so you know how it sucks when you have writer's block that lasts for like over a week? ...yeah, i have that. or maybe i'm just lazy... i should probably stop waiting for something to just hit me. i should probably do some real work soon...

i've begun writing a novel... or, perhaps considering my novice book-writing status, it shall end up being a novella. not sure... i do have considerable writing experience for 19, but not for a novel-writer. (i.e. i can do longer than a homework-style short story, but i'm no Neil Gaiman*)

anyway, my book is of a sci-fi or fantasy nature (not exactly sure which - i've heard it's dangerous to mix the two, but i've seen it done tastefully, so maybe it will be both)... i guess it's sort of a Doctor Who** meets Coraline Jones*** type thing. i'm trying to include a variety of different... i don't want to say styles... or genres... what's the word?... we'll say settings (for lack of a better word). it's a bit complicated to explain, really. (what will i do if i ever need to write for the dust cover jacket flap? lol... doubt if it'll get that far) ...how would i explain it in an abstract? hmmm... long story short, the main character gets trapped in a series of books, sssoooo i have to come up with (i've decided upon 5) short stories that will be within my novel(la)... i have three of them pretty much made up in my head and i have themes for all of them i'm just stuck on two of the stories and (this is where the writer's block comes in) one of the ones i'm stuck on is supposed to be the first one... maybe i should just move on and come back to it. whatev...

i've been reading Wicked lately (as well as "Neverwhere," by - guess who - Neil Gaiman). wow. wasn't sure i'd like it since i'd heard how different it was from the musical, but wow - Gregory Maguire is an amazing writer! i kind of want to finish Wicked as quickly as i can so i can read the next two books ("Son of a Witch," and "A Lion Among Men"). i've also been exploring the original Ozian works by L. Frank Baum... there's some weird stuff he's written. but that's ok, i like weird. (if you've ever met me, you know... you may know from looking at my art/writing) so Baum's Oz stuff is a bit inspiring. very good stuff there, but not always enough for that extra push, you know? (i mean, it would be were i writing an Oz-like fantasy piece, but i'm not at the moment.)

i've found watching Doctor Who (especially the scarier episodes) is quite helpful to my writing... and, since lately i've decided i want to write more scary sci-fi/fantasy and horror type stuff, i will make myself watch scary movies and TV shows to push my imagination just a little further over the edge (although it was dangerously close to begin with - i have a sick mind. lol) i've found my fear tolerance has gone up. today my grandmother scowled at me when i said i really wanted to see Pan's Labyrinth. ...and i think maybe i should start reading more Stephen King.



*Neil Gaiman is a brilliant novelist! if you've never read him, do it! i doubt that you'll regret it! (although, be prepared for some trippy, scary fantasy <3)

**if i have to explain this, that makes me really sad... but i realize not everyone has discovered the wonderful world of BBC's Doctor Who... if you haven't... do it! (like, now...)

***"Coraline" (now a Tim Burton movie, as well) is a book by Neil Gaiman. i read it when i was thirteen - scared the crap out of me! (i LOVED it!) - the movie, i feel, is equally horrifying and habit-forming