The scene I would like you to watch starts at about 7:30 and may be the greatest scene ever laid down on film. Yes; yes it is. It goes until around 8:07 or so.
R.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
What I'm Doing Now
It's tearing you apart, wondering what that is. Well . . . I'm still plugging along on my MA; I've just endured an enlightening read of James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - that didn't thrill me, but I suppose everybody studying literature is forced to read it at some point. I was impressed with the dialogue. That's about all I can say for it. I've had to read some other more satisfying books, but if I post about them I will do it later.
In spite of my failure to report the numbers, I have been writing, beefing up my portfolio to try to get into an MFA of Creative Writing for next fall. I am getting a good chunk of short stories in my new series put together, with a respectable number of segments jotted down in my pocket notebook. I'm pleased with where the characters are going and the potential the series has. I've not been able to come up with a title for the it, which is strange because I often start with a title or know what the title should be once I begin to grasp the story. What do you call a series about a cowboy in the early-to-mid nineties? I hopefully will come up with something bettet than The [Main-Character] Stories soon.
I've come across a fairly fun band called Skillet. They sound like a cross of Hinder, Evanescence, and Plumb. It's always nice to find something hard-rockish that won't leave the kids scarred if they hear it. Here's one of their tunes set to a segment of Bleach (for you Zilla).
Watch Bleach Skillet-Monster in Anime | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Write On.
R.
In spite of my failure to report the numbers, I have been writing, beefing up my portfolio to try to get into an MFA of Creative Writing for next fall. I am getting a good chunk of short stories in my new series put together, with a respectable number of segments jotted down in my pocket notebook. I'm pleased with where the characters are going and the potential the series has. I've not been able to come up with a title for the it, which is strange because I often start with a title or know what the title should be once I begin to grasp the story. What do you call a series about a cowboy in the early-to-mid nineties? I hopefully will come up with something bettet than The [Main-Character] Stories soon.
I've come across a fairly fun band called Skillet. They sound like a cross of Hinder, Evanescence, and Plumb. It's always nice to find something hard-rockish that won't leave the kids scarred if they hear it. Here's one of their tunes set to a segment of Bleach (for you Zilla).
Watch Bleach Skillet-Monster in Anime | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Write On.
R.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Arachnid
A spider bit me upon the leg
A great long drink of Dixie dregs
Yellow pustules of venom full
Sour poison blistering cruel
Spider, you did avoid mine eye
Someday soon I hope you die
A great long drink of Dixie dregs
Yellow pustules of venom full
Sour poison blistering cruel
Spider, you did avoid mine eye
Someday soon I hope you die
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Dear Government . . .
Mr. Obama, the Congress, assorted yes men and bureaucrats of all different sorts:
There was nothing wrong with my state managed student loans. By retroactively purchasing them you are in fact hurting me, my family, and my ability to ever contribute gainfully to this society. This heavy-handed approach to creating a crisis so that you can claim to have fixed something is wrong, and I think you know it.
Sincerely,
Riotimus, an American
There was nothing wrong with my state managed student loans. By retroactively purchasing them you are in fact hurting me, my family, and my ability to ever contribute gainfully to this society. This heavy-handed approach to creating a crisis so that you can claim to have fixed something is wrong, and I think you know it.
Sincerely,
Riotimus, an American
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Testing . . .
This week I have been subbing in an elementary school that I am fond of. At lunch today I heard a teacher saying she would love to teach social studies, but since it isn't on the state and federal mandated tests she's not going to. Social studies. For those of you who don't recall what that is here is a little rundown:
Geography
History
Economics
Political science
It is the essence of intelligent humanity and patriotism being ran down in order to create a more pliable (ie. more open to propaganda)but technically advanced labor force. Something about that makes me think of Germany in the 1930's. Wait . . . the day is coming when a reference like that will have no meaning, no power, no recognition. I think it is not just a shame, but it should be a crime.
But nobody asks riotimus for his opinion before they make the big decisions.
R.
Geography
History
Economics
Political science
It is the essence of intelligent humanity and patriotism being ran down in order to create a more pliable (ie. more open to propaganda)but technically advanced labor force. Something about that makes me think of Germany in the 1930's. Wait . . . the day is coming when a reference like that will have no meaning, no power, no recognition. I think it is not just a shame, but it should be a crime.
But nobody asks riotimus for his opinion before they make the big decisions.
R.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Writing Manuals
This summer I had the opportunity to read a couple of really good books about the art of fiction. One was Steering the Craft by Ursela LeGuin and the other was On Writing by Stephen King. They were noteworthy for a couple of reasons which I will hereby expound upon.
Both of these books were a pleasure to read. They were enlightening and they moved. It was a pleasing experience which I cannot say for many writing books I have read regardless of who wrote them.
Steering the Craft is concise and to the point. LeGuin (Eathsea Trilogy) touches on issues she's come across in workshops and seminars, things like tense, suspense, adverbs, and writer's groups/circles/etc.
On Writing starts with a large memoir section of the things King feels like relate to his writing - how's, when's, and why's. He touches on the language, pacing, adverbs, agents, revision, etc.
One of the things that made an impression on me were the way they had some of the same opinions - opinions that were not in line with a lot of books I've read before, though that wasn't always the case. One of the points of dissent had to do with plotting. Both LeGuin and King were adamant that plotting is a device, that it has little to do with storytelling, but is more of a gimmick. King calls his writing "situational writing" in that he sticks a character in a situation and as he finds out more about the character he finds out where the story is going.
Another cool point had to do with action. LeGuin says that writers often feel like their needs to be conflict or action in order to have a story. She says all they really need is change. A transition is a story, in other words. I can't put it as beautifully as she did so I will recommend that you read the book for more.
Adverbs were one of the things they both talked about. King said "the road to hell is paved with adverbs" or something very close to that. LeGuin wasn't quite so dramatic about it, but she felt just as strongly. Adverbs weaken and cheapen your verbs, placing the author at risk of looking weak or preposterous. Between the two of them I have made a goal to not let any adverbs or adverbial phrases slip into my fiction, or if they do to not let them make it past the first draft.
King talks about not sharing your story with anyone until you have a complete draft. If you do he goes through a whole list of scenarios that damage your efforts to finish the story well.
I strongly recommend both of these books to writers of fiction. They deserve much more of a treatment than I gave them here today, so check them out.
R.
Both of these books were a pleasure to read. They were enlightening and they moved. It was a pleasing experience which I cannot say for many writing books I have read regardless of who wrote them.
Steering the Craft is concise and to the point. LeGuin (Eathsea Trilogy) touches on issues she's come across in workshops and seminars, things like tense, suspense, adverbs, and writer's groups/circles/etc.
On Writing starts with a large memoir section of the things King feels like relate to his writing - how's, when's, and why's. He touches on the language, pacing, adverbs, agents, revision, etc.
One of the things that made an impression on me were the way they had some of the same opinions - opinions that were not in line with a lot of books I've read before, though that wasn't always the case. One of the points of dissent had to do with plotting. Both LeGuin and King were adamant that plotting is a device, that it has little to do with storytelling, but is more of a gimmick. King calls his writing "situational writing" in that he sticks a character in a situation and as he finds out more about the character he finds out where the story is going.
Another cool point had to do with action. LeGuin says that writers often feel like their needs to be conflict or action in order to have a story. She says all they really need is change. A transition is a story, in other words. I can't put it as beautifully as she did so I will recommend that you read the book for more.
Adverbs were one of the things they both talked about. King said "the road to hell is paved with adverbs" or something very close to that. LeGuin wasn't quite so dramatic about it, but she felt just as strongly. Adverbs weaken and cheapen your verbs, placing the author at risk of looking weak or preposterous. Between the two of them I have made a goal to not let any adverbs or adverbial phrases slip into my fiction, or if they do to not let them make it past the first draft.
King talks about not sharing your story with anyone until you have a complete draft. If you do he goes through a whole list of scenarios that damage your efforts to finish the story well.
I strongly recommend both of these books to writers of fiction. They deserve much more of a treatment than I gave them here today, so check them out.
R.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Master
I have been unofficially accepted into a Master of Arts in English program. It will have to go through the whole big process before I get my letter, but I am starting classes next month. I am very excited.
R.
R.
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