G is for Greek

There is something about ancient stuff that makes me happy. Especially the Greeks. No idea why. Especially because when I was younger I absolutely refused to read a Greek Mythology for school, telling my mum I would rather FAIL, which for me is a big deal. Then my sis made me read Antigone (by Sophocles) in 11th? grade. Ever since than I have been fascinated with the time period.

Check the link for more random Greek info

Maps... *Drools*

I was so interested, that I wrote up a monologue based on Antigone. I had to go to this boring homeschool Historical Night, (sorry mum, but they were boring) where you dressed up as a historical character and tried to give people clues as to who you are. I picked Antigone, because even though she was a fictional character, she was in a play, and the play was part of history. So there.

A vase from the Louvre!!!

Instead of making up a list of clues I wrote a monologue. I worked my butt off over it, trying to get it just right. Then I stood up, looking all pale and tragic, and gave my little speech about pleasing the gods, and how I'd rather die for the gods than live blah blah blah.

Now, take in mind that I was at a homschool group. One of those Uber Christians homeschool groups (no offense). It was hilarious. There was complete dead silence and everyone was trying NOT to make eye contact with me. I could just see it on some of the parents' faces "What are her parents teaching her?"

Fortunately someone guessed who I was and everyone let out a collected breath as I got my heathen self off stage. It was great.

Following that tradition, I am writing a play in the tradition of Greek Plays for my school project. However, my college is liberal, definitely not Uber Christian (which I could go on a rant about, but I'll spare you that boring mound of words), so I think the Resist eye Contact Stares will be at a minimum.

It's basically about a Dude bringing Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Shakespeare to the modern world to comment on the world of retail. Sophocles and Aritophanes decide to bring the Cashier back to Ancient Greece, because she is treated so terribly, but of course, she is treated just as terribly in Greece. Shakespeare than wants to bring her to England, but alas, a Merchant wants her to be a wench in a tavern, so they have to scurry back to Modern Times. The Dude wants the Three Playwrights to change the world, but they let him know the world "is not there's to save" and that's it's up to him to change it.

I love it. It was so much fun to write, and I included some really super geeky things. Here are a couple of my fav lines, right after the Customer demands the Cashier to be his slave:

CASHIER: The gods must have abandoned me, to leave me in such misery.

CHORUS: We know we should feel bad for you, but we kinda' want our own slave too.

That's where it started. Those two lines got stuck in my head, and out came a really ridiculous play. Some day I want to expand it (the project is 5-10 pages long, just a one act play), because I just have so much fun with it.

This, of course, means I will have to read all of these:

Mine, mine, all mine! Mwahahahaha!

Okay. No. There not all mine. One I stole from my mum, four are my mums, and one is the library's. *Sigh* Aristophanes, I will miss you when I return you to sit on a cold, metal, dead shelf, sitting among other books less worthy than you.

He has a creepy snake beard

*shakes head*

He just lost cool points

F is for Freedom or Frustration? Followers, and Fantastical Creatures

Yeah, um, that blog title is huge, and I don't know how well I'll cover everything, but I figure this will help distract me from translating the Descent of Ishtar (kill me now!) and give me something else to think about.

First off: Forty Followers!!!!!!! *spazzes out* I can't believe it. You guys mean so much to me. Knowing there are people out there reading and commenting.... It's Fantasically Fantabulous.

Second off: I figure there are two aspects to writing: Freedom and Frustration.

Freedom!

I picked this pic because for me, this embodies freedom. A path to take where you will, when you will, benches to pause and rest on. There are (hopefully) these freedom moments when writing. When all the words are lining up just right. When you can sit for an entire day typing, forgetting about food, forgetting about sleep, forgetting about everything except the world unwrapping itself around. (Okay, some of you would never forget to eat, but I would so just imagine you could forget to eat.) It is freeing to be able to write.

It is also Frustratin:

His main character just shot three people and squawked like a duck. Ahhh!

THEN there are days where we can't even write two words, everything we write sounds like garbage in a rusty garbage bin, and when we try to get a character to act correctly they end up flying off on spaceships and leaving us alone to sit in front of our laptops/computers/notebooks trying not to scream or throw shoes at the nearest individual. We know we're writing for a reason, but the only thing we see is the myriad letters laughing at you, because you can never be a writer.

This is why all writers are insane. We have our FREEDOM! VICTORY! days, followed by a day of Frustrating, and it leaves everyone around us wondering: What is wrong with them?

What are your favorite Freedom moments? Do you have a special way of dealing with the Days of Frustration? (other than eating lot's of sugar and pretending to be a cow... not that I've ever done that, or even thought of doing that.)

And just for quick...

My friend and I were looking up mythological creatures when we found this:

The Uma-No-Ashi, which is a leg that dangles from trees to kick passersby. Don't you love the Japanese? That is just so random.

Then there's the Fear Gorta, who comes around during famines. According to legend they originate from Hungry Grass, which is a bit of grass cursed by fairies. At least, that's what wikipedia says, and we all know that if wikipedia says it it has to be true. *eyes roll*

Oh! And CONTESTS!

Jackee over at Winded Words is having a contest. Apparently her prizes are lucky, so check her out.

Also, Lisa and Laura have an EPIC contest over at their blog. They're sisters, and who doesn't love sisters?

Alright. That's enough for one day. My homework is feeling a good amount of rejection, so this blog has served its purpose.

E is for Eurghakkkkkkaaaa (Because I Don't Know What Else to Name This)

Okay.

Right now my brain is so fried from school, a symposium thing-a-ma-bob (nothing major, just a lot to think about) so I'm going to do another book blog. Yay!

So awhile ago I won a contest Falen was hosting. Ages, and ages ago, when the moon was still young and the sun was still old... Erm, I mean... *sigh* Reading way to much mythology stuff, anyway. I won a B&N gift card and I finally just HAD to go book shopping today. Look what I got:

I LOVE mythology books. I am so excited to read them, and I've already start going highlighting crazy on the one. The other tiny, tiny pic of one is an herb book. It has led my mum and me to want to start an herb gardening. I am totally doing that this summer.

After I write a paper on the reason why America won't continue because of the lack of mythology.

Oh! And about the Contest: I realized I forgot to ask ya'll to add up your points when you're all done, and leave the total in the comments. With how good I am with math, if I counted points up I'd end up giving someone -23 points and someone else 62.

D is for Debris

The fabulous Falen had a writing prompt contest a little whiles back, and in my hemming and hawing about what to post today Sonshine said, "Ooh! Post your short story!" So I figured I would.

*Update*

Due to the Author's Borderline Skitsifrenia the short story has been removed. But here's a pretty picture:

C is for Contest, and Courage, and Calamus

YES!!!! I am finally having a contest. About time, right? So originally it was to celebrate reaching 23 followers and already I have 34. Holy guacamole!

Before I get to the prizes:

Christine over at Christine's Journey is having a contest because she reached 100 stalkers, I mean, followers. YES! And I only just started following her, but just from her one post I can tell she is a very nice, amiable person, so go on over and stalk her and enter her contest. Yay! (Oh, and check out Kaitlyn's site, she has the cutest pics ever, and one of her pics is going to be one of the prizes, so go forth, but not until you finish reading this.)

Christina over at Chocolate for Inspiration is having a really, really cute contest. Check it out.

Shannon is also having a contest with six possible prizes, celebrating getting an agent. Woohoo!

Okay: Now for My Contest

There will be 3 whole winners. Unfortunately, because I am super poor, right now I'm going to have to limit it to the US and Canada. I know! Sad face. I know for a fact some of you are in other places, so I'll just have another contest later which will include you. Man. I feel like a terrible exclusive hating person.

For the first place person:

* Homemade pillow

* Owl. Thing. (For info on this see Joan's post)

* Stickers!

* Pen

Aw, creepy owl thing.

For the pillow you won't win the exact one in the picture. I'm going to make you a new one! Here's some of the fabric I already have:

I use napkins. Whoever wins can either pick two of these, or (depending on their favorite color/design) I will go out and buy some new ones.

For the second place person:

* Owl. Thing.

*Stickers

* Pen

For the third place person: (beware, it is very lame)

* stickers

* pen

Who doesn't want creepy chicken stickers??

It will be running until the end of April, because there is no way I can be ready before then. It will end at exactly April 30 at 11:59 pm.

Okay, here's the pointage stuff:

Be a follower +1 (this is a must, whether you're following this one or Slumpvis)

Tell me your favorite color and/or design +1 (this is also a must, partially for the whole pillow thing, partially because I just want to know. Mwahahahaha >:)

Side blog thing +1 (if this isn't a clear definition I apologize)

Write a blog that mentions this contest +2

Any questions let me know :)

And a quick note about Courage:

I'm afraid my character, Scotch (named after the tape, not the liquor), is TOO courageous. She hops around and is definitely not a wimp, but I'm afraid she's a little bit too okay with everything. Is that weird? I know there has to be a good balance between courage and fear, so I'm going to have to pay good attention to this when I get around to the re-writes.

And a quick note about Calamus:

Does anyone know what it smells like??? Or feels like, or where I can by seeds so that I can grow some of my own?

B is for Books, Duh

Okay, so this one is kinda' obvious. Who knows how many other people are going to write about Books? Okay, so I could probably go find out how many people are, but there is no way I have time for that. So today I am going to just post about some of the few books that I will actually read more than once.

Yes, that's right. I very rarely re-read books. *waits while book lovers across the world throw rocks at me* But I already know what happens, so you have to be real super good for me to read a book again.

The first is the Silmarillion. Yup. Even die-hard Tolkien fans haven't been able to get through this even once, but it is definitely something I would read again, and again, and again. Why? Well, because I'm insane. I thought I had already proven that? I kid, I kid.

I love it and would read it again because Tolkien has created his very own mythology. He was a philologist, a linguist, so many things that I would love to be if I had the time, money, or patience. Which, right now I don't have any of those.

Anyway, Tolkien is masterful in the way he writes this book, making it seem like a true history book. I know some of you are thinking *yawn* and usually I would be with you. I am very picky about history books. If they even have a scent of being boring, I can't even pick it up. I'm terrible when it comes to the whole "don't judge a book by its cover." Are you kidding? I don't only judge books by their covers, I sentence them to jail, refuse parole, and stick 'em in a dungeon based on their covers alone.

Ahem. Moving on.

Drool... This is just a fantastic pic of them all. Well. All but one.

Another series of books that I will re-read numerous times are The Series of Unfortunate Events. They are hilarious, well written, and have big words in them. There is an underlying mystery and mythos that leaves one intrigued. There are just not enough words to explain how amazing these books are. I have no idea how Lemony Snickette/Daniel Handler can write about death, dying, destruction, and a vicious serial killer while still being riotously funny.

The Hunger Games.

You probably have heard the hype, and for some people this is reason alone not to read it. I can't really blame you, because I usually don't like reading books if they're hyped up all over the place. So pretend this book has never been mentioned before except by me, because I'm writing about it right now and it would be hard to pretend you haven't heard about it from even me. It is fantastic. She draws you, makes you care, in the first chapter. You are already hooked. You are a worm, you are so hooked. And yes, it is a fast read (Catching Fire was worse) and that is kinda' sad because it's so good and it's over with so quickly... But that's one of the reasons I love it. Books I have to wade through are good, but they take effort, and sometimes I just don't want to exert effort to read a book.

So there you go, three books that I would re-read time and time again.

A is for April and Already Aggravated

So Lee over at Tossing it Out has decreed this challenge where you write posts every day (except for Sundays) and each day you begin with a new letter of the alphabet, starting with A of course and moving down daily until you hit Z. Shouldn't be hard, right? Ha. Ha.

So, I will be attempting to do this, but it will probably end up getting divided between this blog and Slumpvis Musings. If that annoys you I'm sorry. There's just no way I can to TWO posts a day. Why?

Because April is evil. Now, most people may not realize this. But it is. Seriously. I would have to go back and check my (ridiculous) journals to double check, but from my memory I remember April always being difficult. (Except for in 2008, when I went to London. But that doesn't count.)

First: Woke up sick.

Second: Was stupid and went to school anyway.

Third: Skipped class even though I was here, because I ran up to a friend's room to sleep.

Sounds like a terrible start to the month, don't it?

Fortunately, something wonderful happened yesterday, which is holding up my metaphorically brain fort. Okay. That sounds more weird than it did in my head.

For one of my stories I am creating a mythological creature. This has been, in fact, one of my goals in life. Some people want to change the world, help initiate world peace by making scones, but I simply want to create mythological creatures. Trust me, it sounds easier than it is.

In this story (the one based on an inside joke about these creatures named Spakes) I was trying to figure out what exactly Spakes were when they weren't parading around as humans. Except, they don't really parade, because they are super, super secretive. Anyway. I knew they were dog-like, but definitely NOT werewolves. No. No. No. And so I was all confused and thinking about it right before I woke up.

And ding!

Like a microwave reaching zero, like my annoying oven finishing its countdown, inspiration hit me like a frying pan. I jerked awake and scrambled to look at my Idiot's Guide to Mythology.

I am loving this book

Right now I'm not going to give anything away, because it's an idea I haven't heard of anyone doing before so I'm kinda' being mom-protective of it, and I still have to do research on it to see if it's in fact a viable option. I will say it does not have to do with the Greeks, and does have to do with both the Egyptians and the Hebrews. Possibly. I am super, super, mad excited. Which makes up for waking up sick, missing class, and having to drag myself to another class in ten minutes.

This is why I write. Without it my life would be mad boring.

Ugh... I'm going to fall asleep just looking at this.