Some Nonsense For You

With a nearly unheard of effort, I'm going to post another September blog! I know right?! Be amazed. I've had some things on my mind, not too heavy but I feel like sharing.

For the first, I'd like to share a new artist that I've stumbled onto and has been playing non-stop via iTunes and CD in my car. Her name is Charlene Kaye and she is inspiring and brilliant. I love her sound and her emotion and her lyrics. You should go check her out!

For the second, I've been in a weird place in my reading mood. I'm having a bit of trouble finding a book that I fall into reading. Perhaps it's because I just want to write more (November will be good for that) but, I think its also a bit of mindset. Musically I'm in a different mood too and it might be a nod to my emotional mood. I'd hate to say I'm in a dark place right now, I'm not, but some of my creative/artsy/musical passions are seeming to flow that way. Which I suppose is good since the story I'm writing isn't a happy one. Actually, that could be the reason for the mood. Oh, well.

And for thirdly, at the beginning of the year I decided that I should go through my movies and watch them all in alphabetical order (which is how they are organized). I'm only in the "H's". Now, this isn't to say that I have sooooo many movies that I'm ONLY in the "H's", but it is more along the lines of: like with everything else I seem to be procrastinating. I think that probably follows the mood thing somehow. (Things to understand). I have been watching a lot of things via Netflix, however, but still not as much as I'd like because my list of things to watch continues to grow but never seems to shrink.


To continue with the fourth, I'd like to ramble on a bit now, just because I can, and I'd like to tell you how much dieting sucks. Counting calories is possibly the dumbest thing I can think of (at the moment) and it's a horrible way to diet. However, in order to fit into a bridesmaid dress this coming Saturday, it has been deemed a necessary thing. You had better believe that on Saturday morning I WILL be drinking my lovely fatty and delicious White Chocolate Mocha, because let's face it, by then it won't matter. And, to get facts straight, the dress fits and zips but a certain someone can't breathe. Two weeks of a pretty strict diet should help that. I've been eating salad and not a lot of calories, no coffee (lots of tea) and I've been exercising and stuff. It should be fine. Mainly, salad is good for the salad dressing, and maybe the tomatoes and cucumbers. Leafy greens are pointless. Yup. I can't wait until I can eat what ever the beep I want! It'll be grand!! I miss coffee!!!!!! One thing I have discovered that I like is yoga.  I think even after my "Diet" is over I will continue to do yoga.

Lastly or for the number fifth, I'm happy its becoming fall. The weather always helps with moods (Even if you have to look at the weather from inside work) and it brings around style changes and layers and lots of fun. I'm looking forward to fall and most of the things that come with it. Well, that's it from me.


















Floccinaucinihilipilification

Pretend This Is Still August, Thanks

One of these days I'm actually going to pay attention to the days of the month and I won't keep missing blog posts. But, to be fair, it isn't like a whole lot has been going on. So, just think of my lateness as me protecting you from boring. Yup, that's my excuse for August and I'm stickin' to it!

So, I'm gearing up to apply for Grad School. I'm hoping that I get in to Grad School. I'm only applying for two schools with the actual reality of knowing I could really only get into one of the two. But, might as well try; I could surprise myself. I'm sat today in Starbucks, motivating myself to work on my writing sample. It is possibly the MOST important part of my application. I really hope that my writing is up to scratch and that the people who are going to read it for my application like it. So far, with everyone who has read it (professors included) there has been a good response to the story. Whether or not it is my writing or the concept I don't care, people like it. So, naturally, that's why I thought I would try to use it for my application writing sample.

I've actually been working on this story all summer. My goal is to have it done or mostly so before I send it in for Grad School. Not that anyone is going to read the ending for a while, but it would be nice to have it done so I could reference the ending half when I edit the first bit. This particular story has actually already been through a great deal of editing and expanding from back when it was a 25 page short story. It ended up being too confusing with such a thick idea squeezed into 25 pages. Currently, it is now 73 pages and 22,427 words. I'm almost done writing it and I think I only have maybe 10 to 20 pages left of writing to do for it. It isn't a short story and it isn't a novel. It's been labelled a novella. THe idea is too complex for a short story, but I don't think its big enough to be a novel. It would make for a boring novel, actually. Just not enough would happen and it would be about as bad as Katherine Ann Porter's Ship of Fools (possibly the worst novel I've ever had the misfortune to read . . . well, sort of read). Anyways, the title of the story is "The Curse of Beauty." Maybe I'll let you all read an excerpt at some point! Just keep in mind when you read it (whenever that happens to be) that this isn't a happy story. It's a Post-Modern Distopian story. Very interesting but very dark. During edits I'll actually have to hype up the dark a bit, because it seems to be getting too light towards the end which won't make the ending as good. But, all in good time.

In other news, LeakyCon was fantastic. So much so, that I'm going next year. The registration process opens tomorrow for next year (which is in Portland, OR). I am definitely going. So, for those of you who don't know, LeakyCon is a Harry Potter Convention that is still growing and blossoming into a celebration of all fandoms.

Of course it focuses mainly on Harry Potter, but I went to a panel called "You're a Jedi, Harry Potter." It compared Star Wars and Harry Potter and it was really very interesting. Now, I'll give you the SparkNotes version of my LeakyCon experience, because like Paris a LOT happened in not a lot of time. Essentially I woke up at around 8 AM each morning and went to bed around 3AM each morning for the confrence. It spanned from Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. THere were panels, performances, dances, concerts, and a LOT of coffee. One of the hilites (and the actual reason why I decided to go in the first place) was the StarKid performance of A Very Potter Senior Year. It was the third and final installment of StarKid's Harry Potter Parody Musicals. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! That's all I can say because I don't want to spoil anything. It ended up being something like 4 and a half hours long. The first act was 3 hours and the second was one and a half. The funny thing is that no one complained except for that it ended. It could have been 6 hours long and we would have all sat there and loved every second of it. It should be hitting the internet via YouTube sometime later this year (just my personal guess). I went to the Joe Moses One Man Showses.

I met Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter Movies). I got signatures from most of the StarKids. I sat in on a Severus Snape panel where a confrence goer dressed and well-versed in ALL things Snape helped make that panel the BEST panel EVER!!!

I shopped in the merchandise area (I bought quite a few tshirts . . . not all for me might I add). I had a blast even though I waited in line for a lot of the confrence. I made some friends in the lines. I think it was incredible that no matter where I was in the confrence I could turn to the person next to me and just strike up a conversation without them thinking I was strange for talking to a stranger. We were all there celebrating something that we love and it was a very surreal experience. It was also kind of nice to see some people who are a bit more . . . enthusiastic than me. It kind of made me feel a bit normal (but in a good way). I just loved the experience completely. Portland here I come!!!!!

Later this month, my best friend is getting married. I'm in the bridal party and it should be fun (even though I have to wear a pink dress)! Then shortly thereafter, my dad and I are flying to Arizona and then driving a vehicle he owns out there back home. It's gonna be great!! I'm so excited! Annnnnd I get to have 11 straight days off from work! Hello vacation!!!! It will be nice to see my Aunt out in Arizona and it will also be nice to spend some quality time with my dad as we don't see a lot of each other due to us both working so much. Our work schedules don't always match up so well. Excited!! It will also be nice to have such a lengthy extent off from work. Maybe it will help me to get through the looming holiday season. Maybe.

Just a side note, as I'm sitting here in Starbuck there is a group of kids outside the window waving at us all sitting inside. Just thought I'd share.

Well, I think this blog more than makes up for my lack of Augusting. So there you go!!! And, if you don't know who Team StarKid is, I'm going to post you a link to their first Harry Potter Parody Musical: A Very Potter Musical. Enjoy!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwM_AKeMCk&list=SPC76BE906C9D83A3A&index=1&feature=plpp_video














Ravenclaw

I Took A Break

As I'm sure you've noticed, I took a bit of blogger's break. I'll just blame it on summer, how's about that? Well, not a lot has changed during my "absence." I've been working and working and trying to squeeze in some writing and friend time.

I've had a lot of time to sit and write over this summer, yay carpooling. Schedules don't always match up. But, for me, I can sit and write. I've been working on the story I'm going to use for my writing sample for Grad School. I'm applying for Grad School this fall for next year's admission. I'm working really hard to get into the University of Iowa for Creative Writing. If I don't get in this year, I'll keep working at Bergner's until I get into Grad School. But if I do get in, it's sayonara Bergner's (finally).

Lately, within the last few weeks, well the past week actually, I've been being pretty impulsive and I kind of like it. A Lot. I decided within 24 hours that I was going to go to Chicago by myself for a Convention and I crunched numbers and said, What the hell, I'm only alive once, right? So, I'm going. It's actually a Harry Potter Convention with TeamStarKid and I'm so excited!

Then I also decided to go see The Dark Knight Rises about 5pm on the night it opened at midnight. So I bought the tickets on my way home from work and drug my brother along with me. I like being impulsive. Who knows what's next. Maybe somemore Fey's Day . . .

















Scintillate

Circles In My Mind

I'm not sure how to begin this blog, which is strange given how much I talk. But, there's been a lot on my mind lately and it's hard to put it all in order.

I suppose for starters a novel update. My novel is now in it's second edit and it has shrunk to 276 pages. Still about the same word count which is funny due to how much I've cut out (apparently to be replaced by new words). I think once I get done with this edit I'm going to have a few people read it. After those people read it I will be making a LOT of changes to it. I already have some of those changes planned. It's coming along pretty well, but there is a lot to do still.

Along the same lines of writing is Grad School. Which, due to what month in the year it is, will have to wait until Fall 2013 (if we're still around haha). On one hand this is good: I have more time to save money and get all my Grad School application stuff together and make it awesome. On the other hand, I have to wait practically another year. I'm going to go crazy in retail. Hopefully I will have some alternative to crazy pass happily by my way, but it's going to be an interesting year. This past year (May-ish through now) has been extrememly long. Hopefully I can figure out some way to make the next year or so a bit better.

I'm really only applying to a few schools and the one I would really want to go to is University of Iowa. Maybe this summer I will go do a Campus tour just so I can have a valid excuse to request some more time off from work!

Next in line of things that seems to be feeding off each other, I just got back from vacation. I went and spent a little over a week with my Gram and it was a blast. We painted and cleaned the barn and laughed a lot. I also watched a lot of TV (she has DISH) so I was able to catch up on some shows, discover some new ones, and watch a lot of movies including all of the Indiana Jones movies!!!! :D I was a happy camper let me tell you. What I didn't do is probably for the best. I had planned on doing a quick edit on my novel and reading a lot. But, instead, I actually took a vacation. From everything. I didn't think about my novel, I think I read about ten pages in my book, but other than that I pretty much ignored things that I do a lot at home. A proper vacation. And since being back, I worked a grand total of four days and then took an extended weekend to visit some friends at Western. I needed the whole package, exclusion and friend time. I think it'll help get me through this last stretch of HUGE BIG EVERY OTHER DAY SALE season. I might be exaggerating with the every-other-day-thing, but it's at least once a week, sometimes twice. It gets old real fast. Our last really big sale is coming up this weekend and if I can survive that the rest of the summer shouldn't be too bad.

Recently, I've had time to read a lot like I used to. (Finally a slightly more random follow-up topic.) In the past few months, I have gone through all three books in the Hunger Games series as well as the first two books in the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series. I'm currently on the third one. I love having time to read again. I have to be conscious of splitting my time between reading and editing, but I think I've got the balance now. I generally read on my lunch break and edit after work.

Hmm. I guess that's all I can think to write for now. I've still got some things running around in my brain but they're too fast for me to catch at the moment, so I'll leave them be. And I also apologize for the lack of any Fey updates recently. I will eventually get back to her and sooner than later. Hopefully. :)

Oh, and April is National Poetry Month. But, instead of picking an American Poet, I just picked an awesome one. Follow the link for the poem in it's entirety and/or to hear it read to you. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377



Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.


--An excerpt from Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night
by Dylan Thomas





















Scintillate

It's still March (barely)

Summer weather already! Wow!! That's been nice! I've been riding a lot and the jumping is going very well, I think. I'm still dragging my feet at work, however, a week from tomorrow (Saturday) I will be going to visit my Gram! :D YAY VACATION!! (And a paid one at that! Gotta love that full time status.) Shortly following my little vacation, I will be working about a three and a half day work week followed by a three day weekend with all my friends at Western! (Again, insert excitement here!!)

My novel is coming along nicely and the first readable draft should be coming out for a select few within this next month. I think I'm procrastinating on finishing the first edit because 1) I don't want to be done with this novel as it's so much fun and I love the characters 2) I'm nervous to hear other people's reactions to my story and 3) because I don't really know what I'm going to do once it's done. It's a daunting prospect to shove your 'baby' out into the world to stand on it's own. But, there's a first time for everything, right? Might as well be the first time anyone has ever read the 'complete' version of my story. Actually, to be honest, no one has read any part of this novel because even after I turned in my "final draft" for my creative writing class, I completely re-re-worked the beginning! :D So no one, but me, has ever read any part of my novel. It should be exciting to hear how everyone likes it (or doesn't). Fingers crossed for positive reviews! ;)

Let the countdown till vacation commence! :D












Freedom!

2 blog posts for February!

More like just another update, but who's counting.

Anyways, I have now printed my entire novel to edit it and I am now "done" editing 150 pages. This means I have 150 pages left to edit. And then Edit I will be done. Depending on how I feel about the edit is going to determine whether or not I let my first readers read it or if I give it until the end of Edit II before I let anyone lay eyes on my story. We shall see, but so far I think it's looking promising!!


:D









Preamble

Oh. My. Gosh!

I jsut finished typing my first novel! OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The final total for draft one of the Map Reader is as follows:
300 pages
71,978 words.

NOW TO EDIT THE PANTS OFF THIS NOVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then the next step is to hand it out to my list of first time readers! (excitement and extreme nerves for that moment)











Dreaming!