ROW80 – R1C7

This week started out excellent, but pretty much ended in nothingness. I’m actually pretty okay with that, though. Even though I’m not sticking to my schedule as closely as usual, I’m finding myself more rested and more relaxed. I think that’s something that I’ve needed recently. Though I am behind on some of my goals, I’m going to make sure that I make everything up within the next few days. I still want to log in those hours and stay on top of what I’ve assigned for myself.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Research for at least half an hour each day. Incomplete. I’m behind two days (not including today) on this one. I do have some good news, though! I finished reading all of my writing books, and I’ve signed up for one month on Writer’s Market. I’m going to see how that goes and then decide whether I should stick with a subscription or not. It scares me to death to think that I’m at this point already – agents and publishers and queries, oh my! – but I’ve got to just move forward and try my hardest to do everything in my power to get this done. I am so over being afraid of moving forward into the unknown.
2. Do a one hour writing sprint at least three times a week, working on the WIP. DONE! This one is so fabulous, you guys! The muse is beating me over the head with ideas and I just can’t step away from my WIP for more than a day. I’m very thankful that I’ve started this story (the sequel to my first novel, the second book in the trilogy) and that I know what I’m writing towards. Even though I really enjoyed writing down the last story that popped into my head, this series is my grand entrance (I hope) and it’s the one that I care about the most. Being able to write these characters again feels like I’ve finally come home after a really long vacation. I actually managed FIVE writing sprints this week, for a total of 10,380 words this week. That brings my total word count from January up to 35,404.
3. Exercise for half an hour each day. Incomplete. I’m three days behind on this one (not including today), so I’ve got plenty to make up over the next week. I’m doing much better at eating right and trying to avoid snacking. I’m also starting to slowly lose a little more weight, so that should be some extra motivation to start getting back into my routine.
4. Do at least one chapter of reading each night. Incomplete. I’m only behind one day on this one, so it’ll be really easy to catch up. I also promised the person I was beta reading for that I’d get it done sometime soon. Shouldn’t be a problem, and I’m excited to get back into it!
5. Blog at least three times a week, not including my ROW80 updates. Done! I have a confession to make… I think I’m addicted to blogging. No, really. I’m starting to really enjoy this, and it’s so great when I can see some regular faces around here commenting and helping me out. I just started a new series called Wandering Bard (the first one took us to Italy) that I’m really excited about. I have all of these ideas swimming around in my head and I’m trying to include all of them on here. I like not defining my blog about one or two things, but being able to include all of my interests and passions into one place. I’ve also got some cool surprises coming up for all of you, so stick around for next week!

I had one of my own beta readers fall through, so I’m a little lost for what I should do. I was banking on her (an agented writer) to help me out with some tips for my MS, and now that I don’t have that resource, I’m floundering. She would’ve been the first “real” writer to look at it. I have a backup plan, though I just hope she doesn’t mind me pulling a favor from her. *ahem* (She’s probably reading this post…)

Wandering Bard: Italy (La Pietà)

This is a new series that I’ve decided to start called “Wandering Bard.” I’ve been to a few countries outside of the United States, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit some pretty spectacular places. I wanted to combine my love for travel with my love for history and art. Thus, “Wandering Bard” was born. In this series I’m going to pick one place or artwork per post and give you a little history on it, some cool facts, and my personal experiences. I know a lot of people hate learning about history and art, but I’ve always loved it. I hope I can keep these posts short, fresh, and fun, and that’ll you’ll be able to appreciate things you never thought you would!

So, in your mind why don’t you hop on a nice comfy plane, lean back, and envision your destination: Italy. When I was a freshman in college, I was lucky enough to find an opportunity to visit Italy and Greece. This was (and still is, in a way) my dream trip. For someone who is obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, classical art, and Renaissance art, these two countries were THE place to go. I had to do a whole lot to get there (like, nabbing the absolute last two spots for me and my best friend, borrowing A LOT of money, and then taking an entire summer to repay the debt), but it was worth it! This remains my favorite trip.

Okay, we’ve landed! Quick trip, huh?

Let’s start off with one of my favorite places in the world and one of my favorite pieces of art. We’re standing in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City right now:

This is the dome of the Basilica, found in Vatican City

And we’re staring at this beauty:

It's a little blurry, but I had to take the picture standing behind a crowd of people while holding the camera over my head. Good thing I'm so tall!

This is called La Pietà (“The Pity”) and it was created by Michelangelo. It shows the Virgin Mary holding Jesus after he has died. Now, this is not an original concept – it has been used over and over again in paintings and sculpture from all sorts of artists from before and after Michelangelo’s time. Most of these are also titled La Pietà. But, in my opinion, this is the best example of this subject. (I’m biased. Michelangelo is one of my favorite artists of all time.)

Interpretations:

- The overall pyramidal shape represents the Trinity (pyramid = triangle = 3 sides = 3 members of the Holy Trinity)

- Michelangelo depicted Mary as a young woman, instead of the mature mother that was the norm. This represents her purity as the Virgin Mother.

- Both Jesus and Mary are serene. They don’t symbolize the pain of death, but the acceptance of death.

Cool Facts:

- Michelangelo was 23 when he made this.

- It took one year for him to finish.

- This is made out of a single piece of marble.

- This is the only work he signed – and he signed it because no one believed he had made it.

- Mary and Jesus are actually disproportionate to each other (she’s much larger than he is).

Why I Love It:

There are a lot of reasons why I love this sculpture so much. The most obvious one is the beauty – this is just incredible to see in person. You forget that it’s made out of solid stone, and that he had to chisel it away in order to create what you see before you. The fluidity of the rock and exactness of the anatomy are breathtaking.

I also like this because it just goes to show that amazing people know no limitations. Who cares if he was only 23? He was talented, and this was just the beginning of an amazing career for him. It makes me sit back and realize that there’s nothing holding me back but myself. If Michelangelo can carve this thing at 23, can’t I publish a book at 23? I think so!!

So, what about you guys? How do you like the series so far? I have a lot of material to choose from, so I hope you stick around for this one. We’ll be jumping all over the place and I’ll try to put in a little something for everyone.

American Idol vs. The Voice

I’m going to state right here, right now that I am not a big fan of American Idol. I don’t particularly have anything against it; I just don’t really enjoy watching it. I did love the first season, and I still enjoy some of Kelly Clarkson’s music. I’m really glad that she’s been able to be as successful as she has. But after that, I pretty much stopped watching. I caught clips here and there, but nothing kept my attention. Other than Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert, I can’t even tell you who has won any of the other Idol seasons. (What’s that? Oh, Adam didn’t even win? My bad.)

Taken in Ireland at a performance/dinner we attended.

So, as much as I don’t care about American Idol, I was surprised that The Voice caught my attention…and kept it. My favorite thing about this show is the blind auditions – the judges can ONLY judge you on your voice, not on your looks. And let’s talk about the judges a little bit, shall we? I love Christina Aguilera’s music, and I’ll admit that she was a big reason why I tuned in to watch the first episode last year. I also love Maroon 5, and I can’t get “Forget You” out of my head all day if I hear it on the radio. Oh, and, um, Blake. Yeah, I don’t listen to country music. Now, before you hang me out to dry, just know this…I love this guy. I became of fan of him because of this show. I follow him on Twitter and everything.

So, let me give you a run down about why I like The Voice better than American Idol. I’m not trying to start anything here, and I don’t like the comparison any more than diehard fans of either show. I just want to share my opinion and hopefully get some casual Idol watchers to fall in love with The Voice like I did.

American Idol is all about weeding through the average Joe to find that next big star. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but after ten years I’m a little tired of some of the contestant’s antics. I literally cannot look at the TV when someone is trying so hard to sing well and is just not pulling it off.

The Voice, on the other hand, has already screened the contestants that we see on the show. They’re the best of the best. They don’t all get in, but they all have an excellent shot at it. Some of them are average Joe’s, but some of them have opened up for Grammy award winning artists and are just trying to land a solo career. Go them.

American Idol is judgmental. I’m not saying that it is all the time, but I’ve seen more than my fair share of episodes to know that they get ratings because of the negativity. That’s why Simon was hired and that’s why he’s so popular. People love controversy.

The Voice is positive. For the most part. Sometimes the judges bicker, but that’s normal. On the whole, though, they’re very kind to the contestants. They tell them what they need to improve upon, and generally say that they’ve done a very good job anyway. They tell them that they were “this close” to pushing their button, but just didn’t quite connect with them or the song.

American Idol has limits. This may or may not be a good thing. Either way, if you’re younger than 15 or older than 28, you can’t participate. They also don’t allow duos or groups.

The Voice only says that you have to be at least 15 years old. They also allow duos – which is pretty neat! It’s all about the voice, and not about other irrelevant information (like that pesky idea that you might be too old to have a music career).

American Idol judges are not all singers. That doesn’t mean that they don’t know the business, but would you rather buy your pizza from an authentic Italian or from Pizza Hut? (Note: I love Pizza Hut. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m getting quite hungry. Road trip, anyone?)

The Voice judges are incredibly talented – and have the credits to prove it. Adam is the lead singer of Maroon 5 and has won three Grammys. Blake has had 10 #1 singles and is currently the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year. (Cool fact: His wife, Miranda Lambert, is the current CMA Female Vocalist of the Year.) Cee Lo has won three Grammys himself and Christina has won five. (THESE are the authentic Italian pizza makers, people.)

American Idol sends its contestants off to do their thang, and the judges patiently wait for the next round to critique them. There’s very little – if any – interaction, although they do try to offer constructive criticism when they can.

The Voice is made up of teams – each judge gets his or her own selection of contestants and works with them one-on-one. How many people can say that they’ve personally learned from Christina, Blake, Adam, or Cee-Lo? Not many! They even bring in mentors for added help – Blake brought Reba last year!

(This next, and last, point is related to the previous one, but I think it’s important enough to stand on its own.)

American Idol judges don’t get anything when a contestant wins the show, except for the usual fame and fortune that is to be expected from something like this. It’s all “Congratulations!!” and onto the next season.

The Voice works in such a way that each coach must each get rid of the same amount of contestants as his or her fellow judges. That means that by the end, each judge is left with a single person to go head to head with the other contestants. That also means that the coaches are fighting tooth and nail to make sure their person wins (and that means they’re dedicated to this individual’s success). After all, these guys already have fame and fortune. They want the bragging rights.

And as a side dish to that main course, let me just mention that the relationships don’t end once the season is over on The Voice. The judges still communicate with their contestants – and not just the final four. Dia Framps didn’t win last year (she came in second – you can read about her here), yet she has a successful record deal. Blake (her coach) even sings a song on there with her.

Now, none of this is to say that The Voice is perfect, because it’s not. Sometimes I get a little tired of the banter. I wish Christina would let the others talk more often. Sometimes I really, really like a contestant and they aren’t chosen. Other times, I don’t hear anything that I like in a singer and then you have the judges fighting over them. The show isn’t flawless, but it’s good enough that I’m hooked despite its flaws.

So, do you prefer American Idol or The Voice? Maybe you don’t care about either, and that’s fine, too! Did I convince anyone to at least check out an episode of The Voice? If so, let me know in the comments what you think!

(You can watch the first season here, and the beginning of the second season (which is currently airing) right here.)

Featured Video: The Backwards Talking Girl

This is pretty amazing – a girl who can take any word and instantly say it backwards. You can see her siblings and friends getting frustrated that they can’t make her stumble. Take a look and try it for yourself. (I certainly can’t do it!)

ROW80 – R1C6

Hey, guys! Hope you’re all doing well in ROWland. Last week’s awesomeness seems to have caught up to me, and I’ve been very, very tired during the second half of this week. Here’s the rundown:

1. Research for at least half an hour each day. Incomplete. I ended up finishing The Writer’s Market: Guide to Getting Published. It was a good book, but it didn’t have the concrete answers I was looking for. I’m not sure any book will, though. I skimmed through some other books that I borrowed from my boss, but they weren’t exactly what I needed, so I returned them. Now I’m reading Bob Mayer’s 102 Solutions to Common Writing Mistakes. So far, so good. I feel like I know more than I did a couple of months ago, but not nearly as much as I want to. I don’t think I’m ready to start pitching to agents, yet. I’m still waiting on two of my beta readers. I guess I’ll see what they say and go from there. I need to catch up with this goal, which I’ll hopefully have time for today.
2. Do a one hour writing sprint at least three times a week, working on the WIP. Done! This one I am SO proud of. I’ve actually finished my first rough draft of the second novel that I’m working on. This one is completely unrelated to the first one, and it came to me about part way through November. I started writing it on a whim, just to get the story out of my head. And guess what? It turned into a 60,000+ word novel. It needs a lot of revision, but for now I’m just happy it is done. Next on my list? Finish up the outline for the second novel in my first series, then start writing it. I usually get burnt out when I’ve been writing so much, but I’m finding that I get really excited on the days I’m supposed to be sprinting. I think the scheduling and practice has really improved my motivation and ability to focus. My third writing sprint this week was dedicated to blog posts, since I finished my WIP, so the numbers are a little smaller this time around. I wrote 4,294 words, for a total of 25,024 since the beginning of January.
3. Exercise for half an hour each day. Incomplete. I missed out last night because I was busy and tired from a day of (fruitless) shopping. I’ll make it up today, though. Trying to eat better is going well. I just have to remind myself that I won’t be dropping weight like I did the first time. I’ve definitely hit a plateau, but if I can just stick with it every day I know that by the time summer rolls around I’ll feel much better about myself.
4. Do at least one chapter of reading each night. Incomplete. This is another one I’ll be making up tonight. I’ve got A LOT to read right now, but I’m really excited for all of them. One is a book for someone who approached me about a review, and the other is a beta read for someone else’s novel. I’m going to try to get through both of them this week, and hopefully start on a “regular” novel soon. I’ve got so many it is ridiculous, yet I’ve still got my eyes on more? *shakes head*
5. Blog at least three times a week, not including my ROW80 updates. Done! This one is going very well. I’ve been staying on a schedule, which really helps. I’ve also been getting a flood of ideas for posts, so it helps that I’ve already written a few of them up.

This is what my calendar looked like at the end of January. Each letter represents a different goal, and I would put the letter on the day that I completed that goal. This was an awesome way to keep track of what I had accomplished for the day, but also to see how I was doing overall.

So, there you have it. Not a perfect week, but a week of many accomplishments. That urge to write is calling my name, so I think that’s what I’ll be doing next. Then, I have a lot of “work” to do to catch up with everything I’ve been lazy with this past week. Better late than never, right?

A quick question for you fellow ROWers out there: when you’ve finished a manuscript, do you set it aside before you start editing it, or do you get right into the process of fixing it? With my last one, I set it aside, but realized that I had trouble remembering everything that happened in it. It was difficult keeping the facts straight, which hindered my editing process a little bit. Not only am I not looking forward to jumping right into this second one and editing it, but I’d really, really like to start writing the second novel in my other series, since that’s my primary focus right now. What do you guys think? Do you edit right after you’ve written something, or do you set it aside so you have a fresh outlook on it?

Thanks!

The Hunger Games Trailer #2 – Analysis & Opinion

[SPOILERS]

Another trailer for The Hunger Games has been released, and I’m here to break it down for you. I did this for the first one, which you can check out here. I’m using the video below for this analysis.

 

By the time we hit 14 seconds, we learn that the moviemakers have already strayed from the book. Katniss gives Prim the mockingjay pin, as a promise that nothing bad will happen to her. We can assume that Prim will give it back to Katniss before she leaves for the capitol. Some people are upset by the decision to leave Madge out of the movie, but most seem pretty okay with it. I’m with the latter group. She didn’t have a huge role in the book(s), and I’d rather see her go than something more important.

At 15 seconds we see an overview of District 12 gathering for the Reaping. Snow is on the video monitor, and he says, “Welcome and happy Hunger Games.” You see Katniss and Prim finding their spots in the crowd, before Effie says, “I just love that.” We get a quick clip from the previous trailer where Prim’s name is drawn and Katniss volunteers to take her spot.

At 30 seconds we see Gale saying, “you’re stronger than they are,” and Katniss replies that “there’s twenty-four of us, Gale. Only one comes out.” This is interspersed with shots of Cato hacking up dummies with his sword in the training room.

At 34 seconds we see Prim yelling out as a Peacekeeper takes her away. This looks like it is taking place after Katniss has already been chosen and in the room where they get to say their goodbyes. Directly after, we see Katniss crying and saying, “Take care of them, Gale. Whatever you do, don’t let them starve.” (*sob*)

At 37 seconds the train leads them into the Capitol, and then there’s a shot of Katniss standing up in a simple yellow dress. This is a clip from the very end of the movie, when Cinna is trying to make her look at innocent and child-like as possible.

Meanwhile, Caesar Flickerman announces Katniss as the “Girl on Fire” to the roaring crowd. At 41 seconds, we see a shot of Katniss walking with the Peacekeepers, presumably toward the chamber that will take her up to the arena above.

At 42 seconds we see Cinna’s hands placing some sort of garment on Katniss. I believe this is just her jacket for the arena. Caesar is asking Katniss what she told her sister when she volunteered for the Games. Katniss replies, “I told her I would try to win for her.”

At 47 Katniss has her bow and arrow out in the woods in the arena, at night. Caesar says, “And try you will,” and kisses Katniss’ hand. At 50 seconds we see the shot of her giving the three finger salute after Rue’s death. We share our POV with the people from (we assume) District 11.

At 49 seconds we hear Peeta saying, “I just keep wishing that I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me.” Over this we see shots of Katniss looking at a video screen during Peeta’s interview. This appears to be right around the time where Peeta admits his love for Katniss. I’m glad to see Caesar and Peeta’s relationship looking as jovial and comfortable as it is described in the books. The last shot during this quote is the one from the rooftop that we saw in the last trailer.

At 52 seconds the tributes are running toward the Cornucopia. We get a closeup shot of Katniss, and a shot of Peeta. This is the same shot we saw from the first trailer, only now we get to see it on the screen from District 12. The following image is of Peeta and Katniss in their training gear. Peeta continues talking and says, “If I’m gonna die, I wanna still be me.”

The 56 second mark shows Katniss stopping right as a flame engulfed tree falls down in front of her. Then she says, “I just can’t afford to think like that,” in response to Peeta’s previous statement. We see her on the roof of the building talking to him.

At 58 seconds we see Cinna and Katniss together. He peels back her jacket and reveals the mockingjay pin attached to her shirt. He holds up his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. Out of context of the film, I’m not really sure what this means. In the book everyone knew that this was her token from District 12. In the movie, is it more of a secret? If they changed how Katniss got the pin, it’s possible that this has also been changed.

Logo, Rue’s whistle, release date, and it fades to black.

SO. What did you guys think? I loved that we got a bunch more shots for this one. It was shorter than the other trailer, but as the movie is getting closer I’m totally fine with that. I’m also glad that we didn’t see any more of the Games – I really want that to be a surprise! I’m getting really excited! Any guesses about that quick scene with Cinna?

Movie Review: The Expendables

Bottom Line:

Don’t watch it.

The Details:

[Minor spoilers.]

I have to jump back about a week and bring your attention to a great post that Fabio Bueno wrote titled The Opposite of a Chick Flick. I couldn’t get this post out of my head as I watched this movie.

^ Female

A single, all-important fact you should know about me: I’m female.

But don’t think I’m skewed. Okay, I might be a little, but much less than most women I know. I’ll take an action movie over a romantic comedy any day. I prefer the blood, guts, and explosions of 300, Die Hard, and Con-Air. I’m a superhero movie addict. Some of my favorite movies of all time were named in Fabio’s post as being “macho movies.”

But The Expendables? Even I have to draw the line.

Okay, so I did enjoy the fighting sequences. And the explosions. And even some of the humor.

But other than that…it was pretty bad. I mean, what was the movie even about? I had a hard time following the plot – that American guy who was behind everything…what was he even doing? Was he trying to grow and export drugs? I’m still not sure.

The movie falls into some clichés. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone’s character) just doesn’t understand why Lee Christmas (the wonderfully English Jason Statham) loves Lacy so much (can anyone say…CORDELIA!). BUT, as soon as he sees the beautiful Sandra (Giselle Itié) he risks life, limb, and maybe even country to protect her.

Puh-lease.

I was happy as anyone to see Mickey Rourke in this movie, but what was his purpose? I felt like all he did was wear his shirt open and go around tattooing people. Weird.

The other characters were pretty much background noise (except for one, but I’ll get there in a minute). I didn’t care about them at all. Like I said before, the plot was confusing and I had trouble following it. Although some of the dialog was funny, I found a lot of it fell flat. Oh, and can someone PLEASE tell me what the point of having Arnold Schwarzenegger in a movie if all he is going to do is banter pointlessly with Stallone for thirty seconds?

So, what DID I like? I liked Jet Li’s character. The poor guy got picked on the entire time. Most of it wasn’t even funny. He could so kick all of their butt’s. In the movie or in real life. I also liked how, at the end, he got a little bit of redemption. Way to go.

I have a feeling I know what Fabio is going to say – it’s a Macho Movie! You’re not supposed to analyze it. You just turn off your brain and clap when things blow up.

I tried, Fabio, I really, really tried.

In the end, that tiny part of me that wants some semblance of plot won out. The writer in me cringed. The woman inside rolled her eyes.

But I’ll leave you with this:

How AWESOME was it when they SHOT that guy IN HALF?