Winter's Change

Snow gently falls as a crisp breeze moves the branches of the trees. Stars wink off and on, their light a comfort in darkness. As the ground becomes softer, lighter, the night blurs. Thoughts take over; wishes and dreams. I close my eyes and listen. I listen to the falling leaves as they tumble through the air. I listen for the sound of falling snow, the answers to my questions. I listen to my steps, heavy and light on the white path, leading anywhere. A winter’s memory? Maybe. It’s a regular walk through the forest. A journey through my mind. Music all around me, thoughts that can be cruel or kind. Sometimes the walk is cold, and sometimes the walk is warm. Gentle breezes or harsh winds, a light snow or a storm. My mood doesn’t really matter. Snow will fall all the same. The changing of the seasons can be wild or can be tame.

Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time is a new show that aired last Sunday night on ABC. I recommend this show to anyone who loves fairy tales. The characters are really interesting, as the protagonist Emma Swan claims to be an orphan, and a boy named Henry claims to be her son. The setting of the story is a place called StoryBrooke where all the fairy tale characters live, but don't remember who they are. With an underlying theme of hope, ABCs Once Upon A Time brings the magic of fairy tales to reality and devises a new way to live happily ever after. The first episode is also available on Itunes. I look forward to watching more of this show :)

Here's the trailer:

Writing Prompt 21 : Five books that changed my life

Prompt: Five Books that changed your life are . . .

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien


This book has to make the list because it is one of the most memorable of books read to me when I was a kid. It was probably THE book that got me into reading and writing. I remember Gollum's riddles most of all :)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is a favorite classic of mine that really explores the good and bad traits that people can have.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen


This book welcomed me into the realities of life that can be changed through your perspective. It's my favorite of Dessen's and I can really relate to Remy.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

This manga series taught me so much about going through tough times in life. It will always be my favorite manga.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

This book got me through High School, and helped me deal with my own thoughts of revenge and anger with my situations.

Books are important teachers, so I really thought about this prompt. The interesting thing is that many books we go over in college don't have the in-depth personal lessons that Fruits Basket has, or that Sarah Dessen's books teach. I have some classics in this list because the memorable thing about reading them, mattered through my personal experience with the book. The Hobbit was my childhood, Count of Monte Cristo and Pride and Prejudice were my teenage years. So now, I open up this prompt to the readers. What books changed your life?

Lake of Stars Collage

A Lake Of Stars

A lake of stars
winks back at me.
All the people
I want to be.
Dreams I've kept
Moments I've wept
Loneliness and laughter
Pieces from here-after
Thoughts jumbled
Words mumbled
Lessons learned
Confidence earned
Will I shine?
Is the glow mine?
My hand trails the water
The lake is cold
The stars out of reach
must be bold.
For that light to grow
twinkle and change,
something inside
Honors how strange . . .
How strange life is
depicted in sky
While I sit here
and wonder why.

Lessons I've Learned from People

So I just finished reading a really interesting books series and went to a couple of classes where we discussed the influence that people have included in literature. I've read in a few writing books that you write what you know, and use your experiences to your advantage. In a script I'm currently writing for my Script class, one of my themes is the importance of learning from the people in your life. Here are a few things I've learned:

No one in the world is exactly like you, no matter how similar they act or think
It is important to let loose and have fun once in awhile
Confidence and happiness are attractive personality traits
You must work hard to reach your dreams
Standing up for yourself is not being selfish
Life will throw you a curve ball, but with the help of your friends, you can hit a home run
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot be successful in helping someone who doesn't want it
Patience can be very useful in stressful situations
Everyone goes through an identity crisis, a moment of self doubt, and a transformation
Always stay yourself. Don't try to be anyone else
Stories will stick with you whenever you need them.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" Eleanor Roosevelt

What lessons have you learned from people in your life?

Regret

Prompt: I regret . . .

I regret . . . too many things. This is a major obstacle in all areas of my life. I can regret an action or inaction I made years ago. I can regret something I said or did five minutes ago, a day ago, a second ago. So when I received this prompt from the prompt generator, I realized that maybe I need to review some of my regrets and learn from my actions.
It's interesting, I watched The Last Unicorn again recently and there's this line that the unicorn tells the magician.
"I am no longer like the others, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but now I do. I regret. And I thank you for that too."
I always wondered why the unicorn thanks the magician for something she regrets. Her regret is of course becoming a unicorn instead of staying human and living with Prince Lir. I guess that action no longer makes the unicorn like the others, but it also gave her an opportunity to live.
Most of my regrets involve the opposite. They are actions I took or didn't take to avoid living. And they still haunt me in many forms.
Some of my regrets will only be resolved in my mind. Actions I took years ago. Running away from an opportunity to learn something new or take a risk to discover a new part of myself. These are the regrets that pop up from time to time when I'm watching a movie, reading a book or witnessing someone who comes to that same crossroad.
One direction is the adventurous path, where they take a risk and learn something new. The other road is the coward's route that is paved with familiar comforts.
In most of the books I read, and movies I watch, the character picks the adventurous route and discovers an element of self confidence or learns a lesson. The recent even I witnessed, that person took the coward's route and made me realize just how much a regret can haunt you.
Because I am graduating this year, and have already tried so many new things, I feel that I am again on that same crossroad, and the regrets I have of my past build up to the point where I must make a rash decision. I find that instead of always taking the comforting route, I take the adventurous route in some things, and the coward's route in others. I suppose that is normal. It's life after all. Some fears are not that big of a deal, while others can cause psychological trauma for years.
So why did I feel like responding to this prompt? Because I do regret. And what I regret are major things that I could have decided to risk, and learn from. These regrets may leave me one day, when I realize that I can take that adventurous route and not feel threatened or scared. Maybe it's okay to regret. As long as the regret motivates you to make better choices in the future.

I invite my readers: What do you think of regret? Can it be a good motivator?

Following your star

It was a true honor to see Donald Samson in Boulder, CO last night and hear him talk about his Star trilogy. Authors of published works are often asked the same types of questions by their fans. What is your advice for writers? How did you come up with your ideas? Can you relate to any of your characters? It's funny that I have heard these questions so often, I can usually figure out how the author will answer. For example: their answer to the question "What is your advice for writers" is usually "Write. Write all the time."
This particular author had a little bit of a different answer. He said that anyone who enjoys doing something should "follow their star". Following a dream is one thing, but accomplishing a dream is an entirely different story. As I sat there, watching the event unfold, and how the author reacted to certain questions, I imagined that it can be a simple way to achieve a goal, but it can also be complicated. There are many hardships when someone is on the path to achieving a dream. They must make sacrifices. They must learn to compromise, and so on. But I think the hardest of these challenges is to continue their motivation and "follow their star" so to speak. In many ways, this is the true test of an artist's motivation. The ultimate goal of an artist is to follow their muse and set their course determined upon what truly matters to them. This is no easy task. Money is involved, time, education, relationships etc. It is a difficult road and an overwhelming obstacle.
If there is one word to describe the attitude of an artist, besides creative, it is ambitious. An artist goes above and beyond and then some. Always working and never quite satisfied with one project, moving on with another. Still, an artist must follow that path toward their dream, stick to it and earn their way towards their star.

Writing Prompt 20 : Who am I?

Prompt: Write about a question that looms in your mind right now.

Who am I?
This question is not easy to answer, and it takes a long time for anyone to understand what it means. Everyday we go about our lives, discovering new talents and making new discoveries about our identities. We can be defined by name, family, occupation and social status, but as time goes on, we learn that we can't really answer this question with that simple of an answer.
Awhile back I posted a quote of my own, "It doesn't take a day to discover yourself. It takes a lifetime." I still believe that this is true. You won't know who you are until you experience life and learn from your actions. But even then, can you truly ever find an answer to this question?
I was never able to fit myself into any category at school, work or even within my family. I shared many different interests with a variety of people, and I drifted from one social group to the next, never truly feeling that I belonged. So when I ask the question, "Who am I?", what am I really asking? What am I? What do I do?
So many strange definitions of people can be used to define someone, but it never covers the entire scope of someone's identity. Another factor to include in reflecting over this question, is the simple fact that people change. These changes can also reform our identities and cause us to define ourselves with what we know.
For example, I know my interests, hobbies and my name, but does that tell me who I am?
I know this is a philosophical question, and I have probably asked it before. Still, whenever I am faced with a major change, thrown out of a comfort zone, or preparing for a new way of life, I often ask this question . . . and wonder at the answer.

Dancing

Stay yourself
But still have fun
Don't dwell on the past
What's done is done
The only way you can truly know
Who you are
Is to just let go
Live in the moment
And be who you are
As long as you dance
you'll go far.