Quick and a lot more fun than you might think

I'm moving my weekly blog post where I share something I find interesting to Saturday, so I can try a Shakespeare challenge on Tuesdays
This week I want to share my new found love for the grammar girl and her quick and dirty tips for better writing.  I have become a regular fan of the podcast, and if you are a person who wants to improve their grammar or is interested in anything to do with the linguistics of English including the history of some of the more obscure rules. I strongly suggest you check out the web site. 

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Audio Books

I've recently taken a liking to audio books while I walk.  I like to mix a variety of music, podcasts, and the audiobooks.  With the audio books, I have lately beenn be coming acquainted or reacquainted with some of the classics of English literature.  Just finished listening to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  Next on my list is Great Expectations.   I've also listened to Roseanne Cash's memoirs recently.  If you want to listen to or read about an interesting, deep, and thoughtful woman then check that out.  She recorded the audio book and you could hear the various emotions as she told the stories of her life. 

14th amendment

On this date in 1868 the 14th amendment was officially ratified and added to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th amendment gave African Americans all the rights of citizenship   It had actually been passed in Congress two years earlier, but had to be passed in at least 3/4ths of the state before it was ratified.  Of course it can be argued it was over a hundred years before it was implemented.

What I'm writing this week

I'm working on three stories this week.  The first one is a science fiction short for a contest.  Lately, I've been trying to write character driven science fiction stories with the science parts in the background.  This story fits with that theme.  I need to be finished by this weekend. 
The second story is a piece of literary fiction centering around the sudden end of a long term relationship.  I'm trying to fit in sorrow, anger, lying to yourself, and a bit of irrational behavior.
The third and final thing is the second part of a thriller novelette The Collector.  It's time to raise the stakes in that story. 

Wow

For those who have never seen it this is the art of Willard Wigan.  If you're not impressed you don't know those are needle eyes and a matchstick.  These photos are taken through a microscope lens

orphans

Yes, I hate orphans. No, I do not hate orphans. I am just getting sick and tired of them being in stories.  I recently read a book called Extraordinary. It was a fairy book and to be honest not that great, but I want to champion it because the main character is not an orphan or being raised by somebody other than her parents.    That is one of the things I hate about genre fiction, once something works. Everybody and their mother has to try to write a book with it. Oh well. I had actually planned on going off on some political rant, but I do not have the energy.

A Bridge to the Starry Skies

A Bridge to the Starry Skies is a romantic comedy anime about a boy who and his little brother who are sent to a small mountain town to live.  On the way to the town the brothers get momentarily side tracked, and the older one ends up encountering and accidentaly kissing a girl.  The girl of course ends up living in the town and going to the boy's new school.  This anime is pretty typical of its type.  There are lots of colorful melodramatic supporting characters, big breast, and short skirts.  The plots and sub plots never really drew me, but the art and over all abiance of the show is quite nice.  

Battle of Bull Run

Today is the anniversary of The Battle of Bull Run.
In the 1860s. The United States fought a war between itself called the Civil War.  It is by far the deadliest war in history for Americans.  Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost.  Cities were burned to the ground.  The culural impact of this war and why it was fought is still felt today.
It was supposed to be over quick. On Jul. 21, 1861. The people of the union side were wondering why the war had not been won.  The darn thing been declared for a few months by then. so they demanded the south be marched upon and conqured.  This seemed like a fine idea.  The union gathered 30 something thousand of the finest untrained soldiers they had and attacked.   A crowd of onlookers actually gathered to watch. (Back then war was still a popular spectator sport.)  The south was out numbered by a few thousand, but they had training.  This combined with new advances in weapon technology for the time resulted in a very bloody battle.  Several thousand lost their lives.  A strong omen for what was to come.  

What I am writing this week

I thought I would bore people with what I am writing in a week on Wednesdays.. I am working on a sci fi short story for a contest, a bit of literary fiction, and the next chapter in my dragon story.

The sci fi story is  my main focus cause there is a dead line.  I have to use pictures and what not. It is cool though. I think I have a pretty good idea. 
The literary fiction is something I am not totally sure where I am going. I do know that I need to go back and add somethings.  I am trying to avoid making this thing anything genre related and just write about life, but I want there to be a connection to some higher concept. 

I have finished the first draft of the dragon chapter. I just need to add more details.  I skipped them on purpose on the first write because I wanted to focus on the action of the chapter.  This chapter is the first time that I add a little bit of detail in to what the dragons look like.  Some of my readers don't like that, but I have my reasons for waiting.  

Well that is what I am working on this week.  

Prepare

Prepare for your jaw to hit the floor if you havent seen this. Watch "Butterfly Lovers" on YouTube

Casey Anthony

I know I'm a little late to the party here, but I just started this blog.  Let us hope and pray that my post here signals the end of Casey Anthony's fifteen minutes of fame.
The thing that bothered me most was the spectacle the trial became. The crowds rushing to get in the court room, the anthemic rock music played as the lawyers and other trial participants took their seats, etc were all just over the top. I especially found the smoke machines and roaming spotlights in bad taste.  (A few of the previous statements may have been slightly exaggerated.)

Now we come to now.  The trial decided.  The outcries outcries, and what does the media do while speaking out against the evils of cashing in on the death of a small child?   They follow miss Anthony everywhere and give her wall to wall coverage.  Disgusting!  But still not as bad as constantly posting cute pictures of that little girl all over the TV screen. 

There, I got that out.  

Wilson

Wilson by Daniel Clowes is the graphic story of a self centered loser with absolutely no filter. The story told through related comic strips (each page contains its own punchline) follows Wilson as he searches for a lost love, a lost daughter, and some sort of meaning and happiness. 
The best thing about this book is Wilson.  I never knew what he was going to say, and some of the things said were laugh out loud funny.  The most amazing thing about Wilson is, despite the character's crass attitude, he still comes across as likable.  A true accomplishment by the author. 

The art alternated between a realistic style and a more cartoonish style that I thought highlighted the comic strip feel of each page. 

The only thing I didn't like is a part of me thought the author played it a little safe.  While Wilson never played it safe, he basically never interacted with anyone to make him truly politically incorrect.

That said Wilson is original, funny, and in its own way thought provoking.  Check it out.