laurie17

みんなさん、おはようございます！

私は日本語を勉強します。　オックスフォードブルクス大学で9月から11月までいます。　とてもむずかしいです。　でもたのしいです。
私の部屋はとてもせまいです。　そしてあまりきれいではありませんよ。　でも、うれしいです。　：）
今、クラスへ行きます。

じゃまたね！

ローリ

I did it again. This is becoming a bad habit :( I'm sorry I keep not posting!

In my defense, I've been very busy writing, working, getting my tonsils out, going to film nights, going on holiday and.... yeah, it's still bad.

So, update on writing:
TWTTW was almost, but not quite, good enough, so I trunked it and wrote another one. This time a Horror story called 'Arachnid'.
I decided to tell it in three parts from different characters' perspectives, but I'm not sure if that's against me now :o But I have learned how to write better. I don't know what it is, but recently, everything sounds just that little bit better. Maybe Arachnid isn't quite there either, but as I progress, I hope I'll get better and better until I write something worthy of publication.
I've sent out to a few agents, got 2 rejections and one full. With the others, it's still early days, so I'm not expected a reply for a month or more. But the stress is killing me D:

Oh, the anthology is out with my horror story in, too:
www.amazon.com/Bonded-Blood-III-Languish-Lament/dp/145645529X/ref=sr_1_1
Please, please buy it! Please :D

I'll leave it there for now, but I'll do a more detailed post later or tomorrow.

Bye!

Merry festivities all!

It's been quite a while since I posted and that's not at all because I bought Rune Factory Frontier for the Wii... Not at all. Really.

Anyway, as it nears Christmas (yay!) agents begin to get more and more submission, I hear. Which seems strange to me. I would have thought the holiday period would be a good time for extensive revisions and query-letter writing (I know that's what I'm doing). I wonder why it's the other way around?
So, if you plan on sending off that manuscript right now, just wait a few more months and the agents will have gotten through most of that pile over the holidays.

Onto a more serious topic: favourite food over Christmas?
Most people will say mince pies, I'm sure - they're traditional and English (I think?) but I prefer stollen.

So, think on it over the next few weeks - mince pies or stollen, or even something else?


Mmmmmm.

'til next time!

Well, I finished nanowrimo early this morning, after staying up too late last night to watch Alien 3.

The story's done. And now I need to lie down.



'til next time!

-Laurie17

I'm quitting my job, due to bad knees (at 18?!) on December the 1st.

Good news is, I've got the contract for the anthology I'll be published in today :) That's nice. I'll post up a link to the anthology when it's available, and then everyone can donate to the Laurie fund XP

Speaking of, I'm now donating £3 a month to an animal charity.... when I don't have an income. Oh dear...

Anyway, 'til next time!

Yes, another very late post. But this time I have an actual excuse - work.

I've started a part-time job in Parson's Bakery, which is pretty nice. It's good not to think of all part-time jobs as TESCO'S (AKA: employee-destroying, megalomaniac organisation) and I'm actually enjoying myself a little. Except for making bacon sandwiches. If you order one of those, you're evil.

Also, I've finally gotten a short story published in print. Well, will have soon. It's going to be in the Bonded By Blood Anthology by SNM Horror Magazine (a free, online magazine), so please read it if you can (I think I heard the magazine needs some cash, so if you have a couple of pounds/dollars/euros etc. to spend, then please pick up a copy. It should be good.)

Here's a link to the issue with the short story in, if you're interested:
www.snmhorrormag.com/snmoctoberissue1.htm

The anthology is made up of loads of stories, mostly first and second placers for many months. Of what I've read on the e-mag, you won't be disappointed if you're a horror fan.

On another note: Clannad is here! CLANNAD is HERE! I've been waiting for a couple of years to get the boxset and actually watch it. And it's here! Ehehehee! :D
I've watched the first two episodes and they're as wonderful as I thought they would be! Even though it cost me £45, it's worth it.

So, got to run out or I'm going to be late meeting people.

'Til next time!

-Laurie

Yeah, there was something really important I wanted to put in here but... I've forgotten what it was.

Instead, I'll post a link to a pretty awesome competition for children's fiction:
www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest

It's open 'til late January of 2011, so no rush.

Hopefully I'll remember what that important thing was for next time. Until then!

Yes, today it's the planning format, to makle planning... a bit less annoying/difficult/dull/time-consuming (I hope!).

Okay, first, I've always broken mine down into sections (usually about 4-5) for major plot points:

Chapters 1-4  - opening (the scene is set, the problem is announced, most major characters are introduced)

Chapters 5-9 - plot/issues (the plot is made more and more clear and more issues around the problem are introduced. Heck, there might be two or more problems.)

Chapters 10-12 - Mid-section, turnabout (major stuff happens here. A problem is solved or the situation gets more dire, characters get more involved, gets a bit darker usually (quite literally in the case of 'The World Through the Wall'))

Chapters 13-17 - Race against time (it's a rush to the finish line, with everything building up to the finale. Characters can get killed off here if you like.)

Chapters 18-20 - Round-up (The End - everything comes together and the problems are resolved in some way. The Main Character should be the major implement in a resolution, 'cause otherwise they shouldn't be a MC. If a kid's book, should be at least a bittersweet ending - no pure sadness!! Think of the children!)

Of course, I actually use fewer chapters (because I'm annoying) because I find it easier that way (my chapters are about 2,000 words each). So you can adapt this to suit your own needs - as long as you stick to those word count guidelines that clutter up google. Seriously, stop writing 180,000 word monsters, it's making me feel inadequate (and publishers will cry!)!

On the subject of 'The World Through the Wall' (I'm abreviating it to 'TWTTW'... that looks weird...), I'm at about 30,000 words. Yes, it's ending, but not quite fast enough. I'm getting worried now. Hopefully it'll only be about 35,000, but 40,000 looks horribly likely. Those poor kids... if this does get published they'll have to get through 40,000 words of my writing D: The horror!

Anyway, 'til next time!

I got my Ebay loot. Yay! :)

I bought the Gashapon Lucky Star figures (the cheap ones), marking the start of my losing more money to the anime/manga industry. I like them a lot.
(Thank you, Polyvinyl for the great photo. Mine were awful.)

Although the paint job isn't quite so good on Miyuki and Akira for mine ^^" Pretty good for the price (only £8!)

I also got Kobato.

Very sweet. I think it's like a new version of Card Captor Sakura (and Kobato even looks a fair bit like Sakura!). I'm not fond of Ioryogi, but I guess that's not such a big issue... He just doesn't seem all that necessary a character (maybe they just needed a mascot?). I'm looking forward to seeing the end. I want to know where Kobato wants to go XD

I also got my free anime pins! Italy and Germany from Hetalia!

(Sorry for the bad photo quality!)
I haven't opened them yet ^^" I probably won't... I don't want them to get damaged.

Anyway, on to writing.

I've recently reached the 20,000 word mark for my kid's book. I hope I'm halfway - I don't want to go over 40k and make it really difficult for myself. I'm in a bit of a creative slump too. The Darklings (never meant to be completely evil) have ended up being really, really misunderstood, good characters. Well, darn. Makes it difficult to keep the word count shorter when you're trying to give the reader a good feel for them... And turning some good guys a little bit bad.
Bilberry has to be my new favourite character to write. She doesn't talk too much, but her backstory makes her very interesting (moreso than Daffodil, who's backstory is pretty happy and normal). Rose is still okay. She reminds me a bit of Chihiro from Spirited Away (except a bit less reluctant at the start). Also had a decent idea for the very end (I always end up planning how the plot works out, but never how it ENDS).

If you're having trouble planning (like I have had in the past), I was thinknig of writing up a plan format that you could use. Feel free when it's up :)

Til next time!

First - sorry for the horrible delay in posts.
I've just finished my A-level exams - forever :D It's over! I'm free!



As a celebration (or so it seems) there's a load of anime and manga coming out for my gap year. I'm thinking it's to taunt me for being unable to get a job and so being too poor to afford it. =.=

The first thing (basically, the one I'm most excited about) is Clannad's actual English release! After 3 years since it first appeared, it's been dubbed and it being released as a complete boxset.

I've been looking forward to being able to own this ever since I first watched Kanon 2006 about a year ago (or was it longer?) as it's supposed to be Key's greatest work. Ah, goodbye money...

The second is what was supposed to be the last volume of Megatokyo.

(The finalised cover)
I was disappointed it wasn't the end. Not just because 6 is my lucky number, but because the series has gone on for so long and 10 years seemed like a good time for it to end. I was disappointed with how it went off track into a whole 'magical girl' thing and made Yuki one of the key characters. I'm not fond of Yuki, she's too.... wussy, maybe? I don't know. She's never been a big part of the story and to make her a major character at this stage seemed a little strange (until I found out her role as a plot device later on). Maybe it was always intended this way, but I didn't like the feel of it. I wanted to see more of the 4 main characters (you know, the little-known Piro, Kimiko, Largo and Erika?).
Enough complaints, because I will get it when it comes out. (Hopefully it won't be as unlucky as my other volumes, which have been stained, dropped and bent all by friends and family).

Okay, one more thing I'ver extremely excited to see being released it Hetalia Axis Powers v.1 in September :)

I didn't think it was going to make it, thanks to the weird politics of the government of N.Korea (I do wish people would stop generalising to either the govs of both North and South, or to the entire Korean population. It's just the Northan government!). But it has and I will buy it happily :) It has to be one of the best series out there, if just for the hilarious educational value (who knew the Russians threw themselves out of planes?) and the amazing artwork.

Another is K-ON!

I'm not AS thrilled by it, but it should be nice to be able to own it in English, rather than just watching the anime online. I'm not as fond of the art in the manga as the anime (similarly to my feelings on Lucky Star - but the art in that improved so much I've almost reversed my opinions). It'll be good for some laughs, I guess.

Now, while Kobato is technically already released, I haven't found it anywhere. It's around, but sort of not - kind of like when they released other big series.

I'm getting it. Definitely. No question. I love CLAMP - their art, storylines and characters are wonderful and inspirational. Heck, just look at the blue dog.

One I only recently heard of being released is Chi's Sweet Home.

I hope to get this as I read it on Onemanga and adored it :) Anyone who likes cats - actually, make that just anyone - should get this. It's adorable, funny and beautiful.

I'm also feeling lucky - very lucky - as Ebay has once again blessed me. I keep being given free stuff off sellers :) First, I got a second pair of armwarmers (great for my friend, as I bought them for her birthday), now I've been given two anime pins just for sending a photo of me and my  sister wearing the T-shirts bought from the seller to be used as advertisements. Awesome.

On the subject of writing (this is still a writing blog, right?), I've had 2 short stories published in SNM Horror Magazine (www.snmhorrormag.com/) for June and July (the first entitled 'A Vague Attitude', the second 'The Burden'). Yes, I'm happy. I'm very, very happy. I put them on my writing CV/resume with a big grin :D I feel lucky to have been chosen, as I'm sure there were a ton of mistakes and loads of competition.

My kid's book - have you heard of this? I forget - is going well. Although it's become longer than I thought. Initially it was going to be 30,000 words, mimicking Coraline by Neil Gaiman, but now it looks more like 40,000 (hopefully similar to the Redwall series).
I love writing for kids. I do. You get to do so much more than in teen or adult books (bar Haruki Murakami who is a writing genuis), like naming a major character Daffodil (hey. he's an elf, I can do what I want). I love writing simplistically and not worrying about making my characters seriously troubled or angsty.
On that subject, I'm getting more annoyed at seeing 'edgey' young adult fiction out there. I'm bored of it. It's depressing and samey (except for occasional gems). I don't want to read about abuse, drugs, gangs or tanything like that. I want a beautifully intricate set of characters with real personalities living in a surreal world - heck, I'll take a normal world as long as it's interesting and isn't running on the character's perceptions.
Please, please, please stop publishing 'edgey' and 'gritty' fiction in the amount you are (hmm, who am I talking to here?). Try to find something original. Please!!

I'll leave it at that for now - wow, a fairly long entry ^^ you can tell it's the end of exams.

Till next time!