Ten years ago today, I sealed a time capsule.


It wasn't much more than an old Tang container filled with silly trinkets my 14-year-old self thought might be significant in the year 2010. Nevertheless, on December 31, 2000, I turned 15, sealed my time capsule and tried to forget what I had put inside.


I have moved three times since then, and the time capsule has (miraculously) survived the journey. I turn 25 today and this morning, I opened the time capsule.

Hey, guess what!
 
I got you a present! 
 
It's not much, but it's all I can afford. And it's homemade--and I had to learn html to make it look all fancy and stuff.*

I hope you like it. 

It's right over there in the links list. It says "Resources".

Clickity click.

Merry Christmas, y'all. I hope it's fantastic!

*As fancy as someone who doesn't know the first thing about html can manage, at least.

If you ever read my twitter feed, you'll recognize today's BTWP interviewee as one of my tweet-besties. She, @Karenof4 and I frequently engage in gut-busting conversations about bugs or reindeer. The things we can come up with on those those two topics alone are unbelievably ridiculous awesome.

So when you're done reading this awesome interview, you should forget that it's Monday and #FF the amazing

Anime

What is your earliest writing memory? What did you write about? Did it have a title?

My earliest writing memory was probably in kindergarten. It was mostly short poems and stories about my family. As I moved into the teenage years, I kept writing poetry, but geared more towards love and heartache. After all, what's 16 (or in my case, 13, 14, 15, etc. ::laughing::) without love and heartache? I had always enjoyed writing, but had never thought that I'd one day aspire to be a writer. I still don't think of myself as one, seeing as I don't really think about it when I write, it just kind of is. My earlier experiences with writing were just thoughts and ideas that I had, nothing ever really concrete, with most never having titles except for the mandatory stuff they made me write in school. I do get nostalgic sometimes because I can still remember sitting in my room, lost in my own thoughts, penning words on paper and trying to figure out words that rhymed with purple (is there such a thing? Ha!).

When you were 6, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Confession: I'm a sucker for a good villain.

In my honest opinion, a villain makes or breaks a book. Even if you have The Best Hero That Ever Walked The Face of Literature, they are NOTHING without a good villain. Woohoo. You're awesome. So what? 

But pit that Best Hero Ever against The Best Villain Ever, and you've suddenly got yourself a match worthy of my short attention span.

So what makes a good villain great?

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

To participate, just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments at YA Highway.


One thing I really love about YA Highway is that their prompts always seem to be so timely. They always fit so neatly with what I've been pondering or they provide the perfect inspiration for my writing.

This prompt comes just as I'm nearing my 25th birthday. In twenty-three days, I will have lived for a quarter of a century. This calls for some serious reflection, man--and that's exactly what I have been doing. (Not that turning 25 makes me any more reflective than usual. I'm tend to go a little overboard with the whole "what does it mean?" thing. After all, life is rather bright. And vibrant.)

Seriously, though, my life is awesome. I've done some really, really crazy things, been to places too beautiful to exist, and made incredibly good friends along the way.

But how to sum that all up in six words? I'd love to steal the motto off my favorite brand of active wear ("Life is Good")*, but that would be 1. stealing, and 2. three words too short.

So here is what I came up with instead:


*Favorite even if I don't actually own anything from them... I just drool over their shirts and hats any time I see them at the store.
P.S. OH MY WORD. I cannot spell "memoirs" tonight to save my life.  I have had to respell my post title 3 times... Oi ve...

You know that YA Highway site I keep talking about? The one that's full of really awesome advice for YA writers and which gives me lots of fun prompts to write about? Well, the thing I really love most about YA Highway is the chance it gives us to "meet" other YA writers as we read each other's Road Trip Wednesday posts.

Today's BTWP interviewee is one such writer. Her answers are always so thoughtful and fun, and she likes cats so she is obviously awesome. Please welcome

Abby Stevens

What is your earliest writing memory? What did you write about? Did it have a title?


When you were 6, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a paleontologist or an archaeologist (seriously, at 6). To this day, l love dinosaurs and ancient civilizations.

I've been a little under the weather lately. Don't worry, it's nothing contagious--or, at least, I don't think it's contagious.

Oh gosh, I hope not. You might want to stop reading now, just to be safe.

You still here? Goodness, you're brave...

My symptoms included

• lethargy
• forgetfulness
• sore fingers
• carpal tunnel 
• headaches
  
• mild irritability
• talking to myself
• sudden outbursts of elation followed by periods of frustration

I checked WebMD and the results were overwhelmingly positive for Brachyscritturapexy*, otherwise known as "Common Writer's Block".

And in honor of this holiday season, I'd like to get into the spirit of giving by finally passing on the award that the lovely Christie from Wright Wild gave me a few weeks ago (Thanks, Christie!).


When thinking of who I'd like to pass this onto, several individuals immediately came to mind. These new friends and writers are full of grace and wisdom and humor. Not only are their blogs lovely, but they are quite lovely themselves! I am truly grateful to be able to associate with them in the writing circles of the internet.


I highly recommend getting to know these bloggers. They are fantastic!