#atozchallenge: Where Did I Go?

As good as my intentions were, I stopped posting for the A to Z Challenge. I know, I promised much entertainment and laughter to all of you. But I have good excuses: I have a new job and I have found a wonderful new critique group which, in turn, has spawned a fresh wave of writing and editing. Add in some family time and sleep and I have little free time left. This means I won't be able to commit to the time needed to complete the Challenge this year.

Any of you regular bloggers know this old dance: when we set schedules for our blogs, we have all the time and none of the will required to meet them. When we have the will, we have none of the time. Sadly, work and my fiction writing take greater priority than writing about writing here. But I consider this a good problem to have, with which I am sure all of you would agree.

I plan to be ready and waiting for next year's Challenge with pre-written posts and a solid game plan for visiting others' blogs. Until then, good luck, enjoy yourselves, and meet tons of other new people!

(Oh, and stay tuned for more posts in the coming weeks. Since I don't know what my new schedule will look like, feel free to subscribe to the blog or follow me on Facebook - that way, you'll receive the update immediately when it arrives!)

#atozchallenge: [O]bvious

As a writer, I like to complain. Artfully, if possible, with plenty of tribulation thrown in for good measure, of course, but, usually, any old grouse will do. 

It's the burden of being an artist, right? We suffer and bleed our insightful impulses onto paper for the enlightenment of others. We have the right to complain about the agony of it all.

I recently wondered what the point of all these wretched woes are when I last had the opportunity to begin my usual writerly griping. I was talking to another writer, who stated that she just didn't have the time to write. I agreed. It was on the tip of my tongue to detail all the things that daily harassed my writing routine. But she spoke first – almost the exact words I would have used – and I knew why I wanted to complain.

The fact is, I was feeling guilty. I knew I hadn't been trying, that there were plenty of opportunities that I had been too tired or too lazy or too bored of which to take advantage. Isn't it obvious? I wanted to complain to hide my shortcomings. I think that attitude is one most of us writers can relate to.

It's so much safer to detail the troubles keeping us from writing than it is to actually do the thing we need to do. Everybody these days has a busy life – they can understand the inability to accomplish a long and difficult goal. It's safer and more comfortable to gain a sympathetic ear rather than to do the work itself.

Sadly, the more we complain, the less we write. It becomes a habit to not write then to complain about all the work we can't do. All the while, we pay for books and courses, visit blogs and websites, and go to meetings that tell us the 101 Ways to Become a Better Writer when we could simply do the deed itself and become better through practice.

I think it's time we all took an honest look at the obvious: we'd be better writers (we'd feel like writers) if we actually wrote.

I'm sure I'll still need to complain from time to time about the lack of hours in a day. But, from now on, I'll make sure it's after I've actually attempted to write.

Tweet

#atozchallenge: [N]ightfall

Hey, everyone! I apologize for the lack of A to Z posts. I knew in advance that this past week would be very busy for me, so I scheduled all my posts to arrive on schedule...which, as you can see, didn't happen. The posts aren't even in my blog drafts folder anymore.

So.

I will be back-posting last week's posts over the next few days, along with the current letters. Feel free to read and comment if you have time - if you don't, no hard feelings. Also, thank you all for your lovely comments during my absence. I will be visiting each and every one of you forthwith.

And, now, for today's letter: 

Nightfall

Tweet

#atozchallenge: [G]hosts, Ghouls, & Goblins

Horror is often full of the frightening and mysterious. For me, the best (or worst, depending on your point of view) part of horror stories and movies is the unknown. Not knowing exactly what that dark shape is or where the disembodied voice came from is sure to send goosebumps down my spine.

While more recent films have made horror into a bit of a slasher genre, I prefer the ones with odd creatures or humans doing things that aren't quite natural to creepify me.

Some of the most popular creatures are also the most misunderstood. The following three creepy critters should be in every horror fan's vocabulary:

Ghosts

Traditionally, ghosts are the souls or spirits of dead people. Descriptions in stories (and real life) have varied from wisps of light to fully formed, transparent bodies.  The belief in such apparitions appears to have existed since ancient times when ancestral worship was still widespread, primarily in ancient Mesopotamia. Ghosts were thought to come into being at the time of death with all the deceased's memory and personality. They would then dwell in the netherworld where they led a life similar to the one they'd left. Because of this, the dead person's relatives were expected to make regular food and drink offerings to sustain the spirit in their afterlife journey. If they did not, that spirit was believed to come back and cause them trouble.

The word "ghost" comes from an Old English word that means "anger," "fury," or "to rage." It wasn't until the 14th century that "ghost" became synonymous with the deceased. Spectre, wraith, spook, and apparition are also modern equivalents.

Ghosts in literature can be found in Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Stephen King's The Shining, and F. Marion Crawford's The Upper Berth.

Ghouls

Ghouls are the folkloric term for our notion of zombies. They are undead creatures who consume living human flesh and are often associated with graveyards. The word "ghoul" comes from an Arabic term that means "to sieze." In ancient Arabic folk tales, ghouls were a type of evil jinn that lived in burial grounds and preyed upon unwary travelers passing through the desert. They were notorious for kidnapping children, drinking blood, and taking the form of the last person they devoured.

In literature, ghouls can be found in One Thousand and One Nights, William Beckford's Vathek, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and H.P. Lovecraft's The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.

Goblins

In legends and myths, a goblin is known for being, at best, a mischievous creature and, at worst, an evil phantom. Different stories give them conflicting abilities but their top attributions make them greedy, temperamental, and easily perturbed. Various myths have them attacking hapless travelers and dining on them in the most grotesque ways. While usually a core of fantasy fiction, their evil nature has nevertheless been used in more horror-based stories, as well. They can be found in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, A Book of Ghosts and Goblins by Ruth Manning-Sanders, and It's Halloween by Jack Prelutsky, as well as in many video and roleplaying games.

"Goblin" comes from the Old French "gobelin" which is thought to be related to a word that means "knave" or "rogue."


So there you have it. What are your favorite spooks?


Tweet

#atozchallenge: [F]irefly

"...we get a mechanic, get her up and runnin' again, hire a good pilot, maybe a cook. Live like real people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free, take jobs as they come. Ain't never have to be under the heel of nobody ever again. No matter how long the arm of the Alliance might get, we'll just get ourselves a little further." - Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (pilot)

For those not aware of this spectacular show, Firefly is a space western that takes place in the year 2517 and follows the adventures of the nine members of the crew of the Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. Malcolm Reynolds, a veteran on the losing side of a galactic civil war, makes a living for himself and his crew on the outskirts of society as he attempts to continue to stay free of the heavy-handed Alliance control.

The reason you might not have heard of it is that only a couple of episodes aired completely out of order....10 years ago. It's hard to believe it's been that long already. Basically, the network that produced the show tried to kill it as soon as it started. It would have succeeded, too, if Firefly hadn't gained such a cult following among its intensely loyal supporters after the fact.

I'm not a big TV show viewer. I hate most of what's out there and lose interest very quickly in those shows I do take a liking to. Firefly is one of my top favorite shows and has been from the start of the first episode. There is a realness to the characters, along with fantastic plots and a hugely interesting universe to back them up. Everything about each episode is rich and full and well thought-out. It's the genius of Whedon's work (and I'm not exactly a Joss Whedon fan). In a word, Firefly is appealing.

After all, how can you resist a show that inspires this:

The entire first season can be watched on DVD as can its follow-up sequel movie, Serenity, but it's such a shame that there is only one season to be had. I've watched it several times over and, every time I get to the end of the last episode, I heave a disappointed sigh, wish that the network had also been aware of the show's genius, and put in the first episode again. It's that good.

If you haven't seen it, try it. If you have, sound off in the comments - I want some Firefly love in here tonight!


Tweet

#atozchallenge: [E]ldritch

 Today's stop on our month-long journey is on the doorstep of the wild and often magical world of fantasy. Namely, we'll be looking at one of the main elements of both high and dark fantasy fiction: the eldritch.

The most concise definition of eldritch can be described in a word: weird or eerie. Its origin, however,  is much more fun.

Eldritch was first used in 1508 and is thought to originate from the Middle English word elfriche, the combination of "elf" and the Old English "rice" or "riche," meaning kingdom. So, loosely translated, eldritch is referring to the elf kingdom or, its more common association, fairyland.

Basically, anything unearthly or beyond human reason is covered. Eldritch creatures in fantasy, for example, are often uncanny or even spooky or deal in powers beyond the understanding of other characters. Some authors, as well as gaming manuals, have used it to refer to magical weapons that can kill things from worlds beyond our own. Dungeons and Dragons, in particular, released an entire supplementary rulebook in 1976 called Eldritch Wizardry to introduce psionics and the druid class to the original edition of the game.

For fans of H.P. Lovecraft, the term is instantly recognizable as a macabre word used throughout his dark stories. A collection of his short fiction is contained in the book Eldritch Tales.

I think it's a fascinating word and one I wouldn't mind using in a story myself. What do you think? Are there other definitions or examples of eldritch magic that you've come across in fictional worlds?



Tweet

#atozchallenge: [D]iablo 3

Along with writing and reading, my free time is further fragmented by the fascinating world of video games. I have two gaming consoles as well as a super-awesome-fast computer designed to run all the new graphics coming out (for at least a few more months until it, too, becomes obsolete) that I couldn't describe to you in any greater detail if I tried. I'm not the person to talk to about the technical jargon behind gaming. But I love playing.

One of the first games I was introduced to was Diablo 2 (for the die-hard fans, yes, I eventually played the first one, as well).  It should come as no surprise, then, that I was psyched about Diablo 3.  But, like, most of the gamers I play with, I have loved it, hated it, thrown tantrums at it, complimented it, insulted it, abandoned it, and revisited it...over and over.

I could tell you it's the worst game in the history of sequels since it can only be played online - which means that every time the Blizzard servers have any sort of malfunction, you can't play the game for which you shelled out $60.

I might also tell you that it is one of the stars of recently released games because of the beauty that the developers put into every level - each region is as lovely as a piece of concept art while the backdrops are, many times, absolutely stunning.

But I won't tell you either of these things. Because for every common, tantrum-inducing malfunction and each rare, jaw-dropping success, there is one thing Diablo 3 is fantastic at: its familiar nostalgia that brings back memories of late-night dungeon-looting and monster-bashing with parties of friends.

For that, I will keep playing it and I will encourage others to play it. Even if it does occasionally inspire computer-throwing rages.

If there are any fellow gamers out there, what is your take on Diablo 3? Love it, hate it, or something in between?



Tweet

#atozchallenge: [C]osmos in Chaos

"Leonard Bernstein tells me...that for him music is cosmos in chaos. That has the ring of truth in my ears, and sparks my creative imagination. And it is true not only of music; all art is cosmos, cosmos found within chaos." -Madeline L'Engle, Walking on Water

Among my favorite authors, Madeleine L'Engle is one of the top few for just such quotes as the one above. In it, she is framing the idea that the universe is chaotic but art - true art - brings order and harmony and good to a disorderly and confused world.

Today's artists would do well to keep this thought in mind. Modern art, especially in writing, holds less and less cosmos and more chaos. This is not to say that these writers don't have talent. There is skill and talent, yes, but it is becoming much more rare to find the harmony in disharmony

Andrew Pudewa, from the Institute for Excellence in Writing, gives a wonderful explanation of why in this excerpt from his article, The Art of Teaching a Skill:

"Often we link the idea of artistic activity with creativity and self-expression, but we are infected with a modernism that actually impedes the development of skills. 'If it’s creative, it’s good; if it’s good, it has to be creative,' is the dominant mantra so evident today—a tragedy so often outplayed in the fine arts departments of most universities, where the way to an A is not to draw or paint or sculpt something beautiful, but to do something that no one else has ever done before, no matter how ugly or grotesque....Imagine a method of teaching where we give the student a violin and with cursory directions on how to make a sound, encourage him to 'be creative' and 'express himself.' The result won’t much resemble music....When originality and creativity are esteemed above all else, basic skills decrease and true artistic expression becomes impossible."

Many modern writers today, in the attempt to be the most creative, end up focusing only on the ugly nature of mankind and its base impulses because no one else has done it. Even worse, some deliberately reveal chaos in chaos, glorifying the fragmented and disordered inclinations of humanity with no uplifting thought to turn away the darkness of broken and bent lives.

The reproduction of chaos is not art, as Madeline L'Engle writes. It is the beautiful, the orderly, the something beyond ourselves that makes the great works of art that have endured through the centuries.

As a writer, how do you reveal that greater good in your work?  As an admirer of art, what is your definition of true art?

Tweet

#atozchallenge: [B]reathe

 
Today is Tuesday, fellow Challengers, which means I have some of my own fiction to present to you. This is an excerpt from a short story that I started a year ago but for which I've only recently come up with an ending.

 Thoughts, comments, critiques, etc., are welcomed. If you have some of your own fiction to show off, provide a link in your comment! And, last, if you like this sneak peek, please feel free to share it.

Breathe

Copyright © 2013 by Jessica Marcarelli and Visions of Other Worlds

Cady Hanson’s insomnia didn’t bother her until 10 o’clock Tuesday morning when her family forced her to take them to breakfast.

“Jennifer Nelson promoted herself today,” Gerald said. Cady flicked her eyes towards him. Her husband had been striking once, the cream of the crop. Ten years of marriage and climbing the corporate ladder had turned his black hair to grey and his big, tanned muscles to thin and hairy flesh. He smiled at their eight-year-old son, sitting on the other side of the booth. “Guess you won’t be getting that four-wheeler next month after all.”

Adam grinned. “Yes, I will. You’ll get promoted because Jennifer is an incompetent ass who can’t last a month.”

Cady tucked her mouth in at one corner. “Adam.”

“Dad said it first.”

Emilie frowned at him. “It does not mean you have to say it second.”

Cady looked at her daughter. She looked so much like her. Emilie even acted like her, right down to the frown she constantly wore. No ten-year-old should look so serious. It was like Emilie knew what had happened when she was conceived, knew the anger Cady felt at the small thing growing in her womb.

Gerald leaned forward. “He has every right to speak his feelings, as you do, Emilie.”

“He should not say things like that. We are children.” Emilie’s too-adult reprimand had no effect.

The conversation continued around her but Cady stayed glued to the thought that her ten-year-old daughter knew more about her mother’s feelings than she did herself. It wasn't the only feature Emilie had that she shouldn't. Just how much had Cady ruined by signing that birthing form ten years ago?

She rested her chin on her palm. The pressure on her hand helped relieve the burning heat in her head. Sometimes she couldn’t think through the pain. That was usually at night, when she sat in the dark on the back porch, watching the waves ripple along the shore. Even that gentle sensation couldn’t make her sleep. But she never felt tired. Every night she watched the stars until the sun came up, then she went inside and took her morning shower. Gerald, a sound sleeper, thought she was simply an early riser. She hadn't visited a bed in weeks. She even kept count. Tonight would be sleepless night 103.

“Cady?”

She jumped and stared at Gerald.

He held out a carafe. “The waitress left it. Do you want me to top off your mug?”

“No.” She hadn’t had any to start. “I’m full.”

He eyed the bite she had taken out of the waffle on her plate. “You sure?”

“Yes.” She slid out of the booth. “I’m going now.”

Gerald grinned at the kids. “You get me today. What should we do first?”

Anything, Cady thought, as long as you let me go. She couldn’t breathe in the stale, recycled air breathed by a hundred people in the crowded restaurant. All she wanted was to get alone, by herself, with the waves. Where she could breathe.



Tweet

#atozchallenge: [A]bout Visions of Other Worlds

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome aboard Visions of Other Worlds A to Z Challenge 2013 with non-stop service to fantasy, science fiction, and other speculative wanderings in the month of April.

Please turn your attention to the blog attendant nearest you for our safety demonstration. You may follow along with the safety holocard located in the seat pocket in front of you.

My name is Jessica and I will be your writer while we are en route through the many adventures that await us during this challenge. For further information about my piloting credentials, please direct your attention to the ABOUT button above you.

For your safety and convenience, please make sure you have selected a secure follow method for the blog at this time. To do so, insert your email into the space provided to your right or, if you wish, select one of the alternative methods provided below it.

Also, make sure all carry on comments have been signed and are safely stored at the bottom of this post.

There are four emergency exits on this A to Z blog, three to the right and one located at the bottom. Each exit is equipped with a safety slide that will transport you to the nearest social network, where daily updates will occur throughout the challenge. Please take this time to locate your nearest exit.

In case of misdirection on your way to the next blog, A to Z links will deploy from the floor compartment located at the bottom of this blog. To secure, scroll to the bottom and click the next link you would like to visit. Breathe normally. Please make sure to secure your own direction before assisting others.

Located on the last page of your safety holocard is a map of the Visions of Other Worlds A to Z Challenge 2013 weekly schedule. It is located in the column to your right. You may also review it below:

• Murderous Monday: horror and all its creepy associations
• Teaser Tuesday: fiction excerpts or flash fiction stories
• Writer Wednesday: writerly thoughts and/or tips
• Thursday Thoughts: randomosity
• Fantasy Friday: fantasy in every form and land imaginable
• Sci-fi Saturday: science fiction in books, movies, and gaming

As we come through the cabin to perform our final safety checks, please make sure your follow method is chosen, your seat is fixed in its most comfortable position, and all carry on comments are stored properly.

Thank you for your attention, and we wish you a good flight on Visions of Other Worlds A to Z Challenge 2013.


Tweet