BendtedWreath

I noticed that! I think it's because it's a chapter on an already chaptered story?

I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you could! We all use creative license, after all. I hope you participate with us next time.

The Mock Orange Shrub How had it come to this? Dalit wiped the beads of sweat that rolled down his forehead with a fancy kerchief pulled from his back pocket. At his feet lay a gently tied Japanese holly, its roots snugly wrapped in burlap as he prepared for another labor-intensive removal. That was the second shrub he uprooted that morning. His gaze drifted back to the eight remaining shrubs that lined the backyard, vibrant reminders of the last ten years of his life. A sharp t

Dalit's wife was welcome to the house. But as the one who planted and cared for their backyard shrubs, Dalit got to decide where they went—and that included the precious Mock Orange shrub they loved so much.

More stories to add to my list!

That's definitely on my reading list!

I'd have to learn how to play the drums. 😎

That gif was basically me when I saw the announcement. How is the cookie monster my spirit animal? 🤣

I don't know why I thought you were already a signature author, but whoever realized you were not deserves many kudos, as well! 😂 As everyone's been saying, this is more than well deserved. To me personally, you've been a shining beacon in this community in both your writing and involvement. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming from my very first days bumbling aroung the forums, and I appreciate them all. But, you are one of the few I would drop anything for, both to read your work and opinions/responses to everyone and everything...and for just about anything else. You have my most heartfelt congratulations, and this digital explosion of gold:

Confirmed that it's a very good read. 👍

@ChromedOutCortex Welcome to the forum!

Some campers get lost a little "In Too Deep" into the woods. But what resides deep within Rowan that is brought to light by his friend Ethan? Read on to find out!

Rowan Ash Willowbark - What a name! I am experiencing some name envy here, and he's a fictional character. His mother named him after the natural world, though he wasn’t fond of his initials. - RAW? Those are kickass initials! It depends on the context, but still! With a Caucasian mother and Native father, he didn’t fit well in either group. - Ah, yes. I understand that feeling well, half and half. We at least make a decent coffee creamer, don't we, Rowan buddy? His mother was one of the three teachers, growing and selling local ‘herbal’ remedies. - I have a family member just like this! I need to stop reacting to every single line. This is just the most personally relatable thing I've read so far. If you didn’t know it was there, finding it would take serious effort. They were off the grid, with limited electricity from a water turbine setup in the fast-moving stream down the valley. It was also their source of water. - That's my pipe dream home right there. Near a source of water. Off grid. Rowan ignored the people who called cryptozoology a pseudoscience. Strictly speaking, scientists have an issue with their accuracy track record. - Guy's got a point. Rowan was in the small library of the municipal building using the computer for research when the call came in for volunteers to help find three missing hikers. - Uh-oh! “I will make sure he’ll learn of the local peculiarities, Sheriff.” - LMAO! "Ethan, buddy...you might want to sit down. Ever heard of cryptoids?" The Sheriff handed Rowan a police radio, rangefinder, and handheld GPS. - Around here is when the Mission Impossible theme invaded my head. “Still looking for the unusual out here?”/Rowan returned the soft smile Ethan was giving him. “Yeah. It’s still a hobby of mine.” - Oh, nevermind. It looks like Ethan already knows about Rowan's cryptozoology. “We have lights at 2500 years north 20, from camp Seven.” - Oh, I found a typo. I'm sure you meant 'yards' here and not 'years.' “Grandmother tells me it is something I got from her lineage and would match my little friend’s needs. She could only be talking about you, but she would test my patience if I asked, so I did not.” - Grandma knew! “So when you returned a few minutes later looking frazzled, it wasn’t because you saw something that spooked you out in the woods, but because you became something that spooked you?” - That makes sense. -- Well, that was an intriguing read. I sure hope there's more to come.

That's beautiful. I really missed out on becoming one of your many friends, Carlos. I hope you realize, wherever you are, that you're still blazing a trail even after your passing. On behalf of everyone here that knew you and those that have yet to read your work and blogs, I thank you.

Spirits bemoaning spirits. This entry for the "In Too Deep" theme will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

She was the only general manager he ever witnessed corner a district manager and explain how modern business jargon and tactics did not work in a redneck, backward town. It mystified him how a sweet and caring grandmother figure possessed a stern, spitfire energy. - Nice! The numerous times he named the moonlit receptacle the 'murder dumpster' suddenly possessed weight. - LMAO!! The man always had an issue with authority, especially management and police. - Yeah, I know a few people like that. Defying everyone and everything without any compromise, let alone sacrifice. God forbid! The ones I know are sure entertaining, though. "Dusty Coltharp," Aggie mumbled breathlessly. - Did Dusty become a Geist? No, pizza. Extra sauce and cheese. - Hear hear!

This is a more youthful take on the "In Too Deep" theme, but an entertaining one, nonetheless. Like others have mentioned, I also enjoyed catching up with the triplets.

“Bro, we need to get back at Jaden for what he did to Dustin./"DEFINITELY!” Oliver laughed. - Ha ha! True brothers right there. “B-but… your parents.”/“My dad is crazy. Ignore him. I want to spend my night with you.” - Go Autumn! The only thing I have to complain about is there isn't more. The writing's great, the characters are great...I'd just like to keep reading on when there's nothing more yet.

A set of preteen triplets are suddenly orphaned when their single mom passes away. Will they be able to accept their dad as he is? Read to find out.

Came here after reading the note on Homecoming Week. Glad I read this part first. Those men sure will have their hands full from now on. Just one teenage son is difficult to raise. Three at the same time? Best of luck, guys! 😂

Oh man! I really missed out on more than one amazing GA member, then! First @Comicality's brand of humor in the guides he left us and now @Carlos Hazday. I'm all teary eyed and I didn't even get a chance to interact with them. 😢

Chemistry might die, but recollections remain. Whether you've been in many relationships or not nearly enough, the feelings this piece invokes are universal.

This was quite an introspection we were privy to, an entire relationship backwards from accepted endings to the beginning.

I'd say you're a blend. The end result of your work is always worth the price of admission, regardless of what methods you use to get there. I'm definitely a fan. I'd have to finish something first. 😅 I dont even think it counts as a first draft yet. While I haven't exactly painted myself into a corner, I need to really figure out the ending before trying to start working on anything else. I do have an idea for the prompt I was given from the new event, though.

Note: I am a novice level writer. Everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt or disregarded as I bumble my way around. I would like to think we all started as readers and then felt the desire to write our own characters, worlds, or continuations (the birth of fanficiton?). In school, we were taught a few basics: Everything has a beginning, middle, and end. A story generally has 3 Acts in structure. Make sure your thesis statement in those essays have the main points you want to make. Watch your grammar. Start with something interesting or eye-catching. Those more passionate about literature would then move on to more advanced studies in college and even psychology to understand what drives a human mind. With so much information on the internet shared by all, even those that rebuff a continuing education can also gain the level of knowledge they wish. In many of the books I've read, writers look to past examples of their favorite books and stories for guidance. Some writers have what I consider a "great gut" and instinct for writing, able to compile everything about a story in their mind every time they sit down to work on a chapter. Some writers are more "organized" and have everything from webs, charts, images, and miscellaneous data sorted out in several files like the many tabs on a webpage (or the tabs in a physical binder or filing cabinet). Some writers are "chaotic at best" letting the chips fall wherever they may as they hope to tie up as many loose ends as they can in the end. Then, there's everyone in between that have adapted hybrid or mixed methods to suit their needs. Even firm readers that don't have the drive to write their own work can sense whenever a story feels "off." If a story lacks enough conflict, or if the conflict drags out for too long, there's a sense of imbalance. If a character is too sheltered from suffering, or if a character is too deeply in the throes of incessant angst with no relief in sight, there's a sense of imbalance. If the pacing fluctuates too little or too much, there's a sense of imbalance. While certain writing techniques can address imbalance, such as plotting ahead, sorting out key backstory elements, and hammering out rocky transitions...a second set of eyes, or even several sets of eyes can help pinpoint those imbalances. Just like how in the past, when a story was passed by word of mouth from one person to the next, each person added or changed something for the better. Not everyone in the audience can be reached, but with a few different perspectives, more people can resonate with what's being told (though, in the spirit of balance, even too many eyes on a project can result in a dud). I found a plethora of blogs to help beginners in the Writing Tips section of Writing World (click on the underlined "Writing Tips" in this sentence to follow the link), mostly because I was searching for this information for myself. @Comicality provided quite the robust map/field guide if you take the time to search for all of them. Some of the ones I found that were important for beginners were (and there is more on Theme and Tone at the very end of this blog): That being said, there are plenty more in the Writing Tips blogs to look over. The ones I handpicked above are great for either the new writers or great reminders for writers that might have stalled on whatever they were working on. I saw something that was mentioned in many of the blogs that I thought I had a vague idea about, but it turned out I knew nothing like Jon Snow. So, I wrote down what I found below: Tone vs. Theme Tone: Expresses the writer’s feelings/attitude/point of view toward the topic/subject. Theme: The main idea or the central message of the story. Tone is expressed through word choice or the writing style the writer uses to express his views on the topic/subject. Theme can be felt or uncovered through concrete/important events as the story unfolds. Scope of the tone: How did the author convey/articulate/express the message of the story? Scope of the theme: What is the story about? What is the moral or message of the story? Nature of the tone: Can be suspenseful, cheerful, sarcastic, funny, melancholic, and etc. Nature of the theme: Can be a powerful message ("moral of the story") or a conclusion that’s drawn from the author’s written work. Examples of Tone: Somber, dark, serious, gloomy: A speech at a funeral, a murder mystery, a novel about someone's struggles with depression, Book with dark tone: Lord of the Flies Humorous, witty, goofy: A stand-up comedy routine, a TV show like Seinfeld or Friends, Book with humorous tone: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Examples of Theme: Good vs. Evil: Marvel movies, Star Wars, Harry Potter Power and Corruption: Wall Street, The Black Book, The Godfather Coming of Age: The Breakfast Club, The Catcher in the Rye, Emma Love and Sacrifice: My Sister's Keeper, Gravity, Titanic Redemption and Forgiveness: It's a Wonderful Life, Schindler's List, Les Misérables Nature and Environment: Avatar, Okja, The Lorax Identity and Belonging: Zootopia, Hidden Figures, Percy Jackson Survival: Cast Away, The Hunger Games, The Grapes of Wrath Theme and Tone: The Lord of the Rings series has a Good Vs. Evil theme told in a mournful tone. Pride and Prejudice's theme is in the title told in critical, ironic, and sarcastic tones. Charlotte's Web's theme is friendship told in a tone of innocence, gentleness, and whimsy (though it has moments of joy, sorrow, love, and friendship). The Great Gatsby's theme is the decline of the American Dream, the hollowness of upper class, and the corruption of wealth and love told in a scornful and sympathetic tone.