French... in action?

A long time ago in a land far away I tried learning French. Unfortunately, this far away land wasn't France. And it wasn't that far away from where I am now, but that's a different story entirely. My point is that after one semester I ended up focusing on something else and then something else that required me to leave college (i.e. drop out). I don't regret the choice, but I've found myself mystified when Mr. Metallic Vinca uses French to speak to me.

Having had enough, I nearly cheered when I found French in Action online. But the videos, I realized, weren't enough for me.

I scoured eBay and gradually acquired over time: the textbook, first half; the workbook, first half; the study guide, part one; and even the instructor's guide. Thankfully, I had kept the tapes from when I tried studying all those years ago.

Learning French has taught me a new appreciation for English. No, I don't mean it like that. Learning French has taught me the importance of knowing the music of a language. It's something we're losing as we switch to online communication like texting, Twitter and blogging. But in the days when people used to read books out loud as part of the evening's entertainment, writers understood that there had to be a rhythm, a cadence to the structure of their story. That's one of the things I like about the Watchmen (graphic novel). Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore created a rhythm inside by using a certain structure. Anything outside that structure then becomes far more noticeable.

I love movies, and I love books. And I'm learning that each does particular things particularly well but the thing I love best about books is hearing that music in my head.

Now, if I can just remember to transfer that to my current novel, I think I'll be happy.

Oh, writing a good story. That's in there, too. ;)

Au revoir.