Thursday with the Anti-Bucket List

Skip this part if you don't want to read my lame apology
Sorry for the radio silence... again. This semester has been crazy both in school and my personal life.  That's besides the point. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving for our American people. If you live elsewhere, I hope you had a wonderful Thursday (without the Turkey bloating us Americans are dealing with).

Start here for the lame intro 
One of the neat character brainstorming things I've seen lately are character Bucket Lists: the things your character wants to do before they die. I have my own bucket list with little things (publishing is on that list).

I've never written a bucket list for my characters because my characters aren't the type to make bucket lists. Most of my characters face things when they come or do things now (instead of hoping they happen).

Now the awesome, fun part
Let's to the opposite of a bucket list. I want to write a list of things my characters hope never to do in their life... then make those things happen in their story. This is especially useful if you have trouble putting your characters tough stuff.

There are obvious things not to include in this list unless the fit your premise. For example, even though I would never want to die of the black plague, it is kinda unlikely since I don't live in the Middle Ages (wasn't there a House episode where a kid caught the Black Plague?). I am a slightly paranoid health freak, so I hope to never get a nasty disease, cancer or anything that would put my in the hospital.

I'm kinda glad I don't have an evil writer writing my life or else I might be in the hospital right slowly dying before writing my literary masterpiece that resides somewhere in my mind.

I hope this exercise is helpful :)

Wednesday on How to Choose College in Five Steps

I've decided to make another helpful list for you today. I just visited Villanova University last weekend and I was thinking about what I'm going to consider when looking at colleges. It might seem like a daunting process, but it's really pretty easy to narrow it down. Here is a handy survey to help you decide if the college you're considering is the right one.

1. Does your college look like Hogwarts? Yes/No.

For an example of an appropriate amount  Hogwarts-ness, see University of Chicago (above) or Kenyon College.

2. Does the college have cute sweatshirts and/or do their colors look good on you? Yes/No.

Exhibit A: William & Mary sweatshirt in green and gold.

 

3.  Does the college have a good library? Yes/No. And let's be clear-- it has to look like a library and have pretty windows and stuff too. And a coffee shop downstairs wouldn't hurt.

Cough, cough, Johns Hopkins. Drooling over this picture.

4. Is the college's mascot stupid. Yes/No?

Stupid mascots

any type of insect

gophers

donkey

Scottie dog (sorry, Carnegie Mellon, it's just a little weird)

a Buckeye (why would you base your mascot off a type of nut?)

an orange

a tree (lol, Stanford)

a pilgrim (lol, Harvard)

Good mascots

Phoenix

Gryffin 

Tiger

Eagle

maybe other things that aren't stupid

5.  Are there more than ten course offered that would require you to read books you like and do fun things? Yes/No?

 (in other words, does their course catalogue sound like a christmas list or a homework planner?)

If you answered no to any of the above questions, you may want to reconsider your college options. Or just move to Paris and become a cat lady. That's my back-up plan,

 if anyone would like to join me.

Now that you have college figured out, you can relax. 

You're welcome.

Caroline 

Friday NaNo VLOGS!

Hellllllloooooooo!

I made a vlog tonight! Hopefully I'm not too boring.

NaNo username = thatwritergirl1189

Wednesday Says People Should Buy Writers Nice Things

Writers should get nice things. With the holidays approaching, I decided to compile a list to point hapless relative/friends in the right direction for gift shopping.

1. Anything from Out of Print Clothing. They have shirts, journals, tote bags, journals, and ebook covers featuring the cover designs of classic books (I own the Gatsby sweatshirt, which I wear approximately once a week. It's the warmest thing ever). Check them out here.
2. The Writer's Toolbox, by Jamie Cat Callan. Comes complete with first lines like "It wasn't so much that I had been blind to the truth, but that I had seen the truth differently," and more weird prompts. The Amazon page.
3. Novel Teas. English Breakfast tea bags with quotes from T.S. Eliot, Dr. Suess, and others on the tags. Perfect to consume while reading or writing. Caffeine can be found here.
4. Demeter Fragance's paperback perfume. I don't care if it's silly. Books smell like heaven. http://www.demeterfragrance.com
5. A personal library kit. This way you can lend your books to others complete with card catalogue and due date stamp. Go buy it for me.
6. Journals/notebooks. One of my personal obsessions. Barnes and Noble usually has really nice ones.
7. BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS (obviously).

The internet has more ideas for you here: http://pinterest.com/mental_floss/gift-guide-bibliophiles/

Caroline