Why I'm Tempted to Decorate for Christmas

I'm making this post because so many of my friends and family have already started their Christmas season. I'm tempted to go ahead with the Christmas spirit....very tempted in fact. There is nothing I love more than the soft glow of Christmas lights and the smell of peppermint tea and hot chocolate. Christmas music playing over the radio while my blog has little snow flakes cascading down the screen (if I can't have snow in real life I must make substitutes). However, I get tired of it. 

Yes, I get tired of Christmas. Very tired in fact. Christmas music, hot chocolate, and especially Christmas decorations get on my nerves after about the first two weeks. That's why I usually wait until two weeks before Christmas to get into the spirit. 

All the same though, I have a bunch of really neat ideas I want to try out this year in my decorating! Also, the girls and I are planning a Christmas photo shoot! But, I must wait until it's actually Christmas time. I don't really want fall to end, this has been one of the best falls of my life--so I really don't want it to be over. Winter's tone has yet to be revealed to me. 

So now I'm stuck in that awkward period where there's really nothing to do. There's nothing to do for Thanksgiving, and I won't let myself give into my Christmas urge just yet. So what do I do? :( Other than NaNoWrMo not much. Schools been really heavy as of late, so I've been busy with that. I think I did well on my science test though, so that's a relief!

 Praise the Lord for that! :D 

My story is going well, I've created a new concept for the book, so I'm taking some time to construct that. :) 

I do not own this image

I'm also working on developing Johanna's viewpoint/narration. Johanna is a very cynical, suspicious, dangerous, and logical young woman. However, she is also 18, so what I'm trying to decide is whether or not she'd use a lot of slang in her speak and how vulnerable I need to make her. I believe she would, but I'm still undecided on how much slang I will use. With vulnerability, I want to present her as strong and stable, but at the same time susceptible to the pains that come with youth.

I do not own this image 

I start Johanna out in the books as very cold and logical, but as time progresses she comes to become more 'human' and less robot. This is primarily due to Carrick's influence on her and how he helps her to grow in her humanity and compassion. He doesn't carry her, but he helps her to see that everything isn't black and white. It's a big character growth for her, however in Book Three this is threatened....but I won't go into why.


Any-who, it's been a busy plotting day. I've actually made a full timeline of how the evil government in the book came into being. I'm also working on the biography of a main character in the series.

I do not own this image

I write biographies of many of my characters so I can fully understand where they are coming from. I believe it helps me to give them more original voices and really makes them stick out a little more. I don't go into everyone's back story, because that would get old really fast--but I do use their stories to influence their decisions later. This woman ^ has a really tragic/interesting story. I'm looking forward to writing her again in books two and three! 

Wow, how did this post go from Christmas to writing? Man, this is happening all the time now. 0_0 Okay, back to winter.

I'm looking forward to several things this winter, one of them being (of course) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I am royally freaking out over this movie! I'm just so excited! I won't spill a lot of the things I'm looking forward to seeing/not looking forward to seeing for the sake of spoilers. 

I'm, of course, looking forward to Christmas, Christmas break, and some of the holiday fun that my family and I have. 

I've even made my Christmas list for this year. Yes, I still do this....come on, it's presents! 

An IPod, yea, I'm giving into the urge. I want an IPod SO badly!

A Walking Dead Hoodie from Her Universe 

"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Greene 

"Allegiant" By Veronica Roth 

Supernatural Fandom stuff. Anything really, necklaces, bracelets, shirts...anything just so long as it's Supernatural! 

That's pretty much it as of now, and that's a lot seeing how I want an IPod! 0_0 

Well, that's about all I've got to spit out right now. I've got to go to sleep now and get up early to spend more time on the book. Yep, everything is about the book now. But believe it or not, I'm finding it hard to focus. It's been so long since writing was my main priority, it's hard to get back into gear, but I'm coping! :) 

However, at the moment I'm mad because Carrick's not doing what I want him to do. Seriously dude! I made you! I brought you into this world and I'll take you out! 

Seriously, my writing mood has been shifting so much lately. One minute I'm happy, but then things go sour...mainly over Carrick. 

I start out good

Then something happens

And I look at my old work

And I realize

That while I may have thought I was pretty clever at some point

The truth is I'm screwed up. 

Oh well, see you next time! 

It's Been a Roller Coaster

My week so far has been nothing but a roller coaster of sorts. 

Things have been so crazy, out of whack, stressful, and wonderful. 

My week has been so insane it's only fitting that I'm trying to add such a substantial project to it. Writing has been going slowly these past two days due to the limited amount of time I have to devote to it. However, it is still going and I'm not giving up yet. 

I know that I failed to post yesterday, and shame on me for that error. I'm afraid that with my school, friends and the singing practice I had to go to last night--I was unable to make even a minuscule amount of time for blogging. However, I'm here now. 

So what exactly was I doing yesterday while I was absent? Mainly photo shoots, we were finally able to have our first real fall shoot! The pictures turned out really well! 

All of my beautiful friends! :D I was really very happy with how the pictures turned out! 

Then there was/is a lot of stress right now. It's a new phase here...and a lot is changing. Besides the usual stress of the last month of school, there's some other stress too. I know it's a good new phase, but I'm not good at not knowing all of the particulars. I'm a planner, I like the I's dotted and the T's crossed...so learning to let go and allow God to take over is very hard for me. I will probably make a post about this later next week. I'm not sure though...

With the stress and the new phase that I'm in...I'm finding that I have to fight a battle to stay focused--hint at the first picture on the post. My mind is a wandering mind, so when there is something a little more fun to think about--I tend to go with it. However, I have a science test Thursday that I have to really study for and a research paper I have to do. I'm nervous for both accounts....so keep me in your prayers there! 

The research paper should just be annoying, the science test is a big deal. I had to present an oral report of my research paper today in class! 0_0 I was so nervous! The teacher liked my topic though and he thought I explained it well, so that's good. Really, to be honest, all I did was get up there and go:

But enough of that, onto the writing! How has it been coming? Well, well....slow at the moment because of schedule but well because I have a boatload of ideas I want down on paper! :D I'm also to the part where I get to write about the ever insane Dag....he's my favorite!

Even mad men have stories...

 I can hardly wait until I get back into his head again! It's been a while, so I may be rusty--but hopefully I'll be able to pick up where I left off. He's actually the only character I've cried over...but I won't give out any spoilers right now. Basically he doesn't end well and his past is tragic so after months--and I mean MONTHS--of writing him and trying to understand him, he became my special baby. You know, brain child I suppose. More so than any of the others. He's very special. Sad thing is writing him actually affects my mood! 0_0 

He's so sarcastic, witty, crazy and sour that sometimes--after writing him for hours--I find myself becoming overly critical and sarcastic. Not that I'm not already a tad--okay....majorly--cynical to begin with. 

Any-who, it's still fun to write him and I'm already planning on an early morning tomorrow so I can get in some quality time with my babies! :D

Lovers

Writers are dangerous creatures....we can kill anyone we want without penalty and torture people beyond recognition. We are creators and destroyers of worlds. 

And all of it comes with the single flick of a pen. 

So yes, writing is going well. 

I've been trying to keep up with my writing as well as I can with this busy weekend. Friday it was a spend the night, Saturday it was work and today is school work. Tomorrow will be friends again, and Tuesday is class. 0_0 It's almost insane to say that on top of everything else that's going on in my life--that I'm trying to write a novel. It's completely deranged, but there again so am I. It fits well I suppose. 

Today's current 'thought' is on my characters. Primarily the love interests. For those of you that don't know--the two love interests of my main character Johanna are Alan and Wolfe 

I made the collage, but I don't own the pictures. All credit to their respective owners. 

While my story isn't about the romance, there is a small romantic element to it...but only marginally. I'm not big into love stories, and since this is all about war--I try to make their story more...gritty. 

Okay, first love interest is Alan. 

He's more of the secretive loner, but unlike most 'loner lovers', Alan is a very compassionate and caring person. He's protective, that's one of his biggest aspects. However, as the story progresses he has to come to grips with the fact that he can't protect the people he really cares for. He also has a dark secret that he never wants to come to light, and while he knows what he did was for the best of his family--he still regrets the fact that he was pushed down to that level.

Alan is a bit aloof and has trouble accepting help. His strength is quiet; he doesn't make a very big deal out of being strong in difficult situations. Alan is Johanna's rock really, and his calm demeanor soothes her in the chaos. She doesn't rely on him exclusively for strength, but he does help her. Basically, Alan is a strong man who can handle a strong woman. Their relationship is much more evenly divided and both draw stability from the other. 

Alan is the 'good guy' in this story. I hate books where the girl is primarily attracted to the male lead because of how attractive he is, or 'cool' he seems. Most male leads are jerks, and that's a dangerous image to sell to young girls. Telling them that a 'bad boy' isn't something they should be wary of is very VERY dangerous! Here's a little tip--bad boys are just that--they are bad. DON'T get involved with them. 

The second love interest is Wolfe, and he's more of the "bad guy".

Wolfe is arrogant, self absorbed, yet ferociously loyal. 

Wolfe comes from a difficult situation, and carries a lot of anger around in him. He's the polar opposite of Alan in that while Alan is burdened by guilt--Wolfe is burdened with hate. Wolfe's isn't dangerous, but he does have some issues. So a question you may be asking is why would I put a 'bad boy' in the book if I'm so opposed to romanticizing the bad guy image? Well, that's just it...to show it's no good. Wolfe is a troubled individual, and Johanna does become involved with him as a friend to start with. However, their relationship crumbles as Wolfe becomes more and more engrossed in his anger. 

There are good points to Wolfe, one of them being that he is very loyal. Wolfe isn't really the betraying type. He's a bit self absorbed and cocky, but he's not a traitor. He's also a protector, but not ins the same way Alan is. Wolfe is more of a clumsy protector, he wants very much to keep the people he cares about safe--but his own selfishness gets in the way a lot. 

Wolfe's journey is one of redemption. His struggle is with his own selfishness, and while he does pull himself away--Johanna does NOT carry him through it. Wolfe changes yes, but not completely. He's a complex character with a lot of major flaws, which ultimately leads Johanna away from him. 

The two are polar opposites, even though they come from similar situations. Alan had a difficult past, but has chosen to not let it turn him into a monster. He fights against it. Wolfe has let his past take over, and he has directed all his anger at others. Johanna's relationship with Alan is healthy, and her's with Wolfe is unhealthy.

I've recently really started focusing on the details of these relationships, and it was a really big decision for me. Since I knew that both men needed to be different, but at the same time still have some common element that attracted Johanna to them--I decided to make on relationship good and the other not so much. I want to show that a good man, even though he may not be the 'coolest' of the two is always the better choice.

I also wanted to dispel this. 

I don't claim to be a great orator of the way love should be, but I do believe that selling the bad boy image to young girls is dangerous. So I don't want to do that with my writing. Again, I'm no great lover...as you all know...when it comes to love I'm just sitting in my corner like this: 

Haha, see y'all next time! 

Happy First Day of National Novel Writing Month!

Hello, lovely bloggers! Today as you know is the first day of National Novel Writing Month! Yes, finally the blessed month has returned! Now it's time to buckle down and force those stories onto the page! 

Just so you know, I will be posting everyday (or every other day on my school days) for this month. I will do mostly writing posts, just updates on progress. I know, boring but I will try to make it funny. :) If I have a life update I may throw it in there, but to be honest--when I'm on this binge my social life is non-existent. 

I completed NaNoWriMo last year, writing the third installment in my book series. This year I will be revising the first one--and by revising I mean completely rewriting it. Some of you may say that this isn't really completing a novel for NaNoWriMo, so I will explain.

I have decided to completely overhaul the book, nothing will be kept from the original. I've revised the characters, story line, and even the world they live in. Everything has to be re-written from scratch. So that brings me here on the very first day of NaNoWriMo! 

My mood today is excited and hopeful! The excited part comes not only from the anticipation of writing a new book, but also from the large Mocha I am currently consuming! 

Yea, good thing the mug is hiding my face--it's seven in the morning and I stayed up late last night for Halloween. Also I have a goodly supply of sweets---beware! 

So whether or not you are in NaNoWriMo, or whatever your goals are--Happy National Novel Writing Month to all of you! I hope that (to all the writers out there) that you accomplish more than you ever thought possible! 

You know....fun thought to think that somewhere, out there, a masterpiece may be about to be written! :D 

So good luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor! 

My Last Day as an Eighteen Year Old!

It's been a long day; most of it spent on the road. Between lugging around countless pieces of luggage to driving six hours my energy level drained out completely. Yet, despite my sleepy state, I'm still excited because tomorrow is my nineteenth birthday! 

Little ole me is finally turning nineteen this year! It's been a thrilling journey to this point, one with a lot of pitfalls and joys. While I know there will be plenty more highs and lows, I'm looking forward to this next chapter of my life! :D My nineteenth year begins within a few hours!

I continue to tell myself what a wonderful period this part of my life is, and how fortunate I am to have had such a wonderful eighteenth year! I still have a lot of spiritual growing to do, and a lot of learning ahead of me, but I will continue to challenge myself to put my trust in the Lord, for he is the master of all things and the guardian of my soul! 

Everyone around me seems to be growing up so fast! Many of my friends will be either turning nineteen this year, graduating High School, or learning to drive for the first time! Big milestones are being reached in our little group, and it fills me with never ending joy! Seeing my friends and their lives beginning to blossom and grow is a happy time! Although, I will say, the driving part does have everyone a little freaked out! :D

Any who, this past week we have been on a vacation to the beach, and we loved every minute of it! My sister was actually very sad about coming home! :( I have a lot of snapshots I'd like to share, but for now I think I'll just post a few!

Last night, such a beautiful display! 

We went to eat at a yummy seafood restaurant with my grandparents the night before we left. On the way home my siblings and I decided to have some fun! 

Got up early to take a last few pictures of the ocean. I'm already missing it! 

We got back in good ole Georgia heartland after lunch time! I was glad to head home, despite my love of the ocean!  

Us being silly! I love this girl! She is such an amazing person and friend! :D So grateful to have her in my life!

Not long after we got home my amazing friend Jessie (whose mom had been keeping the farm for us!) came over and we had a girl's night in! We laughed, talked and celebrated over a delicious dinner of Subway and a few episodes of 'Say Yes to the Dress!' We generally goofed off and clowned around the entire evening, and had a complete blast! I've really missed seeing her! With her work life being so busy these past few weeks, I hadn't gotten to see her for almost a month! It was good to reconnect and spend an evening having fun! 

Well, that's my last eighteen year old day. It was beautiful, sad, exciting, magical, and scary all at the same time! Thanks so much to my Lord who continues to provide, protect and love me everyday! Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with me during this past year, and to all of you who have listened to my rants and boring news over and over again! Thanks to everyone who stood, and continue to stand, beside me as I grow into the woman God wants me to be!

Thanks to everyone!

317 Power Words That'll Instantly Make You a Better Writer!

317 Power Words That'll Instantly Make You a Better Writer!

Ever feel like you're using the same old words over and over? For help, look no further than this list of new and exciting words that will boost your writing up to a ten! 

How to Show (Not Tell) Paranoia, Hope and Other Moods

   How to Show (Not Tell) Paranoia, Hope, and Other Moods

Brilliant is the best word I can think of to describe this article! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This has served almost as a bible to me in my writing these past few weeks! Since I deal mainly with characters who move through complex emotions, and mainly paranoia, this piece really helped me to convey their feelings without actually spitting it out at the reader!

P.S. The Book of the Month will be late this time, a lot of things have come up so I don't have much time for posting! But, I can tell you that the next Book of the Month will be Ender's Game. By Orson Scott Card.