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Friday, February 28, 2014

Paying it Forward



The other day I heard a lady say, "I want to repay everyone for what they've done for me." That's nice.

But sometimes we can do more good in the world if we pay forward instead of pay back. Honestly, sometimes the people who help us the most aren't in dire need of repayment. It's a nice gesture to pay them back, but you might do more when you give forward.

If my nephew wanted a toy but he was short three dollars, and so I gave him three dollars--it makes a big difference to my nephew, but to me, three dollars isn't much. My nephew would do more good in the world by paying forward instead of paying me back. So, instead of giving me three dollars, he can give three bucks to the next kid who's short on money.

Instead of always repaying, we should strive to do for others what they cannot do for themselves, just as someone did the same for us.

A few months ago, my mom told me about an elderly man she met who was working at Walmart. In their conversation he explained that he was working to pay for his grandchildren's college education. "Wow, that's really nice of you," my mom said. He replied, "Someone did it for me."

So next time someone does something for you, make a mental note to pass the gesture forward to someone who really needs it.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Steampunk and Darwinists, Clankers and Beasties: A Review of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

I've never read a steampunk novel, and since I'm trying to read outside my usual genres, I knew it was time. What is a steampunk? Steampunks (usually) take place in the past, like WWI era, when the west was wild, Victorian, or the medieval times, but has big crazy machines and technology in it. As this definition puts it "What the past would look like if the future had come sooner." It's like sci-fi mixed with historical fiction.

For the last five years, I've heard how steampunk is going to be "the next big genre." But I don't think it's made it yet. When I asked for steampunk reading suggestions, no one could give me any they read personally, though Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan was mentioned several times because people knew his Uglies series. So I chose to read it because it's the only novel title I heard. Plus, Scott has to be a decent writer with the popularity of Uglies, right? (That series is still on my to-read list).

Fiction for Readers

It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. 

 Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.


This book trailer explains the story excellently:


Friday, February 14, 2014

7 Magical Harry Potter Pick-up Lines

Happy Valentines Day! In case you still don't have a Valentines yet, here are 7 Magical pick-up lines from Harry Potter, just for fun.




  1. If you were a Dementor, I'd become a criminal just to get your kiss.
  2. You must be my horcrux, because you complete me.
  3. Cho Chang? More like Cha-Ching! Cause I just hit the jackpot.
  4. I don't need the mirror of Erised to know that you're everything I desire
  5. I'm just like Oliver Wood, baby. I'm a keeper.
  6. Are you a golden snitch? Because I've been seeking for something like you my whole life.
  7. If I were going to produce a patronus, you'd be my happy thought.


And in case they don't work, here are some funny pictures to cheer you up.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Tips for Young, Aspiring Authors

Since joining tumblr, I've had several questions from aspiring authors sent in to me. If you ever want to ask me a question, send me a tweet, Facebook message, or email. While I might not get it answered soon, I'll put it on the list. So, here is the first question answered here on my blog.

just-alittlebit-insane asked, "Hey do you have any tips for a young aspiring author???"



There are so many tips and information to learn, it's hard to fit them all into a post. So, I'll put down the basics--some of the very most important tips.

1. Dedication and Drive
It's not uncommon for aspiring authors to lack support from their loved ones. Unless you are already posting fiction online, you probably don't have any fans yet. You're favorite author isn't standing over your shoulder giving you pointers and cheering you on. For some writers, the only person they have on their sides are themselves. (That's not anyone reading this, because I'll be on your side.) But my point is, whether no one is encouraging you, or your whole family is, ultimately, YOU have to be a self-motivator and a self-starter. YOU have to be your boss and be self-disciplined. You have to put in the writing. You have to do the learning. And you have to want it.

Monday, February 3, 2014

First, Let's Tackle Animation Stigmas!

Recently I rewatched Dragon Ball Z and learned a ton of killer plotting techniques to take a story over 9000! And I'm excited to share a lot of them here in a series of posts.

First, let's overcome the stigma that might crop up with this subject.

Stigma: "Dragon Ball Z is a dumb kid's cartoon. I can't believe you watched that and are blogging about it."

Let's not forget that many of the most popular current films all started out as comic books and cartoons: Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Avengers. The Avengers is one of the top grossing movies of all time. The fact that a story is animated, doesn't effect the quality of the story itself.

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But if you like the comics and animated shows you're a "geek" or "nerd." But everyone is expected to have seen and liked the movie. (People always freaked out when I said I hadn't seen the movie. Probably a lot of the same people who would make fun of those who read the comics ironically.)