One "Harry" Year

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This year will be the return of many things like the Avengers, Pokemon, and yes, even “Harry Potter”. With “Harry Potter”, we’ll be receiving a play (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”), a book of said play, a movie (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”), and a concert series.

Yes that’s right, a concert series. Throughout the summer of 2016, the United States will host a concert series with music from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. It will begin on June 23^rd at the Mann Center in Philadelphia and will have the movie played in accompaniment with the music.  

Tickets for the Mann Center venue are already on sale and run from $20-55.

However, for those of you who don’t live near the city of brotherly love, this concert series tour will be roaming throughout the nation. It will also be stopping in San Diego, Nashville, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Silicon Valley areas.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to subscribe, share, comment, and critique.

So tell me, are you ready for a “Harry” year?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

First off, I would like to say that my last post has accumulated 190+ likes on Tumblr and I could not be more grateful for that. The topic of fanfiction is not one that is taken as seriously as most writers (like myself) do and it’s terrible because it’s a form of writing which constitutes as an art. Art is an important topic in our lives, it allows us to express, to feel, to be strengthened, to be inspired, and to be educated.

So I would like to thank those who have given that particular post an incredibly high population on Tumblr. Also thank you to my followers in general for making this blog successful, awesome, and amazing. Keep on writing whatever makes you happy, from fanfiction to sonnets and let nothing stop you.

Anyway, onward with tonight’s entry!

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them” has been in the news the past few days. We now have a picture of our main character, Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) with a wand in hand, a briefcase in the other, and standing before a regal set of stairs. If we examine the ground closely, we will see it reads: Congress of the United States of America.

This ties into our next point wherein JK Rowling has deemed American Muggles as ‘No-Maj’. Pronounced as ‘no madge’ it’s simply short for no magic. Newt finds himself in 1926 New York with a suitcase that has Timelord technology that houses various habitats for creatures that he collects and researches as a magizoologist. In New York, wizards are threatened by the No-Maj and are fearfully hiding their magical abilities. Their exposure is incredibly dangerous and apparently it’s far worse in the United Kingdom, causing Salem With trial like events to occur.  Somehow the creatures break loose from Newt’s magical suitcase and from there onward Newt goes on an adventure that could only predate the existence of Harry Potter.

So far we’ve seen some photographs of the new film, featuring the title screen and the cast. We see Newt Scamander in these pictures, but we also see Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein (played by Katherine Waterston), Queenie Goldstein (played by Alison Sudol), and Jacob Kowalski (played by Dan Folger). From what the pictures reveal, some of the film was shot in Leavesden, United Kingdom.

I’m not sure about you guys, but my internal Potterhead is bursting with excitement for this movie.  While we only have another year to go (November 18^th, 2016), I believe the wait will definitely be worth it. After all, this is one of JK Rowling’s pieces and her work is phenomenal – just like her Harry Potter movies and theme parks. Here’s hoping “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” stays true to the book and does not disappoint!

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share, subscribe, comment, and critique.

So tell me, are you excited about “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”?

Fanfiction: Feeding Your Brain

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

As many of you may or may not know, I write fanfiction. I used to write fanfiction heavily as a teenager for venting, character exploration, and to hone my writing skills. This past year I returned to writing fanfiction after a long hiatus and I still question why I left writing fics. Tonight, I’m going to share with you the reasons why you should write fanfiction.

5. Boosts Your Writing Skills

The more you write, the better you will be. I never believed this back then, but I find that the statement holds true. What’s even better about writing fanfiction is that you receive comments and critiques on your works. When you publish your fanfiction on sites like fanfiction.net, archiveofourown.org, or wattpad.com, you are sharing your work with the entire world. That is a ton of people to stumble upon your work, read it, and offer you some helpful feedback.

Furthermore, researching characters, their flaws, their disorders (if they have any), and their unique traits will help you in character development. What you experience through writing fanfiction you can use later on when writing your more serious works such as character creation, character development, plot development, and so many other useful and necessary writing features.

It’s all right if you’re possibly terrible writer at first, but when writing fanfiction and receiving critiques, you will be better in due time.

4. Writing Exercises

I actually use fanfictions as a writing exercise for my more serious works that I would like to publish someday. By writing fanfiction, it allows the gears to start turning, ideas to start forming, and something wonderful to begin. What’s even better is that there’s no limit to fanfiction for writing exercises – you can create a fifty word drabble or a sixty thousand word chapter fic. You can also choose various categories that your piece fits. By crafting fanfiction, you expose yourselves to various genres, characters, and plots which you can utilize for more writing exercises.


3.Venting

They say writing is the best medium because you’re physically typing out what you’re feeling. The emotion rushes from your brain and to your finger tips and from them emerge words that fit exactly what’s on your mind. You can be as raw and as rough as you like when you’re writing fanfiction as a means of venting. Plus when your internal storm has passed you can look at what you have created and edit it so that it’s better or leave it as is and bear your soul to the world.

2.Exploration

A while back I read an article on how women used fanfiction to explore their sexualities. Like men who view porn, women used fanfiction to explore themselves. They believed porn to be unrealistic and fanfiction to have more realism. Like porn, fanfiction became taboo – something forbidden, but enticing. Its taboo, but understanding nature encouraged women to write fanfiction, to further explore their sexualities, to comprehend what the body can and cannot do when it came to sex, and to understand how things worked. Fanfiction for them was something easier to hide as opposed to pictures of lewd acts on a screen, thus allowing fanfiction to be read anywhere. Fanfiction became a safe haven and allowed readers and writers to utilize research of biological sexual functions and incorporate them into fics to further understand their characters and themselves as well.

From crafting sexual fanfictions, writers and even readers can live out their private sexual fantasies. It’s a way for them to experience (or imagine) things that they cannot do in reality for whatever reason. They also write fanfiction to further explore other sexual orientations like homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality, and so many others just to appease their appetite and curiosity. Fanfiction became an educational escape to further understand themselves and enjoy literary porn. 

1. Building an Audience

So you want to be a writer. That’s fantastic – now where’s your audience? Drawing an audience to your work is not the easiest thing in the world – unless it deals with something that’s already incredibly popular. Enter fanfiction – where by crafting stories regarding popular characters you can build an audience. By building your audience with work regarding characters they adore, readers will grow accustomed to your writing style, and may enjoy it. When you publish more serious pieces (like an original short story), the readers will recognize you because of what you have written on fanfiction and will already be familiar with your writing style and want to read more of your work. Yes, it may not be about the 10^th Doctor having intercourse with Captain Jack Harkness, but it will be something new and original for them to enjoy as fans of your work.


Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share, subscribe, comment, and/or critique.

So tell me, do you write fanfiction and why?

Breaking Writer's Block

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

In life, there are some terrible things that we encounter. Food poisoning, roadkill, and idiots are just to name a few. However, there’s one horrible thing that occurs when we least expect it, like a shark attack. It’s something unexpected like most things in life and about as satisfying as a plate of expired chicken. What is this ungodly occurrence you ask? Why it’s simply known as writer’s block. Most of you know about writer’s block. It’s when you want to write and the ideas are present, but your brain refuses to cooperate.  This is something everyone endures and like puberty, it’s just as terrible.

There are many methods to combat writer’s block, but I’ve discovered a method that the iconic writer Ray Bradbury used and helped.  Now normally, I don’t do other things that famous writers have done to help them, but this technique I found has actually helped me.

Ray Bradbury used to make lists to get out of his writer’s block and it definitely works for me as well. The best way to create your list is to physically write it out because it awakens your brain. It can be a list about anything; a grocery list, things you have to grab when you go to Walmart, a Christmas list, things that make you happy, anything. By crafting your list, your brain is stimulated and generates various topics that you can write about. Your brain is also focused on writing more and is ready to take on whatever projects you’ve had in mind.  

So if you ever find yourself in a case of writer’s block, feel free to go ahead and try this technique out.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it feel free to subscribe, share, comment, and critique.

So tell me, what helps you break writer’s block?

Welcome Back to the Jungle

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

To further ensure that the 90s are indeed upon us, Sony has decided to take the liberty of remaking “Jumanji”.  There was word of a “Jumanji” reboot in 2012 and Sony had contacted Robin Williams’ to return.  “Jumanji” was the movie that featured one of Robin Williams’ iconic roles and told the story about a jungle that sprang forth from a board game played by a completed therapy patient, two children, and a man who was trapped inside the game itself.  The movie was based on the book, “Jumanji” written in 1981 by Chris Van Allsburg. Because of this movie’s success, a game was produced in 1995 and could be found in almost every home.

I had found Jumanji at a yard sale as a child and purchased it in an attempt to get over my fear of the movie. Needless to say, the movie terrified me especially with the notion of venomous spiders, carnivorous plants, and other murderous beings emerging from the board game. Throughout my entire childhood, I never touched this game and gave it away to one of my friends just to get it out of my house. Only recently did I play the game and I forgot why I had been so scared of the game years ago because I was having too much fun.

The modernized “Jumanji” movie will be released on December 25^th, 2016. My only hope for this remake is that they will properly execute the movie. Sony has powerful CGI effects to create far more terrifying spiders, more man eating plants, more ruthless vines that swallow cars, and more dynamic stampedes. They have the power to craft wondrous, horrifying aspects of “Jumanji”; instead of letting their abilities to go to waste, they should embrace them, and use them to their full extent.

There should also be a tribute to Robin Williams for this movie because he was the main star of the film. He practically made the movie and the role became another identity that everyone knew him as. To see no tribute in his honor would be a crime.

They should also bring back the board game. The last time I ever saw the game was on Amazon before playing it with my friends. Since the 90s I have never seen it in shelves or in stores anywhere.  I also hope for a good cast and while this reboot won’t be the same as original, I hope Sony manages to replicate the wonder and fear “Jumanji” initially produced.

Thank you for reading today’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to comment, subscribe, critique, and share.

So tell me, what are your thoughts on the future modernized “Jumanji”?

Goosebumps: The Movie

Good evening  everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

I apologize for the rather late entry, something unexpected arose yesterday and by the time I was finished with it, it was too late and I didn't write anything for the blog. Anyway, without further ado, here is the belated entry.

Remember how Hollywood is remaking all of your favorite childhood classics or turning things you loved so dearly into movies? “Ghostbusters”, ”Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” are just to name a few, but now we can add “Goosebumps” to the list.

“Goosebumps” was a seemingly endless book series written by R.L.Stine. Having read “Goosebumps” from time to time, the book was written in the horror genre to promote fears of the unusual and otherworldly type. My favorite books of the series in particular were ‘Choose Your Death’ stories where you followed a main plot that offered you different options. For example, the book I read sent the reader into the Medieval Era and every so often a page would instruct you to turn to various pages to receive different outcomes. I think I wore those books out because you would never obtain the same outcome.

Eventually the book series turned into a television series. It was a pretty decent series, but it didn’t last for long and afterward, only popped up in October on select stations. We now have a movie debuting this October that seems to go off on its own, avoiding the eerie mood that the books had initially sparked.

From what we can tell about this new “Goosebumps” trailer, a new boy moves into town and him and his friend help their neighbor who is in trouble. When they go to help her, they discover that someone has a raging obsession for “Goosebumps” because there’s a ton of manuscripts in the basement pertaining to iconic monsters from the book series. One of the kids accidentally opens a manuscript and a monster pops out. Many more creatures emerge from the manuscripts once they are opened and soon, the entire town is surrounded by these nefarious beings. The characters set out to capture the monsters and return them to their manuscripts.

To be frank, this isn’t the “Goosebumps” I grew up with and rather, it appears to be more of a comedy/supernatural movie as opposed to the horror based genre it was initially set in. Yes, it did have its supernatural themes at times, but it was more so a collection of horror stories intended to instill some fear into its readers.  The idea of monsters emerging from a book is something bizarre and magical, but despite using all of the “Goosebumps” creatures, it really doesn’t feel or look like a “Goosebumps” movie to me.

It honestly makes me wonder why exactly Hollywood is remaking our childhood past times and why they aren’t doing the best that they can with them. It’s Hollywood, it’s cranked out incredible movies such as “Gone With the Wind”, “The Blues Brothers”, and so many others. Why is it when it comes to things we mostly love and adore, Hollywood just seems to be treating them terribly?

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to share, comment, critique, and subscribe.

So tell me, what do you think of the “Goosebumps” trailer?

The Thing That Wouldn't Leave

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Today’s entry is a bit of anger induced speculation as to why the topic in question is even happening.

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise is getting a sequel series entitled “Grey” and it will be from Christian Grey’s point of view.  It will be released as a paperback and ebook on June 18^th, 2015 – Christian Grey’s birthday.

Some of you may be rejoicing, others may be cringing and asking yourselves: why of all things, why. To be frank, I honestly do not know why, but it’s evident EL James isn’t done writing.

I honestly wonder if she will use this new venture in an attempt to justify for Grey’s abuse and how he treated Anna. It was already revealed in the first book that he did those things to her because he had a horrible encounter with a rapist. Instead of seeking professional help, he decided to become an obsessed BDSM sex addict. This does not atone for everything he did to Anna.

I also wonder if this new series will show any hopeful sign that James’ writing has improved. While I doubt it, a grammar girl like me can only hope that supposedly one of the best sellers of our generation can actually write well. As a writer myself, I understand that writers’ styles can change with experience and/or experimentation. But given what James has presented to the world so far, I doubt her writing style will change. I say this because if readers enjoyed her writing style, then she'll make certain to repeat it again just to please them.

James also failed to inform people how many books the “Grey” series will be. However, she did say that her idea behind this continuing series is that for every relationship there are always two sides to the story.

It’s not just for a relationship though, that concept applies to almost every single event that happens in life. A cashier and a customer get into a fight?  There’s two sides to that story. A crime scene? There’s two sides (if not more) to that story. There are tons of situations in life that have that ‘two sides to every story’ concept. Why should “Grey” or relationships in general be any different? If she chose not to pursue “Grey”, the Fifty Shades books could easily stand on their own.

James is also trying to utilize this new “Grey” series to lure in more of a male audience because apparently only 20% of men read “Fifty Shades of Grey”.  I’m not sure what the result will be of that venture, but we can only wait and see.

Regardless, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were more merchandise and movies to follow this series. So expect to once more see Christian Grey and “Fifty Shades of Grey” merchandise on store shelves in the future.

Thank you for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what are your thoughts on this new “Grey” series?

The 5 Stages of Submission

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Most artists and writers submit their work to various sites for publication or as a part of their portfolio. Portfolios are often used as samples of work to get into college or some grand institute. It’s a wonderful dream that most people have and often pursue. As a writer, I know what submitting work feels like all too well.  Much like there is the five stages of grieving, I’ve complied the five stages of submission.

1. Preparation (Motivation)

All your gear is ready. Pencils sharpened, your favorite beverage near you, music playing, ideas buzzing like bees in your head. You are ready to take on anything.  You immediately focus on those ideas and nothing else as you begin what you consider your magnum opus. When people see your submissions they will praise you like the God you are and you will immediately gain acceptance and/or prizes. You are on top of the world and nothing will stop you.

2.  Working on It (Confidence)

Everything is going to plan. The shading is perfect, the words are pure magic, the writing is classic and original. It’s gorgeous and your brain is your coach, telling you to press onward, work until your fingers grow numb, and reminding you why you’re doing this. The college you’ve always dreamed of, that prize money, it’s all shining like diamonds in your head, and you know you have the skills to take it all.

3. Everything Goes Wrong (Anxiety)

And just like that it all goes down the drain. You notice your grammar is terrible and you know you can do better. You notice a tiny line of color has gone out of line. You think of another idea to write about just as you’re finishing your current one. You contemplate redoing your entire submission as new ideas start to brew in your head. Cursing your brain, you’re wondering why they weren’t there before. Maybe those ideas would be better, maybe you weren’t paying attention; everything starts to crumble and you don’t know how to fix it. (Now would be a good time to take a break from your work and clear your head).

4. Editing (Self Doubt)

We are own worst critics, especially when it comes to editing. We judge ourselves too harshly and believe we can seek the advice of others. Most of the time it works, but sometimes they don’t see your vision.  Sure, we follow their advice, but we still hear our own nagging voices in our head. Fix that, that line sounds terrible, why is that colored weirdly, and while they seem encouraging, they actually doubt our skills. But of course, there is that small grasp of relief and joy that eventually blossoms when we realize that maybe our work isn’t so bad. That maybe after the harrowing experience, we still may have a shot. We edited all we could through the late nights and hours just before the deadline. Now it’s time to take the final step.

5. Submitting (Acceptance)

That’s it. You’ve done everything you could. You’ve written the best to your ability, you’ve drawn to the very brink of your sanity, and you have done everything possible to be as good as you can be.  As you enter your contact information and any other necessary data, your brain starts to bubble. What if it isn’t good enough, what if you aren’t good enough, what if you missed the objective completely, or what if you just overall failed?

Well, it’s okay if you did.

In our lives all we can do is our best. We push ourselves to produce better work and from it we learn more about ourselves. We learn what our style and approach to our craft is. We learn how far we are willing to go just to obtain that big college dream we’ve had since we were teenagers or how far we’re willing to force ourselves to be better than good; to be great, wonderful, fantastic.  We learn from our failures, we learn from what we did wrong, or what we should have done. It’s all a part of life’s wondrous journey and it’s completely normal.

There will always be someone out there who’s probably better and that’s okay. It means their life is different than yours; maybe they went to an advanced art school or devoted all their time to their work. And it’s okay, that’s who they chose to be. You cannot be them, but you can definitely try to be better in your own fashion, regardless of what you do.

So go ahead. Take a deep breath. Enter your submission and hit ‘submit’. You could gain what you so desired or you could fail, but either way, it’ll be a learning experience. May the best come your way and always fight to do better, be better, and be awesome.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what do you do to motivate yourself when it comes to your craft?

Fifty Shades of Assault

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

As most of you believe, “Fifty Shades of Grey” promotes abuse and violence. After reading the book, I completely agree, especially when there are crimes inspired by the filthy franchise.

On February 21^st, 2015, Mohammad Hossain decided to re-enact “Fifty Shades of Grey” in his dorm at UIC. He invited someone who he was intimately familiar with to his dorm where he asked her to strip, tied her to his bed, and even blindfolded her using a knit cap. Afterwards, he proceeded to whip his partner with his belt, punch her, and sexually assault her despite her protests. Hossain claimed that he was re-enacting “Fifty Shades of Grey” and also admitted to doing something wrong.

However, this isn’t the first crime triggered by “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

In 2013, Steven Lock and a woman went to court because of how far he took their BDSM session. The two met through an online dating site and wanted to perform a “slave and master” session sparked by “Fifty Shades of Grey.” They agreed to a safety word (red), lashing, and what they were going to do to each other. They even went as far as creating a sexual contract consenting Lock to enforce pain upon her. But no sooner the woman received severe markings on her buttocks and heard the whistling of the rope, she began to regret everything. She started screaming in pain and refused to get into bed with Lock, causing him to angrily give her the key to her restraints and telling her to get out.

Both parties of these acts knew what they were getting to, having seen the movie or read the book(s). However, the books and movies are works of fiction that do not properly illustrate relationships or BDSM culture.  Yet this didn’t stop either party because they pursued with their actions, thus proving that life imitates art.

However, both cases have their differences. Hossain’s partner repeatedly yelled at him to stop, but he kept going. There was no consent of beating or sexual activity other than tying up and stripping down. Lock and his partner did have consent; they wrote it in a sexual contract and she agreed to what would occur. The woman did not know what this man was like and immediately regretted her decision when she felt how hard he was whipping her. Lock could have stopped the BDSM session, but chose to fulfill the contract (and possibly his own sexual need), and continued. He even claimed that he felt bad for hurting her; why did he not stop if he knew he was hurting her? Was he enticed by her screams and the contract they both agreed to?

While I’m sure there are many other crimes and corruptions caused by “Fifty Shades of Grey,” these two stuck out to me the most. There are two demographics here that are affected by this franchise: young people who are becoming more sexual and experimental and older people who have enough experience to determine what’s right or wrong for them. Their judgments do not excuse nor justify what they have done. Rather, it just shows that a horrific franchise promoting abuse and violence can have such dominance over judgment, experience, and sexual activity.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it feel free to comment, reblog, and offer feedback.

So tell me, how do you think “Fifty Shades of Grey” is affecting our society? 

Hey There, Cthulu

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical  Mystery Blog.

H.P.Lovecraft is creeping his way into society and appearing in all sorts of ways. For those of you who don’t know, H.P. Lovecraft is the horrifyingly fantastic writer behind Cthulu. Cthulu is a winged, bipedal octopus who dwells in the ocean waiting for the perfect moment to destroy the world and consume everyone. Together, Cthulu and Lovecraft have managed to slip into various forms of entertainment and cause quite a following.

One form of entertainment Cthulu has managed to weave its way into is tabletop roleplays. Tabletop roleplays are usually related to Dungeons and Dragons, if not something else similar to that nature. It’s when you take on a character you design with the use of dice and imagination.  Of course these games only get more fun when you toss a certain dark, aquatic overlord into the mix. Enter Call of Cthulu, a tabletop roleplaying game. The best thing about this game that you can incorporate the great, deep one himself as well as many other deities from other Lovecraftian works. Usually, this game is set in the 1890s, 1920s, or can be accelerated to modern day depending on what stories you would like to tell.

Here’s three places that would be cool to use in a Call of Cthulu game.

3. Coney Island

Coney Island first opened in 1895 and was America’s first amusement park situated by the beach. It was entitled “Poor Man’s Paradise” because of how people could get so much for so little.  There would be thousands of people who visited the popular tourist attraction if not more. What if there was a haunted house attraction that was secretly a trap for some sort of Lovecraftian monster? Ride attendees would enter the house and go missing for a while only to emerge as either cultists for a Lovecraftian deity or never emerge as all, being food for some horrific, unseen force. If the beast should ever roar or growl, the one who hosted the particular attraction would pass it off as a special effect.

2.  The Great Gatsby

What happens when you cross The Great Gatsby with a Lovecraftian tale? One amazing crossover consisting of eccentric weird billionaires accidentally summoning a horrific beast while completely smashed. Or owning a private dance club that only strange, wealthy cultists can enter and make sacrifices to the monster. There’s tons of ideas for sacrifices: suicidal persons (suicide rates were high due to The Great Depression during this time), trespassers, thieves, and so many other people.

1. Modern Day Japan

Ah yes, Japan. The home of tentacle hentai and an island created by a volcano not too far from it. What’s on this island? Possibly some Lovecraftian beasts that use the island as their base and whenever people venture upon it, they instantly devour them.  After a while so many people go missing before a special group of people are sent to investigate the land. What they find is not of this world, but rather the stuff of their nightmares.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, and reblog.

So tell me, what would be your ideal Lovecraftian adventure?

Fifty Shades of No

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Fans everywhere are anticipating the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie premiering next month. For those of you that aren’t aware, “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James, is an erotic story where Anastasia Steele signs a sex contract with Christian Grey, allowing him to perform various devious sexual acts.

I’ll admit I tried to read the book to see what the hype was and with every chapter it sent me into a deep, dark pit of hatred; the writing was terrible, a piece of bread was more thrilling than Ana, Christian was an abusive jerk, and the sex scenes were written like a teenager who just learned about sex. What really made me detest this book was the tampon scene in which Anastasia is experiencing her period and Christian wants to have intercourse with her. He then proceeds to rip the tampon from her vagina and toss it into the toilet. Anastasia did nothing about this invasive action other than think some shocking exclamation.  It was bad enough that Christian was not only abusing the sex contract and Anastasia before, but now he had had violated her privacy to the utmost degree. Furthermore, he performed this action without her consent and only to satisfy his primal lust.

Firstly, Anastasia’s menstrual cycle should have been an exception in the contract. Yes, some women are aroused during their periods, but that doesn’t automatically give consent. Consent is needed regardless of the situation. Second, this action is the epitome of Christian’s feelings towards Anastasia; he doesn’t see her as a woman, but an object. She is a toy to fulfill his needs and to abuse because of his past with a rapist who showed him the ways of BDSM by using him. Instead of seeking professional help for his relentless actions and undeniable trauma, he follows in the path of the rapist and uses abuse in sex as therapy.  Third, the toilet is going to clog and that will be a mess to clean up. Fourth, there is blood everywhere. Allow that image to soak in your mind and it doesn’t help that afterwards they take a bath together.

Thankfully, the tampon scene is not included in the movie. However, fans will still be treated to Christian’s dominating and controlling personality as well as Anastasia’s extremely passive attitude.

There are tons of books and topics to base a movie on. Why they would make a movie about this book and its incorrect portrayals of BDSM, abusive sex partners who have no respect and women who willingly go along with everything, is beyond me. I understand that it’s a book about sex and sex sells; it was the one major ideal reinforced in my media courses. I also understand that we all have our dark sexual fantasies, which is fine; it’s our imagination, it tends to wander. Honestly, any form of media about sex is fine, but to produce a movie that shows more harm to our society than good makes no sense. I can imagine after viewing this movie, some people will take away the notion that women will always want it and that men are supposed to be abusive. These aren’t lessons that our society should be taught because they are damaging lies.

Thanks for taking the time to read today’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to comment and reblog and as always, I welcome any feedback or critiques you have.

So tell me, what are your views on “Fifty Shades of Grey”? 

The Revival of Harry Potter

Good evening all and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Just a few days ago, Diagon Alley opened to the public at Universal Studios Orlando, Florida. What better way to celebrate this occasion than reading a short story written by JK Rowling? Not just any short story, but a little update as to what the Harry Potter crew has been up to. The story was told in the voice of Rita Skeeter, the writer for a tabloid wizard newspaper. It was posted on Pottermore.com in the commentary of the Quidditch match between Brazil and Bulgaria. From what we’ve read, we’ve received the following information about the characters we know and love:

• Harry Potter is now in his mid-thirties with graying hair and a scar on his right cheek. The wound is from his job as an Auror. His wife, Ginny Weasley is a journalist reporting on the Quidditch World Cup for The Daily Prophet.
  
  
• Hermione and Ron are still married and have a son named Hugo and a daughter named Rose. Hermione is the deputy head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ron now co-manages Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop ran by his brother George who married Fred’s ex-girlfriend, Angela. Together, they have two children a son named Fred and a daughter named Roxanne.
  
  
• Neville Longbottom is now the Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. His wife, Hannah, is applying to be the Matron of Hogwarts and retrained herself as a Healer.
  
  
• Luna Lovegood married the grandson of a famous Magizoolist named Rolf Scamander. They have twin sons.
  
  
• Charlie Weasley is an unmarried dragon wrestler.
  
  
• Percy Weasley is the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation.
  
  
• Bill Weasley is scarred from an encounter with a werewolf, but still married to Fleur Delacour.
  
  
• Teddy Lupin and Bill and Fleur’s daughter, Victoire, have been seen together snogging, and being close to each other.

The short story caused Pottermore.com to crash on Tuesday morning with elation from fans, like myself, who grew up with the famous wizard.

What other characters would you like to get an update on from JK Rowling? 

Tolkien Tries His Hand at Beowulf

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Show of hands, who likes J.R.R.Tolkien? For those of you who raised their hands, fantastic. For those of you didn’t, dear Hell what is wrong with you? Go out and read his books, your brain will thank you (and so will I).

The famous writer of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” is long gone, but in his place we have his legacy: his literary works. His books have entered our culture, creating whimsical worlds to entertain us. However, there is another piece of Tolkien literature that very few know of that was just recently published.

Tolkien was an Oxford English professor who often dappled in Old Norse and Old English languages. From these topics, arose “Beowulf” the classic Norse tale that was not only Tolkien’s early love, but was also touched by his hand.

“Beowulf” is a famed Norse epic in which Grendel, a monster, raids Beowulf’s dining hall. Beowulf, one of the strongest men in existence easily smites Grendel and his mother, an evil dragon. This piece attracted the eye of Tolkien as he attempted to translate it from such an ancient language, to a more modern, understandable read. The translation was abandoned for many years so he could pursue “The Lord of the Rings” series. However, he would go back to it every now and then. Picking away a section or a sentence and translating it, as many scholars have done before.

Now Tolkien’s translation of “Beowulf” has been published to the public. People will be able to see how the master of literary language tried his hand at translating a classic epic.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and enjoy a good read. 

Poetry: Food for the Soul

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Tonight, I share some fantastic news with everyone. My old community college’s literary magazine has accepted my submissions and will be displaying some of my poetry in this year’s issue.  Also as far as I’m concerned, my other college’s literary magazine will also be publishing a few of my poems.  My poetry deals with a ton of different elements, but here are my top five subjects that I often write about.

5. People

Call me crazy, but people watching is rather fun. The actions they do, how they perform them, often tell you what type of person they are. They also make for good inspiration when it comes to poetry. How gently a woman can pick up something as opposed to someone else lifting an object aggressively. How a person tries to copy someone else’s actions and how they may fail or succeed in doing so. Everyone is different, making them interesting, dull, klutzy, or lively.

4. Objects

It’s easy to personify objects, especially in poetry. The verses become a canvas for you to morph something like an orange into a moon. Sometimes I twist normal items into something new and different things. I love doing that because it plays with the reader’s mind, challenging them to think of an object as something else.

3. Nature

Nature is a concept often used in art and literature. Great poets like Lord Byron and Emerson have written about the beauty of nature in many forms, from the forests to night. I mostly write about my two loves of nature: the night (and all its’ details) and the sea. I’ve always admired the sea and the mysteries and beauty it contains. I’ve often found the night soothing and beautiful, it relaxes me, and allows me to do my best work during that time.

2. Personal Experiences

Everyone has experiences that affect them in some way or another. My experiences have ranged from fantastic to unusual and everything in between. They’re usually my fuel for most of my poems when other muses fail me.

1. Life

Life is a beast. On some day it’s kind and gentle towards you. Other days, it could be vicious and unmerciful for no reason. It is an inspiring monster that cannot be tamed, but rather ridden with every passing day. Every day presents something new to be inspired by or contemplate.  For me, I take these events as bits of inspiration.  

Feel free to reblog and comment, and as always feedback and followers are welcomed. Before this entry concludes, I like to ask everyone a question:

What inspires you to write? 

Lestat Rises from the Coffin in a New Book

Good evening everyone and welcome to a most joyous entry at The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last night, a secret was revealed to the world, and caused it to explode with excitement. Bookworms swooned and shrieked like fans at a Paramore concert. For many, last night Lestat de Lioncourt, an eighteenth century vampire of unfiltered beauty and logic, returned to the world.

Ladies, prepare yourselves for one sexy vampire.

film.com

On March 9^th, 2014 Anne Rice announced that on October 28^th of this year, Lestat would rise from his coffin in a new book entitled, “Prince Lestat”. This book will be the eleventh in her “Vampire Chronicles” series, which features the tales of Claudia, Louis, Armand, Lestat, and tons of other vampires that fans have come to know and love. “Prince Lestat” will show the characters coming to terms with what has happened in the past and what they are doing now.

Originally in 2002 Rice claimed that the “Vampire Chronicles” series had come to a close. This upset fans who wanted to see an aftermath of everything that had occurred in the popular 80s book series. However, at a Q & A session with readers, Rice claimed that she wanted to hear what Lestat had to say about the prior events.

Not only will this be the eleventh book in the “Vampire Chronicles” series, but it will also be the last book to finish it. Rice claims that it will be a “true” sequel to the third book of the series, “Queen of the Damned”.

Fellow readers and bookworms, let’s raise our cups in honor of a fantastic writer, bringing such a terrific character back from the grave. Like many of her books before, let’s anticipate the best, and brace ourselves as we read through the last pages of Lestat de Lioncourt.

What do you think the vampires are doing now and how do you think it will tie into the wondrous tale of “Queen of the Damned”? Feel free to comment and reblog, and as always feedback and followers are welcomed.

A Little Late Night Reading

Hello everyone and welcome to a late night version of The Magical Mystery Blog.

Tonight I thought I’d do something completely different. Instead of writing up my usual list of things, reviews, or entry of current events, I’ve decided to post one of my poems. I've been writing poetry since I was a child and am often inspired by nature, my own thoughts and feelings, and anything that sparks something in my mind. This is one of my poems I sent in to my old college's magazine in hopes for it to be published. Feel free to offer any improvement on it and as always, enjoy.

Morning

The prepubescent glow
bathes the chamber in dusty blue,
sleepy eyes shy away from the
arrival of a new day, and seek
comfort in the fading dark.

Shadows cling to corners
still scared of their ritual
demise – though temporary
until nightfall.

Parting stars slow with time,
dividing the blackened ocean,
making way for the gilded bringer.

Leaves capture flecks of gold,
a cluster of hanging basins
bound to one form, whose arms
embrace the oncoming warmth,
and witness the golden birth.

Cumberbatch Captures Literature Beautifully

Greetings everyone and welcome to a late night Friday version of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This week I revisited some of my favorite YouTube videos involving Benedict Cumberbatch. I’m not talking about the scene where he rescued Irene Adler or his filming of Star Trek, but rather his literary videos.

As a literature lover, I’m drawn to classic works such as Kubla Khan, Metamorphosis, Macbeth, and many others. Cumberbatch has intensified my admiration by reading some pieces of classic literature. While some of you may pass this off or even question how this is even possible, I urge you to listen to some of his audio readings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrAGCJJkNbE – Benedict Cumberbatch reads John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8LAbuateI – Benedict Cumberbatch reads Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Stages of Man’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7mEV9VUgtQ – Benedict Cumberbatch reads Kubla Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvz-_vky7mM – Benedict Cumberbatch reads a section of Casanova (prepare your imaginations)

I’m extremely particular with how literature is read. The person must embody the piece using the right tone, the perfect pace, the correct (if any) emphasis, and other factors. Otherwise, they butcher it. But Cumberbatch reads each work with a different voice, taking on the persona of the written word, and dealing with it carefully, bringing out their uniqueness.   

His reading of John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale is like a tranquil river. So smooth, it penetrates the soul and warms it like fire. With every uttered word, the flames spread throughout the body and brain, and envelope the senses in warmth.  At times, his voice transforms into a soft whisper, filled with a longing for something familiar, and exhausted from reciting these words many times before.

This differs from his reading of Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Stages of Man’ piece where his voice is bold, as though making a factual observation of the life of man.  He speaks as though he is telling the truths of life, of how we evolve as the parts noted in the section. His voice contributes to the flow of the work, as though his voice itself is growing with every stage of man. His voice is serious at first but winds its way down to something casual, as though man has experienced everything in his life, and is understandable and knowledgeable of everything.

What piece of literature would you love to hear Benedict Cumberbatch read? Feel free to comment and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Countdown to a New Year

Greetings everyone to a post Christmas version of The Magical Mystery Blog.

I hope all your Christmases were fantastic and that you received many gifts from Santa, Krampus, Cthulu, Sandy Claws, or someone you know and love. My Christmas was filled with food and presents, most of which were clothes, antiques, and a few games. But now a new year is just around the bend and with it comes hopes of a new life to be lived, new resolutions to follow through with, and changes to lifestyles, homes, and more. Below are my top three New Year’s resolutions.

3. Getting in the Field

This past year I graduated as a Communications major with a Writing minor from New Jersey’s distinctive college. Since then I have been doing casino marketing work and putting some of my degree to use. However, as much as I love my current job, I would like to get into writing, preferably for a newspaper. I've been taught to create excellent profile stories, press releases, and other forms of writing. I have the skills, it’s just a matter of finding a place that will give me a chance.

2. Live

If there’s one thing I believe in, it’s that we have one life to live. Given this one chance, we might as well use it to our full advantage, and live every day as though there’s no tomorrow.  Going through college I started to live the best I could – embracing the fun moments when they presented themselves, embarking on trips to places I've never been to before, and many other activities. I began to see the wonders of life, the elation of spontaneous moments, and the beauty of random adventures. With my college days over, I want to continue living, and experience everything life has to offer me. I've even created a bucket list to guide me on the life I want to live. So far, I've knocked a few things off the list and I don’t plan to stop.

1. Work

I’ll admit I’m a bit of a procrastinator which can be a cursing or a blessing for me. But what qualifies as ‘work’ for me might be considered as a hobby for others. My work entails crafting short stories, honing novels, and basically, writing. It’s my dream to become an author, not for the fame or money, but for the concepts of being remembered for fantastic writing, and bringing joy to people.

I grew up reading constantly, always hungry for more, and having a strong admiration for creating and writing.  My New Year’s resolution is to keep working and aiming to get a book out filled with a few short stories and some poems within the next year.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Feel free to leave them below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. 

Drunk on Literature

Greetings everyone and welcome to another start of the week here at The Magical Mystery Blog.

As I've mentioned before, I love to read. Reading for me is what breathing is to every living thing. Without it, we would merely die and cease to exist as nothing more than a cadaver.

I have a wide taste in various types of writing, including poetry. One of my favorite poets is Emily Dickinson, a recluse from Manhattan. Brought up as a Christian, she entertained herself with mythologies, biblical tales, and other stories to fuel her poems. During her introverted life, she read and wrote like a religion.

Like any other curious child, I find her book one day while browsing through our school’s library. Since then I have been hooked to her writing, alongside Edgar Allen Poe’s, Henry David Thoreau’s, and many others. Growing up, I often found translating poetry to be fun. To this day, I still find this activity to be fun.

Today I will be doing a rough translation of Emily Dickinson’s poem,” I taste a liquor never brewed.” Below is the poem.

I taste a liquor never brewed,

From tankards scooped in pearl;

Not all the vats upon the Rhine

Yield such an alcohol!

Inebriate of air am I,

And debauchee of dew, 

Reeling, through endless summer days, 

From inns of molten blue.

When landlords turn the drunken bee 

Out of the foxglove's door, 

When butterflies renounce their drams, 

I shall but drink the more!

Till seraphs swing their snowy hats, 

And saints to windows run, 

To see the little tippler 

Leaning against the sun!

The first verse is the introduction to the poem. Dickinson tells us she tasted a brew that’s not normally drunk in a tankard. A tankard is a specific type of drinking mug that is sometimes a pearl shade. Yet liquor or any type of alcohol is not brewed or made in a tankard, it goes through a fermentation process at a factory or brewery. The tankard is crafted (or scooped) to give it a pearl shade. Apparently the brew itself is not your average brew; it's a special one. We do not know what she means as of yet.  

She continues to explain how powerful this specific type of alcohol she drinks is. It is so strong that the vats on the Rhine cannot stop it.  The Rhine in this poem is being referred to as the Rhine River that stretches from Andermatt, Switzerland, cuts through Germany, and spills out at Rotterdam, Netherlands into the North Sea.  There are tons of towns that rest on the Rhine River in Germany and some of them even have breweries. These locations have vats in them of various beverages. Dickinson is saying that the alcohol of her drink is so powerful that the vats of the Rhine River can’t yield how strong her drink is.

In the second verse, Emily informs her audience that she is drunk on air, a degenerate of dew, and is reeling through the summer. From how it appears, she is not inebriated on any sort of physical alcoholic drink but rather nature. She is heavily drinking air, breathing it every day of her life, and enjoying it. She is a “debauchee of dew” (Dickinson); she constantly indulges in the morning dew as an alcoholic does to alcohol. The air and dew have her reeling throughout the days “from inns of Molten blue” (Dickinson). These inns that Dickinson describes could be the sky which at some points during the day has a molten blue shade.

In the third verse, Dickinson uses quotations to emphasize some of her subjects. Throughout this verse, she treats nature like a bar of people and their actions involving alcohol. In the first pair of lines, she refers to a bee as a person getting kicked out of a bar for having too much to drink. The insect is kicked out of the foxglove’s (a flower) door, which is the opening of the flower. The “Landlord” in this case is the flower itself because it has filled the bee to a great degree. In the next pair of lines, Dickinson refers to butterflies giving up their “drams” (nectar); much like an alcoholic would give up their drinking addiction. But as to where the butterflies give up their drams, Dickinson absorbs more of her particular drink.

In the final verse, she claims that she will continue to drink until she attracts the attention of saints and seraphs. These two specific figures are found in one place: Heaven. This could be an implication of her Christian upbringing because angels and saints are thoroughly mentioned in that religion. However, the only way she’ll see these figures is when she is deceased. This concept flows into her final two lines beautifully. Since she is dead in the first pair of lines, she could easily be “the little Tippler leaning against the Sun” (Dickinson) because she has joined the seraphs and saints in Heaven, which is close to the Sun.

So readers, what do you think of this famous poem? Who are your favorite poets? Feel free to leave a comment and followers are always welcomed.