A bit introverted today, are we?

I believe you to be rather smart people. So I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that I'm an introvert. And sometimes I get intense cases of introversion. For instance:

1. When my introversion is so extreme even my dog seems incredibly clingy.

I love my dog. But she follows me everywhere I go in the house. It's kind of cool. But after I've already had my fill of living beings for the day, I just need my space to myself.

And I feel terrible to say that.

2. When your boss finds out it's your birthday and offers to announce it over the loud speaker.

NO! 

Small panic attack over.

Just no. Okay?

3. When people try to talk to me during the times I really need my space.

Some days I get so drained, that even just a "how was your day at school," sets me off. I don't like talking to people when I'm that grumpy. In part, yes, because needing time to myself is why I'm grumpy. But also because I can be just mean at those times, and it's not their fault. They didn't do anything wrong. It's not fair for me to be angry with them, and I don't want to get angry with them.

It's just best to keep your distance at those times. My apologies. 

 

4."Why do you always hide?"

Hide?

5. When my mom comes into my room.

I do like to spend time with mom, truly. But since she is a mom, she tends to attract a crowd (aka: the other five members of my family). So when she's in my room, eventually half the household ends up in my room. It gets very loud and crowded.

6. At work when half my co-workers congregate around my register for no other reason than to make mild conversation with each other.

I feel like I'm suffocating. Not that I don't like them. There's just so many of them all at once! The quantity overwhelms me, I know that sounds pathetic, but it's true. I have to find some lame excuse to go somewhere else. I usually end up cleaning an unused register that has probably already been cleaned at least twice that day.

7. When people ask, "Why are you so quiet?"

Because the world needs quiet people too.

8. When people burst out with, "Don't judge me."

I guess my silence makes them self-conscious? Usually I'm not thinking about how they just used their debit card to pay for an 89 cent transaction. I do notice, but- pfft- that matters little peanuts to me. They can do whatever they want with their debit card.

9. When people think it's weird that I don't want to be complimented or noticed to a very large extent.

I don't mind a small compliment or a thank-you or something like that. But when they want to tell the whole world and then everyone sees me?

My invisibility field has been compromised.

 

10. When I'm with a group of friends, and everyone is interrupting each other each other, but when I try to say something they all just stop and stare.

Seriously, this always happened to me growing up in kids church and youth. Every time I tried to say something they would all just stop and stare at me. It was kind of daunting. And then when I had said what I wanted to, they all just continued onward. They didn't really building on anything I said like they did with each other. It was kind of like what I said didn't even happen although they all had been staring at me. It would've been more comforting if they had ignored me, really.

Vlog: food that doesn't make sense

           Hope you like it. I kind of just goof around and talk about weird things and tell funny stories. 

Have an awesome week!

Review of The False Prince

          Hey, guess what? I did a guest post! Amanda @ Of Spectacles and Books let me do a review of The False Prince. I wasn't able to vlog it (I'll be getting another video up soon though. . . hopefully). But it is an amazing book. I highly recommend it. The main character is my new favorite. You can find the review here.

           

Also I wrote a poem in the below post. If you haven't read it or whatever. . .Yes, I just shamelessly advertised that (okay, I'm a little ashamed).

          Lastly, (I should never say that or else I'll think of something else and then I'll to have rename this "second to lastly" :P), if you have any question, about Oddball. . . the book or the character. Or a question about any of the foursome (being Oddball, Rocky, Skyler, and Peril). Ask! Let me know. I'm planning a couple of Oddball post soon and if you have questions I might be able to provide some answers.

 Unless the answers are spoiler related, in which case answers will then be ambiguously denied. 

 

           Oh, oh yes! (See? I knew I'd think of something else.) What if I do a sort of Summer Writing Camp, you know, when it's summer? I won't have college, so I thought about posting a writing prompt each week and then having a link up. Nothing elaborate. No critiquing. Just something to get creativity flowing. You don't even have to be a "writer," you can just do it for fun if you want. This is a heads up. There's no signing up or anything. (I am way too unorganized for something like that.)

Have a splen-tacular week!

Another Poem

I wrote this ages ago. . . okay it was around 2012. But I've been wanting to share it with you guys and I have nothing to post. (Correction: when I said I have nothing to post, you may relate that to a girl who has nothing to wear though she has a closet full of clothes. . . I have a ton of half finished posts on back file.)

Love



Frivolous mush
Coveted treasure
Too many meanings
For just one word

Fairytale defying
Time and space
Principle turning
Stiff and cold

A myth and lie
Grasping for mist
A desire and longing
Just to feel something

A wish for one day
It will happen
One day, it is real,
Real like a dream

A precious thing
Rarely noticed, ever true
Said in a deed or presence
A sacrifice of self

Chivalrous oddity
Beautiful choice
Too many meanings
For just one word

Letter to a Character

Daron is a minor character in Oddball the Sequel, but he's very imporant in the first third of the book. I was having trouble with him.

So I wrote him a letter. Well, I say letter but. . . I kind of just talked to him. . . in writing.

Dear Daron,

     You are crazy.

     No, seriously.

     I don't know what to do with you. You're not quite like I expected. Which I guess, is good. You're supposed to be unexpected. There ought to be no way to prepare a person for you. 

     They say no tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.

     So no surprise in the writer, than none in the reader. Is that what you're going for?

     I'm not sure what to say except, for some reason I expected for there to be more of you in the book. But I don't think that's possible. 
  
     Maybe the foursome will think that they can enlist your help to get rid of the whatever it is.

     I forget if your hair is part purple or part blue.

     Forgive me.

     I think this calls for a bit of sludge tea. Might I have some? Thank you.

     It'll help me think. Rather, it will distract me from the problems you are giving me; therefore by shoving them into arbitrary thought I will solve them better.

     Stop looking at me like that.

     No, I haven't solved anything yet! How can one accomplish anything properly with you staring at them so!? See, look, I can't even drink my tea.

     Hand me that towel. Thanks.

     You're still staring.
 
     Yes, I wish to be a novelist. And you had better be glad of it or you wouldn't exist. 

     What? Well, yes.

     What do you mean? I'm writing.

*sighs*

     Daron, you are unbearable.

     Fine. I will go write the actual sequel. Yes. Yes, you were right.

     I'm going to write now stop bothering me. Okay, what?

     Really? That's why you're interrupting me? Because. . .

     My favorite colors are blue, green, and black. Okay? Are you happy now?

     Because I'm indecisive! Alright?

     No, I can't spell 'indecisive.' There's this thing called spellcheck. I know you don't know what that is. Now may I please go write?

     Well, thank you for your permission.

     Have a wonderful day, Daron. . .I'm incorrigible! Now see-

     Because I can't spell? Is that all?

     Well, I know people who are rumored worse. Not that I'm going to name anyone.
 
     Uh, huh.

     Yeah, you too, Daron. Thanks for the tea. And the staring contest. Glad you had a good time.

     Just stop smirking and get back to your work so I can get to mine.

     Shut up.

     Okay fine, yes, I do sincerely like you. Oh, well thanks. Do you even know any other writers? Yeah. Yeah.

     Later, Daron.


                                           Your exasperated writer, 

                                                          Ashley G.

Beautiful People: Oddball

I'm linking up with Cait @ Paper Fury for BP! I have had some recent questions about who is Oddball so I thought I'd do him.

Also, if you have more questions about Oddball. Just whatever you want to know, ask them in the comments. I'll compile them into a post and answer them. 

1.  What is their secret desire?

He just wants someone to except him.

And he wants his parents back. But that's impossible and therefore illogical and silly to want.

2. What is the best and brightest moment they experience during the story?

Hm, probably sometime during the sequel, when the whole foursome is getting along together and nothing is going wrong for this one refreshing moment. Everything's just perfect. Just this once.

3. What are the emotional places your characters are afraid to go?

Eh, any kind of emotional place. Is that an answer?

Okay, anything that would remind him of his family.

4. Is there a place they will never go? Why?

Well, he never wants to go back to the Border. Not on his life, he wouldn't. But uh, you know how stories are.

5. If they are permanently leaving town what would they throw out? What would they refuse to part with?

At the beginning he doesn't really have any possessions. But as time goes by the first thing he'd throw out the window would be his shoes. And he'd probably keep his sketchbook and charcoal pencils, I guess. But if he had to go with nothing, he wouldn't protest. Oddball doesn't get attached to or sentimental over material things.

6. What do they want?

To see the stars.

To travel and see all the kingdoms there ever were.

A home. A place to belong.

To have his family back.

7. On the other hand, what do they need?

Friends. So badly. He doesn't think he needs friends. After all, he's gone this long without any, what does he need them for now? He doesn't know it, but he's lonely.

8. If they could change one thing about themselves what would it be?

Just one, hm? Probably the fact that he's a halfbreed and his family is gone.

9. What is the most humiliating thing of their life?

Probably when people catch him showing more affection then he would normally like to let on.

 He tries to act like he doesn't really care about other people. But he does. He cares a lot actually. More than he even knows. He's surprisingly good with kids too. They're kind of attracted to him. I guess they see through his aloof and gloomy mask.


 

10. What things do they turn to when they need a bit of hope?

Hm, I don't really know. In the beginning, he's pretty hopeless. He has no one and nothing with no future really in sight. I could see him playing an instrument and singing sad songs all day. . . if nobody was watching, and if he actually knew how to play an instrument.

So I think he would turn to nature. He likes trees and he loves stars. He would probably wander the woods and stare at the stars. He would refer to his memories or would listen to someone singing.

But he doesn't actually do these things. Because those are things that remind him of the family he doesn't have. So his source of hope is mixed with his feelings of loss. He won't admit it, but he's not yet brave enough to face the sadness of it.

Anymore questions?