brevity is the soul of wit

" brevity is the soul of wit"

So I posted my first draft of "ambrosia" to facebook to get comments back from my friends about what they think, questions, problems etc.

I got really good feedback from them like a rushed climax, more motivation needed for Andrea to take the vial and Clair to show it to her. I agree with everything.

My biggest problem is the one thing I can't change: the stupid 500 word limit!!!!

I know if I had more words, I could totally flesh out the characters and give more background to Clair and her whole becoming immortal thing, but I can't.

It's very frustrating because when the idea first hit me, it was a whole rush of thoughts and emotion that I couldn't write it down fast enough and when I did, the words were so perfect I didn't want to touch them.Now I have to clip out words, change ideas, delete characters and personality traits... all little things that when I step back and read the new draft, I feel like it's not the same story anymore. "ambrosia" just seems... blah.

I was so hopeful and excited that this was going to be the year I had a real chance at winning the Seventeen fiction contest and now that just went down the drain... with all the rain we've been having in Chandler.

I think the idea is just too much for a short short story and I'm afraid to risk it with this one. But that means I have to go back and come up with a whole nother story idea? ahhhhhhhh

This is the part I hate about writing. Feeling like you wasted your time with a story that used to mean so much to you at one point and wondering if it's best to move on or stick with it.So should I should keep going or not? This is draft 2 after adjusting to everyone's comments. It's right now 499 words.... yeah, I'm pushing it, badly.

The sky was a hushed tone of purple and we owned it. The two of us, licking the frosting off our chocolate cupcakes, hair sprawled across the lawn. Me, the quiet bookworm and Clair, the lone beauty, who strangely plucked me like a wildflower to be her companion. I never understood why. So that night, I asked her.
"What's your secret?"
Her eyes glowed for a moment, like they only did for Clair.
" My secret for what? My beautiful garden?"
She waved her hands towards the shriveled flowers and laughed. " No, I mean the secret to you. You could do whatever you want, be someone, but instead you hang out with me like you have nothing better to do. I feel like you’re hiding; you’re alone."
Clair tossed her amber hair over her shoulder. "What do you want, Andrea?” I winced. "I just want to know why this house is always empty."
" This house has been empty for fifty years and always will be," she whispered. "I like it that way."
The cupcake in my mouth suddenly tasted like dirt.
“What?”
Clair looked as if there was something clenching her insides, her eyes shrunk.
“God, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said.
She pulled out a slender gold vial.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“ My real secret,” she muttered.
“I remember paying all of five pennies for it from an old peddler. ‘Jus’ one drop an’ you’ll live forever, lass.’ I was sixteen, March 1892.”
“This is a story, right?”
Clair laughed bitterly.
“Oh, stop being so dramatic. When I tell you the truth, you can feel it in your bones.”
I believed her. I always had.
“I didn’t know what forever meant, not even after my parents died from pneumonia. There’s no start or end. It’s really a feeling. A horrible feeling…But you can change that. Drink this and we’ll be best friends forever, I promise.”
I looked away sheepishly.
“Forget about college,” Clair said, frowning. “It’s worthless. I can tell you everything you need to know. I’ve lived it. The world just gets older and stupider.”
“What about my family?”
“I’m your family,” she said,
She looked desperate and determined all at once. I was looking at a stranger.
“I’ve never shared this with anyone; you’re the only one I’ve ever trusted.”
“I-I need to think about this, okay? Alone?”
She pushed the glass into my palm and walked away.
Poor Clair. After hundreds of years, who was I to deny her happiness? She had chosen me after all. If I could only have an ounce of what she had, I could be just as wonderful…
I twisted open the cork. The water like electric rushed to be poured into my veins. I closed my eyes. Let it drop .The liquid flushed down the petals and stems into the soil, giving Clair the beautiful everlasting garden—and friend—she needed. The one I was only sorry I could never be.

an inspiring picture and quote

pic copyright- notes of a life

To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. ~Truman Capote

here's a beautiful picture with a great quote to match. this pretty much suffices what i'm feeling right now and why i can't wait to finish my stupid hw so i can get back to writing. it's weird when you have this creative urge to write something down. it's even weirder when you hear voices of characters from completly different stories talking and i can't figure out which one to write down first and which one to listen to.

well right now, i can only afford to listen to hw.

i can't wait until thanksgiving.

pumpkin pie+sleeping in+writing time+seeing my Hieyam= awesome holiday.

pat brown interview

I almost forgot!
i promised to put the Pat Brown interview up. here it is:

Were you always into music when you were growing up?

Well, I’ve been playing the piano since 6th grade. My mom’s a piano teacher, so music has been in my skull since I was born. And then from church camp, I saw the counselors playing guitar and got interested. My parents bought me one and then in junior high, I started to meet other people who played guitar or bands. We started off by doing Blink 182 covers and all that, but as I got older, I began discovering serious people. I started the band through people I met in other bands who had the same aspirations as me.

How’d you get your break into the business?

Our 1st show ever, we opened for Motion City Soundtrack at this Myspace Secret Show, which was a huge opportunity. It was a tiny venue in Minneapolis and we won this contest to play. . Motion City Soundtrack is from our hometown so they’re like A-list celebrities. The guitarist Josh like us and said he was interested in helping us out and wanted sit down and talk, We went out to lunch and Josh wanted to help get us in the right direction and showed to owner of Epitaph Records who signed us right away.

How did you choose the name Sing it Loud?

Choosing a name is the hardest thing, because you don’t want to be typecast, and we didn’t want to hate our name. We ended up taking the name from a song on our album ‘Let Yourself Go’, because in the bridge there’s a part that goes ‘sing out loud.’

What’s your favorite part about being in a band?

We’re all really good friends. I love stepping back and looking around to see my friends next to me on stage and I’m thinking I don’t have to go to school and work… Touring is awesome!

What music do you listen to on the road?

My favorite band is Still Canvas; Bjork is one of favorites now. It’s weird but I usually listen to bands I’m on tour with, even though you’d think I’d get sick of it, but I don’t. So I’m listening to Cobra Starship and then I know all the words when they’re on stage. [laughs]

What’s it like to tour with Cobra Starship?

Amazing, it’s really cool. This is our 1st real tour with bands in tour buses that are famous. We’re waking up every day in a city we’ve never been to; it’s great.

What inspires your songs?

Well, we write almost all our music together. It’s all things that go on in everyday lives. When we wrote album, we were in crappy relationships with girls so we got vent together in the songs. But the lyrics are going to be more happy in our next album.

If you could collaborate with an artist from a completely different genre, who would it be?

John Mayer, he’s just plain awesome. The one thing I like about him is he’s like , B.B. king and Elvis Presley, in that no matter what, he will last. There really aren’t any band that’s come out that I think we’ll remember 10-20 years. But John Mayer is someone I believe will be listened to for a hundred years.

What are your favorite songs on the album ‘Come Around’?

The last two songs, “Fade away” and “Best Beating Heart”, because I wrote all the lyrics and music. I hold those one closer to my heart than the others.

Do you ever get nervous or feel the pressure of being a celebrity?

I’ve been getting nervous just because I’m not used to playing for big as crowds as we are right now. When the lights go out and the intro starts, we walk on and there’s all the people screaming and I start freaking out. I don’t think I’ll get used it. It’s a good feeling though.

So do you do anything before you get out on stage?

Before every show, I sit by myself and don’t talk to anyone. I just lay down in van, chill and warm up my voice. I do stretch routines too because I have back problems.

Any interesting fan encounters?

I think it’s super cool when our fans research our Myspace and know what we like to eat like I love sour gummy worms and Gatorade. Some of them bring food and drinks we like to the shows.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Hm, I wish I could fly. That would come in handy.

Do you ever see yourself doing anything other than music?

I have a back up plan to teach piano like my mom, but right when I got out of high school and start touring I knew I was taking a step toward goal and it’s honestly the only thing I want to do with my life.

What’s your favorite thing about the other guys in the band? Any interesting quirks?

We’re all really different. Our bass player Nate is the kid who doesn’t drink or party. He’s organized and a nice guy. Our van would be a complete mess without him because he’s super responsible. Kieran on guitar is just goodness oriented. He takes care of the big important stuff otherwise we’d be lost with out him. Ben, our keyboard player, is the funniest dude ever. He can do an impression of anybody. Chris is really chilled out with other bands and is always down to hang out. I’m the go out and party, hang out with people person. So we all bring cool elements to the table and we can all still get along.

What’s one piece of advice to aspiring musicians?

Lots of other people-family and friends- will hate on what you’re doing and can be very unsupportive. I zoned everyone out and didn’t care what everyone thought. If I would have let them get to me, I would be most unhappy person ever and have passed off the opportunity of a lifetime. Wanting to be in band is kind of a ridiculous dream like being an actor or athlete. You think it doesn’t happen to people, but it does. Just focus on what you’re doing and you’ll get there.

Make sure to go out and buy Sing It Loud’s album “Come Around” in stores now, with 11 songs featuring the guest vocals of Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack and Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low.

creative drought

so i haven't been on in a while, because my mind has been so full of school stuff, my creative muses are gone, sadly.

i finally finished up the first draft of ambrosia, but i feel so lazy about rewriting. that's my least favorite part. i always wish i could write it brilliantly the first time and skip this part. but i need to type it up and give it out to my friends to read over and give me feedback.

i'm kind of anxious about that because everyone always assumes i'm good at writing just because i love it and i'm the editor in chief of the newspaper at my school...i am not looking forward to their reactions. but i don't want them to sugarcoat it either cuz i need all the help i can get.

i entered the 17 fiction contest 2 years ago, but i was trying too hard to write a story like one of the winners that i'm not surprised i didn't win.this year is different though. i really feel like my story is special and i like it.i just hope i can edit it well and make it not so choppy and full of bathos.

why do ideas sound so much better in your head than on paper??

while i wait for other people to read ambrosia, i'm trying to get back on writing something else in the meantime, but my head is empty :(
all the pressure of school and lack of sleep must be really taking a toll.
that's why i can't wait until break and graduation to finally be able to write in peace!

until then i'm going to put a writing quote and cool picture on every post from now on. maybe that will help?