Turning Titles Into Poetry

If you don't follow Janet Reid's blog, you should. Mainly, because she has THIS CONTEST going on until tomorrow. This is/was my submission:

The Disenchanting Truth

The Truth About Forever

Is that Bright And Shiny Morning(s)

Are for the Lucky One(s).

At Second Glance,

The Little Prince won't come

To The Rescue, 

Which means She's Come Undone. 

The Girl Who Played With Fire,

Was found Running With Scissors,

Saying, "Someday My Prince Will Come,"

Unaware of The Slow Vanishing.

She'd Fallen

And become a Loose Girl

Who live in The Glass Castle

Full of Disenchantments and Stolen Innocence. 

She was A Woman Betrayed.

She wasn't Lucky.

Counting The Hours,

She learned

Certain Girls aren't Those Who Save Us.

And That's How I Live Now.

Good luck to all those who enter!

Advice And Empowerment

A few years ago, I found myself in bed with Nicholas Sparks' Three Weeks With My Brother. At the time in my life, I was a sophomore in college at my aunt's house for Thanksgiving or Christmas break. I hadn't actively finished a novel, I'd had a poem or two published in my university's literary magazine...but I didn't consider myself a writer and at the time, I wasn't trying to write as my university didn't offer any creative writing courses...I just wrote when the bug hit me.

There are a couple of things I learned from his book, and I'd actually recommend reading it if you haven't. As a writer, though, the biggest thing I learned was to:

FINISH YOUR NOVEL

Sparks wrote about his first experience writing a novel, and how it was grueling, and hard, and at some point you want to just quit because what's the point?...He admitted that when he finished it was complete shit. He, NICHOLAS FRIGGIN SPARKS, knew it was shit.

But that's not what mattered.

What mattered was the fact he was able to write a friggin novel. And if you're able to sit there, shell out a novel, even a crappy one...maybe you can shell out another, and another, and eventually find an agent, find a publisher, and start getting yourself out there. Or, even if you're taking the self publishing route, you still need a FINISHED product to be able to put out in the world.

After I read his book, I finished Confessions of an Immortal Heart...crappily. To this day it still needs editing and it's been solidly done for a few years now. I finished a novel that ended up being about 76,000 words. On days when I need a good laugh, I go back to the very first draft, because it's so poorly written there's nothing else to do. On days when I doubt my ability as a writer, I pull it up, and look at the page count because I did this, I accomplished this. If that's not enough, I pull up Igniting a Firestarter, or Character Defects, because I've written three novels. I have a very high word count...and if I start reading what I've written, I'll find lines that I really like, or the editor in me will come out and strengthen what is on the page. And then I know...I'm a writer.

I've written three novels because I finished one. If I hadn't finished one...I'd be living on a beach...with nothing to show for it...(Don't get me wrong, I'm still living on a beach :) )

Moral of the story is: Push through, work hard, and finish. Especially if this is your first novel, finish it. Once you have the confidence that you can finish.....

(I'm gonna be corny here, are you ready?)

...YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.

Music And Writing

I love music, a lot. One of my favorite parts of college was the section where we'd bring in song lyrics for my poetry class and analyze them. It's funny because I constantly forget that people who WRITE songs are WRITERS, too. It's a whole different ball game...but is it really?

Here are some bands/people that if you haven't heard of them, and you like really strong lyrics (maybe some alliteration and things like that) you may want to check out:

P.O.S.--He's a rapper. The sounds is off-beat, but he has really solid lyrics, and makes everything work together. I would recommend OPTOMIST or NEVER BETTER. These two songs sold me on his talent. From there, if you want to look up GET SMOKES on you're own, I'm too lazy to find it for you :)

Silverstein--I've mentioned these guys in a previous blog because I FINALLY got to meet Shane Told (lead singer. Amazing). These guys are Screamo, but they're friggin epic. Songs that got me into them: CALL IT KARMA, SMASHED INTO PIECES, ALREADY DEAD. These ones don't have heavy screaming in them. But one reason you may like them? The singer...is the screamer. Amazing, no?

Jack's Mannequin/Something Corporate--I listened to these guys a lot in high school and college. Their music speaks to my heart, you know?  KONSTANTINE, ME AND THE MOON for Something Corporate, if you can find the acoustic version to Punk Rock Princess, do it. It'll change your life (maybe :) ). Then from there just look up Jack's music. It's alsoooo super good. When I need a solid pick-me-up, I'll put on one of their CDs.

Eminem--I'll admit, I used to not like him...at all. And then his latest album came out, and he completely changed and rocked my world. I can now go back to his older stuff and appreciate it more. He is an amazing example of how we can all change and grow. I listen to his verse in AIRPLANES a lot when I need a push. You gotta remind yourself that you've only got you, and shit won't just fall in your lap. From there, I'd recommend I NEED A DOCTOR, and NOT AFRAID. Even The Way You Lie rocked my world.

Nicki Minaj--So she kinda hit me outta left field. I didn't think I'd get into her stuff because the beats are all old songs that I loved. But, when I listened, a lot of her stuff says things like "Haters you can kill yourselves" or "Shout out to my haters sorry that you couldn't phase me". Those are incredibly strong song lyrics, and so I started listening a little more and found myself really, really liking her music. So: CHECK IT OUT, MOMENT 4 LIFE, SUPER BASS.

Our Lady Peace--These guys shaped a lot of my music preference. Their Clumsy CD was one of the first CDs I've ever owned. I got it when I was in 5th grade, I think. I LOVE them. Twoish years ago, I finally got to see them in concert. Was front row...amazing.
CLUMSY, INNOCENT, MADE OF STEEL.

I feel like this blog post made get a Round II, but those are my recommendations for the night. Hope you're all well!

Sorry

It's September, and if we're being honest here...I don't really have anything to say. Well....I have a lot of things to say....just....can't verbalize them.

But hey. It's September. Which is crazy.

I guess (for lack of anything better) I'll tell you some of my goals:
*Keep querying
*Figure out where I want to go/end up
*Don't get fired from my jobs
*Find somewhere to spend Thanksgiving
*Maybe, Maybe....clean my room

:)

Goodbyes

The hardest thing in my life is saying goodbye to people. I never used to have a problem with it until my friends started dying; cancer, car accidents...etc. It was then that I started learning how fragile we are, how when we say goodbye, it might really be the last time.

Now, when a visit is short, it's much easier to say goodbye. But when I spend nearly a week with people, I fall in love; with them, with the place, with their family, with...happiness. When you visit a place where you're loved, there is nothing, NOTHING like it. People are constantly happy to see you, to play with you, to watch a movie, to just be there.

But soon, too soon, you have to leave. There's a second where we hug, and it's like every fiber of my being latches on to them, tries to tie me to them, and when we separate, it's like being cut by glass. It hurts, I want it to stop, but it has to keep going.

This is an awful photo, sorry. But this was me saying goodbye yesterday. I love these people.

I put a lot of these situations in my novels because I experience them regularly. Each one hurts, it doesn't matter if it's the same person I'm leaving over and over and over, it still hurts each time I say goodbye. When I was younger, I never experienced this. I never experienced happiness, love. Now that I'm old enough to understand and appreciate these things....

I hate goodbyes.
I love hellos.

Hurricane Irene

As most of you know, or can read, I live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Hurricane Irene rocked us here. I left the island to go inland and visit my friend from last summer. I drove back today...and the devastation is amazing. Collington (where I currently live) was completely under water, and as I drove I saw houses torn down....

I'll be back to writing writerly things, but for right now, I'd just like to say that I'm thankful for my family and friends (and selfishly, stuff) being safe. I hope everyone else fared well, too.

Books!

So...If you haven't figured this out, I like to read. I haven't met a writer who doesn't like to read, and if they exist, I think they're probably an abomination. I mean, that's like a Veterinarian who doesn't like animals....It's just wrong.


I blogged back in APRIL about me spending a million dollars on books and getting a billion, and being really exicted. I promised pictures...and so I finally got around to taking some today. I think I even got more than this, but I think I've either read them, given them to my sister, Patrick, or put them away like a good kid. So...here are the pictures from that wonderful day many moons ago:

See any books you may like?

What about now?

Some titles or authors that are held in this pile:
Joyce Carol Oates
Nick Sparks
The Girl Who Played With Fire/The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
She's Come Undone
Everlost
Twisted Webs
Still Alice
Lake News (and lots of other Barbara Delinsky)
Fallen
Two of Anita Shreve (she lived down the road from me in Maine...I never got to meet her :( )
The Story Sisters
Eat, Pray, Love
White Oleander
Those Who Save Us


And many others