A Look into my Life - September Edition

 

Happy Tuesday, readers!

I'm starting a monthly post called, (you guessed it) A Look into my Life. This is where I'll spend my time talking about things that are going on in my life (duh) usually non-writing related. Y'all get to see what I'm involved in outside the blogosphere. :)

So here we go!

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Happenings and Highlights of this Month:

- Youth group on every Wednesday night. I have such a fabulous time fellowshipping with my friends and having a chance to learn about God with them.

- I've started a play! Six other homeschoolers and I are preforming a rendition of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It's a rather odd plot if you dare to look it up, and I am playing the part of Viola. Our director is awesome, along with my fellow actresses and actor.

- Our Church got a new pastor!! After a little over a year, our Church's search committee finally found the one that would fit our position. I loved the first sermon that he gave and his three kids are adorable.

- The beginning of fall. I love summer while it lasts, but am sometimes happy when the fall comes around with earthy colors, brisk breezes, and cooler weather. I love the beginning of fall but don't appreciate what the end of it brings. (Oh, and I am very happy how my blog design fits in the with fall look. Perfect, don't you think?)

- I've finished my giant mandala/doodling drawing that I have been working on for months. Literally. I attached a picture below:



My giant doodle which I have been working on since mid-January.

- I've been drinking coffee. For those of you who have known me for awhile, you know that I used to despise coffee. (And I still kinda do) I have been so tired these last few weeks and it has been such a
struggle to even get myself out of bed. I needed some way of waking myself up, so I turned to coffee. I'm starting to get used to it's taste, and my mom got some special peppermint mocha creamer which makes it taste a thousand times better. (Any other tips on how to make it taste better?)

- School's started. (That is more of a happening than a highlight) I've been working a lot more independently this year which has been working quite well. I'm not sure what my favorite subject is, probably writing, since I'm doing One Year Adventure Novel for that. I definitely know what my least favorite subject is: science. ._. I can't seem to make sense of anything the book says.

- My one month blogoversary was in the last couple days! (I can't remember if I started A Writer's Faith on the 27th or the 28th) I'm very encouraged with how well it is going, and can't wait to begin another month of new posts. Thank you to all my loyal followers!

- I have a found a new favorite pen. (Yes, this is considered a highlight in my month. xP) I've had it for quite awhile, actually, but refound it under my desk one day, tried it out, and BOOM. New favorite pen. :) (Pen: Pilot Precise Rolling Ball V5 Extra Fine)

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That's it for now. :)

Byeeeee!
- Katie

Challenge: Tell me the highlights of your month in the comments! :)

A Blogging Schedule

I hope everyone is having a marvelous Sunday so far!

My posting has been rather bleak this last week, and time has gotten away from me. I have a lot of things to do, and this blog tends to be pushed down towards the bottom of my to-do list.

But, I hope to have that happen no longer!

Yesterday I spent some time mapping out my blogging schedule for the month of October. I have a small calendar that I will be using to brainstorm posting ideas, and put them down for certain days of the month. Though I'm not posting on specific days, I'm making a goal of posting at least once to twice a week depending on my schedule and plans.

On my sidebar I'll be showing my next post/posts. That way you can be looking forward to upcoming ramblings of mine and know when to check back. ;)

I really think this will help me keep up to date on my posts and that I won't be as inactive as I have been lately. Thank you to all my readers who have been with me so far!

Byeeee!
- Katie

The Well Known Story of Noah's Ark

 

We all know the story of Noah's Ark. If you've grown up in a Sunday School, you'll hear it repeatedly year, after year. At least for me, the story has lost its sense of amazement and awe. But when I
take a step back and study this story in more detail, it is truly amazing.

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.
⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, ⁹ male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

Taken from http://biblegateway.com/  in NIV translation.


I'm studying Genesis for history right now which led me to write up this blog post. I really took my time going through the lessons, and it amazes me how differently I saw the story when going through it with a new pair of eyes.

I highly respect Noah for building an ark when God asked him to. People were ridiculing him constantly. Something else I never realized? It took Noah 100-120 years to build the ark. Think about how much trust you have to have in God to take on a big project like that. You have a lot of time to think when doing a 100 year project. I would start doubting myself; I would start doubting God. But Noah stayed strong and was committed.

And did you read the scripture where it said that Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came? Wow. Just... Wow.

I always like picturing in my mind how the animals got onto the ark, and how I would feel when watching that. How amazing would that sight be? I would feel so small compared to this large ark, and the even bigger God who is leading the animals in.

And then... the door shuts. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I can imagine it would be very poorly lit inside that giant ark. We know that there is a window, probably more than a couple of them, but how would they be able to fully light an ark that big? Imagine living on a boat full of animals. It's dark, it's smelly, noisy, and cramped. And after the door shuts...

...It's starts to rain pour. Water comes down from the sky, and from underneath the earth. Water quickly starts to surround the ark. After more than a hundred years of waiting, working, and trusting God that you're doing the right thing-- It very quickly becomes evident that this is what God destined to happen.

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I want to try to take stories like this into a more serious light, really putting myself in the Bible character's situation, seeing what I'd feel like and putting their lessons into my life.

What do you take away from the story of Noah?

Byeeee!
- Katie

(Side note: So far I'm track for the 100 for 100 challenge! For those of you who are participating, how are you doing?)

100 for 100 Challenge!

 

 

 

Writing is a hard habit to get into. It's hard to write when you're busy. Sometimes, it's hard to write when you're not busy. It's in those days filled with school, work, and stress that you just find yourself drop writing off your schedule.

 

For writing a novel, you have to have patience, commitment, hard work, and determination. It's tough to pull those qualities out of yourself when you're already using them on other things. But it's a whole lot easier when you have someone to come alongside you.

 

Go Teen Writers is holding a, "100 for 100 Challenge."

 

The goal? To write 100 words a day for 100 consecutive days.

 

100 words isn't much when you think about it. It probably takes me a couple minutes to write that much up. (When my head is clear and not rammed with million of other thoughts. Which happens quite too often for my liking. :p) And it seems like even less when you know that you have over three hundred writers working for that same goal.

 

The hard part about this challenge, (One of the many challenging parts) is that you can only work on one project. I'll be editing my novel, Faith, which is going to need a lot of rewriting.

 



I've been meaning to start editing my novel for quite awhile now. But every time I pull up that document, a lump of intimidation begins to grow inside me, causing me to click that "X" button in the upper right hand corner and desert my document once more.

I really think this challenge will give me the extra boost I need to start up this new journey. I'm excited to see what the next hundred days will hold!

Note: It isn't to late to sign up! You can still sign up tonight and participate, all ages can join. Here's the link: http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/2014/09/sign-up-now-for-fourth-100-for-100.html.

Byeeeee!
- Katie

Wednesday Writings - 7 Fun Blogging Prompts, Challenges, Chains, and Contests

Hello :)

As I follow more and more blogs, I realize that there are so many ways to get involved with the writing community on the internet. There are endless amounts of contests, challenges, prompts, chains, and other writing related activities.

For today's Wednesday Writings, I wanted to put some of them into one post, describing each with a couple of sentences. Click the contest's name to lead you to their blog.

1. Monday's Minute Challenge


What it is: A prompt challenge.
How it works: Every other Monday, the blog gives you three prompts to choose from. Using one of those prompts, you'll create a short snippet of 150-300 words. You have the chance to vote, read other writer's work, and save up points for some wonderful prizes!

2. 100 for 100 Challenge

What it is: To write 100 words a day for 100 days on one specific manuscript.
How it works: To participate in this challenge, you have to sign up by Monday, September 15. To learn more about this challenge and to sign up, click the link above.
It's going to be a great incentive to get ahead on a  project you're working on!



3. Teens Can Write Too Blog Chain


What it is: A chain where multiple bloggers post about the same topic.
How it works: Every month there is a new writing or book related topic. To sign up, put in your blog link and dates that will or will not work for that month in the comments. Then, on your appointed date you'll publish your blog post.
I hope to do this in the future!


4. Beautiful People

What it is: A chance to interview your characters.
How it Works: Every 5th of the month a new topic for your characters is posted. Then, for the rest of the month, you're able to interview your character with the set of 10 questions the blog gives you.
I've seen this pop up in a few places, but haven't yet had the chance to do it.




5. Future Homeschool Authors Contest

If you are homeschooled, an aspiring author, and love free books... This is a contest for you.

What it is: A monthly writing contest.
How it works: Every month a new homeschooled author is featured along with their book, which you are given the chance to win. To enter, write up that month's contest prompt and then send your entry to the administrators in an email. 



6. Five Minute Friday

What it is: A weekly writing link-up.
How it works: Every week a new word will be posted such as, "story," "song," or "whisper..." You have exactly five minutes to write up your post. You leave it unedited and publish it, just as it is. To learn more click the link above.





7. Weekly Writing Prompt

What it is: A writing prompt.
How it works: Each Friday there is a new prompt using a picture or quote. If it inspires you, write up a passage and post it on your blog or in the comments! There have been some really neat pictures in the past.

 I hope to see you join some of these!
Byeeee!
- Katie

Do you know of any other blogs that hold these types of contests? If so, comment below! I'd love to learn about them. ^_^

Monday Minute Challenge

Hi!

I'm going to be participating in the Monday Minute Challenges again. Congrats to everyone who won last week! To know more about the challenge, click the banner above. It should lead you to her blog.
I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out... But I'm not sure how to make it better.
Here is the prompt I have to include in my snippet:

Scissors
Passport
Wanted Poster

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       The man slammed his fist against a desk, emotion surging through his body. In a fit of rage he threw back his chair, pumping his hand at his angled, office ceiling.
      “You have the wrong man? You hear me? I’m not the one you want!”
      But no one was there to listen to his begging cries. No one was there to recognize that the man was harmless and innocent. No one understood.
      How did he get mixed up with the thief? How did he, a humble, quiet man get taken for a dangerous criminal?
      The man picked up a stray pair of scissors from his desk, twirling them around, feeling helpless. The scissors spun off of his fingers and landed with a loud clatter on the floor.
      Sighing, the man ran his fingers through his dark, unkempt hair. What was there to do? How could he convince them that he wasn’t the one they were looking for? He needed to get away. He needed to…go.
      His eyes lit up. He hurled open his desk drawers, shuffling through different assorted papers and files. It wasn’t long before he found what he was looking for: A small, blue passport.
      With his heartbeat elevating, the man strode past his desk with a mission and a plan. He would get out of his house, he would fly to a different country, and he would find a way to convince everyone that he was innocent.

      He ran out of his office, shutting the door with a bang. Inside, a poster floated gently to the floor, big, bold text inscribing: WANTED.

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Byeeeee!
- Katie

It's the Little Things that Make Me Happy

I like making people happy. There's almost nothing better than watching a smile appear on someone's face because of what you said or did. It's a spectacular feeling, really.

I feel happy when random people smile at me--a genuine, real smile.

I feel happy when my mommy hugs me tight and tells me that she loves me.

I feel happy when my sister makes me laugh.

I feel happy because of the little things people do for me.

Often, it's not much. A hug, a smile, a compliment, a prayer, a "hello", a high-five, an unexpected gift, or a kindly offered favor. They're all small things, yet they can mean so much. A comment on my blog simply saying, "Thanks for writing up this post," can leave a lasting impression on my day. People who contact me simply because they just want to say hi--that means a lot.

When I was little, I wanted to own a company called: Making People Happy. I wanted to own a place where people would come and watch me dance, sing, and ride around in circles on my Barbie scooter. I wanted to put a smile on people's faces. That was my dream.

And it still is.

But, of course, in a different matter than riding around on my Barbie scooter. xD

Think of it, though. If we all were kind to each other, reveling in the little things, making each other happy, wouldn't the world be a better place?

It's the little things that make me happy, and I want to spread the joy to those around me. How are you going to make others around you happy?

Byeeee!
- Katie <3

Wednesday Writings - Naming Characters

 

Let's say you have this idea for a character. It's a genius idea really, and you're super excited about putting this character to life. Everything is planned out: The looks, the personality, little quirks, and train of thought. Perfect, right? Nope. You realize that you don't have a name for the character.

Finding a name for a new character is one of my favorite parts of writing. It's the last step (or the first) to creating a new person in the fantasy world. They might be super important, having to go on quests to save princesses from castles and fighting off  evil dragons, or they might be a lowly peasant. Either way, every character you create is vital to your story in a different way. They need a family, and backstory, and... a name.

Readers connect with characters, and one way they do that is calling a character by their name. If you go up to a random person on a street, and start telling them about this queen who has magical ice powers and a red haired sister... The first name that will pop up in their mind is: Elsa. See? With a name, you automatically get a vision of her blue dress, white hair, and "Let it Go" theme song. (At least that is what I get :P) Names are very important for establishing connections.

To tell the truth, name hunting has gone easily for me so far. (The key part of that sentence is the "so far...") There is a reason for that. Here are some ways that I find my character's names.

1. Name Generators

http://fantasynamegenerators.com/: This is my favorite name generator. It provides hundreds of different fantasy names, ranging from elf names, villain names, and even alien names. There are also several place generators for naming villages.

http://dicelog.com/yafnag: I don't like this one nearly as much as the above, but it provides a lot more names, and you can narrow the choices down by choosing things such as: the number of letters in a name, prefix and suffix, and list of names to generate. If you want more options, this is the one to go with.

Those are the two I use most often.

2. Choosing a Name that has Meaning

For my more recent characters that I have created, I like using this method. I go onto this website: http://www.babynamespedia.com/. Instead of doing a "name search," I do a "meaning search." For example, I was trying to find a name for my dad in Faith. With the meaning search, I put in: Farmer, for that was his work, and the name Arador came up. I liked it, and there was my dad's name. I recommend trying this out, especially if you want your character's name to have a certain meaning.

3. Other Ways

Make up your own names, look through baby name books or websites, or come across a name on a grocery receipt! (That last one was how I found the name for my main character: Alynn. A grocery receipt was on our counter, and the cashier's name on it was: "Lynn." I put an A in front of it, and there was my name :)

I hope this may serve somewhat useful to you during your name finding :)

Byeeee!
- Katie

How do you find your character's names? Tell me in the comments below!