Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

So Happy Halloween, I hope yours was a lot more fun that mine was. I dressed up as Jezebel Redfern, half human/ half vampire, vampire slayer. Yes that is confusing, but she's so cool. Jez is one of my favorite characters in the Night World series by L.J. Smith, and her soulmate Morgead, well lets just say I wish he was real. Because I love him. But so yeah, I had an awesome costume and looked bad, but in a good way. So I hope everyone had a fun Halloween and that you had a good time. :)

Hey look it's a short post, I didn't know I was capable of writing a short post!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thirds Day

Hayley has decided today she is going to talk about herself in the third person. Third person Thursdays, this is going to be a regular occurrence, you have been forewarned. Here's the thing Hayley gets bored easily in class, very easily, a fly on the wall or even the cute guy who sits next to her in chemistry class can distract her mind in a second...thankfully other people can't read minds or they'd think Hayley's ADD means she's certifiable. Oh wait that's because she is. So Hayley was bored in chemistry, and though she should have been writing the essay that was due seventh period she was day dreaming and doodling in her notebook, not taking notes and so not thinking about the cute guy who sits next to her. Of course. And then she began to write...bum bum bum!

But this writing wasn't supposed to be written at least not in chemistry in October, see Hayley has a confession, she'd decided to work primarily on one WIP for NaNo and then play around with two others. However, here comes another confession, she had to write it. Actually, technical she had already written the scene, she found it under her bed a few days ago. It was one of those gifts that her subconscious writer left her months ago, scribbled in one of the million notebooks floating around her room. In this case under her bed. A small notebook her father had given her, one that once her kittens had arrived it ended up under her bed. So Hayley stumbled across it while she was grabbing McAllister out from under her bed, the little boy was crying and crying because he was between the bed and the wall. And then low and behold beneath the paws of her little back and white kitten Hayley found a notebook. Not surprising because there is a 'Hayley' notebook in at least every room of the house, save for the bathrooms cause there is no space. At first glance it was just another notebook, a blank first page, this is because Hayley never writes on the first page of a notebook (yes she knows that's her CDO showing), so of course the notebook looked empty.

The next night Hayley was hyped up on a little bit of caffeine and well she couldn't sleep so she opened her notebook, with the intention of writing illegibly until she dozed off, and found the gift. You know those little scrawled notes writers leave themselves all over the place a line here, a ripped, water stained napkin there. And Hayley loved it. The scene not only was on her mind the entire next day, yes on her mind enough to stop her from focusing on any and all chemistry and french distractions, but it stayed with her. She did plan on waiting until NaNo to rewrite it, but the idea wouldn't shut up and Hayley doesn't know how to tell her writing no. So she wrote it. She figured she wasn't going to participate in NaNo officially anyways and well she needed to write this. Yes, needed to so desperately she was worried not writing it would suffocate her in her sleep. So she wrote it. As of now Hayley is drawing a blank for the title, and has only just today come up with a name for the evil minions in her story, yes they are being called Nemotractus, because that is an awesome name.

So here is an excerpt, long like this post and all her other posts, which Hayley sincerely apologizes for. From now on Hayley has decided she will try to keep them short and sweet. But Hayley also has a tendency to talk, and talk a lot, like she doesn't know when to stop, just ask Sara she knows better than anyone how much and how long Hayley can talk. And now for the long excerpt as promised:

The light from the burning town a mile away pressed through the wooden panels that covered the windows. Ashlyn tugged on the bottom of her tank top, running a hand through her cropped hair, and biting her lip as she paced back and forth in the tiny miserable space.

“I can’t believe this!” She shouted kicking a wooden panel angrily.

Declan didn’t say anything, he kept his mind focused. They were almost surrounded, with two ways to escape. They could go into the city and try to get out through the long abandoned subway tunnels, or try, and most likely fail, to sneak through the Nemo’s base camp; anything to just get out of the hot zone.

“I stayed behind for a reason.” She mumbled as she began to abuse the wood again. The thuds echoed around him as she kicked the wood again and again, it groaned beneath her unceasing attack.

“And what was that to get yourself killed?” Declan scoffed, holding the binoculars up to his eyes and gazing out at the camps that lay on the outskirts of their old home. Of course he knew they wouldn’t have killed her, they didn’t kill women, they took them prisoners. It was worse than dying. He shook his head trying to focus, trying to gain control, that wouldn’t happen to her, he wouldn’t let it. The patrol was circling the camp spreading out further as they circled around and around their campsite. Expanding their perimeter, increasing their control covering all the bases, they didn’t want anyone to escape.

“No, you moron, I don’t see why you care anyways why are you here? Why aren’t you back living it up in the army, you left without looking back five years ago what makes you think anyone from then wants to see you now? You should have stayed with the army you should have never come back. No one wants you here.”

“Ashlyn be quite they might hear you” Declan said glancing back over at her for the first time since they’d gotten to the safe house, the first time all night. Her hair was shorter now than it had been when he’d left; she had changed in every way possible, but even if she’d been horribly disfigured he could have recognized her a mile away.

“And I care because?”

“Just shut up Ashlyn. It will save us a lot of running, they have super senses, how can you not get this. If they get any closer and you keep yelling they will hear you.” Ashlyn brushed this off continuing on her tirade.

“Declan what are you doing here? No one wanted you here, I don’t see why you even had to come back—”

“Ashlyn!” Declans’ voice was stern echoing smoothly across the darkened room, his grey eyes sparking with anger.

“What!?” she spat as she spun towards him her red hair falling haphazardly across her face.

“If you don’t shut up” he pulled his gun from its holster “I’ll have to shoot you.” he aimed it at her. Ashlyn looked from his gun to him and stepped forwards her golden eyes never leaving Declans face. He starred back, gaze unwavering, hand steady, as she moved closer until the barrel of the gun was against her bare skin, next to the material of her tank top, right above her heart.

“Do it.” She breathed “You killed me once, go on do it again.” Declan didn’t move his eyes never leaving her face; holding the pistol ever steady.

“Pull the trigger.” She whispered.

“Ash” he exhaled, she stared back at him, her expression blank, her eyes angry and hateful.

“Go on Declan, do it, pull the trigger.”

So yeah, some editing is needed, okay a lot of editing, Hayley knows this, she is very aware of her editing problems. That and she apologizes for it being kind of hard to read because well she couldn't figure out how to get it to double space. She is still trying to get the gist of blogging. Internet+Hayley= trouble and system failures. Criticism is welcome, as always, but be honest and gentle Hayley is a fragile soul...
:P

Friday, October 23, 2009

Late Night

So today was mole day, for anyone who doesn't know what that a mole is(aside form the sometimes cute and fuzzy little critter), it's a measure of an atom 6.02 x 10^23, apparently some big thing in chemistry. I wasn't really paying all that much attention even though my school made a big deal out of it, and everything, and I did nothing in Chem. today, it was nice. I should warn you, this post is not related to writing at all, and its long, but I had something I had to say, that is not related to the Chem. mole.

I didn't exactly enjoy my nothing day. See today marks the five year anniversary of my friends death. And no one said anything. My school and State implemented numerous laws after she and her friend died in a car crash five years ago, and as of recently driving safety has been really big topic announced every day on the loud speaker. But today, they said nothing about what happened. I'm glad they didn't, because her brother who is my ex-best friend (very long story for a never post) is still in school with me, but I'm upset too. She died at seventeen, and it seems they've already forgotten about her.

We weren't close, I'll be the first to admit it, I was best friends with her younger brother for numerous years and he and I had a falling out awhile before she died, but she was my role model. I was a little kid and she was the closest I ever had to a big sister, she was the big girl on the block you look up to because she was pretty and smart and kind. I miss her. I wont lie she's been on my mind a lot recently, not only because five years is a long time and it doesn't seem like that much time has passed but because I'm one year younger than she was when she died, and it seems surreal. I would be kidding myself if I said that her death hasn't affected me in a major way, my fear of driving may be in direct correlation with her death. She was the first kid I'd ever known who died. I mean I'd experienced death multiple times before but never a death of someone so young, let alone the girl I'd admired my entire life.

So today I find myself sitting in class thinking about how I'm going to fail this English test (which I got a 68 on) and one of my friend says "FML" and today of all days all I could think to say was "Be thankful you have one, some people aren't that lucky." I didn't say anything, and I should have. Because in this day and age saying FML is common, I hear it at least once a day, to the point where I'll get exasperated or frustrated and I'll think it or want to say it. It's those moments when I kick myself, because I'm blessed to be alive, and I should cherish that life. As though saying FML is disrespectful to every person who lost their life before their time, or lost their life at all.

Then to top it off in the last minutes of my history course an announcement comes over the loud speaker, not just any announcement, an urgent one. The kind that makes your stomach sink and your hands shake because its so ominous you know nothing good can come from it. Turns out this announcement, hurriedly instructing teachers to check their emails immediately, an announcement that automatically made me think someone was dead just because of how it was phrased, was about the choking game. Some morons in my school were playing the choking game, filming it, and then sending a video of it around. I was brought back to my earlier thought, you need to be thankful for every breath you have because it could always be your last. I wanted to hit these kids, so bad, they have life and they're willing to put their life at risk, to kill off brain cells for a momentary high, when they could be out doing something with their life. It's not like they didn't know it was dangerous, there has been a lot of publicity about this, a lot of information has been provided, and still they think its okay to play it. While my friend had been dead for five years, she would have just graduated college, just been starting her life and she wasn't. And these idiots were playing the damned choking game.

I was so pissed off. All I could do was think its been five years since my friend died and here were a bunch of morons saying FML and playing a game that knowingly puts their life at risk. And they think its funny. They think its okay, my friend died because of a stupid car, that was going too fast on a windy day. She did everything right, she was wearing her seat belt she was an outstanding person and she died. Then these kids come around and are playing a game that they've been told is dangerous, we've had announcements and seminars about this before and they still think its okay. Games that put their life at risk, while my friend who was looking into colleges, was in a car that was going to fast, a car she wasn't even driving, something she had no control over, and she died while their looking for a high. Purposefully putting themselves in danger.

It makes me sad for my generation because it seems like especially in this day and age the old stereotype of teens thinking they're invincible and immortal is being proven true, everyday. The mentality of "Oh that will never happen to me" is showing itself more and more. These kids aren't just being disrespectful to themselves either, they're being disrespectful to the people who died playing this game, because they aren't taking it seriously. They're being disrespectful to anyone who died. They don't think in terms of action=consequence, they just don't think. So today, or I guess by the time anyone reads this, if anyone reads it, it will be tomorrow, I have one request. Go out and do something that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment, take yourself out of your comfort zone and do something you don't normally do. Go out and live. Because some of us aren't blessed with that chance, and you're a fool if you don't try to live life to its fullest because five years ago today is a perfect example of how life is fleeting, especially to the young.

Just Live.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

My NaNoWriMo

So I did NaNo last year, and all it did was put me behind in school work, not that it matters but I accomplished very little and I wasn't "in love" exactly with what I was writing. Not positive, not negative, just a *sigh* kind of experience. I'm impartial I guess. But I want to do it so bad this year, because I love just writing, granted I didn't reach the 50k mark but I think that's okay. Because I was doing what I love, and in this day and age with college, driving, lots of best guy friend drama, dare I say it prom (which even though its months away is on my mind for NO reason, I want it to go away!), and umm actually increasing my GPA this year instead of letting it drop to get into said college, are all looming over my head. I need to write, if for nothing else, to relieve the stress being put upon me by these things.

Sounds simple right? Find an SNI, and let it simmer in the creative sauce pan until Nov. 1st and then get to pounding down on the keys, or sprinkling little bits in the margin of my notes, homework and essays etc., letting my work fall to the wayside and shed whatever stress has been plaguing me and contributing to my insomnia, fall away for a little bit. Not as simple as it seems. Thanks to pressure from said high school I haven't had a new idea in months, approximately 9 or 10, I wish I could be exact in fact it seriously upsets me that I can't be exact, like really really annoys me (my CDO is showing) but it appears I've blocked the exact time my ideas abandoned me out of my memory.

So because I need this, partially in hopes to keep my writers block at bay and partially to just separate me from all this stuff, I made a decision. I'm going to do my own NaNo. I may or may not participate on the site, but I'm going to be keeping count here. Due to the lack of ideas I'm going to take one or maybe two of my old ones and work on them. I'm not going to stay exclusively with one, or maybe I will I don't know yet. I'll subtract, as of Nov. 1st, whatever words I've already written, starting again at zero and see if in that time I can press out 50k. I'm debating between a couple stories, ideas that I do love and characters that I adore listening to, its fun to hear them bicker.

So that's what I'm going to do. Once I figure out what exactly I'm working on I'll post about it but I have a couple days to decide and like I aid maybe I'll see if I can write 50k between two stories if I'm not sure at the beginning and then pick one a ways through. I just need to write. And NaNo is just the empowerment I need to do it, even if I'm participating unofficially.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Location, Location, Location!

Okay so as a writer you have to have a place to put your story. I mean your characters can't just be floating around in a spaceless place doing whatever pleases them. Unless your story is about people floating around in a spaceless place and then that's okay. If that makes sense...anywho moving away from the crazy...how do you know where to place your stories?

For me well I tend to make up places, which is normal. If your story is in a parallel universe or in a different world you can totally do whatever you please. But what if your characters are just stuck in a normal place, or even from a earlier time period? (Because let’s face it you can fudge whatever you want for futuristic novel, which in the end is what makes them fun to read).

I tend to find a place where I think the characters fit in, (type of weather, large town, small town, big city, environment, continent etc.) and then build something up around them to fit the needs of the story as any author does. Of course I'm bad a titles, and names for places, so I tend to find a real town name or something and super impose it on my little fictional haven. Of course I don't put it in the same state or anywhere near the real town or place because if anyone goes to the town or lives there (with the exception of abandoned places because you can write about an abandoned place however you like and no one will know) I'm always afraid I'll get something about it wrong. And I'm a perfectionist, only when I'm writing though, I don't really care about perfection in anything else, sad I know.

But the fear is rooted in the idea that this something will be so wrong that no one will ever think to pick up the novel or story because it is so horrendously off. I've read books where the author put the story in a real place, and in some cases I have known about the real place in question, and its nothing like it was made out to be in the story. That annoys me so much. I mean, though research only goes so far, it's there for a reason, and you should use it, right? Am I over thinking the whole location thing, or is the issue just in my head? Because I've noticed it in published material, and worry it will happen to me. So how do you other authors out there do it? Because I'm going crazy, scratch that I'm already certifiable, I'm progressing deeper into my insanity.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

He's With Me

He's With Me is the working title for my current WIP. So I figured you know, I should blog about it seeing as writing is what I'm here for right? So here is my not so short summary. (Which will eventually have to be shortened but as of right now I like the way it sounds and am having trouble cutting it down.) So here it is:

It’s been seven months since the little town of Magnolia Hollow, Georgia was turned upside down by an unexpected loss that shook the very core of their society. The loss of Mitch Evans, a teenager who didn’t deserve to die, who had so much more living to do when his young life was yanked out from under him. In the past seven months people have grown and changed, the world is moving on as grieving comes to a slow but steady end. Everyone is living their lives as if nothing ever happened, quickly forgetting the child who was taken from them long before his time.

Everyone that is except for Kali, who clings to the memory of yesterday and plunges ahead only because she has to, because no matter what she does time won’t stop. Even though it’s been the only thing she’s wanted, the only thing she has wished for, in the past seven months. In love with the memory of the one thing that went right in her life, the only thing she had ever needed, he was her everything and she was his.

As time continues without Mitch, Kali has to decide what to do with her life. Without him as her constant, everything has unraveled before her eyes; she isn’t going to college, is barely graduating high school and has no plans for the future. She isn’t eating, or sleeping, and is quickly finding her way down a path of self destruction, with no one standing in her way. Kali knows why Mitch died, what really caused his death, and the thing is how can anyone help her if she can’t forgive herself? If she keeps pushing them all away?

Summer rounds the corner and Kali withdraws herself even more from her family, and what remains of her friends. She is reluctant to feel anything, joy, happiness, sorrow, grief, and even acceptance. Unable to cry, unable to really grieve for the love of her life she can do nothing, nothing except sit back and watch as her life flies by, all to ready and willing and ready to let it slip away. Then the return of an annual summer visitor who for so many years remained aloof, has completely thrown her for a loop. Darren was just the kid who came to live there for the summer always locked inside or working on his car, no one really knew him, no one really wanted to, he was just a visitor someone who would be gone before too long. Getting attached was never an option. Then Darren gets a job at the local dinner and begins to insert himself into Kali’s life, persistent until she can’t take it anymore; he’s always there, always someone to talk to. As they get closer the barriers she put up between herself and society begin to deteriorate, crumbling before her. As time moves on Darren helps her to learn how to live again, how to really move on. That is until her reality settles in and she remembers what is missing, what isn’t there.

Her love for Mitch and the secret she’s been carrying inside her poses an even greater problem for her and Darren as she struggles between what is and what could have been. Stuck in the middle of a love triangle between the ghost of what she once knew and the future she doesn’t understand.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Perfectionist in Me

So right now I have about four or five MC's bouncing along in my head, yelling and screaming at me to write them, write them, write them, and I want to write them. All of them. I really do. Only problem is I'm stuck, very stuck. Not in the plot or character development, or even in where I want the story to go. I know what I want to say, but I have no idea how to put it on paper. How to make the words in my head fit onto the page and make sense to someone else. Normally a nice warm cup of chamomile tea and a bar of dark chocolate does it, and *poof* I know exactly how to write it.

However as of recently every time I write something its seems like the perfectionist inside of me (which applies only to my writing if only I cared enough to be a perfectionist in say school? But I digress...) speaks loudly at the top of her ever condescending voice, "Wow this really sucks. You can't write to say your life. Just stop now and save me the agony of reading this trash." She can be very mean.

Sometimes I'm lucky and I can shut her up, but she comes and goes as she pleases. Normally she appears after a stretch of writers block. I am just recovering from a eight month span of block, a time that was torture. I could write, if I was lucky, a paragraph a day, not fun. And find she is in my head, again, not helping me write. Any ideas on how to shut her up? Because nothing I've tried is working, I fear the block may return, and I don't know how I'll deal with that again.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Congrats!

So this is just a quick post offering a special congrats to my friend Sara who has been working on getting published for the better part of seven years and is now represented by agent Kate Schafer Testerman, which is unbelievably and undeniable awesome. So I'd just like to offer her my biggest congrats possible, and wish her the very best! Stream Pirate is amazing and I couldn't be more thrilled for her sucess, so for the umptenth time Sara congrats! You deserve it!