tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11391083804659247682024-03-17T23:03:19.269-04:00Jade Varden Official BlogThe official blog for Jade Varden, author of the Deck of Lies series. Indie book reviews, writing help, self-publishing tips and more.Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.comBlogger1135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-77412276026619856802023-11-06T12:00:00.021-05:002023-11-06T12:00:00.179-05:00 Does ChatGPT Spell Doom for Writers?<p style="text-align: justify;">Look around at the world and notice not what is there…but who is missing. No longer will you see a man on stilts at twilight, meticulously lighting gas lamps up and down the street. You won't find a friendly milkman making deliveries. And the men wearing the long beaks who scooped up plague-ridden bodies were out of work in the 1400s. Innovation and technology always usher in new changes. But when something new begins, something else ends. And when it comes to ChatGPT, is this the end of human writing as we know it?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutvrD3w9DM9ObaHiaobHCdTup0Qd6qVc1VVxRVEdDJkHY1Y26pdZesQHmaqK22-NnDpJbhIaEA82ZRAp3UBuNvHp6nEUxiXUX83I_5FP1ZMxTLdc_e6-fxLXZkWA9mUnq6HdpB2V-QVh523zUPdoPDP5771HnVDU9B9uD7zQ5vPPuBDrggQirSuaQuoNI/s748/AI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="748" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutvrD3w9DM9ObaHiaobHCdTup0Qd6qVc1VVxRVEdDJkHY1Y26pdZesQHmaqK22-NnDpJbhIaEA82ZRAp3UBuNvHp6nEUxiXUX83I_5FP1ZMxTLdc_e6-fxLXZkWA9mUnq6HdpB2V-QVh523zUPdoPDP5771HnVDU9B9uD7zQ5vPPuBDrggQirSuaQuoNI/w421-h263/AI.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">The Ultimate Ghostwriter </h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />So what is ChatGPT? Depending on who is answering, this is a fascinating new innovation full of possibilities...or a demon invention summoned from the blackest pits of Hell. ChatGPT is actually an AI writing tool that can, for all intents and purposes, write anything. Articles, screenplays, entire novels even. You plug in some basic elements of what you want and the darn thing generates humanlike writing that can be difficult to tell from actual human-created content.<br /><br />And if learning about ChatGPT gives you a strange sinking feeling and you feel the darkness of despair creeping ever closer to you, then you are probably a writer. You might even find yourself wondering if you're about to join the ranks of the now-useless, like those plague guys or the old gas lamp lighters.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Are Human Writers Obsolete?</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />The recent <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/2023/08/what-writer-strike-is-all-about-and.html" target="_blank">writer's strike</a> largely involved ChatGPT and concerns about how this tech will be used moving forward, though many of the headlines focused on pay disputes and other issues surrounding the strike. <br /><br />Writers on all levels have reason to be curious and cautious about this tech. For the first time in human history, a machine can write dialogue and plot and actually tell a story. So you might feel a lot like the gas lamp guy the day the light bulb was invented. <br /><br />And yes, it is a little bit scary. AI writing software is sophisticated enough to understand grammar and syntax and even slang. It can churn out entire novels with extreme quickness and write words much faster than any human ever could. <br /><br />But don't throw out your old plague mask yet, so to speak. Because for all their sophistication, there is something that machines and tech can never do: create ideas. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">You can teach a computer how to write like a human and play chess like a human and answer questions like a human would. You cannot teach a computer how to actually be creative. Computers can study all of literature and can even create stories that are similar to stores created before. But a computer will never truly come up with a creative idea for one very good reason.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Only humans can do that. Only humans can invent. No computer program can really be taught how to do that. And as long as that continues to be the case, human writers are still needed.<br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-87648863864275264792023-10-30T12:00:00.022-04:002023-10-30T12:00:00.144-04:00 A Writer’s Tale<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though not as flashy as Shakespeare or as strange as Lewis Carroll, Geoffrey Chaucer contributed much more to the English language as a writer than both of them put together. He is called the Father of English literature and is single-handedly responsible for creating nearly 2,000 words that we use today. He was the very first person to be interred at Westminster in the famed Poet’s Corner and his stories were so good, Heath Ledger and the future Vision actor starred in an adaptation of his work about 600 years after he wrote it. What’s ironic is that the author best known for the Canterbury Tales never made a single cent off his writing.</span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TJ_9SNOSLfUeNARw_2j86s1Sz9h-3GCvGLk6hyphenhyphen542dtjhboJKIsCB7LxH_mabzf7LyjIWz9eabu7NN63BOtppDq0up9aLFef5PzUkCiNjFvH3Fr-Ap2PSLQXg4lUwVUpxf_MmkxhfxGqquW-xg2k7-_T1Rh-MV2VU0TDDi9_rknV0cAWj-UhJYwQJi5j/s1024/ChaucerTomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TJ_9SNOSLfUeNARw_2j86s1Sz9h-3GCvGLk6hyphenhyphen542dtjhboJKIsCB7LxH_mabzf7LyjIWz9eabu7NN63BOtppDq0up9aLFef5PzUkCiNjFvH3Fr-Ap2PSLQXg4lUwVUpxf_MmkxhfxGqquW-xg2k7-_T1Rh-MV2VU0TDDi9_rknV0cAWj-UhJYwQJi5j/s320/ChaucerTomb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;">The Merchant of London</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Geoffrey Chaucer was born into the merchant class into rather fortunate circumstances. His father was a successful vintner, winemaker, and he worked for the crown for most of his career -- even when the crown changed heads a few times during the tumultuous Hundred Years’ War.<br /><br />Remembered today as one of the great writers and studied in schools the world over, Chaucer was a diplomat, a courtier, a soldier and a clerk to the King, among other things. He was, for all intents and purposes, a government employee…and he was not really a rich man. He was a merchant, not a Lord or a noble, and he almost never stopped working -- proof that he needed money to live, just like anyone else. <br /><br />Somewhere in the midst of this busy life, Chaucer became one of the greatest poets the world has ever known. History does not show any record that Chaucer ever received any money for his work but he did, perhaps, receive some acclaim. During a St. George’s Day celebration in 1374, King Edward III rewarded Chaucer with a gallon of wine every day for the rest of his life. This is probably the only payment he ever received for writing some of the greatest works in the English language. And for shaping the English language.</span><br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Working Man, Amateur Writer</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ia5puhbkfMw" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ia5puhbkfMw"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chaucer did make good on the King’s promise, collecting his gallon of wine daily until the crown shifted to Richard II. It was then that Chaucer began to receive a monetary grant but by then, he was employed as a comptroller for the port of London so the salary may be tied to this position. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Canterbury-Tales-Translation-Gerald-Davis-ebook/dp/B01GQK9EPY" target="_blank">Geoffrey Chaucer</a> was the first to be interred at what is now known as Poet’s Corner in Westminster. Today, he keeps company with the likes of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Lord Tennyson.<br /><br />Like many modern writers, Chaucer worked every day of his life and wrote in his free time. He invented thousands of words, which is beyond remarkable, and wrote a book that people are still reading 500 years after his death. <br /><br />Chaucer did not write for money, because he didn’t get any, and he didn’t write for fame, because he wasn’t known for being a writer by most people until after his death. He lived during a time of war and chaos in England and maintained employment even as Kings were being killed in battle and worse. And he wrote. He held many different positions in his life and clearly knew how to hustle and never stopped, working steadily through most of his life. But in the end, he is known as a writer and was remembered as one of the greatest to ever pick up a quill. <br /><br />He worked government jobs, serving at the King’s pleasure as a clerk and any other position to which he was appointed, but when he could have his own time he wrote things.<br /><br />And though he lived and died so many centuries ago that his version of English is only just recognizable to modern readers…he was a lot like many writers out there today. Most writers are fairly regular people who aren’t born rich, who have to work for a living and sometimes at jobs they might not love, who write what they can in their free moments. And some writers, like Chaucer, might not make a penny from all their writing efforts.<br /><br />But it didn’t keep him from inspiring generations and generations of writers in the future and it didn’t keep him from becoming immortal as one of the greatest writers who ever lived. So remember this: the end of your own story hasn’t been written yet. </span><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-20537675210935017302023-09-11T12:00:00.011-04:002023-09-11T12:00:00.177-04:00 Do You Know the Words Writers Are Never Supposed to Use Anymore?<div style="text-align: justify;">You may have noticed that people are being a bit more careful about what they say, these days. Look back at movies from the 1990s and you’ll find yourself gritting your teeth and groaning over extremely casual racism, bigotry and misogyny that is peppered all over scripts. The world has changed and the way we use words has changed, too. You can probably think of several words that you know are bad, words you wouldn’t put in your book unless there was an extremely strong reason to do so, words that are still controversial and can still get books banned in many places around the world. Mark Twain’s books are still being fought over for just this reason. <br /><br />But there are many words writers aren’t supposed to use anymore beyond the obvious ugly slurs. Do you know what they are, and have you modified your writing? Because 20 years from now, you don’t want people gritting their teeth and groaning over something you have written.<br /></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1pN0xjXpcHt95FIPo1-JTo0R-UbZIksdbd_4xhL32LA5HMBamK19EBpXQnD-jB_5a7t7LEJ_sGhNCEEjBzGnzjDXf4AHoeP9-iVJQRpjeknX-fwrByJi3qWLTc_QZANvpVDr9xkuprd7D0Dqiw58GX4_UVslAHnnTWK-mrrIKnzuq1FB6DO4PN_J5HzK/s660/dontspeak.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="660" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1pN0xjXpcHt95FIPo1-JTo0R-UbZIksdbd_4xhL32LA5HMBamK19EBpXQnD-jB_5a7t7LEJ_sGhNCEEjBzGnzjDXf4AHoeP9-iVJQRpjeknX-fwrByJi3qWLTc_QZANvpVDr9xkuprd7D0Dqiw58GX4_UVslAHnnTWK-mrrIKnzuq1FB6DO4PN_J5HzK/s320/dontspeak.png" width="320" /></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Power of Words<br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Words have power, as every single writer knows. Many of them have multiple meanings. Say a certain word and it can create a certain feeling. You know the words you could say to a man to make him feel angry, or small. You know what to say to a woman to insult her. You know these are bad, ugly words. But many words cause feelings and carry certain meanings that you might not intend. Many words are falling out of use and in some publications, they can’t be used at all. It’s up to you whether or not to use these words in your writing, but give yourself the option by finding out which words writers really aren’t supposed to use any more.<br /><b><br />Family</b>: While it seems innocuous enough, the word “family” has come to carry a lot of weight. Politicians and talking heads use this word a lot and for many, it has become a bit of a painful word. Not everyone has a nuclear family with parents and siblings, grandparents and uncles and all the rest. <br /><br />And while the word can be used to describe any group of friends or individuals who become a family, the word still conjures up images of that nuclear group consisting of mother, father and babies. And for many different reasons, the image and the word can be hurtful, or provoke other unpleasant feelings.<br /><br /><b>Master</b>: Until you start really paying attention to how often this word is used, you don’t really realize how often this word is used. It’s always been common in real estate. Master bedroom, master bath. Whether it’s a master room of some kind or a person who is a master of a game or a skill, the word appears enough that everyone knows just what it means. A master is the biggest or the best or the leader. And the word also has a very long and ugly history not just in the U.S., but all over the world. Because during the days when slavery was legal, the master was the person holding the whip. Real estate companies are now trying to avoid using this word, even when it’s being applied to something as innocent as a bedroom. <br /><br />Though it fell into common use for over 100 years after slavery was abolished in the U.S. and in other superpowers around the globe, the word has incredibly ugly origins and many people are finally acknowledging that by refusing to use it.<br /><br /><b>Slave</b>: Speaking of this ever-sensitive topic, writers for many publications are being told not to use this word. In fact, it’s best to avoid the term <i>slavery</i> when possible, as well. Rather than saying that someone was a former <i>slave</i> or referring to a person as a <i>slave</i>, the more appropriate phrasing is to say that a person was <i>enslaved</i>. <br /><br />For example:<br /><i><br />Akhat the Egyptian was <b>a slave</b> in the 19th century B.C.E.<br /><br />Akhat the Egyptian was <b>enslaved</b> in the 19th century B.C.E.</i><br /><br />The meaning is the same but the wording is just very slightly tweaked. Why this change? Because <i>slave</i> is not an occupation or a life goal. One does not become a slave the way a person becomes a baker. Slavery is put upon a person. It is forced. Having this thing forced upon a person does not make them that thing. You can force a dog to dress like a cow. You can put him in a little cow outfit, but the dog is not a cow. The dog is in a cow costume. A human being does not become a slave. They become enslaved. It is forced on them. This is just a little difference, but it does make a difference. <br /><br />This small change in language draws a verbal line between choosing to be a slave, which no one in four billion years of Earth history has ever done and never ever will, and having it forced upon them. Writing <i>enslaved</i> instead makes it clear that this was a forced condition, not a way of life.</div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-72188169768263038612023-09-06T12:00:00.005-04:002023-09-06T12:00:00.149-04:00Learning How to Write Better<p style="text-align: justify;">Lots of writers have questions about what to
write, how to write it, formatting it and turning it into a real novel.
These are all answers you can get in <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1444622" target="_blank">my newest book</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaTOc0a9C2Gg7fie_FaWCqrc4Rbr7eZFnRjOGRFSf_gyO-nQVoZ7Hm1tlBGghGiZ0VJVIPLVZFIBajzB-2iB3ePtzVnU3dPVSKgcc0_rOxJBfTSa0H5px7368XNwajfr1TojxSBhEK5R9wEqp-zTiseDIL1LCi7kyj2iT_PECUkBU4lTdh9qEA_p1ncs3/s2560/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2107" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaTOc0a9C2Gg7fie_FaWCqrc4Rbr7eZFnRjOGRFSf_gyO-nQVoZ7Hm1tlBGghGiZ0VJVIPLVZFIBajzB-2iB3ePtzVnU3dPVSKgcc0_rOxJBfTSa0H5px7368XNwajfr1TojxSBhEK5R9wEqp-zTiseDIL1LCi7kyj2iT_PECUkBU4lTdh9qEA_p1ncs3/s320/cover.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>How to Write a Book</b>, the first installment in my <b>Write Better Right Now</b> series, is coming out this month! <br /><br />This book covers all the fundamentals of writing a book but it also takes a deeper dive into those burning questions all authors face. How should you handle sensitive subjects, like race? Should you use common plot devices, like love triangles?<br /><br />The questions you've asked and the answers to the process of writing books are all covered in <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1444622" target="_blank">How to Write a Book</a>. <br /><br />Add it to your wishlist so you have it as the reference tool you really need to write better right now. <br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-90973769240179335942023-09-04T12:00:00.030-04:002023-09-04T12:00:00.161-04:00Get My Newest Book!<div style="text-align: justify;">My new book is coming out next week! If you've ready my writing 101 tips, you will love my newest book. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg_rdjVKbzAymvXd89jEQzXtQEmDplsuCl_1p7kb7ybo-6kFDmzINIASzWyW7yokI0lh1gBjqwgxAtEWWFuJrXzcyGbR5gRsrcNyRSJtYAgRKQDdOOpGwQCRO_LGiGi77mnli2ECP-RcZojbk32D3SHNwfM0j5u2pg6PrMX7SwUoh08-Ambh1W52Xi2iC/s2560/cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2107" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg_rdjVKbzAymvXd89jEQzXtQEmDplsuCl_1p7kb7ybo-6kFDmzINIASzWyW7yokI0lh1gBjqwgxAtEWWFuJrXzcyGbR5gRsrcNyRSJtYAgRKQDdOOpGwQCRO_LGiGi77mnli2ECP-RcZojbk32D3SHNwfM0j5u2pg6PrMX7SwUoh08-Ambh1W52Xi2iC/s320/cover.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>How to Write a Book</h3></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>How to Write a Book</b> is the first volume in my <b>Write Better Write Now</b> series. This book has all the tips and info writers need to know to write a book. The chapters cover crafting characters, writing believable settings, performing research and making all the decisions that indie authors have to make, not to mention all the controversial topics that are difficult to write about like race, profanity, sex and more.</div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-2944760706297122732023-09-02T12:00:00.001-04:002023-09-02T12:00:00.135-04:00 The Striking Writers Have Asked for Support from All Creators <div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>“We are asking our colleagues -- especially those who work as editors on TV, film, and general entertainment verticals - - to join us in adding a short editorial statement to the top of reviews and other critical coverage written and published during the strikes.”</b></i><br /><br />This is the message released by the striking writers and actors represented by the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) and the SAG (Screen Actors’ Guild). The writers, actors and other creative professionals represented by these unions have asked for help and support. <br /><br />Should indie authors and other non-union creators give it to them? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVGwaA-r77mp3JB3g1Z2WrSX0oYQYpRHxJkF5c1UcnPXTgELUJ-Nu5SmIGKVQO5uCjPduiOhYWwmXDG2WAZo9-rxy-6ogc10zYO2Gnzflt4J6IKCOtMYahekNN8c4a81DYM1yZzBK3AYKE2PpoAtpPtZpqikB9r25j37uGfgDIjZAWdIVJRzFJcYNJMpk/s426/jade3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVGwaA-r77mp3JB3g1Z2WrSX0oYQYpRHxJkF5c1UcnPXTgELUJ-Nu5SmIGKVQO5uCjPduiOhYWwmXDG2WAZo9-rxy-6ogc10zYO2Gnzflt4J6IKCOtMYahekNN8c4a81DYM1yZzBK3AYKE2PpoAtpPtZpqikB9r25j37uGfgDIjZAWdIVJRzFJcYNJMpk/s320/jade3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><br /></h3></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Writers on Strike</h3></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The writers’ strike has been ongoing since May as the writers, actors and other creative professionals (this includes stunt people, voice actors, etc.) continue to butt heads with studio executives and media owners, such as Netflix and Paramount…and Disney, and NBC Universal and all of them. <br /><br />Unions have the power to go on strike at any time, though it typically happens when the union and the company that employs the union (in this case, Hollywood producers and distributors) cannot come to terms on new contracts. This is the case with the WGA. Contract negotiations between the two sides broke down, and this launched the strike. <br /><br />But <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/2023/08/what-writer-strike-is-all-about-and.html" target="_blank">this strike</a> is not simply about how much money screenwriters earn. They also have significant concerns about AI software and how it will be applied to their writing, going forward. Actors have a similar concern regarding their likenesses and AI software’s ability to take those likenesses and create entirely new content using them. <br /><br />The way AI writing software is used, and how human writers are going to be compensated for their writing, is a huge issue that affects all writers of all kinds in every single industry. AI software can now write books. As if things weren’t already difficult enough for indie authors.<br /><br /><h3>A Show of Support</h3><br />Because this issue is so huge and because negotiations have hardly gotten anywhere by the end of August, more than three months after the strike first began, the WGA has asked for a show of support from all creators of all types of content. <br /><br />How can you help? First, you can post the script provided by the WGA on any and all content you create, so long as you are at liberty to do so according to your publisher. But beyond that, you can also refuse to accept any jobs or gigs or projects that would normally be completed by a union writer or actor. <br /><br />The WGA and SAG have also asked creators to refrain from creating content based on content previously created by them that is being released during the strike. Discussing the latest movie or TV show on YouTube or in a blog post, for example, is something like a digital version of crossing the picket line, according to those on strike. If they are not being properly compensated for their work and cannot receive proper compensation for their work going forward, they ask that no one attempt to make money off of their work. After all, that’s exactly what the studios are attempting to do -- make money off the backs of writers and actors without meeting their demands as far as AI writing and video software is concerned.<br /><br />The WGA has gone on record saying that content creators who virtually or physically cross picket lines and continue to create content they have been asked not to create will never, at any point in the future, be invited to join the WGA.<br /><br />As of the writing of this piece, only WGA writers are allowed to produce scripts for movies and TV shows made in the U.S., no matter which part of the country they are made in. <br /></div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-59327475499129998522023-08-30T12:00:00.006-04:002023-08-30T12:00:00.146-04:00 What the Writer Strike is All About and What it Means to Indie Authors<div style="text-align: left;">As of the start of the month of August, the Writer's Guild of America has been on strike for 100-plus days. But why should indie authors care?</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrpBIgVlVuMoH4f4tSP_W34zF4Rbeuf7w1qgH9oovA2-YS7Y7hh7doEoZjjFKP0Cjy8NsPfYBeuIvDrIq3uDxNqFFeNUIuQiQ-Rlnd0hxfGGnLu_wIf71b0DlJbGGgm5Qt5xzD-rGi5qcDQazmoaIrzIoQH0gC-JeNcSQEpF12TM9Fy54uxLJlc2AhcvE/s553/strike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="553" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrpBIgVlVuMoH4f4tSP_W34zF4Rbeuf7w1qgH9oovA2-YS7Y7hh7doEoZjjFKP0Cjy8NsPfYBeuIvDrIq3uDxNqFFeNUIuQiQ-Rlnd0hxfGGnLu_wIf71b0DlJbGGgm5Qt5xzD-rGi5qcDQazmoaIrzIoQH0gC-JeNcSQEpF12TM9Fy54uxLJlc2AhcvE/s320/strike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">What's the Fight About?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The WGA is a labor union. This gives members of the union the right to collective bargaining. As union employees, the members of the WGA are under contract. When the business entity or entities that a union works for offers a contract that most members of the union do not like and do not want, they can then choose to use their collective bargaining power to force that company or companies to meet the demands of the union by going on strike. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />To put it plainly, a majority of the members of the WGA do not like the contract they were offered. Writer's strikes are not uncommon and in the past, the WGA has used their right to strike in order to get more money for their work. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />But this strike is very different. This strike is about money, sure, but it's also about a much deeper issue that affects all writers everywhere, union and indie alike: AI writing software.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">How the WGA is Standing Up to ChatGPT and AI Writing </h3></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />AI has been creeping into storytelling for several years. When Netflix recommends new movies and shows to you, that's AI at work. When Harrison Ford gets to be younger than he is in a film that's AI, too. Now, programs like ChatGPT are capable of writing movie scripts, TV show episodes. Blog posts, articles, novels. And that's why this issue touches all writers. Soon, directors won't need scriptwriters because they can simply type some prompts into a software program. Soon, writing a novel could be as simple as coming up with the root of an idea. And this is why the WGA is taking a stand now, and trying to establish some rules and receive compensation when AI is used in place of flesh-and-blood writers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />That makes it a pretty big deal. The Writers Guild of America and now the Screens Actors Guild of America are united on one side of the bargaining table. That is, roughly, all the Hollywood scriptwriters and all the Hollywood actors and actresses. They stand against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It's the talent versus the bosses, in short.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The writers and creatives say that under the new contracts, producers are seeking permission to use AI to generate new dialogue and create new scenes, extensively changing existing scripts, without the writers' knowledge or consent. As for the actors, they allege that producers are seeking the right to use their digital images and likenesses to create new performances using AI technology.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />You can see why the creatives might not like that. And perhaps you can also see how this is a watershed moment for all writers everywhere. What happens in these negotiations could very well set the tone for how writers are compensated regarding AI software going forward, not just in Hollywood but in all industries. What about articles you write online that are significantly altered by AI? Should your name still be on them? Should you receive less compensation because AI was used? </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRllx40GWrEcXNO676uGm1nIUywAFs8hK2sXvVt1KMgt0xi7qh65SDF264jRoSBYJfq_ie0PutBYst-rQuK_T-EMYt8inAgVjQx45dL2TZEWV-BPh_yRZZ90VWPEjdLi9sYgLCVF1jxCA-mtBtgnTHfPEDrckbDxfC44E4v-MZHI-GPBGXYZp4OZqGZfV/s400/jade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRllx40GWrEcXNO676uGm1nIUywAFs8hK2sXvVt1KMgt0xi7qh65SDF264jRoSBYJfq_ie0PutBYst-rQuK_T-EMYt8inAgVjQx45dL2TZEWV-BPh_yRZZ90VWPEjdLi9sYgLCVF1jxCA-mtBtgnTHfPEDrckbDxfC44E4v-MZHI-GPBGXYZp4OZqGZfV/s320/jade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />There are lots of questions to ask, lots of angles to consider and this is why the strike continues to drag on and on and on. It's brand-new territory and it's playing out right now, in real time. Precedents are being written in the moment. Decisions made today could affect a generation of writers or more.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />It's pretty thrilling stuff. Anything brand-new is scary. Once upon a time, seeing the wheel for the first time terrified somebody. Simply using metal to cut a piece of meat was a gigantic innovation. AI writing software could be a civilization-changing innovation…or it could be a flash in the pan, a fad that quickly fades like others have done before. There is no way of knowing what will happen with AI software in the future, which is exactly the point of the strike. Writers and actors are seeking some protections now, some rules and a foundation laid in place now, because AI tools are only going to expand going forward from here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />What's the solution? What's the answer to the problem? Where do you fall in this debate? Plugging the questions into an AI program won't help.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />For now, some solutions still take human minds and human words. Eventually, that will be enough to resolve the contract disputes and end the strike. Because for now, humans are still the ones leading the discussion. In a few years, depending on how these talks go today, that might not be the case. </div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-58037766591907889512023-08-22T12:00:00.003-04:002023-08-22T12:00:00.164-04:00What Readers Are Saying About Justice<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day. 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Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
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Name="Mention"/>
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Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
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</xml><![endif]--> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApXf60yv-vOWFlk4RisxLsIhnKFmehbsbOY7bjfcfdfCR-U02g8qbHQyaN4YysaiSsY7qgMI5fxcQKzPg01NGsM_wijnHeP9o00D-_mAQvFXfM4D1S2WY0s6xpIThH5LCfUvQelXfr-aq-ksjOhK0mCvaBhbQjGTy6bi_2b62dKwj-T4mlwA0qGoXl9gt/s3000/Justice%20promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApXf60yv-vOWFlk4RisxLsIhnKFmehbsbOY7bjfcfdfCR-U02g8qbHQyaN4YysaiSsY7qgMI5fxcQKzPg01NGsM_wijnHeP9o00D-_mAQvFXfM4D1S2WY0s6xpIThH5LCfUvQelXfr-aq-ksjOhK0mCvaBhbQjGTy6bi_2b62dKwj-T4mlwA0qGoXl9gt/w400-h266/Justice%20promo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">Recommended to all YA book lovers!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I seriously couldn't put it down once I started reading it.
All the characters were nice and the story as a whole was amazing!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm so, so glad I got a chance to read such a wonderful
story! There were many surprise elements neatly tucked into the story and just
the right amount of romance in it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I could easily just relax and lose myself in the story
without any problem. I really, really liked Ms. Varden's writing style. It was
simply superb!</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- Josheka, Amazon</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh wow! I LOVED this
book!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justice was well written, had a good pace, and had so many
twists to the plot it was really hard to work out what might happen next….You
definitely should go and download a copy after reading this review, I don't
think you'll regret it.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> - Kelly, <a href="https://havebookwillread.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">havebookwillread</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Gripping…the book kept a good pace throughout and included
lots of twists to keep me engrossed and in suspense of what was going to happen
in Rain's life.</blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- Sienna @ <a href="http://losttobooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lost to Books </a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>I was keen to find
out how the story develops from the beginning - such is the quality of the
writing - but soon the reading became compulsive…the plot thickens quickly and
the protagonists faces several dilemmas that challenge her sense of belonging,
loyalty and class.</blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- diebus, Amazon</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">This book is a rollercoaster of emotion, full of so many
twists and turns that it's hard to remember what's real. Everyone has secrets
but these secrets are unlike anything Rain has ever come across.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> A book that's shrouded in mystery, tainted with sadness and
full of intrigue. Varden does not disappoint. I can't wait to read the next in
the series.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- SMoakes, Amazon</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>I LOVED every minute of it!! Nearly every passage had
some sort of twists and turns and it kept wanting me to read page after page
(seriously I sometimes stayed up until 5 in the morning just so I could finish
the book). Let's just say it left me thirsty to read the second book and try to
find (if that can be possible) all the delicious secrets that has been plunged
into poor old Rain's new and highly complex life. </blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> - Nourin, Amazon<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>I bought this for my 14 year old daughter and have read it
myself. My daughter thought that it was 'awesome' hence the title of this
review. This is a very well written novel. The characters are good and the
story is well thought out, told well and flows nicely. Also, the grammar and
format is of a high standard…I would recommend this to any teenager but will be
reading the second instalment myself as I enjoyed it so much.</blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">- jfholmes, Amazon<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLPuYcivx2I" width="320" youtube-src-id="VLPuYcivx2I"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">What happens when everything you know is a lie? When your
life is turned upside down? How can a single choice change EVERYTHING?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rain is one of the girls you most can feel relate to, a bit
shy, a little awkward at times , true to herself, and in the search of her
identity and is in the battle between who she wants to be and what other want
her to be that she finds herself.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">About the other characters: River, Owen and Tom, are the
trio of boys we get to know in the book and I think they made the perfect team
with Rain when it was needed. Each one has his moment in the story and brings
something new to her life. And Carsyn is the perfect villain in the story,
every good story has one, and she is plays her part perfectly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">…This is an EXCELLENT book -it doesn't matter if you label
it as YA, suspense, thriller, drama, what truly is important is that these is a
great book. Well written, with characters very developed, with great
backgrounds and with the perfect amount of romance, action and secrets to
resolve.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
-Ruty, Amazon<br /><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvh6vV3gurI3KLV-sr6otRm1eHMYmalLhQi8slmayZDlLUekAvK7xYhrVaJ1G2Xmktu9c-9vSATvQjOYTe8bjY52Ff03_B3AOPq8LiOaWBz-2DUgx9dQvpg0uard8PALHjXslIw5RDovGcKun-dgI_7PlRkuhnXxVfWqUKnX6S40OmAhSf4rMzRaHSzZC/s320/Justice%20cover.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank"><br /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Get the book!</b></span></a><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-85953266538162048032023-07-31T12:00:00.013-04:002023-07-31T12:00:00.142-04:00A Look Inside Justice, Deck of Lies Book 1<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP0ewPbJ-ZHm5g1mFaqJWgXCz8z8_leJxs_pRbkAIvPimJK3TNFNd_7eGemgPULBKN7E0hbLrxq_PnDXLEKVmWrVbI_yv2I7-JEYcld101R9FYzvXrwVC3gMaOr4bLpEeFv2JwFrhl1MfwaYkyGXQwYxzv77t2US5FjjXZWjg4LX-1cPzHQj3Kr_O-Q/s2400/Justice%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP0ewPbJ-ZHm5g1mFaqJWgXCz8z8_leJxs_pRbkAIvPimJK3TNFNd_7eGemgPULBKN7E0hbLrxq_PnDXLEKVmWrVbI_yv2I7-JEYcld101R9FYzvXrwVC3gMaOr4bLpEeFv2JwFrhl1MfwaYkyGXQwYxzv77t2US5FjjXZWjg4LX-1cPzHQj3Kr_O-Q/s320/Justice%20cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“We just need
you to sit in here. Someone’s already on their way over.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“My parents were
supposed to be on the way over! Where’s my mom?” I could feel the tears
bubbling in my eyes. Why wouldn’t anyone tell me what was going on? Had Carsyn
denied my story? Did the store say I was shoplifting after all? Was I going to
get charged with a crime? And why was my dad in handcuffs? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Just sit in
here.” We were back in the waiting room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Please,” a few
tears spilled out of my eyes and down my cheeks. “Just tell me what’s
happening.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He must have taken pity on me,
because I saw something soften in his expression. “Your mom and dad are being
held for questioning right now.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Questioning?
But they didn’t have anything to do with the bracelet. I didn’t even call to
tell them I was going shopping. I’m probably in trouble for that already. They
really didn’t know about any of it!” I desperately tried to explain. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“It’s not about
the bracelet.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">I frowned. “Then…what’s
it about?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Obviously he
regretted getting into this conversation with me. He looked down at the toes of
his boots before answering, and when he looked up he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You
were flagged in the database as a missing person.” </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO11PcA6vJjOK2FW69447omMzcLH2uZXW2WGbYQUEbG20e2bC-ogSdpkM-qbc8ebjW_jTJGb-vtYWiqapdNPzRxS05p6nLFtVR3elT9Ac0lRccHV6JiBCI9C8Bk5RnMBnFQczJrAja32vV46WLiehXM69GmupPTDvpi9SHvxl9ARWIlwwAR53h5Hhyomg5/s200/JusticeAd2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO11PcA6vJjOK2FW69447omMzcLH2uZXW2WGbYQUEbG20e2bC-ogSdpkM-qbc8ebjW_jTJGb-vtYWiqapdNPzRxS05p6nLFtVR3elT9Ac0lRccHV6JiBCI9C8Bk5RnMBnFQczJrAja32vV46WLiehXM69GmupPTDvpi9SHvxl9ARWIlwwAR53h5Hhyomg5/s1600/JusticeAd2.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“But I’m not
missing. I’m right here.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“A social worker
is on her way. She’ll be here any minute to explain it to you.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“But I don’t
understand. What crime are my parents being questioned about?” I asked.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">He cleared his
throat before answering. “They’re being questioned about a kidnapping, Rain.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">It didn’t really
sink in right away. The word kept bouncing around in my suddenly-empty head, completely
devoid of all meaning. <i>Kidnapping.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">But why would
the police want to question them about something like that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">I wouldn’t get
an answer for thirty-five minutes, the amount of time it took for the social
worker to arrive. I made about a dozen calls on my mobile phone to Aaron, my
mom and dad and the house phone, but no one answered and I just listened to
empty, hollow ringing as my tension mounted. Finally the social worker came
bursting into the room, but I heard her coming well before the door flew open.
She was wearing the clunky, square-heeled kind of shoes that made loud,
clip-clopping sounds on the linoleum floor. There was a run on the left leg of
her pantyhose, and I could see a bit of lace where her hem was slipping past
her wrinkle-resistant polyester skirt. It was a nondescript brown color, like
her hair, and a poor match for the blue blouse she wore under the matching
jacket. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Rebecca Keene,
Child Protective Services,” she introduced herself immediately, thrusting a
pale, cold hand out toward me. I shook it automatically. She pulled back
quickly, flipping open a manila folder to glance at it before looking back up
at me. “You must be Chloe.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Chloe? No. I’m
Rain Ramey.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Ramey. Ramey,”
she flipped open the folder again, turning pages. “Yes of course. Rain, right?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“That’s me.” I
nodded. Then, all the questions came exploding out of me. “What’s going on?
Where are my parents? The policeman said something about kidnapping?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">She brushed a
lock of hair out of her eyes. It was just one of many tendrils that had escaped
the bun at the nape of her neck. Rebecca Keene looked tired and harried, and I’d
never missed my mother more than I did in that moment. “That’s right, Rain.
Your parents are still being questioned in connection with an infant girl who
disappeared more than fourteen years ago.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">My head tilted
to one side as I stared at her. “But it’s all just a misunderstanding. My
parents haven’t kidnapped anybody.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Rebecca Keene
gazed at me before her eyes lowered to the folder in front of her. “Today, the
child would be sixteen years old. At birth, she had blue eyes and blonde hair.
Like all babies born in the Silverwood Hospital since 1985, her fingerprints
were taken shortly after she was born. The fingerprints found a match for the
first time tonight,” her dark green eyes found mind before she continued. “When
your ten-print card was ran through the database.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">My ears were
ringing again. I felt my fingertips go numb. My eyes were cloudy; it seemed as
though I was looking at Rebecca Keene through fog. “I don’t understand.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Rain, you are a
match for that missing child. Arthur and Rhianna Ramey are not your natural
parents. They abducted you from your home when you were eighteen months old.” </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLPuYcivx2I" width="320" youtube-src-id="VLPuYcivx2I"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Get Justice at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130638" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and everywhere books are sold!</span></b></p>
Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-68746739050263272592023-07-24T12:17:00.006-04:002023-07-24T12:17:00.136-04:0010 Pieces of Fashion with a Surprising Military History<p>There are fashions you wear every day that are so ordinary, so innocent and so simple, you would never think they all began from very violent military origins.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-f2PoqlfFt-aBPaFyF-zRwexMfw7YtdeRrhPUo71krBq3YKmD0rAicn-6DpcHp6Z_KJOxrlWOojvoVcyyki31s0fCFMw7rbIE3yeRHG_vVVJq-EFlGGlsvPnP1gdTqnrBH5v1b_6IUOoe2fwZYf3mMnrbKWNUr9diiRRUob_e1ABm6XedENcg-Uy1Wyri/s1920/pexels-lumn-322207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-f2PoqlfFt-aBPaFyF-zRwexMfw7YtdeRrhPUo71krBq3YKmD0rAicn-6DpcHp6Z_KJOxrlWOojvoVcyyki31s0fCFMw7rbIE3yeRHG_vVVJq-EFlGGlsvPnP1gdTqnrBH5v1b_6IUOoe2fwZYf3mMnrbKWNUr9diiRRUob_e1ABm6XedENcg-Uy1Wyri/s320/pexels-lumn-322207.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Khakis</h3><p><br />Khaki is a color but it's used so frequently in pants, the word "khaki" alone is enough to describe a pair of paints in a nondescript, light brown sort of color that has become the uniform of customer service representatives around the world. It's a color that has been used to make everything including pants, from home furnishings to curtains. You can even get khaki car paint.<br /><br />Today, khaki is associated with the most benign fashion and decor. It's downright boring, vanilla, run-of-the-mill. And yet, this color has a rather violent past.<br /><br />The year was 1846 and the British military had been occupying India for about 70 decades. The British, being British, wore heavy wool uniforms in bright red, the same kind of stuff they were wearing when they fought the colonists in America in the 1770s.<br /><br />And frankly, the uniforms were heavy and bright and ridiculous. <br /><br />Indian soldiers didn't wear heavy wool. They wore lightweight cotton that they smeared with local mud and sometimes tea. This created a light brownish color shade. It was noticed by Henry Lumsden, who was leading the Corps of Guides for Her Majesty the Queen. <br /><br />Lightweight khaki-colored garments were adapted by the British and by 1848, official uniforms were issued. The color spread from there and became synonymous with lightweight cotton pants. The word khaki comes from Hindustani for "soil-colored."<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bermuda shorts</h3><p><br />Before 1914, men didn't really wear shorts. Like, at all. Shorts were for children, maybe athletes sometimes. Men wore pants. At least, they did.<br /><br />But sometimes, it's just not practical. Like in the year 1914 in Bermuda. The world was at war and there were British soldiers stationed on the island. And what do British soldiers like to drink? That's right: tea.<br /><br />Coxon's Tea Room was hot and crowded thanks to the new rush of clients. The servers were having trouble maintaining energy in the stuffy space. So Nathaniel Coxon came up with an idea: put them in shorts. He envisioned somewhat long shorts made in a lightweight material that would be cool and comfortable to wear, breezy and easy in the hot tea room.<br /><br />Admiral Berridge of His Majesty's navy was taking his tea at Coxon's when he noticed the effect the short pants had on the servers. He decided to put his men in Bermuda shorts, too, and soon most of the British military stationed on the island had on short pants. When vacationers to the island noticed the shorts, they embraced them and took them back to England and America. Soon, Bermuda shorts caught on everywhere.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Plaid</h3><p><br />Plaid is heavily associated with Scottish history but the pattern has a long military history, too. Used in Scotland from at least the 1700s to identify particular family and clan affiliations based on color and pattern, plaid became military wear in 1745. This is when the Royal Highland Regiment wore the now-famous Black Watch pattern. It had no clan affiliation and it became the look of the Scottish rebellion.<br /><br />It wasn't a symbol for long. The Scottish were defeated in 1746 and the British created the Dress Act, which banned tartans outside of military wear. Plaid and tartan became associated with the military but also a symbol of Scottish heritage. When it make its way to the U.S. near the turn of the century, it became a popular fashion staple.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Cardigan</h3><p><br />The cardigan is associated with learned professors, with soft and comfortable warmth, with all things non-threatening. This makes it extra ironic that this piece of fashion is associated with one of the worst military disasters of all time.<br /><br />The cardigan came to fame during the Crimean War and would become immortalized in the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854. James Thomas Brudenell wasn't much of a military strategist. But he was quite the natty dresser, apparently. Brudenell, an officer in Her Majesty's army, dressed his men and himself in a striking trimmed waistcoat made out of wool. <br /><br />Brudenell was the 7th Earl of Cardigan and he became linked with the ill-fated charge, during which he led his troops to their certain doom with far more arrogance than the situation warranted. But his name became linked, too, with the fancy wool waistcoats that became popular after this military disaster.<br /><br />The cardigan changed over the years and finally took on its final form, but its origin story is one of bloodshed and battle and mistakes.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">T-shirt</h3><p><br />Everyone owns a T-shirt, everyone has a favorite T-shirt, everyone knows this is this is a go-to casual garment you can wear any time, all the time. But there was a day before the T-shirt ever existed. And because the T-shirt exists now, you can thank the British navy.<br /><br />Wearing a rather loose-fitting cotton or linen shirt under clothing was something men did dating back to the medieval era. But it wasn't until new knitting methods were invented that the shirts became more form-fitting, more refined, more like the modern T-shirt.<br /><br />In the late 1800s, British sailors were commonly wearing white flannel undershirts beneath their wool uniforms. The British Royal Navy allowed them to wear just these undershirts while on the deck. In the 1880s, the U.S. Navy included similar loose flannel shirts as part of their standard uniform. They were known as "lightweight short-sleeve white cotton undervests." <br /><br />In 1913, Cooper Underwear Company changed the game. They began producing "bachelor undershirts," which had the more modern shape and design of today's T-shirts. It wasn't until 1920 that the word "t-shirt" became a thing and now, it’s one of the most worn piece of fashion in the world.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Blazer</h3><p><br />The HMS Blazer takes credit for being the namesake and birthplace of the blazer, which some say was first worn by the crew of the frigate in 1837. The crew was part of Her Majesty's Royal Navy and when Queen Victoria herself visited them, they wanted to look their best. They wore double-breasted jackets with gold buttons to impress her and look quite polished.<br /><br />Others say that the blazer was actually worn first by Oxford and Cambridge students while rowing. Either way, the blazer did become popular with students and with many, many other people during the mid-1800s.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Wristwatches</h3><p><br />Before the 1900s, only women wore wristwatches. It didn't much matter if they worked, either, as wristwatches were more about being fashionable than about keeping the time. All men wore pocket watches, if they had watches at all. <br /><br />Pocket watches were supremely inconvenient during the first World War. Men in the trenches found that checking the time was a deadly practice. It became the fashion to attach pocket watches to the wrist to make things easier.<br /><br />In 1917, Cartier designed the now-iconic Tank watch. Soon, trench watches caught on with soldiers and in a few years, wristwatches were a fashion standard among both genders.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Belt</h3><p><br />The belt is probably one of the oldest pieces of fashion ever invented. People in the Stone Age wore wraps and pelts that were cinched around their bodies with cords. Ancient Greeks and Romans used belt-like cords to keep their tunics closed. Roman fashion would have looked quite different otherwise.<br /><br />But belts in a more modern form first appeared on the knights of the medial era. They wore elaborate great belts with buckles that held swords and other items. These belts were thicker, heavier, more substantial than the simple cord belts of the past. The buckle closure on this version of the belt closely resembles the modern buckle that's in use today.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Beanie</h3><p><br />Knit caps that keep the head warm date back to ancient times. They were worn by soldiers in the 1830s during the Lower Canada Rebellion, waged between French Canadian patriots and British colonial authorities. <br /><br />But the modern snug-fitting beanie first appeared as watch caps that were born by Navy soldiers during WWII. When civilians started wearing beanies, bright colors and patterns became a regular part of the design.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Scarves</h3><p><br />Scarves are highly practical garments that keep you warm, so it makes sense that they are thousands of years old. But historical evidence suggests that scarves began as a military garment. They were used to identify military ranks. Ancient Chinese warriors used them and men fighting in the trenches in WWI wore them. Scarves have a long, long military history.<br /><br />The bright scarves worn by Croatian mercenaries during the Thirty Year War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, caught the eye of fashion-forward French people. They called the neckwear <i>la croate</i> or <i>la cravate</i>, and started wearing it fashionably. This thin, short scarf was the grandfather of the modern necktie.<br /><br /><br /><b>Sources:</b><br /><br />BBC - The T-shirt: A rebel with a cause<br />https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180202-t-shirts-the-worlds-most-expressive-garment<br /><br />Country & Town House - The Very British History of the Blazer<br />https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/style/british-history-blazers/<br /><br />The Dreamstress - Terminology: the history of the cardigan<br />https://thedreamstress.com/2016/04/terminology-the-history-of-the-cardigan/<br /><br />Encyclopedia Brittanica - girdle<br />https://www.britannica.com/topic/girdle-clothing#ref1247397<br /><br />Gentleman's Gazette - Why Did Men Start Wearing Belts?<br />https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/men-start-wearing-belts/<br /><br />Heddels - The History of Khaki: Anything But Drab<br />https://www.heddels.com/2019/05/history-khaki-anything-drab/<br /><br />Heddels - History of the Watch Cap – From Monmouth to The Monkees<br />https://www.heddels.com/2017/12/history-of-the-watch-cap-2/<br /><br />Jetset Times - The Fascinating History Of Bermuda Shorts<br />https://jetsettimes.com/countries/bermuda/the-fascinating-history-of-bermuda-shorts/<br /><br />Real Men Real Style - 11 Style Items With A Military Heritage<br />https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/style-items-with-military-origin/<br /><br />Stitch Fix - The History of Plaid<br />https://www.stitchfix.com/men/blog/features/the-history-of-plaid/<br /><br />The New York Times - Wrist Watches: From Battlefield to Fashion Accessory<br />https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/fashion/wrist-watches-from-battlefield-to-fashion-accessory.html<br /><br />Vogue - Everything to know about the history of the blazer<br />https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/trends/everything-to-know-about-the-history-of-the-blazer/image-gallery/dd07db6a3e45b3cbaff5851eb1b20398<br /><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-86911494465469968102023-03-27T12:00:00.001-04:002023-03-27T12:00:00.172-04:00New Book Release<p style="text-align: justify;">If you like the <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/search/label/Writing%20101" target="_blank">Writing 101</a> tips at this blog, you will love Jade's new book! Jade Varden's newest book will be released this spring and it will be full of all the tips authors need to know to write their books. Stay tuned for more details about Jade's newest, <b>How to Write a Book</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkhuvy9UjKK6nFzLYeq66ePHF25TsyH12yg2JXp0xWFKC_ec3n8w9PNYbMXFEimFYSbqhURn_5CrQVFJ09DrrWvJdbu03zy9jLVWkW35hEaC9eIfcek3u1ZUDqg51gyyhI4ZJmKCfhEHpgBpqJCNOdfyTvfU1HfjdQ90tCSRXBs-xGoRb7naalqi6Ww/s556/classic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="556" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkhuvy9UjKK6nFzLYeq66ePHF25TsyH12yg2JXp0xWFKC_ec3n8w9PNYbMXFEimFYSbqhURn_5CrQVFJ09DrrWvJdbu03zy9jLVWkW35hEaC9eIfcek3u1ZUDqg51gyyhI4ZJmKCfhEHpgBpqJCNOdfyTvfU1HfjdQ90tCSRXBs-xGoRb7naalqi6Ww/s320/classic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the meantime, check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jade-Varden/author/B006QD4LUA" target="_blank">Jade Varden's library of books at Amazon</a>:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jade-Varden/author/B006QD4LUA">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jade-Varden/author/B006QD4LUA</a></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-46870396500436416632023-03-06T12:05:00.007-05:002023-03-11T16:24:23.898-05:0010 Times Egyptian Pharaohs Straight Up Lied About History<p>The might of the Egyptian pharaohs continues to resonate throughout history, with many of their names remaining famous and highly revered even centuries after the fact. Egyptians concerned themselves with preserving their bodies, their spirits and their legacies for all eternity…and in many respects, they succeeded. But the legend of the Egyptian pharaohs isn’t so much a gift of the gods as it is the result of very well-thought-out propaganda campaigns, clever lies and positively brilliant marketing.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6362ujiQNCPzmQfm60BmZOS4AlqBzm_1PYnqbTu2ZTYlEXy5_EVWDmMFvIHJxSepdF9ZsI9xzasqbUFQEQsJv3Kdp65wrvAvkoaLK3_7e76IxU7d9RCi7MnM6ZGNDWVS8pA8w2-PjQ4JDjnNV2sUWzDeh-cCNSFX7LobdAnMBLyrUKEQOdGXuiu2iw/s1280/pexels-pixabay-262786.jpg" style="color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1280" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6362ujiQNCPzmQfm60BmZOS4AlqBzm_1PYnqbTu2ZTYlEXy5_EVWDmMFvIHJxSepdF9ZsI9xzasqbUFQEQsJv3Kdp65wrvAvkoaLK3_7e76IxU7d9RCi7MnM6ZGNDWVS8pA8w2-PjQ4JDjnNV2sUWzDeh-cCNSFX7LobdAnMBLyrUKEQOdGXuiu2iw/s320/pexels-pixabay-262786.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: white;">The Divine Birth of Queen Hatshepsut<br /><br /><br />Hatshepsut was probably the first female pharaoh of Egypt to rule the kingdom in her own right. And in a patriarchal society like ancient Egypt, this was a tough task. She did many things during her time on the throne to show that she was capable of being the leader of the empire and had many works of art created that would depict her this way. <br /><br />Many pharaohs linked themselves to the gods in various works of art. Hatshepsut really drove this point home to make it quite clear that was divinely ordained to rule over Egypt. Her temple is carved with many scenes, including a birth scene in which the king of all gods, Amun, impregnants Hatshepsut's mother. This made Hatshepsut the daughter of the king of gods himself. Not a bad lineage.<br /><br />This clearly made her a legit pharaoh and one with the backing of the gods, no less. Of course, this was all a lie. Hatshepsut was certainly a mortal woman and probably not the result of a divine birth or godly conception.<br /><br />Amenemhet I Biography<br /><br /><br />In the real story, Amenemhet was not born royal. He was a vizier, which is sort of like being a prime minister, for the guy who was pharaoh before him. But you know how rumors work. Once you plant the right one and it takes root, it spreads like weeds. Such is the story of Amenemhet, which was quite a clever bit of self-marketing.<br /><br />The story was written out on a papyrus that begins with a prophecy, which is always a great place to begin a story. According to the prophecy, Amenemhet was going to be a king. The prophecy went on to say that life would be terrible in Egypt but then, a king would come from the south. His name would be Ameny.<br /><br />According to the prophecy that was written after all these events actually transpired, Ameny would take both the red and white crown of Egypt and unify the Upper and Lower kingdoms. And though he was common-born, or born of the people, his name would cause the people to rejoice.<br /><br />It's a great story but it's an even greater way to self-promote and it's a great example of how Egyptian pharaohs loved to write their own lie-strewn legends.<br /><br />Battle of Kadesh<br /><br /><br />The Battle of Kadesh was probably the biggest battle the world had known up to that point, which specifically was the year 1274 B.C.E. Upon returning from battle, Ramses II ordered a huge mural carved on the walls of his memorial temple to commemorate the great battle.<br /><br />What a site it is. The mural shows the mighty pharaoh Ramees himself crushing Egypt's sworn enemy, the Hittites, like the bugs they are. The mural depicts the pharaoh, and Egypt, as the grad victors of the battle. It is awe-inspiring stuff. And it's basically all a lie.<br /><br />The Egyptian and Hittite empires were trading friends and sometimes foes, often battling each other and fighting for the rich Levant region and its natural resources. This led to an all-out war in 1274, when things came to a head in the huge battle of Kadesh. <br /><br />The artifacts uncovered in the Hittite empire relating to the battle tell a different tale than the story Ramses sold to his own people, and to history. The Treaty of Kadesh, the oldest peace treaty ever discovered so far, shows that Egypt actually made a great many concessions to the Hittite empire. The Hittites gained a number of new cities and lands and the treaty is clearly a better deal for their empire than for Egypt.<br /><br />There's no mention of signing the treaty on the great wall Ramses commissioned, of course.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic579VzzU2nEhnNerWH5nHU02OqvFQxel2e65-8ISd8se3EUm7-UCubjRQKB1NBGPnYfNh0Ts2R5xKEvJiKDCv-Y64lmovSCWLuNo3bK0gQ7ESkVf9wwaAnx_ig-L7isQQ3sR-bzEgEKZB2NhcRTqVQtSxM9g7kPAx9gK48volCXD1gEjmS4TZsjCk6Q/s1280/pexels-rene-asmussen-2482317.jpg" style="color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic579VzzU2nEhnNerWH5nHU02OqvFQxel2e65-8ISd8se3EUm7-UCubjRQKB1NBGPnYfNh0Ts2R5xKEvJiKDCv-Y64lmovSCWLuNo3bK0gQ7ESkVf9wwaAnx_ig-L7isQQ3sR-bzEgEKZB2NhcRTqVQtSxM9g7kPAx9gK48volCXD1gEjmS4TZsjCk6Q/s320/pexels-rene-asmussen-2482317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: white;">Ramses the Not So Great<br /><br /><br />Ramses II, known in history as Ramses the Great, ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1300. And according to all the art about him, he was an incredible warrior-king. With the might of a god, Ramses led his people to victory after victory as he quelled the Libyans nearby. He claimed their lands for Egypt because he was a glorious pharaoh.<br /><br />It's a big whopper of a lie, as is a lot of the image of Ramses the Great. Most of his greatness is just for show and in reality, his reign was far more nuanced. One of his biggest lies concerned neighboring Libya, which Ramses claimed to have subjugated. Evidence shows that actually, Ramses maintained a peaceful relationship with the neighboring kingdom and even relied on their knowledge. It was a much more symbiotic relationship, though in Egypt the monuments all proclaimed that great Ramses had basically annexed this land.<br /><br />Amenhotep III is Favored by the Gods<br /><br /><br />Amenhotep III arguably didn't have the most stunning reign during his tenure as pharaoh. But you wouldn't know that to look at his fabulous mortuary temple. First, it's decorated with two enormous statues of the pharaoh himself guarding the entrance to the temple.<br /><br />That's not all. There's also the god, Hapi, bringing two symbols of Egypt together. All this represents Amenhotep III bringing together the two parts of Egypt, Upper and Lower. Amenhotep III actually lost control over these kingdoms during his reign. But as the temple shows, his reign over both was actually ordained by the gods. <br /><br />Of course, it was just a great sculpture. The fantastic imagery doesn't at all represent the reality of his reign. Which isn't really such a bad way to do things. If you tell everyone you were awesome after you die, it's not like they can really argue with you.<br /><br />The Battle of the Delta<br /><br /><br />The Battle of the Delta is recorded in the longest hieroglyphic inscription ever found, at least so far. The battle was waged around the year 1175 B.C.E. when Egypt was under the rule of Ramses III. This is the day the Sea Peoples came to the shores of Egypt.<br /><br />History is quite unsure who these people were, where they came from or precisely what they were so upset about. What is known is that they burned and pillaged their way across the known world, razing the main cities of Mycenean Greece to the ground. The great city of Troy was looted and burned and the Hittite empire was attacked so savagely that nothing of the great empire remained by the time the marauders were done with them. <br /><br />This is the terrifying force that descended upon Egypt. Two battles took place, one by land and one by sea. But it was the battle on the sea that proved decisive. And according to the huge inscription Ramses ordered to be created, he totally kicked butt. He drove the Sea Peoples back into the sea, soundly defeating them in the name of Egypt. <br /><br />And his version of events almost certainly is not true. Historically, the aftermath of the battle does not represent a time of strength and success for Egypt. In fact, Egypt was never the same after that battle and remained greatly weakened for the ensuing centuries. Meanwhile, the so-called survivors of the battle settled in the Levant, the most desirable and hotly contested land in the entire Egyptian empire. That doesn't seem like much of a defeat. <br /><br />From Zero to Hero<br /><br /><br />Reigning as pharaoh from 1872 to 1854 B.C.E., Senusret III was an extremely young pharaoh when he first was crowned. Luckily, he reigned over a highly artistic time in Egypt and he had the support of wealthy patrons. Lots of art was created celebrating the young king and in a few years, he had become an idealized warrior-king, with monuments and artwork and depictions of his prowess in battle appearing throughout the Egyptian kingdom.<br /><br />The artwork essentially lifted him to god status, turning him into an epic and legendary figure even in his own time...in spite of the fact that he was incredibly young and had achieved very little in his reign when this image was first cultivated. That's some seriously good propaganda. <br /><br />The So Called Hyksos Invasion<br /><br /><br />It all happened around 1800 B.C.E. But what happened depends on who told the story. According to Egyptian pharaohs, the land was invaded by the awful Hyksos people. They were ruthless invaders, foreigners who wrested control of northern Egypt away from the rightful rulers by force. They created chaos, disaster, terror in the streets. <br /><br />Evidence strongly suggests that the Hyksos were more immigrants than invaders and may have even invented the Egyptian alphabet. The archeological record suggests that they came to Egypt quite peacefully and ruled their area of the empire in relative quiet until Egyptian pharaohs seized the land...after a rather extensive mud-slinging campaign that painted them as violent offenders. <br /><br />Cleopatra Was the Descendant of a Goddess<br /><br /><br />Cleopatra's name has become synonymous with sex appeal, cleverness, seduction and power. But that's the modern version of good old Cleo, Egypt's very last pharaoh. She was not popular in her own time among her people and had to murder quite a few relatives before she managed to reign as pharaoh, more often co-ruling with one of her husband-brothers at her side instead. <br /><br />The Egyptian people weren't quite sure how to take Cleopatra and they weren't exactly chanting her name when she arrived in Alexandria with Caesar, who forcibly reinstated her as pharaoh over the land. She started to strongly associate herself with the goddess Isis, using images and symbols of the goddess to inform her own portraits. She was incredibly careful about her image and made the association between herself and Egypt's most powerful goddess clear as a way to prove she was a worthy pharaoh.<br /><br />Though Cleopatra's image and legend would continue to grow, the goddess Isis suffered guilt by association. The Isis cult in Rome became incredibly unpopular after Cleopatra's suicide, particularly in Rome.<br /><br /></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-ead11f4c-7fff-69a0-182a-aa1a8988d016" style="color: white; font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e0OUvJYURdrwkdoaA18VmEcP3EHKmE9sVFZoeGN6_JP7K6_APWKcgVhFUTT0GgKAm67dfs3IkrBR8oR9nwPVnHrDoeCfe3ZDxX1ufhD4KF_o9tfCjoe5HZMQNZKS67S2AEnJhsss6JkSgAUzth8tXEx39Xj1XrrUIxioytaDF1neGpdL7pDPd2LBxA/s1280/pexels-david-mceachan-71241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="1280" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4e0OUvJYURdrwkdoaA18VmEcP3EHKmE9sVFZoeGN6_JP7K6_APWKcgVhFUTT0GgKAm67dfs3IkrBR8oR9nwPVnHrDoeCfe3ZDxX1ufhD4KF_o9tfCjoe5HZMQNZKS67S2AEnJhsss6JkSgAUzth8tXEx39Xj1XrrUIxioytaDF1neGpdL7pDPd2LBxA/s320/pexels-david-mceachan-71241.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </b><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Greatest Pharaoh of Them All<br /><br /><br />You've heard of names like Ramses the Great and Tutankhamun, Nefertiti and Cleopatra. But who was the greatest pharaoh of them all? If you take a look around Egypt, or if you ever did in the last 5,000 years, you might draw the conclusion that the greatest of all rulers of this land was clearly the guy who built that really massive, really impressive pyramid.<br /><br />To get specific, that pharaoh was (probably) Khufu. Historians believe he is the one who had the great pyramid itself built, the largest ever constructed in the world and the tallest building in the entire world for thousands of years.<br /><br />Greatness achieved. But Khufu was far from Egypt's greatest pharaohs by most standards. He certainly wasn't the first, the last, the richest or the most powerful. And while the Great Pyramid is certainly impressive, it's not the biggest building ever built in Egypt. <br /><br />Most of Khufu's reign can be summed up in that pyramid, which was strictly a monument to him. There are no public spaces for the people to use and no practical service areas provided by the massive structure. It serves no purpose other than to announce to Egypt, and all of history, that Khufu was the greatest of them all.<br /><br />But today, most people have no idea who Khufu was or know of anything he did other than use up a ton of resources on building a giant monument for his own acclaim.<br /><br /></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-ead11f4c-7fff-69a0-182a-aa1a8988d016" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Brooklyn Museum - <a href="https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/hatshepsut" target="_blank">Hatshepsut</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">DBPedia - <a href="https://dbpedia.org/page/Battle_of_the_Delta" target="_blank">Battle of the Delta</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Gale - <a href="https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&u=googlescholar&id=GALE|A187749317&v=2.1&it=r&sid=HRCA&asid=6e8b603d" target="_blank">Archaeology: Propaganda of the pyramids</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Gettysburg College - <a href="https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2072&context=student_scholarship" target="_blank">Androgyny in the Ancient World: The Intersection of Politics,</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2072&context=student_scholarship" style="color: white;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Religion and Gender in the Art of Hatshepsut</span></a></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">History - <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/cleopatra" target="_blank">Cleopatra</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Institutional Scholarship - <a href="https://scholarship.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/handle/10066/21507" target="_blank">Isis and Cleopatra in Rome : how one of history’s most famous queens influenced an Egyptian cult in the heart of the Roman Empire</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Judith Starkston - <a href="https://www.judithstarkston.com/2016/03/01/figuring-out-the-winner-propaganda-and-reality-hittites-vs-pharaoh-ramesses/" target="_blank">Propaganda and Reality: Hittites vs Pharaoh Ramesses</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Morehead State - <a href="https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/metropolitan_art_collection/30/" target="_blank">Cleopatra as the Goddess Isis</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Osirisnet - <a href="https://www.osirisnet.net/docu/lille_sesostris3/e_lille_sesostris3_01.htm" target="_blank">Senusret III</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">PBS - <a href="https://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/newkingdom/ramesses.html" target="_blank">Ramesses II</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Penfield - <a href="https://www.penfield.edu/webpages/jgiotto/onlinetextbook.cfm?subpage=1617942" target="_blank">The New Kingdom - Part Two and the Age of Decline</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The School For Excellence - <a href="https://www.tsfx.edu.au/resources/1093.pdf" target="_blank">Ancient History</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Science - <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/invasion-ancient-egypt-may-have-actually-been-immigrant-uprising" target="_blank">‘Invasion' of ancient Egypt may have actually been immigrant uprising</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The University of Manchester - <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/new-evidence-shows-might-of-pharaoh-ramses-is-fake-news/" target="_blank">New evidence shows might of Pharaoh Ramses is fake news</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">U.S. Naval Institute - <a href="https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/april/last-great-pharaoh-vs-sea-peoples" target="_blank">The Last Great Pharaoh vs. The Sea Peoples</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Wondrium Daily - <a href="https://www.wondriumdaily.com/germination-of-effective-propaganda-the-egyptian-dynasty-xii/" target="_blank">Germination of Effective Propaganda: The Egyptian Dynasty XII</a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">World History Encyclopedia - <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Senusret_III/" target="_blank">Senusret III</a></span></p></b><p></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-88542783111763952892023-02-27T12:00:00.003-05:002023-02-27T12:00:00.157-05:00Secrets Exposed in Justice<p> I didn’t know where else to go but my locker. Maybe I could act like I was poking around in there for the next thirty minutes, until the lunch period was over. Of course, I only had two books so far…but no one knew that but me. <br /> I wanted to turn and run when I saw the back of another student, already buried in his own locker only two doors down from mine. But I really didn’t have anywhere else to go; I definitely wasn’t going back to the cafeteria. So I marched straight to the door of locker 389, wrenched it open and buried my arms up to my elbows inside. <br /> “New girl, huh?”<br /> The guy at locker 391 was movie-star handsome. His smile was pearly white, each tooth perfectly straight and even. He had a perfect tan and perfect blonde hair, not a single strand out of place. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5m8CeD5pZDeLC8aOX30PFh9d-mxIDpJtaMwy1tcctUgdDlV__VSWjxyixAOBMSdVXis65oSmJMaiEZSCTc_qexSDvHbVpjx1048eVkqLVIStT_vDfwdk2p8Kjdcu6TwTIGWHJAytzUOAYmngVOhjBUSynFOrz2OwR_aDEil9IXjVMVR1bajr9PLeDlQ/s3000/Justice%20promo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5m8CeD5pZDeLC8aOX30PFh9d-mxIDpJtaMwy1tcctUgdDlV__VSWjxyixAOBMSdVXis65oSmJMaiEZSCTc_qexSDvHbVpjx1048eVkqLVIStT_vDfwdk2p8Kjdcu6TwTIGWHJAytzUOAYmngVOhjBUSynFOrz2OwR_aDEil9IXjVMVR1bajr9PLeDlQ/s320/Justice%20promo.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p><p> </p><p> “Um,” My mind went blank as soon as I looked at him, and I felt a flush creeping up my neck. <br /> “Owen Harper,” he winked one of his green eyes at me. “It’s always tough to be new. Pretty soon you’ll blend right in.”<br /> “Yeah, right,” I mumbled.<br />
“Just remember to look down your nose at everyone at all times, and
you’ll fit in perfectly.” He grinned, and a smile sprang to my lips in
response. <br /> “I’m Rain Ramey.” Finally, I remembered my name, but he was already closing his locker.<br />
“Nice meeting you, Rain Ramey.” Another flash of that perfect smile,
and he turned to move down the hall. I stared into my locker, wondering
if now would be a good time to just crawl inside. After all, it couldn’t
be too bad to live in a locker if I could see a glimpse of Owen Harper
from time to time. <br /> “There you are!” I recognized the strident
shriek immediately and jerked back out of the locker to look down the
hall. The blonde, now garbed in her school gym uniform, was marching
purposefully toward me.<br /> “Oh no,” I whispered to my History book. <br /> “You’ll never believe what this trashy scholarship girl did to me in the cafeteria!”<br /> My heart sank. The blonde wasn’t coming toward me -- she was heading right for Owen. “Oh, no,” I groaned again. <br /> “Carsyn! Why are you in your gym clothes?”<br />
“Oh my God, what are you doing here?” The blonde -- apparently, her
name was Carsyn -- was giving me the same look I once saw my mother give
a beetle that found its way into our kitchen from the garden. <br /> “This is my locker,” I answered. <br /> “You two know each other?” Owen, poor guy, smiled at both of us. <br />
Carsyn was annoyed by his cluelessness, or so her dramatic eye-roll
suggested. “This is the girl I was telling you about. Look at my shoes,”
and she shoved them into his face. They were in her left hand; her feet
were now clad in silver sandals. <br /> “You know, Carsyn, I heard
Kate Moore say she thought they were last season. Maybe Rain here did
you a favor,” Owen suggested.<br /> “Last season? Hardly. She probably doesn’t even know what that means. Wait a minute -- Rain? Is that your name?”<br />
“Sure, she’s Rain Ramey,” Owen spoke up when I only stared at Carsyn.
“And I think you look great in your gym clothes.” He moved closer to
her, and I felt my stomach flip over. Together, they made a gorgeously
blonde, perfect pair. <br /> Of course they were together. I should have known it the moment I saw Owen. Who else would date Barbie but Ken? <br />
“Come on,” he had an arm around her shoulders now. “I’ll walk you to
your car so you can put those shoes in the trunk. See ya, Rain Ramey.” <br /> “Bye,” I muttered as they drifted down the hall together. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP0ewPbJ-ZHm5g1mFaqJWgXCz8z8_leJxs_pRbkAIvPimJK3TNFNd_7eGemgPULBKN7E0hbLrxq_PnDXLEKVmWrVbI_yv2I7-JEYcld101R9FYzvXrwVC3gMaOr4bLpEeFv2JwFrhl1MfwaYkyGXQwYxzv77t2US5FjjXZWjg4LX-1cPzHQj3Kr_O-Q/s2400/Justice%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP0ewPbJ-ZHm5g1mFaqJWgXCz8z8_leJxs_pRbkAIvPimJK3TNFNd_7eGemgPULBKN7E0hbLrxq_PnDXLEKVmWrVbI_yv2I7-JEYcld101R9FYzvXrwVC3gMaOr4bLpEeFv2JwFrhl1MfwaYkyGXQwYxzv77t2US5FjjXZWjg4LX-1cPzHQj3Kr_O-Q/s320/Justice%20cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Get Justice at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130638" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and everywhere books are sold!</p><p><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-22235700745540962162023-02-21T12:00:00.016-05:002023-02-21T12:00:00.164-05:00Selkies and Mermaids Swim Through the Pages of Song of the Sea<p> I always knew who my mother was. I always knew where I belonged. And I always knew I wanted to be on the water, like my dad.<br /><br />...Until I was forced to go out into the water, anyway. Out there, you feel really lonely. But you’re never alone. There is more life and emotion under the waves than most humans will ever see, more than I could have ever imagined. Down there, it’s an entire world of rage and hate, love and hope. It’s a world of fear.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QX2fyvbUY-D81kahNJSrBKP8e95tgITO8xga58d2-eU9lfbVSypr1EQj-WmAqerapfi22J6VaVcm__X148Nl2mJbEEz3216WYr1C3jPCwLnU7LaAfNoKfHVo4iIkkRd4ZwXFXzQWd5n51oG1NXdtbaw8sDtqlDOcJ0eHQp4h71LTL6HmC4JEzmdvpQ/s300/songgive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QX2fyvbUY-D81kahNJSrBKP8e95tgITO8xga58d2-eU9lfbVSypr1EQj-WmAqerapfi22J6VaVcm__X148Nl2mJbEEz3216WYr1C3jPCwLnU7LaAfNoKfHVo4iIkkRd4ZwXFXzQWd5n51oG1NXdtbaw8sDtqlDOcJ0eHQp4h71LTL6HmC4JEzmdvpQ/s1600/songgive.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What Reviewers Say...<br /></h3><p>"If readers don't know much about under the sea adventures, I highly recommend this book. It's a fun read!"<br />-Lily Benitez<br /><br /><br />"This was an original tale of the enchanting world of mermaids and selkies. I loved the way the author brought her characters to life and the way she describes the ocean giving it a unique and magical feel. You will not be disappointed in this captivating heart warming novel."<br />-Nirri, Readers Club</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Find <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QZMS13K" target="_blank">Song of the Sea</a> online at Amazon!</span><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-12852495083162512462023-02-13T12:00:00.004-05:002023-02-13T12:00:00.152-05:00 5 Star Reviews for Hope's Rebellion<p>Here's what reviews had to say about <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Rebellion-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B00HLXEL8Q" target="_blank">Hope's Rebellion</a>:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWu4wH34LwCPIyTy79JpGibuAw1Ia93e9VILGN1_1XYQmapEmrDwpBhLlcL4vMCKzMxasz0Hd1T8AVlY2r8TL4gwNSvzBJTwOSNF9ipRg8Fcpx721CaCFlAQn9mQIUpjxqcLpDp3_GOmRyBpKl-HrYN54RRAVgqOjSs71zjDXDkNEp12Cr7gVfsucyQ/s1920/Hope's%20Rebellion%20Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWu4wH34LwCPIyTy79JpGibuAw1Ia93e9VILGN1_1XYQmapEmrDwpBhLlcL4vMCKzMxasz0Hd1T8AVlY2r8TL4gwNSvzBJTwOSNF9ipRg8Fcpx721CaCFlAQn9mQIUpjxqcLpDp3_GOmRyBpKl-HrYN54RRAVgqOjSs71zjDXDkNEp12Cr7gVfsucyQ/s320/Hope's%20Rebellion%20Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>"I don’t think I have ever seen a plot or foreshadowing that was so thought out and so perfect in every possible way."<br />-Book Butterfly<br /><br />"There were so many surprises, good twists and what I’d call an “Oscar winner” finale."<br />-Ruty@ReadingDreaming<br /><br />"It tackles notions of power, discrimination, femininity, and so forth in a highly engaging way."<br />-Christina Escamilla<br /><br />"I just couldn't wait to read what it had in store for me."<br />-Turhan<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Rebellion-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B00HLXEL8Q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="6880" data-original-width="4576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZ_LyGDEdK8YZNFI6Kv-dzab6DQFlWNLqDYF6k_S4SSi06tp4MDqGK1cB8pVdRakXXlKtCuxmRDZ6O1bDGKn14BT3l6-d794GqeJRdqHlcLbWpP19keERiB3bh7hEVJyDOj87u7tkhtbk8Mvs9dZsOOJAbfD17E9avWxatkL0Q_f_onidKFwzmdDUIw/s320/Hopes_RebellionFlat7.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Hope's Rebellion is available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Rebellion-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B00HLXEL8Q" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/393132" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and everywhere books are sold!<br />Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-31376061896171758692023-02-06T12:00:00.027-05:002023-02-06T12:00:00.151-05:00Lies, Murder and Mistaken Identity in Justice<p> Take a look inside Jade Varden's <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/search/label/Justice" target="_blank">Justice</a>, a book about lies, mistaken identity and murder...</p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvMYLWEar7P90w3SU--SG1IihIqGqLaLKcZvlATU4GV7wYA83N-oAuxZ9_dNwdQpFGGkGPMHqQEVM6gHJBsUTQpVoHDtQmC5qzC1ukXVo0TQDoE8minszhoZZW14YLXxM6s0kbFtYwPfPTg1P0ScBuLVWnlEFxUoSsAQJhvwkg1JZ-3WH9ogvOX3E0Q/s3000/Justice%20promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvMYLWEar7P90w3SU--SG1IihIqGqLaLKcZvlATU4GV7wYA83N-oAuxZ9_dNwdQpFGGkGPMHqQEVM6gHJBsUTQpVoHDtQmC5qzC1ukXVo0TQDoE8minszhoZZW14YLXxM6s0kbFtYwPfPTg1P0ScBuLVWnlEFxUoSsAQJhvwkg1JZ-3WH9ogvOX3E0Q/w428-h254/Justice%20promo.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">The red BMW was
waiting for me as if it had always been mine. I tried, again, to call Aaron and
my parents on their cell phones, but when no one answered I threw the car into
gear and left the von Shelton estate. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">I saw the car
parked in front of the blue house almost as soon as I turned onto Sutton
Street. By the time I crookedly parked the BMW behind it and stumbled out, the
tears were pouring freely down my face. I stood at the front door sobbing and
fumbling with my keys for nearly five minutes before I managed to get the door
open, and by that time I couldn’t find the breath to call out. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">It wasn’t
necessary. “Rain!” I heard the startled whisper as I stood near the door
catching my breath. The sound of my own name brought a fresh rush of tears to
my eyes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Aunt Ronnie.”
She had me swept into her embrace a moment later, and I laid my head against
her shoulder. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a hug until I felt her
familiar arms around me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Oh, Rain,” she
squeezed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me, and for several minutes we
stood there and cried together. Finally she pulled away, wiping tears off her
cheeks. “Honey, what are you doing here?” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Looking for
you. And Aaron. And my…and…everybody.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Rain,” her
brown eyes, so much like my mother’s, were filled with pain as she reached out
to brush a stray curl behind my ear. “You can’t be here.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“But you haven’t
been answering my calls! I had to come here.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Oh, Rain,” she
turned away, bowing her head to hide behind a black curtain of hair. “I can’t
take your calls. I can’t talk to you, and neither can Aaron. Not right now.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“What? But Aunt
Ronnie-”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“It’s not me,
Rain, it’s the lawyer.” She held up her hands defensively. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Rain? Rain!” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">My breath caught
in my throat, and for a moment I couldn’t catch it to speak. “Aaron!” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">He appeared at
the top of the stairs. Aunt Ronnie stepped before me, blocking my view of him
just as he came into sight. “No. Aaron, back upstairs. Do you want to make
things worse than they already are? Rain, you’ve got to go.” She put her hands
on my shoulders and bodily turned me toward the door. “Aaron, upstairs!” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">I’d heard her
use that firm tone only once before, when I was six. I’d found the birth
control pills in her purse and thought they were candy. Aaron was no longer
rushing down the stairs, and I had no choice but to let her physically push me
out the front door. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“Aunt Ronnie,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned and seized her hand, my eyes boring
into hers. “Just tell me why they did it. Just tell me they aren’t terrible
people.” I didn’t even know how important it was to me until that moment, that
horrible moment when I saw my entire childhood being pulled away from me on the
front porch of that blue house on Sutton Street. If the parents who raised me
were capable of committing such a terrible crime…then what did that make me?
The desperation in my eyes made Ronnie look away; I saw her swallow several
times before any words came out of her throat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">“I can only tell
you to ask Violet von Shelton. She knows the answers to your questions. I can’t
talk to you. I’m so sorry, Rain.” The door closed to punctuate her statement,
and I was left standing alone on what used to be my own front porch. I slipped
my key ring out of my purse, the one with my house keys and the keys to my
Corvair, and placed it on the welcome mat. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">There was
nothing left to do but climb into the BMW and go back to the von Shelton
mansion. It was the only thing like a home I had left…and apparently, it was
the place with all the answers.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVf7avtQveUGAopuwgfABOptzkz95gy-60IGg6A7WyurGay3RuAzK5pytmHHS6nsXw3nn7Pf960c0jAjRo4N6nH76tx9Fi83RTxHWqlFN1qBgd2_lskC5gl-oNf6oiWdcIeLQ-R1vUWsnZ1n_4HzvjurT4SsyzM4vUNe0M0UsH8LZgJNkmpcLerdb3w/s2400/Justice%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVf7avtQveUGAopuwgfABOptzkz95gy-60IGg6A7WyurGay3RuAzK5pytmHHS6nsXw3nn7Pf960c0jAjRo4N6nH76tx9Fi83RTxHWqlFN1qBgd2_lskC5gl-oNf6oiWdcIeLQ-R1vUWsnZ1n_4HzvjurT4SsyzM4vUNe0M0UsH8LZgJNkmpcLerdb3w/s320/Justice%20cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">Justice is available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Deck-Lies-Jade-Varden-ebook/dp/B006PW51F6" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130638" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> and everywhere books are sold!</p>
<p></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-28587221076907273852023-01-30T12:00:00.012-05:002023-01-30T12:00:00.190-05:00How Common Are Sociopaths, Really?<p>You find them all the time in books, lurking around. They are charming, they are sexy, they are dangerous. The hot but scary sociopath has become a common story trope. But how common is this person in life? Do you stand any chance of really knowing a sociopath…and has pop media made this way more of a thing than it actually is?</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKBY5r8TaoazHEUTTrqdLbQdWNRba3A2nTNUfDg2QKsp7mwLAUUInxFsyTPeymPTWkqOsdA2hYsuBsW59pKlAgKBYxKC-9W_lxwOwlG37vybowhOTrdqL2yvJldrbexKcEI0M7lbBZhAbb2mdAPvGm4LP1bNyGseZpW44AtwnH47IODjxzmm4OYCX_Q/s457/ps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="457" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKBY5r8TaoazHEUTTrqdLbQdWNRba3A2nTNUfDg2QKsp7mwLAUUInxFsyTPeymPTWkqOsdA2hYsuBsW59pKlAgKBYxKC-9W_lxwOwlG37vybowhOTrdqL2yvJldrbexKcEI0M7lbBZhAbb2mdAPvGm4LP1bNyGseZpW44AtwnH47IODjxzmm4OYCX_Q/s320/ps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Devil's Snare</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><br />In story, the sociopath is often highly attractive, intriguing, alluring and mysterious. They are here to draw in the hero, to weave a sexy spell and ultimately, to be bested by the hero. Outsmarted and outmatched at last. <br /><br />It was probably quite titillating once upon a time, but now it has become rather shopworn. Some writers combat this by trying to do something new with their sociopath. Often, a twist is employed where no one, even the reader, knows if this person is really a sociopath. <br /><br />And from a statistics standpoint, probably not. <br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">What About Your Friends?</h3><p><br />Everyone has pretty much met someone they suspect of being a sociopath. If you want to get down to it, millions of people are sociopaths, psychopaths or have some other antisocial personality disorder. However, there are billions of people on the planet. Only about 1 to 4 percent of the entire world population can fit into one of these classifications. That's an extremely small amount of people.<br /><br />At best, you will encounter a sociopath, psychopath or someone with an antisocial personality disorder at a ratio of 1:100, being very generous about it. Lots of people do not actually know, really know, 100 different people well. The chances of actually meeting and knowing a sociopath are very small…certainly, a lot smaller than all the stories out there that heavily feature such personality types would have you believe.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fixing the Trope</h3><p><br />People with personality types like sociopaths and psychopaths definitely make for compelling storytelling. But they don’t make for very realistic storytelling. Most readers, the vast majority of them in fact, never have and never will encounter one of these personality types.</p><p></p><p>Most people are not so easy to pinpoint. Often, people don't fit into a diagnosis or personality type. The best characters are highly fleshed out and have many different traits, both positive and others that are less so. Sometimes, it's best to avoid trying to make characters fit a specific disorder and simply write them more like real people...who continue to defy all logic and easy labeling.</p><p></p><p>Characters don't need to fit a trope or a type, because most human beings don't.<br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-91451817235161567842023-01-16T12:00:00.009-05:002023-01-19T07:52:07.900-05:00The Simp Best Friend<div style="text-align: justify;">He's always there to wipe the tears off the heroine's cheeks, the backup date when the dream date falls through, the ear she can tell all her secrets to. He's hot in a low key way and there is no question that he's hopelessly in love with the main female character, who is utterly clueless to his affection. He's the simp best friend and…he kinda sucks. There may be no good way to put him in your story. Maybe he doesn't belong at all.<br /></div><p><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></p><p><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt62hTafGb3ioayga4rTPbSBcmrvXVaFMl4s2B-AJtO9jn4hpTrHSKF9PjJ7FRRzolD-D86cHwrbSU2AShmmD45JoKQ6OKHEUM5jJR0evkIcxvygcJ10YpAlNVhvNtwJU0G-lJEvW6sn-UScbfpBO749eFTA1vf3zy_9uwAPBrWWswLMQhoxrfxEpAQ/s992/bf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="992" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt62hTafGb3ioayga4rTPbSBcmrvXVaFMl4s2B-AJtO9jn4hpTrHSKF9PjJ7FRRzolD-D86cHwrbSU2AShmmD45JoKQ6OKHEUM5jJR0evkIcxvygcJ10YpAlNVhvNtwJU0G-lJEvW6sn-UScbfpBO749eFTA1vf3zy_9uwAPBrWWswLMQhoxrfxEpAQ/s320/bf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></p><p><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6b74fbdc-7fff-727b-1382-a1eafe5b3c94" style="font-weight: normal;"> </b></span>Nice Guys Finish Last</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />He's in the friend zone but he's hopelessly in love with said friend, a girl who is typically under the spell of a much cooler guy. He listens to her, he notices everything about her and for reasons, he doesn't make a move until well after the aforementioned dreamboat cool guy breaks her heart.<br /><br />On the surface, this all seems pretty romantic. He finally makes his move right at the end of the story and just like that, the girl suddenly sees him for the first time. They kiss at last. What a happy ending.<br /><br />Except that it's not. Because this character trope is super stale and honestly, unattractive. In the real world, the platonic best friend is very rarely a super hot, totally sweet and slavishly devoted would-be romantic interest. This is something that is far more common in fiction than in life.<br /><br />So…should this tired trope be retired altogether? Is it time to blacklist this guy from stories or what?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fixing the Trope </h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />The simp best friend has become a super common trope in stories, and that means it’s predictable. To make your story feel less boring, some a new way to use this trope. Flip expectations by finding some new way to use this character. <br /><br />It’s okay to use common story tropes, but if you use them in a new way readers will appreciate it. They’ll think they know what’s coming. If you can surprise them with what actually happens, they’ll love it. Readers like having their expectations subverted. Try it and find out how much better the story becomes when you take those common tropes and change them all around.<br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-90697794384628459682022-12-12T12:00:00.009-05:002023-01-19T07:54:09.441-05:00What is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl?<p><br /></p><p>She's free spirited. She's smart and interesting. She's damaged, but you can fix her.erent. She's the manic pixie dream girl...and she's in stories all the time. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-23d42e44-7fff-5999-184a-20f19a643e2b" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbA0zxs3UyVUFyHFYmDPukvDelH6JZ_hItWwec0AlOL7ry8NvAgtlu_jED6jWuQyHn2Q76P8u4wVR30cH-dwy7Vq3uk1S-v2R20uZQCsYU7nhEaXvYpGbt0tMyzMabzFmf19_w68LUXA-541KVdyCzqlQ4UhUVCTUtxG6pxTuD8na-eKOA_4cSnI4oA/s586/mpdg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="586" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbA0zxs3UyVUFyHFYmDPukvDelH6JZ_hItWwec0AlOL7ry8NvAgtlu_jED6jWuQyHn2Q76P8u4wVR30cH-dwy7Vq3uk1S-v2R20uZQCsYU7nhEaXvYpGbt0tMyzMabzFmf19_w68LUXA-541KVdyCzqlQ4UhUVCTUtxG6pxTuD8na-eKOA_4cSnI4oA/s320/mpdg.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Is the manic pixie dream girl anything like a real person? Should you be making an effort to erase her from your stories?<br /> <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Holly Golightly </h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Kate Hudson's Penny Lane in "Almost Famous," Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," Helena Bonham Carter in "Fight Club." They're all sexy, they all have a dark side and they're all fearless when it comes to being themselves. These are classic manic pixie dream girls but if you want a true prototype of this common character trope, look to Audrey Hepburn. <br /><br />Hollywood goddess Audrey Hepburn arguably played a manic pixie dream girl in nearly every movie she appeared in and perhaps even originated this story trope on screen. No one quite captures the ceaseless drive to be happy that continues to fail due to the character's own dark undertones quite like Hepburn. <br /><br />The character that embodies this trope the best is undoubtedly Holly Golightly, who fought endlessly to be herself, even when she had no idea who that self really was. She was driven toward finding happiness with a desperation that seamlessly transitioned between hopefulness and hopelessness in the blink of an eye, always at odds with the darker shades of her own mind and the cruel, cruel world surrounding her. <br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Supporting Act</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />The problem with the trope is this: since Hepburn's Holly Golightly first appeared onscreen in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (and first, in Truman Capote's book of the same name), few stories have managed to give this character any real character. <br /><br />She often breezes into the life of the male protagonist the story is actually about, spreading her wings and sprinkling little bon mots in his ears, shaking up his complacent world to become an ideal, a concept of what life could be if only he was as wild and free and unguarded as this fascinating creature. <br /><br />And that…is usually as far as it goes. The manic pixie dream girl more often than not is a fantasy ideal who rarely gets to have much of a backstory unless it somehow endears her even more the the male who is falling in love not with her, but with the lifestyle she represents. <br /><br />She appears as a two-dimensional sketch of a human being who is only there to break the guy out of his shell. Will he win her heart? With her, it doesn't matter. She can snatch the prize away as easily as it is won…and so the romantic dance continues. The source of her darkness is rarely explored and the reality of who she is remains a mystery. The mystery is a huge part of her appeal, so why spoil it by making her a real person?<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fixing the Trope</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />In good writing, in good stories, there shouldn't be any two-dimensional characters. The manic pixie dream girl can start out as this mysterious and free loving entity…but she can't stay that way. Every real person has hopes and dreams, past traumas, motivations and desires, painful memories. Every character has these things, too. Or at least, they should. <br /><br />Some people resemble specific character tropes…at first. But everyone is more complex than their surface. The way to beat any trope is to reveal what's behind the character's mask. The audience sees Holly's mask slip and this is why she feels real. Show what lies behind the surface of your tropes and your characters will feel real, too.<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-30818996049531705842022-12-05T12:00:00.001-05:002022-12-05T12:00:00.147-05:00 Write What You Know?<p style="text-align: justify;">When you tell people you are a writer, or that you want to be, you will invariably hear a piece of advice that all non-writers love to share: write what you know. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkl_1zFGYRoTpoiy0HC4xSIjETL7qaCfgtmjBzNqK3sslpUmXYUKQOSdzc_9PN9q4OubtDETWlJOI6Om-KM5XyQBQe0BEpOgkMBwb1xMpsF0NMUDjL-jXcYQ-LxK_iA2lL3eWBoMAhAOqK8N6D1o6PQGbxL8kSamsCsG2wIoPy6pWEHxwA9v0CHVhHg/s586/what.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="586" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkl_1zFGYRoTpoiy0HC4xSIjETL7qaCfgtmjBzNqK3sslpUmXYUKQOSdzc_9PN9q4OubtDETWlJOI6Om-KM5XyQBQe0BEpOgkMBwb1xMpsF0NMUDjL-jXcYQ-LxK_iA2lL3eWBoMAhAOqK8N6D1o6PQGbxL8kSamsCsG2wIoPy6pWEHxwA9v0CHVhHg/s320/what.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, what does that mean and are you doing it?<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">What Do You Know?</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">Though this little bit of advice is well-intentioned, hearing that you should write what you know is extremely discouraging. <br /><br />What if you want to write about a fantasy world that exists far from planet Earth, or dive into a time that is long, long past? What if you have never worn a corset or held a sword or gone into battle behind the yoke of a starship flying across the galaxy? Does every story you write have to be set yesterday in a suburb or a city that millions of people already know? What if your character wants to eat truffles…and you've never tasted one?<br /><br />Write what you know is a pretty impossible thing, when you really think about it.<br /><br />But there's good news. This trite and usually unwanted phrase, "write what you know," does not mean what many people think it means. </p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">What Should You Write?</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">First, don't ever let anyone tell you what to write. While feedback is nice and most people genuinely want to help, ignore them. Every writer has to find their own voice and their own story to write. No one can really help you with that. <br /><br />Second, you know what it is to be a human. You've had a crush, fallen in love, experienced heartbreak. Even if you've never had a passion-fueled affair or drove to Vegas in a convertible, you've loved TV or movie characters. You've experienced the grief of loss. You did and didn't get your way. Maybe you loved and adored a movie icon. Maybe you cried when a favorite character died. <br /><br />These feelings are universal to the human experience, whether you're falling in love with someone on a screen from the safety of your couch or you're hurtling across a desert landscape in a Bronze Age chariot. <br /><br />You still know love. You know grief. You know joy and pain. And for what you don't know, like how fast a chariot can move, there is research. Plenty of people have described the taste of truffles or the heat of a desert sun in painful detail. <br /><br />The thing that makes stories great is not how many explosions there are, how many fantastical creatures you can shove into it, how often the main character performs a spell. It's in the human experience that the story tells. <br /><br />And you definitely have experience with being a human. You know what it is to be human. So all you really need to do is write human characters. Wherever they go, whatever they eat, whoever they love, infuse them with what you know about being a human. Give them flaws. Watch them fall down. See how they overcome these struggles, how they find love, how they manage hate. Whether that story takes place in the suburbs or on an alien planet, that is a story people will like reading. <br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-57227998284984205362022-09-06T08:00:00.003-04:002022-09-06T08:00:00.163-04:00What Should You Read Next?<p style="text-align: justify;"> Everyone has a list of books they want to read and every reader has their favorite books. But when you read a lot, eventually you'll finish this mental list. And when that happens, you might not know what to read next. One website has decided to answer this age-old question. <br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Discovering Books</h3><h3 style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://shepherd.com/best-books/switching-places-in-all-time-periods" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="800" height="405" src="https://shepherd.com/best-books/switching-places-in-all-time-periods/cover" width="800" /></a></div><br /></h3><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Shepherd is all about book lists. If you want to know what to read next based on author recommendations, types of books, books by certain authors any all kinds of different categories, this is where you need to be. For example if you love <a href="https://shepherd.com/bookshelf/time-travel" target="_blank">books about time travel</a>, you can find recommendations for specific books that fall into this category and even find out what makes certain books so readable. <br /><br />I recently did a list for Shepherd about <a href="https://shepherd.com/best-books/switching-places-in-all-time-periods" target="_blank">switching places</a>, a theme that Deck of Lies readers know very well. Go check it out and go find out more about all the books you're going to want to read soon.</p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-87787693555273372662021-11-08T12:00:00.007-05:002021-11-08T12:00:00.165-05:00 Writing 101: What the H is a Mary Sue?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The dues ex machina. Foreshadowing. Using an allegory. The Roman a clef. Some literary terms sound so cool, you want to figure out what they are just to use them. And then...there's the Mary Sue. Who is this character and how is this a literary thing?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOXR7NtllcA/YYZ4w-q2Q_I/AAAAAAAACzc/kxMWO-2Kn7wsVCK4eeK432ekTMKxSQh0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s679/marysue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="679" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOXR7NtllcA/YYZ4w-q2Q_I/AAAAAAAACzc/kxMWO-2Kn7wsVCK4eeK432ekTMKxSQh0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/marysue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><h3><span style="font-size: medium;">Mary, Mary Quite Contrary </span></h3><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Mary Sue is a name that many critics will use, often with a bit of a sneering tone. But she sounds kind of sweet and innocent, so what's so bad about her that critics always seem to dismiss this as a literary device altogether?<br /><br />The Mary Sue is a specific character trope, meaning it's a frequent and somewhat static characterization that appears in fiction of all kinds, be it on stage, on screen or on the page. And despite the name, a Mary Sue character can be of either gender, both genders or have no gender at all. <br /><br />So what makes a Mary Sue a Mary Sue? For starters, they are ridiculously lucky. And unlike most of us mere mortals, they emerge from the worst of situations generally unscathed. They are often very positive in nature, though this is not a requirement, and often characterized as somewhat clueless, though this isn't necessary either.<br /><br />Mary Sue's big claim to fame is saving the day. When all hope is lost and the other, and generally more competent, characters are facing certain doom, Mary Sue saves the day...and always by sheer luck. Mary Sue does not succeed by being smart or solving a problem, but through some happy accident or some wild twist of fate. This victory feels unearned and this makes the payoff of the victory fall flat. This is why the Mary Sue character so annoys the critics.<br /><br />A character who lucks into a solution does not typically garner a lot of admiration from those of us observing the story, because they have done nothing to earn the victory they achieve. They just got lucky. And for many, this rings false. Critics may dismiss the character entirely as lazy storytelling and they kind of have a point. <br /><br />However, when done well, the Mary Sue can be a highly likable character who does serve to drive the plot forward. Mary Sues have appeared successfully in many stories. The Mary Sue trope itself comes from “Star Trek” fan fiction and Mary Sue types still frequently appear in “Trek” stories of all types. Many lead characters in stories display Mary Sue qualities. <br /><br />Tropes are tropes because they do work. And sometimes, people can become a Mary Sue even in life. Pure dumb luck does happen in reality and so, it must also happen in stories. </span><br /></div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-21684326651203631172021-09-20T12:00:00.006-04:002021-09-20T12:00:00.227-04:00Writing 101: So What the Heck is an Allegory?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When critics talk about books, they tend to throw around all sorts of important-sounding words and phrases, like “allegory” It’s a big, fancy word and it’s almost always said in some sort of reverential way. Many of the greatest stories are given that label, allegory. So...what the heck is it? <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blWQteqiPiE/YUblCoPYgpI/AAAAAAAACyU/03l5-V0mzbwLw7XuxGnDq33lUU37Gq-pwCLcBGAsYHQ/s748/shh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="748" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blWQteqiPiE/YUblCoPYgpI/AAAAAAAACyU/03l5-V0mzbwLw7XuxGnDq33lUU37Gq-pwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h306/shh.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Defining the Allegory</span></h4></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> In the proper definition of the literary term, an allegory is any story, poem or another work of art that has a hidden meaning. Usually, that meaning is political, religious or somehow moral in nature. But that's just the problem with an allegory. There's a fine line between a real allegory and an interpretation. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />One of the most well-known allegorical stories, they say, is “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. It’s all one big metaphor for the life and subsequent death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, perhaps the most famous literary figure of them all. Critics say the book has extremely clear references to the Biblical story of Jesus of Nazareth, heralded as a savior for mankind during the Bronze Age. Critics have even said that the stone table in the first installment of "Chronicles of Narnia" represents the stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai. And "Aslan's country" is, of course, Heaven.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Unless you don't want it to be. Because like any other critical review of any work of art of any type, the most significant meaning is what you get out of it...and not what all the critics and experts say about it. No one can know what hidden meanings an author hides in their work except for the author themselves. And if the author gives the readers every single answer and reveals every single hidden meaning, then what's the point of reading the book? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />An allegory is just one more of many <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/2014/08/writing-101-defining-literary-terms.html" target="_blank">literary terms</a> that are often used to break down and analyze books. It's just one more thing that people use to try and figure out the author's "real" meaning in any story. Only the author can decide what meanings they’re trying to put into their stories and only the readers can figure out what they find inside that story. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />But it’s always good to know what the term means. That will make it easier for you as an author to roll your eyes when critics try to tell you what your stories are secretly all about. </span></div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-43259454450109237672021-09-13T12:00:00.005-04:002021-09-13T12:00:00.228-04:00 Writing 101:Writing Comedy <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being funny is a huge asset in writing. People remember what's funny. They react. If you can make someone laugh, you can make your stories much more enjoyable. But is funny something you can learn? How did comedic writing start...and how can you master it?</span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zMbi0QMoq3Y/YTxxojE71QI/AAAAAAAACx4/tJV4K_QsoAAez_k1KC32cvb0N61Xvcw2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s895/laugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="895" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zMbi0QMoq3Y/YTxxojE71QI/AAAAAAAACx4/tJV4K_QsoAAez_k1KC32cvb0N61Xvcw2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h268/laugh.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ha Ha Ha</span></h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The first stories were not funny. The earliest stories ever found were epic, lengthy tales full of tragedy and trials. The first plays ever performed, way back in ancient Greece, were tragic tales. But then one ancient Greek decided he didn't want to make people cry. He wanted to make them laugh.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Aeschylus is considered to be the father of comedy because he was the first playwright to write a comedy. It was in ancient Athens, the city famous for building the Parthenon and inventing democracy. It was classical Greece, a time of learning and enlightenment. Great philosophers and mathematicians walked the streets here. It was in this great city of the ages that Aeschylus invented the idea of comedy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">And he did it with a lot of dick jokes. It's true. In that great city of Athens where walked the greats like Plato, Euclid and Socrates, the first-ever comedies were ribald plays full of sexual innuendo with actors who walked around on stage wearing enormous strap-ons.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The ancient Athenians loved it. Aeschylus became wildly popular and his plays were soon used as inspiration by other comedy writers. In fact, dick jokes and sexual innuendo still carry the comedy genre more than 2,000 years later. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Comedy doesn't need to be sophisticated. It doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to be funny. Aeschylus succeeded at writing comedy because he simply wrote what made him laugh. He liked ribald comedy full of sex jokes and huge fake penises. And it turns out, the very fancy and sophisticated and enlightened Athenians loved it, too. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Many writers fail at writing funny because they are trying to be funny. They spend a lot of time thinking about comedy, about what's funny, about making people laugh. You don't need to do that. Sometimes, a basic penis joke will work wonders. Don't try to be funny. Just write in a way that makes you laugh and others will, too. Whether they're laughing with you or at you, they're still laughing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Writing comedy is only as hard as you make it. The whole point of comedy is that you shouldn't have to think too hard to get the joke. So go ahead and include that dick joke in your next story. After all, it was good enough for the ancient Greeks. </span><br /></p>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139108380465924768.post-68147285534132048062021-08-30T12:00:00.012-04:002021-08-30T12:00:00.217-04:00 Writing 101: It's All Greek to Me<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Star-crossed lovers, destined to never be together. Revenge that becomes twisted and ugly, turning back around to go the other way. The mother who kills out of jealousy and rage when her husband takes a younger woman. If you think you've come up with a plot so twisted, so dark, so gory and tragic that no one can top it, guess again. Whatever you write, the Greeks probably wrote it first. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WoeH_yGFWbQ/YSsyAUh9i_I/AAAAAAAACxc/v8mO1bt4WVkds5KgJeTjwu6H5Qf9SOoJACLcBGAsYHQ/s622/greek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="622" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WoeH_yGFWbQ/YSsyAUh9i_I/AAAAAAAACxc/v8mO1bt4WVkds5KgJeTjwu6H5Qf9SOoJACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/greek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><span style="font-size: medium;">Been There, Done That</span></h3></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Incest. Debauchery. Infidelity. Murder. Self-mutilation. Patricide. Matricide. Whatever it's called when you kill your own son. It's not a new show on HBO. It's your basic Greek tragedy. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Most modern storytelling was <a href="http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/2015/06/writing-101-what-hasnt-been-written-yet.html" target="_blank">shaped by</a> those early Greeks, who went on to inspire Shakespeare, James Joyce and countless others. The Greeks took their characters into Hell, sometimes literally, and saw them ripped apart by plot twists, sudden reveals and betrayals of all kinds.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you're looking for new story inspiration, try turning to some of the oldest stories ever written down. All the plots have already been covered, all the twists already sprung and lots of the good ideas have already been explored. But you can still put a new twist and a modern take on all these old stories and make something completely your own. Many, many writers have turned to the old stories to create new ones. <br /></span></div>Jade Vardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684439238295775063noreply@blogger.com0