Voice and a Guilty Pleasure

     There's something I just realized. Now maybe I'm slow and everyone already knows this. Or maybe you don't, so I'm going to share, because I'm nice like that. Haha. Anyway, the agent who gave me feedback helped me to learn something indirectly. He pointed out some things in my MS that he thought were really funny. These were things that I didn't necessarily think were all that clever, or would even stand out. These were things I will call Melanie-isms. Words or phrases that only I would say. These are things that betas might suggest taking out (I honestly can't remember if mine did). Things that might not make grammatical sense. Things that might break some of the writing rules. BUT they were the things he loved. Things I need more of.
     Okay, is it just me, or did I say the word things way too much?
     Anyway, it helped me to learn this simple fact: DO NOT SUPPRESS YOURSELF. Maybe you say something one way and someone else says, what does that mean? Or that's not how you say it. Or whatever. But KEEP IT. Don't suppress things only you would say, even if you think they're lame. Don't quiet your own voice. Because it's what makes you YOU.
     Not only that, but I need to find ways to develop my voice. The agent thought some parts were funny, but he said the whole thing needed to be funny in my own way otherwise it won't stand out. So I need to really work on my creative juices.
     What do you do to work on your voice? Is there a way to do that? To develop it? Or is always writing the way to do it?
     On to my 30 Day Song Challenge, Day 13: A Song That Is A Guilty Pleasure
     Here it is, no explanation needed.

     Love Bug by The Jonas Brothers

Edge of Glory and Footloose

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 12: A Song From A Band I Hate
     Confession time: I'm not a fan of Lady Gaga (yes, I know, she's not a band). Some of her songs are great, some are catchy, and some plain annoy the crap out of me. Power to her for being her crazy and very individual self- it's just not my thing. However, I do LOVE this song (and like all my mixed feelings towards her, I HATE the video).

Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga

Crush of the Week:
     I saw the new Footloose last night. I was four when the first came out, so it wasn't exactly part of my childhood. Meaning, I'm not one of those people who were all aghast about a remake. Kevin Bacon did a good job back then, but why not let someone else try?
     I loved the movie. It made me want to get up and dance. I thought it was clever that they used a lot of the same music from the original but remixed it. (For example, you know that song "I Need a Hero"? In the movie its sung very slow- loved it.) The dancing was fun. Julianne Hough did a great job as the wild preachers daughter. And Ren (Kenny Wormald) was sweet, funny, sarcastic, and a great dancer. So yes, he's my crush of the week. Sort of.
     I say sort of because there was someone else who totally STOLE the whole movie. He was hilarious. HILARIOUS. Everything out of his mouth was funny. Add to that his hic name (Willard), his hic overalls, and his really bad dancing- and you've got a recipe for... well, he's not all that cute really, but go see the movie and you'll see what makes him so awesome.

 Kenny Wormald looking all James Dean as Ren MacCormack

There were hardly any pics of Miles Teller as Willard- this is the best one I could find

All Fired Up and Love Drunk

     I'm all fired up again over my WIP, thanks to the help from my sister-in-law Emily over at Write About Nothing. She helped me do some brainstorming and come up with some really great ideas. I wrote some yesterday but I have one scene in particular that I can't wait to write.
     I love that all fired up feeling, the excitement, that writing can bring. I was lagging there a bit. One of the reasons for the lag is that I've been writing a lot of scenes with the "bad" guy. He's no fun and I hate him, so it hasn't been fun to write about him. Unfortunately, because I hate the guy so much, I think that's coming across on my MC. I'm going to have to be careful about that because she doesn't know he's bad, but I do (bwahahah).
     Another thing that fires me up is the band Boys Like Girls. I'm, stiiiilllll waiting on their next album (come on, dudes, what's taking so long???) but meanwhile- 30 Day Song Challenge, Day 11: A Song From My Favorite Band.

     Love Drunk (love this song and love this music video)

Spookyness and Romance

     Yes, I've changed my background again. Since Halloween is coming up, I wanted to do something spoooooky. I've got my Halloween decorations up in the house and it's gotten me in a spoooooky mood. Unfortunately, blogger templates didn't seem to get that memo. So this isn't all that spoooooky, but it does make me think of old school Vampires for some reason.
     And while Vampires won't help me to sleep, this song will, my answer to today's song challenge (30 Day Song Challenge, Day 10: A Song That Makes Me Fall Asleep).

A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square by Harry Connick Jr.

     I used to play music to help me fall asleep. I had a mixed tape (ha- mixed tape! How old does that make me feel!) of quieter songs at first, and then later, I got a stereo that would program songs from CDs so I could only play the slow songs. This song is one of my faves from my mixed tape days. After seeing the movie Only You (Robert Downey Jr, and Marisa Tomei), I desperately wanted to reenact their slow-dancing-on-the-street-at-night-to-the-sound-of-a-saxophonist-playing-nearby scene. I think it's incredibly romantic. I would listen to this song and daydream about dancing with whatever crush I had going on at the time. It's a beautiful image- something I should put into a book one day!

My Writing Road Trip

Road Trip Wednesday from YA Highway. This weeks question?

What has your writing road trip looked like so far? Excitement? Traffic Jams and detours? Where are you going next?

My writing road trip has been all of the above. Exciting, frustrating, hard, easy, fun, confusing... you name it, I've been there. Writing the first draft of Daze and Knights was almost easy. It took me about five months (which is a lot to some but not long at all to others- VERY fast for me). When I was done, I started to research the whole publishing business. And that's when I got really SCARED. I'm the kind of person where just the THOUGHT of something freaks me out. And then I get more and more freaked until finally I tell myself- JUST DO IT. And so I do it and realize, okay, that wasn't so bad after all.

     When I first read about query letters, that's exactly how I was. I didn't think I could do it. And to be honest- my first couple of queries were AWFUL. And I was one of those stupid people who like to rush things (I think I mentioned this yesterday), so I started querying WAY TOO EARLY. My query sucked, I'd only edited Daze once... Yeah. Stupid.

     I've learned my lesson. I hope (haha). It's taken me more than a year to perfect the query. I thought Daze was at its best too- which it was. At least, it was as good as I could get it after editing a bazillion times and having betas read it. But getting agent feedback has shown me yet more that can be fixed, tightened, bettered. So I've still got lots of work to do.

     The one thing I've learned from my whole writing road trip? It is WORK. It won't come easy. And that's discouraging sometimes. But it's ENCOURAGING to know that I can do it- I can put in the work, the time, the effort, and that I won't quit. That's something I never knew about myself before. And if success never comes... well that's something I'll deal with later because for now- I'm still working at it.

     Where am I going next? Well, here's my plan: Finish my WIP Sway. Edit it once then send it to some betas. While I'm waiting, go back to Daze and edit again, using those comments I got from the awesome agent. Then after that? I'll probably start something new.

     And, if one day, I get "the call"... well, I'll probably DANCE, to this. Which is my oh-so-smooth segue into the 30 Day Song Challenge, Day 9: A Song I Can Dance To. (Which is pretty much any song but I had to narrow it down to something and this song always makes me want to shake something.)

Club Can't Handle Me- Flo Rida ft. David Guetta

Waiting, Rushing, and Love Story

     While I was cleaning my bathrooms this morning (yuck- hate that), I came to a decision. The one good thing about cleaning is that it's so monotonous that it frees my mind up to think of other things. So I thought about the scene I'll be writing next, and also came up with an idea for the scene after.
     The decision I came to was this: stop querying. Not for ever of course. I usually stop mid-November until late January just because of the whole holiday season. But instead of sending out anymore, well, I'm not going to. Why? Well, I got an excellent critique back from an agent who had a partial. He gave me a lot of stuff to think about that I haven't gotten to yet because I've been concentrating on my WIP.
     Can I just say how awesome it is to get agent feedback? SO AWESOME!
     Anyway, I have a full out there as well that I'm waiting on, and in the chance that I get feedback off that as well, I think I'm just going to wait. That's what this whole business is about right? Waiting? Haha.
     So that's the plan. Smart? I think so. I have to constantly tell myself not to rush. This isn't a race. I may not be getting any younger (sniff), but now that I finally got what I wanted (agent feedback), I need to take the time to carefully consider all of it.
     On to the 30 Day Song Challenge, Day 8: A Song I Know All The Words To
     Um... all of them? Haha, kidding. But pretty much any song I like, I know all the words to. So to narrow it down, I thought of songs I like to sing along to. If I'm in the mood to sing, I usually put on Taylor Swift. I don't sound good singing along to her, but that doesn't stop me! Anyway, I picked one of my favorites of hers: Love Story. Enjoy! (FYI- the music video is awesome.)

Hey Big Spender

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 7: A Song That Reminds Me of A Certain Event
     This was kind of a hard one too. My wedding was the first thing that came to mind, but there's a question about that on a later day, so I saved that one. Instead, I thought back to all the dance recitals I've done since I was little and there's one song that still stands out to me today and reminds me of my days on stage.
     I grew up doing jazz, tap, and ballet. I did competitions and recitals and I had a lot of fun. I miss those days. I miss dancing. One of the songs we did was Hey Big Spender by Peggy Lee. I think I was fourteen at the time. I listen to the song now and think, sheesh that song is racy for a 14-year-old! Especially since we were also lip-syncing as we danced, making it kind of a musical theatre number. I wish I had a video of it. Well, I do I think somewhere but it's VHS and I have not a clue how to convert those into actual usable DVD's. Anyway, when I listen to this song, I sing along at the top of my lungs. Warning: you might feel the urge to do it too, if you know the words. So if you feel it coming on, I would make sure you're somewhere where people won't mock you, or worse, think you're coming on to them. Just, keep that it mind.

     Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there. In an hour I'm heading to my sister-in-laws where my husband will deep fry the turkey and I'll get to drench my food with my mother-in-laws cheese sauce and hopefully there'll be some fruity pie. Yum! Then tomorrow I 'll have to go back to the real world of eating right, exercising, and catching up on my writing.

Pachelbel and Hugh Jackman

30 Day Music Challenge, Day 6: A Song That Reminds Me Of Somewhere
     This was one of the hardest to come up with. I've lived a lot of places but I haven't travelled all that much. I hear songs that make me think of tropical locations I've never been to, or songs that make me think of Italy or France or Ireland. (I have been to France but there wasn't a song I could associate with that trip.)
     I decided on a song that makes me think of the two years I lived in Hartford, Connecticut. I did grade 11 and 12 there. It was an interesting time for me, for a lot of reasons. I spent a lot of time playing this particular song on the piano. Hearing this song conjures up images of the living room where the piano was, and missionaries.

     And completely unrelated, and so the opposite of a relaxing classical song, I saw the movie Real Steel last night. I went in not expecting much and was surprised by how good it was. Seriously. I even got teary-eyed at the end (although that's not saying much since I get weepy in a lot of movies). So, obviously, my Crush of the Week is going to be Hugh Jackman. He's a great actor. He can be tough, sensitive, serious, AND he can sing and dance. Major bonus points for that. Love you Hugh.

You Put Your Arms Around Me And I'm Home

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 5: A Song That Reminds Me of Someone
     Here's my choice. A song I absolutely adore. And to Forrest Gump-it, that's all I'm going to say about that.
     And because I'm sick, I'm way behind on my writing and critiquing, and I'm trying to get up the energy to exercise, I'm going to leave it at that. Enjoy the song though, because it's awesome.

ARMS by Christina Perri



Don't Cry

30 Day Music Challenge, Day 4: A Song That Makes Me Sad
     Who wants to think about songs that make them sad? Not me. I like to listen to music that buoys me up.
     Oh well. There are some songs that make me sad. One of them is this one, Lover Dearest by Marianas Trench.

  
     I read recently that Josh Ramsay, lead singer of Marianas Trench, wrote the song as a letter to Heroin when he was struggling with the addiction as a teenager. When I listen to the song, I take a completely different meaning out of it, but now that I know that, I see it in a whole new light.
     No matter how you interpret it, the song is heart-breaking. And Josh Ramsay's vocals are amazing in all of his music (I love the scratchy-screamy power to his voice). This song is no exception. And if you've never heard of Marianas Trench, or don't know their music, try out Beside You and Good to You for slow songs, and Cross My Heart, Celebrity Status, and Acadia for faster tunes (All To Myself is good too, except it's got F-bombs in it, and I hate that).
     What songs make you sad?

RTW and Save The Last Dance For Me

This week's Road Trip Wednesday:

What supporting character from a YA book would you most like to see star in their own novel?

 

     Ooh, that's a toughie. On YaHighway, the poster chose Ron from Harry Potter and I immediately wanted to go with the same one. Because c'mon, Ron is awesome. But I'll try to be a little more interesting and come up with my own idea...
     There's a lot of characters I'd like to see star in their own novel because frankly, I love them and I'd love to learn their backstory more thoroughly or read about where they go next. I can't pick just one. So, my choices after perusing my bookshelf are:

Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss.

Giovanni from Rampant and Ascendant

Ridley from Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness

And even though some of Breaking Dawn is in Jacob's perspective, I loved his voice so much that I would easily read whole books about him.

And on to my 30 Day Music Challenge, Day 3: A Song That Makes Me HAPPY
     Easy peasy. Actually, not so much because there are A LOT of songs that make me happy. It's hard to choose sometimes right?
    Anyway, I loved this song back when Harry Connick Jr sang it. I love it even more when Michael Buble sings it. It makes me happy. It makes me sing along. And it makes me want to dance (but that's a question for another day). I wish I was the girl dancing with Michael in the music video. I don't know what it is about it but I SMILE when I hear it.
     And I had a wicked story set around it which will probably never get written but hey, you never know.

Moves Like Jagger

     30 Day Song Challenge, Day 2: Your least favorite song.
     Why, why, why would I want to figure out my least favorite song? I don't even want to think about songs that I hate because then I'll get them stuck in my head.
     The first song that popped into my mind was for just that reason. I get this song stuck in my head and I can't get it out. Not only that, the only words I know are "I got the moves like Jagger, I got the moves like Jagger, I got the moo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ves like Jagger."
     Annoying. (And I actually don't mind Maroon 5.)
     I know some people love this song, so if you do: Enjoy. But Beware. You will be singing it in your head for the rest of the day.

     Any other hated songs out there?

30 Day Song Challenge and an iPad Question

     I found this neat idea over at Crow River Writer. I decided to do it, even if it means a post of just one song title (although I probably won't post on Sundays since I like to have a day off from the computer). 
     It's no secret I love music. Like, LOVE it. (I know, a lot of people do.) But music is such a huge part of my life, I can't go a day without it. I have it on almost all day- thanks mostly to the speakers my husband had installed throughout our house that hook nicely up to my iPod. Love it.
     So the song challenge goes like this:

Day 01 – Your favorite song
Day 02 – Your least favorite song
Day 03 – A song that makes you happy
Day 04 – A song that makes you sad
Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone
Day 06 – A song that reminds of you of somewhere
Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to
Day 09 – A song that you can dance to
Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11 – A song from your favorite band
Day 12 – A song from a band you hate
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15 – A song that describes you
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry
Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh
Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play
Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29 – A song from your childhood
Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year 

     So, for today- Day 1, my favorite song. Usually I have a hard time picking favorites of anything, but for song choice- it's easy. Because I love this song and I will for FOREVER. The song is, da-da-da-dum:
     Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

     Fact 1: No, this song does not specifically apply to me. There is no one in my life who's died and I consider my Guardian Angel. I just love the whole idea, the lyrics, the music- everything about this song.
     Fact 2: I don't really listen to anything else by them, they are very heavy metal. In fact, on my iPod they are designated as "Screamo".
     Fact 3: I first heard this song on So You Think You Can Dance. It was a ballroom number.
     Fact 4: I've pictured this song in my last Jessica book in a very specific scene. If I ever get that far.

     In a completely unrelated note, I need some iPad help. My mom-in-law just gave me her old one (thanks Deb, you rock) and I'm wondering how to work on my WIPs on it. It has a notepad that I can write new stuff and then email to myself, but to work on existing stuff- how do I do it? Anyone know? Any writers out there have an iPad and use it to write? I write in Word and backup on a USB stick, but I don't know if either of those will work. Do I have to get a completely different APP? What's the best/easiest way?
    

Music, Mania, and Michael Buble

     My music annoys some people. I know. And I'm sorry, really. I keep it there because it's the soundtrack to my current WIP and I listen to it when I'm writing. And sometimes just opening my blog and hearing it is enough to get the brain juices flowing.
     Anyway, I put it on stop- so it will only play if you press play- mostly just for today's post.
     Music is a huge part of my WIP. My MC Ava plays and teaches piano. Eric, her love interest, is a famous musician. It took a lot of brain storming to decide what kind of musician he would be. I made him into a jazz musician, or more specifically, someone like Michael Buble.
     Why? When people think of musicians, they tend to form an image in their head right off the bat. Ex: Rock Star = wild hair, tattoos, and depending on your age- plaid and bandannas, or tight jeans and studded bracelets. Country singer = cowboy boots and cowboy hat. Rapper = black guy, or Eminem.
     I know, I know. These are STEREOTYPES. They're not always true. But that doesn't stop people from hearing "rock star" and picturing someone who looks like Axl Rose.
     Since Eric was already crystal clear in my mind, I pictured him in fitted suits and skinny black ties. Hence- jazz singer. (I hope against hope that when people hear jazz musician, they picture Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Buble and not some fuddy-duddy old guy.)
     Then I started listening to my Michael Buble CDs (I have all of them cuz he's awesome) and I found songs that not only fit with my WIP, but they fit right INTO my WIP. As in, songs he would actually sing TO her or ABOUT her. Like these:

     Near the beginning, Eric sings this at a party, but he's basically singing it right to Ava as she sits there listening. Ouch. I love how angry this song sounds, which is exactly how I'd picture Eric singing it.

    

     I do flashbacks in this WIP, and this song is during one of those. While Eric doesn't actually sing this song, he does tell Ava to "hold on". I listened to this over and over while writing the scene.

     I haven't written the scene where this song will take place yet- it's near the end. But I have it clear in my mind and I can't wait to write it. I just hope the feeling I get and what I imagine in my head when I listen to this comes out as strong and clear on paper.

     Those are just three of many. But three very important songs to my writing. And FYI- Michael Buble is AWESOME in concert. I saw him last year.

     Any music inspiring your WIP?

     ***PS- I've entered YAtopia's Pitch Contest with Mandy Hubbard. You can find it here.

     *** PPS- I LOVE Mandy Hubbard's book Prada and Prejudice and can't wait to get my hands on her new one, Ripple.

The Book Thief

     Yesterday, I said the best book I read in September was Anna and the French Kiss.
     Well, also yesterday, I finished another book that could give Anna a run for its money.

     The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

     These books are nothing alike. Where Anna is fun, light, romantic, The Book Thief is dark, sad, and scary.
     But it was AMAZING. Interestingly, the book is about a girl who loves words and Markus Zusak has this incredible way with words. Sometimes he'd say things that I would read over again because I just didn't understand. Other times, I'd read phrases and wonder how he came up with it and try to control my brimming envy. Some examples:
    
     At that moment, you will be lying there (I rarely find people standing up). You will be caked in your own body. There might be a discovery; a scream will dribble down the air. The only sound I'll hear after that will be my own breathing, and the sound of the smell, of my footsteps.

     As I made my way through, each person stood and played with the quietness of it. It was a small concoction of disjointed hand movements, muffled sentences, and mute, self-conscious turns.

     Those are both in the prologue, before the book has barely begun. And I have to share my favorite. And FYI, this quote is said by Death.

     It kills me sometimes, how people die.

     The Book Thief is the kind of book that everyone MUST read. (Warning, there are swear words- just FYI.) It's the kind of book I will NEVER forget. The kind of book that makes me feel like a crap writer but the kind of book that also makes me want to be better. The kind of book I will go to the store and buy tomorrow (I got it from the library) and pass along to everyone I know, telling them to read it ASAP. If you haven't read it, put it on the top of your TBR pile at once.

Kiss Me

     Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.

     This weeks question: What was the best book you read in September?

     Although I did read some great books this month, this was an easy answer. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

     I've thought a lot lately about how agents/publishers are looking for the BEST. Your MS has to be perfect, impeccable, fabulous, new, different, amazing, PHENOMENAL. And thinking about some of the books I've read, I couldn't help but wonder, what was it the agent saw in such-a-such book? Because for me, it didn't quite make the cut. Not that it was a horrible book, but was it really all that amazing? What stood out? What did the agent or publisher think that was PHENOMENAL about it? I read those books and think, my book could make it.
     And then there's the books that just are PHENOMENAL. A lot of times I can't pinpoint exactly why, they just ARE. Books that I finish and then think, I'll never be published because I'm not this amazing. Anna and the French Kiss was like that. I could not put it down. And even weeks later, I'm still randomly thinking about it. I want to read it again. That, to me, makes for a phenomenal book.

Raise Your Hands, Who Would Go Back To High School If They Could?

     I watched the movie Prom last night. It was cheesy, silly, funny, full of cliches (BTW, why can movies be full of cliches but books can't? Just wondering), and I loved every minute of it. What can I say, I love high school movies. They make me want to go back to high school.
     No, ahem, scratch that last. Let's be honest here.
     They make me want to go to high school in a movie.
     I want to be Nova. I want to be Gabriella from High School Musical. Cher from Clueless. Laney from She's All That. Kate from John Tucker Must Die. Kat from 10 Things I Hate About You. Viola from She's The Man. Amanda from Can't Hardly Wait.
     You get the idea (told you I love high school movies- did I miss any aside from all the Molly Ringwald ones?).
     All these girls have tough times. Some are nerds who get a makeover. Some are overachievers who learn to relax. Some just get the guy. But they all have happy endings. And I think that's what happens when we look back at high school- we want a happy ending. I had a few happy endings. I had lots of miserable endings. I didn't always get the guy. Hardly ever actually. Do I really want to go back to all that? Have I changed that much? No and no. I don't want to go back to high school because even though I've matured a teeny bit, even though I've realized that there's a much bigger world out there, I probably wouldn't be all that different (sad).
     What about you- would you go back to high school?
     Maybe you would if there was this guy, my Crush of the Week:

    
     Thomas McDonell. I don't usually go for guys with long hair, but his tough-guy-on-the-outside-but-sweet-softie-on-the-inside totally won me over.
     And if he wouldn't make you want to go back, what about Zac Efron, Paul Rudd, Freddie Prinze Jr, Penn Badgley, Heath Ledger, Channing Tatum, or Ethan Embry? (AKA: the love interests in the above movies.)

How's This For Funny?

    
     I'm stuck at this certain part in my WIP. I need a character to tell a funny story, or at least the end of a funny story. So I'm sitting there thinking, what's funny? What's the last funny story I heard? What's the last funny thing that happened to me? What makes me laugh?
     Well obviously I came up with a big fat NOTHING (hence the word "stuck"). I laugh a lot when I'm watching Friends, or The Big Bang Theory, but those aren't my jokes, so I can't use them. At my writer's group this past week someone shared a very funny story, but again- not mine- and I'm not going to steal it. So since I couldn't come up with anything, I vowed that I would remember that I need a funny story and to keep my ears and eyes open for one.
     Probably fifteen minutes later I found myself laughing so hard my cheeks were hurting.
     AHA! Right?
     WRONG.
     This is what happened: My two-year-old daughter had carried up three of these big inflatable hammers that squeak when you hit something (we won them at a theme park). Then we proceeded to whack each other with them over and over while both of us giggled uncontrollably.
     Did I laugh? Yes. Funny story? Sadly, no. And what's doubly sad? Most of my laughter, when it's not coming from TV or books, stems from silly things like this (or similar child-related happenings such as poop, weird words, funny faces, falls that don't involve crying, dancing, etc).
     Maybe I should be writing about something else...
   

Paranormalcy and Abduction

     Another great book: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Loved the voice, loved Evie, loved Lend, loved the twist on paranormal, loved everything. I loved how Evie can "bag-and-tag" vampires, but she dreams of having a locker. She kicks butt, but she's got this innocence that's endearing and sweet. I love how she's obsessed with this high school drama TV show (which sounds like Gossip Girl to me), she wears zebra print dresses and pink boots, and she carries around a pink sparkly taser she calls "Tasey". As if that's not awesome! (Because it totally is.) I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Supernaturally.

     I saw the movie Abduction last night. My husband laughed when I said I wanted to see it. His actual quote was, "You just want to see it because you have a crush on Taylor Lautner."
     Um, no. Okay, well maybe. But just a little. I've already done Crush of the Week this week, but who cares! Here's another.

     I didn't want to see it because of that reason though. Truly. The movie looked interesting to me, for one. And for two, I wanted to see Taylor Lautner in another role besides Jacob (and that itty bitty Valentine's Day part he had). That's the same reason why I started to watch (but never finished because I hated it) Adventureland. I obviously don't have a crush on Kristen Stewart. But I wanted to see her be someone else other than Bella.
     Anyway, the movie was pretty good. It was cheesy at times, but I think Taylor Lautner held his own. The action was good, the plot interesting, the chemistry between Taylor and Lily Collins believable.
     So maybe that's not the best movie review you've ever read, but, well, too bad. If you really don't like it, I'll get you with my own Tasey.
    

UGH!

     Progress on my WIP as of right now? 42,000 words. What I've written today? Twenty-nine words.
     Ugh. What do you do when everything around you is distracting? One daughter is watching iCarly, another is screaming at me because she doesn't want to watch iCarly, I'm trying to eat the lunch I didn't get to eat earlier, and as I had my word screen open, all I did was stare blankly at the two sentences I had written and wondered, what exactly am I doing here?
     Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh! This has been the worst productivity week, ever! Where did that 10,000-words-a-week-me go? I want her back. Her and all her brilliance. Instead, I think I'm wearing idiotic-Melanie. (P.S. I don't like her very much. She's not all that interesting.)
     Let's just hope that I can shed idiotic-Melanie this weekend sometime and get back to brilliant-Melanie for next week. Because she's got A LOT of catching up to do. (And I don't want to make Sheldon cry!)