OT: Layout

Just to let you know, the layout that I was using on this blog (and on my other blog) broke, so I am now using one of the default blogger templates. Let me know what you think.

Bleh...

I really, really need to stop being lazy and actually write something, probably with the trio. Maybe I'll do that this weekend or something. I'm also playing around with developing a few minor characters, as well, but I have no idea where I'll be bringing them into things. *shrugs* I really don't know right now. About all I do know is that I need to write something.

As far as my absence has been (it's been over a fortnight and I must apologise for that)... well, I've been really busy with stuff going on IRL. I am not sure when I will be able to upload anything new. Even if I do end up writing, chances are that it will be too personal to share it with anyone else.

Quick Update

So, I just wanted to let you know where I've been recently. No, I haven't been writing much at all, at least nothing fictional and really not much worth reading. I've just gotten back into working on A Duel of Wits and am probably about a third of the way through part four. This part is far more difficult because at least two characters are in this scene and I'm not used to writing either of them! And Sharpe isn't making anything better, as he is not cooperating very well with me right now.

And as a completely random side-note that has nothing to do with writing, I didn't know that tone of voice could carry over the internet like it does. Actually, that doesn't surprise me too much. When I'm writing (yes, I'm going to tie this in!), characters all have very distinct voices and tones that they use and I can picture them talking when I'm writing things down. So it doesn't surprise me much that I can pick up on vocal intonation of real people in writing~

Writing and Life

I am just writing because I think I will go crazy if I don't. I have been forced to go be social for the past few days rather than sitting in my room and knitting and watching movies and doing homework, so last night, I spent quite a bit of time talking to one of my friends who also writes. It always makes me really happy whenever I meet someone else who enjoys writing.

It's interesting that I write more characters who are guys. I think I'm more comfortable writing guys than girls to be honest. Not that I don't have female characters, but they just aren't as well developed or prominent. My friend (who is a guy) writes way more female characters. And then I suggested we should write together sometime. It's very different writing with another person compared to writing with only yourself. I doubt I'd be writing Sharpe in such a situation - haha. No really. He's difficult enough to write in a normal situation and he still has a strong enough personality that I can't always write him well (which is frustrating). I need to learn to be more consistent with such an awesome character like Sharpe.

Now that I've written a little bit, I should really get going on my paper (which HAS to be typed). That'll be interesting. Well, and the fact I'm supposed to work on my chemistry lab during the time that I have small group tonight. Bleh.

Slightly OT: New Website!

So, this is slightly off-topic, but I'm going to write it here anyways because it pertains to writing. I just got a new website! Originally, I was only looking for somewhere to link to longer works or works that had more mature ratings, but I like the way it looks. I have a few of my older pieces up, as well as chapters one through five of Snapshots. I'll still be writing here regularly, but that'll be the place where I post finished, longer works... and I'll post a summary and link over here when those get done.

Good times, eh?

Whom Should I Pick On Next?

I've decided that I like my fictional characters a lot better than real people right now because I can tell my fictional characters to shut up and that will not have any consequences irl. I can torture my fictional characters for my own pleasure and get away with it. Let's see... who to pick on next? >.>

Last of the Hollidailies

So today is the last day of Hollidailies, which is kind of a sad thing. I've been writing a lot more commentary than I'm used to and I think I've actually been writing a little more than I usually do. Last night when I was in bed, I had the most random idea for a story, so I think when I finish Snapshots, I shall write it. The idea was basically what would happen if Michael went for a walk on Christmas day and happened to run into Sharpe. I don't know what it is with writing those two characters together in scenes; I should've figured out by now that it doesn't work very well.

Outside my window, it looks like Narnia. No really, there's snow and icicles everywhere! And... I'm sick, so I might not be posting here for a few days. :(

Quick Update, Christmas, Knitting, Quotes...

Since I have been failing so badly to post with anything relating to writing lately (and that's what this blog is about!!!), I feel bad for not continuing my Christmas Eve story today. Yay for writer's block and being sick. Not. I've been knitting like a crazy person over the past few days in a pathetic attempt to get Christmas gifts done by Christmas and today I taught my sister how to knit.

Did you know that one of my characters knits? Yes, Septimus McAllistair (though almost everyone just calls him Seven) does and he's quite good at it. He has a pair of black fingerless gloves he's made himself that he always wears. He's also kind of a computer geek and he's really smart. No wonder he gets teased a lot. Marie Wilson knows how to crochet and I'm guessing she's taught most of her friends how to do that also. Sam, Tyler and Michael probably both know how... Sam and Tyler just because they're willing to go along with whatever is happening and Michael because he is quite artistic.

And this last little bit is kind of completely random (my thought patterns are not linear, in case you haven't already noticed!), but most of my characters are somehow interconnected. There is some way that Sharpe knows Stephanie Rei (see this entry) because despite the fact it's not explicitly mentioned, that is Sharpe. He was the one who delivered the package... but he has no idea about its contents. My guess is that Stephanie contacted him and told him that she had something that was really important that it get to Emiko... and that Tetsuya wouldn't like his daughter having it. Which is rather true.

So yeah... I guess that's all I have to say tonight. Let me end with a quick CS Lewis quote this time. It has nothing to do with writing. "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." ~CS Lewis

And God bless us, everyone! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, All!

I just thought I would say Merry Christmas to everyone!

Due to having family things going on today and tomorrow, I don't have time to make a decent entry here. Hopefully tomorrow or the next day, I'll have time to finish the Christmas Eve story... and let you know what happens to Kiran, Michael and everyone else. And why Sharpe is at the church!

To finish off, a Bible verse. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." ~Isaiah 9:6

Take care, all and have a very Merry Christmas!
~Elizabeth

Slightly OT: Halidailies

Slightly OT (off-topic), but I decided to do the Holidailies, which is the basic equivalent to NaNo of the blogging world... only over the holiday season instead of during the ever crazily insane month we all know and love as November. What one has to do is to write in the online journal every day (or at least try to) for at least fifty words and that’s about it. So I shall be updating this on a more regular basis.

My reasons for doing this are quite simple. First of all, I want to commit myself to writing more regularly. If I don’t write, then I won’t improve. Second of all, I’ll be off of school for a decent duration of the time period. Thirdly, I want to get in the habit of letting people know where my writing is going so I can be held more accountable for actually writing.

So what am I going to be doing in these entries? Since this is still my writing journal, this will be writing-oriented. I’ll be posting brief pieces of what I’ve been working on, commentary about various characters or IC (in character) surveys or other character exploration pieces. You may get a book or author review or commentary about music I enjoy listening to when I write, but most of this will be on-topic writing. I may also link to other stories that I've enjoyed reading (either on DA or fanfiction.net, most likely) and comment on what I like about them. Maybe have a featured author or something.

It’s not going to be completely random. Really.

OT: Book Suggestions?

I know I should really be doing homework or something else right now, but I wanted to put this out there before I forgot. If anyone has any good book suggestions, I'm much in need of a good one. I've put Othello (Shakespeare) down for quite awhile and I don't think I shall be resuming it any time soon.

Points to Consider:

• Good characters
• Plot that involves mostly action, adventure, suspense, thriller.
• Possibly some romance, but not too much.
• I don't like reading stuff with graphic sex, drugs, violence, language, etc. In other words, probably nothing worse than PG-13...
  
• Something in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte Cristo) would be nice.
• I love the classics, but I also enjoy suspense-thrillers. ^_^
  

If you guys have any book suggestions, that would be muchly appreciated. I've been meaning to try to get my hands on a copy of George MacDonald's Phantasties, but haven't been able to. Which is rather unfortunate, if you ask me, but it's life.