Tuesday, October 21, 2014
There is more shaming to go...
When you think of the current social issues that plague our Facebook feeds and feminist agendas, topics like “Fat shaming”, “skinny shaming” and “bad hair” come to mind. While very important and interesting to explore, these topics are problematic in that there are inevitably more issues equally important left unexplored. I would like to address some of the lesser known means of oppression and signifiers of patriarchy that are just as common, if not more so, than the aforementioned issues.
To start, let’s take a look at “Smell Shaming.” This issue is very real; how often, in your life, have you been told to “take a shower, you stink?” Why are we privileging one sense (sight; “you look fat, and are therefore unhealthy, you look too skinny, and are therefore unhealthy”) over another? The stinkiest humans need social justice and protection as well! What is it about bad smells that gives us permission to snark and giggle at another's expense, or worse, exclude the perpetrator? Smell shaming is very real, and every bit as damaging as its better known siblings.
I will admit to “smell shaming”. Just the other day I lit a candle and opened a window, not discreetly enough, and caused someone to feel embarrassed and hurt. I know now that I should sniff and bear it, much like I should give all the overweight elementary school children a hearty “thumbs up” and blare some Taylor whats-her-face body positive anthem. Clearly bad eating habits affecting weight, and smell, are equally rude to comment upon, or take action for or against!
After “smell shaming” comes “touch shaming.” This can be as simple as choosing not to hold a particular child’s hand in kindergarten (they have cold hands/sweaty hands etc) or engaging in the awkward “back pat hug minimum physical contact.” Next, we could mention "taste shaming". Every time you do not eat one of your friend's grandmas secret stew, a fairy dies. Of course, a discussion of eliminating all choice and discretion must include "voice shaming." All music is wonderful because it is cruel to suggest, and clearly a deeply entrenched system of patriarchy, that would suggest any voice is irritating, grating, or off-key. There are more issues to explore, and “fat shaming” is the mere tip of the iceberg. To ignore the full extent of our human free will would be toxic to the new, emerging world order.
Love,
the Hawk
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Learning and Gaming
Learning: Setting Fire to the Imagination; Learning through Gaming and Play
EDUC 401
Philip Bird, 270928
For Dr. Hanan Yaniv
There is something captivating about electronic gaming. I am young enough of a fellow to have caught the beginning edge of gaming's frothy surf. My childhood was a mix of broad sunny prairie, playing Cops and Robbers on bike through the town streets, and beating Ganondorf in The Adventures of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time on Nintendo's N64 console, as well as many other games on various platforms. To me, these experiences were a relatively seamless part of the fabric of my childhood, but in retrospect, it has been gaming that has consistently captured my attention.
There is a powerful word that describes the world of gaming that all educators should pay attention to, in my opinion. This word is immersive; Dictionary.com defines it as, "noting or pertaining to digital technology or images that deeply involve one's senses and may create an altered mental state" (Dictionary.com). The root word, immerse, conjures up the image of plunging into something, deep waters, or more figuratively, a brand new experience. This sense of immersion is deeply native to the world of games.
Broadly, play is the heart of games. It is present just as deeply in electronic formats, as it was in the cross town caper of Cops and Robbers. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff describe the five elements of children's play,
(Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff, 2003).
The demands of curriculum often proscribe the second goal. Education often seems not very fun, or involving or anything about what the student is truly interested in. The power of intrinsic motivation is significant - if there is a way that it can be incorporated into the classroom, targeted, focused and unleashed, it would be potent stuff indeed. Omrod et. al describe intrinsic motivation as "the motivation that comes from within the individual, rather than from such outside influences as extrinsic reinforcers… one important factor in intrinsic motivation is high self-efficacy: Students must believe that they have the ability to accomplish the learning task successfully" (Omrod et. al. 2010). This sense of play and the motivation that is part of it comes from an interaction of two parties. Jane McGonigal notes that, "We like people better after we play a game with them, even if they've beaten us badly - and the reason is, it takes a lot of trust to play a game with someone. We trust that they will spend their time with us, that they will play by the same rules, value the same goals, they'll stay with the game until it's over" (McGonigal, 2010). Playing with someone requires that value of trust, a sense of boundaries, and a set of goals the players must achieve to win or to accomplish their task. Playing also assumes a level of realistic success
Gamers breathe and live in this sense of play when they are immersed in their game worlds. Jane McGonigal describes the four aspects of gamers: they engage in blissful productivity, they weave a tight social fabric, they embody and convey a sense of urgent optimism, and they search and pursue epic meaning (McGonigal, 2010). These are all positive aspects that often are overlooked when we as adults scrutinize gaming, and the youth playing the games. These are things that are worthy of emulation, that can be harnessed for good, and deployed to further their education.
Some of the environments that gamers find themselves in, including and especially massively multiplayer online (MMO) environments are highly immersive, febrile grounds for learning. Thomas and Brown describe it this way:
The rest of their article is equally salient. They see these online environments powered by an engine, "the engine that drives learning is a blend of questioning, imagination, and - best of all - play." Play is at the heart of this intensive learning.
Utilizing gaming for learning, for education, is something that does occur in unique classes. During my field observation practicum, I observed a Grade 2 teacher use a simple call and response game through the classroom's Smartboard, to help explore the concept of skip counting in math. Later, she gathered all the students in a circle sitting on the floor to play a game of "Snap!" This simple game was played thusly: a skip counting outcomes was described by the teacher, say by 10s. The children were going around the circle, each person counting up by ones, and every time a person came close to 10 or a multiple of 10, the person would yell "Snap!" This simple game helped reinforce a mathematical concept, and engaged the kids at the same time.
Another classroom, this one in a private school in New York City benefited from gaming in the classroom. Joel Levin, the school's computer teacher created a classroom experiment with Minecraft, a game about exploring, collecting resources and building in blocks similar to Lego. His experiment
This kind of engagement isn't something you normally see in schools.
Learning is a vital part of gaming. Gaming creates a kind of learning momentum, a force that propels learners forward, to explore strange new worlds, and seek new vistas. Gaming captivates the imagination, it immerses its user into worlds that they are intrinsically motivated to understand and succeed. These are possibilities that can be applied to education. Education can ride this surf too.
Reference List:
EDUC 401
Philip Bird, 270928
For Dr. Hanan Yaniv
There is something captivating about electronic gaming. I am young enough of a fellow to have caught the beginning edge of gaming's frothy surf. My childhood was a mix of broad sunny prairie, playing Cops and Robbers on bike through the town streets, and beating Ganondorf in The Adventures of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time on Nintendo's N64 console, as well as many other games on various platforms. To me, these experiences were a relatively seamless part of the fabric of my childhood, but in retrospect, it has been gaming that has consistently captured my attention.
 |
| Ganondorf |
There is a powerful word that describes the world of gaming that all educators should pay attention to, in my opinion. This word is immersive; Dictionary.com defines it as, "noting or pertaining to digital technology or images that deeply involve one's senses and may create an altered mental state" (Dictionary.com). The root word, immerse, conjures up the image of plunging into something, deep waters, or more figuratively, a brand new experience. This sense of immersion is deeply native to the world of games.
Broadly, play is the heart of games. It is present just as deeply in electronic formats, as it was in the cross town caper of Cops and Robbers. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff describe the five elements of children's play,
1. Play must be pleasurable and enjoyable.
2. Play must have no extrinsic goals; there is no prescribed learning that must occur.
3. Play is spontaneous and voluntary.
4. Play involves active engagement on the part of the player.
5. Play involves an element of make-believe.
(Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff, 2003).
The demands of curriculum often proscribe the second goal. Education often seems not very fun, or involving or anything about what the student is truly interested in. The power of intrinsic motivation is significant - if there is a way that it can be incorporated into the classroom, targeted, focused and unleashed, it would be potent stuff indeed. Omrod et. al describe intrinsic motivation as "the motivation that comes from within the individual, rather than from such outside influences as extrinsic reinforcers… one important factor in intrinsic motivation is high self-efficacy: Students must believe that they have the ability to accomplish the learning task successfully" (Omrod et. al. 2010). This sense of play and the motivation that is part of it comes from an interaction of two parties. Jane McGonigal notes that, "We like people better after we play a game with them, even if they've beaten us badly - and the reason is, it takes a lot of trust to play a game with someone. We trust that they will spend their time with us, that they will play by the same rules, value the same goals, they'll stay with the game until it's over" (McGonigal, 2010). Playing with someone requires that value of trust, a sense of boundaries, and a set of goals the players must achieve to win or to accomplish their task. Playing also assumes a level of realistic success
Gamers breathe and live in this sense of play when they are immersed in their game worlds. Jane McGonigal describes the four aspects of gamers: they engage in blissful productivity, they weave a tight social fabric, they embody and convey a sense of urgent optimism, and they search and pursue epic meaning (McGonigal, 2010). These are all positive aspects that often are overlooked when we as adults scrutinize gaming, and the youth playing the games. These are things that are worthy of emulation, that can be harnessed for good, and deployed to further their education.
Some of the environments that gamers find themselves in, including and especially massively multiplayer online (MMO) environments are highly immersive, febrile grounds for learning. Thomas and Brown describe it this way:
Imagine an environment where the participants are building a massive network databases, wikis and websites, and thousands of message forums, creating a large-scale knowledge economy. Imagine an environment where participants constantly measure and evaluate their own performance, even if that requires them to build new tools to do so. Imagine an environment where user interface dashboards are constructed by the users themselves to make sense of the world and their own performance in it. Imagine an environment where evaluation is based on after-action reviews to continually enhance performance; an environment where learning happens on a continuous basis, because the participants are internally motivated to find, share, and filter new information on a near-constant basis.(Thomas and Brown, 2011).
The rest of their article is equally salient. They see these online environments powered by an engine, "the engine that drives learning is a blend of questioning, imagination, and - best of all - play." Play is at the heart of this intensive learning.
Utilizing gaming for learning, for education, is something that does occur in unique classes. During my field observation practicum, I observed a Grade 2 teacher use a simple call and response game through the classroom's Smartboard, to help explore the concept of skip counting in math. Later, she gathered all the students in a circle sitting on the floor to play a game of "Snap!" This simple game was played thusly: a skip counting outcomes was described by the teacher, say by 10s. The children were going around the circle, each person counting up by ones, and every time a person came close to 10 or a multiple of 10, the person would yell "Snap!" This simple game helped reinforce a mathematical concept, and engaged the kids at the same time.
Another classroom, this one in a private school in New York City benefited from gaming in the classroom. Joel Levin, the school's computer teacher created a classroom experiment with Minecraft, a game about exploring, collecting resources and building in blocks similar to Lego. His experiment
"a rousing success. Not only did we have a productive and fun unit, but I would say that this was the best project I have ever done in the classroom. In my 8 years of teaching I have never seen students so excited and engaged. They run up to me in the halls to tell me what they plan to do next class. They draw pictures about the game in art. They sit at the lunch tables and strategize their next building projects. And not only the boys, but girls too" (Levin, 2011)
This kind of engagement isn't something you normally see in schools.
Learning is a vital part of gaming. Gaming creates a kind of learning momentum, a force that propels learners forward, to explore strange new worlds, and seek new vistas. Gaming captivates the imagination, it immerses its user into worlds that they are intrinsically motivated to understand and succeed. These are possibilities that can be applied to education. Education can ride this surf too.
Reference List:
McGonigal, J. (2010). Gaming can make a better world. TED Talks. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html
Omrod, JE., Saklofske, DH., Schwean, VI., Andrews, JJW., Shore, BM. (2010). Principles of Educational Psychology. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.
"Immersive." (n.d.) Retrived November 12th, 2011 from Dictionary.Reference.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/immersive
Thomas, D. & Brown, J.S. (2010). Multiplayer High. Boingboing. Retrieved from: http://boingboing.net/2011/04/28/flux.html
Levin, J. (2011). A Classroom Experiment with Minecraft. The Minecraft Teacher. Retrieved from: http://minecraftteacher.net/post/3922255282/a-classroom-experiment-with-minecraft
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
It ends
It is over; caput, goodbye, adieu, farewell, le fin, no more, all done. I am breaking up with you.
How many hours have I spent, gazing into your depths, looking for deeper meaning and fulfillment? kijijiAlberta> Calgary>buyandsell>Baby items>Strollers,carriers&carseats, it simply is not with you.
We have had such wonderful times together, bartering, looking at pictures, researching stroller models various seat reclines and color schema. You were the obsession of a grouchy gravida, and the refuge of an exhausted new mother in early a.m. hours. But I have taken all I can from you. I used you, besotted as I was, for your strollers.
This has become an unhealthy relationship; I have been fantasizing of how to convince my friends to have babies so's to justify another stroller mission and purchase from your depths. I also considered buying more strollers, replacing their canopies, and reselling them. My mother has told me that I do not have enough room in my apartment, and that I need to move on. I agree with both points.
Our time was not wasted time My keen interest in used luxury pushchairs has brought me to the following useful conclusions;
The Bumbleride Queen B (2007-2008) is a Hummer – a fortress for baby with solid construction. Adding to the manliness of this stroller is a JOHNDEER color scheme. The vibrant and roomy canopy is without compromise (it even has a peekaboo window), as are the large, all-terrain air filled tires. The seat may be turned around if baby is sick of looking and momma, the handle can be adjusted so a four year old may happily push. Like a Hummer, the Queen B requires muscle and space. With its significant bulk and weight of 32 lbs + baby, it requires either two people to bring down the stairs, or a garage at street level. Or it folds and can be transported with baby in two pieces. Nothankyouverymuch. Needless to say this kijiji venture was not a successful one, and a month or two after aquisition, I return this pram to you, with a brand new carry basket. I give it four out of five hearts, all of which are BROKEN.
New price: $649-$799 Kijiji price: $200
Moving right along....
...footloose and fancy free!
The Bumbleride Flyer, we visited after much deliberation. The 2007 model I viewed is persnickety – the adjustable handlebar means locking and unlocking wheels, and the baby-facing-momma direction steers rather poorly. The footmuff and canopy have useful pockets on this model, but the hesitant orange color is not very appealing (it is a pale orange, almost pastel-esque. Ick). This stroller I did not purchase, and fled rapidly. However it does have a nice folding mechanism and is fairly light. On paper the flyer is perfect for an apartment, but it's finicky wheels and steering do not suit this momma's purposes. This stroller garners two out of five hearts, NONE of which are broken.
New price: $329-$459 Kijiji price: $200
Easily the prettiest stroller I met because of you, Mr. Kijiji was the Bumbleride Indie. This beautiful red jogging stroller is a dream. Light and compact, smooth and pretty, it steers well, can be lifted with baby inside it, and is the mid-range costing stroller. It is under 20 lbs and has an especially compact fold, and is designed to handle light running. With the same tires and the Queen B, the useful pockets of the Flyer, and the sturdy fabric characteristic of the brand, this is the perfect stroller to buy. However, I did not – I found something better.
New price: $499-$550 Kijiji price: $250
I hesitated with this last stroller. It was a Bugaboo, a brand name I associated with wealth and trendiness (two things which I am not). And the model I was to look at was discontinued, and orange. Nevertheless, I committed to viewing a Bugaboo Frog.
This stroller floored me. Steerable with one finger, loaded with accessories (hello toddler board, bassinet, cupholder, mosquito net, rain shield, repair kit) there was no turning back. The fold, while compact, is undeniably fiddly, but it is very light, all-terrain and alright to run with on occasion (!!!!!!). Like the bumblerides, this stroller has an aluminum frame and good sized canopy.
This is what you gave me, kijiji. Five out of five hearts. I need you no longer.
New price (not including toddler board and cupholder): $759-$799 Kijiji price: $350
And that's all, folks. School time!!!!
Monday, September 5, 2011
And so the search continues...
We have found, much to our chagrin, the kijiji Queen B Bumbleride is too big for our tiny apartment. I have sighed, huffed, puffed, but found that the functionality, beauty and sturdiness of this stroller are not enough to outweigh the obvious impracticality in our 500 sq. foot home.
And so, we are left without a stroller. My dreams of a Bumbleride come to an abrupt hiccup. I look longingly at Kijiji, craigslist, and ebay, in the mild hope that an indie will appear in our budget range. 1 a.m. - no luck. 1:30 a.m. - no luck. 1:32 a.m. - feed baby Noelle. 1:38 a.m. - no luck. 1:42 a.m. - sigh heavily with the knowledge that I will not be a fit momma without an awesome jogging stoller.
As we drive back to Calgary this afternoon, I check the Bumbleride facebook page on my smart phone, and find, like Cinderella, there may be a fairy godmother to my bumbleride heartache. THEBABYGUYNYC GIVEAWAY AAAAAHAHHHHHH.
because I am generous (or mercenary) I will share the link.
http://www.babyguygearguide.com/bumbleridenatural#comment-5785
From what I can tell, this guy is a champ at reviewing strollers. Maybe, just maybe, our (my) wish for a brand new Bumbleride Indie may come true. Sigh.
-Hawk
And so, we are left without a stroller. My dreams of a Bumbleride come to an abrupt hiccup. I look longingly at Kijiji, craigslist, and ebay, in the mild hope that an indie will appear in our budget range. 1 a.m. - no luck. 1:30 a.m. - no luck. 1:32 a.m. - feed baby Noelle. 1:38 a.m. - no luck. 1:42 a.m. - sigh heavily with the knowledge that I will not be a fit momma without an awesome jogging stoller.
As we drive back to Calgary this afternoon, I check the Bumbleride facebook page on my smart phone, and find, like Cinderella, there may be a fairy godmother to my bumbleride heartache. THEBABYGUYNYC GIVEAWAY AAAAAHAHHHHHH.
because I am generous (or mercenary) I will share the link.
http://www.babyguygearguide.com/bumbleridenatural#comment-5785
From what I can tell, this guy is a champ at reviewing strollers. Maybe, just maybe, our (my) wish for a brand new Bumbleride Indie may come true. Sigh.
-Hawk
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
38 weeks 2 days
I have been informed today that the owl has a flock of people that will attend a pity party in his honor.
It would seem that a lady, with child, often reaches a point where she is ready to have an 'outside baby,' but is forced to wait for nature's timing instead of a date linked to her convenience. As such, the lady may become grumpy and impatient, stir-crazy and unpleasant. THUS the era of elective C-SECTIONS?!?!?!!?
I am pleased to report that not only am I not opting for an elective C-SECTION, but that I am also none of the aforementioned negative qualities. My mother expects me to embody these unhappy traits, having carried this baby longer than she any of her six. It is my parents that are sending prayers to the owl, feeling he might be hen-pecked for the next two weeks.
Fortunately this is not the case. This hawk is peppy, happy with the company of my pretty cockatiels, entertained with knitting projects and university course coordination, cleaning things, walking around and waking up the owl at the crack of dawn.
We have a lovely nest ready for the little chick. It is a pretty dark cherry, host to a black bear with an emerald green ribbon, mickey mouse and a little ducky, all perched on a frog/snail/duck/turtle bedding, set beneath a frog/snail/duck/turtle mobile that softly plays the Brahms lullaby.
Ah, me.
The rain fell in soft sheets and stripped away the hours. After a fairly hot July, this unprecedented period of precipitation is appreciated in appropriate portions. Today it was a blissful union of weather, quiet mood and meditative preparation. I am knitting a mint green blanket, but using purling exclusively with no pretty planned pattern.
Needless to say (though I am sure through the incessant blathering it can be gathered) the Hawk is excited for the rush, fear, scramble and energy of bringing a little one into the world, and finds this interim period an interesting test of what is important and core to making a day worth living from sun to sun.
-Hawk
It would seem that a lady, with child, often reaches a point where she is ready to have an 'outside baby,' but is forced to wait for nature's timing instead of a date linked to her convenience. As such, the lady may become grumpy and impatient, stir-crazy and unpleasant. THUS the era of elective C-SECTIONS?!?!?!!?
I am pleased to report that not only am I not opting for an elective C-SECTION, but that I am also none of the aforementioned negative qualities. My mother expects me to embody these unhappy traits, having carried this baby longer than she any of her six. It is my parents that are sending prayers to the owl, feeling he might be hen-pecked for the next two weeks.
Fortunately this is not the case. This hawk is peppy, happy with the company of my pretty cockatiels, entertained with knitting projects and university course coordination, cleaning things, walking around and waking up the owl at the crack of dawn.
We have a lovely nest ready for the little chick. It is a pretty dark cherry, host to a black bear with an emerald green ribbon, mickey mouse and a little ducky, all perched on a frog/snail/duck/turtle bedding, set beneath a frog/snail/duck/turtle mobile that softly plays the Brahms lullaby.
Ah, me.
The rain fell in soft sheets and stripped away the hours. After a fairly hot July, this unprecedented period of precipitation is appreciated in appropriate portions. Today it was a blissful union of weather, quiet mood and meditative preparation. I am knitting a mint green blanket, but using purling exclusively with no pretty planned pattern.
Needless to say (though I am sure through the incessant blathering it can be gathered) the Hawk is excited for the rush, fear, scramble and energy of bringing a little one into the world, and finds this interim period an interesting test of what is important and core to making a day worth living from sun to sun.
-Hawk
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Most Intense Year and a Half of My Life, Part 2
Part Two: The Long Form Note
So. I had just been introduced to Violet. We began by exchanging (now defunct) blog sites, and accepting friend requests on Facebook. I remember sitting for an evening, reading her material, being absolutely taken by the writing style (grace and brevity), and by the aching beauty of its content. I remember, the way my heart beat just a little faster when I saw that she was on to chat.
I remember our first long FB conversation. I remember it less for the content of the words we said, and more for this tremendous feeling that overcame me. It was the feeling of a doom befalling me. Now, dear reader, you would say, "Phil that sounds awfully gloomy, and rather grim and foreshadowing." But I would reply to you, dear reader in this perhaps somewhat condescending manner, "Well, dear reader, you are correct, if you consider the conventional understanding of the word doom. But I mean by it a different sense. Violet was my doom, in the way it was to 'ordain or fix as a fate.'"
I sensed, a moment that stretched for the entire evening, that Violet would become part of the rest of my life. I think we humans are accorded in this life a few genuine premonitions, and for me, this was one of them. I knew that Violet, in her careful, precise and delicate words, her curious and forthright manner, was my beauty to win.
I knew that coming out of a summer where my heart had been scraped over a rough emotional landscape of restraint, desire and betrayal, I had to protect myself, and to hold carefully in my hand the tiny germinating seed of love.
I knew this, and so I very consciously avoided talking to Violet about the emotions she stirred within me with her words. I remember feeling how important that sense of discretion was. I needed to hold my feelings at arm's length. I wanted to show myself discipline, and in a way, her as well.
We had embarked on a journey of the long form note. We wrote during our time at school, both out and in class. We spoke a dialogue of politics, culture, religion and literature. We asked each other questions. She had not received the same sense of things that I had about our prospects, we were pen pals - not potential partners, but I had a sense of the trajectory we were on.
And so, I wrote a letter. (That's Part Three!)
So. I had just been introduced to Violet. We began by exchanging (now defunct) blog sites, and accepting friend requests on Facebook. I remember sitting for an evening, reading her material, being absolutely taken by the writing style (grace and brevity), and by the aching beauty of its content. I remember, the way my heart beat just a little faster when I saw that she was on to chat.
I remember our first long FB conversation. I remember it less for the content of the words we said, and more for this tremendous feeling that overcame me. It was the feeling of a doom befalling me. Now, dear reader, you would say, "Phil that sounds awfully gloomy, and rather grim and foreshadowing." But I would reply to you, dear reader in this perhaps somewhat condescending manner, "Well, dear reader, you are correct, if you consider the conventional understanding of the word doom. But I mean by it a different sense. Violet was my doom, in the way it was to 'ordain or fix as a fate.'"
I sensed, a moment that stretched for the entire evening, that Violet would become part of the rest of my life. I think we humans are accorded in this life a few genuine premonitions, and for me, this was one of them. I knew that Violet, in her careful, precise and delicate words, her curious and forthright manner, was my beauty to win.
I knew that coming out of a summer where my heart had been scraped over a rough emotional landscape of restraint, desire and betrayal, I had to protect myself, and to hold carefully in my hand the tiny germinating seed of love.
I knew this, and so I very consciously avoided talking to Violet about the emotions she stirred within me with her words. I remember feeling how important that sense of discretion was. I needed to hold my feelings at arm's length. I wanted to show myself discipline, and in a way, her as well.
We had embarked on a journey of the long form note. We wrote during our time at school, both out and in class. We spoke a dialogue of politics, culture, religion and literature. We asked each other questions. She had not received the same sense of things that I had about our prospects, we were pen pals - not potential partners, but I had a sense of the trajectory we were on.
And so, I wrote a letter. (That's Part Three!)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Working on the Story
This New Year's, I made a resolution to finish a novel before the year was out. Up to this point, I've got three scenes complete, each nearly about a chapter's length. I've been reworking the story, over and over in my head, and unfortunately, I've just begun taking notes.
The basic idea is this: young adult fiction (if not tween - 10 to 14yrs), in a fantastic setting, comprising mostly of the City of Pearl - a city where magic is so commonplace, it's rare to not have any or not be using any. The main character is forced from his home into an unwelcome apprenticeship, where he must survive in an unfamiliar city, with no friends but those he makes.
I've got some great ideas and I worked out the plotting for the first chapter (again!), and I think I have the idea of how the initial action is happening.
Tis fun, but hard to find the time these days. Working Starbucks really helps. I like the morning shifts they've been giving me. It leaves my afternoons and evenings to recover, do errands during business hours, and work on writing in the evenings. Violet's been coming along for the ride, as my creative consultant, and as you can see below, the most interesting blog writer of the two of us.
My sweet hawk.
The basic idea is this: young adult fiction (if not tween - 10 to 14yrs), in a fantastic setting, comprising mostly of the City of Pearl - a city where magic is so commonplace, it's rare to not have any or not be using any. The main character is forced from his home into an unwelcome apprenticeship, where he must survive in an unfamiliar city, with no friends but those he makes.
I've got some great ideas and I worked out the plotting for the first chapter (again!), and I think I have the idea of how the initial action is happening.
Tis fun, but hard to find the time these days. Working Starbucks really helps. I like the morning shifts they've been giving me. It leaves my afternoons and evenings to recover, do errands during business hours, and work on writing in the evenings. Violet's been coming along for the ride, as my creative consultant, and as you can see below, the most interesting blog writer of the two of us.
My sweet hawk.
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