Book View

If you want to know more about someone, read their favorite book. This one is mine. :)

The Forge

Taking an idea and turning it into something real is what creative people do. Art, music, books, fashion, film -- they're all the products of the mind. We imagine something, and we bring that to the forge of our talents and materials and work it until we can express it through a sensory creation. Whether we're writing a novel series or knitting a pair of socks for grandmother, it all comes from the same place inside us.

Some of the ideas I've had this month can be distilled down into one word: bookworlds, dreamery, nagusame, rosegirl, shadowz. It's not always possible to condense an idea this way, but I try to use keywords to tag the idea in my head for easy future reference.

Is there such a thing as too many ideas? I'm not sure. I've never gone more than a few days without having a new one pop into my head. I think it's more about idea management. I can't work on everything I want to do at the same time because I'd never finish anything. Instead, I give priority to the strongest and clearest ideas and work on as many as I feel that I can manage each day. Usually that's two or three. The rest I record in my desk journal or outline and then set aside.

Sometimes an idea that starts out strong dwindles or fades as I work it. When I feel certain I won't be able to see it through to completion I will set it aside. Often I go back later, look it over and try again. Two years ago I spent six months forging a strong idea, lost confidence in it, but was able to pick it up again and finish after taking a break for a few months. The end result turned out beautiful, too.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Eternal

The King ~ Eternal Monarch is a Korean television series that mixes up fantasy, alternative history and dimensional time travel with an epic romance between a female cop from our world and the king from a parallel universe. Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun are splendid as the protagonists, and have a stellar cast to work with as they try to solve a 25-year-old mystery involving the assassination of the king's father and a failed coup. While jumping back and forth between their universes they also discover an ongoing conspiracy the spells disaster for both worlds. The situation becomes even more complicated when they fall in love.

This series has a lot to offer, especially with the romance, which steadily grows from unlikely to epic. The special effects are very cool, and yet don't overwhelm the story. The antagonist is as smart as he is evil, which made him more appealing to me as a character.

There is a fair amount of blood and violence but nothing gratuitous, and it seemed appropriate to the story. You can also expect plenty of product placement (kind of a given with most high-budget Korean television series these days) but I don't mind that. I know that will seem weird from a Westerner's perspective, but I think of it as incorporated commercials.

I liked the finale of this series, too -- it wasn't the Disney-style happily ever after ending I was expecting, but something much more fun and interesting. Available on Netflix in the US.

With Time

The strawberries are teaching me patience this spring, and the art of living in the moment. I pick about a half-pint now every few days, which is usually just enough for one dessert or snack. Then I must wait on the sun and time to ripen more. But we don't get tired of strawberries because we have too much or can have them any time we want. Good life lesson. :)

Serenity

Watercolor painting is very calming for me. I think it's the fluidity and the delicacy of the medium that appeals to my nature. When I start painting I forget about my troubles and worries and just flow with it.

May you find your serenity in something beautiful today.

Home Baked

This recipe for crumb coffee cake doesn't require any fancy ingredients, uses one pan and tastes delicious. It's my guy's favorite dessert. The only change I've made to the recipe was to add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter.

Drying Herbs

The oregano is growing like a weed in the kitchen garden, so it's time to harvest and dry some stalks.

My house is a bit too humid for air-drying the herbs we grow, so instead I use the oven to preserve them for future use. To do the same, set your oven temperature to 170F. Place a baking sheet with your herb stalks on the top rack, leave the door slightly open, and bake for 10-15 minutes, turning once. I shut off the oven and leave the sheet in overnight, and then crumble the leaves into an airtight container in the morning.

If completely dry the herbs should keep for six months.

Star Crossed

Tune in for Love is a really lovely movie about two people who should fall in love but that Fate keeps tearing apart. Despite the premise it's far more realistic than most k-dramas, and has two very talented lead actors (bias disclaimer: I'm a dedicated fan of Jung Hae In.) Available to watch on Netflix in the US.

Haiku

Morning dew my crown
I bloom for only your eyes
see the spring of me

Image by gamagapix from Pixabay

Ice Cream Alternative

One of my favorite vegan recipes is nice cream, a delicious, cheap, sugarfreee alternative to ice cream. It's also very simple to make.

For about a pint and a half I froze four peeled overripe bananas and six sliced strawberries from our kitchen garden, then chopped them up and put them in my food processor with two healthy splashes (about four tablespoons) of coconut milk. You can also use soy milk, regular milk or half-n-half instead of coconut milk. Process on mix or puree until it breaks down and blends into the desired texture. I also stop the processing every couple of minutes to scrape the sides of the bowl.

The result is almost exactly like ice cream, and has a lovely strawberry-banana flavor. You won't be throwing out those overripe bananas anymore, either -- just put them in the freezer until you're ready for another batch. :)

By Any Other Name

I put a lot of work into finding names for my characters. I probably own fifteen resource books about first names, and I search online name sites, too. When I find a name I like, I'll write it out and say it out loud several times to see how it looks and sounds. I research the origin and meaning, and then try it on for size as I'm writing to see if it feels like the character (that goes for their surname as well as their first.)

I like names with alternative spellings, or a vintage sound, or those that aren't used very often these days. I think a great name is one that is as interesting and memorable as the character, but it should also be common enough that it doesn't jar the reader every time it appears on the page. The one thing I've never done is name a character in my stories after someone I know in RL. That just seems inappropriate (and a bit creepy) to me.

For my new series I had to first learn how Korean names are structured and the meanings behind them, and then I had to research every name I chose for the members of my group to assure that a current K-pop idol wasn't already using it. I also decided not to use family names (what we think of as surnames) in the series for all but one of the members, but instead refer to them by their stage name. In book one I do reveal the main dancer's full name as part of a funny scene at the end of the story, but that's all.

Image by TinaDemianchuk from Pixabay

Heartbreaker

My Mister is a Korean television series that made me almost grateful for my troubles, because they are nothing compared to what the two main characters have to deal with in this suspense drama. As I watched the first episode I thought it would be another office life/corporate politics story, but then it just kept expanding and becoming more intense as the conflicts tangled and twisted.

It broke my heart a bunch of times, too. I became deeply invested in nearly all the characters, and for the first time felt the serious weight and worry that family and position has for most Koreans.

I don't recommend this show for anyone who is triggered by portrayals of physical violence against women (and although not very frequent they were difficult for me to watch, too), but otherwise it's an absorbing and heart-wrenching series.

Small Pleasures

#10: Being able to walk out to the kitchen garden and fill a bowl with fresh, sun-warmed strawberries.

Resolved

Today I will paint something and post it on the blog. :)

Results:

Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

Watercolor by Rayen

Better than Fried

I cut some chives from the kitchen garden to make garlic-chive baked fries for dinner. This is a great side dish for veggie burgers.

Click here for the recipe from Taste of Home.com.

Switch Play

Are You Human Too? is a Korean television SF show that tells the story of an android taking the place of his human twin, the heir to a chaebol (rich family) conglomerate. Nam Sin (the human) is badly injured during an assassination attempt and ends up in a coma. While enemies plot to kill Sin and take over the corporation, his robot alter must step into his shoes to hold his place in the hierarchy, and learn what it means to be human.

I discovered this show via a bunch of fanmade videos on Youtube that really intrigued me. Sadly I couldn't find it on Netflix, so I invested in the DVD version. It's going to take me a while to watch all 36 episodes, but so far it's been definitely worth the price. Seo Kang-Joon, the actor who plays both the android and the human, is totally convincing as two different versions of the same man. Lots of fun and action and romance, and some interesting special effects, too.

Soul Perch

“Hope” is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops - at all

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest Sea
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

-- Emily Dickinson

Image by Marco Federmann from Pixabay

On the Fence

When I have to make a decision I prefer to get it over with rather than worry about or overthink it. The few times I end up stuck on the fence is when I have too many choices or I'm tired. Right now I'm a bit of both. I'm still not convinced of what should be the next step for me; I have multiple options available to me but none of them seem to be the clear path. I'm also working on resetting my sleep schedule so I'm not up all night working, and that's an exhausting process.

I know I don't want to go back to what I was doing before I made my career change; I've been much happier away from all that, and my income is stable and reliable now. I work with people instead of for them, which I also like. I also choose who I work with, something I couldn't do before now. If you've ever been forced to work with someone you would otherwise personally avoid, you'll understand what I mean.

I'll keep thinking about it for now, but I have to make a decision by the end of summer. I'll be ready to make the jump by then, and I don't want to sit on this fence forever.

Alarming

Love Alarm is a Korean television series that imagines a world in which a phone app alerts the user when someone who likes or loves them is within a ten meter radius. This happens to create a pretty wrenching love triangle between the three main characters, too. If that sounds silly, consider what life would be like if you could never hide your feelings for anyone. On the surface the show might seem like a young adult drama, but it's actually very clever social commentary as well as a cautionary tale about popularity and allowing gadgetry to take over those parts of our lives that are the most intimate.

Season two of Love Alarm just came out on Netflix, so there are fourteen episodes in all now to watch. There are also rumors of a possible third season, but nothing confirmed yet.

New for Spring

The new addition to our front garden.

Succulents look so pretty in a container like this.

Thinking

I checked into how much it would cost to hire someone to write music for my song lyrics. Turns out it's surprisingly affordable -- about $75.00 -- so now I'm seriously thinking about trying it. It's almost like a vanity project; I don't need an actual finished song for a book series. Still, I might do it anyway. What's life if you can't try something you've always admired but never before accomplished?

In the Kitchen Garden

Our strawberries are taking over the kitchen garden, but I don't mind. This week I want to make some strawberry banana nice cream (a vegan version of ice cream) and maybe a chocolate cake with berries and cream for the topping.

There's thyme in the garden now, too, which I'll dry and jar for cooking along with the chives and the oregano.

Next we'll plant cucumbers, as I use a ton of those in our salads and for snacks.

Organic Tea Review

I make a lot of tea; it's my favorite thing to drink when I'm writing. Lately I've been making the switch to organic products, too, so when I saw this tea sampler from South Korea I thought I'd give it a try.

This set comes with four vials of loose tea blends: Green Tea, Black Tea, Green Ginger Tea and Black Lavender Tea. You have to use an infuser when you brew it, but I actually prefer loose teas because I can adjust the amount to my taste versus just brewing a premade bag.

My favorite of the four was the Black Lavender Tea, an excellent blend of black tea, lavender, peppermint and rosemary. It had a wonderful fragrance and didn't taste too minty or herbal. Delicious.

The Green Ginger Tea was a very light but complex blend of green tea, lemongrass, ginger and peppermint. It also wasn't too minty or gingery. The lightness of the blend made it very soothing to drink -- a good calming brew.

The Black Tea was very mellow and smooth, unlike most strictly black teas. It had a distinct tase without being overbearing or astringent. Definitely a great tea for the morning.

I admit I'm not very fond of green tea without something mixed in it, so the Green Tea was my least favorite. It had nice herbal and green notes and a delicate garden fragrance that I liked. I gave this one to a friend who likes green teas more than me.

Note: this is an unsolicited review; I ordered and paid for this product myself.

Again

You can always make one more wish.

Image by jplenio from Pixabay

Dreaming

“A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter in any other way.”
― Caroline Gordon

Image by Rogier Hoekstra from Pixabay

Ateez Zero: Fever Part 2 Unboxing

I discovered Ateez last year as I was researching the top performers and the latest trends in the K-pop entertainment industry. Of all the idol groups I studied I thought Ateez the most promising and talented. Their music always stayed with me, too.

For more research purposes (and to pay back the group for the inspiration they gave me) I preordered all three versions of their latest album, Ateez Zero: Fever Part 2. These came from South Korea, so the shipping cost as much as the albums, but I thought it would be interesting to see what international fans receive when they do this.

This is everything that came from Ktown4u: The three sealed albums, three wall posters and three collectible idol cards in plastic sleeves (the posters and sleeved cards were a preorder promotional bonus.) Everything arrived nicely packaged and in pristine condition.

Each album comes in a very nice sturdy box. I am quite impressed with the quality of the contents, too.

This is what comes in the box: the album CD, a photo book, photo lyric cards, a sheet of stickers and two more individual idol cards. Promoting the images of the performers is basically as important as the music itself, as fans play an integral role in helping the group attain popularity through social media. I'll be listening to the album over the next few days and then I'll write up a review on that.

I'm happy I had the chance to do this. The experience provides much more realistic details for me to use while writing about my own fictitious K-pop idol group, plus it was fun.

Insider Art

"Look into yourself, reader, for you must find Art there, if at all… Art is not something which may or may not be acquired, it is something which you are not or which you are. If a thorough search of yourself fails to reveal the presence of this something, you may be perfectly sure that no amount of striving, academic or otherwise, can bring it into your life. But if you are this something — then, gentle reader, no amount of discrimination and misapprehension can possibly prevent you from becoming an Artist. To be sure, you will not encounter “success,” but you will experience what is a thousand times sweeter than “success.” You will know that when all’s said and done (and the very biggest Butter Baron has bought the very last and least Velasquez) “to become an Artist” means nothing: whereas to become alive, or one’s self, means everything." -- e.e.cummings

Image by Gabriela Piwowarska from Pixabay

To Say Nothing of the Cat

I've been watching a lot of Korean series lately for culture references (and also because I like them.) So far Because This Is My First Life has been the best. It's very well done, superbly acted, and romantic without being ridiculous. Definitely something I'd recommend to anyone.

Haiku

Yesterday's hot tears
cool my hands as I walk through
meadows of regret.

Image by Antonio López from Pixabay

Desk Journaling

I write every day. Most of it is for work, but I also make time to play with ideas in my desk journal. I got into the habit of keeping a blank book on my desk to use for notes while writing, and that evolved into a daily writing/life journal. I track what I'm doing by day, and as I work on multiple projects simultaneously it's become very useful in sorting out different tasks. I can also jot down new and distracting ideas to get them out of my head.

Since I started using the desk journal my handwriting has improved, I'm more motivated and I have a place to put my writing daydreams so they don't scatter my thoughts or my focus. I think it's the best change I've made with my process in a long time.

Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

Harvest

The first two strawberries we picked from the kitchen garden. Time to make a little shortcake.