Tagged: the 'Be Inspired' meme

My NaNo profile.

Recently I got tagged by Chris over at the Kelworth Files with this "Be Inspired" meme thingy. Thanks, Chris, for thinking of me! Basically how it works is that I answer some questions about "my novel", and then tag 5 lucky bloggers. ;) Since I have many, many novels, I guess I should just close my eyes and throw a dart at a list of them, right? Actually, that's an idea... Seriously, I think I'll talk about the novel I'm going to work on during November this year.

1. What is the name of your book?
The original title was MEET DAPHNE STUART, back in the day, but that was back then. Now it's called simply DAPHNE. Naturally that's just a result of my "can't think of a title so I'll just name it after the MC's first name" habit. Someday, the book will have an actual proper title.

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?
I started this story back in 1999, during my first year of university. I had hardly any friends and hardly any life, so I started writing about a girl whose friends/boyfriend were her life. Somehow, though, this poor girl got lumped with a horrible family. I'm rewriting DAPHNE during November, and the rewrite, though still giving her plenty of crap to deal with, will at least give her some happiness in the end. Largely unlike the original draft.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?
Back then, there was no such thing as "New Adult" fiction, at least not that I'd ever heard of. This story is New Adult, but as for genre? Probably just general fiction. New Adult contemporary fits, too, I guess.

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?
I used to cut out pictures from magazines to fit my characters, but they were never actors, so...yeah, got no clue. ;) There's also the fact that there will be new characters and possibly a lack of some old ones after my NaNo rewrite.

5. Give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book.
As Daphne's life descends steadily into chaos, she clings to one goal: getting through her first year of university.

6. Is your book already published?
Far from it!

7. How long did it take you to write your book?
It took me...*blush*...10 years. But this time around, as I rewrite, it will take me heaps less time than that. I'm a different animal these days. ;)

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?
To be honest, I don't know. I think I've taken inspiration from many different places, for e.g. in my plans for my rewrite I have a character partly inspired by Michael from Roswell (LOVE that show and that character). I also recently read TULLY for the first time, and the main character Tully has a crappy childhood and a frustrating adult life. But unlike Tully, Daphne's got many siblings to worry about, so again, their lives are different. Plus, my story will only focus on a year in a life, not decades.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?
Honestly, I can't remember what was inspiring me back in 1999. That was when I still read mostly fantasy, so...yeah. This story is different. Maybe there is a proper answer to this, but if so, I can't conjure it. ;)

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.
Don't worry, it won't be totally miserable? hehe. And there will be a hot bad boy in it! Plus some nice lurve.

11. Tag five people!
I think I may be past the era of tagging specific people. From here on in I may have to do the cop-out thing other people do and just say "if you want it, take it!" Better that than inflicting it on people who just aren't interested, I figure.

The Game of 7s [a meme]

Years and years ago (okay, back in April) I got tagged by Dangerous Dan with the Game of 7s meme. I saved the link to his post in draft form and am only now getting around to getting this thing done. What can I say? I like to let things stew a good while. ;) Anyway, these are the rules as stated on Dan's blog way back then:

The Rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines – sentences or paragraphs – and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.

My lines are from the rough draft of the novel I just rewrote, which I am now planning to rewrite again...yay! But here are the lines as they stand currently:

My nose wrinkles but I take the cup, knowing beggars can’t be choosers. I sip from it and crunch on an ice cube. And all the while I think about what he just said: I don’t drink. So it’s true, then. But why?

I shove the question aside, focusing on the present. “Thanks.”

Thrilling stuff, I'm sure. And just so you know, I did cheat, by fixing a typo. ;) I don't apologise though. And now I shall finish this thing off by tagging some lucky, lucky people who get to either ignore this or share some of their own lines, depending on their energy levels at the moment of tagging. I tag:

• Chris K (Kelworth Files)
• Kyra Lennon
• Brooke R. Busse
• Susan Fields
• Danette Baltzer
• Madeline Jane
• Laura (Daily Dodo)

Tagged by Leigh Covington...after a little rant

Well, I'd have to be a robot to be able to read this!

I've seen a lot of bloggers ranting about word verification lately. The reason can be seen above! What the hell does that first word say? Believe it or not, I entered letters after squinting at the screen for a while and actually seemed to get it right. I'm not convinced, but maybe I was really that lucky. I certainly couldn't read the damn word, so it had to be pure luck.

Anyway, moving on!

A while back I got tagged by Leigh Covington, and she charged me and my fellow tagees (for the purposes of this post that is a word) with answering some questions. On that note, I used to write that 'qvestions', just for fun. Anyway, here I go with the question answering!

1. What is your dream vacation?
I've travelled a lot, but one thing I would love to do before I die (other than see the Great Pyramids, at least) is check out the Arctic Circle and see the northern lights.

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
I guess it depends on the situation. With travelling I tend to have a solid plan at least of where I'm going (I don't do open-ended tickets). But with writing and creativity in general, I tend to be more of a pantser. At work I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I still don't necessarily have my whole work day planned out. I may jump around between numerous projects in one work day, if possible.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do, but don't dare to do. (Unless of course, you dare to do everything!)
Go and live in another country for a while. I know so many people who have done that, but I've only ever travelled with the certainty that I will return home (I kind of like that certainty, to be honest, but I think living overseas would be a nice challenge).

4. What's your biggest phobia?
Cockroaches! The big, brown, flying kind. Other than that, speaking (or performing) in public makes me feel just a little queasy. I think I'd rather deal with a flying cockroach than speak in public. Unfortunately sometimes I have to do it for my job, even though it's technically not part of my role. I hate that. (It's no coincidence that I have to do some public speaking today at work)

5. If you were stranded on a desert island - what 3 things would you want with you? (not including laptop, or family.)
The Smashing Pumpkins' forthcoming reissue/remaster of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; the complete Harry Potter series of books; Wilson the volleyball to be my friend! (Yes I just re-watched CAST AWAY for the first time in years. I love Wilson).

6. Name three blessings in your life.
My family, my friends and the privilege of living in a relatively free country.

7. What was your nickname in High School?
Well, one of my friends called me Fish Face for a while, until I told her she better stop if she wanted to live. I also had a self-imposed nickname of Carrie (not related to Stephen King's book at all, which I have yet to read!). I think I might've also been called Danielle Johns at one point (ya know, Daniel Johns...Silverchair).

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
I'd say, "You're a darn sight better to listen to than your predecessor, man!"

9. If you could be any literary character for a day, who would you be?
Hermione Granger! I think her life is pretty cool, even if she's gone through a lot of crap.

10. What is your favorite quote?
I don't know that I have one single favourite, but...umm, I'm always partial to Billy Corgan's variation on a popular saying: "If practice makes perfect and nobody's perfect, why practice?" Not that I particularly live by that, of course!

11. In the colour code personality test, what colour are you? (If you don't know, go HERE!)
I was a White:
"Whites are motivated by Peace. They seek independence and require kindness. They resist confrontation at all costs. To them, feeling good is more important than being good. They are typically quiet by nature, process things very deeply and objectively with great clarity. Of all the colours, Whites are the best listeners. They respect people who are direct but recoil from perceived hostility or verbal battle."

Twitter-tag the first

Long, long ago, I got Twitter-tagged by my blogger friend Charlotte Jane Ivory. And here is my reaction to that event:

1. If you could go back in time and relive one moment, what would it be?
   I've had heaps of great moments, but probably the one I'd love to relive is the first time I ever saw the Smashing Pumpkins live in concert. Or MAYBE it'd be the second time I saw them, which was a 3-hour performance in San Diego. MAGIC.
   
   
2. If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
   I'd probably go back in time and try to orchestrate a distinct lack of Joseph Stalin in the world.
   
   
3. What movie/TV character do you most resemble in personality?
   Nobody, because I'm unique and nobody is like me? This is my lazy answer because I honestly can't think of any character off the top of my head. Or even off the bottom of it.
   
   
4. If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would it be?
   If I could push one person off a cliff, it'd probably be Juturna from my novel NAUSICAA. Maaaaan that lady's a nasty piece of work. But it's okay, she gets her come-uppance.
   
   
5. Name one habit you want to change in yourself.
   I want to be utterly confident in the idea that the world is my oyster, damn it. Basically I want to stop looking to other people for the kind of validation I am more than capable of giving myself.
   
   
6. Describe yourself in one word.
   Interesting.
   
   
7. Describe the person who named you in this meme in one word.
   Glamorous!
   
   
8. Why do you blog? Answer in one sentence.
   Because somebody said I should...so I gave it a shot, and thought it pretty well rocked!
   
   
9. Name at least 3 people to send this meme to, and then inform them.
   Ohhh, okay. I'll choose these people, after which I shall inform them:

• Laura @ Daily Dodo
• Madeline Bartos
• Jolene Perry

My first 'meme'!

I'm confused. But that's okay, because others have been confused before me, and still more will (or may) be confused after me. This is my first meme, and no I still don't know what the hell that word means. Care to enlighten me, anyone?! Anyway, thanks to Brooke R. Busse for tagging me and making my brain hurt. A lot. But here goes:

Are you a rutabaga?
a) I don't know what a rutabaga is, but I have a vague recollection from seeing Brooke's answer to this question that no, indeed I am not. I'm perfectly unvegetative. Even if I'm sort of a potato (the stuck-to-her-couch kind) right now. b) No?

Which member of Def Leppard do you have the biggest crush on?

source

You're seriously making me CHOOSE?

Upload a heartwarming picture of something that makes you smile.

source

What were you famous for in high school?
The Satanic cult I was apparently a part of (pssst. It's called being shy, people. No Satan required).

How many people have de-friended you from Facebook?
My friend numbers seem to go up and down on a daily basis, so I think people are messing with me - adding me, deleting me, adding me, deleting me. Messin' with my miiiiind, you see.

What is the weirdest/most disgusting job you've ever had to do?
Ha. Easy. Worked at the rubbish tip. For one whole day. That's longer than most people last, or so I'm told. At least I wasn't there on a day when people's dead pets turned up in their trash (not even kidding on that one).

Where da muffin top at?
I ate it.

Describe yourself using obscure Latin words.
Octogenarian (minus about 50 years).
Okay so that one wasn't 'obscure'...sue me!

And I'm done! Now to pass this little ditty on to some folks who no doubt know much better than I what the heck a meme is:

Jenni Merritt
Deniz Bevan
Julie Musil
Charlotte Jane Ivory

P.S. I don't know about everyone else, but I choose not to track my own blog stats, as in my own visits to my own blog, blog pages, etc. So it annoys me just a little bit that every time Firefox updates itself, my settings for not tracking blog visits from myself are reset. Yes, it annoys me very much!!

Tagged, critique win, blog critique win, award, blogfests

So, I got tagged a while back by the super-groovy Golden Eagle, and more recently by the lovely Danette. So here's what I have to do: answer some questions, then tag some people, then move onto the next part of this entry. Hehe. So anyway, here goes with the first part:

QUESTIONS:

Do you think you're hot?

Ya know, I'm not a traditional "must be a movie star" beauty, but I am pretty happy with myself... However, there's a catch - if you take a photo of me, it's 99% guaranteed to turn out crap and I will hate its guts. And when you put it up on Facebook I'll secretly resent you with a lot of gusto. Hehe. I am NOT photogenic at all.

Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.

This is my current desktop, and a screenshot taken from iTunes' fancy
graphic thingy that you can have going while listening to music. Hehe.

When was the last time you ate chicken meat?

Last night - went out for Thai dinner, it was niiiiice... And yeah,
as I tell everyone, if we had to kill our own meat I'd be vego in a flash!

The song(s) you listened to recently.

Right now I'm listening to "A Harbour Fair" by The Good Ship,
a band I don't really know at all. I'm in the midst of my A-Z listening task,
which I've slacked off a lot on lately, but I'm up to "H" and that's the song
I'm specifically up to. Other than that, I've listened to a few other H songs
today, and the last song I listened to last night was "Panic Switch"
by the ever-awesome Silversun Pickups.

What were you thinking as you were doing this?

Umm, doing what? The survey? Or listening to the song? LOL.
I guess I'm thinking that it's Saturday morning and I'm getting a pedicure
and neck/shoulder massage today, then having a cards night tonight, woo!

Do you have nicknames? What are they?

Do I ever?!?! My name is Trisha (well okay, it's Patricia) and I get all sorts of
shortenings (or lengthenings) of both those. Mum calls me Twiddy,
Twitty, Twit-face, that sort of thing. Her boyfriend has adopted Twitty
as his favourite nickname for me. Most people call me Trish,
but one very suicidal man I deal with at work calls me Pat sometimes.
He really should know better... hehe. In high school I got called Fish Face
by my best friend, until I told her she better stop it OR ELSE...
I also had a "code name" in high school - Carrie.

Tag 8 blogger friends...

1. Brooke R. Busse
2. Jenni Merritt
3. Madeline Bartos
4. Robyn Campbell
5. Rusty Webb
6. Sheery @ Sheery's Place
7. Charity Bradford
8. Susan Fields
   

Who's listed as No. 1?

Brooke, who I THINK I met through Chrysalis but who I may
have known earlier... It all seems like so long ago! LOL.
Brooke is an amazing young writer and great blog-friend!

Say something about No. 5

His blog is cool, it has lots of different stuff - including some great artwork!

How did you get to know No. 3?

Pretty sure it's the same as Brooke - through Chrysalis.
I honestly can't remember which of these gals I got to know first,
they sort of come in a pair. :D

How about No. 4.

Pretty sure I must've met Robyn through the A-Z? :)

Leave a message for No. 6.

"Hi Sheery, good to still know ya!! :)"

Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.

"Jenni, I'm glad I found your blog because
I love to keep up with you and your projects!"

Do No.7 and No. 8 have any similarities?

Ummm they are both cool? hehe.

Okay, now that that's done, moving onto the next part of the entry!

I won stuff

• A critique! (Thank you with chocolate sprinkles to Sandra Ulbrich Almazan!)
• An award! (thank you with cherries on top, Sari Webb!)
• A website critique! (thanks with whipped cream to Jordan McCollum!)

The award was that Blog in Fire one that I won recently, so I will just redirect you to that entry.

Some upcoming Blogfests:

• June 1st - What's the Score? Blogfest
• June 6th - Second Summer in the City Blogfest (even though for me it will be Winter in the City :D)
• June 20-22nd - Favourite Book Challenge Blogfest

I think/hope those are all I've signed up for (i.e. if I've signed up for more, I can't remember, and will probably miss them!! LOL).

Incidentally, somebody on Summer Ross's blog suggested that there may be a current dearth of Blogfests because "we're" heading into summer. So I suggested that my fellow Aussies and I, plus the Kiwis, and anyone else in our region, should take on the task of doing "Summer" blogfests (since for us it's actually winter). However, don't look at me for ideas - I got nothin'. LOL.