A Million Miles Apart {iPod Shuffle Game}

I came across this game on tumblr and thought it sounded fun. What you do is you shuffle all the songs on your iPod and the first lyric line of each song is that line in your poem. Here's mine:

1. A perfect day is spending my life with you
2. Everytime I see your face
3. Stay with me
4. I know you want to talk
5. Never knew I could feel like this
6. Hey, time won't wait
7. This is my December
8. I look away
9. [I] Never win first place
10. I know your dreams
11. Ecstasy is all you need
12. Dear angel of mine
13. Another day is going by
14. I walked through the door with you
15. Creator of the universe
16. I get lost in you
17. Drinking wine and thinking bliss
18. I was tired of my lady
19. She was watching the taxi driver as he pulled away
20. I was betrayed
21. Too many broken hearts fallen in the river
22. I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
23. Well, I know just what it is you want
24. Here it comes
25. Never had an ordinary day
26. When darkness is no less
27. Like a man on a wire
28. Bravo! Bravo!
29. Baby, baby, baby, you're my voodoo child
30. We're standing face to face but a million miles apart

Songs:
1. "Nothing But Love" - David Hodges
2. "Falling In" - Lifehouse
3. "Kiss Me Slowly" - Parachute
4. "Shame On Me" - Ryan Cabrera
5. "Come What May" - Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
6. "Simple Things" - Jim Brickman
7. "My8. "Fall to Pieces" - Avril Lavigne
9. "Don't Let Me Get Me" - P!nk
10. "More Than Love" - Sweetbox
11. "Big Machine" - Goo Goo Dolls
12. "Dear Angel" - April Sixth
13. "I'd Do Anything" - Simple Plan
14. "All Too Well" - Taylor Swift
15. "Make Us Whole" - David Hodges
16. "Guessing" - Against the Current
17. "Crystal Ball" - P!nk
18. "Escape" - Rupert Holmes
19. "Waiting For Superman" - Daughtry
20. "Angel In Disguise" - Cinema Bizarre
21. "The Things We Do For Love" - Spectacular! Soundtrack
22. "Attack" - 30 Seconds to Mars
23. "Halfway" - Parachute
24. "Space Cowboy" - Nsync
25. "Emma" - Katherine Nelson
26. "Dawn" - Poets of the Fall
27. "Saving Grace" - The Afters
28. "Bravo" - Kessler
29. "Voodoo Child" - Rogue Traders
30. "Falling Out of Love" - Age of Information

Writing Chaos

2014 is the year I am going to write my book.  End of story.

No pun intended.

But seriously, I knew I had lots of notes regarding the series scattered about.  Most were in notebooks, especially entire scenes, but others were on scrap pieces of paper, some of which were frantically scribbled on sticky-notes in an attempt to capture the moment.  Trying to gather all of these notes have been quite a chore.  I still feel as though I'm missing some notes, but I haven't been able to find them.  However, in my search I discovered two more full notebooks (back to front, both sides of the paper filled), along with random sheets spread throughout my school notebooks (which I have since torn out and put with my collection).

The collection is growing.

I think the reason I haven't written this story sooner is because the story world keeps expanding, and as exciting as that is, the thought of compiling all of the notes into one cohesive story feels nearly impossible.

But, I have my grandmother in me and when I become determined, I can accomplish almost anything (except flying... I haven't sprouted wings yet).

In an effort to become more organized, I discovered the wonderful world of Evernote.  It's a program/website that is an amazing tool, as it allows you to tag items and group certain things together and has numerous other advantages.  One of my favorites is that I can access my content anywhere on any device that I have.  This allows for quick notes on the run, and you never know when inspiration might strike!  My dad uses it all the time for work and I thought it might be useful in containing the chaos in my mind.  So far it's amazing.

I'm also looking into starting a writing group with friends in an attempt to help keep me motivated.  Writing buddies are wonderful things.  Hopefully we'll have our first meeting this next month.

Do you have any tips on organizing your thoughts and stories?  Have you ever felt like I do--in that the thoughts of tackling a story seem impossible.  If so, how did you how did you overcome?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Write on! :)

New Year New Goal

It's a new year.

As such, I want to mention one goal out of several I have.  This will be the year that I write my novel (from Destroyer Series).  I'm tired of simply writing "scenes" and "snippets" and keeping everything in three notebooks and two folders.  It's time I organize my creative thoughts from the past 5 years and turn it into something tangible.  I'm kind of frustrated it has taken so long for me to get to this point of no return--in that I'm ready to go down this path head first, dang the consequences!  I'm doing this.

I'm hoping to write at least a little bit every day.  I think that's the trick.  Even if I'm only working on developing something or learning more about my characters, as long as I am touching the world I have created, it will help.

So here is to a year of writing, new ideas, and epic stories!  Bring it on 2014!!

Has It Really Been a Semester?

Long time guys!

I can't believe my last "real" post was back in July!!  Wow.  Sorry about that.  This last semester of school kept me pretty busy and next semester (my last semester) will be even worse!  But, I'm almost done so that is good!

In other news...

It's that time of year again!  Yes, the time of year when it's cold outside and my creative brain starts thinking.  I have had an itch to work on my Destroyer Series for the last couple of weeks.  And now I'm finally getting back into it.

You know what the biggest problem about working on a story only once a year?  You sometimes forget all the different directions your story is taking.  I know it sounds absurd, but when you have a story that is spanning three (to four) books, the story lines easily become one.  I was looking over my mountain of notes and written scenes earlier tonight, and I'll be honest, it's rather overwhelming.  This story (the "Destroyer" story) has been with me now FIVE years.  You would have thought I could have had it written and done.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) every time I work on it, new things come to pass and cause changes within the story, giving it more depth, more meaning.  I absolutely love it!  But I really want to get it written so I have it preserved for years to come, you know?  As of right now, my "story" consists within the pages of five notebooks, multiple sticky-note collections, some Word documents, and iPod playlist of songs, and random scenes written on scraps of paper.  NONE of it is in order.  So even if I fill four entire notebooks with just Destroyer stuff, it is never in order.  I may have been writing a scene from Book 1 and it suddenly sparks an idea for Book 3 that I want to connect.  So I go off of the creative tangent and everything falls out of order.

Have I attempted to organize and condense my thoughts?  Yes.

Have I tried to write out the general outline of each book?  Absolutely.

Does the outline change?  All the time.

Which is the problem.

My original story idea from the beginning of 2009 is soooooooo different from what it is now.  It's as though the story has grown as I have.

Does anyone have recommendations for organizing ideas and stories into a concise outline?  I am reading about story structure and I've thought about using that as an outline, but I'm interested in what others do for outlining their story--whether it's an actual written outline, or if they use index cards (which I have attempted and it's just as chaotic as my writings), or if there's another method that works even better?  I am open to suggestions!  Thanks!

With that, I'm off to find more inspiration to work on my story.

Peace!

Light Years

Light Years 

Xenia

You know just how to take me there

And I know I would go anywhere

But when times become hard

And we're left with the scars

And we're all bent up

It's so good to let go and run into your arms

Yeah it's just enough

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you

You got every little bit of me

And I got this feeling it's meant to be

Not a word, not a phrase

Not a night, not a day

Could keep me away

I don't know where we'll go

What this ticket will hold

But that's okay

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you 

I have one condition alone in my head

Just one decision, I have no regrets

I've made my prediction to end up with you

Runnin' and runnin' and runnin' and runnin'

Counting on the stars

To take me near, near or far

 

So I'm counting on the stars to take me near or far

Travel any day, light years to find you

Anywhere you go, only to be close

Believe me, I will roam for light years to find you

Light years to find you

Light years to find you

Light years to find you