The magic of children.

Magic exists in our world. I have no doubt of it, so long as there are children. Children bring an innocent perspective to our world, an expectation of wonders beyond sight, and a love of the unexplained. Why is it that magic tricks are so treasured by little kids? I suspect it's because they want the world around them to be unexpected, surprising, mystical. When magicians make coins vanish, reappear, and change into other things it reinforces that viewpoint. It's the real reason magicians don't reveal their tricks--because if they did it would ruin the mystery, and make it just a talented performance.

Growing up slowly breaks that mystery, as children learn more and more about the world around them. There are fewer unknowns, greater certainties, and less desire to be tricked. I suppose it's a part of adulthood to let go of such viewpoints, but as a writer and highly imaginative person myself I think there's a certain sadness adults feel when they see how completely children enjoy their own make-believe worlds. It's actually a gift, and I think it's a shame how we tell children to grow up so fast.

There's one final magic of children. No matter what we do, what we say, what we imagine... children grow up. They turn into the next generation of adults, and their dreams become the new reality for a younger world. Be careful about crushing the magic of children...

- M

Quilting, Knitting, and Sewing in General

My wife loves quilting. She's currently making what are called Hexagon Quilts, and is heavily interested in it. I think what she makes is amazing. There is no way I'd have the patience to put such a piece of art together. And what is especially incredible is that there are little paper backings that you use to keep it all together, then take off when it's all connected, so that you can use it again and again and again. Yikes!

Sewing is one of those miraculous things that I would never do in a million years. It bores me, but I'm fascinated watching my wife piece things together. It's like watching a sunset grow in front of your eyes. Magical. Mysterious. Inspiring.

I have great admiration for anyone willing to put in the massive number of hours required to make quilts. The end result is warm, beautiful, and a great heirloom for the family. There are so many varieties of quilts, it boggles my mind (though I should expect such, because we humans are endlessly creative).

So, I tip my hat to all of you who sew. May your needles be sharp and your thumbs protected.

- M

Camp, a summer tradition.

Whenever I think of camp I'm reminded of the hilarious song by Allan Sherman, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah." The song touches such a funny chord because we've all had such experiences. That's the joy of humor, because it twitches against real life in a corny way that makes us laugh. But, camp is so much more than fun. We learn tremendous lessons about life and ourselves.

Camp is a setting we all know, or at least know about. It's relatable, which is probably why the Percy Jackson series has as campground as its main setting. As an audience, we don't need much information to fill out a complete setting. It's simple, easy, and fun. Not many settings are so instantly recognizable.

There are so many great stories to tell about camp, and I doubt I remember them all. I tend to completely forget the bad things, so I have no doubt at all that camp wasn't always roses and balloons, but it really doesn't matter. Fond memories are part of life, and I think we lean toward making highlight reels when we reminisce.

I hope your camping days the best, and I toast all the newest memories.

- M

Godzilla movie review

I love Godzilla. I've watched the old movies, and all the new ones, even the abysmal Godzilla 1985 (featuring Perry Mason--Raymond Burr). Anyway, Godzilla is a great monster/hero. I've never really been able to categorize him, since he does wipe out whole cities yet manages to save the world from even worse things... like giant moths, or a fire breathing turtle. Yup, it's corny, and totally awesome anyway.

The new movie is the highly anticipated return of this amazing creation... and doesn't exactly feature Godzilla at all. For most of the movie the creature is moving from one place to another, completely ignoring all human interaction. For a movie titled after such a legendary creature, it's disappointing that Godzilla isn't in it much until the end. The majority of the story is centered around a family affected by the various tragedies. Sadly, whatever the humans do against the monsters does practically nothing, aside from annoying Godzilla a tad.

It's hard to say why this movie didn't satisfy me. There's giant monsters, lots of explosions, and a workable plot, yet it doesn't work together. I don't like being hard on stories, because I know how much time goes into creating them, especially well-loved stories like Godzilla. Hopefully when I get it on DVD it will be more enjoyable, since at that point I won't be hanging onto such high hopes and will let it stand on its own legs. That's probably the biggest issue with legendary characters... excessive expectations. I doubt anyone could live up to the expectations this movie had.

Godzilla, I still love 'ya!

- M

Pifalls that sneak up and attack when we aren't looking

Jump scares, loud noises, sudden drops, and all kinds of nasty killing devices qualify as traps. My first introduction to traps was in the very old game "Pitfall!" It drove me absolutely nuts. It seemed that wherever I went there was something intent on killing my guy. It was created in the style of the starting sequence of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and had a nifty feel of adventuring to it. Despite the aggravation, the game was fun and I learned to love traps of all sorts.

Stories use traps a lot, even if it's just a cat jumping out at the audience. Sure, I'm stretching the concept a bit, but the idea is a trap is frightening. Anyway, traps challenge the characters. It creates imminent danger, risk, and tests the mettle (great word, look it up!) of the participants. All good stuff, and more important, it keeps the audience invested in the health and well-being of the story. We hate seeing our favorites in trouble, yet love the action.

One other thing about pitfalls is that villains get the opportunity to attack without doing it personally. These traps don't necessarily point directly toward them, and may even put the blame on innocents. However they're used, villains love poking the heroes and making life difficult for them.

Finally, pitfalls are incredibly fun to think up. I used to draw traps during class (erm, sorry teachers), and still enjoy coming up with them. My personal favorites were traps that looked initially innocent; like stepping on a pressure plate that triggers nothing obvious, but begins a sequence which ends with a slab of stone squishing the unfortunate victim. Maybe one day I'll write an underground adventure and get to use that one...

- M

Stereotypes: the bad, but also the good

These days the idea of stereotypes is bad. Very bad usually. It's as though the notion of grouping things by common type is unnatural and should be forbidden. In reality we group things all the time. Trees. Cars. Houses. And, yes, people. There are all sorts of categories: religion, race, gender, politics, psychology, and on and on and on. And, in stories all this adds up to a very useful concept. With few words, a whole character is created... "He was hunched, lurching about on crooked legs as he raved about corrupt politicians and insane laws." Yup, very stereotyped (and really corny) but you have an idea of the character and motivation.

Of course, fiction isn't reality and as such, stereotypes are great to force the audience into a particular mindset. Detective/mystery stories tend to do this to divert attention away from the real masterminds. Drop a dopy country hillbilly into a story and the audience immediately forms stereotypes. Now, it's up to the author to direct those impressions in certain directions, and it's amazingly tough for the audience to go against it (though they may not even want to anyway).

In the end, stereotypes are general categories. They aren't much good for individuals, because generalities break apart under scrutiny. Everyone is different up close. That's true in life as well as stories. Be careful how they're used and all is well, but be careless and stereotypes are as nasty as our culture believes. The main thing is to remember that stereotypes are a tool, like any other, and it all depends on how you use them.

- M

Little eccentricities that define us -- or how weird are you really?

Do you have any eccentricities? Any quirks, oddities, or crazy things about you?

I'm sure my kids could make quite the list, but for me it's my music. My best friend laughs because I actually have a sound check in my playlist. Honest. It checks left and right speakers, but I love it. It's catchy to me. If you read this, Bert, yup I still listen to it on occasion. But, one of my favorites is a wildly popular worldwide sensation most Americans have never heard of: Jean Michael Jarre (he actually holds several world records for most attendance at concerts, something like 2 million at one of his outdoor concerts). Anyway, if you've never heard Oxygene part 2, then take a listen because I'll bet you recognize it.

I think deep down we like the crazy stuff we humans do. It makes us more real, less perfect, and completely baffling. If aliens ever do show up, we will be as indecipherable to them as they are to us. Truly, we can't even keep our languages from changing over a mere hundred years, not to mention all the languages that have vanished entirely.

There is such tremendous versatility in the worlds around us that we pick up something we like and never let go. In many ways we are just a collection of stuff we like. There's nothing wrong with admitting it now and again.

So, go out and freak your friends out by showing something you've never let go before. Revel in your silliness, and flare those quirks. It's good for you!

- M

World building. When it's done well...

Tolkien's Middle Earth is likely the most well known fictional world, but in modern days there are others which have been successful as well: Panem (The Hunger Games), recreated Greek gods (Percy Jackson), zombie apocalypse (World War Z), and Westeros (Game of Thrones). Of course, that's not an all-encompassing list. These worlds engage their audiences, make them care, and feel as real as we desire our fiction to feel--which is to say, we love them.

I've read many books about how to build a world, imagine the ecosystem, how it all fits together, and what needs to be present for everything to work. But, in the end, such detail matters most to the writer. The audience only cares about how interesting it is, how understandable it is, and that they don't need PhDs in Anthropology, Botany, and Geology to immerse themselves in the story. Still, with a fully featured world it's much easier for both audience and author to lose themselves into it and become part of the story in a greater way.

The new Planet of the Apes movies demonstrate how to get it right. I loved both movies, and a big reason was how successful the world became to me. It's all about the end result. Fishing seems like a good analogy for world building, since there is a feel to what's right, where to cast, and how the fish will react. When your world feels right, it'll work as you want. Like what you do, have passion for the worlds you make, and people will too.

- M

Movie review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Two words: See it!

Even if you haven't seen the previous movie (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), this movie stands on its own legs. Once again, the main character is the ape known as Caesar--who now is the leader of a thriving ape colony. He has earned the respect of every ape, and humans haven't been seen in 10 years. Then... yup, humans show up and throw it all into chaos again. However, don't be cross with the setup because it's completely believable and follows through.

What impressed me most was how lifelike the animated apes were. They are totally realistic (far beyond the amazing graphics of the Jurassic Park dinos). I saw it in 3D, but honestly, it doesn't add anything to the viewing. I'd recommend seeing it in regular 2D so the distraction of 3D won't detract from the story.

And, the story is amazing! Everything that happens flows from what's before it. The tension comes from watching as two species come inevitably to blows, where hot-heads on both sides flare up and bring on the war. Despite this, the viewer is struck with sincere sympathy for the apes and their desire to survive. Sure, the humans are in the story too, but we all know these movies are about the apes.

What surprised me most is that the Gary Oldman character isn't as crass and cowardly as the trailer led me to believe. He is doing the very thing Caesar is doing, trying to protect his community. I won't give anything away, but he is fantastic for the part he plays.

All of the actors, ape and human, are wonderful. There was definite chemistry between the cast, and that sweeps the story to epic scale. It's a neat feeling to see a classic being born, and this is certainly one of them. These movies (a trilogy is a given) will take their place proudly beside the originals. I can't wait to see this one again, and look forward to the third.

- M

ps. What's the deal with movies no longer being numbered? If you don't know the order, it's not very obvious. In my mind, Dawn is before a Rise. Oh well. Hopefully the trend is short lived.

Treasure boxes, and my own box of special things

Some time ago my father brought home from Ecuador a nicely carved ivory-inlaid desk box. It became my treasure box, where I stored any trinket I valued. I've since added a bullet from Gettysburg (found by my grandparents before it became illegal to pick up such things), ash from the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, and a long series of neat items that I still treasure. Funny how items become valuable purely because of emotional connections to events or people. Maybe one day my box will actually contain treasure!

Since I was a kid, I've loved the idea of hidden treasure. Sadly, the concept of buried pirate treasure isn't very true, though there are some real cases I'll bet. However, that hasn't stopped people from searching for buried treasure all over the globe. Finding treasure is everyone's secret dream, I think, because it represents sudden wealth. If it wasn't, then shows like "Antique's Roadshow" wouldn't be popular, and people wouldn't buy metal detectors to go to beaches and find shiny goodies.

Because of all this, I'm a sucker for a good treasure story. The movies, "National Treasure" 1 and 2, are among my most played--partly because they are great popcorn movies, but also due to the riddles and treasure seeking. It seems every generation has a fine treasure story crop up at some point. That's a good thing, because I believe we all need adventure stories that dangle shiny objects in front of us. Bring on the treasure!

- M

Dreams, dreamscapes, and the power of dreaming

Our cat, up from a window ledge cat-nap

When we sleep, we dream. It's something we all do. But, dreams hold a special kind of fascination for many people. They want interpretations, understanding, and occasionally feel something prophetic happened. I've never seen any strong reasoning about why we dream, though it appears without dreams (REM sleep) that our bodies don't actively rest. So, without dreams we go a bit psycho. That's a great story concept, which authors have used to great effect before.

Anyway, it amazes me how powerful the dreaming experience can be. There are stories about people even dying due to dreams, or seeing Heaven, meeting ghosts, or seeing things that haven't happened yet. I'm not sure what the sleeping mind is up to, but the result has a strong effect on the dreamer. After all, why else would we wake in a cold sweat, heart pounding, scared out of our minds, yet have hardly any recollection of what we dreamt. And, the times we do remember, it's like we only catch the high points, as the strands of the dream flutter away.

To me, the mind is tossing and connecting and churning our life experiences into some kind of mental stew. What comes out is anyone's guess, but it sure is entertaining. Perhaps there's some truth that our brains are attempting to work out solutions to problems we had the previous wakefulness. I don't have a clue. But, the power of those dreams is undeniable. I don't doubt our world is filled with dreams worked into reality. People do such things constantly. We are a rascally lot.

We live. We play. We dream.

- M

Spring rains, Summer sunshine, Fall colors, and Winter chills.

Ah, the glory of the seasons. They are the inspiration of poets, the muse of composers, and the idyllic landscapes of artists. Vivaldi scored his great "Four Seasons" based solely around the concept of changing weather throughout the year. What a wonderful world we live in!

It's easy to gape and stare at the world around us. I'm actually fairly colorblind (not entirely, but shades of colors utterly elude me), yet even I can enjoy the Fall and the myriad colors around me. I'll admit not liking the Summer heat, and I love Winter and all of its sparkling snow. Everybody enjoys different things about the Seasons, and everyone has different reasons why they do. But, we all enjoy the world around us. It's magnificent in its variety and forms.

That's one thing I believe we can all agree on. Changing weather is a good thing. Sure, the Caribbean has terrific temperate weather, but without the cool breezes I'm sure it wouldn't be nearly as fine. And, yes, there are parts of the globe that are very unpleasant (Death Valley, or perhaps Siberia), yet people do go there and stay there. Humans are supremely adjustable in that regard. We go everywhere.

So, let the seasons inspire you . Open up and let what surrounds you fill you up. Smile. It's a glorious day.

- M

The 4th of July. Independence Day! Long live the fighters!

Here in the United States of America we celebrate another Independence Day this July 4th--our 238th such celebration. Why does it matter to remember? What lessons can we learn from our past? How important is it that we never forget? More importantly, should we teach the next generation about it?

Basic freedoms were the breaking point of the American colonies. The first Continental Congress had attempted diplomatic talks with King George, asking for a redress of grievances (put another way: they wanted to file a protest, and ask for new understanding). That attempt failed, or was ignored. Anyway, a second Continental Congress was appointed and they passed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. It lists very specific points, which the Congress felt were too important to ignore. The document was created to announce to the entire world the issues at hand, to lay bare the grievances and allow the world to judge the rightness of the Declaration. I can barely imagine how upset King George was (though the fact it started a war is pretty telling). And, thus, was a new sovereign nation brought into being.

Naturally, I've simplified quite a lot there. But, I believe it's incredibly important to understand why this was done. Most only know of the "No taxation without representation" issue, but that wasn't even in the top 10. Point number 1 ... the King refused to acknowledge our laws. Pretty important thing there. How about number 2? Governors couldn't enforce laws until the King approved them. Number 3? The King wouldn't allow large districts, unless they gave up making their own laws. Wow, the top three are all about the colonies being allowed to govern themselves. How many Americans know this? They need to learn. This was all about freedom! Not simply taxes. The colonies longed to govern themselves, and were even willing to do so under a King, but would not bear being oppressed.

Today, we celebrate the courage of 56 men who put their names on a document which they knew almost certainly marked them for death. Yet, the men did it anyway. I enjoy the story of the famous "John Hancock" signature being so large because Hancock knew King George's eyes were poor and so he signed it so large even the King could read it himself!

Yes, me must teach the next generation. Get a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Read it. Read it to your kids. Read it to each other. The words are eloquent, powerful, and resonate to this day. It still matters. It'll always matter.

Happy Independence Day!

- M

Bullies, bullying, and people who enjoy causing suffering.

It's probably safe to say that we've all encountered bullies. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, there's lots of strong emotion at play. My feelings is that we all have some kind of notion about fairness, and what it means and how to go about it. Within a story, bullies generate a ton of powerful emotions. I don't deny that I'm in the camp that dislikes bullies, so when I find a bully in a story it raises the hair on the back of my neck when they get away with things. Our society frowns on such behavior, but it remains a part of life and probably always will.

There's another segment of this though, and it's often the driving force behind literary/movie villains. For whatever reason, they just love making other people suffer. I'm reminded of the beginning of Despicable Me, where the title character gives a little boy a balloon animal just so he can pop it and cause the little boy to cry. Villains love seeing the hero cry, and, since the audience is rooting for the hero, they shares the hurt and pain. It's a wonderful motivator for the conflict, and gets the audience involved.

However things turn out in stories, though, it goes without saying that in reality bullies rarely get their payback. Maybe that's why we like seeing the villain go down, get crushed, and pounded back into the darkness they came from. But, there are those villains that don't get punished, and they are some of the most legendary villains ever--such as Darth Vader. Whatever the method, bullies are a key feature in stories.

- M

ps. Why are mad babies so unbelievably cute?