Happy New Year!

I have a feeling this year will be a good one. Not only will I graduate, but I'm going into 2012 having edited my book to the best of my ability! And I must say, for the first time in a long time, I'm very, very satisfied with it!

Something things that I got for Christmas:

1. A kindle!! I love it! <3 Aladdin got it for me after I talked forever about wanting one! I downloaded a ton of classics and that's all I've been reading, really. LOL! I cannot wait to get more and more books. I'm just going to read all the time!

2. I got straight A's!!!
This was a huge surprise and I'm so happy to end the first semester of my Senior year with a 4.0, let's see if I can do it in my second semester! :D

As I said, I am pretty much finished with my edits of CUTLASS. Now, I just have to wait for some other feedback. It is 115, 886 words (a HUGE cut!). I delete so many things I just couldn't let go of before, but I think it is a better novel! I cannot wait to begin work on FLINTLOCK! Well, it's already finished, I just have to edit! Then I can completely rewrite CANNON. YAY TRILOGY!

hehe. Okay, okay!
I'm finished for now.
I am very sorry everyone! I have no wifi or internet at home, but I'll be back t school soon! I also found a temp job, so I'll be working at the University Bookstore until February. Hopefully I'll find something that will work around my schedule!

Love,

Ashley

Two Part Movies?

I'm am FINISHED with finals!! And I have a whole month ahead of me! I have a job interview today. :/ It's at the University Bookstore. I'd be more motivated if it wasn't a temp job, but it is a job! And that's something to be excited about!  

While in between studying, I came across THE HOBBIT!!! 

And guess what? 

It's a two-part movie. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Now, while I think The Hobbit deserves two films (after all, it is a whole other world, and the film really couldn't be done any justice in just one)...it makes me wonder how far this whole two-part trend will go. 

At first I think the argument was, with books like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Breaking Dawn, that the books were so big, you couldn't possibly fit them into a one-part movie...unless it was really long, but you run into all sorts of problems in theaters with long movies. Over the years, movies have gotten shorter so the theaters can capitalize on the amount of viewings they can have in one day with a film. So, the option of having a longer one-part movie is gone. Here, however, The Hobbit is far smaller in page numbers than either Deathly Hallows of Breaking Dawn. 

Then people want to talk about working out complexity of the book-to-film adaptation.

Which I have a problem with because most of the time, as we all know, films always have a difficult time with complexities no matter how long or how many movies there are to the adaptation. I felt The Lord of the Rings Trilogy did a great job...but even then, there were some annoyances on my part when Faramir took Frodo to Gondor. *fumes*.

But...ALSO, just because a book is big...does not mean it is complex. I hardly call Breaking Dawn complex, even after it's three other books. 

This is just an opinion, of course, and doesn't mean that I hate Twilight...but I just don't think there's a high level of complexity to those books. 

...now...it depends on what your definition of complex is....

and if it translates into "a big book...." 

Well, that's depressing. 

Anyways, I'm just interested in how all of a sudden, big name books are going to be two-part movies. Man, does it impact the box office! Tons of people are banking off Breaking Dawn. I really hope the Hunger Games isn't two movies by the end of this....

But that's an opinion. And I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on this two-part movie thing? When do you think it's warranted? What is your definition of complexity? haha. 

Love, 

Ashley 

Books! :D

I had to share this post with you!
(it's a link) 

...cause it was cute. 

Blog Award & Something Funny!

Isn't this beautiful? I love it! Thank you, Cherie! If you guys haven't checked out Cherie's blog, you should right now! Go here and check out her wonderful posts!

I will pass this to 3 people:

Caitlin Lane
Abby Fowers
Krista

Yay!!

Now, I'm not sure if anyone's heard of New Girl, but it's HILARIOUS! I laugh through allllll of it, and I don't even watch T.V. often, but I'll pause to watch this (and Merlin). haha.

It cracks me up. If you have time, check it out!
This is why Hulu is the best.

Now...I have to get back to Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada. Phillip is a fanatic.

<3

P.S. I'll change my link color soon, but for now, you can click on the bold words to get to these wonderful ladies blogs!

Dead Week/Finals Week

It's THAT time of the year for me!
I'm so sorry I haven't been her much!! I love you all! And I'm planning posts!! I'm very excited.
I just realized I forgot my Insecure Writing Post!! :(
Ugh!

I decorated my Christmas Tree!!

 I've been drinking an immense amount of coco!!

And I made these cookies!!

Oh, and I CANNOT stop listening to Josh Groban!

<3

I hope you all feel so festive after this post! LOL.

I only have two finals, one on Monday and one on Friday.
That said: I have to finished editing two papers and a take home final. THEN I AM DONE!
For a month anyway and I will begin my last semester as an undergraduate!!
WHOO! Did I mention I'm still looking for a job?! UGHHH!

This is why Christmas is here--it keeps me all cheerful!! Yay Christmas!! I love you all!!

Famous People I'd Like to Meet

Ellen Degeneres

There's a lot you can say about Ellen. One of the greatest things? She's generous. If a name could ever be more perfect for a person, it's Ellen. I hope I can be half as generous as she is--she's always helping people. From car giveaways, to paying off peoples bills, to helping others with their volunteer organizations, she does it all! And with humor. Gotta love someone like that! One day, I hope to dance with her. I don't dance either...but I just might with her.

Josh Groban

Well, maybe it's because of this video:

Or maybe because of this one:

Basically, Josh is an walking contradiction. He plays the most amazing music, but he's also funny. He's very inspiring and I love listening to his music.

This is my favorite song. If you watch this, you'll understand. All of you know my love for history--the apartheid is only a fraction of history I learned about in my World Lit. class.

Ben Barnes

Yeah, you all probably seen this coming. If I ever meet him, I'm gonna ask him if he'll play Cove Rowell. LOL.

Schools Kill Creativity

I think anyone who loves the arts should watch this! 

And if you have time, watch this one: 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm posting before I go home for break because otherwise I won't be able too! :(
My computer is still at the doctors. :/ But I'm thankful Aladdin lets me use his.

Thanksgiving is my mother's birthday! (My parents were born around holidays, Mom  is Thanksgiving, Daddy is Christmas, and my bubba and I are Easter...we're a convenient family.) Anyway, I'm thankful for that! haha.

I'm thankful for my wonderful followers (ALL of them, blogger, fb, twitter). I'm so thankful I can ask questions and learn about different writers and skills. Not even a year ago, I started blogging seriously at the motivation of Aladdin and it worked! I never thought I could build such a wonderful friend base on my blog and twitter.

I'm also thankful I am a Gates Millennium Scholar and I don't have to worry about paying for college. I'm thankful I am in college. I'm thankful for having the ability to write (and that attention span LOL).

I'm thankful for the support I have, especially from my Dad and Mom. Without a doubt, they believe I will be a famous author. I'm also thankful for the array of people who believe that, too, cause in the end...people who believe in your motivate you the most.

What are you thankful for?

The College Guide to Writing A Novel

Library at Trinity College, Dublin: It was beautiful.

I was thinking about this the other day and I couldn't quite see how I could possibly managed to be that great writer. You know, the one who wakes up at 4am to work on their novel because there isn't enough time in a day? Or the one who, after midnight, begins their edits? Or the one who is determined to find time to write in a day.

Let me explain: If I woke up at 4am, well..that just wouldn't happen first of all. I already do not fall asleep until like 1...2...or 3am (last night it was 3am). The chances of me waking up early to write are zero. But let's say hypothetically, I did. Well, I wouldn't write--why? Well, I'd think of all the homework I could get out of the way. For instance, I have three papers due, an art history exam, and some reviews and responses to write for Body Image. My reasoning is: If I get these out of the way, I can write. Writing is my reward for doing homework.

Okay, now you want to know why I don't write when I finish homework? Well sometimes I do, but other times it's as if the homework NEVER ends. I mean, I'm making straight A's this semester! (YAY!) Never done that before (it's because I don't have a job), and you'd think I'd do more because I don't have a job and I only have school. Well, I'm a Senior first off, and if I don't have a tight schedule (which I don't), I don't feel motivated.

That said, now that I'm attempting to get my straight A's in order and am surprised by how well I'm doing, I'm freaked out! I don't want to compromise this!

However, unlike other years, I have had boughs of wonderful inspiration to write. It's all my creative energy returning because I'm not so bogged down in school and I love it. The question is, how do I managed these boughs and go to school? Not even simply school, but when I'm busy?

Here's what I do...and it's probably not the best advice, but it works!

1) I write in a boring class. 
I know it's horrible, but I happen to write a ton in Art History. There is a reason: we don't have to take notes and all I need to be there fore is to recognize pictures. Granted, I'm an English major in a predominately Art History major room, but I being studying a month ahead of the exam cause I know I'm not a seasoned Art History buff.

2) Write before class. Especially if it's lecture!
Usually I wrote on notebooks, but recently I've been writing a lot on my Itouch and I always make sure I write before class. I suppose this could be said of waiting on appointments or really anything. The point is, I know when I get home, I'm probably not going to be writing, so I better do it on campus when my mind is working.

3) Use a planner
I don't use the planner to schedule writing time, I use it to plan out my weeks, meaning: I plan to do all my homework at the beginning of the week so I can have free time at the end of it. This doesn't always work if I have an exam, but it gives me a good chunk of time to write!

4) Realize school is important 
It's so hard for me to choose between writing and school. And I get super disappointed when my mind is like "You know what you have to do!" And I do. Remember--we're in college for a reason, we're always writers even if we don't get to write like we want. So, if you have a ton of homework and a busy week, focus on that. Writing will come later.

5) However, if you're stressed
Try and write in some way--a blog for instance. I know when I wasn't writing (which is my stress reliever) I was all sorts of tired and stressed and it was not good! And I think it hindered me more than anything. It also stressed me out to think I wasn't focusing on my book and I was becoming a terrible writing because of that, which brings me to #6.

6) You aren't a bad writer if you don't write
Can't tell you how many times I felt I was losing my ability to write. In college, you're focused so much energy on so many subjects which include papers, lectures, books, some super difficult thoughts. It's all working your mind really well, and it takes your creative ability away. I'm just now getting mine back. You know what I realized? I needed those two years away from my novel though--that was that break I needed so I could fall in love with my book again. So don't take it so negatively as I did and think "this will help me love my writing once again!"

I hope those helped even those of you who aren't in school. =)
Much love!
& Happy Thanksgiving!

I challenge you!

Hey guys!
GRE is over! I'm so glad. I hope I never have to take that again! Also, my computer is sick. :( It's at the doctors and it's taking FOREVER to get it back...so until then...I have nothing to edit!! However, I've rewritten dialogue for the end of my book and I'm SOOOO excited!

Anyways.

Today I wanted to talk about setting goals.

Today I am going to present everyone with a challenge. Not one you have to do, but one that will allow you to set goals. The best thing about it? No deadlines!

What am I talking about? Well, a bucket list of sorts. I already have one. My Junior year of High School, my English teacher had us write one. Mine looks a little like this:

1. Get an agent
2. Get published
3. Get on the New York Times best-seller list.
4. Be number one

You get the idea...lol, but I totally intend to accomplish all of these! :p

Your goal is to make a list, start with 100 things. What I'm going to do is make my goals into a poster and hang it on my wall. Every morning when I wake up, I'm going to be more dedicated to this idea. I WILL be unstoppable if I have undying determination. I know this in my heart and nothing is truer than that feeling!

I'll post a picture when I make my poster! I just came up with the idea today and I'm excited to get started!

So, accept my challenge?

I want on of these!!

I had to share this with you guys! 

I want a giraffe! :D 

SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

Taking the GRE Sunday!! <3

Update!

Okay, so...I haven't been around much & this is why:

Today I had a History Exam,
This weekend I have to write history paper, finish 3 response papers for body image, study for GRE.
Next week I have a Classics Exam + Studying for GRE + writing art history exam + Maybe Trying to write poetry essay.
Then if I haven't done the poetry essay, I MUST do that! Have another Art History exam (UGH), remember to finish applying to grad school, and maybe paint a picture for poetry if I have time...and revise all my poems from poetry class like my prof asked.

Yep...thankfully, this isn't all coming at once...I just feel as though I should get things done, then I can work on my novel!
I've still be doing this BTW - I actually wrote the first chapter of my third book (YAY). Well, I had 400 pages of it written, decided I didn't know if I liked how it was going and decided to start all over again! It's so hard to write when you're focused on the above.

DID I MENTION I WAS JOB HUNTING!!?!? OMG. AND I enrolled in 21 hours for next semester. Positive? I will declare my history minor at the end of the month, and I will graduate in May 2012.

WOW!

Hopefully I will visit blogs Tuesdays and Thursday!

<3 you all!!

EDIT: ALSO, I WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL, I'M JUST FIGURING OUT I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED SOME OF YOU BACK! I'M WORKING ON IT!! I LOVE ALL YOUR BLOGS, AND TRY TO COMMENT AS MUCH AS I CAN!

Ashley

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Well, today is my first Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Lol.

I guess I should talk about a very hopeless feeling I get quite often and how I deal with it. This feeling is the feeling that I will never get published. The wonderful Barbara Kloss says that you must figure out why you want to write before you can decide anything else.

I agree. I've been writing for 8 years, going on 9 (I always joke that writers say it take 10 years to get published, and that means I only have a couple more to wait!) When I was younger, I had a very...glamours view of what a writers life was like. It mimicked a celebrities life. I knew though, that wasn't why I wanted to write. I loved my books far too much and felt too much of a passion for them, besides, we know that rarely is a writer's life that of a celebrities. Despite this, that does remain a goal of mine.

I feel insecure about admitting this. I don't know how many of us dream about being a famous author, but I did and I still do. When I say this, however, I feel like the worth of my novels goes down. I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure. I'm saying in one respect I am good enough for this, and in another that seems to be all I care about, but here's my idea on author fame:

If you're famous, that means people, loads of people from EVERYWHERE are reading your books and in love with your characters just as much as you are. You can obsess over details like they do, stay immersed in the world longer, the longer your fans love it.

 I cannot tell you how exciting the thought of having several different covers and books in different languages is. Isn't it crazy that words you have written would be in another country and adored? It's a crazy thought, but one I totally don't mind finding in my reality.

I can answer Barbara's question: I want to write because I want to share my books with people everywhere. Now, I just have to figure out the best way to do that. Perhaps there should be no shame in wanting this and wanting to be a famous author.

So, is anyone else insecure about their wishes to be a famous author? Do you feel bad when you admit to it? I feel arrogant, and feel as though I'm writing for the wrong reasons.

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! I sure did! I carved some pumpkins, first time in my life! I don't have pics, sadly. :/

Aladdin and I dressed up! He was Aladdin last year, but this year he was Pacha from the Emperor's New Grove!

We put a llama on his poncho, it could either have been Cuzco or he could just say he was a Peruvian if people didn't know who he was! But they did!!

I also made more shirts!!

Okay!! That's my update! I'm off to write out history essays for my exam Friday and write a history paper!

<3

Beautiful Blog Award!

Okay, I'm prettyyyy busy with an Art History exam that might just kill me! So, I haven't stuck to my schedule and decided I may not ever stick to it again, LOL.

Okay, now I have received a beautiful blog award from Elizabeth Vardan at Elizabeth Varadan's Fourth Wish and from Eve E over at CluelessEve. Both wonderful, wonderful blogs!

Gosh, it's just soooo pretty!

Okay, so the requirements are:
1. Thank the peeps who gifted the award! :D
2. Gift the award to 15 recently discovered bloggers!

The Written Word 
All About Growing Up and Becoming a Famous Author
Conceive Writing
Have You Heard
Spoiled Much
Something To Write About
Scribbles N Jots
Inner Owlet
Overdue
Life. Unordinary
I Take the Pen
Treasure Hunting Through Young Adult Fiction
Writer's Ramblings
Cold As Heaven
Write On!

WOW! Okay, that was lovely. <3

Now. I also received another blog award:

This is from Krista over at I Take the Pen! Thank you very much! And make sure you check out her wonderful blog! I always enjoy heading over there!

Okay...well, I'm supposed to say 7 things about myself and nominate 15 people for this blog. Well, the 15 people I just mentioned are so awesome, they deserve this award too, so all you guys get this one too! Except, of course, Krista, who I tagged in the previous award. :D

So...we all know I'm not keen on 7 things about myself so I'll tell you 7 things about my boyfriend.

1. That's shaving cream on his face. Yes, I did it. lol.
2. He knows sign language and Spanish.
3. His parents are deaf.
4. He is Peruvian and Cuban
5. He has been to Paris, Italy, Peru, Germany...and a lot of other places. lol.
6. He likes Hip Hop.
7. If he were any more laid back, he'd be dead.

<3 To you all!

Writer Resources

 OVERDUE came up with a great idea! List 3 writer resources and tag a few more writers so they can share theirs.

Well, I must confess...I'm not one who actually searches for a lot of writing resources. What I do is research writers, figure out how they write, how they got published, their struggles. I research agents and figure out their tips for writers, they are, after all, who we depend on for a book deal. So, these are the blogs I constantly read:

Kristin Nelson's Blog: Pub Rants

This is Kristin Nelson's blog. She is a literary agent over at Nelson Literary Agency, LLC.
What I find most helpful about her blog: She uses real examples of query letters and then explains why they were good letters. Now, a lot of people do this, but hers were the first I found and I actually used this post http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-pitch-workshop-part-i.html on her Blog Pitch Workshop so I could figure out how to begin writing a query.

Nathan Bransford
Nathan Bransford was a Literary Agent at Curtis Brown LLC, but now he's an author! And man...he has so many resources. What I especially like are his posts over self-publishing. He has a list of PUBLISHING ESSENTIALS, among my favorite posts are:
How to Write a Synopsis
10 Commandments for the Happy Writer
Book Publishing Glossary
Writing Advice Database

Last and surely not least is any type of author site. Here are a few I have read bios of and found just by stumbling around:
http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/
http://www.mandyhubbard.com/
http://www.jkrowling.com/
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
http://mariavsnyder.com/

SO why do I look at author sites? Well, I want to know how long it took them to get published. What it took, what is their advice to us? I need to know these things. I need to know that Neil Gaiman was rejected a million times before he was published because that makes me strive harder to have a pile or rejections because maybe, at some point, I'll be published too. These give you hope. And they also help with write resources and advice.

I'd like to tag 3 people to share their resources:

A.M. Supinger
Cherie
Anita Howard

<3

Guest Post: Derek Flynn!

When Ashley asked me to write a guest post, I was trying to figure out what I’d write about. I wanted to do something a little different, something fun. As luck would have it, we were chatting one day about movie soundtracks. So, as it happens, I write music as well. Usually rock stuff, but I’ve also written instrumental music for a few short films and ads, and so forth. In the course of the conversation, Ashley asked me if I had anything that would suit pirates.

Ping. Lightbulb moment.

I thought, wouldn’t that be a good idea for a guest post? What if I put up a couple of pieces of instrumental music and the readers of Ashley’s blog get to choose which piece they think is the best piece to be the soundtrack to her book Cutlass: Book One of the Pirate's Cutlass Trilogy.

Now, bear in mind, neither of the following pieces were written specifically for Cutlass, so what Ashley and I want you to do is tell us which piece of music you think is best suited to a book about pirates!

So, without further ado, this is “Piece No. 1”:

Instrumental 2

And “Piece No. 2”:

Instrumental 3

So, what do you think? Which piece of music best suits action and adventure with pirates on the high seas? Vote for your favourite in the comments below!

Blog: http://derekflynn.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/derekf03

Shirts! Whoo!

Sorry guys, this week's been busy! But hopefully I'll have some stuff for you next week! (After this crazy Art History exam). I wanted to show you the shirts I made for my books. Now...I know I'm not published...but I still LOVE this! We're just experimenting right now, but so far we have this:

Yes, we ate chocolate everything while doing this. Now, I made a homemade screen print with tulle, a needlework ring, and mod podge. I think it worked well!

What do you guys think?

Writer Cherie on...Writing!

Before I cringe and hide myself, I want to say thanks to Ashley for letting me babble about myself. I normally cower behind the sofa when someone asks me for an interview because really, I’m no big celebrity. But Ashley is my dear, sweet friend—plus, she asked so nicely, I couldn’t say no. ;)

So here we are. Hopefully you’ll find something useful here.

What's your writing space look like? Where do you like to be most when you're writing?

This is where the magic happens. (Ha! Couldn’t resist. J )

When I’m not home, I carry a notebook with me. I have a small one (blue one in pic) that I stick in my purse. I wrote my short story, Want, in that notebook (because I was stuck somewhere else and needed to write it down ASAP), and later transcribed it into Word doc when I got home. The green notebook contains scribbles of ideas and outlines and character names. The big black notebook also has outlines and whatnot, but I use it to jot down research material (more space, see?). This is probably why I have carpal tunnel syndrome. Hehe.

How do you come up with ideas for your novels?

Uh, tough Q. Let’s see…I don’t have a definitive answer. One time, I wrote a short story because of a picture prompt. I’m a very visual person, so I guess you can say I get inspiration from things, people, places I see.  Art, for instance, is a wonderful source of ideas. Sometimes, dreams come into play when they trigger a certain feeling or emotion. At other times, memories. I take an incident and twist it around until it resembles something worthy of a story.

I’m also very impressionable—yes, even at my age. LOL! I read a lot. Books and stories and characters inspire me to create. But 90% of the time, I simply stare at the white screen on my monitor, and words would come together in my mind, even when I have no idea what they’re about. True pantsing. I love it when this happens.

If you're having trouble writing, what do you do to get over the writer's block?

I take a break. Usually to draw or make sketches. Or, I read books, though I’m careful not to read too much because I don’t want to unintentionally inundate myself with the author’s voice and story.

I did find that when I’m under pressure to finish because of a goal or a deadline, I would force myself through the block until my head hurts. (Is that masochistic? Hm. It works, though.) Write, write, and write some more until the muse comes back.

What's your best editing tip?

I’m no expert at editing. I’m good at proofreading, however, since my HS school paper days. J I have a knack for spotting typos and punctuation woes in other people’s work. Not so much with my own. LOL! My writer friends gave me wonderful editing tips here.

What do you hope, at the end of the day, you and others take from your novels?

I’m no Socrates, so I only aim to please and entertain. J If my stories make someone smile or be sad or feel anything, then I’m good with that. If it makes them think, that’s even better.  

Truths of Editing

I have been delving into that thing called editing again. Every time I think I've accomplished the feat of finally FINISHING my book, I realize I haven't. That's always depressing. And then I run out of time to actually look at my book because life gets in the way. Ah, if only I could JUST be a writer for once in my life and nothing else!

Well, sadly, that won't happen for a while, so until then...I'll just push time and life aside at points to edit my books...and drink lots of coffee...hence the picture. (Speaking of that picture--it's called 'Coffee Art' isn't that cool!?)

Now, I am going to list what I've found to be true of my editing process.

1. It really is never over.

I know. I still can't come to terms with this one. At points I really believed there would be no retouching of the book, but it's obsessive and I can't stop myself. It's like...a really shiny object. You just have to mess with it.

2. You can over-edit.

Yep...I've done this...I've over-edited relationships, over-simplified scenes. The hard part is realizing you've done this, especially if your word count (as you might recall mine was) wayyyy too high! Of course, this is a simple fix...you just write more in the places where you deleted it, BUT don't forget to reread what you just wrote...chances are you left out a word. ;)

3. Grammar really isn't everything.

For me, anyways and I'll tell you why--I am an English Major and a writer, so everyone expects greatness when I write a novel. But I'm not amazing at editing and I know that. I really am not a great speller. I'm not always sure why I put commas in random places (really, I don't know), sometimes I really hope I can use a semi-colon there and a colon here. In other words, I'm not great with the rules of grammar. For me what matters is the plot, the development of the characters...is your story really there? If it isn't...well, you have a different problem. Now, I'm not saying ignore it! Please don't ignore it, but don't let it get you down--if all else fails, ask someone else to check your grammar, especially if you (like me) aren't great at rules. lol.

4. If you feel like something isn't working then it isn't.
I felt this way about my first 5 chapters for a long time, but I had a problem: I just didn't know how to fix it! So, instead...I just waited this out and figured sooner or later, I'd come up with something I felt great about and it happened. Which leads me too....

5. Editing takes time.

I complained once that I had sat before my computer for TWO HOURS and had only edited about 2 pages or so...but editing takes time. It isn't going to be finished overnight (no matter how much we wish). Thing about it is, to be good editors, we have to take breaks. If we stare at manuscript forever...well, we're going to stop seeing the mistakes. And if it takes us a few hours to get through a couple of pages, well, I bet those are some pretty polished pages. Wow...all that alliteration!

So....I have learned these things. I don't think I'll ever be a GOOD editor. I'm very impatient...and I tend to forget things take times. Also, I'm editing a novel I wrote in the ninth grade (High School). It has changed so much. A part of me wants to open a new document completely and just redo everything, but then...I love what I have too much, and I don't think it's in need of a rewrite that huge. It's not really in need of a rewrite, but definitely tweaking. lol.

Happy Writing/Editing!

Writers: multimillionaires...but not really.

I've been looking this up...just cause I am planning on going to Graduate School for a degree in Library Science and Information Technology, but also, I want to be a writer. The safe plan is to have a backup plan just in case your novel isn't 'New York Times Bestseller Material'.

Well, let's just say, that's been on my list of goals for a while....right underneath getting published. Which hasn't happened.

I'm still hopeful though. And sadly enough, many will very nearly try and dissuade you from writing because it doesn't 'bring in the money'...although, that's not why we write, is it? If we were out to make money off writing, well...we'd definitely find something else.

First and foremost, you should know that contrary to popular belief, all authors are notmultimillionaires! In fact, the percentage of authors who earn their livings solely from their writing careers --- much less make huge amounts of money at it --- is exceedingly small. --Rebecca Brandewyne

We're self-employed. Isn't that insane? I think it's insane since I've never actually thought about the difficulties involved in being a writer, but I have thought of the difficulties involved in being self-employed. I've always thought that was crazy. We don't have benefits...or anything, we have...well, we have writing.

I have never thought of writers being multimillionaires, although I knew J.K. Rowling was...but the point is, they didn't set out to be millionaires, they just had a story in their head and when the public liked it, they were thrown into a surreal world where writers really are millionaires.

I've had to learn a lot about my writing along the way, the most important of those was why I was writing. I learned that it was a passion, something that when absent in my life, is heartbreaking...it's a void. I have to write to escape a world that gives me stress daily. Then I had to learn money was not everything. Having to work, work, work....and go to school...and be stress, and mentally and physically exhausted and then not be able to write, and attempt to balance everything...Yeah...learned it really wasn't the root of happiness. No happiness came from all the stress I had from working for money that merely....disappeared.

Writing gave me that happiness.

So, when people tell me I shouldn't be a writer because there is no money in it...Well, I'm not writing for  money.

Character Interview! :D

Interview with my Cove Rowell. :) YAYAY!!!

Cove is the Ambassador of Arcarum, but in his spare time he likes to play traitor and sail around as a pirate. Yep. He's crazy. He gets away with it though...it's the eyes. ;) 

Me: Okay, Ambassador, let's start with the basics. You're a pirate but you're also the Ambassador of Arcarum. You're a walking contradition! You can't do that!

Cove: Contraditions exist, therefore I can be.

Me: *stares meancingly* What I mean is...how did you get invovled in both occupations?

Cove: I was born into them really. I was young when I dicovered my father was both Ambassador and a pirate. For a long time he represented something very corrupt to me and I fell into his same ideas--representing all that way hated of pirates. One day, though, I grew up...I guess and realized my decisions weren't actually mine. They had been my father's...but I didn't want to reprsent what he had...so I changed my definition of what a pirate was.

Me: You didn't feel that the damage was already done? You had murdered people by this point.

Cove: I do not ask for forgiveness. I know my mistakes and live them everyday. All I can do now, however, is live for my future.

Me: What is this definition of piracy you've taken on?

Cove: Well...it's a deep feeling. A connection with the sea. We are bound to her will...she will designate why we sail...when we sail. Everything.

Me: She?

Cove: The Orient.

Me: I see...let's go back to your definition of piracy. If you have a connection with the sea, then you'd merely be a sailor.

Cove: In terms of what we do at sea, I am still considered a pirate--we fight a war against privateers.

Me: Now, these are men hired by the government to sort of...lure pirates.

Cove: Yes, the idea is if you infiltrate the sea with privateers, you have an army that can fight against the pirates. In reality, the privateers become just as corrupt as pirates, more so, in fact. Acts committed by privateers are blamed on pirates--there is no justice. That's where me and my crew come in. In this way, we're still committing illegal acts against the government and therefore, we are pirates.

Me: How do you manage all of this and still remaind Ambassador of Arcarum?

Cove: Parts of my crew do not have to present all the time--two inparticular act as my spies. I would tell you who they were, but that's not helping me very much. As for my job...well, my job allows perfectly for my second occupation--I'm required to travel.

Me: But...you're also required to keep peace.

Cove: And I do, the quarrels I have with other governments are no worse than they were when my father was alive. And despite their suspicion...many people are afraid to provoke me.

Me: ...can I ask why?

Cove: Well, for a number of reasons: I make sure those governments recieve our aid--both financially and militarily. I am also very well liked by the population. Get rid of me, you have a very unhappy population...my enemies aren't prepared to deal with hostility.

Me: Wow. My mind is blown. What does your wife think of this?

Cove: She...does not consider herself an Ambassador's wife, but a pirate's wife so you tell me.

Me: Very nice, thank you, Cove Rowell!


LOL. I hope you guys enjoyed that! I have sincere respect for Cove Rowell and I am SO happy he lives in my head. lol

Inspiration Mondays: Books

I'm working out the kinks of this Inspiration Mondays thing. I think October should be Book Month where all my inspirations are about books. I'm not going to pinpoint books, but I'm going to list what things renew my inspiration to write.

Oh, and if you haven't already, remember to check out my interview with Barbara Kloss HERE as well as her book, GAIA'S SECRET!

I've been in college for a while. Lol. (Nah, just going on 4 years), but still! Writing has been so difficult, and I had a hard time finding a book that motivated me like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Now this is really just specific to fantasy novels, really...cause that's my love!

1. I have to be taken to another world.
Not a Dystopian world, not our world with fantastical creatures (urban fantasy). I feel like there is no escape there. This doesn't mean I don't like these types of novels (I loved City of Bones ect.), they just don't inspire me to write as other worlds do! Give me a map. lol.

2. I want to learn things. I want different laws, different ideals, different....everything. I don't want something that I have to live everyday. In other words, I am reading for an escape (that's why I write, too), so I don't want to read my reality.

3. I do not like glaring, shiny love stories. Please. I want some fighting, action, adventure, fun! I mean, if you have a love story..that's great. I love being in love, but I know what it is....if I had wanted that I could have read a romance. It's become a common element in YA fantasy to dominate with love...just cause young adults don't understand it (usually) and get all fuzzy inside when they can read it and feel those feelings...but really...while I'm reading it I'm like 'yeah...I know already...I know...'. Don't get me wrong! Love is fine...moderation is key! Subtle = tension. Tension is good!!

4. I want to love those characters. I mean LOVE them. I want to think about them after I close the book and attempt to sleep and then cannot sleep because I just want to know the rest of the book! Basically, I want them to poke me until I pay attention to them and they can finish the story for me. I <3 this.

5. Most importantly, I want to step away from a novel and go 'Man, I want to create something like that!'. I want to fall in love with MY characters, MY world, MY book all over again! (This is for when I'm in a writing slump...)

Now, these are just my thoughts. I'm a fan of novels that aren't set in this world in ANY form really. Give me a map YOU created. Something I can envision myself, I'll love you!! Although, I'll give anything a chance.


Ohhhkay! Business! hehe. 

I added stuff to my Cutlass Page!! Silliness, really, but that's okay! :D

*clears throat* Why yes, this is my tattoo...it's like 2 weeks old? HURRRTTTT. 3 guesses! What does the 'A' stand for?!?

This is my writer face....'ARGH!!!' 

Did you recognize me?!? This weekend was my writing weekend. ALLL I DID WAS EDIT/WRITE!! That means no makeup face!! whoo. No one ever recognizes me...which is funny, a little insulting. It's whatevs though. hehe.

Interview with Barbara Kloss! yay!!

Today I have an interview with Barbara Kloss! Her book, Gaia's Secret is available on Amazon and Smashwords! It's a wonderful read and I CANNOT wait to read the sequel!! Visit Barbara's website, and read her book! :D 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P7V5RU

Why did you start writing?

It was an accident, really. I always LOVED to read (seriously, I eat books for breakfast). Then my hubby said, "Why don't you try writing your own story?" I laughed. But then you know how that goes - person plants seed, and the seed has the audacity to grow and grow until it finally strangles you into submission. Well, that's sort of what happened. I'd already had all these ideas, so I started writing them down. And then I COULD. NOT. STOP. So, here we are...and they still won't leave me alone.

I love, love, love Gaia's Secret!! You know this. lol. So, how did the idea of Gaia's Secret come to you? 

THANK YOU! I'm so glad you loved it. It's a great feeling when others love your imaginary friends, too. :) Gaia's Secret just appeared one day, when I was minding my own business (which is usually how it happens). I specifically remember the idea for Gaia:  there was a particular scene that dropped into my head (it involves the image on the cover, but in the story, my MC is in a secret room). This little "globe" looked like a world on a stand, and then I saw lightning flash over one of the landmasses. I just HAD to figure out where that world was, how I could get there, why it was hidden, etc.

How did you write Gaia's Secret? Outline? Or just go after it? 

Gosh, when I started, I had no clue what I was doing and wasn't sure I'd actually finish. (I also didn't tell a soul.) I had an overall idea of things I wanted to happen and where I wanted it to end, but I mostly just wrote whatever came to mind. The first draft was TERRIBLE, but I had a draft. I did lots of research, had lots of patient betas, read everything I could get my hands on about writing stories (John Truby's Anatomy of Story is AMAZING). Gaia was rewritten about, oh, five times before I was happy with it. Now, I am definitely an outliner.

Who is your favorite character and why? :D 

This is a hard question, because there is a part of me in each of them. Right now, though, I have to go with Thad. You don't see much of him in Gaia, but he's a large part of the sequel. It's his charisma and carefree attitude that wins me over. No matter what's going on, he's got an irritating smirk on his face, and he doesn't hesitate to perpetuate awkward situations by making not-so-subtle comments at anyones expense. He's already called out the elephant in the room before anyone has even entered the room. Everything - and everyone - is fair game to him. It's not that I think this particular character trait is a good thing, but he has a confidence that comes from deep inside himself and isn't affected by other peoples' opinions. He also makes me laugh all the time, so I've learned a lot from him about not taking myself too seriously. He's good for me (and my MC). :)

Why did you decide to self-publish? 

That decision took some time. But after attending writers' conferences and workshops, and then getting feedback from agents saying they didn't think they could sell GAIA, I decided to publish it myself. And it's been amazing, being so intimately involved with every aspect of publishing and having control over every element - I would do it again in heartbeat! The part about self-publishing that's surprised me has been the response from all my friends and family. Really, to see how much other people believe in your story to the point where they, on their own accord, are advertising and promoting it for you - it's been incredible!

Blog Award! Whoo!

The most wonderful and lovely Caitlin Vincent had given me a blog award!! Like her, I have had a wonderful day: I found out I will officially graduate in May, I read a wonderful book, and I got this lovely award.

So I give 7 links for the descriptions in bold! Whoo!!




Most Beautiful: Tiger in the Snow

Perhaps? I try to inspire peeps. :D Not sure how well I do just writing these blogs, but hey! I try. haha.


Most Helpful: Technology Traps

I like to think this was helpful. And that I am helpful. LOL.

Most Popular: Spin-offs of Pride and Prejudice

Yeah...this could go under Most Surprisingly Successful as well...but not many commented, so Idk...but it has the most views. LOL. I am totally shocked, but I suppose it has a interesting title. I was merely curious as to why there are so many and what others thought. haha.

Most Controversial: Perfect Imperfection

I say this because it was said I didn't pay enough attention to the affects men have on women's body image. My counterargument would be that if women say men are at fault for our body image...then we are giving ourselves excuses. Also, if men are at fault for the way women attempt to live up to false ideals, why do they dislike when we wear makeup? When we don't like ourselves? Yes, some men are at fault for this...however, women are just as much to blame. We did start beauty salons, began makeup companies, and so on and so forth. Bottom line: I do not blame men for my self-consciouness. I blame the enviorment I grew up in. Now. You can disagree...and that's fine...but I have my reasons. lol. I also respect the opinions given very much.

Most Surprisingly Successful: Inspiration Mondays: J.R.R. Tolkien

I'm sure there were others, I just didn't expect interest. LOL. I was glad everyone got to see how crazy-obsessed I was with Tolkien. hehe.


Most Underrated:  I See Stars...

Idk...I just need one for this. Also, I think it's not reading-worthy cause the font is small and close together. But I thought it was funny. It was probably the bat. hehe.


Most Pride-worthy: Cute Owl OMG

Judge for yourself! SOOO CUTE! UGH!

Now, I pass this to 7 peeps. I'm the worst at notifying you...but I will!! (*disclaimer: college kids*, right?) haha.

Barbara Kloss - She's my newest bestest writer friend. I'm obsessed with her book. NO JOKE. Read it. PWEASE!!

Cynthia Willis  - Her blogs are SO wonderful! If you aren't following her, you should. Everything she posts is helpful!

Shain Brown - This blog has just the right kind of mixture. I enjoy all the posts. It also wonderful for me to be introduced to a Paranormal author!

A.M Supinger - Newest blog follwering/follower. She has the most clever, cutest blog every! She's SOOOO clever!! Omg.

Michelle Moloney - She is a teacher! She has wonderful guest bloggers, as well as interesting, thoughtful posts. You will always learn something if you visit!!

Lola - I enjoy the stories she has! She's a wonderful and funny writer!

Jessie B. Tyson - She's a new blogger friend! Her book is coming out soon it's called "White Heaven Women"! She writers Paranormal Fiction!! And just like Shain, it's wonderful to be introduced to another Paranormal writer!!

Okay..not supposed to be here on Thursdays..but it happened.

Also..another award I've been meaning to post is from Derek Flynn. I've mentioned him before in a Spotlight blog and hope to have him as a guest poster on my blog soon! His music and his writing is SO wonderful! CHECK OUT THIS BLOG!!

Anyways, the award he gave me was...well, I'm not sure what it involved except facts. LOL. He listed 7, and I've talked about me...so I'll tell you about my new book SOULLESS.

1. They call Sia 'Soulless' because she hates all blood elves and murders them without question.
2. She has reason, however. She is the last of her race because of them. They waged war against the Arethia, and she is getting revenge.
3. There are 3 princes of the Blood Elf Kingdom (this is important): Caiseal, Aran, and North. (yeah...I don't get the last one...but I swear that's what the character said his name was!!) That's in youngest to oldest order.
4. I wrote most of what the book is in Art History
5. There is a fairy kingdom called Talithia that Sia calls her home.
6. Dragon and Symphony are king and queen.
7. These Fairies are human-sized and have GIANT, beautiful wings.

Well, there ya go!

I'm supposed to give this to 2 peeps and they are:

Overdue: Talking in the Library
The Many Colours of Happiness

<3

I See Stars...

For this writing segment, I'm going to tell you a story :)

"Let's watch the stars tonight," said Aladdin.
"Okay, sounds fun," I said. Thinking watching the stars would be easy. What could be involved but merely looking up?
When night fell, Aladdin pulled out the ladder and dragged it to the house. Sitting it against the edge of the house, he began climbing up.
"I used to climb onto the roof and do my homework at night and watch he stars," he said.
Nevermind that I didn't see how he could actually see his homework...although there was a foggy street light near. I climbed up behind him. Getting on the roof wasn't bad, although I was a little surprised by how sharply the roof fell. We laid on our backs and watched the stars. There was lightening in the distance, and clouds were moving it, but it only added to the beauty of the sky.
It was beautiful...and then out of nowhere, three bats began to fly in circles above us.
"Those are bats," I told Aladdin.
"No they're not, they're birds," he said.
"Those are bats," I said. "They're gonna land on us. Look at that one, he keeps moving toward us."
And he did! He circled above us and kept coming closer and closer. The other two must have gotten tired of us because they flew away, but the other just flew around is dizzy circles...around and around...closer and closer. I was so occupied with this bat, I couldn't look anywhere else. He was gonna land on me and bite me. I knew it!
"Let's get down," I said.
"Why?"
"That bat is too close. He wants to eat us. I know it."
Aladdin laughed, but agreed to get off the roof. He, being a lot taller than me, easliy stepped on the ladder and waited for me, but when I put my legs over the edge of the roof, I couldn't feel the ladder beneath my feet and I froze. My heart was racing and I just knew if I tried to find the ladder's step, I'd miss it and fall to the ground.
I did the reasonable thing and freaked out.
"It's okay, I'm not going to let you fall. The step is right here."
For some reason, I didn't trust that the step would be there. All I could see was darkness and I could not feel anything!
It felt like I was on that roof for hours. Nevermind the creepy bat above my head. When I finally got down. I felt really stupid, but I had been so afraid before I was just happy to be down!

Now, when I think of this, I always laugh cause this really did happen to me. And this is reality. I thought of how sweet Aladdin had been to suggest something almost...fictional. Something you really would read about in books. It would have ended differently--the beginning would have been the beginning of a romance for a couple, whereas this is the on-going romance of a year and a  half relationship...so of course it would have ended with my fright and fear of bats/heights.

When he was suggesting this, I thought 'Oh, I could use this in a book!' and I probably will...and I probably won't mention the part about the fear of bats/heights...because that is my reality, not my characters. It's interesting how we draw from our experiences and find outselves giving our characters characteristics unique to us, or characteristics unique to a friend, or instances we've experienced something very sweet, or something very horrible. It doesn't matter what it is, at some point, someone is going read an excerpt of your life in your novels--no matter romance, paranormal, fantasy, or sci/fi.

I enjoyed remembering this instance in my life, and I hope you guys were entertained, lol!

Inspirations Mondays: Something Simple

Free hugs!! *hugs*

Guest Blog: Kellianne Sweeney

Today I am very excited to have the wonderful and talented Kellianne Sweeney guest post on my blog! She hasn't had a blog for very long, but she has wonderful, thoughtful posts I simply adore! Make sure to check out her blog (the link is at the bottom) and follow this wonderful writer. 

Hello, I am Kellianne Sweeney and I am honored that Ashley has asked me to guest blog. I find Ashley to be a bright and enthusiastic writer and I am glad to have met her. We both share a love of the written word. A few weeks ago Ashley shared her five most inspirational sources on her blog. She also challenged a few of us to do the same. My guest post seemed to be the perfect place to address this.

What Inspires Me?

1- A Sunny Day  This may sound over simplified, but stop for a moment to consider this. Don’t you find that you have a little more kick in your step when you begin your day walking out into the sunlight? I find that I am very weather sensitive, so a sunny day, especially if I happen to be at the beach, greatly inspires me to be positive. On the flip side, when the weather is cold or rainy, I find my motivation to be a tad soggy as well.

2-Creativity  I consider creativity to be rising above the mundane and letting imagination reign. This greatly inspires me. My creative dabbling resides in the areas of writing, art, and acting. This is by no means a complete list of creative pursuits. The word creativity encompasses a great many genres. My inspiration from creativity is derived from witnessing other people’s creative ventures and participating in my own. It is wonderful how creativity builds on the ideas of multiple people. I believe creativity is what makes life three dimensional.

3-History  History inspires me because of its’ endless lessons. Sometimes I think we forget that whatever we are going through, it has been done before. This thought is similar to how teenagers seem to think that parents have never been teenagers before. People have always been people. Granted, our technology has continued to grow over time, but the basic human spirit is the same. There is an incredible amount of wisdom and inspiration to be derived by looking back at the multitudes of people who have lived and died before us.

4- Children  Children inspire me because of their uncomplicated sense of wonder, their pure joy in the little things, and their freshness and energy. Their spirit is unburdened by the cares of the world just yet. Of course all children have their bratty moments, but even as adults we have those too! I believe that it behooves us to try to keep our spirit childlike. I have been a Kindergarten teacher for many years and have learned to cherish and nurture their idealistic nature. It keeps me young at heart to embrace a child’s philosophy. I have certainly had my share of bumps and bruises along my life’s path. Our inner child may be hiding, but it is still there. Many times it pops up when you least expect it. We must make a safe place for it instead of squelching it or allowing it to be forlorn. This is not an easy task with so many responsibilities and disappointments, but it is worth it. Nurturing your inner child will make you a happier person.

5- Adversity  I know it seems odd to say that adversity is an inspiration to me. More specifically, the overcoming of adversity is what is inspiring to me. When you are faced with difficult situations you are forced to stretch and grow into a bigger person. You take these lessons and apply them to your future, and hopefully, to assist someone else. Some knowledge and inspiration comes with pain and price, but to be able to get up off of your butt and keep walking onward with new understanding is inspiring for yourself and for others that have watched your struggle.

I thank Ashley for putting this question to me and allowing me to blog about it. It surprises me that I have never asked myself this question before, but I have not until today. I wish you all quality time with your own inspirations!

You can find more of my ramblings on my blog at http://blogkelliannesweeneydeardiary.wordpress.com

Technology Traps

I'm not one to give advice on 'how to keep writers from getting distracted' but that's what I'm gonna try to do. :D

http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/tag/nanowrimo

I wish getting away from my writing were this easy. It's not. I struggle with it more so because I live at an apartment complex with wifi. This means constant distractions. 

Scenario:

You sit down at your computer. 

Open word document/WIP ect. 

Open Twitter/Facebook/E-mail 

Look at work document

Look at Twitter...spend an hour tweeting.

Look at Facebook...spend more hours look for things to do even though you know nothing has changed since a millisecond ago. 

Check E-mail...over and over again...for no reason. 

You're sleepy. 

*Sleeps*

No writing is done. 

Okay, well, I do this ALL THE TIME. I mean...ALL THE TIME. I wish I didn't and I know I'm doing it. But you know what they say...the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well, I do. This is how I plan to get over it...and how it's worked for me in the past. *before the cataclysm called college happened*

Ashley's Tips: (heee)

1. Listen to music. 

And use headphones/earbuds/ something you can stick in your ears to act as an earplug. I don't know if everyone can think clearly with music, but it definitely helps me out. This way, I'm not distracted by what's going on outside. 

2. Write somewhere comfy. 

Yes, this is my bed. lol. Yes it's unmade. I hardly make my bed...oddly enough, sometimes I cannot write on it if it's unmade...just depends on how I'm feeling. Anyways. Idk about you guys but I hate the hard plastic chair they gave us to sit in at our desks. So this is where...I write. lol. 

3. Remind yourself why you love to write:

I'm certain we all read. I'm certain when we read, we're filled with a new passion to write. Recently I'v ran into this problem....I go to the bookstore, searching for the books I once loved and cannot find anything like it...maybe cause there isn't anything like it...maybe because I'm so busy with college, I just don't have to time to be careful about what I read. Anyways...I realized that if I found books I was passionate about, it would fuel my love for writing. 

4. CLOSE ALL WINDOWS THAT INVOLVE THE INTERNET (unless you need references, research, ect.) 

I found over the summer when I had no internet, it was so much easier to write. If you can go to a place with no wifi, that's probably a good idea. Until you get a word count for the day you are satisfied with. 

5. Put these into practice! 

LOL. Idk who this lady is, but isn't she wonderful? hehe. 

I know it's hard to actually get in the habit of doing things...like...I say I'm gonna write for 10 minutes everyday and work my way up...but honestly, there's no way to do this unless my full-time job was writing. At the moment, I have a full-time job as a student...and maybe soon-to-be-graduate student. :/ But, if I do these things when I DO sit down to write, I can actually accomplish something!

I hope you guys enjoyed this!! :D 

Now that I told you to stay away from facebook, I want you to go there now and look at my Arthur Page!  Just like me! Then RUN AWAY!

Love you guys!