My Current Issue

Yo. To the world I am Macey. To me I am me. It means nothing and everything. I am currently stick in a ditch called "Philosophical Writing." I can't get out of it no matter how hard I thrash, how hard I kick my flailing arms and legs. As you can see I can't stop my mind and heart from spewing the words that first come to it: the weird ones. AHHHH HELP ME!! I can't make it stop! ALEX HELP ME!!!! Some viewer help me! Leave a comment! Tell me I should drink some weird herbal tea to reverse this problem. Oh my God Macey shut up.

Some New Challenges

Hey, It's Alex. Here's another story start!

It was crazy to think that just three days ago everything had been fine.

_________________________________________________________________________

Okay, this doesn't really have to do with writing, but it does get you thinking. Okay, here goes.

How can there be zero? I mean, there's always something smaller right? you can get way down to 0.0000000000000000000000001, but there's always 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001, right?

0.1
0.01
0.001
0.0001
0.00001
0.000001
0.0000001
0.00000001
0.000000001

And so on and so on.

So, the bottom line is ZERO IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Writer's Block/Lack of Comments

Hey, It's Alex. Sorry for the llack of posts, but I was tired of getting on here every day. So they will probably be less frequent. Anyway, it seems that I have developed a bit of writers block. I have absolutely no desire to write or think about writing anything and all my ideas are terrible. Grr.


If anyone has a miracle cure, let me know.
____________________________________________

Okay, you know, I just looked through the blog and the only comments I have are from one of my best friends and my mom. Seriously, I don't mean to be pushy, but a little feedback or something would be nice. Or add to one of the stories, or something. If you don't like our blog, tell us why so we can fix it, okay? Thanks!

A Quick Addition

Hahaha, it's finally Friday. Did you know there is a dispute over whether Friday's naming is credited to the Norse goddess Frigg/Frigga or Venus? And then there's Freyja.... Never mind. But I want to add to Alex's previous post that dating your journal entries is a really good idea. If you look back you can see what sort of progress you've made with your mad ninja writing skills. Other than that. I got nothin'. Dang Alex and I suck today. Maybe it's the heat.

Organizing and Practicing

Hey, it's Alex. Sorry for no post yesterday, but I was feeling lazy. Today really I just want to talk about practice and organization. One of the best things you can do, as Macey said yesterday, is keep a journal, but you need to make sure it is organized. Write down some of your favorite strategies and give an example, or just write down the writing process of something so if you get stuck you can go back. Also, practice makes perfect. Be sure to keep your skills up. Write descriptive paragraphs and write out long sentences without using the word "it" or something. Whatever works for you. Sorry for the briefness of this post. I can't really think of anything else to say. Umm... be original. Akward ending...
ummm....
bye?

Journals

Happy Thursday, world. This is the all knowing MaceFace. I think it's time I tell you about the importance of journals. They may be the key, the single eight-letter password to truly great writing. I have a journal myself that I got for Christmas last year where I put my story ideas, doodles, favorite quotes, poems that speak to me, and stupid pointless stuff. I think the greatest thing about these books is that only you really need to understand them. So if you're short on time because you forgot about your own birthday party (guilty) and you get a really great idea, just write "code gnome" or something in there that you get. When you're done celebrating the increasing distance between you and childhood, come home and finish up what you started.
  Now I'd like to clarify that "journal" doesn't necessarily mean "diary." You can use your journal to record your creepy thoughts about that cute guy from the library, but I don't recommend it. 
  The first reason: Little siblings, brothers especially. I have one myself and when I was younger he would always try to read what I called my diary. Really there wasn't anything interesting in it, but I thought it was super private crap. You know, like how when we were in first grade we had a new crush every month? 
  The second reason: Bringing your journal in public/school. This just isn't a good idea because if you lose it you're screwed. If someone who enjoys stealing things--which, for those who enjoy big words, is a kleptomaniac--find it, you're screwed. If you put all those creepy cute guy from the library thoughts in there and a snoopy person happens upon it, you're screwed. 
    The third reason: The awesome feeling you get when someone asks you if it's your diary and you just look at them and say, "No. It is not. Because diaries are for weenies and I am a novelist." The look on their faces is usually pretty glorious to behold. 
     So, go get yourself a journal. I don't care what you put in it, really, but it will help you if you're a writer. Also, when you're old and have memory loss like I do now (and I'm not old) you'll be able to look back on that funny story about how you and your best friend had to change that one light bulb and be able to smile and say, "I wonder what that Alex looks like. He sure wasn't a looker all them years ago." But it would be funny because you're best friend would obviously be sitting right next to you, just like they always are. 


      "Me and you is friends. You smile, I smile. You cry, I cry. You hurt, I hurt. You jump off a bridge, I'll miss your e-mails." Heh heh. ~Macey

Another Excerpt

Hey guys, it's Alex. Today is just going to be fairly normal. I thought I would do what Macey did and put up a small excerpt:

Imagine a feeling like fire, burning your bones and charring your flesh. The heat and the pain are so intense, burning so bright, it is beautiful, yet terrible. there is anger all around you, pain so deep it boils your insides and your mind cannot take it, it is too much, and you let all that pain go, let it all go away.

You have forgiven yourself and those you felt that burning hatred for and you have freed your mind from the prison you trapped it in. The acrid smoke no longer fills your lungs and the flames no longer burn you. You have let yourself dive into the depths of joy. You are finally happy.

I hope you like it! Put any constructive critisism in a comment!

Night-Writing

Hey guys it's Macey. Ever stayed up really late because you just can't sleep? As it turns out, I get my best writing done in the middle of the night. So, I tried this last night, because earlier in the day I watched the U2 performance from the 2002 Superbowl where the Rams played the Patriots, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. 


Well, at said concert, U2 sang Where the Streets Have No Name in a tribute to the 9/11 victims. When Bono first came out onstage, he shouted, "America?" and then threw back his head and belted out a really beautiful note. It was a really emotional performance, maybe one of the best tribute to that day of all time. Here's the link if you guys want to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq08ouOwiqQ

That note, along with some orange flavored gum, inspired me to write this sort of poetic short story. I really have no idea what it is because it's not exactly either. I call it The Isles of Time. Hope you enjoy!

          She stepped into pools of reckless abandon. Their waters sparkled with the gleaming of the future and pulsed with the warmth of her armor from the past. Minnows of excitement nibbled at her bare feet as she waded deeper into his heart.  

          At its core, buried within the wall of courage and regret, she made her home. She stood inside him, her back erect, chest out, and breathed in the scent of his thoughts. Suddenly, she threw her head back, curls bouncing, and opened her mouth. Out poured a note of the purest joy, of the purest, most innocent love. She sang to him and he listened with reluctance.

His icy blue eyes held sadness. It was like the emotion was a liquid that washed over every surface on his body. It burned the wounds, gnawed on the forgiveness his history had never given him. Her song flooded into him with the texture of honey, and soaked up the sadness until it was gone. When the great flood had vanished, it left not a trace; only a man that had never truly existed before.

He smiled up at her with his new eyes and let her help him from the ground. Now he exceeded her height. But no size, no amount of space physically between them, could ever truly separate them.

Our lovely new banner!

Paradox

It's Alex.

UNICORNS EXIST.
BOTH OF THE SENTENCES IN CAPS ARE FALSE.

So, do they exist or not???
Leave your answer in a comment!

The Challenge 2

Hey. It's Alex now. Here's another start of a story:

Angela stared down at her pale hand as the snow danced outside. She was tired. Tired of...

Have fun!

~Alex

The Challenge

Yo it's Macey. So Alex and I were talking and we thought we should do something a little more fun than just putting ideas and tips on Thinkin' Ink. We thought over a few ideas and decided we should put the beginning of a story up, and then have you guys add to it. If you do add, please don't use any inappropriate language or references.

Alright, story time:

Jill was having the girls' night of her life until she got home. When she opened her door she dropped her keys in shock at seeing....

Add away, friends. Make it as silly as you want and be sure to leave an opening at the end for the next piece.

                                 Be sure to drink your ovaltine! ~MaceFace

Some Tips and Tricks:

Hello! It's Alex. I decided I would post a few tips and tricks to enhance your writing. So, here they are:

1. Use sensory details! A reader is much more drawn to smells and sounds than just what something looks like.

2. Show, don't tell. You want to act like your reader is in a movie. Instead of saying, "She was angry.", describe what anger looks like like this: "Her hands clenched into fists and her face blazed a brilliant scarlet as she entered the room and saw to her horror her brother, laying on her bed, reading her diary!"

3.Make it flow. Switch places or switch whatever you're describing fluently. No one wants to read choppy, confusing writing.

These are really the most important things in my opinion. One of the best strategies to apply these to your writing is to write the whole thing and just get the ideas down on paper, and then go back and add in places where you can use these techniques. Find your own style, and then go with it. Settling into a type of writing you liike can be one of the most beneficial things.

 

Make them think. Make them wonder. Make them MARVEL. 

Yay inspirational message!

Good morning.

Good morning, world. It's Macey.

 If you know what's good for you, you'll be eating peanut butter right now. But I wrote a poem a couple days ago and I thought you people should see it. 

So here goes:

The calm,

With its electric hum.

Anticipating, waiting, metallic.

The distant rumble,

The storm's final warning.

Ominous, intimidating, strong.

The first crack,

Running through the sky.

Brilliant, energetic, youthful.

The flash,

A lone tree falls.

Burning, solitary, defeated.

The drops of rain,

Mourning its death.

Despondent, sharp, cold.

The harmony,

Three singing voices.

The flashes, the drops, the bellow.

The retreat,

Sky lightening, clouds thinning.

Dignified, promising, weakening.

The end,

Final droplets land.

Glistening, fresh, new.

                       ~Macey

Hello!

Geez, how do you start a blog? Um... hi... I guess?
...
(Shut up Alex.  Let me do this part!)
Welcome to the Thinkin' Ink blog! Despite how cliche that message was, we mean it. If you're a starting writer, please feel free to share your inspirations and creations. Also, don't hesitate to use the things we write for inspiration. (And please don't think that means you can take our stuff and have it published.) A quick disclaimer, we can't prevent people from stealing your ideas if you put them on the Internet. (Sorry.) We just aren't that cool yet.

Further rules:
1. Don't put stuff on here that's not about writing. I don't care about your new recipe, or car, or your boyfriend/girlfriend or whatever.
2. Again, we can't protect your stuff. But we do hate the people who try to take it. :P
3. If you want to critique someone else's work, please do it nicely.
4. Have fun! (Dear lord that was cheesy.)

Okay, now that that's out of the way, we can introduce ourselves. Currently posting is Alex.
Now currently posting is Macey. But you may call me MaceFace. (Long story.) We're two friends that have been writing short stories, poems, and more since we first met in second grade.

No, losers, we're not dating.
So just don't even ask.
Or joke.
Or poke.
Or any other rhyming word that implies rudeness.
Bleh.

So, here is our first blogged piece:

Moonlight illuminates the night sky,
Waiting for daylight when it will die.
Silvery streaks flow to the ground.
The Earth is quiet, not a sound.
A warm summer breeze drifts through the dark.
What happens tonight will leave no mark.
And soon the silence of Night is gone,
The sounds of daylight come with dawn.
Across the sky the sun will go,
What happens tonight remains unknown.
But soon the mysteries of darkness come back.
The sky is painted an inky black.
The forgotten things are close at hand.
Nighttime is coming once again.

                        ~Alex