Some Old Writing Tips: Part II

Did I say that I was going to post these *soon*? Because I really meant later. Whoops. Anyway, sorry about so much space between this and 'Some Old Writing Tips: Part I'.

Some all-around tips:

1). Don't be neat. Now, that might seem rather odd, but when I mean to not be neat, I mean to not sweat the details in your first draft. You should be neat in your final draft of your book, but when you're beginning, don't spend half an hour trying to make your first chapter perfect. If you agonize over every single word, phrase, and action, you won't get much done and your work will sound too labored. That is why I like to write my first draft instead of type it. If I type it, I'm tempted to delete and re-delete, which is made very easy by a handy-dandy delete button. If you write with a pen, you can't erase, which keeps you from getting hung up over a mere sentence. If there is something that you know needs editing in your first draft, just make a note of it in the margin and keep going. It doesn't matter if your book is perfect by the first-draft! Because it's not going to be. This is what made the Elandai series [now 'out of print', lol] so hard to write; you guys basically saw my first draft of it.

2). Start out simple. Right now, I'm on a level with some of my books where I have sub-plots and sub-sub plots, supporting characters and characters that support the supporting characters. It's very hard. If you're just writing your first book, I would suggest you start off with just one plot (maybe a small sub-plot, too) and just a few supporting characters. Then you can get more complicated as you go.

3). Talk to other first-time authors. When I was just starting out, I had a lot of friends who wrote--but I didn't know they did. It's encouraging to talk to other young authors, not to mention helpful.

4). Find out what genre you are. I am a fantasy/allegorical genre. Seriously, I can't write anything else then fantasy and allegories. I've tried historical fiction, sci-fi, contemporary, and others, but I can't write those. You can experiment to find it out, or you can think on what books you read a lot of. Read a whole bunch of fantasy? You might want to try writing fantasy.

5). Read. A lot. I think that's self-explanatory, but I'll explain anyway. If you find a really good author, study their writing style. They probably use a lot of strong verbs (like sprinted or dashed instead of ran) and you can copy their ways of making the reader interested.

6). Have other people read your books. The first book I actually let someone read was the first third of Sarea. They probably will be able to tell you if your characters are strong, plot interesting, etc.

7). Get a fair amount of sleep, drink a lot of water, eat healthy, get a good amount of exercise. They're actually important factors of good writing because they keep your brain in good shape.

8). Get your school-work and chores done before you sit down to write. That way there will be less interruptions from siblings or parents asking if your household duties are done yet, and you will be able to concentrate more if you don't have a to-do list hanging over your head.

9). Try to write often, even if it's only for a little while. If you skip one day, it'll be easier to skip a week.

10). Don't give up! No one ever becomes world-best author without a lot of work.

A tip or two on strong characters:

#1. Base them on a real person. A lot of times, I base my main character, at least, on someone I know, including me. Ehra in Sarea for example. She's based on two real people: one friend for personality, and another for looks (with some of her own, too). If you think you'll get too attached to a character you're going to have die, then...I guess you could make up your own personality or something. I don't usually kill my characters, so I'm not much help there. I also base my bad guys on unsavory characters I know, or even historical ones (such as Sisera from Judges 4, or Judas Iscariot from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Basing them on real people helps when you aren't quite sure how your character would react in a situation; simply have them act like the person they're based on would.

#2. Put some of their background into it. Add something more personal about them, so the reader really feels that they know the character. I added a few pages in Sarea when Ehra is talking to her parents, whom she has a very close relationship with. I also added a chapter when Ehra and her sister are chatting with some gossipy village girls, showing how different they are.

And a suggestion on lightening dark plots:

Add little children into it. They're so innocent and funny; it lightens up the plot right away. I am naturally very optimistic, so I don't tend to have this problem, but I do have it sometimes. Also add some friendly family into it; if your character is an orphan with a sibling who's her mortal enemy, is running away from a cruel slaver while unwittingly falling into a trap their malicious sibling has set, it would make for an interesting story line, but it'd be extremely dark and...not very pro-family.

Izori

READ THIS!!!!

We were forwarded this, so therefore I'm going to share it 'with everyone I know' the best way I can. By blogging it. Meet Brian Chontosh Churchville-Chili Central School Class of 1991. Proud graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Husband and about-to-be father. First lieutenant (now Captain) in the United States Marine Corps. And a genuine hero, the secretary of the Navy said so yesterday. At 29 Palms in California Brian Chontosh was presented with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for combat bravery the United States can bestow. That's a big deal. But you won't see it on the network news tonight And all you'll read in Brian's hometown newspaper is two paragraphs of nothing. The odd fact about the American media in this war is that it's not covering the American military. The most plugged-in nation in the world is receiving virtually no true information about what its warriors are doing. Oh, sure, there's a body count. We know how many Americans have fallen. And we see those same casket pictures day in and day out. And we're almost on a first-name basis with the jerks who abused the Iraqi prisoners. And we know all about improvised explosive devices and how we lost Fallujah and what Arab public-opinion polls say about us and how the world hates us. We get a non-stop feed of gloom and doom but we don't hear about the heroes. The incredibly brave GIs who honorably do their duty. The ones our grandparents would have carried on their shoulders down Fifth Avenue . The ones we completely ignore, like Brian Chontosh. It was a year ago on the march into Baghdad . Brian Chontosh was a platoon leader rolling up Highway 1 in a humvee. When all hell broke loose. Ambush city. The young Marines were being cut to ribbons. Mortars, machine guns, rocket propelled grenades. And the kid out of Churchville was in charge. It was do or die and it was up to him. So he moved to the side of his column, looking for a way to lead his men to safety. As he tried to poke a hole through the Iraqi line his humvee came under direct enemy machine gun fire. It was fish in a barrel and the Marines were the fish. And Brian Chontosh gave the order to attack.. He told his driver to floor the humvee directly at the machine gun emplacement that was firing at them. And he had the guy on top with the 50 cal unload on them. Within moments there were Iraqis slumped across their machine guns and Chontosh was still advancing, ordering his driver now to take the humvee directly into the Iraqi trench that was attacking his Marines.. Over into the battlement the humvee went and outthe door Brian Chontosh bailed, carrying an M16 and a Beretta and 228 years of Marine Corps pride. And he ran along the trench, with its mortars and riflemen, machine guns and grenadiers. And he killed them all. He fought with the M16 until it was out of ammo. Then he fought with the Beretta until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up a dead man's AK4 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. Then he picked up another dead man's AK47 and fought with that until it was out of ammo. At one point he even fired a discarded Iraqi RPG into an enemy cluster, sending attackers flying with its grenade explosion. When he was done Brian Chontosh had cleared 200 yards of entrenched Iraqis from his platoon's flank. He had killed more than 20 and wounded at least as many more. But that's probably not how he would tell it. He would probably merely say that his Marines were in trouble, and he got them out of trouble. Ooh-rah, and drive on. "By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, 1st Lt. Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service." That's what the citation says. And that's what nobody will hear. That's what doesn't seem to be making the evening news. Accounts of American valor are dismissed by the press as propaganda, yet accounts of American difficulties are heralded as objectivity.. It makes you wonder if the role of the media is to inform or to depress - to report or to deride. To tell the truth, or to feed us lies. But I guess it doesn't matter.We're going to turn out all right as long as men like Brian Chontosh wear our uniform. If you are as proud of this Marine as I am, then send this to EVERYONE YOU KNOW

Writer's Daybook

Writer's Daybook
Entry 10

What time is it...10:06 AM

I'm feeling...just a bit nervous .

Outside is...melting snow. The sun...finally!

Today I...am going to perform at a nursing home. And write a scene of the script.

I am hearing...Galdor playing in the family room.

I am hoping...that my wrists will hold up today.

I'm looking forward to...relaxing.

I am glad that...I'm not *too* nervous. I've known my piano pieces ever since December.

What I'm currently working on writing-wise...script and my new book.

What I just finished reading...uh, I've been reading things such as Emma and The Black Arrow, but I haven't finished either.

What I'm hoping to read...Jane Ehre. Is that how you spell 'Ehre'?

Writing buddy who I talked to last...igirl.

Writing tip of the week...don't spend so much time on the computer that you're absolutely brainwashed.

Number of words I wrote this week...maybe 6,000.

What time is it...10:12 AM

Izori

My Opinion on 'Avatar'

No, I haven't seen it, but I have formed my own opinion of it. I've seen pictures and ads for it, and I think I would have to agree the most with Doug Phillips. Go HERE to read a very interesting post by him on this movie.

Izori

Look like spring is just around the corner!

Finally! The white in our yard is finally starting to give way to green! Before, probably because snow was so rare, I would usually be really sad that the snow was starting to melt, but now I'm really, really happy.

And then of course, snow is a possibility in the next few days.

:(

Oh well. Heh, I guess that I'll appreciate summer more. I usually don't like summer because it's so hot and you just feel like crawling down into the basement and dunking your head under running water.

Did you know that I started another book? Yes, another one. I'm not quite sure what it'll be about yet, but I'm sure it'll be another allegory. And I already thought up a really cool character.

Izori

Another person made it home...

Hope, who many people have been praying for over the last few months, died after a hard battle with cancer. Go HERE to read about the end of her journey, and please pray for her family. I've had pets die, not to mention relatives and an older sibling that I never knew, but I can't imagine how hard it is to lose a daughter.

I'll see you there, Hope!

Izori

Writer's Daybook

Writer's Daybook
Entry 8 or 9. I'll go with 9.

What time is it...3:11 PM

I'm feeling...a little overwhelmed.

Outside is...Snow. I'm sick of it now. Anyone want some snow? 'Cause it's free for the taking! Just grab it out of my front yard! jk, lol.

Today I...went to the alpaca meeting. Alpacas are so...so...unlovable. They don't even look cute. And they're so skitterish! I'm actually kind of afraid of them. Horses are so much more easy to deal with, and less frightening, and more loving, and more cute, and more fun, and less persnickety, and less...

I am hearing...silence. Blessed silence. I should make a poem about that.

I am hoping...that I'll get everything done today! I already wrote some of the script for my friends today (I'm feeling a little guilty--haven't worked on it in so long). And I'd also like to make quartet arrangements for Danny Boy. Might use them for a little singing group, but it's mainly for fun.

I'm looking forward to...when Galdor gets up from his nap. That's when I get to play the piano, because if I play it now it'll wake him up. And no one wants a cranky baby on the loose!

I am glad that...I got to sleep in today.

What I'm currently working on writing-wise...screenplay.

What I just finished reading...gee, I haven't read in such a long time...'Castaways of the Flying Dutchman' I suppose

What I'm hoping to read...The Adventures of Tintin all over again. Like Ehra, I'm really into them!

Writing buddy who I talked to last...igirl. For real. I saw her yesterday. Briefly, of course. :(

Writing tip of the week...I would say don't procrastinate, but then you could call me a humbug. So...uh, don't procrastinate.

Number of words I wrote this week...maybe 1,000.

What time is it...3:18 PM

Tagged by Bleah Briann!

Cool Fashion Tag:

1. Skinny jeans or flare jeans?: I DON'T like skinny jeans, so I guess that would mean flare.




2. Do you like graphic tees?: idk.

3. What is your favorite store?: I don't shop often enough to have a favorite store. Salvation Army, I suppose.


4. Do you prefer the Preppy look or Gothic look?: Preppy over Gothic, definitely.


5. The Mall or the thrift store?: thrift store, but malls are fun. They're like a treat because I only go about once ever year and a half. No kidding.


6. Do you wear makeup?: Occasionally I wear mascara. But I think I'm allergic to it or something, so it's rare. I have really weird skin.

7. What is your style like?: Kind of casual, but I LOVE medieval stuff. I wish I could wear it without being asked if I came out of a time machine! ;)



8. Do you wear designer clothes?: Of course I do! Uh...if you count ME as the designer, then yes.



9. What type of shoes are you addicted to?: I really like high heels, but since I'm kind of tall...yeah. I'd prefer not to look like a giant, thank you very much.



10. Do you like dresses?: Yeppers.



11. What type of plaid do you prefer?: Ooh! You should totally see our family's hunting tartan! It's absolutely WONDERFUL! Our royal tartan, however, isn't.

I tag...

all of my lady followers!

Praise!

YES!! YES, YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!

Did ya guess? Just an hour or two ago, while we were watching the Women's Biathlon (Olympics), we got a call from my teacher saying that the accompaniment class was canceled! WOW! I really wasn't expecting that.

Basically, last night when I was supposed to be sleeping I was worrying about the accompaniment class--I was absolutely certain that it would just be a huge embarrassment for me. And then I thought, "Well, God's in control, and he's obviously trying to tell me something. Maybe it's his will that I play without any music. I'll just think of it as 'character building'."

And so I was SHOCKED when that phone call came.

Anyway, let that be a lesson to all of us--God answers prayers! (even really unimportant ones)

Had a blast today! (and a prayer request)

So that mom could do taxes, Dad took all of us kids to Chuck E. Cheese today! We had an awesome time!! My favorite game is probably the Star Wars one, but there are some other good ones. Unfortunately, I only got to play two games because Erestor 'borrowed' my last tokens ('I'll return them! You owe me three, remember that!' 'Yeah. Whatever you say')...but minor detail!

And the prayer request...you know how I was so glad that last week's accompaniment class was postponed because of the snow because my music was at my teacher's room and I hadn't practiced at ALL? Well...it's been rescheduled to tomorrow. And when I told my teacher I had left my music there on Tuesday, we looked and couldn't find it anywhere. And she was sure I had left it too. So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for me that I could somehow find my music, or somehow that the class would be canceled again, or SOMETHING drastic! If you did, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[a very worried] Izori

Book Review: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman

Been a while since I've done a book review. I've been meaning to review several books, actually, but it slipped my mind and my to-do list. I also might (MIGHT--key word) review 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', which I'm greatly enjoying.

'Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'
by Brian Jacques

'The Flying Dutchman! The legend of the wind-tattered ghost ship and its mad sea captain, cursed to sail the seas forever, has been passed down throughout the centuries. But what of the boy and his dog who were trapped aboard that ship? What was to become of them?

Send off on an eternal journey of their own by an avenging angel, the boy and dog roam the earth throughout the centuries in search of those in need. Braving wind and waves and countless perils, their travels lead them to Chapelvale, a sleepy 19th-century village whose very existence is at stake. Only by discovering the buried secrets and solving the dust-laden riddles of the ancient village can it be saved. This will take the will and wile of all the people - and a very special boy and dog!'

(Book description taken off of BRIAN JACQUES' WEBSITE)

Well, I'm kind of have a mixed opinion about the book.

The good things about it: Captain Vanderdecken is severely punished for blaspheming God. Ben and Ned (also known as Neb and Den) are saved for their 'pure and innocent hearts', to paraphrase the book. There is not a spot of romance, thankfully, and friendship, loyalty, bravery, and purity of heart are strong points in the story. It was for the most part (some parts were a little cheesy, cliche, just plain first draft-sounding) well written, and I found myself very attached to Ben and Ned. They help and care for others, which is also very good. Oh, and the Bible and God are treated very respectfully, with the exception of Captain Vanderdecken.

The bad things about it: (SPOILER) I'm not sure that it's exactly Biblical for an angel to curse/bless people with immortality. (END OF SPOILER) For some odd reason, I felt like Jacques was treating God more akin to a Greek legend or something like that--something to be respected, but outside of a story, not to be taken seriously. It may have just been me, though. Oh, and a lot of book descriptions for 'CotFD' make it sound like Ben and Ned are ghosts. The book has them more like guardian angels. That was why I was a little hesitant to read it.

Overall opinion: It was good. Catchy plot, strong characters, bitter-sweet endings (which I usually hate, but this one was pretty good). I'm looking forward to reading the next one, 'The Angel's Command'. I'll rate it 3 out of 5 stars. Would have gotten a 4.999999999999 if I hadn't gotten the impression that I had in the previous paragraph.

Oh, and I've met Brian Jacques a few years ago! He also wrote the Redwall books, and he's absolutely HILARIOUS!!! Had a complete blast at the book signing. And it was really cool, because we were last in line and there weren't much other people, we got to talk to him and took a picture with him. It was so inspiring!

Izori

Happy Valentine's Day!

Even though I'm still giving out chocolates and paper hearts to everyone (more like Jolly Ranchers and paper hearts, lol) I'd like to remember what this holiday really is about--a saint who lost his life for the Lord under the rule of Nero in Rome. God also worked through him to restore sight to the blind daughter of a Roman official.

So, after you've taken a moment to remember St. Valentine...

*hands over a virtual box of chocolates* Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!

Now I get to tell you all about my experiences.

So, last night (Date Night) was actually pretty fun. I was on food-prep, and it actually was easy. Not NEARLY as stressful as teaching the 2-3 yr. old class in VBS! They had 'Ratatouille' on for the kids, and most of the helpers watched it, too :) We (Galdor, Erestor, Luthien, me) only watched ten minutes of it before we had to go, but we had seen it before so it didn't really matter. We were really tired, so we went to bed almost as soon as we got home.

Today was Valentine's Day!! We got up, had breakfast, and then I really quickly made valentine's for my friends at church. Then we went to church, where we had a really good lunch (church lunches are always good, lol), and then we came back home. Dad gave us really fancy chocolates and they taste REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!! And then I gave Erestor, Luthien, Galdor, and Dad big hearts stuffed with handfuls of candy, and I gave Mom 'intensely dark' chocolate. And I got a valentine from one of my friend's at church that was very pretty.

Oh yeah, and both Mom and I decided that next week we'll go for seven days without sweets! After a day like this, I think it'll be kind of easy! There's only so much sugar you can have before you have a sugar-crash, y'know! Lol.

Izori

What, pray tell, exactly IS a title?

For that matter, what is a blog? What an interesting word...blog.





This is one of Izori's most esteemed and long-lived characters, Ehra. Let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. Did you know that Izori is...well...interesting to work with? As in, a little crazy?



Well, she is. She's had me switch roles at least three times. Once, I was a poor serf. Then I was a kind of middle-class person. Now I'm a high-end character! Will she ever make up her mind?!



Oh, yeah, and now Izori's decided that my name really is Ehrathiwel. At least that isn't as bad as poor Maki's name change...now it's Maethar! He really doesn't mind though, and even I think that Maethar suits him better.



I was listening to a horror story from Elizabeth. Izori killed her off! Of course, she--oh, right. She probably doesn't want me to tell you any spoilers. Or at least that's what she calls them.



Well, Izori is kind of pressed for time today, not to mention she's coming down with a cough, and her wrists are bothering her. (My goodness, will her ailments never end?!). She's going to be helping out in the cooking area for a Date Night in church, and she'll be attending a babyshower before that. So she asked me to do her Writer's Daybook for her. Therefore, all of these answers are mine, and not hers.

What time is it...past sunfall.

I'm feeling...confused by this newfangled laptop of Izori's!

Outside is...Maethar, Abriel, Karo, and Durain having a snowball fight.

Today I...figured out working a laptop! Thank goodness Izori taught me how to type.

I am hearing...Aera jabbering away. Seriously, why did Izori have to make her so annoying? She just talks and talks and talks...

I am hoping...that Aera will stop talking!!

I'm looking forward to...Aera going to bed.

I am glad that...my wish was granted! She stopped talking!

What I'm currently working on writing-wise...a mere poem.

What I just finished reading...The Adventures of Tintin. A very good cartoon book.

What I'm hoping to read...The Adventures of Tintin all over again.

Writing buddy who I talked to last...well, Izori talked to Enna-Rin--oops, Catherine Morland!--on the phone yesterday.

Writing tip of the week...have someone else other than you edit your book. Like your character for instance.

Number of words I wrote this week...you mean Izori? Maybe four thousand.

What time is it...still past sunfall.

Yours very respectfully,

Ehrathiwel Miren

A Fun Tag from Elrania!

Thank you, Elrania! This looks really fun!

FOOD-OLGY

What is your salad dressing of choice? Any Vinaigrette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Bilbo Baggins. And IHOP

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Not really any kind that I wouldn't get sick of. Probably yogurt.

What are your pizza toppings of choice? Sausage.

What do you like to put on your toast? Butter. Jam if there is any.

TECHNOLOGY

How many televisions are in your house? One. Which is rarely on.

What color cell phone do you have? Hehe. I don't have one. But if I did, I would like it dark blue. Dark blue with elf-runes all over it.

What does the first text message in your inbox say and who sent it? I don't know. I've never had a 'first text message'.

Who was the last person to call you? My grandparents.

BIOLOGY

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Technically, I'm right handed. However, I'm a switch-batter, I can throw reasonably well and eligibly write with my left hand. I'm also just as good at kicking with my left foot as I am with my right..

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Um...no.

What is the last heavy item you lifted? Snow.

RANDOM-OLOGY

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? I think that would kind of ruin the suspense, y'know? jk, lol. I'd rather not know the day I die.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Um...Galadriel. I just LOVE that name!

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Yep.

DUMB-OLOGY

How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 1/2. Lolz, I lost the other one.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Well, just a week ago...just kiddin'. I never have.

Last person you talked to in person? My mom

Favorite Month? Right now, February.

CURRENT-OLOGY

Missing someone? No, not really. Although Haldir was supposed to show up to play Monopoly with me a few hours ago...

Mood? Happy, kind of sarcastic.

What are you listening to? Mom singing opera.

Watching? The computer screen?

Worrying about? The snow. I want it to snow really hard so that I won't have Masters Accompaniment Class tomorrow. Y'see, I kind of lost my music. I know exactly where it is...in my piano teacher's office. And therefore, I haven't exactly practiced.

RANDOM-OLOGY


What’s the last movie you watched? 'My Dog Skip'. Sobbed my bloomin' heart out.

Do you smile often? Yep.

Do you always answer your phone? Hardly ever.

It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? Don't have a cellphone. If I did, it'd probably be from my crazy brother. lol.

If you could change your eye color what would it be? Either blue, or gray, or green, or mood ring, or purple, or silver...

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Where's Sonic?

Do you own a digital camera? Yeah. The only one in the house.

Have you ever had a pet fish? *snickers* Five of 'em.

Favorite Christmas song? Any.

What’s on your wish list for your birthday? Idk.

Can you do push-ups? *blushes* no.

Can you do a chin up? Probably not. I've never tried.

Do you have any saved texts? Nope. Don't have any unsaved texts, either.

Ever been in a car wreck? Several.

Do you have an accent? Yep!

What is the last song to make you cry? Pretty much any *blushes*. Kind of depends on my mood.

Plans tonight? Nuthin', really.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Yeah.

You ever been given roses? Yep.

Current hate right now? Nothing, really. Useless classes that just get you really nervous, I suppose.

Met someone who changed your life? Yes.

What were you doing 12 AM last night? Dreaming some insane dream about roads going ever onward.

What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? 'What? Seven already?'

And now I tag anyone who is working on at least five stories at one time.

Izori

Hehe, I'm in the advertizing buisness!

Introducing a new contest that I have gotten myself into...*drumroll*

You want to go to a really great blog? Then go HERE, to The Cornet Crazie's! When you go, and when you decide that you like it and follow it, leave a comment and tell her that I sent ya!

Thanks, y'all!

Izori

A Rather Late New Year's Resolution

Yesterday I was thinking about one of my books that I hadn't worked on in such a long time, Sarea (working title, y'know). Originally, it used to be what I considered my greatest 'masterpiece'. It was 135 pages long (enormous, as I ignorantly thought), and had characters based on pretty much everyone I knew, from two of my closest friends to a girl from my soccer team. In my twelve-year-old eyes, it was the best thing I had ever written.

And then came the revelation.

That's what I hate about writing styles maturing. In just one summer I had expanded my literary accomplishments to 'Sense and Sensibility', 'The Two Towers', 'Inkheart', 'Eragon', and a number of other really good books. And of course, that improved my writing skills almost too rapidly.

After writing my NaNoWriMo Novel, which turned out really good (even if I say so myself, hehe), Sarea just seemed so...so weak. Dull. Pointless. Immature. I tried re-writing it and keeping the basic concept, but I quickly lost interest.

The more I kept thinking about it, the more I would tell myself, "Y'know, there's no point in just letting it sit. You should just ditch it." And immediately afterward I would gasp, "Whoa! I can't believe I would even THINK of doing that!!".

Well.

I finally deleted the blasted thing.

And then I immediately started writing it again.

*sigh* I guess I just can't shake it. Not that I mind! (lol)

Yes, I really do want to keep that old thing. And so I've decided to take the 'NaNoWriMo approach'. I'm going to just plunk myself down and write a thousand words or so in a day, not caring how bad it sounded. I'm going to try (try--key word!) to jam the book with exciting scene after exciting scene, and not read the thing over until I'm done. Hey, it worked with my NaNo novel; maybe it'll work with Sarea.

Basically, all I've figured out is that I'm at least keeping my main character. However, she's no longer a serf, and she might just have one sibling instead of three. Also, I don't think there's room for her best friend. *gasps in realization* . That was one of the characters based on ME!! Never mind, I'm keeping her. XD

Yeah. That's a glimpse of my spectacular plan.

Izori

Neighbors Are a Blessing!

During the past three snowstorms, we have been blessed by our wonderful neighbors. They have gotten up early, twice, to shovel our snow-covered driveway! Now, one of our neighbors--I'll call him Mr. N--just snow-blowed our driveway! Wasn't that nice of him?

What happened to global warming?!?

The amount of snow we've been getting is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!!! And you'll never guess--we're supposed to get 10-20 inches more tomorrow!

It was really interesting to see our different reactions to this news.

Dad's reaction:

Mom's reaction:

My reaction:

Galdor's reaction:

Erestor's reaction:

Luthien's reaction:

Okay. That might not have been Luthien's EXACT reaction...but you get the picture. Lol.

Izori

Random Stuff, the majority of which is about sports

It doesn't feel like a Sunday! Because of the three feet of snow (Yes! We got three feet! Actually, it wasn't quite 3 ft, but it was very close) church was canceled. :(

Went sledding with my friend's younger sister...and we had an absolute blast! Except the snow was SO deep, I had a really hard time walking in it. The sledding was wonderful; hardly anyone was there until later. And my friend built a fort. It was really, really cool--had a window, and was big enough for her, her lil' sister, and me to all fit in it.

Unfortunately, when the snow plow came through, they plowed all of the snow from the street in front of everyone's mailbox! One person's mailbox is absolutely buried. Ours is hardly visible. Erestor and his friends are climbing on the big snow-pile right now.

And...I'm gettin' ready to watch the Super Bowl! GO COLTS!!!! I'm not rooting for the Saints because they beat the Redskins.

I take that back. Pretty much EVERYBODY beat the Redskins this year. What I meant to say was that the Saints vs. Redskins game was one of the few that we actually came close to winning. But then we lost. What's worse, several respectable friends of mine were rooting for the Saints! I was betrayed! Et tu, Brute?

What can I say? Loyalty is my strongest point! I still am a Nationals fan, and everyone knows how horrible they are. But guess what!

The Capitols aren't bad! Matter of fact, they just beat a record today! 14 game winning streak! Now let's go for 20!



Izori

Writer's Daybook and...

Oh. My. Goodness. It is snowing so hard out there. It's been snowing since yesterday morning, and I cannot walk in the snow. Seriously. I'm 5 feet, 5 1/2 inches, and I can't walk in it. It's AMAZING!!! NOTHING LIKE THIS AREA HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE!! AAAAAAAHHHH! WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH SNOW!!!!! I BELIEVE WE'RE BREAKING RECORDS!

Ahem.

WRITER'S DAYBOOK
Entry 7

What time is it...1:17 PM

I'm feeling...excited

Outside is...TONS AND TONS OF SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!

Today I...woke up to SNOW and played outside in it, and came inside and read a really good sci-fi book.

I am hearing...hullabaloo in the kitchen.

I am hoping...that I can continue construction on my snow tunnel.

I'm looking forward to...playing in the snow!

I am glad that...it snowed.

What I'm currently working on writing-wise...nuthin'.

What I just finished reading...'Larklight' by Phillip Reese. I think it's by him, at least.

What I'm hoping to read...more Warriors books.

Writing buddy who I talked to last...igirl. I haven't really talked to her, but she's the most recent that I've seen.

Writing tip of the week...Take a break and play outside in this wonderful, amazing, snow!

Number of words I wrote this week...nada.

What time is it now?: 1:21 PM

Oh, yes, and Lady Milisande Awnia Grim, to answer your question: 'Warriors' is a series by Erin Hunter about wild cats. They're very good, with the exception that some of their ideas can get a little like Buddhism or New Ageism.

Izori

Tagged by Elrania!

This is the award (I don't know why this text is underlined, so just ignore it).

Here are the rules:

1. List 8 stories or books you'd like to live in. (for two weeks)

2. List eight other bloggers who deserve this award.

3. Comment on their blog, and let them know they've won an award.

This is going to be a really hard choice, but okay...

1. Lord of the Rings

2. Peter Pan

3. Chronicles of Narnia

4. Warriors books (only if I could be a cat, though. Wouldn't be much fun if I was a human)

5. Fairest

6. The Door Within Trilogy

7. Robin Hood

8. Aargh! I can't choose! Um...The Landon Snow Series.

And I tag:

Catherine WhiteRose

Saerwen

tinydancer

J.T. Norlander

igirl

Kendrabelle

Lady Milisande Awnia Grim

Enna-Rin

Sorry if you were already tagged. This award/tag has been around the block a bit.

Izori

I found a new hobby!!

Okay. I'm sitting in front of the computer, welts on my hands, face camouflage smeared all over my face, snow pants on, and my wrists hurting like crazy. Guess what I was doing!

I played air-soft. For the first time. And I was the only girl. I borrowed this not-so-great gun from one of Erestor's friends, and fifteen of us picked teams, spread out in the woods behind our house, and commenced pelting people.

There were quite a few boundary disputes and arguments over rules at first, and then we just decided that one team would defend a fort while the other team tried to take it. I was on the take-over team both times, and both times we won! I was the first person in the fort one time.

So it was really awesome. Now I smell like a camp-fire, because we were roasting hot dogs.

Of course, air-soft isn't as awesome as laser tag, but it's pretty cool!

Izori

Some Old Writing Tips: Part 1

I realized that I haven't done tips on writing in a while. So I decided to re-post some of my favorite tips!

Tips for Curing Writer's Block (given to me by Enna-Rin):

1). Write down 12 ideas that might come next in your book. Don't stop, even if the third one sounds really awesome. 12 seemed an awful lot for me, so I shortened it to seven. It still worked. And don't not write down an idea, even if it sounds crazy. I wasn't going to write down one of the ideas, because it sounded very cliche, but it ended up that idea was the one I used (combined with another one).

2). Ask youself 'What would happen if...'. Again, let your mind wander, and don't disgard the crazy ideas.

3). At least look at the part that you left off writing. A lot of times, I think I have writer's block because I haven't had any new brainstorms. Actually, if I can just look over the chapter that I got stuck on, I get inspired a lot of times.

4). Pray. It works better then anything! And also read your Bible. If you're working on a book that has a revolution against an evil king, read about Gideon or maybe David. If you're writing about a good king that's fighting down an evil revolution, read about David and his rebellious son. If you're writing an allegory, obviously read all over the Bible!

All Around Tips:

Tip 1: Making strong characters. To find out if your book has strong characters or not, have a sibling, friend, or parent read your book, and then ask them what their reaction would be if you made the main character get killed in a sword fight or come to some demise or other. Tell them to be honest. If they tell you that they probably cry or be really mad at the person who killed them, then your characters are very strong and life-like. If they tell you that they wouldn't care much, then you've got a problem (either the reader is heartless, or you have weak and flat characters. But usually it's the second). I still have this problem, and I don't have a particularly good way of fixing it, but the thing I usually try to do is put yourself in your character's shoes. Try to imagine what you would be like in a story, or if the character isn't that like you, imagine a sibling or friend. Or maybe try to descibe their life to the reader, like put some of their background in. Try to really write a good picture of the character.

Tip 2: Lengthening a book. I have that trouble a lot. What I've found best in most cases is put two sides of the story in. I only wrote one of my stories from the perspective of my main character, a teenage girl named Ehra, and the book turned out to be 70 pages. Then I added in the perspectives of some bad guys, and it turned out to be 130 pages! That's a 40 page difference! Also, try to read really long, well written books, like the Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini [even though I've decided to wait to finish up the series when I'm older, Paolini still has very good writing techniques]. He has a lot of description in his books, and his characters have long lines a lot of the time. Of course, you don't have to go overboard with the long lines, but take these examples. Say this is a part in your book:

"Were you able to solve the riddle?"

"No."

You can lengthen it like this:

"Were you able to solve the riddle?"

"No. We tried really hard, and we thought we came close to cracking the code at least once, but it turned out to be wrong. We even tried using the Caesar Cypher, but we can't find anything. I don't think we'll ever be able to solve it!"

That sounds less abrubt, and you lengthened the line considerably. One of those might not make much of a difference, but if you add in long lines and description several times where it's needed, your book could get longer by a few pages.

Tip 3: Thinking up titles for books and chapters. Some people don't have titles for chapters, but everyone (I'm pretty sure) has a book title :D! This, especially the book titles, can get sort of tricky. I usually have thought up a name for my book by the time I'm done with it, but it's hard sometimes. What I do is I name it after my main character, or where the climax of the book takes place. Brian Jacques, for example, names his books "Martin the Warrior", or "Salamandastron", or "Redwall". Christopher Paolini names his "Eragon" or "Brisinger". Chapters are a bit easier; you can just name them after what takes place during it. Like my most recent [not quite so recent, now!] chapter of "The Return to Elandai", which is named Captured.

Tips for drafts:

Who in the world thought of the word 'draft' (as in, "I wrote the first draft of my book")? It's one odd word.

Anyway, another tip for writing a book is doing drafts. I like to write my first drafts in a notebook, not on the computer. It's basically the 'bones' of the book, and you can make your first draft as messy as you want. Like mine--crossed out words, squished in sentences, abbreviated names, and scribbled notes. Then I type it all up on the computer and start adding the 'muscle'--incorporating the notes, rewriting sentences, and so on. Then I re-read the whole thing and edit it all.

Sometimes, like with the Elandai series, I don't do drafts. That's a little harder, because if you made your plot do one thing, and then later realize that you didn't want it to do that, you can't go back and fix it. That makes the Elandai series a little interesting, because even though sometimes I do think ahead, I have no clue where I'm going next.

And more's coming up soon!

Izori

HILARIOUS!!

I got this link over at Melian's blog HERE. It's a mad lib for LotR, and here is what I got.

One spring day, Frodo was singing quietly while leaning against a big Irish Tin Whistle near a road in the Shire. In the distance, he saw the faint sound of a cazoo galumphing. Who's coming up the paint brush ? He wondered. As the galumphing came closer, Frodo could hear the clicking of horse tail and the hilarious sounds of a bagel moving up the road. A deep shy voice rose above the clatter: The roller blades goes ever on and on. Down through the ceiling where it began... the raspy voice rang. Sauroman! Frodo cried. He quickly jumped up and flipped towards the paint brush to greet the famous opera singer.

HERE's the site.

Izori

Good News!!

We got Dad's PET scan results today, and from what they can see, the chemo and radiation took away all of the cancer! Yipee! He'll have a scan every six months in case the cancer grows back again. Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for praying!

Izori

Prayer Request

Cats alive, it's COLD outside! In a nearby town, it's about 1 degree f. Here it's slightly warmer. I think. Our thermometer says that it's sixteen degrees f, but it always runs high.

Anyway, today is Dad's PET scan. Please pray that all goes well, and also that the icy-ness won't cause any trouble with driving.

Mucho gracias!

Izori