A [NaNoWriMo] Novelist...

6th November

2009-11-06T23:13:00.002Z

DONEDONEDONE!
Phew!
I wrote 13.5k today to catch up for being lazy and only writing 5.5k yesterday, and hit 50,000 words at 8:22 this evening! I'm so pleased. 6 days! That beats last years by like, a day and two hours. I'm proud. =D I also started a new novel yesterday, which is so much better than the first one. Shh. That explains the 13.5k day without death. >_>

Now I can settle back to a nice 3k a day and do some work for uni. I really need to do some work for uni. >_o Haha

50,000th word: "You're". How dull.
51,000th: "a". Not much better. XD
Sentence: "You're a young man!" Even worse =P

Ah well.

Sleep now. And uni work. And sleep. I have a poorly back. xD

*dies*

4th November

2009-11-05T00:12:00.002Z

Today has been a day full of ups and downs, that's for sure. More servere homesickness, but since today has been my day off (well, strictly speaking I should have been doing reading, but oh well) I managed to hit my goal of 10k. :]

That puts me at 1k ahead of last year's schedule, even with that bad start. Maybe I will be able to do it in 6 days. Then I can feel better by doing lots of work for university. : )

Anyway. I'm super tired, so here's an excerpt:

“Goddamnit! Lockdown!” Her panic was contagious, and my heart began to thump so loudly it almost drowned out the alarm.

“What the hell set it off?” I demanded, facing each of the others in turn before finally resting my gaze on the locked and bolted window in front of us. “And how the hell are we going to get out?”

“Front door,” Lyn breathed. “We have to get out there - it’ll be the only one not yet closed.”

Before I had the chance to question her queer logic, or even demand a further explanation of our trouble, she had grabbed me by the arm and was pulling me out towards the main staircase. Above us we heard the scraping of chairs and a shout of dismay in the voice of a man, but this only made us move quicker.

We reached the front door in what seemed like seconds, the thudding out of feet the only way I had of keeping time. We flew down the staircase, manuscript carefully tucked away under Kysin’s arm, and found that Lyn had been right in her assertion. The front door was wrenched open with visible relief from all of us, and we fled out into the darkness of the night gladly.

We ran until we reached the cars, out of breath and exhausted. Panting I doubled over, resting my hands on my knees as I fought to regain my breath. Lyn beside me coughed. I began to laugh, uncontrollably, with the feeling of pure pleasure rippling through my body. We had done it! This was the first step, and we had won. Things could only get better from here, and then those other government oafs would simply have to believe me.

“What’s so funny?” Lyn asked angrily, tossing her head like a displeased horse. Leaf dropped to the floor beside his car and shook his head. “What’s with the damn cackle?”

“I never thought myself of a thief,” I spoke through my laughter, hiccuping until my chest hurt. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Leaf move so quickly in my life!”
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day too. I just hope my back stops hurting so bad. Damn this silly unversity chairs! > : (

Words written today: 9986
Total word count: 31,014

3rd November

2009-11-04T00:03:00.002Z

So, last night was something of a disappointment, because I was attacked by severe homesickness. Luckily I managed to catch up today, which is good because it means I'm on target for hitting 50k on day 6 - one day earlier than last year! I just have to keep it up.

I don't know how much of this my poor back can take (it's seizing up like crazy), but I'm determined to give it my all. I also put an excerpt up on the NaNo author page of mine, if anybody cares, or is even reading this. I think I'm talking to myself... >_>

Anyway. Except:

It was almost midnight when I finally heard the doorbell ring. Lyn had been gone for almost eight hours - not that I had been counting - yet when I let her in she didn’t seem at all tired. If anything, in fact, she seemed more lively than she had earlier, and bounded into the foyer with a grin on her face.

“Morbid, much,” I commented, but she ignored me. Already I was fond of the dynamic that was growing between us, and found myself hoping desperately that she wouldn’t disappoint. I imagined she would make a fantastic questioner.

“Job done.” She jumped through to the sitting room and sat herself down on the same sofa she had occupied earlier. I watched her for a moment, allowing her to catch her breath, and then descended on the arm of the chair, like a wolf on its prey.

“Do tell me how it went,” I pleaded. It had been my intention to assert my authority here, claim importance and show my desire for knowledge, but I was so riled by the thought of just revenge that I couldn’t help myself. “Tell me. Did she cry?”

“Not much,” Lyn admitted, picking at something in her teeth. “She didn’t believe me at first, and we argued for a bit. Then I hit her and tied her to a chair, and she seemed more willing to listen. She said she was sorry, and she wouldn’t tell anybody about your dad - I assume that’s something you don’t want to talk about? And then, well, I just gave her a good last moment by making her watch me dance naked.”

“What?”

“I’m joking.” Lyn rolled her eyes. “I just shot her, okay? Is that good enough?” She huffed loudly and folded her arms across her chest in a childish manner.

“I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea,” I ventured, but Lyn stopped me.

“I did what you asked, and cleaned it up nicely. Nobody will even know she tried to go home. She’s buried out in a nice patch of cemetry outside one of those early little villages in East Side. They’ll never know.”

Word count for yesterday: 6,290
Word count for today: 9,486
Total word count: 21,028

1st November

2009-11-02T15:43:00.002Z

NANONANONANONANO! =D

So, of course, NaNo started yesterday, and while I'm not up for a long update, I'll say that I didn't get as much done as planned, but am enjoying myself. I had a lovely time at the Notts NaNo meet, and now have my own pet rock - and then spent the evening with Tom and friends, doing Halloween things and then writing. It was great :)

Now I'm back in Norwich and should WRITEWRITEWRITE!

Here's a small exerpt of what's happening so far:

Outside I tried to hold my breath, panic rising at the thought that I had drunk enough to make myself sick. I hadn’t had that much! I could count on one hand the amount of drinks I’d allowed myself tonight, and they hadn’t even been strong ones. I gagged, body doubled over as I hovered in the gutter, trying my best to keep from vomiting.

“Shit,” I swore, my stomach lurching again. “Not good, not good...” I took a deep breath; feeling my ribcage rise and fall was enough to make me feel violently ill again. Head spinning, I struggled to keep myself upright, a sharp piece of brick biting into the tender skin on my palm. I clutched the hem of my dress, focus drawn from my stomach, but to no avail.

I didn’t even get the chance to ask for help before I felt my legs go inexplicably weak and I collapsed to the floor in a heap. My head hit the concrete hard, stars whooshing into vision against the black of the night sky. The music of the party was too loud, my body too tired to move. I lay on my back, arms sprawled out, and let my vision go black. The sickness subsided slowly, and I was left empty and cold, my body fixed in a half-state of levitation. I brought my knees to my chest and closed my eyes.

The only thought that was tangible enough to grasp, was how much I hoped I hadn’t ruined my dress. Little did I know, that was going to be the least of my worries.

Words written yesterday: 5,234
Wordcount overall so far: 8,743

22nd October

2009-10-23T00:05:00.005+01:00

So, the countdown to NaNoWriMo 2009 begins!

I didn't forget about this blog, but I've been really busy lately. I've had another assignment to get sorted out before NaNo, as well as arrangements to go home for next week (because it's my reading week =D).

Also, of course, there has been NaNoWriMo preparation to be had. >D This year my idea came pretty late - but it was actually my last blog that got me thinking. A changeling child, an Alice in Wonderland spin... And, I came up with this:

In the world of Fane, the Changeling race are struggling to adapt to the rules of the modern world. In this new and growing world outside their own, children are harder to steal, knowledge harder to glean - life just isn't as prosperous as it once was. The rulers of the quarters of Fane (West, East, North and South) are doing their best to save a world they know is dying - and for West that means she will fight to the very last before she sees her fellow rulers collapse, no matter what the cost in collateral. Some call her mad; others avoid calling her anything at all.

Lo, a young Human working in the city, falls asleep one night under the stars, only to wake in a world where nothing is as it seems. Threatened, she will do whatever it takes to get back home - wherever that really is...

Yeah, the synopsis is a bit of a cop-out, but it's something to work with. Basically, a girl in her late teens get kidnapped by some kind of accident (i.e., her changeling family are very scatterbrained and their daughter is not a baby any more...). She has been working in a strip club, so has seen many things, but at first is convinced she's been drugged. The people are different, with rainbow coloured tinted skin and strange mannerisms, and everything is not as it seems. And, of course, there is a take-over bid and world danger. =D You know it's going to be good.

It's better than nothing, right? I don't think it will be as good as last year, but it should be fun at least.

I wrote a character sketch for West the other night. I'll post it here, and TRY to be more active between now and NaNo.

	Promotion The day I got my promotion was the day I stopped worrying about what everybody would think of me. It’s a difficult task, deciding to throw away a habitual life-time of pestering and preening, just to be sure that somebody likes you - but I made the jump because I knew that I wouldn’t need to care any more. And, when I say ‘promotion’, I mean nothing more than a lovely little jump up the social ladder. It was an accident, really. That’s what I tell myself. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. A morning in early August, cool and bright. I’d been stood idly by one of the great bay windows in my father’s office, listening as he chattered incessantly into his intercom-phone. I’d been waiting for him for a good thirty minutes by this point, and he showed no sign of letting up with the conversation. The worst thing was: he wasn’t even talking business. “No, Marianne. No, no, not at all! She’s a lovely girl. -What? Yes! Don’t be silly. Of course I’ll let her know. Will you? Really? Of course...” And it went on like this, the same, over and over and over and over- In the end, I just walked up to him and put my finger on the receiver. “Oh, Wisteria, honey! I was having a conversation with poor Marianne. You know how rude it is to interrupt people when they’re talking. Why couldn’t you wait a little longer?” “You’ve been talking to ‘poor Marianne’ for half an hour longer than I care to listen to you talk to her. Why did you ask me in here if you’ve nothing to do but chatter away like some half-wit moron?” Dad always hated it when I talked to him like he was stupid, even if it did seem that this was the case. He lowered his snowy eyebrows into something of a frown, the shimmering skin around his lips growing taught as he held back a nasty response. I would have smiled, but there was a reason he’d called me here, and it wasn’t for this, so I held my tongue of my further comment and folded my hands on my hips impatiently. “I called you here to discuss a few matters with you regarding those new jobs opening up in the ladder. You know the ones I mean?” I shook my head. Office grunts like Wisteria West didn’t get to know these special kinds of information. We weren’t important enough, apparently. My dad took a moment to shoot me a funny look, and then changed his tune. “Well, then I’ve got news for you!” A beaming smile made its way across his face, and he leaned forward to tap my arm genially. Dad and I don’t get on at the best of times, so this contact was disturbing in itself. I shook him off. “Tell me, then,” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest. “I’ve not got all day.” “You have now, daughter of mine,” Dad crowed happily. “They’ve been talking about a new system of government, based on votes-hereditary, which I’m sure you’ll have heard about-” I hadn’t, but I nodded anyway, wanting him to cut to the chase, “And the votes are in!” He paused expectantly. “What? Are you expecting me to say something witty?” I raised an eyebrow in annoyance. He didn’t seem to mind, simply leaned back in his expensive leather armchair - new? - and tapped his finger on the table in front of him. “Are you going to tell me what’s so exciting?” I asked again, stifling a yawn. If I was here any longer I was pretty sure they’d fire my ass and it’d be all his fault. “I’ve been chosen from four thousand government employees to be the new face of government for the west of Fane!” The grin on his face expanded, as did my annoyance. “You?” I scoffed. “Ruler of government?” “At the end of the current term,” Dad admitted. “I’ll be one of four new rulers of Fane. Doesn’t that sound marvellous? It’s what I’ve been working towards for years! And, now, it’s finally here! Goodness, your mother would be so proud. I wish she were here to see it...” “It was your obsession that killed her in the first place,” I muttered darkly, pouting. “Well, congratulations, I guess. I don’t suppose there are any perks for a girl like me in this new system of yours?” I asked lightly, highly doubtful. Dad had never much cared about me, or my job. To him I was a disappointment, simply because I was born with the wrong spirit. How could I help it if he’d made a mistake? Being a grounded Changeling was hard enough in the world of business, I didn’t need his pressure too. “As a matter of fact,” Dad commented drily, “there is something quite interesting about these new positions. I mentioned votes-hereditary, right?” “Right.” “Well, I’ve done the voting part, which means that the West family is in power for life! Or, at least as long as we are good for the people. Isn’t that smashing?” It took me a moment to comprehend what he was saying. Working my jaw to sooth my stomach I shrugged my shoulders. “What exactly does that mean?” “Well, if anything were to happen to me, naturally you’d be the new ruler of the west of Fane. It’s hereditary, like those Earth monarchies we used to hear so much about. You know?” “If anything happened to you...?” I repeated, a nasty feeling broiling in my stomach. “If I were to die, or become very ill suddenly, you would have to take my place.” Innocently Dad chuckled to himself and lit up a pipe. Mirroring him, I returned the smile. Little did he know what I had in store for him. Silly half-witted moron.

9 days until NaNoWriMo 2009!

8th October 2009

2009-10-08T15:25:00.001+01:00

October is here again! You know what that means, right?

...

NANOWRIMO IS COMING! Haha. I'm excited about it this year, as always, although there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding how much time I'll have to write (what with my creative writing course demanding a lot from me) and whether I'll actually have an idea by November. It's entirely possible that I won't have an idea, which will be the first time in... Well, ever.

I think I'm having trouble because I've had to do a lot of work on my portfolio for my creative writing class recently, and getting a GOOD idea for that was hard and a lot of effort - so an idea for NaNo is also hard. Not to mention I've still got an unfinished novel that I need to FINISH, and which I don't really want to abandon. I guess I didn't really plan my year out very well, did I? XD Ah well, I'm sure I'll work something out.

Perhaps a story about a changeling child,
Or an Alice in Wonderland spin,
Or maybe a story about a person from a different world getting stuck in the local prison system.

Hey, maybe a combination of them all! It doesn't matter; it'll be a bit of fun. I look forward to it though :)

Tonight I'm going home to see my mum and my sister, and Tom. I get to see my DOGS AND CAT TOO! I miss them so much after not seeing them for three weeks. It's going to be good.

On the train I have a lot of reading to do, for my course, and maybe some writing too, depending on how long it all takes. :P But, it's going to be a nice relaxing journey, hopefully.

Also, I should start blogging more. After all, isn't that like... the tradition?
:3

Something like that. :D

I'll update soon!
~ Toodles
xx

19th September 2009

2009-09-19T11:19:00.002+01:00

So, I would feel exceptionally guilty about not updating this place in so long if I hadn't been so busy over the last few months. I've not really had much time for the internet (as I didn't think I might), what with Jor coming, the huge party, doing loads of AWESOME stuff, Jor going, getting ready for exam results - EXAM RESULTS - GETTING INTO UNIVERSITY!! and stuff like that. You know, the whole shebang.

Speaking of university... OHMYGODILEAVEFORNORWICHTOMORROW. It's the scariest thing ever, knowing that I'm about to leave home and I may not ever come back for good. I'm at Dad's house at the moment, spending some last-minute quality time with him (or at least trying to anyway) and getting ready to go home at 4ish to pack Steve's car with all my shit. I have a lot of shit.

In fact, I have so much shit that I'm pretty sure it won't all fit in my room. I mean, I have a suitcase full of clothes, two boxes of food and toiletries, two boxes of bedding and bathroom stuff etc., and two more boxes of shit. Just shit. XD It's going to be insane! We're supposed to head off quite early though so we can get to Norwich at around 11ish. We can move into our accommodation from 10am, and I want to get there as soon as possible because I want to get unpacked and meeting people. I'm scared.

Mum's going to help me settle in, though, and then I'm meeting Becky (SHE GOT IN TOO) and we'll go exploring or something. Probably not for long since I have a ticket for the fresher's icebreaker in the evening and I don't think she wants to go much. Hopefully I'll get along with my new flatmates and they'll be going as well. :) Hopefully. *fingers crossed*

Other than that, though, I don't have much to talk about. I started writing a new novel, I guess, but the chances of that getting past 60k anytime soon are quite slim. I've not had much time to write, nor have I really wanted to. I'm just enjoying this stage in my life, and as soon as I'm settled down again I should be able to get back on it.

Also, the NaNoWriMo thread (one of them at least) is up on Gaia. I saw it and nearly wet myself. :D Can't wait to get involved in that again. =D

But, for now, quality time with Tom and Dad.
Toodles!
xx

27th June

2009-06-27T16:21:00.002+01:00

JORDANA IS COMING ON MONDAY! Eeeeeeeeee.

XD I'm so excited I don't think there are even words to describe it. We're going to drive down to London (Gatwick) tomorrow afternoon so we have time to rest before picking her up, and then get to the airport for 5:30am. :D Then we've got a lovely long drive back to Derby in the rush hours traffic, haha. But, WHO CARES?! It's going to be so AWESOME it won't even matter!

Holy Jesus. It's all I can think about.

I'm going out tonight to Danni's birthday party. We went into town dancing for her birthday in May, and we're going to the British Legion for a proper party tonight. It's going to be good, though I won't be drinking because I only have a fiver left of my money. Oops!

Ah well, that's probably best. I don't want a hangover tomorrow when we go to get Jor, because that would be baaaaaaaad don't you think? :P

Anywho. I think I want a nap before I go out. So, I'm gonna nap for an hour, shower and get ready. I just hope that Dad can find the party place. >_> Silly.

Maybe I'll update during the next two weeks, but I doubt it. I'll be having far too much fun for the internet. =P

Toodles!
xx

11th June

2009-06-11T23:24:00.003+01:00

Oh for goodness sake! I've been so busy I've completely forgotten about this place. I have SO much to update about! I think it's impossible to do it all. I'll have to try and be brief.

One: I'm in the middle of exams right now. These are my final exams at Sixth Form. Ever! Unless I have to come back next year because I failed, which I definitely hope will not be the case. Really, really truly. My exams finish on Monday (I have three exams in one day... >_o) but once they're over it means I can get on with writing the final few scenes for Medina's novel and starting Roboto for the SuWriMos which started on June 1st. :D I can't wait to get out of school, but at the same time I'm really nostalgic about it all, and I just know I'm going to miss it. :(

May Ball was a laugh, as was the after-party, at which I got so drunk I fell down some stairs! But it's okay. The teachers who went to the after-party were more drunk than me. Mr Murray, my history teacher, was so drunk he could barely speak by three in the morning, and he spent £150 on drinks without even realising it! He's insane, I swear. Mr Read, my psychology teacher, went around kissing everybody. He was really that drunk. X3

Two: As for writing, I can't wait to start the third novel in my trilogy. My MC actually has a name now (Minerva), and a backstory. And a surrogate daughter. Whodathunkit? =3 I'm at 124 with Medina's novel currently, and I think about another 10-20k max will finish her off. Then I'm all set for a summer of writing! :D

Three: JORDANA IS COMING TO STAY WITH ME HERE IN ENGLAND! Holy hell! I'm so psyched. The person I've been talking to, and who has been my muse for the last five years, is finally coming to England! We've got so much awesome stuff planned for the two weeks that she'll be here, such as a massive belated 18th birthday party for my step brother Isaac and me (it's a masquerade ball!); taking her to a theme park just after she arrives; taking her around where I live; and, finally, this leads me onto my last tanget: We're going to London to see The Phantom of the Opera!

Four: YES! That is indeed another musical I will be able to cross off my list! I'm super excited about it, as it's taken me a while to get my courage up to spend more money on another show (especially after I spent so much on going to see Kerry's last show in Wicked - more on that in a minute...). But the idea of Jor coming to England, and going to London, prompted me to ask her if she'd like to see a show. Of course she said yes. I'm very excited about it. Seats in row O of the stalls. I've no idea how good they are, but at this point I don't really care.

Five: Kerry's last show at Wicked. What can I say about that? Oh, my, god. Only that it was perhaps the best day of my life. Alisha, Becky and I went down to London on the coach on the morning, and spent the whole morning and most of the afternoon doing whatever we wanted in London. We went to Baker Street, and went into the Sherlock Holmes museum there - which was AWESOME - and then we went shopping for a little while. We went to Hamley's again, explored the whole store, and then stopped for a coffee. Then, we went to see Wicked. Again, I don't really have any words to describe how awesome it was. I mean, I've seen the show before, but this was just... Amazing.

Kerry's performance was stunning (I can think of no other word) and you could truly tell it was her last show. She really seemed like she was enjoying it, and whenever she came onto the stage or started or finished a song the audience went completely wild. There were some really hardcore fans there, too, all painted green and stuff which was amazingly funny to see. It was a heartbreaking moment when Kerry said "For the last time, I feel truly Wicked." All of the Wicked fans were crying because of that, because it really hit home then that she wouldn't be coming back. It was really sad. D: And then, there was interaction between actors that you don't usually see - usually it's hidden behind a mask of character, a face that they must put on whether they're feeling the music today or not. On Kerry's last show, the whole cast seemed to be in a strange combination of mourning and celebration. A celebration of Kerry (and other leaving cast members) time in the show, and how it had affected them, but a simple mourning for the show without them.

Oliver seemed so upset during As Long As You're Mine, he held Kerry so tightly in his hug that I'm sure she must have been struggling to breathe. They clung to each other, and then with plenty of teary-eyed smiles and characterised speech, they were on with the show. Dianne, on the other hand, had a little more of a hard time keeping herself together. During the duet For Good, and during the finale, she was crying so hard that she could barely keep herself upright, and had to walk the long way around the stage to make sure she was presentable for the final scene with her and Madam Morrible. It really added to the effect that the show is trying to portray at the end, and I have to say it really was the best I have ever seen.

At the end of the show there was a thank you speech, mostly spoken by Dianne who said goodbye to all the leaving cast members, and gave Kerry a big personal thank you. There were many tears here, from actors and fans alike, and it really was a moving moment. Dianne professed that Kerry had been a great friend since the beginning, when she joined the show in London two years ago, and in her own speech Kerry thanked Dianne for being so great, and for really helping her get into the role (I get the impression her first partner as Glinda wasn't so good... XD). It was a sad thought that she wouldn't be performing with this people again any time soon, since she'd performed with them pretty much every day for three years. :O

She thanked her fans, too, which was a real sweet touch. Somebody in the audience screamed out "Kerry! I love you!" And in the middle of her speech, she stopped, laughed, found them in the crowd with her eyes and replied with a not particularly hesistant "I love you too". XD It was amazing to see such willing interaction. She said that she couldn't look at Diane, or else she would cry. :P

And, guess who was in the audience? BRIAN MAY. He was sat so close to me, I could see his freaking HAIR (though you'd have to try pretty hard to miss it XDD). It was altogether an awesome experience - though I've probably gone on for far too long about it.... >_> Oh well.

You know my fangirlish is Wicked-related. :3

So, here's my updated list of shows. Hopefully I'll keep this blog more alive once the exams are over:

Wicked (4)*
We Will Rock You (1)
Mamma Mia
Chicago
Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables
Avenue Q
Lion King
The Sound of Music
Blood Brothers
Oliver!
La Cage Aux Folles
Grease
Hairspray
39 Steps

Six: Finally, I'd like to throw a big hug out there to my boyfriend. He's a writer too, and has made me realise over the last three months that being single isn't so great after all. <3

I think it's time to go to bed, now. Really, I do. I promise to keep this place more up to date from now, though. Especially once I go to university. I don't want to miss out on getting down all these awesome memories. <3>

Toodles!
xx

28th February

2009-02-28T16:56:00.003Z

Guilty guilty guilty. Again. XD Apologies, as usual. I've been very busy.

But I have good news! I'm writing again! Medina's novel is coming along - with a fair amount of difficulty, but that's only to be expected - and I'm set to hit my goal of finishing the novel sometime in May. I hope I can get it done before then because I'd quite like to have all of April to revise for my exams, but if worst comes to worst the latest I'll probably finish it is sometime in June. It feels good to be working again. I don't feel anywhere near so lazy as I have done recently.

Since starting writing again I've written something like 12.7k, which I'm extremely proud of for saying I didn't write a thing on this novel for four months. Hell, I didn't write ANYTHING for three months... So, this progress is fantastic progress. I'm hoping I can speed up again eventually, but I think getting back into things slowly is probably the best way for me to deal with things when I'm having so much trouble. On the other hand, writing slowly ensures that I can take into account a lot of the feedback I've had recently (not a LOT of feedback, but it's stuff that has been pretty hard-hitting, and made my question my ability to write quite severely and made me incredibly shy about putting pen to paper, or words on a screen), and I actually like a lot of what I've written in the past few days. I like my description, though I'll admit that my scene transitions are not perhaps the smoothest scene transitions ever written. XD

Whatever. Writing is writing, right? :D

And here's a lovely big extract to celebrate my final blog-return-ness. :)
Spoiler alert!

“Shit,” Miaan swore, even more loudly this time. Medina felt her heart drop to her stomach, so fast and hard she thought she might faint from impact. “I found her.”

“Neon?” she asked faintly. Ellette rubbed the small of her back absently, the water running in rivulets under her clothing, and craned her neck.

“You found Neon?”

“I found her. It’s - shit - it’s not good.” His voice became muffled as there was an explosive clatter coming from inside the room. Ellette winced and Medina felt the younger girl’s whole body grow tense with the movement.

“Is she - is she okay?” Ellette asked, her voice echoing out through the rain.

“No.” Miaan said nothing else, only came out from the bedroom, his face looking suddenly drawn and much older than it should. Through the heavy dashing lines of water from the sky Medina could just make out the faint marks of tears on his cheeks, and his voice seemed closed with emotion.

All Medina could think was that she could have stopped it. Whatever had happened, she had been there and she could have prevented it. Instead she had run away. How many more times was she just going to run away when things got difficult? How long would it take her to learn the damage that she could cause?

Her legs grew weaker, her vision blurring. It was her fault.

“She’s not okay?” Ellette’s voice was shaky, but definitely stronger than Medina felt.

“No,” Miaan answered. “She’s not okay. She’s dead. They broke her neck; killed her.”

“I told you,” Medina murmured. They moved out of the rain, away from Neon and back towards the kitchen where the lights were brighter and everything seemed much more surreal. “I was sure that something was wrong, and I did nothing. I didn’t do anything.”

“It’s not your fault,” Ellette started, but Medina wasn’t listening.

“I could have stopped it but I didn’t. I could have done anything, but I didn’t...”

“Medina, listen to me, you’ve not done anything wrong.” Ellette stopped in the centre of the hallway, careless of the broken glass she was now standing on. “Look at me Dee. Look at me.” Medina avoided her gaze, but Ellette drew her face back with the steady guidance of a hand under her chin. “You did nothing-”

“I did nothing. But I know who did. I know who did this.” Her eyes became glazed, her face unfocused. Then, she narrowed her eyes and frowned, her spiky features shifting menacingly.

“You do?”

“Yes, and I’m damn well going to make sure that they pay for what they did to her.”

Mrs. Whitbeck's Daughter - a prompt exercise

2009-02-08T15:29:00.002Z

A writing prompt. Something new. I think I like it.

Mrs. Whitbeck’s Daughter

They had been her sister’s shoes - the little white sandals with the sunflower buckles, and fresh, un-pulled velcro fastenings - but they are Germaine’s now. She can recall how jealous she had been when her mother had brought them home, in a gift-wrapped box with a pink ribbon. The ribbon was the colour of the lining of the shoes, and immediately Germaine had wished that she could have them, even if just to touch. Sally had worn them everywhere, even to bed on that first night, and for weeks would only take them off for the special things. A walk on the beach, for example, was a special thing. But Sally was a sister too nice to be jealous of for long, and she had let Germaine wear the shoes too - just to try them on. They were too big, the straps dwarfing her four-year-old feet, and she had felt silly. Germaine remembers this now, the feeling of her feet sliding against the soft interior of the shoes, her toes barely even poking from the end.

Now the shoes sit beside her, dirty and worn on the soft, yellow sand. Sunlight plays across them, highlighting the little sunflowers - now no bigger than Germaine’s right thumb nail. She watches as a breeze stirs in the air above, and the sand jumps as if in protest. She watches in the distance as waves roll onto the shore, repeating the same motion of calmness, time after time. She does feel calm now that she is out here. Her mother is at home, cooking, or cleaning, or making herself busy and flustered. Germaine does not like the atmosphere of the house any more, not without Sally. It seems too warm in there, sometimes, stuffy and like she can’t breathe. The beach is the only place where she can come to breathe.

The air is cool and nice on her face, which she turns skyward, letting the sunlight wash over her like a warm hand, a touch of gold and angel-light. Sally used to love the beach, used to take the shoes off - as Germaine has done now - and paddle in the ocean, holding her dress with one hand and waving frantically with the other. Germaine had always watched, always followed the motions, said the words and looked after the shoes. That was how things worked.

Now there is nobody to watch, and Germaine is lonely. There are only the shoes, and the empty beach, and the rolling surf. There is the breeze, but that is not a person, not somebody she can talk to, and the sunlight. There is sand she can touch, feels cool beneath her fingers, but even this reminds her of her sister.

Everything reminds her of Sally. Especially the shoes. She thought that by bringing them here, putting them back on the beach and waiting, she might be able to think without the sadness. There is always sadness. When her mother laughs at home, at something trivial that Germaine has done, there is a beautiful explosion of glitter, and light and noise, and then she covers her mouth suddenly, as if remembering that Sally is dead, and that she should be sad. Germaine thinks that this is contagious, because now nothing is funny.

The shoes aren’t as pretty as she remembers. They’re not as clean, or as cute, and they are too small for her now. Even too small for her. She pulls her knees to her chest and stares out into the distance, the blue and gold view blurring into a hazy line of white dots of light through her eyelashes. She can hear a bird, somewhere, and some children playing on the other side of the bank, but here the beach is empty.

No, not empty. There is Germaine, and there are the shoes.

And there is Sally.

Germaine does not need the beach to see Sally; she does not even need the shoes. Sally is there, she has been told, in spirit, and now she can feel her. With each gentle brush of the wind against her face there is Sally’s hand, and Sally’s laughter, and with the soft sand beneath her feet there is the comfort that her sister had to offer. Even in the sea, way out in the blue, Sally is swimming, smiling. Germaine does not need the shoes, and perhaps this is the realisation that she was looking for when she came to the beach.

She will leave them here, for somebody else to find and to love, and then she will go home to Mother. Because six-year-old girls do not run off to the beach by themselves without good reason. She had a reason, and now she will leave. Mother will be angry, no doubt, but Germaine doesn’t care. This is what Sally would have wanted: she is sure. There is still the sadness, but Germaine thinks that this is okay. It won’t last forever.

Climbing to her feet, brushing the sand from her white summer frock, she looks out to the ocean again, smiling, and waving to an imaginary sister swimming in the water. And, bare feet padding on the cool earth underfoot, she begins to make her way home. Breathing.

3rd February

2009-02-03T08:43:00.001Z

:DDDDDDD

...

Kitty has the flu. *emo*
And is still at school. Goodness knows why.

1st February

2009-02-01T18:23:00.002Z

I feel guilty. :(

I haven't updated in daaaaaaaaays. Weeeeks. Almost a month. (Well, not quite, but you know...)

I suppose it's because I see that there's very little to write about when all I do every day is the same pattern over and over again. It's sad, really, because I'd like to get some variation in there, but I generally don't have the time. The most exciting stuff that has occurred recently is the hair cut I got on Thursday, and the 18th birthday parties I've been to on the last couple of Saturdays. I also got my eyes tested again on Friday, and they've told me that my eyes aren't as good as they were a year and a half ago and that I need new glasses - and in truth, I already knew all of that anyway.

I spend all of my time working for school, or thinking how I should be working for school (like now), or sleeping. I spent about a third of my time sleeping. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm always tired. Perhaps I just need to stress less. - Actually, I'm trying that, and it's working to a certain extent. It's difficult not to stress though, because there's just so much to stress about.

Like exams. I had my psychology exam on January 21st, which actually went pretty well, but there was so much to learn for the exam itself that I found myself just eating, sleeping and breathing psychology for a few weeks. Now it's over, I'm really really glad, but now we're back into the full-time balance of three subjects again.

I got accepted into East Anglia University for English Literature (they didn't want me on the creative writing course, but they offered me a place on the straight Lit course, with creative writing modules, so I don't mind too much) and so I'm just going to sit around until March, when I get my exam results for General Studies and Psychology, and then I'm going to reply to the universities and let them know about my choices. It'll most likely be East Anglia as both first and second choice - English Lit being my first choice, followed by American Literature with creative writing as my backup. The other universities are nice, I'm sure, but they don't appeal to me as much as UEA does. I really want to end up there.

Speaking of English Literature, I got the first draft of my coursework back this week, which was a comparison of the presentation of the protagonists' conflict with society in The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath), and The Bluest Eye (Tony Morrison). Mrs Archer had previously look at the essay and told me that at least a couple of paragraphs were written at undergraduate level (a great complement), and then when I got back the full marked version I was told that she was lost for words (which NEVER happens). Even without any changes she marked me at having full marks on the assignment, which like... rarely ever happens. I was absolutely ecstatic. It made me really look forward to next year, especially if university is going to be as enjoyable as that coursework was. :)

I'm going to miss home though. D:

Anyway, dinner time now. And then I have English homework to complete, unfortunately.

Toodles.

xoxoxox

12th January

2009-01-12T22:28:00.002Z

Now playing: Vanessa Carlton - Heroes and Thieves

I'm blinded by these Heroes and Thieves at my door, and I can't seem to tell them apart anymore. Just when I figured it out; darling it's you I'm without. Well I'm stubborn and wrong, but at least I know it. I keep movin' along, and hope I can get through this

So, it's time for some writing. I haven't really done much recently, and tonight when I stumbled across a website full of six-word-long stories I decided to have a go at some for myself. they're great fun, and a decent way to just write whatever comes to mind, making it fit the six word framework.

Here are some of the ones I wrote tonight, for better or worse, posted live:

1. When she awoke, she saw him.

2. Don’t you know I miss you?

3. I don’t know you any more.

4. This is the best of me.

5. I can’t find you. Reach out?

6. I need you to need me.

7. A flicker of light behind you.

8. Give me time. I need it.

9. I think I lost something. Help?

10. Do you know I hate you?

11. A shot in the dark. Bang.

12. Pianos and prostitues line the streets.

You should try some yourself. It would make me happy if my blog comments were full of six-word stories? Anybody?

You know you want to.
:O

xoxox

... I'm without your comforting logic like, these days are the ones I'll miss, and I seek a solitude that I can't find without you

10th January

2009-01-10T19:33:00.003Z

Exams, Romeo & Juliet and current news here we go! :D

So, I know my updates aren't particularly close together any more, but give the small amount of time I have to myself to actually write these updates, I think it's amazing that I'm even updating at all.

So, anyway, in one of my last updates I think I mentioned that I was going to see Romeo and Juliet performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, and that went ahead on Thursday night, so I can update about it here. Firstly, though, Thursday was also the day of my first General Studies exams (one and two, both an hour and fifteen minutes long - so we were under exam conditions for two and a half hours). They had to move the exam forward for half an hour so that we could sit the exam before going on the trip to see R&J performed (because there were a lot of sixth formers on the trip), so we started at 1:30 and finished at 4pm. The exam was easier than I thought it would be, but that doesn't make Monday look good - they'll probably make it harder just to spite us, and that's the Maths and Science paper. Oops.

Anyway, as soon as the exam had finished we all had to rush out to our coach, and then travel to Startford. The show was due to start at 7:15, and we got there at 6:45, so we had plenty of time to wander around Stratford town. We (Sarah, Becky, Georgie and Hannah) went into Sainsbury's, bought some sweets and chocolate brownies, and then headed to the theatre. We were in the Courtyard Theatre because both the Swan and the other one are undergoing renovation at the moment. It's a nice theatre, though.

We arrived there at about 6:30, and so wandered around the gift shop for the rest of the time. I bought a pencil which says "2B or not 2B" on the side - I thought it was rather funny - and a programme. Then, when the teachers started to arrive we went and stood outside. There was a momentary panic when we realised that the teacher who had our tickets had not yet arrived (and this was literally two minutes before the show was due to start), but she arrived just in time, gave us our tickets and we went into the theatre. Sarah, Becky, Georgie, Hannah and I had seats in the stalls, on row C. We were so close to the stage (one of the round horse-shoe type traditional Shakespearian stages) we could see the actors really well. Some of the drama students were up in the circle, which looked pretty cool too.

The show was awesome. Romeo could have cried for England; the way he could turn his tears on and off was pretty damn awesome, and the setting was 1940's, so all the costumes were pretty damn sweet. All sombre colours, red lipstick and neat hair, haha. Benvolio was damn hot. I seemed to be the only one who found the dirty jokes funny - possibly because I was the only one to understand them - and a great source of amusement all night was the fact that the actors were spitting like camels. XD Because of the lighting, and the fact that they didn't have microphones and so had to talk really loudly, meant that you could really see the fact that the actors were all spitting at each other. In fact, one actor even managed to spit when he wasn't talking! It was pretty damn hilarious, especially when Romeo could be seen to fire this great GOB of spit into the air. We could see it on the stage for ages afterwards.

Mercutio was fantastic, and we were all GUTTED when he died. Peter, the comedian of the show, was adorable. I loved him, especially when he burst into great sobs. It was so exaggerated, it was awesome. Romeo was good, but he didn't show too much emotion in his eyes. Juliet was alright, though the death scene was over a little too quickly for my taste, and she wasn't really that dramatic. Bah, I loved the whole show.

It was clever, as well, how they did the whole show with such limited props. Basically, all they had was a bed which they wheeled on for Juliet's bedroom scenes (and which they walled off with a cage-like thing for the death scene in the mausoleum), some knives, some bar stools and the costumes. Very clever. :)

Afterwards, we swiped some of the confetti from the stage (like the geeks we are) and went to go and stand outside. We were all buzzing, but we got even more excited when we saw Benvolio (Daniel Percival) cutting through the crowd. Like the crazy fan girls we are we squealed, and ran after him. We managed to get him to stop, and then we got him to sign our programmes. Omg. It was EPIC. XD Two teachers caught up with us asked "Why have you stopped?" saw Daniel and were like "Ooooh, okay. We'll meet you at the coach". LOL. It was wonderful.

We then headed back to the coach, still buzzing with excitement, and headed home. We didn't get back home until about half twelve, so at school yesterday I was practically dead. Never mind, though, it was worth it.

Annnnyway. Other news...

OMG YEAH. Tonight I booked tickets for Wicked again. I'm going with my sister and Becky on May 9th, for the 7:30 performance. You know what that means? :OOOO

I'LL BE THERE FOR KERRY'S LAST SHOW! Holy shit, it's going to be awesome. We'll go down to London in the morning, shop during the day and then see the show. I reckon it'll be pretty cool. Especially because Becky hasn't seen Wicked before - I'm not even sure if she's been to the West End before... I'm already looking forward to it.

Also, because I feel guilty about not blogging about writing for a while, I've been getting some really good feedback from somebody on FictionPress. I started writing a new story randomly (something I can just write on for the shits and giggles while doing exams) where I'm rewriting the story of Sleeping Beauty, and this person really liked it. Since they read that they've been giving me really positive feedback on a lot of my pieces of work that are posted on there, so I'm pretty pleased with that.

Other than that, I have little to report. Exams are taking over my life, as they do twice a year, so I'd better go and do some revision, since other than buy birthday presents and spend three hours playing pool with Alex, Joe and her friends today, I haven't done anything productive - and I've done nothing to do with school... >_>;

3rd January & We Will Rock You update

2009-01-03T22:15:00.005Z

Pretty damn awesome show. I knew I was going to enjoy it, and I did. Very much so. I have to confess that Wicked is still definitely my favourite musical (not hard when I've only ever seen two musicals live, but whatever) but WWRY was still pretty damn awesome. I took a picture of the theatre (and a picture of us ouside the theatre, but we won't go there because I'm way too ugly to be on the internet).

I also have a picture of the Wicked theatre I feel the need to upload finally.... >_>

Anyway! On to the update about the day. :D

We started our day quite early today, but it wasn't early enough that it was painful. Up at eight, leave the house for half nine ready for a 10:18 train from the midlands to St. Pancras in London. We had first class tickets, everything was incredibly smooth-going, and we ended up in London direct on time at 12:05.

From St. Pancras train station we slid through the tube part, got on the Picadilly line and headed for like... the second stop along, and then from there on the District line to Tottenham Court Rd., where the Dominion theatre is located. We arrived there at perhaps 12:30, and after some wandering around Tottenham Court Road we finally decided that we were going to eat at Burger King, opposite the theatre. How original. We couldn't pick up our tickets until an hour before the performance (which started at 2:30), so we didn't have much else to do. So, we ate. XD

Then to the theatre, where my sister and I bought programmes for the show and glow sticks for the finale. We fought over the blue ones, and then headed into the theatre, where we found our seats. We had seats Z 26-30, and they were actually pretty awesome seats. They were about three or four rows from the back, right in the centre of the theatre (I was on the end of the row, which was great). We could see the whole stage, and there were actually no other people in front of us for the next four rows so we didn't have any tall people in front of us. Being as short as I am, that can get incredibly annoying... We could have moved forward a couple of rows, but we were actually very comfortable where we were, so we stayed in our assigned seats, haha.

The performance was wonderful, I have to say. The woman who played Scaramouche (Sabrina Aloueche) was very good - I was actually worried about her, since Scara seems like quite a challenging role to play - and I was particularly impressed by the Killer Queen (Mazz Murray) whose songs were almost flawless and whose voice was like a powerhouse. She had a lot of raw energy in what she sung, and she was great with the quirky sex jokes. Sabrina, I have to say, pulled off the sarcastic Scaramouche very well. I also enjoyed the performance displayed by both Khashoggi (Alex Bourne) who did very well as the smarmy-I-wear-sunglasses-inside-control-dude, and Meat - who was originally played by Kerry Ellis. Meat was actually played by Rachel Tucker who made it to the semi-finals of I'd Do Anything on BBC, and who was Mum's original favourite to win. XD With her following Kerry I was a little worried about her performance of No One But You, but she performed it very VERY well, and her costume was super cool. x3

I think what made the performance even more memorable, though, was the fact that they had a few technical difficulties with Britney Spears' microphone. The poor guy playing Brit (I think it was Ian Carlyle) had problems getting his face-mic thing to work, and so his first song/words were a little shaky. One of the techies had to come across stage, hand him a microphone as he went, and then when Brit went to sing into THAT one, it also didn't work. XD Second microphone later, he was there on stage trying to perform 'karate' moves, dance AND sing all the while holding a hand-held microphone. The other leads on stage at the time were really trying not to laugh. The audience found it hilarious.

What the cast got at the end of the show was what I'd call a half-theatre standing ovation. There were a few very enthusiastic fans at the front who were on their feet well before the finale, and a few kids behind us doing the same, and by the end of the show mostly the back half of the room was on their feet. It was a great atmosphere (but I have to say, definitely more of a Rock N' Roll type thing than a magical Wicked type - I guess that's to be expected, duuurrr).

The show finished at around 5:15, and from there we headed back to the tube, and to St. Pancras following the lines we'd followed on the way. We hit a massive queue of people in the station at Tottenham Court Road though, and in one of the tubes we were so packed in like sardines that you couldn't even turn around. It was actually very funny. I loved the atmosphere. XD

And, of course, from there on home. We got back around half eight, and I've been home ever since. I'm tired now, rather sad about my lack of revision (or any kind of studying) over the past few days, and running out of things to talk about. I think we're done here for the day..

Or not!
Here's a list of all the shows I currently want to see. I'll probably bold the ones I've seen once I see them, and put how many times I've seen them, because then I can keep track of everything and I want to one day be able to say I've seen all the shows I really want to see. XD

Wicked (3)*
We Will Rock You (1)
Mamma Mia
Chicago
Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables
Avenue Q
Lion King
The Sound of Music
Blood Brothers
Oliver!
La Cage Aux Folles
Grease
Hairspray
39 Steps

I also wouldn't mind seeing (if they ever come to the UK):
Urine Town
9 to 5 (a new production!)

Hell I still want to see Wicked again. >_>

Eh. Knowing me I'll probably add more. Even so, my list is looking a little bare of completion at the moment. How sad. I need to get a job so I can afford all of this. =S

Anyway. I think it's bed time. Or something.
G'night.
x

2nd January

2009-01-02T23:26:00.002Z

Holleeeeeeeyyyyy shiiiiiz.

Fifteen hours until we see We Will Rock You on stage. =D I'm super excited, because I don't really know what to expect. I've seen a good portion of the first half of the musical on Youtube, sure, but that was over the internet which is obviously slightly different, and it also had the original cast (Kerry Ellis included). I've also got a copy of the soundtrack, also with the original cast, and I love what they've done with all the songs - but still. I hardly know anything about the musical. Unlike Wicked (which we all know I know far too much about...) I don't know anything about any of the actors starring in the show right now, nor do I know if anything has changed since the original production. I'm also super excited, because while I have been to see Wicked three times, this is in effect only my second ever West End musical. =O

And we all know how much Kitty likes musicals, eh? Dad says we have good seats, since they were the most expensive ones, and I hope he's right. It would be awesome if we were somewhere in the middle, near the front in the stalls (I know we're in the stalls, but I don't know where abouts yet since we're picking the tickets up on arrival tomorrow), but if it's anything like Wicked even sitting behind a pillar will be awesome.

I really am excited.

Oh! And, because the theatre isn't in Victoria, we also get to go someplace else to see it. I mean, it's not far away, but to go inside another theatre will be pretty damn sweet. Especially since I've only ever seen one West End theatre. And, if I'm right, I think the theatre has got a big statue of Freddie Mercury on the roof thing, which is pretty epic.

A summary of the show from the theatre website:
We Will Rock You is set in the future, on a place once called Earth. Globalisation is complete. Everyone watches the same movies, wears the same clothes, and thinks the same thoughts. A safe, happy Ga Ga world. The Company Computers generate the music and the kids download it. All musical instruments are banned. But resistance is growing. A hero is needed. Is the one who calls himself Galileo that man, and can he help them Break Free...?

See? Looks pretty awesome, huh?

Of course, I love the Wicked theatre (what fan wouldn't? - look, it's all shiny and green, and Elphaba-ised, ish, whatever. Anyway, both theatres are cool.)

but I think this actually sets the scene for the show quite nicely - from what I've heard/seen.

... Whutageek. Talking about THEATRES now? Holy carp, I really am insane. >_o

I think it's time I called it a night. No doubt there will be a fairly extensive update about tomorrow some time soon - there will probably be less to report than last time, since we're going with Dad and Cath, seeing the show and coming home. There'll be none of this hanging out in London business. T_T

Ahem.
Bed time.
Gooooood night.
:)

1st January, 2009

2009-01-01T23:25:00.002Z

Happy New Year everybody!

Let's make it a good one, right?

Also, I'm going to see We Will Rock You on Saturday, in London, as part of my Christmas gift off dad. I can't wait. :D
Mum got me some truly awesome gifts, but to write a post dedicated to them now would be rude, since I think I've still got something of a hangover. XD

Maybe some other time.
x

17th December & the Wicked Update

2008-12-17T22:32:00.002Z

I promised I'd write an entry about my day in London, and I figure tonight is the best time to do that. First things first, though, it was quite possibly one of the best days of my life. My sister and I had been looking forward to going to see Wicked again since we went last time in May, and we'd been saving up much of our money so that we could go again. My sister didn't think that we would go, though, because I told her (quite truthfully) that all of the tickets of the lower price range had gone, and that we simply wouldn't be able to afford it.

I thought that this was honestly the case, and I had almost resigned myself to the fact that we wouldn't be going, when I - on the off chance we might get some money for the cause - asked my Mum if she would mind me taking Alisha all the way to London by myself. It's along journey, and a very big place, and I thought she would say no. I couldn't have been more wrong though, because she actually seemed pretty thrilled by the prospect of us going together, and she said that she would even pay for the show tickets for us (£60 plus p&p each!) on the one condition that she could be there when I told my sister that we were going.

So, on Saturday December 13th, 2008, my sister and I were going to see Wicked, for possibly the final time. When I paid for the coach tickets I made sure we could get there early in the morning, and we would have time after the show too. At 7am on the Saturday morning we arrived at the coach stop for the 7:15am coach to London. It was freezing cold, and pouring it down with rain. The driver let us straight onto the coach because the weather was so bad, and because I'm a wonderful sister I let Alisha have the window seat. We left the coach stop at exactly 7:15 by the coach clock, and after a couple of trips onto the coach by dad to make sure we had all the food we needed for the journey, we settled into the trip nicely. For the first couple of hours Ally and I dozed on and off, because we'd woken up quite early, and at around 10am we made a video on my phone. Our first video of the day.

We arrived in Victoria coach station, London at around 10:30am, earlier than expected, and it was still raining. Since the show didn't start until 2:30pm, we had nothing to do. Originally we'd planned to meet the Wicked cast, and get their autographs, but the weather was so poor that this would have been impossible with only the little umbrella that I had between us, so we went back into the underground station and got ourselves some food. MacDonald's. *eyeroll* I've found that when in London I lose my appetite, though, so I didn't eat much. After that we decided that we had plenty of time, and we decided to get ourselves onto a bus tour of London.

It was about twelve o'clock when we got onto our tour, which was due to last for two hours. Alisha insisted that we sit on the top of the bus, which had a little shield over the top at the front, and the rest was open-air. We sat near the front, so we didn't get wet, but we were still freezing. It was so cold up there I lost all feeling in my feet, fingers, ass and nose. It was awesome, though because we saw a few epic landmarks. However, Alisha began to worry that we were going to be late for the show if we did the whole circuit, so after an hour on the tour we asked the tour guide where the best stop would be to get the underground back to Victoria station, opposite which is the Apollo theatre where Wicked is performed. The tour guide directed us off the bus at Piccadilly Circus, where we walked back towards Oxford Circus, along Regent Street. On the way, we saw Hamley's Toy Shop.

Here we made our second video of the day. Hamley's is the most epic toy store I have ever seen in my life. Not only is it huge, and old, it's lined from floor to ceiling on the bottom floor with stuff toys. Alisha and I went wild, and spent a good fifteen minutes running around the bottom floor. We didn't stay long, though, because we didn't want to miss the show.

A quick underground trip later we were back in Victoria, and ready to see the show. We both bought items from the souvenir shop. I got a new Wicked sweater, and Alisha bought a mug with the Wicked logo on, and then we went to go and sit in our seats. I had been worried that they weren't as good as they could have been, since we had X 3 and 4, near the end of the row on the right side of the theatre. Last time I had been so close to the edge, I'd sat with a pillar in front of my face for the whole show. This time, I'd done well when I bought the tickets, though, because X isn't - as I thought - the third row from the back. It's actually quite far forward, and so we had PRIME seats. We could see the whole stage, and we got some little binoculars to focus up in the faces of the cast. Here we made another video on my phone, showing our seats. I couldn't wait for the show to start, and neither (I think) could Alisha.

The best moment, though, was when the show started. Galinda came hovering down to stage in her giant bubble, and I whispered to Alisha frantically: "It's DIANNE! DIANNE!" since we both love Dianne, and think she's definitely the best Galinda we've ever seen. That was the first moment of excitement. The beginning of the show was flawless, but little did I know it was about to get better. The moment Elphaba came onto stage, I grabbed the binoculars from my sister, and almost cried out in delight. "It's KERRY! IT'S KERRY! KERRY! KERRY! KERRY!" I could hardly contain my excitement. KERRY ELLIS WAS FINALLY PERFORMING. From the moment she said her amazing "Oh, what, do I have something in my TEETH?" to the end of the shown, I had a huge grin plastered across my face. Well, until they performed the sad songs, then I wasn't smiling. XD I spent the whole performance with this fantastic buzzing in my chest, partly to do with the volume of the casts' voices as they sung.

When Fiyero came on, I threw another hissy of excitement whispering "It's OLIVER!" happily as my sister grinned at me. I laughed so hard at points of that show, I don't think I've ever found anything like that so funny before. The show does get better every time you see it.

There were two girls sat behind us who, for one, had bought pretty much the whole gift shop between them, and secondly who were sobbing so hard by the end of the performance it was almost comical. It was their first performance, and it was truly a wonderful one for them to have seen. Kerry Ellis, Dianne Pilkington and Oliver Tompsett all on stage at the same time is enough to make any true Wicked fan happy. <3

After the show, Alisha and I made another video, this time outside of the theatre. It was around half five, and since we'd eaten lunch so early we were really hungry. And, since we didn't have to be back in Victoria to catch the coach home until 9pm we decided we'd head for something to eat. We went back to Regent Street. Here we found a Marks and Spencers (classy, I know), and ate in the dinner hall section. Again I couldn't finish my food, but it didn't matter. I was having so much fun, even the rain couldn't keep my spirits down.

After eating we went shopping, and went into Borders and a few other awesome shops before finding ourselves back at Hamley's. We couldn't resist it, so we decided that we'd give ourselves a limit to how much we could spend, and go in and buy something. We walked out half an hour later with two cute dog plushies between us, which we named London (my doggy) and Fiyero (Alisha's)., and a packet of candy cane sweets with chocolate inside them. After this, we headed back to the coach station to find the departure area, which we were worried about finding.

We got back there an hour early, and sat in the station for a while, making videos, watching our other videos and playing with our toys. >_> What a big kid I am. Seriously.

The coach arrived on time, and we got on it at quarter to nine, leaving at 9pm sharp. On the way back we attempted to make a final video, but by this time we were tired, and my phone was running out of battery, so we left it half finished, and fell to sleep. By the time we got home it was midnight, and we were surprisingly tired. By the time we got to sleep it was 1am. It was honestly SUCH an awesome day. I'll never forget it if I can help it. <3

It made me realise, though, just how independent I can be. I was worried about taking Alisha in case something went wrong, but everything went off perfectly, and we avoided any disasters carefully and easily. It was wonderful, and if I could get the money, and better weather, I'd do it again in a heartbeat, this time seeing more on the bus tour. :D

The sad thing is, the point Alisha remembers best about the whole day was that on the way back to the coach station we saw a man pissing up a wall. XD What a wonderfully disturbed child she is. :B

-- There. I told you I'd update. sorry it's long, but it was so cool it deserves a long entry. Aren't you glad I didn't update about my WEEKEND in London? Goodness, we'd have been here for WEEKS.

As for today, it's been a pretty awesome day. Penultimate day before Christmas break, we had coffee and tea and croissants and chocolats in Mr Summers' English Lit class, successfully stalling him for two hours and planning an essay rather than writing one. Matt baked a chocolate cake - a huge one - and it was ferking WICKED. Seriously.

Tomorrow I have a mini Christmas party in Psychology with Mr. Read, and he's taking photos of us to put on his wall. I wonder if I should curl my hair or not... I don't know. If I can get up early enough I guess I just might try it. That photo will be on the wall for a whole year. It has to be good. O_O

And then I have two weeks off for Christmas, New Year, and to revise for my Psychology and General Studies exams that are coming up in January. I hate exames. >_o

Anyway. Bed time. Tooooodles.
xoxoxox

16th December

2008-12-16T21:20:00.001Z

A Wicked update to come! When I have the energy. D:

12th December

2008-12-12T21:09:00.002Z

HOLY HELL.

WICKED TOMORROW!!

*hyperventilation*
Omgomgomg. XD I'm very very excited, and also rather nervous. The prospect of dragging an eleven year old around London doesn't really excite me as much as the prospect of seeing Wicked again does. Hopefully everything will go smoothly, and on Sunday you'll have a good full blog full of fun and hyper stuff. I'm still hoping Kerry Ellis will be performing. I'm hoping even more than we get to meet her outside the stage door, and that we might be able to get photos, and autographs. *collapses* But even if she's not there, it'll be an awesome performance. It has to be. It always is. :P

And now, it's the time where I go to bed because I need a full eight hours sleep if I'm going to have a good day tomorrow. It'll be a long day. >_>

WICKED IN EIGHTEEN HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES. OMGGGGG.
<33

4th December

2008-12-04T12:59:00.001Z

Man do I suck. >_o

Hazel's birthday party on Tuesday, was great fun. Last night... I don't think I have an excuse for not posting. I spent my time at the University of Nottingham last night, though, doing some kind revision and catch up session. Maybe I'll blog properly tonight. :D

1st December

2008-12-01T22:59:00.003Z

Now playing: Kristin Chenoweth - Because He Lives

Goodness, it's so depressing that it's actually December. -_-' I hate this post-NaNo depression. I don't know what to do with myself. I have time on my hands, nothing to fill it, and no desire to find something else to fill it except writing. I've found a way to avoid doing things for a month, and I don't want to start doing them again, and so I have all of that free time as well. Plus, (not that I'm complaining) my homework levels have been lower recently to allow for revision time.

I guess I am trying to get back into the academic swing of things, though, because I started my psychology revision today, for my exam in January. I have an exam for three topics, and so I started making my revision cards for one of those three topics. Sadly, it took me an hour to make cards for just ONE little booklet of notes. Basically, I'm screwed. *eye roll* Oh well, what else is new?

We put our Christmas tree up today. It's epic awesome. We're also setting up our BlueRay DVD player, so I look forward to watching Mamma Mia (I hear it's awesome =O) on BlueRay on it tomorrow, with Mum. :]

I started reading a little of Black Hour today, and was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality of Medina's third person narrative. Perhaps I'm not so bad at it as I thought, though it's not perfect by any means. I guess I'll just have to put up with it, though, because I refuse to make any major overhauls, I'll just highlight any big issues and otherwise read it as I would read a normal novel (with more awkward stumbling and grimacing, that is). I'm getting Steve to print it out for me when he has the chance, and from then I'll have something more to fill my time while I'm not revising. And then, after the exams in January (and a little bit in between now and then) I can get back in Medina's novel and finish it (hopefully) before the summer exams. :D

Right. It's 11pm, and that means it's time for bed. Late for a normal night, but I'm still recovering from my NaNo sleep schedule. @_@; I can't wait to get back to my early nights. That'll be another way to eliminate all that extra time I seem to have accumulated this last month. :)

So night all.
x

30th November

2008-11-30T14:38:00.003Z

DONE!!

Holy crap. This month has been a long one. A really long one. And yet, oh so short. I can't believe it's over already, and it's time to return to the normal world of less-than-deathly amounts of caffeine, sleep and effective homework completion. Damnit. I want to go back to my novelling bliss. Please?

The novel is finished, all 116,697 words of it, and I don't think I'm ever going to touch it again, apart from to post it on the internet (with just basic spell check and formatting). I don't think I want to edit it, because although I loved the characters, and the story, I doubt anybody would really want to read it, and to be honest I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's been tough to write, and somehow I think it would be even tougher to edit. Don't even go there. @_@;

Anyway. Today, then, is my relaxation day. Apart from homework, I shall do nothing but watch TV, go for a walk, go out for dinner and enjoy myself. Though, having finished my novel at precisely eleven minutes past one this afternoon, I've had nothing to do since. I'm almost bored. O_O

Well, it's time for that walk I mentioned, where I can mull over what's happened this month, and then think about going back to work on Medina's novel- which I can't do until I print out all of the 80,000 words I have so far to familiarise myself with the story again. So, I'll leave you all with an excerpt, and go. :)

“I’m not joking, darling,” she said. “I wish I were. Mary says that there’s a two week window between finding out the unfinished business and solving it, or I’ll end up in limbo forever. And the worst bit about that is that I won’t be able to phone you. Limbo after the two week period becomes like-” There was a muffled voice as Mary clarified. “It becomes like prison, in hell. With torture. Lots of torture.” Her voice was weak.

“So I need to go to Eula and track down the next of kin of Florence Blouse to get your money back, in two weeks, or else you’ll be damned for all eternity? Literally?”

“That just about sums it up.”

I couldn’t believe it.

“Look, honey, I have to go. My minutes have run for the month-”

“But you didn’t tell me her name, or anything-”

“I have go hon, toodles!”

There was a crackle, and the line went dead. I swore loudly, threw the phone onto the floor and watched as it bounced on the hardwood floor. Danger shrugged.

“What was that all about?”

“My Mum,” I said bitterly. There was no way around this. Whatever higher being there was up there obviously just didn’t want me to rest. Ever. “Hey, Danger,” I said. “Fancy another journey?”

“To Eula?”

“Yes. To finish my mother’s unfinished business.”

Danger thought about this for a minute, and then pulled out her mobile phone. “Sure, why not? It’s not like I’d ever be able to relax in this place again, anyway. Shall I call the crew?”

“Sure. Call the crew. Tell them to pack their shorts and tees. It’ll be hot where we’re going.”

“Road trip?”

“No, just tell them we’re going on vacation, and I’m paying.”

Danger smirked at me and then offered her hand up for a high-five. And then, “Kez? It’s me. Danger. Fancy going on holiday? Eula? Right. Gather the crew. We’ll leave at five.”

I should have known that things wouldn’t get easier. What did I expect? I was a Candy Girl. Since when do things ever work out as planned?

Words written today: 2,525.
Word count: 116,697.

29th November

2008-11-30T02:24:00.002Z

So, the novel isn't finished. That last chapter took a lot more work than I'd planned. I am, however, set to write the epilogues tomorrow, just in time to finish NaNoWriMo 2008 with a finished novel. It makes me happy.

For now, though, it's 2:30am and I have more important things to be doing. Like sleeping.

Excerpt: [spoiler alert! XD]

“For god’s sake Olive, can’t you keep yourself under control?” Rouge snapped. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

“I was just- they were- look!” She pointed, then, noticing Cassidy on the floor. Suddenly Cassidy wasn’t laughing, in fact, she was scrambling to her feet, still holding a number of wires in her hands that had been trailing along the floor, clutching at them for some support. My heart lept and I felt my hands grow cold in panic.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Rouge turned on her. “I told you to get out of here. Blue, get her out of here! For god’s sake! Can nobody do anything right in this place? If you’d just do as I asked then we’d never have half of these problems. Stop standing there like an idiot and get her out of here!”

Cassidy, though afraid, didn’t flinch as Blue headed towards her. Rouge was still gripping the control box for the electric chairs in her hands, the lever hanging loose as though it had not been fitted carefully enough. Cassidy seemed to be looking at it, and then she spoke, calm and curious.

“What do these wires do?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.

“No, don’t touch those! Put them down!” A sudden change, and was Rouge was waving frantically. Her head still tilted to one side Cassidy brought the wires a little closer together, and watched as Rouge almost had a heart attack.

“What happens if I put them together?” she asked. “Will it reverse the flow of the current?”

“No,” Rouge said quickly. “And besides, the power box isn’t even on.”

And then Cassidy shook her head. “You’re wrong,” she said. “Look, see? You’re careless.”

With that she pressed the two wires together, and before any of us had the chance to react we heard a faint buzzing, and Rouge began to shake uncontrollably. I closed my eyes, clung onto Danger for support, burying my head in her neck. There was a cry of pain, inhuman and terrifying, a thud, and then there was silence.

When I opened my eyes, everybody but Danger had moved further into the chamber, and they were all gathered around the middle, where Rouge had been standing.

“Is she?”

“I think she is.”

“I wonder how...”

“Cassie-”

“But how?”

“Electric currents.”

“Science.”

“Rouge?” Olive’s voice broke our jumbled examining, unsure and scared. “Rouge?”

“She’s dead.” Blue, who had watched the whole scene from afar without much interest, now approached the younger girl and laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay, you’ll be okay.”

“It’s not okay.” Olive’s face crumpled, and tears sprang to her cheeks. “It’s not, it’s not.”

“It is okay. I’m sure we’ll see her in hell.” For a brother, he didn’t seem particularly grieved by Rouge’s death, but then I assumed that he was in shock. Either that or he didn’t agree with her moral values. But the fact that she had gone to hell; well, that was something we could all agree on.

The shop was ours.

The world was safe.

I couldn’t help but think that it was a little anti-climactic, though.

And Cassidy as Hero? Who’d have thought?

Words written today: 6,760 =O
Word count: 114,193