Before My Penn Has Gleaned

I'm Yours, and Writerly Musings

2012-03-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

First of all, I love this kid.

This video has 53,468,658 views. 20 of them were probably me.
I haven't been doing a lot of writing lately, although I should be. My plan is not only to convert my NaNo novel of 2010 into a film script for Script Frenzy, but I would also like to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo this year. Both times. Thus, on top of the rewrites I should be doing to The Way We Think, I should be outlining. Ha.
By the way, if you go to the Script Frenzy website and use the Plot Machine on the main page, you'll probably laugh. I did.

While drowning in the Caspian Sea a wedding photographer with Tourette's puts his life on the line to save the ant colony.

The great thing about writing is that nothing is really impossible. The other great thing, is everything you can put the characters through. You would think drowning in the Caspian Sea was rather life threatening, but just wait till we reach the ant colony. That's where you'll find the real danger.
I have been working on a bit of a short story. It's based off of a quote Fin and I found on the internet. You can read the entire thing here (it's rather long). It inspired something along these lines.

He reached the little shop within twenty minutes. A sign on the door warned him to step down as he entered. The first thing he noticed was the air. Not just the smell of an old book, or turning pages, but that thick air that surrounds them and makes them feel that much different. The second thing he noticed was the cat, sitting next to the cash register. Perhaps he'd chosen the place to rest, not only because he could easily keep an eye on those who entered, but also because every other surface on the counter was covered with books. Piles of books. The long haired creature blinked lazily, as if Reed held no interest for him, and yet the soft green eyes remained locked on him. Watching his every move. Reed found an uncertain smile on his face and a few words stuttering from his lips. "I... just wanted to... to look around." He stopped when he realized he was talking to a cat. He wasn't sure if there was any other human in the building. Not only could he hear no evidence of it, but he could also see none.

I'm sure I'll get to my outlining eventually. The week before Camp NaNo begins perhaps?

Beautiful People - Dugan Cealnoor

2012-02-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

It took me awhile to decide which character I would use for Beautiful People. I knew I wanted to use a character from the novel I'll be writing for Camp NaNoWriMo, but I was tied between two. Heskith, and his brother Dugan. I finally decided on Dugan, because I've done Heskith before. Although, there is still a ton more about Heskith I'd like to discover, so I'll probably do him next month.

Anyway, Dugan is considered the villain of his novel, although I'd like to point out that he's not the kind of villain who's purely evil. No, more like, misunderstood, and misguided.

1. If your character could be played by any actor, who would it be?

Tom Hardy all the way. Down to the tattoos on his arms. Well, Dugan doesn't have the exact same tattoos as Tom Hardy, but he does have tattoos on his arms.

2. Does your character have a specific theme song?
Blackbird. I know, it's the Beatles song, and I do love it when they sing it, but my all time favorite cover is done by Cameron Mitchell.

3. What's their worst childhood memory? Dugan just tries to forget his childhood. The entire thing is kind of a terrible memory for him. His Father tended to ignore him. When he was noticed, he was yelled at to disappear again. He spent the majority of his time in the woods, by himself.
4. If your character had a superpower what would it be? Invisibility. He's already got the skills to vanish when he needs to. He would love it if he could literally disappear.
5. If your character crashed on an island with a bunch of other people, how could your character help the group survive? He wouldn't really care about the other people. He would slip away before they even realized he had survived. He'd take care of himself, and keep an eye on the other survivors, only to keep track of what they're up to.
6. Are they married? If not, do they someday wish to be? He's not married, and he's never really thought about it. The thought of marriage was brought up once in his life, and the purpose was to marry the princess so he could take the thrown. As soon as he realized there was no way he'd be able to win the girls heart from his brother, he rung his hands of the experience and went back to attempting to take the thrown in... uh... other ways.
7. What is a cause they would die for? The attempt to get himself on the thrown. He would die to get there.
8. Would they rather die fighting valiantly, or quietly at home? He doesn't really care. If he gets killed while fighting, then he'll die, if he has a heart attack while he's sleeping, he would die. Doesn't make a difference.
9. If a stranger walked up to them and told them they were the child of the prophesy, would they believe them? No, not really. Most likely he wouldn't give the stranger time to talk before he would either walk away, or kill them.
10. Do they prefer the city, or the country? Country. He knows his way around the city, and it doesn't make him uneasy, but while in the country he is truly at ease. He feels peace.

I'm the Kind of Girl Who...

2012-02-24T21:41:00.000-08:00

... cuts herself on barbed wire because she was distracted by singing the Indiana Jones theme song.

... really does enjoy sitting on the sidelines.

... has an opinion on everything.

... gives her dog a theme song.

... loves all things Robin Hood.
... sets herself impossible writing goals.
... tends to fall in love with the villain.
... will most certainly fall in love with the rogue.
... visits IMDb to many times to count in a day.
... is learning to laugh in difficult situations.
... watches bull rider documentaries.
... can't whistle.
... would fly around the world in a hot air balloon if she could.
... isn't crazy about Jane Austen.
... doesn't like snakes, but wishes she did.
... doesn't like her feet touched.
... calls french fries her comfort food.
... can count her close friends on one hand.
... isn't understood by many people.

Beautiful People - February

2012-02-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here we are, with another month past, and ten more questions posted for Beautiful People.

Beautiful People is a blog thing hosted by Sam and I. Each month we post ten questions for you to answer about the characters you've created. It's designed to help writer's discover even more about the beautiful people they've created.

We try to keep the questions neutral so they can be applied to any genre. However, as my Sam has said, "if you do write fantasy or sci-fi, try to adapt them so that they do fit your genre, or pose the question as if your character was in a modern world."

Moving on to the questions...

1. If your character could be played by an actor, who would it be?
2. Does your character have a specific theme song?
3. What's their worst childhood memory?
4. If your character had a superpower, what would it be?
5. If your character crashed on an island with a bunch of other people, how could your character help the group survive?
6. Are they married? If not, do they someday wish to be?
7. What is a cause they would die for?
8. Would they rather die fighting valiantly, or quietly at home?
9. If a stranger walked up to them and told them they were the child of the prophesy, would they believe them?
10. Do they prefer the country, or the city?

If you have any suggestions for next months questions, feel free to let us know in a comment on mine, or Sam's blog.

Enjoy, and don't forget to sign the linky!

Life

2012-02-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I go through these phases where I'm thinking about life. I'm guessing that's pretty normal of anyone out there, so it's not like that in itself is anything special. Actually, the thoughts that go through my head aren't really anything special either. I'm sure they've gone through many a head before.

When I say life, I mean my life. My future life, the life that's whirling around me at this moment, and the life I've already gone through. Life.

Once again, it's nothing special that I often wonder where I'll end up in the next five years, or even the next year. I guess every kid my age probably wonders the same thing from time to time. Some of us have plans, a lot of us don't. Some of us are filled with confidence. Some of us aren't. It's the way God made us. It's the way He wanted us to be.

I can't believe what has happened in my life as it is. Where I am at the moment, I never saw coming. Where I'll be in the next year? I can't really see that coming either, but God can. He's got it all planned out. I've just got to follow His voice.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. -Philippians 2:13

Okay, I'll push post now before I delete these rambling thoughts.

Puppy Dog Eyes

2012-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

What happens when you finally work up the courage to ask your parents for that puppy you've been wanting? What happens if they say yes?

Photo by Fin

You'll spend a lot of money, not only on the puppy, but on everything that comes with it.

Photo by Fin

You'll try to remember what it's like to sleep all the way through the night.

Photo by Fin

You'll find yourself saying "no, bad dog," repeatedly and wonder if you actually know how to say anything else anymore.

Photo by Eyebright

You'll suddenly become popular and people will ignore your stand-offish manner. You will find yourself talking to strangers, and hear their "baby talk," voice before ever knowing how they really speak.

Photo by Fin

Most of all your heart will melt, and you'll fall madly in love with those perfectly imperfect eyes gazing up at you.

Beautiful People - Heskith Cealnoor

2012-01-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Beautiful People! It's back. I love answering random questions about my characters. You would be amazed how much you learn about them in just ten questions!

This month I'll be answering the questions for the main character in the novel I'm working on outlining at the moment. His name is Heskith Cealnoor, and he fights to keep the royal family alive, while his brother seeks to destroy it.

1. If his house burned down, and he was left with nothing but the clothes on his back, what would he do? Where would he go?

Well, the entire capitol and castle would have to burn down before it really affected him to the point of doing something drastic. If it was just his house though, he would move into the castle until he could get things sorted out.

2. Is he happy with where he is in life, or would he like to move on?
He's pretty happy with where he is, but he doesn't complain when change comes his way.

3. Is he well-paid?
That he is. He's body guard to a king, and then a princess. They pay well.

4. Can he read?
Yes, but he's never really enjoyed it.

5. What languages does he speak?
English... that's it, although he later learns to pick up at least a few phrases in other languages.

6. What is his biggest mistake?
In his eyes? Letting his brother slip from his life and become evil.

7. What did he play with most as a child?
Miany, his best friend. Their most used "toy," were their horses.

8. What are his thoughts on politics?
He believes Miany should be on the thrown, not Dugan. He would die to defend this belief.... actually, it's his job to defend this belief.

9. What is his expected life-time?
He's expected to life for awhile... I still haven't actually decided if he will, or not.

10. If he was falsely accused of murder, what would he do? How would he react?
He would probably laugh, and then once he realized everyone was seriously, he would attempt to find all the flaws in their theory. If they still wouldn't believe him, he'd get angry as the escorted him to the dungeon, where he would stew in his cell until his death. Yep. He would.

If you're a writer, feel free to answer the questions for a character of your own!

The Author's Giveaway Winners

2012-01-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are finally announcing the winners of the giveaway! Thank you so much for entering, it has been one marvelous time. I've discovered many of you wish to meet Agatha Christie. Who knew, right?

Winners!
Anna Mittower - Choice of print from Anna Delores Photography. Three sizes to choose from. 8x8, 8x10, or 8x12.
Keaghan - Shakespeare Inspiration Dice from Palimpsestic.
*Charity* - The Pride and Prejudice Ornament from Inspirations by Faith.
Ashley - Author Postage Note Card set of four. You're choice of author. Robert Penn Warren, Steven Vincent Benet, or Thornton Wilder. Donated from Piccadilly Post.
Melody - Your choice of author and color silhouette from Hello Grey Day.
Please email Kylie with your mailing address and such so we can get that information to the kind people who have donated the prizes. Also, Anna, Ashley, and Melody, please be sure to include the details of your prize, as far as, the choices you've made, in that email as well.
mountainfireflower{at}gmail{dot}com
Thank you so much to the wonderful sponsors of this giveaway! Please feel free to stop by their shops and check out some of the other neat things they have to offer.

We Tried the Vlog Thing

2012-01-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Penn is Mightier Then the Sword
Further Up and Further In

Beautiful People - January

2012-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

**Be sure to check out The Author's Giveaway. There are only a few more days to enter!**

And we're back! If you've forgotten about Beautiful People, don't feel to bad, because I did too. Sam had to remind me we needed to get the next set of questions out there.

For those who don't know what Beautiful People's about, check out the guidelines on Sam's blog, HERE.

Also, if you're interested in reading over the past questions we've used for Beautiful People, you can view the archives HERE.

With a new year of Beautiful People, we thought we might try a new kind of question, based on a comment left by The Director.

"I think more than "what is their favorite (blank)," perhaps questions concerning how the character would react to certain circumstances or situations would be even more helpful :-) Just my humble suggestion."

Great idea Abigail! Thanks for the suggestion. We threw a few of those questions into the mix this month.

1. If character's house burned down, and they were left with nothing but the clothes on their back, what would they do? Where would they go?
2. Are they happy with where they are in life, or would they like to move on?
3. Are they well-paid?
4. Can they read?
5. What languages do they speak?
6. What is their biggest mistake?
7. What did they play with most as a child?
8. What are their thoughts on politics?
9. What is their expected life time?
10. If they were falsely accused of murder, what would they do? How would they react?

Enjoy the questions, and please feel free to leave feedback! Don't forget to sign the linky!

Which Author Would You Meet?

2012-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

If you haven't gotten the chance to read over the details of The Author's Giveaway, you can check it out HERE. Fin, Sam, and I are will be giving away some pretty awesome stuff, generously donated by Esty shop owners.

So, to gain an entry in the giveaway, answer the following question. You can either leave a comment with your answer, or write about it in a blog post of your own, and then leave a comment with the link to your post.

If you could meet any author from any time period, who would it be?

Ah, what a question. So many authors, so many time periods. This question is actually pretty easy for me though. Charles Dickens, without a doubt. I think that man would be awesome to chat with, and I'd love to hear some of his thoughts on writing. Somehow I get the feeling it wouldn't be the structured plot points, with character arcs and a diagramed outline posted on his wall. Yes, I think chatting with Dickens would be glorious.

To gain two more entries in the giveaway, be sure to visit Fin, and Sky's blog to answer the questions posted there!

The Author's Giveaway

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love classic literature. I love old books I can find for a dollar at the thrift store, and I love the smell of musty pages. The look of words printed on a faded page thrills me. I love to fill notebook after notebook with scribbles from my imagination. I love to put words together so that they tell a story.

Combine that with my love of awesome blog giveaways, and throw in two of my best friends, and you get an author's giveaway!

What can you win by entering? Let me show you.

Emily from Anna Delores Photography has offered to donate one beautiful print from her Etsy shop! While she has a stunning collection of typewriter prints bound to please any writer, you can also find almost anything to suit your taste. The winner can choose any print from the shop and can get it in one of three sizes; 8x8", 8x10", or 8x12". Be sure to check out Emily's blog as well!

Marguerite from Piccadilly Post will be giving away an Author Postage Note Card set of four. Winners choice of three different authors. Robert Penn Warren, Steven Vincent Benet, or Thornton Wilder. Each set comes with four lined note cards printed with "write your own story" and a thermographed vintage typewriter image. The entire set includes; four note cards, four envelopes, four envelope wraps, four postage stamps, and is packaged in an envelope folder tied with twine.

One winner will receive their choice of author silhouette from Hello Grey Day. Winner will be able to choose author, and color of the silhouette. This would make a beautiful display in any writer, or book lovers bedroom, or library. Kirsten also has a facebook page for her shop.

Don't we all wish some of the great authors were still alive, to push us in the right direction when we come across writer's block? I guess we'll have to settle for the second best thing. These are a set of Shakespeare Inspiration Dice. Made by Jennifer at Palimpsestic, these dice were created to inspire the beginning, the middle, or the end of any story.

This beautiful ornament has been donated by Faith from Inspirations by Faith. It will make a lovely addition to any writer's Christmas tree next year! Filled phrases from Pride and Prejudice makes it perfect for any literary lover!

How do I enter?
Entering will be simple. Fin, Sky, and myself will all be posting questions on our blogs tomorrow. Each blog will have one question posted. Each question you answer will gain you one entry. You can answer by either commenting on each post, or post all three answers on your own blog. We would also be grateful if you included a link back to the giveaway. If you decide to do this, comment with the link to the post so we are able to read your answers!

While not mandatory to share the giveaway, we would appreciate any advertisement you felt like sharing.

Deadline for entering is January 23rd. Winner's will be chosen randomly and announced shortly after the 23rd, on all three blogs.

Have fun, and good luck!

The Troublesome Ones

2012-01-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

Part of the reason, actually, probably the biggest reason, My Sam and I started Beautiful People was to have a way for writer's to get to know their characters. I would say it's worked wonderfully for at least the majority of those who have taken part. I know it's certainly helped me out a lot.

However, I'm beginning to wonder if there are some characters out there who just won't... come to life. I really don't know how else to put it. Let me try and explain.

When I'm writing, and I create a new character, I can see them in my minds eye. A lot of the time, they are just a name, or a vague image I can't quiet see yet. The character seems to be almost 2D, and as I discover more about them and their story, details begin to come clear. Colors are filled in, the fog is lifted. Last of all, when they really seem to come to life, it's almost as if someone has blown them up like a balloon. They become 3D. Real. That's what happens most the time at least.

Meet Miany Love Cealnoor. Her maiden name is Kingly. I could tell you the stories of her Father, husband, brother in law, and children. I could even tell you the story of her nurse maid from when she was a child. In telling you their stories, you would get the idea of her own. You would figure out where she stands in, and the parts she plays, but she would still be just a drawing on the page. She would never step out of the story and grab you by the throat.

I can't really classify her as a mary sue character. I can affirm that by saying I took The Writer's Mary Sue Test. They called her healthy with a great future ahead of her. Why am I not feeling the same way?

I've been struggling with Miany for around five years now. I've started writing her novel several times, but it never turns out. Why? I think it's her fault. So, today, I said this has to stop.

In my attempt to bring this character to life I'm writing a series of short stories about her, and I'm convinced I shall discover her story. If I fail in this mission I shall see about changing her to someone else entirely. I would get rid of the character, but someone's got to fill that space. I guess that's my biggest worry, I don't want a character to fill in the blanks. I want a character who will remove the blanks.

If you've made it to the end of this writer's rant, I salute you.

Thanks to Mr. Nolan

2011-12-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

It was a little over a year ago that I watched Batman Begins for the first time. I loved it. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. Coming from a Batman lover, and a complete film credit, I knew it was different. I just couldn't figure out why. There was a new element I hadn't expected.

"If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely." -Henri Ducard

Fast Forward several months to when I first saw The Dark Knight. It impressed me more than the prequel. That sense of something new had doubled. A story hadn't just been told. It had been told well. This was when the name on the case started popping out to me a little more. Christopher Nolan.

Since then, along with many Dark Knight fans, I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of The Dark Knight Rises. I've been waiting, and I've been expecting a lot. I've been expecting to see the same thing I did in the first two movies.

Over this past week I've watched, for the first time, two Christopher Nolan movies. The Prestige, and Inception. With each one I started to realize it wasn't just the Batman movies that were different. It was Christopher Nolan. It was the result of the touch from a master's hand.

Christopher Nolan makes movies that seem to completely transport you into another world. The world of the characters who's stories you are being told. He weaves a tale you weren't expecting, but that's not all he does. He gives you the characters to love, the journey they must survive, and the eyes you see it through. He gives it to you, but to thoroughly enjoy it, Chris expects something back. Some thought.

I admire Christopher Nolan's directing skills. I salute him for making his movies the way he wants to make them, the way they should be made, not the way the world would like to see. I mostly admire him for asking just a little in return. Please don't sit down and watch his movies expecting to relax your brain. With each new film, he gives you a new puzzle to solve.

Directing film is an art I believe Chris Nolan has mastered. Then again, that's just the opinion of an abnormal teenager.

Seasons Thoughts

2011-12-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

I was going to write this awhile back, but my book was calling out to me. I'm reading Bleak House and once again Charles Dickens has been showing me what an amazing artist he is.

So, I tried again a few days after that, but work got in the way. I'm a barista at a malt shoppe. Well, I should be at least. Service is kind of slow at the moment, so I've been more on call than anything else. Here's to hoping it picks up soon!

That brought me to tonight. I was really going to write a blog post. The page wouldn't load though. I almost gave up, but an hour, or so later, the internet connection seemed to improve. Here I am, writing this, and not even sure where I'm headed with it.

I can't believe it's almost Christmas day already. I used to think December was the longest month I ever had to live through. Now I feel as if it's been the shortest of the year. I'll be having a very quiet Christmas this year, but I'm perfectly okay with that. It gives me more time to think, which I've been doing a lot of lately. So much, it's been keeping me up at night. Not always the best thing.

I feel like Christmas day is one of the best days to think. It gives you even more to dwell over then you've already got. Well, the entire season does really. The people who rush about, the cars that are all over the roads, making you realize you may have a touch inner road rage after all. Maybe not rage, just frustration.

The gifts. Fin and I kept telling ourselves we would get out and do our shopping before the holiday rush closed in, but somehow we never really got around to it. Thankfully we managed to do most of it in one day. I'd like to think I'll enjoy giving more then receiving this year, but I know whatever I find inside my own packages will please me just as much as the looks on loved ones faces when they see what I've packed in theirs. I haven't quite decided if that's the point, or not. I guess I'll have to think on it longer.

Naw, in all reality, the gifts are great, but as we all continue to remind each other. It's not what it's all about. I think everyone knows it really, some people just don't like to admit it. Others purposely shove it to the back of their minds. Some of us tell ourselves we remember, and isn't it all wonderful, but we don't really care. I guess it's just part of that human nature that was given us.

I know you've heard it a million times already this year, but don't forget His name. Don't forget the reason you breath in and out. Don't forget He granted you mercy. Don't forget the true story of Christmas.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall shall be upon his shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

In Which Georgie And Her Friends Are Shot

2011-12-03T18:05:00.001-08:00

Due to the good weather, and new camera, and a marvelous set of tracks some friends and I decided to have a random photo shoot.

Kiehl is one of those friends that I've known for some time, but we've recently been discovering how much we have in common. Such as a love for boots.

My guitar strap kept slipping off causing my guitar to fall and get banged up. So, I set it in the corner to get it out of the way, and then turned back to see its smiling face. So I took a picture.

Fin and her guitar.

Kiehl with her fiddle.

Hi Guys

2011-11-29T23:53:00.001-08:00

It's seven minutes away from midnight and I'm writing this post to say that this blog is not dead. Let's just say NaNoWriMo has sucked practically ever intelligible word out of my system. On that note, I reached 50,000 three days before Thanksgiving. Now I've just got to finish the novel.

For those of you sitting around waiting for something to happen on this blog, sit back and get ready. My Sam, Fin and I are working on some crazy stuff. At least, it sounds crazy when you're this tired.

I've also discovered you will laugh an insane amount at this video when you're tired. If you're anything like me that is.

I also must say a hint of steampunk has started to show up in my novel. I am okay with this. In fact, I find it rather enjoyable.

Beautiful People - Holiday Edition

2011-11-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Holiday Edition of Beautiful People! If you're unsure what Beautiful People is you can read about it on the FAQ page.

Seeing as how the holidays are getting closer and closer, my Sam and I decided we would dedicate this months questions to celebrations. We'll be taking a break through December, but Beautiful People will be back in January.

A lot of writer's don't think about holiday's, or celebrations while writing their story, but it's a part of life. Even for fantasy writer's. Your character might be a typical American who celebrates Christmas and the Fourth of July, but they must have something to celebrate. Parties are a part of almost anyone's life, even if they aren't given for the same reasons. Stretch your imagination on this one. Try to make your characters holiday seasons as real as you can.

1. What kind of holidays do they celebrate, if any?
2. What are they most thankful for?
3. Do they have any family traditions?
4. What is their most memorable holiday memory?
5. What is the most memorable gift they have ever received?
6. Do they consider it important to be with family during celebrations?
7. Do they usually wait till the last minute to purchase gifts, or do they buy them ridiculously early?
8. Favorite Christmas song? For fantasy authors, is music a part of their celebration?
9. Do they celebrate for religious reasons?
10. How do they celebrate the beginning of the new year?

Have fun, and don't forget to sign the linky!

Week 2ish

2011-11-16T12:31:00.001-08:00

This post is a bit late. Week two has come and gone, but oh well. Let me just say, I expect to reach the 50,000 word goal the same way I did last year. In a futile attempt to beat Fin in getting there. Sometimes I wonder how normal people have fun.

Wordcount: I shall fill this in later. I'm keeping Fin in terror at the moment.

Favorite Place to Write: The coffee shop, still. Especially when I've got writer friends with me.

Most Productive Place to Write: That would still be my bedroom. On my bed. With earphones in my ears.

Favorite Snack: French fries from McDonald's. I know, I'm weird.

Music:

Authentic Me

2011-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in Abigail Kraft's Authentic People Blog Party.

So, for newcomers to my blog, this is me.

I'm a daughter of the most high God. I'm an aspiring theater director. I'm an opinionated film critic. Mostly, I just write words. Especially, during the month of NaNoWriMo.

1} What's the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest think about you?

Let's see... I have a crooked face. Seriously, if I put on any pair of glasses they will sit crookedly on my face. Unless it's my glasses, those were made to look straight.

2} If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie, or television show, what would it be?

Aanoor. That would be... my own fantasy land. Almost all of my fantasy novels/stories are set somewhere in Aanoor. It's been growing considerably over the years.

I made this map several years ago and it has changed a bit since then, but it gives you a general idea.

3} Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house?

My book shelves. A fairly recent addition to my house, but my favorite none-the-less.

Reasons love to them? 1. My Daddy made them for me. 2. They hold awesome books. 3. They're green.

4} Do you like animated movies? If so, what's

your favorite?

Oh yes, I love animated movies and my all time favorite is Lilo & Stitch. How could you not love a cute and fluffy mutant alien?

5} What is your favorite household chore?

Sweeping. I used to hate it, but after years of doing it every day, I actually kind of like it now.

6} What's your favorite thing to get at Starbucks (or your favorite coffee shop)?

In my case, that would be my favorite coffee shop. I don't visit Starbucks much. Anyway, my usual, memorized by two different baristas in town would be a 12oz white mocha. They're also pretty good and guessing if I want it iced, or not by how thick a coat I'm wearing.

7} What is your favorite pizza topping?

Pepperoni. I'm pretty basic when it comes to pizza.

8} Waffles or pancakes?

Uh... I don't really like either of those. Especially for breakfast. Then again, I'm not much of a breakfast eater in general.

9} Do you like to play games? If so, what is your favorite?

I actually don't really like to play games. I get weird looks whenever I say that, but it's the truth. The only games that I'll actually be in the mood to play are card games. My least favorite is probably charades.

10} Have you ever let anyone win a game?

I don't remember. I doubt it.

11} Have you ever dyed your hair?

No, although some people find that hard to believe when they see my natural red highlights.

12} Do you make your bed every morning?

Ah-ha, let's just say, I try.

13} Picasso or Norman Rockwell?

Norman Rockwell. I'm actually not crazy about him, but I find Picasso disturbing.

14} Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors?

Hard wood, but it's all carpet in my house.

15} If you could put one thing in a safe under your bed, what would it be?

I'm not really sure. My favorite books?

16} What's your favorite condiment?

Barbecue sauce. Yes, I hail from the west.

17} Have you ever thrown up on someone (excluding when you were a child)?

No... I don't even remember the last time I threw up.

18} What was the last thing that made you laugh.

My brother playing charades last night. It was rather comical.

19} Think fast... what's the first song that pops into your head?

Blessed Assurance. I was just playing it on my guitar. One of my favorite hymns, especially when sung by Alan Jackson.

Week 1

2011-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well, the first week of NaNo is over and I'm still breathing. One of my characters isn't, but I told him from the very beginning he wouldn't be lasting long. I hope he didn't mind. I would ask him, but... like I said, he's not speaking anymore.

I finally updated my Current Writing Projects page, so you can read the quick synopsis of my novel there.

So, how's it been going? Pretty good! I've got to say, I love working with these characters again. They're probably my favorite group of fictional people.

Word count: 17,003

Favorite Place to Write: The coffee shop

Most Productive Place to Write: My bedroom

Favorite Snack: Chocolate, either white, or dark, but not milk.

Music: Michael Buble (Lost),

Damian McGinty (Home),

and Josh Groban (Hidden Away).

I would make this longer, but I haven't reached my word goal for the day. I'm hoping for 18k before midnight.

Just The Right Words

2011-11-01T13:15:00.001-07:00

I am totally live blogging right now. I've never done this before, but I'm in love with it already.

At this very moment I'm sitting in my very favorite coffee shop. I've already spent many hours at this table, and I'm sure there will be many more. It's got the perfect atmosphere for writing a novel.

People come and they go. I can look out the window to the road across the street and see people that I recognize. The majority of the people sitting around me are people I've seen here before. Their faces familiar from days past.

I really should be writing right now. After all, it's the first day of NaNo and even though I've already got the suggested word count for the day, that's never enough for me. I know I can reach above and beyond that. I'm going for 5,000 before the day is done.

I start working at a new job tomorrow and while I'm totally excited about it, I'm also a bit nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. This is my first "real" job. What if I mess up? I guess that's the same question everyone has when they step out and do new things. I'm no different from those who have succeeded. Why shouldn't I? This quote keeps running through my head.

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney

I don't think I'm exactly curious, but it makes me feel better anyway. Maybe because Walt Disney has just always been awesome, and you know if he was sitting next to me right now he would have just the right words to say.

The Stroke of Midnight

2011-10-31T15:48:00.001-07:00

I'm one of those people who doesn't celebrate halloween. The only time I ever remember dressing up for it was last year. I went as a writer. It involved wearing my glasses instead of my contacts, putting my hair in a bun, and sticking a pen through it. Most people didn't even realize I was in costume.

I was telling one of my bosses today that I was going to stay up till midnight so I could start my "writing thing" as she called it. She found it silly to stay up and start writing then, when I could get a good nights sleep and start writing tomorrow. When Fin and I explained to her that half the fun was waiting that first night for the exact minute when you can start writing, she called us a strange breed.

Yes, I suppose we writers are a strange breed. We go through halloween day, waiting for it to be over. Because for us, the 31st just means the day before NaNo. Then, the real fun begins.

Find me on the NaNoWriMo website under the username georgiepenn.

Characters Make the Plot

2011-10-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

As you've probably noticed, I like to fancy myself as a writer. It's something I greatly enjoying doing and have spent many hours not only doing it, but learning how to become better at it. I've read books on the subject, written by published authors. I haven't agreed with everything they've said, but it helped me to see that every writer is different. Every writer has things that work best for them.

I hardly consider myself worthy to give advice, but I would like to expound on something that has worked for me. Character analysis.

That's right. Character sketches. Not just piddly little profiles though. I'm talking extensive stuff. This is a person that you're trying to create. A person that is making up the contents of your novel. There is always more to discover. Always more to uncover.

I get writer's block. I know, surprise, surprise. Probably one of the most obvious statements a writer can make. There are very few things I can do to break that inspiration stopping wall. One of them, the one that seems to work the most for me, is character analysis. Discovering more. It's amazing how learning one little morsel of information on one little side character, can open up a whole slew of new plot ideas.

Not only can you find a ton of character sketch material online, (I'm now going to shamelessly advertise) such as Beautiful People, but you can find some great books on the subject as well. I myself have only had the chance to get my hands on one, but there are at least a few more out there. The one I've used a little bit is called, What Would Your Characters Do. The Director recommends one called 45 Master Characters.

Check these books out. Look around for more like them. Get them from the library if you can. Find the one that works best for you. Find several that work best for you. Maybe none of them will work for you. Maybe you feel you don't need extensive character sketches. That's cool too, just remember that with writing, it's always a good idea to try something before saying it's not for you. You never know, you might surprise yourself.

Awesomeness

2011-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Guys. I'm not a fan of Glee, or The Glee Project. At all. However, I am a fan of this guy.

It also makes me pretty happy to hear this guy sing.

This guy has just always been awesome.

In other news, I'm sick. Therefore, I've posted music videos instead of racking my mind for words to type. I feel no shame.

Lessons From Three Year Olds

2011-10-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

I've slowly compiled this list as the three year olds in my life have graciously shared their... uh... wisdom.

1. Raccoons are the reason peach pits mold.
2. He who falls behind, screams the loudest.
3. Tripling the number of pleases will greatly influence the answer in your favor.
4. A hotrod is any car that looks cooler than yours.
5. Batman is his own sport.
6. If you don't know where a place is, it must be the next driveway over. Idaho for instance.
7. If you're tall enough to reach the piano keys, you play beautifully.
8. A priests job is to check people in at the door.
9. If you live far away, you must live in Africa. Even if the return address label says Ohio.
10. If someone makes you unhappy, imagine a world without them in it. This includes ignoring them when they beg for your forgiveness.

I wouldn't worry to much if you can't remember all of them, they're more like guidelines anyway.

Beautiful People - The Way We Love

2011-10-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

My turn to answer this months questions for Beautiful People. We're doing a special NaNoWriMo Edition this month to help everyone get even more excited for the upcoming event.... writing that sentence made me feel like a nerd. I'm okay with that though. Moving on.

We also challenged participants to answer all the questions, from each month, found in the BP Archives, all on one character. While I have done this several times already (it's amazing how much of a help this exercise can be) I won't be posting all the answers on my blog, in this post at least. So, for now, this months questions.

Sum up your novel in five words, or less.

Mislead brother seeks revenge.

Novel title?

The Way We Love.

Sum up your main character(s) in one word.

Grant: leader. Weston: nerd. Ranen: loner. Luna: capable. Lyric: strong.

Advice for newbies in three words?

Coffee and music.

Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?

I've got quiet a few actually, but I'll try not to make this last to long. Shada, she's a young girl who helps Weston wake up and realize he can't just sit around for the rest of his life, mourning the death of Exie. She gets him moving. Lane, Grant's son. He pretty much causes the entire plot by unintentionally forcing Grant to return to First World. Jasper, the bad guy. He causes all the trouble. Tony, the one and only person outside of the gang that Ranen has ever cared a hoot about. His disappearance sends Ranen on a quest to find him. Throwing him into the path of Jasper.

Do you plan on staying up till midnight on the 31st?

Oh yes, I'm going to write till I can't keep my eyes open any more.

How many years have you done NaNo?

This will be my third.

What came first, characters, or plot idea?

I guess the characters, since this is the sequel and they were already there for me to use.

How much prep do you do before November?

I'm writing a full, incredibly detailed, outline. I'm on chapter 9, hopefully I'll get it done before the 1st.

Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?

For me the question isn't "am I going to do NaNo this year?" It's always, "what am I doing for NaNo this year?" I've seriously considered doing my own 50k challenge in a different month, as well as the one in November, although I've never actually done it yet. I love the words, the friends, and the crazy nights. To sum it all up, NaNoWriMo is one of my favorite times of the year.

Book Housing

2011-10-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Before

After

The point of this post is to show everyone that my Daddy is most defiantly the most awesome Dad on this earth. He builds me awesome bookshelves. 'Nough said.

Sorry about the poor picture quality. My only camera is the one on my ipod and it doesn't exactly take the best shots.

Beautiful People - NaNoWriMo Edition!

2011-10-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

Da ta da ta DA! It's a brand new Beautiful People post! Only, it's not your typical Beautiful People. Nope, it's awesome because it's the NaNoWriMo Edition of Beautiful People! We're hoping it will get us all even more excited about the upcoming insanity.

What's the difference you ask? Well, not only are all the questions geared towards those writing novels this November, but we've got an extra little challenge on the side. Because, apparently, writing 50k words in a month isn't challenge enough.

What is this extra challenge? We're encouraging everyone to take a look at the BP archive that my Sam has so neatly put together and answer all the questions on one character. Even if you just do it without posting it on your blog, it's an amazing way to really learn a lot about the way your character thinks and what they love. We suggest using the main character of your NaNo novel, but any character will do.

While this months new questions are geared towards NaNoers, for those who aren't participating this year, we'd love to see the answers to the ones that can be adapted to the novel you're working on at the moment.

1. Sum up your novel in five words, or less.
2. Novel title?
3. Sum up your main character(s) in one word.
4. Advice for newbies in three words?
5. Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
6. Do you plan on staying up till midnight on the 31st?
7. How many years have you done NaNo?
8. What came first, characters, or plot idea?
9. How much prep do you do before November?
10. Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?

Don't forget to sign the linky, and have fun!

Weakness

2011-10-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

I just finished making the cover for The Way We Love. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, despite the complications I had while making it. You all probably want to see it, but you'll have to wait. It'll be on my updated Current Writing Projects page, after NaNo starts.

I'm sitting on Fins bed at the moment, listening to Celtic Thunder. It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since we went and saw them in concert. It was the kickstart to NaNo last year for me. This year I'll be taking a trip to the best bookstore on the face of this earth. Powell's. Books on my list to look for? Oh, you know, the usual. Charles Dickens, Ted Dekker, John Keats, C.S. Lewis... the list goes on. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find one, or two books to lug home with me.

Someone shared a verse with me lately. I love it when that happens.

And he said unto me, "my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I think the world overrates the wrong kind of strong. Who cares if you've got abs. Until you are weak in Him, you will never be truly strong. I think I need to work on that more. Much more.

Introducing The Way We Love

2011-10-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

October. It's that crazy month where all the writers begin to realize NaNoWriMo is only four weeks away, and they better come up with some kind of plot if they want to make it to 50k. After being interviewed by an honest to goodness newspaper man on the subject, I was forced to decide what I would be writing this year. As a spur of the moment choice, my beloved characters of old won out.

I'll be torturing Grant, Luna, Ranen, and Weston for another year, at least. They'll be returning in The Way We Love, sequel to The Way We Think.

Since making that decision, I've been totally stoked about NaNo. I've even started outlining. Who cares if I've only got a few weeks and I'm just now on the first chapter.

So, who's doing NaNoWriMo? Keep checking back because Beautiful People will be geared towards NaNoers this month. Don't worry if you aren't planning on undertaking the craziness of the challenge, we'll have plenty of questions for you as well!

Braindead

2011-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't been writing much lately. I've been reading. I actually haven't been doing much of that either though, so it's a lame excuse. Oh well, I just keep telling myself you've gotta have a break before the big bust, right? I would certainly call November the big bust of my writing life, and it's coming on fast. At this point, I'm not even really sure what I'm gonna write either. I've got ideas, but there's no saying that won't change. Like it already has three times.

I've got to get up early to go to work tomorrow, so I'm not even really sure why I'm taking the time to write this post. This could be one of those moments when I could be writing, or reading. I'm writing a story about gypsy's, a highwayman, and poor villagers. I'm reading Wuthering Heights. I'm enjoying both.

I guess I decided to post because I felt like I wanted to, the only thing was, I didn't know what to post. So, I decided to follow the example of My Sam and not think about it. Just write, right? We won't go into how much she inspires me right now, just know that she does.

Speaking of being inspired, I'm in love with music right now. Oh wait, I'm always in love with music. Let me rephrase that, I'm in love with Barrage right now. This is one of my favorites. It's called Allen's Bar.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/center&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This ones pretty good too. Until We Meet Again.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/center&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
I'm in the midst of refurbishing my room. Well, I have been in the midst of it since we moved into this house, but it's getting closer. My Daddy is going to build me some awesome bookshelves so I'll be able to get my books off the floor and I'm hoping to find a nice, big, comfy chair to stick in the corner. I love big comfy chairs. Especially when surrounded by books.

Indiana Jones: the Adventurer

2011-09-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

"I can't go to Panama!"

The outcry caught my attention and I turned to watch one of the kids I was watching that day. He was talking to his friend. Last I had heard, they were playing Indiana Jones. Kids after my own heart.

"I can't take it back there! It's what made me an adventurer!"

If I had my way, the definition of adventurer would be "the kid word for archeologist." I'm gonna go re-write the dictionary now.

Beautiful People - Krinna Rayne

2011-09-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

In a crazy attempt to get myself excited for the outlining I'd like to do for my NaNo novel, I'm going to do my Beautiful People post on one of that stories characters. Krinna Rayne.

Krinna lives in a small village surrounding a small lake. The lake has almost a constant mist rising from it. The mist brings healing to any ailments. Krinna discovers a world beneath the lake and begins to learn a new way of life, only to be told she would have to learn three more. Not only did her survival depend on this, but the survival of everyone she's ever known.

Krinna Rayne by georgiepenn featuring striped scarves

Does she have any habits, annoying, or otherwise?

She tends to trail off in the middle of her sentences, forgetting she has a listener who may not predict what she was going to say.

What is her backstory and how does it affect her now?

She has grown up in a village steeped in tradition. Everyone around her took part in teaching her the basics of life as she grew to adulthood. There were certain way to do things, if you did them differently, you weren't welcome. This makes it hard for her to learn the costumes of new people as they're habits go against everything she has ever been taught.

How does she show love?

By listening. If she loves someone dearly she will almost always take time from her day to stop and listen to what they may have to say.

How competitive is she?

Not so much. It doesn't really matter to her if she'll win, or loose. Actually, if she's doing something that involves winning, she probably doesn't even want to be doing it.

What does she think about when nothing else is going on?

It depends on where she's at. If she's at home she'll think about the people in the lake, if she's in the lake she'll think about those at home.

Does she have an accent?

She starts with a Briton accent, but as she spends more time with other people she begins to take on a sound of her own, picking up bits of languages here and there.

What is her station in life?

She is the daughter of the lead villager. Although her Father holds this high rank she has always been treated the same way as the rest of the people.

What do others expect from her?

As a child they expected a smile and a laugh. As she's grown older she's become more withdrawn and quiet, preferring to spend time by herself then attend village get togethers. People are no longer sure what they expect of her, other than keeping to herself.

Where was she born, and when?

In the village, twenty-three years ago.

How does she feel about people in general?

She doesn't care for them much. They make her uncomfortable and she prefers to stay away from them as much as possible.

Beautiful People - September

2011-09-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

After playing spider solitaire while simultaneously listening to insanely inspiring music for over an hour now, I guess I'm finally ready to write this blog post.

Honestly, I can't believe sometimes how fast the month seems to go by. I feel like I just wrote a Beautiful People post. Now, it's time for My Sam and I to give you 10 more questions for you to answer about your beautiful characters.

For those who are unclear on the matter, take a look at this post HERE. Feel free to join us whenever you like. If you have any question suggestions for the following months, don't be afraid to comment and give us some new ideas.

This months questions are...

1. Do they have any habits, annoying or otherwise?
2. What is their backstory and how does it affect them now?
3. How do they show love?
4. How competitive are they?
5. What do they think about when nothing else is going on?
6. Do they have an accent?
7. What is their station in life?
8. What do others expect from them?
9. Where were they born, and when?
10. How do they feel about people in general?

Have fun, and don't forget to sign the linky!

Jane Eyre and Robin Hood

2011-09-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Remember when I posted that picture of Jane and Mr. Rochester and every single person who left a comment knew who they were? Yeah, I didn't think I was going to stump to many people on that one. Anyway, this is that post I was talking about, but I'm also throwing in a few words on Robin Hood so grab your popcorn and get ready for a seriously opinionated persons view on various films.

Let's begin with Jane Eyre, shall we?

Jane Eyre (2011)

I actually already wrote a review about this. You can read it here.

Jane Eyre (2006)

Out of the three adaptions I've watched, this is by far my favorite. Masterpiece Theatre certainly knows how to please fans of the books. I love Mr. Rochester, I love Jane, I love the entire thing. It's just awesome.

Jane Eyre (1996)

I think you'll gather how I felt on this film when I say, I didn't finish watching it. It was almost comical. The plot was rushed, the characters were butchered and the acting was a farce. I skipped to the end just to see if they had managed to pull it together by then. They hadn't.

Moving on.

Robin Hood (2010)

Ever since I heard this movie was coming out I was interested. After all, its Robin Hood! The fact that Russell Crowe would be playing the infamous outlaw made me rather dubious, I tried to tell myself Ridley Scott knew what he was doing. In a way, I think maybe he did. I actually kind of liked the softer side Robin seemed to have in this movie, while still managing to be his irritating self. I liked the new twist on the story, that Robin Hood wasn't originally Robin of Loxley at all. I love this quote,

"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."

It keeps running through my head and I find it rather inspiring.

However, as much as I liked about this movie, it just didn't come together for me. By the time it was over I had decided I didn't really like it. I'm not completely sure why. Maybe it just wasn't my kind of Robin Hood.

FASD Awareness Day

2011-09-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

"What's it like to have a retarded person in the family?"

I've grown up being asked that question. Ever since we adopted my youngest brother. The one who still isn't "talking right." The one who can't read, or write. The one who has trouble throwing a football, and doesn't make friends easily, if at all.

Little known fact: September 9th is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) awareness day.

My brother has FASD. Because his biological mother chose to drink while pregnant, he now has brain damage that can never be repaired.

FASD is completely avoidable. Raising awareness is easy. Prevention is not impossible.

Check out FAS Families of Faith blog to learn more!

"Sometimes the Questions are Complicated and the Answers are Simple."

2011-09-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

I played with a seven year old today. He told me he was a doctor and promptly pretended to cut my knee open. When I told him that there was nothing wrong with my knee, and asked why he had cut it open he simply shrugged and said,

"I'll fix it... somehow."

Gotta love the confidence of a child.

Beautiful People - Heskith

2011-08-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

This post is rather bittersweet. It's the first Beautiful People post I shall be writing that's not about the characters in The Way We Think. The characters from that novel are probably my most favorite, and have become the most real of all my beautiful characters. Its been awesome learning even more about them, but, it's time to move on.

I give you, Hesktith Cealnoor from Ash Valley. King of Aanoor, and brother to my favorite villain.

What is his biggest accomplishment?

Finding his kidnapped son after eight years of searching.

What is his strongest childhood memory?

When he was eight years old he woke to find his older brother, Dugan, packing all his things. When Dugan realized he was awake he came and sat on his bed, talking to him, telling him that he would have to leave, but someday he would be back. As he left he paused in the door and told him that he loved him. Heskith didn't see him for another eleven years.

What is his favorite food?

One of his favorite things to do with his daughter is roast apples over an open fire, and sweeten them with honey. Maybe it's because he always does it in the company of one of his favorite people, maybe it's because it gets him out of his royal life for awhile, but nothing tastes better to him than those baked apples.

Does he believe in love at first sight?

No, he's far to practical for that.

What kind of home does he live in?

He's a king. He lives in a castle. Paranoor Castle actually. People travel from other kingdoms just to see it from a distance.

What does he wear?

The things he's almost always wearing are his black cloak, his sword belt, and a leather jerkin.

What would he do if he discovered he were dying?

He would make sure the kingdom was left in good hands, then get on a horse and ride away with his family. He would find somewhere where no one else would go and spend the rest of his time there, in peace, with those he loved.

What kind of holidays, or traditions does he celebrate?

The country of Aanoor has few celebrations, but when they do the party goes on for days. Still haven't sorted out all the details. One of the largest celebrations lasts for almost a week and it's to remember the day Aanoor was won in a horse race by Heskith's Father in law.

What do your other characters have to say about him?

The villagers would tell you they would give their lives for him, his first concern is for them, and that he rarely smiles, but maybe that's just how all royalty are.

If he could change one thing in his world, what would it be?

Peace. He would have everyone at peace with one another. All the worries and sorrows of war would be gone.

Want to join in the fun? Find this months Beautiful People post HERE!

Gumbo

2011-08-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

You know that moment when you realize your blog posts have been fewer to non-excistant in the last three weeks? You feel like you barely have time to sleep, let alone blog.

I wonder if I'll ever get back into the groove of typing out my thoughts in this little box, or if this blog will slip away and become one of the thousands that have been abandoned. Don't worry though, I've got far to many thoughts banging about in my mind to give it up entirely.

While I have forgotten my blogging, it seems others have not. I was given the same award three times. I'm to thank Katie, Mirriam, and Charity for awarding me the Liebster Blog award. I shan't be passing it on, but I'm very flattered for the appreciation you've bestowed upon this speck of speck in the internet world.

For those of you who haven't seen this months Beautiful People post, be sure to check out the new questions, there are some great ones!

I shall end this strange, mash up of a post with this.

Expect a post on them in the future, probably not in the near future, but possibly sometime beyond that. Kudos to those who know who they are.

Beautiful People - August

2011-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that it's time, once again, for some new Beautiful People questions. Sometimes I think once a month is almost to often for these posts, they're slowly taking over my blog. Don't worry, once a month it will remain, and this post won't turn into an apology on my lack of posting lately. Nope, this is a Beautiful People post.

Feel free to join in at any time. Below are ten questions to be answered about any of your well loved characters. Be it in a novel, a script, a song, or anything else you've written. At any time during the month, type up your answers in a blog post of your own, than come back here and sign the linky at the bottom of this post so others can read about your beautiful character.

Last, but not least, even though some of the questions seemed geared towards non-fantasy kind of characters, I still encourage fantasy authors to see if they can adapt the questions so it'll work for them. If you need to change the questions around a little bit, please feel free to do so. You could also imagine what the answer would be if your character wasn't fantasy. What would they be like in a modern world?

So, here are this months questions.

1. What is their biggest accomplishment?
2. What is their strongest childhood memories?
3. What is their favorite food?
4. Do they believe in love at first sight?
5. What kind of home do they live in?
6. What do they like to wear?
7. What would they do if they discovered they were dying?
8. What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate?
9. What do your other characters have to say about them?
10. If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be?

We've got some great questions this time, I can't wait to see some of your answers! Thanks to Taylor Lynn for suggesting some of these questions. Please feel free to comment with any question ideas you may have!

What's Important to You?

2011-08-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

Day 10 - Your answer to, "What is the most important thing I should know about writing."

If I was replying to someone who was thinking about getting into writing themselves, I would say, beware. It's addictive. Once you start, you will be sucked into the world of late nights, finding room for stacks of filled notebooks, and crying over deleted documents. Oh, and how could we forget NaNoWriMo?

For anyone else, there is no answer to this question. It changes for each and every person. I could tell you some of the things that are most important to me. Such as, simply writing what's on my heart, or be willing to try new things in my writing world. Outlining is a lot more fun than I ever imagined it could be.

The fact of the matter is though, that why these things could be important for me, they might not be a struggle, or nearly as important to you.

So, here's my answer to this question. Find out for yourself. Because it will be different for each and every writer. What is most important to you?

Check out this 15 Day Blog Challenge at Eat... Sleep... Write!

Current Projects

2011-08-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

Yes, I've missed quiet a few days, but I'm back at it for now. Lerowen's 15 Day Challenge.

Day 9 - What is your current writing project?

Any writing I've been doing lately is rather casual, but the main projects are Ash Valley, and a nameless story.

Regular blog readers will know that I've decided to completely rewrite Ash Valley, despite the 50,000 words I had managed to reach in the first draft. This time I want to do it right, so I've been working on a detailed outline. Sticky notes can be amazing my friends.

The nameless story started on a whim. It was inspired by a picture I saw and I just couldn't keep myself from writing about it. I'm not sure how long it's going to be, and I don't have all the details sorted yet, but I do know the main characters are the Mother and Father of one of the main characters in Ash Valley. It's all rather exciting.

Books Inspire

2011-08-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Day 4 - A novel or author that has inspired something in your writing style.

While I can make this easy and just say Ted Dekker, and Charles Dickens, I have to go a bit further than that. Honestly, almost everything I read inspires me. Even if it's a bad book. It inspires me to go and write something better. If it's good I try and figure out why and if I can take on that quality in my own writing. The two kinds of books this doesn't work with...

The AMAZING

When a book is so amazing I don't even pay attention to what made it so good. I'm so caught up in the story I don't even think about it. By the third, or fourth time I read it I can get down to that stuff.

The GAG-worthy

You know. The ones that I read the first chapter and stop. If I even get that far. Sometimes I only get to the first line, if I made it past the paragraph on the back... if I even picked it up to begin with.

A writer should be able to learn something from almost every book in my opinion. How to do something, or what to avoid. Books in general are my inspiration.

Join the 15 Day Challenge over at Eat... Sleep... Write!

Attempt is Write

2011-08-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Day 3 - Your first attempt at writing.

I love how Lerowen words this one. "attempt at writing." That was certainly true for me. In fact, even now I feel like it's all just an attempt. One big attempt to get it write... or... er, right.

Anyway, I don't really remember when I first started to write. I've been asked the question many a time before, but all I can really do is guess. It was probably sometime when I was 7, or 8. I don't remember why I thought I might enjoy it, I don't remember what it was about. The first thing I do remember is writing a "novel" (as I called it in my own little head) about a girl who actually liked to wash dishes. In fact, she went to tournaments and won awards for her speed at washing dishes.

I dedicated it to my sister. Why? I have no idea, she hated washing dishes.

After that things became a little more serious. I actually had a lot of great ideas that I still run into and tell myself I really had something there. One of these I am actually still working on. Ash Valley.

In my early writing days I spent hours working on the first book in the trilogy Ash Valley is apart of. Somewhere along the line I got so excited about the second book (you guessed it, Ash Valley) I quite the first one and started it. I've been working on it ever since. At the moment I'm working on outlining it so I can do a complete re-write and I'm even contemplating using it as my 2011 NaNoWriMo novel. I love the story. I love the characters. I love the setting. I just can't seem to get it written. That's what NaNo is for, right?

Want to join the 15 day challenge? Check it out at Eat... Sleep... Write!

Three Favorites... Again

2011-08-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Day two of the 15 Day Writer's Challenge over at Eat... Sleep... Write. If you're a writer I encourage you to check it out and think about joining us!

Day 2 - Your favorite male author.

Another difficult one that I'll have to narrow down to three choices.

James Herriot

I've never really been a great fan of animal stories. While my family enjoyed the stories of Rascal, and Where the Red Fern Grows, I found them rather boring. I don't remember a time when I didn't like James Herriot though. I've grown up listening and reading his stories, based off of his real life experiences as an English country vet.

We had Every Living Thing on tape, and I think that's probably the most listened to tape there ever was. The stories are certainly worth hearing, but what makes them captivating is the way he writes them.

Not only that, the books make a pretty amazing tv series.

Charles Dickens

Look at this guy. With a face like that, how can you not write a whopping good novel? I've actually only read three of his books and am currently in the middle of the forth, but the ones I have read are amazing. This guy has got to be the master of plot. As I was reading Great Expectations, the first book I've read of his, I was thinking it was good, but by the time I got to the end I was blown away. Things unfold that you never would have expected.

Not only that, the books make some pretty amazing Masterpiece Theater adaptions.

Ted Dekker

I'm not even sure where to start with this guy. I guess from the beginning. Thanks for getting me into this addiction Beth.

Ted Dekker opened my eyes to the world of thriller novels. His was the first books in a long time that I clung to the spine of during the wee hours of the morning. I finished Black overnight.

The awesome part is, he's not only still alive, but he's still writing!

Not only that, the characters on the pages seem so real already, it gives me chills just thinking about a film adaption.

Three Favorites.

2011-08-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take part in Lerowen's writer's challenge. I always love it when I discover new writer's blogs. I probably won't do every day of the challenge, but I thought some of the daily topics looked interesting. Such as today's,

Day 1 - Your favorite character you've written.

This is a really hard question. I mean, I've formed some kind of attachment to pretty much all of them. I guess I could probably narrow it down to three though.

Dugan Cealnoor by GeorgiePenn on Polyvore.com

The villain in the fantasy novel I've been working on for a few years. I'm getting ready to re-write it and in the midst of outlining have discovered just how awesome this guy is.

While he was a teenager he was mislead to believe he was better than his peers. As he grew into a man he took action to overtake the kingdom, but was thwarted by none other than his younger brother who later becomes the King. Not willing to fade into myth he takes his revenge by kidnapping his brother's only son and raising him to believe his Father is the real enemy and must be destroyed. All together he's a character with a lot of back story and misunderstandings.

Ranen Ken by GeorgiePenn featuring a black t shirt

Ranen, he's one of the main characters in my 2010 NaNo novel, The Way We Think. This guy can be pretty wild at times, he's another of my characters with a lot of backstory. He grew up in the streets, fending for himself till he was 17. At this time a family took him under their wing and nurtured him, giving him an education and believing that he was a good person. He goes through life's lessons the hard way.

Ella by GeorgiePenn featuring distressing jeans

I started her story based off a series of dreams I was having. I never really finished the story, but she kind of became the character I go to when I feel like writing, but have nothing else to write. I love her quite reserve, yet her will power to survive in a world many would fail in. She sings and plays for audiences, yet she is terrified of people she doesn't know. She can count her friends and family on one hand, but she knows them better than they know themselves at times. She draws strength and confidence from those she loves, but gives them the same, and sometimes more, in return.

Three characters. Three stories. Three favorites.

The Best Antiques Are Old Friends

2011-07-28T01:25:00.000-07:00

Everything has been kind of crazy lately. Fin and I have a friend visiting for a few days. Life has been filled with pictures,

and buying awesome old books from antique stores.

Those books would be Kipling: A Selection of His Stories and Poems Volume I & II, and Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle. I love Kipling. I love Robin Hood. 'Nuff said.

I've also been outlining.

Yes. I've finally gotten into it. It helps when both of your friends are also working on outlines. Coffee Shops with inspiring atmospheres also come in handy.

Beautiful People - Grant Fallyn

2011-07-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

Now it's time for Beautiful People. The part where Georgie comes out, and talks about a beautiful person. (Yes, that's based of Silly Song's with Larry.)

For those wondering what Beautiful People is, you can check it all out HERE. If you'd like to join us for this months questions, sign the linky HERE.

This month I'm going to be talking about the main character of The Way We Think, my NaNo novel for 2010. Grant Fallyn, the natural leader of the five main superhero's. His power is to know when someone is lying. Grant is the hardest for me to translate what I've got in my head, to paper. He sounds kind of ordinary, but really, he's got a pretty complex personality. He thinks differently than most people, although it doesn't really show until you get to know him.

Grant Fallyn by GeorgiePenn featuring short sleeve shirts

What is his biggest secret?

I guess it would be that he is afraid. As the leader the others are constantly looking to him for advice and instruction, and he fears hurting them by doing the wrong thing. I'm not sure he really knows that this is his biggest secret though.

Has he ever been in love?

There's this girl. Her name is Luna Telmarin... he loves her.

What is his comfort food?

He doesn't really have one.

Does he play a musical instrument? If so, what?

Piano. He's awesome with those ivory keys.

What color are his eyes? Hair?

His eyes are brown. His hair is white. No, he's not old. He was born with white hair. It's not really blonde, it's white. No, he's not an albino. He's just got awesome white hair.

Does he have any pets?

He's got an albino golden retriever named Alby. One of his Dad's friends gave it to him when he was a boy, wanting to be rid of the strange looking pup.

Where is his favorite place to be?

Probably his bedroom, or just any place with his friends. Maybe his living room, when his family is gathered around.

What are some of his dreams or goals?

To get married and have a family, to lead a normal life as best he can. To have a nice house, a beautiful wife *cough, cough* Luna *cough, cough,* and to make his Dad proud.

Does he enjoy sports?

He doesn't mind playing backyard sports with his friends, but other than that, not really.

What is his favorite flower, or plants.

Ferns.

Beautiful People - July/August

2011-07-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

Yes, my friends, time, once again, for Beautiful People. Actually, it's past time, but oh well.

If you're not sure what Beautiful People is, check out THIS post.

We're still open for question suggestions! We're keeping a list of all the questions so the ones we don't use this month will be used eventually!

For those participating, as you answer the questions, remember, they are not just a way to share what you already know about your character with others, but also to discover more about them yourself. If you don't know the answer to one of the questions, think about it for a little while. Some of the questions are hard, but finding the answer may just help you get to know them a little better.

Now, on to the questions!

1. What is his/her biggest secret?
2. Has he/she ever been in love?
3. What is his/her comfort food?
4. Does he/she play a musical instrument? If so, what?
5. What color are his/her eyes? Hair?
6. Does he/she have any pets?
7. Where is his/her favorite place to be?
8. What are some of his/her dreams or goals?
9. Does he/she enjoy sports?
10. What is his/her favorite flower or plant?

Thanks to Hannah Grace and Taylor Lynn for submitting these questions!

Have fun, and don't forget to sign the linky!

Random Bursts of... Random

2011-07-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hi. Remember me? I'm the author of this blog. This sadly, rejected blog. I'm actually okay with it though, when I decided to start a blog again I told myself it wasn't going to be a priority. I wasn't going to worry about gaining more followers, or posting regularly. I was just going to write. Strangely enough, I've enjoyed authoring this blog more than any others I've ever written.

Summer has been moving rather quickly for me. I just wanted to post a quick update of what's going on for me.

My family just got back from a spur of the moment camping trip. Spur of the moment as in, my parents woke up Monday morning with the idea, and we left that afternoon.

I am now an official homeschool graduate. The party was smashing, even for a crazy introvert like me.

In two days I'm going to see someone awesome. I haven't seen this someone for two years, which is far to vast a time. Fin and I have a mutual best friend who we just happen to think is crazy amazing. She moved awhile back, but she's coming back to visit. For five days. We've got to make up two years, in five days. Life is about to get crazy.

Beautiful People is coming. It had totally slipped my mind until today, but never fear! We'll hopefully have a new variety of questions posted soon. Speaking of BP, if you have any suggestions for questions, please feel free to comment on either mine, or Sky's blog letting us know what they are!

If you're looking for a blog to fall in love with, may I suggest Dancing Again... authored by the beautiful Lynette Kraft. I absolutely love reading about her adventures as a mother of nine. She inspires me to embrace the little things in life.

I've been meaning to really start outlining for draft 2 of Ash Valley for weeks now, but I think I'm finally really getting ready to start for sure. I've had almost the entire summer to break from serious writing, but I'm ready to get back in the groove. I'm thinking 750words and all. Enough casual, I want to get something done.

Before I Kick the Bucket...

2011-07-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

Bucket List. A list of experiences a person would like to accomplish before kicking the bucket. I think everyone has one. Even if it's not written down, or viewed as such. Everyone has something they want to do before they die.

I give you, a small section of my constantly growing bucket list.

1. Visit Broadway.
2. Learn to play rare instruments. Like pan-pipes, and a concertina.
3. Direct a play, or movie. (If not both)
4. Ride in a hot air balloon.
5. See Australia, and Ireland. (Strange contrast, I know)
6. Say, "You, you, and you, COME WITH ME!" In perfect context.
7. Publish a book... that I wrote.
8. Leave a bouquet of flowers on someone's doorstep for May Day.
9. Leave someone totally speechless.
10. Write the script for a tv series. (At least the first season)
11. Write a novel entirely on an old fashioned typewriter...
12. Acquire an old fashioned typewriter.

What's on your bucket list? Let the amazing Polka Dot know to enter a huge giveaway!

Life Has a Pattern

2011-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

I've noticed events in my life tend to take on a pattern. Luckily it's an easy one. Everything seems to happen at once, and then nothing happens at all for a day, or three, and then everything happens at once again. As exhausting as it sounds, I like it.

The play is finished now. The cast party was a mixture of sad and happy. Saying goodbye to some people I knew I wouldn't see for a while, but enjoying getting together to just hang out for once, instead of having to worry about rehearsals. Epic water fights ensued. Future plays were discussed. Awesomeness abounded.

The next day I executed a plan I had been working on for exactly one week. A surprise birthday party for my dear Fin. She turned 18. Aside from showing up ten minutes late, the plan worked flawlessly. You can read about it HERE.

I've finally reached my few days of rest, which means I had time to read Owl City's latest blog post. Strange, I hadn't realized just how much of an introvert I really am. If you ever have trouble understanding me and my ways, please use this post as a guide line. It fits me perfectly.

For those wondering how my writing is going, the amazing, wonderful, unbelievable Sky finished editing The Way We Think the other day. I have not sent it in for my free proof copy from CreateSpace. Just didn't have the time. As for other writings I haven't been doing anything serious. I keep telling myself as soon as things settle down I need to work on the outline for Ash Valley, but maybe I just need to get myself to do it now.

Even now I can see more of life's events piling up in my future. Some are new, some are exciting, I'm praying all of them will be approached with my heart in Christ Jesus.

I leave you with this video. It has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it does have Dick Van Dyke.

Fin

2011-06-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Just in case you didn't know, I've got an awesome friend. This awesome friend is kind of like a sister. Just in case you didn't know, her name is Fin.

She makes me laugh. She lets me call her dorky names that are not in the least bit flattering. I don't have to explain to her that, "no, I don't mean 'like, like'" when I say, "I like him."

I know when I have nothing to say, I don't have to talk. She doesn't care. I love the fact that she knows just how I feel when I can't figure out how to tell anyone else. I love the fact that people sometimes assume we're twins.

Most of all I love her. Her unselfish willingness to serve. Her awesome writing talent, and her love for the Lord. 'Cause in Him, we really are in the same family, and that's the best part.

Beautiful People - Ranen Ken

2011-06-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ranen Ken
Ranen is one of the five main characters in my NaNo novel from 2010. His superpower is fire. He can manipulate it, conjure it from any heat source, and is not burned by it. His normal body temperature runs at about 150 degrees, and when he gets a fever, it's bad. He had a rather harsh background and has a lot of trouble controlling his temper.

Ranen Ken by GeorgiePenn featuring rock tees

TO THE QUESTIONS!
What kind of music does he like?He doesn't really listen to music. When he hears them he fancies guitar solos, but he'd much rather be listening to the crackle of a campfire than an instrument. To him, fire is music.
Does he like to go outside?He actually prefers to be outside, although he doesn't mind being inside either.
Is he naturally curious?No. Fact of the matter is, he really doesn't care.
Right, or left handed?Right.
Favorite Color?Red.
Where's he from?He sometimes wonders if someone lit a match and he appeared from the trail of smoke. He's a wanderer and has been for as long as he can remember. Although, I suppose I can narrow it down some by saying, he's from somewhere on First World... of five.
Any enemies?With a temper like his? He actually has trouble figuring out his enemies, from his friends. In his eyes, anyone who will scratch his back at that moment is a friend, anyone who won't... well... fire scares a lot of people.
What are his quarks?He always wears flip-flops, when he's mad his hair smokes, and he's got amazing eyebrow flexibility.
What kind of things get on his nerves?People who don't see things his way. Girls who burp, and skinny jeans.
Is he independent, or need others to help out?Ranen is the meaning of independent. Until he met Grant and the gang there was no one to help out.
Read about Beautiful People HERE, and please feel free to join in this month HERE!

Beautiful People - June/July

2011-06-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

They're just family, friends, and neighbors
Doing what they've always done
Lovin' fathers, lovin' daughters, lovin' mothers, lovin' sons
They gather 'round ole Glory
'Round the tables and the steeples
The beautiful people
The beautiful people

I discovered this song about a month after starting Beautiful People. I'm rather surprised I hadn't heard it before, considering Tim McGraw's my favorite country artist. Random moment, I know.

Anyway, lets cut to the bone. For those of you who would like to participate in Beautiful People, look below for this months questions! For those who haven't a clue what I speak of, you can read all about it HERE.

Believe it, or not, Sky and I have come to the end of that long list of questions she received about Avary. So, we would just like to let everyone know that we are open for suggestions! If you've got some question ideas, please feel free to submit them in a comment on either of our Beautiful People posts. We can't wait to hear what you'll come up with!

Now, for this months questions!

What kind of music does he/she like?
Does he/she like to go outside?
Is he/she naturally curious?
Right, or left handed?
Favorite color?
Where is he/she from?
Any enemies?
What are his/her quirks?
What kinds of things get on his/her nerves?
Is he/she independent, or needs others to help out?

Thanks to iGirl and Charity for submitting this months questions!

Don't forget to sign the linky, and have fun!

They Call Me a Techie

2011-06-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

You know that moment when you look at your blog and realize you haven't posted in over a week... or is it two weeks? I don't really want to look right now.

The reason for my absence is due to a little thing that kind of took over my month of June. It's called a play. We're getting close to opening night, way close. It's tomorrow. In preparation we've had rehearsals every night this week.

We're doing The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and before I'm asked, I'm not actually acting in it. No, I'm part of what's called "the tech crew," and don't mind it a bit. In fact, it's where I prefer to be.

Fin and I will be filming the first three performances. Afterwards we'll be working on getting the footage edited and onto DVD so we'll have it ready for the cast party a week later. Let me just say, as awesome as Final Cut Pro is, it would be really nice if I was suddenly enlightened on how to use it to its fullest extent. I suppose that takes time though... maybe by the time the next play rolls around.

For those who are wondering about Beautiful People, Sky and I will try and have it up soon!

In Which Georgie Announces her Love for Les Miserables

2011-06-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. I'm in love with Les Miserables. Even though I still wonder if I'm saying it correctly.

I don't believe I can quite call myself a fan, considering I haven't read the book. In fact, I've only seen the 25th Anniversary performance on DVD. Uh, yes, that would be the one with Nick Jonas as Marius. No, I did not really like Marius. Yes, I gave him a chance and no, it wasn't just because he was played by Nick Jonas that I don't like him. Although, I did giggle when Fontaine's voice went deeper than I could ever imagine his going.

I don't think I could pick a favorite song. I love all of them really. I have my favorites, the obvious One Day More that everyone seems to love, Eponine's On My Own. I really like Do You Hear the People Sing, although I couldn't say it was my favorite.

Do you hear the people sing,
singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
who will not be slaves again.
When the beating of your heart
echoes the beating of the drums
there is a life about to start
when tomorrow comes.

I'd like to watch a few more versions, including the 10th anniversary performance, and the one with Liam Neeson, if only to compare them to the 25th anniversary edition.

Fly to Jesus

2011-05-31T15:00:00.001-07:00

As it is for many people, life has been busy for me. Mostly with wrapping up my high-school education. This year I will go from high-school to my un-school education. Because that's really the only change there will be. I'll still be learning, and in many ways more than I ever did my entire homeschooling experience.

Since I've finished second draft of The Way We Think, I've kind of been taking a break from serious writing. Serious meaning, any of my main works in progress. I've been enjoying the break, but I'm already gearing up to start work on Ash Valley. I've decided, despite my 50k word count, I'm going to completely start from the beginning and re-write the whole thing. I used to think my writer friends were crazy when they did that. Now I totally understand. I may have reached 50,ooo words, but that doesn't mean they're any good.

The biggest problem with Ash Valley has been staying on track, and moving from one plot point to the next promptly. With the re-write I'm going to try a new way of outlining. Who knows if I'll actually use it past the first day, but I would really like to give it a shot in hopes that it'll help me stay on track. Instead of using one of those highfalutin programs with all the fancy features, I'm going to go with a stack of post-it notes and a notebook. It's a bit more simple, and more fitted to my organized chaos kind of style.

I'll end with this. I've been listening to it non-stop lately.

In Which Georgie Feels Bookish

2011-05-25T07:43:00.001-07:00

As the weather begins to get warmer, I no longer feel like curling up with a thick book, but sprawling out with one. On my bed, the floor, the freshly mowed lawn. The book nooks of the summer months. I wish I could read all day.

Bookish by GeorgiePenn featuring slim jeans
Sadly, I can't. With graduation looming in the distance, I must keep to my studies. My library pile must remain small for now. Not forever though. No, not forever. Summer is almost here.

Beautiful People - Luna Telmarin

2011-05-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to do this months Beautiful People post on Luna Telmarin. One of the five main superhero's in my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel, The Way We Think. Luna's twenty-three years old and has the superpower of invisibility. It can be useful, but at cost. Each time she uses it, her fainting spells become worse. Very simple style, but it suits her beautifully.

Luna by GeorgiePenn featuring a lacoste sport messenger bag
On to the questions!
What type of laugh does she have? Loud, but not to loud. When with the people she loves, you hear it often, but the sound doesn't grow old.
Who is her best friend? Grant Fallyn, and Exie Shile.
What is her family like? She lives with her Dad, Mom, and six younger siblings, ages nineteen to two. They could easily be described as wild and fun loving. Luna can get rather frustrated with them at times, but she loves them all dearly and enjoys spending one on one time with them.
Is she a Christian, or will she eventually find Jesus?She has grown up in a Christian home and became one herself at a young age.
Does she believe in fairies?Sometimes she likes to pretend she does, but in all reality, no.
Does she like hedgehogs? They aren't her favorite animal, but she thinks they're adorable.
Favorite kind of weather? Sun, warmth. She loves the Summer months. She is inspired by an occasional rain, but to much of it and she gets rather moody.
Does she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? Yes, she has a great sense of humor. Sarcasm, and high humor are her favorite kind to laugh at. She herself is very puny and can laugh at it, but wishes she didn't spout them out so much.
How did she do in school, or any kind of education she might have had?Luna was educated at home in her schooling years and did well at it. The only parts she enjoyed however, were history, reading and writing. She had reached high-school level of reading by the time she was eleven, and she wrote so much on her own, writing as a school subject became non-exsistant.
Any strange hobbies?Not particularly out of the ordinary, really weird hobbies. She keeps up a journal, glueing little bits of memoirs into it, such as movie ticket stubs, concert programs, and photographs. She has an old typewriter that she bangs away at whenever the urge takes her, writing anything that comes to mind. Song lyrics, short stories, scenes from a novel she might be writing at the moment, scenes from a novel she didn't know she was writing till that moment.
If you haven't heard of Beautiful People, check it out here!

Beautiful People - May/June

2011-05-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Due to both mine and Sky's busy schedules we decided to post Beautiful People a few days early. If you're not sure what Beautiful People is and would like to find out, check out this post.

Also, I would just like to point a few things out to everyone participating. The questions are not only a way to share your character with others, and refresh them in your mind, but to discover more about them. If you don't know the answer to one of the questions, think about it for a little while. Some of the questions are hard, but finding the answer will help to give your character more depth.

Last, but not least, even though some of the questions seem more geared towards non-fantasy kinds of characters, I still encourage fantasy authors to see if they can adapt the question so it'll work for them. If you need to change the questions around a little bit, please feel free to do so. You can also imagine what the answer would be if your character wasn't fantasy, what would they be like in a modern world?

Okay, let's cut to the core. The May/June questions are...

1. What type of laugh does he/she have?
2. Who is his/her best friend?
3. What is his/her family like?
4. Is he/she a Christian, or will he/she eventually find Jesus?
5. Does he/she believe in fairies?
6. Does he/she like hedgehogs?
7. Favorite kind of weather?
8. Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? (Slapstick, wit, sarcasm, etc.?)
9. How did he/she do in school, or any kind of education they might have had.
10. Any strange hobbies?

This rounds questions were submitted by Lily, Inna, and IGirl. Thanks girls!

Have fun, and don't forget to sign the linky!

Your Mountain Is Waiting

2011-05-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

I used to tell myself I didn't like traveling. I got car sick, I didn't like being away from home for so long, I was tired of moving around. While that may have been true then, I've changed quite a bit in the last few years and I can now say I love to travel.

I've been privileged to go more places than many people I know. Places like...

Seattle, Washington
Lexington, Kentucky
Vancouver, Canada
Hawaii

I still have many places I would love to see though. After all, as A. E. Housmen wrote.

Clay lies still, but blood's a rover
Breath's aware that will not keep
Up, lad: when the journey's over
There'll be time to sleep

Broadway

For the theater. For the history. It would be awesome.

Australia

I want to know what the real Outback is like. Not what you read about, or see in movies. I want to see Snowy River country, and Melbourne. The Sydney Opera House. I don't think I could choose just one place, I want to see it all.

Ireland

Ah, another country I would love to travel across. All of it. The villages, the

countryside, the museums, and the castles.

Churchill Downs

Yes, I once lived in Kentucky. No, I never saw a horse race. In fact, I never even touched a horse the entire time I was there. I would love to return to see what the state is so well known for!

I could make the list longer, but I'll spare you the whims of flighty feet. By the way, in case you were wondering, my blog is in the process of being re-templatized. Things should be decent again soon. I hope.

Goal Achieved

2011-05-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

I finished the second draft of The Way We Think today. My NaNoWriMo novel of 2010. 75,328 words.

I'll be honest and say I'm not as happy with it as I could be. I really don't think I'll ever be 100% satisfied with it. I knew it wouldn't end with draft two when I started draft one, but I'm beginning to understand what people mean when they say the re-writing, and editing never really ends.

That being said, this step is rather exciting for me as it's the furthest I've managed to make it with any of my novels. It's a place I've never been to. A place I'm learning from, as I have from every new step I've made in my writing.

It's a milestone and for the next week I can enjoy this. Then it'll be back to fretting over how I'm going to get this character out of that, phrase those words so they sound just right, and asking Finn "does that sound cliche?"

In Which Georgie Rambles On the Subject of Jane Eyre

2011-05-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

After watching the new Jane Eyre a few nights ago, writing a review was inevitable. I didn't really think I would, but as my thoughts came together I decided to share with those who may be interested.

Jane Eyre. I watched the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version several years ago and discovered this story different. This one stood out to me. It wasn't just another period film that ran together, like all of the Jane Austin adaptions. I was fascinated. Enough so to read the book. So, news of this movie excited me as much as any other fan out there. Judie Dench, Jamie Bell, Mia Wasikowska. Oh yes.

They all did an amazing job. You can't really expect any less of them though. Mia graduated into a favorite actress of mine.

Jamie Bell was awesome, but for some reason I did not like John Rivers in this adaption. I liked him in the book, and in the 2006 version, but not this one. I think it was more due to his lines and such than anything else. He was made more awkward and sullen than I remember.

Although there was a lot taken out, it did remain true to the book. There was one point when I thought everything had taken a completely different turn, only to discover it was all in Jane's mind. I do think they did a pretty good job of shortening what would have be an extremely long film, although there were certain things that I thought there should have been more of. Such as Grace Poole. You see nothing of her till Jane finds out about Mrs. Rochester.

Last, but not least, the ending was a little to romantically cheesy for me.

Over all: I left the theater wanting to write something mysterious, yet beautiful at the same time. I liked it, but I like the Masterpiece Theater adaption much better.

In Which Georgie Explains Her Absence

2011-05-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering where I've been, let me explain.

My very nice oral surgeon and his cute little cronies caught me off guard and knocked me out the other day. Their reasoning behind this was so that they could brutally rip out my wisdom teeth and fill my mouth with gauze without me ever being the wiser... literally. Unfortunately for them I figured out what happened and sent them a short little note demanding the return of my teeth. As a sick joke they sent me what they called pain pills. Very appropriately named. These white little beauties were just another laugh on their part as they made me rather... uh... nauseated. No doubt if I had continued to take them as they instructed, I would be dead. Thankfully, my dear Fin has experienced the exact same thing and was able to tell me, before it was to late, about the evilness in the pills. Since then I have been slowly recovering which involves a lot of ice cream, pudding, mashed potatoes, and sleep.

So... uh... there you have it. The full... er... story. Eh-hm. Moving on.

I pass on the job of appeasing the thronging fans who have been demanding more from their favorite blogger, to Adam Young. Because old songs, or new, he always makes me want to write music. I give you Owl City.

May his awesome toy room thrill you as much as it does me.

In Which Georgie Remembers Why She Wants to Direct Film

2011-04-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Just when you think the world has truly gone under and turned their back on God. Just when you think there is nothing humanly possible to help those around you. Just when everything looks completely and utterly lost, you find things like this.

The fact that Carrie Underwood even chose to sing this song surprises me (albeit in a rather... interesting choice of dress). It makes me wonder who will watch this and listen to those words? Who will close the page as soon as they hear the first line? Who in the audience was listening to the message of how great Thou art? Did she realize she could affect hundreds, if not thousands of people by singing this? Did she realize that children are watching her, looking up to her, waiting for her next move?

I just finished reading a book called Harry & Frodo: Understanding Visual Media and its Impact on Our Lives. While rather redundant, it did make clear to me once again, just how much media has an impact on our lives. It affects us more than most people would think. With this renewed realization, I was reminded why I want to make movies. Why I want to make good movies. So much could be accomplished in that field. So many people reached. It doesn't even have to have blaring Christian themes. Just a movie with good morals would be nice for once. With a hero that you can learn from.

Then again, it's not that easy to get yourself in a position to be that kind of an influence. Even if I were to get the money to make a movie, it doesn't mean anyone would watch it. I've told myself this a thousand times, and yet I keep hearing a little voice out of nowhere, "but what if they did?"

I'd like to think Carrie Underwood's standing ovation was due to the fact that she was willing to stand on that stage and sing about a God who has been rejected by society, not just because she sang it like a... well... country star. I believe this youtube video can change lives, if that's the plan God has for it. I believe a film about a person with the faith of a mustard seed, would make an impact on someone out there, and in the end, if it brought just one person a step closer to Christ, my goal will have been reached.

In Which Georgie Wins a Frenzy

2011-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

When I had a free moment today the first thought that came to my mind was scriptwriting. How many pages I could get in before something else arrested my time. There was only one problem with that.

Sam and I were faced with this graphic yesterday night. I was un-able to write any more pages, because there were no more pages to write. The script has ended at a total of 108 pages. This script that is, because now that we've been bitten by the bug, there is no way it's our last one.

In Which Georgie Discovers The Day of the Week

2011-04-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

I used to wonder how on earth someone could not know what day of the week it was.

"Is this Tuesday, or Wednesday?"

I would look at them skeptically and wonder why you would even need to ask that question. Did you completely skip Tuesday? Did you just return from time travel, unsure how much time you spent away? Yesterday was Tuesday. Tomorrow's Thursday. Duh, it's Wednesday.

Then, of course, I always heard people saying the only way they could remember what day it was, was by thinking of the things that were happening that week. Grandma's denture fitting on Monday. Ferdinand's didgeridoo recital on Tuesday. Clementine's initiation into Knit's of the Round Table on Wednesday. On and on.

Things have changed since then though. All week I've been confused as to what day it was. Actually, I even got May and July mixed up. I'm pretty sure the only reason I know what month it is, is due to the fact that I've been writing a screenplay. That's got to mean ScriptFrenzy, and SF takes place in April.

Speaking of ScriptFrenzy, Sam and I have reached 84 pages. Since we've run out of plot, things have kind of been rambling along. Interesting tid-bits we weren't expecting popping up here and there. We have no idea where this whole thing is going, but we do know we only have 16 pages left of the challenge. We also know The Romantic Plot Trasher will not be winning any Academy awards.

Anyway, here I am. Only knowing what day tomorrow is because I get to go in and find out about that wonderful thing where dentists rip the big kid teeth that are supposed to give you wisdom from your head. Duh, tomorrow's Thursday. Oh... wait.

Weston

2011-04-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out this months questions for Beautiful People I would encourage you to do so, and maybe think about joining us! It's a really awesome way to learn more about your characters. Your beautiful creations.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about check out this post to discover all the answers to any questions you've ever had in your life. Okay... maybe not. However, it will answer any questions you may have about Beautiful People.

This month I'll be answering the questions on my character Weston. A little background information for you, Weston is considered a rather nerdy fellow. This may be due to his superpower of being able to hear voices from the past. History was his favorite subject, although he also thought calculus and physics were pretty cool too. He loves Exie, but never really gets the chance to tell her about it.

Not seeing him yet? Need an image? Me too.

Weston Fallyn by GeorgiePenn featuring a cap hat

Okay, here we go.

How old is he?

Twenty-seven.

What does he do in his spare time?

Read, and I'm not talking electronically, like everyone else does in his world. Oh no, he prefers the feel of a real book, paper, ink, leather binding if he can find it. He likes to do that, and hang out with his four best friends.

Does he see the big picture, or live in the moment?

This is kind of a difficult questions for this guy. While he looks forward and sees the big picture, he learns through the course of the novel that things don't always turn out just like you thought they would. So, to begin with, yes, but he later learns to live in the moment as well and enjoy life while you've got what God has given you. Don't put things off to long.

Is he a perfectionist?

No, not really, he likes things to be done right, but he doesn't obsess over getting it perfect.

What does his handwriting look like?

Not to small, not to big, slightly slanted, and squished together.

Favorite Animal?

A platypus. I just decided that.

Does he have any pets?

Not really, his siblings do, and he helps out with them quiet a bit, but he doesn't have any of his own.

Does he have any siblings, how many, and where does he fit in?

He has eight siblings actually, two brothers and six sisters. He's the second oldest. There is one year difference between him and his older brother, and then a five year difference between him and his younger sister so the majority of his siblings are much younger then he.

Does he have a life verse and if so, what is it?

I've never really thought of a verse for him, but he does have a song, Higher Window, by Josh Groban.

Favorite writing utensil?

Anything he happens to find laying around, normally a stubby little pencil with no eraser.

Beautiful People - April

2011-04-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings, and welcome to the second post for Beautiful People! If you signed the linky last month, you're awesome, and please feel free join us again this month! If you didn't, and have no idea what I'm talking about, read on.

Once a month Sky and I will be posting a list of 10 questions for you to answer about your characters. You can use the same character every month, or choose a new one for each set of questions. Your call. You can answer all the questions, just one, or however many you have the time and energy to answer. Just go for it and have fun.

So, lets cut to the mustard. Here are April's questions.

1. How old is he/she?
2. What does he/she do in his/her spare time.
3. Is he/she see the big picture, or live in the moment?
4. Is he/she a perfectionist?
5. What does his/her handwriting look like? (round, slanted, curly, skinny, sloppy, neat, decorative, etc)
6. Favorite animal?
7. Does he/she have any pets?
8. Does he/she have any siblings, how many, and where does he/she fit in?
9. Does he/she have a "life verse" and if so what is it?
10. Favorite writing utensil?

Thanks to Emily and Lily for submitting this months questions over on Sky's blog!

So, pick a character, answer the questions, and have fun!

Lessons to be Learned Within 57 Pages

2011-04-14T22:01:00.001-07:00

FADE IN

Two weeks ago tomorrow, my Sam and I started writing our very first script. Ever.

We decided to try for 50 pages by the end of this month. Today we reached 57 pages. In just those pages we've already learned a great deal.

1. We're in love with screenwriting.
2. It doesn't take as long to write one page, as it does to write 750 words.
3. One man can accidentally be turned into two, but still be one person. (Don't ask)
4. It's very easy to have a lack of connection between co-authors.
5. Nine year old boys can pop out of nowhere and completely steal your heart.
6. It is possible to keep on top of editing/novel writing while doing Script Frenzy.
7. Flashbacks can be either awesome, or a pain.
8. We now know what terms like "slugline," "V.O.," "O.S.," "Int.," and "Ext" mean.

Without actually confirming it with each other, we're shooting for 100 pages by the 30th. The only problem is, we've run out of the resources we were going off of. We had started to write our script, basing it off of a story we were writing together. We've reached the end of what we had written in novel form.

Somehow, I don't think we'll have to much of a problem coming up with the rest of the plot. After all, that's one thing that doesn't change from novel to script. In the end, they both just tell a story.

FADE OUT

The Beautiful King

2011-04-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of Bethany Dillon. However, I am a fan of Kurt Russell and Kris Kristofferson. Put those guys together and I get Dreamer.

I really like the movie. I adore this song. Most of all I love the fact that I have my own beautiful King. Willing to leave the comfort of His Kingdom to fight for victory. Talk about love.

Alice - Then & Now

2011-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland lately, and loving it! I've seen the original Disney movie, and the new one is one of my favorites, but I've never actually read the book completely.

The Dormouse had closed its eyes by this time and was going off into a doze; but on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with a little shriek, and went on: "that begins with an M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness -- you know you say things are 'much of a muchness' -- did you ever see such a thing as drawing of a muchness!"

This book has a lot of fun quotes, and I've been laughing through the whole thing.

"If you knew time as well as I do," said the Hatter, "you wouldn't talk about wasting it. It's him."

It's interesting to see, as always, what parts of the book they incorporated into the movie, and how the characters have changed over the years. I still love the Hatter, all versions. Alice on the other hand, I find her highly annoying in the book, while I adore her in the 2010 film.

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle - will you come and join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, wo'n't you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!", and gave a look askance--
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France--
Then turn not place, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, wo'n't you, will you, wo'n't you, wo'n't you join the dance?"

Through the Looking-Glass is next.

We're Just Us

2011-04-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Given a camera and an entire Saturday with no plans, two best friend's will most likely grab their guitars and shoot some photos.

That is, if those best friends are anything like Fin and I.

Of course, that isn't possible.

Because there is no one like Fin and I.

We're just us.

And that's that.

Writing Updates

2011-04-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Although I posted the other day saying Sam and I were going to tackle Script Frenzy, we still weren't 100% positive if we would. We knew for sure this evening. The answer was yes. We were going to.

One small thing has changed, however. With both of us being insanely busy this month, we decided to go with the Young Writer's Program. Our goal is 50 pages by April 30. To start with at least. It could very easily grow depending on how well this goes.

Once again, you can keep up with our progress on our joint profile: pippinandsam. I'll also be updating here from time to time.

As for the rest of my writing... more to the point, as for The Way We Think (NaNoWriMo novel of 2010) things are going rather slowly. My goal to finish second draft is still set for June 1, but I think it's going to be a lot harder from here on out. I've reached the point where my plot wasn't thought out quiet as well and things were just kind of meshed together in order to get me those 50,000 words. I'm not really sure how I'm going to strengthen these weak areas, and the thought is daunting me. Put simply, I've got writers block, or editors block if you like.

I've reached 50,414 words in this draft though, and I'm not going to let a little thing like writer's block hold me back. I'm hoping a little brainstorming, a lot of sugar, and an over-active imagination will be able to figure something out in the near future. If not... I'm not sure what I'll do.

Because I've Never Got Enough on my Plate

2011-03-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling you get when you realize you've done something crazy? I'm surprised I'm not used to it yet.

My Sam and I have been talking about writing a script together for almost two years now. We wanted to write a screenplay about pirates. Why? Because we love pirates. Two years later, and we've not only managed to keep from writing a single word of the script, we hardly have a plot. Those years have come and gone and every once in awhile we would tell each other, "we really need to think about our pirate script and come up with a plot."

So, when Script Frenzy came around this year, we did the sensible thing. We decided not to use that script and to simply go with a novel we're in the process of writing together. Jokingly referred to as The Romantic Plot Trasher, or RPT. Okay, we always refer to it as The Romantic Plot Trasher. It has no other name. We called it this because one night I said I felt like writing something with a little romance (I have my moments), so did she. We didn't want to worry about plot. Put the two together and what do you get? Well, if you were the both of us, it would come out The Romantic Plot Trasher.

However, me, being the mostly rather un-romantic writer I am, the romance didn't last long. In fact, by the end of the first scene we discovered it was completely dead. Car crashes just come out of nowhere sometimes.

I'm not sure how long we've been working on this together, but we're only reached a few thousand words. The long and short of it is, we've got a loose idea of where the story is going, but it's a plot trasher. We have no idea what we're doing. Neither of us has ever ventured into the screenwriting world. We just wanna have some fun.

If you want to follow us, or are doing Script Frenzy yourself, my username is GeorgiePenn.

God Given Style

2011-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone has different ways of developing and writing their novels. That's just the way we are as humans. God installed something in writers that makes their heart sing when they were supposed to be asleep four hours ago, but stayed up to finish a scene they just couldn't wait to get down. He thought it best not to add that feature to others... goes to prove God truly does know best.

So, we've established that God made writers, and a whole bunch of other people. He didn't stop there though. Within the group of writers He decided to give them each their own style and method. He gave them character. Set one apart from the other.

The fun thing here is that He didn't tell them from the beginning what that style was. He let them grow, learn, and discover for themselves, and, well, the fact of the matter is... I'm still in the discovery stage. I think a lot of people still are and don't even realize it.

If you're unsure what stage you're at, read the following quotes that are rather popular among the "believing they've discovered" stage. If you've ever said, or thought any of them, read on.

"I've only ever written one genre. I don't have to try others, I already know this one is my style."

"I write all my novels the same way. I don't have to try anything different. My method works perfectly."

"I always have a female/male main character. It's just what I know best."

Oh dear. Oh my. I know these sayings so well because I've heard them in so many places, including coming from my own mouth. In the last year, I've learned differently. It started back when I began to realize writing was more then just a small hobby for me. It was something bigger.

I read books on writing. I read blogs on writing, and I continued to write myself. As I found myself writing more and more, I was inspired to try new concepts, new characters, and even new genre's.

Where as before I had remained with fantasy and only fantasy, I discovered historical fiction and sci-fi. My main characters were all girls. Now the role of MC varies so much, it's hard to say which gender I use more often. I once told myself a novel required no planning, or outlining. I'd heard so often that the characters will write the story for you, if you just give them the chance (which I do believe is true, to an extent). What I now consider to be my best novel was around nine months in the planning before I began to write.

I would still return to fantasy as my main genre, but now I've tried something different. I know that out of the genre's I've tried, fantasy will always be home. For now.

I encourage you to branch out and discover. God knows your style, but He can't prove to you what it is if you refuse to try it. I once thought writing couldn't become any more fun. I was wrong. I once thought I couldn't do anything else with my writing. I was wrong. I'm willing to bet you may be wrong as well.

When do you stop searching though? This could go on forever, and I believe it should. You can always learn new things, but only if you're willing to step out from your comfort zone of fantasy and try something new. I doubt I'll ever be done with this hunt. That would leave no room for development, and no matter how good my writing may get, it can always be better.

Then again, God made me just a little different then all the other writers out there. Maybe I'm the only one on this road of discovery. God gave me a style... He gave you a style. Do you know what it is?

Unknown

2011-03-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

When I saw the trailer for the movie Unknown I got pretty excited. Liam Neeson (awesome person), with a case of stolen identity. It looked like it had car chases, and plenty of scary secrets to discover. It's a thriller, one of my favorite genres.

So, last night, I went and saw Unknown. I was slightly disappointed.

"Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It's a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are... Which do you think wins?" -Martin Harris

Breaking it down into three sections here. Directing/filming, acting, and plot.

Directing/Filming

This was the first Jaume Collet-Serra (director) film I've seen. That doesn't surprise me after glancing at his IMDb page. It looks like he's into horror. Anyway, I was impressed. I loved how he worked in Martin's mind, with the flashbacks and memories. Even in the present it was really cool how you saw things through the character's eyes, putting you in their position.

Flavio Martinez Labiano held the position of cinematographer. Another name I wasn't familiar with, but then again, I'm just starting to get to where I recognize names from those in the crew. I loved the shots in this though, how the whole thing was filmed. The lighting was a little different, but it fit the story so it almost wasn't even noticeable.

Acting

It's Liam Neeson, what can I say? He was amazing? Moving on to everyone else, they were all great actors as well. The beautiful Diane Kruger held her own. The only other thing I've seen her in is, of course, the National Treasure movies. Although she does a good job in those, it's not a performance that I would rate as outstanding. This was. She went up a few notches in my book.

Plot

I'm sure by now you're wondering why I was disappointed with the film. Seems I was happy with everything so far. We can't forget the plot though, it's one of the main things that makes a movie. Oliver Butcher & Stephen Cornwell wrote the screenplay. I liked it when I was just looking at what was going on in that moment, but when you step back and look at the whole thing, things change. First of all, there were several moments where there was a serious lull. If you can't keep things moving, don't write thrillers. Second, and my main annoyance, as it got further into the movie I started to realize, this is a lot like the Bourne Identity. Yeah, it's got it's own little twists, and new characters, but the main story was still there. I understand there's nothing new under the sun, but it is possible to put a new spin on things. This didn't have enough of a spin to set it apart. Not only that, I think the Bourne Identity was an all around better film.

So, if you're ever faced with the choice of Unknown, or the Bourne Identity and you just can't decide, take my advice and go with Matt Damon (awesome person). Despite Liam Neeson's epic aura, he just couldn't bring Unknown up to my expectations.

Beautiful People - Exie

2011-03-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

(If you haven't checked out the new blog thing Sky and I are hosting, be sure to click the image above to find out what it's all about!)
I didn't get much feedback on my question of which character I should do this months Beautiful People on. Good thing I've got Sky. She made up my mind for me.
A little information on this character before we get started. She is one of the main characters in my NaNo novel for 2010 (read about The Way We Think HERE), therefore, she has power. A superpower. This superpower is to influence the feelings of those around to her to what she's feeling. The side affect, she has mood swings. She also grew up on First World, which happens to be a world several hundred years ahead of our own. Grant, Luna, Weston, and Ranen are her best friends.
Just to give you an idea of Exie's style...

Exie Shile by GeorgiePenn featuring bermuda shorts

Okay, here we go.
What is your characters full name? Exie Sarah Shile
Does his/her name of a special meaning?I chose the names Exie, and Shile purely because I felt they fit the character. Although, Exie does mean "defending men," which is slightly fitting. Considering she's a superhero. Sarah, however, does have a special significance. It happens to be the name of one of my best friends. Exie just happens to be a lot like this amazing person. You know who you are.
Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality?Would you look at that, I'm already learning new things about Exie. Hadn't really thought about this before and I've already finished the novel she's in, but I digress. It completely depends on what area of her life, but for the most part she tends to be rather disorganized. That being said she's an organized, disorganized kind of person. Her clutter has a meaning to it.
Does he/she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he/she actually have friends?)Well, Exie's superpower makes it hard for her to keep her thoughts to herself. Everyone knows what she's feeling at any given moment. She does have friends though, four really close ones that are more like siblings. Even without her power she would probably tell them anything. Especially so for Luna, the one she's probably the closest to.
Is there something he/she is afraid of?

"Why love if losing hurts so much? We love to know that we are not alone." -C. S. Lewis

I think this quote sums it up pretty well. She's afraid of losing those she loves, and she's afraid of being alone. Thankfully, her relationship with the Lord has assured she never will be.
Does he/she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph?Oh, yes, yes, yes. The only one that doesn't fit her is dance.
What is his/her favorite book? (or genre of book)Weston gave her a very old book one time. He told her it had once been considered a classic, long, long, ago. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Its been her favorite ever since, although she hasn't really told anyone else about it. Weston's the only person who knows she has it, and even he doesn't know how special it is to her.
Who is his/her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him/her?C. S. Lewis is her favorite author, and Grant is someone who inspires her. She's looked up to him ever since she met him, and he inspires her to step out of her shell and go for the things she may not have the chance to take again.
Favorite flavor of ice cream?Mocha.
Favorite season of the year?Spring/Summer. She does enjoy the winter, but only for a short time before she's longing for the warm summer days once again.

Getting to Know Your Beautiful People

2011-03-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

Beautiful People. It's a new blog thing Sky and I are starting. For writers. For the characters they've created. To discover more about their beautiful people.

So, lets cut to the cheese. Hows this work?

This months questions are...

What is your characters full name?
Does his/her name of a special meaning?
Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality?
Does he/she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he/she actually have friends?)
Is there something he/she is afraid of?
Does he/she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph?
What is his/her favorite book? (or genre of book)
Who is his/her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him/her?
Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Favorite season of the year?

Now, my questions for you is, which character of mine would you like to learn more about? I can't decide so I thought I'd leave the choice up to you. You can read short bios of your choices HERE.

Half the fun will be reading about other unique characters, so after you've posted your answers come back to either mine, or Sky's blog and join the Linky!

Life is an Occasion

2011-03-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Strange fact about me: one of my all time favorite movies is Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

Dustin Hoffman (one of my favorite actors, and on my list of awesome people), Natalie Portman, a Mutant, and a toy store. I'm telling you, that's an incredible combination.

One of the things I love the most about this movie is its simple theme of living your life to the fullest. Being you, not what people expect you to be. After all, as Mr. Magorium says...

"Life is an occasion. Rise to it."

This was not a movie I expected to be impressed with. In all honesty, I thought it would be cheesy and poorly made. Since then I've watched it to many times to count. I have a tendency of quoting it in every day conversations and not thinking twice about it. The humor, the choice of words, and the lack of a predictable romance just add all that much more to the collection. I could go on for awhile, but I won't. I'll leave you with this quote. Probably my favorite in the entire film.

"When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written 'He dies.' That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is 'He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with 'He dies." And yet, every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words 'He dies,' but because of the life prior to the words." -Mr. Magorium

Just The Facts

2011-03-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm just here to say...

God is good. Without a doubt.
The Oregon coast is to beautiful to put into words and inspires like you wouldn't believe.
Second families can bless you more then you would ever imagine possible.
Writing song lyrics in giant letters on the beach was added and scratched from my bucket list in one day.
It is possible to get a book, copyright date 1908, for a dollar.
Adorable four year old boys on horseback melt my heart.
Coming home from a trip to find a brand new MacBook Pro on my bed would make my night. Oh wait... it did.

Little Known Facts About Georgie Penn

2011-03-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about blogging is the different people you "meet." I found Mrs. Kraft's blog through one of my all time favorite blogs to read. (life is to short not to) wear red shoes. Seriously, this girl makes my day every time I see she's posted. You should check out both blogs, 'cuase they are both awesome.

Imagine the day I find this new blog, she is hosting a blog party. A blog party I can participate in! Always lots of fun.

What celebrity/celebrities would create a "Star-Struck" feeling if you saw them in real life?

The truth is, there are several. The first ones that come to mind are all the guys from Celtic Thunder. One of my very few celebrity fandoms.

Another one would be Steven Spielberg.

Call me a nerd, but there you have it.

What is your comfort food/drink?

To tell you the truth, I don't really have one. Food has never really been something I've turned to when I need comfort. I guess if I had to choose one though, it would be ice cream

. I love ice cream.

Be brave - tell us something very random about yourself.

Ever since reading Sherlock Holmes, The Sign of Four, I don't like to have the blinds on my window up after dark. Every time I glance up and see it I see an ugly fact plastering itself against the glass. Yes. This is the affect Sherlock Holmes has on me. Yes, I still read Sherlock Holmes and enjoy it to the utmost.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you've never done? What is it?

Where should I start? I have a huge bucket list people. A small sample for your enjoyment...

Visit Australia
Learn to play the saxophone
Direct a play if not a movie
Take a ride (or three) in a hot air balloon

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite

genres?

I enjoy almost any genera of movies setting aside horror and westerns (although there are one, or two westerns I like). My favorites would have to be thrillers and comedies. I humorous thriller makes my day.

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?

Ah! Books! Books! My kingdom for some books! (You can ignore that if you wish, kiddos if you know what I'm talking about) Once again, I love almost any kind of book. My favorites in fiction are fantasy, thrillers, and historical fiction. I also love reading non-fiction on writing and film. True stories are always neat too!

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?

For the longest time I was a country girl and only a country girl (Don't take this the wrong way. I can't stand Taylor Swift's music). In the last year however I've began to branch out. I still love country, but Celtic Thunder, Josh Groban, and Owl City have shown me a new kind of music and I do have to say, I'm in love. I also enjoy film scores, oldies, and folk.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?

Oregon. I love Oregon. My second choice would be the village they call the Moy in Ireland. Just so I could say, "I live in the village they call the Moy."... and because I love Ireland

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?

Leather. Journals, saddles, boots, they all send me into ecstasy.

What are your favorite animals?

Once upon a time I wouldn't have had to answer this. You would be able to tell as soon as you saw my blog. Alas, even though I love the animal just has much, writing has taken over in my blogging life. To answer the question, "The wind of heaven is that which blows between a

horse's ears." -Arabian Proverb

What movie or book character can you most relate to?

This will sound strange, but I believe the answer to this question

would be Edmund Pevensie. Yes, the boy who turns on his siblings for want of attention and power. Honestly though, while others were talking about how terrible he was for doing it, I was telling myself I probably would have done the same thing. Not because I don't like my family, or feel I need power, but because I'm human. I fall. I make mistakes. The great thing about Edmund is he learned his lesson and in the books to come he is stronger then ever because of it. A character to admire for realizing his wrong's and letting "Aslan" change his life for the better. I can easily imagine how he felt as the White Witch offered him everything he thought he wanted, and how he felt when he realized what a mistake he had made.

Music and Writing Combined

2011-02-28T18:48:00.001-08:00

If you've been looking for a good writing prompt, love music, and are reading this, you'll want to continue... reading.

I love music. I'm almost always listening to it in some way. My I-Pod (his name is Danny), the radio, CD's, or just singing. I love music because it inspires me. So, I came up with this little idea. A writing prompt centered around music.

Make a playlist on your i-pod. If you can't make playlists, or don't have an i-pod make a list of your favorite songs on paper. I chose not to add any songs that are not sung in English (considering it's the only language I speak) and most of my Christmas songs. I also decided not to go with any of the classical pieces, or soundtracks.
The next time you want to tackle a writing prompt, or just feel like writing, but aren't sure what to write about, go to your playlist and put it on shuffle. Put the first song that comes up on repeat and listen to it at least once completely through before you start writing.
Write. Write the story that the song tells you. Write about what it means to you. Write about everything you've ever thought about this song before. Just write. Don't think. Set yourself a time limit, or just write till you can write no more.
When you're done, collapse for a moment to catch your breath and then delete that song from your playlist.

Every time you need a writing prompt go back to that playlist. I have 243 songs on mine. Should take me awhile to get through, but I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with it. Will you?

The Heart Press

2011-02-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

You know that feeling you get when you sit down to write in your diary for the first time in weeks and you feel like you have millions of things to update about? So much has changed in just those few days. So much of what's happened has shaped your life. Is shaping your life.

You sit down to finally write about it, because you've been to busy to do it before, and it's then you realize it's all already in the past. Already happened. Already gone. You realize there's no way you could write about it in this book. This little book of memories and thoughts.

After you realize all this you simply write what's on your heart. Then once that's all down on paper, you instantly feel like you've unloaded something. You just feel better. You feel like your heart is pressed within the pages of the book. Like a flower, delicately preserved.

I had that feeling today.

I had that feeling and then I prayed. Because my God is good. My God is good and I will praise Him.

God's Love is Like a Meteor Shower

2011-02-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

A little known fact about me. I'm an Owl City fan. At first I thought his music was just really weird, but now I think it's weird and awesome at the same time. I think maybe that's what Adam Young was going for... at least, I hope so.

Anyway, I've been listening to this song over and over again lately. It's short, only two verses. I love the words though.

I can finally see

That You're right there beside me

I am not my own

For I have been made new

Please don't let me go

I desperately need You

I am not my own

For I have been made new

Please don't let me go

I desperately need You

The Squeeze Box

2011-02-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

Added to my bucket list: Learn to play the accordion.

I'll need someone else to do the deep singing though...

P.S. This guy is my favorite accordion player. On Youtube at any rate.

Give a Girl a Fairy...

2011-02-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

Today I watched Shakespeare Retold: A Midsummer Night's Dream. I enjoyed it although I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Puck made my day. That's about it.

Frankly, I'm not as impressed with Shakespeare as I told myself I would be if I could just get myself excited about it. I now get excited about Shakespeare. I am not impressed. A good tale he could certainly tell, if only slightly predictable. My thoughts in one comment? I enjoy Dickens so much more.

Not only that, Shakespeare has done something terrible. He has filled my mind with fairies. Give a girl a fairy and she'll ask you for a princess. You'll give her a princess and she'll think of a castle. So you'll build her a castle and she'll need a dragon to get her princess to the castle. Once her princess is at the castle she'll discover it's owned by an evil dark lord and she'll need a prince to get the princess out again.... the list goes on and while I should be working on my countless other projects, I've been writing a fairy tale all day.

Oh, and one last thing. If you listen to Owl City's "Hot Air Balloons" while writing a fairy tale you'll end up in an unbelievably whimsical mood.

Dear Summer...

2011-02-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time." -John Lubbock

"In summer, the song sings itself." -William Carlos Williams

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer...

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"No price is set on the lavish summer;

June may be had by the poorest comer."

-James Russell Lowell

"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade." -Gertrude Jekyll

Oh the Summer night

Has a smile of light

And she sits on a sapphire throne.

-Barry Cornwall

... please come soon. Love, me.

Better Than This

2011-01-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

The other day I was pondering what this earth is to a Christian. To someone saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. The answer came quickly for me. A temporary home. Somewhere I won't be forever. There is a place so much better than this, waiting for me.

Wait. Better than this?

This earth is a beautiful place. It is filled with the glory of God that shines out at you. Catching you unexpectedly and knocking the air right out of your body. Leaving you breathless as you stare in wonder and try to tell others exactly how gorgeous this place is. This place that God created. With His voice.

Yet, this is not my home. Someday, I will leave this place. I will go to a better place. A place that is much more beautiful than here. Not only that, a place where there is no sin. A place where I won't see the glory of God one minute, and the corruption of Satan the next. It will all scream praises to our Maker.

Then it hit me. Again. Because even though I've realized it before, He always has to remind me. What a loving Father I have. Even though He knew from the beginning I would be on this earth only for a short time, He gave it beauty. He made it livable. He didn't create something that would work for now, He created something He loved. Something we could love. He gave us a taste of heaven. Telling us things would get so much better than this.

What a promise.

I'm the Girl...

2011-01-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

"Great. Well done. Now we wait." -Mahoney

"No. We breath. We pulse. We regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. 37 seconds well used is a lifetime." -Mr. Magorium

I'm the girl...

who finishes the dreams she woke up in the middle of, on paper.
who eats Doritos and cheese for breakfast.
who watched the end of one movie and the beginning of another.
who started a new story when she's already swamped in a million others. (All for the love of inspiration)
who wanted a glue stick where no glue sticks were to be found.
who called "dude" and "Cheeto" American slang.
who sang Long Black Train at the top of her lungs with Josh Turner.
who was craving pork.
who had a good day.
who will have a great day tomorrow.

True Grit - The Western I Loved

2011-01-20T21:37:00.000-08:00

My Daddy took my family to see True Grit last week. I actually wasn't really looking forward to it for two reasons. #1 I'm not a big fan of westerns. #2 I'm really not a fan of John Wayne, therefore any movie he played in before must not be that great.

That was the movie Daddy wanted to see though, so we went. I watched a western. I loved a western.

"There is nothing free in this world... except the grace of God." -Mattie Ross

One of the things I loved the most about this move was the language. How true it was to the time period. Mattie's quick wit, and responses.

Not only was the language period, so was the acting, the belief's, and... everything.

"I've just come from Yale County." -LaBoeuf

"I wasn't aware we had rodeo clowns in Yale County." -Mattie Ross

"A saucy line will not get you far with me." -LaBoeuf

It was a tad bit gory. I really did not need to see such a close shot of fingers being sliced into segments. Even if you have the nice effects to make it look so real doesn't mean I wanted to see it. I don't think I'll be watching the new Spartacus movie coming out. The trailer only was way to gory.

"So, you say that when Amos Wharton raised his axe, you backed away from him." -Lawyer

"That's right." -Rooster Cogburn

"In what direction were you going?" -Lawyer

"Backwards. I always go backwards when I back up." -Rooster Cogburn

My jaw dropped at more then one scene in this movie. I'm not talking as an average viewer anymore, I'm talking wanna be movie maker. This was movie making genius.

I haven't seen the original True Grit, I don't really want to even now (like I said, it's a John Wayne thing) but from what my family (who have seen it) said, it follows the original far more then we were lead to believe. Don't listen to the guy who gives you your tickets. He knows nothing.

The acting was amazing. Jeff Bridges should be given a medal. Hailee Steinfeld needs to be in more movies, and Matt Damon was... Matt Damon.

So, great movie. Probably one of my favorites. Never thought I would say that about a western, but there you have it.