Top Picks for 2010

In honor of the coming new year I wanted to post my faves from the last 12 months...

Top 10 Movies of 2010
1. The Social Network
2. Black Swan
3. The King's Speech
4. Kick-Ass
5. Toy Story 3
6. How to Train Your Dragon
7. Mao's Last Dancer
8. Restrepo
9. The Fighter
10. She's Out of My League


Top 10 TV Shows/Series of 2010
1. The Pacific
2. Dexter
3. Big Bang Theory
4. Castle
5. Boardwalk Empire
6. Vampire Diaries
7. True Blood
8. The Mentalist
9. Modern Family
10. Parenthood

Top 10 Reads of 2010
1. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
2. Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton
3. Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton
4. Swoon by Nina Malkin
5. Fallen by Lauren Kate
6. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
7. The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith
8. Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith
9. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
10. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

FOREVER -- Final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series Book Cover!

The talented Maggie Stiefvater has just posted the cover art for the final book in her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, FOREVER.  It's a beautiful cover that rounds out the series quite nicely (if you have read the books you know what I mean... and if you have not -- What are you waiting for?) Maggie has also posted a link (http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie) where you an pre-order a signed copy of FOREVER which is scheduled to hit shelves in 2011.  As a fan of the series I highly recommend checking out the books if you have not heard of them before, they are truly worth a read!

Things I missed at the Comic Con due to the LONG lines

Since there were just soooooooooo many people at this year's comic con, I was not able to get into any of the panels I desperately tried to get into.  So now that I am home, and venting my frustration with the lack of planning and organization on the show's part, I am also google-ing and youtube-ing  as many videos as I can find since I was unable to see anything for myself.  So as I am experiencing these for the first time myself, I though I would share with you. 



 Big Bang Panel Part 1


Big Bang Panel Part 2


Big Bang Panel Part 3



I waited in line for over over 3 hours trying to get into this panel and they almost shut it down.
Kevin Smith @ Comic Con







more is to come... and pictures will be posted next

2010 San Diego Comic Con

Dear San Diego Comic Con --

It is with great sadness that I write this letter to you.  Your event this year was one of the most disorganized and unpleasant events I have attended.  There is truly something wrong when press and professionals in the industry are required to stand in line for over 3-hours in hopes of gaining access to a panel discussion and then not be allowed in.  I have never attended an event in which the panels were not cleared after each event to allow those in line for the next event entrance, which some had been standing in line for over 3-hours, not to mention a line that is in excess of 2-miles in length which never seems to move no matter how long one is standing in line.  Ballroom 20 and Hall H was by far the most frustrating for a working professional.  How is one to do their job when press is not even allowed into given events because there is either no line for press or seats set aside for us to cover the events in which we attended the show for? 

I feel for the fans who stood in line with me that never gained access to the panels they waited for when they paid to attend your show.  How do you expect to keep the fans of your show when they spend the majority of each day in lines, only to find out that the hall is over capacity or closed for various reasons?  What will you do to compensate those who arrived 4+ hours early, knowing that there will be a line for the panel they wished to get into, only to have moved a handful of spaces during their entire wait?  Do you seriously expect everyone to be desperate enough to camp out in hopes of being one of the lucky ones allowed into each ballroom?  How do you plan to fix this problem for next year, or is that not in your thinking at all?  And what about press and their attempts to get in to cover their assigned panels?  How many of us were not allowed in or did not gain access due to your lack of planning? 

I honestly feel that my experience at the San Diego Comic Con is a once in a life time experience that I wish to never experience again.  Why would I waist my time when I know how unlikely it is for me to be able to get anything or any work out of the show?  Why would I put myself through the stress your show put on me again if I can get a better experience at other shows who at least put in the effort to try and assist and compensate those that tried effortlessly to get into a panel.  So you have lost me as a future attendee in any capacity.  Better luck next time and for the sack of the fans I hope you get your shit together.

Sincerely --

Disgruntled Attendee of 2010 Comic Con

Sorry for the delay

My apologies for the delay in updates lately.  From the long hours of driving and finding myself in a few locations with no internet I have fallen a bit behind.  I will update with a the latest info in the next few days.  Thank you for coming back and reading, hope to see you here again soon.

South Dakota

Due to technical difficulties with internet at currently location in South Dakota I will not be able to post a full blog.  I have been without cell services for the last 12 hours and the free wifi is so spotty I'll be lucky if I can even get this posted.  I'm hoping to find better service at some point today so I can post a full update as yesterday was pretty full of some very cool things. 

Yesterday I drove through most of South Dakota.  The first cool scenic viewpoint was just before crossing the Missouri River.  After entering SD and driving for several hours I stopped at 1880 Town to do a quick walk-thru of the props and set piece they have on display from Dances with Wolves. With that being my second Costner set I've stopped at I'm starting to feel like I'm stalking just his films.  The next stop was a drive through the Badlands loop.  I've gotta say, that place is very cool.  It took about an hour but the view was unlike anything I've ever seen.  I was pretty excited about it.  Last stop for the day was Mt Rushmore.  When I was finally driving up to see the monument, and when I first saw the full thing, it literally took my breath away.  It is definitely "one of those" places.  I spent a few hours just hanging around up there and watched the lighting ceremony.

Unfortunately that is all I have time to say for right now.  I will try to get some more stuff up later if I can find some better service.

From Chicago to Minnesota

Yesterday I left Chicago with no real plans and decided to take a detour off my original route.  Instead of going directly from Illinois through Wisconsin to Minnesota I turned off onto 20 and drove through part of Iowa.  The road was so narrow at times and with all of the construction going on I considered many times trying to find a way to get back up to 90.  I was about 100 miles south of where I had originally planned to drive and I'm sure the landscape would have been much different than the flat farmlands I spend 8 hours driving through.  But had I stayed on the original path I would have missed a few sights that I'm very glad I got to see.

When driving 20 through Galena, Il you drive right past Pres. Grant's home.  Even though I'm not much of a history buff, it was pretty cool to see one of the president's homes and be able to walk around for a bit.  I actually almost lost my car keys I got so distracted taking pictures.  Granted I may actually point the finger at a friend who had called me while I was there since I was not able to talk, take pictures and hold everything at the same time.  But no matter I safely found the keys sitting exactly where I left them sitting next to the presidential china (thankfully they had not fallen along the grass since the keychain they are on is green).

Many hours later... when I was really starting to feel I may have made a bad decision on the road I chose to take this little side trip, I started noticing a few things.  First of all Iowa is almost nothing but farms.  I guess I should have known that but for some reason it didn't really hit me until I was driving through what felt like a live version of Farmville.  It was just farm after farm after farm with no end in sight.  And I mean that literally.  The landscape was so flat where I was that I could see straight out all around me for more miles than I knew what to do with.  It wasn't until I started to see a change in the clouds as they started turning grey and the temperature dropped to around 74 when I actually realized that I was driving into a severe weather area with warnings of flash flooding.  Thankfully it was nothing more than that, and I was also lucky to have gotten ahead of the storm before it hit.  It was odd though seeing the dark clouds miles off and then just over head, and being able to feel the change was wild.  Of course it wasn't until after I pass the dark menesing clouds when the rain hit and I was driving at about 30 as all of the other Iowa drivers were keeping up with the speed limit of 70mph.  Man when that rain hit I don't know how they were able to see while driving at that speed. It was crazy.

I will say that the quick 10 minute rain was more than enough for me.  Once it stopped I noticed a sign just ahead that somehow looked oddly familiar.  I had gotten to an area that was the site of the Field of Dreams movie.  I don't think I had taken an exit so quickly in my life, only to drive another 4 miles past more farms just to park on a farm.  Granted it wasn't just any farm, but a farm with a baseball field that so many of us have grown up with since the classic 1989 film was first released.  It was unreal driving onto the property and seeing the field and all I could think of was a quote from the movie.

"This field, this game, is a part of our past.  It reminds us of all that was good, and that could be good again.  Oh people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come."

And I went, as well as so many others.  It was fun to see families throwing around a ball or actually playing baseball out on the field.  So far the Field of Dreams is my favorite stop.

But for now I must hit the road again.  Off to some National Parks today.  I will try and post again soon.

Total Miles Traveled To Date: 1522
States Driven: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa
Current State: Minnesota
States Coming Up: South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California 

Next Stop: Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Deadwood

Cleveland... Oh my!

Yesterday's drive was a bit of a mess I have to say.  Not the trip itself, but of the things I wanted to see did not exactly go as planned.  I drove from a small town called Dunkirk, NY to the first stop of the day Cleveland and pit stopped for a few hours at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I have to say it was pretty cool to go through each of the exhibits.  I wish I had tried to sneak a few pictures with my phone of some of the items on display.  I will confess seeing some of the old guitars used by some of my fave rock groups was pretty cool.  I think the Elvis and Hendrix exhibits were my favorite of the day, and even though I'm not really much of a Michael Jackson fan it was definitely something seeing his old sequined glove and various outfits on display.

After leaving the museum I took a short walk around the area to check out Great Lakes Science Center and the Cleveland Brown's Stadium.  I didn't stay long but there was a piece of art work over by the Browns stadium that I couldn't leave without getting a picture of. It was a beautiful piece in honor and memory of the firefighters of Cleveland.

Once I finished my rounds I had one last stop to make before I could drive on.  I was looking forward to hitting the next museum, but come to find out it's not open on Monday-Tuesday during the summer.  SAY WHAT? Yeah I was totally bummed. But I was at least able to get pictures.  Oh yes, that is exactly that you think it is. 

More to come soon.  Next city to blog will be Chicago. 



Total Miles Traveled To Date: 941 miles
States Driven: Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
Current State: Illinois
States Coming Up: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California

Niagara and beyond

So I got off to a bit of a late start this morning but once I was finally out on the road I was rocking n' rolling.  I got a little too into my music and got a few looks from several other drivers as I blared Aerosmith and Journey with the windows down long before 9am this morning.  On top of the music I took advantage of a few opportunities to get some roadside footage via a flipcam since it was a little easier to have running and quickly turn off with no real distractions to the driving and I'm excited to put together a little something to share with you all but it will have to wait a few nights as I'm beginning to run low on energy tonight.

For the time being I'm still in NY state.  I had no idea it was such a large state.  I thought i would have at least been able to reach the PA state line before needing to find a place to crash for the night, but I was not so lucky.  I still have at least 1.5 hours before I cross that line tomorrow morning, but I will get there.  Other than my surprise for the size of NY, I have managed to get a lot done today. 

I reached Niagara Falls round 1:30pm and went on a 5 hour guided tour of the falls.  With the insane heat today I was very happy to have been able to catch a ride on the Maid of the Mist and get drenched by the historic falls.  It was quite refreshing, but for the lakes that feed into the falls being fresh water I will say that the water felt a little salty.  I struggled to see everything through my water covered glasses, and gave up before the boat reached the horseshoe fall.  I actually relied on my new favorite toy to get as many images saved and will say that my new toy was well worth the investment.  If anyone is interested in a new digital camera I HIGHLY recommend taking a look at the Sony Cyber-Shot.  It gives some amazing pictures and the panoramic feature and options within the feature give you the freedom to create and capture some unusual pictures (if you take the time to be a bit patient of course).  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from today's trip.

I will post more pictures and some of the videos I took in the next few days when I have a little more down time.  For now it is off to sleep before another early morning of driving.

Day 1 Mileage: 441 miles
Sights Seen: Niagara Falls

Cities for Day 2: Cleveland and Chicago

Out on the Open Road

For the last few days I have been trying to prep and pack for a cross country trip.  Now that it is the day to hit the road I feel like I'm not quite ready.  Of course the local coffee shop is not open this early in the morning so there's not much to help me get out of the morning funk until I'm able to find somewhere to get some joe, but once I do I have a feeling that the morning is going to turn around.  Until then I will just have to move slowly towards my westward direction.

At 4:30am I am still trying to pull everything together for my 5am departure time.  Even though I'm not awake yet by any means I'm excited to get out on the road.  I'm not taking much on the cross country adventure, but still feel like I just might be taking more than I need which always seems to be the case with me.  I think the only thing I feel like I'm really missing is being able to somehow bring my friends and family on the trip with me, so I'm going to do my best and make up for it right here by blogging as often as possible.  This will be the true test of AT&T and its service through the northern states as I'm sure there will be times I will be adding posts via an iPhone app.  But for now I must be getting my butt in gear and finish loading everything into my car including a few essentials I set aside to keep my entertained on the journey.

MUSIC ESSENTIALS:

• Green Day's American Idiot soundtrack
• American Idiot
• 21st Century Breakdown
• Addam's Family on broadway soundtrack
• Journey
• Cyndi Lauper
• The Runaways soundtrack
• sounds of Bollywood
• Silverstein
• Aerosmith
• The Police
• Will Smith
• misc. soundtracks

BOOK ESSENTIALS:

• Shiver (in prep for Linger)
• Ballard
• Beautiful Creatures
• Fallen
• hush, hush
• Hearts at Stake
• Tantalize
• Braced to Bite
• Tanya Huff's Blood Book vol. 1
• Family Secrets (to finally complete revision)

GEAR ESSENTIALS:

• MacBook 
• iPhone
• Sony Cyber-shot (which I can't wait to use)
• Canon HDV cam 
• FlipCam
• Final Cut

Now that I have all the essentials ready to go I must go load the car and find the nearest open coffee shop.  Until I write again...


Tenative itiniary for the day:
Starting point: Central Mass
First Sightseeing Stop: 361 miles
Possible Final Stop for the Day: 224 miles
Total Possible Miles Traveled for the Day: 585 miles

MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Build

So it is now day 4 on the Universal Studios backlot and we are in full swing.  At the moment I cannot go into all of the craziness that will be happening but I am looking forward to sharing some behind-the-scenes stories with you shortly.  But for now I wanted to give you a little of the craziness that is happening out here in Hollywood.  Check out our red carpet build.  The video below is a live stream from outside the Gibson Ampitheater and it will be running for 24 hours a day for the next 2.5 days (as today, Friday, is half over).  We have been feeding the world wide web for the last 24 hours and the build is coming along.  But watch the change over the next 24 hours as we near the start of show and then on sunday you can watch the Red Carpet as it happens.

Just a reminder: East Coasters remember the Red Carpet/Pre-Show starts at 8pm ET and the West Coast will have to check in at 5pm PT as the live feed WILL NOT be re-streaming over the web when the show airs for you at 8pm PT.  You might even catch a sneak peek of the Jersey Shore Blow Out as the Jersey Shore cast will be hosting the Pre-Show.

MTV Shows

MTV Movie Awards -- Prepping for Sunday June 6

So it may not be the Oscars, but it is one of the funnier nights on cable television.  This year's MTV Movie Awards is quickly approaching and the promos are starting to make their way onto the web.  Check out the Aziz and Justin Bieber Movie Award promo video below and check back for updates, photos and videos as I will be there working in the backlots of Universal Studios at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

MTV Shows

Tune in on Sunday, June 6 when the show airs with some wild and crazy happenings beginning at 8pm EST for the Red Carpet Pre-show and a 9pm EST LIVE show.  You won't believe what the MTV team has planned.

BIG news

So I have some BIG news...

Last night I attended the world premiere of Sex and the City 2.  But bigger than that I was given the opportunity to write a blog for MTV's Hollywood Crush page, which was just post.  Please check it out.

Sex and the City 2 World Premiere

Check out my other blog Reel World Adventures later today for my review, pictures and a video from the world premiere.

New York Public Library Ghostbusters

A video went up today showing that the New York Public Library has a bit of a ghost problem.  So much so that the Ghostbusters were called in to clean it up.  Check out the Improv Everywhere prank.

Linger -- Book Trailer

American Idiot on Broadway -- My Life with Green Day

 Green Day has always been a part of my life.  I couldn't tell you exactly when or how they entered my life, but outside of a few close friends and family, their music has been the most consistent thing that exists in my life.  They are the one band I always turn to when I need something.  Their music has gotten me through good times and bad. It pushed me to achieve goals. It helped me win races. It pumped me up before big games.  It gave me the escape I needed when things went wrong and at an early age I learned to use their music as my outlet when I had no other way to express myself.

It has been 14 years since my love for Green Day first started.  I remember waking up every morning at 4am for a morning figure skating lesson before going off to school.  I wasn't the only person doing this of course, but I was one of the youngest.  At 10 I dreamed of nothing more than one day wanting to be an Olympic figure skater.  I had my heart and dreams set on the 2006 and 2010 winter games.  The only problem at the time what the fact that my coaches weren't happy with the fact that I was not like all the other girls out on the ice.  I wasn't willing to just follow their every word, and I most certainly was not all about those figure skating dresses that everyone else on the ice was wearing.  I was the "rebel" wearing shorts and a tank top and listen to Green Day in secret on my walk-man as I warmed up.  But that was just the start to my problems.  Two years later I was working on landing a double axle.  Again my coaches and I weren't seeing eye to eye over my practice habits so I figured what better way to start off the morning than with a little Green Day.  So like clock work, at 4:30am you would always find me standing at the juke box with a dollar in hand and punching in the code to play Longview.  Probably not the ideal song to start the morning off with but man did it get me ready, and just as an added bonus... it totally pissed off my coaches.  Well, it was with the Dookie album playing in the background when I finally stuck a clean landing.  I had never been more excited than at that very moment.    But many things have changed since then.  I no longer figure skate and I haven't gone out of my way to purposely piss someone off in quite a while, but the sounds of Green Day have never left me.

By the time I started college I had a complete collection of Green Day CDs, posters that plastered every wall, my cd player in my car had a mix cd of their music that I could switch to whenever I was out on the road, and I was getting ready for my first concert.  It took 3 hours to drive to New Hampshire for their show, and at the end of the night I was shaking I was so excited.  Less than six months later I had bought tickets to another show but for a different venue, and this time I was general admission and determinded to get as close to the stage as possible. 

For the entire show I was plastered against the barricade that lined the front of the stage.  I was knocked around, stepped on, elbowed in the face, and drinched by the end of the show.  And again, I loved every minute it.  Hearing Billie Joe, Mike and Tre perform live was like nothing I had ever experienced and I could not get enough of it, and to top it off they are hands down #1 performers.  They give you an amazing experience and great music every single time.  All I can say is that I wish money was not so tight otherwise I would be on the road following their tours from city to city.  But what can I say, I grew up listening and loving their music. 

I've been lucky enough to work in a place that allows me the opportunity to see them perform every once in a while.  Working the VMAs last summer I stood around like a little kid in a candy shop, jumping up and down, as I got to sit in and listen to their rehearsal session.  But it wasn't just a rehearsal, it turned into a mini-concert.  These amazing musicians truly love what they do and it shows every time they step up on stage.  I have found, through my own experiences and by watching others, that on a large scale that is quite rare.  To be able to give as much as they do when they are in the spotlight is a completely different experience and it shows.  But now, with American Idiot opening on Broadway they are taking the game to the next level.

American Idiot is a punk rock musical that is just as high energy and fun as an actual Green Day concert.  The performers that make up the cast give you so much of themselves that it is obvious that they are enjoying what they are doing as actors and musicians, as Green Day does for their fans.  It is odd to think that they cast is primarily made up of 20-somethings that are my age, and have grown up with their music, just like I have.  But it was clear in tonight's performance when one of the actors ran up to the mic at the end of the show and yelled "Oh my god I we get to perform with Green Day."  It was an amazing surprise to see the band come out at the end of the show, and give us their own encore.  The mini-show, on top of the already rockin' musical made the night one to remember.  And I, thanks to some amazing co-workers, sat in the 2nd row with less than an arms length distance between Billie Joe and myself.  The show ended with a bang, and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

If you are in the NYC area, or have the ability to come out, I would recommend checking out this show.  The cast is a group of amazing performer who add to the overall appeal of the story being told through one of the greatest rock bands around today.  The play is amazing and I guarantee that you will be rockin' out in your seat throughout the entire  play.  It is a one act play that will have you singing in the streets and wanting to go back for more. 


For me, the journey continues.  I will be hitting the road soon on a journey cross country.  My plans before I leave NYC is to get a copy of the soundtrack so I will continue to have Green Day by my side when I need them most.  The Broadway musical is just another thing to add to the reasons why I love Green Day.  It has given me yet another visual story to the music that already fills my life.  

Longview -- Music Video

NYC Teen Author Festival - Genre and Adolescence panel

About 2 weeks ago I picked up a book I had been dying to read, and ended up getting so wrapped up in the story that I actually finished it in one sitting.  For as long as I can remember I've struggled with reading, but there are certain genres and story lines that have caught my attention in a way that has kept me reading a book at least every once in a while.  The first book I actually got wrapped up in was L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries back in '91 and then Christopher Pike's The Last Vampire series, which kept me entertained while my dad and I drove cross country during a move from the west to the east in '98.  After that I only read when I had to.  Harry Potter was the next series to get me to read on a pretty regular basis, but I didn't get involved until after the first trailer aired on television.  Truth is, I HATED the first book.  It was sooooo slow, but once I got to Chamber of Secrets I could not put the books down.  But they still did not hold my interest long enough to keep me reading day after day.  It wasn't just the length of the books, but there was still something missing and I could not seem to finish any of the books in under a month. 

Once starting college I moved on from the YA fantasy to a more risque version of the same sort of stories.  Laurell K. Hamilton became my drug of choice with her Anita Blake series.  However I still found myself spending more time in the YA section at Barnes and Noble every weekend, looking for something to read.  Then came the Twilight series.  Yes I will confess I ate that up as well.  But it still took me at least a week to find the time to read.  That was of course until I finally broke down and gave into my desire to pick up a book whose cover had caught my attention time and time again.  I broke my budget plan for that week and purchased the one YA book I always found my hands reaching for when I'd spend my afternoons wondering around various Barnes and Nobles from NYC to Boston.  Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver was the first book that I could not put down, forfeited my favorite television shows for the night (of course putting my DVR to use so that I would be able to catch up as soon as I finished the book) and read straight through the night, only finishing in time to allow for 2 hours of sleep before having to go into work. 

Once I finished the book, I learned about an event that was taking place in the city and was very excited to find out that Maggie Stiefvater would be one of the authors participating in one of the panels for the NYC Teen Author Festival.  I found it to be a completely different experience being able to attend a reading by an author, and as I have been working on trying to complete my own YA novel it inspired me to strive that much higher with my own story.  In a way it was much like some experiences I've had while listening to directors talking about their methods and filmmaking.  Hearing their story, in their voice, the way they meant for it to be told is like a whole new way of experiencing a story you already had a connection with and adds to your respect for the story teller and excitement for the story. 

As an avid YA reader, avid genre reader, and aspiring filmmaker and writer I am grateful to directors and authors who take the time to participate in panel discussions and events like the film and book festivals.  It is their shared knowledge and experience that keeps me going.  Knowing that no matter what struggles there are along the path, or the dues one pays to get to that point, it is hearing the stories of those that have succeeded that inspire me.  So I guess that I should not only thank the authors who took the time to share with us, but also NYPL for putting together such an amazing event.  It is because of the Genre and Adolescence panel that I now have a full list of books that I am dying to find some way to pickup and read.  Now just to find a way to add in book expenses into my budget.  

Well, if you are in the NYC area, there are still 2 days of events remaining for the NYC Teen Author Festival, including an amazing book signing event for Sunday, March 21.  If you are interested in hearing the selection Maggie Stiefvater read from Shiver check out the video below, and if you are looking for something to read I would highly recommend checking it out before July as Linger, the followup to Shiver, will be hitting shelves this summer.

Happy reading and happy writings!

Maggie Stiefvater reading from Shiver at NYC Teen Author Festival

NYC Teen Author Festival -- A Writer's Thoughts

Last night kicked off the NYC Teen Author Festival, and although I've never been to an event quite like it with regards to writing, I was completely blown away.  I was so inspired by everything that was shared that I actually went home and started writing out some new ideas that had come to be during the subway ride back home.  The panel of authors included Gayle Forman, Daphne Grab, Carolyn Mackler, Sarah Mlynowski , Blake Nelson, Marie Rutkoski, Eliot Schrefer, Natalie Standiford and David Levithan.  Hearing about their writing process, and listening to pages from first drafts to finished products was a learning experience.  I sort of felt out of my element as I listened to them speak, and yet there was something familiar about it that reminded me of the many film panels I have sat in on.  For me it's comforting to hear about struggles from those that are established in the industry, and yet some of their answers and advice troubled me.

By the time the panel opened to general Q&A I was interested to see what type of questions would be asked and the answers the panel would give.  When a young girl asked about what their methods were to dealing with writers block I was actually taken back a little.  It was interesting hearing that every one of the authors said that it was total BS.  That writers block was just something made up, it was nothing more than an excuse.  It actually threw me.  Granted I had made several excuses of my own for about 6 months while writing my book, I was just not feeling it, had no inspiration or drive to finish.  I had written the first half of the book in about 6 months and then just froze.  I couldn't push myself to get up over that initial hump that had formed dead smack in the center of my story.  I wish I had heard that months ago.  It is the simplest of thoughts, that as a first time writer I just never considered.  It was something I did not want to recognize. I was doing nothing to help myself by making those excuses.

It has now been almost two years since I first started writing, and I am currently working on a second revision, but it took a friend to suggest I enter the NaNoWriMo contest to get me to this point.  I used that challenge to complete the last half of my story.  I knew where I needed to go, and what I wanted to do with the story, but I had no idea how to get it to that point.  Knowing that I had 30 days to write 50,000 words forced me to just sit down and get it out.  In the end I ended up trashing 2 chapters in their entirety as they ended up being completely useless, but setting that deadline for myself, and not letting writers block or mental shutdowns get the better of me was by far one of the most difficult challenges.

It is with the utmost respect that I now say, I totally agree.  Of course I feel like I will later regret agreeing, but for now I can't help thinking of all the time I wasted.  Granted the book would probably have turned out to be a totally different beast from what it is in its current state, but from everything that was shared last night I feel that is the most significant thing I heard.  Everyone will have a different writing style that works best for them, but as long as you remind yourself that there really is no such thing as writers block, you will get through the sticky areas.  So with that thought, I leave to consider my own options and get back to completing my revision.

Happy writings!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Book Trailer

I never thought of books having trailers for advertising purposes, and the first time I saw an advertisement for one was while riding the NYC subway.  Even on long drives I found it odd sitting and listening to an advertisement on the radio for some upcoming James Patterson novel.  For my passion with film I'm used to the excitement one gets over the concept of seeing a trailer for the first time of a film you're anticipating seeing, but the idea of doing the same for a book just felt out of place.  That was until I received a link to the following clip.



I have not read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by author Seth Grahame-Smith, and was unaware of the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter book until an email from GeekChicDaily hit my mailbox.  But this how well this video was done I can not help but feel overwhelmingly excited to check it out.  I know that 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' is currently in development for being adapted into a film, and am curious to see how that turns out.  Maybe both books will be added to my "To Read" list.

Reading

Lately I have been doing a lot of scattered reading, attempting to get through a pile of books that just continues to grow with each passing day.  I'm currently in the middle of reading about 4 difference books and just trying to keep my head about water.

Reading List

1. Shiver
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray
3. Nanny Diaries
4. Anita Blake series - Skin Trade/Flirt
5. The Historian

Recently Completed Read:

1. Angels' Blood
2. Archangel's Kiss
3. Antia Blake series - Blood Noir
4. On Writing Horror

Waiting List:

1. Dear John
2. Time Traveler's Wife
3. Dhampir
4. The Darkangel
5. Vampire Kisses series
6. Blood Secret
7. The Den of Shadows Quartet
8. Christ the Lord series (Anne Rice)
9. Linger (release date July 2010)

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like I will be catching up any time soon because each time I visit a bookstore, or go home I always seem to find another book I want to read or I have a friend recommend a book that I should take a look at.   Thankfully I have not had to pay for a lot of the books that I have accumulated as I have been using an awesome site that my mom recommended I check out.  www.paperbookswap.com   I have been swapping books for credits and really racking up a pile of books waiting to be read. 

I know I probably seem to be stuck in a rut of genre reading and YA lit but so far they have been the only thing that can hold my attention.  From the very beginning I hated reading unless it was some sort of fantasy or vampire/monster related thing.  'The BFG' probably being my favorite of the non-vampire stories, and if you were to look at any of my bookshelves you would see that I a very much a kid at heart still dreaming and flying off to magical places.  My shelves are cluttered with books that I will never part with.  My first edition HP and 'Twilight' books, the full collection of 'Princess Diaries', 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants', a wide variety of R.L. Stein books, and of course my favorite series that started my vampire/monster obsessed reading style ranging from L.J. Smith's 'Vampire Diaries' series, Christopher Pike's 'The Last Vampire' series, and L.J. Smith's 'The Forbidden Game'.  Scattered somewhere in the middle of all of those books are the racy Laurell K. Hamilton vampire hunter series with Anita Blake, Tanya Huff's Blood series, and a whole pile of books collected that I'm still trying to find the time to read.   Some people say I have a "problem" or that I need to grow up.  But you now what, no matter how many times I'm told that I need to venture out and try new things, and no matter how many times I try, I always come back to my safe haven with wooden stakes, coffins and fangs.  For me, the world of fantasy and monster is my haven.  After a bad day at work I either throw on a movie that will scare me into forgetting the events of the day, or dive right back into a hunters chase after some killer monster.  It don't work for everyone, just like other genres have not seemed to work for me so far.  But the world of fantasy, YA lit and monsters that I can picture turning into only the greatest movie monsters is where I like to live and where I feel most at home.  Even while wrapped up in the paranormal romance books which seems to be the "IT" thing right now, and coming back swinging hard, I cannot seem to turn my eyes away from the "monsters".  Be it hunters, vampires and were-creatures of whatever variety or hunters, angels and vampires, or just straight up weres.  That is where I seek refuge.

So for now, I am working on the last 50 pages of Maggie Stiefvater's 'Shiver', which I started all of yesterday and have not been able to stop turning pages.  And to pass the time during the waiting game for follow-up books in the series, and in so many of the other series I'm working on, I will continue to work my way down the list of books yet to read.

Starting Point

My life has been quite the roller coaster so far.  I have decided to use this blog to record ideas and thoughts.  A place to comment on things I've been reading and working on.  A place to record my struggles and journey towards completing a novel that I began working on about 2 years ago.  And a place to record events and activities I have planned for 2010.  This will be a place where I can keep in touch with friends and family along the unexpected journey of life.


Current Plans for 2010:
March -- complete 2nd revision of noveldraft
               NYC Teen Author Festival (15-21)  Link to Event Information
May -- prep for June and July
June -- MAs in LA
July -- road trip cross country
           San Diego Comic Con!
August -- try the LA scene with work
September -- VMAs... maybe