Hello all,

I'm getting very close on commissioning a group of elite scientists to start looking for a cure for....

MOTIVATION DEFICIENCY

Terrible disease, I tell you.

Crippling, even.

Particularly when you have only 3 major projects left to do....in the space of about two weeks.

Oh....and set apart time for work, eating, sleeping. Not to mention preparing for finals....don't get me started there.

Add into that a very rebellious, very cantankerous muse, who is begging me to write....and when I give it attention, it has the audacity to switch gears.

"Oh...I wanted to write that retelling, didn't I? WELL I LIED. I wanna do....a tag. NO! Scratch that, a BLOG LINKUP!!! Like Mary Kate's linkup!!!"

I hereby apologize for my horrid muse's behavior. I'll humor it for now (because I know that I'll put it through A Deep Cavern of Misery later....*evil smirk*).

http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2017/04/top-ten-things-that-will-make-us_25.html

So...what makes me skip multiple chapters?

1. Sexual Impurity/Smut

I CAN'T STAND SMUT. Adultery, sodomy, and graphic sexual activity are also major turnoffs.

So much so that I will scour reviews to make sure that none of that stuff is in there.

I can't deal with sex in a book. I can't deal with people making out in a book. Physical stuff better stay behind closed doors, in veiled and sacred language, or not go farther than a kiss. It just makes me sick. I have a very vivid imagination, and I can usually guess what happens from the littlest hint.

I'm even uncomfortable reading about divorced-people and single parents romances, simply because of the traditional Catholic Church's teaching on divorce.

Besides, I don't need to be thinking about that kind of stuff!!!! I'm trying to keep myself pure before the Lord God, which is difficult enough as it is right now. I don't need it in the books I read either.

So...unless acts of impurity are condemned in the work, any instance/event that violates the 6th and 9th commandments automatically boots the work off my reading list.

2. Pagan witchcraft/Necromancy

I don't mind the occasional elemental powers, but spells and superstitions don't turn me on. I actually refuse to watch Dr. Strange and read Harry Potter because of that reason.

One that I recently banished was Miranda by Grace Livingston Hill. I liked her other two Marcia Schuyler books and I was excited to see this one come up on Librivox. But I couldn't take the couple chapters with the hypnotist. After those chapters, the rest of the book went downhill from there and I couldn't finish it. Definitely not one of GLH's best works.

3. Graphic violence and death. 

Like I said, I have a very vivid imagination. Seeing blood makes my stomach tighten and I can't stand to see dead bodies either. Like at all. Just no.

4. A historically inaccurate book

Thank heavens I haven't run into a lot of those yet, but as a budding public historian, I can't stand to see something not fit the historical facts. As a matter of fact, I believe that works of fiction can really help in teaching history, if they are done right. I really value writers that take the time to research the time period and fit their story accordingly, down to the language and customs. I can't stand it when they put a 21st century plot or character into Victorian costume. It doesn't work.

5. Evil has no consequences/The Idea behind the story

Yes. I am a very deep reader.

I haven't run into many of these either, but I can't stand to see evil win. It's not how that works. Books teach, even fiction. You'd be totally surprised what fiction books have been the basis for (starting revolutions, legal debates, etc.). What ideas is the writer promoting through their work? What subliminal messages are present?

6. Dystopia

As a melancholic choleric/phlegmatic mixture, stability is very important to me. Murderous totalitarianism, and exploitation of women and children don't sit well with me at all. Actually, a disorganized chaos of a society is enough for me to reject it, lets be honest.

7. Stupid, shallow, and selfish characters

I'm sure that this is a universal thing, but the characters need to have a unique story of their own. Selfishness is one trait that I really can't stand in a character though. Even if the story is well written, I have abandoned books because the protagonist was really selfish and arrogant. I guess it's because I can't tolerate selfishness in real life.

8. Heavily cliched plot line

Like with the characters, each story needs to have its own twist to it. Otherwise, its almost like plagiarizing an essay. It's not worth the paper it's written on.

9. Illogical plot line

Sorry guys, the story has to be believable. Sure, outrageous things can happen, and sometimes happen in a sequence, but it's the exception not the rule. Confused readers are never a good thing.

I've been guilty of having illogical plot lines in my stories and have been (justly) heavily criticized for them. So, I'll share the love. 💖

10. The price of the work

I know. This is really petty.

But I'm a broke college student. I can't afford to spend $20-30 for a book.

Kindle Bookstore is my best friend right now. Because authors will put out works for free for a limited period of time. So I can get a $16 book for free if I catch it at the right time. Sweet!!!

That's it!

As a reward...here's a hint for my re-telling: My story is based off of a traditional Irish folk song.

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine