Versatile Blogger Award!

Versatile Blogger Award

This award was bestowed to me (a million years ago?) by fellow writer, Elisa Michelle.

*tears* I’m … so … happy! I’d like to thank– *orchestra music cuts speech off*

Haha! Of course, I’d like to thank Elisa for selecting me for this award. I stumbled upon her blog a few months ago and was hooked by her down-to-earth experiences with writing and life. Her short-stories are nothing short of amazing (my favorite so far is Fire Angers Water). We also share a similar “flavor” of Christianity, which is cool, too (see comments to my post, Rhys and the Morality Police).

Elisa is currently editing her science-fiction novella, titled Dominant Race, and is working on the sequel, New Fate.

Go check out her blog (after you’ve read the rest of this post, of course)!

The Versatile Blogger Award, explained by Elisa Michelle:

Here is how the award works:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them [RNR: done]

• Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
• Give this award to 15 recently discovered bloggers
• Contact those bloggers and let them in on the news.

4 (Random) Things About Myself (I’m rebelling–I’m not that interesting, haha):

1. My first story was about a little wren who becomes separated from her family in a storm. Nine years old, I wrote and illustrated this story during free time in the fourth grade.  Sadly, I lost the notebook back in the Caribbean years ago. I also made a short comic called “Lazer Girl”  (later changed to “Laser Girl”, haha), about a superhuman girl. I lost that one, too.

2. I wish there was more ethnic diversity in fantasy AND less racism in fandom. Well, if you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably read my rants. When I first entered fantasy, this didn’t bother me so much. In the last few years, annoyance gradually grew into rock-solid GAH. Literature, art, gaming, films, TV–can we please diversify?

3. If I was forced to give up my love of writing for another artistic trait (and had no way of escape), I would choose the visual arts. I wish I could design concept art. I used to draw, but tossed it aside, figuring that I should dedicate that time to writing, which was better than my artwork, in my opinion.

4. I love MMORPGs. I don’t play as much as I used to–due to school and, you know, writing, but when I do, I play F2P (free-to-play–I’m a broke college student). I was overjoyed at the existence of MMOs, since I have no game console (1. I have no spare funds to purchase one, 2. My parents thought gaming was the Capital D Devil, Destroyer of Academic Excellence, so I never got one for Christmas).

Vindictus is my thing right now. Though it has bugs like the Ninth Circle of Hell at times (Lagggg! So much laggg!), I love the in-game physics and the bosses ^.^ The story-line is cool, too (though, I think I know what is going to happen to a certain NPC).

I play a Fiona (not going to tell you my in-game name, though ;)).

I don’t have 15 bloggers, since I’ve been blogging for only a few months. I do have an award-recipient in mind, though!

I hereby bestow this award to:

**Drum roll please**

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Tiyana Marie White

I don’t quite remember how I stumbled across Tiyana’s blog (I do believe I did through her post, Worldbuilding: Settings & Maps), but I’m glad I did. A fellow speculative-fiction writer, Tiyana is a steampunk (edit: dieselpunk!) enthusiast to the millionth power, IMO, hehe. Her posts on this subgenre and on elements of writing are detailed, informative, and fun to read, and her short-stories are fantastic and engaging (see Seduction).

Tiyana is in the process of editing her dieselpunk-infused, fantasy novel, titled Element 7.

Congrats, Tiyana! =)

You should check out her blog, Seven & a Half First Drafts (click the link on her name above).

Fast-Forward to 2012

*insert CD scratch reel*

A belated New Year to you all. Twenty-Twelve is the year of awesomeness–and awesome movies, I hope. I’m looking at you, The Dark Knight Rises  and The Hobbit! Rumors say Avatar: The Legend of Korra comes out this year. I hope so. I’m about to explode from suspense.

I guess my months-long absence calls for some blog housekeeping and a recap. Life now is sort of like a sentient, overgrown hedge.

Here’s what went down/is up:

• Academics 

I received two As and two Bs for the Fall semester. Would have liked all As, but I’m not complaining, haha.

This Spring semester will prove a little more challenging due to six harder classes. Melding academics and writing will be an interesting feat. It WILL be done.

• NaNoWriMo 

Unfortunately, I had to pull out on Week 2, thanks to the above. I drifted away in class (brainstorming plot points) and, as a result, I gradually fell behind in my work.

The requirements were a bit hefty for my academic schedule, but I took away a few valuable lessons from the experience–for example–one should probably on the novel that has 40+ pages of notes (my main WIP, Sentinel of Mirrors) instead of another that took a month to plan (Chaos Standard)).

Let’s say that I came to this realization in Week 2 and switched to my main WIP.

In total, I scribbled up around 9k words between the two novels, for a total of 18k.

I’m trying not to call it a failure, but a much-needed lesson (and kick in the rear).

• Writing

My main WIP is coming along quite nicely at a snail’s pace. I managed to outline the first book of the duology (SoM), and I’m in the process of rewriting parts I hacked through during NaNo. I don’t love what I’ve done as of yet, but the inner editor needs to be drop-kicked.

I also received Scrivener for Christmas! *confetti* I’ve been working on it like Force times Distance (haha, Physics joke. What?).

I’ll discuss my latest writing adventures in detail later.

• Reading

I have two trilogies and a series to finish reading.

Back in the day, I slipped right through series like a hot knife through butter. Need to get back to that point (and find a comfortable QUIET reading environment outside of my dorm. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t qualify for QUIET these days, especially at my new school. GAH).

I also need to pick up some Young Adult fiction, again (looking for some library e-books since  A) I’m Broke, B) the university library doesn’t seem to cater to the leisure reading of current books, YA the least. I guess that this should be expected?).

• The Blog

I am a first-class nooblet when it comes to blogging! I’m always at a loss for topics, since I’m not exactly an expert on writing (and to be honest, writing essays on structural aspects of writing isn’t really my realm, and everyone seems to be hitting that nail, already–which is great, actually. I still have a lot to learn, and won’t have to search high and wide for a lesson =)). My life isn’t remotely spontaneous either.

I do have a few things in mind, though. =)