BOOK REVIEW--"Carrie" by the legendary Stephen King! **SPOILER ALERT**

I wasn't about to leave you guys just yet. I read a very scary, very spectacularly spectacular book called Carrie recently by Stephen King. In fact, it was his first book EVAH! And it was seriously so amazing, like I can't even explain. You will just have to read it. Since I live in Maine now and Stephen King lives in Maine, I'm reading many of his books now. I'm about halfway through The Shining and a little bit of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and Under the Dome is currently sitting on my floor waiting to be read, along with many more of his books in my bookshelf that I got at a used book sale (don't you just love those??). Anyway, Carrie was terrifying, mesmerizing, fascinating, and incredibly addicting in its goriness and mystery. 16-year-old Carietta "Carrie" White is a deranged girl with an incredibly religious mother. She is made fun of constantly at school and her mother and her are the talk of the town, at least behind their backs. Inexplicable incidents have occurred in Carrie's past, like stones falling on her house out of nowhere. The story begins with Carrie being taunted because she got her first period in the girls' locker room and she simply stands there, thinking she is bleeding to death. Her mother never provided her with the knowledge of these things that happen when you grow up, so she is terrified that she's bleeding to death. Girls throw pads and tampons at her until the gym teacher, Mrs. Disjardin, comes in and saves Carrie from further humiliation. The ruthless bully Chris Hargensen is given a hands-on pep talk by the Disjardin and says to Carrie, "This isn't over." Another girl, Sue Snell, feels incredibly guilty about going along with the other girls and not standing up for Carrie. In the span of about three chapters, multiple incidents happen: a lightbulb blows over their heads and a book is knocked off a shelf in the principal's office. Carrie thinks about this and her telekinetic powers are soon confirmed when she practices every night. Her mom claims it is the devil's gift, that Carrie holds some of the devil's power herself. Sue Snell, who felt bad about the incident in the locker room, convinces her boyfriend, Tommy Ross, to take Carrie to prom as a way to finally get Carrie out of her shell and talk to some people-Sue's way of making sure she redeems her mistakes against Carrie. But at the same time, Chris Hargensen and her boyfriend are planning a horrific prank to be played on Carrie-a bucket of pig's blood will be dumped on her when she goes up to be crowned as prom queen (rigged by Chris). When they finally go to prom and Carrie and Tommy get crowned, the pig's blood is dumped, and let's just say Carrie COMPLETELY loses it. She kills most of her town, including her high school class. Just by looking at someone she can crush every bone in their body, and just by looking she can start fires. It was one of the most intriguing books I've ever read but is definitely scary. But I couldn't put it down. I was reading at eleven at night, and during health class the next day. I highly recommend this book!

Oh, and like the picture says, a new film adaptation has been made. It actually came out today and I really want to see it but I need to find an adult that would actually want to see it with me, since I'm not old enough to get in the theater by myself (rated R). The movie has Julienne Moore in it, and Chloe Grace Moretz. I love her! She seems perfect for the role of Carrie. Happy book-reading and movie=watching! <3 :D

Emma vK: On Writer's Block and Non-Stereotypical Ways of "Bumping into Each Other"

Regrettably, I'm not friends with many writers (and writers that I do know I follow on Twitter, and that's like, two), so I can't relate to writer problems with. I can only rant on Twitter and Facebook and hope that MAYBE because will partially understand. I mean, we all get the concept of writer's block, right? I often wonder who came up with the ingenious name "writer's block." Because you literally feel like you can't write, like there is something on your hands holding you down. And sometimes you have the strength to lift the block up and you manage to squeeze a few words out, but they're all jumbled and don't even make sense. Then you are simply back at the point where writing seems like running a marathon. Even if you are a runner, like me, it sounds completely exhausting. You just can't seem to form logical thought, and if you try to keep writing it comes out as "asdfjklqwweiritasdgkjgklfsaliwrifgjsdl." Getting over writer's block is a long process that involves listening to your favorite music, reading a book by a favorite author, chocolate milk and a baked potato and a few clementines, and staring at the ceiling for quite some time. At least, that's how I get over writer's block. It's probably completely different for you, but whatever works for you is best. I always say "one paragraph a day keeps the writer's block away." What I mean by that is you should try to write a little each morning, or at night. You could do a freewrite; like write about the first word you thought of that morning. My first thought is usually, I don't wanna get up, but hey, you could make that a story if you really wanted to. Writer's block is indisputably a form of the devil, but the devil can be beaten, so why can't writer's block? Another issue I know us writers struggle with is the pull of the stereotypical storyline. Don't get me wrong, everyone wants to be unique and original, but let's face it: that storyline about the boy and the girl who meet and have to overcome a challenge then they "fall in love" and then everything is perfect at the end. Some of those aspects are in my stories, but not every story I write. The boy and the girl who have feelings for each other, the challenge. But the challenge between the boy and the girl is for me, in most cases, a very minor part of the storyline. At the same time, though, that generic storyline always seems to work out so perfectly! You don't have to kill off any characters (Well, if you enjoy that, then by all means, add that as a non-generic twist), all your characters are fun to write about, and everything turns out happy and you get to be all cheesy and no one will care. This storyline can be fun to write, no doubt. My point is, be ORIGINAL! Make your stories stand out in magnificent ways! I think I've said this before, but make your characters as interesting and diverse as possible (unless, of course, they're meant to be similar in character). Settle for a completely spontaneous storyline instead of a stereotypical one. I'm doing National Novel Writing Month this November (my second year!!!) and I'm doing a story about a young cellist named Carrie Sinclair who buys an antique cello after her own treasured one is chewed on by her dog. In finding the cello, she also is lead into a wonderful adventure of mystery through Maine's most notable places (to be decided. I figured since I live in Maine now I should write a book that takes place in Maine). Right now I'm just making an outline so I'm not too lost once November 1st comes. Not too stereotypical, I hope??? I don't think it is, but it sounds good to me and I'm excited about it, and I play the cello, so it will be fun to write. But I'm stressing the issue about how her and this boy bump into each other near the beginning of the story. Something to note: they will not end up as a couple at the end. They will become more like brother and sister because they annoy each other quite often. But how will they bump into each other? I can't really decide. At first I thought, They should meet in a coffee shop. Then I thought, No way, too boring. It has to be exciting, the way they bump into each other, right? Or at least, it should be? This is the whole idea that made me want to write this blog post, after not posting for so long. I was thinking about writer problems and thinking about how many other people feel the way I do. ANYWAYS. I was thinking of ways that people bump into each other in real life, because let's face it: it isn't often that people bump into each other at coffee shops unless they are scheduled to meet there. So, technically...it wouldn't be bumping into someone. I don't know about you, but I run into my friends a LOT at the grocery store. I run into them randomly on the streets once in a blue moon. I bump into them while I'm running (sometimes literally). So I was thinking that Carrie and Ashton (the boy in the story) could meet while trying to buy the last half-gallon of chocolate milk in the store, or something like that. They would argue over it and eventually end up talking. It's probably as interesting as something like that can get, right? I hope I've helped you with the issues of the writin' life, because there are probably more that I will eventually talk about. Just look for the title "Emma vK: On..." There is definitely more to write about writer's block. So, yes. That is all. Happy writing, happy almost NaNoWriMo!!!!!!! :DDDDDDDD