Are you stumped? Can’t force yourself to write, or perhaps you want to meet up with some like minded people? Look no further, I have a few words of wisdom for those brave people that are taking down the dragon called National Novel Writing Month.First hint I have for you guys: Get friends-have a support group or at least one other person who you can “compete” with or get support from. I promise, when you compete with others you have more of a drive to write more.

2nd hint. Time yourself. Sit down for 5-10 minutes at a time, and just write, don’t get distracted. Then see how many words you got, and try to beat that score next time. Can’t time yourself? Well, why not check out Write or Die. Write or Die is an awesome website that forces you to sit down and write. The object is that you have to write a set amount of words in a set amount of time. If you don’t do this, well.. your work gets deleted!! Talk about a great motivation program. No one wants to lose their work. There is of course varying times from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Personally I wish they had a five minute writing option, but they don’t. =(

My last hint, or the third hint. Find a write-in near you. If you’re not on the NaNoWriMo’s main site, then you should get on there. It’s really fun, and you can keep track of friends and their scores. Also, when you join a region, you can find write-in’s near you. What are write-in’s you ask? Well it’s where a group of people get together at a public place, sit down with their laptops, paper and pencile, stone block and chisel, whatever, and they write. Or, you can sit around talking about plot points and character traits that you think are awesome. It’s a great exercise. I’m hoping to get to one sometime in the near future, so I can meet people outside of my known friends that are like minded. There’s also write-in’s specifically for teens, because I know that I definitely don’t want to go chill with some stay at home mom’s. Or I think I saw a high school teacher say they were gonna go!

Hopefully you found some of these hints helpful when tackling the NaNo dragon! Let me know if you have any other awesome ideas! I’m always looking for great motivations and such.

Happy NaNoing

~Nicole

p.s my nano page is at here

Yes, it’s national novel writing month. The month of November is reserved for this epic adventure of writing a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days. Many writers get together to collaborate and write during this month. The goal for each day averages around 1,700 words. For those of you who dont’ realize how much that is, that’s about three pages, single spaced.

So maybe 1,700 words a day sounds easy, but it’s already the second day and personally I know people who are already having issues. It’s hard to keep a stream of thoughts going on for that long.

The awesome thing about this project that it’s really all about quantity not quality, which is what most English teachers drive into your head. Your goal is to write as much as you can on a single subject. It doesn’t necessarily have to have a beginning, middle, or an end. It just has to have some kind of flow.

Personally I am going to write my life story. I’m sure I can find 50,000 words to describe 18 years of living.

If you’re interested in seeing what I wrote check this out. Or perhaps you wanna join yourself? Well click this link.

This is a great project for those who aspire to be writers. You can actually get a feel for how hard it is to actually write a novel. It’s also great because you get to interact with like minded people and get feed back on your stories. Maybe one day you might even read someone’s story on the site, and it turns out they get published! How exciting would that be!

Happy writing times

~Nicole

The Proposal: Movie Review

Basic Information

Director: Anne Fletcher (director of 27 Dresses and Step Up)

Writer: Pete Chiarelli

Rated PG-13

Length: 108 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Released: June 19, 2009

Nominations: ALMA Award (for Oscar Nuñez), Teen Choice Award (Choice Summer Movie Star: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds)

Awards: Teen Choice Award (Choice Summer Movie: Romance)

Actors/Actresses (Main): Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O’Hare

Plot

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) works for Colden Books, a book publishing company. She is the executive editor-in-chief there, and Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) is her assistant (basically, her slave). But all of it falls apart when Margaret is told that her visa expired and she is to be deported back to Canada…unless she can get Andrew to marry her (and after that, a “quicky” divorce). She blackmails him into marrying with a threat that she can ruin his chances of getting a promotion. So they go to the USCIS and say that they want to get married. However, one of the agents, Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O’Hare) is suspicious of fraud, and so warns them that if it is a fraud, then Margaret will be immediately deported to Canada and Andrew will be fined and sent to jail for five years.

To convince the USCIS agent that they truly are “in love”, Margaret goes with Andrew to Sitka, Alaska, to celebrate Andrew’s Grandma Annie’s 90^th birthday. There, they have to deal with Andrew’s family, each other, and their new feelings.

Thoughts

This movie had a cliché ending, but I still liked it. You can probably guess out the ending right now.

But I thought the acting was wonderful. Some scenes were just so wonderfully acted out. And it was also hilarious at some parts. I was cracking up almost the entire movie, but at some parts I was also misty-eyed.

My favorite character was Grandma Annie. She’s hilarious. There was this scene where she was chanting and dancing to the drums…ah. You’ve got to see that part. And there’s this scene at the end that was funny too, but I can’t tell you. Watch the movie.

Sweet, sweet movie. Five stars.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1041829/

So I realize I haven’t posted anything in a while: I have been UBER busy with my first year of high school. Who knew that one actually had to study every night to get good grades? I also joined a lot of clubs, which keeps me even more packed then usual. In all of this, I am sad to say, that I completely forgot about this blog. And I apologize. So now I will review a book. Let’s see, the last book I read was Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins…

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR BOTH BOOKS (Hunger Games and Catching Fire)

Being the sequel to the book Hunger Games, of course I expected a lot from Catching Fire. And all of my expectations were greatly exceeded!! This book had the perfect mix of romance, horror, and suspense. It’s the kind of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat–the kind of book that you read while you’re walking down the hall to your next class. And that’s exactly what I did. Actually, I seem to have developed this jedi-like talent for dodging people while still walking down the hall and paying attention to the story.

Catching Fire takes place in a desperate future world, where there are twelve districts ruled by one greedy, dicatator-like Capitol that controls their every way of life. To keep the districts in line and “remind them” why the Capitol rules, they hold the annual Hunger Games. Every district must provide two “tributes” ages 12-17 who will all be sent to an arena to fight to the death. Last Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mallark were sent to fight, and both won, thwarting the Capitol’s attempts to overpower them. Now President Snow, leader of the Capitol, is furious with Katniss and Peeta. And the districts are rebelling.

Catching Fire not only satisfies fans of the trilogy, but will leave a gaping cliffhanger that will leave them (and me ) begging for the sequel.

–Lindsay

To reserve this book, click on the picture.

After hearing that Atreyu produced a new CD, I checked it out on youtube and ran out to buy it. This CD is great! If you don’t mind some screaming and like alternative rock, you might enjoy this band.

To tell you the truth, Atreyu’s last album disappointed me (Lead Sails Paper Weights) It was too mellow, and had absolutely no hard core screaming or drums, etc. It was disappointing.

This album, however, is a perfect combination of their album Lead Sails Paper Weights, and their old music like A Death Grip On Yesterday. There are a few mellow songs, but they also have some screaming songs.

The lyrics to some of the songs are just amazing, as usual. The art work in the album is also amazing too. (There is a parental warning on the cover of the album for a good reason: there is some nudity in the art work) I really like it. It really fits with the music and whatnot. The only complaint is the lyrics are ridiculously hard to read.

My favorite song is Wait For You which was the first song I heard from their new album.  It’s very mellow, and a bit of a love song. But it also has some more heavy rockish undertones to it. I really love it =] It’s definitely a mood setter.

Overall, this is a pretty good album done by them. It’s different and it’s nice to see that they can stretch their musical abilities.

~Nicole

Necropolis By Anthony Horowitz

Click here to reserve this book at your Wake County Public Library!

It’s out. Book four of The Gatekeepers series has finally been released this year (and I finally got a hold of it). Yeah, reading in October is kind of late, considering that it was printed in April, but I’m still glad. And I had to start this review out with “it’s out”. It sounds cool.

Anyways, don’t read this book until you’ve read all the others. The first three books (in order) are Raven’s Gate, Evil Star, and Nightrise. And if you’ve read the Alex Rider series and liked it, you’re going to like this series even more.

Basic Overview (Again, No Ending)

Matt, Pedro, Jamie, and Scott have been looking for Scar, the last Gatekeeper. But they’re not the only ones who have been looking for her.

The news comes – a girl named Scarlett Adams is missing after a field trip to St. Meredith’s, a church that is one of the oldest churches in London. But she is found eighteen hours later, right in St. Meredith’s. Her story is that she went outside for fresh air, and then fainted. Of course, people are doubtful, but they leave her alone after that. Except Scarlett isn’t telling the truth. The truth doesn’t make any sense. And only a few people out there know the truth. Scarlett is one of the Five, and she has just gone through a Door.

Another world away, Hong Kong has been taken over by the Old Ones. They control every aspect of the city, slowly killing off its people and replacing them with shape-changers. Now, Scarlett is walking right into the trap. Her father, for unknown reasons, has invited her to go to Hong Kong. The other four Gatekeeper try to stop her, but the Old Ones are always one step ahead of them. Now, they have to get her out before the Old Ones take over her…and everything is lost.

Thoughts

Anthony Horowitz is one of my favorite authors. He has a blunt writing style, but he still manages to get a vivid image in your head. Concise, that’s the word.

I love the action. It had me holding my breath every step of the way. Sometimes the detail was a little too much information, but I loved it, nevertheless. The way he portrayed Hong Kong was amazing…I could tell that the city was sick.

There was so much suspense in this story! This is probably my favorite one (so far) out of all of his books. The secret messages, the danger…since I would rather not experience all that in real life, a book is a good place to find it. This 389-page book only took me two hours to finish because I was hooked the moment I read the first sentence. It was this: “the girl didn’t look before crossing the road.” Isn’t that a great beginning? Luckily, this isn’t the last book of the series (I was devastated when the Percy Jackson series ended…). However, the ending was disappointing. They kind of go in circles – each time they meet a new Gatekeeper, and then the Old Ones almost have no choice, but then something happens to the Gatekeepers. And then the Old Ones still have a chance.

Another thing — I liked Scarlett’s power, but it was kind of cliché. At least none of them could fly.

Rating

Another five-star book. And no, despite all the five stars I’ve given, five stars is still a hard rating to get from me. It’s just that I’m lucky that I’ve chosen books that I like.

Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

4 Stars.
Click to request this book from your nearest Wake County Library!
Check out this awesome trailer!

Click here to request the book from your Wake County Public Library.

Eyes Like Stars By Lisa Mantchev

Information:

ISBN: 978-0-312-38096-0

Published June 2009

Characters:

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith: Otherwise known as Bertie, is a seventeen-year old girl who lives at the theater, but isn’t actually an actor. She doesn’t know who her parents are, and she weaves fantastic stories about how she got to be in the theater and who her parents could possibly be. She adores dying her hair different colors (like Cobalt Blue), wearing black clothes, smoking, drinking, and cursing.

Nate: He is a Player, trapped in the theater by the Book. He is Bertie’s “protector” and a pirate from The Little Mermaid.

Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, and Peaseblossom: They are four annoying fairies (Players, obviously) from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They are Bertie’s sidekicks…and also tease and bother her a lot.

Ariel: He is a seductive air spirit from The Tempest. He is amazingly good-looking and is Bertie’s weakness. He is also a Player.

Ophelia: Ophelia is a Player. She is the daughter of Polonius in Hamlet and loves to drown herself. She plays a BIG part in this story…and, to everybody else, apparently is a complete psycho. But they don’t know how much she knows.

Sedna (the Sea Goddess): An evil witch who is also the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid. She’s a Player.

The Stage Manager

The Theater Manager

Mrs. Edith (the Wardrobe Mistress)

Mr. Hastings (the Properties Manager)

Mr. Tibbs (the Scenic Manager)

Basic Overview…Without Giving the Book Away

It seems like Bertie has always been at the theater. She doesn’t know who her parents are or how she got to the theater. But it’s a home to her. And it also traps the Players.

The Players are actors who act in the theater. They can’t leave the theater because they are bound by the Book. Now the Book may seem like a normal book, but it is ancient and magical, and it holds all the scripts, the Player’s lines. But not all of the Players are satisfied with the theater; many want to be free to explore the world outside. And there’s also the fact that Bertie might be kicked out of the theater unless she shows that she can contribute to the theater…and to contribute, she wants to put Hamlet in Egypt…

And then there’s Nate. Bertie isn’t sure what’s gotten hold of her, but now she seems to be…attracted to Nate, in some way.

There is also the question of her past.

Now, it seems like one of the Players has found a way to escape the Theater and has stolen the Book. Now Bertie has to save the theater and all its Players…before the whole building collapses around her ears.

I thought this was an excellent read, although I was a bit confused in the beginning. Mantchev doesn’t really explain everything in the beginning of the book; instead, she feeds you bits of information as the book goes on.

There are so many twists in this book! This isn’t the type of book where you can easily guess the ending. Just when I thought something was surely going to happen, something else did.

And her descriptions! They were so vivid! She is one of the best authors I had read, and her writing style is simply fantastic. This description of Mr. Tibbs is an example: “…if Mr. Hastings was a pale and shrunken stalk of celery, Mr. Tibbs was a livid beefsteak tomato. The Scenic Manager was round and red of face; he had plump cheeks and a wide slit of a mouth usually opened in a roar or, as it was at this moment, clamped around a malodorous cigar. He wore coveralls, trailed sawdust wherever he went, and the one time Bertie had seen him without his battered newsboy cap, she’d been simultaneously appalled and awestruck by the three strands of hair plastered over his bald spot…” (Mantchev P. 87).

I also love her dry humor, inserted randomly in the story. There are some cases of crude humor, so teenagers only…

She also uses plays as flashbacks, and I find that an interesting technique. It fits the book (because the whole topic of the book is centered on plays) and I thought that that was creative.

Five star book. It’s not every day that I say that, and for Mantchev’s first novel? That’s just amazing.

Did you ever see the movie The Breakfast Club? Alt Ed is a lot like the movie, but even better! Alt Ed is actually the last chance counseling class before getting kicked out of school. The six students who are forced to attend the class represent all of the cliques in school. The issues of social status, homophobia, ugly rumors, sexism, and intolerance create incredible tension. You will definitely be able to identify some people you know in this story. If you like realistic fiction and want something that takes place in a high school, this might be the book for you!