The Great Word-Race February 2012

The gauntlet's been thrown down, the challenge offered, the duel accepted. The Great Word-Race of February 2012 will begin February 1st, and end February 28th. The prize? As yet undetermined. The players? So far, me and my friend Nate, who also participated in Nanowrimo with me. We are going to write in February, working on our novels and comparing word counts daily. It shall be a wonderful and crazy month. I will attempt to continue my blog posts, maybe I can count those words perhaps, the rules and such haven't really been finalized. Anyways, I'm looking forward to it, as I have been getting many ideas for the continuation of my book.

I realize I'm late this week with my post. It's Tuesday night, not Sunday, that's two whole days! Braaaahhhh! My apologies, but I worked Saturday night until 3 am, then worked 2 pm to 11 pm Sunday, so I didn't really have time to post. Subbing during the week and bouncing the weekends, sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but what are you gonna do? At least I have a job, which is more than many these days. 

Rarghlebargle. 

I read "Lord of the Flies" again, like I said I wanted to. It really is a fantastic book, and I wouldn't call it young adult in any way. The descriptions of the island are beautiful, the language is really compelling. The kids act and talk like kids do, and the whole thing feels like it could have really happened. The way it pits Jack, brutal and savage and wild, against Ralph, society and civilization, is incredible. How it all breaks down so easily. It really is a great read. I'm really glad I went back and read it too, because I just understand it so much better than I did back in high school. 

I also read the Hunger Games trilogy. I wouldn't say it's amazing, or fantastic, but I would say it's a good read, enjoyable and worth reading. There are times it feels young-adult-ish, not sure how else I can put it. I mean, the main girl, the narrator is 14 years old who has a crush on two boys, so yeah, some of that drama is a little teeny-bopper, but considering that is contrasted with teens murdering each other in cold blood, it's pretty intense. The thing that really makes it tense, fast-paced, and entertaining is the present tense. What I mean is this: "I run for my life. I punch you in the face." That's first person present tense, which really puts you in the action. Past tense removes you from the action somewhat, as everything happened in the past, but in present tense, everything happens in the moment, which can be very difficult to write. The author does a very good job, and the high-action parts really feel thrilling. I enjoyed the three books quite a bit, but I think I liked the first one the best. 

And now I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's "All The Pretty Horses" which is an entirely different style than The Hunger Games. Hunger Games had short punchy sentences, quick-hitting dialogue and action, simple language. McCarthy has incredibly moving descriptions of the south, uses run-on sentences which simply work, his dialogue is often not attributed to a name, and there are no quotations, it's simply 'he said' and sometimes not even that. You have to work your mind sometimes just to figure out whos talking, or what's happening and it's fantastic. The dialogue is so realistic, it fucking hurts. I've also read "The Road", and "Blood Meridian" which is probably my favorite book of all time. I could probably spend a whole blogpost talking about it, and I may, after I read it again, as it currently resides on my kindle. 

Anyways, that's all for now. 

“War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.” 
― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian