Harry Potter Week, Day 3: All About Characters

     Ah, Harry Potter. Ah, Dumbledore. Ah, Snape. (I just read a post about Snape here, on the blog Unedited, which is also doing a Harry Potter week. Check it out.)

     J.K. Rowling created such unforgettable characters. Characters we love (Fred and George), characters we love to hate (Snape), and characters we just LOATHE (Umbridge). So jumping right in to today's questions,

Which character is your favorite?

If you could be any character, who would you be?

Which character is the most like you for real?

     I don't think I can pick a favorite. I've already said how much I love Harry and Dumbledore. I love Hermione and Ron too. And Fred and George and Ginny. The most obscure character that I love is Lee Jordan. His Quidditch commentary is just HILARIOUS. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Sirius Black. But to pick a favorite? No, I can't. It's just impossible.

"Ha, haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan, as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle- Flint alongside her- poke him in the eye, Angelina! - it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke..." (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, page 227)

     If I could be a character? Hermione- hands down. She's smart, incredibly talented, and friends with Harry and Ron so she's always right in the thick of things. She does get some crap dealt to her throughout the books, but she always rises above. She kicks butt. I love a female character who kicks butt. And she's got the brains besides and that's something I envy.

"One more word about Harry's love life and the deal's off and that's a promise," said Hermione irritably.
"What deal?" said Rita, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. "You haven't mentioned a deal yet, Miss Prissy, you just told me to turn up. Oh, one of these days..." She took a deep shuddering breath.
"Yes, one of these days you'll write more horrible stories about Harry and me," said Hermione indifferently. "Find someone who cares, why don't you?" (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, page 499)

     I'm definitely not like Hermione though. The character who I'm most like is Ginny. Mainly because she's the youngest of seven kids like me. Even though I don't have only brothers, I know what it's like to start out shy and timid, but gradually find your own groove, become your own person. I don't think I'm as strong as Ginny, and I still definitely have some of that shyness. But I really identify with her the most out of any other character.

"He chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. He had sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up." (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, page 99)

     My clip for today is the Seven Harry's scene from Deathly Hallows. It's a scene full of excellent characters and it's hilarious. I wish I could have found the whole scene (with all the changing clothes and stuff and the "Bill, don't look at me, I'm hideous" bit) but no luck. Enjoy anyway!

Harry Potter Week, Day 2: Classes and Teachers

     So you've gotten your letter to Hogwarts. You've boarded the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4. You've gotten some treats off the trolley- perhaps some Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes, or Pumpkin Pasties (whatever the heck those are). You've been sorted into your new house (Hufflepuff for me), and you've gone to bed in your nice new dormitory.
     Then school begins... You get to learn charms and transfiguration, potions and history of magic. So on to today's questions...

What subject would you be most keen to take?

What subject do you think would be your favorite?

Which teacher would you hate the most?

Which teacher would be your favorite?

       Right now, if I could choose any subject from Hogwarts to learn, I'd definitely pick Defense Against The Dark Arts. How cool would it be to use Stupefy, Impedimenta, or Petrificus Totalus. Not to mention learning how to cast a patronus.

     Knowing me, I think Charms would probably be my favorite subject. Since I'm not a great cook, I don't think I'd be able to master the art of Potions. I bet Transfiguration is really hard. History of Magic might be exciting if it weren't for Professor Binns, the Ghost teacher, who drones on and on. I've never been an animal person so that takes out Care of Magical Creatures. Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are probably way beyond me. And I think I'd take the Harry and Ron route and just make stuff up in Divination. So that leaves Charms. It sounds like fun, not too difficult, and Flitwick seems like an easy-going teacher.

     I think for sure Snape would be my least favorite teacher. Unless I was a Slytherin, he would probably hate me because I think I'd be rubbish in his class. And, like Neville, I would be majorly intimidated by him which would just make me worse.

     I'd want Dumbledore as a teacher, he'd be my favorite for sure if he actually taught anything. Since he isn't a teacher, I would have to go for Flitwick or Lupin for DADA.

     Speaking of Dumbledore, I want to give a shout out to Richard Harris, who I think embodied Dumbledore to the max. Yes, Michael Gambon is a great actor, but Richard Harris is exactly how I picture Dumbledore in the books. So here's my movie clip for today showing the late, great Richard Harris.


     And also speaking of Dumbledore, because he's awesome, I'm going to take a couple of different quotes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, all spoken by Dumbledore (page 49,50, 529).

"- yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often," Dumbledore finished the sentence gravely. "Best to say nothing at all, my dear man."

"I would assume that you were going to offer me refreshment," Dumbledore said to Uncle Vernon, "but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness."

"There is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from the darkness. Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his own lack of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." 

    So... what class would you want to take? What teacher would you love?

Harry Potter Week, Day 1: Welcome to Hogwarts

     I was planning to do a Harry Potter blogfest. I thought it would be fun to ask a bunch of questions about the movie and see what everyone's answers would be. Then time passed and I realized it was waaaay too late to do a blogfest. Oops. Instead I'm going to dedicate this week to Harry Potter, asking questions, posting favorite clips of movies, and sharing favorite quotes. I'm even going to change my blog music to the HP soundtrack. Why? Well if you're asking why then you're clearly not a Harry Potter fan and you don't realize that the very last movie comes out this weekend which I am SUPER excited about (I'll be seeing it on Saturday night). So away we go into Harry Potter land. 
     I read a poll once that asked, if you could go to any fictional school, which would it be? Obviously the number one answer was Hogwarts. That would be my number one as well. The summer when I was eleven, I moved to Orleans, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa. So instead of enrolling in Henry Larsen Middle School, I'm going to pretend I got my letter to Hogwarts: (I couldn't find the right font)

       Miss M. Stanford

The Bedroom Facing the Driveway

(can't remember the #) Fieldstone Crescent

Orleans, Ontario

CANADA

     Hogwarts, with all its corridors and moving staircases would totally intimidate me. As would the sorting ceremony. Like Harry, I would worry that it was some kind of test, or that it they would realize their mistake and chuck me out then and there. But there'd be no mistake, and I'd be sorted along with the other first years. Which brings me to today's questions:

Out of the four Hogwarts houses- Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, which house would you want to be in?

And...

Which house would you actually be sorted into?     

     Of course I would want to be in Gryffindor. Who wouldn't really? But lets be honest. We wouldn't all be sorted into Gryffindor. Which is why I asked which house would you actually be put in.

      Honestly, I'm not brave- so that rules out Gryffindor. I'm not cunning, so no Slytherin (thank goodness). While I like to read, I've never been a great student, so that nixes Ravenclaw. Which leaves... Hufflepuff. Yeah. Sure they're loyal and hardworking, which... well, I don't know if I'm those either. The sorting hat says in one of its songs that Hufflepuff takes "the lot", no matter what their strengths. Or lack of. So that would be me. Sigh. Although, Hufflepuff does have Cedric Diggory so... enough said.

    I think we'd all like to be Gryffindor's because we'd like to have their bravery. At least that's the draw for me. So on that note, I'm sharing one of my favorite parts of all the Harry Potter movies. This is the end of Goblet of Fire when Harry decides that he's not going to hide from Voldemort but stand and face him like a man. This is Dan Radcliffe's best moment- just so believable and well done. Every time I watch it I can't help but think, not one of the Death Eaters would be brave enough to do what Harry did and face Voldemort. That's why we all love Harry.

     To go along with that scene, here's my quote for the day from page 575 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Harry crouched behind the headstone, and knew the end had come. There was no hope... no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason- he was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort's feet... he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defence was possible...

Books and News

     I'm absolutely itching for the last Harry Potter movie in a week. Itching. Or maybe that's my sunburnt back. Anyway, I figured I needed a short HP break, so I decided to read something else before I get to Deathly Hallows. And I wanted to read the book closer to when I see the movie. Why? Who knows. Probably because I'm mental.

     Anyway, I read Everlasting by Allyson Noel on Tuesday. This is the last book in her Immortals series. It's a good series overall. I love the love story between Ever and Damen that spans the entire series. I also like how she talks a lot about karma and spirituality in a personal sense. It's kind of new age but she gives a great message through the books without being preachy. And I loved loved loved the way she ended the series. My only complaint was this book had a lot less action and a lot more introspection as Ever is trying to figure everything out. Understandable for the last book in a series, but still- it could have had a little more action for me. My favorite part of the book was when she travels back to a past life (these books talk about reincarnation a lot too). Although I had to gasp at her use of the names Alrik and Fiona during that part. Not that I have the only right to those names but still, I couldn't help my loud "HEY!".

     Since that book only took me a day, I decided to read The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. I'm still in the middle of it but it's as awesome as all his other books. If you've never read him- DO IT NOW! His voice is just INCREDIBLE. So funny, so perfect. His books with their crazy/hilarious chapter titles are what inspired me to come up with my own chapter titles. Chapter 1 of this book is called: Fun with Spontaneous Combustion. I mean the voice is just so there all the time, I love it. He inspires me.

     In other news... or this is ACTUAL news... I read (here) that Stephenie Meyer is producing the movie version of Shannon Hale's Austenland. For someone who loves that book and loves Stephenie Meyer, this was great news to me. Can't wait to see it and I hope they do the book justice!

Road Trip Wednesday- A Chance to Look at Pretty Pictures

    
     This week's Road trip Wednesday:
Share some images that inspire your WIP
     This should be fun because I've never done this kind of thing before. So I think I'll share some that have inspired Daze and Knights, which isn't exaclty my WIP (book 2 would be I suppose), but it's still not completely done with the whole editing thing yet so...
     Wow, I actually found this to be VERY difficult. Maybe because the book takes place mainly in a medieval castle or village. Here's what I got though...

It was VERY hard finding a picture of a girl holding a sword that wasn't animation or trying to be sexy (which this one is but it's tamer than some of the other ones).



Hampshire Castle

The closest thing I could find of a glowing tree (aside from the Avatar one)

You may wonder why a Barbie picture? Well it was this movie that inspired Jessica's training outfit which looks basically like this except it's brown. You can't see the knee-high boots here.

Melee or battle

Jousting

The forest where Jessica wakes up

Duel

And of course I just cant resist a picture of the actor I want to play Alric- Alex Pettyfer

The Best Laid Plans...

    
     Things happen in life that totally blow plans out of the water. I like to plan. I like to know what's happening today, tomorrow, the rest of the week. I plan my meals on Monday for the entire week. I have a cleaning schedule of different parts of the house I clean each day. I have a set time to do my writing (during Avery's nap). We eat meals at the same time each day (usually). You get the idea.
     Clearly I have control issues. But I've learned that no matter how much you plan, those plans can go awry. Luckily, I think I'm easy-going enough that when plans do fall through, I don't freak out- too much.         
     Like last week- I was at my parents house until Tuesday night. On Wednesday I didn't want to bother with my cleaning so I ignored it for the rest of the week. I also spent those few days at my parents eating like a cow. It didn't help that I brought mounds of fudge from Waterton home with me, or that my husband had stocked our pantry while I was gone with bags of candy (including 3 bags of my fave- Swedish berries), bags of chips, boxes of cookies, and an alarming amount of chocolate bars. (That's why I don't let him shop.) So my "eating healthy" plan blew up in my face. Or more accurately- my belly.
     Then there was the goal I had set for myself- finish Jessica Book 2 by July 1st. Ha. I barely wrote at all in June because I was focused on fixing my query, and going through a reader's edits.
     Today is Monday, and I'm determined to get back on track. My house desperately needs cleaning, my body is begging for something healthy, and even though I have new edits to go through on book 1, I have set a new goal to finish book 2 by September.
     I need to have plans. Otherwise I'd sit around and do nothing all day. Having plans forces me to get things done. Having goals forces me to work towards accomplishing them.
     And when I don't? When my best laid plans fall through... well, I shrug my shoulders, try not to beat myself up about it, and get myself back on track.

Happy Canada Day, Eh!

    Just wanted to say a quick

Happy Canada Day to all those Canadians out there.

Have a great day, a great weekend,

and we'll see you next week!