As many other internet go-ers, I stumbled over the concept of buying things over the internet.
As I was looking around, I noticed how the values of a book is graded. When you buy a book from a store you usually pay around 7 British pounds for it, or 100 Swedish crowns. After that book has been read once, if it is a pocket-book, it will re-retail for around 3 British pounds.
Isn't that crazy? We pay so much for a new book, and after one read, it is barely worth anything.
And even though it might sound a bit weird, I get a bit emotionally attached to all my books. Recently I decided to sell my Hunger Games trilogy through the Swedish Ebay "Tradera" against better judgement.
I thought it wouldn't be so bad, since I did not enjoy the series particularly much. But when it came down to it, I do not want to send them off! I read them, cried over the protagonists, and hated the antagonists. Now someone else will put them in their bookshelf. The only comfort is that the series had clashing colored covers and did not fit in well with the rest.
All that is left is to package them, and then ship them away...
So I ask you, dear reader; how do we value books? It is not so much about their story after the first read. We hand them off to a new pair of hands to grasp them, and cling to the pages, ripping their hair out over the plot twists, just like you did the first time you read that exact, same passage.
How do we know they do not just become a pretty addition on someone else's bookshelf?
And why do we care?
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-12-07
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
NaNo Day 7 Wrap up - It's been a week
And my story is progressing too fast. (To get to some motivational mo-jo, scroll down a bit)
We all have our problems when writing. If you don't plan ahead, you might be lost and the plot is a dead end. If you do plan ahead (which I did this year) you might rush the very first bit. This is both because I am not an avid writer, I don't sit down 365 days a year and just, write, and also because I knew where I was going.
When you have a specific goal in mind, and it is right there, so close you can actually touch it, you don't think "Oh hey well I really like this road better, it has pretty flowers next to it!" *and there is today's first failed metaphor*. So in other words, I rushed past some big parts in my character building and exposure phase. Because I want my story to say BAM! I am HERE! Read ME!
So the problem? Now my part that I had anticipated being 5000 words is a mere 2000. Well done.
So what do you do? Should you revise it?
NO! Follow this NaNo rule when we are talking segments in the begining. The plot isn't set in stone. It is a first draft for goodness sake.
Leave. It. Alone. (for now I know it hurts trust me)
So motivation to keep going? I guess I promised that yesterday because I actually felt motivated, but them I realized it was past midnight and I was tired.
MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-UNO;
Do you know how many words you had 7 days ago? Zero! Nothing. You had absolutely nothing. Now look at the tiny little "infant-seed-child-novel" you have started. (Do not picture what that thing would look like literally) It is your baby! It is frowned upon to dislike babies. You can only do it on others peoples, but only after they are gone and can't hear you. You can't be the parent and the mean single friend! Think about that!
MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-DOUS; (I am so sorry I don't speak Spanish at all)
Do you know how many words there is in the first version of Romeo and Juliet? 25599!
Do you know how many words there are in A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer, one of the most best selling books of all time and one of my favourites? 32404!
(And you International Baccalaureate students; One Extended Essay can be maximum 4000 words. A novel of 50000 is approximately 12,5 EE's!)
MOTIVATIONAL THINGY-TREISE; (I should just stop but I can't)
Not writing one day doesn't make you a bad writer. Not writing two days in a row doesn't make you a bad writer. Not even if you don't write for three whole days, does anyone get to call you a bad writer. The only bad writer is the person who never writes. Don't be that person.
That's it. Hold on to the little facts. Think percentage wise. Punch out how many percent done you are right now. Your word count, divided by 50000. Now promise to write at least one percent today. And another tomorrow.
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-11-07
We all have our problems when writing. If you don't plan ahead, you might be lost and the plot is a dead end. If you do plan ahead (which I did this year) you might rush the very first bit. This is both because I am not an avid writer, I don't sit down 365 days a year and just, write, and also because I knew where I was going.
When you have a specific goal in mind, and it is right there, so close you can actually touch it, you don't think "Oh hey well I really like this road better, it has pretty flowers next to it!" *and there is today's first failed metaphor*. So in other words, I rushed past some big parts in my character building and exposure phase. Because I want my story to say BAM! I am HERE! Read ME!
So the problem? Now my part that I had anticipated being 5000 words is a mere 2000. Well done.
So what do you do? Should you revise it?
NO! Follow this NaNo rule when we are talking segments in the begining. The plot isn't set in stone. It is a first draft for goodness sake.
Leave. It. Alone. (for now I know it hurts trust me)
So motivation to keep going? I guess I promised that yesterday because I actually felt motivated, but them I realized it was past midnight and I was tired.
MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-UNO;
Do you know how many words you had 7 days ago? Zero! Nothing. You had absolutely nothing. Now look at the tiny little "infant-seed-child-novel" you have started. (Do not picture what that thing would look like literally) It is your baby! It is frowned upon to dislike babies. You can only do it on others peoples, but only after they are gone and can't hear you. You can't be the parent and the mean single friend! Think about that!
MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-DOUS; (I am so sorry I don't speak Spanish at all)
Do you know how many words there is in the first version of Romeo and Juliet? 25599!
Do you know how many words there are in A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer, one of the most best selling books of all time and one of my favourites? 32404!
(And you International Baccalaureate students; One Extended Essay can be maximum 4000 words. A novel of 50000 is approximately 12,5 EE's!)
MOTIVATIONAL THINGY-TREISE; (I should just stop but I can't)
Not writing one day doesn't make you a bad writer. Not writing two days in a row doesn't make you a bad writer. Not even if you don't write for three whole days, does anyone get to call you a bad writer. The only bad writer is the person who never writes. Don't be that person.
That's it. Hold on to the little facts. Think percentage wise. Punch out how many percent done you are right now. Your word count, divided by 50000. Now promise to write at least one percent today. And another tomorrow.
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-11-07
Friday, October 18, 2013
Who ARE you?!
NaNoWriMo. Would you stop getting so close to me?!
I have found a general idea. I have a setting. Now if my main characters would just come together that would be real sweet of them. But no of course not, they gotta heave their ulterior motives, plot twists and general quirks that "make them realistic". Let me introduce you to problem person numero uno;
Meet Main character #1;
She is a mid-twenty year old, above average achiever. She is clear on the worlds politics, and understands what ambition means. Being brought up in the world where children are placed with promising young adults she was at a generally young age educated by a woman that tainted her whole life. She is genetically near perfect, with a strong bloodline. She places on the outer edges of the Prospect Triangle, ensuring her a safe life as one of the many corporations future heads. She is at peace with this and understands why the new world needed to replace the old one, the one where uneducated, barbaric people ruled "countries". She is knowledgeable, and reads much. Her preoccupation up to the age of 15 was studying basic foundation knowledge as other humans, but has since taken tests and landed a spot in a corporation working with evaluating children and placing them in households of matching adolescents. The only point on the Triangle where she is failing is the Social Adaptive Capabilities, where in casual conversation she is easily distracted and not clear in speech. She is ignorant to any conflict around her, yet is fascinated by the months Fairytales that come to her household of the time. She discusses them well with colleagues, and takes a special interest in articles with "past-progressors". These are old fairytales that have been reprinted. They feature things such as pop culture, art and other ingenuity that no longer seems to come out. She even learnt to read sheet music from a much earlier era as a passion. She also has an interest in baby things, such as shoes for tiny feet, and small mittens. She harbors a collection of them in her stow-away keep-safe. She is proud of her genetics but doesn't brag about results from the tests she has taken. Has promised herself that one day she will meet her Mother and thank her.
That is the introductory person, the person we meet before the plot has started.
The next person is Main character #2;
He is the Notor of Fairytales. Basically a journalist in our language, yet to be published for a long article, still working his way up but has since started given up on progressing past official documents. He is snide, rude, and often serious. He employs heavy sarcasm in his speech, a function often lost on the people around him. He pities the screwed up, wind-up people who strive for greatness and feels its just an imaginary carrot the corporations dangle in front of their noses. Loosely expresses this opinion in his papers but all sarcasm is lost in the readers. He was one of the most promising males in his division. This scored him an official job, and access to the function of marriage, something reserved for the very top ranking people. He and Female Antagonist are married, she will be introduced later. It is not a happy marriage because she is if possible the driest person ever. He does love her though, through all of it. They are one of the stories sub-plots. He is aware of all official things.
I can't decide completely on the perspective. I want to write it in the beginning as her story but then I am realizing that his story might have more to say. Probably going to use both in NaNo and then when I edit choose one that works best.
That's it for now. At least I have something to show for working so hard!
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-18
I have found a general idea. I have a setting. Now if my main characters would just come together that would be real sweet of them. But no of course not, they gotta heave their ulterior motives, plot twists and general quirks that "make them realistic". Let me introduce you to problem person numero uno;
Meet Main character #1;
She is a mid-twenty year old, above average achiever. She is clear on the worlds politics, and understands what ambition means. Being brought up in the world where children are placed with promising young adults she was at a generally young age educated by a woman that tainted her whole life. She is genetically near perfect, with a strong bloodline. She places on the outer edges of the Prospect Triangle, ensuring her a safe life as one of the many corporations future heads. She is at peace with this and understands why the new world needed to replace the old one, the one where uneducated, barbaric people ruled "countries". She is knowledgeable, and reads much. Her preoccupation up to the age of 15 was studying basic foundation knowledge as other humans, but has since taken tests and landed a spot in a corporation working with evaluating children and placing them in households of matching adolescents. The only point on the Triangle where she is failing is the Social Adaptive Capabilities, where in casual conversation she is easily distracted and not clear in speech. She is ignorant to any conflict around her, yet is fascinated by the months Fairytales that come to her household of the time. She discusses them well with colleagues, and takes a special interest in articles with "past-progressors". These are old fairytales that have been reprinted. They feature things such as pop culture, art and other ingenuity that no longer seems to come out. She even learnt to read sheet music from a much earlier era as a passion. She also has an interest in baby things, such as shoes for tiny feet, and small mittens. She harbors a collection of them in her stow-away keep-safe. She is proud of her genetics but doesn't brag about results from the tests she has taken. Has promised herself that one day she will meet her Mother and thank her.
That is the introductory person, the person we meet before the plot has started.
The next person is Main character #2;
He is the Notor of Fairytales. Basically a journalist in our language, yet to be published for a long article, still working his way up but has since started given up on progressing past official documents. He is snide, rude, and often serious. He employs heavy sarcasm in his speech, a function often lost on the people around him. He pities the screwed up, wind-up people who strive for greatness and feels its just an imaginary carrot the corporations dangle in front of their noses. Loosely expresses this opinion in his papers but all sarcasm is lost in the readers. He was one of the most promising males in his division. This scored him an official job, and access to the function of marriage, something reserved for the very top ranking people. He and Female Antagonist are married, she will be introduced later. It is not a happy marriage because she is if possible the driest person ever. He does love her though, through all of it. They are one of the stories sub-plots. He is aware of all official things.
I can't decide completely on the perspective. I want to write it in the beginning as her story but then I am realizing that his story might have more to say. Probably going to use both in NaNo and then when I edit choose one that works best.
That's it for now. At least I have something to show for working so hard!
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-18
Sunday, October 6, 2013
1st edition cover page for NaNowriMo 2013 novel
Here's the first edition of the cover I have made, because it looks awfully empty without it!
Okay, so I lied!
I didn't update as planned, but who ever does? I did however spend a lot of time thinking about my novel. It's such a long way until November, but still it's just around the corner and there is so much to do! Let's make a NaNoWriMo check list of what needs to be done (okay I just really want a good reason to postpone actually developing the idea at this point because usually that's where things get messy, untidy, and unclear)
Things a novel need:
- A title. A strong, poetic, special, non-cliché title. This does not necessarily need to be in place as writing begins.
- A setting. Work with geographical, historical and social. You can be ambiguous about one of three when writing, but choose wisely otherwise you'll end up being the bed-headboard-book-equalizer because you so uneven in yo language not even IKEA could assemble you straight.
- A main character. Or many, I mean let's be honest, isn't dual-narratives becoming a real thing lately? But be careful, or you might end up with half-naked characters (figuratively speaking).
- A plot. At least something that remotely resembles it. There are different types of novels, character based, plot based or setting based. (I made the last one up completely, it sounds awful, but the idea is there nevertheless) What did you start out with? It will be obvious to the reader what was there first; plot, character or setting.
Things I need:
- Lists. Of everything that could/would/should/might/will happen.
- A cover. I want to imagine the world and DO I wish I could draw. I have the hand-eye coordination of a one-winged seagull. Of course, they don't have hands at all... Poor things.
- Caffeine. Coffee is fine. Red Bull is better.
And what of this do I have as of this moment? Nada. Like literally nothing. I mean literally, as in there is so little substantial material written down right now we might as well not. Fret not. The day will come when ideas start coming to me again. Until then, I will blog selflessly in denial of the passing of time.
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-06
Things a novel need:
- A title. A strong, poetic, special, non-cliché title. This does not necessarily need to be in place as writing begins.
- A setting. Work with geographical, historical and social. You can be ambiguous about one of three when writing, but choose wisely otherwise you'll end up being the bed-headboard-book-equalizer because you so uneven in yo language not even IKEA could assemble you straight.
- A main character. Or many, I mean let's be honest, isn't dual-narratives becoming a real thing lately? But be careful, or you might end up with half-naked characters (figuratively speaking).
- A plot. At least something that remotely resembles it. There are different types of novels, character based, plot based or setting based. (I made the last one up completely, it sounds awful, but the idea is there nevertheless) What did you start out with? It will be obvious to the reader what was there first; plot, character or setting.
Things I need:
- Lists. Of everything that could/would/should/might/will happen.
- A cover. I want to imagine the world and DO I wish I could draw. I have the hand-eye coordination of a one-winged seagull. Of course, they don't have hands at all... Poor things.
- Caffeine. Coffee is fine. Red Bull is better.
And what of this do I have as of this moment? Nada. Like literally nothing. I mean literally, as in there is so little substantial material written down right now we might as well not. Fret not. The day will come when ideas start coming to me again. Until then, I will blog selflessly in denial of the passing of time.
By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-06
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
What I know and don't know
A couple of years back I was like any other teenager. I wanted to get a DSLR camera, and so I did (after much saving). I got it when I was 13, and since then... Well, let's just say that it hasn't been used much. I am a sucker for new challenges. However, if things get too hard, or there are no answers, I bore easily. Take this example of one of my first photos:
It is washed out, and bland, but I was so happy I understood lens flare! (This is also a good example of how opportunity meets luck)
However I progressed, and learnt that even though nature photos are "nice", I wanted "fun". And to me, fun means straight out life caught on camera! This is an example photo taken a while after winter passed.
.jpg)
It is washed out, and bland, but I was so happy I understood lens flare! (This is also a good example of how opportunity meets luck)
However I progressed, and learnt that even though nature photos are "nice", I wanted "fun". And to me, fun means straight out life caught on camera! This is an example photo taken a while after winter passed.
An that is what colour coordination looks like. This was in aperture priority mode (AV on my PENTAX), 5.6 F, shutter speed 1/400 sek and an ISO of 200, no zoom, no flash. The light is actually coming from behind Mollie, but thanks to the low ISO, light envelops her even with a relatively normal shutter speed.
Here is another example;
This photo was also taken in aperture priority mode, 4 F, shutter speed 1/40 sek and ISO 1600, with a 18-55 standard kit lens, zoomed all the way in. The high ISO allows for bad lighting, but a high shutter speed as well. The aperture is relatively low, giving a very blurred background, and its manually locked to focus on a very small spot around eleven o'clock.
This picture on the other hand;
is taken with ISO 400, 8 F, and shutter speed 1/125 sek. It's also worth to mention it's taken with a 55-300 kit lens. The "higher" aperture allows for the black to be blacker. The low ISO makes sure the colours don't get washed out. Shutter speed is balanced to show contrast and definition to the details of the birds and trees. SO. Balance huh? Can't be that hard!
Everyone loves to see "Don't do this things". Here you go:
The lens is all wrong! This is the 18-55 lens. It is paired with a high ISO of 180, and a too low aperture of 6,3. It was taken in full manual mode, all zoomed out and no flash. Below is comparatively an image taken under the right circumstances:
This was taken with the 55-300 lens, zoomed out, without flash. The ISO is lowered to 800, and the aperture is 5,6. It was take on my cameras "Portrait mode" which means all I change is the ISO, and this is done on feel and trial and error.
This is an example of placement and alignment. The settings are identical. ISO 800, F 5,6, shutter speed 1/2 sek taken at 42 mm zoom with the kit lens. Many times you dont need to photoshop things like this, but to make them more attractive you could tilt them, or add a black and white filter, which is the cheepest editing trick you can do, but it works!
Well that last one might be over done to prove a point, but see what a little shuffling and black and white can do? Here are some examples of over worked photos:
I think that's all for today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)