Alright guys. It's time to get serious.

I was watching E! News the other day (Don't judge... it's my guilty pleasure) and they were - shocker - talking about celebrities. In particular, Justin Bieber. There was some scandal involving him, I don't remember the details, but the point is that one of the anchors felt the need to say that he is a Bieber supporter - and I don't think he meant his music.

It is no secret that half of the talk about Bieber involves some type of hate, whether it be about his music or his scandalous reputation. I, for one, don't understand any of it.

If you would have asked me a year ago - no, maybe even a month ago - for me to make a list of the five celebrities I hated, I would have done it with no hesitations and probably with accompanying stick figure doodles. But it was E! News and a few online gossip articles that got me thinking about what hate really means. Hate is a strong word. We really take it for granted. We point it at food that tastes funky to us, we use it to describe our feelings towards homework, but most often we associate it with other human beings.

I do believe that there are instances where "hate" can be used to describe your feelings towards someone. But the only instances that involve that are when you have a personal relationship with that person or know them through association with others. They may have done you or someone you care about wrong and that, I believe, is a good reason to use "hate," albeit sparingly. Don't use it if a guy broke up with your best friend - call him a jerkwad or the slew of other creative nicknames that come to mind.

Hate in relation to celebrities is an entirely different case. There is a strong chance that the celebrity you claim to hate is one who you have never spoken to or even seen in person. It is understandable to forget that they are people sometimes. They appear on our televisions and on the glossy covers of tabloids, far away from our mediocre lives. They are entities, they are larger than life, they are rich as hell and we constantly wonder how that is. But they are also people. People with feelings. When you write a blog about how much you can't stand Miley and her obsession with twerking and how much you hate her for getting all this attention, you don't realize that there is a person on the receiving end of that rant. Think of it this way: Would you tell the head cheerleader at your high school that you hate her guts and wish she would die because she was a slut and had everything you secretly wanted? In most cases no, you wouldn't. If you are the person who would do that, congratulations. You're about as mature as a fourteen-year-old.

If you genuinely don't like someone, that's fine. If you don't like an artist's music, that's fine. If you don't agree with some of the things they're doing, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Everyone is entitled to share those opinions. But think before you talk or post about it. Think about if you really hate the person you're talking about or just get a bad vibe from them. Hate is a strong, hurtful word. This can apply when you're talking about someone in your life or someone as far away as Beverly Hills. I can do a whole other post about cyber bullying so I won't talk too much about that - I think you get the gist of that issue.
Moral of the story: Think before you speak. Do unto others as you would do unto yourself. Or your best friend. Or parent. Put a face to person that you're talking about and imagine them reading what you wrote or listening to what you said. Put yourself in their shoes. Does it feel good? Do you enjoy hearing people say they hate you without even knowing you?

This is the last time I'll be posting about finals, guys. I promise.

(Until April, that is. Groan.)

This time around, I'm going to share some study tips for you lovely people. At least, the ones that have worked for me in the past. Study methods vary from person to person so take these with a grain of salt.

• Never study with more than three people. Three is the cap for most study groups. If it gets over that amount, the group members tend to get really chatty and distract each other from doing actual studying. (Again, this is my own experience, so if a big group usually works for you, more power to ya.)

• Also on the subject of groups: Pick your study buddies wisely. Don't say yes to a friend you know is going to distract you if you have legitimate work to get done. Save that for when they are the ones that have to study. 

• Take breaks. Don't study in five-hour long blocks. Study for an hour, take a ten minute break and play a relaxing game of Solitaire or something. Then, straight back to work.

• Bring both healthy and not-so-healthy snacks. The healthy ones are for when you're actually hungry and need an energy boost. The not-so-healthy ones are for rewarding yourself for getting stuff done. For example, I knew a girl who did her reading for class by putting a Skittle after every paragraph. 

• On the subject of food: Don't forget to eat. I know that finals week is a stressful time. Some people don't eat when they're stressed. But even if you're not hungry - if you haven't eaten in six hours, have an apple. Or a cookie. Keep that blood sugar up so you don't pass out or die. Dying while studying would be the worst way to go, really. Don't subject yourself to that boring obituary. 

• Listen to classical music. Maybe even some Dubstep. Lyrics are a distraction more times than not. Especially when writing that final paper you've been putting off since Midterms. Yeah, that's right. I'm looking at you, bub.

• Wear comfy clothes. Seriously. The comfier you are, the more relaxed you are, and the less distracted you'll be from constantly pulling down that shirt that just a little too small on you but you like it because you spent your entire paycheck on it and a pair of boots. No one is going to care if you show up to the library in Ninja Turtle pajama pants and an old sweater you still have from high school. Because chances are, they're either wearing the same thing, or envious of you having the guts to wear it in public while they're constantly adjusting their miniskirt.

• Pick a crowded place to set up camp. The slew of people surrounding you that are doing work will act as a motivator to get off Tumblr, pull up Google Scholar, and get cracking on the research for that same paper you've been putting off since Midterms. Or a whole other paper you've been putting off. You know, because you're really good at organizing your time. Still looking at you, bub.

• Write a to-do list for what you want to accomplish that day/afternoon/evening/whatever. Don't try to get all of your studying for all of your classes done at one time. Space it out. Do it little by little. Or conquer whatever is due first/whatever exam is scheduled first. That's what I do. Then, if I get tired or bored with it, I switch over to a larger project that due later in the week, and come back to whatever is due first. 

It's that time of year again, folks.

Nah, not Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm talking about something even more disturbing with far less candy and cheerful carols.

Finals.

Each year, finals have been getting progressively more stressful for me. This semester, I have a paper for every class, plus three in-class exams, one take-home, a portfolio, and I'm performing in a holiday concert the Monday the pandemonium begins. Plus, I get to work all of Black Friday Weekend. It's safe to say I've been close to losing my marbles every day.

To help alleviate some of the stress, I thought it would be nice to put together a list of all the things that are helping me get through these next few weeks.

• Coffee and tea - and lots of it
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons study breaks
• Equally stressed out roommates to share the pain
• The light at the end of the tunnel - Christmas break
• My new warm sweater-wrap I splurged on from work.
• A heated apartment
• Junk food
• Sleep - and lots of it
• Socks (preferably fuzzy ones)
• The premise of finally having time for leisure reading
• Warm showers
• Netflix
• Twinkle lights
• Thinking about my upcoming summer in London
• The hope that I'll finally get some time to work on my book after the semester ends

I don't understand all of the hate that is coming out about this movie. I absolutely loved it. Of course, I had my stipulations, but all around I really enjoyed it. And, before you ask, yes I read the book. Honestly, I am insulted you would even suggest such a thing.

A lot of the problems people had about the movie are mostly to do with it being so slow-moving. And to that I say: Have you read the book? I read it for the first time this summer when I heard the movie was coming out. I had been recommended it before but never had much initiative to read it until I saw the first trailer for the film. And, I'll admit, it was pretty hard to get through. I'd heard so much about it. Heck, even my dad read it (which isn't that much of a surprise since he's more of a SciFi nut than I am... but still!). The majority of the book takes place at battle school, as does the movie. It focuses on the many battles Ender had to face such as the battles between armies and his personal demons, as does the movie. So really, I don't get why everyone is whining so much about it being so boring. My coworker, who hadn't read the book, holds that opinion, which I respect. But I honestly don't understand why people who read the book hated the movie so much. The acting was good, the visual effects were stunning, and it followed the plot as well as it could with the book's vast timeline.

Now, I'm not saying the film didn't have its weak points. SPOILER ALERT. PLEASE DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO AVOID MAJOR MOVIE GIVEAWAYS.

Peter. I wanted more of him. At the beginning of the book, we see that Peter is pretty much a psychopath. Now, the movie does allude to this. But then it just drops it. The movie version of Ender and Valentine do discuss later that Ender is not like Peter, yada yada yada. But if you didn't read the book, you really wouldn't understand what that meant. Peter is a guy who tortured living animals. I just wish that the movie would have emphasized Peter and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his family.

They also way overplayed Petra and Ender's relationship. I understand why - it's explained in this Wired interview with Orson Scott Card - but it was still unnerving to witness. Especially since I know in the books they have a significant age difference. *shivers*

My final point is a positive note to end on. Card has openly said that the movie is "damn good" so... there. I like it. Card is obviously fine with how it turned out. Now I'll just go off and bake a cake so we can all eat and be happy.

Okay. I cannot keep my silence on this issue any longer. I've tried to keep a level head and brush it off but my patience is wearing too thin to be considered healthy. I should probably write about it before I start screaming.

The issue is, naturally, about books and movies. They kind of dictate my life, in case you haven't been able to tell already. More specifically, I want to talk about book-to-film adaptations. Again, this isn't really surprising because I have already ranted about this topic in a previous post. But this time I want to narrow down my scope to an particular aspect of the process that I've been seeing a lot of lately. I don't know whether it's because we're in the social media age or people's filters are getting thinner but, nonetheless, this is an issue I feel I need to speak up about before my head explodes.

Being an aspiring novelist, I've looked into the industry quite a bit to get a general know-how before I sell my soul to it. Do I think it's worth it, you ask? Well, I'm still writing my manuscript if that's what you're wondering. I'll get back to you about the other thing.

During my trek into the wonderful world of publishing, I came across some author's experiences with their books being turned into movies. Whether or not this process had happened to them, they pretty much all had the same things to say about the process. Here's a general factoid for those interested: When you sell a book to a publisher you also sign a waver-type document releasing the rights for a film adaptation. Sometimes, the waver is never taken on by a company, but in most of the cases I've found, the rights are purchased by a production company. Whether or not they immediately adapt the book into a film depends on their particular strategies, sponsors, etc. If they do choose to move forward with the project, it is their decision how much influence they want the author to have. But, ultimately, since it's technically their film, they have the final say. Of course, my opinion is the same as most book enthusiasts - the author is the best tool you have to making a successful film. End of story.

Now that you're a bit more educated on that lengthy process, let me tell you about casting. Assuming the adaptation's production is moving forward with all of it's moola, the next step is to cast the characters. This is very tricky and most of the time, the author either watches the auditions or some form of them (tape, Skype, etc.). These are their characters that we're talking about. If the author had absolutely no say, there would be a major problem. But, thankfully, they're usually included.

Again, this is a general consensus among most of the authors I've researched: They care more about the characterization of the character more than the appearance. So, you know, if the actor can act like the character they envisioned, that's all that matters. Not the hair color. Not the bone structure. Not the body build. The acting is the main priority. As it should be with casting any movie. If you don't believe me, just look at John Green's Tumblr. Go on.

The reason I'm talking about this is because of two major franchises that are coming to the silver screen. I'll talk about the one I'm more well-versed in and, honestly, care more about. The Vampire Academy series has one of the most loyal and die-hard fanbases out there. They've pretty much been campaigning for a movie since the series first started in 2007. Now, their wish is being granted with The Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters. At first, the fandom was in a roar. "FINALLY!" They cheered. Now, it's turned ugly. And not in a good way.

Fans are usually very particular with the cast of a movie. They cheer and rejoice when the actor perfectly matches their image of the character. But when they don't... man, do they let people know. With TVA, I've seen a lot of hate towards the casting of Dimitri - Rose's love interest for this and many other installments of the series. I, for one, was super pumped when pictures first came out of Danila Kozlovsky. He's hot, he's lean, and he's actually freaking Russian. How much more of Dimitri could you ask for? As a fan of the books, I was very much pleased with this news, as were many others. Now, it's a completely different story. What's changed? Not much, really, other than the fact that the production company responsible for bringing the movie to life is beginning to publicize the film. I liked the Vampire Academy Movie Facebook page and they are really good at keeping fans updated on the latest interviews, pictures, and footage from the set. Yet looming over all of this excitement is a dark cloud of comments from "fans" dissing Danila and other cast members because they are "not what they pictured" or "not hot enough." Don't believe me? Here you go:

When I started college, I expected to make a lot more friends than I did. Don't get me wrong - I love the friends I have here. It's just not what I was expecting. Especially with all of the stereotypes that go along with "The College Experience." You're supposed to meet the friends you'll have for the rest of your life and, in effect, never really talk to the friends you had in high school. For me, the opposite happened.

I have a handful of good friends here at college. I love them to death and they help me through some really tough times. But I also have more friends scattered around the state, going to different colleges or setting up their lives. Those are the friends I made in high school and - guess what - we're still as close as ever.

20 years ago, this would be a rare thing to hear. But, thanks to Facebook, texting, Skype, and good old phone calls, I talk to nearly all of the friends that I had during the four years I spent behind bars in high school. We also get together during every break and try to visit each other during our crazy college semesters when we have the time.

My parents think it's the oddest thing. They rarely talked to anyone from their high school years when they went off to college. And even now, my brother, a freshman in college, is going through the same thing that they did even with the technology he has at his disposal. That leaves me to wonder - is it really technology that keeps us together or am I just some rare case in a sea of forgotten high school relationships?

I like to think it's a mixture of both. I use technology regularly to talk to my friends but maybe that's not what's really keeping us together. In fact, I hope it's not. I think I got very lucky and formed the bonds I was "supposed" to make in college while I was going through puberty. Keeping those bonds is continually aided by 21st century technology. Without it, I would lose out on these everlasting friendships that range anywhere from six to fifteen years.

Did I know I was making friends for life in high school? No. But I hoped we would all stay in touch when college started. And then we did. Now, I can't ever imagine my life without any of them.

I think the moral of this post is thus: Don't give up on friends. Whether it be childhood, high school, college, or work friends, give each of them a chance to be in your life. We have the technology today to make that stuff happen. If they're not meant to be there, then at least you can say that you tried.

As many of you are probably aware, the U.S. Government is officially shut down and has been for just over two weeks. This post is a bit overdue but it's better late than never, right?

I will not spend this post rambling on about why the shutdown is happening because, frankly, I'm still a bit confused and don't feel knowledgeable enough to tell you how it is. So, instead, I'm going to link to a YouTube video down below to fill you in before I continue on. Some of you might be familiar with the Vlogbrothers, I hope...

So last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Artprize for the third consecutive year. Let me tell you, it just keeps getting better and better!

Hint fiction: A story told in 25 words or less.

I tried my hand at it today during a discussion led by author Roxane Gay. She gave us around ten minutes to write a hint fiction piece. I quite like the one I did so I figured I'd share it with you fine people. Seeing as how I usually have real trouble with flash fiction, I thought I would have trouble with this as well. Maybe I just got lucky.

Democracy
It has been 38 days since the government banned all use of numerical counting.

-

Have you ever written hint fiction? Have any pointers or horror stories? Want to share one? Let me know in the comments!

So I was casually reading comments on my old stories. You know, a normal Friday night. Some of the comments were amazing to look at. Super flattering, nice little reactions to small twists I wrote. It was surreal - especially reading them years after I finished my story.

And then there were the criticisms.

In all honesty, I like reading those the most. I genuinely enjoy most criticism as long as it's helpful and genuine. Usually, you can tell when criticism is written with genuine interest in improving the story and the writer's style as a whole. I take all of those comments very seriously and incorporate the ones I feel I should work on.

The thing with posting your stuff online where literally anyone can comment if they so choose... you're going to encounter another type of criticism. Although, I wouldn't even call it that. Some people have come to call it "flaming" but that doesn't quite seem to cut it for me. I just call it being a jerk.

The way to tell the difference between constructive criticism and someone being a jerk is very simple. Criticism usually starts out with a positive thing such as "I like how you did this" or "Great job with this" and then is promptly followed by a "but" or list of things they didn't fancy. The things they list are done so eloquently, and mostly with examples from the writing itself where you did so. If it's character or plot they're having an issue with rather than prose, its more or less the same formula with a few generalizations about mannerisms they didn't like or a certain way your under-described something.

And then there are the jerks.

Jerks start either with an insult or something about how they found it difficult to get through your story. They go on and on about the horrible choices you've made or how juvenile your plot is. Yada, yada, yada. Once upon a time, these comments used to hurt me so badly that I would cry. But then, after years of practice and some really great advice, I stopped caring. I stopped letting them get to me. Because, really, it's not you they're after. Their comments are real and hurtful, yes, but are they helpful? Are they a true testament to your skills? No. Most of the time, they are hateful tirades that can easily be refuted by a simple fact.

They didn't have to keep reading.

Recently, I watched a great video by a YouTuber named Carrie Fletcher. The premise was that you shouldn't continue reading something you don't like. Even if you have a personal record of how many books you've finished cover to cover, it doesn't mean much if you didn't enjoy the experience. Reading is a magical thing. Some stories touch you in ways you'll never forget. Others, not so much. Why waste your time on a bad story if you could be out searching for the next book to make you feel all tingly inside? I know I struggle with this. I've put myself through a lot of misery reading certain books. But now I don't feel so bad about putting them away and starting something new.

I think these jerks should take a lesson from this. No one is forcing them to read your story. They're doing it out of their own free will. They are also taking the time to write down every negative thing they can say about it. I think they need to take a lesson from Carrie stop reading if they're not enjoying it. Not start a personal vendetta against the writer and all the work they've put into it.

Sure, there have been a few times where I want to yell at an author for the choices they've made. But would that help? No. I wouldn't enjoy their work anymore if I yelled at them about it. And that's the point, isn't it? To enjoy what you're reading.

So before you comment on someone's work, whether it be online or at a workshop-type thing, please, PLEASE think before you speak. Some writers take it very personally. Hurtful words, whether said with good intentions or not, still hurt. Is it worth it to hurt someone just to vent and make yourself feel better? Or should you step away and read something else?

Today I want to talk about the importance of feedback. Now, this can apply to any number of things but I'm going to focus mainly on the writing aspect of it. I know - shocker, right?

As some of you may know, I'm currently working on my first novel. As many published novelists will tell you, the first book is always the hardest. The same can be said for running your first mile or even drawing your first self-portrait. While the process of development is relatively (and I use the term lightly) quick and simple, the habit of sitting down and actually typing things out is where it gets tricky. Some people only write when the muse's smile upon them, some have a set time every day/week that they write something out, and so on. And when you finally get that first draft of the first chapter done, you're filled with such an immense pride that you could just get up and sing show tunes for the rest of the day.

The feeling is then promptly stomped on by the big foot of reality. Instead of being flattened like a pancake, you're left with questions like: Is this even any good? How is my prose? Are my characters believable? Will anyone actually read this other than my mom?

There is only way to answer those questions: Ask someone.

But not just anyone. You have to choose this person very carefully. You have to choose someone that you know will be honest with you - who will praise some aspects of your story while also constructively questioning other choices that you've made. You need another writer. Or maybe just someone who reads like one. I went through many "readers" until I found the one that helped me out the most. And it wasn't someone who I was expecting. Not in the least.

The point is to address those questions that you have about your own work as soon as you can. Personally, I don't want to hand in my first manuscript with an ending that doesn't convey what I want it to. Or one that's written in prose that has a habit of switching tenses every sentence. Even though a manuscript is far from a final draft, I want it to feel like I've put everything into it before sending it in. That way, when I get a verdict from the publishing companies on whether or not they want to publish it, I know that maybe they're not the ones I want publishing my baby in the first place.

Ahem.

This process may not work for everyone. For instance, you may not want to show anyone your work until you've already sent it to a few publishing houses so that you can brag about how you wrote it all on your own. I know that's what I wanted to do at first. But then I realized after talking to the right people that I love bouncing ideas off of someone. I love having someone there to tell me what does and doesn't work for them about the story, the characters, etc. I just love the workshopping process. But, oddly enough, I only like it as a one-on-one activity. Everyone is different. The trick is to find what works for you.

I would recommend this feedback/workshopping technique to anyone who is writing something. Chances are you might have already taken a class in high school or college where you had to do something similar.Why not pick your own partner instead of having one assigned based on how close your last names are? Ever since I did just that, I've been more inspired than ever. Finding the time to use the inspiration to my story's benefit on the other hand... well, that's a tale for another time.

If any of you have tried this, let me know how it worked out for you! I am endlessly fascinated by other people's writing processes and would love to hear about the different things you do to get past certain plot holes and structure issues. Who knows - maybe you can help me find another method that works well for me and I'll return the favor and share some other tips. ;)

Robert as Simon was just... I felt like I was reading the book all over again. He was the Simon I never knew I wanted. But boy was I glad he was there! He was easily my favorite. Hands-down. Isabelle and Alec were also perfect. Even though their presence was toned down a bit in favor of the Jace-Clary-Simon dynamic, they were still phenomenal whenever they were on screen.

The only thing I didn't like about the cast was Magnus. I mean, Godfrey was pretty good... but he just wasn't as enthusiastic as he could have been. I warmed up to him towards the end when he had his moment with Alec (WHICH WAS JUST SAIDHKLAEWASX SO FREAKING CUTE AND AMAZING). He plays Magnus's soft side very well but I would love to see a more vamped-up and enthusiastic Magnus in the future films. The contrast in his personality when he was around Alec was one of the reasons I loved him so much in the books. Hopefully they'll work on this when they make City of Ashes.

The movie overall was almost dead-on to the book, keeping in some of its key moments and lines. That being said, there wasn't a whole lot of time to breathe. As a fan, I loved watching the scenes I had read come to life on screen. I was a kid in a candy store, let me tell you. But after the movie, some of the people I went with were experiencing a kind of whiplash. One that had them asking me questions to verify if what they got from the plot was correct or not. They loved the movie just as I did, don't get me wrong! They just had to confirm certain things that happened. It was a lot to wrap their heads around.

The last thing I want to talk about is the ending. SERIOUS SPOILER ALERT AHEAD SO PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT MAJOR SPOILAGE.

Towards the end is where the timeline of the book skewed a bit. They had the final battle at the Institute. Which was fine because I completely understand why they did it. The movie was already nearing two hours and adding another location and the journey to it would waste time that could be spent on other things. But with that came some changes. Valentine never captured Jace so their whole shebang was in the library. I really liked how we got to see Jace's reaction to being told the news that he was Valentine's son. But in the books he recognised him right away as his father, cementing the lie of his and Clary's relation. So that was a bit odd to me that he took more convincing.

Well folks, it's here. The countdown to back-to-school. I move back in exactly 5 days and am experiencing so many feelings they've kind of molded into an emotional hybrid. I think I'll call it supernerves. Because, more than anything, I'm nervous.

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, guys! I've been sorta kinda busy with - wait for it - grown-up stuff.

Inception-style-BBBBBRRRRRAAAAAAAAAA.

Let's make a list of what has transpired this past week and a half, shall we? And some of them are even documented!

1. I turned 20. Enough said. Goodbye teens, hello twenties. Gulp.

2. One of my best friends got married. I was in the wedding and it was beautiful. But I still couldn't shake the surreal feeling you get when one of your childhood-turned-adulthood friends is the first to get married. It was just plain weird. But still a pretty good time.

It seems like I'm giving this blog a theme with all the rants I'm posting about books and movies. I guess they're just all that I feel like talking about. Maybe I'll talk about makeup or boys in the next one.

Moving on...

Today's post is inspired by all the media surrounding the "50 Shades of Grey" movie. Let me just start out by saying that no, I haven't read the books. Nor do I intend to. I do have friends who have read them, however, and they have told me that they're not as bad as they're being portrayed. I considered reading the three-book series just to write an educated post about them but decided against it. Mostly because I'm lazy but also because I also have a pile of other books I have to read, as I've stated before. But I feel that I don't need to have read them in order to say what I intend to say so I'll just get straight to it.

"50 Shades of Grey" is erotica. It's a known fact. It can also be categorized as romance but who are we kidding. Anything with explicitly written sex scenes can be counted as erotica. I've read plenty of books with sex in them and can easily tell the difference between romance and erotica. Simply put: If the book has three or more synonyms for "penis" and "vagina," it's erotica. Also, plot. Plot is very important. If it's intricate enough, sex scenes are put in the backseat and aren't entirely relevant when it comes to the main story line. Hell, you could even skip them. But if they overshadow the plot (hence, the BDSM in "50 Shades") then it's clear that the plot isn't strong enough and cannot be carried without them. Erotica.

Good. Now that we've gotten that settled. Why in the name of all that is holy is this book being made into a movie? I mean, I could see full-on porn being based off of it. But a full-length motion picture? Seriously? This is just doomed to be a disaster. They're going to have to water it down a lot to get an R-rating. And even if they accomplish that, will it even be that good? I've heard snippets of the main plot from friends who have read it and don't think it seems all that interesting. It's main appeal is the sex and its, ahem, interestingly written scenes. Maybe that's why the cast hasn't been announced yet. Maybe the executives who were dumb enough to fund this project have seen some sense.

Having read a few excerpts of the text (Hamster. Enough said.) I could tell that this wasn't the greatest book to begin with. The main reason for its publicity was that it was first written as a "Twilight" fan fiction. Which I have the utmost respect for. Being a former fan fiction writer, I am proud and envious of the success of writers who got their start in fan fiction. It gives me hope. But still, when your story is as poorly written as "50 Shades," I almost take it back. E.L. James's success gives writers false hopes of publishing. She didn't get all of this attention because her book was good. She got it because she was riding the "Twilight" bandwagon in the steamiest and most controversial of ways. Is she setting a good example for future writers? No. She's "inspiring" them to write something controversial to get media attention and let themselves be remembered as that one lady who wrote that sex book. She's a fad and will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. She could have had the potential to be a truly fantastic novelist whose stories (yes, even erotica) would have been remembered because they were good, not because they were bad and falsely revered. Now she's the pinnacle of bad writing done right, which shouldn't prove as any encouragement to those wanting to break into the industry.

And they want to make a movie out of it. That's about as screwed up as the media can get.

/endrant

 Summer reading? What makes summer so special? I read during all the seasons!

Well, so do I but that doesn't make it any less important.

If you're a boring introvert like me, you probably don't like going out to clubs or parties and instead like to spend your free time by yourself or in the company of good friends. Also, you may or may not read. A lot. Personally, I try to keep a book with me everywhere I go. Heck, I just bought a purse that was sized specifically to fit the book I was reading. If that doesn't say antisocial bookworm, I don't know what does.

Reading is almost as important to me as writing is. During high school, I nearly stopped leisurely reading altogether because, well, I can't even remember. It was a dark time. Now, after starting college, I've picked it back up and am coasting through my personal library at a record rate. During school, I can really only read before bed because of my hectic class schedule. It's during the summertime that I can really sit down and read without having to feel guilty about looming homework (looming manuscript writing is a whole other story... but we'll just ignore that for now).

During the summer, I focus on reconnecting with friends and family from home, catching up on sleep, my part-time retail job, writing, and reading. I juggle these things interchangeably and make pretty good progress in all of them. The reason reading is so important to me during the summer is not only because of the greater amounts of time I can dedicate to it, but also because I have a lot of freaking books I need to read. I don't see it as a problem but others might. Whenever I enter a place that sells books, more often than not I come out with one... or twenty. My bookshelf is bursting with literature of all sorts whose cover and/or description fit my interest, thirty percent of which I have yet to read. That percentage grows every few weeks as I bring home more books, telling myself "It's summer, of course you'll have time to read this!" Which, more often than not, I don't. But the time off from school does help some. It helps me steadily work my way through them one-by-one, climbing toward but never quite reaching the end. Which, honestly, doesn't bother me a bit. I like knowing that I have another book to read when I finish one. It eases that melancholy state I find myself in after I read a good story.

Not only does summer provide me the time to read the gratuitous amount of books I own, it also provides me an excuse to go outside. I've never been much of a sporty person and usually don't venture outside unless I'm at a party or with other people in general. When I'm by myself, it's harder for me to get up the will to bask in the sunlight. I can't even go out to lay there and tan for more than five minutes without getting bored. It's pretty pathetic. But when I bring a book out with me and some SPF 30, I'm all set to go. I can only ever achieve this in the middle of summer because of the Midwest's habit of bipolar weather.

The last thing I want to point out about summer reading is how completely necessary it is. Each year, less and less people are reading for pleasure. I'm serious - go look at the statistics. It's quite frighting. So when you tell someone that you love to read, the chances are pretty high that they'll either look at your funny or think you're unnaturally smart because you spend your free time getting into a good book. I only have a few friends I can talk to about the books I read because I know that they'll appreciate the conversation rather than looking at me like I need to get a life. Truthfully, I'd rather spend my summer reading than watching reruns of Seinfeld on TV. I think it's a much more productive use of my time to finish a book. And, when I tell people how I spent my summer, it'll seem even more so and maybe even impress someone, which is always a nice ego boost. Instead of mumbling how many hours I put in at work, I can say "I finished seven books. What did you do?"

How about you guys? Do you spend your summer reading? If so, what books are on your summer reading list? Let me know in the comments!

I've tried this blogging thing before but it's never panned out to much. I start, I go on for a while, then I loose interest and forget about it. I think now's the time to change that cycle and start anew.

As a writer, I am constantly on my own case to write every day. Especially since I'm working on a new story, one that I'm very excited about. But with that excitement comes fear - the kind of fear you get when you don't want to be let down. It's even worse when you only have yourself to depend on. A blog seemed like an easy way to relieve some of that tension.

I think the easiest way to start this out and make it all official and stuff is to introduce myself.