BETHLEHEM.

Bethlehem.

It just sounds magical, doesn't it?

I don't mean magic in the way that it is normally defined. I'm not talking about what makes reindeer fly, or snowmen come to life. I'm talking about miracles, and true stories that stir an indescribable feeling in our hearts. Special times that we hold onto and treasure.

It's funny how there are certain words that don't just sound like normal words to me anymore. Bethlehem is one of them. Speaking the word, hearing it-- it carries such an incredible feeling, a supernatural feeling that fills our hearts with joy. When I hear the word, I think of a sacred night long ago, when a young girl found no place to lay her newborn baby but a manger. A shining star over the 
city. Shepherds leaving their fields to come and see the newborn king.

Maybe it sounds strange to connect such emotion to a simple word, but no name of any other city sounds quite so special as Bethlehem.

For anybody who celebrates Christmas, the name brings to mind the wonderful Christmas story and how this holiday began. For those of us who know that Child personally, all these centuries later... it brings to mind so much more than a story. It brings hope, love, peace, and yes, magic. Magic greater than Santa Claus could ever create.

There are some things I just can't describe. I guess the way this word, Bethlehem, sounds to me is one of them. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. But when I hear Bethlehem, I think of Christmas. Of all the Christmas Eves I've listened to my parents read my favorite Bible story. Mary, whose world was turned upside down but who took it gracefully. Joseph, who stayed beside her and trusted God's plan. Jesus, that innocent baby who was born just to sacrifice His life to save us from our sins. A magic of its own kind.

So it doesn't matter where I hear the word or who says it. Whether it's on a Rankin Bass special about a long-eared donkey...

...or The Nativity Story...

... or one of my favorite Christmas songs...

Bethlehem is magical. And I hope you can feel the same magic I do.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem... (Luke 2:4)

A Review of Karen Kingsbury's/Hallmark's THE BRIDGE

Wow, you guys. It's almost Christmas. I can't believe how fast this holiday season has gone by. I feel like Thanksgiving was just last week and now here we are with Christmas next week!

Anyway, today I'm sharing with you guys about one of my new favorite Christmas stories-- The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury. (I'm going to be talking about the book and the movie.)

Last year I watched the two-part movie for the first time and really liked it. I remember really liking the actors (especially Katie Findlay) and of course I loved that it was about a bookstore. So this year I finally read the book and I loved it.

I'm going to be reviewing both the book and the movie and comparing them. I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum (or at least warn you before I give any, ha).

THE BOOK

This book tells the story of Charlie and Donna Barton, a very special couple who runs a very special bookstore in Franklin, Tennessee: The Bridge. Here, people find not only book recommendations but loving advice and friendship.

Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly are music students who have an unusually special connection, and the Bridge plays a big part in bringing them together. But due to misunderstanding and deception, Molly and Ryan are torn apart. They go their separate ways and pursue their dreams.

Now, seven years later back in Franklin, things are going downhill fast for Charlie and Donna. The Bridge was hit by a flood and all the books were destroyed. Now the Bartons, already struggling financially, have to face the possibility of losing their beloved bookstore too. What's more, Charlie is in an accident and lands in the hospital. 

Ryan, having just come off the road, hears about the hard times the Bartons are going through and is determined to help. He encourages people to pray for Charlie and to donate books to restock the bookstore. Across the country, Molly hears about everything that's going on in Tennessee and can't help but go back.

Needless to say, she and Ryan reunite. And I'll stop there so I don't give anything else away.

I guess I was a little surprised with how much I liked this book. Partly because I really haven't read a lot of Karen Kingbury's books at all, and I don't usually read much in the romance genre. Or maybe because I always feel like when I watch a movie adaptation first, I won't enjoy the book the same way I would have if it was the way I first experienced the story. But I almost like the book even more.(More on why later.)

I just love the two couples in this book. Charlie and Donna are such good people, opening their bookstore up to everybody and treating them and thinking of them like family. And Molly and Ryan... they just have one of those relationships where, even though they're fictional people, you root for them and just hate to see them separate. They care so much about each other that they do what they think is best for the other person even though it means heartache for themselves.
The book nerd in me also loves how they connect over a book. Even though I've never read Jane Eyre, I love the quote "I would do anything for you, sir. Anything that was right" and how it was used in the story.

And the way this book ends, the way everything wraps up, is just so heartwarming and fulfilling. So much love and generosity and Christmas spirit and it's just so sweet. 

THE MOVIE

Like I said, I saw the movie before the book and loved it. The main storyline is the same, but there are some details that were changed for the movie. For example, Molly and Ryan are 25 instead of 29-ish, and they knew each other in college for two months as opposed to two years in the book. When they reunite Ryan's life is basically the same as it was in the book; he's been touring, playing for different people, but (mild spoilers ahead) Molly's is pretty different. In the book her father has died and she is running an animal shelter, and also playing in a symphony. In the movie her father is still alive and Molly is working for him, about to take over as CEO of the company, and dating Preston, the guy who she's been expected to marry basically her whole life.

I liked this part better in the book, because even after Ryan and Molly parted ways, they were still encouraged by one another to follow their dreams and make the decisions that were best for them and other people in the long run. It's just kind of sad in the movie to see Molly, mostly, having given in to her father's plans for her even when she knows that's not what she really wants.

But, like I said, basically everything else story-wise is the same. The heartwarming ending happens almost exactly the same way and is just as heartwarming.

The movie was released in two parts (which infuriated everybody who watched the first part in 2015 and didn't realize that they wouldn't get to see the next part until next Christmas), and I actually like that. There have been other movies that were made into more than one part and it was just unnecessary. But in this case, I felt like it was actually a really good move. Like I said, I love Ryan and Molly's relationship, and I think we needed that extra screen time to see them meet and have plenty of time to connect. In the book their entire relationship happened in flashbacks, which worked, but I love being able to experience it in the movie in "real time", if you will. At no time in the movie did it feel like they were just trying to fill up time because they made it into two parts. 

Another thing I loved about the movie, which I've already mentioned, was the actors. I think Wyatt Nash and Katie Findlay had really good chemistry, which is necessary because of the connection Molly and Ryan have. And Faith Ford and Ted McGinley totally fill the parent-like, loving roles of Charlie and Donna. Except for the fact that Molly and Ryan are younger and a little different in physical appearance, I can completely picture the actors from the movie in their respective roles when I read the book.

So, I guess when it comes right down to it, the book and the movie are pretty even for me. Both have their advantages, and regardless of whatever differences there might have been, I love the story. If you enjoy Christmas romances/inspirational stories, you should check it out. (... that felt like a school report. Sorry.)

Thanks so much for reading! I feel like this review was kind of allll over the place but I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you all are having a fantastic holiday season! We're so close to Christmas-- everybody squeeze the last little bit of Christmas joy out of these next few days.

Have you read or watched The Bridge? What are some of your favorite Christmas stories (books or movies)? How has your Christmas season been? Any special plans? (I know that was a lot of questions, but hey, I love Christmas, so let's chat!)

Also, stay tuned for my special Christmas post on Christmas Eve!

Know the Novel Part 3!

Hi guys! Today I'm doing the third part of Christine's Know the Novel linkup. Although I didn't do the second part, I've had fun with parts one and three and I'm so glad I've gotten to participate!

Sooo, here we go!

1. Firstly, how did writing this novel go all around? The writing this NaNo went better than it ever has before. Which is funny because I was still behind the entire time (oops), but I was still writing consistently and the story was going pretty smoothly. (Minimal stopping and panic-planning.) And although I haven't actually finished this novel yet, I still have a good feeling about the rest of it.

2. Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome? Pretty close to how I expected! It really hasn't veered off from how I imagined it at all, which is kind of nice because I was able to stick to my (vague) plan. I think it turned out pretty well so far.

3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.) I loved writing a character who has such a turnaround from when you first meet him. Archlan has to learn and go through so much and helping him make the right decisions and figure out what's really important.

4. How about your least favorite part? All those parts where the characters are just TRAVELING and there really isn't that much to say. I'm not Tolkien, guys. I can't get away with narrating every step they take.

5. What do you feel like needs the most work? Besides the overall yuckiness of first-draft syndrome? Probably the length. I know I should be focusing more on the just telling the story than just making it longer, but my books tend to come out a lot shorter than I'd like them to be.

6. How do you feel about your characters now that the novel is done? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details! Well, like I said, it's not done done, and there aren't really a whole lot of characters to choose from. So I would have to say that Archlan is my favorite, with Quinard coming in a close second. They became such good friends so fast and Quinard came in at just the right time, when Archlan really needed someone to be there for him. As for least favorite, it would have to be Rian, Archlan's girlfriend. She pretends to love him and maybe she does have some kind of feelings for him, but her band of thieves and basically everything else come before Archlan and she's just really not that great of a girlfriend. Or person.

7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel? Finish it, first. Ha. Then I'm not sure if I'll start editing (just because I'm so stoked about how this novel went) in January, or put it on the back burner for a little while and work on something else. (I'm missing my other babies.)

8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be? To see it get published and eventually made into a movie that makes people cry.

9. Share a snippet of one of your most favorite scenes! Well, it's pretty atrocious (remember first-draft syndrome?), but here's a short snippet from right after Archlan and Quinard met:

With frustration he let out a cry, and all the trees around him began to tremble as if a great wind had just blown through. They lifted their roots out of the ground, not moving from their spots but merely shifting their positions. The ground around Archlan and Hil shook as if an earthquake were touching everything but them.
 After releasing his frustration and emotions for a minute, Archlan took a deep breath, and all the trees grew calm again. There was a minor upset in the soil, but nothing too tragic. He looked around, took another deep breath, and was about to ride on.
 But he jumped when a voice cut through the silence. "Ho there, friend Archlan!"
 Archlan looked in alarm toward the direction the voice came from. There, riding toward him, was Quinard, looking a bit confused and quite awestruck. "What was that that just happened, pray tell?"

10. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel? Honestly, I think it would just be that the more I write, the better I'll get.

Well, there it is! Thanks so much to Christine for making this fun linkup and I hope we get to do it next year! ;)

And thanks for reading! Stay tuned, because I'm planning some Christmas posts I'm excited about!

Did you participate in Know the Novel this NaNo/year? Or any other linkups? Let's chat!

5 Things NaNoWriMo 2018 Taught Me

Hey guys!

Soo, we made it. NaNoWriMo is finally over and we can go back to our (mostly) normal lives. That may still include writing, but it might NOT include obsessive pounding on the keyboard to get your word count for the day and/or trying to catch up because of all the days you fell behind. (Or was that just me?)

Today I'm going to be sharing four things that NaNoWriMo taught me this year, or simply reminded me of. This was simultaneously the toughest and best NaNo I've ever had, and I feel like I grew a lot as a writer this November.

Soo without further ado (what does that even mean?): 

(This is my first banner! Needs some work, but it's not bad.)

#1 I NEED TO WORK ON MY PLOTTING SKILLS

I'm a pantser. And that showed when I went into this novel with a general idea of what was going to happen, but not a lot of information on some of the details. I didn't write bios about each of my characters; I just got to know them as I wrote them. I even made up a character mid-story. I formulated events that were never in my original plans (and, frankly, I didn't know if they were going to stick-- gotta get to that word count somehow) but actually seemed to kind of work.

And all that's okay, to a degree. And maybe for some people it's just plain okay. But for me, it just doesn't always work anymore. Like always, I didn't have a perfect outline for this story, therefore there was a lot of the in-between story that I wasn't sure about.

I always try to plan my novels, I really do. But the truth is, the last four novels I've started have been for NaNo and I've started planning them way too late, therefore I run out of time and greet November 1 with a minimally planned story.

And you know what? I never won a NaNo (until this year). So I feel something has to change. Next NaNo (and with any new novel I write) I'm going to start a lot earlier, planning and outlining. I'm terrible at outlining. But I'm going to work on that and other ways to plan a story, because I knew what needed to happen in this story better than I think I ever had before and it was a lot easier to write that way. I don't think I'll ever be a hardcore plotter-- maybe "plantser" is the right word for me.

(By the way, I don't mean to imply that if you don't win NaNoWriMo, that means you're a failure and need to change the way you write. I'm just talking about ME and what held me back personally from winning.)

#2 THE FIRST DRAFT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT

Obviously we all know this. For me, first draft = messy writing. Bad jokes and awkward sentence structure. First drafts are just about getting the story down on the page.

But I'm mostly referring here to the actual story. If you're like me, sometimes you run into a place in your story where you're not sure what should happen next. So you completely MAKE SOMETHING UP that may or may not actually have any bearing on the story.

I'm not talking about completely changing the direction of your story (having your MC suddenly get the notion to start an animal rescue while he's supposed to be saving the world from Evil Villain is probably just a plain old waste of time). I'm talking about coming to a point where you don't know how to get from point A to point B so you create a possible bridge between those two events. I do this all the time. And I don't always keep what I write.

It might sound like a waste of time, but I don't think it is. First of all, speaking in NaNo terms, it gives you something to write/get your word count in. Second, it helps you move along with your story without stopping and getting stuck on one thing. Third, every word you write is like exercise for your writerly self. The more you write, the better you'll get at it, even if you don't use everything you initially put in your story. And lastly, it helps you explore different ideas for your story and come up with the right one. You might have heard the term "discovery writer". I think that's what this means-- instead of planning out every detail, you have to just write and discover your story.

Long story short, I think it's okay to write parts of your story that you might know for a fact are not going to stick, because it keeps you going, helps you decide what's best for your story, and you can always change it later.

#3 WORD SPRINTS ARE THE BEST

Y'all, word sprints SAVED me this NaNoWriMo.

Seriously, if it wasn't for those ten-minute spurts when I FORCED myself to keep from scrolling through the Internet and agonizing over the fact that I was so behind on my word count, I don't know what I would have done. Distractions are SUCH an issue, and word sprints helped me to shove those distractions to the back of my mind and not let them come back until that timer went off.

Plus whenever I finished a word sprint I rewarded myself with chocolate, so. That made it even better.

#4 I LOVE WRITING

We all knew this, right?

But seriously, this NaNo helped me remember how much I love to write and how special and important it is to me. It reminded me that I want to finish this story and all my other stories and see them on bookshelves one day. In a year where I've done very little writing, it rejuvenated my love for it.

#5 I CAN WRITE 50k IN A MONTH

Lastly, this NaNo taught me that I CAN win NaNoWriMo!

In my last post I told you guys how I won my first NaNo, on my fourth year of trying. Remember how I said earlier in this post how I got stuck and that kept me from winning? That happened EVERY time. By the third one, you can imagine I was getting pretty discouraged. Not because I couldn't finish NaNo, but because I couldn't finish my stories. Getting stuck is the worst, y'all.
But this year it rolled so much better. And while I haven't finished my novel yet, I made it to 50k. I carved out the time every day to write and I caught up at the end of it all just in time to win NaNoWriMo.

And it was fantastic.

This NaNoWriMo was so great. I already can't wait for next year (and I'm going to be better prepared ;))! And I'm ready to keep writing. I'm still excited about this year's NaNo novel Roots to Claim, and I'm hoping to finish it this month. With all the craziness of Christmas, we'll see. But that's my hope! I can't wait to finish writing Archlan's story.

Well, that's it for today! I hope you all had a great NaNoWriMo and for those who didn't participate, a great November! Here's to December! 

I WON NANOWRIMO.

(I wrote this late on the 30th. I know today's an irregular posting day for me but I wanted to get this up soon because, like I say in this post, I have some other posts I want to get up soon. Plus, this is kind of a special occasion, so I guess it deserves special treatment.)

Guys. 

I just won NaNoWriMo.

Wait a second, what?

I JUST WON NANOWRIMO!!!!

I just hit 50k a few minutes ago and I CAN'T believe I actually did it! It's almost midnight and I have to work tomorrow and I really need to go to bed but I'm still up because I am feeling so happy and excited right now. And I wanted to capture that excitement while it was still fresh and real.
So here's that excitement!!

You guys, I am so proud of myself and so psyched that I DID IT. It was such a surreal feeling when I updated my word count and saw that 50k. When I validated my novel and saw the "Congratulations, Wrimo!" banner and watched the winner's video... and I heard the words "A NaNoWriMo winner is YOU!"... Guys, don't judge. I may have gotten a BIT emotional.

 I've done NaNoWrimo three times before, but I've never won before. The highest word count I hit was 35k in 2016.
I always had trouble getting to my word count because I always got stuck. You guys, I get stuck SO BAD when I'm writing a novel. I don't what it is, but the hardest part about writing for me is figuring out what needs to happen throughout the story. I know the beginning, the climax, all those important moments. But everything in between? It's not that I don't like writing it, I just find myself CLUELESS as to what it should be.

This year wasn't perfect. I'm not going to pretend I came in with a big old outline, every chapter planned out. I'm not going to pretend I didn't get stuck a few times. (Although never as stuck as I have been before.) Guys, I didn't even have all my characters created and I made one up in the middle of writing.

I didn't have everything planned out, but somehow this story flowed pretty well for me. I'm a pantser (also known as a discovery writer, which is a term I really like), so full disclosure, I made a lot of stuff up as I went along. That's just me.

But guys. I WON.

I'm not sure when I'm going to get this post up because sadly I've been neglecting my blog lately. I didn't even try to get those other two NaNo updates up because I was too immersed in ACTUAL NaNo. But hopefully now I'll get back in full swing because I have some exciting posts coming up (At least they're exciting for me. xD)

Well, I'm going to bring this post to an end because I really do need to go to bed. I just wanted to share my fresh excitement immediately after my victory.

For all those who won NaNoWriMo: CONGRATULATIONS!!! I know how HARD it is, so you're SUPER AWESOME. And for those who participated in NaNo but maybe didn't quite reach 50k: CONGRATULATIONS!!! Because here's the thing: YOU WROTE. I know everybody's saying it, but seriously. You wrote something. You invested in your story, and you have more words than did when you started. I participated in NaNo three times without officially winning, and I still felt like it was a victory because I WROTE.

And you know what, even if you didn't participate in NaNo, congrats to all you writers!! Because writing is HARD and even if you didn't take part in the craziness that is NaNoWriMo, you deserve a medal.

Keep writing, everybody! And once again: CONGRATULATIONS!

(Also this is a really last minute thought but I just want to say that it's raining right now and raining is my FAVORITE writing weather and I love that it's raining the night I won NaNoWriMo. )
    

NaNo Week #2!

Week two of NaNo is officially over! 

This week was a little rough for me as far as word counts go, but I still got some writing done. My story's flowing pretty well, considering I don't have an outline or anything? I came into this thing so prepared, didn't I?

Anyway, it's time for my weekly update and snippets! This is going to be a pretty brief overview of the week, since I had a hard time keeping up with my word counts and I also failed to write this post as the week went on and therefore there's just not a lot to say. But here it is, anyway! 

DAY EIGHT: 1702 WORDS
This day I wrote an important moment in Archlan's life-- or what he thinks is important, anyway. (Who's ever going to tell these characters that they NEVER know what's best for them at the beginning of the story?? It'd be a lot quicker and less painful that way.)

DAY NINE: 24 WORDS

DAY TEN: 20 WORDS

We don't speak of these two days.

DAY ELEVEN: 2113 WORDS

Yay! My highest word count yet!

DAY 12: 567 WORDS

This was a Monday, guys. Don't judge me.

DAY THIRTEEN: 2247 WORDS

Aaand I beat my word count record again! Getting on a roll. ;)

DAY FOURTEEN: 201 WORDS

Aaand the roll stops.

Actually, I was pretty happy with this day because before I went to bed I literally wrote 7 words just so I could say I wrote SOMETHING and then I looked at my word count and remembered I had written a little bit early that morning. So 201 words actually felt like a lot when I was expecting 7. xD
Sorry there were only a couple snippets, but next week I'm hoping I'll have a little more to work with. I'm still determined to catch up on that word count. 

That's it for this week! I have high hopes for the next stretch, and I'm feeling pretty good about this novel so far. I hope you guys are too! Also, I just want to say that yes, I want to catch up on the target word count for NaNo, but you SHOULDN'T feel like you're failing if you're behind! I've done three NaNos before this year and I haven't officially "won" a single one, but I still feel like I won because I worked on those stories and got a lot done on each of them. So stay caught up with your word count, or don't stay caught up, but as long as you're writing and enjoying spending time with your story, that's all that matters. Don't pay any attention to me and my crazy goals. 

So, guys, are you still surviving NaNo? What's been your highest word count so far? Let's talk about our unruly children (novels) together!

NaNo Week #1 + SNIPPETS!

WE MADE IT. 

The face you make when you're excited to be done with week + terrified for the rest of it. 

The first week of NaNoWriMo is officially over. I hope the words have been flowing for you guys and most importantly, you've been having fun with your stories!

My first week was pretty good. Not as good as I'd hoped, but I can't complain! Things are definitely picking up now, so hopefully I'll be able to get into a better flow.

Today's my first promised NaNo update, with a day-by-day play-by-play (hehe) of my word counts and how everything has been going for me! Plus, SNIPPETS for each day! Are you excited? I hope so, because I am. :D 

(The images of my snippets are really small; if you can't read them, just click on them and they'll get bigger. Sorry for the inconvenience!)

DAY ONE: 785 WORDS

Yeah... the first day of NaNo was not amazing for me. I didn't start writing until about 8:30 at night, which was... really not smart. And I didn't have one excuse other than that I was lazy. xD So, shame on me. Buut here's your first snippet!

DAY TWO: 1667 WORDS

In which I obviously JUST made it to my target word count for the day. Like, I literally checked my word count, saw it was at 1666, and wrote ONE MORE WORD and quit because it was late.

No, it's not a rock band. I really need to find a better word.

DAY THREE: 1063 WORDS

... Really, Emily? You couldn't have written 604 more words?

DAY FOUR:  306 WORDS

Wow, that was rough. This was a Sunday, so I really don't know what my excuse was for such a puny word count... buuut I still wrote something, so it's still a win. And at this point I knew that stuff was about to go down, so my motivation would pick up soon and I would hopefully catch up. (Poor excuse, I know. xD)

DAY FIVE: 2044 WORDS

So there I am, chilling on my bed with my laptop, watching the first Christmas movie of the year and working on my story. And then I see movement and I look up and THERE'S A MOUSE RUNNING INTO MY CLOSET.

So I put my laptop down and groaned and I'm pretty sure I said something like "Not again!" because yeah... this isn't even the first time.

Look at this! Look at this mouse shamelessly sabotaging my efforts to write! 

Just because I'm writing about a thief doesn't mean you have to be one...

Needless to say, my writing was a little bit interrupted that day as me and my dad scrambled to block off my closet and set up traps. But I still got a great word count! I made the daily target and even exceeded it a little. Yay!

(Also, the mouse escaped from my closet. Yeah, that's what you get when you lean a plastic lightsaber against your mouse wall to keep it from falling down... and the mouse just runs up the lightsaber and jumps over the wall.)

Unfortunately you don't get a snippet from day five because the fact is everything I wrote that day was kind of unexciting and bad. xD Oh, first drafts.

DAY SIX: 1691 WORDS

Yay, another good day! Things are starting to happen at this point. Archlan's being a naughty little thief and also about to give himself a stroke. Calm down, dude. Stop stealing stuff and you'll be fine.

I was writing this part of the story and Archlan's sneaking around a castle trying not to make a sound and like I said, he's so stressed out worrying that he's going to get caught. And then I stopped writing and went to bed and it was kind of creepy. Even though the sneaking in the book was going on in broad daylight. xD

DAY SEVEN: 2070 WORDS

My highest daily word count so far! The Thing finally happened in my story, and now stuff is about to go DOWN for Archlan. He'd better watch out.

FINAL WORD COUNT OF THE WEEK: 9626 WORDS

Overall, I'm satisfied with how this week went! I'm still hoping to catch up to the target word count 
goal, but I'm already doing better than I'd hoped considering I had a bit of a rough start. I'm having fun with this story and Archlan's (not) having fun. (The ultimate writer-character relationship.)

All right, guys, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the update and the very imperfect snippets.

So how did your first week go? Do your characters hate you yet? Tell me all about it!

October Highlights 2018

Hi guys! Today is my first monthly highlights post and also my it's-the-first-day-of-NaNo-let's-freak-out post. I'm not gonna lie, it's after 8:00 at night and I haven't even started my novel. xD So I'm about to get right on that.

Overall I've had a pretty good October, although just like every year, it went by wayyy too fast. I'm a fall person all the way, and I might get a little depressed every year when it comes to and end. (I know, fall doesn't actually end until December. But once November hits I'm in full Christmas mode. :P) I had a fun Halloween; I went to work dressed as a 50's girl, then came home, made candied apples, and watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Garfield's Halloween Adventure. It can't really get much better. xD

Here's what else went on this month:

READING

So for the last few months I've been reading the complete Oz series by L. Frank Baum. I'm alllmost done; there are five volumes and I'm on the second-to-last book in the fifth volume. These books are ridiculous, in a hilarious way. It reminds me of Wonderland randomness, with C.S. Lewis humor. I've enjoyed them, but it's taken me far too long to finish them and I'm very ready to move on to other things. (There are sooo many books to read!)

WRITING

Yup, you guessed it-- in October my main writing venture was to prepare for NaNo. I started earlier than I normally do and I STILL don't feel completely prepared... sigh. Buut, I mean, are we ever really TRULY prepared for NaNo?


You can read about my NaNo novel HERE, if you'd like. (You would.)


REAL LIFE

This month involved two big changes. One's a highlight but the other one is not a highlight and actually sad. I'll share that one first so we can end on a happier note.

On the 25th my 18-year-old dog Shadow passed away. I won't go into details about how he declined, but it was happened very quickly at the end and we had to make the decision no pet owner ever wants to make. It's sad but I had EIGHTEEN years with him and that's kind of crazy.


And now the highlight of the month-- I got a car! I'm on a little it more of a budget now, but it's great being able to drive myself to and from work instead of that responsibility being on someone else. 


Another thing I want to mention that I've been doing recently is bullet journaling. I think I'm going to do a post about this eventually going into a lot more detail about my process and how it benefits me. But it's super great; it helps me keep track of my daily goals, and inspires me to make goals and ­reach them. Sometimes I do better than others, but overall it's really useful and fun, too.

BLOG

Here's what went down on the blog this month:

Books I Didn't Expect to FALL In Love With
Language of Worlds + Know the Novel

I'm still getting the hang of the blogging thing. Although I haven't posted every week, I'm hoping to get into a more consistent schedule soon. Thanks for bearing with me!

And on that note, I want to share what's going to be coming on the blog! Every Thursday this month I'm going to do a NaNo update, sharing with you guys my current word count and how the writing's going. (I'm sure a lot of people have done this, but I got the idea from Katie)

All right, that about wraps it up! Thanks for reading and best, best, best of luck to all you NaNoers this month!

How was your October? Any highlights? How was your first day of NaNo?

Know the Novel + Language of Worlds

Hi guys! So it's not my usual posting day, but I was running late finishing this post and wanted to be sure to get it up becauuuse... NaNoWriMo is almost here! 

And today I'm doing TWO linkups so you can learn about my NaNo novel-- Liv K. Fisher's Language of Worlds, and Christine Smith's Know the Novel. I'm excited to be a part of these and to be sharing my novel with you guys! 

This year I'm working on a fantasy with the working title of ROOTS TO CLAIM (remember, it's only a working title ;P). Here's a quick blurb before we get into the questions:

Archlan has finally found a place where he belongs: a band of thieves that make their livings off unsuspecting people. Now, to be accepted as an official member, he just has one test to complete. He is to successfully steal from an old master of magic who is known for catching trespassers. But when Archlan is told that he is a part of an old prophecy, his plans are interrupted. Now it's up to him to either take on the responsibility of fulfilling the prophecy or finally put down roots.

Also, I just want to say that this is a new story, and at this stage (or any stage, really) it's very likely that it will change the more I invest in it. Right now it might sound kind of flat and cliché, but I'm always discovering new ideas and what's best for different stories; so if I post about this story in the future, chances are it won't be exactly the same!

All right, now let's get to those linkups!

So the first one I'm doing is Christine's Know the Novel. You can find her post about it HERE. Thanks, Christine!

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel? Well, this probably won't be the answer you're wanting, because the initial idea I had is actually for the story's climax therefore I cannot share it with you. But I just get these random ideas and write them down until I go back to them later, and that's kind of what happened here.

2. Share a blurb! Oops, already did that! See above.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting? This story takes place in a Sherwood Forest-ish setting, with fairytale-esque magic. I like it because it's kind of a mashup of different fictional world types; also because the magic comes from the trees and I think that's awesome.

4. Tell us about your protagonist. I'm just going to skip this one and and invite you to stay tuned for the rest of the post. :-)

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist? As of the beginning of the story, an unknown prophecied villain. And that's all I can say about that.

6. What excites you the most about this novel? The setting, like I said before; and Archlan. I'm excited to start putting him into words, because I think he's going to be a great character. Also that thing I can't tell you about.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else? At this point it's a standalone.

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting? I wish I could say plotting. But let's be honest, I'm plansting.

9. Name a few things that makes this story unique. I already mentioned the setting; and that thing I can't tell you about.

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!). So I was looking for some photos to make a cool aesthetic collage, but I couldn't find enough. So here's one that I found that could kind of be a symbol for this story.

All right, onto the next linkup: Liv K. Fisher's Language of Worlds! Or, a really long answer to question #4, up there. You can find Liv's original post and questions HERE. 

What does your character fear the most? Not belonging; being unsettled. All his life he's just been here and there, and he feels like there's not one place in the world where he belongs.

How would they handle it if they were to face their fear? Well, in a way I guess he's faced his fear all his life. So I guess he would do what he's always done-- just try desperately to find a place to belong.

Do they want to get married? Why or why not? He would love to get married, settle down and start a family. He longs for stability like that.

What is their love language (i.e. words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, quality time, acts of service)? Probably quality time. Again, stability is important to him, and if someone thinks he's worth taking the time for, he would feel they've got a pretty stable relationship. Acts of service would probably be next on the list.

On a scale from 1 (messy) to 5 (organized), how do they rate? Oh gosh, I haven't thought about this... Probably a 3-4 ish? I'll let you know when I get to know him a little more. xD

How do they feel about debates/disagreements? I don't think he'd start a disagreement, but if he gets in one, his temper will bubble up and he'll hold his own.

What do they bring to a battle (figurative or literal)? Strength and agility; having always been on the run, he's fit and active.

What's their favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Well, he's usually on the road with his horse and a band of thieves, so probably plain old bread and cheese.

How do they treat themself after a long day? Resting and talking with whoever he's traveling with.

What do you most want readers to glean from this story? I think it would be that even if you feel like you don't belong anywhere, there's a place for you. Also that you are capable of far more than you think, and you don't have to settle for anything less than what you deserve.

All right guys, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed learning a little about Archlan and his story! I can't wait for NaNo and I wish all you who are taking part good luck! (Here's my NaNo, if you want to come visit me and my novel! StoryOfSilver98)

Also, stay tuned for my October wrapup post Thursday!

Books I Didn't Expect to FALL in Love With

Yes, that was a lame reference to autumn in the title. But I'm happy because it's October!

Anyway, on to the post! 

Fall always gets me in a sentimental mood, and also in even more of a reading mood (chilly evening + cup of coffee + good book = happy Emily). In this post I'm going to share some books (or series) that I fell in love with immediately and are now some of my favorites. 

(Disclaimer: I purposely excluded things like Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings because those would take up THE WHOLE LIST if I allowed them on here, so.)

THE ANOMALY TRILOGY by Krista McGee

I bought the first book of this trilogy on a whim, just to try something new, and it hooked me. (I mean, come on. The opening lines are "Fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds. That's how long I have to live." !!) I'm pretty sure it was the first dystopian book I'd ever read, so it was also very different for me.

And then the second and third books in the trilogy were pretty intense. And it was great.

I also love the faith-based aspect of the trilogy, how God is the One that makes Thalli feel emotion after living in a sterile, heartless environment her whole life.

When I reread this trilogy I noticed that some of the writing/story wasn't as strong as I remembered it from when I first read it with starry eyes, but I think it's still a great trilogy.

FAIRYTALE RETELLINGS by Melanie Dickerson

I'm cheating here because this includes, like, ten books and they're not all even in one set. But it's fine.

I bought the first three Hagenheim books to occupy myself on a long road trip and they were just so enjoyable! I don't even really read romance that often, but I just really love these books. They're so sweet, plus there's the fairytale aspect and also some action thrown in here and there!

I'm more partial to the Hagenheim series, but I think the Thornbeck books are better, in a way? Particularly The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest. The first time I read it I was just kind of surprised by how good it was, and Odette is probably one of my favorite female characters.

AMONG THE HIDDEN by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I first read this book when I was... nine or ten, maybe? It's the first book I remember absolutely grabbing me and taking me on an emotional ride, and also the first book I remember reading in one day. I think I almost cried at the end.

I like the rest of the series too, but I only chose the first book to put on the list because it's my favorite and the only one that really blew me away. Plus I was kind of disappointed with the end of the series, but maybe that's just me.

(Also, this spot almost went to Haddix's The Missing series. Also super great books. So, honorable mention to that.)

WHINNIES ON THE WIND SERIES by Angela Dorsey

I got these when I was a part of a horse-lover's book club years ago, and they were some of my favorites when I first read them. I reread them a year or two ago, and I just love the magical feel, with Evy living in the middle of nowhere with her horses and being able to communicate with them. Plus a couple of the books take place in the dead of winter in the Canadian wilderness and it's so cozy in Evy and her mom's cabin and the snow just adds to the magic and ahhh. They're just lovely books.
Sadly the last one of the series that I've read is Winter of Sinking Waters... I really want to get around to reading the last few.

THE FARWALKER'S QUEST by Joni Sensel

Look how pretty it is!

This book.

This was a library impulse-read. Just a random fantasy that I thought might be cute. What I didn't expect was to take an emotional journey with this character whose life I was suddenly very invested in. All the characters were great. And by the time I was done, I felt like I had just gone through everything Ariel had, right along with her. And because of that... I don't know, I'm just realllyyy attached to this book.

Also, I reread it earlier this year, and I was prepared to not be as impressed with it the second time (kind of like what I said about Anomaly above). But I actually ended up enjoying it even more! I mean, I kept thinking about it and itching to go home and read it-- and I already knew how it ended! So. Major bonus points. (I feel like not everybody would have as high an opinion of this book as I do, because it is such a simple story and geared toward younger audiences... but I just love it.)

The rest of the trilogy is good too. I like the second book almost as much as the first one, and the third a little less. I have to be honest and say I was disappointed by the ending of this trilogy, too. I just felt like there was some really good potential for an amazing finale and it just wasn't handled the way I would have liked to see it. But the writing is consistently great all the way through, and I do still like the whole series, so it's definitely still worth reading.

Well, there you have it-- five books/series that I fell in love with! Makes me want to curl up with a cup of coffee and read. ;)

Have you read any of these books? What's a book or series that you didn't expect to fall in love with?

Thanks for reading! Also, in my next post I'll be sharing about my NaNoWriMo novel, so stay tuned!

My Fall Mood

Fall officially begins in two days!

Fall is my favorite season and one of my favorite things in general. There are so many things I love about it and once I start talking about it I literally get so excited and I could just go on and on.

So today I'm going to share with you (in no particular order) five things that put me in a fallish mood. And for me, "fallish mood" equals "writing/reading mood". I know, it might sound weird. But this time of year makes me the most sentimental and wakes up my creativity. 

COFFEE

Okay, this might be cliche, but I don't care. I drink coffee all year round, but in the fall when it's chilly, I thrive on those times when I can settle down, either at my desk, in my bed, or on the front porch swing, with a good cup of coffee and enjoy the weather.

One of my fall coffee mugs. Isn't it the cutest??

Also, I'm going to be honest, I don't know if I drink coffee while I write because it actually helps or just because I'll find any excuse to drink coffee.

RAIN

Obviously this also doesn't only happen in the fall. I love rain any time of year. But like I mentioned above, I love it so much more when it's cold and I can wear a sweater or a hoodie and just snuggle down under my tin roof and listen to the rain. There's nothing in the world quite like a good downpour. Add a few rumbles of thunder and it's even better. 

Sometimes when I'm home and it starts raining, I run to my room to read or write. xD It's really dorky, but rain is my favorite background noise and I always feel like I'll waste it if I don't use it to fuel my motivation.

RED BY TAYLOR SWIFT

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Maybe someday I'll share why, but for now just know that me and Red are really good friends. 

As for why it puts me in a fallish mood, there are a couple reasons. One very simple reason is that I first started really listening to it and falling (ha) in love with it last October. I often associate things with the time of year it was when I was really into them, and then it sets the mood for that thing after that, if that makes sense. Another very simple reason is some of the lyrics from the album, like in the song Red ("Like the colors in autumn so bright just before they lose it all"), or All Too Well ("Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place"). Just kind of gives the whole album a fallish vibe.

Just go listen to this album. It's amazing.

CANDLES

Honestly, fall and winter are pretty much the only times of year that I burn candles, because my favorite scents are things like pumpkin, cinnamon, caramel, etc. (I like food.)
I love cool nights when I can shut myself up in my room and light a candle. There's something so peaceful and cozy about writing or reading with a soft flame in the background and some kind of delicious scent floating through the air. 

WALKS
Walking is one of my favorite ways to exercise, and I do it the most in the fall. I don't really like being outside when it's hot, so when cooler temperatures hit I try to spend lots of time enjoying it. 

My driveway is really long and a good part of it is surrounded by trees. I love walking in cool weather (bonus if the trees are all ablaze with autumn colors), wearing a comfy jacket or hoodie, with some good music playing in my ears. (Let's be honest, it's probably Red.)

Enjoy this unrelated GIF of a puppy aggressively playing with a pumpkin.

I realized as I was writing this that it totally sounds like an advertisement for fall. Oh well. :P

So anyway, there you have it! I think fall truly is one of the most creative, productive times of year for me, and these are just a few things that help me to get in that mood. 

So what are your favorite things about fall? Or if you don't care for fall, what are some things that get you in a productive mood?