I'm officially on summer break. ...Let me just say that again. I'm officially on summer break! Oh man, it feels so good to be able to say that. I seriously never thought this day would come and yet it's actually here! *Sigh* This is nice.
Anyway, over the last few months I haven't been able to do very much besides focus on school so I plan on taking full advantage of the four summer months ahead of me to remedy my adventure fix.
Watch this short video and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from...
And you wonder why Belle was always my favorite Disney 'princess'. I don't think there was anything about her that I couldn't relate to. She longs for adventures, she loves reading and she didn't just settle for the first guy who showed any interest in her... (but that's another topic altogether).
So, these adventures of which I speak - you may be wondering what they'll be. Or maybe you're not even reading my post anymore because after that clip you just had to go rewatch Beauty and the Beast. I think I'm okay with that. But if you're still with me, I'd like to talk about the adventures I'm most excited to experience this summer - and maybe inspire you to go on a few of your own.
Well, I'm hoping to get back into archery. Like I said, school kinda took over my life for a while there and I haven't picked up my bow since, like, January. So I'm stoked for that. I also plan on taking kickboxing classes because that's something I've been wanting to try for about two years now. Of course, taking classes is nothing like guest starring on Nikita or being the next female super action hero, but it's definitely something. I can't tell you how excited I am about it.
The last 'planned' adventure I have for this summer is a roadtrip to New York City with my closest girlfriends. I've never been to New York City before but I've been wanting to for years. If this roadtrip comes together, I'll be a pretty happy lady.
And I almost forgot! One of my best friends is getting married in August! I'm in the wedding party, so that day (and all the days leading up to it) is definitely going to be a blast. I can't wait!
Other than that, I don't have too many other adventures planned just yet. I don't think I'm going to do any skydiving or stunt car driving like previous summers, but you never know. My weekdays will probably be filled with the daily doctors office routine unless I suddenly publish a best seller or get an agent that actually gets me gigs... but truth be told, I'd be totally fine if neither of those things happened. I like the people I work with and my evenings will be so jam packed with fun stuff that I don't think it'll matter that I'm not currently in the field of work I'd like to be in.
Anyway, those are my summer adventure plans. As always, I'm hoping this summer will totally exceed my expectations -and they usually do. I think it'll be a lot of fun.
But right now I'm going to enjoy my first day off in I don't even know how long by watching an episode or two of Nikita (I've recently become addicted and I can totally justify lounging around today - it's pouring rain outside). :D I don't know what your summer plans are, but I hope you've got an adventure or two thrown in there. Because what's summer without a few epic adventures??
Keep it real!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
another book update
So here's something you probably didn't see coming... Or maybe you did see it coming and you can predict the events in my life better than I can... either way, here's the thing:
I think I'm going to put my book publishing attempts on hold for a little while.
You see, I've got an entire book written - start to finish - emphasis on the 'finish'... But the first chapter is driving me bananas. As far as getting an agent goes, the first chapter is the most important because that's all they ask to see when you send them an example of your work. And my first chapter is a little back-story heavy, no matter how many times I try to fix it. It never jumps right into the action.
In my book's defense (and my defense too, I guess), it's the kind of story that really does need a little back-story because you need to care just a little about my characters before I throw them into the fire. And in this book's case particularly, you need to get to know a few characters before I flip the switch and you find out everything you thought they were was a lie.
Can you see why this thing is causing me so much trouble??
So, like I said, I'm going to put the agent-hunt on hold for a little while and slowly try to come up with something incredible (and sellable - apparently that's even more important than good literature). It's insane to me that I've got about thirty complete chapters that I'm totally happy with, but this first chapter is all I need to work on. Why does it have to work that way?
I guess I should also mention Part 2 of this plan, if you can call it a plan.
I've been working on another book for about a year and a bit now (at a slower pace, since my primary focus has been 'Broken Silence') called Lips of Umbra. And the thing about Lips of Umbra is that I'm well aware of how sellable its content is. Because it's a fantasy novel with a seventeen year old girl as the main character. And hey! she falls in love with a supernatural dude!
Before you laugh out loud at how much of a sell-out I am, please keep in mind this important fact: Twilight did in fact inspire this book, but not in the way you'd think. I wanted to write a book for the Twilight crowd that sneakily (or not so sneakily) promotes things like healthy relationships and the really important stuff, like actually having a personality (and a strong one at that).
Lips of Umbra will be my summer project and when it's finished (which hopefully isn't in the too distant future), I'll market it to agents. If someone picks it up, then I'll be a published author with another book already waiting in the wings. So it sounds like a pretty okay plan to me.
Anyway, I think that's all for book updates right now. Remember those assignments I mentioned in my last post? Yeah... still not done those... So I'll get to them right now... after I eat breakfast...
Keep it real!
I think I'm going to put my book publishing attempts on hold for a little while.
You see, I've got an entire book written - start to finish - emphasis on the 'finish'... But the first chapter is driving me bananas. As far as getting an agent goes, the first chapter is the most important because that's all they ask to see when you send them an example of your work. And my first chapter is a little back-story heavy, no matter how many times I try to fix it. It never jumps right into the action.
In my book's defense (and my defense too, I guess), it's the kind of story that really does need a little back-story because you need to care just a little about my characters before I throw them into the fire. And in this book's case particularly, you need to get to know a few characters before I flip the switch and you find out everything you thought they were was a lie.
Can you see why this thing is causing me so much trouble??
So, like I said, I'm going to put the agent-hunt on hold for a little while and slowly try to come up with something incredible (and sellable - apparently that's even more important than good literature). It's insane to me that I've got about thirty complete chapters that I'm totally happy with, but this first chapter is all I need to work on. Why does it have to work that way?
I guess I should also mention Part 2 of this plan, if you can call it a plan.
I've been working on another book for about a year and a bit now (at a slower pace, since my primary focus has been 'Broken Silence') called Lips of Umbra. And the thing about Lips of Umbra is that I'm well aware of how sellable its content is. Because it's a fantasy novel with a seventeen year old girl as the main character. And hey! she falls in love with a supernatural dude!
Before you laugh out loud at how much of a sell-out I am, please keep in mind this important fact: Twilight did in fact inspire this book, but not in the way you'd think. I wanted to write a book for the Twilight crowd that sneakily (or not so sneakily) promotes things like healthy relationships and the really important stuff, like actually having a personality (and a strong one at that).
Lips of Umbra will be my summer project and when it's finished (which hopefully isn't in the too distant future), I'll market it to agents. If someone picks it up, then I'll be a published author with another book already waiting in the wings. So it sounds like a pretty okay plan to me.
Anyway, I think that's all for book updates right now. Remember those assignments I mentioned in my last post? Yeah... still not done those... So I'll get to them right now... after I eat breakfast...
Keep it real!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
new blog post
That title was the most creative thing I could come up with. Can you tell my brain's been fried? School - I shake my fist at you...
For those of you that haven't heard me complaining about it in person, I have a few assignments due within the next three days that I've barely started. And yes, I'm well aware that blogging about it won't get them done any faster... in fact, I'm pretty sure this'll slow the process down. BUT it's been so long since I last blogged - I just had to write something.
I'll even try to keep this blog educationally focused. ...Is that a thing? I'm going to make it a thing.
According to a blog I just started following five minutes ago, April is National Poetry Month and I happen to be taking a few English literature courses in which I've read a poem or two. So I would like to take this moment to share with you my favorite poem so far. ...Actually, I can't say that in good conscience because I have about eight zillion favorites, many of which were written by Emily Dickinson - someone I didn't even know was a poet (I just knew she was a famous writer) until this year... And I call myself an English major. For shame...
Anyway, this 'favorite' poem is by William Carlos Williams (awesome name, btw) and it's called This is Just to Say.
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
If that's poetry, I like it.
Do you think my prof will count blogging with an 'educational focus' as something worth some marks? That would be awesome if she did because it's not like I'm ever going to finish any of these projects...
I guess I'll get back to them now.
Hey! Did you notice that it's spring outside?! I went for a short walk today (short was all I could afford) and it was glorious. I love this weather. I just thought I'd mention that.
Alright...
Keep it real!
For those of you that haven't heard me complaining about it in person, I have a few assignments due within the next three days that I've barely started. And yes, I'm well aware that blogging about it won't get them done any faster... in fact, I'm pretty sure this'll slow the process down. BUT it's been so long since I last blogged - I just had to write something.
I'll even try to keep this blog educationally focused. ...Is that a thing? I'm going to make it a thing.
According to a blog I just started following five minutes ago, April is National Poetry Month and I happen to be taking a few English literature courses in which I've read a poem or two. So I would like to take this moment to share with you my favorite poem so far. ...Actually, I can't say that in good conscience because I have about eight zillion favorites, many of which were written by Emily Dickinson - someone I didn't even know was a poet (I just knew she was a famous writer) until this year... And I call myself an English major. For shame...
Anyway, this 'favorite' poem is by William Carlos Williams (awesome name, btw) and it's called This is Just to Say.
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
If that's poetry, I like it.
Do you think my prof will count blogging with an 'educational focus' as something worth some marks? That would be awesome if she did because it's not like I'm ever going to finish any of these projects...
I guess I'll get back to them now.
Hey! Did you notice that it's spring outside?! I went for a short walk today (short was all I could afford) and it was glorious. I love this weather. I just thought I'd mention that.
Alright...
Keep it real!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)