Monday, August 23, 2010

Oh, how pretty! =D

Well, three days ago I was acknowledged with another award, yay! And - finally...! - I have the time to post about it...about anything really. XD

So, here's to RosieC over at East for Green Eyes for bestowing this to me. I thank you very much! Now I have two pretty awards. =) Yay! So, now it's time for me to hand it off to some people. Who's up? Let's see!




The rules for this award states that I need to pass it along:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now, I know it says 15, but how about I do 5 at a time? So, after today, I will award this award 2 more times (once a week)...can I do that? XD Anyway...my choices for this round are...!

1. Kaelin over at Enchanted Inkdom!
2. Valerie over at As the Moon Climbs!
3. Dawn Embers over at Dawn Embers!
4. Misty Waters over at Writer's Block ~ Oh wait! I mean blog...!
5. wanpicz over at picez's blog! (Just a head's up about wanpicz's blog. It is in Indonesian, but your internet should give you the option to translate it to English. It does for me. =D)


Woo-hoo! to all the winners this week, yay! =D And...I'll post again later today or tomorrow. So please check back. Thanks! =D


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Saturday, August 14, 2010

Weatherfest

So, I have decided to enter this fest, rather spur of the moment and last minute, of course, my style. Anyway, the following is something that I wrote for my Creative Writing class this past Spring 2010. Um...I wrote it in February during a blizzard-ish snowstorm. Comments would be nice. Critiques welcome as well, as this is my first blogfest. Thanks! =D

Plus I can be sort of skeptic about posting my work on-line. XD So...yeah. XD Anyway, ta-da.>



The Weather

The sky is white, but not a bright white. It is almost a very pale gray. It is late morning and there is a chaotic array of swirling white flakes dancing outside the windows. It is a heavy shower of white, that slips sideways and under, then over and back the other way. It is a waltz of these white flakes. The large and small specks alike mingle together in their peaceful dance through the sky before they slowly settle on the already white and frozen ground from a previous storm.



And...that's it. It's so small compared to everyone else's but this is just my first trial at this sort of thing. Thanks for reading my last-minute entry into the blogfest! =)

Awards

Check it out everyone, I'm awarding my first...award! Haha. Well, recently I was awarded with the "Versatile Blogger" award by dear Amanda Sablan. I just want to thank her. That was very nice and it was also...nice (XD...redundant word usage) to know that I was being thought of. So, Amanda, thanks again. =D As for a cheesecake...would you take a drawing instead? =D

So, who will I award it to? Well, here are my four selections for passing the award on to:

1. February Grace @ Pitch Slapped
2. Valerie @ As the Moon Climbs
3. Regan @ One Dream to the Next
4. John Smith @ John Smith Books

And now for the rules I have made for the restriction of passing on the award:

-You were a follower of my blog.
-You did not have the award yet. (Let's be fair =)...)
-You all have interesting posts.


So, I guess that's it for now. I am seriously debating on jumping into that "Weatherfest" before today is over, but I don't think I will in the end. I want to write one of my 3 WiPs, haha!

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As my wrist hurts...XD

Friday, August 13, 2010

Writing #2

I originally had an idea for this second post in my "Writing Series" but as I am currently running on five hours of sleep, I can't seem to recall it, so...I'll wing this post instead. Hope you all don't mind.

Anyway, the topic this time is Characters.

Characters are often essential in any piece of writing, whether they be human, a creature, or even an object of personification. They are what helps the story move along, the glue for your paper, the ink for your pen, the binding for the book, well, I guess you get the point. Anyway, what I am getting at is that characters are important, as is their development throughout any sort of writing.

Sometimes, developing a character can be easy, and other times it can be a downright pain in the butt. In times where the character just seems to flow from your pen, congratulations! We've all been there at some point, I'm sure...or, almost sure. And, I'm also (almost) sure that we've all experienced the times where we have practically had to sit there and wrestle our characters out of our pen and force them onto the page. It takes minutes, hours, possibly even days to drag their stubborn rears out, and, sometimes, when they finally are out, they want to be difficult. That's right, you had this great idea and now the character won't fit that idea anymore. Horrible, right? Well, maybe not so. It can give you a great opportunity to re-think the situation, the particular scene, maybe your character just wasn't meant to do that sort of scene, not yet at least. Maybe in time, after the character has been developed more. Something I have learned is that no matter how long you write, you will always go back and read it and want to possibly rewrite at least a part in your book to make it sound better. But, I digress. Back to characters.

There are many different styles to character creation. When I first started writing, I would make them a brief bio (because I'm a dork and role-play and read manga and when you're role-playing, you make a Character Bio, and when you're reading manga, sometimes the Character Bio's are thrown in between the chapters. XD). Anyway, (have you noticed yet that I like to use that word a lot in this post? =D)...I would try to make a bio, which would consist of:

Name: First & Last
Age: ?yrs
Height: ?' ?"
Weight: ?lbs
Hair Color: ?
Eye Color: ?
D/O/B: ? (I used this one once or twice.)
Style: ? (How I wanted my character to dress.)
Weapon: ? (As my main category of writing is fiction fantasy, there are usually swords and stuff. =D)
Brief Bio: ? (A bit about the character I was writing about.

But as I continued to grow as a writer I found that I personally do not need to construct a bio of my characters anymore. I picture them as I will and go from there. I am a very hands on person. I don't like to organize things sometimes, but when it comes to my story, I know where all the files and notes are. I just am "eh" on some of the "laying out" issues that comes with the development.

Another way to write about your character, to get them started, is to set them, let's say, modern day, in a restaurant or cafe around you. How would they react? That sort of thing. I mean, there are many ways to create characters and one can try many different ways until they find what is comfortable for them, but do not feel like you have to be limited to that one way, you can always breach out and try new things. I once had a teacher who said something along the lines of, "Choosing a career is great, but don't think you are limited to just one. I have worked many different jobs and have had much fun. When you limit yourself, you can only go so far." I can't recall her exact words, but it was something along those lines. =)

Question #2 of the "Writing Series": How do you make up your characters? How many do you often have in your stories? A few? A lot? Would you try a limited cast of characters? Or a larger cast?" Do tell! =D

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Monday, August 9, 2010

Magic Kingdom

"Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together. Dedicated this 25th day of October, 1971. Roy Oliver Disney”

Above is the quote that is inscribed on the Dedication Plaque for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. As Walt Disney passed away before construction even began on the Florida Project, it was his brother who had to see to the opening of the first park, renamed from Disney World to Walt Disney World in honor of Walt Disney. Since it's opening, Magic Kingdom has grown and last year, 2009, it received so many visitors that it became the most visited amusement park in the whole world.

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. ...[It] is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. [It] is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." - Walt Disney

Enjoy! =]
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Writing #1

So, why not start a blog series? Everyone is doing it! Well, I guess I could try.

My first topic will be how to go about planning your book. Of course, everyone has their own style on how to go about this task. Some have processes that are much more complicated and some are simple. Now, what is mine? What do I do when I want to write a book? Well, I guess I can tell you...

I sit down and I write. Yep, that's it. I don't start off with any real plan. I write a snippet down and go from there if I think it has potential. I don't outline or draw up a rough diagram of how I want things or plots to go, I just write what comes to mind.

Setbacks for my style of planning? I haven't come across any quite yet, except for the occasional writer's block, but that can be a bother to all writers out there, so it's not really something horrible.

Now, IF I do try to plan out something, the most I will do is something like this:

Chapter 1: Character 1, Character 2 and Character 4.
Chapter 2: Character 3.
Chapter 3: Character 1, Character 2 and Character 4/ Character 3/ Character 5.
Chapter 4: Character 3/ Character 5.
Chapter 5: Character 1, Character 2, Character 3, Character 4, and Character 5 meet.

Yep. I just write down the chapter number and the names of which characters will appear in that chapter based on appearance. That's the most I'll do, I think.

Now, I know that some of you will actually sit there and write/type out a brief summary of what you want to have happen in your chapters. I know for a fact that this is what Justin likes to do. I've tried to do it, but I find it difficult to stick to when I do it. I like the freedom I get from just writing what I want and when I want. If I need to rearrange my chapters later on to make it flow better or to add or subtract a chapter later, I don't mind.

Anyway, that's it for now. Check out the rest of the series later. If any of you have a topic you'd like me to discuss, just let me know in the comment's section.

Also, a question for you all: "Do you plan for your story? How do you go about it?"

-Tara

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

"Lights, Motors, Action!"

Do you like movies?!

Do you like cars?!

And do you like action?!

Well, if you do (and if you happen to be at Walt Disney World in Florida) then you should really consider heading over to Disney's Hollywood Studios to watch this Extreme Stunt Show. There's just one catch...it only has two showtimes a day: 1:20p and 4:30p. But, if you work your schedule out right you'll be able to catch this fast-paced show.

There are three rounds to this show. The first is an introduction of the directors and some cast before they start the chase scene known as the "Ballet Chase". This chase is more for show. They have cameras positioned all around the stage to catch different angles for filler later in the film.

The second portion is when they film the beginning of the show and it's the first time that you get to see the hero, who drives that red car. However, despite the fact that I just said that the hero drives the red car, in the second portion a.k.a. the opening for the film, the hero partakes in a motorcycle chase.

The third and final portion that is filmed only takes, about, 33 seconds. It's filled with last minute chases, jumps, fire and explosions!

Here's a preview of the ending. ;)

I hope that someday you guys can check out the show, if you haven't already. I saw it today and found it pretty interesting (despite the rain and strike of lightning that made us have to delay the show between the first and second takes. It was about a 15 minute wait time between the two, but it was still pretty cool besides that.) =]

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tea Time!

"If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you." -Gladstone (1865) Victorian British Prime Minister

I have never really enjoyed coffee ― I find it too bitter. I could add sugar and cream, but still it just does not suit my tastes. Now, I know that I will (on occassion) drink a coffee beverage, like a frappe, but not often. Anyway, back to the main point of this post. Today, I just want to talk about tea and how I love it. =)

I find tea to be delicious. It's fragrant's and tastes are delightful. The quote above, I think, pretty much sums up how I feel about tea. I am particular to green tea, but like to try new ones. =)

Anyway, when I go to malls, I like to looks for a Teavana shop. Have you ever been to one? Amazing! Here, check it out: Teavana. They always have samples of teas that you can try and there are all sorts. They also have interesting tea sets to look at or buy. My goal is to someday own a nice tea set from Teavana. At the moment, I kind of like this one:



Anyway, at the top of the Teavana site, they list their different kinds of teas: "White, Green, Oolong, Black, Herbal, Rooibos, and Maté". Then, they also have tea blends (which are also tasty), tea gifts, locations, their story, and many other cool tabs that one could enjoy perusing.

Well, I'm off for now, I might do another post later tonight. Enjoy some tea! =)

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Monday, August 2, 2010

Blog Tag and ModCloth! =)

So, the other day, Miss Amanda Sablan, tagged me in her blog post about a "Handwriting Meme" that she was tagged in by Cruising Altitude. Anyway, I meant to do this yesterday, but I was so busy that I didn't really have the time to get up onto my blog. =| Of course, now I do! =D Anyway, here is my handwriting!



If you can't read it, feel free to click on it for a larger picture. I tend to write small, but I had to write a little bigger then normal for this post so that you could see it. XD Um, now, how do I write? Well, when I have a writing utensil in my hand, I rest it between my thumb and pointer finger like you're supposed to (with my right hand) and then the very end of the writing instrument I rest against my ring finger. Not too many people I know do that, except for Amanda Sablan, who said in her post that that is how she writes, too! Besides her, I only know one other person who holds their writing utensil the same way as me and that is Aaron! =D

Um, so, I had to tag people, so this is who I targeted! Please make sure to do it! ;)
Justin Parente! Tessa Conte! Picez wanpic! Valerie! Mesmerix! Regan! and RosieC! I can't wait to see what you guys post...if you decide to do it. XD Also, I hope you all get a chance to check out each other's blogs. =)

((EDIT! Haha, I totally forgot to add this part earlier. Please thank RosieC for pointing out to me that she had no idea what to write for the numbers. XD

1. Your name/Blog's name
2. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
3. What are your favorite letters to write?
4. What are your least favorite letters to write?
5. Write: "The quick, brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
6. In CAPS, write: "BABOON, SPLENDOR, ONOMATOPOEIA, FLIP-FLOPS, HUZZAH!"
7. Your favorite song lyrics are?
8. Make sure you tag 7 people to join in on the fun. =)
9. Tickle your fancy and add a special quip for us to enjoy. =)

Thanks again, RosieC! ;) And, that's the end of the EDIT.))

Whew, anyway, today is one of those days where you've been so busy for the last couple of days and you just want to sit down and relax but people still want you to do stuff. Not that I mind though! I like hanging out with people, so I'll rest for an hour (or a couple of minutes) and then I'll be on my feet again. =)

On other news, I want to promote the site ModCloth today. It's this really interesting retro clothing sort of site. I really like going on here and browsing their selections and wishing I had more money...XD But it's really cool because they have all sorts of apparel, then they have stuff that's on sale (which is the stuff that I can afford, haha!) I mean, I don't want you to get discouraged, because this stuff isn't super expensive! I'm just saying I can't afford it because I'm trying to save my money. =) So, if you like to look at clothes, especially retro-ish clothes, this is definitely a site to check out. If you're interested in what kind of stuff they have and you're too lazy to click the link I have supplied, here are a few examples that I am a BIG fan of! =D





Oh, but please don't think that this site is only limited to clothes and shoes! That would be totally incorrect! They also have Accessories...Thye are fun to look at.

Also, they have some really nifty stuff for your apartment...Here are a few of my favorites of that sort of stuff. =)






Yeah, I am such a dork when it comes to retro stuff. I love that kind of thing, haha! Anyway, hope you all have a great day! =D

Oh yeah, one more thing...I changed my playlist so that it isn't automatic anymore. If you want to listen to the music, you can click play. I don't want to annoy anyone with my music. XD