One Lovely Blog Award: a tag writ by Oddball

 

Hi everyone. I'm Oddball. If you don't know who I am, then. . . you probably haven't been around here very long. 

I'm the main character of Ashley's book trilogy, though she always insists that it's my book. I argue; she's writing it, not me. 

So Ashley was supposed to do this tag that Emily @ Emily Etc. nominated her for (by of way, Emily, she "thanks you muchly," yeah, I know, muchly isn't a word). All she had to do was list seven facts about herself. But you see, I came along (and saved you all). Here's what happened:

me: "Really?! Those are the worst seven facts about you."

Ashley: "Shush! Nobody asked you."

me: *points* "I don't know what that means, but it's not even about you."

Ashley: "But it IS a fact."

me: "Doesn't it have to meet all the rule's criteria?"

Ashley: "I've been working on this for a month, okay? Think you could do better?"

me: *laughs* "I could come up with some pretty good facts about you."

Ashley: "Oh really? Then here's the deal. You write these seven facts about me. And later I'll do seven about you."

Ashley's been watching too much Once Upon a Time. Rumpelstiltskin and his deal making is going to her head. Yet, it's not good form that I've been watching it with her because, obviously, I took the deal. She's always talking about me on her blog, so what do I have to loose really? And how often do I get to spill my author's guts on her blog? I'm sure all the favor lies on my side of the deal.  

(And don't tell her I made a Hook reference. She'd never let me live it down.)

1. Ashley doesn't know her right from her left. Or as she would say, "It's not on immediate recall." Translation: she takes five minutes to think about it. I think Rocky rubbed off on her; they're both directionally challenged. 

2. She hates it when people try to test her simply for the purpose of seeing how she'll react. So she doesn't. React, that is.

I think a lot of people are convinced she's a stick in the mud. 

3. She's very lost around people. The wandering-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-Border kind of lost. Sometimes when she talks, her words don't come out in the right order. You see, she can make words into little black squiggles just fine, but can she make words into sounds?

Uh, no. Not so much.

4. Oh, and don't let her fool you with the stick in the mud act. She's weird. Trust me.

Not sure if that's any better though. . .

5. I think she's afraid people won't like her. Especially right off (because for Ashley to like someone, they usually have to "grow" on her). So if/when someone wants to befriend her from the start she suspects they're only pretending because they might have ulterior motives. 

What those would be, I have no idea. It's not like she has a lynch mob chasing after her.

6. Sometimes she takes weekends off to visit her friends. But she leaves me here to deal with Rocky, Peril, and the chaos in their wake. I find that inconsiderate. Maybe I want to take a weekend away. Did anybody think about that? 

7. Lastly, Ashley never leaves enough chocolate chip cookies out for her characters. Be warned, future characters. You may experience chocolate chip cookie deprivation. (That is a thing. I promise. I've suffered it most of my life.)

So I hope you all found this, uh, insightful? What was the purpose of this post again? I'm not sure I understand the concept of tagging. Whatever. I probably won't be around much again, as I'm not a writer (that's Ashley's thing). I prefer drawing.

Oh, and Ashley says that Thursday she has something "of grand and great greatness" planned for you. 

"Great greatness"? Does she always talk to you guys like that? Aw, well. She was speaking when she said it, instead of writing. That could be the problem.

Beautiful People: Peril

I have so many posts on back file! I don't know what to do with them all. But I missed the deadline for the last BP so I decided I'd better do this one now before it's too late. . . 

Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In host the Beautiful People link up. You get to talk about your characters and explore who they are so you should totally join! It is the epitome of awesome. ;)

A couple people requested Peril. So here's for you. Just to let you know, you'll be talking to/ reading the calm, logical, and honest Peril. Not her mask. That doesn't happen often.

1. They're in a crisis: who would they really like to see right now?

Em, I don't know. Nobody really. If I'm in trouble, seeing anyone I love would only mean they're in trouble with me.

I bring enough trouble into the world without having to wish for it.

2. Are they easy to get along with?

*laughs* I'm not sure. But most likely, no.

3. Who is the last person they had a deep conversation with?

I try not to get deep with people. It's not safe letting them that close to me.

But more than likely it was Oddball. Or Skyler.

4. They're in the middle of a huge crowd of people: how do they feel?

Invisible. Safe. Absolute bliss.

5. Do they believe in luck or miracles?

Oh, this question. *rolls eyes* My parents never got to "officially" name me although a few people dubbed me Lucky Peril. . .

So let's just say I don't believe in luck.

But miracles are quite plausible.

6. Do they like or get along with their neighbors?

Define "neighbors."

My countrymen have a price on my head. I'm not sure if that counts though. My only offense is being born, an event that wasn't my fault exactly.

7.  If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?

Anywhere. Nowhere. I don't care anymore. I just know where I would not go.

8. How do they feel about their body?

I've not given it much thought. Well. . .

Except I do have two different color eyes. Which is kind of weird. Not too keen on that.

9. What is the cruelest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

Probably something along the lines of:

"You always cause trouble."

I kind of just took it. It hurt because it's true.

10. What's the kindest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

I think that was:

"It's me, Peril. We're friends."

To whomever I probably blinked at, to be sure I was awake and not dreaming.

Vlog: book review Blood Red Road by Moira Young

It's another review! I really, really hope you read this book if you haven't because it is so fantabulous! During the video, the sun came up and tired to obliterate my face. . .Also, our army of cats surrounded me. 

I decided to use some of that blank space on the sidebars. So let me know if the extra text was a distracting nuisance.

I feel really bad because just as I was uploading the video I realized I spelled the author's name wrong. D:  It's Moira. Truly. Sorry.

There were too many dystopian desert photo options at my disposal.

So this one's irrelevant to the book. But I thought it was cool anyways.

What do you think about stand alones vs. series? Which do you prefer and why? Also, have you read Blood Red Road? 

Snazzy Snippets: let me throw confusing scenes at you

So Alyssa @ The Devil Orders Takeout and Emily @ Loony Literate are hosting this link-up called Snazzy Snippets where you share your writing. It's a lot of fun! (And you should totally do it.)

I decided to submit something for all the categories this time. Also, I'm not going to edit, because, well, I have a class soon. So hang on to your hats! (You are wearing a hat, right?)

1. a snippet with food

A flatbread of some sort and an opaque fish sat on Oddball’s wood plate.

The children chatted in dizzy circles and munched away at the. . .the colorless fish. The Arg laughed and talked with the children about their day, alternating from the Common Language to Vorban. They grabbed Rocky and him into the conversation when possible, but ‘the guests’ weren’t quite as hungry as had been expected.

Rocky gave Oddball a disgusted look. “What is this? Gelatin molded into a fish?”

“don’t be like that,” Oddball whispered back. “It’s their culture.”

“Some culture.” Rocky poked at it with a fork.

“They live in caverns. What kind of food do you expect them to eat? Besides, you haven’t even tried it yet.”

“Neither have you.”

Not much arguing with that.

He’d eaten plenty of worms in the Border. Certainly, this wasn’t any different. Except that worms didn’t have eyes staring back at you. Yeah. That, that wasn’t a problem.

No more stalling. Besides nothing could be worse than swamp spinach. A shiver went down his spine at the thought. If that wsn’t motivation enough, then nothing was.

Oddball cut off a biet and downed it. Not too bad really. Not as crunchy as a worm. Surprisingly more slimy too.

Rocky stared at him. The question in his eyes. Was it any good?

Oddball shrugged, finished it off, and forked another one from the large plate of them sitting in the middle of the floor. Still no tables or chairs.

He pretended to listen to the conversation, but kept an eye on Rocky. The guy took a bite and shivered.

“It’s slimy,” he whined to Oddball.

“Makes it go down better.”

“You’re not helping.”

2. a snippet your proud of

*skims through Word docs*

Nope.

Not that one.

Definitely NOT that one.

Okay, here's one I probably shouldn't love so much. But I can't help it okay. It's not that great as poetry goes and it's a little confusing. . .

The Story of the Shrels

nightmares stop
in children’s sleep
under the metal watchmen’s keep

but dare he stop
his metalwork
and lay his hammer down to shirk

the air so still
calm and clearer
is only then when they draw nearer

from beyond the
waters green
is only then you hear their scream

for the Shrel
its hunt is best
in the silence of its prey’s rest

it waits intently
for the quiet
so in their nightmares it may slip

awake again
they never will
but only to the living chill

of the bloodless
empty shells
whose life has left with the Shrels

lonely, longing
and wandering
mad from too much pondering

Of the Shrels
so dark and shrieking
little children do not go seeking,

keep far from
thine enemies,
seek not monsters such as these

3. your first 500 words

You can find the first scene in Oddball here!

Otherwise, let me throw some weird idea at you. I've not read over this and since I haven't officially started writing the weird idea, this is subject to change (a billion times over). And again it's confusing. . .

Dear readers,
           The past is never something to get caught up in. Its dark memories whisper to you of secrets.
Secrets you long forgot. Secrets you meant to forget. Secrets you should perhaps remember once more. But giving in is dangerous. The past will suck you under and keep you there if you are not careful. At least for me.
           You see. . . What is that infernal noise?! It scrapes and drags outside the door every few minutes.
           I’m sorry. I’ve been distracted lately. Usually I can keep it together. But, I don’t know. Things have been more on edge. I can’t seem to straighten things out. It’s too busy in my head for that. Now I know how Keth feels-
           “There’s so many voices,” he’s saying. “They normally go mad.”
           I’m sighing. Is there such a thing as normal?
           His soft brown eyes are staring into me. “But I won’t give in, Rayne. I promise”-
           No. Stop it. My thoughts are hard to control right now, I apologize. You have always been my friend. I don’t trust many people. Practically nobody. Which is exactly why I trust you, dear people of the past. You have no one to tell. There is no way you could know. And if somehow, by some weird chance this did come into your hands, well, who would believe you? You probably would not even believe me. Take it as a work of fiction. Yes, please do. I only wish it is.

Have you done the Snazzy Snippets?