Bethkinishness

I'm tiny and called Beth. (Among a host of other nicknames, but the list is so long that it wouldn't fit comfortably on this page.) I'm easy to get along with, but difficult to know. Someone can know me for years and still be surprised by what I think. I can be vague about my opinions if I feel they might cause conflict, but I really cannot abide dishonesty. My diplomatic nature only lasts for so long, and I'm unflinchingly loyal to the people who are close to me.

I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I want to know absolutely everything from aspects of biochemistry to the history of archeology and the principles of theology. Part of what makes me love writing so much is that every single subject imaginable can be incorporated into a story. My library card and the Google search engine are consistently in use. For me, writing has never been about mindless self-fulfillment. If it has no meaning and can't be enjoyed by at least one other person, it holds no joy for me. On the flip side if I am told I am incapable of something it will only make me delve in with all I've got, crying, "You have no idea how high I can fly."* I do things often for the sake of experience and research. Why would I have my best friend tie me up with packaging tape and throw me in the trunk of her car? Because I want to know if I can escape without assistance.

I have a wretched habit of starting a million projects and not being able to finish. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing. Nothing I do is ever good enough for me, so if mistakes are pointed out or inconsistencies brought to my attention, I will edit to the point of exhaustion. Thus, my first (and only completed) full-length story is now only a Prologue and a very long, yet-to-be-completed Chapter One.

Robin McKinley is the queen of wordage and I love her books to bits. She--like Jane Austen--has a knack for subtlety that most modern writers lack. I have great admiration for a book that can't be translated easily into a screenplay for the money-mongering nitwits currently in the movie industry. If I have to sit back and read every word to get the full effect, all the better.

I'm a Christian. That's not a label, but an affirmation of my deep and rewarding relationship with my Savior. I have very strong principles and may kill you with kindness. Though I generally prefer using a broadsword or a pen for that.

Favorite Quotes

"I am wiser than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts." Psalm 119:100

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." ~Toni Morrison

"The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it." ~Jules Renard, "Diary," February 1895

"Three grand essentials to happiness in life are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison

"If you hear a voice within you saying 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength." - Frances de Sales

“You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"All activity lies within the artist's scope... Well maybe not yours." -Chaucer from A Knight's Tale

"Sometimes it's not about whether Cinderella gets her slipper back, but it's about the fact that the prince even picked up the slipper at all." -Michael Scott from The Office

Concerning Reviews:

Shocking, I know, but I do love reviews! I don't want to be the kind of author who tracks down every person who favorites my stories so I can demand they review each and every chapter they read, but I'd love to hear feedback from you all. How you like/dislike the story, the progression of the plot, character development, or hey, even if you're confused and need questions answered, I'm happy to oblige. I'd even be thrilled if a line I wrote makes you think of something random or amusing and you just want to tell me about it right that instant. Plus, I like to look up my readers, so if you write stories and happen to review one of mine, I'm likely to look yours up, too. Help you help me!

Favorite Authors

Robin McKinley
Jane Austen
Diana Wynne Jones
J. R. R. Tolkien
Elizabeth Gaskell
Christopher Paolini
Lloyd Alexander
Gail Carson Levine

Favorite Books

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzcy
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Phantom by Susan Kay
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
The Society of S and The Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard
Chalice by Robin McKinley
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Inkheart Books by Cornelia Funke
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
The Goose Girl and Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Interview With A Vampire and The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fondling Your Muse by John Warner

I will read any version of Beauty and the Beast I can find, or anything with a similar theme. I never tire of it.

Other Ways To Stalk Me:

Books: I need them. If you like digital bookshelves, reading and writing reviews, and maybe want to check out what I'm currently reading, take a look at my Shelfari.

I blog now too, because apparently writing stories isn't enough. Click for HASH

I also have an account on FFN under the same nickname Bethie M. W. if that interests you. :) I'm a slow updater there as well, but at some point they all get additional chapters.