Sometime last week Belle was kind enough to pass along the Lovely Blog Award to me! I’m so grateful and appreciative. Thanks Belle!
The rules of this award are as follows:
Thank the person who gave it to you
List seven things about yourself
Pass it along to seven others
So, here we go!
My favorite state is Rhode Island. I don’t know why. It just always has been. Someday I’ll get to visit it.
I have an obsession with movies. I own over 180 of them and my collection keeps growing. It’s becoming a problem, but I just…can’t…stop…
Both of my parents are left-handed, but I’m right-handed, much to my dismay.
I threw discus and shot put in high school. For someone that wasn’t particularly adept at sports, I was actually quite good at this.
My favorite book series is and will always be Harry Potter.
An author whose career I would like to emulate would probably be T.A. Barron’s, or maybe even Rick Riordan’s.
My goal in life is to own a Great Dane named Zeus. Especially so I can come home and say, “Zeusy, I’m home!” (Hercules reference, anyone?)
Passing on awards like this is always hard because you don’t know who has gotten it already and who actually would be willing to take the time to pass it along to seven more people. So, I’m just going to link to seven blogs I think you should check out. If they happen to see this and write up their own post, even better!
I think each and every one of these bloggers is lovely, and that their blog is worth a follow. Go check them out, and then tell me one cool fact about yourself in the comments!
On Monday I wrote up everything I accomplished in 2012. I was surprised and delighted by how far I’ve come since I started taking this whole writing thing seriously. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you just sit down and do it.
With that said, I have high hopes for 2013.
I don’t want to set super specific goals, because if I’ve learned anything from last year it’s that things happen in their own time. There are definitely things I want to work towards, but life has a funny way of throwing you a curve ball. It changes and alters your goals – in a good way most of the time – and I don’t want to be disappointed if something like that happens again this year and I haven’t accomplished everything I’ve set up for myself.
So, in general, here are things I want to do in 2013:
On me:
I’d like to start exercising more frequently and start shedding some pounds and some inches. I’ve never cared much about my weight as long as I was healthy, but it is frustrating when I can’t fit into clothes I really like. That’s what I really want to start working on. I’d also like to cut junk food out of my life for the most part. I’ve done it before and didn’t miss it too much, so I need to get back into that habit again.
On writing:
I want to publish my horror short story collection this year. Whether I try to do it through something more traditional or through self-publication is up to the Fates, I guess. Whatever works out, I don’t care. I just want it out there.
I also want to finish L1 and start shopping around for that. I need to learn more about the whole process of landing an agent and getting a book deal before actually settling on something. Anyone know of a book titled How to Be a Writer: A Step-By-Step Guide in a Choose Your Own Adventure style? That would be super helpful.
I want to finish another project. I don’t even care which one at this point. I’ve got a pretty solid idea of what I want to do with both Z1 and W1, so either one of those would be nice. Even if it’s just a rough first draft, I want it finished.
On life:
I want to learn not to be so afraid. To learn not to doubt myself so often. Anxiety has taken over my life, but I’ve begun to fight back. I want this year to be the year that I break out of the shackles of this disease and learn that I am a capable human being who can do anything she wants as long as she sets her mind to it.
I also want to be a better bloggy friend and tweep. I met a lot of amazing people last year who were kind enough to follow me while I worked my way through my first year of serious writing. Everyone has been more kind and supportive than I could have ever dreamed up. Now it’s my time to give back. I want to be more interactive on other people’s blogs and on Twitter and build those relationships that I treasure more than they could even possibly know.
Please feel free to mention or link to your own 2013 goals down below. They’re more than welcome! I hope you have a great year, and I hope come 2014 we can look back on this and smile at a job well done.
Today is the last day of 2012. Part of me is shocked – When did this happen? Where was I? Did I black out at any point in time? – and the other part is excited. A brand new year is upon us.
I actually remember quite vividly the beginning of 2012 and how hopeful and determined I was. I got a reality check fairly early on, but I never let that slow me down. This year has been – and I can say this without a doubt – the best year of my life. I accomplished so much and became a part of so many things that I value with all my heart. Not only that, but I finally cemented the idea in my head that yes, I am a writer, and yes, I will be published some day.
I feel so incredibly blessed.
The rest of this post is basically a list of everything I accomplished. I’m not doing this to brag or to show you how much I’ve gotten done. I’m sure the list isn’t nearly as inspiring or complete and yours would be. Feel free to not read it at all – it won’t bother me. This is for ME, because sometimes I feel like I haven’t done anything at all. I need these types of lists to remind me that although the steps I take may be small, they really do add up.
This is to remind me that at the beginning of 2012, I was literally standing at square one.
This is to remind me that at the end of 2012 I have become a completely different person, and in the best way possible.
This is to remind me that 2013 can and WILL be just as great as 2012 was.
~~~
Because I already do a round up post at the end of each ROW80 round, it was pretty easy to track down and grab all of my accomplishments. As a result, the list below is broken up into four parts – one for the four rounds of ROW80, each of which comprise of about three months. After the numbered points, I’ve written a few paragraphs describing my year overall. If you want to know what I did and are too lazy to read everything (:P), then just go read those!
My 2012 resolutions that I set up at the end of 2011 were pretty simple. I wanted to finish editing my completed novel (D1), start researching agents/publishers, finish writing my WIP (L1), lose 20 pounds, and read 25 new books.
I did all of this except lose 20 pounds (oops). I also didn’t get anywhere with researching agents and publishers, though I did find some great resources along the way (so I’m calling that a win anyway).
ROUND ONE:
I finished editing my completed novel (D1), which was the first full-length project I ever finished.
I finished my WIP (L1), which was the second full-length project I ever finished and by far the quickest written.
I started writing D2, despite not being completely happy with everything I had in D1.
I completed 50 blog posts, had 2,000 views, and 400 comments. I probably did a happy dance.
I put D1 and D2 aside in order to focus on L1. This was the best decision I could’ve made in regards to my main projects. D1 is a dud (for now) and one of those things that needs to sit in a drawer and marinate for a while. L1 has so much more potential.
I became a copyeditor for Hypable, which has been and continues to be such an incredible experience and opportunity for me.
I decided to create my own Facebook page. This had been quite a scary thought at first (admitting to friends and family that I’m pursuing this whole “writer thing” seriously), but turned out to not only not be a big deal, but to remind me that my friends and family are super supportive of all of my decisions.
ROUND TWO:
I wrote a short story called “The Necklace,” which is a modern twist on a Greek myth. It needs some work, but I plan on making a series out of this. Should be interesting.
I wrote another short story – a twist on the Cinderella tale – for my best friend. She loved it, so I may write more for her.
I finished writing “Trigger.” This is a short story that ended up in the final collection and actually became one of my favorites.
I started writing Z1, the first out of 12 novellas I have planned for this series. I’m stuck on it right now, but it’s something I definitely want to pursue.
I hit 100 posts on my blog. Probably did another dance.
Finished writing “Found,” another short story. This one stayed in the collection as well – for now, at least.
I got an iPhone, which has literally transformed my life. I can do everything 10 million times more efficiently now.
I ate octopus, squid, and kimchi for the first time. Oddly enough, the cabbage was the one I hated.
I saw Team StarKid in concert, which was definitely one of the highlights of my year.
I joined Ladies Who Critique and found two critique partners that have helped me tremendously with edits for L1.
ROUND THREE:
I wrote three short stories this round, and began editing the collection.
Had both my collection and my novel critiqued by Beta readers.
Started working with L.T. Ryan as his editor on his Jack Noble novels. I can’t even begin to say how much I appreciate his enthusiasm and talent. I’m such a fan of his books and of him as a person, and I’m super grateful that our paths have crossed.
I started writing columns for Hypable. I also started covering Teen Wolf and Percy Jackson news, and became a host on the new Once Upon a Time podcast on Hypable, called Onceable.
I saw Karmin in concert – twice. It was a dream come true.
I added an accomplishment page to my blog, which is a great way for me to keep tabs on everything that I’ve been doing.
I passed 10,000 views on here.
I won 6th place in the 81st Annual Writer’s Digest Genre Short Story competition with my horror short titled, “The Body.”
ROUND FOUR:
Natalie and I started up Not Another Teen Wolf Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the show – you guessed it – Teen Wolf. This is my favorite project right now, and I’m so grateful that I am a part of it!
Passed 15,000 views on the blog.
I met and started working with C.G. Cooper on his book series Corps Justice.
I started writing a new novel that I like to call The Watch Story. It’s just something to work on alongside all my edits, but it definitely has potential.
I’ve continued editing L1, and it’s getting stronger and stronger.
My short story collection is nearly complete.
I’ve hit 200 posts.
I had frog’s legs for the first time! Tasted like chicken.
~~~
So, what does this all mean?
Well, I elected to put away my first completed novel (my “baby” in a sense) in order to work on something that had more potential. I started several new projects that I have yet to finish, but they’re still words on a page and, therefore, a win for me. I also finished my short story collection and feel quite good about it actually being nearly complete. Winning that award didn’t hurt either.
The blog has been growing steadily, and some days I just look at the numbers and think, “People actually read what I write?” It’s a humbling experience, for sure, and something I never actually imagined happening, despite the fact that this blog is obviously a public forum. And I can’t even tell you the number of people I’ve met and befriended because of this platform. You’re all incredibly amazing, and I’ll never forget the support you all have shown me. Over a year of blogging, more than 17,000 views, over 200 posts, and 1750 comments. Is this real life?
I said it once, but I’ll say it again: joining Hypable has been an incredible experience and a wonderful opportunity for me. Not only have they allowed me to be an editor, but to spread my wings and write news articles, columns, and even become a podcaster. I feel my foot inching further and further in the door every day. And although that’s a wonderful thing, I can’t help but put an even larger emphasis on the people that I’ve met and become friends with. They live all around the world – much like you do, dear readers – which can be both enlightening and a little sad. How is it that some of the people that understand me the most, that I have the most in common with, live across the country or halfway around the world? It’s not fair. I’ve learned so much about people, different cultures, fandom, and the Internet because of them. I quite literally wouldn’t trade it for the world. (What would I do with an entire planet anyway? I can’t even remember to water the plants.)
Outside of writing, I’ve been having a good year as well. I saw two of my newest and favorite artists, Karmin and StarKid, live and in concert. Both were amazing experiences. I dove straight into eating Chinese food with a passion that my younger self wouldn’t have believed. I’ve tried so many new things and loved every second of it – even when I’ve had to spit out some of the more disgusting foods. Not to mention all I’ve learned since joining up with my local mycological society.
But none of that compares to how I’ve grown as a writer and as a person. At the beginning of 2012 I was naïve, shy, and a little scared. I’m still all of those things, but less so. And that’s a step in the right direction. I had high hopes, and even though I didn’t accomplish all of them, I started walking down the right path. This is partially – maybe even mostly – due to the blog post by Kristen Lamb called “Aspiring is for Pansies.” Yeah, that’s all it took. One blog post. Maybe I’m just really easy to persuade. Or maybe Kristen just really knows what she’s talking about. (Let’s go with the latter, shall we?)
I realized that all I want to do is become a writer. Maybe it isn’t the smartest choice. Maybe I won’t make a lot of money. Maybe I’ll constantly be fighting with those around me, trying to prove that writing is both a serious and important career choice for me. All I know is that I’m not going to give up, no matter how bumpy the road becomes. I can be an anxious person, full of indecisiveness and doubt. But this is the one thing that I’ve never, ever doubted. And it’s the one thing that I will never, ever give up on. I was meant to be a writer. And I will be.
Watching Jeff Dunham around Christmastime is a tradition in my house. Mom and I love him and his suitcase full of crazy puppets. I suppose Achmed’s rendition of “Jingle Bombs” is what made it a Christmas thing, but really…we’ll use any excuse to pull out one of the many Jeff Dunham DVDs we own and pop it in the DVD player.
I originally found him on YouTube and fell in love with the comedy, despite never really having any interest in ventriloquism acts before. I showed him to Mom, who has become just as head over heels as I have. We’ve got three of his DVDs now and have seen him live twice. Walter is her favorite, and Peanut is mine.
It always surprises me how popular Jeff is. Standup comedy is one thing, but standup comedy with dolls is quite another. But it just works. You actually forget that those silly puppets aren’t real and aren’t actually thinking for themselves. Jeff isn’t the best ventriloquist in the world – sometimes he makes mistakes or his lips will move – but he’s a great comedian. And that’s really all you need for an act like this – some funny material and some stand out characters.
None of the characters stand out more than Walter, Peanut/José, and Achmed. I could forget the others without too much trouble, though Bubba J can be fun once in a while. Walter’s crass jokes and inability to be happy make him, oddly enough, more loveable and more endearing. Peanut is just straight up crazy, and his bizarre behavior, funny noises, and off the wall personality make him an instant classic. Couple him with the laid back and dry humor of José Jalapeño on a Stick, and you’ve got comedy genius. The best thing Jeff ever did was kick Sweet Daddy D to the curb and replace him with Achmed the Dead Terrorist. He walks the line between hilarious and offensive, and yet you can’t help but laugh at his jokes. Whoever thought a skeleton wearing a turban that shouts “I KEEL YOU!” at the audience could be that funny?
Jeff Dunham, apparently.
Jeff’s humor has taken a slight nose dive in my opinion. I’ve got a few theories as to why, but that’s his business, so I won’t go there. He’s always been a good act for the whole family, with a show that encompasses humor for both children and adults. There’s always been jokes that probably shouldn’t be made in front of the kids, but it’s all in good fun. Lately I feel like his humor is a little more crude and a little more real, and not in a good way. But it doesn’t matter. He’s still funny, and I still love him and the gang. I’ll be supporting him until he decides to hang up the dolls.
And that’ll be a sad day for the comedy world.
Here’s one of my favorite Peanut moments for you guys. (I can’t pick just one, but this is improv at its best, which I always enjoy, so I went with this one.)
Do you like Jeff Dunham? Who’s your favorite character? Which is your favorite joke?
People like black and white. They like right and wrong. They like easy solutions that fix the problem with a snap of their fingers.
But those things don’t exist in the real world.
The answer to our biggest problems is not just one, simple fix. The sooner everyone realizes that, the sooner we’ll be able to get to a solution. The sooner we stop fighting amongst ourselves, the sooner we’ll be able to work together and start making some changes.
Yes, this is in reference to the shootings that occurred last week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
I’m not an emotional person. I don’t cry a lot. Things that should probably bother me usually don’t. I have an iron stomach and an analytical mind. I believe that things happen for a reason, that there’s a hierarchy to nature, that we live in a world that still runs on a survival-of-the-fittest attitude.
But this? None of that applies to this.
Maybe it was because it was a bunch of kids. Maybe it was because we still don’t know why he did it. Maybe it’s because it’s been one time too many for my abnormally high tolerance of crazy. Does it really matter? No.
I think this shooting is going to hit home harder than some of the others. Not that the others didn’t hit home hard enough, but they were thrown at us by the media and then swept away once the next disaster came along. But these were kids. Not just kids, but children who were just beginning their life. They didn’t even have a chance to experience anything that this sometimes crazy, sometimes wonderful world has to offer.
They won’t get a chance to go to high school. Or prom. Or college. They won’t have a first kiss or get married. Have kids. Start a career. Travel the world. Become grandparents.
They didn’t even have a chance to have Christmas this year.
Those toys underneath the tree will go unopened. The stockings untouched. All the good little kids that were excited to see what Santa brought them won’t ever find out. And those Christmas morning giggles have been silenced forever.
Yeah, I’m angry. Yeah, I’m upset. Yeah, I’m beginning to think this planet is getting a little too crazy for my liking.
But let’s think about this logically.
Do I think people have a right to bear arms? Yes.
Do I think we need stricter gun control laws? Yes.
Do we need to throw people in jail if they’re mentally unstable and have committed crimes? Yes.
Do we need to better understand mental health issues? Yes.
Do the media need to stop glorifying the shooters? Yes.
Do the media need to keep reporting on these disasters so people won’t forget that the world is going crazy? Yes.
See? There’s no easy solution here. There’s no quick fix. People say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Yeah, that’s true. But people kill people with guns. Others want us to have stricter gun laws, but can you take away something that we, as Americans, have had since our declaration as a country? The people of this country are spoiled, and they won’t settle for that – even if it means it’ll save lives.
There’s no easy solution here.
It’s like people who say video games cause violence. I don’t believe they do. Do they factor in to why a person may have suddenly gone on a shooting spree? Yeah, that’s definitely a possibility. But that’s just one single reason. You also have to think about genetics and whether or not they have a mental disease. How is their environment? Is it stable, or violent and disruptive? Do they have good parents, or are they neglected or abused? Are they bullied in school? Are they under a lot of pressure to perform well? Do they just want to prove they’re capable of entering a school with a gun and shooting down as many people as possible?
The reasons behind why these tragedies happen are never singular. There’s never one reason. It’s never JUST that he was troubled or JUST that he was bullied or JUST that he had low self-esteem.
So, why in the world would we think there was a singular solution to a problem like this?
Everyone with a voice on this matter, everyone who has a say in what happens in this country, needs to stop fighting with each other. We as people need to stop fighting with each other. Put aside our differences. Our solutions are both right and wrong, and they always will be until we learn to work together.
There is no black and white answer. We live in a grey world, and that’s how it has always been. Doing one thing or the other isn’t going to fix the problem. How many more people have to die until we figure that out?
Belle was kind enough to tag me in this awesome blog hop that’s been going around recently. It’s for our WIPs and basically we answer some questions about our current MS and pass the torch on to five more people. Sounds fun!
What is the working title of your next book?
Lifetimes.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I think I was in a half dreaming state when I saw this vision in my head: four people standing over a fifth person, who was lying on the ground. Three boys and one girl (aged in their early 20s) were looking down on a girl, someone who didn’t know where she was or even who she was. I wanted to know her story so badly, and to figure out who the other people were as well.
What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy.
Pale skin, dark hair, mischievous smile. A little bit of ‘dangerous’ written on the surface, but a good person underneath. That’s Chris.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is so hard!!! No fair. If I had to pick, I’d choose Nicholas Hoult to play Chris. He’s about as close looks wise and I may have recently totally fallen in love with him.
I’m also kind of in love with Milla Jovovich. She’s awesome with fight sequences, and I think she’s great at finding both vulnerability and strength in the same character (which Hannah has boatloads of each).
This is how I imagine Hannah when she’s actually happy. She doesn’t have much time to feel that way in the first book, unfortunately.
There are some other main characters, but it’s so hard to really know who would be an honest-to-goodness good fit. I don’t envy casting directors!
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A girl wakes up with no recollection of her past, thrown into a world of humans and half-breeds, and must find out who wants her dead and why.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I think I’m going to query it once it’s finished and see what happens. I’ll test the waters – if I feel like it could go somewhere, I’ll keep trying. If not, I’ll self-publish. I’m not adverse to either way.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Two months, which is extremely fast for me. The story just sort of popped into my head fully formed and spewed out through my fingers in record time. It needs work because it all happened so fast, but I definitely like what I’ve got here.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I would say that The Mortal Instruments was a big inspiration, but my story, while sharing some similar facts, goes in a totally different direction and is not really comparable at all. I set out to write something that fixed what I saw was wrong with that book and so many others like it. I don’t know if I accomplished that, but I sure had fun trying.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
That half-dream vision. Books like The Mortal Instruments and Wicked Lovely, and similar Urban Fantasies.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
With this book in particular I tried so hard to avoid those things that drive me nuts about other YA novels. My biggest thing was to stay away from love triangles. They’ve been done over and over again and I’m tired of them. I like to stick with strong female characters and an interesting plot line that (hopefully) takes you around a few twists and turns you weren’t expecting. There’s romance, mystery, invented creatures, and some great one-liners. It’s a quick, fun read that I hope you guys will get a chance to see soon.
***
I’ve seen this blog hop making its rounds recently and I don’t want to tag anyone that’s already been tagged or chose not to participate when they were tagged the first time. Please take this as an open invitation: if you haven’t been tagged yet, go for it! And link back in the comments – I want to read about your books too!
Also, thanks again to Belle for tagging me. That was a lot of fun!
I’ve been told a lot, especially recently, to be careful about putting too much on my plate. And I’m not talking about Thanksgiving.
I have a habit, see. It can be a bad habit if I let it get out of control. I like to stay busy. Really busy. The kind of busy that makes me forget to eat breakfast in the morning and wonder what it’s like to have a social life.
I like that kind of busy. I like doing things that I enjoy. When it comes to those things – writing, Hypable, editing, blogging, etc. – I have trouble saying no. But you know what?
I don’t care.
I’m not going to say no. Sure, I might be a little too busy. I might be a little stressed. I might have too much on my plate. But those are all good things in my eyes.
It’s hard for me to explain, so I’m going to let someone else do it for me. Basically, this guy takes the words right out of my mouth and makes them funnier than I ever could. (He sort of throws some other stuff in there that won’t make sense if you don’t keep up with his YouTube channel, but he comes back around to the point again throughout the video.)
I have found something I want to spend all of my time doing. I literally work all day – from the time I get up to the time I go back to bed – seven days a week. Whether it be for my paying job, my editing, my column writing, my own writing, working on other people’s stories as a favor, etc. I’m always doing something and I rarely (never?) spend a whole evening just doing nothing.
I’m not saying that to complain. And I’m not saying that to brag. I’m saying it because it’s fact, and because I know a lot of you do the same thing.
We’re writers and we’re totally content to just write every day, all day. Sure, we need breaks and relaxation and vacations, but so many of us have found the one thing we actually want to work on day in and day out. And that is a beautiful, beautiful thing. We should never apologize for that.
A lot of things have been going down either in the circles I occupy in my tiny slice of the internet or the things I like to keep an eye on. Some of the things directly impact me and others don’t (other than the fact that I’m aware of them and it makes me sad).
And when I say “things have been going down,” I mean, “People can be really, really cruel.”
I have a philosophy: Be kind. Period.
Sure, some people deserve vindictiveness. Some people could use a nice, healthy dose of their own medicine. But that doesn’t mean we need to be the ones to dole it out. But this also goes beyond that. It’s not just about not returning hate when someone is being awful to you, it’s about not starting it to begin with.
There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to write this post, but I first decided it needed to be written when I came across a couple of awful articles about one of my favorite artists: Karmin (the singing duo, Amy and Nick).
The first one was in response to Karmin winning the Rolling Stone “Women Who Rock” flip-cover. The author said that they thought Karmin was terrible and that they shouldn’t be on the cover because half of the band was male. (By the way, this was voted on by fans – not a room full of stuffy corporate employees. So obviously the people wanted Karmin on the cover.)
The other article was about their video “Hello,” and how it was the worst song and video they’ve ever heard/seen. (I mean, really? The worst?) They literally broke it down in ten second increments, bashing Karmin on everything from the lyrics and the music, to their clothes and personalities.
Look, I understand not everyone likes them. That’s cool. Diversity is a wonderful thing. But when I don’t like something, I just make sure I don’t involve myself in whatever it is. I don’t spend my precious time tearing down other people because I don’t like what they’re doing. It’s a waste of energy.
(By the way, I’m not linking to the articles. I refuse to give more traffic to hate-filled posts. But if you really want to see them, they’re fairly easy to find via Google.)
Cut to a month or two later (yes, I’ve been sitting on this topic for a while), and we have a series of tweets from Jeff Davis, the showrunner of Teen Wolf. He’s pretty active with his followers on Twitter and was kind enough to give us a little behind-the-scenes information about a show he used to run called Criminal Minds.
Right away, he started getting slammed. “Do you even know what bisexual means?” “He could still like her and like guys too!” “Blah, blah, blah, we hate you. *mean words* *mean words* *mean words*”
Jeff started responding to some of the haters, telling them that he did, indeed, know what being bisexual meant. He also said everyone took his tweet out of context. What had actually happened was that the network didn’t want Reid to be bisexual, and that’s why he made Reid fancy JJ. It wasn’t that he liked this girl and suddenly wasn’t bisexual, it was that he liked this girl BECAUSE he couldn’t be bisexual.
Eventually, Jeff just gave up and tweeted this:
Of course, he was joking. But still. The fact of the matter is that we are all human beings with feelings. This seems to especially be forgotten when it comes to celebrities. They DO actually come across the things that we say about them. And although journalists need to be critical and need to question things (because that’s, like, their job) there’s no need to be vindictive about it.
Yes, the video is meant to be funny, and it is, but think about it for a minute. What if your friend got a tweet or an e-mail or a Facebook message like one of the ones from above. It would be devastating and not funny at all. Celebrities are people and people should never be treated that way, regardless of whether or not they’ve chosen to be in the spotlight.
It’s one thing to have an opinion about someone. It’s an entirely different thing to attack that person with your opinions.
And this isn’t just about how “normal” people treat celebrities. It’s how Average Joe treats Average Jack. Look at the presidential election and how heated things got. I can’t even begin to tell you what my Facebook wall looked like. Family members and friends alike were bashing people who voted for the other guy. They lumped those people all together, calling them “idiots” because they didn’t agree with their opinions.
These are people I’ve known my whole life and suddenly they think, because I voted for someone they didn’t like, that I’m an idiot. Even if they didn’t call me out specifically or even know that’s who I voted for, they lumped me into that group. Ten seconds of impulse and suddenly they’ve indirectly insulted me for something that, let’s face it, isn’t worth getting into an argument over.
This really did happen, and I chose not to say anything back to this person because what good would it have done? More than likely it would’ve just served to hurt our feelings and make both of us angry. It’s just not worth the effort.
This is what I think, and it’s just how I operate. I understand that not everyone is the same way. I don’t judge people for voicing their opinions, and God knows that I’ve done it before too. Nobody’s perfect. I just try to take everything into consideration before I say something I might regret.
Be nice. Don’t assume anything about another person, whether you think you know them or not. Consider what type of day they could’ve been having. Consider what type of life they’ve lived. Consider the possibility that everything was just a misunderstanding. Know that one day, perhaps, that celebrity you tweeted might come across what you said about them. Realize that it might hurt their feelings. Realize that you have the ability to either spew forth hate into the world or kindness.
I know which one I’d choose.
The internet can be a terrible place. We all know this, given the surge in online bullying that we’ve seen recently. The computer screen makes you anonymous. You can be whoever you want to be. And you can say things you wouldn’t dream of saying to someone’s face. But that doesn’t mean you should say those things.
The world would be a much better place if we all just took the time to be decent human beings. There’s no reason to attack one another based on opinions or views or the fact that they hate your favorite movie. It takes a little bit more time, and a little bit more forethought, but being nice is ultimately the best thing you can do for someone else. Not to mention it’s probably the best thing you can do for yourself too.
“If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” is cliché and overused, but appropriate. I try to live by this, in all honesty, because being mean saps your energy far quicker than being nice does.
I feel like I haven’t done this subject justice, but I’ll end my rant there anyway. It all boils down to something pretty basic in the end: there are very few people in the world that deserve the amount of animosity that people get on a regular basis. We should all strive to treat each other with decency, like any good human being deserves.
I’ll leave you with one of my all-time favorite quotes:
“It’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
What do YOU think? If you’re on social media, do you think people have the right to voice their opinions (whether it’s about/to you or about/to celebrities)? Do you find it hard to not say something brash, or are you like me and just enjoy spreading the love?
When I was younger, I always wanted a pet. A cat. A dog. Heck, I would’ve settled for a lizard for all I cared.
But we’ve been renting homes since I was little, and often we weren’t allowed to have pets. Then, finally, when I was in my senior year of high school, I finally got the courage to ask our land lords if they’d reconsider. All I wanted was a cat. S/he would be fixed and declawed. We’d pick him/her up from a rescue center. Any damage would be fixed at our own expense.
Well, I was pretty convincing. (And adorable.) They caved and we got Molly.
Puss and boots. Geddit!?
Unfortunately, Molly and I don’t often see eye to eye (more on that later). We’re sort of like siblings. I’m the older one that picks on her all the time. She’s the younger one that runs to mommy to tell on me. She’s definitely the favorite.
*sigh*
But either way, I still love her and it’d break my heart if she wasn’t around anymore. Plus, she’s sort of part of the family now. I guess I’m stuck with her.
Now, the first thing you need to know about Molly is that she’s fat. I mean, really fat. She weighs in at 16 pounds.
Not the most lady-like of positions, but this is how she likes to relax.
Now, before anyone grabs their pitchforks, I swear she came to us like that! She hasn’t gained a pound since we’ve gotten her. She doesn’t even eat a lot, actually. She’s just not a very active cat. She’s super lazy.
Case and point.
She gets mad if she doesn’t have her box lid to lay in. And if you forget to put it up on the bed? Whoaaa, buddy. She will not stop meowing until you do!
Another favorite roost is this one. She loves hanging out on top of the recliner. And if she tries to get up there while you’re sitting in it? Well, hold on! She doesn’t mind rocking the boat…
She’s also very picky. She doesn’t eat chicken, steak, or any of the normal things that cats go for. You know what she does like? Doughnuts. Coffee. Bread. Butter. Cheese. The only normal thing she eats besides her dry cat food is tuna. But don’t worry, we don’t give her a lot of that other stuff because she has a sensitive stomach.
But one this she does love is…catnip! She gets a little frisky sometimes, but mostly she just lays around looking stoned, like this:
You just can’t deny that this is a beautiful picture. Money shot right here. (Not to toot my own horn or anything…)
And like any good sister, I find my own ways to torment her.
I read a great post the other day, from one of my all-time favorite bloggers: Belle DiMonté. It was titled “On Maintaining a Fantasy Writer’s Image,” and in it Belle discussed her role as a fantasy writer – and whether she lived up to the picture most of us unconsciously project when we hear that someone writes in this genre. Velvet dresses, candles, and braids. That sort of thing.
It came at a perfect time for me because I’ve been seriously struggling with my own image and the reputation that I have on the internet. Except I have a different problem, and sometimes I feel like I have dissociative identity disorder.
On the one hand, I’m (mainly) a fantasy author. Although I don’t wear velvet dresses, only light candles when the power goes out, and rarely put my hair in braids, there is a certain way that “we” act. A certain way we speak (or type/write, in this case). A certain way we behave. I’ve been told, much like Belle, that I have a way of writing and speaking that isn’t exactly modern, but lends itself fabulously to my career choice. I think this applies to all genres of writing, not just fantasy. Most writers live in other worlds half our lives, so we tend to bring those same tendencies back across the void and into reality. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Then, on the other hand, I have Hypable. I love this site to death. I donate hours at a time each night to doing various things for it. I will forever champion it as one of the best websites on the Internet to get all your fandom news and interesting articles about things that you love. And along with that comes a different way of speaking, a different way of acting. You have the various memes that go around the internet. Shorthand, like saying “obvs” for “obviously” or “ofc” for “of course.” It certainly doesn’t lend itself to a fiction writer’s mind, but at the same time this is the slang that is used all across the internet. If you know what it means, then you’re in, you’re cool.
So, what happens when these two sides decide to butt heads? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out. I feel most self-conscious about it on Twitter. Most of my followers are writers, though I interact with only a handful of them. I have a good selection of Hypable followers as well, who are much more active and attentive to my tweets. Because of this, I sometimes struggle with what I should say and how I say it. I have a perfect pair of tweets (from a long time ago, when it actually wasn’t as much of an issue) that displays this war that’s raging inside of me. The first is Hypable-acceptable, while the other is my writer personality rearing its head.
(And just some warning, this was after watching Rumble in the Bronx, which is a terrible movie, but is still a Jackie Chan classic.)
Despite some poor choices in movies, no one can deny Jackie Chan is a BEAST.
Part of me is unapologetic for the first tweet, and any similar tweets to it. Pop culture is something that I’m practically bathing in now. With Hypable, I’m forced to read about all the current news. I know about projects, like movies and TV shows, ahead of most other people. I get to read reviews for advanced screenings. I’ve memorized the names of actors I didn’t even know existed six months ago.
Yet, the other half cringes. Did I really just say that? I couldn’t have taken the time to write out the word “obviously”? I already think the English language is dying – why am I adding to it by continuing this trend?
But, in the end, this is me. I’m a complex and often contradictory person. Yes, I like people who use proper grammar, but at the same time, lolcats makes me laugh like you wouldn’t believe. No, I can’t stand certain memes or catchphrases (ie. YOLO), no matter how popular they are. Sometimes I prioritize watching Supernatural over writing.
So, perhaps that’s a little explanation for my Twitter behavior. I often think to myself, “some people will think this is funny or will care, but others won’t.” I might even risk losing followers if I tweet too much about Doctor Who or if I retweet too many links to other blogs. But is that really an issue? Is that really why we tweet or write blog posts? Just like I know not all of you enjoy my Wednesday posts about art, I know that not all of you will enjoy every tweet. But, hey, that’s okay. We’re all different. In the end, I’ll write/tweet/blog what I want, because I think it is funny or because I care about it. I encourage everyone to do the same.
What about you? Do you have warring personalities? Do you ever think twice about what you tweet or blog, afraid that someone might not be on the same page as you?
Sometime last week Belle was kind enough to pass along the Lovely Blog Award to me! I’m so grateful and appreciative. Thanks Belle!
