Opposing Visions

Lately I've been working on a short story in between edits, and I've encountered a problem: my antagonist is vague. It's not that I don't have a specific idea of the antagonist. Not at all.

You see, I have a very clear vision in my head of the antagonist, of who he is and why he does as he does. In fact, I have two such very clear visions.

There are two different paths that this short story could take. They're almost identical in what the protagonist does, and they have a nearly identical ending. The ultimate outcome is the same.

But the context of the short story is entirely changed based on the motivations of the antagonist. On the advice of a member of my writing group, I'll be writing both versions. I simply can't choose one or the other until I've seen them both. The thing that scares me is that I think both will be good, and I won't be able to choose after the fact, either.

But they'll also both be better, because they'll clearly defined, and fully themselves, instead of half someone else.

Have you ever had two conflicting views of the same character? How did you refine that character into a single view? How did you choose?

Tea Time: POWER!!! tea

POWER!!! Tea Reviewed by: BecTea
Type of tea Herbal, loose-leaf	Flavor aspects Natural
Where I got it Thaumaturgy 777	Cost $3
How I brewed it The water was just before a boil; steeped 10 minutes. This was a loose leaf tea that requires a strainer or cotton reusable tea bag (I got one the same time I got the tea).	Rebrewing notes Have not rebrewed yet.
Review This is a specialty tea blend with unique ingredients like Sampson Snake Root and Licorice. It was advertised as spiritual tea: "This is a good, all-purpose tea, to attract good luck on all fronts of life. It's a good tonic for those engaging in the practice of magick and who want to increase their personal power, magnetism, chi, prana, or whatever you choose to call it." It sounded very intriguing! I can say it isn't overpowering as far as the taste, even with the 7 different ingredients. It has a mellow flavor that has an earthy green tea quality, even though it's all herbs and has no tea in it. I added honey to ease the earthy, natural quality and it was quite nice. It has enough unique flavor (cinnamon tones maybe) to be a sipping tea versus a drinking tea. As far as the spiritual aspect I'm not sure yet, but I did get a "get up and go" buzz from it and proceed to clean, clean, clean. In the meantime the tea cooled down and became even better, hinting that it might have lemon grass as an ingredient. Recommended for a unique tea experience or as a tea for ritual presentation. Would be very lovely while enjoying a bath.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Tea Time: White Ayurvedic Chai tea

White Ayurvedic Chai Reviewed by: Juturna F.
Type of tea White, loose-leaf	Flavor aspects Spicy
Where I got it Teavana.com	Cost $2.50/2 oz on 75% off sale; normally $10/2oz
How I brewed it Heated water on stove until it was just beginning to make noise. Poured over 3 tsp dry tea in mesh basket in cast-iron teapot until teapot full (apprx. 16 oz). Steeped for 2 minutes.	Rebrewing notes Rebrews very well. 2nd rebrew same flavor as first.
Review I do really like this chai. It's got that spicy chai taste, but is lighter and sweeter than a usual black-tea chai. Hot, the spice really comes to the front, cloves and ginger right on the tongue. As it cools, the spice becomes less noticeable and the tea tastes sweeter and sweeter. Since I don't usually add sugar to my tea, it's really noticeable to me just how sweet the tea tastes at room temperature. At the same time, spicy teas without milk or sugar usually have a very faint bitter aftertaste to my tongue, and this one is true in that regard. I don't think most people get that, but it would be a great tea for a touch of sugar or honey. Not sure how well it would do with milk, as it's a white tea and I find those generally get overpowered by milk. The smell is fantastic. If you like a rich aroma, this is a great tea for you. I would especially recommend it to those who love chai teas but want to cut back on caffeine: white teas have much less caffeine than black teas or matés, but this has all the taste of a regular chai! If you're not a fan of spice teas, steer clear, because that's pretty much the defining point of this tea. As for lovers of pure white tea,be warned that the white tea flavor is very much buried under the spices. On an interesting point of note, I definitely overbrewed the tea one of the times I brewed it, and was surprised to find it did not become particularly bitter. White teas, if steeped too long, have a tendency to do that, but the strong spice taste covered up most of the scorched-leaf syndrome. And for the record, if you notice your tea smells strongly of potato, go wash your hands. You've probably just been chopping them, and I assure you the tea does not actually smell like potato--as I figured out after a morning of stew-making.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Distracted by Photoshop

I was introduced to photoshop. Through the HCRW, in fact, I've been taking an online course on how to create book covers. This has led to the usual multitude of horrific mutilations of my own old vacation photos.


There will be no real post today, due to hijinks like this.

Hijinks. Why exactly is there a hibiscus flower in place of the sun?
It seemed like a good idea at the time... Which was far later than
I should have been up playing on photoshop.

Animals need a home!

Want to adopt a kitten or a greyhound? One of my friends fosters animals and is looking for someone to adopt a cat-friendly greyhound, an elderly cat, and a kitten. You can find more here, on her blog (including why "elderly" animals are a great choice for adoptions!).

Here are the adorable varmints being cute:

Tea Time: Jasmine Green Tea

Sunflower: Jasmine Tea Reviewed by: Juturna F.
Type of tea Green, loose-leaf	Flavor aspects and Aroma Flavor aspects: Floral, natural Aroma: Jasmine
Where I got it Asian Market, but can also be found here on Amazon	Cost $6.99 for 1/2 lb
How I brewed it Filled a mug with hot water from the coffee maker at work. Walked back to my desk, added 2.5 tsp loose-leaf tea (in strainer) to 12oz mug. Waited about 2 minutes or so and removed.	Rebrewing notes Usually good for at least one rebrew.
Review The smell of this tea is heavenly. I'd know it was jasmine tea without ever reading the label! It's pretty sensitive, though: I think I burnt the leaves either by oversteeping or using water that was too hot, and since it was coffee machine water (slightly cooled, even) and I steeped it less than 2 minutes, that means it's a finicky brand. Definitely becomes bitter when oversteeped, but from prior experimentation, I know it can also be slightly sweet and completely not bitter if prepared carefully. I do taste both green tea and a floral note, which means neither flavor overpowers the other. It's a nicely balanced blend, and while I'm usually senstive to bitter, the strong jasmine scent makes me enjoy it even poorly brewed. I'm actually very fond of this tea (okay, so it was the first loose-leaf tea I ever tried, a gift from a college roommate) and while it's not the fanciest tea I've had, it's inexpensive, tasty, and sweetly scented. Despite starting on this tea myself, it's probably not the best first-ever loose-leaf green tea. Once you've come to enjoy green tea with a more resilient brand, then it's a nice tea for learning to brew delicate teas, as you'll know when you get it wrong but it'll still be drinkable. It does take some practice to not make bitter, but at the price (you can get a pound on Amazon for under $10), you can experiment all you want. It's also a good go-to tea for a pick-me-up anytime, especially on a budget--always make me feel like I'm drinking flowers! If you dislike floral teas, however, this is absolutely the wrong tea for you.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)

Tea Time: Jasmine Blooming Tea by Primula

Green/Jasmine Flowering Tea Reviewed by: BecTea
Type of tea Green, blooming	Flavor aspects Flavor aspects: Floral
Where I got it Amazon.com	Cost $16.68/$1.40 per pot
How I brewed it Water was just before boiling. The tea is a blooming flower green tea with jasmine, one flower ball per teapot. My tea pot holds 40oz (that's a max of 8 cups or 4 good mugs of tea). The tea flower stays in the pot the whole time.	Rebrewing notes I've never rebrewed a blooming tea.
Review Fabulous. This is one of my favorite "warm, fuzzy feeling" teas. I love the whole experience of it. The tea starts out as kind of a tea pellet, and then you get to watch it bloom. You can't get the brewing wrong either. When it's bloomed, it's ready. You don't take the flower out so you don't have to worry about how long it's steeped. Just drink and enjoy. It should be noted that if you think green tea is too earthy or muddy, then you actually will like this tea. It has the right combination of green tea to give it a light glowing color (and some caffeine) while the jasmine gives the bulk of the flavor, which is divine. It is good on its own or with honey. It is also still full of jasmine flavor when it turns cold. The price is for a container of 12 "blooms" and each bloom makes a full pot of tea. This tea can also be found at department stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Reviewed by: No second review yet.
Type of tea	Aroma
Where I got it	Cost
How I brewed it	Rebrewing notes
Review

(Learning to Like Tea Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Guest Post: Types of Tea, Guest post: Getting the Best Cup of Tea)