Top Ten Story Components

For a while I've been pondering the idea of a Top Ten blog. I tried to do weapons but didn't have enough material; I thought of horses, but I doubt my readers like them as much as I do; herbs are kind of boring.

No they're not--

Flametail, kindly keep your mouth shut.

As I was saying, I couldn't decide what topic to do. So I decided to do a free-for-all Top Ten blog. These are my Top Ten Favorite Animals/Herbs/Weapons/Planets/Characters/Character Traits/Rocks/Minerals/Colors.

10. Yarrow
Ah, yarrow. That wonderful vomit-inducing herb.
Yes, I'm kidding.
Yarrow, according to my trusty herbal remedies book, can be used for hemorrhages and/or bleeding from the lungs. (Please don't take my word for it; look up uses for yarrow before you attempt to use it yourself.) In the Warriors books, the cats use it to induce vomiting. It is often used when a cat has ingested poison of some type.
I promise you, I am going to use this as a name for a character. Someday.
Related Topics:
N/A

9. Foxes
Fascinating animals, really. Known to be sly and cunning, these red-furred woodland-dwelling animals are, unsurprisingly, related to dogs. However, they generally do not live in packs.
In the Redwall series, foxes are mostly portrayed as bad guys--sometimes the BBT (Big Boss Troublemaker--I got that term from Kristen Lamb), sometimes a secondary villain, and, occasionally, (though they're generally too sly for this) a minion. Some evil foxes in Redwall include (but are not limited to) Slagar the Cruel, the Marlfox family, and Bane.
Related Topics:
Foxface /The Hunger Games/
Foxes in Redwall /Redwall/

8. Battle-axes
Wonderful weapons, these. I personally find them very interesting. Heavier than swords, with wider heads than spears, they can be single-, double-, or even triple-bladed.
These are fairly good weapons for a fantasy novel, so I'm using them as the weapons of choice for a few minor characters. Since I like to mess with weapons layout, I'm thinking of designing an axe with a blade at each side of the shaft, or a reverse-handled axe.
Related Topics:
Gimli /The Lord of the Rings/
Nimbalo the Slayer /Redwall/
Vibro-axes /Star Wars/

7. Cloves
The first thing I think of when I hear about these: Wassail. I love the stuff.
The second thing I think of: Clove.
You Hunger Games fans know who I'm talking about.
For those who don't: Clove is the female tribute from District 2. She has a somewhat sadistic nature and severely dislikes hates Katniss.
Related Topics:
Clove (duh) /The Hunger Games/
Clove (cat) /The Nine Lives series/

6. Tiger's Eyes
These little-known stones are generally a dark amber color with streaks of lighter amber. I don't know why they're called tiger's eyes, but I'd guess it's because of their likeness to a cat's eye. They're beautiful, and I like them mainly because of their mention in the Owl City song Dreams Don't Turn to Dust.
Related Topics:
Owl City
Tiger Lilies
Tigerstar /Warriors/

5. Villains
Before you start bashing me in the comments section, let me say this: Villains do have a few things going for them.
First of all, without the villain, there is no story. Consider. If there was no Sauron and no Ring, Frodo probably wouldn't have left the Shire. If there was no Emperor and no Darth Vader, Luke wouldn't exist would have lived out a long, happy, boring life on Tatooine.
Secondly, oftentimes, villains are some of the most interesting characters. Tigerstar, the uber-mega-super villain of the Warriors series, is quite a fascinating character. For one thing, he has four children: Brambleclaw, Hawkfrost, Tawnypelt, and Mothwing. It's quite fascinating to see how that family interacts, because
Brambleclaw has worked his whole life to prove he's a good guy, unlike his father.
Hawkfrost has embraced the villain-ness in his blood and followed in his father's pawsteps.
Tawnypelt, despite her initial choices, has actively refused her father's offers of power.
Mothwing is a pacifist (and atheistic) medicine cat.
Few villains have as large families as Tigerstar's, but they can still be interesting.
The exception is Sauron, the main villain of Lord of the Rings. It's hard for a giant disembodied eye to be interesting, even when it's made of fire. Also, the villains in the Redwall books are generally fairly two-dimensional.
Related Topics:
Tigerstar /Warriors/
Sauron /The Lord of the Rings/
Emperor Palpatine /Star Wars/
President Snow /The Hunger Games/
Cluny the Scourge /Redwall/

4. Action Scenes
I've actually done a different post on this that goes into more detail, so if you'd like to read more on this, it's here. But suffice it to say, if done correctly, action scenes are great. I personally like them a lot. Movies can be even better than books.
Related Topics:
The Lord of the Rings
Warriors
The Hunger Games
Star Wars

3. Cats
You may blame this on the Warriors series. If you do, you're probably right. But that likely won't change my opinion.
Probably my favorite thing about cats are their looks. In fact, I'm planning (and beginning to write) a sci-fi book that involves cat/human hybrids. The planning page is here.
Anyway, first off: fur colors. Cats can be:

White

Black

Gray

Brown

Silver

Blue-gray



Tortoiseshell

 

Tortoiseshell-and-white (also known as calico)

Gray (or silver) with black patterning

Black-and-white

Gray-and-white

Brown-and-white

Speckled

Mottled in any color

Cream

Dark cream

Rose cream

Tabby

Tabby in any other color

Ginger

White with black paws

White with brown paws

Gray with darker paws

and more that I've probably forgotten.

Cats' eyes can be green, blue, yellow, amber, brown, dark blue, regular blue, light blue, or orange.
So a cat could be a combination of any of those pelt colors and any of those eyes colors.
Related Topics:
Warriors
Squire Julian Gingivere /Redwall/
Tsarmina Greeneyes /Redwall/
Muffin /The Kane Chronicles/
Buttercup /The Hunger Games/

 

2. Green

Yes, I do mean the color green. The color of grass, leaves, certain types of coneflowers...

 

This also one of the afore-mentioned eye colors for cats, and the rarest eye color for humans. Which may be why I admire it so much...

Related Topics:

The Color Green /by Rich Mullins/

The Hatchling /Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book 7/

 

1. Characters

This took 1st Place because at the end of the day, characters are the heart and soul of a story. And they can be so complex! There are a thousand--no, a million--no, fifteen hundred million different ways a character can be. They can look different, act different, and feel different than any other character on the face of the earth. Depending on what genre you're writing/reading, they can even be non-human.

Both antagonists (villains) and protagonists ('good guys') drive a story. We sympathize with them. Sometimes we even cry when they die/live happily ever after/sail away across the sea and leave their best friend behind to live in the Shire.

No, I am not talking about Lord of the Rings. And no, I did not cry when Feathertail/Ferncloud/Hollyleaf/Mousefur/Spottedleaf/Firestar died!

Okay, I'll stop. But characters are, hands down, the #1 best story component EVER.

Related Topics:

Katniss /The Hunger Games/

Soren /Guardians of Ga'Hoole/

Firestar /Warriors/

Brambleclaw /Warriors: The New Prophecy/

Jayfeather /Warriors: Power of Three & Omen of the Stars/

Matthias /Redwall/

Billy /Dragons in Our Midst/

Janner /The Wingfeather Saga/

Henry /The 100 Cupboards/

 

 

The End

Quiz: What Kind of Food Are You?

The little-known Flowering Kale

So, which food group would you be in if you were a food? Here's a helpful little quiz to check:

1) When you see a container of sage in the cupboard, you automatically:

a) Know exactly what foods it goes with and why.

b) Wonder what it's used for and whether it tastes sweet.

c) Think of a quote from The Hobbit.

2) While grating cheese for dinner you:

a) Add in a little Dutch and Swiss cheese, just to give it some extra flavor.

b) Wonder why anyone would want this with dinner.

c) Try to compare it to various cheeses in the Redwall series.

3) Your favorite television channel to watch is:

a) Food Network--you'd watch it 24/7 if you could.

b) Food Network, but only the desert-making shows--the other ones are boring.

c) Sci-Fi, PBS, Disney--as long as it has movies, you're in.

4) Your favorite knick-knacks are:

a) Those cute porcelain cheese wedges and peppers.

b) Faux chocolate bars, and maybe some plastic chocolate-covered strawberries. It makes you hungry just to look at them!

c) Star Wars figurines and miniature dragons.

5) Your favorite things to wear are:

a) Your chef's hat and apron.

b) All red--it reminds you of cherries!

c) Chain mail--or your special Star Fleet Academy Uniform.

6) Hearing the Hey Diddle Diddle... poem makes you think of:

a) Your famous Hey Diddle Diddle cake.

b) A plate of moon cakes.

c) The song Frodo sings at the Prancing Pony.

7) When Christmas comes around, your favorite part of it is:

a) Baking the cookies, of course! What else?

b) Eating the cookies!

c) Browsing the stores for new toys--who says it's just for kids?

Tally Your Score!

If You Got Mostly A's:

You're not a food, you're a chef! You love all things cooking and don't mind spending hours in the kitchen.

 

If You Got Mostly B's:

You are chocolate! You love sweets and can't imagine life without them. You probably don't mind cooking--as long as there's plenty of sugar!

 

If You Got Mostly C's:

You are a nut! You're into all sorts of books/movies, and most foods remind you of your obsessions--in one way or another!

 

So there you have it. I'm definitely a nut myself--what are you?

 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Hi, everyone!

I've just gotten back from my second time seeing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in theaters! One of my new favorite movies. I love middle-earth...

So, as promised, I will do a review. I'm new at this, so bear with me. And if a few characters butt in along the way, well, it's not my fault. (At least, it's not completely my fault...)

Yes it is. It so is. You're the one letting us--

Ahem. No one saw that, right? Right. You didn't see anything.

So, on with the review...

*****

The movie opens in the Shire. Bilbo, as he appears in the Lord of the Rings movies, is going through some of his things and eventually finds a red leather book, which he takes to his desk and begins to write in. He is apparently narrating this to Frodo, saying that although he told the truth about his 'adventure', he did not tell him the whole thing.

Frodo comes out of the pantry and, after getting the mail, sees what Bilbo is doing. Bilbo sort of snaps at him, telling him that the book isn't ready to be read.

Frodo and Bilbo have a short conversation about Gandalf, and then Frodo runs off, saying he wants to surprise Gandalf.

And cue the opening scene of the Fellowship of the Ring...

But I'm getting off track. Anyways, Bilbo goes on with his narrative, saying that the story begins in a faraway place, the likes of which you won't find anymore in middle-earth.

And cue what is essentially the prologue of the movie. It is explained how there was a mountain called Erebor and that near it was the city of Dale. Dale prospered, and Erebor was ruled by the great Thror, King under the Mountain, greatest of the dwarf-lords. It is mentioned that Thror had a son, Thrain, and a grandson, Thorin.

And all my fellow LOTR/The Hobbit fans know who that is.

Anyway...

Okay, wait. I don't want to give away the entire plot. I think I've said too much already. I'll go onto the technical aspects of the review. E, don't you dare say a word.

Herm, hmmm, yes. I think my new story idea is influencing me. Treebeard, don't you dare say a word. Anyway...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a good movie. There are several humorous and/or witty parts, most likely because The Hobbit is more of a children's book than Lord of the Rings is. The filmmakers, in my opinion, did an excellent job of making each of the thirteen dwarves have their own look.



Fili-- 

and Kili--

At your service!

Ori

Gloin, father of Gimli

Bombur



Bofur

Thorin Oakenshield--leader of the Dwarves
(And uncle to Fili and Kili)

The score is, of course, simply amazing. A main theme, maybe even more so than the original LOTR theme is the song of Erebor:

Far over the misty mountains cold,

To dungeons deep, and caverns old,

We must away ere break of day,

To seek the pale enchanted gold.



That's the first verse. It goes on, I believe... but anyway, great song, amazing score.

One bone I have to pick with the filmmakers is all of the things they added to the story. For one thing, the prologue I mentioned earlier is probably at least thirty minutes long. All of that wasn't necessary--they could have woven it through the story like it was in the book. Then there's some other things they added--

• For one thing, we finally meet Radagast the Brown, one of Gandalf's fellow wizards. Radagast prefers the company of animals over men (I know how he feels sometimes), and lives alone in the Mirkwood, which in this version is also known as the Greenwood. Radagast finds out about the giant spiders in the Mirkwood and reports this to Gandalf. They find that this is the fault of... The Necromancer.

For all those non-LOTR/The Hobbit fans out there (you know who you are), The Necromancer is another name for either:
A) The Witch-king of Angmar, Suaron's #1 Ringwraith or
B) Sauron himself. Both are prime villains. 

Now, contrary to popular belief, The Necromancer is actually somewhat involved in The Hobbit. Here is exactly what is said about him in the book:

"Your grandfather," said the wizard slowly and grimly, "gave the map to his son for safety before he went to the mines of Moria. Your father went away to try his luck with the map after your grandfather was killed; and lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had, but he never got near the Mountain. How he got there I don't know, but I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer."

"Whatever were you doing there?" asked Thorin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.

"Never you mind. I was finding things out, as usual; and a nasty dangerous business it was. Even I, Gandalf, only just escaped. I tried to save your father, but it was too late. He was witless and wandering, and had forgotten almost everything except the map and the key."

"We have long ago paid the goblins of Moria," said Thorin; "we must give a thought to the Necromancer."

"Don't be absurd! He is an enemy far beyond the powers of all the dwarves put together, if they could all be collected again from the four corners of the world. The one thing your father wished was for his son to read the map and use the key. The dragon and the Mountain are more than big enough tasks for you!"

So, this having been said, why did the movie makers feel the need to include The Necromancer in the movie?

• Secondly, there's another subplot added featuring none other than Azog the Defiler, a.k.a. the Pale Orc. Of course, there's another thirty minutes of backstory about this. So, as the story goes, after Smaug the dragon attacked and captured Erebor, the dwarves tried to go to the mines of Moria. Unfortunately, the orcs got there first. A large battle ensues. Azog has sworn to wipe out the line of Durin (that would be Thror, Thrain, and Thorin). Azog beheads Thror, and Thrain goes mad with grief. It is unknown what happened to him. Thorin tries to take revenge and gets his tail whupped, nearly losing an arm. After losing his shield, he uses an oak branch to shield himself from Azog's attacks (hence his name, Thorin Oakenshield). Thorin ends up cutting half of Azog's arm off, and the orc is dragged back into Moria, "mortally" wounded. The dwarves win the day, but their dead number too many to count.

So now, not only do we have a near-pointless subplot involving The Necromancer, but a completely random orc villain is thrown in to boot. Of course, the orcs hunting the dwarves provides a good amount of the action in the movie.

Several other smaller plot points are changed. A few of these are

1. Galadriel and Saruman showing up at Rivendell while the dwarves are there,
2. the ponies conveniently bolting when the orcs & wargs (think evil wolves with large heads) show up, instead of being lost in the mountains, and
3. the dwarves leaving Rivendell on their own, without Elrond's blessing.

All I'm saying is that after a while, it gets annoying.

Overall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is good, though it doesn't quite live up to my expectations. My score for the movie is: B-. It could have been lower, but the epic battle scenes, amazing CG effects, and numerous humor points help bring the rating up.

Rating: PG-13
Violence: Lots, though most is directed at creatures we don't mind seeing killed. There is a low amount of gore during one scene.
Cursing: None
Sex: None
Other: There are several frightening images, i.e. goblins, trolls, giant spiders, orcs, wargs, and a dragon incinerating everything in sight, though it should be noted that the dragon is never actually fully seen. It is also mentioned that The Necromancer can summon spirits from the dead.

Favorite Quotes:
Bilbo: [Reading contract] Dwarves not responsible for various injuries including but not limited to... laceration... incineration?
Bofur: Oh yes. Dragons can melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye!
Bilbo: [Leans over and begins to take deep breaths] I'm fine. Yes, I'm fine.
Bofur: Think furnace--with wings! Searing heat, a flash of light, and poof, you're nothing but a pile of ashes!
Bilbo: No. [Faints]

{The dwarves have previously been captured by trolls. Half are being roasted (alive) over a fire, and the other half are in sacks.}
Troll: Let's season 'em. We could use some sage--
Bilbo: [Hops up] You're making a big mistake here, you know.
Troll: Huh? Why?
Bilbo: I mean, have you smelled them? You're going to need something a lot stronger than sage to make them taste good.
Troll #2: Make him shut up!
Troll #1: No, no, let 'im talk. What is the secret to cooking dwarf, then?
Bilbo: Well, the secret to cooking dwarf is... um...
Troll: Yes? Yes?
Bilbo: The secret to cooking dwarf is to... to skin them! Yes, to skin them!

{Later during this same scene}
Troll: [Picks up dwarf to eat whole]
Bilbo: I wouldn't eat him if I were you. He's got--worms, in his... tubes.
Troll: Uggh! [Immediately drops dwarf]
Bilbo: They're all riddled, in fact, with parasites. I wouldn't risk it if I were you, I really wouldn't.
Dwarves: Hey, we don't have parasites! What are you talking about, you--
Thorin: [Whacks dwarves and gives them a meaningful look]
Dori: I've got parasites as big as my arm!
Kili: I've got loads of parasites! Millions of parasites!

{The dwarves have just entered Rivendell. They are surrounded by elven riders and naturally very suspicious.}
Elrond: Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror. I knew your grandfather, you know.
Thorin: Oh really? He made no mention of you.
Elrond: [Says something in Elvish]
Gloin: Is he offering us insult!?
Gandalf: My good dwarf, he is offering you food.
Gloin: Oh. Well, in that case, we'd be honored.

{Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, and Saruman are in Rivendell, discussing the apparent problem of The Necromancer.}
Saruman: But can we really trust what Radagast says? He--
Gandalf: He's odd, I'll grant you that. But he lives a solitary life.
Saruman: No! It's not that. It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms!

{Bilbo has managed, half intentionally, to slip away from the goblins. He is confronting Gollum in the depths of the mountains.}
Bilbo: I'm lost, so if you'll just show me the way out, I'll be on my way.
Gollum: Oh! We knows the way out for the hobbitses, we knows! Shut up!
Bilbo: I didn't say anything.
Gollum: We wasn't talking to you!

{Later during this same scene}
Gollum: [Says riddle]
Bilbo: Hmmm...
Gollum: ...Oh, we knows it, we knows! Shut up!

{The dwarves, helped by Gandalf, have just made a daring escape from the goblins in the Misty Mountains. They were trapped on a falling section of bridge, but have made it to the bottom fairly unharmed.}
Bofur: Well, that could've been worse.
Goblin King: [Lands on top of the dwarves, already dead]
Dwalin: [Underneath several beams of wood] You've got to be joking!