Thesis Inspiration Part 2--"Quest for Camelot"

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT***
If you attempted to click on a link in any of my previous posts, they did not work. This has been fixed. Blogger and I had a minor dispute over proper html format. I won, and Blogger is now awaiting trial. So, if you go back and click on stuff, it will take you there now. Lol.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program. This Monday is week 2 of thesis inspiration. Last Monday, today, and next Monday are dedicated to the three children’s movies that inspired my thesis novel for Seton Hill—Disney’s “Mulan,” “Quest for Camelot,” and “The Swan Princess.”

So, without further a due—“Quest for Camelot.”
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Based in Arthurian Legend, “Quest for Camelot” tells the story of Kayley—daughter of a Knight of the Round Table—and her dream to become a knight. Her world is turned up-side-down with the death of her father at the wicked Sir Ruber’s hand. Ten years later, Kayley’s world is further turned to chaos by the theft of Excalibur—King Arthur’s famed sword—and the arrival of Ruber at her home. Kayley escapes Ruber’s watchful eye and flees to the Forbidden Forest where Excalibur has been lost. There, she meets Garrett—a blind hermit who is as good a fighter as any knight—Devon and Cornwall—two heads of a dragon that refuse to get along—and Aiden—a silver-winged falcon. With the help of her new companions, she finds Excalibur and returns it to Camelot only to be intercepted by Ruber. With Garrett’s help, Kayley defeats Ruber and saves Camelot. She is knighted by King Arthur and finds herself in possession of everything she’s ever wanted—knighthood and Garrett.
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That’s a lot. I did say last week that “Quest for Camelot” had the largest impact on my thesis. I wasn’t kidding.

Some similar themes between “Quest for Camelot” and “Mulan” in terms of my thesis. A form of the military figures prominently in both. Jayleen—my protagonist—desires nothing more than to be admitted into the Royal Guard—thirty elite soldiers charged with the protection of the royal family. Like King Arthur’s knights, the members of the guard ride on horseback and are formidable warriors. I can’t say that the idea of the Royal Guard came directly from the knights, but the Round Table certainly had a hand.

Jayleen herself—I originally gave Jayleen auburn hair (similar to Kayley’s). Then, my mentor pointed out that the red-headed heroine was a bit overdone. I privately fumed at this. It wasn’t true. I mean, the red-headed heroines that I can think of are only Kayley, Kahlan (“Sword of Truth” series by Terry Goodkind), Ariel (“The Little Mermaid”), Thumbelina, Merida (“Brave”), Ce’Nedra (“The Belgariad” by David Eddings), and Anastasia (from the 20th Century Fox animated feature). Err, all right—maybe it was overdone. So, I relented and made Jayleen’s hair sable brown. It actually fits her better.

That said, I did base a lot of Jayleen off of Kayley. Jayleen looks up to her father—general of the army and captain of the Royal Guard. Jayleen also finds herself in a situation where she reluctantly, at least initially, has to work with a member of the opposite gender. In her case, though, there are two members of the opposite gender—Crown Prince Kylander and, in different ways, her brother—Julian.

Okay, Jayleen—you’re a spotlight hoarder. Step aside so I can talk about the overall impact of the movie on my thesis. The idea of Camelot—the powerful kingdom—had an impact as well. It’s in no way based on Camelot, other than being a powerful kingdom, but that’s where the idea of Edalya came from.

Most important, at least to me, I will now talk about the romance. Is there any, yes. Do Jayleen and the Prince end up together—not saying. What I will say is that, regardless of whether they do or not, they are given real reasons to grow together. What does this mean? As I say in my post about “Tangled,” the romantic couple is given a chance to get to know one another and fall in love for the right reasons. Kayley and Garrett do this as well. They fight, run, and struggle their way through the Forbidden Forest until Ruber wounds Garrett. In that moment, Kayley and Garrett realize they’re in love. Corny, maybe, but it wasn’t love at first sight, and it wasn’t “I haven’t even really looked at you but let’s get married.” It’s real.

All righty, I think that just about wraps it up. Next week will conclude the Thesis Three (I just made that up, and it’s catchy) sequence with “The Swan Princess.” And, next Friday—could it be? Spoilers?

See you out of the box,
Caboodle

P.S. Check out my duet (thanks to my duet partner) of “Looking Through Your Eyes” from “Quest for Camelot. I’m working at getting “On My Father’s Wings” up as well, but life keeps happening. Stay tuned.

Author Interview--Matt O'Dwyer

Hi folks,

Another Seton Hill WPFer interview.

This week we have Matt O’Dwyer in the hot seat. Like me, he’s enrolled in Seton Hill’s MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program, but he’s in his first semester. And, here he is.

-What book and/or experience made you want to be a writer?

I started writing seriously in high school. My teacher, Eddie Miller, was wonderful and very encouraging. In college, I enrolled in about fourteen writing workshops. I primarily studied fiction with an amazing novelist, Mark Powell. His passion for writing, along with his ability to help others with their writing, has definitely had a profound impact on my life. I also had a heavy interest in poetry. My professor for poetry, Terri Witek, is truly gifted and taught me so much about writing. I don’t know exactly when I chose writing as a profession. I do know that by the time my senior year came around, I wasn’t considering anything else.

As for a book that really made me want to write, I guess that would be The Lord of the Rings. That was my first true fantasy experience and I loved it. I also always had a love for comic books. I was (and still am) a big Spider-Man fan. I know that for a long time I thought it would be cool to write for comic books.

-What genre(s) do you write?

I primarily write fantasy. In undergrad, my mentor told me to step away from fantasy and read/write other things. It was a wonderful experience and one that definitely made me grow. When I went back to writing fantasy, I saw it with fresh eyes and fell in love with it all over again.

-What projects are you working on now?

I have two projects that might end up turning into one. The first is a short story called “Ajaer’s Will.” The second is my thesis project, which is untitled at the moment. I have a feeling that the short story might work pretty well as a prologue for the novel.

In the short story, I was addressing the idea of a protagonist that (by the end) could actually be the antagonist. In the novel, I’m looking to address magic at an extreme cost. Brandon Sanderson had some wonderful posts on his blog about hard magic, soft magic, and how to construct interesting systems. I would recommend “Sanderson’s Laws” to anyone, if only to hear his opinion (and he’s very clear about it only being an opinion) on magic systems and why they work or don’t. For the novel, that’s all I can really say right now.

-Spoilers?

This is an excerpt from my short story “Ajaer’s Will,” it’s the very first page.

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“Lay your blade to our throat, king’s envoy,” the creature said. It stood like a pillar among the falling snow, as if the world had been erected around the monster.

“Ajaer’s envoy, creature, and I wouldn’t think too dull my blade on your husk,” Vernil said. His gloved fingertips rested at the buckle of his belt while he tried not to tremble. He looked into the creature’s eyes, black with white in the center, obsidian veins crawled from the sunken orbs and faded across swirling white skin. From afar, the abomination looked like the living incarnation of a pearl. It was smooth and hard like a river-washed stone, even though it appeared slick. Vernil knew better than to drop his guard or draw his sword, he knew that a normal blade couldn’t even make a notch on that skin.

“No? Not better than the others? You have seen others like us before. Maybe you scratched your blade on them. Men think we are soft because we share a shape, not you. You know more than the rest, you know better than to fight.” The creature tilted its head slightly to the right and smiled, showing a set of sharpened teeth the color of coal.

“Ajaer’s Breath has given me wisdom where others have courage, creature.” Standing slightly taller than the thing, Vernil narrowed his eyes and looked at the village behind it.

“Not so much wisdom as to avoid insulting us. Do you tell stories about my people? Do you tell them to your young? Tell them about creatures? Honor me, envoy, with a story of Ajaer. Should we worship this thing? Does the god have time for us?”

“Ajaer’s thoughts have never strayed from his people, the hearts and minds of men.” Vernil’s toes curled, his blackened leather boots were encased in the snow that whipped around them. The wind cut through his heavy cloak, it severed him from any thought or hope of warmth. Vernil wouldn’t move to wrap the cloak tight, not in front of the creature. It wasn’t cold, it had no wrappings, no weapon, and showed no concern in its voice, a deep rumbling with a sharp rasp at the end and a habit for calling itself “we” and “us.” Vernil pushed thoughts from his mind. “You could worship Ajaer, as I do, though I do not believe your words would carry in the wind.”
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-For other aspiring writers, any tips?

Always know more than you intend to put on the page. For fantasy writers, that might mean knowing more about the history of your specific world. You’ll see it creep into the story. A character might reference a historical event in some random scene. I think the reference will seem natural because you didn’t make up the event for that specific conversation.

Other than that, find readers and listen to their critiques. I sat in a workshop during my sophomore year of undergrad where everyone in the room pounced on half a page of dialogue that didn’t work. I didn’t think any of their suggestions really worked either. However, that didn’t change the fact that my scene didn’t run as smoothly as I intended. Over the years I’ve learned that there’s something to take away from every person’s critique. Even if a reader doesn’t know how to fix your scene, it’s important to know if the scene doesn’t quite work in its current state.

-What’s your favorite book/genre to read?

My favorite genre is definitely fantasy. I just love the complex characters that seem to come out of fantasy.

I don’t think I can choose just one book. My favorite series within the fantasy genre is A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I also have to mention The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I don’t think I could ever choose between Martin’s books or McCarthy’s. Both authors have greatly influenced my writing, as well as my studies.

-What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written?

A poem that I wrote during my senior year of college called “Crush.” There’s something about it that just hits me every time I go back to it. There’s a visual element to it, the way it’s displayed on the page. I was also thinking of someone very special to me when I wrote it. I think I’ve written better stories, maybe even better poems, but I love that one.

Thank you very much, Mary, for offering to do this interview. Your questions made me reflect on some things I hadn’t really thought of in a while.

You are very welcome, Matt, and thank you very much for your insightful responses.

Want more from Matt?

Check out hisBlog.

Visit his author page on Facebook or follow Matt on Twitter.

Want to get in touch with Matt?
Email Matt O’Dwyer!

Synopsis Writing: Before or After--That is the Question

“We love synopsis writing!” Say it with me. Ready, go. “We love synopsis writing!” I can’t hear you!

And, if you’re sane, that’s a good thing.

I haven’t met the writer yet who likes writing a synopsis. Personally, I hate them. However, I’ve come to understand that, like dentist visits, they are necessary but extremely painful and not enjoyable.

So, what’s all the hate about? We all know the many, many, many, many, many…many… (anyway) reasons why writers hate synopses.

-I wrote this wonderful book, and you want me to tell all of it in 2 pages?!?!

-This is important, but that’s important too. The entire book is important. What can I possibly cut out?!?!

-What if I write the synopsis and then the book looks nothing like it?!?!

You get the idea.

So, there’s no happy way to write a synopsis. Is there, however, a good time to write the synopsis. Up until a few weeks ago, I would have said “you can’t possibly write the synopsis without finishing the book first.” I then—partially out of necessity—proved myself wrong.

My synopsis and project approval form for SHU are due this month. So, like any desperate writer, I sat down with a how-to synopsis book and set to work plotting my demise…err, synopsis. At this point, I’d written about seven chapters of my thesis—not even scratching the surface—so, for all intents and purposes, I hadn’t really started the novel. I expected to crumple to the ground, cry, bang my head on the floor in hopes of falling unconscious, and scream “I’m not worthy!” I’m pleased to announce that I did none of the above; though I did consider crying.

Actually, the synopsis came more easily than I thought possible. And—wonder of wonders—it helped. I went in with a vague outline of the plot etched in my mind and in bullet point form in an MS Word document. I twisted it all around, added some transitions, put it into complete sentences, and a miracle occurred. The gaps filled themselves in.

I kid you not.

The weak links in the story—the parts where I was sure it would fall apart—they wrote themselves. Where I had a loose idea and a desperate need for things to work out before, I now have a real event that enhances the story. I jumped for joy, spun in circles, and flapped my arms like a chicken. All right, that last part’s a lie.

How did I do it, you ask. I will attempt to break it down. Please remember, though, that synopsis writing is not an exact science. What works for one will not work for all.

-Step 1 – establish what absolutely needs to happen in the story
There are some events that just need to happen or the story can’t move forward. Find those. Make friends with them. Write them down so you don’t forget them. These are the backbone of a synopsis. Without those, there is no story. All the middle details can change. Heck, the exact happenings of the essential events can change. But, those essential events themselves need to happen. And, they need to be in your synopsis—at least a synopsis of any length. Tip: For shorter synopses, simply pick out the most essential of the essential events. For longer ones, add less essential but still important events.

-Step 2 – how do your POV Character(s) feel about said events?
A synopsis is not a play-by-play. It’s not a laundry list of events. It’s a story about your story. Find your POV and other essential characters. Add them to the event list. For the POV character(s), get inside their heads. How do they feel, react to, come to terms with the events? Do the events change them? How? In the synopsis, you may tell not show, but tell well.

-Step 3 – Final touches
Add transitions when jumping between characters, from place to place, or over periods of time. Double check to make sure emotions have been inserted in a way that makes the synopsis sound like a story rather than a list of events. Begin with a theme, hook, or (in the cases of stories with much background) a detailed description of everything that needs to be known but would not fit in the synopsis itself. End strong. In the case of “first book in a series” syndrome, add a paragraph or two at the end about events of following books.

Put it together and what do you have…?

If anyone says “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” I will hurt you.

Other things to remember:

-write in third person, present tense
-write in the same overall tone of the story (serious, upbeat, funny, etc.)
-use standard manuscript format (12 pt font, clear font such as Arial or Currier, double spaced, header with page numbers/your name/abbreviated title of manuscript on the top left)
-It’s only a synopsis. It won’t hurt you. But, also, remember that it’s a story. A second set of eyes can bring clear what one cannot.

While I’m here, I recommend the how-to book I read last semester—“Writing the Fiction Synopsis” by Pam McCutcheon. It saved my life. Okay, not literally, but you get the idea.

Anything to add? Have any award-winning synopsis tips to pass on? I encourage discussion. We’re all in the same boat with synopsis writing, and I know I’ve only scratched the surface.

Thesis Inspiration Part 1--Disney's "Mulan"

First—the answer to the question posed in last week’s post.

Which actor has been in every Pixar movie, and who did he play in “Brave?”

Answer—John Ratzenberger, and he played Gordon.

All right.

“Let’s get down to business to defeat….”

Actually, we’re not defeating anything. This Monday and the following two Mondays will be a triplet set. I will introduce, comment on, and explain my connection to the three movies that inspired the novel that is my thesis for Seton Hill.

First, a little background on my thesis. Last week, I did an interview on a fellow SHUer’s blog—Amarilys Acosta. Check out the interview and her blog here. My thesis novel is—at least for right now—titled “Saving Edalya” and may be summed up by the old adage “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

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Jayleen Rothwell (daughter of Edalya’s army general and Royal Guard captain) and Crown Prince Kylander Cammoleer (air to the kingdom’s throne) paths would never have crossed if not for the academy. Jayleen—out of a desire to protect her home—and Kylander—on his father’s orders—partake in military training. It is an off-base assignment, and the attack on Jayleen and Kylander’s force, that bring them, if reluctantly, together. After Jayleen saves Kylander’s life, the two form a tenuous alliance. But, as time passes, relationships are strained, and attacks become more frequent, Jayleen and Kylander must learn to put aside their differences—and even grow together—to keep one another alive. Evil has a way of slipping into the night, and it’s not until it’s too late that the two realize just how deep corruption can run.

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So many details, not enough time.

In any event, back to the interview I did. You can see in said interview, that the three movies in question are Disney’s Mulan,” “Quest for Camelot,” and “The Swan Princess.” Yes, these are all children’s movies. No, my thesis is not a children’s book. But, as you can see in my post from a few months ago about Disney’s “Tangled” and last week’s post about Pixar’s “Brave,” there is much to be found in children’s movies that can be applied to adult audiences.

So, without further comment and to keep with the quotation above,” this week, I begin with Disney’s “Mulan.” The story of a young Chinese woman who can’t seem to fit into her role in society, “Mulan” shows the courage, honor, and caring of the title character as she disguises herself as a man and takes her ailing father’s place in the imperial army.

Right away, there are a lot of adult themes here—responsibility, doing what’s right even if it means putting yourself in harm’s way, protecting those we care about. All of these themes make an appearance in my thesis novel. There’s more than that, though.

As is probably obvious, the military figures prominently in both “Mulan” and my thesis. I loved “Mulan” growing up—still do—and the reason I love it so much is because it’s different. Mulan takes matters into her own hands. She does what she needs to do to keep her father alive, regardless of the consequences.

Originally, Jayleen was the only female ever to join the Edalyan army. I quickly replaced this idea when I realized the logistics of making it work. Not that I couldn’t do it but that it would take away from the story I really wanted to tell. It wasn’t about a woman making a stand. It was about a person doing what’s right, protecting those she cares for, and chasing her dreams. Mulan represents all of this and more to me. She’s not the traditional Disney female—nothing wrong with the traditional Disney female. She is a strong, brave, strong-willed young woman—what I have made Jayleen.

The other thing I loved about Mulan is that she didn’t need a man. Yes, she falls for Shang, and if you watch or Google “Mulan2,” you will see ***SPOILER ALERT*** that she and Shang do marry. But, that’s movie 2. I’m talking about movie 1. Mulan goes and does—love comes later.

As is the case for Jayleen. Yes, she and Kylander are main characters. Yes, they work together. Do they end up together—read the book when it comes out. That’s the power of authorhood—keeping readers wondering—oh, and killing off characters for fun. Anyway, I wanted Jayleen to be her own person. She has a twin brother who makes her nervous, but everyone has a weakness/issue. That’s hers. I’m confident she’ll work around it…

That concludes Part 1. Tune in for next week’s edition—“Quest for Camelot.” That one had probably the largest impact. ***ERR, was that a spoiler?***

P.S. Check out my recording of “Reflection” on YouTube.

Author Interview--Amarilys Acosta

Good Friday:

This week is a bit different. It’s still fiction, but it’s someone else’s fiction. To follow is an interview of a fellow Seton Hill WPFer—Amarilys Acosta. Like me, she is in her second semester of her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. I’d say more, but I’ll let her do the talking.

-What book and/or experience made you want to be a writer?

Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness is the culprit of me falling in love with writing. Her novels have these badass, self-sufficient, witty, and amazing heroines that basically became my role models when I was a teenager. And at one point I thought, I want to do this. I want to write characters like these that can become role models to teens, and help them through those horrible school years. Lol.

-What genre(s) do you write? If more than one, what’s your favorite?

I write YA Paranormals and Fantasy, and I recently dabbled in Scifi. No favorites though! That would be like saying you love one of your kids more than the other. lol I love both genres.

-What project(s) are you working on now?

I'm working on a YA Paranormal Romance that's turning out to be more adventure than romance, but that’s okay. I do hate Paranormal Romances that have the heroines with a severe case of 'insta-love.' It's just not natural. So, yes, there are some cute and sexy scenes with two gorgeous guys, but as of yet my heroine hasn't fallen head over heels for any of them.

Another project of mine is a YA scifi story I wrote recently just for kicks—because really, I know nothing about scifi—but then I sort of loved it and got awesome feedback on it this past residency. So now, I'm thinking I'll be working on this on the side. I do get frustrated with my thesis every once in a while, and I think working on this other project will help.

-Spoilers?

This is from my thesis, a YA Paranormal Romance. This scene takes place during lunch after Jayson (love interest) has left the table, and Annabel (heroine) finds out that he's not only a vampire.
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Vinnie ate an apple slice, before she said, “I’m guessing this is not the first time he’s used his powers on you?”

“That…that bastard!” Now I knew why I turned so unfocused and swoony when around him. Incubus not only fed on emotions but they could also manipulate them. I bet he’d also made me calm down when my magic grew out of control. And here I thought I’d finally gained some control over it. I thumped the table with my fist. “I’m going to stake him.”

“Please don’t,” Vinnie said. “Juliette will eviscerate any non-vamp girls who get close to her brother, and I’d hate to be without a roommate again.”

I was about to laugh, when I noticed she wasn’t. It wasn’t a joke.

“He’s the one who keeps appearing everywhere.”

She frowned and poked her fruit salad. “He’s nice but a whole lot of trouble, and not of the good kind. If a girl doesn’t fall for him, he trips her.”
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-For other aspiring writers, any tips?

WRITE every day with Wit, Resolve, Inspiration, Thought, and Emotion. (Just made that up, yup)

-What’s your favorite book/genre to read?

Too many favorite books to list here, so I'll stick to genres. I basically write the genres I love to read –YA Paranormals, Fantasy, and Sci-fi are my addiction. I also read adult novels occasionally – Romances, Urban Fantasy, and High Fantasy.

-What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written?

First story I wrote. In its current written form it's horrible, of course, since I was like 13 when I wrote it and had no concept whatsoever of rules, or conventions, plus my first language is not English! lol The story is about people with elemental powers (very Avatar: The Last Airbender, I know, but I thought of it first!). So picked a boy and a girl for each element, plus a dragon—because really what awesome fantasy novel didn't have a dragon—and basically their world is invaded by aliens.

It's my favorite because even with all the errors (horrors?) it's so raw, all full of emotions and humor, and this huge cast of characters that I love…Though, I really have no idea what I was thinking of when I chose 9 main characters. I just feel like I have to work for that kind of 'intensity' now because I'm more concerned about keeping in mind all the 'rules' and stuff, whereas before I just wrote…if that makes sense.

Want more from Amarilys?

Check out her Author Website and her Book Blog.

Also, follow Amarilys on Twitter.

Writer's Spam: Avoiding and Eliminating Infodumps

A couple of weeks ago for Fiction Friday, I posted a Lucky Seven. I submitted the first ten pages of the manuscript from which said Lucky Seven came from as my crit piece for this past SHU residency. Being the nut that I am, I reread my work the night before its critique to try and get a feel of the critiques I would get. I guessed that one of the big comments would be that I had a few huge infodumps. I was right.

Before I go any farther, I will define infodumps (or writer’s spam as I sometimes call them) just in case anyone is unfamiliar with the term. Contrary to what their name implies, infodumps are not trash centers for info or when your manuscript goes to the bathroom. They are actually pretty much what their name implies—dumps of information. You know that person behind you in line at the grocery store? The one who, when you comment on how the line’s not moving, launches into the story of their life? That person is infodumping. Eliminate him…ignore him. He’s probably unaware that he’s infodumping.

Ok, back to my manuscript problem. I took the infodump feedback to heart, went back, and set myself the task of eradicating infodumps from existence (or at least from my manuscript). This proved easier for some than others. What do you do with information that you need to get across? After doing as much as I could, I opened my thesis and started to finalize the first three chapters for my July homework. Immediately, I noticed that infodumps were not a characteristic found only in my urban fantasy/paranormal mystery. They made appearances in my epic fantasy as well.

I wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Okay, no I didn’t, but I was not a happy camper. I reread the chapters and stared at the infodumps. I made faces at them and glared at them, but they didn’t leave. And then, something clicked in my head. I reread chapter two, and suddenly I knew what I was going to do.

So, that brings me to the meat of this post. Three ways to eliminate Infodumps/writer’s spam.

-Find another way to state the information
Reread your infodumps. Make friends with them. Understand them, and then snuff them from existence. Take them apart and scatter their parts across your manuscript. If you can, explain the content of the former infodump in dialogue. Readers love dialogue. It moves the story forward, and, if you implant previously infodumped information into dialogue, you supply the reader with forward motion and important information. A practical upshot of this is that you don’t want your dialogue to be too lengthy. So, you look for ways to condense information.

-Do you really need all this?
I’m going to say it. Don’t hit my blog. It’s on your computer screen, and if you hit it, you’ll break your computer. Go outside, throw sticks (don’t throw rocks, that’s dangerous). Beat up a pillow. Don’t interact with other humans until the frustration is out.

K, ready—YOU MAY NOT NEED EVERYTHING ON THE PAGE. I know. I’m sorry. Reread the infodumps and ask yourself “Is this necessary?” If the answer is always a resounding “YES, AND IT MUST STAY IN THIS FORMAT,” you’re doing it wrong. If the answer is “yes, but I can divide it up” or “maybe not,” good job—that’s the spirit. If the dividing up of infodumps method prescribed above doesn’t work, try and eliminate unnecessary information. I just recently did this, and I’m still here. You can do it too.

-Write the entire thing as dialogue
Try this as an exercise. If there’s an infodump that refuses to go away no matter what you do to it, fear not. Take the information, take two characters to which the information pertains, mix until combined (err, never mind, that’s cookies)…anyway, take the first two and open a blank document/notebook. Write out the information in the infodump as a conversation between the two characters as the characters would discuss it. See what you get. If the result is too difficult to chew—stick to writing, baking’s not for you. Otherwise, take the new product and compare it to the old one. Find what changed and apply that to the infodump. Maybe you can shorten it and spread some of it out at least.

They say “a well-disguised infodump is still an infodump.” I do beg to differ. There are cases where infodumps are the best way to get info across. No, I’m not contradicting myself. If you have a fantastic old house that a character is seeing for the first time, you want to describe it in one shot. Some particularly important bits of your world’s or characters’ history may be better given in one dose. The trick is to avoid unnecessary infodumps. If you have one or two with lots of non-infodump between them and those two are stellar infodumps, the infodump police won’t come after you.

A bear, a bear? Pixar's new Princess

Trivia time—one actor has been in every Pixar and Disney Pixar film. Who is he, and who did he play in Brave?
-Answer, next week.

Bonus points!
5 points if you can identify the epic fantasy series from which I take inspiration for the title of this Media Monday.
-Answer, at the end of the post

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Saw “Brave”—loved “Brave.” The Scottish accent only made it better. I was fondly reminded of “Shrek.” I was then fondly and giddily reminded of Disney’s “Gargoyles.” I had a small obsession problem with that TV show as a kid. But, less on that, more on Brave.

Wonderful job Pixar introducing your own princess into the mish-mosh of those already in existence. Despite this pre-existing bunch, though, Merida is unique. Strong-willed, independent, aware of what she wants, and, well, brave (duh).

The best thing, in my opinion, about “Brave” is that it’s unexpected. Every time you think “ahuh, I know where this is going,” the movie goes precisely in the opposite direction. I saw this with a friend who had already seen it. When Merida got the potion, I turned to my friend and said “the Momma’s gonna die.” I then stood corrected a few minutes later when the momma turned into a bear (ngoiehgegoiwejioeho?). I was, obviously, not expecting the bear thing, but I loved it. And, I loved that the bear thing was tied into the four brothers legend.

I recommend going to see “Brave.” I don’t recommend taking your kids to see “Brave,” however, if they scare easily. Yes, it’s an animated/kids movie, but parts of it are dark. I would have been scared when I was around 5.

That said, if you do bring your kids to see “Brave,” good. The movie teaches some very important life lessons. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want. Believe in yourself, and don’t take potions from creepy wood-working witches in the woods are just a few. Parents—there’s a lesson to be learned here fror you too. While you shouldn’t take potions from creepy wood-working witches in the woods either, you should also allow your child to make their own decisions once they’re old enough to do so. I’m not a parent, but I appreciate my parents more than I can say because they guided me through growing up rather than ordering me through it. I think it makes a difference. This is just my two cents. Do what you want with it. It won’t turn you into a bear (I think).

I do have to say, though, despite my assertion that I would have been afraid of this movie as a small child, I wish it had come out when I was a kid. I spent hours in my backyard pretending to be the one princess that was kick-ass and knowledgeable about nature. If I’d had “Brave” to go off of, I could have pretended to be Merida. Although, the fact that I branched out and made up my own ideal princess without Merida’s influence says a lot for my creative mind. So, maybe I should thank Pixar for not making “Brave” sooner because it allowed me to be creative and probably (at least partially) led to me becoming a writer. (It made sense in my head).

Last but certainly not least, a few themes to take away from “Brave.” The first is “legends are lessons,” and how true is that? We always say “history repeats itself.” I’d like to amend that to “history repeats itself if we don’t learn our lesson the first time and prevent the bad things from happening again.” “Legends are lessons” is the same basic concept, except it alliterates better. It took Merida turning her mother into a bear to realize that. I hope we can figure it out with a little less trauma.

Second—and this is very important. “Never conjur where you carve.”

Answer to trivia question #2 at the beginning of this post. I take inspiration from George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series.

See you out of the box,
Caboodle

P.S. I wrote a guest post for a friend and fellow WPFer this week. Check it out and have a look at her blog here!