Reading Quest

source: casheefoo.deviantart.com

The amount of English books offered in the deserts of Israel is staggeringly low. As you can probably guess, I am an avid reader who is constantly in search of new books to delve into. Obviously this dry spell of stories was a problem for me; a big problem.

My friend Amanda, who lived in my building, found a used copy of Game of Thrones (book one) and gave it to  me when she was finished. I remember when she handed it over, and I was like, no way in hell am I reading this. I think that novel may have sat on my shelf for a good month, taunting me with it's 1000 page long plot line before I actually gave it a chance.

Let me explain something to you. For the longest time, I was convinced that I could not read fantasy novels. Yes, I read Harry Potter and Charlie Bone and other magical children's stories, but once I reached the age where I found the majority of my reading list in the adult section, the fantasy genre grew neglected.

In fact, I realize now that I was nothing but a common book racist. I wouldn't read fantasy, science fiction, steam punk or anything else I considered "unworthy." The stories I loved most were either classics, historical fiction or children's books.

These three categories of literature are great, don't get me wrong, but...oh, how naive I was!

When I finally did pick up Game of Thrones out of desperation, I was pulled into the story in an instant. It was full of mystery and blood and intrigue-- I was majorly hooked. It blew my mind how unfairly I had judged this genre. In actuality, the novel was both expertly plotted and well written.

I finished the first book in a little over a week and was hungering for the second book, but unfortunately could not find it anywhere. It was absolute torture. I finally decided to buy myself a Hanukkah present and purchased a Kindle Paperwhite online, using a Christmas coupon I found on amazon.com.

When it finally made its way to Israel (thank you Mom and Dad for helping me out there) I immediately downloaded the second book and submerged myself into its depths. Just on a side note, I actually thought reading on the kindle was easier on the eyes because the print wasn't so small. But anyhow, this went on for another three books until I finished the series.

So what did I learn from this experience?
1. Judging books before reading them is thoroughly insane
2. It's important to try something new every once in a while
3. Fantasy books rock!
4. I owe Amazon my sanity

Just so you know, when I got home my friend Evan, who is a major fantasy book expert, told me that Game of Thrones isn't actually that good compared to other fantasy novels. WHAT? 
Now I'm reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. He was right.... it reaches a new level of awesome.

Thanks for reading,
Loni

Stories

source: www.holdingwomanspace.com

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I love writing stories. Now that I think about it, every time I go back through my drawers and read the stuff I've written, I find that I have a tendency to write the same story and over again: my own, personal narrative.

Last summer I finished my very first novel. I sat down at my computer everyday and wrote until the sky grew dark and the stars came out. The process was an overwhelming roller-coaster of highs and lows, frustrations and triumphs and sometimes a waterfall  few drops of tears.

The story itself was rooted very much in my own life. The narrators, a daughter and a granddaughter, told a  a separate story, woven together through repeating themes and questions. Reading back on what I wrote, I realize that this first novel was an attempt to understand my roots and come to terms with the family and lifestyle in which I've been raised.

Like I said before, it was completely, 100% me wrapped up in 338 pages.

My Dad always says that crafting an art has layers. First, no matter what the medium is (music, painting, dance etc...) you have to build upon your own experience. He believes that looking inward is the starting point to any creative development.

The next layer of advancement begins when you  take inward pieces of yourself and share them in a way that applies to the broader world. His example is this: let's say you've struggled with anxiety everyday of your life. If you can write a piece of music or draw a picture about anxiety that makes other people think about the struggles they have in their own life, than you've succeeded.

Ideally, I would like to move on to this level of writing. I want to write a story that is not literally my life, but contains a theme or idea from my experiences that I want to explore.

It is this aim that fuels my next novel project. The story is for children this time, so the characters, setting and plot are more whimsical and exciting. It's a story about perfectionism-- something that I've struggled with since my early teenage years.

I'm a little nervous about moving beyond the realm of just...me. But I think it's the push I need to continue my writing progress.

Wish me luck
-Loni