Quote of the Month ~ July 2016

Love this one! :) How about you?

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(Click here for previous Quotes of the Month on StJ!)

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Emma Jane

from Emma Jane

1. Sparkling Dialogue

I’m really not sure why I used the word ‘sparkling’ -- it may or may not be the best choice for what I mean, but it just popped into my head and I thought, why not. ;-P What I really mean is dialogue, and I didn’t want to just say ‘good dialogue’ because that’s boring and I’m pretty sure everyone would say the same thing.

Besides characters, dialogue is probably the most important thing in a story for me -- in fact, it’s what defines the characters. Dialogue is what shows you how the characters think, how they interact with each other. It’s very important that it be realistic and have a natural flow to it; it’s got to sound like how people really talk. One thing that really bothers me about dialogue in a lot of books (mostly adult books, I’ve noticed) is when the characters say things to each other for the sole purpose of informing the reader of what’s going on -- you know they wouldn’t say that to each other, they’re only saying that because the author wants you, the reader, to know. That seems lame to me. If characters talk to each other in an honest, easy way, that really draws me in, and I feel more connected to them. It’s the same with movies.

Some examples of Books With Exceptional Dialogue: True Grit by Charles Portis (DUH DUH DUH); The Lizzie Searches for Love series by Linda Byler (which are pretty much the sweetest books on the planet); Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (or anything by Larry McMurtry, for that matter) 

2. Original description 

I love analogies, and metaphors, and all kinds of yummy descriptions. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of extensive description -- I could do without thirty pages about the history of bombs, Mr. Victor Hugo -- but if the author has an insightful way of looking at things and a creative way of describing things, then give it to me, baby! I say ‘original’ because I tend to get annoyed with an author if they keep using a certain word to describe something that I’ve seen countless authors use for the same thing. I love it when authors come up with their own -- it shows great imagination. (Depending on what kind of book it is, I might even go with made-up words, but very rarely. ;-P) 

So yes, I love creative description, but in moderation. I don’t need to know everything; I want to be able to imagine a fair bit of it for myself. 

Some Examples of Books With Refreshing Description: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery; the Sarah, Plain and Tall books by Patricia MacLachlan; the Songbird series by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck 

3. Strong Bonds Between Characters 

I’ve noticed a pattern in books and movies I especially adore, and it usually has something to do with strong relationships between the characters. By this I mean, characters who care about each other, who sacrifice things for each other. This also goes with Strong Characters in General, I suppose. And most of my favorite stories have some kind of strong bond between siblings, between married people, between friends, or even between a crazy trigger-happy grandma and a shy granddaughter. (I love you, Richard Peck.) What’s even more fun is if it’s an unexpected bond, one that grows stronger through the course of the book/movie/whatever. 

Some examples: August King and Annalees in The Journey of August King; Paul McLean and Normal McLean in A River Runs Through It (THAT MOVIE THOUGH); Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call in Lonesome Dove (seriously, don’t get me started); Orry Main and George Hazard in North and South (the most epic friendship ever recorded on screen); Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in...well, real life, and Wyatt Earp and Tombstone; Mary Alice and Grandma Dowdal in A Year Down Yonder; Cabot Murray and Eden Day in Yankee Stranger; Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe in the Anne books; Atticus Finch and Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird; Simon Birch and Joe what’s-his-name in Simon Birch; and on and on….

(Note from Heidi: Thank you so much for sharing, Emma! :))

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And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. (Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you! :))

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Rosie

from Rosie

1. Good Dialogue

I simply do not like cheesy dialogue. It’s not my thing. And I can’t stand stilted dialogue, either. Dialogue that drags the story down does not belong in any good novel. I like dialogue that adds to the plot and helps you to get to know the characters better. Dialogue should be fresh, personal, and be absolutely OWNED by the characters saying it. It has to be something they would actually say.

Now, of course, it’s hard to keep dialogue original and interesting. I mean, of course, when a boy surprises a girl who’s just dropped her books and papers everywhere, it’s not like they’re going to be terribly witty and gripping. The boy will say “Oh, hullo. D’ya need any help?” and the girl will go, “No, nnnoooo, I’ve got this, thanks.” I understand that! The only thing that I ask is that the dialogue really fit in the story. It helps to make the story so much more enjoyable and memorable. 

2. Atmosphere

I love it when an author creates a world that seems real, a world that you can immerse yourself in so deep that you forget that you have to come out. Wodehouse does that to me. So does Agatha Christie. In my favorite of Christie’s novels, Death Comes As The End, I was drawn in completely to the Ancient Egyptian world that she had created. I even became the heroine, which since it was a murder/romance story was really stressful, actually, but I couldn’t help it. It was just So Good. 

3. Nice heroes

I know I put this in third place, but I actually think it’s the thing I care most about in a book. Which may or may not have something to do with the fact that I’m a girl - I leave to you to figure that out :P What can I say? All girls like to read about romance. However, that being said, having nice heroes is very important to me. By “nice” I don’t mean perfect, at all, at all. I recognize that no one is perfect, not even a hero in a novel. And it’s interesting to read about how they deal with their faults/problems.

I just have problems reading heroes of the type that generally seem to inhabit more and more of our modern romance novels. The kind that has perfect hair, a hawk nose, and an ATTITUDE! The kind that thinks they own the world. The kind that has every lady’s attention and knows it. The kind that doesn’t hesitate to say nasty things. I simply cannot enjoy reading the story arc of a man who starts off as a monster, and I think it’s because I tend to put myself in the heroine’s place when I read a novel. That may seem weird to some of you, but it’s what I do . . . 

And that is why I like “nice heroes.” I would much rather read a story with a more humble and honest hero, even if it means he’s only “average good-looking.” I actually don’t care about perfect hair, funny as it sounds. Because in books, perfect hair seems to go with egotistical, stuck-up heroes. Give me any time a hero who struggles with shyness or a lack of confidence, and I’ll give you the one with the designer label. Only I warn you: he comes with the ability to charm you, betray you, and leave you sobbing in a chair. They’re dangerous, peoples. 

Thank you so much for having me, Heidi! I really enjoyed myself! And I hope I didn’t make too many enemies with that last point! Happy February, everybody! :P 

(Note from Heidi: Thank you so much for sharing, Rosie!)

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And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. (Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you! :))

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Victoria

from Victoria

1. Atmosphere

This one is a little hard to explain, but it's critical to a good story in my opinion. Atmosphere is the tone, the aura, the ambiance, the feel of a particular place or land or setting in a story. Think of the glorious, majestic security and beauty of Rivendell in The Lord of the Rings, the coziness of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's home in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the drafty, echo-y mystery of Thornton Hall in Jane Eyre, the earthy, rustic comfort of the Gargery's Forge in Great Expectations. It's not something you pin down exactly, or point to a particular passage and say, "There it is -- there's the atmosphere." It's woven into the fabric of every description of a place in a story. Sometimes it runs through the entire story, but usually the atmosphere is connected to a particular place or building in a tale. And then there's the overarching feel of the entire book, made up of a string of individual atmospheres like diamonds on a necklace. I find that (second only to the characters) atmosphere is what keeps me coming back over and over to my favorite books.

2. Characters

I know that lots of other bloggers have already used "Characters" as one of their top three in this series, but I really do think it is absolutely indispensable to a good story. I mean, try to even imagine a truly fantastic story with weak, wooden characters. It's nearly impossible. Characters are usually what we remember most about any good story. Humanity, honor, humor -- all play a part in making memorable heroes. But even villains or side characters or characters that only show up once can all be memorable. As long as they are believable, have realistic dialogue, and accurately reflect humanity in all its complexity, characters can feel as real as flesh-and-blood people that you actually know. And maybe most importantly, they can impact your life forever -- who hasn't been influenced in some way by a hero they read of as a child? I wouldn't be the woman I am today if I had never met Gandalf, Aslan, Mr. Knightley or Dym in the pages of a book.

3. Self-Sacrifice

Think through every compelling, stirring or touching story you've ever read or watched. I don't care if it's How to Train Your Dragon, Sense and Sensibility or The Lord of the Rings, nearly every story has a pivotal scene or theme of self-sacrifice. It doesn't have to necessarily be a matter of life and death, but it always involves someone giving of themselves or laying down their own good for the good of another. Joe Gargery giving his life's savings for Pip, Aragorn riding to the Black Gates for Frodo, Tony Stark taking the missile meant for Manhattan in The Avengers, Flynn Rider choosing Rapunzel's life over his own in Tangled -- self-sacrifice is everywhere. It's kind of ironic to find this in a world that claims to hold a survival-of-the-fittest Darwinian worldview. As a Christian, though, it's easy for me to understand why writers and directors all throughout the world find themselves creating stories of self-sacrifice, book after book and movie after movie. It's because it reflects the life-changing, earth-shattering self-sacrifice of Christ Himself. In a laying down of self so monumental and unbelievable as that of the Maker dying for His creation, the crucifixion of Christ became the single most important event in the history of the world -- whether certain humans throughout history choose to acknowledge that fact or not. Because of Christ, self-sacrifice (like truth, honor, love and good triumphing over evil) has become an ever-present theme throughout literature and film throughout the ages.

Note from Heidi: Thank you so much for sharing, Victoria! :)

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And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. (Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you! :))

Inkling Explorations Link-Up // January 2016

(Note: if you're interested in participating and new to the blog, you can find our link-up explanation/guidelines + more buttons here. :))

This month's selection is: A New Year or 'new beginning' passage in literature

I've highlighted this passage before on my personal blog, but it's such a favorite it immediately won hands down for this month's entry. ;)

“Outside darkness stayed, darkness and snow and ice, as if it would stay forever.

"So no one in Greenwillow was prepared for the morning when it came, not in a slow snowy dawn, but with the sun shouting up over the hills and catching a million mirrors of ice storm, as if the music from a harp had been frozen and splintered and flung from the west and the east and the north and the south. The great trees were sheathed in ice, and so were the tiniest meadow grasses. Branches glittered and cracked under their frozen weight, and small autumn seed-coats turned to diamond stuff.

"The sky was as blue as the first dawn itself, the one that woke Adam, and there was a fresh powdering of snow that had fallen before the ice began to creep. It was next to impossible to look abroad for the dazzle, and the Reverend Birdsong stood on his doorstep and shielded his eyes and felt very near to bursting with God’s wasteful glory and this new Creation. Charity the cat came out beside him, walking very daintily in the cold, looked at the snow, sneezed in protest and withdrew to the warm hearth. Birdsong rubbed his hands together and crowed.” Greenwillow by B.J. Chute

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Just leave your own link here in a comment and I'll add it to the post. :) As always, entries are open through the end of the month and I can't wait to see your selections!

Meredith ~ Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol

Hamlette ~ L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables

Olivia ~ C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces

Natalie ~ K.M. Weiland's Behold the Dawn

*How to do it*

1. Post the Inklings button on your sidebar.

2. Do a post on your own blog relating to the month's selection/subject (a literary excerpt as short or as long as you like AND/OR—if specified that month—a screencap from a film with an explanation of how the scene builds/develops the story). Link back here somewhere in your post.

3. Come back here and paste your link in the comments box and I'll add it to the post. Then enjoy visiting and reading everyone else's contributions!

That's all there is to it!

Up next month: A scene involving a disguise in book or film

Quote of the Month ~ January 2016

(via Pinterest)

Love this one! And what think you? Do you have any other good writing quotes you're mulling over this January?

~

(Click here for previous Quotes of the Month here on StJ)

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Naomi

from Naomi

1. Some Kind of Romance 

I know, I know. I’m THAT kind of teenage girl. The kind of person movie-makers throw a little romance-plot in a movie for. But hey, my brain just happens to work in a sentimental, romantic way – it’s not like it’s my fault, is it? I just love to see at least one character get married; or to have some hand-holding at the railway station somewhere in the plot. Sorry. I just love it. 

I’m not saying books without Romance can’t be good. No, sir. They can. But I tend to appreciate books more when they have some kind of romancey bits in it. (It doesn’t have to be the only thing in the book. I don’t like that. I just like a bit of it sprinkled here and there.) 

2. Not Only Romance 

No, I am not just stating the opposite of number one. Yes, I love Romance. But not when it’s the only thing in the book! I have read several Christian Fiction novels where the story line is all about the girl and the boy. Girl meets boy. Boy meets Girl. Boy thinks Girl is pretty. Girl thinks Boy is rude. And so on. Nothing else but stuff about the Boy and the Girl. The whole book is about their interaction, their romance. 

This makes me a bit… I don’t know, tired? I like to hear about other things too. For example, a family problem. Or a murder mystery. Or the Girl helps her friend publish a book. I don’t know! Just some variety. Not only romance. 

3. Literature References 

When a book has references about literature, or movies, or my favourite musicals – I love that book completely. Like, I LOVE that. I read Dear Mr Knightley with a grin on my face, because Samantha watched Pride and Prejudice 1995 on Thanksgiving. The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society made me completely happy because of all the literature lovers talking together. 

I just LOVE those kinds of books. 

Again, I’m not saying I don’t like books without Literature References. Not at all. But when a book has them, chances are really high I’m going to love the book.

Note from Heidi: Thanks so much for sharing, Naomi!

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And... would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you!

Inkling Explorations Link-Up // December 2015

Here's for our December Inklings! (Note: if you're interested in participating and new to the blog, you can find our link-up explanation/guidelines + more buttons here. :))

This month's selection is: A Christmastide movie scene

My decision making process this month has been complicated (read 'undecided'), but I finally opted to go with this gorgeous, wintery scene from the classic Lady on a Train with our heroine, Nicki Collins (Deanna Durbin), singing 'Silent Night' long distance to her father in San Francisco.

A murder mystery set in New York at Christmastime, Lady on a Train is quite scary in places and -- with the positively perfect balance of frightfully funny moments and adorable romance -- it's one of my favorite Deanna Durbin films.

Not to elaborate on the costumes and hairstyles...

And I already mentioned the humor, right? I thought I did... :)

And the humor plus the drama.

What think you all? Have you seen Lady on a Train?

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Just leave your own link here in a comment and I'll add it to the post. :) As always, entries are open through the end of the month and I can't wait to see your selections!

Jillian @ a room of one's own
Naomi ~ The Christmas Proposal in Downton Abbey
Hamlette ~ Two (Merry?) Little Christmases
Eva ~ christmas at stalag 17
Natalie ~ A Christmas Eve Wedding
Faith P. ~ "It's a Wonderful Life"
Olivia ~ The Nativity Story

*How to do it*

1. Post the Inklings button on your sidebar.

2. Do a post on your own blog relating to the month's selection/subject (a literary excerpt as short or as long as you like AND/OR—if specified that month—a screencap from a film with an explanation of how the scene builds/develops the story). Link back here somewhere in your post.

3. Come back here and paste your link in the comments box and I'll add it to the post. Then enjoy visiting and reading everyone else's contributions!

That's all there is to it!

(And note: you can visit here for blog buttons and links for previous months. :))

Up next month: A New Year or 'new beginning' passage in literature

Quote of the Month ~ November 2015

click to enlarge

This is our 50th post! And what think you of Lewis's advice? :)

Click here for more great Quotes of the Month!

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com

Quote of the Month ~ October 2015

(click to enlarge)

For more great Quotes of the Month click here!

Heidi Peterson is a lover of wide-spreading land, summer dust, white pounding waterfalls, and mountain tops; also of good dark coffee and rich stories. Most of all she's a lover of the One who is the Word, the Word made flesh. You can visit her additional blog (where she shares more about books, movies, and further marvels of life) at: Along the Brandywine.

Visit and contact at: Sharing the Journey // Along the Brandywine // ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)comh

Inkling Explorations Link-Up // August 2015 & New Must-See Buttons!!!

As this is our fourth Inklings month I decided it’s high time to mix in some new buttons!

How do you all like them? :) Feel free to use any—or all five!

And our topic for this month is: A scene happening on/at/around a train or train station 

July specific notes: Selections can be from either books or films

And you can probably all guess my choice.... ;) Yes, indeed—the ending scene in the '04 North and South! (And a couple notes: while I love both versions of N&S, the following specifically applies to the BBC '04 adaptation with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. Also, I’m actually lifting this post almost entirely from my review which you can read in full here.)

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And now for our North and South scene in which the themes of the entire wonderful story are captured to brilliant perfection. 

First, the train appears throughout—beginning and ending the film, tying it completely and richly together with its portrayal of continuation and change—and while the ending scene (with its kissing at a public place) may or may not be historically accurate, from a story perspective it’s dazzling. 

In the beginning, while hoping to remain settled, Margaret finds herself uprooted to a new and completely foreign world. And with that catalyst (even as she tries to remain fixed within herself) the ground is pulled from beneath her by the inescapable rushing forward of life. Everything she had deemed simple and immovable—her world, her entire family, even her own mind, opinions, and (at last) emotions—are caught in that great unstoppable impetus. 

From the beginning there’s a ripeness and maturity about her. Yet with that softness there’s also an inflexibility—a resistant immobility—dyed into her very character and desire for a solidity of place, for the clearly delineated safety found in habitual routine and a clearly defined social world. There’s safety in stagnation... while change can involve both danger and heartache. 

But real change generally comes unasked and unlooked for. 

Margaret learns she cannot box herself and she cannot box others in closely defined categories. Yet one of the greatest things I love about the story is that—changing—she doesn’t lose who she is. Lovely and gracious, she’s still Margaret, but—growing in humility—she learns also an active, diligent rest. 

So comes the train station at the end. The station—that stopping place in the forward push of life and progress—that place with the dizzying potential for a full face, 180-degree turn. The stopping place encapsulating those few, tangible, epic—fully historic—moments in life that completely reorient us, changing everything. Yet again. 

And arriving at such a stopping place Margaret reaches forward to the future—finding tried and tested strength to lean on—finding again a field of rich fulfillment and labor.

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As always, entries are open through the end of the month and I can’t wait to see your selections! Remember, you can write as little or as much as you like. And don’t forget to check out and share one of the new buttons!

Naomi @ Wonderland Creek
Inkling Explorations in Gone With the Wind @ a room of one's own
Hamlette @ The Edge of the Precipice
Rose @ An Old Fashioned Girl
Natalie @ Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

*Rules*

1. Post the Inklings button on your sidebar.

2. Do a post on your own blog relating to the month's selection/subject (a literary excerpt as short or as long as you like AND/OR—if specified that month—a screencap from a film with an explanation of how the scene builds/develops the story). Link back here somewhere in your post.

3. Come back here and paste your link in the comments box and I'll add it to the post. Then enjoy visiting and reading everyone else's contributions!

That's all there is to it!

Up next month: A Funny Story Opening in Literature