Category Archives: General

Some Of My Favorite (Writing) Things

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Sometime in late October or early November, I mentioned my NaNo Survival Kit.  Quite a bit has changed in the last few months, so I thought I’d do an updated list.

What has stayed the same:

  • my magical binder: it has everything I need in it; It’s essential to writing…when I actually do any. 
  • music: I’m always looking for new music, and I definitely have some new music since then.  The only problem is when I’m distracted by the music I’m listening. 
  • USB drive: I still use it, although it’s much more sporadic now since I’ve been using dropbox.  But still, everything is on there, even if it’s not the most updated version. 
  • I still have an assortment of pens/sharpies/pencils/erasers, plus index cards and post-its: I do write stuff down, especially when I’m planning.  Index cards and post-its are very helpful for reminders or notes.
  • Snacks/food: Very important, as I need to eat.  I’m hoping that this year, I’ll have some food ready to go in the freezer.  Failing that, there’s always procrastination.

And this is what has changed:

  • Coffee: I still like coffee, and it’s still a very important drink, but I’ve decided to expand my drink list a little.
  • tea/hot chocolate/apple cider: I don’t drink much tea, hot chocolate or apple cider, but I’ve been drinking more of all 3 lately.  It never hurts to expand my drink rotation.
  • Writing Prompts: I like writing prompts because they get me to think about things in a different way, whether the prompt is serious or silly.  Plus, it gets my mind going, and once in a while, it’ll spark an idea. 
  • Other blogs: They’re definitely part of my writer’s toolbox.  Some, of course, are food-related, others are crafts-related.  It’s cool to see what other people are doing, and it gives me a break from writing. 
  • Writing hat: I got it at a halloween store that was going out of business, and trying to get rid of their inventory, so it was half-off.  I personally didn’t notice any difference in my ability to actually write more, but then again, I had writing ju-ju in spades.  It did get me into writing mode…when I actually remembered to wear it.  Maybe I need to start wearing my hat to get me into writing mode.   

From The Depths of My Mind

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I’m not really sure what to write about today, so here’s a few things going on:

  • I’ve decided I need to take a 1st aid/cpr class.  I have no idea where that came from, but it seems like a good idea.  And it can’t hurt because you never know when it’ll come in handy. 
  • i keep meaning to have a star wars marathon, a lord of the rings marathon, and a harry potter marathon, but I never seem to get around to it
  • keeping up the writing momentum is really hard- i’m perfectly fine during november, but keeping up any kind of pace is proving to be much harder.  Well, writing as far as novels go, because I’ve had no problem posting to my blog everyday. 
  • i must watch more movies.  And actually attempt to rewatch some of my favorite shows.  And catch up on a couple shows I’ve only started watching recently (namely in reruns on USA). 
  • I still haven’t read  many of the e-books I’ve found.  I’ve tried, but it’s not really working out too well, but I’ll keep trying.  I think I’m too distracted by everything else, namely the internet, to actually keep up with it. 

A Couple Lists Plus Some Inspiration

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One of the things I love about writing is that there’s inspiration to be found in anything.  Hate the ending of a book or movie (or even a tv show)?  Write your own version.  See someone wearing the most bizarre outfit?  Write into your novel.  Overhear a weird or interesting conversation or phrase?  Make it the opening line/conversation in your novel or short story.

Like, any job working with the public is writing gold!  I work at a museum, and the things you hear and see, provided enough material for 2 novels.  And if I’m being completely honest, probably enough for several more novels.

Reasons Why I Feel Like I Need to Write

  • I want to continue some of the projects I’ve started because I want to see how the story ends.
  • I have a few ideas that have some promise, and I want to see how they work out.  Plus, I want to get them out of my head, so I can have room for some shiny new ideas. 
  • I have quite a few prompts I want to write about, plus some quotes that I find very interesting and that “speak” to me. 
  • I’ve been feeling stressed/upset/worried/depressed/anxious, and writing in my journal seems to get that out of my head.

Reasons Why I’m Being So Hard On Myself About *Not* Writing:

  • I feel like I’m not writing, even though I am.  It’s like if I’m not working on my novels, I’m not writing anything.
  • I keep on telling myself that they’re not any good, even though there are some good things in the things I’m working on.  There’s always something good in everything I’ve written, even though there are spelling/grammar problems, major inconsistencies, and just some plain funny stuff. 
  • The work that I’d have to put in if I want to make it the best that it can be is overwhelming.  If I do it in baby steps, maybe it won’t be so overwhelming. 

I Hate Weird Dreams

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The last few nights I’ve had some really disturbing dreams.  They definitely were not nightmares, but still very disturbing.  They were disturbing enough to keep me up at night- I honestly didn’t want to get back to sleep after each one.   don’t remember most of them, but I thought I’d share the one I do remember. 

A couple nights ago, I had this dream right before I woke up, which is probably why I even remembered it in the first place.  So this guy is at a cafe, sitting outside.  On the table there was what appeared to be a bottle of wine.  Instead of wine, however, it turned out to be blood that he poured over raw meat, which he then ate.

It was so weird, so I decided to do some dream analysis courtesy of Dream Moods Dictionary.  I’m not going to share everything, just the highlights:

  • Blood: seeing blood represents life  and disappointment.  Dreaming about drinking blood represents a fresh burst of vitality and power.
  • Meat: seeing raw meat represents obstacles/discouragement that I will come across as I achieve my goals.  It may also reflect raw emotions and my untamed, animalistic nature.  Eating meat suggests that I’m getting to the heart of the matter, recognizing my instinctual energy, and seeing others achieve what I’m still aiming for.
  • Cafe: A cafe represents my social life, and may reflect that I need to call some old friends and catch up with them.
  • Eating Alone: It signifies loss, loneliness and depression.  It may reflect feelings of rejection, feeling excluded and cut off from family ties.

According to my dream, then, I’m feeling depressed because I see other people doing the things that I have yet to accomplish.  But by accomplishing the goals I have set for myself, I’ll come across a lot of obstacles and discouragement.  And I need to cut off family ties to do it, apparently.

The raw emotions bit was pretty telling, mostly because I’ve been feeling some very strong emotions lately.  This is what I get for writing in my journal right before going to bed- bits and pieces of my journal entry from that night led to me dreaming about it.  

It wasn’t until I actually looked up what everything meant that I started to get even more freaked out.  Of course, writing about it right before going to sleep is probably what brought it up in my dreams.  But still, it’s frighteningly accurate of what I’ve been feeling the last few months.

This is why I don’t like to analyze my dreams- mostly because I get too caught up in what it all means, and I drive myself crazy trying to figure it out.  It shouldn’t really happen this time, since it seems to be the result of me journaling.

If Only…

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Image Courtesy Of photocult

I love this picture.  I can totally see myself living in some cottage by a lake, just writing away.  Not necessarily this house or this lake, but a cottage (or house or cabin, whatever) on some lake.  By the way, I found the picture here, in case anyone is wondering.

Moving on, I know it’s stereotypical.  Writer alone in the woods or out in nature somewhere, just writing away.  Ignoring the hustle and bustle of the world, honing their craft.

It does have a certain appeal though.  Mostly because writing at home is something I’m finding more and more difficult.  I can’t afford to go out to a coffee shop everyday, even if I got something really cheap.  I don’t mind being productive in the middle of the night, especially since that’s the best time for getting anything done.  The house is quiet, because everyone’s sleeping.  However, it’s not practical, because I do need to sleep, no matter how weird my sleeping patterns are.

The only problem is that I tend to get at least some inspiration from the world around me- from interesting people I see, from overheard conversations, weird questions…if I completely isolate myself, I would lose part of my inspiration.

Maybe…it could be a vacation house!  And on vacation (if I ever take one), I could go there!  Or a long weekend, perhaps.  You know, when I’m not working on that list of things I want to do before I die.  I think I may be on to something…

10 Things I Want To Do

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I feel like a lot of people have a list of things they want to do before they die, so I thought I’d share my list.

  1. Go to Times Square for New Year’s Eve: I know it’s really cliché, but it always looks like so much fun.  And every year, I tell myself that I’m going to go.  One day, one day.
  2. Finish a novel: My ability to actually finish a novel is very debatable at this point, but someday I will actually finish one, instead of stopping at around 50k.  Even if it takes me the rest of my life to actually finish one, I will.
  3. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: It’s a must for any Harry Potter fan.  After all, what Harry Potter fan doesn’t want to make the trek over to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
  4. Go to England: I’ve always been fascinated by England, and I would love to go there.  Maybe I need to publish a best-selling novel, and then I can go on a writer’s retreat there.  This would require me to actually complete #2, and then publish it… 
  5. Alnwick Castle: this is the castle they used in the Harry Potter movies.  I do have a thing for castles, and this one…is the only castle on my list.  But castles are pretty awesome.
  6. Have my own personal library: I would love to have a mini-library in my house.  I doubt I could convince my grandma to let me turn the computer room into a library, but perhaps when I’m on my own…
  7. Learn to bake bread: making my own bread scares me, but I want to learn.  It doesn’t look hard, but it seems so…time-consuming, which is the thing that scares me.
  8. learn another language: my attempts at learning spanish failed, but I would like to speak another language besides english.  Spanish would probably be the best choice, as I’m at least familiar with it, and I wouldn’t have any problem with it.  French and Italian are also on my list.  French, because I’m part french.  And I’m not sure why Italian is on my list, but it does like slightly similar to spanish, so I might not have too much trouble with it.
  9. Visit the Smithsonian: I love museums, and honestly, the Smithsonian seems so cool. 
  10. Ireland: I’d love to go to Ireland, mostly because I’m also Irish.  And Ireland is also really interesting.  It looks so pretty in the pictures I’ve seen. 

I Have A Thing For Cookies

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Cookies are always my default dessert. I don’t know what it is about cookies, but they’re generally awesome, easy to make, and as far as writing goes, they make an excellent snack. Plus, there’s a ton of different cookie recipes because everyone has their own take on cookies.  Chocolate chip tends to be my default, but once in a while I’ll make peanut butter cookies or sugar cookies. 

I definitely need to branch out more as far as cookies go, and make something different. 

Cake Mix Cookies

Cake Mix Cookies!  These were by far the easiest cookies I’ve ever made in my life.  Cake mix, eggs and oil.  And I couldn’t help but eat them all.  They are definitely a keeper. 

Taco Casserole

In other cooking news, I made taco casserole, pictured above.  It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself.  Also another keeper. 

And speaking of branching out, I did make a marble cake for my grandma’s birthday.  I pretty much never make cake (unless you count cupcakes), so this was definitely a challenge.  Especially since the recipe I used was very precise.  And I used a bundt pan, which was fine…until I had to get the cake out of it, as you can see below. 

Marble Cake

Part of it stuck to the pan, and so it came it lopsided.  Cutting cake isn’t really my strong point, in fact, I’m not the best at cutting cake.  So I tend to make stuff that I don’t have to cut, except for the rare batch of brownies.  But other than the cake being lopsided, it turned out okay, and my grandma liked it.  Of course, she likes most everything, so I don’t think it means very much, but she did like it, which is all that matters.

Hurricane Vase

So I also made this vase for my grandma’s birthday.  Granted, all I did was paint it, and that was Plan B, after I broke the candlestick holder that was supposed to be glued to the bottom of the vase.  And then I filled it with potpourri, as seen below. 

Hurricane Vase With Potpourri

It’s been a busy couple weeks, what with the reading and the cooking and the being craftsy.  I’ll admit, my painting skills also need some work, but my grandma liked it, so all is good.

Spaghetti Sauce and Muffins

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We’re only a few days into February (not November, which I had started to type), and I’ve made spaghetti sauce and chocolate chip pumpkin muffins!  I’m already halfway to my food goals for the month, which is amazing.  I’ve learned that my kitchen doesn’t have the best lighting for pictures, even in broad daylight, but it’s something I’ll have to work with.

Spaghetti Sauce

I obviously didn’t do the best job pouring it into the container, but that’s okay.  This is seriously the best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever had in my life.  I actually like my spaghetti sauce really simple (and that’s when I eat it).  I’m not the biggest fan of any kind of sauce with my spaghetti.  I tend to like my spaghetti with just parmesan cheese.  But I thought I’d try making spaghetti sauce, and this recipe jumped out at me because of it’s simplicity- tomatoes, butter, and onions.  And the onions don’t even stay in the sauce, although I suppose you could chop them up and throw them back into the pot. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’ve made pumpkin muffins before, but never with chocolate chips!  I think next time, I’m not going to put in so many chocolate chips, because the 1 cup that the recipe called for overwhelmed the flavor of the pumpkin.  The pumpkin was frozen, since I meant to use it for something else, and never did.  I had taken it out a couple days ago, and much to my dismay, the pumpkin was still slighty frozen.  It was just as well that there were a lot of chocolate chips, to balance out the watery-ness of the pumpkin.  You couldn’t tell that the pumpkin wasn’t completely thawed, which may or may not have been due to the chocolate chips.  But they are something I’d make again.

Crafts

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I think I first started to get into crafts about a year ago, but I’ve really been itching to do some crafts in about October or November.

I think I’ve mentioned before how my grandma used to crafts, and how I wished I had learned them from her when I had the chance.  And I believe I’ve mentioned the possibility of actually doing crafts this year, instead of just looking for crafts and thinking about how I should try that.

There are so many cute things out there that I just need to make!  The main problem is that I don’t have enough room to actually store all the supplies I’d need, since every project has few supplies in common.  It would definitely take some thinking and some planning in order to make room for the things I’d need.

Plus, it’d be a good skill to have.  Like, I really need to learn how to hem up my pants.  I’m short, and most pants tend to be really long on me, so being able to hem them up so I don’t trip on them would be a good thing.  I’m klutzy enough, and I don’t really need to make it any worse.  But being able to sew (and be somewhat crafty) would definitely be good because I’d be able to hem up pants and sew on buttons, and that kind of thing.

I’ll post pictures of any crafts I do.  Should be fun!

Resolution Update!

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I thought today I’d talk about how my resolutions are going. 

  • going to the gym/doing any sort of exercise isn’t going well.  I’ve gone to the gym a handful of times, and it’s always when I’ve been out and about doing stuff.  It’s a lot harder when I’m sitting at home doing nothing. 
  • Volunteering: this is going terribly.  I haven’t decided on a 2nd place, and I have yet to make it down to the library.  Although I did volunteer at the food bank a few days ago, so it hasn’t been a complete loss.
  • grad school: this is going to be on a hold for a while, just because I’m trying to figure out what I want to do.  Volunteering will help me decide, but as I haven’t really done anything with that the decision is going to have to wait a while.
  • baking and cooking something new once a month: this is going very well, but I have a lot of things I want to make, so this one isn’t worrying me.
  • Read/reread a book every month: I’ve only reread one book, and I’m attempting to read a few other for the 1st time (which isn’t going to well).  However, I still have today and tomorrow to read a new book, so I think I should have it covered.
  • most of what I’m writing is my daily blog post, although I have managed to write an 4600 for Turning Point in the last couple months.  I have written a few journal entries too. 
  • I haven’t done too much planning for anything else, other then what I’ve posted here. 
  • And I haven’t done any editing/revising yet.  I’m trying to decide if I should finish working on Turning Point first, and then go back and start editing, or if I should do it as I go along.  I’m leaning more towards waiting until I think I’m done writing, because I don’t want to cut stuff out and then have to put it back in.  Plus, I don’t want any revisions or edits to get in the way of actually trying to finish the thing.