Rhymes With Smash!

The (aspiring) author musings of Megan Paasch, and other stuff.

11 Apr 2013
14 Comments

Here’s Where I Do Something Scary…I Sing.

Eleanor Roosevelt said you should “do one thing everyday that scares you.” Well I do. I write everyday, (well almost) and that’s pretty scary, isn’t it? The fear that your story won’t pan out, that no one will like it, that you’ll send something out into the world and people will read it and might think it’s awful. That’s terrifying. But I do it anyway. I choke back that fear and damn it, I do it anyway. Because I have to. I have no choice.

No, no one’s pointing a gun at my head and telling me I’d better tap on that keyboard everyday or else. That’s not what I mean. What I’m saying is, writing is no longer a hobby for me. It’s an innate need. So I write, and I try not to think about the frightening parts.

But right now, I’m about to do something else. Something that I don’t have to do. Something that I enjoy doing all the time on my own, when no one else is listening. Something that I occasionally do in front of close friends and family – and maybe a few more people if I’ve had an encouraging beverage (ahem).

Basically, something that scares the CRAP out of me, and yet I’m going to do it. Why? Because Eleanor Roosevelt, that’s why! And because a few of you have seen me tweet about playing my ukulele and have asked if you’ll ever get to hear it. And also because someone must have gassed me with courage vapors in my sleep last night.  But mostly because I’ve always deeply wished that singing in front of others didn’t scare me as much as it does.

Yesterday I got the notion in my head that I could probably figure out the chords for “Java Jive” if I fiddled around enough. And I did! And I was so proud of myself that today, after lots of practice, I recorded it. I recorded it about twenty times, in fact, until I got a version that I was happy with. It’s audio only because I’m not brave enough to do video yet.

So ….(deep breath)….. here it is.

And now I will go run away and hide and breathe into a paper bag.

Thanks for listening!

Posted in Music, Twitter, Ukulele, Writing and tagged , , , , ,
01 Mar 2013
15 Comments

Five Year Old Live Tweets, Episode 1: Thor

My five year old is notorious for movie commentary. He also loves the movie Thor. This afternoon, I had the notion that I ought to share his magnificent musings about this movie on Twitter for all to see. People seemed to think it was pretty funny, so I thought I’d put them up here for those of you who missed the show. I suppose I should say that there are spoilers, huh? Fine, there are spoilers. There. Now you can’t get mad at me. Also, yes, there are typos. I was typing very quickly to keep up.

Enjoy!

Yes. My five year old is pretty awesome.

Posted in Humor, Movies, Twitter and tagged , , , , ,
30 Dec 2012
6 Comments

Memories of Indonesia, Part 1: Sound

When I was eleven, my family moved from the Seattle area where I was born, to Bandung, Indonesia. My dad took on a contract job through the UN working with a fledgling airline company in the area. My parents love to travel, especially my dad, and for him, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

I was terrified. I’d been outside of the country only twice before. Once was Canada, as we lived right near the border, and the other was a trip to England when I was nine – both English-speaking countries, both relatively similar to our own. My knowledge of geography at the time was limited, and so I’d never even heard of Indonesia; and we were going to be living there for at least a year, maybe more (two, as it turned out).

It was an amazing experience. I think it’s one of the best things my dad could have done for me. It introduced me to, not just one new culture, but many, as I attended an international school there with students from all corners of the world. I learned tolerance, acceptance, and understanding. I saw so many aspects of humanity, both ugly and beautiful. Those two short years shaped much of who I am today, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.

But it’s funny, I don’t talk about it much except in passing. I’ve never written about it at all. Whenever it’s brought up, whoever I happen to be talking to is interested, but I don’t really know what to say. My family’s lifestyle there was so different. Where does one even begin to explain?

My school had a reunion a couple of weeks ago. I was unable to attend, but I saw all of the talk about it on Facebook, and the pictures, old and new. It stirred up so many memories. It’s been twenty years now since we returned to the U.S., and I know I’ve already forgotten so much. So this year, I’m going to start writing it all down: just random memories, snippets of time, sights and smells, and little details. And although it makes me incredibly nervous (why, I can’t explain), I’ll occasionally share some of them here. The following is the first. It’s a bit disjointed, but that’s how memories often are, aren’t they?

***

Our house was built on the side of a steep hill. Across the dirt road, below the houses on the other side, was a vast valley filled with lush, green rice paddies. After that, another hill covered in trees. The towers of a University poked out above them, and sometimes we could hear music from the occasional celebration that took place there.

Noises traveled all up and down the hills and valley. Five times a day, we were treated to the hauntingly beautiful sound of five or six calls to prayer, emanating from minarets scattered throughout the area. The first would start up, a lone voice singing loud and clear – the closest. A moment later, another, and then another, all out of sync and melting together. It was comforting somehow, and one of the things I miss the most.

We had a small covered porch at the front of the house, where we would often sit in rattan rocking chairs and chat, or read, or just look. The best time was in the early evening, just before the sun went down and the mosquitos came out. It was fun to watch the fruit bats swooping around, darting after insects.

Another preferred time was during the rainstorms that occurred every afternoon for half of the year – the monsoons. We just called it the rainy season. It was a different kind of rain than what we usually experienced in Seattle – warm, thick, and pelting – but it reminded us of home just the same. And it cleansed and cooled the air, ever so slightly. So nice.

The dirt road that we lived on was called Cisitu Indah (the “c” is pronounced like a “ch”), which means “beautiful lake.” There was no lake around that we knew of, but there was a huge pothole in front of our driveway that would flood, all brown and muddy, during the rainy season. We often joked that this must be the lake the road was named after. There was a narrow walking space around it, so the occasional pedestrian or food cart owner – shouting out their dish at regular intervals, “Saté! Saté!” – could still get by. Cars and buses splashed on through without a second thought.

It sounds like we were on a high traffic road, and indeed, many people passed by, but it was just a neighborhood. A strange neighborhood, where each house was surrounded by high walls with barbed wire on the top, and a metal gate at the base of each driveway. Each household had a night guard too – a Jaga – because gangs of bandits were a rare, but real threat. And the police? Well, one would prefer not to have to deal with the police, no matter which side of the law one was on. So we had jagas, and all of the jagas in the neighborhood got to know one another, and shared reports of suspicious activity or encounters with the others. As a result, the “bandeets” mostly stayed away.

Our jaga, Y—, not only kept watch on the house all night, but also helped my dad get the neighbor’s horde of mangy guard dogs to stop barking – no small feat. But that, my friends, is a story for another time, and a strange one at that…

Posted in Indonesia and tagged , ,
11 Dec 2012
4 Comments

The Next Best Thing Blog Hop

First up, a few announcements:

1. Two posts back, I said that my goal was to finish my first draft before Halloween, but then I never came back to let you know if that actually happened. It did, in fact! I finished the final scene about a week before Halloween during a late night frenzy of coffee, chocolate, and typing – putting the final word to paper (or, to computer screen, in this case) at around three a.m. I then tried to leave it alone, thinking I’d distance myself from it for a bit before beginning revisions. But I couldn’t. Until…

2. NaNoWriMo swooped in to save the day. I wasn’t going to participate. I knew that November was going to be a crazy busy month for me. But then I found myself signing up. I’ll just write along at my own pace, I thought. Then Twitter friend and local author Annabeth Albert convinced me that I could shoot for a quarter of the wordcount, just to make sure that I write everyday. I thought, I can do that, no problem. What I didn’t think was that I would actually write 50,000 words in 30 days. That was NOT the plan. And yet, I DID. I ACTUALLY WROTE 50,100 words in 29 days. And now, half of my second novel, Midas Touched, is sitting in a big fat computer file on my laptop, smirking at me, saying “No more excuses. You can write no matter what is going on in your life. So write, damn it.”

During NaNoWriMo, Carey Torgesen tagged me for the Next Best Thing blog hop, and I couldn’t be more honored. I didn’t have time to do it then, because you know – NaNoWriMo. But this week I pulled out and started looking at the questions. Then, just a couple days ago, Kristina Pui also tagged me. I’ve been double tagged! That means I’d better get to answering those questions, right?

So here we go!

(I’ve chosen to talk about my first WIP, rather than Midas Touched, because the latter is still very much in its infancy.)

What is the working title of your book?
The title has been something I’ve been struggling with. I still haven’t a clue what I’m going to call it when the book is complete. So for now, I’ve been using “Liel,” the name of one of my main protagonists, as a working title.

Where did the idea come from for your book?
This story has been simmering in my head for so many years that I can no longer remember how I came up with it, exactly. I’ve always been fascinated with Celtic mythology and environmental changes. So somehow, somewhere along the way, those two subjects came together, and it all began to take shape.

What genre does your book fall under?
Upper YA / NA Urban Fantasy

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Wow, this was tough….Here goes:

Twenty-year-old Charlotte simply wants to get through college with minimal distractions; but when she encounters an odd, yet compelling man no-one else can see, she begins to experience strange things: blackouts, unfamiliar memories, and the ability to manipulate elements, drawing her into his world – that of the Fae – and the resurgence of a dangerous entity who threatens the very existence of human and Fae alike.

(A HUGE thanks to Carey Torgesen for helping me streamline and smooth that out! Phew!)

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I hope to have it represented by an agency.

How long did it take for you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I casually wrote, tossed out, and rewrote the first few chapters over the course of about 6 years. I don’t really count those versions, as they were vastly different than what I have now. I finally buckled down and decided to take the business of writing seriously back in April, and I finished the draft at the end of October. So, let’s say 6 months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Ooh, it’s awfully intimidating to compare this story to specific books. What if I fall completely off the mark? It’s part romance, part mystery, and part magic; so if you like books with those elements combined, you’ll probably like my story as well.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
When it comes to my two main characters, Charlotte and Liel, I have a tendency to see them more by their personalities than their outward appearances, which makes it difficult for me to picture anyone playing them.

I can come up with some possibilities for a few of the other important characters however. I’ve picked these actors solely by how they look. I’m not familiar with their acting styles (with the exception of David Strathairn and Joanne Whalley, both of whom I believe would do an excellent job) – their faces simply match the pictures in my head.

Liessa:
Diane Kruger

Ben:
Drew Van Acker
OR
Drew Roy
I just couldn’t decide between the two. They both look the part. Also, both are named Drew. Odd, that.

Daelin:
David Strathairn

Analeigh:
We have to go back in time for this one. I picture her as a young Joanne Whalley, particularly as her character Sorsha in Willow.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Well, as I mentioned above, I’ve always had a keen interest in Celtic mythology. But besides that, much of my inspiration has come from my surroundings. The beginning of my story takes place around the University of Washington, where I received my degree in History. The campus and the area around it is gorgeous. If you ever find yourself in Seattle, you simply must go visit. As a student, I liked to hang out there, even when I didn’t need to. Still would now if it wasn’t such a drive.

The rest of the tale takes place in the Snoqualmie Valley area – fertile farmland surrounded by woodlands, with the Snoqualmie River running right through it. Every single day I look outside and feel blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Really. It’s amazing.

The valley is littered with old barns, some of which are caved in, which makes them all the more interesting, in my opinion. There’s also the occasional abandoned farmhouse. I pass these buildings while driving all the time, and so of course, they made it into my story. The Fae (my version of them, that is) make use of abandoned buildings in an interesting way – I won’t tell you how here. You’ll just have to wait and read it!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Besides all of the Fae, and magic, and looming danger, and lovey kissy stuff?

Did I mention crows with ESP and stones that hum? No? Well now I have.

So, who shall I tag to do this next? Let’s see…

In alphabetical order (just because):

Casey Roach
Elle Flynn
Gareth Young
Kai Kiriyama
Olivia Kelly

No pressure! But I’d love to read about what you’re working on!

Posted in Writing and tagged , , , , ,
20 Nov 2012
9 Comments

More Than Writing

I think a few changes are in order for this blog.

I want to write about more than just writing. Everybody writes about writing, and I have very little to contribute in that area just yet, as I’m still very new to the process. But writing isn’t the only thing I do, and it alone hardly defines me as a person. I parent, I do crafty things, I bake, I geek out, and I even draw the occasional celtic knot. Yes, celtic knots. What?

OK, so maybe I haven’t been doing much of these other things lately (besides parenting of course), because writing has taken up most of my time, especially with NaNoWriMo going on this month. But my point is, I do have other things I like to talk about, and I think I would write here more often if I opened up the range of subjects.

So from now own, you can expect to see quite a variety of Megan-y topics. I thought I ought to prepare you. It could get…interesting around here. Or not. Maybe a little. Eh, who knows?

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing and tagged ,
02 Sep 2012
9 Comments

The State of the W.I.P.

Obviously, I’ve been neglecting this blog. I apologize for that, but I’ve been ridiculously busy the past month. When I haven’t been running around taking care of family things, I’ve been so focused on my W.I.P., that any spare writing time has been used solely for that. I even gave up the short story that I was working on for a contest, partly due to time, and partly due to the fact that I was not at all happy with it. (Note to self: practice writing short stories).

So here’s the thing: my goal is to finish the first draft of my novel before Halloween, because from then until mid-January, things get crazy around here. I’m not sure how it happened, but a large portion of my family, nuclear and extended, have their birthdays clustered within that three month period (OK, I do know how it happened, but we won’t go there). Add that to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, and I am a frantic, stressed out mess. So! I figure, if I can get the entire draft finished before all of THAT happens, I can step away from it during the entire holiday season, and come back with fresh eyes for revising and editing.

If you’re following me on Twitter, you may have seen me tweeting about doing some revising right now, which may be confusing. See, after I decided, around the middle of my draft, to step back and do some outlining and better character development, (I talk about it here and here); I threw out the entire beginning and wrote a new one from scratch. I also changed from first person perspective to close third, so that I can more easily switch to other characters when the story demands it.

But much of the middle is being kept the same – except for the perspective, of course, and some changes here and there to reflect the new beginning. That’s where the revising is coming in. They’re very rough revisions, however, and will need another pass (or two, or three) when I go back and revise the rest of the book.

I’m getting kind of excited, because I’m almost up to the point where I left off. Then I’ll be back in first draft territory when I write the last half of the book from scratch. That’s going to be the most difficult part, so it’s possible I’ll neglect the blog again when I get there.

I’m not sure any of this is very exciting to anyone but myself, but I thought I ought to update, since I’ve progressed a lot since my last post. I promise, the next post, whatever and whenever it may be, will be about something else. And hopefully more interesting. Hopefully.

Posted in Writing and tagged , , , ,
31 Jul 2012
9 Comments

By Jove, I Think I’ve Got It!

I am happy to announce that I am THIS close (imagine my thumb and finger held really close together) to starting back up on the draft of my W.I.P. I have a few more minor things to figure out tonight, and then I will be ready to go! The one major hold up for me has been figuring out the reasons – the big WHYs – behind the plot. Why does the Spirit return? Why does it choose Charlotte? I wasn’t comfortable with a convenient explanation such as “because she’s the one,” or “because some random prophecy said so.” I wanted the reason to be more tangible than that. And I found it. And it’s so simple. And I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.

It came to me today out of the blue, and at the last possible moment, because I set a goal for myself to be ready to start a new draft by August 1st. That’s tomorrow. Wow.

I haven’t been as thorough with the outlining process as I said I would here. For instance, I haven’t mapped out locations, but I have thought long and hard about them. I haven’t created a timeline, I haven’t figured out everyone’s backstory, and I certainly haven’t created a detailed, scene-by-scene outline. But I have done (for me) the important bits. I know the main plot points. I understand my characters: their faults, their strengths, and what drives them. I even have a few scenes written down on index cards and put in order, and I plan to add to these as I go along. I’m comfortable with it now, and I’m ready to go.

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing and tagged ,
25 Jul 2012
2 Comments

Random Phantom Earworm of the Week: The Great Escape Theme Song

I have a tendency (I’m sure we all do) to have a song pop into my head from nowhere, and stay there.  It won’t be from anything I can recall having heard during the day, or anything that I’ve seen. It just shows up, and I won’t even realize it until I catch myself humming it. I’ve taken to calling these songs “Random Phantom Earworms.”  Last night, it was the theme song from “The Great Escape.” I haven’t seen that movie since I was a kid. It was so bizarre, that I tweeted about it, and then I had an idea. What if I started a blog series called “Random Phantom Earworm of the Week,” where I pick whichever song most recently lodged itself into my brain, and use it as a writing prompt? It can be a fictional story inspired by the song, poetry (though not likely – I don’t write much poetry), or any memories or feelings that particular song dredges up. Today, I will treat you to the latter.

So here it is: The Random Phantom Earworm of the Week: The Great Escape Theme Song:

Ah, the memories – sacked out on cushions on the floor, my parents on the brown and orange striped sofa behind me in our cool basement on a summer evening, scraping out the last bits of ice cream and chocolate sauce from the bottom of our bowls. The cathode-ray tube television would be before us – a gigantic (for the time) cube encased in wood with dusty cable box, VCR, and stereo stacked on top. Behind it, on a ledge on the wall created by the house’s foundation, were rows and rows of VHS tapes. Mostly store bought, but occassionally taped off the tv as well, when a film was not available to buy – the analog version of a DVR. Usually there were three movies to one of these tapes, and if you wanted to watch the one at the end, you had to fast forward through the first two. This was not a problem. We were much more patient then, in the days before the internet and instant gratification. I remember the whirring as we sped through the images and the clunk when we found the right spot and hit stop. Sometimes we would speed right past it and have to back-track.

We had all the cool movies: “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Alien,” “Predator”, you name it, we probably had it. We also taped a lot of classics: Black and white detective films, Shirley Temple flicks, and of course, war movies made in the 50s and 60s. One of my Dad’s favorites was “The Great Escape.” I’ll admit now that I enjoyed it too, though at the time I would roll my eyes and whine.

“A war movie again? I wanna watch The Goonies.” I loved “The Goonies.” I even had the game for my Super Nintendo. But “The Great Escape” it would be, or “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” or possibly “The Dirty Dozen.” And though I claimed not to like them, and though I could have gone off and done something else, I stayed and watched. Because they were good, darn it. And you know what? When my kids are a little older, I’ll probably make them watch them too. And they’ll probably complain, and say they’d rather watch “Harry Potter.” But I’ll bet you they’ll stay and watch anyway, just like I did, and they’ll appreciate it later in life too.

If you’re interested in the true story behind “The Great Escape,” here are a couple of links to start you off:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_Luft_III_escape#The_.22Great_Escape.22

http://www.elsham.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gt_esc/

Posted in Music, RFEofW and tagged , , , , ,
22 Jul 2012
8 Comments

Cutting My Losses

I’m 40,448 words into my first draft, and I have lost sight of the plot.

I love my characters, and I love several of the scenes that I’ve written, but I can no longer make them work together in a way that makes sense. I think I’ve known for a while, but despite this knowledge, stubbornly pressed on. First drafts are bad, everyone says. A first draft doesn’t have to make sense. Just finish it and fix it later. That’s what editing is for. I agree that this is true, to an extent. But sometimes there comes a point when things are so messed up, it is better to cut your losses.

So, I’m backing off. I am shelving the draft. Not the story, mind you. The draft. I am starting over, and this time, I will do it right. I will keep a lid on my impatience and take the time to do a proper, detailed outline. I will fully flesh out my characters. I will set parameters for my world, rather than figuring them out as I go along. I will map out my locations, set up a timeline, and get to know the full backstory. I will figure out all of the hows and whys.

After I do all of this, and only after, will I start a new first draft. And this time, I will know what is going on, and it will make sense, and it will be great.

I know that this is common sense to many writers. I’ve lost count of the number of articles and blog posts that I’ve read extolling the virtues of proper outlining. I read most of them after I’d already started. I thought I would just finish “pantsing” through the first draft, and then go back and outline before writing the second. Because that makes sense, right? Wrong. I don’t know what I was thinking there.

But it’s all good. I’ve learned my lesson now. Yes, I’m disheartened. But I will get over it. I will not look at my last attempt as a failure or a waste of time. It wasn’t. I have learned so much – SO much – through the process. I have a better sense of my characters now and their relationships with each other. I have a myriad of ideas running through my head on how the story can be improved. And, most importantly, I now know a bit more about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to my personal writing process. This is a good thing. It really is.

Posted in Writing
13 Jul 2012
3 Comments

Awards!

I have FOUR blog awards! Being a brand new blogger and all, I’m flattered beyond belief. I will try to live up to them as my blogging experience continues.

Karen over at http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/ gave me three of them last Friday, which is so sweet of her! You should go over to her blog and get to know her. She’s awesome.

I meant to post about these over the weekend, but yeah, that didn’t happen. Sorry, Karen. But here they are now! The first is The Reader Appreciation Award:

The rules for this award are as follows:

“1. Include the award logo somewhere in your blog.
2. Answer the 9 questions below
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you enjoy.

4. Pay the love forward: Provide your nominee’s link in your post and comment on their blog to let them know they’ve been included and invited to participate.

5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.”

Here are the questions:

What is your favorite colour?

It changes, but lately I’ve been drawn to red and robin’s egg blue. How very retro of me.

What’s your favorite animal?

Crows, because they are crazy intelligent. If they had opposable thumbs, they would probably take over.

What’s your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

To answer the same as Karen – Coffee.

Facebook or Twitter?

I’m on Twitter more these days, so I guess I’ll go with that. But I use them for different purposes.

What is your favorite pattern?

Pattern? Hmm. Celtic knotwork.

Favorite number?

13

Favorite day of the week?

Saturday

Favorite flower?

Bleeding Heart

What is your passion?

Imagination

The second award is The Most Inspiring Blogger Award.

Now, I haven’t blogged very much ;) but it is good encouragement, and the award challenge is fun. I’m supposed tell you seven things about myself that you probably don’t know, and then nominate other blogs to do the same.

1.  I used to have the entirety of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” memorized. I can still recite the lines along with it.

2. I lived in Indonesia from the age of 11 until 13.

3. My husband and I were high school sweethearts, and got married after college.

4. I went through a brief period of time in highschool where I wanted to be a stand-up comedian. (Thank goodness that period was brief – I wasn’t that funny)

5. I wish I had red hair like Anne Shirley

6. I love 40s retro stuff

7. I am a Dance Central freak

The 3rd award is The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award, which as far as I can tell, has no requirements except to pass it on:

ALSO, a while back, Felicia Tatum over at http://followyourdreamsalways.blogspot.com/ nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award, and I feel awful that I am just now putting it up here. Thank you, Felicia! Please check out her blog. She really is a beautiful blogger.

Now for the nominees, in no particular order: (You are nominated for all of the awards, by the way, but you don’t have to do all of them if you don’t want to. I’ll understand. It’s a lot to do!)

Ellie Flynn http://petrichorgalore.blogspot.com/

Karen Robiscoe http://karenrobiscoe.com/

Keith O http://keithisaworkinprogress.wordpress.com/

M.D. Kenning http://mdkenning.com/

Sydney Aaliyah http://sydneyaaliyah.wordpress.com/

Emma McCarthy http://freejournowriter.wordpress.com/

Karen Einsel (for the Beautiful Bloggers Award, since obviously you already have the other 3) http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/

Felicia Tatum (for the top 3 awards, since obviously you already have the Beautiful Bloggers Award) http://followyourdreamsalways.blogspot.com/

And that, my friends, is that! I hope your Friday the 13th is a good one, and your weekend fantastic as well!

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing and tagged ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,503 other followers