JFM - A Novel Approach

DAY 084 - 26/25/3 - Not long ago I came upon the question, "What five books inspired your writing?" I have since explained the details of the third novel , so it's time to discuss the fourth. That honor goes to  S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure, better known as... #4 - The Princess Bride - William Goldman I sat in English class with my finished midterm on my desk. My teacher asked if I had any studying I could do. I told her this midterm was my last. So, she let me go to the library on one condition; that I take a Doctor Who personality test.* While I was there, reclining in one of the aisles, I saw a big green book. The spine was covered with stickers, so I pulled it out to look at the title. It was The Princess Bride . I was astounded. I didn't know it was a book. I thought it was just a wonderful film. My sister saw it first and then she recommended that Grandma watch it. Grandma loved it and bought the VHS. Then, she showed it to ...

DAY 078 - 26/19/3 - Recently I came across this question on my social media, "What five books inspired your writing?" I previously wrote about the second novel  and its authentic dialogue. Now, it's time for the third. #3 - Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card "You should read Ender's Game ."  Several of my friends and teachers told me. "You'd like Ender's Game ." In truth, I wanted to read it, but I never knew when the right time would be. That was, until I saw Ender on his movie poster. He looked fierce. His stance was ready for battle, and written under his boots were these chrome numbers, "11.1.13." His film was set to launch in autumn, and fortunately for me summer wasn't over yet. I had time. My mission was clear: acquire Ender's Game from the library, read it during any break I got, finish it before September, and then review the film for my school newspaper. Never before had I tried to read a 300-page novel with a ...

DAY 075 - 26/16/3 - When I saw the question, "What five books inspired your writing?" I instantly knew my answer. I already wrote about the first suspenseful novel , so it's time to continue with... #2 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens I met Huckleberry Finn in a most bizarre way. I was getting ready to attend public school, after years of home and private schooling. I wanted my chance in the public forum of bullies and best friends. Well, a few months before school started, the faculty brought me in and gave me some news. My physical records wouldn't transfer. My portfolio wouldn't upload. I wasn't going to be able to register. So, with a few weeks left in summer, a snap decision was made: I would attend one more year of home school. It was brilliant.  I was able to design my curriculum around topics that interested me. For history, I learned about the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the first World War (1914–1918). I chose...

DAY 074 - 26/15/3 - I was scrolling through social media, when I came across this question: What five books inspired your writing? I admired this prompt. It wasn't asking something broad, such as "What are your favorite books?" or "Who are your favorite characters?" It was focused on long-term impact. So, to answer this question, my next blog posts shall be about the five novels that have most shaped my writing. Starting with... #1 - Peter and the Starcatchers - Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson My story of the Starcatchers begins with my fifth grade homeroom teacher. At the start of the school year, she noticed that our class was not reading as avidly as the lower grades. She observed that teachers in those classrooms would read aloud at least one book at a higher grade level. This practice continued from first through fourth grade, but then stopped. So, our teacher decided she would read during our class' end of the day study hall. She even let us sit on our d...

DAY 061 - 26/2/3 - What would a book be without a title? The same thing a person would be without a name. They would be known by themselves but not by others. A person doesn't need a name to know who they are, but they do need one to tell someone else. When God spoke with Moses through the burning bush, Moses asked God to tell him His name. This was not so Moses could know who God is, but so others could know. That is why Moses said, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’” (Exodus 3:13 NIV). Then God said to Moses, "I am who I am," (Exodus 3:14 NIV), and so God gave Moses a title that he could give to others. That's another thing about names. They are communal. The sharing of them signifies the growth of a relationship. This even applies to inanimate objects. On the movie set of Jaws (1975), a film about a man-eating shark, director Steven Spielberg referred to all the mechan...