Writing Prompt 53: Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me.
My Dad. My close friends and family, and many famous or well known people throughout history and up to modern day.

Here's my current list of them in no particular order:

The entire team behind the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, especially Bernie Su, Hank Green, Jenni Powell, Margaret Dunlap, Rachel Kiley, Kate Rorick and Jay Bushman
Ashley Clemments (Actress who played Lizzie Bennet)
The entire team behind The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, especially Nessa Aref, Courtney Christensen, Christina Bialik and Shaan Rahman
Alysson Hall (Actress who play Jane and script writer for the series)
Walt Disney (The maker of Mickey Mouse and animated and live action movies)
Hayao Miazaki (Creator of many animated films from Japan, including Howl's Moving Castle)
Ridley Pearson (Author of adult mysteries, and the Disney series Kingdom Keepers)
Rick Riordan (Teacher and Author of the Percy Jackson series)
Sarah Dessen (A mother and a YA author)
Sarah Beth Durst (A fantasy and YA author)
John Green (YA author)
Neil Gaiman (Fantasy author)
Tamora Pierce (Fantasy author)
Julliet Marlier (A fantasy and YA author of Wildwood Dancing)
Peter S. Beagle (Fantasy author of The Last Unicorn)
J.R.R. Tolkein (Author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)
J.K. Rowling (Author of the Harry Potter series)
Kate Morton (Author of Mystery/Fiction)
Gail Carson Levine (Author of Children's Lit Fantasy Stories including Ella Enchanted)
Alex Flynn (Author of Beastly)
Jane Austen (Author of seven well known novels)
Natsuki Takaya (Author and Artist for Fruits Basket)
The Hong Sisters (script writers for Korean Dramas including You're Beautiful)
Park Shin Hye (Singer and Actress)
Suzy (Singer and Actress)
Amy Adams (Singer and Actress)
Emma Thompson (Actress)
Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (Creators of Avatar the Last Airbender)
Kazushige Nojima and Daisuke Watanabe (Writers of Final Fantasy X)
Tetsuya Nomura (Writer/Creator of Kingdom Hearts)
Mary Hoffman (Author of Fantasy/ YA series Stravaganza)

I'm sure there are more. Here's my Pinterest board dedicated to amazing people from history who inspire me:
http://www.pinterest.com/sarahbelle624/people-who-inspire-me/

Who inspires you?

Writing Prompt 46: 10 line poem

 (picture by http://bookhangovers.tumblr.com/)

Prompt: Write a ten line poem

Quiet is louder than conflict.
It cuts through like a knife.
No communication.
No understanding.
Nothing.
Just Silence.
Nonexistence.
It is a void.
A giant hole that demands to be filled.
With something . . . anything.

30 day challenge day 18: Summer

Prompt: Summer

Summer is reading Sarah Dessen novels in sunshine. It is watching the summer blockbusters at the movies. It's hiking and canoeing. Hanging out with friends and family. Preparing for the summer rush to the mountains on weekends. Summer sales and crazy weather. Summer is a crazy time of the year. Unpredictable and chaotic. It can rain one moment and be hot enough to bake something outside the next.
It's not my favorite season. I usually do spring cleaning during Summer.

The Real Life of A Writer

I was fortunate enough to discover that Sarah Dessen, one of my favorite Young Adult writers was interviewed about the life of a writer and the writing process. I was amazed to discover that she decided to drop four books, and even dropped one that her agent wanted her to publish. At the same time, I've been reading about Walt Disney, and how he made some tough decisions throughout his career. I think that the best way to advance towards your dream is to be honest with yourself. Sometimes that means taking the more difficult road and sticking to it with determination. As I read about these two artists, I really thought about the long road I have ahead of me. I want to be the kind of writer that offers good quality stories and timeless themes. Sometimes that will mean making tough decisions and really revising a personal favorite story. I have a feeling that the real life of any successful artist in the entertainment industry will involve many situations that put them to the test. But, the decisions these people make truly matter in their success. For example, it is better to worry about the quality of the story than try to surprise your readers with too many twists. I personally admire J. R. R. Tolkien for never writing a sequel to Lord of the Rings no matter how hard he was pressured. Dessen made a similar decision, where she chose not to publish one story, even though she needed the money, because it didn't feel right. Walt Disney decided that he would produce Cinderella instead of retiring and living off his other productions. This is probably the most important characteristic of a successful person, perserverance. Honesty and Dedication really go a long way. I already know that it's a slow climb to get where you want to be, but everything I've read about these successful people tells me the struggle is worth it. Everyone makes mistakes and learns from them, no matter what job they have. But the real trick to being successful is to take those difficult times and learn the lessons to succeed in the future. So I believe that the real life of a writer relies on the path to success, and every journey through a career is a journey to the self.

Whose career path inspires you to live your dream?

Thoughtful Thursdays 2: A Thoughtful Book Review

I recently finished What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. The message of this novel is actually a lesson that I had to learn myself, but not to the extreme of the protagonist Mclean.
As Mclean reaches the end of senior year in High School, she has obtained five identities.Her habit of giving herself a new name and personality was a coping mechanism with the many moves forced on her since her parents' divorce. As if a divorce was not complicated enough, Mclean also deals with fear of attachment. The many names she creates give her a way to avoid her own indentity. In truth, the real problem Mclean faces involves what she wants and who she is.
I have always loved Sarah Dessen's books since the moment I discovered Just Listen and found a favorite in This Lullaby. Each novel invites the reader into a psychological journey of dealing with difficult situations. Mclean is supposed to be the average girl, and on the surface, people would be impressed by all the activities she joined, and all the feats she accomplished; but, because Mclean refuses to get close to anyone, she has no true home within herself. One of the best scenes in this book, is the big reveal, when Mclean's new friends discover her many profile pages and she is forced to realize her true identity. I can relate to this, because my coping mechanism to avoid being close to others was to adapt to my favorite characters from books and television. After pretending to be a character who was too extreme for my personality, I realized that I had to learn to be myself and trust others. Mclean learns this lesson through the failure to create a new bogus identity when she moves to Lakeview, and her attempt to claim a new persona fails more than once. But the thing about Mclean's story is not only about the importance of discovering your identity. The true heart of the book involves the matter of creating a home for yourself.

One of the best quotes from the book is the revelation Mclean has about the real definition of a home.

"Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place but a moment, and another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go." (Dessen 364-365)

After reading the entire book, this quote stayed with me. Mclean's journey to discover herself is well worth the read for anyone who feels like they have no where to go, or even people who don't know their true persona. I give this book five out of five Blueberry Banana Brain Freezes. Mclean's story is a wonderful insight to the sanctuary you must find within yourself.

Sarah Dessen and Self Esteem

One of my favorite authors is Sarah Dessen, who writes everyday stories about girls going through a hard time, finding their obstacle, and conquering it in many different ways. Each story is different in terms of the obstacle, which is usually self inflicted on the main character. After reading Just Listen last night, I noticed her characters always have deep and inspiring quotes about life and the obstacles you face. These coping skills create personalities for each character that almost seem 3 dimensional. Here are a few quotes from her characters.

"It's a lot easier to be lost than found. It's the reason we're always searching and rarely discovered--so many locks not enough keys." Ruby- Lock and Key

"I think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is." Wes- The Truth About Forever

"Because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person. No matter what else has changed in you or the world, that one song stays the same, just like that moment. Which is pretty amazing, when you actually think about it." Owen- Just Listen

"And the bottom line is, what defines you isn't how many times you crash, but the number of times you get back on the bike. As long as it's one more, you're all good." Eli- Along for the Ride

"I don't believe in failure, because simply by saying you've failed, you've admitted you attempted. And anyone who attempts is not a failure. Those who truly fail in my eyes are the ones who never try at all. The ones who sit on the couch and whine and moan and wait for the world to change for them."- Keeping the Moon

"The fate of your heart is your choice and no one else gets a vote"- Remy- This Lullaby

And a random rare find on the net:

"Once a heart breaks, it also opens.
And when a heart opens, any number
of things can happen. And some of
them can be beautiful."