The Snowflake Method How to Design Your Story from a Simple Premise

The Snowflake Method How to Design Your Story from a Simple Premise When youre a writer, its likely that you often daydream about the kinds of stories that youd like to write down. You may be the type of writer where you have everything in your novel perfectly crafted in your headâ€"from how youre going to introduce the characters to how theyll overcome the obstacles in the third act to how youll end it (either resolve everything neat and tidy or leave it hanging for a second or third installment of the story). And the writing process is merely just your fingers doing the walking and pouring out everything thats in your brain.Or you could be like the rest of us and not have the slightest idea of how youre going to attack the story in your novel, which makes the idea of sitting down to write a book pretty overwhelming (and lets face it, pretty scary). You can approach novel writing in many different ways, but one of our favorite processes is called The Snowflake Method. This approach is one of the best ways for writersâ€"especially those writers who d ont have a ton of experience in story drafting or plottingâ€"to get a story on the page. Because at the end of the day, it doesnt matter if youre using theories and writing approaches you learned from your MFA or if this is your very first experience with writing. All that matters is that you get words on the page and let the characters tell their story.Lets go over what the snowflake is, how to use it, why its so beneficial to writers, and some concrete examples to look at so you can model your own writing after it.What the Snowflake Method isAmerican author, writing coach, and physicist (yes, you read that right) Randy Ingermanson came up with the Snowflake Method to help writers create an outline by starting with the most basic information about the story and working your way up to the nitty gritty details like the plot and the character descriptions. Once you complete the Snowflake Method, youll have yourself a pretty fleshed out storyâ€"with the idea that youll easily be able t o get drafting right away.His writing method was based on the mathematical concept of fractals, and specifically focused on the Koch Snowflake. (For those of us who are not mathematically inclined, the easiest way to explain the Koch Snowflake is that it starts out as an equilateral triangle and eventually evolves into a snowflake that has never-ending infinitely complex shapes.) As you can imagine, your novel outline will start out as a simple shape and then get infinitely more complex as your progress through each planning stage.So now that you have a loose idea of what the Snowflake Method is, lets dive into how it all exactly worksâ€"with detailed steps so you can follow along.How the Snowflake Method worksWhen youre planning out your novel using the Snowflake Method, here are the steps youll need to follow:Step 1: Come up with a quick one-sentence summary of your novelBegin with a one-sentence summary of your novel. Avoid using overly descriptive phrases at this step.Youve had this idea in your head for a while nowâ€"your novel. Now its actually time to put the idea onto paper (or Google Docs, Microsoft Word, your phone, etc.) by writing down a quick one-sentence summary of what your novel is about. You can also think of this as your elevator speech or your hook to get people interested in your story.Example:A woman locks eyes with someone and later finds out hes dating her best friend.OrA boy runs away and helps a slave down the Mississippi to find his freedom.This is a good exercise to start with because it not only helps you encapsulate your story and break it down to a very simple level, but it also helps you come up with the general theme of your story. Whenever the writing process begins to be too much and you start to lose the entire point, refer back to this one-sentence summary often so it can help guide you back into place and zoom out so you can remember what the whole story should be about.If you can, try to avoid descriptions and keep it at 1 5 words or fewer. So, essentially dont include any names, specific information about characters or even in some cases where theyre at (especially if you dont exactly know yet).Step 2: Grow the one-sentence summary into a paragraphGrow the summary into a paragraph, with multiple plot points. What started out as a triangle should now evolve into a star shape.Remember that Koch snowflake that we mentioned earlier? Well, if it started out as a triangle, now its going to evolve into a star, which will be your one-paragraph summary. Now that we have a nice, neat sentence that describes what the book is about, were going to expand it into a paragraph that gives more details about the story in five sentences.This is going to be a meatier version that describes the major plot points and takes you from a simple idea into a proper three-act structure. If youre writing non-fiction, the Snowflake Method can also work for youâ€"instead of three acts, youll be determining the problem that your boo k will talk about, how to solve the problem (or some theories on how to solve), and then how to go about this solution.For those writing traditional fiction, youll want to cover all your plot points in the three-act structure, which include the following:The setup: Your characters are in the status quo, and you get to learn about their everyday life and what current challenges they face.Plot point #1 (or the inciting incident): This is the event that puts your character in the middle of an adventure. It either starts your character out on a journey or throws your character in action somehow.The mid-point: Essentially this is what happens in the story when the story is progressing and things start to get worse.Plot point #2 (or the hit rock bottom part): Your character was making progress on the goal, but now theyve hit rock bottom and have to figure out a way to once and for all solve the conflictâ€"for better or worse.The climax and resolution: The final battle is being fought (lit erally or figuratively) and your character either triumphs or doesnt. Either way, the novels loose ends will be tied up and the story will end.You definitely want to spend more time on this second step than you did on the first step in the Snowflake Method. So, if you get stuck, dont be afraid to come back to it and try again. This is one of the most important building blocks for the rest of your snowflake plot.Step 3: Adding character summariesAdd character summaries, including their motivations. Who are they and what do they hope to achieve?Now that you have a basic and more expanded version of your plot, its time to focus on one of the other most important parts of your story: the characters. Our favorite characters can make us feel hopeful, make us downright angry, and even make us feel like weve made a friend.In this step of the Snowflake Method, youll be sketching out some basic facts about your character, including their name as well as their motivations (as in, what is drivi ng them and keeps them going). In addition to names and motivations, youll also want to write down their goals (what tangible things do they want or what do they want to achieve?) and their conflicts (what prevents them from obtaining this goal that they have).You might also want to include information about how they solve these conflicts. Remember, if something doesnt quite fit or you decide that you actually hate the names you come up with, you can always change it up later.Step 4: Take your one-paragraph summary and expand it into a full pageExpand the one-paragraph summary into a full page. Your original triangle should now begin to look like a snowflake.Your original triangle has now begun to take shape as a full-fledged snowflakeâ€"with increasingly complex edges. Now youll be taking your paragraph summary of your plot that you wrote earlier and turning it into a full page of plot points.This step will take you at least a few hours, especially if you havent really thought out the finer details of your plot yet. To make your one-page plot summary useful, develop it into paragraphs that end with a major plot point or cliffhanger. By the last paragraph, you should know exactly how the novel will end (can you believe it?).Step 5: Develop character Bible and synopses for major and minor playersDevelop a character Bible and synopses for major and minor players. This is a process of diving deeper into your characters.Your triangular looking snowflake has now developed into a more realistic looking oneâ€"and now youre at the stage where youll be adding some depth and drama to your characters. Now that you have your character summaries and your thoroughly explained plot, youre ready to dive deeper into who your characters are.This step can be pretty challenging. Youre essentially being asked to write down some fairly intimate details of people (or beings) that youve never metâ€"all being harnessed by the creativity of your imagination.The task for this step is to create a one-page profile for each major character and a half-page for each minor one (AKA a Character Bible). This can definitely take a while if you are planning on introducing a large cast of characters, but its time well spent up front. This time-intensive step will also help you out later when youre trying to determine a characters motivation because you can refer to their backstory, history, personality, motivations, and most interesting of all, their desires.Once youve completed the Character Bible, youll now want to write a synopsis for every characterâ€"or the arc of every characters story for the entire novel. These synopses will help you know at any point in the book what each character should be doing and what they will know.Step 6: Write a four-page summary and complete a scene listCreate a four-page summary and scene list. The scene list will be invaluable as you begin to write your novel.Weve now created a one-sentence summary, a paragraph summary, added character su mmaries, written a one-page summary, and developed Character Bibles and synopses for all your major and minor characters. Whew! Are you feeling more prepared to write your novel or just feeling plain tired?Weve finally arrived at the last step, which is to write a four-page summary and a scene list. To help you out with the four-page summary, all you need to do is take those different paragraphs in your one-page summary and expand them to fill four pages. Just like in every step, try to keep it less flowery and more direct and to the point (in other words, this is not the time or place to flex that descriptive writer muscle).If you get stuck trying to expand it, the easiest way to think about it is the following:The first act is the first page of your summaryThe second act is the second page of your summaryThe third act is the third page of your summaryThe ending is the fourth page of your summaryAfter youve completed the four-page summary, youll now move on to a scene list. This is the part of the Snowflake Method where you will write out what happens in each scene in the novelâ€"this could be separated by chapter, or you could have more than one scene per chapter (it all depends on how youd like the pacing to go).And after your scene list is complete, theoretically youll be ready to write! Can you believe that you started out with just an idea for a novel and now its been expanded to several pages of documentation that outline exactly how youll need to write it?Now all youll need is a good strong cup of coffee and some motivation to sit down and get some words on the page.The Snowflake Method steps beyond the first sixLoved what you saw in the first six steps of the Ingermanson process? There are a few more extra steps you can follow that are even more in-depth if youd like to plot even more before you begin the actual writing process.The seventh step involves writing and sketching out character charts. This step can be especially helpful to those who are mo re of a visual personâ€"so dont be afraid to draw pictures or symbols that will assist you in literally drawing out the character even more.The eighth step of the Snowflake Method involves taking that scene list and making a spreadsheet with one line per scene. (If youre more inclined to use analog tools, you could also write these down on note cards or a series of post-it notes that you can stick on or around your computer.) The main idea with this step is just that youll always have an easily accessible list of your scenes right in front of you so it can guide you on the way to completing your novel.The ninth step of the Ingermanson process is to take each scene from step eight and then write a multi-paragraph summary of the scene. If you decided to list each scene in a spreadsheet, copy and paste the line into a separate document and expand on what happens. This will really get you into the nitty gritty details of whats going on with your plot, what your characters are doing, and how theyre feeling during a particular point in the story. Though this step may take a while, can you even imagine how immensely helpful it will be to have all of this information sorted out in front of you?Having all of the scenes listed and in full detail will also be a prime opportunity for you to take a step back and look at everything together. When examining your scene descriptions, ask yourself the following questions:Does the conflict get solved?Are there any plot holes?Do all of the characters have a defined arc? (As in, do you have any characters that seem to be out of place or who dont have definitive plots that wrap up in the end?)Are the scenes in the correct order?Is the tension of the plot sufficient?Is the pacing pretty even, or could it stand to be sped up or slowed down in certain spots?If you get brave enough, sending the expanded scene descriptions to a friend is a great way to get feedback on your plot before you even begin writing. This way, you can know if so mething needs to be revised before youve written thousands of words. At this point itll be way easier to fix something in your planning phase rather than trying to comb through all of your words and edit in order to close up a loose plot point.Finally, the tenth step is actually sitting down to write the first draft of the novel. The whole point of doing this exercise is so that once you have that blinking cursor on page one of your novel that youre much less likely to get stuck or have writers block.Plus, because you have everything plotted out, you could maybe even churn out a novel in just a few short weeks or months (as opposed to long, gregarious process that it ordinarily takes when youre still thinking of plot points and character development).However, its important to note that even though youve plotted everything out that you shouldnt be married to anything. You never know when one of your characters will do something unpredictable.Why the Snowflake Method is beneficial to writersIf writing down plot points and sketching out characters doesnt sound like your idea of a fun day, then you may be wondering Is the Snowflake Method really for me?The Snowflake Method certainly isnt for everyone, but it really works for those writers who need the following:Help with plot holesCreating a guide that takes you through the entire novelâ€"without even having typed out a single sentence on your official draftSomething to refer back to if you get stuck during the (often frustrating) writing processA spark of creativity when you hit a brick wallA strategic plan that can give you the confidence to get started in your writingThe Snowflake Method can also be useful to someone who may have started writing a novel and who got completely stuck. This can guide you back to fixing plot holes that you may have created and help you understand why a certain character is motivated to do something (or not do something).This method can also assist first-time writers or novelists st art the process when they really have no idea how to begin or theyve never had any formal instruction on story, character, or plot.Some writers swear by this method and others wouldnt touch it with a nine-foot pole (preferring their own method or adopting another common writing process like a plot development chart), but until you try it you may never know the genius of Ingermansons process.

gender bias - 2247 Words

Gender Bias in Education by Amanda Chapman of D Youville College Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations. (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system: Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D s and F s that teachers dole†¦show more content†¦Reay s research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001) The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay s study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as real bitches. (2001) This reinforces the notion that ...girls misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves. (Reay, 2001) A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors. (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are notShow MoreRelatedPsychological Science and Gender Bias1351 Words   |  5 Pagesparticipants of different age, gender, different cultures etc. Results of such research assume to effectively predict the nature of the construct involved in the study. However this may not always be the case since the results of a study may be hampered by the bias involved in the study. Bias can be defined as the human tendencies that leads them to follow a quasi-logical path or form a certain perspective that is based on the predetermined notions or beliefs. Bias may affect the results of a studyRead MoreGender, Gender And Gender Bias1429 Words   |  6 Pages Language and gender has become an increasingly popular topic of study over recent decades, most likely due to the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 70s. This can also be seen in the fact that goals of linguistic studies shifted at this point, to not just look at grammatical differences between males and females but to examine sexism and gender bias in language. The wording of such studies becomes increasingly important in the modern era, as gender is now recognised as a socially constructedRead MoreGender Bias Of Face Recognition744 Words   |  3 Pagesthere seem to be many factors that influence the performance of facial recognition, such as age, gender, race and even particular social or cultural groups that people belong to. This experiment explores whether there is gender bias in face recognition. Own-gender bias in facial recognition is the tendency to recognise individuals from one’s own gender better than individuals from the other gender (Herlitz Lovà ©n, 2013). Categorisation-Individuation model: (Herlitz Lovà ©n, 2013) Categorisation:Read MoreGender Bias On The Classroom1112 Words   |  5 PagesGender Bias In The Classroom Gender roles are widely accepted societal expectations about how males and females should behave (Rathus, 2010, pg. 447). Gender roles create a difference in the way that masculine and feminine behaviors are accepted among society. Gender roles are often depicted as just a part of who a person is and help better define the difference between male and female. When society begins to use these gender roles as norms we often see those who don’t fit into the correct roleRead MoreGender Equality And Gender Bias2091 Words   |  9 PagesGender equality and gender bias has been vigorously discussed and argued for decades, and it still remains as the issue that cannot be ignored in our society. The NSW department of Education and Training provides the Boys’ and Girls’ Education Strategy to assist all government schools in NSW to undertake a strategic approach to address gender as an educational issues(NSW DEC). Still, girls are now facing difficulties that arose from no t only their abilities but also the influence from their familiesRead MoreGender Bias in Education680 Words   |  3 PagesGender bias has existed in education since the inception of schooling. According to the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM), during the 1700’s, women were denied access to secondary schooling, and were only given the most basic education deemed necessary to fulfill the â€Å"women’s duties† (NWHM 1). Research from the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE) has shown that when Title IX was introduced in 1972, girls were able to participate in any state-funded activity, resultingRead MoreGender Bias And Gender Inequality1373 Words   |  6 Pagesfemale only makes â…” of what the average male does. Whether it is in school, or the workforce, gender inequality still exists and is a major problem. There is still a huge difference in the way women get treated compared to the way men get treated. Due to the invi sible barrier that is holding back the success of women, social realities need to be redefined in order for gender inequality to longer exist. Gender inequality refers to the unequal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and menRead MoreIndia And The Gender Bias2780 Words   |  12 Pages Gender Economics Weekly Report 1 Prof. Rupa Korde Name: Ronak Shah LE2012761090 FSLE3 Question: - The problem which are being faced in India and the gender bias in the â€Å"healthcare sector† of India India is a developing country and we all know that India is still in a health crisis. Although, India has been awarded a ‘Polio-free’ status by an official certificate by the World Health Organization (WHO), we still occupy 2nd position when it comes to population and the 112th position in sex ratioRead MoreRelationship Between Gender Bias And Gender Essay2236 Words   |  9 PagesThis study focuses on the relationship between gender bias, gender ideology, and gender roles in everyday life. The study analyzes how differences in gender affect professors’ behavior in the classroom. My research question is how do men and women view professors’ treatment of students based on gender? Some basic guiding questions are: In your opinion and experience, do professors treat certain groups of students differently? Who are these students? Specifically, do professors treat men vs. womenRead MoreThe Null Hypothesis : Gender Bias928 Words   |  4 Pages2. Null Hypoth esis - Gender bias does not have a role to play in people’s mind-set towards male victims. †¢ When asked if DV affects a significant number, small number of men or doesn’t affect men, 53.2% male respondents and 58.6% female respondents think that it affects a small number of men. Only 23.8% male respondents and 31.3% female respondents think a significant number of men are affected and a further 10.9% male respondents and 10.1% female respondents think it doesn’t affect men. Since the

A Survey On Load Balancing Cloud Computing Using...

A Survey on Load Balancing in Cloud Computing using Artificial Intelligence Techniques Amandeep Kaur1, Pooja Nagpal2 1Research Scholar,Department of CSE, I.K.Gujral Punjab Technical University Rayat Institute of Engineering and Information Technology,India 2Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology ,I.K.Gujral Punjab Technical University Rayat Institute of Engineering and Information Technology,India 1amandhonsa@gmail.com, 2rieit.cse.pooja@gmail.com Abstract— Since its inception, the cloud computing paradigm has gained the widespread popularity in the industry and academia. The economical, scalable, expedient, ubiquitous, and on-demand access to shared resources are some of the characteristics of the cloud that have resulted in shifting the business processes to the cloud. The cloud computing attracts the attention of research community due to its potential to provide tremendous benefits to the industry and the community. But with the increasing demand of the cloud computing, there are some challenges also. The main cloud computing challenges are Data Management and Resource Allocation, Security and Privacy, Load Balancing, Scalability and Availability, Migration to Clouds and Compatibility, Interoperability and Communication between Clouds. In this paper, we concentrates on load balancing in cloud computing. We have considered artificial intelligence based algorithms for the cloud load balancing.Show MoreRelatedManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 Pages CASE STUDY I-7 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (B): Cleaning Up an Information Systems Debacle CASE STUDY II-1 Vendor-Managed Inventory at NIBCO CASE STUDY II-2 Real-Time Business Intelligence at Continental Airlines CASE STUDY II-3 Norfolk Southern Railway: The Business Intelligence Journey CASE STUDY II-4 Mining Data to Increase State Tax Revenues in California CASE STUDY II-5 The Cliptomaniaâ„ ¢ Web Store: An E-Tailing Start-up Survival Story CASE STUDY II-6 Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesMATERIAL 24 Diagnostic Survey and Exercises 24 Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) 24 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 28 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 30 SCORING KEY AND COMPARISON DATA 42 Personal Assessment of Management Skills 42 Scoring Key 42 Comparison Data 42 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 43 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 43 PART I 1 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 45 DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS SKILL ASSESSMENT 46 Diagnostic Surveys for Scale Self-AwarenessRead MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 Pagesfundamental building blocks for becoming more innovative and changing the world. One of the most important books to come out this year, and one that will remain pivotal reading for years to come.† Chairman and CEO, salesforce.com; author, Behind the Cloud â€Å" e Innovator’s DNA is the ‘how to’ manual to innovation, and to the fresh thinking that is the root of innovation. It has dozens of simple tricks that any person and any team can use today to discover the new ideas that solve the important problemsRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesMoods 97 What Are Emotions and Moods? 98 The Basic Emotions 100 †¢ The Basic Moods: Positive and Negative Affect 100 †¢ The Function of Emotions 102 †¢ Sources of Emotions and Moods 103 Emotional Labor 108 Affective Events Theory 110 Emotional Intelligence 112 The Case for EI 113 †¢ The Case Against EI 114 †¢ Emotion Regulation 115 OB Applications of Emotions and Moods 115 Selection 116 †¢ Decision Making 116 †¢ Creativity 116 †¢ Motivation 117 †¢ Leadership 117 †¢ Negotiation 117 †¢ Customer Service 118Read MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesand weaknesses Evaluating competitive relationships and analysing how organizations compete Identifying competitors’ objectives Identifying competitors’ likely response profiles Competitor analysis and the development of strategy The competitive intelligence system The development of a competitive stance: the potential for ethical conflict Summary CONTENTS vii Stage Two: Where do we want to be? Strategic direction and strategic formulation 7 Missions and objectives 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6Read MoreCrossing the Chasm76808 Words   |  308 Pagesopportunity to do that with future books, and I have enough respect for this one to try to stand off a bit. That being said, I did make a few significant exceptions. I eliminated the vii viii Preface to the Revised Edition section on using â€Å"thematic niches† as a legitimate tactic for crossing the chasm. It turns out instead they were a placeholder for the market tactics used during a merging hypergrowth market, a challenge covered in a subsequent book, Inside the Tornado. Also I haveRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesPOWER OF MANAGEMENT CAPITAL THE DEMANDS OF SUSTAINING PROFITABLE GROWTH IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE FAST DEVOUR THE SLOW Our work in helping to increase the profitability of many of the world’s major companies (as well as our database surveys of many other companies) has made it clear that all this complexity has been changing the fundamental dimensions of business strategy and the meaning of its implementation. These changes affect a broad range of decisions, including the following:

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 8 Free Essays

Grace called me that night while I was on my way to talk to Isabelle. â€Å"Hello, Georgina. This is Grace. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Heat CHAPTER 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † I waited patiently for Mei’s complementary greeting. When it didn’t come, I asked in surprise, â€Å"It’s just you? Not Mei?† Grace’s voice, while as flat as usual, held the tiniest puzzled note in it. â€Å"Why would Mei be here?† It apparently hadn’t occurred to her that I had never received a call or a visit from either of them alone. They always functioned as a unit, kind of giving the impression that the fabric of the universe might rip open if they were ever apart. This was as weird as them nearly accepting coffee the other day. â€Å"Never mind. What’s up?† â€Å"Jerome wanted me to tell you that he is†¦pleased.† â€Å"Over what?† â€Å"Over you successfully embarrassing Cedric.† â€Å"But I didn’t-† I bit my lip, suddenly wondering if I should be so quick to deny my involvement. Jerome hadn’t been happy with me recently. While the stupid spectacle at Queen Elizabeth Park had put me on Cedric’s shit list, it might very well take me off Jerome’s and hasten my permanent return to Seattle. I stayed silent. â€Å"He’s glad you took his talk to heart,† Grace continued. â€Å"Although, he does wish to remind you that you being sent to Cedric is supposed to be a gesture of good will. So try not to be too efficient. Jerome encourages you to keep up with these small jabs but to remember that you do ultimately want this group undone.† I sighed. â€Å"Noted.† Grace disconnected. Great. This was all I needed. Jerome thought I was guilty too-of trying to score extra credit with him. Cedric had told me I could find Isabelle at a jazz club a few miles from my hotel. It was over on a street lined with clubs and bars, and the excitement and energy in the air as I walked toward Isabelle’s hangout was palpable. It was Saturday night, after all, and the streets teemed with humans eager and excited for life and love. I couldn’t see their souls or energy the way an imp like Hugh could, but I didn’t need to. It was apparent in the way they moved and talked and eyed each other for potential hook-ups. Even after my recent tryst, being in this electric atmosphere made me itch for another conquest. I’d have to cruise these clubs once I’d concluded business with Isabelle. The jazz club was small and dark, exactly the way you expected such places to be. All the tables were filled, and lots of people stood by the bar or along the wall. I didn’t have any trouble finding Isabelle, though. The signature of a greater immortal filled up a place like this. Hers made me think of sunlight shining through crystals, fracturing into sparkles of color. She sat alone at a corner table. Most obviously single women in there were being hit on-in fact, I got a number of appraising looks as I walked through-but no one other than the wait staff seemed to notice Isabelle. It reminded me of how no one ever noticed Jerome’s resemblance to John Cusack. Isabelle wore a long blue dress with spaghetti straps, surprisingly risqu? ¦ for an angel. Her hair was sunny blond and worn loose to her lower back-not unlike a golden cloak, I thought wryly. She sensed me, of course, and didn’t seem surprised at all when I sat down across from her. With a smile, she glanced up and crooked a finger toward the nearest waiter. He hurried over and took my gimlet order. Once he was gone, Isabelle turned her attention on me. â€Å"So. Jerome’s succubus.† Cedric had called me the same thing when we first met. I kind of resented my identity being based on my association with-or rather, possession by-someone else. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. She watched me pleasantly, neither cold nor friendly. With angels, you never knew which extreme you might get. Mostly, she looked curious, so I figured I could get right down to business. â€Å"So I-â€Å" â€Å"Shh.† â€Å"Wh-â€Å" She held up her hand, dark eyes focusing on something beyond me. The band was in the middle of a song, and the trumpet player had just put the instrument to his lips. A long, high note came out, kicking off what turned into a mournful solo. When he finished a minute or so later, I turned back to Isabelle and saw the waiter had brought my gimlet. The angel’s face was alight with wonder-and wistfulness. â€Å"Did you hear that?† she asked me. â€Å"Those notes weren’t complicated, yet he managed to put so much into them. His heart, his emotions, his soul. A world of sorrow, exquisite agony†¦all in those few notes.† She took a sip of her wine. â€Å"You can’t do that. Not even I can do that-not the way he did.† Her words surprised me, but I knew exactly what she meant. Part of the reason I was always a little in awe of Seth’s books was because he, as a mortal, had a talent that an immortal like me never could possess. â€Å"Only humans have the gift of creation,† I murmured. Her eyebrows rose slightly, and she smiled. â€Å"Yes, exactly. So tell me, what can I do for you, Jerome’s succubus?† I felt a little weird interrogating her now. There was something a little sad and vulnerable about her that made her appealing. Nonetheless, I pushed forward. Angels and demons came from the same stock. Both were good at making you believe what they wanted. â€Å"You†¦you know about those so-called Satanists, right? The Army of Darkness?† Isabelle’s smile twitched. â€Å"Great movie, silly cult. Did you have anything to do with their display today? I really liked the goat mask.† I shook my head. â€Å"Actually, I was wondering if you had anything to do with it.† â€Å"Me?† She laughed. â€Å"I only wish I could think up things that good-but there we are again: humans and creation. Why do you ask?† â€Å"Because they say they’re being directed by an angel.† I gave her an abridged version of what the group had told me. â€Å"And you assume they literally meant an angel?† â€Å"I’m trying not to assume anything. But I think someone or something is directing them, and your side has as good a reason as any to stir up trouble for Cedric and make the authorities on all sides come down on him.† â€Å"And your side has just as good a reason. Demons try to oust each other all the time.† I tapped my nails along my glass’s edge and eyed her warily. â€Å"And you haven’t actually answered my question,† I pointed out. â€Å"You haven’t directly denied being involved.† Angels couldn’t technically lie, but oh, they were masters at not always telling the truth. Isabelle finished off her wine and smiled at me again. â€Å"Oh, you are delightful. This is just like being on a TV cop show. No wonder Carter likes you so much.† I sighed in exasperation, realizing I was going to get nowhere. Fucking angels. Her grin dimmed a little, but she was still clearly amused. â€Å"Look, Georgina,† she said. She knew my name; no real surprise. â€Å"I like you. You’re clever and endearing, but here’s how it is: I don’t want to see Cedric leave Vancouver. I like him. And anyway, that saying about keeping your enemies close is true. I know him, I understand him. And when you’re playing a game like ours, the better you know the pieces on the board, the better you’ll do. I don’t want to have to live with an archdemon I don’t know, one who’s a lot more unpleasant than he is.† A new glass of wine had been delivered, and she paused to take a sip. â€Å"And that’s the truth.† I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to believe her but had no idea if I could. I simply sighed again. â€Å"What are you thinking?† she asked. â€Å"I wish I could believe you when you say you aren’t involved. Even with the whole not-lying thing, I don’t know that I can. I don’t think that I can trust anyone.† â€Å"That,† she said firmly, â€Å"is absolutely something I agree with: you can’t trust anyone. On any side. Everyone’s got their own agenda, and there’s something in the air right now-it’s like a building storm, to use a clich? ¦. Be careful.† Her face looked momentarily troubled, and then she relaxed again as her attention returned to the stage. â€Å"Ah, the soloist is back.† I slid my empty glass to the center of the table. I started to take out some cash too, but she waved it away. â€Å"Thanks for talking,† I told her, rising from my chair. Suddenly, I hesitated. â€Å"You mentioned Carter. I don’t suppose†¦I don’t suppose you know where he’s been lately?† I’d never thought I would utter those words. Carter had tormented me for years with his unsolicited, cryptic advice. He’d particularly loved to comment about Seth and me, as though he had some special interest in our relationship. Since it had ended, I’d hardly seen Carter at all. He used to come hang out with my friends and me but had only surfaced a couple of times in the last few months. Isabelle smiled. â€Å"He’s closer than you think.† â€Å"Typical angel answer,† I groaned. I turned around to leave and then yelped. Carter stood by the club’s entrance. Abandoning Isabelle, I hurried across the crowded room. Oblivious to the dress code, Carter wore his typical grungy clothing, ratty jeans and a plain gray T-shirt. A flannel shirt was tied around his waist, and his blond hair could have handled a good washing and brushing. He smiled expectantly at my approach and stepped outside to the crowded street. I followed. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, taking out my cigarettes. I grabbed one for myself and then offered him the pack. He took one too. â€Å"What are you doing here?† he returned pleasantly. â€Å"You know what I’m doing here. Everyone knows what I’m doing here.† I fumbled in my purse for my new lighter and found a matchbook instead. I pulled it out. Mark’s Mad Martini Bar. I’d forgotten them. â€Å"What’s wrong?† asked Carter, noting my frown. I shook my head. â€Å"Nothing.† I traded the matches for my lighter, and we lit up. â€Å"You were lurking with your signature hidden,† I continued. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Element of surprise,† he said. â€Å"It was worth it to see your face.† We walked past the club lines and drunken groups, no clear destination in mind-at least none that I knew of. â€Å"You haven’t been around in a while,† I accused. â€Å"Why, Daughter of Lilith, have you missed me?† â€Å"No! But I was starting to feel like you were only interested in me while I was dating Seth.† â€Å"Of course not.† There was a long, overly nonchalant pause. â€Å"So†¦have you talked to him lately?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"You are only interested in Seth! You’re going to have to let it go, Carter. Seth and I are finished. Why can’t you obsess on me and my new boyfriend instead?† â€Å"Because you can do better.† â€Å"Everyone keeps saying that. But I’m a succubus. How much better can I do?† â€Å"The fact that people keep telling you that should be answer enough.† â€Å"Seth broke up with me ,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"He doesn’t want me anymore, end of story.† â€Å"Oh, come now. Do you really believe that?† â€Å"Seeing as I was there at the break-up? Yes.† Carter tsked. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina. You’re letting your anger and other emotions cloud your reason, which is unfortunate since you’re a lot smarter than people give you credit for. Go back and think. Why did Seth break up with you?† I stared off at the far side of the street, refusing to look at him. â€Å"Because he thought if we stayed together, we’d both get hurt. That it would be better if we split, no matter how painful at the time.† â€Å"And you think that makes him a bad person?† â€Å"Yes.† I turned back toward Carter. â€Å"Because I didn’t agree. I was willing to take the risk. He gave up.† â€Å"Sometimes it takes more courage to know when to retreat than to keep fighting.† â€Å"I don’t think it could have taken that much courage. He ended up with Maddie pretty quickly.† No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep the bitterness from my voice. â€Å"That takes courage too, forcing yourself to start over with someone new, to keep moving on with your life.† â€Å"Seems more like a rebound to me.† Carter took a long drag on his cigarette. â€Å"Seth didn’t leave and go to Maddie because he stopped loving you. If there were no complications in the world, you would be the one he chose. You are his ideal, his first choice.† â€Å"That’s not flattering to Maddie.† â€Å"It doesn’t make her less. It just means he loves her differently. And when you decide you have to move on, that’s how it is. Just because things don’t work out, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other people you can’t love. Love is too big a thing for you to go without it in life.† â€Å"Oh yes,† I said. â€Å"I have so missed these cryptic conversations.† Carter crooked me a grin. â€Å"I’m glad to see you’re back to your old self.† â€Å"I’ve missed the sarcasm too.† â€Å"No, I’m serious. You weren’t a lot of fun these last few months. You were kind of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦bitchy?† He shrugged. â€Å"I don’t know. You were angry and depressed and frustrated. You stopped caring about the people around you. You weren’t†¦well, you.† â€Å"You don’t know me or what I am.† â€Å"I know you better than you think. I know you’re still hurting and think the universe has given up on you. It hasn’t. I also know that as far as all this demon business is concerned, your curiosity is going to tangle you up further in something you shouldn’t be involved with in the first place. Jerome,† he declared, â€Å"is a fool.† â€Å"Do you know what’s going on?† I asked eagerly, coming to a stop. â€Å"Who’s leading that cult? Who’s supposedly running this huge game that’s going on that I can’t see?† â€Å"No,† said Carter, expression dark. â€Å"I don’t know any of that. But if I were you, I’d get back to Seattle soon. Stay close to Jerome.† â€Å"He hates me right now.† â€Å"No, he doesn’t. Stay close to him. He’ll protect you. If he can’t†¦well, I will. If I can.† There was nothing romantic in his offer of protection. It wasn’t spoken with chivalrous fierceness. His manner was uneasy, like he was dealing with a last resort. I also couldn’t help but replay his last words: if I can . Angels-or demons-didn’t use the word â€Å"if† very often. â€Å"What do you mean if-â€Å" â€Å"Go back home, Daughter of Lilith.† He tipped his head back to stare at the night sky, blew smoke into the air, and then looked down at me with his silvery gray eyes. â€Å"We’ll talk soon.† He dropped the cigarette to the sidewalk and vanished. I glanced around, worried someone had seen us, but we’d walked far from the partiers. I stamped out the cigarette, turned, and headed back in the direction of all the nightlife to go find some guys I’d noticed checking me out. A night with drunken men might still leave me feeling hollow, but at least their motives were easier to understand than angels’. How to cite Succubus Heat CHAPTER 8, Essay examples

Sickle Cell Disease Essays - Hemoglobins, Sickle-cell Disease

Sickle Cell Disease The sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell have red blood cells that have mostly hemoglobin's, Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped or crescent shaped and have trouble going through small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can get to that part of the body. Tissue that does not get a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the problems of sickle cell disease. As to this day there is really no cure for sickle cell disease. Red blood cells take oxygen from the air we breathe into our lungs to all parts of the body. Oxygen is carried in red blood cells by a substance called hemoglobin (Hemoglobin ? is the main substance of the red blood cell. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the air in our lungs to all parts of the body). Normal red blood cells contain hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C are abnormal types of hemoglobin. Oxygen is carried in red blood cells by a substance called hemoglobin. The main hemoglobin in normal red blood cells is hemoglobin A. Normal red blood cells are soft and round and can squeeze through tiny blood tubes (vessels). Normally, red blood cells live for about 120 days before new ones replace them. People with sickle cell conditions make a different form of hemoglobin A called hemoglobin S (S stands for sickle). Red blood cells containing mostly hemoglobin S do not live as long as normal red blood cells (normally about 16 days). They also become stiff, distorted in shape and have difficulty passing through the body's small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can get to that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease. There are several types of sickle cell disease. The most common are: Sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease (SC) Sickle Beta-Plus Thalassemia and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia. Sickle Cell trait (AS) is an inherited condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are made in the red blood cells, there are always more A than S. Sickle cell trait is not a type of sickle cell disease. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy. Sickle cell conditions are inherited from parents in much the same way as blood type, hair color and texture, eye color and other physical things. The types of hemoglobin a person makes in the red blood cells depend upon what hemoglobin genes the person inherits from his or her parents. Like most genes, hemoglobin genes are inherited in two sets...one from each parent (Ex. If one parent has Sickle Cell Anemia and the other is Normal, all of the children will have sickle cell trait. 4 If one parent has sickle cell anemia and the other has sickle cell trait, there is a 50% chance (or 1 out of 2) of having a baby with either sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait with each pregnancy, When both parents have sickle cell trait, they have a 25% chance (1 of 4) of having a baby with sickle cell disease with each pregnancy). HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE THIS TRAIT A SIMPLE PAINLESS BLOOD TEST followed by a laboratory technique called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis will determine the type of hemoglobin you have. When you pass an electric charge through a solution of hemoglobin, distinct hemoglobins move different distances, depending on their composition. This technique differentiates between normal hemoglobin (A), Sickle hemoglobin (S), and other different kinds of hemoglobin (such as C, D, E,). Medical Problems Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body of people with the disease causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones. The sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome), pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen), stroke and priapism (painful prolonged erection). It also causes damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. Damage to the spleen makes sickle cell disease patients, especially young children, easily overwhelmed by certain bacterial infections. TREATMENT Health maintenance for patients with sickle cell disease starts with early diagnosis, preferably in the newborn period and includes penicillin prophylaxis, vaccination against pneumococcus bacteria and folic acid supplementation. Treatment of complications often includes antibiotics, pain management, intravenous fluids, blood transfusion and surgery all backed by psychosocial support. Like all

Emperor Galerius, A Brief History essays

Emperor Galerius, A Brief History essays Emperor Galerius was the ruler of Rome. He was born in 250 and died in 311. He served a military career and is best remembered for issuing edicts ordering tolerance of Christianity. In upper Moesia, near Florentine, there is a small Danube village where Galerius was born. His parents came from an area beyond Danube, and his father was a simple peasant. Galerius was a herdsman before he joined the army. In the army he had a successful career, and rose to become a senior officer during the reign of Diocletian. During this time, Galerius, along with Constantias Cholorus, was chosen to be one of the principal leaders by the Emperor Diocletian. Galerius received the rank of Junior Caesar and that is when he changed his name to Gaius Valerious Maximainus. He ruled over the powerful Balkan Provinces, which were located in the dioceses of Pannonia Moesia and Thraciae, along with the Diocese of Asiana in turkey, which is in Asia Minor. The most important job in this position was of guarding the Danube frontier from any incursions from the Goths, who were pressing to take hold of the Danube frontier regions. In addition, after successfully defending against the Goths, he also fought off the Samaritans and Marcomanni in AD 296-297. He then divided the lands and formed a new Province in the northern half of lower Pannonia, which he named after his wife Valeria. Then, in AD 296, Diocletian called on Galerius to help deal with the Persians' invasion of Syria. In the course of the conflict, Galerius had to cross the Euphrates River, but he suffered defeat and had to withdraw and in doing so, lost control of the province of Mesopotania. Because of his failure, Emperor Diocletian punished Galerius and publicly humiliated him. This humiliation led Galerius to attempt to defeat the Persians for a second time in AD 297. This time, he prepared a much stronger army, and with a plan to attack the Persian forces and take all they had, including th...

Simple Dîner Verb Conjugations in French

Simple Dà ®ner Verb Conjugations in French Among the French verbs related to food, you will use  dà ®ner  often because it means to have dinner. Its an easy word to remember, though you do need to watch the spelling because the letter I uses an accented à ®. Beyond that, you will also want to conjugate it in order to say had dinner or am having dinner. Conjugating the French Verb  Dà ®ner Dà ®ner  is a  regular -ER verb, and it follows a very common verb conjugation pattern. You will find these same endings in related words like  dà ©jeuner  (to have lunch),  cuisiner  (to cook), and countless other verbs. In order to conjugate  dà ®ner, begin with the verb stem of  dà ®n-. To this, we add a new infinitive ending for each tense as well as each subject pronoun. For instance, I am having dinner is je dà ®ne, and we will have dinner is nous dà ®nerons. Its true that there are many words to memorize here, and practicing these in context will help tremendously. Luckily, you can use it every evening when you eat dinner. Subject Present Future Imperfect je dà ®ne dà ®nerai dà ®nais tu dà ®nes dà ®neras dà ®nais il dà ®ne dà ®nera dà ®nait nous dà ®nons dà ®nerons dà ®nions vous dà ®nez dà ®nerez dà ®niez ils dà ®nent dà ®neront dà ®naient Present Participle When we want to use the  present participle, the ending -ant  is added to the verb stem. This leaves us with  dà ®nant, which can be an adjective, gerund, or noun as well as a verb. Past Participle and Passà © Composà © The imperfect and the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  each express the past tense had dinner in French. To form the latter, you will begin by conjugating the  auxiliary verb  avoir  to match the subject pronoun. After that, attach the  past participle  dà ®nà ©. For example, I had dinner is jai dà ®nà © and we had dinner is nous avons dà ®nà ©. Simpler Conjugations to Learn When having dinner is not guaranteed, the subjunctive verb mood can be used. And when that dinner relies on something else happening, use the conditional form. When reading French, you will likely encounter the passà © simple or the imperfect subjunctive. While not essential to your studies, being able to recognize these is a good idea. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je dà ®ne dà ®nerais dà ®nai dà ®nasse tu dà ®nes dà ®nerais dà ®nas dà ®nasses il dà ®ne dà ®nerait dà ®na dà ®nà ¢t nous dà ®nions dà ®nerions dà ®nà ¢mes dà ®nassions vous dà ®niez dà ®neriez dà ®nà ¢tes dà ®nassiez ils dà ®nent dà ®neraient dà ®nà ¨rent dà ®nassent The imperative verb form of  dà ®ner  is relatively simple. The point of these statements is to make it quick, so we drop the subject pronoun. Rather than saying tu dà ®ne, simplify it to dà ®ne. Imperative (tu) dà ®ne (nous) dà ®nons (vous) dà ®nez