Happy Holidays

This is a time of the year when it is appropiate to think in plans or regrets, but I just want to wish you a really, really good time. =)

"Just write"

Some days ago, while reading the last posts published on The Red Room, I met Loren Rhoads. She is an American writer who was editor at a nonfiction magazine called Morbid Curiosity. I have never read this magazine and I don't think I will, but what attracted my attention was her blog about Ray Bradbury.

Ray Bradbury was a brilliant SF writer who died recently. I only read his Farenheit 451, which is an extraordinary novel about a very plausible future (and scary), but I know that in some way I need to read more of his works, including the most recent ones. Loren Rhoads tells in her blog post that she was in love with all of his literary works since she was 9 years old and read the first one. When she was much older, Bradbury did a book signing at San Francisco (CA), and she saw her sole opportunity to meet him.

She had none of her beloved books written by him, but grabbed a new copy of one of his recent books and waited in line to meet her admired writer. When she arrived at the table, he asked her if she was a writer. She confessed she wanted to be one, but never find the nerve to complete her novel in which she spent hours  of hard work and a lot of thinking.

He answered with a smile: "Don't think so much. Just write. I have faith in you."

And that was all. "Just write". The best advice I've ever read in a long time. "Just write". How many hours do you spend just worriying about your story with no results whatsoever?" How many times have you thought you are not going to finish?

Just write. If your Muse is present or not, just write.

And that's what I've been doing the last several weeks. Just writing. =)

A joyful reading

I finished Anne of Green Gables some days ago. It was the first volume in the series and I enjoyed it a lot, much more than the TV series, which is one of my favorite TV series of all times. Reading Lucy M. Montgomery was an interesting experience, because her writing remind me why some classics are so valuable to read once in while and many times again and again. Her language is exquisite, as many readings of 1800's, and, at the same time, not too old for my modern mind. The main character is maybe more lovely in the book than in the TV series and is understandable why people who read these books became so addicted to the child and her story.

There are some other cultural aspects that attract my attention. For example, the religious vision is intense. In the TV series is not present, although you could glimpse some thoughts in Rachel Lynde's speeches, but in the book the religious part of the Anne's life is really important. I think this is a small taste of the time: after all, Montgomery was a victorian woman and a minister's wife. But, at the same time, you can find out some new ideas about the religious institution, like Anne's questions about why a woman cannot be a minister and her comments about how wonderful minister would be Mrs. Lynde. Montgomery was an educated woman, with college degree and an active work as a reporter in a newspaper, so it is not a surprise that Anne is a smart girl with ambitions related to education and intelligence. This interesting characteristic in the main character makes this book connectable with modern girls and modern women. In fact, I think this book is highly recommendable reading for young girls and even for women who maybe has forgotten they can still have dreams and ambitions without stop being women.

As soon as possible I will find Anne of Avonlea and the other stories written by Lucy M. Montgomery about this lovely character. =)

Old readings

Yesterday, while I was waiting for my computer to start (it lasts ten or fifteen minutes in doing so), I started reading Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was my first time with this author, altought the story is very familiar to me. Long time ago, when I was 15 or so, I watched the Canadian series based upon the books, starring Megan Follows and Colleen Dewhurst. I loved the story just then and much later, I bought the complete series in VHS format.

But I never read the book, which was very strange for me. I am one of those geeks who have to read any story long before they watch it in TV or in the movies, specially those stories that are so loved by them. If I cannot read it before the movie, it is because I didn't know its existence, as happened when I discovered Chronicles of Narnia, or The Golden Compass or Inkheart, but I usually look for the book as soon as possible to "repair" the "situation".
Well, I didn't it with Anne of Green Gables. One of my excuses is simple. These books are children's books. They use to be simple (as I found out with Narnia), maybe too simple for me. I do not say I didn't like them. I enjoyed Narnia a lot and I didn't care because the movies were as simple as the books, and in some aspects, not so good. But, when I have been so in love with a movie or a series like the adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, I am afraid its magic will be lost as soon as I read the book and discover how different is from the movie or the TV show. And this happen a lot with stories for children (well, it happens as well with stories for grown ups too).

Anyway, I broke the curse and finally the book has fallen into my hands. I will keep in mind the natural differences between Literature and adaptations and will read without prejudices. It is a classic, after all. =)

A new experience with an old friend

Well, this is my first 2011 post and I have plenty of excuses for that. One of them is that I am in the middle of a review process which has taken most of my time and my thoughts. Other reasons lay in different aspects of my life, including work and family, of course.

While reviewing my novel, I felt surprised of my feelings toward it. Six years ago, when I thoght it was finished (and polished), my writing was very different. For a long time, I was away from literature, except for my usual readings, and when I came back, I was rusty. At the same time, there was no conscience of that fact. I felt the same and started writing my novel with absolute confidence in my doing.

Well... six years later, I read the novel again and thought... it was my loved story. I loved it, indeed. But many changes were needed, some were big, some were small, but required.

It has been a fun experience. Do not mistake my words: I have been working, indeed, but at the same time, I've been feeling really satisfied with my progress, my new ability to shape stories, my new me.

Work is not done yet, but soon it will be accesible. My readers will decide then if my work will meet a high standard or a low one. I hope the first choice. =)

Merry Christmas

Well, what can I say today? Happy Christmas, of course, and have a glorius New Year celebration. I won't have a big speech about the history of these celebrations, or about the "true" meaning behind these days, because it is kind of boring to be so serious and because I think everyone has a different feeling about the "true" meaning of Christmas.

I know it is a Christian celebration in the first place, of course, but at this time of our history (at the end of the first decade of the XXI century), this celebration has become part of many people who are not christians and do not believe in the religious story, but do believe in the season spirit or do believe in having a good time with other people they love. Now it is beyond christianity for many people in the world and it is good to say "happy holidays" with a solid spirit of friendship.

Having said that: Happy Holidays and see you in 2011! :)

Fantasy in our lives

Next thursday, CNN will reward ten people, selected by its audience, because of their astounding achievments in helping other people. The giant of the news call them "heroes", real heroes, who make this world a better place in many ways. We can read in the network's ads a curious phrase: "in these times, when heroes are mostly needed...". I understand from those words that in our time, more than before, heroes are needed. Why? Are our times so wrong that we need so much these "heroes"? Or it is just a common phrase, a cliche message, to sell the ceremony?

Well... I think there is melodrama in that ad. It is not true we did not need "heroes" before.

Every time, every century, has its own disasters, and heroes appear when they are needed, just because our nature is like this. We have an important feature in our genes: solidarity & cooperation once saved us from the extinction many, many years ago, and they continue saving our lives in the present time. There is not difference between that time and our time. In fact, we are safer today than any other time in the history. So, why they say we need heroes more than ever?

I think there is a perception biased to tragedy in our time, more than before (say, for example, in the 60's, with the hippie idealism). It is not our fault. It is not the fault of anybody. It just this general sensation of failing: we have failed in defending the human rights, we have failed in defending our climate, we have failed in prospering in every country, we have failed in preventing cruel wars and terrible genocides, etc. So, we have failed. And this feeling is stronger now, when a new ecomonic crisis has beaten our system and so many people have lost their jobs and their homes. We need, more than ever, fantasy in our lives.

Which fantasy? Any one. It is not entirely coincidence that fantasy novels, including romances and super heroes stories, are so succesful in best-sellers list. It is not strange that so many inspirational stories about real heroes or people who have succeded in spite of multiple obstacles are so well sold. People need to read, to hear or to watch extraordinary stories, with real heroes prevailing over all the obstacles they face in their lives. These "real" heroes are not necessarily "real": they just need to be as any of us (although is a fictional character) to atract followers. For example, Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamyi from The Lord of the Rings. They are two insignificant little men, with no special powers, no special warrior skills, who go armored with their will and their tenacity and destroy the most powerful and evil enemy they will ever see. That kind of heroism is delightful to us right now. Why the 33 Chilean miners are so admired, so known around the world? Because they were strong when anyone else would fail, and they have no special powers either, just as Frodo and Sam.

When this necessity of fantasy will pass? I do not know. Maybe in the future, when we finally resolve our major problems. Maybe never. But this is the time given to us...