Extra Week: Guest Post: (Not Really): Adam Gidwitz*

Hello, everyone!

So, as we know, for extra week posts I can write whatever I want. Today, I want you to read these two amazing articles by Adam Gidwitz. I put links to them, so it's not really a guest post, even though you're reading someone else's articles.

http://www.adamgidwitz.com/why-do-i-write-fairy-tales-if-theyre-so-bloody/

http://www.adamgidwitz.com/tears-into-blood/

I hope you enjoy these deeply thought-provoking, amazing, articles.

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Dark-Grimm-Gidwitz-Paperback/dp/B01071EW46/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1504653856&sr=8-9&keywords=a+tale+dark+and+grimm

*Post actually written on September 5th. See here for details. 

Creative Complex: Mr. Snuffleupagus

Hello, Friends!

Today, we are talking about people/animals that do not exist. Technically. However, if you've ever seen some of the older Sesame Street shows, you know that Big Bird had an imaginary friend, Mr. Snuffleupagus. Until one Mr. Snuffleupagus turned into a real character. What are some characters you wish would turn into real people?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/narrative-history-dream-tell-794978/

Extra Week Post: Character Complications*

Hello Friends!

I started school recently, so I haven't been as on top of this blog as I usually am. Sorry about that!

Today, we are talking about character complications. I know we've talked about character habits, but this is a little different. Character Complications are things that cause issues for your character. These could be physical, mental, or spiritual.

Physical Examples:

• Allergies
• It's always fun to think outside the box, so what are some really weird allergies you've heard of? Does your character have an allergy to the sun? (I discovered, unfortunately, that there is a possibility I am allergic to sunlight. I mean, honestly?)
• Paralysis--partial or full
• Limitation of senses
• I mean, things that are wrong with your senses. For example, deafness, blindness, not being able to feel your fingers or toes, etc.

Mental Examples:

• Learning disability
• Medical conditions

Spiritual Examples:

• Struggles with faith, belief, etc.

 Now, why? Why might character complications be useful?

• To give your character depth as a person/etc.
• To make your story more interesting
• To question things in the real world

 Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/question-mark-why-problem-solution-2123967/

*Post actually written September 5th. See here for details. 

Topic of the Month: Art

Hello, Artists.

What is your favorite type of art? Who is your favorite artist?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/vintage-book-illustration-literature-1721884/

Creative Complex: Character Constructing: Habits

Hello, Friends!

Today, we are going to be talking about habits. Everyone has habits, bad habits, good habits, random habits. . . etc. Today, we are going to explore some types of habits that will help your character seem more realistic.

Bad Habits:
-Cracking knuckles
-Chewing nails/lips
-Glaring
-Pulling out hair
-Repeating oneself
-Any others you can think of

By adding maybe a bad habit or two to your character, you make them more realistic. You show how they respond to certain situations or emotions, like stress.

Good Habits:
-Saying please and thank you
-Smiling automatically
-Making lists (as long as you don't overdo it)
-Thinking of one thing you're thankful for every day
-Anything else

Good habits make your character more well-rounded.

Word Habits:
These are words you say all the time. In our culture, most people say "like" a lot. I say "in any case" and "wonderful" a lot.

Most people use a few phrases excessively, so, like I said before, adding word habits to your characters make your characters more realistic and more well-rounded.

What habits do you have?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/keywords-letters-scrabble-word-2041816/

On My Mind: Historical Fantasy

Hello, Fantastical Creatures.

First of all, sorry this post is up late.

Today, I am thinking about historical fantasy.

Have you ever heard of Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a group that specializes in rock and rock opera, which is, well, a combination of rock and opera. In other words, they tell stories through music. It's amazing, and I love it. Not to mention, the stories are some of the best stories I've ever read.

In any case, they did an album called Beethoven's Last Night. This album is the story of Beethoven's last night on earth. However, it is fantasy. I love this. It's real historical characters, but with a fantasy story.

Have you ever heard of historical fantasy?

Spruce Nogard

Recipe: (Possibly) The Best Simple Chocolate-Lover's Breakfast

Hello, Cooks!

You don't really need to be able to cook for this recipe. It's the best simple version of a wonderful chocolate breakfast. Have fun! (I think I got this recipe from a magazine or something.)

Ingredients:

• Chocolate chip toaster waffles
• Nutella
• Marshmallows
• Whipped Cream

Directions:

1.  Toast two toaster waffles.
2. Spread Nutella on both toaster waffles.
3. Put marshmallows on one toaster waffle, then put the other toaster waffle on top to create a marshmallow and nutella sandwich.
4. Put whipped cream on top.
5. Eat!

I love this recipe.

Spruce Nogard

Creative Complex: Normality

Today, continue the story.

I was a normal child. Until the day my bed swallowed me whole.

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/bed-pillow-zudeck-wooden-bed-rest-1545991/

Dragons: Who is your Favorite Dragon?

Hello, Dragon Riders.

Sorry, this is more a Creative Complex than a dragon post, but it's still fun. :)

Who is your favorite dragon?

a) Smaug (from The Hobbit)
b) Sapphira (from Eragon)
c) Toothless (from the How to Train Your Dragon movie)
d) Samaranth (from Here There Be Dragons)

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/dragon-no-background-the-head-of-the-2471984/

Gardening: Cautionary Tales: Unassuming Killers

Hello, Gardeners!

To continue our cautionary posts, we are going to be talking about plants you wouldn't think would take over your garden, but do.

There are two types of plants that can take over a vegetable garden: invasive plants and vining plants.

1) Invasive Plants

The giant green stuff is mint.

Invasive plants simply invade the area they are given and take over, pushing the other plants out in a variety of ways. The invasive plants you've probably heard the most about are weeds. However, we often keep invasive plants in our gardens as well. A few of these are strawberries, chives, mint, and oregano. Plants like these usually send out "runners," or baby plants (sometimes called daughter plants) under the soil. These runners are connected to the main roots. The runners then turn into regular plants, except for one thing: they are still connected to the main plant. (This reminds me of Larryboy and the Rumor Weed, a VeggieTales show. Here's a link to the whole thing. I couldn't find just the part I'm thinking about.) In any case, invasive plants usually do best in pots or somewhere where they are contained. And all the plants I listed are perennials as well, so you can't just start again next year. I should have listened to gardening advice before planting my mint and oregano. Oops.

2) Vining Plants
Vining plants are just that: any plant that vines. This would include members of the squash family, cucumber family, beans, peas, and a few others. (By the way, if beans and peas are labeled as the bush variety, that means they don't vine, so they're fine.) Vining plants always want to hold on to something. They also like holding on tight. Although this doesn't seem like it would be an issue, it becomes a problem when your vining plants begin to wrap around your other plants, or themselves. Beans hold on to other plants, but usually just enough so they'll be secure, but cucumbers will squeeze until they can't squeeze anymore, which can cut off circulation of that part of the vine or plant, causing it to die. (This is based on personal experience, so your plants may act slightly different.) Often, only parts of vines or parts of plants die, so it probably won't kill the whole plant.

Obviously, people still grow these plants, and we don't want to be able to only grow one type of plant for the rest of our lives. So, what do we do?

Answer: Work.

Solutions:

Invasive Plants:
I kind of already mentioned this, but try to grow invasive plants in their own containers. You can also just weed a lot. I don't mean weed the weeds, I mean pull up the daughter plants if they're getting too out of hand.

Vining Plants:
Untangle. Every few days, go out and gently untangle the vines. If the vines don't seem to be impeding a plant's space or squeezing too tight, sometimes it's easier just to leave it. For example, last year, I had beans growing near garlic, and the beans wrapped around the garlic leaves. Because the
beans were just loosely wrapped around, and the garlic still grew fine, I just left it. However, if you notice a vining plant is squeezing, you need to gently untangle that vine, otherwise it'll end up killing the part of the plant it's squeezing. Depending on the type of vining plant, you may need a trellis or something it can climb. This will help direct the plant's growth. You should still check the vining plant regularly and redirect its tendrils if need be.

Have you ever had problems with these types of plants
?

Spruce Nogard

Creative Complex: [No Title]

Warning: If you do not like scary things, do not read this post. This was the only way I would let Dragomir write such a creepy post. When he first sent this post to me to be published, I told him I wouldn't publish it. But he finally convinced me to post it because he explained people, especially writers, need to be familiar with a variety of scenarios, even Gothic ones. He said they might help stretch your brains. (I think he just really wanted to write a Gothic Creative Complex and that was his excuse.)

The dread of what you have done fills you. It consumes every inch of your writhing body. The sole thought of your mind is unending, twisted anguish, leaving no room for the slightest glimpse of hope. This dread has taken all desire from you, never to return. Not even the humblest of acts can undo this wretched thing you have done. There is only one thing left to do, horrendous though it is.

Dear Readers, I have not included a title because no title can convey the story's emotional impact in the way it is meant to. If you have not come to the logical conclusion that, this being what Spruce entitles a "Creative Complex," and this post being a section of a story, the object is to continue and embellish upon the story provided, I will tell you this is what you are meant to do.

Dragomir Volkov

Spruce Nogard

Reviews: The Night Gardener

Hello, Friends!

It seems like this month is just the month of caution.

The Night Gardener, by Jonathon Auxier is about Molly and Kip, two siblings who go to work in a
freaky old mansion everyone claims is haunted. At first, besides the run-down mansion in the middle of nowhere and the tree that is almost a part of it, everything goes fine. The pair finally have a roof over their heads, and food. Although their position isn't the best, and the family is sometimes hard to please, it's much better than traveling, not knowing when their next meal will be. But then, footprints start appearing, footprints that could not belong to anyone living in the house, and the Windsor family keeps getting sicker and sicker--something that could not be, just could not be, "just a touch of the fever," as the doctor keeps saying. Could the mansion be haunted, just as the villagers say it is? And if so, what is haunting it?

If anyone has ever heard of this book, you'll know it's often described as a cautionary tale. This is very true. I gave The Night Gardener four stars, because I loved Molly and Kip, and their relationship, and that, even though Molly is only fourteen and Kip is only nine, they don't do stupid things most kids their age in books would do. Their ages do not impede upon the story for the reader, or only include a certain age group. In other words, the book did not read younger, despite the young characters. I also loved the Windsor family (their employers).

I love this book. You should just go read it. Then you'll know what I mean. (But beware, it is a haunting tale, so if that will freak you out, then maybe don't read it.)

The book also contains many good questions to think about, turn over in your head again and again. . .Questions that will come up a while later while you're walking home from school, or doing art in your room. . .

And, after all, it is a cautionary tale, so it examines why humans do what they do, and what is actually good for us. . .

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-gardener-jonathan-auxier/1116852579?ean=9781419715310

Fairy Tales: Illustrators

Good Day, Friends!

Today, we are going to talk about fairy tale illustrators. Or, rather, different pictures for the same fairy tale.

Here are all fairy tale books I own. I have included links to the illustrations inside the books because I am not allowed to actually post them on my blog.

1) A Treasury of Children's Literature by Armand Eisen, Scott Gustafson

This book was illustrated by 16 different illustrators, all who have their own unique style to create

breathtakingly gorgeous illustrations. Here are some of them:

Sleeping Beauty: https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440910596i/16040439._SX540_.jpg 

Peter Pan: https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440911967i/16040727.png 

Little Red Riding Hood: https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440910596i/16040440._SY540_.jpg 


 
2) Fairy Tales by Berlie Doherty, Jane Ray

Jane Ray's illustrations are some of the most beautiful, non-conventional, awe-inspiring, illustrations I have ever seen. Here is a link to one of my favorites: the Cinderella illustration.










3) Treasury of Fairy Tales by Dorothea S. Goldenberg, Bette Killion

This was my mom's book of fairy tales, and is was one of the first fairy tale collections I have ever had. When I was little, we would often use it for practical uses, such as looking up fairy tales for various purposes. The illustrations are more cartoon-y, however. Here is a picture of the Snow White one. 

4) 100 Classic Stories by Miles Kelly, Victoria Parker

I got this as a birthday present, and I really enjoy it. :) I couldn't find pictures online, so you'll just have to guess based on the cover.

5) Jim Henson's The Storyteller by Anthony Minghella

This collection was based on Jim Henson's TV series of the same name. I barely know anything about the TV series, but I love the book. The collection has odd versions of some fairy tales, as well as lesser known fairy tales. The illustrations are also beautiful. Here is a picture. (Sorry, I can't remember which fairy tale this picture goes with.) 

6) Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Arthur Rackham

This version doesn't have colored pictures, but still Arthur Rackham is an amazing illustrator. He is a very well known fairy tale illustrator, and his pictures possess a sort of magic. It's hard to explain. Here's one of his pictures.
 










Who is your favorite fairy tale illustrator?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grimms-Complete-Fairy-Tales-Classics/dp/1435141792/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501514453&sr=1-1&keywords=grimms+complete+fairy+tales+isbn+1435141792 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jim-Hensons-Storyteller-Anthony-Minghella/dp/039458256X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501514658&sr=1-1&keywords=isbn+039458256X

https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Classic-Stories/dp/1435106377/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501514860&sr=1-1&keywords=isbn+1435106377 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Treasury-Fairy-Tales-Editor/078530701X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501515005&sr=1-1&keywords=isbn++078530701X

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Fairy-Tales-Berlie-Doherty/0763609978/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501515134&sr=1-1&keywords=isbn++0763609978

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Treasury-Childrens-Literature-Armand-Eisen/dp/039553349X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501515302&sr=1-1&keywords=isbn+039553349X

On My Mind: The Hidden Meaning Answers

So, did anyone figure out yesterday's codes? (Without cheating?)

Well, here are the answers:

1) Pig Latin
You can look up pig Latin to find out how it works.

When the dark comes rising,

Six shall turn it back.

Three from the circle,

Three from the track. 

2) Letters--Z = 1, Y = 2, etc.

Wood, bronze, iron,

Water, fire, stone.

Five shall return,

And one go alone.

3) Backwards--Unfortunately, I couldn't make all the letters backwards as well, but oh well. Just write out each line, but start at the last letter in the line and go right to left.

Iron for the birthday,

Bronze carried long.

Wood from the burning,

Stone out of song.

4) Before dash: actual letters, after dash, a = z, b = y, etc.This one I did try to trip you up. So, to figure out what Fi-iv means, before the dash are just the normal letters, but after the dash you follow the code, with a = z, b = y, etc.

Fire from the candle-ring, 

Water from the thaw.

Six signs the circle,

And the Grail gone before.

5) This one seems complicated at first, but it's really quite simple. All the letters of the alphabet correspond to an animal that starts with that letter. So, a = aardvark, b = bat, etc. All you really need to do is rewrite the text with only the first letter of every animal.

Fire from the mountain,

Shall find the harp of gold.

Played to wake the Sleepers,

Oldest of the Old.

6) This is just a word scramble, but with a rule: The first and last letter of the original word stay the same. So, "letter," once scrambled, would still have to start with "l" and end with "r."

Power from the Greenwitch,

Lost beneath the sea.

All shall find the Light at last,

Silver on the tree.

Hurrah! You have discovered the hidden meaning! And doesn't this remind you of something? It should. . . It's the poem from The Dark is Rising series, by Susan Cooper!

Spruce Nogard

Creative Complex: Dress

The most beautiful dress you could ever imagine arrives in a package on your doorstep. What happens next?

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/girl-dress-castle-model-rent-2417575/

Mental Library: Poetry: Introduction to Poetry

Hello, Poets!

Today, we are going to start a new series. We are going to talk about poetry. After all, it is a type of literature, even though it is not my favorite type of literature.

Before we can go any further, we have to learn the basic structure of a poem.

Verse- One line of poetry

Hot Cross Buns

Stanza- A group of verses

Now, on to rhyming.

There are two types of rhymes: Internal and external.

External rhymes are easier to understand because they always rhyme at the end of the verse.

Example:

I had a dog.

He sat on a log.

The last word of each verse rhymes.

Internal rhymes rhyme on the inside of a poem.

Example: 

My dog was on a log.

A word in the verse rhymes with the end word.

Next month, we will learn about rhyming patterns. Which type of rhyming do you like better: internal or external?

Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

 Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/bakery-hot-cross-buns-buns-rolls-1367348/

Topic of the Month: Consistency*

Hello, Friends.

First of all, sorry this post is up late. I had a busy week last week.

Anyways, this topic applies more to writers than readers, so sorry about that.

Have you ever read a book that was inconsistent in some way? Doesn't it just bug you to no end? I once read a fairy tale twist of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," and with twelve sisters, I know it can be hard to keep them straight. However, in the next books in the series, not only the order of birth was different from the original book, but also the number of years in between each character. Honestly, authors should make sure their stories are consistent, and if the authors themselves can't do that, at least the editors should be able to. I know sometimes authors have contracts and have to get books done by a certain time, but it would be better to get it done late than have a not as high quality book.

Sorry for ranting about that. It's just something that really bugs me.

In any case, what can you do about this?

Answer: Make calendars and timelines.

One or the other might work better depending on what you need to check for consistency. For example, if you had a timeline of when all the daughters in "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" twist were born, you could just look at that whenever you couldn't remember the order. However, if you had events or the book took place over multiple years, it might work better to do a calendar. I once knew someone who, after reading her manuscript and finding too many full moons, got a calendar from a few years ago and put the events in her book on the calendar so the phases of the moon would be right.

I wish more people would be this meticulous and care about consistency this much.

Even though it's a pain to put your entire book on a calendar, it pays off. You don't get the reviews that take stars away for the lack of consistency. Not to mention, if you really want to share something so amazing with other people, don't you want to do your best?

What books have you read where the lack of consistency detracts from the book as a whole?

Spruce Nogard

*Post actually written on July 31st. See here for details.

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/diary-pen-teacup-writing-calendar-2116244/

Creative Complex: Stories

Hello, Friends!

Today, I have a question for you: What stories did you make up when you were little? Would you still use aspects of those stories in your writing now?

Why or why not?

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/homework-girl-education-studying-787270/

On My Mind: The Hidden Meaning*

Hello, Friends!

Here are just a few basic codes (kind of) for you to solve.

1)

Enwhay ethay arkday omescay isingray,

Ixsay allshay urntay itway ackbay.

Eethray omfray ethay irclecay,

Eethray omfray ethay acktray.

2)

4, 12, 12, 23--25, 9, 12, 13, 1, 22--18, 9, 12, 13

4, 26, 7, 22, 9--21, 18, 9, 22--8, 7, 12, 13, 22

21, 18, 5, 22--8, 19, 26, 15, 15--9, 22, 7, 6, 9, 13

26, 13, 23--12, 13, 22--20, 12--26, 15, 12, 13, 22

3)

Yadhtrib eht rof nori,
Gnol deirrac eznorb.
Gninrub eht morf doow,
Gnos fo tou enots.

4)

Fi-iv fr-ln th-v can-wov ri-mt,

Wat-vi fr-ln th-v th-zd.

Si-c sig-mh th-v cir-xov,

An-w th-v Gra-ro go-mv bef-liv.

5)

Fish-iguana-rabbit-elephant fish-rabbit-octopus-monkey turtle-horse-elephant monkey-octopus-unicorn-narwhal-turtle-aardvark-iguana-narwhal,

Snake-horse-aardvark-lion-lion fish-iguana-narwhal-dog turtle-horse-elephant horse-aardvark-rabbit-pegasus octopus-fish giraffe-octopus-lion-dog.

Pegasus-lion-aardvark-yak-elephant-dog turtle-octopus whale-aardvark-kangaroo-elephant turtle-horse-elephant snake-lion-elephant-elephant-pegasus-elephant-rabbit-snake,

Octopus-lion-dog-elephant-snake-turtle octopus-fish turtle-horse-elephant octopus-lion-dog.

6) 

Pweor form the Gereictnwh,

Lsot beaenth the sea.

All slahl fnid the Lgiht at lsat,

Sevilr on the tere.

So, here are your codes. Some you can't really call "codes" even though they are word puzzles, but others are codes. Can you find the hidden meaning?

Spruce Nogard

*The answers will be posted on Friday, August 4th.*

*Post actually written on July 31st. See here for details.

Recipe: [Fancy] Homemade Hot Chocolate

Hello, Cooks!

Today, we are making homemade, absolutely fabulous, hot chocolate. (Disclaimer: This is not powder.)

Again, obviously not one I made.

The recipe is from: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1092/deluxe-hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows

Ingredients: 

• 600ml milk 
• 142ml pot double cream
• 100g chopped chocolate

Directions: 
Pour the milk, double cream and chopped chocolate into a pan. Bring gently to the boil, whisking until smooth. Serve in individual cups or mugs topped with mini marshmallows and a little grated chocolate.

The recipe says it makes four cups, and nutrition information is on the website.

I wish I had time to actually make these more often.

Now here's the fun part: You can add whatever other spices you want. You can add cinnamon, vanilla, maple, peppermint (or just get peppermint candies and let them dissolve in the hot chocolate), chili spices, cardamom. . . whatever you want. However, add a tiny amount, taste it, then add more. Spices are a lot stronger than you think.

Also, you can use different types of chocolate for a wider variety.

What's your favorite spice?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/hot-chocolate-drink-coffee-122740/

Creative Complex: Flowers

Hello, Friends!

This is a guessing game. Which flower goes with which story? (Okay, so sometimes I get bored of just making you do something to do with writing.)

A) Rose
B) Golden Flower
C) Flower

Here are your hints:

• One is from a fairy tale twist. (But does not appear in the original story.)
• One you should know right away.
• Two are from princess stories.
• One has been transformed into a flower.
• The previously mentioned one is found in Grimm's fairy tales.

What's your guess? Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/red-rose-rose-rose-bloom-blossom-320892/

Dragons: Dragons Through Cultures: Asian

Hello, Friends!

Today, we are continuing our Dragons Through Cultures series. Last month, we talked about European dragons, which were generally seen as evil. They blew fire, had wings, and had a reputation for killing knights.

However, Asian dragons were completely different. Asian dragons are wise, benevolent creatures. They brought rain to water crops and manipulated the seasons, and were a symbol of spring. Asian dragons are also seen as religious figures sometimes, and once upon a time in Japan during droughts, Buddhist monks would practice religious rites to try to convince the dragon to bring rain. Also, the new year in China is celebrated with a festival, in which dragons take part.

Asian dragons can fly, but do not have wings, and look very different than European dragons. Like European dragons, however, they are still being used in literature today.

What do like about Asian dragons? Was there anything you found unexpected? Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Source: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/dragons-creatures-of-power/asian-dragons/

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/dragon-lantern-chinese-decoration-1631064/

Gardening: Cautionary Tales: Soil

Good Day, Gardeners!

Today, we will be talking about soil. Why talk about such a boring topic? First of all, it's not boring. It's interesting. Second of all, because this is useful and important information.

Now, I have four main cautionary points to talk about.

1) Beware! Non-organic Fertilizers
Although you may not know it, a lot of soils actually contain artificial fertilizers, which are not good. I shall have to have a whole post about fertilizer sometime. Anyways, fertilizers often give plants a boost, but using chemicals. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't prefer eating chemicals with my food, especially when studies have shown they have less-than-desired side effects.

2) The Shocking Truth: The Diet of Vegetables
Not all soil is okay for vegetables to grow in, because soil used for flowers sometimes contains chemicals that are even worse for humans to eat. As long as you know the soil in your backyard hasn't been used as a toxic waste dump or anything, you should be fine. This is more for buying bags of soil at the store. Be sure to check the back!

3) Danger Ahead! Direct Contact with Soil
At the store, some bags of soil, although fine to grow vegetables in, have tons of warnings about how to always wear gloves when coming into contact with the soil, and always wash your hands afterwards, and never touch your face. . . If you have pets or children, then you should probably be wary of this type of soil. Also, when you think about it, if a vegetable ends up resting on the dirt, is it okay to eat it, even though you rinsed it? I mean, you were supposed to wash your hands whenever you touched the soil. . . However, I have found bags of soil that are certified and promise they are "clean." This means the organic fertilizers they use are safe to touch, and safe for children and pets to be around. (You can use the less expensive soil, you just have to be careful.)

4) A Word of Warning: The Relationship Between Tomatoes and Manure
In short, tomatoes grow really giant and huge in manure, which is great, until you realize none of your tomatoes are turning red. So, don't grow tomatoes in manure. :)

So, here's our (somewhat devious) gardening post for today!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/caution-sign-safety-warning-risk-454360/

Creative Complex: Idiomas

Hola, Amigos!

Today, we are going to explore different languages. First, pick a word. I'm going to pick bird.

Then, pick a few languages. They can be real or made up. I'm going to do Spanish, Elvish, Irish Gaelic, Russian, and Romanian.

Next, translate the work into each of the languages.

English: Bird

Spanish: Pareja (pronounced "pah-ray-ha")

Elvish: Aew (sorry, can't find a pronunciation)
Irish Gaelic: éan (pronounced "ain"-rhymes with "rain")

Russian: птица (pronounced "ptitsa")

Romanian: pasăre (pronounced "PAS-ah-ray")

What sounds the most smooth? Rough? Air-y? Flow-y? Why? How is this useful in writing, or even real life?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/hummingbird-bird-nature-tropical-1823829/

Book Reviews: Woodwalker

Hello, Creatures!

Okay, so today was supposed to be the review of The Last of August, and although the review is written, I have to consult with someone to make sure I'm not being too harsh. I mean, I don't want to make anyone who liked the book feel awful. So, instead, I am reviewing Woodwalker, by Emily B. Martin. By the way, sorry this post is up late.

Woodwalker is about a former Woodwalker, Mae, who has been exiled from her home. In the
Silverwood, Woodwalkers are the highest level of the Wood Guard (or Forest Guard? I can't remember.). When Mae suddenly comes across the monarchs of Lumen Lake, who were deposed when their country was annexed, she is offered wealth for one task: Get the royal siblings through the Silverwood. Risking execution, Mae, filled with longing for her home, accepts.

This book was a four star book. I loved it!

Pros:

I really enjoyed Mae's love of the Silverwood. I loved learning about the different plants and animals. I also loved the whole theme of the Light, and Mae's vigor in protecting it. I appreciated Mona's questioning, which made perfect sense, especially in her circumstances. The world Woodwalker takes place in is a wonderful world, one I wouldn't mind living in, and while each country is uniquely different, they all share the same wonder and base, the Light. I also loved the ending. I wish I could say more about the ending, but I really can't.

Cons:

This book has a slower beginning, and lots of traveling in the woods. I didn't mind this at all, but in a day and age where people are being conditioned more and more to see/read fast-paced movies/books all the time, I thought I'd better warn you. Also, Mae and the royal siblings fight quite a bit throughout the first main chunk, and I finally had to skip to the ending to make sure they got along eventually, because I so wanted them to. :) Then I proceeded to read the rest of the book. :)

I loved this book overall, and I loved the dynamic characters. I liked how they were all different, and all had unique perspectives. I also liked the pearl-diving and forest-protecting. I loved the Wood Guard's job, and I wish we could do the same thing in real life for all wildlife.

Have you read this book? What do you like about it?

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://www.amazon.com/Woodwalker-Creatures-Light-Book-1-ebook/dp/B017H7FUJO

Fairy Tales: Tropes

Hello, Magical Beings!

I know we've talked about archetypes before, but today we're going to talk about tropes. I've written a few posts about archetypes:

Mental Library: Archetypal Hero Journey

Mental Library: Critical Lenses: Archetypal Lens

Mental Library: Archetypes

These might help you understand tropes a little better.

Tropes are like archetypes, but smaller. This means they only exist in a certain culture's fairy tales, or they are not common enough to be archetypes.

*Disclaimer: I have not studied these matters thoroughly. This information is based solely on what I have read and observed from reading fairy tales.

Some of these include:  

-The three dresses, each more beautiful than the last

These are sometimes described as one being as beautiful as the moon, another being as beautiful as the sun, and the last being as beautiful as the stars. Anyways, girls keep showing up wearing these three dresses, mostly throughout Grimm's fairy tales. (The dresses would be much more beautiful than this one, and ball gowns, but I was having trouble finding pictures.)

-Witches who live in huts with bird feet

This is mostly Baba Yaga in Russian fairy tales.

 

Now imagine bird feet on the bottom.

-Iron shoes

These have appeared in multiple cultures. The wearer usually has to walk until they've worn out all three pairs before they can find what they are trying to find.

-Disobedient wives who suffer as a result

If you've read the post about "The Robber Bridegroom," "Fitcher's Bird," "Bluebeard," and "Mr. Fox," you know what I'm talking about. These wives appear in multiple collections of fairy tales.

What tropes have you noticed in fairy tales?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

https://pixabay.com/en/background-page-template-old-1659622/

https://pixabay.com/en/bower-cottage-witch-s-house-2259199/

https://pixabay.com/en/shoes-metal-modern-iron-wear-1982935/

https://pixabay.com/en/castle-ominous-sky-turret-1246628/

Creative Complex: Parody

Hello, Friends!

Today, I am going to teach you how to write parodies. Even though this might seem slightly useless at first, it really is another creative exercise. A variety of creative exercises helps stretch your brain, even if you don't like music. Plus, it's fun and different. :)

So, yes, parodies are replacing the words of a song with your own words. However, there are a few rules.

Rule #1: Always go line by line. Don't try to do the entire thing all at once.

Rule #2: Keep the number of syllables in each line the same as in the original song. I'm going to use "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as an example.

First of all, the original song goes:

Row, row, row your boat,--5

Gently down the stream,--5

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,--12

Life is but a dream.--5

So for the first line, I have to have five syllables, etc. My first line is:

Love, love, love your kids

Rule #3: Keep the same word scheme. For example, the third line has to have four three-syllable words. It probably makes most sense to have it be the same word each time. I will use the word "tenderly."

Rule #4: Keep the same rhyme scheme. 

Row, row, row your boat, A

Gently down the stream, B

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, C

Life is but a dream. B

So, the last word of the second line and the last word of the fourth line have to rhyme.

These are the basic rules. Here is my parody:

Love, love, love your kids,

Each and every day,

Tenderly, Tenderly, Tenderly, Tenderly,

Life is naught but play.

What did you come up with?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/boot-lake-water-rowing-boat-1620452/  

Mental Library: Show and Tell

Hello, Friends!

Today, we are going to play a little game called "Show and Tell." Our game might be a little different than the one you played in elementary school, though.

In order to play this game, we need to know what showing and telling are.

Telling: Explaining what happened.

• Example: Andre was cold.

Showing: Demonstrating what happened.

• Example: Shivering, Andre wrapped his coat tighter around him.

This is a vital concept in any creative writing. If all your story read: Andre was tired. He had been swimming for hours, and it was nice to finally be in his room. . . ., you would have a very boring story. Your story might be okay, and have lots of good qualities, but the actual writing would not be good.

If, though, your story read: Andre's brain was already asleep as he stretched his sore muscles. The comforting mess of his room somehow penetrated his drowsiness, and made him sigh. He grabbed his pajamas, shaking the last water drops off his hair. He couldn't shake the scent of the chlorine off, though. Nowadays, he always smelled like it. . . ., that not only gets your point across, but is better, more wholesome, and more realistic writing.

Okay, now I have a few exercises for you to try:

Exercise 1: Determine which statements are showing and which are telling. S for show, T for tell.

1. Andre hated running.
2. Andre glared at his coach. Why did they have to run?
3. (Those were easy. Now, here are some harder ones.)
4. Andre loved being in the water. He loved feeling weightless, being surrounded by water, moving through the water like a fish. He loved his breath pattern in the water, so natural he felt like he was breathing underwater.
5. Andre's body was too tense. He took a few deep breaths, ignoring his rioting stomach. The whistle startled Andre, and he jerkily stepped up. 
6. The horn beeped, and Andre dove.
7. After the race, Andre's mom congratulated him on placing sixth.
8. Andre's parents were the best. It was so nice they took him out for pie whenever he improved his time.
9. When the server came, Andre didn't even have to look at his menu. The combination of chocolate and cream was paralleled by none in the world.

All right, next exercise. (The answers for this one are at the end.)

Exercise 2: Switch the statement. If the statement is telling, switch it to showing, and vice versa.

1. Andre's next doodle depicted a man with a lightning bolt chasing a swimmer. Of all days, why did he have to work with Eric today? It's as if someone wants to ruin my day, he thought.
2. Andre's favorite stroke was freestyle. (Front crawl.)
3. (Okay, here are harder ones.)
4. Eric was a bully. To make it worse, he was also on the swim team, and faster than Andre, and he never passed up a chance to bully anyone slower than him.
5. Andre made clear sections for each point of the project, and when his teacher came by, she smiled. "I didn't even think of adding statistics, or visuals, or, well, everything not on the rubric. Good job."
6. Andre grinned. Even though he had to work on research with Eric, he forgave his teacher. She always appreciated his hard work, and was always thinking of fun projects for his class to do. Andre hoped he had her again next year.

Of course, some telling is good in stories, but all telling is bad. We tend to do more telling than showing, so hopefully these exercises help you.

Have fun!

By the way, here are the answers.

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/swimming-competition-swimmers-pool-659903/

Topic of the Month: Mythical Creatures

Hello, Friends!

This month, look for mythical creatures in the book you're reading. How does the author use mythical creatures? Are they made up, or already established?

What I mean is, in DragonSpell, by Donita K. Paul, Paul creates her own races: Doneels, Emerlindians, Kimens, Mariones, O'rants, Tumanhofers, and Urohms.

Tolkien, on the other hand, created some of his races, but used already established ones as well. Although he created hobbits, he used elves, but still changed the common perception of elves just enough to make them his own.

How do authors you're reading use mythical creatures? Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Source: http://dragonkeeperchronicles.wikia.com/wiki/High_Races

Attributions: https://www.amazon.co.uk/DRAGONSPELL-Donita-Author-Paperback-Published/dp/B005IDRW46/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498556579&sr=8-2&keywords=dragonspell+donita+k+paul

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Hobbit-There-Back-Again/0261102001/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498556755&sr=1-13&keywords=the+hobbit

 

Creative Complex: Character Construcing: Missing

Hello, Detectives.

You wake up to find your aunt has gone missing. How do you describe her?

Her appearance?

Her attitude?

What do you think happened?

 Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/question-problem-think-thinking-622164/

On My Mind: My Book Rating System*

Wonderful Day, Friends!


On this lovely day, I'm going to explain how I rate books. (I thought it might come in handy with the Book Reviews section.) By the way, because of Goodreads, I use a five-star rating system. Why am I posting about this? Isn't it just five stars is best and one star is worst? Well, yes, but you might get a clearer idea if I just explain it all to you.

Five Stars
I only give five-star ratings to the absolute best books in the world. (And, obviously, my favorite books.) These books are so brilliantly done, so wonderfully flawless, and have such amazing characters that the book comes to life. You wish more than anything you weren't done with the book, that you could just live in the book, and you go around so happily and so joyfully you might just look a little crazy to everyone else. And you can't stop obsessing about your book, so you just carry it around and still live in the book world even though you really should be living in the real world again.


Four Stars
A four-star rating is a wonderful book. These books I enjoy thoroughly and look forward to the next installment. I love these books, just not as much as five-star books.


Three Stars
Three-star books are okay. They're not terrible; they're more meh. They may have had horrible grammar/word usage, a weak plot, characters that were difficult to relate to, unlikable characters, a too-sad ending. . .etc. However, the initial concept was interesting, and I would have liked the book if the author fixed the previously-mentioned problems. These books are still disappointing, though.


Two Stars
These books were awful books. Crappy books. This could be for a variety of reasons. For example, I once read a book that was mislabeled horribly. The back of the book described it as a mystery with a hint of romance. Instead, it was a horror-ish story about some characters preoccupied with falling in love and had messed up character shifts and morals. Because I do not like the horror-ish-love-messed-up morals genre, I did not enjoy the book. Another book had the worst grammar and word usage. The narrator said the same thing about three times whenever they said anything, and said it poorly all three times. I would give a book two stars for this type of reason.

One Star

Simply put, these books should not exist. They do not deserve to exist. These books have terrible endings, leaving the reader full of misery. The miserable feeling that nothing matters, that all you did for these characters is worthless. They have dashed your dreams. Your hopes. Your esteem for and love of the characters. I hate misery. Maybe I am an anomaly, but I read for enjoyment. For fun. Yes, I know that bad things happen in real life. That is precisely why I read. Because, no matter how bad it gets in a book, you know it will get better. I do not read to learn about other people's issues, and consequently be sad about my issues and their issues. That just compounds my sad feelings. I know some people read sad books when they're sad to know they're not alone. I understand that logically, but I am not one of those people. Therefore, I do not like miserable books. There are only two books I have read that I have rated as one star. I'm not going to tell you what they are, because I do not want you to be offended or upset.

I'm sorry about kind of ranting a little bit, but here's how I rate books. How do you rate books?

And, yes, if you're not a reader, it is very probable you will think I've gone horribly crazy.

Spruce Nogard

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/star-astros-astronomy-astronomer-2110436/

*Post actually written on July 2nd. See here for details.