Chopped!

Sunday evening we had our friends the Salts family over for dinner. It was a blast! That evening, instead of making dessert ahead of time, we planned an activity similar to the cooking show Chopped! except it was more about the design, not necessarily the originality. Basically, we had four teams and we all had the same three ingredients we had to use in our dessert. We could make it into anything, but those three ingredients had to be recognizable in the finished product. Our three ingredients were yellow cake batter, Oreos, and peanut butter puff cereal. Avery and Brynley were the judges and Mom was the Kitchen Supervisor/announcer. We had around 45 minutes to think up and create our 'masterpieces'. Chloe and I were a team, and we came up with an idea quickly and nabbed the griddle before anyone else could (not that they would've). I started turning our cake batter into chocolate chip pancakes while she whipped up some peanut butter frosting (YUM!). The pancakes worked, but the batter was obviously not meant to be flipped on a griddle. I wish I had a picture to show you! ;) But thankfully we had plenty of batter to end up with as many decent-looking pancakes as we needed.

When that was all ready, we stacked up all the stuff in layers: pancake, broken Oreos, pancake, peanut butter frosting, peanut butter puffs, pancake. We drizzled the stack with chocolate syrup and sprinkled on a little powdered sugar. I have to say, they looked amazing!

Our delicious creation

When the time was up and everyone was ready, we all gathered in the dining room to present our desserts to the judges. Mr. Salts and Noah went first, then Dad, Sam, and Gabe.

Dad, Sam, and Gabe presenting

Mrs. Salts, Olivia, and Layney went next, and lastly Chloe and me. The judges took note of the presentation (they all looked incredible!) and then tasted a piece of the dessert. When they had tried all four, the ran off to another room to discuss. And left the rest of us waiting in suspense. When they got back, they stood up on the couch to make the announcement.

Avery reminding Brynley who won

The winners were..... Dad, Sam, and Gabe, with their little bumblebee cupcakes!

Keep in mind this was an extra, the originals were even cuter!

To celebrate we all tried all of the desserts (just little bites, not whole plates!) They were all so yummy and the whole evening was so much fun! 

Our crazy kitchen in the last few minutes before the judging

The judges tasting one of the desserts

Chloe and me getting ready to present

All four contestants (again, these are extras)

One of the coolest parts of this activity was that everything we made was dairy-free. Since Sam and Dad are not eating dairy until further notice, we had to find a way for them to eat the desserts too! So the ingredients we picked were all dairy-free, we used dairy-free chocolate chips, almond milk, etc. so they could still enjoy them. It was fun to see how much variety could come from just three ingredients and to see how many possibilities there are even with dietary restrictions. Maybe sometime we can try gluten-free! Maybe. ;)

In which I say nothing of great importance

I'll warn you ahead of time, this will probably be random. I rarely have a plan of what I want to blog about, so it'll be the random things my mind happens to wander to. Which will still probably have a main point by the time I'm finished. (Funny how that works...)

Anyway, writing update: I haven't gotten much farther, but I have answered a few more questions in the Map and I've been thinking about parts of the story I need to develop more. As I get farther along, I might need some help brainstorming, so I'll let you know if you want to help. Usually my mom's pretty good at talking things through, but most of the suggestions I get from the rest of my family are something along the lines of 'aliens driving ice cream trucks'. Which is funny the first time, but not super helpful.

I've also been thinking about my novel from last year, which, as I believe I've mentioned before, was being revised until I took a 'break' (a.k.a. stopped). I read through some of my 'revised' chapters this morning just for fun (some of you have read/heard them... chapters 3-5, when Aubrinn finds out Tynon's behind the whole capture, then the days in the woods with Drey, and arriving at Britta's house... if that rings any bells). Revised? Ha! Well, the basic idea and plot is decent, and they're better than they used to be, but there are still a lot of lumps to work out. Ok, more like hills. Mountain ranges. But I'll stop now.

Yesterday I wrote the narrative poem we were supposed to do this week for English homework. It was so fun! I knew narrative poems would be my favorite kind... Anyway, it's not a ballad, and it might be long enough to be an epic... a full page, two columns. Mrs. Mann, would it be OK for me to post it here sometime? :) Along with this, it gives me a little hope that I might possibly be able to write songs and/or poems for stories in the future. We'll see. But the same time, I think I need to write poetry in spurts, at least rhyming/rhythmic poetry. After I finished yesterday, I was still thinking in rhythm. For a few hours at least.

The last random thing I want to mention (unless I think of more to say) is the stop-motion video I made last weekend. That was also tons of fun! In case you're wondering, no, I don't randomly come up with huge, ambitious projects to give me something to do on weekends. (usually) No, OYAN is having a video contest again this year, so that's what my video is for. I would put it here and let you all see it, but I'm not allowed to put it anywhere else online until they announce the contest winners. So after that I will either post it here or post the link to it elsewhere.

Oh, I did think of something else! Today it is exactly one week until my birthday :D. It's getting closer, and I'm getting excited! But I don't have anything else to say about it.

Well, I don't have a main point after all. Oh well, maybe next time.

More Writing Stuff

I am constantly thinking of new story ideas. If you can't tell from my earlier posts about writing habits, new story ideas aren't necessarily a good thing, as fun as they are. Most of my ideas come in the form of a basic plot (very basic) or a snippet of conversation. Rarely do I think of characters first. I think that's part of the problem I had (have) with my current novel--I thought of Bryllen before I came up with the main conflict of the story.

I've heard there are two different types of writers: plot-first and character-first. I wasn't sure what I was until this novel. Usually my characters and plots are mixed together so it's hard to tell which comes first. With this one, I realized that I am most certainly a plot-first writer. But that doesn't mean I can't work with a character idea (I have a synopsis to prove it, right?). My ideas just usually revolve around plots, not characters.

But I try not to let my new ideas get in the way of my other projects. I'm a horrible 'finisher'. Yesterday I spent... well, I didn't time it, but several minutes working on my novel. I hope to do more today! I've also been thinking about my other novel (from last year). It's rather torn up (I think I've told you that) but I want to piece it back together a little. I'm just not sure where to start, I guess. But I may possibly have a start on the song that I was agonizing over (Captain Zavier's song, for those of you who know what I'm talking about.) I like songs in books, but after deciding to put one in and really liking the whole idea, I realized how hard it is to write a song. There was just no spark in my imagination for a song. However, last night we somehow got to talking about it and Mom suggested I have Avery write the song. Avery said she'd need a tune, which I don't have (that's even harder than words!) Mom said she'd write a tune, though, and Avery said she might be able to write words if she had a tune. So we'll see how far it goes.

Ok, one more thing. There's this website out there called 750 Words, which is basically a place you write 750 words a day and meet goals and stuff. I haven't tried it, but I like the concept and I think having fun goals (even if they're kinda pointless) would be really helpful in building a writing habit. Anyway, I was thinking it would be cool if I could start something kind of like 750 words, except with a slightly smaller daily goal (400-500 words?). Just something my friends and I could do together. Unfortunately I don't know how. If you have suggestions, please share! I'll keep thinking about it.

Closing question: Are your ideas plot-first or character-first, for the most part?

For those of you who are bugged that I didn't tell you about my story before I posted a scene

I was actually working on my novel for a little bit yesterday, and I wrote this synopsis. Since I was rather mean and didn't tell you anything about the plot when I gave you the scene, I thought I would share it with you. Once again, it hasn't been edited or anything (at least not much). And like before, parentheses mean I don't have a name yet. If you have any good ideas for names of countries, evil princes, slightly odd allies, old kings, or just good names in general, please share them! Now, my synopsis:

      ( country ) is a peaceful, thriving country with great opportunities for inventors and explorers. Bryllen Tate is one of the explorers. Chosen specifically by Prince ( name ) to chart new lands, she resigns herself to her quest. After spending most of her 17 years sailing with her father, Bryllen loves the sea, but disturbing memories of what happened on her last expedition keep her from looking forward to this one.
      Then, just as Bryllen is becoming more confident, an unexpected encounter with the last person in the world she wants to see again brings a new side to this quest. More is at stake than anyone thought, and Bryllen must choose between exploring new lands for ( country ) or endeavoring to save what land it already has. 

Like it? If you feel like critiquing, please email me (since long comments might be a pain) ;). Oh, just a note, in case you were wondering, Bryllen is pronounced BRILL-en. If that makes sense. Hopefully this synopsis makes it easier to understand! (not harder...) And judging from the last novel I wrote, don't depend on this synopsis to be accurately descriptive of what the story will actually turn out as. But I am trying to do better at having the plot be somewhat more realistic from the beginning instead of finally deciding there's no way it'll work AFTER I start writing it.

Hi! *waves*

I feel like blogging. Or maybe just writing in general. I need to leave for youth group in 40 minutes, but that's plenty of time. Not that I have anything specific to write about. I'm just happy and I wanna share it! :D Ooh, I know! What if all you guys comment on this post and give me ideas about what to post in the future!? Well, I guess I don't have much more to say. I mean, I could probably think of something, but I really just wanted to write something and now I have, so finding more of a topic isn't really necessary.

Ok, I found this thing on pinterest that I really like :) --

Heehee! It's so true! Anyway, this really has no point. I just wanted to show you. Avery and I also found a picture of storm troopers wearing kilts. (I'm sorry, that was random, but it is a funny picture!) Alrighty... 

Ok, I'm done. You can go back to your lives. I'm sorry for taking up your time. Well, actually, it was your choice to read it, so I'm not sorry. My time was relatively well-spent and I probably won't look at this again for like 2 years so... nevermind. I'm seriously done now.

Ok, here goes...

Ok. I'm going to try something new. I'm kind of nervous. I've never done this before (hence my use of the word 'new'...). Partially because of Mrs. Mann's suggestion and partially from lack of time to think of something new, I'm going to post part of a scene from my new novel that I've been sporadically working on! (You should be excited--I don't usually do this!) I'm ok with sharing my un-edited writing in person with people I know well, but it's kind of... different to post it somewhere so open and... permanent. Anyway, like I said, I haven't edited this or anything, and I'm not going to take the time now to explain my entire plot, so the scene might not make much sense. But I'd be happy to try to explain it some other time if you'd like me to! Although it's kind of in a bunch of random pieces in my head right now... actually, the last two thirds are, the first part I know... relatively well.

Now, the scene. (For those of you who are well acquainted with OYAN, this is from the lesson where we're supposed to write a scene about a normal day going wrong.) A couple notes before I begin: it's in 1st person, my hero's name is Bryllen, and any time I use parentheses around something like this-(city)-it's because I don't have a name for it yet. Name suggestions are welcome.

      I walked along the docks behind Papa and (the first mate) as they discussed the final details os supplies needed for the voyage. Although (capitol city) was a port city, the salty smell of the sea increased here, os close to it. I glanced to the side, out over the wide horizon of water, How I ached to be out there again, the noise from all these people gone, the rock of the ship beneath my feet. Only a few more days! I thought. We stopped and looked at the Amaranth before boarding her, and I smiled at the thrill the sight of her strong hull and towering masts gave me once again. I could tell Papa was grinning even standing behind him. He turned to me and proved so.
      "She's a beauty," he said.
      "Most beautiful ship in the harbor," I agreed. (The first mate) grunted quietly. I didn't care. Amaranth may not have been the largest or most ornate ship, but she was ours, and seeing her seaworthy again was enough to convince me she was the most beautiful. We climbed up on deck, and I walked around the perimeter while Papa and (the first mate) inspected the supplies. I watched the crew perform their duties around the deck, and I gazed out over the sea. I glanced up at the rigging, remembering the cool, sea breezes blowing in my face and toying with my hair. But I also had bad memories about the rigging, memories of desperation and of falling. Memories that made my injury ache and made me look back to solid ground. It would be some time before I again dared to brave what had formerly been my favorite part of sailing.
      I continued my stroll, subduing the memories and the fear that accompanied them. I stopped again to look out at the docks, breathing in the scents of salt, fish, and sweat. Sailors and dock-workers shouted to each other as they performed their tasks, moving crates and barrels, coiling rope. A small stack of crates and a few barrels waited to be loaded onto the Amaranth. I placed both my hands on the solid railing and leaned against it, scanning the docks to take in all the activity. Out of curiosity, I tried to see if I recognized any of the men. I knew the Amaranth's sailors, of course, and a few dock workers looked familiar, but I didn't know many by name. A pair of rich-looking men clomped onto a nearby ship, joking with one another. I smiled at how strange their tall hats and fine coats looked among the less-than-fashionable sailors and the muted colors they wore. Something bright red caught my eye. I looked closer and found it to be a man's red vest. Like the rich men, its wearer stood out amid the sea of brown and tan. His back was turned to me, but his dark hair and proud stance seemed familiar. I stiffened. Ferris. A wave of memories flooded my mind. Friendship. Betrayal. Falling. He turned around and I dropped down behind the railing, my heart pounding. Did he see me? I wondered frantically. Does he recognize the ship? Does he know I'm here? I leaned back against the railing and pulled my knees up to my chest, shaking.

Yes, that is where the scene ends, at least for now. I hope you're intrigued. ;) Like I said, if you want to know more, please just ask!

To Share a Few Ideas

And so we come again to that point in the week where I must write a blog post, and yet I have nothing on my mind to write about. Well, I guess I have stuff on my mind, but it's not necessarily right (or ready) for a blog post... at least not now. Maybe after I've processed it a little more. ;)

Now, to think of something to actually write about. (I'm sorry you have to go through my mind-wanderings every time...) HA! Ok.

So I've been thinking it would be fun to write some 'revised and expanded' versions of a few lesser-known Grimm's fairytales. Yes, I know I'm not really getting anywhere with the story I'm already working on, but I'm always coming up with new ideas anyway, so why not at least develop them a little, right?

Anyway, I've been reading a few Grimm's tales, trying to find some good ones. Most of them have very under-developed characters and only slightly developed plots, so they make good 'springboards', where I can take the basic plot/characters and spend a little more time on them, making them 'fuller', I guess. I've mostly been looking for the ones that are decent stories as they are, ones that I can think, 'I'd like to read more in that story' or 'I would love to read that story with more details' or something to that effect. Yes, I've found a few so far, but I really haven't done much more than pick out some of the ones I like. So I'll keep you updated. The next steps are narrowing down and then imagining (the best part ^_^). Hopefully I won't abandon my other novel, since I need to have something written in time for Summer Workshop (which I am officially signed up for now!! YES! :D).

And that's all I have for you. Sorry, no deep thoughts or main points. I gave shared some of my ideas, you'll have to wait for anything more. :)