The Blog of a Budding Writer

By far the best poem I've ever written...

2006-08-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

Boadicea

I sit here waiting,
My hope dead at the hands of the Romans,
My life soon to join
My soldiers’ lives.
But I have my honour intact;
That I have not lost,
And I shall never lose it.
I am a Celt;
This while I breathe,
I have my honour.

Those filthy Romans,
Thos evil beasts!
They have denounced my religion,
Violated my gods,
Destroyed my homeland,
Slaughtered my soldiers,
Terrorized my people.
I am a Celt;
Thus while I breathe,
I have my honour.

Soon they will find me here,
And put me to death.
But they cannot make it so simple.
First they will snatch my power,
Seize my homeland,
Enslave my people.
Then they will crush my dignity, my honour.
I am a Celt;
Thus while I breathe,
I have my honour.

They have taken everything from me,
All but my life and honour.
I cannot save my life.
But my honour will remain long after I pass.
I shall go to the stars,
As Brennus and Prasutagus did before me.
I shall live forever.
I am a Celt;
Thus while I breathe,
I have my honour.

I shall live forever.
My gods smile down upon me,
And I shall go to the stars.
Someday the Romans will fall,
And until then I shall watch from above.
Now I must go; I must preserve my dignity,
For my dignity will preserve me.
I am a Celt;
Thus while I breathe,
I have my honour.

I have my honour…
I have my honour.

Copyright © August 2006 Brian Cansler

A Request

2006-08-13T01:51:00.000-04:00

Anonymous said...
Keep up the great words! You are too young for the
blue though, LOL just kidding! Age is just a number!
Tuesday, July 25,
2006
2:24:40 AM
Would the person who left this comment please send me a private message on Unity, as I assume you are from Unity. I just really want to know who this is, it's driving me crazy.
Thanks!

Two Poems I Wrote

2006-06-23T07:59:00.000-04:00

I Die Every Night

Often the silence is murder at night
When my empty bed swallows me and I get lost…
I remember your face, your bright eyes’ light,
It’s then that I know that our love has a cost…
And that’s when I’d die.

Every night, when I say that I’m fine,
Without you in my arms,
Without your lips on mine,
I die there, without your charms.

Why must you be so far away?
Why can’t you be here now?
This all-consuming pain is killing me each night,
While you are not here to show me how.
I’m tired of living by day,
And of dying by night.

But to my mind’s much dismay,
I will continue until the light,
To keep our love alive…
For there’s nothing more important,
Than keeping our burning love alive.

© June 2006 Brian Cansler

Love

My Love,
My dearest Love,
My truest, sweetest, purest Love,
I never want to let you go,
Never want to leave your side,Never want to look away.

I want all your anger,
Your fears,
Your doubts,
Your pain,
I want it all to disappear whenever I touch you,
Kiss you,
Look at you.

I want you to feel safe in my arms,
For nothing could ever hurt you there.
When I hold your perfect form in my arms,
My only wish is that I will never have to leave you,
Your eyes,
Your scent,
Your smile,
Your Lips,
I never want to let you go.

I love you more than I ever thought possible,
I care for you more than I anyone has before,
And I need you more than ever before.
I crave you, desire you, need you,
I love you.

© June 2006 Brian Cansler

The Essential Elements to a Good Novel

2006-06-23T07:56:00.000-04:00

Essential Elements

I am currently in the process of reading "Eldest: Book Two of Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini, a wonderful fantasy writer. I read "Eragon: Book One of Inheritance" last year, and I was simply delighted when the new book came out. Paolini is one of those few authors that come about only every few centuries. The only word to describe them is "breathtaking."
Paolini does things with words that I have never seen done before. There are elements to his stories that give him an edge above most modern authors. These elements are important to me as a reader, and they set goals towards which I strive as a writer.
For example, I am in love with his characters. Paolini brings the characters to life on the page, making them real, breathing people that speak to you as though standing right in front of you. When something good happens to them, I celebrate with them. When tragedy strikes, I weep with them. And when there is danger, I am ready to defend them with my life. I’ve seen characters come to life, but I’ve never had one sit beside me on the bed and tell me their story in person. Paolini makes this possible.
My favourite character, Angela the healer and herbalist, is the most amazing person I’ve ever met (I say that because I feel as though I have met her). She is eccentric, optimistic, and helpful, but can also be mysterious, mystical, and wise. Angela adds a spice to the Inheritance series like adding a bit of bleu cheese into a salad. She doesn’t overpower the tale, and yet without her, the book wouldn’t nearly be the same.
Another element that defines a good story is the setting. Paolini’s world, Alagaësia, is filled with amazing creatures that baffle the imagination. There are conflicts that boil my blood at the mere thought. There are real, working languages that the author has made up that are captivating. There are once-in-a-lifetime journeys that the main character, Eragon, takes in order to save the lives of millions. And all of this takes place in a fantasy world that Paolini describes with brilliant language that lifts me up and thrusts me into Alagaësia.
And then, there is the sense of mystery. We never quite know exactly what is going on…we never get the full story. Now, we’ve all read books that give you all the facts, and then the ending is a load of crap because you could predict what was going to happen right down to the dialogue. Yes, honesty is a good thing, but you know what they say about too much of a good thing…What’s that? You don’t? Pity…I don’t either…
But I digress…the point is, Paolini gives us something to look forward to…knowledge. The world is on a never-ending hunt for knowledge, and that’s exactly what we get at the end of Paolini’s books. But he still doesn’t give us everything. That’s for the next book!
Paolini’s writing gives me a pleasure in reading that I have never experienced before. I can only imagine what he will become in the future. He is one of those writers who will be talked about in five hundred, a thousand, or five thousand years ago. He is a revolution to writing, and I tip my hat to him, as both a reader and a writer.
© June 2006 by Brian L. Cansler

Wow! Long time, no post!

2006-06-20T12:09:00.000-04:00

Seeing as how it's been over 3 MONTHS since I actually had time to post, I decided I probably should now. I got swept up with the Nat'l Latin Exam (http://www.nle.org ...PERFECT SCORE!!!) and my exams (I passes all of my classes and exams with flying colours!), along with my new Teach Yourself Latin Blog (http://learnlatin.blogspot.com/) and discussion board (http://enyafan713.proboards76.com/index.cgi).
So, anyway, if I didn't even have time to post anything on my blog, how could I possibly have time to write anything? But last week, I did find some time. I threw out about 1,800 words and made up for it...I just hated where that chapter was taking the story. But everything is okay now! I'll probably post a few new excerpts in the coming week, before I go to the Summer Journalism Institute at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Until then, Best Wishes!
Brian

Artemisia

2006-03-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

I got feedback from my "editor" on the new material I sent her, and there are great things in it.
For world history, I am doing a report on Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi, daughter of Orazio Gentileschi, the painter. Artemisia was a powerful woman who was raped by her art tutor as a teenager, and this is refletcted in her art.

This site is fantastic. It has pictures and background on every painting accredited to her, as well as more information on her than anyone could ask for. I advise anyone interested in art, especially Renaissance artwork, to check it out.

The Best Writing Day I Think I've Ever Had

2006-02-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

I sat down in front of my computer for the first time in about two weeks and said, "I'm going to get at least 500 words down for Evening Falls today if it's the last darn thing I do." This was the first time I sat down to write new material in about a month, so I had a lot of pent-up ideas that needed to be released. Well, I figured that 500 words would carry me through until dinner.
I got a little carried away and, four Enya CD's later, I'd written almost 2,000 WORDS!!! I started with 15,621 words, and now I was up 2,000 more. I was in shock when I did a word count. Talk about being thrilled! Anyway, I got some fabulous material that I'll send off tonight.

Current Word Count: 17,500 Words

I HATE THE FLU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-01-31T14:34:00.000-05:00

Hate it! Loathe it! Despise it!
Three days of school for which I'll have to make up the work...terrible. My stomach aches when I cough or sneeze, my head pounded yesterday and Sunday, my nose is running like Hermes, and my fever has fluxuated between 100 and 105. Yes, I hate the flu. But I must go back to school tomorrow, or there is a chance I will not be able to make up the work quickly enough.
I got no writing done yesterday, but Sunday I finished Chapters 11-22 Revisions, so that is out of the way. Today, with a fever of only 100 and my headache down, I may get some new material down. Maybe...
I HATE, LOATHE, and DESPISE THE FLU!!!

Such a long time...

2006-01-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry to all of my loyal readers (a.k.a. relatives) for not posting in so very long. I've had very little time to write because I've been quite busy with school, Christmas, semi-cross-country visits, etc. I did make some hard copy revisions on Evening Falls on the way to and from Cedar Key, Fla., but haven't had time to make the corrections on the computer yet.
I'd like to say two more things...First, Congratulations to Phyllis Haislip for getting her newest book off to the publisher, albeit a tad late. Better late than never, eh? Oh dear...I'm becoming a Canadian!
Secondly, I'd like to ask all of my relatives that read this to try and set up your Skype accounts, so I can speak with you.

Excerpts!!

2005-10-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

I have three excerpts for you today, three of my favourite parts of the book. Evening Falls now has a word count of 11,318 words. WOO-HOO!
Excerpts are in blue and this font so you can tell the difference between those and other text.

NOTICE: These are draft copies. They may not be part of the final book (though they probably will be), or may be changed beyond recognizability (though I hope they won’t). They contains typos, spellos, and other errors, and may not be copied, reproduced, or quoted in any form or format by anyone other than the author.

This first excerpt is the Prophecy from the Prologue.

Evening Falls

Prologue

Within the coming year,
As terror strikes us all,
Born will be the children who
Shall bring Evil's fall.

One with the power of Fire
Will defend the world so wide,
One with the power of Water
Will heal all at her side.
One with the power of Ice
Will feel the Evil's wrath,
One with the power of Air,
To help them on their path.

Try as they might by force and magic
To put Evil in its grave,
The only solution forever will be
One true lover's rage.

A fresh new age soon approaches,
As suffering leaves us all.
Death and Reincarnation are part of the path,
But what happens when Terror again comes to call?
The second solution includes the Divine,
The items that aid are in Marble Halls.
Soon the Evil’s reign of torturing ends
And her life’s Evening Falls.

The next is from Chapter 1.

Evening Falls

Chapter 1

"Saphrone? Can you hear me?" Brendon asked as she stirred.
"Brendon? Where am I?"
Brendon let out a sigh of relief. "We’re on the Alicubi, remember?"
"What happened?"
"Lightning struck the cabin you were in. You had burns and cuts, but Tara healed you. Are you all right?"
"Yes, I’m fine, thanks." The couple embraced, happy to see each other again.
"I… I thought you were going to die," Brendon whispered in her ear.
"You can’t get rid of me that easily," she said, smiling warmly. She laughed, a light, soft giggle that made Brendon want to dance with joy.
For a moment, the world was perfect for Brendon and Saphrone. Everything seemed to stop, and he looked into her eyes. He saw someone who he could spend the rest of his life with, someone beautiful and caring and compassionate. Someone perfect to him. They kissed, a long kiss filled with love and happiness. When they finally pulled away from each other, Saphrone smiled in a way that made Brendon like her even more.

The final excerpt is also from Chapter 1.

Evening Falls
Chapter 1
© Brian Cansler, All Rights Reserved

"Let’s find somewhere quiet to eat before we keep going." Brendon made a wide arc around a street performer juggling flaming swords and collided with a lithe figure clothed in long emerald robes. The hood of her cloak hid her face, but Brendon could see the woman’s bright steel-blue eyes glinting from the shadows. Both were knocked backwards, sending the figure’s raven flying for cover and a strangely marked golden dagger clattering to the ground. Brendon’s sword was thrown from its sheath when he fell, and behind him he heard Chasity neigh loudly.
"I’m sorry, miss. I wasn’t paying attention," Brendon said as the woman stood up gracefully and her raven perched itself on her shoulder.
"Convocare!" Brendon’s sword flew to the woman’s hand when she said the Summoning Spell, and she held it out to Brendon. "Here. You’ll need this soon," she said as she pulled back the hood of her cloak. She was an elf, and Brendon found her almost as attractive as Saphrone, and that was saying something. The woman smiled maliciously. "Very soon." Her other hand emerged from a pocked in her robes, holding a small bottle. She threw it to the ground and it erupted in thick green smoke. When it cleared both the woman and the dagger were gone.

Comments Enabled. Please tell me what you think.

I'm from less than an hour from Rochester, NY and PROUD!

2005-09-20T16:19:00.000-04:00

You Know You're From Rochester, NY When...

The only thing at the annual May Lilac Festival is snow.
The worst four-letter word you could say is "Fuji".
You can't swim at the beach.
You thought that you had figured out that alternate-parking thing, but wind up with a ticket anyway.
Toronto is about 70 miles away, but it takes four hours to get there.
The name "Greater Rochester International Airport" is bigger than the airport itself.
There's an 800 number to report a pothole in the road.
You know that a "Can of Worms" is not something that you take fishing. Your baby's first word is "Wegmans".
You ask lifetime residents where the George Eastman House is, but they don't know either.
In a city where it snows at least 90 inches a year, they build a new sports stadium with no roof on it.
It can be 70 degrees one day, below freezing the next, and you think nothing of it.
Your mother is buying outfits to wear to Wegmans.
Your low-fat diet is never low enough to exclude an Abbott's custard.
You order a white hot and a pop, and the counterman knows what you're talking about.
You can travel from Egypt to Greece in about a half-hour by car.
D&C is a newspaper, not a medical procedure.
There are no hamburgers, only ground steak.
You can go to any mall on a Saturday and see at least 5 people you either work with, went to school with or dated.
A musical comes to town 10 years after its Broadway premier and the entire town goes nuts!
You awaken from a deep sleep, look at the clock and see that it's 6:00, but you have no idea whether it's AM or PM.
When 18+ inches of snow falls overnight, but you never thought of NOT going to work.
You are perplexed when friends from other cities come to visit and want to "see the sights".
In winter if the temperature hits 45 degrees and the sun comes out, people walk around downtown wearing shades and no jackets.
There are places at the poles that seem to get more sunlight during the winter months than we do.
Wegmans is somewhere to go on a Friday night, for entertainment.
You know who Vinnie and Angelo are.
You define summer as three months of bad sledding.
You think that people from Pennsylvania have an accent.
Halloween is snowed out with great regularity.
You have experienced frostbite and sunburn in the same week.
Half the change in your pocket is Canadian, eh.
Your idea of a seven-course meal is a six pack of Genny and a bucket of Buffalo wings.
You believe that "down south" means Maryland.
Your snowmobile, lawn mower and fishing boat all have big block Chevy engines.
You can compare Nick Tahoe's garbage plate to at least 3 other knock-offs in competing restaurants.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Rochester, NY.

Get your own "You know you're from" Meme here.

More cool things for your blog at blogthings.com.

Great Post on hollylisle.com

2005-09-03T17:33:00.000-04:00

It's entitled English for Reporters 101, posted today. It is about a teen hero and a reporter with the vocabulary of a small rodent, according to Holly Lisle. I can't say I disagree. Be warned as it has strong language. Take this link:
The Best Thing I Read Today

Prayers

2005-09-03T13:14:00.000-04:00

My prayers go out to all of the people in the southeast that were caught in the hurricane. I hope they all get out safely.
Also, my friend Amanda's dad is in the army and is leaving for Iraq today or tomorrow. My prayers go out to him as well for a safe return from his tour of duty.

An Article on Point of View and Perspective in Writing

2005-08-22T17:44:00.000-04:00

The one thing I have the biggest problem with in writing is Point of View (POV). I have written and rewritten many sections until the POV is just right. I found a helpful article on the internet the other day that seemed interesting and wanted to share it. You can find it here:
POV/Perspective Article
I am afraid to post the article here because of Copyright Laws. Can't be too careful, eh? Anyway, I found it particularly interesting.
I'd also like to mention that Holly Lisle's newest book, Talyn, became available on Aug. 1^st. She says that she believes that it is her best book yet, but it must be close to perfect to top Midnight Rain. You can purchase her books here:
Purchase Talyn at Amazon.com
Purchase Midnight Rain at Amazon.com

How I've been

2005-08-21T15:32:00.000-04:00

This is basically a post to say all of the things I have been thinking of lately.
First of all, let me say that I am very appreciative of my Aunt, a.k.a. my "Editor." She is the author of four books, including Lottie's Courage, a winner of the Beacon of Freedom award. As it is, she has very little time to write her novels, but even so, she always takes time to review my manuscript and make comments and corrections. Thank you!
This Thursday is the first day of school. I am going into 9^th grade and am very excited.

Mini HTML Lesson 2

2005-08-19T13:56:00.000-04:00

Today we will learn how to make text appear sub-script and super-script.
It looks like this:
_{SUB-SCRIPT TEXT}

^{SUPER-SCRIPT TEXT}
And the commands are:
Sub-script:
<*sub>YOUR TEXT HERE<*/sub>
Super-script
<*sup>YOUR TEXT HERE<*/sup>
Don't forget, of course, to remove the asterisks (*).
So now you know how to make text appear super- and sub- script.

A mini lesson on HTML

2005-08-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

This is a mini-lesson on HTML.
HTML stands for Hyper-Text Mark-up Language. It is the coding for many computer and internet things. I have decided to share some of my information on HTML with you, my lucky and loyal readers.
First of all, you may have noticed that I like to do this:
LOOK!! THE TEXT MOVES!! IT'S ALIVE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!
Now, I'll assume that no one here knows anything about HTML, even though you all probably do. Anyway, normal text is written with no tags. But to make something bold, you need to add things like <*b> at the beginning and at the end, or italics, <*i> at the beginning and <*/i> at the end. Now, when you really do it, you need to exclude the *'s because I don't know how to type tags on this without making them become part of the programming. So there would be no *'s.
Now, you can make text move, too. The command is "marquee". This is what it looks like, only exclude the asterisks.
<*marquee>YOUR TEXT HERE<*/marquee*>
So, when you do this, you get:
YOUR TEXT HERE
Anywhere on the internet, you can find free HTML guides. You can practice by getting a free Blogger account at Blogger.com and when you create a post, click on the improve your skills. And I would like EVERYONE who reads this post to tell me if it is coherent. Do this in comments. Comments are enabled.

A Time to Celebrate

2005-08-14T15:08:00.000-04:00

I have passed one of the major milemarkers in my writing, one of the short-term goals I have dreamed of hitting since I started writing. Actually, I have hit two.
I now have 10,744 words in my novel and about 50 pages.

For many writers, this is no a big celebration time. For someone who has never put more than a thousand words on a page at one time with big dreams of being a full-time writer, this is one of the top five biggest accomplishments of my life. I don't really know what the other 4 are, but I know I have them.

So. I have passed the 10,000-word marker and the 50-page marker. What's next?

NEXT GOAL: 25,000 WORDS AND/OR 100 PAGES!

Comments Enabled.

Writing? What Writing? I'm supposed to be writing?

2005-08-11T18:24:00.000-04:00

I haven't written since Saturday or Sunday, on account of Marching Band Camp at Ashbrook High School. I sent one short email asking someone that emailed me who they were and where I know them from, and I have just enough time to check my normal favourite websites.
At band camp, all band students (Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors) practice marching and many songs from 8 AM to 5 PM this week and from 8 AM to 12PM next week. This week is terribly hard. Let me walk you through it.
In the morning, it's 5-10 minutes of exercising, led by our band director, Cindy Owens, and our Drum Major, Kendra, who is a Junior. Kendra and Ms. Owens are fun and very cool and they do their jobs right, but they are strict. Anyway, then we march and learn pictures for songs until lunch at 12- that's FOUR hours of marching every day, and sometimes we go back out in the afternoon. Then, at 1, we play songs and things like that until 5. That is FOUR hours of playing instruments. I play flute so it is hard on me because we use so much more air than many other instruments. Moving on, we have the entire first song (Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen) memorized and the pictures memorized, and we are working on memorizing the second number (Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen) and learning the third and final song (Come Sail Away by Styx.) This year is a 70's theme. We are also learning tunes to play in the stands, accurately called Stand Tunes. There are about 10+ of those.
The music is very hard but I have been doing as well as many of the Juniors have because I have been practicing at home for about three hours a day. So this is my schedule:

6:30 AM Wake up
8:00 AM-5:00 PM Band Camp
5:30-9:00ish Practicing (with a break for dinner)

I find it fun but draining. I like most of the people there, they are all fun to be around. But there is one flaw.
I can't remember where I left off in my book! I can't remember any of it. That is very disappointing. I decided that I should post today so my readers don't think I died or something. Anyway, it is only 6:24 and I need to practice so I'll post again when I can.

Pictures from Williamsburg

2005-07-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Here I am in beautiful WIlliamsburg, Virginia with my Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Otis. Next week when I have more time I will probably post about our adventures and possibly more pictures, but here is a start. Enjoy!

MORE SOON!

Chapter 5

2005-07-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

I'm about to start on Chapter 5, and tomorrow I think I might post a sample of my book tomorrow if I find something to put up.

5,000 reasons to celebrate

2005-07-13T18:56:00.000-04:00

Today I passed the first major milestone in my writing. I have exceeded 5,ooo words today, adn I am thrilled with 95% of what I have. Some of it will be cut when I finish Chapter 5, including a major rewrite of Chapter 4 Scene 2.
I am also going to visit my Aunt in Virginia next week, so I won't update for a while.
And, just because it's on my mind, there are only THREE DAYS until the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I also probably won't update Saturday, as I'll be preocupied with the book. I may post about it, but I can assure all of you that there will not be any spoilers on this blog at any time.

Terrorists in London

2005-07-07T10:19:00.000-04:00

I have just heard about the explosions in London. My prayers go out to all of the people in London and their loved ones. In case you haven't heard, here is a report I've compiled in the last five minutes as I watch CNN.

Three explosions underground on the subway and one on a double decker bus happened around 9:30 this morning, due to terrorists. They happened on the London equivalent of New York's Wall Street. As of 10:00, at least 45 have been listed as dead, hundreds are injured, and both counts are still rising rapidly. Rescue operations are still underway. Al Quiada is taking responsibility for the attacks, although authorities caution against giving this claim too much credit.

On HollyLisle.com, she has a wonderful post with great links on her blog here.

As she rightfully puts it, today we are all British.

Picture Courtesy of Phin

Books that should be on your To- Read List

2005-07-06T18:11:00.000-04:00

As a writer, I know I should read a lot. As an honest person, I will admit that I don't. But I have compiled a list of my favourite books that I have read recently.

~The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown
~Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown
~Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown
~Deception Point, by Guess Who

Dan Brown is my favourite writer. He is a wonderful master of suspense and thrills, and his books are full of information that can change the way you think about things. His characters are lovable, his writing exquisite. I recommend him to anyone who can read. His next book, The Solomon's Key (I think), comes out in September.

~Midnight Rain, by Holly Lisle

Holly Lisle and her books are great fun to read. Midnight Rain is my favourite of her books, although I've read more. She is a magnificent author, and she would have to be to get me to read a romantic suspense novel, which is what Midnight Rain is.

~Midnight Magic, by Avi

This children's book is a great read. I found it fun and full of unsuspected twists.

~The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy, by T. A. Barron

This book is my favourite of his many books. It is part of a trilogy, although the next two books aren't out yet.

~Harry Potter and the
~Sorcerer's Stone
~Chamber of Secrets
~Prisoner of Azkaban
~Goblet of Fire
~Half- Blood Prince, which comes out on July 16th
All by J. K. Rowling

These books are wonderful. I really can't say much about them, because they are beyond words.

~Eragon, by Christopher Paouloni (I think that's his last name)

Written by a fifteen- year- old, this book is written with the skill of a master. It is also part of a trilogy, but the others have not been released yet.

~My Point... And I do have one, by Ellen Degeneres
~The Funny Thing Is..., by Ellen Degeneres

Written by the World- renowned comedian, Ellen Degeneres, these are the funniest things I have ever read in my life. They include her trademark ramblings, along with her amazing sense of humor.

I have more, but those are for another post. These should hold you until Christmas, at least.

Wait! There's more where that came from!

2005-07-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

I have MORE pictures!

A side path we explored
Another Canoe View
My beloved Counselors, hard at work

Left to Right: Cassie, Clyde, and Critter
A stream flowing down to the water that I thought was very picturesque
An OOOOOLD Cypress Tree (there were a lot of Cypress trees on the river)

And now, you can view the pictures that Cassie took for the website online.

Go to http://campcrystal.com/camp_parent_login.asp and log in as:

Username: briansblog

Password: blogger

Click on Photo Gallery and go down the left side bar until you see" Session 2 High Adventure" and there are the pictures!

The account is still pending, of course, so check back frequently and when there is no red text at the top when you log in, you can view the pictures!

Pictures from Camp Crystal Lake High Adventure

2005-07-06T17:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the pictures from my Suwannee River Canoe Trip, where I was on the river for five days and four nights.

The view from my canoe
My campers

From left to right: Liz, Me, Critter, Danielle, Ashley, Britney

Center: Cassie

Not Pictured: Clyde, the third counselor

Suwanee River Scenery
More Suwannee Scenery

Another view from my canoe

Possible Sneak Peaks coming up

2005-07-06T17:01:00.000-04:00

I am thinking of including snippets from my novel on the blog. I ask that everyone who visits my blog (including my aunt if possible!) post below about this idea and if it is good or bad. Thank you.

I'm Back!

2005-07-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back from my trip to Florida. I was canoeing down the Suwannee River for five days and three nights.
Anyway, as you can imagine, I have not had much writing time lately, but I will now.
By the way, Holly Lisle's new book, Last Girl Dancing, has been released today and is available in stores now. The Romantic Times gave it 4 1/2 stars out of five. It is about a police detective who goes under cover as an exotic dancer to catch a killer preying on other dancers. This is what the Romantic Times posted, taken from HollyLisle.com:

Romantic Times' Top Pick -- "Add Lisle's name to the list of exceptional romantic suspense authors. Gritty drama, eerie paranormal twists and heart-pounding suspense make Last Girl Dancing well worth the price."

On her site, you can also read chapters 1 through 4 (four is for weblog members only), as well as find out how the book was written.

Also, for writers, this site has more information on it than many other official writing sites, such as S.F.W.A. (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and www.Writing.org. It has workshops, how- to's, FAQs, Featured writing Stories, articles on Professionalism, and a link to a writing community. I definitely recommend it.

Political Correctness

2005-06-02T00:12:00.000-04:00

This is an apology to all of the people who I have offended, etc. with the post below, entitled "Tarot Cards." You must understand that I was not trying to persuade anyone to alter their beliefs or to offend anyone. I was beginning to become agitated with some of my friends saying that I am sinning just by using this deck of cards. I understand that many people have different views, and I respect that.
I am NOT politically correct. I wasn't trying to be. If I was always politically correct, I couldn't accurately convey my position on some topics. No one could. That's just the way it is.
Again, I apologize I have offended anyone in any way.

I'm a Finalist!

2005-06-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

Holly Lisle, author of numerous works of fiction, hosted a contest for Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of her upcoming book, Talyn. It was a contest where you submit an original work on the topic "Rediscovering Honor." Out of 61 entries, I was in her top 19 finalist. You can read my submission Here.
You can also vote for my submission or another by clicking Here and scrolling down the right side bar until you see Poll. I am not sure if you have to sign in to her site to vote or not, so if anyone knows, please post a comment.

Tarot Cards

2005-06-01T15:03:00.000-04:00

Why do many people see Tarot Cards as a tool of evil or wrongdoing? The answer is simple. Many occultists practice with the Tarot. But that doesn't mean that they are evil. Let's begin with the origin of the Tarot.
There is evidence of the Tarot being used in ancient Egypt and Greece, as well as other places. But the generally accepted origin theory is that the Tarot originated in Italy, around the time of the Renaissance, and were used as the cards for a game. Some groups at the time, or possibly after the Renaissance, discovered similarities to the many symbols of Wicca, Druidism, the Celts, etc. and decided that they could be used for "Fortune Telling."
I use the Tarot. I have benefited greatly from it. I am also a Roman Catholic. I believe that the Tarot is a way of applying God's will and advice in everyday life. I know that many people do not agree with me, but that doesn't bother me. Think about it. How can a deck of cards be evil? The cards are a tool, much like a knife. A knife can be used for good, to cut food for the poor and needy, or for evil, to stab and kill your enemies. The same goes for the Tarot. It can be used for good, to help you guide your life in a positive direction in accordance with God's will, or for evil, to revoke the hand of God and to attempt to curse your enemies. I use the cards to guide my life, in the way so many others use the Bible or the Horoscopes that appear in the newspaper. They are a tool, and I value the help I have received through them.

Why I asked for comments

2005-06-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

The reason I am asking for reader opinions on Tarot Cards is because my friend and I are thinking of writing a book, where the Tarot will feature prominately. I am curious about what readers of my blog think. I'll probably post my response sometime today.

Please add comments

2005-05-30T09:44:00.000-04:00

On this post I would like you to post your feelings on a very sensitive topic for some people... Tarot Cards, how they affect users, and if you use them. Within the next week I will PROBABLY post my own thoughts, if I have time. Posts will be confidential, of course.

Finished with Revisions (Finally!)

2005-05-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Today I finished my revisions on the Prologue for Only Time. I love every word of what I got, and I am so glad that I can move on to something else. But I am glad my editor (a.k.a. My Aunt Phyllis at http://phyllistheauthor.blogspot.com) suggested them. I got the finished Prologue e-mailed to her and I should get a response soon.
Quote of the Day:

Eagles may soar but Weasles don't get sucked into jet engines.

More revisions

2005-05-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

Today I will be finishing the revisions I started yesterday, adding a lot of dialogue and cutting out some things. I've been working on this prologue that I could probably recite it from memory, and I have it just about perfect.
When I finish my revisions I will spend a day or two typing up ten or so pages of Only Time. With luck, that will be done by Wednesday.
So that's the plan. Onward.

My New Blog

2005-05-22T16:59:00.000-04:00

This is my new blog! Isn't it snazzy? Here I will post all of the things that do and do not pertain to my path to Published Works.

Revisions- Hooray

2005-05-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

Today I am doing revisions suggested by my Aunt Phyllis on my (hopefully) upcoming fantasy novel, Only Time. Going to try to get this done today, but don't count on it.

Thanks to those who deserve it

2005-05-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

Many people were involved in inspiring my writing. My two best friends, Amanda and Tyler, gave me the first idea for my first novel, which I'm writing now. My Aunt Phyllis, who has a blog at http://phyllistheauthor.blogspot.com, also inspired me and has helped me SO much. To Holly Lisle, who helped me before she even knew me with her website, http://www.hollylisle.com. And to my former teacher of 8th grade Language Arts, Mrs. Payseur.
Thank you all so much!