My Characters Know Me Better Than I Do

First off, I'm so, so, SO sorry for not being around. Like I said in my last post, things are kind of crazy around my house right now. I'm busy with family drama and helping my parents out with their  kennel. Also, my grandma's health has been a little iffy lately. It's nothing too bad, but if you guys want to send some good thoughts and prayers and whatnot our way, we'll all be very thankful.

Now, on to business! A few weeks ago, I was writing a scene in DARK WATER where one of the characters breaks out his harmonica and plays a little tune. As if happens, my MC has never seen a harmonica before, and I've never listened to any music that contains any sort of harmonica. I needed to describe what it sounded like, but had literally no clue. I could've just changed it to an instrument I knew more about, but that wouldn't have been right. It wouldn't be true to the character. He plays the harmonica--end of story.

So, naturally, I turned to a writer's best friend. Research. 

After what felt like a lifetime of rummaging around Google and YouTube (I thought it would be as easy as typing in 'harmonica music.' WRONG!), I found what I needed--a whole YouTube channel of nothing but song covers on the harmonica. I listened to pretty much every video they had, twice. And you know what I realized?

I really like the harmonica.

If I ever learn how to play an instrument, it'll be the harmonica. It's just an all-around awesome instrument.

I never would have realized my love of harmonica if this character hadn't come forward and said, "Hey, I play harmonica. It reminds me of home. No. I don't play the violin. And definitely not the flute. Harmonica--plain and simple. You don't know how to write that? Well, you'd better figure it out, 'cause that's the way this is going down."

Apparently, as the title of this post suggests, my characters know me better than I know myself. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe, somehow, this character's love of his harmonica stemmed subconsciously from a love I didn't even know I had.

But it's probably just a coincidence. lulz.

Also, just thought I'd let everyone know I'm definitely going over 100k with DARK WATER. *headdesk* Ah well, I've been pretty sure I was going to do that for a while. Now it's just kind of staring me in the face. I'm at 99k, and I've still got a two huge plot points to touch on before getting to the ending. Le sigh. But like I've said before, it's no big deal. I'll tackle the word count in editing. If I can chop 40k off BROKEN, I can do it with DARK WATER as well, if need be.

Is it weird that a fictional person introduced me to one of my new favorite things?

Have your characters ever made you realize something new about yourself?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Harry Potter, Inception, And Lots of Craziness

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part two came out today. I wanted to go to last night's midnight showing, but I still have yet to see part one (I know, I know. I'm lame), so it wouldn't have felt right. I'll bet it was a freaking circus, though. I would've loved to see how many people in my teeny-tiny town cared enough to dress up.

I'm so sad to see Harry Potter's saga come to an end. I'm gonna cry when I do finally see it--I know I will. Because this isn't just the end of an amazing story. I grew up with HP. The first movie came out when I was eight. I rushed out to see it with my best friend on opening day and we did the same for every installment to come out afterwards.

Now I'm eighteen, my best friend has moved away, and Harry Potter is coming to a close. It's almost like an official goodbye to my childhood.

But I'll probably still hold on to the hope that my Hogwarts acceptance letter got lost in transit.

 Oh! Guess what happened to me the night before last?

I had a DREAM INSIDE A DREAM!

INCEPTION!!

In the first dream, I was hanging out with a group of people--I don't know any of them, which is kinda weird--at what I think was an amusement park. I vaguely remember being in a wave pool, then getting on a roller-coaster, which is also pretty weird, considering I get a sunburn every time I even THINK of getting in a pool and roller-coasters make me barf.

Then my boyfriend, Travis, woke me up and asked me if I was "enjoying my dream." It's kinda fuzzy, but I remember telling him about the dream I was just having in detail--doing little turns and flips and shizz to demonstrate. (I should've known it was a dream at that point--there's no way I could ever stand flat-footed and do a back flip.)

Suddenly, my alarm clock went off and I realized...

All that stuff--Travis waking me up and asking me about my dream--IT WAS ANOTHER DREAM!

I think it's pretty cool that dream-Trav actually asked me if I was enjoying the dream--as if to say "hint-hint-wink-wink, you're totally dreaming right now." Maybe if I'd been paying attention (and my alarm hadn't gone off), I could've become lucid. Lucid dreaming is consciously realizing you're in a dream, allowing you to manipulate the events and imagery. It's something I've been looking into for a few years now. So far, I've been pretty unsuccessful in actually accomplishing it.

Anywho--about the craziness part. Things around my house have been pretty hectic lately. I won't go into too much detail, but there's some heavy stuff going down and it needs my full attention. I've been stuck on 94k for days now, which means I'm falling way behind with my work. My personal life is really driving a wedge between me and my writing right now, but I'm not too worried about it. Like I said, there's some heavy stuff going on and I need to be dealing with it more than I need to be working.

Hopefully, things will cool off in the coming weeks and I'll be able to get back on schedule. 'Cause I'm still set on getting things done in time to participate in NaNo this year.

Have you seen the new HP flick yet?

Did you enjoy it?

Have you ever experienced Inception?

Is your life feeling as crazy as mine is right now?

 HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

For The Lulz Friday

Hello, lovelies! It's Friday and I don't have a post planned out, but I wanted to post something anyway since I haven't been around much this week. And what do I resort to whenever I don't have any ideas? Why--lulz, of course.

So, anywho, I've got a few videos that will hopefully get a few giggles out of you. I know they made me lmao.

First up, we've got Elmo, placing an order at Taco Bell.

I had NO IDEA there was a Taco Bell on Sesame Street. Just be careful, Elmo. Last time I ate Taco Bell, I thought someone detonated an M80 in my large intestine.

Next is a prank video involving three guys in a communal shower and lots of shampoo.

Ahhh...I've seen this video four or five times now and it still makes me laugh. Especially around the one minute mark where dude starts losing his effing mind.

This next video isn't particularly funny. In fact, it's not funny at all. I don't even like looking at it. Buuuut, it is kinda cool--in an OMG-WTF-IS-THAT kinda way--and I thought you guys might be able to get a kick out of it. So without further ado, enjoy this gigantic, freaky insect.

Gah! This video makes my skin crawl. Now, if you don't know--I'm, like, cripplingly afraid of insects. I'll run screaming from something as harmless as a moth. So the first time I saw this video, I almost flipped out of my chair.

I need something awesome to take the shivers away. Hmmm. Ah! How about everyone's favorite redneck, Steve McGranahan, trimming his hedges with a chainsaw on a rope? (Skip to the 2 minute mark. This guy likes his padding.) Oh! And before I show you guys, I have to say:  

THIS IS A STUNT PREFORMED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! IF YOU DO, YOU WILL PROBABLY DIE! AND IF YOU DON'T DIE, I WILL PERSONALLY COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND KICK YOU IN THE FACE FOR DOING SOMETHING SO STUPID AND DANGEROUS.

So yeah--as epic as that is, don't ever, ever, EVER try it. Unless you have a serious hankering for losing a limb or something crazy like that.

Well, that's all for the videos. But how about some funny pictures and whatnot before I leave?

Yep. That's totally a snake. That's the rare Eastern European Zelig Snake. (That's a really lame reference. I'm not sure anyone else will get the joke.)

It's no secret that I love spelling fails, but rarely do I find one quite this epic. Am I the only one that finds themselves thinking, "Yoo-hoo, saaaayler boy."

I'll admit--I watched Powerpuff Girls when I was little. But I never paid enough attention to catch this. It really tickle my nerd-funny bone.

What the hell kind of drugs was this guy doing?! This just goes to show you--drugs are bad and do not result in superpowers.

Ewww. Someone tell Snooki her tan-in-a-can isn't working!

Pfffft! This makes me laugh so hard. Where can I buy one of these things?!

Mkay. That's all for now! (If you guys enjoy my "For The Lulz" posts, let me now and FTLF might become a regular feature.)

ENJOY THE LULZ, LOVELIES!

Happy Independence Day, American Chums

First off, I want to wish all my fellow Americans a happy fourth of July! 

Hope you all enjoy blowing shizz up.

I haven't been working very hard lately, which suuuuucks. I dunno--I was just kinda lazy last week. 

I spent a good bit of time watching movies with my little brother. Somehow, I had no idea he shared my love of foreign films. (And classical music, apparently.) He also helped me get back in touch with my love of anime. I noticed Trigun on his "recently watched" list on Netflix and had a mini SQUEEEE fit.

I remember when it first aired here in America on Adult Swim back in 2003. I absolutely loved it. The main character, Vash, has always been one of those characters that stuck in my head, no matter how much time passed. Seeing it again after so long made me feel all fuzzy. I totally had my nostalgia goggles on.

So yeah...I spent last week watching lots of foreign movies and cartoons.

I did manage to do a little more world-building for DARK WATER. It's pretty bare in the setting department right now and could use a nice kick to make their world seem realer. So far all I've done is draw a map and write up a loosely-detailed list of their Gods and Goddesses and a bit of the mythology associated with each one. I'll probably leave all the really detailed stuff until I've finished the first draft.

Oh, and I also realized I'm definitely going to go over 100k. Blergh. But that's okay. I've noticed I have a tendency to overwrite things, so this is nothing a little editing won't fix. 

I am getting pretty close to the end, though, and that's super exciting. Can't wait until I finally put the last period on that last word of the last sentence. It'll be glorious :)

HAPPY JULY FOURTH, LOVELIES!