Top Ten Most Influential Books {Blog Tag}

  Hey everyone! It's reading time! And since I'm still reading One Realm Beyond, I've decided to do a blog tag I saw on Inklined. See original post here. I wasn't actually tagged in this, but I thought it would be fun to try. You're supposed to list ten books that have influenced you greatly. So here's ten books that influenced me. I'm sure there are more, but here are a few, in no particular order. (Also, I would like to mention that the Bible has influenced me more than any other book out there, but that's a given, so these are just other books.)

 

1. American Girl Books -- I'm talking most of the classics here. Samantha, Kirsten, and Addy were among my favorites. These were some of my favorite books I read when I was little, and I loved them. I really do think they helped start my love for story telling. 

 

2. Captive Treasure by Milly Howard -- This was arguably my favorite book when I was younger. I was fascinated by Carrie's story, and in my earlier writing days, many of my stories were inspired by this book... let's just say I tried to re-create it in my own way before I realized that wasn't such a good idea. Since reading this book, I've also tried to find other books like it, but I don't think I've found it's equal yet. At least a similar storyline that holds such a special place in my heart. 

 

3. Raiders From the Sea (and the rest of the Viking Quest Series) by Lois Walfrid Johnson -- Yet another book series that inspired me in my writing. I loved the writing style and characters of these middle grade books about Vikings and the people they capture, and read them, and loved them. 

 

4. The Door Within Series by Wayne Thomas Batson -- This was probably the first book I read that really made me want to write fantasy, this was a turning point since I'd mostly been writing present day, and inaccurate historical before this point.       

 

5. Narnia series by C.S. Lewis -- Before I really was into writing fantasy, this classic series introduced me to the genre. I reveled in the story, loving every aspect. I went through a point of having a fansite, and I even now occasionally write fanfiction. But I'm a diehard bookie, so I always stick to the book version of the story. 

 

6. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale -- Besides Narnia, this may have been the first fantasy I really read. This book sucked me in from the start, and cemented me as a Shannon Hale fan, even though it was the first book I'd read by her. I now own almost every book by her. (Same with Wayne Thomas Batson.)

 

7. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers (and everything else she's written.) -- I didn't know anything about Francine Rivers until I saw the movie based on this book when I was younger. After that, I just had to read every book I could get a hold of by her, including this one. It was Sin Eater and Redeeming Love that stood out to me the most though. Francine Rivers just has a beautiful writing style, and her work always holds depth to it. She doesn't just write "fluff" but her stories hold something deep and true. She is my inspiration that makes me want to write something of worth, something that isn't just your everyday story, but something that holds deep nuggets of truth entwined in the pages... something that has meaning. She is arguably the writer who has had the most impact on my life. And Last Sin Eater really stood out to me. 

8. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart -- I didn't discover this clever middle grade series until my early teens, but I was immediately engrossed by this story filled with puzzles, quirky characters, and exciting situations. I'm a huge fan, and wish the writer would pen some more, should the inspiration strike. Very inspiring. This story has some amazing and unique characterization. 

9. Replication by Jill Williamson -- This was the first book I read by this author, and I was blown away this book that introduced me to the world of "spec fic." Apparently, fantasy doesn't just have to be a Twillight model (ick), or take place in another world. Spec fic can be fantasy, dystopian, sci fi, etc. I loved Replication... the writing style, the characters... everything! So, of course, I now own almost every Jill Williamson book, and she is one of my biggest inspirations. I want to write my stories in the vein that she does... fantastic stories with truth. 

10. Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke -- This is a book to make you think, to make you evaluate. There are so many things going on under our noses, and this one focuses on the horrors of "white slavery," and setting a story that still applies now in the early 1900's. Seriously. Read this book. You'll find yourself wanting to do your part to help free children and women everywhere. 

 So there's my ten! There are so many that I could list like Chasing Jupiter, or Burning Sky, but there's only ten spots. But rest assured, there are many books that have touched me, and many more that I'm sure will. 

 Want to take part in this tag? Go ahead! For now, I'll tag 10 bloggers, but you can do it even if you aren't tagged!

Katelyn

Leah

Heather

Mirriam

Elizabeth

Lily

Brian

Rosie

Victoria

Aidyl 

 

~ a rambling author

   

Writing From Experience: Recycling

 It's writing time. I would share the answers to Anya's post, but unfortunately there aren't enough questions yet, so I'm gonna try again next week. If you'd like to ask her questions, check it out... here.
 Since I had anticipated answering questions today and didn't write out a post, I'm going to share another post that I wrote on Randomosity Writers awhile back. This was written a while back, and who knows... I may do a newer version sometime, but... Hope you enjoy!

 Writing From Experience

 I’m sure we’ve all heard the old saying that you should write what you know. And it’s very true. If we write about our hometown, add in the characteristics of your best friend to another character, maybe just stick in a family tradition. If you’ve been somewhere or done something, you can write about it in a much clearer way then if you were just reading about it. Of course, as writers we know that’s not always the case. At least, it’s nice to have something to write about that we know, but (to fantasy writers especially) this can sometimes be impossible. But even if you’re writing a Sci-Fi masterpiece, or a fantasy epic you can still write from experience, and make your story much more realistic.
Last Tuesday, I had my wisdom teeth taken out. It wasn’t a boatload of fun, but I did learn a few things. And now, if I ever need a character to have surgery- almost any surgery- I can relay it more realistically because I’ve been through it. I’ve been prepped. I’ve had heart and lung monitors strapped to my chest, I’ve had a machine beeping in the background, I’ve tasted the sickly sweet scent that is general anesthetic filling my nose, and causing my arms and legs to tingle and feel almost weightless. It’s an interesting feeling, not one that I enjoy. I also know what it’s like for the doctor’s to be worried, and to check your monitors to be sure everything is how it should be. But what if your story doesn’t have surgery? Well, Allison pointed something out to me. This knowledge can also be used in the case of your character being knocked out with drugs, because, well, that happens sometimes!
But we can’t always write from experience. What if your main character is in France? Or South Korea? What if you’ve never been there, but are writing from what you’ve read? That’s okay. Some things you have to write from what you read in books or online. Or perhaps you know someone who HAS been to France or South Korea, and can interview them on THEIR experience. Most people will be very friendly about this, especially if you know them well. If you want to know about where someone has been, or about what they’ve went through, all you have to do is ask. Remember to be respectful about it- especially if you’re writing a war story and speaking to a veteran, or something of this nature. If you are respectful to someone, and show true interest in their story, they’ll be more then willing to open up and listen to what you have to say. In fact, most people want to tell someone about things they’ve done, or been through, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Finally, here are a few suggestions of things that you can use for experience. I’m sure there are many more that you could choose, but these are my two cents on the matter.
Riding – This is a pretty simple thing. Most everyone rides in cars, don’t they? Some people even have the pleasure of riding a horse. Some people don’t know what it’s like to ride a horse, believe it or not. Some people have only ridden one that’s been led around, and hasn’t been trained properly. If you can describe the way a car skims along the highway, or a horse trots, you can use that. And furthermore, you can take a horse, and change it into something else. If you’re writing fantasy, there are normally fantasy animals to go into it, made up by you. You can give your animal some of the characteristics of a horse, perhaps just the way it rides. You can apply this to other animals as well.
Places you’ve been – I know we talked about this above, but even the few places you HAVE been can be used for your story, especially for contemporary writers, or just stories set in this world. If you’ve been to this next town over, and see some tradition practiced there. You can use that!
People you know – This one can be tricky. I wouldn’t recommend making carbon copies of people and changing them into characters, but perhaps you can take a characteristic here, a habit there. You can always ask a person, but that might bring up an awkward conversation. If it’s a villainous or embarrassing character, it might be best to just make it up. Hurting someone’s feelings is not worth it.
Things you’ve done – You know that rock climbing wall they brought to your camp last year? Well, I don’t know for sure if they brought one to yours, but they brought one to mine. It took everything in me to get to the top of the beginner’s wall, while all my friends were climbing the medium or hard one. (I’m not very sports-oriented.) I can remember the way my arms were screaming as I nearly hung from a rock, and tried hard to keep my footing. You can use the little things you’ve done for a story. In this instance, it could be for characters climbing a rock cliff to sneak into an enemy’s castle. Or something of the sort. But it doesn’t have to be something like this, you can use almost any instance or experience you’ve had for a story. Swimming, riding bikes, playing the piano, ice skating… All of these things and more can be used in a story.
The world – If you look outside, God has made a beautiful creation for us. And that creation can be added into your story. I’m sure most stories have the singing of wind in them, or at least the soft kiss of a light breeze. What about the flowers you see? The sound of the bees buzzing by… There’s so much out there that we KNOW about, because it was made for us. Use it. I’m pretty sure most stories, no matter what genre, have some sort of out of doors scene.
So you see, experience doesn’t have to be some amazing thing you’ve done, like swimming away from a shark, or base jumping. Experience is life. And when we add life into our stories, they grow so much, and become much more three dimensional. They breathe. So keep writing, and don’t forget to add in your experiences to give your story a nice rounded, finished feel.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post, and I can’t wait to see you next week!
Bethany
What are some ways you write from experience?

Here it is... at last. ;)

 Well here's the showcase. I hope you enjoy. I'm the crazy lady with the braid, sweater, up and down socks, and the cane. :P






                         

~ a rambling author

Urinetown video uploading

 Well, showcase wen't okay. There were a couple of technical difficulties, but it turned out pretty well in the end. I'm still trying to get the video to upload so I'll probably end up posting it tomorrow before tomorrow's blog post.

Outcasts: A Book Review

I didn't get to post Thursday, so you'll be getting two book posts this week! Today, and Thursday. Anywho, I told ya'll I was reading One Realm Beyond, but something interesting happened. I temporarily misplaced that book, so I decided to take that as my cue to read Outcasts by Jill Williamson. I finished it in a couple days, so here's my review for that. I'm back to reading One Realm though. ;)  (This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.) You might want to read Captives before you read this review.

Back Cover: Since entering the Safe Lands, Mason has focused on two things: finding a way to free his village from captivity and finding a cure for the disease that ravages many within the walls of the Safe Lands. After immune-suppressive drugs go missing in the clinic, Mason discovers his coworker, Ciddah, may know more about the Safe Lands than imagined...and may have an agenda of her own. At the same time, Mason's brother Levi is focused on a way to free the remaining Glenrock captives, while Mason's younger brother, Omar, decides to take the rebellion against the Safe Lands into his own hands as a vigilante.

Soon all three brothers are being watched closely--and when Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, his investigation just might get those closest to him liberated.

 This is the sequel to Captives which I reviewed a few months ago. I don't even know how to describe how much I love this book. Jill Williamson amazes me with each new book I read by her. It seems there is nothing short in her imagination. 

 Let's start with the characters... Mason was his usual adorable self, but this book escalated his cute intelligent side even higher. I never understand why the smart guys are always treated as if they aren't as good as the brawny ones. In fact, of the three brothers that are the main characters of this series, Mason is still my favorite. Levi was still being tough and commanding, but now he had even great responsibility, and it was interesting to see that play out in his character, and how he realized he had some things in his own life that needed work. Omar took this book as his way to start redeeming himself. He represented the prodigal son well, wanting to return to old life, but still stuck in the halfway point, giving in to addictions and sin. This book made me like him a little better and hope that he would find his way home, because inside, he really is just a small boy wanting to be accepted. And of course, I can't leave out Shaylinn, the final main POV character. I love Shaylinn. She's the most interesting girl character, and this book fleshed her out even more. I love how she is encouraging to everyone, and always wants to see the good in Omar, believing in him, even when he inadvertantly caused all the trials she currently is facing. All the other characters were great as well, and I enjoyed each one. 

 And the plot... well... it continued from the first book, and built, and got better, and it was really good. I can't say a lot about it without going into too much detail. But at the end of the book I had been happy, sad, angry, and all kinds of emotions. She proceeded to end it with a terrific (ha...) cliff hanger, and left me feeling sorry for myself that Rebels, the next book, isn't out yet. 

  I always take something away from Jill's books. They aren't just stories told to entertain, but they always hold deeper meaning that you can weigh, and consider. I love a book that gets me thinking and has some "meat" to it, so to speak. I'm so glad I've discovered this author who I can trust to always make me think while also providing an invigorating, fun, perplexing, wonderful read.

 Anyway, this was a great book! I recommend it to anyone fifteen and older. Here's just a word of caution. Jill wrote these book for an obviously older audience of YA readers. I would not give this book to a twelve year old. It deals with several mature things including teen pregnancy, drugs,  and promiscuous relationships. It's all important to the theme of the story, however, and the setting, which is basically a big "Vanity Fair" from Pilgrim's Progress. (Mrs. Williamson doesn't go into too much detail, however, and uses class.) As they often say, "Find pleasure in life," and many characters do, but they learn that pleasure that comes from sin isn't really pleasure at all.

 Great book!

 

You Ask Anya Part 1

Hello everyone! Last week you met Elric. Today you get to meet Anya, a girl with a pivotal role in The Prince's Quest. I found a couple photos of a girl that look almost exactly as I picture her, with the clothing being different of course. Most pictures of this girl are not Anya, but these two seem to capture her. Anyway, you've already heard the description of PQ, but I'll share it one more time anyway.

BCC: Living as Crown Prince of Linaeus isn’t so bad. Elric can live with the whispers behind his back, and the obvious dislike the servants hold for him. But, without warning, his situation changes when King Rath decides to test his son’s loyalty, and see if he really can be a great king one day.
Elric is on a quest, a quest he would rather avoid. Someone in the small village of Redge is publishing false information about the king. It’s Elric’s job to find the perpetrator and bring him--and anyone involved--to justice.
The prince is plunged into a moral dilemma as he evades bandits intent on his capture, searches for truth, and meets a girl who could change his view on everything. Life is filled with choices. The problem is, making the right one.

 If you haven't guessed, I'll tell you. Anya is the girl mentioned in the synopsis as changing his view on everything. Possibly. But really there isn't a lot known about Anya. She's about sixteen years old, with light hair, and honey colored eyes. Her father owns the "Two Moons Inn" and she helps him run it. She has a sweet disposition and encourages everyone who comes into contact with her. She takes an immediate liking to Elric, showing him around the town, and introducing him to the idea of a creator, The One. But like everyone in the town of Redge, she is on Elric's list of potential suspect, and that may affect their blossoming friendship.

 So that's all you're getting from me, though I'd love to say more. Please ask Anya questions in the comments. Multiples are welcome. Feel free to ask the normal, or more unique! Have a lovely evening!

~ a rambling author

This Week in Theater Class: Character Acting in Musicals

 Hey everyone! So... I know I'm already doing The Other Side of Me, showcasing parts of my theater life such as shows I've performed in, but I also want to delve into the other side of theater I take part in while doing shows: Theater classes with CharacterWorks Theater. These classes can range from singing, to acting, to improv (improvisational acting, or acting without a script.) So, I present to you This Week in Theater Class! Every now and again I'll talk about a class I'm taking. For the past nine weeks or so, I've been taking a class called Character Acting in Musicals with the awesome Heather.

 This class is about defining the different types of actors, and focusing on being a character actor, or someone who can play all kinds of different roles, often quirky ones. For our Showcase (the presentation we do at the end of the session) we're performing bits from a musical called Urinetown.

 I know what you're thinking. It sounds really weird. But it's actually pretty funny to think about considering Urinetown was created to be a spoof of nearly every musical out there. I'm not going to go into all the details on it, but if you'd like to know more, Google is your friend.

 Anywho, we're doing parts from three different songs. If you would morbidly like to listen, here they are:

   

        

   

 

 Hehe. Now that you're wondering what on earth this is... You'll definitely want to Google it. In showcase, my brother is playing the guy in the second video, and I'm the old lady from the third video who could survive with a cold, tall glass of water. :P 

 Despite it's interesting concept, this has been an enjoyable class to work on. The showcase is Monday, and I'll try to get my mom to video it. If all goes well, I may post it here for your morbid curiosity. :P 

 So this was a class that covered different concepts... singing, acting, and the freedom to perform without inhibition. 

 I hope you enjoyed today's blog posts. Do you like the idea of This Week in Theater Class? 

~ a rambling author