REMINDER! Last Week to Vote "Pinned but Fluttering" as Top 10 Twilight Fan Fic of 2013!!

Yes, we're in the final week of voting at Twi Fan Fiction Recs for the Top 10 Completed Fics of 2013, and voting closes February 28th!! 

Since Pinned but Fluttering came in #8 in the January 2013 voting, thanks to my amazing readers on Wattpad and FanFiction.net, it's among the 120 fan fics open for voting. Thank you!!

You may vote ONCE EVERY 24 HOURS THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH at TwiFanFictionRecs-Top 10 of 2013. The works are listed alphabetically, so scroll on down to the P's to vote for Pinned but Fluttering!! Thank you!!! :D

~Cassandra :)
xxxooo

Making the Top Ten...and the New Story

I am thrilled to announce that Pinned but Fluttering was voted into the Top Ten Completed Fics for January at TwiFanFictionRecs!! Thank you to all of you who voted; I was ecstatic to find out that Pinned but Fluttering came in at #8!!

In addition, TwiFanFictionRecs featured Pinned but Fluttering earlier this week with its own post right here! 

And in further good news, Pinned but Fluttering passed the 1.5 million reads (hits) mark on Wattpad this week! It's also received more than 10,000 votes. The total number of hits on all of my Twilight fan fiction stories at both Wattpad and FanFiction.net combined surpasses 2.6 million. 

That number simply boggles my mind.   


I also found out this week that I am to be published in an arts journal called Ruminate under my real name. Thanks to a dear poet friend, I have a subscription to this wonderful journal, and in one of their e-mails, they asked for reader notes (125 words max) on the topic of "glimpses." I scribbled something out and e-mailed it in, and this week they contacted me to say that mine is among those they've chosen to publish in the spring issue coming out later this month. 


What a way to celebrate my birthday this week!! 

In addition, I drafted the first chapter of my new story (still debating the name) last weekend, and then sent it to the lovely and immensely-talented ladylibre for pre-reading. She gave me some excellent advice, and the chapter is ready to post. However, I still need to:

• name the story (we've been tossing around titles, but I'm still undecided)
• create a Wattpad/FFN book cover
• decide whether to write/post a prologue

But I feel really good about where the story is going. I may slow down my posting schedule to once every two weeks rather than weekly, but we'll see. This year has been so incredibly busy so far that my head is still spinning. However, I missed writing these past months, and it feels wonderful to be writing for you all again. 

And thank you for the lovely birthday messages, both on Facebook and on Wattpad. You all are simply delightful, and I wouldn't be writing without your kind support of my work. 

So off to work on the new story...and I think I'll probably write the prologue after all. ;)

Thanks for everything!! xxxooo

~Cassandra :)

Done...and Plans

It's been a few weeks since I completed Pinned but Fluttering. The sense of accomplishment in completing Pinned but Fluttering is incredible; it's nearly twice as long as Evening Star, and it took me nearly a year and a half of posting almost weekly chapters to complete the story. 

Unlike most fan fiction writers, I make no outlines; I don't plan out my plots beyond a vague idea of how it's going to end. It's much more fun to write that way because I don't know what's going to happen, either. But there are also drawbacks to writing off-the-cuff as well: repetition, writing oneself into a corner, etc. Nevertheless, I enjoy writing this way too much to stop now. :) 

Readers on both Wattpad.com and FanFiction.net are requesting sequels to both of my novel-length stories, but I don't think I'm ready to write another epic-type novel at the moment.

The popularity of Pinned but Fluttering continues to astound me. Currently it's received almost 200,000 reads on FanFiction.net (adding the outtakes story to the original PbF) and 1,415,600 on Wattpad.com, for an overall total of over 1.6 million hits all together. Wattpad also shows nearly 9500 votes and 6700 comments while FanFiction.net has over 1500 reviews. I still can't wrap my mind around those numbers....  

Because I am currently teaching three classes in January (two online courses, one a family grammar workshop and the other a high school literary analysis class on Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, and one IRL expository writing class that lasts all school year) plus homeschooling my three teen boys, I'm taking January off from writing. Between Evening Star and Pinned but Fluttering, not to mention my shorter stories/one shots, I've been posting weekly chapters for just over two years. So once I return my final essays from my online Literary Analysis Class in February, during which I"ll be teaching only one online course (a poetry workshop), plus the IRL writing class and homeschooling my boys, I'll probably work on two or three shorter stories I've started, a couple from which I've posted excerpts on this blog. 

I have an idea for a novel-length story, but I've been debating whether to write it as an original story or as a fan fiction story. I asked my readers on Wattpad which they'd prefer, and currently this is how the polling stands:

Original story: 9 votes
Fan Fiction story: 14 votes
Both/Either (no opinion): 5 votes

I'm still debating. I found myself excited when I received a vote for "Original" and kind of sad when I received one for "Fan Fiction," so my heart it telling me to write an original story which I would publish on Wattpad. But part of me is still drawn to the ease and comfort of writing fan fiction since it's what I know. It would be easy enough to revise the fan fiction story into an original story since this story idea is AH/AU (All Human and Alternate Universe); there won't be vampires or shape shifters/werewolves, but the story will still be a paranormal-type tale. I don't want to say much more, but I'm definitely letting the ideas bubble away on the back burner of my mind this month. 

Teaching two concurrent online classes this month is killing me; I had to take yesterday (Friday) off and just crawl into bed and rest because I am that worn out right now. So please be understanding if I don't get back into writing until March or so. My IRL class will be working on their research essays which means I won't be grading piles of essays as I usually have to do until May when their research projects are due, so I'll have 6-8 weeks of more free time. Plus, as far as I know, I'm not teaching any online classes in March although I have some big projects I need to be working on for my job, mostly revising and editing some of our online classes (those taught only once per year) into e-books that families can do at their own pace. I'm nearly done with the grammar class, so I'm thrilled about that! 

And I am so sorry that I haven't been able to respond to many of the wonderful reviews and comments that readers posted at the end of Pinned but Fluttering. I've saved them all and definitely treasure them, and I will respond when I have the time...which may not be until February. I hate having to postpone commenting until then, but that's just the way it has to be. :(

Oh, and I just found out yesterday that Breaking Dawn Part 2 is being released onto DVD here in the US on my birthday!! At least my kids will know what to get me, LOL! :) 

So that's where I am, writing-wise and life-wise. Thanks for being understanding about my need to take a break. My autoimmune illness has also been in flare-up mode because of my work schedule; when I overwork and don't sleep enough, the pain worsens, which makes it more difficult to sleep, which makes the pain worsen further, etc. It's a vicious circle. So thanks for your understanding and your amazing support; you're all the best readers ever!!

With much love,
Cassandra :)
xxxooo

Images for PbF Epilogue

Following are images for the epilogue of Pinned but Fluttering. All of these places are real and are actually near the locations I used for the epilogue.

Twine Cottage in the Cotswolds--Edward and Bella's honeymoon cottage

This cottage looked the most like I imagined B&E's honeymoon cottage--kind of a cross between this cottage and the one in the movie The Holiday with Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, and Jude Law. The gate and fence are definitely from The Holiday--see image below:

Iris' (Kate Winslet's) cottage in the movie The Holiday

The following images are all from the interior of Twine Cottage (the top cottage) in the Cotswolds (central England) where E&B spent their honeymoon:

The lounge (living room) in Twine Cottage

The kitchen in Twine Cottage

Upstairs bathroom in Twine Cottage

Upstairs bedroom in Twine Cottage

And now to County Kent in Southern England where the Cullens finally settled:

Preston Court, the new home of the Cullen Family in Kent

Little Woodlands--E&B's cottage near Canterbury in Kent

The University of Kent at Canterbury where B&E attend college; notice the Canterbury Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Church of which Carlisle now is a pastor. 

Thank you sooooo much for joining me on this journey through Pinned  but Fluttering. You all have made it a wonderful experience of writing and discovery, and I can't thank you all enough for your encouragement and kind support. 

With much love,
Cassandra :)
xxxooo

Note on Epilogue....

Yes, I'm still working on the PbF Epilogue. I ended up throwing out almost the whole thing and starting over because I didn't like what I had written--about 2000 words worth. 

And my husband had surgery yesterday out of state, and he'll be flown back Sunday morning, plus all three of my boys are sick, and from the way I'm feeling, I'm wondering if I'm getting it, too. I'm also finishing up the editing of a huge project I've been working on since July, and I start teaching two new online classes on Monday. Oh, and I have a stack of essays to grade. 

But I am working on the epilogue--I hope to have it up by tonight. I have it in second draft shape right now, and I'll have a ton of photos to post here on the blog. With the twist the epilogue has taken, I may be leaving it wide open for a possible sequel, but I doubt I'll write one. It feels "done" to me right now, but I did leave a few loose threads if I want to return to it later.

So, anyway, I am working on it, and I appreciate your patience. 

Much love,
Cassandra :)
xxxooo 

Images from PbF Chapter 55

Here are some images from Pinned but Fluttering Chapter 55:

Here is Bella's locket:

And here is Edward's note, in his own handwriting --sorry if it's a little blurry, but you can at least see how he wrote it in his copperplate penmanship:

And the locket engraving:

Bella bouquet--missing a few of the flowers I listed in the chapter but containing most of them. Don't forget: Edward picked them himself and Alice tied the ribbons:

And Bella's dress...only about 4-6 inches longer, hitting her mid-calf, and worn with white peep-toe pumps:

Bella's shoes:

And Bella's hairstyle:

Thanks for reading Pinned but Fluttering!! 

Much love and a Joyous Christmas to you all,
~Cassandra :)

Nearly There!

I have drafted the remaining chapters of Pinned but Fluttering during the craziness that was National Novel Writing Month 2012. Now I only have the epilogue left to write.

My posting schedule for PbF:

Chapter 53: Thursday 12/13

Chapter 54: Thursday 12/20

Chapter 55: Christmas Eve

Chapter 56: Thursday 12/27

Epilogue: New Years Eve

Because I'm not really into writing lemons, I'm saving the intimate scene for the epilogue so that readers who don't care to read lemons can merely skip it and be satisfied with the end of the story at Chapter 56. But for those who don't mind or enjoy reading such scenes, they can enjoy the epilogue. 

I have never written a lemon, so we'll have to see how it turns out. ;) 

But I'm really proud of all that I've accomplished with Pinned but Fluttering. While Evening Star, my first fan fiction story, enjoyed moderate success, the clamor over Pinned but Fluttering has been simply mind-blowing. 

On Wattpad, Pinned but Fluttering will reach 1.3 million reads by this weekend (officially it's at 1,298,880 reads as I compose this post, with over 8,000 votes and 6,235 comments). Its success on FanFiction.net has been more mellow but still flattering at nearly 150,000 hits and almost 1500 reviews between the regular story and the separate outtakes. 

Evening Star remains somewhat popular with over 750,000 reads on Wattpad and nearly 40,000 hits on FanFiction.net. I'm toying with writing a sequel to this first story, starting with Edward and Bella's reunion in Volterra, then covering the gap between New Moon and Eclipse. We'll see. 

I also have an idea for an original paranormal-type story. A few ideas, actually. We'll see how they pan out. One idea is such that I can write it as fan fiction but easily change the names and details later to make it original. Again, we'll see. 

But right now I'm thrilled to be almost finished with a story I started in August 2011. Yay!!

Thanks for reading!!

~Cassandra 
xxxooo

Racing Toward the Finish Line....

Well, I picked a very busy month to attempt to write 50,000 words before November 30th. Unfortunately, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) occurs every November, right in the middle of one of my busiest months of the year. 

So what have I been doing this month?

I've been inundated with essays to grad for my co-op high school writing class--two sets of essays from a class that's full past the class size limit. And the essays required a lot of commentary from me--corrections, encouragement, suggestions, praise. 

In other words: time-consuming.

Then I also am completing my online high school MLA research essay course with twice the number of students I had last year. And this month they submitted outlines, first drafts, and final drafts of their research papers, all of which required detailed grading not only of content and usage but also of all of the nit-picky details of the MLA format. 

In other words: crazy time-consuming. 

Then, add to that the fact that I'm trying to finish editing the first draft of an e-book on grammar for work, and we have complete and utter chaos.

And then I decide to try to finish my novel and write 50,000 words during this insane month?

I really should be committed. 

There are two days remaining of the NaNoWriMo challenge, and I have 13,000 words left to write. 

Well, that's a vast improvement over last year's challenge in which I posted 14,000 words on the final day, making the midnight deadline with a mere eight minutes to spare. 

This year my goal was to complete a first draft of Pinned but Fluttering while still posting weekly chapters (the editing along with the writing is positively killing me!) and perhaps finish a couple of one-shots I've started. 

I doubt I'll be getting to any of the one-shots. But I am starting the final chapter of Pinned but Fluttering and the next chapter is ready to post for tomorrow...I mean, later today.

And I have time to write tomorrow (Uh, I mean, today) both before and after teaching my writing class, and Friday is fairly clear. I still have the grammar book to work on and a chapter of Pinned but Fluttering to post online, plus three teen boys to homeschool, but I am finally seeing a glimmer of light at the end of the NaNoWriMo tunnel. 

 Even if I am writing this post at 2:00 in the morning. 

Okay, going to sleep now so I can teach and write tomorrow--uh, I mean, TODAY. 

Yeah. 

Writing furiously,
Cassandra :)

Bella's Ring from Pinned but Fluttering

This is my great-grandmother's ring that I started wearing when my own set of engagement and wedding rings could no longer fit over my swollen fingers, thanks to rheumatoid arthritis.

Sorry the pictures aren't the best; my hands also shake a bit, and even with the normalizing setting on my camera which is supposed to minimize shaking, I still have problems.

This ring was dated to the late 1880s-early 1890s, so should be just about right to belong to Edward's mother. I love it almost more than my own set because of the old-fashioned styling. I remember my grandmother wearing this ring all the time when I was a child, so I'm thrilled to wear it now.

When I have time, I'll write my review on Breaking Dawn Part 2--which I liked much more than I thought I would!

Take care!
~Cassandra :)

Photos to Accompany PbF Chapter 48

Chapter 48 of Pinned but Fluttering requires illustrations, so here they are:

Part of the cottage

This stained glass window was designed and created by my husband, K, as a commission for our doctor. It looks amazing in their home, and we had it hanging for a couple of weeks in our house, too, before the installation. It's quite large--four feet by five feet.

Another view of the cottage...inside the picket fence

The fireplace in the cottage--which is actually the fireplace in our mountain cabin (pine walls and all).

Painting of the grapes inside the cottage--a watercolor painted by my mother-in-law and hanging in our home (on the pine walls)

I'll post a photo of the ring when I can--it's on my finger and belonged to my great-great grandmother, and yes, it dates back to the 1890s. 

I hope you enjoyed Chapter 48!! I am currently drafting Chapter 51 of PbF, so NaNoWriMo is really helping my productivity!! 

Have a wonderful week!!

~Cassandra :)
xxxooo

Milestones, Writing, and Reading

Late last month I reached a major milestone: Pinned but Fluttering reached 1 MILLION READS on Wattpad!! It's absolutely crazy and wonderful and stunning and un-fricking-believable. Pinned but Fluttering does well enough on FanFiction.net where it's at 99,000 hits and 997 reviews (almost ready to break some records there as well!!), but over a million reads on Wattpad is just...wow. I am still wrapping my head around it. And the numbers keep on going--in the two weeks since passing the million mark, it's garnered another 80,000+ reads!! Wow. 

I just wish that I could enter Pinned but Fluttering in the Watty Awards, but I started it at the wrong time. All stories must have been written over the past year: between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012, and I started it in August 2011. Plus I seriously doubt I could complete it by October 31. Well, I COULD, but it wouldn't be easy. 

I think I'll enter a couple of poems in the Atty Awards contest, judged by Margaret Atwood. Having Atwood involved at Wattpad is a huge feather in their cap; she's one of the premier literary authors and poets of our time, and she's simply marvelous. Somewhat recently I attended a lecture on Atwood's work at University of San Diego (where I earned my Master's in English) and discovered that she had been acquainted with one of my former USD professors while at Harvard; they worked on their doctorates together. But having Atwood associated with Wattpad brings the site a whole new level of authenticity and respectability. Very cool! :) 

And although it's been complete for nearly a year, Evening Star continues to scrape up more reads as well; it's over 720,000 reads but never really caught on at FFN. I am constantly asked for a sequel on Wattpad, so perhaps that may be my next major fic. I have ideas for lots of EPOV one-shots, too. We'll see.

I know I've neglected this blog horribly, but all of my writing time has been devoted to new chapters for Pinned, plus I spent September up to my eyebrows in teaching an online discussion class of Jane Eyre for homeschoolers. I have been teaching online courses for over ten years, and now I'm helping to write curriculum as well, so when I'm not actively teaching, I have quite the to-do list. :) But that's where I disappeared to in September and why I spent two weeks posting each chapter of Pinned.

I've also read some great fics lately; scroll down my sidebar to "Fics I Have Read in 2012" and you'll see quite the list. A current fic I'm reading is "Letters from Corporal Masen" which is set during World War II, specifically the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The author, solostintwilight, is the author of one of my favorite stories of all time, "Our Yellow House" (which I happen to be re-reading on my Kindle right now). Anyway, solostintwilight listed some other war-based stories, and I've been making my way through them. And are they ever heartwrenching!! Last night I finished reading "Finding Home" (and outtakes "Finding Liberty") by jennde, and I don't think I've ever cried so much while reading a fan fic story (unless it was for "Our Yellow House" or SillyBella's "Peonies"). The story starts a couple of days before Pearl Harbor and goes through the war from there. A couple of other amazing war-based stories are "A Soldier's Homecoming" by morsus mihi (set during Vietnam) and  "The Wallflower and the Flyboy" by A Cullen Wannabe. All of these stories are incredible, and I eagerly await each update of solostintwilight's "Letters to Corporal Masen" (which has an incredible Facebook page with WWII photos; plus, her Bella is the lovely Gene Tierney) as we find out how Edward is faring after parachuting into the French countryside in advance of D-Day. 

So what have the rest of you been reading? I love recommendations, even though I have pages and pages of recs written down in my writing notebook. 

Well, I'm off to see Florence + the Machine tonight with my daughter, and I have a sizable pile of work to complete first, so off I go. 

Thanks for reading this blog and my stories!! I appreciate each and every one of you!! :) 

Take care!!

xxxooo,
Cassandra :) 

Busy, Busy...but a PbF Excerpt to Make Amends....

Ugh...real life interrupts writing again....

This week we started our 16th year of homeschooling, with my boybarians in grades 7, 10, and 12. Co-op classes begin next week. But the first few weeks are all about finding our "groove." I'm using different curricula for all three boys, with a few tried-and-true faves still in the mix. 

I hope to pick back up with Pinned but Fluttering and be posting this weekend. Life just has been crazy with planning, ordering textbooks, and then getting used to our new schedule which starts an hour earlier than we used to so that I have time for my jobs. I start teaching online classes again next week and my full-and-with-a-waiting-list expository writing class the following week after that. I also have curriculum writing and rewriting to do for work...both of which I've fallen a bit behind in doing over the last two weeks with starting a new homeschool year. 

Part of me can't believe that summer is over and that I have to begin teaching again. Summer never really felt like summer with teaching the online fan fiction class and with working all summer on curriculum development. But the boys are slowly falling into their patterns and they're getting done with school around 2:30 which leaves me with several hours to work and teach online courses before physical therapy and dinner. 

Since I'm soooo late on this next chapter of Pinned but Fluttering, I think I'll give you what I've written so far. Please keep in mind that this is a first draft and will undergo several revisions before I publish it online. But this is everything I've written so far for Chapter 42:

Feeling perfectly at home in Edward's embrace was a new but very welcome development. As I mentally thumbed through my human memories, fogged as they were, I remembered the tension between us, the constant draw I felt toward him.

And his kiss...our kiss: tender, restrained, joyous. 

And his declaration. 

Edward loved me.

I looked up at him, certain that the wonder I felt was plain in my expression. He smiled down at me, his eyes warm and tender. 

“Shall we go for a walk?” he asked quietly.

A walk? I felt confused for a moment, then I cottoned on. A walk...away from the prying eyes and too-sensitive ears of his family. A walk seemed like an excellent idea.

I nodded. He gave my hands a gentle squeeze, then turned his back on the crowded room and led me out the back door of the house.

Exchanging a look of amused annoyance, we ignored Emmett's loud wolf-whistle as we closed the door behind us, Edward rolling his eyes.

He reached for my hand, and it seemed perfectly natural to allow his long fingers to fold around my much smaller hand, and we exchanged shy smiles.

Following a narrow path, Edward led me along the riverbank. The scenery was lovely; we were shaded by majestic Douglas Firs, spreading cedars, and ancient oaks. As we walked hand-in-hand in comfortable silence, the music of the gently running water soothing and peaceful, my eyes drank in the amazing detail of our natural surroundings now afforded by my new vampiric vision.

After strolling slowly, even for humans, Edward pulled me to a cluster of rocks that jutted over the river bank. We seated ourselves side-by-side, our feet dangling several feet above the surface of the gently-moving water. He took my hand again, and with a smug grin I noticed that we were both the same temperature now.

It wasn't actually sunny—this is Forks, after all—but the pale sunlight sifted through the trees and warmed us. I peered up at him shyly through my eyelashes and was astounded to see his face aglow in the late-afternoon light. Twisting toward Edward, I lifted my hands to his face, marveling at the radiance of his visage between my hands. And my hands were luminous as well.

I think my mouth popped open with surprise at the brilliance of his skin...our skin. Between my palms, Edward smiled...no, smirked at me.

“Haven't you seen a vampire in the sun before?” he teased.

“As a matter of fact, I haven't,” I returned nonchalantly, trying to hide how awestruck I really was. “It's a good thing that we don't burn to a crisp or something in the sun, right?” It was my turn to smirk.

“Myth,” he said softly, and his expression shifted swiftly from amused to desirous.

As quickly as his expression changed, my mood did as well. With his face still in my hands, I leaned forward and pressed my cool lips to his. It was bliss...sheer bliss...kissing Edward like this.

But I was in no way expecting what happened next....

I'll keep on writing and will hopefully have the new chapter up over this next weekend. Thanks for understanding!! 

Love to you all,
Cassandra xxxooo

Fan Fiction Class and Flash Fiction

Well, I'm a week and a half into the Fan Fiction class I'm teaching online at Brave Writer. I have ten students (all females), about half of whom are experienced fan fiction readers and/or writers. 

During our first week, we explored what fan fiction is, defined some terms, reviewed story elements and literary analysis, and discussed what the students wanted to get out of the class. I also dug up ten one shots from various fandoms, and they had to choose and analyze three of them. I chose stories from Harry Potter and Twilight, of course, plus Teen Wolf, The Avengers (two from here). I also included some more "classic" fandoms for the more conservative home schooled kids such as Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, and Sherlock Holmes. I asked students for rec's of course, and I also put up a post where they can rec some of their favorite completed stories.

The challenge in teaching this class, of course, is in balancing the two very different worlds of fan fiction and home schooling. Many, if not most, home schooled students are Christians, and while Brave Writer is a non-sectarian business, we still need to be sensitive to our clients. Yet we also have non-Christian students as well. The student age range is 12-17, so we have to be careful of what we post. 

Along with the owner's input, we wrote Guidelines for Posting Fiction that we hope will aid parents in protecting their younger kids yet will also allow for whatever expression of creativity students wish to explore. The Guidelines explain the Fiction Ratings categories (those used on FanFiction.net) of K, K+, T, M, and MA, plus the MPAA ratings used for movies (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17), then request that only K-T and G-PG-13 stories (written by students or as rec's) be posted in the classroom, with T, PG, and PG-13 stories being uploaded at attachments with a warning so that young readers don't accidentally read something they shouldn't. 

Stories rated M/MA or R/NC-17 will be e-mailed to me, and I'll offer feedback via e-mail. 

One student (age 15!) e-mailed me to ask about posting slash story recs; I had to tell her that it wasn't appropriate for our classroom with such young students, but that she could e-mail me the link and I would be happy to discuss the story with her. Teaching fan fiction definitely produces a challenging balancing act. 

Today students are submitting their first stories: flash fan fiction. Their assignment: write a fan fiction story of 300-1000 words, and we'll all read and comment on them. I'm thinking that I'll do the assignment, too, and thus provide Jacob with a voice before we find out what happens to him. 

This week we're also discussing the elements that the students reported struggling with the most: plotting, character development, effective dialogue, and judicious descriptions. In addition, I've also posted on writer's block and finishing a long WIP. 

They'll be starting their two longer stories soon; they may write two one-shots or two chapters for a new story, or two chapters for a current WIP. I think it'll be fun, and I'm looking forward to reading their stories submitted today. :) 

So that's what's been going on with me. I'll be writing the second half of the wolf/vamp battle from either Carlisle's or Edward's POV (possibly both) for Sunday, but I may sneak in that flash fiction from Jacob's POV before then. 

Happy Reading!

~Cassandra  :)    

Teaching a Fan Fiction Class This Summer!

Starting today, July 9, I am teaching the first Fan Fiction Class at Brave Writer! I have taught online courses on this site for over ten years, and I've designed and written several classes, this one among them. I am thrilled to have ten students so far which is pretty nice for a first-time offering of a class. This class is designed for students ages 12-18 and we'll be examining how fan fiction stories work and then apply those principles to the writing of one-shots or chapters of a new or continuing story. 


I still have some spaces left, if anyone is interested. Brave Writer caters to home schooling families, but some families use Brave Writer to supplement their kids' private or public school offerings. This four-week class is worth .25 high school credits for home schooled students. 


Here is the link to this class if you'd like more information: Brave Writer Fan Fiction Class. 


And here is the basic outline of the class:

Tentative Class Schedule: 

Week One: Discussion of definition of fan fiction and which authors have requested their works to not be the subject of this genre. Examination of fan fiction story examples. Free writing exercise to determine topic/work of fan fiction to be written.

Week Two: Character study exercise to aid in developing already established characters. Plot exercise/assignment to study the elements of plot in preparation for plotting the story. Discussion and writing of a plot outline for the story.

Week Three: Writing of first draft of fan fiction story.

Week Four: Peer evaluation of first drafts of fan fiction stories. Revision and editing of first drafts. Posting (and possible online publication, with parental permission) of final fan fiction stories.

Since we have so many experienced fan fiction writers in the class so far, we may be tweaking this schedule and deal more with writing and offering feedback on multiple chapters. We'll see how it goes. 

If you are interested yourself or have or know of a child who is interested in taking the class, please click on the link above and register immediately as today is the first day!

In other news, I should be posting the next chapter of Pinned but Fluttering in the next day or so; it will be my longest PbF chapter to date and is an outtake of the battle in Chapter 38 from Carlisle's POV. I will be writing another outtake to continue where Carlisle's leaves off, either from Carlisle's or Edward's POV, most likely the latter. 

So I shall "see" you soon! 

Warmly,

Cassandra :) 

Lotsa Stuff!!

Didn't you all LURVE the new Breaking Dawn Part II teaser trailer?? I declare, November cannot come too soon!! 


I'm also pleased to note that Evening Star passed 600,000 reads and Pinned but Fluttering 500,000 reads on Wattpad.com earlier this month!! Cool, eh? I just posted Chapter 37 of Pinned but Fluttering yesterday, and I hope to get the next chapter up very soon--Sunday or Monday. I hate leaving my readers dangling from a nasty cliffie, especially when I've rather developed a habit of doing so. But then, I haven't categorized this story on Wattpad as a "Thriller" for nothing...and in the Thriller category on Wattpad, Pinned but Fluttering is ranked #1! Yay!! 


But the BEST NEWS: I'M FREE!!!! Yes, I'm done homeschooling until late August, and I'm off work until July 1. I start a new position at the same company I've taught online classes with for the past decade, so I'm taking this week and next week to REST!!! And to write.... 


I have a couple of ideas for one-shots/short stories, plus I have that weird EPOV story I started over a year ago that I'd like to work on. (I posted the beginning of it earlier on my blog; here's the link if you're interested: "Two New One-Shots" ) It could actually tease out to a full-length fic, so I don't want to cut it too short. I'm still pondering that one.... 


I hope that this summer will be productive--a chance to really spread my wings and FLY with my writing!! I do want to eventually write some original fiction which would be really cool (and which my husband is encouraging me to do as it can actually make some $$). I am very much looking forward to the four-week fan fiction writing class I'll be teaching to students ages 13-18 on Brave Writer starting July 9. But I'll post more on that later.... :) 


So this summer will involve work and teaching for Brave Writer, but no homeschooling, no co-op teaching or grading, and probably little if any online grading. So out of my four jobs, I'll only have one going... ...which should give me plenty of time to WRITE!!!! As far as reading, I've been rather obsessed with the complete works of the following writers on FanFiction.net:


katinki
pattyrose
LadyGwynedd
ladylibre 


The latter only has one story, but it's terrific; the other three have loads of excellent stories to read, so do an author search on FanFiction.net to locate and enjoy their wonderful work!! 


Okay, it's nearly one in the morning and I'm driving up to Riverside and back tomorrow, so I'd better get to bed (where I am rereading AEGiggle's "The Wisdom Seekers," the only Twilight/Harry Potter crossover series I've found worth reading). 


 See you soon! 


~Cassandra :)