Ellie Lieberman's Blog: Dusty Shelves - Posts Tagged "dragon"
A Hike In The Forest
Writing a book is like taking a hike in a forest. You might have a map, a clearly marked trail, and even signs to point you in the right direction. However, I’ve never been good at reading maps. My curiosity tends to lead me off the trail. And if, by some miracle, I can find or don’t miss the signs, I don’t always want to follow what it says.
If you ask my boyfriend or my mother, they’d probably smirk and remark about how I always have to be the rebel. And there’s a truth to that. From the time I was in kindergarten, I colored outside the lines. Not because I couldn’t stay within them, but because I didn’t like to and I didn’t think I should have to. To this day my socks cannot match.
I do not like to be confined by the rules and the maps and the signs. Even if I am the one creating them. And neither do my characters. They want the same freedom, and quite honestly, are part of what leads me off the path.
Nobody should hike alone, and when you’re writing, you are joined by many companions. For me, they tend to be the leaders in this journey, because muses help me if I deny them that. Marshmallows go missing, as do the chocolate, and graham crackers are too bland to eat alone. Equipment disappears, rocks start flying, and they will not let me rest until I follow along.
Flying by the seat of my pants, or where the characters drag me, is not only simply part of my personality as a whole, but self preservation.
That being said, I’ve started on a new adventure. There are certain requirements to follow, such as word count and deadlines, and I am starting to dabble in some forms of planning. While the characters are taking the lead, they seem as lost as I am. I can’t seem to make sense of the map yet (am I holding it upside down), and it doesn’t help I’m dragging a two ton dragon along.
In short, you should probably never choose me as your hiking buddy.
If you ask my boyfriend or my mother, they’d probably smirk and remark about how I always have to be the rebel. And there’s a truth to that. From the time I was in kindergarten, I colored outside the lines. Not because I couldn’t stay within them, but because I didn’t like to and I didn’t think I should have to. To this day my socks cannot match.
I do not like to be confined by the rules and the maps and the signs. Even if I am the one creating them. And neither do my characters. They want the same freedom, and quite honestly, are part of what leads me off the path.
Nobody should hike alone, and when you’re writing, you are joined by many companions. For me, they tend to be the leaders in this journey, because muses help me if I deny them that. Marshmallows go missing, as do the chocolate, and graham crackers are too bland to eat alone. Equipment disappears, rocks start flying, and they will not let me rest until I follow along.
Flying by the seat of my pants, or where the characters drag me, is not only simply part of my personality as a whole, but self preservation.
That being said, I’ve started on a new adventure. There are certain requirements to follow, such as word count and deadlines, and I am starting to dabble in some forms of planning. While the characters are taking the lead, they seem as lost as I am. I can’t seem to make sense of the map yet (am I holding it upside down), and it doesn’t help I’m dragging a two ton dragon along.
In short, you should probably never choose me as your hiking buddy.
A Light in the Dark
Barbara Lieberman recently wrote a blog about perspective and framing our memories and moments, how we choose to remember it. As she puts it, “Framing my perspective my way allows me joy in the journey and happiness in spite of pain.”
This also ties to a favorite quote of mine by Howard Zinn: “The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now, as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” The same can be said for how we view the past. And, also what we choose to treasure.
In one of my many works in progress, the short story for the dragon anthology coming out in July 2016, the protagonist, a young and curious dragon, collects a variety of treasure while on an adventure where he seeks a place he belongs. However, the treasure he collects is not the usual gold and jewels expected to be found in a dragon’s horde.
His desire to pick up these objects is not the result of greed or jealousy. Instead, each item is a memento, represents a special moment, a special meaning, or a special person. It’s the light in the darkness, the happiness and the hope. As Barbara Lieberman said in her blog, “It’s not denying the awful. It’s seeing the gift in it.”
It’s why a bottle cap has more meaning than a diamond necklace. It can be seen as why one of the treasures is a scar, because they have lessons in and of themselves and can teach us, even if it’s only the complete opposite of what has actually occurred. And, it is also why some of the other characters treasure the dragon, as well.
What we choose to treasure, and ultimately remember, and how we choose to view it, is what makes it as valuable as it is. It’s like those old Mastercard commercials. My most prized possession, those priceless treasures, include family heirlooms and meaningful mementos from my childhood. My great grandmother’s china doll. My lovey, a stuffed tiger. The ring my mother gave me that marks my passage into womanhood I never take off with the exception of showers, swimming pools, and the ocean.
What are some of your treasures? How do you define treasure?
This also ties to a favorite quote of mine by Howard Zinn: “The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now, as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” The same can be said for how we view the past. And, also what we choose to treasure.
In one of my many works in progress, the short story for the dragon anthology coming out in July 2016, the protagonist, a young and curious dragon, collects a variety of treasure while on an adventure where he seeks a place he belongs. However, the treasure he collects is not the usual gold and jewels expected to be found in a dragon’s horde.
His desire to pick up these objects is not the result of greed or jealousy. Instead, each item is a memento, represents a special moment, a special meaning, or a special person. It’s the light in the darkness, the happiness and the hope. As Barbara Lieberman said in her blog, “It’s not denying the awful. It’s seeing the gift in it.”
It’s why a bottle cap has more meaning than a diamond necklace. It can be seen as why one of the treasures is a scar, because they have lessons in and of themselves and can teach us, even if it’s only the complete opposite of what has actually occurred. And, it is also why some of the other characters treasure the dragon, as well.
What we choose to treasure, and ultimately remember, and how we choose to view it, is what makes it as valuable as it is. It’s like those old Mastercard commercials. My most prized possession, those priceless treasures, include family heirlooms and meaningful mementos from my childhood. My great grandmother’s china doll. My lovey, a stuffed tiger. The ring my mother gave me that marks my passage into womanhood I never take off with the exception of showers, swimming pools, and the ocean.
What are some of your treasures? How do you define treasure?
