The New Year and all that jazz

Ok, so 2009 is almost over. Actually, it will be the New Year about twelve hours ahead of America for me. Hehehe.

I really have nothing to say on the subject. I am spending my New Year's Eve at home, throwing an all-nighter and trying to write. The same way I spent last New Year's Eve.

Have a good 2010 y'all.

Two Vlogs. Yes, TWO.

I got bored, and tired, and Mireyah and Discordia have given me a list of Aussie slang and other words they want me to say in my "funny accent". Yes, Mire, I'm glaring at you. And yes, I will translate the slang :P



Sorry about the lag. My webcam SUCKS.

No lag in this one!

My First Vlog!

Nawww... my first vlog!

Gnome Part 2

Ok, ok, so Mire gave me another award that I will deal with at a later date - possibly in a vlog if y'all play nicely :)

(put in requests now if you want to hear any Australian slang from a real, live, true-blue Aussie. I will happily comply).

So, we have come to the end of the Gnome Award, where I must answer questions. Mire had way too much fun giving me a list! So here goes:

Favorite Deadly Animal:
Ok, I had to think about this one. We have a lot of very deadly critters here in Australia - even our cute-and-cuddlies can be dangerous. And I'm the kind of girl who loves dangerous animals, the more venemous the better.

I decided that my favourite is the Irukandji jellyfish, which is found up north in the more tropical waters.


These little darlings are pretty small; they're about the size of the average fingernail on your pinky finger. They are also very poisonous. Deaths are rare - usually the stings are treated well - but they can and have killed people. It takes a few hours or even days, but you'll be writhing in agony for that time. *grin*

Favorite Non-Deadly Cute Animal:
....um. If push comes to shove, I'll have to say geckos.

Aren't they cute?! I hatched some a few years ago.


Favorite Drink:
Apple juice!

Favorite Book:
Uh... hm. I don't really have a favourite at this point in time.

Favorite Piece of Clothing:
My jeans, or my maxi dress. I basically live in them.

Favorite Color other than black:
Dark purple.

Favorite Time of Day:
Late at night. I get a lot done around midnight.

Favorite Pasttime:
Writing, and surfing the net.

Favorite Game:
Atmosfear! For those who don't know, it's a horror-themed DVD board game. I play as Elizabeth Bathory (Google it if you're unaware of her awesomeness) and the 'host' on the DVD is a very sarcastic Reaper. Lots of fun.

Favorite phrase:
"OMG LOL". But not as in oh-em-gee-ell-oh-ell. As in omg, lol. Say it like you would a normal word. I say this way too much.

Favorite Weather:
When I'm inside, thunderstorms. Outside: warm and partly cloudy.

Favorite Language other than English / Japanese:
Latin.

Favorite movie other than Hannibal:
The Orphanage, directed by Guillermo del Toro. This is the most stunning, atmospheric movie I have ever seen. It is also the best example of horror I have ever watched - or read, for that matter. If you haven't seen it, do so. It will blow your mind.

Favorite author:
Dean Koontz. Oh, and a certain Miss Mireyah Wolfe :)

Now to pass it on! I give the Gnome Award to... drumroll please... Victoria S! I don't know if you've already gotten it. If you have, suck it up sweetheart! :P

In other news: I went SHOPPING. I BOUGHT STUFF. And also tried a Hershey's bar, which I didn't know existed in Australia. My life is complete. :P

The Usual Christmas Stuff

Okay, so I'm in Australia; it was Christmas here before it was Christmas for my American lovelies. Muahaha.

My parents decided to fuel my twisted mind and got me The Sims 2 Double Deluxe Edition + University EP. I have created Saf and Thomas. They are currently studying drama and art respectively. Saf passed her first semester; Thomas didn't. Poor guy.

I also got a black satin nightgown and dressing gown, which I have been wearing all day because I looooooooooooooove satin!

((on a side note, I'm currently listening to 'I Am The Walrus' by The Beatles. It's bizarre.))

And I got a bookstore voucher, a jewellery store voucher and a BIG ring that is styled to look like black vines. It is GORGEOUS.



See? *grin*

I answered the Infamous Harry Potter Questions, and rather stupidly accepted a challenge from Frankie. Apparently this means I am going to die. *shrugs*

I think that's it for today... Merry Christmas/Chanukah/relevant holiday, everyone!

Oh, and go recruit me some followers!

Gnome Award: Part One

Okay, I'ma kill that girl. Mire has decided to give me the Favourite Gnome Award, so now I have to answer the Infamous Harry Potter Questions. Here goes:

The Infamous Harry Potter Questions.

Favorite Book?

Hm... I'm going to have to say Goblet of Fire. It was definitely JK's best writing, and I love it when the bad guy comes back :)

Favorite Chapter?

Oh, gosh.. testing my memory, are we? I honestly can not remember which chapter it is, but the one in Half-Blood Prince where Hermione sends a flock of birds at Ron's head after he has a make-out session with Lavender Brown.


Favorite Scene?

I'm going to go all old-school and say the scene in Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone for you Americans) when Harry finds the Mirror of Erised, and sees his family.

Favorite Muggle?

Do Squibs count? Please?

They do now. *glares* My favourite is definitely Mrs Figg. She is totally awesome.


Favorite Teacher?

Hm... I'm going to have to say Lupin. I mean, seriously, he was pretty epic.


Favorite Class?

DADA, of course.

Favorite Gryffindor?

Ron. He may have the "emotional range of a teaspoon" but he is just too awesome to ignore.


Favorite Hufflepuff?

*groan* I don't want to say Cedric, but I will.

Favorite Ravenclaw?

Luna, definitely. I am very glad someone brought the existence of wrackspurts to my attention - it explains so much!


Favorite Slytherin?

Malfoy. He is such an intriguing character. Oh, and he's YUMMY.


Favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts Prof?

Once again, I must say Lupin.

Favorite Quidditch Match?

Four little words, my friends: Weasley is our King.


Favorite Quidditch Player?

It's a tie between Ron and Harry.


Favorite Wand Ingredient?

Hm... probably unicorn tail hair.


Favorite Wizard Band?

The Weird Sisters. C'mon, they were played by Franz Ferdinand in the movie!


Favorite Library Book?

Y'know, I think I'd go insane in the Hogwarts library. So much awesomeness in one place would make my head implode. But my favourite book would have to be Hogwarts: A History.

Favorite Text Book?

Hm... Advanced Potions. Half-Blood Prince edition. XD


Favorite Hogsmeade Store?

The Three Broomsticks! That counts, right?


Favorite Diagon Alley Shop?

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.


Favorite Weasley Twin?

I can't choose - they're so awesome! Gred and Forge!


Favorite Fight?

The final battle in Half-Blood Prince, without a doubt.


Favorite Couple?

For the amusement factor: Ron and Lavender.

Favorite Scene in a Graveyard?

In Goblet of Fire, when Harry fights the fully-fledged Voldement using Expelliarmus.

Favorite Villain?

Quirrell. He was kind of awesome in a pathetic way.


Favorite Trewlany Prophecy?

I can not say anything other than The Prophecy.


Favorite Ron Line?

In the books: "Blimey!"

Movies: "Why did we have to follow the spiders? Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"


Favorite Dumbledorism?

Nitwit, oddment, blubber, tweak.


Favorite Beast?

Buckbeak, hands down.

Favorite Movie?
It's a tie between Philosopher's Stone and Goblet of Fire.



Favorite Scene in the Hospital Wing?

When Lockhart removed Harry's arm bones and they had to be regrown, and then Dobby showed up in the middle of the night.


Favorite Method of Getting to Hogwarts?
Gotta love that flying turquiose Ford Anglia.

Favorite Patil Twin?

Hm... Parvati.


And I now declare the questions VANQUISHED.

Now, my pretties, you must assault me with "What is your favourite ______?" questions. You have until Sunday night my time, and I'm half a day ahead of y'all... so have fun :)

Some Randomness

I have a few things to blog about today. I am trying my best to finish this chapter of Hybrid, but it's being a little... stubborn, shall we say? Saf and Thomas are refusing to get along and of course everything is happening at once. Yes, I'm a moron and I like to make things hard for myself. The image, for the record, is the closest I have managed to find of Damien. Seeing as my plot seems to be revolving around him at the moment, I figured a pic of 'him' would be appropriate.

It makes it especially hard when I don't have any music to fit the scene I'm trying to write. I kinda thrive on having music, so I'm getting some new stuff - Karnivool, Atticus, All That Remains, In Flames, Dance Gavin Dance and In This Moment. Oh, and Marilyn Manson.

I'm in a headbanging kinda mood, okay? :P

I also wanted to blog some Advice. Yes, Advice. With a capital A. It would be beneficial for you to Take Heed. *laughing manically*

Ok, so many people seem to think that the customer is always right. As a cashier, I just want to say this - GET OVER YOURSELVES. I can guarantee that an employee will know more than you about the store, so don't try to tell the poor cashier/salesperson how to do their job, mkay?

Another thing: don't scrunch money. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. That poor money pays your way in this world; show it some respect.

Do not under any circumstances try to go through a 15 items or less checkout with more than 15 items. My Cashier Ninjas will track you down and Hurt You.

Creepy Men: Yes, I smile at you. Yes, I make polite conversation. Yes, my name badge is conveniently located on my chest. No, you MAY NOT hit on me. I am paid to be nice to you - much like a prostitute, actually. Hm. Anyway. I am a sixteen year old girl and I am just trying to do my job. If you want to compliment me or find me attractive, that's fine. I don't care. Actually, I will thank you if you compliment me - it's a common courtesy. But that doesn't mean I return your misplaced interest. Go find some other poor girl to torment and leave me alone.

It is none of your business how much I get paid. So don't bother asking.

Yes, working at a grocery is pretty monotonous. No, this does not mean I am a moron.

Ask me how I deal with stupid questions. Go on, I dare you.

Chuck Norris has NOTHING on weary cashiers faced with annoying customers.

In summary: you are a customer. I am a cashier. I have been trained and am paid to do my job. You are not trained and paid to do my job. I know the store and its policies. You don't. I am right. You are not.

End of story. XD

Kreativ Blog Award :)

Well, Mire decided to be evil and give me the Kreative Blog Award. Isn't it shiny? :)

And the Rules dictate that I must now give you seven truths about me. So, here goes:

1. My name is pronounced with a hard 'c' - none of this "seridwen' nonsense.

2. I wrote my first story at the age of five. It was about pirates.

3. When I was three, I fractured my left elbow in an attempt to get our dog to climb up a playground. Six months later, my cousin yanked on my arm, dislocating the elbow that had been fractured.

4. Next year is my senior year at high school. Class of 2010! XD

5. I have incredibly bizarre dreams. I once had one in which I drowned in a pile of flowers, and another where I was electrocuted by a hedge maze.

6. The only movie that ever scared me was The Blair Witch Project.

7. My eyes change colour. They can be grey, blue, hazel, green, aqua and yellow. This fascinates my boyfriend.

And seeing as I only have four followers, I am going to wait to pass it on.

XD

Some Nifty Pics

You go, Muppets. You go. I totally support the cause.



Hehe. I love this one. It's so true in most cases - parents don't give a crap about what their kids see, so long as it's not sexual. That logic never made sense to me. Wouldn't it be better to let them see a sex scene so that you can explain it to them and so that they know about 'the birds and the bees', rather than let them see violence and think that's normal behaviour?

The Fishies :)

As you may have noticed - if, for some strange reason, you pay attention to my sidebar - I have five nifty fishies.

I am issuing a Challenge.

Name the fishies, my minions! XD

Suggest some names in the comments Eg: Red Fishie = ________

I want to see some weirdness!

The nifty bat, for the record, came with the name "Bandit". I wanted to name him Melvin after my Skelanimals bat, but nooooooo. *sadface*

Anyways. To bed with my sorry self! Night, stalkers!

So. Yeah. Hi.

Well, I had loads of fun writing my kissing scene, and of course I have already signed up for No Kissing Blogfest. I have the perfect scene for it in Hybrid.

I am already thinking of wonderfully nifty ways to use the random kissing scene in Hybrid... I'm sure I'll be able to think of something. It may require some tweaking of setting, but that is totally okay by me. Actually, I know exactly what I'll have to tweak, and exactly what the scene will lead to... *chuckles*

In unrelated news, I would like to thank the person who thought to put Pop Rocks on ice cream. You are my hero.

I don't think I have much more to say at this point... so I shall depart from Niftyville-on-Blogosphere and attempt to finish the gosh-darned chapter.

Kissing Day Blogfest!

Okay, here I am, joining in on Blogosphere activities. First of all, I would just like to say that I am utterly disgusted with myself. I, a dark fantasy writer, have never written a kissing scene.

*crickets chirp*

Yeah, that's right. NEVER. So I wrote something completely random between Saf and Tom XD

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~

A cloud covered the moon, drowning the world in pure darkness for the briefest of moments. I didn’t let my Element take over. Sometimes, it was nice to not have to see my surroundings. I knew exactly where I was; my family’s home in Dublin, standing at the base of the huge redwood that dominated the grounds. To my left was the pond with its waterlilies and mirror-smooth, jet-black surface. A light breeze rustled the leaves on the redwood.

The cloud moved away from the moon. A pure silvery light swirled over my skin. Behind me, I heard Thomas approaching, his heartbeat strong and steady as he walked. A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth as I resisted the urge to turn around.

“Saf? What’re you doing out here? It’s almost one in the morning,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist. I leaned back against his chest.

“I needed to get away from them, that’s all. I like it out here.”

He chuckled. “I know.” His lips pressed against my hair as his fingers traced patterns on my forearms. I shivered as he took my hand and let the moonlight dance across my palm. I let a few tiny flames join the wisps of light. Red and silver intertwined in an unnatural coupling; I reined the fire in and made a fist. Thomas made a noise in the back of his throat and prised my hand open. A rosebud of flames rested on my palm, petals unfolding as the moonlight fused with it. I smiled at it and let it fade away.

“Show-off,” Thomas said. I laughed.

“You love it.” I turned to hug him and looked up at his face. He looked very calm, almost blissful. His fingers traced down the side of my face as he smiled at me.

“I love you,” he said quietly. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.


~~~~~~~~~

Aaaaaand, my favourite movie kiss is probably between Christian and Satine in Moulin Rouge.

Mmm.... yummy.

ECHO-O-O-O-O-O-OOOO

I am following more blogs like a good little Ceri. Mire has been giving me linkage; she knows I can't resist.

I am working on a new story, called 'Masquerade' for the time being. It's going to be one of my epically-fun-to-write blood and screaming horror stories. Perfect after weeks of writers' block!

Reece is probably on a plane to Wellington right now. Curse him leaving me for three whole weeks. I am a sad little vampire :(

I had a random thought, and I am sure Mire will be proud of the warped-ness she has instilled in my brain. *glares at Mire*

Edward Cullen is a vampire. Therefore, he is dead. So we must conclude that, if he is dead, he has no blood flow.

No blood flow. Uh-huh. So HOW THE HECK did he sleep with Bella in Breaking Dawn? No blood flow = no life of ANY SORT in ANY PART of his body. So in theory, no sex. Am I right or am I right?

Writing humour.

Avoid alliteration. Always.

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)

Employ the vernacular.

Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

Contractions aren't necessary.

Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

One should never generalize.

Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.

Be more or less specific.

Understatement is always best.

One-word sentences? Eliminate.

Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

The passive voice is to be avoided.

Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

Who needs rhetorical questions?

Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

Power :)

Ok, I read Mire's blog before coming here... ergo: tagged.

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
The last thing I wrote was ... um ... the start of a horror-type-story.

The first thing I wrote and still have is a poem I wrote at twelve that won me first place in a competition :)

2. Write poetry?
When I feel poetic, yes. It's very therapeutic. I have a lot of problems with expressing emotions, so poetry's good for me.

3. Angsty poetry?
*clears throat* Well. I hesitate to call it 'angsty'... I'd say 'dark emotional'.

4. Favorite genre of writing?
Horror, supernatural thriller and dark fantasy.

5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
Damien Greer in Hybrid. He's one of those characters I simultaneously love and hate.

6. Best plot you've ever created?
The plot for Hybrid, definitely. Nice and twisted XD

7. Coolest plot twist you've ever created?
Not telling :P

8. How often do you get writer's block?
Depends on my mood, really, and whether or not I can motivate myself.

9. Write fan fiction?
No. Ugh.

10. Do you type or write by hand?
It depends on what I'm writing. I tend to write poetry by hand, because it's easier to revise and follow my thoughts on paper for some reason... prose is typed. While it takes me five minutes to write a full poem and another five to fix it, stories take much longer and typing suits that best.


11. Do you save everything you write?
Usually. I have so many half-assed attempts at stories on my hard drive...

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
Only VERY rarely. I have a short attention span, so if it doesn't work the first time, it probably won't work at all.

13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
Hybrid. It's so much fun writing Saf's POV.

14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?
Hm... help me out here, follower! What's your favourite? (it's sad, I only have one follower)

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
I have written one romance... it made me cringe. I avoid teen drama like the plague.

16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
Physically or emotionally?

Physically, I go for whatever fits. Usually I leave the setting vague, because a lot of my work is flash fiction of the horrific variety. Setting isn't important in that case, it's about emotion. Emotionally speaking, I prefer the dark side of the human mind.

17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?
A novel, a story, and I'm planning a Very Ceri Christmas Story.

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
I have won a poetry competition... other than that, not really.

19. What are your five favorite words?
Diabolical, excruciatingly, macabre, sensual (I just love how it sounds), gore.

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Hm... I have never really created a character like myself. I guess Kay is quite similar to me, though.

21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?
My admittedly warped imagination.

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
..........Gods, no. My dreams are bizarre.

23. Do you favor happy endings?
No. Horror doesn't work well with a happy ending.

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
That's a stupid question.

25. Does music help you write?
Usually. Sometimes if I'm feeling noise-sensitive it just hinders me.

26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
"Humanity's greatest fear is the truth." Saf White.

Do you have a blog? Are you reading this? Tag, you're it.






Ok, done. Now, news - I am being promoted at work. I'll be trained on service desk, which makes me a supervisor. XD

2IC, to be exact, to my supervisor Katie.

Yay me!

Life in the fast lane

Ok, I should explain my title. I work as a cashier at a major grocery-store chain here in Australia. In this job, I interact with a lot of very interesting (and uninteresting) characters.

I hate my job. We'll clear that up right now. I absolutely can not stand my job, and the only reason I've got it because money is kind of a necessity. Cue long-suffering sigh.

I deal with a lot of annoying people. But the bitches and the shitheads (excuse the French (on a side note, when the French swear, do they say "excuse the English"?)) are nowhere near annoying as one particular breed of customer. This breed is nowhere near as rare as it should be, and I vote we hunt it to extinction. This breed is the epitome of a cashier's worst nightmare, with the most annoying tendencies known to man.

The breed I am referring to?

The Money Scrunchers.

*shudders*

Y'know those people who hand over a wad of notes? Not nice, flat notes. Screwed up, folded and otherwise mutilated notes. Do you have any idea how horrible it is trying to sit them neatly in a till? It doesn't work! It gets all messy, and icky, and and and.... ARGH!

*deep breath*

Ok, that's enough. I promised Mire I would finish that story for her...

Is it not nifty?

I'm a writer. A horror/dark fantasy/supernatural thriller writer, to be exact. And a poet.

You know what that means?

I like to type.

A lot.

Like, a ridiculous amount.

That said: I'm really, really bad at blogging. It's not that I can't blog; it's that, for a novelist, I have a really short attention span. Ask anyone who knows me. But I am really going to try with this blog. I have high hopes for it. Anything with an awesome Latin title and (shout out!) a header created by the lovely Mireyah MUST succeed.

So, to start off, I shall tell you a little bit about myself.

My name is Ceridwen Swift. I am sixteen years old, Australian, and as I said above, a writer. I love movies, books and music of the darker, twistier and alternative varieties respectively.

My best friends are Mireyah at http://m-wolfe.blogspot.com, Renee at http://flyingpickledzombies.blogspot.com and my blogless but amazing boyfriend Reece.

Aaaaaand I hate about-me's. So that's all for this round. I'll be back when I feel the need to rant. :)