Monday Music Video: Manchester Orchestra's "Simple Math"

I can't believe I haven't posted this music video yet. I love this song, and the music video is beautifully done. I love when a music video matches so wonderfully with a song and I love when it's obvious that a lot of thought, planning, and careful execution has been put into a music video. I think it takes the creativity to a whole new level. When I shared this with a friend of mine, all excited by my new find, he listened to the song...and then commented with a grin, "When did Zach Galifianakis make a band?" Okay, maybe the lead singer is a little on the hairy lumberjack side, but it's forgivable for the song. You go Manchester Orchestra, hairy lumberjack look at all. :P

Peek at My Desktop: 6/22/2011

I actually have a randomizer on my computer that cycles through the multitude of wallpapers I have (how could I ever just pick one when there are so many pretty ones??), although lately the randomizer hasn't been as prompt since I don't often turn off my computer. I use Kana WallChanger, a nice and simple (and FREE) program. I'm surprised there's only two windows open, actually. I am notoriously bad at "multi-tasking" on my computer (meaning having a million windows open and flipping between them like a ferret on Mountain Dew). I suppose any future computers I have will need high processing capabilities to keep up. Anyway, don't let the screenshot full you; if Firefox was open, you'd see just how many tabs I have going... Also, if you like fantasy and sci-fi wallpapers, I suggest taking a peek here, the author has a "Wallpaper of the Day" and some of the ones he found made me do a Neo: "Whoa."

Apocalypse Jenny

So, there's an anthology I've got my eye on and a short story in the works. We'll see if I make it for the deadline, but I kind of like what I've managed to squeak out so far. Here's an excerpt (remember, it's very raw; I haven't edited this in the least):

So, surprise, the Apocalypse came — and went. I suppose we should’ve given more credit to those doomsayers. My mother always used to say, “A dead clock’s right twice every day, Jenny.” I suppose if those doomsayers would carol about the end of the world long enough, they were bound to be right sooner or later.

Well, I still get the last laugh. I’m alive and I’m surviving despite the lack of electricity, clean water, fuel, and all those other little amenities of modern life we’d all taken for granted until now. What’s my secret? How do I keep bouncing back when so many more buff, survival-minded, and serious people have fallen to the wayside? By my Five Simple Rules During Post-Apocalyptic Times.

Now don’t let me lose you here, I’ll keep them brief, I’m no teacher. I’m just a girl trying to make her way in a world that ended. I’m just like any girl, really; at one point I was looking forward to advancing in my career, getting laid on the weekend, and keeping my waistline respectable. I guess that’s one silver lining to this whole Apocalypse thing: I never have to worry about overeating.

Monday Music Video: Clare Maguire's "Ain't Nobody"

I know, I haven't posted in a week, but I've been pretty busy. On the plus side, I have a few entries in the pipe. Hopefully I'll get something out before July. :)



I really like Clare Maguire's sultry voice. This music video is also interesting visually, although I bet her hair was a pain in the butt to comb afterwards.

Monday Music Video: Wye Oak's "Fish"

I love Wye Oak's music, it's haunting and beautiful, and their favorite song of mine, without a doubt, is "Fish." The music video is quite beautiful, too, and made out of shadow puppets (how often can you say that?).

Procrastination, inertia, and summer ennui

That's, of course, the problem when you find yourself facing 60 days of freedom after the most hellish 9 months you've ever had in life. You don't want to do anything...ever.

If I could have my way, I'd probably sleep 10 hours, then wander back and forth in my apartment until I, bleary-eyed and shuffling, came out of my apartment/cave into the sunlight for a walk to the library or a drive up to a bookstore. That just might be my vision of heaven.

I have tons of projects. Tons. And on Monday I'm starting a tutoring gig for some much needed dinero. Yet I don't want to do any of it -- or even better, I want to click my heels and have it all done nicely and neatly for me.

Lazy? Sure. Will I do my tasks? Yes, I always rouse myself. You know what they say: "It's never over till it's over." I always manage to make myself finish what must be done. But for right now, everything seems so insufferably like work. And nothing is quite working out like I hoped.

Book 2 isn't going anywhere, and mostly because I can't seem to start the damn thing. I've re-written the beginning five different times; yes, five! I'll get a chapter in, say to myself, "It's all wrong!" and try again. I don't know why I think it's wrong, but something in my brain just keeps saying things like: It's not flowing right. It's not what you want to achieve. What are you doing? You can do better than this!

Gee, thanks Inner Critic. How about you write the damn book instead of just complaining about it?

I wish I could just skip the beginning and go back, but beginnings are critical for me. I write rather chronologically; I don't know how those authors who bounce everywhere between their book, and still manage to tie all the threads together, do it. Plus, I feel more connected to the book when I write the beginning first; I get a better feel for the story that way. So, I haven't written much on The Eternal Forest (book 2) that I plan to keep. However, my goal for this summer was to exercise and write every morning for an hour, each. Yeah...I haven't been very faithful to that resolution.

The query letter is also floundering, mostly because I hate writing the damn thing and I think it sounds like crap. Query letters are very hard to write. You need to sell yourself and I've never been good at selling anything (and I used to sell knives door to door). The publishing industry is all about selling. I need to write a 3 paragraph synopsis of The Blood Queen (which I think sounds like crap) plus a 1 page, full summary of the book (which I'm dreading). What do I say? What do I leave out due to space restrictions? How do I make it sound engaging, promising, and interesting all at the same time?

I don't know. And I've been saying that a lot lately.

How to start The Eternal Forest? I don't know.
How will I write a good query letter? I don't know.
How to effectively tutor during a summer gig? I don't know (although this is easier solved than the others)
Why is my contact irritating my eye and causing tears to waterfall down my face? I don't know, but I'm going to have to sign off and take care of this. Hopefully I'll end the summer ennui soon...

The Phantom of the Library or Spending an Afternoon Nostalgic

I just got home after spending a weekend with the folks. While I was at their house, I went to my old haunting ground: the library. And before you say, "Isn't it hunting ground?" Um, no. I used to imagine how cool it would be to live in the public library as the Phantom, dropping down from the ceiling (where I'd have a nice apartment situated in the attic or something, as opposed to humid and stinky sewers) to snag a book and disappearing with only the legend of my existence left behind.

I was a strange kid.

Anyway, I spent the time in the library researching literary agents. The list of places I'm sending my query letter has grown from three to five, and with some more time this week, I think I can get a healthy list of eight to ten. :) The query letter is still being tweaked, and I need to work on my page synopsis (*shudder* I am not looking forward to that. The query letter is making me pull my hair out), then I can start sending those letters out.

See? I may have been AWOL for a while, but I've been tagged back in! I'm ready!

WELCOME!

So I moved to BlogSpot, and here's my reasoning: I'm extremely busy right now, I'm not moving as quickly as I want in my writing, and I just don't feel like up-keeping the HTML and updates all myself...for right now. Do I still have the website? Yes. Is it in dire needs of updating? Yes. Will I get to it eventually? Yes. But until then, I'll be posting from here. Don't worry about changing your bookmarks, all the URLs will stay the same. :) You will have to update your RSS links; choose the appropriate RSS link you want from the "Subscribe/Feed" option at the right-hand side.

For some reason, the importing of my old posts didn't work, so eventually -- and slowly -- I'll have to copy them over (*groan*), as well as get my pages up. All the old posts are up! :)

Welcome to my new Home Away from Home!