Behind the silence

Woo, okay, because I'm sure some of you have been wondering: a quick explanation for my sudden and unexpected hiatus during the last week.

As some of you already know, I've been in the process of moving for the last two months. Yes, it took that long. No, I'm not really going to go into details because they are boring.

Suffice to say, most of that time was spent not doing much, and thus, it didn't cut into my blog posting at all. It didn't seem like it was going to start being a problem either. Then, suddenly, everything was happening all the time.

I enjoyed four 12-hour car rides in a week. I lugged boxes around on those days that I wasn't in the car. I had little to no internet access, whether I was riding or lugging. There was no time or opportunity to do much of anything that wasn't moving, and that's why I abandoned you all.

So I apologize.

However, I have now returned! *salute*

Radio silence

*sputter sputter fizzle*

What is a bagginses?

I have a migraine, so I'm disinclined to stare at a computer screen long enough to give you guys something good to read. However, I do love JRR Tolkien, and if you've been living in a hole for the last 24 hours, this will be pretty damn exciting:

Oops! Or, on procrastination

Pahahahahaha . . . this post is so late. I guess that's what happens when I go ahead and watch cartoons instead of blogging.

Speaking of doing things instead of other things, cartoons are probably one of my greatest procrastinatory methods. You know, when I actually am procrastinating. Last night was all about absentmindedness. Anyway, there's just something about animation--it's fluid and smooth and captures things that just aren't possible in live-action filming. I heart it dearly.

And this all brings me to the question at hand: what do you do when you're shamelessly procrastinating? Do you read books? Play video games? Indulge in sports? Go window shopping? Knit, crochet, spin, or weave? Watch cartoons like me? Do something else that I didn't get around to mentioning? Tell me in the comments!

Just a placeholder

Taking a break today. See you guys on Wednesday. But if you need something to do, take a gander at the pretty pictures I've amassed on Tumblr. They're, uhh, pretty. :)

A few quick ramblings

Today's 11/11/11! Yay exciting number combinations!

Anyway, my internet service has is rotting in a corner somewhere and I've lost the ability to do anything productive past NaNo. Fantastic. On a more positive note, I've written 35,000 words in the last ten days. *thumbs up* Now, here, go watch another NaNo video while I pass out for a few hours:



I particularly enjoy the back-and-forth between the girl and the three guys. Also the montage with all of the people glaring petulantly at their computers. Moving on. How are you guys doing? Up to anything exciting? Writing a lot? Missing sleep a lot? Tell me in the comments

10 things I did instead of blogging

Sometimes, we have the best intentions for our blogs. Like a post about YA literature and frustration. And sometimes things come up that prevent us from fulfilling those best intentions. So today I'm gonna talk about some stuff I've done over the last few days instead of blogging:

1. Ate lemon jello. This was not as exciting as it sounds.
2. Finished Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone. It is beautiful and brilliant and beyond words, so you should definitely go pick up a copy.
3. Got a $5 off coupon for the new Lion King blu-ray that's coming out next Tuesday. I've never really expressed my love for that movie on this blog, but let's just say that this is a BIG DEAL.
4. Finally got my hands on a copy of Scott Westerfeld's Goliath. Ridiculously excited for steampunk goodness.
5. Got my last Pottermore email! I'm FlameAsh111 and in Ravenclaw--you should friend me!
   
   
6. Vomited. This was actually a bit more exciting than it sounds.
7. Snazzed up the yellow, crochet birdy mentioned in this post with a bow tie and top hat. He is now the cutest bird that has ever lived. Err, not lived.
8. Painted my fingernails.
9. Fine-tuned what could be a marvelous drinking game for Food Network's Chopped. It's a cooking competition show and seriously, there are so many fantastic opportunities for dunken madness. Which, of course, you should only indulge in if you're legally allowed to drink.
10. Downloaded the anniversary edition of Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for free. Which I think is pretty snazzy. And full of swords and adventure.

So, what are some things that you've done recently that you wouldn't normally mention on your blog? Eat any jello? Or something that tastes better? Tell me in the comments!

Finding my editing process

Unlike many writers, I've never been very good at thinking things out on paper. What that really means is I don't like writing longhand. That's right, I have no nostalgia for ink flowing across paper and special writing pens and all those things that so many writers are attached to. I like my cold, clinical word processor. *pets computer*

The thing is, I can type around 70 WPM, but I can't handwrite nearly that fast. There's something to be said about being able to record my thoughts as quick as they come. And the actual writing bit? I like being able to read what I've written and then change it without messy scribbles and wasted paper. Cleanliness is awesome.

Word processors are flexible and they help me focus on what I'm supposed to be doing, whether it's big or little or spread out between four different chapters.

Now why am I telling you this? Because my supposed "editing process"--the one I outlined a few months ago--is completely wrong. Well, not the procrastination bit. That's super accurate. And really, it's not so much that my process was wrong. It was just wrong for me.

How so? Well, I realized how so many writers like to work with paper, and I somehow I convinced myself that it'd would work for me too.

The problem is, when I start editing on paper, I don't think about the rest of the story, just the lines in front of my eyes. I don't even think about the rest of the chapter, just the lines. So my lines become beautiful, but I don't notice that the pacing is bad, or the dialogue is out-of-character, or any of the really important things. My "editing" falls flat because my story lives in my head and somewhere in my fingertips. Not on paper.

So I'm starting over. This time I'm sticking to my word processor. Because while it might be lifeless and dead to you, it's not for me. And maybe I'll get some actual work done this time around.

But before I go, I just wanted to you guys to know: Sometimes it's hard to tell what's working and what isn't. Sometimes you don't realize there's a legitimate reason behind your problems. But that's not a bad thing. In all honesty, you probably needed to do things wrong to understand how to make them right.

Just don't worry, because you're not alone and you will figure it out. <3

So how do you guys feel about the editing process? Have you ever tried to force one method of editing to work for you? Or has everything been hunky-dory from the start? Tell me in the comments.

Are writing classes worth it? Part 2

Last Wednesday I talked about writing classes and whether I thought they were worth taking or not. Inadvertently, I caused some confusion because the post referred to workshop-style classes and I didn't bother explaining that. There are, in fact, two types of writing classes: writing workshops and how-to classes, and today I'm going to talk about both of them.

Writing workshops

• What are they?
  Workshops are like a giant critique group. They consist of somewhere between 10-20 people and like to focus on short stories of the literary fiction persuasion. Students read published short stories and deliberate over what does and does not work in them. Students also write their own short stories, share them with the class, and receive a group critique. These are the writing classes I was referring to in last week's post.
• Should I take one?
  Writing workshops are tricky because the quality of the workshop is based on the people in the class. I covered this in the last post, but for anyone who didn't read it, a quick summary: I think writing workshops are worth taking because you can learn a lot in a short period of time. Workshops force you to write and then teach why the elements in your story do or do not work.

How-to classes

• What are they?
  These classes are kinda synonymous with the how-to writing books that you can find in any bookstore. You may or may not read published stories or write you own, but the professor definitely lectures. In general, these classes will cover basic story elements and writing techniques, but they can also get super specific and focus on stuff like genre. These are not the writing classes I was referring to.
• Should I take one?
  I don't think so. Why? Because how-to classes set rules, and that boxes you in. Yes, I understand that taking a how-to class may be beneficial for a new writer. I get it. But you probably shouldn't be taking more than one how-to class. The best way to become an excellent writer isn't to listen to people telling you how to write. It's bucking up and writing. Maybe you don't know how dialogue works, but write some and then ask people what they think. Do it until you understand.

So there we go--my complete thoughts on writing classes. Now I know I already asked you guys about this, but do you have any new thoughts? What do you think about workshop classes and how-to classes? Is there an illustrious third class that I'm missing? Will I need to do another post on this subject? Tell me what you think in the comments.

May Book Roundup

Guess what? It's June. That means it's time for a lot of things, like the first day of summer, the end of the school year for everyone that hasn't graduated yet, the creepy bugs that haven't shown their ugly mugs yet, and, of course, my birthday. Yay! And, to start it all off, it's time for the monthly book roundup. Yay again!

For anyone who doesn't know, at the beginning of each month I do Twitter-length reviews of the books I read during the month prior. Genres are listed at the beginning of the reviews and my very favorites are marked with a star (★). Can we say yay one more time? Yay!

I didn't do much reading in May, so let's get this over with, shall we?

Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci

YA Fiction--Terrorists poison the water supply of an American neighborhood. Nice exploration of terrorism and globalism. Pacing, however, was too slow for me.

Viku and the Elephant by Debu Majumdar

Picture Book--A boy and an elephant become friends in the forests of India. Not only is it charming and culturally aware, but the illustrations are adorable.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

YA Epic Fantasy--Companion to Graceling. Fire is the last human monster. Featuring strong characters, civil war, romantic entanglements, and horses. ★

Hahahaha, and that's all folks! As you can see I hardly read anything, especially in comparison to April, month of literary productivity. It's pretty pathetic, yeah? Especially when you consider the books that are patiently waiting for me:

That's 21 books total, yo.

If you're curious, the breakdown is as follows: 5 library books, 11 books borrowed from various people, and 5 of my own books. They sit on my desk and stare at me longingly.

But yes. That's enough about me--what about you guys? Did you read some good books this month? Or did you let all your books chill out in an unloved pile like me? Tell me all about it in the comments.

Yay to unforseen circumstances

This post is brought to you via a cellphone. Late last night, before I had a chance to write up a blog post, my internet connection died. It was also snowing. I'm not sure these two things are related, but still. As such, there will not be a post today, as typing out something longer than this paragraph on a phone seemed kind of nightmarish. I apologize, especially since I couldn't find you guys a cool squid video. Go google nudibranchs or something. They're pretty cool. Anyway, I'll see you guys on Monday (hopefully)!

It's crochet and knitting time!

It's been a while since I ranted about dragon scarves and manuscripts and I figured it was time for a crafty-times update. Or rather, the Salt Lakians (aka: the people who taught me to knit) are visiting this weekend and it's time to own up.

For all of you that don't know, I am in the process of making this awesome-sauce dragon scarf. It is also my first knitting project and I have pretty much banned the idea of working on another project until I finish the stupid thing. Here's my progress:

Well, it does have two more spikes since last time.

I kind of fail. However, like I said before, at least I haven't started any other knitting projects. Yes. This scarf is my one and only foray into knitting hell. I feel like I am doing much better on the crochet circuit. Let's share, shall we?

First of all, my current crochet project, which is a delightful mouse doorstop. Yeah. That's right. A mouse doorstop. Check it:

Okay, so that's worse than the dragon scarf.

Right, so maybe that's only five rounds of goodness, but I've only been working on him for a day! And my attention span was kind of low on that day. Really. I don't suck this much. I'll show you.

Second concurrent crochet project: Totoro. I've made him before, but that was a gift for a friend and he was awesome enough that I've been slowly working on one for myself. Because Totoro is awesome. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then it's time to get on Netflix and rent the movie. But yes, here is my Totoro progress thus far:

Mysterious blobs of grey yarn!

Mmm, arms, ears, and a tail. It doesn't look that impressive, I know, but eventually they'll all add up, right? Right? Okay, so that's nowhere near done. Well, how about this: I made a cute birdie!

Look at him! So cute, so tiny, so finished!

That's right, a finished project. Because I'm very much capable of actually finishing things. Okay, I'll admit it: this is slightly more fail than it looks. So maybe I was inspired by the pattern and I decided to make more than one bird. Maybe I wanted a flock and then my ambition puttered out. Maybe.

Yellow bird totally does not approve.

Okay, so maybe I'm not doing so fantastic in any ring of craft land. This is obviously why I'm not a professional fiber arts person, because my attention span for these things is relatively short. In fact, there are actually two more projects that I haven't even started yet: the stripey blanket that I've been "working on" since December and the red panda hat that I blabbed to Twitter about. Hopefully next time I decide to do a crafty-times post I'll have more to show for it. If not, feel free to make me pay, readers.

Anyway, what kind of crafty things do you guys do other than writing? Do you knit or crochet? Are you an artist? Or would you rather play sports and leave writing to be your only creative outlet? Tell me in the comments.

Squid-zilla's revenge!

Hey, long time no see guys. Did you enjoy my guest posts? Hope so! Unfortunately, I'm about to rain on our parade. This post is not the awesome-sauce picture dump that I had planned, as I far overestimated my ability to compose a post of such excellence after a 13-hour car drive.

Instead, I present to you a video of the previously featured Hawaiian bobtail squid and some other cool stuff like a mimic octopus, crustaceans, and a group of random people I don't know. If you need any incentive to actually watch this video: the bobtail squid burrows with its tiny, adorable legs. TINY, ADORABLE LEGS. Enough said.


Next time, I promise you, creepy trees and invading electrical pole armies. Look forward to the goodness.

Attack of squidzilla

I don't have a good post for you today. Usually I write them the night before, but things really didn't work out that well, so I apologize. However, I've realized that despite this blog being called Squidink, I have yet to regale you guys with anything squid-ish. Thus, friends, I bring you the glory that is deep sea squid. If nothing else, you should find them pretty darn nifty:

A (pathetic) beginning

I kind of hate blogging.

Now hold on. Before you all run away, let's go into story mode for a moment.

Once, a long time ago I had a blog. A successful one on livejournal when blogging first became a big thing. I was in junior high at the time and talked about pithy things like my horrible parents, writing projects, and whatever I was obsessing about at the time. As a geek, this was often video games and sci-fi shows.

This went on for a long time, but then I went to college, and the blogging switch turned off. My interests were changing, I was meeting new people, and forging relationships on the internet seemed to take so much effort. Being on the computer felt a little like performing.

I missed it though. I tried to start blogging again. Five separate times to varying levels of success. And when I say "varying levels of success," what I really mean is that I fail at life.

And so this blog is a New Year Resolution.

I never make resolutions, so maybe this actually means something. I'm going to keep pretending that for a while. As a young writer, everyone suggests that I start a blog, so it seems like I have a decent reason now. Yeah. Right. The enthusiasm is dripping from your screens, isn't it? Hopefully you'll stick around for the next post.

. . . wish me luck?