tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69394445168954916832012-01-30T15:38:14.757-08:00Because anything is better than silenceCipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-2464785916199149942010-12-31T18:31:00.000-08:002011-12-16T21:08:30.609-08:00

...And it's almost 2011 already? Hope you're all having a wonderful break out there. :) I've been busy writing for Sweet Designs Magazine for the last few weeks- kudos to anyone who figures out which ones I wrote. Other than that, made a little progress on editing my NaNo project from November....aikes. It's the best I've done so far, and the most incomplete. Hopefully the new year will

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-28744067669598231812010-12-03T20:29:00.000-08:002010-12-03T20:29:54.874-08:00

Sammi. (Not you, Samm, but your name bears good fortune). Violinist. She likes books. I tell her about my story. This happens Wednesday night. At 10 p.m., I email her my first (very rough) novel. Thursday night: "I LOVED it! Send me more!" Agents never ask what your family, best friend, or teacher thinks. In business, it doesn't matter. But, as I wrote back to her, bubbles of happiness are

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-13637325175117394092010-11-30T19:20:00.000-08:002011-12-16T21:09:09.000-08:00

So, if you're still reading this, know that you have the most devoted follower award. Really, not posting in... erm... 60 days or so is criminal, excuses or no. Most of the time the only reason I'm even online is to do homework (yes, that is the sad state I am reduced to!) but still. I think Time Management will become a New Year's Resolution for the 6th time in a row... Celebrations in

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-5768898220016642072010-11-12T19:36:00.000-08:002010-11-12T19:37:05.758-08:00

At this point, most NaNoers are having a hard time with their word counts. Me? *crickets* *hasn't updated in 5 days* Well... Long story short- sickness and concerts. And rehearsals. *pulls out another list of excuses* Essentially, I stopped writing the entire week and realized, oh, wait, it's November!11,000 words to catch up on this weekend. *cringes*   Word wars anyone? -of to write some

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-34007803277543371352010-10-17T10:01:00.000-07:002010-10-17T10:01:37.139-07:00

I'll be out of commision during November. Edits, revising, beta swaps, etc. will commence in December. Grades, have mercy on me...

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-25320082024869815652010-09-24T19:36:00.000-07:002010-09-24T19:38:41.146-07:00

I'll be ready... eventually. Yes, I'll post that to the "steal these" page later. You can change the color in photobucket if you want. Guess what? The first Writer's Circle meeting is in five days! And we're doing NaNo. Point: I am now forced to participate. I participated- and won- last year. That was when I had time. That was when I didn't have five hours of homework every night. *Ahem*

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-75035122539233765382010-09-08T19:34:00.000-07:002010-09-08T19:34:01.374-07:00

I've neglected you. I've neglected so much over the past few weeks that speel check is no longer a word in my internal dictionary. Including the internet. Knowing what I haven't neglected? Homework. Yes, that is the sound of me giving in to the 10,000 other blogger posts ranting about the beginning of school. So I'll try to keep it short. Four hours. A night. Homework. Extracirriculars.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-85144801902333878562010-08-13T11:13:00.000-07:002010-08-14T07:37:51.690-07:00

I walk into the counselor's office. She stares at my mom and I together, smiles, says hello, asks our last name (it's the third time the school has switched counselors on us) and pulls out the 4-year plan I wrote as a freshman. "Let's see... so you want to be a writer and a jewelry designer." Um, no. "She want's to be a broadcaster now," my mom adds, as if my silence just said something. "

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-35871589181164626152010-08-06T09:47:00.000-07:002010-08-06T10:45:04.648-07:00

No, I didn't change the background this time. Just the header. That's it. Oh, and added the butterfly  to the pages bar. Whoops. Got carried away. Anyhoo, I guest posted here on scholarships.  Take a look around the site, too- it's a place for teens to share their work (like inkpop, only smaller and less competitive). Here's the other title I was considering: (and some fun smileys)

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-26293586388311337982010-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:002010-07-31T20:36:46.713-07:00

I think I'm 69 or approaching it, at least I haven't lost my mind- just most of my time. Beats me where my energy went I hope it'll come 'round again A gray hair showed it's face today the first, I think, of many hope things don't go on this way since I haven't yet reached twenty.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-17445447462969988872010-07-14T08:36:00.000-07:002010-07-14T08:36:40.938-07:00

FINALLY found a way to include multiple columns in the header for the new blogger. Needed to celebrate. Very pleased with myself right now.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-81771672046570925922010-07-13T15:52:00.000-07:002010-07-13T15:52:30.235-07:00

I got a book. -grins evilly- No, no, 6 months without a book in my hand have not driven me insane. Well. At least not to the point where I can tell. Happy Day. Anyhow, after reading a section of poetry, I figured I should say a few words, since -cough- it isn't my type of thing, but did help me. Case in point, I suck at it. You don't need be a fantastic poet to learn from writing poetry.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-59884757132987659592010-07-01T18:35:00.000-07:002010-07-01T18:35:47.460-07:00

I nosedived, wordcountwise. I wrote two more chapters over the last week, but that's all- did two paragraphs of revision, typed up some of my rough- but very little new material overall. Garage sales, summer cleaning, and reading (re-reading, that is) have kept me busy. Oh, that's right! Summer homework. The stuff still in my backback underneath the last list of scholarships (which I should

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-47229640526541502462010-06-18T20:19:00.000-07:002010-06-18T21:10:22.684-07:00

Karma has come around. After finishing my beta work as soon as school let out, I had a lovely new set of ideas to swirl around my brain. Mostly romance, since that was the last work I'd critiqued, but I set off today on the Double NaNo Challenge: Two months, two novels. Day one progress: (starting small) 10 handwritten pages, 1 1/2 chapters Anyhow, after five pages I set my journal down (

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-3779432229197046712010-06-14T17:36:00.000-07:002010-06-14T17:36:11.304-07:00

Video: could not find a way to upload it. The formating is... "unrecognizeable" Writing Conference: Mom wrote down as the wrong day. I love her anyway. ;D My Absence: Ugh. There must be a better reason other than school... and my brother... School: Ongoing. The Feedback my beta buddies are waiting for: is coming. Really. It is. After my brother's graduation. I wrote a chapter while spending

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-57866360259147423512010-05-29T14:12:00.000-07:002010-06-04T18:13:14.482-07:00

Alright, I admit it. I'm probably on the top 10 list of most indecisive people in the world. Especially when it comes to blog backgrounds. However. Considering the recent trend toward shorter titles (in YA), I came up with a few. Yea/Nay's are appreciated. SLS1: Gone                     SLS2: Torn            SLS3: Worthy        (New titles) SLS1: Stabbing Shadows SLS2: Lunaquarius SLS3:

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-43145782168011689172010-05-15T08:06:00.000-07:002010-05-15T11:55:52.246-07:00

I'm in a particularly good mood today. So I'll start by mentioning the major accomplishments of my two blogger buds, Lydia and Zoe- both are over 100 followers! Congrats! Be sure to check out their contests, too (linked). The Fifth agent contest is also up again, if you missed the post on querytracker. My major accomplishment this week was a speech. No, it wasn't that I was elected vice

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-74210497178214080452010-05-01T18:03:00.000-07:002010-05-01T19:43:25.352-07:00

Besides being the most eye-catching award out there, it has the best title! But let's try to make this one special- let's make it the most linked award. Even if the people you award it to don't take it and repost, let's link as many people as we know, alright?I'll start: Ariel Emerald, Aspen, Alison (The Cautionary Tale), Isabella, E. Arroyo, Fantastic Fiction, Rachele, Hilary Wagner, Lisa and

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-63307545482360211762010-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:002010-04-25T19:58:05.593-07:00

*Deep breath* Concising what I could take up three posts with into three sentences: Classic New Blogger Mistakes (which I too am guilty of): Giving writing advice, 'cause everyone does the same thing, and following twice as many people that follow you. (Who has that time?)  addition: putting your text in courier is another turnoff. Yes, I have seen this. Yellow font on white. Courier font. I had

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-68505749465351056892010-04-17T08:09:00.000-07:002010-04-17T08:09:50.221-07:00

Lydia & FantasticFiction! Congrats!

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-79923959441316592082010-04-13T19:20:00.000-07:002010-04-25T11:47:15.215-07:00

"No! Not again!" Ohh, yes. You'll get tagged too soon enough. ;D I’ve been tagged by lbdiamond (Laura) to tell ten truths about myself and tag three other people… 'cause, y'know, I can lie perfectly in writing. ;) Quite a challenge to do the opposite. 1.) I've yet to see a love-hate relationship between siblings pulled off satsfactor-ily. 2.) My ears are pointy. 3.) Yes, Samm, I do want these

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-61588634988001997162010-03-29T09:19:00.000-07:002010-03-29T17:16:42.503-07:00

Okay, so I was disappointed. From the email it sounded like it just had more options, not a different HTML structure altogether-- I mean, who could resist having 5 columns? (Okay, so I'm a bit overkill on widgets, but...) They have: Awesome layouts (with plenty of column choices) Customizable color on the blog post section (not the overall blog). This means you can make it clear, opaque, solid

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-85593392772432498472010-03-27T16:45:00.000-07:002010-03-27T18:10:16.355-07:00

Now that things are a little less insane... and spring break has arrived... The Three Chapter Deal Probably one of the hardest hurdles to overcome after the query and the synopsis is the beginning of your story. It almost seems like every tactic out there has already been used- from falling into abysses to (the worst) waking up. I'm harsh when I critique the first few chapters of anyone's

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-56281232691321306602010-03-22T19:45:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:45:57.871-07:00

There's an author interview here. Also wanted to take the time to thank everyone who offered their support here. I really appreciate it. Truly. Heading off to finish homework...

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-21447364425212563082010-03-18T17:23:00.000-07:002010-03-18T17:23:44.126-07:00

So I knew it was coming. Slightly. -_- My mom thinks I should be taken in to see a psychiatrist. Why? I've been acting despressed all week and crashing out for more than 3 hours at a time, waking up looking like a ghost. (I blame it on all the in-class scary movies we watched after the CAHSEE. I never see anything above PG-13 at home.) I cry for no reason. Not often, but every once in a while,

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-50209291307327236582010-03-13T10:38:00.000-08:002010-03-15T13:04:20.100-07:00

As I've probably stated a billion times, Februrary- May are my busiest months. 1) My WIP. The beginning is as close to good as it's gonna get- it's the ending that needs work. 2.) Sleep. I had no idea I was lacking it until I got in bed after school and woke up at seven. 3.) Reading. The worst possible feeling. I haven't read anything besides the Tale of Two Cities. 4.) I need time.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-59084391253229824272010-02-26T22:01:00.000-08:002010-03-09T16:30:49.509-08:00

In the Blogosphere, at least. I made some, received some, and found tons of other writers passing these around, so take 'em and enjoy!  Thanks Laura! I would like to thank Laura Diamond for the Creatve Writer Award, and Cheree for giving me the Honest Scrap Award. And the rules are to tell ten truths about myself and pass it on to other fantastic bloggers. So, here's my truths: 1. I have no

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-83695234550972283402010-02-16T20:57:00.000-08:002010-02-17T13:48:11.835-08:00

Since the overwhelming response to the poll was that there should be a list of writing contests, I have collected all the information from a variety of sources: Funds For Writers, Zinch, Fastweb, Freelance Writers, and the Creative Writing Contests blog, which had a notice up that it would no longer be updated last I checked. This made me sad. :( They tend to have more contests than my other

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-28690060907494192902010-02-03T15:51:00.000-08:002010-02-12T19:04:16.510-08:00

I will do a book cover for you if you help me choose which one out of these you like best. Thanks in advance!

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-76802047043538251732010-01-27T14:49:00.000-08:002010-01-27T15:27:32.842-08:00

1. I was a runner-up in the Poetry Out Loud Competition. If I can get some video from Mr. Conrad I'll post it. Julia Eccles was the winner- she's amazing! She's been in musical theater for as long as I can remember and her poems were perfect stylistically. Congrats Julia! 2. Secondary Purpose: something I'm going to talk about at the next WC meeting. It's pretty obvious, but no matter what you're

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-15412633686263771022010-01-16T23:43:00.000-08:002010-01-18T19:34:37.014-08:00

To fulfill this award, I must now list 10 things that make me happy :). Easy! 1) BOOOOOOKS!! Always and forever. 2) Chocolate. I don't lie when I declare myself a chocoholic. ;D This includes chocolate in ice cream, chocolate as in cake, candy, etc... 3) Hot cocoa. It makes me feel like an adult since I'm too young to be into coffee or tea. 4) Shiny things (excludes earrings and other

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-87176752219895059202010-01-15T19:14:00.000-08:002010-01-15T19:19:11.154-08:00

There was a question raised in one of the Writer's Circle meetings that I think everyone can benefit from: How do you write about a character outside of your gender/age group/political spectrum? Most of us already know our MC's voice in a novel, but what about short stories, poems, or even minor characters? Maybe you even need to develop your own natural writing voice (I do!). Here's what I

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-56585774846744696952010-01-05T16:20:00.000-08:002010-01-05T16:20:17.689-08:00

There's always a contest going on somewhere. For my Writer's Circle group at school, I come up with a list of these twice a month, and (considering I use over 7 different sources) it takes a while to verify and check everything, and take down a few notes of advice that I've learned along the way. Since my blog contest is over, I figured I'd list some others to check out as well: http://

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-25849648928624816242010-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:002010-01-04T17:00:18.723-08:00

Congrats Laura Diamond! Her short story, CRYXIS, won for this blog contest! The honor of second place was awarded to Lynnsi Claine for her story, titled Let Go Rose. Congratulations to both of you!

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-52265681148972116372010-01-03T19:42:00.000-08:002010-01-03T19:42:50.474-08:00

I'm stealing Samm's picture. It was too pretty to let go of. :D I didn't make any new year's resolutions. Disappointed? Mostly I wait and see what needs to be done, then set goals throughout the year. If I get lucky, great! Some announcements: 1) Thank you so much for all of the entries in the Winter Short Story Contest! I was thoroughly entertained by them, and have chosen the winner. You'll

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-54667046601670000242009-12-21T09:28:00.000-08:002009-12-21T09:28:28.370-08:00

I'm currently part of the Poetry Out Loud group at my school- yes, poetry. The one thing I have always been horrible at. I mean, you have to forget grammar! And the sentences have to have the same meter! If that weren't bad enough, you have to read every poem. Publicly. Now, I'm a naturally shy person. I've worked on it as best I can through speeches and leadership opportunities, but I

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-78820691522904358462009-12-10T19:01:00.000-08:002009-12-10T19:01:38.882-08:00

Last call for entries in the Winter Short Story Contest! There are still three weeks left, but please make sure you get those entries in! I know from previous experience how many things get in the way, how the power suddenly decides to go out and ruin all your plans, and how many ways you can lose a peice of paper. If you have any questions about the contest, feel free to email me at the address

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-28968766245494150592009-11-28T09:52:00.000-08:002009-11-28T09:52:56.884-08:00

For me, writing the rough draft is fun. The characters are in your head, the setting is alive, and everything works like a movie. Twists and turns occur, new characters enter the stage, and you feel confident that your work is absolutely wonderful. Then you take another look at it. Now you need to make it better. But what if you already love it and think nothing is wrong? Just like a violinist

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-89211566010829578712009-11-14T15:30:00.000-08:002009-11-28T09:27:44.742-08:00

Announcing the first contest on this blog: The Winter Short Story Contest! Deadline: December 30th (The sooner, the better) Length: Must be less than 7,000 words or twenty pages. Please number them. Topic: A life-changing moment (Both fiction and nonfiction accepted) There will be a first, second, and third place winner in the contest. All winners will receive a handwritten, encoded message (

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-61383991670990002052009-11-12T16:16:00.000-08:002009-11-12T16:18:51.114-08:00

I have to admit, I loved the other planetary background just as much as this one. It was a tough call. Especially when I had to set up all of my sidebars again. Still, I like the look of it a little better than before. Some new things: - I changed my profile. It’s much shorter now. - All the mini-conferences on writing have been linked in the sidebar - I’m planning a writing contest in December

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-41759693882571621642009-11-03T21:58:00.001-08:002009-11-03T21:58:50.481-08:00

Day 3 of NaNo: 8,356 words Is she crazy? Of course. She's Cipherqueen. *Huge sigh of relief* this is becoming more possible every day. I'm considering changing my word count goal to 100,000- it's real smooth so far. Working ahead in my classes has really freed up several hours in my day; the idea of independent study is growing more popular by the hour. Of course, then I'd have to leave my

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-25723844739463848242009-10-22T17:12:00.000-07:002009-10-22T17:23:27.755-07:00

For the rest of you young writers out there patiently trying to explain to your parents that NaNo is a much more important event than Christmas, good luck! I know I'm prepared for it- I have stickers and calendars everywhere. You can find me on both NaNoWriMo sites: I'm cipherqueen on both. If you haven't joined NaNo, come write with me! I added a gadget to the side so you can track the days

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-87609726373964993382009-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:002009-10-07T22:48:09.120-07:00

In case you're wondering why I'm hopping up and down to all of my classes, it's because of this: "Congratulations! Based upon your Zinch profile you have been chosen as a semi-finalist for the Zinch $20,000 Ammunition for Tuition scholarship! We will be choosing the winner of the $20,000 scholarship based upon the best entry in our SHORT & TWEET Essay Contest on Twitter and Facebook. It is the

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-25383135210431592062009-09-25T19:52:00.000-07:002009-09-25T19:52:35.588-07:00

Here and here. Everyone has advice for young writers. It's out there. Unfortunately, very few are actually serious about the profession, to my great disappointment. They should be. Especially after reading this: Today, the lack of good writing skills affects businesses of all sizes. Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Richard Anderson stated in an April 26th New York Times interview that he'd like

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-56475922766179133812009-09-20T13:02:00.001-07:002009-09-20T13:02:32.808-07:00

TWH5WE6 8E 5U3 GP3HR8HY 9T 5U3 43WP 285U 5U3 7H43WP.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-55140382612143239322009-09-07T17:44:00.000-07:002009-09-07T17:44:21.560-07:00

You may want to read this. Done? It's pretty scary. Well, I know I'm going through my blog posts. Be careful what you post! Hope this helps all you writers out there! -Cipherqueen

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-25908600559698270212009-08-30T12:56:00.000-07:002009-08-30T12:56:43.868-07:00

I got a book! Yipee! Mistborn (by Brandon Sanderson) is turning out to be an awesome read so far. I'm only halfway through it, though- my mom insists I have to pace myself. It's fantasy, naturally, but it has a science fiction edge to it- the magic is specific to certain metals and such. The main character, Vin, or Valette, goes from a theif to a spy to a sorceress-y status. The book is filled

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-85761863842949503002009-08-29T20:55:00.000-07:002009-10-19T20:55:22.640-07:00

This is a letter I sent to someone who asked about the publishing process. If you would like to add anything, please tell me. I think it's pretty thorough.... When I first started writing novels I expected to hand the printed book to my mom and she would place it on an editor's desk and I'd see it on the shelves a week later. Yeah. Those were the days. Publishing tiring, thankless, depressing,

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-51386657595007256092009-08-24T21:33:00.000-07:002009-08-24T21:47:15.657-07:00

Here's the rules. 1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. 2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. 3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. 4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know. 5. Nominate other Bloggers. 6. Post links to the blogs you nominate. 7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated. So let's go

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-44889701444642378052009-08-23T13:39:00.000-07:002009-08-23T13:39:20.804-07:00

I picked a new template to try to fix the following widget. Again. Obviously it still isn't working. I also realized that I need a lot more pictures, which is going to be difficult seeing as I'm using my brother's computer, but I think I'll stick to this template. For some reason planets always make me think of fantasy... So what do you think of the new template?

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-66560611754167952532009-08-23T12:56:00.000-07:002009-08-23T12:57:43.482-07:00

It's only the first chapter of another novel I'm working on...but I've been thinking about changing it slightly. Especially how Lyon escapes- and I still can't get the following widget to work! Chapter 1: The Strangest Seer Obsidian crept along the dark hallway, holding the prized sapphire in his hand. He was invisible to the common eye, just a silhouette in the consuming blackness. The

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-81933760881497265122009-07-28T08:12:00.000-07:002009-07-28T08:30:43.633-07:00

Why? Because I got sick of letters...*hint- zero is a space*07232226322011632207153051115291082119171072530737122052735112226371013632211723381224391.033082117152'720435353423352310117201107222432261325352220823222520330213321072323371071530614322117122022831373712201152910226363536371.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-71234127657715014242009-07-27T08:30:00.000-07:002009-07-27T08:53:55.453-07:00

After three months of percolation, I finally took another glance at the first five pages of my manuscript. I forced myself to revise it as brutally as possible, as if I were an agent with 300 other emails in my inbox.Now I know why I have so many form rejections.Oh, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't outstanding. The storyline is solid. Unfortunately, the characters are flat, three cliche elements are

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-84967273095505429452009-07-23T08:15:00.000-07:002009-07-28T08:09:53.656-07:00

So I finally decided to put up some of my work. It's a fragment of another story I'm working on, which was the cause of my previous writing frenzy. Not my favorite, but for once in my life my mom enjoyed it! (She a devoted mystery reader, not a fantasy fanatic.)Angel’s DaughterBy CipherqueenDelila smiled as she stared out at the glowing stars that filled the galaxy. Her amethyst-colored hair

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-1951332347169775772009-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:002009-07-23T08:47:48.569-07:00

I'm finally back! The power in my house was cut for a while, so I couldn't post anything new. Here goes...Keyword: CityYUAACJAVXHI RMEAFWALPQRRLAMPMQLNML.FQFEJYACAQXAKLPSQXAFZVFJRILURPPFYNUAMQBY

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-38569590673920219102009-07-06T09:01:00.000-07:002009-07-06T09:08:16.353-07:00

My weeklong writing marathon seems to be over. Oh, I'm still writing- just not as frantically, and with more editing time. After 35 pages you have to slow down and revise. Still, I'm pleased with my progress, even if I can't use half of the material.My 4th was spent playing violin for a holiday concert in Riverside. You can read more details about it on my sister site, www.cipherqueen.webs.com/ .

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-37913021075950809872009-07-03T18:09:00.000-07:002009-07-03T18:10:51.113-07:00

Here is a list of some sites I found helpful for writers. If you have any more suggestions please let me know-I will verify and post them. Keep writing!Sincerely,CipherqueenGeneral:writersdigest.comquerytrackerIncome(contests, jobs, publishing):Funds For WritersFanstoryScholarships:Scholarships.comZinch.comFastWebCommunity:querytracker

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-5026403637230834112009-07-03T17:46:00.000-07:002009-07-03T18:08:55.467-07:00

DON'T GIVE UP.Seriously. No matter how hard publishing seems. You should be patting yourself on the back- very few kids will actually sit down and take writing to this level; writing the query letter, the novel, the synopsis, etc. Getting published is hard for everyone. Comparitively, applying for a job and getting accepted into college are simple, even in these times.You can get published.If you

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-73059109955839079892009-07-03T17:39:00.000-07:002009-07-23T08:48:25.524-07:00

See if you can solve these cryptograms (no two can be deciphered in the same way):WHK SHQ LV PLJKWLHU WKDQ WKH VZRUG.BCCBEGHAVGVRF BPPHE RIREL QNL. FRVMR GURZ, BE ERTERG SBYYBJF.HS'R NMKX Z VNQC TMSHK XNT CN FNLDSGHMF ZANTS HS.Spellcheck is screaming at me. Good Luck! (The second is probably the hardest...)Yes, it is letter substitution. Just be glad I didn't put the messages in reverse. ;)

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-68853573882688374632009-07-02T08:53:00.000-07:002009-07-02T08:59:41.130-07:00

Happy 4th of July, everyone!I don't know how it works, but I always write more on holidays. I've written around 10,000 words this week already! Yeah persistence!Now if only I can land an agent...time to revise the query letter AGAIN. Thankfully, I don't think it's getting worse. Fingers crossed!Always keep writing.

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-70572044444370594262009-07-02T08:51:00.000-07:002009-07-02T08:52:18.331-07:00

I'm not a fan of worksheets. Never have been. Especially when it comes to characters- there's always something more I want to say, or a space I'd like to leave blank. My ideas constantly change, so I may not be certain if a character has blond hair or black hair.This page was created to give as much leeway as possible in that process. If you'd like to leave a space blank, simply do so, or put DM

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-40855477132685814792009-07-02T08:50:00.002-07:002009-07-02T08:51:25.771-07:00

The Five Word ChallengeCan you describe yourself in five words? How about your characters?Let's say you are talking to a friend about another friend. How would you describe them? Funny? Witty? Serious? Impulsive? Mysterious? Then try phrases- 'the one who twirls her hair in twenty different ways' or 'the kid who snaps his fingers whenever he talks'.Now cut it down to five words.Here's my example:

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-3112358756336099012009-07-02T08:50:00.001-07:002009-07-02T08:50:45.996-07:00

Prompt: Take a favorite book, movie, game, etc. and 1.) change the ending or 2.) add a character.This is one of my favorite exercises, because anything can happen! If you're satisfied with the book/movie/game's ending, write a sequel to the plot. Here are some examples:Finding Nemo- whatever happened to Dory?Eragon- let's throw in another character. A friend of Angela's, a dragon, or perhaps a

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-67436603956776586832009-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:002009-07-02T08:50:10.143-07:00

Prompt: Picture yourself in the worst possible situation meeting another version of yourself in the best possible situation.Pretty crazy, right? When I did this exercise, I ended up with an orphan and a news anchor that spoke both French and Italian. In Luxembourg, no less. Have fun with it!Note: This often helps you realize not only who you would like to become, but also what you would like to

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939444516895491683.post-20160570782728125522009-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:002009-07-09T09:03:27.294-07:00

Welcome to the official site of Lena Surbonwey!

Cipherqueenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11386244158313306782noreply@blogger.com0