A Quickie!

So here we go, I've been absent for about two weeks today, or at least I think it's two weeks. Maybe it's one, I'm not sure, my brain is fried midterms just ended (not that I studied that hard as seen by my grades, but it's very draining!). So I've been working on my outline (OWNED by the way it's done, now to meet that goal, I have what six days? Five because I already know writing isn't going on tonight, because uh NCIS is on and I'm not only a devoted fan but a devoted Tiva shipper and the episode tonight is supposed to you know give us A LOT of Tiva innuendo so, I'm excited. It. Will. Not. Be. Missed. Don't Judge.). Maybe four because I've got to finish a beta I started, and I'm so close and it's so good so I may not even pick up my own novel tomorrow...but back on topic. This is a quickie post because I may be absent until after my birthday, something about maybe getting my permit (a year later) and you know celebrating being a year older. And stuff. Oh and that little thing about finishing off my novel, yeah. I can already see about four all nighters in my future. God Bless Coffee. And Chocolate, lots of chocolate.

So Bethany gave me this great award, which made me seven different kinds of happy and flattered, and made me feel special (all awards do. but this one especially!).

I'm supposed to give this to all my blogging friends. But I love all you guys, you're all extra special in your own way, and because this is a friendship award, and you're all my friends. I'm not going to choose. Because I can't. So here is to all my friends on the blogsphere, I now give all of you reading this post,(which hopefully hasn't been too spaztastic so you're able to finish it) this award!

So I'll see you in a couple weeks, maybe less if my plan of finishing doesn't fall through. Fingers crossed.

Happy Blogging!

I was recently given this award by V.R. Barkowski, and Heather for having a happy blog! Which makes me seven different kinds of happy! Two people? I'm honored! So first, before I list the ten things that make me happy, I just want to say, thank you very much for my award, I'm flattered. And guys, If you haven't you should head over to their blogs, because they're fun to read and both have fantastic backgrounds. Now this award is awesome because I get to list ten things that make me happy.

So here we go... (the list is not a ranking, just so you know, it's exactly what it appears to be, a list. Random, and unorganized :P)

1. Snow Days, who doesn't love a surprise day in the middle of the week where you can sleep in and be a slug? They're the best, especially when they happen on a Monday or a Friday, or on a day of a big test you haven't studied for.

2. Family and friends, I have the biggest family, and the best friends. They're one in the same to me. I love them so much, and they always manage to make me smile despite the fact that sometimes they annoy me.

3.My animals, Mac, Finn, Seamus and Midnight are the cutest, and Bear was the best dog I could have ever asked for. Besides, I don't think a human could get away with waking me up at two a.m. because they're awake and I'm not, so they tap their cold wet nose to mine. I taught them to kiss me like that when they want something.

4. My writing, whenever anyone asks me about my characters, my story, I just melt.
I smile big and tell them about the crazy people bouncing around in my head, telling me stories.

5. Reading, I love being able to open a book and jump into a new world. To turn each page and have an adventure and have other peoples characters in my head.

6. Drawing, or just other creative outlets through art. I love painting too. But something that ties into this pick, would be the picture Brain drew for me, see the sidebar, for the most fantastic drawing ever. I mean I've had it in my possession for months but still every time I look at it, I squee!

7. Sinking into a deep sleep, and having long drawn out dreams. I love dreaming, and whenever I wake up and I can still remember the dream even better. Dreaming is fun, like my creative side has grabbed hold of everything and runs free, no conscious to tell it no. And even better than that is when I dream of my characters. Talk about awesome.

8. Chocolate. Seriously, it has to be one of my worst habits, but no matter what mood I'm in chocolate always manages to make me feel better. Unless I'm sick, but then no one really like chocolate then. It is so nice to come home and open up a nice tub of chocolate ice cream and sit down with a spoon and eat it after a really bad day. Like I said, it's a bad habit and you're all probably shaking your heads thinking I'm so unhealthy, but this is only occasionally, promise.

9. A great movie, you know the kind that you could watch a thousand times but still gives you shivers, still makes you jump or cry. Those kinds of movies always make me happy, they're so great.

10. Blogging, I love getting online and being able to open up my blog, and read about other writers, to have this support system. It's so nice to get on here, and have help from you guys and share my passion for writing with so many people. Thank you. ^_^

Now, I have to give this award to ten other blogs that make me happy, here they are:

SeeSaraWrite

Constantly Risking Absurdity

JadeHearsVocies

Ramblings of A Wannabe Scribe

Karen Amanda Hooper

Writing Roller Coasters

Jill Wheeler

The Writing Ninja

The Blogger Girlz

ASPIRATIONS

These are the blogs I adore, they always make me smile, so I hope everyone has a nice day, I'm off to continue outlining. Fun. But I'm pretty far, shh...don't tell my muse he might get upset.

Contest! Well, More of a Give Away...

So Shannon is having this awesome contest over at her blog, she's giving away books. Books by Lisa Schroeder, who wrote I Heart You, You Haunt Me, a book that I adore. And Shannon is interviewing her right now. You need to go over and check this out. And I need to get back to that ridiculous outlining...ick.

Questions....?

I started outlining, and yes I got a whole, hold on let me count…8 lines and 85 words in, and I’ve run into a predicament. Can you tell I’m stalling? Okay, here’s the deal, so I’m sitting here going over what I already had to incorporate it into the outline, you know the stuff I’ve already written. Not that much *bad Hayley*.

So as I’m going over this I keep running into a lot of dialogue, now it may just seem like a lot because when I write I have my document set at: a size ten font, single spaced, negative 4 or 7 (depends on how I’m feeling) margins, so more fits onto the page and I’m paying less attention to how much has been written and more attention quality. It also saves paper, and I like trees, don’t judge. But so as I’m going over this, and I had this conversation briefly with Kathryn during the wasted writing lunch period, I keep running into dialogue. Now normally this isn’t a problem, I’m good with dialogue, because I talk, a lot. (Okay well not right off the bat but if you know me you’d know I never shut up, ask Sara, I don’t know how she deals with my ramblings. You can even see in my blog posts that I rarely have a quick to the point post. I ramble.) I’m not displeased with the dialogue, it just seems to be everywhere, and I worry. I mean worrying is what I do I’m good at it, so now I’m looking over He’s With Me, and worrying. I love the prologue and first two chapters. But once we get to chapter 3 on, it’s never ending dialogue (that may be a slight exaggeration, but that isn’t stopping the worry). This is very bad, and I am in freak out mode. Okay not freak out mode, but close. Then there are parts that I’ve written with no dialogue and I love them. Those bits make me feel better.

This begs the question how do you know if there is too much dialogue? Too much telling and not enough showing? I used to pride myself on knowing both, but now it seems that I can only tell when there is too much telling, but am still have trouble with dialogue.

And of course, because my outlining sucks, massively, any outlining advice out there? Because I need it, methods, tricks, sneak attacks on your characters? Anything?

I’m going to see if another lunch period can be successfully spent on this task, if not, I will not give up. Outline, I will own you.

Queen of Ditz

Yes, I am a ditz. I am the Queen of Ditz. You want to know why? So this morning I wake up, shower, get dressed, and my feet are cold so I slip on my slippers. I then proceed to finish my morning with a delicious bagel, a quick puppy and kitten cuddle, and then proceeded to run to my carpool because, me the non-driving almost seventeen year old, was running late. Aside from the fact that I woke up even earlier today. Then once I was in the car, I realized I'd forgotten my cell phone, so I got out and ran back to my house, only to open the front door (I'm not even three steps into the house at this point) and realize it is in my pocket. Then as I bail out of the car, late, only to realize as my bestie and I are walking into school, that I'm still wearing my slippers. Yes, I'm a ditz.

Of course this is just one of the many incidents that have involved me making a fool of myself, or being ditzy(hmm...is that spelt right? Is it even a word?...), but this leads into my other story, related to writing. Promise. So I just thought you all should know, I am a clumsy ditz.

Onto how this ties into my passion. So because if my steep, steep goal, I decided to brave the world of outlining. Now anyone who knows me knows I don't like to outline, because well to quote something I said to Sara "Outlining, *shudder*. I've tried to outline Sara I have, at your advice, and it so works, but I love the craziness of an un-plotted first draft, like adventure on a bus being driven by someone who escaped a psych ward. I always think I can just go back and map it out later. Like Columbus, not my favorite explorer but you get my point, or Lewis and Clark. Whats the fun if you know exactly where the road bends? On another note I love your PS and have to say that I can vividly picture you with your writing map!" So I love diving in without knowing whats going on, live for it even. But I decided that I had to finish this WIP soon. And outlining was my only choice.

So I called upon Kathryn, you know the girl who said "True love is eating your boyfriends face when he dies because you're a zombie." You know, her my awesome English buddy. AKA the girl I pass notes to in English class because we're bored and distracted. She is awesome. So I asked her to help me outline my piece, because she and I think alike. Then, and I should have known this was going to happen. My ditzy me got sidetracked and lost her attention span and wasn't able to focus or write or anything. Talk about a waste of a lunch period. Or at least a waste in the writing sense because the laughs were so worth it.

But yeah, I thought I should tell you that I am behind as far as my goal. Seriously guys prepare those punishment ideas, because I may need them. Anyhow I think I should tell you that Jade has interviewed me on her blog because I won her contest! Squee! So if you want to check it out. I'm off to outline. Ick.

YA Authors Check This OUT!

Okay so Steph Bowe, is this super inspiring teen (seriously she makes me want to work one hundred times harder then I do, because she unlike me is so obviously not a slacker *bad Hayley*), who has an agent, a publishing deal, the works. She is awesome. And she is hosting this contest for a five page critique of the first five pages of your novel.

So you need to head over to her blog, like NOW and check it out. Because this is an opportunity no one should pass up. Seriously head over there now. Here is the link.

And it's in my sidebar, in case you don't click this one, because when you're scrolling down you can't miss it. Go. Now.

Okay I don't mean to be pushy, but really don't pass this up.

Thanks and Playing Catch-Up

So, after a couple weeks of kissing, holidays, almost kissing and then, you guessed it school (by far the current bane of my existence, math hates me), ICKY.

But first I have to say thank you, to Sherrinda for hosting the very successful and FUN Kissing Blogfest. Than another special thanks to Frankie for hosting the just as much fun No Kiss Blogfest. Not only did I read AMAZING kissing and no kiss scenes, but I just had fun reading, commenting, everything! Thanks again you guys for hosting these massively mind-blowing-ly awesome events! And of course thank you to everyone who posted on my kissing scene and my no kissing scene, because they made me very warm and fuzzy inside, each and every one made my DAY. No lies, you guys rock! Also welcome to all my new followers, I'm honored that you want to read my ramblings, about everything, and bumbling actions through the writing world. Thank you, I'll try not to let you down.

So onto what's been up since the lovely kissing/no kissing filled weeks, well I'm reading Jade's current MS, and I love it. I've also so slacked on all my work, school work, and I just got back on Monday. Again, just ICKY. But then I went to Writers Club and itmade my week soo much better, especially because today was the anniversary of my dogs death and I miss him. *sigh* but Writers Club made me feel so much better. Being President has its perks. I'm consumed by power. Muhahaha....Okay seriously I'm not that crazy but I had a great time at Writers Club today, my old friend Maeve stopped in and we had a great time. It also spurred me to think about revisiting my first ever finished MS titled Last Summer and Now, Sara must remember it well, yeah it was bad. Okay not bad I mean I loved Seath, but Maeve was talking and it got me thinking it's been TWO years since I finished LSAN, and I need to finish another WIP. Soon.

Of course that sounds rushed, but I've been procrastinating, putting off finishing because my least favorite part of the process, is editing. I love the changes, don't get me wrong, but I have always struggled with editing, even back in Elementary school I had trouble with it. With grammar, and spelling and sentence structure. I even had a sentence structure lesson earlier this year, I knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. How is it that someone can make it to 11th grade and still not know the basics about sentence structure? Easy, I was never taught it. And now, I'm sitting in class and my teacher is prattling on about subordinate clauses, prepositions, main clauses, etc. and I'm at a complete loss. This has to be the first time I've ever struggled with English, ever, aside from when I couldn't read (but that is another story, and nine years of my life I wish I could have been reading). So I've been putting off finishing He's With Me, not just because of the editing, other stuff too, what exactly I'm not sure.

Thus I have come to a decision, brought about by my buddies Maeve, and Kathryn, who was quoted about eating faces because you're a zombie, in an earlier post. I am setting aside (until my birthday) my WIPoUP, for a short time span. And I'm going to finish HWM, by hopefully Jan. 31st. Screw Midterms this is more important please don't let my parents read this, (no I'm not joking, this seriously takes precedent over school for me, which isn't a good thing but you know what I'll live, and the only exam I'm seriously worried about is math.) So if I don't finish, I'll not only have failed my midterms (this time I'm kidding, failure is not an option in my house, so don't worry passage will occur) but I'll have disappointed myself. To ensure I meet my goal, aside from the demands of Maeve and Kathryn, I wanted to tell you guys so when midnight on the 31st rolls around you can all call me out on it. If I finish. Or not. And then pick a punishment (within reason).

Oh and guess what, for as much as I detest my high school. They CUT the creative writing class, CUT it, I'm so pissed. I wasn't allowed to take it as a sophomore or a freshman because of a stupid rule or something. And I didn't take it this year because I had to commit to another class. So now I don't even get to take the one class I was looking forwards to senior year. Not Cool. But my school finally came through for me! Next week, courtesy of a local movie theater, with awful seats you have to crane your neck to see the screen put in with this new development in town. Which is over crowded and makes everything ten times more busy trafic wisebut for this I'll forgive them, a little, this theatre has now earned quite a few points in my book. This theatre is offering my school tickets to a pre-screening of DEAR JOHN!!!!!!! I've been looking forwards to this movie forever!!!!!!! Excuse the exclamation points, it is just that awesome. For next Thursday, I am so going, I just can't wait.

And yeah, that's all I've got to say for now. I hope everyone's week was a good one, and that it continues to be good.

No Kissing in Closets

So here is my No-Kiss Blogfest contribution, I must say, way more on time than my Kissing Blogfest post which was posted six minutes to midnight. Can you tell I procrastinate? But I was really good and was up last night writing and fixing and, though I'll find something wrong with it tomorrow, I'm happy with it. This is from my WIPoUP (hehe, that sounds funny, wip-o-up, I think it sounds cute, but I'm getting off track...) and my MC's are Ashlyn and Declan, ex-ex best friends, kind of.

So background, this is after the Kiss of Life(if you like this scene you can click on the link for more tension :P ), Ash and Declan have made it to a safe harbor, an underground army base right on the cusp of all the fighting, and Ashlyn wants to go out and contribute. Captain is the leader of a special OPS group that Declan has joined, because the base is sort on medics that can go out into the field. Oh and Nat, who is mentioned briefly, is a member of said group, and the simulator is a program used to train people for battle. For those of you who don't know my characters, Ash and Declan are always arguing, and I mean always. Now Ashlyn isn't a fighter, like he is, but she has been training to become a doctor. He doesn't want her to go, because there are in the middle of a hot zone and there aren't enough bullet proof vests for everyone. So yeah, that's all I have to say, except for that it's long and I apologize... so hope you enjoy.

*******

“We’re going to need someone with medical training to come with us, and frankly the team trusts you, after that miracle you preformed on Nat, we’d be lucky to have you.” he was saying, as Ashlyn watched the older man intently absorbing everything he was saying. Declan reached out for her arm, panic bubbling up inside him, there weren’t enough vests, she didn’t have one, this was a hot zone. She couldn’t fight, she would die.

“I’ll come.” She said turning to Declan as he squeezed her arm, yanking her towards him.

“Ow! What Declan? Captain and I were talking—”

“Can I borrow her for a second?” he asked not even bothering to turn to Captain as he dragged Ashlyn away. He didn’t wait for the man to answer; instead he shoved her out of the room, and down the hall. He didn’t know where he was going all he knew was that they needed privacy. A closet was coming up to his left, without a second thought he shoved her into it, following, flicking on the light.

“Declan what the hell was that? I was talking with Captain—” Declan slammed the door, cutting her off and closing them in the tiny space.

“You’re not coming.” He snapped, eyes blazing through the dim closet light.

“What are you talking about? You guys are going to need someone with medical training out there. I’ve been training for five years, I know I’m no doctor, but I’m good.” She stepped forwards, well as forwards as she could, there wasn’t four inches between them.

“You’re not coming.” His heart was racing now, she could die, and he couldn’t let her put herself in that kind of danger. That’s why he became the soldier, why he chose this life, because it would mean she never had to.

“Declan, you’re not the boss of me. I can do whatever I want. What I want is to go and help. I’m not going to sit here, in the medical bay, waiting. I’m not letting you go out there with Captains team alone.” She placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at him as she waited for an answer.

“You’re not going out into that hot zone, and that’s final.” He stepped closer to her, keeping his voice at a low whisper. She looked up at him, her golden eyes glowing in the dim yellow light.

“Why not?” Ashlyn breathed, trying to remain calm, despite the fact that she seemed to be acutely tuned to his presence, as though she was almost too aware of him.

“Because I said so,” his breath was warm and sweet on her cheek, almost comforting. But that wasn’t an answer.

“Like hell I’m listening to you! I’m my own person, you are not in charge of me, asshole!” she shoved him, losing her grasp on her temper. Where did he get off? Despite the shove, he didn’t budge; his feet remained planted on the ground. He wasn’t going to let her win this battle. Declan frowned, racking his brain for a response, one that would get her to listen to him. He needed a reason, other than the fear slicing its way through his veins. It was like ice shards plunging themselves into every last one of his nerves, causing a phantom pain to shoot through his body. It was the same words echoing through his brain, words he would not speak aloud as though uttering them would place them in a realm of possibility.

“There aren’t enough vests.” He was struggling to put his thoughts to words, she was way too close, and at the same time not close enough.

“I’ll be fine.” Her nonchalant attitude raised so many alarm flags Declan couldn’t breathe; it felt as though he was going cold. Did she really think that? Did she really think that battle wasn’t that big a deal? His grey eyes widened searching her face, for an answer to her madness; did she have a death wish?

“You don’t know that,” Declan was becoming frantic, how could she not get this? It wasn’t like the simulator, if you got shot, you went down and it hurt. She could die, that wasn’t an option, not for her.

“Why do you care?” her words stung, they’d made progress in the past few months, but sometimes she didn’t get him, didn’t get how he could think that she’d forgotten the past five years. The five years he’d left her alone, she would not let him make her into a defenseless child again; never again would she give him or anyone else that power. She’d grown up, she was strong and she could handle this. She didn’t need him to be her savior anymore.

“Because…” he trailed off, there were so many things he could say, so many words balancing on the edge of his tongue. Because he needed her, because he had made a promise to her father, a promise to her mother, a promise to himself; because he loved her. Declan’s eyes zipped around her face as though his answer would appear in the corner of her smile or the glint of an unexplained emotion in her eye. His pulse rushed past his eardrums in a whoosh of panic overtaking him.

“Because what?” she stepped closer, there was almost no space between them now, nothing to separate her from him, just a few inches of air. Ashlyn gazed up into his grey eyes, her heart thundering against her ribcage. They were so close.

Declan reached out, his hand pushing her red hair behind her ear, his hand resting on the side of her face. She closed her eyes for a moment biting her lip, how was it that by just touching her all her nerves seemed to be on edge, that her skin prickled under his soft touch. He held her face, his thumb stroking her cheek, pulling her closer. Declan was surprised that Ashlyn had let him touch her, even more surprised at how natural the contact felt, how normal, as though he was supposed to hold her like this.

“Please, Ash” the nickname rolled off his tongue causing her stomach to plummet, her head told her to shrug off the nickname but her heart had full control and it made her go weak at the knees.

“Ash, I’m begging you, don’t go out there. Not with the team, not with me. Don’t go. Please,” Declan’s voice was flooded with emotion, his pulse quickening even more as he moved ever closer. There was no space between them now; his other hand was on her lower back, holding her against him, and he had no idea how it had gotten there.

He could almost feel the flutter of her heart.

“Declan” she paused, staring into the grey depths of his eyes. “I have to.”

“Please Ash, please, please, don’t go. I need you okay.” His voice caught in this throat, he was on the verge of hysterics. He didn’t know what to say.

“I need you to be okay, I need you to be safe.” His grip tightened on her back now; as though he thought holding her tight would prevent her from ever leaving him, as though it would keep her safe forever.

“Why?” the question held so much weight, it meant a thousand different things, she’d asked it before. But Ashlyn asked it this time because she was looking for one answer, because she had become sick of searching for one in his mixed up signs and in his stupid guy talk.

“Because,” and Declan leaned forwards, his thumb stroking her face again as he pulled her towards him, his lips centimeters from hers. He finally knew how to answer her question, one act that would make her understand. He took a deep breath, lowering his face to hers, anticipation coursing through him, as though this would solve everything.

The door opened.

They jumped apart; Declan’s back slammed into the wall behind him as they were repelled by the incoming light. Ashlyn’s heart was racing, thundering in her chest as she stumbled into a bucket behind her, letting go of the breath she wasn’t even aware she’d been holding.

*******

So yep that's it, uh feedback as always is appreciated and have a happy no kiss kissing day.

^__^