Writer-Ambrosia 4

Is it that time again, M-pals?

I came totally unprepared. Hold on while I gather all my things together--just kidding! M. Jade Rivera always comes prepared. If I didn't, I'd probably have a panic attack. I'm one of those worry warts you've heard so much bout.

Moving on. It's time to display our writer's website of the day. Take a guess; what will it be today? I'll give you a hint. It has to do with saving yourself money, time, and copyright.

The official writer's website of the day is...

Writer's Beware   http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/alerts/

Writer's beware is a must for any new writer attempting to navigate their way through the publishing labyrinth. There are a lot of crooks, thieves, and just generally bad business goers out there posing as agents, publishers, and editors. Make sure you're not taken in by these money suckers by checking out every "sound too good to be true" or "they want money upfront?" operation. I can almost guarantee you, this place will save your skin almost every time.

By the way, I hope you bathe (or shower, that's actually more sanitary) more than the three times a week we soak here. Otherwise, I think we need to have an intervention. Now that this serious matter has been addressed, it's time to turn our thoughts over to our daily bubble bath of inspiration.

What's our odd piece of visual history today? Take a gander, my inspiration addicts. Wait, no, stop, not the female goose! Goodness, just look down.

Pele, the Volcano Goddess

Background:

Pele is the Hawaiian fire and volcano goddess, and was, in legend, as dangerous and uncontrollable as the elements she ruled over: namely fire and volcanoes. She is the most truly Hawaiian of deities, the number one god/goddess in their mythology, as most Hawaiian deities have a counterpart in other Polynesian island groups. Pele, with the exception of her counterpart in Tahiti where she is called Pere, and she is a unique and all-powerful being throughout all the legends.

Pele's volatile nature, as the tales go, prompted her father Kane to dismiss her from the heavens. As a result, she wandered the Earth, creating the world’s volcanoes until finally establishing her home on Mount Kilauea on the Big Island. Another indicator of Pele’s importance in the Hawaiian pantheon is the fact that Mount Kilauea is the "Mount Olympus" of Hawaiian classic mythology, basically. Feel free to correct me if there is a better metaphor for that, by the way, M-pals!

There is a lot more to Pele's legend, including how she ascended as a goddess once more, hid from her father, refused a husband, and finally married. If you want to know more about her and the other, fantastic Hawaiian gods and goddesses, go here: http://glitternight.com/2011/02/20/the-top-eleven-deities-in-hawaiian-mythology/ 

Literary Significance:

Besides the obvious allusions available with this mythology, someone has taken a twist on the Pele myth. Karsten Knight has written a YA paranormal series about a teenage girl who finds out she's a volcano goddess--sound familiar? I haven't read Wildefire or the proceeding books in the series, but they've been highly recommended!

Check it out the series here: http://www.karstenknight.com/

Dare You to Try. . .

• If you were going to make a twist on the story of Pele, what would you change? Is Pele secretly a woman, or a man? A volcano, or fire under pressure? Etc.
• Where does Pele's fire come from? Is it from her personality, her anger at her father, or sheer power? Go on, give it a shot!
• Where would you begin Pele's story? From her birth, her banishment, or her hiding?
•  Pele's eyes look like they know something. Why is she holding her fire like that? What does she know that you and I don't?
• How do you think humans first reacted to Pele's presence creating volcanoes around them?
• If you were a human, would you worship Pele, or hunt her down? I'd probably be the hunting kind myself, but who knows. The Hawaiians worshipped her, after all.

The Challenge
Try to come up with a pitch for this picture's story, and share it with your fellow M-pals! You may never end up writing the novel, but if you can create the plot or pitch for one after looking at a single photograph, you'll never run out of ideas.

Writer-Ambrosia 3

Welcome back, M-pals!

This post is a little bit late, so please partake of my sincerest apologies. I stayed late babysitting for a friend, and the rest of the day was spent dashing about attending graduations. So, for all the graduates out there, congratulations! I hope you're prepared to grasp the world the world out there with both hands. And to help you do that is this beautiful little site, made just for people like you!

The official writer's website of the day is...

Life Is an Open Book http://esckeyes.blogspot.com/

Life Is an Open Book is a blog by Emily S. Keyes of the L. Perkins Agency. Deep breaths, everyone, I know agents are basically celebrities to us writers but you'll want to your mental faculties in order to hear this. On this blog are the inner workings of publishing and agenting. From updates on genres to writer conference announcements, Mrs. Keyes opens a bit of her working life to us literary fanatics. I think we all owe her a big, "Thank you!" So scroll on over to her site and check it out. Really, I don't mind.

Back already? Well, we'll move on then. Need a little inspiration pick-me-up after reading the realities of publishing? Well, I'll only be too happy to oblige. So, bring on the inspiration. Or as we M-pals say, bring the writer-ambrosia forthwith.

So, what's our visual bubble bath of the day?

Graffiti

 



Background:

 The history of graffiti art began in what is called the "Ground Work" time between 1966-71 with a surge of, primarily, political activists. It was used as both a way to make public and widespread statements, and street gangs to mark their territory. It wasn't till the late 1960s that this writing's current identity started to form. The history of the "underground art movement" most commonly referred to as graffiti, began mainly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the mid to late '60s and has its roots in bombing. The writers who are credited with the first conscious bombing effort are CORNBREAD and COOL EARL. They wrote their names all over the city, gaining attention from both the community and the local press. It is unclear whether this concept made its way to New York City via deliberate efforts or if it was a spontaneous occurrence.

If you want to learn more about the history of graffiti, you can follow this link. Davey D. covers the progression of this art style throughout the decades. http://www.daveyd.com/historyofgraf.html

Literary Significance

I had a hard time finding any direct connections between graffiti and novels, classic literature (as can be expected), or modern short stories. That's not to say they aren't out there. However, I found a mental connection between this art movement and the tone and significance present in the short story The Destructors by Graham Greene. Though it's set in England's WWII aftermath, and was written in 1954, I believe you'll find a deep connection in both tone, generational values, and a strange parallel between creation and destruction that is present in most graffiti art.

Dare You to Try . . .

• Try to imagine what character matches which graffiti signature. What are they like, and how do their lives interconnect through this one piece of plywood?
• How will the man in the background be affected by this graffiti? I wonder if he will stop and notice the colors and the effort people have put into this work?
• "Now in the land of crackheads," says the navy blue writing. Why, and who, would put out this warning?
• I wonder why there is a star of David--the symbol of Judaism--spray-painted in this location? Is it a threat, or a declaration? How is it significant, or is it at all? What artist made this decision?   

The Challenge
Try to come up with a pitch for this picture's story, and share it with your fellow M-pals! You may never end up writing the novel, but if you can create the plot or pitch for one after looking at a single photograph, you'll never run out of ideas.

Writer Ambrosia #2

Hello again, M-pals!

Before we dive straight into the writer-ambrosia, I'd like to announce a slight change. From now on, every update will also include an official writer's website of the day. What's today's you ask? Oh, just a gorgeous little site I found lying around.

The official writer's website of the day is...

Teens Can Write, Too! https://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/

Teens Can Write, Too! is an excellent website for all the advice a beginning, budding, or teenage writer will ever need. Don't let the name fool you, though. There are plenty of resources, recommendations, and website links available on the site for M-pals of all ages and levels of experiences. Go on and take a gander at the jewels on their site.

Seriously, go ahead, I'll wait.

Oh, good, you're back. Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! It's time for a lovely little bubble bath; what will our fragrance be today, you ask? Just scroll on down, turn on your favorite mp3, and have a nice soak.

Today's visual writer-ambrosia is . . .

The Sex Demon

 



Background:

Today's picture actually comes from envios on deviantart.com (http://envios.deviantart.com/) However, the picture itself refers to the succubus, which is one of history's most famous sex demons. A succubus has always been said to come in the form of a tempting woman and seduces men for her personal gain. What exactly she gets out of this is debated, but it is easy to see why this myth could have been invented.

The succubus' male counterpart is the incubus, which is latin for "to lie upon." He's exactly like a succubus, only he takes women instead of men. It's also interesting to note that the son or daughter of an Incubus is said to become a wizard, as is explained to be the origins of Merlin in original Arthurian legend.

More about uncomfortable sex demon legends here: http://listverse.com/2011/01/13/top-10-sex-demons/

Literary Significance:

I would say allusions are the most significant thing related to succubus and incubi. Catholicism kept the idea of sex demon very much alive in the 1600's. Some Pope's even wrote declarations advising Catholics how to excorcise these demons from their homes, towns, or even individual people. This could be a fun thing to include if you ever decide to write on this subject. However, I would reccomend using taste when writing about either sex demons or Catholicism. Both can be pretty touchy subjects.

That's not the end of the matter, though. I hear from goodreads that Richelle Mead has a fairly expansive series of fantasy novels on the matter. They're said to be a mixture of genres: fantasy romance, suspense, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror. If you're into that, look it up. If you don't, relax and continue your ambrosia bath.

Dare You to Try . . .

• What kind of factory lives in fear of a succubus attack? In fact, where the hishnit would your factory be located to be in range of a succubus? On the edge of hell, or is this urban fantasy? Go on, you tell me.
• If I was a succubus, I'm not sure I'd seduce men who knew about succubi. I think I'd go for the idiots. But--what would happen if one found out?
• I wonder, who is it that's tracking succubus activity? A young woman training for her degree in demon-slaying? Or a man with a grudge?
• What genres could you slip a succubus into without breaking the all-important suspended disbelief?

The ChallengeTry to come up with a pitch for this picture's story, and share it with your fellow M-pals! You may never end up writing the novel, but if you can create the plot or pitch for one after looking at a single photograph, you'll never run out of ideas.