tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31131202031923372282024-03-19T00:08:32.068-04:00Within the Ivory Palace~ FAIRY TALES ~ BOOK REVIEWS ~ WRITING RANTS ~Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-65964378910312253752017-12-18T07:00:00.000-05:002017-12-18T07:00:00.265-05:00Cassandra: A Short StoryHello, my lovelies!<br />
<br />
I realized I haven't shared much of my fiction writing lately so I thought today I would share with you a short story I wrote this summer.<br />
<br />
A <a href="https://romantictypewritergardens.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">friend of mine</a> was hosting a short story contest based on a number of different photo prompts. I forgot until the last minute and in a panic I looked through the prompts until I came to the one I based this story on. I didn't know what I was doing when I started writing, I just knew that was the one I wanted to write. So for the next hour I just typed and let the story roll off my fingers.<br />
<br />
Here are the results (which I'm pretty proud of even though I didn't win):<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">They called her the Keeper.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It’s
a cliché name, I know. I laughed the first time I heard it, somewhere in the
midst of all my travels, scoffing at the idea of one with a name so obviously
pretentious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> And
yet even I, ever the skeptic, found myself in need of her wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
didn’t want to go to her. After all, I had already made up my mind about her
and the legends that were told of her abilities. They were nothing more than fanciful
tales told to pass the time on those long dirigible voyages, sailing through
the skies where hot tempers and boredom reigned. Fantastical tales about
gorgeous blondes were a way of keeping the peace and nothing more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> So I
didn’t know why I was there, standing on the steps of her library, that evening
in October. The wind blew the fallen leaves about, tossing them all around me
as I drew my coat closer to keep the chill from setting in. There I stood on
the steps wondering whether I ought to go in after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I had
exhausted all my other options up until this point and if this failed me- which
it was sure to- I would have nothing left. My hesitation made little sense,
given this fact, and so with a resolute breath I stepped inside the building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It
looked much as I would have expected, but felt so much different. I know, I
know, I’m not a man to talk much about feelings and atmosphere and ambiance and
what have you. But I’m telling you, there was something about this place, a
presence, that one could not deny when they stepped inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> There
were floor to ceiling bookshelves crowded together, so many of them, each
filled with volumes upon volumes of old books with worn and weathered spines.
Each book looked well-read, as if it had been pulled from the shelf time and
again for use. None of that was a surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> No, I
expected that. What I did not expect was to feel like each and every book was
looking at me, judging me, as if my very soul had been pulled from my body and
was now sitting there in plain sight for all to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
could turn back now, I reminded myself. I could turn and leave this place
forever and forget that I even came. I did not need to stay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> And
yet something kept me there. I found myself drawn further in, my boots giving a
muffled thud with each step I took on the carpeted floors. Moving through the
narrow aisles of books, I listened to their whispers as I walked past. I could
not make out what they were saying, the sound so faint it was surely all in my
head. Books did not talk, after all. Books did not whisper or judge. They were
inanimate objects read by rational and illogical people alike. They were tools
and their use was determined by the user; they had no life outside of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> This
I told myself as I walked, weaving through the shelves, finding the place
deserted. It never crossed my mind to pull books from the shelves and look for
the information I sought, not on my own. I was here in search of the Keeper,
and so it was she who I continued to seek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> After
wandering the library a good many minutes only to discover it just continued on
and on, larger than the building outside seem to reasonably be able to contain,
I finally worked up the courage to break the carnal rules of libraries. Opening
my mouth, I called out, “Hello? Is there anyone here?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I was
met with those faint whispers again along with the hollow echo of my own voice-
which seemed odd, given how packed the room was. Surely my voice should not
have echoed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Hello?”
I called again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Still
I was met with nothing but the whispers and the echoes and the dull thud of my
boots that rang out with each step.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
ought to have turned back, ought to have left. But at this point I was unsure
whether I would even be able to find my way out of here, I had taken so many
twists and turns to get to the place I was now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Still,
I considered it, thinking surely if I could navigate the skies on a stormy
summer night, I could find my way out of a library. And I had just made up my
mind to turn and leave when I heard it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
humming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It
was not the musical humming that one makes when they do not know the words to a
song or else do not wish to sing it. No, this was a humming of energy, an
electrical hum of some sort. It was loud though and with each step I took
toward it the sound grew louder until it was almost deafening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Hello?”
I called again, rounding a corner. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw it- when
I saw her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Keeper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It
was she who was the source of the energy, crouched on the ground, a large
volume in her hands that hide a good deal of her. But there was a good deal
left to see, all illuminated by a glow that seemed to come from her and around
her all at once. Her skin was pale and translucent, much like the strings of
pearls that draped cross her forehead and twisted into her platinum blonde hair,
swept into an elegant updo. A little red flower was tucked into its folds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
wore boots that were weathered and aged, well-loved and well-worn. Her legs
were covered in crocheted stockings that might have been from a yarn not of
this world, the way it shimmered and glowed in the low light. Her arms were
covered in fingerless gloves that went to her elbows and beyond, of a gossamer
fabric, sheer and lacy. Her skirt floofed out around her legs, spilling over
them with all their layers and flounces as she crouched there beside the
bookshelves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
stood there for a little while- a minute or more, perhaps?- not daring to speak
before she looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine. I believed then that the
books could in fact whisper, that they could in fact judge. Just as I knew for
a fact in that moment that she could see into my very soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Perhaps
the tales of her were true after all. And somewhere deep inside me swelled with
hope, though that hope was covered by a good deal of awe that kept me frozen there
in my place, unable to do anything but stare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
frowned at me, closing the book and setting it on her lap as her lips pursed
tightly. She drummed her long, elegant fingers on the cover a moment before she
said, “You’ve come for advice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Her
voice broke the spell, quite simply because there was nothing magical about it.
It was so unassuming, so normal, that I found myself disconcerted by it. It was
as if it made me disenchanted and yet all the more enchanted with her at the
same time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
have,” I said and her frown deepened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “That
wasn’t a question,” she said. “I know why you’ve come.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
rose then, lifting the book and slipping it onto the shelf. Her skirt fell into
place, the skirt and many underskirts bouncing as she moved. With the book gone
I could see the rest of her outfit- a shirt with short ruffled sleeves over
which she wore a vest that buckled up the front. It wasn’t a tight shirt or vest
but it fit her well and I wasn’t able to quite ignore how nicely it accentuated
her curves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
can’t help you,” she said, turning away, as if she was going to just walk away
from me then, as if the conversation were over before it had even begun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “You
can’t walk away!” I cried out, taking a step toward her but then drawing back
as the fear struck. She was glowing, after all. I am a man who takes many risks
in life but touching a glowing, otherworldly human just seemed like not a wise
option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
whirled around, a glare on her pale face. There was rage and fury in those
translucent blue eyes of hers and she fairly spat as she spoke to me. “I can do
whatever I please. And what I please is to no longer give advice to fools like
you who seek a bandage when it is surgery that is required.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
spoke in riddles, in metaphors and the like. I was in excellent condition,
after all, and it was not a bandage I had come here to seek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
need a-”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
know what you need!” she interrupted, not letting me get the words out. “And I
know what you think you need. But trust me, finding him won’t do any good. And
no map I give you will change what has happened. I want no part of your mission
of revenge. Now, if you turn around and keep going straight you will find the
door. Good day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
turned again, started to walk away. My mind was reeling with so many thoughts-
about the revenge she spoke of, of the map I did in fact need and the person I
hoped it would lead me to, of the fact that I had taken so many twists and turns
that it seemed unlikely that turning around and going straight would in fact
bring me to the door, that she was actually walking away and did not plan to
help me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> All
this went through my mind in a matter of seconds before I came back to this
world and that around me. She had already made it a good way, cruising faster
than I would have thought her short legs capable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Wait,
please!” I called out. She did not stop. I broke into a jog, chasing after her.
I reached her but she did not turn around. I did not think this time, my
rationality gone in the face of the panic that was settling in. She was my last
hope, my last breath of a chance in finding the man who took so much from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
touched her, reached out on put my hand on her shoulder. And the moment we made
contact my whole world shifted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> My
head began to spin and it was as if time stood still. The energy that
surrounded her, that illuminated her and filled her, I could feel it entering
me, coursing through my veins and filling me as well. I saw flashes of things,
memories that were not my own, that were shady at best, more shadows than anything
else. But they left me with feelings I could not deny- of loneliness and
hopelessness and despair so great it filled me like none has ever filled me
before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> My
life has not been an easy one. I have seen things, experienced things, been
exposed to things that are not to be shared. I have never thought myself lucky
with the life I have been given, have always known it to be a hard one. But
never have I felt pain on this level. Never in my life have I ever thought that
perhaps, just perhaps, my life is not so bad after all, not if there are emotions
like this in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
connection was broken almost as soon as it was made but I could not shake the
feelings that filled me a moment before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Keeper had stepped back, for it was she who broke our connection. She looked as
one wounded, as if in touching her I did something wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> And
it was then that I knew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
knew those feelings, those flashes of memories, those shadows, they all
belonged to her. For all the wisdom and energy and light she contained, she was
broken. She was alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> And I
knew what she meant when she had snapped at me. How it must feel to spend one’s
life giving advice, to be sought out for your wisdom only to be left once more,
alone. How it must feel to know everything about a person just by looking into
their eyes and knowing that you yourself will never truly be known.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Please
leave,” she said, her voice shaking a bit as she spoke. She cowered just a bit,
her light fading, less bright, less luminescent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
stood there, not moving toward her but not moving away either. She looked
scared and I wondered if she was scared I would stay or scared that I would
listen to her and leave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I
couldn’t shake the feelings. I couldn’t walk away. So I looked into her eyes, deep
into her eyes, though I knew she could see more about me from the looking than
I could about her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Her
defiance faltered a bit, her mask of anger and hardness slipping slightly out
of place. Her voice was a whisper as she said, “What do you want from me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
knew what I wanted. Or did she? In those moments what I wanted had changed. I
still wanted the answers she could give me, but I had also realized I could
spare her some time. After all, why should she give me what I wanted if I did
not give her what she wanted in return?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> So
drawing in a breath to gather my courage I ventured to ask, “What is your name?
Surely the Keeper is but your title.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Her
brow furrowed and I thought a moment that perhaps I had perceived wrongly, for
my judgement in divining desires and the like was not what hers was, after all.
But then she offered me the faintest hint of a smile, shy and delicate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “My
name is Cassandra,” she said. “Do you have time for a cup of tea?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I had
a man to find, a man most vile and evil who needed to be stopped. But this was
the woman who could help me, this was the woman who could give me the answers I
needed. And she was asking for but an evening of my life. That I could give
her, that I could afford.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “I
do,” I told her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Her
shyness fell away and she smiled at me then, full and bright. And as I followed
the Keeper- Cassandra- to where she was surely to make that cup of tea she had
promised me, I thought perhaps this evening would pass far too quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess</span></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-32724538098757434092017-12-15T07:00:00.000-05:002017-12-15T10:05:31.201-05:002017 Fairy Tale Round-Up<br />
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<br />
Hello, my lovelies!<br />
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Today I thought I would do something a little different and share with you all the picture books and graphic novels I read this year that were based on fairy tales or had a fairy tale feel to them and give you a short little bit about my thoughts on them:<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25075361-princeless-vol-3" target="_blank">Princeless Vol 3: The Pirate Princess</a></b><br />
<b>1 Star</b><br />
I started out the year on a major graphic novel kick (as this and the next several books will prove). I picked this one up on a trip to the library along with a large stack of others not realizing this was the third volume.<br />
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Because of this, I won't fault the book for being hard to get into, because clearly I was coming into it without having read the others that came before it. But I still had some major issues with it. To put it simply the book was so set on being an empowering book for girls that they thought in order to accomplish that they needed to tear guys down. Literally every guy in this book was either clueless or a genuinely horrible person.<br />
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I'm all for being honest about the fact that there are awful guys out there but I find it hard to believe that not a single good guy exists in this world. And I hate when a story feels the need to tear down one group of people in order to build another up.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/99144-hereville" target="_blank">Hereville Vol 1-3</a></b><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
I don't even know how to describe this series but I'll try.<br />
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It's about an eleven-year-old orthodox Jewish girl who wants nothing more than to fight monsters. And it's GOOD. I not only learned a lot about Jewish tradition/culture but was also able to clearly see the respect and love the author has for it. And of course it was an entertaining and exciting read as well.<br />
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The series overall is lighthearted and whimsical but there are some surprisingly deep themes (such as the importance of observing Shabbat- or the Sabbath- and respecting those older and wiser than us even when we might not see them as such). I adored this series so much more than expected to and while I'll admit at first it was strange to get into it grew on me pretty fast. I can't say enough good things about it, nor can I recommend it more highly.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17591892-monster-on-the-hill" target="_blank">Monster on the Hill</a></b><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
Yet another graphic novel. And while it wasn't as deep as the last series, I really adored this book. It was quirky and funny and I really loved it.<br />
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I honestly don't remember huge chunks of it, just little scenes and such. But every time I think about it I get really happy so it must have been good.<br />
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I'll have to give it a reread next time I'm on a graphic novel kick.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/269155.Forty_Fortunes" target="_blank">Forty Fortunes: A Tale of Iran</a></b><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
This story is one I tell people all the time because I love it so incredibly much. It's not actually from the 1001 Nights, but it reminds me very much of something you'd find within it.<br />
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This is a picture book, one I read while babysitting, and I fell in love right from the beginning. The pictures are bright and colorful and fun. The story is lighthearted and silly and makes me so incredibly happy just thinking about it.<br />
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I need to add a copy of this to my collection because it's just such a good story.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237798.The_Legend_of_the_Persian_Carpet" target="_blank"><b>The Legend of the Persian Carpet</b></a><br />
<b>4 Stars</b><br />
So according to Goodreads, when I read this back in February my thoughts were "What can I say? It's a Persian Fairy Tale- of course I loved it <3 <3"<br />
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I have only the vaguest recollection of reading this book and by that I mean I remember babysitting and pulling the book out of the library bin. And then I sort of remember some shadowy impressions of the pictures.<br />
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But I have no idea what the story is or what exactly the Persian Carpet has to do with anything. Another book to add to my reread list!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242027.The_Princess_and_the_Pea" target="_blank"><b>The Princess and the Pea</b></a><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
This is another book I read while babysitting. And it's another one I loved!<br />
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It sticks pretty closely to the Princess and the Pea story most people know but the illustrations are quirky and fun and I would highly recommend it for those.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10306788-king-jack-and-the-dragon" target="_blank"><b>King George and the Dragon</b></a><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
Okay but this book is too cute!! This is a really fun book about imagination and every little kid needs to read it! I loved this one so much. I will definitely be adding this to my library someday and look forward to read it to my kids someday.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25517360-the-princess-and-the-pea" target="_blank"><b>The Princess and the Pea</b></a><br />
<b>4 Stars</b><br />
This is another one I have no recollection of reading but I rated it four stars on Goodreads. I didn't even bother to write a review of it though so it can't be all that spectacular.<br />
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I'm sure it was a fairly decent copy though and it's a board book which always makes me happy. I love seeing fairy tales put into board books.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2626492-rapunzel-s-revenge" target="_blank">Rapunzel's Revenge</a></b><br />
<b>4.5 Stars</b><br />
I <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/rapunzels-revenge-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed</a> this book in depth back in September but I'll say again that I love this book. It's a graphic novel that retells Rapunzel in an Old West-esque setting.<br />
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You read that right- it's a fairy tale retelling that's also a western. No, it doesn't get any better than that. That is and forever will be as good as it gets.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28953927-snow-white" target="_blank">Snow White</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30312565-rapunzel" target="_blank">Rapunzel</a></b><br />
<b>5 Stars</b><br />
I bought these while buying my nephew a whole lot of other books because I wanted them. I figured if my sister didn't want them for her son then I could just keep them for myself. But she's smart enough to recognize good books when they're offered to her so of course she snatched them up.<br />
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These are fairly true to the original stories though they do gloss over or omit the gruesome parts- keeping them friendly for baby- but what makes the stand apart from others is the illustrations. They. Are. Gorgeous.<br />
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Snow White is set in China and Rapunzel in Brazil so you can imagine how visually stunning those are. And the best part part is the illustrators for them are Chinese and Brazilian respectively. That's what made me the happiest about this entire series- which I haven't had the chance to read in entirety yet, unfortunately- that the art and cultures represented here are done so by people of those cultures.<br />
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And there it is, the end of my round-up!! It's been fun looking back on my year and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. And I hope you now have a list of recommendations for the little people in your life (or yourself!)<br />
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Until the next time we meet, don't forget to live happily ever after <3<br />
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<br />
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<b>P.S. Let's Chat! Which of these books looks the most interesting to you? What fairy tale (or fairy tale-esque) books did you read this year? Which one was your favorite?</b>Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-57310087747226920322017-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:002017-12-11T07:01:05.910-05:00Why Writers Need a Break From Creativity<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV07sq-j3ljKhN_VoOrotVOfs6SUynusyGnaadITcQXW-m_YvJ0W_VMM50jXtSwOK44VAY1rV8j3J30IDGBA0nJT0rv5vTya9yCn_JIbN0GdcZqNLly-a8-x8zcT8dv0QFfzLG8-Xx6LU/s1600/Why+Writers+Need+a+Break+From+Creativity2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV07sq-j3ljKhN_VoOrotVOfs6SUynusyGnaadITcQXW-m_YvJ0W_VMM50jXtSwOK44VAY1rV8j3J30IDGBA0nJT0rv5vTya9yCn_JIbN0GdcZqNLly-a8-x8zcT8dv0QFfzLG8-Xx6LU/s400/Why+Writers+Need+a+Break+From+Creativity2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today it’s story time:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Story of How I
Wrote So Many Words:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Once upon a time I used to fill every waking moment with my
stories. Even when I was reading other people’s I used to think about their
stories in terms of my own- how did mine compare? What did they do that I
liked? How could I avoid doing the things I hated? How could I imitate the
things they did that worked? What did they do that I didn’t like?<o:p></o:p></div>
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A lot of people questioned this and asked me if this was healthy-
did I ever take time to rest, to relax, to just be? Did everything have to be
related to a story?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, I ignored them. I was a professional, after all,
and they simply didn’t understand my devotion to my craft. They didn’t
understand that dedication and hard work are what it takes to make it in this
world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking back now, I wish I had listened to those people. Oh,
how dearly I wished I had listened instead of thinking I knew it all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fast forward to last November (November 2016). I hadn’t
written anything substantial in over a year and as NaNoWriMo was fast
approaching I starting to consider participating. Maybe this was the creative
boost I needed to get me writing again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It turns out it was what I needed and not only did I
complete my 50,000 words in November, but between November of that year and May
of this I wrote close to a quarter of a million words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let that sink in a moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was on cloud nine with joy over how much I was writing and
unable to believe I was being creative again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Burn Out:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In the midst of all that happiness and creativity I started
to see something was off- I was running the risk of falling into the pits of
creative dryness again and I realized I was burning out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In November, December, and into January I was writing 1,500
or 2,000 words every day. But by the end of January and into February it
started to get harder for me to write. It was like pulling teeth forcing myself
to sit down and do it and there were stretches where I didn’t write for days.
Then I’d sit down to write and look at how far behind I was on my word goal and
I’d cringe as I forced myself to push to catch up to that goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was burning out. And I was doing it fast and hard. There
was no way I was going to be able to keep up with this creative streak. I knew
what was coming.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was going back to the creative wasteland I had fought so
hard to free myself from months before.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Solution:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As I finished the project I was working on and started to
move onto another, I remembered the counsel I’d been given all those years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Was I a workaholic when it came to stories? Was that what
was running me into the ground and forcing me into those dry periods of
creative nothingness?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I started to think about it and mostly out of fear I made a
decision- if I really was a workaholic, I’d set one day aside each week and
refuse to let myself write those days. No writing, no outlining, no character
sketches, no making story Pinterest boards or playlists, or anything else
related to my writing. It would be my day of rest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I chose Sundays because that was the best day for me.
Sundays in our house are restful anyway, with time seeming slower and lazier,
even when we have plans. So Sundays it was- both my spiritual Sabbath and my
creative day of rest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Results:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It was that first Sunday that I took off when the reality
set in- I am a workaholic. I’ve kept this in practice for almost nine months
now but I still find it challenging to take a pause from my stories, to
disconnect from fiction and just breathe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I’ve also been writing consistently in those seven
months and feel more grounded and less on the verge of falling apart all the
time. I’m not scared of burning out or drying up creatively and I feel more in
touch with my stories when I come back to them fresh the next week.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So Why a Day of Rest?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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God commands a day of rest each week, to focus on him and recharge
from the week before. Creatively, it’s always good to take a step back and breathe
for a moment, to come back to things with a fresh perspective sometime later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I’ve found it’s especially helpful that my creative day
of rest coincides with my spiritual one. I have nothing distracting me from the
Sunday sermon (my stories used to do that all the time) and those lazy Sunday
afternoons now have plenty of time for contemplating God when I used to fill them
with stories and characters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Your own day doesn’t have to be Sunday but whatever day you
choose you need to make sure you’re committed to it so that you truly get the
chance to recharge and hit the reset button on your creativity. If you’re going
to do this you need to be committed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>But How Do I Rest?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This was the hardest part for me- it wasn’t until I started
doing this that I realized how much of my life revolves around stories. I
actually had to ask people how on earth to do this because apparently I don’t
know how to relax…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Somethings that have been suggested to me or thing I’ve
found work are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Go for a walk<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Read a book for fun or something unusual for you<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Find a show you can get lost in (for me this is usually
Food Network)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Lay in bed and listen to an e-book<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Sit outside and breathe<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Make plans with friends that don’t include writing or
talking about stories<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Find somewhere to explore<o:p></o:p></div>
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-See what other people are doing and tag along if possible
(if my mom goes to the grocery store on Sundays I usually go too now)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Take up a hobby that you find joy in<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Clean your room<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Organize something (if you’re like me and you find that
energizing)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Do something you’re always meaning to do but never seem to
have the time for<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Bake<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Respond to all those messages from friends that you never get
to (if you’re like me and are really bad at messaging people)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Listen to music<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Find things that bring you joy and energy and throw
yourself into them<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We live in a fast-paced world and it’s easy to get caught up
in the frenzy. Having time set aside specifically to breathe and recenter
ourselves makes it harder for us to put it off. Like everything else in this
life, if it’s a priority to us we’ll make it happen no matter how crazy our
lives are.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You also don’t need to get legalistic about this- I’m
writing this post on a Sunday because I knew what my weekend looked like and
decided to take Saturday off instead. I still keep Sundays set aside as my day
off but sometimes Saturday comes and I know I need to take my break a day
early. It’s all about knowing yourself and what you need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is about you- it’s about resting and breathing and resetting
the creativity button. It’s about taking a step back so that you don’t run the
risk of burning out. It’s about learning to relax in a world that’s always on
the go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you on Friday for another review. Until the
next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
are your favorite ways to relax? How do you keep from burning out creatively?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-77831319258586530682017-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:002017-12-08T07:00:18.542-05:00Cloaked in Red: A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1AsmF1_TrqU68c8lraMFIlQrODkpxCtHZkegwlrcnWkZzO5ojblFPVbCFvqS0MTFz5Phd-6JeLUaD7aZ_LLkJii-Bk0G6gP9s8SPMDGu2LErA4DabndKqmJlHn5wBiRt2CHp5SHK2vo/s1600/Cloaked+in+Red+Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1AsmF1_TrqU68c8lraMFIlQrODkpxCtHZkegwlrcnWkZzO5ojblFPVbCFvqS0MTFz5Phd-6JeLUaD7aZ_LLkJii-Bk0G6gP9s8SPMDGu2LErA4DabndKqmJlHn5wBiRt2CHp5SHK2vo/s400/Cloaked+in+Red+Review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Between the holidays and traveling I know I’ve missed a few
posts in the last few weeks but no more!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am back to stay. I promised you <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-bibliophile-sweater-tag.html" target="_blank">last week</a> that I
would be sharing a review of this book with you and here it is:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Cloaked in Red by
Vivian Vande Velde<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>3 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>So you think know the
story of Little Red Riding Hood, the girl with the unfortunate name and the
inability to tell the difference between her grandmother and a member of a
different species? Well, then, try your hand at answering these questions:<br />
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-Which character (not including Little Red herself) is the most fashion
challenged?<br />
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-Who (not including the wolf) is the scariest?<br />
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-Who (not including Granny) is the most easily scared?<br />
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-Who is the strangest? (Notice we're not "not including" anyone,
because they're all a little off.)<br />
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-Who (no fair saying "the author") has stuffing for brains?<br />
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Vivian Vande Velde has taken eight new looks at one of the world's most beloved
(and mixed-up) stories. You may never look at fairy tales in quite the same way
again.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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-From <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7823691-cloaked-in-red" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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This book was broken up into short stories, each one a
retelling of the same tale. Some of the stories I adored, other I absolutely
hated. So today I thought I’d do something a little different and talk about
each story individually. I’ll try to keep each one short and spoiler free.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Author’s Note:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>3 Stars</b></div>
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This comes before the stories begin and sort of sets the
tone for the rest of the book. The author is discussing the classic tale of <i>Little Red Riding Hood</i> and why it was
she chose that story. She also raises a lot of really great questions about the
time while doing so in a very hilarious way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t know what to make of this. On the one hand it
offered some great commentary into the tale and as I said it asked some valid
questions about it. On the other hand it had a very judgmental air about the
whole thing. It was as if the author didn’t even like the tale and that was why
she was writing this book- to make a not great thing good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I much prefer to read books written by someone who clearly
loves a tale, though they can definitely see its flaws and aren’t afraid to
acknowledge them. I don’t like authors who look at fairy tales and come across
as snooty and better than that writer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, as someone who loves fairy tales very much it makes me
angry when people who don’t like them use them in ways like this. If the story
is so terrible don’t write a book based on it and make money off of it. Find
other things to write your book about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Red Cloak<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>2 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Right out of the gate running I knew I didn’t like this
story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The main character in this tale is Red Riding Hood- a girl
named Meg in this tale- who is clearly better than everyone else she meets.
This story sets the precedent for several other stories- as in this one we will
later see parents who are idiots and evil woodcutters. We’ll also continue to
see main characters who think they are better than everyone else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Meg makes it pretty clear that she thinks herself the mature
one in her relationship with her mom, though the thing we’re told is most
immature about the woman is that she met her husband and fell in love with him
at first sight. There’s a pretty clear knock on fairy tale romance in the tale,
but it’s weird because the dad isn’t really in it but you get the impression
he’s still around. So their knock on fairy tale romance makes little sense
since the couple who fell into it is still together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Red Riding Hood
Doll<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>2.5 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This tale was a lot more interesting than the last but still
had a very judgmental air. It’s told from the perspective of the Mother, though
there is an interesting added twist on the original.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This story seems to send the message that everyone secretly
hates everyone else and wants to be mean to them and you know the person is a
good person if they only think the rude thing and don’t actually say it. I
wanted so badly to smack the main character on several occasions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I did, on the other hand, understand where she was coming
from. She’s lonely and sad and the author does a good job of bringing that
across. I felt her loneliness as I read and it tugged at my heart in probably
the strongest bit of emotion I felt in this whole book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But then the author took it too far and the story got
downright weird. Georgette- the main character in the story- is a seamstress
and she makes Red Riding Hood out of cloth. She then proceeds to insist this
doll is her daughter and we’re supposed to side with her when her mother is
weirded out and refuses to accept the cloth creation as her child.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And that’s not even the weirdest bit. That comes at the end,
which I won’t discuss so as to avoid spoilers. But it bugged me. A lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Red Riding Hood’s
Family<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>1 Star<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I this was downright weird from beginning to end. I just- I
can’t even make words for how much I didn’t like it. It mostly just made no
sense and I kept reading because what else was I supposed to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was another knock on parents being in love, like it
was some horrible, horrible thing. Which I just don’t get. Parents being in love
is a good thing. It’s a healthy thing in a marriage. We really need to stop
knocking it in stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also Roselle- the Red Riding Hood character in the story- was
so judgmental and thought herself so much better than everyone else. And it
just grated on me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then there were others weird, random elements that there
was zero precedent for and the whole just confused me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Granny and the Wolf<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>4 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Why is the woodcutter always underdeveloped and evil in
these stories so far?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, that’s out so now I can get to the good bits. I actually
really loved this story. Maybe it was because the others leading up to this
point were so bad? Whatever the case, I liked this one a lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story is told from the perspective of the Grandmother.
It’s cleverly told, keeping mostly with the original tale but adding some
really fun twists and the like. Nelda- the Grandmother- is spunky but also
weirdly kind for a character in this book? She has a little bit of
judgmentalness but even that actually seems justified in this one?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know. I just really liked this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Deems the Wood
Gatherer</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This one was my favorite story. This one was clever and well
told and the judgement in the tale was from a loveable old man who more shook
his head at the youths today than anything else. And Deems is a cinnamon roll.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s really fun about this one too is that several other
fairy tales make an appearance and that’s fun. The Three Little Pigs, Hansel
and Gretel, and the Gingerbread Man. They all work surprisingly well for such a
short story and it’s just a really great story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know what else to day about it. I just really,
really loved it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why Willy and His
Brothers Won’t Ever Amount to Anything<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>4.5 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This story was beyond clever. The hints of the original tale
mixed with a lot of fun twists and it was just really cool.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I do love Willy a lot and it made me sad that there was some
slight judgement about him. He was earnest and good and even though he was a
little quick to jump to conclusions and or let his imagination run wild I
didn’t see those as reasons to hate him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But overall it was a good story. And the ending was perfect
and I loved it so incredibly much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Little Red
Headache<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>4 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I was so happy to find three stories in a row in this book
that I liked that I was almost certain it couldn’t last.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But then it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This story is told from the perspective of the Wolf and it’s
just so fun. He’s not this evil creature that the stories make him out to be.
He’s actually rather polite and civilized and the whole story is one big
misunderstanding.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s super great.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It only gets 4 stars though because when I was writing this
review I forgot about it until I reread a little snippet and then I remembered.
So it gets a star knocked off for being slightly forgettable. But it’s still
really good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Little Red Riding
Hood’s Little Red Riding Hood<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>1 Star</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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And of course the love couldn’t last. I hated this story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This one is told from the perspective of the hood and that
is so clever. But that was all the story had going for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The cloak is accidentally blessed with intelligence by a
fairy and the story goes downhill from there. Apparently if you’re smart that
also makes you a little snot who judges everyone else. So fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fact, going back over my notes, the last thing I wrote
while reading this story was “What the heck? Another dumb one…”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was just a very judgmental story, which as sad because I
got four good ones in a row so I was lulled into a false sense of security
before I read this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overview:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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All in all this book had an air of judgment about it that
was too hard to shake while reading it. The idea was clever but in the end too
poorly executed for me to really enjoy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t like the messages it sent- love is something to
roll your eyes at/something for stupid people; it’s okay to be judgmental to
literally everyone you meet as long as you don’t actually say what you’re
thinking out loud; if you’re smarter than everyone else it also means you look
down on everyone else because they’re all idiots.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There were some good stories, which I would recommend
reading. If you can get your hands on the book I would recommend reading those
stories but skipping the rest. And I wouldn’t bother actually wasting money on
it at all. I paid $4 for this between the ebook and the audio and I’m really
grateful I didn’t spend any more than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you on Monday! Until the next time we meet
don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
is your favorite thing about <i>Little Red
Riding Hood</i>? What is your favorite retelling of that tale?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-39178913956911498292017-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:002017-12-01T07:00:11.688-05:00The Bibliophile Sweater Tag<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHTy8cTCFlPYhN28IN_es-U8QbbF38dlZ6E3NJ6tFQtv_JZTyUpxYEwWbcneB1a57zwHIcyney6akBV5PSiif2dmZLCCuL1VK9x_2YDebvj9rtNT_howIHj-rhp1_c3HW7ShrEtHQzwc/s1600/Bibliophile+Sweater+Tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHTy8cTCFlPYhN28IN_es-U8QbbF38dlZ6E3NJ6tFQtv_JZTyUpxYEwWbcneB1a57zwHIcyney6akBV5PSiif2dmZLCCuL1VK9x_2YDebvj9rtNT_howIHj-rhp1_c3HW7ShrEtHQzwc/s400/Bibliophile+Sweater+Tag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<br />
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I was tagged by the very sweet Abigail McKenna over at <a href="http://novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors</a> for the Bibliophile Sweater Tag (created by Mary Liz over at <a href="http://sunshineandscribblings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sunshine and Scribbles</a>)<br />
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The way it works is fairly simple- there are eleven prompts, based off different types of sweaters and I get to pick books that fit those prompts for me. So without further ado, I shall do just that!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tQmbrSyQ62qAsqjDgWjFUxN4OXRiaNMYXsw7Tmn2lgzbetSRL4-G0Svn8vSfseACexb6KjIv_XndIPodRRxq-EhPV2SUr_LhTPCnBJmZd296B5W_0LU_SNXcg0TPUlI_YLoQdZBrF6Q/s1600/The+Princess+Companion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tQmbrSyQ62qAsqjDgWjFUxN4OXRiaNMYXsw7Tmn2lgzbetSRL4-G0Svn8vSfseACexb6KjIv_XndIPodRRxq-EhPV2SUr_LhTPCnBJmZd296B5W_0LU_SNXcg0TPUlI_YLoQdZBrF6Q/s200/The+Princess+Companion.jpg" width="131" /></a><b>Fuzzy sweater (a book
that is the epitome of comfort)- <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36562225-the-princess-companion" target="_blank">The Princess Companion</a></i></b><br />
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I first came across this book a little over a year ago. I
had been sick for almost a week, I was very behind on my NaNo word count, and I
just wanted something happy to read. I found this book on Amazon and figured “Why not give it a try?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I plan to give it a full
review at some point but for now suffice to say that I love this book so much.
It’s exactly the sort of book I want to write- retelling, sweet romance, great
characters, slightly idealistic, well-told and fun to read.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1fMN0hz-CZ9pgMjv6dqz4B-J1Jdz_F7leYA_GVml1rdkMVIp-9fzu8wZNhoBK9Xu2drCwaDRbWpUOc_NDLghyphenhyphenl5H10Z6gLuQGgt2SNcL49_Bvt8ezfDaordkjYVAikgivmhUG8HPtck/s1600/The+Forbidden+Wish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1fMN0hz-CZ9pgMjv6dqz4B-J1Jdz_F7leYA_GVml1rdkMVIp-9fzu8wZNhoBK9Xu2drCwaDRbWpUOc_NDLghyphenhyphenl5H10Z6gLuQGgt2SNcL49_Bvt8ezfDaordkjYVAikgivmhUG8HPtck/s200/The+Forbidden+Wish.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>Striped sweater (book which you devoured
every line of)-<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21396155-the-forbidden-wish" target="_blank">The Forbidden Wish</a></i></b></div>
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I <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-forbidden-wish-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed</a> this book a few months ago but when I saw this prompt I
knew there wasn’t any other book I could choose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This story has the most incredible prose that even if you
don’t like the story- which I did- every line is a treat to read. It nails the <i>1001 Nights</i> feel that delights me so. I
cannot say enough good things about the prose of this book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHV-SVk93iOKI2tGlHG3n4mQ2lJtKAoFlaBZlaZIOBafeYyGEomXB8o_T7yG9r9MW91lCbFqEVqDamlkfwP2EcoCsgOCbrKkoss86QjhfyijR411A0kRIZHwpImcG7oZ1VifqpKU0dG7c/s1600/The+Wrath+and+the+Dawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHV-SVk93iOKI2tGlHG3n4mQ2lJtKAoFlaBZlaZIOBafeYyGEomXB8o_T7yG9r9MW91lCbFqEVqDamlkfwP2EcoCsgOCbrKkoss86QjhfyijR411A0kRIZHwpImcG7oZ1VifqpKU0dG7c/s200/The+Wrath+and+the+Dawn.jpg" width="133" /></a><b></b></div>
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<b><b>Ugly Christmas
sweater (book with a weird cover)-<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18798983-the-wrath-and-the-dawn" target="_blank">The Wrath and the Dawn</a></i></b></b></div>
When I saw this prompt my immediate thought was “MY TIME HAS
COME!” I loved this book but I am more than a little bitter about the covers
this book gets and will never pass up a chance to complain about it.<br />
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The story is a YA <i>1001
Nights</i> retelling sent in an ancient Persia-esque world. But this cover
doesn’t say “YA and Persian” to me, it says “Adult and Indian.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c1FEO3xziOHfAIkIsLjfF7HdB08CDP67QwDSwtHHIdWQOCBQm4gKMI53ss3U0X9sGdcdZV-Rue6gANWHvcbxcQ1gjTcLnvnUIqk_0XfoA3R4BR5RpZH-hvSbFnQotF8qtsBdbK3kKyQ/s1600/Usborne+Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="598" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7c1FEO3xziOHfAIkIsLjfF7HdB08CDP67QwDSwtHHIdWQOCBQm4gKMI53ss3U0X9sGdcdZV-Rue6gANWHvcbxcQ1gjTcLnvnUIqk_0XfoA3R4BR5RpZH-hvSbFnQotF8qtsBdbK3kKyQ/s200/Usborne+Books.png" width="200" /></a><b>Cashmere sweater (most expensive book you've bought)- Usborne Illustrated Classics Series</b><br />
This one was hard for me to decide on just one book. I've purchased a lot of books in my life and I don't know for certain which one I paid the most for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So instead I decided to feature this series. Each volume is costs more than I would usually pay for a book but they're all so spectacular and I think worth every penny in the long run. What can I say? I'm a sucker for colorfully illustrated fairy tale books.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JcFdYswgepyVo60uKvB0Xf062v6bBCTV993XOlUHDRfIekv8q8eIQ_zdJ16Y7RnsyrESZ7rQadqWlghKwB9rDU7hICj7JlE6TNfbxtIS3QOdHLhnF33Bf22VYhPSe8fOMHtN3lgJxIU/s1600/Arabian+Nights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="292" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JcFdYswgepyVo60uKvB0Xf062v6bBCTV993XOlUHDRfIekv8q8eIQ_zdJ16Y7RnsyrESZ7rQadqWlghKwB9rDU7hICj7JlE6TNfbxtIS3QOdHLhnF33Bf22VYhPSe8fOMHtN3lgJxIU/s200/Arabian+Nights.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<b>Hoodie (favorite classic book)- <i>1001 Nights</i></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->There are a lot of classics that mean something special to me- <i>Much Ado About Nothing, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Great Expectations</i>, <i>The Complete Brother's Grimm, </i>or a myriad of other fairy tale collections. But to me my absolute favorite is the <i>1001 Nights </i>(or <i>Arabian Nights</i> as it's also called).</div>
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The legend of Shahrazad will never cease to inspire, empower, and enthrall me. I cannot say enough good things about it and I hope someday I can share just what this character and her stories mean to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunrAvJKOvI8KTaaawC-dc2QrLXhtZoa5ibHDQO2yKBZy7K9v3YpyoviNoY6KjhoT6USgXcAR5LPIX0GKElHbkArtdSBt-XGP3nWoAEg3hm_s0xTztULujwZ3wx0vZxW1aHmhjhm4utRw/s1600/Cloaked+in+Red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunrAvJKOvI8KTaaawC-dc2QrLXhtZoa5ibHDQO2yKBZy7K9v3YpyoviNoY6KjhoT6USgXcAR5LPIX0GKElHbkArtdSBt-XGP3nWoAEg3hm_s0xTztULujwZ3wx0vZxW1aHmhjhm4utRw/s200/Cloaked+in+Red.jpg" width="142" /></a><b></b></div>
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<b><b>Cardigan (book that
you bought on impulse)- <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7823691-cloaked-in-red" target="_blank">Cloaked in Red</a></i></b></b></div>
I get these great emails from Goodreads that keep me
informed about e-book deals they think I might like. I got this book for $1.99
and was able to add the Audible book to it as well for another $1.99.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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A friend had mentioned it to me a while before and so as
soon as I saw it I was just like “Yup, gonna buy that!” Didn’t even think
twice. (And I’m going to be reviewing it next Friday so be sure to check back
for that!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifu5hNDKu-_dYk6lGlmQ_jGoD5cS6DpOza3FVSbPhSz1wmGvEFOXwwJuxaDuNzS0r1WkpIrlBlQWMfQ5KPgy504IAL-2rmPi6iQ88pI7ycIaJTcY9OD-fc7arY4u9tO4kw05ln82Y6ZfA/s1600/Princess+of+the+Midnight+Ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="231" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifu5hNDKu-_dYk6lGlmQ_jGoD5cS6DpOza3FVSbPhSz1wmGvEFOXwwJuxaDuNzS0r1WkpIrlBlQWMfQ5KPgy504IAL-2rmPi6iQ88pI7ycIaJTcY9OD-fc7arY4u9tO4kw05ln82Y6ZfA/s200/Princess+of+the+Midnight+Ball.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>Turtleneck sweater
(book from your childhood)- <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3697927-princess-of-the-midnight-ball" target="_blank">Princess ofthe Midnight Ball</a></i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is another book I plan to review in depth at some
point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will
never forget the day I found this at the library. I remember thinking it
looked/sounded amazing but something kept me from borrowing it. I never forgot
it though and one day maybe a year later I made up my mind I was going to find it.
Except I only knew it had “princess” in the title and it was a <i>Twelve Dancing Princesses </i>retelling. So
I scoured the library shelves and looked at every book until I found it. It was
well worth the search too!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8J3Kbx2xP3ih3dTnkFys-X43NsoWSu0l80VVZdTE7BnBN-KodLy7gmleSrX2QSQ0dDF74flw1ZUd34S90zAfcOsss4NqvDzJpuRmOfSIsQG0Z5P3Q9j0giNFnAgJyU8OX7JIoETX4Xps/s1600/Corral+Nocturne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8J3Kbx2xP3ih3dTnkFys-X43NsoWSu0l80VVZdTE7BnBN-KodLy7gmleSrX2QSQ0dDF74flw1ZUd34S90zAfcOsss4NqvDzJpuRmOfSIsQG0Z5P3Q9j0giNFnAgJyU8OX7JIoETX4Xps/s200/Corral+Nocturne.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>Homemade knitted
sweater (book that is Indie-published)- <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22891047-corral-nocturne" target="_blank">Corral Nocturne</a></i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I impulse bought several of this author’s books last weekend
for Black Friday and I already started reading this one. The author lives in NY
(which is cool for me, since most indie-authors seem to live in the mid-west
and I’m just like “Here I am on the east coast, all by myself…”)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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She also writes westerns and fairy tale retellings and she’s
actually good at it so as you can imagine I think she’s kind of awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZBexJMTZyq_W0c5qLqKXZZaFOeC9pq9jVlZbBzSgvDXHsRQyesI9sqFJ_WTsLm5t1e5KST7y5hNStonBLaUJTGET-4L4udDkIM8cIp17H_M0lQfHKs1MVhDSt1YzpPO7farbDxXlvnQ/s1600/The+Merchant%2527s+Daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZBexJMTZyq_W0c5qLqKXZZaFOeC9pq9jVlZbBzSgvDXHsRQyesI9sqFJ_WTsLm5t1e5KST7y5hNStonBLaUJTGET-4L4udDkIM8cIp17H_M0lQfHKs1MVhDSt1YzpPO7farbDxXlvnQ/s200/The+Merchant%2527s+Daughter.jpg" width="130" /></a><b>V-neck sweater (book that did not meet
your expectations)<i>- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10742462-the-merchant-s-daughter" target="_blank">The Merchant’s Daughter</a></i></b><br />
I wanted to love this book with everything I had in me. And I really did try so
hard. But in the end I just couldn’t. I wrote a REALLY <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/779166040?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank">ranty review about it on Goodreads</a> but here suffice it to say, it didn’t live up to my
expectations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I'm getting angry now just thinking about this book. It's time to move on before I start ranting...</o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T8JLkE-hrMeAyiIPYMnWAh3GxAsBUDjEXg2bGB1j8NdTw-nZz3b7aqHlYt4_FvqZjtB64X-W2nM_vjYqVtWKFr9nM-TgZsW-J5HELRA5MS0QX6gLYRdhrjUWbRr93cKUi4WxvEk-d-A/s1600/Bella+at+Midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7T8JLkE-hrMeAyiIPYMnWAh3GxAsBUDjEXg2bGB1j8NdTw-nZz3b7aqHlYt4_FvqZjtB64X-W2nM_vjYqVtWKFr9nM-TgZsW-J5HELRA5MS0QX6gLYRdhrjUWbRr93cKUi4WxvEk-d-A/s200/Bella+at+Midnight.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Argyle sweater (book
with a unique format)- <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66084.Bella_at_Midnight" target="_blank">Bella at Midnight</a></i></b></div>
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This was the first book I ever read that was told in first person from multiple
point of views. I know that isn’t super unique these days but this book is
actually told from six or seven different points of view and it somehow works.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s a <i>Cinderella</i>
retelling I stumbled across on accident when I was younger and I am so in love
with this book. It’s so good!! I hope to review this book in depth someday as
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QeFH8gUixNlus_65DFNgzaB9A-ZzS6bEtyqoJN_QUgLzxPgrlLaxuG8_deb0jx0kPWumG8-4mWWSosn-tCFWoGnrj94Ox8pdTwM3uirNq30U83u1oBrxpQ7ruTtp5vO7suBHdrDGVA/s1600/The+Clockwork+Scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QeFH8gUixNlus_65DFNgzaB9A-ZzS6bEtyqoJN_QUgLzxPgrlLaxuG8_deb0jx0kPWumG8-4mWWSosn-tCFWoGnrj94Ox8pdTwM3uirNq30U83u1oBrxpQ7ruTtp5vO7suBHdrDGVA/s200/The+Clockwork+Scarab.jpg" width="138" /></a><b>Polka dot sweater (a
book with well-rounded characters)-<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17084242-the-clockwork-scarab" target="_blank"> </a></i></b><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17084242-the-clockwork-scarab" target="_blank">The Clockwork Scarab</a></i></b></div>
I also <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-clockwork-scarab-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed</a> this book a couple months ago.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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I gushed about the characters and their relationships in
great depth so I won’t do that too much here. But I do love these characters so
incredibly much. Each and every one of them is great and engaging and I can’t
wait to read the rest of the series!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then I'm supposed to tag someone else so I tag <a href="https://hannahmcmanus.wordpress.com/blog/" target="_blank">Hannah McManus</a> and also anyone who reads this and is like "This looks cool." Because it is cool and you should do it :3 </div>
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<br />I hope to see you on Monday! Until the next time we meet, don't forget to live happily ever after <3<br />
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<br />
<br />
<b>P.S. Let's Chat! What is your favorite kind of sweater from this list and what book fit the prompt for you?</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00273781721346551728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-45176124207856421712017-11-27T11:21:00.000-05:002017-11-27T11:23:15.726-05:00Do Stories Matter?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__chqbpcEQH2IfpVB69ltsEBnYoZ0KyndNwR_Hp6msKVdUkFyp1Re6wBqewOHYL6KnvBOWc9Lj9k9t3brMedVD9u_127c9h4tXYeX1sF-4fx00mQsqJ7gV453WNT7pDeq-BczR_2qbgA/s1600/Do+Stories+Matter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__chqbpcEQH2IfpVB69ltsEBnYoZ0KyndNwR_Hp6msKVdUkFyp1Re6wBqewOHYL6KnvBOWc9Lj9k9t3brMedVD9u_127c9h4tXYeX1sF-4fx00mQsqJ7gV453WNT7pDeq-BczR_2qbgA/s400/Do+Stories+Matter3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are just a few days left in November and if you’re
doing NaNoWriMo you’re no doubt scrambling to write that last several thousand
words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But it’s times like this when the doubt really starts to set
in and you’re wondering if your story matters. What is the point of all this?
Why are you still writing this?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>What good are stories
really? </i>I often ask myself in my darkest moments. They’re nothing more than
fiction- lies masquerading as something important and true. Why waste so much
time and energy investing in something that is only make believe?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And then I remember.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Life Sucks:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Sorry for being so blunt, but you can’t deny it, can you? Life
isn’t pretty. It’s one big mess after another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t need to rehash it all here but my teen years were
pretty dark ones. And that’s coming from someone who would say she had a happy
childhood. My parents are amazing and my home life has always been incredible.
I still live at home and I have no intention of changing that any time soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But still, life is life, and even the happiest of us get blindsided.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I got lost. I didn’t know who I was anymore or who I was
supposed to be. I stopped really living and just started surviving. Some days
were better than others but all the nights were the same. After my sister went
to college I was alone at night consistently for the first time in my life. And
as someone who thinks way too much that was dangerous.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I threw myself into my stories and other people’s stories
because that was the only thing that made sense. I finished my first book in
that time- a book of light and hope and optimism, which were all things I was
searching for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>We’re All Looking for
Light<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My relationship with God crumbled then. I fought to hold
onto it but something was missing- there was a disconnect. I got saved when I
was five and when people talk about returning to your first love or having
childlike faith I know that they’re talking about. I remember what that was
like. I remember how God transformed my family, how miraculous it was. And somewhere
in those years I lost it. I wanted it back but I didn’t know how to go about
doing that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was convinced that if I went to the right church service
or prayed the right prayer it would fix everything. I was looking for a “God
moment,” like in the movies, where the character prays and God fixes
everything. In that instant everything changes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I knew it could happen because I had seen it happen before.
And since it wasn’t happening there must be something wrong with me. It was
God’s will for me to have a relationship with him, I knew that. So if something
was keeping me from that it had to be me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was obviously broken. And I didn’t know how to fix myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Story Time:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I don’t remember how old I was exactly but I was in my late
teens. I bought a book at a discount story for $2.99- more than I would ever
pay for a paperback I hadn’t read before (I laugh now as I write this, thinking
of all the full price paperbacks I’ve bought since).<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I started reading it in the store and the main character
spoke to me. She told me I wanted to read her book- I needed to. So I bought
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I read in the car on the drive home and kept reading for the
rest of the afternoon. I took breaks to spend time with my family and get stuff
done but I kept going back to the book. I read most of it that day. The only
reason I stopped was because it was the Saturday before Daylight Saving and we
had to be up early for church the next morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I finished the book in church that Sunday, before the
service while my Mom and Dad practiced to lead worship later that morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a YA contemporary romance. The main character falls
in love with an actor who plays sparkly vampires in Twilight-esque movies. They
bicker constantly but each needs the other for something else so they come to
an agreement to tolerate each other. The tolerating turns to love and it’s
adorable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And in his mercy, God decided to use this book to change my
life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I’m Getting to the
Point, I Promise:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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See in the midst of the bickering and falling in love the
main character was breaking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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She lost her brother- in a different way than I had lost
mine, but I understood what she was going through. She was falling apart inside
but pretending to be fine. And she was looking for God, looking to get rid of
the disconnect that was between herself and him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I saw myself in her. And as her trip to Ireland and falling
in love with a sparkly vampire brought her healing, so it did me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She finds God in the end. She finds him in such a way that
she realizes he’s been there all along. She has her big “God moment” and she knows
things are going to be okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But here’s why I needed this story- the book has an
epilogue, set two years after the end of the book- after the character’s big
moment. And she’s still broken. She’s healing and she’d growing closer to God
but she’s not there yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And sitting in church that Sunday, reading the end of the
book, I knew God had inspired the author to write it for me. I knew he had
always been there for me, that I may be broken but there was nothing keeping me
from him. And I knew that healing was going to take time. And that was okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We Need Stories:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I had heard everything I learned from that book before.
Pastors had preached it in sermons. Wiser, older people had said it to me in an
attempt to encourage me. I’d heard others talking about the principles in
conversation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But I needed a book about vampires, and crazy old ladies,
and mischievous nuns to really make the message sink in. I needed a fictional
character to go to Ireland to find God so that I could too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We need stories because they speak to us in ways other
things never can. They say fiction is telling truth with lies and I
wholeheartedly believe that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stories teach us things, show us things, remind us of
things. They build us up and take us places we’d never get to go otherwise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know what my life would look like without this book.
I’m sure God would have found some other way to speak to me- he’s God, after
all, and I know now he never would have given up on me- but still, the process
would have taken so much longer, been even more painful than it was without
this book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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God uses stories. I don’t know why. I guess because he’s
merciful like that- he’s willing to use the things that make us happy, that we
allow ourselves to get lost in, to speak to us. He’s willing to use those
things to reach us when nothing else can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even if you don’t think your book has a strong message, like
the book I talked about does, that doesn’t matter. My best friend likes to tell
me about the spiritual truths she finds in Doctor Who and Star Trek and Stargate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You don’t have to set out to tell your readers something.
Just know that if you write with the intention of telling the truth your
readers will find the truth they need. If you’re writing your story, trusting
that even in its messy state, God can and will use it, then that’s all that
matters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are just days away from finishing NaNoWriMo. November is
almost over and hopefully your novel is too. You’re almost there. You’ve got
this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yes, that novel is a mess. It’s an utter nightmare right
now. No one will ever make any sense of it, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wrong. You will have time to edit and polish and rewrite.
Right now you’re getting words on paper and that’s enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But be encouraged. Someday this messy, messy first draft is
going to be something beautiful. It’s going to be something that changes lives.
Someday a very lost teenager is going to read your book and God is going to use
it to fuse back together all the broken pieces.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And until then all you have to do is keep writing. The only
story that can’t change someone else’s life is the story you keep to yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope to see you on Friday for some bookish fun. Until the
next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
stories has God used to change your life? Which ones still continue to bring
you healing?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-71979976865955814992017-11-20T08:30:00.000-05:002017-11-20T08:30:08.399-05:00Someday, Somewhere: A Mid-Novel Pep Talk<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwKCCIfJZnTDdV9HvNMm8Lo1EYWRQPwJkoJb5-JRx5a_9D4KfDJQBM6QcJkjZ3CXD7kPqngUwsDr1ZQh26wCMP0iOoH-8Jv15iBF7i-F-XsrzkCHvjPov1BU-3tDFPTdfD2DYmDIEC5A/s1600/Someday%252C+Somewhere+A+Midnovel+Pep+Talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwKCCIfJZnTDdV9HvNMm8Lo1EYWRQPwJkoJb5-JRx5a_9D4KfDJQBM6QcJkjZ3CXD7kPqngUwsDr1ZQh26wCMP0iOoH-8Jv15iBF7i-F-XsrzkCHvjPov1BU-3tDFPTdfD2DYmDIEC5A/s400/Someday%252C+Somewhere+A+Midnovel+Pep+Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s day twenty of NaNoWriMo. It’s so hard to believe that
there are only eleven days left to November! It’s around this time when the
doubt really starts to creep in and I need someone to remind me of the important
things and keep me grounded.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So without further ado, I would like to offer you some
encouragement and remind you that someday, somewhere someone is going to read
your book and:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
-Compare themselves to your main character<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Claim it was written for them<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Compare themselves and the love interest to their
relationship<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Make the hero their role model<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Use it to get them through a rough patch<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Tell someone it is their favorite book<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Write their own book because it inspired them<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-Write fanfiction about your characters<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Dress up as one of your characters for cosplay or Halloween<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Make fandom posts about it<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Give it a fandom name<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Connect with people simply because they all love it<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Make Pinterest boards and Spotify playlists and Facebook
groups about it<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Draw fan art<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Talk about how they need to make a movie based on it<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Underline their favorite passages and read them over and
over again<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Give copies of it to all their friends for birthdays and
holidays<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Write reviews of it for their blog or vlog<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your story will impact people in ways you never imagined it
would. It will become as part of someone else’s world as your favorite book has to yours. It will change lives and probably even save some. It will get people
through unimaginable horrors and help them face the day or week or month or
year ahead of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are people out there who need this story. People who need
your characters and what they go through. They need the message your book will
offer them, even if you don’t even know what that message is yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This story doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t need to be
spectacular or the next great American novel. It just needs to be. With all its
heart and quirks and every last bit of you that you pour into it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People need that. People need you and they need this story. And
while this is your story and you don’t owe it to the world, you do have
something to offer it. Don’t ever doubt that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your story will make the world a better place for people.
You will bring them light and hope and joy. You will give them an anchor in the
darkness. Your story has the power to change lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So keep writing, dear one. Through the doubt keep pressing
on. You’ve got this. You will get this story written and it will be worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Monday I’ll be talking about how God used stories in my
life. And of course Friday will bring another movie review. I hope to see you
for those.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until the next time we meet don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
are some ways you honor your favorite books? What are some of the biggest challenges
you’ve faced this month?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-89598325780406182202017-11-17T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-17T07:00:10.675-05:00Murder on the Orient Express (2017): A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFt7hUqzoVMxtYdU9z7BOF6mQuul0bNWrL4hcn_3t6wrrhD8gADkfM9aAb6r3_bnBcvOpCIRbtgxg7S6FMSTRJG6CsxyqNv00vKjEw8EmCdg7G3SdrqQfFk4oMBWR2oI6ip_mFMkK_Q/s1600/Murder+on+the+Orient+Express.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFt7hUqzoVMxtYdU9z7BOF6mQuul0bNWrL4hcn_3t6wrrhD8gADkfM9aAb6r3_bnBcvOpCIRbtgxg7S6FMSTRJG6CsxyqNv00vKjEw8EmCdg7G3SdrqQfFk4oMBWR2oI6ip_mFMkK_Q/s400/Murder+on+the+Orient+Express.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Murder on the Orient Express</i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;"> official promo graphic ©20th Century Fox</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went to see a movie last night with one of my closest
friends and since it falls into the criteria for my review series I thought I
would share it all with you!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given that this is a mystery and one that only just came out
(the movie, anyway) this review will be spoiler free. So even if you haven’t
seen the movie, you can proceed safely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Murder on the Orient
Express (2017)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>3.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>When a murder occurs
on the train he's travelling on, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is
recruited to solve the case.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-From <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3402236/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt" target="_blank">IMDB</a></i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I honestly had no idea what to expect from this movie- I saw
it announced ages ago because I’m following Leslie Odom Jr. on Facebook and it
looked like it had potential. But the only two other things I can think of that
I’ve seen that are connected to Kenneth Branagh (<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2016/01/cinderella-review-rant-me-talking-about.html" target="_blank">Cinderella</a></i> and <i>Much
Ado About Nothing</i>) I’ve had mixed feelings about.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I went into this with reservations, wanting to be excited
but also really terrified that I was going to end up hating it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end it wasn’t as good as I wanted to hope but a whole
lot better than I was afraid it would be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What I Liked:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Poirot’s
Introduction:</b> Until this movie I hadn’t met Hercule Poirot. I’d love to
read the book this is based on now, as well as others featuring him, but before
this he and I hadn’t had the pleasure of being introduced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you can imagine how important the opening of this movie
was in making an impression on me. I am delighted to report it didn’t
disappoint. We’re introduced to him and all of his intricacies so quickly and
yet so masterfully. I felt like within minutes of meeting him I knew what I
needed to know without it feeling forced or convoluted. Right from the moment
the movie started it drew me in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Humor:</b> This
movie was funnier than I expected it to be. It still somehow managed to
maintain the very serious air that you would expect from this sort of a
mystery but the dialogue was just so snappy- it was sarcastic in places, witty
in others, just so very stunning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t expect to laugh but I did in all the right places.
Every joke, every clever little line of dialogue was there for a reason and it
helped enhance the mystery rather than detract from it. This was in no way a
comedy but it had little moments of humor that made me laugh a lot more than I
expected to and I appreciated that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Visuals:</b> As I
said, I’ve seen two other things Kenneth Branagh is connected to and so I
expected at the very least that this movie would be visually stunning. And it
was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The scenery, the costumes, and color schemes were just out
of this world. And the cinematography was amazing. This movie was gorgeous. Like
drool-worthy, jaw-dropping, breathtakingly gorgeous. If for nothing else this
movie is worth watching to see the art and beauty involved in the visuals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Cast:</b> This
movie has an all-star cast, which is something that can either make or break a
movie. For this movie it worked. There were so many characters all of whom were
played to perfection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leslie Odom Jr., for instance, I’ve only actually heard sing
(thanks to his role in <i>Hamilton, </i>his <i>Simply Christmas </i>album, and the Nationwide Commercial). I’ve
never seen him act before and it was a lot of fun to see him in this role.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never been the largest fan of the roles Josh Gad has
been cast in but I liked his character a lot in this movie (as in, he was an
interesting one, not necessarily a moral or likeable one). And it was nice to realize
that I don’t actually dislike the actor, just the characters he has played in
the past. Before now I hadn’t made the distinction.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Johnny Depp’s character, while not the greatest person in
terms of morality, was well-written and more importantly, he wasn’t really weird, which I’ll admit I was nervous about
since most roles I’ve seen him in have given me the creeps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I liked getting to see Daisy Ridley in a role other than
Rey, as Star Wars is all I know her from.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, of course, Kenneth Branagh’s acting is beyond
incredible. The man is a master, to say the least, and in this role he does not
disappoint.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Mystery (to an
extent): </b>What the movie did right it did so very right. Watching Poirot
unravel the threads of the murder was engaging and the kind of mind
puzzle I would expect from this sort of mystery. It moved slowly yet
interestingly, the story becoming more and more complicated which only served
to make it all the more intriguing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was on the edge of my seat watching it all unfold and when
it was all unveiled I felt a little silly for not having figured it out myself.
But it made sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What I Didn’t Like:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Mystery (to an
extent): </b>That is, it all made sense for the most part.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not everything made sense. Until the very end when it was
all revealed this movie had a solid 5 stars. No question. I was in love with
it, hanging on every word, every action, every small detail. But then it didn’t
make sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t want to go into detail to keep this spoiler free,
but I feel like I would be amiss in not saying it disappointed me. If you’re
interested in my reasons or would like to discuss it, feel free to <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/p/contact-form.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> as I would be happy to share my thoughts on the matter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Ending:</b>
Because of the points that didn’t make senses to me, I felt like other things
that happened as a result of that also didn’t make sense. And so while I was so
deeply in love for a good portion of the movie, the ending left me feeling a
little empty and confused. Again, I’m trying to remain spoiler free here but if
you wish to discuss it, please don’t hesitate to <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/p/contact-form.html" target="_blank">contact me</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Body:</b> I know,
I know. It’s a murder mystery, of course there’s a body! But I didn’t want to
see it and I felt like it was on screen a tad too long. Long enough for me to
be initially horrified and then stare at it until I realized it really
wasn’t all that bad. But then I remembered I was staring at what was supposed to
be a dead body and got horrified all over again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe I’m just squeamish but I didn’t like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Character’s
Introductions:</b> As I said, there were a lot of characters in this movie. And
great lengths were taken to make sure we were introduced to each and every one
of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately since there were so many and their
introductions took place in a crowded train station, I felt a little lost as
each one was introduced. In fact, for a long time I thought Johnny Depp’s
character and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s were one and the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It wasn’t until the murder had taken place and Poirot was
unraveling the different characters and their stories that I really started to get
a feel for who was who. So don’t get discouraged if you see it and you can’t
keep the characters straight. It’ll all make sense eventually.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Overview:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, I enjoyed this movie. It was beautiful, it was
clever, it was well cast and well acted. It had me on the edge of my seat for
the whole thing, eyes wide and eager to not miss even a single second.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately the ending didn’t quite sit right with me and
left me feeling empty and confused. I didn’t want to take stars off for it but
I can’t shake the feeling that it was wrong and that maybe it should have
played out just a little differently.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That said, I’m not sorry I saw it and I would gladly see it
again. I’m also more than ready to read the book and delve deeper into the
world of Hercule Poirot. I'm excited to see what Agatha Christie has to offer me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope to see you all on Monday for a little mid-novel pep talk!
And next Friday I’ll be back for another review.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! How
familiar are you with Agatha Christie’s detective? Have you see this movie or
are you planning to?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-18406457193434284572017-11-13T09:05:00.000-05:002017-11-13T09:05:08.498-05:00How to Keep Your Creativity Flowing<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gT2K73xu7lsdp2kPZr-X5yUF8AAPARmarsM54r3b49Sq8wd9Xot69jF-PspeJApbBLvDpl85p9BzdDpvRKFACYRmtsYNk-QX9B4Rln1B6hPvCm201G3UOklfhv5eb0Za_j-391DO_Ok/s1600/How+to+Keep+Creativity+Flowing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gT2K73xu7lsdp2kPZr-X5yUF8AAPARmarsM54r3b49Sq8wd9Xot69jF-PspeJApbBLvDpl85p9BzdDpvRKFACYRmtsYNk-QX9B4Rln1B6hPvCm201G3UOklfhv5eb0Za_j-391DO_Ok/s400/How+to+Keep+Creativity+Flowing3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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November is almost halfway gone already! I hope you're all
doing well and keeping on track and having a blast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But whether you’re doing NaNo or not, it’s easy to fall into
writing slumps. Your writing starts to drag, you find yourself procrastinating,
hitting a brick wall every time you try to write. It’s hard to focus, hard to
find the energy to write, hard to get anything done. You’ve hit a creative
slump.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s time to kick that creativity back into drive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>What Do You Need?</b></h3>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the most important things to do when trying to boost
your creativity is knowing your cues. They’re different for everyone and only
you can really tell what you need. But when it comes time to start taking
action you need to know which you need- drive, inspiration, or to disconnect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<h3>
<b>Drive:</b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes all creativity needs to get going is for you to
sit yourself down and force yourself to write. The writer who doesn’t write if
he isn’t inspired is going to find himself inspired less and less.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Sometimes you just need to make yourself write. Whether you
want to or not, you need to sit down and force yourself to put something on the
paper. Anything. Just put words on the paper until you find it easier than
before to keep doing that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Word Wars or Word
Sprints:</b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But sometimes just forcing yourself to write doesn’t work.
You’re distracted, you can’t focus, it just doesn’t work. Which is why Word
Wars or Word Sprints are a thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I first learned about Word Wars from the <a href="http://oneyearnovel.com/" target="_blank">OYAN</a> community. They’re pretty simple- you find someone to war with you (either in
person or via the internet. At the moment the NaNoWriMo group I'm part of has a Word War group in Facebook
messenger for this purpose). Then you agree on an amount of time and write
until the time is up. Whoever wrote the most words “wins.” NaNoWriMo Word
Sprints work the same way, just with a different name.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But sometimes there aren’t other people available to war
with and that what are you to do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NaNoWriMo does have it set up so that you can <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/word_sprints" target="_blank">sprint withyourself</a>. Or you can just use a regular timer. Or, if you’re like me and
you like having random apps on your phone, the <a href="https://www.forestapp.cc/en/" target="_blank">Forest</a> app is pretty cool.
You set a timer and if you don’t use your phone the entire time it’s running
you grow a little tree (or a bush, if you set the timer for a shorter amount of
time). It’s really adorable and I like having all my little trees.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But regardless of how you do it, the idea of the timer is to
give you pressure to keep you focused on the story. You don’t have time to
think about other stuff or you can’t work on other stuff if your phone is
“locked” (the Forest app doesn’t actually lock your phone, but it does know
when you use it so the moment you open something else it asks you if you want
to kill the tree!!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Break It Into Pieces:</b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But maybe timers aren’t your thing. Or maybe you just don’t
want to do that right this second.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something I use all the time is to break it into small
little chunks. It works better if you have something like NaNoWriMo or
<a href="https://www.pacemaker.press/" target="_blank">Pacemaker</a> to keep track of your progress, but I have done it without
those before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basically how it works is I take the number of total words
I’ve written on the project and the number of words I’ve written that day and
I’m constantly trying to get one of them to a rounded number. So if I’m at
12,258 words and I want to reach 13,500 words for the day, instead of just
setting my goal for 1,242 words and getting stressed I break it up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I start with the 12,258 and I tell myself that I only have
to write 242 words to get myself to 12,500 words. Then when I reach that
number, I look and see that I ended up writing 257 words so if I write another
243 words I’ll have written 500 words today. But once that’s written I only
have 242 words until I reach 13,000 words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It just keeps going like that until I reach my word count
for the day and then some. On days when I do this, I usually end up doubling my
word count because I just keep telling myself to write another 200 words or so.
And it usually goes by pretty fast- on Saturday I wrote almost 3,000 words in
less than two hours by doing this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>Inspiration:</b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
But sometimes just sitting down and writing isn’t enough and
no matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve, it’s not enough. Sometimes
you need inspiration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Inspiration comes from finding things connected to your
story to help you get excited about it all over again. You’re missing a piece
of the puzzle and you just need to find it again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first step is identifying what piece you’re missing.
Sometimes you have some research that needs done or you need a clearer
direction on what happens next. Or sometimes you don’t know what you need, you
just know something is missing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<br /><b>Research:</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Research is a rather easy fix in that if you know what needs
researched then all you have to do is take the time to do it. Go to the library
or start Googling until you start to feel inspired to write again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re retelling a story sometimes your research might be
as simple as rereading the original tale over again to remind yourself of the
details and look for things you might have missed the other times you read it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<br /><b>Think it Through:</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding direction is a bit more difficult. Sometimes it
helps to have a friend help with this- someone who is willing to talk the story
through with you to offer advice or suggestions or just a sounding board for
your ideas. Try outlining or going back over the notes you originally made
about this story (if you’re like me and you made those notes in the first
place).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<br /><b>Character Sketches:</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Try doing some character sketches to help ground who your characters are, solidifying
them in your mind. I really like <a href="http://charahub.com/" target="_blank">Charahub</a>’s questions. I’ve also used a
journal with writing prompts before, with things like “What does paradise look
like for you” or “What are some things you would like to pass onto your
children?” I answer them as if the character is the one writing the entry and that helps me not only get
to the heart of their thought process but also offers me insight into aspects
of them that I might not have tapped into before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plus it’s just a lot of fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>Know What Inspires
You:</b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love having a Pinterest board for each of my stories to
pull up at the moments when I need a quick inspiration fix. My boards are
usually a mix of pictures that remind me of the aesthetic and tone of the story
along with quotes that fit the characters and themes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Music also inspires me so listening through a playlist for
my story or trying to track down some new songs to add can be the much needed
inspirational recharge that I need.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Know what inspires you most and partake in that- if I’m
writing a sci-fi I might watch a sci-fi movie or immersing myself in a fantasy
might be helpful if that’s what I'm working on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But be careful- it’s easy to blur the lines between
plagiarism and inspiration. Make sure that you aren’t even inadvertently
stealing elements from someone else’s story to fix your own. For example, while
I might watch a sci-fi show while writing a sci-fi, I always try to avoid
retellings of the fairy tale I’m retelling. This month I’m writing a Snow
White/Robin Hood story so I avoid all kinds of Snow White or Robin Hood media.
It’s easy for me to get confused on what is part of the original tale and what
is someone else’s interpretation and to keep it from getting all muddled up I
just avoid those things for the duration of my writing process.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>Disconnecting:</b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what happens when the drive tricks aren’t working and
the inspiration is just stressing you out? You try disconnecting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
To disconnect you need to step away from the story entirely
and work on other things. This is hard if you’re like me and your stories take
up a good portion of your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But sometimes it’s easy to get so immersed in your story
that you get overwhelmed. Sometimes what your story needs it for you to take a
step back, breathe, and come back to it later with fresh eyes and a new
perspective.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>Find a Distraction:</b></h4>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes you just need to step away and do something else
for a little bit- take a shower, finish a chore, read a book or watch a movie
(preferably something outside the genre you’re writing), bake something. Find a
task that isn’t linked to your story and throw yourself into it for a time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes when I’m particularly stressed I’ll even set a
time limit for myself- I can’t think about this story for the next hour or four
hours or even the rest of the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b>Walk Away:</b></h4>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes the physical act of walking away from your story
is all you need. Go for a walk, make plans to go out with friends, do your
grocery shopping. Get out of the house and breathe. I write in my house most of
the time so most of my stories are tied to my house mentally- when I leave without a
notebook or my laptop it’s easy for me to disconnect completely from the story
since it’s my house that I associate with the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>Know the Difference:</b></h3>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest thing to know though, with all of this, is
whether you actually need inspiration or to disconnect or if you’re just
procrastinating. My greatest enemy is putting off writing simply because I
don’t feel like doing it. It’s easy to mistake lack of desire to write for lack
of inspiration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes there comes a point, after you disconnect and look for
inspiration, that you need to put your butt in the chair and you need to write.
You can only make so many character sketches before it becomes time to stop
putting it off and just start writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So learn your cues and know what you’re doing- since I often
take Sundays off, Mondays can be hard for me to get back into the writing
groove, so on Mondays I know I need to give myself an extra push to write. I
rarely allow myself to take time off on Mondays because I know those days that
I’m not in need of anything other than a kick in the pants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But forcing yourself to write when there is legitimately a
problem will only produce more frustration and can often be bad for your story
in the end. So if you aren’t sure what you need, it won’t hurt to take a little
time off from writing to work on something else. Just make sure you don’t take
too much time off and you recognize that there comes a point where you have to
kick yourself back into gear again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>Conclusion:</b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing is hard and it’s always good to know what you need
to keep from burning out. And if you feel you might be in danger of that, make
sure you take the time to take care of yourself. Writer self-care is very
important.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But also know what you need and don’t use “writer self-care
is important” as an excuse to put off doing the things you know you need to do.
Your words won’t get written unless you write them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be back on Friday for another movie review and I hope
to see you then. Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever
after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
are some ways you find inspiration? What are your favorite ways to disconnect
from your writing?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-79300026105285065632017-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-10T07:00:03.049-05:00Much Ado About Nothing (2012): A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtfuZ5K1PMDyxodiljmsfC4KKcIO4wpxotqFZyEUJhhOdGixk6q04PIRXzjKT3VkDK8IBGnGGOM7SehTZrnIxc_Xff9vGspSZjmyJC2t7A7FzLggG90_5O0TtW-RnHTvLz-PTmR-6AqA/s1600/Much+Ado+About+Nothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="940" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtfuZ5K1PMDyxodiljmsfC4KKcIO4wpxotqFZyEUJhhOdGixk6q04PIRXzjKT3VkDK8IBGnGGOM7SehTZrnIxc_Xff9vGspSZjmyJC2t7A7FzLggG90_5O0TtW-RnHTvLz-PTmR-6AqA/s400/Much+Ado+About+Nothing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so excited to be starting this series on reviews of
movies based off classic tales. Today’s review is Joss Whedon’s film based on
Shakespeare’s <i>Much Ado About Nothing</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I utterly adore the original play- it’s my favorite of
Shakespeare’s works- and I was a little apprehensive about this movie. I’d read
mixed reviews but I have a lot of respect for the people involved. I went into
it not knowing what exactly to expect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Much Ado About Nothing </i>(2012)<i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What I Liked:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Cast: </b>If you
have watched anything Joss Whedon has been involved in you will recognize at
least one actor in this movie. This movie is filled with incredibly talented
people- Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond,
Sean Maher, and so many more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And each one of them brings their character to life in
unbelievable ways. Their acting is stellar, especially Amy Acker and Alexis
Denisof as Beatrice and Benedick. They’re incredible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Setting:</b> This
movie was made for fun by Joss Whedon at his house. You can tell this is true
as the men settle into a bedroom with a Barbie house and stuffed animals and
the police station is clearly in a basement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The simplicity of the setting juxtaposed with the amazing
acting is beautiful because it proves how incredible Shakespeare’s works really
are. They can be performed anywhere, on any platform, with any setting and they’re
still the same. It shows just how much the actors carry the work, not where it
is filmed. This play doesn’t need beautiful sweeping landscapes or jaw-dropping
costumes. It needs its characters brought to life and that is what this version
does.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Beatrice and
Benedick:</b> I already mentioned how wonderfully these two are played, but I
need to gush about them some more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The casting choices are A+ and these two play their roles to
perfection. The scenes with them are some of the funniest I’ve ever seen- no
matter how many times I watch this movie I actually laugh out loud every single
time. I don’t do that often when I’m watching stuff alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Way They Make The
Story Come Alive:</b> This is <i>Much Ado
About Nothing</i> for me- I don’t need any other version for me to be happy. It
obviously doesn’t beat seeing it performed live- nothing is ever a substitute
for that- but this is the best movie version I’ve ever seen and I think I ever
will. The way they bring this story to life, I can’t even put it into words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They don’t add anything to Shakespeare’s words. Every line
in this show- save one place where ‘Jew’ is used to mean ‘fool’ which is what
they swapped it out for- is exactly as Shakespeare wrote it. But with their
facial expressions, their inflections, their movements and actions, they add
another layer to the story. They add meaning to certain scenes, bring depth
that wasn’t there before, and just make the story come alive in ways I didn’t know
I needed until I saw this version.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It's the kind of movie you can watch over and over again and find another facial expression that you missed, another subtle movement, another slight inflection. It just gets deeper the more you watch it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot say enough good things about this movie. I could
gush forever, except I don’t want to spoil things for anyone who wants to experience
it spoiler free.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What I Didn’t Like:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Sexual Content:</b> There is
one thing I didn’t like about this movie, though it’s broken into smaller
parts. But it basically all boils down to the sex.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know Shakespeare can be full of inappropriate things and
this story certainly has thematic elements that can’t be ignored but it always
makes me sad when people draw attention to that and make it a main focus of the
story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie’s intro, for example, in keeping with no added
lines, it a silent little snippet of Beatrice and Benedick waking up in bed
together, clearly after sex. I know they added it because of that curious
little exchange later where Beatrice implies that she and Benedick had been in
a relationship before but it’s honestly just such a strange scene. There’s a confusing
air to it that possibly comes simply from my complete lack of understand of
secular romance? But knowing they slept together before falling in love
honestly makes it harder for me to believe that years later they’re able to
form a different sort of relationship. I feel that by adding that to their past it should have made things even weirder between them. It should almost change the entire story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then there are two other instances with sensuality that
are quite frankly just a little too passionate for me. I would have preferred
things to be more tastefully, less in your face. That’s the one downside to having
a movie instead of a play- you generally get things like this handled more
bluntly rather than subtly. I wish they would have taken a different
direction with that.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Overall:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is my favorite Shakespeare play and given that I
already know what is happening and I know which parts to skip, the sexual
content isn’t a huge deterrent for me. It does make me a little hesitant to recommend
it to others though. But if you’re okay with skipping parts of the story or
that sort of thing isn’t an issue for you then you should definitely watch this
movie. Like, right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s an incredible portrayal of a classic that does the original
work the justice it deserves. I look forward to watching it again and again to
help me always remember just how much I love this story and why exactly.<br />
<br />
And here's the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/ivorypalaceprincess/playlist/6Bd43vSTGwV3I819cLYMma" target="_blank">playlist</a> for the play (it also fits the movie, as little is changed)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope to see you all on Monday for a post on creativity.
Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
is your favorite of Shakespeare’s plays? Which one would you like to see turned
into a movie?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-59937306473625989352017-11-06T08:30:00.000-05:002017-11-06T11:53:51.410-05:00How to Use Rewards to Boost Productivity<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUwxB_65do9wKntfy85Vzr9w3qxFZAzsk9vsdCkHBCdhtfCwU_r3sfLs4X4mQkH3gtyjGolkles9MroMovQv8a-yDHH6B1DJB6xudrG_eHvQnMl7g4hj3vXLe-T7YPtc4m0NfoHkeyTY/s1600/How+to+Use+Rewards+to+Boost+Productivity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUwxB_65do9wKntfy85Vzr9w3qxFZAzsk9vsdCkHBCdhtfCwU_r3sfLs4X4mQkH3gtyjGolkles9MroMovQv8a-yDHH6B1DJB6xudrG_eHvQnMl7g4hj3vXLe-T7YPtc4m0NfoHkeyTY/s400/How+to+Use+Rewards+to+Boost+Productivity.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope all of you are having a productive November! It’s six
days into NaNoWriMo for those of you who are participating and I hope it’s been
a great six days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today I want to talk about how I learned to use a reward
system to boost my productivity when I write. I discovered it the first year I did
NaNoWriMo so it seemed fitting to share it with you today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is a Rewards
System?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Simply put it’s exactly what it sounds like. You set a word
goal and then you reward yourself when you reach it. If you don’t reach that
goal you don’t get the reward. Usually you pick something you really want
because otherwise there won’t really be an incentive to reach the goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first year I did NaNoWriMo we had bunches and bunches of
peanut butter cups left over from Halloween. I am my mother’s daughter and by
that I mean that I love peanut butter. And when you pair it with chocolate
it’s a match made in heaven.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I was also trying to be healthier so I decided that for
every 5,000 words I wrote I could have peanut butter cups. In between I wasn’t
allowed to have sugary snacks of any kind. So what ended up happening was I
would push myself to reach the goal so that I could earn my peanut butter cups.
There were usually two days in between each time I earned my reward and the
sugar cravings made me write all the faster.</div>
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<b>How Often Do I Use
Them?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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As often as you want. I don’t have a set reward for reaching
my daily word count except for a basic “the sooner I reach my goal, the sooner
I can be done and do something else.” Sometimes that something else is reading
a book or watching something or making a new playlist. But very rarely do I set
a reward for my daily goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would recommend picking a word count you’ll reach every two
or three days and setting a smaller reward for that (like me and the peanut
butter cups). This could be something like catching up on episodes of
your favorite show or a certain snack or a long soak in the tub. Something
simple and sweet to make you want to write faster. <o:p></o:p>Unless you have tons of money to throw around, don’t make this something costly. And don’t make it anything harmful or that you aren’t supposed to be doing.</div>
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Then you can also set rewards for larger goals that do cost
money. I plan to buy myself a <a href="https://store.nanowrimo.org/collections/shop/products/nanowrimo-2017-superpowered-noveling-mug" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo mug</a> if I win this year, which I’m
pretty excited about. You can also use things like a book you’re considering
buying, a pastry from a special bakery, or tickets to see a new movie. Or find
other things that won’t cost you anything. Rewards aren’t about how much they
cost, but about pushing you to write more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Find something you really, really want and tell yourself you
can have it when you reach your final word count (for those doing NaNo that
would be 50,000 words).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Set a Schedule:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s really easy to keep yourself on track with this if you
aren’t firm about it. Set your word goal and be strict about it. Don’t say “If
I write 2-5 thousand words I get a reward” or “I still deserve a reward even
though I didn’t reach my goal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s really no point in using a rewards system unless
you’re going to stick with it. If you’re bad at sticking with it, find a close
friend who is willing to hold you accountable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What Counts Toward My
Word Count?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Especially if you aren’t doing NaNo and you’re the kind of
person who works on your stories even on days when you don’t write it’s easy to
ask what counts toward your word count. Does an outline count? But does the
outline then have to be wordy and complicated so that you can reach the goal?
You might work on an outline for an hour or more but only get a couple hundred words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t ever pad your word count for the sake of padding your
word count. That’s just going to bring you trouble in the end and is never a
good idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A good rule of thumb for determine what should count toward
your goal would be to set rewards for a certain number of tasks completed
rather than words written- if you want to get some outlining done, research
something in particular, and write the next chapter sometime in the next three
days set that as your goal for your next reward. Get those tasks done in the
next three days and you get the reward. Don’t get them done in that allotted
time and you don’t get the reward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Downside:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There is one downside to all this and I think it’s important to mention. Using a rewards system can easily become an excuse to fall into unhealthy habits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you aren’t supposed to be eating certain foods or you aren’t supposed to be spending money on certain things, don’t use this as an excuse to do this. The best way to use this system is to pair it alongside another habit (if you’re trying to limit your sugar intake, having to earn your intake and setting a goal you’ll only meet every two or three days is a good way to do this) or to use things that are harmless or you would already get (last year a friend and I agreed to send each other a small snippet of what we were working on for every 5,000 the other person reached).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rewards also don’t have to be expensive- my friend and I sending each other snippets cost us each nothing but about five seconds of our time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again, rewards should never be harmful to you and can be as simple as you want. As long as they make you want to reach your goal, that’s all that matters.</div>
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<b>Recap:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Set goals. Reach goals in allotted time. Get reward. Or, set
goals. Don’t reach goals in allotted time. Don’t get reward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s as plain and as simple as that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope you found this useful! I was excited to share it with
you and look forward to hearing your thought on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ll be back on Friday for a new review series so I hope to
see you then. Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever
after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! Have
you used a rewards system for your writing before? What do you usually use for
rewards?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-5412743916453623662017-11-03T08:30:00.000-04:002017-11-03T08:30:11.447-04:00The Princess Tales: Final Thoughts and Giveaway Winners Announced!<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, my lovelies!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t believe this is the last <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales" target="_blank">Princess Tales</a> post!<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I mentioned in my <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fairys-mistake-review.html" target="_blank">first post</a>, I read this series
years ago. So rereading them to review was interesting, as I came at them from
a different perspective than I did as a girl.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had a rough start reading them at first. The <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/princess-sonora-and-long-sleep-review.html" target="_blank">third book</a> was especially rough for me. But by the end I was in love with this
series. Especially the last three books. The series picked up by the end and I
found I loved it as much as I did as a girl. Differently, but definitely just
as much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Books in Order of Favorite
to Least Favorite:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/cinderellis-and-glass-hill-review.html" target="_blank">Cinderellis and the Glass Hill</a>- <b>5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/for-biddles-sake-review.html" target="_blank">For Biddle’s Sake!</a>- <b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-princess-test-review.html" target="_blank">The Princess Test</a>- <b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-fairys-return-review.html" target="_blank">The Fairy’s Return</a>- <b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fairys-mistake-review.html" target="_blank">The Fairy’s Mistake</a>- <b>3.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/princess-sonora-and-long-sleep-review.html" target="_blank">Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep</a>- <b>3.5 Stars</b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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That puts the average rating at 4.25 Stars but since I don’t
think .25 stars is allowed, I’ll round up and give the entire series a 4.5
Stars. Definitely well deserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I said when I reviewed <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-princess-test-review.html" target="_blank">The Princess Test</a></i> that I would hold off announcing it as my favorite
until the finished the series and I was surprised to find that the last three
almost all bumped that one down on the list (even as it stands, <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-princess-test-review.html" target="_blank">The Princess Test</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-fairys-return-review.html" target="_blank">The Fairy’s Return</a></i> are tied in
fourth place). There were so many good books in this series and it has been a
delight to share them with you all over the last so many weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As promised, here is the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/ivorypalaceprincess/playlist/60ZRkA9yR5iXLs27Us7Yt6" target="_blank">series playlist!</a><br />
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And now the part you really all came for- the giveaway. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Without further ado, I am excited to announce <i>Abigail</i> and <i>Mara </i>as the winners! I will be contacting you with further details
about that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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NaNoWriMo is in full swing and I hope to further connect with
those of you who are participating in that. If you want to stay in touch be
sure to like my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Sauer-327302914135126/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for all the fun I’ve got in store for this
month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next Friday I’ll be starting a new series for the rest of
the month of movies based off classic tales. And on Monday I’ll be offering
some mid-NaNo writing encouragement and advice. I hope to see you then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until the next time we meet don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
are some of your favorite movies based on classics or fairy tales?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-38400399341532527462017-11-01T08:30:00.000-04:002017-11-01T08:30:08.964-04:00What are Your Writing?: NaNoWriMo 2017 Edition<div class="MsoNormal">
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two weeks ago I <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-comprehensive-guide-to-nanowrimo.html" target="_blank">explained what all is involved in participating in NaNoWriMo</a>. I also mentioned how incredibly excited I am
to be participating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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November starts today so I thought I’d share with
you the story I’m so excited to be working on. No commentary on life or writing, no ranting or offering insight, no showing you the world through my
eyes. Just a post about what I’ll be writing this month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Title: <i>The Merry Adventures of Snow and Robin</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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This is a working title. I don’t know that I’ll keep it but
at the moment I love it so at the moment it stays. When it’s actually written
and edited and I’m considering publishing it is when I’ll start thinking about
whether I want to change it or not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Logline (what’s it
about in a very short amount of words): Snow White/Robin Hood retelling which Robin is supposed to kill Snow on the eve of her eighteenth birthday but they decide to become outlaws instead.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The book is going to focus on Robin and Snow’s adventures as
they form their band of outlaws and work to reclaim the
throne for Snow from her stepmother.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Genre: Medieval
Adventure Comedy<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I want to keep the medieval setting from both of the
original tales. The tone of the story will be lighthearted and funny but also have
plenty of action and excitement (hopefully…)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Projected Word Count:
Around 55,000</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I usually have some idea before I start writing of how long
I want the story to be. Sometimes I end up coming up short, sometimes the book
ends up longer. But usually it stays within 5,000/10,000 words of my originally
projected goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think this one is going to hit the official “novel” mark
of 50,000 words (I hope so, because if it doesn’t, I don’t win NaNoWriMo!). But
I also don’t think it’s going to be a whole lot longer than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Main Characters:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I know I’m going to write in third person so I’m not sure if
I’ll stay in Snow’s perspective or if you’ll get some of Robin’s perspective as
well. I’ll probably just start with Snow and see what happens as I write. I
usually don’t plan these sorts of things in advance and like to discover what
is right for my story as I tell it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But whether or not we get inside his head, Robin will
definitely be a major character in the story (his name is in the title, after
all). He’s the strong, warrior sort, while Snow is more clever and cunning.
They balance each other out nicely and once they team up it becomes clear that
together they’re a force to be reckoned with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other major characters are the Merry Men/Dwarves, who aren’t
actually dwarves in this story. They’re a family of miners who take the two
main characters in and end up getting roped into their quest. Each one is based
off a different one of the Merry Men from Robin Hood and I love them all so
much. I won’t say more though because while I have an idea of who I want them each to be they’re probably going to change over the course of the story as it’s
written.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Preparation:</b><br />
I don’t have a
set way that I prepare to write a story and usually just do what I feel that
individual story needs.</div>
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I generally always make a Pinterest board for inspiration
and a Spotify playlist. I did those for this book and I’ll share them with you
a little later on. I also have my short little character sketches that just
summarize who each character is in a paragraph or two. This helps me remember
what exactly I had in mind when I created the characters so that I have a
standard to hold them to as I write (though they are certain to change as the
month goes on and I start to get to know them better and develop them more).<o:p></o:p></div>
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And beyond that I’ve done some rereading of the original
tales the story will be based off of. There were a couple elements of <i>Snow White</i> that I’d never noticed before
that I’m excited to include in my story. Robin Hood is a little harder since
there are so many stories to read but I’m pretty excited about the ideas I have
as to how to incorporate the original legends into this story and world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve also been getting a lot of other stuff off my plate in
terms of writing- I finished the novella I was working on and wrote a good
number of my blog posts for November this month. That way when I do have
writing time it can all be devoted to my NaNo word count.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Links:</b><br />
As promised: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/ivorypalaceprincess/nano-the-merry-adventures-of-snow-and-robin/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/ivorypalaceprincess/playlist/7uHDjuVMUhNdnRv65HwdUI" target="_blank">Playlist</a><br />
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If you want to add me as a writing buddy, here’s my
<a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/jennifer-sauer" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo profile</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And if you want to stay connected this month about NaNoWriMo be sure to like my
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Sauer-327302914135126" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> as that’s where I’ll be posting that sort of stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you in Friday for the <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/p/giveaway.html" target="_blank">giveaway</a> winner
announcement! There’s still time to enter if you haven’t already.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat!
Whether you’re doing NaNoWriMo or not let me know what your November looks
like. What are you planning to work on?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-23657590670592451582017-10-30T09:33:00.001-04:002017-10-30T09:41:26.516-04:00Dear One, You Are Enough<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC-YQ_FiyY5LmezxscULiN3E2kQPtvXU6SMuwYo_FmeI0Db8X8hrjNu5SeuGe9ds-lvSssjrddqeeQmAV0zYO1r3uXuvQ12RZpFRKJILvEZ4FChTldnKb07__3QJ71f3JjeBIj7G9Cxw/s1600/You+Are+Enough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC-YQ_FiyY5LmezxscULiN3E2kQPtvXU6SMuwYo_FmeI0Db8X8hrjNu5SeuGe9ds-lvSssjrddqeeQmAV0zYO1r3uXuvQ12RZpFRKJILvEZ4FChTldnKb07__3QJ71f3JjeBIj7G9Cxw/s400/You+Are+Enough.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lately I’ve become more protective of fairy tales. It’s
weird really and hard to explain, but I’ll try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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See, lately I’ve found myself feeling the same way for Snow
White that I do a close friend. She’s special to me, the one fairy tale I’ve
never felt connected to before. But between my Western Snow White Novella and
my Snow White/Robin Hood Adventure Comedy, I’ve come to spend a lot of time
with her in the last few months.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She’s grown on me. Become a part of me. She means something
to me that I never imagined she would. And because of her I’ve started to
realize why I love fairy tales.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Survivors:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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What do Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty, the Goose Girl, and
Rapunzel all have in common?<o:p></o:p></div>
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They’re survivors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Snow White is almost murdered by her stepmother- a woman so
cruel and vicious that she wants to not only see the girl dead but feast on her
organs- and yet she manages to escape, to get away and make a new life for
herself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cinderella is treated not just as a servant, but a slave by
her family. In some versions of the tale her own father is alive and condoning
the treatment of her. But she doesn’t let that tear her down, doesn’t let that
destroy her. She manages to remain good and sweet and loving despite all the
evils around her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beauty trades herself for her father’s
freedom, but even before that her life is far from ideal. Her own family hates
her, despises her, barely tolerates her. And yet she puts herself into an even
worse situation because she loves her father- her dear, sweet father- and in
that sacrifice she is able to find love. To find hope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Goose Girl is supposed to have nothing but goodness; is
that not how the life is a fairy tale princess is supposed to go? But instead
she is sent away from home- far, far away. She’s tricked into giving up her
rightful place as princess and becomes nothing but a forgotten servants. Her
only friend is killed so that she is really and truly alone. But she
comes out on top. She never gives up and in the end she wins.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rapunzel didn’t grow up in the tower, not in some of the
original tales. She was sent there after she got older. She was just starting
to grow and then her very life was taken away from her and replaced with a tiny
tower cell. Later, the man she loves is taken from her too- cruelly, painfully- and
in some versions she is left to give birth to twins on her own. But she
succeeds in the end. She finds her husband and her family again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Fight:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We’ve become washed with this idea in society today that
women need to be strong and fierce. We have this idea of what that looks like
and oftentimes we aren’t that person. We aren’t warriors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Except fairy tales taught me that I am.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All the examples I gave have one very important thing in
common- they never give up. Life puts them in the most horrible situations and
they don’t stop. They don’t decide life is too much to live, they don’t stop
hoping that goodness will come someday, they don’t give up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>You Will Survive:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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A friend of mine sent me a graphic a while back the simply says
“You’re strong and you’re able.” I made it my lock screen almost immediately
and it has stayed the same ever since. Even after I got a new phone I
downloaded the graphic again so that I could keep that reminder there where I
needed it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Life sucks. I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I look back on
all I’ve been through and all it’s done to me and I marvel that I even got through it. I'm going to talk a little bit about what that has looked like for me next month but it won't even begin to cover it.</div>
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Why does life have to be so ridiculously hard?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t have an answer to that question but I know that it
gets better. You will survive. You will get through this as long as you make up
your mind to. You don’t have to get through it today or tomorrow or even this
month. But as long as you make up your mind to survive, I promise you that you
will.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>It’s Enough:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I feel like we’re told that fairy tale princesses do
nothing. They’re passive, people say. They need to be more proactive, stronger,
fiercer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most authors retelling Snow White give her a sword at
some point. That makes her stronger, I think is the idea. They want Snow White
to be a warrior.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But she already is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She manages to escape the man her stepmother sent to murder
her. She finds people that needs her and throws herself into make their house
her home. She takes a situation filled with darkness and brings light to it. She
not only survives, she thrives at a time when she was supposed to wither up and
just stop living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know what exactly anyone else’s definition of a
warrior is, but Snow White is mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>You Are Enough:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I like to think of my blog posts as love letters to a
friend. You, my lovelies, are important to me and even when I’m talking about
writing or freaking out about a book I just read, I think of every post as a
conversation over tea. I think of us sitting across the table from each other,
laughing and talking and enjoying life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And as my friends I want you to know you are enough. Getting
out of bed each morning on a day when staying in it seems like a better option
is enough. Admitting you don’t have the strength to get out of bed to face the
world and you need to stay in it for another minute or hour or even day is
enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The fact that you are trying, the fact that you are
fighting, the very fact that you are still breathing, your heart is still
beating, is enough. You are enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You are a warrior not because you slay dragons but because
you refuse to let them keep you down for long. You are a warrior because you
try to slay them, no matter how exhausted you are, no matter how much your mind is telling you this is a battle you will never win. You keep trying.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And for today, that is enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The saying goes that every girl dreams of being a princess. Maybe
that isn’t actually true of every girl but I know that every girl can be one in
the sense that every girl is a survivor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whether your life is like Snow White’s, Rapunzel’s,
Cinderella’s, or someone else’s, it’s never dark enough that there is no longer
hope. The sun will come again if you only hold on. You will survive. You are a
warrior. You are strong and you are able and you will get through this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So chin up, princess. The crown falls off if you don’t hold
your head high.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But if it does slip, that’s okay. Just remember to pick it
back up and start all over again. You can do this. Whatever today brings,
you’re strong enough to face it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you on Wendesday for a special "First Day of <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/dashboard" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>" post. And if you haven't entered the <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/p/giveaway.html" target="_blank">Princess Tales giveaway</a> there's still time!<br />
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Until the
next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! Who
is your favorite fairy tale princess? In what ways has she inspired you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-85458710025756346342017-10-27T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-27T08:30:18.075-04:00The Fairy's Return: A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WQJZm80NFyAGx6y7PJcSTxVxZ2FhbJ-hJIb3w2lTVSkROsLmKG8bcoeOfhBK99xiWv0YFujVChOfH2ta7-C1131oXkeYC8_MnGOormuA7GexnnqvXc2KazVtxUXHSXSPsM8rC5H7LtM/s1600/The+Fairy%2527s+Return.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WQJZm80NFyAGx6y7PJcSTxVxZ2FhbJ-hJIb3w2lTVSkROsLmKG8bcoeOfhBK99xiWv0YFujVChOfH2ta7-C1131oXkeYC8_MnGOormuA7GexnnqvXc2KazVtxUXHSXSPsM8rC5H7LtM/s400/The+Fairy%2527s+Return.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t believe this is the last book in the <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales" target="_blank">Princess Tales</a> series!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Fairy’s Return by
Gail Carson Levine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>Boy meets princess,
and it's love at first sight. Both laugh of the same jokes. Both are named
after birds. His name is Robin, hers is Lark. Could there ever have been a more
perfect match?<br />
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But alas! King Harrumphrey won't let Lark marry a baker's son. And Robin is
betrothed to someone else.<br />
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Now toss in Robin's nonsense-talking brothers, Nat and Matt, their versifying
father, and Ethelinda, the fairy who wrought havoc in The Fairy's
Mistake, and you've got a "nutcrazical" situation!<br />
<br />
A hilarious spoof on 'The Golden Goose" by the Brothers Grimm, </i>The
Fairy's Return<i> is the sixth Princess
Tale from beloved Newbery Honor author and master fairy tale reteller Gail
Carson Levine.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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-From <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2662886-the-fairy-s-return?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Goodness this was such a good way to end the series! This
time the tale is a familiar one- <i>The
Golden Goose</i>. But it’s not the classic tale you know. The author does such
a wonderful job of bringing it new depth and character. What a way to end the series on a
strong note.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What I Liked:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I feel like I keep repeating myself but I have to say it
again- I love the characters in this book. Lark and Robin just might be my
favorite couple in the series. They are so pure and innocent and adorable and
reading about them was a pleasure. As always their relationship is done in a
simple way that makes it sweet and pure and perfectly fine for a younger
audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since this is the last book in the series it was fun to see
the author tie it back to the first one and bring the whole series full circle.
There were also so many clever references to the other books and that was fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The plot is great. The author even went with the versions that
add more to the end of the story that most common retellings don’t follow. So it
was really cool to see that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Robin’s dad makes up poems that don’t rhyme but if you
replace the last word of the second line with a synonym they do so that’s really
fun trying to figure out. And Robin’s brothers make up words by mixing two
others which, while it might make this the hardest book to read aloud, were
also super fun to read. I liked the clever things they came up with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What I Didn’t Like:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As with the <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/for-biddles-sake-review.html" target="_blank">last book</a> the brothers in this book felt
like they were Burt and Ralph all over again. I don’t like recycle characters.
They weren’t bad, I just wish we were given something else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unlike the quirks the author gives Robin’s dad and brothers,
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the habit the king had. He would replace normal
words with “harrumph.” Why is never explained and trying to figure out what he
meant was a mental exercise I wasn’t exactly thrilled with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Overview:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I loved this book. So much. So very much. Even though it’s
the same length as the other books it felt so much shorter, the story moving
faster than I wanted only because I didn't want it to be over. It was simple and sweet though and I adored it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m sad that the series is over but excited to announce a
giveaway!!! Head over to the giveaway page here on the blog or just <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/p/giveaway.html" target="_blank">click here</a>
for more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The playlist will go live next week when I offer a recap on
the series and announce the giveaway winners. I hope to see you then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until the next time we meet don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat!
What’s one series that has a really great last book? And what fairy tale series would you like to see me review next?</b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-14820799536327974082017-10-23T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-23T11:50:46.106-04:00What You Need to Know About Prewriting<div class="MsoNormal">
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Hello, my lovelies!<br />
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Are any of you getting geared up for <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-comprehensive-guide-to-nanowrimo.html" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> next month? I
know I am! But whether you plan to write your book in a pressure-induced frenzy or on your own schedule it never hurts to have a plan. So today I wanted to talk about prewriting techniques.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is Prewriting?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Exactly what it sounds like. Prewriting is all the things
you do before you actually sit down to write a novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My own prewriting routine changes depending on the book I’m
writing and what I feel I need. But there are still many tried and true methods
that I’ve used or know work for other writers and I thought I’d share them with
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Outlining:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This is something I could write an entire series of posts on
because there are so many different ways to outline. But there isn’t one proven
method that works so honestly you just need to find the one that works for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some people find that an extensive outline makes their
writing process all the more easier and if you’re one of those people kudos to
you! I would love to know more about your methods and what exactly that looks
like for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Personally, outlines don’t work for me. I like to explore as
I write and an outline looks less like a map to me and more like a ball and
chain. It feels constricting and they always end up doing me more harm than
good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That said, having some sort of direction is always good. So
even if you don’t outline, I would recommend having a clear picture in your
head of what you’re working toward- at the end of your story what does victory
look like? Keep that in mind as you write and work toward that. This will not
only help you remember what your characters want and are working toward, it
also gives you a clearer goal than “the moment when I get to type ‘the end.’”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also like to create a separate document specifically for
random notes and ideas I have, that way I can look
back on it and remember stuff I wanted to do when I’m in the midst of the
writing process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So whether you want to sit down and bullet point out each
and every scene and beyond or you’d rather keep most of it a mystery and explore
as you write, having some sort of direction for your story ahead of time will help
keep you focused as you write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Character Outlines:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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As a character driven writer I love having my characters
fleshed out before I start writing a single word. Character outlines help me do
this, though over the years I have yet to find one method that I like better
than others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes I like to make basic outlines for each of my
character that follows <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2014/06/outlining-characters.html" target="_blank">this template</a>. Sometimes I use <a href="https://charahub.com/" target="_blank">Charahub</a>’s questions and make character profiles. Sometimes I just open a word document
and type up quick summaries of each character and who they are.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good things to know ahead of time are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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-What is each character’s physical goal? (What is the story
goal for them? Is it to find the magic talisman? Take down the evil government?
Solve the mystery?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-What is each character’s emotional/personal goal? (While
larger story goals are great, having smaller, more personal goals for your
character makes them feel more real)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-What is their history leading up to this point? (Even if
you just have a very basic idea)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-How do they react to people in general? (Are they more
introverted or extroverted? Do they approach things from more of an analytical
perspective or an emotional one?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-How do they react to situations in general? (Are they
optimistic or pessimistic? Serious or sarcastic?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>A Developed World/Research:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Whether you’re writing a historical fiction, a fantasy, a
sci-fi, or a contemporary novel having a clear idea of how your world works is
always a great idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, these are things you can develop as the story progresses and if you are an exploratory writer like me you don’t plan it all
out ahead of time. But having a basic idea of things like who uses magic in
your world, what a basic day looks like for a typical high schooler, what
ancient nomads ate, or how people get from one planet to another are always good
things to know ahead of time if they’re going to pop up in your story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is also a good time to do any research you think you
might need to do. Start checking out some library books or searching the
internet for any information you know you’ll need but have no idea about. And make sure to take notes. You don't want to have to start all over again next time you need a piece of information.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again, you don’t need to have it all mapped out down to the
last detail, but thinking about simple things ahead of time and having even the
smallest bit of direction is never a bad idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>A Game Plan:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Whether your schedule is so busy it’s hard to find the time
or you just have so much time to write that it’s easy to put it off until later,
having a plan is always a good idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Take a look at your schedule and see if there’s some time
you can set aside to get your words written. Do you have a free afternoon each
week? Can you free up an hour or two one day by pushing yourself the day
before?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For me, I realized that as long as I make myself get all my
stuff done on Tuesday afternoons, it leaves most of Wednesday left to write. I
also like to use Saturdays to push myself to get just a little more done before
the end of the week.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Do you have an extra hour somewhere that you usually spend doing
something unnecessary? While rest and self-care are important if it’s just a
time you spend idling that you could spend doing more important things take advantage of that time (I waste a
lot of time surfing Facebook- not even interacting, just scrolling).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Having time set aside makes it more than just a desire- it
makes it a commitment. It’s a promise to yourself that you’re going to be
diligent and follow through and that this is important to you. Setting time
aside makes it a priority in a world that will always offer us another excuse
not to sit down and get it done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Inspiration:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Before you sit down to write it’s always a good idea to have
things that inspire you on hand for when you’re feeling stuck. As I’ve
mentioned, I like making a Pinterest board and a playlist for each story to
remind me of the visuals and emotions I had in my mind when I was first excited
about this idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Your outlines or character outlines could also count for
this- these are great ways to remind you of who your characters are and where
you planned on going before. Even if the story outgrows these things, having
them on hand helps remind you of the heart of what you wanted for this story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also books and movies in the genre you’re writing can be
helpful, just so long as you’re careful not to accidentally steal elements of
them for your own story. As long as they stay as nothing more than inspiration
they can be great sources of that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Fuel:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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What you want to fuel this story? Are you a coffee drinker?
A tea lovers? Do you like to munch on celery and carrots while you write? What
about chocolate? Or if you’re weird like me, you might associate yogurt with
long stretches of writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While writing should never be an excuse be fall into unwise
or unhealthy habits, having things on hand that might boost your creativity can
be a good idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Just remember to also eat lots of food to increase brain
power and to also stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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At the end of the day, this is your time to get prepared. You
know yourself and your book better than me and only you can determine what you’re
going to need. It can be as detailed or as sparse as you want it to be, but try
to be as prepared as you think you’re going to need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You don’t want to look back midnovel and curse your past
self for putting stuff off that you knew you needed to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope to see you on Friday for the last <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales" target="_blank">Princess Tale</a> review and a giveaway announcement! Until the next time we meet don’t forget
to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
does your prewriting routine look like? What’s something you’d like to be
better at?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-82405611588885248432017-10-20T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-20T08:30:03.042-04:00For Biddle's Sake!: A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVzHYZUdFFjTdsqYn3Ral_1HT72uoAPD8DAcgM6rL4ShcXHNGTJ8TqXJd58RJAUJXgkJxjLXeDxT4h2529Gzo-tIIBWcYCLGcFik8GyapJgZRt-Y8yPoFHrgvxPOyNKZw1ZsMiI9chSw/s1600/For+Biddle%2527s+Sake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVzHYZUdFFjTdsqYn3Ral_1HT72uoAPD8DAcgM6rL4ShcXHNGTJ8TqXJd58RJAUJXgkJxjLXeDxT4h2529Gzo-tIIBWcYCLGcFik8GyapJgZRt-Y8yPoFHrgvxPOyNKZw1ZsMiI9chSw/s400/For+Biddle%2527s+Sake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So excited to share another of <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales" target="_blank">The Princess Tales</a> with
you! I can’t believe there’s only one more after this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>For Biddle’s Sake! by
Gail Carson Levine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>The young maiden,
Parsley, will eat nothing but parsley, which in Snettering-on-Snoakes grows
only in the fairy Bombina's garden. All is well -- until Bombina is released
from the fairy queen's dungeon. Her crime? Failing to get along with humans.
And turning them into toads!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, twin princes Randolph and Rudolph are causing trouble at Biddle
Castle and pinning everything on their younger brother, Tansy. Prince Tansy
cares about Biddle. Randolph and Rudolph don't. But one of the twins will be
king, unless Prince Tansy accepts help from a green Biddlebum Toad!<br />
<br />
A delightful retelling of the little-known German fairy tale
"Puddocky," this fifth Princess Tale from Newbery Honor author Gail
Carson Levine shows that nothing is quite as it seems and that anything is
possible, with a dash of magic and a barrel of love.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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-From <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183661.For_Biddle_s_Sake?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not going to lie- I didn’t know what fairy tale this was
retelling until I read the Goodreads description about two minutes before reading this. Before
that I thought it was a strange mix of Rapunzel and The Frog Prince with some
other stuff mixed in. I’ve never heard of Puddocky before but a quick search of
it on Google and it is definitely what this story is based on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But even without knowing the original tale, I really liked
this story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What I Liked:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This author does the same things right over and over again-
the characters are great, the light romance is sweet, and the plot and
narrative style are on point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I love Parsley and Tansy. They’re cute and watching them
grow up together is fun. Individually they’re good characters, especially
Parsley, who we are not only told is lovable but also shown. The story focuses
on her and she’s a delight from start to finish. I can almost picture the
adorable smile of hers that the author mentions again and again. She’s kind and
good but also has a bit of spunk and sass to her that is really fun to see. Of
all the girls in this series, she’s the one I have the most vivid picture of in
my mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tansy felt like a mix of <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/cinderellis-and-glass-hill-review.html" target="_blank">Cinderellis</a> and <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/princess-sonora-and-long-sleep-review.html" target="_blank">Princess Sonora</a>,
which I thought was cool since they would have been his ancestors. So it was
fun to see the author incorporate that into the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The relationship between Parsley and Tansy is so stinkin’
cute! As with the others, the romance is light enough to be shared even with a
younger audience. But it’s also developed so well- cute and sweet and a delight
to read. I loved watching the way it progressed over the course of the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The plot of this one was fun and interesting, especially
since I wasn’t familiar with the original tale and so I had no idea what to
expect. And as always the narrative style was as fun as ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What I Didn’t Like:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the downsides of reading a series so fast is getting
to see the similarities in the stories. While sometimes they’re fun callbacks,
other times they just end up feeling like recycled ideas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tansy’s brothers felt a bit recycled to me, a lot like Burt
and Ralph from the last story- the two brothers who are thick as thieves and
have no use for their little brother. While they were good characters I also
felt like they were a bit too close to the other brothers for my taste.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, in the context of the story I guess it made sense but Parsley
is sort of stolen from her parents by the fairy without it really seeming like
a bad thing. That sort of made me puzzled, like I wasn’t sure if I was supposed
to be happy that she’d been taken away from her family or not. It sort of made
sense in context but also sort of just didn’t quite sit right with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And as I mentioned <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/10/cinderellis-and-glass-hill-review.html" target="_blank">last week</a>, I’m not a fan of the way
the King and Queen are named. But I won’t rant about that all over again…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Overview:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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All in all, it was a really good story. I loved the
characters and plot and narration and the way it all fit together. And I
discovered a new fairy tale! Always a plus. Would highly recommend- especially,
as always, to be read aloud to a younger audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I can’t believe next week is the last book! Be sure to come
back for that, as well as a giveaway announcement. And I’ll be back on Monday
to talk about writing again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily
ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! What
really obscure fairy tale would you like to see retold?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-54495767912437573522017-10-16T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-16T08:30:18.017-04:00A Comprehensive Guide to NaNoWriMo<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jIkGQr6TATV8Zyu7JObvTa2gP9K-AioLnOOWTQR3Z5nkLl5G53Hv8pWs4puz5x2_BVOkor4vNTtCuMOLjXL3w9dW-TPm6ttedOnXXOaRK7SdFI7tg9FxERGYB74ynZbcwC9xulpkGhs/s1600/A+Comprehansive+Guide+to+NaNoWriMo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jIkGQr6TATV8Zyu7JObvTa2gP9K-AioLnOOWTQR3Z5nkLl5G53Hv8pWs4puz5x2_BVOkor4vNTtCuMOLjXL3w9dW-TPm6ttedOnXXOaRK7SdFI7tg9FxERGYB74ynZbcwC9xulpkGhs/s400/A+Comprehansive+Guide+to+NaNoWriMo-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">NaNoWrio official promo graphics ©NaNoWriMo</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hello, my lovelies!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s almost November!! It is for those of us who are gearing
up for NaNoWriMo, anyway (though, if you’re like me, you’ve been geared up for
this since December 1st of last year).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Or there’s a good chance you’re scratching your head right
now wondering why on earth I’m jumping up and down excited for what looks like
some weird jumble of letters that make no sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is NaNoWriMo?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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According to the <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">official website</a>: <i>National Novel Writing
Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative
writing. </i></div>
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<i>On November 1,
participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by
11:59 PM on November 30.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Valuing enthusiasm,
determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever
thought about writing a novel.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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In order to participate, all you need to do is create an
account, fill out the information about your novel,
and then when November 1st comes you sit down and start writing. Then over the
course of the month you keep writing and writing and writing until you write
50,000 words that month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Crazy, I know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why 50,000?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Any work that is 50,000 words or over is officially
considered a novel. Anything under 50,000 words falls either into the novella
or the short story category depending on the word count. So it’s 50,000 words
because it’s National Novel Writing Month, not National Short Story Month or
National Novella Month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why Do It?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In the end you write about 1,666 words a day. Which is a lot
of words. And writing an entire novel in a month isn’t anything to sneeze at.
So why do it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are a lot of reasons actually, each person who
participates most likely has a slightly different reason. But some common
reasons are that people find the deadline appealing- it pushes you to keep
writing and keeps you from over-editing as you write- and the competition-
while anyone who reaches 50,000 is a winner there is still that same feeling of
competition any challenge has, even if that competition is really only with yourself
in this case.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s also just really nice to know there are so many people
around the world writing at the same time as you and trying to accomplish the
same goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So Is It Right For Me?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t know. I know a lot of people who love it- I’m one of
those people- and I know a lot of people who will never, ever do it again or
who flat-out refuse to even try it in the first place. It’s not a
one-size-fits-all sort of a deal and there are a lot of things to consider before
you just jump in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want to determine if it’s right for you or not, ask
yourself these questions:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Do You Write Well
Under Pressure?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I like deadlines and write better when I have a goal that is
forcing me to sit down and write a certain amount of words per day. If I don’t
have a set word count I end up writing about a hundred words and then
calling it a day because I’m tired or I have something else to do or I just don’t
feel like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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NaNoWriMo makes me focus and forces me to write. It also
helps me to recognize what are actual priorities and what are nothing but excuses
not to write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other writers find that the pressure of NaNoWriMo doesn’t
fit their writing style. Some writers work better writing slowly, editing as
they go. Some have a limited amount of time and don’t like to be told how many
words they need to write in that small window. Some find the word count makes
them focus too hard on quantity rather than quality to the point of making the
story almost ineditable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Do You Struggle with
Over-Editing While You Write?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you tend to get hung up on editing as you write to the
point that it keeps you from moving forward? Do you find your “inner editor” brings crippling self-doubt that causes you to get discouraged and give up?<o:p></o:p></div>
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NaNoWriMo forces you to keep the “just keep writing”
mentality. You don’t have time to edit and you don’t have time to ask too many
questions about your story. So what if that one line isn’t perfect? So what is
that scene isn’t quite right? So what if that one part of your plot might need
tweaking? Just. Keep. Writing. You can always edit it later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And a lot of times I end up finding that the things I hated
while I was writing them aren’t so bad when I read them over again a month or
two later. Sometimes all you need is to keep writing and edit later and
NaNoWriMo forces you to do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other writers find they work better writing a polished first
draft, editing as they go. So something that is forcing them to write fast and
edit later just doesn’t work. For NaNoWriMo there is a daily word count to meet
each day and if you don’t meet your word count the count for the next day just
goes up in order for you to stay on track. When you write better polishing as
you write, having the pressure of doing that while also meeting a high word
count each day can be the death of your novel and your creativity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Do You Like to
Explore as You Write or Outline Every Last Detail?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Part of what I love about writing is exploring as I write. I
like solving problems on the fly and figuring out where I need to go in the
moment. Since I have a word count to meet each day, NaNoWriMo forces me to make
decisions in my story or just keep writing through the plot holes. This keeps
me from overanalyzing the story as I write and questioning every single action.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Without a push to keep writing I would give up stories
because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do or I would put off actually
taking the time to work through the problems. This way I have a deadline and I
don’t have an excuse to keep from fixing what needs fixed right now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Similarly, NaNoWriMo also works well for people who
outline extensively in advance and need a push to actually sit down and get the
words on the page. If you have a plan you’re confident in but just want an
added push to help you execute it, this might be the thing for you. The story
is all planned out from start to finish, you just need to actually sit down and
write it. NaNoWriMo can help you do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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NaNoWriMo doesn’t tend to work for those who like to explore
as they write but also do well with taking their time in solving problems. Some
writers might work on their stories daily, but only do actual writing every few
days or so. In between they might be outlining what’s to come, polishing what
came before, and figuring out their characters and the direction their story is
taking.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So Is It Right For Me?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Only you can decide that. You know yourself and what works
for you and what doesn’t. Only you know if NaNoWriMo will help your writing or
harm it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But my advice would be that if you work better at your own
pace and thrive by making your own schedule, then I would suggest skipping
this. Better to stick with what works for you than risk hurting your novel.
Because most people I know who have done NaNoWriMo and discovered it wasn’t
right for them, they tend to wind up trashing the novel they wrote that month
because they feel that it was ruined.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But if the intensive pressure and competition sound like something
that might be good for you and your writing, I would highly recommend giving it
a try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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First, create an account on the <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo website</a>.
From there you’ll be given instructions on how to do things like create your
novel (tell the world what you’ll be writing), join the forums (connect with
writers from all over the world), and join a local region (connect with writers
in your area). I haven’t interacted on the forums before but I attended a
couple of local things last year and would highly recommend them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What Do I Do Before
November?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Anything but write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The weeks leading up to November are great for planning as
much as you want. I usually make a Pinterest board to use for inspiration when
I get stuck, a playlist to listen to while I write or to keep my creative
juices flowing when I’m not writing, and do whatever research I know I’m going
to need to do for this story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You can also use these months for character sketches, any outlining
you might want to do, those sorts of things. If you are a planner, get planning
now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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These weeks are also really good to take things off your
schedule that you might be able to ahead of time- for instance, I’m trying to
use them to get some blog posts written ahead of time so I have more time to
devote to novel writing. Obviously you can’t put your life on hold for a novel
but if there are things you can take care of now instead of later, these next
few weeks are the time to do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>And What Do I Do In
November</b>?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Write.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sit down at your computer or pull out your notebook and
pen/pencil and write. And just keep writing until you hit 50,000 words. Then if
there’s more story left to do, keep on writing that. Write until the book is
done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>So What Do I Do After
November?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ll talk about that when November is over ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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NaNoWriMo isn’t for everyone. But if the fast-paced frenzy
of the month sounds like something you’d be interested in, be sure to check out
the official <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo website</a> for more information.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m excited to be participating this year and I hope you’ll
be joining me. Or, I hope you’re wise enough to recognize that this isn’t for
you and you find another way to boost your creativity. Whatever the case, I
hope November is a productive month for you.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
If you have any further questions about NaNoWriMo be sure to drop them in the comments and I would be happy to answer them!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ll be back on Friday with yet another book in the Princess
Tales. Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after
<3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! Who
else is excited for NaNoWriMo? What story are you planning to work on?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-69358104861652661542017-10-13T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-13T11:38:25.588-04:00Cinderellis and the Glass Hill: A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRPv3k1IQLaOhV-Q7OEyZPOhX-_V1aoDVM18ShKe5pBEDtBp4X_bG4Dje0y6O1ac5-EXz70YTFZMhLFmyF1KeMjOwq-W-CaR5Li4DPd4mm6Nk1k5DwJfOV4aKwwGjExcyTM-IO7NUoCc/s1600/Cinderellis+and+the+Glass+Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRPv3k1IQLaOhV-Q7OEyZPOhX-_V1aoDVM18ShKe5pBEDtBp4X_bG4Dje0y6O1ac5-EXz70YTFZMhLFmyF1KeMjOwq-W-CaR5Li4DPd4mm6Nk1k5DwJfOV4aKwwGjExcyTM-IO7NUoCc/s400/Cinderellis+and+the+Glass+Hill.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m back for Book 4 of <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales" target="_blank">The Princess Tales</a>!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Cinderellis and the
Glass Hill by Gail Carson Levine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>5 Stars<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>In this unusual spin
on an old favorite, Cinderella is a boy! He's Cinderellis, and he has two unfriendly
brothers and no fairy godmother to help him out. Luckily, he does have magical
powders, and he intends to use them to win the hand of his Princess Charming--
that is, Marigold. The only problem is-- Marigold thinks Cinderellis is a
monster!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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-From <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/444328.Cinderellis_and_the_Glass_Hill?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I knew there was a reason I was holding off on deeming <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-princess-test-review.html">The Princess Test</a></i> my favorite!
Having actually finished reading all of them now, this one definitely takes that title (though the last two are also great and I look forward to sharing them
with you in the coming weeks).<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a fun spin not only on the timeless <i>Cinderella </i>tale but also the lesser
known <i>Glass Hill</i> fairy tale. I think
there might even be another fairy tale mixed in that I’m missing. The stories
mix well and I enjoyed the classic elements as well as the new twists the
author put on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What I Liked:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Everything. What I liked about this book was everything. It
was a fun tale with good characters, a solid plot, and the great narration I’ve
been talking about since my review of the <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fairys-mistake-review.html" target="_blank">first book</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cinderellis is such an endearing character, strong and brave
and clever but also sweet and gentle and kind. He’s exactly what you would
expect of a Cinderella character but in a nice, well-developed sort of way. I
also adore the love interest, Princess Marigold. She’s the kind of character
you wish you could just climb into the book and hug and hug and hug until every
one of her broken pieces are put back together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Together the two of them are one of the sweetest couples in
this series (and it has a lot of sweet couples). I love them together and their relationship is great (though in keeping with the rest of the series, it’s
written in a way you could read to younger kids without a problem).<o:p></o:p></div>
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The twists on the original tales was so fun! The “evil
stepsisters” are Cinderellis’ two brothers who more ignore or barely notice
Cinderellis than anything else. Most of his motivation throughout the story is
to impress them, the little brother desiring for his older brothers to notice
him and accept him as one of their own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I also love the way the author manages to get inside so many
characters’ heads in such a short book in such an effective way. Sometimes it’s
the most random of characters (like the horses) but it adds something to the story
when in so many other books the same thing takes away something. It’s just
really good writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What I Didn’t Like:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Okay, so maybe I didn’t quite like everything. But I didn’t
even dislike this enough to knock even a portion of a star off the rating, so it’s
not even really worth mentioning. Except that it really annoyed me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This started in <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/princess-sonora-and-long-sleep-review.html" target="_blank">Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep</a> </i>(Book Three) but for some reason all the
kings and queens in this story have the same name now. In <i>The Princess Test</i> they were named King Humphry and Queen Hermione.
In <i>Princess Sonora</i> they were named
King Humphry II and Queen Hermione II. In this book they were named King
Humphry III and Queen Hermione III. It continues into books four and five as
well and every time I saw it, it would just make me mad. It just doesn’t make
sense to me and I don’t understand it and I would have liked the author to make
a different choice on that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But like I said, it’s not even a huge deal. I just needed to
rant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Overview:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As stated, this is my favorite book in the series. I adored
it so incredibly much and I’m so excited to share it with you. It’s a fun,
lighthearted read that I plowed through in a day. It’s quick and simple but
full of so many wonderful things. And I actually read this one out loud so I
can say with certainty that it is in fact a great read-aloud book. I’m excited
to have kids to read it to someday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>I started putting the series playlist together! Excited to share it with you in a few weeks.</o:p></div>
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Continuing along the theme of favorites, I’ll be back on
Monday to share one of my favorite things with you! I hope to see you then.
Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b>P.S. Let's Chat! What's your favorite lesser know fairy tale you'd love to see retold? What common fairy tales do you think it would mix well with?</b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-15651250839637585702017-10-09T09:31:00.002-04:002017-10-11T18:55:26.591-04:00How to Write Women: A Guide<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOwgGuw2-aETXrjQTcyQhtCvoVhP1YuI7QvzHKWHGAOwObSiFPAz1IbW9s5dAg7kVnTpm-tcE8ayQ3P1j1tXML_xMgj-FVGeFYK75CtI3hPui_W2ZKBBbW0GkuVEYWOC7I7QGyOBdv68/s1600/How+to+Write+Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOwgGuw2-aETXrjQTcyQhtCvoVhP1YuI7QvzHKWHGAOwObSiFPAz1IbW9s5dAg7kVnTpm-tcE8ayQ3P1j1tXML_xMgj-FVGeFYK75CtI3hPui_W2ZKBBbW0GkuVEYWOC7I7QGyOBdv68/s400/How+to+Write+Women.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Hello, my lovelies!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Several weeks ago I was talking to a young woman I have had the
pleasure of seeing grow up. She’s still young- in high school- but she has come
so far and grown so much and I am so proud of the woman she is growing into.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I want nothing but the best for her. She is an incredible
young woman who is going to go so far and do all sorts of amazing things. She’s
talented, has the sweetest heart, and is so very insightful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So you can imagine my concern when she expressed to me that
she’s been struggling with the way girls are portrayed in media. Because while
she’s smart enough to say “That’s not how I’m supposed to be”
there are so many girls who don’t have that wisdom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br />
<b>The Tests:</b></div>
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It has been the curse of females everywhere to read novels
and see a cast of strong, well-written men, to watch movies with deep portrayals
of male protagonists, and then when we look for stories with similarly written
females we come up short.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the writing/literary world we have this thing called the
Bechdel test. The requirements for a story to pass this test are simple
enough- the story must have two female characters, both of whom are named, and
they need to have at least one conversation with each other about something
other than a man.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It really should be easy for stories to pass this test, but
it’s actually so hard that the writing world has come up with another easier
test- the Sexy Lamp test. In order to administer this test, you need to imagine
the female in the story is replaced with an inanimate object. It fails if the
story is still largely the same even though one of its major characters has
been all but removed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>The Tropes:</b><br />
Why? For a world with a huge number of female writers why is
it so hard to find women who are well-written? Why do little girls have to find
themselves gravitating to male characters as favorites not because they just
happen to prefer that character but because the females put in front of them
are confusing and frustrating?<o:p></o:p></div>
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For years the majority of girls in stories were reduced to
the love interest or damsel in distress in the story. In classics if the
protagonist is a male there is a good chance the girl’s role will be to help
the main character in his own growth and spiritual awakening but she herself is
nothing more than a symbol.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In later years there has been a new wave of females written
specifically to counteract these portrayals of old. They are the “strong,”
“independent” females who have trouble making friends with other women because
these other girls are too silly or immature or girly for them and the extent of their
character development at the start of their story is to say as often as they
can, “I don’t want to get married.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because the desire to be married, obviously, makes you far
from strong or independent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<br />
<b>The Mixed Messages:</b></div>
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The Mama Bear trope is often considered to be the pinnacle
of fierceness. And yet in stories we’re told that getting married and having
babies makes you weak. How does that make sense?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The things we see in the world around us- the good,
beautiful, inspiring things- are the ones we’re told in stories are bad, bad
things. We’re told we’re weak for wanting a relationship, companionship, and
that not only can I never be a strong independent female for wanting those
things but no other strong independent female will ever want to be my friend if
I want them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We teach girls to either compete with each other for man’s
affection or to isolate ourselves from other girls because we’re too good for
them. Our ideals are so much more enlightened than theirs that we can’t even
stoop to talk to them, that’s how far beneath us they are.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
We constantly tout the idea that violence isn't the answer but a female who isn't a warrior- who can't wield a sword or hold her own in a fist fight- is said to be weak, isn't a role model or someone to be admired. A female who is diplomatic is considered weak or the writers feel the need to also throw in that while she mostly uses her words she can still definitely take you down if you cross her.</div>
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We counteract stories that teach girls to compete with each
other with stories that tell girls to be loners. We feed into the idea of girls
being petty, manipulative, and drama-seekers instead of encouraging girls to
cultivate friendships with the women around them. To learn from them. To seek
relationships that aren’t romantic, pure and innocent and healthy
relationships.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how are we supposed to write women, you ask?<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>Write People:</b><br />
Stop writing “women” and start writing “people.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The problem with most female characters isn’t that they want
to get married or they don’t. The problem is that their character development
begins and ends there. We have reduced females in stories to sexy lamps who
have no purpose save to look pretty or friendless parrots who say the same
thing over and over again because people think that’s what we need and want to
hear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But what we really want and need is for our gender to no
longer be used in stories to prove a point or serve as an example or symbol for
us as a whole.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Women are all different- we're lawyers and soldiers and housewives and warriors. Some of us are soft and gentle and could never use a weapon if we tried. Some of us were practically born with us a weapon in our hands. Some of us are good with our words and want to use them to change the world. Some of us are called to fight for our country and what we believe in. Some of us are different mixes of those things.<br />
<br />
Even if you believe in gender
roles and women having a certain position in the world that doesn’t make them
all the same. We’re individuals who want to be treated as such. When we read a
story we don’t want to read about a cardboard cutout of what someone things we
ought to be. We want to read about an individual person who might be vastly
different than us but feels real and complex. We’ve been reading about guys for
years, after all, so reading about women who are different from us isn’t going
to be that much of a shock to our systems.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>What Makes the Tick?</b></div>
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See there is actually nothing wrong with the damsel in
distress or the girl who states over and over again that she doesn’t want to
get married. There are women in this world who are those ways and there is nothing
wrong with having characters like that in a story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But make them people. Why is the damsel in distress the way
she is? I would actually love to see a story where this trope is done without
it being a trope. I would love to see a damsel in distress who feels like a
real, honest individual with hopes and insecurities and dreams and weaknesses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Or the woman who doesn’t want to get married. Why does she
feel that way? Because she is modern and enlightened isn’t an actual reason. A
modern and enlightened woman can also be a stay-at-home mom- the two are not
mutually exclusive. Or maybe this character does just simply not have that
desire. But what desires does she have? What are her strengths? What are her
weaknesses?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>Give Them a Balance:</b><br />
Oftentimes, to counteract the portrayals of women as weak
nobodies, these female characters who are portrayed as strong and independent
don’t have weaknesses. They are shown almost as if they are the pinnacle of
womanhood. They’re strong and fierce and don’t need anyone to do anything for
them and they aren’t ever weak or insecure and have no flaws whatsoever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which basically is just taking the male adventure hero trope
that people like to complain about, changing the character from a male to a
female, and rebranding it as a good thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Write women with weaknesses. Write women with flaws. Write
women who are insecure and vulnerable and frail. Write women who are strong.
Independent. Fierce. But make them a believable balance of the positive and
negative.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I want a woman who is fierce but flawed. Independent but
insecure. Strong in some places but weak in others.<br />
<br />
But also remember that not every women is an exact balance. Making her a happily married woman who also knows how to hold her own in a fighting arena is also just a trope if she's not developed. And again, there are different definitions of strength so while you can make your woman a warrior also consider there are a lot of women out there who have strengths in other places.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>Again, Write People:</b><br />
Forget tropes and start writing people like people. Make
your characters real with hopes and aspirations, flaws and insecurities. Give
them a history. Give them dreams for the future. Give them friends or make them
lonely. Give them friends and make them lonely at the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look at the world around you, at all the intricate layers of
humanity. Look at how detailed every individual’s personality is and then take
a long, hard look at your own characters. Can they be replaced with an
inanimate object or are they too complex to be compare with something like a
lamp?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Male or female remember that your characters are people
before they are anything else. They aren’t a symbol or a stereotype or a standard
for everyone else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So write them as such.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you need some help with where to start with this, be sure to check out my post about <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2014/06/outlining-characters.html">outlining characters</a>.<br />
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I hope to see you on Friday for my latest review! And until
the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<b>P.S. Let’s chat! What
are some problems you see with the way women are written? Who are some of
your favorite female characters or female characters you think are written the best?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-28095730352743412652017-10-06T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-06T08:30:24.218-04:00ABC's Still Star-Crossed: A Review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aOJ4LpGBnaEfURQC-C1vIex01jb4J5s-_fNGs4wpRVte5A9VI5C3fhDO2CcVqwagK16_qADQqDPVINLTbrNFmVphJKUYqrrhloNv8aL_bOlwIksI7bYCMKSmHsqI1RlP_bIxQtDwjsU/s1600/Still+Star-Crossed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aOJ4LpGBnaEfURQC-C1vIex01jb4J5s-_fNGs4wpRVte5A9VI5C3fhDO2CcVqwagK16_qADQqDPVINLTbrNFmVphJKUYqrrhloNv8aL_bOlwIksI7bYCMKSmHsqI1RlP_bIxQtDwjsU/s400/Still+Star-Crossed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Still Star-Crossed official promo graphic ©ABC Studios</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hello, my lovelies!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taking a break this week from <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Princess%20Tales">the Princess Tales</a> to
bring you a review of a show I watched recently.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b>Still Star-Crossed
from ABC</b></h3>
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<b>4 Stars</b></div>
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<i>Based on the book by Melinda Taub, ABC’s </i>Still Star-Crossed <i>is a sequel to
Shakespeare’s </i>Romeo and Juliet.<i> The couple’s two families are still reeling from their children’s deaths and seeking
closure. They are moving toward armistice at the command of their prince but neither
side necessarily wants that.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>At the heart of it all are Rosalind Capulet and Benvolio Montague-
cousins of Juliet and Romeo respectively. As a show of good faith between the
two houses they’ve been ordered to marry, but neither of them much likes that
idea. Added to that is a whole lot of intrigue, engaging characters, and plot
and wit Shakespeare himself would be proud of.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I utterly adored this show. I knew I was going to love it from
the moment I watched the trailer and each episode was consumed with the fear that something was going to happen to completely ruin it for me. But that never happened and here we are, with me getting to share this beautiful little gem with you.</div>
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<h3>
<b>What I Liked:</b></h3>
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<b>Rosalind and Benvolio</b>:
I put these two together but feel I should address them separately first. These
two characters, as individuals, are amazing. The actors who play them do so to
perfection and they are written as interesting and dynamic people. They have
lives beyond each other- indeed, they want nothing to do with each other- and
they feel real and honest and true. I am not going to lie- I have a major crush
on Benvolio. And Rosalind is just the sort of practical and levelheaded person
I would love to be best friends with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But then together, they’re amazing. They have wonderful chemistry
but their relationship builds based off mutual respect and understanding.
Theirs isn’t a physical relationship- indeed, they spend a good portion of the
show trying to figure out how to keep from getting married to each other. Their
bickering too is great because it builds from the two of them challenging the
other and pointing out a side of things the other doesn’t understand. While
their words might be hurtful at times it comes from their own hurt and not a
desire to merely tear down the other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And there is so much more than bickering. They work
together- since their marriage is supposed to bring peace and they figure if
they can bring peace before their marriage there will be no need for it- and
they do so beautifully. The show could have botched everything else but kept
them the same and I would have still loved it for them alone. Though,
thankfully, it didn’t botch the rest of it and did so much that was right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also the way Benvolio consistently calls Rosalind “Capulet”
is one of the cutest things ever. Just sayin’…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Juliet’s Parents:</b>
The way Juliet’s parents deal with their grief over the loss of their daughter
is worthy of a Shakespearean drama. I don’t want to say too much because of
spoilers, but I did love it. Their confusion over what happened, their anger,
their torment, are all worthy of <i>Macbeth</i>
or <i>Hamlet </i>or <i>Julius Caesar</i>. It was brilliantly written and I loved it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Set and Costumes:
</b>I love period dramas for their visuals and this show did not disappoint.
The costumes and scenery are exquisite- vibrant and lush. I don’t know much
about costumes from that time so I have no idea if they were historically
accurate. But they fit the story and the rest of the show and I loved them for
that. I hope to cosplay Rosalind and her gorgeous blue gown and cape someday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Plot:</b> Oh
goodness there was so much plot. It kept twisting and turning and surprised me
several times. And even the stuff I did see coming it wasn’t in a “Yeah, called
that, whatever” sort of way but was more like that small window immediately
before a car crash- the realization hitting about what is going to happen and
the implications of what that means and the damage it can bring but there’s
nothing you can do to stop it. So you watch with horror, unable to look away
but also dreading every second of it (which, in a story like this one, is a good thing).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The General Shakespeare
Feel:</b> I’ve mentioned it several times before but I feel it bears repeating
in it’s own point- This show felt like Shakespeare. While the dialogue wasn’t
in the language we’ve come to associate with Shakespeare’s works, it had the
wit of Shakespeare. It also had the intrigue, the drama, the comedy. It felt
like watching a movie of a Shakespeare play and it brought me all the same
feelings I’ve come to associate with his works. Rosalind and Benvolio reminds
me a lot of Beatrice and Benedick from <i>Much
Ado About Nothing</i> and their relationship has all the feelings of a
Shakespearean Comedy. But as I said, there is also the drama side of things, the
darker intrigue, the themes of torment and shame and regret and obsession and it’s
beautiful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Already said it but I’ll say it again- I think Shakespeare
would like what has been done here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>All the Strong
Females:</b> Oh my word there are so many strong females in this show- some
good, some evil, some you really aren’t sure about. This too is in keeping with
Shakespeare’s portrayal of the strong female and as each one comes into their
own in their own special way it’s amazing- and sometimes heartbreaking- to
watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I won’t say more because I’d like to avoid spoiling anything but I promise it's wonderful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Content: </b>Or
rather, the lack of it. Aside from something I’ll discuss in the “What I Didn’t
Like” part this show was surprisingly clean. There’s some talk here and there (for
instance, every time Benvolio objects to marrying Rosalind his uncle tells him
he just needs to wed her and produce an heir- then he can go sleep with
whomever he wants). And while a good bit of what is said isn’t something I
approve of I would rather they make their brief comments- which you’ll find in
Shakespeare’s works themselves- than to actually have everyone sleeping
together left and right. It was so refreshing not to find that in a story for once.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I fully expected to have to stop watching at some point
based on content but it never went that far. I will address my one complaint
later but honestly, for the most part, it was a good show that relied on good
characters and strong plot to make it appealing rather than sex and other such
content ever other second.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Acting: </b>Every
time Benvolio would get really emotional about something he would get these tears
running down his face and it. broke. my. heart. Every. single. time. And there
were so many other little things like this that just made this show even more
perfect.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can't say enough good things about the acting. The people they cast did an amazing job and I wouldn’t replace them with
anyone else for the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Just This Show, Okay?</b>
I just loved this show. As soon as I finished it I wanted to watch it again. And
again. And again. (I’ve still only seen it the one time but I plan to remedy
that soon…) I just can’t say enough good things about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<h3>
<b>What I Didn’t Like:</b></h3>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>The Ending (No
spoilers, I promise!!): </b>This show ends on a cliffhanger. I won’t say what,
just that while I was fulfilled with some parts of the storyline, there were
major threads that weren’t tied up. And while I have yet to see an actual announcement
from ABC announcing its cancelation, the numbers and ratings make it seem highly
unlikely that the show is going to continue. So be warned that while some
things will end satisfyingly a good portion of it won’t and there’s a fair
chance you’ll need to also read the book to find the closure you're looking for (or do what I did and read the end of
the book to tide you over until you get the chance to read the entire thing- which I still haven't done yet).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Episode Five (SPOILERS): </b>Okay so this part will have some spoilers in it, though I will try to keep them at a minimum. I just really feel I need to say something since this and this alone is the only reason this show has a four star rating and not five stars.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Basically one of the plotlines of episode five is someone trying to get someone else to sleep with them in exchange for not causing a whole lot of trouble for everyone. Spoiler- she finds a way to get out of doing it- but not before there’s a ton of weird sexual talk and even when they aren’t talking sex there’s still this whole weird vibe about the whole thing. I felt gross and weird after watching it and honestly would just skip the entire thing if watching it with anyone else. Skipping it doesn’t really change the plot all that much and so if that sort of thing bothers you please don’t let this keep you from watching the show. Episode five still has other plot threads but by the time you get to the episode you’ll know which character this particular thread is about- just skip the scenes with her and you’ll be good.<br />
<br /></div>
<b>The Love Triangle: </b>If
you read my review of <i><a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-clockwork-scarab-review.html">The Clockwork Scarab</a></i> you already know how I feel
about love triangles. This one is no different. I wanted Rosalind and Benvolio
together just from watching the trailer and nothing will change that. So
throwing in a rival, someone Rosalind genuinely loves, made things tricky. There’s
a good deal of will they?/won’t they? and I didn’t like it. SHE’S SUPPOSED TO
BE WITH BENVOLIO!! I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks. I want her
with Benvolio. And I don’t like authors playing with my heart that way- present
me with one solid relationship I can root for and stop confusing me with all these tangled threads. I made up my mind and no one- not even the author- is going to change
that for me…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<b>Recap:</b></h3>
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I love this show. Love it. So much love. The first episode was a little slow getting into, since I was under the impression that it picked up where <i>Romeo and Juliet </i>left off. But instead the first half of the first episode is dedicated to fast-forwarding through the original tale. According to Shakespeare the story is supposed to take 2 hours to tell. Instead, we get it in about 20 minutes.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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And yet, once I realized what they were doing, I liked it. It was nice to get to see this version of Romeo and Juliet, though we know them too briefly. It added to the tragedy, for me, since I wished I could have known them better but knew they couldn’t return since they were dead. Which, on the basest of levels, is how death works- the sorrow of not having the time to spend with someone that you wish to have.</div>
<br />
I had such a hard
time writing this review because I wanted to squeal and cry and talk about
every single moment of each episode in great detail. But I also don’t want to spoil everything
so you get this instead. Hopefully I said enough to pique your interest. Because you should go check this show out. You really, really should.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you have a Hulu account, it’s on Hulu (as of 10.06.17) and
is also available for purchase digitally from a variety of different sites. And
I think it’s well worth the money. I’ll probably be buying it at some point
soon (right now that seems frivolous since I pay for Hulu and it’s on there…).<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want a little extra encouragement, here’s the trailer
for your enjoyment:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8o3Li_K3v2M/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8o3Li_K3v2M?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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And, as always, I have a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/ivorypalaceprincess/playlist/6W2plPZVgjRt37ArASzQ7V">playlist</a> for you!! This one
was a lot of fun to make (and listen to, which I've been doing on shuffle since I finished the show) and it sparked a <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> playlist that you
can find <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/ivorypalaceprincess/playlist/0th68ET3oOBmtzx7WSqqvF">here</a> if you’re interested.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ll see you on Monday with another writing post. Until the
next time we meet don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat!
Which of Shakespeare’s plays do you think begs for a sequel? What is something you
would like to see in a sequel of <i>Romeo
and Juliet?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-4369646518796900172017-10-02T08:30:00.000-04:002017-10-02T11:39:04.357-04:00Coffee Shop Musings<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
Hello my lovelies!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went to write at a coffee shop for the first time in
August and then I recently went and wrote with a friend at the Panera Bread in
our local mall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not going to lie- the experience was a strange one for
me. I have written in many different places before, scattered throughout my
house, at parks, at other friends’ houses. But I’ve never gone somewhere so
public and worked on something so personal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t realize that I held my writing so close until
I started delving into its world somewhere other than a friend’s living room or
the bedroom I pretend doubles as my office; even the libraries I've written at felt different because of the homey connection I have to them. It was so weird to take my main
character with me somewhere that wasn’t “safe.”<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I sat in the Panera Bread and watched people walking by-
people who I didn’t know and who didn’t know me. They were in their own little
worlds; rushing to tasks they hoped to complete, chatting easily with those
with them, happy, sad, indifferent. And there I was, trying to write the scene
in which Cinderella does in fact get to go to the ball but trying to make it
fit into the science fiction setting I had already established for this world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was then that I realized how vulnerable I am when I
write. How personal the very act of writing is for me. I can talk about my
stories to anyone who wants to listen- and even some who don’t, like my poor
parents at times- but I don’t often write in the presence of people I don’t
know. And for me, that act was a growing experience I didn’t know I needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m an introvert. While I strive to not let that word define
me I make no secret of the fact that being in public drains me. And to add to
that working on something so personal was an added layer of something I wasn’t
quite prepared for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And it got me thinking. Someday this story isn’t going to be
just mine anymore. I won’t be able to control who reads it, to limit it to the
one trusted friend who is kind enough not to point out its flaws because I’m
not ready to hear them yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But someday I have to be. I want to share this book with the
world and I can’t even handle writing it somewhere other than my bedroom. I
want people to read it and love it but I realized I’m really, really scared of
people hating it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is my baby. This is a story born out of a game I
played as a child, alone in my basement with a broken electronic typewriter and
a wild imagination. It’s a story I set aside as nothing more than a game until
last January I realized I could make it something more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was then that it turned into a Cinderella retelling, the
premise and characters given a plot that actually made sense and included more
than just the main character jamming buttons on the radio yelling important
information; though that did make it into this version, in case you’re
wondering. I finished the rough draft by the end of February and started
editing it in July. At the end of August I figured out some major changes I
needed to make and started draft three this September.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My characters have grown and changed throughout these edits.
El has become more complex than I could have ever imagined, growing into her
own person rather than a version of myself I created for the purpose of play.
The supporting characters have also all taken on lives of their own- the
captain, the pilot, the medic, the security officer. I didn’t even originally
plan on some of them being a part of this story but they grew into it
naturally, created to fit roles as they appeared.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My plot has expanded into one I actually find exciting (and
my plot-driven bestie even approves of!) and the politics of my world are messy
and complicated in all the right ways- an area I always struggle with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m proud of this world. Proud of this plot. Proud of these
incredible people who call themselves my characters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel like this might be the one. This draft might actually
be good enough to let other writers read and critique. From there I might
actually hire someone to edit it and then work toward publishing it. This could
be it. By this time next year I could be tracking my sales to see how many
copies of this book I’ve sold.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I don’t even want to write it somewhere unfamiliar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t like being vulnerable. I know what people see when
they look at my writing; I am an idealist and a romantic and it shines through
so brightly in my stories. Are people going to judge me for that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I let my own insecurities hold me back. I judge myself so I
assume everyone else will judge me too. I feel like people can read my mind,
can see inside of me to my weakest, ugliest parts. My mask slips when I write.
Things show through that I never meant to let people see. My writing and I are
one, my stories an extension of myself, my insecurities, and my dreams.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I want people to read my stories without seeing that. I want
them to see fiction and disregard the facts. I don’t want people to judge me.
Or, if they are going to see something personal, I want people to read it and
see the heart of the little girl who played in the basement with her big, big
imagination and see how far she’s come. I want this book to be as special to
other people as it is to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But it can’t be. It shouldn’t be. No one else is that little
girl in the basement and so this story can never mean the same things to them
that it does to me. It has to mean something different, something unique to them
and their own experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And that’s okay. As much as I don’t want to admit it, it’s
okay if people come at my story from different perspectives and view it through
their own lenses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think I’m ready. Ready enough to push past my vulnerability and prepare to share
this story with the world. I can only hope the world is ready for it. But if
not, that’s okay too. And it isn’t a judgement on me. My job is to put my
stories into the world and trust there’s a plan for whatever happens to them
that I don’t need to be in control of.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Cinderella retelling to
write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you on Friday for another review. I'll be taking a break from the Princess Tales series to share something special with you and I hope you'll check it out. Until the
next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s chat! What
are some ways in which you feel vulnerable with your writing? What are some
ways you have of dealing with these insecurities?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-89383772968249743822017-09-29T08:30:00.000-04:002017-09-29T08:30:07.206-04:00Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep: A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, my lovelies!</div>
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Back for Book Three! (Read the reviews for books <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fairys-mistake-review.html">One</a> and <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-princess-test-review.html">Two</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Princess
Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A spiteful fairy. A beautiful princess. An outstretched finger. A
spindle. A hundred-year snooze. A charming prince. A kiss. All the familiar
ingredients.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But wait! Where did that extra prince come from? And those fairy
gifts that were never there before? And what does a flock of balding sheep have
to do with anything?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Gail Carson Levine has waved her magic wand over the old standby
of "Sleeping Beauty" and presto! It reappears, transformed, sparkling
and hilarious. Chuckles and giggles are guaranteed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">~From Amazon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m not going
to lie, this one was harder to get through than the others- perhaps because I
started reading it immediately after The Princess Test, which I enjoyed
immensely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But after
getting through some rough patches at the beginning (which I’ll talk about later) I actually really
started to enjoy this one. It certainly didn’t threaten Book Two’s spot as my favorite
but is by no means a bad book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What I Liked:</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This was one
interesting story. The author delves into things I’ve never seen before in a
Sleeping Beauty retelling and explores themes I was really excited to find.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sonora (our
Sleeping Beauty) is cursed at birth to prick her finger on the spindle and die.
She had been given the gift of being ten times smarter than everyone else
earlier that day and so even though she’s still a baby she is fully aware of
what’s going on when this happens. The fairy also never says when exactly this
curse will take place. I haven’t seen either of these things done before and
certainly never together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because of
these events, Sonora spends a good deal of the story afraid of sleep and dreading
the day when the curse comes. I’ve never seen that before and it was a really
heavy subject handled very well. It really got me thinking about what it must
be like to know something is going to happen yet being powerless to change it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And while I’m
not sure if the author was going for this or not (it’s quite possible I just
read into it way too much) the story does seem to deal with the idea of what
happens when we force our kids to be the way we want them to be. At Sonora’s
birth she’s gifted with a loving heart. She then spends several different
points in the book wondering if she loves someone because she loves them or
because she’s forced too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And beyond
that, the gifts she was given often make her unlikeable- her being so much
smarter than everyone else is more a curse than a blessing. So too it is with
Prince Melvin XX. He’s so many things- brave, traditional, tall, honest, and strong,
to name a few- and because of these things people find him hard to spend time
with. These gifts often make them more awkward than anything and don’t enhance
their place in society but rather make them fit into it even less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Again, I’m
not sure that’s what the author was going for and she was quite possibly just
poking fun at a traditional fairy tale trope. But it made me think a lot and I
enjoy it when books make me think so I wanted to include it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are also
some very cute characters in this story. Elbert the shepherd and his family are
such a fun addition to the story and Prince Christopher is the sweetest
character (as we fangirls say- he is a cinnamon roll, too pure for this world).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What I Didn’t Like:</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I'm going to
try and keep this short and concise because I don’t want to keep anyone from
reading this book. It really was a cute story, I just had issues with it.
Mostly because there were a lot of places that were just plain illogical. I
think the author was just trying to be humorous but it fell flat for me because
of the jokes she was making.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sonora is ten
times as smart as everyone else and we’re told that even as a baby she thinks
and acts as much like an adult as she’s able too- as she’s still a baby she
still has to crawl and the like, but she can think and converse on a very
mature level. She’s so smart that even as a kid, she never acts like a kid. She
finds no use for toys and can’t play games with the other kids because she
always finds problems with them. This bothered me because even highly intelligent
children still act like children sometimes. Kids are still kids and they still
have things that make them kids. But not so with Sonora!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But then,
Sonora also spends a whole lot of time reading and studying and then sharing
this knowledge with the world. And one of the things she likes to do is tell
people what the purpose of things are. Except the purpose of things are more
childish than factual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For instance,
she says that the purpose of winter is to produce ice so that people can eat
flavored ice in the summer. Except that isn’t the purpose of winter, as someone
who reads every book she can get her hands on would know. And it’s not like she
can’t get her hands on a lot of books because she’s a princess who lives in a
castle with the very well-stocked library.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Basically I
just struggled with the inconstancy of whether or not Sonora was capable of
acting childish. I felt like it kept me from really knowing her and that made me
feel disconnected from her. A book can be really hard to read when you feel
disconnected from the main character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I said, I’m
sure it was just the author trying to keep the same light-hearted, comical tone
of the other books, but in this story it fell short for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overview:</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, this
wasn’t a bad book; not my favorite but I’m also pleased to have reread it
again. It’s an interesting take on Sleeping Beauty and one that certainly has a
lot of merit. And as with the others, it’s a fun, light-hearted story that
could easily be read aloud even to a younger audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Looking
forward to reading the other books in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll be back
Monday with some musings on my own writing and I hope to see you then. Until
the next time we meet don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">~Jennifer
Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">P.S. Let’s Chat! What are some of your favorite Sleeping Beauty
retellings? What’s something you’d like to see happen in a Sleeping Beauty
retelling someday?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-87448962752277319212017-09-25T09:47:00.000-04:002017-09-26T12:12:18.141-04:00How to Connect With Non-Writers: A Guide<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i>This post is dedicated to all the people in my life who
aren’t writers but put up with me and my craziness anyway: </i><br />
<i>Most importantly- Mom
and Dad, thank you for everything. You are appreciated more than you will know. </i><i>And Danielle and Stephie, you too are appreciated beyond words.</i></div>
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Hello, my lovelies!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/how-to-talk-to-writers-guide.html">Last week</a> I talked to non-writers about how to talk to
writers and this week I wanted to flip that around and discuss how writers can
talk to people who don’t write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I mentioned last week we writers are a strange bunch. We’re
full of quirks and idiosyncrasies, our mind working in ways that are complicated and confusing. We live in so many different worlds and stories and characters are as part of us as our childhood home or our
church. We’re connected to fictional people and places and we create worlds and
control lives with nothing but words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So when the time comes to pull ourselves from those
fictional places and we’re forced to interact with “normal” people, how do we
do that? How do we talk to someone who doesn’t understand us and can’t even
begin to?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Get Rid of That
Attitude:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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First and foremost, set aside the idea that someone who
doesn’t write can’t understand you. Obviously the way your brain is wired is
different than the brain of someone who isn’t a writer; that doesn’t mean your
brain is more complex than theirs or more interesting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of my closest friends laughed at me and told me “no”
when I told her she had a really good idea and she should write a book. She has no interest in being a writer and has no intention of changing her mind anytime
soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I still love her to pieces. She lets me ramble to her about
my stories and tells me to go write when I tell her I haven’t made my word
count for the day. She teases me and coaxes me and bribes me to write. She gets
excited for me when I reach a major milestone and is there for me when I’m
stuck and need someone to commiserate with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She might not be a writer, but she’s there. She has made an
effort to understand me and make my life a part of hers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, as I mentioned in the dedication, my parents and
sister have gone out of their way to let me be who I am, to understand me, to
keep up with the way my brain works, and to not only tolerate but encourage my writing
to thrive. So don’t ever think your brain is too special or weird for other
people to understand. It’s not and you are so much better off for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Stop Making Writing
Your Identity:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My brother-in-law isn’t a writer. But he codes like nobody’s
business and understands the language of computers on a level I will never even
begin to understand. He understands math and science when those things just
make my head spin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That doesn’t mean one of us has a better brain and that
doesn’t mean that one of us is superior to the other. And it certainly doesn’t
mean we can’t understand each other. I might not understand his coding just as
he might not understand my writing. But neither of those things is who we are.
Those are merely things we do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s really easy for us as people to take on labels and make
them our identity. But while I might be a daughter, a writer, a teacher, and a
friend none of those things is my sole purpose or identity. While I might have
different hobbies or interests, none of those things define me indefinitely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s really easy to hide behind your writing identity- I say
this as someone who is insecure and likes to hide behind anything I can get my
hands on. So it’s easy to use your writing as a shield to keep everyone else at
bay, to put a level of fantasy between yourself and reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But in the end, just like anything else, that box becomes so
constricting and it will keep you from meaningful relationships.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Get Rid of the “Us”
and “Them” Mentality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I spend a lot of time with writers. They are “my people” and
being with them I feel accepted and understood. In last week’s post I mentioned
the judgement that often comes from the questions of non-writers and being
around people who you know aren’t going to ask you those same questions is
refreshing. You can be yourself- your strange, quirky self- and not have to
worry about people judging you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But guess what? People who don’t write are strange too. She
insists she’s normal, but let me tell you, my sister is as quirky as they come
(I mean that in the best way possible). She has all those little things about
her that make her who she is and it’s wonderful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But too often as writers we get so excited about the
acceptance we find within our own “tribe” that we write off (no pun intended) relationships
with people who don’t write, people who aren’t like us, because going out on
that limb and making those connections is hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Life isn’t about finding our tribe. It’s about meeting
people where they are and appreciating the unique perspective they bring to
life. It would be super weird if the only reason my dad and I were able to have
a relationship was because I worked that one summer at the same mortgage
company as him. Or how out-there would it be if my mom’s only friends were
other crossing guards?<o:p></o:p></div>
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My mom and I, we’re wired very differently and because of
that she helps me see things I never would have otherwise. She keeps me
grounded and brings strength to my weaknesses. She’s able to look at certain
things more objectively than I am and I need her to offer that perspective.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Remember People Can’t
Read Your Mind:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I asked some non-writers in my life about what they might
want us writers to understand or keep in mind when talking to them. And there
seemed to be a common theme in their answers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Remember that people aren’t inside your head. When you start
talking about a story the person you’re talking to doesn’t automatically know
what story that’s from. And if you don’t
specify that a character is fictional, people might even think you’re talking about a
real person!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I tend to jump around from story to story when I’m writing
and I just assume my family can keep up. But unfortunately, for all his amazing
efforts to do so, my dad can’t if I tell him Thursday evening about the
story I’m working and then switch to another story Friday morning without
warning. When I start talking about the new story on Friday evening, he has no
idea that I switched. He wasn’t there in my brain that morning or reading over
my shoulder all day- thankfully- and so in his mind we’re still on the story
from Thursday evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Same goes for fictional characters- just because you told
your sister about that one character that one time, when you start talking
about Sarah two weeks later she isn’t going to know who you’re talking about.
And she’s quite possibly going to assume you’re talking about a mutual acquaintance
with that name or that Sarah is someone you met recently. And just because she
askes “Who’s Sarah???” in that tone that says she has no idea what you’re
talking about, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. It means she’s confused because
she can’t read your mind. She doesn’t know Sarah isn’t a real person. She doesn’t
know Sarah is yet another one of your characters in a very long line of your
characters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So just remember people can’t read your mind. Nor do they
have any way of keeping up with it if you don’t explain things to them. It just
takes a little extra mindfulness on your part and maybe an extra sentence or
two. “So I switched stories I’m working on. I’m writing a sci-fi about cats who
live on Mars. [Proceed into whatever you wanted to say]” or “You might remember
me telling you about my character Sarah- she lives during the Great Depression and
she and her brother are trying to find their father. [Proceed with whatever you
wanted to say about her]”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>In the End, Remember
Life Isn’t About Writing:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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A lot of my life revolves around writing- besides my own
writing I also teach writing, blog about writing, read books to review so I dissect them on
how they were written, and assist other with their own stories and writing. And
when I’m not doing those things I’m consuming media and looking for the story
in it just because that’s how my brain is wired- books, movies, shows, music,
even television commercials.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But in the midst of all that God has been working in me to
remind me that all those things that mean so much to me aren’t always the most
important thing in the world. Not every situation needs me to analyze it from a
literary angle and I don’t always need to equate everything to something that
happens to one of my own characters or some other fictional character I love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes my stories get in the way. Sometimes I get so
caught up in fiction and the lives and problems of fictional people that I
forget to be invested in the moment. I forget to look at the people in front of
me- to really look at them and see them as something more than inspiration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Remember to hit pause on your stories sometimes. Remember to
hit play on life. Instead of going into conversations afraid of being judged,
look for opportunities to learn about the people in front of you. Who are they,
besides someone who has decided opinions about your chosen career or hobby?
What makes them tick? What are their passions? What makes them laugh? What did
they struggle with this week? What are they dreading or looking forward to in the week to come?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look for opportunities to connect with people. If they were
a fictional character you’d be all over getting to know them. Take that same
interest in the people around you and you might actually find that they’re just
as complex and intriguing as fiction. They too have stories to tell, if you
only listen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope to see you all on Friday for another review. Until
the next time we meet, don’t forget to live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></div>
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~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace Princess<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>P.S. Let’s Chat! As a
non-writer, what are some things you wish writers would understand? Or, as a
writer, what are some things you’ve been learning lately about interacting with
people?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3113120203192337228.post-33370658827461135632017-09-22T10:10:00.003-04:002017-09-25T12:08:47.289-04:00The Princess Test: A Review<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello, my lovelies, I’m back for book two!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PX42nRNNfuvsJd_Wv5Vhf1D4baX6hK4S3AvX65SYEaR6FzAloXNCpEVTBsXjhFQvx6uh-Xn51OIdd14RYueDzeAMzFXzG8vAgfAUaNKQi-hLNO45OR3SQHRSH3mVDni03WGAS8_mjGY/s1600/The+Princess+Test+Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PX42nRNNfuvsJd_Wv5Vhf1D4baX6hK4S3AvX65SYEaR6FzAloXNCpEVTBsXjhFQvx6uh-Xn51OIdd14RYueDzeAMzFXzG8vAgfAUaNKQi-hLNO45OR3SQHRSH3mVDni03WGAS8_mjGY/s320/The+Princess+Test+Review.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">4.5 Stars<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">King Humphrey has decided it's time for his son, Prince
Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he
devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the
fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's
daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how
will she ever pass the terrible tests?</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">-From <i>Goodreads</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">When I read this series as a teen I
read them out of publication order because I read them in the order I could get
them from the library. This was actually the last book that I read so it was
nice to actually read it in the “right” order this time around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">I really love this book. It’s a <i>Princess and the Pea</i> retelling and the
author does such a wonderful job with it. Her additions are clever and fun,
while also keeping with the original heart of the tale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">What I Liked:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">As I stated, I really like this
book. It might be my favorite of the series (I’ll hold out on making that
decision until I’ve reread all of them though). The story is sweet, much like
its <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-fairys-mistake-review.html">predecessor</a>. But this story feels tighter than the other, better put
together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">I love the twist the author put on the
original tale, stating right from that start that Lorelei (our “princess” who
actually happens to be a blacksmith’s daughter) is a very particular person.
From her birth she has always needed things to be just so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">But this need is just that- a need
more so than the desire most <i>Princess and
the Pea</i> interpretations tend to make it out to be. Lorelei doesn’t do the
dishes not because she’s spoiled and stuck-up but because she gets a rash when
she does. She is also very accident-prone so any game she plays or chore she is
set to almost always ends in blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">At heart she is a sweet girl who
hates how much of a burden she is to everyone. And when she does point out that
things aren’t just so she does it kindly and discretely. She is never stuck-up,
picky, or rude. She’s kind and loving and gentle and I love her so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">Just as much as I love Prince
Nicholas, the love interest. He’s kind and earnest and endearing. He isn’t
particular at all, not noting the subtle imperfections that his parents and
Lorelei so easily pick out. He is quite happy and content with taking life as
it comes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">His and Lorelei’s relationship is
sweet and charming (and like the last book very appropriate even for younger
readers). The author puts a nice twist on the “love at first sight” cliché,
while also avoiding the “bickering at first sight” cliché. I loved them
together from the start and that never changes over the course of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">As with the last book (and as is a
running theme in this series) the writing style is clever and fun. The King and
Queen (as a twist on the original tale) are very finicky and their words
choices fit that. It’s really fun and makes the story even better. The
narration is also great, making it the perfect sort of book for reading aloud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">What I Didn’t Like:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">The villain in this book is the
housekeeper Lorelei’s dad hires to look after her when her mother passes. The
woman gets fed up with how particular Lorelei is and how much work she is to
care for and she decides to do her in. It’s honestly all a bit weird. I don’t
know why the author felt this was the right thing for her story because I
frankly find it really, really strange.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">It’s only a part of the book’s
conflict though and I was able to overlook how odd I thought it was (perhaps
from all my years of reading actual fairy tales and having to overlook other
really strange things?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">Overview:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">As I have said several times, I
really like this book. Save for the weird side-plot of the murderous housekeeper
there isn’t much I dislike about it. I definitely liked it more than the first
book and am so very excited to keep rereading the series to see what else the
author has in store for this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">The playlist, as I stated last week, will be up when I've finished reviewing the rest of the series!</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">On Monday I’ll be sharing my
thoughts on how writers can talk to non-writers (a follow-up to <a href="http://ivorypalace.blogspot.com/2017/09/how-to-talk-to-writers-guide.html">this post</a>) and I hope to see you then! Until the next time we meet, don’t forget to
live happily ever after <3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818;">~Jennifer Sauer, the Ivory Palace
Princess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #181818;">P.S. Let’s chat! What are some of your favorite <i>Princess and the Pea </i>retellings? What
are some things you haven’t seen but would like to in a retelling of this tale?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Jennifer Sauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14648262887314057348noreply@blogger.com0