Happy Halloween and NaNo, here I come

Hey!!

It is currently 3:23AM and I am lying in bed typing this from my phone (so please excuse any errors, tiny keyboard).

Just wanted to stop in and say Happy Halloween. Tonight I'll be hanging out with a big group of friends and going trick or treating for the first time in two years. I feel kind of silly because,well, I'm 17 and I'm going to be dressed up as a fairy (and you can bet I'll be wearing my fuzzy boots, I hate the cold).

What are your Halloween plans?

NaNoWriMo is less than 24 hours away. I'm nervous and excited. A few days ago there was a mishap where I couldn't find my flash drive, I almost cried. And then I put in my favorite sweatshirt and there it was, i had left it in the pocket last time i used it. I'm so glad I found it though, I was ready to give up on NaNo.

I hope your NaNo planning is going well and that you enjoyed all the guests posts.

I wish I could say that I'll be back on a normal posting schedule soon, but with NaNo starting it isn't likely. I probably wont be able to post regularly until February. The next few months are always super busy for me.

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Have a spooky Halloween/NaNoWriMo Eve

-Rachel

P.S. Isn't my niece the cutest thing ever?

Cursing in Blogs

Hey!

A few days ago I ran across a blog where literally every other word is the "F" word. I was flabbergasted, do people actually think that using language like that is impressive? I'm not saying I don't curse, but I certainly don't do it on my blog, and when I do use it it's to emphasize a point (or because I hurt myself...). I get that it's the internet, and that kind of language is to be expected, but you should treat your blog like a business, and I would personally never want to be associated with a business that uses that kind of language.

Your opinions?

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Guest Post: NaNoWriMo: On Writing: Victoria from Victoria Alizabeth Levesque

Victoria Alizabeth (victoriaalizabeth.blogspot.com)

I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time last year. I only made it halfway through the word count, but for me, that was still a win. Part of what helped me was that I had a group of friends that also participated in NaNo. We met at least once a week to work on our novels, ask crazy questions, and generally have a good time. Since it was all of our first time, I don’t know if any of us knew exactly what to expect from it. Our kickoff party started at about eleven, with some brain storming, and little exercises. I went home around three, but a few of the others stayed well into daylight the next day.

Last year, I had a year’s worth of outline and world building with me. I’m doing things a little different this year. For the past few months I’ve been working on a novel, and don’t plan to finish the first draft until a week before NaNo begins. I’ve done some thinking about what I’ll write, but still have no idea. This will be well and truly the first time I write something with virtually no planning. I am definitely nervous about this.

On the other side, I’m not taking classes this semester, so I’ll hopefully have more time to write. I’ve also still got my group from last year, though it’s dwindled down to four people instead of eight or nine. Still, as it gets closer to time, I get more excited. Even though I write whenever I have something in my head, I’ve spent the whole year looking forward to November. It’s quickly becoming my favorite time of year.  

Guest Post: On Writing: NaNoWriMo: Voss from Demon Hunting and Tenth Dimensional Physics

 

I consider NaNoWriMo the one, key turning point in my writing career. I know I’m not alone on that front, but it doesn’t make it any more meaningful to me. The first time I used the process, it was in total seclusion, and I followed the rules of the even to the “T”. I think it was July, and I sat down three days before and planned the whole thing out, from characters to plot to combat systems—everything.
I also scrapped most of that later, but that’s another story to be told…eventually…
The real importance of it was the fact that I finished writing a full 50,000 word manuscript. It was ugly, rough, and ugly…and ugly. But I finished it, and that’s what counts.
Now, entering my fifth or so NaNoWriMo event, I’m much more confident, and much better off as a writer. Stories have been published, others are just about ready to be sent out, and I’m taking in pay—and I’m not even twenty at the time of writing this, though I might be by the time you all read it. Without NaNo, I would be all of nowhere, except maybe stocking shelves at Wal-Mart. The real thing to take away from the event is the feelings—every feeling. The Excitement of the planning, and of writing those first ten-thousand words…followed by a toenail pulling session when you reach the mid-point (our dreaded WEEK TWO of NaNo). And finally the finish. Mostly, this all adds up into confidence. Confidence that you can write, that you can produce product quickly, and that it’s okay to write crap in that zero draft.
I’d like to think of this NaNo as a year of change: the Office of Letters and Light are trying to change the negative name attached to the number thirteen, our new members are again changing their minds and joining the ranks of insanity, and we’ve had a change of Leadership with Chris Baty stepping down. So why shouldn’t we all change along with it?
***
Voss foster writes speculative fiction, and begrudgingly admits to writing romance. When not stuck to his laptop, he enjoys singing, cooking, and photography. He can be found and contacted at http://vossfoster.blogspot.com

Writing Prompt #2: Losing

Hey!!

Writing prompt: Write about losing someone, it doesn't have to be that the person died, maybe something just happened with a friend. It can be from a character's point of view, or from yours.

Looking forward to reading your writing!

I'm not sure what happened, exactly. One day we're sitting next to each other laughing our heads off, and the next she's on the other side of the room, and she took the rest of the group with her. I wish I knew what happened. I wish that I wasn't losing my best friends. I wish that highschool wasn't so hard.

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London

Article first published as Music Review: London - Diving Heart First on Blogcritics.

So, there's this amazing musician named London. She is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter with a very unique sound that's edgy and raw with emotion. Unlike most mainstream artists, her lyrics tell us about her experiences in a very blunt way, instead of sugarcoating it and churning out the same thing over and over again like many artists. If you follow her on Twitter you'll see that she is down to earth and absolutely adores her fans, which is something you so rarely see with people trying to make it big these days

I first came across London three years ago while I was browsing through YouTube. I was amazed from the first note she sang, and have only become more amazed as time has gone on.

I think that growth is important in any type of artist, and London has grown so much artistically in the last three years. She's gone from a young teenage girl who had a tendency to sing through her nose, to this beautiful young lady who's been signed and is currently trying to raise funds to produce her second album.

Her music is easy to relate to and catchy.

Her debut album, Diving Heart First, came out in March 2010 and is full of fun, catchy songs that really tell you who London is.

The following are some of my favorite songs from the album:

"Girl in the Crowd" is a fun tune that tells the story of a girl just wanting to fit in, to get everybody to understand that there's more to her than meets the eye. I love this song because it reminds me a lot of the person I was in middle school.

"Tools of Persuasion" is a great way to let a guy know that unless he commits, he isn't getting any. This song is one of my favorites because in today's society, everybody seems to treat sex so lightly, but I believe that it should be something people should be more careful with. I'm not one of those people who think you should wait 'til marriage, but I definitely think it should be with someone you love and not just a casual thing.

"Carried Away" Everyone gets carried away sometimes. When I think about the song "Carried Away," it reminds me of two people who have different ideas about what their relationship is. For instance, maybe one of them thinks that they're exclusive and the other thinks they're just casual.

I've heard a few people say that they think that London sounds like Miley Cyrus, and I don't agree. To me, Miley just seems like she's trying to hard to be "edgy" and that ruins the effect, London isn't trying to be anything, she's just being herself.

I think that Diving Heart First is great for people looking for new, unique music, sung by someone who truly cares about her fans.

I really hope you check out London's music and that you enjoy it.

You can listen to some of her songs at purevolume.com/MissLDN, and buy her muisc via her website at MissLDN.com.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-london-diving-heart-first/page-2/#ixzz1axcjIHhF

Let's Get Social Blog Hop

On Writing: NaNoWriMo: Organizing

Hey!

Gonna talk about organizing today!! So, I've tried a couple different organizing strategies in the past that haven't gone so well, but I think I've found the perfect system for me.

Materials:
-1inch 3-ring binder
-5 Dividers
-Loose-leaf paper
-Pencils
-Flash drive
-Composition books (I'm thinking I'll use at least 4)

-I Inch 3-Ring Binder:
     -I'm just going with a really simple one I got for a dollar, it's black and does what I need it to do.
-5 Dividers
    -I labelled these
       -Outline
       -Notes
       -Character Profiles
       -Solo Scenes
       -2nd Draft
-Loose-Leaf Paper
     -Make sure you have plenty of this, you'll need it. I'm starting with 2 150 packs, but I'll probably get tons        more by the time November is over.
-Flash Drive
     -At the end of each week I'll be transfering the 2nd draft into a third draft which will be kept on my flash         drive.
-Composition Books
     -This is where I'll be writing the first draft. They fit easily into my school bags and purses, so I can take them out and write anytime I feel inspired.

That's it for now!!

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Join the Stand Against Bullying

Bullying is a serious problem that needs to be stopped. Everyday people are bullied and most don't know how to handle it. And many choose to handle it by ending their life. No one should ever be made to feel like they aren't good enough, like they don't matter, like they don't deserve the life they were given. Everybody deserves to be able to go to school or work or anywhere and know that they aren't going to be bullied. You can help by taking a stand against bullying. Get informed, inform others, and do something about it.

http://volunteerguide.org

standagainstbullying.org

www.stopbullying.gov/

Monkey Do Monday: A No Rules Hop

Guest Post: On Writing: NaNoWriMo: Erica from Crapfiction

I want to thank Rachel (@AbelleKingsley) for inviting me over to guest post. I have only recently jumped on the bandwagon of engaging in social media, and it has allowed me to connect with people across the world in just a couple of months. I would like to apologize in advance for my post. I write #crapfiction, and it's usually littered in confusing statements and grammatical errors. I'll address more of that later.

I'm lost. I'm the proverbial needle in a haystack of writers; as a result, it smothered my potential for years. I had a love for reading at a young age, easily getting sucked into the fantastical worlds that authors had illustrated through writing. And those stories would spark my own ideas. Three comments were always on my elementary report cards: I was a social butterfly, a great reader, and I had wonderful creativity. The first trampled the other two in high school. I spent days “studying in the library” to gossip with friends and play hacky-sack. I took numerous classes on creative writing and English composition, but never adequately prepared myself for college. So I didn't go.

Don't get me wrong; I completed a few semesters of community college down the road. But then I traded that in for a family. But now that things have settled down? I'm back with my thoughts and unwritten stories. Being a writer can suck. Go to any website like Smashwords or Goodreads, and find the hundreds of people who are trying to push their way into the literary spotlight. And most of them DID go to college, HAVE been practicing their craft for years, and DO have publishing contracts. How can I break into one of the most supersaturated industries around? I have no connections and less education. And that realization gave birth to my blogging project (The actual name will be released in a couple of weeks; I still need to buy the URL).

I've started a new blogging project inspired by lots of ideas - “Brainstorm to bookshelf” - “For writers of all backgrounds by writers of all backgrounds” - “Blogging one error at a time” - to name a few.

As stated on my blog,

“... someday I want to get published. Someday I want to sit at a table in a bookstore, sign my awesome signature in my novel, and have people weep about how much they love me. Too much? Maybe. Impossible? I think not. I wanna prove to the world that writers don’t have to be “perfect” or “normal” to be successful. I am a misfit. Are you? ”

This was originally going to be a solo project; I've changed my mind. I thought about everyone I have connected with and realized I'm not the first person who feels like this. And I won't be the last. So why not scoop up all of our talents? Why not share our drunken slurs about our 50th rejection letter? Why not show an audience of people that anyone can be successful? You just have to believe. I know I've been rambling on, so if you are interested, head over to http://crapfiction.wordpress.com/ and find out more. We're in the baby stages, so now is the best time to get involved!

We will be starting with NaNoWriMo. If you've never heard of the concept, head over to their website. In summary, it's an annual event in which writers all over the world compose their own novel (of at least 50,000 words in length) during the month of November. This will be my first year, and I'm terrified. But that's okay. I'm not the only person poppin' the NaNo cherry this year. I already have a few writing buddies lined up, Jack Daniels included, and am ready to face this adventure head on. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll see said novel on the bookshelf in a Barnes & Noble. One can only hope.

Thanks for letting me stop by and throw some ideas at you. If you, too, are a budding writer? Check out and subscribe to my blog, find me on Twitter (@EricaWing), and let's take over the world. Later tweeps! This lady needs a drink!

New phone, New hair, New Month

Hey!!

So, this post is going to be really short (what else is new?). I've got new hair. It's not exactly what I wanted, it's a little to short and bob-ish than I told her to do, but hey, hair grows. I also died it a chestnut brown. I'll post pictures once I get my new phone (which has an 8mp camera, the same as the "new" iPhone 4s or whatever it's called. R.I.P Steve Jobs). I should be getting it in a couple days. If you're wondering, I'm getting the Motorola PHOTON from Sprint.

And, it's mah birfday month!!! I'll be seventeen and I wish I could invite you all to my party :)

That's pretty much it.

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Guest Post: On Writing: NaNoWriMo: Jaclyn from Rambles from Insanity

*Steps on stage*

So, being as this is my first time guest blogging, I might end up rambling. Feel free to drag me out with a giant cane ha-ha.  Any who, my name is Jaclyn and I blog about NaNo out in the Heart of Dixie. I started my blog last year, and my first year to NaNo was in 2008. I believe I wrote 7,000 words that year. Sadly, my computer got an incurable case of the Blue Screen of Death and has yet to be revived. Although I do happen to remember putting poodles in that novel on account of a dare….

*Runs from the giant cane*

Ahem, back to what I was saying…

That novel was horse puddle anyway. My 2009 attempt was a lot better. I remember discussing details of what would happen with my friend while we both sat on giant slides and procrastinated. We’re very bad at that. I didn’t finish that year either…but I do believe I hit the 10k word mark.

I was never really good with longer projects.

*dodges a flying rotten something*

This, as you could probably guess, is why I didn’t finish last year’s novel either. BUT, I handwrote 15,000 words. And I also attended my first write-in. Last year was the closest taste I’d ever had of that finish line and now I have it in me to finish this year.

This is why I have several sheets on copy paper with multitudes of words printed on them to help me plan.

But that is also why I only planned five chapters and then gave up. I knew I wasn’t going to follow it anyway. So, I downloaded yWriter5 and typed up some rooms, [actually, I mainly got them from the adoption thread on the forums <3] and put together what room goes in which chapter. So, when I DO run out of plottedness, all I need to do is pull up yWriter and I have the chapter, the room, a brief description of the room, and I can get to work.

I specifically planned out this NaNo to have the ability to jump around. I’m going to attempt to write out of order, jump write in the middle of a chapter and write where I feel like it. Because each chapter is a new room. And with this, I hope will lead to the success of winning my first NaNo.

I might not have won yet, but you can’t say I’ve given up. :D

*curtsies to the cheers that shake the building, er, blog*

Well, I guess I have rambled enough, if you want to hear more, feel free to hop over to my blog where my madness continues.

Thanks for reading!

Jaclyn

http://stealmedead.blogspot.com

Monkey Do Monday: A No Rules Hop

Oh My Gosh...

There's only 28 days left until NaNo. And to get you all prepared for that, we will be having  a series of guests posts from people doing NaNo. One will be going up every Wednesday this month, with the exception of one, I'm not sure when it will be going up, I'll decide once I've receieved it. If you are interested in guest blogging send me an email and we'll set it up.

Todays kind of a quiet day.

Oh and my friend Klaire injured me, I was giving her a piggy back ride when she hit me and we fell over...

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Halloween TAG!!

Hey!!

So, Halloween is coming up!! I'm so excited (Halloween is ten days after my birthday!).


For Halloween my friend and her family always do a haunted house and for the last few years I've been helping out so I'll be spending Halloween weekend at her house, oh and we have Halloween off, It's a teacher work day.


What will you be doing for Halloween?


Do you "celebrate" Halloween?


TAG Time!


Questions:


1. Favorite Halloween movie?


Hocus Pocus. It's kind of dorky now, but I've watched it a million times every Halloween since I was little.


2. What age did you stop trick-or-treating?

I think it was around 14, I don't really remember (we still get candy though, when we don't have any people going through the haunted house we go to the end of it and steal candy from the bowl).


3. Favorite Halloween Costume you have ever been?


I don't really have a favorite costume, it's been a while since I was actually something, usually I just throw pieces from old costumes together and call it a costume. Once, I was a clown, Vampire, and a Zombie all mixed into one...

4. What are you going to be this year?


I'm probably going to be a zombie, I've been experimenting with liquid latex and costume make up, so...


5. Do you like haunted attractions?


Yes, I will be working one again this year.


6. Vampires or werewolves?

Zombies.


7. Favorite Halloween Candy?


Kit Kats, it's actually the only time of the year that I eat them, except for once last summer when I had a weird craving.


8. Do you decorate your house?


I like to, but my mom doesn't, so we compromised, I could put up scarecrows, and then our scare crows got stolen.

9. Least favorite Halloween costume?

One year my cousin and I were both witches, and that made it my least favorite costume.
10. Have you ever repeated a costume and what was it?

No, but I've reused parts of costumes.
11. Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes.

12. Scariest Halloween?




Last Halloween it was almost closing time for the haunted house, and some guy was walking around the maze part of it wearing a mask and not saying anything, it was creepy. Later we found out that it was one of their friends from down the street.


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Blog Hop!!