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A Peek At My Writing Process

27 March 2014

I saw this on Kate's blog and since she said she tagged "everyone", I thought I would partake, assuming that I fall under the category of "everyone". :P

ALSO, our second book club post will be going up in just a couple days! Drew, Skylar and myself are going to share our thoughts on "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner. Look forward to that!

My writing process is different every day. I'm a busy student, okay? And it seems like as time goes on, my writing time becomes more and more varied which can sometimes take a toll on me. I'm looking forward to this summer especially in hopes that I can have some consistent writing time. I used to write for an hour or two every night in my room, most of days of the week. Lately it seems like when I'm home at night, I'm tired and watching netflix or scrounging the kitchen in the attempt to assemble a very, unique dinner seems to take priority over writing. I usually find time to read before falling asleep, but I don't trust myself to write on a sleepy brain.

But this is what USUALLY happens for me. See, I'm a big project person. Rarely do I write short stories or poems. All my thoughts seem to come in the form of full-blown novels. And those take a lot of time to assemble. Actually, writing the first draft is one of the easiest parts. It's the hours and hours of editing afterwards. Maybe if I didn't have to sleep, I could finish something of mine in a month.

When I get an idea, I write it down. (go figure.) Once the idea feels ripened enough to me, I formulate an outline and a character profile. Now when I say outline, I ain't talking about no, "first half second half" business. I write down the expected sequence for each chapter and then make it happen.

"Making it happen" is the easiest part for me. I'm not worrying about what sounds awkward or if this makes sense, I'm just spitting my idea out onto the page. At that rate, I generally can write one chapter a day. Although that doesn't seem to get done on Fridays and Saturdays. :) When I complete a draft, I try to let is sit for a week or two before beginning another blanket edit.

Then repeat that process five or six times.

But ya'll I'm SO excited because I'm currently going through what will hopefully be the last edit for my latest project before I look into contacting agents. I'll let you know more about the process as it comes along.

What is your writing process like? Do you have a set schedule, or is it more jumbled like mine? Let me know in the comments!

My Adventurous in Washington D.C

25 March 2014

I don't usually blog about personal things/events on here, but so many of my fellow bloggers have been sharing what they did over spring break that I felt left out and gosh darn it, I want to participate too! :)

Over spring break I traveled with my choir to Washington D.C. Along with getting to know my friends a lot better, I saw many marvelous sights :) Have a lookskey!
                           Here's some of the peeps at Mt. Vernon, where we went the first day. 
                           That there is where we such sights as the bed George Washington died in, and his original office chair. 

George Washington's Tomb

The Potomac River
 Me posing with a random cow thing because, why not? When in Vernon...


The Capital! It was rather...capital! I know I know, you can smack me

I thiiiink that was the Department of Treasury, but who cares? Look at my awesome face!


The Capital dome. That main room was my favorite part of the whole trip :)


Here's an Easter Island Head from the Smithsonian!


The Indian "Hope Diamond" apparently it's super valuable and whatnot

From the highest point at Gettysburg!


A blurry Mr. Lincoln

Me and my "twin" posing with the monument. But seriously, don't we look related?!

Ye old White House! I'm glad we saw it, but honestly it's not so impressive compared to the other sights to be seen in D.C.

Me and a pal with some super old boat from the Smithsonian...you can really tell I paid attention and read alllll the signs :)

At the Arlington National Cemetery, that thing behind us the ampitheatre

Lincoln and friends!

Random pic with random friends :)



The gorgeous Hannah 

Taco Bell when we first arrived...none of us look too dapper haha

General bus ride mischief

The sunrise in Nashville :)

The border from the main room at the Capitol. I think this is supposed to be Columbus.

Cannons at Gettysburg!
At the original cookie monster from the Smithsonian!!!



Isn't that a lovely picture to leave off with ;) I hope you enjoyed this more personal post, be sure to leave me a comment telling me what you thought, and how YOUR spring break went!

The Old Soldier

18 March 2014

     A mob of choir kids shuffle through the doors of a retirement home in Washington D.C, preparing to sing a concert after hours of sight seeing and travelling. The elderly audience before them doesn't seem to compare in excitement to when they sang at such places as Gettysburg and the Bollings Air Force Base. However, after each song, more and more faces in the crowded room light up to see enthusiastic teens coming to lend a portion of their time to grace these old folks with their singing. Despite the cramped atmosphere, the high ceiling lends a wonderful acoustic effect, enhancing their voices.
     For the second half of the program, the choir begins to sing a series of patriotic songs. After nearly an hour of singing, their legs are locking and their voices croaking as they struggle to get the notes out. However, that all changes when they begin to sing an a capella version of, "The Star Spangled Banner". An old man seated in his wheelchair, grasps the arm rests in an attempt to stand. For several moments he hovers over his seat, struggling to stand. The singing children wonder if he is going to give up, yet for the last verse of the song, the man struggles to his feet and stands wobbling for the last verse of the song that honors his country. Some of the teens now have tears in their eyes, and are struggling to sing as much as he struggles to stand. The concert ends, but the story doesn't.
     One of the girls approaches the old man to thank him for listening, and she learns that the now feeble man in the wheelchair was once an admiral in the Navy, and each of his three sons served twenty years in the military. As the girl circles the room to thank the residents, she meets a sprightly German woman whose story is equally miraculous. She was a Jew during WWII, and thanks to the Lord her and her family escaped oppression and made it safely to the shores of America. Afterwards, the choir children looked at one another and realize that when a man gives freely, he gains even more. (Proverbs 11:24)

I hope you enjoyed this little anecdote from my spring break adventures, look forward to more stories soon! :)

This or That?

17 March 2014

I've seen this tag floating around, and I thought it would be a fun, easy way to re-integrate myself into the blogosphere, since I've been absent for almost TWO WEEKS! (Look forward to many blogposts related to my spring break adventures.) :)

1. Summer or Winter? Normally, I love cold weather. But this winter was long and nasty. Normally by this time it's up to 80 degrees where I live, but we're still experiencing those arctic winds. HOWEVER, Texas is notorious for it's miserable summers, yet I am ready for some sunshine and wearing of the shorts.

2. Pink or Blue? I've always liked blue better. Green is my favorite color, but blue is second. :)

3. Frozen or Brave? Frozen, Frozen, FROZEN! I honestly hated Brave so much, I could dedicate a whole blogpost to it.

4. Art or Reading? Reading, duh! I can't draw or paint to save my life.

5. Christmas or Birthday? Although I do enjoy getting special presents, I'm going to stick with Christmas because I enjoy giving presents more than receiving, and I love the cozy atmosphere of the holidays.

6. Flip-Flops or Boots? FLIP-FLOPS ALL DAY EVERYDAY! I would wear them all year round if strangers didn't look at me funny, so as soon as spring comes around, you can bet that I won't be wearing any other kind of shoe.

7. Roses or Daisies? Daisies! I also recently found out that daisies are my birth-month flower, and I didn't even know there was such a thing! Roses are pretty, but they are a little too classy for me. Daisies look like they have more fun. :)

8. Cat or Dog? This is a question that I can never answer. Both. I like both, okay? Stop judging me!

9. Chocolate or Vanilla? I don't understand vanilla people. Chocolate is mysterious, decadent, rich and delicious! Vanilla is like a kiddy rollercoaster. It's for the weak. The bland. The cautious.

10. Europe or Asia? Europe all da waaaaay!

11. Rasperries or Blackberries? I think I'll stick with blackberries, cause I love me some blueberry cobbler.

12. Vintage or Modern? VINTAGE!! I'm fascinated with all things old-fashioned.

13. Pasta or Soup? Pasta everyday.

14. Elephants or Lions? I think Lions are cooler, but I also wouldn't want to be anywhere near them.

15. Long Hair or Short Hair? Long hair. I'm growing mine back out; I want it to be down to my waist again :)

Well I hope you enjoyed this fun, yet slightly silly post! Stick around cause I said, I have some super cool stories and pictures to share with you! Oh, and feel free to do this tag yourself :)

A Peek At My Writing Process

I saw this on Kate's blog and since she said she tagged "everyone", I thought I would partake, assuming that I fall under the category of "everyone". :P

ALSO, our second book club post will be going up in just a couple days! Drew, Skylar and myself are going to share our thoughts on "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner. Look forward to that!

My writing process is different every day. I'm a busy student, okay? And it seems like as time goes on, my writing time becomes more and more varied which can sometimes take a toll on me. I'm looking forward to this summer especially in hopes that I can have some consistent writing time. I used to write for an hour or two every night in my room, most of days of the week. Lately it seems like when I'm home at night, I'm tired and watching netflix or scrounging the kitchen in the attempt to assemble a very, unique dinner seems to take priority over writing. I usually find time to read before falling asleep, but I don't trust myself to write on a sleepy brain.

But this is what USUALLY happens for me. See, I'm a big project person. Rarely do I write short stories or poems. All my thoughts seem to come in the form of full-blown novels. And those take a lot of time to assemble. Actually, writing the first draft is one of the easiest parts. It's the hours and hours of editing afterwards. Maybe if I didn't have to sleep, I could finish something of mine in a month.

When I get an idea, I write it down. (go figure.) Once the idea feels ripened enough to me, I formulate an outline and a character profile. Now when I say outline, I ain't talking about no, "first half second half" business. I write down the expected sequence for each chapter and then make it happen.

"Making it happen" is the easiest part for me. I'm not worrying about what sounds awkward or if this makes sense, I'm just spitting my idea out onto the page. At that rate, I generally can write one chapter a day. Although that doesn't seem to get done on Fridays and Saturdays. :) When I complete a draft, I try to let is sit for a week or two before beginning another blanket edit.

Then repeat that process five or six times.

But ya'll I'm SO excited because I'm currently going through what will hopefully be the last edit for my latest project before I look into contacting agents. I'll let you know more about the process as it comes along.

What is your writing process like? Do you have a set schedule, or is it more jumbled like mine? Let me know in the comments!

My Adventurous in Washington D.C

I don't usually blog about personal things/events on here, but so many of my fellow bloggers have been sharing what they did over spring break that I felt left out and gosh darn it, I want to participate too! :)

Over spring break I traveled with my choir to Washington D.C. Along with getting to know my friends a lot better, I saw many marvelous sights :) Have a lookskey!
                           Here's some of the peeps at Mt. Vernon, where we went the first day. 
                           That there is where we such sights as the bed George Washington died in, and his original office chair. 

George Washington's Tomb

The Potomac River
 Me posing with a random cow thing because, why not? When in Vernon...


The Capital! It was rather...capital! I know I know, you can smack me

I thiiiink that was the Department of Treasury, but who cares? Look at my awesome face!


The Capital dome. That main room was my favorite part of the whole trip :)


Here's an Easter Island Head from the Smithsonian!


The Indian "Hope Diamond" apparently it's super valuable and whatnot

From the highest point at Gettysburg!


A blurry Mr. Lincoln

Me and my "twin" posing with the monument. But seriously, don't we look related?!

Ye old White House! I'm glad we saw it, but honestly it's not so impressive compared to the other sights to be seen in D.C.

Me and a pal with some super old boat from the Smithsonian...you can really tell I paid attention and read alllll the signs :)

At the Arlington National Cemetery, that thing behind us the ampitheatre

Lincoln and friends!

Random pic with random friends :)



The gorgeous Hannah 

Taco Bell when we first arrived...none of us look too dapper haha

General bus ride mischief

The sunrise in Nashville :)

The border from the main room at the Capitol. I think this is supposed to be Columbus.

Cannons at Gettysburg!
At the original cookie monster from the Smithsonian!!!



Isn't that a lovely picture to leave off with ;) I hope you enjoyed this more personal post, be sure to leave me a comment telling me what you thought, and how YOUR spring break went!

The Old Soldier

     A mob of choir kids shuffle through the doors of a retirement home in Washington D.C, preparing to sing a concert after hours of sight seeing and travelling. The elderly audience before them doesn't seem to compare in excitement to when they sang at such places as Gettysburg and the Bollings Air Force Base. However, after each song, more and more faces in the crowded room light up to see enthusiastic teens coming to lend a portion of their time to grace these old folks with their singing. Despite the cramped atmosphere, the high ceiling lends a wonderful acoustic effect, enhancing their voices.
     For the second half of the program, the choir begins to sing a series of patriotic songs. After nearly an hour of singing, their legs are locking and their voices croaking as they struggle to get the notes out. However, that all changes when they begin to sing an a capella version of, "The Star Spangled Banner". An old man seated in his wheelchair, grasps the arm rests in an attempt to stand. For several moments he hovers over his seat, struggling to stand. The singing children wonder if he is going to give up, yet for the last verse of the song, the man struggles to his feet and stands wobbling for the last verse of the song that honors his country. Some of the teens now have tears in their eyes, and are struggling to sing as much as he struggles to stand. The concert ends, but the story doesn't.
     One of the girls approaches the old man to thank him for listening, and she learns that the now feeble man in the wheelchair was once an admiral in the Navy, and each of his three sons served twenty years in the military. As the girl circles the room to thank the residents, she meets a sprightly German woman whose story is equally miraculous. She was a Jew during WWII, and thanks to the Lord her and her family escaped oppression and made it safely to the shores of America. Afterwards, the choir children looked at one another and realize that when a man gives freely, he gains even more. (Proverbs 11:24)

I hope you enjoyed this little anecdote from my spring break adventures, look forward to more stories soon! :)

This or That?

I've seen this tag floating around, and I thought it would be a fun, easy way to re-integrate myself into the blogosphere, since I've been absent for almost TWO WEEKS! (Look forward to many blogposts related to my spring break adventures.) :)

1. Summer or Winter? Normally, I love cold weather. But this winter was long and nasty. Normally by this time it's up to 80 degrees where I live, but we're still experiencing those arctic winds. HOWEVER, Texas is notorious for it's miserable summers, yet I am ready for some sunshine and wearing of the shorts.

2. Pink or Blue? I've always liked blue better. Green is my favorite color, but blue is second. :)

3. Frozen or Brave? Frozen, Frozen, FROZEN! I honestly hated Brave so much, I could dedicate a whole blogpost to it.

4. Art or Reading? Reading, duh! I can't draw or paint to save my life.

5. Christmas or Birthday? Although I do enjoy getting special presents, I'm going to stick with Christmas because I enjoy giving presents more than receiving, and I love the cozy atmosphere of the holidays.

6. Flip-Flops or Boots? FLIP-FLOPS ALL DAY EVERYDAY! I would wear them all year round if strangers didn't look at me funny, so as soon as spring comes around, you can bet that I won't be wearing any other kind of shoe.

7. Roses or Daisies? Daisies! I also recently found out that daisies are my birth-month flower, and I didn't even know there was such a thing! Roses are pretty, but they are a little too classy for me. Daisies look like they have more fun. :)

8. Cat or Dog? This is a question that I can never answer. Both. I like both, okay? Stop judging me!

9. Chocolate or Vanilla? I don't understand vanilla people. Chocolate is mysterious, decadent, rich and delicious! Vanilla is like a kiddy rollercoaster. It's for the weak. The bland. The cautious.

10. Europe or Asia? Europe all da waaaaay!

11. Rasperries or Blackberries? I think I'll stick with blackberries, cause I love me some blueberry cobbler.

12. Vintage or Modern? VINTAGE!! I'm fascinated with all things old-fashioned.

13. Pasta or Soup? Pasta everyday.

14. Elephants or Lions? I think Lions are cooler, but I also wouldn't want to be anywhere near them.

15. Long Hair or Short Hair? Long hair. I'm growing mine back out; I want it to be down to my waist again :)

Well I hope you enjoyed this fun, yet slightly silly post! Stick around cause I said, I have some super cool stories and pictures to share with you! Oh, and feel free to do this tag yourself :)
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