Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

 I used to have an active blog. Started it in 2008, deleted a number of posts, posted more in 2009 and kept going. Posted photos and book reviews, wrote about the stories I was writing at the time, gave my opinion on what was going on in the world... Earlier this year I took the blog offline. Somehow I felt like I needed a change. Needed something different. Needed all parts of my life to be different. A lot has changed in my life in the past two-ish years. I was forced to grow up, if I can use those words even though I've been an adult for quite a few years already. I was forced to change, despite not being ready for change at all. When you don't choose change but are forced to deal with it because that's just the way life works, it can be really hard to accept the changes and the 'new normal'. Sometimes though, when life gives you an opportunity for change, you don't realise how important that opportunity is, how vital it was that you change, until you've ...

“There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream”  ~ Brian Aldiss In context: “There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream” says Brian Aldiss, who made me dream for such a long time with his science-fiction books. In principle I believe that every human being on this planet has at least one good story to tell his neighbor. Paulo Coelho on How You Can Become a Better Writer | Time Magazine I've read my fair share of books - good ones, great ones, unforgettable ones, awful ones, tearjerkers, page-turners... Some books resonate with me more than others, some I remember better than others, some I simply can't put down. When it comes to my favourite writers, they all write books that fall into the 'can't put down' category. Because I want to know what happens next, on the next page and in the next chapter. All writers on my 'favourite writers' list write books that make me ...

I've been spending a lot of time writing, lately. For my blog, not so much. For my story - a ridiculous amount. It's not a story I want to publish, however it is a story I want to write. Because I like the story and because I want to get to know this world I'm developing in my imagination. For years, different story-related ideas have been going through my head - the look of a dress or garment, the view from a certain location, the interior of a room, the way words sound in a to-be-discovered language. They're all snapshots from a world I'm trying to create and 'seeing' them (in my imagination) can sometimes feel as if Real Life is a dream and Storyworld is reality, leaking through into Dream Country. What I want is to create an entire world with its own countries, continents, weather patterns, customs, habits, religions, languages, building styles... I want to create a detailed world where everything is different from our world yet still familiar and hu...

It was my birthday yesterday, I turned thirty-one. It wasn't nearly as spectacular as turning thirty, however that's most likely because for some time it looked like I might never make it to thirty! My heart is still beating strong and I am healthy, so bring on the coming year! Ready for the next challenge :-) Shared this photo and amazing (ahum!) poem on Facebook yesterday. Love this view, so am very happy to share it here as well! "A long time ago, not that far away at all, A little girl was born, they called her Nicole  She grew up to take photos and write so-so poetry, Today it's her birthday, so Happy Birthday To Me!" Source: @Nimavenl 

I keep promising myself that I'll write more blog posts. Really, I do. Actually intend to write, and even think of stuff to write about. Thing is, when I'm not working, eating, sporting, playing Scrabble and Restaurant City on Facebook or spending time with friends and family, I'm asleep. Yes - really. Turns out working full-time again is really amazing, however it also means I suddenly have about 50ish hours less a week to just blah and think of crazy stuff to write about. I pretty much always want stuff I write to be profound and meaningful and all "I'm making a statement here"-ish, and when my writing is not like that it tends to be filled with really long sentences, and lots of "so yeah"s and expressions like that. The way this post is - if you know what I mean!  The words don't flow as easily as they used to. Might be 'coz I don't speak English on a daily basis anymore. Might be 'coz I think in Dutch when I'm at work...