To Israel!

Tomorrow I will be embarking on my trip to Israel! I'm so excited--I've wanted to go since I was six or seven years old. There's only one problem. I HAVE TO DEAL WITH BRANDON FOR TEN DAYS. TEN. WHOLE. DAYS. XD I'm not sure if what little sanity I have can survive... I will be updating as often as I can during the trip. I'm not sure if I can upload photos from my camera while I'm away, but I'll be sure to post them after I return! Next time I talk to you I'll be in Israel! A different country! See you then!!! -Annabeth713 aka Inkstar (that's the name of my OC pony :D)

Solar Eclipse

For those of you here in California, you're probably excited for the solar eclipse that will be occurring at 5:25 this afternoon (if you're in LA). In celebration of this event (yes, I get worked up about astronomy--deal with it)--I'd like to give a little demonstration as to how a solar eclipse works:

As you can see, a solar eclipse occurs whenever Princess Luna has had too much sugar and decides to mess with her sister. This event is quite rare, as oftentimes Luna's common sense kicks in and reminds her that if she bugs her sister she'll probably be banished to the moon for another 1,000 years. Have fun watching the eclipse! And don't forget to thank Luna and Celestia for this fantastic occurrence!

I'M SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't posted in SO LONG. And SO MUCH has happened. I met Tara Strong and Meghan McCarthy. If you don't know who they are, look them up RIGHT NOW!!!! That was amazing and awesome and incredible. I preformed at my school's talent show. That was scary. Really scary. But I'm happy with how everything turned out. Miss Jennaynay did brilliantly of course, but that was to be expected :D I received my video from none other than the brilliant Alex Day himself. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I won't go into details... Tomorrow we're filming the first episode of ABANDONED, a TV series I've created. I'm excited, yet nervous. Still, I think it's going to be pretty epic. I'll let ya know more later ;)

The Brony's Pledge of Alligance

I pledge alligance
To the flag
of the united states of Equestria
and to the Monarchy
for which it stands
One nation
Under Celestia
Indivisible
With friendship and magic for all.

I'm only counting Celestia because, no matter how much I love the awesomeness that is Luna, we all know our little princess of the night is just a figure head.

A Trip to the East Coast

As you know, I've recently come back from a trip to the east coast. Here's a review of our trip...WITH PICTURES!!!!!!!





Here are some pictures taken from the plane.




My brother and I being weird on the plane XD In one picture, I'm writing my latest story. Other than that, I spent most of the trip listening to music and hopefully not annoying the other people sitting around us.






We landed in Baltimore, and the next day we checked out the lovely Goucher College (where these pictures were taken). I absolutely loved it there. It was a beautiful campus, there were so many friendly people...and look at this flyer I found on a bulletin board:

I was actually really tempted to show up at the Doctor Who club meeting.








We then headed to Washington DC, where we visited several Smithsonian museums and other landmarks. We were there during the festival of kites, which was amazing.


We visited the Library of Congress, which I was really excited about. I mean, a giant building filled with a copy of every book? EEEEEK!!!!!!!!! However...and this just made me really sad...they don't let you handle the books if you're under sixteen. I'll be sixteen in seven months. Sigh.


This window was at the National Cathedral. The stone in the center is a piece of the moon. I just thought this was really cool.


We went to Hershey, Pennsylvania, which was alright. What really interested me was the school there...you can check it out here: http://www.mhs-pa.org/




I took these pictures in an Amish town near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful.


My brother was being shy here and hiding underneath my jacket...

Oh...here he is XD






The first college we actually toured was Muhlenberg. Everyone there was SUPER friendly. They have an amazing theatre program that I'm interested in looking into--especially because they perform many student-written plays!


We visited Philadelphia, which was alright, but nothing special.


Derp.






We toured Bryn Mawr College, which was BEAUTIFUL. It also looked exactly like Hogwarts, which pleased the fangirl inside of me.
Example of the Hogwarts-ness:



In addition to the beautiful campus, the academic programs at Bryn Mawr are fantastic. I had the opportunity to sit in on some classes, but didn't, due to a time conflict. However, our tour guide talked a little bit about her classes, and I was intrigued. This is definitely an awesome college!!!


A rare species of fish XD. Picture taken at the Natural History Museum of Delaware.

On our last day, we toured Goucher (sorry, no more pictures). It was an amazing college--I can't even begin to describe how much I love it.

Well, that's our trip! The next day, we flew home. We had such a great time. Thanks for having us, East Coast!

-Annabeth713

Colleges:
Goucher--http://www.goucher.edu/
Bryn Mawr--http://www.brynmawr.edu/
Muhlenberg--http://www.muhlenberg.edu/

Where are you???

Hey, everybody! I'm writing to you from a hotel in Pennsylvania. I'll give you guys all a full report of the trip when I get back home!

Meanwhile, a vital question has been hounding me: where are all my lovely followers? I miss you all! I know I haven't always been good at posting regularly; I'm definitely not the most cheerful blogger on the internet; my freak-out posts can be a little overwhelming--and I'm sorry if any of those factors scared you away. But you want to know something? I love blogging! I am always proud when I get the chance to say "I am a blogger." It's a part of my identity; it's a part of who I am. And I want to share that part of me with the rest of the world. So come back; take some time to read this little blog. Comment. You're comments mean the world to me. If you've found something interesting, don't be afraid to share it. I am always open to your ideas and opinions. If you have any suggestions to make this blog better, I'm happy to hear them. If you simply want to drop in and say hello, feel free! My day always brightens when I see I have a comment or two. It's a great feeling for me--and I promise to return that feeling by ALWAYS replying to you!

So if you like this blog (or maybe you don't like it, and there's something you'd like to see changed about it), just let me know in the comments section. I will be delighted to hear from you.

Like I mentioned last time, I'm working on a few new projects that I'd like to fill you in on:
1) a TV series to be broadcast on YouTube starting Summer 2012, entitled Abandoned. Details to be announced soon.
2) A video blog series inspired by Alex Day and Charlie McDonnell. I've very nervous about releasing this to the public and need all the support I can get. Do you guys think I have anything interesting worth saying on video? Let me know!
3) The ongoing Hunger Games fanfiction dedicated to Jenna. It's taking a lot more time than expected, but I think it will be worth it. It's in dire need of an editing session, so it's going to be quite a while before this is released.
4) A novel based on a short story I wrote for Literary Magazine, entitled "The Nowhere Place." I've only started on the first chapter, so it will be a LONG time before this particular manuscript is released.
5) The novelization of the untitled story Hannah and I wrote for English. We've been talking about expanding the story for a long time now, and I think it's time for us to really get started on it.
6) A continuation of one of my past novels, "Emelia's Grave." I feel that I should at least write a few more chapters and edit what I already have before I give up on it completely.

Looks like I've got a lot of work to get started on. I look forward to your responses! I'll be sure to update soon with a full report of my family's trip to Pennsylvania (with pictures :D)!

DOCTOR WHO SEASON 7: THE FIRST TRAILER!!!!!!!!!

THE FIRST TRAILER FOR DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 7 HAS BEEN RELEASED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TODAY IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST DAY I HAVE HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME!!!!!!!! FIRST TICKETS TO VIDCON, NOW A TRAILER FOR AN AMAZING NEW SEASON OF DOCTOR WHO?!?!?!?!?!?!?! THIS DAY CAN'T GET MUCH BETTER!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to VidCon!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how overjoyed I am to get the opportunity to attend this year's VidCon! It's exciting just to know that a few of my favorite vloggers will be visiting my state, only about an hour from where I live--but it's a whole new level of excitement to know that I'll actually get to meet them! This is truly a dream come true!!! Though I'm a little disappointed that Chameleon Circuit won't be performing this year, I can't wait to see Alex Day and Charlie McDonnell--and maybe even get to meet the rest of the band, since I hear they'll be attending VidCon this year as guests (rather than performers). This is honestly the most exciting that's happened to me since I met Matt Smith and Karen Gillan! EEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, are you going to VidCon? If so, feel free to say "high" if you see me! Oh, wait, you don't know what I look like. Oops. XD

Now, I've got a challenge for you all--if you like this blog (and I sincerely hope that you do!) tell a friend about it. Tell one friend each day for the next month, and ask them to follow me (don't worry if--like me--you don't have thirty friends. Parents, neighbors, teachers, siblings, cousins, relatives, acquaintances, and fellow fangirls/boys count as well). If I have forty followers by the end of April, I'll release a video blog series I've been working on--but I've kept it to myself, as I'm afraid you guys won't like it! If you have a nice comment or a question you'd like to ask me directly, feel free to contact me at dontblink.weepingangels42@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you!

Yours Truly,
Annabeth713

An update, because I am bored.

Remember the time when almost all of my posts were about how bored I was? Remember how I promised to lighten up a bit and enjoy life? Well...that's not happening.

I guess the bright side to everything is that I'm not as sad as I used to be. But nothingness has replaced that sadness. And I don't know what's worse. Feeling sad sometimes and happy others, or feeling nothing at all. I feel numb. And I feel conflicted.

The thing about everything is that everything is only a matter of perspective. For example, what would you qualify as bullying? For myself, and many of my friends who have truly been bullied, we are unfazed by a rude comment or sarcastic banter. What we conciser bullying is when a person is being downright mean to another person, simply to get a reaction out of them--simply to make them cry. A few people I know, though, will take offense at anything. Most recently, a friend of mine was upset because she found out a boy lied down next to her while she was asleep at the Dance-a-thon. Even though the boy didn't even touch her, and was (probably) just trying to be sweet, she was very flustered and angry, and felt that this constituted as bullying and harassment. Ironically, this friend had been bullied before--but never in the way that she thought she was being bullied now. So even though most of us could see that what this boy did wasn't really bullying, we sympathized with her. We understood how she felt. Had it been us, we probably would have felt the same way. After all, none of us had been "sexually harassed," as this friend thought she had been. So we comforted her, knowing that she felt betrayed. It was all a matter of perspective.

I'll admit, even I can get worked up over "bullying" when I shouldn't--especially lately. Since my new school comes with the benefits of only a few bullies who have picked on me(and most of them left the school this school year), I'm not really used to being the victim anymore. So the other day, I got quite worried about what a classmate had said earlier that day--and I did not realize how silly I was being until I sorted it all out with a friend--and figured out that the classmate wasn't being mean at all.

But that's not the purpose of this post. Bullying is terrible, and definitely warrents a post of it's own, but for now, let me continue with my original intentions for this post.

You see, a little bit ago, when I was sad all the time, happiness was like an utterly calm spot at the center of the storm--blissfully peaceful and perfect. Attending the school dance, watching my favorite movie, even talking with my friends--the little nibbles of good seemed extraordinary in light of the bad. Now that I'm no longer very sad, I can't really enjoy the happiness in life--I just feel neutral all the time, even when I should be extremely happy.

Take today as an example. I had a few of my best friends over to watch The Adventures of Tintin (my favorite movie) with me. We had a great time, with lots of laughs. And that should have given me a source of happiness to feed off of AT LEAST for a day--right? But no. I was really happy for a bit--now I just feel normal again. Just...nothing.

What is going on? I don't understand it. I don't want to do anything anymore. I don't want to go to school, or see my friends, or write my stories. And it's not because I'm sad--it's just because it doesn't seem like it's worth it. I simply won't get the happiness out of those things that I used to get.

So, I sit here, bored. Bored out of my mind. I have a million things to do, but it feels like I have nothing to do. There are little things I can do to cheer myself up--like watching Doctor Who season 6 on Netflix (just came out!) or looking at comics on Equestria Daily, but those things only make me happy for a short amount of time, now. And as soon as it's over...things go back to normal.

I hate it when things are normal. Everything is so incredibly dull.

Doctor Who | The Hunger Games [Trailer]

I'd watch this.

This World is So Confusing

My life has recently become a roller-coaster of emotions. I can start off my day feeling gloomy, feel hyper at nutrition, silly during Hebrew and PE, spazzy during lunch, sad during English, happy during History, and downright depressed during theatre...and by the time my aunt comes to pick me up from school, I don't feel happy or sad--just neutral.

For example, I spent all day feeling giddy about presenting the story my friend and I collaborated on. I'm really proud of it. My friend came up with the plot and characters, and I wrote the story itself. I'll post on the blog, so you can check it out. Anyway, the second we finished reading it, I felt horrible. And it wasn't due to the fact that it went too long and our teacher had to cut us off. I just felt...drained. All the excitement left me, and I was empty. And somehow, sadness crept into my heart.

Sometimes I feel really confused. My emotions and opinions can change, literally within seconds. Sometimes listening to music helps. Sometimes it doesn't. I hate feeling like this, because it's distracting. I can't write. I can't think. I can't concentrate. I just want to crawl under my blanket and hide from the world. Because the world scares me. It's big and complicated and full of choices.

I know my friends will support me no matter what I do. Many of them are more like siblings or cousins than mere friends. I know that they'll be there for me, no matter what. But it's often hard to remember that. I've had bad friends in the past. Friends who have abandoned me the second they could. I love my new friends dearly, but sometimes I'm so afraid that they'll let me down, too.

How long will things be like this? How long must I wait until something changes? Most kids are afraid of change, but I live off of it. If things stayed the same--stayed like this--forever, then I just wouldn't be able to take it anymore.

I know this post is vague and doesn't make a ton of sense. I'm juggling several different topics here, which I'm sure is confusing to anyone who isn't in my head. I'm sorry. I just needed to get this off my chest.

Save Derpy!

For those of you who watch MLP, you're probably familiar with the character "Derpy Hooves."

Up until recently, our little Derpy only had one line..."Muffins." And, in fact, about three OTHER ponies were randomly saying "Muffins" at the same time. Not anything to get worked up about, right?

Wrong.

Due to an animation error, this adorable little pony's eyes were "derped." One looked up, the other--down. Bronies started noticing the gray pony, and she was soon named "Derpy Hooves," after her "derpy" expression.

Derpy attracted quite a lot of attention, and has since become the sort of "mascot" of the brony community--representing all the love and tolerance bronies preach--not to mention, representing those of us who make mistakes and don't always fit in.

She's been depicted as Doctor Whooves's loyal companion, a young and misunderstood pony, a dedicated mother, and a sweetheart who just wants to help her friends. She's kind, and sweet, and--yes--derpy. She makes mistakes. She messes up. She gets herself and her friends into trouble. But at the end of the day, everything is alright.

This endearingly clumsy little pony has touched so many lives. ALL of us have a little piece of Derpy in us--whether you're a fan of MLP or not.

All the love and creativity of the MLP fanbase has gone into Derpy Hooves. So much music, artwork, and writing was born because of her. She should go down in history as the inspiration for many great creative minds.

Just a few short weeks ago, Derpy Hooves had her very first full scene. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaUbi-7uBDg

I couldn't have been more excited to hear Rainbow Dash call Derpy by her proper fan name. In the past, she's been referred to as "Ditzy" on the show--she was the pony who went accidently go north to fetch the southern birds. To hear our community acknowledged by the use of Derpy's name was truly wonderful. Truly, insanely, wonderful.

The thing is, some people took Derpy's voice, appearance, and name to be offensive. And I'll admit--I wasn't thrilled by her voice. I expected it to be higher pitched, with an air of distraction, if that makes sense. Still, it didn't really bother me--after all, Derpy was talking!!! And they had used her name! All the work and love and care that us bronies had put into Derpy had finally been realized. Most other bronies shared my excitement.

Some fans did NOT share my excitement, though. They said that the name "Derpy" was offensive. They said her derpy eyes were offensive. They said her voice was offensive.

If you have some time, listen to this video by the girl most fans consider to be the REAL voice of Derpy. There is some swearing, but nothing too rude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmOxnt215ek&feature=channel_video_title

Despite videos, posts, and outcries like these, Hasbro decided to listen to the fans who were offended by Derpy. They changed her scene, so now it looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2CRjPO73Dg

Now, let's point out the changes.

First off--the voice. I don't actually mind this new voice so much. Okay, so it's not as silly sounding as Derpy SHOULD sound--but it's not bad.

Next--the eyes. WHY would they straighten Derpy's eyes?! They're silly and funny and adorable and endearing! They don't denote any mental challenges--so therefore, they aren't offensive! Those eyes were Derpy's trademark--the very things that brought attention to this little character! And now...now...

Lastly, and worst of all--her name. They got rid of her name. The name "Derpy," is no longer canon. The fans are no longer recognized. It's as if we don't exist. One of the things I loved about the creators/producers of MLP was that they LISTENED TO THE FANS. Now, I can no longer say that.

I guess if you don't know Derpy, this doesn't seem important. I know my own family is pretty sick of hearing about it. But this is important to us bronies. Imagine watching your child succeed in life, only for someone to change their mind and take all that success away. That's what it's like. We've poured our souls into Derpy, and now she's been rejected. In a way, we've all been rejected. Because we are all Derpy, in one way or another. Have you ever tripped over nothing? Lost your phone while it was in your hand? Fallen onto your friend's project, crushing it to pieces? Have you ever fallen out of a chair, or not realized something important right in front of you, or tried to help out your friends, only to end up hurting them? If so--you've derped. And if you're like me--if you've ever felt lonely, ever felt out of place, ever felt like you just didn't fit in--then you can probably relate to Derpy. If you're clumsy--then you are like Derpy. We are ALL like Derpy, and we must do all we can to save her.

So, what can you do to help?

Sign the petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/hasbro-studiosthe-hub-do-not-change-derpys-name#

Or donate here: http://www.sightsavers.org/fundraising/event.php?id=278
(you can read more about Sightsavers through this link. It's a great organization.)

Or simply tweet #savederpy or #WeAreAllDerpyHooves

If you're still not convinced, here's a final, heartbreaking sentiment from everypony's favorite crosseyed pony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK_L5kTIiXs

Star Wars in 3D!!!

I just had an amazing time seeing Star Wars in 3D with many of my closest friends. It was awesome! Absolutely amazing. A lot of my friends went in saying "I love Star Wars, but the Phantom Menace sucks" and came out saying "that was the most brilliant thing I've ever seen."

I was hyper from the moment I entered the lobby, to find R2, R4, Boba Fett, Anakin Skywalker, a Jawa, and Princess Leia disguised as a bounty hunter. I immediately began jumping up nad down and squealing. My friends litterally had to hold me down. We entered the theatre, but I soon left to get popcorn. I returned to a trailer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, one of my favorite shows! Soon following was a Hunger Games trailer, the reaction of which was a collective scream from my entire group of twelve people. Jenna proceeded to squeal and squeal while she rolled into a ball and began to shiver. It took three people to calm her down. On the other side of our row, our other friends were freaking out over Rue's four note song. It was absolutely brilliant to see on the big screen.

I must say, I thought Star Wars was epic on my home television, but now I know that it cannot compare to on the big screen. It was absolutely fantastic. Even now I'm still shaking, full of excitement. It was AMAZING!!!

Tomorrow night is our school's "movie night," featuring "The Princess Bride." Somehow I doubt I'll be as excited, but it will be fun. This is turning out to be an AWESOME weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\

May the Force be with you,
Annabeth713

And just like that, everything is back to normal

I won't go into details, because I think Jenna's going to post about it soon (check out her blog--it's awesome!), but last weekend, we attended the best dance ever, and truly had the time of our lives. We were crazy and spazzy and didn't care than anyone was looking. We just danced and danced and had the best time ever. And for a while, I thought things would stay like that. Jenna and I would continue to text each other, discussing our brilliant night. People would continue to talk about the dance in the halls. That amazing feeling of freedom would last forever.

But it didn't.

Of course it didn't. Eventually, everything goes back to normal. Tonight, all that exhilaration left me, and I was left thoroughly depressed.

Why does everything have to go back to normal? Why can't we stay excited and giddy forever? I don't know. I don't want to think about it.

For the past few days, I've been blissfully happy. Now, once again, I'm sad. Usually, when I'm sad, there's no reason behind it--I'm just feeling sad. But this time, I have a reason.

Because everything went back to normal.

Defending My Little Pony

Contrary to what my friend Brandon will tell you, I haven't gone all "girly." I just happen to really enjoy "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." Surprisingly, it has interesting storylines, witty dialogue, and fun characters. And it's not all pink-and-lacy-and-hearts-and-flowers like it used to be. It appeals to all audiences. In fact, if you have never heard the term "Brony" (a MLP fan over the age of 12, mostly male, although the term can work for females as well) then I'm guessing you're pretty new to the internet.

A girl can like The Clone Wars AND My Little Pony!!!
In fact, I found this picture to prove it:


Of course, I'm pretty sure that's a G3 Pony, which is sad...However, it IS an Ahsoka pony...which opens up a whole new world of fan fiction in my head XD

When you google search "The Clone Wars+My Little Pony, a Doctor Who picture comes up
Which, of course, makes me very happy.

I'm still a tomboy, but I just happen to like pastel colored ponies
Is that so wrong?

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is truly brilliant
If you don't believe me, see for yourself. I was skeptic, too, but I ended up loving it. I immediately could relate to Twilight, the bookish, anti-social pony. My friend Adi is just like Rainbow Dash. In my group of friends, we have almost every personality of the mane six, with the exception of Applejack (maybe Jenna could be Applejack?) You WILL find a Pony to whom you can relate, and you WILL love the show--I promise.

WARNING
Watching this show may cause the following side-effects:
-The desire to love and tolerate your enemies
-the urge to say "everypony" instead of "everybody"
-the enjoyment of songs that would usually make you want to kill somebody.
-an extreme love/fear of pink ponies who defy the laws of physics...(I'm looking at you, Pinkie Pie).

My Hunger Games Fan Fiction (An Update)

I must say, although it's taking me a long time to write, I'm thoroughly enjoying my Hunger Games fan fiction (the one I'm writing for Jenna). I know that fan fictions aren't taken very seriously, but I'm honestly putting all of my effort into this one. Because I'm working with all new characters, I can really do what I please with the storyline. I've got the shell of the plot, but everything else is up to me. I'm using this opportunity to really hone my skills. I'm viewing it as a serious project. And to be honest, I love where it's going.

Firstly, I'm working on my action scenes. I'm no good at those, and I know it. I simply cannot visualize battles. The funny thing is, I'm not bad in a fight. I can take down my brother, his friend, and my dad in a lightsaber duel, no problem. But my characters aren't me. I need to look at the battle from their point of view, which is much more difficult. Not to mention, it's difficult to capture a movement with a word. However, I just completed the first action scene in the fan fic, and I'm really happy with it. It's fast-paced, well-thought-out, and moves the story forward. Yes, there is plenty of room for improvement. There's too much running and too much talking, and not near enough fighting. But I think it's a good start.

I'm also working on prose. Words are like pieces of a puzzle; if they don't fit, move them somewhere else. However, I can be quite picky, and I sometimes delete full sentences because one or two words are throwing me off. And sometimes I won't delete a word, even though I know it just doesn't sound right. I need to find the perfect balance--but that's going to be a challenge.

Finally, I'm really exploring character development. Though I love character development and relationships, this is the first time I've regarded them seriously. I'm taking a good long look at my main character, and her relationships. I'm really trying to emphasize ties between characters. The main character is actually property of Jenna, who made her up, but I'm filling her out. I'm really trying to make her as human as possible. Ironically, she is very unlike Katniss. She is charismatic and friendly, with a hint of attitude. She cares deeply for those around her. I'm really exploring this. My own characters tend to be a bit cold, but this character is thoroughly invested in the fates of her allies. She really and truly cares; and more importantly, what happens to her companions affects her. Right now I'm really trying to build out her character. I'm trying to show how she changes within the arena, but I'm also trying to show how she'll never change. I'll post a more detailed commentary after I release the work itself.

I'm having a great time exploring my characters and their relationships, as well as their own emotions, insecurities, and thoughts. can't wait to show you guys!!!

TINTIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

Adventures of Tintin won! I'm so happy right now XD

Happy Birthday, Comic Who!!!

As you may know, I follow a blog called "Comic Who." It's a brilliant blog, dedicated to the work of two amazingly talented, devoted Whovians, who write a comic strip called--you guessed it--Comic Who. Comic Who is adorable, even if you're not a Whovian. I suggest checking out their blog--you won't be disappointed!

Today is the one year anniversary of Comic Who, so let's celebrate!!!

Writing

As many of you know, I'm a writer. Now, that's not to say that I've published any books, but I have won some awards for my writing, and when I was eight my article was published in the Kids section of the newspaper. Also, I'm the editor-in-chief of my school's Literary Magazine (and if any of the Lit Mag kids from school are reading this, STOP reading this and get to work on your December and January submissions. (That means you, Gracie. lol, just kidding))

I absolutely love writing, but sometimes it's hard. I'm not talking about writer's block, although that is part of the problem. Sometimes, it's just hard to make yourself go to your computer and open Word Document and write. Because even if all the ideas and all the words are there, that doesn't mean you necessarily want to commit them to paper. And even if you love what's in your mind, sometimes it's just so hard to get started.

Take my latest project, for example. For Hanukkah/Christmas (Hanukkah for me, Christmas for her) I was writing my friend Jenna (you've heard of her before, her blog is linked to this one) a Hunger Games fan fiction. Well, it's way past the holidays, and I'm not near done. The characters aren't even in the arena yet. And it's not because I have a lack of ideas, or I can't find the right words...it's just hard to keep going. Don't get me wrong, I am 15 pages into the thing, and I really like what I've wrote. But it's like I've reached this wall, and no matter how hard I push, I can't get past it. The plot is there, the words are there--I even know what the arena is going to look like (and believe me Jennaynay, it is going to be epic). I just can't make myself go on. But don't worry, I will finish it by the end of January at the very latest, and I'll put it up in the "fan fictions" section of the blog.

Okay, so another huge problem is my CSSSA application. I'm totally at a road block. One of the prompts is to write about a memory using present-tense and the vernacular of a child, and I've got nothing. It's not writer's block--I've literally got nothing, as in no memories whatsoever. Which is stupid, because I have a selective photographic memory, and therefore I can remember things from when I was two or even younger, and every memory is completely clear. But the memory has to revolve around a parent some how, and I'm stumped. I remember doing things with my parents, of course, but I've never been one of those worship-my-parents girls. Not to say that I don't love them, my life just hasn't revolved around them. I'm not one to make really emotional attachments. It's just how I am. Except now it's totally stifling my ability to write a good essay. Sigh.

Also, there's MY December Literary Magazine entry (since we went on break halfway through December, December's issue will come out mid-January-ish). I love the begin, hate the end. And I can't ask anyone to help me make it better, because I'm the editor. I'll just have to keep working on it.

Oh, and how about my new novel. I love the plot, I love the whole thing, but...I just don't know how to proceed. See, I originally wrote it in short-story form for a class project (well, I say "short--" it was 27 pages long, but that's beside the point), and now I have to expand it into a novel. Sure, I don't have to, but I want to. I really do. I'm just not sure how.

And basically all my other projects are in the fail zone as well.

So if anyone can wave a magic wand and make this invisible wall before me crumble, I would really appreciate it. I need to get writing, I have deadlines. It's just so hard.

On a totally different note, I just died a (temporary) blue streak in my hair! It's taking forever to dry, but I think it's going to look really cool. I used "Color Fiend" from Hot Topic (my new favorite store!)

And here's a little new-obsessions update:
-Adventures of Tintin (movie) written by Stephan Moffat, my hero
-My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Don't laugh. It's epic. Seriously. Go check it out on YouTube. You won't be disappointed).

-Annabeth713

Geek-Off

Since I've got a lot of free time now that it's winter break, I've been watching a lot of videos on Youtube, mainly those created by Charlie McDonnell, aka charlieissocoollike. I came across his "Nerd-Off" video(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7syfhrVaLo&feature=related), and decided I wanted to do something like that myself. However, I am a geek, not a nerd, so what I'm doing here is a Geek-Off instead.

-I spend at least 10 hours a week on the computer
-I (obviously) have several blogs
-I have started a Star Wars blog
-When I was little, my favorite toys were hard drives from computers
-I am very shy (I prefer to be alone, tend to "hide" in libraries rather than converse with my peers (long story), and for reasons I cannot completely explain, I cannot talk to strangers or talk on the phone.)
-I've dedicated my life to Doctor Who
-I have a shrine to Doctor Who on my dresser
-My poster collection includes two Doctor Who posters, a Star Wars poster, and a poster of a My Little Pony my friend drew for me, whose cutie mark is a TARDIS
-I own a fez signed by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
-I read Star Wars books
-My favorite book is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
-I wikipedia things in my free time (I don't know if this is very geeky, it's just kinda quirky)
-I know the different lightsaber forms, and I study form II (Makashi) and form V (Djem-So)
-I own six lightsabers
-I read and write fan fiction
-I once tried to learn Gallifreyan
-I love watching the History, Science, and Discovery channels.
-I am very interested in astrophysics, quantum physics, and astronomy
-I'm spending my time writing this list of my geeky traits

I'm sure there are more, but these are all I can think of at the moment.

I'm a proud geek, honestly. I don't know why geekiness is looked down upon by popular culture. It's fun to be a geek. It's fun to be able to spaz and obsess over something no one's ever heard of, and not worry about what anyone thinks. For all you geeks out there reading this (and nerds to, I suppose), embrace your geekiness (and nerdiness. Whatever). One day, geeks will rule the world! Mwahahaha! Oh, and for all you non-geeks out there reading this, give geekiness a chance.