[Caelum's Scrapbook] Use Your Words.

[Caelum]

Public Service Announcement: I am not in good mood. But in an effort to counter this, I decided to write about something creative and a little silly. Not long ago I posted herein an article that apparently sunk octopus arms into my brainpan and squished. It had to do with interactive and multi-layered “reading” experiences. Dani made comment to me on it along the lines of: “Aren’t we already doing that?” And he wasn’t wrong. We certainly are to an extent. While beating out some last minute edits for a side job last night and jamming out to seriously eclectic (read as: Katie’s weird) playlist, it occurred to me how fun it might be to turn that concept into a game challenge. Maybe if there is a lack of game wide interest, just in Denval if Denvali players are interested or, you know, I can bribe them into pretending to be. They tend to be susceptible to my lures. I’m sure it has to do with grading threads and running modded ones… Anyway. What the heck am I talking about? I’m talking about incorporating into your thread writing other artistic aspects. Like a geek-gasm, I have been known to throw random quotations and song lyrics into mine. It can be as basic as that up to as wild and imaginative as, say, posting pictures of you cooking the same dish your PC is in a cooking training thread. Or including a youtube vid of sword fighting. Or putting up a sketch to illustrate some aspect of what you wrote. Or! As Hanno Frostfawn’s kick ass player promised me, including real crayon drawings in the post when Hanno gives one to Cian Noc. People already do these things sometimes, but what I’m thinking of is something more along the lines of a contest or a “go wild with it” thread complete with a suitable award. I have no idea what. It might just end up being my eternal love and devotion. Luuuuucky you. Alright, I need to finish a few things. My mood is somewhat improved. - katie.

[Talen Stirling]

Talen and Seo are going on a sleigh ride sometime in winter.

My brother and I are going to some mountains somewhere in Europe to Skii 'n' stuff.

This could work... Hehe.

[Tabarnac]

Katie - \ˈkaī-tī\ intransitive verb 1 a : to utter a high-pitched plaintive or distressed cry b : to make a sound similar to such a cry <the wind katied in the chimney> 2 : to complain with or as if with a whine <always katying about the weather> 3 : to move or proceed with the sound of a whine <the bullet katied … across the ice — Berton Roueché> transitive verb : to utter or express with or as if with a whine Yes, I know the International Phonetic Alphabet. Yes, Katie is in a bad mood because one is allowed to be in a bad mood when on her way to a bar to celebrate having the next five days off to eat, drink, be merry, and rest too, as well as a ninja visit from yours truly because nothing says love and devotion like my presence. *flees and cashes friendship check for the month of December before it is voided* And again... aren't we already doing this? May I direct your attention to the Collective Art Project? And yet I kid. This is an awesome idea. DOO EET.

[Caelum]

You're a dick. And if you katie about it, Prince Charming, you get the short couch with the surly cat. Did you notice that I countered your Theo sexy with Haddy cute? KEEP THE PEACE. And I'm totally gonna do it. Just not right now. Maybe next month when I'm done trying to con my boss into a raise with revamping a delinquent project. *gag* I need my back wages. I'm gonna have to give smiles for Christmas at this rate. Do you think your mom will buy me a plane ticket? I need a Hawaii in my face. post script: Savannah Red Brick or Haint Blue? Kitchen shelf.

[Tabarnac]

I need swatches when I see you on SATURDAY, and then I will wow you with my autistic sensibilities.

[Caelum]

Winning the Fail It is the twenty-eighth of November and time to admit defeat. I believe my word count at present is somewhere in the 20k – 30k range and the only way I would be able to reach 50k by Thursday is if I called in to work sick the next couple of days, missed two deadlines, ignored my family and didn’t put up Christmas. Clearly, these are not realistic options. The depressing aspect for me is that I am not in lack of things to write about. I am plenty inspired and have a literal ton of things I want to write. It was time that killed me. You know, in the way of not having any. It did not help that I helped lauch the next step in a citywide plot this month and found I missed a few of my other PCs so broke down and jotted out a handful of posts for them. The bright side of this coin is that despite the incredible shortage of words, I still feel as if I won. No, I am not kidding. I honestly feel as I have succeeded in this contest and well. There is not a single thread I have for Caelum that is not thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly fleshy with character development. I managed to pack as many “meaningful” threads into this month than I think I have in total of the rest of my time playing him. A lot of them aren’t finished either, so I get to enjoy them longer. He has been altered by me but, more interestingly, by other players and their continued brilliance with writing and attention to the detail of the PCs with whom they’re writing. I absolutely adore the fact that I can say at least four different players have majorly impacted my PC (and that I let them too, note to the writing ramble readers) and did so in a short amount of time. He’s changed. He’s better. He has more depth. As if that isn’t enough, I played a role in developing and furthering a citywide plot of which I’m proud. Okay, so maybe I’m trying to console myself a bit for not making 50k. Shiny medals are shiny. What can I say? But I haven’t earned it and that is a little sadface. You know what the really funny part is? I still managed not to write a single godamned training thread. Tomorrow I’ll gaze at Caelum’s CS and consider that a fail. As of today it’s just making me laugh at myself. Laughing at self = win. Write on, katie.

[Aidara]

Don't feel bad, Katester (do we like that nickname, or hate it?) because i am in the same boat. I have tons of inspiration, I never lost my muse or anything of the sort. I, too, just ran out of time. However, I wasn't able to let it go as easily as you have. Because I fooled myself the first couple weeks of NaNo, ignoring everything I had to do to get my posts out... but then everything caught up with me school wise, family wise, house wise, and on top of what I have to do on a daily basis there was everything still sititng there waiting for me that I had neglected for two weeks. I want a "did not complete NaNo 2011" medal, because I could have technically ignored everything... and just had really ugly consequences. Also... If I don't PM you today about Cailet/Dor, YOU pm ME as a reminder. Kay? Kay. -Jules

[Caelum]

Morning is the worst time to get bad news. It causes the brain to finish waking up in an ugly fashion and leaves me with a similar feeling to putting on dirty clothes and forgetting to brush your teeth. It’s like you’re one step behind and gross. Unfit. Embarrassing. The point (it not actually being to bitch and whine) is that I found this and it cheered me up. Why? Because it is awesome. Duh. Also, no one belongs here more than you. That is why. For those of you terrified of links, it’s a really interestingly put together author website. - k. post script: Jules, I have something for you.

[Caelum]

Halp! Desperately in need of some YA genre fiction recommendations. Preferably with first publication dates in the last decade. I need good stuff. If anyone Twilights at me I might cry and I am already down with The Hunger Games series and HP of course. Please, please, please and thank you. -Kate.

[Menali]

YA fiction is my area of expertise.

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1) by Libba Bray :

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles #1) by Cinda Williams Chima :

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game. A magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death, The winning house ruling the Weir. As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he s not just another member of Weirlind, he's one of the last of the warriors at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, they'll stop at nothing to get Jack to fight for them.

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods #1) by Melissa de la Cruz :

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?