Tyrean Martinson - writer, daydreamer, teacher, believer.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Monday Motivation - Storytelling Questions and Book Reviews

“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”

-Brandon Sanderson, fantasy and science fiction writer

What questions are you asking in your writing?

BOOK REVIEWS

After the Sky by Milo James Fowler is a thrilling, action-packed and thought-provoking adventure!

In a post-apocalyptic world, survivors who have been trapped in bunkers come up to meet the Earth and find themselves infected by something ... something that changes them, sometimes speaks to them, something that changes their course and destiny. While they may have been segregated into bunkers for specific purposes, those purposes change as they fight to survive in a world where the spirits speak and super-powers are real.

Is Milton hearing voices? Are they in his head or are they real? He's haunted by the sins of his past, and at least one of the spirits seems intent on killing him.

Is Dainya only able to see in the dark or does her vision pierce time and distance to see the future?

And, Luther, is he strong enough to keep his men working towards survival or will he lose his leadership?

I loved this action-packed book filled with thought-provoking moments! Each character may be getting pushed in one direction or another, but they still have powerful choices to make and powerful abilities to use. Not everyone who has survived is on the same side. Not everyone wants abilities. Some will do anything to ensure the survival of a human race that is free from any change - but is that truly human and humane?

This thrilling, post-apocalyptic novel had me on the edge of my seat through the twists, turns, and action-packed plot. 5 of 5 stars!

READING AROUND THE WORLD

Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunnane and Hoda Hadadi is a beautiful story of a young girl in West Africa and her quest to understand the mulafa.

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson is an exciting MG novel about a young woman dog sledder and her quest to win a dog sledding race in the Canadian wilderness while she's losing her vision.

I loved, loved, loved this novel!

And, my dad read it while dog-and-cat sitting and he loved it.

One of the best library reads of 2020 so far.

READING GRAPHIC NOVELS AND GRAPHIC-PROSE MASH-UPS

I am Princess X by Cherie Priest is my second favorite library read of 2020 so far.

It's a mix of graphic novel and prose novel and it's an excellent mystery set in Seattle.

Loved it!

Monday, February 24, 2020

Monday Motivation - What story are you building?

“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”

--Patrick Rothfuss, author

What story are you building right now?

Monday, February 17, 2020

Monday Motivation - Storytelling as a Connection

Before you get too far, please note, I have a post up at the Insecure Writer's Support Group site today on Peering at the Mud of Muddy Middles.

As a writer and a creator, I make the most connections within the realm of storytelling. It's just part of who I am. As I'm working on building up my creative confidence (confident creativity) this year, I've been finding strength in affirming my love of storytelling.

Since I've been blogging very little and I've struggled to make time to really do it well, I'm going to "fill in" my non-IWSG weeks with some Monday Motivation based on storytelling quotes and creativity quotes.

Some of my quotes will come from familiar sources that I know well and some are going to come from random places.

“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.”

- Jimmy Neil Smith,  Director of the International Storytelling Center

What do you think? 

Are stories the strongest connection we can make? 

Is there a way to bond without storytelling?

Although I love storytelling as a form of communication, I hesitate to call them the strongest connection. I loved my children before I told them stories. I sang to them and held them in the first hours of their lives and I don't think I had any stories in me at the time, just love. 

But, what do you think? How powerful are stories in your life?

If you have time, please visit my Muddy Middles post at the Insecure Writer's Support Group website! I'm attempting to find some gems, clues, or wisdom in the muddle middle of writing.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

February 2020 #TheIWSG A Photo Inspiration

GO HERE TO JOIN IN THE FUN!

Many thanks to our founder Alex J. Cavanaugh, we are welcome to release our writing fears into the world and share our encouragement with one another.

The co-hosts today are: co-hosts today are Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and me.

Optional Question: Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

I started my first ever novel (unpublished) based on a newspaper photo that I clipped out - it's the image of a young girl/young woman holding an assault rifle in a crowd of people. Her eyes looked more sad and haunted than angry. I wanted to write about her, but not in the real world.
I had student-taught and subbed in a school district that had agreed to 15 minutes of advertising during the school day each day to have tech installed in every classroom and that seriously irked me - it felt like the schools had sold out to the corporations. The image and that idea just kept swirling in my head.

So, I started a novel about a young woman who is adopted by and indentured to a security corporation which provides security for the leadership of the United Traders, a futuristic group that holds the reins of power in the Milky Way. She is indentured to serve in the military-like group because her mother is indebted to her previous employer - who sued her after her lab experiment back-fired - the same experiment that killed the protagonist's father and brother. I heaped a lot of trouble on this girl and then wondered, what if she has another agenda than the one she's been hired to do? What if, in the midst of all of her pain, she's resisted all the brainwashing they've attempted and she is planning on turning the tables on them, but isn't sure she has the power to do so? What is she going to do with her high-powered assault rifle when an angry mob disagrees with the government and she's ordered to fire upon them? What pain haunts her eyes? What will she do with it?

Anyway, it's sort of finished, but it's a mess. I have tried to re-work it several times, but the story hasn't come out the way I wanted to yet. Maybe someday or maybe this is my trunk book. I don't know.

What I am working on now: The Graphic Novel and Prose Mash-up Revision Edition of Anomalies. I like this version best, but it bothers me that I've been working on this story soooo long.

IWSG NEWS AND UPDATES:

IWSG IS ON INSTAGRAM HERE

IWSG GOODREADS BOOK CLUB HAS CHOSEN THE FEB/MARCH SELECTIONS:

Chill Factor by Sandra Brown or The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

MY NEWS:
I had a flash fiction publication at Every Day Fiction at the end of January. Every Day Fiction is a token paying market and one I would recommend to my fellow short story authors.
To find my story, click here: Flight by Tyrean Martinson

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

January 2020 #TheIWSG

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Ninja Captain!

Co-hosted this month by:

T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff!

Go HERE to sign up!

IWSG AND MY WRITING JOURNEY

OPTIONAL QUESTION: What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?

When I was really small, my grandmother told me stories from her childhood, and mixed in some fairy tales. My parents read to me and told me stories. I wanted to tell stories, but struggled with getting the words out in the right order.

My first short story I remember feeling good about included a top hat that sang and danced (3rd grade).

In sixth grade, a teacher asked me if I wanted to be an author during a creative writing unit. She encouraged me to keep writing and working at my skill. In seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth grades, I had teachers who encouraged me to write and grow into my potential as a would-be author. The trend continued in college. And yet, I still doubted. All the time. (More on that in a moment.)

The earliest story worlds which amazed me as a child included: Peter Pan's Neverland, Star Wars, fairy tales and folk tales, the Bible, Middle Earth, and Narnia. I wanted to write stories like those. I still do.

I love to write. It's bone deep, built into my soul, my memories, my DNA - a combination of nature and nurture.

But, so much of my life I have wasted with self-doubt. When we doubt the passion, purpose, and work God has given us, we lose sight of who we really are.

I am super thankful for the people in my life who have encouraged and supported me - that includes all of my IWSG buddies! Thank you!!!

So, my main goal this year is: Creative Confidence (in Christ).
My secondary goal is the same as last year's primary goal: Small Steps.

All other goals fit under those - even my fantasy/speculative writer mission statement.

I came up with a statement for why I write fantasy because I have been asked why I write fantasy as a Christian. Here it is:

I write fantasy for the children who walk into the school library at lunch recess and the teens who go there during lunch, after they've been pushed on the playground or had tobacco chew spit on their locker. I write to remind them that evil can be defeated with a bucket of water, a lion's roar, an arrow to the heart of a dragon, or a bar of chocolate.

I believe in Jesus as the ultimate hero, but I know fantasy is a great way to show evil overcome by Good. I know because even though I knew the truth of God's love, I was the kid who was pushed and the teen who found tobacco chew spit on my locker. I went to the school library for an escape and needed the reminder that dragons can be defeated by Good.

(This is not meant as a tiny violin whine "my life was so bad" but as the reason I know fantasy can be meaningful.)