Y o u · a r e · l u c k y · e n o u g h · t o · b e · o n e · o f · t h o s e · p e o p l e · w h o · w i s h e s · t o · b u i l d · s a n d c a s t l e s
w i t h · w o r d s, · w h o · i s · w i l l i n g · t o · c r e a t e · a · p l a c e · w h e r e · y o u r · i m a g i n a t i o n · c a n · w a n d e r .
- Anne Lamott

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope


       Book review number two goes to Little Blue Envelope #2! Maureen Johnson's, The Last Little Blue Envelope. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.
Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

       It's no secret that YA urban fantasy is, by far, my favorite genre. I love feeling like there could so easily be a layer of magic underneath the world I currently live in. That, in so many of the cases, the story-lines could be real. Who is to say that there is no Hogwarts out there off the map? Well, scientists are to say, and I know that they're right when I really think about it. No matter how much I secretly like to think that Jo Rowling is actually a squib chronicling a major piece of wizarding history for us muggles, I know I'm just being silly. It doesn't hurt to dream though, right? If so, I wouldn't have any ambition to write.
       What I love about YA contemporary novels, is the sense of adventure, of love and loss. The same themes of fantasy novels, only it's all real. You could, scientifically speaking, have an adventure just like the ones you read in contemporary novels. That's the point of them. That's what I love about them. It is also what I hate about them.
       I enjoyed reading about Ginny's adventures in London and Paris and Amsterdam and Ireland just as much, if not more, than last time. It's exhilarating to think I could actually do just what she did. I can go buy a plane ticket and fly on over to London to start having my very own adventure overseas. I can't, however, go tap on a brick wall with an umbrella/wand out back of The Leaky Cauldron to get to Diagon Alley. I think this is why I always have a real sense of disappointment in myself when I'm finished with a contemporary novel. It's not my fault that I can't go kick some death eater butt, but it is my fault that I live contentedly in a little safe bubble. 
       The only time I travel outside of New England is when I visit Orlando, FL to go to Disney World or Universal Studios. This is my extent of adventure. When I was still enrolled in college I had planned 100% on studying abroad in England or a similar English-speaking country (I felt as though I'd be really out of place at a college I didn't speak the primary language.) Now that I'm withdrawn from school and have no idea when I will go back, I don't know when I'll actually get the chance to go anywhere out of my comfort-zone. 
       Best Friend and I planned on visiting her relatives in Greece this summer for a few weeks, and I was very excited by the prospect. I had it all planned out. We'd even take trips to the countries close-by. We dubbed it, the Best Summer Ever. Sadly, Best Summer Ever needs funding. Funding requires having a job. I do have a job, but my 95% of my paycheck goes to my car payments. The only reason why I really have a car, is to get me to my job. It's a truly miserable cycle. The job also has limited days off. So, technically speaking, I need the job for money that will take me ages to actually build up, and even when I save up enough, I still won't be allowed to take more than a week off. A week is definitely not enough time to spend overseas if it is your first time visiting! The very thought of being stuck where I am makes me itch. I'm nineteen. Isn't this the prime time for traveling and experiencing life?
       So, in short, this is why I have a love/hate relationship with contemporary novels. I really do love any genre, really, because they take me away from my life. They let me live as someone else, if even for just a little while. The problem is that fantasy/dystopia/paranormal/scifi/steampunk/etc. leaves me feeling fulfilled, and contemporary leaves me feeling disappointed with my life. It's a love/hate relationship. I love them when I'm reading them, but I hate myself after them. *sigh*
       I apologize for the contemporary genre rant. I will now actually review the book for y'all.. seeing as though that is the point of a book review. Right? Right.
       As I briefly mentioned before, I think I might have loved The Last Little Blue Envelope even more than 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Seeing as though I gave 13LBE 5/5 stars, it only makes sense to give LLB 5/5 as well! :D 
       I think this review in particular will be quite spoilery, so you might want to look away if you have not yet read it! Please though, go out and buy it. Read it.
       The book starts out with Ginny trying to finish her college application essay:
       Describe a life experience. Well, how about this? How about coming back to England to find the guy you love dating someone else and some other random guy holding your dearly-departed aunt's letters and her art hostage. How about that, admissions committee?
       They would never believe her. They would think she was a fantasist. They would put her picture on the corkboard with a note under it that just read: PSYCO. DO NOT ADMIT.
       That small except alone pretty much describes the premise for the entire story. 
       I enjoyed all of the characters Ginny briefly spent time with in the first book, but I liked that there were constant companions for her throughout the entire second. I really loved the two new characters specifically, Oliver and Ellis, and I loved that we got to spend more time with Richard. 
       From the moment I met Oliver, I knew I was going to end up liking him for some reason, even though his entrance to the storyline was very much the opposite of Keith's, the other potential love-interest. When we first met Keith, he was instantly likable. He was funny and goofy, passionate about his art, etc. Ginny liked him right off the bat, and we, as the readers, did too. From there though, it was all downhill for me with Keith. He definitely had some redeeming moments, but his personality and actions rubbed me the wrong way more than once. At the end of book one, when they were labeled as "sort of together" and I was happy because Ginny was happy, even though I would have liked it to end differently.        
       Oliver, on the other hand, we instantly dislike. He's pretty much blackmailing Ginny. He wants half the money from the art she is going to collect. Once this settled in though, I realized a few things. Oliver was kind enough to do a ridiculous amount of tracking down when he found her letters. He didn't have to contact her at all, but he knew they had sentimental value. That was kind of him. It really is only fair that he gets a bit of money for it, and he's not just being greedy. He desperately needs the money. That knowledge, paired with the moments throughout the book that show the redeeming qualities that made me (and Ginny) like him more and more, is what really put me solidly on Team Oliver. Oh, and when Ginny comes back to London to retrieve the thirteenth envelope from Oliver she pops on over to her sort-of-something's house, and discovers that he has a girlfriend now. It was kind of Keith to let her in on this little fact, right? Yeah, solidly Team Oliver.
       I liked Keith's girlfriend though, very much. Ellis is just so sweet and kind. I, like Ginny, had a hard time hating her for taking Keith away. The two end up being pretty good friends, I think. If there is a #3 (and I certainly hope that there will be) I'd like Ellis to stick around. I'd like to see Ellis and Ginny's friendship develop now that they can have a legitimate relationship. They were uncomfortable around each other at first, because of Keith, but at the very end they have a nice moment. Ellis is the reason why Ginny ends up sorting things out with Keith once and for all.
       This book, as you might have noticed, focuses a lot less on learning from Ginny's aunt and a lot more on the relationships she develops with others. Not surprisingly, the end of the last letter gives some very sound advice, comparing art to love. Due to her aunts last words, Ginny ends the book making all the right decisions. She ends up with Oliver. She ends up figuring out what to write in her essay. She ends up realizing where she wants to go to school. 
       It was overall a good read. I love Maureen Johnson's characters, and I've always been a big fan of character driven novels. It was hard for me to get through at times because Ginny spends the book trying to get over her aunt's losing battle with cancer, and I just lost my grandmother this past weekend. Some scenes touched on a soft spot, but it was almost good to have that in a way.
       In short, once again, I give 5/5 stars to The Last Little Blue Envelope!


Happy reading!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Manuscript Music.. and Princesses



       This post is brought to you by Princess Maker.
       No, seriously. It is.


       Thanks to Steph Perkins and her blogpost, hours of my life have gone to this website. When I was younger I used to enjoy making little dolls, designing their outfits and what they looked like. That's what this website basically is.. only better. You get to make princesses!
       Needlesstosay, I had to make each of my (female) characters princesses. From left to right/top to bottom: Iona, Addy, Rosie and Nata. Technically Rosie and Nata, although important characters in the trilogy, don't show up physically until book two (but they are spoken about!). Aren't they all so pretty?! I especially love that Addy is so pink and that Rosie looks like a badass-version of Giselle from Enchanted. I even went one further and made the characters of my other WIP into princesses as well. I'm not going to post those princesses because I have yet to write a damn word of it (other than just plotting points/an outline) so it feels a bit premature to put anything out there about Terasunda.*
       I'm glad I did this. In doing such, I actually learned something about my characters for both series. No two are alike. When I was making up each of the nine girls, choosing their features and putting them in what they would wear for clothing, I didn't realize that they were all so different from one another. When I was done I found every one of them with a different color dress on and a different hairstyle (except for two, because there are only so many ways one can wear a bob haircut. Sorry, Addy and Mairin!). Not only that, but their nationalities and their personalities/style vary greatly. I did all this without realizing it, but I'm so, so happy it turned out as it did. I like diversity. I like that there is a character in each series someone can hopefully relate to in that way. They're all different. This revelation made me extremely happy.
       I appreciated the task of designing them all. It was very distracting, and a distraction at this time is very much needed. A grieving house is not a happy house. It was nice to have something to do that didn't require much concentration to take my mind off other things. This brings me to my next point.
       I have gotten zero writing done since I posted last, due to everything going on -- If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here -- As I'm sure you can imagine, everything I would try to write right now would be absolute crap, and I don't want that. I think it would just frustrate me even more. I really need to start editing the piece I'm supposed to bring in and read to my class on Sunday, but I just can't do that right now. I also need to get working on some critiques, but I can't seem to focus on those either. I always want to give the text my critters send me my utmost attention, so I'm thinking that those are, unfortunately, going to have to sit on the back-burner for now too. Hopefully when this week is through I'll be able to get my head back into things.
       On a less depressing note, this weeks YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday question is: If your WIP (work-in-progress) or favorite book were music, what song(s) would it be?
      I was actually just discussing this, albeit briefly, in the comments section a blogpost by one of my crit partners, Marisa. Every single time I try to write an Iona/Nathair scene, I have to listen to Drumming Song by Florence + the Machine. It just helps in such a strange way that I never expected. It really gets me into the scene, makes me feel more of what their feeling as I'm writing. I hope that shows! The entire album, Lungs, is absolutely amazing, I love every single song, and I thought I was on my way to a world record with the amount of song plays I had goin' on until I read on Marisa's post. She has listened to Rabbit Heart over four-hundred times since she started writing. I'm definitely not that far, but we'll see how many plays I have once I'm actually done! Another song off that album that has inspired me completely is Blinding. I think it inspired my entire idea for Terasunda, actually. I try to not listen to it so often because it just makes me want to ditch my current WIP to go write that, but I can't! I love The Eternal Gifts too much to just leave it in the cold. :)
Florence Welch
       The thing with music and me is, I love it, and it inspires me to no end, but I can't actually listen to it while writing. I know a lot of writers that need to have it on in the background as they go along, but I have never been able to do that. I know a lot of writers that need commotion to some degree going on around them (hence writing in coffee shops being so popular) but I have never been able to do that either. I need complete silence when I write. Like, pin-drop quiet. If anything is going on around me I can't concentrate and I get extremely frustrated. That's why I usually get my most writing in when I'm home alone. Since I don't have an office/a desk somewhere away from the noisy first floor, I usually can't write if anyone is home. The TV going and people talking just aggravates me! I wish I could write with noise the way Baby Bro does. Baby Bro needs lots of noise while he's doing homework and such or else he can't concentrate. It's so strange how we all have our different little quirks.


       Okay, well I suppose that is all for now. Go make princesses and listen to Florence + the Machine! Hopefully I will have a better writing report for you all next week..


Happy writing,



I am working on my footnote problem because of a comment Baby Bro** made about another post of mine.. I'm trying my best to have less of them! Of course, less footnotes means more sentences in parentheses, but whatever. I think he will be proud of me this time since there are only two! And one of them is totally his fault. :D


* I'm not 100% positive about the name of that other WIP, but just go with me on this one.
** When I say Baby Bro, I don't actually mean Baby Bro. Baby Bro is sixteen. :)

Monday, April 25, 2011

always in my heart

       It's not Wednesday, and this is not a book review. This is a special post.

       Last night at 10:45 PM, my grandmother passed away. She was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer last September. Small-cell is a very rapid moving form of cancer, we knew chances were slim. Still, my grandmother has always been a survivor, I had no doubt that she would get through this okay. She made it through a horrific car accident years back. She had the doctors tell her that she would never walk again. She most certainly proved them wrong then, and I thought she'd prove them wrong now. 

       The thing is, she did prove them wrong. Two weeks ago she was cleared. She beat the cancer. Everything was good. Two weeks ago we were trying on funny hats and sunglasses in Target. Eating jellybeans and other sweets she wasn't supposed to be having. Laughing and joking. Painting her nails. Discussing our reality TV shows. Everything was good until she started coughing. We thought she had a cold. My brother had bronchitis so we thought it best to bring her in to the doctors, just to be safe.

       They couldn't figure out what was wrong for a while, but they assured us she was okay. Then she got worse. She couldn't breathe. They told us they were going to medically induce a coma and it scared the hell out of me. When my uncle passed away a few years ago they medically induced a coma and we never got to speak to him again. That was it. We rushed into the hospital to say goodbye without really saying goodbye, just in case. She ended up waking up. Being asleep allowed them to do more testing on her. She had some rare strand of pneumonia. 
       She was getting better again. They moved her out of the ICU. Everything was okay. We could all breathe easy. Then, just as fast as the first time, they had to move her back into the ICU. The doctors assured us that she would be okay this time too. They had just moved her out too soon. She needed to be in a place where people could keep a better eye on her, that was all.

       When I went in to see her last Sunday I had no idea it would be the last time I'd get to speak to her. We thought things were going good again. She was joking around and laughing as usual. She was very much herself. Monday night the doctors called us and told us they medically induced her into a coma again. There was no time for us to come in and say goodbye this time.
       For some reason, I wasn't as worried this time as I was the last. I thought this would be the same. No big deal. I was wrong to feel that way. Her kidneys started to fail and her lungs were beginning to harden. She expressed to my mother that she in no way wanted to be kept alive by a machine. Last night my mother and father went to the hospital to shut them off because the doctors said there wasn't anything else they could do. She died in about thirty seconds.
       This is why I'm more upset than I think I would normally be. These past seven months I have been so depressed with her being sick. I was expecting it to end badly the entire time. I know I should be more hopeful in those kinds of situations, but my track record with sickness hasn't led me to believe such. I finally felt relieved two weeks ago. I was happier than I have been in quite some time. That's why this is hitting me so hard. It's just not fair. Out of the blue.

       She was an amazing woman, my grandmother. She had been through a lot but still remained the happy, spirited woman I knew her to be. Her entire life was a struggle, since the moment her biological mother threw her away when she was a newborn. She was the kind of woman that would buy a card just to say I'm thinking about you, and I love you. I've got all those cards put away in a safe place.
       I've come to realize that she actually had more people waiting for her Up There, than she did here. My aunt, two uncles, my grandfather, all of her best friends (save for two), her mother, her few fathers, her cousins, two nephews, her dog and her cat. Here she just had me, my brother and my parents.

       I assume there's a big party going on Up There at the moment. She always did like to dance.

       I hope there's a Barnes & Noble Up There, too. She wanted me to publish my book more than anything. She asked me about it every single day. Just for you, Nan, I'm not going to stop until I get there.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

       So, I've decided I'm going to do a review blog post after I read a book! Woo! Aren't you all excited? I know I am. :) 
       I can't decide whether or not I should be spoilery in my reviews.. I'm thinking I might, but I promise if I ever do get spoilery, I will give you a heads up & make it the last thing in the post! Sound good? Okay!


       My very first book review will go to the book that kept me up until 2:30 yesterday morning, Maureen Johnson's, 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Here's the synopsis from Barnes and Noble:*
       "When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel."
       I'm just going to go right out there and say it. I love Maureen Johnson. She's freakin' awesome. Not just as a writer, but as a person. I know what you're thinking, you know Maureen Johnson? No, I don't.** But I feel like I do! Without purposely trying to sound stalker-esque, I feel like following authors I really enjoy on Twitter give me a better idea of who they are. And if Maureen is anything like she is on Twitter***, she's truly one of a kind. Funny as hell. Quirky. Smart. Opinionated (in the good way). I just love her, alright? So sue me.


       *Ahem* Maybe I should actually review the book now.


       13 Little Blue Envelopes was perfectly timed for me, I think. It's been in my TBR pile for far too long, so I finally picked it up on Thursday night at 10 PM. I wanted to read the first chapter (seeing as though I just downloaded it for free on my eReader) to help me decide which book I was going to bring to work Friday. Big mistake. It's always a bad idea when I pick up a book thinking I'm going to put it down and be able to walk away from it. I don't think I've ever really done this before. It causes me physical pain to separate myself from a book once I've started it. And if there's sequels? Psh, I'm in trouble. The thing is, I know better. I did this not too long ago with Kimberly Derting's, The Body Finder. One chapter and I'm hooked. It's so sad.


       ANYWAY-- BACK TO THE REVIEW!


       I needed this book because I've been reading a lot of urban fantasy lately, to keep myself in the right mindset for my own book, but I needed a break desperately. I wanted to read a fun, light book that would distract me from my current writer's woes. Something that I would read and enjoy, not read and dissect, as I've been doing. Maureen's book was just the thing. 
       Ginny is a great MC. She made a lot of decisions and said a lot of things I wouldn't have, and that's what I loved so much about her. It wasn't easy for me to lay my personality onto her, she wasn't flat. I'm sick of reading flat characters. They bore me.§
       I also quite enjoy novels that take me to new and unknown places, and this was definitely one. So many places! The book starts off in New York, where Ginny has gone to complete her first task of thirteen. From there she takes us to London, briefly to Scotland and back, then Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Greece and then back again to London for the finish of the novel. It was quite the ride! Don't get me wrong, though. This book was not just a story of a girl bopping from place to place in exploration on a treasure hunt of sorts. The whole story was tinged with a great sadness. The 13 letters instructing her what to do were from her aunt Peg who had died very recently. Someone whom she had always looked up to. Even from the afterlife, her aunt seems to be able to teach her a great lesson. In just the few short weeks Ginny grows so much. She learns how to live without her aunt, the woman who she had always accounted for any fun or cool times she had in her life. Ginny learns she can actually be the person she wants to be on her own.
       All throughout her journey she meets all sorts of amazing characters. We first meet Richard, a kind man we learn a lot more about towards the end of the book. I won't say much else here, to save this whole review from being spoilery! Next, we meet Keith, a klepto-theater performer/writer/director of sorts, whom I totally love, as well as his flatmate David. Keith wasn't the average, run-of-the-mill love interest. I found it quite refreshing! Upon her arrival in Amsterdam she ends up falling in with a strange family called the Knapps, who scheduled everything about their trip right down to their Knapptime§§-- and in Copenhagen, a lovely danish man named Knud and later a group of students from Australia that follow her to Greece.


       I'm still getting the hang of this review thing -- to spoil or not to spoil, that 'tis the question -- so forgive me if I did a terrible job!


       In short: I loved it. Buy it. Read it. 5/5 stars. §§§


       I can't wait to get my hands on The Last Little Blue Envelope this Tuesday! The first two chapters (or was it the prologue and chapter one?) were placed at the end of the free 13 Little Blue electronic copy, and I am just dying to see how it all plays out! You see, at the end of the first book the thirteenth envelope gets stolen, and you're left thinking that all is good and that she actually figured out exactly what it said. As it turns out, I might have been completely wrong in that assumption. I'm very excited to see what the rest of the letter says!#


       So, it's safe to expect another book review from me on Tuesday night. :)


Happy writing!







       I blame the amazing Robin McKinley for my footnote addiction:


* I know, I know. Holy links, Batman! I'm nothing, if not helpful. :)
** Psh. I WISH.
*** Click that link!
Please don't.
TBR= To Be Read list, for the acronymically challenged.
† Yes, I said FREE! The book is free this week to promote the new release on Tuesday
 Don't even get me started about the time I was forcibly removed from my copy of DEATHLY HALLOWS. On the day it came out. At the end. I can't even think about it.
The week I picked up the first Sookie Stackhouse book was a grim one, folks. There's about 10 of 'em now, but there were about 8 at the time. My family thought I had died in my room. I almost did. You see, I forget to eat when I'm reading...
 MC= Main Character, again, for the acronymically challenged.
§ Dear lord, please do not ever let me slip up and actually create one of these. I hate looking like a hypocritical ass.
§§ Maureen's joke, not mine. See? I told you she was funny!
§§§ Hell, you don't even have to buy it! It's FREE right now! Therefore, you have no excuse as to why you're not downloading it as we speak (or as you read this, rather).
# In the chapter they included, the letter is stopped right in the middle. Before all of the interesting stuff! Can you imagine? The nerve!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spin On First-Kiss

       Since I have decided to update on Wednesdays, it only makes sense to start or end each post with an answer to YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday question. Road Trip Wednesday is, as described on their blog, "a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered." This week, the topic is: Compare your first kiss to your favorite characters first kiss.


       I have many favorite characters, but I'd have to say that one of my all-time favorite first novel kisses would be between Clary and Jace of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments* series. If you haven't read City of Bones, this is somewhat of a spoiler, but nothing too bad. :)

       The moon, directly overhead now, lit everything nearly to daylight brightness. In between one step and another she saw a white spark struck off something on the floor: It was the knife Jace had been using to cut apples, lying on its side. She jerked hastily back to avoid stepping on it, and her shoulder bumped his--he put a hand out to steady her, just as she turned to apologize, and then she was somehow in the circle of his arm and he was kissing her.
       Oh Clary & Jace, the first kiss of many. They are, quite possibly, my favorite couple ever. The pictures above and below are of two actors/models from the book trailer** filming that very scene! I also adore Tessa and Will's first kiss from Cassandra's Infernal Devices trilogy.. The woman has quite the knack for tortured romance. Which is my favorite kind, of course. I'm looking forward to Tessa and Jem's first kiss, because we all know it's coming! These first kisses make mine pale in comparison, but I will discuss it nonetheless, because I have dedicated myself to answering all the Wednesday questions fully.. *sigh*
       I was in the second grade, and I had this love-hate relationship with a boy who is now the father of one of my best friend's children (that's Winthrop for ya.. this place is too damn small). We were playing kickball, of which I was amazing at because we played every day (I was QUITE the tomboy when I was younger), and I recall him chasing me down and pecking me on the mound. Nothing big or special, just some cute eight-year-olds pretending they know what a "real-relationship" is, i.e. Will you be my girlfriend? Check yes or no. It's funny the things we remember so vividly. I would write about my first real kiss, but I feel as though that'd be too embarrassing. 

Okay, now that the kissing portion of the post is done with, here's the weekly update:
       I think the good-critique fairy has blessed this week, because I have had so many amazingly nice things said to me about my work these past few days, that I'm concerned about the size of my head. I checked it again in the mirror this morning and it still seems to look normal, but I'm going to keep tabs on it.. 
       Seriously though, there is nothing better than hearing from people that have no good reason to lie to you about how they feel, tell you that they love what you've been slaving over the past few months of your life for every waking moment. The best thing about critique partners is just that. You know they're not sugar-coating anything for your benefit. Family members and good friends may read your work and not like it, therefore feeling the need to lie to you because they don't have the heart to break yours, or they may simply read everything you write with rose-colored glasses. There is never any way to really know if it's as good as they're saying. Critique partners on the other hand, are people you don't really know. People halfway around the world (my partners are in Canada, Texas and Australia) that don't have any real reason to lie to you about what they think. So when they tell you they think you're really on to something great, or have natural talent that shines through to them, you best better believe it, because it's actually true.
       There's a lot of uncertainty in the life of a writer, a lot of insecurity, so getting an uplifting comment every once in a while is important. It gives you the confidence to continue on. I can't tell you how many times I've tortured myself with a "why do I think I can really do this?" kind of thought. I wonder what makes me think I have anything worth writing. Anything worth reading. And then I get notes back from critique partners and their comments completely wash those ideas away. I can write. My story is worth reading. It's the most amazing feeling in the world.
       On the topic of feedback, I've been attending a Novel-in-Progress class for the past few weeks now and I read my second excerpt for them tonight. Normally class is on Sunday nights, but because of Palm Sunday and Easter, this past Sunday and the upcoming one have been rescheduled to weekdays. I had the joy of looking for my class tonight in some Boston University building, because my instructor teaches a class there and had us relocate on account of our normal space on Sunday's being taken up on Wednesday nights. For those of you that don't know, BU is huge and my natural sense of direction is so terrible that I've been known to get lost in a closet. That is not an exaggeration.*** After I finally found my way, I read the rest of the first chapter for them (I read the first 500 words during the first class) and they seemed to really be on board with my concept! They told me to erase some of my information dumping (which is like, my worse habit ever) and other than that it was perfect. It made me excited to come home and get right to work but it's 10:30 now, so I know if I start I won't stop.. and sleep is necessary for humans to function. I know, lame. I always hate reading my work aloud because I have terrible, terrible anxiety, so getting good feedback is always good. I wish there was something I could do to make it go away, but it just won't. I've tried everything. Medication. Meditation. Nothing works. Not even soothing images of the beach. *sigh* I wish I didn't get worried so easily. Just thinking about the anxiety now, is actually making me anxious. Ridiculous, right? It's so sad.

In other news:

       I died my hair blue today! Not completely blue, just the underneath part of my hair.. Truly I don't know how else to describe it, so hopefully y'all know what I mean (I included a picture, but I honestly think it looks much better in person). Most suggested me against it because my hair is a strawberry color, but I get bored with my hair so easily that I couldn't help myself. I quite like it. It's different and funky.. and I've died my hair every natural-looking color, so the only reasonable thing to do now is to start dying it colors of the rainbow, right? :)


That's all for now, I guess.

Happy writing!


*Get used to me gushing over the amazing Ms. Clare, because she is a HUGE inspiration to me and I will probably never stop admiring her to almost a stalker-that-needs-to-be-handed-a-restraining-order extent.
**Are book trailers not the coolest thing EVER?! The fact that they're slowly making their way onto television (for example: James Patterson's Angel & Carrie Ryan's The Dark and Hollow Places) is just beyond awesome.
***Okay, maybe it is.
Not naturally. Naturally my hair is this very strange, ashy, mousy-looking blonde. It sounds absolutely terrible, but it is the ideal color for someone who likes to dye their hair a lot. It's very versatile! Whatever color my hair is at the time, people are always shocked to hear it's not natural. Your hair isn't naturally black you say? Your hair isn't normally bright red? Nope. Just lame 'ole ash.

My Very First Post!

Hello all!


This is my very first post! (And quite possibly the longest post I will ever write, survey included.)


Okay, so, to be honest I originally created my LiveJournal account because I wanted to be able to friend other LiveJournal accounts. Specifically authors and such. It never actually occurred to me that I should probably make use of the space and write something once in a while, because I figured no one would read it. What's the point of sending words out into the world that no one will ever read? I decided today though, that I would start doing blog entries in the hopes that someone will actually want to go back and read all of these someday. (At which point I discovered that I like Blogger much, much better than livejournal.. and that is why you're here instead of over there!)


You see, my main goal at this point is to publish a book. Not just any book. THE book. The book that has been consuming my life for the past few months. The book that I have put my heart and soul into. I love my characters and my world, and I want to share them with others. I want my characters, that have become real to me at this point, to meet people! I realize this might sound crazy to some of you, but I am certain there is SOMEONE out there that feels the same way. I know it, because I've read the same thing from another post on another blog by some author at some point. I thought she was crazy. You think of your characters as real people? Psh. C'mon. No, really. I now get it. They ARE real. To me, at least.


So, in short, I have made a promise to myself that I would post in here once a week, preferably Wednesday, to give a general update of my writing journey and such. Maybe someday, someone will want to go back and read through my process, maybe even give hope to someone else. Kiersten White gave me hope. She started her blog as she was writing, unagented, and now she's a published author. I didn't read her blog from the day she started it, but once I read Paranormalcy (an amazing debut novel by the way. Please, PLEASE go out and buy it if you haven't already!) I looked her up on good 'ole Google, and I found her blog. I began reading through her posts, at some point I found myself reading some from the very beginning and saw that she was once at the point I feel that I am at now. Maybe someday, I could be in her shoes, giving support to others. I could only hope to be half as amazing an author as Kiersten, but that's just what I'm going to do. Hope.


I think maybe I'll try to make it a habit to answer a randomly generated question at the end of each post, too, for an excuse to talk about some non-related writing stuff. :)


That's all for now, I guess! Hats off to you if you actually read through all of this. ;)


Happy writing,
Shauna


p.s. I thought it might be fun to answer some survey questions I found on FB to give y'all an idea of who I am. :D Here are the answers!




SURVEY


What shall I call you?
Shauna Michelle Francesca-Rilynne Gallo. Just kidding, please don't call me by my full name. Shauna, Shau or Shaun works just fine for me. I also answer to "girl-who-has-one-too-many-names," as my little bro has so creatively dubbed me. :)


Why are you taking this quiz?
I want people to get an idea of who I am!


Promise not to get offended?
I will try my best.


Great! Any last words?
Et tu, Brute? -- Sorry, I can never refrain from telling a lame Shakespearian joke.


RANDOM:


What is the single largest item in your house? 
Geez, I have no idea. My couch?


How well can you write your name with your non dominant hand? 
Pretty well, actually. Fun fact: I can write pretty decently with my toes as well. Gross, right?


What color is your bedroom? 
The walls are white, but the theme is aqua & like-colors with a sandy-colored rug.


What type of computer mouse do you use? 
I work on a laptop mostly. So, touch pad.


What is your earliest memory? 
I think, being told my brother was born. I was 3 & 1/2 at the time. I totally wanted a sister at first, but that changed quite fast. Dave's awesome. :)


Do you like to color inside the lines? 
Always. I wonder what that says about me..


What do you have set as your home page? 
.. a collage of movie stills taken of Tangled, ha! Great movie.


Where would you hate to have to work? 
Anyplace where food is involved. Vegetarians generally don't like to be around meaty dishes..


Do you prefer lightbulbs or candles? 
Lightbulbs are safer, but there's nothing cooler than sitting around in candlelight because the power went out on a stormy night. :D


Would you ever get plastic surgery? 
Not unless there was a dire emergency. Say if I were in a horrible accident or something & the surgery could give me some piece of mind. *knocks on wood* I hope I never have to make that choice though.


What is the best halloween costume you have ever worn? 
In second grade, my mother made me a KICK-*SS Beanie Baby costume. Erin, the green bear with the clover on her chest. I had a tag on my bear-ear & everything. So freaking cool, man.


Can you snowboard? 
Not since I hurt my back. Herniated disks + physical activity = disaster. :\


What is sitting next to you right now? 
Um, my Cheshire Cat stuffed animal. Chesh says hi, everybody.


Do you own any really old video game systems? 
No. :( My brother gave our Nintendo-64 away, like, two years ago. I was devastated even though I hadn't played with it in years. Where else am I going to play Donkey Kong, people?!


Are you good at baking? 
Goodness, no.


Do you sneak into movie theatres? 
Nope, I'd be too worried I'd take up space and someone who actually bought a ticket wouldn't have any place to sit. That wouldn't be very nice. :(


Do you usually write in print or in cursive? 
A mixture of both.


What do you want to buy from an infomercial? 
Um, a snuggie. Who wouldn't want a backwards bathrobe?


Can you tell people honest things to their face? 
Yes. I think I'm kind of known for it.. But in a nice way, of course.


What do you think of clothing for pets? 
So annoying, unless it's necessary. I know they have special shoes for dogs that walk in the snow and such, as well as warm outfits for naturally furless animals. That kind of stuff is okay.


Do you tend to want things you cannot have? 
Don't we all?


Is it true that you can be anything you want to be? 
I couldn't be the queen of England if I wanted it more than anyone has wanted anything else in the entire world -- So I would say yes, but only to an extent, if you really work at it.


Would you ever dye your hair purple? 
I would. I dyed my hair blue today actually..


Who do you think should play you in a movie? 
I get told I look like Hayden Paniettere, Reese Witherspoon and Stacy Farber quite often, so maybe one of them. I used to get "Lizzie Maguire" a lot too.. ha!


What kind of super power do you wish you had? 
Teleportation would be lovely!


Are you afraid of snakes? 
If Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes, I think we should all be afraid of snakes.


Do you want to be bilingual? 
I've always wanted to speak French and Italian.. It'd be nice to understand Spanish, too.


Do you like to organize things? 
Very much so.


Are you going to have smile lines or frown lines when youre older? 
I already have smile lines, if you can believe it. I'm only nineteen! Sheesh.


Do you like the game red rover? 
Red rover is awesome, but nothing is cooler than freeze tag.


What stupid little thing really stresses you out? 
Bad drivers. Ohmygoodness the road rage I have while driving is very, very bad..


Which Disney parks have you been to? 
All of the parks in Disney World, repeatedly! I've been there 18 times, actually. I've never been to Disneyland in Cali, though.


What is the last cartoon you watched? 
Hmm.. Probably Phineas and Ferb. Ha!


What does your bed comforter look like?
It's turquoise and sea green satin-y. It reminds me of the ocean. :)


FAVORITES:


Food?
Nutella!


Restaurant? 
The Olive Garden or The Cheesecake Factory.


Non-alcoholic beverage? 
Water. :)


Song? 
Currently: Blinding - Florence + the Machine


Band? 
I'd have to say Florence + the Machine for that too..


Concert that you've been to? 
Paramore was AMAZING. Aerosmith at Fenway Park rocked too.


Season? 
I like the fall and the spring both.


Holiday?
Ah, tie between Halloween & Christmas.


Day of the week? 
Now that I work only on the days that USED to be my two favorite days of the week (Friday & Saturday) I have no idea..


Time of day? 
I like the nighttime. 


Color? 
Purple.


President? 
John Quincy Adams.. don't ask why.


Sport? 
Football & hockey are pretty tied for that one.


Hobby? 
Writing/reading, of course!


Number? 
Thirteen.


Board game?
Clue!


Book? 
Most. Difficult. Question. EVER. Probably Sorcerer's Stone though, because it really hooked me into the world of literature. Specifically fantasy fiction. :)


Poem? 
Daddy - Sylvia Plath.


Musical? 
Spring Awakening.


TV show? 
Ah, another hard Q. I'd say, right now, Misfits.


Movie?
I have a lot of favorite movies, but I think I'd say Shakespeare in Love is my all-time favorite.


Ice cream flavor? 
Tollhouse, or chocolate-chip cookie dough!


Genre of music? 
I like pretty much all kinds of music, but maybe alternative more than most.


Female singer? 
Florence Welch, Hayley Williams, Adele or Janelle Monae.


Male singer? 
Bruno Mars, B.o.B. or Frank Sinatra. (told you I like all types of music!)


Instrument? 
Ooh, the violin. 


Future career? 
Writer, perhaps? :)


Language?
Ah, I love the way French sounds. Can't speak it though.


Vacation spot? 
Orlando!


Amusement park? 
I would have to say Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure simply because of the Harry Potter section.


Actor? 
I'm a HUGE Johnny Depp fan. He's amazing. De Niro, Robert Downey Jr. & Harrison Ford are awesome too. :)


Actress? 
Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman & Helena Bonham Carter -- if one of these ladies is in it, I will watch it.


Comedian? 
Stand-up wise: Bo Burnham, Dane Cook, Daniel Tosh, John Pinette, Robin WIlliams, Ricky Gervais.. etc.


Store? 
Forever 21.


Perfume/cologne? 
I haven't worn anything other than my Juicy Couture perfume in years..


Jewelry that you own? 
The amethyst necklace I bought for inspiration. :)


Teacher in elementary school? 
Mrs. Wayland! She was so, SO cool. She used to dance on the desks every Friday afternoon & sing a song. That woman instilled in me that weekends were to be enjoyed!


Subject in school? 
English & history.


Junk food? 
Smartfood, probably.


Cookie? 
Peppermint chip.. They are AWESOME.


Book when you were a child? 
Honey Bunny Funny Bunny. :)


Movie when you were a child? 
Beauty & the Beast?


Activity as a child? 
I liked to draw on everything.. walls, tables, you name it.


Candy? 
Peach rings, bullseyes, jellybeans.. :)


Flower? 
Calla lily.


Outdoor activity? 
Rollerblading. :)


Inspirational quote? 
To thine own self be true.


Song lyrics? 
Florence + the Machine's Howl lyrics. Ooh, the imagery. 


Song title? 
Drops of Jupiter.


Pen color? 
Purple.


Gum? 
Ice Breakers cube gum!


PERSONAL LIFE


How’s life treaten’ ya?
It could be better, it could be worse.


What could make it better, even if you are?
My grandmother would be cured of cancer. That'd definitely make things better for me.


Who do you live with?
My parents and little brother.


How do you feel about this?
I'm only 19, so I've never lived with anyone else to know the difference! Luckily, I get along great with my fam. :)


Do you have a history of traumatic events in your life?
Somewhat, yes.


How is school?
WELL! Since you asked.. I withdrew from an amazing university only a month and a half into the first semester (last fall) because my grandmother got very ill, very fast. I was having trouble really focusing on my work, so the school suggested I withdraw before my GPA got permanently affected, leaving the door open for me to return whenever I felt I was ready. I chose not to return for the spring semester simply because the time off made me realize that I needed the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. If it weren't for the time off, I don't think if I would have began writing the way I did. I have always written (I was a Film major in college with a focus on screenwriting as well as directing) but I never actually had the guts, or the time, to let myself try to write a full-length novel. It has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. The US puts too much pressure on high school seniors to enroll in college directly from high school. I truly believe that some people need to live first, to find themselves and find out what they want to do with the rest of their life, first. So many of my friends have already switched their majors and even their schools, because of their uncertainty. They're only stressing themselves out and wasting cash. I say, take a year off. Travel. Work. Do whatever you need to do to be sure. Maybe even take two years off. Or three. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone will be ready to take the same steps at the same times.


Do you have lots of friends?
I do indeed, but only a handful of BEST friends.


How do you generally perceive people?
It depends on the people I'm perceiving. ;)


Are you a bitter person?
I think not.


Do you easily get jealous of people?
No. Definitely no.


How do you channel your anger?
Scream into a pillow? :) Sometimes I punch inanimate objects.. Sorry, door! :\


How well do you trust others?
I usually get either a good vibe or a bad vibe from people, instantly. If I get a good feeling from a person, then of course I'm going to trust him or her. Maybe not with my LIFE or anything.. but still.


FRIENDS & SOCIAL LIFE


Let’s be vague. In general, do you like people?
No, I hate all people. I am planning mass destruction as we speak.


Why or why not?
Okay, so I don't really hate ALL people. I will admit that some people definitely suck though. -- Dear sucky people, Would it kill you to crack a SMILE once in a while? Love, me. (& Dr. Seuss, apparently.)


Are you acceptant of others’ beliefs?
If they're acceptant of others as well. There is nothing I hate more, than a narrow-minded person.


What do you think of the friends you do have?
They're pretty awesome. If they weren't, they would not be my friends.


Do you believe that ‘friendship is golden?
I do.


Do you have a best friend?
Yes.


How long have you known this person?
Longer than I can literally remember. Since we were in diapers, really.


Are they like a brother/sister to you?
Yes she is.


Are you shy?
I can be, but I'm working on it.


Are you outgoing?
If I'm surrounded by people I'm comfortable with.


Have you ever intentionally hurt anyone, physically or emotionally?
I will admit to knocking out a girl's front teeth in the second grade because she was making fun of a friend in a really, REALLY terrible way. Who makes fun of someone for losing a parent? I'd probably punch her again if I had the chance.


LAST QUESTIONS


Did this quiz make you uncomfortable?
Not really.


Were you honest?
NO. I LIED THE ENTIRE TIME. Now no one really knows the real me.. Muahaha! Okay, just kidding. Sorry, it's almost 2 AM & I'm feeling delirious, you'll have to forgive me.


That's all for now, folks! :D