Tag Archives: Inspiration

The Evolution Of A Family Tree

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Today’s post is how my family tree has evolved over the last couple weeks or so.

The Basic Structure Of My Family Tree

The picture above is the basic structure of the family.  It starts off with Chastity, who is the great-grandmother, and goes from there.  I wanted to do it in pencil so I could erase things as needed.  It’s a little bit messy, but it works.

Rough Draft, Version One Of The Family Tree

This picture is the first version of the tree, complete with names.  Except for the one section that doesn’t have names, because I didn’t give myself enough room…and I didn’t feel like changing it so I could have enough room.  Plus, I needed to redo the tree since it was still a little funky.  Still in pencil, but that’s because it’s easier to change things if it’s all in pencil.

Family Tree, Version 2 Of The Rough Draft

And this is the most recent tree, with names for most everyone…the only exceptions being the four unnamed children, who will probably have a few mentions.  I also have a few notes- mostly on who’s dead, which will be a good reference for the different funerals they’ll all be going to.  Plus, I have a note on who’s divorced and a note that someone’s a single parent.  It’s still in pencil, thank goodness, because I did have to make a couple changes to it.  I still don’t like how it’s formatted, but it’s better than the previous draft.  I think what I need to do is have a bigger version, which will probably help.

For the super final version (that hasn’t happened yet), I’ll probably do different colors to distinguish between the different branches.  I’m going to put off that super final version on posterboard until October in case things change between now and then.  And honestly, that’s highly likely, depending on what I come up with.  I know posterboard isn’t expensive, but I really don’t want to buy it until I have to.

Honestly, I’m so glad I have a list of names I like, because it was really helpful to have a list I could pick from.  I tried to make the names as different as I could, which didn’t always work in some cases.  But I’m not too worried since, I’m going to focus on only a few people anyway.  Writing it all out definitely helped me in terms of how they’re all related.  I took a look at a basic family tree detailing how cousins are related, and it makes a lot more sense now that I have names I can attach to each spot on the chart.

I think this novel is definitely going to be an adventure!

And on a random side-note:

Pottermore has finally been revealed!  I’ve been waiting to see what it is, and it’ll be the only place to get an e-reader version of the series.  Plus, JKR has a lot of unused info concering the series, so that will be revealed too!  It sounds awesome and I can’t wait until October, when everything will be set to go.

Dragon’s Keep

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Book: Dragon’s Keep by Janet Lee Carey

Pages/Format: 302/Hardcover

My Thoughts: Dragon’s Keep is about Rosalind, who is a princess destined to fulfill a 600-year-old prophecy from Merlin.  She is born with one dragon’s talon, which her mother desperately tries to get rid of.  When she reveals it to a dragon on the island where she lives, she is taken by the dragon, and learns of her mother’s treachery and her dragon blood.

The story moved pretty slow, but I really wanted to know why Rosalind was born with a dragon’s talon.  It was indicated that Rosalind’s mother (the Queen) did something before/during her pregnancy which resulted in the dragon’s talon.  It turns out that her mother sucked on a dragon egg in order to have Rosalind.

I didn’t particularly care for most of the last third of the book- she’s taken by Lord Faul (a dragon), and raises his children because it was a fair trade for the knights who killed his mate.  She learns dragontongue, but one of the things I found most interesting was the Queen’s role in Rosalind’s dragon talon.  We learned several chapters earlier that Demetra got a dragon egg that the Queen ate, which helped her become pregnant with Rosalind.  The Queen also had a backup plan- her servant Aliss was also pregnant, and if the queen didn’t become pregnant, she’d pretend she was, and take Aliss’s child Kit, who later becomes a friend/servant to Rosalind.

The one thing I thought was odd was that no one questioned why Rosalind wore gloves all the time- even her father didn’t seem to notice.  I get she’s a princess, and for all we know, it could have been a custom for royalty to wear gloves, but at the same time, I still find it slightly odd that no one seems to care that she’s constantly wearing gloves.

I still don’t completely understand the dragon talon thing- it seemed to be a curse for sucking the dragon egg in order to have a child…but did she have some dragon blood in her because of what her mother did, or was it really a curse?  I want to know!

Rating: 3 out of 5.  I loved the premise, but felt it could have used a little more work.  Still, I enjoyed it.

The Harry Potter Soundtracks

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I love the Harry Potter soundtracks, and can’t believe I haven’t devoted a whole post to them!  I don’t have all of the soundtracks, just the ones from the first couple movies, plus the Deathly Hollows part one soundtrack.  I just love the music and it makes me think of how much I love the books!  On a random sidenote, I definitely need to re-read the books and watch the movies before Deathly Hallows part 2 comes out.  At the very least, I need to watch the movies plus read deathly hallows. 

Back to the soundtracks.  I love, love, love Harry’s Wondrous World.  It’s so magical, and everytime I hear it, I am automatically reminded of the sense of wonder I felt when I read the series for the very first time.

I don’t listen to the Chamber of Secrets soundtrack very often- if I do, it’s usually the Chamber of Secrets version of Harry’s Wondrous World, but other then that, I don’t tend to listen to it too often.  I do recommend Fawkes Is Reborn though. 

From the Philospher’s Stone, I really like Harry’s Wondrous World, like I said earlier, but Entry Into The Great Hall/The Banquet is good, as is Christmas At Hogwarts, Leaving Hogwarts, and of course, Hedwig’s Theme. 

As for Deathly Hallows, Part One, Obliviate is my absolute favorite song on the whole soundtrack.  It brings it so many emotions- it’s the song they play at the very beginning of the movie, and in combination with Hermione erasing her parents’ memories of her, it really brings to life the gravity of what’s happening and what’s at stake.  Snape To Malfoy Manor is another favorite, along with Farewell To Dobby.  I also like Sky Battle and At The Burrow. 

The soundtracks are definitely some of my favorites to listen to.  There’s no words, so I can’t get distracted by singing along, and there are some memories that I have attached to certain songs.

And Now For Your Weekly Update

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I think last week was my best week for writing.  At least in terms of not struggling.  I know I mentioned it in a different post how much I loved doing the average thing.  I’ve been keeping track of how much I’m writing every week, and I wanted to try tailoring my weekly word goal to each project, since I’m struggling with some projects and not others.  It seemed like taking the average for each project would be the best way to do this, and it worked so well, I’m going to keep doing this.  At least for the time being, until I get a a different idea for a weekly goal.  In all honesty, I think the average is a lot closer to what I’m writing every week for each novel, so it’s something that I want to stick with. 

I haven’t really worked on any of my plot bunnies, but I definitely have decided to do a family tree for my newest plot bunny.  I spend a good 20 minutes or so trying to figure out one of those family tree table things, and it made my brain want to explode.  If I write it out (which will probably be a great idea once it’s done), then maybe I can understand how everyone’s related a little better.  Plus, I’m going to have to do a family tree any way, so I might as well get a rough draft together.  Plus, it’ll help me come up with characters, which is always a good thing.  Especially since the idea that I really like is a different funeral each chapter, and each funeral would be told from the POV of a different person.  Even if I don’t go with that idea, it’ll still be useful, since a family tree would be setting up most of the basic groundwork for the novel. 

I can’t remember if I mentioned my idea for next month’s Camp NaNo- I’m going to go with my NCIS fanfiction, since I want to get that novel done before the season starts.  My idea is based off the season finale, and while I don’t have to do it before November, I think I will.  Just because I don’t want my idea to be influenced by anything that pops up next season.  It would also be kind of interesting to see if anything I come up with shows up next season.  It seems like Camp NaNo is going to continue into August, so I might use one of my other plot bunnies in August.  It really depends on what I get done in the next couple months. 

I think I might have decided on which ideas I’m going to do for NaNo: the one about the pact, and the one about a family only seeing each other at funerals.  I have no clue what I want to do for my historical fiction, so that’s going to be shelved until I can actually narrow down my ideas.  Or maybe I just need to pick one idea and go with it, and hope for the best.  I think my main problem is that I don’t want to pick the wrong idea for it.  There’s also the fact that I love the time period and there are so many things I could do with it- I’m pretty much like a kid in a candy store, and I can’t make up my mind.  If I decide to do Camp NaNo in August, then I’ll probably end up doing my secret government agency idea, because that’s the one that I’m not too interested in.  I think for now, I’ll just keep working on everything, and hope that I’ll actually be able to make up my mind!

And, before I go, here’s my weight loss update!  I lost just under a pound, and I actually went to the gym last week!  Granted, it was just once, but once is better than not going at all, so that was a plus. 

I think that’s all for now, so I hope everyone has a great day!

Let’s Talk About…Food!

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I think it’s been a while since I’ve devoted a post to food, so that’s what I’m going to talk about today!

The whole cooking and baking 2 new things each month is going well.  I made lemon bars the other day, and they turned out a lot better than I thought they would.  I made chocolate cupcakes with a buttercream frosting yesterday.  I decided to add some color to the frosting- half have purple frosting, the other half have blue frosting.  I didn’t mix the cupcakes as well as I could have, but they turned out okay. 

I also made a moroccan saute- it has zucchini, corn, chick peas (or garbanzo beans, whatever you want to call them) and couscous.  I haven’t had any, but it smells yummy! 

As for my progress through my cookbooks, I’ve been focusing on my vegetarian times one lately.  I’m not sure why, but right now, I don’t feel like cooking anything from rachael ray.  Plus, my vegetarian cookbook is full of things that I wouldn’t ordinarily eat; one of my reasons for cooking 2 new things each month is try to different things, and what better way to do this than a cookbook full of things I don’t normally eat?

There so many things I want to make, and there’s so little time to make everything!

Plot Bunny Update!

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I thought I’d share some of my notes from some of my plot bunnies.

Plot Bunny 1: The Pact; 2 best friends make a pact, and it has far-reaching consequences

  • I’m definitely going with the idea that Poppy is sick, and ends up dying.  Jordan promises not to tell anyone, and then everything goes to hell once she dies.
  • After reading Fairy Tale and Graceling, I came up with the idea that maybe she has a superpower or extreme skill or something, and that’s what kills her.  But I’m still not sure about what kind of power or whatever to give her.  I know I’d have to work out the medical aspect, so I may need to look into that first.
  • My main question is how she figures this out- has she always had it, and it’s making a sudden appearance, or had she always had it and it goes into overdrive?  Maybe it’s been gradually appearing, and she doesn’t know what’s happening until it’s too late.

Plot Bunny 2: Secret Government Agency; Kaylee comes across a mysterious group of men, who are connected to a secret government agency.

  • I was originally thinking of something similar to the adjustment bureau, which was in theaters recently.  But now I’m not sure if I want to go in that direction.  But I’m keeping that as an option for now.
  • I’m leaning towards having her job put her in danger- she accidently finds something out that she wasn’t supposed to, and now these men are following her.
  • As for the men themselves, are they a super-secret part of some agency we know about, or are they an independent agency to keep an eye on everyone?  I need to figure out who these men are, because all I have are some vague possibilities. 

Plot Bunny 3: Funerals; this is my most recent plot bunny- a family only gets together for funerals`

  • At every funeral, they talk about how they need to see each other at events that aren’t funerals- they might organize a family reunion or something, but I haven’t decided on that yet.
  • If I decide to do just a series of funerals, then each one will probably be told from the POV of a different family member. 
  • I definitely need to do a family tree.  It’s going to be a large extended family, with lots of second and third cousins.  I’ll need to keep everyone straight, and if I decide to use different POV’s, then it’ll be a necessity.  I really should do one no matter what.  I must make sure all the names are distinct enough that I won’t confuse anyone.  Which I’m sure will happen once November hits, because what’s NaNo unless you confuse a few characters?

Right now, I’m really excited about PB 3, mostly because it’s bright and shiny, and I love bright and shiny ideas.  But I did get the idea from a family funeral I went to last week…so inspiration really can come from anywhere!

Here’s A Random Music List

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a music post, so I thought I’d share some of the music I’ve been listening to.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Oliver Boyd, but here’s some other songs/artists:

  • Living On The Highwire from the Lemonade Mouth soundtrack- very catchy song.  I have no problem admitting that I still watch the Disney Channel, and while I have seen the whole movie, I’ve seen a good chunk of it. 
  • Break My Heart by Sara Ramirez- I love this song!  I’m not sure what genre it would fall into, but iTunes says it’s singer/songwriter…whatever that means.  It’s kind of a mix of jazz and blues…but I’m probably wrong about that since I don’t know anything about genres, and the distinction between the two.  It’s a pretty happy song, actually, because it’s about a person who’s looking for a reason to miss someone. 
  • Push by Fill The Silence- I heard this song on Greetings From Nowhere, and decided to go looking for it.  I like it- it speaks to me, althought I don’t know why it does.  It’s the only song they have on iTunes right now, so hopefully they have something else soon!  I’m curious about what else they’ll come up with.
  • The NCIS Soundtrack- I know there’s 2 different ones, but I have the first one.  Most of the songs are album only, so chances are, you’ll have to buy the whole album for most of the songs.  Well, on iTunes anyway.  I actually didn’t mind, because most of the songs are some of my favorites.  Right now, I Don’t Want To Be On TV by The Toxic Airbone Event, Fear by Stop Making Friends, After All by Saving Abel, and No Matter What by Jakob Dylan are my favorites.
  • Mariah Carey- For some reason, I’ve been listening to a lot of her lately, namely Honey, We Belong Together, Against All Odds, and Vision Of Love.  I wish I could sing like that.  Actually, I wish I could sing period…and if I could sing like Mariah, that’d be an added bonus.  🙂
  • Parachute- they’re one of my favorites.  The songs getting the most playing time are Back Again, She Is Love, Blame It On Me, and Something To Believe In.  They have really catchy songs, and I find myself wanting to sing along.  I’m always in a good mood after listening to them. 

Going To Try Something New

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I was taking a look at my little progress sheet I made for my weekly writing goals, and decided I would try something different this week.  For some of my projects, I end up sticking close to the word goal for the week.  For everything else, I end up writing more than I expected.  So this week, I think I’m going to figure out the average amount I write every week, and have that as my goal.  If that works out, I think I might do that for a while, and tailor my goals.

Writing went pretty well this week, as did my plot bunnies.  I’m sticking to the schedule I had set up in January pretty well, but I’m trying to be flexible with it as well, because stuff happens and I want to be able to change things as needed.  I did come up with another plot bunny, so I’ll end up working that in.  Who knew a funeral could inspire a novel?   

I lost a pound this week!  Definitely unexpected, but I did eat better this week.  I still can’t get myself to the gym…maybe this week, but it’s not something that’s likely.  But at least I’m eating better, so I’m making progress.

I think that about covers it; it looks like I’ll have another productive week!

Mr. Impossible

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Book: Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

Pages/Format: 312/Paperback

My Thoughts: I’ve always been a fan of the romance genre, but it’s been a long time since I’ve read anything from the genre, so I decided to start off with this novel.

It’s a historical romance about Rupert Carsington and Daphne Pembroke, who are trying to rescue Daphne’s brother.  She’s the brains, and Rupert is the brawn.  Some of the imagery is absolutely hysterical, which is one reason why I like romance so much.  Plus, romance (as a whole) is very predictable, and sometimes I want to read something where I know that X event is going to happen on Y page. 

So, imagery.  It’s your typical “this is what they look like, and I’d like nothing more than to make them want to get in bed with me” imagery.  It was fairly descriptive, which was just okay at times, absolutely hysterical at others. 

Rupert wants Daphne, but she doesn’t want to admit that she wants him too.  Miles ends up being saved, and Daphne and Rupert end up being married. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.  An interesting (and sometimes funny) re-introduction to the world of romance.

Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls

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I came across Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls when I was listening to Accio-Potter Wizard Radio, and he’s become one of my all-time favorite wrock bands.

I only have the Bare Bones EP and the Open At The Close single, but I’m currently trying to hunt down the cd which has We Are The DA and Dumbledore’s Song, because those two are my favorites.

The songs are really catchy and great pop songs.  I could definitely see them being played on the radio if the lyrics were slightly different.  Plus, whenever I listen to any of his songs, I’m reminded of why I fell in love with the series, and he captures the books so well.  I can’t quite put my finger on why I get so emotional whenever I listen to his music, but I start feeling all nostagic when I listen to him.  Maybe that’s what it is, nostalgia.  It’s the same feeling I get when I listen to the Gin Blossoms.

I’ve decided that my theme song is Just A Hufflepuff, because that’s the house I’d be in if Iwere to attend Hogwarts.  I’m still waiting for my Hogwarts Letter.  Failing that, I’ll go to Pigfarts.  I just need to find a rocketship to Mars.

Anyway, I love the Bare Bones EP, and it’s really hard to pick a favorite off it, but I think I’d have to go with Just A Hufflepuff.  Flight of The Prince, Flash Bang Done, Train To Nowhere, and Lupin’s Tale are also on it, and I think that would be the order if I had to rank them.

Open At The Close is a pretty good too, but for some reason, I haven’t listened to it as much as the others.

His songs seem to be a pretty good mix of catchy songs and slow songs.  The first time I heard Dumbledore’s Song, I started crying because he captured Harry’s feelings so well.  And We Are The DA is such a good anthem- it captures the spirit of the DA so well.

He has a few other EP’s on iTunes, but unfortunately, none of them have Dumbledore’s song or We Are The DA.  I’m pretty sure I’ll like those too.