So, I've been way too quite lately. Good news, I was published. One of my short stories was accepted by the Le Moyne college literary publication, The Salamander. The story "Hands" can be found in the 2015 edition of The Salamander, free on Le Moyne's campus.
I promise there is more publication fun to look forward to this summer. And I have a number of projects that I have been working on these past few days. So stay tuned!
Ciao!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Sunday, November 9, 2014
College Life
So, what could be more exciting then college, right? I mean: independence, responsibility, being treated like an adult, being in charge of yourself, making new friends, finding love, drinking... What could possibly be wrong about college life?
Well the things that are wrong with college life are as follows: independence, responsibility, being treated like an adult, being in charge of yourself, making new friends, finding love, drinking. Yeah. Clichéd as it sounds, the very problem with college life is all the things that make it great. Honestly, since starting college in August, I have yet to drink alcohol. I have been to a cast party at a Senior's house (where alcohol was served "BYOB if you want to drink" and everybody was cool with you not drinking if you didn't want to), and I have seen my roommate wasted. I have no personal experience with how alcohol makes you feel. However, when my roommate (a little,120-pound, 5-foot-nothing, girl, who had never drunk anything in her life) came back one night after a party where she had a Four Loco, I swore to stay alcohol free.
But aside from alcohol and all the bad things that I can do (which everyone already knows, and if you don't then go google it and get a lecture from someone else). I'm doing really well. For those of you that do not know me personally here's a little about my college life: I live on campus, I'm a Creative Writing and Theater Arts double major, I'm in my school's Honors College, and I'm considering going into Pre-Law (not a major, but it does involve taking some legal studies classes).
I've been doing pretty well adjusting to college life. Though, sadly, my writing had gone by the wayside. But I am back now. Hopefully I can stay up to date with this blog again. One of my classes is requiring me to write a "creative piece dealing with the theme of the double". So that's what I'm doing.
I'm also working on some auditions in theater and looking at a couple more places that I might submit stories to. One of the novellas I've been working on for a while is going pretty well. And I've decided that as of today I will start NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month). Sure I'm a few days late, but that's what makes it a challenge. I will keep y'all updated through Facebook and twitter.
I think that's all for now...
Ciao!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Rejection And Bouncing Back
So I finally heard back from the publisher and ( as you might have guessed by the title) I was rejected. Or, to quote the email, my story "has not been accepted for publication at this time". So, I was a little upset, OK a lot upset. But I realized that pouting wasn't going to get me published. So what did I do?
I gave myself two minutes to sulk and wallow in self pity, then I got right back to writing. I realized that it wasn't that my story was bad, it just wasn't right or ready for publication. To be completely honest, I knew it wasn't my best work when I submitted it.
Now I'm working on a couple other pieces, ones that I hope will be better than this last one. I'm also trying to work off an outline for a story that I plan to make a novella out of.
And let me just say: outlines suck. OK not really. Outlines are actually some of the best things ever! But once you finish one it's like 'Yay! I'm done I can move on with other stories.... Except, this one isn't actually done. Ugh!'
I'm getting ready to move in to college, and I am coming back from a family vacation in Disney world! I did write a couple stories (fan fiction) that I will put online shortly.
Ciao!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
More of What I Read
So, I just finished another frabulous book. Literally. Like, ten minutes ago. So, while the story is fresh in my mind, here is my review for Kevin Lucia's "Devourer of Souls" (WARNING! there will be SPOILERS!)
Let me start off with the "nitty gritty" kind of things. Firstly, there was at least one grammar/spelling mistake (the word "wait" where "with" made sense, and "wait" did not). But I'm not one to judge a book based on the spelling/grammar, because I am notorious for making those mistakes myself. On the plus side, the framing devise used is incredible! The 'structure' of the book is like this: two men talking in a cafe, introducing the reader to the atmosphere and the scene; then a novella, told first person by way of a 'if-you're-reading-this-I'm-dead' journal; then back to the present with the guys in the cafe; then on to the second novella and another first-person recounting of events; followed by a Coda, with our two guys from the cafe. Now the second novella is where the POV was kinda 'meh' for me.
Overall the POV shifts were fine, and totally clear, but there were some parts in the second novella "the man in yellow" that were kind of confusing. The POV is actually that of one Father Ward (one of the guys in the cafe) retelling to his friend something that was said to Father Ward. So it's kind of like a first-person recounting of a first person event. Like me telling you what it was like for my grandpa growing up in Philly. For the most part that did not distract from the story, but there were some places where it just wasn't needed.
Now, on to the fun stuff.
The story was great. And the perfect balance of suspense and mystery. There were enough twists to keep you on your toes, but not so many that you had 'whiplash' trying to keep up. Even the most unexpected turns were eased to the reader for an overall 'smooth ride'.
"Sophan" was an interesting little trip. I say it like that because I seriously felt like it was the kind of thing we would read in a Mr. Lucia class (which should be a high compliment to the author). There was so much that was symbolic. I actually went back and re-read the parts about what the diffrent dragons meant, and which boy drew which tile. It was fun, as was drawing parallels between all the characters. There were just enough questions (what did ever happen to Mr. Trung? Is/was he the Chiao?) which, to me, is more enjoyable than when an author spells out the ending.
To be totally honest, I liked "the man in yellow" better than "sophan" probably because of the ending. At the end of "sophan" we are left with a sort of speculative (and a little cliched) ending of "this is how I think it will end". Which leaves the reader to question, does it end that way? Also, the character development of the main character is just not 'real' enough for me. Oh, you had this bat-sh*t crazy thing happen to you as an adolescent, so you wave it aside, like nothing ever freaking happened. Then, years later, you just accept the fact that the ghost of your childhood 'frenemy' is jumping around all frantic? And this guy accepts, without a shadow of doubt or any questioning, that he is meant to go die, just like his 'frenemy' when they were younger? Not to mention that the whole relationship between Nate and Jake fits in with the 'perfect literary foil' of two characters with many similarities in their past and how one turns out good, the other, not so good (in my experience it has been one character is good, the other is insane).
Now, "the man in yellow", where to begin? I liked it. Although, when I started reading it, I was just like "oh great, we have a pastor's son who's all rebellious and 'God sucks' who has a disease... and I can just see where this epic 'battle-of-faith' is going from here". I was, very happily, proven wrong. my favorite part probably being when the main character, Stu, is all "so the fate of my whole town rests on me resisting the call right? I need to be this dramatic hero and save everyone by sacrificing myself?" and the big bad monster (the man in yellow) is just like "no. actually, it doesn't matter what you do now, because I have what I need and I'm taking your town to Hell, with or without you."
As a reader, my jaw hit the floor. That was totally unexpected, from my perspective. The sudience was being built up for this (cliched) epic conflict. The hero rising from the ashes (I'll bring that point back later) and all that happy crap. So when the protagonist has to find another way to stop the big bad man in yellow, so close to the end of the book too. Just wow.
But then, Lucia isn't done throwing twists at you yet. Oh no, no, no. You see, there is still one last twist at the end. Stu, who did triumphantly win by burning down the church. Is now living a normal life when he tells Father Ward of his plights. But then, Stu has a sudden realization. Maybe due to his finally recounting his tale to someone else, or maybe he just knew. But Stu actually becomes one to the monsters that he had tried so desperately to conquer.... and then he scuttles off to the woods, never to be seen again.
So, the book was overall amazing! I can honestly say that I will never be able to read 'Curious George" to my cousin again (The man in the yellow hat, the man in the yellow suit, I just can't handle it). And I think the greatest compliments that I can give are these:
1) I read the ehole book in three sittings
2) my Mom found the cover so creepy that I "wasn't allowed to read it in the family common area, unless the cover is covered"
and
3) It is going on my bookshelf, right next to my Harry Potter's, which are my favorite books in the whole universe (and I've read some pretty good books)
To conclude: Five Stars for Mr. Lucia, and I can't wait to see if any more comes out of Clifton Heights!
Let me start off with the "nitty gritty" kind of things. Firstly, there was at least one grammar/spelling mistake (the word "wait" where "with" made sense, and "wait" did not). But I'm not one to judge a book based on the spelling/grammar, because I am notorious for making those mistakes myself. On the plus side, the framing devise used is incredible! The 'structure' of the book is like this: two men talking in a cafe, introducing the reader to the atmosphere and the scene; then a novella, told first person by way of a 'if-you're-reading-this-I'm-dead' journal; then back to the present with the guys in the cafe; then on to the second novella and another first-person recounting of events; followed by a Coda, with our two guys from the cafe. Now the second novella is where the POV was kinda 'meh' for me.
Overall the POV shifts were fine, and totally clear, but there were some parts in the second novella "the man in yellow" that were kind of confusing. The POV is actually that of one Father Ward (one of the guys in the cafe) retelling to his friend something that was said to Father Ward. So it's kind of like a first-person recounting of a first person event. Like me telling you what it was like for my grandpa growing up in Philly. For the most part that did not distract from the story, but there were some places where it just wasn't needed.
Now, on to the fun stuff.
The story was great. And the perfect balance of suspense and mystery. There were enough twists to keep you on your toes, but not so many that you had 'whiplash' trying to keep up. Even the most unexpected turns were eased to the reader for an overall 'smooth ride'.
"Sophan" was an interesting little trip. I say it like that because I seriously felt like it was the kind of thing we would read in a Mr. Lucia class (which should be a high compliment to the author). There was so much that was symbolic. I actually went back and re-read the parts about what the diffrent dragons meant, and which boy drew which tile. It was fun, as was drawing parallels between all the characters. There were just enough questions (what did ever happen to Mr. Trung? Is/was he the Chiao?) which, to me, is more enjoyable than when an author spells out the ending.
To be totally honest, I liked "the man in yellow" better than "sophan" probably because of the ending. At the end of "sophan" we are left with a sort of speculative (and a little cliched) ending of "this is how I think it will end". Which leaves the reader to question, does it end that way? Also, the character development of the main character is just not 'real' enough for me. Oh, you had this bat-sh*t crazy thing happen to you as an adolescent, so you wave it aside, like nothing ever freaking happened. Then, years later, you just accept the fact that the ghost of your childhood 'frenemy' is jumping around all frantic? And this guy accepts, without a shadow of doubt or any questioning, that he is meant to go die, just like his 'frenemy' when they were younger? Not to mention that the whole relationship between Nate and Jake fits in with the 'perfect literary foil' of two characters with many similarities in their past and how one turns out good, the other, not so good (in my experience it has been one character is good, the other is insane).
Now, "the man in yellow", where to begin? I liked it. Although, when I started reading it, I was just like "oh great, we have a pastor's son who's all rebellious and 'God sucks' who has a disease... and I can just see where this epic 'battle-of-faith' is going from here". I was, very happily, proven wrong. my favorite part probably being when the main character, Stu, is all "so the fate of my whole town rests on me resisting the call right? I need to be this dramatic hero and save everyone by sacrificing myself?" and the big bad monster (the man in yellow) is just like "no. actually, it doesn't matter what you do now, because I have what I need and I'm taking your town to Hell, with or without you."
As a reader, my jaw hit the floor. That was totally unexpected, from my perspective. The sudience was being built up for this (cliched) epic conflict. The hero rising from the ashes (I'll bring that point back later) and all that happy crap. So when the protagonist has to find another way to stop the big bad man in yellow, so close to the end of the book too. Just wow.
But then, Lucia isn't done throwing twists at you yet. Oh no, no, no. You see, there is still one last twist at the end. Stu, who did triumphantly win by burning down the church. Is now living a normal life when he tells Father Ward of his plights. But then, Stu has a sudden realization. Maybe due to his finally recounting his tale to someone else, or maybe he just knew. But Stu actually becomes one to the monsters that he had tried so desperately to conquer.... and then he scuttles off to the woods, never to be seen again.
So, the book was overall amazing! I can honestly say that I will never be able to read 'Curious George" to my cousin again (The man in the yellow hat, the man in the yellow suit, I just can't handle it). And I think the greatest compliments that I can give are these:
1) I read the ehole book in three sittings
2) my Mom found the cover so creepy that I "wasn't allowed to read it in the family common area, unless the cover is covered"
and
3) It is going on my bookshelf, right next to my Harry Potter's, which are my favorite books in the whole universe (and I've read some pretty good books)
To conclude: Five Stars for Mr. Lucia, and I can't wait to see if any more comes out of Clifton Heights!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Long Time, No See
So. I've officially graduated high school and I am now preparing to head off to college. The last month and a half have been a whirlwind of "get this paper in!" "Fill out these important forms ASAP!" "Do this or you can't graduate!" "Do this or you can't go to college!" and a bunch of fun stuff like that. So between Prom, Graduation, Finishing High School, and Enrolling in classes for college, I managed to submit a story for professional publication.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that I will get published. But I did manage to send the story in, and now I'm just waiting to hear back on that. In the mean time I've been working on some fun little writing exercises, and trying to finish at least one novel/novella. But I've reached a plateau in all the stories. The kind of plateau that is essential to the story, but it hard to write.
To Clarify: every book, movie, play, etc. has a point where it's just a lull between actions. Or simply exposition. As a writer, it's hard to write that part. Especially for me. Every time I want to explain something, I hear my teacher's voice in my head saying Show, Don't Tell, SHOW DO NOT TELL. Which is really hard to do sometimes. Plus, I want to avoid what I call the "Twilight Montage" that is, in New Moon when there are, what, four? five? six? pages that consist of nothing but the name of the month? ("October" "November" "December"...you get the idea)
I also, as a writer, want to avoid the "info dump" as much as possible. That is, I don't want to just give you all the information at once, I have to draw it out through dialogue or a scene. Sometimes there is just no way around it. A writer has a deadline and just needs to get the information to the reader. But for now, I am not working on a deadline. I mean, yes I make deadlines for myself. But I don't have the promise of a payday being held over me.
I guess this has just kind of turned into another rambling session of mine, hasn't it? Oh well. I do have some news, if anybody has made it this far. I am going to write some fan fiction and post it here. Don't worry, nothing smutty. And I'm working very specific here: crossover fanfic. Please, hold your insults and gagging, it gets better. I will be writing about Disney Princesses (and Princes, of course) at Hogwarts. (How original, right?) Just kidding on the original thing, but totally serious about writing these. I found (whilst paroozing tumblr) some really fun illustrations that people have done of their favorite Disney Princesses at Hogwarts. And I figure, Hey! I like Hogwarts, I like Disney! And I need to write something, and this is a good mind numbing exercise I can do while I try to figure out how to fill plot holes I've accidentally created in my other works.
So keep an eye out for that, oh! And be expecting to see more of me. Because it is finally Summer and I have nothing better to do when it is raining and too hot to sleep.
Ciao!
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that I will get published. But I did manage to send the story in, and now I'm just waiting to hear back on that. In the mean time I've been working on some fun little writing exercises, and trying to finish at least one novel/novella. But I've reached a plateau in all the stories. The kind of plateau that is essential to the story, but it hard to write.
To Clarify: every book, movie, play, etc. has a point where it's just a lull between actions. Or simply exposition. As a writer, it's hard to write that part. Especially for me. Every time I want to explain something, I hear my teacher's voice in my head saying Show, Don't Tell, SHOW DO NOT TELL. Which is really hard to do sometimes. Plus, I want to avoid what I call the "Twilight Montage" that is, in New Moon when there are, what, four? five? six? pages that consist of nothing but the name of the month? ("October" "November" "December"...you get the idea)
I also, as a writer, want to avoid the "info dump" as much as possible. That is, I don't want to just give you all the information at once, I have to draw it out through dialogue or a scene. Sometimes there is just no way around it. A writer has a deadline and just needs to get the information to the reader. But for now, I am not working on a deadline. I mean, yes I make deadlines for myself. But I don't have the promise of a payday being held over me.
I guess this has just kind of turned into another rambling session of mine, hasn't it? Oh well. I do have some news, if anybody has made it this far. I am going to write some fan fiction and post it here. Don't worry, nothing smutty. And I'm working very specific here: crossover fanfic. Please, hold your insults and gagging, it gets better. I will be writing about Disney Princesses (and Princes, of course) at Hogwarts. (How original, right?) Just kidding on the original thing, but totally serious about writing these. I found (whilst paroozing tumblr) some really fun illustrations that people have done of their favorite Disney Princesses at Hogwarts. And I figure, Hey! I like Hogwarts, I like Disney! And I need to write something, and this is a good mind numbing exercise I can do while I try to figure out how to fill plot holes I've accidentally created in my other works.
So keep an eye out for that, oh! And be expecting to see more of me. Because it is finally Summer and I have nothing better to do when it is raining and too hot to sleep.
Ciao!
Monday, May 5, 2014
High School: Who Cares?
So, I haven't taken you on a journey through my mind recently, so let's see what happens...
Let me bring you up to speed on my life, thus far. I have finally decided that I am going to Le Moyne College next year. I have also gone through a rough break-up, no worries I won't be all bitchy about it. But it got me thinking... high school is really trivial.
Think about it. In high school you feel like everything happening to you will be so important for the rest of your life. In the moment, everything is important. And you think that you are planning for your future. but really, how much of this is actually important?
Who cares if you got the best grades? Who cares if you won the most football games? Who cares if you were a geek? Who cares if you were a slut? Honestly, high school is such a short part of our lives, only four years, and yet we feel like it is the time that shapes us the most. I will admit that in my four years of high school I have changed quite a bit. But I wouldn't say that these were the most important days of my life.
Of course, thus far they are pretty important. In high school you do have to make some major choices. But these choices aren't like, life or death, they are- for the most part- just things to make life easier down the road. For example, if I decided to go to Le Moyne for Creative Writing (which I did) but in a year I decide to go to Cal Tech for Astrophysics, I can. It will be harder, but I can still do it.
Similarly, friendships forged in high school are hardly life-long, nor permanent. I had friends that graduated before me, and they probably wouldn't count me as a friend any more. For no other reason than, we just don't hang out. If they see me on the street, they acknowledge me, and I them. But it's not like we have to have really in-depth conversations or even a normal conversation. Life moves on.
I also know that when I leave here, in about two months; when I say good-bye to some people, that is going to be our final good-bye. Sure, I have friends that I hope I can stay in touch with, but honestly, we won't have much to talk about if we're not involved in the same activities. I wish I could say that I'll stay in touch with everyone, but that is just a lie. I wish I could say that my (now ex) boyfriend was "the one" and that I'll never be whole again. But that's simply not true.
High school relationships, friendships, enemy-ships, etc.... they all end. I can honestly say that in five months I won't care who I was in a relationship with; I won't care who sat next to me in fourth period theology; I won't care which parties I wasn't invited to; I won't care about most of my (current) friends' issues because; let's be honest, I will be far away, living my own life. Quite Simply, high school is just another four years. College is just another four years. Ultimately, I don't think I'll even remember most of these people in a year.
I suppose that should make me sad, but it doesn't. OK, that's a lie. I am torn up right now. My heart is dieing. I do get sad when I think that these people that I have shared so much with will be gone. But then I realize that, just because I have had friends move on, doesn't mean that I've been sad for the last four years. I managed to make new friends every year. And I know my little buddies will too.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love my friends. I hope I can stay in contact with them, but I'm not going to kill myself to stay in contact with them.
This post, I suppose, is me really letting go. Letting go of all the negative feelings I have towards certain people: the girl who used to be my best friend, the ex friends that won't let things go, the one who ripped my heart out, the jerks who made fun of me, the kids who pissed me off, the authorities that were corrupt.... In the end, all of it is so trivial.
I feel like I have had a sudden epiphany today. Because, while all those things did hurt me; made me scream and cry and hurt; none of them are so detrimental to my life that I can't move on. My Mom always says that everything happens for a reason, I suppose it does. I'm not saying that these things didn't shape me, because they did. But I am saying that I don't need to dwell on them.
And if you're in high school, middle school, college, working, whatever; and you're reading this, then just remember: so much of what you think is detrimental is really trivial. Now, some people do have legitimate things to worry about in high school and college (having a child, cancer, getting married, taking care of siblings, parents dieing, etc.) but I am not one of those people. My life is pretty ordinary. The most pressing thing now is passing all my classes and finding a date to prom.
So, my advise is to keep living life and "doing you" but don't let little things (like break-ups, or fizzled friendships, or failing classes, or loosing a game) control your life. That's all for now, I will try to post more often now that the school year is winding down, but I make no promises.
Ciao!
Let me bring you up to speed on my life, thus far. I have finally decided that I am going to Le Moyne College next year. I have also gone through a rough break-up, no worries I won't be all bitchy about it. But it got me thinking... high school is really trivial.
Think about it. In high school you feel like everything happening to you will be so important for the rest of your life. In the moment, everything is important. And you think that you are planning for your future. but really, how much of this is actually important?
Who cares if you got the best grades? Who cares if you won the most football games? Who cares if you were a geek? Who cares if you were a slut? Honestly, high school is such a short part of our lives, only four years, and yet we feel like it is the time that shapes us the most. I will admit that in my four years of high school I have changed quite a bit. But I wouldn't say that these were the most important days of my life.
Of course, thus far they are pretty important. In high school you do have to make some major choices. But these choices aren't like, life or death, they are- for the most part- just things to make life easier down the road. For example, if I decided to go to Le Moyne for Creative Writing (which I did) but in a year I decide to go to Cal Tech for Astrophysics, I can. It will be harder, but I can still do it.
Similarly, friendships forged in high school are hardly life-long, nor permanent. I had friends that graduated before me, and they probably wouldn't count me as a friend any more. For no other reason than, we just don't hang out. If they see me on the street, they acknowledge me, and I them. But it's not like we have to have really in-depth conversations or even a normal conversation. Life moves on.
I also know that when I leave here, in about two months; when I say good-bye to some people, that is going to be our final good-bye. Sure, I have friends that I hope I can stay in touch with, but honestly, we won't have much to talk about if we're not involved in the same activities. I wish I could say that I'll stay in touch with everyone, but that is just a lie. I wish I could say that my (now ex) boyfriend was "the one" and that I'll never be whole again. But that's simply not true.
High school relationships, friendships, enemy-ships, etc.... they all end. I can honestly say that in five months I won't care who I was in a relationship with; I won't care who sat next to me in fourth period theology; I won't care which parties I wasn't invited to; I won't care about most of my (current) friends' issues because; let's be honest, I will be far away, living my own life. Quite Simply, high school is just another four years. College is just another four years. Ultimately, I don't think I'll even remember most of these people in a year.
I suppose that should make me sad, but it doesn't. OK, that's a lie. I am torn up right now. My heart is dieing. I do get sad when I think that these people that I have shared so much with will be gone. But then I realize that, just because I have had friends move on, doesn't mean that I've been sad for the last four years. I managed to make new friends every year. And I know my little buddies will too.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love my friends. I hope I can stay in contact with them, but I'm not going to kill myself to stay in contact with them.
This post, I suppose, is me really letting go. Letting go of all the negative feelings I have towards certain people: the girl who used to be my best friend, the ex friends that won't let things go, the one who ripped my heart out, the jerks who made fun of me, the kids who pissed me off, the authorities that were corrupt.... In the end, all of it is so trivial.
I feel like I have had a sudden epiphany today. Because, while all those things did hurt me; made me scream and cry and hurt; none of them are so detrimental to my life that I can't move on. My Mom always says that everything happens for a reason, I suppose it does. I'm not saying that these things didn't shape me, because they did. But I am saying that I don't need to dwell on them.
And if you're in high school, middle school, college, working, whatever; and you're reading this, then just remember: so much of what you think is detrimental is really trivial. Now, some people do have legitimate things to worry about in high school and college (having a child, cancer, getting married, taking care of siblings, parents dieing, etc.) but I am not one of those people. My life is pretty ordinary. The most pressing thing now is passing all my classes and finding a date to prom.
So, my advise is to keep living life and "doing you" but don't let little things (like break-ups, or fizzled friendships, or failing classes, or loosing a game) control your life. That's all for now, I will try to post more often now that the school year is winding down, but I make no promises.
Ciao!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Social Media
Hey Y'all!
I am making a Twitter and Facebook for you to follow me on if you want some more "up to date" news about me. A lot of times I have stuff that I want to say about writing and similar things, but not enough for me to make a full post out of. Not to mention That I am very busy at the moment and it's just easier to write a quick 140 character thought than a whole post where I have to proof-read and think it through. So, follow me on Twitter: @ebrown_writes
And Facebook: facebook.com/ebrownwrites
And I will let you know any other things that come up!
Ciao!
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