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Monthly Archives: August 2012

The Blue Moon Controversy

31 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Astronomy, Moon

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Blue Moon, James Hugh Pruett, Maine Farmers' Almanac, Old Farmer's Almanac, Sky and Telescope

Today’s a Blue Moon … Or is it?

I thought there was only one kind of Blue Moon … the second moon in the rare month with two full moons. Like this month. The first full moon was on August 1, the second s TODAY, August 31, 2012.

Boy, was I ever wrong. In researching this post, I learned that there’s a an older, and very different, definition of a Blue Moon. Not only that, there’s a raging controversy over which Blue Moon is the real deal. Seriously.

The older definition of a Blue Moon comes from The Old Farmer’s Almanac (of the 19th and early 20th centuries), which listed the full moons in each quarter of the year, usually three per season. When an extra (fourth) full moon occurred in a season, the third full moon was called a Blue Moon. The next Blue Moon by this “seasonal” definition won’t happen until August 21, 2013.

The “calendar” definition of a Blue Moon (like today’s) came about by accident, when James Hugh Pruett misinterpreted the 1937 Maine Farmers’ Almanac in his March 1946 Sky and Telescope article “Once in a Blue Moon”, saying:

Seven times in 19 years there were — and still are — 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon.

Who knew?

Is Older Better?

As you can imagine, there’s a huge controversy over which Blue Moon definition is “true”. Some think that the older “seasonal” definition is the real Blue Moon, because it relates to the earth’s orbit around the sun. Others side with the newer “calendar” definition.

Personally, I think arguing over which definition is better is just silly. We should just give the rarer “seasonal” Blue Moon a different name, maybe something like … a True Blue Moon … after the a colloquial expression used long before the “seasonal” and “calendar” Blue Moon definitions even existed.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first reference to a blue moon comes from a proverb recorded in 1528:

If they say the moon is blue,
We must believe that it is true.

Which Blue Moon camp are you in?

  • Are you a purist, a true Seasonal Blue Mooner?
  • Do you roll with the modern day Calendar Blue Mooners?

…OR…

  • Are you with me in thinking outside the solar system, giving one of them a new name?

Who’s Your Hero?

27 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Badass, Blake Snyder, Hero, Inspiration, Story

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Ally Carter, Anne Lower, Aragorn, Blake Snyder, Ellen Gregory, Forrest Gump, Garry Marshall, Jack Sparrow, Janice Hall Check, Joan of Arc, Johnny Depp, Lisa Cron, Maggie Stiefvater, Meg Cabot, Neo, Princess Scribe, Save the Cat!, Shannon Messenger, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Trinity, Winnie the Pooh, Wired for Story, You!

7 Great Characters = Heroic Inspiration

Two friends recently honored me with the Very Inspirational Blogger Award.  I owe a special thank you to Janice Hall Check and Ellen Gregory for this nomination, because they are both true inspirations to me.

The thing is, I feel like a poser accepting this award. Maybe because my inspiration comes from someone else. My heroes to be exact. Let me explain. In a recent blog post Lisa Cron talked about her book “Wired for Story” and the scientific evidence that proves we all are. Wired for story that is. We actually learn from the characters in stories because we…

…turn to story to teach us the way of the world…

So I’m not the least bit ashamed to introduce you to the characters who’ve inspired me the most … the good … the badass … and the ugly.

The GOOD…

This is the Fool Triumphant, the good-hearted soul who bungles through life, yet things work out despite the comic results of their actions. Always a good friend, they’re often helpful to a fault.

1. Pooh, in Winnie the Pooh, is a perfect Fool Triumphant, and one of my first and favorite heroes. Image from Wikipedia

2. Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) is a modern, humanized version of Pooh, especially as portrayed in the film adaptation of the story. Forrest’s innocence keeps harm at bay, even when he’s thrown into the most dangerous situations at the height of the Vietnam war. His guileless simplicity prevents him from holding grudges or judging others. He loves is friend Jenny no matter what she does or how long she stays away. There’s a lot to be learned from the unconditional love in this character’s actions.

The BADASS…

These heroes don’t need much of an introduction. We know and love them because they forsake their personal desires, safety, and gain for the greater good.

3. Trinity, from The Matrix, 4. Joan of Arc, 5. Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy 6. Neo, from The Matrix

the UGLY…

The Anti-Hero is a tricky one, because he’s flawed to a fault. So for us to care about this hero, there has to be something about him that we can empathize with on some level. Anne Lower’s blog post about developing the anti-hero in her series explains this character perfectly:

Give ‘em a limp and an eyepatch!” was one of Blake’s favorite phrases. And, by that, he meant try loading your character up with problems, challenges to face, physical quirks, troubled pasts that would work to help the audience identify with or be interested in your hero’s (or heroine’s) journey.

We want this ugly hero to win, despite what he’s done. My favorite anti-hero is …

7. Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (Walt Disney Pictures). What he lacks in a limp and an eye patch, he more than makes up for with swagger and a sword. I admit Johnny Depp can never be ugly, even with eyeliner, dread locks, and a braided beard. But Jack Sparrow is a pirate, who by definition pillages, plunders, and even murders when necessary. What’s endearing about Jack Sparrow, is that he acts honorably toward his friends and ship mates, even when he doesn’t really want to.

Blake Snyder and the “Superhero”


Writers That Inspire

The following authors and screenwriters have been a true inspiration to me … what they write, who they are, and their personal writing journeys …

  • Meg Cabot
  • Ally Carter
  • Garry Marshall
  • Libba Bray
  • Maggie Stiefvater
  • Shannon Messenger
  • Save the Cat! — Blake Snyder
  • The Princess Scribe — Anne Lower

So… Who’s your Favorite hero?

The One And Only Ivan ~ A Marvelous Story for Any Age

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Middle Grade, MMGM

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Katherine Applegate, Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, MMGM, The One And Only Ivan


The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
Harper Collins Children’s Books

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope. [Book Jacket Synopsis]

A Life Changing Story

Ivan is a mighty Silverback gorilla who’s grown up in captivity, at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall. Not exactly the best conditions. Ivan accepts his fate by blocking out memories of the jungle he came from and creating art with the crayons and paper given to him by the keeper’s young daughter.

Stella, an elderly performing elephant in the cage next to Ivan, is different. She remembers her past and longs for a better life. Her festering rage fuels her hope for a better life. The days at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall are all the same, until the owner brings in a baby elephant named Ruby to help boost the failing business. Stella cares for scared and lonely Ruby like a true elephant mother, until an untreated injury threatens her life. As Stella’s dying, she asks Ivan to save Ruby from a fate of performing four shows a day, 365 days a year. Ivan says he will, to make his friend happy in her final moments, but he doesn’t know how he’ll keep that promise.

I admit it. I was totally crying my eyes out at this point, and wondering if I could even finish this book. Let me just say “I’m so glad I kept reading!”

Stella’s death forces Ivan to remember his painful past and realize his purpose in life … protecting his family. Through the pain of his epiphany, Ivan sees the way to freeing Ruby. He works tirelessly on new paintings to this end, and his plan is carried to fruition with the help of the keeper’s young daughter. Ruby isn’t the only one Ivan saves, however. His selflessness takes him and the rest of the animals at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall to natural habitats where they can be with those of their own kind. By the end of this story I was crying again, except this time for a totally different reason.

It would have been easy for Katherine Applegate to paint all people as villains in this story, but she doesn’t. She alludes to the injustices done to Ivan and Ruby when they were taken from their families in the wild, but she also mentions the people who helped them. Even the owner of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall is cast in a sympathetic light, showing us that he cared about the animals in his charge and was doing the best he could.

Children will love with Ivan and his friends, connecting with their genuineness.  Adults will be moved by the honesty, heart, and hope that shines through Katherine Applegate’s elegant prose.

I think the Newbery Honor author of The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt, describes the essence of this story best:

In cheering for Ivan and his friends, we cheer for our own humanity, and our own possibilities. Read this.

There is a real Ivan, a gorilla who now lives at Zoo Atlanta. Check out what Katherine Applegate says about the REAL Ivan here.

“The One and Only Ivan” Book Trailer

Lightsaber Duel ~ The Phantom Cellist

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Music, Star Wars, Steven Sharp Nelson

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Cello, Lightsaber, Phantom Cellist, Star Wars, Steven Sharp Nelson

Star Wars (Parody) Wednesday!

A cello lightsaber duel, accordion playing Darth Vader, and dance-party Chewie!

… Enjoy the ride to a galaxy far, far way …



Dig Deep for a Story that Resonates

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Blake Snyder, Story, Writing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Blake Snyder, Dig a Little Deeper, Jose Siliero, Save the Cat!, The Princess and the Frog

What makes a story resonate? … The truth of its theme.

Simple, huh? Maybe for the Writing Pros, but when I first started on my writing journey? Not so much.

Theme Demystified

The THEME of a story relates to what the main character needs to become whole, happy, or fix a major character flaw.

How does that work, exactly? Glad you asked. The main plot (A story) focuses on the main character’s desire, what she wants. Then the subplot (B story) facilitates her coming to realize what it is she truly needs, and that changes her life.

Sound like gobbledy-gook? Yeah, I thought so too. I needed visual examples. Which is why Blake Snyder’s “Save The Cat!” approach to story works so well for me. Let me break it down for you…

Miss Congeniality

In Miss Congeniality, Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) is a woman in a predominantly male profession. She “wants” nothing more than to excel at her job and be taken seriously (A story). So much so that she shuns her femininity. The theme of this story comes out when Gracie states that she doesn’t need to worry about being feminine because she’s a FBI agent.  But is that true?

What Gracie “needs” is to realize that she will be more successful at her job by accepting her femininity, without dumbing-down. Through her interactions with the other beauty contest contestants (B story), she comes to realize that she can be tough and feminine. And it’s that combination that wins Gracie true respect from her fellow agents, along with the professional and personal success she’s been seeking.

“Wants” versus “Needs”

I’d like to say that I “got this” the first time Blake and Jose Siliero explained it to me. But, no. It took me a few stories and as many workshops for this concept to finally sink in. I’d be struggling with how to fix the story mess I had on my hands, when Jose would ask calmly, “What does your character want? What does your character need?” And as if by magic, I’d see the solution! (Hint, hint! Jose’s Beat Sheet Workshops are awesome!) Image credits: Miss Congeniality

Dig a Little Deeper

That’s what Blake Snyder would say whenever someone was stuck on a story beat that had to do with theme: “Dig a little deeper.”

So, it’s no wonder that I had another one of those “jump out of my seat in a packed movie theater” moments when the following scene from The Princess and the Frog  (Walt Disney Pictures) played across the screen. It was like Blake and Jose were the ones who were up there singing. Seriously.

Blake Snyder and Jose Siliero were story consultants on Princess and the Frog. Once again, it’s a testament to their contributions that this song was included in the movie. Image credits: The Princess and the Frog

Mama Odie tells the two main characters (who were turned into frogs by black magic): “You all want to be human, but you’re blind to what you need.” Then bursts into song…

Dig a little deeper, to find out who you are … When you find out who your are, you find out what you need…

This scene is hilarious, because it’s so true!



The “Save The Cat!” Giveaway WINNERS Are….

…..Drum roll…..

 *****Tosses Copious Amounts of Confetti *****

  • Tami Clayton
  • Janice Heck
  • Elaine Smothers

Yes THREE, count them THREE winners! BJ Markel, a long-time friend of Blake’s, is helping to support this Giveaway in Blake’s honor.

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