May 11 prompt by Earl - back2normal : "This is abusing!" 

Well, most of the abuse for me is already over and done with for this school year. Hooray! Today, I had a class in the morning where I literally just sat there playing on my iPad, and then school for me was over and I drove home. It is 10:30 am in Hawaii when I am writing this. I am for sure feeling the end of year slacking coming on, but being done with more that half of my finals is the best feeling I've had in a long while. No stress.

And so, with no schoolwork to occupy my mind, I occupy it with words. Particularly words questioning the villain in my novel "Agent 38" .

He is the one character whose motives still escape me. I know the things he has to do to make the novel move forward, but I don't know why he is doing it. I know he is a villain, but I don't know how he got that way.

I need a villain who the reader almost looks up to in a way. One that after you read the book, you say, "Wow, that was the best villain I've ever read." The villain that is so bad, he's good. The villain who makes other villains scrub his feet in the morning.

But to be all this, he needs a cause worth fighting for, just like the hero. I don't want him to play the "crazy" card. That's too cliche and overdone. He has to be smart. Suave. Slick. Slimy. With enough class and honor that enough people look up to him. Witty enough to threaten to outmaneuver the hero in the end. At this point I'm thinking he's a war vet, so older and with dignity and a reputation. He's got connections and knows how to be manipulative. I think he also has had experience with bombs. Maybe a bomb tech guy.

But still, what is he fighting for? Some sort of personal or family trouble? Does he have a beef with my main character? Does he have some loftier goal like the domination of a country or the world? Perhaps he wants control of an industry so he can get even more rich?

I need to figure this out because my main character can't stop him without knowing what he wants in the end. And for that to happen, I have to know. This is the dilemma I find myself in. It is abuse. I am abusing myself and I feel abused because all the books I read, the villains are so top-notch. I just wish I could write a villain like the one in James Patterson's book, Tick Tock  . I reread a couple of the sections in that book where the villain was being especially evil trying to get ideas and all I came away with was a greater feeling of inferiority. Of course, anyone's going to feel that way when they compare themselves to a master.

In other news:

My high school held an awards ceremony last night and I got an email I was to be receiving something so I had to go. The awards were to recognize "Outstanding Achievement in Academics, the Arts, and Athletics." I was inducted (along with about 10 or so other of my peers) into the "Cum Laude Society." There must have been a certain GPA requirement in order to be inducted but although it sounds fancy, there is nothing really special about being a member. Except for being able to say that you're part of a super secret society and can't tell anyone about what you do in it.

My first ever attempt at an auction closes today at 11:59pm. Check it out if your heart desires. It's not like other auctions; you win raffle tickets for participating and the winner gets 30% of the pot! (Sorry for the selfless plug ):

ID: 1856848   (Rated: E) RAUCTION (Raffle/Auction) - Round 1  Combined Raffle and Auction! Proceeds to benefit deserving groups and 2 users! by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

May 14 prompt from Prosperous Snow : "Monday Muse" 

Well, my muse right now is completely fried. I'm not sure if he is completely dehydrated or has a severe case of heat stroke but all I know is that he's not on the top of his game. Why? Because my brain has been turned to scrambled eggs by my AP Biology exam.

I knew it was going to be my hardest exam, but man, this was killer. Come to think of it, I may just have used every last scrap of energy my muse had left. I hope he's not turned into a puddle of goop. Boon? You still there?

Don't talk to me.

You changed your color? Well, that's to be expected; I'm pretty blue right now too. The multiple choice was okay and I think I did a fair job on that. There were some that I absolutely had no idea about though. Hopefully my guessing senses were honed.

The free response questions were the worst. My hand was scribbling and my brain was firing, but the problem is, I don't really know what the scorers are looking for. I had a bad case of diarrhea of the pen, but all that writing could all be a waste because sometimes the scorers are looking for that one thing you are unfortunate enough not to write.

So that is why my muse refuses to speak and why I can't get myself to think hard enough to write a good entry for today.

And that's what happens to me when I'm tired and cranky: I talk to myself. Mostly about nothing of use; rambling on and on about nothing I think is something while my brain is still back in the Bio exam. At least now it is all over and I can go cry in a dark place.

In other (not so depressing) news:

Reached 50 community recognition today thanks to Maryann . You rock, Maryann!

Picking up my cousin and her friend from the airport tomorrow. They are coming to visit during just the perfect time: Finals week. *insert sarcasm here* I mean, it's better now than a little earlier because now I only have to worry about 2 finals. My other three classes are over and the APs done. Wow. That feels good.

Anyway, I'll sign off now before I pass out. Take care,
~Emily
 

Initiating Blog entry for May 13

BBWOLF Turning 23 6/3 ’s prompt from May 11th about “That Special Movie” got me thinking: What about that Special Book? Is there a book that, when people ask you what they should read next, you recommend this one? Is there a book with scenes so good, you read them over and over and it never gets old? Is there a book you can recite every line the main character says, word for word? Is there a book that you learn new things every time you read it? Has this book influenced your own writing in any way? Please tell me your reasons for choosing the book you did and who the author is. Links to Amazon are good too, just incase your recommendation catches my attention. (Feel free to make your entry somewhat of a “Book Review” if you choose. With Summer Break coming up, I need as many books lined up as possible.)

So, let’s get to it then!

If it is not already clear, I love books and I love reading whatever I can get my hands on. When I was younger, I used to sit in a bookstore and just smell that new book smell. It was so healing. But now, with the technological age, bookstores are becoming obsolete. Now, I’m not complaining. I am a child of the generation of newfangled advancements, but I still like the feel of holding the physical book in my hands and not having to read it on a screen that makes the book look the same as every other book you read on that same screen. I read all of the Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories on a Kindle and now it is more difficult for me to keep them separate in my mind. Each story blends into the next because of the device I was reading them on. This is why I try nowadays to buy all of my books in their physical form.

I am sitting on my bed now, looking at my wall of bookshelves, trying to decide which one to write about today. Actually, the decision isn’t too difficult.

The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner has always been a favorite of mine. The four books in the series don’t get enough recognition in my opinion. This is probably because the author spends four years writing a single book. The first one, The Thief   came out in 1996 ( the book is nearly as old as I am! ), the second, The Queen of Attolia   came out in 2000, the third, The King of Attolia   came out in 2006, and the fourth, A Conspiracy of Kings   came out in 2010. So, yes, there has been a long wait between each new installment. This, like I said, is probably one of the reasons this series doesn’t get enough attention. At this rate, we can expect a fifth between 2014 and 2016. I discovered them when the first three were already out though, so waiting was not such a big deal.

Please note that Amazon places the recommended reading age at “10 and up” which is perfectly fine, but there is so much more to these books than what a ten-year-old can get out of them. I have read and reread this series more times than I can count and would gladly read them again at the drop of a hat. In fact, writing this has made me want to pick them up yet again. The funny thing is, every time I read even a passage from one of the books, there is something subtle that I didn’t know was there before. The author has this way of writing that she is able to insert a slight change of tone in a single word and write a subliminal change in expression into a character that the read doesn’t see at first but which vastly increases the depth and dimension of the characters.

The characters in these stories are some of the best defined and truly ‘real’ characters I have ever read. They have real world problems, and express emotion in the perfect, subtle nuances of real people. They are complex and dynamic and the people you think are the villains and heroes have a way of switching sides (that is all I will say about that ).

The setting is also so stunning to me, mostly because I could never write something like it. It is set in a fantasy world of Kings and Queens, alliances and enemies, and Gods and mortals. And yet, everything seems so real, like I could walk into the world and feel right at home.

This is a little review I wrote to convince a friend to read the books:

I have a confession to make. That is, my favorite book of all time is a children's book meant for kids in middle school that people our age could easily read in a day or less. I have realized that many books, though they may be intended for a younger crowd, have deep messages and unique meanings that can also be enjoyed by older people as well. Each time you immerse yourself in the world where a kingdom's most prized possession is its thief, you will be astounded by the novel discoveries to be made. Each read yields new concepts to be explored and fascinating passages that may leave you dumbfounded why you didn't get the full meaning before. The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner is one of these stories. Read and loved by many age groups, this book has a complex plot filled with espionage, thievery, and political rivalry.

Turner, who is also the author of the book of short stories, Instead of Three Wishes, based the Queen's Thief series on the ancient Greeks understanding of religion. Gods play a major role in the fates of mortals throughout the series and it is believed that mortals can converse with these Gods, though not everyone is in the God’s favor. This has it's roots in ancient Greek beliefs that the Gods were distinctly human and portrayed human emotions such as love and rage. However, the Queen's Thief series is a fictional tale and therefore is the product of the authors imagination. The soldiers in the book fight with guns as well as swords though the guns are still "not as accurate as a crossbow." This information then would place the story (using Earth's history) between when guns were invented and when guns began having grooves in the barrel.

The reason that Turner chose to emphasize Greek beliefs is because the Greeks loved ingenuity. This is a significant theme throughout the books. More often than not, the heroic stories of the ancient Greeks depended not on whether the hero had the goodness and strength to overcome evil, but whether he had the cunning to outwit his opponent. On the surface, the main hero of the books, Eugenides, is just a boy thief who grows into a man and overcomes obstacles along the way, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah. Underneath this though is a second story. A story of a boy with a temper and too much wit for his own good who must outsmart his many adversaries while retaining his dignity and trusting his Gods.

Like I mentioned when introducing the series, thieves are a defining factor as to whether your kingdom is successful or not. This is a unique point of view because under normal circumstances, thieves are regarded as the scum of the earth. This is still true in the Queen's Thief series but the thieves are also regarded as the prized possession of a kingdom. If your kingdom has one, they are treated as part of the royal family, but once they leave the castle, they are back to being a sewer rat. This, of course, is why they are so useful to the Kings and Queens. They already have a low standing in society and therefore blend in amongst the townspeople quickly and are able to perform the kings bidding without much interference from anyone.

The Thief starts out as a basic "get-out-of-jail" story but evolves into a tale whose many facets can be read by everyone but only understood by those willing to look for them. All of the twists and unexpected turns throughout the series cannot be explained in a mere page of text so you'll just have to read the adventure for yourself!

Here is a link to another glowing review of the series with NO SPOILERS  .

Here is the first paragraph from the first book:

"I didn't know ho long I'd been in the king’s prison. The days were all the same, except that as each one passed, I was dirtier than before. Every morning the light in the cell changed from the wavering orange of the lamp in the sconce outside my door to the dim but even glow of the sun falling into the prison's central courtyard. In the evening, as the sunlight faded, I reassured myself that I was one day closer to getting out. To pass time, I concentrated on pleasant memories, laying them out in order and examining them carefully. I reviewed over and over the plans that had seemed so straightforward before I arrived in jail, and I swore to myself and to every god I knew that if I got out alive, I would never never never take any risks that we're so abysmally stupid again."

The spine of the first in the series has been completely torn up simply because I have opened so many times. I know the exact pages of the scenes that inspire me and read them often when I need a little boost. These books have a way of doing that for me: giving me that little push to write some more.

I aspire to write characters as well as Turner does and her style of writing is one I follow when I hit a dry patch in my writing.

Sorry for writing such a long entry about this but the simple truth is, I could write so much more. I am holding back. This is what I want you to feel when you write about your “Go-To” book. Why is it so special to you?

Some of my other favorites are:

Series (Links to first book in series):
Alex Rider  
Young Bond  
Ranger’s Apprentice  
Pendragon  
Michael Bennett  

Single Books (These change often so this list is what currently comes to mind):
11/22/63  
Life of Pi  
The Giver  
Graceling  

In other news:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE!!!!

May 11 prompt by Fivesixer...blog CHAMP!! : "This one's about the last minute." 

I am a list-obsessed person. Making plans and keeping to them is somewhat of an impulsive act for me. So for me, if/when my plans are changed beyond my control, I often don’t like it.

Things must change and evolve or else everything would always stay stagnant. I realize this and still cling to the plans I have set for the world and myself. What often happens, is that I have an idea of what I am planning to do at a specific time (for example, this Summer) and then those plans change beyond my bubble of control.

However, I have learned that changing plans is not necessarily a bad thing. Great fortunes can come out of a shift in the tides just as easily as great misfortunes. I try to take things in stride and when my list becomes so jumbled I can no longer read it, I toss it in the ocean and make a new one. Because that’s the way life goes.

In other news:

Not much other news to speak of today. Tomorrow is my day to make the prompt and I already know what I’m going to prompt you guys about. It is also Mother’s Day. Breakfast in bed for my ma is in order, I think. Also, she wants to go see the new Johnny Depp movie, Dark Shadows  . It should be that stupid kind of funny where you laugh but wonder where your dignity has fled to. It’ll be fun.

~Emily
 

May 11 prompt by BBWOLF Turning 23 6/3 : "5-11-2012 That Special Movie" 

For me, there is no single movie that takes the cake. There is no single movie which I claim to be my favorite movie, every day for the rest of time.

As a teen absorbed and influenced by popular culture, I go through phases of movie obsessions. There are a few, however, that I continually come back to. I have to put them into categories because I can’t make myself pit two equally good movies against each other because each has unique things that make it likable.

First, my favorite older cartoons that I used to watch all the time when I was younger: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron   and Aladdin   are tied. The music in each is phenomenal and I love the classic characters in each.

Next, my favorite new cartoon would have to be a tie between Up   and Despicable Me  . The unconventional heroes spoke to me and I like the way each is funny. They both have humor for children as well as humor that only an older generation can appreciate.

Next, my favorite anime cartoon. This has to be in a different category because I am so attached to this movie, that I couldn’t bear to see it booted off by my other favorites. Howl’s Moving Castle   is full of classic Japanese quirkiness and stunning animations. Howl is the cartoon being I consider to be my favorite.

Next, the franchises. Indiana Jones   and Pirates of the Caribbean   have had their faults, I acknowledge this. Both were meant to originally be trilogies and many people threw fits when both franchises made a fourth movie. I know fans bashed both of the newest installments of these franchises, but these are the kind of series that to me, never have a bad moment. The simple fact that the movie is connected in any way to the franchise, makes me enjoy it even if people around me in the theatre are cringing. Can you believe Harrison Ford first played Indy way back in 1981! I won’t have been born yet for another 14 years! And still, they stand up to the higher tech movies of today. Other of my favorite franchises include: Die Hard  , Mission Impossible  , and Daniel Craig’s James Bond   (sorry, I’m the younger generation and never knew any other Bond).

Finally, my favorite movies from the past year and my current obsessions. Avengers   and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows   are both movies I would watch repeatedly, only stopping for the essential homeostatic functions. I would ingest them through my eyeballs they are that good. Interestingly, both are sequels and both I think are better than the originals. And who said sequels always go downhill? Also, Robert Downey Jr. (who I ) is in both of them which makes them have even more eye-candy than they did before.

In other news:

Bought a Costumicon Subscription today. It lasts ‘til July 6th I think. I’m too lazy to check. I’m also nearly at 50 Community Recognition! That is a huge milestone and before I am even a year old too (my anniversary is June 12th)! Wow, that is right around the corner!

Here is one of the Youtubers I am subscribed to listing his top 100 movies you should see before you die:



Well, take care all,
~Emily
 

May 10 prompt from Yera : "(Yera, May 10) Oh, How Time Flies. . . " 

Yera wrote in her entry about the eminent end of the school year and this fact is hitting me really hard.

I took my AP Literature test this morning. I want to say I for sure got high marks, but I am really not sure. I’m not sure whether feeling content that I tried my hardest is a sign that I did well or that I just thought I did well when in fact completely botched it. The three essays were easier for me than the ambiguous multiple choice. Thank you to my muse. He was there for me today with the essays and I never found myself stumped. There were two hours allotted to the three essays and I got them done and was able to feel comfortable about having time to read over them for grammar. I felt really solid on those but again, I’m not sure if that contentment I feel in the pit of my stomach means I did well or if I did moderate but could have done more. On the multiple choice, I felt I did a fair job guessing. There were many questions which had me puzzled interspersed with ones I knew the definite answer to, but being able to eliminate the obvious wrong answers gave me a little boost. There is no guessing penalty and I am proud to say I finished every question. The actual test time was 3 hours but it ended up turning into a 4-hour test because of all the extra bits you have to fill out (name, address, etc.).

My brain feels like mush but I am happy to have that test done. Now there is only one I have to worry about: AP Bio. However, after today, I am feeling pretty solid but don’t want to get complacent. I know our Bio teacher prepared us to the T, there is just so much to remember and that’s what scares me. That test is on Monday so I have the whole weekend to study for it. I don’t want to say “cram” but I feel like that is what I will be doing. Amazing that in the first couple of entries in this blog, I talked about trying to get into the classes I am taking now. It has been a full school year since I started this blog, and that to me is truly amazing. Now I am taking the end of year tests . . . It’s been a long Junior year.

After that Monday when I finish my Bio, I will only have two classes I have to go to: Pre-Calc, and US History. The finals for those classes will be a cinch compared to the AP’s. And after those finals are done, it will be graduation! There is one word I have to say about that: Bittersweet.

The Seniors are leaving. My favorite teacher is leaving (my AP Lit teacher, coincidentally). I will be a Senior and that much closer to college. It is just too much. Thinking about the speech my English teaching will be giving at the Senior’s graduation makes me tear up, and I haven’t even gotten there yet. Last night, I lay in my bed and cried. I have to admit this because I don’t consider myself a very sappy person, but the end of this year has gotten to me like none of the past years have. Last year I was able to grin and bear it when my Senior friends left, but for some reason, this year is different.

I am that much closer but for some reason, I feel that much further away.

In other news:

Take that last sentence above how you please. I don’t really know what I was thinking when I wrote it, but it felt right.

Remember my first real writings Boon was telling you about a couple entries ago? Well, I found them. The only problem is they are hard copies and not saved on a computer I have access to. I would transcribe them (and maybe will some day), but right now it is way too much work. I did find the first ever poem I wrote. That too is a hard copy, but it is short so I can share it. I think this poem is the reason I never wrote poetry again for the longest time. I’ve copied it exactly, word for word and it is pretty awful, but I can laugh and now so can you :

Seeing as Earl - back2normal is offline, today the prompt will be a "How am I enjoying the 'Follow Me' blogging format so far?" along with anything else I can think up to share with you. (Thanks to Brother Nature for stepping up and making sure we all get that 'Blue Month' we are looking for.)

From the entries I have seen from everyone so far, I think that everyone is quite enjoying this new concept for blogging that Earl came up with. Last month, I was honored enough to judge the second week of the challenge and truly had a fantastic time doing that. It is fun to be on the other side of the judging! Did you know? One of the other judges, Wordsmitty , has been participating (though not officially) in the challenge since the very beginning of the month as well as most of the entries from last month. The link to his blog is in my "Member Blogs" heading on the left.

         Go take a look and leave a comment for him.          
He is a friend and I would be grateful!

May 5 prompt from Brother Nature : "My Righting is Getting Bedder." 

Great prompt Brother! I don’t think I’ve ever let my muse speak unedited, but to follow your example, here he is. I’ve got to get to school, but Boon will take good care of you during your stay (hopefully, he will be able to figure out how to post it . . .):

Before I even start, I must let you know: My paws don’t get along well with keyboards so this may take me a while to write.

Andre: It is nice to meet you buddy! If any of the other muses come out today, hello to you too! We should all get together some time. Just us. No masters allowed. Hang out, fetch a bone . . . erm . . . or whatever it is you eat. That would be fun, right?

I don’t think Emily has ever let me write to you like this in such a raw form; usually she edits me so much. I can’t stand it!

Just the other day, I wanted to write and thus, so did Emily. But, instead of writing about what I wanted to write about, she went off on a fling and wrote about some cowboy dude. She thinks he’s cool, but I think he is a big, ugly brute with no feelings. I wanted her to continue the story of my Master, Agent 38. She had been on such a roll with the Character Sketch Challenge! It was amazing to see us work together so well. Sometimes though, I think I fell asleep, leaving her to fend for herself. She didn’t like that, and, let me tell you, the entries from those days are absolutely horrendous.

Anyway, she went off into right field and wrote a bar fight with her cowboy, Adam Locke. A bar fight! What is this? The Wild West? Agent 38 and I live in the real world! Emily should be paying more attention to us. Our story is almost finished too. If only she would wrap up our book in a timely fashion and not be sucked into another time to write about someone not nearly as important as Agent 38! She is such a procrastinator!

Skafdub c ek.bwac ke.kascb durfbv abdskjbwsefc mqweirhb wkeur vsw hc

Sorry about that. I pounded my paws on the keyboard.

Anyway, this stupid brute of a man that Emily is so eager to write about all of a sudden has his story in this folder. But don’t read it. I swear to you, he is a bad man. A rebel!

ID: 1791808   (Rated: 18+) A Damn in Eve  Western based story starring Cowboys AND Pirates! Working on new chapters. Review? by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

Agent 38, on the other paw, is the ideal read for a bored mind. I made sure Emily featured her prominently in her highlighted items so I urge you to give her a look. Besides, I wrote most of that Character Sketch challenge. Here is the day I am introduced:

"Day Eleven: Let it all Hang Out" 

Let’s see. Emily’s first real story, she wrote in 3rd grade. In class, no less! Well, not as a class project, more like a “let’s-not-pay-attention-to-the-teacher” project. It is probably my fault; I was still a puppy then.

Anyway, I had the urge and she wrote a short story about a stuck-up girl learning that she was not the center of the universe with the guidance of a unicorn who saved her from an army of rats. I don’t think she still has the story, but I will look for it while she is at school.

Oooh! Cat!                              

Boon
 

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May 7 prompt from blainecindy - I love my WDC! : "When I'm on top of the world" 

When am I on top of the world? When do I feel like nothing can bring me down from the euphoria of success? When is there nothing in the world that is unobtainable?

Achievement comes from determination. When I am on the top of the world, I know I worked to get there. Of course, the help of others to get to that place is in no way shameful. The top of the world for me is happiness for my family and a feeling of joy and contentment.

Being on the top of the world instills in me the desire to bring the rest of the people who are not yet at the top of their world. As Lao-Tzu said, “To lead the people, walk behind them.” This is what keeps me in this state of being on the top of the world: helping others to achieve.

"When I am on the top of the world, I kneel, offering my back to the billions of others seeking the top." ~Emily
                   
Original Quote Alert!

ID: 1791808   (Rated: 18+) A Damn in Eve  Western based story starring Cowboys AND Pirates! Working on new chapters. Review? by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

May 5 prompt from Prosperous Snow : "Snow ~ Another Long Day" 

Honestly, my day was not very long. It was the same length as any other day but somehow it felt shorter than normal. Why? Because I was studying my head off.

My parents went to the beach and I stayed home and studied for my AP Psych test on Monday. Tomorrow! Aaaahhhh!

I’m taking a break now. Wrote a couple reviews for the friend I am gifting for the “Pampering with Power” auction: blue jellybaby . That was a nice change of pace. I also read a little bit and watched some TV but after I write this, I’ll be back studying again.

Some days I just think there aren’t enough hours in a day . . .

In other news:

Watched Avengers! And guess what, just as good and even better than my expectations! And I had high expectations. I stayed ‘til after the credits for the bonus scene after all Marvel movies and laughed so hard. You’ll know what I’m taking about if you stayed. If you didn’t stay, just know that I am shunning you right now. No! Don’t even try to talk. You’re not part of the cool group. (If you didn’t stay for the end but want to know what the bonus scene was, email me and I’ll tell you.)

And how was that moon last night? Truly magnificent. 16% larger and something like 30% brighter. The pictures I took don’t portray the full glory of it. It was just something you had to see for yourself. It was really cool. We were driving home from the movie last night and we were going up a hill and the moon was right in front of us, waiting at the top of the hill. It was brilliant.

Sorry for the short entry. Gotta get back to studying. C U L8R!
~Emily
 

May 5 prompt from Earl - back2normal : "Caught In The Act" 

One of the many times I was caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to be was back on the farm (See May 3rd’s entry). And I very nearly lost an eye for my idiocy.

I was about 11 or 12 and at the time we had a trampoline in our backyard. Many a bad thing happened on that piece of junk including when my sister broke her arm, but that story’s for a different time. Today it is all ‘bout me and my exploits.

So this was when we still had Marilyn (See May 3rd’s entry again to see what happened to her) and I decided it was a good idea to take her on the trampoline with my toddler sister and I and have a sort of wrestling match. I’m not sure I made this clear enough. Roughhousing on the trampoline. With a dog. And my toddler sister. First of all, the dogs weren’t even supposed to be on the trampoline and secondly, the rules of logic say that you don’t roughhouse with a dog. They have teeth.

Anyway, I decided to pretend to be a dog myself (I liked to play make believe – especially when I was pretending to be an animal) and try to pin Marilyn. You know, show her who is boss and all.

What a stupid move.

I did manage to get her on her back with me growling above her before she fought back. I was putting my face dangerously close to hers and she snapped her jaws, trying to get me off of her. At first I didn’t know what had happened, but I let her go and she bolted off the trampoline. I didn’t feel anything at first but then my vision began to blur and tint red.

My poor sister. I heard her gasping and saying that I was bleeding. I turned away from her trying to keep my dignity and shield my face from her young eyes. I left her on the trampoline when I ran down the hill to the fields where both of my parents were working (Remember? The actual farm was down the hill from the house. All the chickens were still alive at this time as well).

As I ran, I thought about what my dad would say. My hands were red (literally) and there was no way I could hide what I had done from my parents (though I did think about it). I had done something I wasn’t supposed to and was punished for it. Not by my parents, oh no. By my dog. Her teeth got me on my lip and left eyebrow. To give you an idea of how close she was to taking out my eye, if you furrow your brow, that “V” shaped crease next to your eyebrows is where her upper teeth bit me. I still have a scar there; I probably should have gotten stitches but we were on the poorer side at the time (Remember? Farm?).

It was mostly embarrassing because I knew I would be marked forever and reminded every time I look in the mirror that I had done a bad thing. Please don’t get me wrong; it’s not a very big mark, and you wouldn’t know it was there unless I told you (which I just did) but the point is that I know it’s there. And sometimes that is the best deterrent to doing an equally dumb thing in the future.

In other news:

Going to see Avengers today!!! I’ll be sure to tell ya’ll how it was in tomorrow’s entry, but I already know what I’ll say:

May 4 prompt by Earl - back2normal : "Why They Couldn't Quit On That?" 

I am taking this prompt to mean that there are some things in life that we want changed, but don’t have the power to change them. There are quite a few things I might talk about for this entry, but I will choose just one which pertains to the situation I am in right now in my life.

AP Testing.

Now, anyone who has read my previous entries where I talk about this subject, will know that I am very driven and have a high success standard. This year I am in three Advanced Placement classes (Biology, Psychology, and Literature) and next year I plan to take: (not sure yet but . . .) Art History, Composition, and Statistics.

The idea with High schoolers taking AP courses is that they have the opportunity to earn college credit (thus not having to take the AP classes they already took in high school again in college and, as a result, saving their parents money). However, as the system is now, many colleges I may be interested in (the more expensive, high achieving colleges) don’t even care about what APs you took.

Okay, I understand this. The scores you get on the exam are used to prove that you are a motivated individual with a potential to succeed at these colleges instead of a “get out of class free” card. What I wish was changed is that the colleges would realize that the individuals who were motivated enough to take AP courses in high school would be equally motivated to take harder classes in college. Let’s use a Biology Major as an example. So, this student has taken her AP Bio test in high school as gotten a 5 (the highest you can get). This helps her to get into the college of her dreams but because she has declared Bio as her Major, she must take Intro to Biology again. Now, my point is, this highly motivated student would want to succeed in her chosen major and thus want to take the highest level courses in that major the college offers. She can’t do that if she is stuck in an intro class with other students who never took Bio in high school.

I’ll repeat what I said earlier and what I see to be my main argument: I wish colleges would realize that the individuals who were motivated enough to take AP courses in high school would be equally motivated to take harder classes in college.

In other news: (Quite a lot; bear with me . . .)

AVENGERS comes out TODAY!!!!! Aaaaahhhhh!!! This is me I am so freaking excited! I have to wait ‘til Saturday to see it though, but I am still stoking right now! !!LOVE!!

I found some of the very first notes I ever wrote for "Agent 38"  the other day. It was so amazing to see how many things are the same from back then (I think this was three years ago I wrote them) and how many of my ideas I have had to scrap or have changed. It was really interesting reading over my initial inspirations and reminiscing.

Well, the Character Sketch Challenge has come to an end. It is bittersweet reflecting on the journey. I am proud though. I made it through all the entries without being late once, even when it and the blogging Challenge overlapped (*knock on wood. I haven’t turned in today’s entry yet*). For that I already feel like a winner. Not to mention the fact that the book I am holding my entries in has already been awarded an awardicon worth the same amount as the first prize for the contest by my awesome Pamperer, Jen d'Arque - Power Raid . (I’ve said this already but, thank you from the bottom of my ).

The music prompts were an interesting way to present the prompt and definitely gave more areas to pick from when thinking what to write: from the tone of the song, to the lyrics, and even the visuals of the video music prompt provided could be used, and were used, to come up with a scene to write. At some points though, coming up with a scene that matches the prompt and matches your character is super hard. But you have to write something and that is what I loved. I never knew what was going to spring from my fingertips and onto the computer monitor. When you can’t figure out what to write though, then things can get ugly. I forced myself to get words down on paper even if they were not my best work and remembered that with a challenge like this, discipline is a major part of the reward. I did hit a stale patch in the middle of the challenge where many of my entries weren’t up to par with what I would have wanted them to be. Still, I believe I came back from that dry spell and picked up the adrenalin with the connected entries at the end starting with Day 15.

Anyway, here is a link to my finished collection (I may not have entered the last entry yet, but I will by the end of the day.):

ID: 1858489   (Rated: 18+) Agent 38 Character Sketch  Unveil the secrets behind the suit. Character Sketch Challenge, Agent 38 (Ella Colson). by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

May 3 prompt by Bonnie14222 : "May 3: Moving On" 

Bonnie makes an awesome point. We all know that we will lose someone we love at some point or another in our lifetime. It is how we deal with that loss that makes it at least somewhat bearable.

Besides losing my Grandfather when I was very young, I haven’t had much experience with the loss of family members. What I have had is experience with the loss of farm animals.

This is going to sound weird but, when the neighbor’s dog massacred our flock of chickens, I was devastated. At the time, my family owned a farm (eggplant, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, papayas, peas) with many acres and many herds/flocks of animals (chickens/horses/sheep/goats/cows). We lived there for four or five years when I was in grade school and during that time, we experienced many painful deaths of animals.

In truth, I did consider many of the farm animals my family. The mistake was that by naming them – something you should never do with farm animals – we effectively turned them into part of our family. I don’t want this entry to become any more morbid than it already is, but I’ll just recount a bit of how I felt when the animals were no longer.

First, the chickens that I mentioned earlier. They lived in a coop down the hill from our house. Far enough away that any squabbles they were making, we couldn’t hear (sleeping is important too, you know?). Anyway, the day of the massacre, we couldn’t hear the commotion they must have been making and didn’t realize a chicken apocalypse was taking place until the killer (in other words: the dog) wandered up to our front door with a feather hanging from his lip.

All but one (her name was Matilda. Named after the girl in this movie: (Matilda  ) was dead when we got down to the coop and sadly, Matilda died later that day. I cried and cried. I was still young at the time but the chicken butchery hit my small girl self really hard.

Another thing that hit me right in the gut was when the stupid DISH Network electrician guy left the gate of our driveway open and our dogs escaped. A very nice lady found Cash wandering the highway (that was when he was younger and liked to get into mischief) but our other dog, Marilyn we never found. She was a poi dog (mutt/mixed breed) we had found ourselves but she had lived with us for many years and she was fully integrated into the family. She was a free spirit though and fences were never her friends. Though I never found out what happened to her, it is comforting to think she is still out there somewhere, enjoying her freedom or the companionship of whoever picked her up.

When the farm idea wasn’t working out for my parents (not enough money, or something like that ) we had to give our animal family to our friends who also had a farms. This part wasn’t as hard as actually seeing the aftermath of a death. We gave our old horses, Lehua and J.D. to one of our rancher friends (though I never heard that they died, both of them were very old and I don’t suspect the lived more than one more year). The goats, Boomerang and Gregory, and the flock of sheep (none of the ewes had names but the ram was named Lucky. Lucky because he had all those ladies. ) went to our farmer friends and I’m sure none of the original flock is left. The spawn of Lucky lives on though.

Dealing with these losses has hardened me in a way. I am certainly not lacking emotion, but having these experiences strengthens a person. Though I have not had any devastating losses of family or friends in recent years (*knock on wood*) I believe I would cope with those by talking. Though it is difficult to talk, it is healing. I would also listen to music. Taking my mind off the brooding for a while gives it a well-deserved break. It is also nice though – as Bonnie mentioned in her entry – to immerse yourself in a project. Perhaps something as a tribute to the lost loved one.

Wow. Sorry for the long response. I look forward to reading all of the rest of yours!

In other news: It is time once again for-

Awkward Moments!:

Today’s awkward moment is more an embarrassing one. There is this steep hill at my school and the maintenance people felt it needed watering (it was raining that day so I don’t know what was going through their heads . . . ). I saw the sprinkler showering the hillside with the water in the morning when I arrived at school but by the end of the day it was turned off. Now, this hill is the one I walk down to get from the main school grounds to the student parking lot and so, in my idiocy, that’s what I did today. I was walking quite briskly down said hill, eager to get home, and suddenly my feet slide out from under me. Not sure if anyone saw my spill, I quickly stood back up and – again in my idiocy – continued down the hill, only to slip again! Ugh, it was awful. I wasn’t hurt but I sure made an impromptu slip-and-slide out of that hill. Yes, have a laugh at my expense. That’s what I’m here for.

New Contest Plug!:

ID: 1865203   (Rated: 13+) Sarah's Spectacular Story Contest!  Prizes have gone up! All genres welcome! Write a story based on the prompt and win prizes! by Sarah- Intern Interview today!

May 2 prompt from Earl - back2normal : "Smiles and Tears" 

The love of my life is very old. 13 years to be exact. Can you guess what I'm talking about? Don't think I'm crazy but, I often consider my dog to be the love of my life.

Cash is his name. Named for Johnny Cash's song, "The Man in Black" because he wears his black fur with dignity and pride. The reason I am writing about my old man today is because over his years, he has brought me many smiles and I am afraid of the tears he will bring when he leaves us.

When he was a pup, he would lie on the ground with his legs splayed out behind him when he ate his kibble and sometimes fall asleep in his bowl. Now it is a struggle just to get him to eat his food in the morning even when we lather it in Chicken Broth.

He has gotten almost senile in his old age and has had trouble keeping his feet under him. The problem is that he still thinks he is a puppy. We have wooden floors which are such a hazard for him because he takes the corners too fast and ends up falling on his frail hindquarters. It is painful for me to watch because he has been my baby since I was 5 years old. We grew up together, and now he has grown old without me. I will miss the smiles you have given me Cash, and I will be sure to cherish the moments of joy you still give me.

                   

May 1 Prompt from Earl - back2normal : "Please wait while you're redirected" 

Unlike many of the other challengers in the 30 Day Blogging Challenge May "Follow Me" edition, May 1 (May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii  ) is not a holiday for me. Why, you ask? Well, private schools take pride in leeching all of the student's Holiday's away and clumping them all together in one big "summer." Not that this is a bad thing. I love a long summer, but the thing I am complaining about is that taking away our Holidays during the school year takes away the chances I have to take part in my favorite pastime: p r o c r a s t i n a t i n g.

You see, when it comes to homework, I tend to stick it on the back burner to simmer for a while. To homework I say, "Please wait while you are redirected." Redirected to another time, another year, another lifetime for all I care. Anything just so I don't have to write that essay or study those terms. It really is a burden.

To sum it up, I'll take the quote on the "Writing.com" bumper sticker you can buy from the shop: "I'd rather be writing" than doing anything else.

In other news:
(Note to other Blog Challengers: Below are the types of things I would normally put in my blog but are unrelated to the prompt above. You are still welcome to read though! )

One of the sigs I got from iKïyå§ama 's shop yesterday (gift certificate from Showering Acts of Joy) really sums up my habit of procrastination nicely:

RAUCTION open NOW! Check it out:

ID: 1856848   (Rated: E) RAUCTION (Raffle/Auction) - Round 1  Combined Raffle and Auction! Proceeds to benefit deserving groups and 2 users! by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

Honored to be a Captain of "WDC Power Reviewers Group" 

Want to get inside the head of a teenager? Check out my blog: "Foeva Me, A Blog"  13+: READ THE LATEST ENTRY: 5/15 - This is abusing! I feel abused. Is anyone listening to me?

I've done it again.

Jumped off the deep end.

Out of the pot and into the fire. You know, that whole thing.

I've signed up for the "30-Day Blogging Challenge"  for May. This edition is the "Follow Me" edition which means a different person sets the prompt every day and then the rest of the bloggers follow that person's blog. I did it mostly to keep me writing through the end of the school year. I'm also shooting for my first Blue Month!

I can't share the Character Sketch prompt for the day due to it being rated 18+, but if you want to read my entry, please do so! It's a continuation of yesterday's scene that I wrote. Remember how I had felt like the juices were flowing on that one? Well, I wanted to keep that going and continued the scene! Here's the link again:

ID: 1858489   (Rated: 18+) Agent 38 Character Sketch  Unveil the secrets behind the suit. Character Sketch Challenge, Agent 38 (Ella Colson). by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

Aloha,

The past couple of days I had been feeling like I was stuck in a rut with the Character Sketch Challenge. I couldn't think of anything to write! Anyway, today I think I got out of that rut. It wasn't particularly due to the song today; my muse just stood up and said, "I've had enough of this! Let's write!" Any we did, and it turned out pretty sick! It is the most I think I have ever written in a single sitting. I was on fire! Sometimes I feel like a bad person when I write like how I did today, though. Check out my sketch from Day 15 (hey, 75% through!) to see what I mean ) Here is the song:



I thought I could use a picture of Ella's sidekick, Boon, in my port so I made this today:

Hi,

First, since I've made it a habit, here is the Character Sketch prompt from yesterday:



And here is the one for today:



It is 11 pm here in Hawaii and I just finished an essay that was due at midnight. My fingers hurt . . .

I reorganized my port a bit today. I think it looks a little nicer but now I have to open more folders to get to the item I want to edit. I do think it is cleaner looking though, so that is nice.

I found a better way to make and upload images. It is a lot quicker and allows for larger, higher quality pictures. Not that anyone who doesn't make images would care about that . . .

The Pampering with Power buddies are really fun. I am gifting blue jellybaby which is really fun because I was also her Secret Santa during Christmas time. I am planning on working up in value on her gifts. I've started with cNotes, GPs, and Gift Certificates but tomorrow I think I will write a couple reviews and maybe send her an awardicon. Oh! Jo! Don't read this! If you are . . . SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!!!

The user who is gifting me is my dear friend, Jen d'Arque - Power Raid . She has been such a sweetie! She gifted be a massive awardicon on my Character Sketch Challenge collection worth the same amount as the first prize for winning the Character Sketch. I am so honored! Here is a link to it:

ID: 1858489   (Rated: 18+) Agent 38 Character Sketch  Unveil the secrets behind the suit. Character Sketch Challenge, Agent 38 (Ella Colson). by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

ID: 1864104   (Rated: E) Power Reviewer's May, 2012 Power Raid  The MOTHER'S DAY Themed Raid is upon us! Look here for all the special rules and prizes! by Emily~Cowboys+Pirates=1791808

Hey all,

So, by the title, I'm sure you can guess what I'll be addressing today: How many different types of Blogs are there? Before I get to that though, here is the song for the Character Sketch prompt of today (I just finished my entry):



Okay, on to the bulk of this entry:

In my eyes, there are six main types of Blogs (I will highlight each below):

Let me tell you about my day Blogs,
I want to share this really awesome thing with you Blogs,
Inspirational or Insightful Blogs,
Subject Blogs,
Self Help or Growth Blogs, and
Writing/Poetry Blogs

Let me tell you about my day Blogs are written by people as a way to share the events of their day. The ups and the downs. What happened that was exciting or dull. These blogs are often used as a sort of journal or diary which the writer can look back on a remember the things that happened to them in the past. This is partly the type of Blog mine is though it is also the next type which is . . .

I want to share this really awesome thing with you Blogs where the writer shares things they have seen or heard about that they think are cool or should be spread. Music, quotes, fun tips or jokes, movies, TV shows, and other popular culture are common themes in these blogs. Randomness in key in these posts. I hope to share many of the things I see with you guys in my posts and in this way hope that they are never boring and you never know what to expect.

Inspirational or Insightful Blogs often focus on the issues of the world or share relevant anecdotes with the readers. The writers of these blogs are knowledgeable in the subjects they talk about and hope to share the issues they see with the world. They may also consist of uplifting speeches or links to web pages where the reader can learn more about what the writer is writing about.

Subject Blogs can be a great variety of things. It is often a blog made for a specific purpose and all the posts will address a specific topic. These blogs often pick up a greater readership because the readers know what they will be getting every time they look at the newest entry. If they subscribed to a Blog where the user talks exclusively about Video Games and which new ones are coming out, the reader knows there isn't going to be a random post talking about anything other than Video Games. These most remind me of newsletters.

Self Help or Growth Blogs recount the journey to a goal. For example, the journey of a smoker to quit or the journey of a person recovering from an addiction. They are often written as part of a treatment program where an entry must be made everyday and the writer must recall all the successes and failures of the day. These blogs can be used by others as a guide or to watch the progress of the individual writing the blog. I have heard of times when, once recovered, the individual continues the blog as a habit and the blog turns into a Let me tell you about my day Blog.

The last type is pretty explanatory. Writing/Poetry Blogs are blogs created for the purpose of writing (stories or poetry) on a regular basis or as part of a prompted competition. The 30 Day Blogging Challenge and the Character Sketch Challenge are both instances where an individual might create this type of blog.

There are probably more that I have neglected, so by all means, if you think of a type of blog I have missed, write a comment down below and I will add it to a future entry.

I stepped in gum in my nice boots today . . . gross.

On that note, take care all!
~Emily
 

Hi guys,

I got a lot to talk about today. First, went SCUBA diving again today. I hadn't been in awhile, but it was fun nonetheless. We went to 100 ft; the deepest I've ever gone. Not that there's anything down there to look at; the coral ends at about 70 ft. I did find a leaf though. No way it could have gotten down there by itself so someone must have brought it down. I think I'll bring something down and leave it there next time we dive. We'll see if it's still there the next time!

The Character Sketch prompt from yesterday was:



And the one for today is:



Without further ado . . . drum-roll please . . .

The Newsletter Picks of the Week!

The "Drama" Newsletter ("Drama Newsletter (April 25, 2012)" ) had some awesome quotes about dealing with and overcoming stress:

"In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive."
-Lee Iacoca

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
-William James

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
-Mohandas K. Gandhi

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."
-Douglas Pagels

The "For Authors" Newsletter ("For Authors Newsletter (April 25, 2012)" ) had some great tips on overcoming Writer's Block. One of the lines that really stood out to me was:

Keep in mind that sitting down to write each day doesn't necessarily mean picking up where you left off on your novel, outlining a screenplay, or even creating a poem. Making journal and blog entries, or even just jotting down a detailed description of something, are great ways to keep a healthy habit of writing. Still, when even those wells of inspiration seem to have run dry, writing prompts can get the creative engine back on track.

Some of the tips that I have been using are:

Implement a writing schedule by carving out a time to write and then ignore the writer's block. This is what I do for the Character Sketch Prompts. It really works!

Try starting from another part of your story. If you are having trouble with the beginning, write the middle or end. After you have written another part of the story, things may start to fall into place where you were before. Writing out of order may require more familiarity with the plot so that everything makes sense from start to finish. At the same time, it may help you think out the details when you cannot decide what to do with your story. Writing a good ending while you think about the rest of your story will help structure it. I do this as well for the Character Sketch Challenge and in real life as well. If I just can't get past a single point in the story, I skip ahead and write a scene I do want to write and then come back to the part I was stumped on. Usually, I am able to continue and catch up to the place I skipped ahead to. Very valuable idea.

Listen to inspiring music. Preferably something that fits the theme of your story, or a certain point you've gotten to. Hey! This is what the entire idea of this round of the Character Sketch is all about! I do it IRL too.

The "Action Adventure" Newsletter ("Action/Adventure Newsletter (April 25, 2012)" ) is about creating a new and unique hero or heroine. I loved this edition of the Action Adventure NL 'cause I can really take it to heart. I try my very best to create likable yet different characters that haven't been done before. Right now, the character I feel to be my most original is Adam Locke. (View the beginning of his story here: "A Damn in Eve" ). He is fun to write because of his uniqueness and I like that about him.

I want to learn how to ride a unicycle.

Wow, that was random.

I think that would be the queue to end this entry. Thanks for reading and take care!

~Emily