Author: Alexandra

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, which is now being hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The rules are simple:

• Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.

• Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.

• Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.

• Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

This week’s topic is Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life.

1. A Twist of the Knife by Becky Masterman — Someone who I considered a good friend, even a best friend at one time, took it upon themselves to take a knife, figuratively, and stab me in the back to a couple of others who, at one time, I considered friends. Sad to think that this has probably happen to more than me over the years. I will never understand these people or their motivation.

2. 2nd Chance by James Patterson — I got a second chance in 2016 when I survived a brain fart. I’ve tried to live each and every day in the moment ever since.

3. Force of Nature by Jane Harper — as a child, my mother often referred to me as a force of nature, unstoppable. I just kept running till the battery ran out.

4. The Informationist by Taylor Stevens — yep, this is definitely me, always collection useless and not so useless facts, data, and information about anything that interests me. I’m a knowledge sponge.

5. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny — I’m sure I speak for many at this moment in time and history when I say I feel like I’m currently living in the Kingdom of the Blind; surrounded by people who refuse to see the truth of what’s going on in the world at large. [see also: All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny.]

6. The Lost Man by Jane Harper — I sadly lost contact with someone I considered my soulmate after leaving the military, way back when. He will always be, to me, The Lost Man. I truly wish I knew what happened to him in the intervening years since.

7. Silent Scream by Angela Marsons — So many times over the years, I have wanted to say something to someone but, at the last minute, had to bite my tongue least I say something out of hand. And, as a consequence, silently screamed to myself in utter frustration because of the situation. I’m sure we’ve all done this at some point in our lives.

8. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett — despite everything going on in life, I’ve always felt when I’m out in nature far away from the madding crowd and civilisation, I’ve been able to see the colour of magic in nature in the harmony that surrounds me. You either know what I’m talking about or you don’t.

9. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll — yes, at times I’ve felt like I fell down the rabbit hole chasing the White Rabbit for answers, and ended up in Wonderland. A confusing place I never felt I fit in.

10. The Door Into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein — as a kid, I had this notion that a door in a walled garden was the door that always lead into summer. I’m sure it had something to do with where we lived at the time, near a large estate with a walled garden, where we used to sneak into the orchard to steal apples.

And you, what books made it onto your list this week?

Sometime I think that everything I ever learnt about how to write, I learnt from reading Ursula K. Le Guin novels [with humble apologies to my favourite English teacher]. Even now, I still find myself reaching for one of Le Guin’s works, not just for that spark of inspiration, but to remind myself on the how. How did she write this scene, capture that character, make it all work?

And just to interject here, Le Guin also wrote some edifying articles and posts. One need only look at her, “On Rules of Writing, or, Riffing on Rechy” to get a taste of her knowledge, wit, and insight. Certainly, you can’t do any worse than reading through her articles on writing, especially, and specifically, “What Makes A Story?”

“I define story as a narrative of events (external or psychological) which moves through time or implies the passage of time, and which involves change.

I define plot as a form of story which uses action as its mode usually in the form of conflict, and which closely and intricately connects one act to another, usually through a causal chain, ending in a climax.

Climax is one kind of pleasure; plot is one kind of story. A strong, shapely plot is a pleasure in itself. It can be reused generation after generation. It provides an armature for narrative that beginning writers may find invaluable.”

My research isn’t just confined to Mme. Le Guin. I also find myself referring to other SF luminaries such as Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke and Herbert. They each have added to my knowledge, and to stretching my horizons well beyond Earth’s gravity well, and aided me in building my language of description. While I hope I’ve learned my lessons, I’m not naive enough to simply think I can stop learning. On the contrary, I know I will never—as a writer never mind as a human being—stop learning.

Not until, that is, they nail the coffin lid down and tell me to shut up already!

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧