Current Favourites: Films

Hello there!

So today I thought I'd just share a few of my current favourite films - subject to change, but I do have a few that I am absolutely loving at the moment. I just love sitting down and watching a movie, being completely immersed into another world and experiencing everything the characters are seeing and feeling up close. It's just so magical!

Anyway, let's get on. 

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Okay, this is basically my all-time favourite film. I absolutely love everything Marvel, but for some reason this is just my favourite film of all of them. It's just so clever - which is a massive turn on for me in a film - and it's got extremely sad parts as well as some hilarious parts, which I also absolutely love. Plus it's got Scarlett Johansson, who I adore!

2. Saving Mr Banks

I re-watched this film the other day and I was reminded just how good it is! It's perfectly balanced between the sort of 'current' plot line and the flashback plot line, and again, it's just extremely cleverly done. Plus the acting is amazing - and also, the story is just so interesting, especially as it's based on a true one! I'll admit, I cry a lot while watching this film!

3. Les Miserables

Les Mis is just a must watch, no matter what sort of films you like, in my opinion. It's just so well done, and of course, the songs can never get old! A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to see it on stage in London - which was absolutely amazing - and I think that the film really does do it justice. I cried in this one too!

4. Divergent

At the moment, this is one of my absolute favourite films, and I swear it just gets better every time I watch it! I also think Insurgent is just as good - if not better - and I can't wait until it comes out on DVD! Tris is one of my all-time favourite characters and I just love her in both movies - and Shailene Woodley's acting is just amazing. I feel like I've used that word far too many times in this blogpost. But yeah, I'm absolutely loving Divergent right now! I also cried way too much in this one... this seems to be a recurring occurrence in films I love.


So there you have it, a few of my current favourite films. Let me know if you too love any of these films so we can cry over them together, or any of your favourite films that you think I should watch! Like I said, I just love watching films and it's my absolute dream to write music for them one day!

That's all from me. Adios!

My biggest pet peeve

Helloooooooo! Not sure why there are quite so many 'o's there. But anyway.

So, believe it or not, I am actually quite a cynical person - as much as I try to be positive about everything, and usually it works out. Except, it seems, when I'm at school. I just seem to get super frustrated with absolutely everything and everyone. Like, all the time. 

And one of my biggest pet peeves is people walking slowly in the corridors.

It's the stupidest thing, in all honesty. But I just get SO ANNOYED when I'm stuck behind someone who is being a tortoise, or worse, a group of people who take up the entire width of the corridor and then decide to amble along, chatting away and completely ignoring everything around them. And I'm just behind them like:

Would you be so kind as to MOVE OUT OF THE WAY?

But, of course, I am far too awkward to ever say anything so I just have to try and squeeze past them if I can find a space - usually resulting in me getting squashed against a wall/tripping over something/walking from side to side looking like an idiot. 

Which is just wonderful.

But wait, it gets worse. Then the people decide to just stop. Just stop, right in the middle of the corridor, chatting away or on their phones and completely oblivious to the fact that they are blocking THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR. Just why? And again, I have to try and squeeze past them somehow, again, resulting in me getting squashed and looking like an idiot.

I always make sure to 'accidentally' bump into them as I pass though.

Hehe.

Anyway there you have it. So if you ever want to annoy me just walk really slowly in front of me in a narrow corridor! (Please don't.) I don't know why I get so annoyed by this, it's actually really bad haha! But I can't help it, it's just so frustrating!

Do you have any major pet peeves? Do you also get annoyed with people walking slowly in the corridor? Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and would you like to hear about more of my pet peeves? Because I have quite a few...

Maybe not such a good idea.

But yeah, bye!

P.S. Sorry about the pointless rant, I just had to get it off my chest haha!

Book of the month | April

Yes, it's that time of the month (no not that time) for me to share my favourite book for April! I realise I missed out March, but I was so busy that I just didn't really have the chance. But better late than never, right?

Anyway, let's get on with it. So for April the book I recommend reading is... (drumroll please)

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.

Now, I have read this book multiple times and I am absolutely in love with it. It is a book about werewolves, which I know is rather a cliche, overused and generally abused (especially in fanfiction) topic, but this book is different because it is extremely cleverly done. (Also the girl doesn't fall in love with the werewolf). Obviously I won't give anything away, but there are lots of clues and hints to the sort of climax of the book which I really picked up on when I read it the second, third and fourth (etc.) time, which made me want to squeal when I could see the link to the future event. In fact, the book has many of these 'squeal' moments: as in, a huge plot twist or a sudden realisation when everything clicks into place and makes perfect sense - I think that these are what really makes a book great, and if that is so then this book is flipping amazing. 

Another thing I love about Sisters Red is that even though there are only really three major characters: the two sisters, Scarlett and Rosie, and their friend Silas, there is never a dull moment and the intricate plot means that there doesn't need to be a huge amount of characters - instead the focus is on the individual development of these three people. The point of view switches between the two sisters every chapter, which I really like because it means you can see an event in one person's perspective that the other person is not a part of, giving you a broader look on the plot, and you can also see the same event from two different perspectives, which is always interesting. Scarlett and Rosie have a very strong relationship and I love how you can see how certain events make them react to one another in different ways in each of their perspectives, because really they are very different people. But I'm not going to go to deep into it because I don't want to spoil it if you do end up reading the book!

In addition, the author Jackson Pearce is awesome in my opinion, and has written loads of other young adult books which I have not yet read, but they are somewhere on my long list of books to read because they all look just as great as Sisters Red was!

Overall, the book is extremely cleverly done and I just love that Jackson Pearce was able to take a well-known and sometimes cliche topic and make it her own, and make it smart. Honestly this is one of my all-time favourite books and I actually want to read it again as I'm writing about it now!

Please do let me know if you have read or decide to read this book after reading this, and also feel free to suggest any other book you would recommend in the comments!

And that's all from me. Megan out. 

Problems with being a writer

Hello! So, you may or may not know but I adore writing - but of course, writing comes with a curse. There are some things that you just can’t get out of, and if you are a writer, or any sort of creative person actually, you will probably relate to some of these. 

Or maybe you won’t relate at all because I’m just strange.

Well, let’s find out!

1. You get amazing ideas at extremely inconvenient times

I’m sure this has happened to us all. There you are, lying in bed on the verge of sleep, when pop! a new story idea comes into your mind, and you know that it could be fantastic. But you’re all snuggled up under your duvet in the dark, and the mere thought of getting up and writing this idea down makes you retreat further into your cocoon. You tell yourself it’s fine, this idea is so great that you’re sure you’ll remember it in the morning.

But of course, you don’t.

Or worse, you’re writing a maths exam, you’re mind begins to wander - because let’s face it, no one wants to think about maths for a long period of time - and before you know it you have a whole book, characters, plot and all, planned out in your head, and you want to start writing it now. But then you are brought back to the harsh reality of the maths exam in front of you, so you focus on that until you can finally leave and by then, of course, everything is forgotten. Just like that.

Or maybe you’re just studying for a test the next day and you suddenly have a great idea for a blogpost, so you switch on your computer and start writing in the spur of the moment, and before you know it there’s no time left to study and you fail the test the next day. 

Which, coincidentally, is what is going to happen to me tomorrow.

Oh dear.

2. Your fingers don’t move fast enough for your mind

Sometimes you’re ideas for what you’re writing are just so darn great that you fingers literally can’t type out all the words at the rate your mind is rushing ahead. There you are, writing about that girl meeting that guy - let’s just say - but in your head you’re thinking about what they’re going to say to each other the next day when they meet again. 

Of course, you don’t want to forget that because you know that it is just so hilariously funny and you are an absolute genius, so you press enter a few times and quickly write that little section out (or perhaps not so quickly) and then you come back to what you were originally writing and you’ve completely forgotten what you were on about.

Yes, this has happened to me multiple times.

3. You’re always thinking of something new to write

Now, this one doesn't sound so bad does it?

Well, it can be. 

You see, as much as you’d love to believe you can, you can’t write six novels at once. I don’t know if this is the same for everyone but I am absolutely terrible at finishing things, and I have so many ideas for stories I want to write but I just can’t write them all. As soon as I get to about six chapters of one, I think of another idea and start planning that like crazy, often mapping out the entire plot of the novel. And very quickly I write out the first few chapters, and then I sort of slow down a bit and then suddenly I have another idea so I put all of my energy into that… and so the cycle continues.

Does this happen to everyone, or is it just me?

I don’t know, but I dream about one day finishing a book. Writing that last sentence that ends it all off, and just thinking I’ve done it.

One day.

Well that’s all for now, I may do a Part 2 thing of this in the future, who knows? But for now I bid thee farewell, so enjoy your day/evening/night and make sure to pop in again soon!

작별 인사

[that’s korean for goodbye, I google translated it]

How to be happy

Sometimes in life we find it hard to be happy. We don't need to deny it: it's okay to be sad. But that doesn't mean we have to indefinitely. And yes, it can be hard to be happy at times, I know, which is why I'm here. Because I'm going to tell you how.

It's simple: find something that makes you smile.

For me, at this moment in time, it's wattpad. (Shameless self-promotion: you can find my profile here.) Wattpad is a place where I can go and perhaps write for a bit to take my mind of things, or maybe find a funny story to read that will make me laugh out loud, or maybe just start a conversation with a fellow writer. If you love reading or writing, I highly suggest you visit this page.

But just because I am loving wattpad right now doesn't mean that it was always the thing that made me a happy, because the things you love change as you change. And needless to say you don't just have to have one thing that makes you happy: I have many more. This blog, for example. If I'm feeling glum, tired, or overwhelmed I simply come to my blog and it makes me feel a whole lot better. Or take the piano: I love music more than anything and playing the piano never fails to cheer me up, just as wattpad does, just as my blog does. Just as many other things have done in the past, and just as many more will do in the future.

Now it's your turn. Think of one thing that you know never fails to make you just that much happier, or maybe even more than one if you're feeling like an eager beaver. And if you can't think of something, find something. Look around you. Try this: google 'people laughing'. It's impossible not to feel happier when you see all those beaming smiles as you scroll through! See the little spots of happiness that can be found all over the world, even it is as mundane as offering a stranger a smile as you walk by.

Find something that makes you smile. Really look. And perhaps you will find happiness right where you were least expecting it.

Hello

Wow, it's been a while!

One may imagine that over my two week holiday I would have had plenty of time to create loads of wonderful blogposts, but instead here I am on the last day haven written absolutely nada.

See I realised something over these few days of freedom, and that is that I don't want to have to feel obliged to post regularly on my blog. (That sounded confusing haha). I created this blog so I could just write down whatever I felt like, and though I loved blogging so much at the beginning that I just wanted to write a post every single day, I sort of got into the habit of forcing myself to write something just for the sake of updating, and I realise now that I really don't want to be doing that. I want to just post when I feel like posting, so that I can create meaningful content and not just random stuff that doesn't really make any sense.

Long story short, I just thought I'd notify you - and myself, I guess - that my blogposts will probably be much more spaced apart as of now. (Also I have exams coming up in about five weeks so there's that too). I want to put thought into each blogpost, and with all the studying I'll be doing (or pretending to do) I won't have so much time to think, because when I have to study I literally have to force myself to do it as I am such a procrastinator.

Anyway back to the point - blogposts will be spaced out. Well, that's all really. This post seems like a bit of a contradiction as I'm not really saying anything in it except that I want to write blogposts that are meaningful, and this one is clearly not that.

Oh well! And don't worry - though you probably weren't anyway - because there will still be plenty more coming from me, so keep your eyes peeled and watch this space!

As for now, goodbye, and see you soon.

Getting Organised

Hola, welcome to my blog if this is your first time visiting, and welcome back if you are returning (though I'm not sure why you would be you know you should probably get out while you still can).

Anywho, today I thought I'd just share a couple of ways I stay organised, because my last couple of blogposts have been more thoughtful and really just what was on my mind, so I thought I'd attempt to do something that might be at least a tiny bit helpful. Not sure how that's going to go, but it's worth a try! So yeah, I give thee five ways I like to stay organised.

P.S. If you didn't know already I am a high school student, so most of these things will be most useful if you are in high school. Although I guess quite a few can also be used in college or university or whatever else as well :)

1. Making lists

Okay so my number 1 way of getting organised is by first making a list of everything I have to do. I have this cute little book that says 'I love lists' on the front and I use it literally all the time, as I find it so much easier to get going with work when I know exactly what I have lined up to do. It also really helps as I can give myself a time limit according to how much else I have to do, rather than taking loads of time on one thing and not leaving enough time for everything else. Just don't spend all of your time making the list and then not doing what you have listed. Unfortunately, this happens to me a lot.

2. Keeping my diary updated

It's easy to forget what homework for what subject you have, or at least it is for me anyway! I always feel much more secure when I know I have everything I need to do written down exactly, so I always use my diary for this. That way I can check back on my day when I get home to see all my homework and when it's due, which I find very helpful because everything is in one space. Also, it's the most satisfying feeling when you can tick something off once it's done!


3. Putting major events onto my iPad calendar

Seeing as I use my iPad a lot at school, I find it super convenient to put all major events into my calendar. I really like this calendar because you can look at the whole month or the whole week and see all the things you have coming up, which helps me feel more prepared for the week ahead. I usually put it all tests, essays or projects due, as well as birthdays or other events such as our school play, which ran through last week. I also like to keep all school related things in pink and other things in blue, helping me differentiate which I find super helpful, and it's also great because if you have an iPhone you can sync the calendar, so you can quickly whip your phone out to access it wherever you are!

4. Having a whiteboard above my desk

This is another way to make sure I have everything in place and in order, so that I know exactly what I am doing and need to do. I have loads of little magnets so I can put up anything important, as then it is always right there when I sit down at my desk - which I do a lot - and that makes it impossible to forget. Right now it looks pretty empty actually, as I just have up my school timetable and my yearly planner which I got from school and has all major school events on it. (I've just realised I seem to have everything organised by day, by week, by month and then by year haha!) Having a whiteboard is also handy because if I need to quickly make a note of something, or write down an urgent reminder, I can whip out my whiteboard marker and out it on the whiteboard, and then once it's done I can just rub it off again!


5. File dividers

The final way I'm going to share that I keep organised is really only helpful if you're in school or maybe university, as this is by using file dividers. I currently take ten subjects at school and have a separate file for each that has all my work from last year and this year so far in, and I find it so much easier to keep everything in order with file dividers. This picture is of the literature section of my english file I think (it was the closest file I could find when I was taking the pictures haha) and this makes it super easy to study and revise for exams because when I look back at my work everything is in order! I also like how they add a bit of colour to my file, as I don't know why but I find it so much easier to work when there's colour involved!

But yeah, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this blogpost and found it a tiny bit useful, I'm not great at giving advice but I thought I'd just give it a go anyway. Anyway yes, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you with another blogpost very soon.

Adios amigos!