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  • #85706
    R.M. Archer
    @r-m-archer
      • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
      • Total Posts: 243

      @e-k-seaver LOL. I imagine Andrew Peterson and N.D. Wilson would be worth it, though. Especially if you can take a book along to keep you occupied during the boring sessions.


      @gracie-j
      I’m a type 9! (Also a complete enneagram nerd, so… if you ever want to ramble about how the system works, I’m your girl. XD)

      @leon-fleming Ooh! Tu apprends le français maintenent, ou non? J’adore l’apprendre. (Although… I haven’t actually done a new lesson in… over a week… so… XD)

      Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

      #85707
      Gracie J.
      @gracie-j
        • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
        • Total Posts: 1789

        @e-k-seaver Tapadh leat, Miss Seaver. I appreciate your hospitality. (Can’t say the same for Mr. Fleming…)

        We’re not much different then, are we?

        They’re my favorite.

        Except for Elijah and Enoch–but most especially those who go by the name of Leon Fleming.

        Nay, I really am. Or were ye no’ bein’ sarcastic? I’ve been ’round tha’ thar Flemin’ feller for too long, I canna remember what ’tis like t’ be takin’ somebody seriously, y’know?

        I DIDN’T REALIZE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO THOUGHT SO. IT’S A LOVELY WORD, IT IS. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE JEWISH/YIDDISH AND IRISH CONNOTATIONS.

        @leon-fleming I’m always testy. At least during this time o’ the month. Or when I’m around you.

        the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

        #85708
        Gracie J.
        @gracie-j
          • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
          • Total Posts: 1789

          @r-m-archer A 9, you say? We’ll have to keep you around, then. I can’t trust myself around Mr. Fleming–that blighter always gets on my nerves. *offscreen* C’mere and let me throttle ya, why don’t ya?! *onscreen* Yep. We definitely need a peacemaker. I just gave the man a black eye. Hey! @leon-fleming, black fits you exceedingly well! (Prophesy, perhaps?)

          I’ll be honest with y’all (I always try to be, y’know, even if y’all end up kicking me out for having not read Lord of the Rings…wait. Did I just say I haven’t–? Oh, no, I, uh…moving on), I’ve never taken a enneagram test until today. And hadn’t heard of it until I joined this forum…ha, ha. I live under a rock. But, hey! It’s warm and cozy under here! *burrows deeper* I like my rock.

          Y’all make me feel like a terrible non-Frenchwoman. I keep trying to learn French, but helas, I cannot. Not zat I ‘ave not ze passion, ze desire, la ferveur! I do. I simply ‘ave no time and no focus. I ‘ave so mush to do… ah…

          the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

          #85709
          R.M. Archer
          @r-m-archer
            • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
            • Total Posts: 243

            @gracie-j *bows* I would be honored to operate as the resident diplomat. And, um… black eyes aren’t the best way to resolve conflicts… *gently lowers your hand*

            Ooooh. You shouldn’t have told me that. *chuckles* Now I may feel compelled to ask if you’d like to hear about how the enneagram works and why tests aren’t always accurate and why diving into the rabbit hole that is the enneagram is the best way to type yourself instead (which I promise is not just a ploy to get everyone as nerdy about it as I am… mostly. ;D)

            Rocks are nice places. In some areas, at least. *pats my own, (maybe?) somewhat smaller rock* I like my rock, too.

            Oof, I know “no focus.” XP You caught that I haven’t done a new lesson in at least a week? And before that it was probably another few days in between… XD I love the language, and I find it pretty easy to learn (I think the two years of Spanish I hated probably helped), but taking the time to actually sit down and do it… heh. Some days, sure. Others… not so much, lol.

            Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

            #85710
            Gracie J.
            @gracie-j
              • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
              • Total Posts: 1789

              @r-m-archer Aw, man. But I like trading punches. Not that Leon’s throwing any. I’ve currently got him pinned to the ground while I pummel him. *rises slowly, being tugged by said diplomat from her helpless victim, who lies prostrate on the ground, bloodied and sullied* Dude, @leon-fleming can’t fight worth a darn.

              Hey, ask away. I’m always open to learning new things (usually…).

              They are nice, aren’t they? I see now why Jacob slept on one of them. They’re surprisingly soft.

              Girl, I haven’t done a lesson ever, and I’ve had to, like, abstain from any and all internet at night just to get myself to write. I have this obsession with Pinterest. I mean, who would have thought that scrolling through pictures would be so bloomin’ fun?!

              the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

              #85711
              E. K. Seaver
              @e-k-seaver
                • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                • Total Posts: 344

                @gracie-j, Oi, just ignore Fleming. It’s probably better that way.
                We aren’t. I actually thought I was a 1 for a while until I studied it better.
                Leon Fleming will certainly die. (don’t take it as a threat, just a prediction.)
                Ah, no, I was no’ tryin’ ta be sarcastic. You’d know if I was bein’, though. I guess it’s safe to assume I am until I’m not, if you follow my train of thought.
                I HAVEN’T FOUND ANYONE ELSE WHO THINKS SO AT LEAST.


                @r-m-archer
                , yes it’s totally worth it. 😇

                The pen is mightier than the sword, but in a duel, I'm taking the sword.
                ekseaver.wordpress.com

                #85726
                Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land
                @william-starkey
                  • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                  • Total Posts: 634

                  @r-m-archer Oui! Oui! J’aime aussi apprendre la langue.


                  @gracie-j
                  And I only go by the name of Leon Fleming on the internet.

                  Yes, I realized your testiness; I have that effect on people. XD Though I’m unsure as to the why you are testy on this particular occasion. (dot, dot, dot)

                  Ha. Ha. Ha. Y’all had y’all’s fun now, I’ll be sure. (No offense or anything, Gracie, but I’m having an exceedingly hard time of it trying to picture you pinning me to the ground. XD MUCH LESS A BLACK EYE! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!…) *ensuing hysterical laughter which [this is real] seriously just freaked out my younger brother* Mes amis ici sont intéressants. Parfois je m’interroge sur ces “éléphants” auxquels ils font allusion.

                  Speaking of “Works In Progress”, how’s everybody doing NOW? As opposed to YESTERDAY or the DAY BEFORE?

                  #85747
                  E. K. Seaver
                  @e-k-seaver
                    • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                    • Total Posts: 344

                    @leon-fleming, I can easily picture @gracie-j pinning you to the ground and giving you a black eye. In fact, I would much like to see that happen. It would be amusing.

                    I AM CURRENTLY DOING TERRIBLE WITH MY WIP. that is all I can say for the time being. Last night I wrote 1,500 because my mother freaked me out as I was trying to fall asleep (Imagine randomly feeling a hand on your arm in the dark when you’re half-asleep and then almost punching the owner of that hand before realizing it is your mother come to say goodnight.) But anyways, I spent the next unable to sleep hour writing.

                    Unfortunately, that speed has not carried over to today and I’ve written about 10x less in the past hour than I did last night.

                    The pen is mightier than the sword, but in a duel, I'm taking the sword.
                    ekseaver.wordpress.com

                    #85771
                    R.M. Archer
                    @r-m-archer
                      • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
                      • Total Posts: 243

                      @gracie-j Ah, the black hole of Pinterest. I’m well-acquainted. ;D

                      Sooo… first of all, may I explain why tests are less accurate than personal research? That’s probably the best starting place, as well as the least likely to bury you in a bunch of complicated information and numbers. XD

                      @leon-fleming Depuis combien de temps apprends-tu?

                      I haven’t made much progress on The Half-Elves (I did learn that my side characters need work, so I guess there’s that), but last night I decided to set a tentative release date for Calligraphy Guild! So now I have something to work toward with that, and I have some decisions I need to make sooner rather than later. XD

                      I also have something super exciting going down for my blog on Saturday! Which I’m counting in this category because 1) it’s part of a blog series, so sort of a WIP ;D and 2) I can. ;D Plus I’m just extremely excited about it and want to mention it to people because otherwise I might burst. XD (Even if I can’t be particularly specific about it until it’s officially announced tomorrow.)

                      Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

                      #85775
                      Gracie J.
                      @gracie-j
                        • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                        • Total Posts: 1789

                        @e-k-seaver Yeah, I probably should just ignore him. La, la, la, la–not listening!

                        Interesting. I may have to study that a little more myself then…

                        You should become a prophetess.

                        That’s right good thar, mate. I’m followin’ ye, I am.

                        THAT’S JUST CRAZY. I CAN’T BELIEVE EVERYONE ELSE’S CRAZINESS.

                         

                        @leon-fleming

                        But you still go by it, do you not? So, therefore, you shall die.

                        Like I said, I’m always testy. You just enhance my testiness…by…being you…or something of the sort. (I’m actually much nicer in real life…I think.)

                        And I will have you–and your freaked-out brother–know that I am a fantastic wrestler and have pinned down several strapping young fellows in my time. I’m a crappy boxer, though, so y’all’ve probably got me on that. (I could totally pin you. Unless, y’know, you weigh more that 175, then I might have a wee bit of a problemo.)

                        Yep. I seriously don’t know French. Thank you, Google, for translating.

                         


                        @e-k-seaver
                        Thank you!! It would be fun. I love to wrestle. (And, no, I’m not that violent in real life…yes, I am.)

                        @leon-fleming I’m also doing terrible. I’d been on a roll (a slightly less prolific roll than the rest of y’all, but still a roll) for the last couple days, until–omph. I so hit a brick wall last night. My pantsing has come back to bite me. I mean, what the crap is Rina gonna do? Just stand there? Both she and Crofton are in not condition to fight–and I mean no condition! He’s a featherbrained fop who actually can’t fight, and she’s pregnant, for Pete’s sake! What are they gonna do–take tea? She sure can’t talk him into anything, and he can’t talk her out of it either…

                        I’m sorry. Excuse me. Ahem.

                        Yeah. I’m doing terrible.


                        @r-m-archer
                        Good. I didn’t want to be the lonely only. I mean, why is it so fun?!

                        Okay, explain. (I’d seriously like to know…)

                        Ooh, ooh–I can’t wait to read it! Saturday, you say? Let me mark my calendar… And a release date, yay!! (I can’t wait to make it to that point! It’ll be about 80,000 words from now, though…wah.

                         

                        the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

                        #85777
                        E. K. Seaver
                        @e-k-seaver
                          • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                          • Total Posts: 344

                          @gracie-j, yes, ignoring him is good.

                          *nods* You should.

                          Ooh that sounds way more fun than lifeguarding.

                          EVERYONE ELSE HAS A LOT TO GO AROUND.

                          Wrestling is super fun. Do you have a sibling your age to do it with? I do and we both end up getting hurt but we still do it. [which is like the definition of insanity or something but whatever.] I’ve never done real wrestling but I did some Ju-Jitsu for a while and my dad has also helped me learn some defense stuff. Cuz like… the world’s not safe. (I’m pretty violent too but like… have learned when violence is appropriate. Most of the time that is when I’m standing in front of my punching bag in the garage.)

                          Also- you should blow something up. (literally or figuratively) That always helps me get my story rolling. Or even just brainstorm how you’d blow it up.

                          The pen is mightier than the sword, but in a duel, I'm taking the sword.
                          ekseaver.wordpress.com

                          #85779
                          Gracie J.
                          @gracie-j
                            • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                            • Total Posts: 1789

                            @e-k-seaver I will. Ignore him and do some research.

                            I should say so. (Did you really want to be a lifeguard? ‘Cause I seriously wanted to when I was little. Like five. And a ballerina/princess/artist/chef/cowgirl/actress/a host of other unrealistic things.)

                            NO KIDDING.

                            I have a sister two years younger than me and a brother four years younger (who weighs more than I do, so…). I wrestle with the both of them…and end up whupping their butts. (Totally feel you on the insanity thing…so true.) We also have some friends that I like to tussle with (I’m weird like that…I just wrestle with random teenaged boys), and I’ve pinned the biggest one down twice.

                            So, I’m not the only one? Yay! Yeah…definitely wait until, like, someone hits you first or starts a war or…says something mean or…like, looks at you wrong. Or just looks at you.

                            Ooh…there’s a lot. Hmm… I’ve already done a lot of blowing-up-stuff, and I intend to do more, but this is the moment where it’s least expected…I’ll definitely have to give this some deep consideration. Thanks a ton for the suggestion.

                            Why is it that blowing up stuff is fun? It was a stupid guyish thing until, you know, you start writing and realize that everything should be blown up and some point or another.

                            the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

                            #85780
                            E. K. Seaver
                            @e-k-seaver
                              • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                              • Total Posts: 344

                              @gracie-j, good.

                              Ha, no. Never again. Actually maybe at some point, but it was the most boring, hottest job ever. The beginning of the summer started out decent but by late July in SC, you’re pouring sweat and getting hit on by ugly teenage guys who keep breaking rules to get your attention. If one of those three (they came to the pool every. single. day.) had broken their neck doing a backflip on the diving board… it would have taken an unusual display of kindness for me to actually do my job.

                              Ahhh fun. How old are you, again? (I would wrestle with teen guys except they have no self-control and I’m afraid of getting hurt. While at the same time I might actually hurt them and get in trouble. )

                              I generally fight my battles verbally because I’m pretty petite and at times I’ve been thrown over a guy’s shoulder when trying to wrestle him. (I ended up hurting him. Don’t worry.) But I also don’t like it happening so I content myself with outsmarting them.

                              Ahhh. Yeah… well maybe have someone emotionally blow up. Or a dramatic secret is revealed. Or someone dies.

                              Do you want the “Fancy author answer” or the “slightly-over-dramatic-and-violent teenage girl answer”?

                              Also- @r-m-archer @gracie-j @leon-fleming, how do you feel about killing characters? I have multiple writer friends who refuse to kill characters.

                              The pen is mightier than the sword, but in a duel, I'm taking the sword.
                              ekseaver.wordpress.com

                              #85782
                              Elizabeth
                              @lewilliams
                                • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
                                • Total Posts: 252

                                *waltzes in several days late, tea in hand* Oh goodness, this has turned into such a lively discussion while I was away. It does my heart good.


                                @r-m-archer
                                Hey, we have the same enneagram number! *fistbump for fellow nineishness* What got you into the enneagram? I’d love to hear some of your knowledge of the subject–I’m afraid my understanding is not quite as thorough as I’d like it to be. Do you use it in your writing?


                                @seekjustice
                                Ehe, the idea for The Drakesbanes was probably sparked as a blatant rip-off/mashup of The Hobbit and Redwall. The plot was more dragon-slay-y than political-intruigue-y at the time. As for A Beginner’s Guide to Villainy, I likely came up with the first glimmerings of the idea by viewing the first half of Megamind (which was all I’d watched at the time). However, I like to think that dear Sylvester (my MC) came to life and planted the idea in my head himself. 😛

                                “Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it?”

                                #85794
                                R.M. Archer
                                @r-m-archer
                                  • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
                                  • Total Posts: 243

                                  @gracie-j Now that I’ve announced the thing for Saturday, I can tell you what it is. ;D I’m recording a panel interview with four Christian authors, which will go up next Tuesday! 😀 😀 It’ll be Miranda Marie, Mattie May, Angela Watts, and Brian McBride. ^-^

                                  Sooo, the reason tests aren’t as reliable is because they measure behavior. The enneagram system operates, however, on motivation. Two people might operate with the same behavior, but have different motivations for doing so, and thus two people of two different types might answer the same way on a test. (I’m sure there are some tests that can do a somewhat better job of this, but I don’t think I’ve personally seen one.) Books, however (or websites), can describe what the core motivations, fears, and flaws are of each type. So while a 2 and a 9 might both say that helping people is important to them, for a 2 it’s out of a desire to “earn love” and just generally be helpful, while for a 9 it’s a way to minimize conflict. So reading up on the types and figuring out which one “resonates” best and sounds most accurate is generally more accurate than taking a test. (I often score 2 when I take tests, even though I’m a solid 9.)


                                  @e-k-seaver
                                  Killing characters is a good idea when it’s warranted (when it feels earned and it serves a purpose) and a bad idea when it’s not (e.g. if it’s for shock value. I hate shock value deaths). I personally kill very few characters in most of my stories, because I don’t feel like deaths are necessary, but there are others in which a lot more characters die.


                                  @lewilliams
                                  *fistbump* Awesome! 😀 I first heard about it carpooling to work with my dad, lol. He and his carpool listen to audiobooks on the commute, and the first one they were listening to when I started volunteering with my dad was The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron (which is a really good enneagram book; I highly recommend it. And it’s from a Christian perspective, if I recall correctly). I don’t remember if I ended up hearing about all of the types that way, but I heard about a lot of them, including the 5 (which, at the time, I thought I might be) and the 9 (which I was pretty sure I was. And, oddly enough, everyone in the carpool was a 9. XD). And then my mom explained more of it in conversation with my dad and me, because she was apparently already familiar with it, and she passed on information from enneagram Facebook groups and that kind of thing, so now I feel like I have a fairly well-rounded knowledge of it.

                                  I do use it in my writing. I especially made (and am making) use of it in Calligraphy Guild to help round out some of my side characters, using their enneagram types to inform their behavior and voices and whatnot. 🙂

                                  As far as further knowledge, the three things I know the most about (beyond the main types) are the idea of tri-types, wings, and how integration/disintegration works. There are also sub-types, which are tied to your core type, but I still don’t understand those very well.

                                  So, a tri-type is basically what it sounds like: your top three types, with the catch that each one comes from a different triad of the enneagram. The triads are Heart (2-4), Head (5-7), and Gut (8-9). So my tri-type, for instance, is 9 from Gut, 5 (or maybe 7) from Head, and 3 from Heart. Your tri-type adds different dynamics to your type as a whole, shoring up your type’s weaknesses (like a 9 with 3 in their tri-type) or adding characteristics (like a 9 with a 5’s fascination with knowledge) or sometimes multiplying traits (like an already-withdrawn 9 with a 5’s preference for being alone). Obviously, like with the system as a whole, your whole self isn’t defined by your tri-type, but knowing your tri-type can help explain some of why you do what you do, which is what I personally see as the purpose of the enneagram as a whole.

                                  Wings are the types to either side of your core type. So, for a 9, 8 and 1. Often you’ll have one wing stronger than the other, and so you’ll sometimes see people say they’re a “4w5” or a “7w6.” That’s a reference to their stronger wing. Again, this adds dynamic to your type and helps explain behavior. Ultimately, both wings are beneficial and should be more or less “balanced.”

                                  Integration/disintegration has to do with how you act when you’re more mentally healthy or unhealthy. You’ll act more like your integration type when healthy, and more like your disintegration type when unhealthy, and these types are determined by your core type. An integration type will be three points up from your core type, while your disintegration type will be the opposite (9s, for example, integrate to 3 and disintegrate to 6). So, a 9 who’s very healthy will “lean into” a 3’s productivity, for instance, and operate with less of the inherent 9 “sloth.” A 9 who is unhealthy might “lean into” a 6’s anxiety and overthinking. And I think I’ve heard people say you can consciously pull from these types, too? But I’m not sure how that works, so… I just talk about simple integration and disintegration, lol.

                                  Anyway, there’s your flood of enneagram knowledge for the day. XD If you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer them! 🙂

                                  Speculative fiction author. Mythology nerd. Singer. Worldbuilding enthusiast.

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