A Little Short Story!

Hey everyone! So it's that time of week again, where I share the writing I've done throughout the week. I haven't written a lot this week, only this poem and a couple of hundred words for my novel. But hey, my novel is actually going much better than I thought it would! I've figured out how to patch up a few of the plot holes and I just hit 10,000 words! Whoop de doop! Anyway, I digress.

So this week, as well as working on my novel, I've been writing a second person short story that I might actually begin to develop into a novel for Wattpad! I'm yet to come up with a name for it, so some help is appreciated! Here's a few snippets:

It’s quiet in the hallway. Too quiet. You know it as soon as your clodhopper Clarke sandals thrum against the pavement, loud and ringing in your ears. All the other girls are outside. They’ll be on their laptops, sighing over One Direction and watching Pretty Little Liars on Netflix Premium. Either that, or they’ll be flicking through their choir songbook munching on cheese spread sandwiches cut into tiny triangles.

There’s not a lot to say about the girls at your school. They’re either ditzy and dumb and waiting for their modelling contracts to start with Burberry and Chanel (their bleach blonde hair and overtly orange tans give away everything), or studying away at their school textbooks and singing proudly in the school choir, volunteering for everything that comes up, and applying to be school captain. Unfortunately, none of them will ever get there; they’re too dorky and socially inept for anyone to want them to be anything more than the head of maths club.

And this one, with one of my favourite lines in the entire thing:

“Trisha?” The principal sticks his bald head out of the doorway, eyes the colour of mud searching for you. You stand up, spitting your gum into the closest bin to him, and give yourself a satisfied grin as he subconsciously wipes off his pants, wincing at the bright pink spittle on his hands. It reminds you of the lurid soap they provide in public toilets.

It probably isn't my best work yet, but hey, I'm happy with it! What do you guys think? Leave your feedback in the comments below!

El xx

P.S: I won't be posting for the rest of this week, as I have my school camp! Sorry about that, but have a fun week, y'all! And I'll see you soon!

50 things I love.

Hey everyone! I know this seems like a really weird post, but I dunno.. I feel like being happy and positive today! Someone's given me a glass of Amity water haha :D. But hey, what's so bad about being happy? Nothing! So here's 50 things I love.

Books.
Blogging.
Friends.
Family.
Writing.
Cake.
Ice Cream.
Art.
Good music.
Pretty stationary (I AM A SUCKER FOR PRETTY STATIONARY).
Good fonts.
Soccer.
Pintrest.
Skype.
My bed.
Funny YouTube videos that aren't really funny but always make me laugh.
Spotify.
The colour red, or to be more specific crimson.
Mascara, I have super long lashes and it make them look awesome.
Op shops.
Vintage clothes.
Hats.
Australia in Autumn (Summer's too hot, Winter's too cold and I get hayfever. So yeah, Autumn is def my favourite season).
Waking up to find all these lovely comments on my blog. Y'all are awesome.
When I fangirl with people about tv shows/books/movies/you get the point XD
Netflix
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Graham Norton Show
Chocolate!
And sweets!
And any other type of lolly!
The smell of freshly baked brownies.
The smell of sizzling bacon (it's the only reason I'm not veggie).
Cooking shows like Masterchef.
The number 5. I don't even know why I like it so much, I just do.
Community.
Getting new books and enjoying the new book smell. (I'm weird).
Vegetables (this is really weird! I am very fussy with fruit and only truly love berries, but I LOVE VEGGIES. Oh well, at least I'll make a good vegetarian :D)
Disney movies.
Grimms fairy tales. I love reading the backstories to some of my favourite films and so I treasure my hardback collection book.
Cute dogs.
Pretty bags.
The internet. I honestly don't know how I'd live without it.
Awesome hair styles. I could watch Zoella videos about 'em for hours.
Flowers. Particularly blue orchids.
Spell check. I am a crap speller. But not autocorrect. I sent a text once asking my mum if I could get pringles and it autocorrected pringles to pregnant. Yeah...
Computer games. I'm really sad :')
Humorous books.
Well represented diversity in books.
YA books.
Every type of books.

Aaaaannnnddddd that's a wrap! I hope I've made your day that extra bit sparkly, and that if you were feeling a bit down you might have a bit of positivity. What are 5 things that you love? Comment below!

El xx

Books that you need to read this very second.

I am a massive bookaholic. If I'm not blogging on reading or texting my friends when I should really be doing my homework I'm reading. To me, there is nothing better than getting lost in a world with a good book. I've read heaps of good books in my life, and bad ones as well. But let's face it. What's the joy in reading a bad book when there are so many good books out there? Here's my top three list of books you need to read.

1. The Flywheel By Erin Gough.

This is honestly one of the cutest books I've ever read. I like that whilst it does deal with heavy topics, such as LGBT, it doesn't detract from having the sweetest, adorable-st romance ever. I adore Del, I am IN LOVE with Charlie, and Rosa is awesome. Also, can we talk about how awesome that cover is? It might just be me, but I swear that is the cutest cover EVER.

2. Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson.

Not only does this contain one of the cutest love stories ever (not even just the romance, also the backstory and what Astrid and Hiro did as a couple - you'll have to read to find out!) but it has an AWESOME cover. Am I the only person who kinda judges books by their covers? *crosses fingers no* 

3. Laurinda by Alice Pung.

Unlike the other two books, there isn't even a hint of romance in this book (well, there kind of is, but I don't really think so). Instead, it tackles major topics such as racism, identity and trying to fit in in a world that makes you stand out. Lucy is an awesome, powerful character and it doesn't end with her. Each character is well fleshed out and are so multi dimensional you won't even know what a one dimensional character is by the end of this. A brilliant, brilliant read which I highly recommend.

So there you have it! Three books that will now *hopefully* be at the top of your TBR piles. What are three books that you would recommend? Leave them in the comments below!

El xx

That Book I've Been Rambling About....

So, you know that book that I totally haven't been rambling about? Well, I'm actually going to (finally!) talk about it. So as to not get your hopes up early, I do have to warn that I actually only have a rough idea so far of what it's going to be so far. It is still in the rough drafting stage (because I am a total rebel and never plan ANYTHING that I write) but I'm happy so far with what I've got. In a way I feel like it's a ripoff of Divergent/The Knife Of Never Letting Go/The Hunger Games, but hey, that's nothing that can't be *hopefully* fixed.

So what is the plotline? Basically, it's about a girl Erin who lives in a dystopian society where a) everyone gets assigned their jobs at birth and b) all red heads are extinct and for some reason everyone hates/is scared by the thought of them (don't ask why because I haven't figured it out yet). Basically, she sees a red head... And her brothers see a red head. They are all running because they are afraid that someone will find out that they saw one. But then that exact red head catches up with her and tells her that she needs her help. For reasons that I don't know yet. And I'm still currently figuring out how the jobs assigned bit comes in. I know it will, but I need to figure it out. I need to figure a LOT of things out. Here's what I know so far:

- There will be NO rebellion involved. I want to show the more realistic side of things in my novel, and let's admit it... 16 year olds heading up rebellions isn't very realistic. It will be hinted at, but I don't plan to feature it.
- The main plotline, which is already above.
- That I want it to be set in a futuristic Australia. For some reason, all dystopias are set in America. Pfffttt. Why set it there when we have a much better country right here?

AND NOW FOR SNIPPETS!

A girl was lying in front of her, breathing so gently she wondered if she was breathing at all. Erin’s gaze travelled up her, taking in the pale white flesh, torn, bruised and bloody; her beautiful purple gown, so extravagant and beautiful she wondered if it was just a dream. It was hiked up a little, showing the frothy petticoats underneath, like whipped cream. Finally, she came to the face, staring into her sapphire eyes. And then she looked at her hair.

And let out a scream so loud, every bird within 50 metres disappeared.

That girl in front of her, the one with the oh so creamy skin and that gorgeous gown?

She had red hair.   

Erin wanted to stay longer. She wanted to see how the girl would react when she woke up, in a world that would kill her before she could say ‘strawberry blonde’. She wanted to see if her eyes were as magnificent and beguiling as her hair, her outfit.

But, most importantly, she wanted someone to talk to.

Someone who would listen to every last complaint she had, who wouldn’t care if Erin spent hours talking about all her problems instead of listening to people whinge about theirs. She wanted more. More, more, more. More than this insipid life, sucking all the soul out of her.  She wanted to leave this town, and it’s people.

She wanted… A life. More than just starving slowly to death, with nothing but raspberries to keep her alive.

She fed Sarah her raspberry, and from the green tongue poking out it was obvious she’d been eating grass again. She hated the thought of her beautiful sister eating the food that cows ate, but in desperate times, it was all she had. 

Sooooo, what do you think? I would seriously appreciate some feedback because, let's face it, I probably need it. And I've also decided... You guys are going to name the red head! Yeah! Comment below with a name of any kind, and I'll either a) pick my favourite or b) go with the most popular. I hope you liked this post, and remember to comment with your name/comment suggestions!

El xx

BIG issues - collab with Lou Loves and Marti Stelling.

If people are trying to bring you down, only remember you are above them.
- Anonymous. 

I've been a victim of a lot of things in my life. Grief, sadness... And bullying. As much as I hate to admit it, instead of my writing, or my friends, or anything else in my life, bullying has shaped my life in every way possible.

It didn't seem like a massive problem to me at first. I was just overreacting, worrying about something that didn't matter. I should just focus on my life and ignore them. That's what everyone tells you: ignore them. After all, being called an asshole and a dickhead totally shouldn't get to you.

What a load of bullshit.

I want every person who's ever said that to live in my skin. Or Amanda Todd's. Or anyone else who has been bullied to the point where they're crying every night, wondering if it's normal to feel this way. Wondering if it's normal for people to chase you across roads, threaten to beat you up, tell you that you'll never get anywhere in life.

It still scars me, to this very day.

I couldn't go to school without feeling physically sick. I contemplated self harm and even, at a very low point, suicide.

Ignore them. Laugh it off. Act as if you don't care.

Whenever I hear those words, I want to go punch somebody.

I suppose this is a more depressing post than what I normally do, but this is something I need to post about. I am well and truly past this and can now say that I'm at the happiest point of my life, but this isn't something that's going to disappear. This is something that has and will stay with me for the rest of my life.

And it needs to stop.

(So I know I said that I wasn't posting 'till Monday... But considering how long ago I intended to post this, I figured I should really put this up. I hope you thought about this - enjoyed reading this belongs in another language - and please do check out Marti  http://pinksmartiesblog.blogspot.com.au/ and Lou http://louloves01.blogspot.com.au/. )

El xx

New Posting Schedule!

Heeeeeeeeeey everyone! As you will probably know, I am very, very erratic when it comes to blogging. I will barely post for a month... And then I will post everyday for two weeks. However, I really do think that I need to develop a schedule. Sooooo, here it is!

Monday: Some writing that I have done throughout the week, whether it be snippets from the novel I'm working on (more on that soon!) or a poem/short story. If I haven't written anything that week, instead there will be something more bookish related.

Wednesday: I actually have no clue so far as what I will post on Wednesday! I am still trying to figure out my niche (if you think you know what it is, PLEASE tell me!) so it will most likely relate to that.

Saturday: I will be posting... Whatever comes to mind! This will be the most random day as whatever I post here will be a total surprise. You'll have to wait and see! Mwhahaha XD

Do note that with school starting up again, I probably won't be sticking to schedule... But oh well, it's worth a shot! This won't be starting 'till Monday week, as I think I'll take a little blogging hiatus this week, to work on my novel. I know, I know, I keep on talking about it and not revealing anything... But I promise that I will post about it on the first Monday back! AND THERE WILL BE SNIPPETS! I can hear your excitement!

Have a great week everyone, and I'll see you not-very-soon!

El xx

A Bedroom Tour!

Hey everyone! Today I'll be doing a bedroom tour of my room. I've been meaning to do one for ages, mainly because I could never pass up the opportunity to show everyone my gargantuan bookshelf. However, considering how messy my room is (and I really cannot be bothered to tidy it up #rebel) I'm just going to show you little snippets, not the entire thing, like Rosie. I don't want to rupture your eyeballs! Anyway, let's do this!

Yep, I can already see your jaws hanging! Can you spot any of your fave books? Tell me!

This was SO much fun to go to, and I had to keep the poster, it's so adorable!

My gorgeous clock, which I got for Christmas.

And my desk! Here I keep my all time favourite books and a few trinkets. I also have photos but I took them out for privacy reasons.

My combat boots, which I wear EVERYWHERE, even in Summer!

A very close friend of mine drew this for me. She moved, so I have this as a keepsake of our friendship.

My bed, which I'm lying on right now!

I have a few Disney sketches mounted on my wall, I love these so much!

Another little sketch :)

My notebook/scrapbook/photo book collection!

I use this to keep letters in, as it's so adorable. I cannot bear the thought of chucking it!

I love these socks! I wear them everywhere haha.

So what do you think of my little bedroom? And what's your favourite part? Tell me in the comments below! I planned to include a picture of my desk, but it is so messy, you did NOT want to see it! What's your bedroom like? Tell me in the comments below!

El xx

The Hopeful Notes!

Hey everyone! Recently I've really been getting into random acts of kindness, because they spread so much love and hope and just downright happiness. A particular blog that promotes happiness and positivity is Marianne's blog - She is so lovely and I really do adore her blog. Whilst I have heard of Carrie Hope Fletcher before, I haven't really looked into her. But after reading one of Marianne's posts about the hopeful notes, I decided that this was something that I really wanted to get involved in, because it is just such a wonderful idea.

So, basically, the premise is that you write little notes for people on post its (or any kind of paper, no one will mind :) and leave them scattered around town for people to find them. It can be something as simple as 'You look beautiful when you smile' (one of my personal favourites) or you can go all out and decorate them to make them look beautiful. I plan to go to the library tomorrow, so I have a lovely little stack of hopeful notes that I plan to slip inside the books, dvd's and maybe even pin some up somewhere. It really does make people's day and it takes you almost no energy. Here is my pile so far - I plan to make up a few more a little later.

Sorry about the awful lighting!

As for what to write, I did a mixture. I used some of my all time favourite quotes (Nelson Mandela and Alice in Wonderland, hehe), wrote some of my own things, and then I went all out for one (I plan to try and hide it for my mum when we go out and see her reaction :) I also have two more, but they were written in silver pen and didn't come up at all... So I just stuck to these ones.

These have taken me no time to do, and I really cannot wait to put a smile on someone's face tomorrow! They are such a wonderful idea, kudos to Fletcher and her fans :)

What do you think of this idea? 

El xx

My All Time Favourite Disney Films.

I love Disney movies a lot. They were the bane of my childhood, and if I'm being honest they're still the only reason I'm around today. They've taught me so many life lessons and I've fallen in love with a drastically large amount of their characters. If you asked me to name my top 10 films, even if these didn't make the top of my list, they would definitely be on there. Disney is just so magical at taking timeless fables and weaving them into amazing, beautiful stories that take no effort to stay in your brain forever. So, without further ado, here are my all time favourite Disney films.

Alice in Wonderland.        

I've talked about Alice in Wonderland waaaaaay too much on here... But I love it too much not to include it! The mystery of Wonderland and all the amazingly different characters draw me in every single time I watch it, and are the exact reason why I love it so much. It stands apart incredibly from anything else I've ever seen and the animation is stunning. Out of all the movies I've listed on here, this is probably my favourite.

Mulan.

Ugh, I take the above statement back. I could never and will never be able to choose between this and Alice (and to be honest everything else on the list). Mulan is simply amazing. With the most awesome sidekick ever (I am such a Mushu fangirl) and a protagonist who is strong and brave but yet also doubts herself and has flaws. It jam packs everything a good movie needs in it and is just pure perfection.

The Little Mermaid.

Oh my goodness, where should I start with this one? I loved Ariel and her passion for all things human, how she was more than just a stereotypical princess. She has dreams, she has hope, she has an abundance of love that tugs at my heartstrings every time. But yet she isn't flawless - She has struggles and makes a lot of misjudged decisions. It just makes her that much more relatable. And can we please talk about the secondary characters? Flounder, Sebastien, even Scuttle... They might not be awfully important, but man I love them.

Mary Poppins.

As a child, I used to stand at the window, waiting for Mary Poppins to fly through and make my life amazing with all her Mary Poppin's-ness. She was just such a magical and prominent figure in this film, and she created such an amazing atmosphere within it... I can't even put into words why I like her so much. And Bert. Oh Bert. Dick Van Dyke was so well cast, because you didn't even realise he was acting. I was just swept away in this land of humans and animations. Definitely one of my all time favourites.

Zootopia.

I only actually saw this a week or two ago, but already it's made its way onto this list. Zootopia is funny, heartwarming, and realistic. It doesn't sugarcoat reality but instead shows why we need more Disney films that aren't amazingly perfect. And boy, did I love the characters. Nick, Judy, and so many more... This movie is just utter perfection. See it as soon as you can because you won't regret it.

So there are my favourite Disney movies! I love all of these and highly recommend you see them if you haven't already. What are your favourite Disney films? Tell me in the comments below!