Summer Goals: How’d I Do?

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote a list of goals.

Then, I forgot about them.

So, since it’s September and all, I figured now would be as good a time as any to wrap them up. Let’s see how much I accomplished (without trying to accomplish it).

Reading

Original goal:

This summer, I’d really like to branch out a little more in terms of what I’m reading, and also focus more on LGBT+ books, especially nonfiction. I tried to keep that in mind while creating my reading list, and in the end came up with a very diverse list, ranging from OCD, The Dude, and Me to 1984. I’ve also found some really interesting looking nonfiction, like a book about psychology (it’s aimed toward teens but not patronizing, which is nice) and some really cool books about the riot girl movement.

I actually read most of the books on my fiction list, and found some new favorites, including (but definitely not limited to) The Perks of Being a Wallflower and We All Looked Up. I also read some rad new comics like Nimona, Loki: Agent of Asgard, and V for Vendetta.

Unfortunately, I didn’t do terribly well with the nonfiction side of my list. I did read more nonfiction than I usually do – on topics ranging from colleges to art – but none of the ones that were on my list.

I also started reading more poetry this summer! I found to collections that I really liked, Please Excuse This Poem and Poisoned Apples. I’m hoping to read some more poetry through this school year because I never really realized how enjoyable it can be.

I’ve also signed up for the teen summer reading program at my library! I did it last year too, but joined late and was only able to participate in one of the activities. This year, it’s superhero themed, so I’m really excited (and a little nervous, admittedly, but I’m always nervous about meeting  new people, so that’s nothing new). I know I haven’t been posting about it as much lately, but I’m still a massive Marvel fan!

I did this, and it was a lot of fun! I met a lot of new friends, (re)watched a bunch of my favorite Marvel movies, and found some really cool books. Plus, I’ve joined a YA book club and the library’s Teen Advisory Group, both of which are going to continue throughout the year!

Music

I’d like to learn a little bit more about my ukulele and teach myself a few more songs. As of yet I only know one, so it’ll be fun to learn some more.

I’m also going to start doing some extra chores to earn money for a guitar, because, I mean, the main reason I’m teaching myself ukulele is to get practice for when I have a guitar (I’ve heard that the ukulele makes good practice because the chords are very similar- same shapes, different names). Wish me luck!

Also, I’m going to keep working on my flute, and hopefully start private voice lessons.

Well. In some ways that worked out, and in some ways it didn’t.

On one hand, I haven’t played guitar since spring. Oops.

But on the other hand, my brother got a guitar for his birthday. So even if it’s not technically mine, I have a guitar to play, at least until I’m able to save up enough money to get my own.

In terms of listening to music (as opposed to playing it), I’d like to branch out a little more. I really do have a pretty wide range of musical tastes, but lately I’ve been sticking pretty closely to my favorite bands and not really trying to find anything new. So this summer I’m going to be enlisting Pandora’s help in finding new music, especially some more punk rock. I’ve listened to a little teeny bit of the Ramones and Joan Jett, but that’s about it.

I listened to a lot of new music this summer, and I’m glad I did. Although I still have those special bands that are close to my heart (Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance in particular), I’ve fallen in love with a lot of new music as well, especially indie pop.

I think I’ll actually be doing a new Music Medly post soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Art

I’d like to work on my drawing skills a little, but I don’t really have anything in particular in mind aside from… well, draw more!

I did a lot of art! You can check out the post I wrote about it here.

My mom found a really cool website called DIY that basically lets you work toward different badges, and it has a lot of cool project ideas that I’m going to try. If you want to see my progress/ what activities I’ve done so far, just check out my profile!

I spent a lot of time on DIY too, and it was soooo much fun! I’m going to try and keep up with it through the school year, but realistically I won’t be able to do as much as I did over the summer. If you’d like to see my DIY profile, here’s the link– it’s more up to date than the blog post and so it has a lot more of my projects included.

Writing

I don’t have a whole lot of writing-specific goals, but I would like to post more frequently on this blog and try to finish a short story I’ve been working on.

Well. On one side, I did to a LOT of writing. I had a story I needed to write so I could submit it to get into a writer’s workshop, which I poured hours and hours of work into- but then the workshop was cancelled. But on the good side, I do have a killer new short story! And a friend of mine and I are planning to hold some writer’s meet ups, so there is that.

I didn’t do very well posting here, but… oh well. I’m not posting as much, but on the good side, I feel a lot more relaxed about it, which has really improved the quality of my posts (at least, I hope…).

So, overall, it was a really fun summer! And I actually did pretty well on these goals, even though I didn’t even keep track of them, which I think is pretty impressive.

What did you do this summer? Did you get as much done as you had wanted to?

The 777 Challenge

I was tagged to do the 777 Challenge by Evi @ Adventuring Through the Pages (thank you!). The gist of it seems to be that you go to page seven of your current work in progress, copy and paste the first seven lines into a blog post, and then tag seven people to do the same.

The piece I’m using for this is a short story, Huntresses (although that title is probably bound to change), that I’m working on. Think modernized Greek mythology as a family drama-ish thing, starring Artemis as the lead of an angry girl band.

Anyway, here goes!

The door opens after what seems like an eternity. The guy standing there as just the same as I remembered- uneven stubble, a mop of curly black hair, and dark brown skin. He leans to one side, propping himself up with a crutch. There’s also a concerned expression on his face, but I expected that.

“Artemis?” Hephaestus asks hesitantly. “What are you doing here?”

“I need a place to crash.” I explain.

“Oh.” He pauses for a moment, then nods. “Okay. You can stay in Aphrodite’s room.”

Something about this statement- especially the plain, matter of fact way in which he says it- strikes me as odd (why wouldn’t Aphrodite be home, at this time?), but I dismiss the confusion and step past him, into the house. I’m too tired to think very hard, but I do manage to remember something Apollo had told me- how Aphrodite would cheat on Hephaestus shamelessly with his brother, Ares.

“Down the hallway. Second door on the right.” he says simply, like he takes in bedraggled half siblings all the time. Maybe he does. Wouldn’t be all that shocking, considering our family.

I think that I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

I’m tagging A Hufflepuff’s Thoughts, The Writing Hufflepuff, Twist in the Taile, and anyone else who wants to do this!

Novels vs Short Stories

During my time as a part of the writing community, I’ve noticed that there’s one question that tends to pop up over and over again- novels or short stories? The problem is, I never really know how to answer it. Both forms have their advantages and disadvantages… so why is it always expected that you should have a clear cut opinion?

So, I’m going to discuss the pros and cons of each. Let me know what you think in the comments!

• Short stories are much faster to write than novels. Whereas it usually takes at least a month to get a very, very rough draft for a novel, not to mention all the editing time, you can usually finish a short story rough draft in a couple of days- less if you really put your mind to it.
• Because short stories are, well, shorter, it’s easier to hold the reader’s attention. Reading a novel is a commitment, while short stories can usually be read in under a half hour.
• Short stories can let you explore a world and characters without fully committing to a hundred thousand word novel. Sometimes it’s nice to test your interest by writing a short story set in the world that you’re planning to write a novel in. You can just play around with characters, or figure out the background of the characters, or write a much more stripped down version of the plot.
• Short stories will teach you to skip the exposition and get to the point. It’s a widely known fact among writers- exposition is boring. So if you tend to ramble in your novels, try giving yourself and a word limit of maybe a couple thousand words. The limited length will teach you how to just write the important parts.
• Novels usually achieve more popularity and success than short stories. So, if you want to make a career out of reading, you should probably focus on novels. Short stories can sometimes be sold to magazines and anthologies and such, but it’s much easier to sell a novel.
• Novels allow for more complexity. Short stories usually include really minimal character development, and very rarely are you able to fit in a subplot (let alone two or three).
• Novels also let you include a lot more exposition, which I suppose ties in with the point on added complexity. If you have a complicated fantasy world with a very detailed magic system, for example, then it would probably be better to write a novel. In short stories, it’s very important to get to the point quickly and succinctly.

Do you prefer novels or short stories- or are you like me, and can’t decide between the two? Let me know in the comments!

 

Costume Design for Show Me a Hero

So, I’m starting to notice a bad habit I have in relation to writing- I tend to go way overboard with character development. Not just, like, really liking to write character driven novels and think about the characters a lot. I like to do anything and everything in terms of characters- interviews, playlists, costumes, pretty much anything you can think of. But actually writing the story? Pffft. Nah, I can do that later.

Anyway, here is a shining example of that: I’ve designed some example outfits for all of my main characters! I figured I would post them here, and share my thoughts on each of the costumes. Maybe you can learn something!

Heroes

Sloane Brooks

So, for Sloane’s costume, I knew that the first thing I wanted to keep in mind was that it needed to work with her wings. But I didn’t just want a hoodie with holes cutout in the back like in Maximum Ride, either. That wouldn’t be Sloane. She’s simultaneously girly and practical, so I wanted something that would reflect that. In the end, I found this really cute backless dress- perfect! It looks pretty, but wouldn’t interfere too much with Sloane’s wings. I built the rest of the outfit up from that, going for something that was pretty and girly but still fairly athletic.

Ada Herris

Ada’s powers didn’t really have as many restraints in terms of her everyday outfits- her power is superspeed, so she needs something flexible and comfortable, but she almost always wears her costume when doing superhero-y stuff, so as long as this was fairly comfortable and flexible, I could base it more off of her personality than her powers. So, Ada is from a very wealthy family with high expectations, but she’s beginning to buck under those expectations. I decided that, based on that, I wanted something trendy and nice looking, with just a little hint of rebellion to it. Unlike with Sloane’s outfit, instead of basing it all off of a single item, I just messed around with the main outfit until I found something I liked- pastel colors, white jeggings (more comfortable than jeans), and a pair of matching boots. And then I accessorized based off of that, trying to play up the rebellious aspect a little more.

Lila Terry

Lila is firmly practical, and a bit of a rough and tumble type. Her outfit was a lot simpler than the others, and she didn’t really seem like the type to accessorize beyond what was necessary. So I went for things that would be comfortable, durable, and maybe a little worn out, since Lila has better things to do than go shopping for new clothes.

Villains

Marie Herris

Marie is Ada’s sister, but she has a much darker past and very different powers- scary powers that she has very little control over. So I decided to play up that contrast in their outfits, too. Where I used light pastels for Ada, I used dark colors, mostly black, for Marie. And since she lived on the streets for a while before finding a place to stay with Alex (another villain who I’ll get to in a second), I went for some kind of grungy, beat up looking clothing.

Alex Vasquez

With Alex’s outfit, I wanted something that was practical and maybe a little worn looking, but still not too old or tattered, as he’s a very charming kind of person. And I wanted something that had a little in common with Ada’s outfit, since the two of them are in love. Aside from that, I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into Alex’s costume. I just went with what seemed right.

Oblivion

Oblivion is actually a kind of minor character in comparison to the others, but she’s still one of my favorites to write. She’s very dark and creepy, so I went for a kind of halfway between gothic and modern. Something creepy looking but not too out there, since she needed to be able to blend in. And since she’s a telepath and doesn’t need a whole lot of mobility, I could have a bit more fun with her outfit, like using those heeled boots!

Do you like to think about costume designs for you characters too, or do you prefer to keep a vague idea of them in your head instead?

Show Me a Hero Playlist

It’s been awhile since I worked on my novel WIP, Show Me a Hero, so in an effort to get back into the groove and start working on it again (or at least thinking about it…) I decided to work on a playlist for it. It’s mostly for my own inspiration, but I thought it might be fun for you guys to listen to!

Listen to the playlist on Youtube

1. Can’t Fight Against the Youth by Panic! at the Disco
2. Born for This by Paramore
3. Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia) by Patrick Stump
4. Burn Bright by My Chemical Romance
5. Extraordinary Girl by Green Day
6. Girls/Girls/Boys by Panic! at the Disco
7. We Don’t Believe What’s on TV by twenty one pilots
8. Alone Together by Fall Out Boy
9. stage 4 fear of trying by frnkiero andthe cellabration
10. Don’t You Worry by We are the in Crowd
11. Cherry Bomb by The Runaways
12. Old Scars/ Future Hearts by All Time Low
13. Anklebiters by Paramore
14. Saint Patrick by PVRIS

What do you think of my playlist for Show Me a Hero? And would you like to see more playlists on here- maybe I could make them a weekly or monthly thing?

Critique Partners are Important

A couple of months ago, I joined a writer’s critique group through my county’s office of education. It was soooo much fun, but more importantly, it massively improved my writing. I promised to write you guys a post about why critique groups are important- and here it is, several months late!

A lot of people think that writing is a solitary act- you write the manuscript (by yourself), you edit it (by yourself), and then you send it to a publisher and the publish it!

That’s not how it works.

You will need lots and lots of people to look at your writing before it’s polished. I didn’t realize this for a long time. I wrote a story, and then I said “Here! It’s perfect!”

What I didn’t realize is that when you edit your own writing, you’re going to miss some things. It’s basically a given. I don’t care how good of a writer you are, you are going to make mistakes and you are going to miss them because you don’t realize.

During my critique group, people pointed out to me something that I had never realized- I used the word “but” in pretty much every other sentence. My voice tends to consist of very splintered, fractured sentences. Sometimes it helps, especially when I’m going for a dark, tense mood. But the problem is that it leads to me using the words “and” and “but” a lot!

When I started the group, I had thought that my writing was polished. But it wasn’t! People pointed out a whole slew of problems that I hadn’t even noticed (they did it nicely, of course).

Another thing- critique partners will open you up to new views, new ideas, which is incredibly important to writers. You need to know, to be aware, if you want to properly send the message that you want to send.

And because of cultural biases, you’re likely to not even see things that are totally illogical. I used to write fantasy stories about worlds consisting completely of straight white people with a single religion. It didn’t make sense, looking back. Look at our own world. There’s so much variety. Everyone is so different, and it’s beautiful. So why would a fantasy world be any different?

I didn’t realize that on my own. I needed other people to point it out to me (nicely).

I’m not saying to make your writing exactly like other people’s. I’m saying to think about what your critique partners have to say, really think about it. Take it or leave it. It’s up to you. But it really is so, so important to at least listen to what other people have to say. They have different perspectives than you, and sometimes, a different angle is all you need to see that problem you had known was lurking in the corner but just couldn’t see from where you were standing. If that makes any sense.

And don’t try to argue by saying “but I don’t know where to find critique partners!” because it’s really not that hard- and coming from my socially awkward self, that’s saying something. Try at your school and local library first, since there might already be an established group. If there isn’t one, or if you don’t want to critique with a bunch of strangers, then try finding some writerly friends and offer to look at one of their writings if they’ll look at one of yours! You don’t need an official group or anything. Just find people you trust who will look at your writing and give you an honest opinion of what they think.

It’ll help a lot. I promise.

The 777 Challenge

I’m so sorry for the lack of posts lately! I’ve been really busy lately and just haven’t been able to get around to finishing any posts. Because of that, I figured that I would to a really quick tag today, the 777 Tag. I was kinda-sorts tagged for it by Horse Feathers (thank you!)- they didn’t technically tag anyone, but they did write that if you read the post then you should consider yourself tagged, so that counts, right?

Anyway, the rules for the 777 Challenge are basically that you go to page seven of your current work in progress, scroll down to line seven, and share the next seven lines. Then you tag seven other bloggers to do it on their own blogs, but since I’m in a bit of a rush right now (as I mentioned earlier) I’m just going to tag everyone reading this right now, like Horse Feathers did.

So, here goes- seven lines from my very, very rough draft of Show Me a Hero!

“You’ve got to give me a chance!” I screeched at their turned backs. “Please! You’ve got to help me!”

There was no response. I was left in the lab, staring at the door.

Alone.

I glanced at the test tube once more- bitterly- before heading down the hall to Ada’s room. I knocked on the door, twice, softly, and whispered “Ada? Can I come in?”

“Nope.” my little sister muttered, but I entered anyway.

“I just wish that they would stop getting on my case.” she whispered to me after a moment. “I’m not like them. I’m not like you. I’m just… normal.”

I stopped herself from laughing just in time. “Well, it looks like we have the exact opposite problems, then.”

Like I said, everyone reading this is tagged. What’s one of your favorite lines from your current work in progress?

Teens Can Write, Too! (March 2015)

Yay! I think this makes for two months in a row… maybe even three? I’m always forgetting to sign up for the Teens Can Write, Too! blog chain, but I’m working on it. It really is a fantastic chain- and if you haven’t already checked out their blog, then I highly recommend that you do. They have some really fantastic advice and opportunities for young writers.

Click the image to visit the TCWT website!

 

The theme for this month’s chain was “What are your thoughts on reading or writing books in non-novel formats? Are there any you’ve particularly enjoyed?” 

In the area of writing, I really haven’t had much experience- not nearly as much as I’d like. But I still have had a little!

My love of writing did initially come from playwriting. At holidays, my cousins and brother and I would do plays. I would write the play (and usually direct, being the bossy kid that I was am) and then we would all act it out in the living room with handmade props. I remember one where we adapted a picture book about a Christmas tree. I took the story and I figured out how to turn a story on the page into something that you could act out. I was really proud of myself. I still am.

I mean the play itself is pretty meh but still I DID IT

I haven’t written many plays since then, honestly. I’ve started a couple, but never really finished any of them. It’s something that I’d like to get back into. Playwriting is a very different medium- you’ve got to keep the focus on the dialogue and actions, and portray your story through that. It’s very good practice if you have a difficult time writing realistic, not-awkward dialogue.

Screenplays are pretty similar to plays, but not quite the same. Plays are usually viewed from a distance (sitting in the audience versus sitting at a TV screen), and because of that it’s harder to catch on to subtleties, like the way this character winces when that character mentions a certain name. They’re less focused on feeling and more on acting. You’re also far more limited in terms of settings. Unless you have a Broadway theater and/or an amazingly ingenious set designer, you’ve got five or six settings, max. So they’re usually a bit less… mobile, I guess, than screenplays. So, I mean, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. But from the viewpoint of a writer, it really helps to differentiate between the two- to learn to differentiate between feeling and acting (very similar to, but not the same as, showing and telling).

Sometimes I’ll write novel scenes as a screenplay when I’m in the process of just getting my thoughts out onto paper. It’s a bit easier to write [SLOANE ENTERS, nervous, a little hesitant] than trying to come up with the exact words to describe exactly how she enters. Not that I’m saying that screenwriting is easier than novel writing, because that is in no way true. They’re different mediums and it’s unfair to compare them as if they were the same. But it’s a different format, and worth a shot if you’re having trouble finding inspiration for a particular scene. Don’t be afraid to mix it up a little!

 

Aside from screenplays and playwriting, I have even less experience outside of novels. I do write a little bit of poetry, though! Mostly free verse. I’ve tried getting into more structured poetry and I just… can’t. I suppose I could if I tried, but I’m not really that into it yet. Anyway, poetry, even free verse, is also very helpful to your writing. It really helps you learn to describe those little moments- the way the sunlight falls on the leaves or how the protagonist feels when their one true love dumps them. The little tiny things that are so tiny and so important. Poetry can be intimidating, but don’t be scared to try! It will really help you grow as a writer- I promise.

I’m also kinda-sorta getting into songwriting, but… it’s a work in progress. The only instrument I play (well) is flute and, in case that isn’t immediately obvious, it’s difficult to play flute while singing/ humming. So actually setting those words to music is pretty difficult. But I’m working on it, and learning a lot about rhythm and such in the process. Which is also helpful for writing- it really helps you ensure that your story flows smoothly and without breaks. I’m not saying that you need to go sing your entire novel, because that will probably not help. It would be totally awesome, but for the average writer, it will not be helpful. Just try writing some poetry and setting it to music (or at least a basic rhythm) and you’ll see what I mean.

But, I mean, if you do set your entire novel to music, kudos to you. You are an amazingly talented person because wow.

 

Writing in different mediums will help you grow as a writer! It’s not easy, but it will help! So go give it a try now- what are you waiting for?

Want to follow our blog chain? Here are the participating parties, day by day:

6^th – http://www.ch1con.tumblr.com 

7^th – http://www.kirabudge.weebly.com/

8^th – http://irisbloomsblog.wordpress.com/

9^th – http://rcubedreadsreviews.blogspot.com/

10^th – http://ramblingsofaravis.wordpress.com/

11^th – http://arielkalati.blogspot.com/

12^th – http://semilegacy.blogspot.com/

13^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

14^th – http://abookishflower.wordpress.com/

15^th – https://erinkenobi2893.wordpress.com/

16^th – http://theedfiles.blogspot.com/

17^th – http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/

18^th – http://whileishouldbedoingprecal.weebly.com/

19^th – http://jasperlindell.blogspot.com.au/

20^th – http://allisonthewriter.wordpress.com/

21^st – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/

22^nd – http://from-stacy.blogspot.com/

23^rd – http://miriamjoywrites.com/

24^th – https://introspectioncreative.wordpress.com/

25^th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/

26^th – https://stayandwatchthestars.wordpress.com/

27^th – https://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for April’s chain!)

More on Music and Writing

You may remember the post I did not long ago for Teens Can Write Too! where I discussed music’s influence on my writing. It was a lot of fun to do, but I’m starting to realize that I really only started to scratch the surface- and I missed another really handy website for writers that’s really worth a visit! It’s not technically music, but it’s pretty similar, and I find it SUPER helpful.

Why should I write with music?

Music is a way of expressing yourself in a way that really can’t be accomplished through just words. A writer can approach that, but in the end, music (good music) achieves a sense of intimacy that you just can’t get through words on a page. It’s like ultimate first person point of view, in a way. When you listen to a good song, you know what the artist is feeling.

Take a closer look at the lyrics you love to see what I mean. A lot of the time, lyrics can seem rather plain on their own. Relatable, beautiful, but plain. Combine them with music and you achieve something amazing.

Take Migraine by twenty one pilots as an example.

Am I the only one I know, waging my wars behind my face and above my throat? Shadows will scream that I’m alone, but I know we’ve made it this far, kid.

The lyrics are great- they perfectly carry the sense of the song. About feeling alone and helpless, but still hopeful. Even so, you can’t truly understand without combining it with the music. The phenomenon is difficult to explain, and I really don’t have the words to do so.

But take a closer look at the songs you love and you’ll see what I mean.

Anyway, you’re probably wondering what I’m getting at here. If you can’t achieve the emotion of music through writing alone, then why does it matter?

I’m not saying that music is in any way “better” than writing. They’re different mediums, and they have different advantages. They’re both amazing and beautiful in their own ways- and, when done well, they’re able to literally save lives.

As I said, they’re different mediums. But that doesn’t mean that one can’t influence the other.

Have you ever looked at a picture and wanted to write a story inspired by it? Or seen a person and wanted to write a story about them?

That is, in a way, what music can help you achieve with writing.

Because of what I discussed earlier- music’s ability to express feelings that can’t be achieved through words alone- music really does help, especially with mood and tone. Music allows you to reach deep inside of yourself and find things that you’d never even realized you were feeling and to put those things into words. To explain that (taking Migraine as an example again) yes, you’re sad, and life is hard, and messed up a lot of the time, but there is still hope– because, yes, we’ve made it this far, kid.

When you’re writing, it can be hard to get the emotional depth that is necessary to really connect with a character. To not only explain that you’re feeling something, but why you’re feeling it and how you’re feeling it and all those other little things that go into something as complex as emotion.

If you’re having troubles with mood and tone, then try writing with music- it’ll really help. And if you’re not having trouble? Try writing with music anyway.

Okay, okay, I get that music is helpful, but what music should I listen to?

There are lots of ways to decide on what you want to listen to while you write.

What do you like?

Even if the mood doesn’t perfectly fit what you’re writing, I’ve found that listening to something you love and enjoy can really help inspire you. So choose your favorite album on your iPod. Or try a station based off of your favorite band on Pandora. It doesn’t really matter- just find something you like and run it in the background while you play.

This is really helpful when you’re tired or unenthusiastic or just not motivated. It can wake you up a little, and inspire you.

Another way to choose what to listen to is just setting up playlists based on the plot, the characters, or the mood you’re reaching for. Like I discussed earlier, it can help you dig a little deeper and reach depth that you probably couldn’t otherwise achieve. Choose songs that remind you of whatever you’re basing the playlist off of- try to consider both the lyrics and the general feel of the song.

Basically, don’t be afraid to experiment and mess around a little. Find out what works for you, and- more importantly- what you enjoy. I discussed a couple different websites to use in my last post (the TCWT one that I linked to earlier), so if you’re having trouble finding one that you like, then you can check out my earlier post for ideas.

Enough about the music, though! I want to know about that super awesome website you were talking about!

The super awesome website I was talking about is called mynoise.net and I really don’t know how I ever survived without it.

My Noise is, basically, a noise generator website- but there’s way more to it than that. I’ll get to it in a second.

The generators on My Noise are for three main uses- meditation, sound blockers, and atmosphere. For writing, it’s probably the noise blockers and the atmospheres that you’ll want to focus on (the meditative sounds are pretty distracting while you’re trying to focus.

But what makes My Noise any different from other white noise generators and stuff?

I’m glad you asked! The main difference is that My Noise has almost unlimited options. Here are some screenshots of some of their available generators:

 

That’s a lot of choices for different noises to listen to, huh? But wait! There’s more!

You can also combine noises. So, say that you want to listen to a fireplace but you also really want some rain and maybe a purring cat. Or maybe you want a creepy soundscape alongside your RPG Dungeon sound effects. Just click “Super Generator” and you can combine up to five different noises!

And as if that weren’t enough, you can even customize the individual generators. My Noise lets you adjust different sound levels based on the pitch and/ or type of noise. For example, you can make your creepy soundscape higher or lower pitched based on mood. Or you can make it so that your coffee shop noises have more dishes clattering and less people chattering.

The little colored bars let you fine tune each generator

What if you want to listen to noises but you’re also in the mood for nice music in the background? You can do that too! There’s a volume adjuster inside the generator that lets you turn down the noise volume while keeping whatever music you’re playing at the same volume as it was before.

This all seems really great, but I still have more questions!

Great! Just let me know in the comments!

Acacia’s Monster

This is another short story I wrote for my creative writing class. Well, I mean, it’s really short, so it’s more like flash fiction, but… I digress. We were assigned to write a story about monsters, and I made a bit of a twist on that. It isn’t entirely polished, and I’d really like to develop Acacia’s world a bit further, but I’m happy with what I have so far, and I thought I’d share it with you all. Let me know what you think in the comments!

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Acacia’s Monster

Acacia’s monster first appeared when she was eight. She would glimpse it here and there- maybe just outside her door, or hidden in the bushes, or under the desk at school. Always watching her with its yellow eyes and thorny hide. Never more than a glimpse, of course.

It didn’t come out into the open until she was twelve.

Sometimes it would appear beside her when she questioned the teacher about a nonsensical rule. Or just under her chair when she doodled in her math notebook. It scared her, with its spikes and claws and pointed teeth.

But the monster was perfectly normal. At least, that’s what people said. You could never see another person’s monster, so Acacia had to take their word for it.

By the time she was fourteen, Acaia no longer questioned the teachers or doodled in her notebooks. The monster had retreated into the shadows. That was how monsters worked. They revealed your fears, your faults, your flaws. Anything that made you… imperfect. And then they chased those flaws away.

Acacia grew to like her monster, in a way. It always scared her, but at least it showed her when she was being rude, or stubborn, or just sticking out from the crowd.

Her friend Darby hated the monsters. She said the monster weren’t there to help you, but to change you. She said that people were fine just the way they were, that they didn’t need to be “perfect”. But it was only a matter of time. Eventually, Darby grew to be scared of her own monster, just like everyone else. She quieted down. Realized that she was too outspoken. Learned to fit in with the crowd. It made life so much easier that way.

Acacia only watched. Sometimes, there would be a small realization in the back of her mind. Maybe Darcy is right. Maybe you don’t need to be perfect- maybe it’s good enough to just be yourself. But then Acacia’s monster would come, and she would remember how silly it was to think that way.

After all, in a perfect world, there’s only room for perfect people.