Jae Holt's Blog, page 3
March 8, 2015
The Fascination With Steampunk
Automaton from Cirque du Soleil's Kurios
When I embarked on this journey to write a story about a young boy growing up in a very different historical version of Hawaii, I knew that I wanted to incorporate the imaginings of an often misunderstood genre - steampunk.
When most people hear of the term for the first time, images of Victorian garb, goggles, metal wheels and cogs, ray guns, and
When I embarked on this journey to write a story about a young boy growing up in a very different historical version of Hawaii, I knew that I wanted to incorporate the imaginings of an often misunderstood genre - steampunk.
When most people hear of the term for the first time, images of Victorian garb, goggles, metal wheels and cogs, ray guns, and
March 3, 2015
Raising a "Normal" Child - Learning to be Successful
My previous post introduced you to my family's horrifying discovery that we are not perfect. As parents, we made mistakes in the education and social upbringing of our son.Once strong willed, he was now fraught with anxiety issues and had difficulties engaging in social activities at school. The next phase of our lives involved acceptance, communication, and better expectations.
Anxiety can be
Anxiety can be
February 9, 2015
Raising a "Normal" Child - Preschool
I think the worst part so far about raising my son is having the expectation that school will be a place to watch him thrive and be challenged, and then have that expectation blow up in your face when you instead feel like school has opened your eyes to the possibility that your child is somehow broken. I have come to realize that my husband and I realize we are not alone in this experience, and
February 3, 2015
Communication and Blogging with Kids
site used for student blogs
My son's teacher set up blog pages for her students to use. It is mainly to post their book reports, but they are also free to post other school-related or personal commentaries. It is an excellent lesson in responsible social media use.
First of all, students cannot immediately post to their blogs. Once they complete a post, it has to go to the teacher to be
My son's teacher set up blog pages for her students to use. It is mainly to post their book reports, but they are also free to post other school-related or personal commentaries. It is an excellent lesson in responsible social media use.
First of all, students cannot immediately post to their blogs. Once they complete a post, it has to go to the teacher to be
January 19, 2015
Interview with a Character 3
Kai Napunoa
Not the greatest art, but here's Kai!
I'm finally ready to introduce one of my characters from my newest novel. Thirteen-year-old Kai Napunoa lives in a plantation camp on the island of Maui. He is a curious kid who would rather go exploring instead of going to school. Living on an island might sound boring, but with a creative mind like Kai's, every day can be an adventure!
JH
Not the greatest art, but here's Kai!
I'm finally ready to introduce one of my characters from my newest novel. Thirteen-year-old Kai Napunoa lives in a plantation camp on the island of Maui. He is a curious kid who would rather go exploring instead of going to school. Living on an island might sound boring, but with a creative mind like Kai's, every day can be an adventure!
JH
December 14, 2014
Review: Fantasy Meets Mystery in CITY OF STAIRS
Fantasy novels make for great stories of adventure, romance, or horror. But it isn't often that a fantasy is able to blend fantasy with a thrilling mystery and a tale of intrigue.
But City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennet, does a masterful job of taking a political tale of murder and intrigue and placing it in the most fantastic of settings. Bulikov is a city built by beings revered as gods,
But City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennet, does a masterful job of taking a political tale of murder and intrigue and placing it in the most fantastic of settings. Bulikov is a city built by beings revered as gods,
November 14, 2014
Review: You Don't Need to be an Artist to Make Comics Like the Pros
When I wrote Circles, my deepest wish was that it would be turned into a graphic novel. But since I can't draw to save my life, I knew that dream wouldn't happen any time soon. I have a rather sizable collection of "How to Draw" books on my bookshelf, but they are mostly for moments of inspiration or boredom than for any real artistic endeavor.
But that never stops me from buying more books on
But that never stops me from buying more books on
November 12, 2014
Communication and the joys of teaching
image via KomoNews.com
A little while back, after posting about a conversation I had with a friend about writing, someone asked, "Have you ever considered teaching?" And yes, actually I have. In fact, my college courses were taken with an emphasis on education and teaching. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, it's up for debate) I chose a school that did not have a B.A. in Education and after
A little while back, after posting about a conversation I had with a friend about writing, someone asked, "Have you ever considered teaching?" And yes, actually I have. In fact, my college courses were taken with an emphasis on education and teaching. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, it's up for debate) I chose a school that did not have a B.A. in Education and after
November 7, 2014
Episode 2 of the Write Life!
Yesterday did not go as I had expected, and I had to start my hangout fifteen minutes later than originally announced. So I apologize for that last minute change. But here at the end of this post is the second episode to Write Life! and additional links for your viewing enjoyment.
I started off with a discussion that sprouted from the first episode about how long a novella is. A viewer and
I started off with a discussion that sprouted from the first episode about how long a novella is. A viewer and
Balancing home life with the writing life
It starts with a blank page
How to find time to stay organized
During the conversation I had with my friend, where he asked about the writing process, he followed up with the question, "How long does it usually (my emphasis) take you to write a novel?" My short answer was this: It took me seven years to put my original story, Circles, onto paper. Then another year of edits and revisions
How to find time to stay organized
During the conversation I had with my friend, where he asked about the writing process, he followed up with the question, "How long does it usually (my emphasis) take you to write a novel?" My short answer was this: It took me seven years to put my original story, Circles, onto paper. Then another year of edits and revisions
