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Game of Thrones Season 5 finale Recap and Season 6 Predictions

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If you haven’t watched Season 5 finale, spoilers ahead!

game-of-thrones-logoAs some of you know, Game of Thrones Season 6 premieres tonight and I am so excited that we will finally know the fate of Jon Snow!

Thought I’d write up a quick recap of where the characters were at the end of last season and what we might expect in this first episode that premieres tonight.

Last we saw them…

Arya Stark – Has defied the Many-Faced God by killing someone she was not supposed to. The last we see her, she has lost her eyesight as punishment.

Sansa Stark – Escapes with Theon Greyjoy, jumps over the wall of Winterfell and into the snow away from Ramsay.

Ramsay Bolton – Slaughters Stannis’s army in the snow.

Stannis Baratheon- Wife and daughter dead, and then he is Killed by Brienne of Tarth as revenge for Renly Baratheon’s death. (Good Riddance!)

Jaime Lannister – On their journey home from Dorne, he tells Myrcella she is his daughter. Myrcella is poisoned to death by Ellaria Sand as revenge for Prince Oberyn’s death.

Melisandre – Aka, The Red Woman, steals a horse and abandons Stannis when he is on the brink of war and rides to the wall. She arrives to give Davos Seaworth the bad news of Shireen’s death, and everyone else.

Cersei Lannister – After her walk of shame through the streets of King’s Landing, she finds herself somewhat broken. She finds comfort in the arms of a giant Knight, (who we can assume is Gregor Clegane, The Mountain, in Zombie form.)

Tyrion Lannister – Left to help rule Meereen in Dany’s absence along with Grey Worm, Missandei, and Varys.

Daenerys Targaryen – Ends up in the middle of no where when she takes off on her dragon Drogon. She gets captured by a Dothraki horde.

Daario and Jorah – Ride off in search of Dany.

Sam and Gilly – Ride off to old town, so Sam can become a Maester.

Jon Snow – Is betrayed by men of the Night’s Watch and killed. The last we see is Jon’s blood seeping into the snow.

Bran Stark – the last we saw of Bran was in season four, very north of the wall with the three-eyed raven.

What might we see in tonight’s episode? Will Jon Snow come back?

Is Jon Snow truly dead? The dead may walk in Game of Thrones and the Lord of Light might spare our handsome leader.

I think the Red Woman has arrived at the wall to bring Jon Snow back to life. And then Jon Snow will reappear as Jon Stark to kick some Bolton ass!

Sansa might have some of the same ideas in mind…to take back Winterfell and find her brothers.

We will also finally get to see Bran Stark in this season! In truth, I have no idea what his plans are, and can’t even guess.

Winter is Coming!!!

 

 

 

 

 

There’s Always Time for More Books

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So, a week or so ago, I strained a muscle on the right side of my back. I am now in physical therapy for it, (which in itself is a whole new realm of pain,) but boy, you never realize how much all the muscles are interconnected! And since I am right-handed, every time I use my right hand, it makes my whole arm hurt…

Anyway, yesterday, I ran out of my strong pain meds, and while on errands, and although I felt like someone was stabbing a sharp instrument into the muscle in my back, we stumbled upon this cute book shop not far from our house.

It was a used book shop full of old and rare books, and every corner of the small shop was jammed packed with all sorts of old treasures. The owner of the shop greeted us when we walked in, and the door did a small jingle as it shut behind us. The first book I picked up was published in 1901, and I felt my heart beat with excitement.

I could barely move from the pain, but I couldn’t wait to find a new book, or an old one, or just something to spark the imagination, to take myself to some different world, to a magical realm of my very own. I like the smell of old books, too. I like the smell of the pages…all dusty, ink and possibilities.

“Let me know if I can help you find something,” said the shop owner; an old man of retirement age, with white hair and beard, intelligent eyes and a shirt that read, ‘There’s always room for more books.’

And suddenly I could picture it: I would come here on Saturday afternoons and look for books. One rainy afternoon I would strike up a conversation with the old man about antique books, which would then lead into a conversation about favorite authors, and then writing; and then next thing I know, a month later its like Tuesdays with Morrie for us…he’s my new writing mentor and that’s that. He’ll be my sudden spark of inspiration, my friend, my encouragement…all because I stumbled into his shop one blustery April afternoon.

Michael’s voice interrupts my thoughts, though, while I’m standing there dumbly in the wonderfully warm book shop. “Babe, we got to leave. We won’t have time to get your pain meds before my appointment.”

Me: (hopefully)  “Five more minutes?”

For the record, we didn’t have time to stop at the store before Michael’s eye appointment, but it inspired this blog post.

There’s always time for books…even if you are in pain…because for me, books are a medicine of a different kind, and I love it!

Hope you guys are having a great weekend!

Happy Writing!

Self Doubts and Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, Big Magic

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Had a busy weekend this past time around. It was the other half’s birthday, PLUS Easter, so most of Sunday and Monday was spent away from home, so except for Saturday, I didn’t get much writing done.

I sat down at my desk on Saturday with the intention of working on the story…you know the one I told you guys all about? The one where I’m going to kill off one of my favorite characters? (gulp). Annd…of course, I ran into another snag.

You ever sit there and re-read what you’ve written and think to yourself: It’s crap. It’s total crap. It’s never going to come together. I’m sitting here just fooling myself. What am I doing? Why bother? I’m not as good as I think I am…

I listened to the doubts and I ran away from the computer and probably got a snack, (because that’s what I do lately, I stress eat.) And I didn’t get back to writing. I might have written a few paragraphs…if even.

I told my friend about it today at work and she reminded me of the fact that we all have those doubts, and it’s just a first draft, so you can always go back and re-work it. Which, of course, makes sense…but…its amazing how much a tiny bit of doubt is so crippling.

I recently listened to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear and I think of that now. If you haven’t read it and need some writing encouragement, I suggest you check it out. The audio is great, too, as Gilbert herself reads it. It’s amazing. I could probably do several more blog posts just talking about that novel, and hey, I probably will, someday, but that’s not the point.

In the novel, she talks about how a lot of writers listen to the voice, that negative voice that tells us we are no good, that we are worthless, that our stuff is crap, and that we should just crawl back into our hole.

She mentions how some writers feel like they need permission to be a writer, that we almost need someone to tell us that yes, you are a writer, and that its okay to create, to fail, to have doubts…

Now, I’m just paraphrasing of course, and I probably twisted her words a bit, (I’m not good without a physical copy of the book in front of me,) but then she grants us permission to be a writer, and I love this!

I like this thought of permission to be a writer. We all know, that in reality, we don’t NEED permission to create, but boy, do those doubts tell us otherwise! They tell us that we really are nothing and shame on us for trying! I love how Gilbert gets to the heart of the matter with just those few words.

The doubts make us feel like we aren’t worthy, but that’s so untrue! And by telling us that we have permission right off the bat, makes me realize how silly doubting can be, and I want none of that!

I’m sure more doubts will creep in down the road, (they are bound to, it’s me,) buut, I am reminded of this ludicrous idea: that I need permission to create. As if anyone can stop my creative process?! As if I can’t create when I want to?!

I love the challenge that Gilbert inadvertently creates with her words. Me? Need permission to create? Yeah, right! I’ll do what I want!

It’s so much easier to be the self-righteously offended, than to let those doubts creep in.

Have you guys read Gilbert’s new novel? Any thoughts on it? Do you ever have doubts, too?

Hope everyone has a great night! Happy Writing!

Why J. K. Rowling is My Hero

/ Ajmorse / 1 Comment
My much-used Harry Potter books. :P

My much-used Harry Potter books. 😛

The other day I was thinking about how much I admire J. K. Rowling; how I tend to think of her lately as my own creative writing hero, how much I admire her writing style, her books, and her determination.

I admire her because she is such an inspiration. Most of us know her story; she was a single mom living on benefits, and while she was struggling to get by and in the years previous, she created a novel: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

She didn’t know what was going to happen, but she had a story that she wanted to tell, characters that she loved and she created a home for them.

I have a friend at work who likes to write like me, and every time I ask him about his story, he gives a sigh of frustration and says that he can’t seem to finish what he has done, and that it’s taken him four years to get a rough draft finished.

“Four years?” I always reply, “It took J.K. Rowling about ten.”

To this he gets a thoughtful expression and then, “I didn’t know that.”

I think a lot of writers put too much pressure on themselves, (myself especially) and we forget that greatness doesn’t happen overnight, it doesn’t always happen to everyone, but if we have a story that we love and that we want to write, we can’t forget that story. We can’t give up on it.

J.K. Rowling is my hero because she didn’t give up on Harry Potter, even though things in life, new jobs, relationships and heartbreak sometimes get in the way. She might have had doubts, she might have thought that it was useless, but she kept writing, and because she kept writing she kept true to herself.

I sometimes forget how empty it feels when a writer doesn’t write. How much of myself I miss when I don’t see my true voice down on the page. (As you might guess, I’m not always the most articulate when it comes to having to explain myself by actually speaking.)

But J.K. Rowling is my hero because she wasn’t afraid to love her characters so much that she took ten years to write their story. She could have forgotten about it, she could have stopped writing – just imagine it: would you want to live in a world where Harry Potter doesn’t exist?

I must admit, I get a bit sick feeling thinking about this…kind of like when people say Star Wars and Star Trek are the same thing (shudders) what a cold a dismal world we would live in!

Anyway, I must mention J.K. Rowling at least once in every other blog post, but I think she is worthy of admiration. She is a great writer, a great story-teller, and an inspiration to anyone that has an idea that we can’t let go.

Keep writing everyone! That’s all we can do!

Feeling a bit Underappreciated Lately

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I’ve been feeling a bit underappreciated at work lately. I understand that things change, you expand, you grow, you quickly learn that an open mind to new things is a productive mind.

However, I feel like there are a few things that a company owes its employees in order to keep those employees happy. Common sense tells me that appreciated employees are loyal employees that stay and work their hardest and grow.

But…not all employers share this sentiment, (I sometimes think there should be more laws to protect employees from a company that abuses its workers, but what do I know, I only do the work,) and it is sometimes difficult to continue on, while someone else is reaping all the benefits.

Story of all our lives, eh?

Anyway, just thought I’d make a list of some key values that I think a company should have to keep healthy, happy and hard-working employees.

Honestly, it is so simple: a good company is like a happy family with everyone doing their job and singing praises until the very youngest, lowest, member of the family, (usually the dog,) receives this praise and takes this encouragement to heart and realizes that they have a place and they will continue to work to keep that place.

A good company has:

  • Strong leadership skills

This is a given really, we are only as good as the management who guides us.

  • Excellent communication

This goes along with the management, usually a good manager is great at communicating things that need to be said to its employees.

  • Organizational Skills

Know what needs to be done, when it should be done. And stick to deadlines when you make them.

  • Respect

Most people learned this in grade school. Have respect for the people who work under you, and you will receive it in return.

It amazes me how easy the simplest values are lost when they really shouldn’t be. And it is really a shame when valuable employees are the ones who suffer for it. I hope everyone has a great night!

Happy Writing!

 

 

My Plot Points are too Weak?

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

I’m actually sitting down to work on the plot for one of my stories tonight. Woo! This is progress!

However, I have a few questions. How do you know when your plot points are too weak? This is my problem:

I’ll sit down to write out a few scenes or scenarios for an outline, and suddenly doubt creeps in the further I get into the story. Suddenly, I’m filled with doubt and questioning my motives and my characters motives: would someone really do that? Am I going overboard with my character’s emotions?

So of course, turned to google for some answers. I found my answer here, on this blog, who uses J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as an example of a book that has great plot points; which makes for a compelling story as well as evokes an emotional reaction in its readers. (I mean kudos already goes to this blogger who references my hero, J.K. Rowling.)

I guess the important thing to note here, when it comes to plot writing, is to make sure that your character is influenced emotionally, (so emotion is great!) you want your character to change/face some obstacle in someway, but you also want your story to resonate in the mind of your readers. Huh.

Not too difficult I should think? Right? Do you guys have any insight on how you go about plotting your stories?

Happy Writing everyone!

 

 

Things You Should Say to Someone with SAD

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Today was a gloomy day, and as such, today was a tiring day. I’ve taken my vitamin D, and I’ve sat in front of my sun-lamp, and now all there is left to do is to wait until bed-time comes and I can finally close these tired eyes.

wpid-wp-1417145283589.jpegEveryone was grumpy and tired at work today, and the snow on the ground outside marks the first significant snow we’ve gotten all winter. (This might be the main cause of the grumpiness, as no one likes to drive in bad weather!)

I was having a thought about what to write tonight, and mostly what’s been on my mind lately, is my seasonal affective disorder. Most everyone in the north-east gets some kind of winter blues, but those of us with SAD have more of a rough time of it.

I get frustrated because I am very much a different person half of the year, and I miss my full self – that self that really is happy to get out of bed in the morning, is full of energy, laughter, and creative ideas.

In the winter I am this: Tired, distracted, depressed, anxious, spacey, (have trouble concentrating,) and less creative.

I find myself  interacting less, laughing less and struggling with the right words to say in social situations. Most of the time I just want to crawl into bed and watch Netflix, but if I do that, how will I get a chance to write?

Anyway, thought I’d write a list of helpful things you should say to someone with SAD in case you have a friend who’s been down on their luck lately:

  • Hey, the sun’s out! Let’s go for a walk together!

Exercise is a great way to counteract that overall blah-ness. And interacting with a friend is always nice, too.

  • What are you doing this Friday? Want to stay in and order food and watch movies together?

You’ll need the exercise to counteract the take-out, but sometimes a weekend in with a loved one is the perfect cure to a rough week, and some down days. In the end, you just want to feel loved, and feel a sense of security.

  • (To a girlfriend). Want to go get our hair done together? Want to get a new outfit to wear?

Course, I suppose, a guy could go shopping with you, too! Feeling good about yourself, and confident in how you look has a big impact on how you feel.

  • I see you had a bad day, anything I can do to help?

Sometimes those bad days happen, and sometimes you do want to crawl into bed and stay there for a little while. As a loved one, you should be okay with cuddling in bed with your significant other and not facing the world for a little while.

Remember, it is not a bad thing to take some moments for yourself, any time that you may need.

And that’s enough for now, I’m sure I’ll have more insight down the road when I’m not falling asleep at my desk like I am now! Ack!

Hope everyone keeps safe and warm tonight!

Happy writing!

My Star Wars Obsession and Spoiler Anxiety, (it’s a real thing, people)

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Note: there are no movie spoilers in this, just my silly ramblings about how much of a nerd I am.

I’m sure many of you aren’t aware, but there is a brand new Star Wars out there for your viewing pleasure, and I don’t think enough people are going to see it…I mean, seriously, I think this one is going to flop, people.

tfa_poster_wide_header-1536x864-959818851016 (Laughs). Yeah, right.

Star Wars is everywhere! It was on the sign of our local carpet store when we drove by today; ‘may the floor be with you?’ Seriously?

It was on the Outback-ad I saw a few minutes ago on Facebook; which featured steaks flying at a look-alike Death Star made out of sweet potato.

Last night, it was on the google website when you searched: dare to choose the dark or light side?

img_20151210_133756320.jpgDon’t forget the merchandise: band-aids, toys, coloring books, T-shirts, plushies, mugs, silverware, and ornaments. Star Wars has permeated every corner of our personal galaxy and I’m not sure I was entirely prepared for it.

Originally, Mike and I decided that we would go see Star Wars in I-Max. But, we couldn’t get tickets for opening weekend, so we decided to go the day after Christmas. We wouldn’t have to stand in those long premiere lines, we’d miss the crazy rush, and I was okay with this.

That is…until Star Wars came out yesterday.

Suddenly, Facebook was bombarded with potential spoilers, and I was starting to feel frightened of the people at my work. I heard the words “Star Wars” and I practically ran out of the break room.

Spoilers are something I hate when it comes to any film, but the idea that the surprises in this new movie might get ruined for me, filled me with a new brand of anxiety I didn’t expect.

I had misjudged the hype. Why didn’t I think of this before? Why had I decided to wait? Was I stupid, or something?

I got Star Wars Spoiler anxiety!

I did. Suddenly a week waiting for I-Max felt like years. Was I to assume that I wouldn’t accidentally stumble on a spoiler on google? Or overhear someone in the check out line at the grocery store?  I became nervous, unsettled, and paranoid. I didn’t get on Facebook for a few days.

IMG_20141222_204521260

My R2-D2 plushy. He sits loyally on my desk and guards my laptop from any potential thieves.

I know Star Wars is just a movie, (although part of me dies when I say that), I know there are more important things in the world to worry about…but the fact that I got anxious worrying about Star Wars spoilers is kind of hilarious.

Well, all that got resolved this morning, because Mike and I decided that we would nip the anxiety in the bud, and we went 10am this morning to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens and we loved it. I stretched out on the newly renovated recliner chairs and munched on Cheerios like popcorn.

Really, I told Mike that we were forced to see it, because we were worried about spoilers, and then I laughed like the nerd I am at my accidental pun. Har, har, har. I know, I’m such a dork.

But that brings me to another thing.

My Star Wars spoiler anxiety might have something to do with the Star Wars obsession I’ve developed over the past few months.

It seems like the more silly the merchandise, the more I must have it. I’ve got Star Wars wrapping paper to wrap my presents with this year. I found crayons with colors in it like: outer space, deep space sparkle, tumbleweed, shadow and cadet blue.

I found Star Wars duct tape, (this I reasoned was for projects for gifts, but lets face it, I bought it for myself.)

img_20151213_191720256.jpgI also found a holiday count-down chalk board; I later crossed out holiday and wrote “Star Wars” at the top. Then of course with all this, that doesn’t include the stuffed R2-D2 on my desk, my t-shirts, and posters.

IMG_20151114_203000829IMG_20151114_203017973Did I forget to mention, I ate Star Wars chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight?

Are you guys as obsessed with Star Wars as I am right now? (And please no spoilers if you choose to comment, lets save that for the review I’ll probably post in a few days.)

Happy Weekend, everyone!

NaNowriMo Update, Days 16-30: There’s a Silver Lining to Everything

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I meant to get this post out a few days ago, but I haven’t felt very motivated lately, and sometimes when it comes to it, life tends to get in the way a lot of times.

This is what I go going on tonight. Ohhh, yeaah...

This is what I got going on tonight. Ohhh, yeaah…

I am a lucky gal tonight though; “Mike,” the other half, is cooking us our Thanksgiving dinner…it pays to wait until after the holiday when Turkeys are on sale!  (Plus, we weren’t really home on Thanksgiving anyway as a few of our relatives had delicious dinners that gave me a serious food-baby…eek…I totally didn’t have to eat for like two days after.)

Anyway, that’s my life tonight, back to the NaNoWriMo life, which…didn’t go as planned, of course.

Final Word count: 8,380

I cringe a little bit when I admit this…maybe I should fudge it and say yes, I typed 49,999 words, but I didn’t. And I’m not really a great liar anyway.

I don’t really understand what happened, to be honest. I didn’t mean to give up, I guess I got frustrated with my story and stuck. I realized that I definitely should have done some more world-building, and my characters seemed underdeveloped.

But then I tell myself, well yes, of course, it is a rough draft, and the whole point is development. Which brings me to the other thing.

I realized I have a tendency to hold back when it comes to my writing. Instead of writing out that fluff, stretching that idea, going there, I pull back and seem to think: well, what if it turns out awful? What if it really IS as corny as it sounds?

It’s that same old Writer’s Fear again, and it is crippling me. Every year because of the winter blues I do go through a period where I feel uninspired, but it’s not just that. I want my voice back, that writing environment where I was open and free to say what I want and to learn what I can. This is definitely also why I think an MFA degree would be beneficial to me.

Anyway, I don’t want to be completely bummed about this recent failure. Not everyone is successful at NaNoWriMo, and it definitely has taught me some new things this time around.

First things first: It’s okay that you don’t know where the story is going to go.

That’s really the whole point of a first draft, really. To explore, figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Creating some kind of outline is beneficial. Especially for NaNoWriMo. It’s great to have a set plan when you plan to write a lot in a short period of time. Then you don’t waste time wondering what the heck you are supposed to be doing next, and why isn’t this character doing what he/she is told?!

Writing is supposed to be fun. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that when it starts to feel like a chore. I will have to find new ways to motivate myself. Perks, snacks, music. I have Pandora on ALL the time. Music is a great inspiration.

And, Don’t be afraid to write what you want. Write from the heart. Write that fluff, that cheesy, cliché, Oh-my-God-he-gasped-in-surprise type of writing.

Write what makes you happy and then build from there. There’s that expression: dance like nobody’s watching. I need to write like nobody is watching, or potentially reading. In the end, it is MY story. I can make it how I want it to be.

Well, that’s it for me. I am going to go and try to write that fluff I was talking about. Odd how writing is really a reflection of the person behind the helm. My whole life I’ve struggled with self-worth and feeling good enough for myself. So, naturally, it would make sense that I would have problems with that in my writing, too.

But, I am a strong, confident, business/writing women, and I can go and conquer the world! (If I so desire).

Hope everyone is having a great night! Happy Writing!

NaNoWriMo Update, Days 10-16: Keep Writing and Work the Problem

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Word Count: 7,132

Does any of that word count make sense? Not a clue.

Will I make my goal of 50,000 words by the end of the month? Probably not.

Did I learn something about my story, myself, and my characters? Yes I did!

spy8Working the problem…

About 5,000 words in, I ran into a snag. My characters were bored. I was bored, this was not the direction that I wanted to go in. So I did something odd, I jumped back to the beginning. I changed a POV, and then suddenly: viola! I’ve got a snarky character, a new perspective, and the idea that my story really is going somewhere…I just go lost somewhere along the way.

Even though something wasn’t going my way, I found that it doesn’t solve anything if you give up. Instead, you work the problem. You ask yourself questions:

  • What can I do differently?
  • What don’t I like here?
  • What can I change?
  • Is it the character?

Remember to ask yourself positive questions, and not place blame. It sounds odd, (and I learned this from a friend,) but if you ask yourself questions that are positively phrased like: what can I do differently? Instead of: what did I do wrong? It tends to work a lot better.

Don’t wallow in failure, be your own positive motivator when you work the problem!

Another thing that I found helpful when I found myself stuck and not sure where to go: I started writing from a different area of the story. Sometimes if you are writing in the beginning of the story, and something isn’t working out your way, skip to the middle.

Who said that a writer had to write all their scenes in consecutive order? Sometimes a change of the writer’s  perspective is all you need to get your story where it needs to go. It might help you see the bigger picture.

Also, lastly, and the most important thing: Keep Writing!

Even though sometimes the going gets tough, I’ll never be able to perfect my work, if I don’t keep working at the rough drafts to get me there.

(Even J.K. Rowling didn’t write her final draft for Harry Potter from the get go.) 😛

Eh, I suppose I better stop yammering, and get back to working. Hope everyone has a great week! Happy Writing!