80 Post Challenge – Post 68

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Describe 5 things you want to see or do before it’s too late.

Hmm. Five things? Okay that should be easy enough. Behold…! My things in no particular order:

Visit Egypt
Tobu World Square Egyptian Pyramid 2I’m sure this has come up before, but I really want to visit Egypt and see the pyramids. I want to see the golden sand and the pieces of history that have spawned so many films and books (The Mummy). I want to see the obelisks and sphinx and what’s left of the incredible treasures of a people who were so advanced that they were able to build things that we can only dream of.
More than that, I want to get a feel of the place because so much of Silk Over Razor Blades is set there. I want to pick up enough of the country (through the touristy gunk) to add a splash of authenticity to my writing. I know the scenes that take place there are in ancient Egypt, but one can tell a lot about the past by looking at the present.

 
Learn To Play Guitar
open clip art - guitarI was supposed to be doing this already. But my obsession with long nails and my choosing to prioritise other things have prevented me from doing much about it. A pity, because I love music. The idea that I might be able to play (or write) my own music is one that is incredibly attractive to me. And… I dunno… more than ever, the idea that I might be able to play guitar feels like it would bring me even closer to Dave. Whether or not that’s the case is irrelevant, but I can’t deny that I’ve had a dream or two in which we’ve played together. Aww….

 
See The Giant’s Causeway
Fra Giant'sCauseway, N. IrlandYeah, the Geologist in me is still there. Quietly lurking. I want to see the Giant’s Causeway and walk across those hexagonal basalt slabs. I haven’t done much research into it (terrible, terrible, lazy!), but the idea that something so ordered can exist in a geological world where lots of it is anything but, is just incredible. In fact, that’s something I should look into when I have time. What geological processes made the Giant’s Causeway. Then I can see about visiting it.

 
Perform on Stage
Guillotine red curtain - By KDS444 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsI used to do a lot of performing. I was in the musical production each year at school and then at university I joined the theatre group. I love acting (even if I’m not all that great at it) and performing for an audience is one of the biggest thrills one can ever experience. I remember at my drama school when I performed in one of their shows (Millennium Child) in my first speaking role. It was fantastic watching the crowds and playing up to their reactions. Then at university when I acted in The Memorandum, I got to experience that thrill all over again. Its been a long time though; long enough that standing up at Alt Fiction to read my flash fiction piece was a little nerve wracking. With the twins I have no idea when I’ll ever get to perform before a big crowd again, but I really would love a chance to try.

 
Publish a Novel
black notebook and red pencil from OpenClipArtYeah, I know, I know. You might think its a cop out, but I think its mad to expect me to write a list like this and now see this as an option. After all, that’s what this blog is about. I. Want. To. Get. Published.
Not that there is a time limit on this exactly, but I feel that if I want to enjoy publication as much as I feel I should, then I don’t want to spend too long faffing around. After all, I’ve been trying to do this since sixteen years old. Meh… I’m twenty eight now; I still have time!

 

 

My 80 Post Challenge is brought to you with help from Tom Slatin’s 80 Journal Writing Prompts.

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Book Review: The Help

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Author: Kathryn Stockett
Title: The Help
Genre: Novel
ISBN: 9780141039282
‘Enter a vanished world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raise white children, but aren’t trusted not to steal the silver….’

Well. This book… I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked it up, but I will be honest and say the only reason I even bothered to start with, was because the book was bought for me. It was a Christmas present and I hate leaving presents unread. I always read books given to me, even if it takes ages.

But there were no fantasy creatures, no big battles, swords or dragons in this book, so what on earth did I want it for? There wasn’t even any gore or blood or vampires!

I’ll tell you what there is; plenty of humour and a colourful cast of loveable characters that just kept me turning page after page after page. In fact, this book got me through the first few hours in hospital, when contractions were still bearable and I needed a distraction from my impending doom.

The book is a tale centred mostly about three women; Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter (two maids and a white woman) and their relationship as they work together to do something that has never ever been done before. Something socially unacceptable and most certainly life threatening should the wrong people find out. The Help is a story of bravery and great deeds from three very normal, simple women.

Minny, without a doubt, was my favourite. She grows in a way that is gratifying to read through the course of the book and her relationships with various other characters provide laughs and tears in equal amounts.

Even if this sort of thing isn’t what you might normally pick up, trust me and give this book a read. You will not be disappointed! 🙂

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Funny Comments From My Spammers

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Okay, okay, this isn’t my idea. I was mooching through jmmcdowell’s blog and found an amusing post that forced me to hit the ‘like’ button. She talks about writers ‘losing it’ in a way that makes me feel even more like I’m not alone (thank you!!!) and wraps up the post with some comments from the spambots that visit her blog.

It intrigued me so much that I felt compelled to do the same. I also want to know if we’re getting similar sorts of comments. So… here goes:

~An interesting dialogue is price comment. I think that you need to write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject however usually people are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers

o.O more on the subject of my disclaimers? Really?
 
 

~Would you be interested in exchanging links?

No, ‘a pesar del gran evento. Debido a esto,’ I’m afraid I wouldn’t.
 
 

~My brother recommended I would possibly like this blog. He used to be entirely right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thank you!

He used to be entirely right? Um… so is he not now? But you still enjoyed spamming my Lucky 7 Meme page, right? Thanks. -_-
 
 

~This thing is bothering me. If anybody is able to answer this question, then I would be very grateful 🙂 Then what do you think ? How do you become a psychiatrist? Thank you for constructive response 🙂

Eeerm… but you haven’t asked a question. o.O Though I’m glad that Silk Over Razor Blades was able to touch you deeply enough to leave me a comment.
 
 

~Your house is valueble for me. Thanks!…

Eh?! o.O
 
 

~What’s up, I just wanted to tell you, you’re wrong. Your point doesn’t make any sense.

Awww, gosh darn it. I’m sorry… I’ll work a little harder on my disclaimers.
 
 

~Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!

Simple stuff, honest, but my disclaimers get a looooot of attention.
 
 
And that’s not even all of them, but what can you do? These are just some of my favs over the weeks though I’m sure, as time goes on, these comments will continue to be a source of amusement for me. I’ll let you know if there are any more good’uns.

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Six Sentence Sunday 17/06 #19

Posted on June 17, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Crickey! Its already the middle of June. Where the hell does the time go?!

Okay, this week I’m still on my my A-Z of flash fiction. Powering through I’ve now reached ‘J’ and the trigger word for this letter is Joke. So… Let’s have at it.

~Anna visits her daughter…

On the other side, a room filled with toys and stuffed animals was dominated by a single bed on a high platform.  There was a child strapped to it, arms pinned to her side by massive buckles that matched the pair gleaming around her skinny ankles.  Anna stopped before she managed to raise her gaze to her daughter’s face.
“Who would leave it in a child’s room?”  She whispered.  “Why my child?!”

Why indeed? Who can say, Anna? Sometimes people are just cruel. 😦

Right, I’m done. As always, the banner below will take you to the main Six Sunday website where you can check out what other authors are up to.

Have a good week!

Six Sentence Sunday

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Guest Blog: Advice From A Holistic Therapist

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Ileandra Young

Soooooo! In answer to my Call for Guest Posts I have a selection of posts for you from various sources. These fabulous people have been kind enough to take time out of their days to write up a little something for this blog because I’m so crazy busy! You’ll see these pop up over the coming weeks so be sure to keep coming back!

In the fourth post of the selection, we’re visited by Sally Edmans, a fine lady I met at the last Herofest LARP last year. Not only is she kind, thoughtful and generous, but she is also an holistic therapist and she has some gentle advice here that I feel we can all benefit from, in any walk of life.

Take it away, Sal!

*/*\*

Howdy.

My name is Sally, and I am not a writer by trade. In fact, I am barely even a blogger as I seem to be rather useless at keeping my blog up to date. Then again, that may be because I am being kept rather busy with my day job, so I can’t complain.

I am a holistic therapist. I pick up the pieces when people have tried to get the help they need through Western medicine and found that for one reason or another it isn’t working for them. I have a whole array of bizarre tricks up my sleeve that can help ease pain, relax tired minds and even help babies to sleep if their sleep pattern goes up the creek [Give me a shout if you need that one in the future ;)].

So what, you may ask, can I possibly bring to a blog about writing?

I often see people who have something wrong, but they simply do not know what it is. Have you ever had that feeling, where things just roll endlessly around your head and you can’t figure out what to do with them, or even what half of them are? It’s not totally dissimilar to writer’s block, but it is a problem that attacks most people regardless of their trade or profession at some point in this crazy, ultra-civilised world.

The first thing I can recommend for people experiencing this is to relax. If your brain is working overtime, taking five minutes a day to lie back, close your eyes and concentrate solely on your breathing will make a huge difference. I promise that any time you invest in activity (or inactivity) that switches your brain into neutral like this will add at least that amount in extra time to your day. Take five minutes to unwind and you will have at least five minutes more in your day. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. “I don’t have time to relax” should never be an excuse.

The second piece of advice I offer regularly is automatic writing. Take a notepad and a pen. Sit comfortably where you’re not going to be disturbed. Start writing. Do not pause. Do not even take your pen off the paper. Just keep writing.

At first it feels clumsy, awkward and unnatural, but if you continue to do this every day you will find that your mind will actually start to open up to you and let you know what is going on inside it. Once you get past the stage where you’re baffled by the whole experience and seem to write passages about the colour of your socks interjected with words like “flubber” and “banana”, you will start to see real profundity emerging. And now for the clincher: once you are finished with your writing, destroy it. Burn it, shred it, feed it to the neighbour’s goat. Just make sure that it is gone. Knowing that this is never going to be shared with anyone is what makes the process safe and secure, and what will appease your subconscious safeguards.

As writers, you will be prone to write with the intention of sharing it with others. How often do you remember to write purely for yourself?

May you all have a relaxed, healthy and happy day.

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