Lucky 7 and the VB award

So because these two have been making the rounds quite a bit, I've decided to combine them into the one post. Lack of time may be an issue as well but I'm sure those two uni assignments will writes themselves. Eventually.

So, to start off, the other day I was given the Versatile Blogger award by the wonderful LoopyLoo! AND AGAIN by Marisa. Check out these girlies blogs if you like all things fun and interesting!

So here are the rules (of course):

1. Thank and link the blogger who awarded you 

2. Share 7 random facts about yourself

3. Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers, and be sure to let them know

Seven Random Facts:

This is hard because there is a fair bit of randomness going on up in here. But I'll try to narrow it down.

1. I never finish my entire drink. Doesn't matter what it is, how yum and/or expensive it is, I can never finish that last mouthful. I've tried. It didn't go well.

2. I have a lot of different personalities. I'm a clean-freak oddball at work and the ultimate extrovert. At home, I'm lazy and introverted and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM! Around my close friends, I'm pretty relaxed and consist mostly on coffee. And on my blog, I can let all the pent-up psychosis run free.

3. I buy books based on their covers. A LOT of the time. I've read less than 40% of the books on my bookshelf because the other 60% I buy with no intention to ever read. EVER.

4. Sarcasm is my default mode. When it comes to any situation that has the potential to be emotional, or too DEEP for my liking, I revert back into the sarcastic swamp monkey and scare those mothers away. Then, I hide in a book.

5. I seriously think someone should consider making a procrastination award with my face on it.

6. I'm surprisingly unafraid of death. But the things I really fear - as in, freeze my chest, forget to breath, fear - are; failure, never getting a book published, drowning, zombies, and not being happy with my life. Now do you see why death is way down on my list?

7. I don't believe in soul mates but I do believe in two personalities complementing each other perfectly. And I'm pretty sure I've the one that brings me alive.

The five people I've chosen to nominate are:

Bec @ http://worklovelifewrite.blogspot.com.au/

Catherine @ http://thebookparade.blogspot.com.au/

Laura @ http://strangerthanwriting.blogspot.com.au/

Carole @ http://www.thelifeoffiction.blogspot.com.au/

Jennifer @ http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com.au/

Next for the Lucky 7 meme.  I was tagged by LoopyLoo.

The RULES (again):

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS (Or a fave book)
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they're written.

4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know.

From my current WIP. Between Jenna and her sister Vivien. Just so it makes a little sense, Jenna is pretty OCD when it comes to her room and paranoid about a lot of things. I was surprised when I realised my seven lines were mostly dialog but you get that.

“No!” I launched myself across the room and slammed the bolt back into place.

“What the hell? It reeks in here.”

“I don’t care.”

“What is that?”

“Bleach.” 

“Bleach? Are you crazy? Just open the window.” 

I leant against it. “No.”

She stared at me, eyes wide, for a whole five seconds. “Whatever. But next time you want to get high, I hear metho works better.”

She snatched my ribbon off the desk, tied it around her bun and left.

Only then did it occur to me I may have overreacted. *

*I may have cheated and included an extra line. But the dialogue is short so I figure this was allowed :P

Now, my seven people you pass this on to are as follows:

Bec @ http://worklovelifewrite.blogspot.com.au/ (hopefully this will get you to open them again lol)

Jennifer @ http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com.au/

Laura @ http://strangerthanwriting.blogspot.com.au/

Catherine @ http://thebookparade.blogspot.com.au/

Sonia @ http://thestoryqueen.blogspot.com.au/

Nikki @ http://abscondituscreations.blogspot.com.au/

Carole @ http://www.thelifeoffiction.blogspot.com.au/

I'm looking forward to reading what you guys come up with!!!

Two Months' old

My blog has officially reached the mark (yesterday, actually) and when I started out with this blog I didn't know if it would actually go anywhere. I thought it would be one of those things I would start and then let patter off into nothingness. Maybe with the occasional blog here or there because I felt guilty.

The really funny thing is though - I FREEEEKIN LOVE IT!

There are random times through the day when I actually find myself wondering what my next blog will be. Or buying books specifically to review. There are times when I REALLY want to blog but can't because of uni/work/life and those times make me sad.

In short, I love my blog. I love the people who follow me, and the comments you guys leave always light up my day. I wish I had time to make my blog look a little fancier but I'll get to it one day. For now, I focus on the words and the 'virtual friendships' I have on here.

I think one of the other reasons I love it so much is because it's another way for me to hone my writing, and I get to be me. Not a character in their story. Not someone putting on a face and being who the people around me want me to be. I don't have to be funny or professional or even appropriate. I can make up words and scribble shit and be entirely honest about anything and everything. I CAN USE CAPS LOCK FOR CHRIST'S SACK! (And who doesn't love to use caps lock?!)

And so, I just want to leave this cute picture I stumbled upon today. One, as a thanks to you awesome people who follow me, and two, because I totally think it belongs here. Lolcats + zombie reference = winning!

I do not own this image. It is borrowed. The end. Haters.

Next week, will be a Hunger Games special on the blog. Umm... surprise? A review of the three books and the movie. With maybe some other stuff thrown in. That said, BRING ON THE REAPING, KIDS!

Liebster Award - wha'?

That's right friends; I got gifted the Liebster award. And out of all the people in the blogosphere the person who awarded me this is - wait for it - A Zombie Enthusiast. That made me lol a little bit, and if you've read any of my other posts you'll know exactly why.

That said, I really enjoy Danielle B's blog. Know why? Because it's awesome. Her blog is currently filled with all things Hunger Games, Zombies and books. It's worth a visit to Entertaining Interests just for the terrifying (and oddly cool) pics she has of zombies. Even if I do need to bleach my eyeballs afterward.

Now, this award is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is given in order for more people in the blogosphere world to find your blog. And now for 'the rules'.

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.  

2. Nominate up to five (5) others for the award.  

3. Let them know via comment on their blog. You can even send them a tweet!  

4. Post the award on you blog.  

Geeky Tendencies continued a fifth rule via inspirenordic. 

5. Follow my blog and at least consider signing up for the A to Z Challenge. It is a great way to find new and interesting blogs, it help people find your blog, and meet new bloggers. Who knows? You might reach the 200 follower mark.

 Okay, so the fifth rule I've elected not to do just because I don't think I'll be able to blog every day - I'm having enough trouble with 'Blogspiration' :(. As much as I'd love too, life keeps on messin' up my plans.

Now, without further ado, here are the five blogs that I'm passing this award on to:

First goes to a new blog. It only has a few posts but I've read some of Bec's other work and trust me when I say it's going to be a good one. She is one creative woman and I don't see this blog being the exception. Work Love Life Write. Check it out!

Second goes to Laura at Stranger than Writing. I love fellow writers and it's really easy to connect with her through her blog posts - she's a writer-to-watch, I'd say. Always a pleasure to read!

Third is for Catherine at The Book Parade. She's just joined the Dystopian reading challenge (which I've had my eye on) and posts some awesome book reviews!

Fourth, A Trail of Books Left Behind. This is a really cool looking blog and you can tell she has put a lot of work into it. Another writer-to-watch.

And lastly, (but these were done in no particular order), goes to Rae Lynn at RaeLynn Writes!. Firstly - those shoes in her DP are HOT(EXCLAMATION MARK) and secondly, because her 'about me' section is one I most relate to. She posts reviews on books, movies, and has some of her stuff up there. There's also a handy little section called 'writer tools' that's always worth checking out.

So that's my list. Thanks again to Danielle B, and to my five - you guys deserve it!

Work/Very-Little-Life Balance

From what I assume, this is something every writer struggles with; I sure as hell do. It’s hard enough holding a full-time job and keeping up with your mates but when you throw writing a book on top of that – let alone uni – crap gets complicated.

And that’s the predicament I’m in.

Currently, I am fiercely battling two rivals over the control of a kingdom, ahem, store. This means a minimum of ten-hour shifts and extreme CONSTANT VIGILANCE. My diet consists of inhaled coffee and whatever is within reaching distance and fits into my mouth in a single bite. I have also been given a task to complete outside of work that I have no idea how to start and my boss’s instructions are, ‘I’m not sure what I want, but I need you to do it’. Yeah… thanks.

I have a month and a half until I start uni part time, which is going to halve my free time at the very least. By then I will hopefully be running my own store, which will have my stress to the maximum already.

I have Jenna to write and edit, her query to attempt (and attempt, and attempt), and then I need to research any and all literary agents that might, on the off chance, potentially consider her story. Maybe.

I have a wedding to plan. My thirteen months has shrunk to ten and I’m freaking just a little bit. The full-steam-ahead attitude has slowly trickled away to nothing but a bunch of dreams that are scaring the procrastination out of me.

So because I don’t have enough to do I am writing this blog. I am nothing, if not a queen, of prioritizing. I just happen to place a higher importance on the things I shouldn’t.


I think I have reached a pretty significant time of change. I seriously need to work out this whole ‘time management’ thing that everyone keeps telling me about. But sticking to a plan, for me, is way too constrictive. And there’s also the whole needing time to make a plan thing that seems to defeat the purpose.

My organisational skills are lacking, my room looks like the slums of a dystopian novel, I haven’t washed my brand new car since I bought it and my eyes feel like cotton balls from severe sleep deprivation. And all this is going to get worse?

Currently I have a 2012 calendar on the door to my room so it’s staring me in the fricken face. I have set deadlines for the things I want to achieve and certain benchmarks I need to get to. I have, not so much resolutions as goals, that I’m aiming for this year but I’m one of those people that demands perfection in everything I do. I know I need to let up the reins a little and take that tight band out of my goddamn hair but it’s really friggen hard. And the days I don’t write, I feel like my brain is going to implode.

So I ask you, for the sake of my sanity, how do you do it? What techniques have you found that work/don’t work? What outside factors are you up against?

Help me. Please. Because although I like reading about fantasy characters, I’m not interested in becoming a zombie. There’s just something about the whole ‘rotting skin’ thing that doesn’t do it for me…