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Stories / Désirée Dippenaar

Désirée Dippenaar

Désirée is a missionary kid and theology student who doesn't write nearly as often as she should...

I am 18, Christian, half-Swiss half-South African, missionary kid in Taiwan (currently in Europe to study Theology), environmentalist, pacifist, quite old-fashioned, along with all kinds of other peculiarities. I used to want to be an artist before I discovered I couldn't draw well enough for my own taste; now I'm thinking more of pastor or missionary, and part-time writer.

My examples in writing are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis - which is why I'm such a pessimist, probably, because who can ever be as good as them??? Oh well.

My inspiration comes from various places. I've noticed that my mixed-culture background influences me way more than I realise (for instance, there's always a culturally-confused character, homeless character, or lost character in my stories). I also often write about issues that I think about a lot (forgiveness, faith, pacifism, etc).

I read very little fantasy (because after reading Tolkien and Lewis nothing is good enough anymore), but I love writing it - or trying to! Lately I've been writing hardly anything... :( But I'll try to, even though I'm starting university this year.

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Recent News / Coming Soon (September 09):

- I am now at university, studying theology (time flies...) and I have to read at least 100 pages every week for homework. As a result, I have very little time to write (and to read stories on Elfwood). And recently, when I tried to write, it didn't work!! But I shall try my best.

- I might continue LyE a bit (I hope), though I also have some ideas for a story-series or longer story about the theme of immortality.

LyE illustrations:

by me (containing HUGE spoilers for everything!!! And they're ugly...): Josie, Josie in colour, Josie with a deathwish... lol, Erenwen, chapter 12

by Katarina Baralic: Katty and Ciron

Some interesting links:

A language construction kit - how to make up a language. Fascinating and, even if it's a bit complicated, inspiring.

TCKid - for missionary kids and third culture kids etc.

Refracted Light and the Christian Guide to Fantasy - reviews of Fantasy books from a Christian viewpoint. I find them really useful in assessing the moral messages of my stories - plus they're interesting!

A Mary Sue litmus test - can help check how realistic your character is. There's a few other litmus tests (you can find the links at the bottom of the Wikipedia page on 'Mary Sue'); each gives you a sort of different result, none is perfectly reliable, but just looking at the questions gives ideas.

And do please check out my favourites - there's some EXCELLENT writers and artists on the list!

"My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
~2. Corinthians 12:9

Interests
Reading, writing, history, philosophy, theology, literature, languages, culture, jewellery-making, knitting, embroidery, book-binding, card-making, other kinds of crafts, drawing, painting, animals, environment, endangered species, world issues and religious questions, etc etc etc...

Favorite Fantasy/Scifi Movies and TV Shows
The Lord of the Rings. Other than that, I don't really watch fantasy... and if I do, it just can't get to the same level as LOTR ;)

Favorite Fantasy/Scifi Books
The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Inkheart, Harry Potter. I don't read much else fantasy, because actually I prefer classics. My very favourite books are missionary biographies.

Favorite Music
Baroque, Classical and Romantic period music (hehe, yes, I'm weird), movie soundtracks, some musicals ("Fiddler on the Roof", "My Fair Lady", "Sound of Music", "Les Miserables"), Hayley Westenra, Andrea Bocelli, Russell Watson, Josh Groban, Mario Frangoulis, Enya, some Evansescence, Taylor Swift, Siegfried Fietz, Steve Green, Bill Drake...

Friends at Elfwood
Friends at Elfwood: Sarah-amy haley(Friend) , Heidi Hecht(Friend) , Lindsay Verde(Friend) , Jeroen ChristianCreature Vercruysse(Friend) , David Michael(Friend) , Syn Nykols(Friend) , Corrine 'Princess Muffin' Hunsher(Friend) and Aaron "Ren" Yeo(Knight) .

Guestbook for Ddippenaar

Date	Name	Comment
1 Jun 2009	Katarina Ora Baralic	Loading... Please inform me when you upload changed version of LyE Can’t wait to read it Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Glad that you can’t wait! Probably I’m going to start out hand-writing it, but I’ll make sure to type some bits here and there so I can put them up."
15 Jun 2009	Michael J Bloome	Loading... thought I’d drop by and check out any updates. Still impressed with your work, and to tell you that I have sent 3 new poems to the mods, if you’re ever in my area of the wood, you can check them out. Take care. Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Hello! Thanks for dropping by, and sorry for the lack of updates - I have been kept very busy by school lately I’ll make sure to drop by your page again sometime, thanks for notifying me! ^^"
23 Jun 2009	Emilie Aurora Finn	Loading... Hi Desiree! Just thought I’d let you know that chapter 6 of Mother Kat is up, since you seemed to enjoy reading it so much. I promise I will be back to read more of your stuff soon. (Moving...starting a new job...taking up all my time...) Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Ooh yay!!! I’m currently in a sort of nomadic position, visiting relatives and friends up and down Switzerland, moving in September, hardly anywhere with internet connection... but once I get somewhere with proper internet I’ll read!"
29 Jun 2009	Heidi Hecht	Loading... Hi, Desiree! Long time no see. I’m on vacation at a South Carolina beach house right now, which for me means loads of Internet time (they have wireless, yessss!). Anyways, what do you think of all the new changes on Elfwood? It takes some getting used to, I think, but i’m starting to like it. Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Haha, while you have wirleless, I had to leave my wireless behind - now I’m in Switzerland for two weeks and this is the first time I got the chance to use the internet I think the changes are quite nice actually. At first of course it was rather jarring, but that usually happens when something changes. It’s starting to grow on me - and besides, green is my favourite colour "
8 Jul 2009	Becky greendragon Badsey	Loading... FISHEEES!!!!! oh wow you have a fishy as your smiley!! you are now instantly awesome and deserve a chocolate medal Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Why thank you! Your smiley looks pretty awesome too! Yay chocolate! gives you cherries in return"
10 Jul 2009	Becky greendragon Badsey	Loading... WHEEE CHERRIES!!! we have a cheery tree in our garden but they’re cooking cherries, so they’re all sour!!! but i still eat them!! (i’m crazy, i know. ) Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Back home we have three Japanese cherry trees in the garden - which are really tiny and I think also really sour. Though the cherry blossoms look really beautiful! Here in Switzerland the cherries are more edible You just have to get to know some nice cherry-tree-owners who’ll give you some - unless you pick them off the tree, of course, but that’s only legal if the branch is hanging on the road hahaha~"
19 Jul 2009	Sarah-amy haley	Loading... ...Greetings, cheer and brain-fluff... ... Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Why hello! Sorry for the late reply - holidays make me so distracted. At least this year I have some internet... Do you have holidays too at the moment? Hope you’re fine! I haven’t been to your page for ages - or to anyone else’s... And haven’t been writing either. Feeling like a really lazy person right now but I guess that’s what holidays are for, lol "
8 Aug 2009	Sarah-amy haley	Loading... Ditto don’t think my page has actually changed in A-G-E-S and I’m in the middle of a 3 month holiday - so I really have no excuse!! But I guess holidays epitomise the idea of being busy doing nothing - well, they do for me, I seem to have been doing things every day, but never anything usefull.... never mind, having fun Anyway, now is the time to be patient and wait for .... tense music exam results ~ ~ have you had yours yet - hope all goes swimmingly you alright?? Exciting things happening I guess? Good luck!! And have fun ~ ~ Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Heh, I suppose you must have realised by my lack of reply how busy I was doing absolutely nothing... I was going to write so much these holidays, but, as happens every year, I find myself just before a new school year having done nothing at all... sigh I’m starting at uni day after tomorrow (tomorrow is a cultural holiday sort of thing)~ Oh, and exam results were fine. More than fine. Too much more. But oh well. I’m fine and being too lazy... should start writing again, which shouldn’t be hard now that I have to study... somehow it’s easier to do things when you SHOULD be doing something else... God bless~"
14 Oct 2009	Emilie Aurora Finn	Loading... Hey Desiree, I’m flattered! Of course you can use Mother Kat! If the project works out, could I have a copy of whatever you do? I’d love to see it! Désirée Dippenaar replies: "Thank you!! And of course I’ll tell you what I find out It’ll be an oral presentation and all in German but I can give you a written English version lol~"
12 Nov 2009	Lindsay Verde	Loading... Hey Desiree! How have you been? How is school going?
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Désirée Dippenaar

User Name: ddippenaar

Page: http://www.elfwood.com/~ddippenaar

Also at Art section as ddippenaar2 [Go!]

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Last login at Elfwood: 2009-10-19 21:06:22

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