Nothing much has happened over winter break. I went to see Avatar with one of my friends, and I have to say: It was the best movie I've ever seen! The science-fiction of it all, the sex scenes, the strange creatures and glowing plants, and the imagining how many explosives it took to make the movie at it's best. I love all of that nebula-and-aliens crap in movies, though not much in books at all. I like fantasy books.
So, this entire break I've been writing and reading. And, watching scary movies. I can officially check The Shining and The Sixth Sense off my list of movies-to-watch. And, happily, I have REACH class for first period when I get back to school.
I can't say much in this blog. This winter break was mostly uneventful, and I was plugged in the ears with an iPod most the entire time.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
"I got soul, but I'm not a solider . . . "
"I got soul, but I'm not a solider,
I got soul, but I'm not a solider,
I got soul, but I'm not a solider,
I got soul, but I'm not a solider!"
I got soul, but I'm not a solider,
I got soul, but I'm not a solider,
I got soul, but I'm not a solider!"
~From "All TheseThings That I've Done" by The Killers
It's only two days until Christmas! I'm really excited! I've asked for about ten books on Amazon, and I found the list I wrote on the computer desk with a check next to each and every one! Wow! I'm so excited!
And, just wondering, but, does anyone reading this blog watch Saturday Night Live? I'm just wondering. I have to say it; SNL is the only show I watch on TV anymore.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Revelation of the Ametuere
I've started a rewrite on the book, Bell, that I've finished writing the first draft of this summer. I have to admit; when I read through it the first few times after I finished it, I thought it was beautifully written to begin with.
But a recent read-through last week really hit me. After two chapters, I needed to whisper to myself: "This actually sounds like ametuere work!" Well, I can't complain. I'm an ametuere at my age with everything in the adult life. But I also knew, I could rewrite it better and longer. Maybe long enough that my publishing company pool will almost double in size when the manuscript goes over the 70,000 word mark.
I have to say it; I've only been working on this rewrite since last Saturday, and I'm already very proud of it. I'm working on my favorite story again. Next thing I knew, I was thinking up new events and challenges for my characters at those odd times like I had last summer while I was writing the first copy. I was thinking about an event involving the characters traveling through the woods and finding a clan of little dragons in the woods just before they reach a town. I noticed there was only one event involving these creatures, so I had a revelation. "Maybe one of the dragons could sneak into Bell's knapsack and she cares for him and takes him with her in secret . . . !"
There is so much to add. An event where my antaganist discovers one of the other main characters started shaving (he's fifteen, okay?! That stuff happens!). And maybe an event involving the antagonist and a younger cousin playing around and later getting caught in trouble.
I've gotta go write if I keep rambling on like this!
But a recent read-through last week really hit me. After two chapters, I needed to whisper to myself: "This actually sounds like ametuere work!" Well, I can't complain. I'm an ametuere at my age with everything in the adult life. But I also knew, I could rewrite it better and longer. Maybe long enough that my publishing company pool will almost double in size when the manuscript goes over the 70,000 word mark.
I have to say it; I've only been working on this rewrite since last Saturday, and I'm already very proud of it. I'm working on my favorite story again. Next thing I knew, I was thinking up new events and challenges for my characters at those odd times like I had last summer while I was writing the first copy. I was thinking about an event involving the characters traveling through the woods and finding a clan of little dragons in the woods just before they reach a town. I noticed there was only one event involving these creatures, so I had a revelation. "Maybe one of the dragons could sneak into Bell's knapsack and she cares for him and takes him with her in secret . . . !"
There is so much to add. An event where my antaganist discovers one of the other main characters started shaving (he's fifteen, okay?! That stuff happens!). And maybe an event involving the antagonist and a younger cousin playing around and later getting caught in trouble.
I've gotta go write if I keep rambling on like this!
The Smell of Barbeque . . . .
According to my dog's actions, the barometric pressure is up in the air and it's going to rain soon in good ol' St. Louie. The sweet little creature sits at my feet while I sit against the wall on the floor, typing this up on a laptop. Between every few words typed I have to take a break from my recording on the blog to scratch him under his ear to calm him down. Well, what fun!
I like it when it rains through the morning, then gets nice outside in the afternoon, and there's a pretty sunset with the smell of barbeque from the neighbor's back yard. I'm thinking this would be about an early September night, on a Saturday. Or maybe on the rare occasion where there isn't any school for a few days then to begin with. There's barbeque for dinner, and I spend the entire night awake in my room, sitting upright on the foot of my bed with my eyes roaming the room. I'd have a spiral notebook on my lap, and a blue pen in my hands. I'd listen to music, and spend ours completely silent while I daydream at nighttime about various things. The next event, a later event, the climax, or the relationship between characters in my current book for the night. I mean the one I'm writing; not reading. I remember working on my first copy of Bell for hours through the blackened-sky time of my life. I have to admit it; I'm a huge night-owl.
I miss summer now that it's winter. And I bet I'll miss winter when it's summer again. The only thing I wouldn't miss at all is school. There's so much pointless work in school.
I like it when it rains through the morning, then gets nice outside in the afternoon, and there's a pretty sunset with the smell of barbeque from the neighbor's back yard. I'm thinking this would be about an early September night, on a Saturday. Or maybe on the rare occasion where there isn't any school for a few days then to begin with. There's barbeque for dinner, and I spend the entire night awake in my room, sitting upright on the foot of my bed with my eyes roaming the room. I'd have a spiral notebook on my lap, and a blue pen in my hands. I'd listen to music, and spend ours completely silent while I daydream at nighttime about various things. The next event, a later event, the climax, or the relationship between characters in my current book for the night. I mean the one I'm writing; not reading. I remember working on my first copy of Bell for hours through the blackened-sky time of my life. I have to admit it; I'm a huge night-owl.
I miss summer now that it's winter. And I bet I'll miss winter when it's summer again. The only thing I wouldn't miss at all is school. There's so much pointless work in school.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Quarius: The Largest Thing Human Machines Can Map
Well, I was sitting at home on ye old laptop when this thought came to me.
How big is the universe? Really?
Well, this youtube video really helped me out. First, it shows the size of a person, and zooms out from there at an elapsed speed of light. Every billion or so years, it shows a little caption. It took about 1,000 billion years (I'm guessing that's a trillion years?) for the video to reach the farthest point our human-made machines could go. Then another billion light-years to get to the afterlight of the Big Bang.
Wow, I'm such an astronomy nerd sometimes.
Anyway, it really makes you think, doesn't it? If you ever think you're taller or bigger than everything, you must not know how tiny you really are. And if you ever think you're small (like me), think about those little bacterialites. They probably think you're as big as Quarius.
Never think bad of yourself because you may be too big, too tall, too heavy, too short, or too misshaped. There's always something much, much bigger, and there's always something much, much smaller.
How big is the universe? Really?
Well, this youtube video really helped me out. First, it shows the size of a person, and zooms out from there at an elapsed speed of light. Every billion or so years, it shows a little caption. It took about 1,000 billion years (I'm guessing that's a trillion years?) for the video to reach the farthest point our human-made machines could go. Then another billion light-years to get to the afterlight of the Big Bang.
Wow, I'm such an astronomy nerd sometimes.
Anyway, it really makes you think, doesn't it? If you ever think you're taller or bigger than everything, you must not know how tiny you really are. And if you ever think you're small (like me), think about those little bacterialites. They probably think you're as big as Quarius.
Never think bad of yourself because you may be too big, too tall, too heavy, too short, or too misshaped. There's always something much, much bigger, and there's always something much, much smaller.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Welcome to the Web!
Well, all I have to say to anyone who visit's this site is: Welcome!
As from the name at the top of the site, I am Alex Bess, a school student from St. Louis(ish) area. I've been writing in my freetime for years now, and have finished two novels that still need some serious revising, but they've still got a story to stick to an such as most published ones do.
I'll keep this post short and sweet, for now. The next ones may be longer if I have a topic to blog on.
Keep reading! It really helps!
Alex B
As from the name at the top of the site, I am Alex Bess, a school student from St. Louis(ish) area. I've been writing in my freetime for years now, and have finished two novels that still need some serious revising, but they've still got a story to stick to an such as most published ones do.
I'll keep this post short and sweet, for now. The next ones may be longer if I have a topic to blog on.
Keep reading! It really helps!
Alex B
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