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Writing Goals for 2017

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So as I won NaNoWriMo 2016, and still have yet to finish that novel I was working on, I wanted to talk about my writing goals for 2017. As a writer I think I can relate to a lot of people when I say I start a lot of projects but never finish them. On top of that I continue to get more ideas for stories I’d like to write, it’s just a matter of time when it comes down to writing them.

I have a few goals that I 100% want to attain in the upcoming year, though, because I want to see myself progress and accomplish something so awesome that I never thought I’d be able to before: potentially be published.

Now that’s not my only goal (it’s a primary goal, but not my only one), so let me talk about the goals that I have for the upcoming year:

1. Finish writing a story and EDIT IT. Seriously. I have yet to go through a first round of edits in anything I’ve written lately, so I want to be able to finish writing a story then go back through and edit the heck out of it.

2. Start a new story idea (and finish it), but also don’t give up on it. I have a bunch of ideas running through my head (that I should write down because I keep forgetting what they are, hahaha) and I don’t want to give up on them. Life can become so… easy. I can be so complacent with how things are, and I don’t want that. I want to challenge myself, to finish writing, to not give up on a story just because of how it’s going. I know it’s going to suck in the first draft. I just have to keep pushing through to the end.

3. Do more outlining! I know I’ve said before that I hate outlining, but since discovering this past NaNoWriMo how helpful it actually was for my story I discovered that it’s soooo beneficial for it! It’s more of a guideline rather than something strict that I need to follow, but I want to do more of it.

4. Start to seek out agents. Yup, I’m going to actually do this this year. I’m going to challenge myself to do so. If I don’t, I’m just going to keep pushing it off, over and over, and I don’t want to do that to myself. I would love to be a traditional published author, and I’m not going to get there without seeking out an agent first.

5. Have fun with it. Writing isn’t easy, folks. Some people think it’s a breeze, but honestly, it’s hard work. Coming up with multiple characters with different personalities, lifestyles, families, ethnicities, orientations, emotions, etc, is very complex in and of itself, let alone creating a world or a plot. But you know, despite dragging my feet a lot of the time, I really do have fun writing. I love seeing where my characters take me and where I can bring the story. It’s so amazing to see the progress over time.

6. Participate in Camp NaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo again! I have so much fun participating in both events with other people around the world and I think it’s just a great way to really cheer on others going down the same path as you.

So there we have it, some simple goals that I think will really benefit me in the long run and will definitely be achievable in the upcoming year.

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

What are some of your writing goals for 2017? Have you already finished a novel and you’re in the searching for an agent process? Any tips? Tell me all the things!

November 2016 Wrap Up

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Happy Thanksgiving!

What a fast month! Seriously, in the blink of an eye we’ve already passed Thanksgiving (for us Americans), gone through the Presidential election (let’s not talk about it, okay?), a second wedding anniversary (yay!), and now it’s practically the holiday season! This year has flown by. I think my mind’s still back in March or April, so pardon the dust. But this month was a month of writing (and failing, and I’m fine with that), of reading fun and fantastic books, and just overall enjoyment.

Books I’ve Read

Click on the cover to be taken to its respective review!

illuminae psilikeyou scarlet

  • Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman – Was a fantastic, unique, brilliant book! I laughed, I cried, I felt emotions for characters I didn’t expect to feel for, and it was amazing. 5/5 stars!
  • P.S. I Like You by Kasie West – This was so cute and I felt that it was really realistic to how a relationship could start in high school. 5/5 stars!
  • Scarlet by Marissa Meyer – What a great sequel! I loved the sci-fi elements, the story, and the new characters introduced. 4.5/5 stars!

Books I’ve Gotten

Click on the cover to be taken to each respective Goodreads page!

thugkitchen thefifthseason ifiwasyourgirl thesunisalsoastar heartless winter thecrownsdog underdifferentstars theisland thechasm

Other Blog Posts

Writing Related

Fun Things

fof-button-2016

31/30. I surprisingly haven’t read any fantasy books this month, which is fine! I’ve still surpassed my goal, which I’m proud of. For those participating, tell me how you’ve been doing!

Instagram

So over on my Instagram I participated in four different challenges this month! It was crazy, but I did most of the days and combined two or more of the challenges in one pic, usually doing two a day. It was super fun and next month I’m participating in four again! Also: I love the bookstagram community. Like the rest of the book community, they’re all really sweet, talented people.

 Around the Internet

This is a feature I’ve seen in several other blogger’s wrap ups and I think it’s a fun way to show what else I’ve been reading/seeing around the internets!

  • Hazel of Stay Bookish talked about being a fat girl and how a book helped her stand up to body shaming.
  • Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything movie adaptation has a release date of August 18, 2017 (my birthday!).
  • #TheThanksUGive was a fun chat where a lot of the book community came together to talk about the thanks we give to others in the community, from bloggers to authors and more.
  • Maggie Stiefvater answered the important question: main character’s facial features of how they are in the books (The Raven Cycle).

Life Updates

  • My husband and mine’s second wedding anniversary happened and we spent the day in Boston, specifically Brookline because there’s an independent bookstore there that I love. We had a good time and enjoyed ourselves, which was great. We got series one Apple iWatches which are pretty cool. I keep forgetting to wear mine, though, because I’m still not used to wearing something on my wrist all the time. Whoops.
  • I saw Moana and it was glorious and I need to see it again. Like now. Right this second. The story was captivating and spoke to me so deeply to my core. The art was stunning and very well made. The representation of the Pacific Islander peoples was amazing to see! It was so fantastic and I highly recommend you check it out.
  • I also saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was cute. Predictable, but cute. It was also kind of long and I couldn’t understand Newt a lot because his accent was so thick, but I loved the creatures and getting a little more backstory of the wizarding world.
  • I got Pokemon Sun and have been perpetually distracted by the game since getting it. My team consists of Primarina, Arcanine, Minikyu, Sylveon, Magneton, and Zygarde. I love my team to bits and struggle swapping any of them out for whatever reason. Are you playing one of the new Pokemon games? Tell me your team and which game you’re playing!

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

Did you participate in NaNoWriMo this month? How was your progress? What books did you read this month? Did you enjoy your reads? Tell me all the things!

October 2016 Wrap Up

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THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN!

Now I can actually sing that.

The month of October was a pretty good one, and I feel like it’s going to be a good end of the year, too. I mean, not a whole lot went on, but it’s my second vacation week now, so I’m pretty pumped about that. Plus, NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I’m really excited to keep working on my novel!

I’m trying out a new format this month for the wrap up because I feel like it’s too boring, honestly, and I want to share more and do more things with it. I’ve been getting inspired by other’s wrap ups, so here we go!

Books I’ve Read

Click on the cover to be taken to its respective review!

atorchagainstthenight siegeandstorm

  • A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir – I loved this book so much! It was such an amazing sequel. 5/5 stars
  • Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo – I thought this was a fun, strong sequel with plenty of darkness and turmoil. 4/5 stars

Books I’ve Gotten

Click on the cover to be taken to each respective Goodreads page!

thereader crookedkingdom stalkingjacktheripper unhinged ensnared untamed nevernight holdinguptheuniverse gemina

Other Blog Posts

  • Criticism vs. Cruelty – I talk about the differences between criticism in reviews versus being cruel/mean in them and why we should really notice the differences.
  • Relating to Characters – Do you ever feel like you relate to certain types of characters, like you’re just drawn the them? Yeah, me too.
  • Hobby Corner: October VIDEO GAMES Edition – My monthly little corner where I talk about my hobbies other than reading and this month I introduced some of my favorite video game franchises.

Writing Related

  • Beautiful Books 2016| Introducing the Novel – A super cool meme hosted by super cool people and where I talk about the novel I’ll be working on for NaNoWriMo this year. Speaking of which:
  • NaNoWriMo 2016 – I’m participating in NaNoWriMo! I talk a little bit about my plans, about my story, and what I hope to achieve in November.

Fun Things

fof-button-2016

I’ve officially met my goal of 30 fantasy books read for the year! It’s incredible how well I’ve been doing so far this year. I’m having a great time and I know I’ll be reading more fantasy books as the end of the year draws close, so I’ll still keep everyone updated on the amount! Right now I’m at 31/30.

I’ve also have been doing a buddy read with the lovely Erica @ novelink_erica on Twitter and we’ve been reading Stalking Jack the Ripper. It’s really interesting so far and we’ve got a lot of speculation going as to who did what and what we think will happen. Expect a review up soon!

screen-shot-2016-10-29-at-11-02-53-pm

I’ve read 40 books this year! It’s crazy to think that I’ve read more books in the last two years that I have in my whole life. And I absolutely love it. ❤

Instagram

So if you didn’t know, I do have an Instagram where I focus on books 99% of the time. I’ve been participating in two challenges this month and I haven’t missed a day, so there’s lots of photos to check out! I feel like I’ve been greatly improving, which really makes me happy, and I’ve been having a lot of fun doing it. Here’s some of my photos I’ve posted this month:

 img_3816 img_3817

Around the Internet

This is a feature I’ve seen in several other blogger’s wrap ups and I think it’s a fun way to show what else I’ve been reading/seeing around the internets!

Life Updates

  • I’ve been getting more into Instagram, as I stated above, and have learned that the Dollar Store is my friend. Book photo supplies are expensive, yo.
  • I’ve been thinking more and more about getting some tattoos that I really, really want but I’m waiting because reasons (and money), and also because I haven’t completely laid out a design yet for one of them. In case you’re wondering, one’s a quote from ACOMAF, the other is a bit of lyrics from Hamilton. I mean, is anyone really surprised? No? I didn’t think so.
  • I went to my workplace’s charity event to raise money and awareness for kids and young adults with mental illnesses, and it went really well! I couldn’t hear/understand the guest speaker the whole time he was talking, but there was a lot of inspirational moments and a lot of people there.
  • I’m on vacation this week! Which I’m glad for considering it’s the first week of NaNo. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a lot of writing done.

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

How was your month of October? Did you do anything fun or go to any Halloween parties? How do we like the new layout of the wrap ups? I’m kind of really digging it! Tell me all the things!

Relating to Characters

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You know when you’re reading and you can feel part of yourself connecting with a character? Whether it’s because of their situation, their personality, how they talk, etc, there is usually something you find in a character that you latch on to and you find yourself needing more and more of that character.

So I was thinking to myself, what kinds of characters do I relate to? Do I relate more toward the hero or the villain? What about the side characters? Is there a reason I always want them to be my best friends in real life? I’m going to decipher all of this and talk about some of each kind of character I can think of that I feel I relate to.

Heroes

  • Karou from Daughter of Smoke & Bone – I feel like I relate to her in the sense that I feel the need to go places I’ve never been before. That wanderlust streak kind of overtakes me sometimes and I just need to get out. Of course, what that really is is anxiety, but still, very similar.
  • Cath from Fangirl – This book was me in college. I’m very much an introvert (well, more like an ambivert with introvert tendencies) and I just always wanted to stay locked up in my room away from everyone and do my own thing. Hell, I’m still like that now – and I’m married. I mean, I love my husband, but I need my Me Time, thanks. Plus, I love to write, as does Cath, so there’s that, too.
  • Samantha from Every Last Word – Now I have never been diagnosed with OCD or any form of it, but reading this has made me think on how I do have certain obsessive thoughts sometimes or how I need something to be just the right way where it was before. Just similar things that made me feel close to her.
  • Kakeru from Orange – I relate so much to him and this manga series because it’s about a character, Kakeru, who has depression and sucidal thoughts after the loss of his mother which he blames himself for. Now, I don’t blame myself for anyone’s death, but I do have depression and I have had suicidal thoughts before, so just the emotions is what I really understand greatly. The whole putting on a happy face and “faking it til you make it” crap… Yeah.

Villains

I honestly don’t know that I relate to villains. I mean, I know I have my ups and downs like anyone, but I generally don’t wish to hurt people. I’m sure there’s a villain somewhere that I relate to, I just can’t think of one right now.

Side Characters

  • Simon from The Mortal Instruments – Simon is like a cute little morsel that I just want to keep in my pocket. Until it melts and gets all gross… BUT he’s funny and sarcastic and points things out like they are and I just love him. He’s probably my favorite character in this series just because of how fun he is.
  • Morrigan from A Court of Misty and Fury – Mor has a tragic past, yes, but she’s loyal to her friends and she’s funny, sarcastic, caring… Honestly, she’s just awesome because she’s also kickass.
  • Despina from The Wrath and the Dawn – I think I’m just drawn to sarcastic characters because every single character on this side character list is sarcastic. But despite that, she’s intelligent and knows how to keep a secret, and she tries to be strong when she should let others help with her burdens.
  • Zuzana from Daughter of Smoke & Bone – I LOVE HER. And her silly sarcastic quips. And her shyness and boldness at the same time. UGH. SHE’S SO AWESOME. I can’t put her into words.

So either I relate to all kinds of mental illnesses, or to sarcasm. Nice. I mean, I’m generally a happy person who loves to smile and laugh, and these characters do, too, once they understand that it’s okay to. I think that’s probably the most relatable part out of all of them.

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

What characters do you relate to? What do you think you’re more drawn to in a character and what does that speak of your own? Do you have any villains you feel you relate to? Tell me all the things!

Criticism vs. Cruelty

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This topic pops up every now and again around the book community about the difference between being critical of an author’s work, and being cruel about it.

When writing a review, everyone wants your 100% honest opinion – and that is so important because you shouldn’t let anything persuade you into doing anything less than that; but there are some people who take that phrase and make it into a game of who can criticize the best, and often that can turn into cruelty.

I always try to look on the more positive side of things in my reviews, stating only some things that bugged me in the nicest way possible while also giving my 100% honest opinion. In those moments I have a choice to say, “I liked this, but didn’t like this because…” And I think that some people forget the “because” part.

I’ve seen reviews where someone said, “This sucked,” and didn’t even explain why it sucked, what part did, why they’re giving their reason for it, just… that’s it. Of course, sometimes that phrase comes out much harsher and it just looks like that person is bashing the author rather than criticizing the work.

When you criticize a book, you’re talking about the good and the bad in a way that’s both helpful to those wanting to know whether or not the book is worth reading, and whether or not the book has more cons than pros, and so forth.

Of course, you don’t have to be a boring presentation that you did in your high school class to get those points across. You can be silly, sarcastic, use swears (constructively), use gifs, etc. I think part of what makes doing reviews so great is that you can have such a variety of styles and ways to express what you felt about the book compared to how someone else felt.

But when you’re writing your review, you really need to sit back and think, “is this constructive, or is this just mean?” Nine times out of ten, you’re probably fine. But read through your post over again just to make sure you’ve explained your reasonings behind any negative criticisms.

You know it’s sometimes easier to just say something like, “I hated that the author wrote the characters this way. If I had any say in it, I would have wrote them this way instead.” That’s just not right because 1) it’s not your work, and 2) everyone writes differently so everyone is going to see things differently.

But if you don’t agree with how a character acts, you might say instead, “I felt that this character changed dramatically throughout the novel because…” Explaining why you think something versus just stating and being a grump about it are two very different things.

But like I also said: everyone has different writing styles and voices their opinions in different ways. Just when it comes down to it, don’t be cruel in your reviews – be constructive.

Let’s Chat! ≧◡≦

How do you view criticism vs cruelty? Do you find that most reviewers are doing a good job at being constructive rather than mean? If you’ve seen a mean or hateful review, what made it that way?