Sunday, January 11, 2009

Some randomness and profoundness....

As we were driving home from Mass a week ago or so, I stared out the car window at the moon, and discovered a rather startling fact about it. However, this fact has been kept secret for many generations before I came to learn it, and so, my dear readers, unless you would question the most profound and wise judgement of so many of your elders, do not read any farther.




















The secret is this.

The crescent moon is really the Chesire Cat's teeth grinning, not the moon! Yes, my readers, I hear your horrified gasps, and I mingle mine with yours gladly. We have been duped, deceived, for centuries! But the secret is out now. That is, if you had the courage to read it. Not that I am calling any of you cowards, my dear readers, especially not those of you who are armed! Far be it from me. No, I am saying nothing of the sort! Truely! My dear readers, I beg you, most especially those of you who are armed! If you are reading this, you are not a coward!

Thank you.

Not that I was frightened, of course. Most especially not by those of you who are armed. Certainly not! I was simply stating that little fact in case any of you were confused. Not that I'm saying any of you were confused, of course. Most especially not those of you who are armed! Of course not! I was simply stating that fact to clearify my own most profoundly confused mind.
I am so glad we have all these little details settled now! It is so good to make sure that we are all on common ground. Not that we weren't to start out with, of course! We were all in perfect agreement, most especially those who are armed! Of course.

~~
[Warning--funniness over. Profoundness beginning.]

So, it's a new year. Yes, I love stating the obvious.

And yes, I did realize that that wasn't a very profound beginning, but I shall not attempt to change it, as doing so may hurt its feelings, and you all know, my dear readers, that I would never do such a thing. In fact, I won't even tell it that it wasn't as profound as it thought, for fear of offending it--beginnings are offended so easily!

2008 was a good year for me. Yes, I know gas prices rose above $4. Yes, I know Obama got elected. (Actually, I should have said that first, not second. Well, we can pretend I was saving the best--er, *cough*, worst, I mean--for last.) But for me, it really was a good year.

I changed a lot, and that was definitely a good thing. Not all at once, little by little. Looking back, I'm suprised by how much I've changed--not externally as much as internally. (Well, my hair DID grow longer...)

Now, the first thing that comes to mind when I think about what the best thing that happened to me during 2008 was is, I gained a 'sister'. No, my mom didn't have a baby. No, my parents didn't decide to adopt. No, none of my brothers married.

Yes, I had to go out and find one myself. How inconsiderate of everyone. And then she went off to college. How inconsiderate of her. (Just kidding, lol. College is a nessasary evil, I guess. Not going to it, I mean, having other people go off to it :P)

And actually--I gained a lot more than just one sister. I gained a lot of them, but only one in real life; the others, though I love 'em all, are all known to me only in forum life. And you know, it wasn't just sisters, it was aunts, neices, cousins, daughter, mothers--er, mother--and even a husband, an uncle, a brother or two--though goodness knows, I already have a bunch of them IRL--and even a son. Yup, forum life pretty much rocks. And Elena deserves a medal for starting the forum!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of things have been changing lately... I have more stuff going on in my life than ever before, which is kinda scary, actually.

Homeschooling group, volunteering at a nearby stables, riding lessons, though they're over now, waah (And I CANTORED! I CANTORED, I CANTORED, I CANTORED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I miiiiiiiiiss riding, waah) and a new homeschooling group that meets every Friday (ever other homeschooling group we've gone to before has always met once a month, so this is pretty awesome)...

And calling two of my awesome amazing online friends on the phone, first Bridget, back in the fall, and, just a few days ago, Vicki! (Lizzy included, she came on the extension. Man, did that get confusing. They sound pretty much alike, and they're so hilarious... they're JUST the same on the phone as they are on the chatroom, only noisier. Have you ever had two people talking at once into your ear? ......Yeah. :P Love ya girls, lol :P)

Hmm...what else happened... I got my own family thread, that was awesome.... I DIDN'T get to go to the FTN get-together, though, and that was disapointing.But I DID meet Regina, at Marc's funeral, and I must say that she's one of the top 10 simply most awesome people I've ever met!!!!!! It was just so amazing, being able to meet one of my absolute favorite authers, and getting to pelt her with questions about the books! Forgot to take pictures, unfortunely. :P

Hmm...and I suddenly discovered that religion was more than a nessasary evil--er, um, good? Lol--in life, it's awwwesome! And interesting, and fascinating, and whatever other adjective you can think up along those lines! And I've discovered that theology is very interesting! (When you can understand it, of course. When you can, it's the world's next anti-depressant, when you can't, it's a major cause of headaches worldwide. Yup. :P)

Can't think of anything else...sooo...

I've decided I am going to publish one of my short stories. And, I found a fantasy and science fiction magazine that I'm going to try to get published in. (And it's called Fantasy & Science Fiction, in case you were wondering.) Now, all I have left to do is:

1. Decide which story
2. Edit that story within an inch of its life
3. Then rewrite it
4. Then make it as long as possible without making it boring, since you get paid a certain amount of cents per word
5. Calculate how much money you'll get if they accept it
6. Then freak out at the last minute and edit it some more
7. Then revise it
8. Then rewrite it again
9. Then repeat steps 4 & 5
10. Then have trouble understanding the instructions for submitting a story, and freak out some more
11. Consult my mom, who in turn consults various other random family members, who, of course, won't know what it means, either.
12. Decide the only thing to do is edit the story again, and hope the instructions will make sense the next time I read them
13. Prepare the finally finished editing draft of the story for submitting it
14. Waste a lot of time trying to do everything wrong, get a headache
15. Cry, scream, freak out, then realize that I was doing everything wrong, but am unable to figure out how to do it right
16. Waste more time trying to figure out how to do things right, search the internet for a solution
17. After several hours and a few throbbing headaches, finally find the solution and realize that it was really simple and the only reason I didn't understand it in the first place is because--well, just because. O.o
18. Do everything right, finally, with a horrible headache, and an even more horrible feeling that I'm still not doing it right.
19. Remember at the last minute just before sending it in that I forgot several key steps.
20. Remedy this, get an even worse headache while doing so.
21. Am now ready to submit story, am close to having a nervous breakdown
22. Reread story several more times at the last minute, catch a few horrible errors, wonder with a queasy feeling in stomach how many more horrible errors I'm missing
23. Repeat steps 4 & 5 several times
24. Submit story, collapse in bed, nerves frazzled
25. Wait to see if they accept it or not.

Yup, and I know for myself how true all those above steps are, since I've done it all before, back in...May, I believe. Yup, that's right, it was May. A different magazine, though. (I didn't get accepted, they said it was "a perfectly good story, but not what they were looking for." I wasn't horribly disapointed, however, since step 26 is: Prepare yourself so thoroughly to be rejected that you'll most likely die of shock if, by any chance, they astonishingly happen to accept it or something dreadful like that)

So far, I'm still only on the first two steps. And yes, the stress appears even this early, as my much-yelled at family can testify. :P

So, in case you're wondering, the inspiration hasn't stopped yet, though it's slowed considerably, but--prepare yourselves--it seems we've switched to writing about ghosts and ravens instead of stars. My fault, I admit it. I kept finding all these really randomly freaky and awesome pictures, which I would send to Bridget, and now we can't help it, we're being inspired by them!

And, before you ask to read any of these stories, be warned--anyone who reads any of our counter-inspired stories, short stories, poems, or songs is in danger of being ensnared within the writing spell, and picking up the inspiration! And yes, it's happened.


So, to keep from coming down with the writing flu, try this foolproof remedy (not tested it on animals or little brothers): Don't say more, say Mordor!

5 comments:

Rose Marchen said...

Ooh! Call me! Call me!

LoL, yeah, on the phone, Vicki and Liz sound identical! One time I was talking to Vic and she said "Hang on, Hannah needs to tell you something" *pause* And someone who I thought was Vicki starts talking again. And was like... "What about Hannah?" Then thilly me realized it WAS Hannah!


Anyhow...
Write Mordor posts soon and
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Rose Marchen said...

Ps. Thank you for that critical info on the moon!

The Other Katie said...

Mordor!
Now that I'm immune, please post some of your stories!

Victoria Rose said...

Lanta- Hehe! I kept mouthing to Hannah to beat it (excuse me: get off the phone), but she wouldn't leave! I knew she was making it confusing for you.

Rose- Haha! I don't remember that! Sawwy! You really should call Lanta!! And don't worry, she's not a stalker.....she's waaaaay to real! ;)

Do Hannah and I really sound that much alike????

You know, I hate it when I call a girl, and I say "hello ___!!" and it is actually a male member of the family! I get soooo embarrassed!!!

Post Mordor Lanta!!!

-Aunt Vicki

Lanta said...

Haha, Rose, see my next blost. You're next on my hit list! ;)

And you're quite welcome, of course. I'm always glad to provide critical information on any subject to my dear, beloved, *gulps* armed readers!

Other Katie--we'll see ;)

Vicki--Oh, I didn't mind, it was pretty funny, actually. :P
And yes, you two DO sound a lot alike, over phone, anyway. =P

Yeah, lol :-X Sorry bout that :P