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I laughed a lot.
Type at you later!
Different how? That's kinda hard to explain. Walking back into the school, it felt darker, more oppressive than before.
More so than high school usually felt, of course. As someone that never really enjoyed high school (loved college, though), I was used to feeling trapped there.
This was worse.
During the break, I had the opportunity to go on a winter retreat with the youth group from my church. It was only four days, right near the end of the break, but it was such an amazing, wonderful time of spiritual renewal. A real mountaintop experience.
Returning to school was such a jarring difference from the winter retreat that I was hyper-aware of the spiritual darkness of the school; it was quite disconcerting.
A big part of me was very sad to be heading into a valley so soon after the mountaintop experience.
I was reminded of this at the recent Mark Lowry concert I attended. Mark made a statement that I think has much wisdom in it - remember what you saw in the light when you are once again in the darkness.
We are all going to have dark times, but we can make it through them if we remember all those amazing things that God showed us when we were in the light.
Walking into my high school, I allowed the darkness of the world to squash what I had experienced beforehand. If I had only held tight to that previous experience, I probably would have fared much better. I'm sure my attitude would have been better.
I think the same idea can be found in our creative pursuits as well. We need to remember the times when things are going well, when the words flow freely, when the drawing is easy... so that when we hit a block, when we can't put together a single sentence or draw a straight line, we don't become disheartened. The creativity will flow again.
I'll type at you later.
I say that, not knowing who won tonight, because I left for work before it ended. But, regardless of who won, I still don't like the game.
Or, maybe I'm overstating it. Maybe it isn't dislike, but, rather, that I simply don't care about the game because it doesn't matter. At all.
Which, essentially, is exactly what it is meant to be - a game that is just a show, a celebration of all that is the NBA.
But I think it is just a chance for players to get injured, a chance for them to risk the second half of the season.
The weird thing is, I do like the other aspects of All-Star Weekend. I like the skills challenge, the shootout, the dunking contest, and the three point competition. I know there is a chance for injury in those as well, but not like in the All-Star Game.
In the All-Star Game, you get about 40 minutes of just showing off. No real defense at all. Then, that last eight minutes the teams seem to play as if it matters.
As I said before, it doesn't.
That's where I always fear the injuries will come in. As the competitiveness sets in, players really start to play. Things can get rough, and I, for one, would not want to hear about one of the Pistons being injured in the last two minutes of a game that doesn't matter, that probably has a score in the 130's or 140's.
That would be a shame.
So, I just sorta ignore the game and hope that it doesn't go badly. After all, the Pistons have three of their starters in that game, and they were on a 10 game winning streak before the All-Star Break. It'd be a real shame if any of them were hurt in an exhibition game like this.
I'll type at you later.
Sure, you can have stories that blend the two in various ways as well, but, as I started out, I'm talking in generalities.
I'm also of the belief that neither is better than the other, but, rather, that there are situations in which one works better than the other, and other situations in which the other works better.
In a character driven story, the focus is on, obviously, the character. Things happen around the character, but they are secondary to how the character reacts to and handles the situation. It is all about the character's development and the audience learning about the character.
In the plot driven story, the focus is on the events. The characters are there and we may learn a little about them through their actions and behavior, but only on the peripheral. The goal is to get from the beginning to the end of the story, emphasizing the beats of the story as you go along.
Those explanations are very simplified, and leave out much of the nuance that each type of story has, but for a single blog entry, they will suffice.
I said that each, in my opinion, work better in different situations. I think that, especially with a brand new character, a brand new comic, having a plot driven story is important. I know - it sounds weird. If it is a new character, shouldn't a writer focus on teaching the audience about the character? Isn't it important to get the audience to like the character?
My opinion? No.
Don't get me wrong - a writer should take advantage of the opportunities to develop the character, but I've seen a lot of new comics that spend the first three issues giving the history of a character, their family, their likes and dislikes, and they plod along and quickly lose my interest. They scream "Like me! Relate to me!" They stink of desperation that reminds me of those images of speed dating we've seen - where a person has minutes to try to impress another person enough to get a second chance with them. It is just too much.
If you start out with a plot driven story, though, it is more like going to an action movie. Let's face it - the average action film in America doesn't do much to develop their characters. The movie starts, we see the obvious bad guys doing something bad, the hero comes on the screen, shouts a couple of great one-liners while stopping the bad guys, and we leave the theater happy. We don't know everything about the hero, but we enjoyed ourselves, and if there is a sequel, we'll probably go see it.
Which, in a story with a brand new character, is what I think you should shoot for. Write a good story that captures the audience, and they will come back. That's when you can really start blending in some character development.
And, that's important. If you don't start moving toward character driven stories, you can lose the audience later on. That's why most action films can't make it past two sequels. I mean, how many times can you watch the same hero stop the same villains (with different accents) while shouting similar one-liners? When does that just become too much?
There are exceptions to the rules. Aren't there always? One of my favorite TV shows of all time, Law & Order, has existed using about 95% plot driven stories.
The exceptions notwithstanding, I think the plot driven stories are essential at the start, moving toward the character driven stories, and then a nice blend moving back and forth through the rest of the run.
Of course all of this is merely theoretical. When pencil hits paper, everything can change.
I'll type at you later.
(A request - my favorite pulp hero, The Phantom!)
Five Things I Ought to be Doing Right Now Instead of this Blog!
Thing the First - Commissions!
I'm a lucky guy. A few people have asked me to do some drawings for them, and, I swear, I'm working on them when I can. Sadly, being dependent on "The Man" (ie, my employer) for "The Cheddar" (ie, cash) to pay "The Bill Collectors" (ie... actually, that isn't slang, so ignore the quotes), doesn't allow as much time as I'd like for independent endeavors. I do appreciate the patience of the patrons of my art. Remember: I may be slow, but I'm cheap.
Thing the Second - Practicing my Baritone Ukelele!
Shortly before Christmas last year, I bought a beatiful Buke, promising that I would set aside time to really learn to play it. Sadly, I have not done that, and pick it up all too infrequently. I think I'm going to set aside 30 minutes each morning after work and require myself to practice before I go to bed. I'm not looking to start a new career, but if I can become familiar enough to just pick it up and chord through things, I'll be content.
Thing the Third - Working on The Crimson Scarab Webcomic!
This week has been really solid for me with writing for the Scarab... something that was welcome and shocking. I don't want the momentum to die down, so I'm definitely wanting to work on it. The starting month, as of right now, still remains April, so I want to get as much of a lead as I can, so that when I hit a mental block, I won't worry about being unable to come up with anything by the next day. Man, I really should be doing that.
Thing the Fourth - Drawing!
I haven't done any drawing since I woke up today. The concert kinda took that chunk of time away from me. So, you will also notice there will be no daily sketch at the end of today's blog. I'll probably try to scratch through something before I go to bed, but nothing fit for public viewing. Just something so that I don't get out of the habit.
Thing the Fifth - Sleeping!
Ugh... Fridays are rough. I got home from work about 7:30 a.m., went to bed at 10:30 a.m., and was up at 2:30 p.m. Four hours is not enough, and I'm dragging, but on Fridays, I try to shorten my sleeping so that I'm not up until 5 or 6 in the morning on my days off. Doesn't always work, but it will tonight. I'll be snoozing within the next two hours.
And, if there was ever a cue to end a blog, that was it.
I'll type at you later.
You know what I miss? Those little cards we used to exchange in grade school.
One of my favorites.
Not that they don't exist anymore. They are still out there, little pieces of cardboard that come 30 or so to a box, with images of Spider-Man and Mickey Mouse and various other characters touting our love and affection for others.
I remember being in grade school and carefully going through the box, trying to eliminate all of the cards that were a little *too* mushy, so as to not imply to anyone that I liked them.
Yep, I sure did.
The whole situation was nice, though. In our schools, it was required that if you gave out any, you had to give out the little Valentines to everyone in the class, regardless of your feelings for them. That way, a kid couldn't be made to feel bad about not recieving that many cards, because everyone got the same number.
Like I said, it was nice.
I kinda wish there was a similar sort of system in place in the real world as well. Wouldn't it be neat to just be walking down the street, and someone hands you a little card, wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day? Why, I think it would make a person's day.
I wish I had thought of it before now. That's okay. Maybe for next year. I'll pick up a bunch of these cards when they go on sale tomorrow, and plan for it for next year.
Until then, here is a Valentine, from me to you. Happy Valentine's Day!
I'll type at you later.
We too easily throw the word around. Back in college, there was this girl that I had a major conversation with about saying "I love you."
Yeah, one of those conversations.
I explained my stance that the words, though easily expressed by others, were much tougher for me, because they meant much more to me.
(And, no, it wasn't just some cheap gimmick to get my commitment-phobic self out of trouble.)
I guess it is the examples of love in my life that keep me from just blurting the words out. Love is not to be taken lightly. With love, there comes commitment, and in that commitment, a devotion that should outweigh self-preservation. When you love, the one you love needs to be more important to you than you are to yourself.
If it isn't that way, is it really love?
(Just a rhetorical question. Feel free to ask yourself, though.)
Love is tough. And it should be. It is truly an amazing thing, and there should be a cost to it.
There was, after all, for God.
Romans 5:8 -
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And, if our Lord felt that having a relationship with us was worth His life, that is certainly an indication of caring about us more than Himself.
Just as in a true, loving relationship, we, as followers, reciprocate, by giving our lives to Him. He becomes more important to us than ourselves.
As it should be.
Next time you are in prayer, take a few moments to dwell on what you are really saying when you tell God, "I love you."
I'll type at you later.
(Woo hoo! Sketches are back up and running!)
Where to begin? First, let me say, Michael Tait just has an incredible voice. It runs in his family - his sister is Lynda Randle, and if you haven't heard her sing, make the effort. For the most part, the album definitely uses the strength of his voice to its betterment. The only real problem with that is that it also means less focus on the music that is behind the voice.
As a result, the album tends to sound more like a Michael Tait solo album rather than an album by a band. Not that there is anything wrong with a Michael Tait solo album. As I said - his voice could handle it. But, when I hear a band, I tend to expect more than a mere showcase of the lead singer.
The album has several songs that are very heavily influenced in sound by U2. Again, there are far worse things that could be said, but like the focus on a single voice, this is also a detrement.
Now, having said that, understand - I like the album. I really did. I was just left wanting more from it.
The openning song, the "theme" of the album Lose This Life is an okay, upbeat song. The chorus was very strong, but I found the lyrics of the verses to be a little simplistic, and all too rhyme-y (ooh, I like to make up words!) for me.
God Can You Hear Me is a song with fantastic lyrics, and is on the edge of being really great. It is a prime example of what I said when I was wanting "more" from the album. It was so close to being amazing, but just didn't have quite the oomph I was looking for. Maybe I was wanting a harder sound to it, or maybe, at least, a more distinctive sound for it. I don't know.
On Reconnecting, there is more of the distinctive sound I was looking for, particularly when it came to the chorus. A much more driving sort of beat, with strong instruments.
There were aspects of the album that were really great, though.
Heartache is a great song, with such a strong spiritual message. The music is also very good on this. The piano is great, almost haunting.
I also enjoyed Holding Out for Grace. It is a much more subdued sound compared to most of the songs on the album, but I also felt that it was a very good fit.
I was also impressed with the version of Electric Avenue on the album. I might even be willing to say that I enjoyed this version more than the original.
My favorite song on the album, though, and the one that I think has shown a real potential for the sound of the band, would have to be Numb. Great lyrics, a driving guitar, fantastic message. This song made me want the rest of the album to live up to it.
There is also a bonus "hidden" track on the album - and since the album has been out for a while, I don't feel bad about saying what it is - The Christmas Song. While it doesn't really fit on the album, it does absolutely show what kinda pipes Michael Tait has, and appropriately backs him up with some great orchestration.
(On a side note, listen up musicians - the hidden track thing? Yeah, I'm tired of it. It was fun when it was a novelty, but I'm no longer willing to listen to four or five minutes of silence to get to a surprise. If you wanna put the surprise in, just put it right after the last song. It'll still be a special bonus. When I loaded my Sansa with Lose This Life, I cut out the empty tracks, and lo and behold, I still enjoyed the bonus track. Just a thought.)
On a scale from one to ten, I'm giving the album a solid 7. There is a lot of room for improvement, but the potential is definitely there. When the band finds its "voice," then there will definitely be something amazing here.
As for next time... well, I've come to a decision. Doing these each week is starting to feel like real work instead of just the enjoyment I was aiming for. So, I'm going to do album reviews once every two weeks. Next week, it will be something else. In two weeks, though, (keeping with the post-DC Talk theme) I'll be looking at Welcome to Diverse City by Toby Mac.
Hopefully, the extra time will give me more of a chance to appreciate the music.
I'll type at you later!
(Sigh... couldn't get today's sketch scanned in. So, here's another old one. I don't think I've posted this one before. I think someone asked me for Darth Maul from Star Wars as a member of the Sinestro Corps. As for the pose... I don't know. Maybe he's dancing a jig? Oh well.)
