowing that news of a death in the family or a new baby would take a week to get there. Imagine that visiting on a whim was impossible - a move across country meant saying goodbye for a very, very long time, if not forever. Imagine that our journeys of a few hours took days or weeks. This is the world the letter allows me to visit - and as I hold it in my hands I wonder about the hands that first made the creases in it and sealed it with wax, and then saddled the horse or hitched him to the wagon, to travel several miles to post it.<br />
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The point is, these letters can be held in a hand, my experience of it mingling with a man's of 164 years ago, his skin cells mingling with mine. Letters are a tangible piece of the evidence of lives of the past. And they are quickly fading from our experience.<br />
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When I was young, letters were a fact of life. There was no internet, no email. I wrote and received <br />
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letters from relatives who lived four states away, across the prairies and cornfields of the Midwest and West. I still have a few of those letters. When I was maybe about ten years old - my favorite grandmother taught me about writing a proper letter. She said it had to begin with some personal news. Then, a good story - which must include some description or drama or something else of entertainment value to the recipient. And it should end with affection and some plan to write again or to see the loved one again. I have a few of her letters in a box; she's been dead for a few decades now. When I look at them I remember the way she formed words, and the slow, careful way she spoke. She had a wonderful, warm chortle in her voice. I marvel at the uniqueness of her hand and her style. And I experience her again as an individual and miss her. Without those letters, I don't think I could get so close.<br />
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The earliest letters I have read were those written between kings in the early medieval period. Such as letters from Charlemagne, king of Franks (and part of what is now France) and the great Mercian (England) king, Offa. They survive on vellum, a material made from lambskin and dried. They are written in Latin, which in that world enjoyed the universality similar to today's English. They show the personalities, the daily concerns, and the world, of two powerful men in the eighth century. Twelve hundred years ago. I envy the researchers who protect these letters, and who have held them in their hands. A part of me believes that the energy of the past world travels through such objects - what a gift it is to reach back through time and touch the eighth century.<br />
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Letters exist between family members, friends and lovers, that reveal details of famous lives. Mozart's wife understood the enormous value of letters to reveal secrets: she burned all of the great musician's letters upon his death. I can almost forgive her - Mozart was mentally ill and so difficult to live with that she had left him years before and they lived apart. But in the end she was there, and his friend, and she had the foresight to protect his privacy. She robbed us all of a glimpse into his mind and genius, of course.<br />
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The great Persian poet, Kahlil Gibran, enjoyed a decades-long romance with a woman through letters. It is believed that although their letters are affectionate and romantic and show devotion and respect, they never met face-to-face.<br />
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In December of 2015, a New York man was remodeling the fireplace of this vintage home and found letters over a century old - written by the two young children of an Irish immigrant family that had once lived in the house, to Santa Claus. Ten-year-old Mary's words reveal much about their lives, their values, and the thoughts of a generous-hearted little girl:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Dear Santa Claus . . . My little brother would like you to bring him a wagon which I know you cannot afford. I will ask you to bring him whatever you think best. Please bring me something nice what you think best. - Mary P.S. Please do not forget the poor. "</blockquote>
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Letters reveal the most intimate relationships of the famous people of the past, and also the lives and cares and dreams of people who no one would remember if not for a surviving letter - a bit of a person that survives for decades or centuries beyond death. What are we losing, as we allow the art of letter-writing - in my generation something so common - to fade from our experience? What are we sacrificing? How will people, hundreds of years from now, know how we spoke and how our experience of the world around us differed from theirs? How will they know the things that letters have preserved for us about our past? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVer5ehLC19sFX94ye6FbvzgC0yZb5iL5i2cxfBPsN3E4BH9L9u_ox07IZ86oh3n_sbzsfGHPrKHK536tSXCHDo2GIKAJ6LMbmWl-KzabSSVK5nh2eo7jWtdlR4LzsbBnTGof-ZlrB6fy/s1600/love_letter.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVer5ehLC19sFX94ye6FbvzgC0yZb5iL5i2cxfBPsN3E4BH9L9u_ox07IZ86oh3n_sbzsfGHPrKHK536tSXCHDo2GIKAJ6LMbmWl-KzabSSVK5nh2eo7jWtdlR4LzsbBnTGof-ZlrB6fy/s320/love_letter.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg" width="320" /></a>They will have books, of course, but letters are different. They are informal, intensely personal, and reveal personality more clearly than any carefully-written prose ever could. How sad it is that people in the future won't hold the leaves of a letter, with beautiful handwriting and a lingering scent of perfume, in their hands and glimpse the private life of someone else who has passed away? <br />
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From now on people will not know the joy of receiving into their hands a personal letter - its paper once handled by the hands of a distant loved one or a lover, the individual's unique handwriting decorating the front. They won't know the surprise of finding a feather, or a piece of lace or fabric, a lock of hair, or other surprise. Or the familiar welcome scent of cigar smoke or perfume. The intimate nature and privacy of a letter is forever lost in the age of computers and emails. Now, with schools discontinuing the training of children in handwriting skills, future generations won't be able to write a letter if they want to.<br />
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I have made a decision that soon I will have that old letter laminated, so that it will survive for decades to come. I won't be able to touch it anymore in the same way, and that bothers me greatly, but it's time to give that up in favor of its preservation. I hope that someone in a coming generation appreciates it as much as I have, and the view of the past and three pioneers' lives, that it offers.<br />
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NOTES: <br />
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Reuben Peacher lived to old age and is buried in Howard County, Missouri, on the land that once belonged to his farm, from where he wrote the letter and many others. His grave still exists. His own father had come from Virginia and wealth but had been ousted from the family by his father, along with his brother. The two, once the heirs of a rich Eastern family, would eventually be hanged in the wilds of Kentucky for stealing horses. But their children, Reuben and his wife and first cousin Anne, would live the quiet life of farmers in Howard County, Anne preceding her husband in death by a few decades.<br />
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Zachariah Elkins took his young family by wagon train to Colorado around 1861. He worked as a cattle rancher on the eastern plains of Colorado Territory, until his death in 1880. In 1870 a census taker asked him what year he was born in, and he wasn't certain, according to a marginal note. But I know now that it was about 1825. Funny that I know and he didn't. He did know that he had been born in Missouri, but when asked where his parents were born he didn't know that either; it was Kentucky - of that I am certain. He died in his fifties, in 1880. His grave has been lost.<br />
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Nancy Jane Peacher Elkins was married to the boy who lived on the farm next door, about 1848, at fifteen. It must have been a bittersweet day, because only a few days earlier her 13-year-old brother and 8-year-old sister had both drowned, in the creek that divided the two farms. One can safely assume the brother died trying to save the sister, or the other way around. Several children still survived, including Nancy Jane, and life had to go on. She is buried in Colorado, between her son and his wife on one side, and an infant grandchild on the other. She lived well into her nineties, and was photographed with four younger generations, including my grandmother who is an infant on her lap.<br />
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I wonder if they would smile to know that I have and treasure that letter.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-8884901298653417262016-02-24T19:59:00.000-07:002019-08-15T12:47:32.122-06:00The Art of the Short Story, DefinedBack when I was getting my creative writing/classic literature degree, we did a lot of short story writing. Within a class setting it made sense: professors were trying to assess whether we each understood how to develop a plot, characters, etc. and who has time to write a novel, during university? (Well, not if you take your classwork seriously and are in a demanding program!)<br />
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I got a journalism degree at the same time, and pretty much immediately went into news writing and editing. So I put the short story aside for many years and thought little about it. Those years at school had left me with a healthy respect for the form, and I still admire people who do it well.<br />
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Recently I had a discussion with a friend about how long a short story needs to be. I suggested to her that it needs to be long enough to develop certain elements - characters, solid conflict, tension, enough description to establish an atmosphere, etc. Personally I have seen someone do that maybe three times through the years, in under say, 1500 words. Skilled writers can do it under 5,000, and many legitimate short story contests ask for stories around that length. But I would say at least 2,000 and up is best. Oh, there are a lot of 1000-word "short stories" out there, and almost all are crap. <br />
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But not all. In recent years I ran into a short by British writer Clayton Littlewood that was astounding - it is called <i>Grindr</i>. He used to have it up on his blog, and I recall that when I read it I found my jaw on the floor. I was so moved because of the quality of his writing, but also because the thing was so short. It must be maybe 3-4,000. No more. Here was a short-short story in the hands of a truly skilled storyteller; he knew exactly what he was doing with an often difficult form. He seemed surprised - gracious and humble - when I wrote to express my congratulations on it, but Littlewood is a master of language, and well-versed in building plot and suspense, even within the confines of a small word count. He has removed it from his website now, but has it published within an anthology of short pieces called <i>Six Stories</i>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWpW1hyphenhyphen8yolY6NRUaP0pUDJDj73K5bEQoA6srxDBdkUjn6xS5N530AmD5OK-8IsHmq6g-Z73oY07FpO3sfoSc-6pP5k_pBO9ke0P-77LyyR492wCmAcHu-xvbgAKOhWGYJWcLuBD12U9i/s1600/515skGq3PBL._SX367_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWpW1hyphenhyphen8yolY6NRUaP0pUDJDj73K5bEQoA6srxDBdkUjn6xS5N530AmD5OK-8IsHmq6g-Z73oY07FpO3sfoSc-6pP5k_pBO9ke0P-77LyyR492wCmAcHu-xvbgAKOhWGYJWcLuBD12U9i/s320/515skGq3PBL._SX367_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="236" /></a>One can spend a few hours on Twitter or at writer-oriented blogs and run into a plethora of contests for writing short stories. Lately too many of them involve such silly premises as writing a short story of 250 words or less. I ran into one that wanted short stories less than 100 words! Ugh! These are not short stories! They are exercises in writing a succinct paragraph, perhaps, but they are not short stories. Am I being a snob? Insisting upon a specific, narrow definition? Or am I protecting the integrity of an ages-old genre?<br />
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From before our ancestors were literate, the short story has entertained. It took a bit of imagination, and not a little amount of memorization skills, to hold an audience captive for a bit with a short narrative. In a time before the novel, these narratives involved the necessary elements of characters, plot and structure, atmospheric description. There had to be a stated conflict, and someone in the story had to move toward resolving that conflict. This has formed the basis of <i>story</i> for us - whether the story happens within a novel, film, or short story. Notice I say "basis" - in the modern era, many influences have changed the structural rules of each of these forms so that there are instances of each which stray from the traditional ideas.<br />
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It is said that the advent of photography changed art forever. Where once a painting recorded the scene before the artist's eyes - and used light and color and movement to emphasize certain truths about that scene - photography replaced that function. The photograph could record reality as never before. So painting was forced to find a way to convey truths beyond black and white reality. Thus, new forms were born - impressionistic painting, abstract painting, and others. It is no coincidence that the masters of these styles worked at the forefront of art in the decades following the birth of the photograph.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyJfjulvF2FxzshuTmICcOUrZnP7_JaTQxqPbWY0_aMi3eLfJ1hv-PNSzoz9rwhFG-7Ls1-EiFu3lKi3zztRYqPZd2KrlUx7QyU71WTmRJW7kKVA2X-pict64aIraD-c0yjg_wvFnABoL/s1600/LightningAMAZON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyJfjulvF2FxzshuTmICcOUrZnP7_JaTQxqPbWY0_aMi3eLfJ1hv-PNSzoz9rwhFG-7Ls1-EiFu3lKi3zztRYqPZd2KrlUx7QyU71WTmRJW7kKVA2X-pict64aIraD-c0yjg_wvFnABoL/s200/LightningAMAZON.jpg" width="125" /></a><br />
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In the same sense, the advent of film pushed the novel and the short story. I think it may be argued that before the development of cinematography as not only a recording of moving pictures but an art form in its own right - probably by the latter 1930s - novels contained more detailed descriptive passages. But the reading public soon became accustomed to a panoramic atmosphere unfolding before their eyes; they were taken through an entire story in a few hours. Perhaps they lost patience in the end for description in dime store, mainstream novels. (I would argue that this factor diminished forever our ability to imagine detailed visual scenes without the crutch of film - which feeds it to us in such a way that we don't have to do the work, but that is a blog for another day.)<br />
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Films did even more to change short stories. Because most films in the early decades of the medium ran a logical narrative - story with character and traditionally structured plot - short stories were pushed to find a new, innovative path of expression. This is the root of the modern tendency of the short story to offer alternative and highly unusual structures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWIXXePa3OeZaYnSVf-AZpSTty7aP5GOm4hpd91ihBuJegNTmLib1sD8Gobn8m-p0O_gPPHSZMvLKH_xF8d4NeErAmxnFiwOKRteuU9oAvb9ARJb8jXsHynX6I1zR_nOlmR7BTpKefiJG/s1600/FrozenKindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWIXXePa3OeZaYnSVf-AZpSTty7aP5GOm4hpd91ihBuJegNTmLib1sD8Gobn8m-p0O_gPPHSZMvLKH_xF8d4NeErAmxnFiwOKRteuU9oAvb9ARJb8jXsHynX6I1zR_nOlmR7BTpKefiJG/s200/FrozenKindle.jpg" width="125" /></a>It may be argued that America contributed more to the birth of the short story than most places. The genre rose as the world of magazines grew in America. It flourished in the late-19th and early-20th century popular magazine bought by a large part of the American population and beyond - where every issue contained either a short story or a piece of serialized novel. Categories such as the romance story, the murder mystery, the sci-fi story, the western, and others - were established during this period. In the early years, the narrative structure was traditional. But, of course, then came film . . .<br />
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In more recent decades, writers have experimented with various styles in the short story form. Now, a short story doesn't necessarily need a traditional narrative plot (although many still have one). So then, what constitutes a short story now, in 2016? If we have stretched tradition and invited innovation for decades, often very successfully, then what constitutes a true short story? Can it be defined? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKP4h0i2M6omEWW7Ng2MiOiaoZp1QKnT7VNj-dPehxXPJGyv6oGgfJum1WUs_e_DnLM0D5BhOeiv9KTu7jg5jQ_EfrIdAS4kLtQfzsjOmwwia0BJkk_YwgONLn__3wk9yrR1Iw5YpDyXH/s1600/mood-writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKP4h0i2M6omEWW7Ng2MiOiaoZp1QKnT7VNj-dPehxXPJGyv6oGgfJum1WUs_e_DnLM0D5BhOeiv9KTu7jg5jQ_EfrIdAS4kLtQfzsjOmwwia0BJkk_YwgONLn__3wk9yrR1Iw5YpDyXH/s320/mood-writing.jpg" width="221" /></a>Of course. And it is because of this definition that I have to scoff at contests for 250-word "stories". A quick study of the modern definitions of "story" in various dictionaries might leave the researcher confused: most definitions involve words like "narrative" and "tale", which of course mean the same thing as "story". But I like this one, from the Cambridge Dictionary: "<i>a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events". </i>That gives us something to begin with.<i> </i>Descriptions from every major dictionary go on to add that a "story" informs, teaches, amuses, entertains, and/or changes a reader or listener. Also inherent is the idea that the narrative somehow <i>evolves</i>.<br />
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A writer cannot evolve a narrative in 250 words. A writer cannot successfully persuade or change, either the narrative or the reader. You may amuse. You many even entertain for a few minutes. But you have not used narrative as an art form to guide the reader through any evolution. You have merely written an amusing few paragraphs, and although it is a useful exercise it isn't any great accomplishment fit for a contest! As a writer, you will learn nothing serious about the art of the short story.<br />
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So my argument is in the naming of the contest a "short story" contest. A "short story" is far more than that. If you want to learn the form, and do it well, following these guidelines:<br />
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<li>Establish tension early on. As with any fictional work, you are obligated as a writer to catch the reader's interest early and hold it. In novel-writing we speak of establishing <i>conflict</i> - you may or may not have time - within the confines of the first few paragraphs of a short story - to attempt something that grand. But you should establish an uncomfortable feeling in the reader and/or a large question in their minds. <u style="font-style: italic;">Drive</u>, which has its birth in conflict, is absolutely necessary in a good short story. </li>
<li>Work toward <u><i>change</i></u>, above all. Something must evolve. Either the character must change/grow/learn, or the situation must change in a surprising way. I would suggest that the best stories might combine both. But you must have a different truth at the end of the story than was present at the beginning. The reader must see the world differently than they did a few pages ago. </li>
<li>Don't be overly mindful of length, because it stifles your creative urge; don't try to keep it short nor try to achieve a certain length. If you are gearing it toward a contest where the length is say, 5,000 words for example, you should have a feel as a writer for the difference between 5,000 and 10,000 or 15,000, right from the first word you write. So you know whether you are in the ballpark as you write. When you finish you can edit to correct word count. But for now, be more mindful of the structure - the drive and the evolution - and just get the story down. </li>
<li>Never forget that the same elements which make for a great short story are the same that make a great novel, and don't lose sight of them. Keep in mind elements such as: description and establishing a mood or atmosphere; narrative drive (already discussed); characterization (strong characters make a strong story); catch and hold the attention of the reader; avoid clichés and work on being original; employ the use of elements such as metaphor; mind that dialogue sounds true to the characaters, and that each character speaks differently; watch the misspellings and grammar. You get the picture. Treat your short story with the same technical respect that you would treat a novel. <div class="MsoNormal">
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Meanwhile, I won't discourage you from participation in the sillier contests for "short story" writing. Just make sure you aren't wasting time; the best of us get caught up in online games and useless exercises that help us avoid the real work of applying ourselves to our writing. And make sure you are truly going to learn something valuable that you can apply to real writing. If that is to write a more interesting paragraph or scene, fine. But call it a <i>paragraph </i>or<i> scene</i>. Out of respect for an art form that has entertained, taught, and helped us evolve for centuries, call something lesser what it is.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Clayton Littlewood is much underrated short story writer, diarist, journalist and playwright. You can see his Amazon page at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clayton-Littlewood/e/B001JRUSEG/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1" target="_blank">Clayton Littlewood</a> . His personal website is at <a href="http://www.claytonlittlewood.com/" target="_blank">http://www.claytonlittlewood.com </a> . </i></span> </span></div>
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See my short stories: <i>Frozen</i>, <i>Lightning</i> (my first attempt at the paranormal!) and <i>Quandary</i>, at Amazon and BarnesandNoble .<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-12088365947527350702015-11-29T17:12:00.000-07:002015-12-10T14:39:14.991-07:00BBC Series "The Last Kingdom" Ends With a Battle and a Bang<br />
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In 878 A.D. (C.E.) a battle took place in a field in what is now southern England, which determined the very existence of the country. How odd it is now, to consider that of the few thousand fighting men and women present that day, some gave their lives for what they thought was the small kingdom of Wessex - the last remaining stronghold of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, after years of Viking raids - but in the end, they gave their lives so that the United Kingdom would eventually come to be what it was centuries later . . . one of the world's greatest and most productive empires. How surprised they would have been to learn that their sacrifice was the foundation of so much more than what they could have imagined. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final battle, with the shield walls dividing enemies.</td></tr>
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The Battle of Edington (aka the Battle of Ethandun) was arguably the most important battle in English history, and it is fitting that the first season of the magnificent <i>The Last Kingdom</i> from the BBC gave us this battle as its finale. For many reasons, the first season has been an impressive debut for what has become a standout series, and it has in a short time built a strong fan base who must have been, as I was, cheering a little inside as our hero rode off into the final sunset with a narration promising more adventures ahead. Given the enthusiasm of a growing fanbase, the BBC would be foolish not to be planning for a second season.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGS3Qpv78x2ZsQSwqexhM52TwYdQbAy4NeXKo2miz9fuAwxhdRUTUf45n5581iz67a_ERs-0ldnB_jtC01OxLPvqUDNhFQIMODTqy0XMFSAI9w9DeTHjLOb0F8Sey0fy9FCzUGWkYDZpuA/s1600/LK91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGS3Qpv78x2ZsQSwqexhM52TwYdQbAy4NeXKo2miz9fuAwxhdRUTUf45n5581iz67a_ERs-0ldnB_jtC01OxLPvqUDNhFQIMODTqy0XMFSAI9w9DeTHjLOb0F8Sey0fy9FCzUGWkYDZpuA/s320/LK91.jpg" width="320" /></a>The series is based upon the Saxon series of nine (so far) books, from renowned historical novelist Bernard Cornwell. The story follows the adventures of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the son of a Saxon Northumbrian ealdorman (the precursor of an earl). When the Danes (Vikings) invade and kill his family, he is taken as a child slave into the Danish household of Danish warlord Ragnar, where due to his intelligence, loyalty and charm, he is eventually raised as a son. But fate is not kind to Uhtred, and a warring clan of Danes kills off his adoptive family as well. Uhtred is left without a country, rejected as a Saxon by Danes and a Viking by Saxons. He has to fight his way into acceptance by those he must trust - including the future King Alfred "the Great" of Wessex and later of all England - in order to gain back respect and his birthright. His story is told against the backdrop of the fierce wars of the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries of England against Danish invaders intent on making the British Isles part of a Scandinavian kingdom. This was a time when battle was eye-to-eye brutal, life was cheap and dearly won, and Pagan and Christian strove to coexist.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lord Guthrum of the Danes is baptized.</td></tr>
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The series was produced by the executive producer of Downton Abbey, Gareth Naeme, who obviously understands how to capture and hold an audience. Unlike some of the others in the current parade of Dark Ages and Medieval fantasy series, this one follows much more closely actual historical events and incorporates characters based firmly in historical reality (even Uhtred of Bebbanburg existed, and is a distant ancestor of Cornwell, although little is known of his actual history). As can be expected from the BBC, production values are held to a high standard. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Dawson's King Alfred battles for Wessex.</td></tr>
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The eight-episode season was shot mostly in Hungary, with some additional work in Wales and Denmark. From the reconstructed villages and wooden/stone palaces of the Saxons, to the costuming (reportedly done with an intentional "modern edge"), to battle scenes, one is easily transported back in time to a place that actually existed, and a people who were caught between two worlds and facing an uncertain future. The film is saturated with warm, rich red tones which bring out firelit interiors, skin, and setting sun, and also green tones which exploit the wild, earthy feel of a time when life took place mostly outdoors. Camerawork is consistently expertly rendered, and interesting without being distracting.</div>
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Not enough can be said about the cast. Heading it up is the relatively unknown Alexander Dreymon, whose anonymity will come to a screeching halt with this project. The well-trained young actor has delivered a performance worthy of an epic - always competent, nuanced, and fascinating. He understands the value of accent, the glance of an eye, posture, and all the small moments that raise a performance from passing to mesmerizing. His Uhtred is multi-layered, enigmatic, superbly physical (check out the horseback stunts and the fight scenes - his martial arts training shows) and by turns quietly emotional and fiercely warrior-like, as he cries over a friend's betrayal or his dead child, then rushes into battle swinging a broadsword with an intimidating fury-birthed grimace. He is never less than 100% male, as a ninth century warrior had to be in order to survive.</div>
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Also excellent are David Dawson as King Alfred, Adrian Bower as the knight Leofric, Eliza Butterworth as Aelswith, Ian Hart as Father Beocca, Emily Cox as Brida, Harry MacEntire as Athelwold (a fan favorite, to be sure!), Charlie Murphy as Iseult, Rune Temte as Ubba, and many others.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wessex has finally won everything, while Uhtred has lost all.</td></tr>
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Fans of the books will love the series, but may be a little put off by a few instances of straying from the novels' storyline. As a writer and a film fan, I have no issue with the changes: many are necessary in order to make a series play to a film audience without confusing them with too many characters and subplots; after all, film is a much different medium, and must have different requirements for the sake of clear storytelling. Other changes added to the stories, such as the screenwriter's decision to flesh out Uhtred's love relationships, where in the books they are too often mere mentions. This change in particular makes the film more interesting to a wider audience, and Uhtred's character more multi-dimensional. It also, in this writer's opinion, raises the quality of the story. Like many a male, Cornwell tends to write from a testosterone-laden point of view. In much the same way that some female writers are unwilling to write a great battle scene, he shies away from love scenes or any scene of emotional romantic depth. The screenwriter has understood the value of fixing that, and brings a story accessible and interesting to everyone.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hild the Nun takes no prisoners.</td></tr>
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Which brings us to the battle scenes. These are some of the best you will ever see on television; each battle-cry to raise the shield wall gives the viewer goosebumps. The filmmakers employ stunts and special effects and camera work to increase tension and authenticity -which is expected - but they go further. In an era of television and film when rape and massacre are too often exploited for entertainment (this means you, Game of Thrones), this series neither shies away from tough scenes nor does it present them as purely entertainment. There is brutality, but not the glee of excessive butchery; there is rape, but not a script or camera that lingers over a woman's torture and humiliation for the sake of titillation. These filmmakers understand the difference between realism and exploitation, and it raises the production to a higher level than any other historical out there.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uhtred and his Danish brother "Young Ragnar" loyal enemies.</td></tr>
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Just about the only quarrel I had with the series, and one present also with the books, was resolved in the last episode: that of the treatment of various religions. In the books, Christianity is presented nearly always in a bad light - never as a force for good or the power of justice and peace, against poverty and blind brutality, but as a particularly malicious form of oppression. As an amateur historian of the era, it troubled me because it doesn't give a complete picture. I have always been fascinated in the question of <i>why</i> the new religion swept over a culture as quickly as it did (given that there was no mass communication). Through the years I<br />
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have read the suggestions of many historians - it encouraged the value of the individual life, and raised the value of life overall; it offered a way out of a pattern of personal vendetta and inter-clan wars; it raised the value of literacy and learning; it established the first social programs such as orphanages, schools, and soup kitchens; it improved ties to the Continent and the Roman Empire and the rest of Europe, which meant trade and improvement of quality of life. Cornwell has said in interviews that he holds a personal bias against Christianity given his upbringing, and while I can't fault him for that, I do think it's a shame that it kept him from writing more realistically about the gentle slipping away of the pagan world, and the gradual establishment of the Christian. Historians agree that for the vast part, it was a peaceful transition for England, and I for one think it would be a fascinating question for the novels to have explored more. </div>
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But here, the screenwriters have rescued the story from one-dimensional Christian-bashing. In the final episodes, pagan Uhtred comes to reconcile the two philosophies in his own mind, Christian King Alfred comes to appreciate that his god may have a broader point of view than he originally thought, Father Beocca realizes that God works even through pagans, and - as happened in history - the leading warlord of the Danes, Guthrum, offers himself for baptism as part of a peace treaty. (In reality, Alfred stood as Guthum's godfather for baptism, and Guthrum took the Christian name Athelstan, after Alfred's deceased elder brother.) In the last minutes of the final episode, we have nuns and priests taking up the spear and raising the battle-cry for Wessex and rushing headlong into the battle - a scene which, given the politics of the moment in time, I agree is highly imaginable. Even the religious would have understood that the saving of a way of life demanded every heart and weapon available, and that defending one's life and land was a justification for war when the invaders were at one's doorstep.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMSfJ0m0pju9In73aVL-BPTB6Dgfcz4L3yWS62-byLjoB4KcexRO6vfJ2HbnATcpKZrI22TwWewQL4xpCFYKnTY-Ij2PYLSgEngyqa7EbdYogc1fno_ZjSgnbCbAgdE_aFi831Aid-P_x/s1600/LK92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMSfJ0m0pju9In73aVL-BPTB6Dgfcz4L3yWS62-byLjoB4KcexRO6vfJ2HbnATcpKZrI22TwWewQL4xpCFYKnTY-Ij2PYLSgEngyqa7EbdYogc1fno_ZjSgnbCbAgdE_aFi831Aid-P_x/s320/LK92.jpg" width="320" /></a>As I watched this series, I was often moved not only by the story of Uhtred and his companions, but by the story of England's birth, and the comparisons in my own mind to our political struggles today. Surely the people of Wessex were increasingly frightened as the Viking menace first tickled their shores, and then made its way inland to kill and conquer. Perhaps at first they - preoccupied with everyday survival at their little farms and trades - would have heard stories of the pillaging and murdering and thought of it as a far-off thing, of not much consequence. They would not have understood that it was growing bigger, that it was a force that did not share the values they had embraced with Christianity, and would spare no one until they were all dead or subjected. Even good King Alfred imagined the Danes as people who would be reasonable, could be negotiated with and then trusted to obey a peace agreement. But he was wrong, and it is to England's luck that he learned it in time enough to get serious about defending his people.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTNrZJpluWWDC37Zo4aqrB5ja3GwZxDOyA4k7kWBQVUmlg1OIl0FjNivhKpvZ_cJo2hYmlbEBOmkAbhMf611QViKoG7eWCaXCfFRWeaeEs2phS5_ISHf9sLUqInaZPwPd_hJ-zvO2baQc/s1600/LK89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTNrZJpluWWDC37Zo4aqrB5ja3GwZxDOyA4k7kWBQVUmlg1OIl0FjNivhKpvZ_cJo2hYmlbEBOmkAbhMf611QViKoG7eWCaXCfFRWeaeEs2phS5_ISHf9sLUqInaZPwPd_hJ-zvO2baQc/s320/LK89.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today we face a similar situation, as a force intent on the destruction of our way of life moves closer and grows larger, while still our leaders and a vast majority of our citizens play blithely along at their day-to-day pursuits, without understanding what is at stake and the choices we will have to make in a very near future. I wonder if we still - we peoples of the western world, who have built civilizations on a specific set of values and beliefs, whether we acknowledge that fact or not - possess the courage it will take to keep the right to decide our own path into the future. </div>
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As Uhtred told us in every episode of <i>The Last Kingdom</i>, "Destiny is all." In the Anglo-Saxon way of thinking, Destiny ("Wyrd") was a reality predetermined before one ever took a first breath. But they believed also that individual choices could affect destiny. Let's hope that our destiny is as hopeful and kind to us, as was that of the brave Anglo-Saxon men and women who won their future with blood.<br />
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Do yourself a favor and watch <i>The Last Kingdom</i> in its entirety. You'll get a great history lesson, a glimpse into the past of a great people and land, and a rollicking good time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writer Bernard Cornwell with "Uhtred" Alexander Dreymon.</td></tr>
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Bernard Cornwell's series can be found at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Bernard+Cornwell+Saxon+Series">Amazon.com</a>, at bookstores, and elsewhere all over the web. The popular books are well-researched and well-written, and I highly recommend them.<br />
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The Last Kingdom is currently finishing up its run in the UK and Europe, but is finished with the first season's run in the US. It can be purchased online as a DVD, or downloaded from Amazon or ITunes. If you are like me you will be watching each episode about four times.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-6722867093955879302015-10-28T15:16:00.000-06:002015-10-28T15:16:15.017-06:00Review: Gifted Hands, by Ben Carson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pI47LZwFKgRbVuWEhYPLfmXx0Ckl_IEzzyMeOctsQzh3D9pgQtfdmeMU0t_OFB4cx2tQ1DQDQE7Posd35ZleFFwGoc5fX4FOuQbbAp4mCI7dOf4TdIynmk0Xu-hd0WM2OxPzG7TDaFag/s1600/41cj8NKr68L._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pI47LZwFKgRbVuWEhYPLfmXx0Ckl_IEzzyMeOctsQzh3D9pgQtfdmeMU0t_OFB4cx2tQ1DQDQE7Posd35ZleFFwGoc5fX4FOuQbbAp4mCI7dOf4TdIynmk0Xu-hd0WM2OxPzG7TDaFag/s320/41cj8NKr68L._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="198" /></a>Someone handed me this book this morning, when I asked about it out of curiosity. I find Dr. Carson fascinating. I remember back when he was, as head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, invited to be the guest speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast, and effectively and politely - with impressive class and finesse - put a stone-faced Obama in his place like a patient older brother scolding a young upstart.<br />
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When he first entered the presidential race, I saw him as a breath of fresh air, and a welcome change from the Washington establishment. Over time, when a few things popped up in mainstream media illustrating some of his weirder comments, I started to feel some caution kick in. I resolved to file the reticence away until later in the campaign, and take a second look if he was still in it. But lately he has surged ahead in the polls, his quiet, intelligent demeanor conveying a calm reassurance that many voters respond to.<br />
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I took myself to lunch and read most of the book in that one sitting. I have to confess, I was looking for some evidence that he isn't to be trusted, some sign that he isn't as good as he seems. Another crazy contender masking as the next superman. But I didn't find it.<br />
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<i>Gifted Hands</i> is a memoir, detailing his beginnings as an underprivileged kid growing up in Detroit. He had the same circumstances as many a black child - and too many of all races - he was living in poverty with a single mom, not asking much of himself or his world, falling into a pattern of violent misbehavior. This is a guy who had no advantages. <i>None</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RJ7OfTCgsEO4SnRG0WgTNiYP9lfaQyAJz5m7PyAB7VEPiOmVeKRMBFYLRmfQVtoSBrpXrxJ7KccBjAt4breMLVt5pS2Llh-N9uhIzQNo4m2JwH5goVC4k7Hnt1kLweLJsCY3QI-MxlqQ/s1600/dr-ben-carson-name-calling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RJ7OfTCgsEO4SnRG0WgTNiYP9lfaQyAJz5m7PyAB7VEPiOmVeKRMBFYLRmfQVtoSBrpXrxJ7KccBjAt4breMLVt5pS2Llh-N9uhIzQNo4m2JwH5goVC4k7Hnt1kLweLJsCY3QI-MxlqQ/s320/dr-ben-carson-name-calling.jpg" width="320" /></a>The book reveals how his years through high school found him letting go of anger and violence as a way of life and allowing hope to creep in and inspire him. It tells how he earned his way into Yale, not as a matter of affirmative action, but by merit of his hard work. It discusses his marriage and the births of his children, and his earning a medical degree and beyond, finding himself rising in one of the most competitive industries and sub-fields in the world.<br />
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But the book is so much more than a chronological blow-by-blow of his climb; nor is it merely a <br />
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lecture on the ladder to success. Firstly, it is expertly written. Writers studying the art of memoir would be wise to take a look. The book begins with a critical conversation in the course of his childhood, and is full of stories of his own experience and accounts from within the surgery of some of his cases as a neurosurgeon.<br />
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And it's the point of the book that makes it worth a read: while too many very intelligent people get caught up in a pattern of endless self-analysis and world-analysis to the point of constant confusion, Carson has an ability to view the world and life's challenges through a lens of near-childlike simplicity. It has served to form in him a common sense that guides him daily. The book is peppered with little bits of personal wisdom, that add up to a nice recipe for keeping one's head above water despite diversity and the more unsavory but unavoidable aspects of any lifetime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguazQH2MGokk4H-CIg0AmZDGe0i-0iCf07OKnu-DmBtRgLdIxq5uqoo-lOnrk2VVVKteDnTcOH1ziHrmsz_ZJ4iRTD-hagN95UGchSeuzZgwTCJprwrRIpGGzcdUBDGm7qlP3fgfxiLC-V/s1600/ea70615655d83fb2445797532fdce517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguazQH2MGokk4H-CIg0AmZDGe0i-0iCf07OKnu-DmBtRgLdIxq5uqoo-lOnrk2VVVKteDnTcOH1ziHrmsz_ZJ4iRTD-hagN95UGchSeuzZgwTCJprwrRIpGGzcdUBDGm7qlP3fgfxiLC-V/s320/ea70615655d83fb2445797532fdce517.jpg" width="320" /></a>The biggest difference in Carson's life, when compared to similar stories, is that his mother was even more impressive than he is. Uneducated, married at thirteen, she found herself a single mom with two boys when she was hardly an adult herself. But this is a woman with an extraordinary dose of common sense, and an unshakable commitment to put and keep her boys on the path to success, and more importantly, to living a life of service to others. The book's dedication to this amazing woman is justified as the reader realizes how the early lessons she imposed shaped the course of a life that might have gone in a very different direction. Perhaps the greatest challenge to such a parent, and one that too many fail at, is the challenge to make a bigger impression on a young mind than does the neighborhood, gangs, and financial circumstances. This woman accomplished that and more.<br />
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Carson credits his mother, and his faith, for his sense of and commitment to right conduct. It's refreshing, in this me-centered society and era of self-obsession, to see any man - much less a presidential candidate - embrace basic ethics that used to be common in this society. His story demonstrates how a life dedicated to those values can benefit the individual as well as those with whom his life comes in contact. It demonstrates why those ethics are still valid and even necessary.<br />
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At its core, the book is a spoonful of inspiration, with a realistic take on what can change and <i>make</i> a life. In an ideal world, it would be required reading not only for every black student, but for every teen, regardless of background. It's that good, and that valuable. Interesting, it was written in 1990, when Carson was yet at the height of his medical career, and long before he considered a political one. It would be fascinating to see what a new memoir, after an additional fifteen years of life experience, would look like.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-30524399728802016562015-07-22T14:12:00.001-06:002015-07-22T14:49:32.807-06:00The Serial Craze: When Writers Sacrifice the StoryNot so many years ago, one could view a television drama or pick up a novel, and expect to be told a story. A complete story. Beginning, middle, end. Can you imagine? With the exception of daytime soaps, serial stories were the exception, not the rule. As we have entered an era where, across many entertainment platforms, serials are more common - books, movies, television, games - it has often occurred to me that this practice has hurt the quality of stories.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWPpI8J1LqNPcOaKMtmcuUKY8WBZATfp9LIGz5C0u1HK0hX8IoyADYfn5LMrtjtQgr52zDKZgMwZyWpBSfafrurIrESuvqEhGeDRII4vmQe0vSnvaRMkeMcni33mQoA6euFGhuij0RCnZ/s1600/Leonid_Pasternak_-_The_Passion_of_creation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWPpI8J1LqNPcOaKMtmcuUKY8WBZATfp9LIGz5C0u1HK0hX8IoyADYfn5LMrtjtQgr52zDKZgMwZyWpBSfafrurIrESuvqEhGeDRII4vmQe0vSnvaRMkeMcni33mQoA6euFGhuij0RCnZ/s320/Leonid_Pasternak_-_The_Passion_of_creation.jpg" width="320" /></a>The first time I remember being bored by the serial thing was with the ABC television serial from the 1980s, <i>Twin Peaks</i>. I watched most of it, but grew increasingly annoyed as my writer's intuition (and experience) told me that there was no ending. We were all waiting week after week for a big fat <i>nothing</i>, because the writers hadn't a clue how the thing was going to play itself out. They were making it up as they went, and their ever bringing it to a conclusion seemed to depend upon how long the network was going to keep renewing its call for new episodes. <br />
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Apparently I wasn't alone; early in the first season viewership dropped off dramatically. Largely due to great critical reviews based on its innovation, and likely to some ego on the part of ABC, the show was renewed for a second season that proved to be a mess. The key mystery was solved mid-season (a bone-headed decision if ever there was one) and viewership dropped to negligible numbers, financially speaking. The series died a long drawn-out death. Creators later admitted that they never considered that the series was about plot (the murder of Laura Palmer), but more about the interactions between the show's quirky characters - a confession that likely surprised not a single competent writer in viewer land. </div>
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Other shows were smarter; <i>The X Files</i> incorporated a secondary ongoing storyline regarding the relationship between the leads and with their pasts, but still offered a complete story weekly. This was a formula that kept the show alive far longer than producers of Twin Peaks could have dreamt of - several years. </div>
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By the middle of the 1980s, movies that were "sequels" or "prequels" or whatever inanity-du-jour producers came up with were a bit of a joke. (How about that second Indiana Jones story? The "prequel". Yeah.. <i>that</i> one.) One could expect the sequel to be a lame attempt at money-making on the part of producers, and rarely anything that lived up to the thrill moviegoers had at the original. </div>
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In recent years, the serial craze has crept into the realm of novels. Interestingly, many of the classic novels that we still revere from the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries in American and British writing were originally published in serial form in various newspapers. And yet, even that took a different form than it does now. These novels were complete and promised to be so from the beginning: they would be advertised as for example "a novel in four parts". The reader was reassured every time they began a new installment, that they were reading a real story with a real, logical plot, and that it would have a real ending.</div>
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Nowadays there is a lot of laziness in writing all around. While Amazon, I personally believe, has been a godsend in allowing innovative stories to find a place in the marketplace, I abhor the laziness - from people just wanting to make a quick buck who would not take one week to learn to write a plot in any coherent manner, to people who want to call themselves a writer but don't understand that putting a book out there with grammar and spellings issues and a mess of a structure does not a writer make. Of course, the buyer is as responsible as the writer, if not more, for this state of things in the marketplace - and that is another discussion. The point is, I have come to believe that writing serials is another rather cynical attempt to make money with bad writing. One need only slap together the beginning of a story, and put of having to take it to a logical end. </div>
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Why does this matter to me? Because 1) we have so little in the way of novels of quality on the already flooded market, and 2) serials as they are currently being presented cheat the reader. And do that quite intentionally.<br />
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The best plots - and in my mind the only way to structure a novel - consider the outcome as they go. The author knows the ending and the conflicts and pitfalls, and leads the reader through a maze of clues (foreshadowing) that all contribute to the satisfaction a reader feels as they reach a great ending. If the writer from the get-go has no idea what the plot is or where the conflict is going, they cannot foreshadow, they cannot tease and lead the reader. To me, there is something really low about spoonfeeding a reader little bits of an incomplete meal of a story, allowing him to anticipate for nothing.</div>
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Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that whether you are a novelist or a playwright, a screenwriter or a producer for TV, you owe those to whom you are telling the story a well-structured plot. You owe this above all else, because without a good plot, the story doesn't take shape. I talk to too many writers who will tell me all about the great protagonist they have dreamt up for the upcoming series (usually this protagonist is based upon themselves, interestingly), but are unable to articulate any coherent plan for a plot. "It's a series," is the excuse, "I can figure it out in Book Two." Oh. </div>
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The problem is, there are too many instances where the first book establishes the lead character and a conflict of sorts, and ties up just a few loose ends by the finish but leaves a few <i>bigger</i> loose ends for the second book, enticing readers to buy in order to be fulfilled. Fine, but too many times the author grows bored by the end of the second book, resorts to dragging it on to a third, or simply doesn't publish a book with the ending. (Can you spell "c.h.e.a.t."?) So what starts out as an enthusiastic following results in a lot of frustrated readers, and rightly so. The author struggles to keep plotting alive, the second and subsequent (God forbid) books lack quality, and the series fizzles out. The problem is that the writer didn't take the time and effort - and perhaps lacked the skill in many instances - to lay out a complete plot structure, and <i>then</i> figure out what would happen in each book. Experienced writers (and most of them stay away from serials) don't make the mistake of making it up as they go - they know that unless you have plot issues resolved from the beginning, they become potholes that grow into craters, and you may end up without an ending that works, and a failed series.</div>
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I find that this scenario usually involves an inexperienced writer, eager to make a paycheck, and unschooled on the finer points of successful plotting. Often, this is a writer who does characterization well; he or she can come up with a great character and stick them into a book. But that character ends up throwing up his hands and complaining to the author, "What do you want me to do?" when he becomes hopelessly mired in the chaos of a lack of plot.</div>
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A few people - a <i>few</i> - who are experienced writers do serials well. But the ones I can think of all do one important thing that is different from inexperienced writers: they roll a complete well-plotted story into each book. Each book can stand alone as a good read. And a person can read Book Three and pretty much enjoy a full story, never having read the first two at all. <br />
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One good example of this is the wonderful historical novelist Bernard Cornwell. He has done a few different series of novels designed around themes. Each book within a series is a separate story; it may involve an ongoing protagonist observer to the historical period. Bestselling thriller writer Tom Clancy uses the Jack Ryan character as a protagonist through many of his novels, yet each novel contains a complete mystery thriller. Another good example is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Each story could be read separately and is complete in and of itself.</div>
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Unfortunately, the success of Harry Potter spawned a generation of novels that are badly written as series. Either, as mentioned above, an inexperienced writer is just in over their heads - or worse, the success of a first book prompts the writer to come up with an extension to the story that is never going to live up to the first because the writer doesn't understand the sophistication of plot structure required to pull it off (consider the Twilight story by Stephenie Meyer, or the 50 Shades of Gray books by E.L. James - yes there are three of those trainwrecks). </div>
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The genre of erotic novels, along with "urban fantasy", offers up some of the worst nonsense in series reading. There, you often experience both bad characterization and bad plot structure, all rolled up in one. Why any reader continues to finance an author who can't be bothered to offer those two fundamentals to the reader, is beyond me. </div>
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I'll continue to be annoyed by series writing, and dismayed that it seems to indulge a sort of greed amongst some bad writers, as their naive readers snatch up the first few books in a series before becoming disappointed. I'll continue to tell the inexperienced writers I work with as an editor that series writing is not a good idea unless you are willing to plot out three novels, before writing a word of the first. You have to be willing to put thought into the last chapter of the third book, before you can presume to be able to successfully write the series or understand character development and conflict - those very things that form the true backbone of good writing and a successful series. </div>
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I'll continue to believe that it's a trend whose life will be limited as people become tired of disappointment. When that day comes, there will be a lot of nervous TV writers, novelists and screenwriters, who will finally have to learn to write a structured plot!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-6052023470702951902015-05-05T21:28:00.001-06:002015-05-23T15:22:50.733-06:00Toward Better Writing: When Crazy Just Doesn't Cut It<br />
Clowns and puppets. Back about ten to fifteen years ago, I noticed a trend in novels that I found infinitely annoying, and I have finally put my finger on why. I hope my observations might be useful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6j12nIm9tJRzXMILJWyGdi-6wsRfOIlJtah2wlROPEqkzyXeT2WzFwaECd2j_Q86DUw7jkXyCcNCvi5smRJubxYyb3k_EsHTvDwNVS_lR5u__0LNyNuwe_DKFZOSIET7Hy3H8XqYYyrm/s1600/clown1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6j12nIm9tJRzXMILJWyGdi-6wsRfOIlJtah2wlROPEqkzyXeT2WzFwaECd2j_Q86DUw7jkXyCcNCvi5smRJubxYyb3k_EsHTvDwNVS_lR5u__0LNyNuwe_DKFZOSIET7Hy3H8XqYYyrm/s1600/clown1.jpg" width="320" /></a>It got to be predictable, particularly in the literary novel genre, particularly the best-sellers. Nowadays, you find it across genres. Characters had to be outrageous: they had to have almost unbelievable backgrounds; they had difficult to understand dilemmas, usually due to extremely far-fetched situations; they had names that ranged from sounding as if the authors' four-year-olds made up while munching on cereal at breakfast, and sounding as if the author had had one too many cocktails while sitting before the computer. Each of these characters was peppered over with a plethora of quirky habits. These aren't characters; they are so overly made up, so painted with pretty colors, you can't see their faces or souls. They are clowns.<br />
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Now you may ask, "What's wrong with that? Crazy characters are <i>fun,</i> Lichen! Some of the best and most memorable characters are like that! You snob!" <br />
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This is my problem with it: when you overdo it, you murder the very reasons you might successfully employ it as a creative device. You defeat the purpose - what might have been successful and interesting and drawn the reader in, in a more powerful way. You dilute that which you might have had.<br />
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This is why:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hsYmoqf9NR9jrsdt790P4pPBHHKUNQKw9PAINNN32L0gYbY8V-76r4qj_dg0EsidcvEQKh5iIsF-Obty6_fcNVE1-X1CEdYyC4QI3UiDEP0FzEDOW_B1Dg_cypxxf23zXwHBhJrZuZpc/s1600/puppet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hsYmoqf9NR9jrsdt790P4pPBHHKUNQKw9PAINNN32L0gYbY8V-76r4qj_dg0EsidcvEQKh5iIsF-Obty6_fcNVE1-X1CEdYyC4QI3UiDEP0FzEDOW_B1Dg_cypxxf23zXwHBhJrZuZpc/s1600/puppet1.jpg" width="320" /></a>First, it is essential to a well-drawn character that your reader is able to relate in some way to her needs or frustrations or experiences or motives. I believe that is <i>always</i> necessary to a successful story. Now, your character might be non-human; he or she might be an anti-hero, possessing what many of us would see as negative traits; he or she might exist in an alternate universe or a time in the far past or distant future that you can't completely imagine. But that character must have traits at his or her core that the reader can relate to on a personal level. The reader must feel, in some important way, at one with the protagonist. If this doesn't happen, the writer risks losing the reader - either in the bookstore reading the back cover and rolling his eyes before he puts the book back down, or sighing and tossing it aside in the third chapter as he sits on a sofa. A character is too far-fetched when he is made up of so much <i>bizarreness (</i>yes, I made that up, but it works here!<i>)</i> that the reader never bonds with him.<br />
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On the other hand, a character must possess some idiosyncrasy in order to be a character, and not a mannequin devoid of personality. Every elementary creative writing class teaches you to find something different to add to a character, in order to make him come alive. Maybe he can favor blue shirts only; maybe her shoes are always untied or her red curly hair always unruly; maybe he speaks with a brogue or a southern American, or British accent. Maybe she has lots of dogs or cats. Or walks ten miles to work every day. No one is interesting if they are like everyone else in the world, right? So a writer must find what can be unique about the character and emphasize that, in order to draw in the reader's interest. <i>But</i> . . . too much weirdness, too many quirks, causes a character to feel overdone, overcooked, contrived, and well. . . phony. This is when the reader starts to disbelieve in the character. And thus lose interest in the character's plight. Bad news for your book!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqgy236ooIM6xuRmKhwlydxoq-S06sAaCr5gBbaIAmqHtny6ThieJGZoIz9yWerAJv2DAptWq9aNqGlc_ZnsXNg2AWup50sTeudbRFR0uwYUCt9IkrNidCzK5svUNte0FrT2OEFngsNhD/s1600/clown2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqgy236ooIM6xuRmKhwlydxoq-S06sAaCr5gBbaIAmqHtny6ThieJGZoIz9yWerAJv2DAptWq9aNqGlc_ZnsXNg2AWup50sTeudbRFR0uwYUCt9IkrNidCzK5svUNte0FrT2OEFngsNhD/s1600/clown2.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the art of writing for the screen or stage, when we learn the basics of plotting (and of course all of this applies to a novel or short story) we speak about the element of Suspension of Disbelief. Have you ever been sitting in a theatre to see a play, and as the curtain rises you see that the set is very minimalist - maybe just a few chairs where you know there should be an entire room. Or a character's walk through what is supposed to be a forest, is a few risers or a ramp and some shadow scattered about the stage. But later in the production, you might realize that you have lost track of your initial worry about the set, because you have been engrossed in the story. This is due to successful performance of a successfully-constructed script. The director, actors and writer(s) have achieved Suspension of Disbelief for the audience. In other words, the elements that might have caused the audience to disbelieve the story as it goes have been overshadowed by the larger story itself. The reasons for the audience to believe the plot being set before them - the obstacles before the characters and the motives they have as they fight for that which they desire most - are so powerful, that anything prohibiting that tendency to question, has been obliterated for a time.<br />
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Or have you ever sat and watched a film, and thought to yourself, "This is so stupid. This person would never do that. People don't act like that." You are bothered because the Suspension of Disbelief has not been successfully achieved; those elements that cause doubt in your mind have not been overcome by the plot or performances, and thus the film has failed to properly engage your imagination.<br />
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When you throw in too much of the bizarre into a character, your reader's ability to employ Suspension of Disbelief is impeded. If the reader already doesn't find your character believable (and to be relatable she must be a little believable after all!), why would he believe your plot?<br />
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To put all this simply: don't write characters that are so overboard weird that they sink into seeming silly. That is easier said than done, if you are a writer that loves quirkiness. So in the interest of the writers out there who may be in love with the Weird, let's set down some common sense guidelines:<br />
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<li>If you are going to name people silly names from the depths of your imagination, do that to only one character. One character with a silly/quirky nickname or a name that only they could have inherited from Great Grandpappy Pinecone, is enough. Let people around that character have more mainstream, geographically/ethnically/era appropriate names. That way, your odd character really stands out and your story doesn't seem populated by people your reader can't relate to or believe (and if everyone in town is named ridiculously, can the reader believe the town is well. . . sane?). An exception would be a group of siblings who were all given odd names to make a point, and in order to allow you to say something about family dynamics. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>And let's say you do that. You have three sisters all with silly names their perpetually-drunken sire insisted upon. Then do it, but have one of them comment on the names within the narrative, because if the characters themselves acknowledge the ridiculousness, the reader will respect them and accept the reasoning, and thus believe in them and in the story. </li>
<li>Don't give your character fifteen quirks. Give him three, tops. Those three will stand out enough, will keep your character within the bounds of logic, and allow him to still be believable if a little . . . unique. </li>
<li>If you are giving your character an odd name, inexplicable quirks, and a crazy family, for Heaven's sake, make his background and dilemma believable. Not that there is ever an excuse for a badly-constructed plot, but especially when you are demanding a lot of Suspension of Disbelief of your reader in the way of your character's very construction, do allow him a relatable situation to deal with.</li>
<li>Keep this in mind: Most of us in our day-to-day lives are a little (or a lot) turned off by phoniness. We can smell it a mile away by our thirties or so. And it bores us. Phonies wear a smell of trying too hard, of displaying their oddness like a badge, along with a silent, "I'm too cool for you all. . . see how weird I am?" You know what I mean. Don't let your characters be that. Keep them real. Write a real character who happens to have an odd name and be dealing with a weird life circumstance. Don't use a character to parade around your favorite weird name, personal quirks, and idea for the weirdest plot ever. That is phony, and it isn't going to lead to good writing. Believe me on that. Don't make a character your puppet. Rather, write a well-rounded, believable, relatable character from the beginning and then let the character carry the story. You record the actions of the character as he guides you, you don't manipulate the strings.</li>
<li>Cardinal rule: When the author is trying too hard to be cute, the readers feel it. Leave that in fifth grade, and just write a character the reader can respect (not necessarily like, but respect) and relate to in some major way. </li>
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Respect your characters enough - whether they be animal or human, alien or not - to make them real so that the reader is drawn to them. Bring each to life with a few points of uniqueness - a few odd habits, a few favorite turns of phrase, an interesting family member or two, one slightly odd experience in their past. Stop there. That's enough. </div>
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Know when enough is enough, and never forget that less is more. And over-the-top is . . . well . . . just annoyingly hard for your reader to swallow. </div>
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For more on writing good characters, see previous article: <i><a href="http://lichencraig.blogspot.com/2013/02/characters-inspiration-of-attraction.html" target="_blank">Characters: The Inspiration of Attraction</a></i>.</h3>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-84595250432295952892015-02-05T01:18:00.000-07:002015-02-12T14:27:26.193-07:00Film Review: The Riot Club <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been looking forward to seeing this film for quite a while. It is based on an award-winning play, <i>POSH</i>, by British playwright Laura Wade. As did the play, the film has garnered some good reviews, and in particular, its ensemble cast of ten of Great Britain's best young male actors have received positive attention for their roles. As some of you know, I became a fan of upcoming actor and former model Max Irons, after seeing his performance as King Edward IV of England in made-for-cable miniseries, <i><a href="http://www.starz.com/originals/thewhitequeen" target="_blank">The White Queen</a></i>. His performance has been one of those singled out for praise in <i>The Riot Club</i>. And so I was excited to see him in this film. Because I am a fan of stage plays, and fascinating by the art of writing for theatre, I am always interested to see how a play has been adapted for the big screen.<br />
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<i>The Riot Club</i> was released first in the UK, and subsequently across Europe from early fall until present. The cast and producers have put in a lot of time with personal appearances at various premieres, and it has been met with good energy everywhere, including in Canada where it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in November of 2014. Its U.S. release is set for late March. It was directed by Danish director/producer Lone Scherfig.<br />
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The film is well-produced and adequately filmed. Not one performance is lacking, from the least - lasting a few seconds - to those of the ensemble cast of eleven men and two women, each of whom plays a major role. I found the structure of the plot rather odd, and had to settle in a bit to it: this was no doubt a result of the adaptation from stage. I'm not certain whether editing could have remedied the feeling that the build-up was too short and the debauchery scene very long. It seems that the balance achieved was necessary to the success of the plot.<br />
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The story follows two freshmen at Oxford University, Miles (Max Irons) and Alistair (Sam Claflin). Both <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Claflin (left); Max Irons</td></tr>
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are approached almost immediately by a mysterious underground by-invite-only "social club" known as the Riot Club - named after a 17th-century nobleman who engaged in abandonned and continuous debauchery, and was stabbed in the stomach for it by a cuckholded husband. The boys see this history as terribly romantic and exciting and use it as an excuse to engage in a <i>carpe diem</i> lifestyle while at school which includes playing various pranks that are so extreme that they are more disgusting than amusing. But these kids are rich, and it's old money. They simply pay their way out of scrapes with wads of bills from their pockets and the help of Daddy's lawyers.<br />
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I know, you're imagining the horror stories we hear coming out of frat house hazings, right? In most countries, the children of the financial elite sometimes get away with horrible behavior, and pay and/or intimidate their way out of it. But forget all that: the antics of <i>this</i> crowd would make the most hardened frat boys' jaws drop. They are truly out of control. The viewer feels the situation veering out of hand from early in the film, and the thing is that it never really careens until all Hell breaks loose well past the hour-long mark - it just crawls slowly to an increasingly dark inevitability, and it keeps the viewer mesmerized. It is the horror show you can't look away from - even as you know you don't want to see it.<br />
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Stories came out of the set during production that the cast itself was often uncomfortable with the subject matter. The male ensemble discussed it together at length, took time to bond so that filming the worst would be easier on them mentally. Actresses Holliday Grainger and Jessica Brown-Findlay have spoken about struggling with the tension of the misogynistic scenes in the film. Max Irons has told the press a few times that when first presented with the script, he felt he would decline the role, feeling that he didn't want to do something "so disgusting". But he thought about it further, considered that clubs such as the one depicted in the film have been the stuff of university legend for years; a few years back some of the elite in the British government were discovered to have participated in such behavior themselves, and there was quite the scandal at the time. Irons decided that it was "an important story" and "a discussion that needs to happen" in the greater social context, and he agreed to participate.<br />
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Much is made in the film, and during interviews with the cast and director, about this social context. Most of Europe is deeply entrenched in the realities of social class differences, to a greater extent than Americans and Canadians experience. It seems to infiltrate so much of the way of looking at life. I say this as one who has lived in Europe, and was married into a European family for near two decades. To understand - as we do in America - that a lot of money brings what is sometimes too much privilege, and to as a Brit understand it as a sort of wall built over hundreds of years that cannot be scaled, is two different sensibilities. And so perhaps my appreciation of the film from that perspective was a bit limited.<br />
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I think that perhaps my experience of the film was also affected by my gender. Why is it that young men, when they assume their ugliest personas, have to be so damned ugly toward women? It would be funny if it weren't so horrid: the notion that a male somehow raises himself in the eyes of other males by demeaning those most vulnerable to testosterone-out-of-control, is something I have never been able to understand. The scenes which depict this particular behavior are so vile, that Holliday Grainger describes a sort of dream state she entered during filming the worst, when the line between what was the set and what was real seemed to blur. At one point she describes how one of the actors laid a kind hand on her to ask if she were all right, and she shivered, unable to stand him touching her. She rushes to explain that all the male actors involved were kind people and spoke of their own disgust as well, but it didn't make the filming of it any easier.<br />
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Of all the heinous behaviors depicted in the film, perhaps this one was the worst: the harassment of<br />
women. Let me describe what I mean: some of the boys are frustrated that a high-priced call girl they hired to perform oral sex on them all under the dinner table has told them where to stick it (er..them) and walked out without the boys getting their fun. Later, Miles' girlfriend - having been tricked into coming to the restaurant - stumbles upon the drunken orgy at hand. The male mob turns on her, openly taunting her with language meant to intimidate and then terrify her into believing she will be raped, as they physically restrain her (and restrain a horrified Miles, who has let it go this far before trying to intervene). The girl finally escapes, but of course, nothing will ever be the same for the two lovers.<br />
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Which brings me to the point of the film. The behavior of the boys escalates over much of the film - each time the viewer hopes that we have seen the worst - and many times it seems that it is in fact enough to get the point - it keeps getting worse. It is ratcheted up yet another notch. Is destroying a working family's place of business enough? Destroying a treasured collection of artwork? Vomiting under tables? Breaking literally everything in a room? Is humiliating an escort enough? Or a young woman who means no harm, and comes into the room expecting no harm to herself? Is terrifying her in an intimately, primal sexual way for one's amusement enough? How about beating a man senseless, as a gang, because you can?<br />
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As I write, it's been one day since the world was horrified by the act of a terrorist gang of thugs in Syria burning a young man alive in a cage. This gang has, over a year, gotten more and more brazen in terms of how it tortures and kills. From hangings to beheadings. From stonings to throwing people off buildings. And now we are back in the Middle Ages, burning people alive. As one news pundit said today - we have to understand that these are young men who are <i>enjoying</i> what they are doing. They are enjoying the victim's suffering and they are enjoying the horror we feel at seeing what they have done. I thought a lot about this as I watched <i>The Riot Club</i>.<br />
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I thought about the nature of power - whether political or monetary, by virtue of terror or by inherited wealth. I thought about human nature too. I thought about what Miles' girlfriend says to him, tears streaming and body shaking, as she throws cold water on his effort to seek her forgiveness, "You were THERE. You had a choice, Miles, and you chose to do NOTHING."<br />
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The ugliest behavior humans can engage in are wrapped up in the under two hours of this film. When intimidation and power is used to destroy another - whether by the horrible psychological torture suggested in this film, or by setting fire to a person - I have to believe that the gods weep for us all: both for those who do it, and those who stand by and do nothing.<br />
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In the end, what is really the difference between the minds of young men engaged in a gang rape or beating a man blind in the back room of a pub, and the minds of a Middle Eastern thug? What are we going to do about these acts, in our own societies, behind the doors of our governments, and within our universities? How much is too much for us as a species to bear, before we stop turning our faces away and excusing it? Before we stop refusing to be emotionally present, before we stop doing nothing?<br />
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These are questions this haunting film leaves us. I didn't enjoy it. I never want to see it again. But I'm glad I did see it once, and that it made me think about things that perhaps we all should be giving thought to from time to time. As Mr. Irons observed, the story is important on many levels, depending on one's perspective, and it certainly is a place to start a much needed discussion. The most relevant films are those that make us look in the mirror, and for that, <i>The Riot Club</i> deserves accolades.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-70132619959284154322015-01-20T01:37:00.001-07:002017-12-13T16:05:09.894-07:00Je Suis Charlie: What Does That Really Mean?<br />
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Nearly two weeks after the Jihadist-driven massacre in Paris that took the lives of seventeen sane, innocent people and a few monsters, the fallout has left me a bit baffled.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"All is Forgiven" ; "I am Charlie"</td></tr>
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It was no surprise, really, that as the staff at Charlie Hebdo rallied to get out its scheduled issue on time - complete with the usual satirical cartoons - the likes of The New York Times and MSNBC refused to show the cover during coverage of the story, explaining that they didn't want to offend Muslims (translate: hurt anyone's feelings). CNN was even more disingenuous about it: they announced they wouldn't show it without reason, for about two days, then said they wanted to protect their journalists from Muslim attack. Baloney - have they not covered other controversial subjects with no such worries? And after all - what sort of "news organization" are you if you do not take risks? At least one on-air anchor openly stated disagreement with the decision.</div>
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Funny thing is . . . no one seems to understand what the cover cartoon was about. I read and understand French well, and it left me scratching my head. I had to laugh when news anchors asked French citizens what they thought it meant, and got everything from nervous chuckles to various lengthy theories. (In the end, I think the meaning was super-satirical: a crying Mohammad as a joke that Muslims would never feel remorse for the violence they inflict on the West in the name of Islam.)</div>
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What is astounding to me, though, as a writer and sometime journalist, is that none of these entities seemed to appreciate what I was taught in Journalism 101: that free expression is sacred, and that it must remain so. Sure . . . they give it lip-service as they link arms and walk a few blocks in a parade/photo op, but how many national leaders, and sadly how many news network editors, really get it? I had to realize that many really don't.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfE7GIivhZmDDH1ddS-mhzZZDOSNZzjNbG43XmOBThr-RGN2qhe5q01phEHTJY8YApnDI5l9OqrJkZCAv1z53pnPU89I59yUDy9jo_kkDKU-lVOoQ1GVW9siCRaCFXnSknS7Xm5jjQcrl/s1600/Gulag_Archipelago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfE7GIivhZmDDH1ddS-mhzZZDOSNZzjNbG43XmOBThr-RGN2qhe5q01phEHTJY8YApnDI5l9OqrJkZCAv1z53pnPU89I59yUDy9jo_kkDKU-lVOoQ1GVW9siCRaCFXnSknS7Xm5jjQcrl/s1600/Gulag_Archipelago.jpg" width="206" /></a>Back thirty-odd years ago when I was a student in the journalism department of a large university, I was assigned a major paper for a writing class. The idea was to learn to write a well-researched 50-pager. I chose to write on Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. He was a Russian writer and social critic. Born in 1918, just as the Russian communist revolution was at an end, he grew up in a world where he was forbidden to write much of what was racing around in his head. But Solzhenitsyn bucked the system and did it anyway. As a result, he spent some time in a Siberian prison camp (he got a good book out of it), and eventually escaped the U.S.S.R. and fled into Western Europe, and after some time, the U.S. I was twenty-something, and it fascinated me that someone could be punished so brutally for simply voicing an opinion. It fascinated me, and he fascinated me. </div>
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I also was fascinated with the few voices in Nazi Germany who spoke out against the popular regime. Let's not forget that Hitler's rise to power took over a decade . . . during which your average German citizen either was too busy living life to care much about the cancerous elephant in the room, or simply couldn't wrap their brains around the ugly truth of Hitler's aims. So they told themselves it wasn't all that bad, turned their eyes away, and their backs, and well . . . we know how that turned out. Those who spoke up, who refused to be silenced against mass opinion, generally ended up dead. But quite a few managed to mess things up for the Nazis a bit before they did. I understood quite early in my life that these were the lives that mattered in this world - these were the souls that were strongest. Each time one died, they managed to light a small candle first in a world of darkness - in the form of open speech. Forbidden speech. </div>
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In early 2012, a teen-aged girl in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, was hired to write a blog for the BBC, detailing her life under Taliban occupation. She talked about their gradual occupation of the valley where she lived, how life became more restrictive and the Taliban patrols more feared. Most of all she talked about how things were changing for women, for girls trying to get an education. Malala loved learning and appreciated deeply the opportunities she had to go to school daily. She was punished for her courage in speaking out, in October of that year, when the Taliban stopped her school bus, boarded and asked for her by name, and shot the 15-year-old girl in the head. All for speaking out about her beliefs. After a long recovery, she continued to speak, even being one of few women to address the U.N General Assembly to speak on the rights of women to education.</div>
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There are hundreds of these stories through the time of our history as a thinking, writing, drawing,</div>
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photographing, painting, singing race. The people in our history who have introduced new ideas, who have spurred the rest of us to think, who have sparked the energy of change for the better, were all such people. Change is rarely ever welcomed - it is human nature to push back against it; without these brave people to express ideas we have never heard before, ideas that demand thought and social progress, we would stagnate. </div>
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Many of us watched the world leaders (minus our own spineless one) join the millions-strong march in Paris to support Charlie Hebdo and by extension freedom of expression. I had to believe that for many it was a photo op (witness the Saudi leader, having the gall to stand in support of freedom of expression even as his country carries out a sentence of 20 public canings against journalist Raif Badawi for daring to "insult" Islam in his work; or Putin - the thug whose regime murders journalists who get too mouthy). Others likely stood against Islamic extremism without making the connection in their brains that the two issues - Islamic extremism and free expression - were inseparable on that day.</div>
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I wonder how many in the crowd really understood it either. France has a long proud history of fighting for freedom for the individual, and a long history of producing great artists and writers that introduced controversial ideas, and I have to say I'm not surprised that this social explosion occurred in France, of any of the western European countries. But, France has failed to protect free expression to the extent that it should have: it folded to the politically correct left and put in place "hate speech laws". In the past decade, even Canada - that bastion of liberty - has made the same mistake. The situation there is such that an ex-Muslim, having fled the radical religion in his own country, cannot openly speak about his experience in Canada without some whiny leftist having him arrested for "hate speech". </div>
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One day several months back, some worthless piece of dung posted an anti-gay rant on Twitter. It was picked up by some in the gay crowd, who ranted back that he needed to be "banned from Twitter" for "hate speech". I made the mistake of pointing out that, in my view, that would be wrong. Several people threw back at me that what he said was "illegal" and "against the law". I walked away from it - how to begin to reason with people in that frame of mind? But he broke no law - he was expressing a free, legal, albeit vile, opinion. People didn't seem to understand that in the U.S., where Twitter is based, it is not in fact illegal, and that in cyberspace there is no such regulation. </div>
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But for me it was more than that: this was an example of why free expression matters so very much. </div>
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Let me say here that I understand well, as a journalist, that there are limits to free speech even in <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malala Yousefzai won the Nobel Peace prize at 17, in 2014.</td></tr>
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the U.S., which arguably has the most free of speech regulation laws in the world. You may have heard the joke that you can't yell <i>Fire!</i> in a crowded theatre, unless of course there is an actual fire. You can't incite a public riot - posing imminent harm to people in a crowd (people in Ferguson, take note). Generally our speech laws reflect caps on speech which would cause immediate physical harm to people. What we will not put caps on is more telling of American society: we allow open criticism of government (people in New York, be grateful) in either public discourse or written form; we allow pretty much anything to be said in a novel including criticism and distortion of religions (Dan Brown); we allow the burning of our own flag; we allow criticism of political ideas in the form of satire - comedy skits (you think SNL would fly in Saudi Arabia?), newspaper columns, and yes, cartoons. We argue constantly about what to allow on prime-time TV and in feature films. These expressions of creation - good and bad, inspiring or debasing - spur discussion, they invite new ideas, new ways of viewing the world around us. In this way they stretch our collective creativity and imagination. </div>
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But what about the idiot on Twitter with the anti-gay slurs? What about those of Charlie Hebdo's cartoons that many deem distasteful? What about the fact that SNL's skits are leftist-slanted? What about when Solzhenitsyn, from behind the electrified fences of his U.S. home, ranted about the evils of the U.S. in much the way he ranted about the U.S.S.R. (the man was perpetually dissatisfied and angry, it turns out, genius though he probably was . . . )? Do we have to tolerate speech that is . . . well, worthless? Destructive? </div>
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I would argue that we do. I would argue that we make a grave mistake when we fail to protect the vilest of speech and this is why:</div>
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1 - I truly believe in sunlight as the great disinfectant. Consider the person on Twitter - I suspect it was a 13-year-old trying to get a rise out of a bunch of gay porn stars and pro-gay activists, but let's say for argument's sake it was a 45-year-old business executive and respected member of his town. I think it's good for us all to see what that man says, see it plainly for what it is, know the disease in our midst and then destroy it with education. If we are never permitted to hear it, after all, we never have to really look hard at its existence. And. . . when it's out in the open, the person who spoke has to face consequences, has to defend an indefensible stance. That can only be a great exercise. </div>
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2 - Secondly, we cannot with good conscience say that we are a free society that respects varied points of view, and then silence <i>some</i> points of view. It's hypocritical, and furthermore it is damned dangerous: the more tyrannical regimes in the history of the world did this - a few people decided what everyone should believe and God help those who spoke up with a differing opinion. When we silence any point of view, we imply that only some of us have the right to silence others. This is pompous, arrogant, and invites totalitarian ways of thinking. If we are a truly equal society, then we don't silence views we don't agree with. </div>
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3 - Silencing unpopular views destroys the possibility for one of those views to change the world for the better. Does any of us really want to live in a society where everyone agrees? How boring! How impossibly bland! How would we create anything meaningful in such a place? How would any innovation be born? As I have already asserted, necessary changes for the better often begin with the spark of an offensive idea - or an offensive political cartoon.<br />
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4 - The cool crowd is fickle and their preferences change regularly with the wind. Today, it's not cool to speak against Islam; however it's fine to bash Christianity. Tomorrow.. who knows? Two decades ago it was risky to defend gay marriage out loud . . . today it's nearly chic. Do you want to gamble that tomorrow the cool crowd agrees with you 100 per cent - because if you allow the cool crowd to always determine what is acceptable expression, and you value being truthful more than being one of the crowd, <i>you</i> may find yourself muted. Defend those who aren't cool today so that tomorrow your voice is safe. Simple.</div>
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Some argue that we go too far if we insult one's very religion. Imagine . . . if we outlawed religious critique and discourse, how shallow our philosophical world would become. The Pope - bless him - got it wrong. His predecessors had the moral courage in the Stalin era to speak out against what they saw as an evil ideology; they did it again in the Nazi era. He might do well to review history. As for pulling our punches when discussing religion and politics, so as not to offend the faint of heart, I am with Bill Maher - whom I generally dismiss as a brainless twit mind you, but lately have become a bit fond of (I hardly recognize the old guy nowadays . . .) </div>
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A few wise people have pointed out since the Paris march that "free speech" is not made for those whose views are acceptable, but for those whose views are repugnant. This is why Evelyn Beatrice Hall's quote lives on through the decades (no, it was not Voltaire!): "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I was deeply offended by the rant on Twitter against so many of the people I love in the GLBT community, but I do not want to see that account banned for the same reason I don't want the vilest of rhetoric from Jihadists using Twitter to recruit banned - I want it right out in the open to be seen for the filth it is, and I want us all to have to consider it in its existence, and form our own moral code accordingly. I value an individual's right to free expression only secondly to human life. </div>
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A wise reader of the New York Times wrote a poignant note to the editor in the days after the newspaper's decision not to run the controversial cover. In it, Gael Mooney of New York wrote:</div>
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"If freedom of speech applies only to speech deemed inoffensive to anyone, including extremists, then the terrorists have, sadly, achieved their objective."</blockquote>
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Indeed, as Gael pointed out, by doing exactly what the terrorists want the West to do, the Times, CNN, MSNBC and other cowards of the media, moved us all a little closer to the objective of extremists - to force us all to silence.</div>
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As Bill Maher so simply and succinctly puts it: "Opinions shouldn't be illegal." Think about it. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical paper by its own definition. It has insulted every religion, many individuals, and frankly I see much better anti-extremist-Islam cartoons. I agree that most of the time, the cartoonists at CB were and are simply jerks when it comes to their work. But I would hate to live in a world where their right to draw and publish them, and my right to see them, is denied. Because I cringe to think about the arrogance of those who would dare to decree for the rest of us, what information is fit for us to see and hear.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-29594378256182048782014-10-02T18:17:00.003-06:002014-11-05T18:31:31.985-07:00Film Review: Getting Go: the Go Doc Project<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjd3PYse9ZYsEoVFxGJcStqe5W4gYQUUUi8q_TZTvQYayPd_cd1RtL7D7jX29t2LLToaPr1vs0r5JFQu_wWCYVwYP7uAiUG6p8t9GLPs6YmdaJ7KUxYDtsc6kuvNdKL1DYy4nkpdagvF-4/s1600/GoDoc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjd3PYse9ZYsEoVFxGJcStqe5W4gYQUUUi8q_TZTvQYayPd_cd1RtL7D7jX29t2LLToaPr1vs0r5JFQu_wWCYVwYP7uAiUG6p8t9GLPs6YmdaJ7KUxYDtsc6kuvNdKL1DYy4nkpdagvF-4/s1600/GoDoc1.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>Those of us who scour the film world for a decent gay-themed film are often frustrated. Many factors contribute to this. Most often, American-made films are a particular crap-shoot. If they have attained decent financial backing, their filmmakers end up bowing to the preferences of fat-cat producers who turn it into a replica of what they know sells and makes back the money with a profit: this usually means a cheesy goof-ball comedy. I think that competent filmmakers who want to make a great gay-themed film walk a fine line too often - at least in America - no doubt struggling to put together something with some quality and still appease the moolah gods.<br />
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Going the indie route can result in a little more creative freedom, but also comes with the challenge of raising funding; even if you can afford in the end to make the film the way you want to, and get everyone paid for their work, the real cost afterward of marketing it means that many a decent film never makes it in front of most people's eyes. Film-making is a tough world, but in the gay genre, it's near-impossible.<br />
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One has to admire Cory Krueckeberg, director/writer of <i>Getting Go: the Go Doc Project</i>, a film that hit Netflix just recently. I watched it a few nights ago. It was an interesting experience. Apparently, according to an interview Krueckeberg gave to Andrew Darley for <i>Polari Magazine</i> online, Krueckeberg set out to make a film that "didn't look cheap" with a budget of a mere $10,000. A scary prospect to be sure, but Krueckeberg thought outside the box: he figured that he could make a film about a guy making a documentary, shoot the whole thing with hand-held cameras, and depend upon a few good performances and a good story to sell it. I'd say he pretty much succeeded.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SW2w-taTb8SQHAwUr7mwI9X4ZbbfDpf0z_P7Bi587WjuBiOP2EeJ7qXKFJFx8HTAHIiX2m4f084vTgrzVhS8ekNzYuXuww8y-p5BUiT3H5N2tPSNa6pnqye_BqV8Y05_tmUXJnM5_92o/s1600/GoDoc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SW2w-taTb8SQHAwUr7mwI9X4ZbbfDpf0z_P7Bi587WjuBiOP2EeJ7qXKFJFx8HTAHIiX2m4f084vTgrzVhS8ekNzYuXuww8y-p5BUiT3H5N2tPSNa6pnqye_BqV8Y05_tmUXJnM5_92o/s1600/GoDoc2.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a>It is amusing to see how many of the customer reviews on Netflix call the film a "documentary". Obviously there are a lot of people who don't know the definition of a documentary, or maybe they really are that ignorant of film-making. Hard to tell. At any rate, the reviews are all over the board, although the overall average earns the film a four stars so far. One must, as always, look hard at these reviews and read between the lines; some will watch it too critically because they are gay and perhaps too familiar with the NYC night life, some will watch it too critically because they aren't gay and don't get it, some will be jolted by the R+ sex scene (which is beautifully done).<br />
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Make no mistake, this is not a documentary film; it's a feature film. The story involves Doc, a desperately lonely college student, not so conflicted about his sexuality as he is about figuring out how to go about finding a relationship. Because he lacks the social skills and maturity, not to mention the balls, to go out and find one, he depends upon an anonymous internet following, for whom he occasionally jacks off online and with whom he shares his most intimate thoughts. As a joke, he emails his favorite idol obsession, a go-go boy who works the NYC gay clubs, about doing a documentary. To Doc's surprise and horror, the boy responds, and the momentum begins: Doc can neither walk away nor muster the nerve to confess his ruse. It gets more complicated when the go-go boy expresses a romantic interest in Doc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlC1bsi62588IzbL-AFUf5WLPB_feBg4vrjJp-tuAbwGNg0sVJpkt2gjtQqnIX8SVHNlAL3pN5FoAPUUfkWDXJFCB6xxob7YKrGFQvgDzpeeT61RbAMyNNkgOK5Ap5VV7z2Gip_WAirk1/s1600/DanielJackLyons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlC1bsi62588IzbL-AFUf5WLPB_feBg4vrjJp-tuAbwGNg0sVJpkt2gjtQqnIX8SVHNlAL3pN5FoAPUUfkWDXJFCB6xxob7YKrGFQvgDzpeeT61RbAMyNNkgOK5Ap5VV7z2Gip_WAirk1/s1600/DanielJackLyons.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matthew Camp. Photo copyright Daniel Jack Lyons, 2014</td></tr>
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Every moment of the film is shot through Doc's documentary eyes. It is occasionally grainy, frequently badly-lit, providing just enough of an amateurish feel to keep the viewer inside Doc's head and experience. The script is passable; I think that the filmmaker was trying to strike a balance, perhaps, between scripted lines and natural spontaneous conversation between the actors. It's an interesting approach but it makes for some terribly bland dialog in places. Added to this is the filmmaker's obsession with Warhol's realism phase - three minutes of someone eating is three minutes of pure torture. When Warhol did it, it was new and innovative. In 2014 it is damned annoying, breaks the pacing of the plot, and sticks out like a sore thumb. Some serious cutting in the editing room would have improved the film overall.<br />
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However, aside from these issues, <i>Getting Go</i> is a moving piece of work. Much of this is due to the story itself and the performances of the two leads (the only speaking actors in the film). Doc is played by young, but veteran, actor Tanner Cohen, and quite competently. The challenge of a film like this is that the entire film rides on the lead being engaging and likable immediately, and Cohen is easily that. Moreover, he knows acting and it shows. In this role, in which Doc starts out jacking off and then deceiving an innocent person into being filmed in private moments of life, a less talented and trained actor could have created an odious character and destroyed the film. But the viewer can't help but like Doc - with all his faults, his vulnerability is near-heartbreaking, throughout the film. Newcomer to the screen but not to the go-go scene is former go-go dancer,more recently artist and perfumer, Matthew Camp. He was already a well-known heartthrob in the NYC gay world, and his performance in the film is spot on - a combination of scripted lines and his musings on his own life. While a few exchanges feel a bit awkward, he does create a character, and it is a believable one. His charm and looks make up for any misstep.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanner Cohen </td></tr>
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The story leads the viewer intimately into a unique relationship between a pair of characters who are ultimately lonely in their own ways - Doc in his inexperience and under-confidence, and Go in his isolation in the limited world of gay nightlife, one with which he isn't all that comfortable, it turns out. I have to be honest, I struggled to stay with this film in the first half-hour - the pacing was so messy, the dialog so dry, that I prayed it would have a point in the end. And it did, in spades. I have to mention also, that having come to know many of the young men that work in exotic dancing / burlesque / gay porn, the character of Go and his view on life, attitude, and experiences, felt very true to me. Their often becoming involved with someone outside the sex industry, being lonely in their own unique ways even as they are adored by fans, being very free-spirited, sensual, and creative people, is exactly what I would expect.<br />
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I would greatly encourage everyone to read the interview with the filmmaker at Polari, <i>after </i>watching the film. Various interviews with the two leads can also be found online. I am not one to be comfortable with star ratings for films - a viewing experience is intensely personal - but if I focus on technical aspects I would give it a 4/5, because its innovation and heart - not to mention the performances (particularly that of Cohen) - far outweigh any problems.<br />
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Interview with Krueckeberg for <i>Polaris </i>(Andrew Darley) :<br />
<a href="http://www.polarimagazine.com/interviews/getting-go-interview-cory-krueckeberg/">http://www.polarimagazine.com/interviews/getting-go-interview-cory-krueckeberg/</a><br />
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Tanner Cohen (Doc) is on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/tarzancohen" target="_blank">@tarzancohen</a><br />
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Matthew Camp (Go) is on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/matthewcampNYC" target="_blank">@MatthewCampNYC</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-41165629973219804222014-09-25T21:33:00.004-06:002019-09-04T21:53:35.728-06:00Why Hire a Professional Editor? Can't I Do it Myself?I am continually astonished at the number of inexperienced writers who don't hire an editor - even more astonished, perhaps, than I am at the poor quality of writing and abundance of grammatical and spelling errors in independently-published e-books. One is directly and inextricably related to the other, of course. (Let me qualify this by adding that there are wonderful e-books out there, but they are the ones that were professionally edited.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IYSeN1Ab8Qa9lJqnRgN9YdvmL81XKE8UiCQfKS0UcXvqmGD5cWriMq7O637FnOrlwKjmb2Efq9c0p20BFjtE_fYdDbnYZ-IzFFfTckeOHs8tzu895o4WsqDom2M4e8oLUNSfRSQRBPCB/s1600/spot-illustration_08a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IYSeN1Ab8Qa9lJqnRgN9YdvmL81XKE8UiCQfKS0UcXvqmGD5cWriMq7O637FnOrlwKjmb2Efq9c0p20BFjtE_fYdDbnYZ-IzFFfTckeOHs8tzu895o4WsqDom2M4e8oLUNSfRSQRBPCB/s1600/spot-illustration_08a.jpg" width="320" /></a>I don't say much about it. I guess that because I work as a freelance editor, I am a little shy about appearing to advertise in a fashion that is less than tasteful, by admonishing writers for failing to hire someone to do the final work. But darn it all, lately this is really getting out of hand. Too many sloppy e-books, and such an easy fix. Do you know why it bothers me so much? Not because I could have gotten some work (although...), as much as because when I see a really great concept that could have been a great book had it been cleaned up, it saddens and frustrates me for the author.<br />
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I wonder if the author thinks they can't afford it. Editors charge widely varying rates, and offer widely varying services. I tell writers that they might be pleasantly surprised should they inquire. Also, if you have spent months - or sometimes years - telling a story that means a great deal to you, why on earth would you not let someone help you present it all polished and shiny? <br />
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A book with errors is frustrating to read. Check out some of the comments on Amazon, around books that contain errors. People get very testy, and I can't blame them. But I truly believe that a book with errors does something else that is much worse than to merely frustrate: it causes many people to subconsciously absorb the idea that the author in question is less than competent, less than educated, in over his or her head. And that translates to lower sales on that book and the next as well.<br />
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When there are typos, spelling and grammar errors, a reader might assume the research and the thought process could be sloppy too. Now, as an editor, I know that brilliant people are sometimes just not meticulous by nature. I don't connect misspellings to intelligence, but that is because my work gives me a lot of experience with new manuscripts from great people who struggle with spelling and punctuation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWF0bJhSbYypezwGfXosKZz_cPpAc2qAX5UqSVeYF3iwkxEgJMaOUDEk5w0_fQYJYQ_j2VE4qKxffd7p4Jow2ItC88f5i7cAUbCXjxvp-IjVYHQSpd-jQIu5us-9myECEtMuve3dfJ-vi/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWF0bJhSbYypezwGfXosKZz_cPpAc2qAX5UqSVeYF3iwkxEgJMaOUDEk5w0_fQYJYQ_j2VE4qKxffd7p4Jow2ItC88f5i7cAUbCXjxvp-IjVYHQSpd-jQIu5us-9myECEtMuve3dfJ-vi/s1600/images-1.jpg" /></a>Worse is a book with plot-related structural issues, and problems with sentence structure. An incoherent sentence, which I personally define as one that the reader feels obligated to read a second..third time, breaking the rhythm and music of the writing, is an unsuccessful one. Too many of these, and the entire book is unsuccessful because it does not easily penetrate the reader's understanding, much less move or inspire them.<br />
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So... I thought it might be useful to everyone to have some specific reasons why hiring an editor is a good idea. A mandatory idea, in fact, if you are going to take your own writing seriously.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Experienced writers work with editors.</span></b> They do not do it themselves. Because they know that one's mind reads a sentence and fills in that missing word, sees that word without the typo...you can't see your own work realistically. It's actually a thing. A real thing. For all of us. It is a demonstrable psychological phenomenon.Trust me on this. When I was starting out as an editor, many years ago, I delighted in finding errors in <i>Time</i> and <i>Newsweek</i>, whom I thought should have better standards. It was good practice for me, but now I know that the best books contain an error or two - it is nearly impossible to catch them all. Top publishing houses (which can afford it) traditionally use three sets of eyes, in addition to the author, to go over a book. Even then, some errors get through the process! (Nowadays, too many of them cut financial corners, and are putting out books with sloppy grammar, misspellings, etc. Publishing standards aren't what they were a few decades ago.)</li>
<li><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>A good editor will help you re-work</b> </span>bad sentence structure, fix paragraph breaks that are hurting clarity, and even repair the entire structure if the plot isn't working, or if your non-fiction doesn't flow. (When you hire an editor, make sure they are a "content editor".)</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A good editor will</span></b> have enough knowledge about what constitutes good writing (including some formal education in both writing techniques and in literature) to <span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: bold;">help you find your own unique style and voice and make your writing sing. </span>Avoid hiring someone with a B.A. in English or Business. They won't have the training to edit. </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Speaking of singing, all writing - fiction and nonfiction - when well-done, should have a rhythm</span></b> that enhances its meaning and thus enhances the reader experience. If you have no idea what I'm babbling about, make sure you hire an editor who does, and can show it to you. A good editor can help you make your fiction like music. A song that you alone could have written. </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A good, knowledgeable editor, can make you a better writer.</span></b> The first, and second books, if you use a professional editor, should be great experiences for you, where you walk in thinking you have a pretty damn good book, and walk out thinking <i>Oh my God, NOW I have an excellent book because I learned how to fix all the stuff I didn't know I was doing wrong!</i> You should feel surprised and pleased that you wrote such a damn good book in the end! </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A good editor will tell you the truth.</span></b> He or she is not your friend (at least in the beginning) but an outside objective observer, who will be able to suggest where you could be stronger and praise what you do right, without having any agenda as your buddy or family member. A good editor will be straight, but will never make you feel like the object is to tear you down. You should be able to trust your editor, to be someone who truly wants to show you the best path, the way to shine, <i>for you</i>. </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">A good editor will preserve your voice, not overwrite you with his or her own voice and style.</span> </b>In other words, the skilled editor will easily recognize what is unique about your style, tone, and voice, point it out to you, and work to keep that as changes are made.</li>
<li><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>A great editor works <i>with </i>you, especially if you are a beginner.</b> </span>I tend to work in audio and screen share as I work with newer writers, and most of them really are most comfortable with that process. I can appreciate such a method on their behalf, because they get the opportunity to hear <i>why</i> I would suggest a change, and discuss with me their feelings about it. We have the opportunity to really compromise, collaborate, and the author has the opportunity to learn and improve skills. </li>
</ol>
The best reason to hire an outside editor is because your writing is worth it. Your book is in a way an investment, in two ways at least: 1) if it is well-done, it will attract more readers through word of mouth and make you more money, and 2) if it is well-done, it will set a standard by which prospective readers, and publishers, will measure your future work. <b>If you care about your reputation, if you want to be seen as competent and skilled, and if you want to set yourself up for financial success, why would you not hire an editor who can help you achieve those goals? </b><br />
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Pride and/or arrogance is your worst enemy when it becomes to being a serious writer. If you assume you are brilliant and don't need anyone to help you, go ahead. Hope that those readers overlook the inevitable errors (the best of us make them! - even editors in their own work) and hope they don't get annoyed and put the book down, or make a mental note to skip your future releases. But if you are determined to be a skilled writer and a smart businessperson, you will realize that the cost of hiring a professional editor is one that you must budget. Along with a good cover, it is perhaps the best investment you can make.<br />
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Hear an informative podcast series that Dean Sage and I made about specific things an editor does and how to use one. These are well worth your time. :<br />
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Part One: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQhU3TbHT0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQhU3TbHT0</a><br />
Part Two: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9JqLx2K4E">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO9JqLx2K4E</a><br />
Part Three: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJetqtEXEtM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJetqtEXEtM</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-29790235025640077872014-08-20T23:34:00.000-06:002018-02-15T16:12:36.221-07:0050 Shades of .. What?: What Will Your Writing Legacy Be?For a few years, many writers have kept silent about the phenomenon that is <i>Fifty Shades of Gray,</i> by E.L. James. The phenomenon is baffling on many levels, and frightening on several. While the general public obsesses, many in the writing world silently shake their heads and go about their own business; after all, criticizing another published writer is a tricky business - one doesn't want to look like an ass. But sometimes, a book is so bad, and its success such an interesting contradiction to logic, that one feels more comfortable discreetly expressing misgivings. And sometimes, some brilliant non-writer says what we are all thinking.<br />
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Consider a review of <i>Fifty Shades</i> that I read today. The reader who left this review on Amazon should really look into comic writing herself. She makes her points concisely, with examples, and finishes with a flourish of humor that Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde would have envied. I offer it here, because it touches on some excellent points, and can lead to some interesting discussion.<br />
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First I'd like to make the point that, regardless of the questionable literary merit of this book, the author is laughing all the way to the bank - as the feature film is finally in production. She wrote two books as sequels to this one. From a marketing standpoint, the entire thing - from the writing of a fairly badly-penned book, to its pre-sales publicity and continued marketing - has been a stroke of genius. I assume it was a sort of perfect storm of the ripe time for the subject matter from a sociological standpoint, the right literary agent who knew it would be sold, the right publisher who knew how to market it.<br />
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But various groups have raised ethical concerns about the book. Those who work for women's rights point out that it takes us backward. Those who advocate for victims of sexual violence decry its celebration of violent sex. Those who participate in the real BDSM culture worry that their ideology is grossly misrepresented in the hands of an author who apparently understood little about it (not to mention little about real human psychology). All of these are valid concerns. As a writer and former journalist, I had to take the position that the ethical tone of a controversial book should always be fodder for discussion (and I certainly was happy to see that happen when I released <i>Gentlemen's Game</i>) - one may criticize<i><b> the way the writing was executed</b></i>, but not the writer's thoughts. (Although perhaps we might point out her obvious inadequate research.) So . . . I'd like to address the book's execution, in the interest of pointing out for my readers what she did wrong, and why it matters. </div>
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I struggled through the book rolling my eyes, for many of the same reasons the review's author cites. It is structurally a mess (this despite the fact that the publisher's editors likely took a turn at spiffing it up for publication - you can't make a diamond out of mud). The author of the review above makes the point that the tone is very adolescent: this is a pet peeve of mine in "romance" and erotic romance. Writers, if you want your characters to feel like adults, you have to be narrating in an adult frame of mind. If you are uncomfortable in writing sexuality in an adult way, it shows. Be honest with yourself about your comfort level. When you shy away from real, adult sexual relationships, you might do what is common, and fall back upon speaking in an adolescent way as you narrate, tiptoeing around the subject, wincing. Readers will know it. And they won't respect the narrator's voice, or the story. </div>
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Your characters, when you write romantic scenes, must be behaving according to their age group. Teens have a specific way of socializing with those to whom they are physically attracted; they have specific social activities, specific ways of flirting, specific ways of using language to relate to one another. Adults do it all differently, due to a better sense of themselves and what they want, and more sexual confidence. Make sure that your characters as adults behave like adults, use words and phrases that adults would use. </div>
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The writer of the review grew impatient with the many instances of the heroine's pointedly childishly coy behavior: blushing, batting eyes, biting lips, juvenile language. It was not only terribly repetitive (showing lack of creativity in the author) but it was something we have all seen before. Besides making the heroine play like a teen (and the reader subconsciously respects the teen less than an adult, simply by virtue of a teen having less of the kind of wisdom that only comes from having the time to mature), and a rather silly one at that, these behaviors should not be written because they are blatant clichés - we have heard them a million times in other badly-written books over decades. What happens with clichés is that, as they are used again and again and again over decades, they lose meaning. The reader's mind skims over them, because they convey nothing new or interesting. Think of clichés as the murder of creativity, the evidence of lazy writing. As an editor, I'm tough about them - I recommend to a client that they rewrite the passage or chapter and lose the clichés and make an effort to use original language when describing a character's behavior. The result is inevitably a much more interesting scene. You want a character to be unique and interesting to the reader, and they just can't be if they are always aping some old behavior cliché. Someone should have told E.L.James all of this, and encouraged her to put originality into her portraits of characters - it would have added much more (badly needed) depth. </div>
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The same would apply to clichés in descriptions of scenes. People tend to fall back on clichés when they are uncomfortable - as when writing violence, sex, or romantic scenes. (A client will giggle, "I just didn't know how else to <i>say</i> it!") Part of learning to write well is to learn to call original imagery into your mind and put it on the page in words and phrases that are original. Some of the best scenes I have read that were sexual or scenes of intense violence, were not just descriptions of what went down, but rather passages in which the writer used original imagery (a curtain at the window wafting in the wind, a scent in the air, unusual words spoken), and/or metaphor to make the scene unforgettable. As a reader, which sticks in your mind long after you put a book down? - a scene with a simple description of the usual events in a sex act, or a scene like this one, a glorious sex scene by LAMBA-award winning writer, Erasmo Guerra? This is from his novel <i>Between Dances:</i></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Tonight, however, he felt the words rise from his tongue like spontaneous hymns and they gathered at the roof of his mouth. The words were as delicate and pure as pale Eucharistic wafers. Marco became Sunday School boy, make the signs of the cross, holy water and old marking head, heart and lips. He felt the heat of Jaime's breath evaporating his own, drawing it from out of his lungs and leaving him gasping, mouth dilating like that of a fish out of water.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Jaime lay under him, his face pressed hard against the pillow, moaning sweet sounds like a call to prayer. Marco came on bloodied knees, chest pounding under beating fists, fears burning away like incense. </span></blockquote>
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Now, Guerra could have written this scene with straight description - which no doubt would have resorted to clichés: one lover talking dirty to the other, the other face down on the bed. It would not have been near as interesting; it would have taken the reader to a place they had been a thousand times. Yawn. But this... this is written so originally, that not only is the language itself as lovely as a song, but it stretches the reader's imagination, and conveys an image of the scene that stretches the reader's mind into a place he has not yet traveled in a book. That is the mark of an experienced, sensitive, and gifted writer. That is what all great writers strive to be able to do. </div>
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E. L. James has made and will make, a helluva lot of money. But that is the end of the legacy. She won't be remembered as an exceptional writer, and may in many quarters be remembered as a very bad one. The book won't be quoted in years to come in literary discussion. It won't be used in classrooms. It will end when something else more daring comes along - one cultural fad inevitably replacing another. The likes of daytime talk show hosts proclaim it as the instigator of new discussions about sexuality. I would point out that erotica has been written for years - and much better. Surely we already have discussions about sexuality born of better sources. Maybe the biggest lesson is that many women (and some men) just need to get out more - and read a wider range of books. Or that erotic romance needs to break into mainstream book retail outlets more than it has. </div>
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My point is, each of us must decide what sort of writer we want to be, and what we want the legacy of our hard work to be. Well-written books have the power to move the imagination in ways that E.L. James cannot understand. If <i>Fifty Shades</i> had been well-written, imagine what it could have meant to the future of erotic literature. And how many more readers would have enjoyed it, and how much longer it would last, long after the feature film is old news. Imagine what a better reader experience it could have offered. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-70497867921019652912014-07-07T19:06:00.001-06:002019-09-04T22:14:04.667-06:00Toward Better Writing Series, Part 2: Writing Passion and Sex<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyyMO-RASbFA9ModTo2G8HVoJaaeUv4UGrYaJ0fXiHdF0NlqUAU9GUp_eHMZmIwsIFpt3QDA_KI4iPaFQhEj-XOoEGc0ZKHzKM3kjfz-LVDRQWjmt8F6U6EMAOAb7uhhFUlJoqumGZDYf/s1600/fotoCupidon_et_Psyche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyyMO-RASbFA9ModTo2G8HVoJaaeUv4UGrYaJ0fXiHdF0NlqUAU9GUp_eHMZmIwsIFpt3QDA_KI4iPaFQhEj-XOoEGc0ZKHzKM3kjfz-LVDRQWjmt8F6U6EMAOAb7uhhFUlJoqumGZDYf/s1600/fotoCupidon_et_Psyche.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm currently having an interesting experience. I'm reading the second novel in a series by a writer of historical fiction. In this second book, she delves into an area that she stayed completely away from in the first: she has included two fairly explicit sex scenes. It's pretty entertaining to read the reader reviews on Amazon. A few are incensed by these scenes on moral grounds - one even claiming he skipped them, as is I suppose his prerogative. Others don't object to the sex per se, but to the explicit nature of the writing. Many readers are so caught up in talking about the sex scenes that they are missing the overall book - which has far bigger problematic issues than a few sex scenes!<br />
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In my work as a freelance editor, I often end up prompting inexperienced writers to rewrite love scenes - sexual or not. Experienced writers often complain to me that they are also uncomfortable writing them. Through the years, I have made a lot of observations and done a lot of thinking about these scenes, and I thought I would take the opportunity to share it here.<br />
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There have been entire books written about writing love scenes. Although some of those books are more useful than others, the best unfortunately focus on writing erotica, as a genre. But what about the writer who isn't writing in that genre, but wants to add a love scene or two, or a sex scene? There is precious little help out there. The common thread seems to be that many writers, whether experienced or no, fret about these scenes. The consequence is that they are often badly-written. But I think these scenes, if done with the right attitude, can be approached with a sense of fun, and turn out to be a really good time for the writer. They can also turn out to be some of the best scenes in a book, for no matter how much or how little sex they contain, they can be enormously revealing when it comes to characterization, and can be made to be very emotional for the reader, very funny, or even hauntingly moving and unforgettable. The sensual can be a very good thing.<br />
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I have noticed some patterns that seem to recur amongst writers. It might be useful to talk about each.<br />
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<li>The writer who when confronted with writing something romantic falls back on cheesy Harlequinesque language, ending up with the kind of scene that doesn't feel sexy at all. This is far too common.</li>
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<li>The writer who wants to tell the story of an intense love story between healthy adults, but leaves out any element of sensuality (I didn't say <i>sex</i>, I said <i>sensuality</i> - which encompasses much more territory!). Even writers in the Christian genre need to learn to write romance well - and with the sensuality befitting adult characters. After all, every healthy adult engages in sensuality in some form. It's part of life! Unless you are writing for Disney, it's part of the lives of your characters.</li>
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<li>The writer who throws themselves heart and soul into writing that sex scene, and goes overboard. You end up feeling that you left the narrative of the novel entirely and took a side trip into anonymous porn for a few pages. Again, it feels smutty, forced, but <i>not hot</i>. It doesn't advance the story - the story has to pause while the reader gets through the boring but prurient sex scene. And again, too common.</li>
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<li>The writer who writes the beautiful sensual scene, laced with original imagery and metaphor, and then complains that he/she just can't write a good sex scene. But.. what IS a good love scene, then?</li>
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The first of these is something I have seen a lot of as an editor. I have always been a bit baffled by it. Let me give you an example. Imagine that you are happily reading along, the story is good, the prose is slick and sophisticated, and then comes the moment when the hero and heroine confess their attraction to one another . . . and you read this:<br />
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<i>He pulled her close as they danced and she put her arms around his neck. She knew she was being forward but she couldn't help herself. She lowered her eyes, batting them shyly, and bit her lower lip. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek as his lips brushed her ear. She didn't understand why her heart was beating so hard, as if it would beat out of her chest. She tried to say something but her voice stuck in her throat. </i><br />
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<i>His arms were around her waist and he pulled her closer so that he could feel her body up against his. His head was spinning as he smelled her perfumed hair. It was intoxicating. He didn't know why he was behaving this way, since he was usually totally in control. "I want you," he whispered. </i><br />
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I can't go on. You get the idea. Are you turned on by this? I'm not. I feel like I'm intruding on a moment in an adolescent infatuation. What's wrong with it, technically? Why does it fail to move us, fail to sound.. well, <i>adult</i>? Why does passion escape us? This is the type of writing that makes so many of us despise the formula "romance" genre: it's full of stereotypes that seem to cheapen human experience. So why do people write like this?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ-rGO_0xb4dfo1Q85iUJZx8K7qNQftwEqgnDv79bfhkoH7KzHv2-WVT71GAnEWRw2x2P1HmOcsU00QQXm47dDaWiwFvWhVFSj5FhvL8nUyW28ZFNftt1MShS5GDIeHJ5ErY-9AYVPS1l/s1600/61rt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ-rGO_0xb4dfo1Q85iUJZx8K7qNQftwEqgnDv79bfhkoH7KzHv2-WVT71GAnEWRw2x2P1HmOcsU00QQXm47dDaWiwFvWhVFSj5FhvL8nUyW28ZFNftt1MShS5GDIeHJ5ErY-9AYVPS1l/s1600/61rt.jpg" width="253" /></a>When I see a scene like this, I am 99% sure of one thing about the writer: this is a person a little bit afraid of writing passion. (They may or may not be unable to express it in their personal lives to a lover, but that is beside the point here.) This is a person who shies away - on some subconscious level - from fully imagining a scene of passion between two adults and then expressing that scene through writing. A fellow editor voiced it very well once, "The writer is falling back on sugary clichés because they are afraid to write real passion." The clichés become a sort of cop-out, a crutch. He also made another point that I think is very often valid: "This writer has read too many bad romances." Sometimes what we have seen (read) a lot of, is what first comes to mind when we are stuck for words.<br />
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There are a few big technical issues with this type of writing. And remember - its biggest failing is that the writer wants to convey romance, heat, high emotion, but the lack of quality in the writing from a technical sense negates those goals. So the writer, then, has failed to meet his or her goal in writing the scene, and has therefore failed the reader too. Note also that the scene written in this way makes the characters sound immature. Because adult characters are suddenly relating to one another as teens would, the reader is as alienated from the characters' real emotions as the characters themselves appear to be.<br />
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First, consider the clichés (these being defined as words or phrases that have been used the same way a million times in other books):<br />
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pulled her close<br />
couldn't help herself/himself<br />
batted her eyes<br />
shyly<br />
bit her lip<br />
hot breath<br />
lips brushed<br />
didn't know why / didn't understand why<br />
heart beating so hard that....<br />
voice stuck in throat (or any other take on "speechless")<br />
head spinning<br />
intoxicating perfume<br />
God help us, how many times do we have to read "I want you" in a love scene?<br />
And if you can't make them have sex, have them <i>dancing</i>.<br />
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I may have missed a few. As you might guess, without these clichés to fall back on as a crutch, the writer would not have a scene! If you want to avoid this situation in your own writing, do the following:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Make a list of common clichés in romantic scenes - be they words, phrases or situations. As you read other books, make note of any you catch. Call this the "Never Write" list! Then never use them! (Well, only use one or two. Except batting eyelashes. For the love of God don't say that. Ever.)</li>
<li>Akin to the first rule, strive for originality. A good scene is a scene that conveys a common situation in a way that makes the reader look at it in a new way. Notice new things about this love between your characters. How are they different from other people and other loves? What is unique about the way they think? The way they speak? The way they move? What do they fear, what motivates them? Each of these and more can be worked into your love scene to make it new and fresh - something the reader has not experienced before. What makes a love scene shine is the new and unique - a new touch, a new word, a new emotion. Find these and weave them into the scene. </li>
<li>If you find yourself still struggling, dig deep and ask yourself what you are afraid of. Writing a love scene makes a writer very vulnerable. In effect, the writer is revealing to a world of strangers (and worse, one's family!) what he/she thinks about sex and intimacy and romance. But you are a writer now: claim your right to express yourself, decide that you are an adult and have a duty to readers and a duty to the integrity of your own creative voice, and just write it. Worry about your mother later; or explain to her that the stories come from <i>imagination</i>, and you would never actually <i>do that stuff yourself</i>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
The second situation I listed on writing romantic scenes, is closely related to the first. Some people have a moral conviction that they don't want to get too sexy with their love scenes. That is their right, as a writer and as a thinking human being. However, the problems develop when these writers shy away from normal human interaction, and fall back on the cheesy clichés. Again, ask what you are afraid of, if you are this type of writer. Are you concerned about the reaction of your spouse, friends, or your church community? Then use a pseudonym and choose whom you reveal your writing accomplishment to. Or better, just explain to people rude enough to comment on love scenes that you don't necessarily have the same beliefs your characters do and you don't always make choices your characters would make. They are just that - <i>characters, </i>not <i>you</i>. It's fiction! Sometimes you have to explain that difference to people - unfortunately all writers do. The rule, however, stands: don't fall back on silly-sounding clichés because you are afraid of adult emotion. To do so cheats your characters, your readers, and yourself. <br />
<br />
Writers in this second category also run into another issue: that of making the decision to include no sex/romance/sensuality whatsoever. Again, I want to emphasize that no matter how silly it may seem to some, this is a valid moral decision that the writer can make. However, the problem becomes that your book will appeal to a narrower market - some readers, specifically those sharing your moral sensibilities, will appreciate it. But as many a Christian writer discovers, they are a small part of the market. Many will assume that your reluctance to address sensuality between adults stems from immaturity or unfounded fear. Whether they are right or wrong is beside the point; the reality is that the notion will exist, and you will have to accept it. It will affect the quality of your book, your income, and worst - the honesty of your story. It may also influence the opinions of prospective publishers.<br />
<br />
So are you forced to write scenes of intimacy in order to sell? I don't think so. In fact, I notice many well-written books that clip right along, are a great read, and contain no sex. However, they do feature characters that can handle <u>adult</u> emotions. A book that avoids intimate emotion feels fake. It's hard to write an honest book without honest emotion. But writing without sensuality or sex - if it's honest - can be done. I recommend a book here that is one of the best out there - a decades-old classic. The writer tells the story of romance between a devout man and a prostitute, and does it very well - well enough to land the book in the Christian fiction genre. Check out Francine Rivers' <i>Redeeming Love</i>. It is so well done, in fact, that I - a person who does not enjoy Christian fiction specifically because I find the flatness and dishonesty offensive and boring - love this novel. Make sure you don't make your characters all behave like twelve-year-olds because you must avoid intimacy. Even celibate adults relate to romantic interests as adults. They even, <i>gasp!,</i> feel physical attraction.<br />
<br />
At the other end of the spectrum is our third situation: that of a writer who overdoes the sex scene. How does this happen? Let me first say that I have no problem with explicit sex in writing - those who have read <i>Gentlemen's Game, </i>or my novella<i> Quandary,</i> know this. Sometimes it is necessary to the quality of a book to get very detailed and explicit when describing the sexual experiences of the characters, because it has to do with the characters' journey and development. In <i>Gentlemen's Game</i>, this was the case. We needed to see into the heads of the characters and peer into their bedrooms, in order to grasp the story and fully understand their conflicts, fears, and motivations.<br />
<br />
I mentioned that I am reading the second novel in an historical fiction series, and that the explicit sex in it seems to be a problem for some readers. When I initially read the reader comments, I laughed. Many of them seemed to be people who didn't like any sex in any book nohow noway for any reason. I was a little surprised, since novels dealing with medieval or Renaissance-era subjects often get steamy. I think I muttered under my breath once, after reading a particularly upset reader comment, "You need to get out more!" <i>Or have some sex</i>. Last night I read the second of these "alarming" scenes, and I have to admit - many of them have a point. Not because the sex is too <i>explicit</i> - with that they are mistaken. But because the scenes are not well done. Specifically, they:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>are smutty. Instead of falling back on the kind of cheesy clichés found in childish romance novels, the writer fell back on emotionless, cold clichés found in bad porn. If her intent was to convey sexiness and high emotion (and it was), she failed. In fact, she failed so much that later in the book, when the heroine recalls the sexual experience and talks about her emotions surrounding it, I said to myself, "Huh?" because nothing about that scene suggested any such emotion. The emotion was lost, swallowed up by overly-pornographic language. I would suggest that the writer was in a bit over her head, and if she had been skilled enough to combine explicit detail with original imagery and presentation of the heroine's state of mind, the average reader would have been more accepting of the scene as a whole. </li>
<li>deviate from the tone of the rest of the novel. The book is written in a sort of old-timey tone, to evoke an historical era. The reader is jolted away from this, and thrown into a very pornographic tone, and then back out again. The scene does not flow linguistically with the rest of the book. Again, I think the writer subconsciously fell back upon what she herself has read in bad erotica/porn, rather than to search for a unique presentation that would have made the scene original, steamy, and meaningful. </li>
<li>To add to this deviation from tone, the scenes deviate from the established structure of the previous novel of the series, in which sex scenes were treated very lightly or more often avoided altogether. This made these two scenes feel as if the writer made a conscious decision, "I will write a really explicit sex scene, by God!" and forced it. Because they feel forced, the reader is further taken aback, and taken off-guard. The first of the two explicit scenes in this second book is a scene between husband and wife, in a marriage of several years - a happy marriage. There is nothing in the story to indicate that this particular sexual encounter is different than others have been: thus, there was no real justification to suddenly writing this one as explicit. It probably didn't need to be done, speaking as an editor. The second is more important: it is a menage-a-trois; as distasteful as that may be to some readers, I feel it is justified in terms of the story. We need to be inside the heads of the protagonists. However, the behaviors of all three, during the course of the scene, are out-of-character, with no clear justification. Combined with the coldness of the porny language, the reader is left confused by the whole scene. I think - again, speaking as an editor - the scene needs to be there and making it explicit is a good idea. But it is explicit in the wrong way. More honest emotion, more originality, would have gone a long way toward creating a scene more in keeping with the writer's intentions (as they become clear later in the book). </li>
</ul>
<div>
In order for an explicit scene to work, then:<br />
<br />
- Explicit language is fine - describing specific anatomy, actions, etc.. But keep away from porn-born clichés - try to use description in a new, original way.<br />
- Stay away from using dialogue that you hear too much in porn. Try to think about how real people speak - and how your <i>characters </i>would be speaking - if the situation were happening before your eyes. If you can weave original dialogue, imagery, and thought, into the scene, along with the explicit nature of the writing, it will all come alive. Think about how real sex is - it's messy, occasionally humorous, sometimes embarrassing or clumsy. Adding those elements will make the scene real.<br />
- Finally, make sure there is a reason for the scene. As is true with any scene in any novel - the scene must have a reason for being. Just wanting to include a sex scene is not a reason: the sex scene must advance the story, show something new about the character, and/or show the evolution of the character, in order to be there. That is the golden rule of good quality writing. If there is a reason why it is there, and it sings - if it does not read as cheap porn or a cheap romance novel - your most discerning readers will forgive a lot, even a menage-a-trois.<br />
<br />
Our final situation is one that I have occasionally run into, when writers I very much admire tell me they would like to learn to write sex like I do. I am astounded. I often have the same reaction: <i>Why?</i> I have read beautiful sex scenes that brought tears to my eyes, which left echoes of their music long after the read was over. It was not because they were steamy, but because they told of the depth of emotion that sex can evoke in the human heart, and did it in an original way - not with explicit words or even explicit images so much as with metaphor and original thought in describing the <i>soul</i> of the sex act. In my mind - as an editor and as a reader - this type of writer never fails because they give the reader the gift of seeing human experience - and thus their own lives - in a new light. This is the goal of every exceptionally-written scene, and the real talent of every exceptional writer. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-68240977635322360442014-07-01T21:26:00.001-06:002014-08-29T20:04:41.605-06:00Need a Good Movie Tonight? Try This One!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP7Viy_vpZ4qaZcHnqaz1XynMxDoCzXsleguCvSqajaCMXmS5MhdbQDWwoEYMkJELu8QB6oDLARufIAs2ZP7PuAWFEX2ej0NB79PGyyj4usTN6QUEmHf3SFfYjaujxl4uqpkR_yvlk8fH/s1600/thirteenth_warrior_ver2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP7Viy_vpZ4qaZcHnqaz1XynMxDoCzXsleguCvSqajaCMXmS5MhdbQDWwoEYMkJELu8QB6oDLARufIAs2ZP7PuAWFEX2ej0NB79PGyyj4usTN6QUEmHf3SFfYjaujxl4uqpkR_yvlk8fH/s1600/thirteenth_warrior_ver2.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></div>
If you don't know me well, you might be surprised at what I would recommend amongst my top ten movie picks.<br />
<br />
More than a decade ago, I discovered something that amazed me. I stumbled into a fantastic and highly unusual book by an unlikely author. Michael Crichton is known to film fans, the television industry, and the publishing world as the author of science fiction thrillers, often dealing in medical themes. If you have seen the series<i> ER</i>, films <i>The Andromeda Strain</i>, <i>Jurassic Park</i>, or <i>Disclosure</i>, or read the novels <i>Sphere</i>, <i>Congo</i>, or <i>State of Fear</i> - amongst many, many other works - you have tasted his special brand of genius. Crichton was the all-around entertainer and entertainment industry mogul. His films have made millions, and his books are estimated to have sold over 200 million copies, many made into movies. This was a man anyone interested in entertainment can admire.<br />
<br />
But that isn't all he was, turns out. He also was terribly knowledgeable in an area in which I share his interest: literature of the early medieval period, or what is rather erroneously known as the Dark Ages. Only those who know me well know that I am fully capable of waxing eloquent for hours about the history of early medieval Britain and Ireland, explaining the finer points of <i>Beowulf</i> and lesser Anglo-Saxon poems, and discussing unique features of the culture. I'm sure my eyes light up, my cheeks flush, and I know my heart beats harder - nothing gets me more excited. Heaven help the person who has to listen to me.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsaGh18tWcCMlUBxj4GYAYwMDWfB1j_qumDDPvOydzByviAzyzjhPeV5J1zgw8SH875bXn5YrmxTFefPXqpDRFRQGyVl5j8w3NwrsJDSa18ROEWBgF7i-YJZwYiGdbbKezuWWjeJxRgpU/s1600/4dEl2GAvmw.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsaGh18tWcCMlUBxj4GYAYwMDWfB1j_qumDDPvOydzByviAzyzjhPeV5J1zgw8SH875bXn5YrmxTFefPXqpDRFRQGyVl5j8w3NwrsJDSa18ROEWBgF7i-YJZwYiGdbbKezuWWjeJxRgpU/s1600/4dEl2GAvmw.png" height="136" width="320" /></a>So you can imagine that it was with great interest that I stumbled upon a film those years ago called <i>The </i><i>Thirteenth Warrior</i>. Not only did it seem to be set in the early medieval period, but well... two hours of Antonio Banderas is never a painful thing. I am a little unusual for a woman I suppose: you see, I love medieval epics. Bloody, no problem (in fact, I get a little offended if people are being slain on the battlefield and no one is bleeding. War was not pretty when all combat was face-to-face, hand-to-hand, sword-to-shield, eye-to-eye - nothing was anonymous, as it is now). Now don't get me wrong - over-the-top gratuitous isn't-this-fun violence is also offensive. But some realism is called for if a film is to earn my respect. The thing is, there are a lot of bad medieval-themed films out there (I'm talking to you, Ridley Scott!). So I am conditioned perhaps to expect the inane when I sit down to view one. I am also a bit of a snob; years of university and my own study for the twenty-five-odd years since, have filled my head with too many historical details. I don't expect perfection, but I do like to see some real effort on the part of researchers, and when I see a film where they really seem to have gone out of their way to get it right, and cared about getting it right - I get all excited.<br />
<br />
And it isn't just about historical accuracy in details of the period; it's about understanding the medieval mind. A film about the Middle Ages that is tinged with the political and cultural sensibilities of the 21st century (I'm talking to you, Ridley Scott!) is a failure. I like to see that a producer and director gets it: understands what the values of a culture were, and can convey them to the modern viewer with respect. <br />
<br />
So it was with a little trepidation and a lot of hopefulness, that I sat down to view <i>The Thirteenth Warrior, </i>for what was to be the first of many times. The film is fantastically accurate in period details in terms of what we know about 10th century Norse culture (Vikings), and the bits that are missing from our puzzle are so deftly created by the filmmakers that there was, to my eyes, no lapse in logic. I loved the film, and I still do. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWctnJqILMh6GwYp6NyawoQAVOZKkKLtts3NGnsm8-knafeNtewaOZ2goWaQ33o1EchzRiIvChYvgK0V68fM6RkgOBI7k8SCOUv881V8qe6OLSXWWurUzKQdHuxW44yziv11FTFFjAVfO/s1600/Beowulf_Cotton_MS_Vitellius_A_XV_f._132r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWctnJqILMh6GwYp6NyawoQAVOZKkKLtts3NGnsm8-knafeNtewaOZ2goWaQ33o1EchzRiIvChYvgK0V68fM6RkgOBI7k8SCOUv881V8qe6OLSXWWurUzKQdHuxW44yziv11FTFFjAVfO/s1600/Beowulf_Cotton_MS_Vitellius_A_XV_f._132r.jpg" height="320" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only one original copy of the <br />
Beowulf manuscript exists.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But here is the surprise: </span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">T</span>he Thirteenth Warrior </i>is based upon a novel by Crichton (who quietly co-produced the film) originally called <i>Eaters of the Dead</i> (title later change to coincide with the film release). Actually, the full title is <i>Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D. 922</i>. Evidently, Crichton was a very educated man. He earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard, and later a medical degree at the same institution. When a professor friend gave a lecture about the "Great Bores of Literature" and included the magnificent medieval saga <i>Beowulf</i>, Crichton was incensed (as I would have been). Only someone who hasn't the historical understanding of the background of<i> Beowulf </i>could believe such a thing. The epic-length poem - which was written down sometime between the late 7th and early 10th centuries, and existed in oral form from about the 6th - is in fact not only important to literature, but our best glimpse into Anglo-Saxon society of the era. It is filled with historical detail about the daily lives of warriors and kings, and better, it allows us to see into their minds, and understand what made them tick. This is our heritage, these people. This is the foundation upon which the British built a civilization. The poem is written in the earliest form of the English language for which we have a record (if you have never heard Old English/Anglo-Saxon go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K13GJkGvDw" target="_blank">HERE</a>. You may be surprised - you'll understand perhaps every twentieth word, if you are concentrating hard!) Anyway, Crichton disagreed that it was "boring", a protracted argument ensued, and eventually Crichton declared that he would prove that <i>Beowulf</i> can be very interesting if presented properly. And he did just that, by putting the best of his genius into his most little-known novel.<br />
<br />
But there is more: Crichton, for his novel, combined <i>Beowulf</i> and its legend with an ancient Moorish manuscript written by a Muslim traveler who left a record of his encounters and travels with Vikings. The novel is imaginatively narrated by a voice that combines the two sources to weave an amazing tale. The film, years after (the novel was published in 1976) brought Crichton's vision to life. But think about Crichton's creativity as a writer. He took two ancient manuscripts, which he had no doubt studied at university, and wove them together into one story. He also used an interesting device: the narrator approaches the subject by describing and discussing the Moorish manuscript itself, as if he were a scholar. If you think it makes for a boring book, you'd be wrong.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFyWk7eT2wZABMlcjvKjy_roDOwKpkZCqwJk-K2ZTPhx0at9IGJSlHr_l0QtlgsW6ZTWoWc1HNh2ksVG776jsrLLMCMzVfJwfB9L-KLiTYASqYFmMUbBRucszQyU_HxJSKVJgrlmZbp3R/s1600/13th-warrior-eaters-of-the-dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFyWk7eT2wZABMlcjvKjy_roDOwKpkZCqwJk-K2ZTPhx0at9IGJSlHr_l0QtlgsW6ZTWoWc1HNh2ksVG776jsrLLMCMzVfJwfB9L-KLiTYASqYFmMUbBRucszQyU_HxJSKVJgrlmZbp3R/s1600/13th-warrior-eaters-of-the-dead.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the dog in the film (an Irish Wolfhound<br />
mix type lurcher) is authentic to the period!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't begin to list the richness of the details that pepper the film, from the speculation on the clash/mix of cultures, to the struggles to understand a foreign language, to the way in which intelligent people having no advanced scientific reasoning came to believe in the supernatural and to live every day by those beliefs. Here is just one example: in the film, a dragon comes when the mist falls in the valley. The people call it the "FireWorm", for as it winds its way down the mountainside through the mist, the observer sees only a fiery serpentine trail of orange light. But when the heroes get close enough, they see that it is a cavalry of horsemen, carrying lit torches high, and from the distance and through the mist they look to be a dragon. <br />
<br />
Especially interesting is a scene depicting the Moorish man's beginning to understand the Old Norse of his companions, or the scene in which - tired of the Vikings making fun of his little Arabian horse by barking at it like a dog - he charges at and jumps his horse over a line of war horses to prove a point. Our protagonists are thinking, reasoning, and - in terms of their own era - highly intelligent people, who use their wits to win the respect of fellow warriors, and to survive disaster.<br />
<br />
(I want to take this opportunity to mention the background for the primitive tribe in the film. Many anthropologists believe that "relic Neanderthals", a race that was a throwback to early alternative human development, existed up into the early medieval period, in remote pockets. Even this, which at first glance would seem to be fanciful on the part of the filmmakers, is based upon legitimate theory.)<br />
<br />
The film is full of great sets and costuming, intelligent thought, stellar performances (Banderas is great, and Dennis Storhoi as Herger is excellent), stimulating dialogue. And well, Antonio and some other sexy men in leather breeches, and sweaty after the occasional sword fight. The greatest beauty is its themes: tolerance of others' ways in a chaotic world, uniting in order to prevail for a hopeless cause, and foremost - the definition of manhood in a time when you had to face your enemy eye-to-eye and hope you could survive by your wits if not your physical strength. These warriors are not without fear, but they are men who know that muscle is often not the greatest tool in battle.<br />
<br />
I would encourage anyone who wants to watch a thought-provoking, moving film that offers a lot of suspense and a rollicking good story, to see <i>The Thirteenth Warrior</i>. And if you do, think about the ways in which we rather stupidly look down upon the people of the past, and what they might be able to teach us about ourselves and about real courage. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl51AtWkoNGy3MFGAqsETItMpsJ1rqO-Z-m53fEXN5xPne-zrc6xw7pb0ZvXVX_2LwIUNLVbP7ya3HM4WE-xgh6rWAqRp5-IIdozhb44GErlE2xYX8Q9hFSNIfyl-ad0Yysd_bGvtznam7/s1600/13th-warrior-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl51AtWkoNGy3MFGAqsETItMpsJ1rqO-Z-m53fEXN5xPne-zrc6xw7pb0ZvXVX_2LwIUNLVbP7ya3HM4WE-xgh6rWAqRp5-IIdozhb44GErlE2xYX8Q9hFSNIfyl-ad0Yysd_bGvtznam7/s1600/13th-warrior-poster.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Both the book and the film, incidentally, received mixed reviews. I believe that a little background is necessary to fully enjoy either one, and I wanted to offer it here for what that is worth. There was no argument that they were both well-designed, but some reviewers seemed to find the subject matter baffling. Of course. The film grossed around $50 million less than it needed to break even, however in subsequent years and decades made it up in DVD sales. It has become a bit of a cult classic. The novel <i>Eaters of the Dead</i> can easily be had from Amazon and other sources - it is interesting reading and for writers a fascinating exercise in innovation. It is a novella actually - a quick read, despite the presentation.<br />
<br />
Sadly, Michael Crichton passed away in late 2008. I would have liked to have seen what more he would have come up with and added to the world of film and literature.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">WARNING: The film <i>The Thirteenth Warrior</i> contains non-gratuitous scenes of extreme violence. Don't let that deter you from a great film, but it isn't suitable for pre-teens.</span></b><br />
<br />
For a great documentary on <i>Beowulf</i> go here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C0sFXU0SLo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C0sFXU0SLo</a><br />
<br />
This is a great reading in modern translation of <i>Beowulf</i>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaB0trCztM0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaB0trCztM0</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-1757380731574238262014-06-27T20:16:00.003-06:002018-02-15T15:50:25.365-07:00Toward Better Writing Series. Part One: Writing a Great Sentence<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtym2SkWTgseOTt4qXSxx8Hdw3QrOFaO6Hwe4wGi9zOu5KM1hG3KpIjp9auc2JjwC0LAHfCzPJxR-rXlDCEXRlq3Vfx18U9tcpryA992f3TkNJ2uUprHt1tkRylzgUfjPDqiUQFUH41qRN/s1600/261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtym2SkWTgseOTt4qXSxx8Hdw3QrOFaO6Hwe4wGi9zOu5KM1hG3KpIjp9auc2JjwC0LAHfCzPJxR-rXlDCEXRlq3Vfx18U9tcpryA992f3TkNJ2uUprHt1tkRylzgUfjPDqiUQFUH41qRN/s1600/261.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the dog that ran up the hill. :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I find that one of the greatest joys in my professional life - other than the satisfaction one feels upon finishing a great piece of writing - is teaching beginning writers to write truly <i>well</i>. Many people of average training and talent can write a book - if they have the perseverance. But not many learn to write above the average - to make the prose sing, to move the reader, to use language in innovative and inspiring ways in order to create greatest impact to the reader's mind and heart. Because I believe that the joy of writing lies in learning to do that, I am committed to teaching the craft of writing to the best of my ability.<br />
<br />
The work of editing allows me to do that task almost on a daily basis, and for that I feel very lucky. From the time I was a child, I found a thrill in the music of language - a well-turned phrase always gave me chills; when I was very young, the desire to be able to create such phrases myself was so overwhelming that it was nearly painful. A seventh-grade teacher saw my potential, and assured me that it was my calling. I still remember her with affection. I often think of her when I find a new writer with potential and I am moved to push them hard to turn out the best book that they are capable of writing.<br />
<br />
The most popular of my blog posts seem to be the ones where I share writing tips - much to my surprise. I would think <i>anything else</i> would be more interesting to people, but apparently not! So . . . I thought it might be useful to present some very common situations I find as an editor when working with a beginning novelist or non-fiction writer. I hope that some of you find them useful, whether you are an experienced writer or just starting out. If you see yourself in some of these situations, and take some of these to heart in order to do better, you will be doing your readers, editors and publishers a big favor. Each situation requires some explanation, and so I am going to be presenting a series of blog posts. This first tackles sentence structure - one of the most important skills a writer can master!<br />
<br />
I have a cardinal rule as an editor, as I edit as well as in advising the author: Our goal is to enhance, enrich, and make enjoyable the reader's experience of your work. Any small error that hinders that is a problem that needs to be eliminated, in order that a smooth and enjoyable reading experience can be created and maintained. I often say to a writer: "Hmmmm. I had a little reader hiccup there." I mean that something made me stop, hesitate, go back in order to re-read and better understand. In short, it interrupted the flow and thus my reading experience. These are the issues I target, and this why the little things are so very important in editing for a better book.<br />
<br />
The following, then, are the most common things I run into again and again both with new writers, and writers experienced enough to know better but haven't properly self-edited before it got to me.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><u><b>Run-on sentences</b></u></span>. This is terribly common as a problem in an unedited manuscript. Fortunately, it's an easy habit to break after only a little work with a writer. Cleaning this up can improve the quality of a manuscript tenfold!<br />
<br />
In my mind, a run-on sentence is any sentence in which:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>too much is going on - more than one or two actions at once, defined by more than one or two subjects. A big hint that this is happening is too many prepositions. </li>
<li>there are so many personal pronouns (he, she, him, her) that the reader is confused as to whom is being discussed.</li>
<li>the sentence is so long that by the time the reader reaches the end, the point of the sentence is lost, causing the reader to go back and read it again to try to put some meaning together.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Some writers tend to write run-on after run-on, and I'm never sure why that happens. I assume that it is because either subconsciously the writer feels that a shorter sentence doesn't feel intelligent enough, or the writer doesn't understand the basic rhythm of good writing (we'll discuss that in the next section). It's probably both. Added to this, I think that part of gaining experience as a writer - and thus improving - is learning to "hear" your writing as the reader does. As the writer, <i>you</i> know what you mean, and put it down on paper. But will the <i>reader</i> know what you mean? Learning to understand the enormous difference between the two, and learning to anticipate issues with reader comprehension of your prose, goes a long way toward making a better writer. Only experience (and maybe the aid of a good editor) can help you learn this.<br />
<br />
I want to give some concrete examples of run-on sentences.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">The spotted dog that was the same one from the village that the man who lives in the green house bought from the blacksmith the day before ran up the hill before he came back from the other village.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /><b><br /> Because I hadn't read the book yet, I asked her when she wanted to have it back before I walked in the coffee shop where my brother worked and he was going to give me some coffee before I went home again.<br /><br /><br /> Inside the castle where the guards were standing behind the door before they kept the people out was a wagon that had more guards but they were inside where they had tarps on top of it.</b></span><div>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<div>
Now, I know what you are thinking: <i>she's exaggerating</i>. But no, I read things like this pretty much daily! The thing is, these aren't written by incompetent people, not always by inexperienced writers. Rather, they are written by writers who are either writing so fast, caught up in the creative experience, that they just want to get it down on paper, or by people who just don't yet have the experience to know how to arrange a sentence to be clearer. In the first instance, the writer should have given the draft a read-through and correction before it ever gets to me. (If I know they are experienced, I may tell them to take it back and clean up the draft and we will try it again!)<br />
<br />
In both cases, the reader instinctively stops, goes back and reads it again, whispers "Huh?", and finally skips and and continues, annoyed. Several of these experiences, and the reader simply puts the book down. You can imagine that paragraph after paragraph of this issue can give the editor a serious headache, and Heaven help the poor readers who purchase such an unedited version from Amazon!<br />
<br />
I recommend to all writers - no matter how experienced - that for the final draft of the manuscript, they read <i>aloud </i>to themselves. One is much more likely to find these sentences in one's own work when reading aloud: as your tongue actually trips over the awkwardness of such sentences, you are more apt to be startled into recognizing that there is a problem. So what do you do about it, when your sentences look like this?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Break it up into more sentences. Keep one - at most two - things going on at once.</li>
<li>If pronouns are confusing, use names instead of pronouns (don't be wary of overdoing this: if it helps clarity, always err on the side of using names in place of pronouns). </li>
<li>Watch the prepositions that lead into prepositional phrases: words like "at", "for", "to", "with". If you have more than just a few prepositional phrases, you need to break it up. Every time you change prepositions, the reader's mind has to shift perception. If the reader is shifting several times in one sentence, he or she will become very confused. </li>
<li>See if using a well-placed comma or two might clean up the confusion. However, if you use more than three commas to separate phrases (with the exception of a list of items where you need several commas), you probably need to break it all up. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Let's tackle the above sentences. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">The spotted dog that was the same one from the village that the man who lives in the green house bought from the blacksmith the day before ran up the hill before he came back from the other village.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
Lordy.<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"> </span>Are you confused reading that? I am! Most of the readers will be as well! (The ones who aren't need to cut back on the recreational imagination-enhancing drugs.) Let's look at the sentence's problems. </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Too many actions at the same time. Look at all the prepositions: "<i>from</i> the village", "<i>in</i> the green house", "<i>from</i> the blacksmith", "<i>before</i>" (twice!), "<i>up</i> the hill", "<i>from</i> the other village". By the end, the reader has no idea who is doing what!</li>
<li>Too many subjects. Again, related to too much going on. Too many subjects means too much action! The reader is getting dizzy!</li>
<li>Grammar problem. (Yep - a common one. Do you see it?)</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
I am going to suggest that we establish "spotted dog" as the real subject of the sentence. So . . .what is the dog actually doing? He is running up the hill, and this he apparently does before he comes from another village. That much we can work into one sentence. Let's do this:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">The spotted dog ran up the hill before he came back from the other village.</span> (Period, end of sentence!)<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"> He was the same dog who came from the blacksmith, and whom the man who lives in the greenhouse bought.</span><br />
<br />
This is the suggestion I am giving the writer, and at this point I'm feeling pretty confident about the way in which we are untangling the mess. But then the writer pipes up and exclaims, "But WAIT! The<i> blacksmith</i> is the one that came back from the other village, not the dog!" Okay. But from the original sentence, the reader has no way of knowing which is being referred to - the blacksmith or the dog! A problem with personal pronouns. So let's rearrange, in order to get to the meaning that the writer intended:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">The spotted dog, </span><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">which</span></b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"> the man who lives in the green house bought from the blacksmith, ran up the hill. </span>(This addresses the original grammatical issue - which is that the writer used "that" where "which" was more proper. We will discuss these in detail in a later post in this series. Cleaning up that detail already adds clarity to the sentence.) <span style="background-color: #783f04;"> </span><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="background-color: #783f04;">The dog did this before the blacksmith came back from the othe</span><span style="background-color: #783f04;">r village. </span></span><br />
<br />
Here, we have broken into two sentences. I believe we have successfully covered all the information that the writer needed to convey, and solved both the grammar issue and the pronoun confusion (for added clarity, I chose to begin the second sentence with "The dog" rather than "He" - both are correct, but if I had used "He" the reader may have been confused, since the previous sentence contained three he's: the dog, the man in the green house, and the blacksmith).<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04;">I am going to clean up the second and third problem sentences in the following ways. See if you can see what I did, and reason out why.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Because I hadn't read the book yet, I asked her when she wanted to have it back before I walked in the coffee shop where my brother worked and he was going to give me some coffee before I went home again.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Inside the castle where the guards were standing behind the door before they kept the people out was a wagon that had more guards but they were inside where they had tarps on top of it. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Because I hadn't read the book yet, I asked her when she wanted to have it back. Then, I walked into the coffee shop where my brother was working. He had promised to give me some coffee before I went home again. </span> (This isn't so difficult: there are really two completely different actions here. One involves the speaker asking about the book. The other involves the speaker, the brother and the coffee shop. Two story actions, broken up logically.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
This last sentence is a bad one. I would first ask the writer: "What 'door'? Do you mean the gate of the castle?" I would need some clarification on this to make sure I was recommending a change that would preserve the writer's intent. I would also ask: "At the end of the sentence, what does "they" and "it" refer back to? Guards? Tarps?" Problem with pronouns being confusing here! Some more information would help this situation and also add a little description, and perhaps interest. After getting some clarification from the writer, I might suggest something like this:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;">Inside the castle, the guards were standing behind the door of the gatehouse </span>(doing what?)<span style="color: #c27ba0;">, listening silently, their heads cocked. They had been charged to keep out any people who might approach unexpectedly. In the center of the inner courtyard a wagon sat, wherein more guards were hidden, a tarp pulled over their heads.</span> (Here, we have increased the tension for the reader, clarified what is going on by adding some description, and cleared up the pronoun confusion. Three sentences work, where there was only one long confusing one to begin with.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
In the next blog, I will be talking about creating rhythm and pace within sentences and paragraphs, and why it is important to creating great prose. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #783f04;">###</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br /></span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b style="background-color: #783f04;"><span style="color: #93c47d;">I have been approached by a few people about creating a sort of online university for writing instruction. I am flattered, and the idea does sound inviting. My vision is that I would help the "student" work on his or her own short piece of prose, improving skill. Several types of writing would be offered, as well as various skill levels. If you think you would be interested in such an offering, I would like to hear your comments. Write me at lichencraig at yahoo dot com, and put Writing School in the email header. Thanks! </span></b></h4>
<span style="background-color: #783f04;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-92053420466444051072014-01-14T12:35:00.002-07:002014-10-12T23:40:57.268-06:00Revisting the Eternal Question: How Much is Too Much?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfrcahfi-XsTRvucv96z83exPeUGcYc4lfXteJnr6wdweaMVD5euJdZCfUk1P72Rmg_noJp_jZzz2acMOfvq8-heBd8_sYeRwb-LVi2rGCj3vlfn1y9LeRXjkKFPopmwWj6RockNIy7AD/s1600/spot-illustration_08a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfrcahfi-XsTRvucv96z83exPeUGcYc4lfXteJnr6wdweaMVD5euJdZCfUk1P72Rmg_noJp_jZzz2acMOfvq8-heBd8_sYeRwb-LVi2rGCj3vlfn1y9LeRXjkKFPopmwWj6RockNIy7AD/s320/spot-illustration_08a.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a>In a past piece, I talked about using as many words as one needs. I still get comments and questions about that question. I thought I'd try to give a little more perspective on it. I once got an email from a new writer, who said this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I notice I sometimes have trouble knowing when to quit. Like, when writing certain scenes, I fret about whether or not I'm saying too much, or not enough. Sometimes I'll write it real tight, but it will seem sort of truncated when read back. So, I'll add more, but find I'm meandering.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For example, let's say I wanted to describe a character's "wardrobe malfunction"...I could use this approach...</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When Bethany leaned forward, her generous bosom strained against the front of her imported Chinese silk dress. The dress, breathtakingly low-cut, was made from the same bolt of silk that her grandfather, an ex-British naval officer, had brought home with him after the war as a gift to the wife who, unbeknownst to him, had left him month's earlier to pursue a short-lived but torrid affair with the ne'er do well son of a disgraced Count who had lost his family's fortune to the Machiavellian scheming of a Viennese banker who just so happened to be seated right next to her this very evening, eyeing her dressfront and praying silently that it was made of one of the poorer quality silks that were often being imported today."</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
. . . blah, blah, blah, you get the picture. Or I could say it like this:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When Bethany leaned forward, her breasts fell out of the top of her dress and hung there like a pair of fried eggs."</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Now, I'm just using Bethany and her dangling bosoms as an example, I'd never actually WRITE anything like that...It's just that it is often hard for me to figure out when to say less, and when to say more. I have a natural tendency to become long-winded in writing, and try to avoid too much of that. But I also don't want it to sound like a Twitter feed.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I guess I'll just keep working on it.</blockquote>
<br />
My reply to her was this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Linda, I work as an editor besides writing myself, so I get a question similar to yours a lot. This is what I tell people: your narrative needs to advance the story. It might either advance the plot, or contribute to characterization/atmosphere. So in your first example, the story is not advanced by veering off the path into another story about her grandfather. I would say to an author "lose that!" - unless the entire plot needs to involve her grandfather and his history, in which case it would be justified. Does that make sense? So in summary: you never have too many words, IF they advance the plot, contribute to characterization, or contribute to atmosphere. I hope that helps. :) </blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-66551971811786737442013-03-27T12:49:00.004-06:002013-03-27T13:03:21.131-06:00Review: "Angel" by Laura Lee<i><b>Angel</b></i> by Laura Lee<br />
Genre: Literary fiction (GLBT)<br />
Itineris Press, 2011<br />
<b>4.5 out of 5 stars.</b> <br />
(<a href="http://eaglevalleyhorserescue.org/LC/Reviews.html" target="_blank">See Reviews Guidelines.</a>) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccy-dULtVDn-p9Svrcwn02PnPTR-2WMGK5usJAhasPXpEaU95CLgIYn4SfzhAI6HYANdiwKQcRM4e06_YvfqlD24V-YxqSOds6Y6Mw85CKW7fWPcnhCRS4jqN0Pe117vikGC8qGiHQxAF/s1600/12558825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccy-dULtVDn-p9Svrcwn02PnPTR-2WMGK5usJAhasPXpEaU95CLgIYn4SfzhAI6HYANdiwKQcRM4e06_YvfqlD24V-YxqSOds6Y6Mw85CKW7fWPcnhCRS4jqN0Pe117vikGC8qGiHQxAF/s320/12558825.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
When I first chose <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Laura-Lee/dp/161372103X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1364409612&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Angel</a> </i>to read, I was a little reluctant. Would I be thrown into some massive anti-Christian diatribe? Such things I find are as based upon ignorance and bigotry as is the view of gays from the far right. Both are equally annoying and a waste of time. But I was intrigued by the subject matter, and because any writer had been brave enough to do it - I couldn't resist taking a look. So I forged ahead. I'm glad I did.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Laura-Lee/dp/161372103X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1364409612&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Angel</a> </i>is the story of an ordinary church minister who finds himself in an extraordinary situation. A widower who deeply grieves his wife Sara, he is amazed to find himself drawn - first as a minister, and then romantically - to a young male drifter and addict. Their consequential affair, which inevitably comes to the attention of the parishioners of the conservative church, shakes Paul's life up in ways he could never have imagined or foreseen. The romance of the novel is however the superficial story - through it the author bravely delves into much deeper themes, and that is what makes <i>Angel</i> a gem. <br />
<br />
Laura Lee is a gifted writer: her use of language ranges from fully capable to at times truly eloquent:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>His sexuality wasn't confusing or complicated at all, really. He had fallen in love with Sara, and he fell in love with Ian. Simple. It only became complicated when he tried to fit that reality into the shorthand of official categories. That these labels failed to describe how he felt about himself should not have troubled him much, but so many people had faith in the categories that he was inclined to believe the problem was with himself, and not the check boxes. That was where he became confused. </i></div>
</blockquote>
Lee juggles a number of themes: conservative society's view of homosexuality, religion and bigotry, bisexuality, and others - without ever muddling up the book. This is not easily done, and is a testament to her skill. The novel is laced with subtleties - metaphorical imagery, expertly-drawn secondary characters, and symbolism. Even the name of the protagonist is an interesting symbol: Paul was the apostle who had perhaps the greatest metamorphosis, the one who struggled the most with personal demons, and a preacher himself.<br />
<br />
For me, one mark of sophisticated writing is that it is not simply narrative. Occasionally, the best writers weave in a little personal philosophy, something for the reader to chew on intellectually a bit. Another beautifully-rendered paragraph:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>His desire for Ian had the force of an ocean, a tornado, or a mountain. The mountain defies any effort by humans to tame it. You can build at its foot if you like, but when the mudslide comes, you'll be buried regardless of ordinances or zoning laws. None of that exists in the face of nature. Nature has its own order. There is no motive to ascribe to the mountain. It does not kill with vengeance or purpose. It just evolves as it does, and whatever human order we try to create is temporary at best. If sexuality was a force of nature, then wasn't that closer to God than the human laws we try to impose on it? </i></blockquote>
The most important point that any review of this book needs to make is that it is if anything a courageous work. The author has chosen to write subjects that it may not be politically correct to talk about in many circles. She risked as much backlash from the Left as from the Right. But she has presented an intelligent, well-considered novel that forces those on either side of the fence to look more closely at the complex issues in our society today.<br />
<br />
It is interesting to see how the author handled the world of the everyday life of a church. As someone raised in that world, I found it extremely well-done: realistic and fair. The author carefully painted a comfortable, comforting atmosphere, so that when it comes crashing down the reader is deeply affected. As a reader, I was somewhat bothered by the book's reluctance to address the reality that there are more liberal churches than the one presented. I felt that a picture was being painted that wasn't fair to all churches, in an era when Christianity is poorly understood to begin with. However, upon more consideration I realized that it is not the business of this book or its story to address all that: this is ultimately a story about one man, one church, one group of believers. It doesn't need to address the wider political reality.<br />
<br />
Finally, it should be mentioned that although <i>Angel</i> is a deep read, Lee has a way with humor that makes the book even richer. The San Francisco Chronicle has said of her work, "Lee's dry, humorous
tone makes her a charming companion... She has a penchant for wordplay
that is irresistible." Witness this passage: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When an ordinary-looking person wears an ugly hat, you assume he is out of touch with fashion. When a young and beautiful person wears an ugly hat, you assume you're the one who doesn't get it. </i></blockquote>
<b>Technical literary points</b>: The only structural objection I can offer about the book is that the author has placed at the beginning of each chapter a short paragraph or two concerning mountains - their history, their geology, their social significance and therefore their symbolism. I believe that her point was the timelessness and enormity of these structures, as compared to the timelessness and enormity of Nature's truths. I can appreciate that, and I applaud the uniqueness of the attempt as a literary device. However, it often felt very intrusive, and the interruption in the flow of the narrative was by the second half of the book so overwhelming to this reader that I found myself - reluctantly and with some guilt - skipping those passages.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Laura-Lee/dp/161372103X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1364409612&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Angel</a> </i>is a unique read, pleasurable from beginning to end, terribly thought-provoking, and above all, <i>brave.</i> Do yourself a favor and pick it up.<br />
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----------------<br />
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<b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><i>Angel</i> is widely available both in paperback and in eBook formats. </span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><b><i>Metro Detroit native Laura Lee divides her time equally between writing
and producing ballet educational tours with her partner, the artistic
director of the Russian National Ballet Foundation. In addition to her
novel, Angel, she is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction books
with such publishers as Harper Collins, Reader's Digest, Running Press,
Broadway Books, Lyons Press and Black Dog and Leventhal. She has also
written one collection of poetry (Invited to Sound), and a children's
book (A Child's Introduction to Ballet). She brings to her writing a
unique background as a radio announcer, improvisational comic and
one-time professional mime.</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-72713442961523453172013-03-02T01:53:00.003-07:002013-03-02T15:44:20.380-07:00The Haunting 3 : Conclusion of a Milestone in Erotica<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIxbZHkPMiBxrVzezvHinQfNC-lZRYYd6o-XE1nqulI0eNdjonh1X45RupcMEg7jPWHFodjfOvESdIrU_la-l8UHPWVpE8DiL-pciUIR0i0QQYVy2SD5hPf-MCt7ZkZTCJnKD3cOtW9ZB/s1600/tumblr_mi6so9pDSD1rw7yseo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIxbZHkPMiBxrVzezvHinQfNC-lZRYYd6o-XE1nqulI0eNdjonh1X45RupcMEg7jPWHFodjfOvESdIrU_la-l8UHPWVpE8DiL-pciUIR0i0QQYVy2SD5hPf-MCt7ZkZTCJnKD3cOtW9ZB/s320/tumblr_mi6so9pDSD1rw7yseo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricky Roman and Arnaud Chagall. <i>Courtesy Cockyboys</i>. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><b>NOTE: Whether I am reviewing a book or film, my interest is in appreciating the artfulness and quality of a work, not in blind praise or unfair criticisms. It is my humble hope that through this discussion of plotting as it relates to this film, writers and anyone who deals in narrative as art, can find something valuable to keep. I hope that I can offer the viewer/reader something to think about, and all creators something to consider for future projects. For me, part of supporting fellow artists is giving a fair and honest review of their work; that is a personal ethic that I take seriously. The following review is not PG-rated; if you are offended by sexually explicit language, do not read it. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><b>This review contains a few spoilers; please do not let those dissuade you from viewing the episode! If you haven't seen Episode 3, please view it before reading. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><b><i>*** </i> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>"Gay porn awards shows don't give out awards for videography,<i> </i>editing, scores, and scripts, but if they did, this is where all the nominations would come from."<i> - The Sword, </i>review of </b><i><b>The Haunting</b></i></span><br />
<br />
The final installment of Jake Jaxson's innovative, courageous, and beautifully-made three part gay porn film for <a href="http://www.cockyboys.com/" target="_blank">Cockyboys</a>, <a href="http://www.cockyboys.com/movietour/trailer.php?id=721" target="_blank"><i>The Haunting</i></a>, was released today to much anticipation - not only from loyal fans and curious porn aficionados, but from many professionals in the porn industry. Jaxson in the past year has established Cockyboys firmly as the studio to watch: not only are the short videos increasingly decorated with the characteristics that set them off from others in the gay porn world as something different, forward-thinking and classy, but his series<i><b> </b>Project Gogo Boy </i>and <i>The Haunting</i>, are such a stretch from the standard and norm, that they have made many a jaw drop. Beyond the merits of the individual episode or the individual series, Jaxson has indisputably and forever changed the industry - something for which he can be hugely proud. If he keeps this up, he will force gay porn, and eventually hetero porn, to increasingly consider questions of production quality - and the combination of coherent, intelligent plot with erotica. <br />
<br />
I believe that I am the only non-porn blog to review <i>The Haunting</i>. (<a href="http://lichencraig.blogspot.com/2012/12/erotica-meets-great-storytelling-youll.html" target="_blank">See my review of Parts 1 and 2.</a>) Consequently, my review is a bit different: others look at the porn, the camerawork, perhaps the overall production. I look at the production, and the plot and narrative quality. I have brought such reviews to this blog because I believe that we have begun our way down an important path - with Jake Jaxson at the helm - at the end of which we will see quality literary narrative merge with explicit sex scenes. And why not? It has happened in literature - we have seen story and explicit sex scene merge in the past decade as never before in the world of books.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HbTTubTOaFnwiyUy-s5EDsIB96gx9epDCOnQMMmv6KLXyOtPwYQ_7wgLXVpONMJSQC6f3XsJIoEccb3p6EHGSZ7VpZbjvF5RXDacT0HysOWjwXbhviIo4qHUwsnZ4ImG_5Jzyqw3dbvX/s1600/tumblr_mfci7qHS291rw7yseo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HbTTubTOaFnwiyUy-s5EDsIB96gx9epDCOnQMMmv6KLXyOtPwYQ_7wgLXVpONMJSQC6f3XsJIoEccb3p6EHGSZ7VpZbjvF5RXDacT0HysOWjwXbhviIo4qHUwsnZ4ImG_5Jzyqw3dbvX/s400/tumblr_mfci7qHS291rw7yseo1_500.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Courtesy Cockyboys</i>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, whether we have seen it merge successfully all that often is up for debate. But to have moved forward is enormous! I don't believe that every book needs a sex scene: however, I do believe that - sex being a basic and integral element of human experience - it is not only acceptable and legitimate but <i>healthy,</i> that we as a society have come to the point where books can be beautifully-written, narratively sound, and contain sex scenes that advance and enhance the plot and the reader's experience. The same should be true of film. Sure, mainstream feature film has given us cheap sex scenes for some time now; sexually explicit in a healthy sense? - I would argue "no". Too many are gratuitous, have little to do directly with advancing plot in any meaningful way, and God forbid we see <i>male</i> frontal nudity. Forget a quality <i>gay</i> sex scene. We have a long, long way to go. <br />
<br />
For me, <i>The Haunting Part 3: A Kiss Before Goodnight</i>, was the most challenging of the three installments of this film. Jaxson had previously established with <i>Part 1 </i>a storyline involving flashes into the past, and a strong tie-in with a narrative involving the present. Scenes involving past flashbacks were infused with an old-fashioned feel - accomplished by strains of classical music, soft-focus camera-work, vintage clothing, and antique artifacts - that served both to draw the viewer into the story and add to the creepiness of the storyline. In the ending seconds of both Part 1 and Part 2, there was a startling surprise of a moment that quickened the viewer's heartbeat (and believe me, I'm not exaggerating that!) and set up questions about the next installment. It was genius: fans were engaged through the weeks in between releases.<br />
<br />
The viewer's expectation, then, going into <i>Part 3,</i> was a tidy resolution of plot, more creepiness, and the continuation of the mood set in <i>Parts 1</i> and <i>2</i>, and of course some quality explicit sex. This third expectation was granted. It's the first two I wish to address, again from the point of view as one whose life is literature.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="color: #93c47d;"><b><i>(Warning: Spoiler!)</i></b></span> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Narrative tension exists when a conflict is established </span>and draws the viewer/reader along to the end. That may be the "end" of an episode or the end of a series. Timing is everything, and in the world of literature as in the world of film, it is something that takes practice. In <i>Parts 1</i> and <i>2</i>, Jaxson's plot design was near-flawless: even as the reader was watching the scenes unfold, he or she was wondering what, whom, why - it never stopped. Right up until the last startling, mesmerizing moment. Here in <i>Part 3</i>, however, the mystery that drove Parts 1 and 2 is revealed and explained in literally the first few minutes, ending narrative tension. Now Jaxson might argue - and I think rightly - that he was trying to then shift the tension to another conflict - that of an artist who finds his well of creative inspiration empty. I have to admit, I didn't get this clearly: I was a little surprised to find it in Jaxson's introductory note to the episode: I had been so anxious to view the episode that I hadn't read it until I was 2/3 of the way through viewing the film. I thought "Really?" I don't know if a little more in the way of showing the private life of the artist, revealing what others gossiped about him, or dialog, would have helped; as a writer I could think of several ways to accomplish it. The point is, this conflict - which could have and should have replaced the first and driven the entire episode from there - was not clearly established. It is a shame, because it reduced this episode to more porn film than a plot-driven erotica piece, as were the first two.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UU72l3s7lVyNM-_ziFx4CoDyq43k14pUT_zeffkNs1radXOmoEet0jRdl9pg58c2LBvzHqqMjTVQEMRgb6pRHJ-C3LK-o0w-VW9dYUWWrNmo-_0wYqTzH-vsVro_HxEs_ldofOro9rGq/s1600/tumblr_mf1li5zNXg1rw7yseo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UU72l3s7lVyNM-_ziFx4CoDyq43k14pUT_zeffkNs1radXOmoEet0jRdl9pg58c2LBvzHqqMjTVQEMRgb6pRHJ-C3LK-o0w-VW9dYUWWrNmo-_0wYqTzH-vsVro_HxEs_ldofOro9rGq/s400/tumblr_mf1li5zNXg1rw7yseo1_500.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman, Chagall. <i>Courtesy Cockyboys</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The biggest issue was the lead character himself. One thing that is difficult for a writer to learn is that a lead character must be sympathetic: he may be a pig, <i>but </i>he must demonstrate that he is human, understandable and relatable, and worthy of pity if not respect. If he is not three-dimensional in this sense, the audience is not interested in him. The lead character here, artist Klaus Heist (played earnestly and adeptly by Christian Wilde), is not a nice person: that is all well and good. The problem is that Klaus has no redeeming quality, nothing that allows us to understand him, relate to him, or care what happens to him. As a viewer, I got excited when I saw a spark of something late in the film - when a few paint strokes upon his canvas incite a vision experience in which he sees the past and what has happened in the house. I thought that it would somehow have an effect on him, that he would finally have some revelation and exhibit an iota of humanity.<br />
<br />
This brings us to the second element necessary in successful plot, <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">besides conflict: there must be <i>change</i></span>. Usually, this change must happen to the lead character or characters: he or she must experience a revelation, make a decision, take an unexpected turn. <i>If </i>it had been clear that Klaus Heist was struggling with his inspiration, and <i>if </i>it had been clear that the vision led to his successful resolution of that problem, the plot would have worked. As it was, we are given a decidedly unpleasant lead character, with dubious conflict (certainly none that we care about), and a merely interesting moment that should have led to resolution.<br />
<br />
It is very difficult for a writer - or a filmmaker - to clearly see a difference between what he understands about his own plot, and what the reader/viewer will be able to glean. How many hints to you give? When are you being too obtuse? And what is the point at which you pound the audience over the head and insult intelligence? The work of an artist is to learn what these boundaries are, and that comes with experience.<br />
<br />
There were other things that were very interesting indeed about this film. Particularly intriguing was the dichotomy between the two sex scenes. Both were very drawn-out but never less than hot, and Jaxson used them to make a point about sex and pornography. In the first, unlikeable lead character Heist seduces - through intimidation as much as heat - the young real estate agent (Max Ryder - in a really nice performance) selling him the house. This scene occurs very early in the film. Heist is a practiced lover, but not a very passionate - or COMpassionate one. He is one of those you see in porn films, where if he were in your bedroom, after five minutes of the near-continuous degrading, demeaning, and decidedly mean-spirited dirty banter, you would be tempted to slap him and scream "Just <i>shut up</i> for chrissakes!". It's enough to make you lose a hard-on. (Well, you know what I mean.) It was so excessive that I wasn't sure whether I wanted to giggle or scream at the screen; that combined with the coldness established by the lead character, made me want to fast forward through the scene. But I sat tight and trusted Jaxson's instinct, and I was right to do so: at the end of the scene, Heist throws a towel at the young agent and spits out a chilly, "Now clean up and get out", leaving the young man hurt and confounded. (Ryder is excellent here - the emotion on his face is subtle but convincing - you feel used <i>for </i>him.)<br />
<br />
In the second scene, which occurs at the end of the film and takes place within Heist's vision of the past, and between lovers Raif and Joe (played quite competently and movingly both in this episode and previous, by Arnaud Chagall and Ricky Roman, respectively - lesser actors in these roles would have altered the effectiveness of the films greatly), the romance is palpable, the mood quite different. Here, the occasional dirty talk is done lovingly, in stark contrast to the previous sex scene. This enormous contrast provides considerable food for thought, both about the porn world and about sexual human nature.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F2OCZazd1lEHOnTyT_mB1NxG3OVuaok2GLzf3WqgA29om_B24G0ECW0awLowCNxK6HzFGQI3KNt1gd7k33_RfHMQlU4u_tChugaj8RWQxbNaZ1FhvbW-E-fNMl3g4WzzAb8Yiz1oSqfy/s1600/tumblr_mhgt7og0Oh1rw7yseo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8F2OCZazd1lEHOnTyT_mB1NxG3OVuaok2GLzf3WqgA29om_B24G0ECW0awLowCNxK6HzFGQI3KNt1gd7k33_RfHMQlU4u_tChugaj8RWQxbNaZ1FhvbW-E-fNMl3g4WzzAb8Yiz1oSqfy/s320/tumblr_mhgt7og0Oh1rw7yseo1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-portrait, Jake Jaxson, 2012. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I missed the creepiness factor in this episode. The storyline which provided it was gone when the mystery was blurted out early. After that, we seemed to be taken in a direction in which we hadn't traveled before, which was never creepy and much less interesting. I wonder if a few minutes of ending - both to show the change evolution in the lead character and to revisit the poignancy of the love story shown in the earlier episodes - would have wrapped this all up more successfully. <br />
<br />
The same high-quality production values that were present in the first two episodes of <i>The Haunting </i>are evident in this one: soft, gold-tinged lighting, alteration of focus to change mood, very competent acting from amateur performers, beautiful setting and music. In earlier episodes the beauty of the decor and the soothing nature of classical music made a stark contrast with the tension of the ghost story. Here, without much ghost story, these elements were simply a pretty setting.<br />
<br />
I want to emphasize that which I said in my earlier article on <i>The Haunting</i>: watching this will amaze you. Early in the hours<i><b> </b></i>after the release of Part 3, Zachary Sire wrote in a review for the gay porn blog<i> <a href="http://thesword.com/cockyboys-haunting-finale-should-make-every-other-gay-porn-studio-very-very-scared.html" target="_blank">The Sword</a></i> that "...Cockyboys' <i>Haunting </i>finale should make other gay porn studios very, very scared . . . no other studio is taking adult film to places . . . that it's never been before." Sire is right. Jaxson has dared to tread on untested ground: explicit, story-driven
erotica and good quality filmmaking can be successfully combined, and he
has proven it. <br />
<div style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
“Gay porn
awards shows don’t give out awards for videography, editing, scores,
and scripts, but if they did, this is where all the nominations would
come from.” - See more at:
http://thesword.com/cockyboys-haunting-finale-should-make-every-other-gay-porn-studio-very-very-scared.html#sthash.LZ0Cv3Yo.dpuf</div>
<br />
Watching this film is fascinating, thought-provoking, and <i>hot</i>. Considering the overall package - episodes 1-3 of <i>The Haunting</i> - Jaxson has
established himself not only as an innovator in his industry, but as a
storyteller and innovative filmmaker. As is true with any artist of
unusual creative vision, or any filmmaker of talent, he can only get
better and better, his vision can only stretch further and to new, even more
unexpected limits. I can't wait to see what he does next: it's guaranteed to be no less than inspiring.<br />
<br />
*** <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3LyVyrCOAFtIkJAulKWlopcfMizUEr0rETo675tCOSJiTNcW2Hg89hhAReGkttiSoKQMAKEzuOQqhAXb5y1k8A2lW70WgKV-dhV9netGdS1U4WQjc8tF91cZEJ5jC0IpCKczjCxp42ol/s1600/tumblr_inline_mfcbv1HSRu1qak1gk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3LyVyrCOAFtIkJAulKWlopcfMizUEr0rETo675tCOSJiTNcW2Hg89hhAReGkttiSoKQMAKEzuOQqhAXb5y1k8A2lW70WgKV-dhV9netGdS1U4WQjc8tF91cZEJ5jC0IpCKczjCxp42ol/s320/tumblr_inline_mfcbv1HSRu1qak1gk.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
The three episodes will be available soon on DVD as a complete film. Check <a href="http://cockyboys.com/">Cockyboys.com</a> in coming months for details. <br />
<div style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
no other
studio is taking adult film to places like…well…places that it’s never
been before. - See more at: http://thesword.com/#sthash.NPSIP9By.dpuf" </div>
<div style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
CockyBoys’ <i>Haunting</i> Finale Should Make Other Gay Porn Studios Very, Very Scared - See more at: http://thesword.com/#sthash.NPSIP9By.dpuf</div>
<br />
See the <a href="http://www.cockyboys.com/movietour/trailer.php?id=721" target="_blank">official trailer</a> for The Haunting. The trailer for Part 3 alone is <a href="http://www.cockyboys.com/movietour/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
The price of a trial membership at <a href="http://cockyboys.com/">CockyBoys.com</a>
is well worth seeing these films for literary and film-making merit
as well as for some beautiful men doing what they do best.<br />
<br />
Visit Cockyboys and Jake Jaxson on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cockyboys" target="_blank">@cockyboys </a>.<br />
See Jake Jaxson's website at <a href="http://www.jakejaxson.com/">http://www.jakejaxson.com</a> . <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393324184449836325.post-61031238654645095062013-02-25T22:27:00.002-07:002016-04-11T21:05:14.819-06:00HUMOR! Now why couldn't I write this?? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_4757_KSWC25qhSveUIjnOeo6f_V2nzSqYlotk9y5hg1c8mJyTukCpdCkjLV4AbEDJdUwQL32RhzQNvuW5gzEr509_ZQ24X-KmB1-JxgleqVt-LEP1Mu7HuOwO615l-8oX-8CdosO6Yn/s1600/BBpb3-1CAAE14qt.jpg+large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_4757_KSWC25qhSveUIjnOeo6f_V2nzSqYlotk9y5hg1c8mJyTukCpdCkjLV4AbEDJdUwQL32RhzQNvuW5gzEr509_ZQ24X-KmB1-JxgleqVt-LEP1Mu7HuOwO615l-8oX-8CdosO6Yn/s320/BBpb3-1CAAE14qt.jpg+large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d5a6bd; font-size: small; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">© </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span>Copyright Jake Jaxson 2013. All rights reserved.</span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Recently, a friend suggested I write humor for a blog he hosts. I told him I was terribly flattered, but I can't write humor; friends would tell you that in my real, outside-the-internet life, I'm actually pretty damn funny. Go figure . . . I write dark, emotional novels.<br />
<br />
I have been studying humor writing - I'm convinced that people who can do this are just wired a certain way: their brains translate the eccentric, hilarious way they view the world, into the keyboard. With me, the eccentricity goes out my mouth, and never makes it onto a keyboard. But I say it here out loud - you're all witnesses - I will learn to write humor. Maybe this decade!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile . . . I present for your consideration and amusement the funniest thing I have run across this week, by young model/stylist/blogger George Alvin, who lives in New York City and apparently is far too familiar with the joys of riding the subway. Thank you, George, for this side-splitter! If you ever need an alternate career, consider comedy writing, seriously. You'll make a fortune! Meanwhile consider yourself the holder of a standing invitation to write posts for this blog!<br />
<br />
<b>(George's blog - not suitable for work or the prudish! but always entertaining and often touchingly insightful - is at <a href="http://www.maxryder.com/">http://www.georgealvinnyc.com</a>. )</b><br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><i>George Alvin's Tips for Riding the MTA</i></span></b></h2>
<br />
If you’ve ever visited New York and you haven’t used the mothah fucking <b>MTA</b>
then, well, you’re NOT missing out on much. Besides . . . well . . . hobos that
piss on the floor, rats with 3 feet, and black girls in cheetah print.
Wait - don’t forget the <i>pick-pocketers</i>, <i>AIDS</i>, and <i>did I mention the hobos that piss on the floor?</i><br />
<br />
It’s disgusting, but living in NYC, unless you want to always get
ripped off by Gandhi cab drivers, you learn to tolerate the subway.
Personally, I’ve grown to love what tourists call ‘the
underground’… It’s actually one of the places where I actually have time
to think. It’s cool to go down there with your headphones blasting some
Lana Del Rey and your notebook; you’d be surprised at all the cool
ideas you get. Actually, I wrote 2 of my most commented-upon REAL TALK
posts while riding from Brooklyn to mid-town in the subway. All the <i>cool</i>
kids take the subway anyways… Katie Holmes even takes it.<br />
<br />
It’s not that
bad, but if you aren’t EXPERIENCED or PREPARED you can end up somewhere
in Harlem with no wallet and phone… So I’m going to provide a couple
tips that can make your first experience one that you don’t <i>regret</i>.<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 1</span>:</b> Don’t ever make eye contact. You can get shot, stabbed, or beaten. Unless they’re famous, a model, or have a big bulge.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 2</span>: </b>Avoid all Nicki Minaj impersonators; don’t be blinded by their bright hair… they have a dark soul.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 3</span>: </b>Never leave your wallet, <i>cellphone</i>, <i>money</i>, or <i>baby</i> in any UNZIPPED pocket. They will get stolen.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 4</span>: </b>Make sure you never hold on to any
railing, bar, door while riding the subway. Do use old people with
canes, friends, and Asians. REMEMBER hobos pee on them.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 5<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">:</span></span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"></span> </b>Don’t ever
take photos of people's weird shoes… no matter oh hard you try to sneak
it. You’ll forget flash is on and they’ll punch you in the face.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 6</span>: </b>Never take the subway after the club. No
matter how sober you think you are, you will pass out and wake up with
your shoes stolen (yes, this really happens).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 7</span>: </b>If you’re a girl with big boobs,
expensive jewelry, and "fuck me" boots NEVER ride the subway after
11:30pm. You will be sold into sex trafficking.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Step 8</span>:</b> Make sure you’ve downloaded my lifesaver while taking the subway, the iPhone app: <b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itrans-nyc-subway/id283492923?mt=8" target="_blank">iTrans NYC.</a> </b>Use
it for finding which train to take, transferring trains, train times,
nearby subway stations, and info on service advisories, delays or
cancellations.<br />
<br />
I hope these helped you prepare for your next ride on the MTA. I
promise it’s not bad and you WILL survive if you follow those pointers.
Trust me either I know from experience or this has happened to someone I
know. Try to always ride w/ a buddy!<br />
<br />
x<br />
George<br />
<br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">© </span>Copyright George Alvin 2013. All rights reserved.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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