I wanted to  actually continue with their conversation, ticking down to the inevitable moment when their oxygen runs out. But I had a 500 word limit, and since I’m not very good with dialogue I decided it’d be best if I left it at that. Maybe someday I’ll continue this scene, or write more about this character’s (very long) life. She’s not going to be stuck in space forever, after all!

Jesus died for the homosexuals.

He died for the murderers, the rapists, the thieves.

He died for Einstein, Edison, and Newton.

He died for the insane.

He died for those that blaspheme and mock him.

He died for the atheists. For Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins.

He died for Mary, Joseph, Peter, John, and Paul.

He died for the rich. He died for the poor.

Jesus died for the Jews.

He died for the pagans, wiccans, Satanists.

He died for your family and friends.

He died for President Obama.

He died for the psychopaths and serial killers.

He died for the politicians, lawyers, tax collecters.

He died for the little boys and girls who grew up in a good home, going to a good church.

He died for the prostitutes, and the alcoholics, and the drug-dealers.

He died for the movie star who’s been married six times.

He died for the abortionists.

Jesus died for me.

He died for Judas.

He died for Saddam Hussein.

He died for Hitler.

Yes, I said that. Because it’s true. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I’m not saying all of these people are redeemed. I’m saying that God forgave them, just as much as he has forgiven you. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Everyone has been extended the same forgiveness. Everyone has the opportunity for redemption. Everyone has been offered God’s hand. God loves everyone, and wants them to spend eternity with Him.

I don’t know what it means to love the sinner and hate the sin. I don’t know if anyone does, and if anyone actually practices it. But I think that we, as Christians, can do a better job of showing the world that Jesus loves them.

Remember, Jesus had to die for you too.

About three minutes into the video I was struck by the beauty and effortless talent of it and the men playing. I realized while watching his hands on the keys that he had accomplished something wonderful, had created beauty. My first thought was ‘I want to do that. How do I do that?’ I don’t mean I want to learn how to play the piano, or become a musician. I want to create beauty, art, something meaningful. But even now I’m frustrated at how silly and empty these words are compared to that piece.

How does someone create something that goes to the soul, using words? They’re too blunt, or perhaps too sharp. They get in the way. Anyone can appreciate any kind of music. It doesn’t have to have words, and if it does they don’t have be words we understand. Sometimes those words get in the way too. Music can’t communicate a specific message very precisely, but it can can change how you feel, or evoke a certain scene or scenario. The rest is up to you. Words can’t do that, or at least it’s very difficult. They get the exact meaning across because their purpose is to make communication clear and simple. Which is good. But I find that it’s hard to go straight to someone’s soul with words.

I struggle now to find the right words to say. How to describe what I’m feeling. A song. The autumn wind. A smile from a friend. A star filled sky. A cathedral. A painting. A poem. You get a feeling. You stand in breathless awe and realize that you have found something beautiful. How do I make something like that? Too vague or simple and you bore. Too artistic or poetic and you’re accused of using flowery, pretentious, purple prose. Try too hard to get a message across and you’re preachy. Silly things can distract from your meaning, like a misspelled word or improper punctuation. All the while you’re just entertaining the readers with a nice little made up story. I like those stories, and the people who live in them. But I want to create beauty with them, too.

Words have their advantages, though. You can place an idea directly in front of people and force them to think. That’s why Science Fiction is such a powerful tool for social and political commentary. You can explore themes that you just can’t get away with in the real world. Likewise, Fantasy is perfect for exploring the spiritual and religious world, although most people just see it as swords and castles and adventuring. Which is fine as well, but it is capable of being so much more. I think it’s the stories and the themes from which the beauty comes, not so much the words. You just have to work around words, I guess.

I don’t even know where I’m going with this. I just listened to that song and wanted to write about it, and it’s been so long. I don’t like writing completely directionless posts, but I’ll make an exception for this. I just… wish I were capable of describing how I feel. There are so many other things I want to say. I want to be able to create beautiful stories the same way so many have created beautiful songs, or buildings, or paintings. Or so many other things. I want to know books the way those snobby cooks on Food Network know food. The way geeks know math. Where you can spout off something that doesn’t make much sense to anyone else, but you know what you’re talking about and it’s important. It’s the technicalities, the tools, the actual work that has to go into something to make it effortless and meaningful. I know I’m on my way, and that there’s so much more out there to learn. And maybe someday I’ll create something I can call beautiful. Somehow.

But for now, I’m just going to write about whatever comes to mind. I don’t like writing these kinds of posts, since they’re always the least interesting (when I write them, that is). I’ll try to keep it short, which is really hard to do!   I swear these posts don’t look this long in the draft box thingy of my dashboard whatever-you-call-it.

We adopted another puppy in January! Her name is Cleo, and she is very laid back and stubborn. When we were at the kennel walking her and the other dogs, she refused to run around like the rest of them. If she didn’t want to go somewhere, she’d sit down and stop. She’s very cute and fluffy (she’s a puppy, what did you expect?) but she’s even worse than Khan when it comes to chewing on things. I had to bundle all my shoes in a towel and put them on my chair so she wouldn’t eat them.

Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall series and a few others, passed away on the fifth of February. His books were a huge part of my childhood, and will always hold a special place in my heart and on my shelf. I remember reading them every chance I got, laughing and crying for the beloved characters, and imagining myself into the rich, beautiful world Jacques created. I met him once, at a book signing, and he told us that his best advice for writers is to ‘paint pictures with words’. He wrote Redwall for the children at a school for the blind in Liverpool, and wanted to be as descriptive as possible so they could ‘see’ the world in their imaginations. He certainly succeeded, and has inspired me to work harder in my writing and my life. You will be dearly missed, Brian Jacques.  Thank you for all the wonderful stories!

I think I’m making a red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day tomorrow. I’ve never made one of those before, so I suppose it’ll be interesting. I don’t have a valentine, but I don’t mind at all.  (I’m still trying to decide between two of my characters, lol.) I’m in no hurry to get into a relationship, not that I’m against having one. Well… maybe a little bit against it. But! It’s a good holiday for chocolate. So Happy Valentine’s Day! If you have a sweetheart, congratulations, cherish him or her greatly. If not… have some chocolate.

Good day and good night!

Sometime, eventually… But until then, I leave you with this! This wonderful, nostalgic summary of 2010 which WordPress has so kindly written up for me. Come with me as we venture back through the ages, and see how Birdwhisperer’s Weblog has fared this past year. I give you, my Year in Review! Ahem…

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Birdwhisperer’s Comment: Sweeeeeet!

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,400 times in 2010. That’s about 3 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 19 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 101 posts.

The busiest day of the year was October 6th with 47 views. The most popular post that day was I’m Leavin’ On a Jet Plane….

Birdwhisperer’s Comment: Three full 747s? I’m Leavin’ On a Jet Plane? How strangely fitting. Nice painting too.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were en.blog.wordpress.com, nanowrimo.org, joechip.net, donata-apennyforyourthoughts.blogspot.com, and facebook.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for benedy glen, universe single spoken sentence, the benedy glen lyrics, the benedy glen, and damian mcginty.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

I’m Leavin’ On a Jet Plane… September 2010
2 comments

About Me December 2008
16 comments

The Benedy Glen January 2009
5 comments

The Universe – A Single Sentence March 2008
5 comments

Covers and Characters October 2010
5 comments and 1 Like on WordPress.com,

Birdwhisperer’s Comment: My personal favorite post of 2010 (and perhaps my best post yet, in my opinion) was ‘On Comments, Alliteration, and Probably Lots of Other Stuff Too’.

And yes, this totally counts as a blog post. It does. Really! Stop looking at me like that.

To any readers I may have left, thank you for your patience. I will try to have a new post up soon. What it will be about, I don’t know. But I will! If it kills me! Until then, farewell.

~Birdwhisperer

But, oh well.

Last week I had my wisdom teeth extracted. That was certainly a unique experience. I wasn’t put to sleep, simply numbed, but I didn’t go loopy from the gas either. (Much to my loving parents’ disappointment. ) It wasn’t that bad really, although I slept almost all day that day and the day after. That threw off my internal clock/sleep schedule, so I’ve been staying up until 5 am and taking naps from noon to 4. Not that my sleep schedule was all that great before that…. But on the bright side, my main character is almost nocturnal, so it helps me with getting into her head, I suppose!

Having teeth pulled is a pretty good excuse for being behind, of course, but I have had plenty of time to write. I just… don’t. ‘Cause I’m pathetic like that. Yeah. But! I have written more in the past week than I have the entire rest of the year, and as long as this story is being written (however slowly) I’m happy. I’m almost done with Chapter 1, and hopefully things will pick up after that. Chapter 1 really isn’t that exciting.

I’ve also been reading my Bible and praying more, which is always a plus. (Well, of course!) I made a promise to myself a few years ago that I would not begin writing until I had done my devotions. It makes it harder to just sit down and write, since I need a few extra minutes to actually be ready, but I don’t regret doing it. Of course, if I did my devotions regularly every morning – which is what I am working toward – it wouldn’t slow me down at all. But doing this does help keep me focused on the goal of my writing, and it keeps me in the right mindset. Because of that it has kept me from getting too depressed about not writing as much as I could. I call myself pathetic as a joke, instead of actually meaning it.

I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but my main character is very similar to me. Most of her flaws and struggles are just really exaggerated versions of my own. At least, that’s the idea. It’s hard to say where things will go when it hasn’t been written down yet. But anyway, that may also be contributing to my ‘writer’s block’. Perhaps? I don’t really know, but it’s a theory of mine.

And, since I haven’t actually mentioned what the story is about, here is the synopsis I have up on my Nano profile:

“The half-elf Linnea has lived at the Abbey for as long as she can remember, deliberately secluding herself from everyone but a few select friends. It is a peaceful place, yet Linnea feels desperately empty inside. When her life is threatened she must leave the familiar safety of her home and enter the strange and dangerous outside world, accompanied by her closest friend, and even a few new ones.

Secrets are revealed that challenge everything Linnea ever knew as truth. The elves are not what they seem. The history of the world is stranger than anything she could have imagined. The line between friends and enemies blurs. Even what she thought was true about herself is turned upside down, and all the while forces on every side try to both manipulate and destroy her.

Will she be able to discern the black from the white in the haze of gray?”

And there you have it. Let me just add that the back story is so much more epic than this story, but that’s okay with me. Right now, I’m writing this story. I should probably get off and actually start writing this story… And hey! I just wrote 700 words in a very short amount of time! I should totally be able to put this energy into writing! <sigh>

So long and God bless!

(These posts look so much longer on my blog than they do when I’m writing them… =P )

Also, this is my 100th blog post! How exciting! To celebrate this momentous occasion – and for your viewing enjoyment – I shall be posting some of the artwork that the nice people over at Nanowrimo’s Artisans forum made for me…

Covers by ir0nna (left) and Hype (right). Aren’t they both so pretty?

This is my main character, Linnea (she’s half-elf and half-human. Just so ya know). Unfortunately, I don’t remember who the artist for this was, and I haven’t been able to track her down on Nanowrimo. But here she is. I quite like it.

This is Callum, another main character of mine. Isn’t he so cute!? Maplewing’s style is just adorable. He’s based a little bit after Damian McGinty from Celtic Thunder. But just a little.

And finally here is Fiorin. He’s one of my elf characters, and is not as scary as he looks. I personally don’t think he looks scary at all. I’m still trying to figure out his personality and motives, but he’s already one of my favorite characters. Credit goes to Krynn-Meridia. Thanks!

And just cause you can never have too many pictures in one blog post, here’s all (well, most…) of my characters, made using lunaii dollmaker.

Yes, I’m a little bit obsessed. Honestly though, it didn’t take that long. And it’s kinda nice having some kind of visual for your characters.

Well, that’s pretty much all for today! Happy writing!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month: a challenge for people to sit down and write 50,000 words of a novel in November. It’s as simply as that, but so much more. I think it’s the knowledge that there are several thousand other people writing with you, going through the same highs and lows, and cheering you on that really makes it what it is. Plus, most people don’t have many friends that are also interested in writing, so it’s nice to know that there are others like you out there.

This year I won’t be following the rules exactly, in that I’ll be continuing last year’s novel instead of starting a new one. I have started many stories, some of them were only a few pages of a very vague idea, written because I was really bored. Some of them got beyond the half-way point (like 2008′s Nano Novel) but fizzled and died because it lacked focus and I had better things to do. I’m to blame for that, I know. Last year I started a story that had good promise, but by the end of November I had gotten so many new ideas for it that I had to start over. Unfortunately, I haven’t written much of anything this year. It’s all entirely my fault.

But the story is worth writing. And I need to finish something, and can’t very well justify writing another new novel that will probably not be finished either. Of course, the bright side to this is that I have a very good idea about where the story is headed this time. Even though I feel really bad for not writing anything all year the ‘time off’ has given me time to think about the story, collect little bits of inspiration here and there, and plan things out so that now it is much, much better than what I started out with. This story is worth writing, and I need to do right by it. And hopefully I can write well enough to do it justice.

Yes, as little sense as that probably makes, writer’s should do right by – and do justice to -  their stories. You owe it to yourself as well, if you’re going to put that much time and thought and hopefully heart into something. Think of it as a responsibility you take on when you decide to create another world, follow someone else’s struggles and joys, and shape the events that shape their lives.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, or that it’s some kind of serious and daunting work. Writing is one of the most incredible experiences I’ve encountered in my short life, it is thrilling and exciting and definitely worth any work put into it. It can be scary and depressing when one thinks about all of one’s personal failings, but that happens everywhere in life. Don’t let it get you down, but do let it motivate you to improve.

Maybe that’s why I haven’t been writing much. I’m too worried about it not being good. (And quite honestly, although I’m proud of the stories themselves, my technical writing is a bit… lacking.) But that is what NaNoWriMo is about! To put away your fears and just write. Jump into it wholeheartedly, prepared or unprepared, and begin the amazing journey that is story writing.

And that’s exactly what I hope to do this year! I’ll still try to to ‘do right by’ by my novel, meaning finish the first draft. But I am going to enjoy myself! I always do, because Nano is really just that awesome. I’m going to be spending the next few weeks doing a little more planning and plotting, but once November hits I’ll be writing non-stop! Why not try it out for yourself? You can learn about it and sign up here, and if you want a writing buddy you can find me right here. It’s really a lot of fun!

See ya in November! Birdwhisperer out.

Yeah, I go to Texas and learn Scottish dancing. Go figure.

We went to the Houston Zoo a few days ago, and it is just as nice as the National Zoo in DC. And it’s not on a hill. It’s easier to enjoy yourself when you’re not also hiking. Last week we visited the Natural Science museum, which had a nice big butterfly garden. Mom was able to get plenty of pictures, which made her happy. On Thursday we spent much of the day at the NASA Space Center for their home school day. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting though.

You walk inside and to your immediate right is this huge play place with slides and tunnels and whatnot. Would’ve been fun, were we not too tall to get in. Straight ahead is a Lego castle area (dunno what castles have to do with NASA, but it was cool) with dozens of models all over the place. Mom got some pictures of those too. We went on the tram tour -  which took longer than we thought it would -  and got to see the old mission control center they used in the 60′s, the area where they have all the mockups used for training, and the Saturn V. There were also films and shows, which were all very interesting. It was a full day.

Well, anyway… I had a whole post typed out a few days ago, but the internet connection wasn’t working right and I lost most of it. I’ve been too lazy and tired to write it all again. We’ll be flying home on Wednesday! From what I’ve heard my Dad and brothers have been busy with building and cleaning stuff. They’ve also been eating quite well for a bunch of guys whose wife/mother has been gone Homemade General Tso’s Chicken, funnel cake, apple strudel… They are going to have to cook for us when we get home. Although, I’ll probably go on a baking spree when I get home. I haven’t actually baked anything in a while, and I’m starting to get the urge to. What should I make? It has to be something chocolate.

Well, I’ve been having a great time! I hope all of you out there have been doing well. I’m going to try to post again soon. Nanowrimo has relaunched their site for 2010, so I’ll have plenty of blogging material. ‘Till then!

Well. It’s happening. By the time this is posted I’ll be in a plane somewhere high above the American South. Unless the flight is canceled, or my plane crashes. I’d rather not think about that though.

I’ll be gone three whole weeks. I’ve been away from home longer than that, but never somewhere as far and as foreign as Texas. (No offense to any Texans reading.) My mother and I will be staying with some friends, but I’ve only met one of them from when she came to stay with us this summer. She seemed to do fine being away from home, and she didn’t even have her Mommy with her like I do. I’m not nearly as adventurous as she is.

But anyway…. as far as a blog is concerned, there really is no leaving or staying. I’ll have access to the Net in Texas, though I might be too busy to post often. But I’ll miss the people I leave behind. My good friends… my parrots… my dog… my dad… even my brothers.

I hope it’s not too hot in Texas this time of year, and that I don’t miss too much of the good part of Autumn. The weather lately has been wonderful. A nice coolness that isn’t too cool. There are tons of butterflies hanging around the front yard, and the acorns are falling in the backyard. (That’s always a sign of seasons changing.) If you look closely you can see a few changed leaves.

It’s kinda funny, but I went on a trip around this time last year too. But it was only to Tennessee so we drove, my brothers came too, and we were staying with family friends. The weather was pretty much the same in Tennessee as Virginia, so we didn’t miss much about Autumn. That was really fun. And, I’m positive I’ll have an absolute blast in Texas. I don’t want you all thinking I’m not looking forward to it, cause this post is sounding depressed. Or maybe I’m just imagining that. =P

Anyway, in other news:

I had a friend over for half of last week. We made chocolate covered strawberries, and watched My Fair Lady and Foyle’s War and Celtic Thunder. Good stuff.

I am now braces-free! I do have to deal with the retainer though. Ah well.

Oh yes, and about that book. The one with Captain Colleen Verge in it. I haven’t finished it yet…. but! I have learned more about Captain Colleen. Her whole family is in the military or scientists, and her brother is married to the Emperor of the Galaxy’s cousin. Cool! Her ship is currently acting as a scout for the rest of the fleet/army, and she had a vision from God! Of sorts… and no, I’m not just reading this for Colleen. It’s a very good book, and all the characters are well rounded and interesting. I will try to finish it soon.

Well… good bye for now, everyone. I’ll try to keep you updated, and I’ll be back in three weeks!

“So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you’ll wait for me. Hold me like you’ll never let me go. ‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane…”