Disciplines

Discipline.

Kind of a scary word isn't it? Makes you think of punishment, or drudgery, maybe? Or maybe mind-numbing repetitions?

But discipline is as necessary to human life as food and water. Without it, our lives would have no structure or pattern or even meaning. They would be a sad, chaotic, and free-floating mess of unfulfilled dreams, unsatisfied desires, and disappointed hearts.

Consider this, every morning, you discipline yourself to get up (hopefully), eat breakfast (probably), get dressed (most likely), and then set about some task (usually). Wait, do you?

I know I struggle sometimes with even these basic disciplines. All right, let's take it another direction. Every day, I discipline myself to check my email. Wow. Big deal. Such sacrifice. But I do it, and that's the point. Checking my email is important enough to me that I do it every day; multiple times a day, for that matter.

Now, if I want to succeed at anything in life, I need to keep at it until I gain some proficiency. Otherwise my life will be full of never-finished projects and goals. For example, some six or seven years ago I began to take violin lessons. I was required to practice every day for at least thirty minutes. For the next five years I practiced my violin nearly every day for at least some time. Oh, it was difficult often, and I missed days all the time. But I was discipling myself to do it. Now, years later, I don't practice at all hardly, but I play often enough to keep my fingers from losing their skill. And I'm grateful for those years I did spend practicing to get me where I am.

Let's apply this to my current situation: writing. I want to be a good writer. How do I get good? Practice. What does practice require? Discipline. For two Novembers now I have disciplined myself to write at least 1,667 words a night for thirty days. However, during the rest of the year, my writing time is sporadic, to say the least. So, I have made the decision to discipline myself in this areal; I am going to write every night (other events permitting) for at least half an hour.

Why is this important? Because not only will I be able to complete the many stories I have started, but I will continue to grow in my writing, rather than having to start all over again every time I get an inspiration kick.


Where do we go from here? God. Everything in my life should point to God, even if it's just a short little blog post that has some nice wording. So, where do God and disciplines meet?

All over the place! Disciplining yourself in Godliness is one of the most important things to being a Christian!

So, how does one do this? Many ways; but I want to focus on two foundational ones that everything else can be built upon.

First: reading His word. Everything we know about God comes from His holy scriptures, so if we seek to grow closer to Him, the best way to do that is by reading His very words. Self-application? I am going to discipline myself to read in God's word every morning right after I get up. This not only gives God the front row in my life, but helps me prepare for the day as I look to Him for guidance and strength.

Second: Prayer. If God talks to us through His word, then we talk to Him through prayer. Prayer helps keep out minds focused on Him, and keeps us close to Him as we battle through the daily mire of the world around us. Self-application? I am going to discipline myself to pray more often. (i.e: not only at meal times). I want to call on God whenever and wherever I am, to lay each and every problem before him, and to draw closer to Him throughout the day.

So, to conclude; I am striving to discipline myself to: Write every night for half an hour; Read my Bible every morning; and Pray to God throughout the day.

For:

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
(Philippians 4:13 ESV)

Pray for me, as I seek to glorify my God through discipling myself. And if you know me personally, keep me accountable! Ask me how I'm doing with these three disciplines.

In Christ,
Farjag

Beautiful People- January

Apparently, it's that time again! First, a nod the creators at Further Up and Further In, and Before My Penn has Gleaned, you guys are awesome! And to the Director at Castles, Quills, and Cameras, since that's where I first heard about it!



So, this month's character of choice is: Redpaw, Wolf-hunter, from Feather and Fang


1. If your character’s house burned down, and they were left with nothing but the clothes on their back, what would they do? Where would they go?

Seeing as Redpaw spent his childhood as a wolf-cub, Contained during the Shieldsfell rule, he has had a lot of experience in living with nothing and no home. And since he has no family or real friends, he'd probably just head off into the woods without a backward glance. He lives in a tiny shack on the outskirts of Burndell, keeping mostly to himself, so no one would miss him.

2. Are they happy with where they are in life, or would they like to move on?

He doesn't know anything more than the life he has right now; being a solitary bounty hunter suits him pretty well right now. There is a longing for something more hidden deep down, but he doesn't know what for.

3. Are they well-paid?

Oh, quite well. Bounties make a nice bit of profit. Most of it gets buried away though, since he doesn't really know what to do with it.

4. Can they read?

Yes, though he would not be called a learned man. He would much rather read the signs of the forest than an old manuscript. He has a good memory, though, and has committed many of the tales and ballads of Quartorlen to heart, almost without trying

5. What languages do they speak?

Anglic, or "English." There are only three languages spoken on Primorlen, the ancient and slippery Dyrmtongue; spoken by those that come from Dyrmlen; the rough and plain Anglic by the folk of Quartorlen and Theorlen, and the lilting and musical Hidden speech used by those that dwell in the Burnmist of Theorlen.

6. What is their biggest mistake?

So far? Probably dismissing the feuding between clans as a necessary evil.

7. What did they play with most as a child?

Bones! I mean, being a wolf-cub... :P

8. What are their thoughts on politics?

Redpaw has grown weary of the incessant bickering and warring between the clans, and often wishes for a peace. But he tells himself that such thoughts are not warrior-like, and must be forgotten.

9. What is their expected life time?
As a bounty hunter? Until his target proves too strong. He should like to reach eighty, though.

10. If they were falsely accused of murder, what would they do? How would they react?

All chaos would break loose. Redpaw is not easily provoked, but when he is, there is not much in the world of Primorlen that could dam up his anger. Accustomed to being able to fight to the top of any situation, being attacked with subtlety would render him confused and helpless, so he would lash out in the only way he knew.


Thanks for the questions! Now I want to go write Feather and Fang!

When words won't come

Ah yes, we all know it. The infamous "Writer's Block." Where we stare at our paper/screen and frantically try to think of something worth putting down, but nothing comes. What makes it worse is if you know what you want to write, but not how to write it.

That's where I've been with Feather and Fang for a couple of months now. (By the way, if anyone thinks I'm juggling too many projects, yes I am! Three full-length stories, college, and at least three movies in various stages of completion.)

So, this is where I've been stuck:


The wolf-hunter growled in desperation as his boots began to sink into the churning sand. The cavern wall rose away from him as the sand began to sink. Fingers scrabbled at smooth clay, searching for something, anything to grab on to. A stone pillar rose up out of the sand, hitting him in the side as he dropped down.
The pillar rose past him, and Redpaw altered, his claws locking onto the grooved face. He turned to look for Crestlen and caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, hanging with one hand from another pillar, above and to his right.

I didn't know how to describe what happens next. Point blank. Which is pretty sad, because (as you can probably tell), this is shaping up to be a very dramatic scene, and to not be able to find words to tell it is just... well, sad.

So the other night I switched to a different writing spot (not sure if that did anything), put in headphones with epic music (Two Steps from Hell, anyone? Don't hate the name till you hear the music :P), and just started writing. I almost immediately deleted what I had put down, but that didn't matter. The point was that I had started pushing myself to write, and when that happens, you break the dams on your imagination.

Soon the ideas began to flow again, and I find myself knowing exactly where the scene was going to go, and how I was going to describe it. Mind you, I didn't get very far; (it was late), but I got somewhere. And next time I sit down, it won't take long for me to slip into the channel again and speed on with the river's flow.

The cavern begin to shake violently, chunks of rock falling from the ceiling. The delicate balance that had held the surrounding rock and sand together had been disturbed, and now everything was falling together into the abyss that had so violently opened up below the two hunters.
Redpaw scrambled up to the top of his pillar, gathering himself for a leap. His sharp eyes flitted from point to point, marking out a path among the collapsing pillars. For a brief instant he looked back at Crestlen, and his heart sank as he realized the hawk-assassin hadn’t moved. Below them a red glow had begun to break through the spinning sand. A thousand thoughts spun through Redpaw’s mind in an instant, and he knew exactly what he must do.
With a snarl he spun around on the pillar and launched himself back to the struggling Crestlen.

Full of watery similes,

Farjag

Epic combined means... Total Epic!

Lego + Lord of the Rings... how much better can it get?

Prepare to meet.... The Fellowship of the Ring! In Lego!

* Geek out moment*

This was just too good to pass up posting here!

Photo courtesy From Bricks to Bothans, (check 'em out!), epicosity enhancing by yours truly.

Imagination stimuli

When I'm writing, I get these wonderful pictures in my head of the locations I place my characters. Epic, sweeping, unique places that leave an permanent imprint in my mind. Even if I haven't written that part of a particular story yet, I can remember the location months later as clearly as when I first imagined it. (This is why I tend to over-describe; I want the reader to imagine it exactly like I do). But sometimes, just describing the location in prose isn't enough.

That's when the little gnome artist that lives in my mind pops up his wee little capped head, a impish grin spread across his wrinkled features. And straightaway he's off to find another medium to express the wonderful idea I've had.

Often it's paper and pencil, but it shapes itself into a drawing. Usually merely a hasty sketch or roughed out background around the key centerpiece, these drawings may not be the most wonderful works of art, but they speak volumes more than even words ever could. One morning at work when nothing was going on I grabbed a sheet of parchment paper and a pen and roughed out a cutaway of a Silverwind tent from Silver and Sable. It's nothing fancy, and the lack of any sort of line hierarchy makes it somewhat difficult to read, but it gave me the clearest picture of the Silverwind landscape I've come up with yet.

(It was a bit slow that day :P)

Other times, it's 3D modeling. I've built inns, gates, towers, and started countless other studies in the wonderful world of 3D modeling. My latest creation was a tavern with rooms above for travelers.

(Notice the unfinished back wing... still working on this one)

And one my little gnome's favorites; Legos! Yes, these surprisingly versatile and totally epic plastic blocks  have been fashioned into some of my most epic landscapes and scenes.

(Me and my little sister did this the other day;

I did the rocks and grass, she did the snow and guy)

So, what do you use to help your imagination out?

Quietude

Quietude

Water trickling down
Moss growing dark green
Sun shining down
Snow lies serene

White lies around
Quiet reigns as queen
Pure beauty around
Perfect and pristine

Marveling in silence
Landscape pure and clean
Peace follows silence
Beauty can be seen

Mountains tall and cold
Sunlight bright and pure
Snow lies soft and cold
The silence a wondrous cure

Peace settles softly down
Quieting my anxious heart
God's words come floating down
My worries float apart

In silence, peace
In quiet, calm
In beauty, repose
This is my psalm

To Get an "A"...

I just started Design 2.2, the fourth and final design class before I transfer to a larger college. Basically, we are given projects which include either drawings or models (or both), and are given the task of coming up with a professional, unique, and well thought out design that satisfies the problem. Here's the tricky part though; the grading scale is a great deal different that most other classes. For one thing, the scale is a lot tighter than your average grading scale.

A: 93-100
B: 85-92
C: 75-84
D: 70-74
F: 69 and Below

Not a whole lot of room to make mistakes. Now those 'low 90's' aren't A's anymore, they're B's. Tougher, to say the least. But look at why they're that way:

"In this class, a grade of "A" means that the project is truly exceptional, the design and presentation are professional, and that it is obvious that unusual effort and design attention were invested to produce them. A grade of "B" means that the project is more than professionally competent, that it clearly goes beyond the basic project requirements, and that extra attention was paid to the design and the presentation. A grade of "C" means that the design and presentation essentially satisfy the requirements and intent of the project. A grade of "D" means that there are serious mistakes, omissions, or craftsmanship problems with the project. A grade of "F" means that the project was not turned in or that the project was obviously not taken seriously"

Design 2.2 Syllabus

Basically, you only get an "A" if you go above and beyond. You just want to satisfy the requirements? Here's a nice "C" for you.

But here's the point; you can only achieve greatness in anything by pushing yourself and your work above the standard. 

Let's apply this to our walk with Christ. Our God doesn't ask us to sit in caves in the hills and never talk to anyone so we can live 'holy' lives; He asks us to get out there in the world around us and push the standards of what other people think we can do. We are to "Do Hard Things" for His glory. How can we further His kingdom if all we're trying to do is keep ourselves to just doing the basics? An remember, if all we're shooting for is a "C," it's far too easy to slip into the "D" range.

So, here's the question I've been asking myself: Am I an "A" Christian? Have I been striving to further God's kingdom? Or am I just a little "C" Christian, only worried about keeping to what is easy and comfortable?

I gotta say, I hadn't planned on making the connection from grades to Christ when I started writing this. I take no credit; God tapped on my heart and said, "Hey! This blog is about me, right? Not you. Now write about me."

So thank you, Lord, for Your promptings. May they be as helpful to others as they are to me.

In His Name,

Farjag

And the Answer is...

Unless a drastic and cataclysmic event that is currently totally unforeseen occurs...

I shall edit Freeborn and Freegiven.

It will require a good bit of work, and some deep digging in some places, but I think it is possible. As I've analyzed it over the past couple of days hours, I've realized what it really needs it a good haircut. There is a shaggy layer of unnecessary descriptions and explanations (at least in the beginning) that need to be peeled back. It's basically the traces of me wanting to tell the reader exactly what I see in my imagination. And while that is good, it often becomes overbearing. In Freeborn, it was all too easy to get bogged down in describing every little detail, because it was a fantasy; I was taking the reader somewhere they had never been before, and wanted to make sure they saw it exactly like I did. 

In Trust Hole, I got away from that (I think :P), mostly because describing every little detail didn't fit with the minimalist, dystopian world I had created. I described the key points of each location, and left the reader to fill in the gaps with their imaginations. 

So that's what needs doing on Freeborn. Consider:

Old-

Farjag picked the cooling hilt up with a pair of steel-forged tongs and swiftly placed them back in the glowing coals. The flickering flames lit up his distinctive features: dark brown eyes, short orange-brown hair, a determined look permanently chiseled into his face, and two thick angled black lines like tattoos under his cheekbones. He wore a leather apron over a loose white shirt and a tan muslin tunic, as well as dark brown breeches and knee-high boots. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, leaving his arms bare except for his hands, which were gloved in black leather. He was tall and rather lanky, but his bare arms showed an uncommon strength.

New-

Farjag picked the cooling hilt up with a pair of tongs and swiftly placed them back in the glowing coals. The flickering flames lit up his distinctive features: dark brown eyes, short orange-brown hair, a determined look permanently chiseled into his face, and two thick angled black lines like tattoos under his cheekbones. He wore a leather apron over his loose shirt and tunic, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hands were gloved in thick leather to protect them from the hot metal he was working with. As a whole he was short but rather lanky, and his bare arms showed an uncommon strength.

Not much of a difference, but enough to make it count. So that's what I'm going to be spending my late night hours doing for the next couple weeks/months. Wish me luck!

Farjag

To Rewrite or Not...

That is the question...

I was reading through Freeborn and Freegiven the other day, editing typos and the like as I went, and occasionally changing the wording of something, or editing dialogue. And as I got deeper, and started to pay more attention, I realized there was a great deal lacking in the depth of prose I was using. In other words, it was too conversational. Even though I had avoided using boring words like "big" and kept away from run-on "then"'s, it was still severely lacking. This was a problem I had fixed on Feather and Fang during the last year, but I had written far less in that, and was still playing with the plot, so things were still in flux. To fix Freeborn would require a major overhaul. Not to mention there are still several plotholes and unoriginal situations that need attention.
So the question I am faced with is: "Do I edit, or rewrite?" Do I just keep on fixing what I have, or do I start over again, using the first as the skeleton to build on rather than the skin to reform?
One of my best friends and fellow writers has rewritten nearly every one of his major story ideas at least once or twice. I have seen him go through five iterations of a single plot idea, each different from the previous, until all that showed up in the final from the first was the premise. Characters changed, locations changed, plot arcs changed, climax and conclusion changed. And it was worth it. The final drafts are so much better than the first, though you couldn't have known that when you read the first.

So... should I rewrite? I honestly don't know yet. I am leaning more in that direction, since I had moderate success in rewriting Grey Warrior. (As much as could be expected with no plot line). My writing has improved greatly since then (as is obvious when comparing Freeborn and Trust Hole), and I have a solid plot, with several important additions I would be making if I was going to simply edit it.

What do ya'll think? Have you ever rewritten something completely? Or do you find extensive editing to be more up your alley? Leave a comment if you want to share, or hold a conversation with yourself! (It's helpful sometimes :) )

A yet undecided, Farjag

The Promise

Promise

Snowflakes softly fell
The night sky dark and cold
In Bethlehem all seems well
The wind is quiet and lulled

A tiny stable carved into the hill
The home of cows and sheep
A tiny baby lies quiet and still
Let the animals their silence keep

Upon the hills gathered round
Shepereds keep silent watch
Flocks of sheep dot the ground
Stars across the sky march

Then light came springing out
Beams of radiance shining forth
The sky splits open with a shout
Heaven beyond in all it's worth

Angels line the clouds
A choir of awesome majesty
Their holy voices raised aloud
Heaven's glorious pageantry

"A Savior has been born this night
A child of men born today
God Himself bringing light
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!"

The Promise fulfilled
The Messiah on earth
Just as God had willed
Tonight is the Savior's birth

A question

Here's a question to those who read this blog (The few and proud!): What should I post about? What would you like to see me write about?

Whatever I write here, I want to be able to point it back to God, but I need something to write about first. And how to/how not to write posts get old real quick.

So any ideas? Leave a comment!

The Heart War

Inspired by Sunday's message...

The Heart War

Upon a battlefield colored red
Much blood has yet to be shed
The power of the enemy was broken long ago
But he continues to fight, a present and powerful foe

The heart is this battlefield red
Sin our enemy, not yet dead
Set free from that power in Christ's death
We must battle on until life's last breath

For how can we who died to sin
Still lie subject to it's evil grip within?
The law of Christ has set us free
Let us fight, can you not see?

The battle's already won
The victory's been done
The sword of the word, doubled edged and sharp
Is more powerful than any enemy's poisoned dart

Sin lies at our door, quite near at hand
And it's desire is for our embattled heartland
Stand strong you Christians bold!
The Holy Spirit has wrapped us in His fold

Walk in His power and might
He protects us from the dark of night
Sin has been thrown down
Won is the heart's sacred ground

Really Short Sentences.

There are many literary techniques I have discovered through my reading and writing, and one I've put into use from time to time is really. short. sentences. For example:

A sudden impulse made him stand. If he could catch the robber in the act… He dashed silently forward, across the open space between him and the opposite ticket booth, slowing to a walk as he neared the oblivious criminal. His hand reached for his boot knife. Three steps closer.
The robber was pulling out money now, stuffing wads of cash into a business satchel that sat on the edge of the counter next to him.
Four steps closer. Alen could hear him breathing heavily, and letting out an occasional whispered curse. Blood stained the glass around the jagged edge, the robber must have mishit the speaker hole and cut his wrist on the glass as it shattered. Two steps closer.
The criminal stopped for a moment. Alen held his breath. Another whispered curse, and he continued stuffing cash in.

The short sentences give a tension and dangerous brevity to the whole affair, don't they? Now the whole portion isn't short sentences, so the reader has time to catch their breath between each sentence hit. To pull up another oft-used example of mine; writing duels. Which sounds better?

Farjag turned and swept up his sword in a diagonal arc, crossing over as he did so to bring it smashing back down without a second's pause. His opponent's blade met his in a direct parry as it did so, and he pushed both swords forward, the point of his blade coming dangerously near Farjag's face before he could execute his signature right spin and come up under his opponent's guard with a half-sword stab.

Farjag slashed at his opponent, smashing at the other's defenses with each stroke. Farjag stabbed, the enemy parried. When the enemy finally caught his blade, he spun and ducked under to stab at his unprotected side.

Which sounds better? The sentences are shorter in the second one, there are no pauses to describe complex sword patterns, and there is a much deeper sense of danger and raw power (At least in my opinion :) ). The first one gets bogged down as soon it dives into each individual movement of the swords.

Anyways, you heard all that already from me last post! :P Pet peeve, I guess. But, to return, I often use short sentences at the end of a chapter, to heighten the sense of suspense and give the reader something to remember easily until they read the next one. 

The entire arena hushed for a moment, and Alen felt a sudden grip of fear around his heart. Someone was going to die tonight. And it would all be in good sport.

And with that, I end.

Until next time, 

Farjag

Moving On

Have you ever had that moment when in your writing when you finish off one scene, and start the build up to the next? When the traveling, or sleeping, or exposition seems infinitely boring? I know I do. I don't know how many times when I was writing Trust Hole that I finished off some epic match in half an hour, and then spent another hour just struggling through the couple of paragraphs between it and the next major event.
But as I continued to write, I realized something. Maybe none of that in-between isn't all that necessary.
Now, here is what I am NOT saying. DO NOT skip from action sequence to action sequence just because all the middle stuff is plain boring. That does not make a good story. Every tale needs it's quiet moments as well as it's loud moments, it's low times as well as it's high times, it's lulls as well as it's peaks. Some of my favorite scenes to write in Trust Hole were actually the ones with just dialogue, where Alen and Martin, or Mirra, or Brian, or Watson broke out of my mind and started finding their voices.
What I'm talking about is the piddly stuff. The meals, and sleeping, and traveling long distances, and gathering of armies, etc. Where the logistics and practicality of it all drags you down until you're left drowning in the sea of your own boredom. THAT is the stuff it is ok to skip.
But how you do it is just as important as when you do it. For example, let us take my main characters from Feather and Fang: Redpaw, Crestlen, and Daegless. The first two are traveling together, and Daegless is in another part of Quartorlen entirely. Now, a lot of traveling is involved, and the repeated: "Several days later," becomes just as boring as if you had actually described each non-eventful day. So, here's my brilliant idea. Those times are the perfect time to cut to the other group! Leave Redpaw and Crestlen to do their mindless trudging, and go catch up with Daegless, who we left burning some random village. Now he's a week ahead, and there's a trail of destruction behind him. Notice the difference:

Daegless continued his savage path for a week, sowing death and destruction wherever he went. Villages were burned, fields were trampled, and chaos spread throughout Thunderfell. Ahead lay Flamehope, and the untainted land there.

Daegless stood on a hill, overlooking Flamehope. Behind him, a wide swath of black stretched to the north horizon, the smoke of dozens of burning fields and villages marking his trail of death and destruction. Chaos had come to Thunderfell, and now it was poised to strike Flamehope.

Which do you think sounds better? Personally, I like the second one. It strikes deeper into the imagination, leaving the reader to come up with his own atrocities and evil deeds, rather than minutely explaining each one.
As another example, consider the use of skilled swordplay in a battle. A fencer and broadswordsman (I don't think that's a word :P) myself, I appreciate and can understand many of the moves, strokes and parries an author puts in his swordfights. The main problem with this is that it breaks up the intensity and overall feel of the fight. It's hard to feel scared for the main character as he executes a complex maneuver you have to go back and read twice over to get before you can understand what's going on. You get back to the fight, only half as caught up in it as you were before. The same with the piddly stuff. It's hard to stay involved in the desperate nature of the quest or time when you're plodding through the daily rattle of unimportant events.
With that being said, another way of cutting down on piddly in-between stuff is to cut the scene before it's 'done.' One of the pep talks for NaNoWriMo talked about "ending the scene before they walk out the door." Don't put in the character exits, and hallway walks back to their rooms, and getting in bed, and sleeping, and waking up, and coffee, and breakfast... ad nauseam. Just cut, and open back up right in the thick of things the next day.
This is especially helpful when your outline leaves a gap between major scenes, and you've been telling yourself all along that you'll fill it with traveling, minor events, etc. It won't cut it. Trust me, I've tried. Case in point, Trust Hole. The center of the book, as outline in my head, was to be filled with training for Alen, character development, etc. But when I got there, I realized all that didn't matter. So I went right on with the story, bringing in the new bots and all the changes that came with them. No need for filler material. No need for detailed explaining of technology (or magic), or habits of dragons, or meditation is part of your training, or how a pulse cannon works, or how the politics of dwarves run. BORING. (:P I'm poking fun at the Inheritance Series among other things for anyone who didn't get it)

Move the story along, and your pace will thank you. As well as all your readers. And hey, if too much is happening... it's easy to add in some quieter stuff!

Hoping my rant was insightful to you, (it was for me! :P)
Farjag