Ask Me Anything Answers! (One Year of Blogging)

So, for my first blog anniversary/birthday, I decided to have an Ask Me Anything post! I posted the announcement about two weeks ago, but here are (finally) the answers!

Thanks all for your great questions, I had so much fun with this! :D I'm going to color code the different people's questions for both your sake and mine. So, in no particular order, here we go!
*WARNING* this may be a very gif-filled post...I usually try to avoid using too many in one post, but this time...why not use 'em?

Gray's (and as you can see her questions are in gray...wink wink) Questions: 

• What made you start blogging?

Well, to make a long story short, I was inspired by a Very Dear Friend. She introduced me to the blogging world and I was immediately interested. So, with a lot of help from her, I started this blog, mainly just for fun and for a little spot to try and arrange some of my thoughts into coherent words. 

• Plotter or panster?

I guess it would depend on what exactly I'm writing.  Usually, I get a basic idea in my mind, and then I just sit down and start scribbling in my notebooks. (I always write a manual draft first, on actual paper, with actual ink, before I start typing.) I never use outlines. I've tried a couple times and, I don't know, they just don't really work right for me. I mean, I do PLAN things and I have a pretty good idea of what's happening throughout my stories, but I don't write many of my plans down. They're all in my head. So, I plan my plot out in my head pretty well, but the actual content of the story just pops up as I write it. I guess I'm half plotter, half panster! But I probably am more of a panster, since I hardly write my plot planning down. :D

• Favorite Star Wars movie?

Oh boy.
Wow.

I...don't know. 

I like them all for different reasons...but okay, let's think. I love the original trilogy of course, and episodes VII and VIII a great deal (and the prequels but...not as much, and, by way of confession, I haven't actually seen episode III). Then there's Rogue One and Solo to deal with. *groans* GRAY!!! I can't decide about this!!!! I don't know, I might have to say The Empire Strikes Back, just because of the iconic-ness and the nostalgic-ness. A New Hope has gotten rather boring after seeing it so many times, but episode V still has something fun about it. And I LOVE the new ones, actually I have considered episode VII as my favorite, but, ya know, I've got to stay true to the originals. And how can you beat Luke's rabbit face? (Although, the prequels are the best for memes...and the new ones are just really really fun.) 

• How do you like your coffee (or tea)?

Coffee: sweet!! Lots of sugar, and a slight bit of cream. Or, if I'm buying it instead of making it at home, with chocolate in it and whipped cream on top. Mocha lattes are my one weakness. ;) 

Tea: depends on the kind. I like black tea with, again, lots of sugar, and some half-and-half, so tasty. So, as you can tell, this girl ain't super healthy. I like my sugar.

• Favorite quote?

*very loud internal screaming* Ummmmmmmm....well, since Bible verses are kind of a given, I will give what is, if not my VERY most favoritest quote of all times, is certainly one of my most quoted. I actually have it up on my sidebar thingy here, close to the top! 

• Favorite scene to write in a book?

Very depressing, sad, tragic scenes. 

No, well, I do actually like to write touching, emotional scenes, just...I don't know why. I like to try and make myself feel it, I guess. I really like to write parent-child relationships in a way that does not include anger between the two generations. And I like to write conversations too, just people chatting and interacting, trying to get everyone's unique voice and personality right in their characters. As Tolkien has said, "The trouble is that 'hobbit talk' amuses me privately...more than adventures..."  

• Favorite type of character trope?

Hmm...I guess that I don't have a specific type of character that I like. I do like characters that are rough and maybe a little bit cold on the outside, but then once you get to know them, there's a heart of gold underneath that grumpiness. That being said, I am a sucker for tragic backstories. (SORRY! But tragic backstories are very fun in fiction, especially when you're the one writing them!) On a more pleasant note, I like characters who are fun, talkative, and just kind of silly as well. They are very fun to write, especially if they are cheerful. And they are fun to read and watch too. 

I could talk about my favorite types of characters literally all day, but of course you don't want to hear that. I guess that, to sum up, I like different types of characters in different settings. They all have a place, and they all serve their purpose. I like them all!!!! I think my very most favorite, though, are inseparable duos. You know, like Pippin and Merry, Frodo and Sam, Lightning McQueen and Mater...all the greats. Oh, and quirky characters. People who have a different way about them than most. (Anna, you need to stop, you've written two paragraphs and this is supposed to be a short answer.) Okay, I'll stop now. But maybe I should write a post about my favorite character types...;) 

Andrew's Questions: 

• Favorite US President?

Well, this is awkward, because I don't have a favorite U.S. President...and I guess you could say that my high school history curriculum focused more on ancient Greece, Rome, and Europe than on presidents of the United States of America. I don't know, I guess I don't know quite enough about them to have a particular favorite. 

• Preferred medieval/fantasy weapon of choice?

Swords are just downright cool. That's all there is to it. Bonus points if the sword glows blue when orcs are nearby, but of course that's just LOTR. I guess that sword is my favorite, but, thinking logically and realistically, if I had to use a medieval/fantasy weapon, I would go for a bow, since I'm a girl and most swords are pretty heavy, if you are considering historical accuracy. Bows can be a little less strenuous and more do-able, and I think I'd be better at that.

• Are you afraid of spiders?

YES. Usually. If I know that they are there, and I'm know that I'm going to see a spider, it's not so bad. But the thing is, they almost always jump out and startle me.

• Most stupid purchase/case of buyers regret?

Oooh, that's a hard one. I guess I usually don't have buyer's regret, because I spend so much time agonizing about my purchases before I make them that I usually have a pretty good idea of how useful/practical what I'm buying will be. Hmm, but maybe this music book that I got for like 15 dollars. It's a little book of Irish folk tunes, which I expected to be super cool, but was very disappointing. The arrangements are stupid, and it certainly did not meet up to my expectations. 

Natalie's Questions:

• Would YOU enjoy storming a castle?

As long as I had all the right equipment: at least two companions (one of whom would be a giant), a wheelbarrow, and a holocaust cloak. :D

• What character would you enjoy as a companion on a trip around the world?

Can dragons count as characters???? Because, if so, Toothless would be an amazing companion! Plus, he can fly, so ya know, transportation is a lot easier that way. 

• Have you taken the Meyers Brigg personality test and if so, what "type" are you?

I haven't taken the "official" one (cause you have to pay, and who's gonna do that?), but I did take a couple "pirated" tests and got INFJ, the Advocate. Apparently this is the rarest personality type, with less than 2% of the population being INFJ. So, according to this page, I am the same personality type as J.K. Rowling, Adolf Hitler, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Prince Caspian, Galadriel, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a bunch of others that I don't recognize. Weird! I wonder how they decide what people in the past/in fiction are which types?

• Favorite kind of music to listen to while driving?

There are a lot of different types of music I listen to, and I usually just put my library on shuffle. I like, for driving, music that is not boring. I like mellow stuff, and energetic stuff. Cheerful, and gloomy songs. But here are some things, just a very small sampling, that I have recently liked listening to: 

Runaway Train by Steven Delopoulos

Fields of Gold by Sting

Closer to the Edge by Burlap to Cashmere

• Ice cream or cake?

Ice cream all the way!!! I do like cake quite a bit, but if I had to choose, it would almost always be ice cream (or just get ice cream cake...make things easier for everyone). :D 

• Pick one character from Lord of the Rings, one from Narnia, and one from Harry Potter to be your friends. What kind of activities would you do?

Oooh, that's a hard one! I think that (going easiest first), I would have tea with Professor McGonagall--she has always been a favorite of mine for some reason. Then I would go for a horseback ride through the Narnian woods with Lucy. I think that she would be a whole lot of fun, and we would have a great time together, since Susan would be busy doing whatever she does at the castle. Now for the hard one. GAH! I like all the Lord of the Rings characters too much! I would like to have them ALL as my friends, in fact, maybe I'll just tag along with the entire Fellowship!
Oh well, since that is against Natalie's specific "one," I'm going to say probably Pippin. I would like to go on long walks throughout Hobbiton, getting introduced to various random friends and relations, and then head back and have a meal, maybe at Bag End, if Bilbo would feed us. That would be a good time! Pippin seems like he would be a fun sort of person. Then all four of us--me, Pippin, Lucy, and Minerva McGonagall--would go on grand adventures! (Now wouldn't that be a quartet to see.)

• BB-8 or R2-D2?

*shakes head* I'm leaving behind my traditional, true-to-the-original roots.  I gotta say BB-8. 

• Do you like to read short stories or do you prefer normal-length books?

I usually prefer books. I feel like there's a lot more time for development (in the plot and with the characters) in books, like I have more time to "get to know" the story. But, a series of short stories with a unified theme/main characters (for example Sherlock Holmes) gives me more time. Overall though, I prefer books. 

Miss March's Questions: 

• What do you think of having multiple blogs devoted to different topics? Do you think that would be terribly confusing, or do you think it would be a nice way of organizing things?

Oh, goodness gracious, that would be too confusing for me. I would certainly find some way to ruin everything and mix up my life. If I was a super serious blogger, who blogged as a career or whatever on a very regular basis, I could see having several blogs. But for my purposes as a "recreational blogger," it would be far too confusing. 

• What's one of the best new movies you've watched recently?

Definitely Incredibles 2, I really enjoyed that one! It was so much fun, and stayed true to the original. Plus, it was hilarious! But, I think the most mindblowing movie I've watched recently probably doesn't count. It was the first time I had seen it, but it came out in 2014, I think. Here is the trailer. It is the movie Interstellar, and...I was completely mindblown by it. It was fantastical and just...just a little bit overwhelming. (Disclaimer: my uncle bleeped it for us, so...there is some language, but not in the trailer.) It. Was. Amazing. However, I don't think it quite counts as new. HOWEVER: watch it. These two gifs pretty much sum up my whole reaction to the movie. (Bonus because they're both from the movie.) Okay, now I'll stop pitching it. 

• What book are you currently reading (if any)?

Well, I'm trying to make it through The Complete Sherlock Holmes. I'm close. So close. There are a lot of stories in there. But I'm nearly through it. After that, I plan to start The Nine Tailors, which is a mystery novel by Dorothy Sayers (And I'm trying to read Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens...*cough cough* which is taking a long time). 

• What's one storyline in books or movies that you think is highly overused?

Child has ideas that contradict parents'. Child disobeys/runs away in order to follow dreams, with the disagreement of one or both parents. Child ends up being right and parents end up being stupid and realizing how wrong they were. I mean, really? Do any authors and filmmakers know how non-realistic that is? Parents are ALMOST ALWAYS right! It's just...one of my pet peeves.

• Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather? Why?

Since I'm that one person who's always cold, I do prefer hot weather. I am less uncomfortable being too hot than too cold, and I like being able to run outside without bundling up in seventeen layers (and, since I live in Michigan, it does get cold). I prefer warmth and the ability to go outside and get out of the house. 

• Who's one of your favorite dad characters in book or film? One of your favorite mom characters?

Oooh...that's a tricky one! I'm tempted to say Elrond as my favorite dad character, partly because of this ridiculously long post from last year. I've always liked Elrond. But, as another, more realistic character, I would have to say George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life. (Oh, and Cooper from Interstellar, but I said I'd stop pitching that.) :) 

Now, for mom characters, it's a little harder, because I find that a lot of moms in movies are really glamorized, like they're perfect and can't do anything wrong, or they're just...really obnoxious and aren't very nice to their husbands. So, for this reason, Pixar wins the trophies: Elastagirl/Helen Parr, in the Incredibles, and Merida's mother, Elinor, in Brave, are the ones that first come to my mind. Oh, no, wait. I've got it. I love Mrs. Thornton, from North and South (BBC). She might seem grim and very stern, but every time I watch the movie, I like her better. Plus she has amazing hair. 

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

ACK! Anywhere??? Wow. The world is a super big place, and I don't know how, if someone presented me with that choice, I would decide! I'm really tempted to say New Zealand, to visit Hobbiton and see all the cool locations where LOTR, etc., was filmed. That would be truly awesome!  Either that or one of the really pretty places in Scotland or Ireland (or Iceland, even), to visit the old castles and see the beautiful countryside. Any of those would be fine. 

MiddleEarthMusician (MEM)'s  Questions: 

• Who is your favorite female fictional character?

Now that, right there, is a tricky question. Very tricky. There are so many that I like! Lucy Pevensie, Jo March, Elizabeth Bennet...I liked Evanlyn/Cassandra from Ranger's Apprentice for a long time...Rey is great...I don't know if I can nail down one specific favorite. But I really do like the female characters in N.D. Wilson's books. He has a knack for making them both feminine and not wimpy, not taking away the male roles and strengths, but still important and great in their own ways. I really like Henrietta Willis from 100 Cupboards, I always felt like I had something in common with her! 

• Are you more like Merry or Pippin?

Usually, I would have to say Pippin. I have this terrible tendency to not think before I speak, which...well, you know, that can be rather awkward. I also feel lost without my friends, and, while I don't usually seem social or extroverted, I don't like to be lonely. I need my family and friends with me, and I don't have to have a large friend group--just one or two people who are very close. And, um, I really like food. And I like to sing, but not in front of people. (See this post for the story of how I dropped a milk carton in the store and it exploded, which seems like a very Pippin thing to do.) 

• What is your favorite Princess Bride quote? 

I do use that one quite often...but honestly, the whole movie is my favorite quote!!! I cannot choose!!! So I'll just go with the two (probably) most quoted lines. Is that okay?? (Oh, and Inconceivable is kind of iconic, but everyone knows that.)

Josiah's Questions: (and he's my brother so I'm allowed to be rude)

• Would you rather be able to fly but only be able to stop by running into things, or be able to turn invisible but not not be able to control how long it lasted?

Oh, fly all the way. If I couldn't control how long my invisibility lasted, it could get a little awkward, couldn't it? Besides, you didn't say HOW FAST I had to be flying when I run into something to stop. And you didn't say what I had to run into. So, yes, definitely flying. 

• What is your position on the Theseus' Ship paradox?

Okay, so, here is a link to some more information about the background of this paradox. My take on it is that the ship which has had all the parts replaced is a sort of extremely accurate, exact replica, kind of like making a copy of a paper, but it ends up looking exactly the same. It's not the exact ship that it once was, seeing that everything has been replaced, but it still appears the same and seems the same. 

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being acceptable and 10 being totally wack, how would you rate pasta with marinara sauce?

It's totally wack, dude.

The Holmberg's Questions: 

• What is/was your favorite LEGO theme?

Definitely Lego Lord of the Rings! The sets were cool and the best part was the minifigures (of course, the minifigs are the best part of every Lego theme).

• Where have you gotten the most inspiration for writing?

I think most of my inspiration for writing has come from reading other people's stories and watching movies. After having so many different stories and characters run through my brain, there's usually a little bit of residue left in my brain, which, hopefully, isn't too cliched when I write it down. And, of course, everywhere I go, I see things that get filed away in my mind, waiting for a time to be used in some story or other. 

• What is your favorite soccer team?

Oh dear. Well, this depends on the season, on who's playing who, on which players are on which teams, and...well, lots of things. If we're talking National teams, I'd have to say USA because that's my country, but, since they're not in the World Cup, things are tricky this year. If we're talking MLS or Bundesliga, or whatever other non-national leagues, I really don't have any particular favorites, it all depends on context. I think that overall, the men's national USA team is my favorite, partly because it was watching their team that I was mainly introduced and learned the most about "real" soccer. 

(of course I had to put in some reference to Messi...)

• Which is the best BBC mini-series you've seen?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THAT?  

Well, I guess it will either be Emma (2009) or Pride and Prejudice (1995). Those are two exceedingly wonderful films, but I simply can't decide between them. I love P&P, because it was the first BBC film that I ever saw, and it's nostalgic and wonderful and all, but I also love Emma. So, one of those two. Nobody can ask me to decide between them, because if they do I might explode. 

• Was Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp the best Willy Wonka?

I think I would have to say Gene Wilder. Johnny Depp has his moments of being very funny, and I do think his Wonka was pretty good. Also, the Johnny Depp version stayed closer to the book's plot, which I liked, but there is simply no beating Gene Wilder's portrayal of the character of Willy Wonka. 

• What flavor of ice cream would Colderan like best? Chocolate, vanilla or cookie dough? What flavor would Lehye'ahl like best?

Ah-ha, so I know this is my little sister Lydia asking, because she's the only person who would know about these two characters! Wow, I had never contemplated this. This is important! If you don't even know your characters' favorite ice cream flavors, well, then what kind of an author are you???  I should have a quicker answer.

Hmm...out of those three flavors, I think Colderan would like cookie dough best. Cookie dough is a very cozy, happy flavor, and I think that's the kind of flavor that he would like best. 

Now, Lehye'ahl. That's a little trickier. I think he would like vanilla best, but it would have to be very fancy, because he's persnickety about things like that. It couldn't just be "grab a carton of ice cream and slop some in whatever bowl you find first." It would have to be a Very Good Brand, scooped at just the right temperature, in the perfect container, with amazing presentation. But the vanilla-ness sort of suits him.

Well NOW I'm hungry for ice cream. *pouts* 

But...it looks like that's all the questions! Wow, that took WAY longer than I expected! But what fun! That was a delightful thing to do, maybe I will make an anniversary ask-me-anything an annual thing! 

Thank you all Very Much for all your lovely questions, which were a great deal of fun to answer! :) Guess that's it for now! 

One Year of Blogging+Ask Me Anything Questions

Hello all! 

Can you guess what's happening this month? (Now, Anna, don't be stupid, they have presumably read the title of this post....) That's right! It's my blog's first birthday/anniversary this month! I've come a long way since the beginning, learning how to use Blogger (*eye roll*), tackling the first year of college, coping with life. I'm so glad that I kept blogging throughout all of it. I've had so much fun, learned so much.

Since this is a rather exciting sort of thing to happen, for celebration, I am going to be doing an "ask me anything" post! I plan to answer the questions in about two weeks, close to the end of June, so that whoever wants to comment and ask me anything has time to do so. So please comment, ask me whatever you would like to know!!

And I'm serious, don't be shy to ask me things! I love to talk via typing! Comment away! (Of course I do reserve the right to not answer/delete anything that I find rude, inappropriate, or otherwise unfit for this occasion...but I doubt that will be necessary.) I usually reply to all comments as soon as I can, but for this post I may not answer any comments until the Ask Me Anything answers are posted! But please don't think I'm being rude if I don't respond immediately--I will answer you, whether in this post or the follow-up!

Holmes and Watson are having giant servings of tea to celebrate with me!

Most importantly, though, I want to thank all y'all for following my blog and enduring my strange sense of humor and rambling thoughts! You are a great bunch, and this blog wouldn't be able to exist without you. Whether you just discovered this corner of the internet (hello by the way!) or you've been with me since the beginning, I appreciate each and every one of you, and I am always super happy to hear from you, to hear your ideas and thoughts. Some of your comments have been incredibly encouraging, and even though I may not have met you in person, I'm so glad that our paths have crossed on this world wide web. Thanks, friends! :D

Now, that's all for today. Don't forget to comment, ask me whatever you'd like (within reason, of course) in the comments, and thanks for all your amazing support!

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Yes, I went to see Solo. Yes, there are spoilers in this post!!!! 

To tell you the truth, I'm still conflicted about this movie.  I enjoyed watching it and I really WANT to love it, but I just still feel...confused. Stuck. And I don't even know why. 

Sorry, sorry. So anyway, this is what I came away from the movie with: 

First, I thought that Alden Ehrenreich did a great job portraying Han. No, he didn't look exactly like Han, he didn't sound exactly like Han, but I think that overall he did an excellent job.  It didn't feel like a parody or imitation of Harrison Ford's Han, which I liked. Alden (using his first name because it's so tiring to type out the last name) put his own sort of spin on the character, while still keeping some of the little character traits that the original Han had. There were a couple moments where he would smirk or do some little thing that would inevitably make me think, "Oh yes, that was Han all over." 

I liked Han's character in the movie as well. Though I didn't care for the romance between him and Qi'ra (sorry!), I still liked him a lot. He was just the right mixture of streetwise and inexperienced, mature and childish. I felt like Alden really got the portrayal spot-on, even without looking exactly like Harrison Ford or anything like that.

To be honest, my favorites were Han and Chewie. I knew as soon as they tossed Han in with "the Beast" that it would be Chewbacca, and that made me excited. When I first saw that trailers for Solo and saw that there were other Wookies, I was afraid that the movie would pay homage to the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special with the inclusion of Chewbacca's family, but THANK GOODNESS they did not. 

I mean, what can I say? Han and Chewie are an inseparable duo, and to have one without the other is just not right. I love how, throughout the entire movie, Han has people double-crossing and betraying him every which way, but then there's Chewbacca, loyal to the end, probably the first person--creature--Wookie--that Han ever had consistent loyalty and friendship from. That made me happy. 

I also thought that Lando was portrayed very well. His persona and, well, Lando-ness was well done by Donald Glover (I think that's the actor's name), and he was definitely a Scoundrel. The card game scenes were so good! And now I think we know why he asks Han in The Empire Strikes Back, "What did you do to my ship?" because, boy, the Falcon sure went through some changes. Also, the scene where he tells Han, "I hate you," and Han replies with "I know," was Perfection. I really didn't like Lando's droid girlfriend though. She was rather pointless and very obnoxious. After she "died" and we're supposed to be all sad about it, I could not take it seriously, like I would if BB-8 or R2-D2 died. I even like K2-SO much better than K3. But that's all beside the point.

Now, on to some other stuff. I really liked Beckett throughout almost the entire film, and then once it seemed that everything was going fine and dandy, after he left, almost the instant before he returned as a traitor, I was thinking, "Oh no, it's Beckett, isn't it?" It was sad that he was the one to betray Han, having been almost a father figure for most of the movie. I wonder if the other two members of his little gang had survived, if he wouldn't have betrayed Han? How would things have gone if the two of them had survived? His character, the way that he was so stubborn and refused to think in terms of helping others, made me a little sad, and his death was honestly painful. He was obviously someone that Han looked up to and admired, and it just hurt to see their friendship/camaraderie end in that tragic way. I liked Beckett...until the end. However, the scene where he was playing Holochess with Chewbacca on the Falcon was great! 

"You're sure you wanna make that move?"

I really disliked Qi'ra for some reason. Maybe it was her character arc--I had this feeling from watching the trailers, from the way Beckett said "everyone will betray you, etc" in the trailers, that Qi'ra would turn out to be a traitor, and well would you look at that, she did! Maybe I don't like her because I don't want to see Leia as Han's "replacement" of Qi'ra, the girl that he lost years ago. But that's beside the point. I just felt like there was too much romance--the first bit, with the chase on Corellia, was fine, I liked her then, but after that...

Maybe it was just that she was SO STINKING GOOD at being a traitor. She led them on all this time, and even Han, who has known her seemingly a long time, didn't notice her treachery until the very end. I feel like they kind of looked at each other and realized that they both knew what she was going to do, but that she was willing to let him get away before she put him in any real danger. I don't know, I just came away from the movie wishing her ship had blown up and she had died. (Anna, that's not nice.) Well I'm sorry! It would have been much more satisfactory than her having a hologram conversation with--DARTH MAUL??? What is going on here????? Might as well have Obi-Wan Kenobi pop up and turn out to be the villain!

I know that the cartoon Clone Wars resurrected Darth Maul with robotic legs, but NO. I'm very sorry. That is just not right. 

Now, the villain, Dryden Vos, was very good. Not that he was a good person, you see, but he was very classy and refined, a non-lame, non-cheesy villain. He was very intimidating and scary, but he wasn't over-the-top. The kind of villain who could stab you in the back while offering you a glass of wine with the other hand. 

It's really distracting to try and write with Obi-Wan popping up every couple seconds.  Let's see, what else is there to say? I don't know why I came away from this movie feeling very conflicted, walking away from the theater and trying to decide whether I liked it or not. Maybe it was because of the seeming endlessness of the betrayal and conflict. There were no definite "bad guys" and no definite "good guys," like in most of the Star Wars movies, and I felt like the line between good and bad was really blurred. There were no Jedi or Sith (which to be honest I rather miss, I love a good lightsaber duel), and the way that everyone uses whatever means necessary to gain their ends was a little disappointing, that there doesn't seem to be any objective Good in the galaxy. However, what's new? Isn't that every Star Wars movie? 

I think I would need to see it again in order to really understand the whole subplot with rival gangs, but the one gang needs the blue power stuff (I forgot what it was called) for their people, not for money. I didn't really understand that or the whole Enfys Nest thing. I also kind of wished that a clearer timeline had been drawn in regards to how long before A New Hope this took place.

I think I can honestly say that I enjoyed this movie. It had a great, almost Western feel to it, plenty of fun and action, and Han/Chewie made it a very entertaining watch. Leaving the conflicted feeling behind, it was a very enjoyable movie and, I think, a worthy addition to the Star Wars canon (other than the whole Darth Maul thing, I just will never accept that). Alden Ehrenreich was an excellent Han Solo without making the movie feel like a Harrison Ford impersonation, and it was a whole lot of fun.

Have you seen Solo? 

Agree (or disagree) with anything I said?

How do you feel about the return of Darth Maul?

Peter Rabbit 2018

All right, now that I've seen this twice, I feel qualified to write a bit of reflection about it. To get started, I wasn't expecting it to be amazing, but I did expect a rather fun kids' movie. So, when I sat down in the theater and the opening sequence began, I was a bit concerned. You see, it started with these birds singing a very lame, cheesy musical number, and that was NOT what I signed up for. But thankfully, that was cut short and the actual movie began. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It was very funny, and had a pleasantly light, fun feel to it. The characters were well portrayed, acting was superb, and it was very consistent. The classic Peter Rabbit tales by Beatrix Potter were given a more modern spin, while still respecting their origins and referencing the original tales, with the inclusion of characters such as Mrs. Tiggywinkle and Mr. Jeremy Fisher.  

So, content-wise this was fine.  There was some "rude humor" but nothing objectionable, which was pleasant, being a kids' movie! The rabbits and McGregor do fight each other, but the violence is shown in a very entertaining and almost cartoonish light. 

Anyhoo, on to the characters! Firstly, the Rabbits: 

Peter has a bit of an ego and is constantly a stuck-up character, not humble and definitely willing to be the boss. He doesn't really go through a character change, exactly (that is, at the end he's not all humble and sweet, he's still the boss), but he does apologize for what he has done wrong and it is clear that he loves his sisters and his cousin, Benjamin Bunny. Benjamin's self-affirmed "character flaw" is that he always follows Peter, no matter how foolhardy the idea might be. He is a naive, somewhat lovable rabbit, who always seems to get the worst of things but goes along with his cousins no matter what. 

The girls, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, are a little less developed. Mopsy has a lisp and ends up being the one telling the story at the end, Flopsy is the annoying big sister type, and Cottontail is rather a rogue who delights in adventure and risk, and also seems to thrive in violent situations. They all get on each others' nerves constantly, but they all love each other as well. 

The rabbits made me remember the "olden days" back when me and two of my brothers would pretend that the oldest was Peter, I was either Cottontail or Mopsy, I can't quite remember, and the youngest of the three was Benjamin. Whenever our family had tacos for dinner, there would be lettuce out on the table. Of course, we would pretend that Peter was teaching us how to "be bad" and steal the lettuce from Mr. McGregor's garden. That was a very long time ago, though. 

All right, on to the two main human characters! The first is Bea, the lady who lives next to the rabbits' tree and is their friend and protector. 

Bea was very likable and sweet. Her failed attempts at being a painter are very pathetic, although the pictures she paints of the rabbits are just like the illustrations in the original books by Beatrix Potter. I'm still unsure where Bea gets the money to just live out in the country and paint, without (as far as we know) a real job, but I suppose that's not an important part of the story. Oh well.  The only problem I had with her character is that I felt that she was very pro-nature, telling everyone that the rabbits own the land and the garden is theirs...I mean, have you ever had rabbits invade YOUR garden? Do you know how much farmers hate that???? But, then again, I suppose that's not important to the story. None of the characters are making a living off their gardens, and so the gardens can be invaded by rabbits. (I only wish that rabbits were that neat and clean in real life.) So yes, Bea was very fun, and she didn't even have to be a "strong independent female character." 

The other main human character is Mr. Thomas McGregor, who had the farm left to him by his uncle, Mr. McGregor Senior.

Thomas is a man controlled by his OCD and the desire to have his own perfectly situated toy store, or at least manage one. He despises pests of all kind and is the rabbits' main enemy throughout the movie. However, he is a very likeable villain and the audience can't help but pity this strange, very awkward sort of man--it would be impossible not to laugh at his oddity. He is one of the most hilarious characters in the film, who is constantly trying to get the better of the rabbits while they get the better of him and laugh at him. However, he and Bea start to like each other, and then the rabbits get a little bit jealous of the attention. Full-on battle ensues, but Bea never knows a thing until explosives get involved and her paintings are mostly ruined. Misunderstandings take place, but the ending is happy. 

Overall, this was a very pleasing movie. There was plenty of humor, which was not stupid humor, but very well-thought-out humor. The characters were fun and engaging, and very well-played. Even though I suppose it would be considered a kids' movie, I really enjoyed it, as I do most kids' movies. It was a fun film and I felt that it did a good job of staying true to the original Beatrix Potter tales. I was glad that old Mr. McGregor was at least a part of the film, because he is sort of essential to all of Peter's life, having put his father in a pie and all...and as you can see, they got his appearance perfectly right. 

Anyhow, this was a good movie. It was light, fun, and enjoyable for everybody. The animation of the animals is an impressive feat, as is the fact that  the human actors were acting to...well, nothing or to little puppets showing where the animals would be placed by the animators. Very cleverly done, Sony. Very cleverly done.

End of the Semester--Upcoming Posts?

Goodness gracious, where have I been since my last post???? It's been almost a month!

Well, in short, I was finishing my first year of college. (Insert muffled gasps here.) That's right. I submitted projects and papers galore, presented my presentations in class and brought plenty of pencils and erasers to those final exams--and I survived, finishing my classes successfully, although there lots of painful moments. I feel like freshmen who make it through their first year should get a free t-shirt or something--at least a water bottle, come on people! The day after I got out of school, I cleaned out my backpack, threw away a huge pile of old stuff that I didn't need, and stored my books away. It felt like I was destroying the ancient Jedi texts, if you know what I mean.

But anyway, yes, I am out of school for the summer!!!

This is what I did after school was out....

All righty, all that aside. I have started working at a greenhouse for the summer, or at least for the busy spring months, and my feet are currently sore from two days of 8 hour shifts (I feel like a wimp for complaining because I really don't have it that bad, but they are sore!). And I've started to get into a "non-school" mindset.  I have a couple writing goals for myself this summer, but we'll see if they get finished or not. Goal One: Finish my 2nd book in the trilogy and finalize/publish it on Createspace. Goal Two: Type the draft of my 6th book so that it is on the computer and not just in notebooks.  Writing-wise, that is what I'm hoping to get done this summer. It doesn't sound like a lot, but things always take way longer than I expect them to. 

I am also trying to figure out good ideas for upcoming posts. I would LIKE to do about two (significant) posts a month, but I don't know if that will happen. So I have been brainstorming ideas. If you read my ideas and have any ideas for posts you would like to see, please let me know!! So far here is what I have come up with, in no particular order: 

1. An "Ask Me Anything" post
2. Introductions of characters from my books or interviews of those characters
3. Some reflections on movies/books (the Han Solo movie comes out soon so that will probably happen)
4. The usual "lately" posts, probably after vacation(s)
5. Maybe I could find someone (ie a cousin--we are attempting to co-author a story) to do a post with me
6. Maybe I'll talk about the World Cup or something...;)

That's all. I've probably missed several ideas, but that's not important. This isn't an extremely interesting post, and I apologize. But it's a post all the same.  Goodbye! 

This is me before and after a year of college

When Writing Gets Its Own Way

Hello! And Happy Spring!

Ruth over at Amongst Spring Blossoms has initiated a "write about your writing" week, which looks like supreme fun! Even though I'm posting very late on the last day of the writing week. (sorrryyyyy!!!) And so I have decided to write this post about...The Writing. More specifically, about what happens when I sit down to write but then the characters and the story take over from me and write themselves.*CAUTION: This post is bound to be disjointed and rambly!*

To begin, have you ever been writing something, intending it to end a certain way, and then looked back later and realized that it turned out completely unlike how you intended? For example, I've been working on my last prequel, chronologically right before the trilogy (the six book series ended up like Star Wars and no I didn't plan that), and I finished the very first handwritten draft not long ago. As I've been reading through it and making (mostly mental) notes about what to change, I suddenly realized that a very great portion of the story is a love story.

How did that happen? I didn't intend this! But all of a sudden, there it is, and there's no way I can change it. I mean, it's a Very Necessary element of the plot, we all must admit. I didn't mean for that to be such a central element of the story, and of course I try to keep any amount of romance as un-sappy and as respectable as possible (ahem, I don't do lines like "I'd die for you" or "I don't like sand"). However, the story took a turn in a direction that I had not expected. 

Sometimes I find that certain characters have more of a propensity to dictate their own actions than others. There are a few I can control. A Few. But many of them just pop up and tell me "this is what I'm doing next, get your pen ready." *glares at a certain character* 

Has this ever happened to you? Have you been writing, intending a certain character to do a certain thing, and then it somehow ends up differently? The funny thing is that when my characters take over the book for me, it occasionally turns out to be much better than I could have managed on my own.

I think the reason that authors (maybe it's just me...I am remotely crazy) say "my characters took over the story for me" is that they tend to think in the minds of their characters. For example, my Sherlock Holmes Story. I was trying to keep it so much in the spirit of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories - keeping characters and the "feel" authentic, and the only way I could really do that was to try thinking the way that my characters would think. Now, right now I'm trying to write what Mycroft Holmes would say...let's see...he's grumpy, lazy, and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about really anything...Sherlock as a young boy? He would be unfazed at his own oddness when he is around other children, act very mature for his age, and always be figuring things out in the background. 

When I start to talk to myself like this in my head is when some of (arguably) my most realistic writing takes place. Who knows why? Maybe I get more "into" the story that way. Maybe it's easier to write realistic dialogue if you realistically think about your characters' personalities and what they would say. Maybe I'm just crazy. That's probably it. 

In any case, I used to think it was ridiculous when authors in movies and such would say that the characters took over and the story wrote itself. When they talked about their characters being very real to them, I was skeptical. But now, after writing six books (writing being a relative term including things that are just hand-drafted), I think I begin to understand. 

Hmm...this is a rather short post. But there isn't much else to say. I just happened to be thinking about the ways that stories change when you least expect them to, the way that characters can get a bit out of hand. What are your thoughts? Have you ever had characters seem to dictate your story? 

(because there has to be a Princess Bride quote in here somewhere)

War Horse: Michael Morpurgo vs. Steven Spielberg (sort of)

*WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS SPRINKLED LIBERALLY THROUGHOUT THIS POST* 

A Very Dear Friend gave this book to me and I immediately read it. (Of course, I was on a three-hour long bus ride stuck with a bunch of college band people, so that gave me a perfect time to read.) I fell in love the the movie War Horse the first time I watched it, and I've been wanting to read the book ever since I, ahem, learned that it was a book. 

(Also I've decided that since it's March now I don't want a wintery background.) :D

This was a very pleasant read. It was meant to be a children's book, and is definitely not a hard read--the spine is less than an inch thick and there weren't any words that I required the dictionary to understand. I still think that the story is a lovely one and the characters are very memorable, although I would rather it was in third person than told in first person from the horse's perspective. I like the idea of a horse story that isn't all butterflies and daisies (not that they ARE all butterflies and daisies), and this one has some nice realism and 'grit' to it, some life, if you get my meaning. And, although there are quite a few plot changes from book to movie, I still think that the movie did the book great justice. Neither were too graphic with the violence, but were both descriptive enough to be very sad and moving, to make the reader/watcher understand the horrible things that happened during the war. 

As to content, there really wasn't anything objectionable in this book. There might have been one or two slight language spots, but really, nothing bad--probably better content-wise than the movie. 

The plot changes that were significant? 

Well, first of all, after Captain Nicholls dies, Joey doesn't get taken by the Germans.  He is first assigned to another British rider named Trooper Warren, a very young man who is inexperienced with horses, but is a sweet, kind fellow. Trooper Warren was a very pleasant character and had quite a few memorable lines. My favorite part of his was when he is reading a letter from home to Joey (yes, they all talk to Joey), he talks about his sweetheart, Sally, saying that "as soon as this war's over and finished with, I'll get back home and marry her. I've grown up with her, Joey, known her all my life.  S'pose I know her almost as well as I know myself, but I like her a lot better." When I first came across that line, I had to stop and read it again several times because it was just so sweet I couldn't get over it! For some reason, I can't help but think that Steven Spielberg based the character Charlie (the one with the new hat, I can't remember his title) on Trooper Warren, but changed the character for his own purposes...anyhoo, that was the first plot change. 

 The little French girl's story was a little different, but we are given a bit more information about her sickness. In the book, she and her grandfather care for the horses and give them lodging while the horses work for the army by day, pulling ambulances. At one point, Emilie is seriously ill with pneumonia (on Christmas Eve night) and her grandfather confides his fears in the horses, Joey and Topthorn. However, at that point, she gets well again and all is happy, but Emilie is still weaker. That is the cause of her later death, we find out. Then the army takes the horses to pull their cannons.  Emilie insists she is "just lending them" to the soldiers and that she had to get her horses back someday, after the war.

Then the story is mostly like the movie, although everything seems to take a much longer time. The only thing I was disappointed in was the ending. The British find Joey again (after the toss of a coin by the German and British soldiers to see who gets the horse) and the doctor agrees to let him live. Now, Albert is, at this time, helping in the army's stables with his friend David. Unlike the movie, Albert's eyes were not hurt and he was in perfectly fine condition. He thinks his friend is teasing when he says he's cleaning a horse that looks exactly like Joey, but when Albert whistles his owl whistle, Joey comes and Albert knows that it is his Joey. I almost like the movie's version of this better for some reason, but the book is good too. 

There were about three things that were in the movie, not in the book, that I wished would have come from the book. One: the flag that Joey has tied on him throughout the movie is not really a part of the book’s plot. Two: the ending; Albert’s eyes aren’t hurt and it isn’t quite the same. Three: the German brothers, Gunther and Michael, aren’t in the book. I loved the story with the two brothers in the movie and I was a little disappointed that it didn’t come from the book.

Oh, and it didn’t have the scene where the soldier is walking through No-Man’s-Land quoting Psalm 23, which was a really beautiful thing in the movie. Other than that, though, I thought it was a lovely book. I enjoyed it and there are quite a few note-worthy quotes. To wrap up, I’ll just share a few quotes, and some pictures from the film too. I think Spielberg did a really good job capturing the feel of the book as a movie! It feels like a seamless transition from text to screen. (Please don't be depressed! I know it's a kind of sad story...but I don't want to make you sad.) 

“I always knew the British were crazy. Now that I know that they use horses such as you as cart horses, I am quite sure of it. That’s what this war is all about, my friend. It’s about which of us is the crazier. And clearly you British started with an advantage. You were crazy beforehand.” 

"There are brave men, German and English, lying out there on stretchers in the trenches." 

"They saved good lives today, those two - good German lives and good English lives."  

"Someone suddenly remembered it was Christmas morning, and they sang slow, tuneful carols all the way back." 

 "Captain Nicholls walked by my head turning his eyes out to sea so that no one should notice the tears in them. The wounded were everywhere - on stretchers, on crutches, in open ambulances, and etched on every man was the look of wretched misery and pain." 

"He'd have been proud of you, Joey. He'd have been proud of you, the way you kept going out there. He died leading that charge and you finished it for him. He'd have been proud of you."

Have you seen or read War Horse? What are your thoughts? 

Is there anything I didn't cover in regards to book vs movie?