I’ve Never Enjoyed Myself More Than I Have The Past Forty-eight Hours, During Which I’ve Been Trapped In A Car With One Of The Worst Drivers I’ve Ever Seen, Run Up The Spanish Steps And Then Down Again So I Could Be On Time To Wait In Line To Perjuer Myself At The American Consulate. And I’d Like To Continue Doing Those Sorts Of Thing With You On A Regular Basis For The Foreseeable Future.

-Meg Cabot

Please Wait....
Translating....

I’ve Never Enjoyed Myself

Meg Cabot

Topic

Running

Past

Eight

More From Meg Cabot

Yeah,” Nicole Said, Her Straw Noisily Hitting The Bottom Of Her Gut Buster. “well, I Would Have Appreciated It If You Guys Had Wrecked A Little Less Stuff. Because My House Smelled Like Smoke For Months. And Construction On The Tarantinos’ New Garage Starts At Eight On The Dot Every Morning, And It’s Still Going On, And You Know How I Get If I Don’t Have My Full Ten Hours Of Beauty Sleep.” “so That’s What Happened To Your Face,” Cody Said. “i Was Wondering.

Morning

Sleep

Eight

Strong Female Characters - Even If They Don't Necessarily Make The Same Decisions That We Might - Make Such Great Narrative Material, Especially When There's An Equally Strong Male Character In The Mix.

Strong

Character

Decision

Though I Imagine In Your Case, Trying Not To Fall Just Made You Fall Harder.

Fall

Trying

Imagine

Hasn’t Anyone Ever Told You,” Jesse Asked, In A Semi-amused Voice, “ That A Gentleman Never Lays A Hand On A Lady?” Which I Thought Was Kind Of Funny, Considering Where Jesse Had Had His Hand The Last Time I’d Seen Him. But I Thought It Better To Let That Slide.

Hands

Voice

Gentleman

Do Not Chase Boys. Chasing Boys Is Bad. Chasing Boys Can Lead To Horrible Things Like Mansions Going Up Into Flames, Hand Amputations, And Blindness. So Have Some Self Respect And Don't Let Things Get Too Far Before The Wedding Day.

Boys

Self

Flames

I Used To Draw And Illustrate, But I Don't Do That Anymore Because I Just Like To Write. I Like To Leave The Illustrations To Actual Professional Illustrators.

Writing

Illustration

Used

I Really Liked Drama And Being In Plays, So When I Was Playing A Character Onstage And I Could Act Like Somebody Else, Then I Wasn't Scared Or Nervous, But I Didn't Like Meeting New People When I Had To Be Myself. That Was Scary.

Drama

Character

Play

But Once I'd Come Up With It, I Realized It Really Was The Perfect Plan. Instead Of Waiting For Maria To Come To Me, I Was Simply Going To Go To Her And, Well... Send Her Back To Where She Came. Or Reduce Her To A Mound Of Quivering Gelatinous Goo. Whichever Came First.

Perfect

Waiting

Firsts

Even Though I Loved To Write, I Never Liked English Lit. Class Very Much. I Think It Ruins Books When You Dissect Them Too Much. I Liked My Art Classes Best.

Art

Book

Writing

It Just Goes To Show That What One Person Considers A "bad Attitude" Might Actually Just Be Total Frustration Over Being Pushed Beyond The Brink Of One's Mental And Physical Endurance.

Attitude

Frustration

Endurance

Because When You Love Something, You Want To Do It All The Time, Even If No One Is Paying You For It. At Least That's How I Felt About Drawing.

Art

Drawing

Want

You Can't Be Friends With Someone Who's In Love With You If You Don't Love That Person Back The Same Way.

Love You

Way

Persons

How To Be The Best That You Can Be

Being Yourself

Hoosiers

Just Be Yourself

I Love Jezebel.com For The Latest On Fashion, Style, And Celebrity Gossip. I Also Love Gawker.com For New York Celebrity Sightings, And Galleycat.com And Trashionista.com For Book News.

Fashion

New York

Book

I Can't Kill Someone!" "you Hit Your Brother In The Head With A Fire Extinguisher." "but That Was Family! And I Didn't Kill Him.

Brother

Fire

I Can

If Kisses Were What You Were Looking For, Little Fool, Why Didn't You Come To Me? Quoted By Susannah Simon

Kissing

Littles

Fool

If You Have To Say “no Offense” To Someone, You Have Already Offended Them.

Offense

Ifs

Offended

Lana Looked At Me Like I’d Just Said I’d Never Watched Bring It On, Or Something.

Said

My Heart Is Broken. It Really Is. All The Signs Are There. I Can't Sleep- Not Even Burgers. Every Time The Phone Rings, My Pulse Leaps... But It's Never For Me, It's Never Him.

Heart

Sleep

Phones

Because My Heat Was Too Full Of Appreciation For What My Friends-- My Real Friends-- Had Done For Me.

Appreciation

Real

Done

But. . . You Said We Were Going To Play Parcheezi. . .

Play

Said

Unrequited Love Is All Right In Books And Things, But In Real Life, It Completely Sucks

Real

Book

Unrequited Love

Sometimes Between Lunch And Dinner, When There's A Lull, Jill And Shaniqua And I Will Sit Around And Fantasize About What We'd Do If A Real Celebrity Walked Into The Place, Like Chad Michael Murray (although We've Gone Off Him A Bit Since His Divorce) Or Jared Padalecki, Or Even Prince William (you Never Know. He Could Have Gotten His Yacht Lost, Or Whatever.)

Real

Divorce

Lunch

Remember, If You Don't Feel Passionate About The Characters And Subject Of Your Story, Your Readers Won't Either.

Character

Stories

Passionate

Even If Vampires Were Stupid. Especially American Vampires. They Hung Out In Places Alaric Himself Would Never Have Gone, Especially If He Were Immortal. Such As High Schools. And Walmart.

Stupid

School

Vampire

To Achieve Self Actualization, Do Good Things For Other People That You Would Want To Be Done Onto Yourself

Inspirational

Life

Self

I've Come To The Conclusion That, Aside From Nazis, The Taliban, And Possibly The Honey Badger, There Is No One On The Planet More Merciless Than A Teenage Girl Once She's Decided She Dislikes You.

Girl

Teenage

Honey

I Can't Even Tell You How Good It Felt To See Him. It Felt Even Better When He Reached Through The Metal Grate, Wrapped His Fingers Around The Front Of My Shirt, Dragged Me Forward, And Kissed Me Through The Bars. "sorry" He Said-only Not Looking To Sorry, If You Know What I Mean.

Sorry

Mean

Bars

Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady

Heart

Cowardice

Faint Of Heart

Screenwriting Is A Much More Collaborative Effort. When You Write A Novel, It's Just You, With Input From Your Editor.

Writing

Editors

Effort

It’s One Thing To Protect Yourself,” Dad Yelled At Me During Our Very Next Lunch. “that I Get. Have I Ever Told You Not To Defend Yourself? No. But Did You Have To Permanently Maim Him? I Spent All That Money On That On That Fancy School For Girls-not To Mention All That Money For The Shrinks-and What Did That Get Me?” I Shrugged. “a Seven-figure Civil Suit?

Girl

Dad

School

There Is A Difference Between Listening And Hearing, Just As There Is A Difference Between Seeing And Knowing.

Differences

Knowing

Listening

Why Can't You Just Get Married In Las Vegas Like Normal Americans?

Vegas

Las Vegas

Normal

I Loved You Way Before You Ever Had A Chance To Put A Spell On Me. I Loved You At 'i've Never Been To Long Island,'" Zach Said. I Couldn't Keep A Big Goofy Grin From My Face. I Loved You At 'i Like Seals,'" I Admitted. He Grinned Back.

Islands

Long

Way

I've Only Been Gone A Week," I Reminded Him. Well, A Week's A Long Time. It's Seven Days. Which Is One Hundred And Sixty-eight Hours. Which Is Ten Thousand, Eighty Minutes. Which Is Six Hundred Thousand, For Hundred Seconds.

Eight

Long

Gone

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself.

Safety

Wrecks

Due Date

„everyone Wants To Believe That There’s Something Else – Something Great – Waiting For Them On The Other Side. Paradise. Valhalla. Heaven. Their Next – Hopefully Less Horrible – Life.

Believe

Waiting

Heaven

I Might Look Like A Honey-eyed Schoolgirl On The Outside, In My Skirt With Its Regulation Four-inches-above-the-knee Hem. But I'll Rip Those Tassels Off Your Shoes, Old Man. Just Try Googling Me.

Rip

Men

Shoes

When You Feel Like An Outsider - For Whatever Reason - You Spend A Lot Of Time Alone.

Outsiders

Reason

Alone Time

Jesse, This Is Craig. Craig, Jesse. You Two Should Get Along. Jesse's Dead, Too.

Two

Should

Suze Simon

You Didn't," John Said, Stepping From The Shadows As He Clapped For Me, "even Hit Your Head This Time.

Shadow

Said

Abandon

I'll Put A Bullet Through My Own Brain. Let Alone Wait For Stark To Do It. Your Sister Will Drive Me To It, Howard. No Offense.

Waiting

Brain

Bullets

Home. Wow. I’m Already Calling It Home. Well, Isn’t That What Any Place Is? Any Place That You Share With Someone You Love, I Mean?

Home

Mean

Calling

Someone, I Was Beginning To Suspect, Had A Bit Of A Gangster Complex. It Wasn't Really Very Hard To Figure Out Who. I Mean, I Was Guessing It Wasn't Christopher's Aunt Jackie.

Mean

Aunt

Guessing

Bite Me, Harry Potter.

Potters

Bite Me

Bites

I Realized That Life Is So Short: Why Waste One Minute Of It Worrying What Other People Think Or Say About You, Or What Score You Got On Some Test? Why Not Believe What You Want To Believe, And Do What You Love?

Believe

Thinking

Worry

Okay, Yeah, He Staggered Back And Fell Into The Condiments. Big Deal. There Wasn't Any Blood. I Didn't Even Get Him In The Face. He Saw My Fist Coming, And At The Last Minute He Ducked, So Instead Of Punching Him In The Nose, Like I Intended, I Ended Up Punching Him In The Neck. I Highly Doubt It Even Left A Bruise.

Blood

Doubt

Bruises

Mia, I'm Not Sorry. And I'll Wait. Love, Michael.

Sorry

Waiting

Mia

There Will Be No More British Guys. Unless They Are Members Of The Royal Family, Of Course.

Guy

Royal

British

I May Have Been Dead For The Past Hundred And Fifty Years, Susannah,...but That Doesn't Mean I Don't Know How People Say Good Night. And Generally, When People Say Good Night, They Keep Their Tongues To Themselves.

Good Night

Mean

Past

See? Anger Can Be Healthy. When The Time Comes–and It Will Come–remember That. And What I Said. Embrace Your Powers–love Yourself The Way Nature Made You, And You Will Prevail. Always.

Love Yourself

Healthy

Way

Do Not Listen To Her," Alaric Said. "she Is Going To Tell You In Some Kind Of Code Only The Two Of You Will Understand, Because You Are Siblings, To Call The Police On Your Cell Phone. But If You Do That, I Will Kill You And Dispose Of Your Body In A Place Where No One Will Find It. The River, I Think. Your Doorman Is So Stupid, He Won't Notice If I Leave This Building Carrying A Body In A Rolled-up Carpet.

Sibling

Stupid

Thinking

Honey, Some Boys Stopped By To See You. They Had Wood.

Boys

Honey

Woods

Nice To Know I Have That Effect On Boys. I Mean, Christopher Doesn't Even Know I Exist, And Brandon Stark Practically Throws Up When He Sees Me. Having My Brain Transplated Into A Supermodel's Body Was Doing Wonders For My Love Life.

Nice

Love Life

Mean

Write The Kind Of Story You Would Like To Read. People Will Give You All Sorts Of Advice About Writing, But If You Are Not Writing Something You Like, No One Else Will Like It Either.

Kids

Writing

Giving

I Won’t Tell You How I Managed To Break In, Since I Don’t Want The Authorities Figuring Out, But Let’s Just Say That If You’re Going To Make A Gate, Make Sure It Reaches All The Way To The Ground.

Want

Way

Break

I Think We Make Our Own Luck. Our Parents Give Us Life, But What We Do With That Life Is Our Own Responsibility.

Responsibility

Thinking

Giving

There Are Nice, Funny, Totally Good-looking Guys Out There. You Just Have To Know Where To Look…and Apparently, Where Not To Look.

Nice

Guy

Looks

And Try To Remember What We Discussed, Susannah. A Mediator Is Someone Who Helps Others Resolve Conflicts. Not Someone Who, Er, Kicks Them In The Face.

Helping Others

Trying

Faces

You Can't Turn Love On And Off Like A Faucet.

Turns

And Off

Your Assignment,' He Bellowed At Kelly, 'was To Make A Persuasive Argument. Demanding To Know Whether Detractors Of Your Position Are On Crack Is Not Arguing Persuasively.

Cracks

Arguing

Argument

Well, Hi, Ceecee," I Said. "hi, Adam. Nice Of You Two To Drop By. Ever Heard Of Knocking?" "oh, Please," Ceecee Said. "why? Because We Might Interrupt You And Your Precious Jesse?" Jesse, Upon Hearing This, Raised His Eyebrows. Way Up.

Nice

Eyebrows

Two

I Thought About Telling Him The Truth: 'oh, Nothing. Just Having My Soul Exorcised So I Can Roam Around Purgatory, Looking For The Ghost Of The Dead Cowboy Who Used To Live In My Bedroom.

Cowboy

Soul

Ghost

When I Was A Kid, I Had A Couple Of Really Good Friends, Like Some Really Good Best Friends, But I Was Really Shy Other Than That.

Couple

Kids

Good Friend

Meet Me Inside The Edge Of The Icepack Penguin Enclosure In At Four Fifteen" She Says, Sounding Just Like Kim Possible. If Kim Possible Ever Asked People To Meet Her Inside A Penguin Enclosures.

People

Four

Fifteen

You Just Said You Were Sorry." ... "i Was Only Apologizing," He Said Stiffly, "for Startling You. The Applause Was To Compliment You On The Improvement In Your Life-saving Techniques Since The Last Time You-

Sorry

Compliments You

Lasts

Dear Mia, What Can I Say? I Don't Know All That Much About Romance Novels, But I Think You Must Be The Stephen King Of The Genre. Your Book Is Hot. Thanks For Letting Me Read It. Anyone Who Doesn't Want To Publish It Is A Fool. Anyway, Since I Know It's Your Birthday, And I Also Know You Never Remember To Back Anything Up, Here's A Little Something I Made For You. It Would Be A Shame If Ransom My Heart Got Lost Before It Ever Saw The Light Of Day Because Your Hard Drive Crashed. See You Tonight. Love, Michael

Kings

Book

Heart

Sometimes What You Want Is Right In Front Of You. All You Have To Do Is Open Your Eyes And See It.

Eye

Want

Sometimes

Someday You're Really Going To Have To Describe To Me In More Detail What Life Is Like On The Planet You Live On. Because It Sounds Really Great, And I'd Like To Visit There One Day.

Life Is Like

One Day

Sound

Look, Mr. Uh, Wulf I Appreciate Your Trying To Warn Me About This, Ireally Do. But There's No Such Thing As Vampires. They're Made-up. We Writers Made Them Up. I'm Sorry We Did Such A Good Job That We Made The Whole World Paranoid, But It's True. They're Fictional. Blame Bram Stoker. He Started It.

Jobs

Sorry

Appreciate

You And Me?” I Let Out A Stunned Bark Of Laughter. “there Is No You And Me.” “that’s What You Think,” Chaz Says, Tugging On His Coat. “and I’ll Be Damned If I’m Going To Wait Around Until You Figure Out That Isn’t True.” “fine,” I Say “i’m Not Asking You To, Am I?” “no.” Chaz Is Smiling… But Not Like He’s Happy. “but You Would If You Had The Slightest Idea What Was Good For You.” And With That, He Yanks Open The Door And Storms Through It, Slamming It Closed Behind Him With Enough Force To Cause The Windowpanes To Rattle. And Then He’s Gone.

Laughter

Thinking

Doors

Why Does Anyone Commit Murder?' He Asked In A Low Voice. 'i-'i Blinked.'how Should I Know?' 'three Reasons,' Christopher Said. He Held Up One Finger. 'love.' Another Finger. 'revenge.' And Finally, A Third Finger. 'profit...

Revenge

Voice

Doe

Nikki "brandon's Never Hurt Anyone. He's Competely Sweet And Adorable." I Choked A Little On The Sip Of Sparkling Water I'k Just Swallowed. If Brandon Was Sweet And Adorable, I Was Satan's Bride.

Sweet

Hurt

Adorable

You'll Blow Up A Helicopter, But You Won't Go Out With Me? What Is Wrong With You?

Relationship

Blow

Helicopters

It Was Also, However, A Favorite Place For Novices To Stand And Wait For Innocent Students To Slip Up By Talking Too Loudly Between Classes. No Novice Has Ever Been Created That Could Keep Gina Quiet, However.

Talking

Class

Waiting

Tell Me What Game Steph Landry And I Used To Play In The Big Dirt Pile They Made While They Were Digging My Family’s Pool, Back When We Were Both Seven, Or I’ll Know You’re An Alien Replacement And You’ve Got The Real Steph Up In Your Mother Ship!” I Glared At Him. “g.i. Joe Meets Spelunker Barbie,” I Said. “and Stop Being So Ridiculous. We Have To Go. We’re Going To End Up At A Bad Table For Lunch.

Mother

Real

Games

Being Brave Is When You Have To Do Something Because You Know It Is Right, But At The Same Time, You Are Afraid To Do It, Because It Might Hurt Or Whatever. But You Do It Anyway.

Strength

Hurt

Bravery

Who Knew An Elf Queen Could Be So Vicious!

Queens

Vicious

He'd Know That I Think That . . . Well, That Bending An Enemy's Will Through Military Force Is The Absolute Last Way A Nation Ought To Go About Solving Their Problems.

Military

Thinking

Enemy

It's Truly Weird How Everyone Just Thinks They Can Bring Me Diet Coke And Everything Will Be Okay. Especially Since It's Pretty Much True.-lizzie Nichols

Thinking

Coke

Okay

We Kissed All The Way Through The Fireworks Display. We Didn’t Even Notice That There Was A Fireworks Display… …i Guess Because We’d Been Making Fireworks Of Our Own.

Way

Fireworks

Display

I Mean It. Like, People Always Talk About How God Doesn’t Ever Give You More Than You Can Handle, But I’m Telling You Right Now, I Cannot Handle This. This Is Just Too Much!

Mean

People

Giving

I Don't Have Kids, But In Many Ways I Feel I've Had Them Already. I Don't Want To Say I Raised My Brothers - That Sounds Too Strong - But Actually I Do Feel Like That A Bit.

Brother

Strong

Kids

And In What Fairy Tale Would John Ever Be Any Sane Person's Idea Of Prince Charming Anyway? He Was The Opposite Of Charming. More Like Prince Terrifying.

Opposites

Ideas

Fairy Tale

One Of The Biggest Mistakes Girls Can Make Concerning Their Romantic Life Is Sitting Around Waiting For Their Prince To Find Them, Rather Than Getting Out There And Finding Him Themselves.

Girl

Mistake

Waiting

It Will Hurt. Because Deep Down, I'll Know There Was Someone.. Someone I Was Supposed To Have Met. Only I'll Never Meet Him. I'll Go Through My Whole Life Waiting For Him To Come Along, Only He Never Will. What Kind Of Life Is That?

Hurt

Waiting

Kind

Adam Gave Me A Scandalized Look. "fraternizing With The Enemy!" He Cried. "for Shame, Wench!

Enemy

Looks

Wenches

Every Seven Miles, In America, There Is At Least One Mcdonald's. Not A Hospital, Mind You, Or A Police Station, But A Mcdonald's, Every Seven Miles. I Mean, That's Sort Of Scary, If You Think About It.

Mean

Thinking

Mcdonalds

Sorry, Bex," Jason Said "you Don't Have The Recognizable Facial Characteristics - Such As A Huge Chin, Or A Large Amount Of Real Estate Between The Eyes - That Would Merit The Bestowing Of A Criminal Mastermind Nickname Such As Lockjaw Or Walleye. Whereas Crazytop Here...well, Just Look At Her." "atleast I Can Blow-dry My Hair Straight," I Pointed Out. "which Is More Than What I Can Say For Your Nose, Hawkface.

Sorry

Real

Eye

Some People Can Seem Perfect... Everything About Them Can, On Paper, Be Just Right. Until You Get To Know Them. Really Know Them. Then You Find Out, In The End, While They Might Be Perfect To Every One Else, They Just Aren't Right For You.

People

Perfect

Paper

I Don't Do Alcohol. Or Other People's Boyfriends. And Don't You Forget It.

People

Alcohol

Forget

Zach Had Rushed Down To Rescue Me Without Remembering To Put A Shirt On...maybe I Had Died And Gone To Heaven.

Heaven

Gone

Remember

In A Way, I Was Incredibly Proud Of Her (not That I Had Any Intention Of Letting It Show While I Was Beating The Crap Out Of Her).

Pride

Proud

Way

Was It Frisson When You Saw A Guy Smile And It Made Your Heart Act All Weird?

Heart

Guy

Saws

My Mother's Psychologist Says I Have An Overactive Anger Switch, But People Just Keep Pissing Me Off.

Mother

Anger

People

Inside The Envelope With The Letter Was A Little Princess Leia Action Figure Usb Flash Drive. For Me To Store My Novel On, Since He Was Right - I Never Back Up My Computer's Hard Drive. The Sight Of It - It's Princess Leia In Her Hoth Outfit, My Favorite Of Her Costumes (how Had He Remembered?) Brought Tears To My Eyes.

Princess

Eye

Sight

I Swear, Sometimes I Am Convinced My Life Is Just A Series Of Sketches For America's Funniest Home Videos, Minus All That Pants-dropping Business. Except My Life Really Isn't All That Funny If You Think About It.

Home

Thinking

America

That Hurt Querida, That Really Hurt

Hurt

This Is Exactly Why Patrick And I Chose Not To Have Children." He Muttered. "so We Would Never Have To Have Conversations Like This. Andy Yet...here I Am?""if You Could Answer The Question," I Said As Politely As I Could, "that Would Be Great. I Really Don't Want To Have A Freaky Demon Baby, And I Can't Imagine John Wants One, Either

Baby

Children

Here I Am

If The Guy Likes/loves You, He Won't Care If You Are A Good Kisser Or Not. He Should Like You For What You Are - Not How You Kiss.

Love You

Kissing

Guy

And I'm Sure Than In Poland, Or Somewhere, It Is Considered Cool To Drive A Porsche And Wear Necklaces And Black Silk, But At Least Back In Brooklyn If You Did Those Things You Were Either A Drug Dealer Or From New Jersey.

Drug

Black

Brooklyn

The Brave May Not Live Forever, But The Cautious Do Not Live At All.

Stay Strong

Courage

Business

Oh My God. I Thought I Was Going To Have An Aneurysm Right There In Line. Your Hair Smells Really Good? Your Hair Smells Really Good? Who Did He Think He Was? James Bond? You Don't Tell Someone Their Hair Smells Good. Not In A Mall.

Thinking

Hair

Smell

But As You Age, You Lose Other, Even More Important Things, Like Friends-hopefully Only Bad Friends, Who Maybe Weren't As Good For You As You Once Thought. With Luck, You'll Be Able To Hang On To Your True Friends, The Ones Who Were Always There For You....even When You Thought They Weren't. Because Friends Like That Are More Precious Then All The Tiaras In The World

True Friend

Bad Friend

Luck

But I Let It Slide, Because, Hello, Hot Guy.

Guy

Slides

Hot

You Know Your Lamborghini Is On Fire, Right?

Fire

Lamborghini

Knows

I Think If I Hadn't Been A Writer, I'd Have Been A Teacher Like My Dad. He Was A College Professor, And One Of My Greatest Regrets Is That He Passed Away Before I Was Able To Prove To Him That I Wasn't Going To Be Stuck Working At Rax Roast Beef For The Rest Of My Life!

Teacher

Dad

Regret

One Of The Reasons That I Think I Do Love To Write Is Because I Did Have A Difficult Childhood And Not So Great Teenage Years. It Always Helped Me Escape From My Problems.

Teenage

Writing

Thinking

Didn't Your Mother Ever Tell You," Rob Asked, "that You're Supposed To Play Hard To Get?" I Looked At His Lips. I Probably Don't Need To Tell You That They're Really Nice Lips, Kind Of Full And Strong-looking. "what," I Wanted To Know, "is That Going To Get Me?

Mother

Strong

Nice

My Family, Theyre Story Tellers. My Mom Is Irish, And My Dad Is Italian. In My Family, We Werent Allowed To Watch Tv While We Ate - We Had To Sit Around The Table And Tell Stories About Our Day.

Mom

Dad

Italian

Wait. Why Am I Thinking About Krispy Kremes? We’re Supposed To Be Exercising.

Food

Exercise

Thinking

My Favorite Book Of All Time Is Cold Comfort Farm, By Stella Gibbons.

Book

Agriculture

Comfort

Remember... Life Is Short. Each Moment You Have Is Precious. Treasure Every Second. Don't Spend Them Doing Anything You Don't Love.

Life Is Short

Treasure

Remember

There's Nothing Secret About It. Everyone Knows That I Am Waiting For My Real Parents, The King And Queen, To Come Restore Me To My Rightful Throne.

Kings

Queens

Real

Who-who Are You?" Seth Asked, Hesitantly."wh-what Do You Want?" How Else Was Was I Supposed To Reply? The Words Were Out Of My Mouth Before I Could Stop Them.i Mean, I'd Only Seen The Movie Like Seventeen Times. "i'm Luke Skywalker," I Said. "i'm Here To Rescue You.

Mean

Want

Mouths

The Fact Is, I Love Him. He's The Boy I Want And One Day He'll Be Mine.

I Love Him

Boys

Romance

I Love The Princess Diaries Series! Do You?

Princess

Diaries

Princess Diaries

Hope Springs Eternal, Even In The Heart Of A Fat Girl.

Girl

Spring

Heart

It Was Considerably Larger Than A Knife Hilt.

Knives

Weight Doesn’t Matter. It Really Doesn’t. I Mean, It Does If You’re A Model Or Whatever.

Mean

Doe

Weight

Anything Can Happen In The Blink Of An Eye. Anything At All. One. Two. Three. Blink.

Eye

Two

Three

I Looked Where He Was Tapping. "local Girl Missing, Feared Dead" Beneath It Was A Photo Or Me-my Most Recent School Photo. "oh No." My Heart Filling With Dread, I Took The Paper From Mr. Smith's Hands. "couldn't They Have Found A Better Picture?

Girl

Heart

School

If You Give A Man A Fish He'll Eat For A Day, If You Teach A Man To Fish He'll Eat All The Fish You May Have Caught For Yourself

Men

Teach A Man To Fish

Giving

I Stare At Her, As Dumbstruck As If She'd Just Admitted She's A Scientologist With An Invitation To Join Tom And Katie On The Spaceship When It Shows Up.

Spaceships

Staring

Shows

I Actually Love Writing For Teens Best. I Had Such An Awful Time In My Own Teen Years - I Love Having The Chance To Relive Them Through My Fiction.

Writing

Years

Fiction

Pretty Isn't The Only Thing That Matters - Being Smart And Kind Matters More, Of Course - But All Daughters Should Hear From Their Moms That They Look Pretty Once In A While.

Mom

Daughter

Mother

French: Why Does This Language Even Exist? Everyone There Speaks English Anyway.

Speak English

Doe

Language

Looks Fade,' Mom Would Go On. 'but Intelligence Lasts Forever.

Mom

Forever

Looks

Did You See Him? I Know The Photo Was Grainy, But He Looks Like One Of Those Death Metal Goth Heads, Or Whatever They’re Called. All Dressed In Black With Long Hair I Took Umbrage At My Mother Describing My Boyfriend This Way. John Was The Lord Of The Underworld. How Else Was He Supposed To Dress?

Mother

Hair

Long

Always Be True To Your Friends, Just As You Are To Yourself.

Being True

Also, I Think I Felt Something Come Loose Back There. I'm Not Trying To Overreact Or Anything But I Think It Was My Uterus. Honest. I Think My Uterus Jiggled Free. My Uterus Is Just Going To Come Out Between My Legs And I'm Going To Look Like I'm Walking Around With An Enormous Load In My Pants.

Thinking

Trying

Uterus

We Need To Talk.” “i’m Just – Look,” I Said, As He Took A Step Toward Me. “i’m Just Going To Give Cee Cee A Call And Maybe We’ll Go To The Beach Or Something, Because I Really … I Just Need A Day Off.”another Step Toward Me. Now He Was Right In Front Of Me. “especially,” I Said Significantly, Looking Up At Him, “from Talking. That’s What I Especially Need A Day Off From. Talking.” “fine,” He Said. He Reached Up And Cupped My Face In Both His Hands. “we Don’t Have To Talk.”and That’s When He Kissed Me. On The Lips.

Beach

Hands

Talking

I Wish I Had Taken Spanish Instead Of French In High School. I Could Eavesdrop On A Lot More Conversations On The Subway If I Knew Spanish.

Taken

School

Wish

I Was An Unhappy Child, And That Puts Me Off Having A Child Of My Own.

Children

Unhappy

My Own

Of Course. I Was On The Run From Evil Spirits That Wanted To Kill Me And Now, According To The Local Paper, The Law. Yet Richard Smith, Cemetery Sexton And Death Deity Scholar, Had A Book For Me To Read In All My Copious Spare Time.

Running

Book

Law

Aaron, In Order To Die You Have To Live A Little First.

Order

Littles

Firsts

I Thought You'd Like It," He Said, Seeming Hurt. "you Look Very Pretty.

Hurt

Looks

Said

I Felt As If The Milky Way, Hovering Above Our Heads Like A Celestial Pitcher, Had Suddenly Overturned, Pouring Suns And Planets Down My Throat. Stars Seemed To Be Shooting Out Of My Finger And Toes, The Ends Of My Hair.

Stars

Hair

Pouring

She Hadn't Slain The Dragon. Not At All. She Hoped No One Ever Would.

Dragons

Don't Cry." "how Can I Not?" I Asked Him. "you Just Said You Loved Me." "well, Why Else Did You Think All Of This Was Happening?" He Set The Book Aside To Wrap His Arms Around Me. "the Furies Wouldn't Be Trying To Kill You If I Didn't Love You." "i Didn't Know," I Said. Tears Were Trickling Down My Cheeks, But I Did Nothing To Try To Stop Them. His Shirt Was Absorving Most Of Them. "you Never Said Anything About It. Every Time I Saw You, You Just Acted So... Wild." "how Was I Supposed To Act?" He Asked. "you Kept Doing Things Like Throwing Tea In My Face.

Book

Love You

Thinking

We Were A Very Funny Family. Humour Was The Tool With Which My Brother And I Tried To Get Attention. We Were Always Trying To Be The Funniest.

Brother

Always Trying

Funny Family

I Think We're Given Multiple Chances To Meet Multiple Soulmates. Sure, You Could Meet A Soulmate In Highschool. But That Doesn't Mean If You Don't Act On It, You'll Never Meet Anyone Else. You Will, Just At A Time That's More Convenient For You.

Soulmate

Mean

Thinking

So Take My Advice: Whatever You Do? Don’t Blink

Advice

Blink

Smiles Like That Should Be Against The Law. Considering What They Do To A Girl.

Girl

Law

Should

What Is The Appropriate Reply To Make To A Man Who Says He Loves You? Thank You. You Are Very Kind.

Love You

Men

Kind

It Is A Documented Fact. I Read It In People Magazine.

People

Magazines

Facts

So Uncle Stuart Is Marrying That Lady? Mom Says She's Going To Be Our Aunt Amy. She's Okay Except She Would't Try Any Peanut Butter M&m Chocolate Chip Fudge Cookies. They Were Good- You Ate Five, Remember? But She Said She Was On A Special Diet, And Couldn't Eat Something Called Carbs. We Told Her We Didn't Put Any Carbs In Our Cookies, Just M&ms, But She Said M&ms Were Carbs. Uncle Mitch, What's Carbs? Email To Uncle Mitch From Haily And Brittany.

Mom

Uncles

Aunt

I Was Too Lazy To Start A Whole New Story, So I Just Stuck A Princess Into The Story I Was Working On... And The Princess Diaries Was Born!

Princess

Lazy

Diaries

Jesse, Who Had Not Stirred The Whole Time From The Spot He'd Been Standing, Confident I Could Handle Cheryl Myself, Was Grinning. "it's Every Girl's Dream To Guy To Go To Prom With The Guy She Loves?" He Echoed, Not Just One, But Both Inky Black Eyebrows Raised. "don't Start With Me," I Said. I Tried To Hide My Suddenly Flaming Cheeks By Scraping Away What Was Left Of The Cannolis, And Replacing Them With The Contents Of An Upended Bag Of Chocolate Chip Cookies. "i Have Things To Do.

Girl

Dream

Eyebrows

It’s My Own Fault, Really. For Believing In Fairy Tales. Not That I Ever Mistook Them For Actual Historical Fact, Or Anything. But I Did Grow Up Believing That For Every Girl, There’s A Prince Out There Somewhere. All She Has To Do Is Find Him. Then It’s On With The Happily Ever After. So You Can Only Imagine What Happened When I Found Out. That My Prince Really Is One. A Prince. No, I Really Mean It. He’s An Actual Prince.

Girl

Growing Up

Believe

It’s Seemed More Like A Punishment Than A Reward Most Days…” He Said, His Tone One Of Bitter Resignation. Then His Gaze Lifted To Meet Mine, And His Voice Changed. “…at Least Until I Found You.

Punishment

Voice

Found You

I Don't Think He Could Ever Be A Serial Killer. He's Way Too Shy. That Ted Bundy Guy, He Was Pretty Outgoing , From What I Heard. -jess About Doug P. 107

Thinking

Guy

Ted Bundy

Someone Hot Is Sometimes Can't Be The Person They Appear To Be- Except For Their Hotness... That Cannot Be Denied.

Hot

Sometimes

Persons

And Now Rocky Is Begging Me To Watch Dora The Explorer With Him. I Understand That Millions Of Kids Love Dora And Have Learned To Read Or Whatever From Her Show. But I Wouldn't Mind If Dora Fell Off A Cliff And Took Her Little Pals With Her

Kids

Mind

Watches

God, What If Tmz Got Hold Of The Truth About Me? What A Liar I Am, I Mean? What Kind Of Role Model Am I? I Make Vanessa Hudgens Look Like Mother Freaking Teresa. Minus The Whole Nudity Thing. Because I'm Not About To Take Naked Photos Of Myself And Send Them To My Boyfriend.

Mother

Liars

Mean

But Then I Remembered Something Grandmere Had Once Assured Me Of: No One Has Ever Died Of Embarrassment-never, Not Once In The Whole History Of Time.

Embarrassment

Remembered

Whole

I Get Accused All The Time Of Having A Big Mouth. But If You Ask Me, Guys Gossip Way More Than Girls Do.

Girl

Gossip

Guy

That's Enough Of That," Jesse Said. Next Thing I Knew, He'd Scooped Me Up. Only Instead Of Carrying Me To My Bed And Setting Me Down On It All Romantically, You Know, Like Guys Do To Girls In The Movies, He Just Dumped Me Onto It, So I Bounced Around And Would Have Fallen Off If I Hadn't Grabbed The Edge Of The Mattress. "thanks," I Said, Not Quite Able To Keep All Of The Sarcasm Out Of My Voice.

Girl

Sarcasm

Voice

In High School, I Wanted To Be An Actress. Until I Got To College And Took Some Creative Writing Courses. Then I Decided I Wanted To Become A Novelist.

Writing

School

College

You Know What You Sound Like? A Jealous Girl Friend. And How Are Things On Planet You Wish?

Girl

Jealous

Wish

And The Truth Is, I’d Felt Kind Of A Thrill About Wearing Jason’s Big Boy Pants. I Was A Sick Kid, Even Way Back Then.

Kids

Boys

Sick

I Know. I Seriously Need To Just Give Up Men Entirely. I Wonder If Episcopalians Can Enter Convents?

Giving Up

Men

Needs

High School Sucks. People Who Say Those Were The Best Years Of Your Life - Those People Are Liars... Who Wants The Best Years Of Their Life To Be In *high School*? High School Is Something *everybody* Should Be Ready To Lose.

Liars

School

Best Years Of Your Life

Every Moment Away From You Feels Like Time Spent In A Sort Of Cell. I Can Think Of Nothing, Dream Of Nothing, But You. Unfortunately, I Will Have To Remain In My Self-inflicted Prison A Bit Longer, Since Work Will Keep Me From Meeting You Tonight. I Can't Seem To Find A Way To Avoid This... However, I Hope This Gift Will Make Up For My Unforgivable Behavior. I Saw This And Though Of You, And St. George. You Have Slain The Dragon. Until We Meet Again, I Am Your Lucien.

Dream

Thinking

Dragons

And Eternity Is A Long Time. So If You Have To Spend It With Someone I Could See Wanting To Spend It With Someone Impossible...but Interesting.

Long

Interesting

Impossible

One Of The Many Advantages Of Having A Boyfriend Who Is Half French Is That His Culinary Repertoire Extends Beyond Mac And Cheese. Plus, There’s The Kissing.

Kissing

Half

Cheese

Writing Is A Workout, Just Like Going For A Run!

Running

Workout

Writing

I Just Want To Let You Know That When I Look Into My Future, I See Nothing But You.” That’s What Chaz Had Whispered In My Ear At Some Point During The Wedding Last Night. Then He’d Whispered. “and You’re Not Even Wearing Spanx.

Night

Looks

Ears

And Standing Before Me A Bloodied Bottle Of Absolut In Her Hand, Is Mrs. Allington, Her Pink Jogging Suit Drenched, Her Chest Heaving, Her Eyes Filled With Contempt As She Stared Down At Rachel's Prone Body. Mrs. Allington Shakes Her Head. "i'm A Size Twelve," She Says.

Eye

Hands

Twelve

But I Don't Care What Megan Fox Or Jessica Biel Say: There Are Definite Advantages To Being The Hottest Girl On The Planet. Number One Was That I Got Paid For It. A Lot.

Girl

Numbers

Care

Needless To Say, The Fact That He Actually Spoke To Me At All Practically Caused Me To Pass Out. And Then The Fact That He Was Actually Saying Something That Sounded Like It Might Be A Prelude To Asking Me Out - Well, I Nearly Threw Up. I Mean It. I Felt Really Sick, But In A Good Way.

Mean

Sick

Asking

I Don't Seem To Fit To Associate With Humans.

Fit

Humans

Seems

Why Should Women Have To Fit Into Child Sizes In Order To Be Considered Desirable? That Is Both Sick And Depressing.

Depressing

Children

Order

I Look Around For A Conveniently Loaded Pistol.sadly, There Doesn't Seem To Be One Available, So I Have No Choice But To Answer The Question. - Queen Of Babble Gets Hitched

Queens

Choices

Looks

I Think You Get So Wrapped Up In The Book You're Currently Writing, It's Hard To Think About Anything Else. But I Know As Soon As I'm Done With This Book, I'll Move On To Something Else.

Moving

Book

Writing

Cursed?" I Offered, My Voice Croaky Because Of My Unshed Tears. "it Isn't Cursed." John Said Deliberately, Rearranging The Chain Around My Neck, "if You're Wearing It. It's Blessed.

Blessed

Voice

Tears

It's What's Known As An Origin Myth. What Happened To Me? That's No Myth.

Myth

Happened

Known

Great. Now I Was Starting To Get Jealous Of Myself.

Jealous

Starting

Get Jealous

Usually Writer's Block Arises When Something Is Wrong Internally With The Story.

Block

Stories

Arise

Only A Fool Is Never Afraid, Frank. Heroes Are The People Who Carry On Despite Their Fear, Because They Know The Job’s Got To Get Done

Jobs

Hero

People

It’s Only By Studying The Mistakes Of The Past,” Lucien Said Mildly, “that We Can Even Have A Future

Mistake

Past

Study

Sometimes We Need To Take Big Risks If We Want To Find Out Who We Are, And What We Were Put On This Planet For.

Risk

Needs

Want

But I’m Living Proof You Don’t Have To Spend A Lot In Order To Look Great.

Order

Looks

Proof

No Offense, But If You Want To Be With My Niece, You Should Think About Getting A Haircut. My Mother Is Very Conservative.” “no Offense Taken,” John Said Mildly.

Mother

Niece

Taken

So Go Ahead And Make Your Way Back From The Edge Of Yesterday No One Knows What Can't Be Known 'cause When You Start You're All Alone But Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps And Someday Someday You'll Be Home ---heather Wells, Untitled

Home

Yesterday

Heathers

Not Like This Vision Before Us, Who Was Shaking Water Out Of His Slightly Overlong Reddish-brown Hair As He Leaned Over To Lay Down His Board (revealing, As He Did So, The Fact That Beneath His Baggy Swim Trunks—so Weighted Down With Water That They Had Sunk Somewhat Dangerously Low On His Hips—lurked What Appeared To Be An Exceptionally Well-formed Gluteus Maximus)

Hair

Water

Swim

They Say It’s Always Darkest Until Right Before The Dawn. I’ve Worked On Enough Projects To Know How True This Saying Really Is.

Dawn

Enough

Projects

Suze, Your Whole Life," My Dad Went On, Not Without Sympathy, "you've Always Made The Right Decisions. Not Necessarily The Easiest Ones. The Right Ones. Don't Mess That Up Now, When You're Facing What's Probably The Most Important Decision You'll Ever Have To Make.

Dad

Decision

Important

Maybe Nobody Has A Right To Tell Anybody To Shut Up. Maybe This Is How Wars Get Started, Because Someone Tells Someone Else To Shut Up, And Then No One Will Apologize.

War

Apologizing

Shut Up

Foxy Girls Know That Silence May Be Golden-but Only For Four Seconds. Anything Longer And You're Heading For Awkward Avenue.

Girl

Silence

Awkward

Meg Cabot Is The Best Author Ever

Meg

She'd Realize Steve Was Her Soul Mate And That She Would Never Love Anyone As Much As She Loved Him.

Soul

Soul Mate

Realizing

Kill Her For Me," She Said In That Whiny Little-girl Voice. Diego Took A Step Toward Me, Wearing An Expression That Told Me He Was Only Too Happy To Oblige His Lady Love. "oh, What?" I Said. I Wasn't Even Scared. I Didn't Care Anymore. The Numbness In My Heart Had Pretty Much Taken Over My Whole Body. "you Always Do What She Tells You? You Know, We Have A Word For That Now. It's Called Being Whipped.

Girl

Taken

Heart

I Wonder What It's Like To Live In Tinaville. I Get The Feeling It's Very Shiny There.

Feelings

Wonder

...men Aren't In Touch With Their Emotions, And Don't Share Enough [?]

Men

Emotion

Enough

Why Had I Taken All Those Useless Classes Like Bio And German When I Should Have Been Taking Lipreading?

Taken

Should Have

Class

All I Did Was Die,' I Said. 'and Then, When Presented With An Opportunity Not To Be Dead Any More, I Took It. Anyone Else Would Have Done The Same Thing.

Opportunity

Done

Said

What's A Mediator You Ask? Oh, A Person Who Acts As A Liason Between The Living And The Dead. Hey, Wait A Minute...what're You Doing With That Strait Jacket?-suze Simon's Imagination

Imagination

Waiting

Hey

And You Can't Have Two Stars In One Relationship. Somebody Has To Be Willing To Be The Wagon...at Lease Some Of The Time

Stars

Two

Wagons

Whoa. If High School Was Suppose To Be The Best Years Of My Life - At Least So Far - I Was Truly Destined To Have A Sucky Adulthood.

School

Years

Best Year

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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