Around the same time that I began writing my first book (January 14, 2009) I also began writing some songs. At the time, I thought they were very good, but when I looked back at them a few months ago, I wasn’t as pleased. I did some revising and felt a lot better about them. Originally, there were nine songs in my “album”. Revising them led me to write a tenth that I really like. Ironically, this tenth song fit in with the plot I was/am developing throughout my novels. So naturally I had to incorporate the song into my novels.
I was very pleased when I found a perfect way to introduce the song into my second novel. The scene is riddled with humor and irony as well as a bit of foreshadowing. I love it! I won’t share that song with you quite yet, but I will share one of my other songs:
Song 03: Floating Through Time
Across the room
When we can’t talk
I see you staring
Into my eyes
And as you stare
I stare right back
Your eyes are beautiful
Beautiful to me
I love the way you stare into my eyes
I love the way that when I stare back
When I stare into your eyes
All of time, I lose track
Floating through time
Never wanting to go back
Holding you tightly
You holding right back
I’ll love you forever
And you’ll love me too
Time doesn’t matter
As long as I’m with you
I love the way you stare into my eyes
I love the way that when I stare back
When I stare into your eyes
All of time, I lose track
Floating through time
Never wanting to go back
Holding you tightly
You holding right back
I’ll love you forever
And you’ll love me too
Time doesn’t matter
As long as I’m with you
Walking together
All the way home
Staring at you
A feeling so strong
A love unbreakable
A bond so tight
I’ll love you forever
And I’ll never leave your side
I love the way you stare into my eyes
I love the way that when I stare back
When I stare into your eyes
All of time, I lose track
Floating through time
Never wanting to go back
Holding you tightly
You holding right back
I’ll love you forever
And you’ll love me too
Time doesn’t matter
As long as I’m with you
As I dream
Late at night
I see your face
A beautiful sight
And as I dream
I feel time standing still
Floating through time
Floating through time
I love the way you stare into my eyes
I love the way that when I stare back
When I stare into your eyes
All of time, I lose track
Floating through time
Lost in your eyes
Staring forever
Into the blue
A love unbreakable
Forever it will be
Floating with you
Floating through time!
____________________
Written January 21, 2009
Revised September 1, 2010
(Original Post on May 19, 2001 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers39 )
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Problems
I’ve been writing a lot recently, about 3000 words in the past two days and that’s going great! My problem currently is WordPress. I don’t want to pay to mess with HTML and downloading and installing WordPRess.com on Linux has proved… difficult. I’m leaning farther away from WordPress everyday, which is sad because I enjoy all of the behind the scenes features like viewing my blog traffic and such.
(Original Post on May 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers38 )
(Original Post on May 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers38 )
Goals
As a writer, I think it is a good idea to have some sort of goal for yourself. Do you want to complete a novel? or two? Do you have a story to tell? Do you have a point to make? How many words do you want to reach? Do you want to prove yourself? Do you want to have fun?
Establish some sort of goal. If you have nothing you’re leading up to, then you won’t have anything to celebrate when you get there. I’m writing this post because I just broke the 80,000 word mark between my first two books! I still have a lot to go in the second book. This may not have been my original goal, (Which is still to prove to the world that love is the most important thing in the Universe.) but it sure feels great!
(Original Post on May 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers37 )
Establish some sort of goal. If you have nothing you’re leading up to, then you won’t have anything to celebrate when you get there. I’m writing this post because I just broke the 80,000 word mark between my first two books! I still have a lot to go in the second book. This may not have been my original goal, (Which is still to prove to the world that love is the most important thing in the Universe.) but it sure feels great!
(Original Post on May 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers37 )
Imitation
It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, what I’ve learned as a writer is to never try and emulate your favorite author. This may be hard. I under stand the overwhelming urge to compare your work to famous authors. You want to write something amazing and be famous. Trust me, I get that, but when I started writing, I tried to become J.K. Rowling or Douglas Adams. I tried to emulate their styles and write something amazing. It failed.
I figured out that the best thing to do when writing is to be yourself. Develop your own style and write with your emotions. Be you! There’s nothing more important than pouring everything you’ve got in that Universe of the mind onto paper. If you want to be a great writer, pour your soul into your story. Don’t try to steal someone else’s soul as your own.
(Original Post on May 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers36 )
I figured out that the best thing to do when writing is to be yourself. Develop your own style and write with your emotions. Be you! There’s nothing more important than pouring everything you’ve got in that Universe of the mind onto paper. If you want to be a great writer, pour your soul into your story. Don’t try to steal someone else’s soul as your own.
(Original Post on May 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers36 )
Getting Out There
I decided to make a twitter for my writing a few months ago. In that time, I’ve gained 60 followers and talked to many different authors. This was a great decision on my part. I am getting noticed and that’s just what I need. My first novel should be completely ready for publishing by the end of June. Then it is time to look for an agent to help me get published!
Twitter can help me get noticed by agents because when I start looking, I can add, #agents, #agent, hashtags to my tweets and get some attention. In addition, I have been adding hashtags like, #writing, #write, #writechat, and other more specific ones for each post. This has helped me gain the attention of people that in turn have followed me.
I am writing this post because yesterday I reached 60 followers. I think this is fantastic! These followers give me a base to give my book publicity once it’s ready to be published. So, to all of my followers, thank you!
(Original Post on May 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers35 )
Twitter can help me get noticed by agents because when I start looking, I can add, #agents, #agent, hashtags to my tweets and get some attention. In addition, I have been adding hashtags like, #writing, #write, #writechat, and other more specific ones for each post. This has helped me gain the attention of people that in turn have followed me.
I am writing this post because yesterday I reached 60 followers. I think this is fantastic! These followers give me a base to give my book publicity once it’s ready to be published. So, to all of my followers, thank you!
(Original Post on May 15, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers35 )
Book Review: Animal Farm
I read Animal Farm by George Orwell for school the last two weeks. (Yeah, I know that’s a long time for such a short book.) I think it was an interesting book, but I would have preferred that no one told me it was an allegory for the Russian Revolution before I read it. It would have been nice to piece that together myself.
I think it started off a bit dull, but it got a bit more interesting. However, it was very predictable because I know the Russian Revolution pretty well. I do have some minor issues with the story though. I want to know how a group of farm animals acting crazy results in the farmer leaving. If I were a farmer and my animals were trying to kill me, I certainly wouldn’t leave. I would also like to know why on earth the people are not phased by the fact that the animals can talk and why the people are willing to trade with the animals. I just don’t get it.
I would tell you what my friend Dan had to say, but that’s not appropriate at all. My overall opinion?: Read it once and then don’t read it again.
(Original Post on May 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers34 )
I think it started off a bit dull, but it got a bit more interesting. However, it was very predictable because I know the Russian Revolution pretty well. I do have some minor issues with the story though. I want to know how a group of farm animals acting crazy results in the farmer leaving. If I were a farmer and my animals were trying to kill me, I certainly wouldn’t leave. I would also like to know why on earth the people are not phased by the fact that the animals can talk and why the people are willing to trade with the animals. I just don’t get it.
I would tell you what my friend Dan had to say, but that’s not appropriate at all. My overall opinion?: Read it once and then don’t read it again.
(Original Post on May 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers34 )
My First Writing
I want to take some time and reflect on my oldest “writing”. When I was very young, I made up a civilization called “The Armani”. Apparently when I created them, their spoken language was English and their written language was “Armani”. I made an alphabet in which I copied the number system from the second “Myst” game, “Riven”: Riven Numbers.
Even stranger still, their religious beliefs greatly mimicked Shintoism. (An ancient Japanese belief in nature spirits.) They believed that the elements controlled their lives and their ancestors determined their future. On top of this, their were five tribes of “The Armani”: “Dani”, Earth; “Gani”, lightning; “Mani”, wind; “Rani”, water; and “Vani”, fire.
I even wrote a brief, one page, history of the civilization, which I’m going to type up for you, spelling errors and all:
“The Armani were once a group of strong and fearless beings until the entire planet was atacked by the Sols! The mass amount of polution during the war destroyed the planets atmosphere aloung with the ozone! They quickly made a new Armanon colony consisting of a group of air dome’s. They soon discovered that besides the race that attacked them there were the humans! They found us and we helped them rebuild their colony! Soon the Armanon colony became a utopion society, known throughout the galaxy as the Armanon Empire!
They share our galaxy and our spoken language. We soon discovered the planets horendous storms caused by the loss of ozone. The Armani studied these storms and they soon found out that they were caused by an elemental force! The storms destroyed anything outside the domed colony so getting to the planet was an almost impossible task. Almost!
Their technology was so advanced. They were billions of years ahead of us. They shared their technology with us and they soon built a teleportation system on our planet making the task of getting there childs play.
The Sols were a group of silocon based beings. Their outer apearance was like a machine. Their entire life force was a type of electrical force. When they saw how fast we helped the Armani recover they were furious! They soon attacked us and we had to evacuate earth! Some left by ship others by teleportation pads. The Armani soon sent a battle fleet to help save earth, but it was to late! All was lost! The human race soon started living on Armani. Soon the Sols were destroyed when we attacked their life force! Armani was now our home. The Armanon-Earthen Empire!”
Just a quick critique of my childhood spelling/grammar abilities… I had no idea how to use commas or what the difference between “to” and “too” was, but I was all set with my “there/their/they’re”s. I was just bad at spelling when I called the “Armanan Empire” the “Armanon Empire”… and I just discovered that spell check accepts “Earthen” as a word. All in all, only 9 spelling errors.
As for the idea, I think it is brilliant considering the age I was. These “Sols” were based on the Dredge from a movie called Titan A.E. Apparently I knew what a utopia was and had a loose understanding of silicon.
This was the first thing I ever did that resembled a book, but at the time I didn’t intend for it to be a book. Later on, before I wrote my first book, I tried to write a book based on this story, but using the “Ark” concept from Doom. (A teleportation device that went from Earth to Mars.) However, this “book” never got farther than two paragraphs.
(Original Post on May 12, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers33 )
Even stranger still, their religious beliefs greatly mimicked Shintoism. (An ancient Japanese belief in nature spirits.) They believed that the elements controlled their lives and their ancestors determined their future. On top of this, their were five tribes of “The Armani”: “Dani”, Earth; “Gani”, lightning; “Mani”, wind; “Rani”, water; and “Vani”, fire.
I even wrote a brief, one page, history of the civilization, which I’m going to type up for you, spelling errors and all:
“The Armani were once a group of strong and fearless beings until the entire planet was atacked by the Sols! The mass amount of polution during the war destroyed the planets atmosphere aloung with the ozone! They quickly made a new Armanon colony consisting of a group of air dome’s. They soon discovered that besides the race that attacked them there were the humans! They found us and we helped them rebuild their colony! Soon the Armanon colony became a utopion society, known throughout the galaxy as the Armanon Empire!
They share our galaxy and our spoken language. We soon discovered the planets horendous storms caused by the loss of ozone. The Armani studied these storms and they soon found out that they were caused by an elemental force! The storms destroyed anything outside the domed colony so getting to the planet was an almost impossible task. Almost!
Their technology was so advanced. They were billions of years ahead of us. They shared their technology with us and they soon built a teleportation system on our planet making the task of getting there childs play.
The Sols were a group of silocon based beings. Their outer apearance was like a machine. Their entire life force was a type of electrical force. When they saw how fast we helped the Armani recover they were furious! They soon attacked us and we had to evacuate earth! Some left by ship others by teleportation pads. The Armani soon sent a battle fleet to help save earth, but it was to late! All was lost! The human race soon started living on Armani. Soon the Sols were destroyed when we attacked their life force! Armani was now our home. The Armanon-Earthen Empire!”
Just a quick critique of my childhood spelling/grammar abilities… I had no idea how to use commas or what the difference between “to” and “too” was, but I was all set with my “there/their/they’re”s. I was just bad at spelling when I called the “Armanan Empire” the “Armanon Empire”… and I just discovered that spell check accepts “Earthen” as a word. All in all, only 9 spelling errors.
As for the idea, I think it is brilliant considering the age I was. These “Sols” were based on the Dredge from a movie called Titan A.E. Apparently I knew what a utopia was and had a loose understanding of silicon.
This was the first thing I ever did that resembled a book, but at the time I didn’t intend for it to be a book. Later on, before I wrote my first book, I tried to write a book based on this story, but using the “Ark” concept from Doom. (A teleportation device that went from Earth to Mars.) However, this “book” never got farther than two paragraphs.
(Original Post on May 12, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers33 )
Learning HTML
As a self-proclaimed Nerd (and proud of it!) I have just spent an hour and a half staring and messing with html code until I figured out what I was doing. I would say I was pretty successful. Check out what I did Here. I made links back to my WordPress Blog and to my Twitter as well as a few little tweeks, but the theme was not mine to start with, I just added onto it.
By the way, if you haven’t clicked the link above, you’re probably wondering why I would waste an hour and a half doing so? Well, it’s because I have a Tumblr Blog now. I’m a little upset with WordPress’ lack of customization if you don’t pay to mess with CSS, I’ll stick with what I have but I will also have the Tumblr. My posts on more sites sounds like more publicity to me!
(Original Post on May 10, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers32 )
By the way, if you haven’t clicked the link above, you’re probably wondering why I would waste an hour and a half doing so? Well, it’s because I have a Tumblr Blog now. I’m a little upset with WordPress’ lack of customization if you don’t pay to mess with CSS, I’ll stick with what I have but I will also have the Tumblr. My posts on more sites sounds like more publicity to me!
(Original Post on May 10, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers32 )
The Power of Words
I’ve seen this video in an email forward and thanks to some of the Twitterers that I follow. I think it is amazing… however staged it may be. I just thought I’d share it with you.
http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU
(Original Post on May 9, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers31 )
http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU
(Original Post on May 9, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers31 )
Writing: A Journey of Discovery
What has writing done for me? What hasn’t it done for me? Since I sat down and started writing that first day, January 14, 2009, I have learned so much about myself from writing.
I have discovered that I have motivation. Before my book, all I did was procrastinate and avoid my work. I did my school work, but at a slow and not-so-steady pace. I did my chores, reluctantly.
I have discovered that I have inspiration. I’ve learned about all the things that inspire me: My friends, my family, Doctor Who, David Tennant, J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dreams, Love, and my own emotions.
I have discovered that I have talent. Before writing, I felt useless. I didn’t do anything special. I just sat at home watching TV without caring about anything. Now, I do everything I have to do in order to push my way toward writing some more.
I have discovered that I have great friends. Prior to seventh grade, I had no friends. I acted like an @$$hole so a few other kids could have some laughs, but they didn’t care a bit for me. In seventh grade I gained some friends and since then I’ve gained more. However, it wasn’t until I started writing that I realized how great they are. I have one friend who spends her time reading my books and giving me suggestions. I have another friend who spends her time editing and revising my book for grammar. I have another friend who shares his writing with me and I share mine with him. I have even more friends that read my novels and tell me what they think. I have great friends and I wish to thank them for their support.
(Original Post on May 8, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers30 )
I have discovered that I have motivation. Before my book, all I did was procrastinate and avoid my work. I did my school work, but at a slow and not-so-steady pace. I did my chores, reluctantly.
I have discovered that I have inspiration. I’ve learned about all the things that inspire me: My friends, my family, Doctor Who, David Tennant, J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dreams, Love, and my own emotions.
I have discovered that I have talent. Before writing, I felt useless. I didn’t do anything special. I just sat at home watching TV without caring about anything. Now, I do everything I have to do in order to push my way toward writing some more.
I have discovered that I have great friends. Prior to seventh grade, I had no friends. I acted like an @$$hole so a few other kids could have some laughs, but they didn’t care a bit for me. In seventh grade I gained some friends and since then I’ve gained more. However, it wasn’t until I started writing that I realized how great they are. I have one friend who spends her time reading my books and giving me suggestions. I have another friend who spends her time editing and revising my book for grammar. I have another friend who shares his writing with me and I share mine with him. I have even more friends that read my novels and tell me what they think. I have great friends and I wish to thank them for their support.
(Original Post on May 8, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers30 )
STOP BEING LAZY!
I just want to throw this out there, I can sometimes be a lazy person, but not to the point where it hurts me. Sometimes I’ll find anything to avoid my homework, but I always get it done.
Recently however, my girlfriend and I have come to a startling and disgusting conclusion. We are part of an organization call the Leo Club, which is the junior branch of Lions Club International. We do many different kinds of community service with the club, but lately we have noticed fewer and fewer people coming to meetings. I do understand it’s the end of the school year and there’s a lot going on, but if my girlfriend and I (The only ones showing up.) can find time to attend a meeting once a week, why can’t others.
The disgusting part is this: Whenever my girlfriend mentions the Leo Club, people ask her what it is and she tells them it’s community service. Then they look at her awkwardly and avoid the conversation. Just last week she told multiple people she was going to donate blood and then work at a car wash to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Those people looked at her like she had three heads. I don’t understand why people are so lazy that they won’t bother to help anyone but themselves.
This laziness is not good. Being a writer, if I was as lazy as those people, I wouldn’t have a completed book. I wouldn’t have finished that book and immediately began a sequel. I wouldn’t have written almost 80,000 words in my writing career.
Long story short, if you’re a writer, or just the average person, DON’T BE LAZY!
(Original Post on May 7, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers28 )
Recently however, my girlfriend and I have come to a startling and disgusting conclusion. We are part of an organization call the Leo Club, which is the junior branch of Lions Club International. We do many different kinds of community service with the club, but lately we have noticed fewer and fewer people coming to meetings. I do understand it’s the end of the school year and there’s a lot going on, but if my girlfriend and I (The only ones showing up.) can find time to attend a meeting once a week, why can’t others.
The disgusting part is this: Whenever my girlfriend mentions the Leo Club, people ask her what it is and she tells them it’s community service. Then they look at her awkwardly and avoid the conversation. Just last week she told multiple people she was going to donate blood and then work at a car wash to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Those people looked at her like she had three heads. I don’t understand why people are so lazy that they won’t bother to help anyone but themselves.
This laziness is not good. Being a writer, if I was as lazy as those people, I wouldn’t have a completed book. I wouldn’t have finished that book and immediately began a sequel. I wouldn’t have written almost 80,000 words in my writing career.
Long story short, if you’re a writer, or just the average person, DON’T BE LAZY!
(Original Post on May 7, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers28 )
Human Stupidity Part 4: The Kiss Transmitter
Honestly, I did not expect to have to use “Human Stupidity” as much as I have.
Friday, May 6, 2011
http://youtu.be/PspagsTFvlg
I am absolutely dumbfounded. Even if something like this actually felt like a kiss, why on Earth would I use it? I have a girlfriend and I’m perfectly fine with waiting to kiss her for a few days that I would have no need to use a flexible straw spinning on a motor. I just don’t understand why anyone would even imagine making something like this! Ahhh! Ahhh! *SLAMS! HEAD! ON! KEYBOARD!* Ahhh!
Please forgive me for my little freak out… If this weren’t a PG blog, I would [Insert Choice Words Here].
(Original Post on May 6, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers27 )
Friday, May 6, 2011
http://youtu.be/PspagsTFvlg
I am absolutely dumbfounded. Even if something like this actually felt like a kiss, why on Earth would I use it? I have a girlfriend and I’m perfectly fine with waiting to kiss her for a few days that I would have no need to use a flexible straw spinning on a motor. I just don’t understand why anyone would even imagine making something like this! Ahhh! Ahhh! *SLAMS! HEAD! ON! KEYBOARD!* Ahhh!
Please forgive me for my little freak out… If this weren’t a PG blog, I would [Insert Choice Words Here].
(Original Post on May 6, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers27 )
Unexplainable Circumstances
I often find myself asking a hard question for my Universe: What started everything? What was first? I’ve avoided this question by telling myself that it doesn’t really matter. I can explain that this Universe started as a result of another Universe dying, but I don’t have to go into how the first Universe was created. Most of the time, people don’t want all of the answers.
I could go ahead and put my religious views in here, but I don’t want anyone feeling like I’m shoving my beliefs down their throat. I could also go ahead and make up my own ‘religion’ to explain everything, but I don’t really like the idea of doing that. I could base everything on science, but I don’t want to offend any religious readers.
So the moral of the story is, if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know how to explain something, go ahead and ignore the fact that that thing exists. Leave a few open ends to create some mystery and wonder, but don’t leave everything open to interpretation, then it just gets boring.
(Original Post on May 5, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers26 )
I could go ahead and put my religious views in here, but I don’t want anyone feeling like I’m shoving my beliefs down their throat. I could also go ahead and make up my own ‘religion’ to explain everything, but I don’t really like the idea of doing that. I could base everything on science, but I don’t want to offend any religious readers.
So the moral of the story is, if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know how to explain something, go ahead and ignore the fact that that thing exists. Leave a few open ends to create some mystery and wonder, but don’t leave everything open to interpretation, then it just gets boring.
(Original Post on May 5, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers26 )
Human Stupidity Part 3: Obama's Birth Video
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
As I’m sure many of you saw last night, here is Obama’s birth video:
http://youtu.be/4qumlAsdU7c
Now, why do I think this is stupid? Well, seeing as how bin Laden was ‘murdered’ so recently, shouldn’t Obama be worried about how The Taliban or al-Queda will react? I mean, seriously, our president is making jokes while people are dying. He’s making jokes when tomorrow there could be another 9/11. I’m a bit disgusted.
(Original Post on May 4, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers25 )
As I’m sure many of you saw last night, here is Obama’s birth video:
http://youtu.be/4qumlAsdU7c
Now, why do I think this is stupid? Well, seeing as how bin Laden was ‘murdered’ so recently, shouldn’t Obama be worried about how The Taliban or al-Queda will react? I mean, seriously, our president is making jokes while people are dying. He’s making jokes when tomorrow there could be another 9/11. I’m a bit disgusted.
(Original Post on May 4, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers25 )
Innocence
Take a minute to clear your mind and focus on that one innocent person in your life. You know, the friend or family member that hasn’t been corrupted by the world. That person who lives a happy life in ignorance. I’ve got a friend like that, who shall remain nameless. They have a happy family that spends time with each other and jokes with each other. They haven’t seen the evils of the world. To be cliché, ignorance is bliss.
Anyways, the reason why I bring this up is because I witnessed ignorance while I was out tonight. I was at a family diner and in the booth next to me there was a couple in their forties who had a child of about five years old. I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything but I overheard the name ‘Osama’ and kind of started listening. The kid heard the name, Osama, and immediately started comparing it to the name, Obama. “Obama. Osama. Obama. Osama.” The parents told the child that they were very different people. The kid knew about Obama but he asked who Osama was. The parents told the boy that he was a very bad man who killed a lot of people and that our military killed him. There was a pause and then the boy changed the subject. He hadn’t the slightest clue about any of that.
That’s innocence. Some would envy that. Many people think they’d rather have a life full of happiness. They don’t realize that they would not be who they are without the bad times in their lives. The hard times and adversity in our lives create our personality and teach us how to act.
I wouldn’t say I envy my nameless friend. I can’t call it envy, what I feel. I honestly don’t believe there is a name for such an emotion. I know for certain though that I wouldn’t tell the events in my life to this friend because they wouldn’t understand. They would have no comparison. I honestly think that their mind would be ruined by such ideas.
So if you believe that ignorance is bliss, it may be, but look at who you are and then tell me you want to be ignorant.
(Original Post on May 3, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers24 )
Anyways, the reason why I bring this up is because I witnessed ignorance while I was out tonight. I was at a family diner and in the booth next to me there was a couple in their forties who had a child of about five years old. I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything but I overheard the name ‘Osama’ and kind of started listening. The kid heard the name, Osama, and immediately started comparing it to the name, Obama. “Obama. Osama. Obama. Osama.” The parents told the child that they were very different people. The kid knew about Obama but he asked who Osama was. The parents told the boy that he was a very bad man who killed a lot of people and that our military killed him. There was a pause and then the boy changed the subject. He hadn’t the slightest clue about any of that.
That’s innocence. Some would envy that. Many people think they’d rather have a life full of happiness. They don’t realize that they would not be who they are without the bad times in their lives. The hard times and adversity in our lives create our personality and teach us how to act.
I wouldn’t say I envy my nameless friend. I can’t call it envy, what I feel. I honestly don’t believe there is a name for such an emotion. I know for certain though that I wouldn’t tell the events in my life to this friend because they wouldn’t understand. They would have no comparison. I honestly think that their mind would be ruined by such ideas.
So if you believe that ignorance is bliss, it may be, but look at who you are and then tell me you want to be ignorant.
(Original Post on May 3, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers24 )
Reading: Animal Farm & Julius Caesar
I began Animal Farm by George Orwell today. My English teacher is forcing us to read it. I’ve read the first chapter and frankly, I’m not very impressed. I like the idea of comparing the people of Russia to farm animals, but I’m just not enjoying the book. I hope that it becomes more interesting, seeing as how I know a lot about the Russian Revolution.
We started Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare in English class last week. We’ve read Act I and… I can’t understand a bit of it. I’m sure I could, if I tried, but I’m not a Shakespeare lover. We’ll see how that goes…
(Original Post on May 3, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers23 )
We started Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare in English class last week. We’ve read Act I and… I can’t understand a bit of it. I’m sure I could, if I tried, but I’m not a Shakespeare lover. We’ll see how that goes…
(Original Post on May 3, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers23 )
Human Stupidity Part 2: Osama bin Laden
Monday, May 2, 2011
As we all know, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed last night and then conveniently buried at sea. I’m not a giant conspiracy theorist, but I have my beliefs. Muslim customs usually dictate that the dead be buried and taken care of within 24 hours of death. This would explain the quick disposing of bin Laden in the water, however why the water?
The U.S. Government suggests that this is because they do not want the body dug up and worshiped… So bury it where no one can get it. This raises another question: Did they really kill him? I don’t know about you, but if I were the government and I found the leader of a master terrorist plot, I would assume that he had a lot of information… and if I were smart (Which I like to think I am.) I would put him in a bunker.
Whether he be dead or in a bunker, or if he ever existed, one thing is for sure, America, “be prepared to celebrate today, but be prepared for fear tomorrow.” (A quote from my good friend, Justin Poole.)
(Having just heard that some football player lost his contract for talking about Osama bin Laden, I just want to state something. For the record, I know that the government does not necessarily lie about everything and they may be telling the truth in this instance, but it is my firm belief that power corrupts.)
(Original Post on May 2, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers22 )
As we all know, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed last night and then conveniently buried at sea. I’m not a giant conspiracy theorist, but I have my beliefs. Muslim customs usually dictate that the dead be buried and taken care of within 24 hours of death. This would explain the quick disposing of bin Laden in the water, however why the water?
The U.S. Government suggests that this is because they do not want the body dug up and worshiped… So bury it where no one can get it. This raises another question: Did they really kill him? I don’t know about you, but if I were the government and I found the leader of a master terrorist plot, I would assume that he had a lot of information… and if I were smart (Which I like to think I am.) I would put him in a bunker.
Whether he be dead or in a bunker, or if he ever existed, one thing is for sure, America, “be prepared to celebrate today, but be prepared for fear tomorrow.” (A quote from my good friend, Justin Poole.)
(Having just heard that some football player lost his contract for talking about Osama bin Laden, I just want to state something. For the record, I know that the government does not necessarily lie about everything and they may be telling the truth in this instance, but it is my firm belief that power corrupts.)
(Original Post on May 2, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers22 )
New Beauty
I spent the last 5 days in St. Louis, Missouri at the FIRST Robotics Championship. Although the team didn’t do as well as I had hoped it would, we had fun and I gained two things much much more important.
On my way out of Chicago, I flew over the water and saw the shoreline. Now, I’m not one of those people that loves to fly, but having four different plane rides in five days, I decided I couldn’t avoid staring out the window, especially since I had a window seat every flight. When I looked out at the shoreline I saw the water rippling below and the light reflecting on it; it was beautiful. I hadn’t noticed the earth for what it is until today. I have even more reason now to go on with my Save the Book project.
Something even more special, I gained a new friend. At least, a new real friend. I had been joking around with my friend Dan for a while, but last night we stayed up until 1:30 AM just talking. We didn’t talk about robotics or the team or how we did, but we had a REAL conversation. We talked about the deepest things that we had. Our fears, our inspirations, our changes, our lives. I am proud to call Dan a real friend.
(Original Post on May 1, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers21 )
On my way out of Chicago, I flew over the water and saw the shoreline. Now, I’m not one of those people that loves to fly, but having four different plane rides in five days, I decided I couldn’t avoid staring out the window, especially since I had a window seat every flight. When I looked out at the shoreline I saw the water rippling below and the light reflecting on it; it was beautiful. I hadn’t noticed the earth for what it is until today. I have even more reason now to go on with my Save the Book project.
Something even more special, I gained a new friend. At least, a new real friend. I had been joking around with my friend Dan for a while, but last night we stayed up until 1:30 AM just talking. We didn’t talk about robotics or the team or how we did, but we had a REAL conversation. We talked about the deepest things that we had. Our fears, our inspirations, our changes, our lives. I am proud to call Dan a real friend.
(Original Post on May 1, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers21 )
Adventures
A good book should have some sort of adventure. It doesn’t have to be slaying dragons or sieging castles, but there has to be some sort of journey for the protagonist. When people open a book, they want to be swept away from their own life and put into somebody else’s shoes. (I know, that last bit was very cliché.)
When I open a book, I want excitement. I want to feel like I’m somewhere else and someone else. If I don’t feel like I’m on a journey, whether it is physical or emotional, then I probably won’t be all that interested.
Today I am leaving on a journey to St. Louis, Missouri for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship! I’ll be gone until Sunday afternoon, so I won’t be blogging for a few days. Feel free to poke around my blog and see all of my posts.
(Original Post on April 27, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers20 )
When I open a book, I want excitement. I want to feel like I’m somewhere else and someone else. If I don’t feel like I’m on a journey, whether it is physical or emotional, then I probably won’t be all that interested.
Today I am leaving on a journey to St. Louis, Missouri for the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Championship! I’ll be gone until Sunday afternoon, so I won’t be blogging for a few days. Feel free to poke around my blog and see all of my posts.
(Original Post on April 27, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers20 )
Sleep Patterns
I have a friend who can barely function on ten hours of sleep. I on the other hand could function perfectly on ten hours, if I were able to get that much sleep. I am lucky to get five hours a night. I can function on five “normally”, but it doesn’t feel too great. I don’t really remember the last time I got a real, good nights sleep. It’s been many years and when I do randomly get more than five hours, I feel worse than normal.
I don’t particularly mind. I mean it’s not the best thing in the world to almost always be tired, but I don’t much like sleep. I feel like sleep is a waste of time. There is only so much time in our lives and sleep takes up a lot of that time. I wish I didn’t have to sleep at all. It would make things so much easier. I would have much more free time and then I could write more.
(Original Post on April 25, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers19 )
I don’t particularly mind. I mean it’s not the best thing in the world to almost always be tired, but I don’t much like sleep. I feel like sleep is a waste of time. There is only so much time in our lives and sleep takes up a lot of that time. I wish I didn’t have to sleep at all. It would make things so much easier. I would have much more free time and then I could write more.
(Original Post on April 25, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers19 )
Back to School
Well, I’m back to school this week. I have an AP Exam in May and Regents Exams in June. I’ve got a lot going on in the next month or so, so I’ll try to write whenever I have free time. I’m really liking where my second novel is going. I think it’s going to be excellent by the time it’s finished!
(Original Post on April 25, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers18 )
(Original Post on April 25, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers18 )
Book Review: The Zombie Survival Guide
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks is an amazing book. It takes Zombies to a whole new level. Brooks explains that Zombies are created by a fictitious virus that shuts down most of the brain and revives the body after death. He explains the pros and cons of weapons, buildings and vehicles when the zombies are everywhere.
Brooks writes as if Zombies are real and are out there. The reader knows it is fiction, but Brooks’ writing style makes the reader start to believe in zombies. I think it’s genius! I can’t wait to read the sequel, World War Z.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, light read. Just don’t read it at night… or in the dark.
Max Brooks’ website can be found here: MaxBrooks.com
(Original Post on April 23, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers17 )
Brooks writes as if Zombies are real and are out there. The reader knows it is fiction, but Brooks’ writing style makes the reader start to believe in zombies. I think it’s genius! I can’t wait to read the sequel, World War Z.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, light read. Just don’t read it at night… or in the dark.
Max Brooks’ website can be found here: MaxBrooks.com
(Original Post on April 23, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers17 )
Human Stupidity Part 1: Using Credit Cards
I’m starting an unscheduled “Mini-Blog” for whenever I see some one do something so stupid that I am dumbstruck.
April 22, 2011
Today I saw a woman trying to open the locked front door of a closed bank with her credit card.
First of all, I admire that she tried, but why? Even if you could open the front door, how are you going to get to the money? You can’t simply swipe your card in a vault door, and even if the registers were open, your card would only access your account. So, good try… I guess.
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers16 )
April 22, 2011
Today I saw a woman trying to open the locked front door of a closed bank with her credit card.
First of all, I admire that she tried, but why? Even if you could open the front door, how are you going to get to the money? You can’t simply swipe your card in a vault door, and even if the registers were open, your card would only access your account. So, good try… I guess.
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers16 )
Friends that Write
I’ve got a friend named Jamison Wezelis who is also writing a novel. He hasn’t gotten quite as far as I have, but I see a lot of potential in his writing. I think it’s a great idea to find a friend who wants to write as much as you do. You can look at their work and make suggestions while they look at your work and give suggestions.
The key here is trust. First off, don’t just find someone on the internet who writes, send them your work and then ask to see theirs. This should be common sense, but don’t hand out your work to people unless it’s copyrighted. You don’t want your hours, days, months and even years to be stolen.
The second part of trust is this: Your friend needs to trust you enough to take ‘constructive criticism’ and you need to trust them the same way. Constructive criticism, in the words of one of my favorite teachers, is just people telling you something sucks without pissing you off.
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers15 )
The key here is trust. First off, don’t just find someone on the internet who writes, send them your work and then ask to see theirs. This should be common sense, but don’t hand out your work to people unless it’s copyrighted. You don’t want your hours, days, months and even years to be stolen.
The second part of trust is this: Your friend needs to trust you enough to take ‘constructive criticism’ and you need to trust them the same way. Constructive criticism, in the words of one of my favorite teachers, is just people telling you something sucks without pissing you off.
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers15 )
Habits
When writing, I find that I have some good habits, and some not-so-good ones. When I get writer’s block, it is usually because I am trying to do too much with a simple concept at once. For instance, I was trying to introduce a love interest and when I started, (This sounds absolutely ridiculous right now.) I tried to do it all in one chapter. I was rushing a concept that I really liked. When I slowed down, the next chapters practically wrote themselves. Another problem I seem to have is that I am thinking too far ahead. Now, it is important to have an idea of what’s going to happen later, but you shouldn’t be writing the end before you’ve written the beginning. I try to focus on one bit at a time.
At other times, I find that I don’t like what I just wrote. Rather than getting frustrated and “giving up”, I simply re-read what I just wrote and see how I can make it better. I try to never stop writing unless I want to write more. This guarantees not only that I am happy with my work, but that I will come back and write more.
So what are you’re good and bad habits? Better yet, are you willing to share them?
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers14 )
At other times, I find that I don’t like what I just wrote. Rather than getting frustrated and “giving up”, I simply re-read what I just wrote and see how I can make it better. I try to never stop writing unless I want to write more. This guarantees not only that I am happy with my work, but that I will come back and write more.
So what are you’re good and bad habits? Better yet, are you willing to share them?
(Original Post on April 22, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers14 )
Save the Book
In the event that I find a literary agent and my books get published, I promise that for every 100 copies of my book sold (Paper, not Ebook), I will plant a tree. Danielle, who is currently printing page after page of my first book for revisions, says she will plant one tree for every 50 books sold.
I know that this may seem strange, but in the changing publishing industry, I find it saddening that more and more ebooks are being sold than the good old paper books. I personally prefer paper books, they are less strain on my eyes and there just isn’t that feel of a book when you read it digitally. This isn’t just a plot to sell more books and get rich. I could care less about the money, I just want to save the environment and save The Book.
I am going to call this project, “Save the Book”. For every 150 PAPER books sold, 2 trees will be planted. When I get published, I encourage all of you to contribute by buying paper versions of my book, rather than digital versions. You can also help by simply clicking the button on this Website, for free, to help preserve the rainforest.
(Original Post on April 20, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers13 )
I know that this may seem strange, but in the changing publishing industry, I find it saddening that more and more ebooks are being sold than the good old paper books. I personally prefer paper books, they are less strain on my eyes and there just isn’t that feel of a book when you read it digitally. This isn’t just a plot to sell more books and get rich. I could care less about the money, I just want to save the environment and save The Book.
I am going to call this project, “Save the Book”. For every 150 PAPER books sold, 2 trees will be planted. When I get published, I encourage all of you to contribute by buying paper versions of my book, rather than digital versions. You can also help by simply clicking the button on this Website, for free, to help preserve the rainforest.
(Original Post on April 20, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers13 )
My First Novel
Since the revisions aren’t complete and I don’t have an agent yet, I don’t want to tell you too much about my book. With that being said, I will give you a short peak into the beginning of it. (I’m not giving you a paragraph out of it either, call me paranoid, but… well, yeah. I’m paranoid.)
December 21, 2012: The end of the world. Or so it was told. One Mayan saw the end of the world. In about 850 A.D. two-thirds of the Mayan population disappeared. Why? Well imagine that night. You’re up late on December 20, 2012, awaiting midnight for the end of the world. Over half the world has gone mad. Most are intoxicated, but you just sit there and wait. When the clock strikes twelve you close your eyes and wait. Your heart races with each chime of the clock. The chiming stops and you reluctantly open your eyes. The world has not ended. You walk over to the window and look up at the night sky. You see stars going out like a switch had been flicked. Up in the sky it is dark and you see no stars, but the one thing you do see scares you. Above the city is a giant, dark hole. This is not the end of the world. This is the end of all things.
That is just a taste of my first novel. It’s not enough to give away the plot and its certainly not enough for anyone to copy my story. (Again, I’m very paranoid.) Tell me what you think down there, in the comments!
(Original Post on April 20, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers11 )
December 21, 2012: The end of the world. Or so it was told. One Mayan saw the end of the world. In about 850 A.D. two-thirds of the Mayan population disappeared. Why? Well imagine that night. You’re up late on December 20, 2012, awaiting midnight for the end of the world. Over half the world has gone mad. Most are intoxicated, but you just sit there and wait. When the clock strikes twelve you close your eyes and wait. Your heart races with each chime of the clock. The chiming stops and you reluctantly open your eyes. The world has not ended. You walk over to the window and look up at the night sky. You see stars going out like a switch had been flicked. Up in the sky it is dark and you see no stars, but the one thing you do see scares you. Above the city is a giant, dark hole. This is not the end of the world. This is the end of all things.
That is just a taste of my first novel. It’s not enough to give away the plot and its certainly not enough for anyone to copy my story. (Again, I’m very paranoid.) Tell me what you think down there, in the comments!
(Original Post on April 20, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers11 )
R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen
Doctor Who has captured my imagination since I was very young. I have seen all of the new series multiple times and I am working my way through the original series. The Doctor and his companions have always inspired me and Sarah Jane Smith is no exception. I will miss Elisabeth Sladen deeply, as she has passed away this morning from cancer. (Link) As the last episode of season four of “The Sarah Jane Adventures” puts it, “Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith”. You will always be remembered.
http://youtu.be/UhMOY_opag4
(Original Post on April 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers12 )
http://youtu.be/UhMOY_opag4
(Original Post on April 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers12 )
Motivation
I’m motivated to write because I have a story to tell. I have a Universe swimming inside my mind that’s spilling onto the paper. I write because I love to write. I write because I want people to know how I feel. I want people to see what I see. I want people to look at love and the Universe the way I look at it.
I believe that when it comes down to it, writing isn’t just having a story to tell and it’s not just wanting to tell it. You need to be motivated to tell it. There has to be some underlying reason that you decided to write a novel. You can’t just sit down with a pen and paper and decide, lets write a book. If you decide to write a book because you want to be famous, then you’re probably not going to get anywhere with it because your heart isn’t in the novel.
Your heart needs to be on every page of the novel. Your ideas have to flow through the words. The characters have to reflect who you are or who you want to be. If you don’t like what you’re writing, why would anybody else like it?
If you’re not 100% immersing yourself in your story, then I wouldn’t necessarily tell you to stop writing it, but make it so you ARE the story. Your novel is a reflection of you, so make sure you give yourself a good reputation.
BE YOUR BOOK.
(Original Post on April 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers10 )
I believe that when it comes down to it, writing isn’t just having a story to tell and it’s not just wanting to tell it. You need to be motivated to tell it. There has to be some underlying reason that you decided to write a novel. You can’t just sit down with a pen and paper and decide, lets write a book. If you decide to write a book because you want to be famous, then you’re probably not going to get anywhere with it because your heart isn’t in the novel.
Your heart needs to be on every page of the novel. Your ideas have to flow through the words. The characters have to reflect who you are or who you want to be. If you don’t like what you’re writing, why would anybody else like it?
If you’re not 100% immersing yourself in your story, then I wouldn’t necessarily tell you to stop writing it, but make it so you ARE the story. Your novel is a reflection of you, so make sure you give yourself a good reputation.
BE YOUR BOOK.
(Original Post on April 19, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers10 )
Courage
I’ve faced many difficulties while writing. Whether it be plot, characterization, inconsistencies, editing or revision, my biggest difficulty has been courage. More precisely, telling people that I’ve written a book. It’s never easy when you all of the sudden spring it on someone. The first people I told were Danielle, Kaleena and Shannon. (See my ‘Thanks’ Page.) I then told Jamison and Justin. Then I told CJ and Sarah.
Today I told Pete, my brother. I didn’t have the courage to come out and say it. To combat this, I sent him an email. It often helps me to ask questions and say things from behind a computer screen. It’s certainly not the best way to do things, and it certainly needs to be worked on, but it’s what I’ve got for now. For anyone else in my situation, don’t sit behind the computer screen, or with your head in a notebook and write a novel without a friend or family member their for you to talk to it about.
I’ll work on my courage, but only if you accept that you might need to do the same.
(Original Post on April 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers9 )
Today I told Pete, my brother. I didn’t have the courage to come out and say it. To combat this, I sent him an email. It often helps me to ask questions and say things from behind a computer screen. It’s certainly not the best way to do things, and it certainly needs to be worked on, but it’s what I’ve got for now. For anyone else in my situation, don’t sit behind the computer screen, or with your head in a notebook and write a novel without a friend or family member their for you to talk to it about.
I’ll work on my courage, but only if you accept that you might need to do the same.
(Original Post on April 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers9 )
Love Interest
Right now, I’m trying to introduce a love interest for one of my characters. Hopefully it will go well, I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to do it. It may be easier if the love interest was actually there for the purpose of love, rather than as a way to create hatred. You see, something is going to happen to this girl that will make her lover hate his friend. So this girl is there more for hatred than for love. Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way?
(Original Post on April 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers8 )
(Original Post on April 18, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers8 )
Wisdom
Recently, I’ve had two of my friends tell me that I have a lot of wisdom. I’m not sure how I feel about wisdom and I certainly do not know how to respond in such a situation. Dictionary.com says wisdom is “the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.” I’m still unsure of how I feel though. Do I believe in wisdom? Socrates said “the only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.” In all honesty, I never thought about myself being wise until my friends suggested it. I just thought I thought differently. Maybe that’s what wisdom is, or maybe wisdom is just pulling crap out of your rear and sounding intelligent, I’ve done that plenty of times. I’m just not sure about Wisdom.
(Original Post on April 17, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers7 )
(Original Post on April 17, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers7 )
Struggle
I’ve been finding it very hard lately to do the work I need to do for school. All I want to do is drop everything, close myself in from the outside world and write. I have so many ideas flowing in my head and so much that I want to write down. Every second that I can’t makes doing the necessary things a billion times harder. I feel like I’ve been chained away from my computer and am being forced to stare at a textbook that I feel is worthless.
I enjoy my history and appreciate it, but it’s nothing compared to the Universe that I’ve created in my head. I have time lines, events, characters, civilizations, planets, stars, plots, emotions and passion EXPLODING from my imagination. The chains of schoolwork that bind me are enough to make me weep.
I know I may sound a bit over dramatic right now but ALL I WANT TO DO IS WRITE!
(Original Post on April 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers6 )
I enjoy my history and appreciate it, but it’s nothing compared to the Universe that I’ve created in my head. I have time lines, events, characters, civilizations, planets, stars, plots, emotions and passion EXPLODING from my imagination. The chains of schoolwork that bind me are enough to make me weep.
I know I may sound a bit over dramatic right now but ALL I WANT TO DO IS WRITE!
(Original Post on April 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers6 )
Almost There...
I only have a few things to do before my week of writing. I have to do World History Cornell Notes and an old Chemistry Regents Exam. Then I have to do a bit of cleaning. That’s all that keeps me from writing this week. Lets get it done today!
(Original Post on April 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers5 )
(Original Post on April 16, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers5 )
Book 2, Chapters 12 and 13
I just finished writing Chapters 12 and 13 of my second book. I’m really liking where it’s going so far and I’m glad I found some time to write. One more day of school and then a whole week with just me and my protagonist. We’ll see how that goes!
(Original Post on April 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers4 )
(Original Post on April 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers4 )
Writing and Revision Week
From the 16th to the 24th, I am off from school. This gives me ample time to WRITE! This also gives Danielle (My ‘Editor’) time to revise my first book. After those revisions are done (Sometime this summer) I am going to begin looking for an agent. I’ve done some research already and I feel pretty prepared. Still, I feel very anxious. This first book sets a precedent, which I plan to outdo, but it also sets a precedent for readers on my work.
(Original Post on April 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers3 )
(Original Post on April 14, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers3 )
Donald Justice
This is a bit unrelated to MY writing, but I felt the need to share with you the poetry I had to analyze for a English paper. I chose Donald Justice not because I was familiar with his work, but because he was on a list and all of the ‘good poets’ were taken. At first I didn’t understand his poetry but after reading some criticism and rereading his poems I came to like his work. Justice focuses on the pain and loss of an unlived life. He uses simplistic tone and strong symbolism to express his attitude toward life.
My two favorite of his poems are:
“Absences”
It’s snowing this afternoon and there are no flowers.
There is only this sound of falling, quiet and remote.
Like the memory of scales descending the white keys
Of a childhood piano–outside the window, palms!
And the heavy head of the cereus, inclining,
Soon to let down its white or yellow-white.
Now, only these poor snow-flowers in a heap,
Like the memory of a white dress cast down …
So much has fallen.
And I, who have listened for a step
All afternoon, hear it now, but already falling away,
Already in memory. And the terrible scales descending
On the silent piano; the snow; and the absent flowers abounding.
“Incident in a Rose Garden”
Gardener:
Sir, I encountered Death
Just now among our roses
Thin as a scythe he stood there.
I knew him by his pictures
He had on his black coat
Black gloves, and broad black hat.
I think he would have spoken,
Seeing his mouth stood open.
Big it was, with white teeth.
As soon as he beckoned, I ran.
I ran until I found you.
Sir, I’m quitting my job.
I want to see my sons
Once more before I die.
I want to California
Master:
Sir, you must be that stranger
Who threatened my gardener.
This is my property, sir.
I welcome only friends here.
Death:
Sir, I knew your father.
And we were friends at the end.
As for your gardener,
I did not threaten him.
Old men mistake my gestures.
I only meant to ask him
To show me to his master.
I take it you are he?
(Original Post on April 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers2 )
My two favorite of his poems are:
“Absences”
It’s snowing this afternoon and there are no flowers.
There is only this sound of falling, quiet and remote.
Like the memory of scales descending the white keys
Of a childhood piano–outside the window, palms!
And the heavy head of the cereus, inclining,
Soon to let down its white or yellow-white.
Now, only these poor snow-flowers in a heap,
Like the memory of a white dress cast down …
So much has fallen.
And I, who have listened for a step
All afternoon, hear it now, but already falling away,
Already in memory. And the terrible scales descending
On the silent piano; the snow; and the absent flowers abounding.
“Incident in a Rose Garden”
Gardener:
Sir, I encountered Death
Just now among our roses
Thin as a scythe he stood there.
I knew him by his pictures
He had on his black coat
Black gloves, and broad black hat.
I think he would have spoken,
Seeing his mouth stood open.
Big it was, with white teeth.
As soon as he beckoned, I ran.
I ran until I found you.
Sir, I’m quitting my job.
I want to see my sons
Once more before I die.
I want to California
Master:
Sir, you must be that stranger
Who threatened my gardener.
This is my property, sir.
I welcome only friends here.
Death:
Sir, I knew your father.
And we were friends at the end.
As for your gardener,
I did not threaten him.
Old men mistake my gestures.
I only meant to ask him
To show me to his master.
I take it you are he?
(Original Post on April 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers2 )
Journey's Beginning
On January 14, 2009, I started writing a book. After two years of work, I had written, edited, re-edited and revised my book. Currently it’s going through yet another revision, but after that it’s done!
My whole purpose for writing is not only to have fun, but to let the world know what I believe. I believe that Love is the most powerful thing in the Universe and I want to prove it to you. I also wish to inspire people. It is my belief that any ordinary human being (or any other sentient life-form) can do great things.
(Original Post on April 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers1 )
My whole purpose for writing is not only to have fun, but to let the world know what I believe. I believe that Love is the most powerful thing in the Universe and I want to prove it to you. I also wish to inspire people. It is my belief that any ordinary human being (or any other sentient life-form) can do great things.
(Original Post on April 11, 2011 at: http://dft.ba/-BSMeyers1 )
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