Tired. Music. Writing

Have been helping out a friend making desserts for her son's first birthday for the last three days. I'm wiped out and am taking the day off today. Will continue to write tomorrow. 

I haven't been posting new chapters lately to the blog because there have been a lot of plagiarizing scare for story bloggers. I'm hesitant on posting mine on my blog because most of them happened to indie book authors. Grace Draven, an author of Master of Crows and Radiance was one of the authors I heard it happened to and she pulled her latest historical steampunk story from her blog after only two chapters. And I loved that story too! Stupid greedy people who can't create one of their own and have to steal from other people. 

GRRRRRR. 

A lot of things have happened and I'm just trying to get through the day one at a time. Plus, I have a good possible job offer that I'm excited about. Still have to audition for it so I'm trying to do my best. 

Wish me luck. 

Oh, and I entered April Camp NaNoWriMo with a rewrite of DreamWalkers. I'm still hesitant about some characters on this book so I decided to rewrite from the fifth chapter, especially since Yohan will show up on it. Yohan's appearance will shake things up and it will also contribute a lot to the story. He's a pretty big deal so I want to make it perfect--not that a book is ever perfect to its writer. 

Today is also the first chance I have to do some laundry, good thing since I ran out of clothes to wear. You know, for a girl, I can actually fit my whole clothes into one plastic box, I think that's kind of sad, do you?

I've also been trying to find new music to listen to since music is a big part of my writing process but ended up searching for old albums that I actually like, for example: Secondhand Serenade. I found his acoustic album fill of acoustic versions of his previous songs: A Naked Twist in My Story and his newest album: Undefeated. His songs are pop, alternative, indie songs. I like his heartfelt lyrics and his use of guitar and piano. His themes are usually simple, easy to listen to songs and I love those kind of songs because they're fun, sweet and doesn't interfere with my writing. And he has an array of find love, heartbreak, in the middle of relationship songs that gives different atmosphere to my scenes. 

This is one of my favorites from his album Undefeated. It's called 'I Don't Want'.

I don't wanna bend, don't wanna break

I don't know how much more of this I can take

I don't wanna love you, no; its true

If I have to learn to love anyone but you

Dashboard Confessional has been my favorite band for a while now. I knew them because a friend recommended them to me--he's dead now--so the band is a good reminder of him and mortality for me. 

Dashboard Confessional has an eerie knack for beautiful, beautiful lyrics and atmospheric moods. They're one of those bands that can combine band music with soaring orchestra music so everything is just doubly good. 

I have so many personal favorites from them that changes from day to day. Today my favorite is a tie between Even Now

Even now I can feel your hair

Blow across my cheek

As we sit in one of two chairs

Even now I can feel your face

Resting on my chest

Wrestling for sleep

And failing at it

Even now I can see you sleep

I can see you dream

I can see you fly

And I always can find you again

--and So Long, So Long

How the girls could turn to ghosts before your eyes

And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying

And how the grace with which she walked into your life

Will stay with you in your steps,

And pace with you a while

So long, so long

When I said music is a big part of my writings, I wasn't kidding, Dashboard Confessional has contributed to a lot of my stories, all their songs has a kind of feeling and story to it. 

Jason Reeves is also one of my favorite singers. Simple and sweet, beautiful melody and lyrics. 

Jason Reeves' Old-fashioned Letters combined both of my great loves: good song and the written word

You still write me old fashioned letters 

Put your perfume on the pages 

With crossed out words 

That you took back like 

Do you really miss me

#SongoftheDay: Jason Mraz's A Long Drive

Long drive, long night

The best night of my life, 

With you riding, your hand on my hand. 

The thought of arriving, kind of feels like, dying. 

I don’t want, to go home and be, alone. 

Could we, stay out? 

Could you, drive a little slower, don’t matter where we’re going, 

As long as I’m with you, we could take the long way. 

Chevy Nova, front seat, sofa, getting closer, to you. 

Drive a little slower; don’t matter where we’re going, 

As long as I’m with you, we could take the long way. 

Drive a little slower, not ready to go home, 

I’d rather stay with you. 

We could take the long way, to the country out of town. 

Let’s get lost; I don’t wanna be found. 

Let’s get away, now and be careful not to crash. 

There’s no defrost and we’re steaming the glass. 

You and the road have a generous shoulder 

We can pull over and say we took the long way. 

Headlights, not strobe lights, 

I can see you, but not quite. 

I can feel you inside; the timing is just right. 

For the moment, I don’t want to go home. 

Take the long way. 

Drive a little slower; don’t matter where we’re going. 

Take the long way. 

Drive a little slower; don’t matter where we going now. 

Take the long way 

Drive a little slower; not ready to go home. 

I’d rather stay with you. 

We can take the long way. 

Long drive, long night, 

The best night of my life.

Music, Camp NaNoWriMo and the Muse

Love this song. It makes me feel good.

Camp NaNoWriMo April is here so I'm doing that, I've entered with DreamWalkers.

Speaking of DreamWalkers, Muse is at it again. Somehow, I get the impression that She doesn't want Firdaus to be the main male lead but Sen...and I'm starting to warm towards that idea.

GASP.

Now what?

Well, since it's Camp NaNo, we'll just see how it goes. I'm excited though, this is a twist that I'm not expecting. I'm interested how the whole thing will change.

I can already see enough changes that I will have to make just in the first chapter. YES, although Muse screwed me with the changing of male leads but at least this time she did it in the FIRST chapter and not in the middle of the book like last time. THAT WOULD SUCK.

I'm seriously interested on how this would work though because with Firdaus and Medea, it's obviously opposite attracts but Medea and Sen? I'm not quiet sure where that would lead. *rubs chin*

But then again, I'm probably counting my chickens to early because the story might change later on. The possibilities though.....

I'm starting to get excited!

Maybe changing the male lead would be the jumpstart that this book needs.

But Firdaus is such an interesting character. Maybe there'll be a book about Firdaus later. Have no clue what that would be about but it would be a waste of a good character if I didn't write about him. But that will be later.

wordcount #2: 656

Song of the Day: Josh Groban's Higher Window

How perfect we were meant to be

Our warm and silent symmetry

It's times like these when all 

All we need is to be reminded

And I have flown a thousand miles

To empty rooms and crowded aisles

And we went from cathedral bells

To show and tell and wish you wells

And I still look at you

And I am blinded.

I am blinded

I love this song because it tells a story about missed opportunities.

Relatable song is relatable

"The Silence"

I remember a conversation, at a restaurant

With a friend of mine, he’d a successful mind

And he told me of his life

And the plans he’d made to come this far

Had gone so well and now we’re all so proud of him

And he told me how

But I couldn’t bear to listen

Cause all my life I’ve heard

Of the dreams of the organized

To be the best in the company

To win the awards but that’s not me

Cause all my life all I ever wanted

Was a love that lasted longer than the silence

All my life, all my life

Was a love that lasted longer than the silence

I had to say that I had to leave

Cause it was on my mind

That all he set in me were insecurities

But that dream was never mine

Cause the plans I thought I’d made so far

Had gone alright but all that I feel now is doubt

And he told me why

But I couldn’t bear to listen

Cause all my life I’ve heard

Of the dreams of the organized

To be the best in the company

To win the awards but that’s not me

Cause all my life all I ever wanted

Was a love that lasted longer than the silence

All my life, all my life

Was a love that lasted longer than the silence

Day 12: Mood Journal

I am sick. That is all.

Oh, and problems with editor is now fixed. It's all good now. Tuesday will have more news about the publishing of Touched: The Sword. I am doubtful that it will come out mid-Feb.

An old friend of mine messaged me telling me that his music album (that he has been working since forever) will hopefully be out the end of this month. He had knocked off 4 songs and has 6 songs to go over.

I'm really proud of him and he's really good too. He has a smooth, crooning and voice and his musicality isn't something to scoff at either. 

Here is a sample of what he does. This one is his cover of Maroon 5's Smooth Like Jagger (Latin Jazz Cover) which I really, really love. 

We often chat about how we suffer for our art, how we do it, why we do it, the reactions of people around us, the obstructions we get, the disappointments, the sweet success, and it wasn't a couple of months ago that we met for lunch and discussed about how he wanted to see me (who is still flushed from having signed a contract with a publisher) to gain some sort of momentum (and for me to whine about wanting to listen to his new songs (which I actually got to do)).

I think he just wanted to see that yeah, dreams really do come true.

And hey, it's funny that we have progress in the same month. LOL.

The thing with him is, that he was really a perfectionist, you know? And he's also very academic, and I've always thought of him as someone who'll get a steady office job. Of course, back at school he rapped and loved music but as usual teenagers do, oh, and he also played the piano (but it was something we all did as we grew up, go to madrasah (which I didn't), go be a scout (which I also didn't) and learn to play an instrument (which I did)), so it was a surprise for me when he suddenly played the guitar, SING and got a band.

We both want the same thing, you know, to have what we love as our job. We both know that we still have a long way to go but, we want that.

It's the light at the end of the tunnel. 

We met when we were 10 at a spelling bee. Become friends at highschool, talked and emailed through college and the occasional 'happy birthday' calls...and now we both urge each other on to reach our dreams.

Life is funny that way.