Freedom~

So yes, freedom at last~

Graduation was yesterday, which was fun. I had my hair done especially for the event - into dreadlocks, which I'm loving. It was done at Wildilocks, which is the greatest hair salon I've ever been to! More on that later, when I have some photos to put up!


This explains the problem I had with my eight inch platform boots:

For more of these Goth Problems (and a laugh or two) head here.

 So, now I have much free time, I'll be doing all kinds of things: a December version of NaNoWriMo, because my awesome friends knew how sad I was that I couldn't do it in November, and waited for me so we could all do it together; photography - fashion, mostly, such as Lolita, Visual Kei, Goth and Punk; painting, which I'm certain will be hilarious because I can't paint; music, with the band, hopefully recording and getting a few more original pieces together; and all kinds of other stuff too... Keep in touch~

This is Shi, looking forward.

Been a while...

So, yes, it has been a long while since I last posted... Let me just say, it was school, as usual, which kept me away. And I expect this will continue for some weeks, but after November, I am free!

I can't wait!

After November, I will be doing some photography stuff, hopefully, so look forward to that. I know I am; it's been ages since I've had a great excuse to take the camera out for bit ^^


This is Shi, counting down 'til the End of November!

PS. As for my wrist, it turned out to be "traumatic arthritis"... I'm not sure I am the one traumatized, or my wrist was, or if it was the nuclear medicine people... or the doctor... but it's much better now, just in time for exams!

Clumsy

Yes. I am very clumsy. Last week I feel, and of course, as you do naturally, I guess, I put my hand out so I wouldn't land on my face. So my face remained safe (yay!). My hand - not so much. I landed quite heavily on my right wrist. It hurt like @#$%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not my wrist. I don't know if
there is something wrong with
this one... or if it's fine too.

 

 

 

Used to such falls, I thought I'd quickly recover. Not so.  This week, it still hurt like @#$%, and I pretty much can't use it. Not to write - it is my write right hand (Yes, I know, I use that pun too often. It's not even funny.). Not even to type. I can't even hold a frickin' coffee. And in such a sorry state, I headed to my doctor. She promptly sent me for an x-ray. The lovely student radiologist informed me that it was fine. No breaks. Not even a tiny fracture.

Yay! I thought to myself before I wondered... then why does it hurt so damned much!? It's gotta get better soon, right? Apparently, strapping and slinging is the way to go until it recovers enough to resume normal functioning.

This is Shi, cursing clumsiness...

Manifest!

 

So, we ended up going to Manifest after all! We went on the Friday so we could enter the FRUiTS competition... and we won! Best hair and makeup! The judges were impressed that we used our own hair (which is suitably crazy for Visual Kei) and Billy, my partner-in-crime, had very impressive body paint. If only I had taken some photos!

There were lots of Lolitas in the competition and they were all so cute! The lady who won Best Outfit was so lovely, she had put together her outfit very nicely - she was a Punk/Goth Loli. Ah, she was a sweetie. The lady who won Best Overall had a really impressive techno-angel costume; it looked like something from an anime or manga, or a display piece at a really awesome rave.

While there, we bought some manga - of course. Billy got Aphorism and we went halves in a new manga we found called Karneval. It's pretty good so far, so check it out if you can! I also got volume three of Koisuru Boukan (The Tyrant Falls in Love). I wanted to get volumes one and two at least as well, but I couldn't find them. It's one of my favourite BL manga ^^.

It was so much fun! I wish I could go again, and more, but I had work today and a uni Open Day on Sunday (probably, if I can figure out how to get there...). Thanks again, Manifest staff, for another great day!

This is Shi, about to read volume three of Tyrant despite not having volumes one or two... ^^

Novel Revising...?

Okay, so I'm considering re-revising my NaNo novel from last year. I started revising twice previously, but have stopped. I really want to get the damn novel decent though! It desperately needs revision...

Of course, life is never straight forward. Firstly, I haven't finished my Camp NaNo novel. I mean, I wrote the 50,000 words, but I didn't finish the story. And I think I've touched it twice since the end of July. It needs finishing! But without NaNo as an excuse for crappy writing, my inner editor is tormenting me. Also, I should be studying. Damn school! I've been forced to miss some days because of illness, and now I feel really, really behind. But I don't want to not write either, I think I should be able to do writing and school, right? I mean, other people play sports and have hobbies and socialise.Why shouldn't I be able to manage it?

And yes, I'm still sulking about Manifest. For a while, I got over it, but just recently I had a hopeful bout of "maybe I could manage it if I just rearrange this and this and this...". And to the blues that my band played at the school talent competition thing on Friday and... well, I don't wanna say sucked, but it was... not good. As I said, I'd been sick, so we had one 30 minute practice before school on Friday and that was it. I should have organised more rehearsals, sick or not. If I had, it would have been better. Erk, I feel so awful about that. My last year and I can't even pull off an awesome, hell even decent, peformance.


Yes, so, back to the crux of the matter. What should I do: start revising my NaNo novel, or finish my Camp NaNo novel? What would you do? Advice is always welcome <3

Manifest 2011

Manifest is in 2 weeks. I really wanna go! But I can't, because of family committments.

Not the version we were planning, but awesome picture.
Miku's hair is slightly green here, but I love the butterflies.

If I had have gone, myself and my sister would have been in cosplay. (Yes, I love cosplay. I love costuming. I love wigs. I love makeup. I love dressing up. I love acting. I love photography. Mostly, I just love the way things can really come together and be awesome.) If we were going, she would be Miku and I would be KAITO, the Vocaloids. I wanted to be Gakupo, but I'm too short, *laugh*. We were planning on doing the Magnet versions, simply because in Year 12 I don't have heaps of time to sew.

I guess its a good thing we aren't going. You know, because of the time and effort that I don't have right now.

Still, it kinda makes me sad. I was looking foward to it all year.

August, too?

Okay, I know this is gonna sound crazy, BUT


I want to Camp NaNo in August too.

*cries*

I just write so much better under the pressure, with the graph and the forums and all... But I have so much school work. What do I do? What do I do?

Someone help me.

Camp NaNo - The end!

Write. Right, so I discarded the blog-every-day part of my schedule in favour of adding those precious words to my wordcount. Let me summarise my last days of NaNo in pictures.... (you know, 'cause they are worth 1000 words an' all...)

My word count was low...

...very low...

Such was the state of my page...

And my inspiration/muse looked like this...

Then there was this...

and this..

and this too...

And all that coffee led to this... (scary, right? Yeah, I thought so too...)

Ta-daaaa!!! It was done!!

So it says there that my wordcount was 51,000-ish, which was great on my word doc, but the Camp NaNo site said it was only 50,069 (which was also great ;})... I wanted to get a screen cap of that, but... alas... *tears*... it had been taken down for the beginning of the August session...


 In any case, the most important picture of all:

Oh yeah. I celebrated with a well-deserved milkshake.



PS. I'm considering doing August too...

Camp NaNo: Days 23 - 26

Okay, so now I can't even manage my blog. Fricken hell!

Wordcount: 38028.

ARGHHH!!! I hate school sometimes!! Interfering with my writing!!... In any case, I managed to do 2,000-ish words last night - go me! I still am about 3-4000 words behind! I've really gotta step it up.

(How the hell was this so relatively easy last November!?)

This is Shi, with this expression: O.o

Camp NaNo: Days 18 - 23

Well, I didn't update every day like I wanted to. The reason is, schools started again. In a fit of depression, angst and procrastination by sleep, I didn't write anything. My wordcount has stagnated at: 33149

Now, guess who is behind?? That's right!! Me!

So I'm going to try to catch up over the weekend, and study, and do all my homework, and clean my room, and learn a new song on guitar for a performance in 2 weeks.

This is Shi, deciding to engage in a liiiittle bit of procrastination...

Camp NaNo: Day 17

Whoops, forgot again!

Wordcount: 30099

Let me see, what happened yesterday.... ah, yes. I finished the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game, which awesome and kinda depressing. In honour of my victory over Ganon, I made celebratory Gold Skultulas - spiders with coffee-flavoured energy drink instead of soft drink.

They were quite disgusting.

After that, I did some writing. I think I mentioned that I just skipped the part of my NaNo novel that was giving me grief, and moved on. After a dramatic war scene involving much research, I called it a night. But now I'm sure sure what I'm doing. It's a new chapter, but I'm not sure if I should write more about the war or skip to a different part. I mean, I can and definitely will rewrite it, but... I like the story to still flow well in the first draft.

Hmm, a dilemma.

This is Shi, wondering what to do next, exactly....

Camp NaNo: Day 16

Wordcount: 29163

I skipped the chapter I was having trouble with. Now, my main problem is that I don't remember much about medieval warfare. I used to know so much! Mostly from just reading tons of fantasy books, and a general interest, but it's all been pushed out of my mind by the constitutional rights of Australia and the anatomy of the brain.

Yeah, I really need to do some homework too.

This is Shi, really wishing the holidays weren't nearly over.

Camp NaNo: Day 15

Wordcount: same as yesterday.

Today was very unproductive. *sigh*.

This is Shi, deciding to make tomorrow much better.

Camp NaNo: Day 14

Wordcount: 27282


*cries in corner*
Why is my story so stuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid? Why has my plot abandoned me? WHY AM I DOING THIS?

This is Shi, in despair....

Camp NaNo: Day 13

Wordcount: 26284

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! What's happened to my plot!?!?!? Where did you go??? Why have you abandoned me???!?!?!?


This is Shi, about to go bait some traps for her plot.

Camp NaNo: Day 12

Wordcount: 25172

Well, I didn't really write much yesterday... I did something else instead....

I got permanently inked.

Yep, that's right. So I basically gave myself the day off. I do have to catch up a little now!


This is Shi, aching a little but determined not to slack off.

Camp NaNo: Day 11

Word count: 24392

Well, just finished off that dramatic death scene. Actually, I just wrote the funeral scene, but it was pretty intense. Sometimes I hate killing characters - leads to so much angst, y'know? Anyway, this death was very plot-worthy and absolutely necessary (so I don't feel too bad about it...).

Still, death scenes = intense. I listened to Mozart's "Requiem in D Minor - Lacrimosa" while writing the scene. Hope that atmosphere comes across a little.

Now I've just got to switch to depressing romantic scene....

This is Shi, going through iTunes for suitable music...

Camp NaNo: Day 10

Word count: 22843 (Nearly half way!)

I didn't do as much writing as I wanted to today, because that awful thing called homework happened to need some doing. I can't imagine what the pile would look like if I left it to the last day of holidays, but I imagine it would be bad. Very bad. My teachers are going to get a stern talking-to when I return. 70+ questions for each subject as well as various other little pieces are NOT funny. Not in the least, and especially not from all my teachers.

Anyway, on a more Camp NaNo related note, I just killed a character. I'm having a break from the dramatic death scene. Phew, it was a hard one. Hope the drama comes cross in the reading!

This is Shi, listening to depressing character-death music.

Camp NaNo: Day 9

Eeek, I forgot to do this!

Let's see, wordcount: 19275

I didn't do much writing today. I checked my school email inbox and found that I have mountains of homework. Seeing that and knowing I should be writing as well forced me to procrastinate. I watched lots of Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet- videos, which was great because I love the music (especially the guitarwork) but awful in that I didn't do much else for a couple of hours. BAD ME!

I did cook a roast, however, a roast lamb with potatoes, beans, honey carrots and zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli. It was delicious! I just wish we had a microwave so  I could heat some up from breakfast.

Anyway, off to drink my tea and then get to work.

This is Shi, determined to get lots done today!

Camp NaNo: Day 8

Word Count: 18839

I'm calling it an early night. It's been a long few days and I want to try to get back into my normal sleep routine - at least a little - so that I'm not super tired when school starts again.

Tomorrow I'm going to do another few word sprints, and then get some holiday homework done. I've been pretty slack over the first week of Camp NaNo! I've only been focusing on my story! Now I need to focus a little bit of time on my studies.

Anyway, I'm heading off to bed. Goodnight, all!

This is Shi, beating her sister into bed!

Camp NaNo: Day 7

Word count: 14536

Okay guys, this is gonna be short one! I've just discovered the greatest writing tool called Write or Die - this basically is a website where you add your word count goal and your time limit. It then takes you  to a plain screen with a square box where you strive to fulfil said goal in said time. Down the bottom of the box is the time counting down and a word count that hopefully goes up. If that weren't enough for edge-of-your-seat writing, the screen also flashes red if you take too long to continue.

 It's terrifying. It's wonderful.

 I'm doing 1000 words sprints in 30 minutes and it's going so well. Maybe the quality is a little low, but I'm working on it after the time is up. It's just a great tool for getting it out there.

With this, I think I can easily write the 1612 words for NaNo a day!

This is Shi, off to edit the hour of writing I've just done into something relatively lovely (and boost my word count at the same time!)

Camp NaNo: Day 6

THE PARTY CONTINUES!

Word count: 12040

That's write right, the Camp NaNo party continued on 'til about 5:30pm! Without any sleep in my case, or an hour or two in others', we continued writing. I want to give them shoutouts (with their usernames, of course) for being so aboslutely, wonderfully awesome! - but I don't know if they'd like that. So, if you guys read this, know just how awesome you are!

I reached double-digits in the thousands! *dances*

We watched another movie, Airheads (starring Brenden Fraser, Adamn Sandler and Steve Buscemi), which about a rock'n'roll band desperate to make it holding up a radio in order to get airplay. It's a silly comedy, but was great to have a break to and laugh along with.

We continued writing all night, feeling as though time had been slowed in the small space of our lounge room. There was more reading each others' work, encouraging, laughing and fun as we continued. It was really cool to see everyone's different styles - some were descriptive, some were fast-paced, some were hilarious. I love reading humour in books because I have such trouble writing it. The cheese and chocolates were polished off at some point too.

We breakfasted on hot coffee and tea with toast, and kept writing all day. When everyone left at 5:30pm, I went to bed and slept 'til 9pm. I got up to get a drink, and then when back to bed (so I didn't update on the 6th).

In any case, my story is really moving along now. I have some idea of the plot now, much more than previously and my characters are taking shape. One of the girls said I had great dialogue, which made me so happy because sometimes I feel that I really struggle with dialogue. I'm always wondering "Would [character] really say that? Would anyone really say that?" and so on... But I'm pleased it's coming across well!

This is Shi, heading back to Camp!

Camp NaNo: Day 5

Also known as: THE AWESOME PARTY WRITING SESSION!

Word count: 9405

 So, as I mentioned, I was having some friends over for a Camp NaNo camp out in the lounge room with laptops, dedicated to writing. Well, we started at 8:30pm and now it's 3:30pm and we're still rocking it! This is the most fun I've ever had working with people, and it's going really well!

 I'm so proud of everyone. One other attendee and I started write at the beginning of Camp NaNo, but the others were late comers. Some had started writing a little, from a couple hundred words to 3,000, but one had not even started, thought of a plot or anything! Now, we're all merrily skipping our way to the 50K, enjoying life and food and the craziness of the intermittent conversation between the frantic tapping of keys.

Horseland is awesome
(and we're all about 18 years old!)

 We had a break to watch Horseland  - the greatest show ever - and eat cheese and chocolate. We only allowed ourselves to do so after writing at least one thousand words, and so far it's been great motivation.

 It's also been really nice to have a large company when writing. We've been reading each other's stories and giving feedback, chatting about ideas and characters, and generally encouaging each other to the next 1,000 word goal.

 It's fantastic - I highly recommend NaNo parties to all!

This is Shi, off to write more! (and more and more, hooray!)

Camp NaNo: Day 4

Okay, so I kinda forgot to post yesterday because I went to bed early-ish. So this is what happened:

Word count: 5401

We're on school break for 2 weeks, which is awesome for writing/Camp NaNo,  but also means that I wanted to dye my hair. We have rules about colours at school, so on holidays I go crazy to make up for it. Anyway, being out of lift and peroxide, my sister and I headed to the local shopping centre via public transport to pick some up. The buses and trains make it quite a long trip, I must say, but we successfully returned with all products.

We did a little bit of writing, fuelled by the lollies we also bought, and then we dyed our hairs. This took significantly longer than expected - I decided to do my roots as well, which I hadn't been planning on (good thing we got more of the stuff).

Main characters of Sekai-Ichi:
Onodera Ritsu and Takano Masamune

And after that, my sister was in need of some cheering up, so we watched some Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi, which is a great romantic comedy anime based on the manga of the same name by the author of  Junjou Romantica (which is also a great romantic comedy). The main story follows the editors and artists of the shoujo manga department of Marukawa Publishing, and their romances.  It's set in the same world Junjou, and Usagi-san even gets a cameo, which is awesome. I've always loved having characters from other series come in and out occasionally if possible. If I ever decided to write a story in the same universe as previously, that's what I'd do too.

But by the time we finished that, it was late so we went to bed. And now I'm behind on my wordcount! I've gotta get my arse into gear and just write more.

And more and more, dammit.

This is Shi, going off to write more (and more and more).

Camp NaNo: Day 3

Alright, Day 2 already! Word count: 5322.

I've got over five thousand words now, but I still feel like today wasn't particularly productive. I was very tired for some reason (and it couldn't possibly be the late nights...) so that might account for the slow going. I feel a bit like I'm struggling with my story. I know it's probably because it's a new story with new characters and I haven't fugured out how everything works and fits together, but it can still be a little disheartening.

I played a bit of Nintendo today, as a method of procrastination. I'm re-playing "the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" with my sister. We're both doing Camp NaNo, so we used it as a break, and just relaxed. It was quite fun, and I think I was more successful there (I defeated Lord Jabu Jabu, a dungeon that has always irritated me) - but probably because playing a game is easier than writing a story.

Also, I keep getting distracted by the NaNo forums. I barely used them at all last year, but this year I almost can't stop reading them! They are terribly addictive, and it's frustrating me. But on a happier and much more fun note, I convinced a really awesome friend to do Camp NaNo with me. We'd been planning on doing normal NaNo, but we're taking on July too. We're going to have a writing session later in the week; I'm really looking forward to it. She's convinced another cool friend to join in too, so that makes four of us, writing all together. It'll be like a writing party. I'm sure it will be great! (and hopefully productive!)

This is Shi, signing off to go and write more!