Hello hello, friends! Welcome to Hear the Writer Roar Tuesday :). I’m reading this awesome book called “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print”. One thing I’m learning is that Point of View is very important. There are some POV’s that only seasoned writers can get away with. It’s best to find one approach to POV so you won’t confuse your readers.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
There are three types of POV:
First Person- using the “I” voice and talking to your readers
Third Person- In between first and omniscient. Using “he”, “she”, and “they”
Omniscient – this is God mode. You’re not inside a characters head. You are able to write things your characters don’t know about. Perspective
First Person gives a reader intimacy. You get to know the character well but the downside is that you have a narrow view of the rest of the world. Omniscient gives a broader scope (perspective) but you lose all intimacy. Third Person is the happy medium and what I prefer. It is also what the experts recommend….especially if you’re not a seasoned writer (like Francine Rivers or Shakespeare). When you use third person you can use different techniques to go back n forth between intimacy and narrative distance.
I’m not saying you can never use First Person or Omniscient. You may do very well in these areas. I’m just saying the “experts” are saying Third Person is usually the best. I will say that if you change your POV too much you will drive your readers crazy. You want your writing to flow. So I’m learning it’s best to stick with one POV method.
Well this was another short post. I hope you have an inspiring week. If you have a chance check out “Self Editing for Fiction Writers”. It’s full of good stuff and discusses all this in detail. If you do please leave me a comment with your opinion. God bless and remember The High King Lives!
Hello and welcome to Crafty Monday. Today will be another short and sweet post. It’s just been one of those days 😉 plus my internet has been going in and out all weekend. So I’m going to leave you with the craft I hosted today at my homeschool group. This is super simple and you can use it for Valentine’s or just to leave notes for your kids etc…
Here is the link with the instructions. I LOVE this lady’s ideas. Enjoy 🙂
http://www.thatartistwoman.org/2009/02/valentine-pockets.html
Also I’m trying to think of a good Valentine’s center piece for February. This month I hung snowflakes from a tree branch….maybe I’ll hang paper hearts from a tree. Here’s a neat idea I saw on Pinterest:
Hello friends and welcome to My Family Rocks! Sunday. Today’s post will be brief. I have some helpful tidbits for you to enjoy. Let’s get started 🙂
#1 The Crazy Cycle
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
I’m just going to point you in the general direction today. You’ll have to dig on your own (it’s been a long week). I believe most marriages deal with the crazy cycle. We’re going along good……everyone loves and respects each other…then something happens. We’re not perfect. Someone goofs……..who knows why…….maybe they just had a stressful day at work or they feel sick. Someone disrespects the other or acts without love……then the crazy cycle starts. This cycle can only be broken when the more mature person chooses to show unconditional love & respect. Relationship is more important than being right. Now this concept is being used for marriage but I assure you it works with any relationship we have with the opposite sex. Men and women are just different. For more info on how to escape the crazy cycle, go to:
I saw this suggestion on Pinterest. It reminded me of my own childhood. After my Dad became a minister and changed his life around, he truly started showing me his love. My Dad bought a pack of blank cards with pretty pictures on them. He would write a sweet note to me in those cards and stick one in my lunch box every day. This went on from 8th grade through Highschool. It was a small and simple gesture but I felt like a princess. My friends would gather around to see what my Dad wrote each day.
It’s a little different with my son. He’s homeschooled. But we once had a toy mailbox that I’d leave notes in. I’ll probably start something like that again. Do you leave sweet notes for your kids? How do you make your kids feel special? Last week we talked about the different love languages. It all ties in together. Leave me a comment if you can 🙂
#3 Spaghetti tips
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Is your spaghetti bland? Well here are some tips to spice it up. Add these to your sauce:
add a tbsp of sugar
add diced tomatoes and other veggies (like squash or even carrots. Tomato sauce is really good at hiding veggies)
add a couple tbsp of red wine (make sure you let the sauce simmer a couple of hours)
even if your sauce has spices still add some extra garlic, onion, and Italian spices
add cheese
Let it all simmer, add to your noodles, and enjoy. You’ll be begging for more 😉
well, That’s all folks. God bless and remember The High King Lives!
Hello hello friends! It’s Media Saturday :). Today I’ll be reviewing Rhett & Link from Youtube, the hit tv show “Once Upon a Time”, and singer Christina Perri. I am excited about today’s reviews. I believe many of you will be familiar with these shows/people. Once again I hold a Biblical world view and that will affect my reviews. Let’s get started!
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
#1 Once Upon A Time (warning a few spoilers)
What can I say? Most of you probably already watch this show.”Once Upon a Time” quickly became one of America’s top shows. “Once Upon a Time” is about a group of fairy tale characters who are cursed by an evil queen. Now the characters are stuck in the real world in Story Brooke, Maine. No one ages and no one remembers their past except the evil queen who is now Mayor of Story Brooke (& maybe Rumpelstiltskin).
Before the curse hit, Snow White and Prince Charming put their only child in a magical tree that transported the child to another realm safe from the curse. This child was Emma (who is now 28) and the prophecies say she is the one who will break the curse. Emma has a 10 yr old son, Henry, that she gave up for adoption. Henry was adopted by the evil Queen (Regina-they all have new names in the real world). Henry finds Emma and asks for her help to break the curse. Henry has a book that tells the story of all the characters including why Emma was seemingly abandoned by her parents. Emma of course is skeptical but she agrees to drive Henry back to Story Brooke. In the process, Emma sees Henry did not get the best life through adoption and she finds she wants t be apart of Henry’s life after all.
Emma has no family life or friends really. She was passed along through the foster system and now she’s a bail bondsman/ bounty hunter. So Emma has nothing to lose when she moves to Story Brooke. Regina (the evil Queen) is very hostile towards Emma and tells her to stay out of Henry’s life. At first, Regina seems to be a normal overprotective mom. Why would she want some strange woman who agreed to a closed adoption, to show up and confuse her son? But as we continue in the series we see Regina is a hateful and controlling person who doesn’t understand true love. We find out that she took her own Father’s heart to make the curse. Strangely her Father’s name was Henry as well. Regina will do anything to take out her revenge on Snow White ( Mary Margaret now & Henry’s school teacher). We still don’t know what Snow White did to the Evil Queen and I have a feeling it will be awhile before we find out. The series just started after all.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
What makes this show so addictive is how they take fairy tales and portray them in real life. They go back n forth between what happened to the characters in the story world and what’s happening now in the real world because of the curse. At the heart of the stories is the character Rumpelstiltskin. He is Mr. Gold in the real world. Mr. Gold is the one character who has control over Regina and this is because Mr. Gold gave Regina the curse with a price. Rumpelstiltskin (Mr. Gold) repeatedly says “Magic always comes with a price”. Regina (evil Queen) has to give Mr. Gold whatever he asks when he says please. Mr. Gold’s back story is interesting. He wasn’t always evil but now he makes deceptive deals with the storybook characters.
For instance, in the “Once Upon a Time” story of Cinderella, Rumple destroys the fairy Godmother for her wand. Then HE is the one to send Cinderella to the ball….but with a price. She now owes him. When the time comes we find out Cinderella must give up her first born child (Rumple has a thing for babies). Cinderella tricks Rumple and he is locked up but now she is cursed. In the real world Cinderella (Ashley) is a single 19 yr old pregnant maid. Her prince isn’t around to help and she feels she must give the baby to Mr. Gold to be put up for adoption. Emma convinces Ashley to keep the baby and Emma ends up making a deal with Mr. Gold so he won’t take the baby. In the end, Cinderella and her Prince are together in the real world along with their baby. Emma acts as savior for many storybook characters in each episode.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
The one story that is constant and full of surprises is Snow White’s story. Snow White and Prince Charming are the main characters and Emma’s real parents. But in Story Brooke they are the same age they were when Emma was born. At first, Prince Charming (David) is in a coma. Mary Margaret (Snow White) volunteers and visits him. After Emma’s arrival, Snow White brings David out of his coma with a kiss. The bad news is that they are still cursed. They don’t remember they were married in the storybook world. Then Regina (evil Queen) finds David’s wife Kathryn (King Midas’ daughter). David tries to stay faithful to his real world wife Kathryn but David and Mary are drawn to each other. This part of the story is confusing. Is it really adulterous for Snow and Charming to be together? After all, they were married first in the world they are from. The curse has turned morality upside down on it’s head…making it hard to determine what is right and wrong. For this reason I strongly caution parents if they let their kids watch this show.
I personally let my son watch some episodes and others I ban. A few times I’ve had to cover his eyes. Little Red Riding Hood (Ruby in real world) dresses like a hoochie and works at the local diner. There hasn’t been any sex scenes but some things are implied (with the evil Queen). If you don’t let your children watch magic then this is a no no. I personally allow my son to watch some magic and we discuss the difference between reality and fantasy. I’m very open with my son. We don’t do Santa Clause or the tooth fairy. If you do that’s up to you. I’m not telling anyone how to parent. We do use our imagination alot and pretend but at the end of the day Michael knows whats real and whats fantasy. Anywho, “Once Upon A Time” is supposed to be a family show but like I said there are some instances where you have to be careful. Some episodes may be too scary for children as well. Plus I get sick of the commercials especially ones for Desperate Housewives ( I hate that show…just being honest). You can watch episodes of Once Upon a Time on ABC.com and decide what’s best for your family.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
As an adult I love this show. It is one of the few decent shows on televisions. It is more moral than most shows. Fairy tales don’t bother me at this age. When I was a young kid I was very impressionable and my magic intake should’ve been limited or atleast discussed. Now as an adult I am very grounded in my faith as a Christian. My dad was a minister and he educated me very well on other religions (including Wicca which he experienced BEFORE he became a minister). So when I watch magical shows I can pick out what is fantasy and what’s based on real life magic. I’m not going to watch “Harry Potter” and decide to become a Wiccan. I know what’s behind that stuff. I know demons are real (I’ve seen a few) and I know the spiritual battle in this world is very REAL.
My Son on the other hand is young and sometimes movie characters become role models instead of mom and Dad……..especially when they seem so much cooler. Fantasy and television can really have a powerful grip on a child. I’ve never let my son watch Spiderman (I don’t like the movies) yet he thinks Spiderman is SO cool. We homeschool too so it doesn’t make sense. But I can’t shelter my son from everything. I can on the other hand provide him a safe zone where he can mature and be trained for battle. Seriously this world is like a warzone. I’m not sending my kid into it without some wisdom and combat training (figuratively speaking). I’m glad my Dad prepared me or I probably would’ve been drawn to the occult. Education is a powerful thing.
In conclusion, (sorry I bunny trailed) Once Upon a Time is very entertaining and one of the cleaner shows on tv. I love how the writers give the fairy tales depth. There are so many surprises and twists and turns. This show comes from the writers of “Lost” so it’s bound to be interesting. Do you like Once Upon a Time? Please leave me a comment with your opinion. What’s your favorite aspect of the show? What do you dislike about it? Who is your fav. character?
Ok, this review will be short and sweet (I know you’re thankful lol). My awesome hubby introduced me to Rhett and Link on youtube and I laughed myself silly. In fact, I used one of their videos in this week’s Laugh Yourself Silly Thursday post. Rhett and Link have been best friends since grade-school. They are some goofy guys who love to make people laugh and they do it well..very well. My hubby says Rhett and Link now have their own cable show.
These guys are well liked by many. They have 854,055 subscribers and their channel has 121,565,657 video views. So I am not alone in my love for Rhett & Link videos. These guys make funny advertisement videos like this:
They do goofy stunts like this:
I just have to SHOW you these videos…I don’t know how to describe the greatness of Rhett and Link. You have to EXPERIENCE it lol 🙂
I even like their homeschool song. Yes my son WILL take over the country. I promise he won’t rob you though lol
Other hilarious videos include their Surrogate Sharers series, Caption Fail series, and their dating advice.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
#3 Christina Perri
Christina Perri is a lovely artist who sings and writes her own music. She can also play the guitar and piano. I enjoy artists who have diverse creativity. I’m not sure what genre I would put Christina’s music in…….some blues….some folk maybe……definitely not pop although one of her hit songs “A Thousand Years” could easily rival any Taylor Swift song.
Christina Perri writes songs based on her own experiences with romance. There are happily ever after songs and there are songs about being lonely. Her voice is haunting and hard to get out of your head.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Christina’s album “Lovestrong” has several lovely tunes. “Jar of Hearts” is the song that brought her to fame. It is a song about a charming man who steals women’s hearts then discards them. Here are some lyrics:
[Chorus:] And who do you think you are? Runnin’ ’round leaving scars Collecting your jar of hearts And tearing love apart You’re gonna catch a cold From the ice inside your soul So don’t come back for me Who do you think you are?
She also says she’s not his “ghost anymore”. The music video is very unique artistically. The man is seen as a “dementor”, a creature from Harry Potter that sucks the life out of his victims. Well, this player sucks the life out of these girls when he kisses them and then leaves them all heart broken. I like how she used that concept. I personally don’t like some of the dancing in the video. But I give Christina lots of creative points 🙂
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
As a person, Christina seems to be more of an emo/steam punk chic. I can’t imagine her wearing Abercrombie and Fitch. She reminds me of Lacy from Flyleaf. I myself have never been a preppy kind of girl (though I do have my “Pollyanna” moments and I love pink). I would so wear a tutu over my jeans if my hubby let me. I don’t care for tattoos but I’m not going to judge someone’s character because of them. In fact, one of my best friends has a tattoo. Moving on, I really like how creative Christina is in her videos. My favorite video is “Arms” in which her guy is tattooed and just not your average model for a chic video. In “Arms” Christina talks about her fears of being loved because she doesn’t want to hurt her lover. She feels that if she leaves him then she can’t make him “bleed”. The video is gorgeous. She starts off lying in bed next to her man. Christina falls asleep and then dreams she’s flying away. She falls into the ocean at one point…climbs onto a boat that is full of her band mates and rocks out in the rain. Perri does alot of flying in this video. She actually floats away with some balloons too. In the end she runs back to her man and chooses love despite her fears.
Enjoy for yourself:
Ms. Perri also has some beautiful lyric videos. I haven’t seen other artists do their own lyric videos but I’m also getting old and out of the loop lol. My favorite lyric video is “The Lonely”. She personifies loneliness in this song. The video is enchanting yet a bit chilling.
You can find her song “A Thousand Years” on the “Breaking Dawn” soundtrack from “Twilight”. I would have walked down the aisle to this song had it been around about 8 years ago. I leave you with a few lyrics:
Heart beats fast Colors and promises How to be brave How can I love when I’m afraid to fall But watching you stand alone All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
[Chorus:] I have died everyday waiting for you Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you For a thousand years I’ll love you for a thousand more
Hello! Hello friends 🙂 Welcome to this Virtual Friday. Today I’m going to show you three beautiful sims that are family friendly and perfect for family rpg. (note: 1000 Lindens is worth $5 USD. Wondering what prims are? Find out here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Primitive)
Our first stop is Morningside Valley, a quaint suburb with an awesome playground. Yes, I am a big kid. Do you like my new doll? 🙂 She kind of looks like Arwen from Lord of the Rings. My husband and I are the youngest in our family. So we have an unspoken agreement that we will spoil each other since our parents no longer do it lol. Because I am a Christian and because I have a childlike spirit, I love places of innocence. Morningside is just that. There are plenty of places to play games and hang out with friends. You can see from the event board behind me that they even have group campouts and paintball.
I love how the weather changes with the seasons and how it even rains sometimes. There are a few downsides. I don’t like that there aren’t any natural sounds. It’s way too silent. My other issue is the price to live in Morningside Valley. A regular house costs 1250L weekly for 500 prims. That’s actually not too bad for that many prims and the quality of the neighborhood. But I’m not willing to pay that much though I have briefly in the past. But if you plan on spending alot of time in the virtual realm and can afford it I think you’ll enjoy Morningside.
Oakhaven is nice country community. I really love the scenery and all the realistic sounds. There wasn’t a huge play area but they have a nice community pool. I really LOVED the houses. They are good quality and very spacious. Once again it costs alot to live in a nice neighborhood. The house below is 2400L weekly for 1000 prims. Oh if wishes were horses we’d all take a ride. Speaking of horses…..this place welcomes pets. If you have a breedable then Oakhaven is just right. There doesn’t seem to be alot of community activities but the atmosphere is peaceful and rated PG 🙂
And now we come to my FAVORITE place, Beverly Spring. As you can tell from the pics this community has class. Not only does Beverly Spring have cute houses they also have restaurants, stores, and their own school. I fell in love with Beverly as soon as I arrived. There was snow everywhere 🙂 Then I saw the golden arches and I knew I was in paradise lol. They also have a chinese restaurant and a quaint coffee shop that is actually run by real people.
Most of the roles are filled in this community. They have police, teachers, and store owners. There’s an adoption agency for kid avatars that want an RPG family. Personally I’m proud of my grown-up pants and I’d rather let my child avatar run free in the virtual world. If you click on the middle picture you’ll be able to see the school better. I really enjoyed the school. They actually have real classes and their own cheer-leading team. If you’re anxious to relive your school days or to have a better version of your childhood then Beverly Spring fits the bill.
The price is even good. There was a nice house for 400L weekly with a decent amount of prims. Personally I’m sticking to my 30L a week lousy apartment. It’s not very kid friendly but at this stage in my virtual life I only need a good place to change. I’m too busy exploring. I’ve already paid the money for fancy land and even a place in a nice farming community. Yeah, I had a horse, pigs, chickens etc…..I even grew corn. But I don’t have the time for that anymore. For those of you who don’t understand SecondLife….well just imagine a beefed up version of farmville. I prefer my virtual experience to be as close to reality as possible. Anywho, if I had the money and the time I’d LOVE to live in Beverly Spring.
Beverly school
Beverly
Well, folks that’s all. Next I hope to explore several rpg adventure/fantasy sims. I’ll find the best places to watch a sword fight or to sprout your fairy wings :). God bless and remember The High King Lives!
Hello! Hello! Welcome to Inspirational Wednesday 🙂 Pull up a chair. Here take this quilt and snuggle up by the fire. I’ll make you a cup of hot tea. Let’s enjoy the wisdom passed down from ancient times.
Passage Proverbs 4:23-27: 23Keep and guardyour heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
24Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.
25Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you.
26Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.
27Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
If your physical heart stops beating you die. What we eat, our physical activity, and our emotions can affect our heart. I suggest to you that it is the same with our soulish heart. When we are born we are given this special place to keep our love…our desires…our hurts…our sorrow. What we let into our heart, shapes who we are as people and how we will treat others. So it makes perfect sense that the Bible tells us to guard our heart above all else. Our heart is rather important.
Passage Luke 6:45: 45The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Imagine that you have a special treasure box inside of your soul. In this box you keep all your emotions. This box is your heart. It is YOUR choice what stays in the box and what goes. Is your heart-shaped box full of bitterness, hate, greed, jealousy, or lust? You may try to hide these things from the world. After all, you don’t want people to know you’re a bitter person.
Sooner or later the bitterness you’ve held onto from your childhood and the bitterness you have from this week even, will fill that box……and overflow onto everyone. You’ll find, the bitterness (or hatred or greed etc) will come out in conversation when you least expect it. As hard as you try you can’t stop the bad things from coming out. You feel like a monster. The bitterness soon affects your physical health as well.
But let’s say you choose to let go of your bitterness and you fill your box with forgiveness instead. Soon your box overflows with love and peace and joy. People WANT to be around you because you’re a pleasant person. Mercy and Grace come out of your mouth. You are an encouraging person now. You love life and you can feel it in your bones.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Passage Philippians 4:6-7: 6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([a]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
7And God’s peace [shall be yours, that [b]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall [c]garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I don’t care who you are…..we are NOT perfect. Just because someone is following Christ, doesn’t mean they ARE Christ. We have a hard time trying to do good. Let’s face it….sin is a big issue. Temptation is HARD. It’s SO much easier to give in and do the wrong thing. Our society pushes people towards evil. So how CAN we guard our hearts?
We don’t MEAN to let jealousy in or anger. It just happens sometimes. We TRY not to worry but fear seems to follow us around. As much as we try to dump the pollution out of our hearts, it just keeps coming back. We never get it right.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
So let me suggest something to you. DON’T try to guard your heart on your own! You need HELP! I NEED help! We’re so busy doing this thing called life that sometimes we let bad things come in our hearts and we don’t give it a second thought.
We need a GUARD……someone who will help us guard this special box that holds our treasure. There is an enemy who would love to rob us of everything sacred and leave our box full of garbage. Sometimes he sneaks up from behind when we’re not looking. We NEED someone who can see every perspective…..someone who understands human temptation and hardship…….someone who once cried blood……..someone who survived death and came back alive for the sake of true love. That God-man is Jesus Christ, friends and HE is the PERFECT GUARD for our hearts.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
The above passage says God’s peace (remember Jesus is the Prince of Peace) will guard our hearts. What do we do? We trust in God. We pray…..just talk to him…lay our troubles at HIS feet. If you put your faith in Christ, HE will remove the junk in your heart and that’s a process he does daily (it’s like email….spam comes daily lol). If you repent and let HIM be your Lord then he will fill your heart with real treasure……joy and peace even in hardship………true love even when you’re persecuted. There is no better guard for your precious heart. The King of Kings loves you and He loved your heart so much that HE sacrificed himself to save it from Satan’s poison. There is NO greater love story.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
I say all this not because I’m perfect or even good….I am neither. But I know someone who is both. Jesus Christ took on imperfection, hatred, pain….and every manner of evil and He died with it on the cross…….that way you wouldn’t have to suffer the punishment for evil. He took it all. Then he rose again three days later…..victorious over death and the grave! Christ is alive and his arms are open. He wants to wash your heart clean if you’ll let Him. God is a gentleman. He will NEVER force himself on anyone. He leaves the choice up to you. When I was thirteen years old I made the choice to follow Christ because I realized He was the only one who would take care of my heart. I found my best friend that day and I know I would never have survived the hardships of my life without HIM.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
God bless and have a beautiful week! Remember: The High King Lives!
Hello! Hello! I hope you’re having a lovely day. I’m excited because today is Hear the Writer Roar! Tuesday and I get to share with you the writing tips I’m learning as I write my book (The Truth Seeker’s Chronicles). First off let me say…..writing IS WORK! It takes me about five hours to write a half of a chapter. Maybe I’m just slow….that’s completely possible. I really want this book to be of good quality and that means lots and lots of research. I learned several things last week:
I learned when to use “lie” and when to use “lay”……ummm then I forgot it again :(. But I found a great site that will help me from now on when I have grammar issues. Also, thankfully my best friend Hannah was an English teacher (now turned homeschooling mom). She will be editing my book 🙂 Go Hannah!
I’ve also learned the definition of “Caterwaul”. It’s the horrible sound a Bobcat makes. I almost peed my pants when I heard the sound clip. And here’s the sneak peak for the week 🙂 One of the creatures in my book is called a Beheymah (which simply means “beast” in Hebrew). It has the body of a panther and huge bat-like wings. It lives in the caves of Shazaar. There’s a scene where Emmanuel hears this beast “caterwauling” in the distance. I wanted to write out the sound effect.
And this is where we come to “Onomatopoeia”. “Onomatopoeia” is a word that imitates sound (like “Bang” or “Screech”).
Some people are completely against writing sound effects in a novel (unless it’s in comic form) but there are professionals who use onomatopoeia in their books. Stephen King is one of them. I read that in an article. I’ve never actually read his books. I saw a few of his movies as a kid and it scared me silly. I hate horror stuff. My nightmares are bad enough. I don’t want to give my mind any more scary ideas lol.
Moving on……often I run out of words. My vocabulary only goes as far as what I’ve been taught. Unless you read a dictionary every day you’re probably the same way. These two sites really helped me take the redundancy out of my writing:
Ya know, maybe we SHOULD read the dictionary every day….learn a new word each morning….hmmmm. It would probably help my brain…just maybe. I also learned about moss and medieval stumble steps but I won’t bore you with those tid bits. Anywho, it takes me a long time to write because I do alot of research. Also, I take mental notes when I watch tv or read a book…like “Why did that plot fail?” or “What made the characters so strong and likeable in this series?”.
I LOVE Kristen Lamb’s blog and all her awesome writing tips. You’ll see her blog in my links section to the right. One thing she talks alot about is “showing not telling” when we write. The old days are dead. This generation is spoiled by television and the internet. We are a very visual generation. So when we write we have to remember that our audience is used to action and visual stimuli. They want to experience our book not just read it. Anyone can “tell” a story….but to make your readers feel like they’re IN the book…….well that take’s alot of work. We have to engage our readers’ senses.
Let me give you an example of showing vs. telling.
First: Telling
It began to rain. The smell of the rain reminded Andrea of her past, when her and David were happy. She was depressed so she went to bed early.
Second: Showing
The rain sprinkled with a melancholy tune. Andrea filled her lungs with the fresh air. She could almost taste spring.
“David, do you remember when we used to dance in the rain?”
David gave Andrea a quick glance, then went back to reading his paper.
“Oh, yeah. Sure, Honey. I remember.”
A tear rolled down Andrea’s cheek. She put away the dishes as David finished the sports section.
“I’m going to bed now.”
David did not look up this time. “Okay, good night.”
Can you see the difference? The first example simply tells the readers what is happening and what they must think. The second example shows what’s happening and allows the reader to have their own interpretation of the story. I’m learning that we must NOT patronize our readers. We don’t have to tell the readers Andrea’s depressed. They can see she’s depressed by how she acts. When we “show” instead of “telling” we allow the reader to become a part of the story and it’s process.
In the past, an author would be paid by each word he wrote…so naturally people wrote long detailed stories. They did alot of telling. We are in a new time. We must reach readers of today. Like I implied before, we have to compete with television and virtual reality. So we’ve got to be good. I challenge all my writers out there: Show don’t tell! Engage the senses 🙂
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”
E.L. Doctorow (Quote I found on Mrs. Donita’s blog which is also in my links section)
Hello! Hello! Welcome friends! Today is Crafty Monday. So pull up a chair and get out your paints….and be sure to wear some clothes that can get messy 🙂 Today I’ve got four winter crafts for you. These are great for the kiddos and you can enjoy them as well.
#1 Star Bird Feeders
These are fairly simple to make. All it requires is:
3/4 cup birdseed
1/4 cup water
1 small envelope of knox gelatine
twine or string (we used fishing line & yarn)
cookie cutters, molds or mason jar lids (for circles)
wax paper
1. mix the gelatin with the water and boil til the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Let the mixture cool for a sec. Then mix in the bird seed (add more if there’s still alot of liquid)
3. Lay your cookie cutters on the wax paper
4. Loop your string through the cookie cutter leaving some on both sides. (Remember don’t tie the string yet)
5. spoon the bird seed mixture into the cookie cutters
6. let it harden overnight. Remove from the cookie cutters. Tie the string and hang these in the trees 🙂
Taa daaa! PS: you can also make shamrock and heart shapes for other seasons. We got a head start on ours…
#2 Frozen Sun Catchers
We made these in the freezer because our weather is WAY too bipolar in Alabama. The above picture was in taken in front of a candle because it was cloudy outside (tornado watches today). We are keeping our frozen ice sculpture in the freezer until the weather is cold enough so we can hang it outside.
1. Find decorations from creation (leaves, berries, pine cones etc)
2. Fill a bowl with water (we put plastic wrap in ours so it’d be easy to remove once frozen)
3. place your natural decorations in the water
4. place some string or yarn in the top of the soon-to-be sculpture (if not you’ll have to do what we had to do: heat the end of a screw driver and push it through the ice to make a hole)
5. freeze over night
6. remove the ice sculpture and hang it up for a nice sun catcher
#3 Winter Rocks
The picture explains it all. Simply paint a rock white. It’s best to use a gold metallic pen to draw the snowflake but I didn’t have one. I used blue paint with glitter. I know it looks like something my son did…..one day I’ll buy a metallic pen lol. I used a big rock but this looks really good with a bunch of small rocks. You can put them in front of a fire so they’ll reflect the glow.
Here’s some stones someone else did. Mines pitiful in comparison 😦
#4 Borax Snowflakes
These are super fun and you can use the same concept to make rock candy (just don’t use the Borax! lol). This idea can also be used for Valentines & St Patrick’s Day (just change the shape & add food coloring)
Wide mouthed jar
3 white pipe cleaners
String
Scissors
Pencil
Boiling water
Spoon
Borax (called 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster – the product called Boraxo will NOT work)
Optional: blue food coloring (red if you make heart shapes & green for shamrocks)
1. Make a snowflake frame from 3 white pipe cleaners and string. Twist the 3 pipe cleaners together in the center to make a 6-sided, spiky figure.
Make sure this figure fits inside the wide-mouthed jar.
2. Tie the string around the pipe cleaners to look like a snowflake shape. Trim the excess string.
3. Tie a few inches of string to one of the pipe cleaners. Tie the other end of the string to a pencil, so that the snowflake will hang from the pencil and dangle inside the jar.
Take the snowflake out of the jar.
4. Pour boiling water into the jar.
Add the 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster to the hot water in the jar.
Keep adding the Borax until you have a supersaturated solution (you will see undissolved Borax at the bottom of the jar). You’ll have to add about 3 tablespoonfuls of the 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster to each cup of hot water in the jar.
Optional: Add a few drops of blue food coloring for a bluish snowflake.
5. Hang the snowflake in the jar and wait at least overnight.
In the morning, your snowflake will be covered with beautiful crystals.
As the supersaturated solution cools, the borax comes out of solution (less of the borax can dissolve in cool water) and forms crystals on the pipe cleaners and string.
You can do the same type of project using supersaturated sugar-water and a string, making edible rock candy (but the crystals take longer to form).
Yaaaaa! I finished this before midnight 🙂 Have an inspirational week, folks. God bless and remember
Hello hello friends! Pull up a chair. Today is My Family Rocks! Sunday. Time for all things pertaining to family. Today I want to talk about how love languages affect our whole family. I also have some tasty recipes you can try for dinner this week. Lastly, I’ve tried some fun school tips on Pinterest and I’m sharing them with YOU :).
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
#1 Love Languages
Gary Chapman wrote a phenomenal book that has changed the way couples view love. It is called “The Five Love Languages”. In his book, Mr. Chapman proposes that everyone has their own love language and their are five types. Some people may have several love languages but ultimately most people gravitate towards certain languages more than the others. Since we all have a different love language sometimes others do not understand us. We may be showing love to someone but they just don’t get it because it’s not in a language they understand.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
The five love languages are as follows: Words of Affirmation, Quality time, Receiving gifts, Acts of Service, and physical touch. Say you are a “Words of Affirmation” type person and your spouse is “Acts of Service”. Your spouse may wash the dishes and take out the trash but they rarely say “I love you” or tell you that you are good looking. Your spouse thinks they are showing you love because afterall serving is how they show love. But you DON’T feel loved because your love language is “Words of Affirmation”. So how do we bridge this gap? We are all speaking different languages…..plus the fact that men and women are already so different (women are spaghetti and men are waffles and all that jazz).
Well, what do you do when you go to a foreign country? Do you just wander around screaming English in a Spanish speaking country? Do you yell “Hey! Listen to me people! I said I need help! Speak some English!” No way! That would be ridiculous, right. If you’re going to a foreign country then it’s in your best interest to learn atleast some of the language.
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
We often enter relationships with ridiculous expectations. We think our spouse (or family member or friend) will transform into our likeness. That they will somehow be able to read our mind and understand why we do what we do. It’s not that simple. God made us all unique with our own special personalities. Plus, we all come from different backgrounds. So we need to learn each others love languages.
Let’s go back to the first example. Say you finally realize your spouse’s love language is “Acts of service”; then you begin to understand your spouse IS showing you love. You then know that your spouse would rather you help them out with the chores than write a 10 page love poem. You can also teach your spouse your own language. Be blunt. No one can read your mind! 🙂 Explain to them that although you appreciate them washing the dishes, you are the kind of person who needs to hear “I love you” and often. Even if they don’t want to try….YOU can still choose to show them love in their own language. You’d be surprised how unconditional love will warm a cold heart. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying let someone treat you like dirt. It’s never good to stay in an abusive relationship. But if you are married to someone that is not absolutely evil….someone who just happens to be different from you then just watch….using the right love language can transform a marriage.
But I want to propose to you that understanding the love languages can also transform many other relationships. I’m switching the focus from marriage to parenting. Our children also have a love language. It is just as important for us to know our child’s language. Here’s an example why:
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
My 5 year old son is a very loving child. He shows love in every language at this point. But I have noticed that he really likes to serve people. He is always willing to help out. He’s the kid who will hold the door for everybody at church….and I mean EVERYBODY. Well, my husband is a very independent person and he prefers to open his own door. So my son would go to open the door for my hubby and my hubby of course told him not to. My guys have very different (but equally wonderful) personalities.
Well, I realized that Michael (my son) was getting his feelings hurt because his Dad wouldn’t let him open the door. To me it didn’t seem like such a big deal and obviously not to his dad. But Michael shows love by serving and he felt rejected because he couldn’t open his Dad’s door. So the hubby and I talked about it. Now my hubby let’s Michael open his door. We realize it makes him feel accepted by his Dad when he’s allowed to serve him. We’ve also let him do more chores which has helped us all. He now knows that we need him and he is contributing to the family. So I challenge you tonight to figure out your family members love languages and then try to show them love in their own language. If you can please leave me a comment with your experience :).
#2 Bourbon chicken, fried rice, and homemade biscuits.
This is a great dinner combo and it’s really easier than you think. This is one of my family’s favorite meals. I’m leaving you the recipes for all three. Note: the ingredients for the chicken and rice may be a bit pricy the first time you buy them but they last awhile. I understand how it is to live on a budget. Now, the biscuits are super easy and you probably already have all the ingredients for them now. I found the biscuits on Pinterest. Yaaa Pinterest!
If you get a chance to make this meal please leave me a comment with your opinion 🙂 thanks!
#3 Math ideas from Pinterest
I LOVE Pinterest and I think I’m addicted to it….thanks to my bff Julie (it’s all your fault Frodo!). But who really has time to use all the ideas we pin. I hope though to try atleast a fourth of the things I pin. If you have no clue what I’m talking about then I suggest you check out http://www.pinterest.com for yourself. It’s too much to explain.
I’ve got tons of great recipes and crafts on there already. Enjoy 🙂
Anywho, I found a great idea to teach math by setting up a play store. I had heard of this idea before but seeing how someone really did it helped me to finally try the idea myself. First off I made some fake money out of salt dough. If you look at my previous posts you will find a salt dough recipe. It’s super simple to make. Michael had the paper money but lost or tore up most of it. I decided he needed more durable money :). So far the salt dough money has worked. I traced real coins to get the fake ones close in size (pic above).
So then we set up the store. I wrote small prices on paper ( 1 cent up to 4 dollars…nothing too complicated) and let Michael cut them into squares. I helped him choose which prices (mainly low prices for small things and higher for bigger things). We also made a shelf so he could display items better. We used his toy Mcdonalds cash register to calculate alot of items but most things he wrote down on a receipt and added them together manually. The receipt idea also helped with writing skills.
Until Dad and Nana got home, I was Michael’s main customer (and a few stuffed animals lol). Michael put my purchases in a bag (paper or plastic) then put my receipt in the bag and told me “Thank you! Have a great day and come again!”. See…he learned good manners & work ethics as well. And the whole time HE thought we were just “playing”. I’m a sneaky teacher……Michael loves “playing” store so much that he has set up his own “Walmart” and “Toy R US” (that’s how he spelled it).
Whether you homeschool or not, it is always important to say involved in your child’s education. If you have a young child that can use these ideas with, then please leave me a comment with your experience 🙂
Well, it is Monday now. Sorry 😦 *blush*. I started writing this on Sunday but it took longer than I expected and I’ve had a busy day. Forgive me. Tomorrow……errr ummm I mean later today I’ll have a Crafty Monday post with some great winter crafts….some for children and some adults will enjoy too 🙂
I leave you with this great music video called “Love is not a fight” by Warren Barfield
My favorite lines of this song are:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm Love is peace in the middle of a war And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door No, love is not a fight but it’s something worth fighting for
God bless and remember The High King Lives!
~Amber Dover
(edit: I found this great link that discusses the love languages & kids~
Welcome friends! Today is Media Saturday. I bring you three reviews (movie, music, and books). So pull up a chair and join me! Just so you know, all of my opinions will be filtered through my Biblical world view. Moving on….
Review #1: Hugo (the movie)
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
IMDb gives this synopsis: “Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. ”
Hugo was breath-taking! I felt like I had seen my first REAL movie. It didn’t have gun fire and silly bodily humor. This movie showed intelligence. My f ive year old actually sat through the whole thing and enjoyed it! We have a saying around our house that too much tv & video games will melt our brains. Well folks, THIS movie gave us an education. We learned some cinematic history and now my son, Michael, knows what an automaton is. Plus, he thinks it’d be really kewl to live in a train station. I’m just glad he still wants Mommy and Daddy to come along too. So if you get a chance I really hope you can see Hugo on the big screen. The colors just pop in this movie. It really is a work of art.
PS: I’ve yet to read the book but I’m definitely interested.
Review #2 Leeland (the band)
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Leeland is a Christian rock band from Baytown, TX. Their lead singer is Leeland Mooring, hence the name. The have four great albums out. I fell in love with this band’s music from the get go. Their first album Sound of Melodies just had a Celtic feel you rarely find in this genre (atleast in my experience). When it comes to their faith this band is honest and I like that. They are a Christian band that’s not afraid to actually say “Jesus” in their music….imagine that.
I was recently blessed by Leeland’s song “Follow You” with Brandon Heath (another awesome artist). The music video shows them on a missions trip. You can just feel the compassion. This band is the real deal. There’s no doubt their love for Christ is genuine.
Here’s a line from “Follow You”
You lived among the least of these The weary and the weak And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.
Their new album “The Great Awakening” has some awesome tunes that’ll make you ponder what’s important in life and will also draw you to worship. My favorites from the album are “I Wonder” and “While We Sing”.
So if you want to hear real talent that glorifies Jesus, give Leeland a try 🙂
Review #3 Francine Rivers (The Author)
(Pic removed in case of copyright issues)
Francine Rivers has been an author since the 80’s. She is most known for her book “Redeeming Love”, a western retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea. My favorite series “The Mark of the Lion”, has sold over half a million copies. Francine’s novel “The Last Sin Eater” is now a movie. Mrs. Rivers has so many amazing books. I could recommend them all. She is by far my favorite author (besides God) and her fiction really teaches lessons we all need to know.
I love how her books are so real. She doesn’t hide from the big issues. Her books deal with things like abortion, prostitution, and homosexuality. Mrs. Rivers takes you to the very heart of her characters. You’d think they really existed. I especially love the rich history The Mark of the Lion series is based upon. This series takes you to Rome, Jerusalem, and Germania. It tells of Jerusalem’s fall, gladiators, and the beginnings of Christianity. It also touches on subjects like slavery and how small sins grow into a big problem.
Mrs. Rivers also has some lovely series on women in the lineage of Jesus. These books make you think of what it would really be like to be Mary or Ruth. Anywho, if you get a chance hop on over to your library and pick up a Francine River’s book. Then leave me a comment with your opinions and also your opinions of Leeland and Hugo if you will 🙂
Well have an inspiring weekend! God bless and remember The High King Lives!
Welcome! My name is Amber Dover. I am a homeschooling mom, happy wife, and a devout follower of Jesus Christ. I am also a writer. I am currently working on "The Truth Seeker's Chronicles" (an inspirational fantasy/allegory). You will find everything from craft ideas to writing tips on my blog. So please pull up a chair and hang out :)
amberdover 
