Ice Flower: Information of La Fayette

Dear Reader,
It's the 2nd post today but I have this urge to write, given the fact I have been in another major writer's block (even blogger's block). The thing is, I managed to get out of it. I just glued my ass to the chair in front of the laptop and promised myself a huge coup of hot chocolate if I write more than 1,000 of words. I guess everyone has a different way of passing over this, but chocolate has always been my thing.
Today I'm gonna tell you 'bout my story, Ice Flower. The cover isn't that pretty or interesting because I did it with old Photoshop cs3 and I can't say I'm Wonder Woman when it comes to it. I'm just good. It is also in romanian, my mother language, so don't scream at me - I've kind of lost the original photoshop file, so I can't change the title to english.
Still, as soon as I convince myself to get rid of the laziness for some minutes and find some good pictures, I will make a brand new english cover.
I'm curently writing this on Wattpad in romanian and I'm planning to translate it as soon as I get my lazy ass to do this have some free time. I am not a busy person. Really.

Basically, all the action is taking place in a very different world called La Fayette, a kind of... parallel world? It's complicated, given the fact that you can get in that world with the help of some old, special books called Portals. I wanted to be a little ironical, so it seems that normal humans (called Exteriors or Earthlings) like to... put some distance between them and these Portals. The humans just don't like them.
The human world is big and has a lot of countries and et cetera, but La Fayette is bigger. Somehow, unseen to the humans and their electronics, La Fayette is a world that covers the Earth, with just kilometers in between. While the Earth is in the middle of the electronical revulotion, La Fayette isn't using computers or other electronic aparature at all - even more, they despise it. It's more like a Middle Age Earth, but with magic (even if not many of them are able to use it, just the ones that are Fey).
La Fayette is somehow the place where all the fairytale creatures have their own haven. There are vampires, werewolves, fairies (pixies and the ones more... scary) and mermaids, spirits of the woods, fox-people or other half-animal half-people, unicorns, any magical creature you know and even more. These folks are all called Fey and don't live in the same places that normal people - or lightlings, people that don't use magic - live. All Fey  use magic, so they are called nightlings.
La Fayette is divided into five Empires: Sariah, Canolia, Va'al, Nariem and Aditi. Every Empire has its Emperor and its divided into smaller regions named differently (In Sariah there are five Kingdoms, in Va'al there are 12 Crowns and 7 Scepters, in Canolia there are four simple Regions, in Nariem there are 35 Domains and in Aditi there are 43-44 Lands).
I think it's enough for today, and thank you for listening.
Reader, you're truly the best.
xoxo
XD
Ann C., off.

Even if it's late, it's nice to say Happy B-day to me

Dear Reader,
Well, I can say yesterday was my birthday. Of course I know there is... no one that actually reads my blog. It's just kind of refreshing to, you know, share with someone that doesn't know you. No strings attached.
I had a nice day, to be honest. Family and stuff, but nothing that exciting and I'm still begging my mom for the second A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Clash of Kings.
I devoured the page-turner the first book was. A Game of Thrones totally deserved every coin.
My cake has to wait for Christmas, because my family thought it would be kind of a waiste to buy a cake for my birthday, and two days later to buy another one for Christmas. So, they will buy ony one, for the Christmas Eve.
So, Reader, I consider you've said Happy Birthday and wished me that warm birthday-ish stuff. If you didn't, it's no problem, I'm used to people forgetting my birthday in favour of the Christmas. It was the time.
Thank you for listening, Reader.
P.S.: By the way, is's that cake awfully good-looking? I would kill for one of those.

Oh, well...

Well, I can see my blog has gone a little... deserted already, now that I haven't been posting for over a month and a half, if I'm counting well (I'm dumb when it comes to maths. For me, one and one make a baby).
Now, I must come up with some good and nice excuses, right? Well, my first one is, of course, school being a good old pain in the... hand. Yep, hand. Maybe there are kids out there reading my post and I really don't want to have some pissed parents on my tail.
Another excuse is... oh, well. None I can think about. Maybe writing on my new-born draft of a book? Well, I find it a pretty good excuse.
Well, I was just stressed. Blocked. Both in writer and blogger's block. And believe me, you do not want to experience it, as long as you're not crazier than me (even if that seems unlikely; no one is crazyer than me).
Well, I gotta go. Must write something before mom begins to pick on my brain and put me to work.
A., off.
(And please note the piggy right near the laptop. Isn't it cute?)
xoxo, XD

Anne's Writing Tips 1: What is Writing?

I'm not an expert in this, and I am no more that a girl aspiring to be a writer some day. Still, I have some ideas of how I should write, what I should write, and when I should write. But the most important thing is What is Writing. Not for you, not for me, for us. All of us.
I say it again - I don't think of myself as an expert in writing, but I write, wrote and will write; I can't live without writing. For me, air and writing have equal importance; writing is, like air - tameless, timeless, tireless. Three "T". That's how I like to call it.
Words are more powerful than anything - they reach people's hearts and minds - they entertain, educate, inspire. After reading a good book, you sometimes remain with a sweet, lingering, warm feeling; you want more. That is called a good book.
If your book is neat, and comes in an error-free strong package, your readers will most likely love it; even if your writing is weak, they say: "So what? The plot is good. You will improve". But if the text is full of errors and messy, they would understand nothing; readers will get confused. Distracted from the plot. And that's bad for your book.
Before your words touch the reader's heart, your words need to get to your own heart. Don't be afraid to get emotional; it's a sign you're on the good path. Don't be afraid of errors - they can be corrected later, and it's a sign that you want to write.
Sometimes, I want to write so badly that it hurts - I can't do anything except thinking about what should I write. It's like a drug. I started taking it, then couldn't stop myself.
But still, I think writing is the best drug there is on this Earth.
"What is the difference between reality and fiction?
Fiction must make SENSE."
xoxo
Ann. C.

How (NOT) to Speak English Properly

Well, even if my school life is more than full, I had this crazy idea of getting my Cambridge B2 certificate. It can't be that hard, can it? It can't. Oh, well - I hope it can't.
While I was, you know, just surfing the net, I found this nice and amusing thing about english - some "rules" for Hot to NOT speak English Properly.
(largely stolen from William Safire and then elaborated upon anonymously)

1. A writer must not shift your point of view.
   
2. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
   
3. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
   
4. Always pick on the correct idiom.
   
5. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
   
6. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
   
7. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)
   
8. Be more or less specific.
   
9. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
   
10. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
    
11. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
    
12. Don’t over-use exclamation points!!!!!
    
13. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
    
14. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
    
15. Employ the vernacular.
    
16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
    
17. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
    
18. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
    
19. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than under-statement.
    
20. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
    
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
    
22. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
    
23. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
    
24. .If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
    
25. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
    
26. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
    
27. No sentence fragments.
    
28. One should NEVER generalize.
    
29. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
    
30. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
    
31. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
32. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
    
33. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
    
34. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
    
35. The adverb always follows the verb.
    
36. The passive voice is to be ignored.
    
37. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
    
38. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
    
39. Who needs rhetorical questions?
    
40. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
    
41. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects. And the last one...
    
42. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Gossiping on Gossip Girl

Yep. After watching some episodes from "Games of Thrones" I switched on something more... scandalous. And that is Gossip Girl. I like it - not obsession, not adiction, just like.
I watched about... hmm... two episodes? Yeah, the Pilot one and the Wild Brunch. I have now the third episode, Poison Ivy opened an waiting for me to search any imperfection and endulge my eyes in the visual pleasure of brand clothes, dazzingly wild New York's Upper-East Side, and of course, the hot boys and awesome, awesome, AWESOME dresses I would never afford. A girl has to dream, right?
The thing I liked was that it didn't really... have just one main character, but followed the lives of three main pairs (well, four; if you count Selena's mom and Dan's dad, but only little romance was showed); so, six main characters.
Hmm... I have nothing against Selena, but up untill now she seemed almost too perfect to be true, and that is pretty much obviously suspicious. And, being me, I'm overly suspicious on everything. She was the trigger to everything - all the gossips/disasters happened after she abruptly came back from her misterious boardin school. She's the typical "It Girl".
Blair is the Queen Bee of the highschool, the epicentre of all things. She's the sometimes friend, always enemy kind of girl, when it comes to Selena. Not that I blame her - it was S. who really made the wrong decision to sleep with Blair's boyfriend, knowing how... how... how... unforgetful Blair can be. And that's why I love Blair - she's merciless.
I can't really choose between these to sides - Selena or Blair, but I think I must watch a little more before actually thinking to... choose a side.
xoxo XD

Writer's block

Bloggers are indeed scary when they're in Writer's Block. What; did you think just writers can be in writer's block? WRONG. Bloggers can too.
A living proof is me. I've been in W.B. for already one week and... no idea how many days. Well, almost two weeks, it is for sure. A lot of things happened here; I was on the 9th cloud to let you know it all, but when I got home an I opened the Blogger window, I... didn't know what to say. How to begin. No way, how to end.
Well, as an advice for Bloggers in Blogger's Block: don't panic. Be calm, and, like me, post something about you Block.
It works.
It really does.
...Or I hope it does...

Funny how a pair of Pradas change your social status

Well, it seems that in my school, wearing a pair of brand shoes can remove you from the Not list and boost you up at the top of the Hot list. Until now, I always stayed in the shadows, helping at the overall effect and being the general mastermind behind all the pranks. I never got and never wanted the spotlight.
Mom sent me all kinds of clothes from Italy - and even I bought a few on my holiday there - but I never showed up at school with any kind of huge flashy logo of a certain brand; even if I wear brand clothes, I never show off. I simply don't want and don't want it - I think is... too much like an attention whore.
But I wasn't expecting to meet with my classmates on my daily walk in the park. Wearing some of my best clothes - a tight golden T-shirt with "One Million Dollar Girl" written in bold letters, tight D&G jeans, some high, 4-inch golden Pradas and my rabbit fur jacket. I was just hanging out with some friends that actually knew I was an under-cover fashionista, and we were all dressed and dolled up (tough I was the only one without make-up). I must admit, we looked cool; so said the boys.
We met with C.C., our school's Queen Bee, and her peers just outside the shop we used to eat every Sunday.Her face was just priceless when she realised I was actually the girl she always mocked for being the goodie-goodie-two-shoes (she would kill me if she would actually know I was the one that set up her April Fool's prank). Well, the thing was that I really looked different with my hair not tied in a ponytail. Or it was because the haircut? Anyway... C.C.'s peers were totally absorbet in admiring my Pradas (no, in our city there aren't many brand outlets) and my friends' shoes, borrowed from me too (yeah, I love shoes; sue me). That totally pissed her off and I enjoyed seeing how she realised she had a little competition.
Then, I have this question - should I enter this little contest of controlling the school? It's my last year... I must make it big. I love making things big. And this year, I swear it's gonna be OTT, ridiculously big.
xoxo XD
Ann C.

Games of Thrones

Ohhh, Games of Thrones. I found this awesome series by chance: I was upset because a Supernatural episode wasn't loading and went on Youtube to kill time. And what did my eyes see? An awesome opening of a certain series called "Games of Thrones". My first reaction: Nice effects!
From curiosity, I watched the first episode and got caught in the nicely-made web of intrigues and secrets. There are many families, many reasons, bastards, cripples, and a wall protecting the people from mysterios creatures called the White Walkers. There's the Iron Throne, this damn thing polished by every king's ass, and for this thing everyone is battling and killing each other.
I liked the concept itself; a real world, thorn apart by reasons of people from above. I liked that every family - Targaryen, Stark, Lannister have a certain saying, that fits them. For Starks ( a northern family ) is "Winter is Coming". Go figure why.
I like Daenerys; she's a very strong character. She has a strange relationship with her brother; she loves him, but he is just using her for his own reasons. She is... sold to a barbarian Khal (Khal Drogo) and said to become a Khaleesi in order for her brother to get the Iron Throne. So much for brotherly love. Later, she starts to act as a Khaleesi and rebels against his brother... I'm not going to say is she succeds or not.
I like Arya too; so much will for a small kid. And I have a thing for girls that go against the rules of society and decide that a sword is a needle just as good as any other (hence why Arya's sword is called "Needle"). She is rebelious, and loves her family and her sister, but more than anyone she loves her brother, who gifted her the sword - "Stick it with the pointy end".
It's a complex series and you must really pay attention to what is going on or you won't understand a thing. I highly recommend it - I feel in love with it and at the moment I'm saving up money for the Games of Thrones books.
xoxo XD
Ann C.

I feel like a fro-yo.

And believe me, it's not even close to feeling good. I have this strange habit of catching a cold or a flu in summer (and that ends with me getting no ice-cream) or in autumn (and that ends with me wearing none of the fashionable and gorgeous clothes I bought in summer for autumn). You would think I'd learn my lesson... well, I never did. And as a result, I'm tired, bored, sleepy and very frozen up, like a fro-yo. I feel bad for the poor frozen yoghurt. Wait a second, just let me grab my tissue no. 930.
The most horrible thing of all is that I can hardly think and my brain just refuses to help me; and worse: today is my biology test. Yesterday we had four tests, one after another - Language, French, English and Chemistry. I'm pretty positive at Chemistry I'm going to have a 5/10 and at Physics I'm gonna have a 3/10. I'm no good at these. Note that in Romania, our marks are from 1 to 10, and 10 is the highest. Go figure. Great, now I need another tissue.
The bad thing is that our biology teacher thinks I'm some misunderstood genius for a reason or another, and just... well, she just said clearly she wants me to score high. I think I'm just going to sit next to a clever boy or girl, and I'm done. It would be awesome if I could do that, but our homeroom teacher, out of all people, should come to assist us. And she doesn't want us to change our partner. Oh, crap.
I suppose it's time to really review something at Biology.
xoxo
A fro-yo

Who's there?

Hello, hello! My name is Ana, but you can call my Ann ( I know it looks a little weird, but bear with it; it's a romanian name), I don't really mind that. I'm not going to bother you with my last or middle name, you don't really need to know them. And I don't want to tell you.
Yeah, just as boring and cliche as it sounds, I have a blog where I'm writing from pure boredom; IDK, I must really go get a life. I can't believe I'm even writing this and I don't think that someone would stop and spend some minutes of their life (waste them) on reading my blabbing. But I'm strange, so I'm writing it. I'm thirteen going on fourteen, strange, and trying to survive my last year of middleschool in Romania. Don't snort.
I like listening to music (I think I'm obsessed with music, there isn't a day given by God when I don't listen to music at least once), reading and writing book - these are the two twings I truly love from my heart. Those, and the graphic - Photoshop was my first love. And yes, I made the blog's  banner.
I'm an arrogant, narcissistic and egoistical almost-teen that is obsessed with books. I bark, but I can bite quite well. I may seem a little sassy, but I despise attention whores. I may seem childish, but I'm mature when I need it. I may seem cold, but that's just a front. So, consider yourself lucky because you can really find out what's going on behind the curtains.
I think that's enough for now... tomorrow I have a freaking Biology test (again, tell me why do I need it anyway) and I must fake reviewing my lessons learn.
xoxo XD
Ann C.

(Oh, and if my English disgusts you, please note it is like my third language - french is my first and italian is my second - so please just tell me where and what I've gotten wrong. I hate when people just say "you're wrong" and don't specify a thing)