Friday, July 30, 2010
My New Painting
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Painters block! Help!!!
Okay, so you all saw the painting o mt. Fuji's cherry blossoms but now that I'm done that I don't know what to paint next please help by givig me suggestions please I need it. So please comment suggestions please and thank you :)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Surprise! (painting)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Eclipse movie review
I recently watched the third installment to the twilight sega; eclipse. One word comes up when I think eclipse now; awesome. It was way better than twilight and new moon combined. I think they mastered the movie perfectly. In my opinion I think that the actors are more experienced and can act much better. The movie moved along too quickly but it was still awesome.
IPod touch review
Okay, so I have just bought an iPod touch and it's pretty easy to use except for the fact the keyboardvis ANNOYING but it's pretty cool. I'm typing my blogpost from it right now. But I'm still learning how to use it soo I can't do a full review yet but comment your review below of this product.
Love always,MM
Love always,MM
Friday, July 23, 2010
Shopping!
Okay, so today i went to vaughn mills to buy clothes... well i didnt buy clothes, heres what i bought:
Acrylic Paint for $40 (30 tubes in the pack)
10 pieces of acrylic paint paper thing
Markers ( 4.95 each)
And Blue Moon by Alyson Noel!
So, now i am not just a sketcher, but a painter/ reader/writer
and i did something yesterday: I drew the camp nou soccer stadium in barcelona where FC Barcelona plays an i coloured it=LOOK SICK!
I'll post up pictures of the eiffel tower i rew (It actually looks GOOD), my supplies, an the soccer stadium ASAP
Acrylic Paint for $40 (30 tubes in the pack)
10 pieces of acrylic paint paper thing
Markers ( 4.95 each)
And Blue Moon by Alyson Noel!
So, now i am not just a sketcher, but a painter/ reader/writer
and i did something yesterday: I drew the camp nou soccer stadium in barcelona where FC Barcelona plays an i coloured it=LOOK SICK!
I'll post up pictures of the eiffel tower i rew (It actually looks GOOD), my supplies, an the soccer stadium ASAP
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sketches and MORE
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
TWitter WARS
Okay!
So New URL: www.thundr-struck.blogspot.com
New Template: U CAN SEE IT
New Twitter URL: www.twitter.com/Thundr_struck
Polyvore Url Change?CHECK
New Blog LOgo: CHECK IT OUT
I think im done the BLOG MAKEOVER!!!!
New Template: U CAN SEE IT
New Twitter URL: www.twitter.com/Thundr_struck
Polyvore Url Change?CHECK
New Blog LOgo: CHECK IT OUT
I think im done the BLOG MAKEOVER!!!!
New Blog URL
www.thundr-struck.blogspot.com Like it? do you guys have any NAME/TITLE Suggestions? Layout? Would Anyone Like to make a logo?a slogan?Please contact me, comment email askme_blog@yahoo.ca or tweet me @ www.twitter.com./star_struckomg SOON TO BE CHANGED THOUGH
This Blog is Officialy...
okay so heres the plan:
The Blog Title right now says UNDER CONSTRUCTION because it is and the description says that to, i uploaded all the useful posts from Starstruck on to here and DELETED STARSTRUCK, all the PAGES from starstruck have been moved TOO so DONT WORRY. Again Anymore Questions email Askme_blog@yahoo.ca or tweet me at www.twitter.com/star_struckomg
The Blog Title right now says UNDER CONSTRUCTION because it is and the description says that to, i uploaded all the useful posts from Starstruck on to here and DELETED STARSTRUCK, all the PAGES from starstruck have been moved TOO so DONT WORRY. Again Anymore Questions email Askme_blog@yahoo.ca or tweet me at www.twitter.com/star_struckomg
How To be COLOURFUL!
Okay,
Now to style these FABULOUS OUTFITS. You Just choose anything, and together it'll go. Just for you guys, i'll list the possible combination's that can be made with these items.
Monotone with Yellow Outfits:
Pink; Wear the dress with, the pink ring, bow clutch purse, and shoes
Green; wear the dress with, the green hat, bracelet, shoes, and clutch purse
Purple; wear the dress with, the purple hat, purse, bracelet, and shoes
Blue; wear the dress with, the blue shoes, purse, ring and Bow
But, if you like to mix an match, just choose any of the items and heres the glory of it...IT'LL GO!
Now, the prices above, might look abit outrageous, and they are, to be quiet frank, but if you can find anything similar to the items, it'll go, just try finding the right shade of colour and your good. I hope this helps!
'Til Next time, Love, Mishaal Munawar
Pretty Little Liars
Okay, so this is the theme song for pretty little liars, and its addictive
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
Why do you smile
Like you have told a secret
Now you're telling lies
Cause you're the one to keep it
But no one keeps a secret
No one keeps a secret
Why when we do our darkest deeds
Do we tell?
They burn in our brains
Become a living hell
Cause everyone tells
Everyone tells…
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
Look into my eyes
Now you're getting sleepy
Are you hypnotized
By secrets that you're keeping?
I know what you're keeping
I know what you're keeping
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
[spoken]
Alison?
Yes, Katherine.
I have something I want to tell you, but
you have to promise to never tell anyone.
I promise
Do you swear on your life?
I swear on my life
[end spoken]
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
(chorus x 3)
Yes two can keep a secret
If one of us is…. Dead.
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
Why do you smile
Like you have told a secret
Now you're telling lies
Cause you're the one to keep it
But no one keeps a secret
No one keeps a secret
Why when we do our darkest deeds
Do we tell?
They burn in our brains
Become a living hell
Cause everyone tells
Everyone tells…
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
Look into my eyes
Now you're getting sleepy
Are you hypnotized
By secrets that you're keeping?
I know what you're keeping
I know what you're keeping
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
[spoken]
Alison?
Yes, Katherine.
I have something I want to tell you, but
you have to promise to never tell anyone.
I promise
Do you swear on your life?
I swear on my life
[end spoken]
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
You swore you'd never tell…
Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of the m is dead…
(chorus x 3)
Yes two can keep a secret
If one of us is…. Dead.
Alishas AWESOME Bday PArty
ART!!!!
, ACRYLIC PAINTS+bordom+NEON COLOURS=PAINTING HANDS AND NAILS!pics, from doing artwork and getting bord! GREENAND BLUE AWESUMNess
ART!!!!
, ACRYLIC PAINTS+bordom+NEON COLOURS=PAINTING HANDS AND NAILS!pics, from doing artwork and getting bord! GREENAND BLUE AWESUMNess
Sorry!
i havent been updating lately, but its all for a good reason. I have been jam packed with homework, and other things ;) but i will try to get back to the blogging world and the polyvore world once again. So there will be blog posts coming up on my latest sets (which will be alot since i havent updated in like FOREVER), the movie "oceans" by disneynature. Well, i better get working on my latest blog posts.
See you soon,
Mishaal
See you soon,
Mishaal
My Signed Math Binder!!!
The Road To Finishing My Art Homework...
okay, for the next i dont know how many hours rite now its 2:44 AM, so til 8:00 AM i will be doing my art homework (drawing in one point perspective) we had to draw a room. I will be posting up pictures and explaining how far along i am. so here is the first pic! sorry for the bad image, but its really dark rite now. OKAY, so this isnt really how far i am, acutally this was how far i was like at 2:28 i think heres a pic of it rite now:
Okay, im updating earlier than expected, A) because i got ALOT done, i thought i would get this much done by 3:10 NOPE instead i got it done 5 mins. early, it is 3:05 rite now, and here is a pic of my progress:
<----
okay so if you want to see my rough drafts they are underneath this pic.
My Concrete Poem!
I would Write the poem down, but the teacher didnt hand them back, therefore i dont have the AWESOMe poem!
Rularized and Editize *my awesome new words*
Yes i made a new word RULARIZED or Rularize
Definition: The use of a ruler or to use a ruler
E.g: U havent Rularized this line it is all curvy!
And the other word is Editize Or editations
Definition: to Edit, or to have edited or already been edited
E.g: i need to make some editations on your paper
THESE WORDS ARE MY ROCKIN' NEW ONES!!! USE EM AND MAKE EM POP to THE u TO The LAR
Definition: The use of a ruler or to use a ruler
E.g: U havent Rularized this line it is all curvy!
And the other word is Editize Or editations
Definition: to Edit, or to have edited or already been edited
E.g: i need to make some editations on your paper
THESE WORDS ARE MY ROCKIN' NEW ONES!!! USE EM AND MAKE EM POP to THE u TO The LAR
Robin Wasserman
ROBIN WASSERMAN by mishaal_m on Polyvore.com
To all my readers, this isn't a new face... Since i've talked about her about 100 times since i am totally obsessed with "skinned" and "chasing yesterday", Well i have gotten her permission to write a blog post about her, sadly, i havent talked to her in person BUT SHE HAS TWEETED ME!!!! i want an interview with her, it doesnt have to be in person or on the phone, it could still be on twitter, Do You Think She Will Say Yes. LETS HOPE!!! I LOVE HER BOOKS! it is just an honour for her to reply to me on twitter. Believe me, if you know me in real life you know i am OBSESSED i already started begging my mom to buy Wired, when my mom is like "it hasnt even come out" And my friends know how obsessed i am with all the charectors she creates. This AWESOME author was born May, 31, 1978 Yes, that means her birthday is coming up soon!
These are all the books she has written, I got the following info Thanks to Wikipedia,
To all my readers, this isn't a new face... Since i've talked about her about 100 times since i am totally obsessed with "skinned" and "chasing yesterday", Well i have gotten her permission to write a blog post about her, sadly, i havent talked to her in person BUT SHE HAS TWEETED ME!!!! i want an interview with her, it doesnt have to be in person or on the phone, it could still be on twitter, Do You Think She Will Say Yes. LETS HOPE!!! I LOVE HER BOOKS! it is just an honour for her to reply to me on twitter. Believe me, if you know me in real life you know i am OBSESSED i already started begging my mom to buy Wired, when my mom is like "it hasnt even come out" And my friends know how obsessed i am with all the charectors she creates. This AWESOME author was born May, 31, 1978 Yes, that means her birthday is coming up soon!
These are all the books she has written, I got the following info Thanks to Wikipedia,
Seven Deadly Sins series
- Lust
- Envy
- Pride
- Wrath
- Sloth
- Gluttony (novel)
- Greed
Chasing Yesterday series
- Awakening
- Betrayal
- Truth
Skinned trilogy
- Skinned(2008)
- Crashed (September 2009)
- Wired (2010)
Other books
- Hacking Harvard
- Another Cinderella Story, Again
- Scooby Doo Got Shoot"
- Callie for President
- Girl Talk(How To Deal With Friendship Conflicts)
- Clikits
- OOPS I did it ( again)
Alice In Wonderland
Valentines Day
This was a light-hearted movie. it showed a bunch of different stories ALL ON VALENTINES DAY. some of them were connected. The celebrities in this were AMAZING: Taylor swift and Taylor lautner, Emma Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner and a bunch of other amazing actors INCLUDING GEORGE LOPEZ. It shows the two taylor's valentines day together, Emma and her boyfriends quest to stay together while going away to different schools, a young love (literally young he was like 9), jennifer,ashton and jessica's ties. Anne Hathaway and her really wierd romance, Queen latifa, ETC. I cant really summarize this movie but, i can tell you my opinion of it. IT ROCKED. Some of the parts were inappropriate, but over all it was a great hit. Oh i forgot PATRICK DEMPSEY!!!! oh and bradley cooper!!!! where i got this pic from
ATTENTION
Okay, the following blogs, will be under-contstruction, and there will be no new posts til further notice: www.interesting-or-not.blogspot.com and www.star-omg-struck.blogspot.com
I am tryin to move all the posts from Starstruck to interesting or not, and giving it a whole new name. I have realized its hard owning FOUR blogs therefor i deleted 2 useless ones and i kept the two i usually update but i am moving them into one. There will be new posts, but the posts from starstruck which i am moving onto here, the blog will be RENAMED, a new TEMPLATE will be assigned ETC. For more info, please email askme_blog@yahoo.ca or tweet me at www.twitter.com/star_struckomg ALSO my twitter will be renamed. For Any suggestions you can reach me at the links above!
Love, Mishaal
I am tryin to move all the posts from Starstruck to interesting or not, and giving it a whole new name. I have realized its hard owning FOUR blogs therefor i deleted 2 useless ones and i kept the two i usually update but i am moving them into one. There will be new posts, but the posts from starstruck which i am moving onto here, the blog will be RENAMED, a new TEMPLATE will be assigned ETC. For more info, please email askme_blog@yahoo.ca or tweet me at www.twitter.com/star_struckomg ALSO my twitter will be renamed. For Any suggestions you can reach me at the links above!
Love, Mishaal
Robin Wasserman Interview
1. What inspired you to become an author?
I was one of those kids who read ALL. THE. TIME. In school, on the walk to school, in the bathtub, under the covers when I was supposed to be sleeping, etc. There was rarely a moment when I wasn’t in the middle of three or four books at the same time. So when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them: A writer. Because as far as I could tell, books were the only thing that mattered in the world, so writing books seemed the only logical way to spend one’s time.
2. Approximately how long does it take you to write a thin book? A novel?
The fastest I’ve ever written a book was 12 days, but suffice it to say that a) it was a pretty short book and b) it’s not an experience I’d ever want to repeat. Usually I spend somewhere from two to five months on the first draft of a novel, and then there’s another five or six months of revising, once my editor tells me everything I’ve done wrong.
3. At What age did you start writing books?
I wrote my first book when I was eleven. It was named Kenny and was a total ET ripoff. (You can read an excerpt here: http://robinwasserman.com/write-stuff.html.) After that, I wrote only short stories for the next ten years.) I wrote my first real novel, book one in the Seven Deadly Sins series, when I was 25.
4. What do you do in your free time?
I still read a lot, though this time I try to stick with only one or two books at a time. I’m also a big fan of good tv (Lost, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, etc) and the occasional guilty pleasure show (Degrassi: TNG). I got a bike last summer, and if I’m forced to leave my books and tv behind, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than coasting through Brooklyn, wind in my hair, hands wrapped around the handlebars in a death grip (because klutz plus traffic never seems like a great combo, but it’s worth it for the ride).
5. What inspires your story lines?
Some of the books I write are drawn from my own experiences (eg Hacking Harvard) while others (eg Skinned) have been inspired by all the science fiction I read as a kid and the things I studied (eg robots) while in grad school. These days I have an idea file where I keep every single idea that pops into my head—some come from things that happen to me, some from newspaper articles and books, some from random things I see in the subway or random stuff I think in the shower. Honestly, I don’t really believe in inspiration. I believe in storytelling—my stories come from me asking myself, over and over again, like an obnoxious five-year old, “what happens next?”
6. Who is YOUR favorite author?
I’m terrible at this question. When I was a teenager, my favorite authors were probably Madeleine L’Engle, Robert Heinlein, and Stephen King. Then it was John Irving for a while. Now I mostly just stick to favorite books: The World According to Garp, Ender’s Game, Consider the Lobster, and anything by Kurt Vonnegut. (So maybe he’s my favorite?)
7. Are there any books or movies you dislike?
I’m a pretty cranky lady, so I dislike a LOT. But there is a specific genre of movies that drives me UP A WALL. Like if I’m forced to watch them, I start ranting and raving and destroy the viewing experience for everyone around me. These movies include (these are all from a while ago, b/c I’ve stopped watching this kind of movie, for my sake and the sake of all those around me): A Family Man, Stepmother, and The Family Stone. Generally this kind of movie that I hate features ambitious, competitive, “hard” single career-women basically go through a bunch of horrible and humiliating experience which are supposed to teach them to be “soft,” ie stop wearing so much black and have some babies. Movies like this make me want to throw up.
8. Are you a fan of the Twilight series?
The only one I’ve read all the way through is the last one. But I will say I saw the first movie at midnight on opening night, and then again one week later. So that should tell you something!
9. What made you decide to write "skinned" and "chasing yesterday"?
Like I said, Skinned came out of my grad school studies, which focused on robots and the ways mechanical life have been used to explore our definitions of humanity. I got obsessed with this question of what it would mean for a machine to feel, especially if it felt like a human. Chasing Yesterday came from the stories I used to tell myself when I was a kid. I was an only child, so to entertain myself, I would make up adventures and pretend people were chasing me and I had to do some incredible thing—usually just ride my bike really fast—to save the day.
10. How do you come up with these amazing characters? Personalities?
I’m a pretty big believer that we are the decisions we make. So a lot of times, my characters create themselves through the things they choose over the course of the story. But they’re also informed a lot by my own experiences. I put a lot of myself into all the characters I write.
11. Would you give any Young writers, or kids who think your their role model any advice?
I might suggest they pick a better role model! But if anyone still wanted to take my advice after that, I would tell them that the single most important thing to do, if they really want to be writers, is: Keep going. I took a lot of writing classes when I was a teenager, and while I was always pretty good, I was never the best in the class. But those people who were the best? They’re all doctors and lawyers and bankers now. I’m a published writer, and it’s partly because I wrote well, it’s partly because I worked hard, but it’s also partly because I never gave up. If you want to write a book and get it published, you will. You just have to stay focused, keep writing, keep getting better, and never stop.
12. what would be your favorite book/series? who is your favorite Authors?
This seems sort of like the same question as #6, but I’m going to pretend this one says who is your favorite YA author/what are your favorite YA books, and my current answers are:
Libba Bray, Going Bovine
Holly Black, White Cat
Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger
Marcus Zusack, The Book Thief
MT Anderson, Octavian Nothing
Scott Westerfeld, Uglies and Midnighters
And about a million others. (Well, maybe seven others.)
13. How has your life changed after becoming an author?
Well, for one thing, I never have to change out of my pajamas unless I really want to. That’s been a strange shift. Also strange is being able to go to the bookstore, stand in front of the YA shelf, and realize that half the books are written by people I know. I’ve had some incredible opportunities thanks to my writing – going to the set of the Seven Deadly Sins movie, spending a month writing in Paris, meeting the Star Wars team at the Lucas Film headquarters – but probably the biggest and most fulfilling way my life has changed is that I’ve suddenly part of a whole community of readers and writers, spread out all over the world. I’m not the most social person (one might even call me a misanthrope), but I’ve got to admit that I love that I get to meet and talk about books to people all over the world, online and off. That’s changed everything.
14. Who would you love to meet? (ANYONE)
Kurt Vonnegut and David Foster Wallace, but they’re dead, so that’s likely not going to happen. Robert Downey Jr, which is unlikely to happen for entirely different reasons, but a girl can dream.
15. Are you planning on writing another novel, like skinned or chasing yesterday?
Right now I’m midway through writing The Book of Blood and Shadow, a YA thriller whose official description is:
THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW, about a girl who, upon discovering her best friend murdered and her boyfriend the apparent killer, is caught up in a dangerous world of competing secret societies, all searching for the Luminus Dei, an ancient device that will supposedly allow direct communication with God.
16. Are you "close" with any other writers?
I’m incredibly lucky to live in NYC, which in many ways is the geographic center of the YA community, so I have a lot of friends who are writers and editors. Libba Bray, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Maureen Johnson, Erin Downing . . . all of these writers turn out to be just as awesome in person as they are in print. Who would’ve guessed?
17. Would you consider experiencing any other fields of writing?
I’d love to write some nonfiction someday. And I also dream of someday writing for film or television. Even more so now that I’ve seen the Seven Deadly Sins on screen – there’s something unspeakably incredible about seeing characters you’ve created walking and talking like real people, for all the world to see.
18. Do you like sports?
Not at all. Not playing them, not watching them, not talking about them. Especially not listening to other people talk about them.
I love air hockey, though. Does that count?
19. If you werent a author what career choice would you have gone into (other than writing)?
If I could sing, dance, and act, I’d be a Broadway diva. That would be a dream come true. If I were a better public speaker, and if real life were like television, I’d be a trial lawyer, making brilliant closing arguments to easily swayed juries once a week, and spending the rest of my time dating the various handsome fellows in my law firm.
Barring that: astronaut or artificial intelligence engineer.
20. Have you ever considered giving up on a book?
I consider giving up on every single book I write. I think every writer feels this way, though it happens at different points. For me, about three chapters in, I stop thinking “this is the greatest thing anyone has ever written!” and start thinking “what have I done? This is clearly the dumbest book in the history of written language.” One of the most important things I’ve learned in the last few years is that you have to ignore that feeling if you’re ever going to finish anything. And finishing is pretty important.
21. What book was you "break through" to the writing world"?
The Seven Deadly Sins was my first “real” series of novels, so I guess you’d call that my breakthrough. Before that, I’d written a lot of paperback books about embarrassing moments, sleepover activities, celebrity trivia, etc. I also wrote a bunch of movie novelizations, including a novelization of the Hilary Duff movie “Cinderella Story” – that one was actually a New York Times bestseller, so I suppose technically it was my break through. But I owe it all to Hilary Duff.
22. Do you wish you could go back and do/undo something you did/didnt experience?
I try not to fixate too much on the “what if’s” in the past, because if I let myself, I’d probably spend all my time regretting this or that decision. I’m neurotic like that. But one thing I have always regretting is getting more involved with my college newspaper, and not trying out for my college humor magazine. I spent a lot of time in college feeling like I wasn’t good enough/smart enough/funny enough/talented enough to try out for X, and eventually I realized that was a huge mistake. Failure is better than not trying. It’s easier said than done, though: Failure is scary.
Oh, my other number one regret is something that I didn’t do in high school. There was a time, senior year, when I should have stood up for myself against this teacher who was completely out of line. But I was worried if I did so, it would mess up my college applications, so I kept my mouth shut. That’s one I would do differently, if I could go back, and I’d like to think that if a similar thing happened today, I’d have the nerve to speak out.
23. are you a fan of jersey shore or any other reality series?
I used to be a HUGE Apprentice fan, but I stopped watching that once it got crappy. My all time favorite reality tv show is this short-lived show on MTV called “The Paper” that followed around the staff of a high school newspaper. This was like the anti-Hills. Real, awkward, petty, insecure teenagers jostling for power over their little journalistic fiefdom. It was AMAZING. I could watch it all day long. Seriously, you should all go watch it now, it’s available on the MTV site, and it’s unbelievable.
24. who is your favorite singer?
Right now, Liz Phair is on constant replay in my apartment. I’ve also got a playlist for my current book, which basically involves listening to “Breathe Me” by Sia over and over and over again.
24. Who is your favorite actor?
Robert Downey, Jr, especially the later years. Though (and you’ll know this if you’ve ever peeked at my twitter account) I am also unabashedly obsessed with Neil Patrick Harris.
25. Favorite Movie?
They don’t come any more perfect than The Princess Bride.
26. Are you a fan of Harry Potter?
Absolutely! I actually edited (ie picked out all of the art for) the first set of movie coloring books and sticker books. It was my first job out of college and meant reading through Harry Potter #1 about a hundred times. And I totally cried when That Thing We Won’t Talk About Happened to Dumbledore.
27. What inspired you to write most of your books?
This is basically the same as #5, but I’ll add that, in general, I’m inspired by the possibility that someday I’ll write a book that changes someone’s life, the same way so many of my favorite books changed mine.
28. while writing a book, what would be your daily routine?
I wake up around 8 am, putter around my apartment reading the internet for a ridiculous amount of time (or, when I’m being good, go out for a morning bike ride), then go to a coffee shop and stay there until I’ve met my daily word count. Then, when I’m being diligent, I spend the rest of the afternoon doing business-y stuff like answering emails, doing interviews, cleaning my apartment, etc. When I’m being lazy, I watch TV.
29. While writing a book, do you find yourself under great stress?
Oddly, I find the actual writing process to be the least stressful thing about being a writer. Which isn’t to say that it’s not often HARD, GRUELING, ONEROUS, TORTUROUS and all those other words that can so easily be applied to sitting in front of the computer and trying to string one word after another. But it’s not stressful, because while I’m in the middle of writing, especially on a first draft, I never let myself think about all the truly stressful things, like whether it will be good, whether it will sell, whether my career will soon be over, etc etc etc. It’s only once a book is done that I start driving myself crazy with questions like that. So apparently the secret is: Always be writing.
30. Do you think, ever, if a fan gave you a great idea, would you write about it? Do you keep a "diary/journal" keeping track of your thoughts?
No, I would never take an idea from a fan—partly for legal reasons, but partly because the best ideas really have to come from inside your own brain, from those deep, impenetrable recesses where the weird stuff percolates and bubbles up into your consciousness. If it’s really going to be my book, it’s got to be my idea. (Also, I would tell those fans that if they have a great idea, they should keep it for themselves and write their own book!)
I don’t keep a journal, though I’ve certainly tried many, many times over the years, and if you can force yourself to do it, I highly recommend it. I do try to carry a little notebook around with me to scrawl things down when I think of them, and I have a file on my computer where I keep all random thoughts and clippings that might be useful for future books.
But like I say, if YOU have enough discipline to keep a journal, definitely do. Not only would I be a better writer now if I had years of written experiences to draw from, but I would love nothing more than to be able to dip into my past and see exactly what I was thinking. So think of your journal as a present to your future self.
31. What kind of genre do you enjoy reading?
When I was a teenager, I read exclusively science fiction and horror, and I still love that, especially at the YA level. I think there’s some amazing YA sci fi out there right now – though I would love to see more horror! (I’m not talking about vampires and werewolves, I’m talking about good old fashioned psycho killers.) I’ve also read some incredible adult realistic fiction lately, especially The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. I’m pretty picky, so trust me when I say this book was amazing.
I was one of those kids who read ALL. THE. TIME. In school, on the walk to school, in the bathtub, under the covers when I was supposed to be sleeping, etc. There was rarely a moment when I wasn’t in the middle of three or four books at the same time. So when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them: A writer. Because as far as I could tell, books were the only thing that mattered in the world, so writing books seemed the only logical way to spend one’s time.
2. Approximately how long does it take you to write a thin book? A novel?
The fastest I’ve ever written a book was 12 days, but suffice it to say that a) it was a pretty short book and b) it’s not an experience I’d ever want to repeat. Usually I spend somewhere from two to five months on the first draft of a novel, and then there’s another five or six months of revising, once my editor tells me everything I’ve done wrong.
3. At What age did you start writing books?
I wrote my first book when I was eleven. It was named Kenny and was a total ET ripoff. (You can read an excerpt here: http://robinwasserman.com/write-stuff.html.) After that, I wrote only short stories for the next ten years.) I wrote my first real novel, book one in the Seven Deadly Sins series, when I was 25.
4. What do you do in your free time?
I still read a lot, though this time I try to stick with only one or two books at a time. I’m also a big fan of good tv (Lost, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, etc) and the occasional guilty pleasure show (Degrassi: TNG). I got a bike last summer, and if I’m forced to leave my books and tv behind, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than coasting through Brooklyn, wind in my hair, hands wrapped around the handlebars in a death grip (because klutz plus traffic never seems like a great combo, but it’s worth it for the ride).
5. What inspires your story lines?
Some of the books I write are drawn from my own experiences (eg Hacking Harvard) while others (eg Skinned) have been inspired by all the science fiction I read as a kid and the things I studied (eg robots) while in grad school. These days I have an idea file where I keep every single idea that pops into my head—some come from things that happen to me, some from newspaper articles and books, some from random things I see in the subway or random stuff I think in the shower. Honestly, I don’t really believe in inspiration. I believe in storytelling—my stories come from me asking myself, over and over again, like an obnoxious five-year old, “what happens next?”
6. Who is YOUR favorite author?
I’m terrible at this question. When I was a teenager, my favorite authors were probably Madeleine L’Engle, Robert Heinlein, and Stephen King. Then it was John Irving for a while. Now I mostly just stick to favorite books: The World According to Garp, Ender’s Game, Consider the Lobster, and anything by Kurt Vonnegut. (So maybe he’s my favorite?)
7. Are there any books or movies you dislike?
I’m a pretty cranky lady, so I dislike a LOT. But there is a specific genre of movies that drives me UP A WALL. Like if I’m forced to watch them, I start ranting and raving and destroy the viewing experience for everyone around me. These movies include (these are all from a while ago, b/c I’ve stopped watching this kind of movie, for my sake and the sake of all those around me): A Family Man, Stepmother, and The Family Stone. Generally this kind of movie that I hate features ambitious, competitive, “hard” single career-women basically go through a bunch of horrible and humiliating experience which are supposed to teach them to be “soft,” ie stop wearing so much black and have some babies. Movies like this make me want to throw up.
8. Are you a fan of the Twilight series?
The only one I’ve read all the way through is the last one. But I will say I saw the first movie at midnight on opening night, and then again one week later. So that should tell you something!
9. What made you decide to write "skinned" and "chasing yesterday"?
Like I said, Skinned came out of my grad school studies, which focused on robots and the ways mechanical life have been used to explore our definitions of humanity. I got obsessed with this question of what it would mean for a machine to feel, especially if it felt like a human. Chasing Yesterday came from the stories I used to tell myself when I was a kid. I was an only child, so to entertain myself, I would make up adventures and pretend people were chasing me and I had to do some incredible thing—usually just ride my bike really fast—to save the day.
10. How do you come up with these amazing characters? Personalities?
I’m a pretty big believer that we are the decisions we make. So a lot of times, my characters create themselves through the things they choose over the course of the story. But they’re also informed a lot by my own experiences. I put a lot of myself into all the characters I write.
11. Would you give any Young writers, or kids who think your their role model any advice?
I might suggest they pick a better role model! But if anyone still wanted to take my advice after that, I would tell them that the single most important thing to do, if they really want to be writers, is: Keep going. I took a lot of writing classes when I was a teenager, and while I was always pretty good, I was never the best in the class. But those people who were the best? They’re all doctors and lawyers and bankers now. I’m a published writer, and it’s partly because I wrote well, it’s partly because I worked hard, but it’s also partly because I never gave up. If you want to write a book and get it published, you will. You just have to stay focused, keep writing, keep getting better, and never stop.
12. what would be your favorite book/series? who is your favorite Authors?
This seems sort of like the same question as #6, but I’m going to pretend this one says who is your favorite YA author/what are your favorite YA books, and my current answers are:
Libba Bray, Going Bovine
Holly Black, White Cat
Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger
Marcus Zusack, The Book Thief
MT Anderson, Octavian Nothing
Scott Westerfeld, Uglies and Midnighters
And about a million others. (Well, maybe seven others.)
13. How has your life changed after becoming an author?
Well, for one thing, I never have to change out of my pajamas unless I really want to. That’s been a strange shift. Also strange is being able to go to the bookstore, stand in front of the YA shelf, and realize that half the books are written by people I know. I’ve had some incredible opportunities thanks to my writing – going to the set of the Seven Deadly Sins movie, spending a month writing in Paris, meeting the Star Wars team at the Lucas Film headquarters – but probably the biggest and most fulfilling way my life has changed is that I’ve suddenly part of a whole community of readers and writers, spread out all over the world. I’m not the most social person (one might even call me a misanthrope), but I’ve got to admit that I love that I get to meet and talk about books to people all over the world, online and off. That’s changed everything.
14. Who would you love to meet? (ANYONE)
Kurt Vonnegut and David Foster Wallace, but they’re dead, so that’s likely not going to happen. Robert Downey Jr, which is unlikely to happen for entirely different reasons, but a girl can dream.
15. Are you planning on writing another novel, like skinned or chasing yesterday?
Right now I’m midway through writing The Book of Blood and Shadow, a YA thriller whose official description is:
THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW, about a girl who, upon discovering her best friend murdered and her boyfriend the apparent killer, is caught up in a dangerous world of competing secret societies, all searching for the Luminus Dei, an ancient device that will supposedly allow direct communication with God.
16. Are you "close" with any other writers?
I’m incredibly lucky to live in NYC, which in many ways is the geographic center of the YA community, so I have a lot of friends who are writers and editors. Libba Bray, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Maureen Johnson, Erin Downing . . . all of these writers turn out to be just as awesome in person as they are in print. Who would’ve guessed?
17. Would you consider experiencing any other fields of writing?
I’d love to write some nonfiction someday. And I also dream of someday writing for film or television. Even more so now that I’ve seen the Seven Deadly Sins on screen – there’s something unspeakably incredible about seeing characters you’ve created walking and talking like real people, for all the world to see.
18. Do you like sports?
Not at all. Not playing them, not watching them, not talking about them. Especially not listening to other people talk about them.
I love air hockey, though. Does that count?
19. If you werent a author what career choice would you have gone into (other than writing)?
If I could sing, dance, and act, I’d be a Broadway diva. That would be a dream come true. If I were a better public speaker, and if real life were like television, I’d be a trial lawyer, making brilliant closing arguments to easily swayed juries once a week, and spending the rest of my time dating the various handsome fellows in my law firm.
Barring that: astronaut or artificial intelligence engineer.
20. Have you ever considered giving up on a book?
I consider giving up on every single book I write. I think every writer feels this way, though it happens at different points. For me, about three chapters in, I stop thinking “this is the greatest thing anyone has ever written!” and start thinking “what have I done? This is clearly the dumbest book in the history of written language.” One of the most important things I’ve learned in the last few years is that you have to ignore that feeling if you’re ever going to finish anything. And finishing is pretty important.
21. What book was you "break through" to the writing world"?
The Seven Deadly Sins was my first “real” series of novels, so I guess you’d call that my breakthrough. Before that, I’d written a lot of paperback books about embarrassing moments, sleepover activities, celebrity trivia, etc. I also wrote a bunch of movie novelizations, including a novelization of the Hilary Duff movie “Cinderella Story” – that one was actually a New York Times bestseller, so I suppose technically it was my break through. But I owe it all to Hilary Duff.
22. Do you wish you could go back and do/undo something you did/didnt experience?
I try not to fixate too much on the “what if’s” in the past, because if I let myself, I’d probably spend all my time regretting this or that decision. I’m neurotic like that. But one thing I have always regretting is getting more involved with my college newspaper, and not trying out for my college humor magazine. I spent a lot of time in college feeling like I wasn’t good enough/smart enough/funny enough/talented enough to try out for X, and eventually I realized that was a huge mistake. Failure is better than not trying. It’s easier said than done, though: Failure is scary.
Oh, my other number one regret is something that I didn’t do in high school. There was a time, senior year, when I should have stood up for myself against this teacher who was completely out of line. But I was worried if I did so, it would mess up my college applications, so I kept my mouth shut. That’s one I would do differently, if I could go back, and I’d like to think that if a similar thing happened today, I’d have the nerve to speak out.
23. are you a fan of jersey shore or any other reality series?
I used to be a HUGE Apprentice fan, but I stopped watching that once it got crappy. My all time favorite reality tv show is this short-lived show on MTV called “The Paper” that followed around the staff of a high school newspaper. This was like the anti-Hills. Real, awkward, petty, insecure teenagers jostling for power over their little journalistic fiefdom. It was AMAZING. I could watch it all day long. Seriously, you should all go watch it now, it’s available on the MTV site, and it’s unbelievable.
24. who is your favorite singer?
Right now, Liz Phair is on constant replay in my apartment. I’ve also got a playlist for my current book, which basically involves listening to “Breathe Me” by Sia over and over and over again.
24. Who is your favorite actor?
Robert Downey, Jr, especially the later years. Though (and you’ll know this if you’ve ever peeked at my twitter account) I am also unabashedly obsessed with Neil Patrick Harris.
25. Favorite Movie?
They don’t come any more perfect than The Princess Bride.
26. Are you a fan of Harry Potter?
Absolutely! I actually edited (ie picked out all of the art for) the first set of movie coloring books and sticker books. It was my first job out of college and meant reading through Harry Potter #1 about a hundred times. And I totally cried when That Thing We Won’t Talk About Happened to Dumbledore.
27. What inspired you to write most of your books?
This is basically the same as #5, but I’ll add that, in general, I’m inspired by the possibility that someday I’ll write a book that changes someone’s life, the same way so many of my favorite books changed mine.
28. while writing a book, what would be your daily routine?
I wake up around 8 am, putter around my apartment reading the internet for a ridiculous amount of time (or, when I’m being good, go out for a morning bike ride), then go to a coffee shop and stay there until I’ve met my daily word count. Then, when I’m being diligent, I spend the rest of the afternoon doing business-y stuff like answering emails, doing interviews, cleaning my apartment, etc. When I’m being lazy, I watch TV.
29. While writing a book, do you find yourself under great stress?
Oddly, I find the actual writing process to be the least stressful thing about being a writer. Which isn’t to say that it’s not often HARD, GRUELING, ONEROUS, TORTUROUS and all those other words that can so easily be applied to sitting in front of the computer and trying to string one word after another. But it’s not stressful, because while I’m in the middle of writing, especially on a first draft, I never let myself think about all the truly stressful things, like whether it will be good, whether it will sell, whether my career will soon be over, etc etc etc. It’s only once a book is done that I start driving myself crazy with questions like that. So apparently the secret is: Always be writing.
30. Do you think, ever, if a fan gave you a great idea, would you write about it? Do you keep a "diary/journal" keeping track of your thoughts?
No, I would never take an idea from a fan—partly for legal reasons, but partly because the best ideas really have to come from inside your own brain, from those deep, impenetrable recesses where the weird stuff percolates and bubbles up into your consciousness. If it’s really going to be my book, it’s got to be my idea. (Also, I would tell those fans that if they have a great idea, they should keep it for themselves and write their own book!)
I don’t keep a journal, though I’ve certainly tried many, many times over the years, and if you can force yourself to do it, I highly recommend it. I do try to carry a little notebook around with me to scrawl things down when I think of them, and I have a file on my computer where I keep all random thoughts and clippings that might be useful for future books.
But like I say, if YOU have enough discipline to keep a journal, definitely do. Not only would I be a better writer now if I had years of written experiences to draw from, but I would love nothing more than to be able to dip into my past and see exactly what I was thinking. So think of your journal as a present to your future self.
31. What kind of genre do you enjoy reading?
When I was a teenager, I read exclusively science fiction and horror, and I still love that, especially at the YA level. I think there’s some amazing YA sci fi out there right now – though I would love to see more horror! (I’m not talking about vampires and werewolves, I’m talking about good old fashioned psycho killers.) I’ve also read some incredible adult realistic fiction lately, especially The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. I’m pretty picky, so trust me when I say this book was amazing.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Robin Wasserman Interview :O
The computer the interview was saved in has "crashed" so until we get the problem fixed, i cant post up the interview BECAUSE I DELETED THE EMAIL TOO! so im so sorry, the problem will be fixed within the week
Spain Takes the cup!
After a suspenseful game, Iniesta Scored the winning goal for Spain, as Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0. Usually, it would be David Villa who was the hero of the game, but for the last 2 games it hasn't, it has been Puyol (the one with the FABULOUS HAIR) and Iniesta (the one with the AMAZING winning cup goal!). After years, of training and work, has all lead up to the moment where all their work has been paid off; Spain won the WORLD CUP 2010 in South Africa. Many thought it would be Germany, England or Italy. Well the finals was between Spain and Netherlands, two teams who have NEVER won the cup and haven't ever made it to the finals before. Netherlands played a dirty game, but fortunately ended losing, so now we can thank all the players of Spain for making history! THANK YOU GUYS!!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Robin Wasserman REPLIED!!!
hey guys, long time since ive updated! but its summer now and I AM READY TO START BLOGGING AGAIN! So this blog post is about ROBIN WASSERMAN! remember the interview questions i sent her? WEll GUESS WHAT SHE REPLIED! I will post the interview up in parts in the next few weeks SO STAY TUNED!
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