tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34451384333676221392024-03-28T08:21:42.123-05:00A Writer's FaithKatie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-71217850128950413092018-03-17T00:00:00.000-05:002018-03-17T00:00:22.978-05:00THE PROS AND CONS OF CRITIQUE PARTNERS<br />
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Happy Saturday!</div>
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As of last week, <b>I finished my third draft of </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Where Shadows Lie. </i>My critique partner read through the story as I edited it, so this also means that she reached the end as well! (which was rather nerve-wracking, but that's to be expected)</div>
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I knew that once we completed our critique sessions I wanted to write a post about the whole process... but how-to/advice posts aren't really my thing (especially since <a href="https://rosalievalentine.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/a-writers-guide-to-giving-critique/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rosalie</span></a> and <a href="http://christiswrite.blogspot.com/2018/03/being-kind-is-critical-how-to-be-great.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Alyssa</span></a> recently wrote amazingly helpful posts on this topic). So instead <b>this is just my experience of having my novel read by my critique partner, Emma. </b></div>
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We met in person at the library weekly, which became a day I both dreaded and looked forward to, hehe. (yay for friends and writing! boo for being scared to have someone actually read your writing!) But here are some of my thoughts about the whole process:</div>
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb8IyhoCVaN7sJrR1iU1n77L2dnGunrzJ93H7uybZ6G60BDJl8yrHoVIHpHsZtW0ayPeLNQo67LcE_QBHFOQf_pSF0_H9jPlmyFkIcd4mZ7QHXNBuUI6_kqGaGJO2u1Y4ExutqaRaaJF7/s1600/PROS+AND+CONS+OF+CRITIQUE+PARTNER.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb8IyhoCVaN7sJrR1iU1n77L2dnGunrzJ93H7uybZ6G60BDJl8yrHoVIHpHsZtW0ayPeLNQo67LcE_QBHFOQf_pSF0_H9jPlmyFkIcd4mZ7QHXNBuUI6_kqGaGJO2u1Y4ExutqaRaaJF7/s1600/PROS+AND+CONS+OF+CRITIQUE+PARTNER.png" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>PRO #1:</b> </i>INSTANT FEEDBACK</span></blockquote>
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This can also be rather terrifying (especially if the feedback is negative), but mostly <b>it's <i>so helpful. </i></b>As soon as my critique partner finished the chapter I received her all thoughts: the good, the bad, the confusing parts, and the parts where she fangirled over characters and plot twists (mwahahah).</div>
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And if I'm unsure about a certain plot point, I can ask her! I tried to ask general questions so I didn't narrow in on a small moment in the story. Instead of asking, "was this scene too slow?" I tried to ask, "how was the pacing in this chapter?" <b>Then I'm not accidentally ruling out chances for other possible feedback.</b> If I still need clarity after this question, then I can narrow in on that specific scene and ask about it's pacing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>CON #1:</b> </i>YOU REALIZE YOUR NOVEL ISN'T PERFECT</span></blockquote>
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<b>Sometimes when I'm writing, I sit back in my chair</b> (or flop on the ground and stare at the ceiling) <b>and pretend that my novel is perfect. </b>I dream of handing over a chapter to my critique partner, only to have her say, "Wow! There's nothing but good things here!"</div>
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<b>Spoiler alert: </b>that doesn't happen.<b> </b>Ever. There's always something tiny to nitpick or readjust -- I think <b>the main goal of editing is not to make your book perfect, but into something that you're satisfied with and proud of. </b>Editing is a journey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>PRO #2:</b> </i>DISCUSSION OVER STORIES!</span></blockquote>
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This is one of my favorite parts of the critique sessions I've had with my friend. I've been working on this book since October of 2016, and haven't been able to talk about the plot twists and characters with anyone until now. IT'S SO FREEING. <b>It's a little preview of what it will be like to have people reading the published version someday. :D</b></div>
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Not to mention that it's so refreshing to study someone else's writing! It becomes tiring to continually evaluate my own novel, and it's a fun change to discuss motives and goals of someone <i>else</i>'s characters. (<b>ahem, though it's not fun when they die. -.-</b>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>CON #2:</b> </i>YOU MIGHT FAINT</span></blockquote>
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To those confused by this point, you've obviously never had someone read your work before. Because watching them intake your precious novel is pure <i>torture.</i> </div>
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<b>If you do feel faint during a critiquing session, here are some tips on how to avoid it</b>:</div>
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<li>bring a paper bag to access if you start hyperventilating</li>
<li>if you <i>do </i>faint, bring pillows so you can at least land on something soft</li>
<li>also bring a fan to keep you cool when you start sweating</li>
<li>or just bring a water bottle and dump it on your head if the nerves prove too much</li>
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<li>because then you aren't nervous about the story or fainting -- just the fact that you're completely drenched</li>
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<li>binge-eat comfort food (like pizza!!)</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">PRO #3: </i>MEETING WITH A FRIEND</span></blockquote>
With working and Church activities and responsibilities and writing and just day-to-day life... it's hard to find a spare chunk of time. It becomes ever harder when you try to find a chunk of time that words for <i>two </i>people.<br />
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But somehow my critique partner and I were able to find a few weekend afternoons and mornings to squish in our writing time, which was <i>so </i>needed. <b>Not only did we critique each other's novels to pieces, but afterwards we got to catch up on life. </b>It's a 2 in 1 experience. ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>CON #3:</b> </i>WATCHING THEM READ YOUR STORY IS PURE <i>TORTURE</i></span></blockquote>
Before this novel, I've really never watched anyone critique my work in <i>person,</i> and <b>I didn't prepare myself for how terrifying it was going to be.</b> I'm sitting there, across the table, watching her scroll through my document. -- <i>does she like it? is she yawning because she's tired or because she's bored with my story?! did her eyebrow twitch or was that an expression of intrigue and surprise?? --</i><br />
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<b>See "con #2," because this is where the possibility of fainting might become a reality.</b><br />
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Obviously I jest a little bit, but it really<i> was </i>scary. The good thing is that <b>my nerves lessened the more we met for critique session.</b> I became used to the fact that I would receive lots of comments, and learned to be happy when she only pointed out a hundred errors instead of two hundred (ha).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">PRO #4: </i>YOU'LL SEE THE POTENTIAL IN YOUR STORY</span></blockquote>
<b>me during our first critiquing session: </b><i>please just like it please don't say anything bad please be nice please --</i><br />
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<b>me during our final critique session:</b> GIVE ME ALLLLL THE CRITIQUES.<br />
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At first each critique she gave hurt a little bit. I saw the truth. I saw the sense in her comments, but I took each correction as a negative. Because critiques = a bad novel... right?<br />
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Not necessarily.<b> </b>Because <b>with each critique, there's a potential for making that weak part in your story a strong one. </b>For instance, one of her comments was that she had trouble understanding my character's goal/purpose in a certain chapter. It might take a few tries to fix that problem, but then hopefully my character's motivation will come across clearly, <b>and the negative critique</b> (hopefully) <b>becomes a strength in my story.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">CON #4: </i>NOW YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO EDIT THE THINGS</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PfgIt2vpZhzQs_CNnzAvBA7_YYrY1sKJ06Jp-7VmKMv9LTPvtVoN7Vnq_ur0xgFx8XfSLzYF15vEUxmg9J1ZtFVT6Lc5fClESLcSheB4jDc0MAVY9J92zMDPpq6jpft0Fz33taoEf29t/s1600/35F9A7F4-5D56-4693-AE1A-5F2E68D38A3B.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PfgIt2vpZhzQs_CNnzAvBA7_YYrY1sKJ06Jp-7VmKMv9LTPvtVoN7Vnq_ur0xgFx8XfSLzYF15vEUxmg9J1ZtFVT6Lc5fClESLcSheB4jDc0MAVY9J92zMDPpq6jpft0Fz33taoEf29t/s640/35F9A7F4-5D56-4693-AE1A-5F2E68D38A3B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You see all of those bullet points in the notebook above? <b>Those are <i>all </i>things I need to fix. </b>Thankfully they're not all giant plot points -- some are just little line errors. But still. And those are only from the first eight chapters! <b>I have six more pages like those filled with corrections </b>(or should I say "potential strengths? :P).<br />
<b><br />I'm going to need so much pizza and coffee to get through this next draft.</b><br />
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But thankfully <a href="http://campnanowrimo.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Camp NaNo</span></a> is coming up! I'll desperately need that extra motivation to guide me through these edits. Yikes. xD<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr8Jx7MGv7CvCAjiybLs7EO4pJuXXWNYjkNu7_9LiTyTfwcMmJ7_IFP54gzcSamuBH8tCk-4dXRXQ087Qq4A2BCzddfoU32c7QFHbZHTzgUEU_GivcFII2TeZP5OJzScalLBjiLuTRJ8/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, basically: <b>find yourself a critique partner. </b>Beside the risk of fainting, you really can't go wrong. xD</div>
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AND GUESS WHAT? IT'S OFFICIAL. <b>I HAVE TICKETS FOR </b><i><b>INFINITY WARS.</b> </i>*screaming forever* April 26th here I come. :P</div>
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<3,<br />katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">have you ever had a critique partner?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-71298228895207718832018-03-10T00:00:00.000-06:002018-03-10T00:00:33.438-06:00DEAR SENIOR YEAR, [pt. 2!]<div style="text-align: justify;">
It seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote my post, "<a href="http://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/08/dear-senior-year.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dear Senior Year</span></a>." In actuality, it was published aaaalllll the way back in <i>August. </i>(um, what. I don't understand how time passes by so quickly. SOMEONE GET ME A TIME TURNER. Anywho. *cough*) That post began with how fall was quickly approaching and <b>now here we are, with spring about to arrive. </b>(at least if the snow decides to ever disappear. -.-) </div>
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<b>Since I started my senior year with a blog post, now it only seems fitting that I end it with one.</b> Hopefully this post doesn't turn out to be <i>too</i> sappy, but I won't make any promise since I'm a deeply emotional person. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHotO-N0u4JhzA_-PQjHRiS_5y0Lc9x5mKWb1Vs-_5ir61ndpadBJz5tL3mvmZVmdLLA46NbeA8jzVcYxI5OsAXQYPRnO5kdh_Y81cBt1708Ug228_Mq84iOvEl-KsxBqaTqT6gRk_ET7/s1600/dear+senior+year+pt+2.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHotO-N0u4JhzA_-PQjHRiS_5y0Lc9x5mKWb1Vs-_5ir61ndpadBJz5tL3mvmZVmdLLA46NbeA8jzVcYxI5OsAXQYPRnO5kdh_Y81cBt1708Ug228_Mq84iOvEl-KsxBqaTqT6gRk_ET7/s1600/dear+senior+year+pt+2.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>dear senior year,</i></span></div>
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You've finally come to an end. Twelve years of school, countless hours, two thousand, one hundred, and sixty days in all... completed. <b style="font-style: italic;">Done. </b>I won't be facing the textbooks in the fall after a summer break. I won't sit cross-legged on my grey folding chair any longer, with a blanket wrapped around me like a burrito. <b>I won't have to grit my teeth through frustrating battles with stubborn math problems. </b><i>(<<< hallelujah to the last one!) </i></div>
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I'm finished, and for some reason that's a terrifying thought.</div>
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I've explained this before, but <b>school and I have never been the best of friends.</b> I'm an impatient, hands on type of person, and the prospect of sitting at a desk all morning to think through difficult concepts until my head hurts? ... eh, I'll pass. <b>I've never liked school, but now that I'm done, I realize how comforting school was.</b> (never dreamed of writing that sentence, ha!)</div>
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I explored the idea of comfort + school a little bit in my last senior post, but it's become more evident now that I've graduated. When in school, my purpose/task was set out for me. I woke up every morning, and I didn't need to think about cars and jobs and money and ~adult responsibilities~. </div>
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<b>I feel a bit like Bilbo Baggins. </b>I was in the routine of the life that I was accustomed to, living comfortably in my Bag End home, eating lots of pizza and other good food. But then I opened the door for the dwarves, and now I'm getting dragged on this new and stretching journey in life. (BOOM! ADULTHOOD! OFF ON AN ADVENTURE YOU GO!)<br />
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<i>(as I reread that analogy it's a pretty awful one and isn't very similar to my situation, but I'll take any opportunity to call myself Bilbo Baggins and pretend to be a hobbit thank you very much.)</i><br />
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It's been weird having people say, "Congratulations on graduating!" <b>Sometimes it seems like the concept of me being done with high school is easier for them to believe than it is for me. </b>Every morning I wake up expecting to trudge back to my school desk, but then remember -- wait! I'm done! (so then I proceed to make coffee and spend the morning writing which has made mornings actually <i>enjoyable</i>)<br />
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And once the "congratulations" take place, the inevitable question strikes: "<b>So... what are you going to do with your life?</b>" [psst, go read <a href="https://nadinebrandes.com/2018/02/07/dreaded-question-life-plans/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">nadine's wonderful post about this dreaded question</span></a>]<br />
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Oh. Yay. *existential screaming*<br />
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Though I make fun of the question, I do understand. I'm a naturally curious person and would want to know my Top Secret Plans if I were them. But the problem is that I'm <i>me </i>and <b>I still ask myself everyday what it is that I'm going to do with my life</b>. :P<br />
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Unfortunately, I don't have any Top Secret Exciting Plans. I'm not going to college because <b>a)</b> I have no idea what I'd go for, and <b>b)</b> I don't want to go just to <i>go </i>and spend all that time and money.<br />
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So instead, for now, I'm going to keep working at Starbucks (<b>yay for free caffeine!</b> (<< <i>thank goodness for spell check because I cannot spell "caffeine" for the life of me</i>). I'm going to search for a second job and hopefully settle into a routine that I enjoy.<br />
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<b>I may not have as much time to write</b>, but you better believe that I'll spend the spare moments I have chipping away at my novels, taking those baby steps toward publication. <b>Writing is something that I don't think I can ever give up</b>, no matter how insane and chaotic life gets.<br />
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We'll see where this crazy journey of life takes me. <b>As intimidating as it can be, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me. </b>:D<br />
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Well, those are my scattered senior updates! A lot of my blogging/writing friends are going through the same life changes of becoming adults, graduating, and having change fly at them, so it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one. <b>We can all freak out together! </b>:P<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend. <3<br />
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<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">are you experiencing change? like it? hate it?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-15981595107120365872018-03-03T00:00:00.000-06:002018-03-03T00:01:16.499-06:00FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS // 2018<div style="text-align: justify;">
YAY IT'S FINALLY MARCH! To me, <b>February always feels like an in-between month where nothing happens. </b>I think it's the fact that spring is just around the corner, and yet... it's really not. *sniff* Is warm weather too much to ask for?! :P</div>
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Even though it feels like that, I found myself surprised by how many highlights and noteworthy things took place this month! So let's get into them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbIJMWRRIh70ENa1kc9zSV2GP8hMXqJZ6-fJl2FYsku1iAIhI_vaV_nkVGopTRo_MM2vWyG3_CV4iRv2hNsPQR1iiGDc9N8-sT7B9cZ29fWXIXWKXmmEnkCfagiCGoFUBfivRAhmSmQrO/s1600/IMG_5116.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbIJMWRRIh70ENa1kc9zSV2GP8hMXqJZ6-fJl2FYsku1iAIhI_vaV_nkVGopTRo_MM2vWyG3_CV4iRv2hNsPQR1iiGDc9N8-sT7B9cZ29fWXIXWKXmmEnkCfagiCGoFUBfivRAhmSmQrO/s1600/IMG_5116.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgn1bW1f96AtsjcYaBXy7eGaFLbwf_4xqKpSygldgt3F_s38f1CwM4dzX0w-HoQFVvOPc2CzCv5BcFRackm_YWoyfFL7n5oGGObctZamZT4sdyU8ukUyagwa8xMi6AMa4Hzj0WY6blF0l/s1600/AWF+-+Monthly+Highlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgn1bW1f96AtsjcYaBXy7eGaFLbwf_4xqKpSygldgt3F_s38f1CwM4dzX0w-HoQFVvOPc2CzCv5BcFRackm_YWoyfFL7n5oGGObctZamZT4sdyU8ukUyagwa8xMi6AMa4Hzj0WY6blF0l/s640/AWF+-+Monthly+Highlights.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>Like I said above: <b>it's definitely not spring yet. </b>Seven inches of snow decided to dump on our heads one night, and I don't think the roads have ever been more scary and slippery to drive on. Even though I dislike snow, <b>it <i>is </i>peaceful<i> </i>watching it fall.</b> After I got off work that night I stepped outside and the world was completely quiet. I didn't hear any cars, or anyone talking, or any other city noises. It was just me staring out at the snow, and that beautiful moment <i>almost </i>made the cold worth it. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>I found this thread on Twitter of "<a href="https://twitter.com/visionstark/status/950882998471274499" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">the top 100 Marvel quotes</span></a>." (I think my top ten favorites are #10, #11, #13, #32, #47, #49, #63, #67, #83, and #100. (and of course all the rest that I didn't mention, heh. :P)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>ALSO. UPDATE: <b><i>INFINITY WARS </i>IS COMING OUT A WEEK EARLY. </b>APRIL 27th. MARK YOUR CALENDARS.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>Guys, I'm so awkward. Actual interaction I had at work:</div>
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<b>me: </b><i>[is making a drink when I hear the drivethru ding]</i> Welcome to Starbucks, how are you?</div>
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<b>customer:<i> </i></b><i>[with a low voice that </i>sounds<i> like one of our regulars]</i> good!</div>
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<b>me: </b>[<i>assumes it's the regular I think it is</i>] Oh, is this Jason?</div>
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<b>customer: </b>......no.</div>
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<b>me: </b>[<i>goes to the drivethru screen and realizes my mistake</i>] ....... Well, this is awkward.</div>
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<b>customer: </b>[<i>orders</i>]</div>
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<b>me: </b>[<i>slowly dying inside as he comes to the drivethru window</i>] I'm so sorry, I thought you were one of our regulars!</div>
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<b>customer: </b>.... I <i>am</i> a regular.</div>
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<b>me: </b>........ oh. [<i>dies forever</i>]</div>
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So it was fun trying to dig myself out of that hole. .-. :P</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>On a more positive note, <b>I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.</b> I'm done. Forever. People keep asking me how it feels and it's a mixture of it-feels-so-nice-to-be-done and oh-no-what-comes-next?!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span>My parents and sister went out of town for the night since she had a gymnastics meet, so <b>I took advantage of this and watched <i>Rogue One </i>at full volume while eating a pizza all to myself. </b>It was a fabulous night and I would 1000% recommend the experience.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span><b>Other movies I watched this month:</b> <i>Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man Homecoming, Rogue One, Les Mis, Breathe, Black Panther. </i>(as you can see, I'm still going strong on the Marvel Movie Marathon. xD)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span><i>Princess Academy </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[4/5] </b>- THIS IS SUCH A CUTE BOOK. It's probably my fourth or fifth time reading it since I've grown up with this story... but I still enjoy it just as much. <b>A quick, fluffy, cozy read. </b><3</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span><i>In 27 Days <b>[5/5] </b>- </i>Um. Wow. THIS BOOK. I've seen bloggers rave over this one, but I didn't know it would be <i>this </i>well-deserved of the good reviews.<b> I walked into Barnes and Nobles, picked it up, sat down, and didn't move until I finished it.</b> Then I promptly ordered it from Amazon so it's now sitting comfortably on my bookshelf, hehe. The characters were amazing, the story was amazing, the writing was amazing. <b>It was full of amazingness</b>. <3 <3</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• </span><i>A Wrinkle in Time <b>[3/5] </b>- </i><b>Another story from my childhood!</b> Our copy (which smells delightfully like old books) is so "well-loved" that the spine is almost completely broken in half, oops. I read this in anticipation of the movie coming out in a few days! It'll be interesting to see what they do with it since this book is so <i>weird. </i>I hope it's good. :/</div>
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<b>I also bought three books this month since they were all on sale! </b>I don't have a picture of them since the lighting was being bothersome, but they are: <i>In 27 Days, The Warden and the Wolf King, </i>and <i>Midnight at the Electric.</i> I haven't read <i>The Warden and the Wolf King </i>yet... I want to reread the rest of the series and refresh my memory before I jump in. But the other two books are two of my favorites that I couldn't <i>not </i>have on my shelf. <3</div>
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<b>Also... I'm just going to drop this picture here.</b> #bookwormproblems #whywontyoufit</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTbR2DB_z89T4YE0BTXcCBHKZUjCI_Z_JWHuMfQMs5LklOZejaKfOyYHrB8xHduz81wh02F0KC4ko1kd7hjGbCwpoz_Gl2OYRBv3g0m-B2lidaFslFkRejmG2o0YRpRbKz1yCP74g-3t3/s1600/7119EFBC-AD7E-4ABF-B56E-5F14A763CC69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTbR2DB_z89T4YE0BTXcCBHKZUjCI_Z_JWHuMfQMs5LklOZejaKfOyYHrB8xHduz81wh02F0KC4ko1kd7hjGbCwpoz_Gl2OYRBv3g0m-B2lidaFslFkRejmG2o0YRpRbKz1yCP74g-3t3/s640/7119EFBC-AD7E-4ABF-B56E-5F14A763CC69.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm still working on third-draft edits, but I'm getting SO CLOSE to completing it! <b>I should be finished by the end of this month</b> so then I can start fixing all my critique partner's comments. (so many comments. pages and pages filled with stuff to fix, eek.) </div>
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Also, it's time to freak out and panic because <b>Camp NaNoWriMo is in less than a month. </b>I'm participating (duh, how could I <i>not??</i>), but <b>I have <i>no </i>idea what I'll be working on.</b> I don't have the time (or an idea) to prepare for writing a first draft, so I'll probably just keep editing? But what should I set as a goal? Ack, all things to think about.</div>
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(and if you're not sure if you should participate in Camp NaNo or not... <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/03/5-reasons-to-participate-in-camp.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">read this post I wrote last year and be convinced</span></a>, hehe.)</div>
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<b>Now that I'm graduated, I have all morning to write and it's the most <i>glorious </i>thing. </b>I've been forcing myself to wake up earlier, sit down with a cup of coffee, and then get allll the things done. You better believe I'm going to take advantage of this extra time while I can. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBzSVqyeYzfHsV1_udLChp1zsqk5sIuSDXzPIMxYcx0FbOgLzbXzZ0MTJzSN_kWnOz1w_Lx14DwkVPIMEDKixQh_uZ3NmMmScilOTsUnNsdvaEZ70Nf95XZ6B9qlJlv2ffUd34JK9F1Iq/s1600/AWF+-+Ramblings+of+the+Month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBzSVqyeYzfHsV1_udLChp1zsqk5sIuSDXzPIMxYcx0FbOgLzbXzZ0MTJzSN_kWnOz1w_Lx14DwkVPIMEDKixQh_uZ3NmMmScilOTsUnNsdvaEZ70Nf95XZ6B9qlJlv2ffUd34JK9F1Iq/s640/AWF+-+Ramblings+of+the+Month.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Clicking on the pictures will lead you to the posts in a new tab!</b> I'm really happy with how all of these posts turned out for the month. Especially the first novel ones. xD </div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/02/my-third-draft-editing-process.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCRvFewOLcQ5spEFmV_ZwnIFLy9VzWtTcbT4mmgIDEiIN4A7gX1Ixso1hdC_qFlg05VjZ-pVTg7PQ0kLzHwCos9XJEPDFVc_S3WRtKfB7Fh_inh2gkq_DLYULUlSLz-TWGiMKFTNxLVT5/s640/IMG_5023.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/02/sharing-cringing-about-first-novels.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kY_zPhq2FXcaAPQipMn7B49P6mZE34jGM-up2tAkGi2JKN9SFdEVvDIA7x96MEluroSpL2xnvleWeE-B2b2RboiGVm8aAxgt7YupNbSOOxMkLVlQz-soIIyM211dle2FGg8bxMuLkqHq/s640/sharing+about+first+novels.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/02/interviewing-my-first-novel.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6_vHbaEU07B7tPEq28J_oIzIXDFxqEtyWBCPivzucmXwg73OzDJrNlhuTjMYiw9xKFkPGDDzvpYtY5PTyJ0Utt-7-L-CuWjshz-2Dk1-LoWXFo5BYUPIU4k2P0ofsxbE02o-9RGnHEx1/s640/interviewing+my+first+novel.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-bibliophile-sweater-tag-aka-lots-of.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BjBLNj2K9R1ie4o9JeddvlJnrya1VvWVmbt-PS6DuEBrlBp9QK9U6HYvyIOEgHPo3eoAuIM8H7w9iKCxvLWVV5Y-qV0-VbKOZGnrZ4GyfSvKp_sVeB7RoaxDZgTRHVlRRDLl-F4WNZ7p/s640/bibliophile+sweater+tag.png" /></a></div>
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<i>(Oh and -- usually bloggers have a little section linking to their favorite posts people have written throughout the month and I think that is the coolest thing. At the start of every month I tell myself I'm going to gather and keep track of posts, but I always forget. -.- BUT I'M GOING TO TRY THIS MONTH because all these wonderful bloggers deserve allll the recognition. I'll have to write a giant sticky-note reminder on my computer or something so I don't forget. xD)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFf1wiHmq4YM8665rd8edV4EGikdFuWP9H5Zj1vRIyq7_rte-shM_ve_uhk5G6DluPs2pU59kG3wa9jkyjt_xbjKDZ3cmZ445PUlimcfff_wSjwOYaOqm_PzFOLuEXPyRcTxCdjQ3jUJA/s1600/AWF+-+things+to+come.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFf1wiHmq4YM8665rd8edV4EGikdFuWP9H5Zj1vRIyq7_rte-shM_ve_uhk5G6DluPs2pU59kG3wa9jkyjt_xbjKDZ3cmZ445PUlimcfff_wSjwOYaOqm_PzFOLuEXPyRcTxCdjQ3jUJA/s640/AWF+-+things+to+come.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been <i>really </i>bad at thinking about posts ideas lately. They're usually very last minute which gets rather stressful. So I'm not exactly sure what's to come! xD I'll probably end up doing some nostalgic birthday post since I'm turning <i>eighteen </i>on March 19th. Ack. <b>I'M GOING TO BE AN ADULT. *mind explodes*</b> I'm not going to spend too much time thinking about that. :P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl5q7xwNqO4GvWlRliK_H_zgwEGoBRcUT-0TvH4zdEs6xk6p4_xC2N7Yro1JPGFeufwA9oPMu8dxSVHfacfE4Q_WNLUMAc0FGZNFqdtAzjlR-4g-WjhhK3cqpgUs0ZKq2eqG1E1a7hB3Q/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope your March is fabulous and filled with minimal stressing about Camp NaNoWriMo approaching! xD</div>
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<3,</div>
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katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">any fun plans for march?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">are you going to participate in camp nano?</span></div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-14677167579649866052018-02-24T00:00:00.000-06:002018-02-24T00:00:43.563-06:00THE BIBLIOPHILE SWEATER TAG (aka lots of bookish-related pictures and rambles)<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Phew, it was an adventure publishing this post. </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I wrote this intro about a bajillion times explaining my troubles, and each time it got long and rambling and... boring. <b>So in summary</b>:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">up until yesterday I planned to write a monthly highlights post</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">then I realized that there was still a good chunk of February left</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">so <i>then </i>I panicked since I didn't have a different blog post idea</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I started a writing post but then that turned out to be more time consuming than I anticipated</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">more panicking because WHAT SHOULD I POST?!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">but the lovely <a href="http://musingsofanelf.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-bibliophile-sweater-tag.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">christine</span></a> saved the day when I remembered that she tagged me ages ago for the "bibliophile sweater tag"</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">more panicking as I run around my room photographing all the books</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">and, at last, I finished the post</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">no more panicking</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<b>The end.</b><br /><br />Now here's the post. xD<br />
<br />
<i>(thanks to mary @ <a href="http://sunshineandscribblings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">sunshine and scribblings</span></a> for creating this fantastic, bookish tag!)</i><br />
<i>(links to the books will open new tabs in Goodreads so you can grow that massive TBR :P)</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BjBLNj2K9R1ie4o9JeddvlJnrya1VvWVmbt-PS6DuEBrlBp9QK9U6HYvyIOEgHPo3eoAuIM8H7w9iKCxvLWVV5Y-qV0-VbKOZGnrZ4GyfSvKp_sVeB7RoaxDZgTRHVlRRDLl-F4WNZ7p/s1600/bibliophile+sweater+tag.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BjBLNj2K9R1ie4o9JeddvlJnrya1VvWVmbt-PS6DuEBrlBp9QK9U6HYvyIOEgHPo3eoAuIM8H7w9iKCxvLWVV5Y-qV0-VbKOZGnrZ4GyfSvKp_sVeB7RoaxDZgTRHVlRRDLl-F4WNZ7p/s640/bibliophile+sweater+tag.png" width="640" /></a></i></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>a book that is the epitome of comfort</b><br />
[fuzzy sweater]</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSYJDRmSgMSGLy8qdqp00AfgsMN4jA4YQjNlqR6-AVG41e1YAm_I-WNTHETL0axowsG4DZ8Wd_zLUYcXxVkB-Y6DSykeley4agUPDX28fXc8r4rhNb6ROYnVQgsa4hD3wRqGyDw1Cm7hK/s1600/DCFEB331-F5CC-432B-9733-B8F44347EBE5+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSYJDRmSgMSGLy8qdqp00AfgsMN4jA4YQjNlqR6-AVG41e1YAm_I-WNTHETL0axowsG4DZ8Wd_zLUYcXxVkB-Y6DSykeley4agUPDX28fXc8r4rhNb6ROYnVQgsa4hD3wRqGyDw1Cm7hK/s640/DCFEB331-F5CC-432B-9733-B8F44347EBE5+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85990.Princess_Academy?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">princess academy</span></a> // shannon hale // 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
So I've been in an awful reading slump in February. <b>I <i>want</i> to read... but I end up setting a book aside after reading just a few pages. </b>Nothing's catching my interest and my brain isn't willing to focus. Ugh. That's the reason I've only read one book this month so far. *grumble grumble*<br />
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But... I sat down Thursday night with <i>Princess Academy </i>and read half of the book in <i>one</i> sitting. I would've read it all if sleep hadn't called to me. :P (why must I sleep? WHY CAN'T I READ ALL NIGHT?) That's why this book is like a fuzzy sweater, because even when my brain doesn't like any books it likes this one. <3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book which you devoured every line of</b><br />
[striped sweater]</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2woPd-4e-GPW8gfTqkKix5IWHimhnxKZd41Hf-e78k6NRwNpVC4tuKs00eQnCZ7709hdOabJ8woPUJErIudHtRoMpaow8ddBIQPCu3ptvABuVVO4QX0UIIRPLi_VtX9zugNUIMIXWbQ8n/s1600/36CC86F1-5F9C-4868-B2BD-8A0445E38E9F.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2woPd-4e-GPW8gfTqkKix5IWHimhnxKZd41Hf-e78k6NRwNpVC4tuKs00eQnCZ7709hdOabJ8woPUJErIudHtRoMpaow8ddBIQPCu3ptvABuVVO4QX0UIIRPLi_VtX9zugNUIMIXWbQ8n/s640/36CC86F1-5F9C-4868-B2BD-8A0445E38E9F.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182126-steelheart?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">steelheart</span></a> // brandon sanderson // 5/5</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
THIS WAS SO HARD FOR ME TO PICK. <b>I narrowed down a bunch of books and it was pure agony to choose one. </b>But <i>Steelheart </i>grabbed me from the first sentence and kept the intrigue up throughout the whole story. (if you're wondering, <b>the first sentence is: </b><i><b>I've seen Steelheart bleed.</b> </i>I MEAN HOW EPIC IS THAT?!)</div>
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[<b>Honorable mentions:</b> <i>These Broken Stars, Midnight at the Electric, Some Kind of Happiness, basically any book I've rated five stars]</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book with a weird cover</b><br />
[ugly christmas sweater]</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB74Ku2XHdlniYGRYk5vsElRyqWo-lXL4VJsv3fi5q0bg_eQDEHWO8Yqp0cyLUmcVq9PI_OV5QOBTHlSwInNSEGwnJvpvPhKcI8zi789S6_v1qlZACJT7Dv73k5EiEdGZvBVk5KzoKzXq/s1600/88C14F71-99E5-4EF7-8CB8-E0E91439FA5A.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB74Ku2XHdlniYGRYk5vsElRyqWo-lXL4VJsv3fi5q0bg_eQDEHWO8Yqp0cyLUmcVq9PI_OV5QOBTHlSwInNSEGwnJvpvPhKcI8zi789S6_v1qlZACJT7Dv73k5EiEdGZvBVk5KzoKzXq/s640/88C14F71-99E5-4EF7-8CB8-E0E91439FA5A.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>[<span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span></b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138635-these-broken-stars?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #b45f06;" target="_blank">these broken stars</a></span> // amie kaufman + meagan spooner // 5/5 <b>]</b><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've seen some people rave about how gorgeous the cover of <i>These Broken Stars </i>is, but... I respectfully disagree. :P For how haunting and unique the story is, I just don't think that the cover does it justice! It fits the opening chapter, but the rest of the book is about the characters exploring a mysterious planet, not floating in space wearing extravagant dresses. *shrug* </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are worse covers out there, but <b>this book fits the "weird cover" category very well.</b> To each their own. xD<br />
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<i>(my youth group has an ugly Christmas sweater contest each year, but that's not exactly my thing. The one time I participated<b> I just wore a plain sweater and taped on a piece of paper that said, "Ugly sweater."</b> :P)</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>most expensive book you've bought</b><br />
[cashmere sweater]</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnu5ZAw_a7CQOsBxNwwky_MGRcEiNCvPYAfeCd0W8Up8lzrE9J7Typ-LZmikIu2Y0GeZKujrbbHSRT27ubVrA6AIKQBTmUgNjZyUaN1vC-KfXQzej-9djO-Y9pzIsBVGDNjl2GR44xzW5F/s1600/2D5A29D5-9AAA-40BC-846F-4BBDE64D231A.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnu5ZAw_a7CQOsBxNwwky_MGRcEiNCvPYAfeCd0W8Up8lzrE9J7Typ-LZmikIu2Y0GeZKujrbbHSRT27ubVrA6AIKQBTmUgNjZyUaN1vC-KfXQzej-9djO-Y9pzIsBVGDNjl2GR44xzW5F/s640/2D5A29D5-9AAA-40BC-846F-4BBDE64D231A.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33555224-thunderhead?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">thunderhead</span></a> // neal shusterman // 3/5<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I pre-ordered <i>Thunderhead </i>last year. Usually pre-orders go down in price before they release... but I ended up paying sixteen dollars for this one. Eek.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I am an incredibly cheap person. </b>I will go to great extremes to save money, which means I <i>usually</i> wait to buy books until they're under ten dollars. (obviously this isn't always possible, but I'd say that 95% of the books on my shelf are under that amount) </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's incredible logic to this method, though. <b>The more money I save buying cheap books, the more money I can spend on other books! </b>And that equals a happy, little bookworm. :P</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>favorite classic book</b><br />
[hoodie]</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhTUFgFNJ7fcNIL-FJqcDyTYDYWaC257lfWtTf1eKXTBE6IcE6dlQ-5pRZPU9SCmoJWoNjeeXZ5K3VnVMIdGX0a59WOg0Z3NK1V-qwIu5W0VLZJiZ-_jjQ-RDSYec7xLMyUhg5NRYRMKs/s1600/57CD0261-ECC2-4DD1-B760-B400719AC0FB.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhTUFgFNJ7fcNIL-FJqcDyTYDYWaC257lfWtTf1eKXTBE6IcE6dlQ-5pRZPU9SCmoJWoNjeeXZ5K3VnVMIdGX0a59WOg0Z3NK1V-qwIu5W0VLZJiZ-_jjQ-RDSYec7xLMyUhg5NRYRMKs/s640/57CD0261-ECC2-4DD1-B760-B400719AC0FB.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hah. Classics.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
... <b>I don't really like classics. </b>I feel <i>so </i>awful for saying that, but I haven't really found a classic that I've adored. The writing style is impressive, sure, but it's also <i>dense </i>and I don't like how much focus and concentration they take to read. <i>(that makes me sound lazy... but I love to read 'cause it's relaxing!) </i>Maybe there's a classic out there that I haven't read yet and it will be my new favorite thing. I don't know -- <b>any recommendations?</b><br />
<br />
After doing some internet searching, <b>The Great Google deemed that <i>Lord of the Rings </i>is a "minor classic." </b>So I'm not sure if this really even counts as an answer, but I'm going to keep it anyway because I don't have another option. xD</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book that you bought on impulse</b><br />
[cardigan]</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JqBQ1AQ_sSgXtLPBF0WsNu0Z9Dm7YYFcubLMAJjZNi0dhXI3oZBnMhtI8tQBPsVsgFtvJkk0-RngpO03EjBw8-ebizel3oUItVHvy2OoGq7t7qLovbRIKghjIUOVIkh2gJLhp3TRQjiu/s1600/9F9AF5E6-0434-45C9-A75F-3F2ACD6B5A54.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JqBQ1AQ_sSgXtLPBF0WsNu0Z9Dm7YYFcubLMAJjZNi0dhXI3oZBnMhtI8tQBPsVsgFtvJkk0-RngpO03EjBw8-ebizel3oUItVHvy2OoGq7t7qLovbRIKghjIUOVIkh2gJLhp3TRQjiu/s640/9F9AF5E6-0434-45C9-A75F-3F2ACD6B5A54.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8621462-a-monster-calls?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">a monster calls</span></a> // patrick ness // 4.5/5<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm not usually an impulse buyer! <b>I will only buy a book if...</b><br />
<br />
<b>1.</b> I've already read it and loved it enough to where I will reread it in the future</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>2. </b>It's the sequel</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>3. </b>It's from an author I loved and know I will enjoy<br />
<b>4. </b>Friends with similar tastes flailed about it<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But a couple years ago I was browsing Amazon (a dangerous thing indeed), and <i>A Monster Calls </i>popped up in my recommended items for six dollars. I had seen good reviews, the movie trailer looked amazing, plus the cover was gorgeous, so I bought it on the spot. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>This book ended up being an A++++ impulse buy.</b> There were achingly beautiful illustrations like the one above scattered throughout the pages. <b>It was a short read, but a lovely one. </b><br />
<br />
I still haven't watched this movie, even though it's been out for... a couple years now? Has anyone seen it? Would you recommend it?</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book that is indie published</b><br />
[homemade knitted sweater]</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bWLRLctn2Gag93I3jQzPwslXQg-5XXXyZOb_VzXa7PobrD3R6VnS8j9ttTkv_JqU50C-Smpqz8mfmgkWhkmQepEkUIZvgiPGHESzliw0tqgj41p0meVaSxTNhDCZBT9Vud1fH0Dq1Lma/s1600/7E6DCDFF-10AE-4251-AFD8-F9109AEB114D.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bWLRLctn2Gag93I3jQzPwslXQg-5XXXyZOb_VzXa7PobrD3R6VnS8j9ttTkv_JqU50C-Smpqz8mfmgkWhkmQepEkUIZvgiPGHESzliw0tqgj41p0meVaSxTNhDCZBT9Vud1fH0Dq1Lma/s640/7E6DCDFF-10AE-4251-AFD8-F9109AEB114D.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31841035-martin-hospitality?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">martin hospitality</span></a> // abigayle claire // 4/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25527157-dare?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">dare</span></a> // tricia mingerink // 4/5<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I may be a <i>little </i>biased, since I'm close friends with both of these lovely authors... but how could I not insert their books for the "Indie" category? It's been ridiculously fun for me to see bloggers flailing over their books. <b>I know how much work and passion they've placed into these stories.</b> <3</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book that did not meet your expectations</b><br />
[v-neck sweater]</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZEfeY8GNBWHyPY_o3a6aZyxK6_cq9EcnHNvxNCoaVx6aHDdCTK-yoN_NV5v212KXxJ479gCh7s19BAJvy7jSKVmnzOmdAX9pKOe9i7eNUoAOu5xcUC9qw8lnh-QS-X5SVP6ACWZW-CLO/s1600/7EAB8D43-3E85-4733-86A3-3ADFDB023264.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZEfeY8GNBWHyPY_o3a6aZyxK6_cq9EcnHNvxNCoaVx6aHDdCTK-yoN_NV5v212KXxJ479gCh7s19BAJvy7jSKVmnzOmdAX9pKOe9i7eNUoAOu5xcUC9qw8lnh-QS-X5SVP6ACWZW-CLO/s640/7EAB8D43-3E85-4733-86A3-3ADFDB023264.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<b>[<span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span></b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28421168-renegades?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #b45f06;" target="_blank">renegades</a> // marissa meyer // 2.5/5 <b>]</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I get so sad whenever I think about this book because <b>I WANTED IT TO BE MY NEW FAVORITE SERIES</b>. *cries* You know how some people judge a book when it has an awful cover? Well the story of this one didn't live up to it's amazingly epic cover. Ugh.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It wasn't <i>all </i>bad -- I enjoyed the creativity and the character Max, but... I feel like so much <i>more </i>could've been done to it. Oh well.<b> I still love Marissa Meyer as an author</b> and am excited for future stories from her. :)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>book with a unique format</b><br />
[argyle sweater]</blockquote>
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhgvQxosiHzSd7460ndTTOpyuCmayitdLjgC6JVOeb65V0fs2kpU3AY-XT_Zipb77YbStnQ2FNBSVxwYrYEEgGmTKxL-1vdnHCmqPUqaApLSjinHZPNsaFTqcuGLpJtvFLrXtyg0Uwu1G/s1600/BCEBA801-190D-487F-B7BA-767ADD99D714.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhgvQxosiHzSd7460ndTTOpyuCmayitdLjgC6JVOeb65V0fs2kpU3AY-XT_Zipb77YbStnQ2FNBSVxwYrYEEgGmTKxL-1vdnHCmqPUqaApLSjinHZPNsaFTqcuGLpJtvFLrXtyg0Uwu1G/s640/BCEBA801-190D-487F-B7BA-767ADD99D714.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<b>[</b><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18075234-challenger-deep?ac=1&from_search=true" style="color: #b45f06;" target="_blank">challenger deep</a> // neal shusterman // 5/5 <b>]</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
("<i>argyle" is such a weird word. just look at it. I wonder how it would feel to be that word. xD)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I almost picked <i>Illuminae </i>for this answer, but... I felt like that was an obvious choice. The only other book that I owned with a semi-unique format is Challenger Deep! It's a book about a boy with schizophrenia. In the "author's note," Neal explains that his son has struggled with it, who is also the one that created the drawings throughout the pages -- which is super cool.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The chapters aren't like your normal YA chapters. <b>They're no more than a couple hundred words, changing with every scene.</b> It fit the book well and made for a unique experience. It's been awhile since I've read this story and now I want to reread it. <3 <3</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>a book with well-rounded characters</b><br />
[polka dot sweater]</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlJIaaxglg-6sssQECg3gAqdUmtJS17CItQDoBIk78Oh3nAJvj3olmznLD-TXaWQox1RqC3uzYhJdL6LY69HTLSQ1FZ9aSM9P_r1Fu3sAf06kzKzt-1_QtqeYgY_Bxm4PdeLmyR1Qn5PS/s1600/C48769D3-CE06-484B-88FA-1B517ADD9257.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlJIaaxglg-6sssQECg3gAqdUmtJS17CItQDoBIk78Oh3nAJvj3olmznLD-TXaWQox1RqC3uzYhJdL6LY69HTLSQ1FZ9aSM9P_r1Fu3sAf06kzKzt-1_QtqeYgY_Bxm4PdeLmyR1Qn5PS/s640/C48769D3-CE06-484B-88FA-1B517ADD9257.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<b>[ </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7069751-heartless?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;">tales of goldstone wood</span></a> // anne elisabeth stengl // 5/5 <b>]</b><br />
[link is to the first book]<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
THIS SERIES. Sometimes I feel like I don't flail about this series enough on the blog, because they're just <i>so, so </i>good. I've cried over the characters. I've felt their sorrows and cheered them on during the battles. T<b>he characters feel <i>real, </i>and it's easy to feel like you're in the story with them when flipping through the pages.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I admire Anne, the author so much. She is a master storytelling that I aspire to be like one day.</div>
<br /></div>
<div align="justify" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: large;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYGfBmB0nuti6FK1D5PVV1C32ssNDOmb51oSXV48Lx5eqoJbcX3IkDC1NCaqoqK8cZqe5wHihBijQw3gZSJnPXNWvhEn97-Sjk-szdwPPzYLlvefn0VP9g9BL_Opo9A3hl7j2f7_uG5rw/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Talking about all these books makes me want to read!</b> o.o I don't have time to read today (or tomorrow, wahh) -- I'll be busy working and frantically preparing chapters for my critique partner... but next week <i>should </i>be more open. Mwahaha, I'll read ALLLL the things.<br />
<br />
<3,<br />katie grace<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">what are you currently reading?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">what is your "comfort/fuzzy sweater" book?</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-32855640520158378072018-02-17T00:00:00.000-06:002018-02-17T00:00:27.271-06:00INTERVIEWING MY FIRST NOVEL<div style="text-align: center;">
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If you've been around my blog for a couple of years, you'll remember the time <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2016/02/being-novel-is-hard-guest-post-by-my.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">when my novel guest posted</span></a> and how his strong personality stole the spotlight. Although TAN won't be joining us today, <b>I've invited my first novel, </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Faith</i><i style="font-weight: bold;">, </i><b>to give us a look into what it's like being an author's first novel.</b><br />
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She <i>is </i>a first novel, so she lacks in a lot of things, including a captivating presence like TAN (as well as an interesting title. yay for being <i>soooo</i> creative, young Katie). But I was able to pull some answers from her. (not like she had much of a choice -- I <i>am </i>her author ;) Enjoy her visit!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6_vHbaEU07B7tPEq28J_oIzIXDFxqEtyWBCPivzucmXwg73OzDJrNlhuTjMYiw9xKFkPGDDzvpYtY5PTyJ0Utt-7-L-CuWjshz-2Dk1-LoWXFo5BYUPIU4k2P0ofsxbE02o-9RGnHEx1/s1600/interviewing+my+first+novel.png" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6_vHbaEU07B7tPEq28J_oIzIXDFxqEtyWBCPivzucmXwg73OzDJrNlhuTjMYiw9xKFkPGDDzvpYtY5PTyJ0Utt-7-L-CuWjshz-2Dk1-LoWXFo5BYUPIU4k2P0ofsxbE02o-9RGnHEx1/s640/interviewing+my+first+novel.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[setting: plain room, simple desk, lukewarm pizza in the corner]</div>
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<b><i>Me: Hi, Faith! Thanks for being willing to come to the blog. Not many people are aware of what it's like to be an author's first novel. We'll get right into the questions if that's okay with you!</i></b></div>
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Faith: [takes a seat across from me] [nods once]</div>
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<b><i>Where are first novels like yourself kept?</i></b></div>
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Faith: [sighs] Most authors shove us into the depths of their computer documents and assume that's where we'll stay until they decide to open us again. That's only true to an extent. We're really kept in a dusty basement -- The Cellar Of The First Novels (TCotFN for short). The ceilings are low and the bookshelves are dark. There are hundreds of packed shelves where we first novels are crammed side to side. Cobwebs and dust cover our pages; we can barely breathe. It's not a comfortable place.</div>
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<b><i>...I'm sorry. Do the authors ever visit?</i></b></div>
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Faith: [looks away] Most never come to TCotFN -- simply because they don't know how. Instead they scroll through our computer documents like you did with me last week. </div>
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I remember one author stumbling upon TCotFN last month. She... she immediately started to scream upon opening her first novel.</div>
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<b><i>She screamed?</i></b></div>
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Faith: [nods solemnly] I won't forget the echoes of her cries anytime soon. She flipped through her first story, and could barely read a few sentences before the shock got to her. Some authors are able to take their first novels humorously or as a growing experience... some don't know how deal with it. Even though the reactions hurt, it's better suffer through them than to become forgotten.</div>
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<b><i>*didn't mean for this post to get so depressing and is now thinking twice about this the idea of whole interview* What do you mean by "becoming forgotten?"</i></b></div>
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Faith: [appears uncomfortable and fidgety] It's what happens when the author refuses to acknowledge our existence. They're too horrified and ashamed over what they created, so the novel is burned from the collection in the basement. It's then erased from the author's memory, becoming a forgotten piece of art, <i>never</i> to be remembered or recognized again.</div>
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<b><i>*ooookay now things are getting even more dismal* Well... what's something hopeful about being a first novel?</i></b></div>
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Faith: [thinks for a long time] There are rumors of mutant first novels -- first novels that end up becoming published. A lot enter <span style="text-align: justify;">TCotFN</span> clinging to that possible outcome. I've never hoped for it; you've made it more than clear that you won't try to publish me.</div>
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<b><i>*blushes* Yeah, that's not going to happen. Sorry. Let's try to find a positive thing, here. Is there anything you enjoy about being a first novel?</i></b></div>
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Faith: No.</div>
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<b><i>... There's </i>nothing <i>you enjoy?</i></b></div>
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Faith: [frowns] After hearing me describe TCotFN, would <i>you </i>enjoy being trapped there all day?<br />
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<b><i>No.</i></b></div>
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Faith: Ha, exactly. I don't enjoy being a first novel, but yet I'm proud to be one. You wouldn't be where you are today without me. I took the hit so that other novels of yours can get the glory. There's nothing enjoyable about being a first novel, but I'm honored to be in this position.</div>
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<b><i>Well worded. Does it get lonely down there?</i></b></div>
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Faith: There are hundreds of thousands of novels in TCotFN, but yet I'm extremely lonely. It works like it does with humans -- there are millions of you in the world, yet sometimes people still feel like they're alone. We're not that much different.</div>
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<b><i>Wow, that was deep.</i></b></div>
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Faith: [perks up, voice hopeful] Pretty good, right? Maybe... maybe want to reconsider your decision to never publish me?</div>
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<b><i>Yeah, right. Nice try. Do you know of any other novel communities other than TCotFN?</i></b></div>
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Faith: There are hundreds. Some examples:</div>
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<i>Dead Characters Society</i></div>
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<i>The Novels That Were Started But Never Finished</i></div>
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<i>Homeless Rabbits: Plot Bunnies Never Written</i></div>
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<i>Rejected: A Community of Unsuccessful Queried Novels</i></div>
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<i>Stuck In The Endless Editing Loophole</i></div>
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<i>Dead Character's Parents Society</i></div>
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<b><i>Eesh, sounds like some of those places could use some cheering up. Anything else you'd like to say, Faith?</i></b></div>
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Faith: To the writers that might be reading this, keep writing. Don't let the efforts of your first novel go to waste. That is our wish.</div>
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<b><i>Thank you, Faith. I'll send you back to The Cellar of the First Novels, but I'll make sure to visit soon.</i></b></div>
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<3,</div>
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katie grace (+ faith)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">when did you write your first novel? what was the title?</span></div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-36114109211342083112018-02-10T00:00:00.000-06:002018-02-10T00:00:18.629-06:00SHARING (+ cringing) ABOUT FIRST NOVELSHello, everyone!<br />
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<b>Just last month, on January 18th, was my four year writing anniversary! </b>(unfortunately I completely forgot about it at the time so there was no celebrating. boo-hoo) But now that I remembered, I've been thinking a <i>lot </i>about how I've grown throughout my writing journey. I like nostalgic things, so I opened up the document of my first novel I ever wrote.<br />
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Um. I DIDN'T BRACE MYSELF FOR THE HORRORS I WOULD SET MY EYES ON. <b>It... it was </b><i><b>bad.</b> </i>Laughably bad. After I got over the shock that I <i>wrote </i>this, it was quite enjoyable shaking my head at the naivety of my younger self. (I mean, really, Katie? It took your characters <i>days </i>to enter The Extremely Evil Castle, but were able to prance home without trouble once they defeated The Evil Dude Who Was Coincidentally Their Uncle???)<br />
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Yeah, very thought out and well-planned. Ha, go me.<br />
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Anyway,<b> I wanted to showcase some of the cringy aspects of my first novel, and some wonderful writing friends of mine volunteered to to show theirs as well!</b> (I appreciate your brave souls)<br />
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Just to be clear: <b>the purpose of this post is to show that every writer starts somewhere. </b>Even though most of us don't know what we're doing for our first novel, it's an extremely important part of the writer's journey! I've read stories from almost all of these writers below, and can assure you how amazing and awesome they were.<br />
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I've kept the author of each first novel anonymous, though I'm linking back to all of their blogs at the end of the post, so be sure to check them out. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kY_zPhq2FXcaAPQipMn7B49P6mZE34jGM-up2tAkGi2JKN9SFdEVvDIA7x96MEluroSpL2xnvleWeE-B2b2RboiGVm8aAxgt7YupNbSOOxMkLVlQz-soIIyM211dle2FGg8bxMuLkqHq/s1600/sharing+about+first+novels.png" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kY_zPhq2FXcaAPQipMn7B49P6mZE34jGM-up2tAkGi2JKN9SFdEVvDIA7x96MEluroSpL2xnvleWeE-B2b2RboiGVm8aAxgt7YupNbSOOxMkLVlQz-soIIyM211dle2FGg8bxMuLkqHq/s640/sharing+about+first+novels.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #1</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2011</i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"> main characters were twins separated at birth </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">of course they attend a magical school that <i>totally</i> wasn't a hogwarts ripoff </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">very inexplicable magical abilities</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">one long lost twin was a werewolf</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">author sent that twin to live with an evil aunt</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">the villain was a guy who taught "magical defense" which wasn't <i>anything </i>like defense against the dark arts, mind you</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">virtually no action tags ever</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #2</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2011</i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">the nefarious villain (in the first confrontation with the heroine) replied to the MC's question with, "it's kind of complicated. I'll explain later."</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">the MC is The Only One who had the power to find the magical charms the villain was after and save the world</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">characters bursting into tears at every climatic turn of events</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">child characters spending a week at a camp and suddenly gaining the ability to defeat full grown soldiers with their bare hands</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">facing the wind as tears stream, whispering something to the distance like, "I'll find you" or "just hold on"</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">getting out of dire circumstances by summoning certain aspects of magic the character didn't know they had... then having that magic never show up again and the character never give it another thought </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #3</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2011</i></blockquote>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">one of the characters was an amputee at the beginning of the novel... halfway through the author gave him his leg back</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">there were not one, but TWO sets of long lost brothers wandering around, but they had amnesia so they didn't know they were chillin' with their bros the whole time</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">every. single. person. had a love interest or triangle</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">there was a potato fight </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #4</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2014</i></blockquote>
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<li>daughters and parents couldn't <i>possibly </i>get alone</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">oh! look! The Chosen One from the Prophecy!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">no descriptions... at all </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">the Strong Female Character who is<i> way </i>better than everyone else</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">nooo, you'd never guess it but now the mentor character is gone </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #5</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2014</i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">magical objects were inserted into the story because the author considered it "cool"</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">never used a simple "said" dialogue tag, opting instead to use "he chortled ridiculously" and the like</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">a character was created solely for the purpose of a heart-wrenching death</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">there was no conclusion -- the story ended immediately after the climax</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">so many dramatic, capitalized words</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">example: "But how will we SURVIVE?" You are CRAZY!"</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">adverbs listed in just <i>one </i>page: naturally, simultaneously, surprisingly, politely, quizzically(x2), confusedly, inwardly, boringly, breathlessly, excitedly</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #6</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2014</i></blockquote>
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<li>Hunger Games rip-off </li>
<li>character created only to be the love interest</li>
<li>Chosen One Trope</li>
<li>made of two parts that didn't have anything to do with each other</li>
<li>surprise, you're adopted!</li>
<li>surprise, you're the missing princess and there's a prophecy about you! </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #7</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2011</i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li>talking horses <i>everywhere </i></li>
<ul>
<li>even the villain was a horse</li>
</ul>
<li>wildly overusing the Chosen One trope</li>
<li>SO MUCH convenience</li>
<ul>
<li>literally a flying sword saved the characters once</li>
</ul>
<li>much walking, not much action</li>
<li>such choppy dialogue</li>
<li>almost no action tags</li>
<li>stole names of characters from books + games + movies that the author liked</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FIRST NOVEL #8</b></span><br />
<i>started in 2008</i></blockquote>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">cookie cutter characters that couldn't think for themselves </li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">(i.e. - there was never conflict between characters on the same "side" because they all thought and believed the same things)</li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">the main character's motivation was BECAUSE THEY WERE ANGRY ABOUT STUFF, OKAY?!?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">everybody in this medieval setting talking like kids from 2008</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">wait, why are the characters going to this place? BECAUSE THEY'RE ANGRY ABOUT STUFF, OKAY?!?</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">completely, ridiculously, piteously, unrealistic fight scenes where one character would kill like ten men by himself without suffering any wounds whatsoever</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">also people killing willy-nilly with no mental side effects/trauma</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">...and they were killing because THEY WERE ANGRY ABOUT STUFF, OKAY?!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">also characters suffering many mortal wounds, and instead of dying like <i>normal </i>people, they just. kept, going. because they were awesome people who could just rip the arrow right out of their stomach and keep fighting for the next three days</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ORIiynxuUSHFrxLYroy4GjlD3Ax4-9cXbYkiFKBn3063qL1zdeSLwPcWHmcgUnpKQYeAcDpDWX-tKc-x6J4qQERw5ZxqCu0sJsaikQTz9TGdX1Eij1T6vdkbBjXyofPqKFBdXqJ4kCak/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many thanks to <a href="https://jeniquablog.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jeneca</span></a>, <a href="https://janemareeauthor.com.au/blog/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jane</span></a>, <a href="http://scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Savannah</span></a>, <a href="http://elvishpensfantasticalwritings.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Alea</span></a>, <a href="https://rosalievalentine.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Rosalie</span></a>, <a href="https://iamawriterandthisismyblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hannah</span></a>, and <a href="http://carolinemeek.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Caroline</span></a> for sharing your... creative... first novels. :P <b>I look up to all of you</b>, and it's cool to see how you've grown from the beginning.</div>
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<br />
Well, there you have it. Hopefully you're able to gather some encouragement this! <b>Even those amazing bloggers listed above had their first novel woes.</b> (*cringes every time I scroll past my first novel description*)</div>
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Such is the journey of a writer. xD</div>
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<3,<br />
katie grace</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">alright, now it's your turn. what were some of the cringy aspects of your first novel?</span></div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-53600729951600848792018-02-03T00:00:00.000-06:002018-02-03T12:25:46.089-06:00MY THIRD DRAFT EDITING PROCESS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Happy Saturday, everyone!</b> (it feels weird saying that, because I am writing the beginning of this post on a Monday. It's a crazy, <i>crazy </i>busy week where I'm gone for the majority of it, so I'm trying to blog while there's time. :P) </div>
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Like the title of the post says, <b>I'm going to be taking you guys on the journey of my third draft editing process. </b>So welcome to the chaos! xD<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCRvFewOLcQ5spEFmV_ZwnIFLy9VzWtTcbT4mmgIDEiIN4A7gX1Ixso1hdC_qFlg05VjZ-pVTg7PQ0kLzHwCos9XJEPDFVc_S3WRtKfB7Fh_inh2gkq_DLYULUlSLz-TWGiMKFTNxLVT5/s1600/IMG_5023.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCRvFewOLcQ5spEFmV_ZwnIFLy9VzWtTcbT4mmgIDEiIN4A7gX1Ixso1hdC_qFlg05VjZ-pVTg7PQ0kLzHwCos9XJEPDFVc_S3WRtKfB7Fh_inh2gkq_DLYULUlSLz-TWGiMKFTNxLVT5/s640/IMG_5023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before we dive in, I should note that <b>not all of my third drafts look this way. </b>I edit according to what works best for each book. Sometimes that means rewriting every. single. word. (been there done that. would not recommend if you want to keep your sanity) Sometimes that means chipping away on a computer document.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<b>This isn't a "how-to" process,</b> and this definitely isn't the <i>only </i>way to go about a third draft. But hopefully through reading what I do can help you gather ideas for your own editing process!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">step one: print out the thing!</span></b></div>
</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMKOeVVMz4lu5vfZd2j4xkawYuIQyxfiAMrILWgqVMjTcah1-zGmKj6jJqRbU-wSCBIF2lZdAn7QsH2z-l3Ik353K_sDYqhm_yTLOlHOPGGDugDjj3pASRcWoOVWqptHP7xH3cGxGEzMZ/s1600/3+edit+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMKOeVVMz4lu5vfZd2j4xkawYuIQyxfiAMrILWgqVMjTcah1-zGmKj6jJqRbU-wSCBIF2lZdAn7QsH2z-l3Ik353K_sDYqhm_yTLOlHOPGGDugDjj3pASRcWoOVWqptHP7xH3cGxGEzMZ/s640/3+edit+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I printed my copy of <i>Where Shadows Lie </i>from<span style="color: #b45f06;"> <a href="http://lulu.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lulu</span></a></span>! I've ordered from them in the past and am always extremely satisfied with the quality of their books. This was my first time buying a spiral-bound copy, and IT HAS CHANGED THE WORLD OF EDITING FOREVER. (shout out to <a href="https://the-introverted-extrovert.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Sarah</span></a> for giving me the idea of ordering one!)That sounded a bit dramatic, but <i>seriously. </i><b>Having a paper copy to take notes in is so helpful</b>! Because:<br />
<br />
<b>1. </b>no distractions<br />
<b>2.</b> I can edit in a cozy chair without having to balance a computer on my lap<br />
<b>3. </b>fun editing pens!<br />
<b>4. </b>it's easier for me to edit for long periods of time on paper rather than a computer<br />
<br />
<b>I decided to keep the cover super plain.</b> Somewhat because I like the simplicity/minimalist look of it, but mostly because I was too lazy to whip up something fancy. (creating covers is SO hard and usually ends up leaving me frustrated. :P)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The words are double spaced so there's lots of room to make editing changes and notes </b>(I <i>need </i>lots of room for this draft. -.-). I accidentally made the inside of the pages cream instead of white, but I don't mind the look.<br />
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(if you end up ordering your own copy from <a href="http://lulu.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Lulu</span></a>, <b>wait until there's a sale! </b>They have sales almost weekly, so I've never had to pay full price.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>two: gather my battle weapons</b></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYOvWf_HIWzzw5acohmHwoVty78oWcXuFeybur8T_2d6WmtSNleyCxGUABTcLIo8fisSHmiIYjqniKdV5hQYl5FO9Q1tC1rK48mldCb8sRPFy3t-cMT4Ij1frHAqY63w1i7wayOmCe95w/s1600/3+edit+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYOvWf_HIWzzw5acohmHwoVty78oWcXuFeybur8T_2d6WmtSNleyCxGUABTcLIo8fisSHmiIYjqniKdV5hQYl5FO9Q1tC1rK48mldCb8sRPFy3t-cMT4Ij1frHAqY63w1i7wayOmCe95w/s640/3+edit+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m43e0TTbDGt2N3MKAyV3H4pZ21GuOkwWTSimvl_tNgjrv0Eepzo6cpLOmYJSFgzyPjI-PBpUGfsQX_jfCAcpC0Ejr9Ic2EjAf6oK6hUb5b1sVsb3fkdqU-1FiFBjoaiVxky_jFxmBJnZ/s1600/3+edit+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m43e0TTbDGt2N3MKAyV3H4pZ21GuOkwWTSimvl_tNgjrv0Eepzo6cpLOmYJSFgzyPjI-PBpUGfsQX_jfCAcpC0Ejr9Ic2EjAf6oK6hUb5b1sVsb3fkdqU-1FiFBjoaiVxky_jFxmBJnZ/s640/3+edit+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Editing on paper is great because it's also an excuse for a bunch of office supplies. </b>Sticky notes, pens, highlighters, journals, notepads... the list just keeps going on. xD<br />
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The notebook pictured above is actually an art journal! I love the freedom of the blank pages so I can write sideways and create my own little system with columns.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><b>Other editing essentials:</b> chapstick, lotion, music, lots and lots of caffeine, fuzzy blankets...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>step three: make a plan of attack</b></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-yCqeAwB4eyx2QIH3iY5PDIxTj6mq1t-_nUCu7F22QG7dwMb2lp6b3Y4JdmclDIv8d_lUfFxPwtQhP9fYs6NxdxnFmvoJqdts_jnt5hyJb3j7FsXUPYN4tbcVXSbAG_tmJnx4_djtyFm/s1600/3+edit+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-yCqeAwB4eyx2QIH3iY5PDIxTj6mq1t-_nUCu7F22QG7dwMb2lp6b3Y4JdmclDIv8d_lUfFxPwtQhP9fYs6NxdxnFmvoJqdts_jnt5hyJb3j7FsXUPYN4tbcVXSbAG_tmJnx4_djtyFm/s640/3+edit+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Before I dive into the edits I like to gather a basic idea on how I'll go about the edits. <b>Sometimes I'll start the process by reading through the novel in one sitting,</b> making some notes here and there, but I felt comfortable skipping that step since I had a giant outline of the plot.<br />
<br />
I'm going through this book <b>line by line. </b>It's slow and painstakingly tedious, but I can already tell that it's helping the story and the quality of the words. I have a color-coded key to help guide me through all the marking up I have to do:<br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #cc0000;"><b>red</b></span> = CUT THIS AWFUL SENTENCE</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #6fa8dc;">blue</span> </b>= rewrites I need to add in</div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffd966;"><b>yellow</b></span> = hey! something I actually like! <i>(the color yellow appears very rarely xD)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #e69138;"><b>orange</b></span> = it depends<br />
<br />
I'll use the color orange for whatever I need it to mean: foreshadowing, bigger changes that will involve more thought, things I need to insert, plot questions I need to consider... It's a multi-purpose color. :P<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>step four: ATTACK!</b></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiXM98m-OBfMLI7mDWrOfkfqJmQHqkXr2VQk1xA5PbhoVU0lx8eTyyEOKFAr06FLyTNKGX-ddfaNinuyfV8DsTMccFxTzvDNOeSEBDrJGPuRfaoDQmFnB0xagKojNCogSHEAQ1ReGf79G/s1600/3+edit+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiXM98m-OBfMLI7mDWrOfkfqJmQHqkXr2VQk1xA5PbhoVU0lx8eTyyEOKFAr06FLyTNKGX-ddfaNinuyfV8DsTMccFxTzvDNOeSEBDrJGPuRfaoDQmFnB0xagKojNCogSHEAQ1ReGf79G/s640/3+edit+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This step is where I put on the headphones, shuffle my book's playlist, and <b>edit like a madwoman. </b>Not only has editing on paper helped me to focus better, but it's been so cool to realize how much I actually change. <b>I'm probably deleting/changing/rewriting over 50% of the words in this book. </b>There's rarely a page without half of it covered in red and blue lines. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">step five: pizza + coffee break</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">step six: write down <i>alllllll </i>the changes</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSz-m8vl1Lp796zO4-FrYERlipg_XVe7SZSn6QzaIFrF3K7mGrrx0V66AVMfLb2xfUQztLLxPXYQu9mUVnBM5B-lBBxWI5WmeZ8gN6OCZRvf6QiYK9JclvaSZ9XfVYJsh1gMMN394lu0O/s1600/3+edit+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSz-m8vl1Lp796zO4-FrYERlipg_XVe7SZSn6QzaIFrF3K7mGrrx0V66AVMfLb2xfUQztLLxPXYQu9mUVnBM5B-lBBxWI5WmeZ8gN6OCZRvf6QiYK9JclvaSZ9XfVYJsh1gMMN394lu0O/s640/3+edit+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This picture isn't the greatest quality, but it's a good overview of my overall editing process. I markup the papercopy of <i>Where Shadows Lie </i>with all of the nitpicky line edits that I'm able to fit onto the page. <b>I'm analyzing <i>every </i>sentence, trying to see if I can make it better.</b></div>
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While I'm reading through a chapter,<b> sometimes I'll run across larger scene changes that I can't fix by cutting or adding in a couple words.</b> I'll jot these down in my editing notebook under the "to-do" sticky note, and I'll work on those when I'm transferring the edits to my computer document.</div>
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(In the picture you can see that<b> I have a "love" sticky note column to keep myself from becoming unbearably negative about my story.</b> xD But the to-do section is always 10000000x longer than the good stuff (which makes sense because I am in the early stages of the novel).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">seven: repeat until book is finished!</span></b></div>
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When I say "book," I mean "draft." Because <b>once I finish this round of edits, another round is inevitable</b>. And another. And another. And probably a couple more even after that. :P<br />
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I'm not pushing myself <i>too </i>hard with this draft. I've been doing about three chapters a week, which means <b>I should be able to complete this draft by the second week of March! </b>Craziness!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDBjqWlJOwgpM_IFj06Le9RhlhPjNcjmy0kTwI-mEnxHUfQ4yuGSvmIkWwD7_Wedd6_BIyKvZKma5h9lXjedsoEBr5GNZ8gBzEyRSWFZ8Odb_vUIygufhgFGBBTyDfGcy9KuhsPZNYF_5/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope the rest of your Saturday is awesome! I'll be editing in the afternoon and working in the evening... <b>what does the day look like for you? </b>May it be awesome whatever you end up doing. :)<br />
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<3, </div>
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katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">are you currently in the middle of writing or editing?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-10274491174690331962018-01-27T00:00:00.000-06:002018-01-27T10:18:56.817-06:00JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS // 2018<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here is the first wrap-up post of the new year! January isn't quite over, but it will be in a few more days. (which means that we're 1/12 of the way through the year! yikes.) <b>It felt so weird typing in 2018 for the post title. </b>'Tis insane.</div>
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<b>I started off 2018 by celebrating Christmas. </b>Yes, that sounds confusing, but we had to postpone our celebrations because of sickness. It's that time of year where everyone and their cousin's cat has come down with some cold/flu/sore throat/etc type of thing. I basically need to enter a quarantine center to stay away from it all. o.o </div>
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One of my favorite presents for Christmas (Though I don't think I can actually narrow it down to <i>one </i>favorite, because each is special in it's own way. :P) was a daisy tote bag that I can use for lugging all of my writing stuff to and from the coffeeshop!<b> Daisies are my favorite flower </b>-- they're happy-looking, and I like happy things. :)</div>
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<b>It's been a <i>cold </i>January. </b>And to make things worse, during one of the coldest weeks (when we were experiencing temperatures in the -20s, brrr), <b>our family's car lost heat. </b>That was not a fun week of travel to and from work. xD BUT THANKFULLY IT'S FIXED! But it was strange seeing my breath in the car and losing feeling in my fingers. xD</div>
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Speaking of winter, I WATCHED <i>THE WINTER SOLDIER </i>THIS MONTH. Goodness, I adore that movie. So many feelings. and scenes that brought tears to my eyes. <3 <3 Also,<b> the</b> <b>countdown for Infinity Wars continues. 96 DAYS! </b>(I apologize, but I probably won't stop screaming about it until it comes out. :P)</div>
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I saw <i>Darkest Hour </i>in the theater which was pretty good! My favorite part about the whole experience was this nice, old dude who sat next to me. He started talking about how he lived through the history of the movie and fought in the Korean War. <b>I think it's so cool to hear about a stranger's story. </b>(and kind of sad, because you'll probably never see them again)</div>
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A random joke that I came across <strike>while procrastinating:</strike> <b>Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. </b>(it took me a moment to get it, but when I did I couldn't stop laughing)</div>
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<i>Fawkes <b>[5/5] </b>- </i>YOU GUYS. YOU NEED TO READ THIS WHEN IT COMES OUT. It's a <i>beautiful </i>historical/fantasy retelling of Thomas Fawkes and the gunpowder plot. Nadine's words are magical. :D<br />
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<i>The Picture of Dorian Gray <b>[3/5] </b>- </i>I actually enjoyed this one! Usually classics aren't my cup of tea, but <i>THAT ENDING. </i>Oh my gosh it was great. o.o</div>
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<i>Scythe <b>[5/5] </b>- </i>This was a reread in anticipation for the sequel coming out! It's been awhile since I've read this one so I forgot some of the twists that happened. xD </div>
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<i>Thunderhead <b>[4/5] </b>- </i>This was the sequel to Scythe! And... it wasn't as good as the first one. *sobs* It was still interesting... but... kind of long. And I didn't care for some of the characters. Sigh. I'm still excited for the third one, though!</div>
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After taking a couple months off, <b>I'm back into the swing of edits! </b>Right now I'm working on the third draft of <i>Where Shadows Lie, </i>and having a <i>really </i>fun time with it (me, having fun editing? whaaaaaat?). In February I plan to do a post explaining my process with third-drafting. I'm editing on paper for the first time (<b>which means fun pens and notebooks!</b>) and it's been so incredibly helpful.</div>
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As I finish up chapters of this third draft, I'm meeting with my friend Emma to exchange chapters with each other. I'm not going to lie: <b>it was terrifying. </b>This is the first time anyone's read past the first three pages, but she's already proven to be so helpful with her comments. And it's so good to meet in person so I can ask her questions and get an immediate, honest answer. </div>
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I already have a page <i>filled </i>with things to change -- <b>and that's just from her reading the first three chapters.</b> The edits just never stop. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSOnwcxyKzK5jyrDHeZz14euKOwEy26ikrst3OAzAJbllOpYXbFPIo5DCirGQQE2C-bqfAojfak1nS_9ajncGaa-_HspRJDbAgTnhG51WIBtCdvfJA9Fgkq2ZxrLTledkB84mkUKPxVg9/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSOnwcxyKzK5jyrDHeZz14euKOwEy26ikrst3OAzAJbllOpYXbFPIo5DCirGQQE2C-bqfAojfak1nS_9ajncGaa-_HspRJDbAgTnhG51WIBtCdvfJA9Fgkq2ZxrLTledkB84mkUKPxVg9/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1MhUcsyf7dnu728S9x6V5y4cBpDuvs6ZPQUA4smuMyYWixLhKnj4BMfyXEBhVfOiaL20OE5-eq5rZdRApyD714rNZbf0So6zGDVXv4RV5juACJMszCuJ1L5PvXAUoH1cPaZb3f9Wg7p4/s1600/AWF+-+Ramblings+of+the+Month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1MhUcsyf7dnu728S9x6V5y4cBpDuvs6ZPQUA4smuMyYWixLhKnj4BMfyXEBhVfOiaL20OE5-eq5rZdRApyD714rNZbf0So6zGDVXv4RV5juACJMszCuJ1L5PvXAUoH1cPaZb3f9Wg7p4/s640/AWF+-+Ramblings+of+the+Month.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are the posts I published this month! If you missed any of them, clicking on the picture will lead you to the post. :)</div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/01/2018-goals.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJD4SkhveUvTmiSklwlUzK4xz2s-SIaoEZPE94YykT408fPI39WrOeK9TMagNLqkmfyiYbaWyA5qlMNrq9IDzFd2E8Jmyyfr86crbRr9BsEFa9TKzKZeAsluhk0p1ic5nu_k5HKciNf4h/s320/2018+goals.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/01/books-acquired-in-2017.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNg8RS9gZB4qSQGgCm0pRitTBX8qVC9kU7a81XjggsPu3RHrCWjTanaT7u94I9bsGM5UVRcwyfh4ExvlXMb_M-9nlbQfAAIiYXwLvVTfIYYEBi5Mhw2bqvAZWMU7Ff77J3Fp8x1pBKaYu/s320/books+aqcuired+in+2017+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2018/01/library-memories.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCbC5lW3U6vgOLVKV8JXnu7O4wKjfrmSsWlKNplMwiAUEYD7xVqbT3ZFq65rdn-zqqMxKWkESn5ZMS-Bb8d593r-IJtluGO4KVrl2mxlB-_fhfKExj-UXruopvp0tV9OT3JjpmDSgusQ4/s320/LIBRARY+MEMORIES.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSOnwcxyKzK5jyrDHeZz14euKOwEy26ikrst3OAzAJbllOpYXbFPIo5DCirGQQE2C-bqfAojfak1nS_9ajncGaa-_HspRJDbAgTnhG51WIBtCdvfJA9Fgkq2ZxrLTledkB84mkUKPxVg9/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSOnwcxyKzK5jyrDHeZz14euKOwEy26ikrst3OAzAJbllOpYXbFPIo5DCirGQQE2C-bqfAojfak1nS_9ajncGaa-_HspRJDbAgTnhG51WIBtCdvfJA9Fgkq2ZxrLTledkB84mkUKPxVg9/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
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That's all I've got for today (I feel like this was a shorter monthly highlights post?) --<b> I hope the last couple days of January are absolutely fabulous for all of you! </b>These next few days are filled with work and school and writing for me (and a dentist appointment, ugh), but they should be good anyway. It's what you make of it, right?</div>
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I'd love to hear about your January! Did the first month of the year live up to your expectations? If this month was a bit chaotic and crazy, don't fear, because you're not alone in that. And February's coming up for a fresh, new start. *puts on cool sunglasses* Let's go and conquer.</div>
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<3,<br />
katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">did you see any good movies this month?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-64437033175481731032018-01-20T00:00:00.000-06:002018-01-20T00:00:37.640-06:00LIBRARY MEMORIES<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12Y0pKGHuB1__Zv5IO5xnArH9m8jjR9XTbfVTc51YlbrYpiwy_5KZu30lNHz-TjQNCiJkkP1kTpDq7db3Tw1gqKiA-1uOlhaMLkB7FfuIHUj_jtAxSG1T0drDBUex8NIcIhy-DdZLRyvM/s1600/LIBRARY+MEMORIES.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12Y0pKGHuB1__Zv5IO5xnArH9m8jjR9XTbfVTc51YlbrYpiwy_5KZu30lNHz-TjQNCiJkkP1kTpDq7db3Tw1gqKiA-1uOlhaMLkB7FfuIHUj_jtAxSG1T0drDBUex8NIcIhy-DdZLRyvM/s640/LIBRARY+MEMORIES.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I went to the library the other day. (No, this isn't an unusual occurrence... but still worth mentioning for the purpose of this post.)</span><br />
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<b>From a very young age I've loved the library</b> -- my mother has raised me quite well in this. She'd take my sister and I almost weekly. The three of us would pile into our car, bags filled with stories ready to return so we could collect a new stack of adventures.</div>
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Once inside, I'd always rush straight to the children's section. Sometimes they'd host fun little shows where a magician or juggler would arrive, but mostly it was silent, and I'd be surrounded by thousands of colorful books.</div>
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<b><br /></b><b>I was a cover judger. </b>(and still might be... oops.)<b> </b>But it makes sense for my younger self -- if I couldn't page through the book and read snippets of the story... instead it was the art and the pictures and the pretty font that made me check it out. Little me would rush through the rows and wooden compartments, shoving new reads into my kid-sized tote.</div>
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Or I'd return to old favorites: <i>The Berestein Bears, any sort of fairytale, Franklin, Curious George</i>... and when I entered the world of chapter books, series like <i>Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, </i>and the<i> Boxcar Children.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-N-acUwJp0A23_RAUBjFoR6EnZspDCBdWbbFD3d-I7BoIOWyTtvN5ASLfcTbb4HXYLs_GazRy9nAYnAoVzhVpEksqHEv0HfNJZJBu1h1Lqd4Is7sfNp91Meub-k57eGz7xAQEj3D_1aE/s1600/library+blog+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-N-acUwJp0A23_RAUBjFoR6EnZspDCBdWbbFD3d-I7BoIOWyTtvN5ASLfcTbb4HXYLs_GazRy9nAYnAoVzhVpEksqHEv0HfNJZJBu1h1Lqd4Is7sfNp91Meub-k57eGz7xAQEj3D_1aE/s640/library+blog+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The three of us would line up in front of the desk, giggling at how our bags overflowed and the looks of shock others gave us. We stacked the books into piles, watching as the librarian started the long process of checking them out. My sister and I stood on our tiptoes, eyes just above the counter, waiting to see if we went over the book limit.</div>
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Ahh, <b>the dreaded book limit. </b>The crusher of a bookworm's soul. <b>The kind of monster that hid in my closet and under my bed as a child.</b> (am I exaggerating slightly? maybe. BUT STILL.)</div>
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Our library declared a limit of one hundred books, which may sound like a lot, but not to <i>this </i>family -- to <i>our </i>family. We used to have daily reading sessions where we would spread 15+ picture books across our carpet. My sister and I took turns running to pick out a book before jumping back on the couch to snuggle on either side of our mother. <b>That couch was where my love and passion for stories began, and never went away.</b></div>
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Once the librarian finished scanning the books -- I watched her do this so many times that my six-year-old self could've probably done it myself -- we'd load up our bags again. My mom with her giant, striped red one, and mine with my identical one... just a kid-sized version. Even my younger sister carried her own bag, matching ours but with blue stripes instead of red.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4liJB2PrtFFp-txY2i0VSAmPrwCxSOuqk0WRYITNsqjgvPKZJv5AieWZ_uGuPrAlk0vWOVBr2A1sNYc0wwLx80xxl3QrdMpazSGI6aHt_EJN10yGrjL2WcdRRIM8jF55vHaKYo5-2Bth/s1600/library+blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4liJB2PrtFFp-txY2i0VSAmPrwCxSOuqk0WRYITNsqjgvPKZJv5AieWZ_uGuPrAlk0vWOVBr2A1sNYc0wwLx80xxl3QrdMpazSGI6aHt_EJN10yGrjL2WcdRRIM8jF55vHaKYo5-2Bth/s640/library+blog+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADxRc3h76IPKa5IZqId5jW5CaFXFmoIc2aSl10gV9dRAr50dZAaAdU7klepc-3SzDZ_Y0BrxPkygLlXRehMXv_EdLC2ZrbblUKzYaspfuSZks93MclDWE058zfgxiuqFiqNlDA7UzhqX/s1600/library+blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixADxRc3h76IPKa5IZqId5jW5CaFXFmoIc2aSl10gV9dRAr50dZAaAdU7klepc-3SzDZ_Y0BrxPkygLlXRehMXv_EdLC2ZrbblUKzYaspfuSZks93MclDWE058zfgxiuqFiqNlDA7UzhqX/s640/library+blog+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my mother's old library tote. OH THE MEMORIES <3</td></tr>
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<b>I'm surprised the seams never broke with how those bags bulged. </b>I remember how hard it was for hobbit-sized Katie to lug her tiny, yet very <i>heavy </i>tote to the librarian's desk. Often Mom would have to come to the rescue. :)</div>
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These are my old, nostalgic, library memories. I've moved on from the picture books, and even from the regular library we used to go to. I've outgrown the fear of the book limit. Now the libraries are all automated self-checkouts -- which is bitter-sweet because there's no opportunity to talk to another bookish soul. *sniff*<br />
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I do miss it -- <b>I miss the memories of being young, </b>but then again, there are things that my younger self couldn't possibly understand. I didn't understand the excitement of browsing the YA shelves! And Little Katie didn't yet hold the dream of having her<i> own </i>book on those rows of stories. <3<br />
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I'll treasure those moments, and <b>it's so cool to see how far back my love for stories has spread.</b><br />
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<3<br />
katie grace<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what about you? any library/bookish memories from when you were younger? I'd love to hear them!</span><br />
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(and happy birthday to my very lovely sister who turns fifteen today! <3)</div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-19214927303996394122018-01-13T00:30:00.000-06:002018-01-13T00:30:00.290-06:00BOOKS ACQUIRED IN 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Starting posts are one of the hardest thing for me. </b>Is anyone else this way? I stare at the blank webpage <i>forever, </i>until I start blabbering about how hard it is to start a post, and then lamely transition into my post topic. (Have I been blogging for three years? Yes. But apparently some things never change. *headdesk*)</div>
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2017 feels like yesterday (probably because it <i>was </i>only thirteen days ago...), so <b>I'm still in the "let's take a look back at last year!" kind of mood.</b> I've noticed some bloggers do fun little monthly "book hauls," and decided to join in the fun. Except I'm going to showcase <i>all </i>of books I acquired in 2017 (because my monthly hauls would be puny and boring). And I'm going to do it in a vlog format, because it's been awhile since I've done one of those. :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhhLsC4ucMAFuP5Kvuqqf9l68-2AUAbPEGqduu1q6qdLsISiWTh2lupiiZCAvqguFEXm6OJr1hXDuJf4W1Md_wkuDxG1bbZG6-3hYZF7koLQ6xRGbxO49Wyuj1C9Di741pQIrmCn0AsE8/s1600/BOOOOOOOKS.png" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhhLsC4ucMAFuP5Kvuqqf9l68-2AUAbPEGqduu1q6qdLsISiWTh2lupiiZCAvqguFEXm6OJr1hXDuJf4W1Md_wkuDxG1bbZG6-3hYZF7koLQ6xRGbxO49Wyuj1C9Di741pQIrmCn0AsE8/s640/BOOOOOOOKS.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">THE VLOG!</span></i></blockquote>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jXslTj1Sja4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jXslTj1Sja4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<i>(be right back because I'm cringing at how many times I say "um" and "so" in this video. Further proof that I'm a writer and not an eloquent speaker. *sigh* :P)</i><br />
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If you have absolutely no interest in watching a video,<b> I complied a list of the books below so you don't have to suffer through my rambles.</b> (but it's not <i>that </i>long and there's an awkward blooper reel at the end... (yay?)) M<b>ost of the books have a star rating next to them</b> -- others might not because I haven't read them yet, it's been too long to remember how I liked them, or I've read a beta copy but not the published version.<br />
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Behold, the list!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxShiQzQZ4VEDnJ7WHAONjb0U72St9JyTVEkvW3qE8KCTLgf8PcOQcIUhdT3rv6kTUjDJx1Urjhi1OthpxHffhn-KDpBH4M2p3bkXeHZc6_UsuiE6wt3wfMHq2A2El_urjv_V0ioOow8f/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxShiQzQZ4VEDnJ7WHAONjb0U72St9JyTVEkvW3qE8KCTLgf8PcOQcIUhdT3rv6kTUjDJx1Urjhi1OthpxHffhn-KDpBH4M2p3bkXeHZc6_UsuiE6wt3wfMHq2A2El_urjv_V0ioOow8f/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
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1. <i>HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL USING THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD </i><b>[5/5]</b></div>
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Randy Ingermanson </div>
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2. <i>PEP TALKS FOR WRITERS</i></div>
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various authors</div>
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3. <i>MAYDAY</i> <b>[3.5/5]</b></div>
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Jonathon Friesen</div>
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4. <i>THE CHOOSING </i><b>[4/5]</b></div>
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Rachelle Dekker</div>
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5. <i>PURPLE MOON</i></div>
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Tessa Emily Hall</div>
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<i>6. THE COLOR PROJECT</i></div>
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Sierra Abrams</div>
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(two copies of this one since there was a printing error with the arcs!)</div>
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7. <i>PRINCESS ACADEMY </i><b>[5/5]</b></div>
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Shannon Hale</div>
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8. <i>MARTIN HOSPITALITY</i></div>
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Abigayle Claire</div>
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9. <i>SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS: THE BAD BEGINNING </i><b>[4/5]</b></div>
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10. <i>THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET </i><b>[4/5]</b></div>
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Stephanie Morrill</div>
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11. <i>THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS </i><b>[4/5]</b></div>
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Jaqueline West</div>
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12. <i>ANGEL EYES </i><b>[5/5]</b></div>
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Shannon Dittemore</div>
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13. <i>BROKEN WINGS </i><b>[3/5]</b></div>
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Shannon Dittemore</div>
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14. <i>UNSANCTIONED EYES </i><b>[3.5/5]</b></div>
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Brianna Merritt</div>
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15. <i>HERE LIES DANIEL TATE </i><b>[3.5/5]</b></div>
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16. <i>THE EVAPORATION OF SOFI SNOW </i><b>[3/5]</b></div>
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Mary Weber</div>
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17. <i>CRESS </i><b>[5/5]</b></div>
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Marissa Meyer</div>
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18. <i>RENEGADES </i><b>[2/5]</b></div>
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Marissa Meyer</div>
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19. <i>HEARTLESS </i><b>[5/5]</b></div>
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Marissa Meyer</div>
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20.<i> GREGOR AND THE CODE OF CLAW</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
21. <i>GREGOR AND THE MARKS OF SECRET</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Suzanne Collins</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
22. <i>CHOSEN</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
23.<i> INFIDEL</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
24.<i> RENEGADE</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ted Dekker</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxShiQzQZ4VEDnJ7WHAONjb0U72St9JyTVEkvW3qE8KCTLgf8PcOQcIUhdT3rv6kTUjDJx1Urjhi1OthpxHffhn-KDpBH4M2p3bkXeHZc6_UsuiE6wt3wfMHq2A2El_urjv_V0ioOow8f/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxShiQzQZ4VEDnJ7WHAONjb0U72St9JyTVEkvW3qE8KCTLgf8PcOQcIUhdT3rv6kTUjDJx1Urjhi1OthpxHffhn-KDpBH4M2p3bkXeHZc6_UsuiE6wt3wfMHq2A2El_urjv_V0ioOow8f/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Now I'm a confused human</b> because in the vlog I said that I acquired twenty-six books, but I only managed to come up with twenty-five in this post. There must be a mystery book on my shelf somewhere. :P<br />
<br />Looking ahead at this year, I only have a couple on my must-buy list, so I wouldn't be surprised if I buy less. (which is a good thing and yet also a sad thing) <b>I'm excited to flail over future stories with you!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">what books are you looking forward to buying in 2018?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
(i can think of a couple off the top of my head - <i>fawkes, thunderhead, a thousand perfect notes... any others i should be aware of??)</i></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-50848076425240957272018-01-06T00:00:00.000-06:002018-01-06T00:00:27.080-06:002018 GOALS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>We're a week into 2018. </b>(well, not quite... BUT CLOSE ENOUGH. :P)<b> </b>How is everyone feeling about this year so far? After taking two months off of editing, I've gotten into the swing again and am having fun with this story. Hopefully that excitement won't wear off. :P</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's my annual "goals for the year" post! But before I move into the 2018 goals, let's take a quick look back at how my 2017 ambitions went.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZbjD3AVTyWBTo8VRp6gvwKQ1LtqMm7mW-ZHdRUgo6aK5AFUO5WSADDUq1ghwn6oiVkZf-fSc-Q8UpjsIQPNoVIkN3JSG5y46slDcDJHzNo-5CPr6Y1Xd6jlmbMFR3lDCRMBkvY1tXTVq/s1600/2018+goals.png" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZbjD3AVTyWBTo8VRp6gvwKQ1LtqMm7mW-ZHdRUgo6aK5AFUO5WSADDUq1ghwn6oiVkZf-fSc-Q8UpjsIQPNoVIkN3JSG5y46slDcDJHzNo-5CPr6Y1Xd6jlmbMFR3lDCRMBkvY1tXTVq/s640/2018+goals.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">[ 2 0 1 7 G O A L S + how they went ]</span></i></div>
<strike><br /></strike>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strike><b><strike>1. take more pictures.</strike></b></strike></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'd say this was a success? I posted more on my <a href="http://instagram.com/katiegracewrite"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instagram</span></a> and have really enjoyed figuring out how to take and edit pictures so they're pleasing to the eye. (though let's be honest -- I'm still figuring it all that out)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">
<b><strike>2. write two books.</strike></b></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I ACCOMPLISHED THIS ONE! When I made this goal, I really didn't think I'd be able to make it, but it happened and I couldn't be more excited. *flails*</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>3. send <i>the sand dragon's song </i>to beta readers.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
HAHAH. Ha. Nope. After lots of editing and thought, I decided to put aside my desert duology for now in order to work on other stories. So I'm okay with not meeting this goal.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><strike><br /></strike></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><strike>4. see the epic movies that are coming out.</strike></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'll just leave my favorite movie of the year here... SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING. <3</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><strike><br /></strike></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><strike>5. focus on </strike>God.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the beginning of 2017, I planned on memorizing fifty-two verses. Ahem, that failed a couple of weeks into the year. But<b> I <i>did</i> read through the New Testament</b> and do some faith journaling! So overall a half-success. I'm still fully deciding on what to do this year for Bible reading... but I might go through the Old Testament next. We'll see.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>6. read 100 books.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was an epic, giant #FAIL. I only read 60 books, and even that was a challenge. :P</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><div style="display: inline !important;">
<b><strike><br /></strike></b></div>
</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><div style="display: inline !important;">
<b><strike>7. find a new show to watch.</strike></b></div>
</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the beginning of the year I finished watching <i>Sherlock Holmes, </i>and later watched <i>Stranger Things</i> with <a href="http://unwindingthesoul.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Gabriela</span></a>! I also started watching Psych with my sister, but the library kept demanding that we return it so we never got very far. :P</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>8. film more vlogs.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
HA! Nope. I only filmed one. :P</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">[ 2 0 1 8 G O A L S ]</span></i></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. track the books i read.</span></b></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, I realize Goodreads exists (and love using it), but I want to create a separate document with a giant overview -- the genre, a one or two sentence review, and in general an easier organization method to quickly glance over the stories I devoured of 2018.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. send <i>where shadows lie </i>to beta readers.</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
*mumbled screaming* ?!?!!?!?!?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a bit of a terrifying concept, but<b> I think I'll be ready by springtime -- probably around April -- to send it to betas. </b>(that's assuming everything goes well and I don't have a sudden plot crisis. :P) As scary as it is (yikesyikesyikes), I'm so pumped because I've never been this passionate about a story before? *shrug* It's a cool feeling.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. graduate high school!</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>I have a little less than two months of school before I graduate.</b> *more mumbled screaming* (I feel like I'll be internally screaming my way through 2018. xD) School and I have never been best of friends, so I'm excited to finally part ways. :P<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. find a full time job.</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Instead of going the college route like most people, I'm hoping to find a full time job that I enjoy and can get settled in until I'm called elsewhere. I'm unusually excited (and nervous) about the prospect of working.<br />
<br />
Right now I only work part time at Starbucks, but there's rarely a day that I dread going to my job?? <b>I'm getting paid to make coffee and talk to people while working with coworkers I enjoy -- how can it become better than that?</b> So I'm praying that I can find a full time job that makes me feel the same way. <3<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. buy a car.</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And since I'll (hopefully) be working full time, it won't work for me to use my parent's car any longer. So I'll need to actually buy one! :P <b>There are a lot of big adulting steps I need to take in 2018</b>. (including actually becoming an adult - YIKES.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. win nanowrimo.</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do I even have a hint of a story idea I could write? No. Will I have enough time? Probably not. But do I want to keep up my winning streak no matter what? YUP.<br /><br />So <b>it'll be an interesting NaNoWriMo, but I'm ready for the challenge.</b> xD (thankfully it's ten months away so I have a good amount of time to prepare. phew.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. keep up with journaling.</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With all of the crazy things happening this year, <b>journaling is a great way for me to unwind and write down what's on my heart. </b>The problem is, is that I have so many different notebooks to keep up with. I consistently use four journals <b>every night. </b>And four others that I use several times a month. #writerproblems</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(Yes, I could cut down on journals, but WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. scream over infinity wars !!!!!!!</span></b></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Words cannot explain how. excited. I. am. for. Infinity. Wars. Every time it crosses my mind I start squealing with anticipation. For preparation of the film,<b> my family and I have been watching all of the Marvel movies in chronological order.</b> I'm <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieGraceWrite/status/939307003670859776"><span style="color: #b45f06;">writing mini-reviews on Twitter as we watch them</span></a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0O49vAcQxXR_DHYUITu-_2hNqKZAi0hj_i4zP3e-1b3XHCEUY9cQkLkLuVFMdZVcEZDgCmU9fMNFsMxTo7QdwSQ3zS4aEguTShqP9DV1FhSSvIGcJxrkREgyFiGx0CGaKhegcVs1oTAp6/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Boom, eight goals for 2018.</b> I feel like that number is fitting, yeah?<br />
<br />
Here's to conquering the next twelve months together! *hands out pizza for motivation* WE CAN DO THIS.<br />
<br />
<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">what are some of your goals for 2018?</span></div>
</div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-12193716981309839692017-12-30T00:00:00.000-06:002017-12-30T00:00:33.911-06:00END OF THE YEAR WRAP UP POST // 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
IT'S THE END OF 2017. <b>AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</b>.<br />
<br />
There. I think I screamed enough for everyone reading this post. If not, feel free to scream with me in the comments. <b>I'm happy with how 2017 went.</b> Obviously it had it's ups and downs... but that's just life for ya. Overall it was an improvement from 2016, and I'm feeling good about where I am in life. So, success! :P<br />
<br />
And before we enter the craziness of 2018... here's one last look back at this year. :D</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>WRITING:</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Dl7NS3vPF1II_V-tca5UNfxade2iavLGXZah1fyz8RgOqUyjXzRssguQ_B9UAPKB6SLAf0T6qe2vtc1spQTgPxxgC0F0ycl_t1kNocbQxJ14CCln9cxLXEeEluZjxKZzfyNEStxTIGOy/s1600/blogger-image-1914692112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Dl7NS3vPF1II_V-tca5UNfxade2iavLGXZah1fyz8RgOqUyjXzRssguQ_B9UAPKB6SLAf0T6qe2vtc1spQTgPxxgC0F0ycl_t1kNocbQxJ14CCln9cxLXEeEluZjxKZzfyNEStxTIGOy/s640/blogger-image-1914692112.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">pictures in this post are an assortment from 2017</td></tr>
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Ahh, writing. <b>Writing this year has been a journey. </b>A roller coaster type journey, with all of it's ups and downs and twisty loop-de-loops. I shifted my focus from my desert fantasy duology, to my heart's novel, <i>Where Shadows Lie. </i>It's always sad to shelve a project... but I'm confident I made the right decision and I'm ridiculously excited about moving forward.<br />
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<b>I wrote two books this year -- </b>my superhero novel, and the prequel to <i>Where Shadows Lie. </i>*celebrates* Both of them were for NaNo events (because <b>NaNo + I = best friends</b>), and after I wrote the first drafts, <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/09/new-first-draft-copies-vlog.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">I made them into real-life copies</span></a>! (except I'm still waiting for my superhero book to arrive. I ordered it a <i>month </i>ago... so I think it went missing in the mail. Or fell into a portal and land in the fires of Mt. Doom. Either or. <i><b>(UPDATE: now as I'm editing this post, the book has arrived! so it made it out of Mt. Doom. Huzzah!)</b></i>)<br />
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After adding up the ending word counts of those two books + flash fiction + rewrites, <b>the total words written this year came to 200,000. </b>A little less than normal, as you can see below, but I'm happy with the outcome. :D<br />
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2014: 123,000<br />
2015: 240,000<br />
2016: 222,000<br />
2017: 200,000<br />
<b><i>total: </i>785,000.</b></blockquote>
That means I'm 215,000 words away from writing <b>one million</b> <b>words. </b>UM. WHAT. (poor noodle fingers) I know I spend a lot of time writing, but... it's weird to actually think about how much energy and thought and emotion I've poured into my novels over the years. *mind explodes*<br />
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Oh and hey -- speaking of writing and stories, <b>I posted two flash fictions on the blog this year! </b>I read over them again before putting the links in this post, and I'm really happy with how they turned out. I wrote a <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/02/flash-fiction-creatures-piping-song.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">sci-fi retelling of the pied piper</span></a>, and then a tale about the dreaded "<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/04/beware-nano-beast.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">NaNoWriMo Beast</span></a>." (the last one is more comical than serious. xD)<br />
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<b>When I wasn't writing, I was editing!</b> (and plotting... and procrastinating... but mostly editing.) In the beginning of the year I worked hard on my desert fantasy duology, but once I shelved that for the time being, I spent the rest of the time editing <i>Where Shadows Lie. </i><b>I CANNOT WAIT FOR JANUARY TO COME SO I CAN START EDITING AGAIN.</b> << That's a <i>big </i>statement coming from the person who would usually choose to watch paint dry rather than edit. But I'm really pumped to dive into the third draft of this story!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>BOOKISH</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrpbw5_UuVwW-H1orgFzGEp73kJEuk1odypV8d7ZnBFDA01yhWKM6INEdBglx59QCK2QZAsFxk69NGEtNElSwBrJF3_H8BMob-r3P0BnweBJ95atZDDsagn1QBtqch8xG_4XML5_va2cL/s1600/blogger-image--274621795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrpbw5_UuVwW-H1orgFzGEp73kJEuk1odypV8d7ZnBFDA01yhWKM6INEdBglx59QCK2QZAsFxk69NGEtNElSwBrJF3_H8BMob-r3P0BnweBJ95atZDDsagn1QBtqch8xG_4XML5_va2cL/s640/blogger-image--274621795.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<b>I'm hoping to end this year with a total of 60 books. </b>(I'm at 58... ALMOST THERE!)<b> </b>It's slightly disappointing since my original goal was one hundred. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. Last year I whizzed through 120 books, and it was hard for me to even hit <i>half </i>of that this year. *sniff* Oh well. </div>
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Below are my five star reads of 2017! There are only five... but that's because I've grown strict about how I rate books. I used to give out five stars to most of the books I read, but then that "high rating" becomes rather meaningless.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxKJrZtPgXDhJRPh3T2oEOihH3LnEeT16X0LU8gzwQaPYr4TE9qgem4NNcuOqae2yPl0veAoLmnezOh22jWFwZdXSdVrDuWO2m3XfWaPCds_2E_86eT0LWz6HSVDi9Leko5UM3n8-nsn0/s1600/5+star+reads+of+2017.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="611" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxKJrZtPgXDhJRPh3T2oEOihH3LnEeT16X0LU8gzwQaPYr4TE9qgem4NNcuOqae2yPl0veAoLmnezOh22jWFwZdXSdVrDuWO2m3XfWaPCds_2E_86eT0LWz6HSVDi9Leko5UM3n8-nsn0/s640/5+star+reads+of+2017.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The majority of the books I read were fantasy,</b> which came as no surprise to me. But I did read about equal amounts of sci-fi and contemporary? I'm starting to really like contemporary novels, because they're able to take the perspective of a beautiful story from the ordinary world.</div>
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There weren't a huge amount of bookish posts that appeared on the blog this year, but the one I did write turned out to be one of my most popular ones: <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/08/why-i-would-be-horrible-book-character.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Why I Would Be A Horrible Book Character</span></a>. (I'm tempted to do a part two eventually, because it's just so easy to come up with reasons why I would never survive in fantasy novels. For example: the obvious lack of pizza. xD)</div>
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And now comes the big question: <b>how many books do I shoot for in my 2018 Goodreads challenge? </b>To which I immediately answer: I DON'T KNOWWW! But after a bit of thinking,<b> I might need to set it for under sixty books</b>. *cue the tears* I'm thinking about fifty-two, because that would equal to a book a week! We'll see -- I'll update you as I ponder on that a bit more. :P<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>BLOGGING:</i></b></span> </div>
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YAY FOR BLOGGING. It's a huge part of my life, and I'm so thankful for it. Sure,<b> </b>it's hard and sometimes I run out of inspiration for posts and I stare at that screen, the clock ticking past midnight. I don't like the hard parts of blogging but yet I do, because <b>blogging has taught me so much. </b>It's taught me how to work toward a deadline and how to continually find ways to grow in my craft.<br />
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Aside from the work, blogging has brought me immense amounts of joy. ALL THE BLOGGING BUDDIES. Dude, that's what is so fun about the blogosphere. I get so happy interacting with people who can relate to me that are halfway around the world. Ugh,<b> I wish there was a way to teleport to meet you all for Christmas</b> because THAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING EVER.<br />
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For the majority of the year I kept up fairly well with visiting blogs and commenting and all that fun stuff... but I have failed <i>miserably </i>with that since NaNoWriMo began. *cringe* Like, I have close to a hundred unread posts kind of miserably. So I'll have to catch up on all of your lovely blogs in the new year. :D<br />
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I'm excited to see where blogging takes me in 2018, and the new people I'll meet through it. <3<br />
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Some of my most popular posts: <i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/01/editing-encouragement.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">editing encouragement</span></a>, <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/03/5-reasons-to-participate-in-camp.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">five reasons to participate in camp nanowrimo</span></a></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">LIFE:</span></i></b></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUzKBWAYJMMGCkgQl0evFOf6k2f1QPe0ubY7mknYMj1rPQ24Zvc4wzZM6N98VJWwIxWHHEzUyKBhyhdsh-AS0E6SqMSl1DckbdtnOiOSkkZ5ycKldsrmLR7wZnGArgTm2VbLPP92h6OJR/s1600/blogger-image-226819418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUzKBWAYJMMGCkgQl0evFOf6k2f1QPe0ubY7mknYMj1rPQ24Zvc4wzZM6N98VJWwIxWHHEzUyKBhyhdsh-AS0E6SqMSl1DckbdtnOiOSkkZ5ycKldsrmLR7wZnGArgTm2VbLPP92h6OJR/s640/blogger-image-226819418.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last year, 2016, was a year of change, and 2018 will be the same way. So 2017 was a nice "break" in between all the new things thrown at me. <b>It was a year of enjoying where I am in life and trying to look forward at what's to come.</b><br />
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I posted about my "<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/new-findings-of-2017.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">new findings of 2017</span></a>," which captures some of the random fun of this year. And did anyone else enjoy Spotify's end of the year stats? (no big surprise seeing that Twenty One Pilots is my top artist. I don't that'll change anytime soon. xD)<br />
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<i style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RcqGRV4mgts5fc39pT0Gvc5zfJyn3jlqVatz3dHfqSjLNpfZ9mz_Gmz8MCxv9jjrfsVCJhzikh8JOTYMBC0Dei0pv_Tltzvjy8PxC7bm1n5TPNigN3zfXPYrmeHaLPfHcqTngkJMGbS-/s1600/music+stats+2017.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RcqGRV4mgts5fc39pT0Gvc5zfJyn3jlqVatz3dHfqSjLNpfZ9mz_Gmz8MCxv9jjrfsVCJhzikh8JOTYMBC0Dei0pv_Tltzvjy8PxC7bm1n5TPNigN3zfXPYrmeHaLPfHcqTngkJMGbS-/s640/music+stats+2017.png" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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Instead of boring you all with endless paragraphs, I'll list the top couple highlights of each month. Just to keep it short and simple. :P<br />
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<i><b>JANUARY || </b></i><i>bullet journaling, trying to stay steady with my new resolutions</i></div>
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<i><b>FEBRUARY || </b></i><i>twenty one pilots concert (AHHH), southwest vacation, Goodreads released their reread option!</i></div>
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<i><b>MARCH || </b>turned seventeen</i></div>
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<i><b>APRIL || </b>failed camp nano, went through a major writing burnout, but also had an awesome writing retreat</i></div>
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<i><b>MAY || </b>break from writing, finished eleventh grade</i></div>
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<i><b>JUNE || </b>started my senior year of school in order to graduate early, MYWW conference, finished my Camp NaNo novel</i></div>
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<i><b>JULY || </b>spider-man homecoming, began edits for Where Shadows Lie, got the idea for my superhero novel, finally finding the joy in writing again</i></div>
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<i><b>AUGUST: </b>lots of rewriting (on paper), <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/08/three-year-blog-anniversary.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">three year blog anniversary</span></a>, <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/08/dear-senior-year.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">dear senior year</span></a></i></div>
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<i><b>SEPTEMBER || </b>lots more editing, lovely, relaxing vacation</i></div>
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<i><b>OCTOBER || </b>halfway done with school, #nanoprep, <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/about-my-superhero-novel.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">about my superhero novel</span></a></i></div>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">NOVEMBER || </b><span style="font-style: italic;">nanowrimo (duh), painted my room, infinity wars trailer</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><b>DECEMBER || </b>break from writing, christmas craziness, began watching the Marvel movies chronologically</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="font-style: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ONGalKWVgY07-BciqR_7FGapLoVC7YdXhHLM7n0AL7QSDgJhtYhIDrxq8Qazfzn_iOz3n7GUXPrJppJSTfzktcpjK_RhKfrEIfQwPEg1_FjZuRFvuA6pnqfuPUP5o96Q99YLqOeQnlBN/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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Thank you for being with me on this journey. I can't wait to see what 2018 brings for all of us. <3<br />
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<3,<br />
katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what were your top three highlights of 2017?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-29649052566060623602017-12-09T00:01:00.002-06:002017-12-09T00:01:36.519-06:00GUEST POST FROM KARA SWANSON, AND GIVEAWAY FOR "THE GIRL WHO COULD SEE"<div style="text-align: justify;">
(phew, that's a long blog title. :P)<br /><br />Happy Saturday, everyone! <b>We're sixteen days away from Christmas </b>(um, what)<b>.</b> To tide you over until the twenty-fifth, my lovely friend and author, Kara Swanson, is graciously taking over the blog today. (and I've added in a giveaway of her book at the end -- <i>The Girl Who Could See -- </i>so keep reading for that. :)<br />
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I'll keep my babbling to a minimum and let Kara take over from here. :D</div>
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<i>(Yes, that is a giant picture of her book's cover. You're welcome.)</i><br />
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Hi Katie!<br /><br />
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog. So appreciate you reaching out. And I can't wait to hopefully get to see her in person at <i>Realm Makers </i>this year! (Which, if any of you aren't familiar with it, <i><a href="http://realmmakers.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Realm Makers</span></a> </i>is a Christian writers conference for speculative fiction authors!)</div>
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I met Katie through Go Teen Writers, and have always been so inspired by her tenacity and writing skill! She and I both started writing at a young age, and tend to weave our own stories into our fictional ones. My latest release, <i>The Girl Who Could See, </i>came out in June of this year and is about another young woman who is carried along on an adventure.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">Fern Johnson can see the impossible. Since she was a child, she has had an imaginary friend named Tristan--but Tristan has never left. This blonde, weapon-wielding warrior has never been far from her footsteps, but while he claims he is here to help, Tristan's very existence is shattering Fern's life. Because she is the only one who can see this invisible hero, and the decaying city around him, while the rest of the world believes that he is only a figment of her imagination. That Fern is going insane.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">But Fern Johnson is not crazy. She can see into a parallel world--and if she's not careful, the monster that desolated Tristan's planet is going to destroy hers.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><i>The Girl Who Could See </i>started off with two short lines in my head, a prompt that I had to follow:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b><i>They say every child had an imaginary friend.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Mine never left.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">So I continued to tug on that string, and a story about a young woman who stands in the hallway between two worlds is what unraveled. Beyond that, another large aspect that impacted the creation of this story was a real-life battle I was fighting--and am still battling. Lyme Disease. I've had Lyme for six years, and only this past year did I finally find a treatment that is actually curing the disease. I'm so grateful to be almost 100% Lyme-free, but when I wrote <i>The Girl Who Could See, </i>I was thick in the middle of my fight against the sickness. I was in constant pain, and could hardly trust my own mind as I was so tired my thoughts weren't my own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">The emotions and struggles that followed this were soon woven into my novella. Fern is unable to drive, and constantly feels like she doesn't fit in, like she's being pulled between two worlds. With my Lyme symptoms, driving was too dangerous for me to get my license, and I felt like I could see the world passing around me--but I was stuck on the outside, peering in. Unable to tangibly touch life.<br /><br />Just watch it pass by.<br /><br />But like Fern, I kept fighting, and eventually was able to survive--thrive, even--despite having a disease that to most would have seemed like a curse. Lyme allowed me to appreciate every moment of my day, it gave me a new gentleness toward the broken and hurting. I have been able to encourage so many with chronic pain, because I've experienced the hopelessness and agony.<br /><br />I soon came to realize, just like Fern does in <i>The Girl Who Could See, </i>that what may seem like my greatest weakness can actually be my greatest strength. <b>That it's the broken things that can shine the most light.</b></span></div>
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Thanks so much for that, Kara. <3 If you can't tell from her guest post, she's one of those people with a giant heart that overflows with enthusiasm. <b>Before I skip right to the giveaway... can I flail? </b>Like, how is that for a concept?? Cue the suspenseful music beginning to play because that sounds like pure <i>epicness. </i>*unfortunately doesn't own this book but needs to change that <i>IMMEDIATELY</i>*</div>
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Well, if you haven't already bounced to the giveaway with excitement, now's the time to enter for a paperback copy of this awesome novella.</div>
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(If the giveaway decides to be stubborn and won't load, <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/39259a1e4/?"><span style="color: #b45f06;">follow this link</span></a>.)</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="39259a1e4" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/39259a1e4/" id="rcwidget_8213qlek" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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The giveaway will be open up to the <b>25th! </b>And on Christmas I'll contact the random winner. But until then there's no stopping you from snagging the book over on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Could-See/dp/1542515483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512770788&sr=8-1&keywords=the+girl+who+could+see+kara+swanson"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Amazon</span></a> -- after all, it's a short novella that would be perfect to help you catch up on that Goodreads challenge. ;)</div>
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Thanks for reading! <b>I hope the rest of your day manages to be both relaxing <i>and </i>productive.</b> (is that possible? maybe. probably. good luck. xD)<br /><br />(and if you're discovering my blog through this giveaway, hi! Eat some virtual pizza and introduce yourself -- you're more than welcome to stick around.)</div>
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<3,</div>
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katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">don't be afraid to leave a comment below for Kara!</span></div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-82021189942864476652017-12-02T00:00:00.000-06:002017-12-02T00:00:06.446-06:00NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS // 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
*barges in with carols and cookies and Christmas trees* <b>MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! </b>Yes, I know there are still twenty-three days until Christmas, but who doesn't love a little extra Christmas cheer? </div>
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At least <i>I </i>need some extra Christmas cheer. Even though it's December, it doesn't <i>feel </i>like Christmas. All of the snow we had on the ground melted, I haven't listened to much Christmas music, and <b>our tree isn't even set up. </b>O.O <i>(not to mention all of the cards and presents I haven't started on... *cries because I am the worst gift giver*</i><i>)</i></div>
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ANYWAY, I'm here to talk about the highlights of November, so let's get into them!<br />
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<b>THE INFINITY WARS TRAILER. </b>PLEASE TELL ME YOU'VE SEEN IT SO WE CAN FREAK OUT TOGETHER. (<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZfuNTqbHE8"><span style="color: #b45f06;">here's the link if you haven't</span></a>)</i> I've already watched it five times and have freaked out every time. I only shed a couple tears out of excitement, so be proud. *absolutely cannot wait* (only 152 days away!!) It's been fun to see the internet explode with the conjoined excitement for this movie. :D</div>
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Speaking of movies, <b>I watched more movies than I read books this month. </b>(can I even call myself a bookworm?? o.o) It was a good mix -- <i>Wonder, Thor: Ragnarok, Murder on the Orient Express, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1, </i>and <i>Wonder Woman. </i>I feel like there was maybe one other I watched, but my mind is blanking, so it must've not been <i>that </i>memorable. :P</div>
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The other "big happening" of November is that <b>I repainted my room! </b>Guys, painting takes <i>so </i>long. It took several days of me working from after lunch until nine at night to complete this project, but the finished result was worth it. *happy squeal* (is it okay if I dump a few pictures on you? Because that's totally what I'm going to do)</div>
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There aren't as many highlights as usual, but it's proving difficult to think past, <b>"wait, I did other things than write this month??" </b>#NaNoWriMoProbs</div>
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<i>The Book of Lost Things <b>[3.5/5] </b>- </i>for some reason I thought this was a middle grade book, but... #nope It was kind of a mashup of fairytales, each of them taking an unexpectedly dark twist. Very unique! But also somewhat scattered.</div>
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<i>Eliza and her Monsters <b>[5/5] </b>- </i>THIS BOOK. *hugs it* It's about a webcomic writer whose work goes viral, and how she deals with the confusing meld of her online life and "real" life. I really, really loved it and could relate. <3</div>
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<i>The Girl Who Drank the Moon <b>[3/5] </b>- </i>I <i>wanted </i>to love this book, but... it kind of dragged on and on and not much happened. :/</div>
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<b>December is going to be my month of BOOKS. </b>I have a long list on my phone of books I want to read in December, so we'll see if it's possible to get through all of them. <i>Renegades </i>is my next read! Also look -- I received pretty buttons for preordering it. <3</div>
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*tries to refrain from mentioning the obvious* *fails* <b>So, NaNoWriMo happened. </b>(duhhh) Instead of repeating more rambles about the insanity, here are the links to my wrap up posts:</div>
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<i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nano-week-1-i-broke-my-coffeemaker-and.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Week #1 - I Broke My Coffeemaker And Might Be Going Insane</span></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nano-week-2-50000-words-and-my-first.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Week #2 - 50,000 Words And My First Write-In</span></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nano-week-3-thor-ragnarok-less-words.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Week #3 - Thor: Ragnarok, Less Words, More Sleep</span></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nanowrimo-week-4-lots-of-movie-watching.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Week #4 - Lots of Movie Watching and I Wrote "The End"</span></a></i></div>
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If you don't want to commit to reading through all of those posts, <b>here's a short rundown</b>:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Coffeemaker broke </li>
<li>Sadness over coffeemaker</li>
<li>New coffeemaker bought!</li>
<li>Words written</li>
<li><i>Lots </i>of words written</li>
<li>Words deleted (not on purpose. bothersome crashing computer -.-)</li>
<li>Some despair</li>
<li>Some excitement</li>
<li>MORE words written</li>
<li>YAY I HIT 50k</li>
<li>So many characters, much character problems</li>
<li>Strange lacking of pizza eating</li>
<li>Lots of yawning</li>
<li>Lots of staring at the ceiling</li>
<li>Lots of procrastination</li>
<li>LOTS OF WRITING</li>
<li>Wrote The End!</li>
<li>Time to sleep</li>
<li>Poor sore fingers</li>
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<b>I saw this challenge below on my Facebook feed and couldn't help but participate</b>: <i>Scroll through your manuscript. Let the cursor fall where it may and you have one terrible title.</i></div>
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1. Weak Attempts At Talking</div>
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2. The Bottom</div>
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3. A Strange Experience</div>
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4. Kind Of A Mess</div>
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5. Screamed And Dropped</div>
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6. I Could Fly</div>
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7. Her Parents' Planters</div>
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8. Worrying About Life </div>
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It's so hard for me to even choose a favorite. The last one is hilariously and unfortunately relatable, but <b>"Kind Of A Mess" describes the novel's current state well.</b> xD</div>
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<b>What's next for me writing-wise? </b>I usually take a writing break in December, but I'm so eager to start editing <i>Where Shadows Lie </i>again that I might just take it <i>slowly.<b> </b></i><b>I ordered a coil-bound draft from Lulu for making scene edits </b>which should be super fun. I've never edited on paper before. o.o</div>
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And I also ordered my first-draft copy of my superhero novel! (when I first wrote that sentence I accidentally wrote <i>first draft coffee. </i>#fail) I cannot wait to add it to my collection. I don't think I ever shared this in my NaNo posts, but <b>there's a really special significance about my superhero story that I just realized. </b>The whole concept is about superheros losing their powers at age eighteen, yeah? It's all about growing up and moving on from childhood, which is crazy because <b>this is my last novel I wrote as a teen. </b>o.o *sniff* I just thought that was really special. <3</div>
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<b>Congrats to all the NaNoWriMo winners! </b>It was neat scrolling through Twitter and seeing all the "winner" badges. But honestly congrats to anyone who managed to write words during this crazy month. <b>You guys are all superheroes. </b><3</div>
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<b>December is my annual blogging break! </b>Which is sad, but I am looking forward to a break. Here's what the month will look like:</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">2nd -</b> this post! yay for monthly highlights!</div>
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<b>9th </b>- a lovely guest post by a certain lovely <i>author. </i>(there may or may not be a giveaway, so be here for that!)</div>
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<b>16th - </b>no post! </div>
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<b>23rd - </b>no post, but ON THIS DAY THERE WILL JUST BE TWO DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS. o.o</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">30th - </b>end of the year wrap-up post!</div>
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I hope you all enjoy your December! <b>This is the last month of the year, so let's try to make it count. </b><br />
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<3,<br />
katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">so. how are you nanoers?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what did you come up with in the "terrible title" challenge? xD</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-78331342151957218292017-11-25T00:00:00.000-06:002017-11-25T00:00:19.056-06:00NANOWRIMO WEEK #4: LOTS OF MOVIE WATCHING AND I WROTE "THE END!"<div style="text-align: justify;">
*stumbles into the blog post with tired eyes, a half-finished mug of coffee, and a blanket tied around my neck as a writing cape*</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">The end is near, you guys. </b>You're almost done. You've made it this far -- I know you can make it to the end. *hands you cookies to sustain you through the rest NaNoWriMo (and the rest of this post ;)*</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://unsplash.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">unsplash</span></a></i></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY EIGHTEEN: <b>1,466</b></span></i></blockquote>
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<b>THE CLIMAX IS HAPPENING. THINGS ARE GOING DOWN. </b>I knew this was going to be an intense scene since I first brainstormed it, but... eek. (Though... I'm afraid that my mind thinks it's more climatic than what's actually going down on paper. When I read back on it I might think, "oh, that's it?" BUT OH WELL THAT'S WHAT'S EDITING FOR, RIGHT?)</div>
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*sobs quietly at the thought of editing* *banishes that thought from my mind forever*</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY NINETEEN: <b>0</b></i></span></blockquote>
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Today was a break day! <b>Sundays are always pretty busy days for me. </b>Church and work and family and being tired from waking up early. :P So instead I did some reading. I'm currently reading <i>The Book of Lost Things, </i>which is kind of a modgepodge of fairytale retellings with darker twists? I probably explained that wrong but so far it's good. *nodnod*</div>
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<b>ALSO. I totally forgot to share this on last week's blog post...</b> BUT LOOK AT NADINE BRANDES' NEW COVER FOR HER HISTORICAL FANTASY RETELLING, <i>FAWKES. </i>(phew that was a lot of caps but this deserves allll the attention)</div>
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Isn't it gorgeous?? You can <a href="https://nadinebrandes.com/2017/11/13/fawkes-cover-reveal/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">find out more about the book in her blog post</span></a> where <b>you can</b><i> </i><b>enter to win an ARC!</b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY TWENTY: <b>1,051</b></span></i></blockquote>
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Even though today was a Monday, which means the start of another week of school, it was awesome for several reasons. Here's why.<br />
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<ul>
<li>I wrote at the coffee shop today! Which is always delightful.</li>
<li><b>I FINISHED THE CLIMAX?! </b>Guys, I only have the resolution to finish, now. I could be done with this book in a couple of days. o.o *freaks out*</li>
<li>After writing, some of my coworkers and I went to go see <i>Murder on the Orient Express. </i>It was a "good" movie up until the twist, which it then became a "<i>great</i>" movie. My mind is still spinning. O.O</li>
<li>To wrap up the night I made myself some pizza. (mwahaha)</li>
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Today was a good day and I'm very thankful for that.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY TWENTY ONE: <b>796</b></i></span></blockquote>
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Ughhh today was another sluggish day and I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. It is rather frustrating, but at the same time... <b>I'm kind of okay with the words coming slowly? </b>Because I probably have only around 5k left in this story, and it makes me sad to see it end. I've been incredibly invested in this story for the past few weeks -- it feels so weird to think about not working on it anymore. o.o</div>
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So maybe I'll write three hundred words a day for the rest of the month so I can my time with the book last more. xD</div>
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<b>Oh! </b>And I saw the movie <i>Wonder </i>today. It was a very emotional and touching movie that I highly recommend. <3</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY TWENTY TWO: <b>2,075</b></span></i></blockquote>
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I started this writing day wanting nothing to do with my novel. <b>I developed a strong urge to do nothing but REEEEEAD</b>. I have a massive TBR pile and I want to try to make at least a dent in it. *sobs*</div>
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But once I started writing... THE WORDS CAME SMOOTHLY AGAIN. *cheers* That might be because I had pie this evening, so the sugar fueled the words, mwahahaha. It was a chocolate-type-of-something-pie that tasted like pure amazingness. <b>I'm not usually a huge pie fan</b> (especially fruit pies, because I feel like fruit isn't meant to be soggy and baked), but if it has chocolate? SIGN ME UP. </div>
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Also... <b>I'm determined to finish this book tomorrow. O.O </b>I have two more small scenes and an epilogue -- EEK.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY TWENTY THREE: <b>1,946</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<b>Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! </b>(I mean... by the time you read this Thanksgiving will have been two days ago... BUT I HOPE YOUR DAY WAS AMAZING ANYWAY. And filled with lots of food, mwahaha.)<br /><br />To put it plainly: I'm stuffed. My dad surprised my sister and I with donuts for breakfast, and then we gorged ourselves with all the Thanksgiving food with our extended family. (mmm... dinner rolls... and mashed potatoes... and pie... <3 <3)<br />
<br />
After the Thanksgiving festivities I did some writing, and then my family and I watched <i>The Hunger Games. </i>(which... is kind of ironic seeing that we watched it on a holiday that revolves around food) <b>AND GUESS WHAT? </b><br /><br />During the movie...<br />
<b>I</b><br />
<b>finished</b><br />
<b>my</b><br />
<b>novel.</b><br />
<br />
BOOM. Just like that... I'm done with NaNoWriMo. Typing that out makes it seem a little more <i>real. </i>Wow. *mind explodes*<br /><br /><b>I think I'm happy with how my novel came out. </b>Obviously there are lots of things to fix, because it's a first draft, but I have a nice little list of editing notes to look back on when I finally decide to improve this story. It ended at 69,000 words, but there'll be lot to add later.<br /><br />Also, I wrote my first epilogue?? It's a very bitter-sweet experience. *sniff* I think everything about finishing a book is rather bitter-sweet. :P<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9T-85OrZMeiXno6OdrVDTCBUtFQ-980fR3AilGwkZqrIWicPx3kbFDm9lQEqUlahtpLA3pekUjtPzso0HAsRWiVVdpMIUfVzePZmlyswVx1ILjXWcTf26Y9lyKU2CCkCUd7ezTWb0xmR/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9T-85OrZMeiXno6OdrVDTCBUtFQ-980fR3AilGwkZqrIWicPx3kbFDm9lQEqUlahtpLA3pekUjtPzso0HAsRWiVVdpMIUfVzePZmlyswVx1ILjXWcTf26Y9lyKU2CCkCUd7ezTWb0xmR/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">NANOWRIMO STATS:</span></i></blockquote>
[these are stats from the <i>whole </i>month]<br />
<br />
<b>words written: </b>69,237<br />
<b>time spent writing: </b>41h, 35min<br />
<b>cups of coffee consumed: </b>so many<br />
<b>books read: </b>one and a half (this is a sad number)<br />
<b>movies watched: </b>four<br />
<b>highest word count in a day: </b>5,441<br />
<b>lowest word count: </b>0<br /><br />
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<b>All in all, it was another successful NaNoWriMo. </b>Is it weird to say that I'm a little sad that the insanity is done? I just really love the month-long thrill of being wrapped up in a story that I created. And the incredible community that comes together during the crazy month! It's so cool. <3</div>
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<b>I guess now the question is... what's next?</b> First, I'm definitely devouring <i>Renegades </i>now that I've finished my novel. I'M SO EXCITED. (and I'm ignoring the negative reviews because I hope with all of my heart that I love this book)<br /><br />And then for the rest of the month, I think I'm going to take it slowly. <b>Catch up on blogging, reading, painting my room</b> (yay!!), and anything else spontaneous that pops in my mind. ;) My poor brain could use a break. (and my sore wrists)</div>
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<b>HOW ARE YOU SURVIVING. <-- </b>I'm pretty sure I've asked that question in each of my NaNo posts so far... but it's a genuine question that the answer can change from week to week. xD<br /><br />I'll be back next Saturday with my November highlights!<br /><br /><3,<br />katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">have you been able to read any books during nano?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-34470827088878030212017-11-18T00:00:00.000-06:002017-11-18T00:00:27.837-06:00NANO WEEK #3 // THOR: RAGNAROK, LESS WORDS, MORE SLEEP!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b>Phew, this week of NaNo was an absolute <i>blur. </i></b>I found myself answering comments that were six days old on my last post -- eek! Usually I do that on Sundays, and I have no idea how it escaped my mind. <b>It's just proof that NaNo is chipping away at my sanity. </b>xD</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0UTLcuC-g0UeZToSmIicTF-weIla96PTzhAMqVqZTiZy96EoIDyFAIWMdZpsaPt5N3sh2pTq4fJ1AA3L4B96HpIpjwh_V_2TB3bj8DbZlEFSkZ46_PxJI-uZAX-3xm3sUDLTmhTwqPsf/s1600/lukas-blazek-320606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0UTLcuC-g0UeZToSmIicTF-weIla96PTzhAMqVqZTiZy96EoIDyFAIWMdZpsaPt5N3sh2pTq4fJ1AA3L4B96HpIpjwh_V_2TB3bj8DbZlEFSkZ46_PxJI-uZAX-3xm3sUDLTmhTwqPsf/s640/lukas-blazek-320606.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[<a href="http://unsplash.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">unsplash</span></a>]</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY ELEVEN: 0</span></i></blockquote>
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Yup. <b>My total today was a big, fat, stinky, old <i>zero. </i></b>I <i>intended </i>to keep up my writing daily streak... but once I sat down and opened my document, all of my motivation disappeared. POOF. GONE. (funny how often that seems to happen. -.-) I tried to summon the motivation to <i>find </i>my motivation... but, alas, I closed my computer and went to read instead. (which ended up being an A+++ decision because somehow <b>we're eleven days into the month and I haven't read a single book. </b>*sobs*)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY TWELVE: 1,006</span></i></blockquote>
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TODAY WAS SO BUSY. I feel like I could say that about <i>most </i>days... but today I was busy from nine in the morning until nine at night and it <b>exhausted my poor little soul. </b>(I'm honestly surprised I gathered enough energy to write 1,000 words. :P)<br />
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It's weird being an extroverted writer, because once I'm out and about I enjoy connecting with people... but <b>words! editing! novels! </b><-- those reasons are why I wish I could have more time at home sometimes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY THIRTEEN: 1,297</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>Currently I'm bemoaning my past plotting self</b>, because I skipped over the details of <i>so </i>many story logistics. Today I literally had to write <i>[insert realistic motives for this character to hate other character] </i>because SOMEHOW I kind of skimmed over that part during plotting?? This is where I need the logical side of my brain to step up and give some input. Usually that side remains suspiciously quiet. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY FOURTEEN: 3,046</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>Words were hard today. </b>Despite having most of the day open for writing, it took me nearly the whole day to write 3,000 words. (which is a lot, yes! but usually I would've aimed for 5k+) I don't know exactly <i>why </i>they were so tough in coming... but I'm blaming it on the fact that <b>I saw Thor today,</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>and became distracted thinking about the movie.</div>
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It seems like lots of people are raving about the amazingness of <i>Thor: Ragnarok. </i><b>I enjoyed the movie,<i> </i>but I'm a bit disappointed by the different direction they took</b>. It felt completely disconnected to the previous Thor movies and to Thor's character. It was hard to take him or the life-and-death moments seriously, and the plot was too jerky for my tastes. *shrugs* To each their own.<br />
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But the movie did make me laugh out loud a few times. <b>Especially Korg.</b> IF YOU'VE SEEN THE MOVIE YOU KNOW HOW WONDERFUL KORG IS. I need a miniature Korg. He's basically my favorite character ever now. xD *will rewatch that movie multiple times just for his screen time, hehe*</div>
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<b>I also received <i>Renegades </i>in the mail today! </b>It was so hard to gaze upon the beautiful cover and not crack a peek inside. *sniff* But like I mentioned in a previous blog post: since I'm also writing a superhero story for NaNo, I don't want to accidentally borrow anything from her hero world. It's just extra motivation for finishing this novel. o.o<br />
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So, after writing all the above... <b>I think it's safe to say that the words were hard because of all the distractions. </b>xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY FIFTEEN: 3,002</i> </span></blockquote>
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I've been writing for three and a half years. I've written six novels. I've spent hundreds of hours slaving over fictional worlds. I've written about a lot of different things and subjects, but... for the first time <i>ever...</i></div>
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<b>I got to write about pizza today.</b></div>
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'Nuff said.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY SIXTEEN: 2,048</i></span></blockquote>
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Sigh, today was another slow writing day where putting the words onto the paper felt like pulling teeth. Or tugging hair. Or pinching skin. Basically <b>it was just <i>hard.</i></b></div>
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NaNoWriMo this year has really showed me how much I depend on plotting. Which is weird -- two years ago I was a die hard pantser and didn't plan on changing my ways. But today I'm writing a section where I skimmed over the details during brainstorming. Because of this, progress is sluggishly slow. I need to know what to foreshadow! What are the order of the events?! Help!</div>
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I should hopefully finish this tough section tomorrow, and then I'm back onto my outline. AND THE CLIMAX IS NEXT. <b>This book could be finished next week, you guys. </b>How insane is that? o.o</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY SEVENTEEN: 1,483</span></i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another smaller word count day, but Fridays are always tough for me since they're my blogging days. So I worked on this blog post you're reading right now during the afternoon and night... <b>and during the evening I went to my second write-in!</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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So, if you don't remember from my <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nano-week-2-50000-words-and-my-first.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">previous NaNo update</span></a>, the last write-in I went to was a bit, erm, quiet. Which was totally productive! Just... not as exciting as I expected. BUT THIS WRITE-IN WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.</div>
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There were snacks! Hot cocoa! A super energetic bookstore host! Prompts and popcorn and lots of giggles! I was able to interact with other writers while writing 1,500 words, which is a definitely win-win situation.<br /><br /><b>And there were prizes??</b> I walked away with a journal, a ninja eraser (#NadinesNinjas, anyone? ;), an ARC of the NaNoWriMo Pep Talk book (!!), and a sharpie that said: <i>for signing books when you're famous. </i><-- that's the cutest thing I've ever seen and I will treasure it until that day.</div>
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<b>If you have an opportunity to attend a write-in, I say go for it! </b>The NaNo site should have a list of activities in your region. (and you'll get a fancy NaNo computer sticker only available at write-ins. *ooooh* *aaaah*) I can't promise that all of the write-ins will have snacks and prizes... but for your sake I hope that there will be. :P</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N7utnw3iG6F_QMwF6LBuWzZbGlwaF86CF3v6hYVC6rX77t9b8BWKr-h_xM2vcIe7MO8hJNfRxv8tbtnzphtk98S3ko_EumTpyRI4i3W54f8CqI9LTHOQLl5vxJUfk7mRRHNbJW2ro7T/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">WEEK TOTALS:</span></i></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzrOTDfcdte1pTx7023PqkCht3xlJWmo3Pn1QbiyRRcgu1GiRoGTA8u18PLvudFJomY8KkhDKRVJ8a2wuCyB_z_HRJTDdz8Dz2xy7NWeDIZNEDFoZTHltzWvo3gV4-YTS9l56CyGV_rts/s1600/nano+2k17+week+three.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="871" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzrOTDfcdte1pTx7023PqkCht3xlJWmo3Pn1QbiyRRcgu1GiRoGTA8u18PLvudFJomY8KkhDKRVJ8a2wuCyB_z_HRJTDdz8Dz2xy7NWeDIZNEDFoZTHltzWvo3gV4-YTS9l56CyGV_rts/s640/nano+2k17+week+three.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[i do not know why this image is blurry but it makes my heart sad]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>word count:</b> 11,892<b> </b><i>[month total: 61,903]</i><br />
<b>time spent writing: </b>seven hours, forty-six minutes <i>[month total: 36h, 36m]</i><br />
<b>nights stayed up past midnight: </b>0! (wut, this might be a record o.o)<br />
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<b>mornings with coffee: </b>seven/seven. ahh, it's so lovely to have a working coffeemaker again. <3</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
This week was a lower word count week, but definitely still a productive one. It's crazy looking forward to next week because<b> THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT.</b> Tomorrow (or... it will be today as you're reading this) I can <i>finally </i>work on the climax. Eek, insanity. o.o</div>
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HOW ARE YOU SURVIVING NANOWRIMO? Am I the only one who thinks NaNo is going suspiciously fast this year?? I mean, <b>we only have twelve more days to survive!</b> It's doable! Probably! Maybe! :P </div>
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<3,</div>
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katie grace</div>
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<i><a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katie-grace-1948359"><span style="color: #b45f06;">my nano profile</span></a></i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">how is your progress going??</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-79890119437372787582017-11-11T00:00:00.000-06:002017-11-11T00:00:16.732-06:00NaNo Week #2 // 50,000 WORDS AND MY FIRST WRITE-IN!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's day eleven of NaNoWriMo! How are you doing?? Do you need a nap? Chocolate? Seventeen cups of coffee? All of the above?</div>
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<b>Somehow, I'm surviving. </b>It's been insane, but a good sort of insane. A type of insanity that only writers will understand. :P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK1Lkc5emPzN8CKMwt-agvGp_ogfjGZxtFINDwpWtMNbRuP_fhbTtD1lzbL3o3f_fAJMde2uxcH5wcSmcPlrpEnygrq1V__bTPFy8gzVAqj0gIo7ZjORmwfO257KKMvvlx1z3xTTWzlg5/s1600/nano+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK1Lkc5emPzN8CKMwt-agvGp_ogfjGZxtFINDwpWtMNbRuP_fhbTtD1lzbL3o3f_fAJMde2uxcH5wcSmcPlrpEnygrq1V__bTPFy8gzVAqj0gIo7ZjORmwfO257KKMvvlx1z3xTTWzlg5/s640/nano+image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY FOUR: 5,024</i></span></blockquote>
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Like I mentioned in my <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/11/nano-week-1-i-broke-my-coffeemaker-and.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">last NaNoWriMo wrap-up</span></a>, I went to a write-in at my library today! This was my first write-in, so I was super excited to meet and discuss books with other writers, but... <b>everyone was </b><i><b>so quiet.</b> </i>Literally the <i>only </i>conversation I had was with someone commenting on my NaNoWriMo shirt. The rest of the time was just frantic typing filling the silence.<br />
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<b>It wasn't a bad thing, since I got lots of writing done... but still very different from what I was expecting. </b>We were all so silent and still that at one point the lights turned off since they were motion-activated. xD<br />
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I'm glad I went, because I got a "NaNoWriMo superpowered noveling" sticker for my computer! It makes me ridiculously happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY FIVE</i></span><i style="font-size: xx-large;">: 5,017</i></blockquote>
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<b>I GOT TO WRITE A PLOT TWIST TODAY!</b> I've been looking forward to this twist since I brainstormed it in October. I already know that this scene is going to need lots of editing... but hey! At least I have the bare bones on the page. xD </div>
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And by the way... <b>it is <i>so </i>tough to write a story with a large cast. </b>I just... there are so many character arcs to juggle! So many backstories and fears and hopes and dreams and struggles and relationships and different personalities to sort out! Ugh, it's exhausting, and I already know that <b>editing is going to be a </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">nightmare. </i>At least I'm passionate about this story so I have one thing going for me. :P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY SIX: 5,041</span></i></blockquote>
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Ahh, day six of NaNoWriMo. It's a Monday: the start of another week of school <i>and </i>a thirty-hour work week. *collapses from busyness* But at least all the working means all the coffee drinking. ;)<br /><br />OH! And speaking of work, <b>the greatest thing happened to me today. </b>A little boy came up to the register with his dad and ordered a hot chocolate. I asked him for his name, and he said in a small voice, "Landon!"<br />
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Um. What. <b>Landon is one of my main character's name. </b>O.O I couldn't stop grinning for a solid five minutes. I hope he grows up to be a reader and devours my book someday. <3<br /><br />I also hope that he's not angry at me for putting his character through some rough stuff. (oops)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY SEVEN: 4,007</span></i></blockquote>
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Today I was tired and unmotivated, so I stopped writing after I hit 4k instead of doing my usual 5k. <b>I'm totally okay with that. </b>Hypothetically, I <i>could've </i>stayed up until midnight writing... but... I wanted keep my sanity in check, so. xD (and if I continued writing, the words probably would've come out as nonsense so it's a good thing I stopped when I did)<br />
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Other things worth mentioning about today: <b>Twitter exploded with their new 280 character limit. </b>Obviously that makes it the perfect opportunity to scream about NaNoWriMo:</div>
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look! I can now properly express all my <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NaNoWriMo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NaNoWriMo</a> emotions with the new character limit:<br />
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH</div>
— Katie Grace (@KatieGraceWrite) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieGraceWrite/status/928070881934479360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(this is one of my most popular tweets so I fear for the well being of all the NaNoWriMo participants XD)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY EIGHT: 5,002</span></i> </blockquote>
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Guess. what. happened. today? <b>I GOT A NEW COFFEEMAKER! </b>My morning coffee will return! The caffeine consumption rate will rise! My fingers will be blurs of movement across the keyboard while coffee spreads throughout my veins. (MWAHAHAHA. :P)</div>
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Today I worked hard at finishing all my writing in the afternoon, because I had holiday setup at Starbucks from eight until midnight (decorating, updating menus, unveiling all the new cups, coffee, etc). I had a crazy fun time singing carols with my coworkers and eating pizza in the empty store at eleven at night... <b>but it is <i>not </i>fun trying to change the drivethru menu boards in five degree weather while it is snowing. </b>100% do not recommend because you will end the night with frozen fingers. </div>
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Otherwise, I had a blast. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY NINE: 5,108</span></i></blockquote>
<b>Are you starting to sense a pattern with my word counts yet? </b>Once I type that five thousandth word, it's rather difficult for me to summon any motivation to write more than that. But I'm getting soooo cloooseee to 50,000! If I manage to do 5k more tomorrow... there's a possibility that I can hit the big 50 on day ten. o.O<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>DAY TEN: 4,803</i></span></blockquote>
I DID IT! <b>I HIT 50,000 WORDS! </b>*collapses forever and ever*<br />
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One of the questions that keeps coming my way is: <b>how close are you to finishing your book now that you've hit 50,000? </b><br />
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My answer? I DON'T KNOWWWWW! <b>I wish I was good at estimating.</b> I know that I'm nearing the climax, but... I have no idea how many words it'll take me to actually finish the story. 75k? 80k? 90k? Somewhere in that range? I'll keep you updated on that mystery. xD<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nIzaGLnRkMK3Zh3Q56ZaW6wKH-k5GAgXoOUocyI2AsY72ZLKQ3zsOcpGcbacSuAhK-6OWt86WjovBwB8Vd0FKie9KsKwtVB4f60LB_gNdMmCBSmLuADixtiOJvY50w-Y3MvwBbZ3GTQ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">TOTALS FOR THE WEEK:</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOexbYBkHTVfFqnYudonvDMSjOep64s-_rHoN-mJrp1HNeVTvPc037QNYfbyfwTRc0AlAdX04G3PklwkHRONJ3szBsqst4N1_drP_zpTtLiCsTwiObVKs1ZEqVeJnO-X-4n_hYPMK_skn6/s1600/nano+2k17+week+two.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="909" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOexbYBkHTVfFqnYudonvDMSjOep64s-_rHoN-mJrp1HNeVTvPc037QNYfbyfwTRc0AlAdX04G3PklwkHRONJ3szBsqst4N1_drP_zpTtLiCsTwiObVKs1ZEqVeJnO-X-4n_hYPMK_skn6/s640/nano+2k17+week+two.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>body count: </b>just one! go me!<br />
<b>word count: </b>34,002 <i>[month total: 50,011]</i><br />
<b>time spent writing: </b>eighteen hours, forty-eight minutes <i>[month total: 28h, 50m]</i><br />
<b>mornings without coffee: </b>five<br />
<b>mornings WITH coffee: </b>two!<br />
<b>nights stayed up past midnight: </b>two (this is <i>such </i>an improvement from NaNo '16)<br />
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So, overall, this week of NaNoWriMo was a success. I'm feeling good about my story (albeit a little unsure about the characters/flow), and I'm excited to keep cranking out those words!</div>
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Also, shout out to my word warring buddies. I <i>definitely </i>wouldn't have hit 50k this soon without the motivation and accountability. o.o</div>
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<b>How are all of you faring?? </b>Keep in mind that I'm a naturally faster writer than most, so try not to compare your progress. NaNoWriMo is an extremely tough challenge, but ultimately <b>the purpose is to get words on the page. And if you're doing that, you're doing well. <3</b></div>
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<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
<i><a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katie-grace-1948359"><span style="color: #b45f06;">nanowrimo profile</span></a></i>Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-34632463397162153452017-11-04T00:00:00.000-05:002017-11-04T00:00:16.132-05:00NaNo Week #1 // I BROKE MY COFFEEMAKER AND MIGHT BE GOING INSANE<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>NaNoWriMo has arrived, which means my weekly NaNo updates are back!</b> I'm doing them the same way as I have previous years -- daily updates, rambles, and then a few wrap-up questions at the end of the post. </div>
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You'll notice, at the end, that I have a <i>"time spent writing" </i>section. I recently stumbled across a post by Marissa Meyer where <a href="http://www.marissameyer.com/blogtype/the-heartless-time-log-how-many-hours-does-it-take-to-write-a-book/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">she tracked the total time she spent writing/editing/outlining/etc for her novel, </span></a><i><a href="http://www.marissameyer.com/blogtype/the-heartless-time-log-how-many-hours-does-it-take-to-write-a-book/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Heartless</span></a>. </i>That was <i>incredibly </i>interesting, so I'm going to do the same thing. Hopefully I can stick with it. xD</div>
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It's a short wrap-up this Saturday since there are only three days of NaNo to recap... but <b>that just gives you more time to write. </b>(Mwahaha, SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!)</div>
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<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTI5WXjXzPufVR8mZH2H8KSxEbECzsJA5FC1U-rJwE700wRgfzJ0J4eKBCKwKRBmTIQATjsLPc3T5MjJeyrwBXCfEfqxmDuZp3sJeEFS_LdzjuB3pOAgx9ftAVeLG6hTI0lWiJPfTLvMAM/s1600/superhero+image.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTI5WXjXzPufVR8mZH2H8KSxEbECzsJA5FC1U-rJwE700wRgfzJ0J4eKBCKwKRBmTIQATjsLPc3T5MjJeyrwBXCfEfqxmDuZp3sJeEFS_LdzjuB3pOAgx9ftAVeLG6hTI0lWiJPfTLvMAM/s640/superhero+image.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY ONE: <b>5,339</b></span></i></blockquote>
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Like I do every year, I started off NaNo with staying up until midnight, which was really weird because <b>I haven't stayed up until midnight in over a month?? </b>I'm a natural night owl, but just with school and work it makes more sense for me to go to bed early, so I've been trying to do that more. IT'S INSANITY. It's like -- gasp -- being an <i>adult. </i>o.o</div>
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But, since I don't have the talent to be a <i>functioning</i> adult, <b>I broke the coffee machine. </b>I was reaching for the microwave, and when I opened the door, my elbow jerked backward and knocked it off the counter and onto the ground. <b>The coffee pot shattered into a hundred tiny pieces </b>and all I could do was stare at it and imitate Luke from Star Wars, "<i>NOOOOOOOOOO!</i>"</div>
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SERIOUSLY, THOUGH. NaNo is the one month where I consistently drink coffee every morning. <i>(throughout the rest of the year I usually don't if I work later, since I'll just get coffee there.) </i>But with NaNo, I need all the caffeine I can get to act like a semi-normal human. <b>Of course I break it on the </b><i><b>first. day.</b> </i>*headdesk* </div>
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(I spontaneously made a pizza at ten o'clock, which was definitely the best way to end the first day of NaNo. It helped offset the broken coffee pot disaster. :P)</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY TWO: <b>5,259</b></span></i></blockquote>
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Day two of NaNoWriMo is <b>the day in which I realize that this book might turn out to be a monster novel.</b> Long books aren't bad, don't get me wrong, but I prefer reading, writing, and editing smaller books, so I'm hoping that I'm able to condense it without making it awkward.</div>
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Also, whoever thinks that writing doesn't take logic is completely WRONG. I made the mistake during plotting of saying, "<b>ehhh, I'll figure out the details later!</b>" So now I'm stuck trying to figure out the motives and the timeline of events with a tired brain. #fail </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj_2qW7o8pepmoYJX3cpHoOAD1hZeWyrsb9KLA9tol0c_JHnm86AdpCSpVTG_gERPzAxRS5pAyB1yZ3Y83gpK3eZIDcy0KKCrHqHiYGhtsd1tYOvXgYbwnHzk0-SMqye7NCENN3L7sBTh/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj_2qW7o8pepmoYJX3cpHoOAD1hZeWyrsb9KLA9tol0c_JHnm86AdpCSpVTG_gERPzAxRS5pAyB1yZ3Y83gpK3eZIDcy0KKCrHqHiYGhtsd1tYOvXgYbwnHzk0-SMqye7NCENN3L7sBTh/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">DAY THREE: 5,411</span></i></blockquote>
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Today I discovered this neat writing tool called <a href="http://cerey.github.io/fighters-block/#"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Fighter's Block</span></a>! <b>It's an online writing app that is set up like a RPG and motivates you to get the words down</b>, whether they're good or not. It's a nice switch from staring at a word document all day. And if there's no one around to word war, then you can <i>literally </i>war against a fake monster. :P</div>
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It also snowed again today. (UGH.) I <i>know </i>that winter comes every year, but for some reason that doesn't stop me from complaining about it. <b>I already can't wait for spring to come.</b> xD (I do agree that the first snow is <i>beautiful... </i>but it's cold. The snow would be perfectly fine if it was warm! Wouldn't that be weird? Just a giant, fluffy heating blanket. o.o Ahem. Anyway.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj_2qW7o8pepmoYJX3cpHoOAD1hZeWyrsb9KLA9tol0c_JHnm86AdpCSpVTG_gERPzAxRS5pAyB1yZ3Y83gpK3eZIDcy0KKCrHqHiYGhtsd1tYOvXgYbwnHzk0-SMqye7NCENN3L7sBTh/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj_2qW7o8pepmoYJX3cpHoOAD1hZeWyrsb9KLA9tol0c_JHnm86AdpCSpVTG_gERPzAxRS5pAyB1yZ3Y83gpK3eZIDcy0KKCrHqHiYGhtsd1tYOvXgYbwnHzk0-SMqye7NCENN3L7sBTh/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>TOTALS:</i></span></blockquote>
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<b>body count: </b>three<br />
<b>word count: </b>16,009<br />
<b>time spent writing:</b> ten hours, two minutes.<br />
<b>mornings without coffee: </b>three<br />
<b>stayed up past midnight: </b>only once on the first night! woohoo!<br />
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<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
<i><a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katie-grace-1948359"><span style="color: #b45f06;">nano profile</span></a> | <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/about-my-superhero-novel.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">about my nano novel</span></a></i><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">(by the way, </span><b style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to my first ever write-in tomorrow</b><span style="text-align: justify;">! this is the first one that the library is hosting, so I'm just crossing my fingers and praying that I won't be the only one to show up. :P I'll let you know how it goes next week!!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">how did the first few days of NaNo treat you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what's your current body count at (<i>hehe</i>)?</span></div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-773090325022786612017-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:002017-10-28T00:00:04.659-05:00OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS // 2017<div style="font-family: Lora; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<b>I woke up this morning to snow. </b>I think the dread of the oncoming winter made my heart sink right through my toes and into the floor. *sniff* Every year I get excited over fall, but forget the season of freezing temperatures that comes next. :P</div>
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Beside snow, this month was a good one. Here's what went down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w-rHWDG1m16dZMI_H91vzNTFI7OIqWAN8ar_laQPkFaR1AVfN-2e9nMwLFCK_bBoZdJaE_4W60lpRTi9FqUttt_m0KJal1MhHPvAr0o-4UoVk_CC46ECTt-iZ2s0lu79vasrogOM4-Ng/s1600/IMG_4704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w-rHWDG1m16dZMI_H91vzNTFI7OIqWAN8ar_laQPkFaR1AVfN-2e9nMwLFCK_bBoZdJaE_4W60lpRTi9FqUttt_m0KJal1MhHPvAr0o-4UoVk_CC46ECTt-iZ2s0lu79vasrogOM4-Ng/s640/IMG_4704.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">HIGHLIGHTS</span></i></blockquote>
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<b>I'M HALFWAY DONE WITH SCHOOL! </b>My pace has slowed with work and life piling on, but I'm making progress. I just have to survive the winter. (which I will do by burying myself in fuzzy blankets 97% of the time) I CAN DO THIS. YOU CAN DO THIS.</div>
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Working at Starbucks is still a thing and I'm still loving it. All of the fun Holiday promo is coming out, and I get to help transform our store into a winter wonderland. (which means <b>setting up decorations until <i>midnight</i>.</b> SO PUMPED.) The zombie frappuccino released, which is popular, but <i>nowhere near</i> the crazy disaster of the unicorn frappuccino. So I'm a happy barista. xD<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC8AHHta2fBMYZHGHzllooRXzCOURj_7weGqgv1IqL0dET1YA4Aa3IP9PlWuwCn_-K6eXXtJga_c1Mg1BTobiU2bXxoLEuh6X45xtvlmAhTtPTtlpcVzdfy_NXShuup3NGqmz3sL3H0YY/s1600/oct2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC8AHHta2fBMYZHGHzllooRXzCOURj_7weGqgv1IqL0dET1YA4Aa3IP9PlWuwCn_-K6eXXtJga_c1Mg1BTobiU2bXxoLEuh6X45xtvlmAhTtPTtlpcVzdfy_NXShuup3NGqmz3sL3H0YY/s640/oct2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>LOOK. AT. THIS. FENCE. </b>It's right outside my neighborhood so every time I drive home from somewhere I get to gaze upon its amazingness. <b>The Calvin and Hobbes comics are close to my heart and hold a special nostalgia with them.</b>.. so this fence always brightens my day. <3</div>
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MY MIND IS BLANKING ON MORE HIGHLIGHTS. Usually I write them down as I go throughout the month... but I was a slacker and totally forgot. #oops </div>
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(Also, while writing this post I accidentally clicked publish on a very, very rough draft. *heart attack* (so sorry if you read that) But I mean, <b>which genius decided it was a good idea to put the <i>save </i>and <i>publish </i>buttons right next to each other?!</b>)<br />
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(speaking of blogging... <b>I've noticed that the GFC widget on blogspot blogs are giving some sort of error.</b> <i>Please </i>tell me if you figure out how to fix it. I'll give you pizza. Virtually. ;)<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">BOOKISH STUFF</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo6K5iRev1YlImXaYa2yq5Qmubkk0DPN1dVTgjto0bKhCdn1xPImNvxJMsUrt6QOGrJ-JmPj10QFui-exDe0yPNZSdStGHS7H6UzRu8ba8zvJtrVOKvVWBfb-_HFfHSvvdtZArcI2kvdk/s1600/october+books+2017.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #4e2c09; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="487" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo6K5iRev1YlImXaYa2yq5Qmubkk0DPN1dVTgjto0bKhCdn1xPImNvxJMsUrt6QOGrJ-JmPj10QFui-exDe0yPNZSdStGHS7H6UzRu8ba8zvJtrVOKvVWBfb-_HFfHSvvdtZArcI2kvdk/s1600/october+books+2017.PNG" style="border: none; display: inline-block !important; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i>Invictus </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[3/5] </b>- so the beginning started off SUPER awesome, but as it went on I lost interest and wasn't emotionally involved with the characters. (and my poor mind was very confused about the time travel stuff SAMxD)</div>
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<i>Wildwood <b>[2/5] </b>- </i>this book had so much potential! The aesthetic and illustrations were gorgeous... but it was so loooong and boooring.</div>
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<i>Knife </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[4/5] </b>- definitely not my normal kind of story... but I loved it because of the nostalgia! When I was little I read fairy stories all the time, so I adored the trip back to the past. <3</div>
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<i>When Dimple Met Rishi </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[2/5] - </b>cute at times, but didn't live up to the hype. It's hard for me to read a romance story when I don't like either of the main characters very much. :/</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKwfGMiwPblhEUWtUhmEQ5k01CbTykCQEqv7xMx6kW5jT-B_UqPO3n35aWNTLfnEi_U_jcWVeA5pTuglGwr8h0-BQlplPwQ1NUrgoJS_RIEhen5IjF7Y7ljADlU4f16vsADPyONvb5JJM/s1600/oct3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKwfGMiwPblhEUWtUhmEQ5k01CbTykCQEqv7xMx6kW5jT-B_UqPO3n35aWNTLfnEi_U_jcWVeA5pTuglGwr8h0-BQlplPwQ1NUrgoJS_RIEhen5IjF7Y7ljADlU4f16vsADPyONvb5JJM/s640/oct3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Earlier this month I went to a book clearance sale and bought <b>seven barely-used hardcovers for seven dollars. </b>Um, yes please. The only bad thing is that I now have to start stacking books on my floor since my shelves are completely full. :P</div>
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Oh! And <b>mark your calendars for November 13th.</b> Why? The <i>amazing </i><a href="http://nadinebrandes.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Nadine Brandes</span></a> is revealing the title and cover of her latest YA novel! I'M SO EXCITED TO FLAIL OVER IT WITH EVERYONE. *hype intensifies*</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">THE WRITING WORLD</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe51Qdh_BDMZjeXkJGoCywJPsMSMZKxuZnK5L024wccGgJr_hzolXjrkLfCzcnVB0j4i1TXkZjRQ8YJPw8xaeqPtxc7_kNK2UWydN7WgEClPKic5d1T67Nz3B2hkhm9v-d2LkdGlFb9Zq/s1600/oct1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe51Qdh_BDMZjeXkJGoCywJPsMSMZKxuZnK5L024wccGgJr_hzolXjrkLfCzcnVB0j4i1TXkZjRQ8YJPw8xaeqPtxc7_kNK2UWydN7WgEClPKic5d1T67Nz3B2hkhm9v-d2LkdGlFb9Zq/s640/oct1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>I FINISHED PLOTTING MY NANO NOVEL! </b>I was done a week before NaNoWriMo, which is <i>crazy </i>because I am never that organized. But, hey, there's always a first for everything! :P</div>
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I debated on whether or not to work on a different project during my free week... but instead I decided to spend my extra time reading. Yes, I could've pushed myself, but I also know that it would've backfired once NaNo started. <b>I need to stalk up on my energy while I have the chance. </b>Beside -- reading is part of being a writer! And I don't do nearly enough of it. *sniff*</div>
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<br />My plotting motto for this year: <b>ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS. FIND ALL THE ANSWERS. </b>And that's basically what I did until I figured out my novel's plot. xD I'm more prepared than I've ever been. For instance:<br /><br /><b>time spent prepping for NaNo 2016: </b>thirteen hours.</div>
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<b>time spent prepping for NaNo 2017: </b>thirty-seven hours.</div>
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Yeah. 37. That's thirty-seven <i><b>focused</b> </i>hours. I'm trying to become better at <i>just </i>plotting/writing/blogging, and not getting distracted by taking quick little breaks to scroll through social media. <b>I found this app called <a href="https://www.forestapp.cc/en/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Forest</span></a> that is AMAZING.</b> It helps keep me on task and make the best of my time. Huzzah!</div>
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Also, look! <b>I ordered NaNoWriMo merch for the first time! </b>I'm hoping to go to a few write-ins in November, so I'll be able to properly show off my obsession with NaNo. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLrn2q6bhf_6Jta8HI2WeHEWPmDj4EFsYey1GzHf9SSRx1L5ODYudasi55iaa2RSbZ8qESGsRTfgsJOO9GYvXdnM-Ub2gOI0Aod4XowWChTmts553avqLyTi3rBbxCK22Ts8DhbuSno2o/s1600/oct4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLrn2q6bhf_6Jta8HI2WeHEWPmDj4EFsYey1GzHf9SSRx1L5ODYudasi55iaa2RSbZ8qESGsRTfgsJOO9GYvXdnM-Ub2gOI0Aod4XowWChTmts553avqLyTi3rBbxCK22Ts8DhbuSno2o/s640/oct4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL1kjeDIKNMNTSviotNoYZACocUxyEi7zF9y1gfAolaG2nSjxpo_6YJHqYgtzq8L22C9UwjGmGB-aasuKQQaPMlgSC_TLm2ZhBnGfuBaLlXPZYMSUr70CqdccTBZ80yk4D36t2saRtjzN/s1600/oct5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL1kjeDIKNMNTSviotNoYZACocUxyEi7zF9y1gfAolaG2nSjxpo_6YJHqYgtzq8L22C9UwjGmGB-aasuKQQaPMlgSC_TLm2ZhBnGfuBaLlXPZYMSUr70CqdccTBZ80yk4D36t2saRtjzN/s640/oct5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#dorkysuperheropose</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_42xsFfSF66ZA_x4ddkRtCbiT840FMLRhGzN4appYRSkGpKGzmWJHunpUfOo75IfnR7TM8IeGjod2Wr4oIiOzQipcvt19U87MWYx7Wo4A_OPjaSHsI8B-QBUtO1TYCAZPWom1hSNScmPJ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_42xsFfSF66ZA_x4ddkRtCbiT840FMLRhGzN4appYRSkGpKGzmWJHunpUfOo75IfnR7TM8IeGjod2Wr4oIiOzQipcvt19U87MWYx7Wo4A_OPjaSHsI8B-QBUtO1TYCAZPWom1hSNScmPJ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">RAMBLINGS OF THE MONTH</span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/about-my-superhero-novel.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7xlzaHS8XhsORX2NvLYXZ16kMaHfZWKLhTmVJ3UDreLqMI8mWHs-9frdo_IYrj3-zroZ_gr3cogMqrIdjC2W-4hAgMpiU-btyul-vVd3uxbTjfcgPGgre97yuE9kA6tmQRc44X6yWw7E/s400/blogger-image--998244207.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/writing-is-awesome.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBnDATY0iF_QzMWZZBqLBHLBHXdwUAdrVXeC_okAPEcQuKDRNu8vxztnLaXypnUg8vcRyKXKGBbUKRB0MfBJy0s9Zyjh8yY-MMyRPayOXP-3FWun0wJZP0ZYF2QgimmTM6vSZ218lMZBa/s400/blogger-image--1762850507.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/10/new-findings-of-2017.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6AG4Ala8DC57FRJC1R1m0hQ8aVHd5uXDy-SpoUYKpsFqxXUAOWPNDQNQqEZYNPSMqaSm-vh_ki22vAmbmrU0DqgnlF-AyO81yGjSroiZ6qo_Azc3OdzDhLOJbdIPH46oLHg5wPO5mN2_/s400/blogger-image--1338709001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_42xsFfSF66ZA_x4ddkRtCbiT840FMLRhGzN4appYRSkGpKGzmWJHunpUfOo75IfnR7TM8IeGjod2Wr4oIiOzQipcvt19U87MWYx7Wo4A_OPjaSHsI8B-QBUtO1TYCAZPWom1hSNScmPJ/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_42xsFfSF66ZA_x4ddkRtCbiT840FMLRhGzN4appYRSkGpKGzmWJHunpUfOo75IfnR7TM8IeGjod2Wr4oIiOzQipcvt19U87MWYx7Wo4A_OPjaSHsI8B-QBUtO1TYCAZPWom1hSNScmPJ/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">THINGS TO COME</span></i></blockquote>
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The last two NaNoWriMos I've done a weekly NaNo recap on the blog, and I'm going to continue that for this year! <b>Stay tuned for excitement, revelations, sleep-deprived moaning about word counts, and incoherent babblings. </b>(what more could you ask for? ;)<br /><br />And, if I remember, I'll be doing a daily NaNo vlog that I'll put together and post at the end of the month. I'm so excited for the craziness to begin! *hands out cookies for you all to enjoy*</div>
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(and here's my <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katie-grace-1948359"><span style="color: #b45f06;">NaNo profile</span></a> if we're not buddies yet!)<br /><br /><3,<br />katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">are you prepared for nanowrimo?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what book(s) do you associate with your childhood?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-29746343671359611442017-10-21T00:00:00.000-05:002017-10-21T00:00:22.968-05:00WRITING IS AWESOME<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The year isn't <i>quite</i> over, but it's quickly coming to a close. </b>For me, November means NaNoWriMo and writing whenever possible, and December means reading and Christmas and trying to recover from the previous sleepless month (aka: regaining my sanity).</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">I've learned a lot about writing this year --</b> more so than any other year. I've learned about the world of publishing, the art of crafting a novel, my limits, how I work best, re-evaluating my WIPs and thinking about my next steps in this journey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vUhwV2np67lYvEGEhsMOYQRFR4z_SPAxlJ3-OJnqw4nEBg2iXr4SWYX9A3aZP_PHJnwQRVIGt3ggVPjqeClzYpfyssTguohZ2TeBPCb9C3RT-bxNz_n2GAFg7O0k6PwJp1AnJv0n0pya/s640/blogger-image--1762850507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vUhwV2np67lYvEGEhsMOYQRFR4z_SPAxlJ3-OJnqw4nEBg2iXr4SWYX9A3aZP_PHJnwQRVIGt3ggVPjqeClzYpfyssTguohZ2TeBPCb9C3RT-bxNz_n2GAFg7O0k6PwJp1AnJv0n0pya/s640/blogger-image--1762850507.jpg" /></a></div>
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One of the most valuable lessons I learned was during Camp NaNoWriMo back in April. <b>My words ran dry. </b>My creative soul was tired, brain pushed to its max with all of my crazy ambitions. I was bored with my story, frustrated with my goals, and losing energy, so I didn't have much of a choice <b>but to take a break. </b><br />
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I wrote a post during that break: <i><a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-joy-in-stress-free-writing.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Joy in Stress Free Writing</span></a>, </i>where I said that <b>I would take writing slowly until I rediscovered that passion. </b>I'm someone who is driven by conquering goals and challenges, so it felt <i>weird </i>to not have any of those hanging over my head and clogging my to-do list.<br />
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<b>It's been five months since my writing break. </b>Did I rediscover the enjoyment?! Did it help? Did it teach me anything??<br />
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Well, yes. It taught me two things in particular.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLs7ndmLiAnA1U7DIvFbuQGwzRtNlz_zUKswveFsALlwX9qLJUH3CpyFK5KPv05C-rMW3xGliez5zKQR-Mzt7s-_9NmvHUzlFQ194g-YkFNJMDi5Ghnswf6MIwERKsq3rYMKfHx0N2gBf/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="19" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLs7ndmLiAnA1U7DIvFbuQGwzRtNlz_zUKswveFsALlwX9qLJUH3CpyFK5KPv05C-rMW3xGliez5zKQR-Mzt7s-_9NmvHUzlFQ194g-YkFNJMDi5Ghnswf6MIwERKsq3rYMKfHx0N2gBf/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. I can't stop writing.</span></b></blockquote>
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I've tried gymnastics. I've tried playing the piano. I've tried swimming. I've tried ice skating. I've tried painting. <-- I<b> enjoyed all of these activities for a certain amount of time</b>, but eventually lost interest. </div>
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<b>Writing is a different story </b>(<-- <i>I think I just accidentally made a really lame pun</i>)<b>. </b>When I take a writing "break," I find myself doing some anyway just because I enjoy it <i>so </i>much. Even editing isn't quite as bad as it used to be. Now I've come to appreciate how I'm making my story better and dream about it being on the bookshelves one day. *happy sigh*<br />
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The month I took off in May showed me how <i>hard </i>it was for me to take a break. Yes, I may have taken a break from my story, <b>but my writer brain is always churning, always thinking about some future idea. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09wcFdZmo040EvRhRVtlz0lKGKoYP8CM3BplrNslQYEs5u_abEu7oqtsRIk-dGKz5MBEWDHehDcRanzEewlta_3RPXme9irw8Jb_r1DeE5Isz6fhKEnVeCLr5lnb5aRfXjccCPbDEq-KU/s1600/border+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="925" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09wcFdZmo040EvRhRVtlz0lKGKoYP8CM3BplrNslQYEs5u_abEu7oqtsRIk-dGKz5MBEWDHehDcRanzEewlta_3RPXme9irw8Jb_r1DeE5Isz6fhKEnVeCLr5lnb5aRfXjccCPbDEq-KU/s320/border+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2. I can't stop writing because I really, really, <i>really </i>like writing.</span></blockquote>
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Like I said before, I didn't like taking a break, but it helped me <b>rediscover the joy in writing.</b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Let me clarify before you read into that: </span><b>I never stopped liking writing...</b> but I did let the stress and the pressure to overachieve impact the enjoyment. <b>There's magic in creating characters and worlds, </b>and that had dwindled.<br />
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<b>So I kept my goals smaller than normal, trying to avoid another burnout or having this become a reoccurring problem.</b> And hey -- it worked! Instead of trying to finish a full round of edits for Camp NaNoWriMo, I only went for half of my novel. I didn't get as much done, but I <i>also </i>didn't end the month hating my novel. <i>(always a good thing)</i><br />
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I've fully recovered from the burnout, and goodness, I've realized how much <b>I really loke writing. </b>I love creating worlds. I love penning stories that can transport the reader to another dimension.<i> (unfortunately not literally. though that would be rather impressive if I could send readers to a warped time in space xD)</i><br />
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<b>When I first started writing I wanted to become a published teen author.</b> I still think that would be awesome, but I also realize that my chances of that happening are becoming slimmer. And I'm <i>okay</i> with that.<br />
<b><br />Even if I'm never published, I'll keep writing because I <i>enjoy</i> it. </b>I enjoy the escape, the thrill, the community around stories. God's given me this ability and place to spew my creativity. <i>(and don't worry -- even though I'm content with being unpublished... I'm still going to work as hard as I can to become an official author. :P) </i><br />
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I don't even know what my point is for this post. Writing is awesome, guys. And it's important for me to keep checking in with myself: <b>am I writing because it's become a responsibility -- another task to complete and wordcount to meet? Or because I <i>truly </i>enjoy it? </b>It's incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the hustle.<br />
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So <b>someday I'll be seventy years old, counting down the days until NaNoWriMo</b>, writing my 50th novel or something crazy like that. I'll have a cupboard overflowing with an enormous assortment of coffee mugs and tea cups. <b>I'll be the NaNo grandma -- writing because she can't stop. Writing because she <i>enjoys </i>it.</b><br />
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(now I'm giggling over that image. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS? dude I want to be a cool writer grandma xD)<br />
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Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling post. "<b>See" you next week with allll the October highlights! </b>(and screaming about the fact that NaNoWriMo is SO SOON.)<br />
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<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what did you learn about writing this year?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-87008935402014383352017-10-14T00:00:00.000-05:002017-10-14T00:00:34.587-05:00ABOUT MY SUPERHERO NOVEL<div style="text-align: center;">
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Happy Saturday! <b>We only have seventeen days left to panic before NaNoWriMo begins! </b>*yay* Last year <a href="https://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2016/10/exploring-my-nanowrimo-novel-where.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">I wrote a post about what I was writing for NaNo</span></a> (it's funny how much of that story has already changed since editing), and that went surprisingly well, so I summoned the courage to do it again. </div>
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I'm linking up with the <a href="http://paperfury.com/beautiful-books-2017/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Beautiful Books Tag</span></a> hosted by <a href="http://www.furtherupfurtherin.net/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Sky</span></a> and <a href="http://paperfury.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Cait</span></a>! Thanks for supplying the questions and the community. :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ohgHvLyKq7C-S2w954WBRbd9R5nolujPZ3hqXC94WnOKR4XlnFsgQO4ui4tFHLgDDzqR1AOE6YKu76BOFtyzcIjYL0anazIA8KAFU987oBrRMDi6EzF9zn4tbKqbqxMe-GNdYoLuoZ-M/s640/blogger-image--998244207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ohgHvLyKq7C-S2w954WBRbd9R5nolujPZ3hqXC94WnOKR4XlnFsgQO4ui4tFHLgDDzqR1AOE6YKu76BOFtyzcIjYL0anazIA8KAFU987oBrRMDi6EzF9zn4tbKqbqxMe-GNdYoLuoZ-M/s640/blogger-image--998244207.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcEiHdLXneWi3l4ooiEoxZI8jIzdk-gNSE8hZmLkQ1cDZhetJY5FJYZmdE8CNieYNmmddvwJ5OPS9TziiMO3EzPNIZHxdZ9I0VH72tYHibQ2lRODW-v_5vx-SVaapE-e4vDdKyP7lN4KJ/s1600/bb+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="1600" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcEiHdLXneWi3l4ooiEoxZI8jIzdk-gNSE8hZmLkQ1cDZhetJY5FJYZmdE8CNieYNmmddvwJ5OPS9TziiMO3EzPNIZHxdZ9I0VH72tYHibQ2lRODW-v_5vx-SVaapE-e4vDdKyP7lN4KJ/s640/bb+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I first got the idea at the <a href="https://www.mplsyoungwritersworkshop.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">MYWW workshop</span></a>! I was in Sabaa Tahir's class and our assignment was to create a world together. One of the suggestions was that when a child turned eighteen they would receive a special dragon-speaking ability. That's been done before, so I wanted to turn the idea on its head. <b>What if kids were born with superpowers, but<i> lost</i> them upon turning eighteen?</b></div>
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That's where my story originated! So I've had it for... four months? It came right in time for NaNo and I'm very thankful. xD<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlz2HmRdOTwqDXRIRvDA8M4MBudjXfaot9HV08dF9px98S-TY_GMIxTRZrpYZLIof19ROk-HEFwW9BguloUNCot4AQqyhTCvHKcW4bO4YpUFBJ2-rLxQoV6KYTuX95Vpua4x8AUipG6mI/s1600/border+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="644" height="25" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlz2HmRdOTwqDXRIRvDA8M4MBudjXfaot9HV08dF9px98S-TY_GMIxTRZrpYZLIof19ROk-HEFwW9BguloUNCot4AQqyhTCvHKcW4bO4YpUFBJ2-rLxQoV6KYTuX95Vpua4x8AUipG6mI/s320/border+3.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUuqBJfNT0mlb3wE8bWcpl7nsUz_fGWXhTnVoiqmqRmHpRKSyT9KqclK0durHaNFM0zSNKDH65gQKY_33oeuF0aiq6n2ivBGv89ccpaoI_oUsoNN7RcqUoWXpBL3qNpT1PSAs7qfz5Te/s1600/bb+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="1600" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzUuqBJfNT0mlb3wE8bWcpl7nsUz_fGWXhTnVoiqmqRmHpRKSyT9KqclK0durHaNFM0zSNKDH65gQKY_33oeuF0aiq6n2ivBGv89ccpaoI_oUsoNN7RcqUoWXpBL3qNpT1PSAs7qfz5Te/s640/bb+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>SUPERHEROES! </b>*excitement*<br />
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Oh. Wait. You mean an actual fancy-professional-like blurb? I'll try. :P<br />
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<b>They receive a superpower upon birth. They lose it once they turn eighteen.</b> </blockquote>
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Ten years ago, Tasia's brother was kidnapped by hero traders -- criminals who use children's powers for their own crooked exploits. Her parents haven't been the same since, now convinced that he's dead. But until evidence proves her wrong. she refuses to believe that it's true. </blockquote>
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Tasia and her superhero partners are stationed in a destroyed underground railway system. Guided by her power of light, they spend their days patrolling for possible threats... until they stumble upon a dead body. Officials order them to let stronger heroes deal with this case, warning of hero traders involved with the murder. Clinging to the hope that it might be connected to her brother, Tasia convinces her team to go undercover and hunt the villain of this victim. </blockquote>
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The dead body is only the beginning. They learn crucial information about a rising villain, and soon their mission isn't just about restoring Tasia's family, but saving hundreds of lives in danger. </blockquote>
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The clock is ticking. Can Tasia and her team put their powers to use before they disappear entirely?</blockquote>
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[only a rough blurb because it's SO LONG and needs condensing. but it'll do for now.]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxueLuOOIO3hxB7Zj5r1XYtFhIFw6RXFR5gdyiPH_AePEnB2XKGPfy9nYm048ZBgh45rKj5Y9IavwjY0fyanJ0HjTMQ8akKNqh3ErMzVEDNx98AihPKIz7Louxt6_l_k_GgWxniyqwppdQ/s1600/border+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="644" height="25" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxueLuOOIO3hxB7Zj5r1XYtFhIFw6RXFR5gdyiPH_AePEnB2XKGPfy9nYm048ZBgh45rKj5Y9IavwjY0fyanJ0HjTMQ8akKNqh3ErMzVEDNx98AihPKIz7Louxt6_l_k_GgWxniyqwppdQ/s320/border+3.PNG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig51FpRel2d037_7EZVQ9MfwXfJh09J9LMsZjSf5dU-2etp9EkNPWIZ5fZrIW_oa0jhq69I3UousjvIh6yS4nTxdaNT7DbJmATDpAwtMhUP7ZnaD3xuZC7uq6NVf9DVWs-aZYSSUI3lh1p/s1600/bb+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="1600" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig51FpRel2d037_7EZVQ9MfwXfJh09J9LMsZjSf5dU-2etp9EkNPWIZ5fZrIW_oa0jhq69I3UousjvIh6yS4nTxdaNT7DbJmATDpAwtMhUP7ZnaD3xuZC7uq6NVf9DVWs-aZYSSUI3lh1p/s640/bb+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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YESS. This is my favorite question because <b>I simply <i>adore </i>aesthetics. </b>They create this powerful vibe and mood. <b>It's almost like envisioning your book in movie form?</b> I don't know, man. I'm kind of obsessed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG3WmBHnD5EfknZ9XGXLGOFYNbDQO9-_Yrn4ZuzzbYCwGp0ODvet8HjSGbdsDt5jiQxJr2JewfIJ7pMMBiaTo2dxl3WkAan_AplTRsxT6FgkfYhkB_EVcQjoySQKN14jQojrelXh75Z7k/s1600/super+square+option+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG3WmBHnD5EfknZ9XGXLGOFYNbDQO9-_Yrn4ZuzzbYCwGp0ODvet8HjSGbdsDt5jiQxJr2JewfIJ7pMMBiaTo2dxl3WkAan_AplTRsxT6FgkfYhkB_EVcQjoySQKN14jQojrelXh75Z7k/s640/super+square+option+two.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>-- flickering lights, soft echoes, baggy hoodies, crunching boots on loose rock, the sound of cars thundering over a tunnel, radio static, coursing adrenaline as you flee death's arms, power, cuts and scrapes, day old fast food, bold newspaper headlines, missed calls, the indescribable bravery it takes to stand against evil --</i><br />
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<b>ALL THE BRAINSTORMING! </b>Lots and <i>lots </i>of brainstorming. I used to despise plotting, but now that I've experienced how helpful it is, <b>I don't think I can ever go back to my pantser ways. </b>Yeah, some people think it's boring to know exactly how the story is going to end (presumably, ha), but until I actually <i>write </i>it... it hasn't happened. I still get to experience that thrill and excitement. *shrug*</div>
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<b>Other ways I prepare:</b> ordering NaNo merch, going to a NaNo event at my library (I'm a little nervous about that because I have NO IDEA what to expect o.o), picking a theme album for my story, eating pizza, <b>upping my caffeine intake</b> (I kid, I kid)...</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Before I start introducing the characters, please allow me to take a moment to ramble on the struggles of characterization. For instance: </span><b style="text-align: justify;">WHY IS NAMING CHARACTERS SO HARD? </b><span style="text-align: justify;">I've created temporary names for them (as you will see below), but... ugh. I despise naming like I despise spiders and vegetable pizza. >.< <b>I'm assigning them a title that they will go by for the rest of their life! And that I will have to type hundreds of times! </b>That's too much pressure for my little heart.</span><br />
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I could go in detail and describe all of my characters... but I have a lot and this blog post doesn't need to be the length of a novel. :P Instead, <b>here are their powers and my pathetic naming abilities.</b><br />
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<i><b>Tasia</b> - </i>can summon little, burning orbs of light out of her palms. (her name is the only name I have so far. #fail)<br />
<i><b>Mindy</b> -</i> mind reader. (MIND-y. Get it? :P)<br />
<i><b>Wallace</b> - </i>can walk through walls. (WALL-ace. Heh.)<br />
<i><b>Isaac</b> - </i>is able to see through other people's eyes. (EYE-zack.)<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Missy </b><span style="font-style: italic;">[side character] </span><i>- </i>never misses a shot. (MISS-y. she never misses. :P)</div>
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I am <i>so </i>pumped about writing with a cast of characters! <b>My last novel, <i>Where Shadows Lie, </i>had only one main character and one side character. </b>There's little dialogue/interactions in that book, and <b>now I'm transitioning into a Superhero story with four main characters.</b> It'll be very different, but I'm ready for the change.<br />
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I'm also excited about finishing the novel! Because... if you weren't aware (you should be), Marissa Meyer comes out with a superhero book, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28421168-renegades?ac=1&from_search=true"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Renegades</span></a>, </i>on November 7th. I have it preordered, but since I'm also writing a superhero book, <b>I'm forcing myself to wait to read it until I've finished my own novel. </b>Even though my project will be plotted out by that point, I don't want to accidentally sneak in any threads of inspiration from her. <b>It'll be agony to wait, but then my conscious can remain clear in case I spot any similarities. </b>:P<br />
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<b>I also can't wait to find a title. </b>Eventually. Hopefully. *grumble* Titles are usually one of my favorite parts of creating a new story... but it's giving me a headache this time. Oh well. xD<br />
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<b>one: </b>the majority of the story takes place in the underground railways. They've been abandoned for a <i>looong </i>time. Decades ago a supervillain destroyed them by exploded the railway transports, taking hundreds of innocent lives. It might be fun to write a short story about it someday... but I'm getting ahead of myself. I haven't even finished plotting the novel. xD</div>
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<b>two: </b>the world is an alternate US reality/timeline. I like the idea of placing the unfamiliar in the familiar. Then the core of the world itself remains the same -- but the culture, organizations, and how the cities run is obviously very different because there are young superheroes everywhere.<br />
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<b>three: </b>tying into the point above,<b> it's been really fun exploring how having superheroes would impact the culture!</b> I've created schools specifically for superheroes -- tests detecting their powers upon birth, how to use and maximize their powers, and short-term institutes specifically designed to help them adjust to life after losing their powers and to help settle them in the "real" world.<i> (PHEW that was a long sentence. Oops.)</i> Once they graduate from the school, the heroes will be assigned a mission or a station and use their powers for the good of their city until they turn eighteen. </div>
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<i>[those were more culture/world-building stuff than setting... but oh well. :P]</i><br />
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Well, I already mentioned this in the blurb, but if you skipped past that... my MC's (Tasia) goal is to find her brother who was kidnapped ten years ago. She was only seven when he first disappeared -- just a<i> bit </i>too young to go adventuring into a crime-infested city. :P<br />
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Now that she's older, with an opportunity at her fingertips. a group of friends that have her back, and limited time before her powers disappear... <b>It's either now or never.</b></div>
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There you have it -- all the juicy little details of my NaNo novel. I hope you're intrigued! <b>I don't think I've ever been this excited about writing a specific story. </b>Beside the title, the ideas have come fairly easily, and so far there's not a sign of a sequel (I could cry I'm so happy about that).</div>
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Here's my <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/katie-grace-1948359"><span style="color: #b45f06;">NaNo profile</span></a> so we can become buddies and scream about words, and then here's my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/KatieGraceWrite/storyboard-superhero/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pinterest board</span></a> for this novel (because #aesthetic).</div>
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<3,</div>
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katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what are you writing for nanowrimo?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com101tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-67482104881281196752017-10-07T00:00:00.000-05:002017-10-07T00:00:22.206-05:00NEW FINDINGS OF 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>I love to babble excitedly about things I'm passionate about</b> -- I mean, who doesn't? 2017 has been a <i>fantastic </i>year for discovering all sorts of epic new stuff. I've been mentioning a few in my monthly highlights throughout the year, but I wanted to consolidate my favorites into one, big post. <b>Here's a list of my new findings (specifically: music, books, and movies) of 2017.</b></div>
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<i>(I wanted to write this later in the year since it's meant for the entirety of 2017... but next month is NaNo and December is my blogging break, so I guess it's now or never. xD)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHf6ZlernAOLYcCeVjGxxtt9ks-BtrM01xeqGCswGjnPYqoQzRY2fag0CRAsAZHFzDaCUgyCEIkNQR_bm8v4BwIhFBbIyzQE1PbARdxT_IMYqfmVIDH4bH66guH6mLSq7XSAPOQhyEDh_/s640/blogger-image--1338709001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHf6ZlernAOLYcCeVjGxxtt9ks-BtrM01xeqGCswGjnPYqoQzRY2fag0CRAsAZHFzDaCUgyCEIkNQR_bm8v4BwIhFBbIyzQE1PbARdxT_IMYqfmVIDH4bH66guH6mLSq7XSAPOQhyEDh_/s640/blogger-image--1338709001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">M U S I C:</span></i></b><br />
<i>(links are going to lead to YouTube, though the songs are available on Spotify)</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="426" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1485170536212-67180b105ff6?dpr=1&auto=compress,format&fit=crop&w=1000&h=&q=80&cs=tinysrgb&crop=" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(pictures in this post are not mine.)</td></tr>
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<i><b>>> </b>ARTISTS<b> <<</b></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">aurora</span></b><br />
<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w-bQaysbf0"><span style="color: #b45f06;">nature boy</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtC2n8Z7Gpk"><span style="color: #b45f06;">half the world away</span></a></i><br />
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<b>Her music is absolute PERFECTION for writing </b>-- especially for fantasy stories! She has a hauntingly beautiful voice and gorgeous, lyrical songs. I find them very calming yet an exceptional background for writing evil scenes. xD</div>
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[if you like her music, consider giving a listen to the music artists <i>fleurie </i>and <i>ruelle</i>!]</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">nf</span></b><br />
<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0NOxf4uaZI"><span style="color: #b45f06;">oh lord</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBW09O3LHW8"><span style="color: #b45f06;">real</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrXvRtlb9XU"><span style="color: #b45f06;">know</span></a></i></div>
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<i>(technically I discovered his music last year... but I didn't start consistently listening to it until this year, so)</i></div>
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Please let me take a moment to scream because <b>he just released a new album yesterday! </b>*screams* I haven't listened enough to create any concrete opinions, but so far I really like it. I'm partial to the song <i>Know </i>(linked above) just because <b>it has a Twenty One Pilots reference in it.</b> o.o So that's awesome. xD<br />
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If you don't usually listen to rappers, still give him a try because his lyrics are just so powerful and emotional. You may find this weird, but <b>I almost always listen to NF's music while writing blog posts.</b> I don't know why?? But there's something about the intense word-spitting that gets my fingers flying across the keyboard. xD<br />
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<i>(forgot to mention that he is a Christian rapper and his songs are clean so you don't have to worry about any language or gross stuff like that. :P he's not afraid to talk about heavy themes, though.)</i></div>
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<i><b>>> </b>SONGS<b> <<</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>underground</b></span></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNjeqwjOnr4"><span style="color: #b45f06;">cody fry</span></a></i></div>
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THIS SONG. <3 I have a soft spot for simple songs that just tell a story, and this is exactly what <i>Underground </i>does. Ugh, I don't know why I love it so much, but I can't help but smile each time I hear it. <b>This song creates such strong visuals in my mind!</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">i built a friend</span></b></div>
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<i><a href="https://youtu.be/8m6HE77atjk?t=1m6s"><span style="color: #b45f06;">alec benjamin</span></a></i><br />
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The first time I heard this song was when a dancer performed to it, and it was so beautiful and heart-touching that <b>I immediately started to cry. </b>IT'S SO MOVING I CANNOT. I recommend watching the dance with the song for the best experience. :P<br />
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(also... even though I was crying when I first heard this, I was extremely creeped out because I HAVE A STORY IDEA THAT IS SO. SO. SIMILAR TO THIS. Like, crazily similar. <b>It's like they stole the idea out of my head, switched a few details, and then made it into this epic song</b>. Seriously. It's weird.) </div>
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{<b>other songs}</b></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0hwXltDog"><span style="color: #b45f06;">haze</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjpz2WRIjG4"><span style="color: #b45f06;">dreamers</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLYObm5xNy8"><span style="color: #b45f06;">maybe IDK</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ6Kok-8re4"><span style="color: #b45f06;">caught in the middle</span></a> // <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T_jYImWgU8"><span style="color: #b45f06;">we'll grow up another day</span></a> // <span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecHsmsiw70k"><span style="color: #b45f06;">waking up again</span></a> </span>// <a href="https://youtu.be/YIS0av9fUUU?t=8s"><span style="color: #b45f06;">where were you</span></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>B O O K S:</b></span></i></div>
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<img height="426" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1467951591042-f388365db261?dpr=1&auto=compress,format&fit=crop&w=1000&h=&q=80&cs=tinysrgb&crop=" width="640" /></div>
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This year<b> I've tried to be more realistic with my book ratings. </b>When I was younger I basically rated every book five stars -- maybe four if I <i>really</i> wasn't feeling it. But now as I scroll through my Goodreads I don't know which books were actually <i>worth </i>five stars. Sigh. So <b>here's the general outline of my rating system:</b></div>
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<b>five stars: </b>WOW THIS BLEW MY MIND I PROBABLY READ IT IN ONE SITTING AND EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG MUST READ THIS BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE.</div>
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<b>four stars: </b>It was a really good book! I maybe have one or two problems with this book, or it just didn't have that extra magic of "<i>oh my goodness I can't." o.o</i></div>
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<b>three stars: </b>didn't love it, didn't hate it. 'twas "fine."<br />
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<b>two stars: </b>well... I finished it! but... it was a struggle. like trying-to-walk-in-high-heels-on-a-tightrope-over-a-sea-full-of-crocodiles sort of struggle.<br />
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<b>one star: </b>most likely didn't finish this book. urghhh. reading this story was like getting bitten by one of those crocodiles in the sea under the tightrope. (okay, that sounded harsh. but... there's probably a reason I'm rating the book one star. xD)</div>
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<b>OKAY THAT WAS A HUGE BUNNY TRAIL. </b>Anyway, all of that and describing my system was to introduce my five star reads of 2017. So far <b>I've</b> <b>only read four 5-star books, which is a little disappointing, but I also haven't read as many books as previous years. </b>And I really really love these books. *hugs them to death* I almost think they're due for another reread. ;)<br /><br />(links will lead to goodreads if you click on the author's name)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36o2irj1m5VlTLPcLv2SBMw21o-h6mHtVCOKArx4cRmQezkSjkQ_4OMeki78irrhGVzKxjgeA3Y7GS0U2Tex-p3Dov2-hPnNo13INegMQYW106bLC5U3IoiC5CmKKBOjULHvw_ZjBIWpb/s1600/five+star+reads+of+2017.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36o2irj1m5VlTLPcLv2SBMw21o-h6mHtVCOKArx4cRmQezkSjkQ_4OMeki78irrhGVzKxjgeA3Y7GS0U2Tex-p3Dov2-hPnNo13INegMQYW106bLC5U3IoiC5CmKKBOjULHvw_ZjBIWpb/s1600/five+star+reads+of+2017.PNG" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">midnight at the electric</span></b><br />
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075663-midnight-at-the-electric"><span style="color: #b45f06;">jodi lynn anderson</span></a></i><br />
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I've flailed over this book before, <b>BUT PLEASE LET ME FLAIL OVER IT AGAIN.</b> I randomly picked it up at the library because I thought the title was pretty. I glanced at the back cover blurb, saw the word <i>mars</i>, and knew that I had to at least give it a try.<br />
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<i>(<b>advice: </b>don't start book at 11:15pm. you will unavoidably stay up past midnight and suffer from an aching back and tired eyes the next morning)</i><br />
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<b>This is the kind of story I want to write. </b>The author has such a way with words, flowing beautifully and lyrically. It's not a huge action book -- there aren't world ending disasters and explosions. Instead it's about family histories that span generations. <b>It's about loss and friendship and getting to know the hearts of the characters.</b> IT'S JUST SO GOOD.<br />
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<b>The mood/aesthetic occasionally gave me Interstellar type vibes? </b>(which makes even more sense as to why I loved this book, haha)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">scorpio races</span></b><br />
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races"><span style="color: #b45f06;">maggie stiefvater</span></a></i><br />
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So. <b>Confession</b>: I first picked this book up three or four years ago, gave it a try, and stopped a couple chapters in and decided <b>that it was the most boring book to ever exist. </b>I WAS SO WRONG. I must've been in the wrong mood or <i>something</i>, because I completely adored it when I gave it a second try! One difference is that I listened to it on audiobook this time, so... maybe that's what changed my mind?<br />
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But, ugh. <b>Super gorgeous, lyrical writing.</b> <3<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">angel eyes</span></b></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11836562-angel-eyes"><span style="color: #b45f06;">shannon dittemore</span></a></i><br />
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I honestly wasn't expecting to like this book very much. I've never been the type to be intrigued by books with Christian paranormal elements, but <a href="http://nadinebrandes.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Nadine</span></a> told me that she read it in one sitting, so I decided to pick it up.</div>
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<b>And then I never set it down until I finished it. </b>That's huge, because I haven't read a book in one sitting for a looong time. This book has a little of everything. Action, adventure, mystery, a touch of romance, a touch of humor.<br />
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This book is Christian fiction book, and <b>it had some very poignant and thoughtful messages. </b>Usually Christian messages don't strike me as much in books, but this one did. And the angel characters didn't seem odd -- they were done carefully and the author handled it well. :D</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">real friends</span></b></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31145178-real-friends"><span style="color: #b45f06;">shannon hale</span></a></i><br />
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Now as I'm going over my list of five star books, I realize that they all have one thing in common: I've read them in one sitting. (excluding <i>The Scorpio Races</i>, but that was a ten-hour-long audiobook, so.) :P<br />
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<b><i>Real Friends </i>was an extremely quick read -- it probably only took me a half an hour. </b>It was so cute! <b>The majority of the book is actually based on the author's life</b> <b>and her struggles with friendship</b>, which made it extremely heartfelt and relatable. READ IT.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>M O V I E S:</b></span></i></div>
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<img height="426" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1467293622093-9f15c96be70f?dpr=1&auto=compress,format&fit=crop&w=1000&h=&q=80&cs=tinysrgb&crop=" width="640" /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">spider-man homecoming</span></b></div>
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I mean... this movie probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, seeing that I wrote <a href="http://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2017/07/in-which-i-endlessly-flail-about-spider.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">an entire blog post about my extreme love for it</span></a>. So I'll just link to that instead of rambling about it here. xD<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">dunkirk</span></b><br />
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<b>*sighs happily* </b>I'm not one for war movies, but I love Christoper Nolan's work, and the trailer was amazing, so I tagged along with my dad when he went to the movie theater to see it. <b>I'm so glad I did. </b>It's a very unique movie and it's hard to put it into words. <b>There's hardly any dialogue, hardly any focus on the characters. </b><< sounds like a horrible idea, right? But it worked so <i>perfectly. </i>It's like the movie was made up of little moments instead of a giant, complex plot. <b>Just go see it </b>-- you'll understand what I'm saying when you do.<br />
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<b>{OTHER GOOD MOVIES}</b></div>
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<i>gifted // the theory of everything // the greatest game ever played // rewatched Civil War for the sixth time, hehe // rewatched the Harry Potter series</i></div>
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<b>PHEW YOU MADE IT TO THE END </b>(presumably. maybe everyone gave up halfway through :P *hands you cookies if you <i>did</i> survive until the end*)<b>. I think this was the longest blog post I've ever written.</b> Which makes sense since this took <b>four </b>hours to write and format and edit. *naps for seven years* *or maybe just until NaNo*<br />
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<3.<br />
katie grace<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">what are your new findings of 2017?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-24514945907256345312017-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:002017-09-30T00:00:21.898-05:00SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS // 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Have you heard what Mozart's up to?"<br />
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...</div>
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<b>"He's <i>decomposing.</i>"</b></div>
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(sometimes I use stupid jokes as blog post intros. now to the highlights of september we go :P)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGboW-hSY3BBtecHDbGaUvEzzgbi5n0JLtO2m0XbpGa94okKHuiGdX6CgV6jIN3AqiV5uQ836Y6lqqlO89tKaxsbSVV1AYBY_6Knm2M2M8dtIRoMoZl666YUb_nGcwX7QKZpXe_WtY4sIN/s1600/september+%25252F%25252F+2017.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGboW-hSY3BBtecHDbGaUvEzzgbi5n0JLtO2m0XbpGa94okKHuiGdX6CgV6jIN3AqiV5uQ836Y6lqqlO89tKaxsbSVV1AYBY_6Knm2M2M8dtIRoMoZl666YUb_nGcwX7QKZpXe_WtY4sIN/s640/september+%25252F%25252F+2017.png" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClLF7MgGYEKK-A-p_CZdPnFyY_DVGGapjOqjW5x4hXzs8W4FPQJkG76k0E_c1g0PUG_UtMfyz1Kf2ityCXHLplh5q0pk0NhvvKI99SKw0C2zexBV1lEoIFwfEhCXSdVq3KkryY-huPUQ5/s1600/AWF+-+Monthly+Highlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClLF7MgGYEKK-A-p_CZdPnFyY_DVGGapjOqjW5x4hXzs8W4FPQJkG76k0E_c1g0PUG_UtMfyz1Kf2ityCXHLplh5q0pk0NhvvKI99SKw0C2zexBV1lEoIFwfEhCXSdVq3KkryY-huPUQ5/s640/AWF+-+Monthly+Highlights.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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VACAAATIONNNN! I retreated with my family to a lakeside cabin resort for a couple of days, and it was <i>so nice. </i>Vacations are meant for relaxation, but for me <b>vacations = WRITING RETREATS! </b>So I plopped myself down in a comfy chair and window table and basically wrote there all week long. It was glorious and reconfirmed my dream of being a full time writer someday.<b> How glorious would it be to write, blog, brainstorm, + socialize over the internet all day long? </b>:P<br />
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We went hiking a few times over the vacation, and I expected a few hills, maybe just a slight burn in my calves after we were done... <b>BUT THEN END UP TAKING A PATH THAT HAS 437 STAIRS. </b>*collapses* As I writer I have put my characters through many less-than-desirable situations... but I would <b>never </b>torture them to such an extreme as this. :P<br />
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Our room in the resort also had a giant media screen projector, which meant watching lots of movies (yay movies! especially eating snacks during the movie xD). <b>I rewatched </b><i><b>Interstellar</b> </i>for the fourth (?) time, and <b>it is my favorite movie ever. </b>Someday I'll write a post about my extreme love for it. IT JUST INSPIRES ME AND IS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF VIBE I WANT MY STORY TO HAVE. *happy sigh* Just writing about it makes me want to go watch it again. <3<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjRZhyphenhyphenSf6Sior7CktquoS6m_TXNcF_UVxfTMgRt_d7h8L2rljurWXVaJag_B43tQs65u4k3UKKk7p-GGo8Tz2-MO640pG_csMvrdRwqmTAVG6jw92jPS8OvrPssFj1LLa-9-IOTQTPnjq/s640/blogger-image--1521685647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjRZhyphenhyphenSf6Sior7CktquoS6m_TXNcF_UVxfTMgRt_d7h8L2rljurWXVaJag_B43tQs65u4k3UKKk7p-GGo8Tz2-MO640pG_csMvrdRwqmTAVG6jw92jPS8OvrPssFj1LLa-9-IOTQTPnjq/s640/blogger-image--1521685647.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this was my writing view all week. TAKE ME BACK. <3</td></tr>
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Random, but<b> I've been better about going to bed early</b>? <i>("early," hahaha) </i>Last year/beginning of this year it wasn't rare for me to stay up past one, but that hasn't happened in a <i>long </i>time. And if it does, it happens on a Friday night when I'm rushing to finish my blog post. :P <b>I'm TRYING to be better about healthy sleep habits, but it's so hard when I'm a natural night owl.</b> >.<<br />
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<b>New song of the month: </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjpz2WRIjG4"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Dreamers</span></a> by <i>Oh Gravity. </i>I've been playing it on repeat on my Spotify ever since I discovered it.<i> </i>Snippet of the beautiful lyrics below:</div>
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We're the lines in between, in the shadows we glow<br />
As the world falls asleep, we're the voices that don't<br />
And together we sing, what our hearts can't contain<br />
Whatever comes next we'll bring all the stories we make</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefwd8C2baszWW-fh2Hoidq5v7K6E2JtJnUtuTZsqhMPOCHtef6DvPGkSXyDWJPwf2ns-74ohCQpSBSHoYdEh_r02ckjbfql8w36efOy8rWe9zojz4elj4kkWCRHGqek3dlojhT_C1GIMh/s1600/AWF+-+Book+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefwd8C2baszWW-fh2Hoidq5v7K6E2JtJnUtuTZsqhMPOCHtef6DvPGkSXyDWJPwf2ns-74ohCQpSBSHoYdEh_r02ckjbfql8w36efOy8rWe9zojz4elj4kkWCRHGqek3dlojhT_C1GIMh/s640/AWF+-+Book+Things.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>LOOK! I READ MORE THAN TWO BOOKS! </b>The last time this happened was in May, and before that February. I'm a happy bookworm. And since I don't plan to be doing much writing in October -- just plotting -- I'm hoping for another five next month. </div>
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<b>I just really adore stories. </b>I lowered my Goodreads reading goal last month, and that was really freeing, because now <b>I only read when I genuinely <i>want </i>to read.</b> Which has been happening a lot more -- it's great, but also frustrating because I need to write and work and do school and a bajillion of other things as well. xD</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlvwO8m1K8CtTIIVfQlGiDOvsqcSFxxM6ZA1ihjLW-RaUw2wc6CUQCSnTqCzbD0iOKLLCwt9XUuhG2nzv5B9tKqc1Btm0ZVtWcgtunsJn_5a3ff1y689olPmk8R-YM60Y0h-EG6t1KOuq/s1600/september+books+2017.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlvwO8m1K8CtTIIVfQlGiDOvsqcSFxxM6ZA1ihjLW-RaUw2wc6CUQCSnTqCzbD0iOKLLCwt9XUuhG2nzv5B9tKqc1Btm0ZVtWcgtunsJn_5a3ff1y689olPmk8R-YM60Y0h-EG6t1KOuq/s1600/september+books+2017.PNG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Vengeance Road </span><b style="font-style: italic;">[3/5] - </b>This may sound harsh, but <b>I am not a fan of western stories. </b>So, considering that, this rating is actually quite high! xD Lots of gun shootin', lots of twists, and lots of me squealing over the beautiful cover. // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23719270-vengeance-road"><span style="color: #b45f06;">goodreads</span></a><br />
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<i>Unsanctioned Eyes </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[4/5] - </b>Huzzah for dynamic, tea-loving characters! <b>This is an extremely quotable book</b> filled with many witty, fun, and thought-provoking one liners. There's so much promise for future stories from this author. :D // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35454230-unsanctioned-eyes"><span style="color: #b45f06;">goodreads</span></a><br />
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<i>Broken Wings </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[2.5/5] - </b>This is the second book in the <i>Angel Eyes </i>trilogy, and for some reason it didn't click with me? Which is disappointing since I rated the first one five stars. But the reviews on Goodreads rave over the third and final book, so I'm still going to give it a go. (supposedly there are lots of plot twists so that gives me hope!) // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15869682-broken-wings"><span style="color: #b45f06;">goodreads</span></a><br />
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<i>Midnight at the Electric </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[5/5] - </b>THIS BOOK WAS SO SURPRISINGLY GOOD. <b>I randomly picked it off of the library shelf</b> (which I normally <i>never </i>do) <b>and read it all in one sitting</b> <strike>after midnight.</strike> Gorgeous lyrical writing, dynamic characters, beautiful interwoven plot... READ IT. <3 // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075663-midnight-at-the-electric"><span style="color: #b45f06;">goodreads</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span><br />
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<i>Welcome to Night Vale </i><b style="font-style: italic;">[3/5] - </b>It's a very entertaining story, but if you're choosing between the podcast and the book... go for the podcast. I maybe would've liked this more if I listened to it on audiobook, but it dragged on at some points. *shrug* // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129410-welcome-to-night-vale"><span style="color: #b45f06;">goodreads</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3CNbfnzlOHCe5KIJrn-q0lKP_kHtMCGPU251fce4u1A1TA6kXsWSShrqrfJze8HIxH9o32lZs1DtlaJxo2V5SgECyBKNQRDc-NeNQ1kOHy6_30IJLu4XhcJAxBj5sRJvlpZ1VZRnkQDy/s1600/AWF+-+The+World+of+Writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3CNbfnzlOHCe5KIJrn-q0lKP_kHtMCGPU251fce4u1A1TA6kXsWSShrqrfJze8HIxH9o32lZs1DtlaJxo2V5SgECyBKNQRDc-NeNQ1kOHy6_30IJLu4XhcJAxBj5sRJvlpZ1VZRnkQDy/s640/AWF+-+The+World+of+Writing.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1rHPTJ4qJpJEPYMAcgZYsjgXbB9SH0x8FzOVOW0uwyBU9h5hvvs9iYV5kFIP2d8fk3vxvOYNK9WYWCqwUJRhV-QMuiYwO9de7Cc_HOlxKMKFZzqpeA2FyYKiiPi22XNPXrAHATpDnmub/s640/blogger-image--711859344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1rHPTJ4qJpJEPYMAcgZYsjgXbB9SH0x8FzOVOW0uwyBU9h5hvvs9iYV5kFIP2d8fk3vxvOYNK9WYWCqwUJRhV-QMuiYwO9de7Cc_HOlxKMKFZzqpeA2FyYKiiPi22XNPXrAHATpDnmub/s640/blogger-image--711859344.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">this is the closest I'll get to my story's setting in real life :')</td></tr>
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<b>WRITING WAS SO MUCH FUN THIS MONTH. </b>Editing didn't feel like a chore! I actually wish I had more time to edit! And coming from me, that's a <i>big </i>statement. But I'm passionate about this story. I want to make it better and share it with others someday. <3<br />
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I've been working on the second draft of <i>Where Shadows Lie </i>for several months, slowing chugging through the story. But the vacation helped create some extra momentum, and <b>I'm so close to finishing the second draft! </b>*confetti* I'm hoping to go into "super-ninja-editing-mode" after work this afternoon. I WILL GET IT DONE (maybe :P).<br />
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We went up north by Lake Superior for our vacation, and the setting was PERFECT for my story. <b>I sat on the rocks by the lake <i>while </i>editing a chunk of my novel that takes place on the sea.</b> It was epic, even though I soaked my boot in the water (oops). <b>And birch trees! </b>They are what first inspired this story, so it was awesome to see little clumps of them scattered throughout our hikes.</div>
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<b>October will be the beginning of #NaNoPrep. </b>(of my superhero story!) I'm FINALLY starting to make progress in creating a general plot line. There is still so much to work out, but <a href="http://iamawriterandthisismyblog.blogsopt.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hannah</span></a> has been a huge help in brainstorming the novel. *flails wildly* I'm <b>super </b>(haha, get it? <i>super</i>? as in <b>super</b>hero? <strike>sorry</strike>) excited about writing in a modern day setting. That means technology and cities and cars and the internet! It opens up a whole new world of possibilities. :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikhOw6G1N44VF3I9_VnkAxva7GbhKHD_3j_Cxj7pVr-PAEwClvEqQ6V-TJ8KnrJV0xAy3xPluhSvRlNvSYOfycijwFxl32-CluWvFBTFiuqt-6g0bBiI9isSXXCo0rT0b_AKSuuWMHZxH/s1600/AWF+-+other+awesome+posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="1600" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikhOw6G1N44VF3I9_VnkAxva7GbhKHD_3j_Cxj7pVr-PAEwClvEqQ6V-TJ8KnrJV0xAy3xPluhSvRlNvSYOfycijwFxl32-CluWvFBTFiuqt-6g0bBiI9isSXXCo0rT0b_AKSuuWMHZxH/s640/AWF+-+other+awesome+posts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Do you people watch? </b>Lisa wrote a short story of her <a href="http://thisinkwell.blogspot.ca/2017/09/observation-just-saturday-drive.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">observations on a simple Saturday drive</span></a>, which was so beautiful. It makes you wonder about everyone's story. <3</div>
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Anna has some AMAZING tips on "<a href="http://worldthroughherheart.blogspot.com/2017/09/5-ways-to-stay-sane-when-life-isnt.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">how to stay sane when life isn't</span></a>." Check it out because she shares some seriously wonderful advice.</div>
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<a href="http://elvishpensandfantasticalwritings.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Alea</span></a> shared this next post with me (thank youu!). It's a very insightful article by a successful author and blogger (K.M. Weiland) about "<a href="https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/protect-creativity/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">protecting creativity</span></a>." <--<b>good stuff right here.</b></div>
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Thinking about a Bible reading plan for next month? Nadine's introducing a new challenge: <a href="http://nadinebrandes.com/2017/09/27/old-testament-october-otoctober/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Old Testament October</span></a>.</div>
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<b>HOW WAS SEPTEMBER FOR </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">YOU? </i>If you're participating in NaNoWriMo, will you be joining the ranks of plotters in October? Or are you a die hard pantser? Somewhere in between? I hope preparation goes <i>amazingly </i>for you -- START STOCKING UP ON COFFEE NOW, hehe. xD</div>
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<3,<br />
katie grace</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">how was your september, my friends?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-85661592190869966932017-09-23T00:00:00.000-05:002017-09-23T00:00:27.540-05:00END OF THE YEAR GOALS // 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Huh," you may say as you read the title of this post. "This sounds familiar." </div>
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Observant reader, it is familiar to you for a good reason. I've done <i>two</i> End of the Year Goals posts before -- <a href="http://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2015/10/end-of-year-goals.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">one in 2015</span></a>, and the other <a href="http://awritersfaith.blogspot.com/2016/09/end-of-year-goals-for-2016.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">in 2016</span></a>. I never feel like they're the most interesting topic... but <b>they always turn out to be one of my most popular blog posts??? </b></div>
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This is a fun and easier blog post to make, so hey -- I'm not complaining. xD <b>Let's get into my goals for the end of the year.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5Mucc-idHBFSmbeG_4G3J0m1OV-unwCiWMpJjQiZrt04t0QlAFxspvE472X92xaDFTZNeUWQ74f5yYwRfBtvj8stM2Q_S8iAS6jHuhbMUNB_tWN3ZcwUgiipNsZ2WHYGwTJYvjXwWP2S/s640/blogger-image-554921893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5Mucc-idHBFSmbeG_4G3J0m1OV-unwCiWMpJjQiZrt04t0QlAFxspvE472X92xaDFTZNeUWQ74f5yYwRfBtvj8stM2Q_S8iAS6jHuhbMUNB_tWN3ZcwUgiipNsZ2WHYGwTJYvjXwWP2S/s640/blogger-image-554921893.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>1. NANOWRIMO</b></span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">this one is so obvious I'm not even sure why I bother mentioning it.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I'm hoping to do more coffeeshop writing this November! I mean, I <i>work </i>at a coffeeshop, so that works out nicely. I can stay before and after shifts and enjoy a steaming cup of chai/coffee. <3</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of coffee, I have a tradition of <b>buying myself a coffee mug each year for NaNo. </b> AND HAVE YOU <a href="https://store.nanowrimo.org/collections/shop"><span style="color: #b45f06;">SEEN THE MERCH FOR THIS YEAR</span></a>?!? It's <i>all </i>superhero themed, which is brilliant, since I'm writing a superhero story.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I've refrained for three years from buying any NaNo merch, so I'm taking this as a sign that I must buy my first NaNo T-Shirt. :D</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I was talking to <a href="https://janemareeauthor.com.au/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jane</span></a> in the comments of one of my other posts, and we were discussing this fear that <b>we'd suddenly forget how to write. </b>That I wouldn't be able to write fast, and when I sat down to make the words happen... they just wouldn't come. It's the type of fear that would take place in a writer's nightmare. I <i>know </i>it's illogical... but I find myself thinking it year after year.</li>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>2. PLOT MY NOVEL!</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nXi0nmHszRdR8ckyN2XTowi1wdvkt30L-dB40EdTCHOpkzcRvl-AcX29wa4UieHZgVqr012XRDFR6Ooco1HUDbft-yM6tAolWiw79fmXEikHGrSsL5v-Hc84FBjhbT-iTATDk9DCtER5/s640/blogger-image--2130076278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nXi0nmHszRdR8ckyN2XTowi1wdvkt30L-dB40EdTCHOpkzcRvl-AcX29wa4UieHZgVqr012XRDFR6Ooco1HUDbft-yM6tAolWiw79fmXEikHGrSsL5v-Hc84FBjhbT-iTATDk9DCtER5/s640/blogger-image--2130076278.jpg" /></a></div>
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<li>because in order to write a novel, I kind of need a <i>plot. </i></li>
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<li>(I suppose this is optional, since I've chosen to forgo it before... but that method is not recommended if I want to keep most of my sanity while editing.)</li>
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<li>[but no matter what I guess I'll lose <i>some </i>sanity while editing. heh.]</li>
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</ul>
<li>Another NaNo fear: <b>what if I can't <i>find </i>a plot?</b></li>
<li>That fear had better not become a reality, because I don't have a plan B. </li>
<li>My method of plotting:</li>
<ul>
<li>brain-dumping all "what ifs" and "possible ideas" onto a notebook page</li>
<li>do the above step multiple times until there's a rough over-arcing plot structure</li>
<li>cry</li>
<li>eat food</li>
<ul>
<li>preferably pizza</li>
<li>or cookies</li>
<li>or both</li>
</ul>
<li>then use the <a href="http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">magical snowflake method</span></a>!</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>3. BRAINSTORM BLOG POSTS</b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>going along with this theme of "fears..." <b>I also fear that someday I'll run out of blog content to produce.</b></li>
<ul>
<li>which is another Stupid Fear because there's <i>always </i>something to blog about.</li>
<ul>
<li>like hippos</li>
<li>or rhinos</li>
<li>or pizza!</li>
<li>ahem.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>but anyway, I want to be prepared for next year. I hate panicking on Friday night, wondering what to blog about... so by brainstorming ahead of time I can avoid the last-minute-writing-long-past-midnight.</li>
<ul>
<li><i>(so if you have any posts you'd like me to write about... do let me know)</i></li>
</ul>
<li>Since NaNoWriMo is coming up... <b>I've been thinking about what I want to do blogging wise during November.</b> The past couple years I've done weekly NaNo wrap up posts. Are those still interesting? </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>4. KEEP MY ROOM CLEAN</b></span></div>
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<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQjSBDSGVHgvHNwLdMj7c5q6KFrTx8rcBPkVJW-Ych3FFzstgZO8axR3GMUxnOTu_r2UhBOGSQHF0S4-C3oEyl82L9AdkUd2JGlrc8K8IatYAiuumzLifWHCY0Dr6a6-vdKsc-UDoLW-8/s640/blogger-image--1006345009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQjSBDSGVHgvHNwLdMj7c5q6KFrTx8rcBPkVJW-Ych3FFzstgZO8axR3GMUxnOTu_r2UhBOGSQHF0S4-C3oEyl82L9AdkUd2JGlrc8K8IatYAiuumzLifWHCY0Dr6a6-vdKsc-UDoLW-8/s640/blogger-image--1006345009.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.</li>
<ul>
<li>ha.</li>
</ul>
<li>I may seem like I would be a neat and orderly person, seeing that I enjoy clean and minimalist and aesthetic looking things... <b>but my room is a catastrophic disaster 97% of the time.</b></li>
<li>BUT <b>having a clean room inspires me</b>, so especially with NaNoWriMo coming up (sorry for continually reminding you oops), I want my writing area to be as motivating as it can be. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5. ACQUIRE ANOTHER PAIR OF FUZZY SOCKS</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Fuzzy socks are magical.</li>
<ul>
<li>actually, socks in general are magical.</li>
</ul>
<li>that is all there is to say about this goal. </li>
<li>boo cold, frozen feet.</li>
<li>yay comforting, warm socks.</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>6. BRAINSTORM BULLET JOURNAL</b></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwsCgSAfg3w_XToHnGM7JyTkK-KajrN2vtfoBc2XNULzbSVYSSyVun3j5_AUv-r9fXb05SibC8K99aS8irAlO3zcy5alq8xTrXbeVNgVjUDUFGB43eOAOsYoZr0V1pJamqpWKPuO75lau/s640/blogger-image--1599217925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwsCgSAfg3w_XToHnGM7JyTkK-KajrN2vtfoBc2XNULzbSVYSSyVun3j5_AUv-r9fXb05SibC8K99aS8irAlO3zcy5alq8xTrXbeVNgVjUDUFGB43eOAOsYoZr0V1pJamqpWKPuO75lau/s640/blogger-image--1599217925.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>so far I've been keeping up with my bullet journal throughout the year (yay!), but I'm hoping to do some new things with it in 2018.</li>
<li>right now it's more of a <i>to-do list/planner, </i>and while that's super helpful and motivating... <b>I want to make it into more of an artsy journal.</b></li>
<li>because I won't want to look back on my to-do lists in ten years (they'll probably still all look the same: write, edit, blog, work. :P), but if I make it more personal, it's like a memory book of sorts! <b>That's something future me will definitely want to flip through.</b></li>
<li>with things like:</li>
<ul>
<li>memories</li>
<li>quotes</li>
<li>doodles</li>
<li>souvenirs/letters</li>
<li>printing out some pictures??</li>
<li>journal entries</li>
<li>thoughts about life</li>
<li>writing prompts</li>
<li>[along with the planners and to-do lists]</li>
</ul>
<li><b>the prospect of a new year can <i>sometimes </i>be overwhelming, so this is one way I can hype myself up for 2018.</b> xD (but shh it's still three months away so I shall refrain from talking about it)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<3,<br />
katie grace<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>what are three things you want to accomplish by the end of the year?</i></span></div>
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</div>
</div>
Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445138433367622139.post-75585216825175264262017-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:002017-09-16T00:00:06.258-05:00THE STAGES OF CHARACTER BUILDING<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>NaNoWriMo looms on the horizon, which means I've begun preparing for the epic month-long event. </b>Most of my preparation includes stocking up on coffee, chocolate, and epic soundtracks. But I'm also giving another go at plotting. (hahahaha let the crying and frustration begin)
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Even though I'll <i>officially</i> start plotting in October, I've already had a few quick brainstorming sessions. So far I've exited them without a plot -- only hundreds of more questions and the miserable reminder of how terrible I am at characterization.<br />
<br />
Maybe you love creating characters, maybe you hate it, or maybe you're like me and land somewhere in the middle. Regardless of how you feel, <b>characterization is something that's essential to the writing process. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Normally, this is where the post would segway into <i>"Five Great Tips To Make Your Character Come Alive!</i>" But I struggle just as much as anyone else, so instead <b>we're going to talk about that struggle. </b>:P<br />
<br />
When crafting characters, I find myself slugging through three stages. They're not recommended stages -- I suggest you skip straight to the third one if possible -- but unfortunately I am not superhuman and must obey the laws of the writing process.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(This post was inspired by a conversation with the lovely </span><a href="http://iamawriterandthisismyblog.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Hannah</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">!)</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNswnomv44VbKRkXjZ_G83BZ9WxIYt6YSg1oxebtyHFSRWxF9YlfL2tl7b2bk_U49KOHW6kA5HlOc9czhjSrFS_TRXi1IhkHKyhiuSyB4ONTTrRLc58sRBVYkAqrbHu2bRofdLC1D9a53/s1600/the+stages+of+character+building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1600" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNswnomv44VbKRkXjZ_G83BZ9WxIYt6YSg1oxebtyHFSRWxF9YlfL2tl7b2bk_U49KOHW6kA5HlOc9czhjSrFS_TRXi1IhkHKyhiuSyB4ONTTrRLc58sRBVYkAqrbHu2bRofdLC1D9a53/s640/the+stages+of+character+building.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwrZl_kohjrtLSy4c1Ce4Uqd_QnzCDOPrmiXEYSolJGAHu0H94l06NmTEOTCtDU-prYhihMTdun7ckuRjx3rsbth_ZEn8yhDeZ68r31bYrTyeG0zRaDch4OBuhQishytvRSzTuSDU2st1/s1600/cardboard+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="1600" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwrZl_kohjrtLSy4c1Ce4Uqd_QnzCDOPrmiXEYSolJGAHu0H94l06NmTEOTCtDU-prYhihMTdun7ckuRjx3rsbth_ZEn8yhDeZ68r31bYrTyeG0zRaDch4OBuhQishytvRSzTuSDU2st1/s640/cardboard+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>[[alternatively titled: the "old and crumbly gingerbread man" stage, or the "thin and spindly stick person" stage.]]</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ahh, you've heard of cardboard cutouts. It's a common phrase when referring to flat, boring, and unpersonable heroes. In this first stage, it's impossible to define my character as the <i>hero</i> -- <b>instead they're basically an unemotional blob meandering through my novel's plot. </b></div>
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My character wouldn't even react if they were stabbed, since they have no feelings or motives or understanding of emotions. I have to <i>drag </i>them through the actions like an amateur robot whose coding is completely whacked up. <b>Trying to build a connection with my character is like pulling teeth. </b>Or smacking my head on my keyboard a bajillion times out of pure frustration. </div>
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Needless to say, I'm not on great terms with my character during this dreaded first stage. They always frustrate me with their lack of personality, and <b>the thought of editing my novel with a hero <i>this boring </i>drives me insane. </b>Sometimes, before I drift off to sleep, I quietly chant to myself this important reminder: <i>don't kill them out of annoyance, don't kill them out of annoyance, don't...</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymoGnsGHec5TOf4_UjpPa9DN8yHJmWNaHzv1sLNsyjkkKBcjgCjdtzlaAAPcIrf_lImI_JVjPSKLWPBo44TY4CIvXo5DmMJceJn0-AA8EdOMmqYjzerdx9AtY2ad6qL8Tmp2O6dl5iNDt/s1600/cardboard+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="1600" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymoGnsGHec5TOf4_UjpPa9DN8yHJmWNaHzv1sLNsyjkkKBcjgCjdtzlaAAPcIrf_lImI_JVjPSKLWPBo44TY4CIvXo5DmMJceJn0-AA8EdOMmqYjzerdx9AtY2ad6qL8Tmp2O6dl5iNDt/s640/cardboard+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z2QbFVU9sAr5O74SJPG1MJNFGDCJgtILfCWrVQ1jODxgQW_FQyOCttW8z1VEGBSAVd5BxjT46MnWQSxbJj34XOBYoiFLhdhAolsrmZPl01Di1cpDOZPWJcrUlTIapBEEuLoL1wPXbYCU/s1600/daniel-cheung-129839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Z2QbFVU9sAr5O74SJPG1MJNFGDCJgtILfCWrVQ1jODxgQW_FQyOCttW8z1VEGBSAVd5BxjT46MnWQSxbJj34XOBYoiFLhdhAolsrmZPl01Di1cpDOZPWJcrUlTIapBEEuLoL1wPXbYCU/s640/daniel-cheung-129839.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/cPF2nlWcMY4"><span style="color: #b45f06;">via</span></a></td></tr>
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Stage number two is where improvement <i>slowly </i>starts to happen (very... very... slowly...). <b>I stop wanting to kill my character</b> <strike>and maybe just seriously injury or maim them instead.</strike> Now they've transformed from the thin slab of cardboard into a functioning lego character, complete with dimension, shape, movement, and the possibility of a small brain in that little yellow noggin of their's.<br />
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<b>At this point we're not best friends... but in mutual agreement that there's hope for the future. </b>It's a growing relationship! And whether we like it or not, we're stuck with each other, because <b>once a character, always a character. </b>(Unless they die. Or unless I'm completely ruthless and cut their whole story arc out of the novel. #beentheredonethat)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzWBS-8ntBaPCxuGK0Ku2Zly0lpoHdFy0YCBPeRK0ftrujNuQ3nfVmn2OpFuaJMnOLs0mp8jhDdr1C2M-aOi3SWgaSDqTJYuYz6QjJTm8oI5rYbV_4Ix8Z6W86gmaLQ118yctgka5VR4P/s1600/cardboard+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="1600" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzWBS-8ntBaPCxuGK0Ku2Zly0lpoHdFy0YCBPeRK0ftrujNuQ3nfVmn2OpFuaJMnOLs0mp8jhDdr1C2M-aOi3SWgaSDqTJYuYz6QjJTm8oI5rYbV_4Ix8Z6W86gmaLQ118yctgka5VR4P/s640/cardboard+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEOZos8N2Xp6Vrf0BW4UbZ7Khhsi3aBGksgcp1ZjJSCKAix0cmt-xqw2Z1x8P-vn09H122LyNG0xwjaar7g5XjToS1VqT-axYE0vABvxOAjnnipMMwLHmhNYXLQ8e31j-9VVMt3t-AvEk/s1600/ryan-holloway-168913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEOZos8N2Xp6Vrf0BW4UbZ7Khhsi3aBGksgcp1ZjJSCKAix0cmt-xqw2Z1x8P-vn09H122LyNG0xwjaar7g5XjToS1VqT-axYE0vABvxOAjnnipMMwLHmhNYXLQ8e31j-9VVMt3t-AvEk/s640/ryan-holloway-168913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/im4CirgzpBQ"><span style="color: #b45f06;">via</span></a></td></tr>
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After HUNDREDS of long hours, working late into the night, and countless drafts... my cardboard lego person <i>finally </i>evolves into what they were meant to be from the beginning: <b>a character. </b>It's like my little child escaped the "terrible twos" and now everything in the story can come together. My hero reacts to hand stabbing or terrible events like a <i>normal </i>human. <b>They have fear and strength and problems and moments of victory.</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
This sounds awesome, right? I mean, my character and I are getting along! They've become a hero a reader can relate to -- it's what I've been working toward from stage one... <b>but now I feel guilty about their hard and perilous journey. </b><br />
<br />
When they ache, I ache. When they must travel through haunted forests and fight creatures of the deep, I get scared! When they become injured in any way <i>(or die. WHOOPS.)</i>, I feel horrible. <b>I finally built up this connection with my character, only to betray them by killing off their parents or best friend or pet. </b>Go me.<br />
<br />
It's a lot easier on my conscious to lead a soulless cardboard cutout through my story instead of a <i>friend</i>... but it all pays off in the end when the novel is a thousand times better because of it. My character would otherwise disagree, but OH WELL. <b>These are the woes of a writer. </b>:P<br /><br /><3,<br />katie grace<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">what about you? do you struggle with characterization?</span></div>
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Katie Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01867517507191129951noreply@blogger.com55