Month: April 2011

A to Z Challenge, Writing Stuff

P is for Predictable

Karen

So … predictable. It can be boring. But it can also feel safe.

Personally, I like predictable – I like having a low-key, safe, boring life with very little surprises. I like a low-drama lifestyle and I’ll take predictable over chaotic any day of the week.

But you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you. See? I’m pretty predictable.

But I found one area that doesn’t welcome predictable – and that’s fiction writing.

(Wow. That was a clumsy segway, but whatever – we’re here, let’s explore it).

Predictable stories do not bother me if the outcome is really the only logical way for the story to end. I mean, happily ever after stories are warm and fuzzy, but I get impatient with them – life doesn’t always end happily ever after.

But being TOO unpredictable can be bad, too. Take the science fiction genre, for example – science fiction just seems so ….. OUT THERE.

(Get it? haha)

I mean, I’ve watched enough Star Trek episodes that somehow end up in left field and leave me rolling my eyes in disgust to know that I don’t care for stories where something suddenly happens at the last minute and with no apparent reason or cause and our hero/heroine somehow comes out of the situation unscathed.

It leaves a funny taste in my mouth and I know the author took the easy way out so he/she could end the story.

But with that said, I like twists. I like being surprised by an element I didn’t see coming.

I like unpredictable stories if they make sense to the overall story.

I saw a link to this article on Twitter, and I swear, I’m going to print this out and paste it somewhere where I can always remind myself of my silent contract between myself and my readers:

  • You won’t bore me.
  • You’ll either take me to places I’ve never been before, or to places that feel as familiar as where I grew up.
  • Love ‘em or hate ‘em, your characters should make an impression on me.
  • And whatever is coming, I don’t want to see it coming. Not all the time, anyway, and not from a long way off.

The article also gives four tips on how to keep things fresh and unpredictable:

(1) Know yourself, be yourself.
This is especially good advice for me because I will read a story, finish it and think, “WOW. If only I could write like that person.” And then I will write a piece of fiction and adopt that author’s voice. Which is fine, I suppose, it adds another level to my writing style, but I’m learning that I do indeed have my own writing personality and that it’s okay to just be me whenever I write. Hopefully someone out there will like it enough to KEEP reading.

(2) Know what you’re really writing, and why.
I definitely need to work on this one. I tend to get a story idea, think it about it for a few days and then POW, I’m off writing. Which is fine, and it’s certainly fun … until I get to about 10,000 words and I’m suddenly facing a blank wall. I have no idea where to go or any motivation to continue and I lose all enthusiasm for the story … until the next story idea comes rolling around. I honestly need to stop, think not only what my story is, but WHY I want to write it and WHAT message I want to give readers overall.

But that requires so much THINKING … (*whine-whine*)

(3) Hold nothing back. No half-measures, no timidity.
I can do this. I delight in torturing my characters. But I definitely need to think more outside the box.

(4) Know your characters.
I also definitely need to work on this one, too. My characters are shells, dried carcass skins discarded and left behind for some small child, or a squeamish female (like me, actually) to happen upon and squeal in terror over. I don’t truly know my characters until I start writing them and then they are CONSTANTLY surprising me and taking me in all sorts of directions I never even knew existed until I started writing. But I LIKE this aspect of writing. I LIKE being surprised when I’m writing. I just need to start looking at it more as a challenge than a nuisance whenever my characters back me, the writer, into a corner.

So writers, be unpredictable – your readers will thank you for it.

I’m participating in the A to Z challenge. Just post something every day with the appropriate letter (except for Sundays), and then submit your link to one of the hosts and don’t forget to visit other participants! Also, you can find other A to Z participants on Twitter via the #atozchallenge hashtag. (This trying to relate the alphabet to your life thing is HARD. It’s taxing my brain and oh look! A puddle of brain mass. Sweet).

Abundant Life

Audio Teaching: An Overview of the Sacred Secret

Karen

by John Schoenheit
For ages and generations God kept a sacred secret so huge, and so wonderful, that had Satan known it he would not have crucified Jesus Christ. Today, in the Age of Grace, God has made known that secret to anyone who cares to read the Church Epistles carefully and understand what is written there. God has revealed that the “sacred secret” makes known God’s wisdom and is for our glory.. In fact, it is so glorious that Scripture says that in comparison to the Sacred Secret, the Law had “no glory.” It involves the New Birth, permanent salvation, and the indwelling of holy spirit, which is sealed in each believer and guarantees him or her a glorious future in a body that is like Christ’s glorious body.. It also involves the One Body of Christ, equality among believers, and identification with Christ. This tape is a “must” for anyone wanting to know what he or she has in Christ today.

Click the arrow to listen.

Handout | Transcription | Related Topic

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Day-By-Day

Patio, Pollen, Portal, and Planning

Karen

Kevin is making some major progress on our patio.

Space for Back Patio - 4/17/2011

He finished digging the space out this past weekend and in fact, got the gravel poured in yesterday. He is going to rent some sort of compact contraption so he can smash the rocks down, then he’ll buy some sand and we’ll spread that around. We already know what pavers we want and in fact went to Lowe’s yesterday to order them, but figured we’d save ourselves $65 bucks delivery fee and all four us can work as a human conveyor belt and pass them off to each other.

This is really coming along nicely! I wasn’t too thrilled at first (mainly because of the cost – gotta watch that money, don’t ‘cha know), but now that it’s materializing before my eyes, I’m getting excited! I saw a patio set at Lowe’s that would look really nice in that area …

Oak pollen has skyrocketed. It was over 700 particles per blah-blah-blah (I have no idea how they measure pollen) and over 300 today.

That’s enough to cover everything in sight. We’ve reached that point in the season where you go out to your car only to find it covered with a lovely green dust.

Jazz is holding up well. He’s been coughing, but it’s pretty minor and I plan on keeping it that way. I’ve been drugging him up these past few weeks – Singular during the day, Zyrtec at night. He’s also been using nose spray (though only sparingly, you have to be careful with nose spray) and I’ve been possibly OD’ing him on vitamin C.

My eyes have been watering, which is sort of unusual for me. I don’t usually have a problem with spring allergies (now Ragweed is a whole different monster).

Hopefully, we’re peaking on this spring allergy thing and levels will start dropping very soon.

Did I mention I HATE this time of year??

I’m a bit upset with the makers of the video game Portal 2. I personally haven’t played it, but I’ve watched the boys play it and it looks pretty cool.

And I HEAR about the game every, single. cotton-picking. day. from the boys.

Well. The second installment of the game released at midnight – last night.

ON. A SCHOOL. NIGHT.

*MAJOR GRR*

But that didn’t deter the boys. OH no. Not at all. Jazz got up at 4:30 this morning and Dude got up at 5:00 this morning to play it for a few hours before they had to go to school.

I can’t even begin to tell you how WEIRD it was for me to get up at 6:00 only to see their lights on. Normally, I have to virtually drag them from their beds every morning. (In fact, I have to physically stand at Dude’s door and wait for him to sit up before I can walk away – otherwise, he goes back to sleep. *MAJOR GRR*).

It was hard to tear them away from their computers and push them out the door for school today. And I’m quite sure that neither of them concentrated on school today, but what are you going to do.

But the fact that the makers of the game picked a SCHOOL NIGHT to release their game, well … I can well imagine I’m not the only irked parent out there.

I’m sure the boys will have more adrenaline to play their game when they get home today. And I’m quite sure they will be cranky and pretty much jerks at dinner tonight because they will be:

1. Tired.
2. Grumpy because they want to get back to their game.
3. Grouchy because as per usual, I will turn the internet off at 10:00 p.m. tonight to yank them from their internet trance.

Oh yeah, fun times.

Jazz text me today and asked about his English grade. Since I didn’t have an ID number to access his grades online, I wasn’t able to help him.

The kids are given travel privileges during “C” time (if I give you the name, you can tell which school they go to, which, whatever. But I would prefer not to willingly divulge that info at this time). Only today, Jazz wasn’t allowed to travel (Dude can travel all the time because he’s a senior – senior privileges rock) and because he wasn’t allowed to travel, he was worried it was because of something to do with his grades. So he contacted me to ask me about them.

Only, I couldn’t access them without the ID number. (Lost yet?)

To put his mind at rest, I went up to the school at lunch time to get assigned an ID number. (I was planning on going anyway, this just pushed the issue).

When I gave them my name, the gals behind the desk both smiled and said, “You do our website! OH, we just LOVE our website and brag about it all the time.”

It makes me feel SO GOOD to hear things like that!!! Though it also embarrasses me.

I’d like to pack those ladies up and use them as my portable testimonies. ha!

So the short hair thing is … going.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/59700980035489792

me6

I had a pretty fierce moment of regret the other night after I worked out. I sweat something awful whenever I work out, and I wear my ball cap mainly to keep the sweat out of my eyes.

Anyway, after I was done working out, I took that ball cap off … and nearly cried. I mean, granted, NO ONE looks good after working out (unless you’re just eye candy and don’t work out enough to break a sweat – but I don’t do that, when I work out, I mean BUSINESS), so I wasn’t expecting to look like something out of a SHAPE magazine or anything, but with my flushed face, my raccoon eyes, and my sweaty, matted, BOY hair … well, like I said, I nearly cried.

“What have I done??” I thought.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/60072534019817472

But, BUT, I’m getting used to it, I think. I’ve been playing around with it for the past few days, using more products than I think I have EVER used on it (root lifter, thermal protection for when I use my new one-inch flat iron [I use it like a curling iron], shaping spray and finally a stiff hairspray). It’s pretty easy to fluff since the gal used a razor to cut it, it’s all sorts of textured and I love it on windy days (like today) when it virtually doesn’t move (which could be a bad thing, too, I suppose) but still … I feel so … exposed.

Which is funny because the salon gal said something about me hiding behind all of that hair which … COULD be possible, I suppose. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but she might have some psychological insight right there.

I KNOW I’m going to love it when it grows out a bit more, but right now? I feel like a boy and if it’s not “fixed”, I think it just looks hideous.

Oh well, I’ll live.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/59997107565768704

The school opened up summer school registration yesterday. I registered Jazz for TWO summer courses – poor kid. But I sort of have to because of his insistence on taking Jazz band class. Which takes up slots that would otherwise be used for required courses.

Hopefully, if I played the cards right (and assuming he’ll actually get the classes I registered him for), he won’t have to take ANY classes next summer.

Right now, he’s registered to take Personal Finance in the morning from 8:00 to 11:00. (It’s a required course, but pretty easy – it’s a class that teaches you how to balance a check book, etc), and his last stupid P.E. class from 11:30 to 2:30.

He’ll have 30 minutes for lunch.

The kicker? The classes are not at his school – they’re at another high school. They switch off schools every year.

So … I talked to Kevin and Dude last night and depending on what is going on and work schedules, Dude may very well be his taxi this summer.

I also told Dude that even though he’ll be out of school, he still needs to get up with the rest of us in the morning because I’ll be damned if the boy sleeps all day and stays up all night while living with us.

Ain’t gonna happen, Jack.

At any rate, Jazz will also have band camp the first and last weeks in June. So this means the first and last weeks of June for Jazz will look like this:

8:00 – 11:00 – Personal Finance
11:00 – 11:30 – eat lunch
11:30 – 2:30 – P.E. class
2:30 – 5:00 – take shower, have an early dinner
5:00 – 9:00 – band camp

He’s going to be one busy boy. And we’ll be busy carting him around.

He’ll have the month of July off and then it’ll be a gruesome and intense seven days of band camp from 8:00 5:00 the second week in August.

Since the Portal 2 game came out and that’s all Jazz can think about right now, I thought it might be cruel to make him study for his driver’s permit test this week, but next week, he’s going to hit it pretty hard and we’ll get that permit so I can teach him to drive this summer.

Now I need to make sure Dude stays busy and out of trouble. I have a feeling THAT is going to be my biggest challenge.

A to Z Challenge

O is for Obstinate – Am Not, Are Too

Karen

Definition of OBSTINATE
1: perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
2: not easily subdued, remedied, or removed

Come now, I’m betting you can think of at least ONE person who fits this bill …

I can. And BOY HOWDY, can this woman be obstinate – so much so, that I avoid talking to her at all costs because not only is she obstinate, she doesn’t even make sense in her arguments half the time.

Not to mention, she’s extremely vocal and extremely annoying.

And if there’s anything I can’t stand more, it’s a person who refuses to even entertain the thought that he/she may be wrong.

There’s a time to be stubborn, there’s a time to be confrontational, there may also be a time to be obstinate, but there’s also a time to concede a point and swallow that dose of humility like an adult.

Hey. I’m not saying I can’t be obstinate, in fact, I’ll be the first person to admit that I am probably one of the most obstinate people on this planet, but I also know when I’m wrong and I’m also willing to waver on my point if (and that’s a big IF) the other person can LOGICALLY convince me otherwise.

I don’t respond to emotional outbursts very well. I completely lose self-control if someone gets in my face and starts yelling – the conversation/debate/argument, whatever you want to call it, is OVER for me. Done. Moving on. Follow me, pursue it, at your own risk.

But I’ve learned that there is an art to discussing sensitive topics – it’s called the art of rhetoric. It’s all about ethos, pathos and logos and though there will be people out there that roll their eyes, that are convinced that they are great debaters without knowing these “tricks”, I’m here to say, you’re wrong. It’s all about language, it’s all about finessing that language and using it so that your point gets across without offending someone or putting them on the defensive.

It’s all about tricking (I’m not sure that’s the right word, but I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description of what our politicians do, wouldn’t you?) people into listening to our point of view. It’s all about PERSUADING people into believing what we’re saying is valid and right.

Obstinate people will not listen. Obstinate people are wildly irrational (most times). And I’m telling you right now, it’s a waste of time, energy, and breath trying to “debate” an obstinate personality.

So hear this, obstinate person, I will not debate you because you’ve already made up your mind; you’re not mature enough to listen and/or concede when you are wrong.

And you ARE wrong. So, so wrong.

I’m participating in the A to Z challenge. Just post something every day with the appropriate letter (except for Sundays), and then submit your link to one of the hosts and don’t forget to visit other participants! Also, you can find other A to Z participants on Twitter via the #atozchallenge hashtag. (This trying to relate the alphabet to your life thing is HARD. It’s taxing my brain and oh look! A puddle of brain mass. Sweet).

random stuff

When Break Dancing Meets Classical Music

Karen

This brought tears to my eyes. The music was beautiful and this man’s interpretation was just breath taking.

From Spike Jonze:

The other day, I was lucky enough to be at an event to bring the arts back into schools and got to see an amazing collaboration between Yo-Yo Ma and a young dancer in LA, Lil Buck. Someone who knows Yo-Yo Ma had seen Lil Buck on YouTube and put them together. The dancing is Lil Buck’s own creation and unlike anything I’ve seen. Hope you enjoy.

Watching things like this gives me hope. If vastly different art forms can come together and create something so beautiful, then vastly different view points can come together and make a better world … right?

A to Z Challenge

N is for Netiquette

Karen

Definition of NETIQUETTE: etiquette governing communication on the Internet.

Well that seems self-explanatory doesn’t it?

But let’s spell it out for the confused people …

(I found these rules here. Pretty good rules, I’d say).

*Remember the Human

Would you say it to the person’s face?

When you communicate electronically, all you see is a computer screen. You don’t have the opportunity to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to communicate your meaning; words — lonely written words — are all you’ve got. When you’re holding a conversation online — whether it’s an email exchange or a response to a discussion group posting — it’s easy to misinterpret your correspondent’s meaning. And it’s frighteningly easy to forget that your correspondent is a person with feelings more or less like your own.

*Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

Breaking the law is bad Netiquette

In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or because we’re afraid of getting caught. In cyberspace, the chances of getting caught sometimes seem slim. And, perhaps because people sometimes forget that there’s a human being on the other side of the computer, some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior is acceptable in cyberspace.

*Know where you are in cyberspace

Lurk before you leap

When you enter a domain of cyberspace that’s new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate.

*Respect other people’s time and bandwidth

You are not the center of cyberspace

It’s a cliché that people today seem to have less time than ever before, even though (or perhaps because) we sleep less and have more labor-saving devices than our grandparents did. When you send email or post to a discussion group, you’re taking up other people’s time (or hoping to). It’s your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn’t wasted.

*Make yourself look good online

Know what you’re talking about and make sense: Don’t post flame-bait

You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. For most people who choose to communicate online, this is an advantage; if they didn’t enjoy using the written word, they wouldn’t be there. So spelling and grammar do count. Be pleasant and polite. Don’t use offensive language, and don’t be confrontational for the sake of confrontation.

*Share expert knowledge

The strength of cyberspace is in its numbers. The reason asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases. The Internet itself was founded and grew because scientists wanted to share information. Gradually, the rest of us got in on the act.

*Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes

If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don’t know any better. And never be arrogant or self-righteous about it.

My personal biggest online advice? Never, ever, EVER write something in anger and then publish it right afterward. Give it (at least) 24 hours before publishing it online. That will give you time to take a breath, read over your thoughts, edit the nasty out of it and if you STILL feel you need to contribute your thoughts to the issue, THEN hit publish.

Remember folks, once it’s on the internet, it’s THERE to stay. Oh sure, you can delete it, but it’s cached somewhere and someone will likely see it at some point. Interact at your own risk.

I’m participating in the A to Z challenge. Just post something every day with the appropriate letter (except for Sundays), and then submit your link to one of the hosts and don’t forget to visit other participants! Also, you can find other A to Z participants on Twitter via the #atozchallenge hashtag. (This trying to relate the alphabet to your life thing is HARD. It’s taxing my brain and oh look! A puddle of brain mass. Sweet).