From the ports of Delaware to the Redwood Forests

I'm worried about this summer.

I want it to be great, and since last summer, though fun, was not exactly great, I want to fix it. After all, this is my last summer of freedom. Pure, jobless, painless freedom.

And of course I have some ideas on what I'd like to do with it.

There are two options thus far; California or Delaware.

In California, I'd work in the Redwood forests at a travel lodge, in the thickets of nature. I'd be doing minor housecleaning and/or working at the gift store. I think I can handle it, but I'm not sure.

The good? I'd get to roam the forests and live on site for cheap. Nature, head on, not to mention a lot of research for my third book... muahahaha

The bad? I'd live on site. They said, and I quote, "lodging is one step up from camping." I think I can handle that. Of course, food storage rules would be strictly enforced, due to the LARGE BLACK BEAR POPULATION. Um, gulp?

The Ugly. Mice, spiders, and tics. Now, mice, I've never really had a problem with. Spiders, well, I need to get over that someday. But tics are another matter entirely. I've heard mixed reviews, from them burrowing completely inside somebody, to "they're just like mosquitos." Since I've never experienced a tic myself, I've of course imagined the worst case scenario, and that scares the shit out of me.

In Delaware, I would be in a volunteer/training program on a tall sail ship. A friend/acquaintance (alright, she's an acquaintance that I wish I'd known better) went through this program, and now sails the high seas FOR PAY whenever she pleases. I've been giving a lot of thought to a nomadic lifestyle, and this would definitely be a help. It sounds unconventional, adventurous, crazy.

The good? I'd be on a ship. Hello? Pirates of the Caribbean! I'd be with a bunch of crazy awesome people that I've never met, learning how to sail while on the high seas in the midst of summer.

The bad? I'm still not sure. There's the fact that I would know no one. Like, absolutely no one. I was brave enough to do it on the trip to Israel, but that blew up in my face. The 10% of me that is fiercely introverted took over my body, and as a result I made no friends, and had an awful time (ok it was still fun, but I would have had a better time had I just opened up). I don't know if I have to pay for lodging and board, and I'd be making no money.

The Ugly. Let's face it. I'm lazy at times, and this job is straight up hard labor. Not housekeeping, not sales; hard fucking labor. If I take either one of these jobs, I can't leave. I'm stuck, possibly miserable, for the entirety of my summer. My Last Summer. Did I mention I wouldn't know anyone? That scares the crap out of me.

I feel now is the appropriate time to tell myself these wondrous words of advice I learned from a new favorite movie of mine: Nut up or shut up.

I mean, really Kira. You wanted this. You wanted an adventure, to test your limits, the boundaries of what you can do, what you want out of the world. You aren't seriously going to run from the first test of truth with your tail between your legs?

Oh god, I'm talking to myself.

Sorry.

I just. I dunno. Sometimes it's smart to be scared. Aristotle said that. Or maybe Plato. One of 'em.

What do I DOOOOO??? What if I choose the wrong choice? What if I screw myself over completely? Or what if I don't follow through on either of them and spend my LAST summer in Wisconsin or Texas, rotting away without a license, at the mercy of my friends and parents like the sixteen year old I never wanted to be?

ARG.

Dear God,

Please choose for me, and make the right choice. Kthxbye.

-Kira (your loyal supporter, even if you didn't know it)

Merry Christmas

And a happy new year.

Yeah, whatever.

I'm actually looking forwards to the new year. Going out! It'll be the first one not spent in front of the television with family.

Not that I'm anti family. I'm just anti sitting in the front room celebrating the fact that I'm still alive. I mean, shouldn't you do something special to celebrate the fact that you're still alive?

That's what I think, at least.

I think that new years are the same thing as birthdays, except more generalized. So go out and live it up this new year's eve. I know I will be.

As for updates. I'm at home, doing nothing but playing WoW and editing. Hanging out with friends occasionally, but mostly not. I'm almost done editing, but I won't go anymore into that. If you want to know more, check out this blog, and leave a comment so I know I'm not writing for open air.

I can't wait for summer, because I'm the kinda girl who can't sit in one place for too long before losing it a little. I need a road trip. Now.

Finished up season 2 of Desperate Housewives. Spoiler: They're still desperate. I never know why I continue to watch, but something must have me hooked or I'd have stopped already. I'm more like Bree than I'd like to admit. You won't understand that unless you know me AND the show.

Alright, I think that about wraps up my life right now, other than I'm sinking into the "Dark Country" genre of music. Just because that's where my writing usually takes me. Well, that and West Virginia. Yeah. I know. What's a yankee doing trying to imagine life in the deep south?

Your guess is as good as mine. Well, other than the fact that werewolves can't run around in Wisconsin. They'd get shot like three minutes into the full moon. By hunters wearing cheese hats and orange vests.

Still alive

I'm still with the werewolves too, if you're wondering.

The truth is I'm kind of lazy with just about everything but writing (and sometimes even that too), so this and my other blog has suffered my neglect.

Sorry.

So, updates, I suppose.

My new love in music is the indie band, Iron and Wine, who are down low, chill, and emotionally intense (sans cheesiness). I'm enamored. Completely and totally.

I've finished up fall quarter of Junior year, and the next time I experience it, it will be my last. Crrazy right? I dunno how I feel finishing college, even if it does mean more free time and less stress. I feel like even though life gets harder and age can often mean wisdom, humans get increasingly dumb as they age. Not in all respects, but a lot of them. Needless to say, I'm worried. Oh. I got two A's and a C+ this quarter. I'm not too happy about that C+.

ALL of my series are on some sort of cruel and unusual hiatus, just in time for my three week stretch of nothingness. Great coordination, TV. Perfect.

I'm STILL working on my book. Yes, it's going. Like the energizer bunny. Except, maybe picture the bunny with a hammer, hitting me on the head repeatedly. It's still going. I've got this strange love hate relationship with it, an odd mixture of pain and pleasure, the hope for salvation paired inevitably with the fear of failure. I sense that this is the kind of thing lovers go through, except more talking.

I hope to finish editing the damn thing by the end of break, just in time to put myself through query hell as classes start. I'm a masochist, by the way.

Also, the weather here has reached "cold as a witch's tit," as quoted from my mother, which is great. I'm really happy that winter is here so I can enjoy it, and I'm extra happy that I'm not with my grandma and dad down in Puerto Rico, where it will probably be 75 degrees on Christmas day. GOD that would suck. No, I prefer polar bear weather.

...

Sorry about the pessimism, guys. It's late, and my internet connection is shaky, at best.

I'll end with this: I've started book two, I got some awesome headphones, and I've learned a lot since my last post.

Much love,

-K

Monthaversery!

Because it's been a month of me not posting.

Seriously, I apologize, though in my defense, I've almost moved entirely to this blog, which is less personal and more writing-centric.

I also don't make up as many words.

So, since this blog is personal, I guess I'll get you all up to speed on my life:

1) Classes are going well. I love them all. Even the environmental one, because it makes me laugh often, and I'm randomly doing well in it. Surprised? So am I.

2) Friends. I'm learning a lot more about people lately, and this quarter seems to keep illuminating things I don't know about the world. Not that I don't usually figure out that I'm generally clueless, but extra that this quarter.

3) That point leads me to this one: I'm learning what I need to improve in myself. My writing, my singing, my people skillz, myself in general... It's been tough seeing certain bad properties push themselves to the surface. I just kind of want to rock it. But I have to put in a lot more work before that happens...

(I realize some of this will only make sense to me. Sorry.)

4) I love French music. Today I've been absolutely obsessed with the Amelie Soundtrack.

5) I played WoW for a month. If you don't know what that is, please don't ask. If you do, you probably play it too. Don't hate.

6) I'm not doing national novel writing month. I'm a college student. Let's get real here. Maybe once I graduate. Maybe.

7) Halloween was craaaazy. Not sure how I feel about that yet. Mmk.

8) But french music! Seriously! Check it out!!!

9) I finished Dan Brown's most recent novel, The lost Symbol. I was not impressed, Dan. Not one bit.

10) I need to do laundry. Not that important in the way of life, but I really loathe that particular chore. For serious.

11) Still editing the first book, about to embark on the second. See more on that subject here.

12) Life is good, basically.

That's all I've got. Really. No emo bantering, no religious quandaries, no writing updates.

Just subscribe to my other blog. I write there more often.

I promise!

WOW It's been a while

So, I haven't posted in eons, but I have been posting in my other blog on Livejournal, so you should probably go and follow that.

Basically the latest news on me and my book is this:

It's October. I love October. And cider. So I'm having a blast this month.

Two people have finished my book.

I have a ton of editing to do.

My writing teacher offered to read the first chapter of my book. (SQEE)

It's raining.

I'm reading Dan Brown's new book.

I'm finally telling people what I really did this summer: I wrote a book.

I'll be printing my manuscript in its entirety next Friday. Two copies of it.

***

Well, that's about it for now. Again, follow my other blog, because it's quickly becoming the prominent one.

Peace out! Enjoy October!

AAHH School!

Alright, so I got back to campus on Monday night, and since then, life has been a pleasant blur. I have work tonight, and the rest of the week, including the majority of Saturday :(

But the good news is that people have begun to finish the book. Everyone has read chapter ten, and I have my first writing date this year! I'm heading to Kafein this Sunday, at which time I'll hopefully begin to really buckle down on the editing. Once Miles reads through the end, and then Brittny, I'll have to go back and rework the whole book, sprucing it up where it needs action, cutting out occasional overshares and infodumps, and adding in necessary character traits/interactions.

It's gonna be a bitch. But I'll survive.

So if you haven't noticed, posting has become somewhat sparse. I've set it up so each blog gets a post once a week. So I'll try to update this one every Tuesday, and my livejournal one every Friday (which is my designated book day). Sound good?

Giving Up

Prior to writing a book... well... VERY prior to writing a book, I was a music major. Most, if not all of my readers know this. They also know that it was a hard decision that hit me in the worst way.

Because I'd love to be great at everything I love, but often that is not the case. The truth is I didn't have the passion, the dedication, or the skill to be a full time musician. And if you're my mom and you're thinking "but you're amazing, and you had all of that," or if you're my grandma and you're nodding your head, there's one thing that I did have; patience.

Ok, all of you are about to call bullshit, but it's so true. Not to toot my own horn here, but I did finish a book. And now editing it, I'm reminded of the good ol' days when I holed myself into practice rooms that slightly (ok more than slightly) resembled jail cells and played the same song over, and over, and over, and over, and over until it was on repeat in my head every. single. day.

The songs I tried to learn would play as I sat in music theory, when I tried to eat dinner, when I perused facebook, even while I dreamed. I couldn't get it out of my head even with the musical stylings of Linkin Park, even though I tried (sorry freshman roomie).

To play a song when you've been listening to it for the past several weeks straight, well, that takes patience.

To edit a book when you've been listening to the same characters bitch about the same things for over a year straight, well, that takes immense patience (not going to lie, I almost put alcohol instead of patience, but that wouldn't be true. It would just sound more appropriate).

I'm having problems keeping it fresh while trying to scrap together whatever good parts there are in this monstrosity, because really, how many times can you write about a girl's shocking fear before the whole process gets shockingly boring?

But I still love it. I still love the story, and my characters, and even though I cringe when I read over some of the earlier chapters (I think my writing has improved tenfold since I started this book), I still hold on to the hope that someday, somewhere, people I've never met will read my book and genuinely enjoy it.

Every author's dream. Right there.

Off to do some more editing...