Story in a Rush: Under the Bridge

I decided to participate in literary agent, Janet Reid's writing contest. The contest is to write a story in 100 words or less using these five words. Cullen, Paris, Loathing, Kids, and Temple. Here is my submission:

Under the Bridge

The Cullen drifts under a Paris bridge. The sunlight withdraws from Francois’ face slowly. There, as the sun’s glare diminishes, I see his loving expression, the one that helps me slip into peaceful dreams at night. Soon, it may not.

Francois shifts his weight forward to kiss me, but the Seine has other plans for us. A breeze disturbs the calm water. Our noses touch. He laughs, but I’m thinking of other things like praying in Temple with the other kids.

If I see a glimmer of loathing in his eyes, my heart will break.

“Francois, I am not Catholic.”

Poetic Machine Translation

Robert Frost once said, "Poetry is what gets lost in translation."

Did you know J. R. R. Tolkien translated the first epic poem Beowulf? Can you imagine how many years it took to translate about 2,000 handwritten pages worth of Old English (West Saxon and some Anglian)? What would Tolkien say if we told him he wasted his time because Poetic Machine Translation will exist in the near future (perhaps 2010 or 2011). He might have laughed...he might have cried...he might have died from a heart attack caused by sheer disbelief.

Dmitriy Genzel, a software engineer from google, posted a humorous variation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven in order to explain their plans for Poetic Machine Translation:

Once upon a midnight dreary, long we pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of translation lore.
When our system does translation, lifeless prose is its creation;
Making verse with inspiration no machine has done before.
So we want to boldly go where no machine has gone before.
Quoth now Google, "Nevermore!"

Their aim is to translate based on the original poem's meaning, meter, and rhyme. Although, the system works too "slow" to release to the public, it's still something to keep our eyes open for.

To read more, feel free to check out my source.

Tribute to Eva Ibbotson

In the news

I'm sorry to hear Eva Ibbotson passed away last week. A couple years back my mom and I stumbled across a few of Ibbotson's YA historical romance books at Barnes & Noble. (More info about the books, click here). The books drew me in right away because they have the components I desire in a YA book.

1.Elegant writing--Ibbotson's books might even be a little too sophisticated for Young Adults (for me, this is a breath of fresh air in a YA book!). Too often I find YA books written on a third grade reading level while the themes/plot/characters are really for older readers. What's happening here? Writing a book with older themes and lower reading level will appeal to a wider age range of readers. Teens will continue to read these books regardless because they can relate to the content, but it doesn't help them grow as readers. As for Ibbotson's books, they were originally published in the late 80s and early 90s, and I think that might have something to do with the more sophisticated writing. Is it more about making money these days than producing books that will challenge the age group to help them grow as readers? I just don't know. That being said, I have to admit in Ibbotson's books you may find elegant writing, but the some of the subplots may strike you as immature. This is probably how they get away with marketing these to young adults.

2.Good character development--You learn a little more about the characters in Ibbotson's books. They feel like real people. That's something I don't find often in other YA books.
3.Detailed Setting--The small details is what makes the setting come alive! In the Reluctant Heiress, we get a real feel for what its like behind the scenes in an opera house.







Ibbotson is also well known for several children's books like The Secret of Platform 13 and Island of the Aunts.

What a great author! I will reread her books one day. If you're going to read any of her books, I'd start with The Morning Gift and The Reluctant Heiress. In my opinion, they are the best of her YA historical romance.

Interesting fact: I read The Reluctant Heiress on a road trip from Seattle, Wa to Long Beach, Ca!

Why, Ms. Austen! I would never have thought it possible.

Click here to read about Jane Austen's spelling and grammar habits.

And I thought I was bad at spelling.
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After reading that article, I'm imagining what a pain it was to write back in Austen's day. No computers. No spell check. Everything by hand. I even feel sorry for those who had to use typewriters. Did the absence of computers and typewriters in Austen's era help or hinder the quality of her art?

Help--I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but it annoys me when I have to cross out words on a piece of paper. It's sort of like spoiling the art I'm trying to compose. It's also the perfectionist in me saying HELLO, HERE I AM. Why do I cross words out more than I commit them to the page? It happens because I'm used to writing on a computer where I continuously self edit as I go. Without the computer, I'd have to learn to choose my words more carefully before I actually write it down. WHAT? I'm shuddering just imagining it. Perfectionist or not, I think this "writing before thinking it through" concept is an obstacle for many writers. Rather than type one idea out 100 different ways like I do, authors like Austen had to plan and develop their thoughts before putting it to paper. Otherwise, what a waste of paper, and I'm sure the hand cramps weren't fun. So, could thinking more ahead of time lead to better writing? I think so. It may seem like a no brainer, but I could definitely use the practice. Perhaps I should go a day without using the paper but aiming to get as much writing done as I normally do. (I will post of the success/failure at a later time).

Hinder--I don't know about you, but having the internet always at my disposal can be a huge distraction. It's so easy to read just one more news article, one more blog. I depend on the internet for my entertainment. Writing on my computer is sometimes just as distracting as if I were trying to write at a football game or a concert. How much time is wasted by internet distraction? I've noticed if I'm struggling to find the right words it's easy to click open the web and listen to a youtube video or go on facebook. Not a good thing when there's work to be done.

How else could the lack of computer technology help or hinder writers? I'm sure there are plenty to say on both sides of the argument. What say you?