Happy Holidays!

It is - officially - the first day of Winter!
(I am ever so slightly excited... or, you know, really excited.)

Happy holidays to those of you celebrating, and well wishes to everyone!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find my fluffy socks...


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I should also mention that I'm going out of town for a few days and I'm not sure if I'll be able to post. However, at the moment, I definitely don't have time to write a post. Will make up for this lack of reading material later!

Writing Poetry & Sharing With The Public

Over the past few days, I've started writing again for the first time in a while - and by that I mean writing something that I can stand to look over later. It would seem that I have started to find my flare for words again, which is kind of nice because, for several months there, my depression was drowning out everything that was even slightly useful.

Anyway, the other night, I pulled up a new document and began to write strands of words that had popped into my head when I saw a photograph. At first, I thought I would set the words aside and incorporate them into something later. Which I did, only, later was about fifteen minutes later, instead of several weeks.

What started out as a line, slowly twisted and turned until it became two, then three, and so on until, by the end of the evening, I had written over half of a quite decent poem.

I cannot properly express my joy over this occasion.

Poetry, supposedly, doesn't make anyone any money. So, I'm sure a lot of people I know will be confused over why this is so wonderful to me. But writing, to me, has never been about money. And poetry has a special, if not strange, place in my heart.

In college, several semesters back, I took a creative writing course. Experience has taught me that a lot of creative writing courses begin with a poetry section, so I can't say that I was entirely surprised when the course I was in started that way, too. The only problem was, at that point in my life, I didn't write poetry. It wasn't my forte (a point which my high school creative writing teacher would probably protest, but that's another story). I only wrote poems when forced, and in my opinion, all of them were awful. I didn't even read poetry, because if it was anything like mine, it couldn't possibly be worth reading.

So, when it was announced that we were starting with poetry, I panicked. Certainly that meant that I was going to fail that part of the class or, worse yet, the professor would like my work again and the class would be as good as useless to me. But, you know, the funniest thing happened. With this poetry, I decided to try something new and I actually tried to care. We wrote our first poem sitting outside on the campus grounds, flinging the words out of pens carelessly. And then, under the trees, we edited our words a bit before handing them over to the professor. She sat with us, went over our papers with her pen, and pointed out all of the bits that were awful. Then she sent us home to edit our work and instructed us to bring it back during the next class. When we came back, we wrote another poem - and this one we read aloud to our classmates, then edited. And this process continued through out the semester until, slowly but surely, I learned to write poetry. I began to excel in it. And, after a couple of weeks, I even learned to like it.

But for all that I like it now and for all that I understand it, poetry still remains one of the most difficult things to write for me. Writing poetry is - for me - a process that requires a lot of care and attention, and it requires that I be attached to my work.

So, after months of detachment and depression in various stages, I'm finally starting to feel what I'm working on again and I'm finally pleased with it. Hence, this means a great deal to me.

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There's another thing that makes this special to me, though.

I haven't been writing just any poetry. Currently, I am working on a small collection of poetry centering around people I have seen or met recently. And, since this project has an idea behind it and a defined number of poems within it, it's actually going to be seen by the public - which is pretty cool if you ask me, because it'll be the first time that any of my work has been viewed by someone outside my family, close friends, and creative writing classmates. 

I'm a part of a couple lovely writing communities over on Livejournal and, at the moment, I'm only participating as a reader. But this collection is going to mark the first change in that, and I really don't think I could pick a better piece to start with. 

Signed, 

Mildly Excited

 

Music Recommendation: Pouring Pain

For the last few days, I've been working on fixing my iPod, clearing out all of the old music and putting on new music. Naturally, I came out of this experience with a few songs stuck in my head. This song, for me, is particularly sticky. And, since it also holds a special place in my heart, I'm dropping it off here. This band usually isn't one that everyone takes to, but I hope you enjoy.


Pouring Pain - Ima Robot

Happy listening!

Ink Wednesday

This is not necessarily a fiction writing related link but, as far as I'm concerned, everyone should know about this site. I was a writing tutor for a while during my first two years of college and I have to say, had students made use of this site more often, there would have been fewer MLA/ASA formatting mistakes to explain in detail.

So, since finals are upon (some of) us, have a useful link:

• Purdue OWL: An online writing laboratory (see: house of useful information) provided by Purdue University. Also known as: A wonderful writing resource for high school/college/university students that can be used as an easy access point for learning academic writing/formatting rules.

(Note: Yes, I have been looking at my MLA manual again recently and, once again, I've been reminded of how irritating the formatting rules are and how much time I could have saved simply by using this website. My apologies for the miniature rant of sorts.)

Hopefully you'll find some use in it.

(Note 2: I'm not actually sure if this site applies to those of you who live in countries other than the United States. I'll probably look into that eventually, but use your judgement for the time being.)

Book Review: Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

"Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart -- and an ordinary life that is changed forever on the day that he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed -- a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city -- a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known..." (Cover blurb on book.)

Some years ago, my cousin recommended to me a book called American Gods by Neil Gaiman. At that point in my life, I was more interested in YA fiction and anything to do with Harry Potter - and, to be honest, I wasn't planning on trying anything new anytime soon. But, after a few years and several more conversations regarding said book, I picked it up at a Barnes and Noble on my way home. And, in a way that was quite surprising to me, when I started reading it I fell in love.

Writing style is something I watch for in books. A book can be good without a great writing style. In fact, that's usually what I run across - good books with something to be desired in language use. So, when I find a book with a writing style I love, I like to track down everything else that the author has written and buy one book at a time, reading as slowly as possible and enjoying each book like a fine dessert.

That is how Neverwhere came to be in my hands. (I bought my copy from a bookstore that no longer exists - a fact that tickles me a bit every time I think about it.)

Neverwhere was Gaiman's debut novel. And while I'm not quite as enraptured with this novel as I am with American Gods, it's good beginning and I imagine that it probably made a decent splash upon being published.

Neverwhere is a Sci-fi/Fantasy novel about a world called London Below, where people who fall through the cracks in society tend to end up. It's a dark, dangerous sort of place where creatures will pull you down into the gap by the tube train and there is a market place that moves around. It's a place filled with quirky characters - such as assassins, nobility, rat-speakers, door-openers, and even an angel - as well as plenty of opportunities for adventure.

At first, the novel is following Richard Mayhew through his normal, day-to-day life. And, while entertaining to read, it seems like a rather boring life. Then he stumbles upon a girl named Door, and his entire world changes. From there on out, you're on a dark, thrilling sort of adventure, and it's a pleasure to read.

While I never became extremely attached to the characters, they never failed to bring a smile to my face. Mr. Vandemar's antics, in particular, often made me laugh (And it might be a strange thing to say, but I've never found a villain quite so adorable as him. The imagery with him is just... incredibly amusing.). And, while a bit self-centered, the marquis has a certain charm to him that landed him in the position of my favorite character.

The settings were described with enough detail for a mind to cling to and invent its own imagery, which I think was a good opportunity to offer in such a novel as this one. I got a great sense of wanting to see the Floating Market while reading Neverwhere, and that's a fascination that has stuck with me ever since my first read.

On the overall, I found Neverwhere to be completely entertaining. It's strong in fantasy, with lots of imagination, and the story-telling is lovely. The characters left an amusing sort of impression and the settings were interesting. There was, admittedly, room for more development in Neverwhere, but it was a fairly satisfying read as is.

While not a very serious sort of novel, Neverwhere brought to mind a point that has stuck with me ever since:

If I stumbled upon another world filled with adventures and an entirely new culture to adjust to, would I ever want to return to this one?

This probably isn't a book for everyone, but if urban fantasy is up your alley, I'd recommend it.

This book can be found in bookstores and online:



Neverwhere


Happy Reading!

Ink Wednesday

This week, I have only one link to bring you. But, as long as it helps, that's all that matters, right?

I discovered this blog about two months ago. I don't remember how I stumbled across it, but I'm very glad for whatever it was that pointed me in this direction.

You see, when you're writing a novel, it's easy to get into a mode (or we hope it is) where you have a feeling for your novel's point and the drive to take it there. And then, quite suddenly, you have a book (or part of one, anyway) sitting in front of you and you've written it! That's a pretty nice experience, if you ask me. 

But that book isn't done, yet. You still have lots of revisions to do and when you start reading what you've written, you will most likely find that a character uses the same expression whenever they're mad/happy about something. All of your characters are furrowing their eyebrows whenever they're perplexed. Several of your characters have the nervous habit of biting their lip. Whenever a character is around their crush, their heart flutters. That's okay. Real people have these kinds of feelings and express themselves in these sorts of ways. However, people also vary the way that they express themselves and, more importantly, not everyone does the same thing when they're upset, or joyful, or exhausted.

It's easy to repeat expressions when you're in the zone, or even when you're just writing a bit at a time. Sometimes, it's difficult to think of another way for a character to express a certain emotion, so (for the time being) we just stick them with the usual signals. But when you're revising or feeling motivated enough to look up or contemplate a new form of expression, it's nice to have somewhere to start.

• The Bookshelf Muse: A blog providing a nice set of weblog thesauruses for writers and, I suppose, other people who might be searching for such things. I haven't actually explored enough of this blog to tell you for sure, but there's a chance there's other neat stuff on here, too.

Anyway, this blog comes highly recommended from me. So, check it out!

Music Recommendation: Nena Lena

As you have probably already noticed (or guessed), I like to write to music. I give my novels, scenes, and characters theme songs - which we'll discuss later. This year, I've been working on a horror sort of novel on and off all year. This is that novel's theme song.

Nena Lena - A Toys Orchestra *

* Unfortunately, I was unable to find this song on Youtube. However, you can find it on Playlist.com occasionally...


Happy listening... if you feel motivated enough to hunt it down.

Writing Tips: Names

Well, it's December 2nd and I can officially say that I have little to no idea where the time in 2011 has gone. How terribly disconcerting...

But, thankfully, we're not here to discuss the year in review (At least, not yet. Maybe on New Years Eve? Although, I rather doubt I'll be around to post.). No, this evening, we're going to discuss writing - because it's been far too long since I've talked about that and this is a writing blog.

(Note: I'm probably going to sound a bit strange in this post, but hopefully you'll be able to see what I'm getting at without too much extra effort.) 


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Names are important to stories.

Have you ever sat down to begin working on a novel or story idea... only to not get anywhere because your characters don't have names, yet?

I suppose it's possible that not all authors spend a great deal of time fretting over the names of their characters. Maybe some people begin to write and names just fall out of their head without any effort at all. If that's the way naming works for you, congratulations, you're lucky. But this post isn't really about how easy or difficult it is to find a prefect name for your characters, this post is about the importance of the names you give them.

Choosing a name, is like choosing the perfect word in a haiku poem. Anyone can crank out seventeen syllables and put them in the proper form within a matter of minutes, but the syllables don't matter quite as much as what you're saying.

Remember, in a haiku you only have seventeen syllables to make your point. A mere seventeen syllables to write a poem worth reading, a poem that will stick with the reader long after they first read it. That's not much to work with, if you really think about it.

But you're writing a short story, a novel, or something along those lines. You, of course, may make use of many more words. Sometimes, you can even use hundreds of thousands of words. What could one word possibly matter in all of that?

(Well, you'd better hope a lot, because your novel is only a few hundred thousand words at most in a pile of billions of words sitting on somebody's desk. But that's not really what we're talking about, is it?)

Actually, we are talking about that, in a way.

You see, one word in your novel probably doesn't make that much of a dent. Most people aren't going to pick through your novel with a fine-toothed comb, crossing out words and writing in other words they think might fit better. Most people are just going to read your novel.

But, there is one word that they will notice, without a doubt (probably several, if your novel has more than one character with a name). And that word, will be a name.

Have you ever met someone and, right from the moment he or she introduced him/herself, thought that their name really didn't suit them?

Perhaps, you gave them a nickname that seemed more fitting. Or, maybe they already had a nickname. Whatever the case, it suddenly became easier for you (and possibly others) to connect with that person.

Well, just like people in real life, your characters develop a personality as you write them. Their personality becomes fine-tuned as you rewrite or revise your story or novel. And - with any luck - by the time your book or story is published, your characters are exactly what you wanted to see (hopefully the rest of your book or story is, too).

Maybe your published work picks up readers and they love your piece, too. Maybe everybody thinks the plot is great and your characters are wonderful. And, perhaps, they're on board with your voice.

That sounds like a great start. It's a great start I've seen before. But you know what can really derail me when I'm reading a novel?

A name that doesn't fit a character.

Your novel may be the best written work ever to grace the face of this planet. But if that sweet, innocent, generous character with a great smile and wild hair has a name that sounds completely out of place, I don't buy it.

I spend a ridiculous amount of time searching for the perfect name when I'm building up a character. And, if everything goes my way, I usually find it. But there are several characters I have whose perfect names I have never found and, in the same way I won't buy a book if I can't bridge the gap between a character and his or her name, I cut those characters out of my story or novel or I type NAME throughout the entire work until I figure it out.

No matter which way I choose to go about handling the situation, though, one thing is for sure:

I cannot publish a piece if I cannot find a proper fitting name for the character sitting in the corner.

Choosing a name for a character is as important as choosing the right word in a poem. A name makes people able to relate to your character. It helps people understand them.

If a name doesn't fit, it's going to trip your readers up and disrupt the flow. And coming from someone who has been tripped up in the middle of a novel before, trust me when I say you don't want that to occur.

Music Recommendation: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Once a year (at least in Michigan), they play this song on the radio. I've been listening to it since I was a child and, in a strange sort of way, I've loved it ever since. There's an interesting amount of history wrapped up in the lyrics and, once a year, there was a discussion about it (usually taking place in the kitchen). This year, because I apparently lack the skills required to use a calendar properly, I missed the song on the radio. So, since I wanted to hear it, I decided to post it here.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot

Seems kind of weird to say happy listening, so I suppose I won't.

Anyway, 500 words toward your NaNo novels!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, everyone! And, while I'm at it, Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who are celebrating!

As promised, the photo above is of this year's pumpkin, Brighid.

She's been my constant companion throughout this year's NaNoWriMo season.

Sitting in the same corner Mabon used to inhabit, she's added a bit of life to the room

and, thankfully, a bit of inspiration.

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 Now, onwards with our next order of business.

You may have noticed that the usually scheduled posts have not occurred over the last week or so. Truthfully, I'm having a bit of a rough time coming off of hiatus. Being out of school, I can't seem to keep the days straight, which is proving to be a bit of a problem. However, I've actually been missing for a different reason. On Friday and Saturday, I was out of town and, on Monday, my internet wasn't working properly. We're upgrading our internet service at the moment, and we haven't gotten the new modem, yet. So, currently, our internet service is a bit spotty and strange.

My apologies.

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Last, but not least, I've got a bit of news for you.

As of right now, I'm not actually intending to continue with NaNoWriMo. I still want to write, but I've had very little time to do so this November. And, if I'm honest, I've had even less inspiration. So, the rest of the NaNo posts that I was planning probably won't appear. Instead, I'll be resuming the usually scheduled posting in December (when NaNo is done and our internet is - hopefully - fixed).

I'm not actually going on hiatus again, so, not to worry. We're not that far off from December and I'm going to take some of the remaining time in November to write up some stellar blog posts.

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Anyway, I think that's about it. Now that you're up to date, I'm going to go and start working on what scraps of NaNo that I've managed to put together. And, with any luck, some coherent chapters will actually form. 

Best wishes to everyone and I hope your novels are going well!

 

NaNoWriMo: Day 17

This. Is. Not. Going. Well.

Officially, I'm at about 10,000 and some words right now. In case you don't know, that means that I am horribly behind on my word count. I need motivation and inspiration!

I still haven't let myself go into the NaNoWriMo website because of the forums. However, I can say this for certain: I am a novelist in distress!

Help?

Anyone?

Whatever. I think I'm going to go to sleep now. Night.

NaNoWriMo: Day 14

Hi, everyone!

Guess what? It's Day 14 of NaNoWriMo (pretty close to half way through)!


Last week, I left you guys with a post moaning about how my NaNo was* going. After I made that post, I dove into my file bank and attempted to settle on an idea to work on for the rest of National Novel Writing Month. Now, as I've probably mentioned before, I'm an incredibly indecisive person, so this really wasn't the sort of task I wanted to face. And, truthfully, I couldn't face it alone. I thought through a lot of plot material - poking far too many holes - and realized that I wasn't any further ahead. So, I consulted a couple of friends for input and I thought some more on what they said.

Finally, after several days of pacing about in the massive amount of possible stories to write sludge, I came up with a new idea and, thus far, I think it's going to work!

You may have noticed that the word count on my NaNo page has not changed. That is because I've come to the realization that I'm sort of addicted to the NaNo forums. So, if I want to get my writing done, I can't go in there. On Thursday**, I will update my account with whatever I've done (and I'll probably browse the forums for several hours).

Now that I'm feeling somewhat back on track, how are your novels doing?

500 words if you you've read this post!


*Read: Wasn't

**Also, regarding the Friday post: I completely lost track of days and I forgot to post on Friday. Therefore, I will also post on Thursday this week. Sorry about that!


PS: Look forward to a writing soundtrack later this week!

NaNoWriMo: Day 7

Hello, fellow NaNoWriMo participants.

How are you today? 




We are officially one week into NaNoWriMo and our novels should be at 11,666 words as of today. Key words in that sentence: Should Be.


My word count is currently comfortably nested at 2,290 words... as it has been since day one. Yes, you read that right, I haven't touched my novel at all since the first day. Why? Well, truthfully, I had this novel all planned out ahead of time - not to mention it is a rewrite starting over from plot bones - and I'm completely bored with it. (Note: This is not a surprise and I should have foreseen this. It's happened before.)

However, this week, I am returning to NaNoWriMo with a new vigor. And... I'm starting a new novel. (So much for my plans of committing to the first one, huh?)

From this point forward, I'm going to pour my time into an idea that crept across my mind last night. And, with any luck, I'll be able to pump out 50,000 words by the end of the month. There are still three weeks left, after all, and that should be plenty of time to not only win, but produce some decent material.

I sincerely hope that all of you are having better luck with your novel beasts.

Signed,
Novelist in Distress

PS: I still love you, NaNoWriMo!
PPS: Write 100 words if you read this post...

NaNoWriMo: Day 4

The adoptable threads on the NaNoWriMo forums are great. I use them quite often, and I'd like to give something back. Now, I could throw these on the forums over there, but it's NaNo month here, too. So, drawing ideas up for one of my favorite threads...


Adopt a character quirk?

1. Have a character who insists on being on first name basis with all of the workers at (fill in whatever place).
2. A side character always drops things.
3. A small child insists on wearing their alien/octopus costume... everywhere.
4. Two words: Annoying scarves. 
5. A character wears coffee filters as hats.
6. Have a character that nobody actually listens to when he/she says anything important.
7. A character always answers "I love you" with "mm-hmm".
8. A character always sings "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell.
9. Sometimes there exists a character that whines about the ugly sweaters a relative makes for them. Well, your character only wears those sweaters - whether they're nice or hideous is up to you - but your character likes them.
10. Fluffy slippers anyone?
11. Have a character who makes their own fashion - and it's always stellar - outshining everyone else.
12. A character talks to their pet fish, and the character believes it's their best confidant... even though the character has a best friend.
13. A character believes they are invisible. They aren't.
14. A character makes analogies... all the time... and the analogies always involve a boat.
15. One character dreams of having a giraffe.

Now, get off of Blogger and go write your novel!

PS: 200 words if you took one.
PPS: And 300 words if you read this post.

Ink Wednesday

 In the spirit of National Novel Writing Month, here are the writing tools I'm using this year!

• OpenOffice Writer: Writer is the equivalent to Microsoft Word in the OpenOffice suite. I've been using this program since about 2008, when I switched over from Microsoft. And Writer has become the main program I use for writing, so it's definitely in use during NaNo.
• OpenOffice Calc: Calc is the equivalent to Microsoft Excel in the OpenOffice suite. This is the program I use for most of my outlining while I'm writing. It also helps me keep track of my current word count during NaNoWriMo, since I don't write in the same document the entire time.
• Scrivener: This year, I've downloaded the Scrivener trial for Windows. I'm still learning how to use it, so it's not my only writing tool. However, thus far, I think it's a pretty cool program and if I win this year, I think I might look into purchasing it as a gift to myself for winning. The NaNoWriMo site has a thread under the 'Special Offers' forum that offers discounts on Scrivener to NaNo participants and winners, so you might want to check that out if you're interested and participating in NaNo.

What programs do you use to get you through NaNoWriMo?

Happy Halloween & We're Back In 3, 2, 1...

Greetings, everyone, and happy Halloween!

 

The pumpkin featured in the photo above is named Mabon.

 

He was my pumpkin last year. Sitting in the far left corner of my desk,

he kept me company while I wrote, read, and finished assignments. He

was a great friend and provided a home for a Long-legged Sac Spider.

I don't have a picture of this year's pumpkin, yet, but I'll probably post

a photo of her on Thanksgiving. She will be keeping me company 

throughout NaNoWriMo this year.

And that, my friends, brings us to our next order of business this evening.

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Today is October 31st, also known as Halloween where I'm from.

Also known as one of the busiest weekends of my year.

 

This I was dressed as a cat, I consumed more sugar than I probably should have, and I was cold. I gallivanted from one party to another... to yet another, and I have no pictures to show for it. I ran around out in the rain and fog, went traipsing about in the woods, and spent time drawing on my new digital sketch-pad. Tonight I went Trick-or-Treating - although, I didn't beg for candy because I'm a bit too old for that (Note: This too old bit is up for debate, since my friend insists that one can never be to old to Trick-or-Treat. My neighbors, however, think differently. No more candy for me. So, perhaps this means I need to trick them from now on...).  

 

The point is, I spent most of my weekend having fun and not accomplishing much in the vein of writing. However, as I've already mentioned, it's Halloween. And while Halloween is loads of fun, that also means we're only mere hours off from the start of the new month... 

 

and NaNoWriMo.

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For the last month and a half or so, I've been on hiatus. I know that disappointed some of you, but the hiatus actually came around at the perfect time. All of that time away from blogging on-line was supposed to be spent writing new blogs, however, that didn't really work out. I ended up tumbling through the worst bit of my depression thus far, instead. I was sick. Our friend - who had been living with us - left. I started reorganizing my life. I've been trying to finish a project for my family. My room needed to be cleaned (and it's done now). I've been trying to make a decision on which school to go to and what to major in next Fall. And I was having some computer problems, which I think I've fixed.

Basically, I was suddenly very busy. 

It's nearly November 1st now, though, and it's time to get this blog back up and running. Since I couldn't pre-write NaNoWriMo blogs anyway, we'll be seeing literally brand-new material this month. And, while I'm NaNo-ing, I'll also be writing the blogs that should have been completed on my hiatus. So, when NaNoWriMo is over, you'll still be seeing more carefully crafted blogs here. 

The short version? Ink Is Gold is back in action!

 

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One last note:

 

I'm excited!

We're about to cross over the line into NaNoLand here in Michigan.

There are a mere twenty minutes standing between us and the novel-ing madness of November.

 

In these last few minutes, I'd like to say: 

Good luck to all of you novelists out there! Let's make this the best ride, yet!

 

I've got my OpenOffice documents up and ready to begin writing the moment midnight strikes.

I've got my outlines open and ready to go.

I've got a cup of hot caramel coffee.

 (In theory) 

I'm ready to go on this novel writing adventure!

 

And to start myself off, I'm going to aim for 7,000 words tonight.

What are your starting goals? Have you hit them, yet?

PS (really cool): Has anyone noticed that the NaNoWriMo site isn't failing under the massive influx of users logging on this year? Thanks Office of Letters and Light for all of the wonderful work you've been doing to update the website and manage the server issues! We love you!

A Decision Made...

 

After a rather long debate, I've decided to go on hiatus. I'll be back in a few weeks with new material and an updated blog. I'll see you when I get back!

Music Recommendation: Une Americaine a Paris

I got to see Rupa & the April Fishes live in July and I absolutely adored them. Usually, I don't care for live music, but this band had an interesting stage presence and I enjoyed the show. This song, in particular, has stuck with me because it was the first song of theirs that I heard... and it's in French.

Une Americaine a Paris - Rupa & The April Fishes

Happy listening!

Oh The Possibilities

Writing isn't my entire life. That's kind of a strange thing to think about, given that this blog is about writing - for the most part - but it's true. And, lately, that's been even more true than usual. Lately, I haven't been writing much at all.

In fact, I've been really busy with the other parts of my life. And because of that, I haven't had a great deal to write about here or a great deal of time to write about anything.

This is not a for sure thing, but I have been toying with the idea of turning this blog into something... a bit different. Something a bit more.

What are your thoughts on this blog expanding to cover more topics than just writing?

It also has occurred to me recently that I don't tend to get very personal on here. This, however, is a blog. This is not a journal. And it is that difference in words that keeps me from writing about my personal life, or things that may be considered off topic.

Tell me, what would you think about seeing a change around here to include a few things that are more personal in nature but still related to writing or possible new topics?

Your input is greatly appreciated.


For right now, I'm going to leave things running. But, if I decide to start changing things around here, I may put the blogging on hiatus for a while.

Who knows?

This world is full of possibilities.

Ink Wednesday

• Q10 is a wonderful program available for download at the link. I used this program last year during NaNoWriMo. You can set word goals, timers, background color, text color, and other things. It's great for keeping procrastination to a minimum and encouraging focus because it makes opening other windows much more difficult. 
• Write or Die is also a great program for use during NaNoWriMo, but I've found that it also helps with writing school papers. In this program, you set a word goal and a time limit. Then you  begin to write. But when you stop writing for several seconds, the screen begins to turn red and then a most irritating sound is emitted until you begin to type again. What a great way to inspire someone to continue! Not that I need that kind of motivation to finish my homework, of course...
• Forvo. Not necessarily a writing tool, but by far one of the coolest websites around, in my opinion.

Writing Tips: Practice

Lately, I haven't been writing.

After last month's episode with depression amongst other things, I've pushed writing aside for a while. I don't feel like I've been writing anything worth while. In fact, I don't feel like I can. And that, when my dream since early on in high school has been to write, seems like a horrible thought to consider. However, that thought has driven me to do some deep thinking on why I feel that way.

The answer is simple. My writing isn't perfect. It takes a long time for me to create something anywhere near perfection, and I don't like to spend time. I like things to be as they ought to be right from the start. I don't believe in first drafts. I believe in final copies. And, for the longest time, I have allowed those sorts of thoughts to run my writing life. The funny thing is, I am wrong.

When I write something, I leave it sit for a while. Then I come back to read it again. And, you know what? I almost always find errors, there is always something that I want to change, and by the time I'm done reading over that piece, I don't feel like I'm cut out to be a writer. I feel awful. I feel like I've spent hours or even days working on something that is absolutely worthless because it isn't perfect and it isn't final draft material. And, usually, I end up having to battle the urge to throw it away.

Most of the time, I keep whatever it is that I wrote, so that I might use it as a reference for what not to do later. But, eventually, I wind up thinking back to this blog and to things I've already told you.

In Writing Tips: Top Of Your Game, I mentioned that believing you are at the top of your game is one of the biggest mistakes a writer can make. Perfection, after all, is absolutely unreachable - and until you're there, you're not at the top of your game.

So if I am reaching for perfection, why do I even try?

Honestly? I keep trying because there's something that's been tumbling around in my head for a while now.

There is an old phrase that I would like to draw your attention to. Practice makes perfect.

It's a phrase that has been around a long time. I've heard it more times than I can count, and I'm betting that some of you have heard it before, too. As far as I'm concerned, that phrase is false... but I do understand why it is worth repeating over and over again.

Many people have a habit of striving for perfection, but many also have a habit of giving up when something looks impossible or when it doesn't come out right the first time.

That phrase, that one short string of words, can make people do something quite amazing. It can make people try again. That phrase can make someone keep reaching higher and higher for something unattainable. And while I don't necessarily believe that phrase is fair (after all, it gets hopes up), even I can see what it does for people.

You will never be perfect. What you're writing - or, for that matter, anything you are working on - will never be perfect. But as long as you keep practicing, as long as you have something like that little phrase to drive you forward, you will get better.

So keep working on whatever it is that you're working on. Continue trying. Keep practicing.

I keep these sorts of thoughts in my head, and they very are important to me.

Perfection does not exist. Near perfection takes a great deal of time, and even that cannot be reached without practicing. So, even if it seems like a waste of time, set time aside to practice. Give yourself the space to work on improving and don't let that space make you feel incompetent.

You can be great, if only you have the courage to continue and the peace of mind to not fret over the hours spent doing 'worthless' things (like trying).

Blog Updates

August is over, which is really hard to believe. But with that thought in mind, it's time to discuss what's coming up next on Ink Is Gold and what sort of changes will be made in the new future (or have been made).

August:


First off, given that Camp NaNoWriMo is now officially over for the year, the background has switched back to normal and posts will no longer center around Camp related fun.

September:

During the month of September, posts on the blog will carry on as usual. Meaning that anything I feel like writing as a post may once again appear on here without regulation. I expect that you'll be seeing a book review or two, some writing related stuff, and a possible music recommendation or a few.

I also intend to fill in the 'About Me' page and to update the small 'About Me' section in the side bar. Cheers to getting stuff done.

October:

During October, I've decided to do something a bit different from usual. I'm going to do a theme month. Every post made during the month - apart from something I'm going to mention in a bit - will be centered around a particular topic. In other words, October is going to be my sort of research project. I'm going to find a great deal of information and I'm going to pass some of it on to you readers. 

The topic of October will be: Poetry

I know this probably won't interest all of you, but I hope that some of you can get some use out of it.

Anyway, moving on...


November:


November is still going to be NaNoWriMo month. The majority of the posts made will revolve around my NaNo novel and around various parts of NaNoWriMo. There will, of course, be a few posts that are off topic, though. And, for the record, I intend to be a lot more prepared for NaNoWriMo than I was for Camp this year. It's time to get some serious work done on a novel. No more procrastination

Delayed Changes:

You will, at some point in the future, see changes on the 'My Work' page. However, I've decided that I am only going to fill this page in once I've submersed myself in a major project. There's no use in handing out teasers for something that's going to end up in the trash. Know what I mean?


In other words, this page could be a while yet.


Last But Not Least:

I'm introducing a new feature to the blog!
Lately, I've been finding some really cool stuff that I would like to share with you all. However, often times these things aren't things I want to waste an entire Monday or Friday post on - and, on occasion, I really do feel like somebody else already tackled all of the points that I would like to cover. So, beginning this coming week, I'm introducing a new sort of blog post.

Keep your eye out for:

Ink Wednesdays


It won't happen every week - at least, I don't think it will - but it will occur whenever I find a bit of information that I would like to share with you, and it will happen when I'm introducing someone new to the Ink Is Gold 'Links' page.


Thanks for reading and I'll see you on Monday with something new.

Music Recommendation: Worlds Collide

Sorry this is late. I thought I posted this yesterday... 

I saw the movie Waiting For Forever a couple months ago and when I heard this song on there, I knew that I had to share it here. Naturally, I forgot about it, but we can disregard this fact. The movie introduced the band to me, but I haven't really been following them, yet. It is the song that got me. It's is really quite sweet and there's something sort of fun about it.

Hopefully you can get as much enjoyment out of it as I do!

Worlds Collide - The Mostar Diving Club

Happy listening!

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 27

So, I think it might be time to mention the fact that I've stopped writing my Camp novel. The thing is, I really thought that I would pick it back up again. But I haven't, yet, and I doubt that I will. Why is that, exactly?

Well, truthfully, this Camp experience hasn't been wonderful. And, since I was so pumped up about this in the beginning, I'm going to explain why... sans the plethora of small details that created the bits I am sharing.

For the first time, I was attempting to write a novel without really doing much planning. But, as it turns out, if I don't have a plot outlined, then I don't have inspiration to write. Hence, not a lot of writing has gotten done this month. (I should note here that my progress bar has been left unattended due to the fact that my computer... for some reason... no long has a calculator and I'm not sure where my school one is, at the moment. I do have more done than that.)


Second, I broke my foot. It's getting better now - thankfully - but for the majority of this month, I've been in pain and doing a lot of bed rest. (That's boring, in case you were wondering.)

Reason 2.5, because of the bed rest, I didn't get my work done because I couldn't actually move much. So I've been doing that, instead.

Third - and probably the real reason behind the lack of novel writing - I've been suffering depression for a while now and this month, it kind of swallowed me whole. And when I'm depressed, I don't do much of anything because I feel like I can't do anything properly. And the not doing anything leads to a deeper depression, because I'm not getting anything done and that makes me feel guilty and just worthless - which leads to a 'why bother', and that leads to more worthless feelings and can't do anything right feelings, etc., etc. etc. You get the point.

Anyway, so that's it, really. I feel like I should have more reasons than that, and I probably do, but I really can't see past the last one at this point. My real mission this month has been overcoming that.

So, I apologize for the lack of excitement and what not. Hopefully things will be better in November. Either way, I promise that November will be all about NaNoWriMo and I'll finish it whether I'm feeling better or not. Sound good?

I sincerely hope your Camp novels aren't looking as miserable as mine is. Good luck to all of you still writing!

And, because I have to:


Write 400 words if you read this.

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 25

So, I didn't update on Monday because... well, the thing is... I forgot. The last week has been oddly busy. It was my birthday last Tuesday, and I celebrated that on Tuesday evening and again on Saturday. I've been attempting to make major life decisions, too... which is a bit frightening. And, I don't know, there was probably some other stuff in there, also, but I'm rather tired right now and I can't remember.

Anyway, this was the post intended for Monday. I apologize for the lateness and I hope you enjoy.

A while back, I ran across a book of weird things people look up on the internet. I read a bit of it and enjoyed a good time full of laughter and wondering why people look up the things they do. I mean, honestly, some of those things were so weird...

Then I was struck by a sudden realization. Writers look up some really weird things on a daily basis. And while the images shown in that book displayed the most frequently searched things, I wondered how much of those things were only on those lists because many of us writers are a strange lot with many odd questions.

In honor of clearing the names of people who are probably innocent, what have you looked up this month for your novel that might - out of context - sound remotely odd/strange/disturbing?

Here's my list for the current novel:

• Types of magic in fantasy
• Half
• Definition of boil
• Definition of roil
• Rabbit hole
• Hortensia
• Horticulture
• Drowning
• Whiskey
• Tumbler glasses
• Cardigans
• Gray eyes
• Illegal jobs
• World building
• Plot lines
• Plotting 
• How to plot your novel
• Alice soundtrack

Actually, that's not too scary, yet. How about we throw in a few slightly more incriminating searches from past works?


15 Odd Searches Done By This Author (In The Name Of Writing):

How to make C4?
Would it kill someone if you punched them in the throat?
Surgery in the 1800s
Chloroform
Sleeping position body language
19th century slang
Roman nomenclature
Drinking games
Tattoos believed to hold a spiritual power
Signs of drug usage
Bare knuckle boxing
Repairing a dislocated shoulder
18th century fashion
Bedrooms on yachts
Monsters

Tada! There's some other weird stuff on the list, but that's fifteen.

Also, thanks to the Google search engine machine for making such weird research easy. We writers really appreciate it.

What are some of the weird things you've looked up for your writings?

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 15

Look what I did! I wasted time putting together my sash and badges. Let this be a lesson to you all! You should be writing!


It does look sort of fabulous, though...

Thanks to SavannahJaxx who made all of the pretty badges and the banner.

Music Recommendation: Sail Away

Have you ever ran across a song that makes you smile whenever you hear it? Well, this is that song for me. When I listen to this song, I can be anywhere. And that, my friends, is a wonderful freedom to taste.

Sail Away – Enya

Happy listening!

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 12

This week, I've been debating about what to post today. I thought I might post a summary, but I still don't really know what this book is about. Then I thought about making a cover but, due to the fact that I don't know what this book is about, yet, I also don't know what I want the cover to look like. And I've already posted the soundtrack and the basic information, so, that leaves me with... not much.

Luckily, I just realized something awful.

By Monday, I need to have a lot of stuff done. I made an agreement at the end of last month to a friend, so I need to uphold that and plow through a heap of stuff to do. I have to sell my old text books soon, too, since the new semester starts soon (On a totally unrelated note, the idea of selling books sort of makes me want to cry.). Also, next Tuesday is my birthday, so I'm not going to be around then. And the Saturday after that, I'm having a party at my house, so... no writing then either.

And, so, I've found today's topic.

You might have noticed that my word count is pitifully behind. I need to catch it up. But with all of that stuff and more on my plate of stuff to do right now, I don't have a huge lot of time to get writing done. In other words?

It's time to up the motivation.

By Monday, I fully intend to hit twenty-five thousand words.

And that, in case you haven't noticed, is slightly ahead of the curve in terms of where we should be on Monday. The idea makes me perfectly happy.

Unfortunately, that's not really motivation for you. So...


CHALLENGE TIME!

Write 1,000 words in one sitting if you read this post,

and

Hit at least 15,000 by Saturday at 11:59 PM.

Ready?

GO!

Vacation: Love The Beach & Hiking, Don't Love The Absence Of Bookstores

Around this time last year, I was out in Oregon on a family reunion.

It was my first time visiting the West Coast of the United States, so it was quite an experience.

We flew into Portland and spent a few days there at a hotel. It was a pretty sort of place tucked into a heavily wooded area and it had a courtyard with a pond - which was, for some reason, kind of a dark teal color (I suspect dye). There were a lot of really interesting plants around, most of which don't grow anywhere near Michigan, and I took lots of pictures.

While we were in Portland, we went to the zoo. It was nice, although we moved through it fairly quickly due to some time constraints. They had some sort of a dinosaur exhibit going on and a few of those spit at you, so several of us ended up wet. I took pictures of the elephants, since they had a great viewing area, and I took a picture of a zebra mosaic thing on the ground. We got lunch and then we were off to do other things. Later, we met up with my great aunt and my great uncle for dinner.

After a few days, we drove out to the coast, where we had rented a cabin several weeks in advance. All of us crashed there, instead of doing individual hotel rooms, as staying together is the tradition of our family reunions.

On the way out, we went hiking in a beautiful park and took loads of pictures of the lighthouse, the ocean, and of starfish. It was my first time seeing starfish, too, and I was thrilled that we had managed to find so many.

By the time we got to the cabin, most of us were tired and done being motivated. Unpacking was awful, as usual. Of course, that was less to do with the actual experience and more to do with the fact that unpacking and packing are not my cup of tea.

Then my cousins and I put on our coats and we headed out for a night time walk on the beach. That was a rather interesting experience, given the fact that it was freezing and we got sort of lost. (Note: Getting lost can be avoided in some cases if you happen to know what your cabin looks like from the back.) But we were by the ocean and, as far as I'm concerned, a log would have been a perfectly good place to sleep. We did find our way back that night, though, so we got to be warm, which was also nice.

Over the next few days, I was in a very cold sort of paradise. I am absolutely in love with the ocean and I'm not great friends with the sun (Sunburn, anyone?), so gray skies were fine by me. There were lots of great places to explore and I got to see tide pools for the first time, which was excellent. Also, in town, there were some wonderful little touristy shops and I visited most of those. (Side note: I love small coastal towns).

There was only one part of the vacation that I didn't love, and that was the fact that there were no bookstores on the coast in the area we were located. Sure, there was a small grocery store that sold books, but they didn't sell the sort of books that I was looking for - a few YA books and the second book in a series. I know that it's probably kind of weird to let something like that bother me, but I was really quite disappointed.

So, I filled up the time I would have spent at the bookstore with other things, such as hiking through the hills/mountains and taking long walks on the beach. At one point, I even decided get up at 6:00 AM to go whale watching with my family - not that we saw any, but that's beside the point.

Overall, I had a pretty great time even without a bookstore in the vicinity. But this experience definitely made me realize that I never want to move somewhere that doesn't have a bookstore within half an hour's driving distance, because I'm not certain that I could handle that without having a mental breakdown. (Addicted? Kind of. Yeah.)

However, we went back to Portland, OR for the last few days of our vacation. And, this time, we stayed in the city area. Which was pretty cool for me because I got to go to a bookstore, and it wasn't just any bookstore.

For those of you who don't know, there's a lovely little bookstore in Portland called Powell's City of Books. (Note: This place is not actually little. In fact, it's the largest bookstore in the United States of America). It's pretty much a warehouse. It has new and used books, including ARC copies, and I had some money to spend, so...

I left really happy.

The end.

PS: You can check out Powell's at the link below, and if you ever get the chance to go there, I recommend visiting. It's a pretty cool place:

http://www.powells.com/

Camp NaNoWrimo: Day 5

Well, it's day five and, currently, my Camp novel is going along rather slowly. I've got 4076 words penned, so far. In other words, I'm a bit behind schedule.Oops? Oh well, there's plenty of time to catch up.

How's your Camp novel coming?

I've been working on my cover and on my summary/synopsis. However, one of the first things I work on when writing a novel is the soundtrack, and that is already finished. So, without further ado, here it is (in no particular order, despite the fact that it is numbered):

Half Soundtrack

1. Passenger - Deftones feat. Maynard James Keenan
2. 9 Crimes - Damien Rice
3. Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie
4. Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
5. Pompeii - E. S. Posthumus
6. Wild Child - Enya
7. When I Grow Up - Fever Ray
8. Paralyzer - Finger Eleven
9. Alice's Theme - Danny Elfman
10. Satellite - Guster
11. The Chain - Ingrid Michaelson
12. Lullaby - Josh Groban
13. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
14. Club Foot - Kasabian
15. Teeth - Lady GaGa
16. Gorecki - Lamb
17. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
18. Stockholm Syndrome - Muse
19. Time Is Running Out - Muse
20. The Saltwater Room - Owl City
21. Creep - Radiohead
22. Break Me Shake Me - Savage Garden
23. She's So Heavy - The Beatles
24. In The Shadows - The Rasmus
25. Prison Sex - Tool
26. You're The Only One - Maria Mena
27. Cherry Waves - Deftones
28. What If You - Joshua Radin
29. Flame - Bell X1
30. Nara - E. S. Posthumus


I find it only slightly creepy that those are somewhat in alphabetical order despite being put onto the playlist at random...

Anyway, the entire soundtrack is hooked up to links, if you'd like to listen to any of the songs. I probably don't need to say this, since it's pretty obvious, but I don't own any of those songs. And, since I don't own those songs and I didn't create the videos attached to them, I make no guarantees on the appropriateness of said videos.


Do you use a soundtrack when writing? If so, what's on it?

Bet I'll beat you to 12,000 words!

Catch you on Monday with a not Camp related post.

Camp NaNoWriMo: Day 1

Well, it's midnight on August 1st and the second round of Camp NaNoWriMo has just begun. This month, I've let everyone know that writing is the number one thing on my schedule. So, with any luck, I'll actually make it to 50,000 words or more by the end of the month.

As you may have noticed, I've changed the background on the blog to what I imagine my Camp NaNo tent looks like. The background will remain this way until the end of August, when I'll switch it back to normal. The background will now also be changing during NaNoWriMo.

Anyway, I promised that I would document my Camp NaNo experience this month, instead of doing traditional blog posts. Let's move on to that, shall we?

August's Camp project is: 

Working Title: Half
Genre: Fantasy (urban/high)
POV: Third person, numerous views.
Summary/Synopsis: Yet to come.


I could ramble on here for a while, or check my bag to make sure that I have all of the necessary supplies for novel writing, but that's not going to help me get any writing done. And, besides, I'm supposed to be winging it anyway, right? So, enough of this. For now, it's into the woods with all of us.

Best of luck fellow Campers; I'll see you on Friday!

Camp NaNo: Cabins, Questions, And Updates!

Beginning August 1st on Camp NaNoWriMo, the cabins feature will become available to campers. It has been announced that we're doing genre cabins - which is not quite what I thought was going on, but still pretty cool - and that announcement has both made me excited and put a thought into my head. For all of you reading and/or following this blog, this is the official cabin role call!

What cabin will you be camping in this August?

I am going to be camping in the Fantasy Genre Cabin. (Anyone joining me?)

XOXOXOXOXOX

I have some questions about Camp for my fellow bloggers/blog readers. Because I am lacking in both time and information, at the moment, I was hoping you could answer some of these.

1. Does anyone know whether or not a 'friends' feature will be introduced at Camp?

2. Are we, at any point, going to get forums? Or are we just going to use the NaNo ones permanently? 

3. Are the cabins going to receive fun names, as they were in the beginning phases, or has that been edited out?

4. Are we going to have a participation user badge feature like what we have on NaNo?

XOXOXOXOXOX

 

 

Updates!

I've got some blog updates regarding next month. During Camp NaNoWriMo (August), the blog will be turning into a somewhat different place. Namely, a Camp Site. Every Monday and Friday, instead of doing a normal post (with exception of one or two), I'll be doing a 'Camp' post. Meaning, I'll be posting updates about my Camp novel and what sort of Camp related stuff is going on.

I'll probably post things like a book cover (loose idea), a Camp novel soundtrack, a novel summary, word count updates, competitions, and various other things.

 

Anyone else care to join me in this Blog to Camp Site transition?

XOXOXOXOXOX

 

 

Last thing. Next year, I'm totally making a tent for Camp and posting pictures of it.  (This may or may not be just an excuse to build another tent...)

Norway

So, this post is off schedule, but I didn't feel it was appropriate to wait until Friday.

Over the weekend and for a good part of today, I was without internet access (Both my Friday and Monday post were scheduled posts this week, due to my planned absence.). I am also not an avid news-reader or a TV-watcher, so I heard/read nothing about the events that took place in Oslo, Norway.

For those of you who also haven't heard, there were terrorist attacks in Oslo, Norway and on Utoya Island in Norway last Friday. Explosions downtown injured and killed numerous people. At least eighty people were killed on Utoya Island.

More information can be found here: Oslo Norway attacks

There really aren't words for events like these. At least, not proper ones, and nothing that can ease the pain or terror. But, for what it's worth, my thoughts are with all of you in Norway and all whom were affected by these attacks.

We - my family, friends, and I - send our love, well wishes, and condolences.

Be strong, Norway.

Things will be well again in time.

Hugs and best wishes,
K. L. Stevens

Camp NaNoWriMo And The Brick Wall

Okay, for those of you who don't know already, Camp NaNoWriMo in July is kind of a beta test run. As in, you participate and the people who run this gig - Office Of Letters And Light - look for bugs and what not in the site. (They've already fixed the stats page - which was, apparently, glitching up. I don't know. I didn't see it, but thanks for taking care of that problem OLL!)

Anyway, here's the deal.

July has become extremely busy for me. I'm still participating in the beta Camp NaNoWriMo, but I'm not holding many illusions in my head. There's a pretty good chance I won't finish this month.

The thing is... there's another Camp NaNoWriMo next month! As in, another chance to try my hand a writing 50,000 words in a month. I'm pretty happy about this and I am nearly bouncing in my seat with excitement for the new features coming to Camp NaNoWriMo. Cabins, anyone?

Okay, so, I don't actually know what cabins are, yet, but they look like possible fun.

Hopefully you'll all be joining me next month. 

Now, moving on.

Ever have one of those days where you stumble into a realization that feels more like a brick wall than a thought? And then, for quite a while afterward, you just sit there thinking about said 'wall' and wonder how you failed to notice it before? 

Today was one of those days in my writing world. Except, I think I might have known the brick wall was there and I was, quite possibly, just refusing to look at it.

You see, earlier today, I was watching this video I'm Goin To Summa Camp! Word! and I realized something. 

I have never had a traditional NaNoWriMo experience. 

This is sad, mostly because I have participated in NaNoWriMo three times (four if we're counting this month) and I have never done it properly. The point of NaNoWriMo is to write a lot and fast with "literary abandon". I write a lot... kind of slowly and with a lot of editing in the mix, which is not supposed to be happening. To accentuate my point even further, during this month, I've been working on a rewrite! Which I have a deadline for and it is supposed to be in perfect form... yeah, not a great choice.

So, shout out to LaurenLiterally, because you have inspired me to try something new.

Next month, I'm handing myself over to a real NaNoWriMo experience.

Music Recommendation: Pompeii

And... action! Or war, rather, but you get the point. This week I've been writing action scenes and I was lost for what sort of music to use as inspiration. Nothing I was listening to seemed quite right, so I went on a search for new music and I found this wonderful group.

Pompeii – E. S. Posthumus

For anyone who hasn't heard E. S. Posthumus yet, I highly recommend them. They're very talented and I've found them to have a flare that not many others groups have.

Happy listening!

The Nightly Goodness

Most people have an addiction of some sort.

This is mine. 

What's in that cup?

- hazelnut coffee

- steamed milk

- caramel topping

- and a nice, fluffy layer of whip cream

I realize that it's a bit stereotypical, given the fact that writers and coffee are often synonymous, but it really is wonderful.

In fact, it might be true love...

Harry Potter

A long time ago, in a sticky third grade classroom, there began a so-called era. (Truthfully, I don't care what they call it. It was amazing.)

It was a warm day. The windows were open to create some cool air flow, given the fact that the air conditioning in the building was faulty. My third grade teacher called all twenty-six of us students over to the reading rug - a special area of the classroom, where the teach sat on a stool and all of us students gathered around to listen to her read.

Usually, reading time was relatively uneventful. We enjoyed it, but we rarely asked for more. That day was different. On that afternoon, she opened a book with a colorful - almost jewel looking - cover that had a boy on it. All of us were intrigued. As if the cover wasn't interesting enough, then she started to read. And, for the first time in a while, nobody wanted to stop reading.

That book was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone.

And on that day, I fell in love with a story.

If I am completely honest, the Harry Potter series was a great influence on my life. It is part of the reason that I am writing today. The story wove its way into my head and I began to daydream of magic and fantasy blended with everyday life. I began to wish that I was the one attending Hogwarts, so that I could have my own magical adventures. Harry Potter made me realize that I could reach into my imagination and create.

I couldn't make a toy wand light up or fly on a broomstick.* But J. K. Rowling made magic out of words, and if she could do it, then I could make magic, too.

Today, I bring sad news...

Harry Potter is ending.

The last movie is currently in theaters. I'm going to see it on Monday. And, after I return home from the film, that will be the end. Sure, I own all of the books and all of the movies thus far, but the last movie is really the close. 

Harry Potter is not going on any more adventures - and, if he is, we, as fans, are not invited. 

It's true that Pottermore is coming out in the fall, but even that will not be quite the same.

So, today, I wrote this post as a final toast to something great. 

Dear J. K. Rowling,

Thank you. 

My cousin and I bought every single one of your books past the first two on the day it came out. We usually read them within the next three days, sometimes a week if we were trying to make it last. 

Your words have made me laugh, smile, and cry. 

You have changed my outlook on certain aspects of life. I and many others will miss the magical world that you have created. But, I'm twenty years old now and I suppose it is about time that I, and all of your other fans, start branching out and making our own magic in whatever ways we can.

Cheers and best wishes!

Sincerely,

K. L. Stevens**

*My cousin and I made wands out of wooden dolls, ribbons, sparkly wire, and metallic paints. We bought brooms from the cleaning aisle in the grocery store. My aunt made us invisibility cloaks, which very nearly work. Our cats were carted around as 'familiars' on more than one occasion (much to their chagrin). We bought spell books, which were much more like arts and craft books. We had wizard hats and potion bottles. And we probably had other things, but I cannot quite remember.

**A fan who may or may not have made a parachute out of garbage bags and sticks, taped it to a small branch, tied more twigs to the end of the branch to make a broom, and tried to jump off the roof...