Megan Wong's Blog, page 4

Story Tag: Part 2

Welcome!

I am working with my friend Inna Jong Key to do some story writing. Where will this go? No one knows. She graciously began the story and I've taken it up. No plan. No collusion. We're working independently to see just what our two minds can do.

If you're looking for part 1, check out:
https://innajk.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/story-tag-part-1/

And without further ado, here is part two:

Nothing. Nothing behind me. Just shadows and the couch sit there and I shiver involuntarily. The rumble of thunder shakes the house and I crouch down to the floor. It feels safer to press myself flat and I close my eyes, counting under my breath. Light flashes against my eyelids and another crack of thunder shakes the foundations. It seems as if the storm is finally overhead and it’s ready to burst.
I peel myself off the floor. No need for Carla to see me plastered to it with fear. Once I stand, I examine the picture again. My eyes narrow. How is it possible that the figure is gone? Did I imagine it? I search the frame again but nothing is out of place. 
Another shiver steals over me and I hurry to the couch, drawing a blanket around me. I can’t help feel as if something watches me, but from where? I scan the room and clench my teeth together. Maybe I should call out for Carla. Surely if she comes down, whatever is haunting me will go away.
I’m about to shout her name when something clamps over my mouth and I’m pulled to the ground. We land without a thump and I feel the warmth of someone behind me. Fear freezes me and I realize I’m holding my breath.
A shadow passes by and I look up to see someone standing in front of the pictures. They stare hard as if trying to discern something. The lightning flashes again and the rain-splattered clothing becomes visible. A long red coat obscures this figure and a large top hat conceals their face. They turn and I realize I haven't taken a full breath. I feel tight inside as my eyes dart to the darkness of their face. Between my inhale and exhale, they disappear.

The person behind me releases me and I roll over, twisting my head in surprise as my eyes adjust to the shadows behind me.

Default Dragons

Patricia C. Wrede wrote The Enchanted Forest chronicles which I adored and read multiple times in my childhood. She has also written Wrede on Writing which is a collection of her thoughts on writing with a "none of this nonsense please" attitude.

One topic of hers struck me early on. Defaults.

What are your go-to actions?

I hadn't really considered the idea too deeply before but Wrede's comments have made me reflect. What do I choose most of the time when writing?

If you've read Island Whispers, you might think it's a third person close telling with multiple perspectives. In fact, it's first person and a limited time frame.

Time has always been my issue with writing. Logically it takes time to do things and calculating that or trying to represent that accurately has been my downfall. There is no need for a reader to suffer through every step in the forest or every moment from waking to sleep. Books are collections of events that are only moments of time - key moments to be exact. I just happen to exaggerate the minute and make the tying of shoes into a hypersensitive event.

Looking back now, I'm not sure what drew me to Island Whispers or the format that it took. I think I was just serving the story. The story needed multiple characters and for each to share their viewpoint - there was too much world to cover otherwise - and so I obliged with page after page of back and forth.

However, after I finished with Island Whispers and chose something new, I realized that first person seemed much simpler. It was easy to slip into a first person telling and I didn't have to worry about those bothersome tonal changes important for separating character voices.

Knowing your defaults is useful. If you want to grow, you must know the areas where you do well and then discern the areas where you need help. Challenging yourself to choose the POV, plots, genres that are not your norm is important so that you can continue to develop your skills. It's also important for storytelling. Some stories are not meant to be told in first person. Some stories need an omniscient perspective. As a writer, it is your job to serve your story and realize when the current path is not benefitting it.

One of my recent stories, the "fairy story" or Kira's story (I have no good title right now) was in first person, then I realized that it didn't fit. The characters rubbed against each other in the right way. The reader wouldn't be able to understand the natural knowledge that everyone in Faerie knew from birth. I needed a step back, more than that I needed a change of perspective.

What are your defaults? Why?


(You may or may not be wondering why this post is titled "Default Dragons." Partially because the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Wrede is about dragons, but also because I believe that our defaults are those fierce-some beasts that we let dominate our writing. Unless we face them, we will continuously submit to them, believing them to be supernatural and difficult to conquer. It's easier to let the dragon be all powerful and dominating, but we need to look for the chinks in the armor if we're going to emerge unscathed.)

The Hero's Journey

It's common to hear these words mentioned when speaking about a book. One of the basic tools of writing is understanding and using the hero's journey. Even if you're just reading a book for fun, you might think about the hero's journey. Simply put it's the essence of the book and the hero's struggle from nothing to something to a middle ground. The hero's journey is about learning.

The start of the journey begins in the confines of the familiar. Your character is in their normal life, perhaps a humdrum routine of the ordinary. Luke Skywalker is on his family's farm on Tatooine (Star Wars: A New Hope) and Harry Potter is living at Privet Drive with the Dursleys. Both of these characters yearn for something more, whether it's discovering the world beyond the stars or just moving out of a cupboard - they have dreams.

If I want to tie this into Island Whispers, Monica wants to leave the caves and explore the world above. The world below the surface, in the dark and twisting caverns, is all she has ever known.

Joseph Campbell has 17 stages to the hero's journey. However, I don't think it's necessary to explore every single one. There are many diagrams depicting it and it's easy enough to look up.

The next stage is breaking out of that familiar world and exploring the unfamiliar. For Luke, it's leaving Tatooine with Obi Wan and realizing that there's nothing left for him after the stormtroopers destroy the farm. Harry meets Hagrid and suddenly a wizarding world of magic opens up; he has been accepted to a school for witchcraft and wizardry: Hogwarts.

In Island Whispers, Monica meets Adam and begins to explore the land on the island. She chooses to continue expanding her knowledge and understanding of the world on her own.
Map of the Broken Bounty World
- In my novel, two bounty hunters go on a journey to
help a princess escape from her father.
Random insertion perhaps, but I plan to share more about
this novel in time...This is a journey though and there will be trials and heartache before it's over. The hero loses their innocence. However, they persist and pursue their end goal. If we were logging this journey on a plot diagram, this would be where the steep uphill climb becomes jagged. We haven't reached the climax, but there are mini-challenges and pitfalls along the way that make the peak just out of reach.
Luke finds and rescues Princess Leia but they lose Obi Wan. Harry learns about Voldemort and discovers there is a secret item in the castle: The Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone, depending on which version you have). 
Monica learns that the outside world isn't as friendly and inviting as she imagined. She also comes to terms with the guy who wants to destroy what is good about the island. Her friend Damian is controlled and not himself, he doesn't recognize her and wants to hurt her.
Now, that peak - the climax - which seemed out of reach earlier? We're at the top of the mountain and the critical turning point in the story. It's all downhill from here. The most difficult challenge yet is faced and overcome (thus why it's a "hero's" journey). 
Luke battles against the Death Star and makes the one in a million shot. Harry faces off against Voldemort while the latter tries to get the stone from the Mirror of Erised. 
Monica fights against the Elder and his dark servants. She battles alongside friends, but the question is "is she strong enough to take on her foes and protect the ones she cares about?"
After that climax is reached, we start the return. The character completes the circle, but with more knowledge and experience. Their understanding of the world has deepened. They have changed.
Luke joins the rebel alliance and decides to become a jedi like his father. Harry returns to the Dursleys, but has a future of wizarding classes and facing Voldemort ahead of him. When he speaks to Dumbledore at the end, reliving his battle against Voldemort, our wise old man gives Harry some advice and answers to the harrowing events.
At the end of the battle, Monica has survived but she has to come to terms with the loss of Damian and her new position as the queen of the Haven. While leaving the caves at the beginning was meant to symbolize her freedom and escape from responsibilities, she is laden with guilt and duty at the end. She must return to the caves and take over the legacy of the former queen. She'll also need to forgive herself for her own role in Damian's demise.
A hero's journey is not pretty and not all of them get happy endings. Knowledge is a burden and a blessing, but the characters response is just as important. Their resilience in the face of obstacles has gotten them this far, how much farther will it take them?

Arizona Beauty and a Discussion on Perfection

I've been feeling a bit "out of it" for the past few weeks. Writing has lost its luster and life is a bit gray. A change was what I needed and thankfully I'd planned a trip to Arizona. This past week, I hiked, learned about the Codetalkers; viewed cliff dwellings, the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, ate mutton, baked gluten free pumpkin donuts and spent time with one of the most wonderful people in the world: my mother.
I don't think it is uncommon for people to get in funks so my case is not unique. I know that eventually I'll get through it, but it sucks. It dampens my mood and creativity.  I like to think that I've grown up a lot but I'm still learning and I'm far from perfect. Although that's a loaded word. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. If I asked a bunch of random strangers or even polled my friends, I guarantee that everyone would have a different definition. Achieving perfection is often seen as an unattainable goal. Our ideas of perfection are so high that they're just twinkling lights in the distance. Yet we may carelessly throw the word around in conversation and aspire for those perfect heights. 
We want to be "perfect" but is that really our best self?
Think about your definition of perfect. What qualities must someone embody to be perfect? What must they achieve? Putting that into words may be difficult. Perhaps it's easier to think of the negatives. What do you see as imperfections?
Now, what are the odds that someone can actually achieve that? What are the odds that they hit those points of perfection every day? Is your idea of perfection attainable?
Most likely not, but feel free to argue and explain. In my experience, we create pedestals too high for us to reach and too far away to admire. This can cause frustration.
So why are we setting ourselves unrealistic goals? Why do we strive for perfection, knowing that it's highly unlikely, and plow on "full steam ahead"?
Perhaps expectations play a role. Our expectations and the expectations of others. Take another look at your definition of perfection. Where did it come from? Have you heard some of these things from others? Do you hold yourself to these standards? Or do you hold others to them?
When your expectations and beliefs in perfection are not met, how do you react? What kind of self-talk goes through your head? I imagine that it's probably negative. I know mine is. I scold myself relentlessly for not meeting my standards or failing to achieve things. The problem is, I hold others to that as well, and when you do that you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Plus, you're likely isolating your friends and making enemies.

We may also project our expectations onto others or project our fears of judgment onto others. When we try to imagine what others are thinking, we can work ourselves up over nothing. Besides, you can't change someone's thoughts so why bother worrying over them. They may not even be thinking about you at all. 
To conclude on perfection, it's often an unreachable height that we set for ourselves based on expectations that we may have learned as children or as we grew up.  Any thoughts?
This image reminds me of sour cream and onion dip,
but it's really just snow-dusted rock and
the natural beauty of Arizona in winter.

Literature Lessons: On Supporting Others and Taking Care of Yourself

This image of the ocean and sky makes me think of Beautemps -
the city in the clouds - where the angels live and shed light
on the ground below. There are shadows and sunbeams present,
as evidence in this picture. (Just because they're angels, doesn't mean
they're always good!)When Angelica hears about her friend's unicorn getting attacked, she knows she has to do something. Marcie is distressed because her partner is hurt and is not healing. The doctors/healers at the hospital are unable to do anything and don't understand the mechanisms of the insidious parasite.

This leads Angelica to a rash but daring plan. She's encountered a similar energy before and she's willing to do what it takes to help the unicorn.

When our friends are going through difficult times, we often want to spring into action and let them know that everything is going to be alright. We want to take care of them and help them however we can. We put all of our energy into it and we can feel exhausted after it all ends.

Giving and receiving are both important.

Giving our time, love and energy to others shows compassion, but we also need the reminder to give that same time, love and energy to ourselves.

So Angelica heals Marcie's unicorn and she passes out. She falls ill, feeling drained and sluggish because of how much work she put forth. This can often happen after we're activated. Our bodies are hyper alert for dangers, then they shut down from exhaustion and can lower our immune systems.

People that are "carers" and want to give the world to others may find themselves often exhausted and stretched thin. They give and give and give without receiving or giving to themselves. It's the plane analogy that drives an important concept home. When air pressure falls in the cabin and the masks drop down, you have to put your mask on first before you put on someone else's. While helping others can make us feel good and is beneficial to others, it can also be taxing on our health.

Angelica just gave lots of energy to helping Marcie and so it's no wonder that when she welcomes the help from Keith that she begins to feel better. Someone else is now giving to her and taking care of her which furthers the cycle. When we all look to aid others, we foster a community of people ready to look out for one another and support each other. However, it's not wrong or bad to be on the receiving end of aid and being open to help from others benefits the community too!

Book Review: September

When something emotional occurs, it's that moment after that can really hit hard.
Sometimes we are just exhausted. Sometimes we don't know what to do or we don't know how to start. It can be overwhelming to feel these things. It can be scary and we may want to shut down. That's where Rising Strong comes in. Rising Strong is about wrestling/rumbling with emotions and working yourself back up after the fall. Brene Brown was inspired by Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech, which I will post here for your edification. In Rising Strong, you can find this speech on pages (xx-xxi).

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;...who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

The title of one of Brene Brown's other books is Daring Greatly by the way, in reference to that part of the speech. So, soak that in. It is the man who is facing everything that matters. Man or woman, I should say, but quotes from history are often gendered toward males. So, the person who is facing the challenges and is "marred by dust and sweat and blood" from their effort.

Brene Brown says, stop the story and focus on that point of being down on the ground before achievement occurs. When we're hurting, we generally want to shut ourselves off from the world or we want to lash out and find ways to protect ourselves. Sitting with vulnerability is uncomfortable, feeling shame or guilt can be unbearable, but the question is "will you try to bear it anyway?"

One thing that Brene Brown emphasizes is leaning into discomfort. She doesn't sugar-coat things and she states it plainly on the first page of the introduction: "You're going to stumble, fall, and get your ass kicked." You're going to feel hurt.

That's the truth of the situation, but she also says that it's worth it. It is worth the pain and the failure for the results achieved at the end, but before we get to those results, we need to figure out the middle and what happens there.

One of my favorite quotes from her is: "The middle is messy, but it's where the magic happens."

Brene Brown visited with Pixar's team and learned about their story process. They use the three act structure of storytelling with an emphasis on Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey." The team talked with Brene about their story process and one of the team members explained that the second act was the most difficult. The second act is when the work is done for the rising to take place.

That's when she came to the realization that you can't skip the middle or act two. You have to deal with it and go through the mess. That's when she began to investigate more. Early on in the book, Brene Brown has her "Lake Travis" story where she and her husband lean into vulnerability and have a constructive argument/disclosure. This story became something that she referred to often, but her realization at Pixar made her scrutinize it. Where was act II in all of that?

Act II was the story she was making up. The thoughts in her head and the torrent of emotions that bombarded her as she swam that day in Lake Travis. She went through so many imaginary conversations and ideas of how to address the situation. Most of them were focused on protecting herself and getting back at Steve, her husband. However, she decided to lean into vulnerability, "choosing courage over comfort" and try to connect with Steve and find out what was going on. Choosing that helped them as they worked through the images and rooted out the truth behind the emotions and thoughts.

Rising Strong addresses those rumbles through tough emotions using stories to demonstrate the concepts. Brene Brown says that there are three steps: the reckoning, the rumble, and the revolution.

A lot of this relates to what I'm learning for counseling, so think of Rising Strong as the self-improvement book that gives you the ability to connect with what you're feeling and work through it to lead a "wholehearted" life (to use Brown's words) and rise from the falls.

I suppose it's dramatic, but this book could really change your life. It's always your choice, but I believe that just learning about this will change the way you see the world. If you have the interest and the time definitely check out Rising Strong and see what it can inspire in you.

"Dream A Better Dream"

Dreams are the flights of our unconscious into the depths of our imagination. Mm-hmm, that's an interesting contrast - flying and depths, but I'm going to go with it. I am thinking of the dreaming that occurs during sleep. Our bodies are immobilized as we sleep and our mind takes action. When we go into REM, we see images and our brain waves change. We'll leave the technical, biological side of dreams for this post and focus on the psychological and interpretative focus.

I actually spoke quite recently with a friend about dreams. We have both experienced odd ones. Sometimes dreams have no rhyme or reason for what they are and sometimes they seem primed to give us information.

I think we can learn a lot from dreams. Not every dream, mind you, because I've certainly had some dreams that just leave me baffled, but if you feel like there's something more - there probably is.

The title of this post comes from a mantra I dreamt up years ago. I used to have a lot of nightmares. I was terrified of the dark and my dreams didn't help matters because I'd wake up in cold sweat feeling disoriented. However, a realization came to me during one dream in particular and I haven't had a nightmare I couldn't handle since. The realization is "dream a better dream", of course.

Let me set the scene.

I was with a friend in an unknown neighborhood as the sky darkened into evening. We were running. Our feet slapping the ground and our breath coming out in large gasps. We were running away from something. And it was getting closer. We ran through backyards and past houses that were dark and looked abandoned. We seemed to be the only two in the world, other than the thing that was chasing us. We jumped over fences and finally crouched down in the shadows of one. The thing growled. It sounded like a big dog, but I couldn't see it. I could just feel my heart racing and the fear of getting caught. In that moment, I was paralyzed and unable to move. My fear escalated to skyscraper heights and I was at the edges of waking up.

Somehow, a reasonable and calming thought came through. I'm not sure if I was learning something at the time or if something had changed in my life that I felt this way, but I stayed in the dream (and asleep) and calmed myself. The danger was still present, yet I felt isolated and separate. Like looking down from above on the whole scene, I "woke up" enough to know that I was dreaming. The adrenaline and fear was still coursing through my body, but I took hold of my thoughts and whispered to myself: "dream a better dream." I repeated that over and over and my mind took hold again.

I didn't want to be dreaming about some terrifying thing chasing me.
I didn't want to feel trapped and powerless.

So, I chose to dream of the opposite.

I put all of my energy into another scene, another dream and it was difficult. Like trying to erase pen from paper, it seemed impossible, yet I kept scrubbing away at that dream - choosing things meant to give me the opposite feelings.

I dreamed of flying.

Not just any type of flying though. I had wings, and my friend had wings, and we flew through bright blue skies that were open with no chance of a shadow. I focused so hard on making that real in my mind that my dream changed. It really did become a "better dream" and my body calmed down, letting me stay asleep with a much more serene heart.

I bring up this dream and the phrase, because I know what it feels like to be powerless in dreams and in the real world. However, this lesson from my dream has given me confidence in my ability to change my world by changing my thoughts. Our minds are so powerful and we are powerful as well. We have the ability to dream better dreams and see our situations in a different light.

When we succumb to shadows, we also have the choice to rise up. Don't get me wrong. It will be difficult and challenging and it might not happen on the first try. But, you get back up. You try again. You keep going and you "dream a better dream" until you make it a reality.

Have you had a "dream a better dream" moment in your life? Leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to hear your story!

Nervous System: Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fun!

Sort of a new take on just the idea of us having "fight or flight" feelings when activated by a stimulus. The Vagal Theory is the up and coming approach to stress reactions. Well, not really an approach, more of a reason why we have different reactions. Have you ever gone to a haunted house with someone and the moment something scary pops up, you and your companion have two different reactions? Like one of you might go screaming/running away and the other might freeze and just stop moving altogether. That's because the former of you is a mobilizer and the other an immobilizer, your bodies follow different pathways to prepare you for the best way to handle the stressor.

Going off of that, there is another pathway - a myelinated nerve which has evolved over time due to our reliance on social interactions. So, while one of you might be running, the other freezing, there might be a third person that decides to just chat up the axe murderer-clown (bit of an exaggerated example, but hopefully you get the point). This third reaction and pathway reorients the body so that you are still capable of processing the situation and engaging with the stimulus.

Engagement is key. This myelinated vagal pathway changes the stressed reaction and can help improve your health.

We can't stay in an activated, sympathetic state, all of the time - we'll end up crashing. You also can't play dead forever or you're really going to be dead. Our body is supposed to regulate to responses in the environment then go back to the homeostatic base. Furthermore, even though the engagement state is beneficial - it's not something you should be in all the time either.

It's fascinating though to think that we are all wired differently and respond differently to stimuli. Our reactions to the world shape our world, and the events of the world shape our reactions. It's a cycle of call-and-response where we're continuously orienting.

Each of these states are beneficial and also harmful. A happy medium is best.

For some more examples and application of this theory, let's turn to the main characters in Island Whispers:

Adam is flight of freeze depending on the situation.
Grant is definitely fight, so is Monica.
Angelica is probably the fun, social category of interaction more than anything.

Art Escape

I love all forms of art. It's beautiful. It's fun. "It is what it is."

Sometimes I don't understand a piece, but maybe I'm just trying too hard to put meaning to something abstract. After all, "l'art pour l'art" or "art for art's sake." I'm not sure who said it, but I definitely agree. Art is what it is for itself, not the opinions or judgments of others.

I'm mainly a writer. I've chosen the written word as my medium and the forging of sentences as my masterpiece. It's something I enjoy and work to perfect. It's something that I want to learn more about and that I admire. However, there are times when I want to use my creative juices in some other form of art.

I've got an amateur hand when it comes to drawing. I am fairly competent at playing the flute. But, when it comes to other art forms, painting is relaxing for me. It has probably been months, maybe a year, since I shared painting on this blog but I know I've done it in the past.

Relatively recently, I moved to a new place. The thing about moving is that you have to get settled again. Every time you move, you have to find your niche and make a home for yourself. Part of this is done by setting up your room.

For the most part, I set up the essence of my room immediately. I had the basic functioning items. A bed and desk, I use my stepladder as a bookcase and I have a dresser in my closet. But, the soul of the room was missing.

All of my walls were bare in the beginning and I didn't have anything to hang. I didn't even have paper or art materials to make something. So, I've spent a number of weeks surrounded by blankness and while it's not urgent, I knew that I needed some more color.

So, I decided to create my own artwork for my walls. Creating a painting seemed like a good idea. I've done miniature ones before. I've painted a bike and avocados for my sister (on separate canvases) and I've done some flowers, landscapes and abstract pieces for myself.

However, when you're putting art in a room, it needs to coordinate with the other stuff. My issue is that I'm not style savvy. Still, the centerpiece of my room is my bed and the one thing that isn't going to change is my quilt. The quilt is a patchwork piece that my Nana sewed for me years ago. I've kept it and brought it everywhere since I left home. It's a bright spot and beautiful reminder. There are so many different colors on the quilt so I knew that my painting could be fairly colorful, but it also needed simplicity.

My best art usually has nature in it. It's easier for me to draw flowers or paint trees than work on animals or humans. Therefore, I decided that I wanted flowers to decorate my walls.

It turns out that I'm a very lucky person because a neighbor down the street is an artist. She willingly allowed me to use her studio, paints and brushes while I created my art. I felt a little funny walking down the street with two canvases half my height, but I'm super grateful that she gave me space to work. She also gave me suggestions and tips for painting.

As I mentioned, I'm amateurish when it comes to all other art forms. So, I learned a way to paint that didn't leave streaks across the canvas. I learned about mixing paint and different things that made it runny. I learned the proper method of washing brushes and the rule of never letting paint dry on your brush. It took almost two weeks, but I finally finished. You can see the finished product below.

I wanted something simple but also connected. The green vine and leaves connected the paintings together and the flowers separated them while showing off different colors of the quilt. Also, I kept with the rule of three for balance in the purple flowers. From my own experience with drawing, outlining in a darker shade brings out the lines and creates a contrast, so I outlined the pink petals to make it stand out and not so much of a blob. The white behind the yellow stamen in the center was under the advisement of my artist-neighbor and I did the same with the purple flowers to keep things balanced.

What do you think and what would you want to paint?
Flower painting for my walls. Original artwork!

Book Review: August

I've mentioned that I love being entertained before and books are very entertaining. For this month, I've chosen The Lightning Thief and I am fond of it. Certainly, Percy Jackson and The Olympians is a good series and appropriate for a young age group. I first read this when I was in 6th grade. It was actually the summer reading assignment, but I enjoyed every moment of it. When you have a book that is fun, it is not a chore; it is a chance to learn something interesting.
Rick Riordan is also a funny/sarcastic writer. As evidenced by the table of contents in The Lightning Thief. The chapters are amusing and also make you want to read further. Why are three old ladies knitting death socks? What is a Garden Gnome Emporium? Which god buys them cheeseburgers? How does he settle his tab? And where does he battle his jerk relative? 
All of your questions will be answered if you dare to flip the pages. And I do mean dare. Percy warns you on the first page that if you're one of them, then you might want to stop reading immediately. Because they'll find you.And who are they, you might ask. They are the monsters. The things that stalk and hunt demigods.Or as Percy says, half-bloods.
It's a very down-to-earth story. I mean that in readability and the way that it is written. The beginning is like Percy is speaking directly to you. He gives you the basics, tells you who he is and then gets into the story. We learn that he has had an unusual childhood. Strange things happen around him and he's been kicked out of more schools than your average middle schooler. 
It isn't until later that we understand what the other half of his heritage might be. Part god. Greek god to be exact. Olympus is real. Monsters are real. And well, they're all...mad because something has been stolen. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Merely read the title and I think you know what it is. Begin the chant of: quest! Quest! Quest! We need a quest!
Give us a Joseph Campbell Hero's Journey!
The setting is a sort of modern day mixed with mythology. The things we know exist, but there is a hidden world that our mortal eyes can't see. Namely because of the mist, but that concept will be explained later. However, a modern day setting means that Percy and his two companions will be traveling in a modern day world. Buses, trains, walking...actually I just thought about a fun vacation where you mimicked his journey across the states. Wouldn't that be fun? If only some of the more fanciful locations were real. 
Back to the book. Percy is relatable, especially if you're around 12 when you're reading this. He has to deal with bullying, not fitting in, strange teachers, and an awful step parent. And that is before he learns that he is a demigod. 
Also, I think that it is really great that Rick Riordan invented the story for his son, Haley, and that it was meant to normalize ADHD and dyslexia. These aren't bad things. They're signs that you're a demigod - you can't sit still because of your fighting reflexes and your brain finds it easier to read ancient Greek than the modern alphabet. 
Besides that, Greek mythology is cool. It is absolutely fascinating. There are so many stories and variations on stories. There is so much art to be found. Our language has some roots in Greek. And they have some of the weirdest/terrifying monsters. How is a half-man, half-bull possible? Yet, it happens. What about a woman with snakes for hair and a petrifying gaze? And that is just scratching the surface. 
Consider Percy Jackson as an introduction to the world of Greek mythology and perhaps you'll feel spurred on to dig deeper and uncover buried bones of myths not so dead.