Writing Hell 5.1

Welcome to the first day of Writing Hell!  I hope you all have gotten to writing, and have at least finished today's goal!  For the next few days, I hope to write 25k for my project Sever.  That means 2500 words per day for me.  (It's a good thing I don't get any homework!)

Sever
Starting word count: 4406
Ending word count:  6907

After I got home and started writing, it was, oh, around 4:30 I think.  And then I wrote.  Up until almost 10pm.  It took me that long to get 2500 words out, but I did it, and boy am I proud!  I just need to not get distracted by texting and Bubble Shooter and food and Pokemon (yes, I am now playing Pokemon on my Gameboy).  So, this is the first ever day that I successfully completed Writing Hell.

Excerpt:

I tense, and Brodrick pulls back. Squeezing my eyes shut, I calm myself down. It’s true, the fact that they left me was harsh enough, but with what Roth did… “Yes. They’re family. No matter what, I want them back.” I keep my eyes shut and lean against Brodrick’s solid form. “Wouldn’t you do the same thing?”

“I don’t know what I would do, even if I imagined it a thousand ways. It doesn’t mean it’ll happen that way,” he says, his voice calm and steady.

So, if you participated and posted for Writing Hell, please leave a comment!  I'd love to check out everyone's achievements of today.

Writing Hell: Get Ready!

 Tomorrow starts Writing Hell: a monthly event hosted here.  To be truthful, I have yet to successfully finish Writing Hell, considering the event at the beginning of the year that severely impacted my writing.  I was in a rut for months.

But now that I'm reading and writing regularly (more so than before), I thought I plan on succeeding in this Writing Hell!

If you'd like to participate, just let me know in a comment.  More info on Writing Hell is provided in the tab above, but if you're lazy (like me) and don't feel like checking it out, just look below.

Your Writing Hell post should consist of...

• Title of project
• List your goal for the 5-10 days
• Starting word count
• Ending word count
• Retelling of your struggle day, and any inspiration (if you want to reveal)
• (optional) Two paragraphs of your writing (or more, if you want)

This month's Writing Hell will last for 10 days.  I'd like it if you at least linked me to your blog and/or post of the first day of Writing Hell.  I'll make sure to include participants in every day's post.

And something new: If you post an excerpt, let me know if you'd like me to critique your work.

Link away, my friends!

This week...

This week will be quite ... interesting.  Tomorrow starts Writing Hell, which means I need to aim for 2500 words for the next ten days.

On Wednesday, I start Driver's Ed. From 6-something to 8:15 PM.  Yay me. #sarcasm

And on Thursday, I've got a spring concert at school.  The band goes on first, so I'm hoping that means I can leave earlier.  Unless I feel like watching the orchestra + mariachi later.  Which means I won't get home until, oh, 9-ish.

And, for the month of May, I have to work on this project for Algebra II.  What do I get to do?  Make a Ferris Wheel.  In one month.  While taking Driver's Ed, which will cut my open dates nearly in half.

Oh what fun this month brings for me.  The bright side: starting the second week of the month, we have 2-hour early releases on every Friday.  And then there's finals, and then NO SCHOOL.  Which means NO SUMMER SCHOOL for me and more time to write.

I just have to survive one more month and hopefully not cry during graduation, either because I know some of the seniors, or because I'll be thinking about how sad my graduation will be, or because I'll be thinking about my currently-junior friends' graduation.  ... I think I'm doomed to cry.

So, if I wind up not posting for a week, you now know why.

P.S. Another sad thing: On Saturdays, I have to miss Legend of Korra.  Good thing I'm recording the series.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren.

This week, I bought...





Paper Towns by John Green (goodreads)
Where She Went by Gayle Forman (goodreads)
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (goodreads)
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (goodreads)
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (goodreads)

I originally borrowed Paper Towns from the school library, but returned it 'cause I don't really know how to renew books. Plan to finish that soon. When I read If I Stay, I loved it (nearly cried, which is rare for me when I'm reading), so I had to get the sequel. My friend loves Perfect Chemistry, and I've been trying to get into contemporary YA. As for the other two, they sounded pretty interesting, so I thought I'd get them.

So, what was in your mailbox this week?

A Chance for You to Win...

No, I'm not holding a giveaway (not yet, at least).  But my friend, Lexie, over at Still Waiting for Books to Come True is.  What's up for grabs? Well...

A paperback of Jellicoe Road + one book of your choice from the following:

• The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Slide by Jill Hathaway
• Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Or you could win a fabulous 50-page critique of your YA manuscript.  (Seriously, she's a wonderful critic, and winning this critique would help your manuscript a lot (not saying that your manuscript is bad as is).)

If'd you like to enter, check out her blog here!  May the odds be with you!

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm trying to wait for SWEET EVIL.  I read the first chapter of this book way back in 2010, when inkpop was still getting out there, and I was still rather new to the judging-a-book-by-its-content.  All I remember is that I absolutely enjoyed the first chapter.  I can't wait to read the whole thing.  Good thing it's coming out soon!  I just don't know if my mom's willing to buy it, considering the stacks of books in my room... I just might have to use some of my own money to get a book.

Sweet Evil
By Wendy Higgins
Publication Date: May 1, 2012


What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

(Goodreads)

So, what're you waiting on this week?

In Which I Present New Ideas

For the past few days, I've been working on two new ideas.  And today, I got another one!

So, today, considering I'm trying to get back into blogging, I feel like telling you guys a bit about my ideas.  Mostly the one-sentence summary lines, but it's something.

My two "older" ideas are both a form of fantasy.  The first is urban, and the second is with some adventure (I don't know whether or not it can be considered 'dystopian' (it's similar to The Pledge, but not in the who Queen-is-sole-ruler-who-does-*censored*-to-continue-Queenly-line) (I'll nickname my project Dystopia for now)).

The Girl of Eternal Fire

After Kyra Hyde discovers there’s a monster inside her, she sets off on a quest to find her father—the man with the answers.

Sever (temporary title)

When she learns of her brother’s whereabouts, Sora Lothbrow sets off to find her brother, and along the way makes a new friend bound to help her out.

 Dystopia

It doesn't really have a one-line summary, so for now you can just know that it will have to do with The Chosen One, some religion (I'm not religion buff, so it shouldn't be too bad), and a monarchy. Oh, and a girl, but that can practically be assumed.

And, for now, that is the only update you'll be getting from me. Starting May, I hope to (maybe) blog every day, or every other day. And maybe post more reviews. And writing tips. And maybe a giveaway (as soon as I figure everything out surrounding the idea of a giveaway).

Until then, bye!