Today (or tomorrow for many of you) is the day that we remember Christmas. The birth of Jesus. God becoming incarnate, in the body of a tiny baby.
That is the real reason. Not Santa. Or reindeer. Or even the Christmas tree–although that does symbolize real truths.
But the real reason, and the real gift, is Jesus, coming from heaven in all his glory, to be born as a tiny baby in a dirty stable, in a small town, in a small country in the Middle East.
God omnipotent becoming weak Man.
God omniscient becoming blind* Man.
God immortal becoming mortal Man.
The Creator of the universe becoming one of the Created.
Divinity into humanity.
That is the true gift. The true reason for Christmas.
And, if we delve further into the matter, why would God become Man? Not just to heal a few people and to speak a few good truths.
Jesus came to die. To die a hard, cruel death, whipped by Roman legionaries, and then placed on a cross. So that we could have eternal life. He sacrificed his all for his creations.
That is the true reason for Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
*by blind, I am referring to the fact that God can see everything, while Man is limited to his five senses.
Tuesday 25 December 2012
Monday 24 December 2012
Word War: New Year's Eve
I will be hosting my first Word War on December 31, New Year's Eve. A Word War is a competition where writers write on their project for a certain amount of time, and the competitor with the highest increase in word count wins.
Time: One hour.
When: Anytime on the 31st of December, in your time zone.
1) You must write only for one hour.
2) The War will take place for one hour in your time zone, on the 31st of December.
3) To enter the Word War, post your starting word count in the comments section. Then, on the 1st of January, post it on a second post I will create saying that finishing entries can now be submitted. I am doing it this way to avoid people seeing others' wordcounts before they compete themselves (through differing time zones).
I may compete in this; but if I do and I win, I will not take a place; it will go to the next highest and so on, unless there are not enough entries to fill out the 3 places.
This is the first Word War that I am hosting, so please bear with me if I haven't explained it very well, and feel free to ask questions!
-Jag
Time: One hour.
When: Anytime on the 31st of December, in your time zone.
1) You must write only for one hour.
2) The War will take place for one hour in your time zone, on the 31st of December.
3) To enter the Word War, post your starting word count in the comments section. Then, on the 1st of January, post it on a second post I will create saying that finishing entries can now be submitted. I am doing it this way to avoid people seeing others' wordcounts before they compete themselves (through differing time zones).
I may compete in this; but if I do and I win, I will not take a place; it will go to the next highest and so on, unless there are not enough entries to fill out the 3 places.
This is the first Word War that I am hosting, so please bear with me if I haven't explained it very well, and feel free to ask questions!
-Jag
Wednesday 19 December 2012
Resurrections? A survey.
I'm planning to write a post about resurrections (relatively) soon, but first I just want to do a quick survey for all my blog readers, and for anyone else who happens to stumble upon this blog. And anyone else who hasn't followed my blog, and anyone else who... well, anyone else.
Have you read fantasy books with resurrections in them? (y, n):
Did you like that, or not? (y, n):
Do you have resurrections in your own book? (y, n, not writing a book):
If so, what would be your ratio of deaths-to-resurrections?: (#):
Generally, do you think having resurrections is a good thing? (y, n):
Any other comments you have on resurrections in YA fantasy would be appreciated. Leave your answer in a comment.
-Jag
Have you read fantasy books with resurrections in them? (y, n):
Did you like that, or not? (y, n):
Do you have resurrections in your own book? (y, n, not writing a book):
If so, what would be your ratio of deaths-to-resurrections?: (#):
Generally, do you think having resurrections is a good thing? (y, n):
Any other comments you have on resurrections in YA fantasy would be appreciated. Leave your answer in a comment.
-Jag
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Review: The War Horn
(picture taken from Jake's website)
I received a free copy of The Warn Horn from J. Tobias Buller, or Jake, in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Jake.
The book had a solid storyline. The plot went logically from one point to the next, and the decisions and events were reasonable and not unrealistic.
I think that the book could have been better proofread; I found quite a few places where there were words that weren't quite used properly, and some grammatical errors. But that was not very common, and I probably noticed some of them only because I was reading the book to review it.
Some of the scenes seemed cliched. At the climax there was a scene that seemed similar to a scene from Star Wars. This was only a short part though, and it (I think, I can't remember exactly what happened in SW) ended with a different outcome.
Those negative points aside, however, the book was a good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jake has obviously thought about the story and the parts in it, and his done his research. I was surprised about the Holy Grail being a wooden bowl, but then as a character points out, that is the most realistic scenario.
The story had a good moral and spiritual storyline. John started off as not respecting his parents' wishes, and made some bad decisions throughout the story, but is redeemed at the end.
There is no swearing in the book; the only references to that are in saying that one character simply 'cursed'.
The story closes well, finishing the story satisfactorily, while leaving the door open for a sequel.
Overall, this was a great book for Jake's first try, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read. 5 stars.
Wednesday 12 December 2012
A Second Tag
Ryebrynn created a new tag. You have to say your ten favourite authors.
Here are mine (not necessarily in order), and my favourite book by them:
God, The Bible.
Bryan Davis, The Bones of Makaidos
L.B.Graham, All My Holy Mountain
J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, The Tide of Unmaking
Gwingyth Thunderblade (not his real name), Scars of Freedom
Jenny L. Cote, The Roman, The Twelve, and The King
G.A.Henty, By Conduct and Courage
Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, The Wormling Series
C.S.Lewis, The Last Battle
And I'll tag... DrummerGuy.
http://drummer4.blogspot.com/
Here are mine (not necessarily in order), and my favourite book by them:
God, The Bible.
Bryan Davis, The Bones of Makaidos
L.B.Graham, All My Holy Mountain
J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, The Tide of Unmaking
Gwingyth Thunderblade (not his real name), Scars of Freedom
Jenny L. Cote, The Roman, The Twelve, and The King
G.A.Henty, By Conduct and Courage
Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, The Wormling Series
C.S.Lewis, The Last Battle
And I'll tag... DrummerGuy.
http://drummer4.blogspot.com/
The Hobbit is out!
Okay, so this is just a quick post to say that...
THE HOBBIT IS OUT!!!!
(and yes, this is pre-scheduled. It is currently midnight here).
We're hopefully going to watch it next week.
THE HOBBIT IS OUT!!!!
(and yes, this is pre-scheduled. It is currently midnight here).
We're hopefully going to watch it next week.
Wednesday 5 December 2012
Should a 'series' be one story, or several?
What I am meaning is, are the books totally separate stories, or do they just all meld into one story?
Using the fantasy genre, an example of books that are more disjointed would be the DragonKeeper Chronicles, by Donita K. Paul. The main characters stay the same throughout the series (with the main exceptions of some dropping out in book 4, and more characters being introduced in book 2), and some of the antagonists are the same, but the storylines are separate.
An example of stories that are joined are The Wormling series, by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry. The books are merged into one story, and even after reading them three? times, I still can't mentally say exactly where each book starts and begins, apart from the gap between books 1 and 2.
So which is right? And which is wrong? I would say that there is no right and wrong. It is simply a matter of style and preference.
However, I would suggest against being too extreme, as with anything (or just about anything).
If a series is very disjointed, then readers may not feel drawn to read the second book. If the plot has been totally finished, then continuations may be received as pointless attempts to make money.
On the other hand, if the series is totally in one part, then it may be better to advertise it as one book, rather than as a series. The Lord of the Rings is an example of a long work that is advertised and thought of as one book, but can be and is sold in three volumes, as well as in one volume. With Kindle publishing, it will be quite simple to sell the whole series as one unit.
Even if you try to write your series as separate novels, it may, and likely will, merge into one story in the later books. Examples of fantasy book series that did this are easy to name; Oracles of Fire, Binding of the Blade. I can foresee my series, The Arboreal Shadow, doing this, as the first three books are clearly delineated, but then the last three, and especially the last two, will merge into one storyline and one unit as the story builds up to the climax.
And yeah, I really should be working on The Rise of the Shadow now. But I'm just waiting for my current readers to get back to me. (You know who you are...)
So, I would say that the jointed-ness of books is really a matter of opinion and personal taste, as long as it doesn't get too extreme.
Using the fantasy genre, an example of books that are more disjointed would be the DragonKeeper Chronicles, by Donita K. Paul. The main characters stay the same throughout the series (with the main exceptions of some dropping out in book 4, and more characters being introduced in book 2), and some of the antagonists are the same, but the storylines are separate.
An example of stories that are joined are The Wormling series, by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry. The books are merged into one story, and even after reading them three? times, I still can't mentally say exactly where each book starts and begins, apart from the gap between books 1 and 2.
So which is right? And which is wrong? I would say that there is no right and wrong. It is simply a matter of style and preference.
However, I would suggest against being too extreme, as with anything (or just about anything).
If a series is very disjointed, then readers may not feel drawn to read the second book. If the plot has been totally finished, then continuations may be received as pointless attempts to make money.
On the other hand, if the series is totally in one part, then it may be better to advertise it as one book, rather than as a series. The Lord of the Rings is an example of a long work that is advertised and thought of as one book, but can be and is sold in three volumes, as well as in one volume. With Kindle publishing, it will be quite simple to sell the whole series as one unit.
Even if you try to write your series as separate novels, it may, and likely will, merge into one story in the later books. Examples of fantasy book series that did this are easy to name; Oracles of Fire, Binding of the Blade. I can foresee my series, The Arboreal Shadow, doing this, as the first three books are clearly delineated, but then the last three, and especially the last two, will merge into one storyline and one unit as the story builds up to the climax.
And yeah, I really should be working on The Rise of the Shadow now. But I'm just waiting for my current readers to get back to me. (You know who you are...)
So, I would say that the jointed-ness of books is really a matter of opinion and personal taste, as long as it doesn't get too extreme.
Friday 30 November 2012
I've been tagged!
Voluntarily, that, is. By Ryebrynn.
1.) Do you like chocolate?
Yes
2.) Do you like sugar?
It's okay.
3.) Are you homeschooled?
Yes
4.) Do you write?
Yes
5.) Have you ever taken a freezing cold shower?
Yes
6.) Do you like to write?
Yes
7.) Do you have a strange interest in everything sugary and sweet?
No
8.) Are you allergic to anything?
No
9.) Do you live in a strange location?
Depends on what you define as 'strange'.
10.) How many animals do you have?
None
11.) Do you like candy?
It's okay.
So, my 11 questions:
1. Are you awesome?
2. What is your favourite colour?
3. Have you read Dragons in our Midst, Oracles of Fire, and Children of the Bard 1-2?
4. Have you 'followed' my blog?
5. Did you just do it?
6. Are you looking forward to The Hobbit?
7. How many books have you started to write?
8. Are you strange?
9. When did you first start reading fantasy?
10. Do you write?
11. Have you ever been out of your country of birth?
And… the person I'm going to tag is…
Starsinger
http://windingpassages.blogspot.com/
You've been tagged!
(if you've already done it, please tell me and I'll tag someone else)
1.) Do you like chocolate?
Yes
2.) Do you like sugar?
It's okay.
3.) Are you homeschooled?
Yes
4.) Do you write?
Yes
5.) Have you ever taken a freezing cold shower?
Yes
6.) Do you like to write?
Yes
7.) Do you have a strange interest in everything sugary and sweet?
No
8.) Are you allergic to anything?
No
9.) Do you live in a strange location?
Depends on what you define as 'strange'.
10.) How many animals do you have?
None
11.) Do you like candy?
It's okay.
So, my 11 questions:
1. Are you awesome?
2. What is your favourite colour?
3. Have you read Dragons in our Midst, Oracles of Fire, and Children of the Bard 1-2?
4. Have you 'followed' my blog?
5. Did you just do it?
6. Are you looking forward to The Hobbit?
7. How many books have you started to write?
8. Are you strange?
9. When did you first start reading fantasy?
10. Do you write?
11. Have you ever been out of your country of birth?
And… the person I'm going to tag is…
Starsinger
http://windingpassages.blogspot.com/
You've been tagged!
(if you've already done it, please tell me and I'll tag someone else)
The Importance of Voices
Take a moment and think of Andy Serkis speaking a line by Gollum.
'Bagginses stole it from us, we hates them, we hates them! gollum, gollum.'
Now read it out in your normal voice. Doesn't sound right, doesn't it?
Andy Serkis's voicing of Gollum is now what people think of when they think of Gollum speaking.
Some of my younger brothers are (while I write this), listening to a recording of the book of The Hobbit.
When you listen to Gandalf speaking (by a different actor to the narrator), it sounds strange. Ian McKellen's playing of Gandalf now defines what we think of as Gandalf.
However, it is not only the voice (and body) acting of these actors that defines the characters, it also stems from J.R.R. Tolkien's amazing work. He defines the character's voices. When you hear – or even read – someone say something, you can tell who it is. For example, look at these quotes:
'What did I tell you? Something's happening!' cried Sam. "The war's going well," said Shagrat; but Gorbag he wasn't so sure. And he was right there too. Things are looking up, Mr. Frodo. Haven't you got some hope now?'
'Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!' - Aragorn
Now, those were just random quotes from Sam and Aragorn, and so they may not be the best examples, but I hope they are enough to illustrate the point.
It is important to create 'round' characters. But unless they are the main character, the readers cannot normally get 'inside' their minds and see what they are thinking. They have to infer it from their deeds and what they say.
We (should) have all been told that dialogue is an important part of writing. This is part of dialogue. It isn't what they say, though, as much as how they say it. Does your character frequently use contractions? Or longer words? Or are they more unusual and use Yoda-speak?
If all your characters speak in the same way, then readers may have a problem identifying them in dialogue. If they have their own peculiar speech mannerisms, however, then readers will instantly know who is speaking.
Having identifiable characters is an important part of writing. One of the main ways which characters interact with each other is by dialogue. Having vocally identifiable characters will give your writing that extra 'realness' about it. In real life, everyone doesn't speak in exactly the same way.
My main character is based off me. This means that I don't really have to create a speech mannerism for him, I can just write what I would say. This may be an option. However, you need to be careful. If your character lives on the streets as an orphan and you have been used to speaking very proper English, then your speech will not be suitable for him. In my case, my main character has a similar background and language training to me. Even if you do this, you will still need to create other speech mannerisms for other main characters.
You probably don't need to spend a lot of time defining the speech mannerisms of minor characters, unless they have very peculiar speech patterns.
So, do your characters have speech mannerisms? Can you tell who is speaking by what they say? If not, you might want to consider changing their speech so that it reflects how they would realistically speak, based on their background.
-Jag Swiftstorm
'Bagginses stole it from us, we hates them, we hates them! gollum, gollum.'
Now read it out in your normal voice. Doesn't sound right, doesn't it?
Andy Serkis's voicing of Gollum is now what people think of when they think of Gollum speaking.
Some of my younger brothers are (while I write this), listening to a recording of the book of The Hobbit.
When you listen to Gandalf speaking (by a different actor to the narrator), it sounds strange. Ian McKellen's playing of Gandalf now defines what we think of as Gandalf.
However, it is not only the voice (and body) acting of these actors that defines the characters, it also stems from J.R.R. Tolkien's amazing work. He defines the character's voices. When you hear – or even read – someone say something, you can tell who it is. For example, look at these quotes:
'What did I tell you? Something's happening!' cried Sam. "The war's going well," said Shagrat; but Gorbag he wasn't so sure. And he was right there too. Things are looking up, Mr. Frodo. Haven't you got some hope now?'
'Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!' - Aragorn
Now, those were just random quotes from Sam and Aragorn, and so they may not be the best examples, but I hope they are enough to illustrate the point.
It is important to create 'round' characters. But unless they are the main character, the readers cannot normally get 'inside' their minds and see what they are thinking. They have to infer it from their deeds and what they say.
We (should) have all been told that dialogue is an important part of writing. This is part of dialogue. It isn't what they say, though, as much as how they say it. Does your character frequently use contractions? Or longer words? Or are they more unusual and use Yoda-speak?
If all your characters speak in the same way, then readers may have a problem identifying them in dialogue. If they have their own peculiar speech mannerisms, however, then readers will instantly know who is speaking.
Having identifiable characters is an important part of writing. One of the main ways which characters interact with each other is by dialogue. Having vocally identifiable characters will give your writing that extra 'realness' about it. In real life, everyone doesn't speak in exactly the same way.
My main character is based off me. This means that I don't really have to create a speech mannerism for him, I can just write what I would say. This may be an option. However, you need to be careful. If your character lives on the streets as an orphan and you have been used to speaking very proper English, then your speech will not be suitable for him. In my case, my main character has a similar background and language training to me. Even if you do this, you will still need to create other speech mannerisms for other main characters.
You probably don't need to spend a lot of time defining the speech mannerisms of minor characters, unless they have very peculiar speech patterns.
So, do your characters have speech mannerisms? Can you tell who is speaking by what they say? If not, you might want to consider changing their speech so that it reflects how they would realistically speak, based on their background.
-Jag Swiftstorm
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