Category Archives: General

One Year Later

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Tomorrow I’ll return to my regularly-scheduled Castle recapping (How amazing was that 100th episode, by the way?), but, for today, NGN has a milestone of its own to celebrate.

My name is Katie, and I’m a nerdy girl.

With that confession, Nerdy Girl Notes was born. It’s been exactly one year since I first shared my nerdy side with all of you, and what a year it’s been. I can honestly say that this year has been one of the most creatively and intellectually rewarding of my life, and I feel honored to have shared this year of writing with some truly incredible people. To quote my personal hero Leslie Knope, “No one achieves anything alone,” and this year has taught me that more than any other.

I’m forever indebted to the smart, funny, and slightly insane (they have to be to be friends with me) writers and artists who’ve shared their talents with NGN, making this blog (and its Facebook and Twitter) look pretty and creating content that is as insightful as it is entertaining. I especially have to thank Heather and Leah, two women who have not only covered for me with excellent posts when I needed a pinch-hitter; they’ve been two of my most wonderful sources of support throughout this first year of NGN. For anyone who thinks the only friends you can make on the Internet are future axe-murderers, I present these two lovely ladies as a counterargument.

In addition, I just want to thank all of you who’ve taken the time to comment on here; reblog things I’ve written on Tumblr; or share a link to NGN on Twitter, Facebook, or any other form of social media I’m too technologically-illiterate to understand. You have no idea how thrilled it makes me to think that people who aren’t obligated to tell me they like this website (aka my mom) actually enjoy what I write.

I’ve learned so much from these past 365 days as I’ve tried to make NGN the best website it can be. I’ve learned that I could spend days writing essays about female characters in the modern media and never get sick of it. I’ve learned that sometimes the right GIF can express all of the thoughts and feelings you can’t put into words. I’ve learned that there are wonderful people out there who will read a 2,000-word recap of a relatively uneventful, midseason Castle episode. And I’ve learned that—no matter how busy you are—when you fall in love with a TV show, you have to make time to share your feelings with the world. (I’m looking at you, New Girl.)

The best lesson I’ve learned this year, though, is a simple one: If you work hard and feel passionate about the work you’re doing, good things will happen. NGN has been a labor of love from Day One, and I’m so excited about where the next 365 days and beyond will take it.

A year ago, I said something that I think feels more truthful today than ever:

I can’t imagine a better, more fulfilling life than the life of a nerdy girl.

Thanks to all of you who’ve proven to me by your readership, your comments, and your friendship that the life of a nerdy girl is the most fulfilling life imaginable. This year has been one heck of a journey. Thanks for going along on the ride with me.

Here’s hoping the next year will be as fun, fruitful, and fabulous as the first!

Who Run the World?

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Happy International Women’s Day!

On a day like today, I think it’s important to stop and honor the many smart, brave, and wonderful women who are helping to make the world a brighter, better place for our gender. I know that I’m personally inspired every day by the strength of the women I’m surrounded by. From the real women whose examples I aim to follow with every step to the fictional women I am proud to call inspirations, there are no shortages of powerful female role models in my life.

To those women who have made me a better woman just by being themselves, I give you my undying gratitude. And to those women who—like all of us at some point or another—are fighting to define themselves in a world that still sees the feminine as “weak” and the worth of men as greater than women, I give you a hand to hold and the promise that you’re not alone.

Women are strong and smart and funny. We’re powerful and ambitious and determined. We’re warm and generous and encouraging. We can be doctors, lawyers, and writers; teachers, CEOs, and stay-at-home moms. We can be anything. We can be everything.

Never let someone tell you that you can’t be or do something just because you’re a woman. You have just as much a right to your dreams as a man.

So here’s to the girls who know that being told you do something “like a girl” shouldn’t be an insult—it’s an honor.

Take a second today to thank the women in your life who’ve helped you see your own beauty, strength, and potential. Because you have all of those things and more. Never forget that.

Today and every day, I’m proud to be a nerdy girl. And I wish for life to give you people and experiences that make you proud to be whatever kind of girl you want to be.

Let’s Make a Resolution (I’ll Drink to That)

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A year ago, this was all nothing more than a New Year’s resolution.

Some people want to get in better shape. Some want to quit smoking. I wanted to start a blog about the media.

A year ago, Nerdy Girl Notes was an idea without a name, without a real plan or any kind of focus. It was just a desire in my heart to get back to writing about the things I really love—books, movies, TV shows, and the way they are often so much more than mere entertainment. It was a hope to create a place where my thoughts and (sometimes overwhelming) feelings might be shared with other people, because sometimes you just have to talk about why Katniss Everdeen is so awesome or why that latest episode of Once Upon a Time made you cry embarrassingly hard.

One year later, I’m still making resolutions. This time, I want to continue to make Nerdy Girl Notes the best it can be. I want it to continue to grow, to become a place where smart, passionate women (and men—don’t think you’re excluded here, guys) can come together and be our smart, passionate, overly-analytical selves. I have big dreams for NGN, and I’m going to do my part to see them through to the best of my ability.

The first step in continuing to carve out a niche for NGN in the big, scary world of the Internet was getting it its own domain, which I did last night. That’s right—no more “.wordpress.com” for us; just head straight to nerdygirlnotes.com from now on.

I also created a Nerdy Girl Notes Facebook page and a Twitter account, which you can always find on the home page sidebar. I’m going to try to update both at least once per day, and I’m planning on using the Twitter account to live-tweet all of the shows that I recap on here already (as well as others, like New Girl and Suits) in addition to offering my quick takes on entertainment news.

In other words, I’m ready to get down to business in 2013. I’m so happy with how this grew from a New Year’s resolution I feared would never get started into a site that is producing content I’m genuinely proud of on a regular basis. And that wouldn’t have happened without the support I get from everyone who reads and comments on here as well as the amazing women who contribute to NGN with their own fantastic writing. I’m so happy to call you friends as well as fellow Nerdy Girls.

I think 2013 has the potential to be a great year around here. There’s a lot of fun stuff already in the works: the return of our weekly TV recaps, predictions and reactions for all of the major movie award shows, and even more reviews and essays. If you want to join in the fun and write something, don’t be shy! Send an email, a tweet, or a Facebook post—the more the merrier!