About Reading

Another Banned Book post this week.  This time this is in response to the Stream of Consciousness prompt from Notebook Sisters.



I was talking with my mom today about Banned Book week.  The first thing we were talking about was a comment I read on another blog about Banned Book week.  In the comment, the person said there had not been a book banned in the U.S. for over 50 years.  The first thought I had was "Where were you that you missed the Harry Potter hubbub?"  Granted, not a very nice thought.  But it's nicer than some other ones I've had when it comes to this subject.  But, we were talking about that.

Which led to the discussion about what I read when I was growing up.  See I have always been a reader.  Not to brag or anything, but I read well above my grade level throughout school.  I read well enough that by the time I was in about 6th grade, my dad would read a book and then hand it to me.  So, literally, my parents knew every word of what I tended to read.

But that discussion led me to this thought.  Why are people attempting to ban books because "they are inappropriate for children"?  Why are people not just monitoring what their kids read?  Why not sit down and have a discussion about what was in the book rather than assume the book is influencing the child in some way?  And if the book really is inappropriate for the child, why not take the book away from the child until such time that it is appropriate?

My 5 minutes is up.

Be sure to check out the other responses to the prompt at Notebook Sisters.

The Add On

Trifextra's challenge this week was to take an earlier 33 word Trifextra response and add another 33 words.  Here's my first response:

“Please.  Just one beer,” he begged at the door.

“Nope.  Not allowed,” the bouncer replied.

He rode away, wobbling to and fro.

Front tire turned.

A sudden stop.

Up and over he went.

Here's the additional 33 words:

Upon the curb he sat

World spinning ‘round

Scratching his bleeding head

“What just happened?”

Bleary eyes failed to see

The crimson stream.

Struggled to his feet

Whomp, whomp, whomp

Bumpy ride home.

Any concrit is welcome!

Jumping On the Band Wagon

Yes.  I'm jumping on a band wagon, or a soap box, or waving my flag or whatever else you want to call it here.  It's Banned Books week starting tomorrow and I'm joining the cause.  I want to spark thoughts, start discussions, or at least make someone stop to think about this whole concept.  I know there are many, many big, important issues out there.  But as writers, this is one we should take seriously as well.

Book banning still occurs frequently in the U.S. despite what many people tend to think.  When I saw Notebook Sisters' post about book banning I thought, hey, that'd make a great topic to blog about.  I started doing some research and discovered that there are literally hundreds of books that get challenged and/or banned from schools, universities and public libraries every year.  No, you don't have to go double check.  The first amendment hasn't been repealed.  Yet this practice still goes on.  So let me tell you about what I learned when I did some research on the topic.

First, all anyone needs to do to get a book banned is fill out a form (yes, there is an actual form for it), submit it to the institution from which the person is wishing to get the book banned, and it gets reviewed.  If there is sufficient reason and/or pressure to ban it, the book will most likely get banned.

This brings me to another thing I learned.  There are about a zillion different reasons people want to ban books.  Most of them seem silly, overblown and a few are patently ridiculous.  For example, it has been petitioned in multiple places to have The Diary of Anne Frank be banned in part for "being too depressing".  The other reason that gets cited is because there is a newer edition out now that apparently includes entries from her making some sexual references.  Now, please correct me if I'm wrong, but Anne Frank was a teenager when keeping these diaries, right?  What teenager DOESN'T have sexual references in mind???

Another one that gets me is attempting to ban the Harry Potter books for magical references, violence and because some people believe they can confuse children's religious beliefs.  Good grief!  Can't we just have fun stories to read anymore?  Besides, if reading the Harry Potter books is causing a child that many issues, where are the parents to monitor what the child reads to be sure it is appropriate for that child?  I read much worse than Harry Potter as a child (I was reading the same adult sci-fi books my dad did when I was in 6th and 7th grade) and didn't confuse what I read with reality.

Anyways - I'll get off my soap box for now.  But I think the theme for the week, or at least the majority of this week's posts, is book banning.  I encourage you to think about this subject for the week; maybe even discuss it some.

I do want to pass on a couple of blogs I saw when looking into this subject.
     Notebook Sisters - Their post was what got me thinking about the subject.
     Banned Books Challenge - There is a great challenge up there right now
     Book Journey - She is running a great book review "contest" around banned books.  I think it may be too
                              late to join in now but the posts that go up should be good to read.

How Do They Know?

I'd love to know how babies know the second you put them down.  It doesn't matter how hard they were sleeping before you put them down.  They still know.  Not only do they know, though, they wake up.  This isn't always a bad thing.  My son about one quarter of the time wakes up and is in a pretty good mood.  About half the time he wakes up hungry.  This equates to some fussing but nothing overly serious and remedied with ease.

It's that last quarter that drives me crazy.  You know, when they wake up screaming and you can't figure out why.  At least I haven't been able to when my son does this.  Granted, the last few days I know why he's been crabby.  However, seeing as it was thrush, the best I could do was give him his medication like the doctor said and leave it at that.  But that doesn't help in the immediate moment much.  Lucky for me he's just about over it.  I'm hoping that cuts down on the odds of him waking up with a tantrum.

And, trust me, attempting to reason with a 6 week old child just doesn't work.  Particularly when they are sounding more like an air raid siren than a tiny infant.  For you non-parents out there, you're probably laughing at me saying 'No kidding!' right about now.  Anyone who's parented a child through this age understands.  Either that or I have gone crazy.

In the end I've resigned myself to the fact that infants somehow have hardwired sensors that tell them when you put them down.  Each time I put my son down, I pray that when he wakes up, he won't be in a bad mood and that he'll go back to sleep right away.

Sometimes I even get that prayer answered...

So What The Heck Am I Doing?

Write on Edge had us forgo any fiction pieces this week.  Instead the prompt is to talk about what our writing goals are.  So, here goes.

Most of my writing goals are short term at the moment.  One goal I have is to write at least 4-5 posts per week here.  Much of those tend to be fiction but I'm trying to branch out a bit into non-fiction posts as well.

Another goal I have is to finish a WIP I started several years ago.  The story has grown way beyond what I’d thought.  It's currently at about 78,000 words and is only 2/3 done.

A third goal I have is to edit two completed drafts of novel length works.  One is from NaNoWriMo 2011.  The other is from Camp NaNoWriMo 2012.  The first draft has been reviewed a time or two but I needed some distance (and input from my sister) to seriously revise.  The second draft hasn't been touched since finishing it in June.

Once these short term goals are met, then I can entertain some new projects.  I don't have as many concrete long term goals.  Here's what I do have:

I'd like to get a final draft of my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel finalized on Smashwords.  It's up there as a draft in the special NaNoWriMo catalog there.  But I want it as a final draft.

I'd also like to get the Camp NaNoWriMo novel up there seeing as it’s a sequel to the first NaNo novel.  That'll take a bit longer and more work.

Finally, I'd like to eventually get something of mine published as a paid piece.  I think that'd be awesome.  I have not yet had that opportunity.

So, there it is.  There are my goals for my writing as they stand currently.  Here's my disclaimer, though.  I have a 6 week old baby here.  They are subject to change at any moment based, well, mainly on his whims.

Sick As A Dog

No - it's not what you think.  It's the prompt for a new writing prompt I'm trying.  Over at Notebook Sisters they have a prompt called Stream of Consciousness.  Basically you get a prompt and then you write for 5 minutes.  No editing or anything.  I thought I'd give it a try.  So, here goes 5 minutes with the prompt "sick as a dog".




Sick as a dog.  What does that mean anyways?  Dogs aren't sick.  They don't typically show it either.  So where did it come from.  Speaking of sick, my little man is sick and he's only 6 weeks old!  Actually it's not that bad.  He's got thrush.  Which sucks because it makes him cranky and I get him at nights.  Kinda makes me feel like a single parent some times.  Don't get me wrong, my hubby is wonderful at helping with him.  However, the earliest he gets off work is 3:00 AM.  Which leaves me with my little man most of the night on my own.  My hat goes off to all those single moms out there.  I have know idea how you do it.  Work.  I have to go back to work in 2 weeks.  I really don't want to.  I'm finally settling into a comfortable routine with my little man and there's so much more I wanted to do while I was off.  It just took us a while to get into a routine that allowed me to do any of it.  Now two weeks isn't enough time to get it done.  Besides, I love having my little man.  I love spending time with him.  I don't love the dirty diapers I tend to end up changing more frequently than my hubby.  I wonder how he does that - my hubby I mean.  It doesn't seem fair that he avoids those stinky ones.  And trust me, my little man can produce some REALLY stinky diapers.  On a totally different note, I do have to remember to get my next blog post done soon.  Write on Edge has a prompt about writing goals.  I'm still hoping to reach one of mine soon.


Now you've gotten a 5 minute glimpse into what goes on in my mind some days.  And this maybe a little better than some days!

Falling Into A Dream

Here's the next piece in the Dusseldorf serial.  The rest of the story can be found under the tab at the top labelled One Night In Dusseldorf.  Any concrit you have is always welcome.

I felt certain I’d heard him wrong.

“You heard me correctly, Emma,” James’s voice was too level.

“Okay.  Show me the door.  I’m outta here.”

“I’m sorry.  We cannot let you leave now.  You know too much.”

“What the hell do I know, James?  No one will believe me if I said anything anyways.”

“The wrong people would believe you.  Then your life would be in great danger.”

I sat there staring at James.  There was just no way this could be real.  He got up and left the room.  I’m not sure how long I sat there but eventually Kris came into the room.  I couldn’t help but look for signs that he was a werewolf, as if I knew what to look for.  But, as I watched him move about the room, it did seem like he had an inhuman grace.

My mind drifted back over the last few days.  The more I reflected on what I’d seen of Kris, the more I had to believe in what James said.  My final proof shy of seeing one of them become a wolf came when Kris turned to me.  He had a feral gleam that no human ever could hope to attain.

“James told you?” it sounded more like a statement than a question.

“Yeah,” I cursed myself under my breath for the quaver that sounded like weakness in my voice, “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“No.”

“Why tell me?  I assume this is something you keep under wraps since the world isn’t freaking out over it.”

“You wanted to know about your sister.”

“And?” his words may have indicated that was it but his face told me there was something more to it than that.

Kris watched me for a long, silent minute before he answered, “You have something we need.  I need.”

I blinked several times, “What?”

“You have power.  It’s what got your sister involved in this.  I need the power you have.”

“Are you sure this isn’t some delusion or dream?”

“Don’t worry.  You’re awake and not crazy.

“I feel crazy.”

“No,” Kris corrected, “You are feeling the effects of the symbiotic magic.”

“The what?”

“Your magic with mine.  You are what they used to call a druid.  I am a wolf.  Your kind and mine have had a symbiotic relationship for centuries.”

I scrubbed my face, “What does that mean?”

“A whole new life for you.”

“What if I like mine just as it is?”

“You don’t.  You wouldn’t be here if you did.”

Kris had a point there.

Three Things At Once

Today you get a bonus post!  This one is even shorter and certainly sweeter than my earlier post from Write On Edge's prompt.  This one is for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge.  Here's the challenge:

Describe something that is three different things at the same time. Oh, and do it in 33 words.

Here's my response.  Hopefully I won't have to tell you what I'm writing about...

    They are

            Comfort
            Soothing away tears
            And searching for monsters

They are

             Discipline
             When lines are crossed
             And rules have been broken

They are

             Strength
             Holding on tight
             And finding the way home

 

Clue

This was a great prompt from Write on Edge this week.  I loved the game Clue as a kid.  I haven't played it in years but it still stands out for me.  Anyways, here's the prompt:

This week we asked you to use the words “candlestick”, “scarlet”, and “library”, inspired by one of my favorite movies (and games) Clue: The Movie.

We were given 250 words.  Here's my take:

“The cause of death is blunt force trauma.”

“What about a murder weapon?”

“Believe it or not, a candlestick.”

No one spoke.

“Cut!” the director stormed onto the set, “Raina!  What the hell happened?”

“Sorry.  I thought I saw someone who didn’t belong here,” she stared out into the darkness enveloping the stage where they were filming.

The director sighed and scrubbed his face with one hand, a clipboard in the other, “Alright.  Let’s take a break people.  We’ll shoot this again in ten.”

A flood of bodies left the area.  Raina made her way back to her trailer.  She knew she had to get it together soon or she’d be dropped.  This was her big break.  She couldn’t waste it.  There was too much at stake.  Much more than just a career in Hollywood.

The break flew by.  Raina grabbed her script.  With one hand on the knob, someone knocked at her trailer door.  Thinking it was someone telling her she was needed on set, she yanked the door open to give them a piece of her mind.  To her surprise it was a flower delivery guy.

“You Raina Kirkwood?”

“Yeah,” she answered slowly.

“These are for you,” he thrust the paper wrapped bouquet at her.

After he took off, she unwrapped the flowers.  It wasn’t the dozen scarlet long stem roses that captured her attention.  The enclosed note held her gaze.

‘If you want to see your son alive, come to the West Hollywood Library at midnight tonight.’

Greetings, Fellow Trifectans

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep up with the Trifecta prompts, which was why I didn't link up right away.  Then I decided, to heck with it.  I should put something up anyways.  So, here's my answers to your questions.  Any other questions, let me know and I will at least consider answering them - depending on what they are of course!

What is your name (real or otherwise)? I started writing under the name Wisper. This was because I occasionally use things I've seen from work in my writing. And, because I work in the behavioral health field, confidentiality is a big thing. But, since I've also learned to be careful about the details I share when I use things from work, I've also started to use my real name occasionally - Stacy - but mostly I go by Wisper.

 

Describe your writing style in three words. Verbose, people-oriented, varied.

 

How long have you been writing online? This is my first blog - I started it in the beginning of 2011 as a way to force myself to continue to write more.

 

Which, if any, other writing challenges do you participate in? Right now the only other writing challenge I participate in is Write On Edge's prompts. I attempted to start one on my blog but it didn't work out. Maybe I'll revisit it later...

 

Describe one way in which you could improve your writing. Learning not to be quite so verbose. Then short stories may become a format I could actually use!

 

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given? Write what you know. This was not said in the literal sense. It referred to the universal understanding of people and their relationships with one another.

 

Who is your favorite author? Do I have to pick just one? I have a ton of authors I love. I would say I could narrow it down to Anne McCaffery, Steven Brust, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Anne Bishop. All for different reasons. If you ask me next week this answer will probably be different.

 

How do you make time to write? Right now - I tend to compose things, at least somewhat, in my head as I'm feeding my son (who is currently 5 weeks old) and write for a short bit after putting him down. Otherwise, I usually have at least a pen and paper with me so I can scribble down things that strike me whenever I have a quiet moment.

 

Give us one word we should consider using as a prompt. Remember--it must have a third definition. One good word would be 'vamp'...hmm, I'm not sure about others...

 

Direct us to one blog post of yours that we shouldn't miss reading. Here's one I wrote recently that many commenters have expressed an interest in seeing more - http://thisisnothitchhikersguide.blogspot.com/2012/08/phoenix.html

The Stranger

I'm really trying to get back in the habit of writing.  I don't think I'm going to make my original goal of finishing a longer piece before the end of my maternity leave, but I still want to make sure I'm leaving at least a little time to write.  That being said - this one is really short as my son just started crying.  Here's the next installment to the Weather Riders serial.  You can find the beginning of the story under the Weather Riders tab at the top of the page.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw him.  He followed the storm.  In fact, he’d been soaked by it as he rolled into town on one sweet Ducati bike.  His reddish brown hair was plastered to his head.  The white t-shirt was a transparent second skin molded to a chest I’d only ever seen in magazines and on TV.  Jeans that were faded to perfection and black leather biker’s boots completed the ensemble.

He coasted into the parking lot of the park in which I’d been watching the storm.  With an inhuman grace, he dropped the stand and swung one long leg over the bike.  He loped over to me.  I almost pinched myself when he started to speak.  I’m still not sure if it was because he actually deigned to talk to me or if the sound of that rich bass as it caressed each word was too mesmerizing.

“I’m looking for some directions.  I saw you here and thought you might be able to help me out.”

I blinked a few times as my suddenly hormone drenched brain processed his words, “Sure.  Where’re ya headed?”

He hesitated for a second which piqued my curiosity as well, “I’m not entirely sure.  I’m trying to track the storm that just passed through and I’d rather not follow it down the freeway.  Gets a little dangerous on my bike at times so I’d rather take some back roads.”

There was something about how he answered that simple, innocuous question that didn’t sit right with me.  I took a deep breath to clear my mind of the fantasies that were playing out there.  I needed a few seconds to really study him so I pretended to be thinking of directions for him.

I started to get the feeling that either this guy was a Weather Rider like me or he was something else not entirely normal.  The only question was which one was he.  As I opened my mouth to speak I saw the look in his eyes change.  He seemed to realize I knew more than I should.

And I was completely isolated in the park, thanks to the storm.

Things No One Tells You

Wow. I've rather neglected my blog and writing for these challenges. I had good intentions. However my son has had other plans - and I've found it difficult to reason with a five week old. Anyways, this week's Trifecta challenge played perfectly into a post I've been thinking of. Here's this week's word:

AMPLE (adj.)
1: generous or more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity
2: generously sufficient to satisfy a requirement or need
3: buxom, portly

Please remember:
Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
The word itself needs to be included in your response.
You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.

Here's my response:

I’ve decided that if kids would be taught about ALL of the things that go along with having a baby, there’d be fewer pregnant teenagers. Trust me, my son is 5 weeks old today and there are a lot of things I’ve learned the hard way. I was ready for the fussiness at all hours of the night, the multitudinous diaper changes and constant demands for bottles. I knew I’d gain a bunch of weight and have to work to lose it. But, there are some things no one ever told me about.

I’ve learned that, at least for me, my figure is quite enhanced by having a baby. Many people would consider this a good thing. However, I had a rather ample figure to begin with. Therefore, even though I’ve lost enough weight to fit into my pre-pregnancy tops, I still can’t wear them due to the largesse up there.

To go along with that, I’ve also learned that finding nursing bras is next to impossible. You’d think I was asking for someone’s head on a platter by the looks I’ve gotten from sales people when I’ve asked for them.

Sticking with the same theme, I’ve also learned that if you aren’t diligent in pumping or nursing, it hurts. It hurts even in your armpits.

To change the theme a little, I’ve also learned how to diaper a boy. Yes, it’s different than diapering a girl. If you don’t do it properly, not only will you be changing a diaper next time he gets it wet, you’ll be changing his clothes as well. Often that’s about 20 minutes after you’ve dressed him. You’ll also be changing your clothes, the cover on the changing pad and wiping down the wall and carpet as well.

While I could go on about other things I’ve learned that no one tells you before having a baby, I think I’ll save them for some other time. Now it’s time to go check on my son.