I just found out that my sister is being commissioned to paint. Her artwork is lovely (a tiny resemblance to Georgia O'Keefe's work), and she's spent a lot of time in lessons honing her craft.
Ethan has become a chef, a writer of poetry and short stories, and a guitar player.
My brother, Andrew, (the youngest) is earning money by teaching piano, which he just picked up a year ago. And trust me, he's already amazing.
While I'm really proud of my siblings...it really sucks to be the least talented sibling.
I'm working on a painting right now, and it's embarrassing to see how much I've lost in the last few years. I have lost any small talent I had with it. I can't take ballet or ice-skating or horseback riding, and I'm not even getting harp gigs anymore.
It hurts to see my siblings becoming successful artists while my talent rots.
I feel like I can't do anything any more. I don't have much talent to start with, and that coupled with my already unprocessed emotions and seeing friends do what they've dreamed of...well...I feel like I've wasted my entire life.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Slow Processor
First of all, I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have my birthday off and spend some time ALONE. I have been getting more and more stressed as my 40 hr/wk job continues week after week, and even though I love it, I have definitely started noticing that I needed a break. To get away from it all. To step away from people for a while and take a deep breath of fresh air.
I spent half the day in bed, partially because I have been getting sick (wheezing, runny nose, bleary eyes, fever) and needed to rest, but partially because it was my birthday and I could afford to sleep in until 3 if I wanted to. It was blissful!
Then I made some chicken corn chowder, ate it, and headed off to the library. While this may seem unusual for someone wanting alone time, the library is full of people I don't know and therefore don't have to interact with. Again, peaceful. I spent hours perusing the bookshelves, finally taking home about 15 books on dollhouses, fashion, cartooning, and some fantasy books. Ahhhh...
A visit to Olive Garden was in order since we had a gift card (Thanks, Rachel!), and I was able to get my favorite birthday treat of all - cheesecake! Olive Garden has amazing white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and we were able to eat in comfort while the storm raged outside and the power flickered inside, to the consternation of the wait staff.
We were going to go to a movie, but of course my luck ran out after dinner. The two movies I wanted to see at the $2 theater were the only ones not showing b/c of technical difficulties. Figures.
So then I went home. Stu left to hang out with a friend, leaving me to soak in the introversion time that I had needed for months.
I must spend more time alone. It bothers me that I need so much of it now, but it's probably because I'm at work all the time. If I don't get my alone time, I can't process, and if I can't process, I have very, very crazy emotions, and when that happens, I turn into She-Hulk. So I'm grateful I had the day off and away from everyone, mostly to prevent a drama of epic proportions!
Sadly, another day off is not in sight, at least until Thanksgiving. Our weeknights and weekends, though spent with friends who are lovely to spend time with...it's busy and still affords no introversion time. I guess I should practice some meditation techniques so next time I have this problem I won't rip someone's head off. :/
And yes, the title of this post has a point. I am a very slow processor, emotionally. It takes me a long time to sort out my emotions, which is one of the reasons I keep my Secrets book. It's a great way for me to process, especially if I don't have a lot of time to myself. Other ways that I process are scrapbooking, listening to music, or watching a movie that matches my emotional tone. (If I need to cry, I watch Phantom of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast, or a Pixar movie; if I need to rid myself of anger, I watch Enough or some equally violent film; if I'm sad but don't feel like crying, I watch a Jane Austen movie or Buffy) These things take time too, so in order for me to process...well it just boils down to the fact that I need to schedule introversion time.
Oh, for the days when I'll be barefoot on the deck, swinging in my hammock while I listen to the birds as I think about what costumes I'll be designing for a TV show. :P
I spent half the day in bed, partially because I have been getting sick (wheezing, runny nose, bleary eyes, fever) and needed to rest, but partially because it was my birthday and I could afford to sleep in until 3 if I wanted to. It was blissful!
Then I made some chicken corn chowder, ate it, and headed off to the library. While this may seem unusual for someone wanting alone time, the library is full of people I don't know and therefore don't have to interact with. Again, peaceful. I spent hours perusing the bookshelves, finally taking home about 15 books on dollhouses, fashion, cartooning, and some fantasy books. Ahhhh...
A visit to Olive Garden was in order since we had a gift card (Thanks, Rachel!), and I was able to get my favorite birthday treat of all - cheesecake! Olive Garden has amazing white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and we were able to eat in comfort while the storm raged outside and the power flickered inside, to the consternation of the wait staff.
We were going to go to a movie, but of course my luck ran out after dinner. The two movies I wanted to see at the $2 theater were the only ones not showing b/c of technical difficulties. Figures.
So then I went home. Stu left to hang out with a friend, leaving me to soak in the introversion time that I had needed for months.
I must spend more time alone. It bothers me that I need so much of it now, but it's probably because I'm at work all the time. If I don't get my alone time, I can't process, and if I can't process, I have very, very crazy emotions, and when that happens, I turn into She-Hulk. So I'm grateful I had the day off and away from everyone, mostly to prevent a drama of epic proportions!
Sadly, another day off is not in sight, at least until Thanksgiving. Our weeknights and weekends, though spent with friends who are lovely to spend time with...it's busy and still affords no introversion time. I guess I should practice some meditation techniques so next time I have this problem I won't rip someone's head off. :/
And yes, the title of this post has a point. I am a very slow processor, emotionally. It takes me a long time to sort out my emotions, which is one of the reasons I keep my Secrets book. It's a great way for me to process, especially if I don't have a lot of time to myself. Other ways that I process are scrapbooking, listening to music, or watching a movie that matches my emotional tone. (If I need to cry, I watch Phantom of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast, or a Pixar movie; if I need to rid myself of anger, I watch Enough or some equally violent film; if I'm sad but don't feel like crying, I watch a Jane Austen movie or Buffy) These things take time too, so in order for me to process...well it just boils down to the fact that I need to schedule introversion time.
Oh, for the days when I'll be barefoot on the deck, swinging in my hammock while I listen to the birds as I think about what costumes I'll be designing for a TV show. :P
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Things to Accomplish Before I Go
There are certain things I'd like to do before I die. While heaven will be AWESOME (I'm really hoping for a Pegasus, dinosaurs, a harp ensemble for praise & worship, and a DVD collection of The History of the World), there are some things I'd like to do down here while I wait. Some of these have been on my list a long time, and some I have just discovered. I'm thinking about these today, wishing that I was an almost 23-year-old with money. Maybe next year, when I'm 24, I'll be rich and famous. One can dream, right?
1. Ride a horse across Mongolia with my brother Ethan - trips like this actually exist. And, surprise! They cost around $3,000. I did not expect them to be that cheap. It's a two week trip across Mongolia on horseback, for intermediate riders (comfortable with canter/gallop). It ends in a Festival. Um, YES?!?!
2. Skydive - I've wanted to do this for a while. I live for that few seconds of free-fall feeling.
3. Host SNL at least once - I know, I know, but I'm dreaming. Dreaming is free.
4. Learn to write with my left hand - This has been going on for a while. I just figure it will be useful somehow.
5. Go on a road trip out West - this might happen sooner than my next birthday. One can hope!
6. Go scuba-diving. That's right. Snorkeling would be neat, but Scuba-ing is where it's at.
7. Live on a houseboat for a season (fall? spring?). Yes, I'm perfectly serious. I've also wanted to do this for quite a while.
8. See the Spanish Riding School perform in Vienna, Austria.
9. Walk the El Camino de Santiago (or similar pilgrimage path) in Spain.
10. Own a really amazing tire swing. Again, that flying feeling is what I live for.
These are just 10 of my 30 things I have on my list (and I'm sure there's another list somewhere with different things on it!).
I guess I can work on writing with my left hand while I wait for money to do all the other things...
1. Ride a horse across Mongolia with my brother Ethan - trips like this actually exist. And, surprise! They cost around $3,000. I did not expect them to be that cheap. It's a two week trip across Mongolia on horseback, for intermediate riders (comfortable with canter/gallop). It ends in a Festival. Um, YES?!?!
2. Skydive - I've wanted to do this for a while. I live for that few seconds of free-fall feeling.
3. Host SNL at least once - I know, I know, but I'm dreaming. Dreaming is free.
4. Learn to write with my left hand - This has been going on for a while. I just figure it will be useful somehow.
5. Go on a road trip out West - this might happen sooner than my next birthday. One can hope!
6. Go scuba-diving. That's right. Snorkeling would be neat, but Scuba-ing is where it's at.
7. Live on a houseboat for a season (fall? spring?). Yes, I'm perfectly serious. I've also wanted to do this for quite a while.
8. See the Spanish Riding School perform in Vienna, Austria.
9. Walk the El Camino de Santiago (or similar pilgrimage path) in Spain.
10. Own a really amazing tire swing. Again, that flying feeling is what I live for.
These are just 10 of my 30 things I have on my list (and I'm sure there's another list somewhere with different things on it!).
I guess I can work on writing with my left hand while I wait for money to do all the other things...
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Really?
I just finished watching Serious Moonlight, starring Timothy Hutton, Meg Ryan, Justin Long, & Kristin Bell. It was in independent film with limited theatrical release in 2009.
First: Don't watch it if you're sensitive to violence or the f-word or being taken advantage of.
Next: Timothy Hutton is a great actor; so is Justin Long. Even Kristin Bell. But why are people so crazy about Meg Ryan? Maybe it was just this role that I didn't particularly like her in.
Last: If you're going to write about a husband and wife and have a happy ending, DON'T RUIN IT WITH A TWIST.
Gah. ESPECIALLY THAT ONE.
I'm not going to write spoilers, but I doubt anyone will want to see this film, or like it after they've seen the ending. I was very happy to watch the beginning, and even though there were scary parts, I though it was a good movie...until the last minute or two.
It's a great study of couples, men/women psychology, and how marriages fall apart. And how they can become something beautiful again. It should have been a pretty, quirky film about two people who have fallen out of love and through crazy circumstances, fall back in love.
But no.
And they explained away the twist...there was no need to further explain!
Argh. REALLY?!?!?!
I was really hoping I'd like that movie. :(
First: Don't watch it if you're sensitive to violence or the f-word or being taken advantage of.
Next: Timothy Hutton is a great actor; so is Justin Long. Even Kristin Bell. But why are people so crazy about Meg Ryan? Maybe it was just this role that I didn't particularly like her in.
Last: If you're going to write about a husband and wife and have a happy ending, DON'T RUIN IT WITH A TWIST.
Gah. ESPECIALLY THAT ONE.
I'm not going to write spoilers, but I doubt anyone will want to see this film, or like it after they've seen the ending. I was very happy to watch the beginning, and even though there were scary parts, I though it was a good movie...until the last minute or two.
It's a great study of couples, men/women psychology, and how marriages fall apart. And how they can become something beautiful again. It should have been a pretty, quirky film about two people who have fallen out of love and through crazy circumstances, fall back in love.
But no.
And they explained away the twist...there was no need to further explain!
Argh. REALLY?!?!?!
I was really hoping I'd like that movie. :(
Potterhead
I am a self-labeled Potterhead. I'm sure there are other fans out there much more obsessed than me, but I do some things that a crazy fan will do, including (but not limited to):
1. Dressing in the Hogwarts uniform to attend a midnight premiere
2. Drawing fan art
3. Discussing HP with anyone who's read the books
4. Have the books/movies (except for movie no. 5, which was awful so I refuse to own it)
5. Have HP dreams (more than once)
All that to say...I have been drawing more Harry Potter fan art.
I drew an elf today, a ginger-haired one wearing a striped "Weasley Is Our King" t-shirt. My caption is, "Even elves love Harry Potter".
I also drew a girl being sorted (sitting on a stool whilst wearing The Sorting Hat, awaiting her house placement).
And of course, I drew an Emo "I <3 Snape" fan the other day.
2 drawings in one day? I better draw quickly and see what else comes out from my pencil.
Today I'm using mixed media - markers, felt-tip pens, & colored pencils. I haven't used my crayons yet, but they're here. Just in case. :)
1. Dressing in the Hogwarts uniform to attend a midnight premiere
2. Drawing fan art
3. Discussing HP with anyone who's read the books
4. Have the books/movies (except for movie no. 5, which was awful so I refuse to own it)
5. Have HP dreams (more than once)
All that to say...I have been drawing more Harry Potter fan art.
I drew an elf today, a ginger-haired one wearing a striped "Weasley Is Our King" t-shirt. My caption is, "Even elves love Harry Potter".
I also drew a girl being sorted (sitting on a stool whilst wearing The Sorting Hat, awaiting her house placement).
And of course, I drew an Emo "I <3 Snape" fan the other day.
2 drawings in one day? I better draw quickly and see what else comes out from my pencil.
Today I'm using mixed media - markers, felt-tip pens, & colored pencils. I haven't used my crayons yet, but they're here. Just in case. :)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Not A Kid Anymore
*Groan*
Eating hot pockets, pizza rolls, and oreos over the course of a few days has reminded me that my tummy has gotten years older and now must be taken care of with fresh fruits and veggies instead of instant pudding pie. :/ Ugh. I do not feel good.
That aside, I'm feeling a tug back towards Violet's Monster: Volume I (which I have shamefully neglected) so I shall attempt a few chapters before my inspiration thins.
I'm still a kid in most of my likes - children's books, movies, activities, etc.
Trying to find the line between "childish" and "childlike," and I think it's important to keep that childlike attitude in a lot of areas.
But not with my stomach. While Oreos are tasty, they do not make a good breakfast (note to self).
*holds belly and trundles off to find something to calm it*
Eating hot pockets, pizza rolls, and oreos over the course of a few days has reminded me that my tummy has gotten years older and now must be taken care of with fresh fruits and veggies instead of instant pudding pie. :/ Ugh. I do not feel good.
That aside, I'm feeling a tug back towards Violet's Monster: Volume I (which I have shamefully neglected) so I shall attempt a few chapters before my inspiration thins.
I'm still a kid in most of my likes - children's books, movies, activities, etc.
Trying to find the line between "childish" and "childlike," and I think it's important to keep that childlike attitude in a lot of areas.
But not with my stomach. While Oreos are tasty, they do not make a good breakfast (note to self).
*holds belly and trundles off to find something to calm it*
Friday, July 16, 2010
Draaaawin'
I said the title in a Southern accent (in my head).
*ahem*
Now on to the actual post:
I am drawing! Huzzah! I've surprised myself by attempting (and sometimes succeeding) to draw several things over the past few days...some days, it's on, some days, it's off, so I guess I should draw everyday and see what the pattern is...:P
I've drawn: Catwoman, a Snape fan, a mysterious cloaked figure, a design for my Fall 2010 line (haha), and a girl with wings (bat wings).
Maybe reading Batman comics and Harry Potter (just started the first one...again...) have something to do with these?!
After scrapping several dozen sketches (sigh...that's my least favorite part of drawing...so often it doesn't work out!), I have these that turned out nice. I'm hoping to add to the pile.
I think my artistic talent (what there is of it) comes from my grandmother. Watching her draw beautiful paper dolls and then the amazing clothing for them was inspiring. She has such a talent, but unfortunately she's never used it for anything (that I know of) besides those paper dolls. That whole family is like that - we have an oil painter, a drawer, and a mixed-mediums artist, and a photographer, and although I think 2 of them got pretty well-known in their areas, my grandma and her sister never did anything with the talent they had. It saddens me to know that the world missed out on their beautiful art.
That's why I keep all my drawings in a little folder. Just in case. You never know when somebody's going to want to look at what you got, right? I take it around most everywhere (most days), and flip through them, and sometimes weed out the not-so-good ones (they go in a drawer usually), hoping for that one day when someone sees my artwork and tells me I can/should do something with it.
I can't really do cartoons - I can never draw the same thing twice. Believe me, I've tried. That's why I stick with Paint when I want to do comics. :P
It may be a talent that I never get to use professionally; I draw for weeks sometimes and then a month or two will pass before I remember how much I like using felt-tip pens and colored pencils.
But I love it. I love pulling something out of thin air and figuring out which colors work together and seeing how tiny I can make the details.
And yes, using the Bamboo is fun - I wish I had a more reliable computer and that I had a class to teach me all about the Adobe Elements software it came with. But I shall learn it on my own and I've really enjoyed it so far. There are a few things that turned out pretty good.
All that to say, if you have a talent, even a small one, exercise it. If you write, do it whenever you can! Keep a sketch journal if you draw, or if you like arranging flowers, try your hand at arranging the wildflowers you found on your walk. Just keep doing what you have a talent for, and it will grow. (I'm hopeful, anyway!) And it's always fun to try something new, because you never know...you might be good at it!
Not sure where that pep talk came from...it's more a reminder to me to keep doing what I know how to do, and maybe someday I can get paid for it. :P
Have a good weekend, everybody.
*ahem*
Now on to the actual post:
I am drawing! Huzzah! I've surprised myself by attempting (and sometimes succeeding) to draw several things over the past few days...some days, it's on, some days, it's off, so I guess I should draw everyday and see what the pattern is...:P
I've drawn: Catwoman, a Snape fan, a mysterious cloaked figure, a design for my Fall 2010 line (haha), and a girl with wings (bat wings).
Maybe reading Batman comics and Harry Potter (just started the first one...again...) have something to do with these?!
After scrapping several dozen sketches (sigh...that's my least favorite part of drawing...so often it doesn't work out!), I have these that turned out nice. I'm hoping to add to the pile.
I think my artistic talent (what there is of it) comes from my grandmother. Watching her draw beautiful paper dolls and then the amazing clothing for them was inspiring. She has such a talent, but unfortunately she's never used it for anything (that I know of) besides those paper dolls. That whole family is like that - we have an oil painter, a drawer, and a mixed-mediums artist, and a photographer, and although I think 2 of them got pretty well-known in their areas, my grandma and her sister never did anything with the talent they had. It saddens me to know that the world missed out on their beautiful art.
That's why I keep all my drawings in a little folder. Just in case. You never know when somebody's going to want to look at what you got, right? I take it around most everywhere (most days), and flip through them, and sometimes weed out the not-so-good ones (they go in a drawer usually), hoping for that one day when someone sees my artwork and tells me I can/should do something with it.
I can't really do cartoons - I can never draw the same thing twice. Believe me, I've tried. That's why I stick with Paint when I want to do comics. :P
It may be a talent that I never get to use professionally; I draw for weeks sometimes and then a month or two will pass before I remember how much I like using felt-tip pens and colored pencils.
But I love it. I love pulling something out of thin air and figuring out which colors work together and seeing how tiny I can make the details.
And yes, using the Bamboo is fun - I wish I had a more reliable computer and that I had a class to teach me all about the Adobe Elements software it came with. But I shall learn it on my own and I've really enjoyed it so far. There are a few things that turned out pretty good.
All that to say, if you have a talent, even a small one, exercise it. If you write, do it whenever you can! Keep a sketch journal if you draw, or if you like arranging flowers, try your hand at arranging the wildflowers you found on your walk. Just keep doing what you have a talent for, and it will grow. (I'm hopeful, anyway!) And it's always fun to try something new, because you never know...you might be good at it!
Not sure where that pep talk came from...it's more a reminder to me to keep doing what I know how to do, and maybe someday I can get paid for it. :P
Have a good weekend, everybody.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Victor/Victoria
So we went to get pizza for dinner two nights ago.
I stepped in to order 2 pepperoni pizzas and was greeted with "Hello sir."
A few seconds went by and then the girl said, "I mean ma'am."
Sadly, this isn't the first time I've been mistaken for a guy.
I would say this is number 5.
(Although I admit, it always makes me giggle. There's just something so absurd about it. I mean, ok, I MIGHT have features that could be male/female, like my nose, but how can you not notice that I'm related to Dolly Parton?! :P Just saying.)
I stepped in to order 2 pepperoni pizzas and was greeted with "Hello sir."
A few seconds went by and then the girl said, "I mean ma'am."
Sadly, this isn't the first time I've been mistaken for a guy.
I would say this is number 5.
(Although I admit, it always makes me giggle. There's just something so absurd about it. I mean, ok, I MIGHT have features that could be male/female, like my nose, but how can you not notice that I'm related to Dolly Parton?! :P Just saying.)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wrench
So somehow in my exhausted brain last night, I realized something.
We probably can't move to Seattle in February if we are driving.
Reason? The weather. (Duh. Don't know why I didn't think of it before!)
I remember what winter is like in Kansas, and we definitely cannot drive through that!
...I wanted to go in the Spring, anyway, so we may have to push it back to April or May (which would be good because then I could finish out the school year for Cynde).
Anyway...pray about this with us. We are strongly considering moving to Seattle, but everything will have to come together - jobs, moving, new vehicle, money, etc.
In other news, I'm still exhausted. Melatonin cannot compete with bright lamps and late hours for the hubby, apparently. But I felt it working last night, so maybe tonight I will get some sleep.
We probably can't move to Seattle in February if we are driving.
Reason? The weather. (Duh. Don't know why I didn't think of it before!)
I remember what winter is like in Kansas, and we definitely cannot drive through that!
...I wanted to go in the Spring, anyway, so we may have to push it back to April or May (which would be good because then I could finish out the school year for Cynde).
Anyway...pray about this with us. We are strongly considering moving to Seattle, but everything will have to come together - jobs, moving, new vehicle, money, etc.
In other news, I'm still exhausted. Melatonin cannot compete with bright lamps and late hours for the hubby, apparently. But I felt it working last night, so maybe tonight I will get some sleep.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Hello, Seattle
So, through praying and talking and reading about this, Stu and I are very seriously considering moving to Seattle, Washington at some point next year.
I'm not saying we WILL, but it is looking more and more like that might be the case.
I am so very excited!
I will really, really miss everybody in South Carolina, which will be the hardest thing for me besides having to say goodbye to our wonderful church, but we do know 2 couples who are moving to Seattle this year as well as the church plant we'd like to be involved with, so we won't be completely alone.
Things I am excited about:
1. A SUPER LONG ROAD TRIP ACROSS THE U.S.! I cannot express how excited this makes me.
2. SEATTLE!!! I love the West Coast.
3. Living with friends (who want to get chickens!)!!!!
4. Theatres!
5. Ministering in the LGBT community!!!
6. WONDERFUL WEATHER! (High summer temp. of SEVENTY-FIVE)
7. The OCEAN! (Puget Sound, baby)
8. Being close to British Columbia (T.V. jobs?!)!!!
9. Possibly being able to go to Con-Con next year!! (LEVERAGE!!!)
10.FRESH SEAFOOD!
11. Being closer to EDWIN AND ELANOR LIN!!!
Ok, ok, enough excitement for one day. I have a ton of writing to get done (I set myself a goal of: 1 post about my Star Trek RPG character, 1 chapter of My Life As A Rockstar, and 2 chapters of Violet's Monster: Volume I. I'm hoping that by setting a high goal for myself, I'll actually get ONE of them done. Or maybe two. :P)
Anyway...please, please, please pray about Seattle for us, as well as jobs and a new vehicle...we are looking into getting a station wagon (finally, a vehicle for the harp!).
Stay Tuned.
I'm not saying we WILL, but it is looking more and more like that might be the case.
I am so very excited!
I will really, really miss everybody in South Carolina, which will be the hardest thing for me besides having to say goodbye to our wonderful church, but we do know 2 couples who are moving to Seattle this year as well as the church plant we'd like to be involved with, so we won't be completely alone.
Things I am excited about:
1. A SUPER LONG ROAD TRIP ACROSS THE U.S.! I cannot express how excited this makes me.
2. SEATTLE!!! I love the West Coast.
3. Living with friends (who want to get chickens!)!!!!
4. Theatres!
5. Ministering in the LGBT community!!!
6. WONDERFUL WEATHER! (High summer temp. of SEVENTY-FIVE)
7. The OCEAN! (Puget Sound, baby)
8. Being close to British Columbia (T.V. jobs?!)!!!
9. Possibly being able to go to Con-Con next year!! (LEVERAGE!!!)
10.FRESH SEAFOOD!
11. Being closer to EDWIN AND ELANOR LIN!!!
Ok, ok, enough excitement for one day. I have a ton of writing to get done (I set myself a goal of: 1 post about my Star Trek RPG character, 1 chapter of My Life As A Rockstar, and 2 chapters of Violet's Monster: Volume I. I'm hoping that by setting a high goal for myself, I'll actually get ONE of them done. Or maybe two. :P)
Anyway...please, please, please pray about Seattle for us, as well as jobs and a new vehicle...we are looking into getting a station wagon (finally, a vehicle for the harp!).
Stay Tuned.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Chapter Five Arrival
I made it! I made it to Chapter Five of Violet's Monster: Volume I today!!! Huzzah!
Ok. Now I must see how fast I can write one more chapter so I can send it out and maybe get some replies next week!
This is very exciting.
Ok. Now I must see how fast I can write one more chapter so I can send it out and maybe get some replies next week!
This is very exciting.
Sleepy
Not enough sleep last night, but definitely better than other previous sleepless nights.
I had a lot of fun yesterday writing a character for a Star Trek RPG we're trying to set up over e-mail (if any of you want to join, please do...right now we have 2 or 3 interested people but we'd like 2 or 3 more...)
My character is a half-Vulcan, half-human named Ember. The human side of her is 100% Irish, so, you can imagine how that reacts to the Vulcan side of her. Ember O'Shaughnessey is...quite interesting to write. On the one hand, she is very logical. But take a step too far and...well, the Irish part will get you. :P I LOVE IT!
I should try drawing her today.
Still trying to write more of Violet's Monster: Volume I. I may take a break and write some of My Life As A Rockstar. Or I might watch some SNL. Hopefully I can do both!
Is it naptime yet?
I had a lot of fun yesterday writing a character for a Star Trek RPG we're trying to set up over e-mail (if any of you want to join, please do...right now we have 2 or 3 interested people but we'd like 2 or 3 more...)
My character is a half-Vulcan, half-human named Ember. The human side of her is 100% Irish, so, you can imagine how that reacts to the Vulcan side of her. Ember O'Shaughnessey is...quite interesting to write. On the one hand, she is very logical. But take a step too far and...well, the Irish part will get you. :P I LOVE IT!
I should try drawing her today.
Still trying to write more of Violet's Monster: Volume I. I may take a break and write some of My Life As A Rockstar. Or I might watch some SNL. Hopefully I can do both!
Is it naptime yet?
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Peace
Finally...SLEEP!
Stu and I both decided to go to bed at 10 p.m. last night so although I woke up a few times (once to see Stu's sleepy foot sliding down the end of the bed to make a *smack* sound several times in succession...it was weird), I went back to sleep more quickly than usual and I am so AMAZED at how much energy I have after getting 6 hours of sleep! (That's about right for me)
PRAISE THE LORD! (Seriously)
Ahhhh...blissful. This is truly wonderful.
(I'm pretty sure that no lamp, early bed-time, no food right before bed, and not watching TV right beforehand helped A LOT. I will try to remember those)
Anyway,
I wanted to write a little bit about where I am with Violet and some other things that have been going on...
I have tried and tried to make a front cover for Violet and have failed (so far). I know what I want but getting it onto paper has been frustrating. So I shall keep trying.
I am in the third chapter, currently (in the 5th draft, there are 17, so I am 18% of the way through! Yeah!), changing the order of events up a bit (faster pace, more suspense, etc.), and re-wording a lot. Thank goodness I'm not just starting from scratch. Ugh.
I am trying to find music to help write...so far, it's been a mix of certain songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events; Peter Pan; and Speedracer. (I love soundtracks. So much.) I might put in a little of Doctor Who (free song available for download!! ), and something else...maybe Finding Neverland. We'll see. I have my iPod on shuffle for now and it's alright, but I need to make a playlist just for Violet so I can set the tone.
I'm liking where this draft is headed. It's definitely a little darker, definitely deeper, and less whiny. So that's good.
I'm also going to have an incentive for myself to keep going - once I finish the first five chapters, I'm going to send them out to whoever wants to read/critique for me, and then I'll keep writing while everyone peruses. That way I have some critiques for the first five and people will know whether they want to read the whole book or not once I finish this draft.
Although I better keep it small - don't want the entire FB world to read it before it's published! :P
I'm also considering writing chapters of My Life As A Rockstar here and there, as small breaks between Violet re-writes. I've also got to get a basic plot going for my NaNo novel, Mae: The Intergalactic Au Pair. So that's exciting.
Also, I have been washing dishes! :) That's not that exciting until you've seen my kitchen (shudder). So now I have to figure out a day to clean out the fridge and clean the microwave/counters so everything is nice. I just want a nice, clean kitchen.
I am doing things little by little. The living room and bathroom get cleaned the most, and the music room is staying mostly clean. Gotta pick up some of my art stuff I left lying around, but that's about it. I guess the bedroom is next.
Still working on making a summer scrapbook (need more paper), and wishing I could work on my dollhouse. Maybe once I get into a routine of house-cleaning I'll feel like I can sit down and work on it.
I've also got some altered clothing projects in the near future - I found a long grey t-shirt that I'm going to alter (the top of it) so I can make it into a shirt dress and wear it with a red belt, black leggings, and dress shoes. Yay!
Still need to work out times to do photoshoots, but I am pretty excited about them!
Haven't had time to play with my Bamboo Pen & Touch, but hopefully since Stu is done editing the wedding videos I can play with the Bamboo and the Mac (WOOHOO!!!).
Also...I've come up with a music video idea that I will be scripting out in hopes of Stu wanting to film it with me. :) It is going to be filmed to one of my favorite songs: "Everyday Superhero" by Smashmouth.
YES.
Stu and I both decided to go to bed at 10 p.m. last night so although I woke up a few times (once to see Stu's sleepy foot sliding down the end of the bed to make a *smack* sound several times in succession...it was weird), I went back to sleep more quickly than usual and I am so AMAZED at how much energy I have after getting 6 hours of sleep! (That's about right for me)
PRAISE THE LORD! (Seriously)
Ahhhh...blissful. This is truly wonderful.
(I'm pretty sure that no lamp, early bed-time, no food right before bed, and not watching TV right beforehand helped A LOT. I will try to remember those)
Anyway,
I wanted to write a little bit about where I am with Violet and some other things that have been going on...
I have tried and tried to make a front cover for Violet and have failed (so far). I know what I want but getting it onto paper has been frustrating. So I shall keep trying.
I am in the third chapter, currently (in the 5th draft, there are 17, so I am 18% of the way through! Yeah!), changing the order of events up a bit (faster pace, more suspense, etc.), and re-wording a lot. Thank goodness I'm not just starting from scratch. Ugh.
I am trying to find music to help write...so far, it's been a mix of certain songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events; Peter Pan; and Speedracer. (I love soundtracks. So much.) I might put in a little of Doctor Who (free song available for download!! ), and something else...maybe Finding Neverland. We'll see. I have my iPod on shuffle for now and it's alright, but I need to make a playlist just for Violet so I can set the tone.
I'm liking where this draft is headed. It's definitely a little darker, definitely deeper, and less whiny. So that's good.
I'm also going to have an incentive for myself to keep going - once I finish the first five chapters, I'm going to send them out to whoever wants to read/critique for me, and then I'll keep writing while everyone peruses. That way I have some critiques for the first five and people will know whether they want to read the whole book or not once I finish this draft.
Although I better keep it small - don't want the entire FB world to read it before it's published! :P
I'm also considering writing chapters of My Life As A Rockstar here and there, as small breaks between Violet re-writes. I've also got to get a basic plot going for my NaNo novel, Mae: The Intergalactic Au Pair. So that's exciting.
Also, I have been washing dishes! :) That's not that exciting until you've seen my kitchen (shudder). So now I have to figure out a day to clean out the fridge and clean the microwave/counters so everything is nice. I just want a nice, clean kitchen.
I am doing things little by little. The living room and bathroom get cleaned the most, and the music room is staying mostly clean. Gotta pick up some of my art stuff I left lying around, but that's about it. I guess the bedroom is next.
Still working on making a summer scrapbook (need more paper), and wishing I could work on my dollhouse. Maybe once I get into a routine of house-cleaning I'll feel like I can sit down and work on it.
I've also got some altered clothing projects in the near future - I found a long grey t-shirt that I'm going to alter (the top of it) so I can make it into a shirt dress and wear it with a red belt, black leggings, and dress shoes. Yay!
Still need to work out times to do photoshoots, but I am pretty excited about them!
Haven't had time to play with my Bamboo Pen & Touch, but hopefully since Stu is done editing the wedding videos I can play with the Bamboo and the Mac (WOOHOO!!!).
Also...I've come up with a music video idea that I will be scripting out in hopes of Stu wanting to film it with me. :) It is going to be filmed to one of my favorite songs: "Everyday Superhero" by Smashmouth.
YES.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Must Be Some Way Outta Here
Can't sleep. Can't breathe. Ain't life grand?
All joking aside...
Mrs. Grumpypants is at work today, enjoying Doritos and Skittles for lunch (calcium, thiamin, phosphorus, and B6 from the chips, 50% of my daily Vitamin C from the skittles - WHAT?!) while considering the huge project I will be working on this afternoon.
Hopefully after that I will be working on Violet's Monster: Volume I, chapter 3.
And then it's time to grab something at Bi-Lo for dinner which will then end with brainstorming some writing ideas with a friend.
Meanwhile, my dishes still aren't done, the kitchen and bedroom are still a mess (yay for laundry!), and I haven't practiced harp since the last wedding gig 3 weeks ago.
If I wasn't laughing at SNL, I'd be crying.
I'm so tired.
So. Tired.
Mighty Melatonin is winging his way here and will arrive tomorrow, hopefully to rescue me from Evil Exhaustion so that I can power on through the Melodramatic Manuscript, which will (maybe?) result in a Pretty Paycheck so that Stu the Stud and I can live in Uninterrupted, Unanimous Bliss for the rest of our days, rising above the Poverty and Predictability of a lower-class existence to the Heights of Happiness as faux-celebrities. Until I receive an Exciting Invitation to host SNL, which will be the Crowning Achievement of My Life.
God help whoever talks to me next.
...:/
All joking aside...
Mrs. Grumpypants is at work today, enjoying Doritos and Skittles for lunch (calcium, thiamin, phosphorus, and B6 from the chips, 50% of my daily Vitamin C from the skittles - WHAT?!) while considering the huge project I will be working on this afternoon.
Hopefully after that I will be working on Violet's Monster: Volume I, chapter 3.
And then it's time to grab something at Bi-Lo for dinner which will then end with brainstorming some writing ideas with a friend.
Meanwhile, my dishes still aren't done, the kitchen and bedroom are still a mess (yay for laundry!), and I haven't practiced harp since the last wedding gig 3 weeks ago.
If I wasn't laughing at SNL, I'd be crying.
I'm so tired.
So. Tired.
Mighty Melatonin is winging his way here and will arrive tomorrow, hopefully to rescue me from Evil Exhaustion so that I can power on through the Melodramatic Manuscript, which will (maybe?) result in a Pretty Paycheck so that Stu the Stud and I can live in Uninterrupted, Unanimous Bliss for the rest of our days, rising above the Poverty and Predictability of a lower-class existence to the Heights of Happiness as faux-celebrities. Until I receive an Exciting Invitation to host SNL, which will be the Crowning Achievement of My Life.
God help whoever talks to me next.
...:/
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Song for Today
Resilience - Thomas Newman
From A Series of Unfortunate Events (the movie)
This is my favorite piece of the score for this movie, and it plays during my favorite scene, which, coincidentally, is what the entire movie (and book series) is centered around.
From A Series of Unfortunate Events (the movie)
This is my favorite piece of the score for this movie, and it plays during my favorite scene, which, coincidentally, is what the entire movie (and book series) is centered around.
Meh
I haven't slept well in a week.
Hubby watched a scary movie and we've slept with the lamp on for days. Ugh. I'm not saying it didn't freak me out (I should follow my own advice - no horror movies!), but I can definitely sleep with just the night light (like usual).
Parker is doing her best to wake me up right as the sun comes up, and since I'm a light sleeper whenever Stu gets to bed I wake up, but it takes me another hour to go back to sleep.
My mom said manual labor makes you sleep better. Does anybody have some firewood they need chopped and stacked?!
I have no one to blame for my lack of sleepy, it just kind of...sucks. I'm exhausted and then I have to be at work all day and then I come home and the house is a mess and I just feel like laying on the couch and sobbing. Which might happen tonight. I don't know.
Anyway, I'm considering taking melatonin (I have a healthy fear of sleep aids)...caffeine will make me sleep too long, and as far as I can tell, exercise is the only form of "manual labor" I'm going to get right now (other than washing dishes, but those are ALMOST DONE!), so...have any of you taken melatonin? Something else to help you sleep?
I think part of why I don't sleep during the week is because I'm staring at a computer all day...I try to stay off it at home/during the weekends, but I want to play with my new Bamboo, so I've been playing with that some.
It's just several things that are keeping me from sleeping. I need to eliminate as many as possible. Maybe a night or two on the couch will help?
Meh.
How did I get this old already?
Hubby watched a scary movie and we've slept with the lamp on for days. Ugh. I'm not saying it didn't freak me out (I should follow my own advice - no horror movies!), but I can definitely sleep with just the night light (like usual).
Parker is doing her best to wake me up right as the sun comes up, and since I'm a light sleeper whenever Stu gets to bed I wake up, but it takes me another hour to go back to sleep.
My mom said manual labor makes you sleep better. Does anybody have some firewood they need chopped and stacked?!
I have no one to blame for my lack of sleepy, it just kind of...sucks. I'm exhausted and then I have to be at work all day and then I come home and the house is a mess and I just feel like laying on the couch and sobbing. Which might happen tonight. I don't know.
Anyway, I'm considering taking melatonin (I have a healthy fear of sleep aids)...caffeine will make me sleep too long, and as far as I can tell, exercise is the only form of "manual labor" I'm going to get right now (other than washing dishes, but those are ALMOST DONE!), so...have any of you taken melatonin? Something else to help you sleep?
I think part of why I don't sleep during the week is because I'm staring at a computer all day...I try to stay off it at home/during the weekends, but I want to play with my new Bamboo, so I've been playing with that some.
It's just several things that are keeping me from sleeping. I need to eliminate as many as possible. Maybe a night or two on the couch will help?
Meh.
How did I get this old already?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Volume I
Yesterday I had a friend visit the office - this poor friend is trying to re-write her first book in order to send out queries in hopes of getting published (I say poor because I am somewhat in the same boat, or at least next to it, and I feel like pulling my hair out most days, so I sympathize!). While I definitely think we'll see her book in bookstores before too much longer (It's great!! I love it!), I'm having a TIME with my book because:
1. I have been putting off working on it
2. I was unsure how to get it to match the other two books in the series
3. I didn't know how to start it
Luckily, having someone here to talk to helps A LOT and I finally figured out how to begin the first novel: with fear.
Now, it's not going to be a horror series. *Shudder* I can't even watch horror movies.
But I was talking to Stu the other day (I always learn something new!) and we were discussing how great stories have a theme that can often be boiled down to one word. It may be a "common" word (there are lots of great stories with the theme of "love" or "sacrifice" or "faith" or what have you), but it's the overarching theme that ties your story together.
The one word for Violet's Monster: Volumes I, II, & III is fear.
Each book deals with common fears I (and most people) had/have:
Fear of failure, fear of fate, fear of losing family, fear of intimacy, fear of forgetting/being forgotten, etc.
So, it only makes sense that instead of writing a cute prologue that intrigues the reader...the prologue should be scary - what does Violet fear? The first thing that people read should introduce them to what the series is about.
So today I'm going to attempt a different prologue. It starts with Violet getting ready for bed, and introduces you to the fact that Violet is very much afraid (read: terrified) of monsters. Not because that's what kids are scared of; but because she KNOWS they exist.
*shiver*
Wish me luck.
1. I have been putting off working on it
2. I was unsure how to get it to match the other two books in the series
3. I didn't know how to start it
Luckily, having someone here to talk to helps A LOT and I finally figured out how to begin the first novel: with fear.
Now, it's not going to be a horror series. *Shudder* I can't even watch horror movies.
But I was talking to Stu the other day (I always learn something new!) and we were discussing how great stories have a theme that can often be boiled down to one word. It may be a "common" word (there are lots of great stories with the theme of "love" or "sacrifice" or "faith" or what have you), but it's the overarching theme that ties your story together.
The one word for Violet's Monster: Volumes I, II, & III is fear.
Each book deals with common fears I (and most people) had/have:
Fear of failure, fear of fate, fear of losing family, fear of intimacy, fear of forgetting/being forgotten, etc.
So, it only makes sense that instead of writing a cute prologue that intrigues the reader...the prologue should be scary - what does Violet fear? The first thing that people read should introduce them to what the series is about.
So today I'm going to attempt a different prologue. It starts with Violet getting ready for bed, and introduces you to the fact that Violet is very much afraid (read: terrified) of monsters. Not because that's what kids are scared of; but because she KNOWS they exist.
*shiver*
Wish me luck.
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