The Best Advice

Through the process that I've encountered this week, I learned something. What I learned is something that will stay with me for a long time, hopefully throughout my career as a writer. All that I really know is that by writing it here, maybe I won't forget it. 

First, don't eat an entire pie. Bad idea. Even if it's key lime, and ESPECIALLY if it is chocolate peanut butter. Each are beyond amazing, but come on. You can't do it. 

Secondly I learned that it is up to you to find inspiration. The things you surround yourself with give you drive and effect what you WANT to write about. When writing something, it is important to surround your work with the influence of similar novels and movies, anything along the same page of what you are writing. That way, ybegin to develop ideas that are similar to these influences and you can gain inspiration. In addition, a previous source that I read said that it was okay to borrow ideas from other writers, it's a cycle really. This means that when others write, it is expected that people may have similar ideas who will then look to that book and get inspiration. By looking at other similar works, you can better yourself and your story. By bettering the story you can aid others like previous authors did you, a main goal of mine in this project.  This week I have finished my story and it is being edited. I'm really proud of it so far, and I know that even when this is all over. I will look to continue writing. By the next blog post I will hope to have my story edited so that I may add the finishing touches . If you return to this blog, you will find the final draft of my story in a new page, entitled, well I don't know yet. As I begin to prepare my Ted talk ive looked to my fellow peers for advice and we found several resources to aid in the process of doing a Ted talk. The following: http://teachingwithted.pbworks.com/w/page/23101042/How%20to%20%22Do%22%20a%20TED%20Talk is a comprehensive list of several materials that I have found helpful. However, in the process of creating my Ted  talk I have relied heavily on my own creative will and I am glad to say that it has paid off. My final blog post will include my presentation aid, a script of my talk, and a video of my completing it. Thanks for reading! :) Also, I can't figure out how to fix the font on this... sorry! 

Hey Look At This Cool Person...

MY VLOG IS AMAZING. MY HAIR...NOT SO MUCH from Ally Abramson on Vimeo.

Hey guys look!!

I FEEL LIKE DOC BROWN

IT'S HAPPENING! I HAVE AN IDEA AND I AM ROLLING WITH IT! I STARTED THE STORY DRAFT OH MY GOSH IT'S HAPPENING TO ME! BE HAPPY FOR ME! I MEAN OH, YAY!

HEY LOOKIT!

So as you probably know I've been using the website goodreads for a while now. (If you don't know, it's on the side bar and I talk about it all the time... http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15185462-ally and you should join it.) On that site is a bunch of giveaways that you can enter for books, along with other cool things, but come on, free stuff? Hello, AWESOME. Anyway... I WON! THREE TIMES! And I've gotten all three books in the mail as of today! Woohoo!

Flow... Oh how wonderful this story is not.

I HATE WRITING!!!!!! IT'S SO DIFFICULT! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO WRITE ANYMORE. GEEZ, I MEAN SURE I CAN OUTLINE BUT ACTUALLY WRITING? ESPECIALLY A CRIME NOVEL. WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO WITH THIS?

I mean, hi. As you can see, I'm a bit frustrated with this process... Not for lack of trying FYI. I've been reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich for inspiration, or rather I was at the beginning. Now I'm just reading them because they are amazing... but in all seriousness they help a little. In addition, I've been reading some websites online from bloggers and authors. What I'm trying to say is basically, I'm a desperate fool in terms of writing a book. It's like I have all of these ideas in my head and I can put the vague premise down on paper, but once it comes to actually writing? BOOM! Nothing.
So obviously I took to the internet to help me, because, why not? The internet=everything. Someone out there was bound to have the same problem as me!
So I mean, I guess I have what could be called writer's block. Or some form of that... Maybe? I don't know it's annoying though I can tell you that.

The following sources had much information on writer's block, several ways to get over it and tips on how to write a novel that I found helpful. That is... until I started to write again. So I'm going to keep trying, but for now, I'll let you know when I've got pages for you. Until next time, I'll leave you with this: I hope you never get writer's block. It SUCKS royally.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/567/1/
http://flavorwire.com/343207/13-famous-writers-on-overcoming-writers-block
http://io9.com/5844988/the-10-types-of-writers-block-and-how-to-overcome-them
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

Heads Up!

More new blogs to check out on the page over there >>>>
Food, paintings, and music this week. Does it get any better? Well, not really. That would be the point of a rhetorical question. Anyways, I'm off to go read some Janet Evanovich books as inspiration (on #4 now, obsessed much? I'm worse than Brianna and One Direction!) and work on my story. Oh and one more thing, I'd be willing to put you in my story if you bring me cupcakes...

Well This Went Well... Maybe.

Dear Blogger, 

I can promise you, I am not a robot. If I was, I wouldn't have to wake up every morning at 5:30 to get ready for school, two hours later. So, you can stop asking. Okay? Especially since those little words in the boxes are not legible. AT ALL. 

This week, I had several goals to accomplish. The goals I have for myself are only getting harder, and this is so not appreciated At times, I wonder if I can do this. Then I get random ideas and I think I'll be fine. It's a cycle that I'm not loving. I just wish all of this plotting and story lining etc. would just be done, but I actually have to write it and think of my ideas. Turns out, being creative and organized at the same time is a lot more difficult than it seems. For this week, I began writing my story outline and I planned on finishing the entire thing. What I found was that the process I mapped out was not going to work.  
This week I completed the following,

•  Style of the book, chapters, sections, etc.

My book will have several chapters, as you already know. At the beginning of every few chapters, there will be a newspaper article, similar to the one on the cover, that details the latest crime. This will allow me to introduce each crime nicely without interfering with the flow of the story. I think I'm going to write in first person. 

• Title the story and design a cover for it.

This story is about a journalist who is down on her luck. When she witnesses a crime first hand, she becomes thrown into the spotlight and the investigation. 

Since this is about a journalist, I have decided that the cover will feature a newspaper article with the details on it.

Basically it will look like this:

At this point, I'd like to say that the title is a work in progress and I plan on changing it. A lot.

In addition I have changed the main characters name to Katie Lawson.

• Freak out about how unoriginal and bland this whole thing is, and struggle a lot with outline writing and delving deeper than an overall plot. Great.

So yeah, that was especially fun. Even though I had this awesome website (featured in my mini post below), which was both humorous and informative, the outlining process was a disorganized wreck. What I ended up with this week was a basic outline for chapter one, and a small draft of it. The worst part was that I could think up a million details for this story in different places, but none all together, or I could think of an entire scene that didn't really have a place yet.

So hey, if you want to read my draft or take a look at my outline, let me know (HELP ME)! 
Oh, and... Big thanks to Mr. Perlman who sent me this source: http://www.openculture.com/2013/03/seven_tips_from_william_faulkner_on_how_to_write_fiction.html
It backed up what I have been doing so far and gave me some tips on how to move forward with the writing process.

Check Out My Other Pages!

 

Hey guys! On the side of my blog, well hopefully, because that's where I WANT it to be, is a list of other pages on this blog. There are two so far, one about books I have read and reviewed and the other listing some other fun blogs to check out. You should check them out and see what I have to say, after all, you are here anyway so clearly you think I'm funny or intelligent or something. Anyway, in other news, book writing is going well so far, I am mapping out my storyline and I should begin writing very soon. Oh, and I found this website to help me with the process: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/09/14/25-ways-to-plot-plan-and-prep-your-story/ 

 

Now, as you probably have noticed, all of the websites and helpful guides that I put up have different options or several ways to go, for example this one provides 25 ways to plan a story. This is in fact done on purpose. As a writer it is not good to limit yourself to just one thing, that can only bind creativity. Each new method or experience will provide new insight to your personal writing style, story, or even your personality. I find it useful to have different options because it helps me organize the constant flow of ideas and amazingness floating around in my head. Um, also, is amazingness a real word? (Note: If not, GE, I made it up and I'm using it anyway so too bad.)

Ally, out.

Oh dear lord, sorry about that. That was awful.

Meet My New Best Friends, Or Rather, Worst Nightmares. We'll see...

Jesus. Being creative is hard. I don't know how long I'm going to last in the writing world if I have to do this much longer. I mean, I get all these ideas at the most inopportune moments. I'll be in my bed at like 12:45 sleeping, and all of the sudden I'll wake up with some genius idea that my brain couldn't wait  five hours to develop. Yesterday, I was sitting on the bus, half asleep with no paper in sight when I had the ideas for two of the major characters of the story. Oh, and during my biology test, I figured out how I am going to start off my TED talk. Although I appreciate the ideas, they truly couldn't be any more inconvenient. So, thanks brain, but you're on my list. Well, except for the whole keeping me alive thing. Anyway, I like that this process is easy for me, thinking of ideas etc. I just wish that these ideas didn't pop into my head in the middle of math class. Oh the struggles...

BIG NEWS! I have decided to direct my story to the mystery/thriller genre. 

As I said, I created character profiles. While the real story would include dozens of characters, I figured that the beginning would only include a few major ones. These profiles are subject of the beginning of the story, who knows what could happen? Except, oh wait! I DO! While I was creating characters, I wanted to get into as much detail as possible so that I really know my characters and how they will react to situations that occur in the plot. I found this website, http://www.squidoo.com/character-development-questions that helped me through this process. It lists multiple questions in each area of development and by thinking about these questions, I developed my characters even further. I got rid of some of them, as they weren't important to my story. Anyway, meet our main character, Charlie Kirland. I kid, I kid, that isn't really her name. Well, I hope not. The name is in progress right now...

BASICS: 

1. Name Charlie (Charlotte) Kirkland(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
2. Age: 27
3. Approximate height: 5'5
4. Approximate weight? 135
5. Hair colour? Normally brown
6. Eye colour? Gray
7. Where are they from? Suburbs of Washington
8. Where are they now? New York

BACKSTORY: 

1. Who are their parents? Parents overprotective, annoying, overbearing, worried, don't approve of journalism career
2. What did they want to be when they grew up? An actress or a journalist
3. What did/do their parents want them to be? A Lawyer
4. Do they have siblings? Older or younger? Brothers or sisters? Nope, only child.
5. Do they or have ever had a significant other? Are they still with them? Why? Why not? Had a boyfriend, she asked him to move in after 6 years and he got freaked out
6. What were they doing right before the story starts? Just fired, out of work with no money
7. Up until now, what's the most noteworthy thing they've done? To them? To the people around them?high school valedictorian went to Oxford to get away from parents

TASTES:

1. What's your character's favourite colour? Teal
2. Do they/would they choose to wear a scent? What would it be? Men's cologne
3. Do they care about what things look like? All things, or only some? Used to care, not much any more because broke etc.
4. What's their favourite ice cream flavour? Moose Tracks
5. Are they a tea, or coffee drinker? Or soft drinks, or do they drink a lot of alcohol? What kind? Java chip frappacino with whipped cream and salted caramel every morning
6. What kind of books do they read? What TV shows and movies do they watch? Reads mysteries and celebrity biographies, also enjoys any book recommended by (...) the coffee shop guy, Watches Survivor (OBVIOUSLY!) and crime shows, especially Body Of Proof (Highly Recommended)
7. What kind of music do they like? Do they like music at all? Adam Lambert, Bon Jovi, and INXS
8. If they were about to die, what would they have as their last meal? (What the heck kind of question is this? No answer, this is so stupid. I mean, um, oh)

 So that you don't die of utter boredom, I'll stop there. The list goes on and on, but basically, the characters amounted to this: 
Meet Charlie Kirkland. With a name like that, her parents didn't really give her a shot. Charlie is an out of work journalist who can't exactly afford the New York City apartment she rents. In fact, the eviction notice on the front door seems to show that she can't afford it at all. Charlie is single, and miserable. She has hope still that her big break is coming, a feeling keeps nagging at her to keep an eye open. She lives alone, far away from the familiar comforts of Wichita Kansas. As a kid Charlie always felt like a bubble, lying low on the surface, always ready to pop up and explode her creativity all over, but eventually she came to realize that staying in the confines of her hometown would do no good. After all, one can only write so many stories about vicious cows and proper grass care before they're about to take a lawnmower to their head. When Charlie sees (x crime) occur, she knows that this is it. She calls up whoever will listen and finds herself thrown into what could become the most dangerous experience of her life.

Meet (Estelle). Estelle works as the evidence locker security desk worker. A glance at her will take you back to the sixties, her beehive hair reaching so far up that it was comical. She looked like one of those characters in Horton hears a who, a whovian. Estelle has a raspy, deep voice that could only come as a result of a serious cigarette problem. Always trying to quit though, estelle promises to change. As the research journalist that she is, Ethel always finds new "cures" for addiction that Estelle can try, and the two have developed a bond over the years. Where as most people won't let reporters anywhere near the scene of the crime, Estelle calls up Ethel with any promising case. 

I am still ironing out the details for the final main character, who will become a love interest for Charlie. So far, I have this: 

Meet (James? no... Phil? Nope. Jake? WHY IS THIS PART SO DIFFICULT? IT'S A SINGLE WORD!) Shawn: Shawn is a love interest, he works at a coffee shop, likes Charlie, offers to help her with the case, proves to be very helpful.

Other Possible Names: Zack, Ian, James.

Over the next week I will write out a detailed story map of all events and plot details including crimes for the story. In addition I will begin the drafting process. Here's to hoping it goes well! Oh, and if you are up for a challenge and would be willing to edit my drafts, comment below and let me know! Until next time, keep it creative! I'm sorry, that was terrible. Anyway, Sayanora! Okay, I should just get off the internet before I ruin everything.