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Hurray More Questions!
Dec. 30th, 2014 02:40 pmI found another old quiz thing I decided to fill out. This one should be lot less controversial than the last one. Haha.
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Fandom Survey 2012
Jan. 13th, 2013 07:29 pmIt's been too long since I talked about fandoms on here. I took this survey from this Tumblr post. I'm not sure I have any amazing answers, but I'm going to try my best.
1. What fandom(s) did you fall into this year? Lots, but I'll list some favorites: One Tree Hill, The Hunger Games, Instant Star, Dollhouse, and Dance Academy. I'm looking forward to enjoying more of all of these this year.
2. What new internet slang did you learn? Uh... no idea.
3. What was the best movie you saw? I watched so many great movies in 2012, but I'm not sure which I'd call the best. But if you want a long list of some movies I really loved watching last year: The Last Song, Water Lilies, Foxfire, Keith, The Secret World of Arrietty, Wreck-It Ralph, The Hunger Games, Across the Universe, Sucker Punch, Black Swan, Cruel Intentions, Snow White and the Huntsmen, Beastly, and Red Riding Hood.
4. Favorite character you met this year? Peeta Mellark. <3
5. Favorite meme? I'm not sure about that.
6. What is the most nerdy item you acquired? Maybe the Signed copy of Paper Towns (which I still haven't read yet...)?
7. Favorite new food you tried this year? I don't try a lot of new foods, but this. Thank you, Sam.
8. What was the best book you read? This is so close between Catching Fire and Forbidden, but I'm going to choose Forbidden, because I adored it, and I'm hoping a great new series will follow this great book.
9. Favorite YouTube channel you subscribed to? Michelle Phan. What can I say? Her videos are so relaxing, and I love the music she uses.
10. What is your favorite memory of 2012? Meeting my (almost) step-niece, Brooklyn.
11. What are you looking forward to in 2013? Finishing at least two first drafts, and working on the second drafts of those stories. I am seriously really excited!
12. What is the GIF best expresses 2012 for you? The year in general. Most of my year. The rest of my year.
1. What fandom(s) did you fall into this year? Lots, but I'll list some favorites: One Tree Hill, The Hunger Games, Instant Star, Dollhouse, and Dance Academy. I'm looking forward to enjoying more of all of these this year.
2. What new internet slang did you learn? Uh... no idea.
3. What was the best movie you saw? I watched so many great movies in 2012, but I'm not sure which I'd call the best. But if you want a long list of some movies I really loved watching last year: The Last Song, Water Lilies, Foxfire, Keith, The Secret World of Arrietty, Wreck-It Ralph, The Hunger Games, Across the Universe, Sucker Punch, Black Swan, Cruel Intentions, Snow White and the Huntsmen, Beastly, and Red Riding Hood.
4. Favorite character you met this year? Peeta Mellark. <3
5. Favorite meme? I'm not sure about that.
6. What is the most nerdy item you acquired? Maybe the Signed copy of Paper Towns (which I still haven't read yet...)?
7. Favorite new food you tried this year? I don't try a lot of new foods, but this. Thank you, Sam.
8. What was the best book you read? This is so close between Catching Fire and Forbidden, but I'm going to choose Forbidden, because I adored it, and I'm hoping a great new series will follow this great book.
9. Favorite YouTube channel you subscribed to? Michelle Phan. What can I say? Her videos are so relaxing, and I love the music she uses.
10. What is your favorite memory of 2012? Meeting my (almost) step-niece, Brooklyn.
11. What are you looking forward to in 2013? Finishing at least two first drafts, and working on the second drafts of those stories. I am seriously really excited!
12. What is the GIF best expresses 2012 for you? The year in general. Most of my year. The rest of my year.
This or That: It's Not a Race
Oct. 14th, 2012 09:12 pmOkay, deep breath. Things are going better, much better than last week. The drama from last week faded, and I got a ton of writing done, due in part to some lovely fic inspirations. I wrote 3 whole chapters of Magic Inc., one of which was 9 pages long, and a little selection from the future. I don't know why I seem to have some really good weeks, then some really bad weeks, when it comes to writing, but I'm just going to go with it. I'll write when I feel it pulling me, and I won't when it's not. That's just how I seem to work now. (Somebody remind me of this next time I start moping about a couple of poor writing weeks...)
I even went with a friend for lunch and a movie on Friday. I really wanted to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it's still not anywhere near here, sadly. We saw Hotel Transylvania instead. It was cute, and it had a bit of a soulmate theme to it, which I always love! I just want to find my zing. *Sighs* Please, don't make me wait until I'm 118!
But back to writing... I'm sure I've mentioned that Dreaming in Shadow is to be my first published novel. Well, that's what I always thought, anyway. When I came up with the idea for the story at the end of 2003, I was certain of it. But now, nearly 9 years have passed, and Magic Inc. has become my main writing passion. In a way, this is a good thing. Not that long ago, I was scared out of my mind about finishing Dreaming in Shadow. Now, I'm excited about it. (Mostly.) And Magic Inc. has at least 10 books, just in the main story. What I'm writing now is just the beginning, and it will be a very, very long time before I have to worry about it ending.
But see, there's a part of me that worries if I let Magic Inc. Book One be my first novel instead of Dreaming in Shadow, I will be letting my 14-year-old self, whom I promised DiS to, down. Though in a way, it will be validating my poor dear 9-year-old self. (And in some ways, I like her better. I made a lot of my worst mistakes at 14. But that's a story for another time...) But really, it isn't a contest... or a race. Both books will get finished eventually. One will be the first, and the other will have the benefit of more experience. Though it's likely they'll both be finished around the same time. And who knows, maybe Miss Masquerade will sneak up on both of them? Okay, I doubt that one, but still... all three are quite on the right track, so things are - and will be - as they should be.
I even went with a friend for lunch and a movie on Friday. I really wanted to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it's still not anywhere near here, sadly. We saw Hotel Transylvania instead. It was cute, and it had a bit of a soulmate theme to it, which I always love! I just want to find my zing. *Sighs* Please, don't make me wait until I'm 118!
But back to writing... I'm sure I've mentioned that Dreaming in Shadow is to be my first published novel. Well, that's what I always thought, anyway. When I came up with the idea for the story at the end of 2003, I was certain of it. But now, nearly 9 years have passed, and Magic Inc. has become my main writing passion. In a way, this is a good thing. Not that long ago, I was scared out of my mind about finishing Dreaming in Shadow. Now, I'm excited about it. (Mostly.) And Magic Inc. has at least 10 books, just in the main story. What I'm writing now is just the beginning, and it will be a very, very long time before I have to worry about it ending.
But see, there's a part of me that worries if I let Magic Inc. Book One be my first novel instead of Dreaming in Shadow, I will be letting my 14-year-old self, whom I promised DiS to, down. Though in a way, it will be validating my poor dear 9-year-old self. (And in some ways, I like her better. I made a lot of my worst mistakes at 14. But that's a story for another time...) But really, it isn't a contest... or a race. Both books will get finished eventually. One will be the first, and the other will have the benefit of more experience. Though it's likely they'll both be finished around the same time. And who knows, maybe Miss Masquerade will sneak up on both of them? Okay, I doubt that one, but still... all three are quite on the right track, so things are - and will be - as they should be.
Pressures and Obsessions
Jan. 29th, 2012 12:58 pmFor some people, pushing themselves helps them to succeed. I've really never found this to be the case for me. Sure, a little pushing can yield a good result. Occasionally. But after pushing myself to write everyday in November, I came crashing down. I forced myself to write a special chapter on the night before Christmas, but other than that, I didn't get much else done in December. I was writing a lot of journal entries, but once I finished the theme I was following, I even stalled on that.
Here's what I have been doing. Yeah. I learned out how to make .gifs and just started getting crazy with it. Then, I made the very bright or very stupid decision to make some .gifs from A Walk to Remember, which is probably my favorite movie, but I never watch it, because it makes me cry so hard. I was just going to watch a few scenes... then, I was watching the whole thing. At the end, I found myself newly obsessed. And extremely depressed. But also, feeling the need to write. I watched it again the next day, made more .gifs, and put it away. Then, what happens the day after? I left ABC Family on after watching a movie, and eventually, A Walk to Remember comes on. At that point, I realized there must be some reason for this movie to be on my mind right now.
Or for me to be emotionally unstable. Because I'm also back to reading this book. I find myself able to read less and less at a time, as the couple keeps getting closer and closer. There's a part of me that wants to like them together, because they seem truly in love with each other, and I adore both of the characters. But instead, I find myself getting ill, like I was about to sleep with someone I didn't love. That's really the best way I can describe it. I have a problem, I know. :/
Last week, while dealing with all these emotions and a family upset, I ended up playing a lot of Sims 2. Like way too much. Pretty much the amount I played in the weeks back in 2005, when I first left school, and I was too depressed to do anything else. But I think by taking things slowly, with little to no pressure, I recovered. Then, Friday, I took the small bits of emotional writing I did over the couple of weeks and rewrote them in a better chapter. And I felt centered. Finally, I actually enjoyed writing again.
So, maybe I got a lot done in November, but I honestly think it was too much pressure for me. It took this long to enjoy writing again. Not to mention the emotions that had to get stirred up. But that's how it usually goes for me. If I have a writing crisis, it takes my emotions needing the release to make writing feel natural again. Because that's what it's supposed to be for me: a lovely, natural need. Like breathing.
Here's what I have been doing. Yeah. I learned out how to make .gifs and just started getting crazy with it. Then, I made the very bright or very stupid decision to make some .gifs from A Walk to Remember, which is probably my favorite movie, but I never watch it, because it makes me cry so hard. I was just going to watch a few scenes... then, I was watching the whole thing. At the end, I found myself newly obsessed. And extremely depressed. But also, feeling the need to write. I watched it again the next day, made more .gifs, and put it away. Then, what happens the day after? I left ABC Family on after watching a movie, and eventually, A Walk to Remember comes on. At that point, I realized there must be some reason for this movie to be on my mind right now.
Or for me to be emotionally unstable. Because I'm also back to reading this book. I find myself able to read less and less at a time, as the couple keeps getting closer and closer. There's a part of me that wants to like them together, because they seem truly in love with each other, and I adore both of the characters. But instead, I find myself getting ill, like I was about to sleep with someone I didn't love. That's really the best way I can describe it. I have a problem, I know. :/
Last week, while dealing with all these emotions and a family upset, I ended up playing a lot of Sims 2. Like way too much. Pretty much the amount I played in the weeks back in 2005, when I first left school, and I was too depressed to do anything else. But I think by taking things slowly, with little to no pressure, I recovered. Then, Friday, I took the small bits of emotional writing I did over the couple of weeks and rewrote them in a better chapter. And I felt centered. Finally, I actually enjoyed writing again.
So, maybe I got a lot done in November, but I honestly think it was too much pressure for me. It took this long to enjoy writing again. Not to mention the emotions that had to get stirred up. But that's how it usually goes for me. If I have a writing crisis, it takes my emotions needing the release to make writing feel natural again. Because that's what it's supposed to be for me: a lovely, natural need. Like breathing.
So Inspired!
Aug. 27th, 2011 05:59 pmI've been so busy this week, and for the first time in awhile, it had nothing to do with my Grandma's house. Such a relief. I did stop by there with Jan and Paul once to feed Grandma's stray cats. We saw four kittens! It was the fist time I can remember seeing such small ones all year. Jan and I also picked some sweet peas. It was nice. I know I'm going to miss the house a lot when I can't go anymore.
So, this week's busy was mostly to do with writing. I started last weekend off by working on Miss Masquerade while playing with Sapphira's family on The Sims 2. It's such a fun way to write. I started to think about some of the characters that don't have last names, since I couldn't make them as sims unless I gave them some sort of last name. So, with the help of my Mom doing some research on Italian surnames, I found a last name for Sylas. I wrote it on the notebook I keep on my desk and glanced at it over the week. Everytime I did, I still really liked it. I'll probably make him (and his brother) soon.
Tuesday, while I was doing laundry, I was thinking about book names for my Magic Inc. series. I only had titles for the first 3 books. I was also thinking about my old Harry Potter series, which had many of the same themes. (It was probably because I've been reading a HP fanfic over this month. A great read, by the way.) I thought about the parallels between the world I was making up just in my head and the fanfiction I was writing out. I realized that with a little work, I could use some of the old titles. Now, I have great titles for the first 6 books and tentative ideas for the following 2. Putting those titles into place on my timeline made me end up spending a good hour or so getting some other stories lined up. Now, I have 15 of the busiest years in place.
I also finished the Miss Masquerade chapter that I hadn't quite finished. And I was super nervous about that part. Sapphira has a dream, whose effects I had planned for ages, but I hadn't figured out what exactly was going to happen. I was almost sick about it until Thursday, when I showed Jill. She loved it. I kept asking her for opinions, since she studies dreams, but she had a hard time not just saying how much she liked it. Hehe. I still think it needs a little work - it feels quite raw, like most parts of Spun of Silver - but I do feel better about it now. Or maybe it's supposed to feel raw, considering Sapphira's reaction to it? Hmm.
Yesterday, I spent the day with my Mom, then we picked up Joe around 6PM to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Believe it or not, it was only my third time. Yeah. That's insane for me. Just goes to show how busy it's been with my Grandma's house. *Sighs* Anyways, I enjoyed it so much... cried lots... but I also started getting ideas for an upcoming Miss Masquerade chapter. It's a blessing and a curse. The better - or more inspirational - the movie, the more likely I am to start feeling like I need to write or think about my own stories at some point. That's why I enjoy watching movies at home by myself best. I can pause whenever I want to for a 10 (or more) minute break. It happens all the time.
Today, I wrote about 5 pages of Dreaming in Shadow, finishing up a chapter I've been working on for a few weeks. The first half was action-oriented, which is not my favorite or best type of writing, but the second half was full of emotion. I had such a great feeling while writing, and I found some great songs to fit with it. One is a song from the newest season of Degrassi. Fits so well. Goodness, I love Degrassi music. <3
I've been totally in love with Degrassi, of course. I'm trying to not overwatch this season, though. I watched the Boiling Point episodes so many times that I'm kind of sick of them. I don't want that to happen again. I still love interactions between Clare and Eli, though I'm not sure they should get back together. I like Imogen in a character appreciation-type way. I'm not so crazy about Jake. He's sweet sometimes, but I can't see him being a long-term match for Clare. I wish there was more Adam, though I know they need to deal with older characters storylines right now. Speaking of that, I just knew they didn't bring in a pretty young teacher without plans for a student/teacher relationship. I like it so far, though I miss Sav/Anya still.
So, this week's busy was mostly to do with writing. I started last weekend off by working on Miss Masquerade while playing with Sapphira's family on The Sims 2. It's such a fun way to write. I started to think about some of the characters that don't have last names, since I couldn't make them as sims unless I gave them some sort of last name. So, with the help of my Mom doing some research on Italian surnames, I found a last name for Sylas. I wrote it on the notebook I keep on my desk and glanced at it over the week. Everytime I did, I still really liked it. I'll probably make him (and his brother) soon.
Tuesday, while I was doing laundry, I was thinking about book names for my Magic Inc. series. I only had titles for the first 3 books. I was also thinking about my old Harry Potter series, which had many of the same themes. (It was probably because I've been reading a HP fanfic over this month. A great read, by the way.) I thought about the parallels between the world I was making up just in my head and the fanfiction I was writing out. I realized that with a little work, I could use some of the old titles. Now, I have great titles for the first 6 books and tentative ideas for the following 2. Putting those titles into place on my timeline made me end up spending a good hour or so getting some other stories lined up. Now, I have 15 of the busiest years in place.
I also finished the Miss Masquerade chapter that I hadn't quite finished. And I was super nervous about that part. Sapphira has a dream, whose effects I had planned for ages, but I hadn't figured out what exactly was going to happen. I was almost sick about it until Thursday, when I showed Jill. She loved it. I kept asking her for opinions, since she studies dreams, but she had a hard time not just saying how much she liked it. Hehe. I still think it needs a little work - it feels quite raw, like most parts of Spun of Silver - but I do feel better about it now. Or maybe it's supposed to feel raw, considering Sapphira's reaction to it? Hmm.
Yesterday, I spent the day with my Mom, then we picked up Joe around 6PM to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Believe it or not, it was only my third time. Yeah. That's insane for me. Just goes to show how busy it's been with my Grandma's house. *Sighs* Anyways, I enjoyed it so much... cried lots... but I also started getting ideas for an upcoming Miss Masquerade chapter. It's a blessing and a curse. The better - or more inspirational - the movie, the more likely I am to start feeling like I need to write or think about my own stories at some point. That's why I enjoy watching movies at home by myself best. I can pause whenever I want to for a 10 (or more) minute break. It happens all the time.
Today, I wrote about 5 pages of Dreaming in Shadow, finishing up a chapter I've been working on for a few weeks. The first half was action-oriented, which is not my favorite or best type of writing, but the second half was full of emotion. I had such a great feeling while writing, and I found some great songs to fit with it. One is a song from the newest season of Degrassi. Fits so well. Goodness, I love Degrassi music. <3
I've been totally in love with Degrassi, of course. I'm trying to not overwatch this season, though. I watched the Boiling Point episodes so many times that I'm kind of sick of them. I don't want that to happen again. I still love interactions between Clare and Eli, though I'm not sure they should get back together. I like Imogen in a character appreciation-type way. I'm not so crazy about Jake. He's sweet sometimes, but I can't see him being a long-term match for Clare. I wish there was more Adam, though I know they need to deal with older characters storylines right now. Speaking of that, I just knew they didn't bring in a pretty young teacher without plans for a student/teacher relationship. I like it so far, though I miss Sav/Anya still.
It can't be over...
Jul. 16th, 2011 01:27 pmIn some ways, I never wanted this to come. The end of the Harry Potter era. Not that people won't adore the books and movies forever. But there won't be the same anticipation. Not ever, ever again. Unless Jo changes her mind about writing more. And I would take anything: Lily and James, Albus Severus (and Scorpius/Rose! <3), Snape, Dumbledore, the 7 books from another POV. Really, anything she felt like writing. But otherwise, I think I'll be stuck writing and reading fanfiction for the rest of my life. It can't be over. I won't let it be.
So, what to think of the last movie... This movie is strange in that nearly nothing is quite exactly the way it is supposed to be in the books, yet it still gives off the same presence due to some wonderful acting and care given to achieving the proper feel. It's as exciting and epic - but also as heart-breaking and heart-warming - as it's meant to be.
Of course, that doesn't mean there weren't issues. The thing that comes first to my head, which rubbed me wrong, probably seems silly, but I didn't like how the Slytherins were all sent to the dungeon instead of being evacuated. Are we supposed to think that every Slytherin is evil? Including all the First-Years? Snape is certainly not perfect, but he was a good Slytherin. There had had to be some others. They just weren't brave enough to fight. ^_^;
I feel like most of the smaller mistakes come down to making everything more dramatic. I didn't like how Bellatrix and Voldemort came apart in pieces. I didn't like the weird falling off the tower struggle, that has baffled me since it showed up in a trailer. I wish they had made clear at the end that it was Avada Kedavra against Expelliarmus again. I wish Harry had fixed his wand and looked at Dumbledore's portrait at the end.
But somehow, I feel pretty okay with most of the changes. They pretty much made Neville/Luna happen, which was fantastic. The author is always right, but I never bought Jo's explanation for why Neville/Luna wouldn't have worked. "...I think that Neville would always find Luna’s wilder flights of fancy alarming." Um, are we talking about the same Neville? Deathly Hallows!Neville? Because DH!Neville is pretty darn brave, don't you think? I think he could handle Luna's flights of fancy. I don't mind that he ended up with Hannah Abbott in canon, but that explanation just doesn't work for me.
I wish there had been just a few more scenes with Snape, though what we got was beautiful. I need to find icons of Severus and Lily lying in the grass... like right now. <3 My spark for wanting to write Lily has come back. We'll see how much. And 19 Years Later, was about as perfect as could be. I adored it. I only missed my, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood.", just like I missed, "Keep that big bushy head down, Granger." in Goblet of Fire. But that's super nitpicky. :p
Mainly, I just really want to see the movie again. And again. And read the books again and again. And for there to be more books... someday. I wish, I wish so much.
So, what to think of the last movie... This movie is strange in that nearly nothing is quite exactly the way it is supposed to be in the books, yet it still gives off the same presence due to some wonderful acting and care given to achieving the proper feel. It's as exciting and epic - but also as heart-breaking and heart-warming - as it's meant to be.
Of course, that doesn't mean there weren't issues. The thing that comes first to my head, which rubbed me wrong, probably seems silly, but I didn't like how the Slytherins were all sent to the dungeon instead of being evacuated. Are we supposed to think that every Slytherin is evil? Including all the First-Years? Snape is certainly not perfect, but he was a good Slytherin. There had had to be some others. They just weren't brave enough to fight. ^_^;
I feel like most of the smaller mistakes come down to making everything more dramatic. I didn't like how Bellatrix and Voldemort came apart in pieces. I didn't like the weird falling off the tower struggle, that has baffled me since it showed up in a trailer. I wish they had made clear at the end that it was Avada Kedavra against Expelliarmus again. I wish Harry had fixed his wand and looked at Dumbledore's portrait at the end.
But somehow, I feel pretty okay with most of the changes. They pretty much made Neville/Luna happen, which was fantastic. The author is always right, but I never bought Jo's explanation for why Neville/Luna wouldn't have worked. "...I think that Neville would always find Luna’s wilder flights of fancy alarming." Um, are we talking about the same Neville? Deathly Hallows!Neville? Because DH!Neville is pretty darn brave, don't you think? I think he could handle Luna's flights of fancy. I don't mind that he ended up with Hannah Abbott in canon, but that explanation just doesn't work for me.
I wish there had been just a few more scenes with Snape, though what we got was beautiful. I need to find icons of Severus and Lily lying in the grass... like right now. <3 My spark for wanting to write Lily has come back. We'll see how much. And 19 Years Later, was about as perfect as could be. I adored it. I only missed my, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood.", just like I missed, "Keep that big bushy head down, Granger." in Goblet of Fire. But that's super nitpicky. :p
Mainly, I just really want to see the movie again. And again. And read the books again and again. And for there to be more books... someday. I wish, I wish so much.
How can I say goodbye?
Jul. 7th, 2011 04:17 pmFair warning: This is an extremely depressing (somewhat insane) post. If you only want to read the Harry Potter portion of this post, skip to the second set of ellipses (...). I'm not going to LJ Cut any of this, because it all fits together, but I won't blame you for skipping my crying rants.
...
It's getting harder and harder. Being at Grandma's house. Looking at the spaces where furniture used to be. This was my childhood home. My home. How can this be happening? I miss Grandma so much. I've been just pushing along, knowing we have so much work to do. But I can feel it building. The terror after the house is sold. When it all comes into view. Grandma is gone. And she isn't coming back.
I had no idea this year was coming. Not that I didn't worry about Grandma often. But to think this actually happened. I just can't handle it. Never being able to call that number again. Never having someone there, always there, to listen whenever you need her. There is no one else, who can fill her space. I have a gaping hole. Just another aching need that can't be filled.
So, you see, when things are in a good place, it's not easy for people to bring up the idea that what I want most in the world might not exist. At this point, it was a very big mistake to suggest such a thing. I'll make it clear for people, who wonder, so they won't ask. If I thought Morgan didn't exist, if I lost my belief in him, I would kill myself. I wouldn't want to live in a world like that. I'd rather go up and be with Grandma in Heaven. And if that option didn't exist, then I rather live in a delirium. I already have to often lose myself in delirium to keep myself breathing. Do you realize this? I pretend Morgan is around. I have to imagine he's holding me every night to get to sleep. I talk to him when I'm alone. Okay? I'm crazy. And I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of that. If I didn't have that, I wouldn't have made it this far. He is the reason I keep breathing.
Meanwhile, the tension in the house has been building. I had a fight with my Mother last night, which is rare. I'm still kind of angry.
So, due to those three things, I was up until after 2AM. Crying until I lost my mind and started talking to Morgan. I reached a point where I was actually quite happy... for me. Just so you know who I really am. I'm crazy.
...
Today, I'm crying again. After another bad night's sleep (at least not due Slendy obsession), I got out of bed just in time to watch the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I cried a lot, off and on the whole time, but at the end they brought together, if I can remember correctly: David Heyman, David Barron, David Yates, Steve Kloves, Jo Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and the head of Warner Bros.. They all gave speeches, and I cried and cried. It was a beautiful end to a wonderful 10 years. More, of course, if you consider this the end of the first generation of the Harry Potter franchise as a whole, as I do. And that makes this another goodbye, that I can't handle.
I will probably link to a clip of it later, but as Jo put it, "Whether you return by page or big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." If you love Harry Potter anywhere near as much as I do, you need to see these speeches. And you will cry. Jo cried. Emma cried. If you love Harry Potter, you will cry. I'm watching the whole premiere again right now to see these moments.
...
As I come to the end of this emotional post, I can only say I'm truly glad I have therapy tonight. I really need it.
Things I'd Like to Find
Mar. 9th, 2011 12:07 pmHere's a list of music and videos I'd really like to find. As far as I know, there's no legitimate way to find these things. If I'm wrong, I'm 100% fine with a link to a place where I can purchase CDs or DVDs (at a decent price) or whatever. Keep in mind; however, that I can not currently use Pay Pal.
( Help Me? )
( Help Me? )
Shopping Guilt
Jan. 9th, 2011 12:28 pmYesterday, I finally got a chance to use my giftcards and money from Christmas. I got a lot of cool things, but I feel so guilty for spending so much in one go. I feel like my Dad. :/ I really don't regret any of the things I bought, but to buy so much at one time feels a lot like how my Dad spends money. Which I hate.
I bought some jewelry at Penny's, because I had a return. The stuff I bought was actually quite expensive, but it was super on sale. The check-out lady told me I saved something like $64. That's pretty impressive, though I would never have bought that stuff at full price. There was another great sale going on a Bath & Body Works. Lots of little bottles of stuff for $1-$3. It was great, though because I know that B&BW is mostly free of animal-derived ingredients, I didn't check a couple of labels until I got home. And somehow, they forgot to check out the air-fresheners I was buying for my Grandma, but I have to go back to the Mall on Tuesday to get Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded, so going back won't be out of the way.
Speaking of games, I wasn't planning on it, but I ended up going to GameStop. ^_^; I bought the first Nancy Drew game, which was remastered for the anniversary or some such and Heavy Rain. I've been considering Heavy Rain for some time, because I love the idea of an interactive story. I am still worried that some parts will be too intense for me. :/ But I'm just too interested in the game to ignore it. I also bought another Sarah Dessen book at Borders. It was hardback, and I just couldn't resist. Another unplanned purchase. I feel so guilty! But as I said before... I don't think any of these things were bad choices.
Finally, we went to Walmart, where I had a giftcard, and I bought some movies: Nights in Rodante (which I'm hoping my Grandma will enjoy), Despicable Me, Wall.E, and Super Mario Brothers (which I know everyone other than me and like, one other person hates, but it was only $5, and I like it, so :P).
So, I spent almost $200. Guilt, guilt, guilt. :/ Some of that was a donation to Club Pet, so that's a little better. But wow, so much money.
I bought some jewelry at Penny's, because I had a return. The stuff I bought was actually quite expensive, but it was super on sale. The check-out lady told me I saved something like $64. That's pretty impressive, though I would never have bought that stuff at full price. There was another great sale going on a Bath & Body Works. Lots of little bottles of stuff for $1-$3. It was great, though because I know that B&BW is mostly free of animal-derived ingredients, I didn't check a couple of labels until I got home. And somehow, they forgot to check out the air-fresheners I was buying for my Grandma, but I have to go back to the Mall on Tuesday to get Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded, so going back won't be out of the way.
Speaking of games, I wasn't planning on it, but I ended up going to GameStop. ^_^; I bought the first Nancy Drew game, which was remastered for the anniversary or some such and Heavy Rain. I've been considering Heavy Rain for some time, because I love the idea of an interactive story. I am still worried that some parts will be too intense for me. :/ But I'm just too interested in the game to ignore it. I also bought another Sarah Dessen book at Borders. It was hardback, and I just couldn't resist. Another unplanned purchase. I feel so guilty! But as I said before... I don't think any of these things were bad choices.
Finally, we went to Walmart, where I had a giftcard, and I bought some movies: Nights in Rodante (which I'm hoping my Grandma will enjoy), Despicable Me, Wall.E, and Super Mario Brothers (which I know everyone other than me and like, one other person hates, but it was only $5, and I like it, so :P).
So, I spent almost $200. Guilt, guilt, guilt. :/ Some of that was a donation to Club Pet, so that's a little better. But wow, so much money.
Writer's Block: Spreading the cheer
Dec. 18th, 2010 12:49 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I'm not the most excited-for-Christmas type person.Christmas actually depresses me. However, I do put up Christmas decorations in my room. After all, that's what they are there for! I usually put them up the day after Thanksgiving. When I take them down varies just a bit, but it's definitely all packed away by January 4th.
Speaking of Christmas, I've been barely able to do any shopping because of my stupid cold. It is gone now, save for a bit of coughing, but it's way too busy out for me to stand shopping. I sent my Mom to get some gift cards for a few people at the mall, because I'm too scared to go. I am probably going to Deathly Hallows Part 1 with her later, though. Hopefully, that won't be too busy. :/ It's down to 3 showings a day already! I really need to get in there to see it before it's too late.
I'm not the most excited-for-Christmas type person.Christmas actually depresses me. However, I do put up Christmas decorations in my room. After all, that's what they are there for! I usually put them up the day after Thanksgiving. When I take them down varies just a bit, but it's definitely all packed away by January 4th.
Speaking of Christmas, I've been barely able to do any shopping because of my stupid cold. It is gone now, save for a bit of coughing, but it's way too busy out for me to stand shopping. I sent my Mom to get some gift cards for a few people at the mall, because I'm too scared to go. I am probably going to Deathly Hallows Part 1 with her later, though. Hopefully, that won't be too busy. :/ It's down to 3 showings a day already! I really need to get in there to see it before it's too late.
Writer's Block: Time after time...
Dec. 13th, 2010 08:51 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I absolutely go back to my favorite things. I've read the Harry Potter books at least 3 times; the first 3 probably 10 or more times. Just in theaters, I've watched all the Harry Potter movies at least 4 times, most 7 or more. I saw Peter Pan in theaters 10 times, at least 3 times since then. I've seen A Walk to Remember and Titanic probably at least 5 times, even though I sob every time I watch. Genius I've watched countless times after heartbreaks and bad days. I watched my favorite Disney movies over and over when I was young. I'm surprised my Lion King VHS still plays. Though I expect that's common for kids.
Even some of my newer favorite movies, like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Lost and Delirious, I watched my favorite parts over and over for a week or so, enjoying my new obsessions. HeH.
Also, though the question is just talking about books and movies, I've played Kingdom Hearts probably 4 full times, many other partial times. I've played Final Fantasy X twice. I'm not sure how many times I played Super Mario RPG, but I'd say at least 5. I really need to finish 2nd playthroughs of Shadow Hearts and Covenant. And I've watched and read NANA tons of times! I've seen every episode of Degrassi at least twice. I also listen to my favorite podcasts over and over again.
Basically, there are no limits on re-enjoying things I love. But of course, you do want to make sure you give new things a chance. You never know when I new favorite may arise! For instance, today I read the first volume of Mars, and I'm totally in love. I'm so happy to find something new to obsess over. Especially to try and get me through the coughing fit end of this cold! Basically, it's been tea and tissues and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for the last 7 days. I'm definitely feeling better, but the coughing has been disrupting my sleeping the last few days, and I can get really messed up over loss of sleep.
I absolutely go back to my favorite things. I've read the Harry Potter books at least 3 times; the first 3 probably 10 or more times. Just in theaters, I've watched all the Harry Potter movies at least 4 times, most 7 or more. I saw Peter Pan in theaters 10 times, at least 3 times since then. I've seen A Walk to Remember and Titanic probably at least 5 times, even though I sob every time I watch. Genius I've watched countless times after heartbreaks and bad days. I watched my favorite Disney movies over and over when I was young. I'm surprised my Lion King VHS still plays. Though I expect that's common for kids.
Even some of my newer favorite movies, like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Lost and Delirious, I watched my favorite parts over and over for a week or so, enjoying my new obsessions. HeH.
Also, though the question is just talking about books and movies, I've played Kingdom Hearts probably 4 full times, many other partial times. I've played Final Fantasy X twice. I'm not sure how many times I played Super Mario RPG, but I'd say at least 5. I really need to finish 2nd playthroughs of Shadow Hearts and Covenant. And I've watched and read NANA tons of times! I've seen every episode of Degrassi at least twice. I also listen to my favorite podcasts over and over again.
Basically, there are no limits on re-enjoying things I love. But of course, you do want to make sure you give new things a chance. You never know when I new favorite may arise! For instance, today I read the first volume of Mars, and I'm totally in love. I'm so happy to find something new to obsess over. Especially to try and get me through the coughing fit end of this cold! Basically, it's been tea and tissues and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep for the last 7 days. I'm definitely feeling better, but the coughing has been disrupting my sleeping the last few days, and I can get really messed up over loss of sleep.
The Cold Cycle
Dec. 9th, 2010 01:47 pmStill sick. *Sighs* It's certainly not the worst cold I've had in my life, but I still don't really feel like doing anything. I spent most of yesterday listening to podcasts and playing games on Neopets and Facebook. Really productive. :/ When my Mom got home, I watched the Sorcerer's Apprentice with her and Joe. I didn't enjoy it as much the second time around. I blame the cold. The night I first started feeling sick, Mom and I watched Penelope. I enjoyed that fine the second time, but I wasn't as sick then.
I'm starting to feel more and more depressed. It's not a big deal, really. I feel like I'm complaining too much for this little cold, but it's hard for me to distract myself when I don't feel up to doing anything. It's a cycle. And every night I'm getting more anxious about sleeping. I woke up last night for maybe a half an hour with my throat feeling awful. Thinking about that is probably not going to help me get to sleep tonight, either.
Grandma called, so I was listening to her talk while I type. My throat hurts too much to say much, so we didn't talk long. *Sighs*
I wish I felt well enough to write. I've got lots of wandering thoughts about stories, but no ambition to actually write.
I think I need some cheering up. Let's see how Sims 2 will weather against my cold.
Music and Magic
Nov. 30th, 2010 07:36 pmI got a new iPod Nano! It's so teeny and awesome! It took me awhile to talk myself into it, because I don't go out much and am usually attached to my computer and Windows Media Player, but it really was a great idea. It's really a Christmas present from my Mom and Joe. But I always mangage to get my Christmas presents early - doesn't that sound Slytherin-y of me? - this time, because I gave my Mom my old iPod.
Anyways, things I love about my iPod: The little screen not only shows the album art I meticulously put into my songs but also the lyrics! My old shuffle didn't even have a screen. And oh, I did love it for what it was worth. But not having a screen was really a bummer. Now, if I'm out and need a certain song to write, I can actually find it. Okay, so that doesn't happen a lot, especially in Winter, but I'll probably get a good 5 or so years out of it like I did with my shuffle. Maybe even longer because I've barely gotten 3 Gigs on it so far. I have way more music, but I need to sort it all first. :/ I'm really OCD about this stuff.
While I was trying out my iPod, I also read two chapters of an awesome Harry Potter fanfiction. It's a story that has inspired a possible fanfic of my own just from listening to an old discussion about it. (I'm reminded of how Mallory talking about The Mediator books lead me to my side of Spun of Silver!) The fanfic was actually removed from sites due to the author becoming published and signing a contract or some such. But I managed to find it it, and I think I made a new LJ friend in the process. YaY!
The fic follows Draco if he had been placed in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin. Apparently, it's going to be Draco/Harry, eventually... which certainly isn't my cup of tea, but the discussion on SpellCast just kept making me think about it over time. I finally decided to give it a try. So far, it's well written enough to make me think I'll be able to get through it, though I'm not big on slash. If I continue to enjoy the fic, I think I'll look into the author's published work.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 Thoughts
Nov. 21st, 2010 07:30 pmWell, after watching Deathly Hallows Part 1 a second time, it's time to go over some thoughts. Let's go through some good points first. The general tone and pacing of the movie were very in line with the book. The slowness of some parts might not be the best for some casual movie fans, but it is very good for book lovers. I thought the acting was very good, as well. I enjoyed the Harry and Ron tension. I enjoyed seeing Hermione's quiet sadness over Ron's leaving. Even the Harry-Hermione dance scene was more enjoyable the second time around. And Draco's indecision was well acted, too. He doesn't do a lot (which is in line with the book), but at least he did his part well.
But even though Ron was probably at his best acting-wise this movie, they missed an opportunity to go farther with his character during Hermione's torture. In the book, Ron was screaming to Hermione as she was tortured. Over and over again he called to her. At one point, he is described as sobbing and hitting the walls with his fists. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful scene. I wanted so much to see that emotion, and I wonder why it was not there. The only thing I could come up with was that they didn't want to scare the children too much. I felt the the scene was toned down for that reason. I did like the part that Emma and Helena came up with of the carving of "Mudblood" into Hermione's arm. But other that that, I think they downplayed that scene too much. Especially for being the climax of the movie.
I thought the Deathly Hallows animation was wonderful. It was nice and tinged with dark and just really well done. Assorted other great things: I noticed a lot of lines from the book, like Ron interrupting Hermione at the start of the story. The reading, though a bit cut down, had some good lines taken right from the book like: "And so Death took the first brother for his own". I thought Emma's reading was quite well done.
I also really enjoyed the beginning of the movie where Hermione modifies her parents' memories. It makes me tear up right away. But that leads me to some bad parts. Or well, just exclusions I was not at all pleased about. We had no resolution with the Dursleys. Very disappointing. And then, no life-debt resolution with Wormtail. Extremely disappointing! It almost looked like it was filmed and just cut out. :/ I also really missed not being able to see Luna's room or the Potter memorial for more sentimental reasons. I think they would have looked lovely on film.
So, overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I think it caught the tone perfectly and followed a lot of the plot points well, leading to a (mostly) very faithful adaptation. However, I'm sort of annoyed that even after splitting the movie, they couldn't fit in a few major plot points.
I'm both excited for the last movie and dreading it. I never want the magic to end. :(
Another End Aproaches
Nov. 11th, 2010 06:37 pmIt's been a pretty good week. Feels like I'm getting into the swing of things with my new even more vegetarian diet. I still haven't gotten too many ideas on what to eat out, but I'm not worrying too much about that right now.
I've spent a lot of time gaming this week. I made a new family with characters of mine in The Sims 3 to mess around with the celebrity options in Late Night. They've been really fun. It's given me some new ideas for stories, too. That's why I love The Sims! There's always a chance of getting inspired. I played a little Sims 2 today, also. I'm working on my legacy from two years ago, believe it or not! They just keep running into bad luck, though. I had to cheat a little again. :/ I'm not scoring or anything, so I don't feel too guilty making my family happy. I swear they are cursed. They just can't seem get through without some major help.
I've also been working on Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. I think the new characters and settings are a nice breath of fresh air. I'm not exactly in far enough to comment much on the story... plus, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of it by choosing Aqua first. Oh, well. I think she's awesome, anyways.
And yep, more games. I've been playing some Lego Harry Potter which is super fun! And I even started playing a bit of Final Fantasy V. Yes, five. It's actually pretty fun for such an old game. HeH. I really like it so far.
Today, I spent a few hours watching the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 premiere online. It was... kind of moving for me. I cried through a lot of it. Mostly excited/thankful tears, but the premiere a lot brought some new fears to light. I've already mourned the end of the books, but in less than a year, I'll have to mourn the end of the movies, too. :( I don't want any of it to end. I'm also feeling like I'm not going to be able to see it at midnight. my Mom said she'd take me, but it's just a really intense experience. And with the way the medicine makes me tired, it's going to add exhaustion to dealing with crowds... not a good idea. And yet, this is one of the last chances to do something like this. I'm so torn. :/
I've spent a lot of time gaming this week. I made a new family with characters of mine in The Sims 3 to mess around with the celebrity options in Late Night. They've been really fun. It's given me some new ideas for stories, too. That's why I love The Sims! There's always a chance of getting inspired. I played a little Sims 2 today, also. I'm working on my legacy from two years ago, believe it or not! They just keep running into bad luck, though. I had to cheat a little again. :/ I'm not scoring or anything, so I don't feel too guilty making my family happy. I swear they are cursed. They just can't seem get through without some major help.
I've also been working on Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. I think the new characters and settings are a nice breath of fresh air. I'm not exactly in far enough to comment much on the story... plus, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of it by choosing Aqua first. Oh, well. I think she's awesome, anyways.
And yep, more games. I've been playing some Lego Harry Potter which is super fun! And I even started playing a bit of Final Fantasy V. Yes, five. It's actually pretty fun for such an old game. HeH. I really like it so far.
Today, I spent a few hours watching the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 premiere online. It was... kind of moving for me. I cried through a lot of it. Mostly excited/thankful tears, but the premiere a lot brought some new fears to light. I've already mourned the end of the books, but in less than a year, I'll have to mourn the end of the movies, too. :( I don't want any of it to end. I'm also feeling like I'm not going to be able to see it at midnight. my Mom said she'd take me, but it's just a really intense experience. And with the way the medicine makes me tired, it's going to add exhaustion to dealing with crowds... not a good idea. And yet, this is one of the last chances to do something like this. I'm so torn. :/
Ramblings of Depressiveness
Jul. 26th, 2010 10:13 amYesterday, my Grandma asked me if I noticed an improvement in my mood on Friday after my doctor increased my dose. No. Saturday? No. Today (Sunday)? No. She seemed concerned. In the end, I'm probably going to have to take more after a couple weeks. I'm still not at the recommended level, but the doctor is taking it very slowly with me because I have a history of bad reactions. Time is dragging on, though. And I still feel closer to falling back into the abyss of despair than getting back to my, as Jill called it, "normal level of depression". HeH. ^_^;
As for fandom distractions, I'm still watching Degrassi. I'm very excited for the Clare stuff that's coming up for tonight, but I don't know if I'm crazy about the sort of weekly storylines the show seems to be presenting in its new format. I like it to be a little more mixed up. Of course, if this week is going to be all about Clare and K.C. (Even separately, as it seems), I think I'll be totally fine with that. I'm just a little tired of hearing about the Sav/Anya lie (though I still love them... mostly). Fiona I've come to love, as expected, but my Mother not so much. She doesn't like this format either. It probably is partly because we end up watching each episode at least twice. ^_^;
Meanwhile, my big earlier in the day distraction remains World of Warcraft. My Mother and I stopped in the mall briefly on Saturday, and... I gave in. I bought the game. $20 for it and a free month. I don't know how long I'll stick with it, because I will never have much money. But for now, it's worth it... probably. I hit a bit of regret while I was installing it, which seemed to take forever. But that was worsened by my sadness of finishing up Deathly Hallows for my last book club meeting with Sierra for this summer on Tuesday.
I also went to the movies on Friday with Tiffany and saw The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which I ended up really loving. I thought it would be decent, but I really quite enjoyed it. And I think Tiffany did, too. I don't like going out very much, but right now, I've enjoyed the distractions. Nothing seems worse than being alone and not having enough distractions. Guaranteed panic attack.
As for writing, there's still been none. Okay, I tried a paragraph of SoS, but it didn't really work well. But I have made myself work more on the technical stuff, which is both painful and fullfilling. I mapped out some important story stuff from "1985" to "2028"... sort of. Those years aren't really important, because it's like another history, but it does help to keep track of where things intersect. making sure everything works is something I've let slide for som time now. I used to have another system, but it had a major flaw, so I just quit for awhile, not able to deal with it. So, in some ways, there has been progress.
Well, that's enough rambling...
No More Heroes and Screened
May. 15th, 2010 02:43 amGoodbye, one of few tv shows I cared about...
No More Heroes
How depressing. Yeah, sure... it wasn't as great as it used to be, but I still enjoyed it for what it was worth. Well, I still enjoyed a few of the characters, anyways. Okay... maybe it was time for it to end. But with a real ending! This is the reason why I don't like getting attached to tv shows. They often just stop. I need closure. I don't like when things end, but I hate it when I don't get some kind of closure when it does.
Ending movie, please? :(
Okay, on brighter news... Giant Bomb now has another awesome sister site in the form of Screened. A movie (and television?) site with a wiki and some awesome guys in charge. I made an intro blog post on my general feelings about movies. I don't think that's something I've covered here, so... go and look if you wish. And uh, join if you like movies? If you're new to the Whiskey Media sites, it will take some time for you to build up points to have your edits go straight through as the mod queue is likely quite long. But I'm sure it will calm down in a week or so. I expect great things from those guys!
No More Heroes
How depressing. Yeah, sure... it wasn't as great as it used to be, but I still enjoyed it for what it was worth. Well, I still enjoyed a few of the characters, anyways. Okay... maybe it was time for it to end. But with a real ending! This is the reason why I don't like getting attached to tv shows. They often just stop. I need closure. I don't like when things end, but I hate it when I don't get some kind of closure when it does.
Ending movie, please? :(
Okay, on brighter news... Giant Bomb now has another awesome sister site in the form of Screened. A movie (and television?) site with a wiki and some awesome guys in charge. I made an intro blog post on my general feelings about movies. I don't think that's something I've covered here, so... go and look if you wish. And uh, join if you like movies? If you're new to the Whiskey Media sites, it will take some time for you to build up points to have your edits go straight through as the mod queue is likely quite long. But I'm sure it will calm down in a week or so. I expect great things from those guys!
Deathly Hallows and the End of GameCrazy
Feb. 5th, 2010 11:54 amI've got bad news, kids... Well, for me, anyways. The rumor is official. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is going to be in 3D. So, I won't be seeing it. Okay... that's not exactly true. I believe there will be a normal version released as well. And I will happily see that, even though I'm still mad it's going to be split to begin with. But I'm willing to bet that they will only do midnight showings of the 3D version, so that ruins those for me. And it will probably cut up the chances I have to see it when trying to plan out what time it's showing, just in general. This is really great...
Well, I hope everyone else enjoys it.
Meanwhile, I have more bad news for myself. My nearby GameCrazy is closing. When I was coming home from therapy last night there was a big yellow banner around the store announcing it. Now, it's not like I can't go other places for games, though I've already been having some troubles. But this GameCrazy is really special to me. In 2005, when I could hardly find enough in myself to do anything, GameCrazy gave me some hope. It sounds silly, but it's true. It gave me a place I felt semi-comfortable to go most of the time. And it meant I didn't have to venture into the mall to buy games.
...it was a really important place for me. :(
Here's a really silly video that the GameCrazy workers actually used to have to watch to work there. Please, cheer me up, silly video!!!
All right, so... I'm more than a little irritated that the word "Avatar" has apparently been trademarked. It's crazy. You didn't make up that word, James Cameron. ~_~; I have nothing against you or your movie (having not seen it), but the word "Avatar" does not belong to you.
Anyways, there are new posters from The Last Airbender! I'll try to be optimistic, even though I have seen some movie interpretations go badly... very badly.
Edit: I also found a Teaser Trailer that I had not realized existed! It gives absolutely no idea of what the story is like, but hey, it looks cool?
Anyways, there are new posters from The Last Airbender! I'll try to be optimistic, even though I have seen some movie interpretations go badly... very badly.
Edit: I also found a Teaser Trailer that I had not realized existed! It gives absolutely no idea of what the story is like, but hey, it looks cool?
Genius Squees
Sep. 21st, 2009 02:21 pmSooo, about 10 days ago, I was practically in tears over not being able to record Genius when it aired on Disney again. Luckily, I was able to find someone who was willing to make me a copy of it, and several other Disney Channel movies, he had recorded onto DVD from satellite. They came today and are great quality! So I went from tears to squees.
Squuueee. ^_^
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