WE HAVE MOVED

Hi Everybody.

I have been talking about upgrading this blog for a long time. But that never happened. I have chosen to move this blog over to word press where it is now called ROYAL QUEENS. I moved all of the posts and comments from this blog over to the new one (it's all there, don't worry). I will not be posting on here again. So head on over to the new one LINK. Let me know what you think when you are over there.

This is kind of depressing that this is the last time I will be using this one. Bye blogger.

-Rachy

Book Review: Red Queen

Here is my long awaited book review of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

This is a spoiler free review. I will be covering center aspects of the book in points. 

Synopsis 

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

I had heard a lot about this book. Through epic reads and other readers. I liked the cover, and it was a dystopian (favorite genre) so I picked it up. This book was in the dystopian/Fantasy. And it was nailed perfectly. I am was very impressed.

I loved and hated this book to both extremes. I shall talk about it in points. Cause there is a lot about this book that I wanted to talk about. 

For start. It took me a while to get into it. There was a lot going on. I didn't not enjoy the first part. I was just finding it kind of hard to understand. But I didn't put it down, cause I had faith that it was going to get more interesting. 

The world building. This was one of my favorite parts about this book. It is set in a dystopian futuristic America. The country Norta stands for North America. Victoria explains it better in her video HERE. I thought it was very creative with all the names and how the kingdom was set up. Also I was in love with how there were ruins. It was very post apocalyptic. But we also got that feel of normality. There were cars, and elevators, along with new technology.  

I got very strong french civil war vibe. With the whole scarlet guard thing. Reds against the Silvers. Rich against the poor. And I really liked that. (I don't know if anyone else saw it like that. But that was what I got from it.)

Reds and Silvers. This was a very interesting concept. So we had the Red bloods who are just a normal race of people like you and me. And then we have the Silver bloods who are the decedents of the gods (something like that) and they have special super human ability. The Silvers are the royals, the high class people, they rule the world, and us Reds are commoners, no rights and no power. They live under the influence of the Silvers.  

There was a romance. Or two... Or three. I was talking with my friend Tessa Ann about this. And we settled on calling this a love square. Cause that was what it was. It was very interesting when you had three flipping love interests! To much for my heart... :(

But the thing about the romance though is that you don't have the story without it. You need the romance to tie the story together. It works so well with the plot. 

Mare is a Red with Powers.  Mare is a red with a gift. And she has a rare gift that is the power to create and control lightening. The Silvers can control a particular element that they are gifted with. Some it will be fire, or metal, water, or nature...etc. But Mare can create and control her gifted element which is lighting. So that makes her, a lot more special than the others. 

I really liked Mare. She was a very strong character. I liked the way she thought. I also really liked the other characters in this book. You kinda didn't know what was going on with them, I was always second guessing myself.


This book got me screaming, and pretty over all shocked. I was left speechless. And when it came to rating this on goodreads, I had a bit of a hard time. I am still trying to learn to rate books properly. I rated this book with FIVE STARS. And I keep it like that, cause it has had a long lasting effect on me. I do recommend reading this book.

-Rachel 

NaNoWriMo Update...

NaNoWriMo Update.....

NaNoWriMo ends in four days. I am not going to complete this year sadly. It has been very eye opening to me about my writing this year. I really did not enjoy writing this book at all... This year I thought I would do something different and write a contemporary mystery. The idea is still good. But I am not good at writing contemporary. And I learned that you need a lot longer than two weeks to plan a very complex mystery novel. I wrote about 26K of the novel. And that is about it. I am not going to ditch the idea. But I will be putting it to rest for a while. 

I feel absolutely horrible about myself for not being able to complete this year. But you can not force a story that is not going anywhere. 

So this is what I learned about myself as a writer. And things I could do differently. 

• I am a planner. I was very busy finishing up my course and didn't have time to plan out this novel. I was already mentally drained from a whole year none stop of being creative. So I had nothing left in me. I need to have a good month in front of me for planning, I know my story will change over the writing stage. But I have to have something to stand on in order to get anywhere. 
• I need to read a lot before I begin writing. This not only motivates me to write. But you really get a grip at character narration and how stories are constructed. I had not read anything for a while before this month. Not enough anyway. 
• I am not very good at writing contemporary. It's not my strongest area writing simply about normal things. I can still do it. But it is not exactly what I personally enjoy writing. 

• I enjoy a good world building. I love writing about worlds and societies I have created. It gives me a sense of control. Something I did not have in this novel. And I think that was my downfall. I love being in control, and in my own worlds there are boundaries I can break through. The only limit is my imagination. 
• I like conflict. I know I'm a girl. But I love the aspect of war, and political power, etc. I love a good drama, a good mystery. Some times I just need to destroy something (like a building...I don't know.) I need there to be some action (thanks Dad for raising me on epic sci fi, action packed movies!) For my novel this year, there just was nothing happening. It was driving me insane. 
• But I still like to have the balance of dramatic events and my characters normal life. 

Yeah. So the point of this post was to say that I am not going to win NaNo this year. And I am okay with that. And to everyone who is in the same boat as me. This does not make you a bad writer. You are not a failure. And just better luck next year. Things I am going to do better next year. Is plan before hand, write more during the year, read more books, and write in the genre I am comfortable, and confident in writing. (Still go outside your comfort zone... try new things. But don't hurt yourself.)

Stay awesome! 

-Rachel

Tips For Catching Up in NaNoWriMo

Yesterday we hit the half way point in NaNoWriMo. For everyone who is up to date with their word count, that means you have already reached 25K! Congratulations! But for others, I know that is sadly not the case for countless reasons. I just happen to be one of those people this year. So I thought I would make a second guide to NaNoWriMo for those who are running behind and need some help. Have a look at my first NaNo Survival Guide.

Point One: Don't be afraid to use cliches. 

When you are having writers block, and you are over 10K behind, there does come a point where anything is better than nothing. Disclaimer: Remember that this is your first draft, you're not set in stone when this draft is done. And me being a hard core perfectionist, knows the struggle to try everything to avoid using cliches. 

But in this case; you might want to reconsider. If you know some sort of cliche scene, subplot, or character will help with enhance your word count and keep your story flowing, then go straight ahead and use it. It will be painful for the time being, but don't worry *whispers* first draft.
(you might even be able to put your very own twist on it.)


Point Two: Reap the Inspiration From Anywhere. 

Similar to point one. I have been doing this over the course of NaNoWriMo this year. Get inspiration from anything and everything. Watch movie trailers, Watch Music Videos, Read books in your genre, go on Tumblr, go on Pinterest, remember stories people have told you.


Point Three: See a Scene, Write a Scene. 

Anything that comes to mind; write the scene down. And if you are lucky, expand it. I have my novel's word count, and I have a document for story parts word count. I have to add them together ever time I had more words.


Point Four: Back Story.

When you don't know what to write going forward. Then why not write some back story to fill in the space. This is amazing for word count, and helps flesh out characters more.


Point Five: Participate in Word Wars, and Writing Sprints.

These are very good if you are into competition, and getting yourself writing for a good amount of time without stopping. (I have been doing this a lot this year. I need the help.)

Point Six: It's Alright to Take a Step Back.

Don't push it. Take a break, and try and not hate your story to much. Cause that never helped anyone.


So this post was random. But I'll live with it. I just wanted to share what has been working for me. I am very, very, very behind this year. I almost gave up on writing this story. But stuck with it... was a hard decision...

-Rachy

Beautiful Books: NaNoWriMo Progress

I am fairly behind in NaNoWriMo this year. I have been struggling a bit with my word count and story in general. I am catching up though. I am going to do part two of the Beautiful Books Link  Up series hosted by Cait and Sky.

http://paperfury.com/beautiful-books-2-the-writing-process/

Is the book turning out how you thought it would be, or is it defying your expectations?

It has changed a lot. But I am happy with it for the time being... I know that there is going to be a lot of stuff I will need to fix. over the course of writing, I have had to go back and kill a couple of characters, then merge two characters. (all the dirty work if you know what I'm saying.) But I have loved watching my characters grow closer cause of the changes being made.

I have also began writing it on TABLO, which is an online word processor where you can publish your books. I am not publishing mine, I'm just keeping it on private. But like how it I can preview my pages in a clean and easy way to read. And you can separate your story into chapters, so it is easier to find where you are writing from, and you can go back. Also it keeps track of your word count, and how far you have to go to reach your goal. 

What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)?

So I thought I would be cool and wrote a Prologue. So here is the prologue. 

All the greats fell in the end, suffering more of the most tragic deaths than the ones of more average people. But I guess that is the cost one must pay for being special.  And in the end, we are all just humans, drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness. But we are wrong, cause nothing but death can really tear us from the cruel reality of what we call life.  

A Lot of things happened last summer. It’s a summer I both don’t want to, and can’t remember. That summer I woke up in a hospital, my mother gone. And I couldn’t remember anything. Even that part I have tried to forget.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Have you ever tried both methods and how did it turn out?

Ummm yeah. I am kind of both to an extent. And I went into this year with out a proper outline... *grimaces* 

This happened; One. Cause I didn't have any time. Two. Cause I thought I could wing it... Guys. I made a big mistake. Lucky for me, just the other day I came up with the thread that tied my novel together. And last night I made a proper timeline to follow. And I am happy with it... 

What do you reward yourself with after meeting a goal?

Coffee obviously... (I've started drinking it black) Ohhh and red liquorice!!! 

What do you look for in a name? Do you have themes and where do you find your names?

I like to find my names in things relevant to my story. Metophors, quotes, words that have a meaning to the over all plot and theme...

What is your favourite to write: beginning, middle, or end — and why?

The end or close to the end. I hate writing the start. Getting into the middle and the climax is always so much fun. Cause I know what I am writing about. And stuff really starts to happen! 

Who’s your current favourite character in your novel?

I like the way Kenna thinks. So Kenna. But I also love Miller (Kenna's cousin) he is so much fun, and such a good friends to Kenna. He doesn't judge her for who she is. He looks through the bad stuff. He is also a very different character to what I have written before. 

What kind of things have you researched for this project, and how do you go about researching? (What’s the weirdest thing you’ve researched?!)

I have researched sooo much for this project. And I feel I need to voice some of my findings...

• I have looked into to just about every romance and summery movie and book there is. (I have covered nothing. Before I started writing it all seemed to be swarming about me, and when I go to look it up I have nothing!? But still. I have been trying to pick apart other stories for the slightest of inspiration. 
• I researched/ing PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Amnesia.. (If you read my prologue you will have gotten why) 
• I researched how to write a mystery. And elements of a mystery. All that stuff. 
• I researched how to write a bitchy character. (know... it's weird... but I'm serious) I researched and read about the characteristics of a mean girl/bitch. And taken into consideration a lot of the information. Trust me, it is an interesting thing to have knowledge on. 
• I looked into small coast towns. And beach types. And things you can do over a summer vacation. (If you have any ideas for cool summer activities. That would be cool :)) 

Do you write better alone or with others? Do you share your work or prefer to keep it to yourself?

I do like being on my own. I could write so much faster and more efficient if there was no one around. Cause it is in those moments where I come up with my best ideas. And my characters speak to me. (Also I get very distracted.)

I prefer to keep it to myself. Though I am always very exited about other people reading my work. It took me almost a whole year till I gave my first draft to some people to read. My writing always ends up very personal. And I would feel better knowing that no one had to read it.

What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!

• I don't know whether I have a habit. I mostly just open up google docs, Pinterest, and sit on my bed. 
• I drink coffee. I don't really eat when I'm in a very busy mode. So I will think about it, then be like Na, I'll have something later. But the thing is I get very distracted by food. So No. No snacks. 
• I listen to a lot of music when I write. It depends on the scene. Some times I need music, and other times I have to have nothing playing. 
• I write best at night, but that is only because it is more quiet. 
• I don't have a picture... Sorry

I'm working on another NaNoWriMo related post. I just want to share more about my characters, the setting and the family. Look forward to it! I am still 10,000 words behind. So I am trying my best to catch up. 

-Rachy

A Very Belated Blog Birthday

One year and 25 days ago, I created this blog...

I realized that I forgot to celebrate my blogs birthday. But oh well, better late than never. I'm not sure what I am suppose to do on a blogs birthday. So I will just recap this year, and talk about my blogs future... 

I found my first ever blog post HERE. I can not believe I have loosely been running this blog for over a year. I was welcomed into an amazing community of writers and bloggers. Some of the most amazing people ever. 

This year I have found it hard to run this blog, being busy with my deign school. Which I completed level 2 and level 3 in graphic design over the year. And have grown so much in myself, and my talent in creating things. Over the course of this year I have come up with about 11 amazing book ideas. 

Done with the whole speech thing. I am exited to do another year of blogging. And I am hoping to start Book Vlogging at some point! 

I am also HAPPY to say that this blog with be having an upgrade! I am going white...with fancy art work and typography. It will still be the same style. Keeping the goldish colours, and blacks. I have been planning on doing this for a long time.  That will be coming in the next week. I want it to be ready for NaNoWriMo. (Be exited)

Thank you to everyone who has been following for for this long! Please join this blog (this is a member box in the side bar) and follow this blog by email so you are alerted every time I post something. 

-Rachy

Beautiful Books: An Introduction

I have been taking my time to post about this.
It is NaNoWriMo next month. Once again I am participating this link up hosted by Sky from Further up and Further in and Cait from Paper Fury. I loved doing this link up last year. 

Pre NaNoWriMo: A Survival Guide

Hey Guys.

It is that time of month again! NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is approaching fast. I am so exited, this will be my second year attending. I thought I should probably do some sort of survival guide and intro to new comers of NaNoWriMo.

October Reads

I do this often. Going to the library and getting a whole armful of books. With all the best intentions of reading them. Even though I am not the fastest readers. (It will be done)

BOOKS I'M READING

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: I am almost Finished reading this. Seriously it is amazing. It's apocalyptic, Aliens taking over/destroying the wold and the human race, in a way I have never seen before. It's very war zone, military base stuff. And I really like it. It has been made into a movie and is being released in theater in January 2016! And I am so exited. I watched the trailer before the book, and was like "Wow." It looks really good. (Go watch the trailer)

Stray by Rachael Craw: Shout out to Rachael for publishing the squeal to her first book Spark, which I read last year. I loved the first one. And I'm bound to love the second. This series is like Agents of shield and X men. It's pretty bad ass. 

Allegiant by Veronica Roth: I am scared. I have waited to long to get my hands on this book. And sadly I read a spoiler last year, so I know what happens. The divergent series is one of my favorite dystopian book series. So I'm very exited for this book. 

They just released the Allegiant teaser trailer. It looked really good. They better do a good job on this movie. Cause I hated disliked the Insurgent movie.  

BOOKS I'LL BE REVIEWING

I read We Were Liars earlier this year. And Red Queen a couple of weeks ago. Each of these reviews will have a spoiler section for those who have read it. Both these books are two of the most amazing and impressive books I have read this year. Those will be coming soon. 

WHAT I'VE BEEN WATCHING

This is how to torture yourself. I'm almost halfway through season two. And trying my best not be spoiled. Cause if someone does, the are going to get seriously hurt. (Leaving the house is a risk) 

I'm hooked. 

Read or watched any of the things I have mentioned in this post? Let me know what you think. -Rachy

Behind the Scenes Writing Tag

So I thought it would be fun to do another tag. I saw this tag done over at Opal Swirls; and thought it would be fun. Besides, I like talking about writing.

Rules:
Answer the questions and tag people.

Is there a certain snack you like to eat while writing?

I try not snack. So I will just drink countless cups of tea and coffee. But if I do snack, I like peanuts.

When do you normally write?

I haven't written in a while cause I have been so busy with studying and being sick... fun times. But I mostly write at night. I find I get more inspired at night than I do in the day time. My mind runs wild with ideas. 

Where do you write?

On my bed with my laptop. Or in the kitchen standing up with my laptop on my bench. I tend to write better in open spaces. 

How often do you write a new novel?

I come up with a new story idea once or twice a month. I might write 1000 to 5000 words then stop... then get back to it. I will finish one to two novels a year. 

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes. I listen to vast variety of music. It all depends on the story I'm working on. I listen to music very possible minute. 

What do you write on? laptop or paper?

I write on my laptop. I'm a fast typeset and can get my ideas down faster than writing on paper. I will sometimes write down small ideas and scenes on paper or on notes on my phone. But I prefer my laptop. 

Is there a special ritual you have before/after you write?

I open up the Pinerest board of whatever story I am working on for inspiration, and help for when I get writers block, or to help with character and setting descriptions.

What do you do to get into the mood to write?

I will watch the Vlog Brothers. Read a book. Go on Pinerest. Other than that, I really just have to be in "the mood" to do so. I need to start making more of a habit of sitting down and writing, rather than just thinking about writing. 

What is always near the place you write?

A laptop wall charger and my headphones. 

Do you have a reward system for your word count?

No. Just the satisfaction of having a decent number of words on my document. 

Is there anything about your writing process that others might not know about?

Nothing interesting. Sometime I will read my characters dialogue aloud to see if it sounds natural. I often have a vague idea of what the end is going to be. But I'm never sure what is going to happen in the middle. 

Again I am not going to tag anyone (I'm to tired to) Writers go a head and do this tag. It is cool. 

The Tag of HAPPINESS

Hello Everyone I'm Here to Do a Tag.

Opal over at Opal Swirls tagged me for this. Thank you for tagging me. It's best I start doing stuff on here. So I shall give this ago.

Rules:

Take the banner and put it in your post

List as many things as you want in each category

Come up with more categories if you wish

Tag as many people as you want

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY?

Some songs that make you happy

What do you mean Justin Beiber | Bright Echo Smith | Love myself Hailee Steinfeld | Alive Hillsong Young and Free | Fireflies Owl City | On Top of the World Imagine Dragons | She looks so Perfect Five Seconds of Summer | Style Taylor Swift

Some books that make you happy

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | The Selection Series by Keira Cass 

Some foods that make you happy

Chocolate | Coffee | Trail Mix | Water Melon

Some words that make you happy

Clandestine (kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.)

Halcyon (denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.)

Elysian (Beautiful or creative; divinely inspired; peaceful and perfect) 

Pluviophile (A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days)

Selcouth  (Unfamiliar, rare, strange, yet marvelous)

Some scents that make you happy

Candles burning | Vanilla | Spring Rain | Coffee | Freshly cut wood | Early morning | Petrol | The ocean | Corned Beef

Some random things that make you happy

Finding a good song | Being on a writing roll | Hugs | Mood lighting | Long showers | Big hoodies | Long hair | Pinterest | A heavy storm

I tag who ever feels like doing this tag!

Resons Why I Love 80's Movies

Hello World.

I am in love with 80's movies. I enjoy them so much to I re-watch them multiple times. I have lost count on how many times I have watched the Back to the Future trilogy. As it continues to be my favorite...even though my siblings are completely sick of it by now. So here are some of the reasons why I love 80's movies. (Through GIFS)

First They have amazing music. Seriously, I love the music from this time period. I was talking to my dad the other day about music from back in the day, to today's music. He made the point that the music from the 70-80-90's have more meaning and morals than a majority of today's music. I love the song by Simple Minds, Don't You forget About Me from The Breakfast Club.

I feel like in just about every one of these movies I have watched so far, there has been generally good characters and character development. Hardly any of these teens are remotely shallow hollow headed. They stand up for themselves. They know what is right. And show good morals through their actions.



And that it's good sometimes to break out of own skin. To try something new. Breaking free. Talking to new people, and more important, making friends.

They kind of get my feels when it comes to class. 

The romances are sooo cute. But not to sappy.



The Guys were pretty bad-ass!



There is always adventure. Around every corner.



And a lot of good lines and truth. (Feeling inspired?)



Last but not least, the language in these films are so beautiful and poetic. Something that you don't hear that much from teens these days. (Disclaimer, there is swearing) I heard someone once complain about how Johns Green teen characters are always speaking to  much like Shakespeare and not like normal teenagers. There has come a point where our speech today is so lazy that we have lost the beauty of using meaningful metaphorical words.



-Rachy

My Thoughts on Writing Romance

I'm Back!

I've been gone a while. I almost forgot I had a blog. After picking myself up with writing, if figured I should get back into the blogging.

(I'm going to try and finished How to be Invisible and Rule the World. From now on I will be calling it Invisible one here. Cause it is to long to type out every time it is mentioned.) 

(this story was published on quotev, so it's not an actual book. I will not name it. I'm not bashing the story. This is just an example.)

The other day my friends highly suggested I read this book that they found online. So I jumped into the deep end, not really knowing what I was getting myself into. It turned out to be a cheesy Tumblr romance, with just about every cliche that was ever used in a romance all within 63 chapters. I had mixed feelings about continuing. As a writer, I was getting annoyed at the story and the characters. (I still liked the story though) there were times my friends would catch me smiling like an idiot at how cute some of the scenes were... and also put up with me screaming at them for how bad it was, and how none of it was real, and how the characters should just pick them selves up! *Pulls on hair*

Here are some points (do and don'ts) you must have when writing romance (I'm not experience writer... These are just my thoughts and how I go about writing.)

Stereo Types
Popular, Rich, Jock, Hot, Jerk randomly falls in love with, Not so pretty, unpopular, Insecure, Geek. You know, just about every teen movie that was ever written. This has been used all to many times in the wrong way. Any characters can fall in love. Even popular girls can fall love. Stop looking at characters as stereo types and more as human beings.


Love at first Sight
I think it is better said as attraction at first sight. You can't truly love someone until you have learned to love all their flaws, and live through their mistakes. Sometimes you have to be pushed to the point of insanity to truly love them. This can be in friendship or a romantic relationship.
Having your characters say "I love you." A chapter or two into the book is just a bit much. There needs to be something before that.

On the same note. There has to be something that brings your two characters together. To doesn't just help with plot, but also with how it will effect their relationship, this can be for friendships as well. For example, Anastasia and Christian from Fifty shades were bought together through an awkward interview (don't ask me why I chose to use that as an example... I haven't read the book or watched the movie)  In All the Bright Places, Finn and Violet meet on the bell tower. Mix you characters relationship into the plot.


Character Development
Their is not such a thing as a perfect guy. Let me know when you find one. One thing that annoyed me in the story, was how perfect the male character was. There was just nothing in his backstory that explained why he acted the way he did. Like he had no life before he meet the girl. I was kind of rooting for there to be something wrong with him. But there was nothing. The only time he ever got angry and upset was when someone did wrong to the girlfriend.

As for the girl. There was no growth on her behalf. I was expecting her to grow in someway. But the further the story went on, she just became weaker and more vulnerable. There were points when she would stand up for herself, but then she would fall back. She had to lean on her boyfriends so much, that with out him she would fall.

Character development is crucial for any story. Events will change them, building them up taking them down, resulting in them being a different (hopefully stronger) character than from the start. In a relationship, each of the characters have to learn to build each other up. Kissing is not going to fix everything.

There is probably more I had to say on the subject. So I will probably do a part two at some point when it crosses my mind.

-Rachy

Welcome August

Hello World

So I thought I would take on board something I saw my friend Opal doing over at her blog Opal Swirls. And that was an update post at the beginning of each month. And since I have not been doing all that much blogging. I feel this will get me back on track with things.

Studies:
So as you all might know I am a graphic design student.
At the moment we have a huge level four project that a list of level two and three's have been assigned to do. This is to create a poster for a local band called The Clefs. We have been making their posters for ten years straight. And this is their last. I know some (most) people who hear me say POSTER, think this would be reasonably easy.... Trust me, it is not as easy as you think it is. Adding to the fact that we started last week, and have to have the entire thing finished Friday the 7th of August. We have days.... Thinking about that. I should be doing work on that now.
(P.S. Sorry for the rant. I will share my final poster over here on Friday night...)

August Readathon:
This month I am participating the August Readathon. I'm not sure what books I will be reading just yet. I am going to go to the library tomorrow and get out a whole lot. So that should be fun! I will try and film a book haul just for fun of the books I will gather...Might....

Favorite Song:
My favorite song for last month, and this month would have to be Dynasty by MIIA. Please listen to it, and love it. Cause I fell in love with it the minute I listened to it.

Photography:
I recently got a DSLR Camera. So I have had some fun playing round with it on weekends. I can only do it on weekends. Cause by the time I get home from course it is already to dark to do anything. So I am patently waiting for summer to come so I can do more! I have never really picked up a camera before. But I am pretty happy with how my work is coming along so far. :)

I better go and do so course work. I'm just hoping I survive this month to be honest. There is a lot of
things to do...

-Rachel

A Writers Life For Me Tag

Hello Readers. 

I just found a writers tag created by one of my favorite book tubers Sara Ella and her Friend Sara Crawford. I do not have book-tube (yet). So I am just going to do it over here. And I encourage any of you bloggers to do this tag as well. Spread the love. Remember to take a look at their blogs and channels, and subscribe. Don't forget to credit them. 

A few rules before we begin. 

• Thank the person who tagged you. leave a link to their blog.
• Answer the ten questions.
• Re-post the picture.
• Tag 5-10 bloggers.  
• Have fun!!! 

1. What kind of writer are you? 

I am a writer of poetic metaphorical YA fiction. I like to write fantasy, contemporary, Dystopian fiction. I enjoy creating new worlds within our world, whether that be in the future, or in modern time. 

2. When did you start writing? What made you want to try it?

I always wanted to be a writer. When I was a little girl I would make "books" and write stories in them. As I grew up I would write stories in my head, but never write them down. Up until last year, I could hardly put words down on paper. The motivation came when I found out about NaNoWriMo, and I wrote and finished my first ever novel Clandestine.  

3. What inspires your stories?

Songs, Pictures on pinterest, Dreams, people I know. One little things can set off a shock wave of inspiration. And It is beautiful. 

4. What themes do you like to explore in your writing?

Sisterhood, mental illness, the power of humanity, and the power that we have over each other. I don't know...something like that.  

5. Are you a pantster or a plotter or a bit of both?

I'm more of a planner. I like to have an idea, or some sort of plan written out before I sit down. I will write up a document on the idea, and how I will develop that into a story plan. 

6. Where are you at in your journey? Querying, agented, published?

Still in the writing stage. But I want to be all the above in the next couple of years!

7. Have you ever entered any writing contests? Finaled? Won?

No. I want to enter a writing contest. I'm hoping to do so in the next couple of months to a year. 

8. Who are your writer heroes?

Tahereh Mafi is my biggest writing inspirational person. Her style inspired me to write the way I do. I also love John Green, Veronica Roth, Markus Zarkus, Keira Cass, Racheal Craw, Jennifer Niven...Etc. 

9. Have you been to a writing conference? Share your best or worst conference experience.

It is a dream of mine to attend a writer conference. Maybe one day, 

10. Top 3 tips you'd give to newbie writers?

One: Write like you're talking. Make things flow.

Two: Keep dreaming. No idea is to BIG or to SMALL. 

Three: Keep Writing. 

Nominations 

TessaAnn@Books,Bubbles,&Arohanui // Opal@OpalSwirls // AdrianaGabrielle@TheLibrarianFiles // BrettMichaelOrr // Aimee@ToTheBarricade! // Tori@Tori'sBolg // MorganLeAnne@BackToTheDrawingBoard // Cait@PaperFury 

Have fun with this tag!

Until Next Time -Rachy

Writing A Dream

Hello World

I'm back. I've been gone a long time. And that is because course is very busy right now. And I have not had any energy to do anything. Today I am here to talk to you about my dream that I am writing.
I don't know how many of you have every had a dream and remembered just enough to write about it. But seeing as this dream was some kind of a nightmare. I am not surprised it is still fresh in my mind. That is why I am putting all my other projects down and writing it down now, while it is still fresh in my mind. This story is a mixture of Jane Eyre, and the Secret Garden. So you kind of see the point.

The story is about a girl named Rachel Mackenzie. Who from a young age was orphaned and now is being claimed by her royal uncle the Duke of Nawvanshire house. An old mansion. The only thing she has left from the outside is a boy named Kyle who was selected to be her bodyguard. She meets her cousins Eden, Logan, and Aimee, who introduce her and Kyle to the world of Nawvanshire. Rachel start's to learn the secrets of the house and the royal family and her past. And as trouble strikes, she learns that she will never be able to escape.



The story is based in modern times. But when she gets to the house we can see a time swing. You get the feel of the 1800 - 1920 and modern time all together. The story is almost like a retelling of The Secret Garden, with the girl moving in with her rich uncle, and meeting her cousins. The Secret Garden has been a childhood favorite. So we will see where it goes.
I feel really bad about starting a new project. But How to be Invisible and Rule the World has come to a dead point, and I just need some time to pick it back up. And I believe it is good to take breaks and write something different. And I really love writing in this Genre. The kind of fantasy/ rusted. I think that was what I liked so much about Clandestine. It was just so different. It really shows how my mind works. Cause none of it is reality, making my writing an escape.

If this starts to work. Then I will share more. Take a look at my pinterest board BOOK IDEA: NAWVANSHIRE HOUSE to keep up with my idea generation.

-Rachel

Hello World

Hello World.

After a good shower, a coffee, and muffins in the oven. I can sit down to my laptop, playing round on pinterest, listening to Lorde. So I thought I might do a post cause I have the time to do so. I have not been the best. After waking up on Sunday morning, with every muscle aching, and my head spinning with the threat of a migraine.It has been like this since then. I have not really said it on here. But I have been sick for a few months. And I was starting to run smooth up until last week. Then it all came flooding back. 

Last night my brain thought it would be a good idea to do some writing. So I did. I set myself a timer for 25 minutes to midnight. And wrote about 400 words. I know that is not a lot. But it is something. I got back on track. YAY!!! I have missed writing. And I want to get this story written and out of the way to start editing.

I really have no plans for this holidays. I wish I did. But I don't. There really is nothing to do in New Zealand winter weather. It's just very cold, and wet. Making the house damp. Yeah. Nothing really great.

I will be organizing a blogging schedule soon.

-Rachel

80's Movies and Photography

Hello World.

It is in fact the school holidays. We are half way through the year. And I am tired. I'm really sorry that this blog has become run down, changed and all that. I need to get it together.
Over this time. I have devolved some new ideas, and passions. I am still writing... Just thought I might put that out there. Inspiration is slow, but steady.

Here are two new things I wanted to share.

• 80's movies
• Photography 

80's movies: I have started to not like movies all that much. Except for the over baring excitement of paper towns coming out! I was just starting to get board of them. But that was when I thought I might try out a movie I had heard tones about. And that was THE BREAKFAST CLUB. I am serious. I loved this movie so so much.  

The movie is about five teenagers from different backgrounds and social circles that get shoved together in a Saturday detention. Staring the song Don't You Forget About Me. I was taken by the way that teen talked and thought back in the 80's. Which lead me to want to scream "Take me to the 80's." There was something poetic clean and meaningful and the way that they talked. Something I think teenagers of my generation have lost. It was just a great movie. WATCH IT! 

The other one I watched and fell in love with; was SIXTEEN CANDLES Which was the funniest, most beautiful and real kind of teen romance. I really loved this one as a girl. But then I showed it to my brother and he liked it as well. So what can I say. This one is going down as one of my favorite chick flicks of all time. I fell in love with all the characters. It was amazing. 

So those are my little talks about my two new favorite movies. Please let me know if you have watched either of these two. And what you thought of them. 

Photography: Now this is my second point. As some of you know. I like art. I like doing creative stuff. And got into my head, (A while ago. I might add.) That I wanted to start photography. And learn Photoshop. Only thing that held me back was not having a camera. I remember at camp early this year, picking up my leader Helen's DSLR camera, and revel in it's beauty. I didn't take any photos. But I sure wanted to. The other spark was also on camp where I was lying in the field a fair way away from the tents with my friend, and saw an old chair sitting a distant away. I lay on my stomach and focused on how the chair looked at the angle. I remeber, I so badly wanted to take a photo. It would have looked amazing.
Any way. So after thinking over it for a long time. I decided was going to go save up and and buy myself a DSLR camera so I could start. But lucky for me, I am being gifted with a second hand DSLR. I will be receiving this holidays. So I can start.

I have been gathering inspiration of what I would like to try on my pinterest board PHOTOGRAPHY IDEAS. I really want to do fine art photography. And learn tones of cool camera and photoshop tricks. Also I will be doing mostly self portrait art. So I will be the concept for most of them. Which is a big step for me. Cause I am terribly camera shy. And hate myself in photos. But I am doing this for a reason.I am doing this to conquer what I said to myself was impossible. I had told myself that I would never do photography cause I sucked when ever I tried. And trust me. I gave it a go a couple of times.

So that is my small/ish update. You shall hear from me soon.

-Rachy

The Realization

Dear Readers. 

I just realized. That today is July st. And that means that it is... Camp NaNoWriMo. And I forgot... All about it... How...? 

I am at home today. Sick. And unable to function, like speak, and breathe. Literally can not breathe. This is why I am skipping a day of course. It is only two(?) more days to the school holidays, where I can relax slightly, and try to start over. That was when I remembered that I should be writing today. Which I think is a good thing. Cause I have not written anything in a very long time. And I need to do something on this story. So it looks like I am starting today. 

It has taken me a long time to come to terms with this story. Maybe just because it is so personal. And also the fact that a lot of people really want to read it, due to the short pieces I have shared on it. I have let everything get to my head, in turn, making me forget about the story it self. 

Over the last couple of months though, I have come up with the solution to the problem, on how to write this story. All I need to do is write it. I need to stop thinking about it, and simply write it. It's really not that hard. 

 

Picture Scores

This story is about to extraordinary teens who are brought together from very different backgrounds and circumstances. But intern learn that that can not stop them from fight through the battle of life. They learn that friendship is important. And that both life and death a factor of living. 

So over the course of this month. I am going to try my best to write this story. Even if is is sooo bad. It is only the first draft and can be changed later. I don't really know what I where I was going with this post. But my challenge for you this month, is to try your best with your project, and also to encourage someone else with their project. 

-Rachy

Falling Into Place || Book Review

Hey Guys!

Time to do another book review. This time I will be reviewing Falling into Place by Amy Zhang. Small fact: Amy is a teen author and published this book her debut novel Falling into Place at the age of 18! So go there we go for all you young aspiring authors. It has been done. 

My friend T.A.Christensen recommended this book to me. Mostly cause we had both been reading books on the same subject for a while. So it was a bit of a toss back and forth to the whole genre.
She told me that is was pretty good and that I should read it. Mostly so we could have our book talk on it. (It seems to be a thing going with us. Talking about books.)

GOODREADS 
On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.



This book is told in a different perspective. And I am not going to say who by. Cause it is better you find out for yourself. But it really keeps you guessing with the narration. Personally I really liked the writing. It was smooth and poetic. My favorite kind of narrations. And very close to heart, cause I find my own writing is rather poetic. 

I noticed something with this book and the last book. And probably another couple of books. Is that physics seem to play a big role in death. Or anything to do on the subject. I am starting to wonder, why physics? But as I think about it. Even though I have never properly studied the science. It is what makes things tick. Energy and force. And  the more I look at it. The more beautiful it seems to me. And I never really cared much about science. And never did Liz Emerson. 

So on the topic of Liz Emerson. She is very different to any character I have ever read about. She is a bit of a bitch.  After briefly reading a couple of reviews on goodreads. I learned a little bit more on what other people seemed to think about Liz. And that was, they all hated her. But I didn't. 
You see. As you will learn. Liz did some pretty horrible things. She was horrible. 
But what people seem to not see was. Even though she was the person that destroyed peoples lives. The kind of person who drew people to throw them selves of bridges and such. She knew that she was a bad person. She knew what she had done, and what it did to people. And she knew that she could not turn back the clock and change those things. That is why she decided to kill herself. She hated herself. 
Liz had a way of channeling her pain. And I think we all do.

One of the things I liked about this book, was you got to know the characters around Liz. All about her best friends; Julia and Kennie. And Liam. And a sea of other characters. You got to see how Liz had both good and bad impacts on them all.
What really stood out to me with this book was. You really don't know what is going on down bellow in someone. No matter who they are. Everyone is fighting a battle. And %9.9999999999 of the time, you will not be able to see on the outside. And fun fact, most people will shove their pain so far down where no one can see it, not even themselves.

I liked each chapter had a random event. Nothing was in order. It would go years before the "accident" to minute before her "accident" to the present time. It was kind of everywhere. But I loved it how it all tied together at the end. Every thing Fell into place.

I did cry while reading this. Even worse. In the early stages of reading the book, I was in the library on my break. And I felt the water works... So I just covered my face with my hands and sobbed a bit. A bit awkward... But you gotta do these things. Especially when FEELS are that strong.

I give this book ★★★★ stars!!! I really liked this book. I thought it was very beautiful. And I enjoyed it. It kept me guessing, and I really didn't know till right at the end,what was going to happen. 

-Rachy