Last year around this time, I did a blog post talking about all the good and bad things that happened in 2009, and how I was going to make 2010 an even better year. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about that post, and how much things have changed in a year, for better and for worse, and how I can do better in 2011.
First off, let's talk a little bit about things that have gotten better since last year. Some of you map remember that my parents got back together in April after a six-month separation. Obviously, that's the best news I've gotten all year. Also, I kinda got a job. Something that slightly ruined the way I spend my time, but allowed me to buy gifts for my parents.
I had another fabulous vacation, with much thanks to the new Wii. And there's a chance I may be going to either California or Florida sometime in the next two years. I've made progress in researching my family tree. Oh! And I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1, and it's definitely the best movie yet.
My goal to write more than ever before certainly paid off. While I'm not sure if I reached 300,000 words like I wanted, I did do pretty awesome. More than six fanfics complete, another successful NaNoWriMo year, a failed but still lengthy movie script for Screnzy, and lots more started projects. My hope at reading more, however, didn't pay off.
Back in September, I was given seventeen books for my twentieth birthday (titles below). So far I've read nine of them, and am about half way through of the the six books I got for Christmas (titles below). Even if I miraculously finish that one by midnight, I'll have only read 14 new books this year. My goal was 50, so it's a bit of a let down, but I'm pleased with how much I did read.
Of course, with the good comes the bad. I had to give up a cat at the beginning of the year. Some people who I called my friends showed their true colors. And I did some things I'm not proud of, too. But, like last year, the good outweighs the bad.
So, here's what I'm planning for next year:
-I will read 50 books that I have never read before, write book reviews for each of them, and participate in at least five book challenges.
-I will write at least 300,000 words, keep a track of all words written, and continue to update my WriYe account with this number.
-I will participate and win both Screnzy in April and NaNoWriMo in November.
-Using a combination of my new Wii Fit and John Green's Fitness for Nerds routine (http://dft.ba/-johnfit) I will lose enough weight that I'll feel comfortable in a one-piece swimsuit by vacation time.
-I will keep a detailed schedule and check it every day so that I don't forget to do my household work, or neglect my friends.
-Using the webcam that I'll (hopefully) be getting around Valentine's day, I'll make a video for the Project for Awesome in December to raise awareness about Lupus.
-I will finish writing and editing Ghosts of Autumn.
-I will not be as angry this year. I will forgive myself more. I will let go of the little things. I will build my self-esteem up to where it needs to be.
-Lastly, I will update my blog at least once a week, so I'm not rushed to write an end-of-year post seven hours to midnight on New Year's Eve. ;)
It's a rather long list of promises, I know, but I really want to do this. Each thing is something I need to do to better myself, and better my life. I thought by 2010 I'd be somewhere completely different that where I am in my life. I have only myself to blame for that.
To make it easier to follow along with my progress through the year, without having to read through all my posts, I'll be changing the blog's layout a little bit. It's hard to explain right now, but you'll see soon.
If you're still reading this, then I have to ask you a favor. Post your New Year's resolutions below. You can do it anonymously or sign it. If you don't do the whole resolution thing, just tell me something you wish would happen to change in 2011. If you'll be keeping a blog next year with updates on your resolution list, link me to it. I don't want to do this alone.
---
Before I go, I just wanted to do a little bragging about how awesome my parents are, and how well they know me. Without me putting the majority of these book titles on my birthday/Christmas lists, they got me:
John Green's-
Looking for Alaska
An Abundance of Katherines
Paper Towns
Maureen Johnson's-
Suite Scarlett
Scarlett Fever
Girl at Sea
13 Little Blue Envelopes
The Key to the Golden Firebird
The Bermudez Triangle
Garth Nix's-
Sabriel
Lirael
Abhorsen
Rick Riordan's-
PJO: The Lightning Thief
PJO: Sea of Monsters
PJO: Titan's Curse
PJO: Battle of the Labyrinth
PJO: The Last Olympian
HoO: The Lost Hero
James Patterson's-
Witch & Wizard
Margaret Peterson Haddix's-
SC: Among the Hidden
SC: Among the Impostors
SC: Among the Betrayed
SC: Among the Barons
Amazing, aren't they? =D
I'll stop rambling and go work on that schedule now. I hope everyone has a great night. Be safe, and have a Happy New Year!!!
Love, Lizzy<3
Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Writing Frenzy Year
Hey folks. How's everyone doing this fine morning?
Last month I talked a lot about the new year and how I want to make it so much better than the last. But as usual I forgot to talk about the most popular topic this time of the year. Resolutions. I don't think my parents have ever made new year's resolutions in their lives. My mom is of the opinion that you shouldn't make a resolution that you know you won't do. Like how so many people make quitting chocolate or coffee theirs. I agree. So every year since I was about thirteen, I've been making a list of things I'd like to do in the new year. I've never completed the list, but I have been able to cross things off every year.
This year, I've decided to share my list with all of you. Maybe not by going into detail of how I'm going to complete each goal. But by telling you throughout the year when I'm one step closer to finishing something.
You might already know about the biggest goal of mine, especially if you've read my other blog. I've wanted to be an author for a long time. I think I decided on that when I was six. Of course, that was after the phases of waitress, detective, archaeologist, teacher, and lawyer. To be clear on those: my grandma was a waitress; I love dinosaurs and was totally sold on digging them up until my mom told me I might find human bones too; I watched way too many Matlock and Columbo episodes when I was a kid. Oh, and I still want to be a teacher. Anyway, writing. I have collected a large file box full of novel and short story ideas. Want to know how many of them I've finished? Zero.
In 2007 I started a writing course from the Institute of Children's Literature. I course they promise has a two-year plan, but obviously not for procrastinators like me. Through this course, however, I've written two first drafts of short stories, and an article. That's pretty good for me. I admit, I wrote two stories when I was a kid. That was before I could actually write it down. I don't remember much of the stories, but I'm sure my parents have the pictures I drew for them around here somewhere. I remember one was about a young witch on Halloween, and the other was something about a girl being neglected by her parents in favor of her two siblings - a little Cinderella-ish, maybe? From then until the course, I only wrote fanfiction. Harry Potter, mostly. Some Supernatural. A little Digimon. Not to mention the dozens I never got around to writing.
My goal this year is to get something published. I mentioned in my last post how thanks to NaNoWriMo I have a half-finished novel. I plan on finishing that and publishing it this year. Or at least getting the ball rolling so I can publish next year. I want to be a professional writer. Who has actual deadlines and doesn't have to feel guilty as she explains to her parents why she has to meet her personal writing deadlines instead of watching a movie with them. Or an actual office with filing cabinets, a cork board, big window, a comfortable desk chair, a desk that doesn't dig into my leg, and a computer that's not slow with bad speakers. I guess I finally realized I'm never going to be that unless I stop my procrastinating and actually write.
Maybe my irrational fear of turning twenty has something to do with that. As cheesy as it sounds, I liked being a teenager. Everything about me - my likes, dislikes, passions, obsessions, friends - came out in the past seven years. As stupid as it sounds, I don't want that to go away when I'm twenty. I don't want to wake up one day and find out that I don't want to be a writer after all, and that I've wasted years and a lot of money on learning things I'll never need to know again.
I don't want to lose contact with my friends because I stop role-playing, or lose interest in Harry Potter. Amazingly, those two things are all that's connecting me to a few of my friends. That's another thing. I don't want to be shy anymore. I've been shy my whole life, and I'm sick of it. Last year I felt what it was like to have an acquaintance die and realize how many opportunities I had to get to know her better, but I didn't take because I was too shy. I don't want to go through that again.
Aaaaand I'm getting off topic again. You see, this is why I shouldn't be allowed to blog when I'm tired. My mind goes in a million directions, I start remembering things from when I was eight, and I decide to tell you random facts about myself that you don't need or want to know. Terribly sorry. This won't happen again.
So, the main reason I wanted to write this post (when I started an hour ago) was to explain my latest writing project and maybe get some people to join me.
6 Months, 6 Novels is a challenge based off of NaNoWriMo in which myself and several other people will write novels in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. A woman I met on the NaNo site a month ago came up with the idea and I made the site for it. We've got well over thirty members now, and we all started writing yesterday. Our rules are slightly different from NaNo's, mind you. We allow you finish started stories, or write fanfiction instead of a novel. And I admit, I made these rules to fit my own needs.
Now, as promised in early December, here are my story ideas for 2010:
January: Oh, Baby! (a Digimon fic)
Go on fanfiction.net and search the author Aduial Evenstar. Under her stories, you will find an incomplete fic called Oh, Baby! which I fell in love with almost a year ago. Realizing she hadn't updated in quite a while, I decided to finish it for her. I'd written three chapters and posted them on my own page before life and writer's block got in the way and I suddenly stopped as well. I plan on having the fourth chapter posted by Monday, and the story complete this month.
Summary: Ten digidestined have been de-aged, and now it's up to Kari and TK to look after the babies while trying to find a way to turn them back with help from Gennai and their families. Plus ... new digidestined?
March: Untitled (Harry Potter fic)
Something I came up with just last month. I couldn't get it out of my head and decided to swap it with another story.
Summary: (summer before 5th year) Severus Snape is working on a potion for the Order and, being short on time, enlists the help of Sirius, Remus and Tonks. Something goes wrong with it and the four adults are de-aged into infants. Harry arrives at Grimmauld Place days later. By the end of the month, Dumbledore has only found a way to slowly age them, but no one to take care of them while they do. The Order members are obviously busy, and Molly can't handle four young children on her own. Hermione then - somewhat jokingly - suggests she, Ron and Harry take them back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore agrees and so beings a re-written fifth year - with no Umbridge!
May: Left Me Breathless (Twilight fic)
Came up with this months ago, but only managed to write a few pages.
Summary: What would have happened if Alice never had the vision of Bella jumping off the cliff in New Moon? Would Edward ever have come back? Would she have moved on? The night Harry Clearwater died, when Bella and Jake are in her truck - the night Alice was supposed to come back - Bella said yes to him. They dated, they married, they had children ... and then they divorced. Bella had been a good wife, giving him everything but the love he wanted from her. And Jacob couldn't put her through that anymore. But he married again, this time imprinting, and was expecting another child. Bella still lived in La Push, was still best friends with Jake and the pack. Still looked after all the kids on the reservation in her daycare. Then, while shopping in Port Angeles on her birthday, she saw him. Edward. But he looked different from how he had the last time she saw him ten years ago. He looked ... human.
July: Afterthought
A vampire novel. -squee-
Summary: Saphetta Mackenzie was your average teenage girl in 1996, until the war started up. Every man, woman, and creature fought to the death - or close enough to it. Vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, elves, fairies and all sorts of other things crawled out of whatever holes they'd been living in for the past few hundred years and started to revolt against the humans. Saphetta's family was one of many that fought on the side of the creatures. They wanted equality. But not everyone knew their views. At twenty-four, Saphetta found herself on a battlefield, trying to be the peacemaker and stop the attacking humans, but a vampire mistook her for the opposition and bit her... Now going by the name Saphy Wallace, the century-old vampire works as a college professor. The two roommates who she claims are her cousins happen to be her great-great-nieces. And she really hopes her newest colleague will one day become her husband and mate - if only he'll agree to it first.
September: The Historian (Covenant fic)
I've had this idea pretty much since the first time I saw the Covenant. After several false starts on it, I'm settled on a beginning, but nothing else.
Summary: Defying all odds, Caleb and Sarah had a daughter. Together with her younger brother and the sons of Pogue, Tyler, and Reid, Ashleigh Danvers completes the new generation of the Ipswich witches. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks she deserves to be included. The Parry boy may be the oldest, but he doesn't like Ashleigh being second to Ascend. Tyler's son hates the Power and anyone associated with it since it drove his mother away. Her little brother Zach is just plain jealous. And Reid's son? He's her only real friend. That is, until a mysterious new boy comes to Spenser academy and Ashleigh quickly learns that his life depends on whether or not she stays in the Covenant.
November: Untitled
I actually thought of this while I was half-way through my '09 NaNo.
Summary: Four teenaged friends go camping one weekend in the summer. While they mostly talk about the upcoming school year and have a good time, they each name a reason they'd rather just run away from home. They talk about the possibilities until they all pass out. When they wake up, they're no longer together. Or even in the same town for that matter. And they find that they've somehow aged ten years. Now, while trying to locate each other and figure out what happened, they have to live through what would happen to them if they did run away.
Well, that's all for now. I'm exhausted. So, see you next week.
-Lizzy<3
P.S. If you want to join 6 Months, 6 Novels go to the site - http://6wrimos.proboards.com
Last month I talked a lot about the new year and how I want to make it so much better than the last. But as usual I forgot to talk about the most popular topic this time of the year. Resolutions. I don't think my parents have ever made new year's resolutions in their lives. My mom is of the opinion that you shouldn't make a resolution that you know you won't do. Like how so many people make quitting chocolate or coffee theirs. I agree. So every year since I was about thirteen, I've been making a list of things I'd like to do in the new year. I've never completed the list, but I have been able to cross things off every year.
This year, I've decided to share my list with all of you. Maybe not by going into detail of how I'm going to complete each goal. But by telling you throughout the year when I'm one step closer to finishing something.
You might already know about the biggest goal of mine, especially if you've read my other blog. I've wanted to be an author for a long time. I think I decided on that when I was six. Of course, that was after the phases of waitress, detective, archaeologist, teacher, and lawyer. To be clear on those: my grandma was a waitress; I love dinosaurs and was totally sold on digging them up until my mom told me I might find human bones too; I watched way too many Matlock and Columbo episodes when I was a kid. Oh, and I still want to be a teacher. Anyway, writing. I have collected a large file box full of novel and short story ideas. Want to know how many of them I've finished? Zero.
In 2007 I started a writing course from the Institute of Children's Literature. I course they promise has a two-year plan, but obviously not for procrastinators like me. Through this course, however, I've written two first drafts of short stories, and an article. That's pretty good for me. I admit, I wrote two stories when I was a kid. That was before I could actually write it down. I don't remember much of the stories, but I'm sure my parents have the pictures I drew for them around here somewhere. I remember one was about a young witch on Halloween, and the other was something about a girl being neglected by her parents in favor of her two siblings - a little Cinderella-ish, maybe? From then until the course, I only wrote fanfiction. Harry Potter, mostly. Some Supernatural. A little Digimon. Not to mention the dozens I never got around to writing.
My goal this year is to get something published. I mentioned in my last post how thanks to NaNoWriMo I have a half-finished novel. I plan on finishing that and publishing it this year. Or at least getting the ball rolling so I can publish next year. I want to be a professional writer. Who has actual deadlines and doesn't have to feel guilty as she explains to her parents why she has to meet her personal writing deadlines instead of watching a movie with them. Or an actual office with filing cabinets, a cork board, big window, a comfortable desk chair, a desk that doesn't dig into my leg, and a computer that's not slow with bad speakers. I guess I finally realized I'm never going to be that unless I stop my procrastinating and actually write.
Maybe my irrational fear of turning twenty has something to do with that. As cheesy as it sounds, I liked being a teenager. Everything about me - my likes, dislikes, passions, obsessions, friends - came out in the past seven years. As stupid as it sounds, I don't want that to go away when I'm twenty. I don't want to wake up one day and find out that I don't want to be a writer after all, and that I've wasted years and a lot of money on learning things I'll never need to know again.
I don't want to lose contact with my friends because I stop role-playing, or lose interest in Harry Potter. Amazingly, those two things are all that's connecting me to a few of my friends. That's another thing. I don't want to be shy anymore. I've been shy my whole life, and I'm sick of it. Last year I felt what it was like to have an acquaintance die and realize how many opportunities I had to get to know her better, but I didn't take because I was too shy. I don't want to go through that again.
Aaaaand I'm getting off topic again. You see, this is why I shouldn't be allowed to blog when I'm tired. My mind goes in a million directions, I start remembering things from when I was eight, and I decide to tell you random facts about myself that you don't need or want to know. Terribly sorry. This won't happen again.
So, the main reason I wanted to write this post (when I started an hour ago) was to explain my latest writing project and maybe get some people to join me.
6 Months, 6 Novels is a challenge based off of NaNoWriMo in which myself and several other people will write novels in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. A woman I met on the NaNo site a month ago came up with the idea and I made the site for it. We've got well over thirty members now, and we all started writing yesterday. Our rules are slightly different from NaNo's, mind you. We allow you finish started stories, or write fanfiction instead of a novel. And I admit, I made these rules to fit my own needs.
Now, as promised in early December, here are my story ideas for 2010:
January: Oh, Baby! (a Digimon fic)
Go on fanfiction.net and search the author Aduial Evenstar. Under her stories, you will find an incomplete fic called Oh, Baby! which I fell in love with almost a year ago. Realizing she hadn't updated in quite a while, I decided to finish it for her. I'd written three chapters and posted them on my own page before life and writer's block got in the way and I suddenly stopped as well. I plan on having the fourth chapter posted by Monday, and the story complete this month.
Summary: Ten digidestined have been de-aged, and now it's up to Kari and TK to look after the babies while trying to find a way to turn them back with help from Gennai and their families. Plus ... new digidestined?
March: Untitled (Harry Potter fic)
Something I came up with just last month. I couldn't get it out of my head and decided to swap it with another story.
Summary: (summer before 5th year) Severus Snape is working on a potion for the Order and, being short on time, enlists the help of Sirius, Remus and Tonks. Something goes wrong with it and the four adults are de-aged into infants. Harry arrives at Grimmauld Place days later. By the end of the month, Dumbledore has only found a way to slowly age them, but no one to take care of them while they do. The Order members are obviously busy, and Molly can't handle four young children on her own. Hermione then - somewhat jokingly - suggests she, Ron and Harry take them back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore agrees and so beings a re-written fifth year - with no Umbridge!
May: Left Me Breathless (Twilight fic)
Came up with this months ago, but only managed to write a few pages.
Summary: What would have happened if Alice never had the vision of Bella jumping off the cliff in New Moon? Would Edward ever have come back? Would she have moved on? The night Harry Clearwater died, when Bella and Jake are in her truck - the night Alice was supposed to come back - Bella said yes to him. They dated, they married, they had children ... and then they divorced. Bella had been a good wife, giving him everything but the love he wanted from her. And Jacob couldn't put her through that anymore. But he married again, this time imprinting, and was expecting another child. Bella still lived in La Push, was still best friends with Jake and the pack. Still looked after all the kids on the reservation in her daycare. Then, while shopping in Port Angeles on her birthday, she saw him. Edward. But he looked different from how he had the last time she saw him ten years ago. He looked ... human.
July: Afterthought
A vampire novel. -squee-
Summary: Saphetta Mackenzie was your average teenage girl in 1996, until the war started up. Every man, woman, and creature fought to the death - or close enough to it. Vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, elves, fairies and all sorts of other things crawled out of whatever holes they'd been living in for the past few hundred years and started to revolt against the humans. Saphetta's family was one of many that fought on the side of the creatures. They wanted equality. But not everyone knew their views. At twenty-four, Saphetta found herself on a battlefield, trying to be the peacemaker and stop the attacking humans, but a vampire mistook her for the opposition and bit her... Now going by the name Saphy Wallace, the century-old vampire works as a college professor. The two roommates who she claims are her cousins happen to be her great-great-nieces. And she really hopes her newest colleague will one day become her husband and mate - if only he'll agree to it first.
September: The Historian (Covenant fic)
I've had this idea pretty much since the first time I saw the Covenant. After several false starts on it, I'm settled on a beginning, but nothing else.
Summary: Defying all odds, Caleb and Sarah had a daughter. Together with her younger brother and the sons of Pogue, Tyler, and Reid, Ashleigh Danvers completes the new generation of the Ipswich witches. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks she deserves to be included. The Parry boy may be the oldest, but he doesn't like Ashleigh being second to Ascend. Tyler's son hates the Power and anyone associated with it since it drove his mother away. Her little brother Zach is just plain jealous. And Reid's son? He's her only real friend. That is, until a mysterious new boy comes to Spenser academy and Ashleigh quickly learns that his life depends on whether or not she stays in the Covenant.
November: Untitled
I actually thought of this while I was half-way through my '09 NaNo.
Summary: Four teenaged friends go camping one weekend in the summer. While they mostly talk about the upcoming school year and have a good time, they each name a reason they'd rather just run away from home. They talk about the possibilities until they all pass out. When they wake up, they're no longer together. Or even in the same town for that matter. And they find that they've somehow aged ten years. Now, while trying to locate each other and figure out what happened, they have to live through what would happen to them if they did run away.
Well, that's all for now. I'm exhausted. So, see you next week.
-Lizzy<3
P.S. If you want to join 6 Months, 6 Novels go to the site - http://6wrimos.proboards.com
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Goodbye 2009
(Originally post on the 20th on my new LiveJournal) I said a couple of weeks ago that I would be posting some story ideas soon, and while I still plan to do that, I'd rather do it later this month. Right now I want to talk about my most recent realization.
I've said several times over the past couple of months that this has been a really bad year. The worst ever. When you consider the events of the past few months, I'm sure many people would agree. The funny thing is that I don't. I sat thinking about this Friday night and came to the realization that, despite all the many problems and stressing, 2009 was a really good year for me.
My close friends know about the problems I'm going through right now, and I'm sorry to say those haven't changed. If they miraculously did on Christmas day this would be the best year in history and nothing would ever be able to top it. But, being the optimist that I usually am, I'm trying to look past those things. I want to make this post so that I'll always have something to look back on to remind of the good things that happened this year. This is also my way of thanking the people that changed this year for the better.
In 2009 I helped my friends build an rpg that is now bigger than any other site I've ever made. Because of that rpg, I've made a ton of new friends this year.
In 2009 I finished the last three books in the Twilight saga and loved them. I later got my parents into the series and we've enjoyed both of the movies together.
In 2009 I read the published novel of my best friend and loved it. It now sits on a Harry Potter shelf beside my bed and makes me smile every day.
In 2009 I got a printer/scanner, a cell phone, and an iPod touch. Yes, the little things make me happy too. =)
In 2009 discovered the power of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. However, I have every intention of using these powers for good.
In 2009 I started watching the vlogbrothers of YouTube. It's been about five months since I first saw their videos, but my life will never be the same. John and Hank will never know how much they've helped me, but I hope I'll be able to repay the favor one day.
In 2009 I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time, and won. Through this I realized that pretty much anything is possible. I'm a procrastinator. I wrote a nearly-finished novel in thirty days.
In 2009 I rediscovered my passion for writing.
In 2009 I became legally able to drink and gamble in Canada - though I haven't done either yet.
In 2009 I had the best vacation ever.
In 2009 I found some great websites. Like BabyDow and AverageWizard In 2009 I was introduced to Huey Lewis and the News. They have been my favorite band for over six months now. <3
In 2009 I fell in love with several shows, new and old. Charmed, the Mentalist, Castle, Vampire Diaries.
In 2009, despite having never seen any Star Trek shows or movies, I watched the new movie four times in one week. I plan to start watching the shows through repeats and YouTube.
In 2009 I went to the drive-in more than I did in the three previous years combined.
In 2009 I realized I don't look that bad with short hair.
These are just some of the things that had gone right for me this year. Some of them may sound silly or unimportant, but for one reason or another, they're what made me happy. Unfortunately, I can't leave out the bad things that have happened this year.
In 2009 my parents filed for bankruptcy. We're moving next month. In 2009 my dad asked for a divorce.
In 2009 I thought I might have to give away one of my cats. That's still being decided. In 2009 I thought two of my friends passed away. One did.
In 2009 I had the worst nightmare of my life, that sticks with me every day.
I've cried more in 2009 than any other year. But I think I probably laughed more this year as well. The bad things still bother me. A lot. Hell, I had a breakdown a few hours ago. But I think the good has outweighed the bad. That has a lot to do with my friends. There's no way I can possibly name all of them, but there are a handful that made a big difference for me.
Tippy- I will never be able to thank you enough for sticking with me this year. I don't know if I would have been able to make it through these past few months without you. The thought of talking to you keeps me going on bad days. I'm so thankful for you.
Iris- Though we haven't talked in a while, I think about you all the time. I still consider you one of my closest friends and hope we'll be able to catch up soon.
Emily- You always bring a smile to my face, even if it's not me you're talking to. You're a very talented writer. I love reading your posts.
And, of course, the rest of the SW members. Jess, Hayley, Hadie, Kat, Leslie, Leah, and Sam. You're all wonderful.
I hope that 2010 is better than this year was. I'm going into the new year with a lot of goals and plans. I want to write almost every day, finish and edit my novel, stop procrastinating, and I've even added the common lose weight reservation. I want to read more too. I talked about doing a fifty-book challenge back in October but I had to stop because of the 'bad' list. Well, I want to restart that. I'll be talking more about my writing and reading in January. Like I said, I have big plans.
To everyone who read this, I hope you've had as good a year as I have. I also hope you join me in going into 2010 with a positive and optimistic attitude. Try not to let things get you down. Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays) and Happy New Year.
-Lizzy<3
I've said several times over the past couple of months that this has been a really bad year. The worst ever. When you consider the events of the past few months, I'm sure many people would agree. The funny thing is that I don't. I sat thinking about this Friday night and came to the realization that, despite all the many problems and stressing, 2009 was a really good year for me.
My close friends know about the problems I'm going through right now, and I'm sorry to say those haven't changed. If they miraculously did on Christmas day this would be the best year in history and nothing would ever be able to top it. But, being the optimist that I usually am, I'm trying to look past those things. I want to make this post so that I'll always have something to look back on to remind of the good things that happened this year. This is also my way of thanking the people that changed this year for the better.
In 2009 I helped my friends build an rpg that is now bigger than any other site I've ever made. Because of that rpg, I've made a ton of new friends this year.
In 2009 I finished the last three books in the Twilight saga and loved them. I later got my parents into the series and we've enjoyed both of the movies together.
In 2009 I read the published novel of my best friend and loved it. It now sits on a Harry Potter shelf beside my bed and makes me smile every day.
In 2009 I got a printer/scanner, a cell phone, and an iPod touch. Yes, the little things make me happy too. =)
In 2009 discovered the power of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. However, I have every intention of using these powers for good.
In 2009 I started watching the vlogbrothers of YouTube. It's been about five months since I first saw their videos, but my life will never be the same. John and Hank will never know how much they've helped me, but I hope I'll be able to repay the favor one day.
In 2009 I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time, and won. Through this I realized that pretty much anything is possible. I'm a procrastinator. I wrote a nearly-finished novel in thirty days.
In 2009 I rediscovered my passion for writing.
In 2009 I became legally able to drink and gamble in Canada - though I haven't done either yet.
In 2009 I had the best vacation ever.
In 2009 I found some great websites. Like BabyDow and AverageWizard In 2009 I was introduced to Huey Lewis and the News. They have been my favorite band for over six months now. <3
In 2009 I fell in love with several shows, new and old. Charmed, the Mentalist, Castle, Vampire Diaries.
In 2009, despite having never seen any Star Trek shows or movies, I watched the new movie four times in one week. I plan to start watching the shows through repeats and YouTube.
In 2009 I went to the drive-in more than I did in the three previous years combined.
In 2009 I realized I don't look that bad with short hair.
These are just some of the things that had gone right for me this year. Some of them may sound silly or unimportant, but for one reason or another, they're what made me happy. Unfortunately, I can't leave out the bad things that have happened this year.
In 2009 my parents filed for bankruptcy. We're moving next month. In 2009 my dad asked for a divorce.
In 2009 I thought I might have to give away one of my cats. That's still being decided. In 2009 I thought two of my friends passed away. One did.
In 2009 I had the worst nightmare of my life, that sticks with me every day.
I've cried more in 2009 than any other year. But I think I probably laughed more this year as well. The bad things still bother me. A lot. Hell, I had a breakdown a few hours ago. But I think the good has outweighed the bad. That has a lot to do with my friends. There's no way I can possibly name all of them, but there are a handful that made a big difference for me.
Tippy- I will never be able to thank you enough for sticking with me this year. I don't know if I would have been able to make it through these past few months without you. The thought of talking to you keeps me going on bad days. I'm so thankful for you.
Iris- Though we haven't talked in a while, I think about you all the time. I still consider you one of my closest friends and hope we'll be able to catch up soon.
Emily- You always bring a smile to my face, even if it's not me you're talking to. You're a very talented writer. I love reading your posts.
And, of course, the rest of the SW members. Jess, Hayley, Hadie, Kat, Leslie, Leah, and Sam. You're all wonderful.
I hope that 2010 is better than this year was. I'm going into the new year with a lot of goals and plans. I want to write almost every day, finish and edit my novel, stop procrastinating, and I've even added the common lose weight reservation. I want to read more too. I talked about doing a fifty-book challenge back in October but I had to stop because of the 'bad' list. Well, I want to restart that. I'll be talking more about my writing and reading in January. Like I said, I have big plans.
To everyone who read this, I hope you've had as good a year as I have. I also hope you join me in going into 2010 with a positive and optimistic attitude. Try not to let things get you down. Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays) and Happy New Year.
-Lizzy<3
Thursday, December 3, 2009
When Life Gives You Lemons...
... throw 'em back and ask for something useful. ;)
Sorry I haven't felt like updating this in a while. Um, shortly (about two weeks) after my last post, my dad asked my mom for a divorce. Yeah. That was eight days after they celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary. They've been trying to have a baby for over two years. Aparently none of that matters to him anymore.
Long story short, due to our financial problems, we were planning on moving anyway. But because we're basically broke, we'll still have to move together. My mom and I will be sharing a room, and my dad claims he'll be cooped up in his for the six hours a night he'll be home to sleep. We move sometime next month, if everything goes according to plan.
Now, changing the subject, I participated in NaNoWriMo last month. Thank God for that! As much as I hated spending my days and nights feeling like I was avoiding my friends and mom - who's really needed me these past months - the writing got me through November. Well, I can't let NaNo take all the credit. I probably still would have gone mental if it wasn't for my friend Tippy, who gave me the push to keep writing when I didn't want to and made me laugh on my especially bad days.
The briefest description I can give you of my NaNo novel is that a family of five one-by-one start seeing or hearing a ghost. Their spirit guide, Annie. It's a three-story novel about this family learning to cope with these new abilities. By the end of NaNo I reached the 50,000 word goal and am almost finished the second story. I plan to continue writing throughout December and reach 8ok by the time I finish the third. I will edit this novel early next year, and already have a publishing company in mind.
And, because writing has helped me so much lately, I don't want to fall back into my old ways of only writing when the inspiration really hit me. I want to be an author. I have to act like one. I have to make writing work for me. My dad once told me I could be a writing and a teacher and still have a family like I want to. That's always sounded like a challenge to me, so I intend to prove him wrong. Hopefully by writing 50k, he saw that I might actually have what it takes. If not, I'm going to next year.
I want to make writing part of my daily routine, as crazy as that's going to be. But my mom just took on a full time day job, like my dad. And they both work (together - bleh) at a night job. So I won't be spending as much time with her as I usually do. My home chores are just dishes and laundry, which easily work around my other projects. The main thing I want to make work is my friend life and writing life. Both are unbelievably important to me. I could never live without both. Trust me. I've accidentally tried and it never ended well.
So, as long as I stick with the Something Wicked website, and push myself to make the posts there like I'm pushing my novel writing, I think I'll be just fine.
Ashley, a girl I met yesterday on the NaNo forums under the name of DragonYoga, came up with a brilliant idea of writing six novels a year in the style of NaNo. 50k in one month. A similar project to this, WriYe (writing year) has been running for three years or so, but I think that's a bit more demanding. At least I could possibly work six months into my schedule, right?
Well, we start next month. There are about twenty of us signed up so far. Few of us are actually trying for all six novels though. I promised them that I'd try my hardest, despite the months being pretty busy - like the big move next month. But I'm not going to put a ton of pressure on myself like I did for NaNo. I'd never survive if I did. But if I continue to push my writing, and just write without planning ahead or editing as I go, I might just make it.
I've also thought this would be a great way for me to incorperate fan fics back into my life. I still read them all the time - Harry Potter, Twilight, Charmed, Supernatural - but writing doesn't come easy for me. I have this small story that's a work in progress posted on fanfiction.net. I've been getting reviews for a while begging me to update. I'll probably work on that first.
I'll try to do another blog post sometime next week, or maybe later this week to let you all know how it's going, and fill you in on what stories I'll be writing. Right now, I'm super tired because I haven't had a full night's sleep in a few days. Plus I had about five nightmares last night (like, the worst I've ever had) and didn't dare go back to bed. And now? Now there are men fixing the roof. With very LOUD hammers and saws and things. =(
Anyway, I'm off to get more hot chocolate. Later.
-Lizzy<3
Sorry I haven't felt like updating this in a while. Um, shortly (about two weeks) after my last post, my dad asked my mom for a divorce. Yeah. That was eight days after they celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary. They've been trying to have a baby for over two years. Aparently none of that matters to him anymore.
Long story short, due to our financial problems, we were planning on moving anyway. But because we're basically broke, we'll still have to move together. My mom and I will be sharing a room, and my dad claims he'll be cooped up in his for the six hours a night he'll be home to sleep. We move sometime next month, if everything goes according to plan.
Now, changing the subject, I participated in NaNoWriMo last month. Thank God for that! As much as I hated spending my days and nights feeling like I was avoiding my friends and mom - who's really needed me these past months - the writing got me through November. Well, I can't let NaNo take all the credit. I probably still would have gone mental if it wasn't for my friend Tippy, who gave me the push to keep writing when I didn't want to and made me laugh on my especially bad days.
The briefest description I can give you of my NaNo novel is that a family of five one-by-one start seeing or hearing a ghost. Their spirit guide, Annie. It's a three-story novel about this family learning to cope with these new abilities. By the end of NaNo I reached the 50,000 word goal and am almost finished the second story. I plan to continue writing throughout December and reach 8ok by the time I finish the third. I will edit this novel early next year, and already have a publishing company in mind.
And, because writing has helped me so much lately, I don't want to fall back into my old ways of only writing when the inspiration really hit me. I want to be an author. I have to act like one. I have to make writing work for me. My dad once told me I could be a writing and a teacher and still have a family like I want to. That's always sounded like a challenge to me, so I intend to prove him wrong. Hopefully by writing 50k, he saw that I might actually have what it takes. If not, I'm going to next year.
I want to make writing part of my daily routine, as crazy as that's going to be. But my mom just took on a full time day job, like my dad. And they both work (together - bleh) at a night job. So I won't be spending as much time with her as I usually do. My home chores are just dishes and laundry, which easily work around my other projects. The main thing I want to make work is my friend life and writing life. Both are unbelievably important to me. I could never live without both. Trust me. I've accidentally tried and it never ended well.
So, as long as I stick with the Something Wicked website, and push myself to make the posts there like I'm pushing my novel writing, I think I'll be just fine.
Ashley, a girl I met yesterday on the NaNo forums under the name of DragonYoga, came up with a brilliant idea of writing six novels a year in the style of NaNo. 50k in one month. A similar project to this, WriYe (writing year) has been running for three years or so, but I think that's a bit more demanding. At least I could possibly work six months into my schedule, right?
Well, we start next month. There are about twenty of us signed up so far. Few of us are actually trying for all six novels though. I promised them that I'd try my hardest, despite the months being pretty busy - like the big move next month. But I'm not going to put a ton of pressure on myself like I did for NaNo. I'd never survive if I did. But if I continue to push my writing, and just write without planning ahead or editing as I go, I might just make it.
I've also thought this would be a great way for me to incorperate fan fics back into my life. I still read them all the time - Harry Potter, Twilight, Charmed, Supernatural - but writing doesn't come easy for me. I have this small story that's a work in progress posted on fanfiction.net. I've been getting reviews for a while begging me to update. I'll probably work on that first.
I'll try to do another blog post sometime next week, or maybe later this week to let you all know how it's going, and fill you in on what stories I'll be writing. Right now, I'm super tired because I haven't had a full night's sleep in a few days. Plus I had about five nightmares last night (like, the worst I've ever had) and didn't dare go back to bed. And now? Now there are men fixing the roof. With very LOUD hammers and saws and things. =(
Anyway, I'm off to get more hot chocolate. Later.
-Lizzy<3
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Getting Back in the Swing of Things
Wow, I can't believe it's been five months since I updated last. Yikes. Really, really sorry about that. Um, things have been weird and hectic and stressful lately, but I'm going to try and get you all up to date in this one post. Wish me luck.
First off, let's talk about life in general. The basic changes are: there's still a chance we're getting rid of my youngest cat, Mickey (did I mention that before?); we're moving! Probably going to Mississauga, probably at the end of next month. I went on vacation and had a great time there. I got a new printer/scanner for my birthday, so hopefully I'll soon be able to upload a picture of myself. Speaking of which, I'm nineteen, yay!! For my birthday I also got my best friend Tippy's book, Etched in Stone ( http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Etched-In-Stone-Book-One-The-Skyla-Chronicles/Tiffany-Marie-Saxe/e/9781606933732/?itm=1 ) which I'll be reading very shortly, but more on that later.
YouTube has been a recent obsession of mine. First it started as just watching Tippy's vlogs (http://www.youtube.com/user/tiffanysaxe ) but then I found the VlogBrothers (http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers#play/uploads) who, in turn, led me to the 5 Awesome Girls (http://www.youtube.com/user/fiveawesomegirls#play/uploads). I'm a dedicated Nerdfighter and you can find me over at the Ning (http://nerdfighters.ning.com/) under the username of Elizabeth Sabourin. I'm also trying to save money to buy a webcam or something so that I can start vlogging, which will mean more updates than normal blogging! =D
Kristina of the 5 Awesome Girls gave me the idea for the Book Challenge. Last year she read 50 books in one year. I want to do the same. I'll be starting as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now. I'll start with Tippy's book, and I've already got about 45 other books picked.
I'm still doing the writing course, but I don't want to talk about that right now. Actually, while watching Tippy's latest video in which she talks about her book projects, I realized I haven't really done that yet. I mean, my mom knows about my stories cuz she's a writer too and it's great to have someone to bounce ideas off of, but I've kinda kept the ideas secret from my friends. Hmm. Well, I'll talk about them in my next post (which might be tonight it all goes well).
If you're into role-playing you should check out Tippy's Harry Potter site, Something Wicked (http://hoggydays.proboards.com) where you can find me playing about ten characters, most recently Fred Weasley. We're also working to revamp her old HP rpg, Marauding Mysteries.
Ok, that's all I can think of right now. I'll get to work on the book-ideas post. =]
DFTBA!
-Lizzy
First off, let's talk about life in general. The basic changes are: there's still a chance we're getting rid of my youngest cat, Mickey (did I mention that before?); we're moving! Probably going to Mississauga, probably at the end of next month. I went on vacation and had a great time there. I got a new printer/scanner for my birthday, so hopefully I'll soon be able to upload a picture of myself. Speaking of which, I'm nineteen, yay!! For my birthday I also got my best friend Tippy's book, Etched in Stone ( http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Etched-In-Stone-Book-One-The-Skyla-Chronicles/Tiffany-Marie-Saxe/e/9781606933732/?itm=1 ) which I'll be reading very shortly, but more on that later.
YouTube has been a recent obsession of mine. First it started as just watching Tippy's vlogs (http://www.youtube.com/user/tiffanysaxe ) but then I found the VlogBrothers (http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers#play/uploads) who, in turn, led me to the 5 Awesome Girls (http://www.youtube.com/user/fiveawesomegirls#play/uploads). I'm a dedicated Nerdfighter and you can find me over at the Ning (http://nerdfighters.ning.com/) under the username of Elizabeth Sabourin. I'm also trying to save money to buy a webcam or something so that I can start vlogging, which will mean more updates than normal blogging! =D
Kristina of the 5 Awesome Girls gave me the idea for the Book Challenge. Last year she read 50 books in one year. I want to do the same. I'll be starting as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now. I'll start with Tippy's book, and I've already got about 45 other books picked.
I'm still doing the writing course, but I don't want to talk about that right now. Actually, while watching Tippy's latest video in which she talks about her book projects, I realized I haven't really done that yet. I mean, my mom knows about my stories cuz she's a writer too and it's great to have someone to bounce ideas off of, but I've kinda kept the ideas secret from my friends. Hmm. Well, I'll talk about them in my next post (which might be tonight it all goes well).
If you're into role-playing you should check out Tippy's Harry Potter site, Something Wicked (http://hoggydays.proboards.com) where you can find me playing about ten characters, most recently Fred Weasley. We're also working to revamp her old HP rpg, Marauding Mysteries.
Ok, that's all I can think of right now. I'll get to work on the book-ideas post. =]
DFTBA!
-Lizzy
Saturday, March 7, 2009
A Break From Reality #1
Current Mood: Elated, a little bit stressed
Currently Listening to: disc two of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's greatest hits.
As I sit here trying to sort out the order in which I'm going to post my latest thoughts and reviews, I have to wonder if the title of this entry should be "A Break From Responsibility," rather than reality. It seems like this past week has taken a sharp turn in both directions, leaving me really dizzy and completely out of it.
I suppose I should start by apologizing for not posting in over a week. I thought of writing many times, but I was so preoccupied by everything going on, that it didn't seem right. Then today, when I decided to find out exactly when my last update was, I got the lovely surprise of finding three or four comments from my friends waiting for me on past posts. So, I guess you can all thank Tippy and Hayley for giving me the boost I needed to write this. Thanks ladies! ^_^
So, what to talk about first? Well, I was supposed to post on Friday, and that was going to be about tv, so we'll start with that. Anyone watch the Bachelor? I saw the very first season. Then I saw the first Bachelorette with Trista. And I came back for the second Bachelorette with DeAnna last year because I'd heard she was dumped by the former Bachelor. Well, through the majority of that season, my mom and I had been voting for a named Jason Mesnick. He was a single dad from Seattle and we thought he was perfect for DeAnna. Unfortunately, she wound up choosing Jesse, another nice guy - but at least Jason made it to the final two, right?
I guess we weren't the only people upset by Jason not winning, because he was made the new Bachelor this year. My mom and I were so excited that we really paid attention to the women for once, and we knew ahead of time who was going to make it all the way through. We were pretty sure of Stephanie, a thirty-something year old widow and mother of a four-year-old girl. We also liked Melissa. She was twenty-five, great with kids, and really willing to move to Seattle. In the end, it came down to Melissa and Molly. We were so happy he'd gotten rid of Jillian, who only seemed to be doing the show for the adventure.
To make a long story semi-short, Jason let Molly go and asked Melissa to marry him. Things seemed great when they were celebrating with Jason's son Ty at the end of the two-hour show. Then, seconds later, "After the Final Rose, part 1" started. This is usually where the Bachelor and his final two choices come out and talk about how things have been in the past three months since the show ended, and then the next Bachelor is announced. However, things changed this year. It seems that things weren't as good as we'd first thought. Jason realized, shortly after the show ended, that he really wasn't in love with Melissa - and he couldn't stop thinking of Molly.
So then they brough Melissa out, who hadn't been listening in, and Jason broke up with her - on air! Then they brought Molly out and she agreed to give Jason another chance. Well, that's really ... crappy, isn't it? In interviews that have bee printed in the past week, Jason has said that it was in his contract to brake up with Melissa on air, and that's he's sorry he had to do it that way. Yeah, right. So the next night, "After the Final Rose, part 2" comes on and now it's been a month and a half since the last show. Things are going great between Jason and Molly (yahoo), and the next Bachelorette is going to be Jillian (apparently Melissa isn't ready to get back in front of the cameras again). So, all in all, a really bad week in tv land.
Um - I'll go into my next rant in a second, just have to grab a bottle of water. And since I'm way too paranoid about losing everything I've written in some freak accident, I'm going to post now and make a second entry when I get back.
See you in a minute. ^_^
Currently Listening to: disc two of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's greatest hits.
As I sit here trying to sort out the order in which I'm going to post my latest thoughts and reviews, I have to wonder if the title of this entry should be "A Break From Responsibility," rather than reality. It seems like this past week has taken a sharp turn in both directions, leaving me really dizzy and completely out of it.
I suppose I should start by apologizing for not posting in over a week. I thought of writing many times, but I was so preoccupied by everything going on, that it didn't seem right. Then today, when I decided to find out exactly when my last update was, I got the lovely surprise of finding three or four comments from my friends waiting for me on past posts. So, I guess you can all thank Tippy and Hayley for giving me the boost I needed to write this. Thanks ladies! ^_^
So, what to talk about first? Well, I was supposed to post on Friday, and that was going to be about tv, so we'll start with that. Anyone watch the Bachelor? I saw the very first season. Then I saw the first Bachelorette with Trista. And I came back for the second Bachelorette with DeAnna last year because I'd heard she was dumped by the former Bachelor. Well, through the majority of that season, my mom and I had been voting for a named Jason Mesnick. He was a single dad from Seattle and we thought he was perfect for DeAnna. Unfortunately, she wound up choosing Jesse, another nice guy - but at least Jason made it to the final two, right?
I guess we weren't the only people upset by Jason not winning, because he was made the new Bachelor this year. My mom and I were so excited that we really paid attention to the women for once, and we knew ahead of time who was going to make it all the way through. We were pretty sure of Stephanie, a thirty-something year old widow and mother of a four-year-old girl. We also liked Melissa. She was twenty-five, great with kids, and really willing to move to Seattle. In the end, it came down to Melissa and Molly. We were so happy he'd gotten rid of Jillian, who only seemed to be doing the show for the adventure.
To make a long story semi-short, Jason let Molly go and asked Melissa to marry him. Things seemed great when they were celebrating with Jason's son Ty at the end of the two-hour show. Then, seconds later, "After the Final Rose, part 1" started. This is usually where the Bachelor and his final two choices come out and talk about how things have been in the past three months since the show ended, and then the next Bachelor is announced. However, things changed this year. It seems that things weren't as good as we'd first thought. Jason realized, shortly after the show ended, that he really wasn't in love with Melissa - and he couldn't stop thinking of Molly.
So then they brough Melissa out, who hadn't been listening in, and Jason broke up with her - on air! Then they brought Molly out and she agreed to give Jason another chance. Well, that's really ... crappy, isn't it? In interviews that have bee printed in the past week, Jason has said that it was in his contract to brake up with Melissa on air, and that's he's sorry he had to do it that way. Yeah, right. So the next night, "After the Final Rose, part 2" comes on and now it's been a month and a half since the last show. Things are going great between Jason and Molly (yahoo), and the next Bachelorette is going to be Jillian (apparently Melissa isn't ready to get back in front of the cameras again). So, all in all, a really bad week in tv land.
Um - I'll go into my next rant in a second, just have to grab a bottle of water. And since I'm way too paranoid about losing everything I've written in some freak accident, I'm going to post now and make a second entry when I get back.
See you in a minute. ^_^
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Perks of Having Pen-Pals
Well, since my blog is clearly awesome, you must be awesome for reading it. So, I'd like to give all you awesome people a gift this fine morning by letting you in on a secret. I'm friends with a celebrity!! Yep, it's true. Oh, I'll bet money on the fact that you're not thinking of the right one. But still, one of my best friends is a celebrity.
Miss Tiffany Marie Saxe, known to all us commoners as Tippy, recently recieved some good news. Her book was published! 'Tis true, I've seen the proof with my own two eyes - and so shall you! The perks of having pen-pals is that before they get rich and famous, they have to advertise. So, for Tippy, the perk to having me as a friend (aside from many of my amazing qualities) is that I have this lovely blog that I can advertise on for her. The perk to having Tippy for a friend, aside from her great sites and random humor, is that she wrote a book that sounds wonderful. If only I had the money to order it .....
But wait! Maybe you do! Well, even if you don't want to send me a free copy, you can order your own on Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Etched-Stone-Book-Skyla-Chronicles/dp/1606933736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233432600&sr=1-1 Or on Barnes & Noble - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Etched-In-Stone-Book-One-The-Skyla-Chronicles/Tiffany-Marie-Saxe/e/9781606933732/?itm=1.
I believe both sites have summaries of Etched in Stone, so there you go. ^_^
xoxoxo
Lizzy
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