Kurt Vonnegut's 8 Rules of Short Story Writing

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages

I quibble with the last one, but Kurt Vonnegut sure knows more about story writing than I do.

God Bless,

Stanley

It's Too Late to Be Thinking...

Yeah, it's kind of late. I don't really have the mental capacity right now to write anything long. My suggestion to you would be to go to White Horse Inn's page ( http://www.whitehorseinn.org/white-horse-inn.html ) I highly recommend their newest podcast called the Gospel of Pragmatism. In it, Mike Horton and Co. discusses the emphasis in American Christianity on experience and testimony. It is an interesting discussion on the relationship between truth and experience. Perhaps a little bit of John Keats is in order?

God Bless,

Stanley

Sculpt the Earth

Do you ever just read about random stuff on the internet? Well, today, I decided to type "avant-garde" into wikipedia. Interesting article, but at the bottom there was a list of related articles. This list was composed of a long list of experimental art, music, and literary movements. I found this to be exceedingly interesting. However, the one that interested me the most was "land art." Land artists sculpt the earth to create works of art. Picture the Nazca Lines only more recent and generally having to do with geometric shapes. Cool right? That's what I thought too! Sounds like a beautiful and amazing medium of art! Now, I'm brainstorming on how to do it. The American River "wilderness" is very close to my house, perhaps that will be my canvas? Such new ideas really excite me! Google "land art" and enjoy some of these works for yourself.

Another idea that was planted in my mind is the concept of "mail art." Mail art is the art of decorating envelopes, postcards, and custom "artistamps." Then, you send it through the postal system. Sounds like a fun way to make art and share it! The lines between normal people and artists are being blurred so normal people like me can partake in the joy of art!

It's come to my attention that I need more extracurricular activities to be attractive to colleges. So, I've been searching for things to do, ways to volunteer, and ways to take leadership. On Tuesday I applied to volunteer at the library (fun!! :D). I am planning to be a camp counselor over the summer; I want to get a job at some point next year or the year after that. Now I have my eye out for ways to improve my status in the eyes of universities. btw, I've also considered finally taking up Tai Chi. I've always wanted to and I plan on finding a place to take classes for that...

Right now, I'm listening to a new band that I like called "From Atlantis." They're re-releasing their ep "Echoes and Answers" in a few days. It's really awesome! It's just typical post-hardcore, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit. Next to me is "Orthodoxy" by Chesterton, "Apocalypse Not!" by Bolch and Lyons, and "Liberty and Tyranny" by Mark Levin. My grandma made me promise to read "Liberty and Tyranny" so since she's coming for Christmas, I have decided to start now so as not to disappoint her.

I have not started on Part 3 of TIAOMEIAS because I need to sufficiently flesh out the next progression. However, I have been thinking about topics for a short story that I will write in one piece.

God Bless,

Stanley

P.S. This month, my blog has had 46 hits from Russia. If you're in Russia and reading this, I appreciate your viewership!

10 Questions Intelligent Christians Must Answer (Psst. I have answers!)

Watch this video before you read my post. Hopefully, it will make you a bit angry, but I also hope it gets you thinking. After you've watched it, feel free to read my answers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDHJ4ztnldQ&feature=related

1. Why won't God heal amputees?

First off, their argument that we need to "rationalize" is exactly paradoxical to what they want. They are assuming that we're wrong and so any attempt to, through our belief system, rationalize our beliefs means that we're making excuses. This is preposterous.

Second, I have to admit. This IS an interesting question. My "excuses" (:P) are these. God does not answer every prayer and God does not heal everyone. Absolutely, God is intimately involved in His children's lives, but often He uses very ordinary means. Sometimes, believers are not healed. It's all part of God's plan. Personally, I can't imagine what it must be like to be an amputee. However, God draws close to Christians who are in this situation. He draws close with His promises and love. Yes, maybe God does have a special plan for amputees. Who are you to plumb the mind of God? God is not a cosmic vending machine. Put in prayer, get out healing. That is not how He works.

2. Why are there so many starving people in the world?

The simple answer is the effects of sin. God created a perfect creation that fell with man in his act of rebellion. Now, we live in a world that is subject to decay and that is ruled by wicked men (aka, all of us.) This is why starving occurs. Starving is a lack of resources and, in almost all cases, is the product of tyranny and corrupt government. Why does God not hear their prayers? Many are not praying to God! Once again, God is not a cosmic vending machine nor does everybody have the ability or desire to commune with Him. The existence of evil and starving is not God's fault, but man's! The question "How can a loving God allow evil to exist" is age old and quite tiresome. Operating from within a biblical viewpoint (aka, reality), it involves some mystery, yes, but the Bible is also quite clear on the point. So, it makes logical sense. However, from a humanistic viewpoint, it makes no sense and cannot be accepted. So atheists sit smugly while we hand them truth and yet they cannot accept it because of their presuppositions about reality.

3. Why does God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible?

I hope this one really raised some red flags. Let's consider the verses that he points to. These are all from the justice system of the Israeli state that were instituted by God. Is God somehow not allowed to institute laws that He sees fit? Also, I would point to this covenant being fulfilled in Christ. This was a type and shadow of Christ's fulfillment of the covenant. As my teacher Mr. Uttinger would put it, the Jews were like kindergarteners with lots of rules. Now that the new covenant has been revealed, these rules have been simplified. We are "adults." The bottomline is that these are laws instituted by God and thus these people are not innocent. The only innocent person in the Bible to die is Jesus Christ.

Next, notice this quote, "It doesn't make any sense, does it? Why would a loving God want us to murder our fellow human beings over such trivial matters?" There are so many problems with this, I don't know where to begin. First, God's laws need not make sense to man's sinful mind. Second, just because He's loving, doesn't mean He isn't just. God isn't this fuzzy bunny rabbit in the sky. He is a righteous and just being. Third, it isn't murder if it is instituted by God and is justified. Last, and this is the main problem, these things are NOT trivial. God has instituted them and they violate His holiness. To call that trivial is blasphemy! I cannot stress how wrong this is! God's laws are many things, but trivial is not one of them.

4. Why does the Bible contain so much anti-scientific nonsense?

This question is stupid, because it doesn't. The Bible does not contradict Science. Where Science contradicts the Bible, it is wrong. Yes, miracles occurred, but they were just that, miracles. Miracles are a special act of God in His creation. God made the world! He can do anything He wants!

The things this video's creator lists? They all happened because the Bible says so and science does not contradict 6 day creation or a flood. Now, crap masquerading as science called the theory of evolution does, but that's fiction, not science.

5. Why is God such a proponent of slavery in the Bible?

The Bible was written at a time that slavery was a common and economic practice. People sold themselves into to slavery to pay debt and conquered peoples were placed into slavery. Now, to my knowledge, the Bible never portrays slavery as a good thing. It merely acknowledges it's existence and acts within a society where it is present. Clearly, the slavery of the South (what people think of when you say slavery) was wrong not for the simple fact that it was slavery, but it was morally wrong because of the racism, hatred, abuse, and hypocrisy that had become part of it. God uses slavery as a punishment for His people. Obviously, this is not being a proponent of it, but rather, acknowledging the sadness of such a state. It's not portrayed as something lovely, but it's portrayed in it's stark reality.

6. Why do bad things happen to good people?

Oh, the classic question. Will this question ever stop coming off the lips of snarky atheists? I doubt it because it once again allows them to curl up in their false presuppositions and thumb their noses at reality. This question largely hinges upon a misunderstanding of God and a misunderstanding of the word "good." No one is righteous. Not one. Therefore, the only bad thing to ever happen to a good person was the suffering Christ endured on earth. Now, by worldly standards of good, I can even explain this. God never promises that things will be lovely and rosy for His followers. In fact, just the opposite is promised! We must take up our cross and we are to expect to be hated and mocked. The prosperity Gospel is a lie. Being "good" doesn't earn you a nice life. Bad things happen to people for a variety of reasons. All are because God ordains them, but they tend to have a variety of reasons. One is that it's a logical outcome of their actions. Another is that God is teaching someone to trust Him or to come to Him or maybe even He is testing an individual. Ultimately, God makes the call and God's calls are the best calls. End of story.

7. Why didn't any of Jesus' miracles leave behind any physical evidence?

My initial answer would be that I am physical evidence of Christ's miracles. His work on the cross has effected a real and physical change in, not only me, but Christians through all time. The more practical (from a rationalistic point of view) is that the nature of the miracles themselves would not leave evidence. (Other than the Bible, of course. :P) Miracles like healing a sick man or giving sight to the blind would not leave behind physical evidence. These men would later go on to die. Clearly, we can't tell what happened to them in these respects based on their bones. What are you looking for? A newspaper article? Take it from the men who were there and just read the Gospels.

8. How do we explain the fact that Jesus has never personally appeared to you?

Because he never said he would. Again, prayer is not a token we put into the God machine and we receive something we asked for. Christ never said he would appear to me, thus I do not expect him to. Plus, who am I test God and order Him to come down and present Himself to me? That's unfaithful and incredibly arrogant.

9. Why would Jesus want you to eat his body and drink his blood?

Well, this is another question born of a poor understanding of Scripture. Jesus DOESN'T want me to eat his body and drink his blood. Cannibalism is wicked. Christ was using this imagery figuratively to explain His death. He was instituting a sacrament whereby we may commune with him. We partake only through faith.

10. Why do Christian get divorced at the same rate as Non-Christians?

Now, I would really like to see where he got this statistic. I admit that divorce takes place in the church, but I find it highly improbable that it takes place at the same rate as non-Christians. How come I don't know more divorced Christians? Also, the real power of God is present with His people and thus would not allow this to happen. However, Christians do get divorced. Christians are still humans and they are still works in progress. Christians sin and they still make mistakes. But, the point is that they are not bound to sin and that they are being guided by God in a sanctifying process.

I hope that this interested you immensely and it prepared you to give a defense of your faith.

God Bless,

Stanley

Christopher Hitchens as the next St. Augustine? Only By God's Grace

Perhaps you've heard the name of Christopher Hitchens? Yes, that famed "antitheist" (not atheist) who is not only a witty and articulate man, but also currently suffering from cancer. I only pray that his cancer and, in his own words, his "lucky if I only live another 5 years," realization will put life in perspective. Perhaps God is grabbing Mr. Hitchens by the shoulders and shaking him? I pray this is the case. Clearly, Mr. Hitchens is a brilliant man who understands non-Christian thought and fights for it in an incredibly intelligent manner. Now, with his cancer, perhaps God is using this? God can use anything to bring us back to Him. Indeed, Mr. Hitchens was raised in a nominally Christian home and went to a Christian school. Maybe God planted a seed? It would be beautiful if this seed blossomed into a brilliant apologist for the Christian Faith. His story brings St. Augustine to mind. Augustine used his brilliant oration and sharp mind to fight against Christian thought. Once God brought him back, then St. Augustine understood pagan thought and was thus empowered to battle the Lord's enemies even more effectively! Maybe this is only wishful thinking. Mr. Hitchens has hardened his heart so much, however nothing is impossible for the Lord. It would be an amazing victory for the Lord if Mr. Hitchens was brought into the fold. Let's pray for his salvation and for his health to be restored.

God Bless,

Stanley

Part 2

Part 2

A sharp grinding noise fills the air as the massive wire gates open to permit my entrance into the main grounds of the compound. The tiny iron rhombi quiver as the fences drag across the ground. This noise carves its name into my brain. A tiny signature that remains permanently. Blink. I am normal. My car accelerates through the chasm between the two gates into the parking garage. Long rows of cars. Stretching out like a sea before me. One spot is open. Awash amidst a sea of steel, one open spot beckons me. I park in it.

353 steps. Yes. That is how many steps there are from the parking garage up to the main block of the sanitarium. The main offices are in the front. With finesse, I navigate their treacherous waters, making sure not to be ensnared by any friendly or talkative peers. I am politely greeted by the other employees, but their greetings are ignored. Barriers between us are being hastily formed within my mind and upon my face. Soon, they will learn. Instead, I quicken my pace and lengthen my stride. Another 278 steps. Then, I stop. I am face to face with a white door with a tiny window. This is the entrance to my wing. It is my charge. It is my kingdom. A blast of cold air hits my face as I enter a long hall. A vast, quiet, empty void. On all sides it is lined with cells occupied by slumbering lunatics. These are my citizens. Here in my white tile kingdom. Tile.

The silence that fills these halls is entirely deafening to my ears. This was unacceptable. With a slight twitch of the corner of the mouth, I proceeded to open my jaw and scream. A million invisible clones screamed back in my face. They took flight through every cell and wall in the entire block of cells. With pleasure, I see the eyes of my citizens opening their eyes wide. Their matted hair and horrific visages focus upon me as they join in the chorus. These beasts rattle their cages and wail as their lungs force their air through their throats. This cacophonic symphony is music unto my ears. No silence to scar my mine with its purity. Just the unending signature of chaos and suffering.

Then, with a royal stride, I survey my kingdom. Upon a close examination, my block contains a total of 17 inmates. My block contains 20 cells and yet houses only 17 men. This is a source of disappointment to me. I will be diligent to see that those other three cells be filled. Upon resuming my old place at the head of the hall, I addressed my kingdom. Only one man in the back babbled endlessly through my oration.

“My citizens!” booms my voice down the tile Kingdom. “Today a new dynasty has instituted itself into Block 6C. Your old master has been deposed and my masters have seen it fit to put you in my charge. My position of authority demands your respect. I will not tolerate disrespect. This block will be run with clockwork efficiency. Is this entirely clear? Of course it is. Today, I will meet with each one of you in The Room at the end of the hall. This will be a simple meet and greet. For now.” With these words, I stride at breakneck speed to the door at the end of the hall and slam it. Once the sound of the echo dies away, only faint babbling disturbs the pure silence.

God Bless,

Stanley

Lay Out a Fleece? Repeat Gideon's Mistake?

In a study of Christ's temptation, the second temptation can very well be a mystery. Clearly, since Satan himself is offering it, Christ must resist. However, there is something deeper going on here that is easy to miss. Satan quotes Scripture to Christ to show that it was lawful. Indeed, his actions were lawful! However, as Paul says, "All things are lawful for me but not all are helpful." The temptation being placed before Christ was to test the promises of God. Would God deliver on all the things He said He would do? God had said these things concerning you, now how about putting it to the test? Perhaps a common Christian cliche would be to say "lay out a fleece." This brings me to my subject. Why do Christians say this? It honestly baffles me. If you feel God may be leading you somewhere but you really aren't sure, should you, as some would say, lay out a fleece? I would point out that the answer to this question is complicated. As a Christian, we can't always be entirely sure where God is leading us. That is part of following God and trusting Him. We know that God has command of the tiniest detail of History, but "laying out a fleece" is just a sign of a lack of trust in God. There is a difference between not knowing exactly where God is taking you and trusting that He knows what he's doing. The origin of this phrase is due to a lack of understanding of the Bible. It originates from the story of Gideon laying out a fleece before God. Now, this wasn't an honorable thing! This wasn't Gideon's finest hour! Gideon was suffering from a lack of trust in God and his needing a fleece is not a monumental act of the Christian Faith. Is this where we want to get a phrase that is considered sound advice? Let me briefly add that Gideon was a great man and yet human. He suffered from our human frailties. But, should we coin a common Christian cliche of his failings as sound advice? I would like to assert that this should not be the case. Trusting God is hard but laying out a fleece should not be our answer. The Word of God is our answer. If God has chosen a path for you He will open and close doors. God will make it clear. Sometimes it's simply our sin that blinds our eyes to God's blatant will.

God Bless,

Stanley

P.S. Sorry about not posting over the weekend. I was just relaxing. I'm still working on part 2 of TIAOMEIAS. Hope to have that up sometime this week and I have some other topics written out that I would like to address.

The Incredible Account of My Employment in a Sanitarium

Part 1

Pure silence on white tile. Tile. Tile. A spotless white covers the walls. Upon it rests a mathematical grid of grout. The walls mirror the purity of the silence. Slowly, my eyes begin to trace the grout grid. Angles. Lines. Vertices. Then the faint whir of an air conditioner kicks in. The hypnotic hum lulls my drowsy mind. Until, I hear the pounding of the clock. My eyes race to locate the source. They fix upon a small white clock camouflaged amongst the tile. Tile. So much tile. Harder and harder it pounded. Blinded by billions of tiles and assaulted by the sound of ticking. Hammering harder into my skull, the tiny wall clock becomes a church bell and consumes my consciousness.

Then, the door clicks open. It’s a wonder that I heard the tiny noise over the roar of the ticking reverberating through my brain. That simple noise ripped me violently from my intense reverie. Silence again. Relief. Footsteps mar the silence and echo through the room as a man in a suit jackets enters. Only the sound of his footsteps dance off the walls as he seats himself opposite me. Our gazes meet. Immediately, he wavers and breaks the connection. He decides to shuffle papers in his hands instead. He nervously clears his throat before speaking.

“Mr…” (he squints at the paper in his hand. He needs glasses.) “…. um…. Mr. Forsythe? Charles Forsythe is it?” he finally manages to say.

I nod in approval. Not expecting this reaction, the woefully blind man again chooses to shuffle his papers. Up until this point, my brain cells had been priming themselves to cleverly meet the inquisition, but it was clear that this would be no interrogation. Indeed, it was hardly an interview. It seemed more like an awkward formality. You would not find a more qualified man for the job. The blind man spoke more awkward words and asked more vague questions to which I gave satisfactory answers. I will not suffer you the words this boorish man spoke to me. Suffice to say, he left the white room in a terrible hurry. Not unlike a bird freed from it’s cage.

Again, I sat and waited. With a thump, the air conditioner proceeded to shut itself off. Silence once again descended upon the tiny white room. Soon, my eyes began to ache from the intense glare of the tiles. Those tiles. I rub my eyes and close them for a moment. In the darkness, the door opens behind me. Opening one eye, I see another taller and more intelligent looking man enter. His business-like air prompts me to rise to meet his outstretched hand, which he shakes with an uncommon vigor.

“Mr. Forsythe, I want to congratulate you. We’ve decided to offer you the position. I hope you’ll accept it. We’d be lucky to have you, sir.” He was clearly flattering me, but I didn’t care. I had gotten the position. Upon accepting it, he respectfully escorted me to the gates and gave me instructions for my commencement.

Walking back to my apartment, I took a short reprieve on a park bench. There I smoked my pipe and absorbed the diversity of activity within the park. Finally, my mind’s vast scope narrowed to a point and considered what I would encounter in my new occupation. Many fanciful notions filled my head of men screaming, rambling, and mutilating themselves. Though this would indeed be present, I did not have the capacity to consider the incredible nature of those individuals which one does not believe to exist in such an environment.

Comments? I am currently writing part 2. I'm also brainstorming an idea for a story to enter the ACSI contest this year. Gotta make it good...

God Bless,

Stanley

Sorry to Disappoint

Yes, sorry to disappoint. I don't have the time tonight for an in depth theme to pursue. I have memorization I need to do this evening. However, I have finished the first brief section of my story and I will be posting it tomorrow. The title of my work will be "The Incredible Account of My Employment in a Sanitarium." I may choose to change the title if a sufficiently better one pops into my mind. But for now, that is it. I will attempt to post sections of it as I finish them, but they will not be consecutive. I'm going to set a goal for one section a week. So, I'll try to hold myself to it. Hope you have a good evening and I hope you will enjoy the first installment tomorrow!

God Bless,

Stanley

Welcome to Church. Wait. This Is a School.

America solving the problem of religion in school? Yeah. Like THAT'S gonna happen. They always say that the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one. Publics schools have yet to do this. Those up in arms fighting religion (aka Christianity) in public schools under the guise of the separation of church and state need to realize the menace that is lurking undetected in our schools. Oh wait. That's their religion... Oh. Then it must be ok.

Clearly, the public schools would like us to believe that they are a sanctuary of unbiased thinking. There cannot be a more blatant lie. The institution that daily teaches most of our children and teens is BRAINWASHING your child. gasp! Did I just use the word brainwash? Brainwashing only applies to religious groups like Christians! Common misconception. Any form of education is brainwashing. You have to be teaching from a specific point of view or else it's not a coherent system of knowledge. So really, my "controversial statement" was quite obvious and mundane. Anyways, the point is that public schools clearly teach a humanistic, atheistic, and evolutionist point of view. This, in and of itself, is a religion. Everyone has a religion. They have to worship somebody.

Human beings can never be neutral. You cannot serve God and (insert personal idol here.) The public school system will never "solve" the problem of religion in education because it's physically impossible. Public schools worship man in their thinking and brainwash the masses, who don't know better, to think this way too. We're raising a generation of socialist evolutionists and a majority of them don't even know it. To me, the prospects appear bleak. I don't see Christianity gaining widespread popularity in the public schools nor do I see public schools abandoning humanistic thinking. And yet, the need for an education for the underprivileged is still present. I'm not smart enough to come up with a solution for this catch-22. I hope some men who are much smarter than me can though.

I've been thinking about writing a story and posting sections of it here on the blog. I've got the general story arch going but I need a title and I need to channel my inspiration correctly. I also need to get over my laziness and sit down to write it. I've got some work to do, but I hope that it will be a good story. I'll let you know when the first section is coming.

God Bless,

Stanley