9 For You: A Blogger

It's very hard to write something for an audience while you are confused with what your intentions are.
Take right now as an example. Should I write one of my infamous 'Salad Bugs', and just let you pick my brain for the remainder of this post? Shall I talk about the whether, seasons, end of November, or other cliched subject that humans seems to take comfort and abide in? What if I just rambled on about my homework and the completion of NaNoWriMo until your ears bleed?...Oh wait, I've already done that.

And by this point, you're about to punch your screen and shout: "JUST PICK A TOPIC TO WRITE ABOUT ALREADY!"

---Well first of all, that hurts my feelings. And secondly, I'm already suffering enough, what with being allowed to stay in my PJs all day, enjoying a clean and organized room, the cool, pleasant sounds outside that mainly consist of the neighbor's AC streaming gently through my open window, and a weekend of Christmas decorating up ahead. Can't you see that my life is just terrible already?!

(and by the way, if you aren't getting my sarcasm, you really will be hurting my feelings)

But by now, I've created my own conflict. Should I conclude my streamline of type and text? Or will that not be enough?? Have I gone down too many rabbit trails, or have I gone down too few? Are you smiling, crying, or rolling your eyes?
After all, it's your afterthought that counts. Your final reaction to my work is what I strive for.

SO BE NERVOUS---BECAUSE MY TEMPORARY HAPPINESS RESTS ON YOU!!

Finally, what about pictures? Videos?...Or even *gasp* should I insert emoticons that can be coined from parentheses and semi-colons?? If so, which ones? Often people favor one over the other, and I certainly wouldn't want to offend my vast variety of readers.

These are the conscience and subconscious worries of the average blogger.
And these are totally rationalizations and wastes of time.

...Which of course, makes it perfectly clear as to why I often find these thoughts plaguing my mind while writing to you. I am, after all, a very rationalizing person. I compare. A lot.

Truth be told, you're probably better off (and wiser) were you to never take advice from me. Especially not blog-writing advice. But as a reader of the web, I'd tell you that writing informally [to the extreme] for a number of people shouldn't be fretted about.
Given, you shouldn't prattle on about how you have nothing to write, (*guilty tenfold*) but don't stress about how boring your life is. Here are nine ideas if you are an avid blogger, but have run brain-dead out of ideas

1) Micro-Focus. Think of something. Anything. Any little detail of your life that comes to mind from over the recent days, hours, or minutes, and then exaggerate. Tell the world exactly how awful, wonderful, virtuous, or sinister that thing, event, or experience happened to be---or better yet, make a short story out of it.

2) Pull a Kismint, and do a Salad Bug. Yay! Definition of Salad Bug: The most eccentric, swirly-twirly paragraph(s) of words you can come up with it, making a scenario out of them. Use lots of adjectives, and make the idea and story behind it as vague as possible. It's kind of like spacing out while writing while your fingers keep clicking over the keyboard.

3) Write a poem! Even if you aren't a poet, you're still a blog writer, and it might be good to stretch those creative cells in your head. In order to make your poem "worthy of web site", make sure that you're listening to poignant music while you pen down your verses.

4) Find a picture, and write a story that goes behind it. This one is simple enough, and easy too. Just find an image that gives you a spark of inspiration, and run with it. It doesn't have to be a made-up story, it could just be something that's happened in your own experiences.

5) Write about yourself in third person. If you want something to use for as a daily blog post, yet have run out of ideas, try journaling each day of your life for an entire week, but speak only in third person.

6) Photolog! This is for the peoples with the cameras. After waking up, snap a shot of everything that you do for an entire day. Before you go to bed, upload and share your day.

7) Share ten wacky aspirations. Come on, everyone has something unexpected on their bucket list. Make your readers laugh at a few of the crazy things you're just dying to do.

8) Write about a dream you had. That is, if you're one of those people who remembers their dreams after they wake up. Because dreams are made up of shifting words, pictures and images in our minds, you'll find that it can be pretty challenging to try to re-account everything that you saw while sleeping in a words-only mode.

9) Try the music tag, or another tag of your choice. Or better yet, create your own tag to send out to everyone else!

Good night,
K-Minty

Gahkk!

My math lesson is entitled: "Masquerading as a Second Degree". Great. Guess what song gets stuck in my head.



*headdesk*

Don't we just love math time?

I am a...no wait, THE tortoise

Finished my NaNoWriMo this morning at 12:00 AM.

Oddly enough, this year's story became a short prequel to the real plot that I had originally planned to write about. A little less than halfway in, I realized that the idea was too large to fit into on month's worth of 30,000 words (yeah, not a full 50,000---you think I'm insane or somethin'?).

And so a started a Novella.
And then I finished a Novella.
And then I rejoiced.

I must say, I didn't expect to actually accomplish what I'd set out to do. But being encouraged by friends and the YWP's pep talks helps. One of the most inspiring pep talks that I read mentioned something about writing for the people who doubt you, rather than the people who believe in themselves. As a self-proclaimed skeptic, I grasp this concept with open arms. I wrote to prove something. Not to the people who knew already that I had it in me. Instead, I wrote to prove something to MYSELF. My doubtful, pessimistic self.

So there. Take that, self! 

And now, dear reader, is the part of the post when I encourage you. If you're trying to accomplish something, I tell you now: Do it. But do it to show all those doubting people who's boss here!

And rest assured, when you've finally earned the right to grasp your trophy, it feels good.
Really really good.

Thanks to my lovely characters---some of which have yet to appear---for their patience and faithful bickering that kept the story on the road. And to my fellow NaNo-ers: without them, it would have been impossible to write that 30,642.

Finally, I give to you all, the last words of the (more than rough) rough draft.

"'And now it begins.' Whispered Robert Augustus Thorpp, unsure of the future, and accelerating towards it at full speed."

THE END

You have no idea how badly I've wanted to write those two concluding words.  

Bowmaster

I'm sorry, but this is great. 

(veiwers should be warned that this does have a fair share of graphic battle scene violence)

i

More later,

K-Minty

To The One With Reading Eyes,

I never walk beside you, nor in front, nor behind. I walk in a parallel line with your shadow. You don't see me, and you usually don't listen to me, but you hear me every day and don't know it. Sometimes I'm that nagging voice in your head. Other times I'm just the wind tickling the blades of grass in the meadow and making funny whistling noises. I have lots of things to tell you. But you like to rush. You like to go about your day without heeding, without worrying, and without wondering what I might be able to do to help you out with. The only time you're ever ready to sit down and have a chat is when your eyes shut and your brain switches from "awake" to "hibernation". 

It's sad really---the way that you always seem to forget what I told you when we talked together. And the more you try to remember, the quicker my words dissolve from your memory. Everything I tried to give you fades away when you awake. Like sand stirred up by the bluster of a passing car, my gifts to you are left behind. 

With blessing,

I n s p i r a t i o n .

"On Your Knees!"

"Your time starts now!" Shouted Prince Arthur's voice, sounding grim and deadly in the pavilion. It was now or never again. This was Lancelot's chance: The chance to become the thing he'd dreamed of. Knighthood was in his reach. 

All his life, since he was only an orphan child, had he practiced his sword craft. The tricks and turns he had mastered came flooding back to him, and his hands and fingers remembered their skill. Arthur was the best swordsman in Camelot---perhaps even in the world. The prince's skill had been carefully fostered since he could walk. Now, in his prime, Arthur was most undoubtedly the deadliest human foe he would ever face in combat.

Lancelot must prove himself worthy. Not only to the once and future king of Camelot, or even his friends who stood nervously on the sidelines, watching with anxious eyes, but to himself---that he could do what he'd always aspired to. 

From inside his helmet, Lancelot could hear every sword stroke as the two weapons of metal met in the air. The sounds reminded one of music from a warning bell, ringing "danger" and "injury" at every toll. Lancelot did his best to hold his ground and keep his head, even under the rain of Arthur's blows. In combat, the two of them were like animals, feeling for each other's weaknesses, never giving in, never holding up, and never backing down. In a brief wave overwhelming disorientation, Lancelot lost his balance, and swung wildly at Arthur's head. He thought it to be his doom, but fate laughed and Arthur held back. The two circled. 

And they continued.
Lancelot didn't know for how long. 
Have you ever noticed how impossible to tell time when pouring out everything you are or ever hope to be?

In reality, it was only a few seconds before his downfall. With a backhanded blow from his right gauntlet, Arthur had struck Lancelot directly in the face. Onto the ground he went as his helmet flew off and his mind darkened... 

...But the thing you most desire, if in your grasp, will not---should not---be given up on without a fight.

Cooper and Gatlin- "Don't Panic" (Coldplay LIVE cover)

Talented people. Besides, how can you not like Coldplay??

For any fellow AIO listeners who might be curious and recognize the name, the girl in this video is the actress Gatlin Green---A.K.A. Priscilla---singing with her brother, Cooper Green (also an actor).