Monthly Archive for June, 2010

Okay, so I said I wouldn’t blog–

Published on June 30, 2010 in Writing Tags: . ______________________________________

BUT I’M DONE!! 12:10 BAYbay!!!

Yes, another revision is on the near horizon (I don’t think there is such a thing as a near horizon, but it’s 12:11 now and whatnot) and my beginning and ending must be reworked, which means my middle will need some adjusting…but. This was a pretty darn big revision, so I’m releived/proud/ready to vege and read/ready to keep working/ready to sllllleeeepppp.

Oh, speaking of which, let me tell you about my experience tonight:

I knew I was already tired.

I didn’t want to nod off in my revisions and not hit my goal.

I begged Kissy face to run to the gas station and buy me a 5 hour energy shot,

which I have never tried, but always wondered about.

Drank half of said energy shot.

Gagged.

Tried to swallow.

Gagged.

Got it down.

10:30 pm — Stomach starts spasming and cramping!!!! Change to present tense for dramatic effect.

10:35 pm — Decide to type in the bathroom. Just in case.

11:00 pm — I’m getting close to being done with my revision. Hurrah!!! Why do I feel so funny???

11:30 pm — Notice I’m drooling while typing. Try to regain control of my mouth muscles.

11:45 pm — Start to shake reeeeealllllly bad. Pet my own hair and promise myself that we’ll never drink those evil energy shots ever again, will we precioussssss???

12:10 am — YAY! Revision pretty much done.

12:10.5 am — Sadly realize that my brain doesn’t feel like sleeping, despite my eyelid’s protests.

12:11 am — Decide to write stupid blog post I will probably regret.

12:18 am — Finish blog post. Say “screw revision,” submit unrevised blog post, and swallow benadryll (sp???) to counteract HORRIBLE AWFUL SHOULD BE ILLEGAL energy shot.

I love you all. SSSSSeriously. ♥

9 Comments

clap for Tinkerbell

Published on June 30, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________

So I have this major goal to finish this current revision by the end of June aka 11:59 tonight. Because of my amazingly good behavior, I’ve decided to give myself an extension until 2 am. ((Kari, is that okay???? lol. I’m pretty sure I’m breaking the rules.))

So what I’m saying is, I’m going to be a bum today. I’m banning myself from commenting, lurking, reading, having fun, ANYTHING OTHER THAN REVISION. Well, I am going to work and stuff…and there’s that meeting…but lunch  and all other free time will be devoted to REVISION.

My bumship will last through the weekend, as well, bc I’M GOING OUT OF TOWN, BAYBAY. And all they have is dial up where I’m going.

So don’t forget that I exist or anything. That would be sad.

I’ll be back Monday!!!

AND if you really want to be nice, maybe you can leave me a little encouragement so I don’t feel so alone in my revision prison.

xoxo

M♥lly

PS. Check out Erica Spickard’s
awesome contest!! Ends Friday 7/9/10

5 Comments

almost there

Published on June 28, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , , , . ______________________________________

source: http://flickr.com/photos/gego/130880892/

So my fortune cookie this weekend said:

Do not strive for happiness, create happiness.

Which I thought didn’t quite make sense, but maybe kinda did…? Also, I paraphrase (but I’m pretty sure that’s word for word) bc the fortune unfortunatley (snicker) fell prey to the jowls of my washing machine.

And what I meant to write about:

Kari was genius enough to come up with this idea of weekly writing goals where you comment on her blog what your goal is and then you try to hit it by the end of the day on Wednesday.

So, I didn’t meet my goal last week. BUT I GOT CLOSE!!

AND i GOT A LOT DONE!!

And even though I’ve already dropped off the face of the earth to work on these revisions, this new challenge made me kick up the pace. I really think I can finish this round of revisions by the end of June. (Which was my goal in the first place, but I didn’t really think I could hit it!) Yay!

My story is getting better, I can feel it. STILL NEEDS A LOT OF STINKING WORK, but I have a little more faith in it.

And I have this new story buzzing about my brain that I’m really really really excited for.

Sometimes my dream of being a published author seems so attainable–I read these books that get movie deals and notoriety and think I can soooo do that.

But then I get my critiques back on some pages I thought were really good and I see all these holes!! Why have I not figured this out yet????!!??i

WHICH LEADS ME TO TWO CONCLUSIONS:

  1. Critique buddies are invaluable
  2. Being a good writer is a lot harder than it looks

Also, totally randomly, I watched It’s Complicated this weekend. Let me tell you how that went:

Funny. Funny. Kinda messed up, but okay, funny. Funny. Hmmmm. I hope this ends funny. I’m confused and unconvinced. Sad. Wait, maybe it will end funny and happy. NO. sad. sad. hmmm.

So if you liked the movie, uh, well, that’s cool. My kissyface and I were both bummed out by it WHICH IS NOT THE POINT OF REDBOXING A COMEDY!

Lastly, I’m reading some books this weekend and hopefully a couple will be review-worthy. So watch out!

15 Comments

another snippet

Published on June 25, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , , , . ______________________________________

Yay! I made it to Friday!! Congrats to all of you who did as well!!

Okay, anyways,
the other day I was riding in the car
(Kissyface was driving me to Chipotle)
and I look over and this guy is waiting at the same light we are.
He’s a couple years younger than me, but he’s pretty handsome.
And he has this great smile.
And he’s dancing.
Yes. He was dancing in his car. At a stoplight.
So then he looks over at me, keeps dancing, raises his eyebrows and widens his grin, like, “care to join me??”

And I can’t help it, I’m cracking up.

And he just smiles bigger when he sees me laughing.
Still dancing.
So Kris is trying to figure out the reason for my random outburst of giggles (not exactly an unusual event) and he’s like, “What??”
And I’m laughing so hard, but I say, “That guy’s dancing! He’s dancing.”

But by this time, the light has changed and we’re driving again and
I’ve lost sight of my dancing buddy.

But then, right before we turn into Chipotle I see him.
Still dancing.
And he smiles at me again, like, “I’m cool, and I’m perfectly confident enough to dance in my car and not care who sees me.”

And yeah, maybe it was kinda weird. But it was more…I don’t know. Fun. Free. Random.

So I think I want to be like that.

And I’m pretty sure that guy needs to wind up in one of my stories.

Have a beautiful weekend. I dare you to dance in your car at a stoplight.

Love,

M♥lly

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17 Comments

warm fuzzies

Published on June 23, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________

The other day my mom sent me a quote she thought I could relate to. I actually think most writers can relate to it. I love the thought of having this lush, mysterious landscape within our minds.

lovely photo by Adele Beeby

The mind I love must have wild places,

a tangled orchard where dark plums drop in the heavy grass,

photo by snty-tact

an overgrown little wood,

the chance of a snake or two,

a pool that nobody’s fathomed the depth of

Marshall pond at Redwood National Park


and paths threaded with flowers planted by the mind.

-Katherine Mansfield.

ALSO

Here are two recent fortunes from fortune cookies (Do I beleive them?? Not really, but it’s fun–right? ;) ) (Yes I save them–sad, I know)::

:) Nothing seems impossible to you :)

(yes the smileys are really there) and::

You will be unusually successful in an entertainment career.

Oh fortune cookie, you say the sweetest things. lol.

I think I need to lay off the Chinese food.

Have a beautiful day!!!

Peace♥

PS. My sister once got a fortune that said, “Someone will invite you to a karaoke party.” It did not happen.

13 Comments

how to tell if you’ve got an awesome dad

Published on June 21, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________
  • reads you stories pretty much every night
  • watches you and your sister’s “plays”
  • watches you and your sister’s “acrobatics routine” on the swingset
  • agrees that swingset is an airship
  • agrees that rubber fishing worm is a pet
  • makes up Victor the Vampire stories for you to illustrate
  • plays Barbies
  • takes you on adventures at parks
  • makes pancakes for dinner when Mom is out of town
  • goes to your first scary zombie (NEVER AGAIN) movie with you
  • writes notes to mean teachers (MRS. WATSON!!)
  • picks out your first cigar
  • gets mad at you when you smoke
  • loves you anyway
  • believes in your dreams
  • listens to you cry when your dreams haven’t come true (YET)
  • prays for you

Yep. I got an awesome dad. On the few nights when he didn’t feel like reading us stories, my sister and I would beg, “Just read us the Bible! Pleeeeeeaaasssee!!” and what parent can turn that down??? lol. We didn’t care what he read, we just wanted him to read to us. Poor dad. Great dad.

And who wouldn’t want to grow up to be a writer when they’re surrounded by stories everyday?

Happy belated Fathers’ Day to all the awesome dads out there.

You make dreams come true just by believing in us and loving us no matter what.

To all the not-awesome dads: step it up.

Peace♥

10 Comments

from my heart to YOURS

Published on June 18, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________

Are you ready for the weekend, my dears????

me too.

Here’s my totally shameless Newspaper Blackout poetry rip-off (molly-fied, of course):::::

Do you know what it means??
I think I do.
I mean, as I was scribbling things out I found a meaning.
I think randomness is rarely as random as it’s meant to be, but I’ll write more on that some other time.

If nothing else, it means enjoy your awesome weekend because every day is a gift to be savored.

xoxo

Peace♥

p.s. to see my inspiration, visit here: www.austinkleon.com
13 Comments

special advice

Published on June 16, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

Foolproof system for becoming an author:

  • Write only on whims. Only when you feel like it. Never when you’re not in the zone.
  • Take regular (every 30 seconds) breaks for twitter, texting, yawning, tv, and chocolate.
  • Eat popcorn while you work. It’s easy to type with one hand, and that butter on your keyboard is like grease on the cogs of your imagination.
  • Tell your critique buddy you’ll have something to them by a certain date and then take an extra 2 weeks. Writers never meet deadlines.

at least that’s what’s worked for me. teehee.

syke.

Now for the real meat of this post (double syke):

courtesy of Kari, my sweet, here are 3(3) random things about me. (I might not do this right…)

  • 3 things I like to eat: Chipotle veggie bowls with guac, Five Guys’ Cajun fries, Coldstone cake batter ice cream with brownies and cookie dough mix-ins. (Shameful, I know.)
  • 3 famous people I wish I was friends with: C.S. Lewis, Brandon Boyd (seriously I made a comic strip all about our adventures we’d have), Nathan Bransford.
  • 3 songs that always make me happy: About A Burning Fire by Blindside, Everything is Alright by Motion City Soundtrack, Anna Molly by Incubus, Cute without the E by Taking Back Sunday (I don’t know why bc it’s kinda a sad song), Hey Ya by Outkast. Darn. I failed that one. So many more than 3. I could go on and on. Man, those songs made me feel old. I’m not old yet!!!.
  • 3 unusual hobbies I have: Rock stealing collecting, climbing trees and smelling the leaves, hiding behind things and scaring loved ones.
  • 3 favorite colors: GREEN, teal, eggplant.
  • 3 favorite kinds of shoes: (In order of preference) Flip flops, slippers, cowboy boots.
  • 3 people I tag for this: you, you, and you. Just do it. I don’t like to pick favorites. Besides, I don’t think C.S. Lewis, Brandon Boyd and Nathan Bransford would play along.

And now for my contest entry::::::

TESSA GRATTON TAMES LIONS (and she writes books, too!)
visit her at tessagratton.com

You should so enter the contest, too, because I want to see your cartoons, and cause you can win a Linger ARC or other coooool books.

have a beautiful day!!

peace♥

14 Comments

i DON’T like sad stories :(

Published on June 14, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , . ______________________________________

Sorry guys, late post. I feel like yuck so I am at home trying to sleep as much as I can while my body fights it off.

That being said, I would like to share a foundational truth about myself:

I don’t like sad stories. Not one bit.

Especially sad stories that are classified as ROMANCE.

Because the romance genre is supposed to have happy endings of one kind or another.

Since the amazing and wonderful Mary Kole told me not to ever do snarky reviews, I will refrain from divulging the name of the book that has triggered this little rant of mine.

However, I will say that as a writer, I’m always saddened when someone can create a thrilling plot that keeps you glued because YOU CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS only to KILL them off one by one without MERCY or LOVE or at least a realistic REACTION out of the character(s) that stay alive.

I will admit that the story had some romantic elements, namely that character A loves character B but is torn because of character C and is despised by, but wants to change that about character D. Great stuff–except that the circumstances keeping them apart didn’t feel convincing. I kept thinking, “Just say this…” or “But what about this?? That could solve everything!!” But the characters didn’t even give logical reasons for dismissing obvious solutions.

Sigh.

I get waaaayyyyyy too into the books I read.

So am I alone in the world here? What about you? Do you enjoy being mislead in a book as long as the story is enthralling? Seriously. Maybe I’m just tooooo sensitive. Let me know your thoughts.

P.S. I will say, that every time a character breaks my heart, I learn NOT to do what they do, so I can’t say this book was a complete waste. Also, every time an author disappoints/saddens/misses an opportunity for whatever, I try to learn from it as well.

Thanks for listening ;)
Hope you had a good weekend.

Peace♥

11 Comments

i NEED your HELP

Published on June 11, 2010 in Writing Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

yeah. that kinda book.

First off, let me be real with you…

  • You are amazing.
  • You are talented.
  • You can write that book and see it on the shelf.
  • You have untapped super-powers. One of which is revision.
  • For the rest of June you are going to be a revising fiend, hit your goal, AND have time for fresh air EVERY DAY.
  • In no way am I projecting my personal ambitions onto you in this list.

No, but seriously. If I didn’t have you guys as readers/supporters/friends, I would be quite sad. Everyday at least one of you comments or blogs something that cheers me up, and everyday I learn something from you.

→♥MWUAH!♥←

(That’s me blowing you a kiss for being awesome.)

Did I mention that I’ve already had tea, maple syrup, and a mocha frappe this morning?????????

Anyways–All of the above are reasons why I need your help. Thanks to Tahereh’s genius and generous contest, I won a gift card to buy some books off Amazon. But here’s the thing. I don’t want just any books.

I want THE BEST BOOKS.

Can you pllllleeeeaaaassssseeeee pretty please recommend some amazing books?????

Not:

“meh. This one was okay. You should check it out.”

We’re talking:

“Oh my freaking goodness this book was spectacular and amazing and I’m in love and I want you to read it. And it transported me to this really fun place and I giggled everytime I got to crack it open because I was so giddy to read it. And it made me cry in a good way NEVER IN A SAD WAY because I know you don’t like to be sad. But this book is my new best friend and you should buy it.”

So if you know something like that, please share.

Have I told you lately that I love you???

Peace♥

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P. freakin’ S. – you WANT TO/SHOULD/MUST enter my much younger twin’s contest (that doesn’t have to make any sense. Just enter the contest bc it’s AWESOME). click HERE.

16 Comments