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There Are Two Types of Readers: People Who Read The End Of A Book First!
I’ve learned of a disturbing trend in my circle of friends. There are people out there, perhaps in your very neighborhood, your friends, possibly even people in your house who read the ending of a novel before they begin! I know, I was shocked too. However, there are people who have to know how a journey ends before they begin. While this took me as a surprise and made me question why anyone would do this, I started thinking that there are some merits to this method of reading but I don’t think I am entirely sold. The reasoning behind this is books take time and obviously no frequent reader…
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The Craft of Writing Fiction: Characters (Part 1)
In any story you have a few elements that are vital. Obviously, the first of these elements is the character. This can be anything from a cast of lovable folks to an anti-hero you don’t really like but want to succeed or it can even be someone so absent from a story that all you know is they’re telling it. A character can be a human, alien, a sock, or anything you can imagine but they cannot be dull or flat. Characters are so fun to write but they’re difficult to create sometimes. People tend to categorize people and that can bleed into writing, and as a result, you get…
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The Benefits Of Reading Poetry: Do People Benefit From Classic/Contemporary Works?
I find a lot of people believe that poetry is a niche and perhaps only a select section of the public reads it. Maybe professors or poetry majors in college, or even tortured students in high school are the only ones that subject themselves to the rigors of poems. However, like literature, poetry can have its perks and benefits. While enjoyment is at the forefront of reading poetry, there are additional benefits to reading poems and while some may have horrible memories of reading old poems in high school or college, contemporary poetry is far and away more evolved. While I enjoy old poetry, the artistic language and creative…
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Take Time To Write Everyday; The Benefits Of Types of Writing
While I’ve been talking about writing fiction over the past three weeks, and where to get started, I wanted to take this week to speak more broadly about simply writing. There are different styles and types of writing so even if you aren’t able to create some great work of fiction, there are other writing avenues worth exploring and you may find many other benefits beyond creating a fun story. A novel, short story, or even a poem can allow for great levels and opportunities for expression. While new writers might not want to attempt to create a book on the level of something like War and Peace, there are…
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Banned Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green
Looking for Alaska is another Banned Book that people have decried for having foul language, sex, alcohol, and drug use. These are often common complaints from parents and, in this case, it was reported that one person who complained counted the number of swear words used. This does make me wonder, if there an appropriate amount of swear words or is there a tipping point? Nevertheless, I am, as you may have gathered from previous banned book reviews, strongly against censoring novels when they tell the truth. This book takes place in a boarding school and follows Miles Halter and Alaska Young, their budding friendship/relationship, and their life with their…
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The Craft of Writing Fiction: Where to Begin, Pt. 3
When writing a novel or short story or poetry, there’s always the blank page and in this little series we’ve been looking at some things to do and consider before or as you begin. While we’ve talked about writing what you know and figuring what you want to write by just starting or mapping it out, there is another place to begin, and it may be one of the most important. It’s important to embrace one thing if you want to write: consistency. Countless writers have had their quirks and habits when it comes to writing. Some people set page limits per day, time limits, a specific amount of chapters,…
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Banned Book Review-Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Some of the main complaints leading to this book being challenged or even banned in some areas are due to swear words, “taking the Lord’s name in vain”, some sexual overtones, and was deemed depressing and morbid by some. While this is for sure no lighthearted, pick-me-up read, it’s a fantastic yet tragic look at two men just trying to make it in a world that cares little for whether they do or not. George Milton, and his companion Lennie, who is mentally disabled, are our main characters and we follow them through the tough times many saw during the Great Depression. The two find work on a farm but…
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The Craft of Writing Fiction: Where To Begin, Pt. 2
Last week we started a series about writing fiction and briefly looked at where to begin. While the creative process is different for everyone, there are many basics when it comes to storytelling and writing fiction. And there are a few camps on where one should start, be those who think you should just start writing while others think a little (or a lot of) planning is in order. Also, there’s another adage that often pops up that new writers may hear. The old “write what you know” is something that it often repeated to writers who may not have an idea of what they’re doing when it comes to…
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Buncombe Brief Book Review-Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Despite some of my other rambling “brief” book reviews, I will try to be quick with this one. I want to start off by saying numerous people I really respect and think highly of recommended this novel to me a few years ago. So, for those reasons alone, I picked it up and started on my way. This was one of the first books that got me thinking it was okay to stop a book you don’t enjoy and I hated that it was such a struggle for me to get into the book. I think the characters are sympathetic enough and I was rooting for most, and against others,…
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Banned Book Review- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The American Library Association has To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as one of the top 10 most challenged books in 2017. Similar to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the language against black characters is one of the top reasons cited in this book being challenged/banned. Understandably, this language in today’s society isn’t to be tolerated due to it typically being in the context of or seen as a slur but readers of books like Mockingbird and Huck Finn may be unaware that such language was quite commonplace at the time. Now, in light of our values today, many are offended by this but I think it’s important to…