I've tried my hand a writing a few stories, but end up giving up because I just don't feel they are any good.
A few years back, after several unsuccessful writing attempts, I read a book entitled "Crafty Screenwriting" that really rocked my world in exactly HOW you go about writing a story.
Right off the bat the book says, "Don't start by writing a story." I was puzzled, so I continued on.
It asks the question of what the point of writing is if you don't even know if you have a good story. What the book says to do is to instead just start talking to people about your story, any that will listen. The more you tell it, the more details you begin to add to it.
You know you've got something when people start asking questions about plot/characters/setting. THEN you know you've got a story. Once people seem to be invested in this fantasy you're laying on them.
So, I thought I'd give it a shot. Why not? Below are the three main stories I've tried to write or have thought about writing. I actually am a little nervous because I've always been super protective of this stuff, not wanting people to think I'm a weirdo for coming up with these. It really is just a few stories that I thought might be intriguing or that I would be interested in reading if someone explained the idea to me. Anyway, here they are!!!
1) Waiting on an Angel - A drama about finding that "special someone." Seriously. No, I'm serious. Why are you laughing? This was script I started working on when I was going through an extremely difficult time in my life after breaking up with my girlfriend of nearly two years. Writing this really helped me look for the positive in every relationship and no matter how good or how bad, you can learn from it.
Before I started writing, I actually prepared a 32 song soundtrack, organizing the songs in a way that they told the story chronologically.
The story begins with a couple breaking up in the winter months. In the spring, he begins another relationship, then summer another, fall another, and then the film concludes the following winter. The story is to show the man's growth relationally as each season comes and goes. It seems very subtle as the story is progressing, but as we see him at the end in the winter, putting him in the same environment as which we first saw him, we can obviously identify how much he has changed.
What girl does he end up with? Does he end up with anyone??? DRAAA-MAAAAA!!!
2) Good Faith Manor - A classic horror setting with mind-blowing twist! Five friends take a trip into an abandon mansion that used to be an insane asylum. They are scoping out the place before things start to....come on, you know the story.
The asylum was burned down many years ago and was rebuilt on the same foundation and converted into a retirement home, which was later abandon.
This is actually based on a true story of an old retirement home just north of Boone. Went in it once several years ago (before it was torn down) and that sucker was flat out creepy.
This story unfortunately sounds really cliche, but I really can't give away the twist because it kind of defeats the purpose of even writing the thing. I have told a couple people about it and they all had extremely positive responses to the twist (one friend told me he got chills when I revealed it to him. WHAAAAAAT?).
The ending is what makes this different from your classic ghost story. I feel the ending is actually very powerful as it deals strongly with matters of faith, forgiveness and following Christ.
3) The Reigning Down - Here is your epic thriller. Think DaVinci Code but not ridiculous. It deals with a young historian that stumbles across something very puzzling in his research. There is a period of 700 years that are completely unaccounted for. He can't find any information of any people or any events that took place during this time. The last bit of information he uncovers is an unnatural solar eclipse followed the same day by a harvest moon and then.....nothing, for 700 years.
As he begins to dig deeper, he realizes there are those out there trying to protect a secret!
And a MASSIVE twist at the end, which, of course, I can't say a thing about.
So, based on these synopsis...es..is, which of these stories sound worthy of being written? Which one do you have the most questions about? Which are terrible? Awful altogether and back to the drawing board?
I would love to hear any and all feedback because I really would like to write a story someday. Not necessarily any of these, but I feel like "writing a book/screenplay" is definetely on my bucket list.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
if i woke up with my head sewn to the carpet, i wouldn't be as surprised as i am now.
Soooooooo, what a day. The day where zero goes right. The day you just can't wait to end. Sometimes I just have describe a day as "shock and awe." Twas the day today.
But this, folks, is why I created this blog. Here is a direct quote from my very first blog entry:
"I need to document my quirky life experiences somewhere and this is admittedly a terrific forum to project such stories. It seems on a weekly basis I have some event or encounter that just simply makes me have to laugh because it's just so bizarre."
Yep, today was the consummate exemplification of weird.
First off, I guess second off, let's just toss out the follow up insult that was simply salt in the wound of the initial injury.
I went into the bathroom around noon to see how big the cedar tree was i had lodged in my eye. As I leaned into the mirror only to realize it was simply an eyelash, my tie activated the automatic hand washer in the high class restroom in our Des Moines office. Yeah, remember my previous entries about my utter hatred of technology. There's another check on the pro-neandrethal side.
Again, this was only the proverbial icing on the bizzaro cake.
Here is what preceded the Soggy Tie '10 party. And, I must warn you, this is superbly uncomfortable.
I stroll out to the waiting area in our Des Moines office to call a patient by the first name of James. For those of you that aren't hip to these new-agey, pre-New Testament names, James is, in fact, a boy name.
So, I call upon James. No answer. I call again. Slowly, an older woman in a electric wheel chair, slightly hunched over whips that Rascal around and starts cruising up to me. She stops the chair right at my feet. She has medium length gray hair covering some of her face, a beautiful navy blue blazer Jesse Spano would flip out over and a cute, little, pink flat (it's a type of shoe, dudes). I say shoe (not plural) because she only had one leg (Really not relevant, but for some reason just makes the story better...kind of like C-3PO in Star Wars).
I lean down to correct her mistake and speak rather loudly (assuming she is going to be hard of hearing or not necessarily 100% with us mentally), "No, ma'am, I'm looking for James!"
The other 10-15 folks sitting in the waiting area suddenly become interested, because we all love a train wreck, even if we don't know we are about to see one.
The woman looks up and replies in a rather husky tone, "I am James."
I instantly transport myself into the Snickers, "Wanna get away?" commercial as my face begins to feel like I decided to swap my pillow for a bonfire.
But, don't worry, folks. I feel like I recovered nicely. About as nicely as anyone could, I think, after the whole "So, when's the baby due"-esque foot-straight-to-mouth question I spewed out all over waiting area A.
We actually had a great conversation. He was a very nice guy. I really can't help but laugh about it now, but HOW UNCOMFORTABLE! I felt terrible.
But, hey, if you're dressing up like a lady, wouldn't you be flattered for someone to assume you are one? Whatever, just let me keep telling myself that. It's going to help me sleep tonight.
But this, folks, is why I created this blog. Here is a direct quote from my very first blog entry:
"I need to document my quirky life experiences somewhere and this is admittedly a terrific forum to project such stories. It seems on a weekly basis I have some event or encounter that just simply makes me have to laugh because it's just so bizarre."
Yep, today was the consummate exemplification of weird.
First off, I guess second off, let's just toss out the follow up insult that was simply salt in the wound of the initial injury.
I went into the bathroom around noon to see how big the cedar tree was i had lodged in my eye. As I leaned into the mirror only to realize it was simply an eyelash, my tie activated the automatic hand washer in the high class restroom in our Des Moines office. Yeah, remember my previous entries about my utter hatred of technology. There's another check on the pro-neandrethal side.
Again, this was only the proverbial icing on the bizzaro cake.
Here is what preceded the Soggy Tie '10 party. And, I must warn you, this is superbly uncomfortable.
I stroll out to the waiting area in our Des Moines office to call a patient by the first name of James. For those of you that aren't hip to these new-agey, pre-New Testament names, James is, in fact, a boy name.
So, I call upon James. No answer. I call again. Slowly, an older woman in a electric wheel chair, slightly hunched over whips that Rascal around and starts cruising up to me. She stops the chair right at my feet. She has medium length gray hair covering some of her face, a beautiful navy blue blazer Jesse Spano would flip out over and a cute, little, pink flat (it's a type of shoe, dudes). I say shoe (not plural) because she only had one leg (Really not relevant, but for some reason just makes the story better...kind of like C-3PO in Star Wars).
I lean down to correct her mistake and speak rather loudly (assuming she is going to be hard of hearing or not necessarily 100% with us mentally), "No, ma'am, I'm looking for James!"
The other 10-15 folks sitting in the waiting area suddenly become interested, because we all love a train wreck, even if we don't know we are about to see one.
The woman looks up and replies in a rather husky tone, "I am James."
I instantly transport myself into the Snickers, "Wanna get away?" commercial as my face begins to feel like I decided to swap my pillow for a bonfire.
But, don't worry, folks. I feel like I recovered nicely. About as nicely as anyone could, I think, after the whole "So, when's the baby due"-esque foot-straight-to-mouth question I spewed out all over waiting area A.
We actually had a great conversation. He was a very nice guy. I really can't help but laugh about it now, but HOW UNCOMFORTABLE! I felt terrible.
But, hey, if you're dressing up like a lady, wouldn't you be flattered for someone to assume you are one? Whatever, just let me keep telling myself that. It's going to help me sleep tonight.
kind of like neo, minus the ability to dodge bullets.
A very good article for "the rest of us" from Relevant Magazine.
HOW TO FIND "THE ONE"
How do you find the right husband or wife? Is he or she “the one”? Finding a spouse seems so easy for some, but what about everyone else? When Mr. or Miss Right doesn’t seem to be on the horizon, many are left wondering ...
“What if I’ve missed the one? What if I turned down the one because I didn’t know if I was ready? What if I marry the wrong person? What if this isn’t the one God wants?”
My wife and I found that when looking for a future spouse, most people tend to put the focus on the other person, instead of themselves. The issue isn’t about finding the one, it’s about being the one.
Peter Haile, in his book The Difference God Makes, seems to agree saying,
“To be told [by God], ‘Jim, you are to marry Nancy,’ will be very unusual. I won’t say that it will never happen, but it is highly unlikely. Why? Because, compared with whether Jim trusts and loves God moment by moment and trusts and loves Nancy moment by moment, the choice of Nancy or someone else is virtually inconsequential. The will of God has primarily to do with who Jim is every second—what his thoughts, actions, attitudes and words are.”
What my wife and I tend to believe is that, any man and any woman can have a healthy marriage. It all depends on how much work both parties are willing to put into the relationship.
Perhaps God does not design a soul mate for everyone, but expects us to work towards being a good mate ... because to be a good mate is to take on the character and attitude of Christ. This kind of person has the freedom to choose any spouse, not because of what they get from that person, but because of what they can give.
So how do you become more and more “the one”? What does that look like when you’re single, in a relationship, or married? In effect becoming the one means to become a healthy person (emotionally, spiritually, physically, and so forth). You don’t have to be perfect, or even close to perfect, but on a journey towards becoming who God created you to be and ever more peaceful with who that exactly is. Here are some things to consider:
If you are not in a relationship ...
We feel it’s crucial to realize that no matter whom you marry, you will most likely have the same personal issues you did before marriage. It can feel like marriage is the answer to making everything in your life right, but in our experience, marriage tends to amplify problems, not solve them.
Instead of believing in this romantic fallacy, take stock of where you are personally. Consider your emotions, past, family, talents, dreams, hobbies, struggles, spirituality, sexuality and employment. Striving to make these areas healthy will not necessarily lead to finding a husband/wife. However, exerting yourself towards wholeness brings confidence, peace, and contentment. These traits are very attractive and if you do find a relationship, they will go a long way in making that relationship thrive.
If you’re dating or engaged ...
Focusing on yourself can be difficult when you’re dating or engaged. It’s so easy to see the ways your significant other can change. Instead, take time to identify how you can better be the one within a relationship.
Explore what Scripture says about being a husband or wife. Head to www.biblegateway.com and do a search on the words “marriage,” “husband,” and “wife” and see what comes up. Understand God’s expectations of you personally, as you prepare to be a husband or wife.
It would also be wise to consult friends and family. Get their assessments on how your individual strengths and weaknesses present themselves in your relationship. Ask what they foresee as the biggest challenges you will face in a future marriage. We’d recommend finding perspectives from people of different ages and in different kinds of relationships.
Some more suggestions for dating/engaged couples are:
- Read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman to understand giving and receiving love.
- Take the Myers-Briggs personality test.
-Watch one another’s family dynamics. Talk about what you want to be different or the same in your relationship.
If you’re married ...
Marriage tends spotlight how self-absorbed we really are. Myself and my wife included. Selfishness rears its ugly head when our spouse hurts us, disappoints us, or otherwise falls short of what we expected them to be. This is the toughest place to be the one.
Still, there is hope if we put effort into living out our own marriage vows instead of forcing, nagging, or coaxing our spouse to live out theirs. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. Take responsibility for yourself and take your heart first to God, then to your spouse. Allow God to be your rock, the One who will never disappoint you. You’ll find that it’s easier to forgive as well as see areas you personally might need to work on.
Keep in mind, things won’t necessarily be easy now that you’ve done all this work at being the one. You and your spouse will have days where you’ll look at one another and ask, “What did we get ourselves into?” When that happens, you can remind yourselves why you got married in the first place. It wasn’t because you found “the one” but because you decided to be “the one.”
Jake and Melissa Kircher write about marriage and relationships at holymessofmarriage.blogspot.com.
HOW TO FIND "THE ONE"
How do you find the right husband or wife? Is he or she “the one”? Finding a spouse seems so easy for some, but what about everyone else? When Mr. or Miss Right doesn’t seem to be on the horizon, many are left wondering ...
“What if I’ve missed the one? What if I turned down the one because I didn’t know if I was ready? What if I marry the wrong person? What if this isn’t the one God wants?”
My wife and I found that when looking for a future spouse, most people tend to put the focus on the other person, instead of themselves. The issue isn’t about finding the one, it’s about being the one.
Peter Haile, in his book The Difference God Makes, seems to agree saying,
“To be told [by God], ‘Jim, you are to marry Nancy,’ will be very unusual. I won’t say that it will never happen, but it is highly unlikely. Why? Because, compared with whether Jim trusts and loves God moment by moment and trusts and loves Nancy moment by moment, the choice of Nancy or someone else is virtually inconsequential. The will of God has primarily to do with who Jim is every second—what his thoughts, actions, attitudes and words are.”
What my wife and I tend to believe is that, any man and any woman can have a healthy marriage. It all depends on how much work both parties are willing to put into the relationship.
Perhaps God does not design a soul mate for everyone, but expects us to work towards being a good mate ... because to be a good mate is to take on the character and attitude of Christ. This kind of person has the freedom to choose any spouse, not because of what they get from that person, but because of what they can give.
So how do you become more and more “the one”? What does that look like when you’re single, in a relationship, or married? In effect becoming the one means to become a healthy person (emotionally, spiritually, physically, and so forth). You don’t have to be perfect, or even close to perfect, but on a journey towards becoming who God created you to be and ever more peaceful with who that exactly is. Here are some things to consider:
If you are not in a relationship ...
We feel it’s crucial to realize that no matter whom you marry, you will most likely have the same personal issues you did before marriage. It can feel like marriage is the answer to making everything in your life right, but in our experience, marriage tends to amplify problems, not solve them.
Instead of believing in this romantic fallacy, take stock of where you are personally. Consider your emotions, past, family, talents, dreams, hobbies, struggles, spirituality, sexuality and employment. Striving to make these areas healthy will not necessarily lead to finding a husband/wife. However, exerting yourself towards wholeness brings confidence, peace, and contentment. These traits are very attractive and if you do find a relationship, they will go a long way in making that relationship thrive.
If you’re dating or engaged ...
Focusing on yourself can be difficult when you’re dating or engaged. It’s so easy to see the ways your significant other can change. Instead, take time to identify how you can better be the one within a relationship.
Explore what Scripture says about being a husband or wife. Head to www.biblegateway.com and do a search on the words “marriage,” “husband,” and “wife” and see what comes up. Understand God’s expectations of you personally, as you prepare to be a husband or wife.
It would also be wise to consult friends and family. Get their assessments on how your individual strengths and weaknesses present themselves in your relationship. Ask what they foresee as the biggest challenges you will face in a future marriage. We’d recommend finding perspectives from people of different ages and in different kinds of relationships.
Some more suggestions for dating/engaged couples are:
- Read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman to understand giving and receiving love.
- Take the Myers-Briggs personality test.
-Watch one another’s family dynamics. Talk about what you want to be different or the same in your relationship.
If you’re married ...
Marriage tends spotlight how self-absorbed we really are. Myself and my wife included. Selfishness rears its ugly head when our spouse hurts us, disappoints us, or otherwise falls short of what we expected them to be. This is the toughest place to be the one.
Still, there is hope if we put effort into living out our own marriage vows instead of forcing, nagging, or coaxing our spouse to live out theirs. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. Take responsibility for yourself and take your heart first to God, then to your spouse. Allow God to be your rock, the One who will never disappoint you. You’ll find that it’s easier to forgive as well as see areas you personally might need to work on.
Keep in mind, things won’t necessarily be easy now that you’ve done all this work at being the one. You and your spouse will have days where you’ll look at one another and ask, “What did we get ourselves into?” When that happens, you can remind yourselves why you got married in the first place. It wasn’t because you found “the one” but because you decided to be “the one.”
Jake and Melissa Kircher write about marriage and relationships at holymessofmarriage.blogspot.com.
Friday, July 9, 2010
king kong ain't got nothin' on me!
I can't tell you how much crap I get for living in Somerset. "Oh, you live in the fancy part of Ames?" Heard that on more than one occasion. Well, sure I may be considered 'soft' based on the following facts.
Yeah, I know I work in the health care field.
No, I don't change my own oil.
Yes, I had to watch a You Tube video on how to fix my constantly running toilet.
No, I don't get dirty often.
Yes, I have super soft hands. I like to refer to them as "kitten pads."
Well, NOT NO MORE SUCKA'S!!!
Somerset is a war zone. I'm on the front lines. I've been living across the street from freaking Scarface! Believe it fools!!!
From KCCI.com:
"Officials said they executed a search warrant at 2514 Bristol Dr. in Ames on Thursday.
Officers said they found numerous marijuana plants growing inside the house. They also said they found anabolic steroids and more than a pound of manicured marijuana.
Clark Way, 36, and Renee Wrabek, 36, were charged with 15 counts of the violating the drug tax stamp law, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of controlled substance (anabolic steroids), possession of controlled substance (hydrocodone), unlawful possession of prescription drugs and possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture (15 counts)."
Yep. Believe that! Across the freaking street!
So, go right on ahead. Mock my lifestyle. I've got it harder than you could ever know. When I go for jog, I'm packing my 9 mil. When I go down to the pond to read, switchblade. The Cafe for an iced latte? A set of brass knuckles. Casual jaunt to Fairway? Louisville Slugger.
Who's the girl now, clowns??!! I may indeed have kitten pad, soft hands. Don't mean I still can't pistol whip a fool upside his face!!!
OUT!!
P.S. No, I didn't get to actually see any the bust go down. I was too busy pouting cause I burned my marshmallow making smores at a bonfire. What of it? You don't know me, fool.
Yeah, I know I work in the health care field.
No, I don't change my own oil.
Yes, I had to watch a You Tube video on how to fix my constantly running toilet.
No, I don't get dirty often.
Yes, I have super soft hands. I like to refer to them as "kitten pads."
Well, NOT NO MORE SUCKA'S!!!
Somerset is a war zone. I'm on the front lines. I've been living across the street from freaking Scarface! Believe it fools!!!
From KCCI.com:
"Officials said they executed a search warrant at 2514 Bristol Dr. in Ames on Thursday.
Officers said they found numerous marijuana plants growing inside the house. They also said they found anabolic steroids and more than a pound of manicured marijuana.
Clark Way, 36, and Renee Wrabek, 36, were charged with 15 counts of the violating the drug tax stamp law, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of controlled substance (anabolic steroids), possession of controlled substance (hydrocodone), unlawful possession of prescription drugs and possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture (15 counts)."
Yep. Believe that! Across the freaking street!
So, go right on ahead. Mock my lifestyle. I've got it harder than you could ever know. When I go for jog, I'm packing my 9 mil. When I go down to the pond to read, switchblade. The Cafe for an iced latte? A set of brass knuckles. Casual jaunt to Fairway? Louisville Slugger.
Who's the girl now, clowns??!! I may indeed have kitten pad, soft hands. Don't mean I still can't pistol whip a fool upside his face!!!
OUT!!
P.S. No, I didn't get to actually see any the bust go down. I was too busy pouting cause I burned my marshmallow making smores at a bonfire. What of it? You don't know me, fool.
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