Writing time is here again!

Just when I finish my 2nd essay in 2 weeks and think I'm going to have a nice relaxing month, I remember that tomorrow is November, and if you know me... and read any of my posts from the past year.... you'll know that can only mean one thing. NaNoWriMo is upon us again.

Last year I won and completed a 50000 word novel in a month - a story I love so much I'm still working on in hopes that one day, when I've tweaked it enough I'll somehow be able to convince an agent and publisher to help me get it out there! This year I've decided (literally, just now) that tomorrow I'm going to start working on a sci-fi I'd originally intended to write as a screen play for a short film. I kind of like the idea so much, and it's already played out in my head AND I've kind of planned and plotted most of it (always a bonus when writing), that I have decided I might as well give it a whirl and try it out as a novel.

Now, I did have many ideas to chose from, as I don't really lack in writing material, but I've never fully committed to a sci-fi before, despite my love of them - and this is kind of a sci-fi, young adult, romantic kind of thing, but I think it will be fun. You can see the synopsis here if you wish!

The only problem will be fitting it into my life. I'm still trying to read Little Women, which is my uni work for this week and next week, so hopefully I can get everything done, as I don't want to fall behind in any of my work, so fingers crossed! Wish me luck, and if you are doing it good luck to you!

If you aren't doing it - why not give it a go? Writing a bit every day is actually really great for getting the creative juices flowing and even if you produce utter crap (like I'm sure I do), who cares? You will have at least managed to write a novel length piece of work - 1 to cross off the bucket list!

Sam
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New years resolutions

So I re-read an old post from the start of last year which included some new years resolutions. I just thought it would be fun to see how I was getting on with them... here are the results

Start writing something. A book... anything.

CHECK - Book written, being edited and 2nd book getting started next week.

Write letters to friends. With a pen. And post them!

Not done, but there is always the intention to do it...

*Read more!

Um, done - read almost 50 books this year!

*Watch more films!

Probably could watch MORE films, but it's been a book year this year. Maybe film year NEXT year?

*Lose about 2 stone in weight and generally start exercising again!

DONE, and some. Lost 3 stone and keeping it off. Exercises kind of regularly and I'm kind of running now.

*Try to make people happier

Not sure if I managed this... still trying. 

*Stop stressing, and chill out more.

Definitely failing in this. But I'm working on it still!

*Blog less, but with better content.

Definitely failing at THIS, but oh well :P

*Get a new job.

Not done, BUT... well, see below!

*Figure out what I'm doing with my life... as per usual.

DONE. I decided to bite the bullet and just attempt to be a writer. It's kind of all I wanted to do for a long time and now it's a reality. I write. I'm not published, but that's the next stage.

*Bake more.

I would like to bake more, but then I eat all the cakes!

*Draw more.

My doodles are coming along well! haha, but I'm not drawing anything of importance. I'd like to do this more but things like this have gone on the backburner. I'll post about why at some point in the near future!

*Do more make up artist work.

I don't do this... I do spend more time on MY OWN makeup, but this is also on the backburner right now. Again, all will be explained in future posts!

Well, future ramblings will ensure shortly, after this commercial break.....

The obligatory procrastination blog

I am writing my first essay of the year. It's only 2000 words and I'm... struggling. To say the least. The subject is children's literature and the question is Is there a clear divide between books for children and books for adults and I have no problem answering this question, and yet, when I'm trying to write it down it makes little to no sense. I've been working on it all day and all of yesterday and it's due in tomorrow and I'm just not getting anywhere.
So what do you do when you can't write an essay? You write a blog post.

At the moment my house is a mess. I live at home with my ma and pa and they are on holiday and I hate that when this happens I realise how much my mum actually does around here. I also hate that it really emphasises my undeniable usage of pretty much every plate, bowl and cup in the house. The kitchen is like a bomb site... I really need to get in there and clean but I just can't bring myself to do it. I've also not been feeling great this week because someone at work gave me a cold - I don't often get colds and I've been kind of OK but my tonsils always take a beating when I'm run down so I'm trying to NOT get tonsillitis... it's going ok but there are some suspect ulcer looking things at the back of my throat which I'm choosing to believe are NOT infected with anything other than regular cold germs. Sorry for that gross image!

So, my essay... I'll get back to it in a second. I'm just trying to figure out how to segway into my next paragraph. I always find that difficult, does anyone else? Just me? Humph.

Sam
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TV or not TV... a post dedicated to the art of TV shows.

As an avid TV show watcher, I find it really hard these days to actually watch shows on TV. I am so impatient - I hate waiting for episodes week after week and so I've become addicted to 'the box set' and 'the downloads'. I don't like illegally downloading TV shows, but if I've missed an episode of something that's just been on TV, or else only been shown in the States and not yet available for the UK, then I'm downloading. I can do this without feeling like I'm stealing because... well... I know I'll be buying the box set as soon as it comes out over here. I'm a box set addict and I'm not afraid to say it. I have so many TV shows on my shelf and YES, I do rewatch them. I love rewatching!

At the moment I'm working my way through Roswell, with my boyfriend (as he'd never seen it before) - if you've not seen it, it's a teen drama from 1999 (originally called Roswell High) set in Roswell, New Mexico and it's about... aliens. Teen aliens, to be exact. There's teen romance, drama and many awkward and tense moments involving humans and aliens alike. It's a classic, and was only 3 season's but it was one of those ones where they knew they only had 3 seasons so it ended really well. I would highly recommend if you like things like Buffy and anything set in highschool!

I'm also watching the following:
New Girl! I'm sure you've heard of it. I downloaded it when it started in the US (couldn't wait for the UK to pick it up) and now I'm truly hooked I am downloading each episode as it airs. Probably one of the only things I would wait a week for because I love sitcoms and this is a fantastic mix of humour and cute people! It's so clever in it's comedy and I actually laugh out loud at every episode. I can't wait for the box sets to be available as it will make it easier to re-watch the episodes... over... and over again.

Teen Wolf. Yes. As in, based on the 80's movie(s). And... yes, it's kind of crap, but that's what keeps me coming back to it. This is another one I download (but WILL be buying the boxsets of) and I love getting a few episodes at once and having a little marathon of teen angst mixed with supernatural drama. It's actually very well done, once you get past the cheesiness of it. Some of the actors are fantastic and once you get to season 2 you will well and truly not care that the main guy isn't really the best actor in the world.

The Vampire Diaries. I watched the first season before I picked up the books. I blitzed the books because they are amazing and now I'm so hooked on the show it's insane. It's just started on season 3 in the UK and this is another where I've actually been suckered into waiting a week for each episode. Previously I would NOT watch it on TV and get the boxsets so I could watch 3 or 4 episodes in one sitting. It's great. The plot twists are always captivating and the cast are so ridiculously good looking that I've actually had to admit that I'm in love with the main girl in it. She is so stupidly beautiful that I kind of hate her at the same time. GAH. But I am all over vampire Tv shows and anything supernatural so this really hits the spot for me.

Nashville. I only just downloaded the first episode last night and watched it with a constant smile on my face. It's a TV show about country music stars which is right up my alley. I love music, musicals and especially country music. I know when this comes out in the UK they will advertise it as 'The New Glee', but it's not, so don't worry. I loved Glee at first but it got irritating. I can't see going the same way. It's about an older country singer whose career is kind of dwindling and family life is getting difficult and she's pit against this new little country singer with a bad attitude and very loose morals and it is so far (all 1 episode in) very promising. Also, the main character has 2 kids who are 2 singers I watch on Youtube, which is pretty amazing. They are something like 8 and 13 years old and they are amazing singers. Check them out as well HERE.

And here is what I'm really looking forward to getting into:

Game of Thrones. I waited a long time to watch this, because I hate it when everyone is going on about a TV show, it means I can't enjoy it as much because of all the hype (yes, I'm one of those people.. I just can't help it). So I left it a long time, but my Dad loves it so I said I'd watch it with him. I watched 2 episodes and loved it so this week I'm going to blitz season 1 (as I have a week off so going to catch up on TV shows and computer games!).

American Horror Story; Asylum. Season 1 of this series was so good that I'm deadly excited about watching the new series. I'll have to download it as I don't have the channel it's being shown on (FX, for this interested) and I'm utterly just... I don't know how to explain my joy that it's back for a second series, with a new venue (last year it was a haunted house, this year it's an insane asylum) and a new cast mixed in with some of the old cast apparently playing different characters. I think it's such a clever concept! If you like horror and swearing and, well, sex stuff, then this is for you because it's got it all!

There are some other Tv shows I'm kind of in the middle of watching (Big Love, Boardwalk Empire) but I'm not totally hooked like I am with the others. I kind of just watch them when I have nothing else to keep me entertained!

Do you have anything to recommend watching? I love TV shows so much so finding new ones that can keep me interested is high on my list of things to do!

Sam

Trust me, it's cheaper on the Internet.

I am one of those people who shops on the internet a lot. I have talked about this before. I LOVE the Internet, but I feel bad that I could possibly be doing damage to shops by not going to buy products from them.

However, today I realised that maybe they don't want me to shop in them. I bought a laptop a few years ago and was happy to find the price in the shop was cheaper than on the website... apparently this isn't something that most shops do!

My parents went to buy a tumble dryer this weekend. They saw a price on a website and went in store to buy the product. The dryer was more expensive in the shop and when they asked if the shop would match the internet price they said no. No they wouldn't match the price of their own product. I find this insane.

Later that weekend my mum went to the post office to change some money. She'd looked at the exchange rate on their website but it was more expensive to change the money in the actual post office. They wouldn't match their internet price.

Again, when my parents went to actually book their holiday the website price was cheaper, and the agents they used said they couldn't match their internet price.

What is this mentality? The internet is cheaper, yes, we know... but WHY would a shop NOT match their very own internet price? It seems like backwards business to me!

The mind boggles!

Nano

NaNoWriMo is currently fast approaching and with it only being my second year I'm both excited to write another novel (still working on the first so this should be... interesting) and scared.

This year I'm working full time, doing 2 modules for Uni in my 'spare' time and trying to work on my first novel all whilst trying to maintain a relationship and friendships... and now I'm going to throw in working on a new novel (which I've not even begun to think about/ plan) just to make things interesting. I hope I don't buckle under the pressure. I like being busy; hate having nothing to do. This should work out, right?

Have you ever written a novel, or ever thought about something you'd like to write but never have? My mum always harps on about a book she came up with when she was 16, she had a title and everything, but she never wrote it (My mum is full of random pointless stories like that, she also will tell you how old anyone who died would be now... as though it's something people care to know...mothers!). I have always wanted to write books but was scared I'd fail, or I wouldn't be able to think of anything to write about. Fast forward to my late twenties and I'm finishing up my first, about to start on a second and have a LOT of ideas for more... Yeah, I'm not published yet, and it may take me a while, but I'm determined to succeed, it's my dream job, and if other people can do it, why can't I?

Va-Va-Voom

Another post for girls... kind of.

Sometimes you just need to give yourself a boost of Va-Va-Voom... am I right?

Today I woke up and thought You know what? I'm going to make an effort!
I'm not doing anything other than going shopping and then going out for a coffee, but I spent probably an hour doing my hair and makeup just for such a non-important day. I'm not going out at night, I'm just watching a movie with my family and boyfriend, but I just thought... Why shouldn't I try to be glamorous, just for myself.

I am so lazy when it comes to fashion, looking good and generally making an effort. In my head I am a glamourpuss. I love fashion, I even have a fashion related blog on Tumblr, and I love makeup... hello... makeup artist! But, I never use these feel-good things in my day to day life. I go to work in my regular clothes as we don't have office wear. I just throw on jeans and a top and trainers and sometimes I put on a bit more makeup than usual but my hair is always thrown into a boring pony tail. I hate that I look so casual all the time. I want to make more of an effort just for me, because I do feel more attractive and confident when I've thought of how I want to look in the day and I've achieved said look. It's a state of mind, isn't it? Putting your face on, well in my case anyway, is a direct show to the world of what mood I'm in.
If I wake up in a grumpy down mood and feel like a destroyer of things (I often feel like a destroyer of things, like I could just walk into work and rip all the computers off the desks... pent up rage?) I wear a lot of black eyeliner and probably some sort of dark top. When I'm feeling girly and cute I will do a flick of eyeliner and try to wear something a little bit lighter and whatnot. I don't think anyone notices these outward expressions of my emotions but I do, so I think trying to make an effort to feel good might actually work in a backwards way.

If instead of letting my mood influence what I wear and look like, I let what I wear and look like influence my mood, surely I'm onto a good thing?

Right? Does anyone else do this or just me? Do guys do this?!

Buying Jeans and other girly things...

I'm taking a trip into the shops today to reluctantly buy some jeans. I know which jeans I want, because I'm a dedicated Oasis Jeans fan but jeans are really an age old women's problem. Everyone goes on about it and I'm so thankful I have 'my' brand, which I know normally does me proud. Until recently that is, when they changed the style of my most favourite ones ever (scarlett jeans) and they added a SECOND button, meaning they take a nanosecond longer to do up (but that's a nanosecond too long when you desperately need to take them off.....) but it also makes them a slightly different fit and I just hate them.

I switched to Tesco jeans a while ago because they do coloured denims for such low prices that it would be a crime not to buy them. They fit great (except their black 'skinnies' which just hang off me, and I'm not a 'skinny' gal!) and they are such good colours that don't fade too much when washed (on the odd occasion I wash them. What? Jeans are not supposed to be washed if you can help it!).

Here comes the massive BUT... (not my butt, although...), you just can't compare cheap jeans to more expensive jeans. There is a difference. And I hate that there is, but there is. So here I go, off to spend around £50 on a pair of good dark blue denim jeans. I know it will be a good investment but I hate parting with that much money on a pair of trousers. I'm opting for Oasis Cherry these days as they only have ONE button and they are a slimmer fit that Scarlett so I'll let you know how I get on.

Do you have any jeans you swear by?