To the grindstone!

 MY STORY

Hullo there.

You might notice I'm trying to clean things up around here. Don't mind the mess... I'm working on it. I'm quite busy nowadays. Alright, I'm busy now. The past three days have been full of do-nothing bliss. We had off from school, which meant cleaning my wardrobe, thrift shopping, church, yummy baking, and lots and lots of BBC programming. The mid-season finale of Doctor Who? Cried. Two nights in a row I stayed up til 2 AM watching Sherlock. I promise it wasn't all wasted in front of the telly. There was knitting, and jogging, and apple picking (although it was more of an apple picking up kind of thing). I wish I could take a full week off and avoid school some more. I'm so relaxed now.

 

Don't ask. Just listen.

WRITING UPDATE

 I have been working up a brainstorm for my NaNo novel. I have some new concepts I'm toying with. Writing a dystopia is going to be a blast, methinks. I have so many great ideas. The question is, which ones do I use? It seems like new scientific facts keep cropping up, and I want to incorporate them all into my novel. I'm still getting to know the characters as well, but they're also very exciting. I plan to dedicate October to outlining my novel, so that November is less of a mess. NaNoWriMo 2011 was all over the place, and I don't want to relive that nightmare.

Most of my actual "writing time" has been devoted to epically failing at college essays. I need one done by Monday for English class, and I'm stumped. I can either write about my family life, or an experience that had a deep impact on my life. Easy enough, right? Except that this essay is going to be reviewed by my teacher AND my peers. Helpful, but also a chance to be really vulnerable. As if I liked the idea of a stranger reading my precious writing for the sole purpose of judging it. I'm sorry, I can't wear my heart on my sleeve all the time. Too easy to get it broken that way. So now I need to hit that perfect balance of "hullo-my-name-is-Monica-this-is-me-but-not-all-of-me-because-that-would-be-really-off-putting" and "here's-my-essay-make-it-really-good-but-please-don't-judge-me". Stressful, eh?

READING UPDATE

Finished The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. Fantastic, as usual. Do I sense an Olympian/Egyptian cross-over coming on, Mr. Riordan? Because I would probably die of joy. Of course, I had some issues with the book. Namely how the Walt-Sadie-Anubis thing was resolved, or rather, NOT resolved in a resolving sort of way. Anyways, everybody should read all of his books because he is amazing.

What now? Probably one of the books I mentioned earlier this month. I think The Mark of Athena is due either tomorrow or the day after. Percy Jackson, here I come!

How about y'all? Any reading/writing/life stories you want to share? The comments are below. Until next time.

SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.

I don't know if you've ever run around your house screaming, but I certainly have. Because guess what?

The sequel to Princess Academy just came out.

*SQUEEEEE!*

I made a meme. Idk why, but they just seem to be able to convey my emotions better... and my facial expression.

Do you wanna see it in all of its glory? Of course you do! Here's a picture:

Miri is so grown up... and pretty... and that is totally a miri flower in her hair.

Pardon the fangirling, but Princess Academy was my FAVORITE book as a girl. I read it a trillion times. I tried to quarry-speak like Miri. I fell head over heels in love over my first literary crush, Peder (who smelled like bread and had a name based off of "Peter" before it was cool). It was one of those books that seemed so real to me. I never dreamed Shannon Hale would write a sequel. 



Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting... until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she "should "help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city. Picking up where "Princess Academy "left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.

New crush? Who could ever in a million years replace Peder!? Miri, darling: HE SMELLS LIKE BREAD AND CUTS STUFF OUT OF LINDER. MARRY HIM NOWWWW. I should probably be more worried about these "frightening plans", but alas... Speaking of must-have books, check out my To Read list. The following have been bumped up in terms of priority. Sorry, The Scarlet Pimpernel. It's nothing personal.

My good friend Marlene has been singing this books praises for some time now. I've been meaning to pick up a copy ever since I got hooked on the blog of the lovely Heather Dixon, called Story Monster. The night I discovered her blog, I stayed up til midnight reading old posts. She's hysterical and adorable and I can hardly wait to read this book.

Rick Riordan follows a format: realistic characters, loads of wit, plenty of plot twists, and a whole ton of randomness. I'm currently reading The Serpent's Shadow from The Kane Chronicles, his series based on Egyptian mythology. As awesome as Carter and Sadie Kane and the gang are, nothing can compare with my besties Percy Jackson and Annabeth. When the Percy Jackson series ended, I was brokenhearted. Then he wrote The Heroes of Olympus series, which was like P.J. meets a whole cast of new, awesome characters. So addictive. The cliff-hanger endings are terrible. I stayed up til the early morning hours, forced to read in the bathroom (my sister could no longer stand my reading light), and finished The Son of Neptune. MAJOR CLIFF-HANGER. I've waited a year for this book, and I'm blimey well gonna read it before my friend Kate can spoil it all... I give Jason, Frank, Piper, Leo, blahblahlbah EVERYONE permission to die, except for Percy and Annabeth. End rant.

Writing Update: College essays. I don't want to talk about it. Too painful. Another day.

What are you reading? Any sequels you're excited for? Recognize any of the titles above? The comments await you. *deep bow*



D.A.

Not Dumbledore's Army, you Potterhead! DOWNTON ABBEY.

It's so blimey good. I finally got my hands on Season 2! Well, the first disc anyways. Four more episodes to go. It's torture waiting for my family to send back The Middle so that I can get the next disc. The plot twists! The character development! The costumes! I knew I was hooked, but now I'm super hooked. My sister and I curl up right next to each other on the couch whilst giving commentary. Plus we drink tea, partially to feel more British.

Or, as the Doctor would say...

So many references. I feel so clever! Either of the above would get you about 500 brownie points, but the episodes are in the vid title, so if you peeked, NO POINTS FOR YOU (250 brownie points - and it wasn't even a British reference).

I really ought to take notes while watching D.A. On how to make you love and hate everybody all at once. The characters really are superb, and the plot twists... There are all these little ones that keep things interesting, and then there are the big whoppers that turn the whole castle upside down. That's how a good book should be too. I want to be as excited about my manuscript as I am about this goshdarn show. I love when people ask me questions or my opinion. The question now is how to transfer that excitement to my own story. I have to admit, I miss the days before my perfectionism got to my writing. I wrote with complete abandon, and even though I could have used twenty editors, it was a blast. Hence, I have taken a break from obsessive project planning and turned to complete nonsene, or "junk" as it is titled on my computer. Get the juices flowing. Rediscover my love of writing. Motivate myself. Good fun.

Writing Update: (see above) Just having fun right now. Playing with period drama, since that's what I've been gobbling up for the past few days. Plotting a book that may or may not come to be. NaNoWriMo will wake me up to the real world, I suppose. Still, I like taking a break, so to speak. Not taking myself so seriously. If I ever want to really feel proud of something, I've got to love it enough to make myself work through it. I need to feel the love again. Here goes nothing! Now, to try and convince my family to send back their Netflix DVD so I can continue with Downton...

The Curse

I can't figure out my short story or my NaNo project.

 

Reference = 500 brownie points

 

 

I understand the Whovian jokes are probably getting old. Thing is, it's a lot harder to make other references when the Who ones are so... abundant. I mean, what else can I do?

 

I can't figure out my short story or my NaNo project.

 

 

Lady Mary? Too emotional.

 

Frodo? Too... just no.

 

Wait, I found one that works!!!

 

LBD, FTW!

 

All of my precious writing time has been invested in actually figuring out where my stories are going. As in, what happens next? What's the ponit? What are all these people doing inside my head?

 

Really, though. Curse of the time lords. And the writers. I simply cannot figure out what I'm doing. I have handwritten several pages to add to my short story that now need to be copied on the computer. I usually never handwrite, but that's what my Prob & Stat course is for. I know the whole thing is going to get edited to death and I might actually have to chop out all of those pages because of kinks in the plot, but I'm writing. Still, it's bothering me to no end that I cannot seem to come up with a decent ending. The conflict is all there, but as usual, I feel the need to write a whole novel to fully delve into it. There are so many sides to what I'm writing about (which is, as a reminder, the internment of US citizens during WWII). So much emotion... so much backstory.

 

So what have I been doing?

 

Drawing up a battle plan!

 

I notoriously draw up lists before I do anything, and the includes write. I try and put my plot in a neat little box, stick a bow on it, and THEN write. None of that fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff. Gross! Seriously, though, if you can do it, congrats. I used to be able to. It was a blast, even though the story needed major work. I think I need to rediscover that process. It would probably shut up my inner editor and make me take myself a little less seriously.

 

Same goes for my NaNo project. I can't seem to get a good grip on the details of my dystopian world. It's extremely complex, but I don't want it to be overly complex, because that confuses the reader. But I don't want to make it overly simple, because that isn't how the world or society work. I know that I am speaking in vague terms, but I really don't want my plot points scattered throughout the Internet. Just know that I am working on it. I have a few more weeks until November hits, so hopefully I can at least figure out my setting and then just let my characters go on a mad rampage for a month.

 

I don't have much else to report. Just know that I'm writing, I'm trying, and encouragement is more than acceptable. Wish me luck!

1, 2, 3 BREAK.

I feel gross. It's been an hour of trying to read Federalist #39 (I find it really hard to care about AP Government when all I want to do is listen to music) and feeling altogether gross. I need to go on a jog. With it getting dark so early, I come home from my after school activities, flop on the couch, and when I finally feel like I'm ready to hit the pavement, the sun has gone to bed and so must I (reference: 10 brownie points). Seriously though. In the past hour, it feels like I've gotten fatter or something. This is becoming unbearable.

Not much writing happened today. It should have, but this yucky gross feeling kept me down for most of my free time. I did transfer what I wrote in my notebook yesterday onto my Google Doc and jotted some notes on the rest of the scene. I want to write more... but the Founding Fathers... I really should be getting back to them, anyways...

This is my break. Which means it should be a break for you too. Wanna know what I do when I can't stand doing work any more? Here's a look at the latest distractions. Oh, sorry, tools to maintain my sanity.

Regina Spektor is probably my favorite solo artist. She's a genius. I don't know why, but something about her accent in this song... It's one of her stranger songs, but I like it. I keep listening to it, which is reminding me that I need to get my hands on her latest album.

Sara Bareilles is competing for the favorite solo artist award. This song perfectly describes me. Not to mention it is beautiful and inspirational and I play it on loop to try and get myself through homework (and ruts in my plot).

If you can name the episode, you get 500 reference brownie points.

 

I've got $75 worth of "momma credit" for exchanging an old Converse gift certificate for "cash". I know, I could spend it on Ten-like Converse, but that's hardly practical. Now I'm stalking RedBubble for fandom shirts, since my wardrobe is noticeably lacking in that department. What do you think? I'm torn. Here, look at the meme I made for you.

Yeah, I made this. Can you dig it?

I love T-Swift, but... What? Never mind, who cares. I have to admit, watching people dressed as woodland animals is quite entertaining. Oh, and I want to steal liiiiike all the dresses. Yeah.

Feeling inspired? Tell me in the comments. Nobody's been down there lately. I'm off to NOT read the Federalist papers. Procrastination? Methinks so.

The Tissue Predicament

There are seriously no tissues in my house. There are two major reasons for this.

1. I have the cold that is going around town. Let's put it this way... I don't have cheer practice tomorrow because we're all sick. Sneezing, hacking, popping Advils left and right. It's not fun.
2. I watched Journey's End last night, a.k.a. the most painful episode of Doctor Who ever. I was literally sobbing. I kept saying, "It's just so sad!" and giving detailed explanations of why it was, indeed, sad. I ran out of tissues and had to resort to napkins. I knew all the plot twists were coming... but actually seeing them... Wow, I haven't cried that much in months. Oh Whovians, does it need saying? (Reference = 1,000 brownie points)

You tell 'em, Doc. (Reference = 200 brownie points)

Yeah, I'm awarding references now. References are cool (reference = 25 brownie points). And you can't cheat --- you have to know exactly where they come from! By scene, page, episode, whatever. You need to be able to ENVISION IT. Maybe I'll give you a prize or something... Internet cookies? *smirks at her own joke*

Reading Update: Um, well, I should be reading The Scarlet Pimpernel. But with school and sports and band and all that rot, it's been tough. All of my reading time has been invested in The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which I am re-reading to help teach my 5th grade co-op class. I forgot how charming that book is! They're siblings who run away and stay in a museum!!! It's like a dream come true! Minus the nagging hunger and constant worry.

Writing Update: Working hard on my short story. Making good progress... I had a mini epiphany, really gonna move the conflict along. In case y'all were wondering, it's set in WWII in the internment camp at Crystal City, TX. It deals with the internment of not only the Japanese, but the Germans as well (and the Italians, but they didn't really make the character cut). My niche is essentially taking couples and throwing them into random historically based situations, usually involving lesser known pockets of history.

The Latest Hiatus

I haven't posted in a full month. Y'all probably thought I was dead! Lemme 'splain. No, there's too much. Lemme sum up. Band camp, beach, co-op, driver's license, thrifting, partying, Oswin Oswald, school, homework, football games, Macbething, dinosaurs on a spaceship, birthday celebrations, late nights, writing. I think that about covered it.

It has been an exciting and eventful four/five weeks. Band camp meant sun, sweat, and pure exhaustion. Not to mention an awesome send-off party, which included a slip n' slide, a mud fight, and The Fellowship of the Ring in the band director's office. School started. I got my driver's license. The 7th season of Doctor Who started. A bunch of after-school activities kicked off. Now I am missing late summer nights as well as the abundance of free time.

But unto more writerly things.

My dear friend Marlene posted about her muse's greatest distraction earlier this month, a post that I would highly encourage you to read (click here). Heck, just read her whole blog. Anywhoosiedoodles, she claimed that her biggest distraction was the INTERNET. Well guess what?

It's mine too. *wink*

Seriously, though. I get all pumped to go write something. Doesn't matter what... Planning for NaNoWriMo, trying to finish up my darn short story for our school's literary magazine, writing nonsense for the heck of it. I may or may not be inspired, but I am motivated. I sit down at the computer and think to myself, Hmm, haven't checked Facebook in awhile. Or Google+... or Pinterest... or those good YouTube channels... or my e-mail... or those modest fashion blogs... What about Etsy? I could use the inspiration. Motivation and time are gone before you can say "what am I gonna do about watching the second season of Downton Abbey".

I am probably the worst culprit of Internet distraction syndrome. Now mind you, some of those distractions really do keep me from going insane. Plus Pinterest can be really inspirational. But all of those lovely pins don't translate into a spiffy novel with my name on it.

So I laid off the distractions for awhile. "Awhile" meaning "the past two or three days", but nonetheless. The writing has really been coming along! I've been toiling away at my NaNo novel, or rather, preparing for it. It's pretty much an F5 brainstorm in my head. Trouble is, every time I think I have my dystopian world figured out, it starts to evolve and change. I have too many good ideas! A lovely predicament, but a predicament nonetheless. I've made some progress on my short story. I wrote a synopsis for my NaNo in probability and statistics (that class is a piece of cake, so no worries). The juices are flowing again.

It's good to be back.



(West) Side Story: We celebrated a good friend's birthday today, where I visited with his family, aka my second family. Be it Providence, fate, destiny, a horse, I was given quite the compliment today. A family member read my essay from the literary magazine and was apparently quite touched by it. He encouraged me to keep writing and was certain I would "do something" with it. Is that motivation or what!?

(Way)[S]ide Stor[y](ies from Westside School): I couldn't sleep last night. As in, I hit the sack at 3:30 AM. My sister's slumber party essentially took over the house until midnight, which was kind of scary. They stole my bed! I didn't even get a warning! It was like, "oh, sleep here, never mind getting your clothes and stuff, night". I simply could not sleep. Do you want to know what I did? I watched Lost in Austen. Well, part of it. For a laugh. A laugh which woke up my sister quite a few times. It was even worse the second time around. But it helped me to fend off peanut butter cravings! Then I read 'Happy Birthday, Samantha!', fell asleep, and woke up to mini pancakes. THE END.

PS - Hey Whovians! Did anyone notice that Arthur Weasley was Rory's dad, and Filch was the bad guy? I'm telling you, the amount of Harry Potter/Doctor Who/period drama/Titanic cross-overs is getting ridiculous.