Writers-Block has kindly agreed to take a vacation

So I have finished my prologue and part of the first chapter of my story. It is actually closer to a thousand words instead of my wished for two thousand. I hadn't realized how much two thousand was until I sat down with it as a goal. It never felt like a lot when I only had fifteen thousand to work with...But I do like what's happening. Actually that's an understatement, I am really, really excited about what's happening. I've had three different beginnings floating in my head for months, but when this fourth one popped up I knew it was the one to run with. It may not last through the whole process, but it's the beginning that will get me to the end.

From colleenanderson.wordpress.com

Tomorrow is my library day, so I plan on working on my story then, as well as coming up with more terms and sayings (as well as a very broad and rough outline, maybe). I mean, I have read books where the sayings were cheesy and cliche, but I also think that modern-day slang has no right to be in a story where people are capable of flying. I mean when a society is so fundamentally different, its slang should reflect it. So I need to spend time on that, and maybe (just maybe) I can come up with something that is true to my book, and doesn't drive my readers up a wall.



~Shaylanne

So the slang in novels is a pet-peeve of mine. What things have authors done that makes you squirm?

Hey Ya'll!

Sorry for not posting! I've been so swamped with everything that I've been doing that blogging has been one of those things that have been left on the bottom of my to do list (it's somewhere with folding laundry). But I will done with work and school within a month so then I will have three months of complete and horrid laziness.

But anyway, since time doesn't allow for a long or detailed post I will make this note to let you know that I have finally started writing my story! YAY!!! My goal is 2000+ words today. Then a basic outline, based on where my story is going. I have a great idea set out, but I need a starting point that only writing can provide.

But don't worry, I'll post again (probably tonight before I watch Avengers) and let you know what I got done.

But until then: I am will indulge in a little bit of Sherlock Holmes obsession:

From filmjournal.net

I really like the hat.

Warning: I feel the "Scarlet Pimpernel" bug biting me, so if you want to see anything Ian Mckellen pre-Lord of the Rings, then you'll want to visit this page again in the next couple weeks...

Also I got a Facebook. So soon I'll be creating one for my Mnemosyne, and when I do I will let you all know!

Ciao!

~Shaylanne

(Sorry again. I feel like I'm doing a shoddy job of adding anything of substance to the internet stratosphere)

Is anyone else excited about the Hobbit? Becuase I am!!!!

Book Review 2

Two weeks ago I wrote a post about one of my favorite books "The Thief". Here is the next book in this great series!

To be quite honest Megan Whalen Turner is my favorite author (sorry Miss Austen!). She is a bold writer, leaping into the story and expertly weaving it into a tale so intriguing that it's addicting. I made the mistake of checking out the last three books all at once and I was up until two in the morning finishing them (which wasn't smart seeing as I had to get up at 5:30). She has such a way of grabbing the reader with subtle plot twists and endearing characters. The tales seem simple and very up front, but that is simply because they are so well written. If I could write like her I'd be happy. I'd also be a published author...which would also make me happy...deliriously so.

So without further ado, I present the second book of this fabulous foursome:

The Queen of Attolia

Doesn't Gen look dashing handling that boat? *Sigh* I'd almost give up Darcy...here's the book's synopsis:



*I wrote this post months ago. And for the sake of accuracy I have not removed the above line. Just ignore it... Please...just tuck it into the back of your mind. Somewhere in a file titled "Darcy must never know". Then stick it in your X,Y,Z file so when you decide to tell him you can't find it.

"When his small mountainous country goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia, Eugenides the thief is faced with his greatest challenge. He must steal a man, he must steal a queen, and he must steal peace.

But his greatest triumph - as well as his greatest loss - can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago."

So this book has an immediate plot twist that makes you shriek "WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE???". The twist, is good. The thrill as you wait for the next page, is good. Shrieking whenever you get hit by such awesomeness, is bad for your hearing.


So please read this book, it is incredible.


Oh and did I mention that it's a love story? No? Dang. Should have done that...


-Shaylanne

I love a good sequel, don't you?

Trivialities

So I swore up and down that I would never replace books with electronics.

And that's mostly true.

It's just this Kindle is so dang convenient. I got it early (by three days!) and it goes everywhere with me. I have everything that I could dream of needing. I can get "Pride and Prejudice" for free off Amazon, I can check out books online from my library and I can get on the Internet. Though please, don't get it for the Internet. The only reason that I can stand how slow that connection is, is because I wasn't expecting Internet connection. For most practical purposes it stinks. But for fun, it's fine (I mean I can't even listen to Pandora on it. No soundtrack, no cigar).

Yes but keep in mind I have a Generation 2. Not the Kindle Fire. Which I have every intention of buying...when I am independently wealthy.

~Shaylanne

P.S. I'm Skyping my best friend after work today. Soo excited!!!!

Book Review 1

Hey Everybody! Ok so this is no kidding probably my favorite book in the whole entire world. And honestly as a wannabe writer this book scares me like nothing else. I have read it over ten times, and out loud to my siblings twice. This book is the wittiest book I have ever read. There are some books that you can sit there and go "yeah then he kills this guy, then he goes out with this girl but she's not the one" etc, fill in the blank, you know the predictable stuff. But if you can do that with this book I'd be very much surprised.


As an author I think that the difficulty in writing is coming up with something that will pull you back again and again, this book does that. I read it and I want to be like that when I write. If you need an author to go after look to Mrs. Turner here. And no kidding cross my heart and hope to never write again, you will find something new in this book every flippin time you read it. But anyway here is the back cover description:



"Gen is released from prison by the magus, the king's scholar. The magus finds Gen filthy, uncouth, and insolent, but he needs Gen’s skills as a thief. Without telling Gen where they are going, he takes him out of the city. They are joined by the magus’s two apprentices, Sophos and Ambiades, and by Pol, a soldier.

The journey is dangerous, and the travelers grate on each others’ nerves. None of the main characters are exactly what they seem to be. By the end of the book, secrets are revealed, relationships adjusted, and respect between the travelers is lost and won."

Actually this is Wikipedias description of the book and its a decent synopsis. But believe me, you will come away from reading this book with a greater desire to work harder on your writing. There are in addition to this book, three more in this series. So I will try and get a up for all of them soon!

~Shaylanne

What are some of your favorite books? Give me a reason to not do my homework! ;)

Weekly Writing

Quote for the day:

Scratching is nine-tenths of the itch.

- Leopold De Lune 


My writing prompt for last week ended up being really long. I think I only did about 2,000 words, but that is apparently a lot. But anyway check out my writing prompt "Calling" in The Vault.


Today's writing prompt:

goodlifeeats.com

Okay, so at it being ninety degrees ice cream is what immediately came to mind.  And all you have to do with your story is mention ice cream. Preferably chocolate covered, but that's only if you want brownie points. Again you have a 5,000 word count limit.

When you're done, post it on your blog and send me the link! At this point there are no prizes :( but I'd like to see what you guys come up with. All entries must be posted in the comments section by noon Friday. I will then post my prompt and the links from everyone else who submitted their stories.

Remember, for rules about content go to The Study for more details.

~Shaylanne

College Commentary

Another semester starts next week and this time I have taken step to be prepared! Will I be behind, always finishing my assignments last minute and at a low level of achievement? No! Will I be up late doing homework that I should have done a week ago? No! Will I be working three jobs and reading on my Kindle? Yeeesss. I might have to edit the whole Kindle part...that might be too distracting. But then again I'll be reading textbooks, and various other stories that might find their way through the world of cyberspace into the memory if my treasured device.

I haven't even gotten it yet.

The kindle I mean.

And I'm pumped.

(If you can't tell)

But this is supposed to be a College Commentary, not a promotion for the Kindle. So here it goes.

Since this is a getting back to college post I'll talk a little bit about what you should do to get ready.

First after you've planned your classes sit down and look at your schedule. It's pretty full isn't it? So that means you have two choices:

1. Do whatever you want and accept the fact that whatever goofing off you do now affects the amount you pay in interest for college loans. or 2. Schedule your time so that you can have fun and still get good grades/keep your job.

So if you're me, that means you prioritize. I have three jobs; I house clean, I package food products, and I am a librarian. Add five online classes to that and you wonder what kind of life I have.

So the priority: first school, second work, third writing, fun time.

Yeah I did put writing at third, not at first. Here is my rationale: You learn so you can get a job so you don't starve so you live long enough to write a book. It also lets you get a good job with decent hours. Then second you get a job so you can go to school so you can get a job so you don't starve so you live long enough to write a book. Then you arrive at three, you write the book where you learn so you can get a job so you don't starve so you live long enough to write a book. Which lets you get a good job with decent hours. Then second you get a job so you can go to school so you can get a job so you don't starve so you live long enough to write a book...

See how that works? Really as I think about it, it all becomes one thing. Because while we should write because we love it, ideally it should start to bring a little bit of money in.

~Shaylanne

Questions, comments, concerns, or college stories can be sent to shaylanne1@gmail.com. These stories must meet the guidelines for the "writing prompt" rules which can be found on The Study page. 

Weekly Writing

Quote for the Day:

The most important thing to learn, is that you must unlearn.

~ Mam Dalsamon

I have been watching creative writing classes taught by Brandon Sanderson (author of Elantris) and thought I'd start to share some of the tips that I've learned from him.

Tip for the Week:

Writers write. Like everything else, becoming a good writer takes practice, so take every opportunity that you can get to write. Don't allow yourself to be that person who only writes when they feel like it. Believe it or not, readers can't tell the difference between our brilliant moments and the times when we had to slog through and make the puzzle pieces fit together.  

So based on that I have decided to post a writing prompt every Monday. I hope that this helps you all keep writing, even on those days you really don't feel it happening.

So, today's prompt:

 

Photo from www.danheller.com

Tell me a story about this picture. Do whatever you like, the only requirements being that it is in the picture's setting, and there must be something different about the water. It can be a magical river, it can be soapy, it can be bug infested...be creative! All that I ask is that this water play a role in the plot line. You have a 5,000-6,000 word count max/limit.

When you're done, post it on your blog and send me the link! At this point there are no prizes :( but I'd like to see what you guys come up with. All entries must be posted in the comments section by noon Friday. I will then post my prompt and the links from everyone else who submitted their stories.

Anyone is allowed to submit their story, but I am looking for G to light PG-13 stories. I will have a list of guidelines posted in The Study page, so you know what I won't post. If you have a question about your story send it to me at shaylanne1@gmail.com with the subject "writing prompt". I will try to get back to you within 24 hours. If you don't hear from me by Friday morning, use your best judgement as to whether or not you should post the story.

I'm so excited to get this kicked off guys!

Happy writing!

~Shaylanne

Remember that prompts are due by Friday at noon. Again, if you have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail at shaylanne1@gmail.com

The Sherlock Holmes Complex

So I have always found music to be very inspiring when I write, and I have always believed that the mood of the scene that I'm working on is affected by the feel of the song that I am listening to. And now I am going through a Sherlock Holmes phase. I hadn't seen the movie, but my Pandora station started to play the background music and I was hooked. It was just so different.

fanpop.com

Needless to say I went and watched the movie. But now all of my characters have either a Sherlock Holmes or Watson feel. And while I love these two characters (don't get me wrong), I really need my K'mar to be self-absorbed in a rather oblivious and charming way, not pot-enhanced and arrogant like Holmes, and Watson is much too sensible to be a prototype for Nolan. So maybe I should go back to listening to "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings".

weasleyisourking.com

themoviedb.org

I can easily avoid writing about rings and quidditch.

(Did I ever tell you that K'mar was a redhead?) 

~Shaylanne

Is there a particular thing that inspires your muse? If so I'd love to hear about it!

P.S I grew up on Sherlock Holmes (the books), and a third movie might come out. So you will hear about this again. 

...

and no that is not a threat.

...

it is simply a statement of fact. 

...

you'll just have to live with it.

A move into the future

I don't have much to say tonight (as many of you can see, it is rather late), but I felt inclined to make a couple of observations:

It's late and I have to work tomorrow.
I have a story that's begging to come out.
And the new semester is starting.
And I have to start exercising again.

But I'm okay with all of that.

Because I have been given a place to start my research for my story! I was at my Grandpa's house during break and he introduced me to a series about the Byzantine empire. Since I was raised in a Republic, the whole court life and political maneuverings don't come easily to me. And my world doesn't really resemble America...at all. So naturally I was super glad when he told me about these books and I can't wait to get my hands on them!

It seems a little old looking, but I am really excited! There is so much that I want to put into this story, but lack of info has really hampered me.

I only need to avoid the trap of doing everything except writing the story, yes?



~ Shaylanne

What research do you guys do when you're prepping for your stories?

Where do ideas come from?



Online Source



Today I was in the middle of cooking stir-fry for dinner when it occurred to me that I really wanted a cooking scene between my two characters K'mar and Amrise. My only problem was that both are in the privileged class, so what reason do they have to learn how to cook? Well K'mar had somewhat of a soldier's upbringing so he had to learn at least basic soldiers meals, but Amrise is the War Commander's daughter from an affluent country. What's her excuse? She's been raised as a diplomat and has few/no outdoors survival skills. 

   

 Then it hit me. What if it was the custom for a young woman to cook the meal for her husband at their wedding feast? And if that girl had a mother who felt that she should be able to cook any and everything that her husband would want she would learn early on in her life now wouldn't she? 

    

And so it went on from there. I can't track where these ideas come from, but they do. This scene will be one of my favorites I think, and all because I was stirring meat for dinner.

Maybe I'll even have her make stir-fry. Can you use a wok over a camp fire?

~Shay

Have any of you had something come to mind like that?

Hmm....

After printing several of the wrong documents for work, spilling cleaning solution, trying to vacuum with a broken vacuum and come up with story ideas while listening to MPR it occured to me:

Only smart people do stupid things. Stupid people don't know any better.

But that leaves me in a quandry, am I stupid (so therefore it's not my fault) or smart (therefore I am stupid)?

~Shay

Anyone else have these days...or is it just me?

Welcome!

Hello All!

My name is Shayla (Shaylanne to you), and I love to write (hence the sub-title).

Many of you will know me from the blog Authors Anonymous that I co-author with a great little lady named Abbi. Authors was my first attempt at blogging and I loved it. But while Authors Anonymous focuses primarily on writing in general, Mnemosyne is going to feature my projects, my brain children (and just so you know, I love making notes in parentheses, [you've been warned.]).

I want to do something very, very daring. I want to defy convention. I have a silly notion that I can write about teenagers who actually get along with their parents (really), because they are mature enough to deal with that (RANT: honestly this whole notion that the teen years are destined to be trouble is just a case of cause and effect. But I'll write a post about that later). I want to write about things that are out there in the real world. I have the audacity to want to take common political/social problems and put them in a story line that people will enjoy and love. And the most crazy thing of all, I actually dare to think that I can pull this all off without being obvious about it.

So call me insane, but it's a dream of mine.

So why a blog? Why not? I'd like to bounce ideas off of people, and I'd like to start a place where I can get/give ideas for writing. As things progress I will start to add pages, and maybe start to post some stories that I've worked on, or tips that I've found useful etc. Most of all, I want to get the word out. If there are other people out there like me, who want to change the world with their talents (writing or no) I want to hear from them. Because what better stuff is there to write about? ;)

As the final (and probably most important note), I'd like to thank Abbi (my fellow Authors Anonymous author), who designed this blog for me. She really has an eye for things like this, and I am ridiculously pleased with what she has done. If you'd like to see more of her awesome abilities, visit her blog at True Blue Abbi.

It's time for me to head, but in case I don't see yeah, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night!

~ Shay

Do any of you remember that reference in the last line? I can remember it, but I can't remember the movie to save my life...anyone?