Little Thoughts About ... #11
More reading, some writing
I have no idea what to write up here for this issue. I’ve been reading and doing some writing. I attending a free open house virtual class on writing fiction. I always like to see how people teach writing classes. We did an interesting writing exercise where we had to make a list of three people you found interesting, pick one, and write down every detail about the person. I picked Jane Austen, Taylor Swift, and my friend Katie. I picked my friend Katie one thing about her is she loves potatoes and everything they make.
So the second prompt was to think about their wants, what they want most in the world, what’s keeping them from getting it, and what they are going to do about it. So then I just went all out that she wants to beat Sara Ann at the Fall 4H Fair in the category of homemade vodka.
The third prompt was to think of a place you frequent regularly and describe it in detail. I described another friend’s apartment.
Then we read a flash fiction piece and then we were supposed to use this story as a model to write a story featuring our character, our setting, and our course of a single day. So Katie was settling down in her cozy apartment to figure out how to distill vodka from potatoes to beat Sarah Ann at the fair.
Ok so this all came out and I guess I did have something to write here. Welcome to how I write my short stories too.
What I Finished Reading
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - 4 Stars
This was a good discussion book. For a lot of the group, it was their first time reading Morrison. For me, it was the second book I’ve read and I just love the way she writes. She has a way of making some of the darkest topics read like poetry.The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - 4.5 Stars
I thought I had read this, but realized nope. Had this book come out when I was a kid this would have been my obsession. I’ve been watching the series and was curious about how similar it was to the book (having not liked the movie). I’m enjoying the show and I’m okay with the changes they’ve made from the book.
What I’m Currently Reading
Emma by Jane Austen
Something came up so I wasn’t able to make the meeting where we were discussing the novel, therefore I slowed my reading of it down so I could read other stuff. On Reddit, someone asked about the romance between Emma and Mr. Knightley and how it seems to come out of nowhere. It may appear that it does, but if you pay attention, Emma cares very deeply about how he perceives her. She doesn’t like it when he stays mad at her. She doesn’t like it when too much time falls between them seeing each other. She admires his opinion, even when it goes against her views. It’s just Emma is so sheltered that it’s hard for her to realize her feelings until she thinks someone will upset her relationship with him.
Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator by Keith Houston
I’ve read about the history of county systems and the inventions of the abacus and slide rule. I picked up this book because it made me think of my dad and I had a real chuckle when I read this line: By the middle of the 1960s, more than a million slide rules were being sold each year in the United States alone (76). My dad was an owner. As a kid, he tried to teach me to use one and I just didn’t get it, I can’t say I understand it much better now, but at least I get how one works.
Look Out for the Little Guy! by Scott Lang
Scott Lang is Ant-Man and within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he wrote this book. It’s a recap of the movies he appears in, but it’s also set up as a sort of tell-all about the Avengers. It has been a quick cute read and I’m probably going to finish it with in the next day or so.
On this Newsletter, We Believe:
Black Lives Matter
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
No Human is Illegal
Science is Real
Love is Love
Kindness is Everything