Friday, October 25, 2013

The Peanut Butter Analogy

I think I need a writer's retreat. Even after a week of fall break, the words are just... Well, the only analogy I can think of is the feeling peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth. The stories are there, but they're almost as sticky as Ally's super-duper-borderline-crazy organic peanut butter. They're stuck to the roof of my... brain? See what I mean! I'm so desperate, I'm comparing things to peanut butter. I need a drink. By drink, I mean tea. Or coffee. Hot chocolate is also acceptable. Oh my heavens I haven't a pumpkin-flavored beverage yet. This is a major problem. Someone, anyone, please! I need a good dose of pumpkin before autumn gives way to the winter blues!!!

GOOD GRIEF, LOOK AT THAT. WHAT IS THAT? THE NECTAR OF THE GODS!?
Back on track. I don't see a real, honest-to-goodness writing retreat anywhere in my near future, but I do see a whole month dedicated to novel writing. Ladies n' gentlemen, it is that time again. That time of the year when my crazy levels are at least three standard deviations away from average and my friends and family start to seriously reconsider my presence in their lives. It's almost NaNoWriMo!

*ze super cool image from ze NaNoWriMo webzite*
This year is a really awful year to attempt writing a novel in thirty days. I know for a fact that I am going to be super stressed about school and whatnot. But I also know that I would kick myself if I didn't at least sign up and write on the first day! Who knows what will come of next month. I think I can convince a few other sorry suckers to try their hands at (at least) a few days of frenzied writing spurts with me. The tentative plan is to reboot my NaNo novel from last year, which was not at all what I intended it to be but still showed a lot of promise. I figure if I start fresh, I can redo the whole premise but maintain the integrity of the characters and the overall feel of the story-world. Cool stuff, huh?

Now that you all know my plans, I can get back to my Astronomy homework. Maybe I'll even get a NaNo-planning session in... A girl can dream!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Anne-ish Tendencies

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Isn't this beautiful? http://kasia1989.deviantart.com/art/Friendship-Anne-From-Green-Gables-337566594
It is October, which has to be my favorite month. It's a delightful combination of brisk fall air, pumpkin-flavored desserts, cozy sweaters, boots, and steaming hot beverages. Autumn is also my most productive writing season. With rainy days and nostalgia practically humming in the air, there is no shortage of inspiration during the fall months. Endless scope for the imagination! Therefore, this is about that time of year when my Anne-ish tendencies really start to show.

Anne-ish tendency: (n) an inclination towards the literary, the imaginative, and the occasionally stubborn nature of a certain Anne Shirley; see "Anne of Green Gables"

Isn't this cover cute!?
After a long and stressful week full of schoolwork and studying, last night I desperately needed to indulge my inner Anne. My friend Emily from There is a Bend (she's kind of sort of adorable so you should really check out her blog) invited Ally and I to her room for coffee and tea. (I never thought I would find myself drinking caffeinated beverages at 9:30 PM, but somehow college makes caffeine seem like a good idea at any time of the day.) Long story short, we all ended up breaking out our old writings. And oh, did my Anne-inclined heart ache! After days upon days of bumbling through college and not feeling quite myself, I could feel my familiar Anne-ish tendencies welling up in my chest. It was wonderful. Sitting in the depths of despair while being a pseudo-adult can be really exhausting. Sometimes, you need a healthy does of Anne-ness to make life bearable.

“That's the worst of growing up, and I'm beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.” 

How I felt getting dropped off at school.
Though I have yet to discover our local Lake of Shining Waters, this school has great potential as my own personal Avonlea. The gym rents out canoes, for heaven's sake. It's like they want me to act out The Lady of Shalot in the Shenandoah River!

* ~ * ~ *

In looking up all of these quotes for this blog post, I have realized that I desperately need to reread Anne of Green Gables. Also, I need Gilbert's stupid face.

Stahp it. You're too cute. And stupid. But mainly cute.