Quote of the Month ~ June 2016

Love this one! So pertinent in so many areas of life...

What think you?

~

(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

Inkling Explorations Link-Up // June 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: Roses in book or film

Oh, my. Wow. There are so many delicious book passages and so much loveliness in films! What in the world to pick?! I'm afraid I'm just going to have to follow Phil Gordon's excellent example and shut my eyes and stab with a pin (metaphorically speaking of course). And.... I choose this following scene from Montgomery's Anne of the Island. (Incidentally, has anyone ever run some sort of Google search for how often the word "rose" occurs in Anne? I'm super curious. It has to be a lot.)

"Long after Pacifique's gay whistle had faded into the phantom of music and then into silence far up under the maples of Lover's Lane Anne stood under the willows, tasting the poignant sweetness of life when some great dread has been removed from it. The morning was a cup filled with mist and glamor. In the corner near her was a rich surprise of new-blown, crystal-dewed roses. The trills and trickles of song from the birds in the big tree above her seemed in perfect accord with her mood. A sentence from a very old... true... wonderful Book came to her lips. "Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning."

Anne of The Island by L.M. Montgomery

Isn't it breathtaking?

*coughs* And I know this is #2, but it just has to be included:

There. I'm done. ;) And what think you? Do you love these scenes as well?

~     ~     ~

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!

Entrants:

Blessing Counter ~ The Secret of the Rose by Michael Phillips

Cordy ~ An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Erudessa Aranduriel ~ Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

Hamlette ~ The Man on the Buckskin Horse by Rachel Kovaciny (aka Hamlette)

Jillian ~ Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Meredith ~ The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Miss March ~ Amy and Laurie in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Natalie ~ Beauty and The Beast

Rachel ~ These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Rose ~ Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery

*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 with a traveler arriving home in book or film

Quote of the Month ~ May 2016

Such a great one! Agreed? :)

~

(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 // Cordy

from Cordy

1. Situations requiring trust 

I know that it’s more common to have a main character who happens to be the ‘chosen one’ and does most of the work to accomplish a particular goal. When this, or any other storyline, is used, I wish there were more situations that required trust. Sometimes, I feel like more stories are creating characters where ‘lack of trust’ is somehow a badge of bravery and smarts. I disagree. When you have to trust someone that trust will often have to replace pride. I admire those moments where the main character simply can’t do everything and just rely on themselves, they have to put faith and trust in others to accomplish a task with more than just their personal skill. When trust is both offered and either betrayed or proven true it adds needed depth to a story. Naturally, I prefer when trust is well placed rather than when trust is betrayed. But that’s just me. :) 

2. Has to be moving 

I want to feel engaged and involved with the stories that I am reading or watching. I want to have an interest in the characters and their struggles. Emotional interest if possible. I want to be motivated, surprised (surprising me is huge!), I want to cry, I want to laugh, I want to feel betrayed, and I want to feel hope. Oh, one side note here, I don’t want to feel the remorseful emotions because of a death. ‘Need an emotional boost to your story? Kill someone.’ What?! No! Deaths are quickly becoming the answer to every emotional problem and I feel like that ‘tip’ is detrimental to true story telling. 

3. Happy endings 

I understand the whole idea of needing to stay true to a character and your story which means that sometimes happy endings don’t and can’t happen. However, I love the idea of redemptive happy endings. The happy endings that take you by surprise because they aren’t the realistic choice. In my opinion, we already live in reality where happy endings appear to be harder to come by. (I like to believe they aren’t as rare as they seem.) I’m okay having an unrealistic happy ending once in a while in a story. I know that I have been disappointed in a story because it hasn’t had a happy ending, but I haven’t ever been disappointed in an unplanned happy ending. There is so much hope and encouragement in happy endings! 

Thanks for having me, Heidi! I had a splendid time!

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

~     ~     ~ 

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 // May 2016

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

Hello everyone!! Wow. Getting engaged to be married at the end of April definitely made for some most wonderful, exciting and blessed adjustments in my schedule this month! ;D 

I know we're almost into June here, but (as we're still in the merry month of May) I wanted to do our Inklings post anyway. I was thrilled by all your wonderful entries last month (they were absolutely fantastic :)) and if you'd like to join in for this month during this last week I'd be equally delighted! 

This month's selection is: A scene making beautiful use of special effects/CGI in film

With all sorts of wedding plans blossoming, I've certainly been thinking (a lot) of a Certain Film, definitely including this particular scene. The blue, the swirl, the butterflies, the breath catching music... it's all pure and utter gorgeousness.

Tell me! Do you love this scene?

~     ~     ~

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!

Entrants:

Blessing ~ The coronation scene in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Cordy ~ Fawkes's rebirth in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(Note from Heidi: I haven't personally read or seen the above, but the entry is definitely perfect!)

Kathy ~ The lamp post in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

*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: Roses in book or film

Quote of the Month ~ April 2016

I found this one particularly encouraging as (personally) I find it super easy to forget at times. :P How about you?

~

(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 Nikki

from Emma Nikki

1. Emotional drama 

One of my favorite experiences as a reader (or watcher) of literature is delving into the emotions of a character- finding out what makes them tick, their insecurities, battles, and backstories. It adds beautifully to the conflict and tension. I find that when an author manipulates my emotions to the point where I want the character to give up- because it’s just so hard, and they’re completely broken- then the author has accomplished something. And when the character finally wins, it adds to the victory, redemption, or whatever they’ve been fighting for.

2. Tension filled plot 

I have grown up loving the stories which make your heart beat against your chest. When the suspense and action is immense in a story, I am happy and content. So books like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Door Within trilogy, or Lord of the Rings really grab my attention, because I know they won’t let me down for one moment. They have battles for their lives at every turn, they’re captured, they learn to sword fight, all of those amazing things! Cliffhangers are also something I look forward to in an action-packed story. 

I expect to be left at a cliffhanger after each scene, and I enjoy that (I tell people I don’t, but that’s definitely not true). If a story doesn’t have much action or suspense it will fall just below the line of boring or predictable for me.

3. Beautiful nasty villains 

I expect nasty villains when I read/watch a story, and there is a certain definition to nasty villain. In my own mind, it means that the villain has a clear purpose and reason for their plan. It also means that they have their own personalities, inner battles, and conflicts for their character. I expect to see several dimensions of the villain, not just one line of emotion- they have to have just as much work on them as the heroes of the story. An example- who does an amazing job of this- is Once Upon a Time. This show has excellent classic villains- such as the Wicked Witch of the West, the Evil Queen, Rumplestiltskin, Peter Pan, etc, etc- but with depth of character to each one. You never know what the villains will be like, and that’s what I love!

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

~     ~     ~ 

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! :))