It's time for another installment of Fast Five Friday, created by the ladies over at Cover Girls! This week they've asked as to share five childhood cartoons. The hardest part was actually narrowing it down to five!
BTW, I was probably most obsessed with #1 when I was little (so I guess I've had an obsessive personality since childhood...). My stuffed Darkwing Duck was my favorite toy for quite some time and I even threw him a birthday party, complete with Easy Bake Oven treats. If that doesn't scream 90s I don't know what does.
1. Darkwing Duck
2. Garfield and Friends
3. Tiny Toon Adventures
4. Ren & Stimpy
5. Rocko's Modern Life
What were some of your favorite childhood cartoons? Have a great weekend, everyone! I've got my 300th blog post on Monday! Still no idea what it will be about, though...
I think my brain has fizzled out but I still refuse to take a blogging break, so here I go!
Thanks to everyone who participated in The Muse Party Blogfest on Monday! It was loads of fun getting to know everyone's muses. I don't think the party got too crazy, right? We certainly had an interesting mix of people! I feel like I should write a story about it (but you know what happens when I promise things...). I'm pretty sure Jordan tried to rig spin the bottle by putting all the guys in one circle and the girls in another. Did he think no one would notice??
Turns out I have another milestone next Monday--my 300th blog post. But you-know-who is taking over that day so I have no idea how that's going to go yet.
Well, I was supposed to be on a plane to Florida in a few hours but I decided not to go. Mostly because of the cat. He seems to be doing a bit better but he just stresses out so easily I don't think he would do very well alone for 5 days. Usually we have my dad and my fiance's sister check on him when we travel, but his sister was going with us, and I didn't think one person was good enough, especially with the stomach issues he's been having.
I have been feeding Gizmo a little canned pumpkin every day, which I think is helping. It was so funny the first time I tried to feed it to him, he wanted no part of it and I had to literally shove it into his mouth. Then he was like, wait a second, this is pretty tasty. Now he begs for it and scarfs it down. I also refilled the wall plug in that keeps him from stressing. It's like an air freshener that sends out happy cat pheromones. It's been a lifesaver since he started getting UTIs, but it's sooooo expensive at the pet stores so I have to order it from Amazon. I think stress was a big factor in him getting sick this time, too.
Anyway, enough about my cat! My fiance is gone until Monday so I'm all by my lonesome. I hope that means I can get a lot done. Maybe some, dare I say it, writing??? Or I could just sit around watching movies. Who knows?
Well, I've been up since 3:30 for no reason, so I'm going to make a giant cup of coffee. What's everyone else up to?
The day has finally arrived! It's time for The Muse Party Blogfest! Now I can finally stop trying to pimp it out...
I wanted to throw this party to celebrate my fourth blogging anniversary. I can't believe it's been so long! I still feel like I'm getting the hang of it. So I decided to throw a party where my fellow bloggers can come and bring along their muses (or characters from their books). It should be lots of fun! If you'd still like to sign up, the Linky List will be live for the rest of the day.
Onto the party!!! Everything is set up and the guests should be arriving shortly. We've got balloons, an open bar, karaoke, and a giant snack table! My muse is awake...
Barely…
*ahem* Since Jordan wasn't going to let me run this whole show on my own, he gets the blue font so you'll know when he's talking. I told him to keep his swearing to a minimum.
Wait,
what? Motherf---
Let's get started! For this blogfest, everyone had to answer the same questions about how they and their muses would act at the party. So Jordan and I will be playing along as well.
I know I promised you guys a picture but it turns out I just really can't draw. Like, at all. Especially people. I tried, really! My fiance has dabbled in cartoons and even tried and he doesn't even know what Jordan looks like. So yeah. Didn't happen. *womp womp*
1. Who is your muse (or character)? Tell us a little bit about him/her
and why you brought them.
I think we’re good,
right? Everyone knows you already.
EXCUSE ME? Are you trying deny me the spotlight??
Oh, all right. This
sassy SOB is my muse, Jordan. He’s been attached to my brain like a leech for a
little over four years now. He’s the lead singer of a band with his friends,
has the biggest sweet tooth anyone’s ever had, and is mildly sociopathic (Like
seriously, don’t get on his bad side. You’ll regret it). He’s also the main
character in my WIP, which we will hopefully finish someday. I brought him
because he’s my only muse and pretty much the only POV I write from so he
basically runs my life.
Sounds about right.
2. What are you guys wearing? Dressing up or keeping it casual?
I’m definitely dressing
up! I will take any chance to wear a pretty dress and high heels.
You’re such a girl.
Well, yeah. What about
you?
Well, I’m not gonna go nuts and wear a suit or anything. Probably just
jeans, a t-shirt, and a nice jacket or something.
You wear skinny jeans
more than I do.
Don’t you have to go take six hours to straighten your hair or
something?
I brought enough guacamole to feed a small country.
Did you bring tortilla
chips?
How is that my job??
4. Open bar! What are you both drinking (booze or otherwise)?
My go-to bar drink is usually
Malibu and pineapple juice.
Yeah, I’ll just have what she’s having. I’ll probably have some shots
later.
Uh, no. He’ll have some
tea.
WHAT?!
Water, then? You’re 19.
I’m a muse. I’m ageless. I can be whatever age I want to be. Plus you’ve
been working on Book 3 so I’m 22.
Well, I’ve been working
on Book 1, too, and you’re 15 in that so your argument is irrelevant. No booze.
You’re no fun. I mean, really. Zero fun.
5. Wallflowers or social butterflies?
I’m usually a
wallflower but it’s my party so I guess I should play host, at least. I may
need a few drinks first…
I can’t have any booze and I highly doubt there will be anyone here I
could even tryto flirt with so I’m just gonna sulk in the corner.
Oh, come on. Have a
little fun.
HOW?! You’ve taken away the only two good things about going to a
party. Alcohol and the chance to get laid.
Just wait and see…
6. What song(s) will you and your muse sing for karaoke?
FINALLY. My moment has arrived! Wait, do I only get one???!!!!
There are a lot
of people who will want to sing, too.
Yeah, but if I go first no one will want to follow me.
Be nice, please.
This has nothing to do with being nice. This is about being talented.
How about we each get
our own song and then do one together?
*sigh* Fine. I'm always up for singing "Satisfaction."
It’s practically your
theme song. Well, I have to sing “Ordinary Day” because it’s our song!
Please don’t get sappy on me. We’re singing “Centuries” together.
What?! No! I suck at
that song.
I don’t! *evil laugh* Do not even try to pretend like you
don’t want to sing Fall Out Boy with me.
Maybe a little bit.
Suuuuuuuuuuure.
7. What’s your favorite party game?
Everyone do a shot
every time Jordan rolls his eyes!
HEY. How about spin the bottle? But no do-overs if you land on the
same sex.
Ok, but no do-overs if
you land on the opposite sex.
DAMN.
I’m not playing. I’ve
only kissed one person my entire life and I’m keeping it that way.
Don’t be so uptight! Someone get her another drink…
8. Which one of you is more likely to end up dancing on a table top?
Agh! I guess me because
I’m the only one drinking.
If I was drinking I’d probably say something stupid and then pass out.
I’m a sad drunk. I don’t know how that happened.
I just talk too much
when I drink. So I’d say there won’t be any table dancing. Hopefully.
9. Has your muse been a good date and would you ever hang out with them
again?
You’re ok, I guess.
Gee, thanks.
Oh, who am I kidding? I
would totally hang out with you again. You’ve got this weird hold on me.
Well, if this ever happens again and I can’t bring an actual date, I
guess you’d be my first choice.
Aw, you’re so sweet.
That wasn’t even a little bit sweet.
It’s about as sweet as
you get so I’ll take it.
Thanks to everyone participating in the blogfest and whoever is crazy enough to read through my posts (especially this one)! Be sure to check out the other names on the list and see who else is coming to the party!!
It’s Friday and that
means we’re just one post away from the epic Muse Party Blogfest! There’s still
time to sign up so I’ve included the Linky List below, but click on the link if
you need to check out the guidelines! I’m hoping that everyone is going to have
an awesome time enjoying the party and getting to know everyone and their
muses. Now if I could only find Jordan. He’s supposed to be helping me set up…
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz………
*kicks* Wake up!
Huh? Oh man, you gave me the blue font again? I’ll just get back to my
nap, thank you very much.
You’re supposed to be
helping!
You know this isn’t a realparty, right? There isn’t actually anything to set
up.
Indulge me. Here, you
can blow up the balloons. I have to get back to making cupcakes.
You’re not making those cupcakes,
are you?
I always make those cupcakes. I’m practically famous
for them.
Except you stole them from my book,
you slut.
Excuse me?! You know
that phrase “the pot calling the kettle black?” Well this is like the pot
calling the porcelain teapot black.
*Pfft* Fine. But it’s not a white teapot. Off-white, maybe.
WOULD YOU BLOW UP THE
BALLOONS ALREADY?
Ok, geez. Relax. So how many people are coming to this thing?
Twenty-two sign ups so
far. So with their muses that makes forty-four….I think I’m gonna need more
cupcakes. Are you making anything?
Haven’t decided yet. I think I’ll bring something you can't resist like shrimp cocktail
or onion dip so that you’ll just be eating and not yelling at me.
Because that requires
sooooooo much work!
Ugh. Fine. Maybe I’ll make some guac. Actually, I’d better get out of
here. I’m gonna need like, a million avocadoes…
You just keep blowing
up those balloons, mister.
*sigh* I still don’t get why I can’t bring a date.
It’s a muse party. You’re
supposed to be my date.
Ew. Are there any guys coming, at least? Or is it going to be a chick
fest?
There are guys coming
but I’m pretty sure they’re all straight. So no flirting.
Boooooooooooooooooo. You never let me have any fun.
You can make some
friends!
I don’t need friends, I need to get laid!
You never struggle in
that department so that’s not even true. All right, we’re probably annoying everyone
out there so I should wrap this up. We pretty much just need to finish the
decorations and the snacks, set up the bar and karaoke machine, and that’s it!
I’m so going to win at karaoke.
It’s not a contest.
I’m still going to win.
You always do. Oh wait,
I forgot! I really want to draw a picture of us!
WHY?
Because it would be
cool! Plus no one knows what you look like. Actually, there’s probably still a
few people out there who think you’re a girl…
Fine. Draw your damn picture. I’m going to get back to my nap. Who in
their right mind has a party on a Monday anyway?
Well, no one blogs on a
Saturday night, so…deal with it!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Yeah, this is pretty
much what I deal with on a daily basis. No wonder I never get any writing done…
Come back on Monday for all the festivities! And sign up below if you
haven’t already. It should be lots of fun!!!
Last week I talked about when characters run amok and do something unexpected, and you're left trying to figure out what to about it. If it isn't something you thought of when you originally planned out your book, it may be difficult to figure out where this change can happen. How does it affect the rest of the story? Do you have to completely overhaul the whole book or can you just sneak it in?
If your characters are nice enough, maybe they'll make these random decisions ahead of time so that you don't have to completely change the events of the book. Or maybe it won't be such a life changing event and you can just sneak it in somewhere. The best possible scenario would be to figure it out before you even start writing. If you've got just an outline or even a rough idea in your head of what will happen in the story, it will be pretty easy (or at least not as hard) than having to completely change something you've already written.
Luckily my rogue character was nice enough to throw this curve ball at me before I even outlined the book. When I first thought of the moment when he reveals a secret to the MC, my initial reaction was, "So???" This was a character who was never meant to be important. If you've got an unimportant character suddenly trying to become important, it's going to seem strange. And no one is going to care.
I always had the rough outline in my head of what would happen in the second book. And this particular character was going to have two, maybe three lines. But apparently that wasn't good enough for him. The thing that really changed, though, was having this moment inspire a third book, where said character would be extremely important. But I thought, is anyone going to care? If he was basically a background character in the second book, how believable is it to upgrade him to love interest by the third?
The answer wasn't that hard to figure out. He can't be this cardboard cutout in the second book that I originally planned on. I need to figure out a way to make him more important so that the reader will actually care about him, and also find the third book believable. I don't want to shove him in the reader's face too much because that would drastically change the plot of the second book, but I think there are more subtle ways to sneak him in.
It's just really great that I'm figuring this out now instead of after writing the second book. I'd hate to have to go back and change everything. Imagine if the second book was already published! It would be impossible to change it. So sometimes your characters may do something that throws you off, but if they're nice enough, maybe they'll let you know while it's still early enough to change things.
Today you get a two for one special! Mostly because I can't say no to a blogfest, especially when one of my favorite movies comes to mind for it. But first up is the awesome Chrys Fey here to interview the main character from her new book, Witch of Death. Take it away!!!
* * *
Chrys Fey here. I stole a spot on Sarah’s blog. I hope
you don’t mind. And I honestly don’t think you will because I am interviewing
the heroine from Witch of Death, Liberty Sawyer. She’s a witch!
Hey,
Libby, it’s been a while. I brewed some chamomile tea and have some ginger
cookies waiting for us on the porch. Shall we?
Lead the way, Chrys. It’s a beautiful day.
Yes,
it is and our readers want to know some things about you. I hope you don’t mind
if I ask you a few questions.
Not at all. I’m an open book. Literally.
1.
When did you find out you were a witch?
When I was born, my mother held me in her arms and
whispered, “Welcome to the world, my darling witch. Happy birthday and blessed
be.” So I have known I was a witch from the time I was born, but Mom made sure
to pass on the witchy gene way before then. While pregnant with me, she made
sure to include my presence whenever casting a circle or spell. I guess you
could say I’ve been doing magick since I was an embryo.
2.
How did you get the name Liberty?
My parents are both witches and they believe a name is a
powerful affirmation. They wanted to give me a name that was strong and could
offer me realms of possibilities in life. Thus, I became Liberty, but people
call me Libby.
3. What
was it like growing up as a witch?
At times, it was lovely. The Wiccan religion, which
focuses on nature and Earth, is beautiful. I enjoyed learning everything my
parents taught me. But other times, it was tough. I’ve always had black hair
and pale skin, and for some reason everyone took that as a sign that I was an
evil witch. I didn’t have many friends growing up because of that.
4.
Does being a witch count as a pro or a con for being a detective?
I think it’s both. It’s a pro because I often get visions
of murders, which helps me greatly with my cases. But it’s also a con when
other detectives look at you down their noses and refuse to work with a
psychic.
5.
Can you tell us about the case you’re working on now?
This case is strange. The victim is a male witch and not
only was he killed with magick, he was killed by another witch. I don’t know
why and I don’t know who, but I’ll find out if it’s the last thing I do!
Except, Reid is an obstacle I did not anticipate.
6.
Who’s Reid?
Detective Reid Sanders is a pain in my Wiccan behind!
He’s a close-minded Muggle (Thanks, J.K. Rowling!) who can’t see magick when
it’s smacking him in the face. We have to work together to catch this witch of
death, but he’s being an idiot and thinks I’m a suspect.
7.
Why in the world would he think you’re a suspect?
Because I’m a witch and he doesn’t trust me. I could
understand his suspicion if I wasn’t a detective, but I am and I take my job
very seriously. I could hate him if only he wasn’t so damn sexy.
8.
What’s a common misconception about witches?
That we’re evil. Witches believe in harming none.
We never do spells that’ll negatively impact another person or take away their
free will. Well, we usually don’t but this witch of death is the exception.
Unfortunately, there are some bag eggs just like there are for every religion.
Witches also believe in the Law of Three, which states whatever we do comes
back to us threefold. Any good witch is cautious of what they do because of
this, and also because we all think life on Earth is sacred.
Thanks
for chatting with me today, Libby.
No
problem, Goddess Chrys. Blessed be!
Goddess?
Hey, now! I like that! *wink*
Title: Witch of Death
Author: Chrys Fey
Genre: Supernatural/Suspense
Format:eBook Only Page Count: 45 (short story)
Release Date: May 20th, 2015
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Blurb:
Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the
supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of
nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical
murder involves working with a witch.
Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil
witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she
becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more
people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.
Liberty Sawyer glided swiftly through the horde of police
officers, reporters, and on- lookers. Black hair fell from a rigid part in the
middle of her scalp to her hips. Her eyes were a soul-stabbing blue and her
lips were blood-red. She towered over the other officers on the scene, and wore
all black, which set off the pallor of her skin.
Showing her badge to the officer, she slipped under the
crime scene tape. A few paces away, she spotted Detective Corbin talking to his
new partner, a man she knew by name but hadn’t had the privilege of meeting
yet.
“I cannot believe you called her,” the new man was saying
when she came up behind them. “We don’t need a damn psychic!”
“Actually, I’m a witch.” She smiled when Reid jolted and
turned to face her. “I’m Detective Liberty Sawyer." She stuck out her hand.
“Detective Reid Sanders,” he grunted back and took her
hand.
The feel of his palm against hers sent tingles of lust
from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder blade, and she knew he felt it too
by the way he jerked his hand back. She winked at him playfully, hoping it
would unnerve him even more.
ALSO AVAILABLE:
Blurb:
Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up
in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night
she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life.
Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking
the lead detective on the case.
Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person
responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity
with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.
But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an
earth-bound spirit forever.
Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30
Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll
serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.
When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of
being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve,
she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later
rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next
hurricane to come her way.
You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write
with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!
Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;)
* * *
All right, I'm back! Today is also the day for The Blood, Boobs & Carnage Blogfest, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh and Heather M. Gardner! We’re supposed to share a movie, TV show, or book that falls into those three categories. While I couldn’t think of anything at first, I eventually realized that one of my favorite movies fits this perfectly! Plus...it’s a musical!!! Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you?
Blood? Most definitely.
Boobs? I’d say there’s a decent amount of cleavage, at least.
Carnage? Well, lots of people die and get ground up and baked into meat pies. Does that count????
I’m usually quite squeamish but there’s just something about this movie that makes me able to handle it. It’s probably the singing…
Have you checked out Chrys' new books? Anyone else love Sweeney Todd? Don't forget to sign up for The Muse Party Blogfest! It's happening next Monday!
Ok, I know I said I got an idea for a blog post. And I did. A good one! But I just don't feel like writing it today. Maybe sometime next week. I'm a bit stressed out so I thought I would just ramble for a bit instead.
So I'm still working on all of those things from my last blog post. I've almost finished the first guest post, just need to tidy it up a bit. I keep procrastinating but having it hanging over my head just stresses me out more because I feel really bad about not having it done. Then once that's done I'll start the second one. I still don't know the what the wifi situation will be in Florida, so I'd like to get all this stuff done and some extra blog posts before I leave.
I really don't think those drawings I talked about are going to happen. Maybe if I get a free moment to just sit down and not feel like I should be doing a million other things instead...
My freaking cat is sick again! This time with some kind of stomach bug, I think. I'll spare you the gross details but I will say it usually involves me having to clean his tail or paws after he gets out of the litter box. I thought it was just because of the heat because he got better for a day or two but now he's sick again. I don't know what to do. I can't afford to take him back to the vet since I spent so much the last time he was sick. But if he doesn't get better before we leave, I don't think I can go to Florida. It's just stressing me out worrying about the cat all of the time and not knowing what I should do about it.
Don't even get me started on life stuff! My fiance and I have been talking about moving to LA instead of New York (which would have been my first choice, but anything is better than staying here). I'm stressed out about money and wondering if I'll have enough to make it to when we move. I've got a one day NY trip next month and then my dad's 60th birthday is in July so I wanted to wait until after those because if we move all the way across the country, it's gonna be way too hard to come back for them. But I don't know if my money is going to last that long. My fiance filled out a form to get his student loans forgiven since he works for a hospital and has already made over 5 years of payments, so I'm really hoping he'll qualify because that would really help us out.
Uhh...anything good to share...hmm. Last night my niece had her first dance recital! I used to dance when I was around her age, too, so it was really fun to see.
That's about it. I'm just gonna try not to have a nervous breakdown over here. Have a nice weekend, everyone!!
I woke up this morning blissfully unaware that I needed to write a blog post. Then I turned on my computer and went through the usual routine: email, Twitter, Blogger....ohhhhh. Right. It's Wednesday. I'm supposed to blog on Wednesdays. All I could do was whine, "But I don't want to!"
I think my blogging momentum has finally come to a screeching halt. It's probably equal parts A to Z burnout and just running out of ideas. I've been blogging three days a week all year and it's hard to keep up and come up with ideas. I do have a list of blog ideas, but I feel like I've already picked through all the good ones. If I talk about my writing progress, I feel like I'm just repeating the same stuff over and over again. I'm sure I've already blogged about running out of ideas before, too.
So what am I blogging about today? Nothing, really. Sometimes the ideas just don't come to you. Maybe on Friday I'll have a better idea. That's usually the way it goes. Maybe something will happen with my writing that will inspire a post (Monday's post was kind of like that).
For now I've got sooooooo much stuff to work on. I'm trying to set up for The Muse Party Blogfest. I need to write my post and a "prep" post for the Friday before that (which should be amusing). I also wanted to draw some pictures for it and I'm really not that great of an artist so it'll probably take me a while. I've got TWO posts for other bloggers that I'm working on (one that I should have written months ago). I'm reading a book from my CP (I think I can call her my CP now since I'm actually reading her stuff, lol). AND let's not forget I'm trying to write/outline/brainstorm THREE books. I can't pick which one to work on so I just work on all three.
Aw crap thinking about that just gave me an idea for a blog post!!!!! Oh well.
UGH. All right. I need to get out of here so I can work on all of those aforementioned things. And maybe write a blog post for Friday...
Most of the time (if you're like me, anyway), your characters dictate what happens in a story. You may not know what's going to happen next, but if you give your characters a bit of freedom, they may lead the way and figure it out for you. Which is usually great. You want your characters to feel like real people and to do realistic things and make choices that feel natural and not crafted by some supreme overlord...I mean, author. But is it possible to give your characters too much freedom? If you let them get too far away from you, will they do something that makes no sense? And then you're left trying to figure out where to go next or to even use this moment at all.
Think about all of the characters in your story like you're keeping them in a giant pen. You have to constantly make sure the gate is locked and no one gets out. You may let one out once in a while but never let them get too far and eventually you have to herd them back in with the others. And if one gets loose on you, all hell could break loose.
I know it sounds silly, because we created our stories and our characters, so they should be following our ideas, right? Well, not always. If you're really stuck trying to figure out what should happen next, sometimes your characters will figure it out for you. Maybe you just think of every possible scenario and whichever one feels right is the one you end up using. Or maybe an idea just randomly pops into your head and even though you never considered it, it feels perfect. So giving your characters a little freedom can be a good thing if it helps you figure something out.
But there is a very good possibility that your characters could take it too far. Maybe you're too busy paying attention to your main characters and one of the minor ones gets loose and does something silly. I'm dealing with the aftermath of this right now, actually. So I have my main WIP and I've been on the fence about writing a sequel for it for a while, but I did have a second book idea in mind. And I had a character who I imagined being basically just some cardboard cutout in the background. At some point where I wasn't paying attention, he snuck out of the pen.
Suddenly I imagined this character revealing something about himself that made zero sense. He wasn't an important character, so why would I need to know anything about him? If I included this information, the reader would probably be left scratching their head saying, "So?" But the more I thought about it, the more ideas came to me, and eventually I had a complete idea for a third book. Sounds crazy, right? It all happened so fast I didn't even know what to do about it. All because I lost control of one insignificant character. Now I'm stuck not only with another book to right, but with the task of making this character more important than I initially planned. It's not really a bad thing, in the end, but I did not see this coming at all.
So watch out for those stray characters. They may get away from you and do something you never imagined could happen.
Well, I suppose it's time to officially wrap up this year's A to Z Challenge. It's been a blast and I will miss all the fun but's it's also a relief to get back to regular blogging and *gasp* maybe working on my novel! But first, reflections!!!
This was my second year doing the Challenge, and I feel as though each year I'll get a little better at it. Last year, I didn't have a theme and wrote every post on the day it went up. This year I planned a little bit more. I did have a theme (The Name Game!!) and before April began I had a list of topics for every letter (except 2 that needed to be figured out). I didn't write anything until the last day of March. I thought this would be the end of the world because I initially wanted every post written before April even began.
It wasn't a disaster, though. What really saved me was having those ideas already figured out. My theme was sort of complicated in regards to putting topics with letters. I was able to rename topics so they could fit different letters, and so I was able to fit in every idea I wanted to write about. If I was figuring this out day to day, it would have been impossible. Actually writing the posts was not as hard as just figuring out where they would go. I thought I would eventually get ahead, but the best I ever did was writing posts the day before. A few I even wrote on the day they were posted, depending on how much I had procrastinated the day before (usually to the point where I was too tired to write the posts).
I really liked my topic. I had fun with it. Some ideas came to me right away, others took a bit. I did feel like my enthusiasm wore out as the Challenge went on, and that my earlier posts were better quality than the later ones. I also kind of gave up on finding pictures or gifs to go with the posts. It was a hard topic to find pics for, so after a certain amount of searching and not finding anything, it was easier just to forget about it.
Where I was really disappointed in myself was in visiting other blogs. I did not get around to a lot of new blogs. I would usually start the day by just going through my blog feed, but since a lot (A LOT.) of blogs I already follow were doing the Challenge, it was a lot to get through. A few times I did try to pick at the list, usually looking at the WR blogs, but I didn't do this as much as I wanted. I was also a minion/sidekick for the first time this year, so I did get to check out a lot of new blogs that way.
All right, I'm rambling again so I'll wrap this up! Having a theme was super helpful, as well as planning out all of my ideas. I think if I do the Challenge next year, I'd like to actually write the posts ahead of time so that I'll have the month of April just to look at blogs.
Don't forget to sign up for The Muse Party Blogfest!!! I've already gotten more signups than I thought I'd ever get (you guys are awesome!), but there's still room for more! It should be lots of fun!
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Click the link to learn more and sign up!
So it's finally May and the A to Z Challenge is over. Most bloggers would want to take a second to breathe. Well, not me, apparently. I feel as though this month is going to be just as psychotic as the last, only with less focus. I've got so much going on and so much I need to do and I feel like it's impossible.
First of all, I'd really like to keep the blogging momentum going, which is great in theory, but can be exhausting. It's mostly because I haven't missed or skipped a day at all this year (I've posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, except of course for April where I posted every day except Sundays!). I'd really just like to keep that going. There are two major problems I see, however: running out of ideas and just burning out.
Then, of course, like the crazy person that I am, I decided to host a blogfest at the end of the month (see shameless plug below). It's not like it was a spur of the moment idea. I've been thinking about it for months. But it's still a big thing to take on.
I also really really really want to finish rewriting/editing Uneven Lines by next month so I can do Pitmad. I don't think it's going to happen but I'm probably not going to officially give up until that day comes. It's the rewriting that drives me nuts. You'd think after four years and writing it three times already, I would have figured out how to properly end this book. Nope!
And then there's life stuff. My fiance and I are trying to figure out what to do with our lives, where we want to move to, when we want to get married, yada yada. My money is close to gone so I have to figure out what to do about that and I spend pretty much every second of every day doing crowdsource work just because it's something. And we're also going to Florida at the end of the month for his grandfather's 80th birthday, and I'm all in a panic wondering if they have wifi because if they don't that means I can't blog or work or pay my bills and I will just be a nervous wreck.
*deep breath* All right, I'll wrap this up before it turns into a novel. Maybe I just need to take a little time each day to relax. Drink tea or do yoga or something. Or try to schedule myself. Oh, who am I kidding? That never works! I'll probably just continue to live life like a chicken with its head cut off!
SHAMELESS PLUG!!!!
For my fourth blogging anniversary, I'm hosting a blogfest! It's a party where you can come and bring your muse or a character from one of your books. Click the picture to get all of the info and sign up! It's happening on May 25 and all you have to do is answer some questions about you and your muse, some of the things you like, and how much fun you'd have at my virtual party! So join in!!! :D
**The first Monday of every month, I let my muse take over the blog. I apologize in advance.**
Did you miss me?? Is everyone sleeping? Well, that's what I was doing all through April while all of you were losing your minds, so I'm all nice and refreshed! Anyone out there??
Anyway, if you were awake (or sane) enough to stop over here on Friday, you may have seen a certain announcement. We're throwing a party! Yay? Ok, look. Parties aren't really my thing. I don't have a great history with them (looooooooong story). So now I'm forced into not only going to one, but co-hosting it?!! Ugh.
But I'm not going to be the one who ruins everything. I'd need a good reason to do that. And I guess I'm not the most helpful of muses so I can at least help out with this. Plus it could be fun and not a disaster. Who knows? What I do know is that YOU (Yes, you. The one reading this right now.) should come! Why? So you can show off your muse and see how well you two would interact. Plus you get to come to a party! Normal people like that, right?
All right, so I'm gonna tell you all of the details in case you missed them. So if you want to come (because you do), here's what you have to do. The party is happening on Monday, May 25. You can bring your muse or one of your characters. On that day, answer the questions below on your blog.
1. Who is your muse (or character)? Tell us a little bit about him/her and why you brought them. 2. What are you guys wearing? Dressing up or keeping it casual? 3. It's a potluck! Did you bring something yummy? 4. Open bar! What are you both drinking (booze or otherwise)? 5. Wallflowers or social butterflies? 6. What song(s) will you and your muse sing for karaoke? 7. What's your favorite party game? 8. Which one of you is more likely to end up dancing on a table top? 9. Has your muse been a good date and would you ever hang out with them again?
That's pretty much it. I'll even make it easy for you and leave the sign up list below. Go on! You know you want to! You'll have a great time. Will I have a great time? Well, that's debatable. Let me guess! You all have chicks for muses so there aren't going to be any hot guys at this party. *longest sigh ever* I mean, I haven't made out with a girl since...well, since the last party I went to, actually. Weird. But! Don't think I didn't notice that there's going to be karaoke. I'm going to put all of you guys to shame. You've been warned.
All right, that's about it. Was I persuasive enough? I hope so. It's kinda my thing.
So the A to Z Challenge is over and it would be a great time to take a blogging break, right? WRONG. Why? Because I'm a crazy person. You didn't know that?
My fourth blog anniversary is coming up this month and I thought I'd do something special! I've had this idea for a while, and it seemed to fit in with the overall mood of my blog, so...drum roll please.....I'm throwing a party!
Well, a virtual party, anyway. A muse party! Where you and your muse can come and we can all have some fun and get to know each other.
It's pretty simple! The Muse Party Blogfest will happen on Monday, May 25. I will be hosting a party and you and your muse can come! On that day you can post on your blog and answer the questions I've provided. I'll be answering them as well and of course visiting all of the blogs who participate!
If you don't have a muse or you just don't want to bring them, feel free to bring a character from one of your books (published or not!). I'm hoping this will be a fun way to express your own tastes and maybe to get to know your muse a little better!
Here are the questions:
1. Who is your muse (or character)? Tell us a little bit about him/her and why you brought them.
2. What are you guys wearing? Dressing up or keeping it casual?
3. It's a potluck! Did you bring something yummy?
4. Open bar! What are you both drinking (booze or otherwise)?
5. Wallflowers or social butterflies?
6. What song(s) will you and your muse sing for karaoke? 7. What's your favorite party game?
8. Which one of you is more likely to end up dancing on a table top? 9. Has your muse been a good date and would you ever hang out with them again?
Feel free to also add on any other details you'd like to share!
Sign up on the Linky List below if you'd like to participate! If you need more persuading, stop back here on Monday. My co-host for the party may have a few things to say...
I’ve been writing since I was 8, letting my writing grow up with me from children’s books to YA to Adult. I’ve been working on my novel Uneven Lines since 2011. Hopefully someday you’ll get to read it. Sometimes I write poetry, if the muse isn’t hogging my attention. I’m 35 and live in a studio apartment with my stand-up comedian husband. If you browse through my blog, you’ll definitely come across Jordan—he’s the 15-year-old narrator of my novel and my muse/the annoying voice in my head/the third love of my life. Mostly I write about…well, writing!
