November approaches...

It's almost November, and you know what that means! No? It means NaNoWriMo is coming up very soon! And as you can tell I'm super excited about it.

For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a challenge to aspiring writers (and experienced ones too, of course) to throw caution (and perfection) to the wind and write a novel of 50,000 words or more by the end of November. That sounds hard, but it's actually a good amount: it's doable even if you're busy, but it's not so easy you end up procrastinating because "Oh, I can work on it at any time" (Like I did with Script Frenzy). Plus it's a lot of fun. I think I might try for 60k words this year.

This is my second year doing Nano. Last year I wrote a light SF-ish story about a girl and some...strange occurrences in her family. It turned out really well...I had a lot of fun with it (mostly because of the characters, I think), and I reached the word goal. I have a cool idea for this year's novel, and I hope it'll be as fun as last year's (Well, I guess if it isn't I can just make a big plot twist and change the story completely. Heh heh).

So good luck and have fun to all the participants! It's gonna be fun.





(I can just imagine my next post being "Waaaahhh, I hate Nano...it's so hard this year..." ;) )

100 posts and a first sentence

Two things today.
One, I've reached 100 posts! Thanks so much to everyone for reading, and for sticking with me while I try to figure out this whole blogging thing. Here's hoping I reach 100 more! :)

Two, as you know I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year. I have no ideas what my novel (or "NaNovel"...just made that up) will be about. And while some people have outlines, or character ideas, or just vague plots, I have a first sentence: "It happened the day I got sick. Figures." It just popped into my head today. Now...I just have to figure out who's talking, what happened, and how I can turn that into a novel. By November. Wish me luck!

Perspective

What's your favorite perspective in books?

There's 3rd-person perspective ("he said", "she thought"). Some books focus on a large amount of characters and don't really talk much about their thoughts, which makes me feel disconnected. The more specialized "limited 3rd-person", where the narrator only focuses on a few characters (or just one) but goes deeper, are more my thing.

There's 1st-person perspective ("I went"), which can be very interesting if the main character feels real. My mom said once that she generally didn't like 1st person as much as 3rd, maybe because it feels too intimate?

And there's the rarest one, 2nd-person perspective ("you said"...or usually, "you say", since 2nd-person is almost always in the present tense). I don't care for it much in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" kids books, because they try to make the main character as neutral as possible so you can implant your own thoughts into the book. There are a couple of short stories (and books too?) out there, though, that are in 2nd-person. I only read one (something by Ray Bradbury), but it's different because the main character isn't actually you, but by reading it you sort of pretend to be him. And I love this kind of "ultimate-being-in-someone's-shoes"/roleplay. When I write my own "Choose your own..." games (I actually call them "Pick Your Own Path Adventures"...or, PYOPAs) I try to create a character for the reader to become. This character is obviously not as detailed as 1st or 3rd person perspective (maybe it can be, though...I should read more books like that), but it's vague enough that you can put a bit of yourself in it.

Next time: present tense, past tense, or future tense? Heh heh.

Words

Do you have any favorite words? I'm not really a word-collector, but there are some that I think have an awesome sound: spontaneity, cacophony, crystalline.
I'm not sure why I like them...they just sound cool. Too hard to spell, though!
How about you?

Photos from vacation

Yeah, I know. I'm a procrastinator. Moving on...
So, our vacation was totally awesome. We went to the Gulf Islands, which are these little islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland. A picture is worth a thousand words, apparently, so here are some photos from our trip:

Back

Hey! Just posting to say that I'm back, I'm alive, and I'll post photos and thoughts soon.

Vacation interlude

Hey everyone! I'm going on vacation to BC tomorrow, to one of the Gulf Islands. If we're in an internet cafe and I'm not lazy I'll make a post, otherwise see you in about a week! I'll make sure to post some photos when I get back.
*goes to pack*

New one

I made this slightly psychedelic freestyle bracelet yesterday. It was originally going to just be chevrons, but I decided to make it more exciting. What do you think...colorful enough? ;)

100 words

I was looking at this list of "150 things to do when you're bored" and one of the things was, "write a story in 100 words". Sooo...I tried it. This micro-story is based on a plotline that was floating around in my head. This is the most minimalistic version of what I was imagining, and I might expand it (maybe for NaNoWriMo?), but I thought I'd post it here first.

If you could dream about anything you want, every night, what would you pick? My mom said we didn’t always have this choice, and that we shouldn’t really have that choice. I wonder why?

Last night I decided to have a dream about being a goldfish. I couldn’t see past my bowl: just these weird blurs moving around. I wonder if that’s how my goldfish sees.

Books you read in your dreams are the most amazing books ever. Shame you can’t remember them.

I think I know what Mom meant last year. With perfect dreams, we forget to live real life.

...And that's it. Feel free to interpret, or whatever. Leave a comment! Maybe I'll post more about this story if I get feedback.

To vlog or not to vlog...

I've been thinking of getting a Youtube account lately, and starting a vlog (or maybe even a collaborative vlog with several people. Anyone interested?). For the uninitiated, a vlog is the same as a blog, but in video form. Anyway, I've been a bit unsure about it because A) I'm shy to have my face on the internet (read: paranoid), B)I'm lazy to do video editing and the like, and C) I know it'll make me blog less. Ignoring A and B, let's focus on C.
Would I blog less? I'm not sure what's more work: editing and posting a video or typing an entry. That'll be an important factor for me. But what about the content?
There's actually a difference between vlogging and blogging. For one thing, rambling is usually a no-no on a vlog, but it's that kind of thought process that makes for an interesting blog entry. So I guess I'd talk about serious rambly things on Every Colour, and more regular life stuff on my vlog? I dunno.
So...would you guys think? Should I start a vlog? Would you watch it?

"Um...bless you?"

So, yesterday I was just sitting at this desk in the library and reading, when this girl sits down at the desk behind me. She was only a foot or two away, but the way the desks are turned we were facing opposite directions, I just ignored her.
I had gotten to an interesting part, when the girl sneezed really loudly.
And then came the mental conflict.

Oh crap...what do I do now? Do I say "bless you"? I dunno...I would get embarrassed if someone did that, but some people are annoyed if you don't say anything. Ack, now the moment's passing...I shouldn't say anything. But she's right behind me! Oh well, it's way too late to say it now. I hope she didn't think find that awkward...what if she thinks I'm weird for ignoring the sneeze?

So three seconds passed, and I'm just getting over it, when...she sneezes again. And it started all over:

Ohgod, not again! I can't say anything now since I didn't say bless you the first time...aghhh...

And the moment passed. Again. As you can see, I'm kind of oversensitive to social situations (which makes me good at interacting with people, but can lead to stuff like this). How about you? Do you ever get similar problems? Would you rather someone ignored you if you sneezed, or if they acknowledged it somehow?

Memory lane (again)

I've officially beaten my record for most posts in a year! The previous record was 34, in 2006. 2006 was my the last year of my first blogging phase, and since it's been a while, I decided to go take a look at what Every Colour was like back then.

2006 was a weird combination of enthusiasm and discouragement (is that even a word? It doesn't feel like one today). On one hand, I was getting better at writing thoughtful things (mostly about the Myst series*). On the other hand, you could tell the novelty of having a blog was wearing off fast (there were lots of posts that started/ended, "I know, I know, I haven't written much. Must write more!"). 2006 was also when I started making lots of lists...like the fan-made Ages I loved to find, and internet "adoptables". What can I say? I like lists.

I think my main problem was (and still is) thinking of something to say. You don't really know what will make a good post and what won't. Plus, since I didn't have any commenters back then, I didn't feel encouraged to write anything because I felt like it didn't matter (like talking to an empty room). Plusx2, I ran out of ideas after my fan Age list was done. However, near the end of the year you can see the blog picking up a bit...not much, but it was the start of hope. (Ironically, the last post before my second blogging phase ended with "must post more! Gah!").
And here we are, three years later. I'd say I've gotten better. I ramble more, but that's what blogging is about, isn't it? ;)

*Speaking of which, I'm planning to write a post about that soon. [Narrator voice] Watch this space.

Background-y goodness

I finally figured out how to change my background! Yay! So...what do you think of the new one? It's similar to the old background, and it's not hard to read anymore. I'm keeping it for now...I might change it again if I find something better.
Longer post coming up soon.

Cookies

Want one?

I speak for the books!

Two posts in one day! Do I rock or what? ;)

I find that people are often biased when it comes to things they aren't familiar with (I'm like that too). I especially notice it when it comes to books genres. I used to think SF was only really tech-oriented space opera kind of things (which it's totally not...although space opera can be kinda fun). The sad thing is, we don't realize what we're missing unless we really investigate the genre...looking at titles in a chain bookstore won't cut it.

This is a very general topic, so I'm going to focus on one specific thing...let's say "YA books" (I'm not a fan of labeling, but I'll ignore that right now), since I've been thinking about it lately.

I hear negative things about teen fiction, on the internet and occasionally from people I know. People seem to focus on the fact that teen fiction produced Twilight (and many Twilight-wannabes), and not so much on the actually deep, good books out there.

Yes, some YA books can be shallow and focus too much on romantic relationships, but so can adults books. And teen fiction has many really interesting books that explore things that books for other ages don't. Self-discovery, other people...and a lot of it feels fresh, since the characters are often finding out these things for the first time. And, I find that books for this age (and younger) are more positive than adult books (but I'm no expert...this is just from what I've heard about various adult books).

And that's just realistic fiction. Fantasy teen fiction (when it's good) is, in my opinion, the best kind of fantasy fiction. It's sophisticated, but it's not as restrained to a genre as an adult book might be.

So...that's my defense of teen books. I'd love to hear your opinion on similar subjects...what genres/ages groups/writing styles/whatever do you love, and why should I love it too?

Titus Andronicus

I went to see Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus yesterday evening. Holy cow...so intense, so unsettling. But so good. Like I said after it was over, "I think I'm traumatized, but in a good way."

I really didn't expect to like it very much...while I'm into dark books, I'm not into dark movies (so I figured it was the same for plays). I expected to hide behind my program for most of the play. But no...I was staring intensely at the stage. Even for the parts that I had to look away, I ended up looking back with horrified fascination.

Congrats to all the actors, including the understudy who had to play with a script but was still really good.

I also loved the music...it fit very well. And the costumes were awesome. The play was set in a sort of post-apocalyptic Rome, so the costumes were a mix of ancient Roman toga-type outfits, and modern punk and army clothes.

So...Titus: really dark, really intense, really powerful.

There once was a flying SmartCar...

That was the beginning of a story we attempted at the daycamp. We were playing one of those "one-sentence-at-a-time-story" games. It was supposed to involve the Himalayas, too. That's one story I would've loved to hear. I think it would turn into a story about the Magic School Bus' sidekick, the flying Smart Car.

Anyway. Although I missed the first day of the camp, today was awesome. It's an acting camp, and we're putting on a scene from Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors". I got the character I wanted too, so yay! I do kinda wish I had gone to the first day, because then I would've gotten to know the people a little more, but I'll catch up.

As you can see by this short post, I'm much better at theorizing about books and the like than talking about my life. Oh well, hope you liked it anyway!

BTW, I have a longer post coming up at the end of the week. See you then!

Letters from bed

Dear germs,
Please go away. I already missed one day of this cool daycamp, and I don't want to miss any more.
Sincerely,
Nicole

Dear stomach,
Just so you know, a cold does not mean I have food poisoning.
Nicole

I'll have some more meaningful posts up soon (maybe tomorrow). Until then...bye!

What do you look for...

...In a book or movie? I know there are a lot of different aspects, but what is one thing (or two things) that you find you can't read a book without?
For me, it's story and characters. I used to think that I found the story the most important thing...and it is very important (that's why I barely read non-fiction). But I recently found out that if a book has characters that I love, I don't mind if the story sucks.
One thing I can do without in books are descriptions of places or things. I have a greater tolerance for them if I'm listening to an audio book, but for some reason I just get bored reading about the surrounding area, unless it's really really unusual or exciting.

With movies, though, it's different. I really like visuals (at least if it's fantasy or SF), and setting takes a bigger role in a movie than it does for a book. Story and characters are more equal, because it's harder for me to really love a character in a movie (maybe because I can't get in their head? Well, maybe I'll post about that later).

So...what about you? What's important for you in a book, and how is it different in a movie?

Blogging challenge: OVER!

The blogging challenge is officially done!! Thanks to everyone who participated. This has encouraged me to try to blog more often...because it turns out I have lots of things to say!
So, here's a little survey for you guys to fill out. You can either reply in comments, or make a new post on your blog.

Would you do WLBC again?

Would you want to make it a tradition? If so, how often would you want to do it? (Annual, bi-annual, monthly, etc.)

How long should the blogging go for? (A week, two weeks, a month, etc.)

Should you have to blog daily, or once every two days, or once a week?

Has this challenge helped you increase the quality of your blog? If so, how?

That's all. Thanks for filling it out! Maybe I'll reply to it myself later.

Sunday: Auditions and the good old days

The last day of WLBC! We made it! I'll write a "closing notes" (as well as a survey) post tomorrow, so I'll just make this a quick "yay": Yay!

Now, onto today's post. I actually have two things to talk about, but I'm not sure which one to go for first. So...I'll flip this pencil. *flips* Ok, auditions it is.

The next play our teen acting group will be doing is The Tempest (which I might blog about later, but I want to keep this short). And this time there'll be auditions. I'm really worried, because, although they changed two roles to girl roles (so now there are three), one is already taken, so that just leaves two. And there are, what, eight girls auditioning? AND we can't play for guys. So...seriously nerve-racking. Good luck to the people auditioning, even though 99% don't read my blog!

The second thing I wanted to mention was that I've been re-reading a lot of my early posts from 2005. It's funny how my writing style changed in three years. I think back then I viewed a blog like a diary: where you write about stuff that happened to you...or, failing that, you write about current interests. I talked a lot about Myst, and internet adoptables, but you somehow never really found out what I was like. What I thought about the world, or WHY I liked the Myst series so much (hmm...that could make an interesting post, actually). That's what a blog is to me now.
So...what about you? What makes a blog interesting for you, and (if you have a blog) how is your style different now compared to your earlier entries?

Well, I'm done with the blogging challenge! See you tomorrow, where I talk about celebratory things and plan for future challenges. =)

Saturday: The big picture

I've always been competitive. I compare a lot of things, and usually it's fun, but sometimes I compare myself to other people.

I remember I used to worry I'd be the last among my friends to lose all my baby teeth. Ok, I only have 4 baby teeth left...if I lose this one during our vacation I'll have caught up with so and so... Ok, maybe not quite like that, but it was close.

And then...we all finished with our baby teeth. And my competitiveness seems really silly now. I lost track of the big picture: that in the end most of us won't remember how we lost our baby teeth anyway, and we'll all be adults with normal adult teeth. Does it matter who lost what when?

Now that I'm almost done growing, I compare heights a lot. Oh no, I'm shorter than X but at least I'm taller than Y...and I'm not sure about Z, but I think... But, you know, who cares? The height thing will probably seem just as silly in a few years.

I'm sure there are other things like that too. Friends on Facebook. Or how many commenters I have. I generally don't do that, but I can't help it sometimes. But I need to realize that even if I don't have a lot of readers/followers/commenters, there are still people who read my blog. And not just random people, either...they're my friends. I think that's better than a lot of internet strangers.

Friday: Recycled content

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a post about something I've already talked about.
Today I'm actually going to post about recycled content.

When you read a label that says "80 percent recycled content", you think, "Yay! It's environmental!" But what if you read that in a book review?
That was the title of a review on Amazon.com. I'm reading the book ("Juggler of Worlds" by Larry Niven and Edward Lerner) in question, so I've decided to write about that today.

What, exactly, is a book with "recycled content"? In my case, it's a book with certain plot points that have been used before, in short stories (and occasionally other books) by the same author. As in, the actual plots of the short stories. In LN's defense, he did write those parts from different perspectives than the first time, which seemed to change it enough, plus the way he fit all those different plots into a whole was interesting. But still, it's recycled.

When I heard it the first time, two thoughts came to mind: "That's kinda lazy", and "So am I supposed to read all those stories first?" That's my question today: would a new reader want to read the original stories first, and then the book? Or just the book itself?

On one hand, if you just read the book you get the end result either way, and with less effort because most of the plot points are shortened. But that way you probably won't want to read the stories afterward, because the endings have already been spoiled. And not just that: since the plot is condensed, it's not as full and interesting in the book as it would have been in the story.

On the other hand, if you read the stories first, then the book won't be so interesting. And, again, since all the side-plot things will be shortened, it won't be as cool to read as it is in the story.

I think most LN readers ended up reading the stories first, just because they were published a long time before the book. Since I'm new, I actually had the choice. What did I do? I only read some of the short stories. So that way it's only 20-40 percent recycled content, and yet I know the kind of thing I'm missing. So if I'm interesting in something, I can go look for the short story to get the full version.

So, I suppose in the end it depends on how dedicated you are. What would you do? What if you didn't have the choice of a mix? (If I didn't, I'd probably read all the short stories first, but that's just because I'm a fan of the author.)

This post was freakishly hard to write for some reason. I guess I'm not in a writing mood today. Oh well, I've finally got it out of my head! Thanks, as always, for reading. Bye!

Thursday: Audio books

Thursday already? We're halfway there, guys! Keep blogging!

When I'm reading a book that isn't going well for me, but that I have to read (for the book club, for example), you'll often hear me saying, "I'm not getting through it, so I've ordered the audio book from the library."

Sometimes I wonder why I find listening to audio books more engaging than printed books. Is it because if I find a description boring, I can just not pay much attention to it and it'll go by? Is it because I can multitask while I'm listening?

Well, yes, but I think there's more to it than that. I'm very people-oriented, and when I listen to someone I pay attention. Certain things seem more interesting when I hear someone talking about it.

Technically you could say that just reading a book is sort of like listening to someone talking (the narrator, the characters). It is, and that's why I love to read (especially dialogue). At the same time, it's not as close to the real thing as an audio book. And I think that's the reason I like audio books so much.

I know this isn't the same for everyone. My mom, for example, prefers reading to listening.

What do you think? Do you like audio books, but for a different reason? Do you hate them? Discuss!

Wednesday: Ages

I'm at day three in the week-long-blogging-challenge, and while I'm not sure what to write about (especially in the coming days), I'm sure I'll figure something out.
A couple of years ago, when I was still really into the Myst Series games, I used to make "Ages" (other worlds) using two very different programs: Photoshop and Terragen.
With Photoshop, I'd combine elements from different photos to create surreal-looking images. Here are some of my favorite ones:





There's also Terragen, which...um, generates terrain. The Ages I made with Terragen look more alike, but they have a more uniform realistic look, since the lighting is all the same. Although I started out making more Photoshop Ages, once I got the hang of Terragen I liked it better. Here are some Terragen Ages:





As you can see, I like to work with lots of water, but you can also make terrain without water.
Well, thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for commenting!

Tuesday: Star Trek

Herein lies day two of the "WLBC", as Dorothy called it. (BTW...yay, three people are participating in it!)

Well, my nerdiness is complete: I watch Star Trek on TV. It started when I went to see the new Star Trek movie (which was really good, by the way). Soon after, I found out that the actual TV series (two series', actually: the original and the Next Generation) was showing in the late mornings. So, I was curious and started watching it.

The "first generation"...that is, the original, is very...sixties. The music is really cheesy ("dun dun...DUNNNNNNN!"), the acting isn't great, and the planets they go to look a LOT like movie sets (maybe because they are? Dun dun DUNNN!). But the funny thing is, it kind of grows on you. I wasn't around in the sixties, and I haven't watched it until now, so there isn't any nostalgia for me. But it's kind of sweet. And some of the episodes have really interesting stories.

I was more into "The Next Generation" when I first started watching. Despite the fact that I was unfamiliar with the characters, I began to like them quickly. It was also somewhat more...believable, I guess. Graphics, music...it absorbed easier. Now I like them equally, because their so different from each other despite having the same setting.

I haven't seen any of the other Star Trek series' (I heard Deep Space Nine is darker in storyline, so that might be interesting), but maybe I'll look for them on YouTube.

Anyway, I'm one of those people that like SF for the story and the characters, rather than the ideas and the science. In some ways, Star Trek reminds me of Larry Niven's "Known Space" universe. Both things seem to put more emphasis on the "science" than the "fiction"...although, I still somehow really like both. I guess I can find enough character to be interested, even if the creator didn't put it there. (I'm talking more about Known Space here than Star Trek...I think Star Trek has some really cool characters, especially TNG. Although so does Known Space.)

And that's it for now. As always, thanks for reading.

Dun dun DUNNNNNN!

Monday: blogging and hair

I was just looking over the comments in my previous post. Thanks for giving me your thoughts, guys...I'm always interested to read them. I actually got inspired to write in my blog more, inspired enough to try something I've been wanting to do for a while: a post-every-day-for-a-week challenge! What am I going to talk about during that time? I have no idea, but hopefully I'll come up with something. I've been wanting to try this for a while, just to see how long I could pull it off. I'll try for a week, and maybe I'll extend it if I feel like it. So...might as well start now! (If anyone wants to take part, feel free.)
So...here's one thing that's on my mind right now. Does anyone watch video blogs (or "vlogs") on YouTube? I do, sometimes. It's interesting that in some ways it's really similar to blogging, but it's also quite different. It seems like if you want a successful vlog, you have to know what you're saying in each entry. Rambling is just kind of boring to watch. In blogging, there's more wiggle-room in terms of how much you want to talk. Or maybe what sounds like rambling in a video sounds more structured in a blog post. *shrug*
Also, I'm getting a haircut today (don't worry, this isn't going to be a rant about the style). It's going to be "medium" in terms of length, and I haven't had hair like that since I was six. Actually, when I was six and decided to grow it I claimed I would never have short hair again. Heh, things change. Well, this is supposed to be the age when you try things! I might go even shorter if I like it a lot. Ok, you probably didn't want to read about that. Oh well!
Well, that's about it. Tune in tomorrow, when I talk about...other random things!

A lot of questions about "classics"

Book critic mode...engage!

This month my book club was reading "Uncle Tom's Cabin", by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I thought it was kinda boring until the halfway point, then it got really good. Wasn't a big fan of the dialogue, though...but you learn to ignore that. But that's not what I wanted to talk about.

I have a friend who couldn't get through it, and we had an interesting discussion over the phone about classics and books in general. At the book club meeting, the conversation turned in that direction as well. It seems like all of the members, whether they like classic books or not, agree that reading a book just so you can say, "I read this! I'm so scholarly!" is not why you should read it. I think the best way to put it is: classics for the sake of classics is entirely missing the point. I think lots of people, even if they try to avoid it, usually read a classic book with that kind of thing in mind (I know I do!). I'm not saying that it's the only reason someone reads a classic, but it's often there under the surface.

So...that leads to the question: how do you define a classic, then? It seems to be a really subjective thing. Is any book a classic if it's old? Do you have to learn something from a classic? If so, then there are a lot of modern books that have powerful messages. And, as my friend was saying, sometimes modern books are more relevant to real life because they are written by people in our time, who are faced with more or less the same problems.

But...does a book have to be relevant at all? What about fantasy? I guess you can say that fantasy has a lot of symbols for real life, but what if a book wasn't written that way? What if it you don't learn anything from a book that can be applied to your life, but it was powerful in a different way?
I'm kind of going off in various directions here, but what I'm trying to say is: does a book always have to "teach you something"? Is it only a classic then? Or is it just an old book? Or is a classic just a book that you love, for whatever reason? (That makes it a more personal definition, of course.)

So...what do you think? Do you know what I'm talking about? Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear people's opinions.

Done!

Here's the 19-thread bracelet I was talking about earlier. I think it came out really well. I wore it when I went to my grandma's house and she said it was really pretty, so...yay! What do you think of it? Comment! *smiles eagerly*

More bracelets

A friend told me that she loved looking at my bracelet photos, so why not? Here's a few more:



Two more diamond patterns. The lower one is one of my favorite bracelets. So many diamonds!



I made these earrings (along with a matching bracelet) for said friend for her birthday. These are the first earrings I made, so I think they turned out pretty well.



This one has the most threads I've worked with in a bracelet (19) and is also the most complicated...there are a few mistakes, but it's coming together. I'll post pics when it's done!

And that, my friends, is all. More later! :)

Epic bookshelf quest...completed?

Remember a while ago I was looking for a bookshelf picture that kind of fit me in personality?
Check this out:
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=3008001862&size=large

(Um...I keep trying to add a link but I can't figure out how to do it. I'll have to show it like this, but if anyone knows how to add a proper link, let me know.)

Woo! I think we have a bookshelf! At least for now. I'll keep looking, of course.
Ok, that didn't sound nearly epic enough. Ahem...QUEST COMPLETE! Or...is it!??! Dun dun dun...

Sci-fi lists part two

Yay, I actually posted soon after the first one! Good for me.
So, here are a bunch of other science fiction books that I've read recently:

1. Fahrenheit 451 (By Ray Bradbury)
This one is more of a "social sci-fi" book than the other ones, and because of that I didn't love it, but it was good. I think the stuff about censorship and the pretty clueless society was very important. Did the people even know about the war going on? I don't remember. I listened to the audio book, and I can't remember who narrated but I thought his reading style really fit Bradbury's writing style.

2. The Giver (By Lois Lowry)
This was a book I'd been planning to read for ages, and I finally did because of my book club. It's another dystopian book (weird...my spell check doesn't have the word "dystopia" for some reason), although this one is more anti-utopian than anything else. It's kind of creepy and the writing style is uniquely vague...although sometimes I did want the author to elaborate on things more, especially the ending.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (By Arthur C. Clarke)
Because of this book I learned how to spell "odyssey"...yay! As with Fahrenheit, I listened to it on audio book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I just might because of the book. I actually wasn't too impressed with it...I thought it was a bit boring, even the whole "HAL" thing (not because the events were boring, but because of the writing style)...at first. Then I got to the ending. I stayed up really late listening to the ending, and after that I lay awake in bed thinking, "WOAH...that was...WOAH". I don't really think I'll be reading the sequel, mainly because I loved the open-ended conclusion, and I don't want that to be spoiled. Unless the sequel is really, really good...(?)

4. Sphereland (By Dionys Burger)
This book was written in Dutch (or something like that), and I was reading the translation, but I can't remember who the translator was. Anyway, this isn't so much science fiction as "math fiction". It's a sequel to "Flatland" (by Edwin A. Abbot), a book about shapes living in a two-dimensional world. "Sphereland" further explores that concept, with some new ideas about curved space and other cool things like that.

There are still lots of books sci-fi books I want to read...right now I want to focus on various classic authors like Orwell and Asimov. Maybe I'll blog about that, too! Oh, and more Larry Niven, of course. Wish me luck!

Sci-fi lists part one

Since I love reading and I love to make lists, I'm going to make a list of some recent science fiction I've read. WARNING: If you don't like lists, don't read this as you'll find it boring.
I'm generally a fantasy-reader, but recently I've started to love science fiction as well. It actually started through my obsession with the Lord of the Rings movies last fall (still haven't read the books by the way. I know, I'm a bad fantasy lover). This January, I was looking for an online audio book to listen to when I came across "Ringworld" by Larry Niven. I thought, "Oooh...it has 'ring' in the title! Like 'The Ring'! Awesome!" So I downloaded it. I had no clue what it was about, and I'd never heard of Larry Niven, but I saw it had won a sci-fi/fantasy award, so I figured it must be good.
Let's just say I found a new obsession. So...from classic fantasy to hard sci-fi. Kind of a big leap, but I have to say that sci-fi really isn't that different from fantasy. Anyway, it turns out that not only is Larry Niven famous among the sci-fi crowd, but he's written a lot of books and short stories. So, here are the books I've read so far:

"Ringworld" and its sequel "Ringworld's Engineers"
(Ringworld was awesome, the sequel not quite as great...and I'm afraid to read the third one as I've heard lots of negative things about it)

Fleet of Worlds
(I was very excited to find out about this one because it was about one of my favorite characters from Ringworld. It's really good too! This one is co-authored by Edward Lerner)

Protector
(I mainly read it as background info for "Ringworld's Engineers"...I didn't like it as much, but it was still fun for its ideas)

And these ones I'm still reading:

Neutron Star
(I'm actually almost finished with this one. It's a good short story collection that would make a great introduction to Larry Niven's universe)

Three Books of Known Space
(An omnibus with two novels and lots of short stories. I wasn't too impressed with the early stories, but I'm reading the first novel and it's very interesting)

Juggler of Worlds
(Sort of a sequel to "Fleet of Worlds"...not as good as Fleet but not bad so far. It seems to contain a lot of stuff about Niven's short stories, so I want to read lots of those first before finishing this)

This turned out longer than I expected it to be, so I think I'll split it into two parts and make the second post (which will be about various non-Niven books) sometime soon (if not tomorrow, then this week). I may also make a more in-depth post about Ringworld or one of the other ones...I dunno. Would you want to read it if I post it? Leave a comment.
Seriously, if anyone reads this blog, leave a comment. I'd like to know who reads it. I don't bite. =)

Diamonds

Hey guys, can you guess what my favorite shape to knot is? ;-)

Hathaway House

Hey, sorry I haven't written in a while. It's not because I can't think of anything to post (that's usually what happens)...I've just been lazy. I have a bunch of things to write, and I promised myself I would write them this weekend. So...here we go. I'll just split the things into several posts because then it looks more productive. :)
First off, I wanted to say that my friends and I are putting on a play, called Haunting of Hathaway House. I can't remember who it's by....*grabs script*...ok, it's by John Murray, apparently. I haven't heard of it before we put it on, but I'm not really a script person (as you might've guessed from my "Script Frenzy" post), so that's not saying much. Our play is actually part of 3 one-act plays. I like the idea of a bunch of short plays, rather than one long play, if only because more people get to take part.
Hathaway House is sort of a ghost story, but it's not very typical for one. It's more about the atmosphere than the story, and the 3 scenes don't really connect all that much...well, they do, but not as much as one would think. It's pretty creepy, too...that's always a plus in my book!
I've been in two plays before, but it feels like the last one was ages ago...I've really missed it, so I was super excited when I was invited to take part. I love acting (although I don't know if I'd want to do it professionally). For me it's very much about making friends and having fun as well as the actual production. So...yay!
Wow, this post sounded so much better in my head...oh well, it's not horrible and it kind of makes sense. That's always good.

Script Frenzy

Spring is here! Finally!! The snow is melting and it's warm and other such awesomeness.
Anyway, moving to the topic at hand:

So, back in November I did NaNoWriMo, a challenge to write a novel (at least 50,000 words) in a month. I thought it was crazy, but fun (and I succeeded, as did many of my friends!). Really awesome...check out the website.
Now fast forward to April...Script Frenzy (AKA Screnzy). This time you have to write a script in a month (at least 100 pages). I'm not that familiar with writing scripts, but I figured, oh well...might as well give it a try. I'm good at writing dialogue in my novels, and I don't like descriptions...so this should be fun. Right?
Let's just say it goes fast when it goes well, but when you're on page 10 and already tired of your idea it...doesn't go well.
I think I might just give up on the whole thing and write a novel instead.
I hope I don't sound depressed or anything...I'm actually kind of relieved, and excited about starting a new book.
And, who knows, I might suddenly decide that I love my script. It's happened before. :)

Friendship bracelets

I've been making friendship bracelets on and off since I was six or seven. My last phase was about a year ago, but recently I was looking at one of my bracelet books ("Friendship Bracelets" by Camilla Gryski) and found myself doing them again. By the way, for those that don't know what they are, friendship bracelets are knotted bracelets made from embroidery floss or craft thread. Like this:



Anyway, my problem right now is that I've done all the designs in my books! I've been redoing lots, but they're pretty easy. So I went searching on the internet, and found several cool sites with lots of patterns (most of which are kinda hard, but I'll get there). I've also ordered several new bracelet books and am eagerly waiting for them.
So I was thinking I'd post some of my bracelets here. Maybe not right now, but at some point. What do you think, my faithful readers? (No, seriously...comment please!)
Ok, now to post about Script Frenzy...

Misc. weather thoughts (plus book club)

It got up to -30 degrees yesterday (Celsius, obviously). It's quite a bit less now, and hopefully we won't get any more of that this winter. Um...can it be spring now? Please? Usually I don't mind waiting for spring because of skiing and other wintry things, but this year I'm getting really sick of snow. I remember last year April was insane...first it was really cold and snowing, then the next day it would be 20 degrees, then it would snow again, then summer again, then...well, it was crazy. Maybe this year it'll be more summery?
On another note: yesterday was my book club meeting. We talked about "The Giver", and decided the next book to read will be "Born on a Blue Day", which is a memoir. I might blog about "The Giver", but I'm not sure. Wait and see, I guess. =)

Rants of a future librarian

You know what annoyed me today? When I found that someone had put checkmarks next to certain characters' names in my copy of "And Then There Were None". Was the previous reader checking off who dies or marking possible people who might've "dunnit"? I'm guessing the first. Luckily I only caught one name before I stopped looking...but seriously...use a list instead of marking a library book! *sigh*

My thoughts on Walden

Ok, so I finished the book Walden (by Henry David Thoreau) a couple of days ago (just in time for my book club meeting), and I was intending to post, but I never got around to it. So, here's my thoughts on Walden:
I didn't like the first chapter. First of all, I didn't agree with Thoreau. He's opinionated. He's critical. He seems to think that everybody will all be like him when they "live up to their potential". He wants everyone to go live in the woods and not interact with each other much. Second of all, the chapter was 60. Pages. Long. I couldn't believe I'd have to read this thing in time for the book club, which was in the end of February (I started late too).
But...once I got past the first couple of chapters, I noticed something weird was happening: it was starting to grow on me. Once Thoreau was done being opinionated he started to actually describe his life in the woods near Walden Pond. I liked his descriptions of nature, especially when they were less descriptions and more like anecdotes (Thoreau chasing a loon on the pond, an epic ant battle). I even started to agree with him on some points.
So, by the end...I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. I can see how it's a classic. It's sort of unique too (I think...I'm not really familiar with this genre).
I don't regret reading it...if only for the bragging rights. ;)

The next book we're reading is "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. Fiction and sci-fi! Woohoo! Maybe I'll post a "my thoughts" on that as well.

Skiing

I went skiing yesterday. It was a really nice day...not cold, but not so warm that the snow melted and got all slushy.
Some interesting things that happened:

1. When I was going up the chairlift I saw somebody had written "please 33" on the seat. I have yet to google it. I wonder what it means.
2. I talked to a friendly ski lift attendant that was reading Kurt Vonnegut's Hocus Pocus. Yay for literary lift attendants!

I noticed that when you're skiing on your own you (or at least I) notice stuff more...you pay more attention to surroundings. The ski lifts feel slower, even. I guess that makes sense.
So yeah. I'm going skating tomorrow...if anything interesting happens, I'll report. Bye!

Epic bookshelf quest - continued

Oh yeah, and here are two cool bookshelf pictures I found while wandering around. They could be quite fitting for some people (not me, though).

My epic quest for the perfect bookshelf pic

Ok, so a little while ago my friend Dorothy from A Brick Short of a Load (link in my sidebar) posted a picture of her laptop skin:




(I actually found that picture off the web...you can see a close-up of it if you go to Dorothy's blog)
I think it's the most awesome laptop skin ever, and I think it really fits her personality. So that got me thinking, "So what would be the perfect bookshelf pic for me?"
And thus began my quest.
Last night I started by searching "bookshelf" on Google Images. Better to start vague, I guess? That gave me a lot of photos of (surprise!) people's bookshelves. They were very average bookshelves, though, and not very characteristic of anybody (unless you start reading the titles, but that wasn't what I was looking for).
So I decided I need to figure out what kind of picture I wanted anyway. Well, I wanted something like the above pic, but maybe a little neater (to fit my personality), but preferably kind of surreal. So I searched "surreal bookshelf". Ok, that was better... there were some cool ones...but it still wasn't quite what I needed.
"Fantasy bookshelf", perhaps?
Nope, no luck. Mainly just fantasy books.
Maybe something a bit more vague? "Magic bookshelf"?
Nope.
That's where I gave up for the moment. Maybe I will spread my search to a photo website like Flickr. Maybe you people that know me can help me out?
Thank you for listening to my ranting, and I'll post if I find something interesting.

Photos from yesterday

A quickie. Don't worry, I'll post a longer one soon

Just a quick post. I upgraded my blog today so I can change my template and add new links now. Yay!
Also, I went to a small lake near my house today to take photos...it was cold, but fun. I'll post some of the photos later...
EDIT: Ok, I added a new background! You like?

Summer, games, and Walden

It's a nice day today. It kinda makes me miss summer. I mean, I like winter and all (I like to downhill ski and skate), but I would like it to be summer soon. This might be because I've been making plans about what I'm going to do this summer.
So. What else?
Well, I haven't posted in three years, so I might as well say what I've been doing.
I still really miss the Myst series, but I'm more into action-type games now. Especially platformers and the like. I watch "Let's Plays" on Youtube, and I wonder if maybe I should give it a try.
I'm reading a book right now called Walden (by Henry David Thoreau) for this book club. I didn't know it was a classic...maybe it's more popular down in the U.S. For those who don't know what it is, it's about Thoreau himself when he goes to live in a cottage in the woods. It's about nature, and his philosophies in life.
Anyway, Thoreau and I aren't getting along very much...he seems a little judgmental to me (like, "we should all live like THIS and everyone who doesn't is WRONG.") but I do agree with some of what he says (it's still relevant today even though he wrote in the nineteenth century! Maybe that's why it's still around), and his descriptions of nature are really cool. I'll tell you my full impression after I've actually finished it.
Ok, that's it for now. I'm going to go reread my old posts now...maybe I'll post on that later. Bye! =)

Let's try this again

Ok. Time to get this back up. If only for a few months. A friend of mine has a blog now, so I figure I should have one again too.
I'm thinking of going in a more "book" direction now, but we'll see how it goes.
More posts to come.

Syberia

Well, I'm back! Gosh, the past few months have gone by so fast. Christmas is so soon!!!
Do you remember, in my previous post, when I was talking about the fact I was planning to play a game called Syberia? Well, I got it...a while ago...and I played it, and finished it sometime in late November/early December. It's sooo good! I wasn't entierly wowed by the "worlds" but it was really cool anyway!
Another thing: There's a of new version of blogger out...and I'm probably going to switch to that soon.
Ok, that's all. Bye!

P.S. Note to self: Post more often. Post more often! More...often. Post more! Post post post post post! Gaah...gotta remember I have a blog!

Ages beyond Myst...not in the Uru way either.

Today we've gotten the first snow of the year! Yes, it is a bit early. But I don't think we'll get "official" snow until...I dunno, mid-November.
Anyway,I have something more to say than just "blah" or "I should post more often". I've been thinking of the Myst games and I've decided that it doesn't really matter that it's finished (although in ten years...we'll see!), since there are lots of other fantasy adventure point-and-click games out there. I've decided to make a list of the ones I played, and what I think of them:

1. The Journeyman Project
I didn't like the first much (I gave up at the beginning...I couldn't really go anywhere), and the second was annoying with all the ways you can die (how was I supposed to know there was a guard right behind that door??), but I loved the third. Too bad there are only three in the series.

2. Schizm: Mysterious Journey
Well, the places are cool...but...well, let me explain what I mean with this little play I wrote:

Player 1: Wow...nice graphics!
Player 2: Let's explore!
(Players 1 and 2 run around, exploring.)
Player 2: Hmmm...we can't really go to a lot of places, can we?
Player 1: Not until we solve this puzzle, anyway!
(Players 1 and 2 fiddle with the puzzle, then go and look at the walkthrough and solve it.)
Player 1: Gosh...that was hard!!
Player 2: Well, now we can actually do something!
(Players run around some more.)
Player 2: Oh...it's...another puzzle.

Um...yeah. In conclusion: Schizm is great for puzzle-fans, and not so great for explorers.

3. The Neverhood
Totally awesome!! It's fun to explore, and the puzzles are about ten times easier than in Myst! Plus, it's hilarious! You actually have the same wandering, not-sure-what-you-have-to-do feel as you do in Myst (the first one). The only bad part is the sequal is a platform video game.

4. Crystal Key
I got this one a long time ago. It didn't work on my computer, actually. I was disappointed, obviously...but when I found out you can die if you solve a puzzle wrong...yeah, no thank you. (Still...maybe it'll work on my current computer...)

Well, that's all I can remember for now. The games I have my eyes on right now are Aura: Fate of the Ages, and Syberia. Especially the latter. (Or however you spell it.)

September again!

Well, once again it's fall. So far it still feels like the end of summer, but I'm sure it'll get colder soon. Hmm...I think this means that my blog has turned one year old...and I didn't even notice!! Well, I'll try my best to post soon...it's just that I can't find anything that interesting to write about. I don't know...we'll see. Maybe I'll start posting more links like I did with Ages, but with something else. I just need to find an interesting topic. Well, bye! I'm going to go celebrate Every Color's (late) first Birthday.

San Diego

I'm leaving for San Diego tomorrow. I'll be a week. Last vacation of the year. Yeah.

More camping

Well, I'm going camping again. I'll be back on Monday 24, but I might not actually post for a while. Or maybe I will...who knows...

Flash

Hello! What is my excuse for disappearing this time? I've been camping! Well...actually I came back a few weeks ago, but it's still a good excuse.
Well, here's a piece of info that I think you'll be interested in: I'm starting to learn Flash! So far I'm at the very early stages, but I'm moving fairly quickly, so hopefuly my first game will come much sooner than I thought! Well, actually I thought my first game will come in like...10 years. Now it seems I might have my first game in a year! Well, if you are thinking of something very simple, then it will come sooner, but I mean the adventure or escape-the-room game I was thinking of before.
Well, I'll go and continue Flash now. Wish me luck!

Final Age

D'oh! It turns out I posted an Age twice! Humph...
Anyway, time to post my last Ages.

Wow...I only had one left to post! Well, here it is:

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/3493/journal.html?200523

This actually isn't an Age...it's a journal. Well, a story in the form of a journal. It's about a man who lived in D'ni. I don't think it's finished, though. What I read is very interesting so far!

And those are all my Ages. I guess I'll have to search on for more Fan-Ages.
Bye!

Time to take a look at those Ages!

Hi there!
Sorry about not updating, I've been sick for a few days. I'm going to look at some previous posts now to see how many Fan-Ages I have yet to add here. *blows nose*

Not sure what to call this post...

Sorry that I didn't add any Ages yesterday. I was having some problems with my blog and I got sick of trying to fix it. It seems to work now, so I'll get back to the Ages soon. Oh, and I'm going to delete one of those double posts this evening, don't worry :-).

Another Age post

Ok, since I haven't posted in a while, I figure I should do something to make it up to...anyone who reads this blog.
So, I have a bunch more Fan-Ages left in my collection. Let's see...

http://www.mystrees.com/

Mystrees is an Age east of Niagara Falls, as the introduction mentions. It consists of a complex of treehouses, with bridges connecting them. The website has a great collection of pictures, so go take a look!

http://dni.kasha.net/index2.html

Here we have a collection of stories and images from various Ages. I recommend checking out "Ages" first. There are some very beautiful Ages...

Ok, now I have to check what Ages I already put here, so I won't repost one. If there are any Ages I haven't shown yet, I'll post them today.

Tiny update

Note to self: Must remember to update more often.

Adoptees up!

Ok, I officially have three adoptees on my website. These adoptables can also be found here, but I figured I should start with what I know works.
So, as promised, here is the link: http://fairy.niki.googlepages.com/home
As you can see, my username there is a bit different.
I hope I can get all my adoptees there in the near future!

Website update

Ok, the website is up (!!!), but I just have the introduction for now. I have to go do other things now, but I will add some adoptees to the site later. Once I get some stuff in I will post the link here.
Bye!

P.S. I noticed that when I play Myst IV Revelation I miss the Myst series, but when I play Myst V End of Ages I feel a sense of accomplishment. Kind of weird.

P.P.S. I actually have an excuse this time for not posting much this last month or so: I was practicing for a play! I'm finished now, so hopefuly I will post more often now. (Yeah right...)

New website coming up!!!

I am making my first website using Google Pages! There I will put my adoptees (yeah, the Adoptees of you-know-what-by-now didn't work out so well...) and other things I want.
I'm still thinking of the title...maybe the Every Color Realm.
Anyway, I will post more updates later.

Easter!

 

It's officially easter! All my egg decorating finally paid off! 

Yet another group of Ages

Well, after my short and kind of random posts I'm glad to get back to the Ages.
Since I haven't been on in a while I hope I can remember what Ages I already added.

http://www.looriva.com/index.asp

Looriva is a pretty well-known fan-Age but I thought I should post it here anyway. There are a bunch of islands you can explore with mini-games and (of course) journals. I think Looriva is translated from German because some of the journal entries don't really make sense (and because you have an option to switch to German). It's not really my thing but it's still cool.

http://www33.brinkster.com/kehnithra/LoK_BookRoom.htm

The book room has linking books to three Ages. This was one of the early Ages in my Age hunt and I really enjoyed exploring all three Ages. I'm hope there'll be more but I doubt there will. *sigh*

http://members.tripod.com/~guildboy78/age.html

GuildBoy has some sort of Age contest going on. The site hasn't been updated in a while so I'm guessing there was an absense of compitition. Oh well. I liked reading about The Magnetic Age though.

I am nearing the end of my collection of fan-Ages...just a bunch more to go!

Five

5 is a cursed number among games.
Myst FIVE was the last Myst game.
Ball Revamped FIVE will be the last Ball Revamped game (NO!!!).
The escape the room game series Puzzled has four parts (ok, not exactly 5...but it's close!).
I hope that my favorite TV series will have more than 5 seasons.
For now I'll just have to wait...
More Ages coming up!

Another Age (Note: Possibly my shortest post ever!)

Sorry about the long wait! I suppose you're used to it by now...
Since I still don't have any inspiration, I'll just post a link to a fan Age.

http://www.fantastdesigns.com/wp_index.php

This is a neat site. It has a small Age to explore and by the looks of it it will expand. Not much there right now, but still...

And that's about it. My inspiration didn't run too long, did it?

And again...

I'm back and I'm ready to post more links to fan-Ages!
Ok, let's get right to the point:

http://expage.com/mtar1

If you've been to the Oceanic Age (you can access it on a previous Age post) and found a journal, you probably now about M'tar, the Age of Awe. Well, here you can check it out. Again, you have to use your imagination to see the Age, but the description is very nice.


http://www.aveara.com/console.htm

Aveara is supposed to be an awesome Age...but for some reason I can't do anything on it besides read a neat story. I do that by clicking on "chapters" and then "launch chapter". I'm not sure if Aveara's supposed to be a game or an Age or what, but I would really appreciate any enlightenment.


http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/9071/

This is L'halaa V'road, the land of purple nights. It's another PYOPA-style adventure (like the Oceanic Age), but here there are dead-ends and a plot. It was one of the first fan-Ages I found, and I really enjoy playing it. To play it, scroll down to the picture of the rose. From there you can get to L'halaa V'road.


http://dni.kasha.net/ages.html

This website has beautiful Age pictures. A must-see if you like Age pictures! The only sad thing is that you can't walk around in it.


http://www.geocities.com/randylazenby/?200519

This is the Age of Serenity. Here you can read about yourself exploring it. It sounds very nice, but I can't help imagining Serenia, from Myst IV Revelation. But I think the Age of Serenity was made first. Anyway, the person who made this obviously had a clear image of what the Age looks like.

Ok, that's all for now. But still more to come!

Quick spring thoughts

I'm going skating in a few minutes, so I better make this quick.
First of all, I wanted to say that soon it'll be spring. I'm pretty happy about that.
Another thing I'm happy about is pretty much opposite: snow. This winter has been very mild, and recently it snowed. It's beginning to melt again, but at least it's something. I'll just stretch the scattered days of snow we got over the whole winter. That will require a lot of stretching, but oh well. Today, or at least sometime this week, I will also post more links to Ages. Coming up is M'Tar the Age of awe, the Age of purple nights, and others.
Ok, I really have to go now.
Bye,

Nicole

Even more Ages

Wow, that was quick, huh?
Here are some more fan-Ages:

http://www.dnilegacy.com/

This is the first game I found in my Age Hunt, and maybe even the first Age. You can play online or download to play offline...I know, kind of obvious. D'ni Legacy has really neat Ages, nice graphics, great storyline, and it even continues the Myst tradition of tons of journal-reading!

http://www.tsahno.com/

This game looks awesome, but unfortunately it's not out yet. Still, you can look at the screenshots and trailers on the website, and there's even a (rarely-updated) newspage.

http://www.agesofilathid.com/

The Ages Of Ilathid is another awesome-looking, not-out-yet game. I am totally amazed by the screenshots, by the way. There are going to be NINE Ages, too. At least that's what the introduction says. I hope it comes out soon!

And that's it for now! But I'll keep posting, just you wait!

Ages

Today I decided that I'm definitely not a journal person ("journal" including blogs). However, I think you already figured that out.
I made a new notebook escape the room game today. There are two rooms in it, making it the largest notebook escape game I've made so far...except for maybe the Arcade Escape one.
Maybe I should start making escape the room games on the computer based on these notebook ones. That would be cool.
I'm really starting to miss Myst. That's rather strange, because I have gone for a long time without Myst games. I guess now that I know there won't be any more I miss them. Well, at least Cyan is still making games. And there are lots of fan-Ages.
Speaking of which, I have been meaning to post some links to various fan-Ages at some point. I have some free time and desire now, so I might as well post some now!
Here are four:

http://members.aol.com/kirb9701/library.html

This one links to two Ages: Nightglow and Greenstone. There isn't a whole lot to do but there are is a great description and cool drawings of the islands. Definitely worth a look!

http://web.interware.hu/frenzy/myages/

When I first came to this Age there was just a desert, but now you can go to several Ages. When My Ages gets some sound, puzzles, and more Ages then I will officially call it a game. For now it's a fan-Age with really good graphics!

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/7077/reefage.html?200519

The Reef Age is another Age you can wander around in. Lots of stuff to explore here! The graphics are ok, but the Age itself is pretty cool.

http://expage.com/0ceanic

The Oceanic Age is what I call a PYOPA, a Pick Your Own Path Adventure. In other words, a choose your own adventure game. There isn't a lot of exploring, but it's nice all the same. There is a journal that seems to hint at something bigger intended for this Age.

That's all for now, but tune in next time, when Nicole will post links to some of the better-known Ages that all Age Explorers will need to visit!

Adoptees of Whenever I Want To

Hi!
Sorry for the long absense, I was uh...trapped in an alternate world where there are no adoptables...yeah... *shifty eyes*
Anyway, here's my next set of adoptables.

(Left to right) Zhara, Iris, and Lyndie were (also) adopted at An Orange October:

Games

Hmm...there hasn't been much to write these past few weeks/days/whatever.
Today I finished this really cool game called The Neverhood. I've been stuck on the second-last puzzle for quite a while.
The next Adoptees of Whenever I Want To should be coming soon. Maybe next weekend, and possibly earlier.
I really hope Ball Revamped V will come out at some point. It's such a cool series.
And I wonder what Cyan will make next, now that they finished the Myst Series. Hopefully it's good! Well, if there's a lot of exploring then it'll be good for sure! Even without...without...Ages! There, I said it.
Oh well, that's about it. Bye!

Adoptees of Whenever I Want To

Finally, here is my first Adoptees of Whenever I want To!!

Leelu (left), Alana (center), and Luna (right) were adopted from Anastasia at Orange October:

Sorry that the logo above isn't animated, but I don't think you can do that in a blog. Expect to see more adoptees soon, especially fairies!

A few more various thoughts

I just realized that I have a LOT more posts in January than any other month! Yey! Keep the post flow coming, eh?
I forgot to mention one other thing: I will post the links to some of the Ages I found on my Age Hunt at some point. Phew, confusing sentence! In other words, I'm going to post my Age Hunt finds here, at some point. That's better.
Not too bad for someone who didn't know what to say? Two posts in one day, and the day isn't half over!

Various thoughts on various matters

Ever had one of those times when you want to write or type something but just can't think of what to write/type? Yup, that's what's happening to me now.
Ok, ideas...well, I was just playing Ball Revamped III, part one and two, and I finished it. This is about the 5th time I finished it. It's cool, but I don't like the big levels. They feel confusing.
I hope Cyan's new game will be just as good as the Myst series. And I hope it envolves exploring...and other worlds...and books that transport you to those worlds...ok, ok, I want another Myst game. Well, at least there are some fan games (and Ages) out there. One day I might make my own Myst game, but I need to start with something more simple. Maybe an Escape-the-roomer. Or I could make a fan Age that you can walk around in. I have enough knowledge to make a small, simple one. That would be cool.
Now, one more thing...uh...um...just let me think of one...OH! I thought of something: expect my Adoptees of Whenever I Want To sometime this weekend (hopefully).

Hunting down the Ages

Well, now I'm on an Age hunt! What's that? Well, it's a game where you look around the internet for Ages made by Myst fans. It can be just a description of an Age, a few pictures, or a whole game, it doesn't matter. Where did I hear of this game? I made it up! So far I have, um... *checks*...20 links in my "Fan Ages" folder. Hopefully I can find more (*hint hint*).

Ball Revamped IV adventures 2

YAHOO! I DID IT!! I was about to give up after catching the portal 4 times, but I decided to keep going, and won soon after! Yey for balls! Yey for level codes! Yey for stubbornness! Yey for over-excited Nicoles! Yeah...
Oh, and it said in the credits that there may be a Ball Revamped V later. Will there really be one? Will the series end at 5 like a certain other series? Or will the ball never be needed again? Yeah, I know, I'm reading too much into it.
Bye!

Ball Revamped IV adventures

COME ON BALL! Get that portal! Careful! AAAARRRGGHHH! *crash*
That's better! Go go go! YES! Now, get the portal agai-aaaaahhh! *crash*
Well, I got to the portal once. I'll keep you updated on my progress!
No, first I'll have lunch...

Ball Revamped IV

Well, Ball Revamped IV is out and it is great! I have made it to the final boss now (level 101) and it is SO hard. I got frustrated and gave up for now. Luckily I have the (previous) level code written down so I can get back when I want to. Oh well, I can do it. Right? Right!! GO BALL!!!

N.

Now I really am getting the hang of this blog!

The end of Myst series sadness is starting to get to me. *sigh*
Oh well, onto happier matters:
First of all, Ball Revamped IV, the last (not again!!) part in a cool series is coming out really soon. Here's the link to the site: http://www.jmtb02.com/
Actually I should probably add it to my links section.
Another thing is, a couple of days ago (I think it was on Friday. Yes, that's when it was), I managed to convert the classic escape-the-room games into notebook-form with page numbers and stuff. Instead of items, though, there are clues to a code. I have made two so far. Maybe later I will learn how to make a real notebook escape-the-room, with items.
Wow, that's a long "onto happier matters" compared with the sad matters. Yes, you could say I'm optimistic.
I really have mastered the blog! Wahoo!

Possibly my longest post

Ok, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this blog. It's like a journal, just online, right? Maybe I will be able to find interesting things (besides various holidays) to post after all...
Now, here's some news:
1. I finally finished End of Ages!! I gathered up my courage and finished it! The final descision wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be, and that gave me the...strength I guess, to make the right choice. For one moment I thought I had messed up, but it all turned out good. All in all, I would say that was an awesome finish. Maybe I'll do a review of End of Ages at some point.
2. I got this really cool how to make drinks book. It has tons of recipes for smoothies and other drinks
3. Today I found out that a rolling pin can make a good back-massager. Who knew!
4. I think I finally figured out the whole adoptables thing. My Adoptees of Whenever I Want To should be coming soon. (Aha, you noticed the name change! Good job! :-) No, really...)

Thoughts on 2006

Happy (late) New Year!
I like the look of 2006, it looks very...official I guess.
It's also cool that we are getting close to 2010. That number looks rather futuristic to me.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new year, I know I will!

Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Every Colour!

I love Christmas...it's so wintery.
I found a cool escape the room game yesterday. It isn't green and red, but it still fits with the whole Christmas feel. Here is the link (a little present from me): http://www.fasco-csc.com/works/white/white.php
Good luck in getting out!
If you're stuck, here's a walkthrough: http://www.ajkul.com/games/adventure/white_chamber_walkthrough.php
Again, Merry Christmas!
Bye for now.

Myst 5 nearly done

I'm ALMOST done with End of Ages. Now I'm waiting for the perfect moment to finish it. Ok...I'm also kind of nervous about the final decision. Wish me luck with that! *crosses fingers*

End of Ages updates

I made it past Noloben recently! I loved the last puzzle! So...dynamic.
Anyway, I finally found out what the last Age is called. Laki'ann...Lakiann...Laki'ahn...I'm not sure how it's spelled, but you get it. It's SO cool! And the funniest creature lives there, too! Some sort of dino-bird. I'm looking forward to solving my first puzzle in Laki'ahn!
Well, better go. Bye!

I made it past Todelmer! Hooray!

It's getting pretty dreary here. It really feels like winter is coming. At least it's nice in End of Ages. I have officially made it past Todelmer and I've made it to Noloben, a beachy Age with dramatic-looking weather. Like in Amateria, from Myst 3 Exile, but less dramatic. I've gotten past a hard puzzle and I'm looking around a secret place. I'm starting to get nervous about the "final descision". I hope I make the right choice!
Bye for now! I'll post any End of Ages updates! (Yes, I'm feeling kind of excited. YEY!!! *runs around room for no apparent reason* ^_^)
Bye!!

Escape the room game

I officially have only two things left in my fall wait/want list! Yes!
While I get the inspiration to start my "adopted adoptables of the week" thingy, I will post a link to one of my favorite escape the room games: http://www.maama.com/download/socute/view.php?id=000091

I know that most internet adventurers know this game (or at least it feels like that to me), but those of you who haven't played many escape the room games can try this one. It's not too hard, and it's pretty fun. It was the first escape the room game I solved by myself, with no hints!

Adoptables of the week introduction

I have decided that I am going to post a few adoptables I adopted in a type of "adoptables of the week" post. So that means...

Every week I will make a new post, and put a few adoptables I adopted with a link to the site I got it from. (If they are really good I will put them on my "links" page.)

I'm glad that's cleared up! I better go now, I want to work on my Halloween costume.

(Almost) Random talk

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been doing...stuff.
Anyway, I'm almost done with Todelmer in End of Ages. I like the look of this Age, but I find the puzzles a bit too...well, puzzling! But other than that, it's an awesome Age. Very spacy. I can't wait to get to Noloben, it looks so cool in the screenshots!
I have a few more ideas for games, but not much. I'll get back to you on that.
Another thing: I have always liked the internet adoptables idea, especially with magical creatures like dragons and fairies, but before, I've never had the chance to adopt any since I didn't have a website to put them on. But now that I have a website (well, a blog, but that's pretty much the same), I can! I'm not sure how I'm going to do it on a blog, but I'm thinking. Bye!

Nicole

P.S. Hopefully I won't get anymore blog-writer's block!
P.P.S. Halloween soon! Hooray! Another thing on my autumn want-list!