Here's to 2012: My Year In Review (with pictures)

Here's to 2012: My Year In Review (with pictures)

Posted by Raven M on 4:40 PM in college life, myyearinreview, thoughts,

Even though I knew the world wasn't going to end on December 21st, I'm still glad that we get to live to see another year. Speaking of years, 2012 has been a crazy one for me, but I am thankful for all the things that it has given me. I hope everyone has had a great year, and if you have a 2012 recap posted on your blog, please post a link in the comments.

April

 

 

 

April 17th

I turned down a $70,000 scholarship from a private university and decided that I wanted to spend the next four years of my life at the Pennsylvania State University. There are three other people in my family who went to Penn State, but that isn't the reason why I decided that Penn State was the school for me. People can say what they want about PSU and trust me when I say I've heard some pretty mean things said due to all the controversy surrounding the school, but unless you're a student or faculty member there you don't know what it's like to be a Nittany Lion.

 

There's a quote from the school's Alma Mater hanging on the wall in the dorm lobby that goes "...May no act of ours bring shame, to one heart that loves thy name." I can't begin to tell you how much I love my school. I can't begin to explain all of the things Penn State has given me. And despite all the negativity surrounding the school, nothing can change the fact that a Penn State degree will take you anywhere. I will always and forever be proud of my choice.

 

 

WE ARE.... PENN STATE.

 

April

 

 

 

May 24th

PROOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

 

I didn't have a date and for a while I didn't have a dress, but I eventually got  a dress and I went to prom and had a blast. I danced the night away, got called Cinderella a few times, and some people didn't even recognize me. It was a pain having to hold that dress up the entire night, but I felt like a princess, and that's always a good thing.

 

June

 

 

 

 

June 9th

I graduated from high school. It had been a tough year for me. For one, my original school closed so I had to spend my senior year with complete strangers. I didn't make any friends until the last couple months of school, and let me just say that my senior year was the worst year of my life, but it was also the year that I learned something about me: I am strong. Despite being in an unfamiliar place, and being in a school where people didn't think I could keep up academically because of the school I came from, I kept up and graduated with high honors.

 

 

June 21st

I turned 18.

 

 

July

 

 

July 3rd

After months of falling in and out of love with it, I finished my novel Things Left Unsaid. It probably will never see the light of day, and I have yet to let anyone read it because plotwise it's not good, but the writing is solid (at least I think so) and the book as a whole is proof that I can finish writing something. I look at TLU every time I have doubts about writing and it reminds me that I have words inside of me, I just have to be strong enough to let them out.

 

 

 

July 5th

I went to go hear President Obama talk at Carnegie Mellon University. It was an extremely hot day, and I was in Oakland for what felt like an eternity waiting for the President to arrive, but after hearing him talk, I knew the wait was worth it.

 

 

August - September

 

 

August 23rd
I left home and this became my new home-away-from-home.

 

 

 

 

Not sure of the dates but from the end of August to the beginning of September is when I met my friends.

 

 

I have more pictures of us together, but this is my favorite.

 

 

November

 

 

November 6th

I voted for the first time!!!!

 

After tuning in to all of the Presidential Debates and watching CNN to form my own opinions on both candidates, I knew who I wanted to run my country. I am happy that President Obama is still in office and that I help keep him there.

 

CANNING!!!

Not sure of the date (haha, I really have a bad memory when it comes to dates) but...I went canning for Thon. If you're not sure what Thon is, well, Thon is a Penn State organization that helps raise money for kids with pediatric cancer. We do a lot of different events and take to the streets to help raise money. I'm not sure how much we raised this year, but Thon is another reason why I'm in love with my school.

 

 

 

December

 

December 18th

Done with finals and my first semester of college. I did okay grade-wise, but next semester, I'm going to try my hardest to get a 4.0.

 

December 25th

CHRISTMAS!!!

I didn't do anything spectacular. My family isn't big on getting together for the holidays, but my mom did cook dinner and we exchanged gifts. I bought her a Kindle Fire and she got me a guitar and a flat screen for my dorm room. Best. Gifts. EVERRRR.

 

 

And there we have it: my year in review. Tomorrow I'm going to (hopefully) be doing a colossal post on books/tv shows/music I've read/watched/listened to this year. This has been a great year for me, as you can see, and so I hope 2013 is even better.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

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first drafts don't equal the end of the world

first drafts don't equal the end of the world

Posted by Raven M on 1:34 PM in first drafts, thoughts, writing,

It's taken me YEARS to realize that but it's true.

It doesn't.

Early Sunday morning there was a really bad storm that woke me up and so I put on some music and started reading over my wip which I had temporarily trunked at 35.8k words.

I know it's not good to read over your wip before you finish it, but by the time I read from beginning to end...I was crying.

Not because it's a sad book (it is) but because there were good parts among the extremely sucky parts. There were A LOT of sucky parts but the point I'm trying to make is FIRST DRAFTS ARE GONNA SUCK...and they're gonna suck hard.

But forget about sucking.

Just think about all the good things you have. Think about how happy you'll feel once you finish. Think about FINISHING.

First drafts are made to be fixed. There is nobody in the world who has written a solid first draft. And if you happen to know someone who has - direct me to that person please!

But, seriously, don't give up on your novel especially if you love it. And if you need to take a break from it, take a break. Work on something else for a few days, and then come back to your wip with new eyes.

You can do it.

I believe in you.

Happy writing guys! :D

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taking risk

taking risk

Posted by Raven M on 8:07 AM in a touch of gold, thoughts, writing,

So...I usually write contemporary.

I like contemporary.

If it's done right, it's magical.

But you know what else I like?

Shows like Doctor Who and The X-Files. Books with kick-ass heroines and high stakes. I am the girliest of girls but that doesn't mean I don't like "getting my hands dirty".

This is exactly what I'm doing with this new project.

Getting my hands dirty.

And you know what, guys?

I'M SCARED OUT OF MY MIND.

This idea is new territory.

It's a mix of dystopian + fantasy + steampunk and...I don't know how I came up with it since I normally write contemporary and I normally don't outline or plot or anything!

There's a lot of worldbuilding I have to do. A LOT of decisions to make.

Guys...when I first thought of Faye (my main character) and her world I honestly didn't think I could do it justice.

I was scared of what would happen if it sucks. I still am scared but...

I like being scared.

I like taking risk.

You never know unless you try right?

So how about you guys? Have you taken any risk with your writing? Or do you like to play it safe?

Happy Friday!

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my keyboard is my wand

my keyboard is my wand

Posted by Raven M on 6:46 AM in inspiration, thoughts, writing,

I have dreamed of sharing my stories with the world ever since I was a little girl.

I used to write stories about counterfeit pennies and evil meatballs and give them to my family members.

The meatball story was pretty cool because my mom helped me make a book cover using a spaghetti box.

Looking back I can't begin to tell you how much I loved writing stories and drawing pictures to go with them.

Writing is just so magical and I'm sure if you're a writer you don't need me to tell you that.

But I've been writing ever since I was five, wrote my first novel, which I keep hidden in a file that will never again see light, when I was nine.

It was about what most girls who dreamed of faraway lands and wore way too much pink would write about.

There were fairies and witches and demons and knights in shining armor. I even made up back stories for all of my characters and their homelands.

I drew pictures on my computer, pictures that are sadly long gone but I still remember them - I never forget any of my characters. They stay with me everywhere I go.

I don't know why I took to writing the way I did. Almost everyone in my family can draw or paint, like my mom who is a better artist than she gives herself any credit for.

I can draw too but my passion has always been with words. I love the way letters look, the way they sound, how they form together to make words that mean so much more than what they look like on paper.

My mom started me off reading when I was four and I guess that's where all the madness began.

I started to hear voices in my head.

Voices that I heard more louder, clearer than my own. So even at a young age I knew what I was meant to do: write.

I watched the Lifetime movie based on J.K. Rowling's life last night and I cried.

I cried because all she wanted to do was do what she loved to do and people kept telling her it wasn't practical.

I don't like that word. I don't like what it means or how it sounds.

Life is short. It's too short to be practical, to not do what you want to  do just because it might not pay the rent.

I don't know what being an adult is yet, but I do know that I'm going to college next year. I'm majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in sociology. I will go to law school and I will always be a writer.

It's in my bones. In the air that I breathe. I couldn't stop writing even if I tried. Honestly - I think I would go mad if I didn't write.

There's just so much wrong with the world and I have the power to escape. I don't claim to be Harry Potter but my keyboard is my wand, my stories are my spells and incantations.

I want to see something I've written on a shelf one day but I can't let that make me forget why I write.

I have to stop thinking of everything I write as THE book or as a book period. These ideas, these voices in my head are mine, they are my heart and soul.

And that is why I write.

I write because I can't live without them.

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RTW: What are the five senses again?

RTW: What are the five senses again?

Posted by Raven M on 3:22 PM in RTW, senses, thoughts, writing,

Haha, okay. I'm kidding. I know what they are but when it comes to writing I don't really pay much attention them.

Or if I do, I won't really know until after I give everything a quick read-through.

So...here we go.

I'm going to put my wip THINGS LEFT UNSAID (which is currently on hold) to the test.

If I utilized all five senses at one point in time, then I get an A. If I've only used four, I'll give myself a B and so on and so forth.

Sound

I could hear some guy or girl (you really couldn't tell) singing I don't like the government/they sell sugar coated lies at lemonade stands/ little boys little girls open up your hands in the background.

Touch

I heard him say "we need to get you out of these clothes before you catch a cold" but I just couldn't stop screaming and he didn't seem to mind because he stayed with me and helped me pull my arms out of my shirt, his rough calloused fingers setting my bare skin on fire.

Taste

"I'm fine," I breathed, though we both knew that I was far from fine. He pushed a bowl of oatmeal towards me - made just the way I liked it with a whole bunch of sugar and cinnamon - only with each spoonful I ate, I felt like I was eating ashes.

Sight

Danny was a tired wave as she sunk down onto my bed, her legs, her arms folding in on each other. Right before my eyes she collapsed.
I've never seen this side of her before.

Smell

Um...yeah.

So I'm going myself a C. My strongest areas are sight and touch and I'm fairly good with sounds.

It seems my like my main character hardly eats which I never really would have picked up if it weren't for today's Road Trip Wednesday prompt.

Also, smells aren't really my cup of tea. I don't really use that sense when I write, which is odd. I'll have to work on that.

Enough about me. How do you use the five senses in your writing? Put your own wips or your favorite book to the test, see what grade you get.

And don't forget to stop by YA HIGHWAY to leave a link to your post in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

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what kind of character would be?

what kind of character would be?

Posted by Raven M on 1:12 PM in characters, inspiration, things left unsaid, thoughts,

I was reading over what I just wrote, when it dawned on me how different I am from my main character. Though a lot of what goes on in her life was inspired by personal experience, Claire is not like me.

She says what's on her mind, while I tend to keep things to myself.

She acts on impulse, while I have to think things through.

Also, she's not afraid to do crazy things. In one scene she jumps fully clothed into a fountain and I would.never EVER do anything like that.

The point is: writers are not their characters. Though we take bits and pieces of ourselves and put them into our novels, our characters have a life of their own.

And the way I see it, our characters are the people we would like to be but can't be.

So that got me thinking: what kind of character would I be?

Well, let's see.

The type of character I would be is:

* a girl who stays up all night
* a girl who drinks tea to calm her nerves
* a girl who daydreams about other worlds
* a girl who strongly believes that music isn't good unless it's loud
* a girl who is afraid of everything from thunderstorms to being alone
* a girl who likes good movies, and writing down random lines of poetry
* a girl who wants to escape from the confines of her small big town
* a girl who has a Johnny Depp poster in her room

The list can go on and on and on.

But I guess what I'm trying to say is: if you have an idea for a dystopian or a fantasy or (insert genre here) kind of novel and you don't have any idea who your main character is: look deep inside yourself, find out what pieces of your soul you want give to your character(s) and give them life.

There's a character in all of us, you just have to be willing to look for them.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Also, what kind of character would you be? And do you ever incorporate personal experiences into your novel?

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