I saw this prompt on the writersdigest.com forum and found it entertaining. Figured I’d pass it along. Enjoy!
You’re a pizza delivery driver and it’s your last stop of the night. The house is on an unlit, unfamiliar street. As you ring the doorbell, you’re greeted by an unusual character who invites you in while he gets cash–and abruptly knocks you out cold. When you wake up, you’re tied to a chair. What happens next?
This is an image of Saturn. I found it inspiring today. An intriguing picture all around. Yet, when I look at it I see a marble sitting in the sand—perhaps even being sucked into said sand. I also see a ball on a plate and imagine someone setting up to practicing painting a still life piece. I find the circular striping in the image to be hypnotic. My head spins and I wonder what exactly that dark shape looming over the image could be.
Your writing prompt: Take as step back and focus past the idea that the image is a planet. Instead, think of it like seeing shapes in the clouds. Now describe what you see. Let your mind flow and have fun with it.
Enjoy!
The Burning Bridge is book two in the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. War against Morgarath is on its way. Alliances are being made and troops are being gathered. Will and Horace are still apprentices, which is why they can be spared to accompany Gilan on a mission. They travel to Celtica to call in aid for the impending war.
When the companions arrive, they discover that Morgarath already has secret plans in motion. Gilan departs to inform the king, leaving Will in charge. The ranger apprentice is to lead Horance and the sole survivor or a caravan attack, Evanlyn, back to safety. Will, faced with his own insecurities from freezing on a previous Wargal attack, isn’t exactly sure he’s up to the task. However, when he and his friends discover what Morgarath’s plans are, he realizes he has no choice but to do what he can to stop what’s going on. The fate of the entire kingdom depends upon it.
I adored this book, much as I did the first. I liked seeing how Will and Horace have adapted and changed to more training in the time that lapsed between books. I found it intriguing to watch them try to digest what was going on around them, and to figure out what to do next. They really are left to figure things out for themselves here and it’s great to see them step up.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually went out and bought the hardcover for The Iceland Bound. Yep, that really says a lot. I avoid hardcovers as much as humanly possible. :P
The Ruins of Gorlan is book one in the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan. This book sets us up for an impending war and introduces us to many of the key players. At the center of it all is an inquisitive young boy named Will.
We first meet Will as he frets over Choosing Day. It’s the day when all 15-year-old wards of the castle are chosen by Craftsmasters for apprenticeships. All Will wants is to become a knight, but he is too small for that. Instead, he ends up becoming a Ranger’s apprentice, entering into a mysterious world he’s only ever heard scary rumors about.
I adored every ounce of this book. I liked watching Will’s shock and eventual adjustment to dealing with his taciturn mentor, Halt. Plus, seeing his folly with trying to ride a Ranger horse was amusing.
Over in Battleschool, Will’s childhood enemy, Horace, faces his own troubles with bullies. It’s rather priceless watching Horace come into his own there.
All in all, I cherished every itty bitty moment of this book. I am already reading book 2, The Burning Bridge, and I look forward to more in the series. By the authors website, I see that he is currently working on book 7. I only wish they’d release faster here in the states! I guess I’ll just have to plan on rereading the books as I wait…ever less than patiently… :P
I caught an episode of Pushing Daisies last night. A friend told me to watch and so I did. The episode was “Dummy,” and that’s what the image pictured here is from.
I don’t usually check out shows that start at 8 since I’m usually still running around taking care of things needed to get through the day. However, I was happy I stopped to watch this show. I was delighted with the style and format of the show. The voice over narrator is what makes it fun. It gives the show it’s sweet, heartwarming feel…almost like being told a bedtime story. The colors used throughout lend to that feel as well.
The premise of the show itself is that the main character, Ned (Lee Pace) has an odd talent. With one touch he can revive something that is dead. With another, it returns to it’s previous state. Plus, what is revived can only remain alive for one minute, or something else will die in it’s place. He now uses his gift to solve murder cases.
Then things change when his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte “Chuck” (Anna Friel) is murdered. He revives her, but can’t bring himself to send her back to the grave. Watching them step gingerly around each other is amusing to watch. However, since I missed previous episodes, I’m not sure of the ramifications yet of that. They alluded to it last night some.
All in all, a very cool show. One I’ll be looking forward to checking out again…
Yeah, all in all, not so impressed with last night’s episode. Here’s hoping things get a lot better next week.
Summer Knight is book 4 of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. War. It’s brewing all around. The White Council is at war with the vampire’s Red Court. And over in the faerie kingdom we have Winter v. Summer in an approaching battle that can be cataclysmic for mortals. Dresden, as usual, is smack dab in the center of all of it.
I was initially disappointed to learn that Michael would not be making an appearance in this book. However, I liked getting to see Billy and the rest of the Alphas from Fool Moon back and more adjusted—stronger, leaner, more cohesive as a wolf unit…not to mention that they are gamers. :)
Dresden, however, is a mess in this book. He has hit rock bottom. Susan is still on the edge of becoming a vampire. The Red Court is stalking him. He rarely even leaves his apartment any more. Like I said…rock bottom.
I like how the author pulled Dresden’s depression into his behaviors throughout the book. He shows up for a council meeting unwashed, rumbled, and in a bathrobe. He’s already outspoken, but his speech is now flavored with his pain. This depression is woven well into the story and he’s forced to come face to face with just how much pain he’s really in…
The major backdrop of the story was set in the politics and structure of the faerie realm. Dresden investigates the murder of the summer knight in hopes of preventing a war and gaining aid for the White Council in their own war. Yes, it gets a little complicated, but the story flows smoothly. I enjoyed watching the workings of the plot and seeing how things would weave together. Plus, I’m finally realizing how much these stories have an RPG feel to them. Random encounters that turn out to be no so random…but still, there is that lovely feel there. Fast paced adventure. A fun time all around. :)
Grave Peril is book 3 of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. This time around we find Dresden knee deep in ghosts and intertwined into some vamp nasty business. Oh, and let’s not forget to add in some demon troubles and his viscous Godmother too.
I had a hard time following the plot through chunks of the book, but my interest in Dresden and Michael (a very cool paladin introduced in this book) kept me plodding through. I think the author had Dresden making too many leaps…coming to conclusions that made no rational sense to the readers. It’s like we were missing steps in the thought processes and never had time to catch up. It felt disjointed and rushed that way.
Plus, by doing that, it gave the plot a glossed over feel. Butcher typically over explains things. In ever book you will read about how much Dresden seeks to help the damsel in distress. He’ll describe his car in great detail. His apartment too. Lots of things like that. I’m not big on full fledged descriptions on things that appear in every book. At first I thought it was an effort to make each book a starting point into the series. However, so much from the earlier books creeps up in the later books that someone starting mid-series would miss out on a lot by starting late. They might even find themselves confused.
I think this story would have come across better had the author slowed down. A lot is going on and I do mean a lot. More space to stretch that out would have been nice.
Still though, I enjoyed it and adore many of the characters. Michael is a wonderful treasure that bounces off Harry nicely. Bob the Skull continually amuses me, as does Mister the cat. Murphy is well, Murphy…wonderful. I haven’t cared for the character, Susan, and this book only sealed my dislike for her. When she’s told she needs to leave a scene to be safe…her rant of being able to take care of herself made her sound like a ninny. I don’t know about you, but common sense tells you to not stand in the mouth of a lion. Just saying…
And well, that’s that. I’ve already started reading Summer Knight and like what I’m reading so far….
I adore creepy looking houses like this one from Historic Deerfield Massachusetts. It looks deserted because it probably is. But man, that lends well to the spook factor. Seemed fitting for a writing prompt to start off October, eh?
To me this looks like it could be haunted. Everything is too pristine and that spells trouble. Hah! I’ll keep the writing prompt vague this time. Try writing something with a spooky feel based on a setting with this house as the backdrop to it. If scary is not your thing, go for something more homey to celebrate the Fall. The important part is to keep writing and to enjoy the process.
