You know what's funny?

So I lied to Miles when I said I'd have this chapter done by the weekend. It's Tuesday, and clearly not finished (though, as before, very close to it). 

I noticed something though. 

I wrote a lot of random scenes before I even started writing the book, before it was a fully formed project I needed to get it all out. When I began it as an actual project, I wrote a lot more scenes out of order, randomly, that stuck in my mind as vividly as a good scene in a movie. 

Reading them now, I'm glad I wrote them, but I have to edit so much of them. Obviously the plot has changed since I began, but it's more than that. I take my characters and their problems A LOT more seriously since I know what's happened before these scenes. The stakes are raised, and my main character has become much more mature since I first thought of her and her blonde escapades. 

I read a section just now and I was like "whoa, Rach, curb the sarcasm." I guess another thing is that teenage sarcasm gets real old after a certain number of pages, and if I can't put up with it, the person who can't bite back any sarcasm in a conversation, there's no way my characters would, especially in the tense situations I often put them through. 

Blah. Just wanted to say that. Sorry about the inundation of posts lately...

Updates Updates (Because sometimes, characters don't make it when we want them to)

I finished it. I finished the books of the series (there are apparently supposed to be six, but only three are published... guess how many I read?) and it was... awesome. I have two things to say in this post and I'll try really really hard to not overdue it... I foresee immediate failure. 

Before that though, I have to introduce the book series that I have oh so recently fallen for (if only because two of you may actually want to pick it up. You know who you are.). Alright, so it's by Richelle Mead, an author of four series (this is her first bestselling one). I've heard of the series before, but I'd never been able to pick up the first book. The first one is Vampire Acadamy, the second is Frostbite, and the third is Shadow Kiss. The cover of the book made me frown almost as much as the titles, but an author rarely has first say in covers, and as someone racking her brains for a title (s), I can understand a less than stellar one. 

Anyways, the book is told in first person past tense, through the eyes of one Rose Hathaway, 17-year old half vampire. What I liked was the invention of a world within ours (which so many vampire novels are good at) that functions the same, but differently. Rose is what they call a Dhampir, half vampire. Dhampirs protect the Morai (or full vampires) from various threats, almost like bodyguards. The various threats usually end up being Strogoi, evil vampires that have betrayed their race and their humanity (it's a lot more complicated than that, so just read the book if you're curious). Rose was in training though, at one of many vampire academies throughout the world (this one in Montana), to become a fully fledged guardian. But Rose and her best friend Lissa have run away to escape a threat that even their teachers can't comprehend, because Lissa isn't like other Morai...

Ok, that was my best summary of the first book without giving you the entirety of the back cover. Short story: it's good. Like, really good. I love Rose's smart-ass mouth (sorta like my heroine, but more abrasive, if possible) and the nice contrast between her and Lissa. The school actually sounds plausible, the characters are diverse and funny, and did I mention the love interest? 

I love her love interest. He's awesome, dark (byronic hero for all you English buffs out there), smart, strong, brave, and smoldering hot (we get to see him with hie shirt off... or... you know, like imagine him, because of the words... and... you get the picture), let alone how much he helps out Rose. 

Now, just in case some of you plan on reading this book, don't read the next paragraph. Skip it, because there WILL be spoilers. If you don't intend to read Vampire Academy (and sequels), read on freely. 

On to the actual first point of this post, I hate when people get killed off. I hate it that after I put in so much emotional investment and love into them, they suddenly get taken away and killed (or in Dimitri's case, after all the drama between him and Rose gets sorted out, finally, FINALLY they admit that they have to love each other, he gets turned into an evil Strogoi monster against his will and she ends up having to kill him!). I hate it, but I think it makes a book better, too. While it pangs my heart to read of my favorite sexy man's death (or a kickass heroine that falls in a fight), it makes me realize how invested in a figment of someone's imagination I am. 

Ok, that came out wrong. 

It just impresses me when people care so much about something not real. Case in point: Albus Dumbledore. I was depressed for two weeks after his death in the sixth book. And I'm not the only one who cried during the seventh book. And a book should emulate reality to a degree, and in reality, the good guys don't always hook up and have a bunch of kids while all the bad guys die. Sometimes, the bad guys win. Sometimes the good guy's (or girl's) lover falls to the whims of fate (or fire, or depression, or the creepy homicidal neighbor next door) and the book ends on a heart wrenching, unbearable note. 

But that's what makes it great. I'm not entirely sure why yet, but it's reassuring almost, to know that even in fiction where fairytale endings are possible, there is disappointment. Still, I don't know why. Any thoughts? Or do you all completely disagree with me?

Second point of unnecessarily long blog post:

Ok, you know when I mentioned the whole snooty English thing? I'm talking about the stigma of carrying a book like Vampire Academy around say, Northwestern campus, as opposed to brandishing Shakespeare and professing undying love to characters like Mr. Darcy. Don't get me wrong, Shakespeare molded history and Mr. Darcy should get his dues, but I've seen what some of the students at NU are like when faced with books like Twilight and Vampire Academy. It's like how a music major would treat, Justin Timberlake to the opera Madame Butterfly. 

Basically it's bullshit. 

I knew someone in the past who wrote music. They looked down on my musical tastes, saying that a lot of bands today are simple. Likewise, my dad once had a long discussion with me about how easy it was to write rock and pop music versus classical or jazz music. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and respect the complexities that those genres embrace, but in my mind, it doesn't make them superior in any way. It makes them... different. 

On the first day of my second writing class, I overheard a conversation. Two guys were discussing another class of theirs. For an icebreaker, a girl in their class had said her favorite book was Twilight. 

The guy snickered. "I'll never take her book taste into consideration." 

Unable to keep quiet, I butt in. "You can't judge her just because she likes Twilight," I said in what I hoped was a friendly tone. 

"Uh, yeah I can."

Sigh. Again I must say, bullshit. People like what they like, and the elite can be jerks about it, but that doesn't stop anyone from reading it or listening to it. And I don't think they can be seen negatively for it. 

Can't lie, I got absolutely nothing done yesterday!

It was worth it though, because two of my best friends came up from Chicago to visit. We didn't do anything in the category of terribly interesting, but we watched a pilot episode of one of my favorite series, my mom cooked us a great dinner, and I introduced them to good ol' Wisconsin custard. (Note: If you haven't tried it, it's a million times better than ice cream. Go get some. Now!) 

But no worries, because the day before that (gonna be honest, don't remember which day of the week that was) I got a WHOLE LOT done. How much, you ask? Did you finish chapter ten, you ask? 

A damn lot, and no. 

I've been working more and more on chapter eleven, which to me is really exciting and hard at the same time (you'll know once you've read it), and I couldn't bring myself to look at chapter ten again, partially because it was a trifle boring to write it. Stuff happens, but the stuff that happens makes me angry and nervous so I don't really want to put my whole heart into it. As most of you know, there's a lot that should technically make one angry and nervous, but this chapter is... well, different. 

It worries me, because one, each chapter has its own feel to me, almost like a separate story altogether, and I don't yet know how they work as one cohesive concept. Two, I'd always made up in the back of my mind that I would separate the chapters more once I finished the book... Just because as a reader, I HATE long chapters with a vengeance because it's hard for me to stop in the middle of things. But now it's getting more and more difficult to imagine this as more than a fifteen chapter (possibly less) monstrosity.

On a cooler note (for me, not you) I am on a reading high. Which is why I've gotten absolutely NO writing done today (I'll get to it eventually). I'm reading a vampire series (surprise surprise) that's actually good (surprise surprise). In high school I vowed (expected) that I would never be able to bring myself to leave the young adult section of books, and though that's true, I've lately been reading "deeper, more mature" novels, like CS Lewis' Till We Have Faces. But my heart has apparently remained (rather obstinately, I might add) in the YA section. Apparently even the snooty English classes I've been taking can't rip the YA out of me. It kind of rocks. This summer will probably be filled with YA novels that I tear through in a matter of hours (I'm predicting I'll be finishing the three book vampire series in two days), and I can honestly say I'm excited about that. 

Now if only I could get a job to support my renewed addiction... 

6 a.m. and you wouldn't believe the amount of sunrises I've seen this summer

The thing is, I meant to go to bed sooner. After getting up to go to lunch with a good old friend, I went to go see Transformers 2 with some other friends, got back around ten, worked on the book till around 1am. 

I consider that a pretty good day. My sleep schedule is finally working out, and I guess I sort of decided to shrug off last week as my zombie week. Yeah. Because Yesterday was amazing. It was exactly what I want this entire summer to be; an engaging balance of productivity, fun, and friends. Love it. 

Then freaking appliances had to ruin it! I've been awake all night. I turned off my computer and lay down in bed by 2:30 a.m. deciding to call it a night so I could hang out with my friend today. Now it's almost six and the tiny things that make up white noise have made tonight a living hell. I dunno what to do. Sadness. 

Ok, so secretly this blog post really isn't about writing. It's me complaining. 

So since I've vented properly, let's get back to the writing, shall we?

I am THIS CLOSE to finishing chapter ten. Just an argument away, almost. And I could have been closer, but I decided to close that file for a little bit and look at what I had for chapter 11. Depressingly little. So I wrote about four to five pages of 11 so that once I'm done with 10 I won't be starting off with a blank page and some poor writing from a year ago that my great aunt mildred could have written (oh dear, I'm kidding. I don't have a great aunt Mildred. But wouldn't it be cool if I did?). So I consider that a triumph. WOOT!

Also, I decided that until I FINISH the manuscript completely (counting prologue and epilogue), I'm not querying any more agents. Seeing the words "partially completed" sounds like a turn off even to me, the amateur writer in college. And I don't want to waste any agent or publisher's time, just to get in the game early. But I'm not gonna lie... it's tempting. 

I was looking up writers' conventions the other day, and some of them have lists of credible agents and publishers that will be there. Took down some names, did some research, resisted the urge to email some of the agents. I did, however, make a list. So I know, at least roughly who I'm sending those wondrously frustrating query letters to. 

Whoa. I'm hungry. Peace OUTTTTTT. 

The Monster (AKA Chapter 10)

I finished editing chapter nine based on the notes of a friend (hard to do with the randomness of it, but I guess finals week took priority, haha) and sent it off to another friend, whose notes will hopefully be more legible (NOTE: despite my anal retentiveness based off of the your/you're mistake, I don't know the difference between whose and who's). 

Once I was done with that, it was almost like a springboard effect had happened, and I jumped into Chapter ten full speed ahead. I was pretty excited, until I'd been at it for almost the whole day and I realized how little I'd done to it. The chapter went from 9 pages to 13 very quickly, but it still feels empty, full of gaping holes, and I really, really don't know what to do about it. 

Remember the conversations I abhor so much? That's what's missing. Two to three intense confrontations may blow it up to 20+ pages. Over 23 and I might go crazy. UGH. It's making Chapter 8 look like a docile baby (ch 8 is the one I wrote, rewrote, and expanded by about ten pages), and that was enough stress in and of itself. 

Maybe I'm blowing this all out of proportion, but really, how the hell am I supposed to know what centuries-old vampires say when they're pissed off? 

I guess I'll just make it up and hope it sounds convincing (pinnacle of writing career right there).

Today was an intense writing day, though. Put chapter nine in the binder, and have officially run out of those little plastic paper holder alternatives to three hole punching each and every sheet of paper... yeah. Those things. I took out my "Advice on Novel Writing" article (AKA writing BIBLE) and plan on rereading it for the first time in a year. That should be exciting and time consuming. (NOTE: The Binder is a huge huge white binder where I store all of my stuff (fresh drafts, old drafts, notes, plans, articles, pictures) in a semi-organized fashion.) 

The thing is that even though I made a LOT of headway, I still feel... well... I feel like a bum. Usually people tell me I'm acting like a bum when I don't feel like it. If I feel like it, something MUST be wrong. I'm getting all sad and lazy, staying in the house instead of chilling with friends. To be quite honest, this summer is getting almost as depressing as last school year which, if you were there, you know, was pretty rough. What do I do to make it better? No car, no bike, little money. 

:( 

I'll just finish the book and THEN have a life. No? Ok, I say we get drunk, because I'm all out of ideas. 

Finally some Progress!

After feeling uber lame for the past week, I finally decided to suck it up and write. Three pages, two hours, and chapter ten is looking less like a train wreck and more like a sunny day. Granted, there are some very difficult conversations coming up, some that my main characters are going to hate so much that I can barely stand to write them. 

Ok, that's a lie. I love doing mean things to my characters, because it usually means retribution in the most violent of ways. 

What really frustrates me in those long conversations is 1) Keeping the reader interested.  alot of information dumping goes on, which may or may not detract from what's going on. 2) The conversations take an unexpected turn nine times out of ten, leaving me staring at my computer screen wondering what on earth just happened. Sometimes fights break out, sometimes people start making out, and sometimes the tension fizzles into nothingness or explodes into an entirely unanticipated plot. It's exhausting, and to be quite honest, I don't really like not knowing what's about to happen in my own book.

Really Kira, you say, just suck it up and write. 

*sigh* I will. Eventually. But for now let me procrastinate with more editing. 

Second point of blog: Two different kinds of series. 

I have to talk about this because I just saw the second episode of True Blood, and, well, let's just say it cut off at a crazy plot-heavy scene. I wanted to punch my computer, and I don't know if I can wait seven days to find out what happened. 

It's pure genius, I think. That's the kind of series it is. Leave-you-hanging-aching-for-more-what-the-hell-just-happened-seriously-when-is-the-next-episode type of series. 

It's made by the same people who pushed back HP6 almost an entire year, I think. Not necessarily out of cruelty (though I do think it's cruel) but out of a consciousness that more people will tune in the more you hold at stake. 

Then there's the nice series, the one like, let's say, charmed. There is (for the most part at least) a nice, clear cut plot in each episode, complete with rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. Grade school teachers would be proud. I like that situation more sometimes, because even though a main plot runs through the heart of the series, the audience/reader still gets a sense of satisfaction out of each and every snippet/episode/book, instead of an adrenaline rush accompanied by week-long (or, since I've mentioned books, YEAR LONG) theories that border on obsessive.

Harry Potter falls under option number two, Everworld falls under option number one. Supernatural is a combination, I think. Depends on the season. 

Kira, you may be thinking, is this relevant at all? 

No, my dear reader. Not one bit. 

(BTW I KNOW I have followers! Would it kill you guys (and anyone else) to leave a comment? I don't think sooooo!)

Book update and other interesting things in Kira's life (or lack thereof)

So, this summer is taking an unexpected turn, and although I'm only a week in, it seems as if my life will, as usual, not be going like I planned it. Thus far, I'm jobless, it's been storming (like, I fear for my life storming), and last night a bug about the size of my thumb crawled across the living room (my bedroom for the summer) floor. My sleep schedule is a complete train wreck, my productivity levels are near zero, and I freaking hate my local gym with an undying passion.

Way to go, Saint Francis. 

Fail, Kira. 

But I have been writing my book, believe it or not. I'm about one page closer to being done with chapter ten than I was when school let out, I've been adding to various other chapters, and I'm missing my self-assigned deadlines left and right (according to the calendar on my computer, I should be working on chapter 12. No go.). 

*sigh*

I blame this all on a depressing lack of coffee shops and a non-functioning bikes. 

I did, however, watch Underworld 3 once more. It's not one of my favorites, but in terms of the supernatural, it's right up my alley. Well developed characters, convincing world, and kick ass action scenes definitely make a fun movie. As a werewolf fanatic, I was impressed with the change from human to lycan, something usually butchered in most movies (i.e. Harry Potter, Blood and Chocolate, New Moon). So that made me happy yesterday. Also, Victor is so delightfully evil. He cracks me up.

Meh. No more updates, except that the book is indeed, still on my mind 24/7.