And we're halfway done with the year.
Which is a teensy bit freaky, since I thought July was the halfway point of the year. So it seems like I've lost a month. Eep.
Here we go!
/ TWENTY ONE PILOTS CAME OUT WITH A NEW SONG -- HEATHENS. AND A MUSIC VIDEO FOR THAT SONG.
(everyone watch it because not only is it a gorgeous and haunting song, but the music video is amazing and there are so many plot bunnies.)
/ I'm still working at Starbucks! I can successfully say that I haven't been fired or found the need to quit. *cheers* It's busy. Very busy, but I'm liking it. (not to mention that I get ALLL the free drinks and pastries. Mmmm.)
/ My family went to see Finding Dory. It was super cute -- little Dory was the most adorable thing. I wouldn't say that I LOVED it, but overall it was enjoyable. And Hank the octopus is the best, I've decided. xD
/ Meeting with internet frens. <3 *happiness* This was definitely the highlight of my month. I posted about it here, where there were many pictures and flailing and flopping.
/ Cabin time! Every year my dad's side of the family rents out a lakeside resort. There's about thirty of us in total, and the week is filled with Yahtzee tournaments, ice creaming outings, lots of sunburn (ouch), volleyball, reading, relaxing, late night games, and tons of laughter. We've been doing this tradition since I was a teensy baby, so it's cool to grow up and see everyone each year. :D
AND ALSO, my cousin had twins, so we had new little additions for the first time in a long while. They make my heart melt with their cute smiles. <3
 |
| little Kai. such a sweetie. |
And every night when we have a campfire, we make these absolutely delicious treats called eclairs. THEY'RE SO GOOD. It's a cooked croissant on a stick, and then you fill it with vanilla pudding and top it with nutella. (or chocolate frosting.) Argh, they're so good. o.o
-
I got four books this month, and I didn't buy any of them! Well I bought one with a gift card, won one in a giveaway, and the other two I got free from the library. (Gotta love summer reading programs.)
I also received Red Queen from the library, but I forgot to bring it with to the cabin, so that's why it's not pictured. :P
(I love how I go into this month saying, "I'm going to read so much!" And then I end up with my lowest book count of the year.)
This month was kind of an "eh" reading month. My average star rating was 3.4, which isn't great. But also not bad compared to an average of one, so. :P
Favorite book: Not counting my reread of Bruiser, I think Nimona was my favorite. I've been reading more graphic novels lately and this one was just AMAZING. And the ending was bittersweet, which I always love. <3
Least favorite: Probably Elantris. I'm not a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson's adult books? *hides* I always love his YA ones, but... these aren't my thing.
Best cover: Blackhearts. I love the simplicity of the ship in a bottle and the striking text against the black page. *happy flailing*
And speaking of bookish things... I'M GETTING A NEW BOOKSHELF. Right now my books are piled in a mess on my floor. I found one online that I like, so now I just have to remember to order it. And wait for it to come. And construct it. And organize my books on it. :P
-
I HAVE THE MOST EXCITING NEWS OF EVER.
(I mean, besides getting published and all that jazz.)
I GOT A NEW STORY IDEA. To be fair, this seems like the most exciting thing ever for me, because it's very rare that I get a story idea.
This is the picture that inspired it:
It's a contemporary story with ROBOTS. Mwaha. It's called Void, (ha, no surprise) and I have it all plotted out. I normally never plot, but I was so excited, and since I couldn't write it, I decided to plot it. More details will come later, since I'm probably writing it for NaNoWriMo in November.
Aaand, I got a new writing journal! I have a journal waiting for me to hand write a book in it, but I wanted a portable journal to jot down all my ideas. I went to target. There was this beauty waiting for me:
-
-
// how to write fast
// since Camp NaNoWriMo is coming, I'm going to do a post about my editing progress. Or something or other. Or maybe I'll just moan about it. We'll see.
// PROBABLY one more post on betaing. Possibly.
(basically I'm really bad at planning things out but I can promise posts! :P)
 |
| one random lake picture because it's so pretty and beautiful to edit in front of <3 - |
// katie grace
What happened this month for you? How often do you get new story ideas?
I can't resist this opportunity to be the first to comment! xD
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a busy and exciting June! I can't believe the year is half over either. :( That lake looks really nice - I can imagine sitting outside and watching the sun set over it... And those eclairs sound like something I need to try.
Congratulations on getting a new story idea, and plotting it out, and also for reading ten books. I know you said that's not what you were hoping for, but still it's ten books in the middle of all your busyness. And I've only read about six (from memory), so I'm impressed. :)
*hands you congratulatory pizza for being the first comment*
DeleteYes, you need to try elcairs. o.o I wish I could transport all of you here so we could eat them together. xD
I thought you meant that you MEMORIZED six books for a moment and I almost fell over. xD But six is still good! I'm impressed with both of us. ;)
Your family holidays sound really fun. I remember doing a similar thing a couple of times for big Christmas gatherings when I was younger. I always remember them as a lot of fun. :) The eclairs sound delicious as well. I feel sometimes I can have too many story ideas but that doesn't stop me from wanting to write them all. I just have to try and focus on one at a time and write them all down somewhere. I have so many notebooks filled with ideas. I'm participating in camp Nanowrimo too. I have too weeks of holidays starting tomorrow. I'm excited to start writing. Your new story idea with robots sounds cool. :D
ReplyDeleteAhh, so you have my opposite problem: having TOO many story ideas. I sometimes wish I had that problem, but it would also be such a pain to have all those plot ideas running in your head. I would probably die. :P
DeleteGood luck with Camp! What's your word goal?
At the moment it's 10,000. I'm hoping to get a good start to this story at least. It's kind of slow going so far though.
DeleteI get new story ideas ALL. THE. TIME. I'm literally in the middle of 15 books right now. That's why I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo - so that I can actually FINISH writing a book. 😀
ReplyDeleteJune for me just FLEW past. *cries* Summer is almost halfway over and I haven't been to the pool yet! *cries a lot more* I want to go to the pool on Saturday because now I am determined and if I am determined nothing can stop me (except for maybe my parents being busy and not being able to take me. UGH)
...Fifteen.... books... o.O Uhm, how do you keep all those straight?! o.O
DeleteAwh, I'm sorry! You must love swimming a lot? :P I love keeping my feet dry. Much safer. xD
Whoa... so much *cries* Well, I mainly went to the library. I wish I had enough books to get a bookshelf! xDD Then again, I have a LOT of books to read (from the library). A LOT.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted eclairs but I'm... diabetic *cries* Maybe I can make sugar free ones?
Also, I'm not a Twenty One Pilots fans but I HAVE heard Heathens. It's quite good ^^
Nuuu, that's horrible. *hugs* I can't imagine that. I'm sure yo could maybe make up some sort of sugar free eclair. :P
DeleteOooh, yes. You should listen to more of their songs because they're just amazing. <3
Wow!! It sounds like you had an AWESOME AWESOME June!!!
ReplyDeleteOh man. Whyyyy must there be such pictures of eclairs?! *salivates* It looks so gooooood....
And Kai!!! Girl, you have got the. cutest. cousin. EVER!
I also love your writing journal!! It's sooo cute!
Wonderful post, Katie! =)
-Ariel
Isn't he the cutest?? And he has a twin, so it's double the cuteness. It was so awesome to play with them the whole week. <3
DeleteAwh, thank you! I wrote for the first time in it last night and it felt so wonderful. :D Here come all the ideas...
...didn't you just seriously say we were 1/3rd way through the year? I distinctly remember that..yikes.
ReplyDeleteNO FAIR. I want to see Finding Dory so bad. Call me nuts--come on, we've been waiting forever, right?!
So you're editing for this month? Funnn. I'm writing a completly new book. YAY. xD whoaaa, so glad you found a new book idea! It's great when they just come to you.
YES. Those upcoming posts sounds great. Especially the one on how to type fast. I'll need that for nano. I think I'm just doing 30k this month--though, I'd LIKE to do more because it would be great for working my way up to 50k for november. yikes. That just scares me.
And those eclairs. gimme some. please.
Ha. Yeah. That's what I'm remembering. IT'S GOING BY TOO QUICKLY.
DeleteLucky duck. xD Have fun writing the new book! What is your word count goal for the month?
Eheh. i hope you find it... enjoyable. xD
*hands you eclairs like the nice little person I am* *takes a bite out of them first* *oops*
Well, I have 30k as my goal. But I'm thinking I might even raise it. Who knows. How's your first day of camp going? I'm already finished for the day, though, I'll probably do some more. :D
Delete*takes bite out of other end of eclair* I don't mind. lol. xD
Ooh, I think you might've told me that already. Oops. xD 30k is a good goal, though! I like how you can just shoot for an even 1k a day instead of 1,667 or whatever the crazy number is for 50k a month.
DeleteFirst day is almost complete! I've done an hour and a half of editing, and I'm hoping to do another half an hour. Though I have to write a blog post. And drive home from the cabin. So editing PROBABLY won't happen. *le sigh*
Nice post! The fisrt part of this year went by so fast! It is amazing!
ReplyDeleteNabila // Hot Town Cool Girl
I know. o.o What even.
DeleteAll of my internet and Spotify friends are listening to Heathens! (including me) and my Mom was like, "I don't care though..." and I was like, "Mom! You should!"
ReplyDeleteI understand the feel. My mom doesn't mind heathens, but doesn't love any of the other songs. Which makes it a billion times harder to convince my parents to take me to a concert. *distant sobbing*
DeleteHALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR. What even.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so glad working at Starbucks is going well for you! *fistbump*
KATIE YOU POSTED PICTURES OF ECLAIRS WHYYYY. *drools* I absolutely love eclairs, there SO good!
You're getting a new bookshelf?! Ohmygoodness, that's SO cool! If only I had enough books for another bookshelf *sighs*. Oh well, at least they all fit pretty comfortable on my one bookshelf :D. You should post a picture once you get it set up/put some books on it!
YOU HAD A STORY IDEA YOU HAD A STORY IDEA!!! *showers you with celebratory candy* HOORAY! It sounds like it's going to be SO neat, I can't wait to hear more about it sometime! But how on EARTH are you going to wait to write it until November? I could never do it :D. And that writing journal is awesomeness, I love it!
What happened in my June? Well I rambled all over about it in my Monthly Highlights post, so I won't re-type it here :D. And oh my goodness, THAT LAKE. SO much prettiness. I can't wait to see what you post in July!
what's the link to your blog? (if you don't mind, you seem cool :D)
DeleteSure, Taisha! Just email my mom: theperrans AT cox DOT net
Delete(also, sorry if this seems like I'm being pushy, but I wanted to know if I'm still in your cabin? Just asking because if I wasn't I was going to ask Jane Maree if she still has space :))
DeleteI must post a picture. If I remember. xD And I want to see a picture of your bookshelf. *nodnod* I always love seeing pictures of bookshelves for some reason. :P
DeleteI DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO WAIT. I want to write it right now. Sooo badly. But until then I have to edit for four months. Ew. .-.
Sigh, you can go ahead and join Jane's cabin. On the 30th when I didn't hear from you, I assumed that you couldn't get your account working, so I filled out last stop. I'm sorry! :/ We need to plan on next year for a cabin and get started earlier.
I shall remind you! :D I love seeing pictures of bookshelves too *nods*. I mean, who wouldn't? ALL THE BOOK THINGS. And actually, I just posted a picture of my bookshelf in my latest post. It's a mess, but I posted it anyways XD.
DeleteAlrighty, sorry I was so last minute! It's totally okay that you filled the last place, I probably would have done the same :D. Yes, next year, definitely! I hope you reach your goal (and NOPE course I'm not just saying that 'cause I want to read TSDS sooner than later, why would you even ask? Hehe ... XD)!
I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH 2016 WHAT EVEN
ReplyDeleteHEATHENS HEATHENS HEATHENS AAAAAHHHHH *flails*
Yay for Starbucks and Dory and Internet friends and THAT GORGEOUS CABIN
also those eclairs look fab
Yay for free books! I love the summer program
YAY NEW STORY THAT IS SO AWESOME KATIE *pizza* that sounds amazing and AHH SO EXCITING YAY
also that journal is gorgeous. also YAY for new bookshelf.
Lots of YAY in this post. Very happy and AAH *pizza and confetti and happy TOP flails*
Katie katieconfetti.blogspot.com
HEATHENS HEATHENS HEATHENS IT IS SO EXCITED OH MY GRACIOUS GOODNESS.I can't stand it and ajsdlk;f;s I've probably listened to it more times than healthy. xD *puts on repeat for forever*
DeleteALL THE YAY. Thanks for your lovely comments and enthusiasm, Katie! *highfives for same names*
Fun highlights!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was a fun month. <3
DeleteHOW ARE WE ALREADY HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI NEED TO LISTEN TO HEATHENS!
I'm so glad that working at Starbucks has been going well! Free drinks and pastries sounds like the best thing ever.
I really want to see Finding Dory! Haven't had a chance yet but I WILL TRAMPLE THE SMALL CHILDREN WHO GET IN MY WAY I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG.
That's so amazing that you got to meet some of your internet friends! That would be so much fun, oh my word.
Sunburn is the WORST. We're going to our grandparents' lakehouse soon, I'm excited!
OH MY GOSH THOSE ECLAIRS LOOK BEAUTIFUL *insert ALL the heart eye emojis*
10 is your lowest amount of books read? I WANT TO BE YOU.
EEK YAY FOR NEW STORIES!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!
I'm so excited for your upcoming posts!! <3
OH MY GOSH HOW HAVE YOU NOT LISTENED TO HEATHENS YET?? YOU NEED TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW. ASAP. DROP EVERYTHING AND LISTEN TO THE MAGICAL SONG. *dies*
DeleteDONT' GET SUNBURNT. It hurts. Very badly. *blows cool air on my shoulders* Have fun at the lakehouse. :D
Thank you for the excitement, Graceeee! You make me happy. xD
Huhu, somebody tell me how you guys do to actually WAIT to start writing a book... Like I have new ideas all the time
ReplyDelete(per exemple, last idea I got was from Gigi and Zayn's photoshoot for Vogue. I thought Gigi looked really geeky in it and I liked it a lot. Mix it with that American Idol contestant who had an amazing voice but had some stuttering problems and Imogen Dove was born.)
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE GETTING PUBLISHED, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING!!??!?! I'm so happy for you!!!!!!!!! Where did you talk about it, how come I missed it?
I'm heading for New Brunswick in August for a week and we ALMOST got a cottage, but my dad didn't think it was safe so we rent an appartment instead XD but I'm looking forward to go to the beach, the views there seem so amazing (And it'll probably fuel another story idea, so we'll see)
Also, I'm confused about NaNoWriMo (it just happens too often for my confused self). Like, there's the one in November but I think there's one in July as well? Is it basically the same thing as November or...? (see? confused). Anyway, I can always check, (one of) my book would need to get done XD
OH MY GOSH I FEEL SO BAD I'M NOT GETTING PUBLISHED. xD It was a side comment where I was kidding. :P No publishing news yet. :P
DeleteOoh, have fun writing at the beach! That will be super fun. o.o
Yup! There are three NaNoWriMo events in the year. NaNoWriMo (in November) is the official one where you write a 50,000 word novel. In April and July, there's this thing called "Camp NaNoWriMo." You can choose your own word count goal, and you're placed in a virtual cabin with twelve other people. :D It's awesome and you should totally do it.
Ah... I missed the sarcasm ooooops XD
DeleteThanks, you too (that awesome lake view though :D)
Okay, I get it. I'll check it out ASAP :)
Heathens is clearly the most important thing that happened this month xD Because, I mean, it's amazing and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteALSO YOUR NEW STORY IDEA SOUNDS AMAZING OMG. LIKE CAN I HAVE IT RIGHT NOW PLEASE.
clearly. it's a gift to all ears.
DeleteYES I AM GLAD THAT IT'S EXCITING. I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU TO READ IT SOMEDAY. <3
Oh, I'm so sad you didn't like Elantris! :( See? Do you see my sad face? Honestly, though, I'm not actually that surprised. I've been getting the sense that you and I read very different books. And that's okay. :) So, which books of Sanderson's have you liked? Have you read his Alcatraz series?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I just haven't been that excited for Finding Dory. I was when I first heard about it, but the trailers just haven't done much for me. (To be perfectly honest, I'm annoyed that Nemo's age doesn't reflect the elapsed time since the first movie...)
Eclairs are quite fantabulous. Though I've never eaten them on a stick... And I haven't had them for years. Still, I remember them being wonderful. :D
I'm sad as well. *le sigh* I had heard so many good things about it! Just... like I said, not my kind of book.
DeleteI LOVED The Reckoners Trilogy, The Rithmatist, and I didn't mind The Stormlight Archive.
I haven't read the Alcatraz series. Doesn't it have something to do with librarians?
Yeahhh, I didn't love the trailers either. :P But I liked it. It would've been neat to see Nemo be a little bit older, but... oh well. He played a surprisingly small part in the movie. I guess it is called "Finding DORY," though. xD
Oh my goodness, The Rithmatist was amazing! But it requires a sequel. I haven't read the other ones. Yeah, the first book is, in full, called Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians. Middle-grade fiction, technically, I believe, but it's incredible and super unique.
DeleteWell, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) Even if it is so-called, Nemo should still be more than a bit part! I don't think I'll see it in theaters; too much money...
Oooh, robots! And it's all plotted out!
ReplyDelete... I got a (very vague) new story idea, too. xP It's about two people, a war, drums, and madness.
Sounds weird when I put it like that. xP Anyways, I'm waiting until after Camp to develop it, but. Yes.
Mostly plotted out! Now watch as I try and write it and I realize I have NO idea what is going on. :P
DeleteWars, drums, and madness. Three of my favorite things. xD
I been thinking of getting a job at Starbucks, if only for the free drinks :D
ReplyDeleteHeathens, that song is amazing!
Do ittt. It's actually a really awesome job. And the free drinks are an especially nice perk. xD
DeleteHEATHENSHEATHENSHEATHENS. *freaks out*
OMIGOSH I CAN'T BELIEVE TWENTY ONE PILOTS HAS A NEW SONG I MUST LISTEN TO IT!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou work at Starbucks? That's, like, my most favorite establishment in the history of the universe. And now I must have a s'mores frappucino.....
My month has been great! My family went on a cross country road trip to our new home Washington from SC.
YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO IT YET? GO DO IT. NOW. GO GO GO GO.
DeleteMwahah, you should come travel and meet me. Sure that wouldn't take long at all from Washington. :P
So, you're moving if I understand correctly? o.O
Yeah, my family moved from South Carolina to Washington. Big culture shock. We went from sweet tea and Southern accents to giant mountains and coffee shops. Everywhere! I love it! I think I'm in Heaven...
DeleteSounds like you had a great month! And for the record: I, too, went into the month expecting to read a lot and ended up reading not a lot. Which is sad. But I'm glad you had fun elsewhere, and your new story idea sounds cool!
ReplyDeleteAh, oh well. We can both hope that July is better. But now with Camp I'm not sure if that will happen. xD
DeleteI went to see Finding Dory too! I agree..it wasn't fabulous, but it was cute! Since I only spent four bucks on my ticket, I can't complain. ;)
ReplyDeleteOK. STORY IDEAS. I get them so rarely that it makes me really sad. Sometimes I even question if I am a story writer because of it. Seriously, though...when that idea comes, I drop everything and run for the pen and paper! Haha I'm SO HAPPY THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THANK YOU KATIE. XD *relieved sigh*
Great post! :)
~Megan (megans-journals.blogspot.com)
Ooh, that's a wonderfully cheap ticket. I wish we had tickets those prices where I live. xD
DeleteOHMYGOSH YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS WELL?! So glad I'm not alone. It seems like all the writers in the blogging circles are always exploding with ideas and I'm just... nope. xD
Yay for awesome months! ^_^
ReplyDeleteAwh, your family tradition of staying at that lake sounds like so much fun. :D I would love to do something like that with my family one day. *nods*
*dies from cuteness overload* THAT LITTLE BABY IS SO CUUUUTE! <3
Yes, Finding Dory was a cute movie. ^.^ I didn't /love/ it either, but it was very sweet. AND YES. BABY DORY IS THE CUTEST THING EVER OH MY GOODNESS. I died multiple times because HER TINY LITTLE FACE AND VOICE JUST KILLED ME. xD
Internet frens. <3 I think it's so fabulous that you got to meet so many of them this month.
CAMP NANO. Eek, it starts tomorrow! o.o I wasn't able to get any more plotting done since we had a busy day organizing and doing a skills day for which I taught a couple classes. Then a friend is currently staying the night, but I'm snagging some time to comment while she's reading one of my books. (<< I LOVE IT WHEN I CAN SHARE BOOKISH JOY WITH PEOPLE.)
Ooh, your story idea sounds epic. xD Void is such an awesome title.
That writing journal is awesome. I have several lovely, epic, awesome, AMAZING leather journals, but... I JUST CAN'T BEAR TO SCRIBBLE MY INCOHERENT AND MESSY AND DISJOINTED THOUGHTS INTO THEIR BEAUTIMOUS PAGES. xD
Here's to July. *raises cup* For me, a month full of insane writing, insane moving craziness, insane adventures at national parks on the way to Alabama, and just insanity in general. :P
BABY DORY. She makes me melt. *dies of the cuteness overload as well*
DeleteCAMP NANO HAS NOW STARTED. We'll have an awesome time in our cabin. :D Lots of word wars and craziness will ensue. ;)
Yess, I'm glad you like the title! I love longer/lyrical/pretty titles, so I was a bit unsure when Void came to me, but I think I like it.
RIGHT?! I can't have a writing journal that is TOO awesome because how can I mess it up? :P
Let's do this thing. xD
Hey Katie! I featured your post, Being a Writer is Powerful on my Featured Friday post right here: http://spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com/2016/07/featured-friday-7116.html
ReplyDeleteAllie D.
www.alliesblogdesigns.blogspot.com
www.friendlovesatalltimes.blogspot.com
www.sevenbloggersandtheirdolls.blogspot.com
www.sincerelyallied.blogspot.com
www.spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com
Gasp, oh my gosh, thank you! Awh, I have all the warm fuzzies now. you're awesome. <3
DeleteI was joking -- not getting published yet. *sigh* Sorry if that was confusing. xD
ReplyDeleteYour month sounds so serene. I'm jealous ^.^ I wish I could go to a lake and edit! (Actually I'm going to a lake tomorrow, but I can guarantee you, I will only be partying.) I'm just glad to know you can get a sunburn in Minnesota :P And your cousin's twins are SO cute! I was stalking them again just the other day. :)
ReplyDeleteA NEW STORY IDEA!!!! Aren't those the bestest? :D ^.^ :D ^.^ Good luck. And good for you for plotting. *pats you on the head* What are you doing for Camp NaNo? I'm doing a new story, because THAT makes sense :P
I hope you have an awesome July!
Yeah, for real, how is it July...? I was just thinking that that means the year is half over, so that is definitely kind of odd! Also, congrats on a new story idea! I'm always afraid that when I finish my current novel I may not love a new story as much as it - but then inspiration strikes from out of nowhere, often sparked by an image. So I'm glad that happened to you :) And YES HEATHENS #epic Love that song. :)
ReplyDeleteReally excited to hear about your new story idea! Isn't it awesome when you get inspired by something like that? I love it.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe June is over...it's already summertime, wow.
i love gerald in finding dory. one of my friends has official named himself gerald...it fits him super well, then another one is becky. my little sister started full on sobbing in the middle of the showing, it was horrible. my friends were talking about that alone for days
ReplyDeletei have another book for you to read, its titled "a school for unusual girls". it is amazing. i can't wait til the sequel comes out
ReplyDeleteI'm not late at all to comment. Nah-uh. Nope.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, wonderful job and beautiful photos!