The Inspiratron!

Clicking on the image will enlarge it allowing you to read the fine print. It's always advised to read the fine print. ;)

"Are you running low on inspiration? Has it abandoned you like that pet mouse you kept in the cupboard when you were five? Have no fear! The Inspiratron is here! The Inspiratron is a device designed to flood your mind with ideas when you're feeling low! Just put it on using the handy Velcro straps that fit around your chin and voila! You will have ideas and inspiration galore!  To get the Inspiratron all it takes is a simple phone call to 1-800-INSPIRED! Our phone operators will set you up with just three easy payments of $9,999,999,999.98! Call now!"

Pretty ridiculous, huh?

If you can't tell by the introduction, I've been dealing with low amounts of inspiration lately. I'm not sure what to blame for that but I do know from reading a zillion and one posts about it, I'm doing it wrong. I don't really need an Inspiratron. (Shocking, I know.)

Have you been low on inspiration lately? You probably don't need an Inspiratron any more than I do. (Even if such a thing existed) What you need is far more difficult than you may think. Inspiration, contrary to popular belief, is not a muse. It's not some fairy sprinkling magic dust on you whenever it sees fit. And there's no sense in waiting for that to happen.

Inspiration is trickier than that. Because inspiration comes when you hunt it down and capture it. Not when it decides to come eat out of your hand.

Surprised? Maybe not. maybe you've heard this before. But even if you have, what does it mean for you?

What it means for me is this: I can't just wait for inspiration. I have to firmly put my rear in the chair and make myself write. I wasted an entire year after my first NaNoWriMo just waiting for my inspiration "muse" to come grant me the rest of my book. What do you know? It never came.

I heard (or rather read) people say, inspiration only comes in the middle of your writing. So why didn't I listen?

Since then, I have tried much harder than that first year to just get it done. But I kept finding myself waiting. For what? I could have finished so many writing projects by now if I had only made myself do it. I suppose self discipline has never been my strong point. Gee, ya think Beth??

Now, I just want to be done. (That's what you get!) I have found myself thoroughly sick of my WIP. I've been working on it so long. I have been having a harder time going to it willingly. I find it harder to write scenes that should come easy. Right now, I'm stuck. I wrote myself into a minor corner. Something happened quite by accident. My characters have no idea why, which is good. The bad part is, I don't know why it happened either. And I'm in the middle of the scene where it should be revealed. Ugh. Just typing this I'm getting frustrated with myself for it.

My point is, when you find yourself not in the mood or just waiting to hear from your "muse", remember that the best inspiration comes with discipline. It comes when you're writing. 

Top Fictional Guys I Fangirl Over (Books)

I'm a fangirl. I can't help it. It's really easy for me to fall in love with MCs or MC's love interests. Im sure the authors planned that. Sneaky sneaky. These are the ones closest to my heart. (In order) 

•Gilbert Blythe. Need I say more?

•Dustfinger. I can't help it. I just love him. 

•Nico Di Angelo. I have no idea why I love Nico so much. He's a dark and creepy person. But I adore him...I don't even know...

•Razo of the forest and of Bayerns Own.  He is perfect. He has faults of course but that makes him even more perfect. If that makes sense...And if you have never read the books of Bayern, what are you doing on the Internet? Go read them! 

•Murtagh. Again with the creepy ones...what is wrong with me? In real life I'm not usually attracted to these kinds of guys. Mostly it's when they're in books. Occasionally on TV. Weird. 

•Leo Valdez. He makes me smile...:)

•Percy Jackson. He just has to be on this list! 

•Peeta Mellark. Peeta. Mellark!

•Anubis from the Kane Chronicles. *dreamy sigh*

•Horace Altman from The Ranger's Apprentice. In the beginning I hated him, but by the end of the series, completely in love. 

•Mr. Darcy. I love him so much...

•Mr. Binghley. (Spell check?) I adore this man. He makes me giggle so much!  :) 

•Laurie from Little Women. :) Shoulda got Jo!! All I'm sayin. Though I did like Fredrick. Just not as much. 

•Finn. Also the Books Of Bayern. Go! Read them! 

•Farid! I love Farid! He's so naughty sometimes but I can't help loving him anyway. 

I can't think of any more but I do have quite a list! Who are your favorites? 

6 Worst Book-to-Movies I've Ever Seen

You know the feeling.

You fall completely in love with a book. With the characters. The story. The author. The scenery. Everything about it just makes you happy.

Then you hear the news.

They're making it into a movie!

At first you are elated. The excitement proves almost too much. But you stick it out. Finally, you see the midnight premier at the theatre.

And now. You just want to cry. They ruined it. Your characters. Your story. Your loves. All destroyed.

This has happened to me so many times I don't know why I bother with movies at all anymore.

Here is a list of the MOST disheartening of all of the worst books turned to movies.

1. Prince Caspian

This movie made me so sad...it was barely like the book at all. Peter and Caspian were supposed to be friends! And there was no romance in the book. Bacchus and his merry company were left out as well.

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Lightning Thief

I can't even watch this movie. Barely anything was like the book. It was an okay movie in itself I suppose but definitely separate from the book. I'm kindof scared for the sequel they're making. We shall see I suppose.

3. Eragon

This movie...*sigh* Brom and Murtagh were good! Durza was portrayed well I thought. (I love Robert Carlyle...) But everything else was just sadly lacking. Most people blame a small budget but still. The book was so masterfully written and sculpted. You can tell Christopher Paulini poured his soul into the series and they kinda butchered it through the movie. I was extremely disappointed.

4. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Ever. But the movie...not so much. I get that they had to change it so there was a main "evil force" or whatever, but it was just sad. C.S. Lewis hated movies and I have a feeling this movie would make him want to weep. At least the dufflepuds looked like I had imagined. :)

5. Inkheart

I'm not quite certain this should be on here. I go back and forth. Sometimes I adore the movie, and other times I can barely watch it.
The book was such a masterpiece that it would take nothing short of an exact plot match for me to *love* the movie but considering, they did a pretty good job. I just miss the magical feel the book had. The stunning characters. (Although Paul Bettany was a marvelous choice for Dustfinger. Bravo whoever made that call!)

6. The Hunger Games

Ugh. Need I say more? Madge Undersee. Haymitch's drunken appearance at the reaping. So much more, all left out. It just made me sad...I enjoy watching the movie up until they get into the Arena. But after that it gets a little too yuck for me. An okay movie overall but I was expecting a lot more. I'm so pumped to see Finnick in the next one!! Hopefully they do a better job. Catching Fire is one of my all time favorite books.

What do you think? Would you agree or disagree with any of these? Have any to add to the list? 

Summer Better Hurry Up

I don't know about you guys, but I for one am dying for summer to get here. I don't like these cold, wet, muddy days that we've been having.

Summer is pretty much THE best time of year. I adore it. My friends and I are together almost every day of summer and I like it that way!

Summer can get REALLY hot but it's completely worth it if you ask me. That's part of the charm! It can be miserable, but it's summer!

Stupid Scuttle The Bug

So. I was laying in my bed one Monday night. Last night actually.

I was just laying there. Watchin a Julian Smith video, and trying to laugh quietly cause my whole family was asleep and Julian is one hilarious dude.

When out of the blue, a gigantic (we're talking quarter, maybe half dollar size) black beetle type bug appears!

Arby's

Note to self: When you go to Arby's, know what you want. Otherwise, there are problems for everyone and you will probably ruin the day of the poor worker there.

Ways to Deal With Stress

It's been a long day, you have been dealing with people all day long and you're sick of the world. Your kids (or siblings) are going crazy, bouncing off the walls, screaming with joy and anger, you have a million things to do and no one even offers to help.

You are stressed.

What do you do?

Option 1: Lose your temper. This is not recommended. Avoid this option at all costs.

Option 2: Go away by yourself and scream a lot.

Option 3: Take a nap! Or better yet, just go to bed early and forget your cares for a while.

Option 4: Consult your stuffed penguin. It probly has some phenomenal ideas for coping!

Option 5: (The completely serious answer) Pray. Spending time with God can always help.

Option 6: Go shopping. This probably is not the best option but the most fun!

Option 7: Play the sims. Make some virtual people's lives miserable. It just might be the thing you need! (Actually this might be the most fun...)

And finally; Option 8: Have a cup of joe, relax a while in your favorite chair, and after that...quit your job, give your kids to your sister, and move to Hawaii.

Hope you enjoyed these fool-proof plans for dealing with stress!

Spiders Are Pointless and Evil

I hate spiders. I detest them. I loathe them. I despise them. They are the plague. The last straw that breaks my camel's back. Why do they pick on me? Why me? Why?

I'm sure you've gotten the point.

Spiders are nuisances. Sure they eat flies and bugs and stuff, but really, flies aren't so bad in comparison.

Did you know that there are some spiders that eat birds and bats? Imagine. Just imagine it.

Fame and Fortune?

So I was thinking today about being famous. I was thinking, it would be so nice to be famous...

But pretty much my whole life, I've always thought being famous would stink. I mean, I wouldn't want people following me around or always trying to talk to me in totally bizarre places.

I enjoy my peace and quiet. When I'm in a group, I usually just like to listen to people talk and only add my thoughts when they're interesting enough to share.

How To Get The Guy ( As Told By Your Favorite Fictional Characters)

In this day and age, it's hard to know exactly what guys think about you and whether they are into you. But you're in luck! I have compiled for you a list of tips from the most famous and competent girls from the stories and movies you already know and love.

Here you go! How to get a guy:

Grammatical Errors

Our world is being slowly degraded common sense wise if you ask me. Everyone seems more willing to browse Facebook, watch Netflix, spend hours on Pinterest, and do all sorts of other things on this thing we call Internet than read a good, old-fashioned book.

And because of that, our world has seemed to forget the proper use of the most common phrases, words, and punctuation marks.

What To Do When Your Computer Is Slow

I'm sure you've all had this problem. You finally get all your chores done and you are going to reward yourself with some pinterest or Facebook time. (Or maybe you aren't done, in which case, why are you reading this?? Go do the dishes!)

But when you get to the computer, you find it in a very nasty mood. It moves about as slow as a turtle through a pit of maple syrup.

It's happened to me more times than I can count so I have composed a step by step list of things to do in this situation.

Alone Time

I have been sitting in my room for the past 3 hours.

You may call me crazy. Or you may understand.

See, I'm not mad, sad, or annoyed with people as you may think.

I just craved alone time.

Chased By A Minotaur

So I was driving to my best friend's house yesterday. It was the first time I'd driven there by myself and I was excited.

On this particular trip, I was being followed rather closely by an annoying fellow driver. Naturally, I began to imagine they were following me. It was only logical right?

Penguins

So, Ive been thinking a lot recently. ( Not usually a good sign)

As far as happiness goes, people can't just say: "Okay, Im going to be happy now."

They need something to influence their mood. Something interesting and almost guaranteed to bring a good mood or a happy thought or even a smile, however brief a time it may stay.

Which brings me to my next point.

3am

You may be wondering why in the world I'm up at 3 in the morning. The answer: I have absolutely no idea. I went to bed at a reasonably decent hour. (Which was probably mistake #1)

I layed in bed for a while, thinking about my day and the things that had happened. But I got bored really quickly. It was obvious I wouldn't sleep for a while so I decided to browse the Internet. (Mistake #2) I became so engrossed that the next thing I knew it was well past midnight.

So then I thought: "This is rubbish. I'll never sleep if I keep on this way." (Yes, I think in a British accent) So I decided I really needed to sleep. But obviously, my brain had other ideas. "Time to turn completely ADHD!" Was the curse I inflicted on myself. "Rainbows are pretty! I love jelly beans! Umbrellas need to all be multi-colored. Our country needs to learn proper english..." This is essentially how my brain is functioning.

And so here I sit. Writing about my insomnia. Which I just realized is probably due to the Mountain Dew I drank with my supper...*facepalm*

Mystery=solved!
Beth=Sleep-deprived.

Goodnight everyone! (I suppose good morning is more appropriate...)