Being Germany's third-largest city and the capital of Bavaria, the city has a lot to offer. Especially considering all the amazing things to do in Munich - 11 Best Things To Do In Munich, Germany - Travel, Travel Advice - Europe, Germany, Munich - Travel, Food and Home Inspiration Blog with door-to-door Travel Planner! - Travel Advice, Travel Inspiration, Home Inspiration, Food Inspiration, Recipes, Photography
Not far from Central London, Greenwich is an area that deserves visitors' full attention. Spend a day or two exploring all the sites in this part of London.
These photos show that some animals are comfortable falling asleep in the weirdest places.
Se merece todas y cada una de estas tazas.
These require an explanation.
Some things in our lives just don't make sense.
Crazy funny photos from the insanely weird to strangely nutty and vintage.
Grand Theft Auto: Fine Art Edition. H/T Hopes and Fears.
The samodiva (known also as samovila or vila; samodivi or samodivas in plural) is a creature found in Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. In general, these beings are forest spirits or wood nymphs who appear as beautiful young women. But things should not be taken by first appearances sometimes. Samodivi appear in many stories, in which they are harmful, or at least mischievous, creatures.
There's nothing more intoxicating than smelling someone you love. Experts explain why your partner smells so umbelievably good.
This newly constructed stunning French provincial home in the upscale neighborhood of Paradise Valley, Arizona was designed by Higgins Architects.
5 Nasty Emotions Stopping You From Living Your Dreams Struggling with health and emotions, you are not alone, here!
In a world full of Jacksons, be a Michel.
“All is as if the world did cease to exist. The city's monuments go unseen, its past unheard, and its culture slowly fading in the dismal sea.” —Nathan Reese Maher
When I heard that Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, was visiting Denver, I actually gasped out loud. The Book Thief has been influential in my writing and reading life in more ways than I can name. Suffice it to say that I have about a million favorite books, but when forced to choose just one, I say The Book Thief. The characters don't let you go, the plot is so original, and to say the writing style is beautiful is an understatement. So of course I jumped at the chance to hear Zusak speak, and to get my copy of The Book Thief, as well as his new book, Bridge of Clay, signed. Zusak was a funny and charming speaker, and warm and welcoming when I met him in the signing line. I wish I could have just recorded the whole talk and posted it for you, but here are six things he said that stood out to me the most. Know the backstory Zusak said that the way he is able to tell if he'll be able to turn an idea into a novel is how much backstory comes to him. When you're planning your book, knowing the background of the characters is incredibly important. Even if most of it doesn't end up in the book, pieces of it will, and that's what will give your characters life and make the story memorable to readers. The more your characters seem like real people you know, not just one-sided figures you write about, the more they'll come alive in the reader's mind. Having a deep backstory is the best way to accomplish this. Incorporate details Zusak used this simple metaphor to convey the importance of details: Once he was at an airport, and forgot his jacket in the security line. When he returned to claim it, the guard asked him what it looked like. He didn't just describe the color, but also the logo, and how there was a piece of folded-up paper in the pocket. With these precise details, the guard had no trouble believing he was telling the truth and the jacket was his. Likewise, when we incorporate specific, unique details into our stories, the reader is able to believe that we are telling the truth, even while knowing it's fiction. Details are what make your story jump off the page and lodge itself in the reader's mind. They're what make a reader stop and think, Yes! That's exactly how that feels/sounds/looks. How did they know?! If you don't feel something, neither will the reader Robert Frost once said, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader. Zusak modeled this when writing both The Book Thief and Bridge of Clay. During the Q&A session after his talk, a young reader asked him if he cried when writing the end of The Book Thief. He confessed that he had ugly cried as he wrote the ending--like many of us as we read it--and had actually cried even harder when writing the end of Bridge of Clay (causing many of us in the audience to groan with grim but eager anticipation). If you have laid out the backstory of your characters and incorporated details that bring them to life, you as the writer will end up caring deeply about them, so that whatever you feel when writing their fate, the readers will also feel. Keep writing, no matter what During the Q&A session, someone asked him who had encouraged him to keep writing when he was young. With a laugh, he responded, Absolutely no one. He spoke of how he had never won a contest, never had a short story published, how his parents and his English teachers never thought he would publish a book--but something in him knew that's what he wanted to do, so he kept trying. When I met him in the signing line, I mentioned how I was a writer and The Book Thief had been so inspirational to me. To my delight, he asked about my writing, and when I said I was writing an adult contemporary fiction novel and had just sent it to people to read, he reminded me that even if I got negative feedback, I was still a writer and I needed to just keep writing. It is easy to be discouraged when we don't get glowing responses to our work, but imagine if Markus Zusak had listened to those around him and given up. Know that you are a writer, and so you must keep writing. Write the book only you can write This might have been my favorite thing Zusak said all night. He doesn't try to write books that are better than other writers or that win all the awards; his focus is on trying to write stories that only he is capable of writing. No matter how you feel about The Book Thief or Bridge of Clay, I know that they're books only I could write, he said. Don't compare how good your book is to other books or other writers. Focus on the story that only you can write. Writing takes a bit of luck Throughout his talk, Zusak mentioned several instances of luck that contributed to his success. Not just in terms of finding an agent or publishing, but in the actual writing of his stories. Before writing The Book Thief, he was visiting a school and leading an activity in which students choose a color and write from its perspective. He ended up writing from Death's perspective, and thought, Hey, maybe I should use this in that book I'm planning set in Nazi Germany. He also had another page-long piece about a girl in modern-day Sydney stealing a book and had the same thought of incorporating it into the Holocaust story he was planning. Of course, these two ideas are crucial to making The Book Thief into what it is. Likewise, with Bridge of Clay, when he first came up with the idea for the book, he chose the character name 'Clayton' at random. It was only later in the process of planning and writing that he shortened it to Clay, and realized it fit perfectly with the idea of building a bridge. Writing takes a lot of skill, and you have to know how to use those strokes of inspiration in your stories, but it's also helpful to know that a bit of luck is always involved. A huge thanks to Markus Zusak, both for his incredible stories and for a wonderful evening. Denver's Tattered Cover bookstore also has my undying love for bringing amazing authors to visit. To buy Zusak's newest book, Bridge of Clay, click here. You can also read more about Zusak and his books on his website. (FYI–This post includes affiliate links. I promise to never recommend anything that I haven’t loved and think you should try!) Have you read The Book Thief or any of Markus Zusak's books? What's your favorite? Who is the author you would most love to meet? Who is someone you've already met and loved? Let me know in the comments!
Fresh off the presses.
Infuse your paintings with color and natural light by doing your homework: Study from life and create color studies.
Chase away the Tuesday blues with some funny adult humor.
They did THAT...and you can too.
Who knew?
Here are 20 things to do in Naxos, Greece, a beautiful island in the Cyclades. My personal recommendations for where to eat, drink and more.
There are a lot of fun things to do in the financial capital of Europe. Here's a list of the top things you MUST do in Frankfurt when you go!
The Severn, Wye, and Ystwyth, weave their way to the sea from the Elenydd plateau in Wales. Folklore tells how their journeys began.
'May Your Bare Ass Always Be Shining' - Eleanor Roosevelt Writes To Gypsy Rose Lee
A fresh assortment of funny, weird, cool and fascinating pictures to brighten up your day.
I mean, they just are.
Art has its own language that can communicate with everyone without any words involved Max Eddykin
Looking for the PERFECT Manifestation Quotes to inspire you today? Find the right quote for your affirmations or wallpaper >>
When you read these books when you were a child, you may not have noticed the important quotes that taught you a little something about life.
Because mistakes are the portals of discovery.
Hardcovers, paperbacks, and cocktail table tomes get the attention they deserve
