Sherlock Holmes is a detective created by author Arthur Conan Doyle who was one of the pioneers for crime fiction.
I recently read a stage adaptation of one of Doyle's 56 short stories, called "The Speckled Band". He adapted the story to a play that premiered in Adelphi Theatre, London on 4 June 1910.
Many of Doyle's readers have felt that his character of Holmes is so detailed and real that people can imagine that they've actually met him, conversed with him, got to know him.
The stage play adaptation of "The Speckled Band" was about a man who murdered his step daughters for their inheritance, presumably after he'd murdered their mother years earlier. What I find most fascinating about this story is that it falls into what is called a locked room mystery, a sub-genre of crime fiction where a murder occurs under a seemingly impossible situation.
Doyle has written four short stories that fall int this category of a locked room mystery. The Sherlock Holmes movie that came out in 2009 featured a similar concept to this, creating what appeared as supernatural occurrences. But, we all know Sherlock is brilliant, and despite what looks like an unsolvable case, he solves it.
I grew up watching Scooby-Doo and reading the classic Nancy Drew books. When I read this script I felt tossed backwards into my childhood, reliving the rush and excitement of mystery adventures. It often makes me want to return to this genre of writing, which I dabbled in for much of my early childhood.
If you're into mystery, crime, or adventure, check out a short story in Doyle's collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
I Hope I Come Back
As of late, art has been affecting me much differently than normal, mostly in that--it’s not. I normally spend my time daydreaming and imagining things in similar forms, but less tangible and more meaningful. Recently, I’ve noticed that I take art for what it is, ask few questions, and hardly enjoy ingesting, let alone digesting it.
It’s strange for me, really. I look at a tree, I don’t see a tree. I see a channel, a gateway, into another world that breathes and lives much differently than my own. I see a purity, a truth, another dimension. Wooden Giants frozen in time, from the innocence of beginning to the judgement of the end, waiting patiently with spirit and knowledge. They’re unable to move, unable to speak, now bound by man’s offense, rooted deep into the spoiling earth, perhaps never to live out or see their original purpose, of which we’ll never know.
And on and on.
But I haven’t thought like this for quite some time. I haven’t felt the burden of the darkness in the world, or the inexplicable rush of knowledge. Apathy has taken much of what made me connect to the world, and much of what made me justly disconnect from the world.
Instead I’m freely floating around object and idea, bouncing meaninglessly off of both, whirling and wreathing deeper into a world of squares and squares.
I think I’ve recently discovered why.
I’ve been working on the story I’m writing, for what feels to me, like far too long. I’ve lived in one world, the world of Tahynain in the land of Rolmanan. It bustles and happenings happen, adventure and gain--but far too slow. The ideas have been floating in my brain for too long, the vision is becoming stale, and I’m afraid it has consumed much of what free creativity my mind possesses. I need to finish this tale so that a new one may begin to grow.
I do hope my real mind returns.
It’s strange for me, really. I look at a tree, I don’t see a tree. I see a channel, a gateway, into another world that breathes and lives much differently than my own. I see a purity, a truth, another dimension. Wooden Giants frozen in time, from the innocence of beginning to the judgement of the end, waiting patiently with spirit and knowledge. They’re unable to move, unable to speak, now bound by man’s offense, rooted deep into the spoiling earth, perhaps never to live out or see their original purpose, of which we’ll never know.
And on and on.
But I haven’t thought like this for quite some time. I haven’t felt the burden of the darkness in the world, or the inexplicable rush of knowledge. Apathy has taken much of what made me connect to the world, and much of what made me justly disconnect from the world.
Instead I’m freely floating around object and idea, bouncing meaninglessly off of both, whirling and wreathing deeper into a world of squares and squares.
I think I’ve recently discovered why.
I’ve been working on the story I’m writing, for what feels to me, like far too long. I’ve lived in one world, the world of Tahynain in the land of Rolmanan. It bustles and happenings happen, adventure and gain--but far too slow. The ideas have been floating in my brain for too long, the vision is becoming stale, and I’m afraid it has consumed much of what free creativity my mind possesses. I need to finish this tale so that a new one may begin to grow.
I do hope my real mind returns.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
"Digital Veil"
The Human Abstract is a progressive metal band whose music reflects the power of their lyrics.
A couple days ago, I was listening to the song “Digital Veil” on their 2011 album, also entitled Digital Veil. The following are some of the lyrics to this song:
Pull me from the gallows
Pull me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation
I cannot compute why, why we celebrate this mediocrity
Just let me download my
latest update right now
Just give me access to
my latest opinion
Now, now, give it now, now (give it now)
Unplug me from this fantasy
my eyes have seen the sun
Have we all become voyeurs
covered by this digital veil
Direct my mind
just keep me occupied
don't let me find
something that is worth my time
The album embodies the current nature of the way we use technology, illustrating the desperate attitude that comes with it. “Digital Veil” is the perfect name for the song, claiming that our culture has blinded itself against reality by our incessant need to plug into technology.
The words come alive when they’re coupled with the music, hitting hard on “hang me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation,” a powerful claim, that shows that the member of this band would rather fall from this world than take part in it masking itself more and more from humanity.
As a writer, it’s difficult to determine how much of this world I want to be a part of. Do I want a twitter, a blog, a facebook, etc., to advertise and promote myself so that my readers can get to know and trust me? Even then, is it worth gaining someone’s trust by typing words from behind a screen? Is it worth developing vicarious relationships to gain support?
Perhaps it is an unnatural and archaic thought to have in this time, but it does seem draining to me to commit to spending time creating a “digitial”, virtual world when I could be spending that time interacting with and experiencing new places and people and growing my writing.
A couple days ago, I was listening to the song “Digital Veil” on their 2011 album, also entitled Digital Veil. The following are some of the lyrics to this song:
Pull me from the gallows
Pull me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation
I cannot compute why, why we celebrate this mediocrity
Just let me download my
latest update right now
Just give me access to
my latest opinion
Now, now, give it now, now (give it now)
Unplug me from this fantasy
my eyes have seen the sun
Have we all become voyeurs
covered by this digital veil
Direct my mind
just keep me occupied
don't let me find
something that is worth my time
The album embodies the current nature of the way we use technology, illustrating the desperate attitude that comes with it. “Digital Veil” is the perfect name for the song, claiming that our culture has blinded itself against reality by our incessant need to plug into technology.
The words come alive when they’re coupled with the music, hitting hard on “hang me from the gallows of this fibre optic nation,” a powerful claim, that shows that the member of this band would rather fall from this world than take part in it masking itself more and more from humanity.
As a writer, it’s difficult to determine how much of this world I want to be a part of. Do I want a twitter, a blog, a facebook, etc., to advertise and promote myself so that my readers can get to know and trust me? Even then, is it worth gaining someone’s trust by typing words from behind a screen? Is it worth developing vicarious relationships to gain support?
Perhaps it is an unnatural and archaic thought to have in this time, but it does seem draining to me to commit to spending time creating a “digitial”, virtual world when I could be spending that time interacting with and experiencing new places and people and growing my writing.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Putting Things Into Perspective
I am currently reading the book "Radical" by David Platt. He is a pastor with a doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He pastors a church of over four thousand members.
The book is about refocusing ourselves as followers of Jesus. As Americans, we have taken Christianity and molded it to fit into our culture and our personal needs, much different than what many of us claim to have done--take our lives and needs and mold them into the call to be like Jesus.
Platt makes eye opening points throughout the entire book, but so far, the following has stood out to me the most.
He was getting ready to take a trip to Sudan in 2004. Because of this, two articles in the newspaper, one regarding Sudan, caught his attention. Here is how he describes it in the book:
"The front cover had two headlines side by side. I'm not sure if the editor planned for these particular headlines to be next to each other or if he just missed it in a really bad way."
Platt goes on to explain that the one headline, "First Baptist Church Celebrates New $23 Million Building," while the other next to it read "Baptist Relief Helps Sudanese Refugees." The second article explained that hundreds of thousands of refugees in Sudan were dying of starvation everyday. The article says that some Baptists had sent money to help them. I can put the rest in no better words than Platt, so here is how he continued:
"Now remember what was on the left: 'First Baptist Church Celebrates New $23 Million Building.' On the right the article said Baptists have raised $5,000 to send to refugees in western Sudan.
Five thousand dollars.
That is not enough to get a plane into Sudan, much less one drop of water to people who need it.
Twenty three million dollars for an elaborate sanctuary and five thousand dollars for hundreds of thousands of starving men, women, and children, most of whom were dying apart from faith in Christ.
Where have we gone wrong?"
This whole concept has really shaken me. As Americans, we can make excuses and justify why it makes sense for us to have elaborate architecture, sound systems and equipment, excessive budgets for kids events, and so on. Many churches of today spend so much time looking inward, pouring into its members, taking care of its congregations, and facilitating growth within, that we miss out on the real reason we even began to do those things. Why are we not pouring out?
There's not much else to say but that. Why are we not pouring out?
The book is about refocusing ourselves as followers of Jesus. As Americans, we have taken Christianity and molded it to fit into our culture and our personal needs, much different than what many of us claim to have done--take our lives and needs and mold them into the call to be like Jesus.
Platt makes eye opening points throughout the entire book, but so far, the following has stood out to me the most.
He was getting ready to take a trip to Sudan in 2004. Because of this, two articles in the newspaper, one regarding Sudan, caught his attention. Here is how he describes it in the book:
"The front cover had two headlines side by side. I'm not sure if the editor planned for these particular headlines to be next to each other or if he just missed it in a really bad way."
Platt goes on to explain that the one headline, "First Baptist Church Celebrates New $23 Million Building," while the other next to it read "Baptist Relief Helps Sudanese Refugees." The second article explained that hundreds of thousands of refugees in Sudan were dying of starvation everyday. The article says that some Baptists had sent money to help them. I can put the rest in no better words than Platt, so here is how he continued:
"Now remember what was on the left: 'First Baptist Church Celebrates New $23 Million Building.' On the right the article said Baptists have raised $5,000 to send to refugees in western Sudan.
Five thousand dollars.
That is not enough to get a plane into Sudan, much less one drop of water to people who need it.
Twenty three million dollars for an elaborate sanctuary and five thousand dollars for hundreds of thousands of starving men, women, and children, most of whom were dying apart from faith in Christ.
Where have we gone wrong?"
This whole concept has really shaken me. As Americans, we can make excuses and justify why it makes sense for us to have elaborate architecture, sound systems and equipment, excessive budgets for kids events, and so on. Many churches of today spend so much time looking inward, pouring into its members, taking care of its congregations, and facilitating growth within, that we miss out on the real reason we even began to do those things. Why are we not pouring out?
There's not much else to say but that. Why are we not pouring out?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
There is no such thing as a new idea.
Wizards Hall Vs. Harry Potter
Wizards Hall was written by Jane Yolen in 1991. It is a story about a young boy named Henry who goes to a school of wizards called Wizards Hall. Yolen didn't receive much attention for this novel, nor did she win any awards. Notoriety came to her novel only after J.K. Rowling published her first novel of Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yolen's response was this:
"I wrote a book called Wizard's Hall. And there's an awful lot of Wizard's Hall in it. I always tell people that if Ms. Rowling would like to cut me a very large check, I would cash it."
There's no doubt that many stories written will draw heavily on other ideas. The important thing, is to make it our own, to add our own twist. Rowling didn't copy off of Yolen, perhaps she had never even heard of her until her own book was published and Yolen responded with negativity. Either way, Rowling took an idea, transformed it, added to it, and published it. As long as you draw from a number of sources, bounce ideas off of numerous people, and create unique and new characters, you won't run into a problem of plagerism. Sometimes your ideas will sound a lot like other peoples, but don't worry. A lot of the best ideas were borrowed and adapted.
Creation is a beautiful thing.
Wizards Hall was written by Jane Yolen in 1991. It is a story about a young boy named Henry who goes to a school of wizards called Wizards Hall. Yolen didn't receive much attention for this novel, nor did she win any awards. Notoriety came to her novel only after J.K. Rowling published her first novel of Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yolen's response was this:
"I wrote a book called Wizard's Hall. And there's an awful lot of Wizard's Hall in it. I always tell people that if Ms. Rowling would like to cut me a very large check, I would cash it."
There's no doubt that many stories written will draw heavily on other ideas. The important thing, is to make it our own, to add our own twist. Rowling didn't copy off of Yolen, perhaps she had never even heard of her until her own book was published and Yolen responded with negativity. Either way, Rowling took an idea, transformed it, added to it, and published it. As long as you draw from a number of sources, bounce ideas off of numerous people, and create unique and new characters, you won't run into a problem of plagerism. Sometimes your ideas will sound a lot like other peoples, but don't worry. A lot of the best ideas were borrowed and adapted.
Creation is a beautiful thing.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Inescapable Dissatisfaction
You will be disappointed.
As a writer, you will be disappointed.
You're work will will disappoint you, your talent will struggle to catch up with your ambitions.
The good news is--it's normal. Every author falls short of their goals, every piece of art will not shine from its start. Being a writer means accepting the frailty and inconsistencies of our own abilities. My story is about 3/5 of the way done. If you asked me how many portions of it I am pleased with I would have to tell you zero, or perhaps a negative number. It is filled with flaw upon flaw, unbelievable character after unbelievable event. It lacks a strong sense of character. Its plot is filled with holes, big black ones that seem to suck the rest of the story into itself. But despite all of this, I will finish it.
When I do, I will step back and look at the people and world I created and find a thousand things I hate, a hundred things I am disappointed with, ten things I'm missing, and one--one thing I absolutely love-- creating.
There will be plenty of things to fix, plenty of time to critique, and plenty of people to do both, but until then, you'll never reach any concrete understandings of your writing, or more importantly, yourself.
As a writer, you will be disappointed.
You're work will will disappoint you, your talent will struggle to catch up with your ambitions.
The good news is--it's normal. Every author falls short of their goals, every piece of art will not shine from its start. Being a writer means accepting the frailty and inconsistencies of our own abilities. My story is about 3/5 of the way done. If you asked me how many portions of it I am pleased with I would have to tell you zero, or perhaps a negative number. It is filled with flaw upon flaw, unbelievable character after unbelievable event. It lacks a strong sense of character. Its plot is filled with holes, big black ones that seem to suck the rest of the story into itself. But despite all of this, I will finish it.
When I do, I will step back and look at the people and world I created and find a thousand things I hate, a hundred things I am disappointed with, ten things I'm missing, and one--one thing I absolutely love-- creating.
There will be plenty of things to fix, plenty of time to critique, and plenty of people to do both, but until then, you'll never reach any concrete understandings of your writing, or more importantly, yourself.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Few Tips I Have on Writing a Novel: Starting to Get Organized
One of the best tips that anyone can give you about writing is to read. Just read. Familiarize yourself with the works of others’ that you admire. Read the kinds of things you want to be writing.
The story I’m working on has been a long time coming. The idea began unfolding in my head over four years ago. I really only began to organize it this past year. Here are a few things that may help the process of organizing thoughts for a novel.
Get a notebook--a simple notebook to jot down ideas, thoughts, maps, graphs. This notebook will be a crucial tool. My notebook is titled “Novel Notes”. Creative right? It is very sci-fi fantasy genre based. The things below are categories that I’ve included in it:
-Language
-Climate, Geography, Mood & Setting
-Cataclysmic Events
-Speculative Elements- theoretical possibilities
-Economics
-Education
-Races
-Characters
-Some Kinks in my story ideas
I also keep a sketch book that includes different maps and sketches of different land areas and some detailed drawings of places, houses, and cities.
Go get a notebook, try your hand at mapping out these categories, and keep up on my posts for more ideas!
The story I’m working on has been a long time coming. The idea began unfolding in my head over four years ago. I really only began to organize it this past year. Here are a few things that may help the process of organizing thoughts for a novel.
Get a notebook--a simple notebook to jot down ideas, thoughts, maps, graphs. This notebook will be a crucial tool. My notebook is titled “Novel Notes”. Creative right? It is very sci-fi fantasy genre based. The things below are categories that I’ve included in it:
-Language
-Climate, Geography, Mood & Setting
-Cataclysmic Events
-Speculative Elements- theoretical possibilities
-Economics
-Education
-Races
-Characters
-Some Kinks in my story ideas
I also keep a sketch book that includes different maps and sketches of different land areas and some detailed drawings of places, houses, and cities.
Go get a notebook, try your hand at mapping out these categories, and keep up on my posts for more ideas!
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Few Tips I Have on Writing a Novel: What Works Best for You?
There is no real formula to writing. If there was, there probably would be a lot more successful writers scampering about earth.
It’s all about the individual. Every writer has a different personality, temperament, desire. For me, I need quiet, I need space, and I need time.
Most often, I need a quiet place away from people. Everybody needs their own space. For me, writing is about control--control of my characters, my plot, and my environment. I have found that music plays a huge part in the atmosphere of my writing. Listening to music that matches the feel of your writing can be a big help.
Writing takes time. When I write, I sit down and give serious time to my work. I don’t often find that I have many blocks of time for writing, so when I do, I give it hours. Perhaps more success would come from consistency, writing less at each sitting and at more sittings. However, beings that I am a full time student, significant blocks of time, less often, work best for me, allowing me to immerse myself into my plot and characters.
In my next blog, I’ll be giving more detail about how to begin organizing a story and some of the approaches I have found to be most effective. Stay tuned!
It’s all about the individual. Every writer has a different personality, temperament, desire. For me, I need quiet, I need space, and I need time.
Most often, I need a quiet place away from people. Everybody needs their own space. For me, writing is about control--control of my characters, my plot, and my environment. I have found that music plays a huge part in the atmosphere of my writing. Listening to music that matches the feel of your writing can be a big help.
Writing takes time. When I write, I sit down and give serious time to my work. I don’t often find that I have many blocks of time for writing, so when I do, I give it hours. Perhaps more success would come from consistency, writing less at each sitting and at more sittings. However, beings that I am a full time student, significant blocks of time, less often, work best for me, allowing me to immerse myself into my plot and characters.
In my next blog, I’ll be giving more detail about how to begin organizing a story and some of the approaches I have found to be most effective. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
A Writer Cannot Exist without Writing
Over two years ago, I embarked on a lofty and laborious trek, filled with both excitement and frustration. I have been working on a full length science fiction fantasy novel, the ideas of which I began fabricating four years ago, and have been developing ever since.
I find myself inching my way towards Journey's end, a destination that is still distant, but finally coming over the horizon.
I confess that I know very little about writing novels. In fact, I know very little about writing in general. Those that do know anything have tried and tried their hands at the art, over and over again, until they finally stumbled upon something useful. This novel has taught me, and will continue to teach me, more about writing than any class or mentor ever could. It's all about the pursuit. Pursue writing, and it will pursue you. It will teach you, it will guide you. So take a leap off your comfortable lilly pad into the mysterious sparkling water and stretch your legs. Just try it. Embark on a long journey. To be a writer, you have to write. It's as simple as that.
I find myself inching my way towards Journey's end, a destination that is still distant, but finally coming over the horizon.
I confess that I know very little about writing novels. In fact, I know very little about writing in general. Those that do know anything have tried and tried their hands at the art, over and over again, until they finally stumbled upon something useful. This novel has taught me, and will continue to teach me, more about writing than any class or mentor ever could. It's all about the pursuit. Pursue writing, and it will pursue you. It will teach you, it will guide you. So take a leap off your comfortable lilly pad into the mysterious sparkling water and stretch your legs. Just try it. Embark on a long journey. To be a writer, you have to write. It's as simple as that.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Foundation
This is the beginning of my blogging journey about writing.
To be a writer, one must perpetually focus on the purpose. Why do I like this kind of writing? What is my goal in writing? There are millions of writers in the world, all of which have been called to writing through different avenues. These avenues include careers like journalism, speech writing, editing, advertising, and many more. All of these paths are beautiful and significant in their own ways. It is important to consider the kinds of persons we are as well as what we like to do. Do I interact well with people, or is it that I have an imaginative mind? The avenue I have chosen is creative writing. For me, this type of writing is a portal into another world, an opportunity to explore the deepest spaces of the human mind. Determining what type of writing to pursue is all based on who the writer is, and what the purpose of his or her writing may be. What type of writing would best suit you?
This is the beginning of my blogging journey about writing.
To be a writer, one must perpetually focus on the purpose. Why do I like this kind of writing? What is my goal in writing? There are millions of writers in the world, all of which have been called to writing through different avenues. These avenues include careers like journalism, speech writing, editing, advertising, and many more. All of these paths are beautiful and significant in their own ways. It is important to consider the kinds of persons we are as well as what we like to do. Do I interact well with people, or is it that I have an imaginative mind? The avenue I have chosen is creative writing. For me, this type of writing is a portal into another world, an opportunity to explore the deepest spaces of the human mind. Determining what type of writing to pursue is all based on who the writer is, and what the purpose of his or her writing may be. What type of writing would best suit you?
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