Archive for the ‘Blogfests’ Category

« Older Entries
No Comments

Kicking Ass


Apr
12.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, I Love Joss, Television | No Comments »

I like kicking ass. Of course, the only thing I really kick ass at is demolishing a box of Little Debbie snack cakes and I’m currently getting my ass kicked by this spring flu so maybe I should say I like the concept of kicking ass. As such, I like characters who kick ass, especially female characters who kick ass because I find them much more interesting than a female character who’s all, “Oh, where is my big strong man to rescue me and take care of me for I am a damsel in distress and incapable of making my own decisions!”

Or whatever.

So today’s post is devoted to those kick ass (television) characters. There are several such characters on my list (yay!) so, in the interest of time, I won’t feature them all (and I apologize in advance for the wonky formatting). But here’s a sampling (and thanks to the brilliant Random Danni for inspiring today’s format):

River Tam

Show: Firefly (and the Big Damn Movie Serenity)

Portrayed by: Summer Glau

History: Traumatized psychic genius teenager once tortured by evil government regime to become a very powerful killing machine. Kicks everyone’s ass in the Big Damn Movie, including the Hero of Canton. I know, right?

Favorite line: Also, I can kill you with my brain.

(more…)

No Comments

I, I, I


Apr
10.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, Books, Music | No Comments »

Yeah.  That title’s my very clever way of saying I don’t have a very clever title.  I don’t even have a very clever post.  In my A to Z Challenge calendar (yes, I created an actual calendar for the event. My one stab at planning ahead), “I” is a big ole blank.  So is the end of the alphabet but that’s a problem for another time.

I have a post so I suppose that’s something.  I actually had to look at last year’s post because I couldn’t remember what I came up with (It was Influential Authors).

Here’s what I came up with ten minutes ago this year:

Isabel Spellman

Isabel Spellman is the main character of a series written by Lisa Lutz.  Isabel is a PI in her parents’ private investigation firm.  She’s been living the PI life ever since she was born so it’s pretty much all she knows.  She’s smart as well as a smart ass and occasionally screws things up big time.  She has no luck with members of the opposite sex, sometimes drinks too much and prefers climbing through windows rather than using the front door.  Her family makes even the most dysfunctional families seem much more normal and I can’t get enough of these books.  There are five books in the series so far.  The picture on the right is the fourth book in the series.  I picked it because it’s my favorite of all five.  There’s hilarity, there’s sadness, there’s some absolutely just moving moments, plus one moment that made me hoot and holler and jump up and down with excitement.  The one drawback is that Isabel still refuses to reveal the name of the San Fran bakery that makes the awesome chocolate croissants.  Uncool.  But what is cool is that I never would have known about the awesomeness of Isabel (well, maybe not never) if a group of my fellow bloggers hadn’t  brought her to my attention.  Thanks!

Iron And Wine

I’m afraid that  Iron and Wine (aka Samuel Beam) might be best known for having a song (“Flightless Bird, American Mouth”) on the Twilight movie soundtrack.  It’s the song that Bella and Edward dance to at the prom.  The song makes another appearance in Breaking Dawn, Part One (at the wedding).  I don’t know if that’s true or not.  I hope it isn’t because this singer/songwriter is rather amazing.  I mean, not that is isn’t good that he got this exposure.  Maybe Twilight netted him a whole bunch of new fans who went out and bought every single album he’s produced.  I hope that’s true.  Anyway, I’m rambling so here’s one of my favorites, Woman King (from the album of the same name):

Indifference

This song by Pearl Jam appears on the album Vs..  It’s long been one of my favorites and another one of those songs that appears on the official unofficial soundtracks I create for my books.

2 comments

Horribly Happy Hodgepodge


Apr
09.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, I Love Joss, Music, Television | 2 Comments »

Good morning, world, and welcome back to the A to Z Challenge as it moves into its second week.  I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend and that no one’s sugar hangover is too terribly great.  I had a surprisingly lack of sugar intake going on yesterday so I am more than ready to share with you another list of my favorite H things.

Here we go…

Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog

Yep.  I wrote about it last year and I even mentioned it last week when I talked about Captain Hammer.  And chances are it’ll come up again on Wednesday when I talk about the person I am most likely to one day stalk (unless there are like, law enforcement type people reading this. Then I won’t stalk anyone. Ever. Promise.).

Dr. Horrible, played by the impossibly adorable Neil Patrick Harris, is just a evil genius trying to take over the world.  “The world’s a mess,” he says, “and I just need to rule it.”  He also would like to gain the affection of his laundry buddy (that’s right. The evil genius has to go the laundromat), Penny, a do-gooder who’s just trying to help the homeless.  Standing in his way of achieving both these goals is Captain Hammer, Corporate Tool.  I talked about him last Thursday.  The humor is fantastic and the songs are super.  And I really wish there was Dr. Horrible to be had.

Because the bottom line is, Dr. Horrible makes me incredibly happy.  Whenever I’m having a crappy day, all I have to do is pop in my DVD and voila! My mood has been presto changed-o into something far more cheery.  I even downloaded a copy from iTunes to put on my iPod so I could watch it at The Store.  I’m pretty sure most of the staff can now sing along with Dr. Horrible.  All I can say to that is… co-workers, you’re welcome.

Happy Endings

I was introduced to this sitcom found on ABC last year by my brother and sister-in-law.  It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with it.  I find it to be so damn funny.  Sure, not every joke lands but that holds true for every sitcom out there.  I have a habit of scribbling down lines that makes me laugh in my notebook and lately most of those scribbles are courtesy of the Happy Endings writing team.

And the best part is, it’s one of those rare shows that both The Man and I enjoy so it’s something we can watch together.  Awww, sweet, right?  Right.

Next up…

Halestorm

Halestorm is a rock band out of Pennsylvania.  Again, I was introduced to them by my brother and sister-in-law who apparently know exactly what I will like.  They saw this band in concert a while back and heard the song below.  My sister-in-law looked at my brother then and said, “we have to get this CD for M.J.”   So thanks for that because I do love this song… and the entire album for that matter.

Heavy In Your Arms

Last but not least is this song by Florence + The Machine.  The first time I heard, I feel deeply in love with and it remains to this day at the very top of my favorite songs of all time list.  This is a hard feat because I am forever searching out new music and no song has held on to the #1 spot as long as this one has.  I think probably because it’s such a perfect song for the love stories in my book.  Spoiler Alert: I don’t do happy endings. Often.

No Comments

Firefly


Apr
06.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, I Love Joss, Television | No Comments »

Last night on a mildly entertaining episode of The Big Bang Theory (Sorry, apart from the very beginning and the very end, it wasn’t really that special), we learned that Sheldon Cooper had only begged three times in his life. The first time was to beg Fox NOT to cancel Firefly. If I didn’t already love Sheldon Cooper, I would have loved him in that moment because if there ever was a show that shouldn’t have been cancelled, it’s Firefly.

And yeah, I know, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Hey, didn’t you blog about Firefly this time last year? And you know, every other damn day you could work it into a post?” And the answer is Yes. Yes, I did. Because I am obsessed with this show. All right, fine, I am more than obsessed with this show. Because it is awesome. Which means that yes, on F Day next year in the A to Z Challenge, I’ll talk about it again. Because it’s that awesome.

And possibly because my interests are that narrow. But did I mention how awesome it is?

So anyway, last year, I posted my top five episodes so this year I thought I might post three more.

1. Shindig. Written by Joss Whedon and Jane Espenson. Mal and Kaylee attend a planet’s social event of the year in order to secure work. While there, they run into Inara and her client, Atherton Wing. Hijinks ensue and it ends with a sword fight. Awe. Some.

Highlights:

Wash: You want a slinky dress? I can buy you a slinky dress. Captain, can I have money for a slinky dress?

Kaylee calling Mal “Captain Tightpants” and later being the center of attention at the ball, talking engines with all the guys

River’s dressing down of Badger and the group’s open mouthed reaction to said dressing down.

Mal: ‘Kay, help me find our man. He’s supposed to be older, kind of stocky, wears a red sash crossways.
Kaylee: Why does he do that?
Mal: Maybe he won the Miss Persephone pageant. Just help me look.
Kaylee: Is that him?
Mal: That’s the buffet table.
Kaylee: Well, how can we be sure, u-unless we question it?
Mal: You know, they say mercy is the mark of a great man.
[stabs Atherton]
Mal: Guess I’m just a good man.
[stabs him again]
Mal: Well, I’m all right.

2. Safe. Written by Drew Greenberg

The episode following “Shindig” in which Shepherd Book is shot when a deal goes sour while River and Simon are kidnapped by hillfolk who just happen to need a doctor. And some perspective. After all, they do try to burn River at the stake for being a witch. She’s not a witch. She’s just a crazy psychic who has the ability to kill you with her pinky. Get with the times, hillfolk.

Highlights:

Mal: Looks like we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?
Zoe: Big damn heroes, sir.
Mal: Ain’t we just.

and this video:

3. Ariel. Written by Jose Molina

Simon hires the crew to help him break into the diagnostic lab in a central planet’s hospital so he can figure out what the Alliance did to River. Jayne makes a plan to turn the fugitives in. As always, chaos ensues.

Highlights:

The scene were Mal, Zoe and Jayne are trying to learn their paramedic lines. Hysterical. I looked for a video of this scene but there isn’t one. Sad.

This scene (one of my favorite in the entire frakking series) that taught us that you do not frak with Captain Tightpants:


What are you favorite Firefly moments? Please tell me! I can’t wait to find out!

No Comments

Evil Is As Evil Does


Apr
05.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, I Love Joss, Television | No Comments »

Today’s post is devoted to some of my favorite villains.  In the interest of time, I’m sticking to television and movie villains because it’s my blog and I can do that if I want to.  (Plus, these villains get all the best YouTube clips…)

Villains are awesome.  They teach us so much.  For example, what not to do with secret agents.  If you capture a James Bond type , you’re much better off just shooting him in the head rather than dangling him over a pool filled with sharks wearing lasers on their heads.

Because that never ends well.  James Bond always gets away.

But mostly what I take away from my villains is this simple life lesson:  perseverance.  (Because the truth is, I very seldom have to deal with secret agents in any way, shape or form).  They teach us to never give up.  Some inconsiderate hero comes along and ruins your carefully devised plans?  You go ahead and make a new one.

Every single night, Pinky asks the Brain “What are we going to do tonight?” and Brain always answers, “The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world.”

And every single time, they’re unsuccessful but every single outing ends with Pinky saying, “What are we going to do tomorrow night?” And every single time Brain answers, “the same thing we do every night, Pinky.  Try to take over the world.”

Insert deep well written life lesson here.  Blah, blah, blah… don’t give up.  Never give in!  Never surrender!  Whatever.  Here are some of my other favorite villains:

Skeletor

Yes, from He-Man.  The original cartoon series, not the newer ones.  He was always the skeleton with a plan and an insult.  He never missed an opportunity to try and take over Eternia and call He-Man (0r his own henchmen) names while doing it.  Plus, in the He-Man And She-Ra Christmas Special (yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing and it is the most awesome Christmas special ever), he saved a puppy (and, fine, two children) while learning about the meaning of Christmas.  And then went right back to trying to take over the world the next day…

Dr. Doofenschmirtz

From Phineas and Ferb.  While I find the Phineas and Ferb parts of the story fun, it’s really the Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus portion of each half hour that keep me coming back to this totally delightful (even though I have no children) cartoon.  He’s a classic mad scientist, an evil genius hiding out in his evil lair (you know, the big skyscraper with his name in giant letters on the side), with his own jingle.  (That’s really what evil villain needs, you know.  A jingle.)   Every single episode, he has a new “-inator”, for example the “destruct-inator” that he planned to use to destroy everyone’s garden gnomes.  Then there’s my personal favorite the “Turn Everything Evil- Inator” which he hoped to use to well, turn everything evil.  Of course it never works but that never prevents Heinz Doofenshmirtz from coming up with another new -Inator.

And Last But Certainly Not Least…

Captain Hammer

(with a special honorable mention to Bad Horse the Thoroughbred of Sin, Fake Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the Evil League of Evil)

From Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog.  If you don’t know what that is, I’m not sure we can be friends anymore.  But I tell you what… if you go watch it on YouTube right this moment, I’ll forgive you.  Probably.

Oh, Captain Hammer.  How do I love thee?  Yes, I know you’re technically the hero of the piece but let’s face it.  You’re a corporate tool.  And you also break my villains never say die rule because the last we see you, you’re sobbing on your therapist’s couch while Dr. Horrible runs rampant over the city.  Dammit, Captain Hammer!  I can’t count on you for anything!!

Except a laugh. In the following clip, he delivers what is really quite possibly the greatest line ever written:

My God, I love Joss Whedon. But that’s a post for next week.

Now it’s your turn: Who are your favorite villains?  Tell me below (even if they come from books…).

No Comments

Double Dog Dare


Apr
04.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests, Writing | No Comments »

Welcome to today’s edition of “When Blogfests Collide!”

Today we have Arlee Bird’s A to Z Challenge joining up with Alex J. Cavanaugh’s brainchild the Insecure Writers Support Group.  It’s like a Perfect Storm of blogfests.  I imagine most people like me, who are participating in both blogfests, will attempt to combine the two into one super blogfest post.  Or maybe you came up with a much smarter approach.  But I didn’t.  Which means my topic today needs to be writing related but will also be brought to us by the letter D.

And right now you might be looking at the title of this post and asking yourself what in the world a schoolyard dare has with writing.  Well, I’ll tell you…

The very first drafts of most of my stories are rather… PG-13, I guess, for a lack of anything better to call it— because I never used to be brave enough to write what actually needed to be written.  I tend to write dark stories where bad things (both emotional and physical) happen to my main characters.  And sometimes I need to ease into the darkness, work into it, peel it back a layer at a time— like it’s an onion or something— in order to get to the real substance of a scene.

One of the most classic examples of this are sex scenes.  Not that my sex scenes are particularly dark (all the time anyway. Just some of the time…).  But my first pass at a sex scene used to be very tame.  If it were a movie, the scene would play out with the two who are the two giving each other a meaningful glance or maybe a kiss on the lips before the camera pulls away and focuses instead on the lacy gently wafting curtains.  The biggest reason for this is that I used to be a big fat chicken.  I didn’t want to write racy scenes because I was afraid of what people would think of me.  People like my mother or my friends or my mother’s friends.  The people I work with (well, some of the people I work with. I don’t care what most of them think of me).  The people my significant other works with.  And so on and so forth.

Sometimes you end up thinking something like “I don’t want so-and-so (insert appropriate figure here) knowing that I think that way!”

So I always took the coward’s way out until I was given the book Wild Mind: Living The Writers’ Life by Natalie Goldberg.  I can’t find the exact page now (and I have spent entirely too much time thumbing through my copy looking for it) but within that book was a section that spoke to this problem.  It urges the reader to write the scenes that need to be written.  It urges the reader to forget about what judgments all those pesky people out there could make because if you’re writing a book based on what people could think, you’re doing yourself— and your story— a major disservice.

That’s a poor paraphrase and I hope it makes sense to you but how ever Ms. Goldberg worded it, it made perfect sense to me and ever since then, I have always endeavored to write the book as it needs to be written.  I have always endeavored to be brave.  To be daring.  To let the story be as dark (or as racy) as it needs to be.

So, if you’ve ever experienced this dilemma (desperately hoping I’m not alone here…), head on into the breach and write the scary stuff.

Go ahead.  Do it.

I double dog dare you.

1 Comment

Got Green? The Blogfest


Mar
17.12

Posted in Blogfests, Travel Diaries | 1 Comment »

Top o’ the morning (or afternoon or evening) to you on this fine Saint Patrick’s Day, the day that we’re all Irish. Or is that drunk? Whichever it is, I’m cool with it. Today’s blogfest is hosted by Mark Koopman and is all about celebrating this fine holiday in 333 words (I’m warning you right now, I didn’t count my words). Click on the pic below to find a list of all participants.

Here’s my Irish tale o’ glory:

I got my first passport when I was in my sophomore year of college. I was a part of a choir that was about to embark on an European singing tour and so I got a passport. Then, because I am immensely stupid, I didn’t go on said European singing tour. I’d like to say I’ve grown smarter with time but you’ve all been reading this blog long enough to know what a blatant lie that is.

Oh, hey, look at that. I’m digressing.

Anyway, it wasn’t until November 2002 that I was able to use my passport to travel to a country that wasn’t Canada.

I went to Ireland.

I’ve always liked Ireland. I’ve always felt an affinity with the country even though I’m not Irish. Maybe it’s because I’ve watched Darby O’Gill And The Little People more times than I can count (does anyone else feel like singing a verse of “Pretty Irish Girl”? Or is it just me?). Maybe it’s because my family hosted four exchange students from Belfast when I was growing up. Maybe it’s because it’s just always struck me as an awesome place. But whatever the reason, when The Man and I decided international travel was in our future, Ireland was the only place I wanted to go.

So we went and I got my very first stamp in my passport.

We stayed in Killarney and the very first place we went to see was Ross Castle on Lower Lake (as seen above. Please note, I didn’t take that picture. I did take a lot of pictures. Just not with a digital camera so I don’t have access to them for this post). We were too late for a tour but I was happy (so, so happy) to just wander around the outside of the place. The second place we went to was the Killarney Book Shop where I proceeded to buy British copies of the Harry Potter books.

The third place we went was the Danny Mann Pub where I sang along with the band (The Man was amazed by how many of the songs I knew) and had the following conversation with the bartender:

Me: I’d like an Irish whiskey, please. I am in Ireland so I would like an Irish whiskey. I don’t know anything about Irish whiskeys but I would like one, please.
Him: Are you already drunk?
Me: No. But I get that a lot.
Him: Okay. How about Jameson?
Me: Is that an Irish whiskey?
Him: Yes.
Me: Then that sounds perfect.
Him: Do you want ice?
Me: God, yes. I’d also like a pint of Guinness.
Him: Of course you would.

So I took my whiskey and my Guinness chaser back to my table where I proceeded to burn a hole right through my throat. But after a while (and another couple of pints), I found I didn’t mind so much.

Other highlights of the trip included a tour around the Ring of Kerry. Of course, it was so foggy that day we couldn’t actually see anything (I mean absolutely nothing) but our tour guide was terrifically funny and one hell of a driver. We stood on the beach in Waterville and took pictures of every rainbow we saw. All right, I took pictures of every rainbow we saw. The Man kind of stood off to the side and rolled his eyes a lot. What can I say? Irish rainbows just seemed different. We counted sheep and when our tour guide pointed out the tallest mountain in Ireland (Carrauntoohil), we begged to be allowed to climb it. He said no. Maybe next trip.

We also got to see Blarney Castle (as seen above) and while I did walk all the way to the top of the castle, I skipped kissing the Blarney Stone (I heard waaaaaaay too many stories about what’s been done to the Blarney Stone). I’m pretty sure I photographed every square inch of the building and the grounds though so I think that should count for something. Besides obsessive.

We shopped at the Blarney Woolen Mill store, bought a bunch of fisherman sweaters and wandered around the city of Cork for an afternoon. We drank more Guinness and I discovered that I do not like lamb.

But I liked beer and whiskey well enough and that was good enough for me. And while I never imbibed enough (those were the days when I could hold my liquor. Better anyway.) to be able to practice my Irish yoga moves (see below), I’m certainly willing to go back again some day and give it another go. But seriously, I really just want to go and look at more castles.

So Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone. If you’re celebrating, please do so responsibly. Remember, kids, designated drivers make you cool.

Sláinte!

No Comments

WIP: The Movie


Mar
09.12

Posted in Blogfests, Music, Writing | No Comments »

This might be my last post for a bit as I have some sure to be fun shifts at The Store coming up (that new spring line apparently won’t put itself out) next week so if I am to leave you (however briefly), I’m glad to do so with something as fun as this particular blogfest hosted by Kyra Lennon at Write Here, Write Now and Rachel Schieffelbien at Writing On The Wall.


The purpose behind this blogfest is to indulge every writer’s fantasy: what our beloved stories would look like on the big screen.  Participants have been asked to cast the movie as well as build a soundtrack.  The second part of this is easy as I have built several soundtracks for my WIP, Effigy.  The first part, however, was surprisingly difficult.  In the interest of time, I have only cast the two main characters.  For a more complete list, you can click HERE.

The role of Haleine Coileáin, the story’s central character, I’d probably award to Jennifer Lawrence (yes, she of “The Hunger Games” fame).  Or Rose Leslie (you may have seen her on Downton Abbey and rumor has it, you’ll soon see her on Game of Thrones).  But honestly, I don’t know.  Here are their pictures:

Jennifer Lawrence

Rose Leslie

The role of Haleine’s love interest, Dana (no last name), is currently going to Joseph Morgan of The Vampire Diaries fame because I have a wild crush on him and his voice is really, really sexy.  Don’t judge me.

Joseph Morgan

So let’s move on to the soundtrack, shall we?  As I said earlier, I’ve created several soundtracks for this book.  When I stumble across new songs I like better, or the story evolves as I take a freaking lifetime to write the damn thing, some songs go, some songs stay.  Again, in the interest of time, I’m only going to post two songs.  If you’re interested in seeing the complete (and current) soundtrack, click HERE.  Just be forewarned that there are spoilers on that page.  Some people don’t care about things like that but others do.  So, please, consider yourselves warned.

This first song made the very first soundtrack and has pretty much been the only song to survive all these long years.  It’s Sarah McLachlan’s Do What You Have To Do:

The second song I’m going to post has really come to define Haleine.  It’s been on the soundtrack almost as long as the first song. It’s Natalie Merchant’s My Skin:

Well, that’s going to do it for me today. Thanks for stopping by and thank you to Kyra and Rachel for hosting this blogfest. I’m looking forward to hopping around to see what everyone else has going on.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I’ll see you soon.

No Comments

Origins


Feb
13.12

Posted in Blogfests, Random, Writing | No Comments »

Today’s blogfest is all about the radioactive spiders that bit us and caused our writer selves to be born.  Maybe you didn’t have spiders.  Maybe you had an accidental exposure to some gamma (grammar?)  rays instead.  Whatever it was that inspired you to be a writer, this blogfest is all about telling that tale and celebrating it.  It’s brought to us by DL Hammons, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Katie Mills and Matthew MacNish (click on the picture to the left for a complete list of all 190 participants).

So here’s the story of how I became a writer:

It’s an interesting story.  Actually, I don’t know that.  I have no idea whether this story will interest you or if you’ve already hit the ‘next’ button on your blogroll.  I don’t even know if such buttons exist so, there you go.

As you may have already suspected, I don’t know a whole hell of a lot.  What I do know is that I’m that person Rainer Maria Rilke was talking to in Letters To A Young Poet when he said, “Search for the cause, find the impetus that bids you write.  Put it to this test:  Does it stretch out its roots in the deepest place of your heart?  Can you avow that you would die if you were forbidden to write?  Dig deep into yourself for a true answer.  And if it should ring its assent, if you can confidently meet this serious question with a simple, “I must,” then build your life upon it.  It has become your necessity.”

My answer is a resounding “I must.”

And this is how I got there:

I always liked to read as a kid and I know I used to scribble down stories and little poems.  One weekend, I remember commandeering my mother’s electric typewriter (yep.  That’s how old I am) and a corner of our basement so I could write a murder mystery story à la Ten Little Indians.  I think someone died from poisoned breakfast cereal.

But my first real memory of really writing stories comes from my year in seventh grade.  The English department was trying out some new experimental program where our reading classes were spent reading any books we wanted and then writing a summary about them in a special notebook.  (I read a lot of Sweet Valley High books back then.)  Then we had writing classes where we could write anything we wanted: poetry, short stories, anything.  I wrote short stories.  My best friend, Amanda, and I wrote a lot of corroborating stories.  Of course Amanda was very much into Stephen King at the time and so our corroborations were pretty much twins in a bad horror movie.  I don’t remember a lot about those stories but I do remember one of them contained the following line:

…and then the eyeball popped out– Ping!!

We were very impressed with ourselves.  Our teacher, I think, was sick.

Seventh grade was also the year I wrote my first fantasy story.  And it was bad.  I mean, really bad.  Really, really bad.  It involved pterodactyls and talking unicorns.  And pop tarts (what can I say?  I really liked pop tarts.  Kicked toaster strudel’s ass.).  I don’t think I ever let anyone read it.  I don’t even think I still have a copy of it anywhere.  But you know, even as I think about it, I still think that somewhere in that piece of crap of a manuscript, was something good.

Well, maybe not.

I got more serious about writing when I hit high school but still it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life (I think at that time, I wanted to be an actress).  English classes were no longer devoted to reading and writing what I wanted so I spent my time sitting in the back of the classroom reading and writing what I wanted anyway.  In high school, I wrote the first draft of what is now known as How Many Angels. I also wrote a new fantasy novel, something that’s come to be known as the very first draft of what is now known as Second Nature.  My friend, Ben, came up with the title.  Gone were the pop tarts and pterodactyls.  I kept the talking unicorns though (C’mon!  Those things are awesome!).  My CP was a girl who lived, quite literally, over the river and through the woods from my house.  We would trade stories and poems all the time in school.  She was a much better writer than me and I’m sure she still is.

But I kept at it.  Writing, I mean.  By the time, I got to my second year of college, I had had twelve different majors and Second Nature had seven companion novels (which pretty much ended the series) but still I didn’t think that maybe I should be a writer.  No, then I was pretty convinced I wanted to be a photographer (even though I didn’t– and still don’t– know how to work a camera) or an opera singer international ass kicking superspy or a computer programmer (Yeah all right, so I didn’t even make it to the end of that first class before I changed my mind).

It was just anything but a writer.

Meanwhile, I wrote some other things: some poetry, an autobiography (of all things), another mystery novel (never finished.  I don’t even know who the bad guy was supposed to have been) and a young adult novel among them.  I took a creative writing class and had a semester of people falling over themselves to tell me what a talented writer I was.  I even broke up with a boyfriend who had had the audacity to clean up my dorm room while I was in class because in the cleaning process he ruined my carefully arranged and perfectly sensible to me scattering of notes on my revisions and future plans for How Many Angels.  He thought it was just a bunch of paper.

It wasn’t.

But I don’t think it ever really occurred to me that I should maybe be a writer until the summer before my junior year of college.  I’d transferred schools, met The Man and was working three jobs.  But that summer was also the summer I found myself wanting to go back to the fantasy world I’d created.  It was like an obsession.  No, it wasn’t like an obsession.  It was an obsession.  I couldn’t think of anything else so I decided I had to go back there to write new stories in that setting.  But since there was no way forward (I mean, that series was done moving forward.  Trust me.), that only left going back.

So I wrote a prequel.  And thus Effigy— and my so called writing career— was born because once I’d started writing that story— even that terrible, terrible first draft (no pop tarts. I promise), I never looked back.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

No Comments

Campaigns and Challenges


Feb
07.12

Posted in A to Z Challenge, Blogfests | No Comments »

Today at My Pet Blog, we’re all about the coming attractions.  Here’s what’s on tap:

First off, it’s time to hit the campaign trail (no, not that one…) with Rachael Harrie’s fourth Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign.  This campaign is a fantastic way to connect with other writers, bloggers, and maybe even some industry people.  I participated in the second campaign (back when it was still a crusade and not a campaign) and found lots of great people through it.  I missed the third campaign but I’m back for the fourth.  This particular campaign runs from now until March 17th.  Sign ups close on February 15th and the first challenge will be posted on February 20th.

It’s easy and a lot of fun.  If you haven’t done a campaign yet, you should definitely consider it.  Head over to Rachael’s blog (links above…even the picture is a link!) for all the details…
(more…)

« Older Entries