Monday 13 September 2021

My Story Built Of Random Hyper-fixations And Rather Meager Plot (a.k.a. March Week)

So I stole this tag from McKayla and I'm incredibly grateful to her because I have been wanting to do something like this for my March Week story for ages but I could never quite figure out the right way to do it. I don't know how interesting this is to anyone else, but I had fun with it. Photos are all from Pinterest. 

 What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Several things actually, there was a Doctor Who episode, trying to remember a movie that I may or may not have made up when I was little that was very bizarre, a music video, orange juice/food, and my intense love of paper/ink/polaroid's that I will find any excuse to incorporate into what I'm doing. 


Share a blurb [or just an overall summary if you'd prefer]?

So I did post a blurb-ish thing or Prologue thing ages ago so I'll just link that. March Week Summary

 Essentially a small (magical-ish) town is very inconvenienced by a weird freak storm thing and every year the town tries to set off fireworks. However because know one knows when this freak storm will occur, so some of the town takes it upon themselves to use various magical ways to hold off the storm. As no one actually knows what they are doing, this causes havoc for the rest of the town who gets very upset. So for the week of the fireworks, the town is plunged into chaos.

Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the settings?

It takes place in a seaside town that draws heavy inspiration from Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, Derry Girls, and Diana Wynne Jones. One of my favourite aspects about the setting is that I can go off talking about salt, cardigans, the wind, orange juice and eggs, poisonous plants and polaroid's.

Tell us about your protagonists?

So my protagonist's name is Ridley Goth, she works at the local apothecary known as 'The Witchery'. She's commonly referred to as 'the Goth girl' when being referenced by others. Simply because I want it to happen really badly.

She's always had red curly hair in my mind, which is incredibly basic in a sort of magical or magical-related character, but I never said I would be original. She's roughly 16 I believe, she's lived in this town for about 10 years since she showed up mysteriously one day and a family took her in, and she has a rather bad memory so she likes to catalogue things a lot.


This isn't quite how I picture Ridley but this was a 
huge inspiration photo for her at the beginning 

I had a snippet about her personality so I'll use that.

Ridley, in general, tended to prefer people that seemed to dislike her. The fact that she had a quality that put people off was endlessly fascinating to her. Of course she did like the genuinely nice ones, but rude people had an audaciousness that she couldn't quite get over and she liked to poke it occasionally.

The ironic thing is that she's also probably one of the ruder ones, at least among her peers.

There's a delivery boy that catches her at something that she's oddly defensive about and so she has a weird sort of vendetta against him. However she also discovers something about him and she takes it upon herself to view him as a pet project.

Who [or what] is the antagonist?

The antagonist is probably the freak storm, and the townspeople who are very adamant that they know exactly what they are doing but they think everyone else is stupid.

                     What excites you the most about this novel?

Talking about salt in paper sachets. I've been weirdly hyper-fixated on that. It's also very important to me that every room in Ridley's house is a different colour. People's ridiculousness. Also angst, the only true reason to write anything.

Someone also threatens people camping outside of the Witchery with a broom.

Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?

Stand-alone. Or at least it's supposed to be. There's a rather abrupt ending that in a year and a half, I still haven't been able to figure out how to smooth it out. I haven't written it, it's just been sitting there vaguely mocking me.

                       Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plantsing?

Plantsing. I know my major plotline, but the rest of it is more just a series of events rather than an actual story. I more or less know the ending, but what exactly happens in-between is anyone's guess.

Name a few unique elements about the story?

Currently there's a distinct lack of respect for proper plot progression, annoying people who take made-up jobs too seriously, and there's going to be paper and tea everywhere. I am hoping that it will have a transportive quality to it that feels believable. Not that I could ever be Howl's Moving Castle, but I want to strive for the fact that it is so magical and 'real'.  

Share some fun extras of the story

There's mermaids that have been known to kidnap humans in the harbor that seemed very bothered by the freak storm so they leave periodically. This is what prompted the town to believe that the freak storm was possibly linked with magic as mermaids are typically known to enjoy storms.

It's difficult to say what caused the storm, but the residents had taken to calling it after anyone they currently disliked; George's and Elliot's were particularly hated. That is until a traveling circus came through town and the town discovered far worse people than George and Elliot Comings, the local boys that came from the town over to tip cows. 

So I found out a couple months ago that the delivery boy is dyslexic but doesn't actually know that. He just thinks he was cursed once and he enlists the help of Ridley who totally thinks she knows what she's doing. And for awhile, her family insists that, while 'March Week' (a reference to the phrase 'mad as a march hare') is going on, they want her to be accompanied by the delivery boy which annoys her because she's at least a year older than him and she refuses to be 'accompanied by a mere child'.

"Why did you take a job as a delivery boy if you can't read properly?"

Ridley read out another address as the delivery boy sorted piles out from the strewn remnants of the broken mailbag on the road.

"I can read fine," he tied the broken strap into a knot, "it just takes me longer than it does other people. Addresses are short at least."


Sunday 12 September 2021

Not Yet Sweater Weather But It's Close Enough (A Fall Media List+Photos)







Fact 1.

So the photos of the Fae-ish table were supposed to be in the woods but I've recently become afraid of bears so I need everyone to pretend that these were taken in the woods. I may have also accidently eaten fake cobwebs while eating some of the fruit I used after. There's still vegetables in our fridge with cobwebs on them that refuse to come off. The things you have to put up with when you live with me. It was very in theme though, although it's less aesthetic than it sounds.

 Does anyone else have weird backstories and fictional trivia for their photoshoots? Not that anyone would actually know what it is. Or pick out their own personal headcanons about other people's photoshoots? I'm curious.











Movies I want to see 

Last Night In Soho. I want to see it so bad.


Also Cruella. Emma Stone being insane and amazing costumes. What more could you want?



Classic Halloween Movies

Hocus Pocus (1993) (I saw this one recently and I loved it. I understand why it's on everyone's fall lists)

Coraline (2009)/Monster House (2006)/ ParaNorman (2012)

Edward Scissorhands (1990) (I know, I know, technically a Christmas movie)/ Beetlejuice (1988) (I saw Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie more or less recently finally! I meant to get to those ones for ages)

Gremlins (1984)

Ghostbusters (1984)








Fairytale-esque Movies 

Labyrinth (1986)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Sleepy Hollow (1999) (does have some occult things and a bit with a witch that I skipped last time, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.)

Crimson Peak (2015) (Huge disclaimer for this one, it's a gorgeous movie and very watchable, but the 'plot-twist' was incest...so I feel like that should be known going in spoiler or not. I'm still confused on why that was the plot choice but did I mention it's a gorgeous movie.)

Ever After (1998)







Fall Vibe Movies 

Hangman's Curse (2003) (Halloween vibes)

Clue (1985)

Penelope (2006)

A Cinderella Story (2004)






Soft-ish Scary Movies 

A Quiet Place 1&2 (2018,2021)

Scream (all 4, but particularly the 1st one)

Ready or Not (2019)

Signs (2002)/ The Village (2004) 

(Although Scream and Ready or Not are labeled Horror so those ones qualify more as Scary Movies)




Fall Shows

Gilmore Girls

Over The Garden Wall

Are you Afraid of the Dark? (1990's, the 1st season has most of the iconic ones if I remember right)

Twilight Zone 

X-files





Dark Academic Vibes 

The Queen's Gambit (this one is a miniseries and I'm still not over this one, I have a deep personal attachment to it that I'll never quite be able to convey. It's one of those ones that makes me want to crack my brain open and serve it on a platter because that's the only way I know how to express it.)

Tolkien (2019)

The Imitation Game (2014)

Dead Poets Society (1989)




Tail-End of Summer Movies 

The Decoy Bride (2011)

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

La La Land (2016)

Super 8 (2011)

Pride and Prejudice (2005)




Anyways, this is me trying to settle into spooky season.






Wednesday 1 September 2021

So This Month Has Been A Whirlwind (a short list)



I'll be honest, this month didn't go how I thought it was going to go at all. It hasn't been a bad month, it's just been incredibly busy where I was hoping it would be slow.

1. There's been several heat waves (this has been happening for months though so that's not particular to just August)

2.  Tons of smoke and fires, people all over the place got evacuated for a bit there. We had some friends stay with us for a couple days with some of their animals.

3. The world in general is nuts but I have chosen ignorance and I choose to dance in leaves instead.

4. I got a part-time job and next week is going to be super busy.

5. I paid for an English 12 course (have yet to start it, it's rather daunting knowing that I did this to myself and I actually have to complete it. All of you doing multiples courses at the same time and who have proper deadlines have my utmost respect because I'm stressed over just one course)

6. This month I've run into a coyote (loved that), two deer (I was super excited to see them, although they kept staring at me and my sister as we walked in their direction which made us vaguely nervous), we ran away from a black bear that got on it's hind legs and roared at us apparently. I know you're not supposed to run from bears but at least it was behind a (rather old) wooden post fence which is probably the only reason why it didn't chase us. Me and my sister could have actually been attacked and that was rather nerve-wracking, and we saw a mouse that was smaller than a Toonie (a strange Canadian coin that is probably a bit smaller than your palm) and it had the most rounded back I've ever seen on an animal, it was so cute. I love how with the coyote I felt a weird fairytale kin-ship to it, but the bear I was like 'we could have actually died' as if both animals weren't dangerous. But after running into all these animals this month, the thing that almost did take me out was tripping on the sidewalk where there really wasn't anything to trip on. It's sad but true. Turns out my greatest threat is actually myself, not that that shocks anyone.

7. I've had a desperate need to go to a physical bookstore, browse through pages, and just see the books on all the shelves. I found a stunning copy of Pan's Labyrinth (the utter happiness this book copy gives me is incredible). I almost cried walking around the bookstore. You know it's been awhile when that happens. Then later I proceeded to lose my dad at the mall so that was a rather stressful ending but the start of the mall trip was fantastic.

I'm too lazy to take a better photo.


8. I've been excited for Fall to officially begin but also, now that it's getting here, I'm panicked that I'll miss it. So here's to trying to figure out a way to slow my mind down enough to enjoy it.

9. Our water turned brown. Again.

10. This one is kind of gross but we've had a couple really invasive worms showing up at our rat traps so I'm praying that that doesn't turn into anything major.


So anyways, I could add more to this post but I'm planning on doing a Fall list post at some point so I'll save anything I still have for that I think. It's been quite the month.