And They Say She's In The Class A Team

Date Written: June 29^th, 2012
Date Posted: June 29^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: Ed Sheeran – The A Team

Today was my official last day of school, because I picked up my report card. I did pretty well (except English, ironically. Well, I did alright, just not as well as I wanted), I saw most of my teachers, and my Law teacher and I had a long chat about writing.

Then my aunt picked me up, picked up my cousins, and we went for a movie and then for lunch. I really enjoyed the day.

Also, I should probably say something about my deadline that I didn’t accomplish.

I’m not all that upset.

I know that’s weird, because I feel like I should be upset. But the only reason I really wanted to finish by this time is so I could spend my summer editing and querying. (Though, that was before I found out just how busy my summer was going to be.) However, if there’s anything I’ve learnt from the last couple of months, it’s this;

Writing a book is not an assignment. It’s not like a semester-long project you can write the night before. It’s something that can take way longer, and from what I understand, that’s completely normal. So, as long as I finish my novel by the end of high school (and land an agent too, hopefully!), then I’ll be happy with myself. And really, that’s what’s important.

Anyways, happy summer everyone!

-          May :)

My Current List of Library Spoils

Date Written: June 22^nd, 2012
Date Posted: June 22^nd, 2012
Currently Listening To: Marianas Trench – Push, Marianas Trench – Far From Here, Marianas Trench – Vertigo, Marianas Trench – Alive Again

I present to you my library spoils:

From top to bottom:

Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
Lips Touch, Three Times by Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
Wither by Lauren DeStefano

My goal is to finish these by next Friday. (Just note I’ve already finished Jacob Wonderbar, already.) (And Hitchhiker's Guide isn't from the library. I'm borrowing it from a friend.)

Also, I’ve got my last exam on Monday, so I’ll be studying for that.

And lastly, my deadline is on Tuesday. I can admit that I probably won’t finish (I’ve got literally less than one percent done), but I will definitely try to get a good chunk done by the date. (I think I can get to page 50… if I’m lucky… and if I’m really, really focused… and if a miracle happens.)

Anyways, have a great weekend and rejoice that it’s almost summertime!

(… Unless you’re an unlucky duckling like me and are going to have to endure summer school. Joy.)

-          May :)

If Life Won't Wait, I Guess It's Up To Me

Date Written: May 8^th, 2012
Date Posted: May 11^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: Simple Plan – When I’m Gone

There’s been something that’s been bugging me as of late.

I’ve been finding it really, really hard to write recently.

For one, school’s actually starting to stress me out a little. It’s May, and exams are starting to creep up, little by very little. But it’s still there, and I’ve got a play to practice for. I’ve got an essay that’s worth fifteen percent of my grade to write. Mock trials are going to be coming up in a few weeks, and if my friends from last semester are any indication, that’s going to be stressful stuff.

And it’s not just that; I don’t feel like writing anything.

It’s not that I’ve lost my passion for telling stories – it’s just that I can’t seem to put those words out on paper. And when I do, I think it’s absolutely terrible.

So when I got home from Writer’s Club today (another thing; we haven’t been very productive as of late, so that hasn’t been very helpful) and I suddenly had the urge to listen to the song When I’m Gone by Simple Plan. And while listening to it, there’s one bit that really stuck out to me that I never seemed to comprehend until now;

“Procrastination, running circles in my head/While you sit there contemplating/You wound up left for dead/Life is what happens/While you’re busy making your excuses/Another day, another casualty/And that won’t happen to me.”

As you can see, I’m procrastinating. I’ve made excuses for why I’m not writing. And I’ve just been sitting around, trying to figure out how to do this and that and whatnot, while other people are actually going out and trying to make their dreams come true.

I want to be one of those people making something of themselves. And therefore, I need to suck it up.

So what?

So what if I don’t like what I write? There’s editing for that.

So what if I don’t know everything I’m doing in my story? There’s editing for that, too.

So what if I have school work? I’ll actually do my homework at home, instead of doing most or some or a little at home and then saving the rest for lunch the next day. I bring Alchemy to school almost every day anyway. I might as well put her to use.

So what if I feel kind of stressed? I’m going to learn time management.

No more making excuses. I want to write, so I will write.

So time management for today:

1) Finish off my book for English class.
2) Try to get through that book from the girl at my school who is published.
3) Try to write something. Also, if possible, plan what I want to get accomplished on Friday (which is a day off school).

No more making excuses. I’ve got a book to finish by the 26^th of June.

-          May :)

Ahead Is Another Weekend Of Accomplishing Nothing

Date Written: April 27^th, 2012
Date Posted: April 27^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: Breathe Carolina – Chemicals, Breathe Carolina – Blackout, Breathe Carolina – The Dressing Room

So, promise not to tell my friend Nova something?

This week, I cheated on my deadline work. Instead of working on it, I worked on another one of my books. I didn’t even get like, a page done, because there’s a major plot point introduced at the beginning of it that I kept going back and forth between, but I figured it out.

In addition, I’ve recently gotten back into my love of Castle. It’s definitely one of my favourite shows, even if season four has a lot more emphasis on Castle and Beckett’s relationship. But seriously – a writer who solves murders? My TV dream come true. I’m currently on “Pandora” (4x15)… This is a reminder as to why I love this show so much. And I might be finishing Psych off this weekend, too. (I don’t how, but I might.)

Lastly, I was hoping to work on my checklist this weekend. Seeing as I have a presentation Monday, a test Tuesday, another presentation that could be Monday or Tuesday, and an entire book to read by Tuesday, checklist work is not happening. Maybe it’s like Psych, where I’ll magically get it done. Or maybe I’ll get something done on Wednesday? We’ll see.

-          May :) 

So, Goodnight Moon, And Goodnight You

Date Written: April 20^th, 2012
Date Posted: April 20^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: Go Radio – Goodnight Moon

So, first thing; I wrote and posted this late just because today I heard the song I’m currently listening to and I’m in love with it and I wanted to use a lyric from it that was accurate to the post. This is what I came up with.

Next thing; I actually got somewhere in my writing. Not far, because I’m such a procrastinator, but I was in a slump that I couldn’t get out of, but I finally did, which leads me to…

Third thing; I couldn’t write description for a while. Not that I wouldn’t, I literally could not do it. I’ve always been better at writing dialogue, but suddenly I had pages and pages filled with conversations between my characters with the random two lines of random description because I felt I had to add it in. So today, I spent my lunch hour today outside of my school and describing what I saw, heard, and felt. I got one page (double-sided) filled, and the descriptions got progressively longer as I went along, so I’m really happy.

Fourth thing; I’ve started on summaries for my books. They probably won’t be up for a while – I’ve got like… eleven to do, and I’ve only done three – but I’m not (totally) slacking!

Fifth thing; I don’t know what to post for the writing excerpt. I’ll be consulting my writing buddies (AKA bugging them into oblivion) as to what I should post, but it’ll be up soon enough… or, you know, “eventually” would be the more accurate term.

Last thing; I found out today that a girl who goes to my school has a book published. I’m even more determined now.

So, these were my closing thoughts for the week. Goodnight to all of you!

-          May :)

Listen To "Painting Flowers" For A Title

Date Written: April 13^th, 2012
Date Posted: April 13^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: The Veronicas – Revenge Is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were), The Veronicas – Cry, All Time Low – Painting Flowers

So… this week, in terms of writing;

I feel like I've done nothing and feel like I've felt everything.

For one; I’ve recently become obsessed with Nathan Bransford’s blog. I mean, I’ve been reading it for a while, but all of a sudden I feel the need to devour it whole. I feel so different after reading something he writes. I truly feel like his posts have helped me.

Secondly; if anyone says anything about creativity, I’m immediately on alert. I listen as though they’re saying it about writing specifically and how to be a better writer and I think to myself, “this person’s totally right.”

Example: yesterday, I went on a trip for Drama class to see a play (The Prisoner of Tehran, which was so good, by the way. I had goose-bumps all throughout and nearly cried a couple of times) and the person holding the workshop before it started was talking about interpretations and I just thought wow, because it was really wow, even though I’m sure she didn’t mean it to be wow.

Third; we read the poem Words by Venus Khoury-Ghata in English class, and it talks about the destructive power of words and I just want to tack bits and pieces of the poem to my bedroom wall because it’s all so wonderful and beautiful and terrifying and I love it.

Fourth; as you can see, I’m currently listening to Painting Flowers by All Time Low and

oh
my
gosh.

I don’t know why, because I’ve heard this song a million times before but suddenly it’s completely different, like I’m hearing it in a different… sound wave? I don’t know, but it’s suddenly so amazing.

I’m in a really weird mood where it feels as though everything’s spiritual and reflective and golden and I don’t even know. But yeah – just expect me to have something to report next Friday on the progress of my novel, which I’m sure will have actually progressed (especially in comparison to the last little while).

Also – should I put up some of my writing? I’m working on summaries for my stories to post on here if anyone wants to read, but does anyone want to actually read an excerpt of something I’ve written? Let me know.

-          May :)

It's Just Me Killing Time

Date Written: March 29^th, 2012
Date Posted: March 30^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: The Spill Canvas – All Hail The Heartbreaker, The Spill Canvas – All Over You, The Spill Canvas – Our Song, The Spill Canvas – Low Fidelity

Hello, all of you darling, lovely people. It’s 10:47 AM and I’m typing a blog post, even though on any regular day I would be in second period, anxiously counting down the last few minutes of class.

But I’m not, because there’s no school, and I feel absolutely wonderful because today I’m going to be doing one of two things (or maybe I’ll do both?):

1 – Work on my checklist. As I stated in my last post, I now have a deadline for which I will finish my novel. And to get there, I have a bunch of things I need to work on so I know what to write and when to write it. (I’m a plotter to the core.) I have twelve things on said checklist (the last one being my favourite, because it’s “Make an actual plot”) and as of yesterday, I have checked off one. (Considering I thought I wouldn’t finish any of it until maybe mid-April at earliest… I feel proud. And I haven’t even had this checklist a week yet, either.) So I could spend today working on that, or…

2 – Reread The Hunger Games. Well, reread the first one. I haven’t read the second or third yet, but my cousin now has them and I shall be stealing them from her as soon as she gets through Catching Fire. Anyway, I’m going to see the movie on Sunday. And since it’s been two years since I’ve read it, I decided I need a refresher. I saw a picture of Seneca Crane and while I was looking at it, I was struggling to remember who he was. (As you can see, I need that refresher. I totally would’ve done that over March Break, but my cousin had it.)

So, number 2 is probably the option I’m going with, but who knows? Maybe I’ll get through them both yet. And for anyone who’s seen the movie… I’ve heard a lot of good reviews from people who have read the books, so I’m hopeful. What did you think? I’d love to know.

-          May :)

Novels and Deadlines and Pressure, Oh My

Date Written: March 25^th, 2012 (finished March 26^th, 2012)
Date Posted: March 30^th, 2012
Currently Listening To: The Killers – Change Your Mind, These Kids Wear Crowns – Oceans

So, tomorrow, I have a plot test on another book I haven’t read, but will hopefully finish by today. And I decide I’m going to do the same thing with this as I did with A Separate Peace.

I’m going to sit down on my bed with my door closed and listen to a bunch of music and read. I won’t chart my progress, but I will make sure to finish it by the end of tonight. It worked last Sunday, right?

So I’m in the middle of picking out my playlist to which I will read Her Fearful Symmetry to, when suddenly, it hits me.

I need deadlines.

(I find this absolutely hilarious, because I am a procrastinator extraordinaire.)

Deadlines give me something to work towards. Without them, I feel like there’s no pressure, and the thing is – I like pressure. Pressure also means something to work towards. It means that there is an expectation to do better and if you get it done, you can show off the fact that you can handle pressure when it’s thrown at you and if you get it done creatively, even better. And as long as the deadlines are doable, I generally get them done.

(With the exception of reading English novels, obviously, because I’ve had A Separate Peace and Her Fearful Symmetry since the beginning of February and I’ve only started within the last two weeks. But I still get them done… hopefully.)

So, ladies and gentlemen and other lovely creatures who inhabit the universe that are reading this:

I have a deadline.

I want to finish a(n approximately) 200,000 word novel by June 26^th, 2012.

I am now a man with a plan… well, girl with a plan… no, girl with a mission. There we go.

I’m a girl with a mission.

-          May :)

(P.S. I finished Her Fearful Symmetry in time for my test. Can I get a boo-yeah?!)