Snow! January 14, 2012

It snowed last night! It snowed last night!

It. Snowed.

It snowed, as in, like, real frozen crystals of water that flutter from the sky and pile up in glorious mounds of white wonderfulness!

I live in a place where it rains most of the winter. (Okay, it rains most of fall and spring too, so yeah, RAIN SUCKS.) Snow is a freakishly awesome and rare phenomenon that only happens once or twice each winter. Thus, when it happens much rejoicing must occur.

Gotta fly, I think it’s my turn to make a snow angel!

C.

Sting! December 10, 2011

My husband and I went to see Sting last night. It was beyond awesome.

We were twenty-three rows back and a little to the left, and the view was excellent. Even though we were near the back of the orchestra section in the theatre, twenty-three rows is twenty-three rows, and if Sting had been playing in Rogers Arena our seats would have been worth a small fortune.

I love the lights on the ceiling in the theatre! The sparkled like stars, and made the room feel almost magical as we waited for the band to take the stage.

Speaking of waiting… Holy moly, but some people are slow! I was shocked at how many people took their seats after the 8:00 pm start time. Maybe they didn’t want to see the entire show, but those of us who were already in our seats certainly did, and we didn’t appreciate having our views blocked by people going up and down the aisles and squeezing into the rows. There were so many latecomers, the theatre held the start of the performance by over fifteen minutes.

I know it’s hard to see, but the figure in the centre wearing the white t-shirt is Sting. Oh, and the shadow along the right side is just one of the many, many late people annoying those of us who arrived before the show started.

I loved the show. I got to hear a whole bunch of songs I’d never heard before – I’m totally hunting them down on iTunes. Of course he played some of is super popular songs – and those were amazing. The band did two encores, and Sting came on stage and sang Message in a Bottle with only an accoustic guitar as a third encore.

All in all, it was a phenomenal night.

Anti-Bullying Video February 9, 2011

I have to post this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhYyAa0VnyY

Bullying is a huge issue in schools, and I love it when students themselves speak out against it.

You may be wondering why, out of all the anti-bullying videos out there, I chose to draw your attention to this one. Well, the answer is simple: Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in Vancouver is my alma mater.

I’m proud of those students, proud of the teacher and administration sponsors, and proud to be a former Churchill student as well as a teacher working to end bullying in schools.

Kids are amazing. They are our future, and this video seems to suggest the future is in good hands.

Way to go, folks! Way to go!

C.

I Haz Coupons September 11, 2010

Do you know what I love about being a teacher?

No, not that. Scholastic Book Clubs, silly. I diligently send out the catalogues, place the student orders, collate the books once they’re delivered, and reap the rewards. Yes, there are rewards. Scholastic generously gives teachers coupons toward the purchase of books for their classroom libraries.

I’ve been saving mine for years – waiting for the perfect reason/item to splurge on. I’ve bought books throughout – don’t worry, I haven’t deprived my class of reading materials – but now I have a plan.

I wrote a middle grade book… and I liked it. I’m going to spend all my coupons on a whole stack of MG/YA books and read, read, READ. Specifically, I’m hoping to find the books of the amazing YA authors I’ve met online, either at WriteOnCon or on Twitter. I want to share those author’s work with my students, and I want a chance to read it myself!

Now I must wander off and find the file folder holding all my coupons…

C.

SiWC #2 May 31, 2010

I can afford to eat the meals! When I register for SiWC on Wednesday, I get to choose the Full Package!!! *SQUEE*

Now I must go and put my choices for the agent and editor meetings in order of preference in preparation for registering!

C.

GO CANADA GO February 28, 2010

I know this is a blog about writing, but I have to acknowledge the amazing event that has taken place in my hometown of Vancouver. The 21st Olympic Winter Games drew to a close tonight, and I have to say that I am proud to be a Canadian. Not only did our athletes do well as a country (our best medal total ever, and the highest number of golds won by a single country – EVER), but we did an awesome job showcasing Canada to the world.

To think of the number of volunteers, and volunteer hours, needed to host an event of this magnitude is incredible. The positive spirit I witnessed during the past seventeen days has been amazing. Watching ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things makes me want to get up and cheer them all on again.

Congratulations to all the athletes, organizers, and volunteers! You put on quite the show!

Waving from the stands,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

Making Connections October 29, 2009

Today I heard author Sigmund Brouwer speak to a group of 200 middle school students. Talk about passion and lighting the fire within! Sigmund is a highly engaging speaker who hooked the students the moment he began his presentation. I watched, enthralled as he not only entertained the group, but instilled a passion for the craft of writing in a generation known more for movies, music videos, and Youtube than for the printed word.

He shared snippets from some of his novels, but the cornerstone of his presentation revolved around emotion. Sigmund emphasized the need for an emotional connection between people, and he argued that good writers seek to make their readers feel something – to make that connection. He made the students laugh, and illustrated how that was a connection. He made them groan, shudder, melt, and almost cry. He awoke their natural curiosity and left them begging for more. Sigmund connected with the students and showed them how to craft a story that would connect with their readers.

I enjoyed myself immensely and am very grateful I was able to attend such a fabulous presentation. Should Sigmund Brouwer ever be presenting in your area, I strongly encourage you to attend.

As I gear up for NaNoWriMo, I am thankful I heard Sigmund today. His words have helped to solidify my plan for my novel. I know which buttons I am going to push, and I know I’m going to push them often. Storytelling, and writing, is about making an emotional connection. I think I’m going to type that up and tape it to the top of my screen.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com

Hello World! October 25, 2009

Welcome to my blog!

It seems like everyone in the universe has a blog these days, and while I’m not interested in jumping off universal bridges, I have come to realize a blog is a really good way to get my message out. So here I am, composing my first official blog post, wondering who will end up reading it and why. Will you read it because you know who I am? Will you read it because you enjoy reading my writing? Will you read it because anything is better than doing what you’re supposed to be doing?

If you’re part of the third group, I’ll let you in on a little secret… My name is Cheryl, I live on the west coast of Canada, and I write science fiction and fantasy. I am currently pre-published (gotta love the new PC term for unpublished – it’s so much kinder on the ego), but I hope to change that soon. I am currently working on a sci-fi project and I intend to use this blog to keep you updated on my progress.

I will regale you with tales about the trials and tribulations I’m experiencing as I work my way through the process of turning an amorphous idea into a publishable manuscript. I may even inflict small snippets of my writing on you so you can rip it to shreds and help me become a better writer. After all, if you don’t like what you’re reading, why would anyone else?

I hereby officially welcome you, the world, to my blog. May you find what you’re searching for here, or at the very least, may you find something to distract you from whatever it is you really should be doing.

From beyond the keyboard,

Cheryl.

cherylangst@gmail.com