Despite a mix-up that may have resulted in a few pages gone missing, notebook 2 has now been typed out! I'm excited because I think notebook 3 is relatively short which will put me at the halfway point of finishing all the drudge work!
After that I have to edit the darn thing (yikes) but that will enable me to put together something I can hand over to an editor/agent. I'm that much closer to finishing my novel for real! Yay!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Etymology Fun!
I love knowing the origins of certain words and expressions. To me, it connects us to our past; to a people, time and place that are now beyond our reach.
Many of our modern day expressions come from very old sources, specifically from Ancient Greece and Rome.
Here are some of my favorites that I found around the Internet.
ETYMOLOGY OF...
Abacus : "Comes from the Greek word abax, which means 'sand tray'. Originally, columns of pebbles were laid out on the sand for purposes of counting."
Allegory:
"From Greek allos meaning 'other' and agora meaning 'gathering place'. Some of the topics discussed in the agora were clandestine and when people spoke about them they would speak indirectly. That is to say, they would speak about one thing in such a way as to intimate the actual information to the listener."
Barbarian:
"From the Greek "barbaroi, meaning 'babblers,'; from the sound that the Greeks thought they were making: 'bar bar bar bar...'"
Chaos and Chasm
"From the Greek 'chainein,' meaning, 'to yawn'; chaos was thus the 'original yawning abyss' outside of the ordered universe we know."
Museum, Mosaic
"Both from the Greek Muse (museum is Latin for 'Place inhabited by the Muses'; mosaic is from the Greek mouseios, 'related to the Muses'"
Nemesis
"From the Greek of the same, originally meant, 'the act of distributing or apportioning' and later became, '(divine) wrath and retribution, righteous indignation at the breach of rules.' Nemesis was a deity who restores a balance. Were a bunch of shipmakers to launch a vessel without saluting the gods, for instance, this act of hubris might call forth a counter-reaction, as we saw with the Titanic. There was no judgmentalism or divine punishment involved, simply a response from the other world to lapses occurring in this one."
Planet:
"From the Greek 'Planasthai' for 'to wander.'"
Risk: "Originally a nautical expression. The Latin word meant 'cliff', which came from an ancient Greek word for 'root'. The term is cited in Homer's Odyssey, when Odysseus saves himself from Charybdee at the cliffs of Scylla by grabbing the roots of a wild fig tree."
Sardonic smile/laugh: "Another term first used in The Odyssey ('Odysseus smiled in his anger a very sardonic smile'), it refers to bitter or mocking laughter. On the island of Sardinia condemned criminals were forced to ingest a plant that caused their facial muscles to spaz and perhaps wheez due to the toxic effects on their respatory system. This ritual was known through out the ancient world."
Sycophant:
"From the Greek 'sykon,' meaning 'fig'; a sycophant was thus originally someone who makes figs appear. There are a few suggested etymologies: fig smuggling was illegal in ancient Greece, so a sycophant could have been a telltale for a reward; or, it could be from the shaking of a fig-tree, which moved the figs from the hidden heights to the ground where all could see it; or, it could be from 'the sign of the fig,' which is the gesture of making a fist with the thumb in-between the index and middle fingers, which represented female genitalia;--this gesture was used to indicate an accusation of wrong-doing."
Utopia :
"Greek for 'no where.'"
Many of our modern day expressions come from very old sources, specifically from Ancient Greece and Rome.
Here are some of my favorites that I found around the Internet.
ETYMOLOGY OF...
Abacus : "Comes from the Greek word abax, which means 'sand tray'. Originally, columns of pebbles were laid out on the sand for purposes of counting."
Allegory:
"From Greek allos meaning 'other' and agora meaning 'gathering place'. Some of the topics discussed in the agora were clandestine and when people spoke about them they would speak indirectly. That is to say, they would speak about one thing in such a way as to intimate the actual information to the listener."
Barbarian:
"From the Greek "barbaroi, meaning 'babblers,'; from the sound that the Greeks thought they were making: 'bar bar bar bar...'"
Chaos and Chasm
"From the Greek 'chainein,' meaning, 'to yawn'; chaos was thus the 'original yawning abyss' outside of the ordered universe we know."
Museum, Mosaic
"Both from the Greek Muse (museum is Latin for 'Place inhabited by the Muses'; mosaic is from the Greek mouseios, 'related to the Muses'"
Nemesis
"From the Greek of the same, originally meant, 'the act of distributing or apportioning' and later became, '(divine) wrath and retribution, righteous indignation at the breach of rules.' Nemesis was a deity who restores a balance. Were a bunch of shipmakers to launch a vessel without saluting the gods, for instance, this act of hubris might call forth a counter-reaction, as we saw with the Titanic. There was no judgmentalism or divine punishment involved, simply a response from the other world to lapses occurring in this one."
Planet:
"From the Greek 'Planasthai' for 'to wander.'"
Risk: "Originally a nautical expression. The Latin word meant 'cliff', which came from an ancient Greek word for 'root'. The term is cited in Homer's Odyssey, when Odysseus saves himself from Charybdee at the cliffs of Scylla by grabbing the roots of a wild fig tree."
Sardonic smile/laugh: "Another term first used in The Odyssey ('Odysseus smiled in his anger a very sardonic smile'), it refers to bitter or mocking laughter. On the island of Sardinia condemned criminals were forced to ingest a plant that caused their facial muscles to spaz and perhaps wheez due to the toxic effects on their respatory system. This ritual was known through out the ancient world."
Sycophant:
"From the Greek 'sykon,' meaning 'fig'; a sycophant was thus originally someone who makes figs appear. There are a few suggested etymologies: fig smuggling was illegal in ancient Greece, so a sycophant could have been a telltale for a reward; or, it could be from the shaking of a fig-tree, which moved the figs from the hidden heights to the ground where all could see it; or, it could be from 'the sign of the fig,' which is the gesture of making a fist with the thumb in-between the index and middle fingers, which represented female genitalia;--this gesture was used to indicate an accusation of wrong-doing."
Utopia :
"Greek for 'no where.'"
Monday, May 11, 2009
Must Stay Focused!
Even with 35,000 words possibly lost forever in the Twighlight Zone, I'm still upbeat about my novel. I've finished typing up my first notebook and have already started on the second.
Meanwhile, I've signed up for voice acting classes (something I've always wanted to do), and will soon start seeing a private tutor to brush up on my Japanese. The problem these latter two events may interfear with my writing. I can't let that happen. I'm soooo close now! All I have to do is finish typing up my 5 notebooks and then edit my work before hoping and praying some agent/editor wants to take things to the next level.
Help! How can I do other things that I love while staying true to my passion?
Meanwhile, I've signed up for voice acting classes (something I've always wanted to do), and will soon start seeing a private tutor to brush up on my Japanese. The problem these latter two events may interfear with my writing. I can't let that happen. I'm soooo close now! All I have to do is finish typing up my 5 notebooks and then edit my work before hoping and praying some agent/editor wants to take things to the next level.
Help! How can I do other things that I love while staying true to my passion?
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Gone.
All of it.
I was just reaching 40,000 words in my novel when I tried to update my save. My flash drive reported some weird error. It wanted to know if I wanted to save my story as a temp file. "No," I thought. "I just saved it with no problems 10 minutes ago."
Confused I took the flash drive out and put it back in.
Nothing.
I, Themistocles was nowhere to be found.
I'm so upset I don't know what to say. It took me hours upon hours just to get 40,000words typed up (and that's only one notebook of work I have to do). I have one copy on my desktop but the last point I saved it at was about 5000 words or so. I was relying on my flashdrive to save the day should anything go wrong. It ate my novel instead.
I know nothing of flashdrives. I know I kept getting an "Internet" eror message but I figured that wasn't going to hurt my novel. I was wrong, because SOMETHING went amiss. Now I might have to start typing my novel up all over again. It's so frustrating I want to cry.
Is there anyway to recover my story? Why after I saved it so many times would it want me to save my story as a temp, and then when I refuse take my saved file away?? It's an EP Memory if that helps.
I was just reaching 40,000 words in my novel when I tried to update my save. My flash drive reported some weird error. It wanted to know if I wanted to save my story as a temp file. "No," I thought. "I just saved it with no problems 10 minutes ago."
Confused I took the flash drive out and put it back in.
Nothing.
I, Themistocles was nowhere to be found.
I'm so upset I don't know what to say. It took me hours upon hours just to get 40,000words typed up (and that's only one notebook of work I have to do). I have one copy on my desktop but the last point I saved it at was about 5000 words or so. I was relying on my flashdrive to save the day should anything go wrong. It ate my novel instead.
I know nothing of flashdrives. I know I kept getting an "Internet" eror message but I figured that wasn't going to hurt my novel. I was wrong, because SOMETHING went amiss. Now I might have to start typing my novel up all over again. It's so frustrating I want to cry.
Is there anyway to recover my story? Why after I saved it so many times would it want me to save my story as a temp, and then when I refuse take my saved file away?? It's an EP Memory if that helps.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
And now a word from our sponser...
We interrupt Meghan's regularly scheduled updates on her novel to bring your news from her other job. Recently, the popular online gaming site IGN did a spoof on Final Fantasy XIII, involving an English "dubbed" version of the demo disc. In it you can hear Meghan's first attempt at voice acting as the blonde vixen who not only looks good but carries a "big" gun.
Already this video has received nearly 40,000 hits on Youtube and has received over 800 5-star rankings. This video is rated M for Mature.* Please enjoy.
Final Fantasy XIII Dub
*Language used in video may not be suitable for children.
Already this video has received nearly 40,000 hits on Youtube and has received over 800 5-star rankings. This video is rated M for Mature.* Please enjoy.
Final Fantasy XIII Dub
*Language used in video may not be suitable for children.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
This is going to take forever...
According to Microsoft Word, I typed out a little over 10,000 words today. It took hours. I still have one more section of my notebook to copy onto my computer. Then it's four more notebooks to go.
Bleh.
Bleh.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
THE END.
Last night, I wrote out those very words.
It was a clumsy, crummy ending with lots of [ADD DETAILS HERE!!11] and muttering about how unhappy I was with it (too many sentences like "...then Themistocles talked to this person and got an idea. Then he did the idea and then went back to Magnesia.")
STILL, I have SOMETHING like a first draft written down, clusmy and clunky as it may be. And now that my Sony Vaio is FINALLY working again I can take all 5 notebooks containing my novel and type them up on the computer. After that a LOT of adding and subtracting until I actually have a decent piece of work fit to pass along to a willing agent and or editor.
And now Meghan is going to start typing up her novel. :D
It was a clumsy, crummy ending with lots of [ADD DETAILS HERE!!11] and muttering about how unhappy I was with it (too many sentences like "...then Themistocles talked to this person and got an idea. Then he did the idea and then went back to Magnesia.")
STILL, I have SOMETHING like a first draft written down, clusmy and clunky as it may be. And now that my Sony Vaio is FINALLY working again I can take all 5 notebooks containing my novel and type them up on the computer. After that a LOT of adding and subtracting until I actually have a decent piece of work fit to pass along to a willing agent and or editor.
And now Meghan is going to start typing up her novel. :D
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Ancient Greek still spoken in the Peloponnese!?
Could it be that a form of archaic Greek still exists in the world?
According to Wikipedia, a dialect derived from ancient Doric is still spoken by a small group of people in the Peloponnese. This language, known as Tsakonian (Τσακωνικά), preserves archaic forms of Greek and is not always intelligible with the modern language spoken in Greece today. Tsakonian is divided into three dialects: Northern Tsakonian, Southern Tsakonian and Propontis Tsakonian. The core vocabulary remains recognizably Doric, though it's hard to say how much of it contains true Doricisms.
Naturally yours truly was excited to learn that a descendant of the language used by the Spartans still exists (though obviously much changed since ancient times), so of course I headed over to Youtube to see if anybody had uploaded a video featuring a native speaker. Sure enough I came across the following links:
Τραγούδια Τσακώνικα
I Told You Mother, Give Me in Marriage
The first song is in (Southern?) Tsakonian and is sung by someone in Leonidio. The second tune also has a dance that accompanies it, which is said to be derived from the Crane Dance of Theseus.
I have to say I love the sound of Tsakonian. It's crisp, clear and easy on the ears. What do you think?
Monday, March 30, 2009
The 21 Letters of Themistocles
As anyone who's tried to research Themistocles knows, there aren't a whole lot of ancient sources on the Athenian navarch. The earliest we know of is Herodotus, and shortly after a few words from Thucydides. From there the sources get pretty dubious due the increasing time lapse between his death and later authors.
But one of the most dubious sources is also one of the most interesting: 21 letters accredited to the political powerhouse that follow his adventures from Argos, where he was exiled sometime after 478 BC, to his triumphant escape to Persia in the mid 460s. These letters are addressed to everyone from King Pausanias of Sparta to Themistocles' personal banker, and go from petulant to proud, angry to contrite. Modern scholars are pretty sure they were written around the first century A.D., so it's safe to say they probably aren't Themsitocles' personal letters (though could there have been an earlier source...?).
That being said, I was still intrigued and decided to read them for myself, but getting my hands on a copy was HARD. No matter what I Googled or where I looked online I couldn't seem to find these phantom letters! Luckily Amazon came to my rescue by bringing up Patricia A. Rosenmeyer's "Ancient Greek Literary Letters", which has all 21 in tact for my reading enjoyment!
The letters are fairly short, and unfortunately they don't shed a whole lot of new information on Themistocles; they just re-hash what earlier sources have already reported. What's really weird about them though is their contradictory nature. They make Themistocles look downright schizophrenic!
For example, in one letter Themistocles thanks Aristeides for helping take care of things back in Athens for him. Yet in another correspondence Themistocles has only childish spite for "The Just" one:
"I hope the victory statue set up at Salamis will fall down and crush you; it's stone you know, large and plenty heavy[!]"
And:
"So Aristeides, son of Lysimachas can go hang himself, and the rest of you [Athenians] can go hang yourselves too."
I have to admit out of all 21 letters, this is by far my favorite. It's just so hilariously immature! I can't help imagining Themistocles standing in the direction of Athens and sticking his tongue out.
As for the I, Themistocles itself...I'm SOOO close to finishing my first draft! Themis is in Aeolia right now, trying to get an audience with the Persian king. I think Themistocles should be involved in one last good ruse before I write "The End", but I'm still not sure what that should be. Does he help the Athenians at the battle of Eurymedon? Is he involved in Artabanus' court intrigues in Susa? Does he create more mischief for Sparta while abroad? Can't seem to decide...
Oh. before I forget, there's something I want to ask readers: what do you think of the title I, Themistocles? I like it, and the words even appear in a "letter" to Artaxerxes according to Thucydides, but it's far from original (I, Claudius, I Elizabeth, etc.). What do you think of these alternative titles?
1) King of the Sailing/Floating/Windswept/Briney Walls
2) King of The Winedark Sea
3) Teaching Cattle to Walk Backwards: The Life and Times of Themistocles
4) Odysseus in Athens
5) A Victory Wreath for Foxes
I'm really liking Teaching Cattle to Walk Backwards (a shout-out and 1000 points to anyone who gets the reference!, King of The Briney Walls, or Odysseus in Athens. Let me know what you think in the comments section (and feel free to make your own suggestions).
But one of the most dubious sources is also one of the most interesting: 21 letters accredited to the political powerhouse that follow his adventures from Argos, where he was exiled sometime after 478 BC, to his triumphant escape to Persia in the mid 460s. These letters are addressed to everyone from King Pausanias of Sparta to Themistocles' personal banker, and go from petulant to proud, angry to contrite. Modern scholars are pretty sure they were written around the first century A.D., so it's safe to say they probably aren't Themsitocles' personal letters (though could there have been an earlier source...?).
That being said, I was still intrigued and decided to read them for myself, but getting my hands on a copy was HARD. No matter what I Googled or where I looked online I couldn't seem to find these phantom letters! Luckily Amazon came to my rescue by bringing up Patricia A. Rosenmeyer's "Ancient Greek Literary Letters", which has all 21 in tact for my reading enjoyment!
The letters are fairly short, and unfortunately they don't shed a whole lot of new information on Themistocles; they just re-hash what earlier sources have already reported. What's really weird about them though is their contradictory nature. They make Themistocles look downright schizophrenic!
For example, in one letter Themistocles thanks Aristeides for helping take care of things back in Athens for him. Yet in another correspondence Themistocles has only childish spite for "The Just" one:
"I hope the victory statue set up at Salamis will fall down and crush you; it's stone you know, large and plenty heavy[!]"
And:
"So Aristeides, son of Lysimachas can go hang himself, and the rest of you [Athenians] can go hang yourselves too."
I have to admit out of all 21 letters, this is by far my favorite. It's just so hilariously immature! I can't help imagining Themistocles standing in the direction of Athens and sticking his tongue out.
As for the I, Themistocles itself...I'm SOOO close to finishing my first draft! Themis is in Aeolia right now, trying to get an audience with the Persian king. I think Themistocles should be involved in one last good ruse before I write "The End", but I'm still not sure what that should be. Does he help the Athenians at the battle of Eurymedon? Is he involved in Artabanus' court intrigues in Susa? Does he create more mischief for Sparta while abroad? Can't seem to decide...
Oh. before I forget, there's something I want to ask readers: what do you think of the title I, Themistocles? I like it, and the words even appear in a "letter" to Artaxerxes according to Thucydides, but it's far from original (I, Claudius, I Elizabeth, etc.). What do you think of these alternative titles?
1) King of the Sailing/Floating/Windswept/Briney Walls
2) King of The Winedark Sea
3) Teaching Cattle to Walk Backwards: The Life and Times of Themistocles
4) Odysseus in Athens
5) A Victory Wreath for Foxes
I'm really liking Teaching Cattle to Walk Backwards (a shout-out and 1000 points to anyone who gets the reference!, King of The Briney Walls, or Odysseus in Athens. Let me know what you think in the comments section (and feel free to make your own suggestions).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My Blog is Fabulous!
According to Carla, that is! Awesome. Now I just have to name 5 things I love/can't get enough of and 5 people who deserve this award.
1) Writing (duh)
2) Reading (double duh)
3) Studying languages
4) Dining out
5) Shoes
And the following awesome sites deserve an award too:
The Writing Greek
Jason Pinter
Helena Schrader
Jason Evans
de praeter tempore
Yay! My blog is fabulous!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Here We Go Again!
"Wretched ones why sit you here? Flee and begone to remotest Ends of earth..."
--Delphic Oracle to Athenians 480 BCE
So I've finally got Themistocles on the run (he's been implemented in a conspiracy and his enemies in Athens want to pass a death sentence on him), but the problem is I don't know how to write this part of Themistocles' saga. Ancient authors agreed Themistocles ran around in circles before ending up in Magnesia, but WHERE and HOW he got to his destination is a matter of dispute.
And there are little details that elude me. Like, did he take his family with him into ostracism? Or if he snuck them out of Athens while on the run how did they know where to meet him? What route is the most realistic if he goes first to Corcyra then Sicily then to Ionia? Is the story about running to the king of Molossi in Epirus true? And why run at all? Why not just go to Athens, make a speech and remind people that somebody who is dealing with the Persians would go to PERSIA, not Argos. Why not point out the Spartans merely hate him for stirring up democratic sympathies in their territory? Or was he afraid of meeting an assassin before he got the chance? It's not unheard of (see Hipparchus and Ephialtes).
It's an exciting and interesting part of Themistocles' history to write about and it's full of space for me to fill in, but it's got me banging my head against a wall because I don't know how to tackle it. Ugh.
--Delphic Oracle to Athenians 480 BCE
So I've finally got Themistocles on the run (he's been implemented in a conspiracy and his enemies in Athens want to pass a death sentence on him), but the problem is I don't know how to write this part of Themistocles' saga. Ancient authors agreed Themistocles ran around in circles before ending up in Magnesia, but WHERE and HOW he got to his destination is a matter of dispute.
And there are little details that elude me. Like, did he take his family with him into ostracism? Or if he snuck them out of Athens while on the run how did they know where to meet him? What route is the most realistic if he goes first to Corcyra then Sicily then to Ionia? Is the story about running to the king of Molossi in Epirus true? And why run at all? Why not just go to Athens, make a speech and remind people that somebody who is dealing with the Persians would go to PERSIA, not Argos. Why not point out the Spartans merely hate him for stirring up democratic sympathies in their territory? Or was he afraid of meeting an assassin before he got the chance? It's not unheard of (see Hipparchus and Ephialtes).
It's an exciting and interesting part of Themistocles' history to write about and it's full of space for me to fill in, but it's got me banging my head against a wall because I don't know how to tackle it. Ugh.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Themistocles: The Ancient Greek Churchill?
Or to be more chronologically correct, is Churchill the British Themistocles?
These mens' lives are a near perfect mirror image of each other. Both saved their respected cities from aggressive conquerers, both were stubborn and difficult to get along with, both were unperturbed in the face of danger, both were voted out of office after a smashing victory, and both were known to have a sharp wit and a sharper tounge. The more I read about Churchhill, the more struck I am by how much he and Themsitocles are alike. Which leads me to a question for my blog readers:
Should I give my novel a Churchillian flavor?
I LOVE WC's writing, but worry about my novel looking like I took a copy of My Early Life and simply crossed out the word Winston and wrote Themistocles above it. I don't want any accusations of plagiarism or unoriginal voice. Still, I think it would be neat if the style was reminiscent of the witty Prime Minister. Or is that just lazy/lame/annoying?
There's also the problem I'm having finding my own voice. Right now the tone of my novel changes depending on which of my favorite authors I'm currently reading. I have yet to establish my own unique voice and it's driving me crazy.
What do you think? Any suggestions would be helpful.
BTW, I'm getting closer to writing THE END for my first draft. I'm so excited!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Good news!
After thumbing through Herodotus for the millionth time last week, I came across a passage I hadn't paid much attention to. It involves part of the Spartan marching (sneaking?) off in the middle of the night in order to help their allies up north before the battle of Plataea. This passage suddenly sparked an idea for my story, and my writer's block has been removed! I am now on the last stretch of the novel, and hope to finish it by mid-March at the latest. It's all hand-written, which means I'll have to type it up at some point, as well as add/subtract chapters and do lots of editing. But just writing out "The End" will be an awesome milestone!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
To Keep Themistocles Waiting...
...Is a bad idea to be sure.
Argh.
I'm on the last 1/3 of the race, and my energy is flagging. My Themistoc/kles novel is soooo close to being finished and yet I haven't felt the urge to write. That might be because my work and social calender have gotten a lot more full, and life in general has gotten a lot more stressful. Still, it's not fair to Thems or myself to make him just sit there in Attica, waiting for a final showdown with Xerxes (the battle of Salamis is done, but there's still a wall to build, an Assembly to manipulate and a Spartan army to prod along!)
Has anyone had this happen? How does one gather inner energy to make it through the final lap in the race?
Argh.
I'm on the last 1/3 of the race, and my energy is flagging. My Themistoc/kles novel is soooo close to being finished and yet I haven't felt the urge to write. That might be because my work and social calender have gotten a lot more full, and life in general has gotten a lot more stressful. Still, it's not fair to Thems or myself to make him just sit there in Attica, waiting for a final showdown with Xerxes (the battle of Salamis is done, but there's still a wall to build, an Assembly to manipulate and a Spartan army to prod along!)
Has anyone had this happen? How does one gather inner energy to make it through the final lap in the race?
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Because I have nothing better to blog about...
This was going around the office blogs where I work, so I thought I'd post it here, too! I never get tired of these stupid things...I tag Scott, Jason, Gabriele, Carla and Wynn!
1. What is your occupation right now?
Database Editor at IGN.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White.
3. What are you listening to right now?
Mantra-Away (Todd Edwards remix).
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Chicken strips from Hitachi.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Can't remember.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Nobody sent it; I STOLE it!!
8. How old are you today?
29.
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Football.
10. What is your favorite drink?
Tie: Coca-cola/Calistoga mineral water.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes. I dyed it blonde for a year then changed it back to brown with red highlights.
12. Favorite food?
Pizza.
13. What is the last movie you watched?
Uh...I watched part of Bride of Chucky in Spanish the other day. Does that count?
14. Favorite day of the year?
August 9th.
15. How do you vent anger?
By hitting and kicking my poor Playstation 2 console.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My collection of Barbie dolls (which I still have, btw).
17. What is your favorite season?
Summer.
18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Blackberries, please.
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Friends? The hell are those?
20. Who is the most likely to respond?
Nobody.
21. Who is least likely to respond?
Somebody.
22. Living arrangements?
Rent-free!
23. When was the last time you cried?
A week ago but I can't remember exactly why. (^_^);
24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Clothes and shoes.
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
There's that "friend" word again! What IS that!?
26. What did you DO last night?
Went out to dinner with the parents.
27. What are you most afraid of?
Something bad happening to me or someone I care about.
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Karai, onegai!
29. Favorite dog breed?
Pekingese.
30. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday.
31. How many states have you lived in?
I've always been a California girl!
32. Diamonds or pearls?
Both, please.
33. What is your favorite flower?
Roses. Roses draped in diamonds are best, though...what?
1. What is your occupation right now?
Database Editor at IGN.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White.
3. What are you listening to right now?
Mantra-Away (Todd Edwards remix).
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Chicken strips from Hitachi.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Can't remember.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Nobody sent it; I STOLE it!!
8. How old are you today?
29.
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Football.
10. What is your favorite drink?
Tie: Coca-cola/Calistoga mineral water.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes. I dyed it blonde for a year then changed it back to brown with red highlights.
12. Favorite food?
Pizza.
13. What is the last movie you watched?
Uh...I watched part of Bride of Chucky in Spanish the other day. Does that count?
14. Favorite day of the year?
August 9th.
15. How do you vent anger?
By hitting and kicking my poor Playstation 2 console.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My collection of Barbie dolls (which I still have, btw).
17. What is your favorite season?
Summer.
18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Blackberries, please.
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Friends? The hell are those?
20. Who is the most likely to respond?
Nobody.
21. Who is least likely to respond?
Somebody.
22. Living arrangements?
Rent-free!
23. When was the last time you cried?
A week ago but I can't remember exactly why. (^_^);
24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Clothes and shoes.
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
There's that "friend" word again! What IS that!?
26. What did you DO last night?
Went out to dinner with the parents.
27. What are you most afraid of?
Something bad happening to me or someone I care about.
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Karai, onegai!
29. Favorite dog breed?
Pekingese.
30. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday.
31. How many states have you lived in?
I've always been a California girl!
32. Diamonds or pearls?
Both, please.
33. What is your favorite flower?
Roses. Roses draped in diamonds are best, though...what?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Pick Me! Pick Me!
Yesterday I entered one of Jason Evan's awesome writing contests, and I have to see it was a great experience. There's a lot of talent that participated in this competition, but I hope you'll vote my story as one of the winners. Even if I don't win however, I'm honored to be in such great company.
Here's my story. Enjoy!
The Long Ride Up
Meghan Sullivan
I hoped the escalator ride would never end.
When you’re on an escalator, it’s like being in limbo. Up you go, the world falling away, your destination hazy and distant. As long as you stay on it, nothing is expected of you. Maybe that’s why I wanted the escalator to just keep going, to rise endlessly so that I didn’t have to do anything.
As we ascended I looked down at the stair in front of me, its metal lines of destiny glowing like pale moonlight. How could something as mundane as an escalator stair be so otherworldly? I tried to ponder that mystery, but my eyes drifted to Kanji’s heels instead. I watched as he shifted his weight from right to left, the metal creaking underneath his leather boots. Was he uneasy? Was he bored? Did he not want to be there? With me?
What if I did take his hand? But suddenly I could hear his voice, harsh and full of alarm. “The hell are you doing!?” And like that our friendship would end. I loved him too much to risk that. Which is strange. I mean, there is something ironic about losing someone you love just because you make the mistake of saying “I love you.” So I kept my hands to myself and stayed silent, and prayed our journey would never end.<
Here's my story. Enjoy!
The Long Ride Up
Meghan Sullivan
I hoped the escalator ride would never end.
When you’re on an escalator, it’s like being in limbo. Up you go, the world falling away, your destination hazy and distant. As long as you stay on it, nothing is expected of you. Maybe that’s why I wanted the escalator to just keep going, to rise endlessly so that I didn’t have to do anything.
As we ascended I looked down at the stair in front of me, its metal lines of destiny glowing like pale moonlight. How could something as mundane as an escalator stair be so otherworldly? I tried to ponder that mystery, but my eyes drifted to Kanji’s heels instead. I watched as he shifted his weight from right to left, the metal creaking underneath his leather boots. Was he uneasy? Was he bored? Did he not want to be there? With me?
What if I did take his hand? But suddenly I could hear his voice, harsh and full of alarm. “The hell are you doing!?” And like that our friendship would end. I loved him too much to risk that. Which is strange. I mean, there is something ironic about losing someone you love just because you make the mistake of saying “I love you.” So I kept my hands to myself and stayed silent, and prayed our journey would never end.<
Friday, January 02, 2009
Happy 2009!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I feel very positive about 2009. I know everything will be OK if we just do our best!
Speaking of which, I'm now 2/3 of the way through the first draft of my Themistokles novel. It will be so rewarding when I finish. Just getting to the end of a story has proven to be a long, difficult but rewarding experience. I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. It might take me time to re-draft, re-write, edit and add, but I'm so happy I've gotten as far as I have and I won't give up!
So with that said, I'm making two resolutions: to exercise on a more regular basis (yeah everyone says that, I know) and to finish my novel. Wish me luck!
I feel very positive about 2009. I know everything will be OK if we just do our best!
Speaking of which, I'm now 2/3 of the way through the first draft of my Themistokles novel. It will be so rewarding when I finish. Just getting to the end of a story has proven to be a long, difficult but rewarding experience. I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. It might take me time to re-draft, re-write, edit and add, but I'm so happy I've gotten as far as I have and I won't give up!
So with that said, I'm making two resolutions: to exercise on a more regular basis (yeah everyone says that, I know) and to finish my novel. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Role of the Physical Environment in Ancient Greek Seafaring...
...Is actually the name of a book I just finished by Jamie Morton. I'm not sure it was worth $80 (!) but I'm still happy I got it, as I know nothing about the workings of the Mediterranean and need to better understand the very LARGE role ships played in the lives of Ancient Greeks (I'm currently trying to write the Battle of Salamis). Despite being annoyingly repetitive and hard to follow at times (I'm not familiar with oceanography and meteorology ) I got some great information out of the book and hope to use it in my novel.
Here's a brief synopsis for anyone who's interested.
"In this study of the world of ancient Greek mariners, the relationship between the natural environment and the techniques and technology of seafaring is focused upon.
An initial description of the geology, oceanography and meteorology of Greece and the Mediterranean, is followed by discussion of the resulting sailing conditions, such as physical hazards, sea conditions, winds and availability of shelter, and environmental factors in sailing routes, sailing directions, and navigational techniques. Appendices discuss winter and night sailing, ship design, weather prediction, and related areas of socio-maritime life, such as settlement, religion, and warfare.
Wide-ranging sources and illustrations are used to demonstrate both how the environment shaped many of the problems and constraints of seafaring, and also that Greek mariners' understanding of the environment was instrumental in their development of a highly successful seafaring tradition."
Here's a brief synopsis for anyone who's interested.
"In this study of the world of ancient Greek mariners, the relationship between the natural environment and the techniques and technology of seafaring is focused upon.
An initial description of the geology, oceanography and meteorology of Greece and the Mediterranean, is followed by discussion of the resulting sailing conditions, such as physical hazards, sea conditions, winds and availability of shelter, and environmental factors in sailing routes, sailing directions, and navigational techniques. Appendices discuss winter and night sailing, ship design, weather prediction, and related areas of socio-maritime life, such as settlement, religion, and warfare.
Wide-ranging sources and illustrations are used to demonstrate both how the environment shaped many of the problems and constraints of seafaring, and also that Greek mariners' understanding of the environment was instrumental in their development of a highly successful seafaring tradition."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Almost finished!?
I think I'm actually past the halfway point in my Themistocles novel. O.o;
Sure, I'll still need to go back and add more details for battles, major events in Themistocles' life (his wedding, etc.) and so forth, but I still feel like I've accomplished something!
Making progress!
Still, I have a question: when is "The End" really the END? Is it really when I write the end? Or is it after I revise my story until it's just right?
Sure, I'll still need to go back and add more details for battles, major events in Themistocles' life (his wedding, etc.) and so forth, but I still feel like I've accomplished something!
Making progress!Still, I have a question: when is "The End" really the END? Is it really when I write the end? Or is it after I revise my story until it's just right?
Saturday, November 01, 2008
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