Things I Like Thursday

It's that time again... that time I forgot about until literally this second. Wooops.

Oh, but firstly, we're trying to trend #MyChemicalRomance on Twitter right now! help us out!
And I just got Disturbed's new album, Asylum. It's epic. I may post a review when I've listened to it more.
And a new library opened up where I live! It's a little sparse right now, since the old building was teeny tiny. And in the young adult section at least (that's as far as I've ventured other than the Fantasy section) everything is very jumbled and disjointed. But hey, they only opened up two days ago. :D I checked out some very typical-looking high-school drama sort of books to try to get a feel for my NaNoWriMo novel. I also got the new Dragonlance book (Dragons of the Hourglass Mage). On the cover, Raistlin's skin is white and the dragon orb is an hourglass. I don't have high hopes.
These last couple days have been long and exhausting and awful. I won't go into why. Stuff is weird. I've lived here for 17 years, and don't know anyone around here. Everyone I did know moved away, or we just don't hang out anymore. This really sucks.
On with the show.

Artist of the Week: Tbdoll

Writer of the Week: Read 'Tithe' by Holly Black. Then read Ironside, and Valiant. Don't ask questions. Just do it.

Photographer of the Week: Suicide-bee

Band of the Week: DISTURBED. <3

Some Recent Faves on deviantART:

Thousand Burned-Out Yesterdays by *Suanin on deviantART


Fireauna by ~Luna-Zamiko on deviantART
(this person is my best friend in the whole world. give her attention.)


The Band that Saved My Life. by *Skissored on deviantART


Closer by *anndr on deviantART


Ariel by *somethingVINTAGE on deviantART


Playing With Fire 2 by *S0lstickan on deviantART


coffee stains by ~lovers-and-fighters on deviantART


Elisa Day by ~lockjaw on deviantART


Sunkisses by *somethingVINTAGE on deviantART


Joker: Aces are WILD by *Sarapungs-tokusatsu on deviantART

plotting and planning

As some of you may know, National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November.
If you do not know that, National Novel Writing Month (write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days) is coming up in November :D

I've done it and won the last couple of years, and this year I've managed to convince my mother and best friend to attempt it with me (yay!) The last couple years, I've known exactly what I'm going to write, but this year... I have a zillion and one ideas, but I don't know which to choose. Two are extremely angsty Young Adult/Lit Fic sort of things, one of them is a romance, one is pretty much the definition of YA drama, one was inspired by a plot prompt on the NaNoWriMo website ('autobiography of an imaginary friend') and the other is a steampunk vampire thing. I REALLY want to write the vampire one, but I don't know what the plot it. I have the ending, and two characters, but that's it. No setting, no plot.
So that's a bit of an issue.

I've never had this problem before! I want to write ALLL OF THEMM. I'm going to attempt to write a synopsis of them, and I want you guys to tell me what you think. Hopefully they'll be better than they sound, because I suck at at this. All titles are stupid working titles. XD

Chickadee:
After a young girl commits suicide, her best friend turns to everyone he knows that was connected to her to try to figure out why she did it.

That Summer:
Actually a rewrite of a story I was working on forever ago.
Amber's mother drags her to her aunt's house to stay there for the summer. There she meets Aidan, a foster child that her aunt has taken in. The boy is a mystery to her, and Amber loves a good mystery - but when she finds and reads his diary, she realizes that she might be in over her head.

Music = Life:
Brooke, Isaiah, Elena, and Robert - four teenagers from completely different walks of life, with nothing in common, except for one thing: their love of music. Can they overcome their differences enough to play in a band together?


Autobiography of an Imaginary Friend:
We've all had an imaginary friend at some point. We all got over it and realized how silly it was, realized that they weren't real. But what if they are real? Sam - the name a little girl gave to him - is one, invisible to everyone besides his human friend and other Imaginaries. But he wants more than anything to exist in more than a child's mind - he wants to be human.

The Nurse Who Loved Me:
Um. I don't know how to describe this one. It's inspired by the song The Nurse Who Loved Me by A Perfect Circle (the most gorgeous song in the WORLD.), and based on a short story I wrote years ago. So maybe you should read that. Be warned, it's old and crappy. http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2561863/1/The_Nurse_Who_Loved_Me

And then the vampire one. All I've got for that so far it that my two main characters are brothers, and neither of them can die - unless his brother is the one to kill him. So yeah. :P

What do you guys think? Would you read any of them? And what do you writerly folk do when you're stuck like this?

Comments are the rainbow to my unicorn. Wait what?

Of Nostalgia and Sexy Evil Wizards

He seems really nonchalant about that dragon in the background. >_>.

Alternate title, "In Which Brigid Tries To Write An Intelligent Book Review But Instead Starts Ranting Like A Crazy Person." Has a nice ring to it.

Every once in a while I get a very strong urge to re-read Dragonlance.

Don't lie, all you nerds out there remember Dragonlance. If you don't, let me refresh your memory. Dragonlance is a series of fantasy novels, probably one of the better known ones, beginning with Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first book in the Chronicles trilogy. The most recent book, from The Lost Chronicles, is called Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, which I have yet to read. (It's a really long series, actually - according to Wikipedia there are over 100 books set in the Dragonlance universe. That's just absurd. Don't read ones that aren't by the original writers, it's not worth it.)  Along with R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt series, they were my favorite thing in the world during my early teenage years - I spent more time in the fantasy section of my library than anywhere else. In fact, reading all of those fantasy books is what made me want to be a writer in the first place.  Originally a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, there are far-too-frequent moments where you can practically hear the d20 dice rolling on the table as you read, which, for someone as dorky as me, can be kind of fun sometimes.

I love to re-read books - to me it's really comforting, and I get even more out out of the book the second time around. But when I actually break down and re-read Dragonlance, I usually get through a chapter or two before I end up staring at the page, going "What the hell was I thinking?

The thing is, I wish I'd never re-read them in the first place. The first time, they were some of the best books I'd ever read. I was enthralled by the world, and the magic, and the characters. Since I love re-reading, I read them again. The second time, I could see every flaw. The writers, Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman, don't seem to understand the concept of continuity (which is a huge issue when the sequel trilogy, Legends, deals largely with time travel. Seriously, I have no idea what was going on through those books), so that's  pretty confusing. I also realized that I can't stand most of the characters. Tanis Half-Elven, the half-elf (there's a shocker), is the definition of angsty, and not in a good way. His thought process through the entire book goes something like this: "Oh no! I'm a half-elf and no one accepts me! And I can't choose between the gorgeous elf who is totally in love with me and the psycho-bitch totally evil Dragon Highlord who doesn't give a shit if I die or not! I HAVE TO GO WRITE ANGSTY POEMS." (No, really, he does. They're in the book. It's a sickening amount of angst.) Also, the cover art is stupid because no matter how many times they describe the Staff of Magius as 'a crystal ball held by a dragon's claw' or something along those lines, the artist(s) can't seem to draw it that way. In the official art. Yeah.

The rest of the characters... Well, they don't exactly do anything that offends me, they just...don't do anything. They're completely two-dimensional. Caramon is an idiot, and will always be an idiot. Kitiara is a psychobitch and you can tell that from the first scene she appears in, Sturm and Flint have no purpose, Goldmoon and Riverwind only have a purpose through the first book, Crysania should never have existed...and so on. There are only three characters in the book that I like, but they are all so amazing that I can't stop reading these books even though I mostly can't stand it.

There's Dalamar, the dark elf, an evil mage and Raistlin's apprentice. He was exiled from Silvanesti because he's so evil. Or something like that.
And Tasslehoff Burrfoot, the kender (pretty much a halfling, but cooler). He's kinda the most adorable thing in the world. <3. Oh, and he's friends with Paladine/God. So there.
And of course...Raistlin.

Google Images, I love you. Creeper!Raistlin makes me LOL so much. See that slutbitchwhore right there? Yeah, she really needs to just die. Painfully.

Here is where the obsessive fangirl ranting comes in. May I just say, I am so in love with this man. LOL. I talked about Raistlin a bit in my Love Letters To Fictional Characters post, but I could actually rant about him for hours. I can't explain to you what I, and so many other Dragonlance fans love so much about him, exactly, because I don't know myself. (what is it with me falling for evil characters?) He's not very nice; in fact, he's selfish and a bit whiny and crazy... And he looks pretty nasty, honestly, except in this amazing picture right here.

 There are very few likeable qualities about him except that he's relateable - even if you didn't have a shitty childhood like he did, I think everyone can understand how he feels to some extent. He's power-hungry because power is the only thing he has. He doesn't love anyone because he's never been shown love, except from his twin brother Caramon, who he despises. He's pretty heartbreaking, honestly.
Or maybe we love him because he's completely badass.

I can't really tell if I can still call myself a Dragonlance fan anymore. I guess I wish I hadn't re-read them because I still want to be as amazed as I was when I was thirteen. I'm feeling all nostalgic right now. I guess I'll just curl up with my copy of The Soulforge (a whole book. all about Raistlin. *happysigh*) and reminisce about the good ol' days.

If anyone has found good fanart and/or fanfiction of/about Raistlin that doesn't pair him with Crysania, you would get bonus points for linking me to it. Bonus to what, I don't know yet.

On a completely unrelated note, my Chuck Taylors are sexy now. I'mma post pics tomorrow. Also, I just heard a loud THUMP outside of my window and now I'm sure someone is about to murder me. If you never hear from me again, assume that I was killed tonight :]  
thanks for reading<3comments are a beautiful thing.

imagine (ipod shuffe meme)

1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the ‘next’ button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag some peeps. (I TAG YOU.)

What do your friends think of you?
Infest by Papa Roach
(Ouch.)

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Stupid Motherfucker by Mindless Self Indulgence
(Bwahaha.)

How would you describe yourself?
Brena by A Perfect Circle
(Whatever that means. Purdy song.)

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Walk Away From The Sun by Seether.
(o_o.)

How do you feel today?
Unknown Soldier by Breaking Benjamin
(Not really. XD.)

What is your life’s purpose?
Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne
(How very... bizarre.)

What is your motto?
I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin.
(FINALLY SOMETHING FITTING.)

What do you think about very often?
Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney
(...shut. up.)

What is 2 + 2?
Poor Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack
(Poor Jack can't count because he is a skeleton.)

What do you think of your best friend?
Of Wolf And Man by Metallica
(...wut.)

What do you think of the person you like?
4000 Miles by Blackalicious
(has nothing to do with anything. lulz.)

What is your life story?
Love and Luxury by KoRn
(lulz. no.)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Viva La Vida by Coldplay
(Sense. This makes none.)

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Cemetery Drive [Live] by My Chemical Romance
(o_o morbid. I swear it's not true.)

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Hanger 18 by Megadeth
(wuuuuut. XD)

What will they play at your funeral?\
Headfirst for Halos [Live] by My Chemical Romance
(ohmygod YAY.)

What is your hobby/interest?
Van Dieman's Land by U2
(there is no sense here.

What is your biggest fear?
Blinded in Chains by Avenged Sevenfold.
(I 'spose I don't want to get blinded. or in chains. o_O.)

What is your biggest secret?
3 Bottles of Wine by Left Alone
(oh lulz.)

What do you think of your friends?
Bitch by Meridith Brooks
(noes o_o.)

What will you post this as?
Imagine by A Perfect Circle (cover)
(sure.)

--
And to make sure that this post isn't totally pointless: Some writing excersizes which are quite nice :)
I didn't end up going to Michigan, because apparently all of the beaches there are poisoned with e.coli! So, since we prefer not dying, we (me and my BFF and her mom and little sister and our other BFF) went to this indoor water park instead. Which is epic, except I'm completely exhausted. Plus is started raining the second day we were there, and they had to close the park because of the lightning, so it was like, "OH HEY THE SEXY LIFEGUARD CAME BACK --- oh hey, we're leaving. :|." Buut it was fun.
Let's see, what else is new... oh, my laptop has a new screen, so I can finally do artsy stuff on it. And I just bought Converse. I will post pics once they're decorated. :D

I bought the most hilarious book at Target. It was called Loving Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan, and I thought it would be good, because the back cover made it seem so sweet. And Pride and Predjudice is one of my favorite books, and I really didn't want it to end. Soo I bought it. I tried to read it but couldn't get past chapter three because I was laughing so hard at Mr. Darcy's 'brutal techniques'.
There is nothing to this book besides sex. Badly written sex. Sex that makes ME uncomfortable when normally reading that doesn't bother me at all. It was like the author had only read about sex in shitty romance novels and never experienced it (neither have I, but STILL.) Also, the About the Author section said something about Lathan 'living in California, where she attends to her very own Mr. Darcy.' I would hate to be her Mr. Darcy.
So there's my review. Don't read it except for the lulz. :D

I DID read a good book, though, while I was waiting to get picked up at Borders :P I finally got around to reading Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases. It was... interesting. I may write a review of it later.

I had to skip Things I Like Thursday, cause I couldn't get online much while I was at my friend's house, but it will be back next week for sure :)
Guess that's all! Much love.

Writing Meme + Photos

--

Writing meme!

What’s the last thing you wrote?

I wrote a couple words in a random WIP that I don't plan on finishing. LOL. No, but the last thing I really wrote was the next theme for the 100 Themes Challenge. [Btw, comments on the last one would be nice plz. You can comment without a google account, you have no excuses. ;) ]

Was it any good?

Bits of it were great. I'm mostly not sure if it's in character or not. Martha is a bit difficult to write. We'll see how it goes.

 

What’s the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?

Oh gosh. Well, the very first things I wrote would have burned in the fire... and the oldest thing I remember writing after the fire was some weird story about a cat. And I don't have the original version of my fairy story either... hm. I guess it would be one of the first versions of Written in Stone.

Write poetry?

I tried. I failed.

Angsty poetry?

Like it. Can't write it.

Favorite genre of writing?

Whether I'm writing it or reading it, I LOVE literary fiction. Historical fiction is great, but I don't know how to write it. YA is good, I've been lucky to find some of the best YA books ever. I love fantasy, but it's hard to find good stuff. I want to write Steampunk, but I don't know how yet :P I guess I don't really have a favorite genre, and I'm still trying to figure out what I like to write.

Most fun character you ever wrote?

It's a tie between Amadre and Valocer, both from my NaNoWriMo novel Written in Stone. Amadre because he was meant to be a bit character and ended up falling in love with my main character and saving all their asses. XD He's constantly flirting with everyone, which is really fun to write.

Valocer... well, I don't know that I can call him fun, because most of the scenes with him made me cry when I wrote them, but I loved writing them all the same. He was one of those characters that completely created himself - I seriously had nothing to do with it XD He writes his own story. He pretty much just popped up on the page and was like, "Hi there. I'm gonna die at the end, but I'm not telling you why." and I'm like "...cool. o_O." It was really fun learning about him as I wrote.

Most annoying character you ever wrote?

That's a difficult one. All my characters tend to be necessary to the plot, so it rarely matters whether they're annoying or not. I guess Erika [from my '08 NaNo Sleep] was pretty horrid to write sometimes.

Best plot you’ve ever created?

I really don't know if I can answer this. I guess the one I"ve stuck with longest is Written in Stone, but I don't know if it's the best... maybe the plot for That Summer, a YA novel(lla) that I abandoned ages ago and hope to re-write soon. I suck ass at summaries, but basically, Amber is forced to stay with her aunt, who she despises, over the summer. (In the re-write it will actually be her and her mom staying with the aunt, but that would be a spoiler. shh.) The aunt has taken in a foster kid named Aidan, who is around Amber's age. He hates Amber immediately, and is a complete mystery to her, and she has to unravel the mysteries surrounding him. Or something like that. My description is lame as hell. 

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?

I don't really know. I'm not good at plot twists.

How often do you get writer’s block?

Very often.

How do you fix it?

I don't really know.

Write fan fiction?

Yep, but it rarely gets published.

Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Most of my stories have some romance in them. Actually, one of the stories currently running around in my head is the definition of Angsty Teen Drama. LOL.

Do you type or write by hand?

I like to write character profiles by hand a lot of the time, and I tend to carry a notebook with me in case I'm struck with an idea and there's no computer around, but other than that I tend to type. It's easier on my hands.

Do you save everything you write?

I try to, but there are some things I delete.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?

I abandoned Written in Stone so many times because I just could not write it. I'm really glad to have finished it and gotten it to a point where I enjoy the story, but I still get random ideas every once in a while. XD

What’s your favorite thing that you’ve written?

Gosh. I guess it would be Written in Stone, but I really don't have a favorite.

What’s everyone else’s favorite thing that you’ve written?

I haven't been showing my writing to anyone lately, to be honest :/ I should really change that. I've been considering putting my two NaNoWriMo novels up on fictionpress, just because I can't really see me trying to publish those. But I'm not sure. Thoughts?

What’s your favorite setting for your characters?

I don't really have a favorite.

What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will?

While I would love to write Sci-Fi, I don't see it happening. Can't handle reading horror, so no go with that. Mysteries would be great to write, but I'm not smart enough.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?

I'm attempting the 100 Themes Challenge. I don't really have any other projects going right now, just because there are so many floating around in my head that I don't know what to write first, plus I don't know what to write for NaNoWriMo yet

Do you want to write for a living?

That would be amazing.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? 

Nope, can't say I have.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Nah. XD

Ever written something in script or play format?

Nope. My mom and I meant to try Script Frenzy this year, to try to write a script for the webcomic we want to work on, but it didn't end up happening. Next year?

What are your five favorite words?

vague, raw, fortuitous, angst, snog. 

I know, I am odd.

What character that you’ve written most resembles yourself?

Hm. I guess Tara. She has red hair and freckles and is very small, just like me. I guess the VERY first time she was ever invented, I was a little kid (maybe 8 or 9, idk) and wanted to write a story about a girl (who was exactly like me) who goes to visit the faeries. And now there's Tara.

Where do you get ideas for your other characters?

My characters kinda come pre-packaged with the story. I don't think up a plot and then stick my characters in there, they just fit the plot because they come along with the plot.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Yes, actually! I have tons of dreams that inspire stories.

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?

Happy endings. I only like sad/cliff-hanger endings if it's in a series and going to be resolved in the next book.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Ever since doing NaNoWriMo, I tend to ignore all spelling and grammar rules until I'm done, THEN go over and edit them all.

Does music help you write?
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. During NaNoWriMo it helps a lot - I think I had Slipknot on repeat throughout November 2008, which, looking back, is kinda hilarious.

Quote something you’ve written. The first thing to pop into your mind.

My mind just went blank, thanks a lot.

If you do this, leave a link to it! I wanna see what you all are up to!

--

So you know how my laptop bit the dust in about two seconds?

My aunt just gave me her old one.

Which is new.

And has Windows Vista.

And a 17 inch screen that needs replacing but whatever.

AND A LOT MORE ROOM ON IT.

It is amazing.

And is not giving me a Blue Screen Of Death.

Also, I am working on a digital painting. Which of course is fanart because I suck, but what the heck. It will be epic. Stay tuned!

Comments are nice. :)

Love Letters to Literary Crushes

Sorry for two posts in one day! But I just found about about this: Love Letters to Literary Crushes Blogfest.
From Frankie's blog:
"Before you head out to see Eclipse, why not let your underappreciated literary crush know how much you love them. Tell them why they are so cute, adorable, sexy, caring, funny, and awesome that you wish they were real and not just living in some author's head. And even if they're not starring in a major movie at the end of this month, we still think they're all that and a bag of chips."
I just had to participate. You should too. Be sure to check out everyone elses letters!

I could not decide on just one character, so I picked a few. LOL.

---

Dear Severus Snape,

I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when I was around seven or eight years old. I hated you back then, because you were the bad guy, and you aren't supposed to like the bad guy. Boy did I change my mind about that!
The books describe you as greasy and big-nosed, but I kinda have a thing for big noses, and well, as for the grease, I can deal with that. You're honestly one of the deepest, best-written, amazing characters I've ever read. You're not 'cute' or 'sweet' (except around Lily), but you're brave and in my mind at least, really hot.You're the only reason I bother to watch those god-awful movies anymore (don't worry, dear. It's not your fault they completely ignored you in Half-Blood Prince. But I won't go into that, because I can rant about the movies for hours and I don't want to subject you to that trauma. :]. [hey, maybe I'll post a blog about that rant one day.]). Being played by Alan Rickman helps a lot. Cause. Like. He/you is/are amazing.
Um. Anyway. Sometimes I just go through the books and just read all the scenes about you. Cause they're the best. I can't count how many times I re-read The Prince's Tale chapter in Deathly Hallows (in fact, that book is a bit too intense for me to re-read as much as I do the other books.) I cried for about a day and a half after reading that chapter for the first time. I want to bitchslap James for being such a...well, bitch. You deserve Lily way more than he ever did but that's okay because now I have you all to myself. If they screw up that scene in the next movie...BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. Yes. Bad things.
I think if J.K. Rowling wrote a book all about you, I would die from sheer JOY. After I finish reading it, of course.
Harry Potter helped make me who I am today, and seeing as you've been my favorite character for a while, you made me who I am today. So. Thanks.
Love love love love lust love love,
Brigid.
---

Dear Roiben,

You swept me off my feet from the very first scene, just like you did Kaye. I could imagine you perfectly, and you were gorgeous even with an arrow sticking out of your chest. Who doesn't love a faerie with silver hair? In a lot of scenes, you're creepy as hell, but there's just as many or more scenes where you're absolutely adorable and sweet and sexy and I had to pause reading every few minutes to squeal like a retarded fangirl (oh wait, I am a retarded fangirl) before I could continue reading. Did I mention that Holly Black writes kissing scenes really well? Hot damn.
Ahem. Anyway. I really want them to make a movie of Tithe, but there's no way they could make you look as perfect as you do in my mind. So that would be sad. But I would love it anyway.

Love,
Brigid.

---

Dear Raistlin,

You're horrible, sick, twisted, occasionally disturbing, and goddamnit, you're one of my longest-lasting literary crushes. I hate Dragonlance. I hate nearly everything about it with a passion. But I can't stop reading them because YOU ARE SO DAMN AWESOME. So I kinda hate you for that. And I can't even get into all the reason's I love you so much because anyone who reads this would have me put into an asylum (slight exaggeration.) So we'll just leave it at this: WHAT THE HELL DUDE, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE. I mean, I'm pretty sure you come back to life later, but I am NOT digging through all the new books just to find out because reading about Caramon and Tanis is more torture than it's worth.. And why the hell is there no fanfiction about you where you're not paired with Dalamar? I mean, what the hell. Though I guess there's even more fanfiction pairing you with Crysania. Which is even worse. *gags*
Looooooooove,
Brigid.

---


Wow. I don't think I can get more nerdy than I am. And I know I have more than 3 crushes. I just can't think of them right now. Yeah. Oh, and I'm feeling a lot less angsty now than I was earlier. Maybe this helped. :].