Bryce Moore's Blog, page 248

Writing: Talent vs. Good

An author friend posted a link on Twitter to an essay focused on the differences between talented writing and good writing. It's an interesting read, and one I'd like to discuss a bit at length here, if you don't mind reading it over so that you can be better informed as I discuss it.



Done? Good.



This is an interesting debate, mainly because in my opinion, so much of the debate rests in an area that's a matter of personal taste. One person might read a story and think, "That was an awesome, incredible book." Another might read it and think it was drivel. As far as I'm concerned, both people can be right at the same time. It's art, and that's how art rolls, folks.



Case in point: The Great Gatsby. Dan Wells and I had an epic Candy Land duel a year or so ago over whether or not Gatsby is a great piece of literature. I love that book and think it's brilliant? Dan? Not so much. (Candy Land says I'm right, though. So there.) But seriously, we can both be right. Both positions are defensible. In the end, it's like having an argument over vanilla vs. chocolate. (Although why are we even arguing? Chocolate wins, easy schmeasy.)



If two English grads can't even agree on good old F. Scott, how can we hope to have a real debate over talent vs. good writing. According to the article, good writing is well constructed and passable. It's readable. It conveys a message accurately and efficiently. But it lacks that certain "something" that only truly talented writers have.



Hogwash, as far as I'm concerned, and I'll give you another good reason--we can't even all agree on what's bad writing.



Next case in point: The DaVinci Code. Tons of people will do their best to deride it, but it sold boatloads of copies, and it made Dan Brown a huge figure in pop literature. Is it "bad"? Is it "good"? It all depends on the measuring stick, and that measuring stick is going to have different numbers on it, depending on whose it is. Telling someone they like "bad" literature seems like a really base thing to do. It cuts a person to the core, dismissing their judgement. I'm against that.



So Talented vs. Good seems like a non-debate to me. I do think the terms both have merit, but I look at them in a different light. Talented writers are good right off the bat. It comes easier to them. I think of it in the same terms as I thought of musical ability in high school. Some of my friends were clearly just better players at an instrument than others. They didn't have to work as hard to be as good, if that makes sense. Other people could get to that same level, but they had to work harder to get there.



In the end, I just keep asking myself, "Does any of it matter?" To me as a reader, does it matter if I find one particular author talented and one just plain good? Not really. What's the difference? I'll read what I want to read, when I want to read it. Period.



To me as a writer, does it matter? No. All the worrying in the world won't make me one iota more talented than I might be otherwise. All that I can control is how much effort I put into my writing. What I do to make myself better. Better--that's the word I can focus on. I want to be a better writer tomorrow than I am today. That's something I have control over. Whether at the end of that process, I started out as good or talented or whatever . . . none of that matters.



And that's all I have to say about that.

Cleaning Out the Netflix Queue

My Netflix queue has gotten out of control. Big time. It's well over 200 titles long, and that's just kind of ridiculous. It doesn't help that a lot of titles on there are ones that have been on there for years. I've found that once I pass over a title often enough, I stop thinking of it as a "potentially good movie"--even though I obviously thought it would be a good movie at some point in time. After all, I was the one who stuck it on that list in the first place, right?



So I'm weeding out the list. It's taking some time, and I'm having to do it over the course of several days, just because I don't have that much free time available to me right now, and this feels an awful lot like work.



I've started by taking off the low rated movies. If Netflix thinks I'm going to give it less than three out of five stars, then the odds are low that I'll every actually want to watch that movie. There will always be something I want to watch more. So off it goes! Then I'm taking off the ones that I'm not dying to see--that I know Denisa has no desire to see, either. We watch almost all of these movies together, so unless something's "Must See" for me, it needs to go off that list if I know Denisa isn't going to want to watch it.



Through this approach, I've been able to get the list down below 200 now. That's progress, right? I'm not sure where I'll go from here. Part of me is really close to just deleting the whole list and starting from scratch. Limit myself to a queue of about 10 or so in instant and DVD, respectively. Then I could let myself add another 5 movies once 5 of the movies that are on the list get watched.



Anyone else out there a Netflix junkie? How do you decide what to watch when? All ideas are welcome!

Diet Update: Week Thirteen

Another week in the record books. I've been doing this diet for something like 90 days now. That's a lot of days. No wonder I'm sick of it. (I particularly miss baking, which is usually a quick and easy way for me to do something with my hands and feel creative for an hour or so. Hard to do that and stick to my diet, though, so I've refrained for the most part.)



More free meals at the cafeteria this week, but the good news is that those days are gone. School's out for summer, and the cafeteria is closed. :-) I should be settling back into some regular eating habits, which will help the diet tremendously.



Exercise hasn't been quite as consistent--at least not in an "this is really exercise and hard work" sort of vein. I've stacked some wood, done some yard work, and gone fishing with TRC multiple times. The good news is that I'm doing a much better job of doing something physical each day. It's just not necessarily helping me lose weight. Then again, I'm not exercising to lose weight. I'm losing weight and exercising so that I feel better and get sick less often. And in that respect, things are going great. I have yet to get really sick for days at a time since I've started this program. Yay for that.



And now, to numbers. I'm ecstatic to announce I'm 193.8 pounds this morning. That might seem like a random number to you all, but it's of great significance to me. It's the very border of "Normal" on the BMI scale. That's right, folks. As of this morning, I'm officially normal again. No longer overweight. 24.9.



This means the diet has transitioned from a "don't be overweight" goal to one of "be more firmly planted in the 'normal' category goal." A subtle shift, perhaps, but one with meaning to me. From here on out, the main goal is to not get back into that overweight category. My ultimate goal is 178 pounds--so that I can have plenty of buffer room. I'd like to settle in at 185. So there's still a ways to go, but I'm definitely making progress.



Yay for that.

Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (Spoiler-Free)

Besides having one of the harder to understand titles this summer (Is it "Star Trek Into Darkness" or just "Into Darkness"? I really can't tell . . . ), the latest Star Trek movie was one I've been very excited to see. JJ Abrams did a great job with the first one, in my opinion, and I've liked his stuff overall. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch. Win, right?



So I went to see it by myself, knowing that Denisa and I won't be in theaters until MC is old enough to get babysat. (I've vowed never to be the parent with the screaming baby in the theater. I've stayed true to that vow for two kids, and I'm not about to go back on it with the third.)



I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, although I think I might be seeing lens flares for the next few weeks. (Seriously, JJ. Tone down the lens flares. It'll still look futuristic without them--promise.)



The plot is simple: Star Trek. I don't want to give away any more than that. If you liked the first JJ Abrams flavored Trek, you'll like this one. If you're a long-time Trekkie . . . I don't know what you'll think. It depends on what sort of a Trekkie you are. Some of you will love this. Some will loathe it. But if you're That Sort of Trekkie, you're going to see it one way or another, so I suppose my review doesn't matter.



There are twists and turns. Nods to original Trek movies and episodes. One minor complaint I'd have is that because I was familiar with the original material, it was pretty easy to guess what was going to happen--right down to how certain scenes would play out and be blocked. But even then, I enjoyed the spin those scenes took, and so it was all groovy more or less.



The action scenes are very explodey. It's an exciting movie through and through, so top marks for that. This is definitely one of those movies where paying some to see it on a big screen is worth it. Three and a half stars out of four. Definitely check it out.



(And in other news, I really want to do some mashups of movies. What I mean is Cumberbatch is going to be playing Smaug later this year. How awesome would it be to have Smaug be the villain of Star Trek Into Darkness? And then you have Sylar as Spock, Shaun as Scottie, Harold as Sulu--see where I'm going here? Best. Movie. Ever.



Is technology far enough on that we can make this happen? Now? Make it so!)

On Emergencies and Tragedies

So while I was at my library meeting yesterday, someone had a seizure or a stroke--I'm not entirely sure which. It happened suddenly, with no warning at all. I hear they're feeling better, which is a relief, but it was--needless to say--a pretty upsetting experience for all involved. And it's been something I keep going over in my mind. Which means I need to write about it to try and understand it a bit better. Bear with me, or skip today's post. Your call.



It's so easy to live life with certain assumptions in place. Assumptions about continued health. No serious accidents. That we are more or less in control of our fate. Experiences like the one I witnessed yesterday go a long way to disrupting your willingness to make those assumptions, at least for a few days.



When you get down to it, life is full of risk. There's always the risk of tragedy striking at any time and at any place. I've seen this happen in my life and in the life of my friends--particularly now that Facebook is around and I'm in touch with so many more people on a daily or weekly basis. I've seen friends lose children, lose jobs, lose their health. I've seen friends disappear from a social network, only to find out a month or a year later that they died. In an instant, everything can be different.



I remember when I was living in Utah, Denisa and I were staying with my aunt and uncle. It was on the agreement that should my cousin need to move back to live with them, Denisa and I would need to find a different place to live. I really didn't handle that uncertainty well at first. The idea that at any moment, I might be forced to scramble to find alternatives. And I basically asked my aunt "what if I have to move out tomorrow?"



Her answer has stuck with me. She just shook her head, shrugged, and said, "What if a meteorite strikes the house? What if we have a fire? What if you get in an accident?" Her point was clear: we can spend all day worrying about the "What ifs." There are tons of things to worry about, after all. So many ways life can just be changed forever in a moment. But if you're focused on all those what ifs all the time, then you're never going to get any real living done. You'll be too focused on preparing for every eventuality that you miss out on all the opportunities to be happy.



This isn't something I do too well with. I don't like change. I don't like it when things don't go according to plan--even little things. If I have a plan for an evening, and it gets altered, that upsets me. I'm that kind of a guy. But I'm beginning to learn that it's a waste of time to worry about every eventuality. Something might pop up. I can worry about it when it does.



At the same time, I do think it's important to live your life as much as you can when you can. Enjoy the happy times, because there will be sad times that come along, too. Trying to prepare in advance for all the potential sad just makes you miss out on the happy.



And that's my deep thought for you today. Go out and do something you enjoy this weekend or this evening. Spend time with friends, family, or on yourself. Time is like money. You can only spend it when you have it. Saving some is good, but save too much too often and you can end up never having the chance to enjoy it.

Library Meeting--Bye Bye Blog Time

I'm off in Augusta at a library meeting today. One I just found out I'm running. :-) In other news, no real time to blog, so I'll leave you all on your own this one time. I'll try to make it up to you tomorrow. Promise!

Vice President of the Maine Library Association

I mentioned a week or so ago that I would have some big news this week. And I don't like to disappoint, so here it is. I've been nominated to be the Vice President of the Maine Library Association (MLA). And when I say "nominated," I mean "asked." Apparently the way the organization traditionally runs is to have officers run unopposed. So while there'll be a vote in June, it's between me and nobody. (I'm really hoping that's a vote I can win . . . )



This is an opportunity that kind of came out of the blue for me. I've been the Chair of the Central Maine Library District (a regional group that focuses on the needs of all libraries--public, school, academic, and specialty--in the region) for the past year or two, and part of that means I've been involved in discussions about the future of Maine libraries. When I go to a meeting, I speak up.



Apparently I spoke up too much. :-)



So what does this mean? It means that starting in June, I'll be Vice President of the association, followed by President for the two years after that, and then Past President for the two years after that. It was a six year commitment. MLA focuses on helping libraries and librarians throughout the state of Maine. It's the Maine chapter of ALA (the American Library Association).



Why me? Well, aside from the fact that I speak my mind (and apparently that's a good thing in LibraryLand), I'm both young(ish) and an academic librarian. The MLA is making a concerted effort to reach out to all libraries. Having an academic librarian involved in leadership will hopefully help that endeavor.



I have strong feelings about libraries and their perception in today's society. You've got boneheads left and right claiming that libraries are out of date, that books are dinosaurs, that librarians are going the way of the dodo. I personally feel that libraries have never been more important than they are now. There's so much information out there, and in my ideal world, libraries and librarians are there to guide you through that information.



Maine libraries are in a bit of disarray at the moment. Budget cuts hit us hard, and everyone's been scrambling to keep things running. With that focus on the individual libraries, the overarching goals of libraries as a whole have slipped to the wayside for the past while. My hope is that MLA can help bring that focus back. That we can get libraries collaborating more extensively with one another. I accepted the nomination with that in mind--that I could somehow contribute to that. (Well, my *first* hope was that it would get me into the Inner Circle of librarians, and I'd be taken to that room  in DC where they're storing the Ark of the Covenant. That has yet to happen. Maybe once I'm actually elected?)



In any case, there you have it. My big news. Because I wasn't busy enough already, right? I'm excited for the opportunity, and hopeful I can do a good job. Time will tell . . .

Diet Update: Week Twelve

Twelve weeks in the history books now. It's been another rough week, diet-wise--even though the reason for that sounds pretty stupid. About a year ago, I won 20 free meals at the cafeteria on campus. They expire on Friday.



I've been taking the fam to the cafeteria to use them up. The only thing is, they keep not charging for the kids, so the meals have been going much further than I thought they would. I love eating at the cafeteria. It's great food, easy to do, the kids love it, and it's all you can eat.



My willpower is getting a lot of practice, though. I think I've eaten out at least 4 times this week. 3 of those all-you-can-eat affairs. The good news is that all that practice has helped me somewhat. I now know to go in and start with a huge salad. I skip the chocolate milk in favor of water. Have a slice or two of pizza, a dish of ice cream, and some fruit. The end. I feel full, and I don't put on weight.



I don't *lose* weight, but I don't put it on. That's something, right?



This morning I clocked in at 194.6, meaning I lost .8 pounds this week. Definitely on the low side, but still loss. My total is now 19.4 pounds. Getting closer to that 20 lb mark! And while the loss was low, I was encouraged to see that I could go to the cafeteria multiple times, splurge a bit, and still keep the weight off. That's what I need, long-term.



Onward and downward!

In Which We Bid Farewell to Our Baby Degus

The time was up today. Our six little degu surprises had to leave the home nest and scamper their way elsewhere. I've been looking forward to this day for the past while. Two degus are cute and cuddly. They're fairly neat and don't require a whole lot of care.



Eight degus? That's a different story, especially when six of them are babies.



These guys would get into all sorts of trouble. Their recent favorite past time was jumping up to the top of the tank and running upside down on the metal grate, until their claws would slip out and they'd fall to the floor. They also loved to hold on to the plastic edge of the tank and eat it.



No one ever would accuse these guys of being particularly smart. Brave, sure. Brains? Not so much.



And they eat and poop and pee like it's going out of style. I had to change the tank much more often, and they smelled much more quickly. And when I had to change the tank, that meant I had to get them out of the tank. Turns out baby degus like to scamper around on the human body. Last time, one crawled up my sleeve before I could get him.



Ever try to get a baby degu out from your undershirt without squishing the poor thing, all while he's scampering back and forth across your back?



It's been an adventure, my friends.



TRC and DC even started naming the little guys. Their favorite (Undershirt guy) they dubbed "Mischief." Except DC couldn't quite get that name down, so she called him "Mischip," instead. I love that name, and will likely use it at some point.



In any case, the time had come. Freedom from it all at last. And of course, I felt really bad about it. Here I was, separating the happy degu family, taking the babies away from their parents, selling them off to the store ($5 a head, no less!). I had become the villain of an animated movie. The guilt . . . it was severe.



Then again, I know that Shadow and Shooting Star (our real pets) can and will make more degus where that came from. As much as four times per year. Six or so per time. 24 per year? That's . . . a lot of degus.



So stay tuned for reports of the next batch. Son of Mischip is no doubt on his way . . .

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

Traipsed off to see Iron Man 3 last night. I approached the movie with no small amount of trepidation. Third movie in the series? New director? We all know what happened to Spider Man 3, and that was with the same everything. I've really enjoyed the first two Iron Man movies. Could it keep it up?



Yes, my friends. It could.



It's helped a ton by Robert Downey Jr. of course. He is Iron Man. The script is pretty tight, too. It's just a shade over 2 hours, which felt like just about the right length. Long enough to feel like it had some heft, but not so long that you just wanted it over. The plot was twisty enough to be surprising, but not convoluted. All good things.



The basics are simple: Iron Man can't sleep. Starting to suffer from some panic attacks. Fall out from the Avengers plot line. I liked that--making a super hero have normal problems. It felt true to life, in a super hero-y way. Add in Ben Kingsley's Mandarin character, who's using terrorism to scare the pants off the country. Iron Man vs Mandarin. Fight!



It's more complicated than that, of course, but that's enough to go on. I think this movie is a hair less good than the first Iron Man, but a much stronger showing than the second--which I also quite enjoyed. It's got the elements you now expect in an Iron Man flick: humor, action, explosions, awesome effects. Really, just another strong showing from Marvel. As I look back on what Marvel's done with their material vs what other people did with it, I'm amazed. Take a glance:



Pre-Marvel:

Daredevil

The Punisher

Ghost Rider

Elektra

Fantastic Four

Hulk

(Yes, you did have Spider-Man and the X-Men franchises, but still--there's a lot of dreck there.)

Post-Marvel:

Iron Man

Thor

Captain America

Avengers

The Incredible Hulk



Granted, Marvel hasn't been doing it for as long yet, but that's still some impressive lineup. Not every one was a home run in my opinion, but they were all doubles or triples at least. Go Marvel! (And go Disney for not getting in the way!)



Anyway. Three and a half stars from me. Highly recommended. I saw it in 3D and really was glad I did. Immersive. Spectacle. That's what you want for your extra money with a 3D movie.



Who else has seen it?