Did many of you see a common thread passing around Twitterverse yesterday, September 1? From agents to HP character impersonators, to Wizard Rockers, to regular fans--loads of people were talking about either catching the Hogwarts Express, or lamenting their missed letters.
Why all this hoopla over a pretend starting day for a fictional school?
Because Hogwarts seems totally awesome to so many people. And, most importantly, incredibly real. As one Tweeter put it, Hogwarts is way more fun than his real school. Who wouldn't want to go there?
Fans love JKR's wizarding world so much that they can't let it go, even though the series is complete. They must find ways to keep Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, the Burrow and Grimmauld Place alive, playing in its rich imaginary corridors and dungeons constantly.
How real is your world? How vividly have you imagined your shops and streets, your hospitals and homes? How strongly have you captured your imagination in black and white on paper or monitor? Have you put all your effort into giving your reader more than they expect? Have you provided such richness and authenticity of detail that your fans, too, one day will play in your universe as if it were better than real life?
World building is one of the most important elements that JKR did so right. It's impossible to cover all her world building techniques in one post, but follow the World Building label below, and I'll keep coming back to it again and again, trying to learn, hoping to unmask her magical secrets.
Because while my Hogwarts letter must have gotten lost in the mail too, :-( , I've got a ticket to an imaginary world of my own creation that thrills me just as well...if not better.
What about you? Where's your imagination taking you today?
Stereotype #7: Virgins Are Boring
Apparently, not having sex makes virgins a real yawn. (See The Boring Bun for a related stereotype...it's one of the more amusing stereotypes I've heard).
Here's what my undercover virgin conversations uncovered on the "boring" theory--these are different Alpha Males from the last group:
Alpha Male #1: "I don't know, I just think virgins would be really boring."
Me: "Why? Just because you're probably not going to have sex with her?"
Alpha Male #1: "See, I don't know...it just seems like they would be less fun because they don't have sex. It's like they wouldn't know how to let their hair down and stuff."
Alpha Male #2: "I have the most fun with virgins, actually."
Alpha Male #1: "Really!?"
Me: "Why do you think you have so much fun with virgins?"
Alpha Male #2: "They're just chill. You know? I don't have to play the game. I don't have to wonder how I'm going to get them into bed or how I'm going to make my escape the next morning. I feel more like me when I'm around a virgin...not that that happens a lot. There aren't too many, at least not that I've come across."
Alpha Male #1: "I've never really known a virgin, so my opinion is more of an assumption."
Me: "You mean a judgment. An unfair one at that."
Alpha Male #1: Laughing, "Do you have to bust my balls?"
Me: Smiling, "Of course!"
Alpha Male #1: "Okay, maybe I'm being a shallow a@&."
Conclusion: Thankfully, I've never been called boring. I suppose I'm probably a yawn to some people--no one is going to be everyone's cup o' tea, after all.
Just because a virgin is a virgin and has not engaged in sexual activity, doesn't mean she/he is boring. Frankly, it just means we've had more time to fantasize...to cook up some seriously enticing nights...to build up a virtual library of romantic fun. Virgins are probably some of the least boring people you are ever going to meet...if you give us a chance.
Stereotype #7: SLAYED.
Here's what my undercover virgin conversations uncovered on the "boring" theory--these are different Alpha Males from the last group:
Alpha Male #1: "I don't know, I just think virgins would be really boring."
Me: "Why? Just because you're probably not going to have sex with her?"
Alpha Male #1: "See, I don't know...it just seems like they would be less fun because they don't have sex. It's like they wouldn't know how to let their hair down and stuff."
Alpha Male #2: "I have the most fun with virgins, actually."
Alpha Male #1: "Really!?"
Me: "Why do you think you have so much fun with virgins?"
Alpha Male #2: "They're just chill. You know? I don't have to play the game. I don't have to wonder how I'm going to get them into bed or how I'm going to make my escape the next morning. I feel more like me when I'm around a virgin...not that that happens a lot. There aren't too many, at least not that I've come across."
Alpha Male #1: "I've never really known a virgin, so my opinion is more of an assumption."
Me: "You mean a judgment. An unfair one at that."
Alpha Male #1: Laughing, "Do you have to bust my balls?"
Me: Smiling, "Of course!"
Alpha Male #1: "Okay, maybe I'm being a shallow a@&."
Conclusion: Thankfully, I've never been called boring. I suppose I'm probably a yawn to some people--no one is going to be everyone's cup o' tea, after all.
Just because a virgin is a virgin and has not engaged in sexual activity, doesn't mean she/he is boring. Frankly, it just means we've had more time to fantasize...to cook up some seriously enticing nights...to build up a virtual library of romantic fun. Virgins are probably some of the least boring people you are ever going to meet...if you give us a chance.
Stereotype #7: SLAYED.
Ask HTMiLY (5)
Blog Buttons
Blog buttons are all the rage right now. Previously, I showed you how to display your buttons in an awesome scrolling marquee so they don't hog all your sidebar space. But, what if you want a button for other people to display on their blogs? There are a few things you should know about buttons.
Size:
Obviously, you can make your button as large or as small as you want. However, the larger you go, the more risk you take of your button not fitting in sidebars. A good standard size is 150 x 150 pixels.
Creating:
If you don't have Photoshop, don't dismay. There are many free programs that you can use to make your button. One I love is Picnik. It's free, and all done in your internet browser. They have a wide selection of awesome fonts and "stickers" you can use on your button. The thing with picnik though, is that you need to already have a picture that is the size you want it. If you need to resize your photos, that can be done in Picasa or another free photo editing program.
Make sure you keep your text size readable. And for the love of sidebars everywhere, keep your buttons small. They take forever to load, and are frankly a little narcissistic.
Posting:
Now that you've made your button, you need to create the html code for it. Upload your design to your favorite hosting website. I like Photobucket or Picasa. Grab the html code and add it to this code:
<br /><br /><center><img border="0" src="http://yourphotolinkhere.com" />
<br /><textarea style="width: 122px; height: 50px; align:center;"><center><a href="http://yourwebsite.com"><img border="0" src="http://yourphotolinkhere.com" /></a></center></textarea></center>
That will get your your button, and the html code for it.
Now, spread the button love!
Have a question?
Losing It [Review]
Written by: Melvin Burgess, Anne Fine, Mary Hooper, Sophie McKenzie, Patrick Ness, Bali Rai and Jenny Valentine. Edited by Keith Gray.
Published by: Andersen Press.
Format: Paperback.
Released: 8th July 2010.
Rating: 5/5.
Official synopsis: "Melvin Burgess, Keith Gray, Patrick Ness, Sophie McKenzie, Bali Rai, Jenny Valentine and Mary Hooper. Some of today's leading writers for teens are gathered here in a wonderful collection of original stories: some funny, some moving, some haunting but all revolving around the same subject - having sex for the first time! You never forget your first time and you'll never forget this book!"
This collection of short stories is, to put it bluntly, absolutely amazing. Featuring some of the best talent in British writing today for young adults today, Losing It is a collection of short stories about teenagers losing (or trying to lose) their virginity.
The book covers a range of situations. From a girl learning a valuable lesson from a family member, the difference between the views of sex in Victorian London to those of today, a different cultures opinions on relationships and sex, and a boy realising that being gay is nothing to be ashamed of. In just 200 pages you will laugh, cry, cringe and be shocked.
My favourite stories have to be The White Towel by Bali Rai (possibly the most shocking and thought provoking, probably even painful story). Different For Boys by Patrick Ness is probably the most entertaining. The latter story is very clever, where Ness uses blackouts to hide "rude" parts of the story. But it's not just the odd word here and there - whole paragraphs are blanked out. Therefore, it is left to the reader's imagination to determine what happens at certain parts of the story. And one line in particular from The Age of Consent by Jenny Valentine had me absolutely roaring with laughter. Rather immature, but it didn't register until a few lines later when I thought "did I really just read that..." and went back and I had. It wasn't my imagination. If you read it, I'm sure you will know just what line I am on about!
As an eighteen year old my self, I found this collection highly entertaining and engaging. I would recommend it to everyone from the ages of 13 up. Adults too would probably enjoy this just as much. What I like about the stories is that they don't preach. They are entirely for entertainment purposes. That said, they do teach some good morals in a way that isn't instantly recognisable. Everyone should be able to gain something from this book. They offer a great insight into the teenage mind and I for one shall definitely be reading this again!
My thanks to Clare at Anderson Press for my copy!
Why Wednesday: From Me-Why Do I End Up With The Weird Ones?
This week's Why Wednesday isn't one of the many "why" questions I get from friends and family regarding my life's choice to wait for love. Nope. Instead, I've got a "why" question for myself.
After recounting a couple of interesting dates, and recalling other oddities I have yet to share, I suffered a mild meltdown when I realized...I don't think I've ever really had a great date. *here's where the slight panicky feeling starts to come over me*
And it's not because I'm uber picky or have my nose stuck up in the air--that's not me. So, why? Why on earth do I seem to end up with the weirdest guys on the planet?
Now, there is nothing wrong with being different or weird, even. Heck, some people think I'm weird and different just because I have chosen to wait for love, and I'm totally okay with it. This decision does make me different...as does my serious love affair with Marc Jacobs handbags and my passion for football, NASCAR, etc. I've been called a trader to the female way of life because I happen to love handbags AND sports.
If someone isn't going to give me a chance--get to know me--and simply judge me on a life decision, then there is nothing I can do about it; I will forever be weird and different in their minds. It is what it is, and I am who I am.
But, am I wrong to think that my "uncommon" decision is vastly different from, say, howling at the moon because you're a past-life werewolf or spitting out your food on the table because you have a tricky palette? Aren't those different kinds of weird? Maybe I'm wrong.
My decision is based on the heart and on a dream, as stupid as it sounds. Does that make me the same kind of weird as the howler and the spit guy?
Maybe the bottom line is this: it's okay to be weird...you just have to find someone who is the same kind-of weird as you...or, you know, at least similar.
After recounting a couple of interesting dates, and recalling other oddities I have yet to share, I suffered a mild meltdown when I realized...I don't think I've ever really had a great date. *here's where the slight panicky feeling starts to come over me*
And it's not because I'm uber picky or have my nose stuck up in the air--that's not me. So, why? Why on earth do I seem to end up with the weirdest guys on the planet?
Now, there is nothing wrong with being different or weird, even. Heck, some people think I'm weird and different just because I have chosen to wait for love, and I'm totally okay with it. This decision does make me different...as does my serious love affair with Marc Jacobs handbags and my passion for football, NASCAR, etc. I've been called a trader to the female way of life because I happen to love handbags AND sports.
If someone isn't going to give me a chance--get to know me--and simply judge me on a life decision, then there is nothing I can do about it; I will forever be weird and different in their minds. It is what it is, and I am who I am.
But, am I wrong to think that my "uncommon" decision is vastly different from, say, howling at the moon because you're a past-life werewolf or spitting out your food on the table because you have a tricky palette? Aren't those different kinds of weird? Maybe I'm wrong.
My decision is based on the heart and on a dream, as stupid as it sounds. Does that make me the same kind of weird as the howler and the spit guy?
Maybe the bottom line is this: it's okay to be weird...you just have to find someone who is the same kind-of weird as you...or, you know, at least similar.
Signed Paranormalcy Contest
Want to win a signed copy of Paranormalcy
?
Kiersten White is coming to Salt Lake City for a signing on September 11, and I've arranged to do a live interview.
Post a question in the Google form, and I'll pick one randomly to ask Kiersten at her signing. If yours is picked, you win a signed copy of Paranormalcy
.
Please make sure you've looked over Kiersten White's FAQ section before asking your question.
Waiting On Wednesday (7): Crescendo
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick.
Published by: Simon And Schuster.
Format: Hardback.
Released: 14th October 2010.
Synopsis: "Nora should know better than to think her life can return to normal after falling in love with a fallen angel. And Nora's life isn't normal - her dad was murdered, and the facts about his death just don't add up. Now Nora's own life is in imminent danger. Are she and Patch strong enough for the battle ahead?"
I really enjoyed Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick (review here) and cannot wait to read this. It sounds brilliant. Again the cover art is fantastic. Very eye catching. It's definitely going to stand out in the shops! Kudos to Simon and Schuster on that front! That cover is reason enough just to get this! Can't wait to see what happens to Nora and Patch next! It'll be interesting to see how their relationship develops.
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