The title says it all. I didn't read the ingredient list yesterday and ended up with an MSG triggered migraine today. Why do they put that stuff in everything?
Since I'm out of it, go read some of these blogs instead. Lots of fun, lots of topics, just lots of stuff to have fun with:
Speculative Friction, Frances Pauli's author blog - She's coming to The Far Edge of Normal the end of the month on a book promo tour.
The Troubadour, a look at the inner workings of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center where I work. My boss is freaking hilarious.
I'm a Lazy Mom - she's funny and down to earth. She has hordes of followers so I'm not doing this for a favor. I'm doing this because I enjoy reading her posts.
The Pioneer Woman Cooks - fun recipes complete with great pictures. She also has hordes of followers, but she's funny and gives great recipes that don't call for all sorts of weird ingredients.
Momentum Gathering - so positive and uplifting and honest. Bring tissues when you read these posts.
And if you haven't discovered this one yet, be prepared to laugh yourself sick. Cakewrecks!
Want to nominate a blog to list? If I get enough interest, I may make this a monthly feature. Just list some of your favorite blogs in the comments.
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Importance of Storytelling
"Fiction is just as vital. What do we humans do on weekends? We go to movies, we read, we watch television, we play video games—all of which require WRITERS. Humans require entertainment to remain sane. Stories instruct, inspire, and fuel our hope and imagination. Without that we die, or go crazy, or go crazy then die. We risk losing our humanity. The writer’s contribution is more than valuable, it preserves and grows the human condition. Tyrants burn the books first for a reason." (quoted from http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ July 23 entry)
I love the thought expressed in this paragraph. I've been frustrated over this very issue for the last several years. It seems Hollywood has forgotten that movies are more than special effects and beautiful people, movies are, at their heart, STORIES. The last few movies I've seen were major disappointments, not because they lacked visual appeal or acting abilities, but because they left the story behind. If they have a coherent story at all, it is usually so riddled with plot holes it becomes ridiculously unbelievable. And yet, they make millions. Have we become so inured to lame stories on TV and at the theater that we no longer demand decent storytelling? Have we forgotten what real stories are?
Novels fare a bit better, but most of the bestsellers have mediocre writing and poorly constructed plots. But even a poorly written story is better than none at all, right? Maybe not. Good books exist, but it requires a lot of digging to find one. The end result is worth it. When storytelling happens, magic follows. Good storytelling captivates the imagination and frees it to soar. Poor storytelling is a thin shadow in comparison.
I work at a center that runs high-tech starship simulators (www.spacecamputah.org). What we do is essentially interactive storytelling. Most of our staff are teens. Most of them have only a rudimentary grasp of storytelling. Few of them are even aware that they are storytellers. The potential they hold in their hands as they create the stories is awe-inspiring. Few of them ever reach that potential, but when they do, they unleash a storm of creativity in themselves and the crew of their ship that is beautiful beyond words.
Storytelling is an art, one that can be learned. Back to the quote at the beginning, bad storytelling is better than none at all. Good storytelling is transcendent. The keenest disappointment is felt for the story that could have been superlative but because of lack of skill or laziness, falls far short, landing somewhere south of mediocrity.
I love the thought expressed in this paragraph. I've been frustrated over this very issue for the last several years. It seems Hollywood has forgotten that movies are more than special effects and beautiful people, movies are, at their heart, STORIES. The last few movies I've seen were major disappointments, not because they lacked visual appeal or acting abilities, but because they left the story behind. If they have a coherent story at all, it is usually so riddled with plot holes it becomes ridiculously unbelievable. And yet, they make millions. Have we become so inured to lame stories on TV and at the theater that we no longer demand decent storytelling? Have we forgotten what real stories are?
Novels fare a bit better, but most of the bestsellers have mediocre writing and poorly constructed plots. But even a poorly written story is better than none at all, right? Maybe not. Good books exist, but it requires a lot of digging to find one. The end result is worth it. When storytelling happens, magic follows. Good storytelling captivates the imagination and frees it to soar. Poor storytelling is a thin shadow in comparison.
I work at a center that runs high-tech starship simulators (www.spacecamputah.org). What we do is essentially interactive storytelling. Most of our staff are teens. Most of them have only a rudimentary grasp of storytelling. Few of them are even aware that they are storytellers. The potential they hold in their hands as they create the stories is awe-inspiring. Few of them ever reach that potential, but when they do, they unleash a storm of creativity in themselves and the crew of their ship that is beautiful beyond words.
Storytelling is an art, one that can be learned. Back to the quote at the beginning, bad storytelling is better than none at all. Good storytelling is transcendent. The keenest disappointment is felt for the story that could have been superlative but because of lack of skill or laziness, falls far short, landing somewhere south of mediocrity.
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