Back to the Future lesson

Hey there blog readers,

I've just finished watching Back to the Future (again). When people think of this movie, they usually think of time travel and crazy scientists and stuff. But when I watched it again, I realized that this movie teaches you an important lesson in life.

It taught me that no matter how smart you are, or how talented you are, you won't get anywhere in life if you're not confident.

The character of Marty McFly is someone that hates being called a coward. This is because his father is always intimidated by the bully. Marty's dad is a coward who holds his head down and flinches in fear at the slightest thing. He just sits there and takes the abuse that the world dishes out at him. He's not confident at all.

As a result, their house and life and etc... are just pieces of cow manure.

However, when Marty goes back in time and inadvertently gives his father more self-confidence, he then returns to the future, only to discover his father lives in a nicer house, with a richer life, and he just published a novel (plus the once scary bully is now waxing his car).

This goes to show you that you need confidence to succeed in life. I don't care if you are intelligent or if you have some special talent. If you don't have an ounce of confidence, people are going to walk all over you. You'll just be that cubicle guy who has coworkers making you crunch their numbers so that they can go home and relax, while you stress over paperwork with the janitor pushing a mop around late at night.

So be confident. Don't think about how you might not make it, or how your work might get rejected, or how you'll fail. You've got to believe that the novel/song/invention that you've created will become something big someday. Put your mind to it and make it happen.

Be Confident!

Forever cover!

I'm a follower of Maggie Stiefvater's blog, and she has just revealed the cover for the third novel of her Wolves of Mercy Falls series! Today!

Here it is:

This novel will come out on July 2011. I can't wait!

The Impotence of Proofreading

I just found this video, and I think that it really defines how proofreading your words can help improve your writing. And it's super funny!

The (De)Evolution of a Writer

One of the funniest (and true) writing comics I've ever seen.

If it's too small to read, check it out here

An Abundance of Katherines ... in your pants

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun-but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predicatability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and may finally win him the girl.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green deals with a character named Colin, a prodigy that's not a genius. After getting dumped by Katherine XIX, his best friend's solution is to take him on a road trip to forget about her. Of course, the majority of the book is not really a road trip. They have to eventually end up somewhere, so they stop at a place called GutShot.

The main character, Colin, is a self-centered smartypants who constantly worries about the future and his relationships with other people. He fears that one day he's going to die and no one will remember him. So, he tries to get a "Eureka!" moment so that he can create something big that many people will remember him for.

Throughout the book, we get glimpses of his past, which shows us why he only dates girls named Katherine. With all this combined, we get a story that is not only hilariously funny, but it also talks about relationships in an insightful way.

I highly recommend this book. Not only will it be an enjoyable read, but you can also learn a few things from it as well, such as:

1) Just because you have a super genius brain, doesn't mean that you will grow up to win the Nobel Prize or something. Most geniuses grow up to be just a simple doctor or lawyer. One even grew up to become a murderer (although they never proved it).

2) If you ever have a child who is a prodigy, don't make him waste his time by learning Sanskrit and other dead languages. It does show off his mental abilities, but in the end, it's pretty useless. He has all this potential, don't waste it.

3) Bees can only sting you once, and then they die. I already knew that. But, thanks to this book, I learned that hornets are able to sting you multiple times without killing themselves.

*I also learned other things from this book, like Thomas Edison didn't technically invent the lightbulb, and that Nikola Tesla once fell in love with a pigeon. But those 3 things I listed were kernels of knowledge that for some reason struck home with me.

Also, here is my most favorite quote from the book: "What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?"

Read this book. You'll love it.


!Nerdfighters!

The Thirteenth Chime interview

About a month ago, Emma Michaels published a great novel called The Thirteenth Chime. She is a blogger who became an author of her very own book (something I hope to accomplish soon). So, I did a post-publication interview with her to find out how it feels to now be a writer.

1) Where did the idea for "The Thirteenth Chime" come from?

A) The Thirteenth Chime was born from a series of small experiences I encountered one night and my desire to write something different from anything else that is currently available on the market.

2) Now that you're published, how does it feel?

A) It is an incredible feeling and although the road was long and difficult, it was worth it! I have learned so much, met so many amazing people and am just loving it!

3) One of the things that make a published writer different from an aspiring writer is the deadline. How does a deadline for your second novel affect your writing?

A) I find that I work best with a deadline. Not only is it easier to keep on track, but it provides me with a bar that I can rise above. I also have a few helpful tools I use including that my plot outline has it set up for how many pages to write a day and I give myself little prizes. (Snacks like a chocolate kiss per page or some dried blueberries!)

4) If you were a superhero, what would your power(s) be and what would be your kryptonite?

A) I love this question!! *laughs* I think my kryptonite would have to be chocolate or writers block! :-)

5) If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A) There are many wonderful places I would love to visit. Currently, it is a toss-up for me between Japan and Brazil. Both countries have so much to offer visitors and are rich in history and culture.

6) Do you ever go back and reread your book?

A) Definitely! I like to go back through my work, especially when I am experiencing different emotions. For me, this will not only allow me to obtain a better grasp on how readers will enjoy the book, but it allows me to write an even better story in the future.

7) If you could ask any author just one question, who would you choose and what would you ask?

A) I would ask J.K. Rowling if she ever had any regrets - not just about her writing, but overall in her life.

8) In the event of your untimely demise, who (any fictional character) would you like to solve your murder?

A) David - he is very intuitive and most likely to give everyone fair perspective while never giving up on the truth. I would want to not only know who killed me, but to understand why it happened and know everyone's perspectives. I feel certain that David is the right choice.

9) Were you surprised at the number of people who bought your book? Or did the numbers meet your expectations?

A) I've actually been blown away as to how many people have not only bought the book, but in how that number is increasing weekly. Although I have not been given an exact count yet by my publisher as even they only find out after a certain amount of time has passed, but we've been given a ballpark figure and I am ecstatic!! Thank you to everyone who has been so wonderful in supporting me and sharing your warm wishes!

10) Is there any advice you would like to give aspiring writers?

A) Never give up! I know the road is a long and arduous one, but it is worth it once you make it here. Enjoy the road because every step you take both pre-publication and post-publication is another opportunity to learn!

Thank you so much John and to everyone reading!!! I appreciate your support and feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people cheering me on!


Sincerely,

Emma Michaels

Thank you Emma for doing this interview with me. I wish you great success in your path as a writer. I can't wait until the next book comes out!

You can find out more about Emma on her blog: http://emmamichaels.blogspot.com/

Watch the trailer for her novel: http://emmamichaels.blogspot.com/p/thirteenth-chime.html

Check out a preview of her novel: http://www.amazon.com/reader/

Concert Giveaways!

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I'd gone to the 102.7 Fresh concert, featuring Tyler Hilton, Five for Fighting, and KT Tunstall. While I was there, I managed to get some autographs. So I decided to do a Giveaway! Yay!
The prizes are:

A 102.7 Fresh sticker card, signed by Tyler Hilton

Five for Fighting's latest album Slice, signed by John Ondrasik (singer of Five for Fighting)

*For all those KT Tunstall fans out there, I'm sorry but I didn't manage to get her autograph :(



Anyway, I'm planning to give out these prizes separately, so there can be two winners. So tell all your friends about this giveaway!

To try to win these prizes, all you have to do is earn some points. The more points you get, the higher your chances of getting a prize. Please leave a comment, if you've done any of this:

+1 If you follow my blog
+1 If you follow me on twitter
+1 If you're a fan on facebook
+2 If you tweet about this giveaway (please leave a link)
+3 If you blog about this giveaway (please leave a link)
+5 If you subscribe to my youtube channel
+1 If you add up your points for me (no cheating!)


You can only get a maximum of 14 points (like a sonnet).

Remember to leave a comment with all of your points. Also, don't forget to leave an email address so I can contact you if you're a winner. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your email address on my blog, then email me:

johnsmith00042 (at) gmail (dot) com



Good luck to all of you!