sundry thoughts

Goal for the weekend: to finish my Spanish homework so that I can watch "Sherlock".  The soundtrack is pretty cool:




We have a Spanish test this next week, and a Spanish composition (rough draft) due this week.  Lots to look forward to.

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Long-term goal:  to finish the research for my historical fiction book (first of a series) by August 2011 (if not sooner, but that seems doubtful). I'm aiming for a more serious, intense, and readable book, compared to previous stuff I've written.  The number one thing I want to avoid is letting it get melodramatic.  And this time, I don't plan to begin writing it until I know exactly what the characters are like.

Things I've learned recently:

• Writing for an audience/age-range is a must, if I want my book to have any relevance.
• Even plot-driven books can suffer from mediocre characters...
• ...and in the same vein, characters (and real people) have motives.  I have to figure out why they are bad, good, heroic, annoying, etc.
• I'm not very good at ending chapters, so I should outline them first.
•  Short, momentous conversations work better in short stories or films, than in novels.

Speaking of writing, I got my story request for the FicSwap 2010 event!  :)  It's an excellent story request, and I'm looking forward to writing it...

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I'm currently learning Danse Macabre, arranged for violin and piano.  (The title sounds sinister, but the song itself really isn't scary.)  It's one of those short, elaborate, encore-style pieces, and has some great melodies. 

I think for my next violin piece, I would love to learn "Melodie", by Tchaikovsky.  It's the perfect song to listen to on rainy days:



As a piece of Sherlockian trivia, this song was used in the computer game Sherlock Holmes:  The Secret of the Silver Earring (which is a great game, by the way!).

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The Celtic Thunder Christmas CD is waiting to be picked up at the library, so maybe I'll be posting about that soon.  :)  I can hardly believe Christmas is only a couple of months away.  I guess I should start thinking about buying Christmas presents and cards...     

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Concerning the blog button

You might have noticed that my blog button has disappeared from your blog/website.  I decided to take the old one down; and so as soon as I make a new one, I will post it.  :)

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To read:

Beowulf

Version:  Poem. 

Translator: Probably Francis B. Gummere, 1910. (Until the Tolkien translation is published.) I've been referring to BeowulfTranslations.net, an amazing site; and it turns out there are many more translations than I had thought. But I tend to prefer older translations. This other translation, for example, is from 1826, and it's really beautiful: Translation by J. J. Conybeare.

Why:  Beowulf is a classic.  Secondly, I'm hoping to study Old English someday.  Thirdly, Old English is just fascinating.  Looking at it, the words remind you of Latin and English, but they're very different as well.  On the other hand, when you look at an Old English word and then at its Modern English translation, sometimes there will be an obvious similarity.  And then you realize the depth of the history of English.  The differences between old and modern portray the complexity of the language, while those words that have not changed much are the ways in which you can truly relate to the writers of that older language.  And suddenly, they're not just some manuscripts written by medieval authors, but meaningful words written by real people.  Of course, they always were; but it is easier to know that when you can see a connection between the language they used and the language we use now.

Sorry, I didn't mean for that paragraph to be so long.  ;)  It's a highly interesting topic to me, though.  It's also sad to hear people talk about English as if it's an inferior language, as they sometimes do.

When:  Soon, hopefully.

Why I have not read it before:  I used to think of Beowulf with great timidity, as if it was somehow more vastly aloof than Shakespeare.  Not anymore.  Maybe Moby-Dick has inflated my self-confidence. ;)  Or maybe not.  I haven't yet read The Children of Hurin it its entirety, or even attempted The Scarlet Letter, so I still have a long ways to go.  :P

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If you have read Beowulf, what did you think of it?

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Real Hobbit casting news!

From TheOneRing.net:  "Meet Your Hobbit Cast"!!!!!!  What do you think of it?

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One day...

...orchestral sheet music will be read from an electronic device. The fonts, brightness, and size of music notes will be customizable.  The concertmaster himself will be able edit all the violinists' bowings simultaneously, via wireless connection to each electronic device.  Page turns will be operated with a simple tap of the musician's foot.  Dynamic markings will glow red as the electronic device determines whether you are playing quietly enough...or not. 

Until then, page turns are left to Marian, who finds them exceedingly awkward.  Real books are all very well.  Real sheet music is quite another thing.

If there is one thing better than playing in a live orchestra, it is hearing a live orchestra.  The music doesn't sound the way it should unless you are in the audience's shoes.  And it is much more relaxing to be a member of the audience.  Especially when it comes to those moments when you are playing at a rate of more than 2,160 notes an hour, or more than 8 notes per second.

As Mr Rochester says, "arithmetic, you see, is useful".

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This summer I found a very pretty piece of fabric.  It's red and has a lovely pattern on it that imitates embroidery or something similar.  I'm going to make an 11 1/2 inch doll dress with it, but this time it will be Baroque, early to mid-1700s style, sort of like this 1740s gown.  I've never sewn something from that era, so it's about time!  :)  I'm really looking forward to sewing it, during Christmas break.

Apart from homework and other nice stuff like that, I've been working on one of those stories that you write without a definite plot outline in mind.  I really don't even know how it's going to end, or how long it will be.  And already one of the characters has turned out to be vastly more eccentric than I had imagined.  I've been experimenting with present tense, so that most of the description is in present tense and the dialogue/action is in past tense.  It actually sounds far less awkward than it sounds.  :)  I've also been writing poetry.  I usually write it when something's bothering me, and it's interesting to see how easy it is to write in rhyme when you're not feeling well. Writing poetry puts me in a better mood, too.

As far as reading goes, I've been reading a somewhat obscure book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, called Beyond the City.  It was written at about the same time he wrote A Study in Scarlet, or thereabouts, and there are definitely similarities to his writing style in the Sherlock Holmes series.  In some ways, Doyle is an underrated writer.  His writing is so efficient, vivid, and interesting.  The dialogue in his books may be the very best I've read.  A great example of how to write fiction.

Speaking of stories, Nina of Wickfield is having a writing event at her blog:  FicSwap 2010.  :)  I don't know yet if I can participate, but it sounds fun!

Do you like writing poetry?  Do you have any special projects planned for Christmas break?  And do you like real sheet music as much as real books?





P. S.  Apologies for the blog design.  I'm still trying to figure out how I want it to look.  :P

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Another New England photo

This one reminds me more of home, though.  At home we have more evergreens than fall trees, so that each glimpse of autumn color, in all its striking solitude, is made even more special.

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LPW: New England

Taken when we were in New Hampshire's White Mountains (I think).  The fall trees were amazing! 

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