Happy Halloween, blogosphere!
I went trick-or-treating tonight. It was so much fun. Even though we were probably acting like obnoxious teenagers, it was still great. So, in 2 and 1/2 hours, the world turns into November, and I have to write a book. I am so excited! I also just found out that I'm going to be a dancer in The Wizard of Oz. That should be interesting. We get to dance with umbrellas, as far as I know.
Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I don't do scary, which is pretty much the entire point. (Aside: Just saw a Breaking Dawn commercial. Yuck). There's just something about asking strangers for candy that's a little weird. The past few years haven't been any fun, either. I don't even remember going in 8th grade. Oh wait, yes I do. I was Thing 1 with one of my friends. That was pretty fun, I guess. This year was the first year that I actually fully enjoyed myself. It wasn't too cold, the group we had was perfect, I got good candy, and nobody yelled at us for being too old. It was the best. And now I have to go read Act II, Scene II of Hamlet. I'll see you guys in December! Miss me.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Prepare yourself.
Tomorrow, I will be writing my last blog post. Ever.
Just kidding. I'm just taking a 30-day break to focus on my novel. Blogging is a time-sucker, y'know. So anyways, I'm just letting you know right now so you can figure out ahead of time where you're going to get your entertainment. I hear Glee is back on this week. DAMMIT. I WON'T BE ABLE TO WATCH GLEE. Yay for realizations. Ok, it's official, I am scheduling an official Glee break at some point during the week. I need me some Glee. Wow, I totally just rambled on for about five sentences about Glee. Good job, Erin.
For those of you that are all disappointed and stuff that you won't have my blog posts for a while, just imagine all 50,000 shiny words you, my faithful readers, will get to read when I, Erin Walker, have written a book.
Just kidding. I'm just taking a 30-day break to focus on my novel. Blogging is a time-sucker, y'know. So anyways, I'm just letting you know right now so you can figure out ahead of time where you're going to get your entertainment. I hear Glee is back on this week. DAMMIT. I WON'T BE ABLE TO WATCH GLEE. Yay for realizations. Ok, it's official, I am scheduling an official Glee break at some point during the week. I need me some Glee. Wow, I totally just rambled on for about five sentences about Glee. Good job, Erin.
For those of you that are all disappointed and stuff that you won't have my blog posts for a while, just imagine all 50,000 shiny words you, my faithful readers, will get to read when I, Erin Walker, have written a book.
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Creative Process
As you veteran readers know, I'm participating in National Novel Writing month this year, which means that by the end of November, I can write "I've written a freakin' book" on my list of accomplishments. That is, if I win. And I plan on winning. Winning means that I have to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's insanity, right there. I'm contemplating how I'm going to manage to write so much in so little time, especially with everything I have going on. I've thought about possibly deactivating my facebook for the month or not watching TV, but let's face it, I'm me, and I'm not going to succeed in doing either thing. So now to the topic for the day. Lots of things help my creative process, one of those things being books that other people have written that are in the same genre I plan to write in. Did that sentence make sense? You get the picture. Today I finished a book by Stephanie Perkins called Anna and the French Kiss, and after I read it I got this overwhelming feeling of needing to write something. I wanted to start my novel right that second. Instead of starting my novel early, which is against the rules, I decided I would review this book. Some of you have read my previous reviews, so here's another one. Happy Friday.
As a general rule, I judge books by their covers. Hard. The cover of a book can tell you so much about the book itself, which is why I was dubious about Anna and the French Kiss. First of all, it's called Anna and the French Kiss. That's kind of a corny name. Second, the cover art was a picture of a girl and half of a boy (cut off by the spine) sitting on a bench in front of the Eiffel Tower. If you don't get it, go look it up. Those kinds of covers always kind of annoy me a little, because I tend to imagine the main characters as the people on the cover, which kills the creative cogs in my brain. That wasn't the case for this book, and I'm not sure why. For some reason it was easy to picture my own characters rather than the cheeky female sitting on the bench. The reason I decided to read this book in the first place was the reviews I'd heard about it. John Green and Maureen Johnson, my favorite authors, both said fantastic things about this book. Not to mention my friend Liz, who doesn't even like YA Fiction, said it was an amazing book and she's read it three times, all in one sitting. I decided that I needed to read this book. And I am so glad I did.
I'll try not to give any spoilers here, because that's annoying. I always read past the spoiler alert in reviews and the like. Anyways. Anna and the French Kiss is the kind of book that makes you literally say "Awwwww!" out loud in the middle of your living room so loudly that you scare the dog. It's the story of a seventeen year old girl who is sent to a Paris boarding school by her author father (who is totally a Nicholas Sparks-type guy) and meets a boy named Etienne St. Clair. You know how this works. It's girl meets boy! Cheesy storyline, amazing story. I suck at summarizing, and I can't do it without spoiling anyway, so I'll just tell you what I thought about it.
The greatest thing about this book was that the story was so dang relatable. Sure, she goes to a boarding school in Paris, but the way the author describes her feelings is surprisingly real. I felt exactly what she was going through. The supporting characters are fantastic, because I genuinely cared about them and not just the main characters. There's an awesome extended metaphor in one part toward the end that Anna is comprehending and explaining as it happens, so the reader never misses anything. And Etienne is the kind of character that anyone could fall in love with. He's just cliche enough to be realistic. He's incredibly hot, but he's short and wears an ugly hat. He's incredibly smart and clever, but he's still capable of screwing around with his best friend. Of course, he has daddy issues. All good heroes have daddy issues. Percy Jackson, the gay Will Grayson, Dumbledore. All good heroes. All have daddy issues. Then the ending is the kind I really love. Everything is resolved and people are happy. I'm a sucker for happy endings. Sure, it's powerful and deep and thought-provoking when a book ends in some mysterious or otherwise unhappy fashion, but it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I read a book with a fantasticly happy ending. In short, Anna and the French Kiss is easily the most adorable book I've ever read. It's highly recommended if you happen to be a teenage girl. If not, I guess you can read it anyway, but it would be kind of awkward-ish. So yeah. There you have it, folks.
In nerd-related news, there's a video up on Youtube of John Green reading the first chapter of his new book. Also good for the creative cogs. They were fed a lot today.
As a general rule, I judge books by their covers. Hard. The cover of a book can tell you so much about the book itself, which is why I was dubious about Anna and the French Kiss. First of all, it's called Anna and the French Kiss. That's kind of a corny name. Second, the cover art was a picture of a girl and half of a boy (cut off by the spine) sitting on a bench in front of the Eiffel Tower. If you don't get it, go look it up. Those kinds of covers always kind of annoy me a little, because I tend to imagine the main characters as the people on the cover, which kills the creative cogs in my brain. That wasn't the case for this book, and I'm not sure why. For some reason it was easy to picture my own characters rather than the cheeky female sitting on the bench. The reason I decided to read this book in the first place was the reviews I'd heard about it. John Green and Maureen Johnson, my favorite authors, both said fantastic things about this book. Not to mention my friend Liz, who doesn't even like YA Fiction, said it was an amazing book and she's read it three times, all in one sitting. I decided that I needed to read this book. And I am so glad I did.
I'll try not to give any spoilers here, because that's annoying. I always read past the spoiler alert in reviews and the like. Anyways. Anna and the French Kiss is the kind of book that makes you literally say "Awwwww!" out loud in the middle of your living room so loudly that you scare the dog. It's the story of a seventeen year old girl who is sent to a Paris boarding school by her author father (who is totally a Nicholas Sparks-type guy) and meets a boy named Etienne St. Clair. You know how this works. It's girl meets boy! Cheesy storyline, amazing story. I suck at summarizing, and I can't do it without spoiling anyway, so I'll just tell you what I thought about it.
The greatest thing about this book was that the story was so dang relatable. Sure, she goes to a boarding school in Paris, but the way the author describes her feelings is surprisingly real. I felt exactly what she was going through. The supporting characters are fantastic, because I genuinely cared about them and not just the main characters. There's an awesome extended metaphor in one part toward the end that Anna is comprehending and explaining as it happens, so the reader never misses anything. And Etienne is the kind of character that anyone could fall in love with. He's just cliche enough to be realistic. He's incredibly hot, but he's short and wears an ugly hat. He's incredibly smart and clever, but he's still capable of screwing around with his best friend. Of course, he has daddy issues. All good heroes have daddy issues. Percy Jackson, the gay Will Grayson, Dumbledore. All good heroes. All have daddy issues. Then the ending is the kind I really love. Everything is resolved and people are happy. I'm a sucker for happy endings. Sure, it's powerful and deep and thought-provoking when a book ends in some mysterious or otherwise unhappy fashion, but it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I read a book with a fantasticly happy ending. In short, Anna and the French Kiss is easily the most adorable book I've ever read. It's highly recommended if you happen to be a teenage girl. If not, I guess you can read it anyway, but it would be kind of awkward-ish. So yeah. There you have it, folks.
In nerd-related news, there's a video up on Youtube of John Green reading the first chapter of his new book. Also good for the creative cogs. They were fed a lot today.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Y'know, words and stuff and things.
So, here are some updates for you cool people who care about my life and stuff. Also, Countdowns happen.
Countdown to NaNoWriMo: 9 freakin' days.
I'm terrified. 50,000 words in 30 days. Whatever I manage to spew out, I sincerely hope it's worth the read. I've been playing around with a couple of ideas now, and for those of you interested I can e-mail you the finished product when/if I finish. If it happens, and you read it, please give me some feedback. I am also now going to have to find time to write a novel every day next month. Yay. Challenge accepted.
Countdown to The Fault in Our Stars: 3 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS!
I think. My math isn't great, people. For those of you who do not read John Green books, you need to start. Today. Right now. Go to the library. Go to the bookstore. Come to my house. Read some John Green. Preorder his latest book on Amazon for ten bucks. All preordered copies will be signed. I am so excited to read this book. The cover was recently released, and I really like it. I think it's simple and striking and very worthy of a John Green novel. Seriously, go read some Green.
The Final Countdown: Pottermore. Registration at the end of the month, access time unknown.
Dear JK Rowling and the other people in charge of Pottermore:
Do you know how stressful it is to not know what house I'm really in? Do you? And then to tell me that although I can register at the end of the month, my account may not be activated for a few weeks and/or months? You're giving me a complex.
Love,
Erin.
Countdown to NaNoWriMo: 9 freakin' days.
I'm terrified. 50,000 words in 30 days. Whatever I manage to spew out, I sincerely hope it's worth the read. I've been playing around with a couple of ideas now, and for those of you interested I can e-mail you the finished product when/if I finish. If it happens, and you read it, please give me some feedback. I am also now going to have to find time to write a novel every day next month. Yay. Challenge accepted.
Countdown to The Fault in Our Stars: 3 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS!
I think. My math isn't great, people. For those of you who do not read John Green books, you need to start. Today. Right now. Go to the library. Go to the bookstore. Come to my house. Read some John Green. Preorder his latest book on Amazon for ten bucks. All preordered copies will be signed. I am so excited to read this book. The cover was recently released, and I really like it. I think it's simple and striking and very worthy of a John Green novel. Seriously, go read some Green.
The Final Countdown: Pottermore. Registration at the end of the month, access time unknown.
Dear JK Rowling and the other people in charge of Pottermore:
Do you know how stressful it is to not know what house I'm really in? Do you? And then to tell me that although I can register at the end of the month, my account may not be activated for a few weeks and/or months? You're giving me a complex.
Love,
Erin.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hello, Friends!
I think my blog is gaining popularity. Seven followers? GASP.
Hey, new readers! *cougholiviacoughhannacoughmatt*
And of course, old readers. *coughLIZ*
Why all the coughing? I don't know. A lot of people were talking about this bloggy thing today, so I thought I should acknowledge it or something. Sooo...thanks. And stuff.
How was my day? Less than average. I was tired, and then I was at school for eleven hours. That's always fun. Plus I started Taper today, so for those of you who don't know, that means I don't get to eat anything fun for two weeks. Fruits, veggies, protein...yay. I had my last meal at B-Dubs last night. It's not that bad, I'm just really freakin' hungry. I feel like I'm not eating anything that has actual substance in it, and that's probably because everything I'm used to eating is so filling. So yeah. I'm going to go eat a healthy and well-balanced meal, and then watch some 90210. And then do some homework. And then sleep. A lot. So much sleeping.
Hey, new readers! *cougholiviacoughhannacoughmatt*
And of course, old readers. *coughLIZ*
Why all the coughing? I don't know. A lot of people were talking about this bloggy thing today, so I thought I should acknowledge it or something. Sooo...thanks. And stuff.
How was my day? Less than average. I was tired, and then I was at school for eleven hours. That's always fun. Plus I started Taper today, so for those of you who don't know, that means I don't get to eat anything fun for two weeks. Fruits, veggies, protein...yay. I had my last meal at B-Dubs last night. It's not that bad, I'm just really freakin' hungry. I feel like I'm not eating anything that has actual substance in it, and that's probably because everything I'm used to eating is so filling. So yeah. I'm going to go eat a healthy and well-balanced meal, and then watch some 90210. And then do some homework. And then sleep. A lot. So much sleeping.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Dear Freshmen: Only 956 Days Left! That is...if I did my math right.
Which isn't likely, if you know me at all.
Why, hello there, blog! It's been almost a month. I bet you'll never guess what I should be doing right now. What was that? Homework? Oh. Good guess.
So, there's lots of things going on with me right now, including being ridiculously busy and loving every second of it. Okay, not every, but most. Between Cross Country, Theatre, homework, and having a social life/a minute to relax and catch my breath, I have had next to no time to blog. As a matter of fact, right now I am skipping my allotted Facebook time to write this. Alright, back to the topic for the day. So I had this idea last night about writing some advice for Freshmen. I know a lot of people will go "Hey now, you're a sophomore. That barely counts as superior." But that's exactly it: (we're learning colons in AP Lit-did I do it right?) my freshmen year is still fresh (ha ha, no pun intended) in my mind, plus I have a lot of freshmen as friends. And let's face it people, there have been way too many times this year when I have seen distinct freshmen behavior. Also, you know how in yearbooks and stuff they always go around and ask the seniors what advice they would've given their freshmen selves, and it's always some cliche nonsense like "be yourself"? I'm not going to do that here, because that's long term stuff. A freshmen is not going to wake up, look at himself in the mirror and say "today, I'm going to be myself." I think that piece of advice is a load of crap, but perhaps that's another blog post, and I'm already getting lengthy. So here it is, folks, my advice to high school freshmen:
1. Your teachers are there for you. I promise. Even the most tyrannical, overbearing, and homework junkie teachers want you to succeed. That's why they got the job. Maybe I'm biased because both of my parents are teachers, but it's always been true for me. You should learn early on how to communicate with your teachers, because they're the only people that can really help you in whatever class it is they teach. Your friend Suzy, no matter how smart she is, can not tell you what to do when you were out til all hours at a rehearsal for your school play and you didn't study and now you bombed your math test. Talk. To. Your. Teacher. Figure out when you can retake it or get extra help. They're there for you!
2. You will stay up way too late. Like I said, I'm a pretty busy person. I usually have a thousand and one different things that need to get done that I never get started until at least 8 at night. It's okay to stay up late and finish things up, but don't forget that you need your rest, too. I usually divide and conquer: what absolutely needs to get done tonight, and what can I do tomorrow at lunch or if I have free time in a previous class? It works pretty well. Most teachers don't care when the homework is done, just that it is. You'll get some that lecture you about being prepared for class, and don't get me wrong, it's really important. Just don't sweat it too much if you don't have the willpower to stay awake and push through it all in one night.
3. You will look stupid in front of everyone at least once. But that's okay, because everyone else does the same thing. I can't even tell you how many ridiculously unintelligent answers I've given in class due to zoning out or trying to BS my way through a question. That is my life in AP Euro right now. Don't get hung up on it, though, because you're not the only one to give a stupid response or have a panic attack after being forced to sing a song about passing bills to the tune of I Kissed A Girl in your AP Gov class. Wait...was that just me? Yes? Oh.
4. Stop worrying. Stop worrying about how all of your middle school friends aren't friends with you anymore. Stop worrying about how you're never going to graduate because you're having trouble keeping your grades up. Stop worrying about having a date to homecoming. Stop worrying about the sheer pile of busy you have sitting in your lap. You can do it.
5. Be yourself! Just kidding. More on that later.
Why, hello there, blog! It's been almost a month. I bet you'll never guess what I should be doing right now. What was that? Homework? Oh. Good guess.
So, there's lots of things going on with me right now, including being ridiculously busy and loving every second of it. Okay, not every, but most. Between Cross Country, Theatre, homework, and having a social life/a minute to relax and catch my breath, I have had next to no time to blog. As a matter of fact, right now I am skipping my allotted Facebook time to write this. Alright, back to the topic for the day. So I had this idea last night about writing some advice for Freshmen. I know a lot of people will go "Hey now, you're a sophomore. That barely counts as superior." But that's exactly it: (we're learning colons in AP Lit-did I do it right?) my freshmen year is still fresh (ha ha, no pun intended) in my mind, plus I have a lot of freshmen as friends. And let's face it people, there have been way too many times this year when I have seen distinct freshmen behavior. Also, you know how in yearbooks and stuff they always go around and ask the seniors what advice they would've given their freshmen selves, and it's always some cliche nonsense like "be yourself"? I'm not going to do that here, because that's long term stuff. A freshmen is not going to wake up, look at himself in the mirror and say "today, I'm going to be myself." I think that piece of advice is a load of crap, but perhaps that's another blog post, and I'm already getting lengthy. So here it is, folks, my advice to high school freshmen:
1. Your teachers are there for you. I promise. Even the most tyrannical, overbearing, and homework junkie teachers want you to succeed. That's why they got the job. Maybe I'm biased because both of my parents are teachers, but it's always been true for me. You should learn early on how to communicate with your teachers, because they're the only people that can really help you in whatever class it is they teach. Your friend Suzy, no matter how smart she is, can not tell you what to do when you were out til all hours at a rehearsal for your school play and you didn't study and now you bombed your math test. Talk. To. Your. Teacher. Figure out when you can retake it or get extra help. They're there for you!
2. You will stay up way too late. Like I said, I'm a pretty busy person. I usually have a thousand and one different things that need to get done that I never get started until at least 8 at night. It's okay to stay up late and finish things up, but don't forget that you need your rest, too. I usually divide and conquer: what absolutely needs to get done tonight, and what can I do tomorrow at lunch or if I have free time in a previous class? It works pretty well. Most teachers don't care when the homework is done, just that it is. You'll get some that lecture you about being prepared for class, and don't get me wrong, it's really important. Just don't sweat it too much if you don't have the willpower to stay awake and push through it all in one night.
3. You will look stupid in front of everyone at least once. But that's okay, because everyone else does the same thing. I can't even tell you how many ridiculously unintelligent answers I've given in class due to zoning out or trying to BS my way through a question. That is my life in AP Euro right now. Don't get hung up on it, though, because you're not the only one to give a stupid response or have a panic attack after being forced to sing a song about passing bills to the tune of I Kissed A Girl in your AP Gov class. Wait...was that just me? Yes? Oh.
4. Stop worrying. Stop worrying about how all of your middle school friends aren't friends with you anymore. Stop worrying about how you're never going to graduate because you're having trouble keeping your grades up. Stop worrying about having a date to homecoming. Stop worrying about the sheer pile of busy you have sitting in your lap. You can do it.
5. Be yourself! Just kidding. More on that later.
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