First, let’s talk about an app I discovered but can’t use. It’s not ever that I covet an iPhone app. However this app just kills me. It’s called…

Epic Win

“Rather than just ticking off your chores and reminders, completing each one earns you XP to improve and develop your character in an onging quest to improve stats, gain riches, and level-up.”

* To-do list with a Role-Playing-Game spin
* Streamlined and fast to use
* Range of avatars to level-up with
* Destroy your chores in animated battles
* Points & rewards for completing your tasks
* Loot to discover and share

Really, it’s just not fair. Android and Open Source are just so geeky, why are we not allowed the epitome of geek RL crossover apps? It just makes me sad. Unfortunately I have yet to see any rumors about an Android version, there’s sure a lot of people wish listing it though!

Who wouldn't want this as a To-Do list manager?!

That’s enough jealousy for now. On to things I can actually use!

After I got my Magic in exchange for my Dream (long story about stupid Android 2.1 update which we are still waiting for!) I started using htc Peep as my mobile Twitter client but due to some update issues and stuff it got broke. So I’m back to using…

Twidroid

It’s really not a bad client. I haven’t been using for long enough to know if this issues which initially drove me away have all been resolved.

• Ate up the battery
• Very slow loading new screens
• Widget only available on paid app

Those were the big three. I know for sure the last one is still the same, and I’m hopeful that newer versions have fixed the first two.

At the same time I’m still hoping they fix Peep soon!

I have just discovered an awesome new program thanks to Lifehacker (really that is a great site that everyone needs to add to their RSS subscriptions). One of the big things I was looking forward to with Android 2+ was Google Navigation. Not so much anymore thanks to…

Waze

Were you a PacMan fan growing up? Imagine that as an app for your car, seriously. Who doesn’t want to drive around a giant PacMan level?! If you don’t then really, just stop reading this blog… we can’t be friends.

This app is still new. So if you want a 100% perfect app maybe give it a bit, but if you do you’ll be missing out. One of the neat things about this app is the fact that it learns based on the people using it. Users can add information like new roads, traffic jams/construction, and even police speed traps! All users in the area will receive notice (this option can be turned off if you’d rather not be distracted). Another neat option is the integration with Foursquare.

Aside from all that cool stuff… it also works as a GPS to get you from point A to point B, or C, or whatever! It has real time turn by turn instructions and a voice guide. From what I’ve seen this isn’t quite perfect, the voice didn’t always seem to work but it maybe have been my music was too loud

My only complaint so far is a somewhat minor detail about the navigation search. It’s integrated with Google search which is great, everything is handled through the app, no complaints there. It’s failing is the lack of sync with your personal contacts. What I was really hoping for was the ability to tell it to drive to Mom’s, or whoever’s, and it would pull the matching address from my Google Contacts. I have heard this is available on the iPhone version and made a post requesting it for Android. Seeing as they are still developing for both Os we should see it soon!

Speaking of…

Foursquare

You either enjoy this app or you don’t. It doesn’t really offer any true functionality or fill any need. But you know what? That’s ok by me. Cuz it’s just kind of fun.

Some people think it’s creepy, to me there is a cool thing about knowing where my friends are at. Typically I will check in if I’m going somewhere cool or different, so not every time I need to fill up my gas tank! However if I’m thinking of spending a few hours at a local coffee shop? You’ll see it pop up on my Twitter feed as a checkin. I figure that way, if you’re out and about, maybe you’ll stop in and say hi.

Unfortunately I think most of my friends fall into the “it’s creepy” category and as such I don’t know anyone really that uses it locally. Me? I’ll keep using it because it’s fun for me. And our tech toys should always be fun!

So thanks to the awesome Epic Win not being available on Android the one app I don’t have to review from my own personal perspective is a good…

To Do List

Probably the most popular is Astrid and that is the one that I begrudgingly use, gotta say I don’t love it. It’s too much, too many options, too much fuss. For a while I was using GTasks which I loved. It has a free version but the best features were only limited time unless you paid for the app. It’s the one app I’m seriously considering paying for… I am sad to see there isn’t a free Open Source version that stacks up.

The one other app that is still on my wishlist is a good app to…

Manage Google Docs

As far as I have seen there is not really an app available which syncs documents with my phone. Given that most of my writing is done on my netbook (I have the pink one ) this hasn’t been like a “AAAARRRRRGGG” issue. There may very well be one out there I haven’t found yet.

Ending on a more technical note, one of my biggest complaints about my smart phone was the lack of battery life. Running all these awesome apps can really suck a battery dry! Especially as many apps don’t come with an Exit button and will continue to run in the background. No problem after a friend told me about…

TasKiller

A couple of the really great features of this program are the ability to Ignore certain programs. gTalk is a good example of a program that I leave running all the time. However things like my Calculator and my Browser need to close when I’m done with them.

Coupled with that is the ability to kill all non-ignored tasks. This is something I usually do right after startup. You’d be shocked at how many unnecessary programs boot up. Then I will use the app to make sure that programs are closed down when I’m finished with them.

I highly suggest this program, if only to kill the start up apps!

The logo is cute too! hehe

So that’s my digital life! At least as far as it applies to my phone. Probably a boring read if you don’t own an Android phone, but hey… maybe it will convince you to get one!

Got any programs you think I should check out? Or comments on any of the ones I’ve listed? Please let me know!!

Don't you love ... the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms. (You've Got Mail)

Does anyone else feel like the start of the school year is like a special version of New Year’s? As soon as summer’s over and the rain, fog and cold start it’s like I drank a quadruple shot espresso while on a sugar high. I love this time of year best of all. Instead of feeling like we’re nearing the end of something I have always felt like it is about beginning something new.

You’ll notice, if you’ve been a reader of this blog before, that we have a new theme going on. Just felt like it was time you know? New season, new beginnings, new theme! I’m liking the cleaner look, hopefully I will make better use of this blog over the fall than I did over the summer!

This fall I’m looking forward to teaching regularly again. I will have the same student I had last year which is very exciting as he’s never had the same teacher twice in a row. We’ll be doing a few novel studies in English including A Christmas Carol, Heart of Darkness, and The Hobbit. This move away from the traditional grammar of last year should be really great.

Speaking of novels I have started to compile my reading list. I like to have a list of books to tackle over the fall/winter when the weather lends itself to staying inside curled up with a blanket and a cup of coffee plus a great book. Looking at a mix of classics and new stuff. Some noteworthy mentions are:

• Tale of Two Cities
• Pride and Prejudice
• Black Beauty
• Lord of the Rings
• Black Circle: The Birth of Evil

Got any ideas you think I should add to the list? Let me know!

In addition to reading I of course have plenty of stories planned. It’s time to start thinking and planning for my NaNoWriMo novel! Or at the very least come up with a plot. Several ideas I had for it were too good and just needed starting right away. One of the ideas I’m considering is actually doing a series of children’s books/novels. Mostly what is stopping me is that I’m not sure I could write enough material to meet the 50, 000 word requirement. The other idea that has made the short list is actually a fan fiction. I’ve wanted to do a Sirius Black fan fic for a long time, this may be a good opportunity. We’ll see. Right now I’m doing what I always do with any task/problem that I face, I’ve throw the idea in my brain and I’m letting it float around and see what pops out!

Lastly, what makes this fall so special is minime starts Kindergarten this year! She is SO excited for school, and according to her what she is most excited for is homework! Yes, that’s right… she’s most definitely my daughter.

My sister is also looking into going back into school for an Arts/English degree and I’ve asked her that if she does could she tell me what her assignments are so I could do them too, just for fun.

Yes, I am strange but it’s ok, I’ve accepted it.

Wondering where I’m camping at? Wonder no more…

Gorgeous nay? Black Mountain Ranch is called a “campers country club” which is a little lame I will admit, but the place itself is pretty cool. My parents and my grandparents both bought properties here. Basically you buy a lot and set up a permanent trailer. Provided here for use by members are: a golf course, media center, arts and crafts rooms, horseback riding, indoor/outdoor pools, sauna, etc. Was looking forward to some trails as well but a bear warning kinda nipped that in the butt lol.

All in all it’s pretty chillaxing. Horseback riding has easily been my favorite. The first day I was here I went (as all newbies do) on the “C” ride and did my testing to move up to the “B” ride. It was also minime’s first time on a horse and she loves it.

Today will be her last chance to ride this trip as the ranch gives the horses Tuesday and Wednesday off each week which I think is a great idea, even if it means less riding for us.

So this isn’t exactly roughing it camping, but it’s fun. Been a great break from the norm and just a lot of being lazy and enjoying having nothing to do hehe. Story of my life, I haven’t done as much writing as I had planned (although there are a few more days here so that could be corrected). Writing is happening, just… slowly. The story I’m working on is a little stuck at the moment so I’m slogging through, writing garbage for the most part, and hoping it gets better soon!

Finally, I’ve been reading a book that has been suggested to me many times:

Taking my time reading this, only little snippets here and there, rather than sitting down and finishing the entire thing in a single sitting. A new strategy and part of my plan to just chillax this week. I’m nearly 300 pages in and I’m liking it… not in love with it as I was with another series by the same author: Song of Albion. Really good celtic historical fiction is hard to find! The series I was reading in my last post turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. It received such rave reviews I was really miffed, but ahh well… maybe I’ll attempt them again some other time.

That’s all for now, I may blog again before we leave… probably not lol. But enjoy the pics!

What does this mean for writers? To me it means reading… and reading… and then reading some more. When I read other people’s writing it busts me out of the cliche rut I can often find myself in. It gives me an idea how other people put their plots together and I can pick and chose what I like about it.

Maybe it’s because I’m not very creative. I’m better at taking someone else’s idea and running with it, or retelling real life stories (or things that happen in video games) and turning them into creative writing stories. Stretching the term “creative writing” perhaps. Perhaps I should classify myself as a bard rather than an author? If only I was better at poetry…

Aaaaaanyways…

Instead of doing so much writing I’ve been reading a lot this summer. One of the series that has grabbed my attention is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

It’s a great bit of historical Celtic fiction… I really couldn’t recommend it more. Next on the list is a reread of Tale of Two Cities I think.

So what have you been reading?

My favorite letter to handwrite is “f”, it just looks so pretty!

Some days I love going to work, some days I don’t want to be there as much as my students don’t.

I don’t use a red pen to correct my students’ work… I use a green sparkly one because it looks happier. I hated getting papers back all covered in red, it just looks so angry and mean.

Seeing a student start to improve on a skill that they’ve been having trouble with is one of the best feelings in the world.

Originally I wanted to teach university Genetics and Microbiology (that’s what my degree is for) but I have found that I love teaching Elementary and Middle school Special Needs.

I think for the most part, the school system is broken and failing our students. Even though the teachers try hard, too many of them give up and just go through the motions. That’s my biggest fear.

So any other teachers have any confessions they want to share?

Today, dear friends, is Towel Day. Celebrated the same day as Geek Pride Day of course, today is the day to proudly wear your towel in public (and your other clothes please).

I don’t have much to say on the subject, really… what needs to be said?! Enjoy today, link pics if you take em, and remember:

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK OF ABILITY TO WRITE.

I want to write, I even have a story idea that I like. So what’s the problem? It won’t work!! Every time I find some time where nothing else requires my attention, I can come up with a To Do list a mile long… topping the list are things like:

• Fold and put away laundry (something I hate doing!)
• Organizing my desk (a losing battle)
• Stare at the ceiling

Get the picture?

So if I’m not being totally distracted by other things… I’m being distracted by myself. When I try and force myself to write it all just comes out awkward and weird. I asked a friend (hmm, I think I can call her a friend, we’re Twitter friends at least… either way, she’s cool), @S_NelsonBuckley, whose one of the editors (and authors!) over at PaperBox Books and also has a blog, what she does when she just can’t write. Her answer? She writes anyways lol. It’s old wisdom, write now, edit later. Shoot, it’s even the whole concept behind NaNoWriMo! But it’s hard to do that when even the actual story is floundering around on the page.

The worse part is, I do truly like this story. There’s a few interesting bits in it, with a heavy dose of weird and a splash of real-but-no-one-will-believe-it… so why won’t it write? Maybe it’s not ready yet. I have a theory that stories will float around in my brain until they decide to be written. I, the author, have no function other than to provide the fingers to make the story a reality.

This bout of fighting with Writer’s Block usually comes about right before a story choses to appear in a tangible way so there’s not really much to do other than wait.

So what, you might be wondering, is the point of this blog post?

Here’s the kicker…

There isn’t one. Not really.

The best part is? That’s the whole point anyways.

This blog is aptly titled “Musings of a Scattered Mind” because that is exactly what you can expect to find here. Some days it’s more coherent than others… today seems less so.

Hmm, might be time to get some writing done…

I think I’ll go do laundry.

A few weeks ago I submitted the first ten pages of a novel I’d written to @PaperBoxBooks. They were offering free critiques from their editing/publishing staff and I jumped on the chance to have some professionals go over my work! (Can I just make a note about how friggen nervous I was?! I could totally picture Simon Cowell clones telling me how awful my writing was while I tried to tell them how my friends and family thought I was brilliant.) I heard back from them really quickly and they liked it! They did have some suggestions which were very helpful. The problem? Then 10 pages I submitted were the entirety of what I’ve written! So now I actually have to finish it hehe.

For those not familiar with the story here’s a little snippet:

The girl in the backseat of the cab jumped as the phone rang again. She looked down at the broken screen wishing, not for the first time, that she could see who was calling.

“Hello?”  The cab driver, hearing the worry in his passenger’s voice, looked at her in the mirror.

She might have been pretty, it was hard to tell right now. Her brilliant red hair looked like it was pulled into a french braid; with all the pieces flying here and there he couldn’t be sure. Large dark-tinted rockstar glasses covered most of her face, the rest was very red, and a little swollen. He turned his eyes back to the road, the bruises on her chest and arms looked too much like they were caused from fingers that weren’t her own.

“Shalymar don’t han…” She snapped the phone closed, took several deep breaths and tried to focus on something steady outside the cab.

So that’s the first little bit, it’s not perfect but the idea is there. And perhaps you begin to understand my struggle with emotions as I write this story. Putting myself in that head space is hard. We all have horrible relationships in our past, some are worse than others. I pull on those for inspiration and that takes me back to a place that is hard.

Thankfully, it’s not as bad as it could be. I’ve dealt with the pain of those and they don’t trouble me, but going back to a place where they bothered me. Not easy! And it reminded me of one of my favorite writing quotes:

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed

~Ernest Hemmingway

That’s always been such a good explanation of writing to me. Anyways… I want to finish this story, but I have to balance it with the writing of something not quite so traumatic. I’m thinking… fantasy. Something magical, fantastical, something… not real. Reality is a nice place, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Not sure yet what form this fantasy is going to take, although it is beginning to come together in my brain. See, whenever I start a new story I just throw all of the ideas for it into my brain and let them sort themselves out. Then new characters will pop up and say hi and tell me about themselves. Stories will happen of their own accord, and all that’s left for me is to tell the tale.

So what’s your experience with writing particularly emotional pieces? Anyone else feel the need to balance them with other writing so as not to become completely depressed?

They say writers are crazy…

I say they aren’t wrong.

A conversation I had with a dear friend I met on the site shortly after I joined put everything into the forefront for me again so I felt compelled to write this post. To be honest reader, this post isn’t totally for you, mostly it’s for me to work through some things in my brain and how I feel about protag.

See, when I first joined I was really intimidated. The majority of the authors were older than me, and they were all far more talented. I debated for days about joining a collaboration for fear that I would mess it up. My first several posts were solo stories. And, in fact, my first attempt at a collab, I messed up!

In a story by G2 she included the following Author’s Guidance for her story “A Touch of Madness”

I want you to imagine that society has deemed the creative and/or intelligent unfit to be a part of society. That the creative/intelligent folks need to be “put away” somewhere, somehow. What happens to the creative folks? Preferably, I’d like this to fit you; in other words, you should think about this from either your “self-self” perspective or your “Protag-self” perspective. But you can change it up if you want, I really don’t mind.

She wrote a story of extended guidance as her introduction and by then I decided to just go ahead and jump into the story! MAN I was nervous! Turned out, she had in mind a series of shorts, rather than the intro to a continuous collab that I wrote. Right away when I found out I replaced my post with:

******************** Coming Soon *********************

On account of Asheyna’s inability to follow directions.

*********************************************************

And apologized for messing up her story. But the idea, the idea was cool, and the dear friend I mentioned earlier? He thought so too. So, instead of being disrespectful and hijacking her story I started a new one called Free Your Mind and unleashed a monster.

The journey I went through while that story topped the Hot Stories charts and its descent into chaos outlines all of the issues I’ve had with collaborative writing. It began with a few people posting often. We would follow on each other’s coat tails, writing about the previous chapter and had developed a really neat flow to the story. Then, slowly, the story started to devolve. People were so anxious to jump aboard the “hot story” they disregarded Author’s Guidance, comments, notes and critiques. Anyone who knew me during that time probably got a bit of my pulling my hair out while ranting about this or that. (Many thanks btw, for those who kept me sane and kept with the original story).

Free Your Mind grew to an amazing (and at the time record-breaking) 124 chapters. And for the most part each chapter was well thought out, interesting, and kept the story moving. The authors attempted to work together to maintain continuity and I furiously attempted to keep the Guidance updated so as to make their job easier. But, alas, it died out, much to my relief at the time. The direction the story was heading when it died was so far from what we, the few core authors, had envisioned at the beginning. Much appreciation to darkliquid, Archi, G2, Robynn, Dru, Kaiser, Afroferret and Faltarego for a seriously amazing story.

So what did the mess that FYM was teach me? Collaboration is HARD! Even harder without respect, yes respect. That’s what it’s about in my mind. My creations are dear to me, characters live in my head like friends and every time I sit down to write I refuse to put up anything I’m not proud of. I work hard at my craft, striving always to be even better than I was before. I welcome critiques, even if at the time they hurt my feelings. Let’s face it, we all want to hear our work is perfect and without fault… the truth is, it’s not. The comments and critiques help me get better. It’s been just over a year since I joined Protagonize and I can honestly say I’ve grown in all areas.

Without Protag I never would have met so many dear friends. The friendships I’ve begun alone make the experience (however trying at times) worth it. Through them I heard about this crazy thing called NaNoWriMo and never would have written my first novel. My writing has, in my mind, improved; largely through challenging myself to tackle stories that weren’t necessarily my style. Like a double dactyl poem called Bardishly Speaking or fanfiction like A Squib at Hogwarts? (thanks faltarego for that btw) or my latest crazy project which is both morally and ethically challenging, Ten. Before Protag I wrote little bits and pieces, messing about with ideas generally along the same lines and often with main characters who oddly enough resembled me quite strongly.

Writing is about growing, none of us are perfect, although I’ve met some authors whose craft is pretty damn close. Whether we’re a teenager exploring what this whole “being an author” thing is about, or a seasoned writer aiming for that illustrious goal of getting our first book published… we all need to grow. And that is what Protagonize was all about for me. Approaching every story with a touch of reverence, a  dab of respect, and a healthy dose of fear that everything was about to go horribly wrong.

That all sounds a bit like a eulogy doesn’t it? In a way it is. I’m mourning the loss of a dear friend while its evil twin is mocking me all the while. The old Protagonize is gone, and it will never be the same. It has the potential to grow into something better, the incredible @NickB has some changes planned for the site such as groups (which have been implemented) and stories restricted to these groups which can be made invite only, and a very cool interface for editors to scout out new talent.

Is it too late? I had a publisher email me recently and one of the things that came out of our conversation was her impression that Protagonize was a site mainly for the early teen crowd and didn’t have much in the way of mature talent. This was underlined once again for me when @Papablue posted the following thread:

Anyone here is the legal drinking age? At first glance, everyone seems to be in high school.

Any … adults on Protagonize or just kids young writers?

And then his follow up later:

Well, the old guys should be more active in the stories also! Or am I just looking in the wrong places?

What are old people writing about these days?

Come on, old people, gather ’round.

So, Papablue, my answer is this: We aren’t really all that active any more. At least this “adult” (I’m not old and I’m barely an adult lol) isn’t. Why? Because I feel like I’ve been beaten out. You know when you have this awesome spot and then one person starts kinda inching their way in, and then more, and then a whole crowd. And before you even realize what was happening you’re standing WAAAY over there watching all these people trash your spot?

I’ve tried getting involved, I’ve tried working with the younger crowd, helping them to grow as a writer. I’ve spent time reading their posts and giving them helpful tips while trying not to scream. Offered suggestions for minor changes to help their contributions actually work within the story. I’ve yet to have one of them take it with any sort of appreciation. Reactions range from: “im just havin fun lolololololol” to out and out sulking. Two things to say to that:

A) If you’re just having fun, don’t ASK FOR COMMENTS!!!

B) If you want to write as part of a proper collaborative team people are going to have critiques and suggests for you, that’s sort of the point. All of us working together in order to get better. If this is not something you’re interested in, don’t join.

That last comment may make me seem like an elitist or that I’m trying to be cliquey, and I am and I’m not. I will write with anyone willing to learn and grow as a writer. I’m far from perfect and even recently have had comments on what I’ve written in order to make it better, including my pet peeve…. continuity issues.

So now I’m torn. I’m banging my head against a brick wall and the only thing it’s doing is giving me a headache. Until this morning I had been content to leave Protagonize behind me and move onto other things. The most recent series of events on there had completely soured me on the site. Then Monty came along with his comments, thoughts and opinions and he’s got me rethinking it.

The way I see it I’m left with few options. I can post things on Protagonize that I don’t care of someone comes along and destroys, but that’s not my style. I care deeply about everything I write. So then is the answer to become an elitist? Make a flat out policy that I don’t collab at all? Or turn cliquey, and refuse to write with anyone outside of a select few?

I don’t have the answers and am open to thoughts and comments from anyone willing to give me a moment of their time.

Thanks for listening,
Ash

One song that takes me back to my youth is:

“Wonder Wall” by Oasis – Everytime I hear that song I am instantly transported back to high school, sitting around the locker room with the guys on their guitars all playing it and us girls singing along.

My first concert ever was:

Avril Lavigne! My boyfriend at the time got us tickets for a concert in Kelowna so we drove up there, spent the night and then went to the concert, it was awesome. (FYI – this was back before Avril became a total and complete sellout)

If I could create my dream music festival I’d want these bands to be there:

The Beatles, Wintersleep, Owl City, Adele, Breaking Benjamin, Lifehouse… hey you said it was my dream concert, just cuz no one else would wanna be there… lol.

The best make-out song ever is:

Now that’s a good question. Hmm… I’m going to go with “Your Body is Wonderland” by John Mayer and “Everything” by Lifehouse.

The best concert I’ve ever been to was:

The first Owl City concert I went to. Was at the Biltmore Cabaret before anyone in the “top 40″ had ever heard of him. Was amazing, small, intimate, and a TOTAL blast!!

A memorable musical moment for me was:

Singing an Irish ballad at a voice competition, turned out to be my last one. I won gold and it was really well received!

The song on my iPod Zune that’s getting the most play these days is:

Gonna have to pick a couple for this one. “Weighty Ghost” and “Is There a Ghost?” by Wintersleep, “Coffee Girl” by The Tragically Hip, “Before Tomorrow Comes” and “Broken Wings” by Alterbridge and finally “Looking for Angels” by Skillet. There is just no way on earth I could pick between those songs! I had to stop myself from picking more than that!!