The Original SOUTH: Silent Tears ch 3

The next installment, chapter 3, of the original story Silent Tears, before it became SOUTH. I warn you, this story is so bad, (and short), that it’s funny.

Again, I’ve left it intentionally unedited to show my bad grammar and storytelling back in 2008ish.

***

A little about the story:

Minami Kyuki’s hearts a battle ground of despair. Faced with more difficulties in her life than the normal teen, Minami copes by living one day at a time. But how long before the tragic events of her past haunts her to her death?

****

Chapter 3: Betrayal

         INT. CAMPBELLTON AN OLD ABANDONED HOUSE

         MINAMI KYUKI and KAYLA CONNERY are standing in a dark room, looking
         over a crumpled business card.

                             MINAMI
                   I know where I see it!

                             KAYLA
                   Where?

                             MINAMI
                   My place, the night of the murder.

         Suddenly, up above, a noise could be heard. MINAMI and KAYLA both
         look at each other.

                             MINAMI
                        (Yelling) Hello?

         KAYLA quickly puts her hand over MINAMI’s mouth.

                             KAYLA
                   What are you doing? Are you crazy?
                   What if it’s them?

         MINAMI pushes KAYLA’s hand aside.

                             MINAMI
                   What if it’s not them? Besides, who
                   cares if it is, they alone know
                   were here and it’s them who most
                   likely can get us out!

         KAYLA looks at the ceiling as another noise is heard. The sound
         is now coming form behind the door. MINAMI puts up her
         hands, ready to fight, and this time, win. KAYLA bends down
         behind her, as if to hide behind her friend. The sound of
         the lock being undone can be heard from the other side of
         the old wooden door. Slowly, it creaks open.

         INT. MINAMI’S HOUSE LIVING ROOM

         LYNN is sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle. She eye’s
         the clock on the VCR many times. DENNIS comes in the front
         door and enters the living room.

                             DENNIS
                   Allo.

                             LYNN
                   The school called today. They said
                   MINAMI has missed school, and it’s
                   4:30 and she’s not home yet.

         DENNIS looks at his wife, then at the clock on the VCR. He sighs,
         then turns to walk away.

                             DENNIS
                   I’ll go look for her at the school.

         He leaves, leaving LYNN alone in the house with the animals. LYNN
         picks up the phone and begins to dial.

         INT. KAYLA’S HOUSE KITCHEN

         MRS CONNERY is standing at the kitchen counter, making
         supper with a scowl on her face.  TRAVIS CONNERY comes in
         through the front door and puts his bag on the floor.

                             TRAVIS CONNERY
                   Hey mom, what’s for-?

                             MRS CONNERY
                   Don’t you ‘hey mom’ me TRAVIS
                   CONNERY.

         TRAVIS looks confused.

                             TRAVIS
                   Wha-?

                             MRS CONNERY
                   The school called today saying you
                   missed classes.

                             TRAVIS
                   I didn’t! That call wasn’t for me!

                             MRS CONNERY
                        (Sarcastically)Oh really? Then
                        who was it for then? Mr. who
                        -always-skips-school.

                             TRAVIS
                   I bet it was KAYLA.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   You know your sister is better than
                   that.

         The phone rings, interrupting their argument. MRS CONNERY looks
         at the caller ID.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   Hum… MINAMI is calling.

         She picks it up.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   KAYLA is not here MINAMI, call back
                   later.

         Just as she is about to hang up the phone, the voice on the other
         end screams.

                             LYNN
                   Don’t hang up the phone!

         MRS CONNERY puts the phone back to her ear.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   I’m sorry LYNN, I’m going to have
                   to call you back, I got 'kid’
                   issues again.

                             LYNN
                   That’s why I’m calling. Is MINAMI
                   there? I got a call from the school
                   saying she missed today and she
                   isn’t home yet. I was wondering if she
                   was with KAYLA.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   KAYLA isn’t even here.

         She looks at TRAVIS.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   I got to go.

         She hangs up the phone.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   You’re off the hook. Now,

                             TRAVIS
                   I told you it wasn’t me!

                             MRS CONNERY
                   Go out and look for your sister.

         INT. CAMPBELLTON AN OLD ABANDONED HOUSE

         MINAMI stands ready to fight, KAYLA behind her on the
         ground. The door slowly opens, and a figure emerges. MARK
         STAGGER steps into the room.

                             MINAMI
                   What do YOU want?

                             MARK
                   I mean you no harm!

         KAYLA and MINAMI give him a dirty look.

                             MARK
                   Seriously! I just came to…. 
                   Woah, wait.

         MARK points to KAYLA.

                             MARK
                   DEREK said he was going to let you
                   go this morning! What are you still
                   doing here?

                             MINAMI
                   What am I? Dried sushi?

                             MARK
                   Um, I don’t know. But I guess I had
                   a feeling that he wouldn’t do it,
                   which is why I’m here.

                             MINAMI
                   Oh. Really. You know, I live by the
                   rule, 'do to others as you want
                   done to yourself.’ I got some eggs
                   and some rocks at my house. You
                   want to come over? Oh! And maybe I
                   can find a glass bottle and break
                   that over YOUR head. Hum? Sound
                   fun, no?

         KAYLA looks at MINAMI.

                             KAYLA
                   He hit you with a glass bottle?

                             MARK
                   It was an accident!

                             MINAMI
                   …. Right…. And I suppose 'this’
                   is an accident as well.

         MINAMI does a spinning round house kick which lands hard on
         MARKS head. MARK lands on the ground.

                             KAYLA
                   Nice shot MINA!

         He gets up, rubbing his head.

                             MARK
                   Screw you *****! I came here to
                   freakin free you man!

         He wipes the blood off the newly made cut on his forehead.

                             MARK
                   Now come on, before I change my
                   mind and believe that DEREK is
                   right.

                             KAYLA
                   Right about what?

                             MARK
                   About-

         MARK is interrupted, for by the door is DEREK, leaning on
         the wall, his face grim. By his side, under his arms is a
         young Asian boy.

                             DEREK
                   About what MARK? Tell them.

                             MARK
                   Crap.

                             DEREK
                   That’s right. You can’t.

                             MINAMI
                   Oh! Great! Your here!

         MINAMI grabs to crumples business card from KAYLA’S hand and
         shoves it into DEREK’S face.

                             MINAMI
                   Who gave you that card? Where did
                   you get it? Who wrote on it? Tell
                   me!

                             DEREK
                   Ha! All you need to know is that
                   it’s from Japan.

                             MARK
                   And it’s the start of his
                   obsession.

                             MINAMI
                        (To herself) Obsession?

                             DEREK
                   Quiet!

                             MARK
                   No! You be quiet for once! I’ve
                   been with you since grade school.
                   You were the nicest guy around. But
                   then you went on that trip to Japan
                   and you’ve never been the same. Now
                   all you care about is harming
                   Asians. What’s wrong with you man?

         CU of DEREK grinding his teeth.

                             MARK
                   You can’t harm them all! There’s
                   too many of them!

         DEREK reaches for something in his pocket, tightening his
         grip on the boy, who stands silent in fear.

                             DEREK
                   Maybe not all, but I got to start
                   somewhere.

         DEREK swiftly pulls out a gun, then shoots the boy in the
         head, killing him instantly. MINAMI, KAYLA, and MARK stand
         back in shock and fear.

The Original SOUTH: Silent Tears ch 2

Continuing on with the original story of SOUTH, Silent Tears, here is chapter 2. I love looking back at old stuff and seeing how far I’ve come. This stuff is golden. 

Also, I’ve left the story unedited, so you can see all its flaws, both story wise and grammatically. 

A little about the story:

Minami Kyuki’s hearts a battle ground of despair. Faced with more difficulties in her life than the normal teen, Minami copes by living one day at a time. But how long before the tragic events of her past haunts her to her death?

****

Chapter 2: Trapped

         INT. SUGUARMOUNT SENIOR HIGH MR LANDRYS CHEMISTRY CLASS

         MR LANDRY is standing by his desk, pointing at the board, explaining
         a chemistry problem. The class appears to be bored. TYLER
         BUTTLER and MARK STAGGER are anxious, nervous looking. MARK
         fumbles with his pencil. DEREK BEYIT sits at his desk, calm,
         and taking notes from the board. He glares at MARK, who now
         looks intently at the board, staring into the abyss. VENESSA and
         NATALIE DOUMONT look at each other. NATALIE takes a a piece
         of her chemistry notes, writes down a note, then passes it
         on to VENESSA. The note reads: “I saw MINAMI walking to
         school this morning. Where is she?” VENESSA shrugs, then
         leans forward.

                             VENESSA
                        (Whispering) Come to think of
                        it, I haven’t seen KAYLA here
                        this morning either.

                             MR LANDRY
                   Girls! Passing notes and whispering
                   during my lectures?

         VENESSA and NATALIE both jump, startled by the sudden appearance
         of their teacher.

                             NATALIE
                   Sorry sir.

         MR LANDRY goes to speak when the bell rings. The twins pick up
         their things and leave the room swiftly.

         INT. SUGUARMOUNT SENIOR HIGH HALLWAY

         Students rush about to get to their next class, while some take
         their time and chat on their cell phones. Others go to their
         lockers, searching for an item they have forgotten. DEREK,
         MARK, and TYLER was seen walking down the hall.

                             MARK
                   DEREK, I think the twins are on to
                   us.

                             TYLER
                   No they are not.

                             MARK
                   Uh huh!

                             DEREK
                   Shut up! They’re just noticing there
                   not at school. They don’t have a
                   clue it’s us.

         INT. CAMPBELLTON MILL

         MR CONNERY is reading the morning newspaper when the phone suddenly
         rings, startling her. MR CONNERY looks at the phone. He
         screws up his face in a scowl.

                             MR CONNERY
                   Darn school again. What the hell do
                   they want now? TRAVIS better not be
                   in trouble again.

         He picks up the phone.

                             MR CONNERY
                   Hello?

                             SUGUARMOUNT PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE
                   This is the Vice-Principal of
                   Suguarmount Senior High, MR RODD. I
                   am calling to inform you that your
                   son or daughter has missed

         MRS CONNERY hangs up the phone, looking very unpleased.

                             MRS CONNERY
                   TRAVIS CONNERY when you get home.

         INT. CAMPBELLTON AN OLD ABANDONED HOUSE

         MINAMI is seen lying on the basement floor in the dark, bleeding.
         A dark figure is kneeled over MINAMI, hand outreached.

                             THE FIGURE
                        (Whispers) Hey!

         The figure touches MINAMI. MINAMI winces in pain, then
         slowly opens her eyes.

                             MINAMI
                   Erg... Wha? <Ow….>

         MINAMI slowly sits up and blinks.

                             THE FIGURE
                   MINAMI!

                             MINAMI
                   Wha? Who are-?

         The figure hugs MINAMI, then let’s go almost as fast. MINAMI takes
         a look at the figure, who looks well beaten. Before MINAMI
         can realize who it is, the figure speaks again.

                             THE FIGURE
                   They got to you to!

                             MINAMI
                   KAYLA? Is that you?

         The light shines on the figure, revealing her true identity.

                             KAYLA
                   Yeah. I’ve been here since after
                   the Talent show. On my way home,
                   these 3 guys came up to me and
                   started throwing rocks at me, then
                   they forced me here. I haven’t been
                   able to sleep a wink.

         As KAYLA speaks, a flash back shows her words.

                             MINAMI
                   Why? What did we do?

         KAYLA shrugs. MINAMI looks around.

                             MINAMI
                   What do we do now?

                             KAYLA
                   Get out. That’s what.

         KAYLA looks to the door.

                             KAYLA
                   The question is how.

         MINAMI gets up then stumbles towards the door. She takes a good
         look at it then does a powerful back kick. MINAMI falls back
         to the ground, but the door does not budge.

                             KAYLA
                   The door is barred on the outside
                   you know.

         MINAMI is seen rubbing her foot.

                             MINAMI
                   Yeah. Thanks for the info. Have you
                   looked around the place? Maybe
                   there’s another exit. (To herself)
                   Like a portal to another world or
                   something cool like that.

                             KAYLA
                   No. I was too afraid to move. (To
                   herself) You and your portals.

                             MINAMI
                   Well then, what are we waiting for.

         MINAMI limps past KAYLA and begins to feel around, looking
         for an exit.

                             MINAMI
                   Aha!

                             KAYLA
                   WHAT?

                             MINAMI
                   I found something!

                             KAYLA
                   I repeat, what?!

                             MINAMI
                   Hehe. A business card!

                             KAYLA
                   MINAMI!

                             MINAMI
                   I can add this to my collection….

         KAYLA rolls her eyes, while MINAMI inspects the card.

                             MINAMI
                   Spiffy. It’s in Japanese…

                             KAYLA
                   There’s got to be a way out-

                             MINAMI
                        (To herself)Hey someone wrote
                        on the back!

                             KAYLA
                   Here. Maybe if we move some of
                   those crates, (if that’s what they
                   are), we might find a door or
                   something.

         MINAMI squints, trying to read the writing.

                             MINAMI
                        (To herself) DEREK….
                        (Mumble) See you soon
                        (Mumble)(Gasp)

         KAYLA turns around to look at MINAMI

                             KAYLA
                   What now?

                             MINAMI
                   I…. I know that writing.

                             KAYLA
                   So? It’s not going to help us get
                   out of here.

                             MINAMI
                        (To herself) Well, the card is
                        in Japanese, but that’s not
                        important. It’s just a regular
                        business card for some random
                        place. It’s what on the back,
                        written in English that got my
                        attention.

                             KAYLA
                   Let me see it.

         MINAMI hands over the card to KAYLA. KAYLA takes a good look
         at the card and reads it aloud.

                             KAYLA
                   DEREK, I am so happy to have meet
                   you. See you soon. Don’t tell,
                   means no lies.

         KAYLA looks up.

                             KAYLA
                   DEREK… I think I know someone by
                   that name.

                             MINAMI
                   Well, you do. He’s the guy who
                   brought me here, and by the looks
                   of it, you too. (Narrative
                   Bubble) Where have I seen this
                   writing before?

                             KAYLA
                   That’s it, we got to get out of
                   here!

                             MINAMI
                   Snaps! I know where I’ve seen it!

                             KAYLA
                   Where?

                             MINAMI
                   My place, the night of the murder.

         Suddenly, up above, a noise could be heard.

The Original SOUTH - Silent Tears

Hey ya’ll! Ever want a good laugh at a horribly \ written story ‘cause you’re bored and have nothing better to do? Look no more! I’ve decided to share the first (and only) volume of Silent Tears here on my blog for your entertainment. 

The story was poorly planned and there wasn’t much character development. It was also written to be a comic script yet made in the style of a film script. 

Just look at how much this story changed since 2008. (It started in a high school and not college).

A little about the story:

Minami Kyuki’s hearts a battle ground of despair. Faced with more difficulties in her life than the normal teen, Minami copes by living one day at a time. But how long before the tragic events of her past haunts her to her death?

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Also, as an added bonus, Silent Tears has a prologue and I made an animatic for it back in college.  Not only has my writing and storytelling improved, but so has my art. This is so bad I have to share:

(Just know my Japanese sucked back in 2009. It's soooo much better now). 

Side note, here is what I had in mind for the cover for the first volume. On the left was the original cover and on the right was the "special edition" version. Not sure what was going to be in the special edition besides a new cover but enjoy all the same!~ (Art by yours truly). 

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Chapter 1: The Unwanted Gift

EXT. SUGARMOUNT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL FRONT DOORS

         The sun is setting, showing a wonderful array of colors. Random
         teens call their parents to come pick them up. MINAMI KYUKI,
         KAYLA CONNERY, VENESSA and NATALIE DOUMONT are leaving the
         school, all laughing and talking about their night. A banner
         is held on top of the entrance saying: ‘Sugarmount Senior
         High Talent Show!’

                             MINAMI KYUKI
                        (Narrative Bubble) How long
                        has it been?

                             MINAMI
                   Man! That competition was brutal
                   this year!

                             VANESSA DOUMONT
                   I’ll say. (To herself) And all they
                   got was a lame gift certificate.

                             NATALIE DOUMONT
                   It’s a good thing that magician
                   didn’t win. (To herself) I totally
                   saw that egg in his hand!

         MINAMI smiles and laughs at her friends as they walk down
         the steps.

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble)That’s
                        right. Four years now. Four years
                        since my family was brutally
                        murdered.

                             MINAMI
                   Hey, I got to jet. My parental
                   units are expecting me home after
                   the show. Plus, I got to something
                   to do.

                             KAYLA CONNERY
                   Kay.

         CU Minami

                             MINAMI
                   My name is MINAMI 'SOUTH’ KYUKI.
                   When I was only 12 years old, a
                   masked man came into my home and
                   took the lives of my entire family, making
                   me an orphan.

         EXT. CAMPBELLTON

         An aerial view of Campbellton.

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble) Today was a
                        special day for me. It wasn’t
                        just the day of my school’s
                        talent show.

         INT. MINAMI’S HOUSE

         MINAMI enters her house. ANGIE, the family dog, greets her with
         a lick and a bark. Two cats lay curled up on the couch where
         LYNN sits. DENNIS sits in his rocking chair, next to the
         couch.

                             MINAMI
                   I’m home!

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble) No, it was
                        more than that.

                             DENNIS
                   Welcome home MINA!

                             LYNN
                   How was it?

                             MINAMI
                   Awesome! Say, I’m going to take a
                   shower, k?

                             LYNN
                   O.K. Don’t take too long.

         MINAMI is seen walking up the stairs, waving her hand, not looking
         back.

                             MINAMI
                   Of course! (Narrative Bubble) Today
                   was the anniversary of my parents
                   death.

         INT. MINAMI’S HOUSE BATHROOM

         MINAMI turns on the tap. MINAMI’s arms are forward on the wall,
         supporting her weight, her head hung low, looking defeated.
         CU of MINAMI’s face. Her eyes stare blankly at the floor.

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble) No one
                        knows who the murderer was, but
                        he was said to have committed
                        suicide in the fire he
                        created.

         INT. MINAMI’S HOUSE HER ROOM

         MINAMI is seen dressed, drying her hair with a towel. A
         large array of martial art trophies decorates her room. Several
         swords hang from the wall and some drawings that MINAMI
         herself had done were on the wall as well, by her desk.

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble) But I know
                        the truth. I saw his face.

         A flash back of when MINAMI used the scissors to cut the
         man’s mask, showing a bit of his face. Flash back end. MINAMI
         goes to a box by her bed and as she slowly picks it it, she
         sits down on her bed. She opens it up slowly. Inside the box
         contains a burnt nail, a burnt part of a newspaper, and a crumpled
         picture with water marks showing tears have fallen on it.
         MINAMI picks up each object one by one then she places them
         carefully on her bed. The last one she picks up is the
         crumpled picture. The picture shows a younger version of
         MINAMI with her birth parents. A tear runs down her face.

                             MINAMI
                   I’m going to find him mom, dad. I
                   know he got out alive. I just know
                   it! And I’ll let the world know of
                   it too, just you watch.

         MINAMI touches the picture softly as she speaks. She then places
         the picture on her bed with the other objects, then looks up
         at the ceiling, staring at nothing.

                             MINAMI
                        (Sigh) I want to see you so
                        bad. I know I have it good here
                        now, but I miss my friends, my
                        home back in Kobe. Oh mom,
                        dad. It hurts so bad….

         MINAMI looks longingly at one of her sharpest blades. She closes
         her eye’s and leans back.

                             MINAMI
                   <May you find peace.> I know I wont
                   until he pays….

         EXT. CAMPBELLTON

         Next morning. MINAMI is seen running to school.

                             MINAMI
                   Snaps! I’m going to be late! Sleep
                   through that darn alarm again!

         3 figures emerge from the shadows as MINAMI runs by. DEREK
         BEYIT smiles sinisterly. MARK STAGGER and TYLER BUTTLER
         laugh.

                             DEREK BEYIT
                   Hey! You!

                             MARK STAGGER
                   Japanese chick!

         MINAMI stops in her tracks, nearly falls over, and

                             MINAMI
                   Hiya.

         MINAMI turns to leave, but TYLER BUTTER reaches into his bag and
         pulls out and egg, then throws it at her. The egg hit’s
         MINAMI in the back of the head. MINAMI turns around, arms in
         the air in disgust.

                             DEREK
                   My name is DEREK. This is TYLER and
                   MARK.

                             TYLER BUTTLER
                   And we got a problem

                             MINAMI
                   You darn right we do. What the hell
                   was that for? (To herself) Jerks.
                   (Narrative Bubble) Something isn’t
                   right here….

                             DEREK
                   MARK here tells me it’s your
                   birthday this Thursday. How old you
                   going to be? 17?

                             MINAMI
                   <Screw you> I’m off.

         She turns to leave.

                             DEREK
                   Well, since were nice guys, we got
                   you a birthday present.

                             MARK
                   Something from the heart.

         MARK smiles as he speaks. MINAMI answers, her back facing
         the teenage boys.

                             MINAMI
                   Don’t care.

         DEREK looks at MARK and TYLER. They all pick up eggs from their
         backpacks and throw them at MINAMI. MINAMI stumbles.

                             MARK
                   We’re still talking to you stupid
                   Japanese!

         DEREK picks up a rock, tosses it in the air then throws it
         at MINAMI.

                             DEREK
                   Happy Birthday! (Laughs)

         MARK and TYLER both do the same as DEREK.

                             TYLER
                   And this is forever coming into
                   OUR country!

         TYLER throws his rock, hitting MINAMI in the arm.

                             MARK
                   And this is for being alive!

         The rock hits her in the chest.

                             MINAMI
                        (Narrative Bubble)What’s
                        happening to me? Why are they hitting
                        me this way?

         The boys continue to throw rocks at her. MINAMI goes to kick them,
         but a rock hits her on the head, knocking her down. MARK
         then picks up a glass bottle from the ground then hits
         MINAMI with it over the head, sending her to the ground.
         MINAMI stops moving and doesn’t get up.

                             TYLER
                   What the heck did you do that for?
                   We agreed just to play around with
                   her a bit! Not to kill her!

                             DEREK
                   I don’t think she’s dead.

                             MARK
                   Well what do we do with her?

         DEREK smiles.

                             DEREK
                   Same as the last boys.

         CU of MARK and TYLER, looking confused.

         INT. CAMPBELLTON AN OLD ABANDONED HOUSE

         MINAMI is seen lying on the basement floor in the dark, bleeding.
         DEREK, MARK, and TYLER are talking outside the door.

                             DEREK
                        (Muffled) She’ll be fine.
                        Let’s hurry before were late for
                        MR LANDRYS class again.

         A figure, shrouded in darkness, slowly advances towards MINAMI.
         The figure goes to reach MINAMI.

                             MINAMI
                   Urg….

I Love That Cat

Why hello there.

                                                 My name is Sorren.  

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Hey guys!

So today I'm going to do things a little different. Instead of writing about, well, anything writing related, I'm going to write about an inspiration. My cat, Sorren, is my life. She's been with me through all the bad and the good. She always knows what to say, er, meow. I also know in my heart she is my soul-kitty. She has a part of my soul in hers and I have a part of hers in mine. 

Since Sorren is such a huge part of my life in general, I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to her. I mean, she was sleeping on me the moment I finally finished my first draft of SOUTH. 

Below is a short essay I once wrote in university on my wonderful Sorren. And while this post isn't about SOUTH or any novel or writing update or advice, it is still about a topic that I admire. Also, it just goes to show you don't have to write about far off worlds to write. You can just write about what you love. It's also fun to give yourself a break from your main jam and change your mind, all while still writing. Know what I mean?

That being said, enjoy my essay about my soul-kitty, Sorren.

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I Love That Cat
by
A.M. Molloy

I’ll never forget that glorious day Sorren came into my possession. It was two days before my nineteenth birthday. She was just ten weeks old and fit in the palm of my hand. She’s dark brown, light brown, black and adorned with little white legs. Heaven knows how much I love those little white legs. To top off her cuteness, she was born with a birthmark on her tiny little nose, and the pads of her paws are a marble mixture of black and pink. She was the runt of the litter, and she was all mine. This cat, whose original name was Sugar, (she was never a Sugar, far from it), is the smartest cat I know, managing to do incredible things with computers and other various things.

            I think it’s part of the new younger generation being technologically savvy, but Sorren has always been good with computers, even if all she can type is gibberish to us. Not long after her very first encounter with my computer, she made me, what I like to call, artwork. I was sitting at my computer doing homework for some art project, with my printer sitting next to me on a flimsy table. Working away, I was distracted by a noise to my right. I looked over and the cat was standing happily on my printer. I saw she had hit the photocopy button and had perfectly printed all four of her cute multicolored paws. It was one of those proud parent moments when your young one makes art, however meaningless it might seem to others. I still have that black and white sheet of paper today, proudly owning it’s own page in a photo album. I think that might have been the first time I truly said the words ‘I love that cat.’

Sorren

Cute paw scan of 2008

      Then there was the time she literally had a conversation with one of my college classmates on MSN. I was in the shower when my friend had left me a message. Sorren was the only one around to see it, so she took it upon herself to reply. She wrote back with a bunch of number ones, and my friend responded with “Hi Sorren.” Sorren replied, a bunch of random letters and an exclamation point at the end for emphasis. My friend laughed and replied “Oh Sorren, you’re such a kidder!” This went on for a good while, until I came out of the shower to find the cat sprawled out across my laptop's keyboard, purring happily. It was easy not to be mad at her. I just smiled, gently picked her up and exclaimed to the world, “I love that cat.”
            Some time later during a weekend visit home from college, she managed to do what I thought would be impossible. Somehow, she managed to turn my laptop’s screen upside down. First of all, how did she even do that? Second, why is this even a function on the computer? After attempting to use Google upside down to solve this problem, I eventually gave up and called my computer technician friend to return my screen to its regular upright format. Still, even after the trouble she caused, I still love that cat.
            On another day, I assume out of boredom or an attempt to seek attention, she somehow managed to change my desktop background. I was impressed at that. I was even more impressed at how she one day opened up Photoshop and attempted to make me more artwork. Somehow she managed to use my laptop's track pad to create some random scribbles. Maybe she wanted to follow me in my now former career of art. She’s also tried to open her own Facebook account and is always searching for help on the Internet. Sometimes I find it unfortunate that she can’t type proper English. I’m so curious as to what she would actually write. Still, no matter what she does, I love that cat.
            She’s done many amazing things over the years, not just with computers. She truly understands me when I talk, answering with a meow or doing what I ask her to. I told her I gave her fresh water; she gave what I think was a nod then drunk from it. You can talk to her for hours without a reaction, but when you call her by name, she’ll instantly look at you, silently asking what you want. She purrs almost instantly when I pick her up, showering me with little cat kisses. She knows when I’m sad or in need of a kitty squish and will always come by my side, ready to comfort me. But you know what? In the end, it all comes down to four meaningful words said everyday in adoration: “I love that cat.”

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“Sorren, thank you for letting me love you.”

— A.M. Molloy

SOUTH: A Cast of Diversity

Every novel should have a diverse cast, and not just to make ti believable. After all, the real world isn't all white and black. There are many colours, purple, blue, green, orange, to name a few. And SOUTH is no different. It has a diverse cast of characters of all shapes, sizes, ethnicity, and sexualities -- just like the real world. In fact, SOUTH is a very grounded novel, where the characters are not only relatable, but so are the situations they find themselves in, albeit with a few exceptions. After all, how many people do you know who survived an earthquake? Chances are, not many. (Although surprisingly, I do! But that's another story).

AJ White

One of the two main characters.

Just look at the photos above and below this paragraph. AJ White and Minami Kyuki are the stars of the novel and they couldn't be more different. AJ is American. But she's not just a white girl (no pun intended). She has freckles, and piercings, and even a nice tattoo that she got in defiance to her mom! As for Minami, her face -- and body -- are littered with scars from surviving a devastating earthquake in her home country of Japan. Not to mention, she has rare deep-sea blue eyes that are sure to captivate anyone who dares to take a glance. 

Minami Kyuki 

One of the two main characters.

My point being, not every character has to be perfect. Nor does every character have to be the usual "oh my God I'm an average klutz and a nobody yet somehow the super-hot people are into me and I don't know who to choose and woe is me because I'm really nothing special" kind of person. *cough* kind of like a lot of YA that I've read recently *cough* 

The characters in SOUTH are people you'd meet on the street. People with real stuff going on in their lives. Someone you went to school with. Your best friend. The kid whose really awesome at signing but you wouldn't know it because they're too insecure to show it to anyone. The girl with body issues. The one who's a goofball and is very down to earth. The one struggling with their sexual identity with no one to talk to about it. 

This is why SOUTH will be a must read for anyone, regardless of age. The novel may be a YA, but there is someone out there, maybe even in their late 40's, who is being harassed and still doesn't know who they are. This novel is for that 40 something year old who wants someone to relate too and maybe gain that confidence they need to come out of the closet and confront the harasser. This novel is for the teenager whose life hasn't been the greatest and needs someone to talk to.

This novel is for you and anyone who reads this.  

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PS: As a disclaimer, I'm very tried and have been suffering from some weird thing that hasn't allowed me to fall asleep normally since like 2009. (I've been to many doctors, but no one knows what it is, or how to fix it. It's hard to describe, hence why I call it "the weird thing"). Anyway, my point is that this post is not like my usual style (if I even have one at this early stage) and may also be all over the place. I wrote it because it was on my mind and I just wanted to share this before I went to bed. I thought I'd share my inner ramblings so that you can see a tiny bit more into the insides of SOUTH and be just as excited to read it as I am about releasing it. 

The Manley Editor of Champions: A Thank You

I have the most amazing editor. Really, I do. 

I started working with Chris (Christine Gordon Manley from Manley Mann Media) back in 2015. This was back when I didn't even have the first draft of my manuscript finished. I had about eleven or so chapters at the time when we started working together. Although I didn't have the whole thing finished, having an editor really gets your creative juices flowing and I finished my first draft in what I consider record time. I mean, nothing motivates you like having an editor. Especially if you want said editor to remember what was going on with your story while you worked on the unfinished bits. 

I admit, I probably should have waited to send in the manuscript when it was fully completed. But that is one of the reasons why Chris is such an amazing editor. And sending her the first few chapters and then getting feedback while still writing the rest did help me eliminate a lot of the plot holes and tighten up my writing. So, I guess it all worked out in the end!

Seriously, though. I was looking at my first (completed) draft that Christ had looked over, and then again, I looked over the second draft, and I'm impressed with how far I've come, how much I've improved. Chris would suggest some edits and I would expand on them, make them my own. My story evolved and sometimes when I read some of the lines from my third draft, I cannot belie I wrote them. No, seriously. It's like someone took over me and wrote them, even though I remember writing them myself. They're the kind of quotes I’d find online and think "damn, that's good. I should save that for inspiration." But I didn't save them off FaceBook or twitter. I thought of them myself and sometimes with the help of Chris. 

This brings me to today. Chris just handed me back my third draft of my novel and again I am blown away by the awesomeness of her work. Chris has a way of telling you the hard truth of what works and what doesn't and doesn't make you feel bad about it. She tells me all the things this wrong, filling up my manuscript with all that glorious red ink. But even though it's criticism, it isn't harsh. It's as though a good friend is saying that hat doesn't go well with your outfit. Okay, so I'm not doing a very good job at explaining it but trust me. It's a pleasure to work with her. 

According to Chris, this may be my final draft, after I finish the edits. And I agree. I'm at a point where I really feel confident about my novel and its message that I'm trying to bring to the world. A message that it's okay to love anyone, regardless of gender. It's okay to struggle in life. It's okay to be different. It's okay to take time to discover yourself and find out who you really are. There are so many messages in this novel of self-discovery that I know other people can relate to, because I was there myself. 

With Chris helping me along the way -- as good editors do -- I know SOUTH will both entertain and help people in all walks of life, regardless of age.

Here's to more laughter and amazing teamwork. Thank you Chris!~ 

 

Mental Health: In Writing and Life

So, if you didn't already know, I've become much more active on my social media lately. I'm also working on this website to bring more awesome content (which will go live soon). And while I've been keeping people in the loop over on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter, I realized I haven't yet updated my blog with all the juicy info. 

So as a quick update, my manuscript is with my editor (and I should get to see all those glorious edits sometime this week!) Yet what does one do while their main manuscript is in the hands of their editor? Start writing a novella to SOUTH! It will be called BRIDGE. I plan on writing a sequel to SOUTH, called MIRROR. And while I have the general idea of MIRROR in mind, it still needs a lot to have fleshed out before I can start writing it.

So, for the past few weeks I've been planning out and thought dumping the ideas for BRIDGE. I even started writing BRIDGE, and I gotta say, I'm super stoked about this novella. I also really love this new character I'm introducing, Kaci Miller. This novella will primarily focus on Minami and her new roommate, Kaci, shortly after the events of SOUTH. And yes, AJ will still be there. Although it will be a while before anyone can get to read this novella because SOUTH is still in the works.

As a side note, all names, SOUTH, BRIDGE, and MIRROR, are symbolic as well as literal and they were chosen for a reason.  

Now that we got that quick update out of the way, I want to address something that is important to me, mental health. I cannot stress the importance of mental health enough. If your body is in need of rest, you rest until you feel rested.

I've been feeling very creative for a while now, getting back in the writing grove while juggling a full-time job and a busy social life. But said life had me so busy that I burned out to the point where was staring to feel unwell due to my lack of sleep. And no, nothing is wrong. I’m just literally just living life to the fullest and I keep forgetting my body doesn’t like too much excitement for extended periods of time.

My body was in dire need of a recharge and man I wasn't feeling so good last week. I overworked myself because I didn't want to miss a beat doing ALL the things in Korea. But I drained myself to the point where I was physically not well and mentally drained. I spent a lot of time recovering, mostly chilling and watching YouTube, and while I didn't get anything creative done, my mind rested and in turn, the creative juices came back.

Also important, once you start your road to recovery, take baby steps. Don't jump back in full force or you're going to be right back where you started. I wrote about 500 words Monday and 300 or so yesterday. And today I took the time to jot down plot ideas. Not as much as I usually do, but it felt good all the same and small doses is better than nothing at all and feeling like you got hit by a truck and left with a mentally dazed mind.

I must say, the mental break did me wonders. Now I'm back and feeling much better and my mind is not on auto pilot anymore. I can get back to writing and posting and stuff.

So yeah. Look after yourself. Even if you're living life to the fullest, remember to take a breather so it can all sink in. You'll enjoy life even more that way.

Take care!~

ESL Winter Camp Lesson Plan

So! You're now working as an English teacher in South Korea, having a wonderful time teaching awesome kids. Christmas is near and you've already finished all your lessons for the day. All of a sudden your co-teacher tells you that you need to do a two week lesson plan for the upcoming winter camp and have it done before tomorrow. 

Have you ever been in this situation? If you're teaching in Korea, you may just well have. And if you're like me, you have no idea what you're going to do for the camp.

Well, fear not. I've created this lesson plan (that can also be modified for your summer camp that you're going to have to do) that you can use to hand in to your co-teacher. Note, they may want the lesson plan in a specific format, but you can use this as a base to write it in.

Naturally, you can modify this to fit your studnets age, level and needs. If you have any questions or need clarification on some of the games, feel free to post them in the comments. Also, if you decide to use this, let me know how it worked out in the comment section below! 

 

*****

 

Winter Camp 2018 Schedule
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WEEK 1:

Day 1

Theme: You!
Warm up (10 mins):

Intro games:
                        -Two Truths One Lie
                        -Snowball fight (Give each student a piece of recycled paper.
                        *Ask them to write their name and five things about themselves on the paper.                              *Then, split the class into two teams and have them stand facing each other at                             opposite sides of the classroom.
                        *Tell the students to crumple up their paper into a snowball.
                        *When you say go, the snowball fight commences.
                        *When you shout stop, anyone who is holding a snowball must go and find the                             person whose name is on the paper and introduce them to the class using the                             information written inside.
                        *Students continue the snowball fight until everyone has been introduced to the                           class.)

Main Lesson (30mins):
                        -Learn about different ways of introductions (Such as: hi, hey, hello, and maybe slang, like sup and yo).
                        -Introduce the banner activity and explain key words.
                          >Students will receive a piece of paper each day of camp. Every day, the students will draw the theme of the day on the paper. (At the end of the camp, all of the papers will be collected and the teacher will create a banner/quilt using all of the artwork to be put on display).
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Day 2

Theme: Winter
Warm up (5 mins):

Musical Chairs:
                        -Play a song relating to the theme and have students play musical chairs. (Ex: There are 10 students in the class yet there are only 9 chairs. Have the students walk around the chairs while the music plays. The moment the song stops, students will have to rush to sit down in a chair. The student who is not in a seat is now out. The game continues until there is only one student left in a chair).

Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Verb tense and sentence structure
                                    >Use Sesame Street (YouTube) for younger grades and other YouTube videos for older grades to help demonstrate the lesson.
                                    >Teach about Direct Objects (younger students) and Indirect Objects (older students) using winter themed words: gloves, boots, scarf, snow pants.

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Favorite thing about winter)
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Day 3

Theme: Winter Activities
Warm up (5 mins):

Play “Do You Want to Build A Snowman?” (YouTube) and have the students act along:

Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Teach about the parts of a snowman (Nose ((carrot /vegetable)), eyes, balls, arms ((twigs)), scarf, gloves, and hat).
                        -Play reinforcement game: Make your own snowman! (Students will build their own snowman other using the materials provided or buy using items in found the classroom. Let them get creative! Best snowman (voted by fellow students) will win a prize!

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Students favourite activity).
_______________________________________________________________________________

Day 4

Theme: Winter Related Things
Warm up (5 mins):

Charades:
                        -Students will get a word/sentence and act it out while their classmates try to guess the answer.

Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Teach about winter related things, such as holidays, weather, and food eaten during winter. Also learn about winter in Canada vs Korea. (10 mins)
                        -Play reinforcement game: Pin the Winter Item! (Younger)
                                    >Various posters of winter related items will be posted around the room. Students will be given item cards and will have to go around the room and place their item on the correct poster.
                        -Play reinforcement game: Hot seat (Older)
                                    >Put the students in teams. Each team will choose one member to be in ‘the hot seat’. The teacher will show a sentence or word on the screen behind the student in the hot seat and their team members will have to describe what they see without saying the word/sentence. The student in the hot seat will have to guess what their teammates are describing to them. They can have many guesses, yet they have to come up with an answer within one minuet or they don’t score a point for their team.

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Students favorite winter vacation)
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Day 5

Theme: Fun Times
Warm up (5 mins):

Telephone game:
                        -Divide the class into teams. Each team will form a line to the front of the classroom. Teacher will whisper a phrase or word relating to the weeks learning to the student in the back. Each student will then have to whisper to the next student what they thought they heard. The student at the front will then have to write on the board the sentence/word they heard on the board. If the sentence is correct, the team will get a point. If the sentence is close or correctly heard but grammatically wrong in writing, then the team will get half a point. If it’s nowhere near correct, no points are given.
Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Review the week’s lessons using the Four Corners Game.

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (What they found fun during the first week)

 ______________________________________________________________________________

 WEEK 2:
 

Day 6

Theme: Music (Most likely winter themed)
Warm up (5 mins):

Musical Chairs with a Twist:
                        -Play a song relating to the theme and have students play musical chairs with a twist. (Ex: *Assign one person to operate the music for the game. Have them start the music and all players begin to dance around the chairs in a clockwise pattern. At the musical director's discretion, stop the music. Everyone must find a chair to sit on. BUT, one person will be missing a seat. That person must find a lap to sit on.

*The first person in the seat, the one on the bottom, gets a point. All others in laps get no points. Remove one chair and repeat. Now there are two left without seats. You can see how this can get funny really quickly.

Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Intro to music videos (conversation and terminology)
                          >Use a variety of different music video styles from YouTube (Such as Peter Hollens, BTS, Dua Lipa).
 
Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Student’s favorite K-pop idol or musical instrument)
_______________________________________________________________________________

 Day 7

Theme: Movies
Warm up (5 mins):

Have each student tell the class what kind movies they like.

Main Lesson (35mins):
                        -Introduction to English movie conversation (Terms and their use). Words can include film genres, such as western, sci-fi, holiday, fantasy, and documentary. Use PP presentation.
                        -Movie pt 1 (Most likely Frozen).
_______________________________________________________________________________

Day 8

Theme: Movies pt 2
Warm up (5 mins):

Discuss thoughts on last movie.

Main Lesson (20mins):
                        -Continue movie (most likely Frozen).

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Students favourite movie. Activity can be done while watching the movie or after).
_______________________________________________________________________________

 Day 9

Theme: English Activities
Warm up (5 mins):

Play “Let it Go” song and quiz the students.

Main Lesson (20mins):
            -Guess Who
              >Without saying who (or what) the subject is, students will have to try and describe the subject to their team mates while their teammates have to guess the correct answer. (Time limit for guessing: 1min). (10 min game)
            -Battleship
              >Try to know down the other team’s ships using English! (10 min game)

Follow Up (10 mins):
Draw the banner for the theme of the day. (Make their own version of Frozen DVD movie cover OR their favorite game – other from the winter camp or in general).
_______________________________________________________________________________

Day 10

Theme: Final Review
Warm up (5 mins):

Reveal the student’s banners made into a “quilt” (put together by teacher. This will sty up for the remainder of the class. Students can choose to take their drawings home if they wish at the end of class). Discuss which drawings they like and why.

Main Lesson (30mins):
                        -Review the two weeks lessons using the game Jeopardy. 

Follow Up (5 mins):
Reveal the student’s banners made into a “quilt” (put together by teacher). Watch the “Moment’s In Korea” video of the 2017 Winter Camp made by the teacher as a wrap up.