Where Have All the Outlets Gone?

I think I've partially solved the mystery of my increased headaches (besides the two health issues):  it's the lack of outlets for my stress and emotions.  While I have always been a person who actually thrives, to an extent, on stress, here I have encountered a situation never previously dealt with:  my primary outlets for stress are completely gone.  Additionally, I have dealt with a considerable amount of emotion here, something I am not generally comfortable with or welcoming to (I generally completely avoid anger, and I have a similar response to sadness and grief).

My biggest outlet was always the presence of a pet, usually a dog.  In fact, I have only spent two years out of my entire life NOT having a dog (not including this almost-a-year in China).  I never realized just how much that meant to me until now.  I wondered recently how I coped with loneliness in Korea, since I was so isolated in Gyeongju.  The answer is Jasper.  That furry darling got me through a lot; I don't know that I would have made it through grad school without him and, later, Eowyn.  But here, I've had to give that up.  I dream at night about Jasper and Eowyn, and I often wake up feeling a sense of emptiness at their absence.  In the past, empty apartments never felt so empty as this one does now.  Some days I almost dread the apartment, knowing that no one furry is waiting with wagging tail to greet me.  During the difficult emotional times, such as now, the apartment almost feels like a prison at some moments.

I also have greatly missed my jewelry-making, though not nearly to the extent that I miss having a dog.  When I was packing for China, I wanted to bring my supplies, but since I had no idea what situation I would be entering, I was afraid to bring too many things that would have to be carted back to America if things didn't work out (clothes can easily be disposed of, but not all belongings are so easy to part with -- a lot of money went into my jewelry supplies!).  On the bright side, I'll at least have these things when my parents come to visit in two months.

My third missing outlet is a bike -- what a difference that made in Korea!  Riding past the tombs, the rice paddies, the temples . . . it was rejuvenating.  I have thought about buying a bike here, but being more in a city than ever before in my life, I am uncertain about the quality of rides that I would have.  Somehow I can't imagine gaining quite as much relaxation from back alley streets as I found pedaling past cornfields in Michigan, the river in Gyeongju, the flowering dogwoods and Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.

I've made studying Chinese an outlet here, and it does honestly help, but I think I really need to find another outlet as well, one that perhaps uses my mind a bit less.  My writing, at present, just adds stress -- the more I read through and edit Sídhe Eyes, the more I grow to hate what I have written.  At present, I am thoroughly convinced that my novel is the most uninspired and nauseating piece of drivel ever written.  I'd love to step away from it, but I can't let down the rest of Lantern Hollow Press.  And honestly, I do want to publish the thing . . . I just kind of want to burn it first.  I keep hoping that it will turn out like my thesis -- I spent the whole time convinced I had written something completely bush-league and pathetic, but when I recently reread it, I was actually a bit impressed (I even, I will admit, briefly again entertained the thought of expanding it into a book -- delusions of grandeur, I know).

I guess I'll just have to keep searching until I find that perfect outlet for life in China.

Any suggestions?

Resolutions for 2012

I'm resuming my former tradition of making and attempting to keep New Year's resolutions (I took a year off in 2011, after I failed to keep several of my 10 resolutions in 2010). And so (drumroll please), here are my official resolutions for 2012:

1.  I am going to renew a resolution I made back in 2009:  To focus on the things that I can alter, not the things that I wish I could alter.

2.  I resolve to learn at least two new skills this year.

3.  I resolve to improve even faster at my Chinese.  For starters, I am aiming to know 100 characters by the time I resume my Chinese lessons on January 30 (right now I know about 50 characters).

4.  I resolve to walk more . . . once I get this ankle straightened out.

5.  I resolve to finish writing Sidhe Eyes (my fellow authors at Lantern Hollow Press will cheer on this resolution, especially since the book was supposed to be finished last summer originally).

My Most Recent LHP Posts

It's been a while since I've posted links to my Lantern Hollow Press blog articles, so here we go again!  Be sure to leave comments -- I love hearing back from people on my posts!

Last Sunday, I discussed how I once used a college essay to get revenge on an evil professor:  Revenge on a College Essay: Don't Make Stephanie Angry!

The Sunday before, while in New York for a dear friend's wedding, I posted a review of a wonderful Korean movie that I absolutely adore, The Classic:  By Chance, by Coincidence, but Inevitable

The week before that, I discussed a really fun character type, Dumb Dora, highlighting two of my favorite examples:  Characters and Caricatures: Dumb Dora (Part I)

For the three Sundays before those posts, I shared a few of my favorite recipes.  Each one is splendid fuel for a day of happy writing:  Food for Thought, Part I: Stephanie's Delicious Creamy Spinach and Cauliflower Soup, Food for Thought, Part II: Tantalizing Naan Pizza, Food for Thought, Part III: "Eggs Stephadict"

Following my car accident back in May, I wrote an article about the impact of pain and stress on the body, and what one should take into consideration when writing a character:  Just How Much Can a Body Take?

If you'd like to enjoy some short stories, head over to Lantern Hollow Press and download the latest e-zine (also for sale on Kindle on Amazon).  I published two of my short stories in the last e-zine, one of which was my first ever dark fantasy, and I have another short story coming out in the next e-zine (available August 1).  We recently switched webmasters, so please forgive any glitches in the website -- we'll have it all ironed out very soon.

An Inspiring Faculty Chapel

Since I am technically staff as well as a grad student, I get invitations to the faculty chapels.  Normally, I prefer to stay in my office, working at either projects or thesis (only when I'm not needed for something work-related), but today, there was a speaker I was dying to hear:  Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis's stepson!

Gresham is intelligent and witty, much like his stepfather was.  He spoke for a short while, then opened up the rest of the time for questions and answers, which was wonderful.  I loved hearing the personal, anecdotal stories about Lewis!  More importantly, Gresham had some brilliant advice for Christian writers, artists, and filmmakers - advice that happened to touch directly on some topics we've recently been discussing at Lantern Hollow Press.  I felt really inspired after hearing Gresham talk, and I also felt reminded of the noble goal with which we founded our press.  It's always great to learn that we're doing something right!

Lately at "While We're Paused"

On the LHP blog, I have started a new series about lesser known works written by beloved authors.  It seemed fitting to start the series with one of the most influential authors of my childhood, Lucy Maud Montgomery.  No, I didn't talk about Anne of Green Gables.  Instead, I discussed her very beautiful WWI story, Rilla of Ingleside (a novel about Anne's youngest daughter).  To read my article, click HERE.

Be sure to check the LHP blog every Sunday for my weekly articles.  This coming Sunday, I'll be talking about Charles Dickens' classic, The Old Curiosity Shop.  If you haven't read it, you need to!

Today at While We're Paused

Sitting in for our usual Wednesday blogger, Erik, I offer today a film review of one of my favorite films of all time, the resplendent Gone with the Wind.  If you've got it written off as a sappy love story, you might want to read this.  After all, they call it a classic for a reason!

Click HERE to read my post.

The Gallery of Worlds

I'm late in announcing this here on my blog, but Lantern Hollow Press is proud to make two announcements:

First of all, our new website is up and running!  Go to www.lanternhollowpress.com to check it out!  Oh, and be sure to check back on May 1, when we'll be unleashing the best features of all on our site.  At the moment, we are running our first ever children's contest.  Click HERE to find out more.

Second, the very first edition of the Lantern Hollow Press e-zine, The Gallery of Worlds, is available.  You can download it for free HERE.  If you like our work and would like to help us accomplish even more (and give yourself that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from helping others), please consider a small donation.

Past Two Lantern Hollow Blog Posts

My last two posts on the Lantern Hollow Press writers' blog have been a bit of writer humor:

Last week on "While We're Paused", I listed fifty symptoms that prove you might be a writer.  Click HERE to read.

Today, I discussed the creative ways in which writers of different genres change a light bulb.  Click HERE to read.

Be sure to visit the Lantern Hollow Press website on February first to see our entirely new website and to download your copy of the inaugural edition of our e-zine, The Gallery of Worlds.  It's full of wordy goodness, featuring the writing talents of Rachel Burkholder, Dr. Brian Melton, Erik Marsh, Dr. Donald Williams, and Melissa Rogers.  If you prefer to be read to, you can download the audio versions of the stories.

Also, be sure to read the writers' blog on February 13 to watch me take on Valentine's Day!

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes" (Erasmus)

In the past two days, I have purchased more than 350 books. Nope, that's not a typo. Yes, they're full-length books. How much did I spend on this largesse of literary stimulants? About $12.

Oh, did I mention that I finally broke down and BOUGHT A KINDLE? I cannot imagine how I ever lived a happy life without it! I did some figuring and realized that if I bought one, it would actually pay for itself just in terms of the money I would save on thesis-related books (not to mention the books I need in order to stay abreast of developments in my field, and the books I "need" for frivolous enjoyment). So, last week, I ordered "my precious" (my roommate said if she finds me huddled in a corner stroking it and murmuring in a Gollum voice, she's going to be concerned). It arrived yesterday, and life became ten times more glorious than ever before.

I hit the classics in a big way, since most are available for free. My Kindle, which holds up to 3,500 books, now houses such luminaries as Aristophanes (brilliant playwright from the 5th century), Thucydides, Herodotus, Machiavelli, Tacitus, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, Le Fanu, Bronte, Sheridan, Wilde, Hugo, Tolstoy, Goethe, and a host of obscure Victorian and Edwardian authors that I adore. My Kindle has probably earned the award of geekiest Kindle ever! I was up until ridiculous hours last night reading on it, and tonight is going the same way. I just can't get over how great the screen is; it really is exactly like reading from a page. My eyes are fine, even after two straight hours of reading on it.

In other recent news, Lantern Hollow Press is gearing up for our "Official" launch on February 1. We're debuting an awesome new website, our inaugural e-zine (entitled The Gallery of Worlds), and we're making some exciting changes to our blog. Tonight, I set up our first ad campaign on Facebook, which was a nerve-wracking experience for me.

Click HERE to read my most recent post to the LHP blog.

A Memorable Advent

It has truly been the best Advent ever for me. I just can't believe that in one year I started out with no friends in the area, hoping desperately to find just one kindred spirit, and ended up part of a closely-knit family of kindred spirits. I just can't believe how richly God has blessed me in 2010. To suddenly be essential and wanted, when before I felt displaced and even ignored, is a blessing for which I cannot stop marveling.

I've started several Christmas traditions for myself this year, as I suspect that I still have many years ahead of being single, and refuse to allow that circumstance to rob me of holiday joy. The first new tradition was my real tree. In my whole life, I had never had a real Christmas tree, and thus had no idea what I was missing. I cannot say enough how much better my real tree has been. The scent, the appearance, the fun of selecting the perfect one (I named him Clarence) . . . it's definitely going to take place each year, from now on.

Additionally, I greatly enjoyed my cookie-invention tradition, although I went a bit above and beyond this year: I invented five new types of cookies. Handing them out to others was so rewarding that I've decided to continue that each year as well. I regret that I did not have the time to make homemade cards, as I did last year, but I will make a solid effort to reinstate that tradition next year. I also plan to add in advent candles and readings next year; I meant to do it this year, but all the problems with migraines and medications left me too exhausted to put forth the effort.

Last weekend, I went with friends to see part of Handel's Messiah performed in Appomattox; it was absolutely heavenly. The music from Messiah always gives me goosebumps! As I often say, the mark of truly great music is when it makes the hair on the back of one's neck stand up. After the music, my close friends Rachel and David and I went out to a local coffee shop for coffee and biscotti. We ended up staying for a few hours! A few other patrons pulled out instruments, and before we knew it, the entire coffee shop (about twenty people) were spontaneously singing Christmas carols together. It was magical, like something you would see in a Frank Capra film. As the complete strangers sang together and shared holiday memories, you could feel the true spirit of Christmas enveloping that little coffee shop. I almost expected Jimmy Stewart to burst through the door and wish us all a merry Christmas!

On Tuesday of this week, the dogs and I headed up in the mountains to spend the remainder of Advent with dear friends from Lantern Hollow Press. Cozily ensconced around their old-fashioned wood-burning stove, with a fire adding both warmth and ambiance, we've had a lovely time. We've spent many hours editing, working on audio versions of stories (Brian built an impressive sound booth), and writing some new material. In addition, there has been plenty of fun, like cooking, baking, and watching scary shows after seven-year-old Annora is tucked into bed.

I've been able to spend loads of quality time with my very precocious goddaughter, Annora. We went sledding together the other day, we've watched Christmas movies together, and we've had some very enjoyable conversations (I love hearing a seven-year-old's vast store of wisdom). Annora told me all about her hopes for Christmas, and informed me that "I have been a very good girl this year, at least recently." Yesterday, when I had a horrible migraine all day long, Annora sweetly rubbed my neck for me and prayed for me. When I gratefully told her that I could not possibly have picked a nicer goddaughter than her, Annora replied, "But Aunt Stephanie, you didn't pick me. Mama and Daddy picked you!"

Jasper and Éowyn have loved running about off-leash in the snow, antagonizing the cats (the Meltons have two), exploring the house, playing with Annora, and grabbing any food that drops during the Christmas cooking. Yesterday Annora and I made rice crispy snowmen, which gave the dogs plenty of opportunity for droppings. Of course, Annora and I would never create normal snowmen; ours were alien snowmen with googly eyes, horns on their heads, and in one case, a bit of blood (candy) pouring from a battle wound (Annora's idea).

The best part of the holiday (so far) came yesterday. Annora dearly loves her grandmother and has been a bit saddened at not having her here for the holiday. Little did she know, one of her presents was her grandmother! Although Brian, Kami, and I have all nearly blown the secret in the past week, we miraculously managed to keep Annora from figuring out what was going on. Last night, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, a trip sullied only by the fact that we had to stop for me to vomit on the way (the migraine was in full power). Throwing up did a lot of good; the migraine was nearly gone by the time we reached the restaurant.

As we sat pretending to look at our menus, Kami got the video camera fixed on Annora, who happily hammed it up and babbled away for the camera. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as she observed a familiar figure walking into the restaurant.

"That looks like, that can't be . . . that's Nanny! It's Nanny! How did Nanny get here? Nanny, how did you get here? How did you do that?" Little Annora was the most adorable mixture of surprise, joy, and childlike confusion. It was so precious to see a little girl getting what she wanted most of all for Christmas!

Annora said the blessing for the meal, which she loves to do. I was overwhelmed at the sweet and merciful spirit of this little girl when she prayed specifically for a family we have never met, whom I read about in a news article a few days ago. This Ohio family lost all three children in a fire on the weekend, then the grandparents died in a car accident on the way to the funeral. It's a tragically sad story, but I did not expect a young child to remember it so clearly and take it to heart, particularly when she only overheard me telling her parents about the story. She's been thinking a lot about that family; I wish more of us could be so caring about strangers. We could all learn a lot from children.

Tonight will be a truly special Christmas Eve. We'll be dining on a delicious venison roast this evening, then driving out to St. Timothy's for the Christmas Eve service. After the service, we're having an extended fellowship time, along with a Christmas toast. Then we'll all troop back up the mountain, joined by two more friends. We'll hang our stockings, watch Christmas movies, and eat yummy baked goods. Best of all, we'll all be surrounded by people we love. That's the best Christmas gift anyone could ask for.

Turkey Week at Lantern Hollow Press

In honor of Thanksgiving, we at Lantern Hollow Press held a "turkey shoot" in which we sought out films that failed to live up to the hype or the books they were based on and shot the offending critters through the heart. It was highly cathartic for all of us. If you're interested, here are our "turkey shoot" posts:

Monday: Melissa went after Ella Enchanted with a deadly dagger.

Tuesday: Erik rolled up his sleeves and took on Avatar.

Wednesday: Brian boldly tackled both Prince Caspian and Lord of the Rings, and wrestled them into submission.

Thursday: Rachel dealt a mighty blow to the abominable Hollywood version of Pride and Prejudice.

Friday: Kyle eagerly pummeled Starship Troopers into the dusty ground.

Saturday: I hopped into a mental B-17 and strafed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Feel free to comment on our "turkey shoot" posts with your own frustrations about these films. Believe me, it really feels great to get it out of your system!

Today at "While We're Paused"

Today on the Lantern Hollow Press Writer's Blog, I shared a treasured memory that longtime readers of this blog may recall: the story of the demonic toy chick that refused to die after Jasper broke it. Click HERE to read the story.

And, in light of the new Harry Potter release, you get two posts for the price of one today! Click HERE to read my review of the film.

Also, be sure to check out our Facebook group. We've got a contest running for the next few weeks. Two lucky winners will receive a hilarious book that is sure to please (particularly if you love snarkiness). Official rules are explained on the group page.

Wow!

I checked the total visits to the Lantern Hollow Press Writers' Blog for yesterday, and we made it to 1,160! Incredible! It was a great morale booster for all of us, as well as further evidence that people actually enjoy what we write and want to read more. There was considerable interest shown regarding Sidhe Eyes (my novel-in-progress), which is great. We're hoping to keep that interest building so that Sidhe Eyes gets a fair chance on the market once it gets published (July 2011).

My eye, as you can sort of see (forgive the lousy photo - I had to make do with a webcam shot because my camera battery is dead; hence the reason that it looks like my right eye instead of my left), is swelling and bruising beautifully. I may have given myself a minor concussion as well; yesterday, I started getting sharp pains in my hair around the area that got hit, and then had ringing in my ears and vomited a bit. Not the best way to enjoy an otherwise triumphant day. Today, aside from the obvious discomfort from my eye, I'm actually feeling all right. The swelling has gone down in my ankle, and I am able to put more weight on it, though I am still going to keep it wrapped and elevated for a few more days.

Only in My Life . . .

As you may recall from my last post, I had a bit of excitement last night. Between the swollen, sprained ankle, the migraine, and the puffy bruised eye, I slept VERY poorly and woke up feeling rather depressed. It looked like a horrible, painful day in store for me. Well, as it has turned out so far, I was only half right. Today has indeed been painful, but has at the same time been highly amusing and even a bit thrilling. And I have two body parts to thank for it all: my left eye and my right foot (interestingly, not the one that got injured last night).

To begin with, the fun caused by the eye:
At work, one of the women in my office, who teaches theater classes, noticed and admired my eye. The bruising has been growing steadily more colorful. With excitement, she asked if she could use me for a lesson in her stage make-up class today. They are currently learning to do bruises. So, I got to be a living model for the students to study as part of their lesson. They were quite delighted with the array of colors. How nice to be able to contribute something to the American theater!

And then there was the fun with the foot:
In my post for the Lantern Hollow Press Writer's Blog today, I wrote about my use of footnotes in my fantasy novel. To illustrate my post, it seemed appropriate to write "I love footnotes" on my foot, photograph it, and put it in my post. I figured we'd have our usual daily readership of about 60 hits. Was I wrong! My post was selected as one of the "Freshly Pressed" posts (sort of like "post of the day"), which means it got promoted on the Wordpress homepage. Wow! My foot (and my article) have had over 250 views already, and the number is steadily going up. If you'd like to read the article, visit "While We're Paused". And please, feel free to comment.

Latest Lantern Hollow Posts

Today was my day to post to the blogs for Lantern Hollow Press:

On "While We're Paused" - I describe a recent technique I've discovered for making the writing process even easier by using music.

On the Character Blog - The latest update on my trouble-making piskie Renard Breen, who escaped from his story yesterday. He's now wrecking havoc on the unsuspecting world. Let me know if you find him.

On the Dark Character Blog - Mal DaPone, infamous magical mob boss is furious at that rogue Renard Breen, and is offering a reward for his capture. Apparently, Renard has been a busy piskie since he escaped yesterday.

The Website Is up!

The Lantern Hollow Press official website just went up! A group of us holed up at the Melton's for most of Sunday, working on final editing, and then Brian launched our beta version of the site (while we celebrated by watching a scary movie by candlelight). We're pretty proud of this early version, though someday we may look back and laugh (you know, after one of us manages to write a best-seller and we can afford to hire a professional webmaster).

Check it out: www.lanternhollowpress.com

Dragons and Other Lantern Hollow News

Melissa Rogers, a good friend as well as quite possibly our best writer at Lantern Hollow Press has written a marvelous article about dragons (creatures dear to the hearts of both of us) on the official Lantern Hollow Writers' Blog, "While We're Paused." If you enjoy that article, be sure to read the earlier article she wrote on dragons, also on "While We're Paused".

The grand launching of the beta version of our official website is coming up very soon: November 1! Originally we planned a later launch date, but owing to growing interest in our company, our webmaster-extraordinaire, Kami, has been working overtime to get the site up. Be sure to stop by and view the site on the first. The address is www.lanternhollowpress.com.

My Most Recent Lantern Hollow Posts

Here are my most recent Lantern Hollow posts, for those who are interested:

As a self-appointed grammar sheriff, I take on that rogue Apostrophe on the Lantern Hollow Writers' Blog, "While We're Paused".

Flavia and Edric run into trouble with nixies on the Lantern Hollow Character Blog.

Flavia explains how she and Edric met Nobbley, also on the Lantern Hollow Character Blog.

Renard Breen plays with the stock market on the Lantern Hollow Dark Characters' Blog.

Alicia Fenn vents about humans, also on the Lantern Hollow Dark Characters' Blog.

Be sure to take the time to enjoy the other posts while on each of the blogs. Today, Kyle discusses the rationale behind reading dark fiction on "While We're Paused". It's a very enlightening article that just may challenge a few of your previously held opinions.

Recent Lantern Hollow Blog Posts

Yesterday was my day to post on the Lantern Hollow Press blogs again. If you're interested, click on any of the links below to read what happens when Stephanie writes under duress at an insanely late hour (following a day of too much reading and a migraine):

While We're Paused -- Jasper's fans will be happy to note that I wrote my entire post for the official Lantern Hollow blog on him this time around. It's not easy writing with Jasper lurking about; click the link to read about some of his recent disruptive hijinks.

The Characters of Lantern Hollow -- Flavia and Edric are still on the run (they will be for quite some time) and are once again not getting along. I'd say the blame is about 50/50 this time.

Dark Characters of Lantern Hollow -- Renard Breen, my enterprising, magical, and mischievous sort-of-villain, has posted again, this time detailing the fun he had with a new adhesive he created. Renard comes from an urban fantasy (set during the Depression) that I've been working on.

Well, lunch break is over, so it's time to get back to my charts and proofreading (I love my job). Cheerio!

Podcast, Blogs, and Articles, Oh My!

Let me be the first to say, starting a publishing press is a lot of work. But, the work is it's own reward. I'm writing now at a rate I've never before accomplished, my writing is undergoing a great deal of polishing that seems to be trickling down even into my book reviews, and I have never before felt so much like a pioneer! Lantern Hollow Press is now up to three blogs, which we update DAILY. We have our Writers' Blog, where we post articles that in some way pertain to reading or writing, our Character Blog, where the heroes and comic characters from our stories roam free and interact, and our Dark Character Blog, where our evil characters have set up their own forum.

Since it was my day for posting today, I wrote as my heroine, Flavia Shanahan (click HERE to read the post) and as one of my villains, Alicia Fenn (click HERE to read the post). In addition, I also wrote a lengthy article on the importance of Giving Characters a History (click HERE to read the post). And, I also managed to get podcasts recorded for Alicia's blog post and the article.

If you want to imagine something hilarious, imagine me trying to do a podcast as my exceedingly evil character. Brian suggested that I should make her sound sultry; I pointed out to him that I am a Liberty grad (sultriness isn't part of ANY of the programs). On my own last night, I practiced every voice imaginable trying to get her to sound right. I went from sounding like a chain smoker to sounding like someone with indigestion, to sounding like a wino. Finally, I hit upon a voice that seemed right. It thoroughly creeped me out to listen to the podcast afterward though, as Alicia sounds so completely unlike me (in fact, I'm a bit disturbed at just how evil I've made her).