Strange Synchronicity

So Donna and I had our critique meeting today (alone, sniff sniff we miss our brides, but had a blast anyway). For a full recap of our exciting afternoon together check out our other blog at the First Novel's Club. And I'm wondering now if a phenomenon similar to women who live together get their you-know-whats together is happening to us. Because we both decided to read Wicked Lovely at the same time and it turns out we both had ideas for fantabulous chick lit series. Donna's idea is SO good, I seriously need her to write these books immediately! So we spent some time having fun with our new ideas and working out concepts and plot. We also prepped for our upcoming interview with Poison Study author Maria V. Snyder.



How excited are you to see the New Moon and Harry Potter footage on the MTV Movie Awards tonight? I am!




Also, I just saw a preview for the 10 Things I Hate About You tv series looks like it premieres next Tuesday or something on the CW (oddly enough I discussed this with Donna earlier too)...I think I'm going to have to watch , just like some people can't stop staring at a car accident. But it's just wrong, so wrong on so many levels. That movie is classic! How can a tv show of a movie of such epic greatness exist? I don't know. And so I shall leave you with some of the most memorable quotations from this amazing movie.



Chastity: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?

Bianca: I think you can in Europe.



Bianca: There's a difference between like and love. Because I like my sketchers, but I love my prada backpack.

Chastity: But I love my sketchers.

Bianca: That's because you don't have a prada backpack.

Chastity:Oooohhh.



And finally, for all of you romance writers out there...



Ms. Perky (typing): Undulating with desire, Adrian removed her red....crimson cape at the sight of Reginald's stiff and...JUDiTH! What's another word for engorged?

Judith: I'll look it up.

P.S. I admit that Buffy The Vampire Slayer did make a great movie turned tv show, but Clueless...not so much!

In Which I Finished Reading Wicked Lovely

As you can see from the title of this post, I read Wicked Lovely (finally) by Melissa Marr, and apparently Donna over at the First Novels Club had the same idea -strangely enough we both started at the same time. I don't think that's ever happened before, but now I'm excited because tomorrow we can discuss the book. We discuss books all the time-sometimes to the effect of making our critique meetings not always the most productive, but it's sooo fun. I'm still trying to rope the girls into a book club, but you know two of them are getting married within a few weeks, so I don't think the book club is high priority for them (sigh).

Anyway, I really enjoyed Wicked Lovely and am eagerly moving onto the next book Ink Exchange which I hear is much darker, so I'm looking forward to that. Melissa Marr has a really unique writing style and I thought she carried the 3rd person narrator very well, giving us insight into different characters.

Also, Donna convinced me to spill the beans last night on my new plans for The Seven Sisters Brandywine-and my complete structure overhaul. I probably sounded like a raving lunatic before I went into details and made her swear not to offer any opinions and not to tell me she liked it, even if she did because then I might assume she didn't like it if she didn't say anything at the end and I still want my new plan to remain pristine and untouched in my mind without any sort of opinions attached to it. I want it to just be. I even yelled at her for having too much tone in her voice when she said "ok." I think writing brings out my crazy. Actually I know it does, but she was a good sport!

So only me and her are getting together tomorrow for our critique meeting because the brides to be are busy with bridal things. It should be noted that the last time Donna and I were left alone (don't kill me Donna for admitting this to the blog world), we were looking at her soon to be released Magnetic Kama Sutra which led to some shenanigans involving us getting into some...compromised positions on the library floor. But it was all for literary purposes. We shall see what kind of trouble we get into tomorrow at a new indie coffee shop she found.

In other news, I spent the evening last night with Courtney setting off the alarms at Barnes and Noble because for some reason I thought it was a good idea to walk in with four books on my person...yeah.

We discussed her YA novel which is soooooo good so far, I can't wait for her to finish it, and she also asked me all kinds of serious questions about the rules of my new world-really good analytical questions that my pisces brain doesn't always think of. So that was cool. We ended up chatting for an hour in the parking lot after they closed while this crazy trash collector kept zooming around our cars like it was seeing how close it come without hitting us.

And that about sums up all that's fit to print at the moment. I was pretty lazy today, but I guess after writing like 200 new pages of work in the last few weeks and then chucking them, I'm entitled to a day off.

Just downloaded Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews on my ipod, I'm looking forward to that:-)

Succubus Heat and Writing Update

So I just finished reading the fourth book in the Georgina Kincaid Series and WOW! I didn't think anything could top my newest love and obsession with Vampire Academy, but this just did. Also, I think this series made me sadder (which I didn't think was possible). I'm so sad actually that I started a discussion on Happy Endings over at the First Novels Club. I have to keep saying that its just book 4 out of 7, things can get better, but I'm so worried. I can't tell if Richelle Mead is a happy endings type-I at least think she'll give a glimmer of hope, but I seriously did not believe I could be SO bent out of shape over fictional characters. I mean, I've been bent out of shape before over books plenty of times, but these books I feel are on a whole other level.

I'd have to say that she is definitely my favorite writer now-her characters are so real and believable and they stay with you and she is wonderful at combining humor with fantasy, mystery, romance and also heartache. I don't know how she does it, but I've now read 7 of her books and 4 have made me cry (the 3 that didn't weren't supposed to-unless you're a little wierd).

Needless to say, spending the week in Georgina's head has been an emotional rollercoaster.

Another rollercoaster I'm on is the writing one. And as sad and distraught as my reading has made me this week, the secret things happening in my writing world have made me utterly happy. I seriously just have to think about my new ideas and I'm instantly smiling and happy and feeling thankful as though everything is right in the universe. I also got to spend some time back in that space when your ideas are fresh and just pouring into you in crazy amounts and really make you wonder where on earth ideas come from because surely this can't be me.

So ok, this kind of means I totally have to go back on my word about finishing the draft I was working on, but the truth is...after wrestling with my problems and finding this solution and having this wealth of new ideas pour into me-the old stuff is just null and void. My story has evolved into something bigger and I hope greater. And so I'd rather break my promise and serve the story than hold onto it and not. I still don't want to talk about my new idea, it's too fresh in my head, too new, too special...so I'm going to keep going with this and hope hope hope that I can write my new storyline as quickly and furiously as my last one (though you know, within the realm of decent writing-I want to reach my goal, but I want to do it right).

And there you have it, my update. I need to pick up a new book stat that will not make me want to cry. I was about to start Richelle Mead's third series, Storm Born, but I really just don't know what that will do to me, so I'm going to wait a little until the bookish part of my brain is feeling a little more emotionally stable.

Problem Solved!

I did some deep soul searching last night trying to figure out what on earth was my problem-why couldn't I make this story I've been trying so desperately to tell come to life?

And I realized the problem...

My issue as I had previously believed wasn't in plotting or plot holes. It was in my world building and structure. I hadn't fully thought through the ramifications of many details I was holding onto from when I was writing The Seven Sisters Brandywine as a middle grade novel. Back then I came up with many different ideas-very fun whimsical ideas that I still love, but just...don't make much sense for what I'm writing right now.

So with that in mind, that I needed a much more sound structure for my story to take place in...I started wondering how could I do that? What would make sense? And I took a break from writing to watch Becoming Jane with Allison and Laura, and I don't know how it happened-but watching Jane struggle to write Pride and Prejudice and ripping drafts apart-I was totally FEELING her pain, I hit on it.

I'm going to keep this one to myself for awhile, but...I've got a lot of prep work ahead of me now. At least my characters and basic plot are all solid! Whew!

High/Low

Well, here's the high... I finished revisions on all of the first six chapters and I wrote half of seven, and it went in a slightly different direction than planned, but one that turned out really really good!I was having my doubts feeling stuck...but first person is really working and the latest scene that was giving me trouble-I deleted it for later and the new one I wrote, currently my favorite thing in this draft. I think I finally hit my stride and have found the right balance of action and drama and exposition.

The low...I'm still feeling like there are too many plot holes and issues that need to be fixed. So Im trying to keep moving forward and stick to my plan, but I know in my heart that some things are wrong and I need to figure it out.

So I can't tell what I should do. My problem is balancing so many different plotlines and juggling so many different characters, character motivations and secrets. Its exhausting-I think I need to start making graphs and charts. Oy!

Trouble in Paradise

Well I nearly made it to the end of chapter six, and then my doubts started to creep in. I'm completely unsure of something that has to do with my romantic interest (in the book, not in real life) and it has me completely stumped! With this guy, it happens a lot. He has been one of the hardest characters for me to pin down and understand and he is so...evasive and fickle and it's kind of like exactly the way he is on the page, except he is supposed to be driving my main character crazy and not me! Ugh!

So while stuck I decided rather than accomplish nothing I'd go into revision mode-it requires less effort and it's still very productive. I've spent the whole day revising my opening chapters (I know, I know, something I swore I wouldn't do) but its not like I started over, I've just been tinkering and switching into first person.

And I have two observations concerning this activity.
1) I SO frickin love spending my entire day working on my book! There is no doubt in my mind that being a writer is my ultimate dream job! I wish I could do this all day EVERY DAY!
2)I'm feeling like some of my usually exciting moments aren't as exciting anymore. But...that could just be because I'm in revision mode which is far less exciting than actual creating/writing mode. I can't imagine my scenes just got boring overnight-so I'm guessing it's me. Does this happen to anyone else?

I don't know.

I'm liking the switch into first person. I expect more tinkering needs to occur in the first few chapters especially when my main character is alone-there is still a hint of my narrator's voice in there, but mostly Lilliana's shining through and she's fun!

Also here and there when I needed a breather I read Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues and finally finished it today. Such a fun read! I'm definitely more in favor of Vampire Academy, but I really enjoyed this book as well and I'm so excited that the sequel is sitting on my shelf right now for when I need another breather.

So those are my thoughts and my update for this day. Hopefully by the time I finish my revision of chapter six, I'll have an answer to my problems and I can continue on writing to reach my goal.


Update: I finished my revision of chapter four and that one still holds charm for me and is currently my favorite, perhaps because a certain fickle someone shows up... Onto finish five and six, and call it night so I can tackle seven tomorrow!

Whose the boss?

Me! That's who! I finished chapter five and it's fantastic-at least I think it is at this moment-all feelings concerning my work are subject to change at any moment without warning. But as it is, I'm happy.

Also...ever since I started writing The Seven Sisters Brandywine I have obsessively waged an internal war with myself over whether or not I should be writing in first or third person. And...third has usually won out, always a close third, a third so close that it's literally two steps away from first, but the idea of first person never really went away...and well Ive been rereading my novel in bits to my Mom, making the switch to first person and seeing how that feels and it feels right...also I accidentally wrote the end of chapter five in first, and so...I'm going to go ahead and keep writing it that way. I have a feeling when it comes time for the final revision, it will all be in first. So...there's my update. Wonder if I can finish chapter six tonight?

Unmata for the Win!

I had to share with you this little bit of awesomeness from one of my favorite belly dance troupes, Unmata at this year's Tribal Fest. They are amazing, extreme bellydancers. The first half of their performance is completely improvised.


*Not sure why the video is slightly cut off, but if you double click it, this will take you to the wide screen version on you tube.

Hey, you know I'm not the most technologically savvy. But nonetheless...Enjoy!

To the COOL People!

Hey Cool People,

We are in double digits now! Just wanted to say thanks for being so cool and hanging out here in my crazy quest to publication:-)You're cool! You rock!

And now for your update...

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder has been moved up to Ipod listening pleasure and I'm still reading Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues.

Chapter five unfortuntately is taking just the tiniest bit longer to finish than I had hoped...but no worries, I should conquer that tonight. I'm definitely in the middle of a moment when I would normally take a step back and say, "oh hmmmm, this isn't working......maybe its working...no wait, it's not working and hey! not only is this not working, but the last 100 pages aren't working either...time to start over..."

But-this is the new and improved Frankie who pushes forward instead of starting over. So I'm going to show chapter five whose boss!

Progressing Quickly!

I have decided that by the last day of June, I must have a complete and semi-revised copy of my manuscript. Now that I have finished my Masters and there is no more school, I'm determined than ever to finish working on book 1 of The Seven Sisters Brandywine. In the last week alone, I wrote out the first four chapters, and now I'm working on chapter five. I made those revisions I thought about making after thesis night and so far, its working and I'm really enjoying myself during this draft. I'm also writing faster than ever, which I don't know, may be a result of the fact that I've written this book so many times in so many ways that it's easy, or I'm feeling divine inspiration (thank you), or I'm just getting faster as I go. Probably it's some kind of a combination of all three.

But anyway, just wanted to give a writing update. My goal is to finish chapter five tonight and make some really good progress in chapter six. Oh also-I made a strict rule for myself this time-no stopping, no starting over. I'm allowing myself to make minor revisions and changes as I reread and read the story out loud to my Mom (she's my best listener), but there's absolutely, positively no starting over, no way no how! (I did delete 3 pages but we all relapse here and there).

Currently listening to Evermore by Alyson Noel on my ipod.

Accidentally put aside Magic Study in favor of Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues-what I can say-I'm a Mead-head now! But I'm very excited to read Magic Study-just kind of suffering through the symptoms of waiting for Vampire Academy Book 4.

Graduation Shenanigans-Yay!

I did it, I successfully made it through graduation although I can't say it was smooth sailing, but really, where is the fun in that? As you can guess, shenanigans ensued. Well first of all, graduation took place outside and it rained...and it was windy, very very windy.

Also, I was one of three English students who for some reason was put into a row of not English students. On paper, this looked right, like we'd be sitting right behind the others and essentially together so we could all stand up when it was our turn. In reality, this is not what happened. We somehow ended up about 3 rows behind everyone else in our department, mixed in with Genetic Counseling and Physician Assistants...I don't know.

So anyway, most of the ceremony we spent our time plotting how best to get out of the MIDDLE of our row and join the others without looking too conspicuous. The rest of the time, we tried desperately to hold onto our graduation caps which kept trying to blow away. And I can't blame them...if I was a hat and I had to be a mortar board hat, I'd try to blow away too.


I do have to say, that all the presenters and honorary degree winners kept everything very short and sweet because of the weather. But as they called up the English Masters Candidates...we suddenly found ourselves crawling over Genetic Counselors to get out of our row and run over to the English row. But they were fast on the move and going in the opposite direction. So we ended up having to crawl over Psych Masters. And my mortar board hat tried to run away from me again.


I put my cap back on just as I made it to the stage. But then as they called my name and I went to cross the stage and get my diploma...my international studies sash started to blow away! Somehow I made it to the other side and got my diploma, and then I was supposed to pose for another picture...and my cap blew off again!

The Genetic Counselors were really good sports about letting us crawl back over them to sit down again. I could not wait to get rid of my outfit but first I had to take a bunch of obligatory pictures wearing my garb. The combination of my black robe, white hood and purple sash with St. Andrews cross on it (for the Scottish flag) as you can see kind of made me look like a priest. Phil looked even more so-hopefully I'll find a picture of him to post:-)

Afterwards I escaped the rain and was treated to a family dinner:-) It should be noted that today the weather is perfect...of course;)

Anyway I'm DONE:-)

Random Acts of Oblivion

Remember how I said that now all I have to do is make it to graduation?

Yeah, well I almost couldn't go because I never checked the memo about when to pick up my cap and gown and master's hoodie (squee!). So I totally missed that -the last day to pick up my cap and gown was last Thursday, aka Masters Thesis Night and we all know what a fun time I had making it to that event.

So when I finally went online to check this information last night I freaked out! But I called and they told me it was no problem, I could come by the graduate studies office and pick it up today. No big deal and I figured, hey, I bet lots of students forgot to pick up their cap and gown.

Nope! When I went into the office, I didn't even have to tell them my name. They knew exactly who I was and exactly why I was there. And one of the girls went to the backroom to get my gear and told another person, "Frankie Mallis" as if my cap and gown sitting there was a huge piece of gossip for them. Oops! I guess I really was the only one not to get the memo.

Well....I have it now! Yay! So I should have an awesome report about this culminating moment in my life sometime perhaps tomorrow.

Also I made a pretty big decision about removing a scene from my novel-perhaps the most infamous scene in existence-I don't know what possessed me, but for some reason, I think its working.

And...Donna over at The First Novels Club will be posting about our meeting with author Maria V. Snyder sometime tonight!

Shadow Kiss!

Ok, so I have finished all three books in the Vampire Academy series and WOOOOOOW!!! I don't think I've been this obsessed with a series since I was 16. I am amazed and August 25th, the day that book 4 Blood Promise is released is TOO far away!!!

Yesterday Donna, Sara and I had a critique meeting at Barnes and Noble and got to meet Maria V. Snyder, the author of Poison Study series and her new series Storm Glass now out. She was really nice and also a local! We should have a full report of our meeting with her plus a lovely visual over at the First Novels Club pretty soon.

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to all. I'm off to write.

Thesis Night!!!

Yay, Thesis Night is over and done with and it was FANTASTIC! I had the best time, and my presentation (I thought) went surprisingly well. It was really nice to be able to present alongside some of my friends, particularly, Courtney reading from her awesome YA novel in progress,

and Phil,

and Sara from The First Novels Club reading an excerpt of Aranelle's story.


I ofcourse was completely Page 10 about the whole thing-for those who don't know what Page 10 is, I'll tell you. It's a secret club that I accidentally started in my fall creative writing class. Everything that could possibly go wrong on the day I needed to turn in 15 copies of my critique piece-did! I broke several printers-I ran out of paper-I ran out of money for the copier! I broke the ATM Machine (I'm not EVEN exagerating, ok maybe I am just a little).

But somehow I pulled it off, except that 4 copies of my manuscript were all missing page 10! So, I had to secretly mark those copies and selectively hand them out to people who I knew wouldn't mind or rat me out and they became super trusted members of the page 10 club. Since then I've used Page 10 to kind of describe my uh...habit of sometimes putting things off the last minute only to find everything has gone wrong. This time...I couldn't print what I would be reading for my presentation.

Yep! The internet connection was too slow and I was still at my house without anything to read when I really should have been at Thesis Night already. I was about to rush out and try to print my presentation at school...but then I remembered I am Page 10 and that would only be asking for it. So I brought my laptop with me and was the only presenter to read from it.

BUT!!!!!

All Page 10 jokingness aside, I thought it went really well. I didn't go over the time limit, and I think I pulled off one of my character's slight Russian accent. I was however really nervous before, but I just told myself, this is no different from when you get in front of a large group at the library and read a story-it worked! Oh and there is no picture of me reading in all my laptop glory since I was the one with the camera. But there are more pictures!

Here's Sara and I with Dr. Wertime the AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING head of the English Department and most supportive and wonderful creative writing mentor.

And here we are with Gretchen Haertsch, my AMAZING x 100 advisor. She helped me come so far and has always been so willing to listen to me obsess over my writing and read constant draft revisions.


And here is a picture of me with my Rhetoric professor, Dr. Chauhan. We've come full circle now-some of you might remember my post at the start of the semester when I completely got on his bad side with some sort of snarky answers to a quiz, for full details of that escapade click here...but now I am a star student, I got a hug and also an A:-)


I'm very relieved the night is over, though it was so much fun! I can't believe it but I actually have a Masters!

Now all I have to do is make it to the graduation ceremony.
Sara and I relieved that our presentations are over!

Me and Miss Courtney!

Ok, now it's all or nothing! I'm going to finish my book!

I'm Obsessed!

So what did I do today? Work on my book? No. Work on my thesis presentation for tomorrow night? No! I listened to ALL of Frostbite on my ipod-all of it! I couldn't stop! OMG! These books are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why did it take me so long to read errr listen to them?

I just downloaded book #3 Shadow Kiss and it's soooo hard to keep myself from listening. I also ordered hard copies of the books because I'm wierd like that and they are my new favorites and I must own them, they must be mine, precioussss.

Books I'm currently reading:

Audio: Shadow Kiss, Richelle Mead

Magic Study, Maria V. Snyder

Vampire Academy!

I have a new love! It's Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I didn't pick this series up for a long time because it just didn't seem like my kind of book (I admit I'm not the biggest vampire person on the planet) but...I downloaded the audio on my ipod and OMG it was AMAZING! I'm in love. I've been hounding my friends to read it so I have someone else to discuss the book with, so if you've read it please say hi!

I just downloaded book two, Frostbite and I'm so excited to get in my car and have a listen. I'm a little sad that they switched to a new narrator-I'm very picky about narrators-if I don't like their voice or reading style than I can't listen no matter how great the book is although sometimes they grow on me. Jim Dale, who narrates the Harry Potter books is a good example of that. I could barely stomach his Hermione at first and now...I'd listen to anything he wants to read. I highly highly recommend.

And I haven't discussed which books I'm currently reading at the moment lately so here you go.

Audio: Frostbite, Richelle Mead

Book: Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder

And Also There Was Vegan Cake!

That's Eva presenting me with the bestest vegan chocolate chip banana strawberry sugar cake ever! In the onslaught of my current illness, this was what I asked for. I LOVE EVA!

Boo Colds and also I Finished Grad School!

Ugh! So I have come down with the worst cold I have suffered ever in my entire life...this year. Ok, so every now and then even a perfectly healthy vegan like me gets sick, but ugh! This time my cold decided to be really REALLY embarassing.

So this morning before work, I woke up (feeling dreadful) and moving too slowly I skipped out on my usual Whole Foods run in favor of a visit to the drug store for some immediate relief cold medicine (Im all for natural but I had work to get to, not to mention a final paper to write, and a final to study for and take all within the next 12 hours), and I wanted some juice! and most importantly in this whole shindig-I needed a big old box of tissues.

I was doing all right wandering through the store looking for keep me healthy while I'm totally sick and on the go provisions, but then just as I was starting to check out, my nose just like decided to explode! Seriously, this was so gross and I felt so bad for the poor cashier guy. I'm trying so hard to keep it together and pay and my nose is dripping like its never dripped before and my only solace is that bix box of tissues that I can't open because I haven't paid for it yet because I'm too much of a nose dripping slobbery mess to get my credit card through the system. Oh man!

Don't you just love knowing these things about me?

Anyway-I went to work-the medicine clearly did not help, so I went back home where I took a nap and then....here is the big news! I wrote my final Final paper, it was the finalist most final paper ever! Truly, it was. And then with my leftover time and some more medicine a few hours later I studied and took my test. So I'm sitting here writing as I wait for my professor to return with my portfolio (I finished really early-colds must make you like a genius) and I'm done! Done and done! I've totally finished grad school, minus the whole presenting my thesis on Thursday night and donning the goofy graduation cap and gown. YAY! It hasn't totally sunk in yet. Maybe because I'm still sitting here? I don't know, but I just had to let you know. Woohoo!

Lansdale Raw Foood Festival!

So yesterday I made the trip to Lansdale for Arnold's Way's Lansdale Raw Food Festival with the usual suspects.

Eva!

and Jinee!

And I came to perform in my first official belly dance performance since I went on a dance hiatus with school about a year ago (maybe more).

The day overall was pretty cool, a little bit chaotic (as things usually are over at Arnold's) but fun. We got to see a couple of food prep demonstrations which are always inspiring including one of a coconut cream pie by Joel who also happens to cook for Dr. Oz of Oprah fame. I'll have to try that one out soon.

The performing arts center which held part of the festival had an upstairs performance room for speakers and musicians and the downstairs was used mostly for food prep demos along with massage therapists, clowns, magicians and bellydancers (aka Me!).

Everyone really seemed to enjoy the performance and I got to meet and talk to a lot of amazing people because of it. I love how after performing, people aren't afraid to just walk up and talk to you-it's so much fun! I don't know if I was dancing quite up to my usual standards pre-dance-hiatus, but I felt pretty good about the performance overall.

We had a small break after that and then I got to perform again in the upstairs section, and this time I was accompanied by Arnold (showing off his raw belly), Anne (a coordinator for the Lansdale Performing Arts Center) and Felica, a beautiful folk singer. We had a sort of mini impromptu lesson for my fellow dancers, but mostly Arnold tried to outdance me.

There was a photographer from a local paper taking tons of pictures of our dance spectacle, so I shall update if I made the Lansdale news or not.

Afterwards, we went to the cafe for some banana whips, and a raw food platter-I had a SUPER yummy kale salad, some mushrooms, a cheddar cheese and whitefish salad (both by Arnold's daughter Maya) and some raw bread. All very tasty!

And now I must return to the world of grad school! I have 1 final paper to write, and 1 final test to take tomorrow and I am finished! Yays! Thursday is thesis night and next Thursday is graduation! So excited! And then of course I am completely freed up (besides my day job) to finish The Seven Sisters Brandywine and finally send it out! Woohoo!