This morning, I came across a good article about how to name characters for a story or novel. The writer, C.L. Eckles, gives some excellent insights into how to choose appropriate character names, depending on what you are writing.
The author relates:
There are several do's and don’ts when naming a character for a fiction book. It’s a tricky thing, but if you follow all of the do's and steer clear of the don’ts, you will have given your characters awesomely memorable names.
Her article, The Do's and Don'ts of Naming Characters walks writers through the process of choosing memorable names for their characters. This is a helpful read.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Naming Your Characters
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A Foresaken Garden
The following poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909) is one of my favorites. It is so powerful and haunting. Is it a comment on the passage of time or of lost love?
A Forsaken Garden
In a coign of a cliff between lowland and highland,
At the sea-down's edge between windward and lee,
Walled round with rocks as an inland island,
The ghost of a garden fronts the sea.
A girdle of brushwood and thorn encloses
The steep square slope of the blossomless bed
Where the weeds that grew green from the graves of its roses
Now lie dead.
The fields fall southward, abrupt and broken,
To the low last edge of the long lone land.
If a step should sound or a word be spoken,
Would a ghost not rise at the strange guest's hand?
So long have the gray bare walks lain guestless,
Through branches and briers if a man make way,
He shall find no life but the sea-wind's restless
Night and day.
The dense hard passage is blind and stifled
That crawls by a track none turn to climb
To the strait waste place that the years have rifled
Of all but the thorns that are touched not of time.
The thorns he spares when the rose is taken;
The rocks are left when he wastes the plain;
The wind that wanders, the weeds wind-shaken,
These remain.
Not a flower to be pressed of the foot that falls not;
As the heart of a dead man the seed-plots are dry;
From the thicket of thorns whence the nightingale calls not,
Could she call, there were never a rose to reply.
Over the meadows that blossom and wither,
Rings but the note of a sea-bird's song.
Only the sun and the rain come hither
All year long.
The sun burns sear, and the rain dishevels
One gaunt bleak blossom of scentless breath,
Only the wind here hovers and revels,
In a round where life seems barren as death.
Here there was laughing of old, there was weeping,
Haply, of lovers one never will know,
Whose eyes went seaward a hundred sleeping
years ago.
Heart handfast in heart as they stood, 'Look thither,'
Did he whisper? 'Look forth from the flowers to the sea;
For the foam-flowers endure when the rose-blossoms wither,
And men that love lightly may die-- but we?'
And the same wind sang, and the same waves whitened,
And or ever the garden's last petals were shed,
In the lips that had whispered, the eyes that had lightened,
Love was dead.
Or they loved their life through, and then went whither?
And were one to the end-- but what end who knows?
Love deep as the sea as a rose must wither,
As the rose-red seaweed that mocks the rose.
Shall the dead take thought for the dead to love them?
What love was ever as deep as a grave?
They are loveless now as the grass above them
Or the wave.
All are at one now, roses and lovers,
Nor known of the cliffs and the fields and the sea.
Not a breath of the time that has been hovers
In the air now soft with a summer to be.
Not a breath shall there sweeten the seasons hereafter
Of the flowers or the lovers that laugh now or weep,
When as they that are free now of weeping and laughter
We shall sleep.
Here death may not deal again for ever;
Here change may not come till all change end.
From the graves they have made they shall rise up never
Who have left nought living to ravage and rend.
Earth, stones, and thorns of the wild ground growing,
While the sun and the rain live, these shall be;
Till a last wind's breath, upon all these blowing,
Roll the sea.
Till the slow sea rise, and the sheer cliff crumble,
Till terrace and meadow the deep gulfs drink,
Till the strength of the waves of the high tides humble
The fields that lessen, the rocks that shrink,
Here now in his triumph where all things falter,
Stretched out on the spoils that his own hand spread,
As a god self-slain on his own strange altar,
Death lies dead.
Further Reading
Monday, June 08, 2009
Show Your Support for Susan Boyle
Today, I came across a site that allows members to leave messages of support for Susan Boyle.
Please check it out and take the time to send a message to Susan.
Already, reports have come in that the wrong number was flashed for Susan so that people who voted were actually voting for two other acts, one of which was Diversity. This may have compromised Susan's chances of winning.
In the aftermath, let's all do our part to assure this gutsy lady that she has our admiration; let's support her so that she can go forward. Support Susan Boyle
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Latest News on Susan Boyle: Susan Boyle's Recovery
Susan is recovering nicely. Since this has been a global phenomenon, I'm including this video for those who are following Susan's journey.
Reports of Susan's supposed breakdown were highly exaggerated. She was exhausted and is taking a well-deserved rest.
Best wishes go out to Susan Boyle.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tea Poem
I came across this poem and wanted to share it with readers.
Tea Poem
I'll take my cup of tea
a memory as lovely as thee
and sit quietly
beneath this fading afternoon
my heart
like the teapot
holds so much
and I pour
one cup at a time.
(Author unknown)
photo credit: singhajaykr25
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Dove Cottage and Wordsworth
All things that love the sun are out of doors; the sky rejoices in the morning's birth; the grass is bright with raindrops--on the moors, the hare is running races in her mirth; and with her feet she from the plashy earth raises a mist; that, glittering in the sun, runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run. (Wordsworth)
Wordsworth truly had the ability to stir emotion and inspire others with his words. Every time I read that passage, I feel uplifted.
Wordsworth was a major English poet who helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature. He became England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.
The death of his parents and his separation from his siblings shaped him and influenced his early work, which is reflected in themes of loss, death, separation and abandonment.
He became close friends with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, moved to Somerset, which was in close proximity to Coleridge. The three collaborated on and produced Lyrical Ballads.
After time spent in Germany, Wordsworth and Dorothy moved back to England to Dove Cottage in the Lake District. Fellow poet, Robert Southey, lived nearby and Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey became known as the Lake Poets.
Wordsworth's brilliance lives on in writings that are timeless.
Note: Dove Cottage (shown above) was the setting where Wordsworth composed some of his best work. Some seventy thousand visitors wander through the cottage and grounds each year.
The Keep by Tristan Wayne Dyke
Today's spotlight is on a promising new poet, Tristan Wayne Dyke. He offers a haunting glimpse into the human experience with his evocative prose piece: The Keep
The Keep
Walls of mistrust
Stand high, strong, and impenetrable,
sentries of pain, sorrow, and deceit.
Doors that once swung wide with welcoming warmth
are now tightly closed;
Luster faded, adorned with memories
chained midst locks of despair.
Every traveler has within them a key
should they wish to enter.
Pass through the Great Hall with anticipation,
lo, stand where others once did;
Haunted by specters wearing smiling masks
who surely conspired with false intent.
Peer through aged windows, those mirrors of the soul, which once brightly lit
Shone warm with rays of laughter and whimsy,
But that now reflect only darkness.
Journey long, damp passages bordered by seeping walls of tears.
What secrets do they hold
Locked away yet begging to be told?
I pray thee gentle stranger travel onward.
Dear friend, I beseech thee, hold high your torch of hope.
Tread carefully down stairs that echo with loss and regret.
Walk silently and swiftly past dim chambers where dreams have fled.
Something calls to thee; your name knows it not.
You do not perceive that which summons you,
For deep within this cold and naked prison lives an entity.
A being with strength and beauty
Unseen by those who look through uncaring eyes
Its soul beats strong with life,
Filled with the dreams and desires of all living things.
Its essence cries out at the sound of a gentle approach.
It longs to burst the shackles of its past and to soar as it once did.
To climb above worries and doubts,
To spread magnificent wings, feathered by angels and made strong with love,
To show the world that it would yet live as it once did.
That it shall lay in anguish no more.
Should a stranger appear, the cold prison cell will warm.
Judge not the shell in which it rests, but approach slowly, carefully, and with soft tread.
I beg of thee, do not possess the treasure you have found
As you would those things of the material world.
The gentle creature before you wishes to be possessed not by one,
But owned by all.
If thou hast within the courage,
reach out to touch and cherish that which welcomes your presence;
For the beauty you've discovered has been sought by many, yet found by so few.
It is a precious thing you have uncovered at the end of your journey
For within this fortress deep,
This desolate keep,
Beats a fragile thing . . .
It is a heart.
Learn more about this author, Tristan Wayne Dyke.
Copyright 2007, Bruce Wayne Dyke aka Tristan Wayne Dyke
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
One Month with Bukisa
I've reached the one month mark with Bukisa. I said I would keep readers informed of my progress. From here on in, I will just give monthly updates.
Bukisa Stats
- I joined Bukisa April 26th
- I have 13 people in my network
- 6 have started to create articles
- 3 have produced more than one "starter" article
- My network earnings: $.30
- I've created 24 articles
- My article earnings: $2.21
- My total earnings: $2.51
I've created a series of articles to help newbies to make the most of writing for Bukisa.
It is to be expected that some who join a site such as Bukisa, will never put in the effort to create a body of articles or submit other content that nets them ongoing revenue.
Any undertaking takes time. This is especially relevant for online content sites such as Bukisa. Articles and other forms of online content tend to gain traction as they are linked to across the Internet.
- Some online writers find they earn more on their older articles, simply because enough time has gone by for these articles to be spread widely across the Internet.
- Evergreen articles always do far better in the long run, so choosing topics that will continue to attract reader attention is important.
- Video content should offer instruction and a good rule of thumb is to create a series of videos.
Bukisa allows for different types of content creation, so if article writing isn't not your game, other possibilities are available.
It will be interesting to see how matters develop over time. It's early days yet but I'm willing to give Bukisa a fair effort to see if I can develop another revenue stream.
If you have pictures, videos, music, or writings you would like to submit and earn on, you can easily join Bukisa. Sign up is easy and fast. Why not turn your content into cash?
Monday, May 25, 2009
New Susan Boyle Video--Memories
Susan Boyle came out and sang Memories, proving once again that this woman has grit and determination. In spite of a rocky start, Susan rose to the challenge and won hearts all over again.
Susan was chosen to go forward in the competition. Here, for reader's enjoyment, is the video. Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My Services
One thing I notice frequently is the problem of poorly-written pages. While this is not as important for personal blogs, it detracts from credibility in relation to sales copy designed to get the reader to buy a product. Nothing screams dubious so much as ill-crafted material.
I will proofread your pages and clean them up so that your sales copy has that professional polish it needs to make that important first impression. You only have minutes to capture someone's attention and your marketing copy needs to be top-notch.
Ask me about the:
- "Happy Meal"
- "Full-Meal Deal"
Three Weeks With Bukisa
Well, I've reached the three-week mark with Bukisa. What's been happening?
I've posted 23 articles, I have 12 people in my network and, so far, I've netted $1.36 in earnings.
Now, granted, the earnings are small and some of these articles were published only yesterday. I've also been busy writing and haven't had time to bookmark all of these articles. I am giving it time to weigh the earning potential. I've read about a number of writers who have done well with Bukisa through sustained effort.
Looking at my content, one thing that stands out is that I need to work at getting more traffic to my articles.
This morning, in fact, I wrote an article about using free article directories to drive traffic to your Bukisa articles. This article is in the publishing que so keep a watch out for when it goes live. This is a strategy I've used successfully in the past to gain traffic to articles I've published at other sites.
Bukisa earnings are contingent upon traffic, so to make a success of writing for Bukisa means looking at traffic generation methods.
Additionally, it involves helping those under you to stay motivated and to evaluate the long-term potential of Bukisa. I wrote the following articles to encourage and strengthen my network:
I recently read a very good article over at The Brainy Money Blog. Josh writes: "If I can get 20 views/article/day on average, my 50 articles will produce 1000 unique hits per day. . . this means that (hypothetically) I should make $3.65 every day once I’m done with this experiment. If I succeed, this will give me about $100/month in income.
I like his figures.
Here's a sampling of some of my recent Bukisa articles:
If you are looking for ways to earn money without having to pay money to get started, Bukisa may be a good fit, if you can produce quality articles relatively quickly.
I will write another post when I reach the one-month mark with Bukisa.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
