Earlier today, I discovered a video on Youtube uploaded by Charlie McDonnell called Don't Break the Chain. In this, he discusses a motivational method for procrastinators called, well, Don't Break the Chain!
This method helps when you are easily distracted by a task you need to/want to do. First of all, you need a calendar print-out. You cross out every day on the calendar that you complete your task. Once you have a streak, it is actually very hard to stop doing the task every day because you don't want to break the chain.
I am using this method for both blogging and writing in general. I printed out two calendars. My goal for blogging to to post on my blog at least three times a week. My goal for writing is to spend 15 minutes per day on something such as my newest fanfiction.
I think that this method will work great on me. It already is! I wrote two blog posts yesterday, so I will complete my task for this week under blogging. I wrote another chapter for my fanfiction as well today, so another X on my calendar. =)
I think this method will work a charm on me. When Script Frenzy in the beginning of this month, I completely forgot about my blog. All I could think was script script script script script script and more script. Now, I'm going to be forcing myself to.
-Dom
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Making MLP:FiM Mixes
Today, I decided to give MLP:FiM mixes a go.
MLP:FiM mixes are (you guessed it!) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic remixes or original mixes relating to the show. They are usually based on a character. Character mixes try to relate to or give the mood of the character's personality. That's what I did. I think I did a pretty good job.
I decided to do Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. I am currently basking in self pride. I absolutely love the final results of these and am definitely going to make more. To make these, I used both Audacity and Aviary Music Creator. Since Aviary only records approximately 16 seconds of music, I decided to use it, but make it longer using Audacity.
Fluttershy (Butterfly Reveries):
Rarity (Cordial Invitation):
Rainbow Dash (Weather Patrol):
MLP:FiM mixes are (you guessed it!) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic remixes or original mixes relating to the show. They are usually based on a character. Character mixes try to relate to or give the mood of the character's personality. That's what I did. I think I did a pretty good job.
I decided to do Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. I am currently basking in self pride. I absolutely love the final results of these and am definitely going to make more. To make these, I used both Audacity and Aviary Music Creator. Since Aviary only records approximately 16 seconds of music, I decided to use it, but make it longer using Audacity.
Fluttershy (Butterfly Reveries):
Rarity (Cordial Invitation):
Rainbow Dash (Weather Patrol):
-Dom
I'm DIFFERENT
Hello world. My name is Dominique, and I wrote a 100-page script in less than a month.
I can just hear myself telling that to people. They'd probably look at me like I was nuts, because a. I'm eleven years old and b. most people my age and gender prefer going to the mall and whatnot over sitting at their computer and writing an endless story.
But I'm different!
I'm not proud to say that I accomplished this because I had nothing else to do at 5:20 in the morning. I knew that if I went back to sleep, I would stay asleep until it was time to head to school. I also knew that if I stayed awake, I would eventually give in. Thus, I decided to do something productive!
I headed down to my basement, hit the "on" button of my laptop, and started writing.
Although scripts aren't my thing, I decided in late March that I would write one during Script Frenzy anyway. Even though it isn't the same as NaNoWriMo, it was still a writing experience. I was originally going to write the script with my friend, but she was too busy at school to be able to help me.
I just wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote...and I was there. Sitting in front of me was a 100-page PDF that I'd been working on for over three weeks.
I was basking in glory when I spotted the number 100 at the top of the program, Celtx, I was using to write my script. I saved the PDF to my computer and verified my word count on the Script Frenzy website.
I can just hear myself telling that to people. They'd probably look at me like I was nuts, because a. I'm eleven years old and b. most people my age and gender prefer going to the mall and whatnot over sitting at their computer and writing an endless story.
But I'm different!
I'm not proud to say that I accomplished this because I had nothing else to do at 5:20 in the morning. I knew that if I went back to sleep, I would stay asleep until it was time to head to school. I also knew that if I stayed awake, I would eventually give in. Thus, I decided to do something productive!
I headed down to my basement, hit the "on" button of my laptop, and started writing.
Although scripts aren't my thing, I decided in late March that I would write one during Script Frenzy anyway. Even though it isn't the same as NaNoWriMo, it was still a writing experience. I was originally going to write the script with my friend, but she was too busy at school to be able to help me.
I just wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote...and I was there. Sitting in front of me was a 100-page PDF that I'd been working on for over three weeks.
I was basking in glory when I spotted the number 100 at the top of the program, Celtx, I was using to write my script. I saved the PDF to my computer and verified my word count on the Script Frenzy website.
If you could look for another girl in my class who had written this much in a month, you'd fail. Miserably. And you know why?
Because I'm different.
-Dom
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Hunger Games: Movie Review
***WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!***
I went to watch The Hunger Games with my two best friends, my sister and my dad the other day. (So, Mom, don't read this.) I think it was truly astonishing and worth a round of applause, believe me on that.
I just think they didn't stress out the emotions and the cruelty that was in the book enough. I mean, if your little sister was chosen for a fight to the death on live television, I bet you wouldn't sit there with a blank expression. (If my little sister was put in the Hunger Games, I'd be falling apart with the snap of a finger.)
Overall, though, I think the movie was amazing. The characters were easy to distinguish for me easily; Effie Trinket made me snicker the first time I saw her. I've seen her in the trailers and everything, but her bright mood and overuse of makeup put me over the edge. She was always a treat to read about in the books.
Haymitch = Best. Mentor. Ever. In my opinion, his character was portrayed perfectly; a drunk, shaggy-haired man with a crude sense of humor that drove Katniss absolutely nuts. (I really liked the scene where Katniss almost cut Haymitch with a butter knife but let it hit the table instead. It pretty much sums up the relationship between Katniss and her mentor. Also, "THAT IS MAHOGANY!")
Cinna could have been more thought out. His personality wasn't as clear as Effie's or Haymitch's. I feel that Cinna is a very important character and could have been stressed out more. I mean, he gave Katniss the courage to get in there and show the Capitol that they can't push her around. He's part of the reason Katniss lived through the Games.
Cato scared the Nutella out of me. That's all I have to say about him.
RUE. During her death scene, I was just crying and trying to see through the blur of my tears. She was played very well; an innocent, harmless girl who just wanted to stay alive. I didn't look when the spear went through her stomach, though. My classmates told me it was "very disturbing" (they were exaggerating to great limits), so my friend who had already watched the movie told me when to look away. So much for "very disturbing".
Prim was adorable, but I think she would have reacted a little more to Katniss volunteering. You know; like, screaming and kicking at Gale and everything. Her father had already died, and I bet she didn't want her only sister to leave her as well. I think Gale was nice, too, but could have been better. In the movie, he just seems to be this hunter guy that's friends with Katniss. That's just my opinion, though. It could have been more thorough.
Peeta, you say? I have no comment. (I can't really say anything about him because my classmates have exposed me to their daily lectures about Josh Hutcherson being "cute" and Team Peeta. I'm sort of sick of hearing about him.) He was pretty epic in the movie, though.
I think the ending could have been better. I would have liked it if we had the berry scene from President Snow's point of view. And also, Seneca Crane didn't die of eating nightlock berries. He was hung. I know this is a PG-13 movie and everything, but why would they lock him in a room and starve him like that? I didn't get this at all.
I like that we saw the Hunger Games from the Gamemaker's point of view as well. We could see them planting the muttations and talking to the viewers. (Also, I don't think the muttations are nearly as scary as I pictured them to be. They looked like really, really big pugs to me.) I really enjoyed that.
The tracker jackers gave me the shivers. I have this mini-phobia of bugs because of a house centipede incident...(ew.)
The scene on top of the Cornucopia was pretty epic. Cato, again, scared me in great amounts; choking Katniss and threatening to kill Peeta and stuff. When he fell off and the muttations, like, devoured him and stuff, I was suddenly very grateful that the movie was rated PG-13.
That's all I really have to say about it. I give this movie four stars. I would definitely watch it again sometime.
-Dom
I went to watch The Hunger Games with my two best friends, my sister and my dad the other day. (So, Mom, don't read this.) I think it was truly astonishing and worth a round of applause, believe me on that.
I just think they didn't stress out the emotions and the cruelty that was in the book enough. I mean, if your little sister was chosen for a fight to the death on live television, I bet you wouldn't sit there with a blank expression. (If my little sister was put in the Hunger Games, I'd be falling apart with the snap of a finger.)
Overall, though, I think the movie was amazing. The characters were easy to distinguish for me easily; Effie Trinket made me snicker the first time I saw her. I've seen her in the trailers and everything, but her bright mood and overuse of makeup put me over the edge. She was always a treat to read about in the books.
Haymitch = Best. Mentor. Ever. In my opinion, his character was portrayed perfectly; a drunk, shaggy-haired man with a crude sense of humor that drove Katniss absolutely nuts. (I really liked the scene where Katniss almost cut Haymitch with a butter knife but let it hit the table instead. It pretty much sums up the relationship between Katniss and her mentor. Also, "THAT IS MAHOGANY!")
Cinna could have been more thought out. His personality wasn't as clear as Effie's or Haymitch's. I feel that Cinna is a very important character and could have been stressed out more. I mean, he gave Katniss the courage to get in there and show the Capitol that they can't push her around. He's part of the reason Katniss lived through the Games.
Cato scared the Nutella out of me. That's all I have to say about him.
RUE. During her death scene, I was just crying and trying to see through the blur of my tears. She was played very well; an innocent, harmless girl who just wanted to stay alive. I didn't look when the spear went through her stomach, though. My classmates told me it was "very disturbing" (they were exaggerating to great limits), so my friend who had already watched the movie told me when to look away. So much for "very disturbing".
Prim was adorable, but I think she would have reacted a little more to Katniss volunteering. You know; like, screaming and kicking at Gale and everything. Her father had already died, and I bet she didn't want her only sister to leave her as well. I think Gale was nice, too, but could have been better. In the movie, he just seems to be this hunter guy that's friends with Katniss. That's just my opinion, though. It could have been more thorough.
Peeta, you say? I have no comment. (I can't really say anything about him because my classmates have exposed me to their daily lectures about Josh Hutcherson being "cute" and Team Peeta. I'm sort of sick of hearing about him.) He was pretty epic in the movie, though.
I think the ending could have been better. I would have liked it if we had the berry scene from President Snow's point of view. And also, Seneca Crane didn't die of eating nightlock berries. He was hung. I know this is a PG-13 movie and everything, but why would they lock him in a room and starve him like that? I didn't get this at all.
I like that we saw the Hunger Games from the Gamemaker's point of view as well. We could see them planting the muttations and talking to the viewers. (Also, I don't think the muttations are nearly as scary as I pictured them to be. They looked like really, really big pugs to me.) I really enjoyed that.
The tracker jackers gave me the shivers. I have this mini-phobia of bugs because of a house centipede incident...(ew.)
The scene on top of the Cornucopia was pretty epic. Cato, again, scared me in great amounts; choking Katniss and threatening to kill Peeta and stuff. When he fell off and the muttations, like, devoured him and stuff, I was suddenly very grateful that the movie was rated PG-13.
That's all I really have to say about it. I give this movie four stars. I would definitely watch it again sometime.
-Dom
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