Goodbye Becca

Does that title confuse you? Does it maybe make you a little bit nervous? Maybe it should. I know it does me.

Here's my confession. If you have been reading this blog, you know that Becca Lathorn is my pen name. In fact, if you're a follower you probably know my real name anyway. Here's what you maybe know, something I haven't been able to admit to myself until recently. I use this fake name to separate my writing from God. There's always been a disconnect between my writing and my faith, I know. Something I thought I could get away with if I wrote things that were cool enough. It was the perfect crime, the way I could be whoever I wanted to be while still following God's plan. I mean, if my rebellions were only written, who could they hurt? How could they hinder my path? That, and I think I did it because I was scared that if I wrote about God, that'd be sealing my doom somehow. I started really getting serious about writing around the same time I started making friends at school, I wasn't going to let God get in the way of that. (Without going into detail, that didn't work out so well for me in the end. Surprise surprise.) And while I got away with not writing very Godly things with my friends for the most part, there were those who could tell from the beginning. And now it's something that I not only can see, but can't ignore.

About a year and a half ago I went to a Christian writing conference where God started to set this train of thought down in my heart, gave me a conviction. Before I went to that conference I thought writing with God was a plan destined for failure. I could name the number of Christian writers I knew on my hand, and had actually read even less. God showed me at that conference that was far from the case. I saw people at that conference that did what I never thought to do, acknowledge the fact that their writing was a gift from the Creator and offer it back to Him, to use to see His kingdom come.

Over the course of the past school year, starting college, I actually saw my voice for Him grow in the least likely of places. I depended on Him and sang His praises in the place where it was most difficult, in a liberal arts college filled with people who thought me naive deluded and weak for practicing a life of sightless faith and trust. It was there that my mission from Him became clear, my writing was to be used to glorify Him, no matter the anxiety I had towards how it may work out in the end. I discovered my love for children's fiction there, and the first Christian stories that I actually found myself interested in. And I knew, whether it would lead me to riches or rags, I could no longer afford to squander my words.

That's when I started to look back, and realized that under this name I invented for myself, I wrote some things I wasn't proud of. Whether or not these things actually ever saw the light of day is a different matter, it was the fact that I allowed my imagination to commit these deeds that lead me away from what I should have been doing all along.

You, readers, have seen this journey as well, to some extent. If you go back to the beginning of this blog, you will see little God and more Me. Yet in my more recent posts, you will see me grow bold in talking about Him.

I see now that my thoughts can be put to better use.

I guess this could be considered my literary baptism in a way, but the point of this post is to end it. There will be no new posts on this blog. I'll be taking down my website soon as well, and my Facebook page. I'll be starting from scratch. If you want to hear my new words, I'll be posting them over at Cartoons And Afternoon Tea. After I've gained some momentum I might bring some of my old (God-oriented) posts from here but that's the last you'll here from Becca Lathorn.

5 Reasons Why Jesus Was Right About Sex In Media

Okay, so maybe I'm making a bit of a leap here. The bible doesn't directly say AND GOD DECLARED THERE SHALL BE NO CANOODLING IN THE MAGIC PICTURE BOX OR THE MYSITCAL SOUND CUBE. (I mean, probably not. I don't know, maybe it's somewhere in Psalms.) But when you get to thinking about what Jesus's opinion is, can you actually tell yourself yeah, he'd be cool with it? Yeah, no. And you know what, I get where he's coming from. I so do.

1) Sex Has Been Ruined For Me (...The Hipster In Me Anyway)
I haven't even had sex yet and I'm so freaking over it. It's just so...mainstream. (Dun-dun- DUUUUUN!)
It's everywhere! It's on TV, movies, books, EVERYWHERE! It's really freaking sad that you can't escape it even if you wanted to and personally, it's sucked all of the discovery out of it for me. I feel like I've been robbed of half the excitement of my wedding night because I already know what's going to happen more or less. I mean, come on media, at least say spoiler alert.

2) Inflation (Nickles Used To Be Worth A Lot. So Did Sex.)
The fact that sex is everywhere cheapens the value of it so much. It used to be that you had to invest in the person you where engaged with, that you had to put in effort. Now that people feel they have the liberty to do whatever they want sex has been down graded to it's most basic physical pleasure. And that just sucks because God intended it to be so much more. He gave us a gift when he made sex a meaningful experience. He could have just left it at "procreate the species" like he did with animals and made it a chore but he wanted us to find joy in the act of bringing new life in this world and he wanted us to share a deeper bond with the person you choose to spend your life with. Well, so much for that. And not only that, but it makes it out that this cheap, meaningless exercise is worth so much more then it is. I mean, this knock off of intimacy is meant to be the reason for existence? MMMMMM, nope.

3) Cake Analogies (Death By Association)
This is probably one that's a bit personal, but sex has ruined cake for me. I don't know if you know this, but in college, all you ever talk about is sex. (And Doctor Who, which I'm cool with.) So one, I have nothing to talk about most of the time. And two, I know a lot of things I'd rather not know. But whenever I'm trying to vent my frustrations about this with my friends back home, there are always children in the room. And they look up at you with their little eyes that know nothing of the shame in the world and babies grow out of cribs for all they know. And none of us want to ruin their happy little minds so we tried to find a substitute word. And that word was...
Cake.
I'm so sorry.
Because now, cake has been ruined for me just by being bound to all the horrific experiences I've had involving my far to blunt confrontations with sex in college, like watching a graphic film in order to study it or when someone in fiction writing is reading what is generously called soft porn. (They have a name for that at Columbia, Art.) Now, when I think of cake, I think of that night when my roommates talked about all the sexual conquests they've had in their life and when they tried to give me advice about it. That's not a night I want to remember when I'm at my friend's sister's five year old birthday party.

4) Needless Distractions (Why Have A Relationship When Someone Else Can Have It For You?)
Speaking strictly from a storytelling point of view, having sex or a relationship in a story can be a crutch. Don't get me wrong, romance is a driving theme in life and without it none of us would be here, and I'd be lying if I said that my heart doesn't melt when I read a good romance. Heck, even when it's a minor plot point in a book, if it's done right then HECKS YEAH I SHIP IT. But let's keep in mind, the romance has to be well done. This means that it has to have significance and needs to be fully fleshed. What do I mean by this?
Well, for one, for it to have significance means that you can't just have it there to have it there. It can't ever be a last ditch effort, or part of some formula to make an instant success. When you force a relationship into a plot it only drags it down and damages it's credibility. If you want an example, go watch any movie that's out right now. In fact, I dare you to find a movie without at least one romance going on, main plot or back point.
Second, the romance needs to be fully fleshed. Hollywood will tell you that you're significant other only exists to jump in front of a bullet for you and to fulfill you physical needs. Everything else is a side note. This is a cheap thrill designed to get you to identify with a character by playing on what you hope you're girl/boyfriend or spouse will do for you. But see, that's not all that there is to a relationship. (I would know, I've never been in one.) First off, you're partner does not live for your convenience. They are indeed their own person as well. And again, contrary to what we see all to often, you and your partner do not become one symbiotic being. Yes, the affection you feel between you is intense and yes a lot of your being should coincide or compliment your "other half" but the two of you remain to very different being with very different problems and from that there will be conflict, real meaningful conflict where it results in real awkward pain and something difficult to work through rather then divorce or angry, cheap sex. When you see a romance that does this, you've seen a romance done right.
And I realize that this section is getting a bit ranty but while we're on this note I feel I have to say that not all stories need a romance. Sometimes the conflict already placed is significant enough that it doesn't need anything else or a character just isn't ready for that level of relationship or wouldn't necessarily encounter it in the setting they've been placed. Look at some Cartoony Greats; Spongebob, Tom and Jerry, Pokemon! (I realize that at some point all of these shows had a romance but they didn't shove it into the lime light and tried to force it to be something it's not.) I mean, when we live in a world where Cartoon Network can't seem to string along a couple of shows without some sort of love story, you know we're going overboard.

5) Comparisons (I Don't Have Anything Clever To Say Here...Yet.)
Much like not every story needs a relationship, not every person needs a relationship. Me, I'm eighteen and I've never even had my first kiss. If I were to go by the standards of today, (largely enforced by the media), this would be because I'm not good enough to have a boyfriend. Maybe it's because I don't fit a cookie cutter figure or because I'm not interesting enough or I'm just too just darn awkward to become a "completed set" and to be worthy of participating in "the ultimate pleasure". Once upon a time, I really believed all those things were true. About a year ago I realized that I didn't have a boyfriend because I didn't really want a boyfriend. I wanted exactly what TV told me I should want, someone who lived to make me look and feel better. And when I really thought about it, I liked being single. I wasn't ready for a relationship at that level. And besides, there were no guys around me that I could truly picture myself with, at all.
But here we've got all these people jumping into relationships for those very reasons, we've created a co-dependent society. People are impatient and aren't willing to wait to for the person they're truly meant to be with, no matter how long it will take, because they think that being a partner and a friend is overrated and just want to get down to the bottom line. We all think that we need that special someone and we need it now, or else we're not really living. And shouldn't we all be blessed that the media has found the meaning of life, sex. So we date and we marry the perfect body without considering the perfect soul, because, well that guy is married and this girl is happy and yada yada ya.

Point is, don't listen to or compare yourself to anything, fictional, lyrical, or otherwise. It never ends well.

Stats of the Week

Song: Let's Dance To Joy Division by The Wombats

Book: The Rook by Daniel O'Mally

Word: Selfie (Yeah, it's a word now. Look it up.)

Quote: "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."
~Unknown

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I'll Die 1000 Deaths Before I Make My Life Easier (Why College Is SO Much Better Then Pre-College Schooling)

I didn't have time to whip up a picture related to this post so...

Greetings Monkeys. It's great to see you again. You know, you spend so much time as a human pretending to be an octopus that you lose track of your priorities. Like writing blog posts for all of the five people who will read it.

So yes, college. That's still a thing for me. Semester 2 is under way (or as I like to think of it, semester 1 take 2) and a great many things have changed for me, both with their advantages and disadvantages. But here's the thing now, the kiddie gloves have come off. While before in high school and first semester college I had maybe three hours of homework a week that I choose to blow off because why the heck not, now I have a good ten-fifteen hours a week of professional-grade work to turn in. And I LOVE IT!

Perhaps you've heard this a thousand times, but high school is the dark over-world of standardized education, and almighty terror of one-size-fits-all-learning. Well, one sized doesn't fit all as I'm sure you've gathered, and whether it's because you aren't engaged or you keep up, more often then not you will be restricted by this. Me, the problem is that I learn in a very weird way. I can only do well in a subject if I can manipulate it in some sort of aspect. Writing? Easy, I can control what I say and my interpretations of a book. Math? No problem. Puzzle solving, like Legend of Zelda. Science? That's just math with explosions. But see, even with the subjects I could manipulate at school, I still was very restricted, in that I could only play with them so much. High school is a very controlled environment, no elbow room allowed. And then, to test your skill, you don't apply them. You mere pencil in a few bubbles and hope they're right. So me not being so great in high school, yeah. Not a shocker.

That's why I was looking forward to Columbia so much. The learning style there is one that always keeps you engaged, with small classrooms and discuss-based lessons, you are always affecting the outcome of your education which means you decide what it is. Which. Is. Awesome.

BUtt Beca, cant uz mak ur edkaton easy thn?

Short answer, nope.

They will still challenge you. In this week alone I had to read seventy pages, write 10k words, and a many other things, all the while making real considerations of your future career and building connections. So expect to be working. Like a lot. Like. A. Lot. A lot. All the time. Now, I can't say that this is true for all colleges, but as for Columbia, I'd have to say that even with the work load and the nightmares I sometimes get now-(Apparently that's a thing. Stay in school, kids, you'll never sleep.)-I'm thriving in school more now then I ever did. And so, even with my butt being kicked left and right, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Stats of the Week

Song: Arcadia by Marianas Trench

Book: Dirk's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Word: Fable

Quote: "Life happens when you're busy making other plans."
-Allen Saunders

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Check Point Acquired

NO! NO! GET BACK I SAY! BACK TO THE ABYSS FROM WHENCE YOU CAME JABORWAKI! 

~*Looks to Monkeys*~

Oh, gimme a sec. 

~*Turns back to Mosnter*~

TASTE MY KEYBLADE YOU FOUL BEAST!

~*Jaborwaki dies. Turns back to Monkeys.*~

Alrighty then, sorry about that. So, I'm guessing it's been a while. I really wouldn't know. See, I was on my way to class one day when I spotted this blue phone-box thingie. Me, I thought that phone booths were extinct so I figured I'd call someone just as a joke or something. Well, it ended up not being a phone box, so I ended up getting lost in it-long story short, I don't know what year it is...Uh-huh...Only a couple of months?...Not bad for a mere mortal like myself. 

College. You never know what's going to happen. 

So, as it seems I just can't keep up with checking in with HUMANITY on a regular basis, I'm going to jumble up the next few holiday posts in one. Ahem. 

Merry Christmas! 

Happy New Year!

Happy Other Holiday That You Celebrate!

I'm glad we got to share this moment together. 

You all know my good friend Princess Faith, right? Well, for my New Year post I'm going to give her a reading list that she must finish by next year. Feel free to try it yourself. (Princess: I picked these books specifically with you in mind. Do not tell me you probably won't like them.)

The Princess Faith Really Needs To Stop Doubting Me Dare Reading List

1) The Giver by Lois Lowry

2) Fahrenheit by Ray Bradbury

3) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

4) Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

5) The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

6) Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

7) Gracling by Kristen Cashore

8) Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

9) Hitchhiker's Guide To The Universe by Douglas Adams

10) The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

11) I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

12) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

13) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

14) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

15) Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

16) Eragon by Christopher Paolini

17) Finish the freaking Mortal Instruments already

18) Did I mention The Giver

NaNoWriMo Announced!

It's that magical time of year again luvies, NANOWRIMO! (Dun-dun-dun-duuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnn!)

*Official Explanation: National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as many know it, is a annual internet-based dare, to write a full length novel in the span of a month. The official month is in November but they also include summer months such as June and August. Standard length for the novel is 50,000 words, around 1500 words a day. Click the following nonsensical sentences to learn more.
NaNoWriMo: Hello, my name is Mustache McFerguson and if you have never been to space then how can you know whether the chicken came before the egg or vice versa?
NaNo's Young Writers Program (For those under eighteen): Did you know that 43% of all jokes end in Popsicles?
Camp NaNoWriMo: Gluing earplugs to your cheeks are a great way to avoid catching your hair on fire.

"Butt Bec-uh, why u b doin' nam-mo-wiii-mo? Ain't u supposed 2 b doin' the college things?"~Love, a Monkey

-Shut up, go back to your corner.

Yes, I am still going to try NaNo this year, even though I'm super busy with college stuf. After three years of participating I still contend that losing is just as fun as winning in NaNo. So no, I do not expect to win. But to be able to get my idea off the ground and try new things is enough to give it a shot anyway. Besides, I can't resist. I just love NaNo, with all my heart and soul. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's in the bible. In fact, I'll look it up. Let's see here, *shuffles through pages in bible*, Ah! Here it is. 1 Opinions 3:28=Doing NaNoWriMo makes Jesus happy. See? There you have it. NaNoWriMo.

Wanna see the synopsis? Here it is!

<><><><><>

Mandy was a country hick, or so she felt when she first left Feay, Mississippi. But with nothing but a duffle full of essentials and a full ride to Columbia University she made her way in New York. Now the head writer for a critically acclaimed sitcom and New York Time's Number One Bestseller for her much beloved Fairy Tales, Mandy feels like she finally belongs in the city. But now that city loves her, will she ever be taken back by the country? And does she even want it too?

Dewy has never been the brightest kid. But along side his best friend Aaron and his older sister Mandy it never seemed to matter. However, since Mandy left for the city nothing's been right, and Dewy struggles to hold onto what little he has left. It's not easy though, with his parents all but disowning Mandy and Aaron growing more and more distant with every passing day. And now that Jane moved into town, what once was friendship is now a war to see who gets the girl. And if Dewy doesn't wise up, he's going to lose his sister, best friend and new-found crush.

Aaron doesn't want to admit it, but the city is calling his name. Ever since his best friend Dewy's older sister Mandy left, he's grown bored with the sleepy town of Feay. And the more adventures he hears from his grandpa, the more things he reads about Mandy's exploits in New York, the more he dreams about leaving the country. And when Jane shows up in town, with her ocean hair and her electric eyes, Aaron can't deny it any longer, even if it means abandoning his best friend and hometown in the process. 

In a series of letters, find out how Mandy Dewy and Aaron discover what it means to follow their dreams, no matter what the price.

<><><><><>

By the way, I want you to be a part of this too. No, I don't mean that you need to write a whole dang book with me, I'm only forcing Princess Faith  too do that. (By the way, I am not giving you all permission to go and troll her blog, forcing her to do NaNoWriMo, but at the same time I'm not your mother so I can't control what you do. Even with subliminal messaging or reverse psychology.) What I mean is that I want you to be able to reap the benefits of a story in a month without having to do any of the work. What can I say? I'm a giving soul. So I'll be posting the letters that will make up the story on a separate blog I'm starting, http://mandyinthecity.blogspot.com/. So follow along if you so desire.

UPDATE: THE BLOG FOR LETTERS TO MANDY IS OFFICIALLY DOWN. SORRY PEEPS.

Well, I'm not going to hold you here any longer. Go forth and prosper. Happy NaNo everyone!

Stats of the Week

Song: Funeral by To Kill A King

Book: Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Word: Manipulation

Quote:  "Princess Faith should do NaNoWriMo."
-Jesus and Han Solo

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How Too Not Be Boring And Other Important Things To Remember When Conversing

Most people would think that introverts don't know how to converse properly, that we're all socially awkward. Unrelated fact, most people are dumb. Only the most noticeable of the sunlight-challenged stumble upon their words. Most of us, we live among you. We look like you. We talk like you. We walk like you. But we are not you. And yet you don't even know we are there. To you, we are one in a crowd.....

(Dear Pittacus Lore, please don't sue me. Show some love for someone else that's hiding from alien overlords. ~Love Becca)

As a writer: nay, as an introvert; nay, as a person who is easily bored and irritated; NAY as a person slowly turning into a horse right now, it continually astounds me that the majority of people I meet aren't capable of holding up a conversation of any substance. Saddens me, even. Perhaps this is because I am only meeting people my own age these days (and let's face it, as a whole, us newly made adults leave much to be desired) but it seems to me that at this point in their lives they should have the basics of courtesy and the ability to be the smallest bit interesting. So, before they ship me off to the glue factor, I shall endeavor to teach the world (or at least my generation) what our mothers seemed to fail to do.

1) Be engaged.

I put this first because this is the biggest problem I see and, coincidentally, my biggest pet peeve. People aren't engaging in a conversation. No, I don't mean interesting. I mean invested. We as a whole have seemed to forgotten that a conversation is a two-way street. And, let's admit it, we love hearing the sound of our own voices. Me, I think mine has a bit of a blue-jay song quality to it. So we use talking to others as a way soundboard the particular going-ons of our lives without giving any interest to the person we're going too. But do not be fooled, monkeys, for this is not a conversation. It's barely a step up from talking to a mirror. Actually, it's more like a step down. At least when you talk to a mirror it doesn't think your a snob. It thinks something along the lines of Oh dear lord, do I really have that many zits on my pane? I told mom windex would make it worse, but did she-Oh. Wait. That's the person standing in front of me. Never mind ma, you rock. 

Mirrors and their zit problems aside, I can tell you nothing is more annoying then someone who does not contribute to a conversation. Like they end each sentence with a statement about themselves. Example.
A: Ugh, seems like it's going to rain today. Isn't rain the worst?
B: One time it rained where I used to live.
A: Got a busy day ahead of me. You got any plans?
B: Yeah, one time a had a busy day too. It was the busiest. But don't tell me about what you were going to say because I don't care.
A: Making mac and cheese tonight. Want any?
B: Yeah I had mac and cheese once. It was yummy.

JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!

My point is this, when in a conversation, remember that you are not the only one standing there. Take interest in what the person your talking to has to say. Perhaps if they take a question, you might ask them one back. Or maybe if they are telling you a story, ask them about details. For the love of God, at least act like you care what they say.

2) Take a breath every once in a while, before you suffocate and die. 

We all know that one person whom we wished had an off switch. And whether it be because of lack of filter, lack of volume control, or lack of a pause button, we find ourselves exhausted after these encounters with little to show for it. This one kinda ties into the last one, but why don't you watch what you say and how you say it? Now, I'm no supporter of censorship, but when it comes to conversation somethings are down right distasteful and cruel at times. Or perhaps you're telling us things about yourself that we'd rather not know. It's also possible that we are concerned for your well being seeing as you haven't stopped talking for the past ten consecutive minutes and your face is turning a bit purple. Or maybe, just maybe, you're causing permanent damage to our ear drums because YOU CAN'T SEEM TO LOWER YOUR VOICE A COUPLE OF NOTCHES AND WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT THERE'S THESE COOL THINGS CALL MINTS NOW A DAYS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FRESHEN YOUR BREATH. MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT.

3) Act friendly. 

Last but not least, let's dive into the topic of people that always seemed annoyed that you share relative space with them. There are these people out in the world, let's call them "people with issues", and they generally give off the vibe as hating all living things that grow under God's blue sky. When you acknowledge them, they glare at you. When you speak to them, they reply in word worded answers that come with a bit of a bite. When they walk by babies, the babies start crying. I have the pleasure of knowing a number of people like this, so I have something to say to both parities involved in this dilemma. First, to those with a bit more cheerful disposition. Be patient, these people simply do not know how to communicate properly. Behind the scowl and the eyes of the tundra, they are probably thinking about unicorns. And to those without the cheerful disposition, I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but we are all scared of you. That may seem cool now, but in the end, your probably going to die alone because of it. Might I suggest cracking a smile or even mustering a head-nod every once in a while to at least starve off this morbid fate of yours? At the very least, turn up the heaters behind your eyelids, your frozen stare is literally giving me a cold. (P.S. Ignoring me will not get rid of me. I live here too.)

That's what I got for you this time folks. Hope it helps. Now if you'll excuse me, my roommate will not stop glaring at me so I think I'm going to get the snow boot out of the closet.

Stats of the Week

Song:  Seven Devils by Florence And The Machine

Book: The Code Of The Zombie Pirate by Scott Kenemore

Word: Exchange

Quote:  "Keep living Ed...It's only the pages that stop here."
-Markus Zusak, I Am The Messenger

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Music

Hello again Monkeys. Yes, as always, it's been a while since we've talked. Forgive me, I've been a bit bogged down, what with all these vampires I've been having to kill lately. But here's a something I haven't talked about yet. And how the heck could I have over looked it for so long?

MUSIC!

Ah yes, music. The great escape, the soother of the soul. Surely everyone can relate to music! If they can't....they are lying. And Jesus doesn't like it when people lie so perhaps they should take five in the corner before they read this page.

"Butt Becka, this blog iz be about write stuffs. Wat do music hav 2 do with cpelling?"

SILENCE YOU FOOLISH PRIMATE! MUSIC HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WRITING! (By the way, you spelled my name wrong dummy.)

Music is a great tool for writers, whether it be for inspiration or for focus or otherwise. Music can take you away from your world and guide you to the great expanse of your mind. Or, given the right lyrics and the right time, can spark inspiration. They're catchy, quotable, and above all, productive. No matter what way you use them they are somehow helping you to achieve a goal, whether it be to rest or brainstorm or otherwise.

So what does this mean to writers? How can we properly use music to it's full potential? What kind of music is best? All great questions, rest assured. And the answers, as they typically are in art, are entirely up to you.

In my personal experience, first thing is to make sure that your music fits your mood. You can't be listening to heavy death metal while trying to write a romantic scene between two fourteen-year-olds anymore then you can listen to a Sara McLachlan song without thinking of dying puppies and feeling manipulated. If your trying to write, or even just trying to hash out a scene in your head, be sure to match the music with the mood accordingly. For example, happy scenes will go with mostly go with music with upbeat flute playing, or cheerful keyboard, intense face-off scenes can and will be matched with a Skrillex song eventually, and as always, romantic comedies will always be sound tracked with Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis.

Also, and this may bum some of you out, but the music you use should at least air on the side of lyric-less. Lyrics can be a big distraction. You could be in the middle of writing and be so focused on the song that you start typing out the lyrics rather then the story. Or you might just stop typing all together because of a catchy tone. Music is meant to accent the writing experience, not overpower it. Think of it as if you're watching a movie. The music will add a lot to the movie as a whole but it's place is in the background, not fighting with the characters or the action for dialogue. What do you want to focus on, Snape uttering his last words to Harry or the slow Lydia song playing in the background.

*Side note: Yes, dubstep does qualify as lyric-less for the most part.

I few suggestions for good writing music for me are:

Music with Lyrics
-Florence And The Machine
-Mumford and Sons
-Boyce Avenue
-Tyler Ward
-The Fray
-Matt Nathanson
-Metric
-To Kill A King

Music Without Lyrics
-Any Soundtracks From Your Favorite Movies or Videogames
-Lindsey Stirling
-Aston
-Sam Cushion (He is not on iTunes, look him up on Bandcamp) (Some of his stuff is free)
-High Five Spaceship (Also look up on Bandcamp, some of his stuff is free)
-Hans Zimmer

That's all there is for this week, thanks for stopping by. Now, if you'll excuse me, the undead pirates have broken down my door and my roommates are running low on ammo. They're going to need my golf club. Ta-ta for now.

Stats of the Week

Song:  Lo by Dawn Of Midi

Book: I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Word: Melody

Quote:  "Everything we do is music."
-John Cage

www.beccalathorn.weebly.com
www.tumblr.com/plotkiller
www.facebook.com/beccalathorn

A Few Notes On College

First time in my life where I've had nightmares continually.

Can't remember the last time I've been surrounded by so many like minds.

Can't remember the last time I felt so alone.

Unlimited rides on the CTA are nice.

Turns out Chicago is an interesting place.

Dr. Who on floor 12 yet somehow I ended up on floor 14.

Yes, my dorm does have room for most of my books, mom.

First time I'd ever experience heat stroke.

Making friends is not nearly as easy as everyone makes it out to be.

...

Somehow it's been harder to write.

Scary.

Stats of the Week

Song:  Car Radio by twenty one pilots

Book: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Word: Faux-pas

Quote:  "Fame is a mask that eats your face."

-Unknown

The Key To Characterization

It's no secret that characters make the story. More then that, characters are the story. You can have the crappiest plot ever to exist in all recorded history of man, machine, and strange celestial celery, and it can still come out a half-way decent book if you have good characters. Likewise, you could have the most ingenious plot that creation ever beheld yet it could still turn to doo-doo should you have flat characters. Yes, characters will make or break a story, be sure of that.

But how does one create well-rounded characters?

I've got the answer, but we're going have to do a little exercise first. First, I'm going to need you, the reader, to stand up. You standing? Great. Now I'm going to start hopping on one foot while I throw these-Wait, this doesn't seem right. Give me a sec...

~*ruffles through some papers*`~

Sorry, notes for something else.

Like I was saying, I know what the key to characterization is. The starting point, the core if you will. Just sit down and think to yourself, what does my character care about? If this is done correctly, your character should start creating his/her self.

Example:

I'm in my forth draft for my main project right now, Scrapper The Connection Reborn, and for the past three drafts something's been off with the main character, Scrapper. See, the character came out loud and clear, make no mistake of that, but it didn't feel like her character. So when I was reading over the third draft I stripped down every little nuisance in her overall personality when I realized that the thing that was wrong was her motivation. For the first three drafts, the major decisions she made were centered around one factor, the leading man Zane. However, when looking at who she is I realized that she wouldn't fall so hard so fast for one guy, no matter how nice he was. So I had to adjust her motivation for her decisions accordingly, leading to an entirely different chain of events that brought her to the end of the book. Long story short I had to ask myself, what does Scrapper care about? And, much to my dismay, it wasn't Zane.

So what does your character care about? Here's a chain that might help show how a character can grow from that one little facet.

Notice how as we dive deeper and deeper into Billy's motivation we uncover not only elements of the plot but also little quirks in his personality. Yes, it really can be that easy. 

That's all I have for you Monkeys this week. I think it's about time I stop stalling and get back to that forth draft of mine. 

Stats Of The Week

Song:  Up and Up by Relient K

Book: Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting For The Totally Unqualified

Word: Celestial

Quote:  "It's a well known fact that people with mustaches can't be trusted."
―Shawn Spencer

Geeky Things That I'd Possibly Like To Own in The Future!

There comes a time in everyone's life where they turn to their parents and say, "Hey guys, you're pretty cool but not really but maybe I guess I'll never know. But anyway, I think I'm going to split. Thanks for the food, goodbye forever. Or until Christmas, whichever comes first." Me, I'm almost at that point. In fact it's coming at me like a freight train.

Most likely in a latter post I'll discuss the fears I have going into that but this week I'd like to focus on the positive. Namely, the freedom to further embrace my inner geek. It seems that with being a geek comes with an inherit desire to own a lot of props from favorite books/video games/comics that are favored by said geek. I am no exception. And even though going into college means I won't have spare money, had I the spare money I'd take full advantage of being able to buy big sharp toys that my parents would probably consider a waste of money. I've even got a list! (In case anyone wants to go shopping for me!)

-A model of The Master Sword and Hylian Shield from Legend of Zelda

-Enough posters of anime and games to cover my desk space

-The cool wall paint that can turn your wall into a white board or chalk board

-A model of the Kingdom Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts

-A fairy in a bottle (oh wait, I already have that!)

-A model Portal Gun from Portal 

-A top hat 

-The Zora Link and Kaifi masks from Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask

-A PS4 and a WiiU (In a perfect world)

-A model of Wheatly from Portal

-A Totoro Plushie
-A Twelve Hole Ocarina
-A sonic screwdriver
-The door to my house painted like the TARDIS

That's all...For now....

Stats of the Week

None. I'm lazy. 

Top Five Plot Subplots in Manga/Anime

~*Ahem.
Hello. My name is Becca Lathorn, and I have a bad habit of falling off the face of the earth. And for that I apologize. Let's move on.

Image From therealsimonoh.wordpress.com

Today I thought I'd just kinda geek out about a couple of subplots I go crazy over in manga and anime. That's one of the things I like about graphic novels and anime, they always give you the scope of exploring more then one character. And with these little lovies I read (or watch) them over and over and over.

5) Baccono: Graham Specter, Whatever The Heck He Is

Image From graham-the-great-specter.tumblr.com

Baccono is a historical fantasy that was first a light novel then later made into an anime. The anime takes place in the 1930's and shifts between multiple points of view, all centered around a centuries old war and race for the recreation of the grand panacea, the key to immortality. Now maybe I'm cheating by using a story with no clear main plot line (not only that, but I'm not even sure if this guy's role in the story can even qualify as a subplot), but I just love this guy to pieces. If you ever have the chance to read my main project (one that I've mentioned many times on this blog) Scrapper: The Connection Reborn you'll know that I go crazy over character that either have some sort of dual identity or are simply straight up clinically insane (of which I have an over abundance of both). This guy, he takes the cake when it comes to crazy. So when he shows up you know you're about to be very, very confused. To this day I don't really have a clear cut idea of who this guy is supposed to be. One minute he's a mechanic next he's a terrorist and then he's the lord of the underground and wouldn't you know it suddenly he's also the good guy and the bad guy at the same time. His is a small part in this particular anime and only shows up at the end, but his character is loud enough to make a lasting impression and to that I say kudos.

4) Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (The Manga): Miss Anju and Kafei

Images From operationrainfall.com

Look at me, cheating again! I just can't be stopped. Next subplot technical originates from Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for the Nintendo 64. But they did make a manga out of it so this still counts! ~*Sticks Tongue Out*~

(Deku Shrubs look like this.)
Image From zelda.wikia.com

Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask is a dark fantasy that follows the story of Link, a young boy (maybe about ten in the manga) in search of his companion fairy Navi, who aided Link in his previous adventure (Ocarina of Time, also a manga so it still still counts.) While in search for Navi he is attacked by a young Ogre known as Skullkid and his two fairy companions, Tatl and Tael. (Yes, intended to sound like tattle tale) His horse and his Ocarina are stolen so he gives Skullkid a chase. When he confronts Skullkid, Skullkid transforms Link into a deku shrub. Making a deal with an otherworldly spirit known as the Happy Mask Salesman (aka, the creepiest shady character you will ever encounter in your life) Link has three days to recover a mask that the Skullkid also stole if he's ever to return to his true form. 

This gam- I MEAN COUGH COUGH -manga is just oodles of fun for more reason then one, however the part I enjoy the must is, you guessed it, the subque-PLOTS. Subpolts. Not subquests. That's so for video games and not even shut up. But the subplot I treasure above them all is the story of Miss Anju the Inn-keeper's daughter and her fiance Kafei, who has mysteriously disappeared. Miss Anju grows anxious with each passing day. See, in three days there will be a grand festival in town, and everyone knows that when two lovers are wed on the day of the festival they are blessed. Ever since they were kids, Kafei promised Miss Anju that they'd be wed on the night of the festival. But Miss Anju will wait, she trusts that Kafei will return. Link goes out looking for Kafei and discovers that Skullkid, that fiend, had turned Kafei into a child to punish Kafei for not playing with him. Kafei laments that he cannot face his beloved Anju like that, he needs to find the Skullkid and force him to fix this before his wedding night. 

Now if that's not true love, I don't know what is. My description really doesn't do it justice. Guys, I just love the bond that these two have (see Some Weirdo Things if you want to know why), how much they trust each other. It's so freaking cute. 

3) AIR: Minagi and Michiru

Image From konachan.com

~Omigod finally she uses a real anime. 

Guys, AIR. What to say about AIR. I only watch this anime when I'm really hating myself. Like seriously, I avoid it when I am able. Not because it's a terrible anime, no. It's one of the best anime's I've ever seen. But it's so. Freaking. Sad. Honest sad. Just cut out my heart chop it into little pieces feed it to your dog then torture the defecation it creates. I'm not one to cry during anything other then real life. Stories just don't usually have the power to move me to tears. In fact, there are only three times in my life where I've cried during any sort of story. 1) A little misty-eyed at the end of Les Miserables. 2) Clannad (discussed in the next subplot). 3) This anime. 

The basic plot is that wandering street performer Yukito is minding his own business, trying to perform for enough money for food when he meets Misuzu, a kind-hearted girl with a lonely life and a curse that threatens to kill her within weeks if Yukito does not help her. Throughout this sorrowful tale there are two subplots, the first one ends happily while the second one bittersweet. See, this is the part where I cried. Yukito and Misuzu eventually become acquainted with a rather oddly matched duo, Minagi and Michiru. Minagi acts as an older sister to the young mischievous Michiru and dotes on her constantly, but eventually the viewer gets the feeling that Michiru is the one looking out for Minagi. Minagi's mother, having suffered the death of Minagi's younger sister, has convinced her self that Minagi is the one that died and that Minagi is actually her younger sister. Minagi, while wanting to live up to her mother's delusion, feels as if her mother can't even see the real her anymore and is desperate to get her old mother back. Michiru helps Minagi do just that, fighting through her mother's dream and forcing her mother to realize the daughter she once thought was Minagi is dead. After all the healing has been done it's revealed that Michiru is actually the manifestation of Minagi's sadness and her mother's regret, and that the last thing to do in order to let Minagi move on in her love is to let Michiru disappear. 

What really got me was Minagi and Michiru's goodbye. Michiru made Minagi promise to smile as she disappeared, even though Minagi felt she could do anything but. The pain of saying goodbye to her friend was just so deep and raw, she was breaking apart. Regardless, as the two of them face back to back so that Minagi does not have to see Michiru go, they both smile through their tears. And just like that she's gone. 

Please go up about two paragraphs to see what that did to me. 

2) Clannad: Fuko Ibuki

Image From hqwalls.org

I tell ya, whoever created these two anime must have made it there personal mission in life to make me miserable. Do not. Tell me. That this girl. Is not. The cutest girl. You have ever seen. Don't. Jesus doesn't like it when people lie. 

Clannad, created by the sadistic mind that brought you AIR, is the story of the struggles of Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa, both struggling to find their proper place in life. Again, this anime puts an emphasis on a couple of different side stories, Fuko's being the first. Tomoya and Nagisa first meet Fuko while she passes out wooden starfish to invite people to her sister's wedding. While shy and childish at first, Fuko eventually warms up to Tomoya and Nagisa. As the trio spend more time together, they realize that Fuko never goes home. She stays at school all the time. When asked about this, Fuko responds that her sister doesn't see her anymore. Confused and worried, Nagisa offers to let Fuko stay with her family while Tomoya and Nagisa try to get to the bottom of the seemingly strained relationship between Fuko and her sister. When her sister is finally tracked down she tells them that her younger sister Fuko was the victim of a car accident and had been comatose for years. Turns out that the Fuko Nagisa Tomoya and a group of their friends had known was the lingering desire that Fuko has to make friends at high school. Soon after this is revealed, everyone starts forgetting Fuko, Tomoya and Nagisa being among the last. And while Fuko's spirit is slowly fading she is disappearing from their memories. But for a brief moment, when all those close to Fuko's spirit look down at the wooden starfish they gave her, they remembered her enough to go to her sister's wedding.

Again, please go to the first paragraph under number three to know just how this makes me feel.

1) Inuyasha: Inuyahsa's Battle Against His Own Demon Nature

Image From crunchyroll.com

~Yay it's not girly.

Okay, before even getting into why this is my favorite manga/anime subplot of all time, I have to go ahead and share with all you lovely people how much I love this anime (and manga). Once upon a time, way back when, I was a child. A child who did not know what anime or manga was. A child, who when looking at the word, would have pronounced it MAN-ga rather then MON-ga. I know. Blasphemy. Moving on, this was one of the first, the first series where I loved the anime as much as the manga and read/watched first all the way through even though they were both ridiculously long. Maybe if I'd watched it for the first time today I'd say it was stupid and cheesy and was filled with inconsistency, but my love for it continually grows as it is an instant nostalgia bomb.

The plot to Inuyasha: Modern-day Tokyo middle-schooler Kagome finds herself in a bit of a pickle when she falls through the well at her family's shrine only to resurface in feudal Japan. While trying to find her way home she meets Inuyasha, a century's old half-demon in search of the Shikon Jewel (aka Jewel of Four Souls or Sacred Jewel), which has the power to make him into a full fledged demon. He came close, fifty years before but was stopped by the shrine priestess who protected it, Kikyo. She bound him to a tree in the forest shortly before dying, having demanded to her younger sister to burn the jewel with her body so that no others may misuse it. Well, lo and behold Kagome happens to be the reincarnation of that priestess (which Inuyasha doesn't take to kindly too), or so she discovers after a demon attacks her and send the jewel flying out of her body. And after a scrap with a nasty crow demon, she accidentally splits the jewel into pieces. Thanks to that Kagome and Inuyasha are stuck on a journey together to gather the pieces, Kagome because it is now her responsibility to guard the jewel, and Inuyasha because he still wishes to use the jewel to make him a full fledged demon.

As mentioned eariler, this is a very long series and has a large number of subplots, even within the main characters. However, the crowning jewel for me will always be Inuyasha's struggle with his demon half. At the beginning of the story, Inuyasha welcomes any opportunity to improve his strength and bring him closer to demon-hood. But he does not stay so arrogant and power-hungry for long. As his character develops he examines his reasons for wanting the power in the first place. One of the main conflicts of the second season of the anime is Inuyasha losing control of his demon nature and killing a number of people out of blind rage whenever he or his friends are close to death.

To me, this subplot is the perfect example of one of my favorite conflicts when it comes to stories. Man vs. Self. It's the most human out of all the conflicts, in my opinion. No matter what comes and goes in our lives we will always have our inner demons to fight. That is one of the only constants life has to offer. And Inuyasha? He literally fights his own inner demon! So cool!


In short, Eilobell, please have an anime marathon with me.


HOLY CANNOLI that was a long post. Well, if you missed me before, you sure as heck don't now!

Stats  Of The Week

Song:  Drops of Jupiter by Train

Book: Inuyasha By Rumiko Takehashi

Word: Cannoli

Quote: "Alright, I'm all done. Let's piss on the fire and call the dogs."
~Duck Dynasty

Things I Will Take Away From High School

Seeing as I am a senior and soon ending the required level of education that I am called to do in this great country of ours, I feel it is important to write a reflection of what, in my opinion, all learn from the experience that is coming of age. It's a monumental point in life that is often covered in a thick fog of confusion and conflict, and in the end it shapes the adult that one would be one day. So upon entering the world I share universal truths, ones not necessarily learned in a classroom.

Either except the world as it is, or change it.

Love is not an emotion, it's principle.

True friendship has an open mind, and values more then just what you have to bring to the table.

Passion is found, not force.

In a world where kindness is weakness, kindness is more important then ever.

Happiness is just as important as pain.

If you're not taking care of yourself, you have no hope of taking care of others.

Perfection does not exist, so stop looking for it.

Remember that the Journey is just as important as the Result.

Never underestimate the power of sweater weather.

Never let your problems follow you too your dreams.

Peace in the home is worth more then gold.

Know yourself and life will follow likewise.

My Bucket List (At Least As Far As Writing Goes)

Yes, yes I know. I've been all me me me lately. But this post is particularly important to me. It's my way of getting people to hold me too things I really want to do in my life. I've never been great at overcoming fears and making a leap into something big, something that involves commitment. But there must be something to this whole writing thing because it's kept me truer to my big projects then anything else in my life. So here are things that I want to do with my story telling, places I want to go. You better hold me accountable to this.


1) Publish Scrapper.

2) Write a screenplay.

3) Write a Graphic Novel.

4) Write a Middle Grade Novel.

5) Write a Christian Novel.

6) Write and produce a TV hour-long sci-fi or fantasy.

7) Write for a video game.

8) Voice act in a cartoon or anime.

9) Voice act in a video game.

10) Launch a Youtube Channel and gain enough views to be a partner.

11) Write an episode of Doctor Who. (Stole that one from Neil Gaiman, don't tell him.)


That being said, my overall goal for the summer is to learn about the basics of Script formatting and writing, maybe getting started on writing a few of these projects before I get them going. So far I've got an idea for the Graphic Novel, the Middle Grade Novel and the TV Hour-Long Sci-Fi.

Stats Of The Week

Song: Overkill by Colin Hay

Book: Hold Me Closer Nercromancer by Lish Mcbride

Word: Evanescence

Quote:  "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
― Mahatma Gandhi

My Future Male Counterpart

Last week I talked about how I was abnormal. This week I'm going to talk about how I'm abnormal in the disguise of being normal.

I have thought before about what kind of man I might want to spend the rest of my life. (Spoiler Alert, that's the normal part.) I don't consider myself much of a romantic, I've barely had any sort of romantic relationship ever. Nonetheless, I have a pretty good idea of the criteria this man would have to meet. It goes a little something like this.

-If you do not like video games (chief among them, Legend of Zelda), anime, manga, books, sitcoms, or alternative and indie music, you need not apply. (By the way, you are not interesting.)

-Understand that my father was considering buying a gun, but I told him not too. Instead, I suggested he be creative with what we have, namely the chainsaw, the knives, law mower. We are now working together on torture techniques. Know the stakes. Do not break my heart.

-While on that note, my best friend will also be keeping an eye on you. Know that she could easily end our relationship. Stay in good grace with her.

-Sundays will be dedicated to the Jesus

-Saturdays will be dedicated to Doctor Who

-Any other day I will be writing, deal with it

-I understand that I don't know how to talk to men. You do not need to point this out. That's what I have my best friend for.

-I'm a sucker for a cheesy pick up line.

-I know nothing of sports and am not a fan of physical activity in general. Do not expect this from me.

-Please don't look perfect, you're making me look bad.

-I understand that women tend to be more emotional then men. I am no exception. If I'm going off on a rant, feel free to ignore me, or even if you listen do not feel pressured to have to contribute to the conversation. Just, what ever you do, for the love of God do not mutter something about me being a woman after words.

-I am a fan of intellectual conversation. You are not allowed to not be wise.

-As a woman of Christ I am looking for someone to be a strong leader of my house. I am not looking for weak-willed people.

-Sometimes, I come home and I do not want to talk. I do not want to do anything. I just want you to be in the room with me so I don't feel alone.

-I tend to tell people I don't like being touched. This is a lie.

-If you are listening to music, whether you know I like it or not, please keep the volume at a reasonable level.

-Our bathroom must remain spotless at all times.

Stats Of The Week

Song:  Hearts Safe by Tenth Avenue North

Book:  Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Word: Terse

Quote: " I have always imagined that paradise will be some kind of library."
~Jorge Luis Borges

Some Weirdo Things

In my opinion, life's not interesting if you're not even a little bit weird. I value weirdness, real weirdness, not just Oh, well, sometimes I plays Call Of Duty so that makes me a nerd te-he weird, I mean I like to listen to classic Disney movie soundtracks while I read Dracula or Edgar Allen Poe weird. So, without further ado, I present to you the weird things I tend to indulge in.

1) While reading something suspenseful...
Okay, so have you ever read or watched something so intense you felt you needed to take a break from it before you move on? Well then, you're kinda like me, only less...physical with the reaction. See, when I'm reading something intense, I don't just take a break from it. I yell-no wait-squeal at the top of my lungs, throw the book up at the wall, then go and pace somewhere else for a half an hour. No joke.

2) I read some pretty weird stuff.
The fact that I read 2-5 books in a typical week can probably be considered weird in it of itself, but even at that, I read some pretty strange things sometimes. One prime example would be a manga that I used to read obsessively in middle school when I was but a novice in my love for manga and anime, Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Old fans of Toonami (On Cartoon Network Saturday nights with other anime like One Piece MAR and Naruto, now merged into Adult Swim) will know this one (the anime, in any case). Anyone who does will tell you it makes no sense whatsoever. I mean, even looking at the cover you could tell probably how much sense this made. Small sample of what I like to read and watch.

3) I talk funny.
Sometime you should listen in on a conversation with me, I'm told it's really a riot. Being the learned citizen I am, I have a tendency to use overly-fancy language and mix it with typical modern-day jargon. (Perhaps you've already gathered this from reading this blog.) Some recurring examples are...

Whilst driving and being cut off-OI! CALM THY SELF BROSEPH!
Small talking with Eilobell about out church's Music Pastor's Wife-She's so cute. I'm really happy she procreated.
After washing the dishes-I've made the executive decision to forfeit my college fund to get an exterminator.
Takes off shoe, wafts foot odor towards family-Onward, my minions, destroy them and claim this land in the name of your dark master. MUAHAHAHA!

That, and sometimes I make old lady noises.

4) My guilty pleasure are middle-grade-ish paranormal love stories. 
Now I know that I do a lot of moaning and complaining to my friends that the whole paranormal love story thing is overdone, but honestly, my heart melts when it's done just the way I like it. I say middle-grade-ish because I'm not sure how else I can describe the kind of love story I like. See, I fell in love with these kind of love stories in middle school, when I started reading manga (see #2) and the very first one I read was a series called Kamichiama Karin. Following that I started watching and reading Inuyasha and D.N.Angel. And, of course, how can I leave out the ever-infamous Tokyo Mew-Mew? See, while all these stories range in plot place and even suggestive age rating (Kamichiama Karin-10+, Inuyasha-18+) they all share two things in common. They are all fantasy/paranormal, and they all have the same sort of love story. That is, the story starts out awkward and innocent, then grows to genuine affection and dedication and not just sexsexsexlet'stoucheachotherinournonossex or oh my gosh you hate the world I do too yay lets start kissing each other because we hate everything (otherwise known as teenage angst). So much of what I read now-a-days is centered around the physical aspect of love, so whatever happened to just genuinely liking someone because you like them?! It shows a true bond of not only love but friendship as well, like when you look at a couple and you think to yourself those two were so made for each other, like you can't picture them any other way. I eat stuff like that up! 
*For all those who are not manga fans, this is a thing in novels as well. I suggest you check out Walk Two Moons, and the Bible.

5) I "hate" France. 
I put quotes around hate because I don't really hate France. Honestly, I have nothing against it. But people who know me joke around about my "hatred" for France. Why? Well, my "hating" the French started back when I was maybe eleven or twelve. I was vacationing with my family in Wisconsin Dells, we were driving around looking breakfast. Someone suggested we go to iHop. I did not want to go to iHop. Naturally, I protested. When asked why, I couldn't just say because shut up and outside of that I didn't have a substantial argument, so I needed to think on my feet. I remembered earlier that week watching a commercial with some kinda french pancake so from that thought I blurted out Because iHop is run by the French!
Dad: Okay....so what?
Me: I hate France.
Yes, six years later and that's still a thing.

6) God usually speaks to me through food. 
I really just don't have the means to explain this one. Let's leave it at that.

Alrighty, that's all I've got for you for now. I'm sure I'll think of more things later, maybe. What about you? What are some really weird things you do? 

You know what? While I'm at this, might as well make it a tag. I'm tagging Princess Faith, Eilobell, Jo5y and Vintage Teen all up in here! And they also have to tag at least two people when they're done.

Stats Of The Week

Song: Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins

Book: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Word: Preternatural

Quote: "Do what you love and convince people to pay you for it."

~Steve Story

An Altercation With Eilobell

Stats Of The Week

Song:  Live Once By Ginny Owens

Book: The Maltesse Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Word: Perturbed

Quote: "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."

~Jorge Luis Borges

I'm Working

Yes, I know, I've gone and gotten lazy again. But, for good reason! (For you anyway.) I'm working on a bit of a mystery project (although those of you on Facebook probably know what it is). Until I've got the momentum going on that I'll be posting random prompts on Tuesdays  Feel free to write out responses to them and post (or link me to) them in the comments or on Facebook. Here it goes.

Prompt:
You wake up in the middle of a snow storm. You're not sure how you got there but it's apparent that you're going to need to find some shelter soon or you'll die. All you've got with you is a book of matches, a thin flannel blanket, and a shovel. But it seems you have company, because a good old Saint Bernard is with you. That, and for some reason you have a cello. What do you do now?

Irish Pub Dancing

Spring Break!

Enjoy it Monkeys. 

Love On A Post-it

I sign all my post-its with The Lonely Hearts Gang

So, would you like to know what a day at the mall with Princess Faith, Eiolbell, and Vintage Teen is like?

Over the weekend I joined in a mini-revolution organized widely Princess Faith (see her follow up here) and Eiolbell along with the fifteen-or-so people they invited as well (among the masses, Vintage Teen) inspired by Operation Beautiful, a mission to post anonymous Post-its with inspiring or loving messages on them in public places and in doing so changing the way you see yourself. Guys, I can't even tell you how much fun this is.

It started out with all of us piling into a fifteen seat-van we stole from church, all of us discussing tactics of posting our notes without being notice, shouting Superchic[k] and Veggie Tales songs at the top of our lungs. Then we dispersed with our groups to cover the mall in love. In my corner was Eiolbell, Vintage Teen's younger sister, and the ever-radiant Rachel The-Bomb-Dot-Com Scheafer. First stop for us was Forever XXI, where we absolutely bombed the place. There wasn't a mirror or dressing room in that place left un-covered, you couldn't turn a corner without seeing a Post-It. Next stop was at Claire's  which we covered with relative ease. After that was Khols, which is where we ran into trouble. We were all in general agreement that we should stop by the make-up section, so we swarmed it. I got to work quickly, posting where ever I could. However, after a few I noticed that everyone had scattered. As I lifted my head from a mid-thought Post-it, I noticed a rather disgruntled employee tear down one of the Post-its nearby by. It was then that she looked from the Post-it to me, holding pad and pen in hand, and glared.

    "Can I help you?"

    Nervous hand gestures and laughter. "Don't mind me, just going about my business, sampling your fine wares. Tell me, do you think peach suits me?"

I made a quick and daring get away, discovering my comrades hiding in the girl's junior's section. Upon my arrival, Eiolbell let out an agitated sigh. "Can you believe that woman? What a marsupial." (Don't ask me about the marsupial part. 0_0)

Well, that concluded our little extradition. We made our way to Cinnabon to meet up with the other groups and share our overwhelming success. (Minus Khols, upon which we all agreed that the woman there needed Jesus.) Our adult chaperon (as most of us were under-aged and it was a church sponsored event) commented on how she went back to Forever XXI and saw girls crowding around the notes we left, smiling. That made my week. Another thing I'll always remember is when someone asked me what my favorite note left was.

     "You're overall appearance pleases me. Persist in your efforts."

     One friends doubles over in laughter, calling me Sheldon. Another smirks and cocks her head. "So what's that mean in human speak?"

    "I like your shoes."

Overall the experience was incredible. I know I say that about a lot of things, but it felt so exhilarating to spread love and maybe make someone smile, no matter the Khols Make- Up Sections of the world. (Now I know that Khols is run by Satan, so there's that.) And, weirdly enough, it felt even better to do it anonymously. Now I'm keeping a pad and a pen in my pocket at all times, ready to write love on a Post-it.

So here's your dare, Monkeys. Do what we did. Go about you're week Posting encouraging Post-its where ever you can. Make someone's day. And when you do, picture your Post-its and send them to me and Caitlin over at Operationbeautiful.com.

And until then....

**Website Update**
Hey guys, if you're interested I recently published a short story on my website for you're viewing pleasure. Also make your way to my Facebook Page for regular updates on short stories, possible future videos and other news.

Stats Of The Week:

Song: God Is Bigger Then The Boogie Man by Veggie Tales

Book: Operation Beautiful by Caitlin Boyle

Word: Resplendent

Quote: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

~Marilyn Monroe

Just A Few Suggestions...

About life, in general. And maybe about writing.

-Words are empty

-Giving respect where respect is due is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of wisdom

-Share faith freely, but do not look down on others for theirs

-Beware the words you say and the actions you take, they are liable to kill anyone (including yourself)

-Covet insanity, its only those who dare to think outside the box that escape it

-You best not sass your mother

-Peppermint tea can cure nearly everything

-Happiness is to sorrow as wakefulness is to sleep

-When downtown with friends, be ever vigilant of bikers

-Judgement is not humanities' job

-True forgiveness comes when you decide to let go

-Mondays are the worst

-Do not waste your life straying from the path

-Grammar is highly overrated

-So is culture

Stats Of The Week

Song: I'm For You by Tobymac

Book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Word:  Splendorous
Quote:  "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned in life; It goes on."
~Robert Frost