Wednesday, August 27, 2014

THE ORION Cover Project: Look What I Did!!!!! :D :D :D

So I was bored one day and was like, playing with my PixlrExpress+ app and having a good old time when I decided

"Hey, me, why don't you try and make covers for the Orion series, since you already know what you want them to look like more or less?"

So I did.

And here they are, for all the world to see.

(Note: I do not own any of the photos overlaid in the covers.)


This cover is for The Orion: The Deadlands, the first installment in the first series trilogy. See that girl in the background? Know who she's supposed to be? Lemme give you a hint. JAYD.




Yup. THE UPRISING. DUN DUN DUUUUUN.... This is the second book's cover, which we are currently halfway through with.





This one is scary. No more.






SERIES TWOOOOOOO!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITING I WANT TO WRITE IT NOOOOOW. BUT I CANNOT. BUT SOON KILI....SOOON.........






No words.

















Only pain.















*majestically turns, hair swishing in the wind, as tears stream down face*
*ed sheeran i see fire plays in background*




OH MISTY EEEEYE OF THE MOUNTAIN BELOOOOW.............


KEEP CAREFUL WATCH OF MY BROTHER'S SOOOULLL..........


AND IF THE SKKKIIES FILL WITH FIRE AND SMOOOOOKE.................



KEEP WATCHING OVER THE STAUNTON FOOOLLLKKK.............

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Inside the Character: Jay Skyy

Today's ItC is from Blue Skyys, a book I am co-authoring with my sister about two galaxies in a bitter war. Basically, Jay's entire story is summed up by this:

You may not be interested in war,
but war is interested in you.

...Yeah. He never meant to be involved in war. He's actually pretty gentle in real life.

1.  Who would play Jay in a movie?


This is the best picture of Jay I've ever seen. It's totally perfect, except Jay's hair is an orangey color. Redhead. But I mean, this is so perfect even the hairstyle is perfect. The chiseled features, the intense look, the skinniness, the adam's apple...it's all so perf. SO. PERF. The more I look at it....anyways, it's Wynston Shannon, but he doesn't look like Jay straight-on. Just profile.


2. What color is his hair?
A lighter red than pure redhead, with some brown in it. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Like, light golden brown with lots of golden red highlights. He typically doesn't really comb his hair, and doesn't get it cut very often since he's in the army. It's got a V like above. In fact, his hairstyle is as above.


3. What color are his eyes?
Jay has golden-brown eyes, like light-brown eyes. They're really studious and amazing.


4. What is his body type?
Jay is extremely thin and tall, with long arms and legs and wiry muscles. He stands at about 6' 4". His long, thin frame makes him look even taller.


5. Does he have any peircings/tattoos?
No sir.


6. What is the most attractive thing about him?
As you can see above, his profile is very attractive, also his height. But his chiseled features are just dreamy. And his intense expression. Which he wears literally all the time. *swoons*


7. What is the ugliest thing about him?
His thinness. I mean, he's pretty darn skinny. Past all that intense chiseled face, he's a scarecrow.



Emotions

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?
Yep, I've got a picture for that.
That's pretty much his average smile. When he really lets loose, it's amazing, because he hardly ever smiles. He had PTSD through a good bit of the novel, so he's pretty troubled...poor dear...


9. What does his laugh sound like?
Rare is the day when Jay laughs, just because it's not really in his nature. But I imagine it's deeper than his voice actually is, more of a chuckle, and quite a pleasant, comforting sort of sound.


10. What is his normal speech pattern?
He gets to the point, and asks a lot of questions. It's because of this that he's very intelligent, and logical. He thinks before he speaks, and he is the best listener ever. He hangs onto every word and makes sure to pause to process them before replying, very carefully and very thought-out.


11. How does he express/handle anger?
With a very, very stony and violent glare. Also, he can get quite loud when he's VERY worked up.


12. Does he cry?
He does, but he's never too flamboyant with it. He more just sheds tears in complete silence, face hard, and wipes them hurriedly.


13. What would make him cry?
Death is a big one, because he sees a lot of it in war and takes each one to heart. He cares deeply for all he comes in contact with, and this can be a weakness and a strength.


14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?
For people who know him well, it can be quite easy. Since he doesn't express anything much, every movement of his face becomes recognizable. A twitch of the jaw means he's angry, a raising of the eyebrows could mean surprise, etc. For those who don't know him well, it can be difficult, but he has such an unmovingly expressive face...somehow you can tell every thought he's thinking and every emotion that passes just from his face and body language. It's the subtle things that count.


Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?
Yes. Jay is highly religious and relies heavily on his Christian beliefs.


16. How does he view those of other faith?
He respects them. He knows everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but he will probably try to convert you first chance.


17. What are his core values?
Jay is very family-based, and his loves ones are an important part of his upbringing and emotional makeup. He is a strong believer in chivalry and is very, very kind and caring. Even though he can seem kinda severe at times, you know he means well.


18. How willing is he to fight for those beliefs?
He knew when he was drafted that death was a very real possibility, and is fully prepared to die for his galaxy.


Likes and Dislikes

19. Favorite food?
Chocolate. Jay loves chocolate. Especially Nutella. Especially especially Nutella and peanut butter cookies. They're his favorite.


20. Favorite color?
Probably orange, more or less like his hair. He never really had that many options because, according to him, 'not many colors go with this color hair'.


21. What is his sleeping preferences?
He isn't much of a sleeper, since his PTSD makes him a bit of an insomniac. However, he prefers beds. Any kind of bed. It can be a hard cot or a comfy king bed, it doesn't matter to him. But the floor...nuh uh. For some reason, it's impossible for him to sleep on the floor.


22. What type of music does he like?
I don't guess he was ever much of a music person. What he did listen to was all probably inspirational type-stuff, and Christian.


Character History

23. What is his birthday?
November 2


24. What family structure did he have as a child?
This is where it gets complicated. Jay's dad, James Skyy, was the oldest of eleven kids, and so Jay's family is extended and quite large. He has two younger siblings, Willa and (OMW I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LITTLE KID'S NAME). But the people he is really closest too are his cousins. James's younger brother, Ace Skyy, has eight kids. Jay and Ty, the oldest of Ace's kids, were born within months of each other and are closer than brothers. Jay and Ty literally probably couldn't function properly without each other. So, that being said, he is also very attached to Ty's younger brother, Scott. And I think that's about it with family. They were all really close, Jay's family and his cousins, and practically lives at each other's house, romping around and having dinner and going to school together and all that.


25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?
In his opinion, been so against people being drafted into the war, even though his galaxy was losing sorely and they needed soldiers. He really didn't want to get involved in war, even if Ty and Scott both enlisted on their own.


26. What is the most significant romantic encounter of his past?
He has never really been interested in finding love. The one girl he had the slightest interest in was a school girl named May, and it didn't even last a month. He's just very busy-minded, and says he's not ready for a relationship. He says he'll wait until after the war.


27. Has he ever been in love?
He meets a Syestar slave who sort of takes him in when he's injured, and he loves her from the very beginning. She, however, is confused about the entire idea, because she has been a slave her whole life, and sort of sees Jay as her master, which breaks Jay's heart.


28. What is his biggest goal in life?
Currently, to save his galaxy, Rialis. In the long run, probably something like doing everything he can for people he loves. I mean, he's like the Alfred Pennyworth of the Skyy family. He's always doing something for someone else, and does nothing for himself. He likes it that way, and he gets uncomfortable when someone tries to do something for him. So that's sort of his goal; to help others in any way he can.


29. What does he believe is his greatest virtue?
Hrm...I don't know. Jay doesn't think too much about himself. I guess he hopes he's a good leader, though wether he believes he is (much less wether he thinks it's his greatest virtue) is another story.


30. What does he believe is his greatest failure/vice/weakness?
He has a temper, as do all redheads (apparently...<_<) and when he gets angry he gets very terse and short with everyone, not just one person. He kinda takes his anger out of everyone. As for weakness, his health. He suffers from debilitating headaches that come on at random, and he hates that they practically cripple him, keeping him from being at all useful.


31. What motivates him most?
His patriotism and his drive to get things done.


32. Is he objective-oriented?
I don't know where Jay would be in life without his goals. He sets goals for himself, and then sets them for other people who don't know he's setting goals for them, and when they don't reach his goals he has a little panic attack. Jay is VERY objective-oriented.


33. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?
Jay wants to be a great person. He wants to succeed more than anything, and wants to help others succeed. Unfortunately, he sees himself as somewhat living in the shadow of his much handsomer, much more talented, outgoing, friendly pilot cousin Ty, who attracts attention wherever he goes. He's sort of torn between two feelings for this; half of him is okay with it, the other half wants to be more like his uncle (and general), Liam, who is very commanding, sure of himself, and on top of things.


34. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for being someone he's not?
Much rather be hated for who he is, though it would bug him a good deal. He hates fakers.


35. Is Jay an ambivert, extrovert, or introvert?
Definitely an introvert. He's very quiet, very thoughtful, and very serious. He takes your best interests to heart and is THE BEST LISTENER EVER. Like, he will keep eye contact as you talk, nod when appropriate, look very interested, then sit and process what you say before constructing a reply. It's the consideration of your words that getS MEEEEE.


36. Is he creatively expressive?
Being an introvert, no, not really. He's not a music person, doesn't write, doesn't draw or anything like that...though he is extremely talented at strategy and organization, and will often sit and plan out battles or organize stuff compulsively when thinking hard or bored.


37. What is his disorder?
Jay suffers from a head injury he got from being slammed in the head with the butt of a gun. He was in a coma for nine months, and now has very bad migraine-like headaches from the healed wound. An average headache is very painful, causes him to be distracted, weak, tired, nauseated, dizzy, and irritable, but every so often he will get terrible ones, where they nearly cripple him. His eyes get sensitive to light, he throws up, gets dizzy so badly that he can barely stand, and usually just has to lie in a dark room until it passes a few hours later. No medicine helps, and doctors can't diagnose and condition. It's all very mysterious.


38. Is he materialistic?
Being in the army has kicked any materialism he has had in the past into submission.


39. What is his learning style?
He is a visual learner. He learns best by watching, reading, and studying.


40. I am a ________. How would Jay finish the sentence?
...I don't know. This post is making me realize that Jay is quite unsure of his identity.


41. Life is an act of _______.
Life is an act of serving and fighting.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Writing Boys and Girls: Conclusion

To conclude my discussion on writing the difference between boys and girls, I came across this infopic on Pinterest. It was EXTREMELY helpful to me, and summed up men's brains extremely well, it seems to me. Read it and be enlightened.


Monday, July 28, 2014

Featured: Sunshine Award Nomination

THANKS TO MY BIG BBBBBBFF ANGELINA ZOE OVER AT THE RANDOMNESS OF A TEENAGER WRITER FOR NOMINATING MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

BIG KISSES AT YOU!!!!!! ( `3`) <yes that's a kissy face

Ahem. Anyways.

This award is given to blogs that uplift creatively, and inspire others positively. I'm so glad I have done that with my blog!

I was told the rules for this award are:


  • Display the award graphic in your post
  • Link back to whoever nominated you
  • List ten facts about yourself
  • Nominate ten fellow bloggers "who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogsphere"
  • Leave a comment on the nominees' blogs to tell them of the award
now....more facts. Be prepared for randomness.

1. I just started Tai Kwon Do. I think I'm a natural. Also I defeated like fifty ninjas soooo...yup. Another day saved.

2. I'm really obsessed with Pinterest but I can't keep up with my blog. It's really sad. I would love to blog more but I run out of stuff to blog about. So, if you have any requests on topics to bog on, I'd be happy to oblige. (email acrossbooks@gmail.com or comment!)

3. I'm obsessed with Batman. I don't read the comics, no, but I've read every wiki article on every character, have scoured Pinterest for comic scans and fan art, and I have successfully figured out the entire Batfam. Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Damian Wayne. DAMIAN BEING MY LITTLE DEMONIC FAVORITE OF COOOOOUUUURSE.

4. I'm finally a teenager at 18 years old. I was still a middle schooler for like my entire teenage years and have just now become a true teenager. I fangirl more than my fifteen year old sister, wear my hair in a bun way too much, and like yoga pants and baggy tee shirts best. But really. I think my fifteen year old sister is more mature than me. And my sixteen year old best friend. They'll deny it but it's true, in the long run. No one else I know can fangirl until a blood vessel in their head explodes.

5. I wanna dress up like characters and run around all day acting like them. I know that really means "go to a comic con", but I just can't do that. I'm not that free and lovely. So I wait every year for Holloween. To dress up like weird people and hand out candy in character. THIS YEAR WILL BE LOKI.

6. Speaking of which, I'm tempted to join twitter to tweet as some random character. Like the Bucky Barnes tweets. I just...that's awesome. I clap for you, person who does that.

7. Literally every time I meet someone new, I have to hold back my personality because if I didn't, I'd intimidate them.

8. My sister is bothering me on Skype right now. I'm going to go virtually choke her.

9. I just virtually choked my little sister.

10. I have to go to bed in like 15 minutes.


Now for my ten blogs...probably the SAME blogs I just nominated for the Leibster Award.

Chloe at Snobby Writing Blog (again)
Jake at Teenage Writer (again...)
Nairam at Nairam of Sherwood (I'm a creepy awarding stalker)
Watzzit Tooyah at The Procrastination Station

That's all...

I have no more.

Shame on me.

OKAY BYYYYYEE. (anna)


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Writing Boys and Girls: What's the Difference?

So this is something I've been thinking about for a week or so, since watching a YouTube video about teenage girls writing guys. I've come to the conclusion that boys and girls are very different. (I know right? Who knew!)

Boys and girls are different. More different than, I think, most young writers (and even some older) realize. And they aren't just different in looks; our entire makeup is almost opposite.

(Disclaimer: This is just my thoughts on the difference between boys and girl's minds. I am no professional, nor do I claim to be. Actually I'm mostly coming up with this as I go along. But I have four brothers so I consider myself kinda knowledgeable on boy brain make-up...but boys, please, correct me if I'm wrong because goodness know we writers who mostly write in boy POV want to know what boys think!)





Boys and Girls: What's the difference?


Minds
Boys and girls's minds are quite different. Boys tend to have one-track minds; in other words, they tend to focus on one thing at a time. Instead of having one hundred tabs open in their brains at once, boys tend to strive to complete one goal after another. For example, I doubt a guy would be thinking about how beautiful his girlfriend is while escaping a burning building.

Girls, on the other hand, often over think things terribly. We could be writing an essay but thinking about whether or not your friend really likes you, and if you made your boyfriend mad by forgetting to text him. We also dramatize situations in our minds; things become much more dire when a girl explains it.

Boy: "Well, you know. This house blew up but we got out of it. No one got hurt."
Girl: "This house just exploded! Oh my word, is anyone hurt? I hope Jack made it out alright! Does anyone see him?"


Conversations
Boys talk differently than girls too. While girls blabber and talk about their feelings and otherwise just talk a lot, guys tend to be more quiet (with, of course, exceptions). But one thing can clearly be stated: guys hate to talk about their feelings. Instead, they like to trade stories about their lives, like how they battled the lion at the zoo, or something along those lines. They also tend to focus on the action instead of the emotions, which should be obvious but easy to forget (for girl writers).

Girls, on the other hand, are emotional creatures. We try to read between the lines and figure out what people are feeling through their tone and their choice of words. Oftentimes, we read far too closely in common conversation and end up confusing ourselves. Girls are also multi-tasking thinkers, while (as I stated before) boys' minds are one-track. So, girls usually tend to branch off into a ton of different little conversations, which we bounce between as we converse.


Emotions
In my experience, boys tend to push their emotions down until they want to deal with them (except maybe anger). It's a societal problem that boys that cry/feel tenderly are "sissy", so boys often do the whole conceal-don't-feel deal. When they do feel, they can beat themselves up about it, or just explode into a fit of feelings, depending on their personality.

Girls are feelers, and cry more easily than boys. They also tend to be more prone to mood swings. I know I can go from happy to overwhelmed in a mere seconds. It's pretty incredible. Oh, that's another thing to note: girls feel overwhelmed easily since their brains have branches on their branches.



Of course, there are exceptions to to all of these traits, in both boys and girls, but generally they all seem to be true. So, I know I have missed about forty thousand things, so please, enlighten me! I've been diddly-daddling with this blog post for weeks trying to get it together...it was tough. So please, help me out! :)



P.S.

And please, people, don't make a boy giggle. For pete's sake, just say chuckle.

Please.