Friday Faves!

I'm on time! Woot!

1.  I think I may start a rant post once a month. Maybe once every few months. Or once every so often when I feel the need to rant. I have a rant lined up, I'm just a bit... apprehensive about posting it. So we shall see.

2. This is an awesome video. Like seriously. I can't post the video itself here, cause I can't find the permalink for it, but here's a link to it on my tumblr
http://jesimarie.tumblr.com/post/10870541240/skin-against-the-steel-leafuckingsarfati-my
seriously, this video is awesome and I dare you to not laugh. I double dare you. Hell, I double dog dare you. And if you don't laugh then...

I suck at these things cause I can never think of stuff to post! Bad me, very bad me!

Anyhow...

Who agrees Johnny Depp is hot? No matter how creepy he looks? LOL


Laters!

Sometimes I just wanna..

Sometimes I just wanna start an opinions blog where I can just sling out my unpopular opinions and different take on things while not bogging this blog down.

Maybe I will.

Who knows.

Just saying.

Real blog post at some point. Damn all this homework.

Friday Faves (a day late!)

Yesterday was a busy day! I'll use some of that business for my Friday Faves (a day late!).

1. Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and I had to work, and I went out with friends. But happy birthday to my Mom! I won't tell you her age, but I have a young mom :D

2. Last night, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World at midnight. I know, the movie came out like last year, but there's a theater that's going to be showing it monthly and doing similar to the Rocky Horror Picture Show showings. Since last night was the first night, they had tons of special guests, including the director, the guy who wrote the original comic, and quite a few of the actors from the movie. Amongst them were Chris Evans (oh god I love him...) and Jason Schwartzman. I got to see them in person! Didn't get any pictures with them, but I did get video footage of the Q&A that I may post at a later date.

3. Beth Revis posted about this site on her tumblr. It's called Query Tracker and it helps you organize where you've sent your queries to and such. The guy who created yWriter (I don't have the link to his page right now) has something similar you can download to your computer called Sonar. I have that downloaded, but since I haven't sent any queries, I haven't used it yet, so I can't tell you about it.

That's about all I got for this week. Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Laters!

A turn for the weird and a change in POV

Sometimes I wish I could just like, pour a thought in there and have everyone understand it. Like the memory wisp things in Harry Potter. That would be cool. But I can't do that, so I'll have to find a place to start.

I'll start with my opinion of first person.

Now this opinion of mine will be very contradictory and people will disagree with me and possibly tell me I'm stupid. But I almost hate first person, which is funny because most of my favorite books are written in first person. I find first person to be a cop out (remember here that my favorite books are written in first person) and I can give you a specific reason as to why I almost hate first person. And this opinion has gotten me the "you shouldn't let a book decide how you feel about something" (or something like that) comments before. But my reason for hating first person is.... the Twilight "Saga" (it's not a saga, dammit.) I read all four of them, went to the midnight release of the fourth book, stole (read: asked for and was given) balloons from Barnes 'n' Nobel when they lied about having a midnight release party just so that Borders, who was having a party, looked cooler, and I've also been to the midnight release of all the movies, just to troll. I read the first book twice, started the second book a second time, got to the part (SPOILER ALERT) where Bella goes towards the guys who may have been her rapists just so she can have a schizophrenic attack and see Edward. I got so damn pissed that I threw the book down and never touched it again.

Thus my hate for first person began. After that, for about six months, I would not read a first person novel. Then I started reading them again, because, as I mentioned, some of my favorite books are in first person. But I'm still a little... skeptical on first person novels. Go figure.

But that's not the point of this post! The point of this post is this:

I have to write a story for my creative writing class. I had NO idea what to write about so I went to tumblr and searched for writing prompts. One that I found was The Unicorn Apocalypse

Source

I scrolled on past that one, because it just sounded silly. But I had come up with an opening sentence or two for it. "A group of unicorns is called a blessing. At least that's what I'd heard." Now, that first part is a fun fact from a game called Camping. I was at my bff's house the other day and we played this with her little cousin and that was one of the fun facts in this nature based game.

But as I said, I kept scrolling, found a few I liked but my mind kept wandering back to this unicorn apocalypse, coming up with ideas and sentences and... Well... I've decided that this is the prompt I'm using for my story.

Now... Did you notice something odd in that opening?

Did you see that little 'I' in there?

Why yes, I, the person who does not like first person and finds it a cheap shot, am writing a story in first person.

I haven't written a story in first person since... Since... Um... I have no clue, actually. I think I was a little kid when I did it though, though all the stories I recall and have come across from my younger days were all in third person. Lord knows.

In short, I wanted to share this weird prompt I'm using and how I have somehow come to write a story in first person.

Also, my dog is acting weird as hell and has been for the last thirty minutes. Maybe there's an earthquake building. Or he's just weird.

What do you think of the different POVs? What's your favorite? Do you dislike one of the POVs, like I've taken to?


Laters!

It's Here! It's Here! It's Here! Oh Em Gee It's Here!

So, it seemed like my week was going to suck, save for the VERY end when I hang out with my bff. I got stuck working 6 days this week, getting asked to come in on my day off (I know, I coulda said no, but I need the money). It was shaping up to be a blah week for the most part.

And then... And then I check my email today. And I see this email from my dad. He normally sends me an email every week.

But this one... This one got this kind of a reaction

Then this:

Wanna know why? I think you can guess why. But I'm gunna tell you anyhows!

I GOT MY EDITS BACK!

So, there is a critique, which is 7 pages long, ad all the comments on the manuscript itself, which comes out to a grand total of 1524 comments. That's a lot of friggin comments for something only 226 pages, 12 pt font, double spaced. Damn, that got super long. When I typed it in 1.5 space 7.5pt font, it was only like, 120 pages. Wow. Damn. Anyways! That's not the point. The point is...

I don't even know what the point is any more. I'm just excited!

But I can't get to edits yet cause I have to do homework! Dammit. I wanna do edits!

Oh well, I'm still excited to have them back.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bed to be bouncin' on.

How do you guys normally react to getting edits back from a beta, or even your agent, if you've got one?


Laters!

Remember Me - 9/11

Just a warning: Some of my opinions listed here may be offensive to some readers. Read with caution. And don't say I didn't warn you.

I was in 8th grade when 9/11 happened, just barely two weeks in or so. I like on the West Coast, so it was early in the morning, I had gotten up for school, dressed, and come downstairs. Rounding the bottom of the stairs, I could see the TV. Now, I was used to my mom watching the news in the morning before school, but as I see this footage on the TV of planes crashing into a building, I can't help but wonder why my mom's watching a movie before school. I asked, "What movie are you watching?"

She says, without looking away from the TV, "It's not a movie, it's the news."

I remember thinking "Holy shit."

We watched the news until we had to leave, then in class, during the morning announcements, the principle comes on and we had a moment of silence then she told us that school was the safest place we could be at that time, even if some parents didn't think so. Then we watched the news in our class room.

I remember going home later and emailing my friend who lived in New York at the time, asking if her and her family were okay. She kind of laughed at me and said everyone was fine.

That's about all I remember from that day.

After that, I stopped really giving a shit. It was a bad thing to have happened, horrible really. I knew it was horrible, but I  never claimed to be the nicest person out there. I thought -and still think to an extent- that it was something we should never forget but move on from. We can't let something heal if we keep picking at it. And it seemed, as the years went by, that everyone else forgot about it too. The extent of remembrance went towards a moment of silence, some talk about, rewatch the footage on the anniversary, and that was it. Still is, basically.

Here's another warning: SPOILERS if you haven't seen Remember Me (and it's such a good movie, that if you haven't you need to now!)

My feelings changed some when I saw the movie, Remember Me with Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin. It's an adorable love movie that ends with Robert Pattinson's life coming back together and then... He dies in the World Trade Centers.

When the movie ended after the first time I saw it, I thought it was the shittiest ending ever. It felt like a cop out, not to mention, they killed him when his life was just getting back to being good! His dad was paying more attention to his sister, he was getting back together with the girl he loved, everything was just pulling back together so perfectly...

And then he dies. WTF movie people, wtf? And then, to top it off, they used Sept. 11 as the way he died. They showed him all happy in his dad's office, looking out the window, and then the camera moves back and shows he's at the top of one of the towers. Now, throughout the movie, it never really hints as to the date the whole move takes place, where the dad's office is. All you know is it's in New York.

To say the least, I felt slighted.

But then I started to think about it. The movie brings you back to how you felt the day 9/11 happened. And not only that, but it made you feel so deeply for someone, then felt the pain of losing them in the tragedy that marks this day.

Before seeing this movie, I was just a west coast girl who knew no one lost in the attack. Oh, I knew from pictures and video footage, and hearing second hand about all of the pain it caused, but it didn't affect me in that kind of way.

After seeing the movie, I have a new... appreciation? acceptance?... some kind of feeling I can't think the name of. But I feel differently about 9/11 now. It wasn't just a some buildings, but people's loved ones. Their friends, their families. People who may have just started getting their lives back on track, people who were going through a hard time, people who woke up and said to themselves "Today is going to be a good day."

I think that's part of the problem. We see it as "The World Trade Center" and always so pictures of the buildings, or the lights shooting into the sky to mimic the towers. But what about all those people? We should have slide shows talking about the people. Buildings can be rebuilt, but those people are gone forever.

All right, I'm done. I'm sorry to anyone who I offended in this post, but I'm not a saint, never claimed to be. I have bad thoughts just like anyone else, but I own up to them.

And now, a moment of silence in memory of the people who died in the attack on the World Trade Center.


































Laters.

It's Time for Friday...

We have a winner from the poll last Friday! (Jeez, it's been a week already?)

The new title of Friday Five is Friday Faves! Woohoo! Thanks to those of you who voted :D

Now, onto the Friday Faves

1. I had this dream last night that I started sending out query letters to agents for the manuscript that I recently finished writing before my dad even returned the first round of his edits. Two agents wanted to see more and I was all like "Crap, what am I going to tell them? I don't have the manuscript!" I think I was going to tell them that it was going to take a week or so to get it to them cause my computer had just crashed. I woke up with a serious "wtf?" feeling.

2. This song, right here, is like, complete awesome *swoons over Adam Levine*

Not only is it an awesome song, but it's full of word play which is like, super awesome. I LOVE word play like there ain't no tomorrow. Adam Levine's voice makes it that much more great. God, I swear, one day I will hug him!

3. I think I may have found someone to do my new banner. Yey! More news on that soon!

That's all I can think of for this week! I need to start posting more. I'm working on it! I swear!

Expectations and Reality

Here's my entry for the first campaign challenge, titled Expectations and Reality.

The door swung open. Olivia had been expecting some grand ballroom with shelves upon shelves of books. When Greg had said “I want to show you something,” and taken her by the hand, she had expected something beautiful, something more than this. 

“It’s a broom closet,” she said with a frown, pulling her hand out of his stony grasp. She couldn’t even bare to look him in his gargoyle face. Oh, she’d gotten used to the look since she’d been here, but she just couldn’t… This had to be a joke. 

“It’s not a broom closet. It’s my library,” Greg said, his voice rough. 

“There aren’t any shelves,” she pointed out. In fact, there was nothing in this room but a table, chair, and a small grey thing. 

“I have a ton of book shelves.” He picked up the grey thing. “Olivia, I want to share my library with you.” He held the thing out to her. She slowly took it from him. 

“An… e-reader?” Her voice fell flat. 

He nodded, his disfigured face looking bright and eager. 

She shoved the device back at him and turned out of the small room. “Call me when you get a real book.”

Other titles for this story could be "How Modern Technology Ruins Romantic Moments" and "The Problems with Modern Technology". Feel free to make up your own! Leave 'em in the comments so I can see! I do love to see!

Anyhow, this story is obviously a parody of Beauty and the Beast. The Beast (aka Greg) isn't a big hairy monster, but instead a bat-like gargoyle. The title is based on a tumblr meme. For anyone that has a tumblr, you probably know this meme. Basically, a statement is made, like "Walking past a crush" then you get "Expectations" and the picture is of a hot chick walking sexily down the hall. Then "Reality" is a picture of someone walking really weirdly, or falling down, or something. See here for an example. (no, that's not my tumblr).

I like my story :D And according to my Word, it's 200 words exactly. It was originally around 220 words, and I have to take stuff out. Obviously.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!!

Hello fellow campaigners!

I wanted to take  a quick moment and say hello to you all and let you all in on a little something (ooo scandalous *insert Damn You Look Good and I'm Drunk(Scandalous) by Cobra Starship here*).

I'm slowly working on getting around to all my groups and introducing myself and adding all of the blogs to my google reader. I joined four groups so it's taking a little time. I also have to get my first assignment in all three of my college classes done before next Monday or I get dropped from my classes, and I'm trying to balance all this with my new job.

But it will get done! I swear!

Until then, hello to you all! And welcome!

Friday... Something!

I am changing the title of the Friday Five because I was always having a hard time coming up with 5 things to share. I'm going to let you guys vote on the few I've come up with! If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments!


Now, on to the post!

1. I got a job! Yey! After a year of seriously searching, and 4 years of being jobless, I have finally obtained a job! It's only a seasonal job right now, but if I work awesomely enough, then I might be able to be hired as a regular worker. Fingers crossed for me! If I get to keep this job, so many doors will be opened for me!

2. One of my dad's short stories has been accepted to be printed in an anthology! Congrats Gilbert! Check it out here for  more info: http://gilmiller.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/breaking-news/

3. My best friend and I made a video not long ago and I want to share it, cause I think it's fun! We might start doing one monthly. Not sure.

4. I'm looking for some new art for my header up there *points at the current picture* to fit more into the YA theme I'm taking. I know what I want, I just need someone to do it. I don't have any real money right now to pay for it, but if you know someone who would be willing to do some art for me and has a similar style to the art above, please let me know. Credit will of course be posted to my blog so people can find the person. Kinda one of those you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours kind of deals.

I think that's all for now. I'll try to have cooler things for next week!

Now, I must off to follow the lovely people in my groups for the campaign, make my introduction rounds, and do my homework. And read. Ah, there are not enough hours in the day for the procrastinator.

Laters!