Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Monday, December 2, 2013
Success Factors: NaNo Edition
As most of you know, I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time this year. I'm happy to say that I achieved victory.
Victory. Awesome victory. Um, you know, sort of. And only by a hair.
I'll explain, I promise, but my point today is that success isn't just about achieving your ultimate goals, although that's the most satisfying part. It's also about overcoming obstacles.
So, the last post I wrote about my progress was on November 27th, in which I reported that I had had 3,500 words to go to hit the required 50,000. I didn't think hitting it would be a problem at that point. Then, the following day, computer crash.
That's right. Computer crash.
Actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. My computer is very old and ghetto. It wasn't a hard drive crash at all. Rather, it was a hardware problem. The place where the power cord goes into the computer was toast. The cord wouldn't stay in so to power the computer, I had to hold the cord in myself. Plus, the battery was long since toast as well. I could have just purchased a new battery but as the cord connection was also faulty, I decided it would be a much better investment to just get a new computer.
Which I did. I just got a cheap one from Walmart to tide me over. And it was on it's way. But not scheduled to arrive until 12/9.
Then, on the 28th, when I went to plug the faulty computer in, I couldn't get it to start up. No matter how I wiggled, re-positioned, or cajoled the cord, I couldn't get the cord to supply ANY power to the computer. So, my files were all there, in tact. I just couldn't get to them.
I determined to commandeer my sister's desk top computer for a few hours to finish my word count, but I knew it'd be a hectic three days.
To my great surprise and delight, my new computer arrived the next day! on 11/29.
So, I was able to finish my word count, ending with 51, 289 words for the month. So, what's my whole "sort of" about? Well, the original Scrivener file that contains the first 47,000 words is still on my other computer. I'm going to take it to PC laptops and have them pull out my hard drive and put it on a caddy so I can access the files, but haven't done it yet. Because of that, I don't actually have the first 47,000 words, which means I wasn't able to put them into NaNoWriMo.org to verify.
But, that's okay. Even if the site doesn't see it as absolute success, I know I finished, and that's good enough for me. Heaven knows there were enough obstacles, but I did it. It just goes to show, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. :D
How did everyone else's NaNoWriMo experience pan out?
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I'll explain, I promise, but my point today is that success isn't just about achieving your ultimate goals, although that's the most satisfying part. It's also about overcoming obstacles.
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| Like this. Source |
That's right. Computer crash.
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Which I did. I just got a cheap one from Walmart to tide me over. And it was on it's way. But not scheduled to arrive until 12/9.
Then, on the 28th, when I went to plug the faulty computer in, I couldn't get it to start up. No matter how I wiggled, re-positioned, or cajoled the cord, I couldn't get the cord to supply ANY power to the computer. So, my files were all there, in tact. I just couldn't get to them.
I determined to commandeer my sister's desk top computer for a few hours to finish my word count, but I knew it'd be a hectic three days.
To my great surprise and delight, my new computer arrived the next day! on 11/29.
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But, that's okay. Even if the site doesn't see it as absolute success, I know I finished, and that's good enough for me. Heaven knows there were enough obstacles, but I did it. It just goes to show, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. :D
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| Fitting, don't you think? Source |
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Lord of Chaos Read-Along, Week 7
Welcome to week 7 of our Lord of Chaos Read-Along. This week we read chapters 31-38. Dab of Darkness is hosting this week. Remember that everything in this section or that came before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk.
Egwene attempted to board a Seafolk vessel, and got a dunking for her efforts. What did you make of the Seafolks taunt, 'Tell the other, disguises do not fool us. You do not frighten us. You are all refused the gift of passage.'? Did you like Egwene's reaction?
Only you know the worth of your honor.' Egwene finally confessed to the Wise Ones and met her toh. Do you feel the method of meeting toh was satisfactory? Do you think it was too harsh, or too light?
Egwene did a tricky and apparently dangerous thing traveling through Tel'aran'rhiod. Was Egwene reckless? Showing off? Just eager to have it over with? Do you think there will be any ill affects from that trip?
Egwene is made Amyrlin, and one of her first questions is what would have happened if not everyone had consented. Exile is the answer. Care to speculate on when was the last time some Amyrlin candidate was exiled and what were the consequences?
6.Nynaeve and Elayne are raised to the shawl and reunited with Egwene, and promptly spill their guts about nearly everything - such as the ter-angreal bowl and Moghedien. Do you foresee tension between the ladies as each knows what's best?
Ah, Mat, ever the source of amusement! Mat leads the Band to Salidar, where he meets with the Amyrlin. Were you amused? Also, on the ride to Salidar, Aviendha accompanies him, along with Olver. Do you think Olver will ever come to accept the Aiel?
Oh yes, very amused. I always look forward to reunion meetings. These characters (with the exception of Elayne) grew up together, and I always love to see what happens when they're all in the same room together again. The fact that this one was hilarious was just icing on the cake. I loved seeing Mat totally shocked about something. He always thinks he knows so much, it was nice to see him off kilter fora moment. When I first answered this question, I wrote something I remembered from this part that's way funny. Then I read it, and it happens beginning of next chapter rather than end of this one, so I took it out. Not that it's some huge spoiler or anything, just something Nynaeve does to Mat that might make whatever you're drinking come out of your nose. So look for that.
In terms of Olver, I think he's taking his cues from Mat. If Mat was cool with the Aiel, Olver would probably accept them sooner or later. Mat accepts far more than he pretends to, but vocally he's definitely a complainer. As long as he complains about the Aiel, Olver will always have a reason (more than what he already has) to hate them.
Extras: It was interesting to get to know Aswana. I think he's probably the most dangerous Whitecloak we've come across as yet.
Jordan does an excellent job with the Romanda/Lelaine dynamic. They're both such busy bodies, they don't realize they're getting in their own way just by being competitive with one another. It will be interesting to see where that goes.
Delana's still in quite a pickle with Halima. We see her being kept from appointments in several different factions, and being made to play every side so Halima (Aran'gar) can know what's going on. I don't envy her position.
Anyone excited to see what will happen when Elayne and Aviendha finally get a chance to talk? :D
How did everyone else like this section?
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| Morgase Trakand Source |
1) Morgase is summoned to the Lord Captain Commander hours before attempting to flee. What did you think of her summoner, the 'short way' past the scaffold, and her signing the treaty?
Obviously the Whitecloaks (some of them) are master manipulators. Morgase is someone who has trained herself to keep her calm in almost any situation, and this rattled her to the core, though she handled it admirably. This tactic is pretty brutal, but it did force her to action, which makes it effective. Poor woman. Now she has this horrible treaty to deal with on top of everything else. Suffice it to say Morgase's life probably won't go back to what it was any time soon. :D
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| Sea Folk Woman Source |
I can't remember specifically what this was about. It sounds, though, like they've had some dealings with Aes Sedai (maybe one of Elaida's embassy) who haven't been completely honorable with them. I thought Egwene's reaction was funny--if a bit over the top. Not the most gracious rejection, but then they did throw her in the water. She showed spunk. I loved the boatman who couldn't close his mouth. I actually used this part for a "Teaser Tuesday" post (HERE) and got some good comments.
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| Aiel Source |
I think it was pretty fitting. Obviously harsher than most of us are used to, but given what we know of the Aiel, it might have possibly have been worse. I was glad to see Egwene come clean before leaving her Aiel life. I loved that she said, "She thought a part of her heart always would be Aiel." (pg. 650) If Egwene is going to be Amyrlin, I can't think of any better character training she could have had than with the Aiel.
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I think she did what she had to do in this situation, and it was relatively harmless, but that doesn't mean she should keep doing it. The place we've heard something about this before was from Hopper to Perin, regarding Slayer. Hopper said Slayer was there in the flesh and that it was dangerous. I think of it kind of like a drug or other negative habit. Once probably doesn't do much harm, but the more you do it, the more dangerous it gets. Also, if someone as homicidal as Slayer is there in the flesh, you should probably avoid doing it just to keep from running into him. Know what I mean?
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| Egwene wearing stole of Amyrlin Source |
Hm. Hard to say. The White Tower likes to say that certain things haven't happened for "thousands of years" but you get the feeling that perhaps some scandalous things have happened and been buried. Neither Siuan nor Moiraine has ever talked of such a thing, so it probably hasn't happened in their lifetimes. (We probably would have heard it from one of their POVs, or Moiraine would have told Rand or something.) Beyond that, really hard to say.
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Probably. Already, we're seeing awkwardness as Nynaeve and Elayne bow to Egwene and she begs them not to. For now, they're being BFFs for the most part--obviously this is a plus for Elayne and Nynaeve who were raised to the shawl and want to make a trip to Ebou Dar for the bowl--but if at any point they're at odds or either Elayne or Nynaeve does something public that Egwene is forced to punish them for, that could change. We did see briefly that Siuan and Moiraine's relationship became a bit strained before Moiraine died and Siuan was deposed. Part of that was that they weren't in the same place and Moiraine wasn't keeping Siuan in the loop. Still, a hierarchy of authority is generally not a good thing between friends.
7) Not all is roses & tea in Salidar. We have two Sitter Factions - Lelaine and Romanda, with Delana playing both for one goal - sever or kill Logain. What complications do you see coming out of this little knotted mess?
Plenty. Before, Egwene just had Forsaken and Shadowspawn to worry about. Not that it's a small worry, but at least it's pretty straight forward. Now she's entered the world of Aes Sedai politics. I thought it was funny that she was trying to recall everything Moiraine had taught her about the Game of Houses. Yeah, ya think? Even if she could get rid of the two women--send them off on embassies or something--there will always be factions of Aes Sedai vying for power and influence with her, as Amyrlin. I really don't envy her. I did enjoy seeing Nynaeve and Elayne and Siuan already going around manipulating Lelaine, Romanda, and Sheriam.
As for Logain, the second he was healed he became a pickle. There is no Red Ajah in Salidar, as yet, and that might be helpful when it comes to deciding what to do about him. Still, whatever it is won't be an easy decision.
8)  |
| Mat Cauthon Source |
Oh yes, very amused. I always look forward to reunion meetings. These characters (with the exception of Elayne) grew up together, and I always love to see what happens when they're all in the same room together again. The fact that this one was hilarious was just icing on the cake. I loved seeing Mat totally shocked about something. He always thinks he knows so much, it was nice to see him off kilter fora moment. When I first answered this question, I wrote something I remembered from this part that's way funny. Then I read it, and it happens beginning of next chapter rather than end of this one, so I took it out. Not that it's some huge spoiler or anything, just something Nynaeve does to Mat that might make whatever you're drinking come out of your nose. So look for that.
In terms of Olver, I think he's taking his cues from Mat. If Mat was cool with the Aiel, Olver would probably accept them sooner or later. Mat accepts far more than he pretends to, but vocally he's definitely a complainer. As long as he complains about the Aiel, Olver will always have a reason (more than what he already has) to hate them.
Extras: It was interesting to get to know Aswana. I think he's probably the most dangerous Whitecloak we've come across as yet.
Jordan does an excellent job with the Romanda/Lelaine dynamic. They're both such busy bodies, they don't realize they're getting in their own way just by being competitive with one another. It will be interesting to see where that goes.
Delana's still in quite a pickle with Halima. We see her being kept from appointments in several different factions, and being made to play every side so Halima (Aran'gar) can know what's going on. I don't envy her position.
Anyone excited to see what will happen when Elayne and Aviendha finally get a chance to talk? :D
How did everyone else like this section?
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Follow Friday: Thanksgiving Edition
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
What's your favorite Thanksgiving Day food?
I think I gotta go with the pies! I usually contribute side dishes and desserts to the family dinner. (Our family dinners include 30+ people). I did the classic banana and chocolate cream, plus my famous pumpkin desert. I've never been big on pumpkin pie. (Yes, throw tomatoes if you must) Having a sweet tooth, I just need sweeter things in order to consider them a real desert, so I made up my own pumpkin desert recipe, and the entire fam loves it! It's a layer of graham cracker crust, a cream cheese layer over that, and then the pumpkin/pudding layer. Basically it's vanilla pudding, flavored with pumpkin puree, and heavy on the spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. So, it's a sweet and spicy pumpkin desert, cooled by the cream cheese, and it's a huge hit! That's what's in the square pan. And then there's the peanut butter cream pie. That's actually different this year. I usually contribute a peanut-butter pie, but I used a different recipe this year.
So, what's your favorite Thanksgiving food?
Thoughts for Thursday: Thanksgiving Edition
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Just have fun, collect awesome sayings by awesome people, and try to be inspired!
Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of this feature! Here are some great thoughts on the holiday. Feel free to chime in with your own! I'd love to hear'em! :D (For even more quotes, visit my other blog.)
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Catching Fire Film + NaNoWriMo Updates with 3 Days to Go
With only three days left in the month, I've written 46,453 words in November, which puts me at 60,147 words for my novel overall. I have three days to write 3,547 words. I don't think I'll have a problem hitting it, but there is a little thing called Thanksgiving tomorrow, so wish me luck!
And good luck to everyone else finishing up their own NaNo projects.
Plot: Since I didn't get to re-read the book, I'm hazy on any smaller details that might have been lost or changed in the book to movie transition. But I can tell you that, for the most part, they stuck to the plot very well. All the big elements I was hoping for were there, and I didn't see any major deviations. They did, unfortunately, cut all of Haymitch's back story. Disappointing, yes, as it helps the reader/viewer understand his anger toward the games more fully, but it actually didn't bother me much. Granted, that may be because I've read the books and feel like I already know the character pretty well, but I asked my sisters, who haven't read the books, about it, and they didn't seem too bothered by it either. While they reported that they'd be interested to hear more back story, they said the fact that Haymitch is angry, that he connects heavily with Katniss and Peeta, etc., his back story can be guessed at. So, this particular omission didn't seem to be a problem for most moviegoers.
And good luck to everyone else finishing up their own NaNo projects.
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Catching Fire Movie Review
*No Spoilers! I promise!*
I went and saw Catching Fire over the weekend, as many people did. I had wanted to re-read it before seeing the film, just because it's been a few years since I read it, but I didn't get around to it. Not only did I not have much time (NaNo and all) but I couldn't seem to get my hands on a copy. I know I have at least three family members who own it, but no one seems to know where their copies are. With Christmas on the horizon, I'm trying to (temporarily of course! :D) cut down on my book spending.Plot: Since I didn't get to re-read the book, I'm hazy on any smaller details that might have been lost or changed in the book to movie transition. But I can tell you that, for the most part, they stuck to the plot very well. All the big elements I was hoping for were there, and I didn't see any major deviations. They did, unfortunately, cut all of Haymitch's back story. Disappointing, yes, as it helps the reader/viewer understand his anger toward the games more fully, but it actually didn't bother me much. Granted, that may be because I've read the books and feel like I already know the character pretty well, but I asked my sisters, who haven't read the books, about it, and they didn't seem too bothered by it either. While they reported that they'd be interested to hear more back story, they said the fact that Haymitch is angry, that he connects heavily with Katniss and Peeta, etc., his back story can be guessed at. So, this particular omission didn't seem to be a problem for most moviegoers.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Teaser Tuesday: Lord of Chaos
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week's teasers are from Robert Jordan's Lord of Chaos. I'm not technically reading anything this month, due to NaNo, but I am keeping up with my WoT read-along. So, here are this week's teasers.
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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"She was just at the point of shouting again, louder, when a rope ladder uncoiled down the side of the ship. No answering call came from the deck, yet that seemed invitation enough. Egwene climbed. It was difficult--not the climb, but keeping her skirts decently close; she could see why the Sea Folk women wore trousers--but she finally reached the rail...
She opened her mouth, and a dark hand flashed in front of her eyes with a gleaming dagger. Before she could scream, the blade sliced through the ropes of the ladder. Still clinging to the useless thing, she plummeted."What are you reading this week?
Monday, November 25, 2013
Inspiring Stories for Monday!
Happy Monday, Everyone! Seeing as how this is the final week of NaNoWriMo, and I'm kind of jumping around for content, I've decided to just post a couple of links and, of course, my NaNo updates. Check out my OTHER BLOG for a super creepy unsolved crime tidbit that's less than a year old!
1) I posted this story on Facebook, but it's just so dang inspiring, I think everyone should read it. Perhaps it will help us be more grateful and more giving this Thanksgiving!
2) If you want some great Thanksgiving stories, check out this anthology: Thanksgiving Tales, edited by Brian Jaffe. I don't make any money on its sales, but I do have a story in there called Hill vs. Hill vs. Hill. It's about my family's annual (and somewhat hysterical) Thanksgiving football game.
3) NaNo Updates. As of today, I've written 39,460 words for NaNo, which puts me at 53,154 words total for my book, Desolate Mantle. I officially have 5 days to hit 50,000 words, which means I have to write roughly 10,000 words this week. Wish me luck! :D
What did you think of the typhoon stori?
1) I posted this story on Facebook, but it's just so dang inspiring, I think everyone should read it. Perhaps it will help us be more grateful and more giving this Thanksgiving!
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3) NaNo Updates. As of today, I've written 39,460 words for NaNo, which puts me at 53,154 words total for my book, Desolate Mantle. I officially have 5 days to hit 50,000 words, which means I have to write roughly 10,000 words this week. Wish me luck! :D
What did you think of the typhoon stori?
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