"Coffee Break"

I'm two cups into my coffee break and still struggling to keep my eyes open. I don't quite remember how I even got to this café. My phone rings again. There's two voicemails, four text messages, and now five missed calls that I haven't returned, but I shut off my phone instead. I just need a little time. I'm so tired and haven't made even a dent in all the things that are due this week. Our group project still has to be edited and rendered, I still have to finish sixty pages for my film script, I promised to cover a double tomorrow at work, my play isn't finished either, and--
Breathe. Breathe...
Mom would say I'm over-committing myself again, and Dad would probably say something like, "That's life. It'll be good for you."
I haven't seen them since September. Back then moving to a different city on my own seemed like a good idea. But it's hard to keep up with how fast things move here. I'm sleeping so little these days; I think--
My watch beeps to inform me I'm now done with my coffee break. My wallet's empty so I fumble some change out of my pocket and drop it onto the table. I hope the server understands. I'm still trying to, myself.
I turn and walk back towards campus.

I guess this is growing up.


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This here is my submission for "Day 16" in the 30 Day Writing Challenge: "Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)." Mine turned out to be 230 words, in case anyone was curious. Fun fact: The first draft was ~270.
I expected to get a ridiculous song choice (like from a musical, a "summer hit" pop song that's mostly chorus, or something heavy metal/rock) since my library is pretty darn random, but was happily surprised with the mellow, somehow soothing song, "Coffee Break" by Forever the Sickest Kids. As you can see, I named the excerpt after the song. **Disclaimer: Do not own the song rights (only the song file, lol) and am in no way affiliated with the band or their representation company.**
It's been a while since I've listened to FSK (I am aware it's "FTSK" online but we English students get it drilled into our heads that "the" doesn't get included in acronyms/other such abbreviations :P) so it actually led to a pretty great session of ideas. I kept working at it but the more I did the more I took out that related to the song (the mother bit used to be in there and got lost completely) so that it would flow more naturally. Rather, so that it'd flow the way a stressed out college or grad student would think on no sleep (in my experience). :P The end result hopefully matches the tone of the song and the general sentiment the speaker had about their life.
So you could say it's more inspired by the song rather than about it, but, hey, that still counts, right? :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. And as always, feel free to comment your thoughts.

Day 2: Write a FanFiction
Day 16: Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)

Mirror Stolen From the Wall

The Wicked Queen laughed triumphantly as she left the cottage, knowing her plan was complete. No matter how much the dwarves fussed, no matter how many pathetic forest creatures rushed to the princess' side, nothing could be done: Snow White was dead. The Sleeping Death poison had worked its dark magic instantly -- it only took one bite. And when the dwarves find her laying on the floor, seemingly dead, Snow White would be buried 'alive.'

The Wicked Queen let out another toothless laugh as she neared her castle. Her disguise of an old woman had fooled the naive princess with little effort. "Who's the fool now!" she cackled, thinking back to the hunter's belief that a pig's heart would keep her from knowing the truth. Admittedly, the trick had worked for a short time, but the enchanted mirror soon told all to the queen.

She smiled wide, revealing nothing but gums, relishing in her success. The mirror couldn't deny it now, she thought. Now with the girl dead, she was the fairest in the land! The Wicked Queen ran a hand through her long, raggy-gray locks as if they were her slick, black strands. The potion that gave her this disguise would not wear off for several more hours, but she couldn't wait -- as soon as she arrived at the castle, the queen ran up the steps to her tower, looking for the mirror. She burst into the room, the question already forming at her lips, only to be stopped short by a gasp.

The mirror!

It was gone!

The queen looked around the room frantically. It had to be here! It wasn't possible for it to go missing: No one was allowed in her quarters. It had to be here!

She turned over tables, couldrons, her armoire, but with no success. The enchanted mirror was gone. Stolen from under her very nose!

She brought a wrinkled hand up to her large, disfigured nose. A disguise so hideous and for what end? The poison? Snow White's death? Without the mirror everything was for not. Snow White's death means nothing if the Wicked Queen could not enjoy her prize, her title. She wanted her rightful reputation of fairest in the land and the mirror was the only one who could confirm it for her. Without the princess to steal the queen's title, she had to be sure there was no one else to -- she gasped. The dwarves! They must have known of her plot and, knowing they could not hope to defeat her, must have broken into her castle and taken what she wanted. But how could they have known of her actions? And how could they have possibly done the theft so quickly?

The hunter!

She had been so focused on the princess that she had forgotten to kill the hunter that dared to deceive her. He must have returned to assure the princess' safety and discovered the mirror in the process. And if he had the mirror, he will know the secret to the princess' salvation. The dwarves may not have stolen the mirror, but if the hunter returns to them with it...

No! She will not let this be! Already she was running down the steps. She had to get to the dwarves before they heard how to break the spell.

Her legs were still frail, her gait still limped, but she hastened out of her palace and towards the woods as fast as her withered bones could take her. She had to stop them. Everything would be undone. She didn't even stop to consider what she would do once she was there -- she hadn't prepared any other potions or spells, and her current state would hardly seem threatening to a group of seven (possibly eight if the hunter was there), even if they were only dwarves. She only knew that she had to get there quick.

After what felt like hours, at last, the cottage was in sight. There was a scramble of animals surrounding it, and just as her eyes were able to make out the door, it opened. The dwarves were furious and looking for blood. She stopped, she would never be able to get close to the cottage now. Perhaps if she hid within the trees and waited for an opportunity--

But she was spotted. All at once the dwarves charged at her, pick-axes raised high into the air. Terrified, she ran, paying no mind to the direction her legs chose. The old-woman body was much too exhausted from covering so much ground, and the Evil Queen was not prepared to face all seven of the dwarves at once -- much less armed.

She found herself at a cliff. How did she lose her way? She turned to double-back, to find another route, but they were coming for her. She could hear their screams and soon, she saw them make the bend.

She reached behind her for something, anything, but mistakenly grabbed a weakened branch, which snapped under her bony grasp. Her balance faltered, and she slipped. She screamed in pure terror as everything rushed past her -- the dwarves' loathing faces, peering at her from over the edge, being the last image she could see before everything went black.





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Required disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Snow White, all of which (in this case) belong to Disney. I did not write this for any financial gain; this was purely for fun and creative purposes.

OKAY, now that the disclaimer is out of the way: Hello! This is my submission for the second challenge in the 30 'Day' Writing Challenge: "Write a Fanfiction." This is what they call a "one-shot," meaning it's a short story between one page to one chapter long that has no sequels or room for continuing. Just a flash, one event, a story drive-by if you will. Once it's done, it's done. So this is my one-shot titled (as you can see) "Mirror Stolen From the Wall." I didn't think it counted as a rewrite of a fairy tale since I didn't change anything about Snow White's story or the general ending (Queen still dies), so I figured it counted for "Day Two."

Day 2: Write a fanfiction.

:) Please comment your thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed it!

30 "Day" Writing Challenge

So there is this writing challenge where you're supposed to complete a certain fictional task every day. Now that my writer's block may finally be breaking, this could be the wrecking ball I need to get the show back on the road.

Now, as you'll soon read, I don't think I'll be cranking out a challenge EVERY DAY like the instructions encourage. Let's be realistic here, a LOT of these challenges are gonna take a LOT of time to complete -- I mean, one of them is "write a fanfiction" for crying out loud!! xD But, whatever the schedule turns out to be, I do aim to complete all 30 challenges. Oh! And I don't plan on doing them in order. Just whichever jumps out at me in the moment.

Okay, enough ramble. The challenges are:

1. Re-write a classic fairy tale
2. Write a fanfiction
3. A story that takes place pre-1950
4. A poem using the words "blue, mistrust, half, twang"
5. A story revolving around an object in your room
6. Start your story with "He glanced at his watch impatiently..."
7. Create a superhero. Have he/she save the day.
8. Write a prequel to that superhero. Pre-superhero life. Maybe their childhood.
9. A story in 250 words or less about your favorite city.
10. Start story with "She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled..."
11. A story where the characters go without power for a day.
12. Find 10 random words and create your own definitions.
13. Begin with "I thought I saw..."
14. Randomly find someone in your yearbook. Create a story about their life today.
15. Write about a stranger you see. Either their back-story or what they are thinking in the moment you see them.
16. Go to iTunes, put your music on random. Write a story about the first song that comes up. (250 words or less)
17. Use time travel in a story.
18. A story set in a ghost town.
19. Write an obituary for a historical figure.
20. Use these words in a story: Grandfather, photo album, post office, and folder.
21. He or she sees their crush in a library. Describe the incident.
22. Write a story based on a dream you had.
23. Describe/fictionalize a childhood memory.
24. Write a story that takes place 100 years in the future.
25. Write a story about a mythical creature.
26. Write about the 30th picture on your phone or computer. Write about the story behind it, or make up the story behind it.
27. Story taking place during a sporting event (any sport).
28. Story on a ship. Past, present, or future.
29. Story about space.
30. Story or poem about ice.

Alrighty. There they are. I'll post each of the challenges on here as I complete them. :) I'd appreciate it if you would read them and comment your thoughts. (I will tag them all with the same "30 Day Writing Challenge" label that I'll attach to this post). And remember, you don't need a Gmail account or BlogSpot Blogger account to leave a comment on my page. I've allowed anonymous commenting. :) Thanks in advance, and wish me luck!

"In a Tree"

Some girls fantasize about their crushes. Some chronicle their fantasies and unrequited feelings into their private blogs or those furry little notebooks with that totally secure lock that no one could pick open with a pen or paperclip, ever. Many of these entries are quite poetic, too. As though having a crush on a guy that doesn't know you exist -- or worse, does know you exist but is completely unimpressed -- gives you this new superpower where everything you write sounds like it'd earn a Publitzer. Pulitzer? Whatever, the literary version of a Nobel Prize.

Me?

I fantasize, sure. But not in a hack-able blog or 'hidden' diary -- seriously, who ever thought under the bed or mattress was the perfect hiding spot for the records of private musings? You know where's really private? IN YOUR HEAD. Yup, I take a much more secure approach.

Perched on a tree staring at him as he plays soccer, all the while narrating my thoughts back to myself in my head like JD from 'Scrubs.'

Oh, God, I just heard it...

How creepy is that from one to restraining order?

And I ask this as if anyone is going to answer in my own head. Although I suppose the fact that no one does answer is a good sign. Like there's still hope for me yet, right? I really need to stop asking myself non-rhetorical questions.

Ooh, leg cramp. God, that hurts. How do I climb down again? Let's see, was it this branch that I...?

"WAAAHHH!"

OWW! SON OF A-- DAMMIT. God... Okay. Well, at least I got down.

....

Just in time for the entire team to see me and stare.  Heh, heh... "H-Hi, guys... Great practice?" Oh, God, this is mortifying. They look so creeped out. No, wait, one of them is smiling. Okay, so maybe it's not so...

Wait.

Oh, no.

And now they're all laughing. Hysterically. Yup. I think this would be the best time to RUN.

OWW!! Since when is there a rock there?! Oh, God, did my pants rip? Oh, Jesus-- Oh, okay. Whew, no they didn't...

Although now I'm the girl who checked out her own butt.

Ugh. Kill me.

....

Okay, I don't see them anymore so I think I'm far enough away now. That was humiliating. And I think I sprained my ankle.

Sigh. Why couldn't I just buy a diary?





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A/N:
:) Okay, guys, I know this excerpt must seem totally random and bizarre, but you have NO IDEA how happy I am that it came out from my fingertips!! A lot of things have been happening -- none of it interesting or eventful, it's been mostly psychological stress/breakdowns and emotional/personal drama -- which have created this MONUMENTAL WRITER'S BLOCK that literally left me unable to complete a SENTENCE of anything for months. Now this excerpt might not be that great, I don't know, I've never written anything from this kind of point of view before, but my point stands that THIS is THE FIRST THING I've been able to get out since graduation!! Sad? A little. But I'm choosing to look at it as a beacon of hope that the huge brick wall on my brain may finally be deconstructing itself.

Cross your fingers for me guys. You have no idea how much I've been losing it at the idea that I might not be able to do this.

Oh, side note: The above character is named Marley. And contrary to (possibly) your first thought, her parents didn't name her after Bob Marley, they named her after the DOG, Marley.

Her life is just that kind.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

Okay, I know the word "vampires" has acquired a bad taste in everyone's mouth thanks to films such as the Twilight series making such a joke of the lore -- or at least it has to me. In my opinion, vampires have become another gimmick in the movie and television business rather than a classical (as in respected) horror creature/race.

But in 30 Days of Night? It's the real deal.

Based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night is the story of a small (and I do mean small) Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for thirty days every year. Many of the citizens are in the habit of leaving town prior to the last sunset -- but this year, those that are left behind after the airport closes are left to face an unthinkable horror...
One that they're unable to escape from for thirty days.

Let me begin by saying that this film was genuinely and extensively creepy, and that's saying something because not only have horror flicks failed in actually scaring the general public lately, but vampires have been done to death (pun not intended).

David Slade's adaptation of the graphic novel left me burrowing into my seat, eyes wide open, and heart racing (witnesses can confirm) -- and it had everything to do with the direction and cinematography (shout-out to Director of Cinematography, Jo Willems. We'll get to him later). While the vampires' physiques in the film weren't completely unlike previous interpretations (pale, blood stains around their mouth, pointy teeth, black eyes), their movements and mannerisms were definitely worth the title "creatures." Each actor and actress portrayed their vampiric roles as if they were animals: primal, predatorial, and organized hunters. Seeing them moving through the shadows and rooftops, communicating in their own language, made me feel like I was watching a pack of wolves on a hunt. It was a very interesting choice and -- with the many talented men and women actors executing it perfectly -- it paid off.
Not to mention Slade and his writing crew (shout-out to Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Niles) were able to give us something that is getting increasingly difficult to pull off in this day and age: A twist ending that I truly didn't see coming. Kudos to you, boys. You did good.

Jo Willem's cinematography, as I said before, is what really made this film cringe-worthy. Nearly every shot sent a chill down my spine. The most impressive and effective shots were from above, looking down on the blood-stained streets and chaos as the vampires fed. It was heartbreaking.

Now that isn't to say that this film isn't without its flaws. As the unofficial requirement goes, a romantic connection was attempted between the two main characters, Eben and Stella Oleson (a separated married couple). While their relationship was, thankfully, downplayed, it still felt forced into the story and I didn't find it believable, nor did I care to see it delved into further. I was much too preoccupied with their struggles for survival. Also, I wasn't too impressed with Melissa George's performance as Stella Oleson. Throughout the film I kept trying to feel connected to or emotionally invested in her, but couldn't quite believe her to be someone I should care about. Every time her marriage to Eben (played by Josh Hartnett) was brought up in conversation I could feel myself rolling my eyes and hoping it would be brushed over.
I'll give them both the benefit of the doubt, though. Film adaptations of novels tend to rush or butcher at least one aspect of the story along the way so Stella's importance and the Oleson's relationship could have been one of them.

However, while George's performance wasn't spectacular, Josh Hartnett's was. Admittedly, he didn't look it at first, but Hartnett's character, Eben, quickly captured my attention and sympathy. I have to say his performance was by far the best in the film.

Overall 30 Days of Night was an incredible watch and I highly recommend it at your next late-night viewing. Just don't forget about the bowl of popcorn like I did. ;)

30 Days of Night 4 out of 5 stars.

A Looming Return

Hey there! Remember me? Ah, it feels good to write in here again. Let me start with an apology: I'm deeply sorry for the neglect this place has suffered for...quite some time. ^^;; I just finished updating the links and profile photo on the side (pretty photo of Rei, isn't it?) so everything should be current. I deleted the link for my myspace page because I can't remember the last time I logged into that thing, and when I finally did I had a strong dislike for the new layout and controls there, SO I don't expect to use that place again, ever. :P I'm considering adding my Facebook on there, but don't know if that's necessary yet. Thoughts?
Also, in case ya'll haven't noticed, I also added a new "gadget" to the side: LABELS!! :P When I was cleaning the place up I realized there was no way to search for topics, so one would have to just wait until the next time I labeled something with that topic or manually go through all the pages here until they found one. There was an option to include a search bar, but it was my understanding that it would not only search my site, but google as well. I decided it'd be best to go with the "cloud" option instead. :) I think it works well. I made sure to select the "main" labels/subjects to include since most of my labels include names or titles.

Anyway, back to the apology. I'm so sorry I haven't taken care of this place the way I should. At the time I was buried under homework, finals, papers, etc. BUT I have some awesome news! :) I am now...A COLLEGE GRADUATE!! That's right! I graduated with my Bachelors last December so now -- other than my job and working on story/novel ideas -- I will no longer have anything tying me up from contributing to this place on a more regular basis. :) And... yes, you read right. I graduated last December. ^^;; So I guess there's another apology in order for not writing/updating until now. What can I say? I was enjoying being a couch potato. xD It HAS been so long...

SO. Here is my promise to you, my readers: I will bring this site back and submit something on a semi-regular basis. I may start with movie reviews again as a way to bring on habitual posting, but there will be more excerpts, character backgrounds, and other such writing fun. :) There'll also be more book reviews (once I finish reading one, lol) and manga reviews and... Well, you get the idea. ^^;;

So thank you, those of you who are reading this and are still with me. Thanks for taking the time to visit this place. I hope you all continue to do so and enjoy your visits. :) Oh, and do feel free to hound me if I take too long between posts again. ;D Ah, sounds good, yes?

Alright! I shall see you all again soon. For now, goodnight!