Aggresive About the Passive

I found myself pondering today - why do people hate the passive voice so much? It's legit grammatically, and not every action in life is proactive.  Sometimes stuff just happens.

So why do people "correct" for passive voice in creative writing?

Impact of Reading on a Kindle

I started thinking about books I've been reading lately, and as I have moved towards using my Kindle more, I found it impacted my recollection of books.

In general, I am someone who reads very quickly, within a week remembers only key points, but as soon as I start to re-read the book I then remember every detail.  A few books are an exception, but this is my general experience. I don't know if there are others who experience this as well, but that's how my brain works.  I think that's why my writing is very fast paced and very visual - it helps people like me retain more of what they read.

Anyway - here is a quick list of the benefits and negatives I have found by going e:

Benefits:

• You can start reading as soon as you even hear about a book - love the immediate gratification
• You can bring a ton of books with you on a trip - I have been known to pack over 10 pounds of books during travel
• It's physically easier to read - not having to adjust positions because a book is getting heavy in the hands is definitely a positive
• I can mark areas of interest and find them again easily without using so many post-its that my book looks like it is fringed

Drawbacks:

• I am having trouble remembering the titles of the books I've read  - I have no visual of the cover art to keep reinforcing the title in my head
• I am having trouble remembering the authors - the above point impacts this, but also I didn't have to force myself to remember both the author of interest and to get my backside to the bookstore
• The social activities of reading are diminished - hey, I work in publishing. I get why sharing books is not a positive from a business perspective and deprives authors of well earned royalties. However there is a communal aspect in showing and sharing your library, of taking a beloved book out and discussing it with a friend.
• There isn't a special way to store, and keep seeing, such a beloved book - I like looking at my bookshelves, seeing a book I enjoyed and remembering the experience.

I'd love to hear to here people's experiences with their e-readers!

It's Do or Whine

Not to sound like a major drama queen, but I am at a pivotal juncture in my life. 

For the past several years I have trying to strip away the distractions, the mind games, the emotional vampires, etc. which were keeping me from doing what I feel impelled to do.  I have finished removing a major one today.  (Although I have somehow managed to book up every weekend for the rest of the summer, which is not helpful)  Now it is up to me; thus today's title.

Until I started writing I never had felt a calling for anything.  I felt driftless, in fact.  Now I have this drive which wont release me.  I must see this to its natural conclusion.  It's what I'm meant to do; I don't know how to describe it any other way.

I am obsessed, to a degree I have never experienced before.  I'm not sure I want to experience this again, either.  It's like a vortex building inside of me and I'm desperate to get the rest of this story out.

But I have to let go of the obsession for me to finish the last step.  The intensity of the energy of obsession in itself, has become a distraction.

Ironically I keep thinking of St Catherine of Siena.  She espoused that if you wanted to commune with God, then you needed to want it with every fiber of your being. Then, as you get really near that mindset where you can almost feel the connection, then you must let go of your intense desire to commune with the divine.  That last step requires just letting yourself be and having faith in the process.

Although I am trying to connect with my inner Greek Muse more than God, I figure my subconscious is telling me something for this to keep popping in my head.

Two Nights in Dublin Makes a Hard Woman Humble

I've been here two days, and my world has changed - not to mention my book.  I'm mentally and physically exhausted yet exhilarated.  Here are the major changes:

1. Better understanding of the oral tradition and storytelling
2. Better understanding of beliefs in the fae
3. Seeing the layout of Dublin and how the areas interconnect
4. Connecting with ancient sites I have been researching for years but had not been able to see
5. Being part of a tour group and the realities of trekking a crew of people through these ancient sites
6. Connecting personally with a culture from where some of my ancestors came

It's after midnight here, and I have no ability to properly express everything I am thinking and feeling.  So I will share a key picture or two and then sign off until tomorrow.

From inside Fourknocks

The Stone of Destiny, where this High Kings of Ireland gained their king-hood.  A pivotal place in my book.

Fabulous tree from the churchyard outside of the Hill of Tara.  This is where I gained a deeper understanding on the belief in the fae