Season's Greetings Monkeys!!!! (Mah Christmas Scrapbook)

Bo's Cafe Life Cartoon

Left to Right
Rachel, Harper, Me

Left to Right
Me, Devyn

Happy Holidays!

Ways Of Inspiration: Winging It

This is how I spend my Friday nights...

THE BLANK PAGE!

It's enough to scare any writer, the thought of staring a a blank page. The words are just at the tips of your fingers, yet they seem so hesitant. Yet it continuously happens to us, again and again.

This is a Way of Inspiration, a tumbling block, a style of writing, a good/bad habit, and a one-way ticket to the loony bin all in one! But enough of just looking at that page. Start writing.

Oh yes, the art of winging it, it's a delicate art that requires much experience and concentration. (I don't know if you can tell, but I'm winging this blog post as we speak.) There's not very much to say about this type of inspiration, just that it's when you power through for whatever reason. But here are somethings to help.

-Writing Prompts
-Reading 
-Taking breaks
-Watching TV
-Don't Push Yourself

That's all I got. Happy Tuesday!


~* Update *~
Okay, I know today's post was real doo-doo. Sorry, I'm tired. Just leave me alone. 
BUT WAIT!
Don't leave me alone, because now I'm on Figment.com! Check me out at this link, or search Becca J. Lathorn. 
Kthanksbyenow. 

I'M BACK MONKEYS!!!!

~*Sleep talking*~

What's that Ms. Stiefvater? You want me to be in your writing group? With Libba Bray Erin Morgenstern and Holly Black? Of course I'd....

~*Mumbles Twitches and Snores*~

No Monkey, you know I hate squid....

~*Book falls on head*~

OF COURSE I'M AWAKE I'M SO AWAKE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE YOU HAVE NO PROOF GET A WARRANT!

~*Yawns*~ 

Oh, it's you.

Hey there! Long time no see! If I remember correctly it's been....Oh my. It's been a whole month. Well then, thank you for not forgetting about me.

Last time I left off I was saying stuff about that mid life crisis I was _______ years to young to have, but I'm so over it. Between the rewrites of Scrapper and the readings of incredible books like The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater and Stardust by Neil Gaiman, I've restored my love for reading and writing. So, it's my pleasure to tell you that starting next week I will continue my regular blogging!

But, until then, Happy Writings as always! 

Hiatus

There's something wrong with me.

...Well, more so then usual.


Hello gu-I MEAN MONEYS! Cough cough....Yeah, I'm really off my funk. (As you probably inferred by the random photo.) Thing is, I'm losing my drive. I first noticed I was slowing down after I finished Vemberia: The Call of War. Where I used to love books I now easily get bored and move on too the next, I can't write without getting so paralyzed with the fear that it is crap. Heck, even for my NaNoWriMo I quit on only the second day. Honestly, after four years of nearly non stop writing and reading, I need a break. 

So I regret to inform you that I will be taking a break from blogging for a while. I promise you I will get my muse back, just give me some time. I need to fall in love with my craft again, and maybe that will happen when I don't have so many other things baring down on me. So, until next time.

Forever Thinking,
Becca Lathorn

NaNoWriMo Anncouncement

NaNoWriMo 2012: Dare Me

Well, it's almost that magical time of year again. Time for NaNoWriMo! (For those of you who don't know what it is, go to this page to learn more.) This time I'm determined to finish it, especially since it's the official month. So many things happen during the official months that don't happen during the camp months. Write-ins, workshops, parties, online chat rooms. So. Much. Fun. And this year I'm going to dare myself to do a few things.

1) Use a Writing Software. Throughout this experience I will be using Yarny.me to write.

2) End off at 70000 words. 500 words more then my NaNoWriMo win, 500 words less then my first novel. Seems appropriate.

3) Create a story outside of my comfort zone. No, I'm not making the impossible leap to realistic fiction. But I am trying to write a full novel in third person (sort of) and doing it where there's not only one main character that the story revolves around.

And, on that note, here is the plot.

And a dreadful place it is indeed, as down-on-her-luck author Cierra Books discovers. But woven into this abysmal town is a remarkable story of salvation and news beginnings. Little is known about the adventurous tale of Dreadsville's rebirth save for few details. 

The grass began to grown again.

A Phantom was made free. 

An orphan found a home in the midst of riches. 

A curse was destroyed.

Destiny danced. 

Dare to dive into the heart of Dreadsville.

Lastly, there is the matter of the vlogs that will be done. 

This time around the vlogs that will replace the posts on this blog will be a short series, like the other two, called Writerlys vs. Non-Writerlys. More details to come. 

Happy NaNoWriMo Everyone!

The Ways of Inspiration: Socializing

Admittedly not my favorite type of inspiration, but I'll roll with it. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Socialization. 

Making friends, making enemies, making acquaintances that secretly think you are just about the strangest organism they've ever had the displeasure of knowing, it's all the same. Interaction with other people and/or things. (And no, unfortunately, imaginary friends don't count.) This, indeed, is a source of inspiration. And it comes in a variety of forms.

Coffee Shop Writing
And other such public places where you sit down, work, and keep half an ear open. This is observing people that have nothing to do with you, giving you a unbiased look on the workings of socialization. Just be sure you don't look too much like a creeper.

Interacting with Friends
While it is a more biased look on life, at the same time it gives you a deeper understanding of it. Observe what your thinking, what your feeling, while you talk to people. Are you sincere? Are you a phony? If so, why? Writing about it.

Media
Dorkzilla time here Monkeys, you need to pay attention to what's on TV, music and otherwise. Know the linguistics of it too. You'd be surprised how useful it is in shelling out your fictional world.

Bottom line, it's all about observation. 
So observe observe observe! You never know where inspiration sparks.

THAT'SALLFOLKS! Enjoy this little photo! 

The Five Stages of Post-Novel Completion

That dude looks like he just finished a novel, right?

The Dinner Stage: You've just pounded out your last sentence and YOU ARE THE FREAKING BOMB YO! You're bullet proof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. You still remember it, the very last sentence. You will never forget it as long as you live. And now that you've reported your successful endeavor on Facebook, why not celebrate with dinner?

The Honeymoon Stage: You're reading it, and it's pure gold. Easily the best piece of fiction to ever exist in the History of Man, Monkey, and Comquate. Seriously, you should be doing this for a living or something. Centuries from now historians will speculate as too just how it could it be possible to be as awesome as you? And you know what? THEY WILL FAIL! BECAUSE IT DON'T GET BETTER THEN YOU SO DEAL WITH IT YOU IGNORANT BARBARIANS! Now, just sit back and wait for the awards to start rolling in.

The Sharing Stage: The best things in life should be shared, don't you agree? So pass around the draft, let your friends shower you with praise over your sheer awesomeness. If they can handle it, that is.

The Dreading Stage: So you've gotten some feedback for your manuscript. All in good spirit, you know. As they say, no matter how awesome something is, it can only get better. Still, there's something in the pit of your stomach, and it's either dread or the intense need to pee. But you haven't drunk any fluids for the last few days, you've been so anxious about your baby-YOU MEAN BOOK-out in the world for the first time. Hmmmm....maybe its time to give your manuscript another work.

The Editing Stage: You can't remember what happiness is. How could you ever love this abomination? Look at it, it's disgusting. It's literally making you puke. THeir r jst SO MaNy, gramer, mitsakes,,,that. you dont no waht! tO do "wi"th ur self>/ And that kissing scene in the bathroom? Ew. So overdone. You know what? That whole romance is so over done. You should have just killed off those characters. Not only that, but this is so obviously based off of your life. Yeah, that's right. You hoped no one would notice but it's so glaringly in their faces that they'd have to be blind not to know. No, wait, even a blind person could tell. AND OHMYGOSH WHY DO YOU KEEP USING THE WORD PROBABLY? This is no novel. This is toilet paper, at best. You need Jesus.

~Sigh...Finished my fourth manuscript (third in the series) yesterday. Have a fantastic freaking day people.

Kryptonite

hollywoodhatesme.wordpress.com

Okay Monkeys, this blog is straight up. No add in with my life. (As much as you love to here about it.)

Kryptonite. It's Superman's weakness, right? (At least, according to his wikapedia page.) And people tend to use it when they talk about weakness, it's a term that's thrown around. And personally, I think that weakness is severely underrated. In life. In books. In comquates.

What most people don't realize about weakness is that we're drawn to it. There are whole books, TV shows, fields of study that go into weakness. And why is this? Seems sadistic, doesn't it. We love things that are smaller then us, we crave for some sort of control over someone.

But that's not exactly it. Not that I can see anyway.

I think, for the majority of us, it's about finding something to relate to in another. Humanity is judged by the difficulty of their pain. The most revered people in the world are ones who overcome adversity, who struggle through weakness. People who are too perfect, well, they're fine for the most part. But let's face it, you secretly hate that guy, am I right? Or maybe you feel over protective of them? It's because they have it easy. They are weak, because they don't grow. Makes them a bit unappealing.

And there in lies my point. Your characters need challenges. True challenges, ones that are skin deep. Ones that they can overcome only through blood sweat and tears. As authors, I figure our natural inclination is to make our characters invincible. I mean, on some sort of level, they are our babies. We want to coddle them, give them everything they want, hide their evil from the world. (Unless your like my neighbor, whom I'm relatively sure eats children. Doesn't really help that her house is made of gingerbread... I don't know. Food for thought I suppose.)

But in order for the reader to keep interest, they need to feel a connection to the character. They won't be able to put themselves in the character's place unless they been there themselves. And when you can't put yourself in a character's shoes, it's just not that great of a book. So you're not doing anything for your characters by shielding them. All your doing is making them boring. I mean, come on. Even fairy tale princesses have to live under the constant fear of getting kidnapped. Your has no excuse. Wuss.


REASON 52137688888888888 WHY SADISM SOMETIMES WORKS!

My Productive Day

Photo credit to Bo's Cafe Life

Sigh...I'll read you one of these days...inbox.

...

OMG THAT'S RIGHT THE BLOG!


Awkwardly shuffles back to blogger. 

Hey there guys! I so did not forget about you Monkeys! And I know that when you read this blog you'll probably realize it's a bit dated, like maybe it was meant for July or something. But that's nonsense! What do you think I do with my time? Obsessively try to beat Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, geek out about the Avengers coming out on DVD Tuesday or going to target with my geek friends and buy magic deck builders? Please. I'm so totally dedicated to my writing. Like, I'm seriously married to it or something. And I so totally was not doing any of the above, at all. So just drop it, okay? No, I'm serious, to tired for this from all my writing! JUST GET OFF MY BACK! Sigh~This is why I can't have nice things.

_____________________________________________________________________

1)Wake up at too-darn-early o'clock.

2)Lay in bed until your sure parents are gone.

3)Stay in bed for another hour just to be safe.

4)Sit up in bed and grab laptop off of floor.

5)Boot up laptop.

6)Open up Google Chrome.

7)Open YouTube Facebook Gmail Wattpad Weebly Blog Goodreads Netflix and Camp NaNoWriMo.

8)Watch YouTube videos.

9)Update Status.

10)Open No Matter What You Do, Stick With the Pack.

11)Edit three sentences.

12)Refresh YouTube.

13)Watch eight more videos.

14)Back to Stick With the Pack.

15)Post new chapter on Wattpad.

16)Read new comment by ThisKittyHasClawz.

17)Love her forever, whoever she is.

18)Stare at ridiculously small Human By Day, Monster By Night outline.

19)Decide your never going to write this stupid book.

20)Remember how much Raven and Kyla were looking forward to it.

21)Sigh and continue to stare. Your too good to your friends.

22)Open Vemberia: The Call Of War

23)Fall in love.

24)Continue to write your impressively 23 page long chapter (and your not even half way through it).

25)Think about how absurd it is that it's not a bestseller yet.

26)Cry a little.

27)Talk to friends from school.

28)Resist the urge to throw things because of just how flipping condescending they can be sometimes.

29)Get your cool back.

30)Decide to commit to being a hermit for the rest of your life, like all good writers.

31)Remember Raven Kyla Faith Megan Diana and other such awesome people.

32)You really are too good to your friends.

33)Forget about being a hermit and make five cups of mint tea.

34)Remember you need to make that video for church.

35)Spaz at life for being so stupid sometimes.

36)Write enough blogs to last you through out August's NaNo.

37)Pull Human By Day, Monster By Night outline again.

38)Half-heartedly write two chapter outlines.

39)Screwed.

40)Refresh all pages on Google Chrome.

41)Finish up internet business.

42)Watch TV with parents that are now home.

The Qualities of a Seasoned Writer

Hello once again Monkeys! DJ Bec-a-peck here, bringing you straight up beats! (I've still riding the vibe from my Intro to Radio and TV.)

Story Time: There is a woman I know, who shall remain nameless, who is the most energetic and dually the most obnoxious person I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. Ever since I finished my first novel she has been saying things along the lines of "Now your almost as smart as me" and  "Now write 100 more and you'll be me." (Side note-she's never written a book in her life.) And just to get under my skin, while I was querying agents and getting rejected, she would brag about the supposed "agent" she had.

~*Sigh*~

Excuse me for a moment.

Grabs pillow, stuffs face into it.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'K. All good now.

Recently she extended an olive branch and proposed a truce so that I might help her with her first NaNoWriMo and subsequently her first book. While I've been more then generous and understanding, there are some things she's said that I worry about.

       "I barely ever read. I hate reading."

       "My game plan: finish book, send to editor, get published."

       "I've written five books, in my head. I just need to get them down on paper."

Can you spot what's wrong with this picture?

As a service to my poor, naive friend, I've dedicated this blog to what a writer looks like when he/she knows what he/she's doing.

A Writer Reads Constantly
There is no exception to this rule. No read=no write. Writers are made out of a true love for books, you can't write properly without it. How are you supposed to know what makes a decent book if you've never cracked one open? Do not take this lightly. Read. Read until you start hearing the voices, then read some more. And then maybe write. Maybe.

A Writer Writes Constantly
Equally as important, but with some exceptions. Writing is like exercising a muscle, leave it be and it turns to flab. And really, it's more then just writing constantly. It's wanting to write constantly. Are you happy? Write. Just land a top dollar promotion at work? Write. Feel like you could punch your hand through a dry wall? Write. Sick of writing? Write write write. (Get it, right? Awesome, write about it.)

A Writer Is Patient
Writing a book, it takes a while. Doesn't happen over night. And guess what? After you finish, it takes a while to get published. A long while. Like I'm-not-even-sure-I-entered-the-tunnel-yet-so-how-the-heck-am-I-suppose-to-see-a-light long. And no matter what stage your in, no matter how far away from the finish you are, no matter how great or terrible you feel about yourself, it will always seem impossible. Which leads me to my next point.

A Writer Is A Dreamer
Let's face it, no one really expects to ever be published. Especially if they know even a minuscule bit of the publishing industry right now. No one can actually imagine the gratifying taste of finishing a book until they have, or having it propped up on a shelf until it's there. You've got to stupidly hopelessly fall in love with  your book, you've got to never get to comfortable, and you've got to want it. Badly. Really badly. You've got to sacrifice society and sanity to be able to go all the way. And in order to let that go, you've got to be a dreamer.

And, lastly,

A Writer Is Willing to Sacrifice

Do you have friends? Family? Arch Enemies bent on destroying you down to the very core? Well, say good bye to them. Along with your free time, your money, your love life, and, above all, the hope of seeing sunlight or ever tasting fresh air again. You have no time for such trivial things anymore, you are an author. You live your book. You breathe your book. You love your book. You hate your book. You tuck it in at night with a bed time story and in the morning you tell it to go screw itself. And the cycle goes on and on until one day you wake up and realize you are your book. And when the foam starts frothing in the corners of your mouth your loved ones will take you to the happy farm with the men in white coats and while your sitting in the pleasant padded room you'll think to yourself I might have gone a bit overboard. And that, Monkeys, is when you can officially refer to yourself as a writer.

Well, that's all I've got for writers in general, whether they be professional aspiring or otherwise. Other little tips include being sure to remember to feed yourself (seriously, set an alarm on your phone or something. Time flies when your delusional) and that when you develop an addiction to something (and trust me when I say you will), please be sure it's something healthy like coffee or chocolate.

~*Real Quick*~

I'm on the downward slope for the third book in the Order of Vemberia series, and am really exicted, so here's a little teaser. 

Shana: It is my understanding that after you and Zane are finished with your business in earth, you will no longer be companions. What will you do then?

Scrapper: Find another planet, one without people, and live there.

Also, I have a new short story posted on my website. Ode to Running the Mile. (At the bottom of the page.)


OKAYDJBECAPECKPEACEOUT!

Live Journal #01

Why You Should Get a Dog

This blog is brought to you by my lovable crazy little puppy Desi, who is just about the most destructive disgusting infuriating sweetest dog you will ever meet. It is also brought to you by a page in The Pocket Muse By Monica Wood that says the following.

"T.S. Elliot loved cats.
William Butler Yeats loved cats.
Christina Rossetti loved cats.
John Keats loved cats.
J.R.R. Tolkien loved cats.
Mark Twain loved cats.
Christopher Smart loved cats.
Marianne Moore loved cats.
Ernest Hemmingway loved cats.
Oscar Wilde loved cats.
Doris Lessing, Rita Mae Brown,
Carolyn Chute, Nuala O'Faolain...
Isn't it time you got a cat?"

No, it isn't about time I got a cat.

In case you couldn't put two and two together, I'll spell it out. I'm a dog person. And you should be too. Here's why.

Dogs are love-ably dumb.
They do not need to be the kings (or queens) of the house. They are not cocky. They do not think they own you. They are happy if you simply remember to give them a treat, maybe scratch in that little spot behind the ear that they like. And they are so transparent about their emotions. If they're upset, you see it in their adorable puppy dog eyes. If they're happy, their tails will swing around like a helicopter. And their always looking for a playmate. (And, speaking of my dog personally, she always seems to know when I need her happy little kisses.)

You can walk dogs.
Now, granted, I do not claim to be an expert on the care taking of a cat, but don't they do their business in a box? Okay, yeah, that's real convenient. Because everyone loves it when when animals pee and poop in the house. Real lovely fragrance that comes with it. But seriously, walking dogs is the better route. I know, I know. Your thinking to yourself But having to walk a dog is tedious. And there's an old couple that lives next door that my dog loves to attack. But think of it this way. Sometimes, you need to get away from your computer/notebook, right? You need sometime to think, to work out the next part in your book. And sure, you can take a walk around the block to clear your head. But still, who wants to look like a depressed loner? When ever I see someone walking alone on the street who isn't over sixty or carrying a backpack, my heart breaks a little. Thusly, dogs allow you to take a nice leisurely stroll without giving off the vibe that you have issues.

Dogs are a challenge.
I'm not going to try and tell you that dogs are easy to take care of. They're noisy, obnoxious, very dumb, and seem to ram into things all the time. Everyday when I come home from school I see a new part of the sofa ripped up and a nice little surprise waiting for me on the carpet. Not to mention in the dead of night Desi will crawl into my bed and absolutely hog it, trying to cuddle up to me. This may sound endearing, but in 100 degree weather I'm less then pleased to be pressed up against my 80 pound sweaty fur covered heat machine. No matter how many times I kick her off the bed, she jumps right back on. And if I get up to pee she will somehow encompass my whole double twin sized bed. Did I mention she snores?

But that's the fun in it! Who wants an animal that just lazy-s around the house all day? I wanna a pet who's never going to stop pushing me to my limits, keeping me on my toes. It's one of the few things I can actually handle.

Therefore, get a dog.

So what's your take? Cat or Dog? 

The Ways of Inspiration: Dreaming

Hello, and welcome to another exciting episode of Becca talks to herself! This week on the agenda we have-
Wait...No that was the other thing. Nevermind.

Clears throat.

Greetings Primates. Prepare to embark on a magical journey, deep into the depths of-
Hold on...Nope. Still not right.

Sips tea. Clears throat.

...Monkeys? Is that what this is? Right, I'm sure I have it this time. Sorry about that guys. Long week, lots of stress. You get the picture. On with it then. So, this week I'm starting a  new mini series, The Ways of Inspiration, to dive into what makes someone create a story. Where exactly does that spark come from? As any practiced writer knows, this is an impossibly large subject. There are without a doubt as many answers as there are people alive. Times two. But just for the fun of it, lets try to narrow it down to some general categories. And what better way to start then with dreaming?

This particular post comes from a number of things going on in my life that have taught me the importance of a dream. To get a bit scientific on you for a second, the importance of dreams goes beyond just the necessity of sleep. We all know, of course, that our bodies need rest to function properly. But dreams? They have a purpose of their own. Oddly enough, they help us sort out what has gone on through the day. I don't know all the science behind it, I only got the cliff notes, but apparently dreams are part of what keeps our sanity. They give our brains a chance to figure out what's what. Ironic, I know. But I have a point. And I sincerely can't stress this enough, I'm speaking from a place where good friends of mine are suffering because of a lack of dreams, getting full restful sleep is very very important. Insomniacs, hear my plea. Please take care of yourselves.

'K. Done with the heavy stuff. Now onto the writing. 

For any writer, I believe, dreams are an invaluable tool for inspiration. In dreams, anything can and will happen, just like in our stories. And, much like how I feel when I'm creating a story, it's not really me that's in control. I'm just observing and recording. But it's so much more then that when it comes to dreams! It's a way to engage all of your senses in the story, if only for a night. You're not just imagining it, you're living it! This is golden in the universe of fiction, to be able to put your self in your main character, to be able to experience your fictional world. Last night I was at a friends house spending the night (I practically live there, they even have a mattress for me) I had this amazing dream and when I woke up before I could even yawn I was jotting down pages of notes in my writing journal. I'm telling you guys, this has got to be one of my favorite forms of inspiration.

So what about you? Have your best stories come from the realm of dreams?

Want Some Extra Fun?

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted So The Funniest Thing Happened the Other Day... and it had a giant paragraph of gibberish? You wanna know what it said?

Original


ABANDCALLWANTTOHANGOUTMYROOMISAMESSOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPALLTHECARDSOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPTHETVOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPMYBROTHERWHYISTHERENOFOODINTHEHOUSENEVERMINDIFOUNDSOMETEAANDMILANOSBUTINEEDTOWRITETHISWEEKSBLOGANDPROOFREADANOTHERCHAPTEROFSTICKWITHTHEPACKBUTWHATSTHEPOINTIFONLYNEGATIVETHREEPEOPLEREADITSCRAPPERSTILLNEEDSTOBEDITEDFORTHESIXTYBAGILLIENTHTIMEGAINTPILEOFJANEAUSTONBOOKSSITTINGONMYDESKJUSTSTARINGATMEWHOGIVESACRAPABOUTSOCIALIZINGISTILLNEEDTOREADGRASSHOPPERSNOVELLAANDWHATSTHISMYMOMWANTSMETOCLEANTHEHOUSEANDINEEDTOMAKETHATVIDEOFORCHURCHORELSETHEYWILLCOMETOMEINTHENIGHTWITHASHARPRECONINGANDOHLOOKTHEDOGISTRYINGTOEATMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


What it said...


A B AND C ALL WANT TO HANG OUT MY ROOM IS A MESS OH LOOK THE DOG CHEWED UP ALL THE CARDS OH LOOK THE DOG CHEWED UP  THE TV OH LOOK THE DOG CHEWED UP MY BROTHER WHY IS THERE NO FOOD IN THE HOUSE NEVERMIND I FOUND SOME TEA AND MILANOS BUT I NEED TO WRITE THIS WEEKS BLOG AND PROOF READ ANOTHER CHAPTER OF STICK WITH THE PACK BUT WHATS THE POINT IF ONLY NEGATIVE THREE PEOPLE READ IT SCRAPPER STILL NEEDS TO BE EDITED FOR THE SIXTY BAGILLIENTH TIME GIANT PILE OF JANE AUSTIN BOOKS SITTING ON MY DESK JUST STARING AT ME WHO GIVES A CRAP ABOUT SOCIALIZING I STILL NEED TO READ GRASSHOPPERS NOVELLA AND WHATS THIS MY MOM WANTS ME TO CLEAN THE HOUSE AND I NEED TO MAKE THAT VIDEO FOR CHURCH OR ELSE THEY WILL COME TO ME IN THE NIGHT WITH A SHARP RECKONING AND OH LOOK THE DOG IS TRYING TO EAT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Writing Classes and New Notebooks

Well, senior year is here. And that means a heck of a lot of things to do. I could ramble on full novels of what I have to do but that doesn't concern you Monkey. Seriously, leave it be. You don't want to know. But here we go, because I've signed up for another conference. In February, I will be down in Colorado Springs for the Jerry B. Jenkins Writing for the Soul Conference.

Monkey:...But wait a minute Becca, you write Young Adult Paranormal Adventure fiction. Why are you going to a Christian writing conference?

Well Monkey, I will tell you. I have referenced here and there that I am indeed a Christian (especially in the last post, A Summer of Reflection). Evangelical in fact. And as such, I often am in touch with other Christians. One of them, a Bill Givonetti, recommended I go to this conference because I could sign up for fifteen minute slots with agents, have some face to face time. I'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceisI'mnotgoingtopassthatupnomatterhowsmallthechanceis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, yes. I am going to a Christian writing conference. 

But as I said, that's in February. Right now I am scrambling to get readjusted to my new schedule and trying to cram five days of writing into two hours. My good ol' Composition notebook, Damian, is nearly retired, soon to be upsurred by my shiny new leather bound Luke. I also bought a great book called The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood, filled with all sorts of writing advice and prompts, to help with my short work. Which brings me to today's topic. (At last.)

Getting better at writing when you've hit a stale mate. 

Now, I had this problem a lot last year. Being a mostly self-taught writer, as most of us are, you get most of your skill from reading books and observing the little things. Foreshadowing, flashbacks, prose, so on and so forth. But that will only take you so far. At some point, you need some form of formal training, whether it be in a classroom or from a How-To book. It is, after all, essential to make your writing all that you can when trying to go pro. For this, I have a list of great books to check out if you can't afford any classes (whether it be because of time or money or both.)

13 Ways to Look At a Novel
The Anatomy of Story
The Art and Craft of Fiction
Beginnings, Endings and Middles
Book Life
Characters and Viewpoints
Characters, Emotions and Viewpoints
From Where You Dream
Lights! Camera! Fiction!
Nail Your Novel
Self Editing for Fiction Writers
Story Engineering
The Elements of Style
The Frugal Book Promoter
The Soul Tells a Story
World of Wonders
Write Away
Write Tight
Howdunit: Forensics
The Pocket Muse

Alright, that's all I have. Happy Writings!

PS, wanna know what me and my writing friends do during our study halls?

A Summer of Reflection

*I'm a terrible person. I really am. I keep telling all of you that I'll make a last video and then I just do a written post instead. Sigh. Well, anyway. Today's post is a bit lengthy, so if you want to skip it I don't mind. 

I don't often talk about my personal convictions and beliefs on this blog. When I started it I wanted it to be a non-biased medium of sharing my experiences of writing, reaching out to like-minded individuals, and hopefully helping some fellow writers in their craft. But as summer comes into an end and I start the last year of my high school education, what might even be my last year at home, I want to look back and think about what has happened over this summer. And I cannot do that without expressing my gratitude to my Lord. He was such a powerful element that I can't fully explain how I've grown without explaining how he's helped me along the way.

This has truly been a summer that I've prayed for and more. 

At the end of Junior year I was exhausted. So many things of this world were tugging at my heart. I constantly found myself betraying my base principles so that I might better please my school friends and earn a level of respect that I had always known I would never get unless I renounced the name of God, which is something I didn't intend to do anytime soon. Still, I let many things slide with my friends. They mocked my religion, looked down on my principles, and expected me to smile while they did it. And personally, even without my beliefs they still got to me. Don't get me wrong, they're great people, really. But I felt like whenever I had a problem I had to suck it up and deal with it so that I could stay on their good side. More often then not I felt like they didn't really care whether or not I was there.

Not only that but there problems with my friends at church too. Understand, these people had been close to my heart since childhood. I can't imagine a time where we didn't know, care and depend on each other. We were each other's rocks when the ways of the world became too much. These people, these people I felt I could express myself freely with. It seemed like no matter what we'd always be a part of each other's lives. But, with the inevitable pains of growing up, I began to see that there were a fair share of problems in this dynamic as well. Really bad things happened to really good people and it started to tear us apart. There was always a fight, there were always sides to pick, there was always hatred for the poor soul who took up the mantel of peacemaker. All the sudden it seemed like we all hated each other. And, as it usually goes, I was left behind in all of it, picking up the broken pieces and trying to hold on to the memories of when there was nothing but love between us.

And, of course, there was the time old classic of my disconnection with my family. A sister who hates the world and focuses that hate on me, a brother who I barely know, parents who I struggle to understand, etc.

After a while, I got sick of the drama.

So before summer started, I prayed that I could have a summer of peace. I prayed that God would keep the drama at bay and give me a chance to sort out my thoughts, see what I could do to better the situation and help all those who were hurting. What I got was all that and more.

I'll start with the part that you're all interested in, the writing. 

As I've mentioned in past blogs, all of my siblings ended up at camp at some point in the summer. My older brother and younger sister left for the majority of the summer to be workers, my younger brother went only for the last two weeks. This meant, more or less, that the house was mine to do as I pleased. But, much to the joy of my parents, I hadn't done much at all. Sure, I did enjoy a few freedoms that are allotted when you are alone, such as listening to my music without my headphones and occasionally peeing with the door open. (I'm weird.) And yes, I was in an utter state of bliss with having a clean house that I could roam about as I pleased without fear of running into any monsters, terrible beasts or krakans.

But even more so I invested my time in something I would have done whether or not my siblings and parents were there, my writing. The summer presented a rare opportunity, the last summer I could get away with not having a job, so I devoted most of my time solely to my passion. I am proud to say that I completed NaNoWriMo once, and that I am now on the downwards slope to finishing the third novel in The Order of Vemberia series. I've also started looking into going to a conference in Colorado in February, and bought The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood so that over the year I can work on my short work. I've also surprisingly met many writers and grown closer to ones I already know. It's been a summer of writing.

But that's not all. 

He also gave me a reconciliation with friends. Because of camp, again, some were sent to camp while most stayed back at home. It gave us time to learn how to enjoy each other's presence again, to repair the parts of the relationship that broke and build it up so that we would be ready to do the same with the ones who left for camp. Not only that, but I also made more friends who now I feel I've known my whole love and have some to love with all my heart. The optimistic and stead fast air of the church did much for my weary heart, reminding me that life doesn't half to be terrible and that I'm blessed beyond my imagination. All I have to do is lean on God, and somehow everything will work out. That little fact has been in my face all my life and yet I continue to forget it. Whenever I look to the world I find myself in a spiral of pessimism and despair, yet when I look to God I find happiness abounding. And when with him I find that I am never, ever alone.

God has given me much growth this summer, something I will carry with me for the rest of my days. And I could not thank Him enough for the awesome time I've had.

Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Becca's Little Pearls of Wisdom Episode Three-"When to Quit a Manuscript"

Becca's Little Pearls of Wisdom Episode 2-"Writing Rules"

Becca's Little Pearls of Wisdom Episode 1 "Word Sick"

Episode 1-Word Sick

I'll show ya how to write a novel in a month, just you watch me!

Preparing for my Third NaNoWriMo

~*Note*~ If you do not know what NaNoWriMo is, check out this page on my site. http://beccalathorn.weebly.com/nanowrimo-projects.html

Hi Guys! So, tomorrow Camp NaNoWriMo August 2012 starts up, and as you know I am a bit of a NaNoWriMo freak. Too recap, I have done NaNo twice. First, the official one in November 2011. That...I failed. I love the plot though, and given the chance I will try to finish the book. Second one was just a month ago, Camp NaNoWriMo June 2012, and I WON YOU STINKING MONKEYS YOU SAID I COULDN'T BUT I DID SO GO EAT YOUR BUTT FLEAS IN SHAME!!!!!

Ahem.


So I'm feeling a bit proud of myself. I've finished three manuscripts, two of which are in a series, and by the end of November this year I hope to have three more. I'm fairly knowledgable in the publishing industry and taking my writing to the next level. So this NaNo I want to challenge myself. I do not, however, know how to go about this, so I'm reaching out to all of you to come up with dares for me to do.

I also feel I should mention...


Last time I did NaNo I did a small webcast series called NaNoWriMo in Review in the absence of these more traditional blogs. I do plan to do something similar to that in doing another small webcast series calls Becca's Little Pearls of Wisdom, a short intro I will put in a separate post.

And lastly, the story itself.

This time around, I am writing a story I've had in my head for a while. Granted, it's not nearly as old as No Matter What You Do, Stick with the Pack or Firefly. And yes, as usual it will be a Paranormal adventure type. Although, for my November one I'm leaning more towards humor then action. (Details to come in November.) AGHHHHHHHH I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO END IT YET!!!!! But, you know, whatever. Here's the teaser.

Meet Stefani Rivers. She's independent, adventurous, and strong willed. Purely a Chicago girl all the way. She loves performing, for perfroming's sake. But when she meets a rich pretty boy running from a crazed cult, she gets hooked into the road trip of a life time.

Stefani Rivers sneaks out of her house one night in hopes of being the next American Idol. Literally! She calls up a agent and sets up an audition (even though she's only sixteen). But when she gets stood up and Jeremy Booker, a high-class pretty boy, asks her out on a date, well, things don't go as planned. They are kidnapped by a psychotic cult and then Jeremy gets turned into a freak of nature. So she gets roped into a cross country road trip to find a girl who can turn Jeremy back to normal. 

So, those are my blabberings. I'm taking NaNo right into a new school year, so yay for that. Keep it real ladies and gents, see you in a week.

Happy Scrapper

~*Yesterday didn't feel like a real blog, so I'm doing this...*~

Did this on paint program....

Before I get myself geared up for August's NaNoWriMo, I wanted to get in as much writing The Order of Vemberia series as I could. See, I left the second book with a very big cliff hanger and people are starting to get desperate. (Like bargaining their first born child serious.) Plus, while this book has to be some of the best writing I've done in my life, it has also taken me the longest. Scrapper: The Connection Reborn took me a year to write, Snatcher: The Bridge Restored took me six months. And I don't know, maybe its because this year has been the busiest of my life or maybe it's just that I'm really savoring this book, but it's taken me the time it took Scrapper and Snatcher combined, and I'm still just half way through. But I digress.

What I mean to say in this blog is that in this book, due to all the awesome character development that my main character Scrapper has gone through, I finally get to write a happy Scrapper. I cannot tell you how thoroughly I enjoy writing this character. At the best of times she's mean sarcastic and just a little bit silly. At the worst she's violent rash and just a little bit crazy. Do you know how much fun it is to write a crazy person? So. Much. Fun. You get to invent your own messed up logic and they get to do all the things that none of your other characters can. You can basically do whatever you want with them, nothing is off limits. So to be able to finally let this character have a good day? It's revealed a lot about her. Apparently, even when happy she's not that great of a person, not someone you'd necessarily invite to dinner. Yes, this had come out in little bits in the other books, but I never realized just how much of a class clown she is when she's not serious. She can actually keep up with her male counterpart Zane, which is saying something. Trust me.


So writing happy Scrapper=fun times friends. What about you? What kind of character do you crave to create (and/or watch on TV if your not crazy like me)?

It's Summer, Therefore, Please Leave Me Alone

Woke up this morning promising that I'd do some work. Picked up PSP. Eight hours later I realized I had not changed out of my pjs...

I still haven't finished Vemberia: The Call of War.


I still haven't finished the outline for Human by Day, Monster by Night.


Turns out my dad's birthday is next week.

Dog peed on my favorite reading chair.

Commercials for back to school sales are not only way too early but also very depressing. I'm a senior next year. Childhood, where did you go?

Still need to plan the next writing meeting. For. The. Fourth. Time.

Marianas Trench is the sexiest thing I've ever listened too.

Forgot to put Chinese leftovers in the fridge. There's one dream destroyed.

I hate hate hate hate hate my inbox. Why you spam me inbox? Why?

Ordered two cinabons. Only got one.

Hung out with school friends maybe three times this summer. Could be the last summer we spend together.

Two weeks with the house all too myself. What to do, what to do...

Little brother's at camp, in a cabin with a lifeguard that's openly admitted he can't swim. Afraid camp might explode.

Sigh...life guys. Life.


Thank you, good night.





~* Quick Update on No Matter What You Do, Stick With the Pack*~

The full Beta for No Matter What You Do, Stick with the Pack is now available on Wattpad. Please please please if you like my posts and are interested in seeing a completed work of mine, click on the link and just read a few chapters, give me your honest feedback. I want to know what you want from me. And who knows? Maybe if you read you'll get a little something something. We'll see.

Thank you for all your support!

Becca

A Picture I Made on Paint.

So The Funniest Thing Happened the Other Day...

Okay, I've distanced myself from NaNo and gotten back into the normal writing habits I have developed over the years and SOMEHOW STILL FIND MYSELF INSANELY BUSY! MAYBE EVEN BUSIER THEN BEFORE!!!!

Wanna know what I have to deal with on a daily basis?

ABANDCALLWANTTOHANGOUTMYROOMISAMESSOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPALLTHECARDSOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPTHETVOHLOOKTHEDOGCHEWEDUPMYBROTHERWHYISTHERENOFOODINTHEHOUSENEVERMINDIFOUNDSOMETEAANDMILANOSBUTINEEDTOWRITETHISWEEKSBLOGANDPROOFREADANOTHERCHAPTEROFSTICKWITHTHEPACKBUTWHATSTHEPOINTIFONLYNEGATIVETHREEPEOPLEREADITSCRAPPERSTILLNEEDSTOBEDITEDFORTHESIXTYBAGILLIENTHTIMEGAINTPILEOFJANEAUSTONBOOKSSITTINGONMYDESKJUSTSTARINGATMEWHOGIVESACRAPABOUTSOCIALIZINGISTILLNEEDTOREADGRASSHOPPERSNOVELLAANDWHATSTHISMYMOMWANTSMETOCLEANTHEHOUSEANDINEEDTOMAKETHATVIDEOFORCHURCHORELSETHEYWILLCOMETOMEINTHENIGHTWITHASHARPRECONINGANDOHLOOKTHEDOGISTRYINGTOEATMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not going to lie, kinda tired right now.

So this week I ended up taking an unexpected vacation. It started on Sunday, in which I was supposed to spend the day filming a video for my church with a bunch of adults. They all [FRUSTRATINGLY] dropped out last minute so I found myself at a loss as to how to spend the day seeing as most of my friends were either up at camp or had work. I ended up at my friend Kyla's house swimming, with plans to later go to another friend's apartment to have a Baccano marathon. That night I ended up staying at Raven's house for a sleepover. Flash forward to the next day, my Mom's birthday, and before I could even wake up I'm in the car on a two hour drive up to Wisconsin to visit the other half of my family at camp. All day I was assaulted with WHY OH WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY FOR CAMP BECCA???!!!! And while I am flattered that so many people wanted me there with them, I had to cough cough ~*politely*~ decline. (See above for reasons) Without even meaning to we stayed overnight in the house they keep for the cooks, crawling into bed somewhere around one in the morning, after little brother Sean had successfully beaten some of the campers to a pulp with a sock of flour (given to him by my Dad). Though on the rigidity stiff bunks sleep alluded me, and seeing as we had to wake up at six to get home in time for my Mom's appointments. Being so exhausted from the day before I spent another day goofing off, watching stand up comedy on Netflix, playing Homestuck and overall sleeping the day away. Before I knew it, I was actually relaxed. Quiet frankly I didn't know what to do with myself. Then suddenly I remember that I should have been working and without even knowing it I had taken a vacation.

Huh, how about that.

So, I guess the meaning of the story is that sometimes life just gives you what you need in the strangest ways. I mean, I had fully intended to work the week away, burning more of my energy. And if no one had dropped out of the video, I would have. But by taking that away life forced me to just take a breather. So, um, thanks God. I like your style.

HAVEAVERYRELAXINGWEEKILOVEYOUKBYE!!!!!! <3

You're the Author

*This is a little prompt writing that I thought I would share with all of you. Enjoy!

A book is so much more then what a writer puts on a page. Because, in reality, those words are merely a guide. A single book, if you can believe it, can be hundreds of stories just in one. It applies to the common concept of one event, many different interpretations. For example, read this phrase.

Happy Place.


What was your first impression? The first thing that popped into your head? I can tell you that I thought of a meadow. A good friend of mine (whom I read this back too) thought about warm cookies. And it'll be different for you. Maybe you thought about puppies, or Christmas, or maybe someone you love. Even in these words I continue to write, you are forming your own unique meaning behind them, one that I can't possibly understand.

And that is one of the things that amazes me about writing. Not just that it'll touch everyone, but how it touches everyone, that everyone will recreate it to have a purely unique meaning. If I could only look into your minds eye, to see how you've taken my words and used them to make your tale. Because I'm not the author of this story.

You are.




~*Notes on No Matter What You Do, Stick With the Pack*~
Stick with the Pack is under going it's first round of editing, and if you are interested in being a Beta reader it is available on Wattpad. Check the Widget in the side bar.

Afterwards

*First off, I would like to apologize for not making a last blog for NaNoWriMo in Review, I was planning to do a finale but I ended being to busy trying to wrap up the actual book and the people who agreed to help me with it fell through. But oh well, there's always August!



So, all finished with NaNoWriMo and onto life as I used to know it for a month until I do it all again. What this means is back to editing Scrapper, writing Vemberia, emptying my inbox, making videos for church, listening to podcasts and other such writing hokum. It seems grim, yes, and I feel the magic of finishing a novel in a month already fading. Yet I must remember that it is not yet over, and take away the lessons I learned from it this time around.

For one thing, I learned how to improve this blog, Monkeys. 
Vlogging was one of the funnest things I've done in terms of writing. I had, I think, an amature understanding of video-editing before it. I do have Sony Vegas Movie Studio, and as early mentioned, I edit and make videos for my church. It's really just telling a story in a more visual way, it still involved me to use whatever part of my noggin that dreams up all my crazy ideas. And the best part, my family will actually watch them!

I also grew into a very good habit, although it does have the chance to backfire on me. 
It's that one habit all writers know they have to pick up and yet forever put off, getting into the habit of writing everyday. Before NaNo, I would always write one sentence and done. But now, now I'm in the habit of writing 2000 freaking words a day. That's like ten pages people! And here's the thing, that's a minimum. I would usually go all the way to 4000 a day. Backfire, though, because I also created a bad habit to go with it. See, often in order to reach the days word count quota, I would right just class-A crap. So I hope that unhealthy obsession doesn't carry over to Scrapper or anything.

I came out with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. 
For those of you who have finished a manuscript, you remember how it felt? Did you open your window and shout something along the lines of I'M BECCA FREAKING LATHORN AND I JUST WROTE A BOOK to the lady walking her newborn child down the street? Yeah, well, imagine the feeling that you get when you do that in a month. I demanded my mom buy me a pony afterwards because I deserved it. I wrote a book, in a month. What did any of my siblings do? They suffered through the morning news. Who wins? Me.

A couple of cute factoids from the last month. 
-I am now obsessed with the band He is We.
-I have been ignoring my inbox. I now have over 200 emails waiting for me to sort through. All of them are from blogs I subscribe too.
-I now know how to sleep in.
-I have not feed my dog in two days.
-I have not feed myself in two days.
-I do not remember what the sun looks like.

~*An Announcement*~

As I have said on my website I am going to polish up No Matter What You Do, Stick with the Pack and offer it as a free ebook on Smashwords. I can't tell you when it will be available, I'm thinking it might take a year with editing and beta readings and whatnot, but I'll keep you updated. For more details, go to my website and go to the NaNoWriMo page, it's the only way to reach the No Matter What You Do, Stick with the Pack page. 

NaNoWriMo Week Three in Review

Father's Day+ Bffl birthday+ friend birthday/Feed My Starving Children volunteering+ DDR+ Zelda= OMGOSH I HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO CATCH UP ON WAIT IT CAN'T BE MIDNIGHT YET I ONLY HAVE 1000 WORDS AND WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STOP EMAILING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cooking with Sean and Becca! (NaNoWriMo Week Two In Review)

A Quick Heads Up!

I have a facebook, at last!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003968141708

Find me, friend me, try not to kill me.

Week One NaNoWriMo Review (Get ready to cry of boredom) And Other Boring News

A Quick Apology to All My Followers

Hi Monkeys, I have to apologize to you.

Being the despicable person that I am, I have not posted lately. I know, you're heart broken. You've missed me, and you wish I was there more often to distract you while your kangaroo continues to throw potatoes at your fish. But I have been busy with ACT's and finishing up junior year. And it gets worse. I'm doing Camp Nano...in both June and August...and I'm doing official in November....DON'T YOU DARE CLICK THAT UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON!!!!

Yes, okay! I am going to be extensively busy. But that doesn't mean I have forsaken you! I am going to try, at least, to keep up with my blogs! I'll post comics or short stories or something! I'm just warning you, okay! It might be a bit sporadic!

OKAYILOVEYOUPLEASEBEPATIENTWITHMEHAVEANICEWEEKENDGOODBYE!

Inspiration

So, want some sure-fire ways to get inspiration? Think it's too darn hard to get your muse to do as you please? WELL THEN I'VE SOLUTION FOR YOU!

Introducing insta-epiphany! One wiff and you'll be writing epics to be loved and studied for years to come! For one hundred easy payments of $19.99!

If only it were that easy. 


Now, I've done a previous post on how people write but now I feel like getting into the nitty gritty of inspiration. Getting inspiration for your writing, it's a broad topic and everyone has a different view on it. But here are some things that I find help when I'm stuck.

1) Car ride.
Something about moving scenery helps to get my brain juices flowing. Maybe it'll help you too. Plus, I don't know about you, but I see some pretty weird things when I'm driving down the road. For real, it's scary. Makes me double check my locks at night.

2) A nice cup of tea. 
It clears your mind, helps you focus, and makes you feel fancy. (I kid you not, sometimes I find myself drinking with my pinky up.) Not only that but it grounds you in place, makes you think in the here and now. Whenever your mind starts to stray you unconsciously take a sip and are all like OMG I'M WORKING SHUT UP MONKEY.

3) TV
But Becca, TV is for idiots. But Monkey, TV is comprised of over fifty bagillion stories that take fundamentally less time then books. And you know what, they came from writers too.

4) Video Games (namely RPG's)
I'm talking Zelda, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, etc. They are an interactive combination of media and writing, and as such qualify as decent sources of inspiration. Just....don't go overboard.

What do you do when needing your muse to obey you?

LAZEY

Guys, I'm so lazy with my blogs that it's not even funny. I'M SO SORRY!!!!

I'm just going to post another story.

Why are you Afraid of People?

            I sit at my computer, brand new and still downloading the files from the old one. Jennifer Knapp plays in the background, her blasphemous praise fills the silence. Den lies on my bed, reading one of my literary journals.

            “I thought you were staying at Raven’s tonight.” I remark.

            “Too difficult.” He turns the page. “Her mom constantly comes in her room.”

            “I see.” I say, staring at the copy pending window on my screen and thinking more of my stories.

            He closes the book, turning to me. “Do you want me to leave?”

            “No.” I say. “You can stay if it’s easier.”

            He stares for a moment, it seems he has more to say. But he slowly turns back to the journal. An hour passes before he shuts it again.

            “Why?”

            “Why what?”

            “Why is it easier to hide here then it is at Raven’s? Don’t your parents care about you?”

            “I’m sure if I asked they would hang out with me.”

            “Why don’t you?”

            “I’m not a people person.”

            “You socialize fine.”

            “At school, where I need too.”

            “You hang out with me and Raven all the time.”

            “I like you and Raven.”

            “But not other people.”

            I shrug.

            “Why are you so afraid of people?”

            “It’s just the way I came to know them.”

            “Through fear?”

            “Nothing’s perfect.”

            “But you don’t want to be alone.”

            “I don’t want to be hurt even more.”

            “You don’t seem to have that fear with Raven.”

            “She’s already done her worst.”

            “What?”

            I sigh, opening a drawer in my desk and rummaging through. I pick it up with a careful caress and toss it to Den. Confused, he opens it and I watch as his eyes trail across the page, widening with each word.

            “Raven did not write this.” He drops it like burning coal.

            “Ask her about it.”

            “Not Raven Lynn.”

            “It was around the time Trish died.”

            “But still…” His face scrunches. “She’s too nice to write those words.”

            “She’s grown so much.”

            “Had I gotten that note from anyone, I would never speak to them again.”

            “I didn’t have many options at the time.”

            That statement in it of itself was so incredibly lonely.

            He looks at me with pain, I don’t show signs of a reaction. It was a long time ago and I really don’t care about it anymore. Everyone does stupid, hurtful things to the ones they love the most. I’d be stupid to claim to be any better.

            After a while I return to the computer where everything is downloaded and pull up a word document, getting to work. All is silent again.

            “…But what about me?” He whispers, like it’s a secret.

            I stop for a moment and think of the words I could use to explain it, why I don’t push him away. But the words come to me naturally, it seems obvious in fact.

            “You just seem as invisible as me.”