"Family Business" || Flash Prompt #1

Last week's post introduced a new Thing I'm trying: a regular writing prompt! Which anyone can join! (hint hint)

So—as promised—this week you get to read what I wrote. 

Which would make me very, very nervous, except I had such fun writing this that I don't even care.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Family Business

Alistair switched his grip on Alice Skye so she leaned, wobbly-headed, over his other shoulder. "Heather, what did I say about going out on your own?"

The teen paused, then pulled off her second boot. "You said not to." She nudged the long white boots into the chunky pile spilling out from under the bench beside the front door. "But Lucas came too."

Aware of the time it took Alice Skye to settle, Alistair took a breath before responding. "Lucas was grounded after the media picked up on the Elmar Street incident."

Liebster Award || just ONE OF THE MANY tags I'm behind on

Okay so hERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF MY PROCRASTINATION LEVELS for you.


In October, Lila Kims at The Cheapskate Bibliomaniac nominated my blog for the 2017 Liebster Award. I accepted and had every intention of writing the post.

Five days later, Mary Katherine from Sarcastic Scribblings nominated my blog for the 2017 Liebster Award. Again, I accepted, and increased the urgency level for writing my post.

Come December, and The Temperamental Writer at All Things Trivial and Insignificant nOMINATED MY BLOG BECAUSE GUESS WHAT I HAVEN'T WRITTEN THE POST YET.

*slaps self*

I'd done a Liebster Award post before, back in July, but there was a bit of confusion about what that actually meant, and it got treated basically like a tag. This time, however, there were lovely clear lists of rules/guidelines in the posts:

........

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog. Try to include a little promotion for the person who nominated you. They will thank you for it and those whom you nominate will also help you out as well. (Or, as MK put it, gush about how wonderful the person who nominated you is.)

2. Display the award on your blog – by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (There are lots of options for pictures if you go here!)

3. Write a 150-300 word rave about your favorite blog that is not your own. Explain why you like the blog, provide links.

4. Nominate 5–11 blogs – who have less than 200 followers – that you feel deserve the award.

5. List these rules in your post.

6. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post. (They might not have ever heard of it!)

7. Post a comment in the comments of the award post so your post and blog can be viewed. (This... was only open until mid-December... oh well ;)

Additionally, some included the rules:

1. Answer the 11 questions that the blogger gives you
2. Give 11 random facts about yourself
3. Give the bloggers you tag 11 questions to answer

...this is going to be a long post. xD

summer fun tag PLUS sunshine blogger tag (the second)

I've been tagged a few times recently not so recently actually because I'm terrible like that, so I'm going to combine two because I'm not sure how much you actually want to read about me??: the Summer Fun Tag, and the Sunshine Blogger Tag [#2]!

Side note: I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, KIND PEOPLE WHO TAGGED ME. You've probably forgotten you ever did such a thing.  

And I know most of you are in autumn and heading for winter, now, but here it's HOT. And it's the first month of spring. So. Summer and sunshine it is!

- The Summer Fun Tag -

This tag was created by Mykaela, and I was tagged by Gray at Writing Is Life (thanks, Gray!)

1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?

Despite being Australian, and knowing several people with very Aussie nicknames, I actually just have a shortened version of my name? and everyone calls me that. I'm actually a bit disappointed that I never got a creative nickname. (Then again, considering the likelihood of it not being flattering, maybe I'm not sorry.)

[Pennites, consider this an invitation xD]

2. What's a weird habit of yours?

Nooo... don't have any weird habits. I'm not weird.

*coughs*

*asks family*

Brother 1: Well, he can't think of any.

Sister 1: Being negative is not a weird habit, Sister 1. It's just... a habit.

Brother 2: Wiggling my ears and "the weird eyeball thing". [I cross my eyes, look left, cross my eyes, look right, repeat. Makes it look like my eyes can point different directions.]

Sister 2: Talking to myself and pulling faces?? That's normal...

Dad: BEING ANNOYING IS NOT A WEIRD HABIT, DAD. THAT'S JUST ME.

Mum: Being negative??? And facetious??? What is this??? Where is familial loyalty when you need it???

3. Do you have any strange phobias?

Not really? I don't particularly like spiders or other creepy-crawlies when they're moving fast and erratically, but that's hardly a phobia. I'm not fond of heights either, but I manage. Nothing I've come across in my [admittedly short] life so far has caused me to completely freeze up out of fear and freak out.

4. What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone?

I am rarely home alone. Or in the car alone. Or alone at all, really. My family tends to travel as a pack. But the last time I was home alone, I blasted as many Owl City songs as I had. (And made myself a mug cake.)

I also love to belt out Stand by Me - it's just a really good song for belting??

5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?

PUNCTUATION MISTAKES ON SIGNS. Like how do people get paid to produce a professional product that is full of mistakes like that?!? How do you even get "your'e"?? (as one, horrific example I saW a rEAL PICTURE OF.)

Also people who are reading the next book in a series when I want it. Or people who are reading my favourite books and don't appreciate them.

6. What's one of your nervous habits?

ideas from Pinterest || theme: EXPLOSIONS

My "ideas from Pinterest" posts have been pretty fun to write. So far there's been:

for couples || for superheroes || tragic dialogue

"Snarky dialogue" is the obvious next step. I'll think about it.

But today - as promised - it's explosions. Coupled with a fair bit of snark.

And in the vein of this theme, let us start with Tony Snark + explosions.

I'm sorry, did I typo and write Tony Snark??
That was obviously an accident

"Technically, it wasn't on fire."
"Of COURSE it wasn't on fire! You completely blew it up!"

"It's only on fire a little bit. You can still use it."

"I said finesse. Do you happen to know the definition of finesse?"

"I'm looking for a place to crash. Mine blew up."

"Do you even know how to drive this thing?"
"Normally I'd lie and say yes, but considering the fact that I almost flew us into that building, I'm going to assume you know the answer."

"Some gifts are better left unopened. I'm particularly referring to the ones that explode."

"The phrase 'Ignore it and it will go away' does not apply to being chased by a dozen cop cars. Trust me on this one."

"I don't go looking for trouble. I just enjoy befriending it."



"...and then I set the fire."
"No."
"But-"
"No fires."
"But my plan is awesome."
[Third character:]"Since when have we accepted pyromaniacs onto this team?"

"Give me one good reason why I should buy you a cart full of fireworks."

"We can't have a crisis! My schedule is already full."

"In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

"So what're you up to?"
"Nothin' dangerous, if that's what you're asking."
"...Our definitions of dangerous must be sliiightly different."

"The results of an explosion are often very curious."

"Small fire! I said to set a small fire! This is not small!"

"Burning a bridge takes too long. I prefer explosives."

For some reason I can NOT find a gif which includes the explosion??
Which is super annoying because I need it for my life.

*****

Okay, so not all of these were specifically about explosions? but you can make them about explosions. And that's all that matters, really.

Do you write about explosions? Do you have suggestions for themes for my next Pinterest ideas posts? Do you write posts at eleven at night? because I don't recommend it 

Talk to me about anything! including the fact that apparently Iron Man's arc reactor is triangular in this suit?? I did not know that.

ideas from Pinterest - for superhero stories!

I didn't mention in my Writer Stag post, but I've recently started writing superhero stories as well as fairy tales and contemporary runaways. ('Superhero' is totally a genre, 'kay??)

So here is the superhero/villain-themed next installment (first post here) of 'ideas from Pinterest'. I have scoured that soul-sucking site for months, gathering the required information/ideas for this semi-series of posts... do not waste my labours.

(does anyone here actually write superhero stories?)

Edit: As Lisa points out in the comments, mixed-gender roommates would be very non-standard. If you want the dating twist - which is not required, it might be nice to have a story without romance - you could have a mixed-gender student share house.

--{well I'm not going to walk there}--
"You can ALL fly and I'm the only one who can't. Can you not argue about who's going to carry me while I'm standing right here??"

--{...insurance rates}--
"You superhero types are constantly driving my insurance rates up with your destruction. I wouldn't complain [much] if you were at least fighting supervillains, but you're usually just fighting each other!"
(definitely the [disguised] superhero's new landlady!)

--{is it possible you had a pre-existing condition?}--
"I volunteered for a super-soldier program and I'm the only one that's shown any abilities in response to the drugs. Now you're trying to tell me I was in the placebo group??"

--{should have picked someone else}--
"You took me hostage for your bank robbery but you should probably have picked aaanyone else. *telekinetically trolls them until they turn themselves in to the police*"

--{terrible at this secret identity thing}--
"Once we caught you climbing in the window of our mutual office?? No, sure, that's a compleeetely plausible reason. If anyone asks, we'll tell them you were here and working hard. With your dorky glasses and crazy broad shoulders and mysterious scrapes and bruises, of course you're just a regular office worker! *coughs*"

--{behind-the-scenes crew, couldn't have done it without you}--
"You're a superhero, which is awesome, but as your best friend that leaves me with a lot of responsibilities. Doing your homework. Forging sick notes from your parents. Fetching bundles of clothes from behind bins in alleys. Carrying a spare costume everywhere. Oh, and the washing. Being your best friend is actually a lot of work?? and I hope you appreciate that."

--{best friends?}--
"No, I don't want a chocolate, I just watched you take them from that girl scout - no, I'm not mad you didn't come to my birthday party, I'm perfectly aware you were in jail, I put you there - yes, I received your gift, and returned it to the museum - that's someone else's coffee, I don't want it and just stOP ACTING LIKE WE'RE BEST BUDDIES OKAY"

--{when your power is public knowledge}--
"I was born with the facial birthmark signifying superpowers and I have to put up with supervillains harrassing me, I shouldn't have to- no, no autographs - you don't approve of superheroes? too bad, lady - I will not demonstrate anything in the shopping centre - all I wanted was eggs would you people leave me alone."

--{maybe would have preferred not to know?}--
"Recently I've gained the ability to tell when someone is lying. You've been my best friend from childhood, but everything you're saying to me - even your name - is a lie. What's up with that??"

--{not the intended outcome}--
"You told me there would be no side effects."

>--{danger levels}--
"I can measure how dangerous people are just by looking at them - regular kid is 1, trained man with an assault rifle would be about 7. You're the new kid at school and you don't look like much but you're a 10??"

--{first time getting shot}--
"Exactly how and when did you find out you're bulletproof?"

--{family dinners}--
"Family dinner night again, and Mum's posted bail (our latest showdown got you arrested, but to be fair, you'd just melted a museum) so we can have - and I quote - 'a civil, sisterly conversation, at the table instead of flying around dressed in spandex'."

Plus a random slightly relevant?? driblet from my recent life:
I was playing chess (circular chess, actually, with three people) and my brother said he should have archers?? So I replaced my bishops with Hawkeye tokens?? Sadly I'm the only one in my family who knows that kind of stuff... so no one said I see what you did there. :( (because there are two Hawkeyes? and the second is Kate Bishop?)



Which of these was your favourite? Do you write superhero stories? Do you want to talk about a completely random thing?? (or maybe circular chess?) (and SOMEONE please tell me you see what I did there ;)

March: wasn't overly exciting

 [Note: WHAT has blogger done to my cute little pictures? They're all squished! And I spent so long on them!]

It's the end of March (almost), and while I've had this blog for less than one month, I've read enough to figure out that end-of-month recaps are apparently the way to go.

Excuse me while I search my brains for momentous happenings this month.

*scratches head*

I may have to resort to some creative lies for colour.

So!

I've been preparing for Camp NaNoWriMo! My WIP has the working title Three Sisters. (I will not keep that title. For some reason it makes me think of A Tale of Two Cities. Which I haven't even read.) You can read a bit more about protective older sister Billie here on Camp, if you like; I'll keep it short here and just say that I started with Beauty and the Beast (whatever it may end up by the time Camp's over). My cabin has been really welcoming - they found me through a comment I'd written on a GoTeenWriters article, too, which I thought was cool. :)

For my blog, I tried to write a few posts to have up my sleeve for April (hasn't worked so well). Because seriously. My official goal is 15k (I know it's low compared to some of you guys' goals... but if I aim much higher I give up once I get a few days behind). I hope to get 20k, though. And obviously I'm not going to have the time or energy or inspiration to write many posts.

 

Not a lot to report. My family's fine. We've had a heap of late (out-of-season) rain, which has been really relieving because summer was pretty dry and I was getting nervous (we use rainwater and I didn't want to go into the dry season with the tanks half empty).

I started a bullet journal - got all my ideas off Pinterest - and so far it's been pretty cool. I also toured a dairy farm, continued working on my tertiary education course (about libraries), and read less than I'd like.

 

I can't find enough good new books to read! (Recommendations welcome. I like twisted fairytales - magic's fine, but nothing too dark - and modern runaway stories - Gordon Korman's On the Run series is one example. But I'll read across genres; just no vampires, gone-too-far romance, things like that.)

Reread some of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, and Jennifer A. Nielsen's Ascendance (False Prince) trilogy. Read the latest [last?] two of Melanie Dickerson's fairytale series, The Golden Braid and The Silent Songbird, because I'm always looking for fairytale retellings; this series is sometimes predictable and historically unlikely (oookay, a little more than sometimes) but can be a cute, fluffy medieval romance read without too much kissing (fine a lot of kissing but nothing further) or fairies (no fairies). I actually would have liked some fairies.

Rewatched Avengers and An Unexpected Journey. Watched The Force Awakens and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Oh, and season 1 of Legends of Tomorrow (rated M for good reasons; I do not approve of all the content. But I adored Captain Canary!) (...too bad the kiss that established my OTP was promptly followed by Snart's death like WHAT.)

Music: I've been listening to Piano Guys, Peter Hollens (Mary Did You Know, Loch Lomond, Amazing Grace with Home Free - this one's awesome), Mission Impossible cover/medley by Piano Guys and Lindsey Stirling, and a Star Wars medley by Peter Hollens and Lindsey Stirling. 

Also (I'm not sure where to put this, but it's on YouTube, so here?) Studio C's comedy channel. My cabinmates recommended it and I binge-watched for about two days straight. Then I ran out of internet data. 

 

[Again with the squishing of my picture like I SPENT LITERAL HOURS DOING THESE. huh.]

Newsies: the Musical. I'd never heard of it before, but this was on several blogs.
Captain America: Civil War was already on my list... I've been putting it off because I DON'T WANT TO SEE MY BABIES FIGHTING OKAY.
Testament of Youth. Don't know much about this one, but I watched a YouTube trailer and it looks... heartbreaking.
Amazing Grace - I want to rewatch it because I don't remember it very well. (Also because I was not familiar with Benedict Cumberbatch or any of his work back then. Which brings me to - )
Sherlock season 4. I've read spoilers. From them I have concluded that Moffat thought we were too happy. Because [ killing Mary and having John blame and utterly hate Sherlock]? That isn't nice. (Although I look forward to seeing baby Watson... baby, uh... you know, I've quite forgotten her name... *wizard voice*)
The Lego Batman Movie. I watched three trailers and cried genuine tears of laughter. It looks like it might be better than The Lego Movie. (Which had... different humour to the kind I enjoy. But my young male cousins loved it.)

For Love and Honor, by Jody Hedlund. Micaiah's review is entirely to blame! :)

(Yes, there are a lot of movies here. and not a lot of books. as I said, recommendations welcome... and if there's a movie you think I should see, mention that as well.)

Volunteering for a local comic-con. It's only in its second year, but I've never been to any kind of comic-con, so it will be a completely new experience for me. (It has steampunk, too, and dollhouse miniaturists, and a viking/medieval history group. And it's free. Pretty good, I reckon - especially if it could get big enough in the next decade to attract some big names. That would be excellent.)

And of course - Camp NaNoWriMo! *stresses and promises to plot next time* *like I promised myself last NaNo* *and the Camp before that* Okay, I don't plot.

That's about it for me! (I even managed to restrain myself from telling those creative lies.) Now I have to go catch up on everyone else's March wrap-up summaries. Instead of working on Three Sisters. Which I should be doing because it's April.

What cool stuff did you do this month? I'd love to hear! (And of course: Have you ever been to a serious comic-con?) And tell me, HOW STRESSED ARE YOU FOR CAMP? and if you're not, TELL ME YOUR SECRETS.

Coming up (way too fast): Camp NaNo! (and what I'm up to with that)

(Sorry Camp NaNo people for using your picture I hope you don't mind!)

 

Camp NaNoWriMo is in - *checks calendar* - less than two weeks!

You've probably heard of Camp. I know a lot of you people in the young-Christian-writer blog circles will have participated before. Katie Grace - a wonderful teen writer and blogger - wrote a post called 5 Reasons to Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo, which you should definitely read if you haven't already. (Again, if you're in those particular blog circles, you've probably already read it!)

But I thought I'd do a bit of an informal post. More of a chat, really. (Or a ramble. That would be more accurate.)

I thought I was set for Camp. I logged on, tried to get through all the mail I never read from last Camp, commented on a cabin-finding forum, and created a project. A superhero story, actually - I was going to branch into a new (for me) subgenre. I was - and still am - so excited about those characters.

They turned out to be the problem.

I have too many. Seven, eight? superpowered teens (no superstrength, I have to add - and only one can fly) and I wanted to get inside the heads of every. single. one. They all have awesome stories I want to tell, insecurities I want to explore, downsides to their powers I want to exploit. (Did I say exploit? I meant... protect them from.) And I couldn't do all that in one coherent story.

Sooo... I have plenty of other stories I've written a page of and not had time to work on further. I guess I'll pick one and officially change my project. But I'd like to make it a not-too-serious story... I want to be able to use the dares forum this year. ;)

Oh, and while the comment on the cabin-finding forum didn't work out, a lovely writer from over at GoTeenWriters invited me to her cabin, so that will be awesome (thanks, Sarah!!). I'm very relieved... I was not doing random cabin assignment again!

How's your Camp preparation going? Smoothly? Or have there been hiccups? What's your project? Have you found a cabin yet? I'd love to hear!