Writing Fantasy: Learning from a Younger Me

This post started as a Facebook status. I got shamefully distracted writing it, but I think I just helped myself a lot. If you snoop around this blog long enough, you'll find evidence (even excerpts) of all three of the complete stories I mention here.

(TL;DR at end)

Writing a Fantasy...

Age 14: "So there's this kind, shy, princess who eventually gets kidnapped, and two guys (her best friend and a foreign prince) work to rescue her... but first, let's get a smaller conflict in there, to introduce the characters..."

(Less than a year later, the story was finished at 65,000 words. I developed cultural stuff as necessary, mostly so I wouldn't forget what I'd imagined. It was just structured make believe. I wrote what I wanted to experience.)

Age 14 to 15: "This seems like a cool place to start: A captive loner with special powers and a social, generous guy who turns out to be a prince. They'll start a revolution... These characters are funny together... this is great, like playing make believe!"

(Started prologue in May, finished 50,000-word manuscript in October same year, with no deadlines or pressure. Developed characters and political climate as necessary and conducted some research on weaponry.)

Age 17: "Okay, this is a fun story idea. Let's play with some stereotypes, just for fun!"

(Finished 130,000 words age 18, a year and nine months later, much more serious than when I began... It was set in our world, so I only had to work on developing a subculture, not a complete culture.)

Now, Age 21: "This idea could be cool... alright, I've got a few short character bios down, and I don't think they're too flat. Their relationships aren't too boringly stereotypical, are they? What's the agricultural situation? Climate? Uh-oh, I don't know this kingdom's religious or moral history. The culture needs more roots. Do I want to use our months and days, or does this world need a different calendar? Should I base it, at least loosely, around a particular culture and date the weapons and clothing accordingly? But I don't have time to research that right now... Oh snap. WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?" (Started playing with ideas January, started rough draft last week, complete screenplay due end of April)

Actually, remembering how I wrote as a young teen helps me. Sure, looking back, the political and social structures could use some help, but that meant that I could focus on the characters and their main conflict. I didn't get distracted from that, and I had fun with the story. Was the plot itself fairly typical? Yeah. But the internal development in one of the characters worked pretty well, if I do say so myself, especially considering I was just 15 and undeveloped myself. My writing was immature, but I understood the basics about story development even then. I need to forget about the audience in my professor and classmates and just let myself play again.  

TL;DR

- As a young teen: "Yay fantasy, let's play with magic, adventure, and charming boys!"

- As 21-year-old creative writing student: SNAP. WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?!

- Wait, maybe young me had the right idea after all. Relax, write, and stop to brainstorm when necessary. You can go back and change things if you discover new things about your characters and the culture. Stop thinking about your professor and classmates and just play a bit, okay?

If I could write a novel at 14 years old, complete with all the basic structure of a decent story (albeit immature in content, character understanding, and writing style), then with my maturing skills, I can write a screenplay up to snuff for an undergraduate class... yes, even a fantasy screenplay.

Phases of Fandom: Enjoying Cheesiness

*Peeks out of hole and waves shyly*

So, after chronically neglecting this place, completing my first year of college, finishing the rough draft of At His Whim, and very briefly considering abandoning the blog altogether, I return. I'm not I wasn't going to say much in this post. It's more an attempt to get the ball rolling again than anything else.

I do, however, want to say this: I'm noticing myself go through phases of anime fandom. So far, I can identify at least two, and I think (hope) I'm in a third one:

1. The Naruto Phase

Many, many new fans go through this phase, and some never seem to leave it. Don't get me wrong; I still follow Naruto Shippuden (barely... I'm really behind at the moment). And there's nothing wrong with loving it even decades after joining otakudom. But I'd consider shows like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece to be gateway anime, along with The Wallflower and Ouran High School Host Club. When I first entered the anime world with Naruto, I did not know what fillers were (I miss that blissful ignorance). I had not seen enough anime to recognize cliches. Heavens, I wasn't even as aware of fan service back then! I was just happy to find that Japan, unlike the U.S., had a lot of shows with prolonged story lines. I soaked up all the new types of humor and culture, squealed like a fangirl (okay, I still do that), and started to learn the category names (thankfully, I didn't learn words like "hentai" and "yaoi" the hard way like some people did).

2. The Snob Phase

This is the phase I'm trying to leave. This phase is hyper-critical. By this point, I'd discovered glorious gems such as Gungrave, Baccano! and Miyazaki's films (why it took me so long to watch his work, I do not know). I became hyper-sensetive to cliches, started to read and even write a couple of reviews on Anime-Planet, and began to feel like I had to defend my love for Naruto. One of my reviews from near the beginning of this phase makes me cringe, it was so mean.

3. The Balanced Phase

I'm still trying to achieve this one, but I think I've made a step in the right direction: I just finished Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000%. Yes, it is as cheesy as the name sounds. But who cares? I used to love reverse harem style anime (especially before I realized that fan service can be aimed at girls just as well as at guys). I loved the idea of several young men caring about me. I can't enjoy these shows as purely as I once could. But worst case scenario, I can laugh. I can make a game of guessing which cliche way a character is going to respond in a cliche situation. And, if I try to clear my mind, I can almost feel the squeals and sighs coming on again.

From left to right: Height Complex, Personality Disorder, Special Secret, Enthusiastic Red, Sophisticated, Rich Flirt with Sob Story, and in front, with her back to us, Plain Pushover Girl. Ep 13 of Uta no Prince-sama. 

I'm not going to lower my standards. Now that Another, Gungrave, and other quality anime have graced my screen, shows like Uta no Prince-sama don't have the charm they once had for me. But I don't want to remain so snobby that I can't find joy in a Naruto filler like I used to. Most of these shows were made purely to entertain, not to be award-winning masterpieces. I want to learn to put aside my criticalness, sit back, relax, and let myself be entertained... even if the cheesiness itself is my entertainment.

Chihaya's Back! Me, on the Other Hand...

So, um... hi folks. I originally was going to just write about Chihayafuru, but the post ended up starting with me explaining myself. I've labeled the part where I actually get to the point of the post, if you want to skip to it...

I'm sitting here in my comfy chair, which we moved into my dorm room this semester, and realizing just how long it's been since I've posted. Or visited anyone else's anime blog, for that matter. I've gotten pretty out of the loop on the anime world, and I'm not sure that will change much anytime soon. I'm taking more credits this semester, and my academic advisor has suggested I do some independent research. I think I'm going to do it, once I've finished writing At His Whim (I'm about two chapters, possibly three, from the end!). So aniblogging will continue to take a side role for the time being. I wish I had the time to read more blogs (and watch the anime people are blogging about, so I could understand those blogs), but there's no way it's going to happen. I have to interact and keep up with real live people now, in addition to my homework. At least I'm still on Twitter...

That aside, I'm pretty excited right now. Justin of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses alerted me that the second season of Chihayafuru had finally started. Yes, I realize I should have learned about it long ago, but like I said, I'm out of the loop. I did, in passing, see a picture that said "Chihayafuru 2" on it, but it didn't really register. I was too busy scrolling to watch Hunter x Hunter and Space Brothers, the only two anime on my Anime-Planet watching list that I'm actually fairly caught up on. No, I don't want to talk about the 20 other anime staring forlornly at me from my watching list... or the ones on my stalled list. I'm busy, okay? And tired. And I'm finally about to finish At His Whim (now that I can barely stand to look at the first few chapters, since I've matured in both self and writing since I wrote them).

Anyway...

Chihaya, Taichi, and the rest of the karuta club are back!

I just watched the first episode, and I think this season might be even better than the last. Chihaya and the original five club members are second years now. We watched them grow a lot in the first season, and their growth is even more obvious when we meet their underclassmen. I love how confident Kana-chan is. She's become more of a leader than I would have expected when I met her in the first season. And Chihaya is just as in love with karuta as ever. Her desire to pass the torch on, while still continuing toward her own goal, is exactly what I'd expect from her. I can't help but love her enthusiasm.

I'm not extremely pleased with the entrance of this Hanano chick. She has no right to march into the karuta club, with no interest in the game, and set her sights on Taichi. He is her sempai, way out of her league, and not someone to be hunted like prey. Yet, I am a patient viewer. I will trust, for the time being, that the writers know what they're doing, and the drama will be tasteful. I hope she sees the light and starts to come to club for the game, not for him. I won't hold my breath, though.

Unfortunately, this is as far as this blog post goes. I'm sleep deprived, it's late, and I won't have time to try to lengthen this post tomorrow. I love these characters, and I look forward to seeing more of them. Hopefully I'll remember to make room to watch an episode every week!

Away from the Nest: Writing and Tutoring

Written several hours ago: 

I sit on the bus, about to head home for a few days. I originally intended to work on the next chapter of At His Whim. However, I’m listening to fun music, and it doesn’t exactly inspire the suspenseful scenes I have planned. I could, of course, switch to the Kanon Wakeshima station on my Pandora. That would probably set the right mood. But I’m enjoying my Jonas Brothers/One Direction station too much (yes, I listen to Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and Justin Bieber. Haters begone). So I thought, “Hey, I haven’t blogged in a while. Why don’t I do that?”

Thus, here I am. I must confess, I haven’t watched nearly as much anime lately. I’ve been distracted. The only anime I watched recently was Gungrave. Now, I’d love to write a post on that. I’ve watched it about three times now, and I could definitely rave on about it. However, a post about Gungrave deserves my full attention, something I couldn’t give it right now.

So what is this post about? That is an excellent question. One I’m asking myself right now, actually. Should I even post this rambling? Whatever. I’ll keep writing. I think I’ve thought of more pointed things to say, things about my time living with my aunt and cousins. It’s not anime related, but when did I proclaim this blog to be solely for anime? Never, that’s when.

Anyway, as you may know by now, I’ve been living with my aunt since February and tutoring my cousins. I’ll leave in less than two months to see my family before I go off to college. It’s been quite the experience, living here. 

To begin with, it’s my first time leaving home for more than two weeks. Strangely enough, I never got the least bit homesick. In fact, I now feel that my aunt’s house is a second home. Granted, I’ve missed my parents and sister - something that hasn’t happened since I was about eight. But I visit them, and I don’t miss them too much. I suppose it’s a sign that I’m ready to leave the nest... even if it’s just to help out at my aunt’s nest for the time being.

I’ve become closer to my aunt, which is only natural. I love our long chats after the kids go to bed, and I know I’ll miss her when I leave. She’s a hardworking, single mother with a lot on her plate. But she’s also funny, kind, and loving. Aunt contributed her perspectives as I made my final college decision, and then helped multiple times with filling out and faxing relevant documents. We’ve talked aunt to niece, parent to tutor, and single woman to single woman. She’s more than just my aunt; she’s my friend. Getting to know her better has been a delightful bonus to living with her.

Of course, I originally came to tutor the boys, ages twelve and ten. Working with them has been a very rewarding experience. I’ve taught the twelve year old directly from his sixth grade math book, filling in holes as I went. Math accomplishments with him are very tangible - a finished or skipped lesson, a mastered concept, and written problems all show the fruit of his work. I’m also continuing the spelling program with him that Mom tutored him in last summer. He’s retained an encouraging amount of phonograms and spelling rules over the year, and the A on his spelling quiz proves it... even if a diagnostic test still puts him over three years below grade level. Of course, I don’t tell him the exact level he tested at. All he needs to know is that he’s improved since last year.

The ten year old has less to work on, so I work with him for only half the time. Still, our accomplishments feel just as good. He has his multiplication facts down solid in flashcard form, and we’re working to apply that progress on his worksheets, too. Even more notable, and less due to me than him, is his grasp of long division. They just learned that at the end of the school year, and he has it down pat - which is more than I can say for a few of his classmates! He’s eager to keep improving in both math and spelling, and it’s a joy to see his smile when he makes yet another accomplish.

This summer, I’ve also started spending a few minutes with their eight year old sister. She doesn’t really need the help, but it doesn’t hurt to keep fresh over the summer. She has no problem with tutoring, either. In fact, she loves the attention and will happily tell her friends that, like her brothers, she has to come inside for tutoring. 

Between the three children, I’m really learning a lot. I’ve never taught anyone between the second and third grades, so it’s interesting to see how the younger children think. The abilities and ages among just my three cousins are varied enough to give me quite the experience. I spend a few weeks in the ten year old’s fourth grade class, too, which gave me more perspective. 

Yet I do not intend to change my major to elementary education. Nuh-uh. As much as I like teaching these kids, I’d rather teach high school math. Besides, that’s more fun to study. 

In addition to tutoring, I’ve spend several hours a week watching my cousins. I’m often in charge in the mornings, which can be... interesting, to use a euphemism. They’re sweet and sensitive, but they are far from angels. 

Lastly, I’ve had to drive a lot more - to the store, to the vet, to hair and doctor appointments, etc. Let’s be clear on something: I do not like driving. It’s not just because of my car accident last fall, either. Further, I need my GPS the first five to ten times I go anywhere further than a block away. Yet I’ve become more and more comfortable, especially on certain routes. Granted, I’m not completely at ease, but the driving experience certainly helps. I’ve been on the freeway, in the suburbs, and even downtown. I’ve driven in pouring rain on a rutted highway with kids in the car. I’ve searched for parking spots and maneuvered confusing streets. And amongst it all, I’ve retained my sanity.

Yes, my sanity is intact. I’ve even kept from getting very anxious, something longer term readers may remember is a problem for me. I’m trying very hard to stay on top of my anxiety, avoid procrastination, and tend to my responsibilities in a timely manner. I’ve stumbled and delayed multiple times, but I’m doing better - probably better than I would if I’d stayed home.

I think I’ve gained a little maturity by living away from home. I’m still young, and there are many areas where my lack of confidence gets in the way. Yet I’ve made another step. And, unlike this time last year, I’m ready to go to college. 

Well, I believe it’s time to end this, change my Pandora station, and get started on the next chapter of At His Whim. I’m trying to stay on a weekly posting schedule again. I think this chapter will end up being ten pages long, so if I don’t start it soon, who knows if I’ll finish it by Saturday?

Forum Signatures, Decisions, Writing, and Such

I haven't uploaded since last month, and I'm beginning to worry I'll miss May altogether. So, here's a post. Is it anime related? Well, I suppose I can make it anime related. Here:

I've been making forum signatures again, and greatly enjoying it... other than the fact that I have to use Pixlr instead of Photoshop, that is. The one above has Killua and Gon from Hunter x Hunter. I took the chibis from a screenshot.

In other news, I'm trying to write more on my story, At His Whim. And when I write more there, I tend to write less here. But hey, it had to come at some point. I'd neglected the story for five months, and lost readers in the process. It was about time for me to go back to it! I've passed the 65,000 word point, which I feel quite good about. Even if it took me a year to get there.

I also made my college decision (finally!). After taking a year off, hemming and hawing for several months, and recalculating financial aid offers, I now know where I'm going next fall. I'm so excited! It was definitely the right choice to take a year off, too. If I'd gone to college this past year, I'm sure I'd be a train wreck. Actually, I was a train wreck already at this point last year, so I'd be a train wreck on fire in the middle of an earthquake.

Yeah, it's a really, really good thing I took a break.

In the meanwhile, I'm living at my aunt's house and tutoring two of her three high maintenance kids. I've been here since February and will stay until I go to school. It's been a great experience. I'm getting a little cash, enjoying long chats with my aunt, and learning how to be pro-active in avoiding anxiety. Plus, I share a room with my eight-year-old cousin: that should warm me up for my college roommate.

So, I might not post again this month. I'll try, but it's not guaranteed. I mean, I'd also like to get at least one more chapter of At His Whim up on Wattpad, get caught up on anime, fill out college documents, and keep my sanity in this crazy house. Oh, and maintain my new habit of exercising. And probably get my wisdom teeth out (I actually don't want that one, but my teeth don't care how I feel about it). I can't do everything, so this blog may suffer. Oh well.

Me, my Writing, and the Past Two Months

It’s been more than two months since I last posted. Part of me dislikes the fact that I’ve neglected my blog, and part of me simply enjoyed the break. However, my internet-crazed self hasn’t been idle during my time away.

First of all, I’ve spent a great deal of time writing my story, At His Whim. I have over a hundred pages in Word, and I don’t think I’m even half done. 

In addition to writing my story, I’ve read dozens of amateur books on Wattpad, including a couple by my dear friend, Firecat057. This website has every genre you can think of, from Naruto fan fiction to horror. Best of all, I can read using my phone when I don’t have my computer. I was a bookworm long before I knew about anime, and that side is coming back with a fury.

I’m taking a year off from school. Let me tell you, that was the most relieving decision I’ve made in a while. I’m fairly academic minded, but I need a year to rejuvenate my brain and reevaluate my educational plans. 

I’ve been job searching. As much as my parents love the amount of chores I’ve started to do, I need a job. Which means stepping out there in the big kid world and applying.

I still watch anime when I get the chance, though my computer time has been limited. In fact, I only recently finished watching Gungrave for the second time. That is an amazing show… I should probably do a blog post on it. 

So, that’s a small taste of what I’ve been up to in the past two months. I’m in this transition stage of life. That’s not to say I’m transitioning out of this blog – far from it! I have a couple of post ideas I might put into action in the next week or so. We’ll see. Either way, I’m not abandoning this blog.

See you soon!

At His Whim - Prologue

Okay, so I thought I may as well show you the reason I've been neglecting my blog. I don't know whether or not you're interested in this (there aren't even any anime references in the prologue), but I'm posting it anyway. I doubt I'll post more on my blog, but I already have three more chapters up on Wattpad at http://www.wattpad.com/1673140-at-his-whim . If, by chance, you like this, I hope you'll check the rest out!

You may or may not have noticed, but I'm not very good at balancing my life. I get completely immersed in aniblogging and anime fandom for a few months, then completely immersed in reading and writing fiction, then consumed by hunting down free, appropriate otome games... you get the picture. Oh well. Maybe I'll learn balance in the next few years. Maybe. In the meantime, thanks for having patience with my ADHD way of posting (hey, I do have ADHD, even if it is mild and doesn't make me hyperactive).

Anyway, here it goes...


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- At His Whim - Prologue

Nothing ever happens in Sisters. In this Old West-themed town, the stores all close by six, and the restaurants follow shortly after. McDonald’s created the biggest scandal of the decade… until someone burnt it down in the middle of construction. Locals worry more about cougars and wildfires than burglars and killers. They don’t blink when they see a horse at the bank’s drive-thru window, and they just laugh when people dress up as cowboys for Halloween. If someone dresses up in a cowboy hat and boots on October 31, chances are that no one will realize they’re in costume; there are real ranches in the area.

Sisters nestles itself in the Cascade Mountains of Central Oregon, on the edge of the High Desert. Its citizens hide out or skip town when the tourists come for the Quilt Show. Their mantra is: “Come, spend your money, and leave.”

Yes, nothing ever happens in Sisters. Sure, there’s the Rodeo, the Quilt Show, the Antique Show, the McDonald’s scandal, and the B&B fire. But other than tourists, fire, and wild animals, there’s not much to worry about. Most often, the only things threatening kids are their own poor choices. Parents feel pretty comfortable letting them walk around the neighborhood alone. That’s why eight-year-old twins Danny and Lila were alone when the storm rolled in and the pool closed early. The twins changed with everyone else, but Lila was held up in the bathroom. When the pool’s gate guard covered the pool, locked the gate, and left, he didn’t realize that two swimmers remained.

The sky grew darker and darker. The lightning and thunder came closer together. Danny waited just outside the girls’ changing room and watched the sky with increasing unease. When Lila finally emerged, the rain and wind hammered them. They shook the gate and yelled for someone to come, but the storm negated their voices, and the gate guard was already home.

Lila jumped at a particularly loud thunder clap. She didn’t fear the storm, exactly. Still, she’d prefer to watch it from the safety of her bedroom.

Danny gave the gate a final, hopeless shake. “We’ll have to climb over!”

She eyed the nine foot fence. “I don’t think so,” she shouted over the wind.

“There’s no other way!”

“But it’s slippery, and high!”

“Come on! You can do it.” Danny demonstrated by climbing up a couple feet. His flip flops made him slip a little, so he came back down and took them off. “Just throw your shoes over the fence, and you’ll be fine!” he told his sister.

She shook her head and backed up a step.

“Lila!” Danny shouted, exasperated. The idea of climbing the fence in this weather didn’t appeal to him, either, but he wanted to go home.

“Maybe you can go home and get hel-EEK!” Her suggestion turned into a shriek as a tendril of water wrapped around her ankle and pulled.

Danny turned around. “What?!”

“My ankle!” She staggered back and shook her right foot, eyes wide with fright. “Get it off! Get it off!”

It was June, and should have been sunny for another four hours, but in the storm, it was dark enough that Danny had to squint to see what she was talking about. “What in the world…”

It slithered around her calf and tugged. Lila fell forward with another shriek, and Danny just barely kept her from hitting her head on the cement. The water wound up her leg, under her pink shorts, and around her waist. It pulled her toward the covered pool, wrenching her right leg until she screamed. Danny planted his feet, gripped her wrists, and heaved, trying to fight whatever controlled the dark tentacles of water wrapping around her.

The tendrils continued up, under her shirt, and, to their horror, around her neck. It tightened, but did not stop there. It spread over her face, into her eyes and mouth. She kicked, and Danny pulled harder, but the thing dragged her back, unfazed. It took her arms next and reached for her wrists and for Danny’s hands.

She couldn’t breathe. It grew harder and harder to struggle. Her remaining clarity of mind began to fade away.

Danny fought in vain to hold on as the water creature pried his fingers from her wrists. “No!” he screamed, trying to grab her again as she fell under the pool covering. “No!” He dropped to the ground, determined to swim after her. Right then, he noticed the thick water cord running from the other side of the pool to a figure just beyond the fence. He realized that the figure, not the water, was his enemy.

He leapt to his feet and sprinted toward the fence, anger boiling inside him. Who dared hurt his sister? Who was trying to drown her? The man in a trench coat watched, unworried, as the desperate boy approached the chain link fence. But, somehow, Danny realized that his enemy had reason to worry. He instinctively knew that the fence posed no barrier to him, so he crossed his arms in front of his face and charged.

The rain sizzled and the man lost connection with his water as Danny melted through the fence in a flash and barreled into his opponent. Trench Coat barely defended himself against the powerful waves of heat emitted from the boy. When, despite the sheets of rain and cutting wind, a flame sprouted, Trench Coat knew he was unprepared for battle. He ran.

Danny turned on his heel and ran back to the deep end. He pushed back the cover, dove into the pool, and opened his eyes, searching the dim water for his sister. There! She was unconscious a few feet in front of him. He hauled her up to the surface. For one terrifying moment, he couldn’t find the gap in the cover. Then he was through. He gripped the wall and continued kicking as he pulled Lila’s head out of the water. God! Help me! He prayed for God to lend his strength. Through some combination of adrenaline and divine help, Danny managed to push her up onto the cement.

He quickly followed her and pulled her further away from the pool. She wasn’t breathing, so he did what they did in the movies - pumped her chest. He managed to do it hard enough in the right place, and after a few repetitions, she coughed up water.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Danny let out a whoosh of air and helped her sit enough to cough and sputter until the water was out of her lungs. “Are you okay?”

“My leg,” she said hoarsely. He barely heard her over the howling wind, but he saw what she meant. Her right leg was twisted in an awkward position, and it hurt more than anything had ever hurt in her life.

He looked at it, but the movies hadn’t taught him what to do with a leg injury. If it was bleeding, he could deal with that, but this was different. “Anything else?”

She shook her head and shivered.

“Alright,” he decided, “I’m going to pull you into the bathroom. You can’t walk, so we’ll wait out the storm in shelter.”

He dragged her into the women’s changing room. They sat against the wall and held each other. Danny wished he had a dry towel to wrap around her, but made do with his arms. He did his best to soothe her. Please, God, make the storm stop.

The storm didn’t stop, but their parents grew worried when the kids didn’t come home. Thirty minutes later, they found Danny holding his unconscious sister, barely holding in frightened tears. Tears of pain streaked down Lila’s cheeks.

Both children went to the hospital. In a few months, they seemed fine. You could only see Lila’s limp if you watched closely. They were physically unscathed. Yet that day changed them for life, and its ramifications haunted them even decades later.

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So... What did you think?

My Excuses for Not Blogging

Okay, I know I've been slacking off on the blog. And the more I stay away, the harder it is to come back. But I had good reasons, I promise!

First of all, I finally graduated from high school. I procrastinated on a lot of the home school course until last minute, so I had to scramble to get it done. That took quite a bit of time and energy.

Second, I've been writing a lot of fiction in the past two months. Much of my writing energy has gone into that. I made quite a few false starts, but I finally settled on something. And I'm happy to report that I will probably finish the story this time. I'm even posting it online! I just prefer to use Wattpad for long stories.

Last but not least, reading, writing, and editing have distracted me from my favorite blogging topic - anime. Oh, I've continued to watch some, of course. Hulu finally put up the second season of Initial D. I re-watched the first season and hungrily consumed the second. The animation change between seasons was annoying at first, but I quickly got over it.

Anyway, one of the main characters in my new story, At His Whim, is an otaku. It's hard for me not to put my love of anime into at least a couple of my characters! Her otaku habits aren't a big part of the plot, but it's there. So, in a way, I have been writing about anime.

If you're at all interested, I'd love it if you'd check out my Wattpad profile or At His Whim. I've only uploaded the prologue and first chapter of At His Whim, but there's more coming. Eventually, I'll put at least the prologue on this blog. But it's so much easier to read and organize stories on Wattpad! I've even decided to start editing and uploading an old story of mine.

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I'll just copy and paste my description for At His Whim...

Danny Carter is one of the youngest and best members of his organization. But when girls start disappearing, even Danny can’t seem to crack the case. His enemy is on the move, and the trail leads toward Danny’s home state – toward his twin sister.

Lila Carter fears many things: drowning, darkness, and boys, to name a few. Her largest concern, besides her absent brother, is her parents’ plan to cure her of her social anxiety. First she has to face her shyness around boys, and then she encounters situations far more frightening. She can’t rely on Danny’s protection forever, but does she have the strength to overcome her fears?

Danny, Lila, and their friends find themselves at the whim of an invisible enemy. They try desperately to protect the ones they love, and their success is far from guaranteed.



At His Whim is a suspense/action/fantasy novel with a smaller twist of romance. Rated PG-13 for dark situations and violence (I considered “PG” but wanted to be safe).

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Wattpad has its users rate their stories G, PG, etc. I tend to be a LOT more conservative with my ratings than most people. There have been a couple PG-13 stories that really should have been labeled "mature." I ran away from those pretty quickly.

Okay, my internet is going to be cut off in three minutes, so I'd better wrap this up. I hope to blog more soon!