The Time Traveler's Wife and My Secret Life

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What up Monkeys?

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffengger and was dying to give it a review. For those of you who haven't read it, it's about the lives of Henry DeTamble, a man with a genetic disease that causes him to time travel randomly and his wife Clare DeTamble, who has known she was going to marry him all her life even though he has only known her since he was twenty-eight. It goes through in a scattered chronological order, seeming to stick closer to Clare's timeline since Henry's is chaotic, but the story is told from both points of views.

I want to break this down from both a reader's and a writer's point of view. First off, because I think that everyone needs to know how difficult it is to write in the format that she chose. And she does it so fully, so beautifully, that I am convinced that Niffengger cannot be is not human, for no mere mortal can achieve that level of greatness. Her format is jammed packed with flashbacks and concentrated with switching personas. Let me tell you, from the point of view of someone that has attempted to do that same, it's freaking hard. (Just so you know what planet I'm coming from, in Scrapper the Connection Reborn my format was to switch between present and past every chapter or so with the main character Scrapper. In the second book of the series Snatcher the Bridge Restored, the same general format is placed, only in the present I'm shifting back and forth between Scrapper and Zane's point of views and in the flashback chapter's I'm retelling the story told in the first book from Snatcher's point of view.) I went in, innocent to the ways of flashback chapters, and I think I lost a piece of me along the way....Honestly, for my birthday the year I started Scrapper I ask my Mom for a shirt that said FORGET YOU FLASHBACKS! It's difficult to flip the character focus in your mind, and after a while you notice that the characters sound exactly the same. That, and there are so much inconsistency that sneaks in there while no matter how hard you try to keep it all straight. It's like you're writing two different books at the same time. throw in some extra points of view and you just aren't really sure what you're doing anymore. Somehow, Niffengger made sense of it all, and for that I have never ending admiration.

And now from the reader's perspective, I was utterly blown away. To be honest, when I picked this up at the bookfair I thought that it'd be another chick-lit thing that I'd end up hating. But the book was glued to my hands before I even reached page six. Henry is such a deep conflicting character, one that I don't think I'd ever forget. And Clare, so patient and so accepting, yet still so human at the same time. The way Niffengger constructs and arranges every part of the story sent pangs to my heart. Particularly at the ending, it was everything to keep me from balling my eyes out in the middle of study hall. It took all day for me to get over it.

Ah, feels good to get that off my chest.


So, ever since I got back from the conference I've been playing with the idea of revealing my secret life through another blog to all you monkeys. "Secret life you say, Becca?" Yes Timmy, a secret life that I've kept hidden from the world until now. Ladies and Gentlemen, there is a reason that I write paranormal young adult despite my growing distaste for the genre. Its because, in another world, I live it. It's more of an alternate life then a secret one, considering I jump between two different realities, one not so different from the other. In both I am still sixteen, still battling zits and jerks, still seeking out true love. The only major difference is that in one, humans are the only dominant species on earth. In the other, well, they are not. But here I am getting ahead of myself.

So, want to know more?

My First Writing Conference!!!

Oh My Goodness Monkeys! So much has happened since I last saw you all! (How are you doing, by the way? How was your day? ...MmHmm...Yeah....Wait wait wait, back up, when did Timmy jump off the computer?...Uh huh...Hmmmmm....Well if I were you I'd just give the cheese to the pig...That can't really be helped now, can it?....Okay so maybe she went a little-...You know what? This is why I should do the talking, and you should just shut up and listen.)

So first thing's first. Right now I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffengger. I saw it at the book fair and figured I might as well pick it up. So far it's been hard to pry my hands off it. And I just realized that I never told you how much I LOVED The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It changed the way I read books. For real Monkeys, what are you doing sitting around reading a blog when you could be reading Night Circus? Go! Go I say!

~Ahem


So anyway, this weekend I attended my very first writer's conference! (AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!) It was amazing for more then just one reason, I can't even tell you how much fun I had.

First off, I was blown away by just how adult it was. People boldly said anything they wanted unapologetic-ally. And there wasn't any of the mind games that high school-ers love to play so much. No implied contemptuousness, no trying to one-up each other, no let's-listen-to-what-I-have-to-say. It was in all honesty, not hard to just talk to people without them having to spew their disgusting life stories on you! And let's not forget that I was in a room full of people who had something in common with me for once. There just aren't words for how awesome it was. (I may have accidentally lied to some people and told them I had graduate high school....I didn't mean to, honest!)

And like I said just two sentences ago, I was in a room full of people with whom I shared a passion with. It knocked me out, I gotta tell ya. I was so used to writing being unique to me, it being a defining part of my personality. But here I was, and nothing was out-of-the-ordinary about it! I had something to talk about with these people! Granted, I didn't do much of a good job with socializing this time around BUT THE NEXT TIME I WILL BE ALL OVER IT LIKE SHELDON ON COMIC BOOKS!

Finally it was a good for spending time with my parents and finding out just how invested they are in my writing too. Turns out they're proud of me. Huh, who would have thought. And aside from learning self defense in my hotel room with my mom this week's episode of the office, (Strike, scream, run) I learned a lot about the practice of publishing and finding friends in the city. (This weekend I'm going to a reading at the book cellar downtown, hurray!) Fantasitic weekend? I'd say so.


One last thing. I was watching Shark Tank with my parents the other day and thought to myself, what if the Investors were Agents and the companies authors trying to get their book picked up? 
I'd watch that show, would you?

The Video I'm In!

As promised, the video I helped a friend with. (Hint: I'm the taller one with the red hair and leather jacket.) Enjoy!

By the way...I do not sound like that in real life.

Becca On: Waking Up On The Wrong Side of The Bed (...every day this week -_-)

Guys, ever had those weeks where nothing seems to go right? Where you start to honestly believe that the universe is plotting against you? Yeah, of course you have. Well, I'm here to tell you, me too.


So, to make you feel better, I've made a list of things that have damaged my writer's pride in the last week. or just damaged pride in general. It's to help both me and you.

Damaged Me Pride:


-The girl that it took two years to finish two chapters in her book thinks that she's a better writer then me.
-Can't take rejection without immediately needing a hug.
-Stood up in front of ACT Prep class and messed up on a grammar question.
-Book was called Twilight...again.
-Can't write journalism.
-Did 17 conversion questions when I only needed to do 6 (took me four hours).
-Getting a D in gym for no reason.
-Second Writing Meeting canceled because of one person, had to go to awkward family reunion where everyone knows everyone except me.
-Fighting with cause of cancellation of Writing Meeting.
-Misspelled writing on business cards. (Ordered 250, didn't realize it until it arrived on my doorstep.)
-Got rejected by Super Agent.
-Got rejected by six more agents.
-Internet is a spam-a-sourus.
-"Please tell me all of our problems in the most awkward way possible" seems to be tattooed on my forehead, and people I don't know at all take it very seriously. PERSON A: My ex-boyfriend is in jail. ME:...Well, it's nice to meet you too. Let's jump right into this algebra, shall we?
-Mom has Bazinga-ed me twice and I haven't been able to get her back yet.
-Did too well on my History project, now have to spend a day that could be spent on writing and queries at a history fair at another school.
-Somehow still doing awful in History despite this.
-Mom won't buy dog, despite me showing her the following picture of my little brother.

HOW THE [censored] CAN YOU SAY NO TO THAT!?

-Still stuck up in my room writing due to Ganondorf''s evil broken back light.

If you can't tell, I'm kinda in the mental and self-esteem dumps right now. But, as a shining ray of hope this week, despite having barely any time to do so I have been rocking at the whole writing thing lately. I've knocked off the LONGEST chapter I've ever written in my life in the third book of The Order of Vemberia Series Vemberia: The Call of War. (20 pages on Word Doc.) And I'm finding myself able to do short stories for the first time in my life. And on Sunday I helped my director friend Josh make a parody video about killing Justin Bieber, in which I am a screaming fan girl. (I get to punch him!) If all goes well, the video should air this Friday. I'll post it up if it does.

ONWARD I GO TO PUBLISHING! GOODBYE EVERYONE FOR NOW AND HAPPY SINGLES AWARENESS DAY!

Dealing With Hate

IMMA HATER!!! RAWR!!!

It's part of every author's career. Heck, it's part of everyone's life in general.


Haters. 


People who love to cut down others. People who think their so important that they need to share their bad opinions with everyone. People who you just want to squish their faces! They're everywhere.

I'm not talking about rejections in publishing or people who give you criticism, constructive or otherwise. I'm talking about people who just flat out say that your work sucks, or that you suck. That your not going anywhere. THE NEH SAYERS! AND I'M NOT SPEAKING HORSE EITHER!

But in this story, your the heroin, they're the petty little bully who always end up with their just desserts. (Muahahahahahahaha!) So don't let it get to you, okay? Just remember, dreams are for those who put the effort in them, not those who waste their time trying to stop you. Get it yet? You rock. I love you. I've never met you, but I love you. I would cry if you gave up. So show me the hater in your life. They are about to get a very strongly-worded letter.

But also, remember to pity them a little. I mean, someone has to be the antagonist, and it's a pretty sucky job. (Unless your the Joker.) I mean, think about it, in the end they end up with nothing. They're forever dramatically falling off of cliffs or getting stabbed in the heart or shot. And sometimes they don't even deserve it. -_- So yeah, go ahead and feel sorry for them. Just don't fall in love. And don't take it personally when they shoot you, it's their job after all.

Got Mah Hair Dyed!!!

The girl with the blow dryer, she made me lick a sock.

I know what your wondering.
Becca, your so level headed and mature, why would you do something so impulsive?
Well, Timmy, I did it for the same reason I have my ears double pierced with a cartilage piercing, or why my friends have tattoos. No, not because we're sluts. Because of artistic expression.
Most people, like my dad, don't really get it. What part of altering your perfectly fine god given features could be constituted as art? Well, it sets you out as an individual in my opinion. It says that you dared to change a part of yourself, no matter what other people thought. It says you want to try something new, something different. It's, in a very basic sense, a figure of self expression. Art happens to be that, self expression I mean.
Now aside from the occasional snarky comic, I'm not much of an artist myself. I'm decent at drawing but no where near professional, my paintings rival those of preschoolers, I can't sculpt to save my mom's life. So I try my best in other things, such as video editing and writing. Those are where my true artistic talents lie.

Still, doesn't hurt to try being a ginger. After all, having a soul would only get in the way of surviving publishing.

I Remembered Why I Like Writing So Much! (And I Re-named My Computer Ganondorf)

Okay, so the second part of that title was not something you needed to know. But I just had to say it, because Pedro turned evil. He knew I wanted to replace him so he made everything I do so much harder. And thus, I name him after the most evil man of all time. Ganondorf.

But I digress. Onto the good stuff. 

My online activity has been sparse as of late, and I sincerely apologize for it. I'd like to say it was for good reason, but it was not. I was off-line because I was being a baby. I got my first few rejections and started to whine and pout and think that my writing wasn't all that good. I saw serious flaws in my plot line and used that as an excuse to give up. I might as well be a monkey.

But despair not! For this is no pity party!

Because I remembered why I did this whole publishing thing to begin with to begin with, why I ever took a pen to a page and started to scribble! Because I have no friends! Haha, just kidding. I have Pedro. No, it's because I just can't stop day dreaming, and I can't stop telling people about my day dreams! And since my voice is just to beautiful for this world to take, I couldn't express my feelings in song. I had to start writing. Guys, I was literally born to write, no joke. And what, I'm going to give up three years of blood sweat and tears for a rejection or two? No.

This part's for all of you in a rut out there. 

Get off your butt (or on, if your a writer like me), start cranking pandora, AND DON'T LET AN-Y-THING GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR DREAMS! Please, I beg you, just don't give up. The world needs more of you, so stop being so selfish and spread the love! We're waiting for you, and we've waited long enough. Don't believe me? Well, let me tell you a few things I'm sick of. I'm sick of the generic girl falls in love with sexy boy who has super powers story, (for pete sakes, let the girl be able to fly, and let the boy have some freckles or buck teeth). I'm sick of pop songs so auto-tuned that they're closer to techno. (Can't we all just agree on dubstep?) I'm sick of tie-dye shirts and sweat pants. (What ever happened to just dressing nicely when you go out?) So please, I'm on my knees begging you, along with many others all over the world, save us you dreamers daring to be different!

I LOVE YOU ALL OKAY GOOD NIGHT!
:3