You wake up to find your aunt has gone missing. How do you describe her?
Her attitude?
What do you think happened?
Spruce Nogard
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
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?
You wake up to find your aunt has gone missing. How do you describe her?
Her attitude?
What do you think happened?
Monday, June 26, 2017
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.
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
*Post actually written on July 2nd. See here for details.
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Recipes: Buttercream Frosting*
Hello, Dessert-Lovers!
If you have never had buttercream frosting, you are missing out. I had never had it until this past year, and it is one of the best things ever. It is quite unhealthy, but we can just forget about that now. It's definitely worth it.
On a side note, I have decided all recipes copied directly from the website will be in golden-color words for clarity.
This recipe is from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chai-cupcakes
This recipe is actually for chai cupcakes and frosting, so I just gave you the frosting without the extra spices. As a result, you may want slightly more vanilla.
Ingredients:
*Post actually written on June 26th. See here for details.
If you have never had buttercream frosting, you are missing out. I had never had it until this past year, and it is one of the best things ever. It is quite unhealthy, but we can just forget about that now. It's definitely worth it.
On a side note, I have decided all recipes copied directly from the website will be in golden-color words for clarity.
This recipe is from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chai-cupcakes
This recipe is actually for chai cupcakes and frosting, so I just gave you the frosting without the extra spices. As a result, you may want slightly more vanilla.
Ingredients:
 |
| Unfortunately, this picture is from the internet. |
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
Frost, and enjoy!
You can always add food coloring, (do this at the end), or mix a little other flavor, like cloves, cinnamon. . . in the frosting too.
Have fun baking!
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 26th. See here for details.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Creative Complex: Guest Post: The Dragon and the King
Hello, Friends!
How are you on this marvelous day? Today, we have an exciting surprise! A guest post by a new guest!
Madeleine is a good friend of mine, and her favorite color is glitter. Because she is unable to write in glitter on the blog, she's using purple instead. Her favorite animal is a unicorn, and she loves to run.
Well, here we go!
Hi, I'm Madeleine Nrocinu. In this post you will have to finish the story. You can finish it in your head, write it down or post in the comments.
In a land far, far, away there was and still is a holiday called the Dragon and the King. Back in 929 there was a king who, when he cried on things, the things turned to stone. The reason this holiday exists is because one day a dragon attacked the king. . .
How are you on this marvelous day? Today, we have an exciting surprise! A guest post by a new guest!
Madeleine is a good friend of mine, and her favorite color is glitter. Because she is unable to write in glitter on the blog, she's using purple instead. Her favorite animal is a unicorn, and she loves to run.
Well, here we go!
Hi, I'm Madeleine Nrocinu. In this post you will have to finish the story. You can finish it in your head, write it down or post in the comments.
In a land far, far, away there was and still is a holiday called the Dragon and the King. Back in 929 there was a king who, when he cried on things, the things turned to stone. The reason this holiday exists is because one day a dragon attacked the king. . .
Madeleine Nrocinu
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 26th. See here for details.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Dragons: Dragons Through Cultures: European*
Good Day, Riders!
Today, we're going to start a new series: Dragons Through Cultures. This series will explore how dragons are depicted in different cultures. Let's start with European Dragons.
European dragons have a fearsome reputation. These are probably what you've seen before. They're the dragons with giant wings and who breathe fire, and kill knights. This opinion of them was probably influenced by the view people used to have of dragons, Greeks and Romans viewed dragons as a symbol of evil, and Christians viewed dragons as symbols of the devil. For example, St. George liberated a town for the tyranny of a dragon, and St. Margaret resolutely resisted evil, even when she had dealings with a dragon.
Lately in literature, however, European dragons have started to play positive roles as well as negative roles.
In what ways are dragons used in the book you're reading?
Today, we're going to start a new series: Dragons Through Cultures. This series will explore how dragons are depicted in different cultures. Let's start with European Dragons.
European dragons have a fearsome reputation. These are probably what you've seen before. They're the dragons with giant wings and who breathe fire, and kill knights. This opinion of them was probably influenced by the view people used to have of dragons, Greeks and Romans viewed dragons as a symbol of evil, and Christians viewed dragons as symbols of the devil. For example, St. George liberated a town for the tyranny of a dragon, and St. Margaret resolutely resisted evil, even when she had dealings with a dragon.
Lately in literature, however, European dragons have started to play positive roles as well as negative roles.
In what ways are dragons used in the book you're reading?
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 26th. See here for details.
Sources:
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Gardening: Heirloom Tomatoes vs. Regular Tomatoes*
Hello, Gardeners!
Today, I'm going to explain some stuff about heirloom tomatoes and regular tomatoes. As I've not gardened a ton in my life, this is a more basic overview, so if you want specific information, you can look that up separately. Also, if you are planning on planting a specific type of tomato, RESEARCH THAT INDIVIDUAL TOMATO FIRST. Do NOT rely on this post for specific information.
Now, on to tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomatoes:
Pros:
Heirloom tomatoes are older tomato varieties. They have been around for a long time, and have not been changed by genetic engineering, or science. These tomatoes often have superior flavor, and you can trace their origins. Also, it's easier to find organic seeds of heirloom tomatoes.
Cons:
Heirloom tomatoes, because they aren't changed to resist genetic disorders or pests, are more prone to genetic issues or pests. They also are more fragile because they have not been "toughened up" by humans.
Regular Tomatoes:
Pros:
Regular tomatoes are easier to take care of because of science. Basically, many regular tomatoes are bred and engineered to be more resistant to genetic disorders and pests.
Cons:
Regular tomatoes often don't have as good of a taste, but any homegrown tomato is going to taste ten times better than grocery store tomatoes. :) Also, it's harder to find organic seeds, and if the regular tomato is labeled "hybrid," you can't harvest the seeds to replant next year.
I hope you found this helpful!
Today, I'm going to explain some stuff about heirloom tomatoes and regular tomatoes. As I've not gardened a ton in my life, this is a more basic overview, so if you want specific information, you can look that up separately. Also, if you are planning on planting a specific type of tomato, RESEARCH THAT INDIVIDUAL TOMATO FIRST. Do NOT rely on this post for specific information.
Now, on to tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomatoes:Pros:
Heirloom tomatoes are older tomato varieties. They have been around for a long time, and have not been changed by genetic engineering, or science. These tomatoes often have superior flavor, and you can trace their origins. Also, it's easier to find organic seeds of heirloom tomatoes.
Cons:Heirloom tomatoes, because they aren't changed to resist genetic disorders or pests, are more prone to genetic issues or pests. They also are more fragile because they have not been "toughened up" by humans.
Regular Tomatoes:
Pros:
Regular tomatoes are easier to take care of because of science. Basically, many regular tomatoes are bred and engineered to be more resistant to genetic disorders and pests.
Cons:
Regular tomatoes often don't have as good of a taste, but any homegrown tomato is going to taste ten times better than grocery store tomatoes. :) Also, it's harder to find organic seeds, and if the regular tomato is labeled "hybrid," you can't harvest the seeds to replant next year.
I hope you found this helpful!
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 25th. See here for details.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Creative Complex: The Best Way to ______*
Hello, Friends!
What is the best way to _______?
What is the best way to fly? By airplane? Wings? Magic? Hot air balloon?
What is the best way to travel? Covered wagon? Car? Dragon? Foot?
What is the best way to get over a giant wall? Go under? Go over? Go through? Go around?
Why? What would each of these different ways contribute to a story? Who would use the different ways? Why?
What is the best way to _______?
What is the best way to fly? By airplane? Wings? Magic? Hot air balloon?
What is the best way to travel? Covered wagon? Car? Dragon? Foot?
What is the best way to get over a giant wall? Go under? Go over? Go through? Go around?
Why? What would each of these different ways contribute to a story? Who would use the different ways? Why?
Spruce Nogard
**Post actually written on June 25th. See here for details.
Attributions:
Monday, June 12, 2017
Book Reviews (Formerly "Favorites"): A Study in Charlotte*
Hello, Friends!
I decided to change the title of this section to "Book Reviews" because, recently, I read a book I wanted to write a review on, but did not like.
This book, however, I did like. I have decided to start writing my book reviews slightly differently. First, I will give you a description of the book, then my rating, then pros and cons. So, here goes.
A Study in Charlotte, by Brittany Cavallaro, is told from Jamie Watson's perspective. Jamie is descended from the original Watson, Sherlock Holmes's friend and writer. At boarding school, Jamie meets Charlotte Holmes, a descendant of Sherlock. When a classmate of theirs is murdered, and they are framed, they have to work together to discover the real murderer before they both end up in jail. I rated this book four stars.
Pros:
I really like Jamie's voice.
Jamie and Charlotte are both similar enough to the original Holmes and Watson so you can clearly see the resemblance, in their personalities, their actions. . . However, unlike all the new books and TV shows of Sherlock, you can't complain (like I do) but Sherlock wouldn't do this, or Watson wouldn't say that, or Sherlock is too kind. . . because, they're the descendants of the original Holmes and Watson, so while they maintain some aspects of the original characters, all the things that don't fit in with the original personalities are attributed to Jamie and Charlotte having their own personalities, and being quite different.
The mystery was well-done and made sense.
Charlotte's deductions were thorough, and she made them the same way Sherlock made his, which was very nice.
There were multiple references to the original Sherlock Holmes. :)
The mention of Watson's errors in "The Speckled Band" left me curious to see a list of all the errors he made in recording Sherlock's mysteries.
Cons:
Swearing. Lots of swearing. I mean, I know they're in high school, and most high school kids swear a lot, but still. Really?
Drugs and alcohol. I know Sherlock was addicted to drugs, but, still. Sigh.
Inappropriate. There are ways the author could have avoided this. However, I understand it was part of the story, which gives it a little leverage, but. . .
Mixed messages. I'm not going to explain more of this. I don't know if certain messages were intentional. I don't know if the mixed messages were intentional. It seemed the book was supporting one major message which I don't agree with. Maybe I read it wrong, but that was a disappointment.
Overall, I am happy I read this book and I do not regret reading it. I thought it was really cool to write a book about Sherlock's descendants, and therefore avoid unhappy readers because, well, there will always be something wrong if an author other than Conan Doyle writes a Sherlock story.
However, if you read this book and enjoyed it, I recommend you do not read the second book. Well, at least until you read my review about it. I'll post it next month. :)
Thanks, and have fun reading!
I decided to change the title of this section to "Book Reviews" because, recently, I read a book I wanted to write a review on, but did not like.
This book, however, I did like. I have decided to start writing my book reviews slightly differently. First, I will give you a description of the book, then my rating, then pros and cons. So, here goes.
Pros:
I really like Jamie's voice.
Jamie and Charlotte are both similar enough to the original Holmes and Watson so you can clearly see the resemblance, in their personalities, their actions. . . However, unlike all the new books and TV shows of Sherlock, you can't complain (like I do) but Sherlock wouldn't do this, or Watson wouldn't say that, or Sherlock is too kind. . . because, they're the descendants of the original Holmes and Watson, so while they maintain some aspects of the original characters, all the things that don't fit in with the original personalities are attributed to Jamie and Charlotte having their own personalities, and being quite different.
The mystery was well-done and made sense.
Charlotte's deductions were thorough, and she made them the same way Sherlock made his, which was very nice.
There were multiple references to the original Sherlock Holmes. :)
The mention of Watson's errors in "The Speckled Band" left me curious to see a list of all the errors he made in recording Sherlock's mysteries.
Cons:
Swearing. Lots of swearing. I mean, I know they're in high school, and most high school kids swear a lot, but still. Really?
Drugs and alcohol. I know Sherlock was addicted to drugs, but, still. Sigh.
Inappropriate. There are ways the author could have avoided this. However, I understand it was part of the story, which gives it a little leverage, but. . .
Mixed messages. I'm not going to explain more of this. I don't know if certain messages were intentional. I don't know if the mixed messages were intentional. It seemed the book was supporting one major message which I don't agree with. Maybe I read it wrong, but that was a disappointment.
Overall, I am happy I read this book and I do not regret reading it. I thought it was really cool to write a book about Sherlock's descendants, and therefore avoid unhappy readers because, well, there will always be something wrong if an author other than Conan Doyle writes a Sherlock story.
However, if you read this book and enjoyed it, I recommend you do not read the second book. Well, at least until you read my review about it. I'll post it next month. :)
Thanks, and have fun reading!
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 25th. See here for details.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Fairy Tales: What Type do You Like?*
Hello, Friends!
This is kind of like a Creative Complex, but it's still fun. :)
What type of fairy tale do you like? Do you like happy or sad? Long or short? Gory or not gory?
Post in the comments!
This is kind of like a Creative Complex, but it's still fun. :)
What type of fairy tale do you like? Do you like happy or sad? Long or short? Gory or not gory?
Post in the comments!
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 23rd. See here for details.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Creative Complex: The Beast's Magic Book*
Hello, Friends!
How many of you have seen the new Beauty and the Beast? Do you remember the part with the Beast's book, and how they go to Paris?
Well, if you had a magic book that could take you wherever you wanted, where would you go? Why?
How many of you have seen the new Beauty and the Beast? Do you remember the part with the Beast's book, and how they go to Paris?
Well, if you had a magic book that could take you wherever you wanted, where would you go? Why?
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 23rd. See here for details.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Mental Library: Lenses: Biographical*
Hello, Friends!
It's good to be back! I'm sorry I've been so behind on posts lately. I do not have a ton of time to write posts due to other circumstances.
Anyways, today we are looking at the Biographical critical lens. The biographical lens is similar to the Historical lens, but instead of looking at how the time period when the book was written affected it, you look at how the author's life affected the work.
I don't have a specific example for today, but you can look at:
What books have you read that would be interesting to analyze with the biographical lens?
It's good to be back! I'm sorry I've been so behind on posts lately. I do not have a ton of time to write posts due to other circumstances.
Anyways, today we are looking at the Biographical critical lens. The biographical lens is similar to the Historical lens, but instead of looking at how the time period when the book was written affected it, you look at how the author's life affected the work.
I don't have a specific example for today, but you can look at:
- Events in the author's life
- The author's views of certain subjects
What books have you read that would be interesting to analyze with the biographical lens?
Spruce Nogard
*Post actually written on June 23rd. See here for details.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Extra Week Post: A Writing Exercise Designed to Assist Your Brain in the Creation of a Story, as well as Create an Accessible Collection of Writing Tools*
Good Day, most honorable Readers.
It is, indeed, a pleasure to be invited to write upon Spruce's blog again. On this fine day, I shall detail a process of story-creating, and allow you access to some few tools of a writer.
I do think you're great, Dragomir, but I feel like half the people will skip this post just because they don't know what the title says. As you can see, Friends, Dragomir is again writing a guest post! If you've no idea what the title says, here's a simpler version: Writing Exercises to Help Your Brain, and Some Handy Writing Tools. Also, this post kind of ties in with the the Creative Complex: Uniquity from a few weeks ago.
As I was describing, I have one principle I would prefer to expound upon, which, as goes the saying "kill two birds with one stone," will cover both aspects of the title. It is worthy to mention this exercise was first introduced to me by a teacher of mine.
As in Spruce's post "Creative Complex: Uniquity," we shall first prepare a variety of settings. In this instance, though, they will be more specified. Therefore, select a manner of tales. Because I prefer Gothic tales, I shall choose the Gothic manner of narrative.
He means choose a type of story, such as dystopian, fantasy, sci-fi, realistic fiction, historical fiction, etc.
After this, procure a piece of paper to catalog your ideas upon. Next, we shall break down the tale into its components. The way I break down Gothic stories and the examples I utilize I used for a piece of Gothic literature I wrote some while ago.
1) Setting
Select multiple settings in the particular genre you have chosen. I have selected four:
2) Details of That Setting
For this component, place the name of each setting at the head of a piece of paper. Thereupon, allocate a portion of the paper for each of the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Subsequently, record sights, smells, tastes, sounds and objects one might come in contact with in that setting.
I shall model this for you:
Forest:
Sights:
As always, it is a pleasure to share my experiences in the process of writing with you, Readers.
It is, indeed, a pleasure to be invited to write upon Spruce's blog again. On this fine day, I shall detail a process of story-creating, and allow you access to some few tools of a writer.
I do think you're great, Dragomir, but I feel like half the people will skip this post just because they don't know what the title says. As you can see, Friends, Dragomir is again writing a guest post! If you've no idea what the title says, here's a simpler version: Writing Exercises to Help Your Brain, and Some Handy Writing Tools. Also, this post kind of ties in with the the Creative Complex: Uniquity from a few weeks ago.
As I was describing, I have one principle I would prefer to expound upon, which, as goes the saying "kill two birds with one stone," will cover both aspects of the title. It is worthy to mention this exercise was first introduced to me by a teacher of mine.
As in Spruce's post "Creative Complex: Uniquity," we shall first prepare a variety of settings. In this instance, though, they will be more specified. Therefore, select a manner of tales. Because I prefer Gothic tales, I shall choose the Gothic manner of narrative.
He means choose a type of story, such as dystopian, fantasy, sci-fi, realistic fiction, historical fiction, etc.
After this, procure a piece of paper to catalog your ideas upon. Next, we shall break down the tale into its components. The way I break down Gothic stories and the examples I utilize I used for a piece of Gothic literature I wrote some while ago.
1) Setting
Select multiple settings in the particular genre you have chosen. I have selected four:
2) Details of That Setting
For this component, place the name of each setting at the head of a piece of paper. Thereupon, allocate a portion of the paper for each of the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Subsequently, record sights, smells, tastes, sounds and objects one might come in contact with in that setting.
I shall model this for you:
Forest:
Sights:
- Trees
- Mist/Fog
- Stars
- Clouds
- Bats
- Apparitions
- Spiders
- Moss
- Vines
- Decaying wood
- Rot
- Dirt
- Fog
Sounds:
- Owls
- Bats
- Wolves
- Wind in trees
- Whispering
- Fog
- Dirt
- Tree roots
- Bark
- Dirt
- Spider webs
- Fog
As always, it is a pleasure to share my experiences in the process of writing with you, Readers.
Dragomir
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)