Holiday Blessings

It's the time of year where pretty much every culture or religion has a festival or celebration to mark being halfway out of the dark. No matter what you believe or practice, I hope you enjoy this time of year and are able to spend time with your families. I, myself, am away with some friends (and parents) for the next while, and for that I'm very glad.

For now, school is done for me until I return in early January. I survived exams, and they really weren't that bad. I don't see why everyone gets so stressed. It only inhibits your ability to do well . . .

I am almost done writing my NaNo 2013 novel, which is now so massive I'm a little amazed I've written all this. I've just the final battle and the wrap up to do, really, so I'm aiming to be finished by New Year's. I seriously hope I manage to do so, seeing as this is a novel I've dedicated the past year of my life to, starring a character who I instantly fell in love with. Even if there were a few little bumps at the beginning. Due to the time of year, I am now contemplating slipping in references to festivals or yearly turning points, which is either great or terrible seeing as I'm nearly done.

That's all I've got to say for the time being. I send to all of you Yuletide blessings and Christmas wishes. Enjoy the holidays as much as you can!

NaNoWriMo Done & Won

So somehow, in nineteen days I managed to write 50,000 words. And the number will probably go up when I validate tomorrow due to the fact that Microsoft word takes anything hyphenated as one word, but NaNo's word counter doesn't. But yeah, I hit the mark. Now to get some sleep . . . and assignments done.

The book is far from complete, however. There's still a lot of plot left, but the necessary events that take place prior to the main conflict are done, which is good since that was always the bit I was dreading. I'm planning on taking a break from Virtuality now, to finish another novel of mine that's almost done. But after that, it'll be straight to working on Virtuality, I think. Or maybe Of Magic . . . I really enjoy that one . . .

Anyways, whatever I decide, I've won NaNo for this year, and I can't wait to validate tomorrow. It was fun and stressful and involved me getting a friend in a physics program to number crunch a survival rate (I want to make sure it was believable that the MC could live). Over all, it was the usually crazy ride that, if the journey I'm still undergoing with last year's novel is any indication, is far from over.

So I think I'll go take a nap, and then it's back to writing some more. But this time without a ton of pressure to get things done.

Happy Halloween & NaNoWriMo!

Today is Halloween, the day that the veils between worlds is thinned and spirits are capable of revisiting the living . . . and, you know, zombies, vampires, witches, werewolves, all that. I personally like the old version of it better, but today's version is pretty cool too. I'm all for any day that involves magic.

In other news, tomorrow I will be embarking on the soul-sucking month long journey called NaNoWriMo - short for national novel writing month. The goal is to write fifty thousand words in one day. We'll see how this goes. It's my third year, and I won last year so I know its possible . . . I just need to make sure I write at every single available second and churn out something.

So while I prepare go into isolation for a month, I hope this Halloween is splendid and spooky for everyone. Dress up - eat some candy - solve a mystery (that's my plan. I'm going to a murder mystery party involving Willy Wonka . . . I did not design this, I promise). Anything's possible on All Hallow's Eve!

Halloween Fun Facts:
-Pumpkin carving is a modern, westernized tradition.
-the roots of this festival can be traced back to the Celtic celebration of Samhain.

Happy Halloween!

International Literacy Day

So today is the day where the world tries to promote literacy, and I must say I wish they did this every day. I love reading and writing and I can't imagine my life without it. True, when I was a kid I complained about school as much as the next child and wished I didn't have to go - but I wasn't thinking it'd ever apply to reading.

Now, of course, I know most children aren't like me. There are baby photos of a me too young to speak properly, reading Dr. Suess books even though I had no idea what they meant. I always loved written words. I can remember, when learning to read in school, how I was one of the last to get it. I've a suspicion I would've been diagnosed with dyslexia if not for my determination - I was always mixing letters and words up even though I knew they were wrong. But I wanted to read so badly, I kept at it and ended up being the best reader in my elementary school. I even know the name of the first book I successfully read on my own.

I guess what I'm saying is, give reading a chance. While the Western world gives the opportunities, people still don't read. Maybe it's too hard, maybe they can't find something they like. Doesn't matter. Today, pick up a book and give it a go, no matter who you are or where you are.

Or, if you're horribly busy with something and won't really have time, donate money to a cause that will promote reading and literacy in poorer parts of the world. In someway, help to increase literacy in the world. Today is the one day a year where people think about it, so help out. It might not be much now, but we have to take things one day and one step at a time.

If you're looking for some heavy reading, I highly recommend A Song of Ice & Fire, by George R. R. Martin, Sevenwaters, by Juliet Marrillier (or any of her work), and The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan. If you want something a little lighter, try Percy Jackson & The Olympians, by Rick Riordan, Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling, and The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Steifvater.

That's all I've got to say, but I'm going to end this post with a few of my favourite literacy quotes.

"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have - arm yourselves!" - The Doctor, Tooth and Claw
"There's no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book." - Frank Serafini
"Why does every man have to pretend to be stupid and not know long words?" - Martin Freeman
"The journey of a lifetime starts with the turning of a page" - Rachel Anders