National Novel Writing Month

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope our readers have safe Halloween plans for this evening. Today, I dressed up as a literary character for my school’s spooky celebrations; I am dressed up as Elphaba from the book and musical Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The novel is a reimagining of the Wicked Witch of the West character in Frank L. Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Speaking of novels, this week on the podcast we are talking about National Novel Writing Month, which begins on November first. As a writer, National Novel Writing Month is one of my favorite writing “holidays.” Sure, other cool things happen in November (such as Thanksgiving and my birthday), but this time of year always makes me inspired to sit down and write! Getting the motivation to do it is another story.

What is National Novel Writing Month? According to NaNoWriMo, a nonprofit dedicated to helping struggling writers and education programs, National Novel Writing Month started in 1999 as a challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. As of last year, the writing event spans 671 regions and hosts 427, 653 participants. NaNoWriMo even has a Young Writer’s program for students and educators. 

Popular novels that have spawned from National Novel Writing Month:

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This year, I hope to participate in the event myself. I try every year, but I never complete 50,000 words and sometimes I don’t complete one word. So, I’m going to start small and write a short story. That’s not hard, right? I think the biggest problem for me is getting started, the result, when I write, is always so satisfying. 

So, I am issuing a challenge to our readers and my co-hosts, and I will also be issuing this challenge in my classroom: start small and write one short story (at least a page in length) that has an element of Magical Realism. What is Magical Realism? It is a style of fiction that depicts a realistic view of the world but adds magical elements. Magical realism often crosses the lines between fantasy and reality.

I want to hear from our readers. Do you participate in National Novel Writing Month? Do you complete the challenge? What other writing challenges do you participate in? Let’s continue the conversation below.

My Favorite Obscure Stories About Heroes

This week on the podcast we talked about superpowers. This concept always amazes and fascinates me. I love reading stories and watching shows about superheroes. Some of the most popular shows and movies today are about superheroes and I love them, especially Marvel Superheroes. X-Men, to be exact. While popular, Marvel superheroes are not my favorite superhero stories. I prefer some of the everyday stories about heroes not necessarily wearing capes.

My favorite obscure TV shows about heroes:
The Gifted: Remember this show? It exists in the X-Men universe. It’s about two parents who go on the run after discovering their children have mutant abilities. The show aired for two seasons on Fox and I was enthralled by it. I enjoyed the everyman aspect of the father (played by Stephen Moyer) discovering that he had mutant children in a world where mutants are hated. The concept applies to real life where anything different than the normal is generally hated. I felt like the show was canceled too soon, and I found both seasons to be enjoyable.

Heroes: Heroes is, and always will be, one of my favorite superhero shows. The show is about ordinary people who discover they have extraordinary abilities told in a comic book style. Some of my favorite characters include Syler (the villain turned hero), Peter (the hero with all of the abilities), Claire (the strong cheerleader), and Hiro (the man who could stop time). This show, in my opinion, emulates the rise and fall of good television and the pressures of some stories to remain popular after they have outplayed their popularity. It also represents how a show cannot bounce back from unfortunate events. Altogether, the show boasted five seasons aired on NBC including a short-lived reboot series. The fate of this show was purely circumstantial, and I believe that it could have been a longer-lived show if the second season hadn’t been a victim of the 2007-08 Writers’ Guild of America Strike.

Alphas: Alphas is a superhero/crime drama that follows a group of individuals with superhuman abilities as they investigate the crimes of other “Alphas.” This show aired on the Syfy network and only lasted two seasons as well, despite having a great cast led by David Strathairn. Unfortunately, as with the cast of a lot of TV shows that I like, the show was a victim of the second season rating slump after starting strong. What I liked the most about the show was that it was action-packed and the superhero element wasn’t at the forefront of the story as the main characters worked for the department of defense and aimed to take down terrorists.

My favorite obscure movies about heroes:
Push: Push is a 2009 movie about ordinary people with superhuman abilities banding together against a government agency seeking to enslave them to create super soldiers. In my opinion, this movie does not get the credit it deserves. It also boasts an all-star cast including pre-Captain America Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. The film didn’t do well at the box office and it earned a B movie rating, but I still enjoy watching it. This is another low-budget wasted potential project that let the backstory and character development fall through the cracks in the editing process. 

Chronicle: Chronicle was a beautifully filmed found footage movie following three Seattle seniors (including Michael B. Jordan) who gain telekinetic powers from an unknown object. They begin to chronicle their rise to superherodom until one of the three boys begins to use his powers for evil. What I like most about this movie is that it shows the dark side of having superpowers and flirts with the thin line between good and evil with a single act.

The Watchmen: This is another film that shows the dark side of having superpowers. This movie is set in the alternate historical year 1985 and follows the second generation of superheroes called The Watchmen during a time when it is illegal to be a superhero (or vigilante). The movie was beautifully filmed and features one of my favorite actors, Jeffery Dean Morgan. Although the film didn’t get much credit for the masterpiece that it is, it did spawn a TV show that aired on HBO and lasted one season.

My favorite obscure book series about heroes:
The Darkest Minds: The Darkest Minds is a young adult series by Alexandra Bracken about a group of children who develop psychic powers. The children were rounded up by the government and placed in rehabilitation camps. The story centers on Ruby, who can control people, which makes her one of “the darkest minds.” Ruby escapes from the camp with the aid of a group that seeks to advocate for psychic children, but at the same time, use them for political reasons. The series follows Ruby as she runs from the government and tries to free her fellow teens from rehabilitation camps. I enjoy this story because it takes a different perspective on unwilling superheroes and illuminates the struggle a teenager goes through to be seen and heard in a world that takes teenage voices for granted. In 2018, a movie version of the first book in the series hit the theaters to bad reviews and criticism.

Dark Visions: This is one of my favorite young adult series by L.J. Smith. The series follows a group of teenagers living in an institute for psychic abilities. As the series progresses, the teenagers learn that the institute only exists to use the teens’ psychic abilities as weapons for unnamed corporations. The story centers on Kaitlyn, who can see the future. Kaitlyn and the other members of the institute escape and join with allies to help defeat the institute and their army of dark psychics. The first book in the series was the first of many books I read by L.J. Smith and it quickly became a favorite series of mine. The series features a cast of characters from many interesting backgrounds and perspectives and focuses on the dark side of human experimentation.

Dirk and Steele: “The Dirk and Steele” series is an adult romance series by Marjorie M. Liu. The series follows a supernatural detective agency called Dirk and Steele and its various members with hidden supernatural abilities as they navigate the modern world in hopes to make it a better place. Each book in the series focuses on a different character, and as the series unfolds, the secrets of Dirk and Steele unfold as well. I like this series because it perfectly mixes science fiction, fantasy, and romance. Each book has a powerful storyline and a unique perspective from the main character.

Stories about heroes, villains, and vigilantes continue to fascinate me, especially the obscure ones that sometimes fall through the cracks. I want to hear from our readers. What are your favorite superhero movies, books, or tv shows? Do you like mainstream superhero stories or obscure ones like I do? Let’s continue the conversation below.

Star Wars: Iconic Inspiration

Yesterday was May the 4th which is also known as Star Wars Day. In our Podcast, we talked about the age-old question, “Star Trek or Star Wars?” I don’t really see the debate. They are two completely different entities, to me. I didn’t grow up in a house divided. My parents were equally nerdy when it came to science fiction. I remember watching reruns of the original Star Trek on cable with my dad and the original Star Wars on VHS tapes with my mom.

That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise until the Phantom Menace came out in 1999. It was the summer after my freshman year in high school, and I saw it for the first time when I attended band camp in Wichita Falls, Texas. It wasn’t that the film was that great. Looking back on the second trilogy as an adult, I find some of the scenes to be cringeworthy (especially in Attack of the Clones), and I think the original trilogy is more iconic and long-lasting. However, the special effects in the Phantom Menace were groundbreaking at the time. I know when you think of 1999 you don’t really think of groundbreaking special effects in movies but it was the Phantom Menace that paved the way for modern digital effects and CGI monsters. 

It was those special effects in the Phantom Menace that mesmerized me and interested me in the original trilogy and science fiction in general, which heavily influenced my future writing and interest in world-building. I went out and bought World-Building by Steven Gillett and the Dictionary of Imaginary Places. My writing became heavily influenced by planet exploration and the idea of building my own space opera. Star Wars also influenced my reading trends as I grew older. I began to read science fiction works such as Fahrenheit 451 and Ender’s Game. To this day, I credit Star Wars for my interest in science fiction writing.

Aside from my new love for Star Wars as the prequel trilogy started to hit the movie theaters, I didn’t think much about the Star Trek franchise until the movie remake starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto hit the big screen. As stated before, I had seen many Star Trek episodes with my father growing up, but I never sat down and watched all of them. So, I suppose you could say, if I had to choose, I would choose Star Wars over Star Trek.

I want to hear from my readers. Do you prefer Star Wars over Star Trek? How do you celebrate Star Wars Day? Please, let’s continue the conversation in our Facebook Group: MMC Chat. Also, check out our Facebook Page.

See you next time for Revenge of the Fifth…

The Magic of Words

Hey, this is Amber and I want to ask you one question: How can one word impact your year? As an English teacher and a writer, words are, in a sense, my life. Words can be a powerful thing. They can lift a person up or they can bring them down. Words can be magical and they can be detrimental. Choosing one word to motivate you can have a lasting impact that will set the tone for your year.

Years ago, when I first started teaching, I was looking for an enlightenment exercise to do with my students in January. Later, I will talk about the goal-setting exercises that I do with my students in January, but in the process of teaching my students goal-setting, I ran across a book by Jon Gordon called “One Word that Will Change Your Life” (linked below).

Jon Gordon’s idea came as an alternative to the endless New Year’s resolutions that people make every year. Instead of making resolutions, you pick one word to drive your year. The word is meant to be a motivational power word to impact all the dimensions of your life: mental, physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, and financial.

So, I challenge my students to come up with ONE word to drive their year every January. Afterward, we do activities and writing assignments that incorporate our words. One thing that Gordon talks about is making a sort of vision board or painting with his word and hanging it in his house to remind him of his yearly motivation. One of the activities that I do with my students incorporates their words and I add them to the classroom word wall. Students have to make a small poster/vision board incorporating their words. They cut out or print pictures that inspired or had to do with their word. After implementing this in my classroom, I also choose a word and make a vision board of my own for the classroom. We will be talking about Vision Boards in an upcoming “Goals, Girl!” episode as well.

My word for 2021 was “forward” indicating that I am always moving forward in my life. After a long, few years of moving backward, I decided that I never wanted to move back again and always move forward.

My word for 2022 will be “inspire” because I want to inspire people by sharing my past experiences on this blog and our podcast.

I look forward to hearing from you. What is your one little word?

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