Tag Archives: Fantasy

Faith, Family, Literature

Magic

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“If you could be a fairy, what would you make?”

I smiled when my little sister asked me.  It was her way of phrasing the popular question, What superpower would you have?

“I would want healing,” I said.  “So I could just touch someone who was hurt or sick, and they would be better.”

Little sister giggled.  “Like Jesus.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “like Jesus.  What kind of fairy would you be?”

“I would be a world-fairy.  I would make fairytale worlds.”

“I’d like to visit them,” I said, thinking, Also like Jesus.

She asked what “kind of fairy” she could be that people would like.  I suggested she made food, people always need food; before realizing that was like Jesus too.

What’s the appeal of magic in fairy tales?  What if we like magic and wizards and superheroes because we’re craving something (or someone) that can set the world to rights?  Craving someone–or Someone–who can make our stories like the stories in the Bible.

I am a great advocate for magic in stories.  Not sorcery or witchcraft, or summoning spirits–not the kind of things humans do because they want control.  I’m a fan of wizards like Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings): supernatural beings working to make the world a better place.  I’m a fan of dragons like Sapphira (The Inheritance Cycle): beautiful, untameable creatures tapping into ancient power to make things right.

I believe in stretching our imaginations in ways that help us imagine heaven on earth.

Because one day that happy ending will be ours.

Family, Stories

“I Am Groot” (and High School Biology)

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Confession time: I have never seen an Avengers movie.

But if it can redeem me, I have seen one Marvel movie (which I am very grateful to have seen!) and that was Guardians of the Galaxy.  Which I loved.  Since I don’t have space, in one post, to analyze all five beautifully crafted lead characters, I want to talk about one: Groot.

Almost everyone can appreciate a good humanoid tree.  I have yet to talk to anyone who doesn’t love Groot, but really now, what’s not to like?  He is a walking, talking tree who can regenerate from one twig, whose vocabulary consists of I and am and Groot (in that order).

But my favorite thing about Groot is the way he grows.  From his habit of shooting up twice his original height to reach things for people, to the flower he spontaneously grows out of his palm for the beggar girl on Knowhere–I love the way he is simply bursting with life.  There’s a special place in my heart for the glowing firefly-like things he generates at the end.

What I did not realize until just recently was how appropriate this attribute was for a (sort-of) talking tree.

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I’ve spent this school year finishing my high school biology course (“Exploring Creation with Biology” by Dr. Jay L. Wile), and I’m really enjoying it.  The latest chapter I finished was all about plants, including (of course) trees.

One thing Dr. Wile discussed was stems.  He pointed out that the stem you would typically think of as a plant stem (herbaceous stems) cannot grow any larger after they mature.  This is because they will crack the skin of the stem, and expose the inside of the plant to the elements.

Tree trunks (or woody stems), however, are another story.

Underneath the outer bark of a tree trunk is a layer called the cork cambium.  Its job is to produce new bark, underneath the old layer of bark.  This allows the tree to continue growing as long as it can and simply break through the bark, since there is always a new layer underneath.

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Whether the makers of Guardians of the Galaxy were aware of this or not, I love how accurate their depiction of a “human tree” is; trees are literally cracking their own skin with the pressure of the life inside them!

Groot’s unquenchable, thriving growth is actually quite congruent with his real-world counterparts.

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‘When that happens to a tree, you find that some have bad hearts.  Nothing to do with their wood: I do not mean that.  Why, I knew some good old willows down the Entwash, gone long ago, alas!  They were quite hollow, indeed they were falling all to pieces, but as quiet and sweet-spoken as a young leaf.’ (457)
The Tower Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

Alright, we storytellers just love trees.

Literature

Hobbit Day

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Of course I’ve been thinking of Middle Earth today!  I’m sure some of you have too. 😉

I’ve heard so many people say that they wished they could visit Tolkien’s beautiful world, and I must say that I don’t blame them. . .  But I’ve never really seen it that way.

For me, Middle Earth has never been farther than my backyard.  Tolkien did not try to make The Lord of the Rings allegorical, but in the introduction to my version of The Fellowship of the Ring he said he thought it ‘applicable’.*

I believe I am a better person because I read fantasy.  I know there is a lot of really bad fantasy out there, but I say it’s worth sifting through it.  Because there’s books out there like The Hobbit.

Middle Earth is right here, right now.  Fangorn is every tree I’ve ever climbed, and Aragorn is every hero I’ve admire.  I see him in friends of ours, I see him in my Dad.  I saw him in the police officer standing in the middle of the street picking up trash.  I never want to underestimate the Strider’s around me–like so many people in Middle Earth did.  I feel the pull of the Ring every time I’m tempted to snap at someone, or not bother to do what’s right.  I pray I can resist like Frodo did.  I see Arwen and Pippin and Merry in my family, and in my friends.

Whatever character you’ve been dying to meet, you can meet.  They’re in you, in your heart, in those around you.

What Aragorn/Legolas/Eowyn/etc. in your life have you been missing?  Middle Earth is right here around us–are we ready to fight the darkness?

 

*Forward to The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, page x

Life, Literature, My Writing

The Describe Tag

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So. . . as you can see, the book reviews are only sort-of happening.  I apologize.  I am planning on doing more reading soon though, so that should help.  In the mean time, I’m going to do a tag instead, because. . . I have a lot of tags I need to get done.

Before we start though, ya’ll need to read the last post on our family’s adoption blog.  I am sooo excited!

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Okay, now for the tag: my sweet friend Savannah tagged me on this one, and it looks like all kinds of fun!  Sadly, I can’t link to her post, as her blog is private.  Here’s the description of the tag:

   ‘The basic idea of this tag is to take five characters of your creation, answer the six questions for each of your characters, then describe him/her/it in your own words in a paragraph, posts the answers like I did down below, and then tag 1 person per character.’ 

Okay, sounds good!  Most of my characters are from stories that are not yet written, because all the (good) on-paper stories by yours truly have been posted on here, so you all know the characters already.  I’m starting with the main character from Catania’s Forest, because I’m sure you all want to know about her–and because I need to buy myself time because I’m not getting a description of it up on my stories page as soon as I thought. 😉  Anyway, here goes nothing:

Continue reading The Describe Tag →

Life, Literature

Lauritzen Gardens

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I know these have been a long time in coming. . . better late than never, right?  Anyway, I’m very happy with how they turned out!

If you don’t like hundreds of pictures of flowers, feel free to skip this post. 😉  And, believe it or not, this is the narrowed-down version.

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I got a lot of good pictures of Little Brother.  I guess he’s just picturesque.

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I am so excited about this picture!  My pictures of bugs never turn out this clear!

Continue reading Lauritzen Gardens →

Literature, My Writing

Writer’s Quirks Tag

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One of my readers tagged me on her blog this week!  (Read her post here!)  And the tag is about writing–my favorite pass-time and (hopefully) future career.  Which makes me happy. 🙂

Rules:

  • Thank the person who tagged you and include the link to their post.
  • Put the tag in your post and include the link to this post.
  • Copy, paste, and answer all of the questions in your post.
  • Tag as many people as you wish.
  • Have fun!

Okay then, thank you, Micaiah!  This will be fun!!

Next off, answer the questions:

  • What genre(s) do you like to write in?
  • Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what artists/albums do you enjoy?
  • How do you name characters?
  • Do you like to snack on or drink anything while writing? If so, what?
  • What inspires you to write?
  • Where and when do you prefer to write?
  • Do you read any books or blogs on the writing craft? If so, what are your favorites?
What genre(s) do you like to write in?

Medieval fantasy/fairytale is definitely my favorite genre to read and  write!  I love it!  I’ve tinkered around with sci-fi before as well, but never got anything on paper there; and I could see myself writing historical fiction, but I’m not dedicated enough for researching time periods. 🙂  I’ve also dabbled just a little in modern fiction, with things like my science stories.

Do you listen to music while you write?  If so, what artists/albums do you enjoy?

I don’t often listen to music, if I do, it’s usually something from The Hobbit movies.

How do you name characters?

I don’t really have anything profound to say on this front.  My poor characters usually just wait around until I have an epiphany of the perfect name.  Sometimes I ask for help from my family or my blog readers, and so far that has proved quite helpful!  Very recently, I’ve made a list of names I like that I go to when I need to name a character.  That has also been helpful!

Do you like to snack on or drink anything while writing?  If so, what?

I don’t usually eat while I write.  I do usually end up drinking a lot of water when I write though, as I voluntarily go get a drink when I feel like I need a brain-break. 🙂

What inspires you to write?

Many, many things. 🙂  Other books, movies, reading blog posts by writers, pictures, experiences, etc.  A lot of stories form while I’m lying in bed right after watching a movie (weird, I know!) or when something happens to me that I can easily transfer into a Medieval, fantastical setting.  Lots of my life experiences and personal beliefs worm their way into my stories without really asking permission.  Other things I find inspiring are archery, tree-climbing, hiking, bike-rides, and anything else out of doors!

Where and when do you prefer to write?

Anywhere and anytime!  I’m not partial to time or place.  I prefer it to be quiet (which is hard to find at my house!), but I can “zone out” if I need to. 🙂

Do you read any books or blogs on the writing craft?  If so, what are your favorites?

I don’t read any books on writing, but I may write one someday.  But honestly, I think reading fiction is the best thing for writers!  Writing them comes naturally when you immerse yourself in stories.  It also helps expand your vocabulary–just try reading The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia again, looking up any and every word you’re not familiar with.  It will grow your vocabulary by leaps and bounds!

I don’t read any blogs on writing specifically, but my favorite blog on books in general is Leah’s Bookshelf.

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Phew!  That was fun!  Thanks again, Micaiah!  And now I’d like to tag:

Katie from kdbug.com

I would also like to tag my readers Skylar and Jaidyn, but unfortunately their blogs are private so I can’t link to them.

Happy writing, writers, and happy Wednesday to everybody! 🙂

Life, Literature

The Storybook Cave

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I started this picture in Colorado, and brought it home to finish it.  I’d been wanting to do something like this for a long time, but the exact details–a dragon sitting on a pile of gold, reading a story to some other fun creatures–came all of a sudden while I was drawing with our friends.  They’re good for inspiration. 🙂  And thanks, Brianna and Emily, for your help with my unicorn’s face!

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Happy Thursday!

(Which means tomorrow’s Friday. . .)

Life

Colorado

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Hi, ya’ll!  Sorry I haven’t posted in so long.  We got back from a short trip to Colorado last Thursday.  It was only a few days long, but a great trip–spending time with my family and the friends we stayed with, being outside, reading in the car (I love road-trips!), and. . . (drum-roll please!) my first time skiing.

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It was a cross between the scariest, most stressful thing I had ever done, and the funnest and most exciting. 🙂

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So. . . I have a love/hate relationship with skiing, at the moment.

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But, I’m glad we went!  It was fun, and the weather was perfect, and the scenery was to die for.

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But I didn’t die for it (I survived skiing!), so I’m back, and I’m hoping to start posting more.  I know I’ve been a wee bit sparse lately.

 

P.S. Can you get too old for dressing up?  We stayed with some friends of ours, and they had the best dress up clothes ever–and they even fit a fifteen-year-old!  What more could a girl ask for?

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Happy Sunday! 🙂