What Happened to My Summer Plans

"Summer!" I said in my heart, and in the pride of my heart, at the beginning of the sixth month, the month of June. "Summer is a time of resting and relaxing, of wide-open schedules and blank calendars, of laying in the grass and sipping lemonade. Therefore I will take this summer, to use it as my own, and I will perform many great works this summer; I will finish the first draft of my novel, yea, even the one which I have for so long been working on, and I will write a certain amount of chapters for my other story, yea, even one a week, for the whole summer. And I will study 5 hours a day everyday, and I shall take eight CLEP tests this summer. For I, Lauren, have the whole summer ahead of me, empty, and I shall do with the time what I please."

So even as I spoke these words in my heart I congratulated myself on the marvelous accomplishments I would do this summer. And so the day of planning and the day of lofty goals was the first day of summer.

Then the first week came and I said in my heart "I will not start my plans today. Today is a day for packing, a day for planning ahead for next week's vacation. I will put off my goals until next week." So the first week came and, just as certainly, the first week went.

Then came the second week and I went on vacation; yea, even to the Oregon coast, to the mighty Pacific ocean. And I said in my heart "This is a week for relaxing, for rejoicing. It is not a week for working or for toiling. I will put off my goals until next week." So the second week came and, just as certainly, the second week went.

When the third week arrived I said in my heart "I am just back from vacation. I am tired. Surely if I put off my goals another week, I will be more rested." And as I said in my heart, so I did, and rested the third week. So it came and, just as certainly, it went.

In the fourth week a dreadful cold assailed me, so that my eyes watered and my nose was stuffed up. And a fever racked my bones, and a great headache, so that I could hardly stand. And as I lay upon my bed, I said to myself "by dose id do duffed ub, ad by headayg id do bad, I gadot work od by goals." So the fourth week came and, just as miserably, the fourth week went.

Then the fifth week came, and with it a sore throat, and even so a cough. And I studied a little for my CLEP test, even for Social Sciences & History, as I should have been doing. And I worked on editing this video, and celebrated Independence day, but not much else in the fifth week, the first week of July. So it came and, just as certainly, it went.

And the sixth week came, and I lifted up mine eyes and, behold, the summer was nearly halfway over. And I was astonished, and I was much troubled, and inquired within my heart, even within the depths of my heart, where my summer had gone. And I looked and found that I had been procrastinating this summer, and my schedule had not been empty, and I had much to do and many places to go. And I was troubled, and I said within my heart "where will I find time to accomplish my goals, the goals that I set at the beginning of summer, even six weeks ago?"

So I went to the library and requested a book; and the name of the book was Eat That Frog, and the book was written to help those who suffered, as I suffered, from poor time management skills. So I read the book, and I heeded the words of the author; and I compiled a more detailed list for my summer, yea, even for the remainder I had left.

But it happened that as I pursued my goals I neglected that which I had heretofore been faithful to; my blog. And I worked on my writing and my CLEPs, and my blog fell by the wayside.

Then this day I lifted up mine eyes and, behold, my blog was neglected, and I said in my heart "I will write a post; yea, even one that explains why I have neglected my blog."

And as I spoke in my heart, so I have done it, that you may know why I have been absent. I, Lauren, have written this post; this salutation with my own keyboard I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (*)

How are your summer plans going?

Burdened With Glorious Purpose: Avengers, Conclusions

Well, here we are at the end of my lengthy Avengers review. So far I've talked about story structure, characters, humor, and theme. I could have gone longer - the action sequences, the costumes, the Joss Whedon touch, the music, what I disliked - but I've touched on everything that's especially important to me in a movie, so I think I'll leave it at that.

So what do we have left? Just a few parting thoughts about the film, and a little bit of application.

Application?

Yes, it's Christian-application-of-the-Avengers-time! You knew this was coming. Or at least you should have. Unless you're new here. (In which case, welcome!)

By the way, did you know that The Avengers has now crossed the $600 million mark? It's at third place behind Titanic and Avatar in highest-grossing films. 

This review is not as spoiler-filled as the previous ones have been, but still, don't read if you're trying to decide whether or not to watch it. My recommendation is: go ahead, watch it! You will most likely not be disappointed. And then you can come back and read this review.

You have been warned. On we go, after the jump...

Well, What Have We Here?

Because what this post really needed was a cat picture.

So are y'all getting a little tired of the series I've been posting, or have they been enjoyable? My five-part Avengers review ends tomorrow, although H2WaMM has three more posts to go. I might post a book review next week for a little change of pace.

It's been a while since I updated my Blogs You Should Visit page, so I did that over the weekend to include some of my new favorite blogs. I also cleaned it up a little to remove any blogs that had stopped posting, moved, or just stopped altogether. I realized I hadn't updated it since the A-to-Z challenge, during which I followed a lot of new blogs.

So go check it out, and let me know if you find any new favorites!

On Thursday Lisa Campbell left my 500th comment! I know for some of you bloggers it may not seem like a lot (Alex J. Cavanaugh gets about 100 comments per post, so he's probably up in the millions now) but it's very gratifying for me. Thank you to everyone who comments and continues to leave comments! I love to hear what you have to say.

Becky from Braveheart is currently writing a series that I very much like. It's called Ministry or Malarkey, and it explores whether fiction (malarkey) can help people reach God (ministry). So far she's posted on Christian Inspirational Fiction and Parables. Looking forward to her post tomorrow!

My sister Ava won a photo editing contest over at Randocology! Hop on over to her blog and congratulate her. And then maybe help her boost her follower count...

Speaking of followers, Jenn, who recently gave me the One Lovely Blog Award, also gave me the Liebster Award - an award designed to recognize and promote blogs that have less than 200 followers. Jenn has just reached 100 followers herself, and is hosting a giveaway! Go tell her congrats and enter to win either a $15 or $10 Amazon gift card.

Now, to accept the award:

Thank the person that gave it to you. Thanks so much, Jenn!
Link back to their blog. Jenn's lovely blog, Scribbles from Jenn.
Put the award in your blog. See sidebar.
Present the award to 3-5 blogs with less than 200 followers.*
Leave a comment to let those blogs know that you've recognized their awesomeness!*

*Okay, I'm going to do awarding a little differently this time. Instead of picking 3-5 blogs (choosing blogs is always hard!) or even just holding out an open invitation, I'm going to go with this:

If you have less than 200 followers, and your blog is on my Blogs You Should Visit list, then I nominate you for this award! So go see if you're on the list, and then leave me a link if you decide to pick it up. 

By the way, have you reviewed The Avengers on your blog? I'm collecting reviews to link to in my final Avengers post this Wednesday. If you wrote a review or found one that you enjoyed, leave me a link and I'll include it!

This is Lauren, signing off....

(because cat pictures are like potato chips; you can't have just one)

Can You Wipe Out That Much Red? Avengers, Themes

Note: yes, this post was supposed to be published on Wednesday. Yes, this is Thursday. I didn't get it finished on Tuesday and then was sick all day Wednesday. But hey, better late than never, right?

When I watched The Avengers the first and second time I really watched just to enjoy the movie. But the third time I watched it (with this review in mind!) I tried to pay closer attention to the theme.

I identified two themes, one of which I think is the "heart" of the movie, and another which is not quite as crucial to the plot. Call it a theme and a subtheme. Like a plot and a subplot.

And of course I must add that this is not, strictly speaking, a "review." It is riddled with spoilers, so don't read if you're trying to decide whether or not to watch it. My recommendation is: go ahead, watch it! You will most likely not be disappointed. And then you can come back and read this review.

You have been warned. On we go, after the jump...

All Quiet On the Weblog Front

Where have I been this past week? 

I've been on the Oregon coast, getting alternately wet and sunburned. I scheduled my third Avengers review for last week but neglected to schedule the second H2WaMM post, which is why it didn't appear on Friday. My apologies!

My absence can also explain why I haven't replied to comments or been to any of y'alls blogs lately.

No, they don't say y'all on the Oregon coast. In case you were wondering.

I didn't really take a lot of pictures this year. You see, I didn't bring my camera, just my phone, and I didn't want to bring my phone to the beach because I didn't want to get sand in it. So I don't have any pictures of the sights (besides the one above).

But what I did take pictures of (and please don't hate me for this) was all the misspellings I found around camp and at the museum that we went to. I know, I know, I'm so nitpicky. But some of them were amusing. Let me share:

The reward he "hopped" to earn. Maybe it's like "jumping" at a chance?

Norwegion. Perhaps it's a region in Norway.

By the way, I'm thinking of keeping the name "Norske Love" around for a possible future character in a possible future story. I like the name. It means "Norwegian lion."

Okay, this one could go either way. Site or sight. But I'm guessing that it's really supposed to say "sight."

If, of, what's the difference, ya know? Just one little letter.

Also last week I worked on filming this project:

I just threw together the trailer this morning. Not professional quality, but I think it gets the point across.

Anyways, that's what I've been up to this past week. Be prepared for part 4 of the Avengers review and part 2 of H2WaMM coming up on Wednesday and Friday. 

How was your week? Are you on vacation, or planning one soon? Ever snapped pictures of misspellings you've found? What do you think of the trailer?

I Understood That Reference: Avengers, Humor & Nerdiness

Nick Fury: ...his own personal flying monkeys.

Thor: Monkeys? I do not understand

Captain America: I understand! (looks around, grinning) I understood that reference.

One aspect of The Avengers that made it really stand out was the humor. Of course, with Joss Whedon directing it, how could it not be funny?

It was a movie that didn't take itself seriously. Unlike the dark, gritty Nolan Batman films, most Marvel films are bright and funny, sort of lighthearted and colorful, like comic books. Not that either is better, just that it's one of the differences between the Marvel and DC movie universes.

Another great thing about the movie is that there weren't that many inside jokes - the kind of jokes that only comic book fans/nerds would get. There was only one obvious one that I can think of. This made it appealing to both fans and to moviegoers who aren't "comic-book-people."

Just a reminder, this is not, strictly speaking, a "review." It is riddled with spoilers, so don't read if you're trying to decide whether or not to watch it. My recommendation is: go ahead, watch it! You will most likely not be disappointed. And then you can come back and read this review.

You have been warned. On we go, after the jump...

H2WaMM: the Prologue

I'm no murder mystery expert.

Actually, I really prefer the non-violent mysteries (thievery, forgery, etc.) But the murder mystery is the most famous (and the largest) genre of mystery, so I've decided to focus on that.

Welcome to How to Write a Murder Mystery.

Me and murder mysteries go way back. I have read all sixty canonical  Sherlock Holmes stories, a goodly amount of Agatha Christie, nearly every Peter Wimsey, seen every episode of Psych... 

However, I've never written a (serious) one.

Wait a minute, Lauren, you say, why are you telling us how to write a murder mystery if you've never even written one yourself??

The answer: I'm not. I won't be telling you how to write a murder mystery. Instead I'll be attempting to show you.

Yes, my readers, I have written a three-act murder mystery that will give you the formula to write a formulaic MM. I have left no trope untouched, no cliche unturned. 

This three-act mystery will star our two generic heroes, Detective and Sidekick. They will be hired by Client to discover who killed Victim. And of course we'll have Bumbling Inspector, Sheltered Woman, and Heartless Murderer, as well as a good smattering of Suspicious Suspects.

It's a big cliche-fest, so get ready to gather round and prepare to predict what happens next. Hopefully you'll see murder mysteries in a way you never have before. Or at least you'll have a good time.

Either way, be prepared for next Friday, when I will present for your pleasure H2WaMM: Act One.

Are you a murder mystery fan, or more of a non-violent mystery fan? How many murder mysteries have you read? Ever written a murder mystery? What murder mystery cliches have always bugged you?

Sort of Like a Team: Avengers, Character & Continuity

Tony Stark: The Avengers. It's what we call ourselves. Sort of like a team. "Earth's Mighiest Heroes" type thing. 

The Avengers would (obviously) not be the Avengers without the characters that make up the team. And what's great about the film is the depth of the characters.

The team doesn't really get along. As I mentioned in this post, The Avengers is a prime example of every character having their own agenda. Each character is pulled from their own story and stuck into this one, and not all of them like it. There's arguing and fighting and insulting. Almost every character can be pitted against another and you can easily point out all the inconsistencies between their characters and the reasons they fight with each other. There's lots of good tension there.

Joss Whedon handled the screen time of each character very well, so that it felt like everyone got their turn in the spotlight. And everyone had their own little bit of character development as well. Every character changed a little during the course of the story, although some did more dramatically than others.

Going character by character, I'm going to attempt to pinpoint the development made in each case.

Obligatory warning: this is not, strictly speaking, a "review." It is riddled with spoilers, so don't read if you're trying to decide whether or not to watch it. My recommendation is: go ahead, watch it! You will most likely not be disappointed. And then you can come back and read this review.

You have been warned. On we go, after the jump...