Happiness Is A Warm Pen

Hello all!

Late Thursday night, and Friday morning, were both just full of awesome things for me. Thursday night I finished the first draft of my work in progress, which I have mentioned before. I am very excited to be able to say I've written a novel all the way through. I know it has a lot of work and it will take a long time, but that doesn't mean I didn't finish.

Then on Friday morning, while brushing my teeth, I opened an email that basically led to this GIF.

My happy dance. (Also my best friend reacted the same as Amy Poehler.)
Picture own ed by SNL.

My school's undergraduate literary magazine, Grassroots, emailed me to inform me that they are going to be publishing one of my short stories and a poem! I was in shock at first, then the rest of the day I was Tina Fey. This will be the first time I will ever be published and that's, just, pretty exciting, haha. There's no other feeling like being told that your work is being selected to be published.

This really set the wheels in motion for me and I have fallen back in love with my writing. A little thing that bothered me was, I had JUST edited the short story they chose a few days before so now I feel like they don't have what was really meant to be seen! But that's okay! Happy dance^^^!!

So, because I'm happy, I am going to post another excerpt for Divided We Fall. I would like to remind people that everything posted is subject to be changed, and most likely will! Enjoy!

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          Then something caught my eye. Five stories up I saw her, standing in a floor length window that was on the far side of her office. Helen stood, arms crossed, staring down at us. I couldn't see what expression she was making, but her stance looked guarded, almost angry. As I stared at her, the ground started to shake. I grabbed onto Winnie and the violent jerks beneath us continued. I heard yells and screams from the other side of the wall, telling me we weren't that far away from other people.

          “Fi, what's going on?” Winnie whimpered. He his voice cracked with fear. I felt Adler as he wrapped his arms around us, trying to protect us.

          “Just hold onto me, okay? I won't let anything happen to you.” I looked up at Adler who looked just as confused as I felt. Behind him on the wall the chimeras ran back and forth frantically while the harpies batted their wings as if they were about to take flight. Some of the looser bricks began to fall off the wall, crumbling as it hit the grass below. Then it stopped. The ground stopped trembling and there was no more screams. I turned to look up at Helen but she was gone.

          “What is she?” Adler asked to no one in particular.

          I gazed at the window. “I don't know.

Can I Get a Minute?

Short answer? No.

Here's a cool looking clock! Owned by ToniVC

It seems as if writers never have enough time in the day. I have made, what I would like to consider, a close friend through NaNo. Funny thing is, it was after NaNo had ended. We have been talking and one major thing that seems to be reoccurring between the two of us is our complaint of not enough time.

I have talked to other writers, through my classes and what not, and it seems as if this is a problem that stretches across every kind of writer, be it poetry, short story, novelist, etc. It seems as if we want to get writing done, we have to sacrifice something. Sometimes it's relationships, or a social life, sometimes even sleep.

So what is it that writers can do to get more done? I won't give advice, because I've tried it and I don't feel as if I am experienced enough to give out advice. However, what I will do, is put some things down that I do.

Let's say I have a free hour. Instead of watching TV I'll try, and I say try because sometimes TV wins, and write. As long as I get something out, I'm writing. And when I'm really worried about missing TV, I just watch it while on the elliptical at the gym. (I did it this morning, it was great. Dance Academy for the win!)

That's just one thing I try and do; write whenever I can. I'm sure all of you have something that helps you. Share in the comments and let people know what you do, maybe you'll really help someone out!

Sickness Blues

picture by t0msk

Hello all! I would like to apologize for it being so long since my last post. I wish I could say something cool, like I was out on a spy mission, or on some fancy Christmas-time vacation. However, the truth is, I was sick. I have noticed that a lot of people have been cropping up sick lately, as always, and this year it got me!

It was terrible and full of coughing, sore throat, and congestion. The whole she-bang. I was secretly waiting for someone to sing me soft-kitty, but alas, it did not happen. However, I have been severely drugged up for about a week and a half and am now feeling much better.

Since my recovery, only a couple of days, I have banged out page upon page in Divided We Fall (my work in progress). I'm really happy with where the story was going and I'm really excited about the section I am writing.

I will admit, through the month of December I kept coming up with excuses, and I did have finals, but I could have been writing some of the time. I'm just happy that with the New Year will come new opportunities. One of my New Years resolutions is to write more everyday. (Yes, I know this is broad. If you have suggestions about a more specific one, comment and let me know.)

I am interested in everyone out there's New Years resolutions (writing and non-writing ones alike). So comment below and let me know! What is it about the New Year that inspires you?

I know this was a short post, but I just wanted to let everyone know I am back and I'm sorry for being gone for so long! I will be posting again within a few days, promise! Make sure you come back and read, and comment below people! I like the comments!

Keep writing!

Writers Block

picture byAlan Cleaver

Now that NaNo is over my writing has, well, died. Okay, so I guess that's a little dramatic. My writing definitely has not died. What it has done, though, is sat down, crossed its arms, and stuck its tongue out at me.

I have gotten some writing done, don't think I haven't done anything. But I've gone from writing every single day, to writing a little bit here and there has been a huge change. It's a sad one that I am trying to get rid of. I have tried relaxing, reading, playing video games, watching TV, all of the above.

NONE OF IT WORKED!

So now I sit here, writing this. (This counts as writing, right?) I think, if I can write a blog post to you people, why can't I wrack my brain to think of something to write in my story? Then it hit me, why I can't keep going, with the help from a NaNo friend actually. I'm so close to the end, and I realized, I'm afraid to finish. This story has been my baby, I've nourished it and cherished it, and now it'll be done.

I know that the book has much more before it is actually complete and ready to be sent out and what not, but the initial writing process is almost done. The first draft I know is complete crap, I mean I forced it out of me so quickly, I know it's not a masterpiece. I'm just sad to see my little ole story growing up! I'm happy that I'm actually doing it also though. It's bittersweet.

I'm sure some of you out there that write understand where I'm coming from! Don't make me sound crazy here all by myself!

Anyway, back to the writers block. I think I'm going to go back to my NaNo style and just force myself through it. Who cares if it's crap, for now. I just need to get out the skeleton of the story now and then later on I can go back and add the rest.

I just need to not let myself get upset if what I write isn't amazing, because I'm 99% sure it won't be.

So trudge though it I shall! Anyone out there have any advice in case this doesn't work?

Out of the Woodwork!

photo bydonkeyhotey

Out and about I am again! I want to apologize for being gone for so long! (It really hasn't been that long, but it sure does feel like it!) I have just gone through finals week, as I am still in college, and man oh man. It wasn't that bad, but it took a lot of my time.

However, now that that is over, I can get back to writing. Fiona, Adler, and Winnie are all sitting, stuck in the same place they have been for over a week, waiting to move on! The good news is, I am almost done with my first draft.

This is a SCARY thought. While it is exciting to think I will have written my first novel all the way through, it means that I'll have written my first novel all the way through. I'm assuming other writers out there understand where I am coming from.

Once I'm done with the first draft comes revisions! I've heard some people love them and I have heard some people hate them. Let's hope I'm one of the ones that loves it!!

Life After NaNo

Picture of me and Princess Bubblegum

Above is what my life has been since NaNo has ended. I've been writing a little bit, but not nearly as much as I should be! We had a new rule sprung on us that basically told us we had to have all of our stuff ready for the next 'phase' at work. A bunch of blah stuff that you don't care about!

So let's go back to writing. I have been reading Veronica Roth's blog (HERE) lately, and she makes me feel... inadequate I guess is the best word. She's only a few years older than me and yet, she has an agent, publisher, movie deal, and is on her third book to be published. I know I'm young, and she is young for what she has, but still, it makes you feel like you aren't doing as much as you should.

I have tried getting things published in the past, through my school's literary magazine, and just literary magazines I've found through Poets and Writers (Here). The life of a writer is full of rejections, I know that, but damn, they really mean it! One day, I know I will get my first 'yes' and it will be amazing, but until then, what am I doing with my writers career?

Sorry if this depressed you, I don't mean to. This is more of a pondering of life post. I guess what I'm saying is, I need to kick myself into gear.

What do you guys, and gals, do when you need to pick up the memento?

End of a Road, Beginning of Another

Photo by amanky

Even though NaNo is over, and it was a tough road, we have to keep going. We writers need to find a new road to work on, or go back and fill in those over looked potholes!

I'd like to say I would like to apologize for this being late! But on the plus side, NaNo is over for all of you participating! You either achieved word count or not, there is no going back. All of you that tried are winners though, just remember that!

I got my word count, a day early, might I add! ;) Anyway, I promised that I would give an explanation about what my novel is about and an excerpt. So here it goes.

BY THE WAY! This is a rough draft, I have not yet even looked back over it. So if it is terrible, or has lots of punctuation and spelling mistakes, ignore those. This is just for a fun read!

Synopsis: Fiona wants nothing more than to live her life with her sister after her mother died and her father went missing. However, late one night a group of cloaked figures come and kidnap her from their remote cabin home. Fiona, wanting to hold on to the last shred of the family she has, goes on a journey across the wilderness that is left after the War that is plagued with vampires, harpies, mermaids, and things she's never even heard of. As Fiona goes searching for her sister, she starts to learn things about her father that she doesn't want to believe. Along the journey things around her start to happen that she can't explain. As her friends seem to start to turn against her, she has to decide who she will remain loyal with and who she has to leave behind.

Excerpt:

            I started to take a step forward, glass crunching under my foot. I stopped as a wolf rounded the corner. I quickly shrank against the wall. “It's a werewolf.” I started breathing heavily, thinking about my encounter with the werewolf I had run into in the forest. “These bullets won't do anything,” I said, starting to panic. Adler stepped out in front of me. “Adler don't!' I hissed, trying to reach out for him.

           He whistled, causing the werewolf to snap its head up to look at him. It growled and bent its front legs, ready to pounce. It jumped at him. I screamed and ran forward right as Adler put up his arm and a loud bang went off. The bullet hit the werewolf right between the eyes. The force of it blew it back a few feet. It immediately shifted back to a human. The boy looked like he could only be fifteen or sixteen.

           I ran over to Adler who was standing with his arm to his side. “How did you know it was a silver bullet?”

          Adler smirked. “Rhett told me.”

          Little tingles ran down my arms. I punched his arm as hard as I could but he didn't flinch. “You couldn't have told me?”

          He shrugged and gave me an innocent looking smile. “I was going to, but I figured, first one, I had to have a little fun with you.”

          I rolled my eyes. “Winnie, come on.” I nodded my head in the direction we had to go. We got to the broken window and I peered out. Some of the buildings were on fire. I didn't understand how at first until I saw some people running around, throwing bottles with flaming rags stuffed into them at buildings.

          “What the hell are they doing?” Adler asked as he looked over my shoulder.

          “They must be with the werewolves. Come on.” I turned the corner and started running in the other direction of the people with the fire.

          “Fi, what if they get Rhett's book store.” I stopped suddenly. I couldn't just leave Rhett to die. I closed my eyes, trying to decide what to do when I found myself turning around and running towards the people with the flaming bottles.

          “Hey! You!” I started screaming and waving my arms, trying to get their attention. They all looked at me once and smiled. They started running towards me and I stopped, feeling the two boys on either side of me. Mid run they jumped and shifted, turning into werewolves. “Adler get ready!” I screamed, holding the hand gun with two hands, aiming it at one of them. “Come on,” I whispered. I needed them to get close enough so I wouldn't miss. There were only three. Hopefully I could take down two, or Adler could.

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So that was my excerpt. Let me know what you think about it. What I could change and what not. Any feedback is appreciated!!

I hope all of you writers out there keep up! (And keep up on reading my blog in the upcoming months!)