April, the cruelest month

April - as the title suggests - was rough, but rough in the sense that it was a mix of a lot of things. The title of this post is especially appropriate because it's the first line of T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land, and April was National Poetry Month.

So yes, this post is about poetry and the writing I did last month (even as May is ending now, how?!), despite how hectic my schedule turned out to be and how tired I was. I wrote a record number of poems. They were not all great or meant for further revision, but they're out there now on the page or in my Twitter timeline. I did not work on novel or short-story writing, though I meant to; I was supposed to do Camp NaNoWriMo for the novel but ended up with a bunch of poems instead?

The novel aesthetics put together for me by Kaye for the thing I didn't work on.

For me, April had a lot of fun social activities, but it was also very busy at the day job. The current state of government continues to be a constant trashfire, but on top of that, I felt particularly abused by the fun pop culture things I love - the things that should generally be there to bring me joy or even escape! In April,  there was still on-going fallout from the March releases of both Iron Fist and Ghost in the Shell - a double-header of Asian American representation issues (IF for its Orientalism, White Savior-flavor, and general crappiness; GitS for its whitewashing & doubling down on it in movie), made only worse by the excuses, deflections, and general cluelessness given by both productions' teams. Not to mention, how these discussions dredged up the age-old arguments of who true fans are and the role of canon (and when it matters).

I've never really been the type of person to write in reaction to something, but thanks to what I just mentioned causing my low-key constant state of rage, I wrote a couple of poems about that. This was also a useful way for me to try a new poetry form: the Sevenling. It's a 7-line poem that is meant to feel a little mysterious and incomplete with the last line acting as something of a kicker. I've had a lot of fun with them, and I encourage you to try it yourself.

The rage also helped me finish a poem I'd been struggling with since last year. So yay, for channeling negative energy into something I hope is worthwhile! I'm pretty happy with it and hope to be able to share it with you in the future.

A post shared by alice (@akangaru) on Mar 15, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT

But I won't lie to you, anger is exhausting - at least it is for me in the long-run. Usually, it leaves me feeling depleted and helpless, but I guess the constant barrage in March going into April tipped me over to rage, which felt empowering for my writing. That said, it sucked to feel betrayed by the things you usually turn to for fun. Like I can't tell you how good it felt to finally not be mad at Marvel when I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 this month.

That said, like in my college glory days, when I was the most sleepless and procrastinating, I tended to be at my most creative - like my brain was searching for anything else to do. Strange how sometimes it's when you have no time that you somehow manage to be the most productive! Like I said, I wrote a record number of poems - about 9 - though most of them were Twitter poems. I'll be posting most of them at Girl on the Roam, but here's one for the road.

The path we're on is often unclear, and therefore scary. What can we do but push forward? I wish you peace and compassion, friends, and the patience to keep on keepin' on.

Q4U: How was your April and May? Are you more productive when you're busy?


P.S. The winner of my "Nevertheless, She Persisted" giveaway was Cate at Cateaclysmic! She received her tank earlier in May.

P.P.S. I'm trying to blog more often. In fact, I'll have a new post in a few days. See you then!

2015: One Word Resolution

Happy 2015, dear readers! We're back to blogging this week, and frankly, I'm already behind on everything. Still, the start of a new year holds its potential and promises.

I took some extra time these past few weeks to decide what my word for 2015 would be, and I've finally landed on it

But first, an explanation about the One Word Resolution to anyone new to the idea or anyone who needs a refresher. Instead of making individual New Year's Resolutions (though you certainly still can make them!), you choose a guiding word for the year. It's to help you achieve your goals, focus your attitude, remind you of what you want out of the year.

I learned about the concept from blog friends, who read about it first at Jessica Cora's blog. I've linked her name to the post where she explains the concept. Another blogger who employs this method is Susannah Conway, who runs a free e-workshop to help you find your word (I used this for the first time this year).

So without further ado, my word for 2015 is...

CHANGE

In the past, my words have been present and focus, both things I still really need going into 2015 (especially focus - I kind of failed on that front in 2014), but I wanted something more active and encompassing of what I want at this juncture in my life.

2014 was not a bad year at all for me (though I know it was tough for some & it was tough in the world at large). After all, I did so much traveling - more than I usually do within a given year - did so many fun geeky things, finally met some of my favorite online friends, and made some new friends to boot! While I maybe didn't focus enough on some of my more task-based goals, I felt like I embraced more and expanded more socially than I'm usually comfortable with. I've long been comfortable with my geekiness, but I felt like this year, I let myself be more loud and proud about it.

Highlights of 2014:

• Sherlock S3 - not like we'd been waiting 2 years for this or anything. Viewed this with besties.

• London-Paris Trip: First international trip with just the Sister! Got to meet up & stay with (in Paris) my college roomie! Triple Bucket List successes:
• seeing Shakespeare performed in London
• Tom Hiddleston in the flesh
• Harry Potter Studio Tour + Platform 9 3/4!

• Collaborated with April Tucholke & Lydia Kang on a Twitter Fiction Fest entry that eventually became my WIP verse novel.
• Rediscovered my love for poetry & started writing it again.
• Read my first books in verse and started reading my first on-going comic book (ODY-C).
• Participated in my first podcast with the super nice Crazy4ComicCon, whose tips really helped me navigate my first SDCC in 2013 successfully.
• The World Cup: yeah, soccer is pretty fun after all. Team USA! (And barring that, Germany)
• SDCC 2014: other than the regular fun- I zip-lined for the first time ever and casual cosplayed. Became new/better friends with Jenn and Diana- girls after my own heart. Bucket List successes: 
• signing with Hannibal cast/crew (showrunner Bryan Fuller is super nice!) 
• met literary hero Peter S. Beagle
• finally met long-time online friend & talented YA author Lydia Kang
• Listened to my first podcats: Sarah Enni's insightful & inspiring First Draft Podcast; totally addictive true crime phenomenon Serial.
• Met up with online writerly cohorts (some for the first time): Sarah Enni, Yahong Chi, wistfullyLinda, Lydia Kang.
• Traveled to Italy! Bucket list successes:
• Gelato- everywhere
• Pompeii 
• Ancient ruins, everywhere
• saw The Last Supper IRL with my OWN EYES
• hot David(s)/ Bernini's and Michelangelo's

• Joined in Fandom 5 Fridays hosted by The Nerdy Girlie & Superspacechick, which led to even more geek girl connections (like the hostesses themselves).
• Re: above, also finally joined up in the Nerdy Girlie's Female Geek Bloggers G+ group!
• Participated in photo challenges & did pretty great in them: Jaime Morrow's YA Photo A Day and Set To Stunning's Nerdvember!
• Upped my geek chic game. All leggings, all the time. Special thanks to the Sis and co-blogger Alz for my epic Alexander Hamilton bling.
• Fun Saturday marathon of I heart Nick Carter with the girls. BSB will never not be funny!
• Music: fell in love with Hozier's music/voice in May at his show; jammed out to Guardian of the Galaxy's Awesome Mix Vol. 1; Jason Mraz still makes me swoon at concerts; rediscovered love for Bastille in Italy and saw them in November; obsessed over Taylor Swift's 1989 - and yeah, okay I think I'm a fan.
• TV: Hannibal somehow upped the stakes and kicked even more ass in their 2nd season; geek TV- the year I started watched way too many shows & got addicted to Arrow.
• 10 Year High School reunion!
• Epic Fellowship-large group movie outing to see the last HOBBIT movie.
• STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS teaser trailer!!!

That said, while the past year was a whirlwind, I also had a growing sense of stuck-ness. Despite all the fun I was having and even some of the growth, I wasn't content and I felt stagnant - like I wasn't really achieving the things I wanted to achieve. This isn't to downplay whatever learning experiences I had in 2014 because I'm grateful for them, but I want 2015 to be the year I'm more active about moving forward, about changing the things that are bothering me.

Some of the tougher parts of 2014 showed me that I need to take more control of my life and ambitions. I had some interpersonal drama that was resolved in most senses but left me feeling kind of disappointed and unsatisfied. Other aspects of my personal life were more stressful and hectic as well, and through this, I was made to realize how long I've been doing what I'm doing. Having my 10 year high school reunion only emphasized this (though I had a good time at the event). I've also realized how often I let fear and doubt dictate my decisions or stop me from trying things.

So I think it's time for a change, and my wish for 2015 is for it to be a year of transformation in various aspects of my life. I know I will have to put in more time, dedication, bravery, and yes, focus to make it happen, but I don't want to reach the end of 2015 with the same sense that I ended 2014 with - happy but unsatisfied.

Anyway, I made a Pinterest board to keep me inspired and on-track throughout the year. I was inspired to follow in fellow geek girl Mia's (who I met through the Nerdvember challenge & SDCC badge-pre-sale buying frenzy) footsteps. Her word for the year, by the way, is sparkle.

Follow alice's board CHANGE on Pinterest.

Final note: I'd like to add that in 2015, I'd like more sparkle, more whimsy, more delight, and more courage. So what's your word for the year?

P.S. Other One Word Resolutions to inspire you.
Katy Upperman: Present
Erin Bowman: Rediscovery
Elodie Nowodazkij: Present

2014: One Word Resolution

Hello dear readers and friends! Bit of a late start this year with the blogging, but I was making good over the holidays on my 2013 One Word Resolution: Present by being around for my friends and family and just soaking in the good vibes at the end of the year.

That said, it is now 2014! Happy New Year!

This also means it's time to pick a new word for 2014.

For those of you new to this concept, it's basically a New Year's Resolution compacted down into 1 word. That word is your guide, your attitude, your touchstone for the year, and from there, you can make more specific goals. I heard about this from blog friends, who had read about the One Word Resolution from Jessica Cora. I've linked her name to the post where she explains the concept.

So, my word for 2014 is...

FOCUS

I knew going into 2013 that things were going to be hectic on the personal side of life. I had two weddings for two of my oldest friends (I was a bridesmaid in one), and the Sister and I were planning on going to San Diego Comic-Con (which worked out after a lot of stress and angst). Those things pretty much guaranteed the first part of 2013 would speed by, so I chose PRESENT as my word. I wanted to enjoy all these amazing events, as well as anything else 2013 threw my way, and my word served me well. I had a fantastic year I think in large part due to this attitude.

For 2014, I'd like to be a bit more active with my energies. 2013 was about going with the flow (so as not to be overwhelmed), but I want 2014 to be about making things happen. For someone who is a chronic procrastinator and self-proclaimed lazy-face, I know it's easy for me to get distracted and discouraged. I want to have the focus to make better on my goals this year and to have focus be the reason for not getting overwhelmed.

Of course, I will be keeping my 2013 word near because being present is always helpful for balance. And I will also be keeping a few more things in mind.

The sister had this necklace custom-made for me for Christmas. She asked me to write her a word or phrase that inspired me or that I lived by or was my motto. I'm not one of those people who has these types of things in mind, so I had to think about it. The above is what I came up with because I was thinking about being present and living fully and bravely - things that I constantly struggle with (especially since I'm lazy and introverted and kind of shy- yes, really), and I thought if you're going to do something, you might as well do it spectacularly.

(Although, let's be real, I was tempted to use my favorite word/sometimes life-motto schneizeleffort.)

In relation to the necklace and to living bravely, I'm also reminded of this quote that I posted as part of a What's Up Wednesday post that I also find incredibly inspiring.

Ah, this was kind of a heavy post for the first one of 2014, but an important one I think. New year, new opportunities, new chances! What's your word for the year?

P.S. I found these One Word Resolutions inspiring too.
Katy Upperman: Stoicism
Erin Bowman: Focus (we're brain twins)
Sarah Enni: Create
Tracey Neithercott: Persistence

Love Lists & Labor Day Laughs

Before we begin this post, I have one question: WHERE DID AUGUST GO???

That said, I saw people posting about their WIP Love Lists last week, thanks to YA Highway's Post on the topic. It looked like a lot of fun, so we're doing it now for our WIPs, even though we're like incredibly late to the party (like not even fashionably).

So here it is: Inspired by Stephanie Perkins’ post on Natalie Whipple’s blog, what is your novel’s “Love List”?

On top of that, my sometimes-old-timey-email penpal Tracey Neithercott expanded upon the love list by also including some visual & audio aids to illustrate her love list items. So, we're going to take a page from her book too.

*click images to go to source

Krispy's Love List (for something I'm kicking around in my head still)

a girl out of time
a desperate angel
family
unspoken things
benevolent demons
illegal magic
dreary dark days, black nights
decaying decadence
power out, empty streets
a tabby cat
a prince and his girl knight
trust and secrets
a dream of stars, moon, sun
a Queen and her Courts
glitter and gold
words, words, binding words
they speak to serpents, the silver-tongued
longing and loss and maybe love

Roughly: “There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.”

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Source: Irene by zemotion

Source: whitneycpbg.com

Source: Magali K.

Alz's Love List (partial inspirational soundtrack included!)

tall, dark, mysterious gentlemen
magic
silk embroidery
water, waves, salt and tears
good manners and bad manners
shapechangers
burn scars
sunken islands
beadwork
arranged marriages
nightmares come to life
silver shears
steel knitting needles
tea
duels
monsters of fire and shadow


NOW, since it is a LONG WEEKEND here in the U.S. because of Labor Day, I thought it'd be nice to leave you with some laughs.

First up, the K-Pop video sensation that's gone viral over the interwebs and become a meme. You might've heard people talking about doing things "Gangnam Style" and been confused (I was for a while because I was too lazy to look it up), or maybe you've even heard this Korean song playing on your Top 40s radio (I did this week!). Or maybe you've seen gifs.


See more on Know Your Meme

Well, this video is what they're talking about. It's silly, extravagant, catchy, AND it socially commentates! Have fun, and you're welcome.



Crash course on this sensation: Gangnam Style wiki entry
Also: the Atlantic's analytic look at the vid.

And your second laugh, the quirky HILARIOUS New Zealand duo known as Flight of the Concords reunite to write a song for charity! They interview school kids to help them write their song. Here's the result.



Incidentally, Jemaine Clement voiced the dastardly Nigel in the movie RIO, and wrote & performed Nigel's song "Pretty Bird." Best song in the movie!

And Bret McKenzie was the Music Supervisor THE MUPPETS movie, for which he won the Oscar for the song "Man or Muppet." He was also Figwit in the LOTR Trilogy, and he will be playing yet another elf (Lindir) in THE HOBBIT.

Source: G4TV

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Q4U: What's on your WIP Love List?

Visual References, Ideas, & Storyboards

Are you one of those people who has a corkboard full of glossy magazine clippings and tattered newspaper articles? Or a scrapbook filled to bursting with cut-and-pasted idea-fodder?  A photoalbum filled with visual references in the form of photographs?

I'm not.

'Cause I'm not that organized, you see, and I'm pretty lazy.  However, since Krispy began frolicking on Pinterest some time ago, like a lemming I followed suit and next thing you know, we have Pinterest board dedicated to our WIP that Krispy is still slacking on so I'm bullying her here for all the internets to see.

Before Pinterest, we were Tumblr monsters, but Tumblr isn't the most useful or effective vehicle for image organization and tagging--with the end result being that Krispy and I both trawled through our Tumblr archives to re-pin things we liked onto Pinterest.

It is very nice to have images and references neatly arranged on an endlessly scrolling page online, the process being both easy and a timesuck enjoyable.  My problem is that I forget/neglect Pinterest for long periods of time and therefore hardly use it for the intended purpose of inspiration.  Nevertheless, a glance through it now and again helps me get into the right mindset for the stories at hand.

It's also interesting to see other writers' story-idea boards on Pinterest.  Take a gander at the moody mythological archery-raven-highlands of Beth Revis's WIP or Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me board.  If there's one thing you take away from the experience, it will be atmosphere.  It can be an enriching experience if you've read the book/are familiar with the work; for instance, I read Shatter Me and seeing that Pinterest board is like omg I SEE IT.

Here is a selection of inspiring images from the masterpiece Krispy and I are working upon:

Source: iloverunways.tumblr.com via alice on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Alz on Pinterest

Source: thecoolist.com via Alz on Pinterest

Source: myrevelment.com via alice on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via alice on Pinterest

Conspiring together upon a virtual corkboard helps Krispy and me procrastinate keep track of things we like as well as focus on mood, scene, and setting.  (Or at least I hope it does for Krispy, since we only started this board after the writing ball was in her court. Months ago, and is still there. Ahem.) 

Here's the rest of the board for this story: Sandbox

Links to some of our other Pinterest storyboards.
Alz: Muse / Waterfall
Krispy: Luck / Equinoxal

Do you have a literal, metaphorical, or virtual corkboard for your story ideas?

A Reflection on Ray Bradbury

Instead of randomosity this Friday, you're going to get something a little more serious.

As many of you have probably heard Ray Bradbury passed away earlier this week. He was 91, a ripe old age, but you wouldn't have known it from the youthfulness of his demeanor. I suppose that's why I was surprised by the news and then deeply saddened that I never did get to meet him.

Ray Bradbury is one of my literary heroes. I've long been interested in writing, but a door fell open when I read Bradbury. I thought, "THIS is beautiful and wistful and dark and provocative and, most importantly, unafraid. This is the kind of emotion I want to evoke. This is how you play with language."

My first introduction to Bradbury was in 7th grade. We read his short story "All Summer in a Day" about a classroom of children in a colony on Venus. The planet is very cloudy, and so the sun only shines on the surface once every seven years. I can tell you, it wasn't a very happy story and left me feeling uncomfortable, despite the story's resolution. And it's one of his stories that has stayed with me since then; it was powerful. Bradbury drew me in, despite the initial sci-fi trappings - sci-fi (for some reason) has always been a hard sell for me, even though I usually end up liking whatever it is I read/watch - because he wrote about something familiar and true like children in a classroom and their capacity for careless cruelty and put it in a strange, new landscape.

The next time I encountered Bradbury's work was in 10th grade Honors English, when we had to read Fahrenheit 451 for class. I'll be honest, I wasn't that into it at first. The writing style was a tad weird - much more loose with the metaphors than "All Summer..." had been - and I just didn't know what was going on. Also, it was a summer reading assignment. But the story grew on me, and while it's still not my favorite book, it is a compelling, important one with themes that continue to resonate today - perhaps more so now than before.


And then I read The Illustrated Man and became a fan. I bought the beautiful hardback book From the Dust Returned and was delighted to find something equally beautiful inside. I fell in love with Bradbury's eternal family of ghouls, vampires, and dream seers. I stood in human Timothy's shoes and wished and wished that I could fly with Uncle Einar as I listened to the dry whispers of A Thousand Times Great Grandmere. I fell in love with the slippery, fluttering words, and the way they strummed my heartstrings.

I was hooked.

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” - Ray Bradbury

His writing and his attitude towards life and creativity taught me so much. His stories took me out into space and far into the future and showed me the worst of man, but they also showed why we're worth saving. They taught me about madness and love and longing and cruelty and kindness. They taught me families come in all shapes, sizes, and species, and that there is magic in ordinary places - that dark carnivals can roll into sleepy, little towns. They warned, enchanted, provoked, and moved me. I learned to cherish the past and look towards the future but to always live in the present.

A few years ago, when I was still in college, Ray Bradbury did a book tour with his biographer, Sam Weller, for his biography. I was, unfortunately, up at Berkeley at the time for school, but the Sister did me a huge favor and went for me. I never got to meet Ray Bradbury, but at least I have an autograph and a cat thanks to my sister. (Also, it's possibly better this meeting never happened because I probably would have said/done something embarrassing, haha.)

The world is a dimmer place without him, but it has certainly benefited from his prolific work.

"If you dream the proper dreams, and share the myths with people, they will want to grow up to be like you."

Well, Mr. Bradbury, I want to grow up to be like you. Wherever you are, I'm sure you're already spinning new yarns about greater, shinier horizons. Thank you, sir, for the fantastic worlds, timeless summers, and for sharing your vibrant imagination. Thank you for the adventures, for filling my eyes with wonder, and for the memories. You're already missed.

Not sure who did the art, but img source: Goweli

Q4U: Have you read any Bradbury, and if so, what's your favorite?


QUOTES

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

"You must live life at the top of your voice! At the top of your lungs shout and listen to the echoes."

LINKS

• Ray Bradbury Quotes: Wisdom From 'Fahrenheit 451' Author
• My original reaction to the news - A Few Words on Ray Bradbury
• Beth Revis' post Ray Bradbury and his Gift of Hope
• Bradbury Story in The New Yorker -"Take Me Home"

The Songs and the Words: Music and Writing

There are people to whom music is like air, a necessity of life that is as natural as breathing. Life is a song and some people surf through it on strains of music from iPods and computers, radio and CDs and cell phones. Yea, in the days of yore, it was boomboxes on shoulders and cassette tapes and Walkmans. (In the even yea-r days of yore-r, it was 8-tracks, which was before my time.)

And I daresay that to a vast majority of writers out there, music is quintessential to the writing process. I've known writers who could hardly write a word without a song trickling through the computer speakers or earbuds, or a particular playlist going strong in the background. Music can lubricate the creative process, help set tone and mood, aid in the flow of words.

Myself, I'm not much of one for writing with music. I tend to find it distracting because I start concentrating on the song rather than producing narrative, and that's really not so great when I'm writing about knights fighting ninjas or a demigod decimating a city.

However, once in a while I do feel the urge for a little musical aid, either to match the scene at hand or as a general morale/creativity-booster. So here are a few songs that I find myself listening to now and again when writing:

1. All the Right Moves – One Republic

Krispy showed me this video. I'm impressed they manage to waltz to such a fast beat and still have it look so graceful. It's such a great song too. This is my catch-all mood-booster music, not for any particular scene or tone—it helps get my brain going and keep up some momentum.


2. You, Instrumental Version – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

I haven’t watched this anime. All I know is that it's a psychological thriller involving cute girls going psycho and committing murder. But it has a beautiful image song, of which there are 2309480293842 variants, versions, and remixes—something like one version sung by each of the main female cast, this instrumental version, and numerous covers done by fans the world over.

With its melancholy sweetness and curiously wistful air, I listen to this song when I'm writing more serious scenes, albeit not necessarily sad ones.


3. Rose of May – Final Fantasy IX, cover by katethegreat19

I never finished playing FFIX, but you don't need to know a thing about the game in order to enjoy this marvelous cover by the talented katethegreat19. The original theme is wonderful by itself, but this cover is amazingly done—this girl does everything herself, from recording each individual instrument, writing her own lyrics, and mixing it all together. Check out her other covers—they're all amazing and enjoyable regardless of whether you're familiar with the originals or not.

This song works best for me when I'm working on a particular fantasy story involving a female protagonist enduring court politics and assassination intrigue, probably because I vaguely associate the heroine with the song lyrics and the music itself is so stately.


(Also, check out this video compilation that shows how she created the cover for the Cleyra Settlement theme from FFIX. Astonishing.)

4. Battlefield – Jordin Sparks

I first heard this song playing on the radio when I was at Big Lots looking for cheap yarn. I had the song stuck in my head for a week afterward, although the music video itself does nothing for me. The lyrics are a nice combo of epic and angst and determination.

This is another catch-all song that I listen to whenever, though I find I listen to this one more when the scenes involve action, from rampant worldwide destruction to ballroom dances.


5. Prospero's Magic – Prospero's Books (film)

Prospero's Books is a film by Peter Greenaway, an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest. I had to watch it for one of my classes at school. And it is, uh, very artsy, with some fascinating visuals and some, er, bizarre moments. It's one of those films where I feel like I could easily crank out a half dozen analytical essays on etc. aspect of said film, because it's so very open to interpretation and analysis. I liked it overall, but I also have to admit to feeling a little bemused by the time the credits began to roll.

All that aside, it had a wonderful soundtrack. Much to my surprise, I was actually able to find the main track that I liked on YouTube, though embedding is disabled for this particular video. I like to listen to this track when I'm working on setting a scene or characters enter a new environment worthy of detailed description.

6. Sadame (Destiny) – X TV series

X is an anime/manga by the group known as Clamp, probably their top most famous work before xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles—and also infamously unfinished. There were issues with the magazine in which X was published and through one thing and another, Clamp stopped working on it. The TV series ends one way, the movie put out years earlier ends another, and the manga sits unfinished. But X is full of more angst, drama, trauma, betrayals, and plot twists centered around the end of the world than you can shake a stick at.

It also has an epic main theme of destiny, destiny, destiny. I listen to it whenever I need a little more destiny in my life. Or in my writing.


I think six songs is enough for now, though of course there are plenty more, including a few that I'd intended to share but could not find any samples available online. Do you listen to music when you write? Do you have a set playlist or specific songs you associate with a particular story? Do you create soundtracks for your stories? (I've done that last once or twice. It was pretty fun putting together a CD soundtrack by assigning songs and tracks to particular scenes or moments or characters. I daresay it helped me focus and write better, though admittedly the amount of time I wasted picking and choosing songs was considerable.)

Inspiration Hot Spots

So, the weather here in Southern California has gotten a little crazy. There is rain. There is thunder. There is even lightning. All this is disconcerting, and worse, it makes for a much suckier than usual commute, but there's more to these weather shenanigans that is making me shout "WTF?!" and "It's the end of the world?!"

I know, I know, you think I'm exaggerating. I will admit that Californians (especially Southern Californians) have a rather skewed view of what constitutes "bad weather" and what constitutes "cold" (all right, laugh it up people who live in actually cold places). I mean, just a week ago, it was a beachy 75 degrees and I was wearing flip-flops. But I'm serious this time guys!

Yesterday, parts of Long Beach were flooded, and there were tornado warnings. TORNADO warnings, people!!! Issued to Los Angeles. LOS freaking ANGELES. What is this?! Since when do I live anywhere near where there are TORNADO warnings?!

All of this brings me to the actual topic of this post, which is Inspiration. While it is true that the crazy weather is freaking me out, I know it has been at least somewhat conducive to writing. How so?

Well, Monday was the MLK Holiday, so I didn't have to go to work. It also rained buckets, which meant I spent the entire day in my fleece PJ pants and good ol' Cal sweatshirt and read. Spending 4 years in the much, much less rain-challenged Bay Area has made me love the rain a little and I even miss the biting wind and rain that fell at a slant, but I digress. The point is I was hit with nostalgia and laziness, while being effectively trapped inside my house for the day (rain makes people in SoCal forget how to drive, so don't go out into that madness if you can help it). I read a lot, caught up on a bunch of things, and then I wrote.

Confession time: My resolution to establish a better writing routine is crashing at this point, though not yet burning. Since I made that resolution post, I think I've written about three times.

Anyway, before the storm systems hit this week, I had one of my old moments of Inspiration. I'd been pondering a lot of things, and the mix of cold weather moving in and my lack of sleep hit me in the form of Plot Things clicking into place like the gears of a finely tuned clock - in the shower. Yes, that's right. The ever reliable shower. I used to get inspired all the time there, probably because of all the steam clearing my sinuses, but it hasn't happened in a long time. So it was a pleasant, wonderful surprise. Then it wasn't so fun when I had to scramble to remember everything in order to write it down later.

Back in high school, I also used to get hit by Inspiration a lot during Pre-Calculus class. My teachers would be sad to hear it wasn't the riveting math that inspired me, but rather I think my brain just needed another outlet. I paid attention when I had to, and when I didn't, I scribbled scenes in between pages of Trig and graphs. If you look at my old Pre-Cal and Calculus notebooks, they're practically half writing notebook (not to mention, makeshift doodle pad).

These were 2 of my Inspiration Hot Spots. Put me in either setting and usually my brain would come up with something interesting to write. This has nothing to do with cold weather or rain, except that the recent abundance of both in my life reminded me of where I used to be inspired.

And the truth is, there is something about the rain that sets the right mood for me sometimes. It's not an Inspiration Hot Spot, but it certainly can be an Inspiration Booster. Rainy weather is soothing and frightening and makes everything so very atmospheric.

Except when it's threatening tornadoes because that's just not cool.

Where and when do you get inspired? What inspires you?

NaNoWriMo Day 4 & Things that really Interest Krispy

Um, so it's Day 4 of Nano, and I am officially 6668 words behind. Yes folks. My word count is still nonexistent, but look at me blog! Procrastination does weird things to me. In any case, I am feeling intensely guilty & I'm way behind on my TV show-watching schedule (which I'll admit is gratuitous), but I'm sacrificing my shows (some of them anyway) for Nano! I just have to get to the writing part.

Unfortunately, November hates me. I usually don't have much of a social life, but November always manages to side-swipe me with events. What's up with that? I thought I'd be okay once I graduated since that put an end to the dreaded Midterm Season, but I was wrong. Score: Krispy - 0, Universe - 100000000+ Also, don't name your characters after months that are dreadful to you because they inevitably will turn out shady.

So speaking of distractions, my sister made me aware of a remake of the movie Clash of the Titans. I vaguely remember seeing the original on TV (at least snippets of it), and anyway, I love Greek mythology like maybe I should've been a Classics Major LOVE it, so I'm KIND OF EXCITED. I mean, this could be a potentially bad idea. Like the movie Troy sorta killed parts of my soul, but I did enjoy select parts of it, and I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Disney's Hercules (okay, but really I love Disney, so more love than hate).

But then my sister showed me this post at ohnotheydidnt, and the movie posters are PRETTY AMAZING. Also, RALPH FIENNES is playing Hades. That's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named VOLDEMORT as Hades, and um, Liam Neeson is Zeus. LIAM NEESON. Granted, Liam Neeson is sort of already a god-figure in Narnia, but he's freaking ZEUS. Ralph Fiennes. Liam Neeson. EPIC!

Okay, I think I'm working myself up too much. Speaking of great posters, have you seen the movie posters for The Lightning Thief yet? It's pretty awesome.

And while I'm on the topic of things I'm in to, check out Racebending.com, a website about the controversy surrounding the live-action movie of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've actually never watched this show, though I've seen it on TV and heard good things about it, but the issues brought about by the casting for this movie interests me. Plus, the world of the Last Airbender is really cool in that it's a "fantastical Asian world," which is what I'm going for in my Nano and what I kind of want to see more of in general. I can only hope I pull it off with some skill.

So to tie all of that back to writing, find things you're passionate about and write about them. Greek mythology has influenced a lot of my reading and writing; there are a lot of themes and stories there that I draw from. I mean, the myths never get old for me. I can read them again and again. The whole Avatar thing made me consider, among many other things, the richness of Asian folklore and culture and how under-tapped it seems to be. Well, I'm finally going to try to draw more inspiration from my heritage. I'm just not sure NaNoWriMo was the best time to attempt such a challenging undertaking.

I did mention that I'm 6668 words behind right?

P.S. The only picture of me in my other costume: Hogwarts student! My Sirius Black from a few years ago was better. (Also, my actual costume, the Alice in Wonderland, still blows this one out of the water. C'mon! I had a Monty Python killer White Rabbit!)