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Monday, May 30, 2016

Stars



"To the people who looked at the stars and wished." - Feyre
 "To the stars who listened and the dreams that are answered." -Rhysand

This beautiful quote is from the book A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Mass. 

The universe works in mysterious ways, and sometimes you don't understand what it's trying to say. There are times when it's difficult to listen. 

Cory Matthews from Girl Meets World has another great quote about the universe: 

"The universe is the most confusing place you'll ever live. But if you listen carefully, you'll find out that it's paying attention and that it cares about you." 

I think my pride and my anger prevented me from listening, but now my heart is open to new possibilities. I'm on a path that I can't control, but I can learn from experiences and keep moving forward. 

This is my heartsong for the moment. As I go through a time of transition, I will listen. 





Thursday, May 26, 2016

Lessons Learned


Sometimes we have to crash and burn before we can move forward. 
I'm really lucky. I have a family who supports me and helps me get what I want, even if my decisions are impulsive. 
Here's the truth. I love Disney, and that's never going to change. 
I went to Florida, and things happened because I made them happen. I applied for jobs down here, and my family helped me move down here. 
But before I got here, I was fighting a viscous battle with anxiety. I felt lost, and as if the world wouldn't stop spinning. I was moving from place to place with no goals, and I was ashamed of the fact that I hadn't accomplished what I wanted to. 
My uncle died. It was a shock. I was scared and I didn't know if there was anything I could do. 
He was really proud of me, and I learned that he was telling everyone about my travels in South Korea. 
But I felt that I had failed. I felt that I wasn't going after anything that I wanted. 
Now, I had some incredible adventures in South Korea. I started writing again. I made all these amazing friends, and I felt like I was in a memorable chapter of my life. I learned so many lessons, and I even have a few scars. 
I moved from South Korea to Colorado to Arkansas and then Florida. I was able to work for the job I wanted, but I wasn't able to keep it. 
My grief crept up on me. And my shame. 
So I'm going back, and I'm starting from scratch. 
I'm fighting a battle with anxiety, and I'm going to win it. For my uncle. For my parents, and most of all, for me. 
I will make things happen. This time with a more grateful attitude. I will keep writing, because it's my passion. My new goal is to get my trilogy published. One goal to focus on. I think that's a good start. 
I still haven't given up on my dream. But I know, and I think my subconscious knew first that I need some help right now. I need a safe haven, and that's something I need to create. 
I'll get there. One step at a time. 


Sunday, May 8, 2016

Captain America: Civil War: A Movie Review (Spoilers Ahead!)



First of all: Wow! This is the kind of writing that I enjoy- full character exploration with very real emotions involved. A conflict that relates to a flaw in humanity and some interesting consequences. 

So, you're probably wondering, which team am I on? Team Cap or Team Iron Man? 

Well I'm Cap all the way, but it is obvious that Steve Rodgers made some rash decisions. Now Tony Stark made rash decisions too. Both are at fault here, and Vision explains that, but they both have their reasons that we all think: what would I do in that situation. 

First: let's talk about the title: Ciivl War. A war fought from within and allies turning to enemies. This is what happens to the Avengers. The Vision explains that they are headed for catastrophe, but neither Steve or Tony head his warning. Both believe they are doing the right thing- and that kind of perspective leads to arrogance, vengence and ultimately loss. 
What's interesting is that both Steve and Tony make their decision with the same emotion. Grief. 
Tony grieves his parents, and Steve grieves for Peggy and Bucky. Their argument begins as a decision over right and wrong about the number of casualities they cause, but it turns into a deeper conflict about processing loss, and allowing that grief to determine their decision. 
Why do they do this? Their human. They aren't perfect, but because they are super hero's, everyone expects them to be. 
Now, let's look at both sides of the argument. 
Tony believes that the government should control the Avengers to some degree, because they have made mistakes before, and they have caused innocents to suffer because of it. 
Steve believes that the Avengers should have the freedom to decide what to do and how to solve external conflicts. 
Both of them choose this out of grief. Tony thinks of the boy whose mother reminds him was killed in one of the Avengers' missions. Steve thinks of Bucky who had no choice in his thoughts and actions when he became an experiment with Hydra. These storylines make the line even more grey as to whose right, whose wrong and if there is a right or wrong way to determine how battles should be fought. 
Vision observes this, and he tells Wanda that because they think they are right- they are dangerous. 
Watching the battle unfold, as the heroes choose their sides is a deeply emotional conflict that makes the film even more powerful to the audience. 
Thestory of the movie was well done, and I believe it brought up a few questions we can ask ourselves in our daily lives. Questions about loss, grief, friendship and war. 
Even with a serious storyline, the film did a wonderful job balancing humor with the chaos. 



Spider Man took the cake! And Antman was charming. Some of the inside jokes between the characters were wonderful as well. 

I also loved the relationship development between Scarlett Witch and Vision. 

Panther was amazing! I loved his confrontation with the real Villian in the film, and his wise choice relating to vengence. 
I give this film five out of five orange slices ^_^ 





Monday, May 2, 2016

Guest Post: Summoning Character Development



I am happy to announce that I was recently given the opportunity to write an Arcticlt for The Fictorians: a group of savvy writers who discuss storytelling, writing and wisdom in the writer's career. 

I wrote an article about Yuna, and how she grows through the Final Fantasy series. 

You can read the article here: 


And for more fun, check out the Fictorian's website here: