Saturday, December 20, 2008

Rawr!

Rawr=dino talk for "I love you" (or was it 'hello"? Ella? Help! *cough*)
Um, ok, never mind that. In my old age, my memory is failing me.

I'm serious.

It snowed last night. By morning, we had a foot. Anyway, I went to go outside in the evening, and then when I got to the door, I turned around and asked my mom, "Mom, where did I put my glasses?"
Her reply: "They're on your head, aren't they?"
Me: "Um, yeah, right."

I kid you not. I'm getting old. And speaking of that--I'M 16!!!!!!!! And have been since the first of this month...and didn't tell any of you...haha.

So, a while ago I heard some people complaining that they didn't like the colors, & thought they were too conservative, not crazy enough.

Satisfied now? If not...how about bright green? Really, really bright green, the shade that makes your eyes scream in agony the instant they behold it? And really, really bright blue to match? With the text in really, really bright orange, of course. ;)

I'm really tired, so this isn't gonna be a very funny post, just a random one. Saaaawwy. I was out snow shoveling for three hours this morning.

So, Bridget spent all of November writing frantically, and ended up writing a huge amount of words--um...how many pages, Bridget? A few hundred? Lol--while I barely wrote anything that month. And then, come December, and just in the last several days, I have written two really long scenes on my main story, two short stories, a song (which actually has a tune! Astonishing--only a few of my songs ever have a tune to go with the words), probably a poem or two, or fragments of several poems, anyway, and--last, but by no means least--I started writing a new story. And it's a vampire story. Yes, you heard me right. I, Lanta/Sara/whatever other name you know me as, am writing a vampire story.

However, no decent, self respecting, average, run-of-the-mill vampire fiction will assosiate with it. Not even Twilight. And why, you ask? Why is my poor story scorned and degraded by all its kin? I will tell you, my readers. Be patient, and soon all shall be revealed to you.

For one thing, the only thing it has in common with its relatives (yes, even Twilight) is the whole drinking-blood thing.

All the decent, self-respecting vampire stories I have ever read (which is actually only a very few; vampires are just not my thing) have a few key things in common with each other:
1. They are set in this world, or in a world that's close enough to this world to be nearly identical in every way to it.
2. Vampires are always the strong, the powerful, never the weak. Being a vampire is a good thing. Except for the whole drinking-blood issue, it's acutally worth it, when you think about it--I mean, come on. You've got superhuman powers, strength, abilities, etc. You're better. Being a vampire is never (or rarely) shown as a bad thing--the vampire character rarely regrets it, and even then (in cases like Rosalie) it's not because of being a vampire, it's because of some of the unwelcome side effects.

Now, the reason my vampire story is shunned by all its kin is because it has neither of those two elements mentioned above. In my story:
1. It's not set in this world. Vampires don't belong in this world. I actually rather dislike most fantasy-set-in-this-world because, no matter how well-written, it's always just a little (or more than just a little) weird.
2. Being a vampire is a weakness. It doesn't make you stronger. It doesn't make you better. (And actually--I'm thinking there will be only one character who's a vampire, and it's not something that can be passed on by a bite.)
When the vampire lady (who regretably lacks a name as of yet) craves blood, it's like an addiction. it makes her weaker. She loses control over herself. Unless she drinks blood, she grows so weak that she can barely stand. Another idea I'm toying with--she doesn't crave blood all the time, only during certain times, or after she does something or other, I need to think this idea through more, though, before doing anything with it. And--drinking blood isn't nessasary. She doesn't live on blood, like the vampires in Twilight. But, unless someone else intervenes, she can't stop herself. And that's where the Guard comes in. They are people who are bound to her her, they owe her absolute loyalty & absolute obediance when she commands them using the bond. And, when she is overcome by the BloodCall, they are the only ones who can restrain her.

So, that's my story. I haven't even gotten to 10 pages on paper yet, but I'm totally hooked by it already. And yes, I admit it--I was somewhat (well, acutally, a lot) inspired by "Lord of Snow and Shadows", a book I read a few days ago. I started writing my story the same night I read that book.

Haha, you wanna know another funny thing?

Ok, so I write a short story. Bridget reads my short story, and than has a dream inspired by it, and starts writing a story based on her dream. So I read her story-that's-based-on-a-dream-that's-inspired-by-my-story, and I'm instantly inspired to write a song. So, I'm talking to Bridget on the phone that night (seriously, it was after 11 when I finally got off the phone with her) and I sing my song for her, and she gets inspired to write a song of her own. So, I read her song-that's-inspired-by-my-song-which-is-inspired-by-her story-that's-based-on-a-dream-that's-inspired-by-my-story, and I'm inspired to write a short story like, 10 minutes later.

I wonder what will happen when Bridget reads that short story. Oh, dear.

Well, I shall leave you to ponder in the depths of your heart the terrible image of Bridget and I writing stories and poems and songs inspired by each other's poems and stories and songs until the very day of our death. (It is actually quite a scary thought!)

To help rid your mind of that horrifying image (and believe me, this works), don't say more, say Mordor!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Hello....?

Hello, everyone!
As of long last, I am finally back. (Or else someone has figured out how to hack my account.) For so long my life has been slowly wandering through a meadow, picking flowers, making shapes of the clouds and what not, but its gotten really busy of a sudden. It kind of started with NaNoWriMo. I pretty much lost my free time during November in an effort to get something written. Which I did, actually. I had around 45,000 words at the end; not enough to win, but enough to make me happy. I got myself grounded from the computer the last few days of November and into December (I had been a lazy bum, lol). The day I was able to go back on the computer, it was time to go to a retreat! I had been to one of the same sort last spring, so I had met some of the people before. The whole experience is really difficult to put into words, but I honestly think it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. All the people were really friendly and crazy, the talks were super great, (I started crying during like three of them, and I almost never cry in public) and Mass and adoration were just beautiful.
Like I said, no idea now to put it in words, but it was really moving. It was like I could actually feel God there, and see Him in the stories the people shared of their lives. I made a completely new friend, and we were pretty much inseparable for the weekend. I came home Sunday night, and I didn't even want to listen to the secular rock/hard rock music on my computer, which I've pretty much been listening to for 2 years straight. I'm down to some old Kutless, Third Day, and Casting Crowns, LOL. Go figure. >.> I'm trying to shape my life up a bit now, prayers are always appreciated. ;)
Two days after I got back, I got this random urge to make, get this, candy canes. We've never made them before, either. I roped my dad into it, and we finally started in the evening. My mom had to help since the candy was setting up before we had twisted the colors together. But we did get some pretty canes, though we ended up with a few broken ones, and some random bits and pieces. Now I want to make fudge and toffee, too. o.o Oh, and cream puffs.
And that brings me up to Thursday, today! Mom is going to Wisconsin for a week on the train because a friend of hers is getting her doctor's or bachelor's or something like that in.... something. Physcology, maybe. Which means I, poor little ol' lowly Bridget, have to cook FOOD and do the LAUNDRY for an entire week. And do all my normal school, I might add. Macaroni and chili beans, here we come...
Then in January, I'm leaving for a week or so on the March for Life. First time I'll ever be farther east than Duluth, Minnesota. And I might even have a teen bit of a chance of meeting Lanta there! *starts to hyperventilate from excitement*
Yes, readers, fear for your lives! It is one of the signs of the apocalypse, is it not?
So all this is kind of putting a crunch on my school, and I might not get so much time to be online. I'll try my best to keep up with the blog here, though. *salutes*
But if all else fails, readers, just remember, don't say more, say Mordor!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Please accept my most humble, profound apologies....

*Wipes a tear from eye*

My dear readers, it grieves me deeply to have to imform you of this sad news. Bridget is grounded, in a cruel twist of fortune. Why, I know not. But she shall not come here until many long ages (until Sunday, i believe she said, since she's then going on a retreat), and when she comes--who can say how this terrible ordeal may have changed her? Why, she might not post anything for weeks!

And as for me--I, who am your last remaining hope!--my computer was hacked, not once, but twice! and is now offline only until it is fixed, and who knows when that shall be. In the meantime, we are using our old, semi-retired computer which hates anything google and kills it on site. Once and a while, like today, the two ancient foes relapse into indifference towards each other, but those days are rare, and few and far between. So--don't expect to hear from me frequently. I am so deeply grieved at the pain I must surely be causing you. Please, do not die! I want you all to be alive and healthy when I return in triumph!

In the meantime, have fun trying to force Bridget to post :P And--don't say more, say Mordor! (Believe me, it will bring much peace to your tender hearts!)