Image via WikipediaSome of you might notice a new name scrolling across the top of the blog. I've been searching for a good name since I joined the blogosphere and it finally came to me last night.
"Serendipity" comes from the Persian Tale of The Three Princes of Serendip. The story is representative of the way ideas link together for me and ultimately relate to my writing. Or, as Wikipedia puts it, my "propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated."
Serendipity was also the name of my 6th grade science book. Apparently, serendipity is one of those things scientists are thankful for too. Did you know chocolate chip cookies were created serendipitously? Yum! Which leads into the rest of the post.
Friday is usually a Food/Flora/Fauna post and Angela McAlister is Starving for a Blogfest, but today is also a Blog Experiment with Elana Johnson, Alex J. Cavanaugh and Jennifer Daiker. Of course, I like to multitask so the dust bunnies in my head got together to find a link between.....
Yalancı and Compelling Characters (?)
*The importnant footnote here is that Yalancı means liar in Turkish.
Stuffed grape leaves, also known as dolmas or sarmas, are the best Yalancı. You see, dolmas are supposed to have meat in them, but Yalancı doesn't. Its filled with spiced rice, currants, pine nuts and drenched in olive oil with lemon juice instead. (My favorite meze!) Other dishes can also be called Yalancı. For example, if you want something which tastes like Mantı (Turkish tortellini), you use spaghetti and throw the filling into the sauce on top. Then you have Yalancı Mantı.
Yalancı is just not what it seems, much like the most compelling characters.
Observe:
- Villains aren't great until we find out why we should be sympathetic.
- Heros and heroines aren't wonderful without their quirky weaknesses.
- Even settings (which are best treated as a character) are cliché until you add sensory details.
(I think I just saved Elana's left kidney.)
