one of my very stupid and very specific little issues (that I don't know if other multilingual people experience) is that sometimes, I can only think of a word that feels perfect for what I want to say, in a language that isn't the one in which i'm currently writing. and it's almost never a word for which I just don't have a translation, or it's not like one of those "untranslatable" expressions/cultural phenomena/whatever, they're just... words. that have a vibe their equivalent in another language doesn't have the same exact way I want it.

like right now, I'm trying to write something in English. I'm trying to describe a character saying something quietly, and tenderly, but my brain is being very helpful by supplying me with only the Spanish phrase "al oído". Which has the perfect feel to it: it's soft, it's round, it essentially means "to the ear" or "by the hearing", and to say something al oído is... kind of to whisper in confidence so softly, that it can barely be heard. The words are more breath than sound, and you're saying it in private, for that specific person's hearing only. But that's just so many words, compared to saying that he whispered his agreement al oído.

or I want to say that someone is "szabadkozik", which is Hungarian for... kind of to make flustered excuses? Not really in a way that's reluctant necessarily, but it is to... kind of faff, and play at reluctance in a manner that may be slightly embarrassed, or just politely playing at embarrassment, being coy? And I could circumscribe it like that, I could say that he's excusing himself coyly or something, but my brain just keeps going "no, that's wrong, he's szabadkozik, you should say that". It's frustrating.

I kind of want to write a piece where I just... let myself code switch as many times as I want to. Just to see what it feels like to let my brain do its thing without trying to contain it. It would be fucking incomprehensible.

Progress Update 8/6/21

Happy weekend! Another week gone by, another week’s worth of progress to report!

Today’s update got kinda wordy, so I’m putting it under the cut.

Ninelives

I’ve outlined and started working on the next scene in the ChoiceScript version of the game, which is the follow-up conversation with Alex. There are about 2k words total to the scene so far.

In the past, when writing the conversations in Ninelives, I have gone through one possible variation and written it until I’ve hit what seems like a good convergence point. I then would write the convergence point paragraph and then go back and write the other variations to meet up at that point.

The conversation with Alex is going to be developed a bit different. There are a lot of factors that affect how the conversation unfolds, starting with the following:

Whether or not MC told Alex about their ability in Chapter 5

How MC reacted to what Alex did at the beginning of Chapter 6

How MC reacts to Alex now at the beginning of the conversation

The type of relationship that MC and Alex have, including whether or not a romance-pursuing MC backed out of talking to Alex about that in Chapter 5

(It is simply too much work for me to go back through the CS version of the game and make the same revisions that have been made as I transfer the game into Twine, but there is an additional factor that will affect the conversation, and that’s when Alex and the MC meet. In the CS version of the game, it will assume that MC met Alex after the drowning incident as well as after Alex learned about their own abilities, but the Twine version of the game will account for those factors.)

The various combinations of these factors means that MC may or may not be able to reconcile things with Alex just yet. They may be willing or unwilling to answer questions, they may be too upset or uncomfortable to talk to MC about things - it’s complex and has everything to do with Alex’s thought process and isn’t something that can necessarily be “scored” in terms of game mechanics.

Which means that I’m writing each route of the conversation, accounting for every variable, from start to finish to ensure the flow of the conversation makes sense. When I said that the first half of Chapter 6 was only the first half in theory, this is what I meant. The total word count of this conversation with Alex is likely to be pretty large compared to most conversations in the game thus far.

And, just to allay any concerns, if the conversation here ends badly, that doesn’t mean getting locked out of any friendship or romantic relationship with Alex. It just means dynamics with Alex might be different than normal for a while.

The Twine version of the game is up to about 22k words total (including code), making Chapter 2 roughly 9k words so far. I’ve officially finished up the new content relating to meeting Alex. For review, the additional choices added makes it so that you can choose between meeting Alex when the MC was 7, 12, or 14 (making Alex 9, 14, or 16). This add a few different variables concerning both the MC and Alex in terms of when they met. It also has an additional personality choice.

From there, I’ve started into the present-day scene of Alex and MC getting brunch, which adds a small little choice for a favorite drink, because why not?

That about wraps it up for Ninelives progress, so moving on.

Everlight

Still no additional writing on this one this week. I’ve been fleshing out more details about the characters to release some additional posts about the project.

Everlight, similar to Ninelives, is being adapted from a novel I was working on in the past. Most of the characters are in the original story, so I’ve been going through really determining which traits and aspects can be carried over and which can be scrapped.

In terms of the ROs, Valentine, Jessalta, and Heidal were all characters in the original story. Heidal has always been nonbinary, and I wanted to keep it that way, but the other two underwent some changes. Valentine used to be called Valeria and was originally a woman. (I simply didn’t like the name, which is why I changed it.) Jessalta’s name has not changed, but they were originally a man (I only very recently decided to make them gender-selectable).

The other ROs, like Diadomee and Azelas, were not technically in the original story. “Not technically” meaning there are very minor, barely-mentioned characters that they are filling the shoes of in a more major way.

The other characters all existed in the original story, though some of them went through name changes. The biggest changes, however, are for the character Everett, whose gender identity and physical appearance are now conditional based on certain other factors in the story.

Most aspects of the plot are the same, but some factors are inevitably changing due to the necessity of choices. This is not actually that difficult to accomplish since the original novel was only half-written, so I am able to make changes to the story and easily envision how different routes might change things.

I will keep making character and lore posts as time goes on. Those of you interested can also feel free to ask questions. I’ll do my best to answer anything that isn’t a spoiler.

That about covers it for this week, y’all. As always, stay happy, stay healthy, and have a wonderful weekend! 😘

Re-liveblog: eps. 22-23

[ep 22]

Ooh, Meng Yao as a spy makes more sense. I was thinking about Qing or Ning and wondering since when either of them counted as Xichen’s “old friend”.

I, of course, immediately accepted he was a spy, even before he was textually declared as such and only just appeared as WRH’s right-hand man. It wasn’t until very recently that my eyes were opened to the fact he did lure the army into a trap, a trap that he personally designed, and the battle was only won thanks to WWX and his secret weapon, which MY couldn’t have predicted, in the show at least. So what was his plan? Was it different in the book? Why would he put LXC in harm’s way, when MY|JGY defined their entire relationship by the avoidance of that? 

We’ll only see this in the flashback, but I find it very curious that he let NMJ see his true face and live. And in this episode, we see reaction shots of MY being concerned when NMJ is losing the fight -- and since nobody is looking at him, this reaction must be genuine. Which implies that he is not committed to the Wen cause, and is keeping in mind the consequences of their defeat. It would have been a very bad look for him if the allies won and discovered NMJ recently died in his custody. Too bad MY miscalculated how important the lives of those random Nie cultivators would be to NMJ. If only Meng Yao did anything but kill them, I suspect the course of his relationship with NMJ would run very different.

(It’s also funny that the battle plan includes Missiles That Make People Explode... That are used on a couple of redshirts and not, say, on anyone crucial to the allied war effort, and are never mentioned again. And then WWX stands around for about 10 more minutes before deciding to do something. The direction of this scene is... not the best.)

[ep 23]

It’s painful to watch the fear and reverence Meng Yao still holds for his father figure. The flinching, the hiding, the immediate supplication – when was the last time he felt safe and respected, before the bullying with the Nie and having to watch and even partake in atrocities with the Wen? I hope he can finally have some good things in his life now.

First of all, it’s very funny in retrospect to see myself constantly refer to NMJ as MY’s father figure. Well, it’s not my fault that I wasn’t shown the full scene where MY seductively strokes NMJ’s saber until much later! (Although to be completely fair, considering what JGY eventually did to his father, and what else he did in the tv show knowingly as opposed to accidentally in the novel, maybe these interpretations aren’t as incompatible.)

The interesting thing here is that I, once again, completely bought what MY was selling to NMJ with considerably less success... So my interpretation of this scene was completely off-base -- but on another level, I still agree with my initial assessment. 

I pitied MY when I thought the immediate overperformance of submission was his natural unfiltered reaction. Now I find it notable that this is the behavior he intentionally chooses -- both as the default survival mechanism over the course of his life, and in this specific scene. And in this scene, this behavior is targeted at and fine-tuned for LXC -- but not NMJ. 

The very first thing MY learned about LXC is his protective instinct over him. The best manipulation is not a lie but the truth with certain omissions; he is afraid for his life when a strong angry man he just wronged is brandishing a giant blade at him -- isn’t it nice to have another strong man whose protection you can guarantee by jumping behind his back and grasping at his clothes helplessly? I mean, it’s not much else he can do in this situation, and when I was watching for the first time, I of course didn’t know he had actually killed people in cold blood a few minutes ago, so in this context his apologetic attitude makes more sense, he should be acting like that. But LXC doesn’t know either, just like a first-time viewer! When MY triggers LXC’s protective instinct by crying for his help personally, presenting it as “us against them” (them as NMJ, in this case), LXC doesn’t see the manipulation. When MY shifts the blame on NMJ -- “It's as you can see. In the situation a moment ago, even if I explained, Clan Leader Nie wouldn’t believe me” -- NMJ sees through the bullshit and even laughs at it, but the spectacle isn’t for him, it's for LXC. And NMJ can see it -- he watches MY the damsel in distress tenderly touch the arm of his valiant defender, watches the tidy, polite, performative way MY kneels to apologize, and sighs -- he knows MY has won this round. At least over LXC. 

But in addition to what NMJ already knows and what MY has not repaired, MY makes another important mistake. This part of the scene will only be shown in the ep. 41 flashback, but MY still doesn’t understand NMJ’s worldview and apologizes only for insulting him personally. He not only fails to apologize for taking innocent lives, but tries to defend his decision. 

Does MY still care for NMJ? From his concern in the previous episode, it does seem so. Does MY still hope to regain NMJ’s favor? Maybe, but due to a combination of not understanding and not prioritizing NMJ, this is instead the scene where MY loses that favor forever. 

The above only applies to The Untamed. In the book (chapter 49) the dynamic is very different. When NMJ awakes, MY is carrying him and Baxia to safety alone. In the show, LXC is present from the beginning of the scene, and MY feels safe enough to play them against each other. In the book, he has no means to protect himself and is absolutely terrified. A very interesting paragraph:

He suddenly shouted, “ChiFeng-Zun!!! Don’t you understand that if I didn’t kill them, you’d be the one who died then?!!”

This was actually the same as saying, ‘I’m the one who saved your life so you can’t kill me or else it’d be immoral.’ However, Jin GuangYao was indeed worthy of his reputation. The same meaning but a different wording, and he was able to create a contained sense of frustration and a reserved sense of sorrow. As he had expected, Nie MingJue’s movement halted. Veins stood out under his forehead.

Having paused for a while, he clenched the hilt of his saber and shouted, “Very well! I’ll kill myself after I kill you!”

In the show, NMJ is already selfless and offended only on behalf of his murdered subordinates -- but the book takes it further, and he’s ready to sacrifice his own life if it means avenging them. Then the entire next paragraph is an almost comical chase where “one striked with madness and the other fled with madness”. When LXC finally showed up, “Meng Yao looked as if he had just seen a god from Heaven. He quickly scrambled over and hid behind the person’s back”. 

In other words, the full scene in the book reads almost exactly as the incomplete version of it in episode 23 looked to me on the first viewing. There’s no layer of manipulation -- Meng Yao simply is terrified of one man and seeks protection from another. And most of the dialogue is the same -- but just via the staging and acting choices, the scene gains a second, darker meaning. Which fits with the show’s tendency to villify Jin Guangyao. He can’t even beg for his life without it being a manipulation! What in the book was a wholly sympathetic moment of desperation for him, in the show is made calculated and two-faced.

Back to The Untamed!

LOVE how Xichen immediately calls him “A-Yao” while standing right between his shitty fathers

Lol, this was truly a moment for the ages! Too bad we only saw NMJ’s reaction (because he was in the frame with LXC) -- I really want a reaction shot from JGS to this!

The following private conversation between JGY and LXC caused me almost physical pain on rewatch... A note from this (third, I think?) viewing: the line “I’ve followed Clan Leader Nie for so long. I know his intentions. I have also never taken it to heart before” which is a perfect continuation of the previous scene: JGY paints NMJ as unreasonable, and himself as selfless and accommodating. Oh, and of course makes LXC say “No-no of course I didn’t mean you were evil!!” I also continue to feel like I’m the one stabbed in the heart by their sad smiles, when they both know something is ending but can’t or won’t talk about it -- but I’m preaching to the choir here.

What I do want to comment on is another thing missing from the written liveblog -- on my first viewing I apparently misunderstood the conclusion of the scene. What I thought was happening: JGY did proceed to enact the plan he described; the “old, weak, women, and children” he offers to send to Qiongqi Path were sent there, and were the same group of people later rescued by WWX and led to Burial Mounds; the small group of people JGY had with him under arrest are “those who really had a hand in the bloodshed” whom he openly proposes to execute, to which LXC agrees; and the twist at the end is that he relished in overseeing or even performing the execution himself, seemingly in a very brutal way. 

But according to this analysis, which I trust, JGY immediately broke his word and executed the innocent prisoners that he promised to only imprison. This would definitely make more sense for the drama of the scene and the meaningful look JGS gives him... But there were only few people under arrest in this scene, and none seemed too old or too young, and where in this case did the Wen remnants of the Qiongqi Path who latter committed the Burial Mounds exodus come from?

[Episodes 4&10]

1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 13, 17, 23 (some of these are random and some aren't)

Thanks for the many questions, Socks! Sorry I didn’t answer them earlier; I decided answering asks on mobile sucks.  ALSO, this is going to be super long haha sorry.  1.  Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?       Well, my most current project is one I just started brainstorming. It’s (hopefully gonna be) a Fallout 3 series, with my latest fic being the starting point. LW/Fawkes is a ship I liked immediately when I played the series some years ago, but I never got around to writing for it, probably in part because there’s already a super good longfic about them, and I just didn’t think there was much else I could say. But my LW is different from Choco’s LW, and lately I wanted to start something self-indulgent. Although I have enough ideas for this to maybe be a single 30k fic, I’m choosing to do a series of shortfics instead, so that I’m not burdening myself with another long project. Fic series are great in that way, because it’s basically complete with every new fic.       On top of that, I have... probably 3 other things I want to make significant progress on this year. First is another Fallout fic: Same Heart. I’ve posted 8 chapters already and have almost 2 more done, but due to the slow-build nature of it (and my tagging) I don’t expect to have almost any readers until at least chapter 10 (when the ship characters finally meet). I’d like to at least get that far this year.       A project I’d love to finish by fall is the unreleased “The Wilderness”, a Venom zombie AU that I started for NaNoWriMo 2 years ago. It’s about 55% written, and my goal is to have as much of it done as possible before the sequel movie comes out. If it’s not done by then, I still plan to post whatever I have.       And lastly-ish, my novel... thing. Rogue. I’m in the process of editing it, although I’ve taken kind of a break lately. And as soon as I’m done with the edits and can get a couple of people to read it (just so they can tell me if certain parts are stupid and need changed) I plan to start the next book in the series... which will probably end up being book #1, actually, if I do them modern-era chronologically. It’s... gonna be a process. ^^;  2.  Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project.       In my upcoming FO3 fic series, I’m honestly just kind of weirdly looking forward to... how do I put this? Exploring my own vaguely-traumatic experiences through fic. I’ll always do a happy ending, if possible, but before we get there I really want to run these two through the ringer of... being given something they were led to believe was impossible, being judged for it, having it taken away, and then being told “well maybe it’s for the best”.       When it comes to future projects, I guess I’m really excited about writing the new Rogue book. “Reaper”, I guess, is its unimaginative working title. I’m anxious about it, because I thought Rogue had some really deeply emotional scenes, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to accomplish that as well with this new one, simply because the characters don’t have the same level of desperation about each other. I need to figure out what’s unique about their dynamic and push that. I guess I’m looking forward to the challenge.  3.  What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)       Hmm gosh. Technically there’s a scene in the later chapters of Mobius that I already wrote, but it wouldn’t take place until probably chapter 3 or later, and I just lost all steam on that fic, sadly. But every time I poke through my notes I make myself cry reading it. It’s a scene where one character knows it’s going to be the last time he sees the person he loves most, and he can’t explain his pain to anyone. I really just want to get there so I can see if it makes other people cry like babies haha.       But on a completely unrelated note, there’s also this ZADR fic I started writing in like 2009, and I absolutely didn’t want to do the work to get to the fun middle scenes, but basically it was an AU where young adult Dib went to live/work in the thriving multi-species space community, where he’s... I dunno, studying alien biology I think?, and he ends up with Zim as a roommate. The scenes I really wanted to write were about the two of them getting into like a bar fight with some tough types, and Zim gets his pak ripped off/damaged in the process, and Dib has to sort of take care of him through a horrible fever. But then it turns out that the pak was not a life-support system like they thought, but actually a growth inhibitor so they (the people in charge of the Irkens) could choose who became the Tallest (the leaders). (And also it hindered reproduction, etc.) So basically the two of them accidentally start to unravel a galactic conspiracy which also involves corruption in the Earth government, etc, and Zim gets taller but spoiler alert, he still doesn’t get tall enough to challenge the Tallest lol. Sadly, I doubt I’ll ever actually write that fic. Sounds like too much effort lol.  7.  What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?       That’s such a hard question. Ummm. How do I put any of that into words? ...I think one of the things about my writing is that a lot of the time nothing really happens in a scene, and the story mostly focuses on a character thinking. Like, enough happens so there’s something for them to think about, but I think I tend to put a lot of emphasis on POV character’s thoughts, to the point of sometimes seeming stream-of-consciousness. I’ve been told that this makes my stories feel alive though? So I think it appeals to some people, though I’m sure others would find such stories boring.       Oh also, somewhat along these lines, I like to add commentary that is only somewhat relevant, usually in parenthesis at the end of a sentence or paragraph. (Honestly, it’s not unusual to see one in every paragraph if I’m writing something slightly humorous.)  9.  Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?      I would LOVE to write primarily longfics! However, I just don’t have the time or energy for it, and I don’t write fast enough. So I end up with a lot of oneshots under 10k. I had to challenge myself to learn to write short things though, and then it’s really about writing something short, not about writing a specific story.       Generally, I’m both pantster and plotter. I tend to write the first chapter/few scenes/maybe as much as 10k, just by the seat of my pants. After that, I look at what I’ve got and write out a plot to continue from there. Plotting everything out before I start just doesn’t work for me, but if I try “pantsing” anything longer than 15k I know I’m gonna have an absolute torturous hell of a time.  13.  Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?      Lol I think anyone who’s reading this knows I share my stuff online. Primarily on my AO3, though there’s some other stuff floating around here on tumblr too.  Most of the time if I keep something to myself it’s only because it’s not finish enough to share. So, sure, there’s plenty of that, but the goal is always to share it eventually. If I ever get around to finishing a novel, those will probably be the only things I don’t just post online. (Though I do post most of my OC stuff currently.)  17.  Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?       I think that inevitably my readers will always perceive me and my writing a bit differently than I do. That’s just... interacting with people. Nobody knows you entirely. However, I am as open and honest in my writing as possible, and I actually think that reading my fic is the best way to get to know me. I like to hope that I am an open book to anyone who has read many of my words. =] While you may not know the details of my life, I think you would have a good insight into my personality.    23.  What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?       Like... my oldest fic/story that I’ve never written or posted? Not counting stuff I’ve consciously abandoned (things from middle school, mostly), my original fic series, “Damsel and Company in Distress” aka DamselCo. is definitely my oldest story. I think I started fiddling with it in 2006-- which makes it pretty disappointing that it’s gotten next to nowhere. XD; But the story is my baby, and it’s been my baby for so long that anyone who’s followed me ever is probably at least vaguely familiar with a few of the characters.  Now maybe one day I’ll actually give it the attention it deserves, though I’m sure it’ll need significant revamping. After all, a lot has changed in 14+ years. Ideas that were new and subversive then are probably already stale. 

Art by the awesome @tommieglenn!

Of Gods and Men Summary:

When the gods returned to Gielinor, their minds were only on one thing: the Stone of Jas, a powerful elder artefact in the hands of Sliske, a devious Mahjarrat who stole it for his own ends and entertainment. He claims to want to incite another god wars, but are his ulterior motives more sinister than that? And can the World Guardian, Jahaan, escape from under Sliske’s shadow?

Read the full work here:

ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

FANFICTION.NET

TUMBLR CHAPTER INDEX

QUEST 09: OUR SPIRITS, KINDRED

QUEST SUMMARY:

When Ariane is kidnapped and the signs point to Sliske, Jahaan is forced to confront the Mahjarrat once again. But this time, things take a turn for the twisted, and Jahaan uncovers the truth behind Sliske’s obsession with him. Can Jahaan survive Sliske’s games? After all, broken bones heal faster than a broken mind…

CHAPTER 4: SLISKE’S SECRETS

Climbing over the broken rock fragments led Jahaan to a small corridor, two wooden doors on either side and one right at the end. Taking a random guess, Jahaan went from the one furthest away. Fortunately for him, it wasn’t just a broom closet or a wardrobe.

No, it looked like Jahaan had hit the jackpot here.

“Whoa…” Jahaan breathed, taking in the cluttered room. Blackboards, potions, globes, drawings, books and manic scribblings…

This must be Sliske’s laboratory…

The blackboard had equations that Jahaan couldn’t even begin to understand; he recognised a handful of letters and numbers in the common alphabet, but mixed in them seemingly randomly were rune graphics, ancient scripture, and dozens of symbols that meant nothing to Jahaan. The majority were scribbled roughly in white chalk, half crossed out with increasing passion as the board became more and more crowded the further down Sliske wrote.

The blackboard next to it was a little more structured and simplified with a Vitruvian Man drawing in the style of a Mahjarrat taking up the majority of the space. From various points on the body, arrows were protruding, such as from the chest and forehead crystals, though their labels were written in an unfamiliar tongue. It didn’t even look Infernal. From the rough mess of harsh consonants, Jahaan guessed it could be Freneskaen. 

Behind a red velvet curtain stood an oak bookshelf, packed to the brim with countless novels, manuscripts, textbooks and research papers. Tracing his fingers along the spines, Jahaan stopped at one that was jutting out of the shelf, unable to squeeze back neatly into its place due to just how many books were stacked there. Jahaan gathered it had been read and returned to its place rather recently, and so he slid it from its position and examined the cover.

‘The Divine Delusion’, by Oreb, Magister of House Charron.

Intrigued, Jahaan opened it up to a creased page and began to read…

The human soul is a tricky construct, more comprised of emotion than quantifiable elements. Yet it is most assuredly a real, measurable thing. This I have demonstrated several times in my experiments.

There are various scholars that would argue that the strength of the soul is measured by one's devotion to a deity. That the worship of and adherence to the tenets of a powerful being of divine classification makes one's soul inherently more enriched and robust. I believe that this theory is naught but the prattle of clergy and the dogmatic response of those who themselves live their lives according to the whims of a god. Instead I propose that the soul has little actual relationship with the divine and is perhaps something entirely other. My extensive research suggests that the health and strength of one's soul comes from action and inspiration. It is my firm belief that the strongest souls belong to those who have made the most out of their lives, who have experienced everything that the world has to offer and braved the greatest of challenges.

Furthermore, I posit that the soul is perhaps more closely linked to biology than theology, though certainly it falls outside the practice of conventional medicine. Elves have discovered the medical process of ‘organ transplants’, where the healthy organ of one being - usually deceased - is transferred into the body of another, replacing an organ that has stopped functioning. As you’d expect, there are certain conditions that have to be met for a transplant to work. So far, no successful transplant has occurred between different species or races. Therefore, a gnome could not donate, say, a kidney to a human. It’s all to do with proportions; the human body would simply not take it. Then there’s also the problem of compatibility, as the process is helped greatly if the two people are genetically identical or similar, so using relatives reduces the risk that the new body will reject the donated organ or, worse, attack it, thinking it is foreign.

The same applies for soul transplants. If this process is to ever be done successfully, I believe the two participants have to be compatible in many ways, but whether that is some tangible compatibility, such as identical blood types, or something more abstract, like similar personalities, I cannot say with certainty. However, considering the soul is an essence instead of a tangible organ, there is nothing to say souls couldn't, theoretically, transfer between species. To serve what purpose, I cannot fathom.

Then there comes the issue of extraction. From the little practical experimentation I have been able to undertake, I can hypothesise that a soul is much more malleable during periods of volatile emotions. For example, if a person is calm, their soul is stable within them. However, if a person is angry, hateful or distressed, their grip on their soul weakens, and thus is prone to outside forces. Therefore, if a soul is to be extracted from a living subject against their will, then placing them under conditions of extreme stress increases the likelihood of success. Of course, like anything ethereal, the process would be much simpler if the soul was given freely rather than taken by force. Some of these conditions might then be mitigated.

My research, for obvious reasons, has not been allowed to spread outside these four walls, and with such secrecy comes limited funds, and less than willing participants.

In conclusion, I believe that the soul, like the flesh, can be both harmed, healed and indeed extracted. Therefore, if one could find a compatible host, it could conceivably be possible to transfer the soul of one being into another. As for what effects this could have, I cannot say.

I must continue my research...

The last paragraph was underlined feverously.

Jahaan next turned his attention to Sliske’s desk. A notebook stood out for the block writing on the cover, black and ominous, with a slight spike to the edging of the letters:

‘Death at Sea’, by Praefectus Praetorio Sliske

When Jahaan opened it up, he saw that it was handwritten by Sliske. Fortunately Jahaan’s Infernal language studies hadn’t relented in his downtime, and thus he was able to understand most of what was being written. The longer, more scientific words he sometimes had to guess at, thankful for their similarities in many ways to the Common Tongue.

The notebook seemed to be used by Sliske to jot down ideas for a play. The opening section dealt with possible characters and a rough plot involving a sailor who witnesses a murder so terrible that it renders him mute. However, after a few dozen pages, it devolved into backstage gossip, excerpts from secret police files on the proposed actors, and tirades against the increasingly complicated plot.

After a short gap, the entries resumed, in a journal format.

It seems art may be imitating life! I had a chance encounter with Nabor this evening, which may hold the key to my current plot difficulties. It seems that he has received a new inmate to his little asylum, specifically a member of our navy, who has been struck insensible by some terrible injuries. I was almost bored to tears by the conversation - Nabor always was one of the dullest of the Mahjarrat - until that little nugget of information popped up. I may pay the place a visit tomorrow; an official inspection. That will pass a bit of time. Maybe seeing a wretch in a similar condition to the one I have been writing about will add a little realism to the scenes?

Well that didn't help.

My visit to the asylum has raised more questions than it answered. Nabor was almost fawningly open with his records, and it seems there is little to fear from his charges. I doubt many of them are capable of subversion at this point. Some are barely able to feed themselves.

I eventually requested to see the sailor in question. Nabor took me to a chamber held apart from the others, and I inquired if the patient was dangerous. He replied that it was more for his own protection. The human was known to shout things that disturbed the other patients, agitating them greatly. Nabor claimed that no matter what he tried, the lunatic would not do anything but babble piteously, occasionally howling and braying in ways most unsettling.

When I approached the cell, I found the human inside lying on a pallet of straw. I noticed that he was not bound, but was in a filthy condition and missing his left leg and right foot. On seeing me, he crawled on his belly across the flagstones and pulled himself up using the bars. His eyes were wild and hollow, darting like a cornered animal until they finally settled upon my own. Their darkness was captivating; I felt as if I was looking inside the shell of a man, someone beyond humanity and, simultaneously, so far below it.

Then, he spoke. “I know you.”

His thick accent betrayed his breeding. The words were growled, the venom masked only by his increased shivering. After assuring him that we had never met before, repeatedly I might add, as he was rather insistent, I asked him where it was he thought we had met.

“The afterlife,” he replied wistfully, like he was recalling a fond memory.

Clearly the man was delusional, but he was admittedly a fascinating specimen. So, I wanted to entertain his ramblings further, and explained that I could not go to an afterlife.

“You have,” he insisted. Again, the past tense was used. “You will, once you take His soul. His soul is your key. Death is not the end, it is only the beginning!”

Inquiring as to who this ‘Him’ was only seemed to horrify the patient. What he said next was… unusual. I cannot get the words out of my mind, nor the intensity with which he spoke them.

“You don’t remember?! He was no more god than man, and no more man than god. He could not save us all! He only saved YOU!”

Growing frustrated, I insisted he name the man he was referring to.

Once he did, he wouldn’t stop, repeating it over and over again with increasing volume and desperation. “Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut! Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut! Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut!”

Soon, there arose a hooting and wailing from the nearby cells. The inmates on this level began banging the bars, screaming and otherwise displaying their afflictions in a chorus of suffering, obviously agitated by the man’s disturbance. The pathetic human fell to the floor, weeping. As Nabor called for his orderlies to restore order, I returned to my office. Who is this ‘Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut’, and why is he so important to this crazed man? It seems my play will have to wait until I have answered these mysteries.

I returned to the asylum to speak with Nabor and the sailor, only to find out that the latter was dead. There were no marks upon the body, and nobody was seen to enter or leave the cell. Curious.

As for this Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut character, I have sent out agents to locate them, but no-one on record in the empire seems to go by that name. From the sounds of it, it likely originates from the Kharidian Lands. I shall have to widen my search net of agents if I am to follow up on this little enigma...

The majority of pages after that entry were blank aside from a single entry containing Jahaan’s date of birth. As it was in the Common Tongue, Jahaan deduced it must have been written a lot more recently. Below the date of birth were the words:

Jahaan Alsiyad-Abut? Really? Is this the key at last? I must watch and see...

Utterly freaked out, Jahaan closed the notebook in a hurry, backing away as if it was going to explode after reading. He darted his eyes around him, half-wanting someone to be there to confirm that, yes, he did just read that. With his curiosity giving him a crazed adrenaline rush, Jahaan hurriedly returned to examining the rest of the laboratory.

Potions and chemicals cluttered the shelves, residing in bottles and vials of various shapes and sizes, a technicolour cocktail recipe. Some sat atop piles of books, others held down documents. Most of their labels, if they had any, were faded from the passage of time, and Jahaan wasn’t about to taste test them to find out what they were.

Another small notebook on the tabletop caught Jahaan’s eye, perhaps from the beautiful aquamarine quill feather resting on top of it, starkly contrasting the black cover of the journal. Opening it up, Jahaan noted the handwriting was identical to that scrawled upon the blackboards, therefore it must have been written by Sliske. It too was in the Common Tongue.

Curiosity getting the better of him once more, he began to read...

I have changed the world. I have taken the status quo and I have smashed it to pieces and scattered the shards across Gielinor. The Staff - the Siphon - was practically gifted to me. The dragonkin, weak and pathetic, trapped in my little shadow web... and then the Staff was mine. It was so simple, almost laughably so, that I can barely consider it an achievement.

I have changed the world. I have used the Siphon to slay one of the most powerful beings to ever walk Gielinor. The great Guthix, felled by my hand, by my whim… by my destiny.

Guthix, in his dying breath, created something new. The World Guardian, they have come to be called. The breadcrumb trail I left for Jahaan worked far better than I could have ever imagined.

“So he engineered all this?” Jahaan muttered dryly to himself, taking a deep breath.

At this point, the idea that Sliske had played a part in some events in his life no longer came as a surprise. He did, however, ponder just how far this particular ‘breadcrumb trail’ reached back to.

Did he influence Sir Tiffy? Commander Denulth?

The following pages remarked upon the return of the gods, including derisive commentary about the Battle of Lumbridge and Armadyl’s slaying of Bandos. After that, Jahaan realised that several pages were missing, clearly torn out for some reason. A lot of the notebook became largely incomprehensible, with various strange diagrams doodled about the place. Most of the writing had been crossed out heavily.

Jahaan flicked through what remained, trying to find something he could decipher.

Then, right near the end, one last entry...

The time has come. I had hoped to resolve this without resorting to force, but he has left me no choice. Our agreement was abandoned by his reckless temperament. It would have been so much easier if he’d just played along. I could have had his soul, and he could have had eternal youth - a wight in my service, by my side... 

Perhaps I have gotten too… close. I might even start to miss him. But not for long. The way that mortal lives, he would be dead within the next twenty years anyway.

Fortunately, it seems as though we are more similar than I could have ever hoped. Just a few tweaks here and there, a nudge in the right direction, and he’ll be perfectly... compatible. I’ve researched this for too long to give up now. I’m so close. Too many test subjects have failed, countless souls shattered in my efforts. So here I am, pinning my last hope on the deranged ramblings of a madman.

I have a plan. It might work, it might be the solution to my problem. I have most of the pieces right here and the rest I can easily obtain with only the slightest bit of subterfuge.

Yes it will work.

It has to...

After returning the notebook to its place on the desk, one last thing caught Jahaan’s eye.

In the centre of the dark wooden floor, a mystic diagram had been painted in purple and white, glowing brightly, like light itself was luminating from the etchings. The outer circumference was comprised of two purple circles, while inside white and purple triangles mirrored one another. Right at the centre was another bright white circle drawn in runes of the ancient magicks. Above it, floating around head height, a cluster of fizzing energy correlating into a globe shape.

When Jahaan approached it, he could feel his bones tingling from the magic it emitted.

Against his better judgement, he had the strongest urge to reach out and touch it…

The world around him was foggy and clouded, like he was seeing everything through a bowl of misty water. However, he could make out Sliske close to his vantage point, clutching onto the Staff of Armadyl and facing a large sphere that pulsed and crackled with energy.

The Stone of Jas.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sliske remarked, wistfully.

“What is”

“Beauty?”

That mysterious voice was unfamiliar to Jahaan. It was hollow, yet deep. Impassive, yet commanding. Inhuman, certainly, but like no race Jahaan had ever encountered. The voice echoed and faded, swishing through his mind like calm waves on the shore.

Jahaan couldn’t be sure if it was even real. Perhaps it was a conjuring of his imagination?

However, that theory died when Sliske turned towards Jahaan’s vantage point and replied to its question, “Beauty… ahhh, beauty is what makes the world bearable. Without it, life is grey and empty. Beauty evokes pure emotion, and true beauty can bring empires to ruin or inspire the most evil men to heroic deeds.”

“Irrelevant,” the voice stated, unwavering in its dull conviction.

Sighing, Sliske replied, “Yes… I suppose you think it is.”

Turning back to face the Stone, Sliske continued, “Thank you for the tip-off about this delightful thing by the way. I would never have found it on my own. It never occurred to me that the Staff could be used in such a fashion.”

“The Siphon”

“Has many uses”

“Yes, and the look on that dragonkin's face was hilarious! To think, those fools just cast the Stone away, hoping that no-one would find it. They must have known it couldn’t be hidden forever. Something like this… it wants to be found. It needs a user, false or otherwise.”

The voice did not seem to care for Sliske’s poetic ramblings, instead directly asking,

“Will this”

“Bring them?”

Sliske grinned. “Oh yes, very much so. The siren song of the Stone will bring all of the gods together. It will be a gathering like no other, a monumental occasion that everyone will yearn to observe.”

“Pointless words”

“Make it happen”

Narrowing his eyes, Sliske bit his tongue to keep the sharpness from his voice. “Yes, of course. I live to serve…”

When the world rippled back into reality, Jahaan fought to get the echoed voice of the mysterious being out of his mind. It seemed to seep through him like ink, cloying and domineering. It was only once he realised just how long he’d been that he snapped himself back into focus.

Just as he was about to leave, however, he saw something glint underneath a pile of messed up papers. Pushing the papers to one side, Jahaan uncovered an ornate letter opener, its handle delicately carved out of elder logs. The blade was thin and fragile, probably made out of nothing better than light steel. Such a weapon wouldn’t be able to pierce through Sliske’s armoured robes - heck, it probably couldn’t even stab through his thick skin - but the edge was sharp; if he could slice somewhere delicate, or perhaps use it on one of the Barrows Brothers at the right time…

These thoughts were enough to convince Jahaan to tuck the blade into the back of his belt, rolling his shirt over it to conceal its presence.

DISCLAIMER:

As Of Gods and Men is a reimagining, retelling and reworking of the Sixth Age, a LOT of dialogue/characters/plotlines/etc. are pulled right from the game itself, and this belongs to Jagex.

Previous chapter / Next chapter

About this translation:

1.)     Free to use. Free to translate/retranslate. Free to copy/repost. Free to alter. Free to save. Free to print. Free to adapt to any medium. No need to notify me. No need to ask my permission. Only two stipulations: Please DO NOT sell it in any way, shape, or form. By doing so under the conditions of international copyright law, you risk dooming us all. And second: I like to be given credit for what portion of the work I have done. Please link back to this site.

2.)     This is a “transformative MTL.” I initially use machine translation (plus consultation with some friends who study Mandarin when I don’t understand a portion of the text), then I essentially regurgitate all the semantic knowledge I’ve acquired for each paragraph into English sentences concocted by my brain. I also utilize beta readers, who are credited for their labor alongside my translation consultants in my acknowledgements at the end of every chapter. This is in many ways a collaborative effort.

3.)     To put to rest any accusations of plagiarism: I DO read other translations of this series and openly use the ExiledRebels translation as a reference- Not for plagiarism, but rather, to avoid it. I consult the ExiledRebels translation regularly to try to make sure what I’m providing is substantially different from the past translator, K’s, attempt. However, sometimes my MTL or other translators have simply already struck upon the best English phrasing for a sentence, in which case I typically opt to keep it as is. No need to reinvent the wheel, in my opinion. I also consider other translators’ work a means of fact-checking my own interpretations of lines to seek an accurate consensus. I highly value the work of those who went before me and would like to give credit where credit is due.

4.)     My intent is to write a translation that reads as fun and effortlessly as any popular English language fantasy novel that one would consume at a Barnes n Noble coffee shop. To this end: I fundamentally do not care if MXTX has been “problematic” in some sense with her word choices or anything of the sort in the original work. I don’t sit down and argue with myself during the translation process about what MXTX really meant or intended with certain words because my first priority is not pinpoint accuracy, but rather creating something that will be enjoyable to my audience. I don’t intend to translate in a way that professes to be wholly accurate to MXTX’s vision. This would be impossible. I don’t know her mind. Translation is inherently a transformative act- and I choose to lean into this. Instead of mulling over MXTX’s intent, I will always choose the path that reads most favorably to me and my beta readers.

5.)     I am not an expert in Chinese culture. This is an obvious detriment with regards to my own comprehension of the original text and means I spend additional time not only translating chapters line by line but painstakingly researching the cultural context of certain phrases, references, and concepts. In some ways however, this can be a benefit to my goals as a translator rather than a detriment. I believe my own baseline ignorance can be beneficial in the sense that I can use myself as a good gauge of what an average Western audience member does or does not know and what doesn’t translate across culture- and I can therefore provide additional explanation in-text after research and consult to help fill in the gaps and make a more seamless reading experience. I aim to make something that is approachable to Western audiences by letting my audience learn with me rather than erasing culture to substitute a more easily understood Western equivalent in the place of foreign concepts.

6.)     I am a bisexual man. I filter the contents of the novel through my own experience as a queer man, and I write with an English-speaking LGBTQ+ (especially mlm) audience explicitly in mind. There’s an argument to be made that danmei as a genre exists for heterosexual women, but part of what draws me to MDZS is its international relevance to the queer community (because hey! This is breaking through a lot of societal barriers regarding censorship of mlm relationships! And the representation is overwhelmingly positive! The main couple actually gets married and raises a child; that’s great!) and because I genuinely, genuinely enjoy the source material as a queer person. When I was first exposed to MDZS, I saw Wei Wuxian as a morally ambiguous figure with glowing red eyes, billowing robes, a haunting flute, and a horde of zombies at his command- he was powerful and cool- …AND ALSO bisexual. In Western culture, a lot of “representation” written by cishet people unintentionally marginalizes us by casting us as either villains, sassy friends of the protagonists, or victims of tragedy- and a lot of popular queer media, in retaliation, attempts to humanize us by making us “strong” but nonthreatening and seeks to create stories that are as “unproblematic” as possible. In my opinion, both approaches have their problems and essentially deny us the full spectrum of our own humanity by imposing limitations on what roles we are allowed to play. Upon seeing Wei Wuxian, in my mind, I thought, “Yeah, this is the kind of representation I want! Just a straight-forwardly cool character, who also isn’t straight! A queer character who is fully allowed to have moral ambiguity, imperfections, sins, and depth.”

There’s also, as a queer reader, a certain wish fulfillment and schadenfreude in watching WWX on the loose. After his reincarnation, he’s in the body of an already openly queer man who is perceived by his peers to be a “lunatic.” WWX has no propriety or status to lose, and thus he gets to just do and say whatever he wants. For anyone who has had to be closeted out of necessity, this can make watching WWX troll homophobic characters with his open sexual proclivity and knowledge of what will offend their sensibilities really enjoyable. Some of the past translation work by ExiledRebels however does not exactly live up to this euphoric experience that I project onto the novel and can be interpreted as homophobic. As a translator, the devil’s in the details to construct a translation wherein rhetorical decisions allow queer readers to be in on the joke rather than the butt of the joke. And for the most part- I do feel uniquely positioned to make a stronger attempt at achieving this than my predecessors.

7.)     I’m invested in MDZS because I think the source material is genuinely strong. The main character is interesting and fun to watch. The main couple is extremely compelling and appeals to a lot of popular romantic tropes. The plot is startling and dramatic. The underlying themes of the novel itself with the duality of “light” and “dark” and how the concepts of “good” and “evil” are socially constructed are great. I’m struck by how much potential there is for this novel to be a sensation among Western audiences, and I feel one of the things preventing that has simply been the absence of an open-access, compelling, professional translation.

- Mod Achilles.

Radish Fiction Online Cheats

Radish Fiction Online Guide

Radish Fiction Online manual is a guide for a popular new recreation. Maybe being given a fixed quantity of Coins every month or so and then paying for added Coins is a higher alternative due to the fact humans are not going to be convinced to sign up for this app specifically whilst wattpad + ao3 are loose. But, most important shoutout to lowrites due to the fact she is superb hello, i like radish it an amazing manner to examine books.... however... why do i need to pay to study books ? It's too much like if you want human beings to pay the at least have a every day spin in which there purpose be distinctive quantities of Coins you receive. The radish content material is written often through self-posted authors and taken care of through genre — romance, fable, paranormal, youngster, thriller, l.g.b.t., technology fiction and general. For more subtle looking and discovery, tales also are tagged with labels like "blackgirlmagic," "billionaire," "insurrection," "werewolf" and so forth. The high-quality of the writing varies — and lots of efforts usually seem to grow to be as ham-fisted erotica — but radish books are proudly taking the mantle of snackable pulp fiction into the digital age. (and don't knock do-it-yourself authors — "sunglasses of gray" aside, andy weir's "the martian" started out as a self-published serial on his weblog returned in 2009 before the 2015 film model grossed $630 million at the global field office.) Even though you do should pay for most stories, i like that they have got coin activities often and unfastened memories for everybody to enjoy. Inside the year or so i've had this app, i had one hassle. With an e mail, they constant the problem inside an afternoon. I think that became just sincerely amazing. This app is the one of the first-class analyzing apps i have had. 10/10 i love this app , but something went incorrect with it these days . I tried analyzing one of the stories on " glad delight week " and as opposed to sending me to the ebook that i clicked it send me to a extraordinary ebook from a one of a kind creator . Those are wonderful for adults and kids alike! In this video, expert skater bri, for appgrooves, takes a damage from the skateboard to show customers her newfound hobby the usage of time-lapse images to make a few cool photographs. In this video, appgrooves capabilities four of the excellent apps that the first-class methods to grill at the barbecue. Aubrey rinehart suggests you the way these apps function and the way they will let you turn out to be a bbq professional. On this video, appgrooves features 3 of the quality apps that cover astrology. Dive in. Perhaps even read a few episodes even as the toddler remains sleeping. Jump into the story each time and as often as you want -- your key's safe with us, we promise. Meet mina from our viral hit his royal urge for food -- she just got fired from her task and thinks its the worst day of her lifestyles until she meets a sexy stranger named leo at a bar. After their warm one night time stand, mina discovers he is not just leo-from-the-bar -- he's leopold desmet, duke of brinovia. I could not find it everywhere. So i wasted all the ones Coins and my personal cash for nothing aside from some ordinary books that without a doubt weren't that interesting but i pushed thru it for a few free Coins that i by no means obtained and i am no longer the only man or woman this has befell to. That left a awful taste in my mouth, i nonetheless hold to use the app; now not as frequent as i used to because the costs are so ridiculous now and almost each ebook you need to pay for, three Coins consistent with bankruptcy without a doubt provides up. I really like horror testimonies too. Form of like wattpad. I want to be a author after i develop up and write on things like kindle, wattpad, and different novel ebooks. Radish is right source of notion i examine radish for top fiction. Plenty of serial fiction. Lots of right fanfiction testimonies and other novels. Lots of different wattpad content material love me the romance and sci fi testimonies. Its way better than fanfiction episodes in different apps like kindle and hooked radish is simply top e-book app. This update also consists of minor malicious program fixes to enhance your radish experience. Introducing the new gift container, where you may acquire present coupons to study featured tales free of charge! Make certain to check for the surprise every tuesday! Introducing one among our most tremendously requested functions, episode feedback! You may now communicate and change reactions for every episode with the writers and fellow readers! This update additionally consists of minor bug fixes to decorate your radish revel in. This replace includes consumer interface upgrades and minor trojan horse fixes to decorate your radish enjoy. Jordan murphy and aubrey rinehart walk you via how those apps operate and how they allow you to start your day with nowadays, discover indie music the use of appgrooves' 3 top apps! You could find the hottest new tracks from indie tune artists and how you may aid impartial artists. We're going to display you a way to discover new on this video, appgrooves capabilities 3 of the first-class apps that assist you to take a few healthy hikes or walks. Jordan murphy suggests you ways these apps work and the way they are able to make your stroll a little greater in this video, appgrooves capabilities 3 of the fine apps that assist you to create your very own podcast. Charles expects little more than to just like the girl he to start with unearths as doll-like, but her love for his dogs (he's obsessed with the spaniels; his mistress hates them) and her innocent goals start to interrupt thru his resolve to hold her at a distance. In flip, charles fears the interference of his spouse inside the way his mother almost ruined his father-and all of england-along with her desires. And inside the midst of this, the married barbara, female castlemaine, is bearing charles's 2d toddler, whilst her husband stews, his delight unwilling to meekly take delivery of the title charles has bestowed in change for his spouse. It truly is around 126 Coins which is about $15.00 (with a % of Coins that has a reduction no much less). Yet if you visit amazon wherein that writer has published the equal book, you could get the exact identical aspect for everywhere among $zero.ninety nine-$4.ninety nine ethical of the tale, be smart with your money and test if they have it on the market on kindle/someplace else. But also this is quite messed up onradish's part. Thanks for reading, bye. The concept is good—providing hard working authors with money for their time and effort. Narrative is a key component of the human experience that can be traced back to pre-literate societies that relied on oral communication. It is therefore acutely susceptible to social, cultural and technological changes. The industrial revolution, which gave rise to serialization the first time around, drastically altered patterns of human behavior just as the digital revolution is doing today. The rise of the printing press facilitated broad new methods of distribution, which allowed the serialized novel to flourish, as first evidenced by the success of charles dickens's the pickwick papers. The bookburners writing team is full of pros from across the industry: max gladstone (who we talked to about season five and his other writing projects), margaret dunlap, brian francis slattery, mur lafferty, andrea phillips and amal el-mohtar. If you're familiar with ellen kushner's riverside fantasy series, beginning with swordpoint, you've already got a great hook to start this concluded serial: tremontaine is a prequel to the adventures in the novels. It also serves as a great introduction to kushner's world for those unfamiliar with her work-or any of the other excellent writers on the team, including alaya dawn johnson, malinda lo, joel derfner, racheline maltese, patty bryant, and paul witcover. But the cast doesn't stop with familiar faces: new characters include a korean tiger-goddess, frost giant mercenaries, and a charismatic, gender-fluid space pirate.this is the first prose serial collaboration between serial box and one of the big comic publishers, featuring the writing team of aaron stewart-ahn, jay edidin, brian keene, and yoon ha lee. If you love it (or prefer a different hero), keep an eye out for the forthcoming marvel titles black widow, black panther, and jessica jones, or the upcoming dc serials the flash: rogues. I hope this can be fixed! I love the app and the stories. But if i'm gonna spend real money on Coins to pay for books, i'd really like those Coins to be usable when i want to use them. It's obvious you're trying to get us to blow more money on this. They had this reading contest wherein you had to read 150 chapters to get 50 Coins. I had only 1 coin so i decided to wait for other chapters to become free. "you're just going to convert to phones. "reading as a vertical isn't going to go away," he goes on. "it's competing with vr, video games . . . But reading is an everlasting format. So how do you reinvent it on the phone?" Wattpad has had the most success so far in adapting novels for the mobile age. A toronto-based site and app that allows its mostly young, female fans to directly engage with authors and even comment on specific paragraphs, wattpad has accrued over 45 million users. As the best android emulator for gaming, memu offers you the best gaming experience. Fortnite mobile is confirmed not to be avaliable on google play, this post is about how to play fortnite mobile android version on pc with memu. All radish — free fiction & chat stories materials are copyrights of radish media inc..  our software is not developed by or affiliated with radish media inc.. Your blog is extremely a https://www.assignmenthelper.com.au/ decent stage to get enlightening posts. It is extremely an accommodating stage. I foe the whole hour but can't find a way to access radish live and missed trivia for my favorite novel... When i first got the app, i really enjoyed how different it was from others that i have had. However, it recently became more of a frustration than anything. They haven't had an event where you can earn Coins recently. For a full time grad school student, i can't afford to pay for Coins every month and valued the free events. Genres and categories included on the site are romance, ya/teen, fantasy/sci-fi, general, mystery/thriller, lgbtq+, late night, and paranormal. I have found radish's ya content to be particularly robust. Although i haven't explored the community chat rooms, the app does contain that feature if you like the ability to connect directly with authors. For voracious readers, romance and ya in particular, i really can't think of a better app that allows you to utilize your smartphone for reading. The free content within radish makes it comfortable to explore the app, and there are new and exclusive books by really exceptional authors. They'll put you out there to publishing companies and other people interested in your writing. Maybe you get an advertising contract, things like that. But i weighed the pros and cons and decided radish was the better way to go." And so in february 2016, thier began to also post his stories on radish, where the latest in his series of historical romance novels, silence is golden, has been read over 650,000 times. Thier wouldn't disclose how much money he is earning, but lee says it's a five-figure monthly income. Their latest move is the release, on march 29, of omnibus versions of several of their collected serials (all featured below). Keep an eye out at your favorite third-party digital bookseller (amazon, ibooks, etc.) For text-only collected episodes from: told over the course of four novellas, all published in 2016, this mythical medieval japanese epic features a disinherited lord, courtly intrigue with the heirs of the lotus throne, and a sorcerer who creates a mask for a young man, capturing within it the spirit of a great stag.

A Journey In Writing

When life hands you body parts...make a monster

- Didi Portia

Book One - Making A Monster

.01 - Let’s begin with the foundation of all writing. The Mission Statement:

It is my expressed desire to offer an insight into the Creative Writing process as taken from my very own experiences in both life and writing, which truly are interchangeable. My only hope is that you walk away with value from every lesson I share.

.02- Introduction:  Who am I? The truth is...I’m nobody special. No more special than you. You live, you breathe, you dream. I live, I breathe and I dream. What makes me think that I can successfully teach writing? I guess its simple: I have been writing and “actively” studying the Art of Writing for many years.

.03 - Credits/Why I feel that I am capable to aid you in your own writing:

Some people may be under the impression that I landed my job because of chance or a lucky break. I resent that. What a lot of people don’t know is that I spent 15 years honing my skills as a writer. I went to University of British Columbia, completing several writing courses under John Maven as well as Samuel Petri who have works that are both a Part of the UBC as well as the University of Toronto’s Writing Curriculum. I would like to mention too that I finished at the top of every class, with the highest marks in every class. I also (while living on the streets in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside) was accepted into a well known Writing School in Connecticut “Long Ridge Writers Group” and trained under Karen Hammond, who is a star in her own right with hundreds of Publications from American Lawyer, American Profile, Family Circle, Runners’ World, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and many others, and newspapers including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Boston Globe, Columbus Dispatch, Miami Herald, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She was also at one time the Senior Editor at Boston Globe.  

Karen Hammond received the Outstanding Service Feature Article of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for an article on aging, the Jerry Morris Master Writer Award for an article on myths and realities surrounding the first Thanksgiving, a Travel-Media award for an article on Quebec City, and the Outstanding Poem of the Year Award from Perceptions literary magazine.

I trained under some pretty major writers—master in their field. This is to dispel any thoughts that I “fluked” off my position at a major UK Writing Firm. No. I worked damn hard for years and years to get where I am.

My journey in writing began over thirty-four years ago, back when I wrote my first genuine short story. I was 10 years old. The story, from what I can remember—written in pencil, on eight pages of loose-leaf,“front-and-back”—was one of those swashbuckling Space Pirate adventures, with loads of action and cool characters; Mercenaries named “Wolf” “Bruiser” and “Hawk” who walked with swagger, carried huge cannons and never flinched or moved for anyone except Dingo, who was the only badass in the galaxy who could tell a bunch of calculating savages what to do. As far back as I can remember...I wanted to be a writer. I used to dream of one day working from home as a real life writer who was actually paid to sit in his Pajamas and just do what came most natural. Now that I am a real life writer...I think its time to share this journey with the world. Anyone who is interested in becoming a writer should find this interesting. That is the hope, anyways.

Now that things are going moderately well—that is to say...I’m not broke, have a roof over my head, and the bills are paid—I can take a moment to reflect on my journey. And for what it’s worth...I will do my best to keep you entertained along the way. Looking back...I have to say...first and foremost...it was not easy. You see...I came from poverty. From broken homes. Foster homes. Alcohol and drugs. It is imperative that I mention before we go any further that I am a First Nation of the Saulteaux People’s of Central Canada. I was not born to wealth or stability. The total opposite, in fact. I was born to the natural chaos, ruin, and strife afforded to me and my people. That being said...I will not use that as an excuse to point out my very own, deeply personal struggle coming up through life as an uneducated aboriginal, ex-street kid in modern day Canada. I will, however, share with you some pinnacle moments that have both changed as well as shaped my life. But before we get too deep in...I would also like to bring to your attention the core of this Blog Book: writing.

Along the way I have amassed a considerable amount of knowledge on the subject. With millions of words written along the way, over the course of many years, and of studying the craft of writing intensely for the better part of two-decades, with University Studies, (UBC) College (VCC) as well as a renowned Writing Program “Long Ridge Writer’s Group” under my belt, I say with the utmost confidence that I am proud to be in a position where I can be of assistance when it comes to the Art of Writing. And make no mistake...writing is an art. And just like art...writing gets better with practice. The greatest thing to behold, in fact, is also the simplest statement, which says: “All people are natural storytellers. But not all people are natural writers.” Storytelling is a gift from our Lord, Creator...that one almighty deity who gave us such gifts as dreams and desires. It is our lot to dream. Why not “dream and do” then? Simple answer to that one...

For most...writing is scary, frightening, and most of all...daunting. A real task. The very thought of writing freaks people out. I guess that is what separates writers from the rest. We writers look out at the world from the edge of a cliff. It is those stories and experiences that lie deep within us that bridges the gap between life and imagination, reality and a blank piece of paper. While a blank sheet of paper provides the platform, it is raw passion that allows for the means. Let me explain. Everybody has a story to tell. Some several. Others...countless stories. Sadly most of our stories will fade into obscurity by the wayside of our minds simply for the lack of desire. It is those desires that compel writers to write. Writers write for many reasons, but the one indisputable factor that drives all writers is the same no matter the individual. We writers write...simply because it is a part of ‘who’ we are. It is because we must write in order for us to feel free and understood. We are compelled by a most natural force: the desire to be heard and understood.

This Blog Book will be an introduction to the Art of Writing. How to bring that story that has been in the back of your mind to the forefront. Using my very own techniques I will share with you lessons that are both easy to digest as well as easily utilized. Together we will cover the entire range of Writing Your Story, from beginning to end. Using my own Writing from a Catalogue of over 30 Short Stories and several Novels I will guide you throughout the process: from fleshing out a story outline to simple dialogue to writing texture and settings using the six senses to final product of your choosing.

Let’s begin.

Book One – Making A Monster

Chapter 1 – Understanding “Heart.”

Understanding heart. “What is heart?” you ask. Well, in the shortest, easiest way I can answer...I would have to say that “heart” is the one thing which drives us all. That goes double for our favourite stories. In short...like every living creature that lives and breathes...our stories require one thing: a heart. Without a heart our stories are empty, lacklustre and quite simply, meaningless. In fact...it is the heart which drives all other functions of every story you’ve ever heard, whether you are aware of it or not. It is the one thing that gives us insight to the storyteller. Think back on some of the best stories you have ever heard. Now think back on the ‘way’ the person told that story. It is in this moment you can see his/her true self shining through. It is in this moment we gain insight to the person telling us the story. Notice the way she smiles when telling one of her favourite stories. Notice the way his voice dips and rises with certain aspects of his tale. Notice the eyes, the mouth and the posture. That is heart. Heart is the one aspect of any tale that drives its functions, from tone, to atmosphere, to dialogue to settings. Heart allows the audience to ‘feel’ the different aspects of the story, which translates further into meaning and purpose.

Now that we have an understanding of “Heart” it is time to really begin our journey in writing. At the core of “Heart” lies several forces that shape both our stories as a means of being understood, as well as our desires which forces us to sit in front of an empty sheet of paper and instill our will into a focused series of words and paragraphs. It is through this series of words and paragraphs that we begin our journey. Talking about forces that compel us...let’s begin with the inevitable question: ‘why?’ Why do I feel it is necessary to write a story? There are an infinite number of reasons as to why. But the same reason befalls every writer and every aspiring writer: passion. Like any art, the prerequisite for writing successfully, is passion. The prerequisite to finishing that story, whether it is a 20,000 word Short Story or 200,000 word Novel is passion. The truth about passion is also the most basic, fundamentally; and that is the fact that passion is directly associated with heart. With emotions. Desires.

I’m not going to tell you ‘how’ to write. That is not my job. I’m simply going to share with you some valuable lessons I have picked up along the way. Lessons which have aided me in becoming the writer I am today. Lessons that translate into fun little exercises to help you hone your craft. Think about writing like...a monster. A monster with sharp eyes that see far beyond the scope of ordinary. A monster with such senses that a buzzing fly could not go undetected for miles off. A creature so powerful that entire worlds become crushed beneath its fiery steps. A creature so wild that the even the Gods gather in conspiracy to keep it from spreading its great wings. The simplest terms by which to envision your story is to understand that indeed it is a monster. Like every monster a motive lies beneath its rock-hard skin. The motive comes from one place: the heart.

Allow me to share an example of what I mean when I say “heart.” Below is an excerpt from my Short Story A Slaves Tale: The Devil &Dominus Titus, a Gladiator Tale of Ancient Rome, which gives a clear indication of motive and compelling desires. Essentially we see a clear purpose involved.

“ - A Slaves Tale: The Devil & Dominus Titus

111 A.D. The West Farmer’s Road, Outside Rome

The boy was captivated. So much, in-fact, that he could not help running full out to the top of the hill to get a better view! He lost his breath to wonder. Not just by the busy south roads heading into the city, their long lines of desert caravans, merchants and slave-carriages, but by the endless traffic, the grandeur of such a place—its ability to host such numbers, such spectacle!

The sight of wild animals in cages—a long line of them—made his heart sing! He could hear their savage growls from here: tigers, lions, bears, jaguars and some too that he’d heard of in late tales by the fire. Those strange, tall beasts whose spots resembled dry, cracked mud-beds, lanky beasts with long legs and high reaching necks—those ones that stood taller than three men. So that’s what a “giraffe” looks like!

Following single-file, sitting rather comfortably atop a dozen elephants, beautiful veiled women looked out from a world pampered by elegance and wealth. And as sweet as they were, nothing could be sweeter than the coins they tossed out to the waiting children, if only to see them smile. And the colourful feathers, rose-petals and jewels they tossed to the crowds were but a sprinkle compared to the rest of their great wealth.

Nor was he taken by the natural beauty of the land: the gentle hue of a perfect sunset spilling over lush groves, with gentle forests stretching away on the far southern slope, opening up to easy flowing valleys to the east, far beyond the city’s reach. To the north lazy marshes bridged a wide western field, trailing little forests south along the river Tiberus adding more shine to an already splendorous city. He did not blink. Not once. The perpetual movement of mighty Rome embraced him in loving arms, to his utter disbelief.

He could see now how it was the most spectacular place in all the world, truly a city of the gods! A city of dreams and might. Its tall white columns, magnificent temples, wide halls, teeming markets, lavish hillside homes, brilliant villas, wonderful bathhouses and glorious theatres brought the masses from far and wide across the known world, hosting tens of thousands of milling prospects at any of the great forums, named after mighty rulers: Traiani, Vespasian, Boarium and so forth. The city was home to breathtaking arches, basilicas and of course the most magnificent and prominent creation to date—rising straight up from the earth; an intricately designed marvel of modern architecture, the very pulse of Rome: the great Colosseum.

One-hundred-and-sixty-foot walls the colour of dry sand rounded a long line of wonderful stone arches, boasting the gods in all their glory: Jupiter, Apollo, Venus, Ceres and even great men as well: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Nero Claudius Drusus and Gaius Julius Caesar—names that transcend time itself. Among them the founders of Rome themselves, the twins Romulus and Remus, posing tall and proud among a legion of excellence.

   The Boy breathed deep, overwhelmed by her magnificence, her seeming grace, her light and her lull. But that was not it either.

Dominus, instead was enthralled by what lay beyond the first south road, further east to the second road. He wished he were there right this moment, lost amidst the thousands upon thousands of soldier’s heading out of the city, crowding the distant plains far into the clear evening. And still, it was not just the power of the Praetorian Guard that seduced him, nor the sheer numbers of the Roman Army, the greatest force in all the world, no. It was something even stranger that gripped him, something not seen, but ‘felt.’ It was in the way their women—a long line—trailed closely behind, seeing their men off to war.  

He sensed a great power in all of it, discovering within himself a profound connection with his fellow man, that deep-seeded desire for great responsibility; to matter, to show his worth. How he wished he were a soldier, standing side by side with bloody, strong men, hoisting the grandeur of Rome on his shoulders, screaming mad—victorious, winning and expanding her glory, displaying her infectious will to dominate. Her will to power.

Tilting his head dreamily he crossed his arms, letting his mind run away with him. Someday, I’ll have great wealth and power. And someday too, I’ll be rich and famous and have a wife and many mistresses. Someday, I’ll be ‘free.’ He smiled to himself, I’d sell my soul… By Pluto I would.

Amethus walked up beside him, “Your fate is set in stone, boy. Even Jupiter would not bother with such thoughts of heroism and riches. And scantily clad women too, hmmm...?” the skinny fellow teased, nudging him lightly, reasoning with him. “We are slaves Dominus, and don’t you forget that. Your father, his father before him and so it is, all the way down, over a hundred years now. Good-hearted people, your folks. Hard working. You should be ever so proud that we serve above our dreams.”

Not my dreams, old man. -

(From “A Slaves Tale” The Devil & Dominus Titus” By Didi Portia)

Right from the beginning we get the sense that Dominus does not like his plot in life. He is willing to sell his soul to escape the harsh binds of slavery. He wants more. He sees the world before him and dreams of a life far beyond his reckoning. If you dissect this excerpt long enough you will find many instances of yearning; one boy’s powerful drive to climb out from beneath a hundred years of slavery. This is essentially the heart of the story: Dominus’ desire for fame, for riches and freedom. This one facte of the tale can translate into every aspect of our own lives. The trick is to allow it to breathe, and grow and manifest into a real, tangible item.

The very first sentence reveals Dominus’ heart. “The boy was captivated.” He was captivated by the sight of power, freedom and glory. He sees all three facets of life in the city of Rome which rises up in the distance. If you study the excerpt closely you will see his ‘desires...that which drives his heart, clearly.

“ - He lost his breath to wonder. [Not just by the busy south roads heading into the city,] their long lines of desert caravans, merchants and slave-carriages, but by the endless traffic, the grandeur of such a place—its ability to host such numbers, such spectacle!

The sight of wild animals in cages—a long line of them—made his heart sing! He could hear their savage growls from here: tigers, lions, bears, jaguars and some too that he’d heard of in late tales by the fire. Those strange, tall beasts whose spots resembled dry, cracked mud-beds, lanky beasts with long legs and high reaching necks—those ones that stood taller than three men. So that’s what a “giraffe” looks like!

Following single-file, sitting rather comfortably atop a dozen elephants, beautiful veiled women looked out from a world pampered by elegance and wealth. And as sweet as they were, nothing could be sweeter than the coins they tossed out to the waiting children, if only to see them smile. And the colourful feathers, rose-petals and jewels they tossed to the crowds were but a sprinkle compared to the rest of their great wealth.

Nor was he taken by the natural beauty of the land: the gentle hue of a perfect sunset spilling over lush groves, with gentle forests stretching away on the far southern slope, opening up to easy flowing valleys to the east, far beyond the city’s reach. To the north lazy marshes bridged a wide western field, trailing little forests south along the river Tiberus adding more shine to an already splendorous city. He did not blink. Not once. The perpetual movement of mighty Rome embraced him in loving arms, to his utter disbelief.

He could see now how it was the most spectacular place in all the world, truly a city of the gods! A city of dreams and might. Its tall white columns, magnificent temples, wide halls, teeming markets, lavish hillside homes, brilliant villas, wonderful bathhouses and glorious theatres brought the masses from far and wide across the known world, hosting tens of thousands of milling prospects at any of the great forums, named after mighty rulers: Traiani, Vespasian, Boarium and so forth. The city was home to breathtaking arches, basilicas and of course the most magnificent and prominent creation to date—rising straight up from the earth; an intricately designed marvel of modern architecture, the very pulse of Rome: the great Colosseum.

One-hundred-and-sixty-foot walls the colour of dry sand rounded a long line of wonderful stone arches, boasting the gods in all their glory: Jupiter, Apollo, Venus, Ceres and even great men as well: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Nero Claudius Drusus and Gaius Julius Caesar—names that transcend time itself. Among them the founders of Rome themselves, the twins Romulus and Remus, posing tall and proud among a legion of excellence.

   The Boy breathed deep, overwhelmed by her magnificence, her seeming grace, her light and her lull. But that was not it either.

Dominus, instead was enthralled by what lay beyond the first south road, further east to the second road. He wished he were there right this moment, lost amidst the thousands upon thousands of soldier’s heading out of the city, crowding the distant plains far into the clear evening. And still, it was not just the power of the Praetorian Guard that seduced him, nor the sheer numbers of the Roman Army, the greatest force in all the world, no. It was something even stranger that gripped him, something not seen, but ‘felt.’ It was in the way their women—a long line—trailed closely behind, seeing their men off to war.  

He sensed a great power in all of it, discovering within himself a profound connection with his fellow man, [that deep-seeded desire for great responsibility; to matter, to show his worth.] - ”

In this short passage we come to learn both Dominus’ driving ambitions as well as give a small peek into his character. We see that he is both young and dreamy. We see that he is a slave early on, which makes us (the reader) root for him instantly. We see that he has his own dreams. That his ideals sit higher than those of his parents’ who were also slaves. I hope that I was able to clearly define the meaning of “Heart” by both showing and telling. By sharing my work with you, I am able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that together we have taken the first step in discovering our own monster.

Now that we have “heart” out of the way...I think it is time that we delve into fundamentals. The basics. Let us take a moment to ask ourselves, “How do we begin, exactly?”

Now that we are done with an introduction into who I am as well as looking into the meaning of “Heart” I say we begin from the very bottom. The idea.  

In the next Chapter “The Blood of the Monster” we will look at giving a life to our Monster. We do this by examining what it is we wish to write, what message lies at the core and also...examining the most basic facet of writing: how do we begin properly so that our story is met with sincerity as well as an engaged heart. Together, in the next Chapter, we will witness firsthand the first steps our Monster will take in its lifetime. Exciting times up ahead. Stay with me. This is going to be exciting! I hope that you have taken something from this lesson. I did my best to keep it engaging as well as thorough and meaningful. Until we meet again...happy writing, friends! ( :E

If you believe you’re at the stage in which you know you’ve got something people desire to read, then the next advice is for you. Attempt to find as many sources as possible. It’s full of unique ideas, all that will fight to control.

The Good, the Bad and How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

A fantastic keyboard ( like the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic keyboard ) is similarly essaycapitals an outstanding investment. Since Instagram Story lasts for just 24 hours, which makes it a fantastic means to promote time limited sales. Plan more than you believe you’re going to want.

The Importance of How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

You are able to read the whole collection at no cost on Kindle or on the internet. A different way to curate user-generated content is to earn a branded hashtag to get a story that you need to tell. In all instances, the title of an assortment buy custom lab report of poetry has to be italicized, while the names of individual poems ought to be put within quotation marks.

Cite a political cartoon on your essay in a multitude of manners based on the writing style you’re using. The most important confusion arises in the shape of individual poems discovered out a set. For instance, you might have been aware of the text before.

The Key to Successful How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

The conflict is occasionally internal. A book’s very first paragraph has become the most crucial, as it introduces the protagonist, or main character. Your name will have the ability to help you establish your story but don’t offer the http://www.uiw.edu/wlc/documents/organizing-a-thesis-based-essay.pdf entire thing away.

Your headline is the most significant part of your narrative. All vocals must be determined ahead of their performance. The song is a huge success.

For people who have context about the story or modern history, include this to provide the reader perspective. Feedback is a very important part of a writing procedure.

Convince a editor you are able to do the job. Rather, you are going to have to discover an agent to represent you, which can be hard if you’ve yet to be printed before. He’s the very first writer.

The former line does lots of work as that is the line that makes the reader eager to keep contemplating the narrative. It’s essential to earn a reader keep reading. It is going to also be important to know how to compose your script in the appropriate format.

Type of How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

If you cite the author in a sentence, then only set the page number in parentheses in the finish of the paragraph. If you have copied their publication info, you now have all you want to compose a bibliography. If you’re submitting your resume, you can have a URL to the book.

The Birth of How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

A brief story’s setting is the place and time where the action occurs. Jess followed Nikki to the rear room. There’s always a new man, Michael, he clarified.

There’s no greater approach to do so than to write. Virtual posters are supposed to provide anyone who looks at them an idea on what to expect in the primary product. Everyone was entered for a opportunity to acquire swag!

When you get your outline completed, each the tough work is completed. You’ll also see that on a day in which concentration is extremely hard, you will nonetheless be in a position to do some productive writing in the event you simply stick it out. An attractive summary can inspire individuals to browse the entire report.

Sometimes the aim of a personal essay is just to entertain. Write as though the reader hasn’t seen or read the material making up the subject of the article and provide only a little background into the subject. Read the article and guarantee it is well written and logical.

Look back over your annotated text and pick out the portions that you want to set in your essay. Generally, in the event you’ve got a well-defended argument throughout the paper, the conclusion ought to be as strong as the remaining part of this essay. It’s far better to compose the in depth summary for a draft and return and edit it for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Beyond that, below are a few methods that you’re in a position to use to structure the creative strategy. While the synopsis isn’t a critical section of the treatment, it may be useful to anybody who will read your therapy. Despite the fact that the chance is real, needing to really arrange a lengthy title can appear to be a fairly hard undertaking.

All the comic businesses have guidelines about the best way to submit writing samples. Needless to say, digital hyperlinks go just into the cover of the source mentioned. Feature files are like a digital record for making certain your software operates.

Most Noticeable How to Put the Title of a Short Story in an Essay

You should compose the stories you need to compose, the stories you need to read. Never write about the way your story was rejected before, if that’s the circumstance. The tales do not need to be related to another, only related to the chapter and sub-sections.

A motif or theme paper provides you the ability to concentrate on an element of a fast story, play, or novel. Placing the fundamental arrangements of characters and plot on the page will allow you to locate the visual details of this story more clearly. Each character has a certain part in the story.

from Patriot Prepper Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. Are you ready for any situation? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

How to Read for Personal and Professional Growth

People are notoriously bad readers, especially when it comes to online content. We scan and skim to pull out the chunks of information that are most appealing to us. Digest small bits at a time, never finishing an entire article. Make comments, sometimes harsh ones, that clearly show we don’t understand how to read.

You don’t wanna be that type of reader. You’re better than that.

This article isn’t about learning how to read – we assume you’ve already mastered that. It’s also not about figuring out how to read more. A person who has read a lot is not necessarily well read.

Instead, this article is about how to squeeze information, knowledge, insight and wisdom from the articles and books you thoughtfully choose to read – and how to glean some of that good stuff from the books you read not-so-deeply.

Set a Reading Goal

Assuming you need to jump head first into a topic and come out dripping in wisdom, it’s going to be difficult to do that without a reading goal. We want to loosely adhere to the SMART system of goal-setting here. SMART = specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound.

I recently wrote about how blockchain is influencing other industries. Completely new territory for me. I had to research a lot before I could get started writing. Here’s how I broke down my goal:

Specific: I would discover what blockchain is and what it’s used for, plus three non-cryptocurrency industries that are adapting blockchain technology.

Attainable: I knew zero and the article I was writing was for a beginner audience, so I had to go just one level up in my understanding.

Relevant: I only sourced articles that were published within the past year.

You’ll notice that I skipped “measurable” and “time-bound” – I didn’t feel they mattered for this specific goal. Also, the whole reading process I’m going to lay out is the measurable part.

If you want to tackle a topic that’s two or three levels above your familiarity, that’s fine, even worthwhile. You’ll just want to start with basic, background knowledge first so you can build upon it.

Open Up to the Unknown

Remembering and recalling information is closer to memorization than true learning. A baby can learn how to say certain words and even associate those words with items, but does that mean they have an actual understanding of what the word means or why they’re saying it?

The best way to truly learn about a topic is to read content about that topic that you don’t understand at first. If you read information you easily grasp, you’re not really learning anything new. By reading fresh, complex information, though, you start to build a bridge between what you currently know and what the writer – the expert – knows.

Learning how to read is a lot like learning how to learn. And how do we learn best? By actively discovering something that’s foreign to us. As you’re reading, pause and research the sub-topics and phrases that you don’t understand or mark them for later.

Spoiler alert: at the end of the article or book, you still won’t understand everything you read. That’s kind of the point.

So you’re at the end and you’ve only grasped 60% of what you read. Now re-read it or find an alternative source. You’ll be armed with that 60% of new knowledge and chances are you’ll make some progress on that still-unknown 40 percent.

Embrace the 4 Stages of Reading

How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren outlines four stages of reading, with each stage leading to the next.

Elementary: This is the type of reading you learn in, you guessed it, elementary school.

Inspectional: This is the type of reading most people do online (more on that in a bit). It can be either skimming, which is when you quickly look through the content to see if you want to read part of it, or superficial, which is when you read everything written but don’t get too deep (what you do with a thriller or beach read).

Analytical: You’re absorbing and engaging with what you’re reading. You understand the terms the writer is using, you get what the main argument is and you can determine whether or not those arguments are resolved. You may also decide the writer’s wrong about some points or that certain thoughts are illogical.

Syntopical: Not only are you reading analytically, but you’re developing your knowledge based on what you’ve read, your own experiences and how you feel about it all. The book is simply one of the tools you use to create your own outlook and understanding. You’ve made what you learned your own.

Become a Master Reader

If you want to flex your syntopical reading muscle, pick up the newspaper (let’s get real – bring it up online).

First, read it as you usually do. Skim the headlines for something that interests you and superficially read part of the article. Done. You’ve learned enough to hold a (short) conversation over dinner tonight.

We’re going to do things differently this time.

Pick an article that’s out of your comfort zone, a topic you don’t understand much about. Read it carefully. When you don’t understand a term that’s used, look it up. If you don’t get a reference to another news story, find it and read it. Round out the information so you actually, fully understand what the writer is saying.

Next, look up four more articles on the same topic. Try to find different sources – if you get all of your articles from the same newspaper, facts and perspectives will be repeated. Read those four articles analytically, too.

Sub-steps of the greater syntopical step.

You don’t have to read every single thing. Start by skimming to discover the sections that will be most important to your goal.

Different authors will use different terms for the same thing. Start to create your own terms and language to streamline the information you take in.

Define the questions you want answered, which may differ from the questions the writer is trying to answer.

Pay attention to every side of an issue. Gather information from all perspectives in order to form your own informed and intelligent answers.

You understand what you’ve read – and you’ve read a lot. You get what each writer is saying, the points they’re making, the knowledge they’ve brought to the table.

Say it out loud, whether that’s through a conversation with a friend, your blog or a private Word document. Your challenge is to form your own opinion. Talk about where you match up with the writer’s opinion, where you wholeheartedly disagree and where you fall into a gray area that wasn’t covered in anything you read.

Congratulations. You’ve just become a syntopic reader.

Choose the Right Reading Method

Thorough reading takes a lot of focus and brainpower, and it doesn’t always have its place. I can read Stephen King superficially and get exactly as much out of the experience as I want, no more and no less. If part of my personal growth includes having conversations with my friend who’s also a Stephen King fan, then I’ve done my job.

If I were to analytically read Stephen King novels, I’d (a) take time classifying the book as horror, thriller or suspense, (b) try to understand why he always, always over-describes technology we’ve all used forever and (c) probably turn myself off to Stephen King for life because this is just too much work.

You don’t have to turn what you’re reading into a job if that’s not the goal. There’s a lot to be said for skimming or reading superficially, or reading part of a book analytically and then superficially reading the parts that don’t impact you (my favorite tip for getting through a self-improvement book). When you purposely read less analytically, you also have the option to stop reading cold turkey if you’re not enjoying the book or you’re not getting out of it what you want to.

If you’re an avid reader, knowing why you’re reading and adapting your reading style to that goal is a way to save energy for the times you do need or want to be analytical or syntopic.

Making All This Work in Real Life

In a perfect world, you’d have a clear idea of what topics you want to dive further into, easily gather the necessary content for that deep dive, have the time to analytically and syntopically explore each of them, then magically find the one person who can have an intelligent conversation about the topic you just became a quasi-expert on.

I live in the real world, though, and most nights my book hits the bridge of my nose as I start to nod off after getting just half a chapter along. Here are my tips for real world reading when life gets in the way. These aren’t a replacement for purposeful reading, but they make great alternatives when you have to negotiate with yourself.

Read out loud. This is a trick I use when I fall into that trap of re-reading the same paragraph multiple times without paying attention. Apparently it’s a real psychological trick, too.

Jot down questions as you read. You may not know all the ways you want to explore the topic when you’re getting started, but questions will arise as you read, which will lead you to other sources.

Use the impress, associate and repeat method. Picture the scenario in your head, associate it with something you already know and then repeat the material by highlighting it and going back to it later.

Pay attention to the connections. It’s not an accident when something you just read relates to something you read last week or last year or even last decade. Your brain is building bridges.

When launching into a conversation with someone, make your first talking point that thing you just read. You may uncover more of your own views as you talk about it out loud.

Getting more out of what you read lets you approach a topic, and conversations about it, in a more educated manner. Not only is this helpful in your personal life to develop skills and have better conversations with people, but it’s especially useful in business. If part of your job is explaining a topic to an audience, you’ll want to do it in a way that’s completely new.

Ready to advance and enhance your knowledge? We have a must-read list just for you web designers out there.

The post How to Read for Personal and Professional Growth appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.

😉SiliconWebX | 🌐ElegantThemes

Ways to write essays in examinations nicely and rapidly?

Ways to write essays in examinations nicely and rapidly?

Alarming Info Regarding Fast Custom Essay Writing Service Exposed

Our informative article authors will allow you to compose the ideal oxford style newspapers by supplying you with premium writing services. When you purchase an essay from us, you’re guaranteed to relish individual approach because essay assistance offered from our writers will be personalized depending upon your requirements. Although other essay batmanessay.com writing sites bill you exorbitant rates, we supply you with cheap paper creating professional services of their summit grade.

Thus, a conventional book has the benefit of having the ability to serve because many readers or students during its life span. Money may also be saved with e-book. In real life, naturally, knowledge isn’t separated into neatly defined boxes.

Thus, a conventional book has the benefit of having the ability to serve because many readers or students during its life span. It has been among the fantastic experiences of my life. It’s a world written that you savour and disappear into.

Hence, worth addition is a significant element in our writing service. The truth is that it usually suggests if a client isn’t happy about the rewritten paper (or college professor isn’t happy about the text ), this type of customer is more competent for a no cost revising or a whole refund! Keep reading to learn about why you ought to never invest money for an article online.

The Fast Custom Essay Writing Service Stories

When it doesn’t work try utilizing the device Restore, it’s only beneath Startup Repair. Writing companies should additionally possess a reduction policy. It’s possible to put your get and attain your custom made document accomplished in the own contract.

Our informative article producing company makes certain that student’s essays that are provided to students are original and quality in order to assist pupils receive their educational fantasies true. Students need to use sources in order to create this information of these papers valid. Once they are stuck with their own essays, coursework, homework or different sort of school job that they have been have, the college students may depend on cheap customized essay writing services.

Moreover, the prospective audience would be the advertising aimed supporting this group. There are businesses that you have to eliminate. While hunting for just about any form of paid products and services, learners usually focus on the price they’ll need to pay for off.

Style is a significant portion of writing skills. Men and women who enjoy reading won’t be satisfied with blurbs rather than articles. This review may help you to select the correct book which will be beneficial for you.

It’s necessary for college students to be more cautious and do research on the numerous custom made writing businesses readily available online. There are organizations that you have to eliminate. They ought to be aware that there are a number of businesses that provide senior school newspapers companies.

The Advantages of Fast Custom Essay Writing Service

Our creating strategy has established the best strategies that pupils should apply whilst to reach their academic targets. Many students also work parttime, so they don’t really contain the opportunity to complete the crucial essays. Most students score lower marks on account of the fact that they don’t utilize resources that are valid.

Nevertheless, there are those that are adherents of paper books only. Attempting to finish the last couple of chapters of an audiobook always feels like trying to make it through the previous chunk of a run. Certainly, they could save a lot of carbon dioxide when it comes to replacing textbooks, given that textbooks tend to last only a couple of years before being replaced by new editions.

One other disadvantage of foods that are organic would be the limited collection of natural services and products out available in some regions. Another benefit of natural and organic food items is they will have good style and raised sexual values in comparison with non-organic foods. There is an assortment of destinations it’s possible to buy organic food on line out of.

Nevertheless, there are those that are adherents of paper books only. Additionally, the total amount of focus it can take to put pen to paper might help you create more complete sentences and more vivid scenes. Kevin Kelly Certainly, e-books could spare a lot of carbon dioxide in regards to replacing textbooks, given that textbooks have a tendency to last just a couple of years before being replaced by new editions.

Normally, state if you’re in faculty. Maybe not just are you going to be more throwing away your college education, you are also rather most likely to receive caught! Also, they don’t include the necessary resources.

The Most Popular Fast Custom Essay Writing Service

So if you’re planning to publish your book soon, quality needs to be your top priority. Yes, it was true a couple of years ago. Total ownership might be obtained by creating an item part of the operator.

Understanding E Book Vs Paper Book

E Book Vs Paper Book – the Story

Will computers replace books later on computers have changed the face of earth now reading has even turn into a huge deal on the web and e-books are now. Attempting to finish the last couple of chapters of an audiobook always feels like trying to make it through the previous chunk of a run. Kevin Kelly Certainly, e-books could spare a lot of carbon dioxide in regards to replacing textbooks, given that textbooks have a tendency to last just a couple of years before being replaced by new editions.

Indeed, a number of these images caused the best discoveries in astronomy. So it turned out to be a terrific learning experience for her. If you wish to find out more about improving writing skills, have a look at my completely free online writing courses.

Or else, state whether you’re in school. Maybe not just are you going to be throwing off your faculty instruction, but you are also quite most likely for caught! Furthermore, they find it really hard to write papers due to absence of ample resources.

Cash Essay is among the very best sources on the web which can accommodate you adequate level of advice regarding the specific sam e and therefore you are requested visiting the same once you are free. If you want to procure an exclusive paper without even paying a tremendous amount of money, then Custom-Essays-Online. You’re going to be astounded at the number of cash that you are likely to save your self.

The price tag on editing is dependent upon the term count of your book. To replicate Lean Publishing may be your action of publishing an inprogress book utilizing tools and a lot of iterations till you have the novel pivot to acquire reader feedback and build traction.

Using E Book Vs Paper Book

Hence, price addition is a important component within our composing service. On Higher Education, Trump is Hard to Read The fact remains that it usually means that if a person isn’t satisfied with the paper (or college professor isn’t happy about the written text ), this type of customer is certified for a no cost a complete refund! So, you might rest assured your term-paper service is going to be shipped with a specialist.

Our tailored essay writing solutions are well known by students and professionals all across the globe. The practice creating company needs to be in a posture to provide custom search papers in the appropriate value. It should have the ability to give discounts to students so as to allow them to purchase papers out of the firm.

Lies You’ve Been Told About E Book Vs Paper Book

No printing is why the price of e-book is so low. The industry’s idea of co-existence resembles a decrease in competition as an alternative to a answer to it. Total ownership might be obtained by creating an item part of the operator.

E Book Vs Paper Book Ideas

Now there is going to be a list of content and also you simply need to click the” Compose Article ” button so as to begin your work out. In the event the informative article is quick, it’s advisable to state the advice regarding content of the publication from 1 paragraph. Custom created essays because of affordable bill doesn’t offer you some provision.

The 5-Minute Rule for E Book Vs Paper Book

Books aren’t just transferrers of wisdom and emotion, but a special type of tool that flattens one particular self into another, that enable the trying-on of foreign thoughts and emotions. But thanks to this formal application letter template, it is easy to draft a ideal letter with no expert help. In case you have suggestions for that, please allow me to know.

There are also a number of add-on courses out there. Besides connecting authors with professionals, Reedsy also has lots of tools that will produce the collaboration process much simpler. If you wish to find out more about improving writing skills, have a look at my completely free online writing courses.

Editing’s cost is dependent on the definition of count of your publication. To repeat Lean Publishing may be the action of publishing an in progress book utilizing tools and a lot of iterations till you’ve got the appropriate novel pivot to receive reader responses and build traction after possible do.

Source: http://mobimatic.io/2018/10/16/ways-to-write-essays-in-examinations-nicely-and-rapidly/

"The Law Professor - Wilful Blindness" by Lee Stuesser: A Robson Crim Book Review

Spoiler and Trigger Alert - this review contains spoilers and references to graphic acts contained in the book.

Much of the content on Robson Crim relates to legal cases and texts. My last few blawgshave been book reviews on practitioner’s handbooks. However, the law, especially the criminal law, can be a rather heavy topic, and every once in a while even the most hardworking practitioner or studious law student needs to sit back and take a break. An excellent way to do so is with a comfy chair, and a good novel.

The present blawg will review one such novel which might appeal to the legally inclined. The Law Professor- Wilful Blindness, by Lee Stuesser (Tellwell Books), follows law professor Andrew Sturgis as he tries to uncover the cause of a law student’s shocking and untimely suicide. Robson Hallalumni might recall Lee Stuesser, as he was once a member of our school’s faculty.

As the note at the end of the book will tell you, Mr. Stuesser is an experienced educator, having been a teacher before embarking on the path of a law professor, a path which he walked for over 30 years.

Before I go any further, I feel compelled to provide this warning: spoiler alert. For those of you who might be considering picking up a copy of Mr. Stuesser’s book for yourselves, you may wish to avoid reading beyond the next paragraph of this review, as the rest of it will reveal some elements of the novel’s plot that the interested reader may prefer to discover on his/her own. While I shall endeavour not to reveal too much, I feel that a fair book review is similar to fair exam comments: it should make clear, with reference to specific details, the reviewer’s reasons for coming to the conclusion that they did. In addition, the book and this review contain references to violence in the context of sexual assault. You have been warned!

As indicated above, Wilful Blindness follows Flemington University law professor Andrew Sturgis, a long time faculty member and former state prosecutor. The story takes place primarily in two locations: Flemington Minnesota, where professor Sturgis lives and teaches law at Flemington University Law School, and here in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The book begins with the tragic death of Allison Klassen, a young, beautiful, and much adored law student, who took her own life shortly before the start of her second year. Allison’s death is a mystery to all, as she had previously been an entirely healthy and happy woman, looking forward to her second year in law. Two days before her death, she had returned to Minnesota from Winnipeg, where she had attended a legal conference with another professor, Jerome Fraser, as his research assistant.

Professor Sturgis soon develops his first inkling that there may be more to this tragedy than meets the eye. Shortly after classes begin, he is visited by a friend and classmate of Allison’s, who reveals to Sturgis her suspicions that something terrible may have happened to Allison at the conference in Winnipeg, and that Professor Fraser may have been involved. This simple suspicion, a product of intuition as much as anything else, would lead Sturgis to do some digging of his own. What Sturgis finds is both shocking and disturbing in its own right, and causes the professor to arrive at a dreadful conclusion. Something terrible had happened to Allison Klassen in Winnipeg. She had been the victim of a horrific sexual assault at the hands of professor Fraser; and she had not been his first victim. Armed with his skills as a former prosecutor and a professor of the law of evidence, Sturgis and some like-minded associates continue to unearth more and more evidence of Fraser’s crimes, eventually developing a plan to bring him to justice.

This book is very much a legal drama. It draws on real-world legal principles in creating both the challenges faced by the protagonist and his solutions for overcoming them. Overall, I would describe this book in the same way that professor Sturgis describes Allison Klassen as a student in the novel: solid, but falling just short of the exceptional; a solid B or B+ performer.

Wilful Blindness is a particularly fun read for anyone with a legal background. As a law student, one cannot help but appreciate the criticisms of university administration and the academic system which Stuesser makes through Sturgis. I think we have all felt Sturgis’ exasperation and resignation with the system at some point, which makes the protagonist all the more relatable. In several cases the author includes short chapters explaining particular legal principles through the vehicle of Sturgis’ class lectures. Not only do these act as ingenious foreshadowing devices, but there is also an element of novelty in these chapters for both past and present law students, who will surely recall sitting through lectures on the same topics. This novelty is increased for those who, like me, are familiar with Winnipeg and the Robson Hall Law School, as both appear as settings in Stuesser’s book. Simply put, there is something cool about seeing the halls you have walked so often described in a novel.

What I appreciated most about Stuesser’s novel was its relative realism. In the present era, most legal and crime dramas resort to over-the-top cross examinations, violent police shoot-outs, and ridiculous convictions based on single pieces of circumstantial evidence. Stuesser presents his readers with a much more grounded and realistic crime-drama experience, in a way that still manages to be interesting and engaging. He relies on actual law and actual legal problems, but presents them in a simple and digestible way; much as one who spent his life teaching law might, unsurprisingly. I think this book also has great value as a window into the difficulties that surround investigating and proving sexual violence and misconduct, which has become all too common in our society.

That being said, there are some aspects of the book which, had they been done differently, I believe might have taken this novel above “solid” into the realm of excellence. I found that the author’s narrative voice often failed to portray the level of emotion that it could have at certain moments. The description of Allison’s funeral at the opening of the book, for example, seemed a bit too clean: her family was a little too stoic, her sister Meghan was a bit too brave and well spoken in the delivery of her comments before Allison’s casket. Another example can be found toward the end of the book, when Allison’s childhood friend Mark views crucial evidence of what really happened to her in Winnipeg and breaks down crying. These moments of extreme emotion were opportunities for Stuesser to really humanize his characters and to cause the reader to become further invested in both their pain and their cause. However, on my own view, Stuesser’s descriptions of these events felt somewhat distant, and lacked depth.

This is not to say that I believe the author is unable to convey emotional depth, or fails to do so at all in the book. I think that there were other points in the novel where this was done excellently. The story of Bruce the female golden retriever, for instance, and how she ended up with a male name, was precisely the type of brief aside which helps transform a character like Sturgis from a mere actor in a story into a living, breathing person in the mind of the reader. Rather, it seemed to me that Stuesser withdrew from his characters’ pain, instead of embracing and emphasizing its rawness and power.

I also felt that the character of Allison was too “perfect”. As a beautiful, smart young girl, who was deeply religious, adhered to a belief in abstinence until marriage and who never drank alcohol on principle, I felt that Allison conformed too much to the traditional image of an “idealized” sexual assault victim. Had Stuesser portrayed Allison as a girl who did enjoy a few drinks with friends, or who had participated in consensual sexual relations in the past, it would have made her a more believable and relatable victim. Such a portrayal could also have been a powerful statement that it is not only women like Stuesser’s Allison who deserve protection from the Frasers of the world. In this sense, I think Stuesser missed an opportunity with Wilful Blindness to make a real statement about society’s views on rape and victimization. In all fairness though, it is not the duty of fiction authors to challenge societal notions and values.

Overall, I would recommend giving Lee Stuesser’s Wilful Blindness a read. It is a fun read for anyone with a legal background, and will make for a refreshing change for anyone who might be tired of the absurdity which is the general hallmark of the crime and legal drama genre. While I felt that the author could have done a better job of conveying emotion at certain significant points in the story, and while I think that he missed an opportunity to make a powerful social critique, I also think that this was a very strong showing for an author’s first novel, and not every novel is bound to make some sort of wider social statement. Wilful Blindness is a solid, well written book, and I look forward to seeing how Lee Stuesser’s writing grows, should he decide to create further works. He is definitely an author to watch.

"The Law Professor - Wilful Blindness" by Lee Stuesser: A Robson Crim Book Review published first on https://divorcelawyermumbai.tumblr.com/

"The Law Professor - Wilful Blindness" by Lee Stuesser: A Robson Crim Book Review

Spoiler and Trigger Alert - this review contains spoilers and references to graphic acts contained in the book.

Much of the content on Robson Crim relates to legal cases and texts. My last few blawgshave been book reviews on practitioner’s handbooks. However, the law, especially the criminal law, can be a rather heavy topic, and every once in a while even the most hardworking practitioner or studious law student needs to sit back and take a break. An excellent way to do so is with a comfy chair, and a good novel.

The present blawg will review one such novel which might appeal to the legally inclined. The Law Professor- Wilful Blindness, by Lee Stuesser (Tellwell Books), follows law professor Andrew Sturgis as he tries to uncover the cause of a law student’s shocking and untimely suicide. Robson Hallalumni might recall Lee Stuesser, as he was once a member of our school’s faculty.

As the note at the end of the book will tell you, Mr. Stuesser is an experienced educator, having been a teacher before embarking on the path of a law professor, a path which he walked for over 30 years.

Before I go any further, I feel compelled to provide this warning: spoiler alert. For those of you who might be considering picking up a copy of Mr. Stuesser’s book for yourselves, you may wish to avoid reading beyond the next paragraph of this review, as the rest of it will reveal some elements of the novel’s plot that the interested reader may prefer to discover on his/her own. While I shall endeavour not to reveal too much, I feel that a fair book review is similar to fair exam comments: it should make clear, with reference to specific details, the reviewer’s reasons for coming to the conclusion that they did. In addition, the book and this review contain references to violence in the context of sexual assault. You have been warned!

As indicated above, Wilful Blindness follows Flemington University law professor Andrew Sturgis, a long time faculty member and former state prosecutor. The story takes place primarily in two locations: Flemington Minnesota, where professor Sturgis lives and teaches law at Flemington University Law School, and here in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The book begins with the tragic death of Allison Klassen, a young, beautiful, and much adored law student, who took her own life shortly before the start of her second year. Allison’s death is a mystery to all, as she had previously been an entirely healthy and happy woman, looking forward to her second year in law. Two days before her death, she had returned to Minnesota from Winnipeg, where she had attended a legal conference with another professor, Jerome Fraser, as his research assistant.

Professor Sturgis soon develops his first inkling that there may be more to this tragedy than meets the eye. Shortly after classes begin, he is visited by a friend and classmate of Allison’s, who reveals to Sturgis her suspicions that something terrible may have happened to Allison at the conference in Winnipeg, and that Professor Fraser may have been involved. This simple suspicion, a product of intuition as much as anything else, would lead Sturgis to do some digging of his own. What Sturgis finds is both shocking and disturbing in its own right, and causes the professor to arrive at a dreadful conclusion. Something terrible had happened to Allison Klassen in Winnipeg. She had been the victim of a horrific sexual assault at the hands of professor Fraser; and she had not been his first victim. Armed with his skills as a former prosecutor and a professor of the law of evidence, Sturgis and some like-minded associates continue to unearth more and more evidence of Fraser’s crimes, eventually developing a plan to bring him to justice.

This book is very much a legal drama. It draws on real-world legal principles in creating both the challenges faced by the protagonist and his solutions for overcoming them. Overall, I would describe this book in the same way that professor Sturgis describes Allison Klassen as a student in the novel: solid, but falling just short of the exceptional; a solid B or B+ performer.

Wilful Blindness is a particularly fun read for anyone with a legal background. As a law student, one cannot help but appreciate the criticisms of university administration and the academic system which Stuesser makes through Sturgis. I think we have all felt Sturgis’ exasperation and resignation with the system at some point, which makes the protagonist all the more relatable. In several cases the author includes short chapters explaining particular legal principles through the vehicle of Sturgis’ class lectures. Not only do these act as ingenious foreshadowing devices, but there is also an element of novelty in these chapters for both past and present law students, who will surely recall sitting through lectures on the same topics. This novelty is increased for those who, like me, are familiar with Winnipeg and the Robson Hall Law School, as both appear as settings in Stuesser’s book. Simply put, there is something cool about seeing the halls you have walked so often described in a novel.

What I appreciated most about Stuesser’s novel was its relative realism. In the present era, most legal and crime dramas resort to over-the-top cross examinations, violent police shoot-outs, and ridiculous convictions based on single pieces of circumstantial evidence. Stuesser presents his readers with a much more grounded and realistic crime-drama experience, in a way that still manages to be interesting and engaging. He relies on actual law and actual legal problems, but presents them in a simple and digestible way; much as one who spent his life teaching law might, unsurprisingly. I think this book also has great value as a window into the difficulties that surround investigating and proving sexual violence and misconduct, which has become all too common in our society.

That being said, there are some aspects of the book which, had they been done differently, I believe might have taken this novel above “solid” into the realm of excellence. I found that the author’s narrative voice often failed to portray the level of emotion that it could have at certain moments. The description of Allison’s funeral at the opening of the book, for example, seemed a bit too clean: her family was a little too stoic, her sister Meghan was a bit too brave and well spoken in the delivery of her comments before Allison’s casket. Another example can be found toward the end of the book, when Allison’s childhood friend Mark views crucial evidence of what really happened to her in Winnipeg and breaks down crying. These moments of extreme emotion were opportunities for Stuesser to really humanize his characters and to cause the reader to become further invested in both their pain and their cause. However, on my own view, Stuesser’s descriptions of these events felt somewhat distant, and lacked depth.

This is not to say that I believe the author is unable to convey emotional depth, or fails to do so at all in the book. I think that there were other points in the novel where this was done excellently. The story of Bruce the female golden retriever, for instance, and how she ended up with a male name, was precisely the type of brief aside which helps transform a character like Sturgis from a mere actor in a story into a living, breathing person in the mind of the reader. Rather, it seemed to me that Stuesser withdrew from his characters’ pain, instead of embracing and emphasizing its rawness and power.

I also felt that the character of Allison was too “perfect”. As a beautiful, smart young girl, who was deeply religious, adhered to a belief in abstinence until marriage and who never drank alcohol on principle, I felt that Allison conformed too much to the traditional image of an “idealized” sexual assault victim. Had Stuesser portrayed Allison as a girl who did enjoy a few drinks with friends, or who had participated in consensual sexual relations in the past, it would have made her a more believable and relatable victim. Such a portrayal could also have been a powerful statement that it is not only women like Stuesser’s Allison who deserve protection from the Frasers of the world. In this sense, I think Stuesser missed an opportunity with Wilful Blindness to make a real statement about society’s views on rape and victimization. In all fairness though, it is not the duty of fiction authors to challenge societal notions and values.

Overall, I would recommend giving Lee Stuesser’s Wilful Blindness a read. It is a fun read for anyone with a legal background, and will make for a refreshing change for anyone who might be tired of the absurdity which is the general hallmark of the crime and legal drama genre. While I felt that the author could have done a better job of conveying emotion at certain significant points in the story, and while I think that he missed an opportunity to make a powerful social critique, I also think that this was a very strong showing for an author’s first novel, and not every novel is bound to make some sort of wider social statement. Wilful Blindness is a solid, well written book, and I look forward to seeing how Lee Stuesser’s writing grows, should he decide to create further works. He is definitely an author to watch.

"The Law Professor - Wilful Blindness" by Lee Stuesser: A Robson Crim Book Review published first on https://medium.com/@SanAntonioAttorney

Solo: A Star Wars Story Has Lots to Show, Nothing to Say

New Post has been published on http://secondcovers.com/solo-a-star-wars-story-has-lots-to-show-nothing-to-say/

Solo: A Star Wars Story Has Lots to Show, Nothing to Say

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

.unqbw5b0ef1881a37e margin: 5px; padding: 0px; @media screen and (min-width: 1201px) .unqbw5b0ef1881a37e display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) .unqbw5b0ef1881a37e display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) .unqbw5b0ef1881a37e display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) .unqbw5b0ef1881a37e display: block; @media screen and (max-width: 767px) .unqbw5b0ef1881a37e display: block;

Last year, George R.R. Martin – the author of A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels that have been adapted at HBO – said that of the several Game of Thrones spin-off ideas in development, not even one touched upon the period immediately prior to the current saga. “There would be no surprises or revelations left in such a show, just the acting out of conflicts whose resolutions you already know,” he added. Instead, Martin wants them to show parts of his universe that haven’t already been talked about.

On the other hand, the powers that-be at Lucasfilm – under Disney’s ownership – are more than happy to take the safer route and expand on events and characters we already know about, as it guarantees a financial windfall by drawing most if not all existing fans of the franchise. Partly thanks to Harrison Ford, Han Solo is one of the most famous characters in pop culture, let alone Star Wars. Telling his origin story, as the new standalone Star Wars film – Solo, out May 25 worldwide – does, is the definition of low-hanging fruit.

What makes that problem worse is that even before it starts, the big pieces of the puzzle are already in place. Owing to the original trilogy – now retroactively titled Episode IV, V and VI – that ran from 1977-1983, we know Han will meet Chewbacca, the two will then encounter Lando Calrissian, from whom Han will win the Millennium Falcon in a bet, with which he’ll make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. That’s not a lot of room to create a meaningful story – written by Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jonathan – in addition to the fact there’s no stakes for our heroes.

  On top of that, Solo: A Star Wars Story is also dealing with a limited arc for a young Han, since he has to end up as the cocky and overpromising guy Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi meet in the Mos Eisley cantina. And that means the film can’t attribute qualities to him that you wouldn’t normally associate with him, even though he’s about a decade younger in this than in the original trilogy. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t try; Solo has moments where it pokes fun at his ill-advised bravado, but it’s still filling in the portrait of a guy who thinks he can do everything himself.

Solo: A Star Wars Story begins by introducing the pair of Han (Alden Ehrenreich, from Hail, Caesar!) and Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke, from Game of Thrones) on their homeworld of Corellia, who are in love and languishing in slum-like conditions. Years later, Han enlists in the Imperial forces, meets a criminal of dubious morals named Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson, from War for the Planet of the Apes), and then takes on a job for crime lord Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany, from Avengers: Infinity War). That sets Solo in motion and brings other characters into the picture.

What unfolds from there is a part heist and part Western film, as Han and Co. go about achieving their mission – it involves stealing something ultra-valuable and getting it somewhere else as quickly as possible – while making new friends and new enemies along the way. The former involves Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), the captain and original owner of the Millennium Falcon, and his first mate, a hilarious and outspoken droid called L3-37 (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, from Fleabag). There are bit part roles for Westworld’s Thandie Newton and director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) as well.

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm

 Shop On SecondCovers

.syiva5b0ef1881a4ba margin: 5px; padding: 0px; @media screen and (min-width: 1201px) .syiva5b0ef1881a4ba display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) .syiva5b0ef1881a4ba display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) .syiva5b0ef1881a4ba display: block; @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) .syiva5b0ef1881a4ba display: block; @media screen and (max-width: 767px) .syiva5b0ef1881a4ba display: block;

Like the previous standalone chapter Rogue One, there’s nothing about the Jedi and lightsabers here, and even less about the Empire or the Force. Similarly, all the new characters Solo: A Star Wars Story introduces are ultimately dispensable too, since none of them can show up in later entries. But unlike Rogue One, the film, seemingly with an eye on potential sequels – Ehrenreich has a three-picture deal in his contract – creates subplots that aren’t tied up properly by the end. It’s here that Solo even connects to the prequel trilogy from 1999-2005.

Unfortunately, there’s little justification for a second visit, when the first is rather unimaginative. Save for a few scattered moments, the film doesn’t grab you until an hour in. And though it’s got the makings of some unique action set-pieces, they aren’t handled in a way that would make them memorable. Even when the Millennium Falcon is being attacked by TIE fighters late-game, there’s no sense of the excitement that was apparent in J.J. Abrams’ 2015 soft reboot The Force Awakens, and Rian Johnson’s 2017 follow-up The Last Jedi.

Part of this stems from the botched handling of the production. The original directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), were fired over four months into filming, after clashing with Lucasfilm execs including Kasdan over their directorial approach. They thought they were hired to bring their comedic flavour to Star Wars, but their heavy improvisational technique – the duo sometimes shot a dozen takes that weren’t always in line with what the script said – didn’t sit well with Kasdan, and they were replaced by Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), who’s seen as a safe choice.

It’s a testament to Howard’s experience that he not only managed to keep the film on track for its scheduled release, but that Solo: A Star Wars Story feels cohesive despite being the product of two entirely different visions: according to a behind-the-scenes report, 70 percent of the finished film is Howard’s, with the rest being the work of Lord and Miller. But because Howard was hired last minute to simply bring the script to life, the film lacks an authoritative touch and ends up feeling like a by-the-numbers bland heist film.

Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

  Moreover, less than six months after Star Wars took some of its boldest steps courtesy Johnson – including a welcome dressing down of why trigger-happy hotshots can cause more harm than good – Solo is happy to play it easy. A few unexpected twists towards the end, and the work of its top-notch cast – Waller-Bridge is excellent and powers some of the film’s best moments, Glover is instantly charismatic and a scene-stealer as the trailers promised, and Clarke lands the note she’s asked to play, that of an intriguing yet enigmatic female lead – simply aren’t enough.

Despite how damning the preceding paragraphs may sound, Solo isn’t a bad movie per se. It’s just fine. The film will help buff up the encyclopaedia pages in a certain period, give Disney another chance to sell more Star Wars merchandise, and lays the groundwork for sequels leading up to Episode IV – A New Hope (“Star Wars” for the purists). But it never takes off in a fashion that would please its titular hero – John Williams’ iconic soundtrack is also on a leash for the longest time, unfortunately – mainly because it’s too predictable to make any wild manoeuvres.

We’ll never know what Lord and Miller would’ve done with Solo: A Star Wars Story, even as the underlying story would’ve been the same. It’s also possible their version would have been horrible, and that Lucasfilm was right in removing them before it was too late. But if Star Wars is going to keep swinging the pendulum back even as its world expands – reports abound of more standalone chapters with Obi-Wan and others, alongside all-new stories from Johnson, Favreau, and Game of Thrones creators – the least it can do is not be borderline cynical about it.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

Writing Monsters: What Makes a Monster Scary?

Editor’s Note: The following excerpt is composed of selections from the second chapter of Writing Monsters by Philip Athans. Don’t miss Athans’ live webcast, Scare and Share Alike: Writing and Selling Horror Fiction, on Halloween (10/31/17). 

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

What Makes a Monster Scary?

by Philip Athans

I’d like to meet the first person who ever ate a lobster.

Imagine being the first woman or man to pick up that horrible, red-brown spider-thing with terrifying claws and twitching antennae and saying, “Yum!” To me, a lobster is a giant bug with claws—I’d have run screaming from a lobster. But now we know what a lobster is and what it tastes like and that it isn’t really dangerous. The only thing scary about it is the unknowable mystery of its “market price.”

We’ll want our monsters to maintain a greater degree of mystery, or at least begin with a greater degree of mystery than that.

Start by asking …

WHAT ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF?

I asked myself this question while working on a fantasy novel in which I envisioned a world overrun by demons. In an effort to build a sense of increasing danger in the book, each new sort of demon my characters meet is more dangerous, more powerful, and more frightening than the last. To do this, I decided to look at my readers’ deepest fears and inject those fears into the demons. So off to the Internet I went in search of the top ten phobias. This is what I found:

1. Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) 2. Social Phobia (fear of a hostile audience) 3. Pteromerhanophobia (fear of flying) 4. Agoraphobia (fear of an inability to escape) 5. Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) 6. Acrophobia (fear of heights) 7. Emetophobia (fear of vomit or vomiting) 8. Carcinophobia (fear of cancer) 9. Astraphobia (fear of thunder and lightning) 10. Taphophobia (fear of being buried alive)

… Phobias take common fears to the pathological level. If these are the ten most common phobias (and I’ve found a few different lists, so your search may yield slightly different results), then there’s a good chance that someone who is reading your book, seeing your movie, or playing your game will have one or more of them to some degree. And even if your readers don’t completely collapse at the sight of a spider, they probably share at least a common uneasiness in the presence of one … or worse, many spiders!

To create that sense of progression and escalation of danger, I simply reversed that top ten list so the final, scariest demon embodies the most prevalent phobia. That means the lowest-level demon comes up from underground and pulls you down and buries you alive, and the “boss” demon is a spider, or something that looks and/or behaves like a spider. As it turns out, those are fairly easy fears to apply to a monster or demon, but what about pteromerhanophobia, the fear of flying? Richard Matheson made quite a splash in 1961 with the short story “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” in which a poor soul suffering from pteromerhanophobia encounters the dreaded gremlin tearing pieces out of the wing of the plane he’s flying in. This story became one of the most famous episodes of The Twilight Zone, a vehicle for a young William Shatner. […]

But please don’t think that triggering your audience’s phobic responses is the only way to make your monsters terrifying. In a broader sense, monsters are scary because …

Live Webinar | October 31, 2017 | Learn More and Register

THEY ARE UNPREDICTABLE

Can that lobster take your hand off with one of those claws? Turns out, no, but if it could and you weren’t expecting it … that would be pretty scary, right? In real life we know they can’t hurt us, and that makes them predictable, and predictability is the enemy of horror. But add an unexpected element to a predictable situation and you enhance the potential for fear.

Humans tend to have a pretty good sense of what another human is going to do next. We can tell via body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice when someone is getting angry or upset. We sense when things might get out of control or violent. But monsters don’t necessarily give out those human signals. This is a creature, after all, outside our normal experience. Who knows what it’ll do next?

We’ll discuss setting rules for your monsters and how important it is that you follow those rules, but keep in mind that while you know the rules that govern your monster, your characters don’t. In fact, the less your characters know about what a monster can and can’t do, the better. It’s this unpredictability that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats, playing into the power of the imagination.

THEY HAVE A DISTURBING CAPACITY FOR VIOLENCE

Monsters don’t just attack you; they attack you in particularly gruesome ways, as shown

in this paragraph from the short story “The Little Green God of Agony” by horror master Stephen King.

Melissa had seen where the thing came from and even in her panic was wise enough to cover her own mouth with both hands. The thing skittered up her neck, over her cheek, and squatted on her left eye. The wind screamed and Melissa screamed with it. It was the cry of a woman drowning in the kind of pain the charts in the hospitals can never describe. The charts go from one to ten; Melissa’s agony was well over one hundred—that of someone being boiled alive. She staggered backwards, clawing at the thing on her eye. It was pulsing faster now, and Kat could hear a low, liquid sound as the thing resumed feeding. It was a slushy sound.  (From the anthology The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Four, edited by Ellen Datlow.)

Want to scare the crap out of someone? Go for the eyes. It’s up to you to set the degree of “goriness” your story will contain. Movies like The Blair Witch Project are terrifying without spilling a drop of blood, while some contemporary “torture porn” films, like the movie Hostel, are gross, even disturbing, but scary?

I tend to describe “gore” as unmotivated violence—a violent scene done badly, in which all the reader gets is a sense of the quantity of blood and guts without the emotional and psychological (read: character) connection of well-written violent action. … Take a second look at the example [above] from Stephen King. No blood. There is some yucky language in there (“It was a slushy sound.”) but mostly we get Melissa’s experience of this cringeworthy act of violence and her efforts, however vain, to make it stop.

Exploring truly disturbing events can be difficult for many authors to work through, in the horror genre in particular. But fantasy and science fiction—really any genre of fiction—can ask you to plumb your own psychological depths. So what scares you? A little creature that eats your eyes first? Is that disturbing enough for the psychological sweet spot you’re trying to hit? […]

OUR IMAGINATION MAKES THEM SCARIER

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” And the human imagination is pretty powerful. How many times have you imagined something will be absolutely terrifying—a roller coaster, a job interview, a scary movie—and when it’s over you immediately say, “That wasn’t so bad.”

And another great quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin Roosevelt wasn’t talking about Godzilla or Dracula, but he may as well have been. This plays back to the idea of unpredictability and “otherness.”

We have no idea what to expect from this thing and no way to determine its motives, so we start to fill in the blanks with conjecture, which tends to make something quite a bit more terrifying than it should be. Our imagination, and thus our fears, becomes the true monster in this case.

This application of our imagination can work in many ways. As stated above, we can fear something we don’t know, but a lot of monster stories start with monsters that are scary and then turn out to be nice. Th e Beast from Beauty and the Beast is an example from classic fairy tales, and  Frankenstein’s monster is another, a creature who looks terrifying but is layered, emotional, and yearning for understanding … and later, revenge.

In another way, creatures may seem harmless because they appeal to the softer, friendlier side of our imagination, but become monstrous when their true nature is revealed. Star Trek’s tribbles are an excellent example for this. When the crew of the Enterprise first encounters tribbles, their assumptions take over. They imagine the tribbles to be cute and harmless but have no specific information about their true nature. The tribbles slowly reveal themselves over the course of the story to be a sort of plague, like a swarm of locusts. Assumption and imagination can be very dangerous.

Play with the assumptions of your characters in this way, and you’ll be playing with the assumptions of your readers right along with them. We also have a tendency to assume that many of the sentient beings we encounter have a certain sense of right and wrong, or at the very least a sense of their role in relation to other beings around them and what they must do to not just survive but coexist and thrive, but monsters can be particularly scary when they seem to lack these assumed morals. …

THEY ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL

Humans generally like to be in charge. We spend a lot of time trying to control our weight, our relationships, our personal finances, our schedules, everything. We even try to control others by taking classes to learn how to train our dogs, motivate our employees, and so on. So what happens when a monster makes its way onto our starship and simply won’t follow our rules? It eats what and when—and who—it wants to eat. It bleeds metal-dissolving acid all over the place without regard for the hard vacuum of space just a bulkhead away. You can’t negotiate with a monster. You can’t calmly tell a Denebian slime devil, “Okay, wait. I’m going to go to the store and buy you a bunch of steak—don’t eat me in the meantime.” That monster does what it does, and it neither seeks nor respects your opinion.

Simply put, monsters don’t play by our rules—and that scares us.

THEY ARE TERRIFYING IN APPEARANCE

Here’s another example from H.P. Lovecraft , from the classic short story “Pickman’s Model.”

It was a colossal and nameless blasphemy with glaring red eyes, and it held in bony claws a thing that had been a man, gnawing at the head as a child nibbles at a stick of candy. Its position was a kind of crouch, and as one looked one felt that at any moment it might drop its present prey and seek a juicier morsel. But damn it all, it wasn’t even the fiendish subject that made it such an immortal fountainhead of all panic—not that, nor the dog face with its pointed ears, bloodshot eyes, flat nose, and drooling lips. It wasn’t the scaly claws nor the mould-caked body nor the half-hooved feet—none of these, though any one of them might well have driven an excitable man to madness.

Frightening, but here’s an interesting take on description: Lovecraft goes to great length to describe a foul-looking creature here, but it is made more ominous by also describing what it’s doing (gnawing on “… a thing that had been a man …”) and what it might do next (“… seek a juicier morsel.”). And it’s important to keep in mind that not all monsters have to appear classically “scary” in order to be so.

In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, author Ransom Riggs describes a less traditional but no less unsettling creature.

But these weren’t the kind of monsters that had tentacles and rotting skin, the kind a seven-year-old might be able to wrap his mind around—they were monsters with human faces, in crisp uniforms, marching in lockstep, so banal you don’t recognize them for what they are until it’s too late.

This monster has the ability to hit closer to home, describing the human potential to become inhuman through political, military, and/or social assimilation. Not as frightening as a “nameless blasphemy with glaring red eyes,” but equally monstrous on the inside.

Read more about what makes monsters scary and learn more about creating them in Writing Monsters.

This excerpt is from Writing Monsters by Philip Athans. Athans is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting, and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter @PhilAthans. He makes his home in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.

The post Writing Monsters: What Makes a Monster Scary? appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/writing-monsters-scary-qualities

How to Write a Reaction Paper With Precision -

 How to Write a Reaction Paper With Precision

Post

Are you the type of person to passively read your assigned text only because you have to?

Or do you dive right into it and react with the same intensity any self-proclaimed Star Wars nerd would react to this climactic scene?

No matter which category you fall into, knowing how to write a reaction paper can help you explore literature more deeply and connect to characters. And believe it or not, it can also give you the opportunity to actually enjoy your school assignments.

Regardless of how much you like or dislike the book you’re reading for class, writing a reaction paper can be a little challenging, especially if it’s your first time writing one.

But not to worry—I’m here to break it down by showing you what a reaction paper is and how to be a Jedi master in your paper writing.

What Is a Reaction Paper?

Before we get into how to write a reaction paper, you have to know what it is. In its simplest form, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like—a paper that expresses your reaction to a certain piece of literature.

Not so fast! There are other components that you need to include to make sure you not only get a passing grade on your reaction paper, but that you succeed with flying colors.

To really write a great reaction paper, one with precise language and structure, there are a few things you have to include… and a few things you should avoid.

It can be easy to just ramble when discussing your reaction, which is definitely something to steer clear of. You want to include your response to the literature, but not to the point where that’s all the paper is about.

Instead, add some support from the literature to give more substance to your response.

On the other hand, you might go the opposite direction and turn your reaction paper into an analytical essay. And this, whether or not it’s well-written, is not the assignment.

So stick to the assignment, and follow my advice to make your writing awesome.

Success Happens Before You Write

One of the biggest things that determines the outcome of your reaction paper is not the writing itself—it’s what you do while you’re reading. If my assignment were to react to an aspect of the Star Wars trilogy (the original trilogy, that is), I would watch each installment more closely and more fervently than ever.

Take notes while you read

Taking notes as you read literature is helpful for just about any essay, but for a reaction paper, it’s crucial.

Writing down your initial reactions at the end of every chapter—along with any questions you might have about the plot, the characters, etc.—will help you to later develop those reactions into more cohesive and impactful writing.

Annotate anything that makes you react

“When I read a book, I tend to annotate it.” by Jose Camoes Silva, Flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)

Whether it’s writing in the margins or on sticky notes, annotating phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that make you react can give you a quick reference for your support later.

Used in combination with the notes mentioned earlier, you’ll be all set to write your paper without having to re-read the entire novel looking for that one quote.

You’re probably going to take way more notes than you’ll use in your paper, and that’s fine. It’s better to write something down and not use it than to not write it down and wish you had. Taking notes will benefit you in many ways:

It will help you sort through your ideas and find the ones that have a common theme.

It will make the writing process easier and more fun.

It will help you engage more with the text.

Re-read if you have to

Don’t be afraid to re-read certain sections of the book later to get better clarity and evolve your reaction a little bit more. Some students don’t like reading the text the first time, so they surely don’t want to spend even more time re-reading it. They just want to write their reaction paper and be done with it.

Don’t be that person. It won’t get you anything but sub-par grades.

Of course, the more detailed your notes, the less time you’ll have to spend re-reading, so use whatever combination of these strategies works best for you.

How to Write a Reaction Paper

Now that you’ve read, re-read, and have compiled all your notes and annotations, it’s time to start the writing process.

Brainstorm ideas

Before you begin the actual writing, it’s helpful to get all your ideas out on paper. Brainstorming can be done in a number of different ways—including free writing and mind mapping. Whatever method you use, brainstorming allows you to do an idea dump without any predetermined structure.

This is an important step. (It might even be the most important thing you take away from learning how to write a reaction paper!)

Right now, all you have is your initial reaction and any relevant annotations. Brainstorming gives you a chance to reflect on those initial reactions and develop them into something more paper-worthy.

My brainstorming session might include points about different Star Wars characters, that scene when Han cuts open the Tauntaun’s stomach and puts Luke inside, the Force, and other things I noticed while watching the trilogy.

From my brainstorming, then, I realize that the theme of good vs. evil shows itself in various ways.

Make an outline

“Thinking about visual outlining” by Sacha Chua, Flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)

Once you have all your ideas out, you should put them in order, so you know what you’re going to write about. Plus, it helps make sure you don’t forget anything.

During outlining, you choose the precise topic for your reaction paper—unless a topic is specifically assigned to you. Typical topics include a theme, character, or plot point.

An outline is a powerful tool in any writer’s arsenal that allows you to plot what you’re going to write about in the introduction, each body paragraph, and the conclusion.

Assuming my reaction paper was about the theme of good vs. evil in the Star Wars trilogy, my outline would look like this:

Introduction

Hook

Thesis statement

Intrigue and relatability to Luke’s struggle

Light side and dark side of the force represent good and evil.

Luke struggles between the two.

Confusion at the death of Obi Wan Kenobi

Obi Wan doesn’t die the way one might think. He simply disappears, and Darth Vader’s lightsaber passes through where he was just standing.

Darth represents evil, and Obi Wan represents good. This made it seem like evil was conquering good.

Could be argued that Luke represents good.

Yet he has his own internal struggle, coming out as good, but isn’t purely good the entire series.

Conclusion

Throughout the original trilogy, I had a roller coaster of emotions as to how the battle between good and evil would play out. While I hoped it would turn out for good, there was always a careful balance between the two.

External (Darth Vader and Obi Wan) and internal (different sides of the Force pulling at Luke) struggle between good and evil.

Develop a strong thesis statement

Once you know what you’re going to write about and how it’s going to be structured, it’s time to start filling in the blanks of your outline.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to develop a thesis statement. This tells the reader precisely what you’ll be writing about, but leaves the support and smaller details for later. Consider your thesis statement to be kind of like a preview.

It’s important to note that many teachers will lower a grade significantly or even give a failing grade if there is no thesis statement. So be sure yours is in there!

The thesis statement for my Star Wars reaction paper might look something like this:

The battle between good and evil can be depicted no better than in the original Star Wars trilogy. Luke is an intriguing and relatable character as he battles the internal forces of good and evil. Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader engage in a battle that, while confusing at times, perfectly positions pure good versus pure evil.

Don’t forget your evidence

Once your thesis statement is done, it’s time to start writing the rest of the paper. I can’t stress the importance of support enough. Without it, you’re simply offering an opinion piece, not writing an academic paper.

You may have included some details of your support in your outline, but don’t be afraid to really synthesize the literature to show why you reacted the way you did.

And of course, once you’re done writing the body paragraphs, you need to wrap it up nicely with a conclusion. This paragraph should be brief, about the size of your introduction, and restate the intention of your paper, including any new information you didn’t preview in your thesis statement.

Still Need a Little Help?

It’s okay if you don’t get it on your first try.

Getting familiar with how to write a reaction paper takes some time. (Tip: Check out some example reaction papers for idea inspiration.)

And even if it’s not new for you, editing your own work doesn’t always work out as well as someone else looking it over.

Luckily, the Kibin editors can help proofread and edit your essay so that your instructor will have a positive reaction to it.

May the force be with you.

Psst. 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays.

About the Author

Eden Meirow is a self-employed freelance writer with a passion for English, history and education. You can find her on Google+.