Tag Archives: fun facts

It’s A Wonder I Keep Writing

Posted in Turning Point by

I don’t go back and re-read anything I’ve written very often.  I’ve been doing that recently, and they’re really not that bad.  Sure, sometimes I want to find the nearest cliff and jump off it, or bang my head against a wall repeatedly, but it still amazes me what I can actually come up with in a month. 

I have some funny stuff from Turning Point, so obviously the weird things I manage to write aren’t exclusive to November.  It is pretty interesting to me that Turning Point is the only one I’ve managed to work on.  For some reason, it’s the only one that I’m attached to.  Of course, it is the only one I’ve ever planned, which might have something to do with it. 

  • “Let me change your mind,” kiora said.  “I will.” (Is there a wall I can bang my head against?  Besides, why would Blake agree to let Kiora change his mind?)
  • “You can bever tread too much harry poiterr.  (there are no words)
  • “I thought it had to be dry to dit.”  (Dit is the contraction of do it.  In case anyone was wondering.)
  • “Why do you have to do it befoe your hair dries?” (I love inventing new words, and befoe is one of my favorites!)
  • “What’s with your hair?” asked kyle.  “It’s not fizzy.”  (I should hope not, that sounds terrible.  And by the way, it’s not frizzy either.  Which is what I think Kyle meant to say.)

I do know that with writing, stuff like fizzy hair is going to just…come out.  It’s also the reason why I do one reread (if that).  But…it does make me smile, which is becoming more rare for me.  Anyway, I’m still surprised at what I manage to write.

Mike Adams

Posted in Character Spotlight, Wildflower by

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about one of my characters, so this post has been long overdue.

Mike Adams is from Wildflower, and made his 1st appearance in my 2006 NaNo.

He’s 31, and has brown hair and brown eyes. He plays 3rd base for the Ashton Bears, and is an only child. He has a daughter (cassie, I still don’t have an age for her, but I feel like she’s around 4 or 5). He used to be married, but his wife died while they were in the process of getting divorced. In fact, the only reason why they got married was because of Cassie.

Everything he does is for Cassie, and he, at times, wishes that he had never pressured Cassie’s mom into getting married. He does want to get married again, but he’s going to be more cautious about it because of his 1st wife, and because of Cassie.

My favorite thing about him is that he’s very giving, thoughtful and generous, but he’s also a little too giving.  He wasn’t afraid to help Chloe out when she needed it, and would do anything for her.

I definitely set things up so that they’d end up together in the end, which is cliché.  He comes in and saves her, and after a while, they realize that the person they were looking for was in front of them all along.  Although, why not use clichés in November?  It’s not like I have the time to come up with something original or different.

But his concern for Chloe, and his appreciation for Chloe helping out with Cassie is sweet.  Anyone who dates him is going to have to be okay with his job (and not care about his money, despite what my handwritten notes say).  Liking kids is a must, and furthermore, if Cassie doesn’t like who he’s with, she’s probably not going to be in the picture for long.  And of course, all of the baggage from his 1st marriage.  She’s going to have to be okay with the fact that he has some regrets about that.

Is There A Cliff I Can Jump Off?

Posted in Other Projects by

The whole time I read Stab My Back, I felt like jumping off a cliff.  I’ve never read something so funny in my life.  While I expected that it would be bad, I never expected it to be so hilariously bad.  I kid you not, I couldn’t stop laughing, especially for the 1st half of it.  I figured out what I wanted to do with it, and where I wanted it to go after about 25k.  I’m still not completely sure what it’s about, but what I’ve managed to figure out, it’s about this girl betrayed by her friends and family, and she has to lead the magical world to…something.  So here’s a sample of what I found:

  • adttingrer picking them up.  (and once you do that, Izzie, can put the pieces together after picking them up?) 
  • I would look fairly unrecognizable, rather unlike myself.  (that would be the point of disguising yourself, yes?)
  • So, I aslked for an paplicatrion (You asked for what?)
  • I hated not knowing things- and when I did know things, I only knew aprts of things, and not the whole thing, so the pieces of things I did know did not make sense uintil after theyt happened.  Unless I happened to know the whole thing, which was not very often (can I go jump off that cliff now?)
  • a pink and white swirl of light swirled around us.   (Swirling colors swirl?  You’re kidding me.)
  • This was all so confusing.  And I hated being confused, because being confused meant that things were confuising.  (Yes, I’d like to speak to the manager of the department of redundancy department manager.)

And believe me, there’s more where that came from.  I seriously felt the need to bang my head against the wall.  Because this is what happens when 1- you write 100,000 words in one month, especially for the 1st time, and 2- when you start a new novel a few days in, with no idea of what I’m writing about.  I may have to try it again sometime, just to see what would happen.

10 Most Played Songs

Posted in Music by

I thought I’d share my 10 most played songs, according to iTunes. 

1- No Way by Starkid Potter; 34 times; this is one of my favorite songs from both AVPM and AVPS.  It’s no surprise I’ve listened to it so many times,

2- Days of Summer by Starkid Potter; 26 times; also one of my favorite songs from AVPM and AVPS. 

3-Teenage Dream by Katy Perry; 21 times; I think it got played a lot during November, since it was one of the songs on my Turning Point playlist.  Plus, it’s kinda catchy.

4-Wildflower by The JaneDear Girls; 20 times; I was mildy surprised that I listened to this song so many times.  I really have no explanation for it.  But it is a pretty good song.

5-It Is What It Is by Lifehouse; 15 times; for some reason, this song reminds me of Broken (also by Lifehouse) and You Found Me (by The Fray).  For some reason, this song always makes me feel better.

6- Today Was A Fairytale by Taylor Swift; 15 times; it’s a really cute song, which is partly why I like it so much.  But I also like Taylor Swift, so…yeah. 

7- Love The Way You Lie by Eminem; 14 times; this song is really heart-breaking.  At least for me.  And haunting.

8- Obliviate from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 Soundtrack; 14 times; this song is also really haunting.  It’s easily the most recognizable from the soundtrack, and everytime I hear it, I think of Hermione erasing her parents memories of her. 

9- She Is Love (Full Band Version) by Parachute; 14 times; this song is really sweet. 

10- Jump Then Fall by Taylor Swift; 14 times; the 2nd Taylor Swift song on the list.  It’s also a very cute/sweet song.

Look After You

Posted in Look After You by

I read part of Look After You, one of my 2009 novels.  If you want to get technical, I read the attempted continuation that I did last May, but who cares about technicalities?  I thought I’d share some of the gems that I found.

  • That your independent and that your identity is dependent on me.” (this makes no sense- lindsay is independent, yet her identity depends on josh?)
  • I’m cute most of the time except for the times when I’m annoying.” (there’s nothing weird about this sentence, but I thought it was pretty funny)
  • “No one is offended the menu!” I exclaimed.  (my inner editor must hate me because of the wods words I tend to leave out; Updated 1/23, even with blog entries, my inner editor must hate me.  Leaving letters out can be just as funny/weird as leaving words out)
  • But it was the best food ever.  I kid you not.  Best fruit ever (*facepalm*)

Granted, that group isn’t that bad, because really, it could be worse.  A lot worse.  But considering I just…stopped after a week, it’s not a big surprise that it’s not nearly as funny as it could have been.  I couldn’t help but giggle, though, because there were parts that were just too cheezy.  It’s no wonder my inner editor hates me, and always wants me attention, with a lot of the stuff that just spews from my finger. 

I would also like to point out that a whole chapter was devoted to Lindsay hoping that her wedding would be a disaster.  And she talked about it while at her wedding.  She was pretty disappointed that she didn’t spill on herself, and that she only tripped once.  And I do believe there was something about needing to get drunk so something entertaining would happen.  Clearly, I wanted to have things wrong with Lindsay.  At least, I think I wanted something to be wrong with her, I really can’t remember now. 

I think I’m slowly re-reading everything, so who knows what I’ll find?

Character Profile: Me

Posted in General by

I thought today I’d character profile myself. 

Hometown and Current City: San Diego!  (awesome weather the last few days!)

Siblings: Nope.  I’m an only child.

Favorite Color(s): Tie between pink, black, and purple.

Favorite Animal: Cats, Dolphins, and Butterflies

Favorite Soda: Dr. Pepper.  But I’m also partial to squirt and fresca.

Favorite Sports: Gymnastics, ice-skating, swimming, and baseball.  I will admit to watching the olympics 24/7 when it’s on, even the stuff I could care less about. 

Favorite subjects: english (which probably isn’t a big surprise) and history.  Or pretty much any social science.   

Favorite music:  it’s hard to say, but I think I have to go with country.

Favorite food: mexican and italian.  does dessert count?  because if it does, then it’s totally one of my favorites.

Favorite games: candyland; monopoly; mario kart; apples to apples 

Favorite tv shows: House, Grey’s Anatomy, Gilmore Girls and NCIS (why did I not start watching this show earlier?  I seriously need to catch up on it)

Fears: spiders, needles (although not as much as I used to be)

likes: the zoo; roller coasters; languages; swings; trampolines; baking!; coloring; board/card games

dislikes: ferris wheels (but I will go on them); bugs/insects; driving (there are some scary drivers out there!); wearing shoes

Majored in: sociology; almost double majored in sociolgy and social work, but then I ended up dropping social work as a major. 

When I was little I wanted to be: a teacher.  I think I said a nurse at one point.  But mostly a teacher.

If I were at Hogwarts, I’d be a: toss-up between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.  But I’m leaning more towards Hufflepuff. 

Favorite vegetables and fruit: watermelon, apples, carrots, brocoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes

Least favorite fruits and vegetables: brussel sprouts, asparagus, eggplant

favorite holiday: christmas and st patricks day

Least favorite holiday: valentines day and thanksgiving

Random Stuff:

  • I love coffee.  It’s my friend.
  • I went camping once, and it was fun. 
  • Disney movies are amazing (snow white is my all-time favorite)
  • i like fruit snacks
  • i love rachael ray
  • the last movie I was in theaters was Black Swan- it was good!  (but I’m still annoyed with the ending)
  • My grandma used to do arts and crafts, and I wished I had learned from her before she had her stroke. 
  • I’m 4’10- I’m just tall enough to go on roller coasters
  • I still sleep with a stuffed bear named Sammy.  I’ve had him for as long as I can remember.
  • I wear glasses.
  • I once sprained my ankle go-karting (and I still have no idea how I managed to do that)
  • I used to be a girl scout and I used to take ballet.
  • I also used to play softball

Turning Point Update

Posted in Turning Point by

Random Note: My top 24 book list has it’s own page, so if you haven’t checked it out, it’s right next to the current projects page!

I’ve finally read it for the 1st time, since, well, ever.  And I have to say, I’m pretty impressed.  In the five years I’ve done NaNo, this is (so far) the only one where I thought most of it was pretty decent, with a few parts even being (dare I say it?) good.  There’s the requisite fluffy parts, some parts that are cute, and a lot I can work with.  I actually think (if I ever go back and edit) that I’ll end up keeping most of it.  It’s still needs a lot of work, of course, because I did write it in a month.  But I’m pretty happy with a lot of it!  I also thought I’d share some of the gems I found.

  • They are doing their jon.  (don’t you mean they’re doing their job?  doing their jon did give me a laugh though)
  • “That’s very sensical,” laughed ian.  “Don’t you mean logical?” asked kiora.  “Nope, I meant logical.”  (I have no idea know if using the word sensical was on purpose or an accident- either way, I decided to run with it, with some strange results)
  • Plus, if your dad decides to ruin for office it’ll be good to make nice with people.” (Sienna, I think you meant to say run for office, although given kiora and blake have a strained relationship at best, running for office may not be the best idea)
  • “Please be quiet,” kiora begged.  “I know you don’t want to relieve high school, but if you two don’t stop, then I’ll fail everything and end up on welfare because I had to drop out of school.  Is that what you want?” (there may not be anything wrong with this sentence, but it amused me)
  • Kyle somehow managed to glare at dustin most of the ride home.  (I didn’t know glaring was that hard)

There’s definitely a lot more where that came from, so I’ll be posting them every once in a while.  Some of it, I definitely didn’t remember writing, which is to be expected- and it definitely makes any rereads interesting.  It’s like, I wrote that?  Some of it made me scratch my head, and stare at the screen in wonder.

Dustin Ellis Sullivan

Posted in Character Spotlight, Turning Point by

So, Dustin is one of Kiora’s secret service agents.  I don’t have an exact age for him, but he’s in his late 20’s (at the youngest).  Estimating his age was such a pain that I gave up, especially since there were a lot of different variables that frustrated me. 

So Dustin is around 6’4″ making him pretty tall (at least, compared to my height, which is 4’10).  His hometown is Austin, Texas, and has a degree is psychology.  His major is something that I definitely want to change, as psychology is a little too cliche for my tastes.  He tends to be pretty extroverted, and is pretty judgemental of others.  He can be pretty emotional but he also tends to be stoic- it just depends on what’s going on.  He’s really self-confident. 

His favorite colors are blue and brown, he likes Italian food, dogs, darts and Christmas.  He hats cats, board games, apple cider, hair products, and pudding.  He’s scared of needles and heights.  And according to my notes, minored in math, which is weird because I distinctly remember him making some comment about how Kiora’s weird because she likes math.

Chloe Douglas

Posted in Character Spotlight, Wildflower by

Chloe is definitely one of my favorite characters, and one that is very near and dear to my heart.  She was the main character in my 2006 (and very first!) NaNo. 

She definitely has a lot in common with me, and she was partly based off me.  I made up a lot of stuff about her life, but there are also a lot of things that happened to me that I ended up writing in.

So she’s an only child, lived with her grandparents and mom until they died, and never knew her dad.  She tends to bottle things up, tends to cry a lot, and avoids dealing with things.  She hates conflict, and only deals with it when she has to. 

Her deepest, darkest secret is that by the time she’s no longer taking of anyone, and is fully on her own, she’ll be too old to care that she can finally live her own life.  She’s definitely motivated by fear, and is scared of change and being alone.  She has more family issues than she knows what to do with.

I never did a fun facts sheet for her, mostly because I didn’t have time, but she is a writer and wants to be a best-selling author.

Why I Write

Posted in General by

Today’s post is devoted completely to why I love writing and reading.  No blog about writing is complete without me talking about why I write.

I’ve written in journals since I was about 12, and in high school, I started (but never finished) a couple harry potter fanfics and a couple original stories, plus I wrote a lot of poetry. 

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 17, but looking through my old journals, it’s definitely been there since I was 12.  And when my grandpa was sick when I was in college, I was the main caregiver for him.

Writing was my best (and at the time, only) way of dealing with everything going on around me, and my way of getting the ideas floating around my head out onto paper.  

Since I felt like I couldn’t talk about what was going on (semi-long story, but it boils down to family issues), I turned to writing, since it’s my way of expressing myself, and working out what I was feeling and writing about everything going on around me, even when I didn’t understand what was going on.

It’s definitely an important part of my life, and November reminded me how much I love writing, and that I do need to write on a regular basis.  Even if I don’t write everyday, it’s still something that I need to do.  One of my earliest memories is of my grandpa taking me to the library every week.  He loved reading, and my love of learning and reading definitely came from him.  Writing definitely became an offshoot of that, mainly because I’d finish reading a boook, and wonder what happen to the characters after the book ended.  Or I’d wonder what would have happened if event B happened instead of event A. 

So that’s why I started writing, and where I got my love of reading.  And you got to learn a little more about me, which I hope gives some insight into my writing, and the ideas that pop into my head.