I thought after my last post... this blog needed some lightheartedness, last week I was having a random conversation about Disney Princes with a friend and we started ranking them and I joked this would be a fun blog post so here I am writing it (feel free to disagree with me).
First, he is not a Disney Prince but I must say Dimitri from Anastasia (made by 21st Century Fox) probably takes the cake for one of the hottest cartoon characters... I mean Buzzfeed even has "23 Reasons why Dimitri from 'Anastaia' was a Major Heart Throb" (link) So he gets a special shout out.
I think Aladdin gets props because he is the only Prince who changes to get the Princess.
Disney Princess get a lot of bad talk because people think that the girls have to change to get the guy (which I don't see as true) but in that vain I think it cute Aladdin changes for Jasmine.
Sometimes Prince Eric gets on my nerves because he seems like an idiot for searching for a girl with a voice when he clearly likes Ariel. Of course my feminist side does say he only likes her for her looks. Though when he thinks he will lose Ariel he does go and fight for her.
Let's just say his eyes and hair are both awesome.
On the not hot side...
5. Prince Charming from Cinderella
The only reason I don't think he is not hot is because you don't really get to know him as a character.
I mean he barely speaks and talk about a guy falling for a girl just for her looks.
When I was younger I loved Cinderella but after seeing Ever After I liked that twist on the classic story and Dougary Scott made a great Prince Charming.
I know my friend that I was discussing this post with disagreed with me on views of Prince Adam, I just personally did not find him that attractive.
As I looking for pictures for this post I came across this:
Before I finish this post I have to give a shout out to Robert Phillip (played by Patrick Dempsey) in Enchanted. I know he is not technically a "Prince" but he does dress like a prince and for a man who says he doesn't dance he actually dances quite well.
I know this list is a little bias, as it really only talks about the
films I like. So if you want more information most of these pictures
come BuzzFeed (link) and they have their own ranking.
After my grandad passed away a couple of years ago, quite by surprise, we had to plan his funeral and besides where he wanted to be buried, it felt like none of us really knew what he wanted. I then began to think if anything did happen to me I would want people to know what passages and songs I liked. So I wrote them down and put them in the back of my Bible (just in case). Then when I went to Honduras I had a weird feeling of peace that I may not come back, so before I left I decided to write a quick note of how I wanted some of my things divided (not that I have much)... but silly things like I want my niece to have my Mary Cassatt prints that I have had since I was a little girl, I wanted my friend to look after my cat (if she was able to) and I wanted my mom to have my Bible. (By the way this note is still in the back of my Bible if anything should happen to me).
So these are as morbid as my thought went, until recently. I blame the last two books I have read... both of them have dealt with death in someway. In The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (author of Anne of Green Gables) Valancy Stirling has lived a life with very strict regulations and always trying to please her family, until she is 29 years old and she goes to the doctor and he tells her she only has at max one more year to live. She decides she is no longer going to live in the confines of her strict family and decides to actually live... it is over all a very sweet story.
But it has got me thinking... what if I only had a year to live?
I would of course like to spend as much time with my family as possible. I think immediately I would like to spend any time I felt well I would want to be with my niece and nephews and soak up enough time with them. I don't think I would want them to see me when I was truly sick... as I would hate for that to be the last image they had of me.
Me at Windsor Castle
I think I would also like to spend time finishing my work in progress (at least in first draft). I have wanted to be a writer all my life but I have many works that I have not completed and I would like to have at least one work done. And then maybe hand it over to some one to see it through to be published.
I have also made a second family up here in Boston, so I would like to be here as well. I have some other thoughts of maybe traveling to England one more time as it is my favorite place outside the U.S. but if I didn't get to it I wouldn't mind. Being around the people I love the most would be most important.
Not to leave you on a completely morbid thought... and having you think I am a morbid person.Valancy's story is not just about what she did with her time it is about how she faced the idea that she was dying. Instead of just sticking too routine she decided to go out and actually live her life. The book is called The Blue Castle because whenever Valancy is sad she dreams up this blue castle to escape to. In the story she decides to chase after her "blue castle" the place she is most comforted. In doing this she speaks up for herself and even finds love.
I understood a lot where Valancy come from...She feels trapped in a life that is not her own. I don't feel trapped bu sometimes I wonder if I hide myself too much. No one likes being vulnerable, but I sometimes fear letting my guard down so much that I feel paralyzed at least mentally. As I was typing up this post, I found this quote on Pinterest:
And it really struck a chord with me. It tied to this post, in my mind, and I thought instead of using time on what I would do if I only had one more year to live, what I should do with my life now?
I will keep you posted.
Sorry to start the week on such a morbid note. I just wanted to share some thinking.
It is Wednesday and that means it is Writing Wednesday... I probably like this time the most because I can share what I working on creatively. In a previous post Writing #Littleloves I shared that I was feeling stuck in my writing. Well I struggled for awhile of what to do, what my story was really about, and why I was writing it? I know many writers struggle with writers block and I see a lot of pins on Pinterest about how to conquer writers block and I am not saying my advice is right but here are some things I did and it helped...
Read a great novel...
I cannot stop recommending The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I loved that it was about a writer trying to write a historical fiction. Also I liked how she talked about her process, one thing she did was tape down facts about the era she was writing about on her desk so she could look at them easily. I have notes that have kept about my characters but they are scattered about. So I took out my notes and taped them down.
Rethinking some things down
I am all about following inspiration and letting the characters telling me where the story is going. While that is great in some ways I felt I lost my point of my of my story. I want my story to be a romantic story of hoping in spite of obstacles. I want my story to be about Mattie and Kelby being separated by class, family obligation and war. World War I to be exact and yet I was nearly 100 pages into the writing and these things had not come up. So I decided I needed to rework my writing... but how?
Skip Ahead
Most of my work in progress is building up to WWI but this is where I was getting stuck because I didn't know how to take my characters from the life they were living and throwing them into War... So I took a step back from my current plot and wrote a scene in the middle of the war. You can part of that scene here... "Author Happiness". Skipping ahead really helped me feel inspired to get back into my story.
Do some research...It can be fun
Okay I will admit I was a history major and yeah I went for Masters in Library Science so I enjoy research...but it can be fun. For example: I found this documentary "Diaries of the Great War" on Netflix and for me I watch the documentaries 8 episodes and take notes of things I want to mention in my story. Also I have a board on Pinterest called "The War to end all Wars" and follow other boards about World War I. So even though you may not be writing a WWI novel I am sure you can find areas of research that are fun.
Listen to Inspiring Music
When I am writing, I like to have music going. Sometimes I just find a song that speak to me.I am not going to make suggestions on what songs to listen to as I know music taste really vary. Here is one song I have just discovered and feel it well with my story...
If you are not on a deadline (which I am not except my own thinking) it is okay to walk away from your writing. I have really gotten into Poldark on PBS. It is about Ross Poldark who is believed to be dead after fighting for the British in the American Revolution. He comes home to find the woman he loved to be engaged to his cousin, his inheritance in practical ruins, and he has to make a new life for himself. It is great! Plus you get to see Adrian Turner without a shirt...
While it has nothing to do with WWI, I don't care! It is my distraction.
Okay back to serious writing..
Outline/ Timeline
As I said above I usually about following inspiration and my one weakness is making an outline. When I skipped ahead and wrote that scene I decided that I wanted to weave it into my story as a flash forward.... but then I thought "now what" I have this one random flash forward. What do I do with this. So I was going to have more flash forwards about the war, this would help me pull the war more into my story. So I sat down and actually outlined my work in progress and it feels good to have a direction.
Typed it up/Write it down
I know this takes a long time but I am the kind of writer that has to write down my story and then type it. Only on a few occasions have I been able to look at a blank screen and just type up my story. It really helped me to type up some parts, re-working my descriptions, adding some detailing and even taking out some unneeded dialogue.
If you are the type of writer who can type up a story and are feeling stuck I suggest maybe stepping away from the computer and hand writing some things out.
I know this will not be hard for writers as writing is basically dreams you put on paper. While right now I remain unpublished I think of the day my story will be published and I love thinking about the cover of my story. So I have spent some time while stuck searching Pinterest to get some inspiring art to be the cover of my story. I know right now I do not own this picture and I know that my publisher will have their ideas on what to make the cover look like but right now I am just enjoying the idea of a possible cover.
Enjoy!
When I first started my thesis, for my graduate program, my advisor said choose something you are going to enjoy even when its tough. "Choose your own hell." Enjoy your work, enjoy your research, enjoy your time you spend writing. I know for me writing is sometimes the only thing that make sense to me. I enjoy getting lost in my characters, and lost in my story. If you don't enjoy it maybe it is time to set it aside and work on something you do enjoy, work on something you find passion in.
I know I am not a published author so you can take my words with a grain of salt but these are things I have found useful.
I am sorry I don't really have anything to write here for this: "My World Monday" life really hasn't changed that much from my previous Monday post (link). However, I did not want to get off schedule, so I am sharing you this quote on Pinterest.
Life kind of seems up in the air right now and I feel my one steadiness is my writing. I already have my "Wednesday Writing" post ready to be published, I am discussing the things I have done in to get over the stuck feelings I had, here is a little preview:
I know this
will not be hard for writers as writing is basically dreams you put on
paper. While right now I remain unpublished I think of the day my story
will be published and I love thinking about the cover of my story. So I
have spent some time while stuck searching Pinterest to get some
inspiring art to be the cover of my story. I know right now I do not own
this picture and I know that my publisher will have their ideas on what
to make the cover look like but right now I am just enjoying the idea
of a possible cover.
Other than my writing I am making good headway on 26 Book reading Challenge I have finished book 20 and have only 6 more to go. As much as I have been enjoying this challenge and reading book I might never have read but some of the books on my shelf are asking me to read them again. Also I would like to read some more WWI books as I continue to work on my story.
Sorry not much to says here... Hope you will read my "Wednesday Writing" post.
When I decided to do this challenge of reading 26 books in a year I thought it would be quite a challenge but I have just finished book 17! I am thankful sometimes to a long commute to an from work... it really helps. I have loved this challenge because minus 2 books I have read completely new books, and some books I probably never would have read had it not been for this challenge (I have a habit of reading the same books over and over again).* So here are the 2 books I have read in the 2 weeks, both very different but both with compelling stories.
1) Paper Town by John Green. I read this one for theee reasons. One: I loved The Fault in Our StarsVlogBrothers and Crash Course very cool. Also he just has lots of inspiring quotes that I have found through my time on Pinterest. Two: I saw the trailer of the movie (coming out) and I was a little more intrigued by what the book is about... I am a big believer in reading the book first before seeing the movie (if you can do so). I didn't know if I wanted to read it for this challenge or get to it when I could, but on one of my flights (from all my recent travel) a woman was reading this book and I asked her about it. She told me she was reading it in her mother daughter book club (which sounds awesome by the way) and she really liked it. I don't know why I took a strangers advice on a book, but I decided to put it a hold on it at my library.
Overall I liked it... I mean I probably won't be going out and seeing the film in theaters but I will see it eventually. I mostly like reading it because it was told from a man's point of view and I don't read a lot of books from a man's point of view. I also found myself relating to Quentin, because he wants to do something great with his life but he doesn't have the courage to until Margo Roth Spiegelman climbs into his window and forces him out on a night of adventure (to read more about the plot click here). I like how John Green almost always referred to Margo Roth Spiegelman by her whole name, she was almost suppose to be this mythical figure because Quentin loved her from a far for so long, and referring to her like that kept that up well. I know when I was in high school my love from a far was always referred to by his whole name (at least in my mind).
So the reason why I wouldn't rush out to see it in theaters is because while it was good characterization and full of memorable quotes (example above) I just didn't get to attached to the plot. I found it a little far fetched to be honest, but maybe when you are seeking out the love of your life you need to be a little far fetched.
2) Light between Oceans by M.L. Stedman was great. I was intrigued by this book since the moment I saw it floating around my Pinterest book. It takes place in Australia after World War I, I know I know I will read anything about WWI but I felt this was a good mix because it was in Australia and I personally never thought abut Australia in this time. The story focuses on Tom, who is a returning solider and taking up post at a light house on Janus Island, a very secluded life he seeks till he meets Isabel. Their life turns from happiness to pain as Isabel suffers miscarriages and a still birth, until one day a boat is washed ashore with a dead man and a very adorable baby girl, they name "Lucy" which means "light" (for another review click here).
Overall the story is powerful and captivating. I found myself in moments of heart ache and moments of joy. Even if you don't like historical fiction I think you will like this story as it is more than just history but a powerful story. It is a story of the strength it takes to get through life when you are beaten down, it is a story of great sacrificing love, it is a story of some bad decisions but made with good intentions. Even though I know little of Australia and light house I found it breath taking.
This is M.L Stedman's first book and I will be looking forward to reading her other books. The review mentioned above says: "I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves great literature ...
because I believe this book is going to be considered a classic in years
to come" and I hope she is right.
I know this quote comes from Emily Dickinson, but it was brought to my attention in Paper Towns and while these books are very different they both encouraged me to live in the present and realize the decisions you make now have impacts on your future.
Just for fun an example of John Green's Crash Course "Who Started World War I":
*Though I will admit once this challenge is over I do look forward to re-reading my Jane Austen and maybe reading more books on WWI (as my work in progress continues).
I love to dwell in historical fiction in most everything in my reading, the TV shows and movies I watch, and my own personal writing. I am personally still a romantic about history and probably idealize it too much even though I studied history I know it is not clean cut and glamorous as I wished it was. One time I hear a quote "we study the past to know how we got here" (sorry paraphrasing so might be a misquote) and I think it is accurate. I like studying the past to know the struggles, the battles and the times of glory and hope people went through to get where we are now. Even though the stories I read are set in the past, if the book is written well, I feel I can relate to them and I wonder what I would do if I was in that circumstance?-- I know you can do this with really any genre of literature but there is something about historical fiction in that pulls me in.
I think I owe my love to early 20th century upon seeing Biltmore.
For my own writing there is a comfort in knowing the outcome. For example: In my story I am currently writing it is about WWI and I know what happens and I know who is going to win the War. But then there is this weird comfort in not controlling the outcome. I know what is going to happen in the grand scheme of things and I just put my characters in those events and seeing what happens to them and how they are changed by their circumstances.
My love of WWI might be owed to Downton Abbey
As I stated I am currently working on a story that will go through WWI. And while I studied early 20th century history in school I know vague details about WWI. I have read various novels, biographies and other non-fiction books and I sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information I am learning. I felt so overwhelmed I thought "maybe I should put this story aside while I research." But then I thought "I am never going to know enough to be completely accurate." This is true of all historians... we take the sources we have and as best we can we put a narrative. However, the thing about history is that unless we build a time machine we will never get the full story, which give historians and writers some freedom. So when I saw this post on Pinterest I was highly intrigued:
And I felt it was okay for me not to know everything about WWI, that doesn't mean I can't attempt to write a fabulous story. So I will keep pressing on through my first draft. If I find out anything interesting I will keep you updated.
When I wrote "Remember your Character"I did not think that I would be writing a part two... but I have done a lot of thinking about my story.
In reading the book Testament of Youthshe writes a great line about how her dream and what she wanted to do with her life, she said everyone that really mattered to her had died in the war and yet she still had her dream of being a writer. I underlined that line and thought what is Mattie's dream? At that point I didn't know, which is sad to admit as her story teller and not to know her dream.
I feel I have cast Mattie a lot like me, she doesn't mind going unnoticed and wants to make people around her happy no matter what it cost her. Through out the story she learns to step out of her comfort zone and wants to make a difference in the world.
I found this picture (on right) on Pinterest and read the article and I was captured by the post, there was a great quote:
It’s crucial for your hero to have a goal. If he doesn’t, you have no story. “Well why not?” you ask? Because your hero’s goal is what drives the story. It’s the story’s
purpose. Like a ripple effect, it influences your entire plot.
And I thought, while I know Mattie intimately and I know what her dreams and goals are (because they are almost the same as mine), but I don't know if I have expressed it. And then I thought, why would someone read my story if they didn't know her dreams. Because her dreams of being of use is what drives her story. But do I have to spell it out or can it just be obvious. The post states:
Be sure to make it clear as soon as possible what your character’s goal
is. Of course you’ll spend time in the beginning setting up your
characters and plot, but don’t wait until halfway through your story to
clue readers in to your hero’s goal.
But I have never read a book where it says... "My goal is this(Fill in the blank)" unless they are trying to escape a situation. So I am wondering how to weave this into my story?--If you have any thoughts let me know.
I saw this pin today and I found it just found it reassuring. I don't want to go into too much detail because it is personal and as much as I don't mind sharing personal things about my life, I don't like intruding on someone else's privacy. Anyway during the month of July I was a dating a guy, and in my naive way I could almost picture him being "the one." But we ended things because we saw our lives going different ways.
Anyway, when I am alone thinking did I make a mistake walking away to soon? And just feeling super alone and sometimes I hold my phone with his number up and I just want to text him to say "hello" and that I miss him. But I don't, I never do. I have told this to my friend and my mom and they say that is strong or "emotionally sturdy". However, I don't feel strong or sturdy... I feel weak and still a little heartbroken.
I never text him 1) because I honestly don't know what I would say 2) I know I need to move on 3) I don't believe we have changed and we would be in the situation we were in when things ended... so what's the point. So I push the "hangup" button and take a deep breath.
But going back to the top picture, I found this pin and it reminded me to be true to myself... I know I shouldn't need a pin to remind myself of that. However, sometimes a little reminder is good.
I know this post might sound a bit pathetic and I am sorry for that. I hope that in writing this pathetic post someone who is going through the same feelings as me will know they are not going through it alone.
To end this post on slightly positive note... here are some good quotes about love and relationships (thanks Hello Giggles)
“Once you’re back on your feet – if you ever make it back on your feet – that’s the ultimate achievement. I remember I was in New York at the Trump Hotel and I woke up and I just knew I was over it. It was a different day. I felt different. I didn’t feel lonely. I felt like I wanted to get up and be in the world. That was a great, great feeling.”- Rihanna
Anyway this hopeful romantic keeps hoping and keeps believing in love. Typing that I feel a lot like Gennifer Goodwin in He's Just not That into You.
