The Creative Nerd

Illustrious and Illustrated Books

2010-03-13T16:18:00Z

For this week Booking Through Thursday asked:

How do you feel about illustrations in your books? Graphs? Photos? Sketches?

Short answer: Where appropriate.

Long answer: I can discount non-fiction in my discussion. It's sort of it's own animal in this regard and no one would argue a plan text book about chemistry or craft how-to would be better. Okay, a person can argue anything, but I'm a word geek and I don't argue it.

What I do not like is to see graphical elements shoehorned into the text or otherwise printed in the book when they don't illuminate the story. I can't think of any examples, to be honest, because a book like that is such a turn off.

An idea of what I don't like is the web content that is big in YA novels now. Not every story needs barcode scanner for more goodies online. Artemis Fowl does extended content well. But Artemis and Foaly would have created the content if they were not fictional, so it works in their universe

I think the origin for the best way to use drawing and maps in fiction must trace back to the exacting work of Tolkien. I'm pretty certain my dog-eared copy of The Hobbit had a map in the front. I drew a map of Narnia of a class project, but C.S. Lewis was more an off the cuff writer, so I think the maps are all in my head.

Fantasy and science fiction are, of course, the most often appropriate for maps and diagrams. They do something other fiction doesn't by creating another universe in which to tell a story instead of telling it in our own space-time or the commonly understood past. For that reason, sometimes words are not enough. I'm also open to family trees and other things that make a story real to the reader. In order to save time for you, the reader, I have compiled a short list of books and authors I can think of with graphic elements.

Lloyd Alexander - Young adult fantasy. Would recommend for LOTR fans who are not strong enough readers for the books.

A Wrinkle in Time - Who would read my blog and think I would forget the tesseract? L'Engle books also run toward family trees.

Michael Crichton - When your science fiction is science first, a diagram is perfect.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Coming of age story about a kid who dreams of being a comic book artist.

James A Michener - When your history is epic, you need a map or two.

Think of any I missed? Do tell.

Find Great Booksales

2010-03-12T16:22:00Z

As a rule, I ignore unsolicited email. Of course any insurance marketing professional will tell you, advertising is all in choosing the right words.

When the webmistress of Book Sale Manager emailed me last year, I knew I would not only sign up but also blog about the service. It's a simple idea. But like all ideas, it's making something happen is the trick. Book Sale Manager is a simple database where you can sign up for email alerts for any kind of used book sale. I say simple, but of course, I am incapable of coding even the personal book database I've wanted since I saw my first online card catalog more than two decades ago.

Before I digress to far into my daydreams of huge shelves of books, let me remind you of my running series of book-lover porn in the form of pictures I snap of my book sale hauls on my living room floor. I like to hit a big one every year, then local libraries. Supporting my local library without bring books back is idea for me. Book Sale Manager supports both kinds of sales, so you are always in the loop.

I got another email from Book Sale Manager to let me know the site has been upgraded. It does so much more than email you about a sale now. There is a link maps and GPS. Lots of other goodies, too. Keep your Kindle. I want technology to lead me to where I can get as many books as I can carry for the price of a couple of digital downloads.

Boondock Saints

2010-03-07T11:09:00Z

Hey Jack
Kerouac,
I've written
Once before
I was young
And naive
Didn't understand
How you saw
The sacred
Within the profane.

Now your life
Your words
your drawings
your mistakes
All make perfect
Sense to a sinner poet
Learning to love
boondock saints.

Until we meet,
A fellow Darma Bum,

Christina L. Kubala
Feb 28, 2010

Sometime soon, I'll try to write a poem that isn't based on something. I feel like I need to get an insurance quote just in case the Kerouac estate decides to sue. Then I remember even Shakespeare look inspiration from writers who came before him. There is a reason we often can't remember if a phrase comes from the Bible or the Bard. As for me, I'm still struggling to find my writing voice. Of course, if I stop struggling, I'll stop writing.

Hitchhiker Zen

2010-03-02T07:28:00Z

Writing poems is so much better for stress relief and overall well being then natural weight loss products. For me, nothing works better. I have been experimenting with the haiku for a few months. I hated writing anything but free verse in creative writing classes. I blame Twitter for making me think in short and sweet words.

Oh, and this is a derivative work. Can it be fan fiction if it's not fiction, but metaphor?

Hitchhiker Zen

Today I'm a bowl
Of petunias fell from space
Becoming a whale.

by Christina L. Kubala
March 1, 2010

Change in the Air

2010-03-02T06:57:00Z

Sometimes life is too much for a blogger to talk about. Yeah, like now. So, excuse any oddities you might find for awhile. If only things were always as simple as exciting news about the latest home gyms I'm considering for purchase.

The only important thing here at The Creative Nerd is my renewed commitment to living that label I gave myself when I registered this domain so long ago. My tag line is "from a bookish brain and a creative soul." For me, it is about the two halves of me - intellect and artist.

I started blogging to share my journey as an aspiring writer struggling to write. And to share my thoughts and feelings with the world.

For a while, I've felt I'd failed as a blogger. Not that I don't have a nice blog, but that I have not done what I set out to do.

I'm not saying every post is going to be a precious jewel from here on out. I can't make that promise.

What I am saying is be on the lookout for more fearless publishing. I've got some poems on deck and might have some short stories soon, along with more opinion based writing. Still, nice and friendly, but with a strong and steady voice. Like me when I struggle to do my best work.

Be warned.

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

2010-02-20T11:20:00Z

It's a record. I have convinced my BBF Kate to guest post on my blog twice in a month. Since she doesn't have a blog of her own (yet), I am honored to publish the following piece of creative personal writing. It's fitting since I am the unnamed friend with the active imagination. Take a deep breath and prepare to see the St Louis Zoo as magic - not just a fun day trip doubling as a great fat burner. Hey, you chase a toddler at the zoo all day and see if you don't burn calories. I dare you.

Now, my picture of the baby elephant and my best friend's words:

There is a bite in the cool autumn air as it stirs the leaves at the St Louis Zoo. The morning light filters through puffs of marshmallow clouds. In the distance a lone train whistle calls, as if to say “Welcome children. Come and play.” Sabrina, my daughter, loves the train. The first two years of her life, she showed no knowledge that the zoo even had animals.

We excitedly board the train at the River’s Edge Station. Three dark tunnels and full trip around the zoo deposit us at our beginning. Animal footprints emboss the cement walkway. A giant anteater and two warthogs later, the winding trail curves around a large open habitat. Brittle pale grass shrouds a barren dusty patch of earth. The sign says “Black Rhino.” I have never seen him. I do not believe he exists. A friend has insisted that she, on several occasions, has witnessed the presence of a black rhino: she has an active imagination.

Hippo tracks scatter amongst the embossed footprints, as if a renegade hippo trotted along to visit with friends. His gentle, swaying track leads the way to the Hippo Hide-away. A forcefield-like clear wall holds an entire pool of water at bay. Proud and immense hippos glide through the water like synchronized swimmers. They are graceful, magnificent, and HUGE!

Sabrina drags us along to the elephants. Two girls have been born in the elephant family in the last few years. They are about Sabrina’s age. Thank God I didn’t have to deliver them. The elephant enclosure appears to be the largest in the zoo, as it supplies the last third of the riverwalk.

Sabrina energetically hikes the entire zoo. Old stone buildings with forbidding faces contain snakes and reptiles. We giggle at the superior expressions upon the Moorish Viper. His condescending appearance suggests he is contained simply because he allows it. The Emerald Tree Boa is her favorite color. No one disputes the regality of the King Cobra.

Uphill, as the zoo is a geographical oddity and every direction is uphill, a slightly less aged facade reveals the birdhouse. We munch Fruit Loops in front of the toucans and smirk. Sabrina chats to the parrots and finches. A joyful keening song swells the building and leaves ears ringing.

We are off to the Fragile Forest to see its ape inhabitants. Sabrina presses the back of her hand to the pane beside an ape. (A zookeeper had demonstrated this form of greeting to her last year.) As she communes with our brethren, I concentrate on blocking the foul odors from my burning nostrils. It smells as if someone has unearthed an unwashed Port-A-Potty from a Green Day concert. Luckily, the visit is short.

My favorite animal is our next stop. It is a duck. He is an ordinary duck with extraordinary friends. He lives in the puffin half of the Penguin and Puffin Coast. The coast is frigid with blasts of frozen air shooting from beneath false rock. We always rush through to confirm the duck’s residency and have to double back. The Rockhopper Penguins have a wild hair rocker appeal. While the King Penguins maintain a classy, Hepburn charm.

A stroll past the bears orients us with the Zooline Railway. It is a two-station trip to the River’s Edge Station and our exit. After a brief, yet expensive trip through the gift shop, we meander towards the car, sweaty, sticky, and happy. Peter, Paul, and Mary sing us home. “Daddy’s takin’ us to zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow. Daddy’s takin’ us to the zoo tomorrow and we can stay all day.”

The Clown's Meme

2010-02-16T04:22:00Z

Sunday Stealing: The Clown's Meme 1

Note: Answers 1 - 23 twenty-four were answered Sunday and 24 - 33 on Monday. I flaked, okay?

1. How old will you be in five years? A math question? A word problem? What kind of meme is this? I'll be 34.

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? Myself.

3. How tall are you? I think the question is better phrased, how short am I? I tell people I'm 4'10.

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? Spring.

5. What’s the last movie you saw? In the theater, Star Trek.

6. Who was the last person you called? This answer is usually the same: Kate.

7. Who was the last person to call you? Kate, I think. Or a wrong number.

8. What was the last text message you received? Kate asking if I needed anything while she was at the mall.

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? I think it was the cable company.

10. Do you prefer to call or text? I prefer to call or chat online depending on the person.

11. What were you doing at 12 am last night? Sleeping for a change.

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? Divorced from each other, but still married to my wonderful step parents. More parents are better, right? After all, parenting is a hard job.

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? October 2006. Unlimited long distance may be one of the greatest modern advances.

14. What color are your eyes? Blue with a hint of gray unless I wear something that turns them green.

15. What time did you wake up today? 3 am.

16. What are you wearing right now? T-shirt and panties

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? Not strictly a Christmas song, I love Winter Wonderland. I'm also a fan of the classic Christmas hymns - Oh Come All Ye Faithful and that type.

18. Where is your favorite place to be? Home.

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? Doctors office.

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? I'm where I need to be.

21. Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years? Somewhere in America.

22. Do you tan or burn? Bright red. Pale is beautiful.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? I never had monster in the closet issues. Nor was I afraid of the dark. A true night owl, I enjoyed those twilight moments.

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? I hate this question because it's usually a long story and you usually have to be there

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? One. I don't believe in a tv in the bedroom. Of course, I'm siting in the bedroom on my laptop as I type and Chris has the desktop to himself. But I'm a one tv household person when it comes to married couples with no kids like us - I have trouble with the idea that TWO people who are married can't compromise on tv.

26. How big is your bed? Queen sized. Any shorter Chris has his feet hanging over the end. Now, go back to question three...

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? Both. But I use the laptop.

29. What color are your sheets? Plaid is not a color, but white, red and black.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two if they are new. Four if they are smushed like the one's I use now.

31. What is your favorite season? Fall and spring. I like them about the same because I like moderate weather.

32. What do you like about Autumn? The leaves changing, harvest, the crisp days. Our wedding was a one of those crisp, okay cold, autumn evenings. I love those memories.

33. What do you like about winter? Ummm... trick question?

Pretentious Blogging Meme 2

2010-02-08T17:50:00Z

Sunday Stealing: The Pretentious Blogging Meme 2

12. How many drafts of potential blog posts do you have right now? Only a handful saved in my blogging software. A few jotted in notebooks.

13. In what medium do you draft your posts? Mostly right in my blogging platform. If I'm away from the 'puter, I write it out longhand.

14. How often do you completely scratch or delete drafts or blog post ideas? The only time I delete is when I go hunting for something to publish only to find some weird post title with a line of text or a link. More often than not, I have no idea where I was going with the idea, so I delete.

15. If you had to leave your blog in your will to another blogger, who would you choose? I don't think I would leave it to another blogger. I would want my best friend Kate to take it up. I'd be happier if she started her own before I kick the bucket, but at least keeping my domain active would be a start.

16. Are there other blogs that you feel are similar to yours in content, style, or voice? I have no idea. Readers, do you have any thoughts?

17. Has anything surprised you since you started blogging? Bloggers are nice and helpful. I heard so much about drama, but I seldom see it.

18. What are your goals or plans for your blog going forward? Keep on rolling. I would love to blog more often and with more meaning behind each post, but the best I can promise is to keep writing.

19. Do you make any money from your blog? (optional) about how much a month? Some, but not enough to make blogging worth it if I wasn't going to do it anyway. It varies from month to month.

20. What blogging system do you use? GoDaddy's Quick Blogcast.

21. How did you come up your blog name? My URL is my first and last name and The Creative Nerd is a description of the parts of myself I write about here.

22. How many blogs do you have? What was your peak? This is my only active blog. I have Window in the Web which I have started and stopped a couple times. It was I also own a domain for a food blog my husband Chris and I have been planning to start for a couple years.

23. Are you having as much fun as when you started? Blogging is like romance. The fun changes as the relationship deepens. I don't get starry eyed at the thought of being published for all to see like I did in the beginning. Sometimes I have to work harder to see the blog posts in everyday life. But, I know for sure I'm a blogger and I'll always be a blogger. Blogging is comfortable and therapeutic pleasure.

24. Where do you find other bloggers like you? My RSS Feeder is constantly overfilled with amazing content. All I have to do to find more bloggers I'll like is to click links on blogs I already read.

25. What’s your one wish when it comes to blogging? I'd like to be more active in making friends with other bloggers. Much like in real life, I tend to do my own thing and keep to myself.

Barbie's Dressmaker

2010-02-06T02:00:00Z

My little niece, Sabrina, has gotten in Barbie in a big way in the last year. As her mommy, my best friend Kate says, they have more blondes than Hugh Hefner.

I've been waiting since they knew Sabrina was a girl to get to buy Barbies. Even more so, once I moved to Missouri and knew I'd get to play with them, too. The most important toy of my childhood was, by far, Barbie. I love the clothes and endless creative play. I had so much stuff for my Barbies. The three story dream house and the beach house, furniture, appliances, everything but plumbing fixtures.

As I've shopped for Barbies for Sabrina, I've found the options for clothes less than impressive. It's all small and shiny and overpriced. None of it appeals to a five year old. And even less of it appeals to two twenty-somethings enjoying the benefits of having a kid's toys to play with.

Months ago, I planned to take Barbie's wardrobe into my own hands. As with any of my craft projects, the inspiration and trip to the craft store often precedes the work by half a year. I finally have gotten a few things made. I hadn't sewn anything from a pattern since I was about ten. And that was Barbie clothes.

For your enjoyment, here is my personal model with the outfits I gave Sabrina for her birthday.

The purple dress isn't perfect. For one thing, it was meant to be floor length, but I didn't notice I needed two of the piece for the skirt until I'd already cut. That's what happens when you stay up real late crafting. I also didn't get the pleats in the skirt as the pattern intended. But I still like it. And so does my model.

The denim is from an old pair of my jeans. I was worried about the jacket - lots of pieces - but it came out perfect.

The stretch denim was easy to work with until it came time to putting the Velcro closure on the top. It's a hassle, but makes play much easier. Plus, with the newer Barbies are slimmer in the bust and thicker in the hips. The pattens, however, are made for the old style dolls.

I can't claim this outfit is less shiny than the commercially made clothes, but it is better.

My personal favorite is this orange number. I wasn't sure the cotton fabric would work with the fancy dress, but it was perfect. Who would expect a quilting square from Walmart could shine up so nice?

Sun Belt Software: Anti Virus without the Slowdown

2010-02-04T07:10:00Z

The following post is sponsored content. The opinions expressed are all mine.

While I don't understand it, there are still people who don't use antivirus programs every time they connect to the internet. The only thing I would use a computer without anti virus software to do is go download anti virus software. No checking email. No Twitter.

If you are not currently running antivirus and anti spyware programs right now, please stop reading my review and click over to Sun Belt Software to download their antivirus software.

For those of us already protecting our computers from the nastiest online elements, we can evaluate the benefits of different programs.

Looking into Sun Belt Software antivirus software has me impressed for a couple of reasons. The biggest advantage in this new program is how you won't even notice it's running. You know how antivirus always seems to make your computer drag? This all new program doesn't slow a computer down. As an impatient computer user, I love it. Since it's not such a drain on the resources, it's ideal for Netbooks.

Let's not forget about value. For about thirty bucks a year, you get protection from all kinds of bugs. And at the end of the year, they will not zap your credit card until you tell them it's okay. The product must be good if they know you'll renew without the arm twisting.