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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/5479-Drama-and-the-Moon.html
Drama: January 22, 2013 Issue [#5479]

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Drama


 This week: Drama and the Moon
  Edited by: NickiD89
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Like many of you, I've considered myself a writer my whole life. But in 2007, I shifted out of hobbyist mode, started writing for an audience, and embarked on the exciting journey towards publication. As I continue on that path and delve ever deeper into the craft, I feed an insatiable appetite for creative writing theory. I seek out how-to books and workshop experiences to augment and amplify whatever talent I possess. For those of you like me, here's a little theory to appease your hunger.


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Letter from the editor

Lune ~ Luna ~ Mond ~ 月 (Tsuki)
Moon


No matter the language, the moon has inspired mythology, reverence and awe in people from the beginning of time. The list is long of stories written around the moon's cycles and the effects of the moon on people.Werewolves bay, star-crossed lovers weep, and ordinary people go crazy (lunatics!) in the glare of a full moon. When your inspiration wanes, why not turn to the moon for added drama in your story?

There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.George Carlin

I love this George Carlin quote. It reminds us that even though there have been plenty of story plots associated with the moon, it's possible to avoided cliche or redoing what's been done by turning ideas upside down to reveal fresh angles.

I like to think that the moon is there, even when I’m not looking at it.Albert Einstein

The moon allows us to broaden our thoughts, to entertain the idea that just because we can't see something, it doesn't mean it isn't there. Accepting this idea helped Einstein see the truth about our reality, and it can help you see new possibilities in your fiction.

Every one is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anyone.Mark Twain

Need to round out a flat character? Want more dimension to the stars of your story? You can use the moon to develop personality traits and inspire the motivations in your characters. It's believed by many that the zodiac sign in which the moon was present when a person was born is that person's Moon Sign. Specific inherent characteristics embody the person, it's thought, as a result. In addition, the moon travels through all the signs of the zodiac during each 28-day cycle, affecting the tension and harmony in people's lives.

In the same way you may use the Myer's Briggs Type Indicator or similar personality trait identification techniques to invent the facets of a character's personality, you can draw inspiration from books or websites about Moon Signs. And when digging deeper into the psyche of the character, use daily lunar forecasts to reveal secret or unconscious motivations, actions and reactions.

We all know the full moon is thought to invoke crazy behavior in people. But here are some fun "facts" *Laugh* about the moon that may spark the fires of creativity for your next story or character:

*Moon* In order to promote faster growth, a new moon is the best time to cut your hair and fingernails.
*Moon* It is bad luck to dig a grave or bury a body during a new moon.
*Moon* The strongest storms and hurricanes are likely to be 1-3 days after a new moon and 3-5 days after a full moon.
*Moon* On a full moon day as the moon frequencies are more active, a heightened activity of the mind is observed...(so) for example, a person who is a writer and is focusing on some book that he is writing is more likely to get heightened thought activity mainly pertaining to the book and creativity in writing style. These types of thoughts will arise out of the talent center. Hence he may find that he can write prolifically on a full moon day.

Interesting astrology terms for more inspired thoughts:

Void-of-Course: "The moon circles the Earth in about twenty-eight days, moving through each zodiac sign in two-and-a-half days. As she passes through the thirty degrees of each sign, she 'visits' with the planets in numerical order, forming aspects with them. Because she moves one degree in just two to two-and-a-half hours, her influence on each planet lasts only a few hours. She eventually reaches the planet that's in the highest degree of any sign and forms what will be her final aspect before leaving the sign. From this point until she enters the next sign, she is referred to as void-of-course. It's during this time that many people feel 'fuzzy' or 'vague.' Plans or decisions made now often don't pan out." (Llewellyn's 2013 Moon Sign Book, Llewellyn Publications.)

Retrograde Motion (planets, not the moon *Bigsmile*): "Relative to the ecliptic, the planets are normally moving from West to East (opposite to that fast movement that results from the Earth's rotation around its axis). But at some stage in their movement a planet gradually slows down and then begins to move backwards, i.e. from East to West. This is exactly what is called retrograde motion. Its duration is different for different planets - for example, Mercury moves backwards for about 3 weeks, and then it resumes its normal forward movement, while Venus remains retrograde for about a month and a half.

"There is nothing mystical in this change of direction. It is described in many textbooks on astronomy. This is a visual phenomenon, of course. No planet changes its direction in reality, they just continue to rotate around the Sun....Let me just propose you a simple analogy which can give you an idea of how it works. Say you are traveling in a train and there is another train moving next to yours in the same direction. If that another train is slightly slower than yours, it will seem to you that it goes backwards, while in fact it goes forward. The phenomenon of retrograde motion works in a similar way: depending on the relation between the speed of the Earth in the Space and the speed of another planet, it may seem that that planet goes backwards." (Source: http://www.lunarium.co.uk/articles/about-retrograde-planets.jsp)

I hope all this arguably nonsensical information helps inspire new character and plot ideas. One last parting thought: If you know your character's birth date, you can determine his/her moon sign by plugging that info into the calculator found on this site: http://www.lunarium.co.uk/moonsign/calculator.jsp *Bigsmile**Thumbsup*


Question For Next Time: Do you pay any attention to moon signs, the Zodiac, and astrology?


Thanks for reading!
To use when signing my newsletters


Editor's Picks

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 The Phoebe Effect  (E)
Short Fiction: A farmer's wife's infatuation with the moon invites trouble.
#1849047 by Alonzo Skelton


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#1846284 by Not Available.


 The Dark Of The Moon  (13+)
On a bleak, windy February night, the past catches up with Raven Shine.
#1822985 by Farooq


 Dancing in the Moonlight  (18+)
a drunken mistake, flash contest entry
#1857997 by E E Coder


 The Moon  (13+)
Writing exercise: Tell story based on black and white picture of the moon and beach.
#1828071 by Karaoke writer


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Ask & Answer

Question For Next Time: Do you pay any attention to moon signs, the Zodiac, and astrology?

Last Month's Question: Have you witnessed any miracles lately? Here's what readers said:


BIG BAD WOLF is hopping -- (Submitted item "What's Behind Me?) Sometimes in a world full of drama, one needs a laugh. Trying to get your cousin's number can be stressful in the moment, but a laugh after the fact- four or five wrong numbers, and I never did get the right one.

I'm so right-brained that any success with numbers is a miracle for me!


Shannon -- Excellent NL, Nicki. I like the idea of miracle jars and have considered starting one myself. Perhaps now's as good a time as any. *Heart*

Thanks, Shannon! It's such a great way to walk through life with eyes (and heart) wide open.


blue jellybaby -- Hey! I have to say your newsletter has been a big inspiration to me! Having a Miracle Jar is such a good idea because we all have those times when we're just feeling a bit blue and something to remind us of a happy moment and something to be thankful for is such a good idea! I'm with you on that one!

Reading through the miracles throughout the year, or as a holiday tradition at the end of the year, is such an exciting idea!



See you all back here on February 20, 2012. Until then, have a great month!

For the Drama NL

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