What Happens When Reality Sets In?

So, the other day, my editor sent me back some revisions. It was really interesting to see what she thought, and how I could improve on the plot, the characters, and the story, to make it much more believable. For example: "What happened to Drayke's jacket when his wings grew?" Being so caught up over the main characters' adventure, I really never thought about Drayke's jacket! So, what did happen to it........?

As I was explaining how fascinated I was with this process to my mother, she said something that honestly chilled my spine. "Well, you better hurry up and make the corrections, because after that, you'll have to start querying publishers and agents!" And so I stopped and stared at her, thinking, "It's only going to take me maybe a week or two to finish the corrections...and then I'll ACTUALLY have to take this seriously."

You see, to be completely honest, I never have believed that my book was actually going to be published, or accepted, and therefore I really haven't given that much thought to how I'm going to query an agent or send off my manuscript to a publishers. I mean, I'm fourteen years old! And though this is what I want more than anything else in the world, to realize that it may actually come true or get flung in my face is really quite intimidating, and not to mention terrifying.

Yes, of course I've been researching agents and publishers (desperately traveling back to Barry Goldblatt, the agent of my dreams, and Simon & Schuster, the publishing house of my dreams). But that all makes me think, "Am I actually going to compete with authors like Stephenie Meyer? Cassandra Clare? Libba Bray? Holly Black? Catherine Fisher? ETC ETC???? I mean who am I to think that I'm equal or even better than them? Who am I to allow my characters to compete with my idols?

And still, that's what I want more than ever! Reality has set in, and the fact of the matter is that I am going to have to make a very big decision. And, yes, the truth may hurt, but I have to be honest with myself.......AM I REALLY READY????

The answer is: No. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to get hurt, to be confused, to hundreds of rejections letters. I'm not ready to send out the one thing that matters to me most. I'm not ready to throw away over 5 years of hard work. But I want this. I want to be a famous, published, author. I want to walk by a bookstore, and have my book in the display case! And if I really want that, then it doesn't matter if I have to get hurt to get that....

I don't care, I'm going to do it anyway.

BUT I can't do it alone. I need your help. I need your support. For if I have people behind me, I know that I can do this. I know that when I fall, I'll be able to get back up, and try again. So please, follow me, comment on my things, and let me know that I'm not completely insane (though I might be just a bit)!

What happens when reality sets in? You freeze, you panic, you question, and you want it bad enough????

YOU FIGHT FOR IT! 

How Did You Come Up With Broken Glass? Where do you get ideas?

So, the other day I was telling my friend about my book. (Her name is "Bellbear", aka Clare :) ) And she asked me, "How did you come up with your book, Broken Glass?" At first I didn't really know what to say :S I mean, what do you say to a question you don't know the answer to? "Ummmm.....?"

So, Bellbear, here is my very long and thought out answer to your question :)

*Note: If you are reading this, I suggest you don't have anything important to do, because it is very very long! So sorry!*

That is a very difficult question to answer, and I must admit, that for the longest time, I didn’t really know. Whenever anyone asked me I would ramble on explaining the entire plot, explaining the characters, or sometimes I would quickly answer, “It’s a romance between an Angel and a princess,” or, “It’s a quest to save the world” (which is a very cheesy answer and if you tell anyone that I assure you they will purposefully avoid reading it.) Only on October 27^th, (Tuesday) 2009, at precisely 8:44pm did I truly know. (No, I am not some lunatic that has an incredible memory, I wrote it down at the time J)

          At thirteen, on a typical Tuesday night, not much happens. There are no Darkwings that come to invade my castle or a handsome Angel to whisk me off my feet (which I think is actually a pretty funny saying, because if you cook—not that I do—then you’ll know what a whisk is, and boy would that hurt if someone started whisking you off your feet!) Anyhoo, now I’m rambling, sorry L

          My story is to a certain level, about a fallen Angel. No, I do not mean that it’s about an Angel that got kicked out of heaven and is now on earth, it’s about an Angel (Rune) who was born with the plague of having Darkwing blood in him, an evil shadow over his heart, which has made him “fallen”. My story is about his attempts to right himself, about how difficult it is.

Here is where I get my Ideas:

     From everywhere! From personal experiences and dreams and thoughts and books and movies. I got the idea for Fire Angels from when I was up at my cottage in the fall. It was really sunny so I was lying under a beach tree for shade. When I looked up, the sun through the yellow and orange leaves glowed all sorts of fire colours and couldn’t help but think that they looked like feathers.

You’d be surprised, but the first copy of Broken Glass is almost like a completely different story from the final copy. The original is about this punk girl named Clary and this blond boy named Mo who lived in the town of library and found out they were half vampires. (I had just finished reading City of Bones and Inkheart and was currently reading Twilight).

My ideas come from absolutely everywhere, and I’m sure that yours do too. J

However, if you are asking me where I got the idea to write about Angels in a mystical medieval world, now that is a different story! I know that what’s in right now is Vampires, and Urban Fantasies about Shadowhunters and Dragon slayers, and, yes, even some fallen Angels. And I know why: It’s because people want to prove that dark mystery and magic can be found everywhere, and bring the dark beauty of skyscrapers and the city into perspective. Why didn’t I just “go with the flow”? Because I wanted to bring people back to a time that has been long forgotten. Before TVs and iPods and Hanna Montana. Even farther back than the 1800s (which is probably one of my favourite times!) I wanted to feel part of the raw magic that could have been. I wanted to write a fairytale like no other, a fairytale gone wrong. And you know what? Not everyone is required to like that, but I strive for difference. It was simply a story that I felt needed to be told.

There you go Bellbear! The very long version of how I came up with Broken Glass!

4 AM...Rollercoasters...Bradly....Colin...And the Spider.........WHAT?

So, my good friend Clare has by far the best taste in music. So, a few days ago she came to me and said, "Gemma, you have got to hear this song! It's so sad, but I know that you'll love it." And, as usual, she was right! I love this song, but I must warn you, it is a tearjerker. (Grab those tissues and take a seat.) You may not like it, but tell me what you think :)

Alright, yes that was sad, so hear are some hysterical videos filmed by the British cast of "Merlin". (You'll still need the tissues, you'll be laughing that hard :) )



Rollercoaster ride.....

"You're the Voice......"

 The Tale of Bradly, Colin, and the Spider :)

ENJOY!!

Patty Cake Patty Cake....And Other Awesome Videos

Well, as I was heading off to bed... (Cough Cough) I happened to stumble across this. It is one of the most adorable videos ever! You must watch it (and pretend that the voices you hear are the cats :P)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iFhLdWjqc

I hope you enjoy this, because I did!

This is another video I found of a pet humming bird!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvrcdQWzH-8

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2011 = Ultimate Wish!

Wow, can you believe it? Another whole year gone! It's said that time flies when you're having fun, but who has a whole year of non-stop hullabaloo? Every year is like a rollercoaster, and man do those things whizzzzzzzz!!!! But, this year is extremely special: Its "THE ULTIMATE WISH".

Every time the clock says 11:11, you are supposed to make a wish. Well, if it's 11:11am/pm on 11/11/11, how lucky is that wish?! "Do you really believe in wishes, Gemma?" Yes, I really do. Do I think that if you wish for a pony the next day you'll wake up with a rainbow pony in your backyard? No. But I do believe that if you want something with all you're heart, wishing only takes you so far. Wishing for something means you want it enough to fight for it. There is this great saying from "The Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" that says "...when you've flown as far as your wings can take you, you're half way there." I love that quote, it's brilliant.

"Alright Gemma, so you believe in wishes, what about magic? Do you believe in that?" 100%. But, what kind of magic are you talking about? If you’re asking me whether or not I believe in Fairies and Angels and Dragons and stuff, then to be honest, I really can’t say. I believe it’s possible, theoretically, and I do believe that they are based on facts, but I really do not know. Here’s what I do know:

1—Magic is everywhere, and it takes shape in a lot of different ways. Love is magical, the colours of the rainbow, how the seasons change, our very existence. To me that is magic.

2—There is a book called Fairy Kisses by Patrick Regan (it is my favourite children’s book) and there is a quote in it that says “believe in what you cannot see and maybe then you’ll see it.” I believe that too.

3—In the realms of our mind and imagination, anything is possible. In creations you cannot base anything on previous knowledge or facts for it is brand new, and the face that you your very self made something new is magical. How did you do that? How did your mind work like that? That to me is magical.

That’s what I believe. Do I believe that a gnome is going to jump through my window and tell me that I’m actually a descendant from a fairy line of royalty, no I really don’t. But I do believe in magic and wishes, and dreams and fantasies. And you know what? I bet there are a lot of people out there who think I’m crazy for it. And hey, sometimes I am. But being crazy and believing in magic is required for what I love to do. It works for me. The question is… Dose it work for you? J

So how did all this start? Just from talking about the year 2011? Well, it is a new decade, people are licenced to be a bit excited. So go out tonight, have a blast, countdown to midnight, write down your resolutions that you know probably aren't going to be accomplished unless you're truly determined, and look forward to that ultimate wish, because magic is everywhere.

Believe!

Happy New Year Everyone! *CRACK* (Cool! A party hat!......)

PS- Check when this was posted, it took planning.....known as scheduled timing ;)