This link dump is very relevant to what has been consuming my thoughts and energies as of late, which is part of the reason why I haven't been posting in a while. Without further ado:
The Kentucky Horse Park. This is pretty much what it says it is: the Mecca of Horsedom. I've only been to the Kentucky Horse Museum, but as the friend that went with me can attest, I spent most of the time in a paroxysm of geeked-out bliss. On the museum grounds they house some ex-racehorses like Funny Cide and Cigar. Once upon a time, when Cigar was top dog (around 1996-1999), they made a Breyer model of him, which my mother duly bought to quiet my incessant clamor for it. It has occupied the place of honor on in the shelf in my bedroom at home since. Now that you have that perspective, return to the stable at the Kentucky grounds and watch me as I reach out a hand shaking not from fear but from joy, and actually pet the horse that brought in millions of dollars of winnings over his career, raced all over the world in every kind of track, every kind of weather. The only reason he doesn't get as much recognition as Secretariat or Seattle Slew is because he never won the Triple Crown, but he was the better athlete, hands down. Okay. Done geeking out. The website itself does a good job of giving the reader the huge breadth of what the Horse Park is about, and the sheer number of different things you can do there: carriage rides, museums, walking tours, trail rides, etc., etc.
Horse Photography:
Photography by Faith-- This woman focuses more on the western/cowboy side of equine photography, but she has a mind-blowing gallery of pictures that show the natural beauty of the horse.
30 Amazing Examples of Equine Photography-- I was enthralled by this because it shows you the whole range of emotions a horse has and can evoke in people: exuberant energy, unbridled (yes, pun intended) strength, quiet, unconditional love, brotherly camaraderie, childish play, endless patience, etc., etc.
Google image search for George Stubbs-- George Stubbs is my favorite painter besides Salvador Dali. I'll let you figure out why.
Matthew Seed-- I found his name as I was browsing through some of George Stubbs' work, and I was quite impressed. He seems to understand that it's not just the horse, or the lighting, or him or the camera. It's the confluence of all those things. And luck.
Other horse stuff:
Jean-Francois Pignon-- the god of horse training and tricks. He's also hilarious.
Google image search for Bashkir Curly-- Try to find a picture of a curly foal in full winter coat. You'll giggle. Promise.
Marwari horses-- the main reason I want to go to India.
The best for last: The perfect horse. I could not take a deep breath until after this video was over.
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
Showing posts with label links. Show all posts
1/29/12
1/6/12
Link dump #1: Writing!
So there's this 24-hour stomach flu going around. I thought I had evaded it.
Turns out, not so much.
So in lieu of a post with actual thought, organization and planning, you get links to some websites (with thought, organization and planning) that have helped me become a better (fiction) writer.
The rant on putting your characters through absolute hell
Though it appears on Livejournal, one of two major sources of amateur (and immature) writing on the internet, this piece is actually quite thoughtful. It describes some ways to create conflict for your character and how to bring out your character's flaws. Every main character must have flaws to be relatable. Every main character must be relatable or your story flops.
The Simple Novel-- 9 Questions for 25 Chapters
I actually do not agree with this approach at all, which is why I'm posting it. I never outline a novel like this; I never start with a set number of chapters and "fill in" which part of the story should fit into which chapters. This is too much like writing your first, second and third drafts all at once. But the 9 questions in the beginning are well worth a think, and for a person who's never written a novel before, the 25-chapter outline will definitely help you get the feel for how a story should flow.
Writingworld.com's Guide to Fiction
This is everything that's taught in high school and lower-level college creative writing courses. This is also fourth on my bookmark list, right below Gmail, Facebook and Questionable Content. For every writer, new and experienced, young and old, I specifically recommend "Getting Started VII: Being Realistic About Your Work". I read it thrice or so a month. I also recommend the section called "Victorian Advice for Modern Writers". For everybody. But specifically for those with any kind of background in Victorian literature and culture, it's a jaunt. A wordy jaunt. But when has Victorian literature NOT been wordy?
The most important writing lesson I ever learned:
"Nobody wants to read your shit."
Mythical Creatures List
This is where I go when I need an overdose of inspiration. Some people write stories from prompts; I write stories from descriptions of Crom Cruach and the Lumakaka. This is a fantastic source of inspiration for those with fantasy-inclined minds.
How to Finish What You Started
Though it's written for writers, the wisdom in this article applies to other projects as well, no matter what your goal is; be it a novel, your thesis, a scrapbook, a sweater, a house. This succinct, no-nonsense treatise on and guide to finishing what you started gives you five easy steps to follow. And four of those steps don't even involve DOING any projects at all! It's all about reassessing, prioritization, and holding yourself accountable. I have used this method, with success, on several projects lately. Hopefully it will work for you.
I promise I'll put some effort into tomorrow's entry. After my guts stop their impromptu revolution.
Turns out, not so much.
So in lieu of a post with actual thought, organization and planning, you get links to some websites (with thought, organization and planning) that have helped me become a better (fiction) writer.
The rant on putting your characters through absolute hell
Though it appears on Livejournal, one of two major sources of amateur (and immature) writing on the internet, this piece is actually quite thoughtful. It describes some ways to create conflict for your character and how to bring out your character's flaws. Every main character must have flaws to be relatable. Every main character must be relatable or your story flops.
The Simple Novel-- 9 Questions for 25 Chapters
I actually do not agree with this approach at all, which is why I'm posting it. I never outline a novel like this; I never start with a set number of chapters and "fill in" which part of the story should fit into which chapters. This is too much like writing your first, second and third drafts all at once. But the 9 questions in the beginning are well worth a think, and for a person who's never written a novel before, the 25-chapter outline will definitely help you get the feel for how a story should flow.
Writingworld.com's Guide to Fiction
This is everything that's taught in high school and lower-level college creative writing courses. This is also fourth on my bookmark list, right below Gmail, Facebook and Questionable Content. For every writer, new and experienced, young and old, I specifically recommend "Getting Started VII: Being Realistic About Your Work". I read it thrice or so a month. I also recommend the section called "Victorian Advice for Modern Writers". For everybody. But specifically for those with any kind of background in Victorian literature and culture, it's a jaunt. A wordy jaunt. But when has Victorian literature NOT been wordy?
The most important writing lesson I ever learned:
"Nobody wants to read your shit."
Mythical Creatures List
This is where I go when I need an overdose of inspiration. Some people write stories from prompts; I write stories from descriptions of Crom Cruach and the Lumakaka. This is a fantastic source of inspiration for those with fantasy-inclined minds.
How to Finish What You Started
Though it's written for writers, the wisdom in this article applies to other projects as well, no matter what your goal is; be it a novel, your thesis, a scrapbook, a sweater, a house. This succinct, no-nonsense treatise on and guide to finishing what you started gives you five easy steps to follow. And four of those steps don't even involve DOING any projects at all! It's all about reassessing, prioritization, and holding yourself accountable. I have used this method, with success, on several projects lately. Hopefully it will work for you.
I promise I'll put some effort into tomorrow's entry. After my guts stop their impromptu revolution.
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