Last week, I alluded to Big Exciting News. Well, my friends, I have confirmation on ONE of them.
Very, very longtime blog readers of mine* (we're talkin' March 2010, here) will recall my talking about True Colors. For those of you who don't want to go searching through pages upon pages of blog entries, or are just too lazy to read another article (linked HERE and HERE), True Colors is a conference for LGBTQ(insertlettershere) youth. It's THE largest one of it's kind in the USA. I've gone for the past three years, and honestly, it's one of the highlights of my year. Think of an explosion of rainbows and young people and happiness. For. Two. Full. Days.
What the news is, not only am I going to be going to TC (for the fourth time), but I will also will be presenting. The thing that I'm most excited about is this: I WILL GET A PRESENTER'S LANYARD. Seriously, nothing is cooler than that.
What am I presenting, you ask? Why, my family and I have a theatre business, and we'll be doing theatre games. I am beyond excited about this. You have no idea.
We're also sending out some other proposals, so I'll be talking about them as soon as I have confirmation on that. I just feel like it's...maybe jinxing it to talk about it on here without getting confirmed first.
In other news, the snow here has reached a level of ABOVE MY HEAD. I am not short, either. I love snow, and I love LOTS of snow (I am a child, a very young child)and I ADORE making forts. Therefore, it was only natural that a giant pile of snow would become a fort/igloo/cave.
I've also been playing my guitar more lately. I've gone back to some of my childhood songs. You know, the ones that you play and, they just remind you of being seven or eight years old and spending your autumns at the local Renissance faire. Just me? Ahh, well then...
Anyway, sitting around playing "The Wild Rover", "Whiskey In The Jar" and "Scarborough Faire" is just a great feeling.
So, with that, I leave you.
If you haven't seen it yet, please go HERE and tell me what you think of my brandy-new FAQ.
If you have questions about whatever, post 'em below! I'll be happy to answer!
Hope you're having a great week five!
~Whimsy
*Or people who know me in a non-bloggy way.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Week Four: "Let a REAL MAN park the boat."
Brace yourself, my friends, for a tale of danger, hysterical laughter, melodrama and stupidity.
Last year, in the spring, it rained like WOAH. Now, I know that's not the most succinct sentence to begin on, but it's pretty crucial for the rest of the story.
Near my house, there's a brook. It's about waist deep at it's best, and about mayyyybe ten feet wide? Anyway, all that really matters is that it's SMALL, and pretty non-threatening. And then...it RAINED. It rained SO MUCH that my sister and I decided to take the canoe out, and paddle through the backyard and the woods.
At this point, the brook has gone from small-and-non-threatening to LARGE CURRENT OF WATER FLOWING REALLY FAST IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING LAKE IN THE WOODS.
And so, we paddle. Nessa turns to me and suggests that we paddle across the DANGEROUS CURRENT*.
My reaction: O_____O
Her reaction: -___- "Live a little."
My reaction: *trepidation*
And so we struck out across the waters. Our intent was to reach the other side, turn around, and return to safe land, but about halfway across, the fast-moving stream caught up the back end of the boat, and we started to spin and drift downriver, away from the house and we kept going faster.
I think right now is a good time to mention that at the end of this stream, there's a waterfall. A big, huge, 8 foot PLUS waterfall.
Commence the panic.
I grab onto a small bit of tree in the middle of the overflowing river and clutch it, all the while babbling,
"Whimsy McWhimsysen**, age seventeen, was found dead in the brook this week. She is survived by her mothers, and her father. We remember her as a lover of theater, and a compassionate soul. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to The Harry Potter Alliance."
Yes, that's right, folks. I was writing my obituary. In the middle of a river. In a canoe. This brilliance was eclipsed by me, proclaiming that "I don't want to be the next spaghetti dinner".
There is SOME logic behind this. You see, if you live in a teeny tiny town like mine, when somebody dies, say, the fire dept will throw a spaghetti (or barbeque, or whatever) dinner as a fundraiser. That's what I WAS going for, but HELL NAW. Madness instead. WOO!
So after much deliberation, we decide to just go with the flow*** and try to go down the river, and veer off into the flooded woods. Thank heavens, we managed it. So, we float into the next-door neighbor's yard, and by extention his pond. It's pretty calm in there, so we head for an island that's been created from the swollen waters.
The island has a neat little dent in it, perfect to park the boat in. Nessa steers i, and JUST misses the wee cove (really, there's nothing at all wrong with how the boat is, keep this in mind). She gets out of the boat and onto the land. I grab the paddle and shove off from the land, effectivly abandoning her with the parting shot "Geez, WOMEN. Let a REAL MAN park the boat."****
...I know. What can I say?
So unbeknownst to me, the current was stronger than I had expected. The back of the boat starts twisting away, and I'm about ready to go back into my Twisting Spiral Of Doom And Panic About Spaghetti Dinners (TM) again. Luckily for the boat, me and my sanity, Nessa grabbed the boat and dragged it back up on the bank, saving my panicky self.
The rest of the day went without incident, but the events that I've mentioned are more than sufficient to provide the adventure aspect.
And THUS ends my story of melodrama.
All aspects of this story are %110 genuine. Really. Even my speech about my obituary.
OH! ALSO, I have created a new "about me" page. Go and check it out HERE and then if you have any questions that I DIDN'T answer, post 'em in a comment.
That's about all for this time, happy BOW'11ing! You guys are doing really well with the blogging every week thing. Kudos there!
Off to go work on an exciting new venture (which you'll unDOUBTEDLY hear about soon, so hold on, y'all),
~Whimsy
P.S. If you haven't seen it already, BOW'11 has a page of it's own. You can check it out HERE, and tell me what you think!
*Nessa is RIGHT NOW, in fact holding with her opinion that it was not, in fact dangerous. I'm running this by her, so I don't misquote her.
**Clearly, this was not the name I used, but let it be known, the rest of this is totally accurate.
***Dear god, I am WAY to happy about that bad pun.
****You all know I am very much not mysogynistic, BUT I do poke fun at those who are.
Last year, in the spring, it rained like WOAH. Now, I know that's not the most succinct sentence to begin on, but it's pretty crucial for the rest of the story.
Near my house, there's a brook. It's about waist deep at it's best, and about mayyyybe ten feet wide? Anyway, all that really matters is that it's SMALL, and pretty non-threatening. And then...it RAINED. It rained SO MUCH that my sister and I decided to take the canoe out, and paddle through the backyard and the woods.
At this point, the brook has gone from small-and-non-threatening to LARGE CURRENT OF WATER FLOWING REALLY FAST IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKING LAKE IN THE WOODS.
And so, we paddle. Nessa turns to me and suggests that we paddle across the DANGEROUS CURRENT*.
My reaction: O_____O
Her reaction: -___- "Live a little."
My reaction: *trepidation*
And so we struck out across the waters. Our intent was to reach the other side, turn around, and return to safe land, but about halfway across, the fast-moving stream caught up the back end of the boat, and we started to spin and drift downriver, away from the house and we kept going faster.
I think right now is a good time to mention that at the end of this stream, there's a waterfall. A big, huge, 8 foot PLUS waterfall.
Commence the panic.
I grab onto a small bit of tree in the middle of the overflowing river and clutch it, all the while babbling,
"Whimsy McWhimsysen**, age seventeen, was found dead in the brook this week. She is survived by her mothers, and her father. We remember her as a lover of theater, and a compassionate soul. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to The Harry Potter Alliance."
Yes, that's right, folks. I was writing my obituary. In the middle of a river. In a canoe. This brilliance was eclipsed by me, proclaiming that "I don't want to be the next spaghetti dinner".
There is SOME logic behind this. You see, if you live in a teeny tiny town like mine, when somebody dies, say, the fire dept will throw a spaghetti (or barbeque, or whatever) dinner as a fundraiser. That's what I WAS going for, but HELL NAW. Madness instead. WOO!
So after much deliberation, we decide to just go with the flow*** and try to go down the river, and veer off into the flooded woods. Thank heavens, we managed it. So, we float into the next-door neighbor's yard, and by extention his pond. It's pretty calm in there, so we head for an island that's been created from the swollen waters.
The island has a neat little dent in it, perfect to park the boat in. Nessa steers i, and JUST misses the wee cove (really, there's nothing at all wrong with how the boat is, keep this in mind). She gets out of the boat and onto the land. I grab the paddle and shove off from the land, effectivly abandoning her with the parting shot "Geez, WOMEN. Let a REAL MAN park the boat."****
...I know. What can I say?
So unbeknownst to me, the current was stronger than I had expected. The back of the boat starts twisting away, and I'm about ready to go back into my Twisting Spiral Of Doom And Panic About Spaghetti Dinners (TM) again. Luckily for the boat, me and my sanity, Nessa grabbed the boat and dragged it back up on the bank, saving my panicky self.
The rest of the day went without incident, but the events that I've mentioned are more than sufficient to provide the adventure aspect.
And THUS ends my story of melodrama.
All aspects of this story are %110 genuine. Really. Even my speech about my obituary.
OH! ALSO, I have created a new "about me" page. Go and check it out HERE and then if you have any questions that I DIDN'T answer, post 'em in a comment.
That's about all for this time, happy BOW'11ing! You guys are doing really well with the blogging every week thing. Kudos there!
Off to go work on an exciting new venture (which you'll unDOUBTEDLY hear about soon, so hold on, y'all),
~Whimsy
P.S. If you haven't seen it already, BOW'11 has a page of it's own. You can check it out HERE, and tell me what you think!
*Nessa is RIGHT NOW, in fact holding with her opinion that it was not, in fact dangerous. I'm running this by her, so I don't misquote her.
**Clearly, this was not the name I used, but let it be known, the rest of this is totally accurate.
***Dear god, I am WAY to happy about that bad pun.
****You all know I am very much not mysogynistic, BUT I do poke fun at those who are.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Week Three: A CHALLENGE!
I just finished reading Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise and Magic's Price, all by Mercedes Lackey. So. Freaking. Good. O___O
This doesn't happen much, but I knew pretty much as soon as I started reading the first book that I HAD. TO. HAVE. THEM.
I have griped (vocally, and often) about the lack of LGBT characters in fantasy novels. The Last Herald-Mage (LHM) books are indeed fantasy with a gay protagonist. YES! Oh, thank whatever-you-want-to-thank. Anyway, it's just nice to have a main character who's not your normal "hero(or anti-hero) goes on journey, finds self worth, destiny and opposite gendered lover along the way" type.
Seriously, if you haven't read the LHM books, then do so NOW. It was to the point where I was walking around with my nose in the book so far that I nearly walked into a wall. Maybe more than one.
Anyway, in other news my life is going well. Reading a lot lately, which is good. I had gotten away from reading tons, mostly due to watching un-godly amounts of Doctor Who and Torchwood (I REGRET NOTHING. SUCH PHENOMENAL TELEVISION.) and am back on my usual book-crazed path, and with a vengeance at that.
Because of that, I've been thinking about fictional characters lately, and not just in the "hey, I really love Remus Lupin, 'cuz he's a cool guy" kind of way. No, more in the "these characters are fictional people who I grew up with. Who I admire, in some cases."
So, I invite all of you to make a list of your top 5/10/20/30/you pick the number of favorite fictional characters, what books/movies/tv shows/plays/whatever that they're from, and why they're so cool. Why they stuck with you.
Here's mine, in no particular order.
1: Arthur Dent.
He's the last human from earth. He belongs to Douglas Adams, the creator of the fantastic Hitchhiker's Guide books. Arthur (by the way, having a hell of a time trying to spell his name properly) is just an ordinary guy, living his ordinary life and then all of a sudden, WHAM. He's off on a multi-dimensional space adventure, trying desperately to keep his mind, his towel and Ford Prefect by his side. What I like about his is that he's very HUMAN, he rolls with the punches (something that I don't do that well, for the record) and he tends to do what any normal person would do after being thrown into some very abnormal situations.
2: Holly Short.
She's from the Artemis Fowl books, written by Eoin Colfer. Holly is one of the toughest female characters that I know, and she's not even a HUMAN. She doesn't do the typical I-Am-A-Woman-So-I-Need-Saving-All-The-Time schtick, and I love her for that. She's incredibly smart, creative, compassionate, and she doesn't take any nonsense. That being said, she's also not perfect, like some authors can tend to do when creating a main character. She doesn't do well with authority (a trait we share) and tends to do things her own way, even if they stray a bit over the line of lawful. She tries to do her best, no matter the circumstance.
3: Paul. (Just googled it, and he hasn't got a last name. O__O)
Paul is the main character in Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, a book which I absolutely ADORE (and if you know me, I've probably talked your ear off about it, and tried to make you read it). There could be a whole blog post on why I like the book, but this is focused on the character. He's very whimsical, sweet, open minded, and yes, he is gay. I think the best thing about Paul is that he's so supportive of his friends, whoever they are. He's also quite the romantic, creative, and he marches to the beat of his own drum, no matter who is judging him.
4: Jacky Faber.
Opinionated, liberal-minded, gutsy, and overall one of the strongest (and still very much HUMAN) female characters I have had the pleasure of reading. Jacky is from L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack books. I mean, the girl is a PIRATE...amongst other things. For living in the 1800's, she is about as rebel-tastic as it gets. She's impulsive, but clever, and the way she will always stick up for her friends, and for the anyone who's weaker and smaller than she is. She starts out as the lowest of the low (as a street rat) and works her way up the ladder through her own guile and wit. Did I mention that she's British? Yeah.
5: Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren is THE quintessential book about an unschooler EVER. (In my very biased opinion, that is.) She may be about 10, but that girl is a genius. The best bit about her, is she will give it back to whoever dishes it out, be it police, a schoolteacher, or whoever. She knows who she is, what she wants, and isn't afraid to go and get it. She's self-sufficient, creative and more than a bit crazy. She does things her own way, and 9 times out of ten, it ends up turning out okay. Despite the fact that these books are clearly written for young kids, (and translated from the original Swedish, which makes for interesting grammar sometimes) Pippi is fantastic.
Honestly, I can't pick who I want to do next*, so I'll leave it at five, for now.
Maybe I'll do this again, sometime. There are just SO MANY I'd like to discuss, and I don't want to give you a wall of text. ^___^
SO, If you made it through to the bottom of this, I challenge you to do your own. I stuck to books for mine, but that's just ME.
So with that, I leave you. I have to go dig out my copies of Hitchhiker's Guide, Artemis Fowl, Boy Meets Boy, Bloody Jack and Pippi Longstocking. I have reading to do.
Yours in books,
Whimsy
P.S.
If you have a book that I MUST READ, tell me. I'm always looking for new books.\
P.P.S. If you've read any of these books, let me know in a comment what you thought. I love comments. (I mean, you don't know how excited I get when I read that I have a new one. It's hilarious.)
*The list includes,
Jim Tanner (Treasure Island), Puck (Midsummer Night's Dream), Roger Davis (RENT), Joon (Benny and Joon), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), Alanna (Song Of The Lioness), Daine (The Immortals), Lani Garver (What Happened To Lani Garver), Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), Jazz (Define 'Normal'), Jo March (Little Women) among others...
Also, I tried to keep it to ONE character from each book series. That's why there's not a TON of HP characters on there.
This doesn't happen much, but I knew pretty much as soon as I started reading the first book that I HAD. TO. HAVE. THEM.
I have griped (vocally, and often) about the lack of LGBT characters in fantasy novels. The Last Herald-Mage (LHM) books are indeed fantasy with a gay protagonist. YES! Oh, thank whatever-you-want-to-thank. Anyway, it's just nice to have a main character who's not your normal "hero(or anti-hero) goes on journey, finds self worth, destiny and opposite gendered lover along the way" type.
Seriously, if you haven't read the LHM books, then do so NOW. It was to the point where I was walking around with my nose in the book so far that I nearly walked into a wall. Maybe more than one.
Anyway, in other news my life is going well. Reading a lot lately, which is good. I had gotten away from reading tons, mostly due to watching un-godly amounts of Doctor Who and Torchwood (I REGRET NOTHING. SUCH PHENOMENAL TELEVISION.) and am back on my usual book-crazed path, and with a vengeance at that.
Because of that, I've been thinking about fictional characters lately, and not just in the "hey, I really love Remus Lupin, 'cuz he's a cool guy" kind of way. No, more in the "these characters are fictional people who I grew up with. Who I admire, in some cases."
So, I invite all of you to make a list of your top 5/10/20/30/you pick the number of favorite fictional characters, what books/movies/tv shows/plays/whatever that they're from, and why they're so cool. Why they stuck with you.
Here's mine, in no particular order.
1: Arthur Dent.
He's the last human from earth. He belongs to Douglas Adams, the creator of the fantastic Hitchhiker's Guide books. Arthur (by the way, having a hell of a time trying to spell his name properly) is just an ordinary guy, living his ordinary life and then all of a sudden, WHAM. He's off on a multi-dimensional space adventure, trying desperately to keep his mind, his towel and Ford Prefect by his side. What I like about his is that he's very HUMAN, he rolls with the punches (something that I don't do that well, for the record) and he tends to do what any normal person would do after being thrown into some very abnormal situations.
2: Holly Short.
She's from the Artemis Fowl books, written by Eoin Colfer. Holly is one of the toughest female characters that I know, and she's not even a HUMAN. She doesn't do the typical I-Am-A-Woman-So-I-Need-Saving-All-The-Time schtick, and I love her for that. She's incredibly smart, creative, compassionate, and she doesn't take any nonsense. That being said, she's also not perfect, like some authors can tend to do when creating a main character. She doesn't do well with authority (a trait we share) and tends to do things her own way, even if they stray a bit over the line of lawful. She tries to do her best, no matter the circumstance.
3: Paul. (Just googled it, and he hasn't got a last name. O__O)
Paul is the main character in Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, a book which I absolutely ADORE (and if you know me, I've probably talked your ear off about it, and tried to make you read it). There could be a whole blog post on why I like the book, but this is focused on the character. He's very whimsical, sweet, open minded, and yes, he is gay. I think the best thing about Paul is that he's so supportive of his friends, whoever they are. He's also quite the romantic, creative, and he marches to the beat of his own drum, no matter who is judging him.
4: Jacky Faber.
Opinionated, liberal-minded, gutsy, and overall one of the strongest (and still very much HUMAN) female characters I have had the pleasure of reading. Jacky is from L.A. Meyer's Bloody Jack books. I mean, the girl is a PIRATE...amongst other things. For living in the 1800's, she is about as rebel-tastic as it gets. She's impulsive, but clever, and the way she will always stick up for her friends, and for the anyone who's weaker and smaller than she is. She starts out as the lowest of the low (as a street rat) and works her way up the ladder through her own guile and wit. Did I mention that she's British? Yeah.
5: Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren is THE quintessential book about an unschooler EVER. (In my very biased opinion, that is.) She may be about 10, but that girl is a genius. The best bit about her, is she will give it back to whoever dishes it out, be it police, a schoolteacher, or whoever. She knows who she is, what she wants, and isn't afraid to go and get it. She's self-sufficient, creative and more than a bit crazy. She does things her own way, and 9 times out of ten, it ends up turning out okay. Despite the fact that these books are clearly written for young kids, (and translated from the original Swedish, which makes for interesting grammar sometimes) Pippi is fantastic.
Honestly, I can't pick who I want to do next*, so I'll leave it at five, for now.
Maybe I'll do this again, sometime. There are just SO MANY I'd like to discuss, and I don't want to give you a wall of text. ^___^
SO, If you made it through to the bottom of this, I challenge you to do your own. I stuck to books for mine, but that's just ME.
So with that, I leave you. I have to go dig out my copies of Hitchhiker's Guide, Artemis Fowl, Boy Meets Boy, Bloody Jack and Pippi Longstocking. I have reading to do.
Yours in books,
Whimsy
P.S.
If you have a book that I MUST READ, tell me. I'm always looking for new books.\
P.P.S. If you've read any of these books, let me know in a comment what you thought. I love comments. (I mean, you don't know how excited I get when I read that I have a new one. It's hilarious.)
*The list includes,
Jim Tanner (Treasure Island), Puck (Midsummer Night's Dream), Roger Davis (RENT), Joon (Benny and Joon), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), Alanna (Song Of The Lioness), Daine (The Immortals), Lani Garver (What Happened To Lani Garver), Meg Murry (A Wrinkle In Time), Jazz (Define 'Normal'), Jo March (Little Women) among others...
Also, I tried to keep it to ONE character from each book series. That's why there's not a TON of HP characters on there.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Exerpt from last NaNoWriMo. (bonus post!)
So, NaNoWriMo has come and gone, and I am left with a 50,000+ word manuscript that is in desperate need of editing.
What am I to do? Start editing, of course.
So, that's been taking up a good deal of my time lately, what with fixing all my poor grammar and screwy word choices. Not to mention the stilted dialogue.
Oh, stilted dialogue, why must you plague me so... >.<
That being said, I do have some interesting words in there that for the life of me, I can't recall typing during November. I re-found my choice of "soliloquizing" at one point, and I am pretty dang pleased with that. Overall, I like how it turned out, I really do. The plot arcs in a pleasing way, and my characters (overall) are original and non-Mary-Sue like.
Now, you all, as the readers of my blog, get the dubious honor of reading the first fixed-up bits of my book.
The following is a letter, written from my main character's mother to her lover. It's one of the first bits of the book, and I'm really proud of it.
March 20, 1461
My beloved Carys.
Here I am, living with Tavis now. I miss having you next door, or the next room, or the next chair. If you could only know how often I think of you...
I am so lucky to have a husband who understands me. Tavis is wonderful, he truly is. Never pressures me for anything...as well he shouldn’t! He knows I’m already promised to you, if not in law, in heart. Oh, my beloved, if you and I could only live and marry like I can with Tavis. I long for that day.
How are your parents? How is your sister, Serilde? Is the village missing us? To be frank, I don’t miss them at all. Too many voices saying “No, no, don’t do that. Do it this way, the proper way, our way”. It’s wearing. You aren’t, of course. I miss you so deeply, and I wish...
Oh, if you could see the sunset from our house. All these fiery reds and oranges mixed with the cool purples and blues. I think of you as I watch it every night.
When do you think you’ll have enough money to join us? Another six months? A year? Two years? I’m so impatient, but I can’t help but say hurry, Carys. We’ve been building a small home next door, and then all will be as it used to be. I can’t say “how it should be” since “how it should be” would have us living together in the large house, and Tavis living in the small one next door!
You are still wearing the ring I gave you, am I right? Has Colin asked why you’re wearing another man’s ring yet? I don’t see why you can’t just tell him you aren’t interested. He’ll stop asking when you tell him once and for all that he hasn’t got a chance, but until then, he’ll keep plodding along like the ox that he is.
The air is so crisp and cool up here. Some mornings, it’s like breathing ice. Really wakes you up.
Tavis knows I miss you, and sends his love as well. We talk about you often, and we both miss you terribly. I hope you’ll recognize me when we meet again. Tavis says that I’ve grown paler, if that’s possible! It has to be the mountain air.
I must go now, my love. Thanks be to the gods that we have these letters to exchange. I don’t know what I would do if we didn’t have this.
Wishing you here with me,
Ziska Riedwyn Bronwy
If you liked it, let me know! If not, tell me why, if you would. If you're interested in hearing/reading more, let me know that as well, because I'll have other bits as I go along editing.
Cheers and all that wonderful stuff,
Whimsy
P.S.
If you did NaNo, how'd it turn out? Are you doing it this coming November?
P.P.S. Putting this out here for anyone to read on the internet is really quite nervous-making.
What am I to do? Start editing, of course.
So, that's been taking up a good deal of my time lately, what with fixing all my poor grammar and screwy word choices. Not to mention the stilted dialogue.
Oh, stilted dialogue, why must you plague me so... >.<
That being said, I do have some interesting words in there that for the life of me, I can't recall typing during November. I re-found my choice of "soliloquizing" at one point, and I am pretty dang pleased with that. Overall, I like how it turned out, I really do. The plot arcs in a pleasing way, and my characters (overall) are original and non-Mary-Sue like.
Now, you all, as the readers of my blog, get the dubious honor of reading the first fixed-up bits of my book.
The following is a letter, written from my main character's mother to her lover. It's one of the first bits of the book, and I'm really proud of it.
March 20, 1461
My beloved Carys.
Here I am, living with Tavis now. I miss having you next door, or the next room, or the next chair. If you could only know how often I think of you...
I am so lucky to have a husband who understands me. Tavis is wonderful, he truly is. Never pressures me for anything...as well he shouldn’t! He knows I’m already promised to you, if not in law, in heart. Oh, my beloved, if you and I could only live and marry like I can with Tavis. I long for that day.
How are your parents? How is your sister, Serilde? Is the village missing us? To be frank, I don’t miss them at all. Too many voices saying “No, no, don’t do that. Do it this way, the proper way, our way”. It’s wearing. You aren’t, of course. I miss you so deeply, and I wish...
Oh, if you could see the sunset from our house. All these fiery reds and oranges mixed with the cool purples and blues. I think of you as I watch it every night.
When do you think you’ll have enough money to join us? Another six months? A year? Two years? I’m so impatient, but I can’t help but say hurry, Carys. We’ve been building a small home next door, and then all will be as it used to be. I can’t say “how it should be” since “how it should be” would have us living together in the large house, and Tavis living in the small one next door!
You are still wearing the ring I gave you, am I right? Has Colin asked why you’re wearing another man’s ring yet? I don’t see why you can’t just tell him you aren’t interested. He’ll stop asking when you tell him once and for all that he hasn’t got a chance, but until then, he’ll keep plodding along like the ox that he is.
The air is so crisp and cool up here. Some mornings, it’s like breathing ice. Really wakes you up.
Tavis knows I miss you, and sends his love as well. We talk about you often, and we both miss you terribly. I hope you’ll recognize me when we meet again. Tavis says that I’ve grown paler, if that’s possible! It has to be the mountain air.
I must go now, my love. Thanks be to the gods that we have these letters to exchange. I don’t know what I would do if we didn’t have this.
Wishing you here with me,
Ziska Riedwyn Bronwy
If you liked it, let me know! If not, tell me why, if you would. If you're interested in hearing/reading more, let me know that as well, because I'll have other bits as I go along editing.
Cheers and all that wonderful stuff,
Whimsy
P.S.
If you did NaNo, how'd it turn out? Are you doing it this coming November?
P.P.S. Putting this out here for anyone to read on the internet is really quite nervous-making.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Week Two: An Adventure!
Sunday, January second.
In which Whimsy goes out on a shopping trip, and has quite a day.
As some of you may know, I got some of the typical female genes. Examples: The I-Love-Romantic-Comedies gene, the Hey-I-Like-To-Dress-Up-In-Fancy-Clothing-Sometimes gene, and a few more that for the life of me I can't think of right now, but that's pretty much where it ends. You see, I missed out on one of the most female-typical genes in the world.
I. Hate. Shopping. So. Much.
So, we start off with going to Target*. Now, if you've never been to Target, let me tell you about it. It's big, it's red and it's full of a LOT of crap that I would never buy.
Anyhow, I had to return something there, and while I was there, I saw jeans. I have REALLY LONG LEGS, and if you do not have long legs, you don't know the pain that is attempting to get pants to fit your legs. Mostly, I get my clothes at thrift stores, since (most of the time) I find that paying $25 dollars for a pair of pants, no matter HOW brilliant they are is just stupid.
There I am, in the target jeans section. WHO KNEW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF JEANS???
So, I grab a few pairs that look like they'd be in my right range, regardless of one being a "fit 3" and the other being a "fit 6".
So, I go into the changing room, and I start to pull on the jeans. They're getting caught on my socks, so I pull off my socks, and try again. After fighting with this pair of jeans for around about five min, I finally get them on. My legs feel like sausages stuffed into VERY TIGHT CASING. Stiff-leggedly, I wander over to show the rest of my family.
Sister: "WOAH."
Me: "I. Cannot. Move."
Sister: *snickers*
Me: *looking down at rag on jeans* "This says 'Skinny'. These must be 'skinny jeans'. I will never wear these again."
So, I go back to the dressing room, and find a pair that does NOT say "skinny", and try that on. I end up with two pairs of 'bootcut' jeans...whatever THAT means.
So, we're leaving the store...FINALLY, and I see the Converse shoes display, and a pair of purple Converse. My first thought: "Ten wore those..." And then, "EVERYONE WEARS THOSE". People who followed me during BEDA, will recall my intense dislike of ANYTHING "conformist", so I brushed by them, after asking my mum, (who has much better fashion sense than I do) if I could wear my white sneakers with my new (very dark blue) jeans. She suggested that we look at the shoes, since I had never really liked my sneakers...
I had Intense Emotional Turmoil over these shoes, but FINALLY, new shoes. Plaid converse shoes. (The purple wasn't in my size. I was sad.)
Now, what the most hilarious bit is, I LOVE THESE NEW SHOES. For the first time in a LONG TIME, I like my shoes.
There was no point to that. Now you know what shoes I wear.
ANYHOW.
Bookstore! Whimsy becomes MUCH happier. I got Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I am ALREADY DONE WITH IT. Such a good book. Such awesome characters. So much laughter. You all need to go and read that book. RIGHT NOW.
The other book I got is The Wake Of The Lorelei Lee. It's the eighth book in the Bloody Jack books, a series I COULD NOT LOVE MORE IF I TRIED. Pirates, feminists, street urchins, Brits, history, well done writing, a fantastic heroine, seafaring...all that good stuff. Read those too. Start with Bloody Jack, and keep going.
On our way home, after stopping at a few more places**, we start to realize that the car is acting weird. On the way home, the car breaks down...THREE TIMES.
Thank whatever-it-is-you-believe-in, but we somehow made it home. WOW.
Oh, in the next few weeks, I will be talking about one of my newest obsessions, Doctor Who and Torchwood, and HOPEFULLY changing my blog background.
That is the longest post EVER about nothing at all.
Too long, didn't read?
I hate shopping, skinny jeans and conformity, I own Converse, read books, the car broke but I'm okay, I love Who and Torchwood, and ZOMG THE BLOG MAY LOOK DIFFERENT SOON.
*falls on floor to watch chick flicks*
Vividly,
Whimsy
*Yes, bad and anti-gay, but what are you going to do? I already boycott Wal*Mart.
**Fabric store for fabric for a tunic my sister is making me, and electronic store.
In which Whimsy goes out on a shopping trip, and has quite a day.
As some of you may know, I got some of the typical female genes. Examples: The I-Love-Romantic-Comedies gene, the Hey-I-Like-To-Dress-Up-In-Fancy-Clothing-Sometimes gene, and a few more that for the life of me I can't think of right now, but that's pretty much where it ends. You see, I missed out on one of the most female-typical genes in the world.
I. Hate. Shopping. So. Much.
So, we start off with going to Target*. Now, if you've never been to Target, let me tell you about it. It's big, it's red and it's full of a LOT of crap that I would never buy.
Anyhow, I had to return something there, and while I was there, I saw jeans. I have REALLY LONG LEGS, and if you do not have long legs, you don't know the pain that is attempting to get pants to fit your legs. Mostly, I get my clothes at thrift stores, since (most of the time) I find that paying $25 dollars for a pair of pants, no matter HOW brilliant they are is just stupid.
There I am, in the target jeans section. WHO KNEW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF JEANS???
So, I grab a few pairs that look like they'd be in my right range, regardless of one being a "fit 3" and the other being a "fit 6".
So, I go into the changing room, and I start to pull on the jeans. They're getting caught on my socks, so I pull off my socks, and try again. After fighting with this pair of jeans for around about five min, I finally get them on. My legs feel like sausages stuffed into VERY TIGHT CASING. Stiff-leggedly, I wander over to show the rest of my family.
Sister: "WOAH."
Me: "I. Cannot. Move."
Sister: *snickers*
Me: *looking down at rag on jeans* "This says 'Skinny'. These must be 'skinny jeans'. I will never wear these again."
So, I go back to the dressing room, and find a pair that does NOT say "skinny", and try that on. I end up with two pairs of 'bootcut' jeans...whatever THAT means.
So, we're leaving the store...FINALLY, and I see the Converse shoes display, and a pair of purple Converse. My first thought: "Ten wore those..." And then, "EVERYONE WEARS THOSE". People who followed me during BEDA, will recall my intense dislike of ANYTHING "conformist", so I brushed by them, after asking my mum, (who has much better fashion sense than I do) if I could wear my white sneakers with my new (very dark blue) jeans. She suggested that we look at the shoes, since I had never really liked my sneakers...
I had Intense Emotional Turmoil over these shoes, but FINALLY, new shoes. Plaid converse shoes. (The purple wasn't in my size. I was sad.)
Now, what the most hilarious bit is, I LOVE THESE NEW SHOES. For the first time in a LONG TIME, I like my shoes.
There was no point to that. Now you know what shoes I wear.
ANYHOW.
Bookstore! Whimsy becomes MUCH happier. I got Dash and Lily's Book Of Dares, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I am ALREADY DONE WITH IT. Such a good book. Such awesome characters. So much laughter. You all need to go and read that book. RIGHT NOW.
The other book I got is The Wake Of The Lorelei Lee. It's the eighth book in the Bloody Jack books, a series I COULD NOT LOVE MORE IF I TRIED. Pirates, feminists, street urchins, Brits, history, well done writing, a fantastic heroine, seafaring...all that good stuff. Read those too. Start with Bloody Jack, and keep going.
On our way home, after stopping at a few more places**, we start to realize that the car is acting weird. On the way home, the car breaks down...THREE TIMES.
Thank whatever-it-is-you-believe-in, but we somehow made it home. WOW.
Oh, in the next few weeks, I will be talking about one of my newest obsessions, Doctor Who and Torchwood, and HOPEFULLY changing my blog background.
That is the longest post EVER about nothing at all.
Too long, didn't read?
I hate shopping, skinny jeans and conformity, I own Converse, read books, the car broke but I'm okay, I love Who and Torchwood, and ZOMG THE BLOG MAY LOOK DIFFERENT SOON.
*falls on floor to watch chick flicks*
Vividly,
Whimsy
*Yes, bad and anti-gay, but what are you going to do? I already boycott Wal*Mart.
**Fabric store for fabric for a tunic my sister is making me, and electronic store.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
BOW'11 Is Cool.
Hello, and welcome to 2011.
Last year in February, I started this blog. This is going to be another introductory-type post.
I'm Whimsy, I'm eighteen years old. I'm tall-ish, and I like dying my hair strange colors.
I have never gone to school, and yes, that includes college. Unschooled my whole life, and happy to be so!
I live in a small town in New England, in a house with my two mums, my sister, five cats, one dog, a fish and a turtle.
Writing, reading, playing guitar, video editing, teaching theater, acting, and generally being slightly nuts are my pastimes.
My favorite words are "vivid" "whimsicality" and "quirky", which is where my alias, Whimsy comes from.
This year, I hope to:
Continue on teaching theatre
Learn how to edit video better
Audition for a couple/few new theatre groups
Start an etsy shop
NOT FAIL AT BOW'11
Keep up on Doctor Who and Torchwood
Increase my fluency in ASL (or BECOME fluent, either works)
Write some new music
Re-vamp the layout on my blog, because lemons only look good for so long
Edit and get a proof copy of my NaNo from 2010
Outline, plot, and win NaNo2011
Earn some money in some way
Also, this year, I will be turning nineteen. For some reason, this feels INCREDIBLY old.
Here's to a new year, a blank page, and lots of friends to help fill it in.
~Whimsy
P.S. Wow! Lots of people looking to do BOW'11! Thank you all for joining up, and if you haven't already joined, well, what are you waiting for? http://dft.ba/-BOW11
P.P.S. My newly Doctor Who crazed mind is SO AMUSED by the acronym BOW 11. Why? Because bow ties are cool. ^___^
Last year in February, I started this blog. This is going to be another introductory-type post.
I'm Whimsy, I'm eighteen years old. I'm tall-ish, and I like dying my hair strange colors.
I have never gone to school, and yes, that includes college. Unschooled my whole life, and happy to be so!
I live in a small town in New England, in a house with my two mums, my sister, five cats, one dog, a fish and a turtle.
Writing, reading, playing guitar, video editing, teaching theater, acting, and generally being slightly nuts are my pastimes.
My favorite words are "vivid" "whimsicality" and "quirky", which is where my alias, Whimsy comes from.
This year, I hope to:
Continue on teaching theatre
Learn how to edit video better
Audition for a couple/few new theatre groups
Start an etsy shop
NOT FAIL AT BOW'11
Keep up on Doctor Who and Torchwood
Increase my fluency in ASL (or BECOME fluent, either works)
Write some new music
Re-vamp the layout on my blog, because lemons only look good for so long
Edit and get a proof copy of my NaNo from 2010
Outline, plot, and win NaNo2011
Earn some money in some way
Also, this year, I will be turning nineteen. For some reason, this feels INCREDIBLY old.
Here's to a new year, a blank page, and lots of friends to help fill it in.
~Whimsy
P.S. Wow! Lots of people looking to do BOW'11! Thank you all for joining up, and if you haven't already joined, well, what are you waiting for? http://dft.ba/-BOW11
P.P.S. My newly Doctor Who crazed mind is SO AMUSED by the acronym BOW 11. Why? Because bow ties are cool. ^___^
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