Camp NaNoWriMo

Hello, all!

Short post today; I really just want to talk about my plans for Camp NaNoWriMo next month.

I'm so excited! I only decided to do it today, because I've had this story idea swirling around in my head for the last few days, and I finally decided that I'm going to do it. I'm probably crazy, because next month is going to be really busy, but I honestly don't care. I can't wait. Plus, April 1st is a Saturday, so I'll be able to get ahead of the game that day and the next.

I've been really into writing my own fairy tales for a while now, and recently I decided to try my hand at rewriting one of my favorite Disney movies fairy tales: Beauty and the Beast.

Here's my story summary:

For hundreds of years, the kingdom of LaBete lived in peace, ruled by the Lyon royal family. But on one cold, wet night, everything changed.

All her life, Belle has known nothing more than the simplicity her village offers. Her world consists of trips to the market, reading her books, dodging fellow villager Victor, and being with her father. She has always heard stories of the mysterious vanishing of the Lyon royal family, but she has never believed the rumors that a beast now inhabits the old castle. 

One winter, Belle's father doesn't return from a trip. She goes looking for him, and soon discovers that his path leads to the front gates of the old castle, hidden deep in the woods. Inside the castle, she learns the truth of what happened all those years ago to the Lyon prince, and the truth about the rumors of a beast prowling the halls of the castle, waiting for its prey.

In one night, with one decision, Belle's life is changed forever. She can never return to the simple life she had before, whether she wants to or not. She is forced into a new role, and it will take all of her strength to survive on her own in this new world of magic and monsters.


I can't wait to start writing!

--Liz

What I'm Reading (March 2017)

I've been in a reading slump lately, and during January and February I probably started and put down at least ten books. But I think I'm finally out of it, and I'm finally reading again! So here's a list of some different things I've been reading:

Currently reading:

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr:
I'm only about 70 pages into this book (it's big), but it's very good so far. It tells two different stories from WWII, one of a girl from France, and one of a boy from Germany. It's an interesting book, and I'm excited to see where it goes.


Rereading:

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah:
Okay, so I haven't actually started my reread of this yet, but I'm planning to either today or tomorrow. I don't know why I'm going to put myself through it again, considering how much it made me cry the first time, but I love it so much I can't help it.

Recently read:

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane:
Wow, this book was a major mind-flip. I kind of knew what was coming, because of spoilers I got a long, long time ago, but I still had trouble following the reveal. It was wild, and not really believable. I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did.


The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger:
Now here was a book I loved. The book is written as a case file put together by a boy trying to figure out what's really going on with an origami Yoda his classmate carries around. There's a sequel, Darth Paper Strikes Back, which I haven't read yet, but want to. The book is funny and sweet, and I loved reading it.


The Light Between Oceans, by M. L. Stedman:
I don't even know what to say about this book. It was so beautiful, but it was also so incredibly depressing and hard to read. I loved it, but I wanted to throw it across the room a few times. It's not a book I would say I enjoyed, but it was definitely worth the read.



Hopefully it won't be another year before I post one of these again! I'm going to try and write one at least once a month, but we'll see if that plan sticks.

Oh Dear

Oh, dear. I seem to have forgotten about my poor little blog again. But I am going to sit here and write at least two posts, and queue them up to post later. So expect more from me in the near future.

To get caught up: I am getting through another semester, this time working in a kindergarten classroom as part of my classes. It's amazing getting to see kindergarteners every day, and I love it so much. It's an incredibly rewarding job, and it definitely boosts my self-esteem to have that many little people think I'm awesome.

I'm working on various writing projects, including a short story and editing my Camp NaNoWriMo novel from summer 2016. I did NaNoWriMo again in November of 2016, and it was probably my hardest year. I almost quit half-way through because I was struggling with it so much. But I powered through, and I finished again! Probably the most triumphant I've felt about NaNo because of the struggle it was (also the most exhausted I've felt).

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but I think (I hope) I'm finally clawing my way out of. I'm working on a post about what I've been reading, so stay tuned for that.

Also, I started another blog! I know what you're thinking -- "Liz, you can barely keep up with this blog. What are you doing, starting another blog?" And I know, I know. But this other blog, Write Your Love on My Heart, is a project I've wanted to do for a while. So feel free to check that one out.

That's all I have for right now, so I guess I should get to work on queueing up some other posts, huh?

My Life Right Now

It's been a long time since I've blogged... But I'm working on doing things on the internet other than tumblr, which includes keeping up on my blog. I'm going to shoot for at least two blog posts a month, hopefully soon working up to higher numbers than that. I'm going to be doing What I'm Reading posts, book reviews, writing updates, etc. Essentially what I've been posting, just hopefully more frequently.

So for this post, I will try to sum up what I've been doing the last several months since I've posted, and I'll start with what is most definitely the most important update:

I listened to the Hamilton soundtrack.

For anyone not familiar with Hamilton (is there anyone left who isn't familiar with Hamilton???) it's a hip-hop musical written by (the genius) Lin-Manuel Miranda, about none other than Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Miranda wrote and starred in the musical, and only just recently (July 9th) left the show.

Now, I'm not a hip-hop fan, or a rap fan. Hamilton features those musical genres, but it also includes music that isn't hip-hop/rap. HOWEVER. Even the songs that are hip-hop or rap are absolutely genius. The lyrics are intelligent and funny, and the story deftly intertwines the lives of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, the Schuyler sister, George Washington and more.

I can't fully express my love for this musical, and it probably deserves its own post. But for right now, just suffice it to say that I listen to the music almost non-stop (HA) and my sister recently described me in four words: "Obsessive over Founding Fathers."


Another big development: I finished my second year of college, graduating with an AA in Education. I'm transferring to a four year college to finish my Bachelors, and I start really soon. A lot of my friends are going to the same school, so I'm excited about that. When I first graduated from high school and started college, I didn't know anyone at my school, so that's one huge difference.

Another difference between my first and third years of college include the fact that now, I've actually experienced college and know what to expect. I know how to juggle my homework schedule, and I'm less scared I'll forget to go to class. Of course, now with my first online classes, there's always the chance I'll forget about those...


I spent a big chunk of my summer in someone else's home... I got a job as a nanny. The kids were adorable and smart, and boy were they FUNNY. I had so much fun hanging out with those kids all summer, driving them around, playing games (who knew there were so many different types of tag???) and cooking them lunch most days. It was exhausting, but so much fun.


One last fun adventure:

A few weeks ago, I drove a couple hours with my friend Mary to see another friend of ours, Charlie. We spent the day walking around downtown, eating fun food, and talking. Then, as we were driving back to Charlie's house to drop him off and hit the road for home, we got a flat tire. By some strange coincidence (Thank you, Jesus) my parents had also driven two hours to the city that day, and I was able to call them to come help us. We got on the road about 90 minutes later than we'd intended, and we had to drive slowly on the spare tire to get home, but we made it safe and sound, and the day was still a blast.


Those are the major events that have been happening in my life lately, aside from the lives I've been living in the books I'm reading. I'll update you all on those lives here pretty soon. ;)

What I'm Reading (March 2016)

Before my last post, it had been a long time since I blogged, so I figured I would write up a post about what I'm currently reading. I always have more than one book going at once.

Current Reads:

Right now, I'm reading Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, for the first time. I really can't say too much about the book, since I'm only about fifty pages in, but it's good so far. There are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments. It's hard to explain the plot, but I'll say this: Holden is a pretty screwed up kid. He needs help.

Another book I'm reading is 'Salem's Lot, by Stephen King. Now, I don't usually read horror. I like my sleep too much. But there's something about Stephen King I keep going back to. I'm about two hundred pages into this vampire novel, I like it so far. I'm curious to see exactly what goes down in the little town of Jerusalem's Lot.

At night, I'm rereading (for about the thousandth time) To Kill a Mockingbird. I started my reread on the day Harper Lee died. I read this book for the first time when I was around 13-14, and I absolutely loved it. It was assigned reading, and Mom told me to start with the first couple of chapters. I devoured the whole thing in two days. I think I love it more every time I reread it.

For school, I'm reading The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Oh, my word, this book deserves its own post. Though I'm reading it for school, it is a book I've been wanting to read for a long time. It's a beautifully written book about a boy, Amir, growing up in Afghanistan, and the things that shape him. The writing is so accessible, and it's not difficult to understand at all. But that doesn't mean it's an easy read. The pivotal point in the book, the event that changes Amir's life forever, comes in chapter 7, and it's positively horrific. I felt like I physically could not read the actual scene. But after putting the book down for a few days and giving myself time to process, I came back to it and found myself getting sucked back in again. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, because of how horrifying it is, but it's truly an amazing read.

The final book I'm currently reading is The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. This book is funny and quirky, and the first chapter had me laughing out loud. The book is about a woman named Precious, who opens a detective agency in Africa. I started reading it because I needed something not depressing to read. I'm not too far into it, but it's adorable.


Recently Read:


Recently I read Ruta Sepetys' new book, Salt to the Sea. I think I read this book in about six hours. It was amazing. I'm formulating a review in my head, so stay tuned for that. For now, I'll just say this: Ruta Sepetys writes historical fiction (especially WWII) better than so many other writers now. She has the power to make me weep for characters I've only been with for six hours.


I also recently read Wuthering Heights, which was an absolute delight. I love a good gothic novel. I tried to read it once before, but never finished it for some reason. I laughed out loud at it sometimes, because the idea that anyone could find Heathcliff (or Cathy, for that matter) even remotely appealing was ridiculous. I once took a quiz along the lines of "Who is Your Classic Novel Boyfriend?" and I was horrified when I got Heathcliff. But I didn't know how the novel ended, so reading it was great because everything was a surprise.


To Be Read:


Currently on my TBR pile is Pure, by Julianna Baggott, and All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. I may be changing this around to get some happier books in there. We'll just have to see.

Stephen King and Warm Weather

I don't know what it is about warm weather that makes me want to read scary books. I don't know if I'm braver when the days are longer, or if it's because of the summer after my senior year when I read The Stand, Cujo, and Misery. I didn't read them one right after the other, but I still think of that summer as the Stephen King summer.

Because the weather is warming up now, I'm craving those thrillers again. I even thought about rereading Cujo, for some deranged reason. That was my least favorite Stephen King book, and I won't watch the movie. Maybe I will someday, but I doubt it. The trailer was enough to remind me why I didn't like the book. I remember when I was reading it, I lay in my bed that night staring at the ceiling, regretting my decision to pick it up. And then I woke up the next morning and practically tore through the house looking for it so I could find out what happened. I loved it as I was reading it, but the ending left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Stand was probably my favorite Stephen King book. I loved the battle between good and evil, and the Biblical parallels. I think it's interesting that it starts as an apocalyptic pandemic, but before too long it has shifted to a classic story of how no matter what happens, there will always be good left to fight the deep evil in the world. The miniseries is well done, even if some of the acting is bad.

As a writer, Misery is probably my worst nightmare. For a long time I swore I would never read it. But somehow, it was still the first King book I read. I borrowed the ebook from my library, and I can still remember sitting curled up in the corner of my couch, clutching my iPod and reading certain scenes in horror. Even though it completely terrified me, I thought it was a great read, and I've watched the movie twice. I have yet to reread it, though.

I just finished reading The Running Man, which was a really interesting story. It wasn't as scary as some of King's other books in that it's not horror, but it was scary because I can see some of the things described happening in our own society. The dystopic world Richards lived in, in which the air is polluted and millions of people are trapped in crippling poverty rings very true to our own society. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't like the main character very much. It's hard for me to enjoy a book if I don't like the main character.

Right now I'm reading 'Salem's Lot, but it's going slowly because I don't read it at night. I'm not quite 100 pages in, but I'm definitely hooked. I can't wait to find out exactly what goes down in the little town.

I'm a fan of Stephen King, but every time I look at his shelves at the library, I lose count of how many of his books I don't want to read. The number of books I do want to read is far outnumbered by the ones I don't. He's an interesting man, that Stephen King. I wonder what it's like to live inside his head.

The Problem With "The Cursed Child"

So, before we jump in, warning here: MAJOR HARRY POTTER SPOILERS. IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS, SKIP THIS POST.

I know, I know. Harry Potter and the Death Hallows came out in 2007, and the last movie came out in 2011. But there are still people reading the books or watching the movies for the first time, and they might not want to be spoiled.


Another caveat: This is just my opinion. If you are completely excited about The Cursed Child, that's awesome. I just have a lot of thoughts on it, and I'm putting them out there.



Okay, let's do this. Brace yourself -- this is going to be a long one.


If you know me, you know what a huge Harry Potter fan I am. My mom read me the first book when I was six/seven, and I have loved it ever since. I've been to movie and book premieres and dressed up, I went to Wizarding World a few years ago and almost cried having breakfast in the Three Broomsticks. I have written thousands upon thousands of words of HP fanfiction. I own a replica of Hermione's wand. I still have multiple HP posters on my walls, and I still buy shirts. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that J.K. Rowling was writing something new, something about Harry.

I eagerly read all the news about it, all her tweets and comments. I was so excited that she was writing something new. Everyone assumed it was going to be about Harry pre-Hogwarts, and I was no different. I was hoping for some magic adventures, turning teachers' wigs blue... all that good stuff from the first book that is mentioned, but never seen.

Then she announced the plot line.

And I'll admit, I was kind of devastated.

If you haven't read the summary of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, you can do so here. At first, I was just kind of in shock. I thought J.K. Rowling would never tell another story about Harry's children; I thought she would leave it with "All was well," but I guess I was wrong. After I read the summary a few times, I began to slowly feel disappointment, and then more and more my feelings veered toward being upset.

I just finished a reread of the whole series, and when I reread it, something in me changed. Before, I was dying for just one more story, something about Albus and Lily and James. But when I finished rereading Deathly Hallows, when I wiped my tears and looked at the page, at those words, I realized I was satisfied. I loved "All was well." I loved that she ended the story that way, with those three simple words.

But not anymore.

Now, all of a sudden, everything is not well. Something happens that changes that beautiful peace Harry has spent his entire life trying to achieve. Something, as it seems, that comes from within his own family. That's just not fair. Harry has lived with abusive relatives, been tortured, possessed, dealt with chronic pain from his scar, struggled with PTSD from watching the deaths of people he loved, and was even killed himself. But finally, at the age of seventeen, he ended all of that. And nineteen years later, he had a beautiful family, peace reigned in the Wizarding World, and his scar had stopped hurting. All was truly well, until apparently a few months or possibly years later.

I don't know exactly when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes place, but it can't be too long after Deathly Hallows. So what happened to "All was well"? What happened to change that? If my interpretation of the summary of the new story is correct, then Albus is the Cursed Child, the surprising place darkness comes from.

Really? The child of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley? The child of the boy who was brutally tortured and tormented, and who remained kind, the boy who sacrificed his own life so that the people he loved could live. The child of the girl who went to the Yule Ball with Neville because it was the kind thing to do, who stood by Harry even when it was breaking her heart, and who was one of the three facing down Bellatrix in the final battle. This child of these two wonderful people has darkness in him? This is something I can't even begin to understand. This is the same child who was afraid of being in Slytherin. What could possibly happen to turn this precious child toward darkness?

And that's where another problem comes into the light. I may never know what happens to Albus, because this story isn't being released as a book, or as a movie. No, it's being released as a play in London, with expensive tickets and a limited run. The eighth Harry Potter story is being released to a certain group of people: those who can afford to pay for it.

I don't like that the eighth Harry Potter story is only available to those who can afford tickets/travel. One of the reasons Harry Potter is so important is because it was a story that reached millions all across the world. There's no way I would be able to afford to travel to London, buy tickets for parts 1 and 2 of the show, and I don't know a single person who can afford that. I don't understand why J.K. doesn't understand why this is a problem for people.


Yes, I do understand that these are J.K.'s characters, and this is her world. As a writer, I totally understand this. But at the same time, the stories have been over for years. I'm not saying I've moved on, or grown out of Harry Potter. I'm not saying I'm boycotting The Cursed Child, or that I'm not curious or excited at all. Because I am very curious, and it is more Harry Potter. What I am saying is that I find the plot to be problematic, because it undoes the ending of the original stories. I find the way the story is being put out there to be problematic, because only a limited number of people will get to experience it first hand.

I'm still Harry's girl, through and through. Always will be. But this story doesn't seem to fit in with the Harry I've known and loved since I was six years old. And that, to me, is problematic.