not your ordinary princess: reading

Thursday, February 17, 2011

blissful sunbathing

I am beyond ecstatic that I finally have a day off. I'm so just mentally and spiritually worn down because of my job and the stress it's providing in my life. I'm happy to have a day off to regroup before going back on Saturday.

Tomorrow is supposed to be up in the 70s. I do think that this beautiful, sunny weather calls for some sunbathing. I don't think the middle of February is too early to start on a tan, do you?

I plan to sit out on the back porch with a book and some music. Or some paper, pen and some music. Whatever I end up doing, there will be music, sun, fresh air, and quite possibly something iced from Starbucks.

On a completely UNRELATED note, I have to wonder about something. My mom and stepdad have a huge flat screen tv with HD and all that jazz. I'm sitting here watching an episode of "Bones" that I have previously seen on a "regular" tv. I don't see what the huge fuss is about with this HD crap. While it does seem more life-like, it also makes the camera work look like a motor-skills challenged two year old shot the episode instead of a slightly less challenged forty-two year old.

*sigh* Ok, I do believe it's time for me to put this post to rest. I need to go find something to do...or something to eat.

lindsayallison

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I'm Back!

I'm back everyone!

I had honestly forgotten that I had started this blog, silly of me really. I had gotten so busy with work and life that I just never even saw the "Blogspot" link under my favorites...even though I look at them every day.

What's going on with me?

To put it simply: A LOT!

First, I'm losing weight at a rapid pace and I am loving it. I love how I feel about myself, I love how my clothes fit. I can't wait until I can fit into some of the clothes I wore in high school. I'm so close and I know if I continue keeping an eye on my portion control, I'll be there before I know it.

Second, I've dedicated 2011 to writing! That's right! I'm working on my own pieces, I'm doing more reading, and I have taken up journaling again. Well, I've taken up journaling again - ish. I write when I need to, but it's not every day. I'm hoping that I can bring the blog up to an almost daily basis. I mean how cool would it be to have a small following of friends here on my blog?

I've decided to really put myself into this. I invested in some filing items of sorts. Just a place to keep all my different stories and ideas until they are all finished to perfection. I can keep all of my notes and ideas about one story in one place so I don't have to constantly go digging for them amongst a dozen notebooks and binders.

Third, I've recently (within the past two months or so) started an actual relationship with my older brother. I have an older half brother by my dad and despite the fact that I'm almost 24 years old, he and I have never had a relationship. Well, I found him on facebook and friended him. We've had a fairly regular contact ever since and it's been nice. We don't always see eye to eye, but we do have some common ground. It's been fantastic feeling like someone's younger sister for the first time in my life.

My holidays were fantastic. The best I've had in a few years. I was beyond ecstatic about the gifts I both gave and received. I was shocked and pleased that everyone behaved themselves this year. It was definitely a wonderful time.

I was saddened at the loss of my great-grandmother, Margaret "Memere" Gallant on the 28th of December. She was 98 and had lived a good, long life and was ready to go home. I was fortunate enough that when my mom and I went up to Boston in November, she remembered us long enough for us to say goodbye. We both knew that we'd probably never see her again.

This new year has done wonders for me. I'm reading a fantastic book, "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey so that I can learn better financial responsibility. I am doing something that I love and I've been trying desperately to have a better outlook on life in general (especially my dumb ass job - ok, so I'm still working on that one). I feel better this year and it's been amazing.

I will do anything to make sure this feeling lasts.

lindsayallison

What I'm Reading...

Here is the complete honest truth: I have not read a novel in some time. I have a pile of books I want to read. Most are old titles of Karen Hawkins (What did you expect?) that have been collecting dust and diet coke cans for a couple of months.

As I bought three more books today, I realized that I need to actually read these things. It’s important for writers to spend time reading as well. You have to be caught up on what the market is trending, what readers are reading, and what is making and impact and what isn’t.

I have been so bad about this. It’s appalling really.

I used to bring a book with me to work to read during my lunch break. It was great. THEN I got a smart phone and started spending time on that during lunch instead of reading. I think this needs to stop. I really need to spend my time appropriately and reading some of these novels I keep spending money on.

So that’s the new plan then. I am going to pick up that novel I’ve started three times and keep putting down and actually finish it. I think it’s also time that I expand my favorite authors list. I need to read more than two authors on a regular basis I think.

What I'm Working On...

I have been working on lots of different things lately.

January I was working on some old projects that I don't care to spend a lot of time talking about.

As part of a writing group that was formed during last year's National Novel Writing Month, I was part of a writing challenge for the month of February. We came up with a 20K challenge. Yes, that's right. We wanted to write 20,000 words in the little month of February.

I spent most of February working on THE novel, "The Curious Tales of Lost Girls." This novel is a dark piece and it's really hard to get these words out. So the fact that this thing is about half done is quite a huge relief to me at the moment. I have a love/hate relationship with this novel at the moment.

Because it's so dark, that once I completed the 20K, I moved on. I edited/revised an old short story entitled, "Far Away." You can find the short story in its entirety posted on this blog. It's a sappy, romantic piece that I wrote a couple of years ago. I am so pleased with the final product.

After that I moved on to a "novellette" that I started a couple of years ago called "Home for the Holidays." I am happy that it's finished. I am NOT happy with the words it contains. It's currently a piece of crap and so I will let it simmer for a bit before I start the editing/revising process on that one.

Now that March has started, the group has come up with another challenge. Short stories from writing prompts! One per week! I'm currently finishing an old short story (it only had 400 words) while I let my "real" short story for this week form in my head. The first one is another sappy, romantic one about soulmates.

I haven't completely decided on what this new short story is going to be about yet. The writing prompt was "It's 1969, you're 17 and normally quiet and reserved. How did you spend your summer vacation?" I think the title is going to just be "1969". I like the simplicity of it. I know I want to write about a young woman, but I'm not sure where to go beyond that. There was so much going on that year! But what to throw her into?

Character of the Month

Kallista James has been on her own for pretty much her entire life. When Kallista was born, her parents had not been ready for a child. They had been very young and wanted to continue their partying ways, so they did.

At the age of five years old, Kallista met the girl who would become her lifelong best friend, Jade Bennett. It didn’t take long before Jade’s parents realized Kallista’s home life left something to be desired and they took her under their wing. Kallista flourished like never before in the Bennett household. She was close with the whole family, including Jade’s older brother, Chris.

When Kallista was sixteen, her parents were killed in a car accident. In a moment of intense grief, she found comfort with Chris. After sharing an intense kiss, Chris confesses his feelings for her. Before the teenagers can explore their feelings, a fight with his parents sends Chris packing, swearing never to return.

Kallista moved on. She dedicated herself to her schoolwork and to her photography. After graduation, she made a name for herself as a photographer. When she goes home for a summer vacation, she finds herself face to face Chris once more. Now all the feelings she thought she was over have resurfaced and she must find a way to deal with them and him before disaster strikes.