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 |  Challenges and activities |
A blog on my personal writing process. Just random thoughts, notes, and other stuff. Don’t know yet what that will be like. Am exploring possibilities and pulse towards an unknown future. Let’s find out! Here are challenges and activities stored. "Game of Thrones"  2017"The Soundtrack of Your Life" 2020"Resurrection Jukebox" 2020"NaNoWriMo Write-A-Thon" 2020/21"The Fiction Writer's Toolbox" 2020"October Novel Prep Challenge" 2021 |
Oct. 06: - Plot: Rising Action (How does the story get there?) ▼ Review your notes from the ""Premise"" and ""Beginning"" plot exercises, and tweak the conflict(s) and inciting incident as needed before proceeding with the ""Rising Action"" plot exercise, as follows: (1) Describe any initial refusals on the part of your protagonist(s) to face the conflict. (2) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) makes the choice to face the conflict. (3) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) crosses the point of no return and cannot change their mind. (4) Fill in some of the blanks: How will your characters get from the point of no return to the climax? Premise, Beginning, Conflicts, Inciting Incident, Rising Action. |
Oct. 05: - Plot: Climax (Where is the story going?) ▼ Where is your story going? Describe the climax, the point at which everything changes and the tension of the primary conflict is finally resolved. Use the ""What If"" brainstorming exercise to create a list of possibilities, remembering to consider the growth of / change in your main character(s) as a result of this event. The climax can be as hidden and seemingly tiny as that moment when your character finally makes that decision they've been dreading or avoiding for fifteen chapters, or it can be as huge and obvious as an exploding planet. Sometimes, the climax is a little hard to pin down. Was it the moment Ender won his game? Or was it the moment he realized the moving images on his screen were not a simulation, not the game he thought it was, and that he had just personally wiped out an entire alien race? The Climax. Possibilities. |
Oct. 04: - Plot: Beginning (Where does your story start?) ▼ (1) Describe your protagonist's life in the beginning (""Ordinary World"" or ""Stasis"") of the story. Brainstorm ways you could establish normality through action and dialog to avoid boring your reader. Wolf Meyer's Ordinary world is described in "Backstory Protagonist - Contest entry" Blog on Spicing up Dialog (2) Describe the inciting incident or trigger ("Call to Adventure") that prompts your protagonist(s) to embark on this story's journey (whether literal or metaphorical) and face the conflict. This incident could be large and obvious like a death or disaster, or it could be seemingly insignificant, such as an offhand comment by another character. After purchasing the book and meeting Poppy, there are a few trigger incidents that prompt him to take on this journey to investigate and leave for China. |
Oct. 03: - Character: Protagonist Profile ▼ Draft a profile of your protagonist. Include detailed information such as name, age, physical attributes, occupation, education, culture, religion, family, relationship status, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, motivations and desires. Use Google Images to find an image of your character. The point of this exercise is for you to get to know your character inside and out before you write your novel. If you don't know your character, how can you expect it of your readers? Flesh out your pre-story character in detail. Keep in mind that your protagonist will grow in some way during your story. For more serious character profilers, here is are two optional, very extensive templates: "Character Interview / Profile Sheet" and "(Another, Very) In-Depth Character Profile" . Also, here is a "Traits List" to draw from. Name: Wolf Meyer Photo Wolf Meyer  On character profiling |
Oct. 9: - CONTEST ROUND: Protagonist Background Story ▼ Write a story about your protagonist that takes place outside of your novel. Make your readers relate to him or her in such a way that we would be devastated if he or she were to experience conflict (which, ultimately, sometime in November, he/she will.) The object of the contest is to make your judges root for your protagonist! Simply put: the character we like best wins. If your protagonist is a drug dealer or someone similarly "unlikeable" (a.k.a, an "anti-hero"), never fear! I love Vlad Taltos, the professional assassin. You can make us love your character, too. *Contest Round entries may be any rating. Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of the IM Console. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you must still log the assignment complete (without linking your work) for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines. Backstory 412 words; deadline Sunday, October 10, 2021 Now-thirty-five-year-old Wolf Meyer fell in love with the City of Angels as soon as he visited for the first time. He intended to stay for a long weekend after the summer, but he inhaled the beauty of Los Angeles and decided then and there to rent a room for a month. Photo Wolf Meyer |
Oct. 02: - Plot: Premise ▼ Now that you've brainstormed the general story idea, let's identify some story elements: (1) Setting(s). Where does your story take place? (2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)? (2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)? (2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)? (3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)? (4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)? Just for fun: Write a provocative one-sentence description of your story. Example: ""A young, mistreated orphan discovers he is a wizard and must face the evil villain Voldemort to fulfill his destiny."" Wikipedia’s definition of Narrative Conflict The story takes place in Los Angeles, USA, and China. (Use of Lonely Planet Guides) Log-line: A 2020-year-old book causing occult phenomenons leads Wolf and Poppy on an adventure in mysterious China where they defeat ancient monsters to save their world. |
Oct. 01: - Plot: What If? ▼ Every good story starts with a 'what if'. What if a young boy discovers he's a wizard? What if a girl discovers a world hidden inside her wardrobe? What if there was a cemetery where pets came back to life if they were buried there? What if dinosaurs were real again? In this exercise, imagine your story and your main character(s). Who is(are) the character(s)? Why do we care about them? What happens to them, and why is it a problem? (If it's not a problem, it's just life, not a story. *Wink*) Spend at least 15 minutes imagining all the possibilities in your story. Make a list of every possible 'what if' you can think of. Nothing is off-limits here - let your brain go. Answers to questions & List what if's (15 minutes with timer) - Wolf Meyer and Poppy Ryan meet at an auction in Los Angeles. He will buy an item, an old Chinese book; she is writing an article about auctions. It clicks. They meet again, and then things start to become weird. There is a fire in the basement while nobody is in the house; Poppy's cat is missing, and Wolf's dog gets a freaky accident. They experience mysterious phenomenons like knocking sounds in the middle of the night, pawprints in the bathroom, reflections in mirrors. They investigate the cause of the trouble: the Chinese book. They travel to China and encounter several monsters described in the book. (…) In Los Angeles, they have to react fast to change the chain of events and save the city from harm. What if… # somebody else wanted to buy the book but wasn't there on time # the book was too expensive for Wolf # Wolf is a male escort instead of a poet # Wolf never met Poppy # They were followed when leaving the auction with the book # They didn't believe the occult phenomenons # he wins a lot of money in the lottery so he can travel to China # the monsters in China were real # the monsters in China were hallucinations # they couldn't save the city # they could save the city # Poppy turns out to be one of them # the book got destroyed # Poppy and the book disappeared |
| PREP Challenge OCTOBER Working Title: The Shanhaijing Prophecy or The Modern World Monsters. PLOT1 & 2 interwoven. Plot1: A 2020-year-old Chinese book shows up at an auction. The main character, Wolf Meyer buys it cheap because no one recognizes its significance to the world. He meets a girl, Poppy Ryan. Strange events occur in their lives (the house is suddenly set on fire, pets disappear, the main character experiences occult phenomenons like knocking sounds in the middle of the night, pawprints in the bathroom, reflections in mirrors). Together they investigate in China. They meet monsters. Book predicts a deadline for a major disaster that hits their city (Los Angeles?) and will kill many people. Can they stop the prophecy? Plot2: The story of the ancient book Shanhaijing, The Book of Mountains and Seas revealed. An extraordinary encyclopedia containing strange and terrifying creatures that the Ancient Chinese believed existed on Earth. Bibliography The Mythology Bible (2009) by Sarah Bartlett p.292-293 China, Lonely Planet, 2017 USA, Lonely Planet, 2004 The book of Mountains and Seas, 1999, Penguin Classic https://karkadann.fandom.com/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas https://totallyhistory.com/shan-hai-jing/ https://novelmao.com/chapter/world-of-immortals-shan-hai-jing-1/ |
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But I want to be prepared. Last year I just wrote a novel in 30 days flying by the seat of my pants, this year I want to do more research in advance. I am very curious about what that will bring me. Which take will work the best for me? I've got a working title: Shanhaijing Now. Reference to a very famous Asian book from decades ago. The Shanhaijing, The Book of Mountains and Seas may be more than 2,000 years old. It's an extraordinary encyclopedia containing strange and terrifying creatures that the Ancient Chinese believed existed on Earth. (The Mythology Bible by Sarah Bartlett, p. 292-293} https://karkadann.fandom.com/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas Why this title? It just sounds good. I don't know. I may change it during these two months. It can be an action novel, a cultural and mysterious story. That's all I got so far. worldbuilding template "Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragons intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon." ― G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles |
This pandemic year began in the Netherlands, Europe on March 13 when our Prime Minister announced that during that weekend bars and restaurants would be closed and a partial lockdown was installed. It was called Intelligent lockdown which boiled down to: take your responsibility, wash your hands frequently, avoid mass gatherings, and practice social distancing. Wearing masks was questionable at that time. WC: 624 "Invalid Item" |
25 things I am grateful for:  1. My dog Arie whom I love to bits2. The home that comforts me3. My bed when I am tired4. My computer to work on5. My monthly income6. The 1675 words every day sofar for NaNoWriMo 20207. WdC for my daily fix8. My friends and family members (online and offline)9. Music that nourishes me10. Books and DVDs11. My blog to express myself12. My health in general13. My brain still functioning well14. Zoomies every fortnight15. My groceries delivery’s service16. To be of help to my neighbor when I call her every day for 9 months now17. That my brother tested negative for Covid two times18. That I didn’t catch Covid sofar19. Being born in The Netherlands, Europe20. For the changing of the seasons21. Electricity, water, and gas in my apartment22. For the joy in writing23. For my daily food and drinks24. For waking up every morning25. For the reading glasses that I need
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I don't really know what got into me, but I signed up for NaNoWriMo 2020. It's a cool site and I got my first badge and diploma for doing the tutorial. If you're used to the WritingML of WdC then it's easy to navigate their site. |
"Resurrection Jukebox" [E]My sweet Lord (1970) by George Harrison (1943-2001) My sweet Lord Mmm, my Lord Mmm, my Lord I really wanna see you Really wanna be with you Really wanna see you, Lord But it takes so long, my Lord My sweet Lord Mmm, my Lord Mmm, my Lord I really wanna know you I'd really wanna go with you I really wanna show you, Lord That it won't take long, my Lord (Hallelujah) My sweet Lord (Hallelujah) Mmm, my Lord (Hallelujah) My sweet Lord (Hallelujah) I really wanna see you Really wanna see you Really wanna see you, Lord Really wanna see you, Lord But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah) My sweet Lord (Hallelujah) Mmm, my Lord (Hallelujah) My, my, my Lord (Hallelujah) I really wanna know you (Hallelujah) Really wanna go with you (Hallelujah) I really wanna show you, Lord That it won't take long, my Lord (Hallelujah) Mmmmm (Hallelujah) My sweet Lord (Hallelujah) My, my Lord (Hallelujah) Mmm, my Lord (Hare Krishna) My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna) Oh, oh, my sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna) Ooh (Hare Hare) Now, I really wanna see you (Hare Rama) Really wanna be with you (Hare Rama) Really wanna see you, Lord But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah) Mmm, my Lord (Hallelujah) My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna) My, my sweet Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna) Ah, oh, my Lord (Hare Hare) Mmmmm (Gurur Brahma) Mmmmm (Gurur Vishnu) Mmmmm (Gurur Devo) Mmmmm (Maheshwara) My sweet Lord (Gurur Sakshaat) My sweet Lord (Para Brahma) My, my, my Lord (Tasmayi Shree) My, my, my, my Lord (Guruve Namah) My, my sweet Lord (Hare Rama) (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna) My, my sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna) My, my sweet Lord (Hare Hare) My Sweet Mmm, mmm I really wanna see you Wanna be with you See you But, so long! My sweet, mmm, mmm Wanna know you Wanna go with you Show you Won't take long Halleluja, my sweet Wanna see you My sweet Mmm, my, my, my Wanna know Wanna go Wanna show It won't take long Mmmmm, my sweet, my, my Mmm, oh, oh, ooh Now, I really wanna see you really wanna be with you Wanna see you But, so long! Mmm, my, my, my, my, my My sweet Ah, oh, my Mmmmm My sweet lord. ** Image ID #2233645 Unavailable ** |
One (2000) by Johnny Cash (1932-2003) Cover, writers: U2 Is it getting better Or do you feel the same? Will it make it easier on you, now You got someone to blame? You said one love, one life When it's one need in the night One love, we get to share it It leaves you, baby, if you don't care for it Did I disappoint you Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never had love And you want me to go without Well, it's too late tonight To drag the past out into the light We're one, but we're not the same We get to carry each other, carry each other One Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play Jesus To the lepers in your head? Did I ask too much? More than a lot You gave me nothing, now it's all I got We're one, but we're not the same Well, we hurt each other, and we're doing it again You say love is a temple, love the higher law Love is a temple, love the higher law You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl And I can't be holding on to what you've got When all you've got is hurt One love, one blood One life, you've got to do what you should One life with each other Sisters, brothers One life, but we're not the same We get to carry each other, carry each other One One On Is it better? Do you feel to blame? One life One in the night One love leaves if you don't care Did I disappoint? Leave a bad taste? You act like you never had me To go without Well, it's too late Past out Light Not the same Carry each other On Come here To raise To play in your head I ask too much More Nothing It's all I got On Not the same Well, we're doing it again Say, love A temple, the higher law Ask me to enter You make me holding on All you've got On Love, blood, life Each other Not the same Carry each other On. ** Image ID #2233645 Unavailable ** |
Famous Blue Raincoat (1971) by Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) Famous Blue Raincoat It's four in the morning, the end of December I'm writing you now just to see if you're better New York is cold, but I like where I'm living There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening I hear that you're building Your little house deep in the desert You're living for nothing now I hope you're keeping some kind of record Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair She said that you gave it to her That night that you planned to go clear Did you ever go clear? Oh, the last time we saw you you looked so much older Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder You'd been to the station to meet every train But then you came home without Lili Marlene And you treated my woman To a flake of your life And when she came back She was nobody's wife Well, I see you there with the rose in your teeth One more thin gypsy thief Well I see Jane's awake She sends her regard And what can I tell you my brother, my killer? What can I possibly say? I guess that I miss you. I guess I forgive you I'm glad you stood in my way If you ever come by here For Jane or for me Well, your enemy is sleeping And his woman is free Yes, and thanks for the trouble You took from her eyes I thought it was there for good So I never tried And Jane came by with a lock of your hair She said that you gave it to her That night that you planned to go clear Sincerely, a friend Famous Rain It's morning, the End! I'm writing you: I like where I'm living There's music I hear Deep in the living some kind of record Yes, you said that night You planned to go Did you? Oh, the famous rain Been to the station every train came without you Life! Well, I see you one more gypsy I send regard What can I tell you, my killer? What can I possibly say? I miss you, I guess I'm glad If you ever come here Well, sleeping is free You took I tried You gave That night Sincerely, a friend. ** Image ID #2170457 Unavailable ** |
"Resurrection Jukebox" [E]White Christmas (1942) by Bing Crosby (1903-1977) I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten And children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow I'm dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card, I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know, (uh, uh, uh) Where the treetops glisten And children listen to hear Sleighbells in the snow I'm dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card, I write May your days be merry and bright... And may all your Christmases be white... Xmas Dreaming of Xmas Like the ones to know Treetops glisten Listen to bells in the snow. I'm dreaming of Xmas I write merry and bright All your Xmasses dreaming uhuh, uh The treetops glisten Children, hear sleighbells in the snow I'm dreaming Every card I write May your days be bright. ** Image ID #2233645 Unavailable ** |
Me and Bobby Mc Gee (1971) by Janis Joplin (1943-1970) Cover, written by Kris Kristofferson Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train When I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained And rode us all the way into New Orleans I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana I's playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues Windshield wipers slappin' time I's holdin' Bobby's hand in mine We sang every song that driver knew Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose Nothin', it ain't nothin' honey, if it ain't free And feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues You know feelin' good was good enough for me Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun Yeah, Bobby shared the secrets of my soul Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done Yeah, Bobby baby kept me from the cold One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away He's lookin' for that home and I hope he finds it Well, I'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose Nothin', and that's all that Bobby left me Well, feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues And feelin' good was good enough for me Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee, yeah La da da, la da daa, la da daa da daa da daa La da da da daa dadada Bobby McGee-ah La li daa da daa daa, la da daa da daa La la laa la daada Bobby McGee-ah yeah La di da, ladida LA dida LA di daa, ladida LA dida LA di daa Hey now Bobby now now Bobby McGee yeah Lo lo LO lolo LO lo laa, lololo LO lolo LO lolo LO lolo LO la laa Hey now Bobby now now Bobby McGee yeah Lord, I called him my lover, I called him my man I said I called him my lover, did the best I can C'mon, hey now Bobby now, hey now Bobby McGee, yeah Lo lo Lord, a Lord, a Lord, a Lord, a Lord, a Lord, a Lord, oh Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, Lord Me and Bobby Busted, waitin' feelin' as faded as my jeans before it rained I pulled my dirty red while Bobby sang the blues Windshield wipers slappin' that driver knew Freedom's for nothin' Nothin', if it ain't free Feelin' good when he sang the blues good enough for me and Bobby, gee From Kentucky to California Yeah, the secrets of my soul All kinds of weather everything kept me from the cold One day I slip away looking, I hope Well, all my tomorrows for one single to be holdin' next to Freedom, just for nothin' That's all that left was easy when he sang the blues Feelin' good Good enough for me and Bobby, yeah La da da, la da daa, la da daa da daa da daa La da da da daa dadada La li daa da daa daa, la da daa da daa La la laa la daada ah yeah La di da, ladida LA dida LA di daa, ladida LA dida LA di daa Hey now Bobby now now Bobby yeah Lo lo LO lolo LO lo laa, lololo LO lolo LO lolo LO lolo LO la laa Hey now Bobby now now Bobby yeah oh hey, hey, hey, Bobby ** Image ID #2233645 Unavailable ** |
"Resurrection Jukebox" [E]Blue Moon (1934) by Billie Holiday (1915-1959) Writers: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart Blue moon You saw me standing alone without a dream in my heart Without a love of my own Blue moon You knew just what I was there for Blue moon You heard me saying a prayer for Blue moon Someone I really could care for And then they suddenly appeared before me The only one my arms will ever hold I heard somebody whisper Please adore me And when I looked The moon had turned to gold Blue You saw a dream A love, blue You knew what I was, Blue Someone for me my arms will hold Somebody! Whisper, please. ** Image ID #2235392 Unavailable ** |
"Resurrection Jukebox" [E]Everyday (1958) by Buddy Holly (1936-1959) Songwriters: Buddy Holly and Norman Petty "Everyday" Every day, it's a-gettin' closer Goin' faster than a roller coaster Love like yours will surely come my way A-hey, a-hey hey Every day, it's a-gettin' faster Everyone said, "Go ahead and ask her" Love like yours will surely come my way A-hey, a-hey hey Every day seems a little longer Every way, love's a little stronger Come what may, do you ever long for True love from me? Every day, it's a-gettin' closer Goin' faster than a roller coaster Love like yours will surely come my way A-hey, a-hey hey Every day seems a little longer Every way, love's a little stronger Come what may, do you ever long for True love from me? Every day, it's a-gettin' closer Goin' faster than a roller coaster Love like yours will surely come my way A-hey, a-hey hey Love like yours will surely come my way Every day Every day gettin'-closer Goin' faster Love will come A-hey, a-hey, hey Every day Everyone said Love will surely come A-hey, a-hey, hey A little longer A little stronger Do you ever long for Love? Every day gettin' closer faster than a roller coaster Love will come My way A-hey, a-hey, hey Come what may A-hey, a-hey, hey ** Image ID #2233645 Unavailable ** |
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