Meeting Cassandra Clare, etc.

First of all, I got over my cowardice concerning meeting writers I've not actually read by meeting Cassandra Clare. She was a super cool person, even discounting the fact that she is friends with Holly Black, and I most definitely plan to read The City of Bones. Cassie spoke to the audience about travel, writing, fictional incest, and many other things. Apparently creative writing classes in college frown upon fantasy and sci-fi, which, while disappointing, I found hardly surprising. People don't consider it serious writing, which I find odd, and would find odd even if those genres were not my own (which they are, with a dose of horror, of course).

Speaking of the three genres, I recently began the fourth Dark Tower novel by Stephen King: Wizard and Glass. The witch Rhea is creepy and fascinating, and I still love Blaine the Mono, as well as the reference made to The Stand. I seriously think this is one of the best epics out there. I also - FINALLY - watched the Season Two finale of Doctor Who. Very sad, but I'm eager to start "The Runaway Bride" (Season Three) as soon as I can.

Winter holiday (not me, but the literal season) is drawing nearer; I look forward to getting a good deal of reading and writing done then. I ought to be visiting my grandparents, which we have done often but skipped last year. I really need to submit something to a magazine soon.... I ought to stop moving from story to story and polish one up to ship off. I've been drawing and sketching lately, but I have yet to learn guitar, or even continue piano for that matter. I'll figure it out - I tend to do that.

Love,

Lewis M. Winter

After the Crack of Dawn

I'm up rather early this morning, and have to leave for school in less than an hour. Thought I'd get an article in. But what should I say? This is what I refer to as "blogging for the sake of blogging." Nothing wrong with it, I suppose. Recently I began two new blogs, and I plan on a fourth. In Number Four, I'll blog about music. I still need to get guitar lessons, but I've been playing piano for many years (and still must improve, ha). I'm thinking to call myself Winter...is that one taken? My styles seem to be rock, epic, and relaxing. I think I can manage, no?

Here it is. The sun seems to be rising, so I'm going to post there now, but I shall hopefully return soon.

Love,

Lewis

Why Am I Awake?

Look at the hour! Goodness. I felt like writing another blog post, so here it is. I am listening to David Foster's version of "Carol of the Bells" (mentioned in the previous post). It is a beautiful piece of music, any time of year. I remember reading Harry Potter while listening to it. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know. I need to reread those; they were unbelievably good. When Deathly Hallows - Part 2 comes out, I will be uber excited, but sad when it ends too. I grew up with Harry....

As mentioned a couple times, I have a guitar now and I am currently teaching myself basic chords. Hannah will help me with the other stuff. Ah, yes: Did I offend anyone? I hope not, but I, too, am allowed an opinion (objective opinions may make a good post). Just know that I love you (in a friendly sort of way), and that I hold you all in high esteem. So. Guitar. I figured out a few snippets of songs via individual strings, such as the Harry Potter theme, the climax of "Journey to the Cave" (HP6), "Smoke on the Water," "Brand New Day" (Dr. Horrible), etc., etc. I have at least one out of three basic chords down; need to check if I remember the other two. It's actually a lot of fun.

I had a piano lesson on Saturday (yesterday). It had been a while, and now I have playing homework (which I'm actually remembering this time). This is turning out interesting. I like to participate in more than one art; I am attempting to get into acting once more, but need to persevere yet. Visual arts I'm semi-decent at, but I do not often engage in them. Ezra says that a person usually has two arts (he has at least three...ha), and I agree on the jack-of-all-trades level, but I think it is possible to do more than two things, even if for fun.

Fun - that's what it's about, yes?

On another topic, I still do not know what I want to do as an adult career. I know I've got time, but STILL. I'm thinking between teacher and librarian now, but neither seem to pay well. (Not in it for money, but I would like to be able to make a living, too). I want a job that I can live off of, but also I have time to do stuff I love (read, write, etc.).

One more spontaneous item to this random post: I would like some tea. Oh, and yes: I stayed up all night somehow.

So, tea.

I will post later.

G'day!
Lewis

Pet Peeves

It seems that writers often have pet peeves that come from no logical place, and I would like to discover my own. For example, Tom Monteleone is fine with the word "writer" but not "author." OK. Emily R does not like the phrase "thinking outside of the box," which is understandable as it is overused. My Creative Writing teacher Mr. Nantz does not like the word "flow" when describing writing. And check out The Spring Grinch here!

What I'm saying is, a lot of us seem to dislike things irrationally, and I wonder at that. I never lie, but I tell April Fool's jokes sometimes - THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. It's just like saying "Just kidding!" - as long as the joke hurts no one, there is no cause to get upset about it. She mentions in there some exceptions, but I do not do that. And I rather don't like being caught off guard when people dislike something and I have no way of knowing. Granted, I have many holidays I like better, but anything can be used badly. So why blame April 1?

Also, I finally got a guitar today. I cannot wait to learn how to play! It's been bloody long enough. I have a lot of stuff to do; my life is behind schedule.

Toodles!
Lewis

Into the Jaws of [Almost] Certain Failure

So Script Frenzy starts tomorrow. I am excited, but also nervous. I hope I actually learn something about scripts. We don't want another NaNoWriMo 2009.... *shudders* But maybe it'll work. Who knows? Maybe I'll randomly pull out a magic hat from nowhere with zero experience, like everyone else seems to for Nano.

In other news, I spent last weekend in Asheville. For those of you who ask why: It's a nice place, but no relatives or anything. I had my first tarot reading there, and visited two nice little bookshops, one of which had a signed copy of Dandelion Wine, which was said to be at least 500 dollars. Out hotel had a nice little cafe where I could sit and type or read, which I did.

I should be getting a guitar soon. Finally! I've been waiting a long, long time for this. And here it is. Now I'm going to run off and ask my mom something, but it was nice blogging! =)

Love,
Lewis

First Job Rejection

A month or so back, I applied and interviewed for the front gate and/or snack bar position at the pool in my dad's neighborhood. The interview went rather well, I might say, but it was the sheer number of applicants that pushed me out. I don't really mind all that much--a little extra dough would've been nice, but I'll have more free time now. This coming week I shall hopefully be learning guitar from a dear friend of mine (Hannah). I started to save for a guitar, but I seem to have misplaced my Slytherin wallet--the one I keep things in. I suppose a job would've provided me a bit of savings cash, but I can always apply somewhere else, no? Harris Teeter is supposed to be pretty good. Maybe I ought to go to them soon.

My mom's away, which means I'm staying with my dad, which means I still can't finish Back to the Future. Man, to think of them late fees.... Speaking of watching, I finally started Doctor Who a while back. And I'm still on Episode 3. Shoot me.

Anyhow, I didn't get the job, but there's no problem in that.

Love and peace,

Lewis

Happy New Year!

Here it is: 2011. The second year of the second decade of the first century of the third millennium. And as I attempted to convey in the last post, life goes on. I feel compelled to tell you (not sure why) what the first thing I ate this year was: A bowl of blueberry/oats cereal. Anyway, I think I have some resolutions, which I may or may not change:

• Write a sizable novel
• Learn guitar
• Take Drivers' Ed (I keep saying that!)
• Get more involved at school
• Read a book of 1,000+ pages (finishing The Stand would count)
• Watch an episode of Doctor Who
• Leave the country (vacation wise)
• Read/finish certain books
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Dracula
• The Graveyard Book
• Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
• A Christmas Carol
• The Stand, as mentioned before
• Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)
• Year's Best SF 14
• Preludes & Nocturnes (Sandman 1)
• For the Win
• Visit my Florida friends, whom I have not seen for years
• Get something published in a book/magazine/anything printed
• Record a song
• Write a script
• Play Quidditch (yes, you read correctly)
• Start learning a language (I'm thinking Spanish or French)
• Get back into acting

Whoa, that's a lot! I didn't expect that many. Now I don't know if I'll be able to do all of them, but "shoot for the moon," eh?

Sorry; my computer is acting up. I spent HOURS writing this post, and now most of it's gone. I don't think I'll rewrite it, but I'm very ticked now.

Anyhow, happy new year and all that, and I'm going to bed now. Maybe I'll post more later.

The Last Post of 2010

Probably. I could spontaneously have another thought and post again, but in theory, this is my last post of 2010. It has been a good year, I'll say that. I wrote and read plenty (although I probably could have read more), and met lots of cool people. Many awesome movies came out, so I suppose I'll list my favorite ten in no particular order:

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
• Toy Story 3
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice
• The Social Network
• Alice in Wonderland
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Clash of the Titans
• Iron Man 2
• Despicable Me
• Inception

Yeah, so that was eleven. Whatever. In other words, we had some good ones this time. I just realized that I missed Dinner for Schmucks, Tron: Legacy, Megamind, and Shrek Forever After, but I can't push it too much...can I? I also have yet to see some of them, such as True Grit and Gulliver's Travels. Either way, I enjoyed 2010 very much. I got a saltwater aquarium in the spring, which is still amazing (though we seem to have an invasive anemone on one of the rocks); we got my sister a dog (sister Laura, dog Launa - Laura's REALLY clever); I met Cory Doctorow, who was a really cool bloke; we went to Disney World in late September and stayed into early October; and I this year took up the name of L.M. Winter.

Overall, this was probably one of my favorite years. I probably ought to write a poem on the year, but this will be off the top of my head:

From eyelash wishes

To marine crabs and fishes,

From Health-class antics

To a scene from The Frantics,

From writing group

To picking up dog poop,

From reading Stephen King

To some other thing,

And I suppose while this lasts,

I'll mention Doctor Who podcasts,

The year is nearly gone,

So now my music's on

As I write these words

And time flies like birds

To the worlds beyond ours

And soon there will be flowers

Sprouting from the soil

And then the sun will boil

Even icy water.

And then Harry Potter

Will conclude its epic story -

Viewing will be mandatory -

Somewhere in July.

Time still will fly:

Death and birth will both occur,

Of that we can be sure.

Then Old Man Winter and his Young assistant

Will come ready and persistent

To sweep away daisies

Pushed up by old crazies

And the year along as well - 

We see that there is no hell

Or heaven in the end;

There is only death, and life to spend.

But this year has been great

And is now getting late.

We had great snows early

And again at the end: surely

There will be more?

I hope to open the door

Next year to a field of white

Which glimmers quite bright

In the sun, bouncing off crystals

As I put away pistols

To bring out a seasonable

Weapon, one more reasonable:

A ball of white snow

To hit my rivals before they know.

No matter what year,

There, then, now, here,

No matter what splinter

Of summer or winter

Or spring or autumn,

Top class or bottom,

We are alive

And should always strive

To make the very most

Of the moment, whether writing ghost

Tales or tales otherwise tall,

Or if you're not writing at all,

You must pay heed to time, and yet

You must not by any means get

Sucked into its void,

Whether it's ever toyed

With your concepts of progression

Or makes you think of regression.

Time is complex, but do not worry:

Just live your life, for there is no hurry.

Man, that went on for a while! Like I said, it was written just now, so it probably needs some work. But what I was trying to convey was that time may fly, but while the future needs planning to a certain extent, I choose to focus primarily on the present moment.

All in all, the year ends soon, but what is it but numbered dates? Life moves on at any rate. I plan to do many things still, such as complete my novel, improve my piano skills (I think a teacher at my elementary school might still be teaching), learn guitar and maybe join marching band with some other third instrument, take Drivers' Ed, learn about filmmaking, et cetera. I have plenty of things I plan to do, but now is now, and I'm blogging. But not for long: I think I'll check my email and then read my first Jane Yolen story. Oh, and speaking of firsts: I watched a small part of a Doctor Who today, called "Midnight." I think it was a newer one, and that just might have been this David Tennant everyone speaks of.

What a long post (mainly due to the "poem")!

Happy New Year!

Lewis M. Winter