And the Roarin' Twenties Chapter Critique Giveaway Winner is....

#DailyWings: "I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." -Galileo*

And the winner of the Roarin' Twenties Chapter Critique Giveaway is....*drumroll please*

Far Away Eyes

as randomly chosen by the random generator: 

Congratulations, FAE! As promised, the chapter critique includes: a reading and critique of any one chapter of a manuscript OR a short story (page limit: 20 pages). The critique will include an in-depth review, copy editing, rating, and suggestions - either over email or a Skype call (!). Please email me at xtheredangelx@gmail.com within the next five days to claim the giveaway. 

Thanks to all the participants of the Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest and to those who entered the giveaway. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the other poem entries (some of them were published toward the end of the blogfest) and comment! As a reminder, every point equaled to one entry, and you were able to earn points by things like following TRA, tweeting about the blogfest, etc. There was a whopping total of 87 entries - woohoo! 

I am really glad I decided to host this blogfest, even if I did get the idea just eight days before I turned 20. It definitely made my birthday one of the best ever. Though I must say, these lovelies contributed: 

Just a few of my birthday gifts: books, a vintage Wonder Woman lunchbox and a summer dress. 

My birthday Tiramisu, one moment looking delicious and the next - poof! All gone. *sheepish smile* (It was that good)

Danny Lerman & Forecast play a little hot sax n' cool jazz at the local Night Town club

Honestly, what could be better? What more could anyone ask for on their 20th birthday? I have gone to Ohio twice now, and I can tell you that the "City of Rock" is certainly lively. I can't wait to go back.  

* * *

I have been given yet another blog award from Sydney Aaliyah. 
Sydney is an active JuNoWriMo participant, a movie watcher, a tattoo lover, and a writer. She tweets and hosts JuNoWriMo Participant Interviews and blogs too, of course!  She is completely deserving of this award, and I feel honored to have been chosen as a recipient amongst her and so many other awesome, beautiful bloggers. Thanks so much, Sydney! Time for me to pass it on...

1) Kayeleen's Creation Corner--I have only known Kayeleen for a short period of time, but she is proof that a person CAN be both a writer and a mom. Kudos to her for sticking with it, and for making time to blog as well.

2) Life 101--Rick is a writer and lives in the country. He blogs regularly about nature, writing and the little things that make life worthwhile. 

3) Deana Barnhart--This lady is an inspiration to writers and bloggers everywhere! Deana is a great person to get to know, and her blog is a joy to read. She recently just signed with her new literary agent - how awesome is that? Dreams really can come true! 

4) Ali Cross--Ali blogs about anything and everything on writing and is a prolific author. She wrote the YA adult Become, which you can buy on Amazon here. Seriously, y'all, this girl is the definition of ninja-ness. 

5) Mia Hayson--Honestly, I don't think there is anybody who doesn't know Mia, but in case you haven't had the pleasure, Mia blogs over at My Literary Jam and Toast and is one of the most hilarious people I have ever met. She writes YA fiction as well, and loves anything that has to do with glitter and zombies. Mia also has a knack for creating entertaining graphics, I might add. 

6) Ruth Madison--Ruth is an advocate for disabilities awareness, something that I am also passionate about. She has written several books and recently just started her own book publishing company. I admire Ruth for taking a stand on the side of those of us who may be underestimated or misunderstood because of our personal health circumstances. 

7) 101 Bird Tales--Amelia is a beautiful artist and a beautiful thinker. If you start to follow her blog, you discover that within the first week of reading her posts. She ponders over thought-provoking questions about life, creativity, self-awareness and artistry.

Check out these beautiful bloggers...I promise you, your Google Reader will be just a bit longer and your day just a little bit better. 

Wendy Lu

*If you have any suggestions for #DailyWings quotes, tweet me!

And the Roarin' Twenties Chapter Critique Giveaway Winner is....

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What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed: Meditation and Writing

#DailyWings: "'Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work." -Stephen King

The funny thing about the end of summer school is that, after an intense three weeks of studying and fast learning and exam-taking, everything slows down and suddenly you have a wide space of time lying before you. 

Yesterday, I went to the interfaith chapel that is connected to the local hospital and spent five hours in one of the meditation rooms. I almost never see anyone in the chapel, even though it's a beautiful and peaceful place to spend time alone, reflecting. The meditation rooms are low-lit and set at cool temperatures. 

Doesn't this look lovely? 

Now, I don't really affiliate myself with any religion. To me, religion is deeply personal and individualized because it makes up your entire belief system and spiritual views. No two people's religions are alike, no matter what name you give it. And so even though I don't go to church or attend religious activities regularly, I still try to find the time to meditate. 

I hadn't meditated in quite a few months --bad, bad Wendy-- so getting back into the routine was kind of hard, especially when I set the bar high and sat for 20 minutes straight through (my phone beeped when 20 minutes was up). But in the past I have found that meditation helps clear your mind, leads to greater contentment and calms the spirit. Even now, I don't really know what constitutes as meditating; maybe the "sit and just be quiet" ritual catchphrase suffices. Here is how the 20 minutes of my meditation session went: 

0 Minutes: Okay! I can do this! 

3 Minutes: *fidgets* Has it been five minutes yet? No, I can't look at my watch! I'm not supposed to open my eyes! 

5 Minutes: Whatever...my phone will beep when it beeps. I need to stop focusing on the time and concentrate on blanking my mind instead. Every time my mind starts to fill with thoughts or images, I'm going to 'clear' everything out. 

8 Minutes: .................(nothing)....Hey cool! I'm doing it! I'm meditating! Wait, dang it. I'm thinking again. Bye, bye, oh sweet moment of zen. 

9 Minutes: Clearly blanking my mind is too hard right now. Let me try to focus on my surroundings instead. 

11 Minutes: I hear the air conditioner blasting from the ceiling, I taste tomato from the spaghetti I had for lunch, I hear nothing. I see nothing. 

12 Minutes: Uh-oh. My knee itches. 

12.5 Minutes: I'm not supposed to move! Oh, but my knee itches so badly! It's that darn mosquito bite. The AC must have blown air on it. And it's no wonder I'm cold...

13 Minutes: Has it been 20 minutes yet? No, I guess not. Now, I'm going to concentrate on not itching my knee. Think about something else! Quick! 

15 Minutes: Even though my eyes are closed, I still see colors and images with my eyelids pulled over like this. *moves eyeballs around* There goes a blue streak of - of light! Ooh, a shiny shooting star. And green squiggles. Never knew you could see so much with your eyes closed. Beautiful. 

17 Minutes: Hey, the itch went away. 

19 Minutes: All right, phone, you're concerning me. I'm pretty sure that I set an ala--

20 Minutes: BEEP. BEEP. End of meditation session. 

Well I wouldn't exactly call my session productive, but what I did afterwards certainly was! To be honest the meditation made me kind of sleepy and my shoulders were kind of sore from staying straight for so long, but I felt good. I felt more present in the room now that my eyes were open. 

And the next thing I did was a literary miracle. I sat down, opened my laptop and started writing for The T-Project. Writing, y'all! Word after word after word. Before I knew it, nearly an hour had passed and there on the Microsoft Word document were 700 words more than I had before! What's more, the meat of the back story had been fleshed out and there was even some good dialogue that had made its way onto the page. 

I  threw my head back and drew out a long sigh of satisfaction and, yes, contentment. I felt content and happy and strangely present in my environment. I also felt tired, though, so I packed up and went home with a smile on my face. 

Maybe the meditation wasn't productive, but the post-meditation writing session certainly was! I always knew there was something about meditating that changes attitude, work ethic, and thinking patterns. Hmm, perhaps I should start meditating every day right before I write...

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To make yesterday even better, Precy Larkins surprised me with the Stylish Blogger Award - and she called me a diva! *giggles* Thanks, Precy! This award comes with a few questions for me to answer - and for you to get to know a little bit more about me!

What is your favorite song?

I actually happen to have an answer to this one! Right now, my favorite song is Dying Daze by Mipso Trio. It's got beautiful lyrics and unique melody. Another good tune by the band is their cover of Careless Whisper. Good stuff! 

What is your favorite dessert?

Oh dear, this is such an unfair question given that I just started a no-sweets resolution for myself. I guess I'll have to say apple pie or Coconut Dreams. Mmmmm. 

When you're upset, what do you do?

I usually try to find a quiet place to be alone, like the arboretum on campus or my room. Then I write in my journal to get all the feelings out, or if I'm really upset I go to sleep. 

What was your favorite pet?

Hehe. I have had two adorable red-eared slider turtles, named David and Little Cloud, for almost three years now (I got them in August 2009). I got them at a festival in Boston, and they were tiny babies back then. Now they've gotten incredibly huge - so huge that I had to get a new tank for them! They keep me company and are super fun to play with. You can learn more about David and Little Cloud here. This is an older photo of them (they're much larger now): 

Aren't they such cuties?! 

What do you prefer to wear, black or white?

Hmm, that's an interesting question! I like both, but since I have black hair perhaps black is the way to go. Plus , black attracts the sunlight so wearing dark colors makes me get all itchy and uncomfortably warm. 

What is your biggest fear?

That I will grow old and then right before my time is up I realize I haven't accomplished anything with my life. 

What is your attitude mostly?

I try to be a positive and optimistic person - always looking on the bright side. That may make me seem like a really naive person, but I suppose it's more of a combination between optimism and common sense. 

What is perfection to you?

A fantasy! 

What is your guilty pleasure?

Buying comic books :D Yes, I am one of those silly superhero nerds who collects comics and holes herself up in some secluded area to read about Superman. #noshame

Time to pass on the blog award! Here are the five recipients, in no particular order: 

1. Albert's Sefuty Chronicles - for being an incredibly supportive blogger friend, especially throughout ROW80 Days. 

2. Lydia Kang (The Word is My Oyster) - for recently changing her blog layout and background (gorgeous!), and for showing that it IS okay to to pursue two of the most unlikely fields, medicine and writing (check out her Medical Mondays! Hilarious!)

3. Alyssa (Life is Good) - for having a blog that has delicious-looking noms and touches on a diverse array of topics! 

4. Rachna's Scriptorium - for always discussing thoughtful aspects of writing and the literary world (ex: Why Do We Like Imperfect Characters?)

5. Wendy Luane Barber - for having the same-ish name as me (haha, just kidding!) and for being super creative and talented with her art projects; check out the quilts and dolls she makes! 


Don't forget to sign up for the Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest + Chapter Critique Giveaway! Only two more days!! Linky below:




Wendy Lu

What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed: Meditation and Writing

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Happy Midterm Week and Awards Day

QOTD: When was the last time you had an unexpected surprise?

Well I have three tests this week and one paper due, but Miss Deanna Barnhart brightened me up by giving me some awesome awards: the Lucky Meme and the Sunshine Award! 

Thank you for tagging me! :) These were super fun to fill out. 


Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors. 

...my story was no worse than his, no less depressing or difficult to bear.

“You should write a book someday, Sophie.” James was grinning.

I blinked twice. What was that supposed to mean? I wasn’t sure if that was an insult, if he thought I was joking or lying about my story or if he was just trying to keep things light.

I went for my second guess.

“Ha, thanks for that, but writing isn’t exactly my thing,” I told him, trying to smile...

1. Favorite Color: Red--not orange red or blood red. Just deep, passionate red. 

2. Favorite Animal: Turtles and then monkeys! 

3. Favorite Number: 17

4. Favorite (non-alcoholic) drink: Water is my favorite drink...gotta' love nature's finest gift. 

5. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook, but I am getting more and more addicted to Twitter now too!

6. My passion: Writing and life

7. Getting or Giving presents: Honestly, I love giving presents more than anything else on holidays! I love going all out and surprising people with little things :) 

8. Favorite Pattern: I think plaid is such a cool, laid-back pattern.

9. Favorite Day of the Week: Tuesdays are my most relaxing days because I only have two short classes. 
10. Favorite Flower: Wow that's really hard. I'll go with azaleas. 

And the Awards go to...

Mia Hayson

Teralyn Rose Pilgrim

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Loralie Hall

Frankie Diane Mallis

Julie Fedderson

Laurel Garver

Happy Midterm Week and Awards Day

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30-Day Challenge 4: 83rd Academy Awards Fashion Review

Question of the Day: What is one habit that you wish you didn't have?

The QOTD just so happens to be the topic of today's Blog Challenge. Just between you and me, I have a bad habit of starting books that I never finish reading. Hmm, that sounds backwards. *rearranges* I have a bad habit of never finishing books that I start to read. It's true... I am currently "reading" The March by E.L. Doctorow, The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott. Not to mention my Economics and Adolescents & Media textbooks! AND I also promised my good friend that I would begin Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin soon. You get the gist. Yikes...I don't think I even realized how many books are on my to-finish list until I just wrote them down!

New Goal for Spring Break: Finish the books above!!!

This past Sunday on February 27, the 83rd annual Academy Award show took place in--where else?--Hollywood, California. What I love most about award shows is that you finally get to see actors as themselves, not as characters in movies. Who knew the Love & Other Drugs star Anne Hathaway had such a remarkable voice? In case you missed the show...

Best Picture: The King's Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth from The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale from The Fighter

Best Actress: Natalie Portman from Black Swan

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo from The Fighter

Visual Effects: Inception

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography: Inception

Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland

Best Director: Tom Hooper from The King's Speech

Best Documentary: Inside Job

Best Documentary Short: Strangers No More

Film Editing: The Social Network

Foreign Language Film: In a Better World

Makeup: The Wolfman

Best Original Score: The Social Network

Sound Mixing: Inception

Best Original Song: Toy Story 3

Best Animated Short: The Lost Thing

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Social Network

Best Short Film (Live Action): God of Love

Sound Editing: Inception

Writing (Original Screenplay): The King's Speech

Major kudos to The King's Speech! However, if it had been up to me, I would totally chosen Inception (click for my movie review!). :) Congratulations to Inception for receiving four Oscars!

Here are my top picks for this year's Red Carpet beauties:

Helen Mirren from The Queen and producer Taylor Hackford

Aron Ralston from 127 Hours

Shaun Robinson from Bruce Almighty

Singer Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman from Rabbit Hole

Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit

Halle Berry from Frankie & Alice

Click here to see last year's Academy Award show picks!

What do you think about this year's Oscar winners? Who do you think looked best on the Red Carpet?

30-Day Challenge 4: 83rd Academy Awards Fashion Review

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