Random Wanderings

Thinking, writing, and Twilight

avaraen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:07:07 +0000

So I suck at blogging.

Hopefully I’m going to get better at. We’ll see.

Thinking:

Right now I’m between semesters. I 4.0′d this semester, I’m very proud to say! Starting my last semester at the community college, less credits (no more 19 credit semesters! Not like last spring!) but I’ll be taking the practicum for my program. Which means that I need to put in at least 15 hours a week (roughly) at a licsensed daycare. It will be interesting, especially since I’m shifting more towards 1st and 2nd graders.

I’ll still be a peer writing tutor oncampus, but now I’m certified by the CRLA, which means…something. I’m not 100% sure what. My boss says it will look good on a resume.

I’ve picked out my next college, I just need to start the application process.

Writing

The novel is on hold. The original one anyway. I’ve been struggling with it, then it hit me (ow!): here I am writing urban fantasy short stories and trying to work on a high fantasy novel? What kinda sense does that make? I decided it made none. So “Water of the Morning” is officially on hold. Instead I started work on a new novel, one that’s more compatible with what I write now. I’m sort of proud of myself because I outlined the whole thing before begining, which is something I’ve never done before and I think it will really help me to keep it on track. I hesitate to say too much, but it’s an urban fantasy with a high adventure theme. Don’t worry, it will be awesome. Promise.

Twilight

Yes, when I say Twilight I mean the book about the sparkly vampire by Stephanie Meyer. I’m mentioning it here because sometime in the near future I will begin reading it. Yes, read that sentence again. Let is sink in. I–who swore I would never touch the books–am going to read Twilight. I realized that I’ve been making fun of it for so long, and I really don’t know what its about. I plan on starting a second blog just to blog about the book as I read it. In all honesty, I’m hoping the book will be bad, so all my mocker of it will be justified, but we’ll see.

Celebrations!

avaraen — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:17:08 +0000

The semester is finished!!!!

Haha, that’s why I haven’t written anything for awhile. Been a tad bit busy with finishing up projects and all that.

I am pleased to announce that “Zombie Flu” is now up on Scattered Leaves! W00h! Since I’m too lazy to post a link here, go through some of my older posts and you’ll find it.

Now that I have no homework I’ll hopefully be writing more, I mean that would rock, right? I’m actually working on something right now, hopefully it will turn out awesome…but sh…no spoilers!

Look out! It’s the Swine Flu!

avaraen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:40:15 +0000

I just not an e-mail full of practical tips to prevent swine flu. Stuff like washing your hands, not touching your face, and that kind of thing. So I decided to come up with my own, starting with:

Don’t kiss pigs. (It is, after all, the piggy flu)
Don’t hang out with sick people. (we’re trying to avoid getting sick here!)
Wash your hands (hopefully you’re doing that anyway)
Don’t listen to black-eyed peas music. (No, it won’t prevent the swine flu, it will just protect your brain cells.)
Don’t hang out with pigs.
On second thought, don’t go anywhere. duct tape your house shut and stay there. Pay the nice neighbor boy to go get your food.

There, lots of good advice to protect you this holiday season!

Awesome article on writing

avaraen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:55:34 +0000

Jane Yolen is a very prolific and famous children’s book author. On her website their is an entire section about writing. Reading her words on how inspiration comes (“I generally do not think out plots or characters ahead of time. I let things roll along.”) rang so true with me, because I write the same way. It’s encouraging too, Mrs. Yolen has the same writing style as me, and is a very successful writer. Maybe someday I’ll be famous enough to write my own notes on writing. But anyway, go check it out, and poke around her site. You don’t be sorry!

Am I less of a writer?

avaraen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:27:04 +0000

Today a friend of mine blew off a class so she could work on her NANOWRIMO novel. (ok, I’m not sure that’s why she did, so maybe I’m being unfair, but it sure as heck looked like a story that she was working on). She asked me not to be mad, but I am. I mean, I realize its her life, but come on! School is meg important.
Or is it? I’ve starting wondering about that. I mean, we’re both vary serious writers. But I have never blown off a class to write. Does that make me less of a writer?
If I were a really dedicated writer, would I put my writing as more important than my academic work?
I don’t know. I wish I did, and if anyone has any thoughts to offer on the topic I’m open to them, infact I’d welcome them.

And, Friend-who-shall-go-unnamed, if you happen to read this, I apologize if you’re offended or anything like that.

insert witty title here

avaraen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:38:35 +0000

When I first started writing seriously my gig was short-short stories. I celebrated when a story when over 3 pages.
Now my gig is short stories, it seems. I just finished my third story to go over ten pages. It’s cool I guess, now I just need to focus that lengthening capacity to my novel!

yay stress

avaraen — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:18:08 +0000

I haven’t blogged for a while.
It should be obvious, if you look at the little calender thingy off to the side there, the one that says what days I’ve blogged. School just got crazy on me.
But I’m enjoying myself. Had a scary weekend, but thankfully its cleared up (Mom went into the hospital but don’t worry, she’s home now).
I’m all signed up for spring classes! It will be my easiest semester yet: 13.5 credits, six of which are the practicum for my program. I’m taking a science, another Early childhood Ed class, piano I and self defense. Yay!
Speaking of phs ed classes, Archery starts not this coming week be but the one after it. I think I’m looking forward to it!
And that’s enough of an update, now I need to go work on a paper that’s due on sunday. Happy Halloween ya’ll.

Preview

avaraen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:05:07 +0000

They call it zombie flu. It’s a misnomer really; when you get infected you don’t shamble around moaning while your body rots under you. Instead you become vicious. Really Vicious. Kill everyone you see vicious. Dunno where it came from, though the current thought is it’s some kind of biological attack from Iran or somewhere like that. The good news is that something like two fifths of the population is naturally immune; there’s a legitimate reason for that, but the doctor they brought on CNN only talked gibberish. That was before the Zoms attacked the studio, that was pretty cool. The only thing…I dunno if I’m immune or not. Even if you’re immune you can still carry it, so Lawrence has been careful. He’s knows he’s immune, so he handles moving the bodies for our sad little caravan. I help him with the shooting part. It’s ok, since the disease literally eats part of your brain there’s no cure, so the president says we can kill in self defense.

The standard stuff here, my work, private, don’t steal and all that.

This is a complete story that I have plans for. At some point it will be made available, but not yet. So for now just enjoy that part.

Writer’s Group

avaraen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:54:09 +0000

I am really fortunate.

I belong to a really awesome teen writers group (yes, I’m a little old for it) that has been described on more than one occasion as being a graduate student level writing workshop. Having sat in on undergrad literature discussion, I think they’re right. For having members ranging from 21 to 12, the group offers very mature writing critique. I read something that’s still in progress, an adaption of “Beauty and the Beast” to a modern setting. I’m proud of it, I looked up the original Grimm’s fairytale online (here, if you’re interested) and my story is recognizable, but very, very different. I’m glad to say that Beauty is not longer brain damaged into be happy all the time. ha’ha.

Most disturbing children’s book ever

avaraen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:51:11 +0000

Easy winner as far I’m concerned: Hiroshima No Pika. It tells the story of the Hiroshima bomb for children, complete with dead bodies, radiation sickness, and the total horror. The main character, Mii, never grows after ‘the flash’ and years later her mother is still pulling pieces of glass out of her head. When I, as an ‘adult’ find a book so disturbing, it has no place on a child’s shelf. Yeah, if I never seen that book again it will be too soon. I believe that there some tought issues that can be addressed in an appropriate manner for children, but not the atomic bomb.

But I did get to see some very nice books today, yay Children’s Literature class!