Favorite Song Monday

Today I am posting a song called "Unknown Soldier" by my favorite band Breaking Benjamin. It's a favorite of mine and I really enjoy listening to it. Enjoy :D



And here's a Star Wars related video to go with the song. It's for Obi-Wan and I really think it fits.



Hope you have a good rest of your day and May the Force be with You! :D

The end of my book series :)

Roughly seven years ago I came up with an idea for a science fiction book series. It started out as an idea for a film but I decided that I should make it into a book series first. At first the story wasn't so great- I started off the characters really young and the story was a cobbled together mess of other works that I admired. But, through it all, the core of the story as been the same- it was about a girl who fought in a war. And I stuck with that core and that girl who once was just a one-dimensional figure and is now as real as any human being.
I started the first book and after several failed attempts wrote one with a plot that worked well and that I liked. Since then I have written the rest of the series, including the last one which I finished today. The last book is 608 pages long and has 56 chapters. I am really proud with how it turned out- how the characters were written, how the plot, emotion, and action came out. The characters have changed; I've added some and some have been raised and lowered in significance. And all in all, the story has taken flight and is nearly complete.
So, now all I have to do is finished re-writing book one(yes, I needed to do another revision), edit all five books, then send them to the publisher. Oh, and of course there is the second series to start writing >:). I've already started planning on it.
Have a wonderful day and May the Force be with You....Always. :)

"Escape from Kadavo" review

This is my first review of an episode so I hope I do all right.
First off, I'd like to say that this episode was awesome! It was very well done and had a nice balance of action and emotion. I liked this episode a whole lot better than "Kidnapped" and just a little more than "Slaves of the Republic."
The episode revolves around the trio as they try to get out of their respective situations and rescue the enslaved Togruta colonists. Obi-Wan is once against dealt the worst card and is forced to slave away in the mines of Kadavo where he isn't able to resist or fight back. Therefore, he ends up getting the best scenes in the episode.
The episode starts out strongly with Obi-Wan and Rex working in the mines; with Obi-Wan commenting that the place is engineered to shatter the will and that it's already apparent in the slaves around them. One of the slavers then tells that talking is forbidden and Obi-Wan apologizes quickly, saying it won't happen again. The slaver than tells him that there will be punishment and begins beating a slave right next to him. Obi-Wan than tells him to stop and that it was his fault and to leave the man alone. But he is shocked and told to beg otherwise the slave will die because of him. So Obi-Wan is FORCED to get on his hands and knees and BEG the slaver to not harm the slave. Not only that, but he is forced to call this man Master; not in the traditional, honorific title given to a Jedi of high rank and respect but that of a slave submitting to the will of his cruel oppressor. It was horrible because he couldn't do anything and I felt so bad for him :(. Which leads to me to pretty much the best scene in the show- the one where the Queen is telling Dooku about Obi-Wan in the mines and how he isn't able to do anything and if he does, the slaves will suffer and die because of it. While she's talking me are shown clips of Obi-Wan in the mine and how he is entirely unable to fight back or resist. The echoing voice of the Queen narrating the scene was eerie and quite powerful. Which leads me to a point I wanted to bring up; it seems like a lot of people were saying that Obi-Wan kept being beat up and was weak and broken. But if you really look into it, that isn't so. In "Kidnapped" he wasn't really getting beat up, he was stalling for time(and I'll admit, I thought he was getting beat up when I first watched that episode). In this episode he wasn't ABLE to do anything because if he did others would be killed. You can see quite clearly that he wanted to fight back(as we see when the man kicks him during meal time and he raises his fists threateningly) but he couldn't. So really, he was doing the right thing; suffering so others wouldn't. Plus I wouldn't say they broke him; maybe they drove him to despair but they didn't break him; or if they did he sure bounced back extremely quick since he was able to give Dooku a few verbal jabs when they conversed. And anyway, once reinforcements arrived he broke Rex and himself free from the electric collars and was able to fight back - which I do have to say was plain awesome!!! Finally, some Obi-Wan kick-butt action! Though I will admit, I was a little annoyed that he kept having to get hurt like that; apparently a lot of people have some strange pleasure in seeing him get hurt(in the t.v show, the books, fanfictions I've seen/read).
The escape was pretty well done as well; I liked when Obi-Wan told Anakin that this was a fight he couldn't hope to win alone and Anakin said "Who said I was alone?" I also liked it when Obi-Wan got his lightsaber back and Agruss was all "You're a Jedi so you won't kill an unarmed man," and Rex threw the electro-stick at him and killed him. Seems like the dude forgot he was only dealing with ONE Jedi instead of two.
After having such an awesome beginning and middle, the ending fell slightly flat. After Obi-Wan and Rex escaped and the slaves were rescued the episode seemed to just...I don't know, fall from it's high flight I guess you could say. After all was said and done Anakin said that Ahsoka was the real hero of the operation which didn't make any sense at. All she did was tell their forces that they would have to rescue the slaves from below instead of from above. Beyond that, she really had it the easiest of the three so I don't see why they would say that. Plus the conversation with her and the Governor didn't really fit into the episode; he'd never really had much connection to her so why would ask to speak to her privately? I guess it had something to do with the fact that they were both Togrutas.
Even with the flat ending, the episode was still extremely good; so glad they finished the arc with an awesome and solid episode.
Now I'm looking forward to the rest of the season, ESPECIALLY the prison break episodes where we get to see Obi-Wan go undercover! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH :D Really excited for that!
So, I hope everyone has a good day and May the Force be with you....Always. :)

From the holodiary of Aran Liander: Jedi Apprentice

981 ARR

My meditation didn't work out very well; I am still as exhausted as I was when I started. But my mind seems clear so that's a relief. After meditation I went exploring the stronghold to keep my mind busy, and stumbled on an old shower room. After checking to see if they still worked, I went to find my Master and told him of my finding. He told me that he was proud that I had come to tell everyone of my finding before using it. My heart sang at his praise.....Our troops, my Master, and I used these showers to get a quick clean. It felt so good to scrape away the dirt and filth that encrusted my skin; I feel as if I've been reborn....physically anyway. Sometimes I wish I could be reborn..but than I realize I would forget everyone I love and that would be worse than the pain and grief I am experiencing. Sorry, got to go, my Master's calling me.

I'm back. My Master and I trained for about an hour; running through my katas over and over till he was sure I had remembered everything he'd taught me. Then we sparred. My Master is still loads better than me and beat me after about ten minutes but...that was the longest I've fought against him in a spar so hopefully I'm improving. My Master expects an attack soon so he told me to get some sleep but I've given up on sleep and since meditation isn't working I've decided to write in here some more.....I really want to return to the Temple since I haven't been there since......at least a year. I miss it's clarity, it's tranquillity, it sense of home. There, my mind was always clear and I never felt conflicted. Now that's all I feel.
And- wait, I heard something. Someone's contacting us. I'll be back-
We got some terrible news, so terrible I can barely write it down....Coruscant has been attacked and Chancellor Palpatine has been captured by General Grievous! I've only met the General once and I had so many vivid nightmares my Master had to hold me to calm me down. My Master was so pale when he got the news; I've only seen him that scared when I was nearly killed at the beginning of the war. I hate seeing my Master scared....because if he's scared I know it's really bad.
I can only think of the horrors the people on Coruscant are thinking....of what they are suffering. And I fervently hope that the Chancellor is all right; I don't think the Republic will survive without his leadership. I am afraid...so afraid. What will happen if the Sith take over? What will happen if we can't protect the Republic and it's people. What if...but, Jedi don't deal with the what ifs, we must keep on going and think not of the past.
My only consolation is that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are being sent to rescue him and if there's anyone that can do this, it's them. I only wish I could do something but impatience is not the Jedi way. All I can do is hope and ask the Force to grant Master Obi-Wan, Anakin, and the Chancellor safety......
I can tell my Master wants to return to Coruscant but we both know that we still have to free this world; that is our mandate and we will follow it through. Hopefully after we save this world we can return to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. And hopefully by then, Obi-Wan and Anakin will have rescued the Chancellor..........
I'm still scared however and I can't seem to release this fear into the Force; it just keeps gnawing at me......I'm shaking and I can't stop. I-I-
Fear is the path to the darkside Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to Suffering. Beware the darkside, Jedi. Beware.
I am still cold and still afraid but I'm going to try and sleep. I just wish I could take that pale, tight look from my Master's face. He doesn't deserve this, he is too good a person to suffer. He should never suffer and if I could I would take it all away from him. And as I lie here on the cold metal staring at my Master in the light of hologram of Master Yoda, who is still talking to him, I see him age right before my eyes.....and it's horrifying. May the Force be with you, everyone on Coruscant, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, and the Chancellor.

Aran Liander

Writing Tips: Part 2: Section B

Writing Tips
Part 2: Plot and/or idea
Section B: What a plot is and plot structure

Warning: What I say will be, on some topics, slightly biased. I will try not to be but all writers see things differently so some people may agree with me and some may not.

Today I will be talking about what a plot is and how to craft one.
A plot is basically 'What Happens in a Story.' It's what the bulk of a book; the plot can be about a huge interplanetary war or it could be about someone moving to a new school- there are so many possibilities to explore. And remember that sometimes figuring out the perfect plot can take years to figure out; your story will change many times as you mature and as you think of new ideas and discard old ones.
Once you have your main idea, you need to figure out how the story will flow- how will it flow, what will happen at the beginning and end, what will happen at the end. If you are a new author or you are starting a new series, figuring out how your story will go can be hard to figure out. Luckily, there is a formula that should help you get started on your plot structure. Also, plot structure varries with what you are writing- like whether your are writing a single book or a series novels.
The first part of the plot graph is exposition- in other words, the beginning. The beginning of a story should set up the major character(s) and how they live prior to the story. Stories can begin in many ways- some begin slowly and introduce you to the characters and others plunge head-first into the action. Both techniques work; it depends on what sort of story you want to write. Remember, your beginning should intrigue the reader but don't worry about that too much- the most important thing for know is to figure out how you want to begin the story.
Once you have established your characters and their situation, your begin what is called 'Rising Action.' Rising Action is the build up to the main point of the entire story- most of the story is rising action in all actuality and it is important to spend just the right amount of time here- try not to add too much filler or gloss over things too much.
The next part of a plot is the climax-which is the epitome of the novel. The climax is what the story has been building towards the whole time. Climaxes can be very hard to write and can be different depending on whether or not your writing a stand alone or a series. If you are writing a stand alone novel this climax should be the biggest part of the story and it should resolve the conflict. When writing a series, however, the climax can be big, but it shouldn't completely end the conflict; especially if you want to continue with the same thread throughout the whole story.
The last part of a story is the 'Resolution.' The resolution is where everything comes to together, the action winds down, and the characters start learning to live with the changes that have taken place. If your story is just one book than make sure you tie up any loose ends and bring the story to a close. However, if it is a series, leave an opening for the next book or end with a cliffhanger (unless it is the last book in the series, then you can just finish it..unless you are going to continue with the characters in another series >:D)
So that is all for now. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Till next time!
May the Force be with you!
Shena Tokala(Maegen).

Favorite Song Monday

The song I am going to post today is "What I've Done" by Linkin Park.



Star Wars-related video

Two Movie Reviews

I went and saw two really good movies this week and I'd like to tell you about them.



The first was "Hugo" which my family and I saw on Wednesday. It is based on novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick which I read a couple of years ago. It followed the book, from what I could remember, very well.

Plot: The story is about a young boy who manages the many clocks in the Paris train-station. Besides working the clocks he is trying to fix an automaton which can write; he hopes it will have a message from his father who died in a fire.
The acting was very good, especially from Asa Butterfield who I had seen before in "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas"(I didn't recognize him till the end though). Asa was able to portray the right emotions and facial expressions that his character would be feeling; and it was rather remarkable since he is quite young. I look forward to seeing him in Ender's Game as the lead role. I really wish I could have him play the main villain as a child in my book series; he would play the part perfectly(he even has the right look) but he wouldn't be able to since he will be too old soon :(. It was also quite neat to see many popular British actors that I've seen in the Harry Potter films appear, such as: Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour, and Richard Griffiths.
The effects were great as was the set; it look very realistic and the cinematography was awesome! I especially though the beginning where they were shooting down the passage and the depth was awesome(we were watching it in 3D, so that probably added to the effect). Their was just the right amount of suspense and character development which added to the movie significantly. Plus it was cool to see old film that most likely hadn't been on the big screen in over a hundred years, in the theater.
All in all, it was an awesome movie for a family to go see(my little brother even liked it) and I would fully recommend you see it. :)



The next one was "War Horse" which saw a couple of hours ago. We had been studying WWI in history this year and thought it would be a good film to see(we are currently in the Cold War).

Plot: The movie is about a boy who raises a horse to plow his families horse(after his father had bought it on a whim during a horse auction). The boy teaches the horse how to plow, thus saving his family from ruin. However, a rain destroys their crop and his father has to sell the horse to the army to be able to pay the rent. The boy, named Albert, ties a ribbon his father got in the Boer war to his horse's bridal and the man buying the horse promises to return the horse to Albert. Through many different happening the horse manages to visit many different places and sees all sides of the war.
The story was very well done, sad, and the portrayal of WWI was very realistic. I enjoyed seeing the different and really, how the common soldier is never very different from the other side. I need to read the book :)
The acting was very well done; it seemed like they were actual people and not just actors going through the motions(which always makes me happy to see). There were also a few actors I recognized from Harry Potter and other shows and that was cool to see.
I would definitely recommend this movie; it's not something for young children to watch but if you were able to watch the Umbaran arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars than you can watch this. All in all, it was an amazing movie and you should go and see it. :D