NaNoWriMo, GO!

NaNoWriMo starts in T-minus TWELVE HOURS, EVERYBODY! (Maybe even less, depending on when you're reading this.)

For those of you unaware (and really, there shouldn't be many of you), NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, aka the busiest month for thousands of writers around the world.

THE GOAL: To write a 50,000 word novel in November. One month. 30 days. 720 hours. 43,200 minutes....you get the idea.

THE RULES: You can't start before midnight on November 1st. Every word of your 50k must be written before midnight on December 1st. Other than that...well, anything goes.

THE REWARD: Bragging rights. (Also, a nifty winner's certificate.)


This will be my 4th year participating and, if all goes according to plan, my third year successfully completing it. That's right--last year I started a winning streak with my second NaNoWriMo success and I intend to keep that streak alive.

But the question remains: am I prepared for the NaNoWriMo adventure?

Physically? Yes. I have ALL of my November blog posts written and scheduled for uploading. I have an outline half completed (hopefully that'll get completed today), both on paper and in my mind. I have a shopping bag full of k-cups stashed away--five whole boxes, more than enough to last me through the month.

Mentally? HELL NO. I expect this month to be interesting.


For now, I will hand you off to my past, pre-NaNoWriMo, still-mentally-and-emotionally-stable self for the month. If you wish to keep up to date with my progress, my word count widget is located in the sidebar on the right hand side. You can also follow me on Twitter, or if you're participating as well, you can request to be my writing buddy over on the NaNoWriMo website.


See you all on the other side!

- Justyne

Halloween Bash (Micro-Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at around 300 words. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

I’m in the basement. Why am I in the basement? That’s, like, rule number one of horror movies: don’t go into the basement. I’m going to be the first one to die . Way to go, self.

Of course, the only reason I’m down here is because everyone else is too drunk to make it down the steep stairs without killing themselves. Serves me right for throwing a Halloween bash, I guess.

I thought that this would be a good idea. For one, it would give everyone an excuse to dress up—even the people who pretended that they were “too cool” for the holiday. For two, I’ve never actually thrown a party before—lame, I know. But Halloween seemed like the perfect opportunity for a first run.

I didn’t anticipate, of course, the power cutting out halfway through the festivities. The lights, the music, everything went black once we blew a fuse. The drunks didn’t seem to mind—they’re still enjoying themselves upstairs, telling ghost stories with flashlights and scaring the crap out of each other.

My house, my party, my circuit breaker.  Everybody seemed to assume that I’d go down and fix it myself…despite my absolute hatred of this damp and musty basement.

I find the box easy enough, as well as the switch to start the party up again. I hear cries of protest upstairs when I flip it, but oh well. I’m not partying in the dark.

I turn around and almost bump into a figure behind me. I let out a shriek and jump back, heart pounding. I take a breath to calm myself once I get a good look at the mask—it’s from one of those movies that came out, like, twenty years ago, with the white face and the open-mouthed look and the black, oval-shaped eyes. I know immediately that it’s Jared—he’s the only one here wearing it.

“Jared,” I say with a scowl, “go back upstairs to the party.”

He turns around and walks away without a word. Jerk.

I rejoin the party shortly after, where everyone directs their moans and groans toward me.

“Sorry to burst your bubble,” I say sarcastically. “By the way, Jared? Totally not cool.”

“What?”

“You scared the crap out of me down there!”

He lifts the mask off his head. “I’ve been up here the whole time,” he says. Everyone nods along, agreeing with his statement.

“So…if it wasn’t you…” I feel the candy I’ve been eating all night churn in my stomach and rise into my throat. “Who was it?”

A blood curdling scream does more than enough to answer my question.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

Even More Books

Although my love of reading has existed since the early 2000's, book releases have always been something I was completely oblivious to. With the exception of a few choice books, release dates were not among my area of expertise. The closest I got to anticipating specific releases was checking the library database every two weeks or so, to see if they had what I was looking for.

The other day, though, I realized that I actually live for book releases. (And, y'know, weekly television. But I digress.) Starting from the summer, I can list five books off the top of my head that I was excited for, and that have since been released.

After My True Love Gave to Me came out last week (an anthology of Christmas-themed love stories...CHRISTMAS. THEMED. LOVE. STORIES. It's like this magical book was crafted just for me), I thought I was done anticipating new books. I thought all the ones I was excited for had already come out.

I was wrong.

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins - April 7th 2015

I had high expectations for Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins. I had heard absolutely nothing but good things about it, and let me tell you...I wasn't disappointed. The book was everything I've ever hoped for AND MORE. You can't even blame me for being excited for the next installment in this new YA series, because it is TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WARRANTED.

SO EXCITED.

City Love by Susane Colasanti - April 21st 2015

I've enjoyed a handful of Susane Colasanti books in the past; Something Like Fate and So Much Closer especially come to mind. So to discover, one day, that she is releasing a new series, about LOVE in NEW YORK CITY....

SO EXCITED.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen - May 5th 2015

Sarah Dessen is probably my all-time favourite author. I've read all (or almost all) of her books at least once, sometimes more, and I adore all of them. So you can imagine my excitement when she announced her 12th book at the beginning of the month.

SO EXCITED.

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer - May 19th 2015

Last year I read Between the Lines, the first book written by this mother-daughter duo, and it easily became one of my top books of the year. I adored it. And then, one magical fall day, I logged on to the internet to discover that they were coming out with a sequel. A SEQUEL.

SO EXCITED.

Storm by Amanda Sun - June (?) 2015

I read Ink, the first book in this trilogy, at the beginning of 2014.  Although it kept my attention, I wasn't really into it, and thought that I wouldn't be continuing on with the series.

Later that summer, when the second book, Rain, came out, I bought it on impulse. I enjoyed it a lot more than the first one...so now I can't HELP but be excited for the finale.

SOO EXCITED.


What book releases are you most excited for?

Until later,

- Justyne

Jackass (Micro-Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at 300 words or less. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

He’s in my seat. My seat. The seat I picked on the first day of class, the seat that I’ve been sitting in for the last three weeks. That’s my seat, and some jackass is sitting in it.

No one else seems to be bothered by this—but then again, his being in my seat isn’t disrupting everyone else’s. Is he even in this class? I’ve sure as hell never seen him before. What is he doing here?

“Excuse me?” I tap him on the shoulder and he turns around in his—in my—seat. Oh, no—he’s cute. Really cute. I didn’t prepare for him to be cute.

“Yes?” he replies. Oh, God, his voice is heavenly—abort mission, abort mission.

“I, um,” I stammer. “It’s just that, uh…you’re…uh…are you new?”

He furrows his brow and gives me a funny smile. Good God. “What?” he laughs.

“I just, uh…I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

He looks at me for a moment. Am I blushing? I think I’m blushing. “You’re observant,” he says finally. “I don’t actually go here; I’m visiting a friend.”

I look around the room—any excuse to turn my reddening face away from him. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh, he’s in a different class.”

I look back at him. God, why does he have to be so cute? “Then…why are you here?”

He shrugs. “Something to do, I guess. My friend’s got classes pretty much all day, so I’ve got to amuse myself somehow.”

“Right.” Say something. Say something or walk away, otherwise he’s going to think you’re a complete moron.

“Well, I…I should go,” I say, turning away.

“Hey.” He catches hold of my arm. Okay, now I’m red. Lobster red, probably. “Do you wanna meet up after class? Y’know, show me around?” It’s his turn to blush now—but it’s one of those adorable, hardly noticeable blushes. Ugh. “I, uh…I’m kinda lost.”

I can’t help but smile a huge smile, the cheesy kind I made back in kindergarten on school picture day. “Sure.”

He grins and lets go. “Perfect.”

I turn walk away, smiling like the idiot I am…until I look around and realize that there isn’t a free desk anywhere.

That jackass is still in my seat.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

Sorry, Folks--Halloween Just Ain't My Thing

I have mixed feelings about this October holiday. Am I the only one? Because it certainly feels that way sometimes.

Could it be because I'm too old to go trick-or-treating now? Probably not. (The candy goes on sale November 1st so TRUST ME, I'll be getting my hands on it either way.)

Could it be because I'm too lazy to dress up? Possibly. (Although I totally don't mind being able to dress up as a Disney princess. I should be allowed to do that all year long, really.)

Could it be that I'm terrified of and therefore absolutely hate all things creepy and scary? Absolutely yes 100000%.

I'm the kind of person who just outright refuses to watch scary movies. If you're watching something at all related to horror, I am out the door. If someone were to take me to see a scary movie on a date, said date would be over so fast that they wouldn't even recognize me on the street a week later. Scary movies give me nightmares, and let me tell you, I am not too fond of nightmares.

I much prefer Christmas. Christmas is joyous and magical and filled with love and wonder and there isn't anything scary about it at all. (Except for maybe the credit card bills after gift shopping...yeesh.) If I could skip right over Halloween and go straight to Christmas, trust me, I would.

Oh, who am I kidding. I basically do that, anyway. (68 days until Christmas!)


Which do you prefer: Halloween or Christmas?

Until later,

- Justyne

Together (Micro-Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at 300 words or less. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

She lost sight of her cap as it soared through the air, unable to identify it among the hundreds of twins it shared in the auditorium. She managed to catch one as it came down--whether or not it was the same one she threw was another matter entirely.

She couldn't see him through the crowd of cheering graduates. It wasn't until the majority of the teenagers had cleared out—off to find their friends and families and take thousands of pictures to remember this once-in-a-lifetime night—that she found him, off to the side, slouched up against the wall with his cap in his hands.

She approached him hesitantly. She didn't know exactly what to say; neither did he. By week's end, they would find themselves on opposite sides of the globe; him overseas, studying abroad; her in the country's capital, partaking in the internship she had dreamed of for the past four years. Both were happy with their decisions--but not with the separation they brought.

They said goodbye that night, their words stiff and awkward. They grew apart the way most high school acquaintances do: gradually, until suddenly they couldn't recall the last conversation they shared. Years passed, and although the relationship was never truly forgotten, the hectic nature of their individual lives left little time for reminiscing.

A decade passed, and the auditorium was once again filled—but instead of wild teenagers, grown adults stood milling around, talking and laughing and catching up, as old friends do.

She saw him again, slouched up against that same wall. She was more confident now—her words less stiff, her movements lacking their former hesitance. She approached him with ease; he straightened as she did.

The two shared that night together. And as their classmates talked about the happenings of the last ten years, they came together as though no time had passed at all.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

Musicals

I love musicals. No, that's wrong. I adore musicals. I wish everyday life could be a musical. (If it was, then maybe I wouldn't sound like a dying cat when I sing.)

Characters are motivated by desire. Everyone--rich, poor, happy, sad, confident or not--has something that they want. Maybe they think it's impossible. Maybe they've spent their whole lives working towards it. Maybe they don't even know where to start, and have spent years staring up at the sky, waiting and wanting and wishing for it to happen.

Plot is moved by a character's actions. A character's actions are fueled by want. Therefore, the plot is moved by the desires of the characters.


I love Disney movies--although whether I love musicals because of Disney or the other way around is unclear. Either way, when it comes to the franchise I generally have two favourite songs per movie:

1) The romance song (Think I See the Light from Tangled or A Whole New World from Aladdin.)
2) The opening "dream" song (Think Just Around the Riverbend from Pocahontas or For the First Time in Forever from Frozen.)

I love the romance songs because...well, hello, cute and adorable Disney couple together-ness. But I love the opening songs even more because they're fueled by the passion of the protagonist.

Exhibit A: The Princess and the Frog. Girl dreams of owning her restaurant. Works two different jobs to save money. Finally makes enough for the down payment of the building, thus taking one step closer to making her dreams a reality. Walks inside her future restaurant and BAM! Musical number. "I'm almost there!"

Exhibit B: Mulan. Girl wants to make her family proud. She follows the routine, tries to meet the standard expectations for women in her society--and fails. She wants to bring honour to her family, yes, but not at the expense of who she is. Spies on her apparently disappointed parents and BAM! Musical number (albeit a much slower song). "When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

The thing that makes these songs so great is the passion behind them; the desire to reach what seems impossible at times. These characters know what they want, and they tell us through (an extremely catchy) song. They show us their motivation, their inspiration, their greatest dreams. They give us a look inside themselves, so that we can care for them for the rest of the roughly 90 minute production.

When I'm developing characters, I like to take a song that I feel summarizes their motivation and imagine them singing it. I like to picture them bursting into song, telling the world, "This is what I want!" I feel like the song helps me map out their journey over the course of the story. (Hell, sometimes I plan out a whole little musical for them...yes I'm weird I know.)

So what about you? Do you pick out songs for your characters?


Until later,

- Justyne

Birthday Mail (Micro-Fiction Monday)

Every Monday, I post a piece of flash fiction--a story clocking in at 300 words or less. Each story can also be found on my deviantART and Wattpad pages. Enjoy!

~~

The street is empty. Why is it still empty? The mail comes like clockwork, every morning, without fail. Why does it have to be today of all days that it’s late?

I’m wearing my best dress today; I’m not entirely sure why. Between school and work I probably won’t have a chance to meet him for a few days. He won’t see me as I rip open the envelope, tear the paper out and greedily absorb the name printed on it. He won’t see me as I place the index card in the frame my parents bought me for my birthday—the birthday where I finally find out who I’ll be spending the rest of my life with.

But still, there’s no harm in looking nice, right?

The mail courier comes into sight, finally—just in time for me to meet her on my way to school. I jump off the sofa, grab my bag with one hand and cover the doorknob with the other as I shove my feet into my shoes. I shout a quick goodbye over my shoulder, one that my mom most likely didn’t hear in my rush to close the door behind me.

I approach the courier as she’s opening our front gate, my smile wide and fingers twitching with anticipation. She knows what I’m here for; she gives me a knowing smile as she hands me my mail. I resist the urge to rip it open then and there, pausing only to thank her before rushing off down the street.

I stop at the corner, breathless, and slip my finger under the paper, ripping it open in one swift movement. In my eagerness, the contents flutter to the ground beneath me. I curse and stoop down quickly, but what I see on the ground makes my fingers freeze in midair.

Two things have fallen out of the envelope. Two stiff cards, with the same elegant, formal writing that were printed on the framed cards in my parents’ bedroom.

Two cards…with two different names.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

My Writing Bucket List

In a previous blog post, I talked about seven things I wanted to accomplish through my writing. These things were big things, emotional things, things that couldn't be judged through any physical standards.

This list is different.

This list contains projects that I want to complete during my life as a writer / artist / creator. A bucket list, if you will.

Let's get started:

1. Publish a novel.

Self explanatory. I want to hold the beautiful hardcover edition of my pride and joy in my hands. I want to be able to go to a bookstore, find my book on a shelf, and very sneakily move it to the front so more people see it. (That was a joke....maybe.)

2. Publish a graphic novel.

I love graphic novels and comics, and I would love to publish one myself. This one is a little farther in the future, though--I want to be able to do the art myself, and that area is not one that I am particularly talented at yet.

3. Write a TV show script.

I have a couple different ideas. Even if it doesn't get produced, I'd still like to try my hand at writing it. (I think the hardest thing about this for me will be the formatting.)

4. Publish a book series.

I don't care if there are 3 books or 30--I'd love to create a longer series of books. 

What's on your writing bucket list?

Until later,

- Justyne