tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870247552176061292024-02-21T01:59:41.795-08:00Love Letters to ForeverA Young Writer's BlogRaven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-52202241176322718092016-06-28T17:08:00.001-07:002016-06-28T17:09:44.169-07:00Making Book Covers <br />
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Whenever I need to take a step back from my WIP and think through a scene, I do one of two things: look through the Pinterest board I made for it or make a book cover. Both of these things allows me to take a break from writing without actually taking a break from the story if that makes any sense.<br />
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Book covers are important to me, mostly because having one helps keeps me focused on the story and it gives me something to work towards. I don't write with the intention of being published (although it would be awesome to see some of my stories in a bookstore one day) but there is something about cover art that screams 'finished product'. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have been able to finish writing my first novel if I didn't decide to do some pretty cover art for it.<br />
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Most will look at this as a waste of time or another way to procrastinate but I find it very therapeutic and I talk myself through scene/plot points while I'm making them so I am somewhat productive in my procrastination.<br />
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I don't know how to use Photoshop so I use Lunapic and/or Pixlr. Both are free and super easy to use if you're interested in making your own covers.<br />
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Here is the cover for my current project:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xiImJg2MCLC6LX3FyuT5nMexNHP0FcCJLdUb17iFhkZpekgWLe3bPDbmwxlw0CU8s7gBLXePw4SoVsgtmPOI0UMX_qThWBf1dnFqKKreZqP-m2YvTcR1nTWplj6Y9U-_HcSUyFI61cs/s1600/bookcover4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xiImJg2MCLC6LX3FyuT5nMexNHP0FcCJLdUb17iFhkZpekgWLe3bPDbmwxlw0CU8s7gBLXePw4SoVsgtmPOI0UMX_qThWBf1dnFqKKreZqP-m2YvTcR1nTWplj6Y9U-_HcSUyFI61cs/s1600/bookcover4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Does anyone else make book covers for their WIPs before they finish writing them? <br />
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-39559383462455479452015-07-07T17:37:00.001-07:002015-07-07T17:38:27.059-07:00On writing and studying for the LSAT<div>
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Doing both.</div>
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At the same time.</div>
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Is HARD.</div>
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I understand that many people raise families and go to work full-time and still manage to crank out manuscript after manuscript but when I say my brain is fried, I mean my brain feels like it was left cooking on the stove for the past week and a half since I implemented a 'rigorous' study schedule. I study for a total of three and a half hours a day, which isn't that bad when I'm actually doing it but after I'm done? The amount of information and problems I've worked on hits me out of nowhere. </div>
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Needless to say, studying for the LSAT has not been a walk in the park and while I do take breaks, writing doesn't come easily in the moments when I do allow my brain to relax. I can't seem to get back into the groove of it, which stinks because I wanted this summer to be the summer that I finished Unfair. </div>
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I'm hoping that studying will become less of an energy drainer the more I do it and that I can, somehow, get back to writing before I go back to school and all chances of me writing anything that isn't school-related are thrown out the window. </div>
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Good luck to everyone who is still going strong in Ready. Set. Write! I am still rooting everyone on and I hope that if, by some miracle, I do write something I can get back to participating before it's over. </div>
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Enjoy the rest of your week! </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-39543217077512884062015-06-15T07:35:00.001-07:002015-06-15T07:35:15.665-07:00RSW: 1st Check In! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cpxNWYrMBp4ZycXCbHPfHUczw3TU8JPi0lopLYwhYjaqzoobCZ-BT4PuCUYb78SV5A1-bLLdIh85N5SK8OLuMB8E-kElaGofcvVkW972AAtVhVAYzein_E-6vkbr9rpYwXbij8ihe1o/s1600/RSW11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cpxNWYrMBp4ZycXCbHPfHUczw3TU8JPi0lopLYwhYjaqzoobCZ-BT4PuCUYb78SV5A1-bLLdIh85N5SK8OLuMB8E-kElaGofcvVkW972AAtVhVAYzein_E-6vkbr9rpYwXbij8ihe1o/s320/RSW11.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey everyone!<br />
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How's it going?<br />
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I hope everyone met their goals for last week!<br /><br />
<b>Here's how I did:</b><br />
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1. I didn't finish the chapter that I'm working on but I got really REALLY close. Hopefully I can finish it this week.<br />
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2. I managed to write every day and I managed to write a little over 100 words today which I'm excited about.<br />
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<b>My goals for this week: </b><br />
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Get this chapter written and move on to the next one. I know what happens I just need to get the scenes out of my head and turn them into words.<br />
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<b>A favorite line from my story OR a word or phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised</b><br />
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<i>The magic that she came into this world with was calling to her; calling to her the way it had done many times bef0re - in a quiet hum that matched every beat of her heart. </i><div>
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<b>The biggest challenge that I faced this week:</b></div>
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Finding time to write. I managed to get some words in everyday but it was hard because I'm studying for the LSATs and going to work and trying to workout and find time to sleep and I know doing all of that and writing is possible. It's just difficult.</div>
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<b>Something I love about my WIP</b></div>
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I took some time to wordbuild because I have been reading a lot of fantasy books lately mainly the Throne of Glass series. I finished Heir of Fire recently which I LOVED and it inspired me to delve deeper into Unfair's world and I learned so much about the culture in different parts of the world my story is set in, different religions, and myths that are important. I love just being able to use my imagination. It makes me feel like a kid again.</div>
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Okay, enough about me. How'd you guys do?</div>
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I'll get to everyone's posts when I get home from work.</div>
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Thanks for reading! </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-27637120849185053312015-06-08T16:06:00.003-07:002015-06-08T16:07:30.435-07:00Ready. Set. Write!: Goals<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy7frHqVHdLKY7OKgtCo1brzowI69C5Fhfh67QqtY1v0zpaGeWA_av5jX-2Tm_IbGTpZurse_r8-gbn9mXoFc_POBFZHE4ig6x3gqfVeGJoePBg3TXrZLqQVIuUHcip-D8atnqm_fnKY/s1600/RSW11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy7frHqVHdLKY7OKgtCo1brzowI69C5Fhfh67QqtY1v0zpaGeWA_av5jX-2Tm_IbGTpZurse_r8-gbn9mXoFc_POBFZHE4ig6x3gqfVeGJoePBg3TXrZLqQVIuUHcip-D8atnqm_fnKY/s320/RSW11.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's that time of the year again!<br />
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Ready. Set. Write! is a summer writing intensive that lasts from now until August 31st. If you have a shiny new idea or a WIP that you want to work on this summer, this intensive is definitely for you. If you're interested in learning more, click this <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/p/rsw.html">link</a>. :)<br />
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This week's post is all about setting goals for both the summer and the week.<br />
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Here are mine:<br />
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<b>GOALS FOR THE WEEK</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Finish the chapter I'm working on </li>
<li>Try to write at least 100 (this number will increase each week) words each day</li>
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<b>GOALS FOR THE SUMMER </b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Change what I have written of my wip so far from first to third person. That's like 30K words so...yeesh. </li>
<li>Finish 14 chapters before I go back to school. It would be great if I can get more finished but between studying for the LSAT/my internship, getting that many chapters written might be a challenge. I'm up for it though! :)</li>
<li>Reward myself with reading whenever I meet a goal. I have a lot of books on my Kindle that I haven't gotten around to reading so this will help me get through my TBR list and it'll be a great way to rest my brain when I need a break from writing. </li>
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I hope everyone is as excited as I am about Ready. Set. Write! starting back up again. What are your goals for the week/summer?</div>
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Thanks for reading! </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-72847421208423082422015-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:002015-05-14T09:54:20.943-07:00Why Diverse Stories Aren't Only Important For Readers of Color<br />
Toni Morrison once said "If <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” That quote has been with me ever since I first read it years ago and while I am well past my teens and getting ever closer to being twenty one, I still have this desire to see myself in a story. Granted there have been black main characters in books but they're often about the struggles of being black or stories that aren't as diverse in plot as many books with white protagonists are. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Where are the black Katnisses of the YA world? Must black characters always be Rues or Threshes? I know that the answer is, no, they don't and there have been more and more books where black characters aren't defined by their 'circumstances' but it's not enough and it should never be enough. This belief is what inspired my current wip. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Unfair, if you don't know, is a YA (possibly NA) Epic Fantasy retelling of Snow White. It's not told from Snow White's POV and it takes place in a world that is geographically similar to our own. When I was first thinking this story up, it was natural for me to want to include other regions of the world but I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't admit that this incorporation was also intentional. I think it's important for everyone to see themselves in a story and while I grew up reading books with white protagonists who I could relate to, I think it's important for children to grow up reading characters that look like them. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Not many children of color do. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I didn't.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">But this isn't the only reason why I am writing Unfair with such a diverse cast.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I'm a Sociology major, so many of the courses I have taken deal with race. I have had great professors but the most meaningful education that I have received did not always come from the instructors themselves but the white students in the class. Many of them have never encountered someone who wasn't white before coming to college. Many of them had preconceived ideas of what a person of color should act like from media and from what friends and family have told them. </span><br />
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The amount of POCs in this country has been increasing but there is still not many opportunities for white children to interact with people of color. I grew up with seeing white actors on television. Most of my teachers and professors and classmates have been white. Because of that, I am able to see the person and not the stereotypes that sometimes gets perpetuated through media.<br />
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There are many people out there who teach their kids not to see color and while I can't tell anyone how to raise their children, I can say that that kind of thinking does more harm than good. I want people to see my color because I refuse to pretend that I don't see theirs. It's not something that is consciously in my head when I first meet someone but before you talk to someone the first thing you see is their appearance. Skin color makes up that appearance, so it is impossible not to notice it. Besides, color isn't bad. It's beautiful, in my opinion. The perceptions or the way a certain color has been portrayed to us is what can be bad, especially if that perception or portrayal is negative and is based on a stereotype instead of the individual.<br />
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The narratives of black teens that get told are not diverse. The same can be said for the stories of other teens of color. Again, I am aware of the fact that there are more books with main characters of color out but that just isn't enough for me. There needs to be an equal amount of representation in books, especially in books for children, teens, and college-aged adults.<br />
<br />That is the time when exposure to diversity is the most important.<br />
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So I will write Unfair with all of the readers in color in mind because I know how important it is to see someone who looks like you saving the world but I will also write it for white readers as well. We all need exposure to people who we think are different than us because it is then that we are forced to realize how similar we truly are.Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-57588234699702101122015-01-07T15:25:00.000-08:002015-01-07T15:27:01.871-08:00What's Up Wednesday <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65n-I_K2i1Bf0W045gWjsoBjc7lvVHbMKYv3GnKPTkqITBvu0l7XXBEfHuGu14CZHqnnOIOgSIIX_YjSDeGR-wtDZY1cwdL7b26FZER_FWRg9EituMhmpTwtzutgCz2ljJkTj485h0rg/s1600/Castle+Button+(Final).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65n-I_K2i1Bf0W045gWjsoBjc7lvVHbMKYv3GnKPTkqITBvu0l7XXBEfHuGu14CZHqnnOIOgSIIX_YjSDeGR-wtDZY1cwdL7b26FZER_FWRg9EituMhmpTwtzutgCz2ljJkTj485h0rg/s1600/Castle+Button+(Final).png" height="320" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this so much! </td></tr>
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<strong>WHAT I'M
READING</strong></div>
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I am still mentally reading The Bitter Kingdom. I finished it last week but I have been thinking about it ever since I read the last page. It was just THAT good. If you haven't read The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, I highly recommend it. Especially if you like adventure, new twists on old tropes, swoony romance, and diverse characters. I have a million other books to choose from, so we'll see what I pick up next.<br />
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<strong></strong> </div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
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I am still working on Unfair. I'm not sure if I'll finish it anytime soon but it would be great if this was the year that I finished writing another book. I love this story a lot because it's something I want to read. I'm not sure if I will ever query it or if I'll be brave enough to let someone else read it but, for now, it feels good writing something without limitations. <br />
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<strong>WHAT WORKS FOR ME </strong></div>
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I love music. It's one of the things I love just as much as I love reading and writing. But, unfortunately, it takes a lot of effort for me to listen to it whenever I write because I tend to sing along and if it's a song I really like, then more singing off-key happens than actual writing. The only exception is when the music fits the story that I'm trying to tell. It doesn't have to be the entire song. It can just be one line or the guitar solo or even just the singer's voice. I have had Hozier's debut album on repeat because, not only am I extremely in love with his voice <strike>and him</strike>, but it has inspired me to be more creative and more daring with my writing. It also got me to churn out 4.5K, which is a lot for me considering it's the first time in months that I have written anything that wasn't school related. </div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.79px;"><u><span style="color: black;"></span></u></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.79px;"><strong><span style="color: black;">WHAT ELSE IS NEW </span></strong></span></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">I made it through last semester with all As and one B, which is surprising because I was certain I would fail at least two of my classes. That may or may not be an exaggeration but I still wasn't expecting to do as well as I did.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">I go back to school (after being on vacation for three weeks) on Saturday. I'm going to miss being home but I am excited that junior year is halfway over.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">I have decided that I'm going to work writing into my schedule for this semester. I suck at time management but someone tweeted (can't remember who) that if you really want to write, you'll make time for it and while I can whine and say it's impossible to write while in college...there are people with kids and careers who still find time to write books. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">That's it from me. I hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for reading! :)</span></div>
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</span></span><br />Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-6621368669995345832014-07-28T02:57:00.000-07:002014-07-28T02:57:10.195-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 8)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong> <br />
In my last RSW post I said I was going to try my best to make myself write and last week...I wrote! I didn't get a lot done because I was busy packing for school but I did get some words written for both <em>Unfair</em> and<em> Love in the Time of Comic Con</em>, which I'm happy about. I hope I can get a lot more wordage written this week. <br />
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />Write, write, write! <br />
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY OR ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I
WROTE/REVISED</strong> <br />
Relationships. Particularly family and friend relationships. Both play a very important role in my wips, so the dynamics of both have been fun to play around with. It's also nice that my MC in Unfair has a guy friend that is just a friend. Often times, I read stories where the guy best friend turns into a love interest and, while I don't mind when that happens, I do want to see more stories where the guy friend is <em>just</em> a friend because those kinds of relationships do exist. <br />
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<strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong><br />
It isn't really a *challenge* but I kept coming up with a lot of SNIs. If I were the same writer a year ago, I probably would've dropped everything and started working on it but I simply just jotted them down and moved on. Inspiration is a wonderful thing but sometimes, when I get inspired, I just want to write ALL THE THINGS. <br />
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<strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong><br />
I love that I can let my imagination run wild. Because that's pretty much what I'm doing with Unfair. I don't really outline, so most of what is going in the first draft is from the top of my head. That's how I wrote stories as a kid, so it feels good to be writing that way now.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I hope
everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong></span></div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-72669525553601917322014-07-23T04:04:00.000-07:002014-07-23T04:04:24.197-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
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Nothing at the moment. I haven't read anything in about a week or two and I don't know why. I have such a long TBR list to get through before I go back to school.<br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
<br />
I haven't written anything since Monday. I didn't even attempt to work on any of my WIPs. I'm hoping this is a different story by next Monday. All of this lack of writerly productivity sucks! <br />
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW </strong></div>
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Well, in case I haven't mentioned this before, I have to go to a different campus to finish out my degree because my old one didn't offer my major (Sociology). I was a little nervous about switching and while I am going to miss my old campus a lot, finding out that I get to live in the best (from what I've heard) residence hall on campus is making me really excited to move in. It was designed by the same architect who did Harvard's dorms (once upon a time I wanted to go to Harvard for law school, so I think that's freakin' awesome), it's walking distance from most of my classes, and it's EXTREMELY GORGEOUS. I might not get much time to write next semester but if I do I'm inspired just by the thought of being able to write surrounded by such beautiful scenery. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I3EiAm3Zl15SBKAkOByrP3phNs5livO3ymusXn4W8xBUrh7M2Ec1scXKkR3TNsbM302YIKKScMaC8PyDpr4T2Sjs5HC8BJjJu6JDcMcmuTrwZAvg_Fvfu_Wj94lGKCKVKGKQh79NSRY/s1600/westhalls2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I3EiAm3Zl15SBKAkOByrP3phNs5livO3ymusXn4W8xBUrh7M2Ec1scXKkR3TNsbM302YIKKScMaC8PyDpr4T2Sjs5HC8BJjJu6JDcMcmuTrwZAvg_Fvfu_Wj94lGKCKVKGKQh79NSRY/s1600/westhalls2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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This picture doesn't really do it much justice but it's really pretty in person. </div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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Aside from gushing over where I'm living next year, I've been preparing for next semester since it's literally around the corner. I am going shopping this week for school supplies. I honestly hate this part of the going-back-to-school process. It involves shopping; my least favorite thing to do. </div>
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In other news, I HAVE AN INTERNSHIP! I keep wanting to shout that from every rooftop haha. I know that it's going to be a challenge juggling my schoolwork and an internship but I welcome that challenge with open arms. </div>
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<strong>Enough about me, what's going on with you guys?</strong> </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-37160654042492951242014-07-21T02:47:00.000-07:002014-07-21T02:48:09.192-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 7)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong> <br />
I worked on Love in the Time of Comic Con. I didn't get much done because other things came up but it's better than nothing. I also finished writing this week's article for Carpe Juvenis (the online publication that I write for), so I was partially productive this week. <br />
<br />
<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />
Try to write more because, really, trying is the only thing I can do at this point. I have less than 35 days until I go back to school, so I'm going to try my best to make these last days of my summer vacation count.<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY OR ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong> <br />
<br />
This is from LitToCC:<br />
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<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Sometimes people are too blind to see what’s right in front of them. Sometimes they just need for someone to peel open their eyelids and show them the big picture. But I didn’t want to have to be that person for my parents. I’m their daughter not their freakin’ marriage counselor.</span></blockquote>
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<strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong><br />
The fact that I had other things to do last week. Even though I do have about a month until I go back to school, this time of year is always a little hectic in terms of preparation. <br />
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<br />
<strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong><br />
It's letting me be as nerdy as I want to be. My friends don't watch the same shows that I watch and they definitely don't understand my love for Doctor Who (I know...one day I'll get them to watch it) so this story is like my nerdy outlet. I don't have to worry about it giving me the blank stares my friends sometimes give me when I make references to TV shows that I like hehe. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I hope everyone
had a productive week. Good luck with this
one!</strong></span></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-25603816887260457032014-07-16T00:05:00.001-07:002014-07-16T00:10:28.357-07:00What's Up Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started
by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin
Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four
questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the
links.</em></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em> </div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong> </div>
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I haven't been doing a lot of reading, which isn't a good thing. I want to take some time to do that this week, especially since I won't have to do it once school starts back up. I go back next month! </div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong></div>
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I'm still working on Unfair although I might take a break from it sometime this week to work on my side project, Love in the Time of Comic Con. It's a YA Contemporary Romance that is about 5K so far. I love my main character, Jet. She's so much fun to write and she's a nerd like me, which is something I really like. I've never been to Comic Con (I'm going to go one of these days!) so working on this story gives me an excuse to watch all of the Comic Con related videos on YouTube and pin pictures from the convention on Pinterest. Not that I don't do that every year anyways hehe. </div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong></div>
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<a href="http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/07/3-steps-taking-character-deeper-anger/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-steps-taking-character-deeper-anger">This post on anger</a>. Camellia, the main character of Unfair, is very angry. While it doesn't show all the time, because she does a great job of hiding it, it's really interesting to think about the different ways to show anger without actually using the word. It's a great post and I think it will help make my writing a lot stronger. </div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
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I worked out a lot during the school year but once summer vacation came around, I got really lazy. I have been working out on and off but lately I have decided that I want to try to be more consistent with my routine so, when school starts, I can keep at it. So far, it's going really good. It's kicking my butt but I know it'll be worth it in the long run.<br />
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I also revamped the blog! It took awhile for me to find a template that I liked but I settled on this one because I LOVE the birds, for reasons that are probably obvious lol</div>
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<strong>So...how's your week going so far?</strong></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-82768056529491431482014-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:002014-07-14T07:51:06.330-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong><br />
I added another 500 words to what I wrote last week. Plus, I also caved and wrote a kissing scene that's is not supposed to happen anytime soon. I actually really like the way the scene turned out so I can't wait to get to that point, officially. <br />
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />
Finish up the new beginning to the story and tie it into what I already have written of Unfair. <br />
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY <em>OR </em>ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong><br />
(From the kissing scene I wasn't supposed to write yet, No kissing in this line but it's one of my favorites.)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">"I'm not supposed to tell anyone my name," The Huntsman said, face half in moonlight, half in shadow.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Not feeling like writing. There were times when I had the opportunity to write but I just didn't feel like it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The Huntsman! I know a lot about him from the few random scenes with him in it that I've written and I like his character. He's not one of the good guys but he's not necessarily bad either. He has his reasons for doing what he's doing and that's been really fun to play around with. I also like being able to make up a backstory for character we don't learn much about in the original Snow White story. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I hope everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong></span></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-54110154713220626612014-07-09T02:22:00.000-07:002014-07-09T02:23:18.674-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the links.</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em> </div>
<strong></strong><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
<em></em><br />
<em>Shadow & Bone</em> still. I stopped reading to focus on my writing for a bit. I realize that at this rate, it'll take a million years to get to <em>Ruin & Rising</em> but I'm not in any rush to get to the end. I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to this series just yet. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>WHAT I'M WRITING </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I added 1K since Monday, which makes me really happy. This means that I have about 27K words in all. The idea that I'm so close to 30,000 excites me. I know that I am nowhere near finished with this story but I get one word closer to my goal each day and that's all that matters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's a little rough and it might change in the next draft but here's some of what I wrote:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">We’ve been through so much together so it wasn’t fair for me to pretend like he hadn’t lost as much as I have or that he didn’t hate the queen just as much. But because Wynn was stronger than I was; because he could bury his pain and anger without the help of the sun gods or sangria, I forgot that deep down he was just like me. We both had a shred of darkness in us. He just was better at making his darkness look like light. </span></blockquote>
<br />
I also partially figured out how I wanted<em> Unfair</em> to end. It might change once I get to that point but it feels good to have a scene to work towards.<br />
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><em> </em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My main character. She's so different than I am and the things that she says/the choices that she makes always surprises me. I guess some people would say that I'm the one making up the things she's doing and saying but, sometimes, it just doesn't feel like that. </span><br />
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stayed with a friend over the weekend. We've known each other since freshman year and it already feels like we've been friends for years. I guess it's true what they say about the people you meet in college being life-long friends? Well, anyways, I had blast. We had a few adventures that were worthy of a YA novel and we also went downtown to see the fireworks for the Fourth of July. Needless to say, once we got down there for the festivities, we didn't see the fireworks because we got distracted BUT I was able to take pictures. Okay, I only took two but they remind me of just how much I love my city. I have always wanted to write a novel set in Pittsburgh so I hope, one day, I get the chance. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops! That guy wasn't supposed to be there lol</td></tr>
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We also went to go to see Deliver Us From Evil. We got to the theater late so we missed some of the movie but <strike>aside from drooling over Eric Bana and Edgar Ramirez</strike> we were surprised at how much we liked it, considering that our scary movie standards are pretty high. My friends and I will go see just about any horror flick. We went through just about every scary film on Netflix when we weren't studying or doing homework. Some of them were extremely corny, others were so disturbing that we couldn't sleep afterwards. Deliver Us From Evil was far from corny and it wasn't really disturbing but it was...scary. <strike>I may or may not have screamed a few times</strike>. So, if you're into films like that, I highly recommend it. </div>
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<strong>How's your week going so far? </strong></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-4502001684301808822014-07-07T02:50:00.000-07:002014-07-07T02:50:42.625-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goal for Week 5)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong><br />
I wrote! And I actually met my writing goal of 500 words. I wrote a little bit more than that but I am so excited! Especially since I wasn't home for a few days and haven't really been writing that much lately. This is definitely a step up from the three sentences I wrote last week. <br />
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />
<em>Unfair </em>is currently about 26,000 words in all. So right now I'm just working on fixing the beginning and, more importantly, the pacing. The majority of the book takes place over the course of one day which wasn't my intention so I want to work on changing that but right now my goal for this week is to fix the beginning. <br />
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY <em>OR </em>ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong></div>
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Here's the new and improved first line: "Kneeling beside Queen Rowena's massive left foot, it took everything in me not to launch a stone at her cold, expressionless face."</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Not being home was a challenge (I'll talk more about this on Wednesday) but the biggest challenge would have to be getting reacquainted with my main character's voice. I figured out part of the reason why I haven't been writing had to do with me not remembering how Camellia sounded. So, to remedy that, I reread parts of my wip to get a feel for her voice again and that seemed to do the trick. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The languages! Okay, I'll admit. I haven't really came up with my own languages for the world Unfair is set in yet. <em>Shadow & Bone </em>and <em>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</em> are both books that do a great job of using existing languages and twisting them around a bit to fit their world. I haven't gotten to that stage so, as of now, I'm just using the actual language as a placeholder. Since Solterra (the place where my main character is from) is based off of Cape Verde (geographically not culturally), I wanted the people that lived there to speak Portuguese or at least a version of it. And in Casselein, another place in my story, the characters speak 'German' (this is mostly a nod to the Brothers Grimm since they are from Germany and this is a Snow White retelling). I hope, in later drafts, I can make the languages more unique but it has been fun incorporating them so far. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I hope everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong></span></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-67317916487074416962014-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:002014-07-02T00:01:50.093-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the links.</em></div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
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I am still re-reading <em>Shadow & Bone</em>. It's going really slow but it feels good to revisit this world again. And, is it bad that I still really like the Darkling even after I know about all the things that he's done? <strike>I'm going to assume the answer to my question is yes</strike>.</div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
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Well I wrote three sentences! I know that's not a lot but it's a step up from not having anything at all. I'm really excited about getting back into the story and to be done with notes. Also, remember in my Ready. Set. Write! post when I said my flash drive was broke? Well, it's still broke BUT I was able to retrieve the updated file of my wip as well as some other files. I write mostly in Scrivener because I don't have Microsoft Word on my new laptop. I knew about the backup feature that Scrivener has but, I guess, in my frustration, I forgot about it. So, after remembering it existed and a few minutes of searching, I found the backup folders. Yay! And I do use Dropbox and OneDrive but I didn't think to save the files in one of those places (I know I know) instead of my flash drive. I have learned my lesson now. I won't be relying too much on flash drives anymore. I'm just glad I got some of my writing back! Thanks for all of the tips everyone. I think on top of saving my writing to Dropbox and OneDrive, I'll email them to myself too. :)</div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW </strong></div>
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The worldbuilding in <em>Shadow & Bone</em>. I like how it's complex but not too complicated. I just really love this book and the series and the more I read, the more it inspires me to want to get my own YA Fantasy written.</div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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I got some exciting school/internship related things in my inbox yesterday. <a href="http://www.carpejuvenis.com/2014/07/01/how-to-make-college-feel-like-your-home-away-from-home-get-involved-on-campus/">My first article over at Carpe Juvenis also went up</a> (which I was pretty excited about!!!), so the first day of July started off pretty good for me. I hope that it's a sign that this will be a great month. </div>
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<strong>How's your week going so far? I hope July started off wonderful for you guys!</strong></div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-90291901882185673752014-06-30T07:07:00.000-07:002014-06-30T07:11:24.305-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 4!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong><br />
I didn't do too well or too bad. While I didn't write, I did figure out a part of my story that I couldn't quite piece together. So, I think for now, I'm finished with forming the backstory. Unfortunately, my flash drive with Unfair saved on it decided to stop working all of sudden so it. I have another copy saved to my computer but the other one on my flash drive was more up to date and while I'm glad I didn't lose all of my writing, I spent more time trying to figure out how to fix it (because I don't think it's broke) than writing. Technology has not been my friend this week. <br />
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />
Try to get back the lost time. While I'm bummed about my flash drive, hopefully I can get back on track and if I fix it, that's great, if not then at least the majority of Unfair is still saved on my laptop and I can go from there. I'm going to go stay with a friend for few days because I haven't seen her since school let out, so we'll see how much I can get done before I leave. I'm going to set the goal word count at 500.<br />
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY <em>OR </em>ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">"The snow kept falling to the earth in clusters, and though it looked beautiful; like a million little white crystals, there was something about it that just didn’t seem right." (Since I didn't write, this sums up what I want to write more of in the future.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Aside from my flash drive, I'd say the biggest challenge was the fact that my mind was elsewhere for most of the week. Since my internship fell through for the summer and I couldn't find one to replace it, I have been looking through the ones provided by the school that I can do for the fall term. I found three that I want to apply to so I mostly spent the week fixing up my resume and working on cover letters. I've also been researching more law schools because ten isn't enough lol I really need to work on shortening the list but, as you can see, my mind was elsewhere this week. While I was still productive, I really wish most of the productivity could've been used for my writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">It's always there, in the back of my mind. There are some stories that I have started that I have unfortunately left behind once a shiny new idea came my way but Unfair is different. Even after months of not working on it, I still want to write this story, and even when I'm not writing, I still think about it and the characters. I am constantly taking notes in my head and thinking up scenes that even if I don't jot down right away, I remember them later. Unfair is the kind of story that I know won't go away anytime soon and I like to think that, even if it takes me a long time to draft it, it'll get written. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>I hope everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong></span></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-8304104346671514242014-06-25T11:47:00.001-07:002014-06-25T11:48:08.591-07:00What's Up Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the links.</em></div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong> </div>
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<em>Shadow and Bone</em> by Leigh Bardugo. I want to reread S&B and S&S before I buy <em>Ruin and Rising</em>. I keep hearing everyone talk about how amazing it is on Twitter so I can't wait until I can get to it. </div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
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Well I'm still working on Unfair. I just haven't done a lot of writing lately. I have jotted down a few sentences here and there but nothing big. I really want to get back into the swing of writing but this week isn't really going well in that department. I'm not giving up hope though! I will be sure to update you guys on my progress on Monday! </div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW </strong></div>
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I think it's amazing that people can start off with one scene in their head and then turn into a book. Writing is such a wonderful thing and I'm not saying that because I'm a writer. As a reader, I am in awe of every book I read - good or bad. And it's mostly because, at one point, every book we see at the bookstore was just a draft or an idea that stemmed from a dream or something the author saw or heard or felt or whatever inspired them to sit down and turn their idea into a novel. The book-writing process is painful and hard and sometimes it makes me want to cry and rip my hair out but there's no denying that it's amazing, life-changing, and extremely inspiring. </div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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I recently became a contributing writer for Carpe Juvenis, an online publication that's all about, well, seizing your youth. You can learn more about it <a href="http://www.carpejuvenis.com/">here</a>. I'm really excited about being apart of the team and I already have a few ideas for articles I want to write, so I'm going to be mostly working on that this week. It feels great to be doing something productive with my summer especially since looking for a job and/or internship didn't go too well. I can't wait to tell you guys more about it. :)</div>
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<strong>Thanks for reading guys! I hope everyone is having a productive week.</strong> </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-86198378413811407252014-06-23T12:52:00.000-07:002014-06-23T12:52:08.910-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong><br />
Not as good as I wanted to. I did do some writing, which is always good, but I didn't really pay much attention to my wip this week partly because I spent some time out of the house, reading, and at times just didn't feel like working on Unfair. <br />
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong><br />
Get back in the groove of writing. I remember last summer I couldn't stop working on Unfair and that resulted in me pushing out 25K. I want to get back to that. I also need to make up for last week's lack of productivity and finish note-taking. It's the pantser in me. I'd much rather continue on without an outline or anything but I know that if I don't try to make sense of the story before I get farther in, things will just get more tangled up than they need to be. <br />
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY <em>OR </em>ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong></div>
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Genoveva could see it when she looked into her eyes. Though once blue, they were now black with desire and want; a craving that neither food or drink could sate. (<em>This is two lines, I know, but one couldn't be shared without the other</em>)</div>
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<strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong></div>
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Doubt. It's everything from doubting that I can tell this story to doubting my ability to write. I hope that these feelings will pass because I don't want them to get in the way of my writing.</div>
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<strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong></div>
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I love that I get to experiment with this idea. I'm letting my imagination run wild with Unfair and I'm finding that even if this a retelling of Snow White, I do have a lot of freedom in the worldbuilding department.</div>
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<strong>I hope everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong></div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-47334616218886167772014-06-18T11:04:00.000-07:002014-06-18T11:04:49.099-07:00What's Up Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKSCT0eyLKjYFJYWTzIjJucWEWGH0l7yQZjv-YhwowrxfOqYvtFDOv0loauRHew5X22OHFmb50QxedKyszKii53sI2T_Y4pPjtKIUvpwFOi7ssFB9pzh7kTSN8LPEKkkw5vlelkhDh-s/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the links.</em></div>
<em></em><br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq7iHgX2fynN6swyJaF0iIMFc1BkC1xZ75Yt0ofotHgi6YBdAlZ2z2jwWy7d8m4k9F2WdXg-UNf5BXQCJ3NUzmyMdeIQevq-_Z_jKOAkYGX6jMFVLIOJI3DW_oNAPp-6Cm1GT4kMzIbQ/s1600/onthefence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq7iHgX2fynN6swyJaF0iIMFc1BkC1xZ75Yt0ofotHgi6YBdAlZ2z2jwWy7d8m4k9F2WdXg-UNf5BXQCJ3NUzmyMdeIQevq-_Z_jKOAkYGX6jMFVLIOJI3DW_oNAPp-6Cm1GT4kMzIbQ/s1600/onthefence.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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I finished reading On the Fence by Kasie West a few days ago (it might've been Monday but I'm not sure lol) and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT (yes, the caps were necessary). It was such a sweet book and it's a perfect read for the summer. I only wish that I was able to sit on the beach and read it but that's the reality of living in Pennsylvania. It may be considered 'east coast' but I don't actually live on the coast. So no beaches for me. Either way, On the Fence was a great book to read curled up on the couch and I'm sure it would be great to read in other places too. I hope you guys check it out when it releases in July. </div>
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<br />As of now I'm still reading The Swan and the Jackal by J. A. Redmerski. It's taking me forever to read because I keep getting distracted by other books. And Ruin & Rising just released so I know that in order for me to get it, I must finish this first. Otherwise, I'll kick it to the curb because I've been waiting for R&R for what feels like a <em>very</em> long time.</div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
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I did get some writing done but it wasn't Unfair-related. I was doing some reading up on how to handle those pesky shiny new ideas and most people have been saying that if you spend some time getting it 'out of your system' then you should be okay. I gave myself a day to work on Love in the Time of Comic Con, a YA Contemp idea (you can find out more about it <a href="http://raven-ashley.blogspot.com/p/projects_14.html">here</a>) that's been bugging me for a few days now and I ended up writing about 5K for it. It's at a point where I feel comfortable enough to leave it alone but I know that if I ever need a break from Unfair, I'll set a timer, work on it for maybe an hour, and then once that time is up, I'll go back to working on my main project. I don't feel the urge to work on any SNIs, surprisingly, so I'm really excited about getting back to Unfair (maybe that mini break was exactly what I needed). I don't know how much I'll get done today since I'm going out with my mom later, so we'll see. </div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong> </div>
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I'm going to have to say storytelling. I have had that song Rude by MAGIC! stuck in my head for a few days now and so I decided to listen to it because strangely that's what helps me get a song out of my head. Anyways, I found an acoustic version on YouTube and the lead singer was talking about how the story behind the song was made up and that none of them have actually experienced any of what the guy in the music video/song was going through. Him saying that reminded me a lot of how I feel about writing. I usually write stories that have nothing to do with me. My main characters aren't anything like me and I do that on purpose. In my opinion, storytelling isn't storytelling if you don't challenge yourself to tell a story that isn't your own. In other words, I don't want to write an autobiography. Maybe there are elements of my life that I use as a basis for my characters but being able to use those elements to create a character that is their own person is what I love so much about storytelling. </div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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My birthday (excluding today) is in three days! I went out for lunch to celebrate with my mom and two of my cousins yesterday since my mom works on weekends and my birthday unfortunately falls on Saturday this year. I'll most likely spend the day reading Ruin & Rising because I don't really do much on my actual birthday anyway. But my mom and I are going out for dinner later on, which I'm really excited about. These last few days being a teenager weren't as scary as I thought they would be, only because I know I'm still going to be the same kid when I'm twenty. I mean, just because you get older, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to grow up completely. </div>
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I've been worried about not having enough money for next year since I'm changing campuses and the one I'm going to is a little bit more expensive. But I got an email saying to check my financial aid and thankfully the university has given me a scholarship and a grant which pretty much took care of the rest of my tuition. That was some much-needed good news because I've been bummed about not being able to find a job (started looking for one in the beginning of May) because I'm in college. That's the answer I've been getting a lot, which sucks, but it's a relief to know that at least my tuition is taken care of. </div>
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<strong>Thanks for reading! </strong></div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-41671908435139737762014-06-16T00:25:00.000-07:002014-06-16T00:25:22.823-07:00Ready. Set. Write! (Goals for Week 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCpCHa6DVnUqfBx162cU-21GM3CPUHwmLkLR1LrIGiQAFimDNY9zn77dj-dNHB4cSf1sZ3a4ok-lGM37PslBGQO6clfpXYBDju1ICfRVY39xsT8o-27YTuEIOlam5PQbMYvuXJSUm3KY/s1600/RSWteal.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /><strong>HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS</strong></div>
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I figured out the backstory and it helped me figure out some things in the main plot. I also did a bit of writing just to get the creative juices flowing. I still have more planning to do and some things to figure out before I officially start writing again but it feels good to have gotten what I wanted to do <a href="http://raven-ashley.blogspot.com/2014/06/ready-set-write-goals-for-summer.html">last week</a>, finished (for the most part). </div>
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<strong>MY GOALS FOR THIS WEEK</strong></div>
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Finish my note-taking. Answer any of the remaining questions I have about characters, plot etc. I also want to start thinking about how I want this story to end. I think that having an ending scene to work towards will motivate me to finish this even more.</div>
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<strong>A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY <em>OR </em>ONE WORD/PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED</strong></div>
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"Before the night is out," she whispered, watching as one of the royal servants helped her father's new bride out of the carriage. "I'll have another heart for you, mother."</div>
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<strong>THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK</strong></div>
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Staying focused. I've been getting a lot of SNIs lately (because this always happens when I try to stick to one WIP). I'm really trying my hardest not to let myself get distracted so hopefully I'll be able to fight off any new character that pops into my head.</div>
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<strong>SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP</strong></div>
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The diversity. When I decided to write this story, I wanted it to reflect our world culturally. While the places in the story that are inspired by different countries and continents don't match our map (and it's a whole lot smaller), I like being able to piece together different parts of our world to make up a new one. </div>
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<strong>I hope everyone had a productive week. Good luck with this one!</strong> </div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-57234459119756509772014-06-11T09:57:00.003-07:002014-06-11T10:05:34.350-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu_fooSLi0xqZ87Cu3FGxBJoW4js1aN0RTwKPlYw4dsODH0tIWHt3LKFzQtg9_CMf1d1lb386pdCwIdv3GEitp1jRqx7o55UJzt5sT2eOxobWjevM2_EWNiIJN5VS7Ao0yjYu9gJNYqY/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu_fooSLi0xqZ87Cu3FGxBJoW4js1aN0RTwKPlYw4dsODH0tIWHt3LKFzQtg9_CMf1d1lb386pdCwIdv3GEitp1jRqx7o55UJzt5sT2eOxobWjevM2_EWNiIJN5VS7Ao0yjYu9gJNYqY/s1600/t.gif" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu_fooSLi0xqZ87Cu3FGxBJoW4js1aN0RTwKPlYw4dsODH0tIWHt3LKFzQtg9_CMf1d1lb386pdCwIdv3GEitp1jRqx7o55UJzt5sT2eOxobWjevM2_EWNiIJN5VS7Ao0yjYu9gJNYqY/s1600/t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by </em><a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Jaime Morrow</em></span></a><em> and </em><a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;"><em>Erin Funk</em></span></a><em> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, you can click on either one of the links.</em></div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
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<em>The Swan and the Jackal</em> by R. A. Redmerski. I started it about a week and a half ago and it usually only takes me a few days (or one, depending on the book) to read something. However, I've been more preoccupied with my own story which sucks but hopefully I will be able to get back to reading this week. I also received an ARC of On the Fence by Kasie West a few days ago, and I'm excited to read it because it's on my TBR list and it's YA Contemporary, which is something I haven't read in a really long time. </div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong></div>
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Unfair has always had a prologue but after reading over the old one, I decided that it didn't fit the story that I wanted to tell so I scraped it and wrote a few sentences in Snow White's POV instead. Before it was told from the Prince's POV about his first encounter with Snow White, and it just didn't seem to do anything for the story. Even though my WIP isn't about Snow White, she does play a major role in main plot so it only seems right to start there. I also took some notes on the world-building, backstory, and the relationships each of the characters have with each other. So this week, so far, has been surprisingly productive. I can't wait to see what I have done by next week's RSW check-in. </div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW </strong></div>
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A number of things have been inspiring me this week:</div>
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For one, <em>Thistle and Weeds</em> by Mumford & Sons has been on repeat ever since I first heard it on YouTube yesterday. I was always aware of this band but I've never actually listened to their music. Then I listened to <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-ko6aINI4">White Blank Page</a></em> and the rest was history. I really love this particular song because it fits my story so perfectly. It just doesn't tell the story of one character either, which is what I love about it. I hear it and I think about each of my character's individual stories and it's truly an awesome thing when you find a song that allows you to do that. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VbloXQeuNCc" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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The original Snow White story is always an inspiration for me because even though this is a retelling, I do want to make sure that my story keeps the dark elements of the original tale. While I like Disney, their version of the tale written by the Grimm Brothers doesn't really intrigue me like the original does. I also have a fairytale book (didn't know I had it until I found it the other day) with a translation of the original Snow White in it, so I've been reading over that a lot lately.</div>
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When I was first coming up with the idea for the story, one of the questions I asked (after figuring out who Snow White was and what she would do) was: how does her actions affect the rest of the world? So coming up with the backstory and trying to piece together my own world by using our world as a blueprint has been very interesting. I want to draw a map so I can visualize where I want everything to be but...my drawing skills aren't that great when it comes to map-making haha.</div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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We're most likely moving before the end of the summer so I've been helping my mom pack up some of the things we don't need out anymore and throwing away old stuff. I found some of my old stories from when I was in high school and the years before that. It's always interesting to see what kind of writer I was back then and even more than that - what kind of person. I'm a much different person now than I was then but I am also still the same in some ways. So looking back on my younger self was a lot like saying hello to an old friend and that was nice, especially since I'll be hitting another milestone in ten days. My birthday is on the 21st and I will be the big 2-0. Haha, okay. Maybe it's not that big of a deal but I can't wait to see what my twenties has in store for me. </div>
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I've also been re-watching Supernatural <strike>obsessively</strike>. So far, I have watched it every summer since I've started college so it's sorta kinda like a<strike>n obsession</strike> tradition. Not only does it make me wish I had a sibling to go on a 'road trip' <strike>and fight monsters</strike> with but it's also teaching me a lot about character development. Since I'm an only child and don't know much about sibling relationships, accept for what I read/see in real life or on TV, Sam/Dean's relationship is really helping me with the dynamics of my MC's relationship with her sister. There are people who don't like Supernatural (and I just look at those people like: O.O) but even if you're one of those people, there is no denying that all of the main characters have grown throughout each season and it's a wonderful thing to watch and to learn from. </div>
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Thanks for reading! :)</div>
Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-70811290285077628842014-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:002014-06-09T14:51:51.223-07:00Ready. Set. WRITE! (Goals for Week 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last summer I started my current WIP, a (dark) YA High Fantasy retelling of Snow White. I currently have 25,000+ words written for it and I couldn't have gotten that much written if it wasn't for the support of everyone who participated in Ready. Set. Write! RSW is a summer writing intensive hosted by <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/">Jaime Morrow</a>, <a href="http://katyupperman.com/">Katy Upperman</a>,<a href="http://alisonmiller20.blogspot.com/"> Alison Miller</a>, and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.ca/">Erin Funk</a>. If you want to join in on the fun, click on any one of the links and sign up. Trust me, it's worth it! :)<br />
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So...I haven't worked on Unfair in <em>months</em>. Both my lack of writing and the <strike>centuries</strike> long blog/social media hiatus is due to the fact that the last semester of my sophomore year (I'm officially a junior in college guys!!!) was stressful. I made the decision to take six courses all at once because I thought I could handle it but...to make a long story short: I couldn't handle it. Most of my time was spent studying, pulling all-nighters, and writing papers. While I have been doing all of those things, pretty much, since the beginning of my college career, for some reason, last semester was extremely overwhelming. That said, I honestly didn't think I was going to make it out of that semester alive but I did. And, on top of that, I made Dean's List, which is always a good thing, I guess.<br />
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I don't want to keep rambling on so, in light of months of not working on it, here are my goals for Unfair for the week:<br />
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<li><strong>Worldbuilding</strong>: I have already started to figure out the limitations of the magic in Unfair but there are still some things I have to figure out. This week, I want to try to answer all of the questions I have about the magic system in Unfair.</li>
<li><strong>Plotting</strong>: Since I was able to take a break from it, I want to use that to my advantage and look at the plot from a different perspective. This week will mostly be about filling in holes character and plot-wise and try to form some kind of 'outline' (I'm a pantser through and through so we'll see how this goes).</li>
<li><strong>Writing</strong>: I don't know if I will get any writing done this week since it's going to mostly be dedicated to working out details and things but if I do write, I'll set my goal at 500 words. Baby steps.</li>
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That's enough about me. What about you guys? What's your writing goals for this week?<br />
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Thanks for reading! <br />
<strong></strong><br />Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-13579937554342801202013-08-14T09:29:00.001-07:002013-08-14T11:23:36.944-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What's Up Wedneday is a weekly meme started by <a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/">Jaime Morrow</a> and<a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"> Erin Funk</a> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/2013/08/whats-up-wednesday.html">here</a>:<br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong></div>
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I'm still reading <em>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</em> by Rae Carson.</div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING </strong></div>
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<a href="http://raven-ashley.blogspot.com/2013/08/whats-upfriday.html">I'm still at the same wordcount as Friday</a>, less than 600 words from the 25K mark. (I posted my What's Up Wednesday post on Friday because I was out of town that week, and couldn't post it earlier.) I did, however, rework the opening of <em>Unfair </em>and post it on WriteOnCon. You can read it <a href="http://writeoncon.com/forum/showthread.php?13556-YA-Epic-Fantasy-Unfair">here</a>. I got a lot of great feedback, and even though I am nowhere near finished with <em>Unfair</em>, the opening is starting to look a lot better. If you posted anything on WriteOnCon, and you want a critique, feel free to post a link in the comments, and I'll try to get to it.</div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong></div>
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I love this post about<a href="http://writeoncon.com/08/13/diversity-in-writing/"> Diversity in Writing by Ellen Cho</a>. She hits on a lot of great points, and I think everyone should read it. </div>
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I have to say that I love it when people in the writing community talk about diversity. I run across a lot of racist people on the internet, and though it's never been directed towards me, some of the things that people say to other people still hurt. There are times when I just want to give up the internet because of all of those things, but then I remember the community I am apart of. No I don't know A LOT of writers but the ones I *know* and the ones I see post on writing-related forums or articles are so respectful and kind and eager to learn. I can't explain how much that inspires me; how much that makes me feel like the world we live in won't always be the way that it is. </div>
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Speaking of the writing community, I am glad to have written with y'all this summer. I honestly don't know where <em>Unfair</em> would be if I hadn't stumbled across What's Up Wednesday/Ready. Set. Write! I don't think I would've gotten any writing done. I started this summer feeling down because I couldn't find the story that stuck. Now I have characters that I truly love, and the drive to actually finish this story. I couldn't have gotten to this point without everyone's support. Thank you.</div>
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And a HUGE thank you to Alison, Elodie, Katy, Jaime, and Erin! My writing care packages came and they made me so happy. There are a lot of great things that I can't wait to use to finish <em>Unfair</em>. Ready. Set. Write! was a great idea, and I'm so glad that I was apart of it. </div>
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong></div>
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School shopping! I spent the whole of yesterday going from store to store, getting things that I need for this semester, and I got most of what I need, which is good because I LOATHE shopping. The less time I have to spend in a store, the better. </div>
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I go back to school next Wednesday so this might be my last What's Up Wednesday/Ready. Set. Write! post for a while. Once I get settled into school and get a feel for the semester, I'm going to work out a schedule, so I can write and still stay on top of school work. </div>
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I'm going to miss having loads of free time but I am really excited about going back to school. People look at me funny when I say this. There are a lot of people who don't like school and that's understandable. College is stressful. I can't begin to count how many nights I've stayed up until three o'clock in the morning studying or trying to finish an assignment. But college is also A LOT of fun. Plus, I have a suite with two of my friends. Freshman year, I really couldn't connect with my roommate, so it's going to be fun having not just one but two roommates that are my friends. </div>
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Thanks for reading! How was your writing week?</div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-28925574164087826942013-08-09T11:45:00.000-07:002013-08-09T12:33:17.606-07:00What's Up...Friday?<br />
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Since I didn't get a chance to post an update on Wednesday, here's my What's Up Wednesday post two days late.<br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong><br />
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<em>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</em> by Rae Carson. I am LOVING this book. Elisa is one of the first realistic female MCs that I've read in a very long time. I love that she likes food and is smart. I love that she has morals and that even though she grew up sheltered, she is not using her upringing to stop her from fulfilling her potential. The writing is great and even though I am not very religious, I like the religious undertones that the story has. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a YA Fantasy that doesn't 'sugarcoat' the harshness of living in a fantasy world and has a main character who grows from a sheltered princess to a hero. <br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong><br />
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My writing has been put on hold for a few days because I was out of town* but I wrote 2, 834 words last week which brought my word count up to 24, 431. I am so close to the 25K mark that I can taste it and it's hard to believe that I didn't have any idea what I wanted to write when the summer started. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> The <em>alto nascidos</em> (highborns) didn’t share our superstitions. They would want to cut out their tongues if they found out that they were eating pigeons, but we’d never let them find out. Working in the kitchen wouldn’t be fun, if we were no longer able to have a good laugh at their expense.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“Did something happen in Artao?” Wynn asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I tried to keep my voice measured. There was no use in lying, especially since it wasn’t my strong suit. Wynn would be able to tell I was hiding something if I answered his question falsely, so I asked him a question instead. “Why do you ask?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">His shoulders rose, then fell. Strands of his hair blew into his eyes. It was more gold than red. I suspect the sun was to blame for that. He’s changed since we were kids. Then he was a pale boy with clear eyes, and hair that was almost as red as his cheeks. Now his skin is tanned from the Southern sun, and his eyes are muddied with memories of war. “That man, the crippled one…” He stopped, thinking over his words. “He looked at you in a strange way.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I smiled but it didn’t feel genuine.“Maybe he’s never seen a girl wearing pants before.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“Maybe.” He looked up at me from underneath his long, thick eyelashes. “Those men wanted to kill us. If I didn’t take down that archer in time, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“They were </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Calyans</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">. They live for a good brawl.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">His eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know they were from Calyo?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I searched around for an answer, not wanting him to call me on my lie. “One of the archer’s arrows hit Shadow. When I pulled it out of his thigh, I noticed that it was made of wood. They don’t believe in fighting with weapons but when they do use them they’re always made out of wood.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Wynn turned to look at Shadow; his eyes moving over him, as if he were trying to figure out how he could be walking upright with an injured leg. I wondered the same thing. Shira’s words still echoed in my ear. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">But he isn’t just a horse.</span></div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong><br />
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The worldbuilding in <em>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</em>. As I have mentioned before, <em>Unfair </em>is set (partly)in a 'country' called Solterra (which is a combination of the Portuguese words for 'sun' and 'land') and Solterra is inspired by Cape Verde, an island country off the coast of West Africa. I am still trying to figure out how I can make the language unique to my story but for now I have been trying to teach myself Portuguese (it's the official language of Cape Verde), and throwing a few Portuguese words in every now and then. It helps that I know a little Spanish because some of the words are similar. But...I kept debating about whether I should keep everything strictly in English, then I started reading TGoFaT and it inspired me to give incorporating another language a try. I hope that I can somehow make it my own later on but for now I think it helps add to the setting of the story.<br />
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<strong>*WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong><br />
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I was at a leadership conference in State College, PA which is why I wasn't able to put up a What's Up Wednesday post. Since I am an orientation leader and the newly appointed Student Affairs Director for my campus, I had to go to a leadership conference to prepare for both positions, and while I had loads of fun meeting people from other Penn State campuses, I also learned a lot about being a leader, and came up with a few ideas for what I would like to achieve during my term as the new Student Affairs Director. <br />
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It's my last year at my current campus (I'll be transferring to University Park next Fall), so I really want to make a difference while I'm still there, and hopefully inspire the newcoming freshmen to get involved in clubs and be active in the collegiate community. <br />
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While I was away, I found out that 'Glass House', <a href="http://visibilityfiction.com/teen-writing-competition-finalists/">a story I wrote for a teen writing contest is a finalist!</a> This news seriously made my week and I'm happy that, even if my story doesn't win, I at least got this far. <br />
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Thanks for reading! Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-44328203888030740802013-07-31T01:08:00.001-07:002013-07-31T01:52:22.572-07:00What's Up Wednesday <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDSyxdxmR__G1gyfYi6A_b-lcszVRg_a6h2_Z6i1s2eKJWeQhuAE8oe2gbdUt4LumgTAOKgYx6AgdYOAQ8LNsJ_ZHVCnKTvbZ-HeG1j1IjUpJrB03tVR-7bZro8qZFTtMzblJDA3Noo/s1600/m.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDSyxdxmR__G1gyfYi6A_b-lcszVRg_a6h2_Z6i1s2eKJWeQhuAE8oe2gbdUt4LumgTAOKgYx6AgdYOAQ8LNsJ_ZHVCnKTvbZ-HeG1j1IjUpJrB03tVR-7bZro8qZFTtMzblJDA3Noo/s1600/m.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDSyxdxmR__G1gyfYi6A_b-lcszVRg_a6h2_Z6i1s2eKJWeQhuAE8oe2gbdUt4LumgTAOKgYx6AgdYOAQ8LNsJ_ZHVCnKTvbZ-HeG1j1IjUpJrB03tVR-7bZro8qZFTtMzblJDA3Noo/s1600/m.png" /></a><br />
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by <a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;">Jaime Morrow</span></a> and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;">Erin Funk</span></a> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go<span style="color: #cd4654;"> <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/2013/07/whats-up-wednesday-almost-august-edition.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WHAT I'M READING <em></em></span></strong></div>
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<em>Siege and Storm</em> by Leigh Bardugo! FINALLY. I have been waiting to read this book for a very long time, and boy was the wait worth it. I'm not too far in but I am enjoying it. Also, Sturmhond is my new favorite character. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WHAT I'M WRITING</span> </strong><br />
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I reached (and surpassed) 20K!!! Last week <em>Unfair </em>was at 18, 560 words, this week I was able to bump that up to 21, 597 words. That's 3,037 words written for those of you who like numbers. Since I didn't share a teaser last week, I'll post one today. Keep in mind that this is the first draft. <br />
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<em>Background: Camellia (my MC) is on a ship that appears out of thin air and carries goods collected from different parts of the kingdom. The Queen gave the merchants who sail the ship reign over the sea, but no one knows where they came from. In this scene, Camellia is talking to one of the merchants. (Spoiler: The merchants are sirens. Also, her sword is made out of pure gold. A strange woman gave it to her in an earlier scene.)</em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> “You have a sharp tongue,” he said, and I could hear a semblance of a smile in his voice. Only I couldn’t be sure. One look and he’ll drive me mad. The chuckle that resonates in his throat sounds empty, as if he had pulled it out of a soul that hadn’t been there for many years.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“My tongue isn’t the only thing that's sharp.” I held up my sword. “What could I buy with this?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“Half of this ship if you wanted.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“I need iron.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">“I tell you that you can buy half of this ship, and you want to waste this gold on iron?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">I turn to face him, staring at his chest to keep from meeting his cerulean gaze. “Don’t question what I came here to buy. It’s none of your concern.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">His hand moved up to touch my chin. Fingers grazed the skin there, ever so gently. I would’ve cut each one of them off, if a wave of calm didn’t wash over me in that moment. “Look into my eyes.” That is when I could hear it. The voices. The singing. It replaced every thought that I ever had. It was both beautiful and horrible. It shook me to my core, and it would’ve driven me to madness if there wasn’t something inside of me fighting back.When I finally met his blue-green gaze, his power had no affect on me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The merchant withdrew his hand. “Impossible,” he whispered. </span></div>
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My <em>Ready. Set. Write!</em> goals for the week? I'm going to keep it small. I want to see if I can write around 1-2K. Will try for more but we'll see.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</span></strong></div>
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I have been writing for more than a decade (started writing when I was five) and I don't necessarily worry about ever being published. One day I would love to query and share my stories with other people but for now I am content with writing for me. There are a lot of people who write because they want to be bestselling authors one day, and while it's okay to have dreams, don't let that dream be the only reason you want to write. <br />
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I think it's good to remember that you're always going to be a writer. If you don't have an agent or a book deal it doesn't make you less of a writer, and even if you do have those things, it doesn't make you more of a writer. Once you commit yourself to writing a story; once you write that first word and never stop then, from that moment on, you are a writer for life. It doesn't matter if you get paid to do it or not. As long as you're writing for yourself first, nothing else matters. <br />
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I don't want to ramble but just having the ability to think up stories, build worlds, and create different characters inspires me every day. Storytelling is what has gotten me through childhood, high school, and my approaching adulthood. Being a writer is awesome, so whenever you're feeling down, remember that. Always remember that. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO</span></strong><br />
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I'm an Executive Scholar for a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh that gives out scholarships to kids who do well in high school and attend Pittsburgh public schools from kindgergarten up.<br />
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To celebrate getting through the first year of college, the organization gave me and other Executive Scholars free tickets to the game and we got to meet the players, hang out in the VIP suite, and to make a long story short, I had a blast, and the Pirates won!!!! They beat the Cardinals 9 - 1. It was a great game and an AMAZING day overall. I'm really glad I went. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyBIMCYyKUCTZJpwip4v23m86TfDXtkUER3pqnN-lAgoy5s28nCyyUCUjmxAieau2MEBSIUFs0M3T2u3OCDZAFO38fp2vqIUF_jmyvwavg7dn37V1eBdDSDkpZ_A2r00wVaZJxLfh-S8/s1600/pirates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyBIMCYyKUCTZJpwip4v23m86TfDXtkUER3pqnN-lAgoy5s28nCyyUCUjmxAieau2MEBSIUFs0M3T2u3OCDZAFO38fp2vqIUF_jmyvwavg7dn37V1eBdDSDkpZ_A2r00wVaZJxLfh-S8/s400/pirates.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top Left: View from the suite, Top Right: A really cute bowl shaped like a baseball cap (I kept it), Bottom Left: View from the Roberto Clemente bridge (that boat just happened to be passing by), Bottom Right: Me walking across the Roberto Clemente bridge after the game (it's a little blurry but I like it). </strong></td></tr>
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I hope everyone had a great writing week!<br />
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Thanks for reading. :)<br />
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387024755217606129.post-23025171461865051772013-07-24T10:51:00.003-07:002013-07-24T10:56:01.874-07:00What's Up Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDSyxdxmR__G1gyfYi6A_b-lcszVRg_a6h2_Z6i1s2eKJWeQhuAE8oe2gbdUt4LumgTAOKgYx6AgdYOAQ8LNsJ_ZHVCnKTvbZ-HeG1j1IjUpJrB03tVR-7bZro8qZFTtMzblJDA3Noo/s1600/m.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZDSyxdxmR__G1gyfYi6A_b-lcszVRg_a6h2_Z6i1s2eKJWeQhuAE8oe2gbdUt4LumgTAOKgYx6AgdYOAQ8LNsJ_ZHVCnKTvbZ-HeG1j1IjUpJrB03tVR-7bZro8qZFTtMzblJDA3Noo/s1600/m.png" /></a></div>
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by <a href="http://jaime-morrow.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;">Jaime Morrow</span></a> and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cd4654;">Erin Funk</span></a> where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go<a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/2013/07/whats-up-wednesday_7002.html"> <span style="color: #cd4654;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<strong>WHAT I'M READING</strong><br />
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I'm still reading <em>Eyre House</em>. Yes, I know I should be finished with it by now. I honestly don't know what's taking me so long to read it, but I am determined to finish it before the week is over. I have so many other books that I need to read.</div>
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<strong>WHAT I'M WRITING</strong> </div>
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<em>Unfair</em> is still coming along...slowly. But it's better to move at a slow pace than at no pace, I guess. 20K seemed like an easy enough goal to reach but for some reason I didn't reach it. I did, however, bring last week's wordcount (15,981) up to 18, 560. That's 2, 579 words for people who like numbers. So I guess that's not<em> too</em> bad. I'll try to do better this week though.</div>
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<strong>WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW</strong></div>
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This post by Stacey Kade, <a href="http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2013/07/writing-to-end-of-your-story-by-stacey.html">Writing to the End of Your Story</a>. There are a lot of times when I have doubts about my story, and times when I just want to start from scratch, start the story over and try to make everything perfect. I am a huge perfectionist but I know that if I don't keep moving forward, chances are I am going to get stuck and this story won't get told. So I'm going to try my best to write to the end of this story. First drafts don't have to be perfect. You can't fix a blank page (or Word doc) so it's better to get everything out first, and then work on fixing it later.<br />
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<strong>WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO</strong><br />
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There is a (small) part of me that wishes that summer vacation for me wasn't almost over but I honestly can't wait to go back to school. I'm eager to start sophomore year, see my friends again, and make so many new memories. </div>
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I'm going to a baseball game next week. For those of you who follow baseball, then you know that the Pittsburgh Pirates have been doing really well this season. I get to spend the entire day with the team, which I'm excited about because I get to meet some of my favorite players and *crosses fingers* hopefully get autographs.</div>
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<a href="http://www.diversifya.com/diversifya-interview/african-american/diversifya-raven-ashley/">I was interviewed on DiversifYA!</a> If you haven't heard of this blog, I highly recommend that you take a look at it. I'm glad that it exists because often times we label people but we don't care to think about how they see themselves, you know? I think the more we see people for who they are, instead of 'what' they are, the more we'll grow as a society. </div>
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Thanks for reading! What's going on with you guys? </div>
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Raven Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03538947519732493635noreply@blogger.com16