Home is behind...

... the world, ahead. (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Be careful with those plates.

And before you ask, I haven't seen The Hobbit yet, yes, I know Martin Freeman is in it, and so is Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Armitage, please stop rubbing it in. Thank you.

Good song, eh? I know, I have impeccable taste. Just wait til you see what little gem I have for you at the bottom of this post. DON'T SKIP AHEAD. Ruins the surprise. Kind of like peeking at your gifts before Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I love it. I have been one big bowl of Christmas spirit. I smile my face off at store employees and wish anyone and everyone a merry one. (Tongue twister?) I have baked 3 batches of snickerdoodle bars, with more to come. I've been singing, wrapping, and shopping like a sir. How are YOU getting in the Christmas spirit?

Speaking of Christmas spirits, I tried to impart my love of A Christmas Carol on my 5th grade co-op class today. I think I scared them a little with my random outburst of "MANDKIND WAS MY BUSINESS!" and the video clip of Marley's ghost.

But seriously. I'm supposed to be talking about my writing, right? Welp, I chose my title for today for a reason. Home is behind, the world is ahead. At least, it feels like it for me. I'm sticking my head out a little further of my shell and writing a good deal more now that NaNo is over. I really needed November to jumpstart my love of writing once more, and I've churned out a little over 1,000 words in the past two days.

The good news? It isn't all terrible. I mean, I really like what I've written. There was a bit about voices being snipped like thread (copyright, property of ME)... Good stuff! The bad news? I have no idea where I'm headed. That's where the world part comes in. I feel like Bilbo Baggins, leaving the comfort of the Shire and delving into the wild world. I don't know what's coming. I know what my ultimate goal is (*ahem* eventually publish something), but there are all these obstacles and side adventures, if I may call them "side adventures". Maybe I'll encounter goblins. Or Gollums. Or Rings of Power. Who knows!? I certainly don't! Until I figure it out, I will keep reading, keep researching, and keep listening to Bing Crosby Christmas songs until the cows come home.

Now, for that little present I promised you. Behold: my childhood!!!

If I ever fell ill, if I ever grew bored, the 1977 Hobbit awaited me. I had nightmares about Smaug coming to eat me, lived in perpetual terror of the goblin song, and didn't understand half of what was going on, but nonetheless I have seen this film multiple times. So yeah, Merry Christmas. Enjoy!

Just envision Sherlock and Watson saying these lines. I think I just took care of your Happy New Year too. You're welcome.

Welp, I'm beat.

I WON NANOWRIMO!

*applause*

I finished a day early, too. Now I just have to order my winner's T-shirt. My mum is letting me purchase one as a reward for my efforts. My best friend baked me a whole batch of brownies to celebrate my victory. (They were unbelievably chocolatey. It was insane.) My dear sister didn't even complain when I stayed up late on the 29th to just get the gosh darn thing over with. I've got an awesome team behind me, that's for sure.

If you're wondering why I haven't posted all month, I would think it's obvious. I've been NaNoing! That, or watching Doctor Who and Downton Abbey. Or doing homework. Basically, a cycle of stressing over NaNo, completing college apps, doing homework, and then de-stressing with some quality British television. And if anyone wants to talk Downton with me, I'd be happy to oblige. Next up is the Christmas episode, and I'm still upset over the last one. I mean... LAVINIA? WHY!? I hate writers. Oh wait, I am one. *blush*

Dude, check it.

 

You can see where life got crazy, and the insane sprint to the finish line over the last few days. Three days in a row, I came home, sat down at the computer, and did nothing but write for hours on end, taking short Facebook/food/run around the house breaks. It was intense. The writing was awful. But I DID IT. Huzzah for yours truly!

Now, for your reading pleasure, the best and worse of my 2012 NaNoWriMo novel, If and When.

Obviously, this is all copyright of yours truly. Anything plaguerized is ILLEGAL. Not that it's good enough to steal. *sigh* Forget it.

THE GOOD 

• "Try to look inconspicuous, she thought. She wished she could say the last word aloud. Inconspicuous. It tasted like chocolate; New words always did." 
• Why I like it: I used the image of words have flavor several times in the novel, and I thought it really worked well within the context of the book. Not to mention Anthony has chocolate brown eyes. Coincidence? I think NOT! 
•  Aubrey’s mouth clamped shut. Words, words! Her mouth opened up just enough to let one tumble out of her mouth.
      “Inquisitive.”
      Dimitri’s eyebrows managed to go up even higher. “Excuse me?”
      “Yes. I... I read. Books, I mean. I read books.” She gulped.
• Why I like it: I thought it was funny. You're allowed to disagree.
• Aubrey looked up and into the pale face of the sky and wondered what stars looked like. She had read so much about them… They were supposed to be bright, twinkling orbs of light. There were so many poems about them. If Aubrey remembered correctly, they were supposed to be romantic.
• Why I like it: In my story world, there are lots of factories. It occurred to me when Aubrey went outside with her friend, Anthony, that the pollution would block the sky... and the stars. Anyone who reads knows that stars come up a lot. The writing here wasn't splendirific or anything like that, but the concept was cool.

THE BAD

• Suddenly the shacks around them weren’t just unsightly, but eerily still.
• Why it stinks to high heaven: Sometimes my grammar faltered during the month. 

 

• The sky was a bruise, black and blue and bordering purple, while streaks of smog streaked across the sky like scars. 
• Why it stinks to high heaven: The concept? The sky is a combination of black, blue, and purple. Bruise! Dark clouds. Scars! Brilliant! Except... Ew, now everyone is thinking about wounds, oozing puss and nastiness. Gross.

More on NaNo later. Our football team made state play-offs for the first time in history, so I've got to get up bright and early to cheer my little heart out and play my xylophone like there ain't no tomorrow. Until then, I leave you with the most adorable thing ever. And before you ask, I didn't go looking for it. David Tennant is a pure coincidence. Although I'm certainly not complaining...

I mean, I could have played fish girl.

Soak up the adorbs. You're smiling. Admit it. No matter how cheesy that was, you're smiling. Don't hide it: EMBRACE THE SMILEY FACE. There you go. :)

* FOR AFTER YOU'VE WATCHED THE ABOVE VIDEO: Don't you love how the sign beneath the girls apartment is Juliet's Something-or-Other, and then the sign behind him switches to Romeo? Too. Cute.

     

NaNoWriMo Day No. 13

Haven't posted in 2 weeks. Deal with it.

Sorry, don't mean to get nasty. All I know is that I am positively swamped with college applications and Forensics and Drama Club and County Chorus and District Chorus and NEVER MIND YOU DON'T CARE. Really, I'm not cranky. Promise! In fact, as I write this, I'm getting my first listen to Taylor Swift's new album.

She is so my guilty pleasure. She averages about 2 non-boy songs per album, but I don't even care. Something about T-Swizzle makes me want to do cool stuff. Like write a novel.

Do you know how behind I am? Very. I was *ahead* last year. Now I am limping behind the better prepared WriMos, dragging my overly complex plot and contrary characters and wishing I could just give up and watch the rest of Downton Abbey which conveniently just arrived in the mail to tempt me. (I caught up my sister to Episode 5, and we are in mourning together.) I have a stockpile of chocolate and the nagging desire to lose weight. In other words, I've got November problems.

Now as I rush off to finish up college essays and try and bump up my NaNo word count, I leave you with some of the songs that are helping me to power through this little novel. Read the descriptions --- some of the songs seem a little "out there".

My book is noticeably lacking in the drug addict-forced-to-be-a-prostitute-to-fuel-addiction area, but this song is so positively sad, I feel like it captures the sadness that sits in my MC's heart.

What does it have to do with my plot? NOTHING! What does it have to do with getting me in the mood to write? EVERYTHING!

Realization moment!!!

Later, gators. And if I don't have a spare moment before then, Happy Turkey Day! I can hardly wait for the pumpkin pie, the family togetherness, and the post-dinner crash. :)

NaNoWriMo, Day No. 4

I don't know if I mentioned this, but I ever tell you that I have successfully dragged three people into this writing frenzy?

Well, I have. Things 1 and 2 are my two youngest sisters. I don't quite know what gave them the desire to partake in this madness, but they both signed up in October, described their plots to me over cookies, and have been dutifully typing away for four days now. Thing 1, who is 13 and qualifies for both the regular NaNoWriMo program as well as the Young Writers program, is writing a sort of fantasy adventure. Thing 2, who is 11 (I thought she was 12 until she corrected me this morning, she does act so positively grown up) is also writing a fantasy and has set a reasonable goal of 30,000 words. I am quite impressed with how responsible they have been. They are both hovering around their word goals and working hard to keep it up.

Thing 3 is my best friend, and I don't really know how she's doing. A part of me thinks she's quit already. I invited her to my mind palace for a brainstorming session (see below), which received a meager "like" on Facebook. She always comments with something witty and delightful. Particularly in matters concerning Sherlock Holmes. Even if it falls through, this is the closest I've gotten to dragging her down Novelist Lane, which is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Now comes the part of NaNoWriMo where my inner editor gets nasty. I had a brilliant session yesterday. Banged out almost two days worth of words, making up for the time lost on Friday, and surprised myself with my own characters. That's when the voice came for me.

Give in to the siren song of inner editorness and you turn to dust. Well, actually, it's a little more complex than that, and the siren is actually a doctor of sorts, and there's this other universe and human bacteria and I WATCHED DOCTOR WHO LAST NIGHT, OKAY? For sake of argument, let's just pretend that my inner editor is a siren waiting to lure this sailor to her doom.

So what do you do?

You write.

You keep writing until you can't write any more. There will be at least a million times where you are tempted to give up. If not, you're not doing it right. I fear for the writers who are totally in love with their work, 24/7. Because then it can never be edited. It can never be improved. It's stuck at where it's at and it can't move or breathe or grow or change. The writer will think that's it and it's all over. Writing is like being in love. Sometimes you feel it. Sometimes you don't. And if you quit on love when you're not "feelin' it", then it isn't really love at all.

Now I'm on to write another 1,667 words. Do I want to quit? Sort of. However, I would never be able to forgive myself if I gave up on Day 4. Certainly I have more stamina than that.

Had to add this. Brilliant episode. Just brill. Did I mention I am very close to having watched all of the new Who? Suppose I'll be watching some more of the ol' show then. I do love those ancient effects. They add to the charm!

NaNoWriMo 2021, Day No. 3

My posts are going to change format a bit this month. Because all I want to talk about it...

Get this Facebook timeline banner here.

The month has begun and on November 1st, I surpassed the daily 1,667 words with a grand total of 1,751 words!!! So exciting! So far, I've only botched all of my chances at good description, successfully deleted half of a chapter (I blame our funky new laptop), and made the wretched mistake of comparing the sky to a bruise. Actually, I kind of like that bit, but nonetheless! Day No. 1 went swimmingly and I was quite pleased.

Day No. 2? Not so great.

I had a very full day yesterday, with a football game in the evening and whatnot. It was SENIOR NIGHT, which meant I got walk across the loooooooooong football field with my weepy parents and hold flowers and get my picture taken. And I got chocolate! Did I mention the chocolate!? Anyways, I only got in a little over 500 words. The NaNoWriMo website wouldn't let me on at the time, so my word count today will look a little funky.

On the bright side, it looks like the Muses have taken pity on my immortal writing soul.

This is what I think when I think "muses". Yes, yes. The Disney movie is not historically accurate in the least. But you know what!? It has cool gospel music and I know the words to some of the songs and goshdarnit, I learn most of my Greek mythology from Percy Jackson anyways, so I can never be truly sure what's really true. So just accept this image.

A lot of my book has to do with books and their impact. It's a dystopia, I will remind you, one that has a plot that resembles Fahrenheit 451 a little, which I just finished, but did not read when I was plotting the book. Really, the equation for my book is like Fahrenheit 451 + 1984 + The Hunger Games + Karol, The Man Who Became Pope + This Inkpop Book (Back When Inkpop Existed) That Was Really Cool and About Concentration Camps in the Future. ANYWAYS.

I needed to pick a random book for my character to read to her sister. I wanted to pick something that was accessible to both of their age groups, was old and sort of classic-ish, I wasn't overly familiar with, and would still be somewhat familiar to a modern reader. I picked The Little Princess. It's a delightful story, although I only read the abridged version as a kid. And do you want to know what passage fit perfectly into my book?

"But you will not have to stay for a very long time, little Sara," he had always said. "You will go to a nice house where there will be a lot of little girls, and you will play together, and I will send you plenty of books, and you will grow so fast that it will seem scarcely a year before you are big enough and clever enough to come back and take care of papa."

She had liked to think of that. To keep the house for her father; to ride with him, and sit at the head of his table when he had dinner parties; to talk to him and read his books--that would be what she would like most in the world, and if one must go away to "the place" in England to attain it, she must make up her mind to go. She did not care very much for other little girls, but if she had plenty of books she could console herself. She liked books more than anything else, and was, in fact, always inventing stories of beautiful things and telling them to herself. Sometimes she had told them to her father, and he had liked them as much as she did.

It's so delightfully perfect!!!

Now, onto that dreadful word count that awaits me. Making up for lost time today...

Batten down the hatches...

MY STORY

... because the entire East Coast is about to get whammed in the face with Sandy. My family has stocked up on flashlights, fun food that can be cooked in the fireplace (Jiffypop, s'mores, hotdogs, etc.), batteries, you name it. School's out, and flooding is possible, but opportunity for fun is optimal. Because my opinion is, don't let a crazy hurricane rain on your parade when you can have an adventure! I mean, just look what adventure does for a writer:

Normal person: "Gah! Cold shower! I'm freezing!"
Writer: "I finally know how it feels to be stuck in a freezing torrential downpour!!! I've gotta write this into a scene."

Normal person: "Gah! All of our food is going bad and it smells!"
Writer: "I can now write an accurate description concerning the smell of decay!!!"

Normal person: "Gah! The power's out, technology is dead, and I have to use a flashlight!"
Writer: "No Internet to distract me from my masterpiece! I can write dramatically by candlelight like the geniuses of old, and call flashlights "torches" and lose them in Narnia! Huzzah!"

Did I mention we might have family game night?

We might have family game night. :)

PS - Sorry this post is so long overdue. But truly, I have been busy. Still working on those college applications, still haven't finished my O.O. speech, still practicing music for multiple concerts, still doing homework for AP classes, still getting distracted by the Internet and by rippingly corking books such as...

READING UPDATE

Entwined!!! I *finally* read it. I was milling about the book fair at my co-op, silently wishing they had this book. I had daydreamed that they would have it, but I figured it was impossible. I mean, I've been pining after this book for months now. It seemed so unlikely that our little tiny fair would have such a book. Yet there it was, in the middle of a pile, there it was, in all of its glory!!!

Now that I have read this darling book, I am quite determined to learn the fictional dance in it, the Entwine (see above for the dance and the corresponding adorableness of Azalea and Lord/Captain/Mr. Bradford), and the Soul's Curtsy (also fictional and amazing). Read about the Entwine here. Read the authoress' blog here. I swear on silver that Heather Dixon's blog is almost as hysterical as she is. I mean, I stayed up til 1 AM reading it once. Every. Single. Post. Finally, you can purchase the book here. Support B&N so we can prevent another Border's incident.

Those of you who know me personally, don't hate my guts, and like to have fun, contact me so we can learn this aforementioned Entwine. And the Soul's Curtsy... but only when the boys aren't looking. ;) Oh, and I've decided to incorporate some of Lord Teddie's language into my daily life. People think I'm nuts whenever I exclaim "smashing" or "ripping" or "corking". But then again, they already think I'm a little crazy.

Finished this too. AWESOME ending. Classic Riordan, to end with some mentally insane plot twist/cliff-hanger. Buy it here. You won't regret it.

 I read this all in one day, as I did with Entwined. It was wonderful. I simply could not put it down, under any circumstances. I was so happy to be back with the beloved characters of my childhood. It made me sort of sad to see Miri grow up and develop even more as a character, but it was very well done. Either I couldn't put down the book because the plot had thickened to the consistency of peanut butter, or because I was determined to make sure that Miri did the right thing.

Oh, and Peder was just as swoonworthy as ever. That silly mountain boy... I think I love him more than I did when I first read him when I was ten. *wide grin* He's just a stupid, oblivious, complete and total boy. Purchase this lovely book here. You shan't regret it. And if anyone is interested in sewing me Miri's blue crocus dress...

WRITING UPDATE

Furiously plotting my NaNoWriMo novel. Dragging others down with me. I think I may have roped in my best friend, and two of my younger sisters, who are both determined to do the 50,000 word program, even though they qualify for the Young Writers Program. November is in only a day or two, and if I'm without power, that's going to make my job a lot harder. I mean A LOT harder. So please, say a prayer or two that I can get this all done. Now excuse me while I add NaNo to my list of impossible things...

Greetings from the Depths of Despair!

MY STORY

I'm in mourning.

There would be a video here of Bunbury's funeral in The Importance of Being Earnest if the universe liked me, but alas... PS - I *finally* saw that movie, and I would *highly* recommend it. That was code for "this-is-my-new-favorite-movie-ever-and-not-just-because-Colin-Firth-is-in-it".

Have you ever seen a character and liked them right off the bat? Like, no dialogue, no action, just saw them and decided they were the best thing since sliced pumpkin bread? Well, it happens to me. (See my Doctor Who confession here). And sometimes, very rarely, you completely adore that character, and your adoration simply grows and flourishes with time. You love them in every sense of the word. And then cruel, horrible writers, not so different from yourself, decide it's a fantastic idea to KILL THEM. Blimey, they don't just kill them, they make them so blimey heroic and their death so blimey tragic and the circumstances so blimey impossible and messed up and blimey complicated that there is literally no possible way to make their death more horrible.

I'm not naming names. I don't want to ruin things for anyone else. But let's just say that there were many tears, and I can feel my soul sinking into the depths of despair. And if you think I'm using hyperbole... I'm not. This Anne is definitely in the depths of despair, and nothing but sweets and hugs can keep her from completely abandoning her duties altogether.

Really, I'm quite serious.

WRITING UPDATE

I spent the entire weekend out of the house, so I have no writing to report. I was too busy eating, drinking, making merry and whatnot. And starting BBC's Robin Hood. Marian is the best thing that ever happened to the world of TV heroines ever. Unless of course, miserable writers decide they want to tear apart another character... Why not? Why bother? To be, or not to be? The play's the thing! The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Pardon me: All of my misery has sent me on another rant.

... She dies, doesn't she? Aw man, now I've gotta buy MORE tissues.

I totally didn't choose this picture of Marian because Richard Armitage is in it. Nope. Not at all... Even if we've all come to the conclusion he would make the most swoontastic Darcy ever. NBD.

READING UPDATE

I'm supposed to be reading Fahrenheit 451, but my mum picked me up a copy of The Mark of Athena, which I naturally started. Not too far into it, but Percy and Annabeth are together, so nothing else matters. Unless they get killed too.

"Have you got a handkerchief? I never seem to have one in moments of crisis."(I'd give brownie points for that reference, but it introduces another dimension to despair. If you get the reference, you understand where my depression comes from. Understand?)

The trailer is so misleading. Just... Just go watch it. Now.