Well, it all started with my parents. They were born and grew up to be adults. Then they met, fell in love, got married, and-
Just kidding. That's not what this post is about at all. What I am going to tell all of you wonderful people is how/when/why I decided to write.
I can't think of a better way to start than with listing my likes and dislikes before I really started writing. (Not everything, just the things writing and reading related)
Dislikes
// I hated writing. (We're just off to a great start, aren't we?)
// English as a subject
Likes
// I loved reading/books.
// I really liked words.
So, I didn't always enjoy writing. When I reflect on it, I think that the biggest reason for not liking it was that I didn't understand writing or how it worked. Before I reached the eighth grade, most of my writing was in the form of one page book summaries. And since I read a lot, I had to write a large amount of them.
(I still don't like writing a summary of a book. I'm more like, "Here is my summary." *hands you book*)
English used to be one of my worst subjects. I just couldn't keep all the different parts of speech straight. And to be perfectly honest, some of them just didn't make any sense to me.
And then, something sensational happened! I didn't think so at the time, but that's not the point. It was my eight grade year when I started taking a writing class. I learned how to write and make it interesting so that people would want to keep reading. I started to learn so much, things were beginning to make sense to me. I continued to take the class my freshman year of high school. My sophomore and junior years I took literature classes (English and British lit).
I have so many wonderful memories of those four years, and I wish that it didn't have to end.
I don't remember exactly what year it was that I first tried to write a book, but I do remember the time I realized that I enjoyed writing stories. (I had attempted to write a book before that realization. I know, it's strange.) My sophomore year I had to write a short story for the literature class that I was taking. I had a lot fun writing it, and liked it so much more than the other papers I had to write. And that was the first time I realized that I may want to be an author.
I did think about going into forensic science for a little while. Towards the end of my junior year, my dad told me that I should probably start to consider what I want to do after high school. So I began praying about it, asking God to show me what He created me to do. At the time, I was really interested in forensics, and decided to do more with science as a senior. But about half way through the school year I started losing interest, and came to the conclusion that it wasn't what God wanted for me.
I think it was about May last year that I started thinking that God might want me to write. I mean, He opened the door so that I could take four years of writing/literature. And it was probably June that I started writing more seriously. Since then, I haven't felt God calling me to do anything else.
What about you? When did you first realize that you wanted to write? Have you always enjoyed writing?
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
The Inspire Me Tag
Yay, I got tagged! I can't believe it! *sees everyone staring* *quickly composes self* Ahem... I am calm.
Sorry, I'm just really excited that I got tagged. Honestly, I didn't think I would get tagged so soon, I mean, I only started blogging a couple weeks ago. I'm not complaining though. I'm totally okay with this. :D
So, first I would like to thank Hannah @ Ink Blots and Coffee Stains for tagging me. She made up this tag herself to celebrate her fiftieth post. Isn't that wonderful?!
And this is how it's going to work, people.
RULES
1. Copy these totally amazing and spectacular rules onto your post
2. Smile and twirl in a circle and look at your favorite inspiring thing and take deep breaths as you prepare for my amazingness
3. Thank your gorgeous, lovely tagger
4. Tag five other bloggers (or more. or less. or none. just whatever you want)
5. Have fun and be honest and answer all the questions (and feel free to add some of your own!)
Now *drum roll* the questions!
1. What is one of the most inspiring things to you?
Hmm, there are quite a few, but I think I'll say people. I don't know exactly why, but people are interesting to me. I like to watch people interact with each other. (Don't worry, guys. Like, 90% of the time the people are my friends.) There have been many times when I'll see someone do or say something and it gets my attention. And the first thing that comes to my mind is, "Why?" Why did they do, or say, that? This is basically how I get ideas for characters. Then, when I write, I try to think of different things that may/could have happened to that person to make them who they are today. And then there are those times when I'm walking around a store and meet someone in an aisle. (I don't talk to them, we just pass each other.) I tend to pay attention to how they walk and how they hold themselves. And going off just that, I try to figure out what kind of person they are.
Even though I could probably go on and on with this, I won't. But that's why people are my inspiration.
2. Where do you look for inspiration?
Well, I find that most of the time, I don't have to go looking for inspiration. It does a pretty good job finding me.
When I actually go and look for inspiration, I'd have to agree with Hannah, and say Pinterest. Apparently, quite a few people think that Pinterest is a waste of your time. I say that it depends on what boards and people you're following. Now, I actually use Pinterest to do research sometimes. Yes, that is possible. I also like to read people's blogs. When I actually have new posts to read, that is. And then there was this one time when I couldn't think of an idea for a story, so I googled "writing prompts".
3. When and where does inspiration tend to hit you?
Oh, inspiration really loves to hit me when there is no paper or writing utensils in sight! Sometimes I am convinced that inspiration hates me. (Because that is totally possible.) Some of my best ideas come to me when I can't write them down, which is really annoying because I'm not very good at remembering things for my WIP. And then later, I try to remember the great idea I had for that scene, but I can't. At least, not until three days later... after I've already written the scene.
Most of the time, inspiration hits me when I'm doing tasks that are simple or don't require a lot of concentration. I've found that when I'm doing tasks like that, my mind wanders, and I think of a wide variety of things, which can then lead to this great idea.
4. What's the first thing you do when inspiration strikes?
If it's a really great idea (great ideas are ones that get me really excited) I just stand (or sit) there and stare at nothing in particular for a few seconds. And then, I look around, trying not to look frantic, for a pen and paper. Once I have them, I write as quickly as possible, because it's the great ideas that will come and then just leave before I can blink.
To help you understand what happens. Here's what it's like for me: You enter your house to find a burglar rummaging through you stuff. He looks up, and when he sees you, he runs out the back door. But you were able to see his face because he wasn't wearing a mask or anything. Later, when the cops ask you to describe him, you struggle to remember because you only got a glimpse of what he looked like.
So, after I write it down, it doesn't sound as good as it was when I first thought of it. But I do manage to get the main idea.
5. What's the most inspiring book/song/website/etc. you've found?
Umm, I don't really have a specific one. Different books, songs, and websites inspire me at different times. It depends on the day and how I'm feeling. I know it's not really helpful, but I really never know what's going to inspire me until it actually happens.
But I suppose I could give you a song that is almost always inspiring. "Believe" by Josh Groban (if you've seen The Polar Express, then more than likely, you've heard this).
6. What's one piece of advice you would give to people struggling for inspiration?
If you're struggling for inspiration, my suggestion is to look back at your WIP, whether finished, started, or somewhere in the middle. Try to remember what inspired you to write that. Most of the writers I know, seem to go looking for inspiration. But I almost never do (most of my greatest ideas came to me when I least expected it). Just because it works for everyone else, doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work for you to. Try to figure out what works for you. It may take a long time, but that's okay. Be patient.
There you have it. I tried not to be confusing, but if you have any questions, any at all, please feel free to ask. :)
I'm going to tag three people. Yes, I know, it's not five, but the rules say that I can tag less if I want to. The ones I'm tagging are:
Sorry, I'm just really excited that I got tagged. Honestly, I didn't think I would get tagged so soon, I mean, I only started blogging a couple weeks ago. I'm not complaining though. I'm totally okay with this. :D
So, first I would like to thank Hannah @ Ink Blots and Coffee Stains for tagging me. She made up this tag herself to celebrate her fiftieth post. Isn't that wonderful?!
And this is how it's going to work, people.
RULES
1. Copy these totally amazing and spectacular rules onto your post
2. Smile and twirl in a circle and look at your favorite inspiring thing and take deep breaths as you prepare for my amazingness
3. Thank your gorgeous, lovely tagger
4. Tag five other bloggers (or more. or less. or none. just whatever you want)
5. Have fun and be honest and answer all the questions (and feel free to add some of your own!)
Now *drum roll* the questions!
1. What is one of the most inspiring things to you?
Hmm, there are quite a few, but I think I'll say people. I don't know exactly why, but people are interesting to me. I like to watch people interact with each other. (Don't worry, guys. Like, 90% of the time the people are my friends.) There have been many times when I'll see someone do or say something and it gets my attention. And the first thing that comes to my mind is, "Why?" Why did they do, or say, that? This is basically how I get ideas for characters. Then, when I write, I try to think of different things that may/could have happened to that person to make them who they are today. And then there are those times when I'm walking around a store and meet someone in an aisle. (I don't talk to them, we just pass each other.) I tend to pay attention to how they walk and how they hold themselves. And going off just that, I try to figure out what kind of person they are.
Even though I could probably go on and on with this, I won't. But that's why people are my inspiration.
2. Where do you look for inspiration?
Well, I find that most of the time, I don't have to go looking for inspiration. It does a pretty good job finding me.
When I actually go and look for inspiration, I'd have to agree with Hannah, and say Pinterest. Apparently, quite a few people think that Pinterest is a waste of your time. I say that it depends on what boards and people you're following. Now, I actually use Pinterest to do research sometimes. Yes, that is possible. I also like to read people's blogs. When I actually have new posts to read, that is. And then there was this one time when I couldn't think of an idea for a story, so I googled "writing prompts".
3. When and where does inspiration tend to hit you?
Oh, inspiration really loves to hit me when there is no paper or writing utensils in sight! Sometimes I am convinced that inspiration hates me. (Because that is totally possible.) Some of my best ideas come to me when I can't write them down, which is really annoying because I'm not very good at remembering things for my WIP. And then later, I try to remember the great idea I had for that scene, but I can't. At least, not until three days later... after I've already written the scene.
Most of the time, inspiration hits me when I'm doing tasks that are simple or don't require a lot of concentration. I've found that when I'm doing tasks like that, my mind wanders, and I think of a wide variety of things, which can then lead to this great idea.
4. What's the first thing you do when inspiration strikes?
If it's a really great idea (great ideas are ones that get me really excited) I just stand (or sit) there and stare at nothing in particular for a few seconds. And then, I look around, trying not to look frantic, for a pen and paper. Once I have them, I write as quickly as possible, because it's the great ideas that will come and then just leave before I can blink.
To help you understand what happens. Here's what it's like for me: You enter your house to find a burglar rummaging through you stuff. He looks up, and when he sees you, he runs out the back door. But you were able to see his face because he wasn't wearing a mask or anything. Later, when the cops ask you to describe him, you struggle to remember because you only got a glimpse of what he looked like.
So, after I write it down, it doesn't sound as good as it was when I first thought of it. But I do manage to get the main idea.
5. What's the most inspiring book/song/website/etc. you've found?
Umm, I don't really have a specific one. Different books, songs, and websites inspire me at different times. It depends on the day and how I'm feeling. I know it's not really helpful, but I really never know what's going to inspire me until it actually happens.
But I suppose I could give you a song that is almost always inspiring. "Believe" by Josh Groban (if you've seen The Polar Express, then more than likely, you've heard this).
6. What's one piece of advice you would give to people struggling for inspiration?
If you're struggling for inspiration, my suggestion is to look back at your WIP, whether finished, started, or somewhere in the middle. Try to remember what inspired you to write that. Most of the writers I know, seem to go looking for inspiration. But I almost never do (most of my greatest ideas came to me when I least expected it). Just because it works for everyone else, doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work for you to. Try to figure out what works for you. It may take a long time, but that's okay. Be patient.
There you have it. I tried not to be confusing, but if you have any questions, any at all, please feel free to ask. :)
I'm going to tag three people. Yes, I know, it's not five, but the rules say that I can tag less if I want to. The ones I'm tagging are:
If you like this tag though, and you want to do it, consider yourself tagged! :) If I tagged you, and you don't want to do it, you don't have to. There's no pressure.
So what inspires you?
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Goals for the Year 2017
I've seen so many bloggers posting their goals for the year, so I figured I would share my own with you. Yes, I know I'm a little late, but at least I'm getting it up now. I mean, at least it's not goals for the month, because then we might have a problem. :P
So obviously, you don't know what my goals were for last year, since I didn't have a blog yet. Don't worry though, you didn't miss anything, because I didn't have any. But I did do some things last year that would have been goals... if I had thought of them at the beginning of the year and not the middle.
2016's Accomplishments
// I read 63 books. Yeah, so I set a goal for 100, but that wasn't until March. By then, I had only read 5 books. And you should probably know that reading that many books in a year was a very ambitious goal for me, because I was trying to go from reading maybe 25 books in a year to 100.
// I participated in NaNoWriMo. Oh, I didn't even think about doing this until October. I didn't even know what it was until I started following blogs (which wasn't until somewhere between March and April last year). So, I had been reading blog posts about NaNo and ways you could prepare for it. And then, a week and a half before it was supposed to start, I decided I wanted to participate. Yes, you read that correctly. I am happy to say that I was ready by the time NaNo started, and came out of it with a word count of 105K. :)
// I wrote the rough draft of two books and about half of another two. So if you put it together, I wrote the rough drafts of... three books? This may or may not be surprising, but that was the first time I actually wrote the whole rough draft of a book. Thank you, NaNo!
// I started a blog. Well, I created it and set it up last year, but I didn't post until this year. It took me a while to get here though. Ever since I began following blogs, I've been wanting to start a blog of my own. Although it took about 8 months to build up enough courage, as you can see, I finally did it. :)
That's basically it for last year. For not having any goals for 2016, I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish. Before I go on to my goals for this year, I will say that I've never done the whole new year's resolutions thing. And at first, it seemed like listing my goals for the year was a lot like making resolutions. But then, I realized that it's really more like a to-do list. Now that's something I can do. I've just never made one for the whole year before. Anyways, here they are.
2017's Goals
1. Write the rough draft of 1 book. Yes, I know I wrote two last year, but that was last year. I'm expecting this year to be busier, so I'm trying not to make it to hard for myself. (At least for now anyway.) I may end up writing 2, who knows?
2. Edit 2 books. Well, I'm happy to say that this one is already off to a pretty good start. I really enjoy editing. Before I did NaNo, I would have said that I liked editing more than writing the rough draft, but now I don't really know. There are things about both that I really like. Maybe I'll come to a conclusion this year (hopefully).
3. Read 70 books. Look! I'm being more realistic this year! (I think?) Before I actually decided on that number, I had to do a little math. I should be able to reach this goal in only 10 out of 12 months. It's very likely that I won't get much reading done in November, due to NaNo. And since I'm a counselor at a summer camp, it's difficult to say how much reading I'll have time for while I'm there.
4. Journal more. I was doing a pretty good job last year. At least in March and April, and then it started going down hill. *shifts uncomfortably* But I'm going to try to do better this year. I'm even thinking about starting a spiritual journal.
5. Take 2 English classes. If you've read the page about me, then you know that I've graduated high school. I'm not going to college, but I am planning to take some classes that will help me with my writing career.
6. Beta read 1 book. I didn't even know there was such a thing as beta reading until I started following blogs! I think I would like to eventually send out one of my own books to beta readers, but I don't think that will happen this year. Maybe next year, though.
7. Study the Bible more and strengthen my relationship with God. As I get older, I realize more and more, how important my relationship with God is. Now that I'm 18, legally an adult, I find that I have more responsibility and I have to make a lot of life decisions. It can be overwhelming sometimes, and I find myself going to God more and more, because I know that I can't do this on my own. And in doing that, I have realized the importance of my relationship with Him.
So there you have it. My goals for this year. What did you accomplish last year? Have you made any goals for this year?
So obviously, you don't know what my goals were for last year, since I didn't have a blog yet. Don't worry though, you didn't miss anything, because I didn't have any. But I did do some things last year that would have been goals... if I had thought of them at the beginning of the year and not the middle.
2016's Accomplishments
// I read 63 books. Yeah, so I set a goal for 100, but that wasn't until March. By then, I had only read 5 books. And you should probably know that reading that many books in a year was a very ambitious goal for me, because I was trying to go from reading maybe 25 books in a year to 100.
// I participated in NaNoWriMo. Oh, I didn't even think about doing this until October. I didn't even know what it was until I started following blogs (which wasn't until somewhere between March and April last year). So, I had been reading blog posts about NaNo and ways you could prepare for it. And then, a week and a half before it was supposed to start, I decided I wanted to participate. Yes, you read that correctly. I am happy to say that I was ready by the time NaNo started, and came out of it with a word count of 105K. :)
// I wrote the rough draft of two books and about half of another two. So if you put it together, I wrote the rough drafts of... three books? This may or may not be surprising, but that was the first time I actually wrote the whole rough draft of a book. Thank you, NaNo!
// I started a blog. Well, I created it and set it up last year, but I didn't post until this year. It took me a while to get here though. Ever since I began following blogs, I've been wanting to start a blog of my own. Although it took about 8 months to build up enough courage, as you can see, I finally did it. :)
That's basically it for last year. For not having any goals for 2016, I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish. Before I go on to my goals for this year, I will say that I've never done the whole new year's resolutions thing. And at first, it seemed like listing my goals for the year was a lot like making resolutions. But then, I realized that it's really more like a to-do list. Now that's something I can do. I've just never made one for the whole year before. Anyways, here they are.
2017's Goals
1. Write the rough draft of 1 book. Yes, I know I wrote two last year, but that was last year. I'm expecting this year to be busier, so I'm trying not to make it to hard for myself. (At least for now anyway.) I may end up writing 2, who knows?
2. Edit 2 books. Well, I'm happy to say that this one is already off to a pretty good start. I really enjoy editing. Before I did NaNo, I would have said that I liked editing more than writing the rough draft, but now I don't really know. There are things about both that I really like. Maybe I'll come to a conclusion this year (hopefully).
3. Read 70 books. Look! I'm being more realistic this year! (I think?) Before I actually decided on that number, I had to do a little math. I should be able to reach this goal in only 10 out of 12 months. It's very likely that I won't get much reading done in November, due to NaNo. And since I'm a counselor at a summer camp, it's difficult to say how much reading I'll have time for while I'm there.
4. Journal more. I was doing a pretty good job last year. At least in March and April, and then it started going down hill. *shifts uncomfortably* But I'm going to try to do better this year. I'm even thinking about starting a spiritual journal.
5. Take 2 English classes. If you've read the page about me, then you know that I've graduated high school. I'm not going to college, but I am planning to take some classes that will help me with my writing career.
6. Beta read 1 book. I didn't even know there was such a thing as beta reading until I started following blogs! I think I would like to eventually send out one of my own books to beta readers, but I don't think that will happen this year. Maybe next year, though.
7. Study the Bible more and strengthen my relationship with God. As I get older, I realize more and more, how important my relationship with God is. Now that I'm 18, legally an adult, I find that I have more responsibility and I have to make a lot of life decisions. It can be overwhelming sometimes, and I find myself going to God more and more, because I know that I can't do this on my own. And in doing that, I have realized the importance of my relationship with Him.
So there you have it. My goals for this year. What did you accomplish last year? Have you made any goals for this year?
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Welcome to My Blog
Hello, friends, enemies, those of you who are on the fence. Welcome to my blog! This is my first blog ever, so I'm really excited and, at the same time, really nervous.
Why I'm Here
1) I love to write. This blog will allow me to write more, practice writing, and *gulp* share my writing. It will also help me to figure out, understand, and organize my own thoughts. (It's a confusing place, my head.)
2) Encouragement. I think that everyone needs encouragement, to a certain degree anyway. I want to encourage others, and this is one of the ways I can do that. As an aspiring author, I myself, will need a lot of encouragement. Those of you who are writers, know exactly why I say that. Writing is no walk in the park, people! On the contrary, writing is actually pretty much in between fun and torture. Okay, fine. It's usually a lot closer to torture.
3) Connecting. I want to connect with other aspiring authors and already published authors. I want to give and receive help, tips, and encouragement from people who love writing as much as I do. Besides, fellow writers are really the only ones who can understand and relate to the struggles all writers go through, in my opinion.
I will say that there are a few blogs that I've been following for, roughly, the past nine months. Obviously, that means I know exactly what I'm doing. Not really. Any advice or tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Because I'm new at this, I don't know how often I will be posting. Right now, I'm shooting for at least once a week. Who knows, maybe it will end up being more. :)
But I don't want to leave without giving a huge thank you to Liz @ Out of Coffee, Out of Mind for taking the time to help me set up this blog. She was also the one who came up with the title. Isn't she creative? Thank you so much, Liz!
Why I'm Here
1) I love to write. This blog will allow me to write more, practice writing, and *gulp* share my writing. It will also help me to figure out, understand, and organize my own thoughts. (It's a confusing place, my head.)
2) Encouragement. I think that everyone needs encouragement, to a certain degree anyway. I want to encourage others, and this is one of the ways I can do that. As an aspiring author, I myself, will need a lot of encouragement. Those of you who are writers, know exactly why I say that. Writing is no walk in the park, people! On the contrary, writing is actually pretty much in between fun and torture. Okay, fine. It's usually a lot closer to torture.
3) Connecting. I want to connect with other aspiring authors and already published authors. I want to give and receive help, tips, and encouragement from people who love writing as much as I do. Besides, fellow writers are really the only ones who can understand and relate to the struggles all writers go through, in my opinion.
I will say that there are a few blogs that I've been following for, roughly, the past nine months. Obviously, that means I know exactly what I'm doing. Not really. Any advice or tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Because I'm new at this, I don't know how often I will be posting. Right now, I'm shooting for at least once a week. Who knows, maybe it will end up being more. :)
But I don't want to leave without giving a huge thank you to Liz @ Out of Coffee, Out of Mind for taking the time to help me set up this blog. She was also the one who came up with the title. Isn't she creative? Thank you so much, Liz!
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