Tag Archives: writing

Camp NaNoWriMo 2019

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It’s that time of year again friends when I say I’m going to do the thing and then fail horribly!

BUT NO MORE!

I’m determined this year to write the hell out of my novel for Camp and I’m going to DO IT, DAMMIT. No more excuses. No more games. I’m going to write this novel if it’s the last thing I do!

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk writing and such!

First of all, what is Camp NaNoWriMo? Camp NaNoWriMo takes place every April and July and is a more relaxed (or stressful) version of NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) takes place every November where the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but Camp NaNo allows you to set your own word count goal on their website, so if you just want to write a short 5,000 word story, go for it! If you want to be ambitious and hit 100,000 words, go for it! It’s a fun, community type of event that focuses on writing and creativity.

What am I writing this year?

The same thing I began working on last year but didn’t get farther than just over 1,600 words. Its working title is called “Dark & Burning” and I really like my concept of elemental magic, mental illness, love, friendship, family, and the balances between light and dark.

Here’s the synopsis:

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.


Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.


In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

The synopsis will probably change as time goes on and I write more of the story, but for now that’s what I’ve got.

As of the time of writing this post, I’ve actually written a decent amount since my first attempt at this storyline. I’ve been slowly working on bits and pieces, scenes and chapters as they’ve come to me, so right now I have 15,423 words written. That’s, uh, way more than I thought??? When did I write this much???

Of course I’m going to use this number towards my 50,000 word goal for Camp. Why should I knock my own progress just because I started before the event itself? I’m not going to do that, but I’m also not going to stop myself just because I might reach that goal, you know?

The Stats

There’s a bit of stats that go into Camp and NaNo every year, so let’s break it down:

  • To reach my 50k goal I’ll need to write 1,667 words per day during the month.
  • Since I’ve written 15,423 words, to reach the 50k goal I only need 34,577 words.
  • BUT because I’m allowing my novel to flow for however long it needs to be to be told until I’m satisfied, I’m still aiming to reach 50k NEW words written for the month. So that means that if I write anything more between now and next week, then I’m still aiming to write 50k new words, even if my word count total is above 20k… you get it?

Let’s break it down more into goals because why not? I’m just using this as a guideline than an obligation to stick to:

  • By the end of week one, Sunday April 7th, I want to have 12,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week two, Sunday April 14th, I want to have 24,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week three, Sunday April 21st, I want to have 36,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week four, Sunday April 28th, I want to have 48,000 new words total.
  • By the end of the month I want to have 50,000 new words total.

And to incentivize myself, I’m going to award myself small prizes for achieving said goals each week! Whether that be a treat-yo-self day, watching an episode or two of Critical Role campaign one, watching a movie, whatever, I want to give myself rewards for reaching my milestones.

The Survival Kit

Alright, well, since I’ve turned much into a “mood” reader and writer the last couple of years, I’m making a conscious decision to push that aside in order to pursue my dreams, SO, with that, let’s talk about some of the essential things I’ll want to use during Camp:

  1. Music – I’m under the firm belief that every writer needs music, whether it be pop ballads, sensual R&B, lo-fi, grunge, classical, nature sounds, whatever, I think music really helps to get into the right headspace and focus. So me, personally, I’ll listen to a lot of lo-fi playlists or fantasy music playlists that I can easily tune out to just have as background noise while I write.
  2. My very vague synopsis, character listings, and major plot points documents – I seriously wouldn’t get very far without these because, yes, I forget my own characters’ names. Whoops. I also have these as a way to remind myself of the general direction I want things to go in, but they are by no means an obligation to the story at hand. I’m a writer that likes to have the characters and world lead, even with some guidelines.
  3. Food – Okay, you know this one’s a given. I can’t write if I don’t have the energy or brain power. Food is good, and not junk food! I mean like means and veggies and stuff.
  4. The support of fellow writers, my husband, and friends and family – Now, I’m not usually a person super big on community. I prefer to be alone in many things and in many ways, but this year I’m trying to change it up and involve people in my creative process and my creative endeavors. For example, I had an in depth discussion with my husband when we went out to dinner one night about my story and what I want to write for it, and he’s practically demanding that I write it! He’s seriously excited to read it, and not just because I’m his wife lol
  5. The USB drive to hold all of my work – ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP. NO exceptions. If you’re going to write and work on something important, you better have a backup somewhere in case your computer decides to not turn on again one day. You never know, and then you’ll be out that hard work.
    • An alternative option to this is to write in Google Drive’s documents option where it autosaves your work. You’ll just have to remember your Google password and such if you’re bouncing from computer to computer.
  6. Forest app – This app is very cute and cool because you can grow a tree as much as you want for as long as you’re productive. It’ll yell at you to stop looking at it, but will also give you little bits of motivation. You can set your time for how long you want to be productive and not look at your phone and stuff, which is cool.

That’s it! I’m excited to start Camp next month (next week!), but I’m also excited to just have this passion back for writing again. I seriously missed it.

Let’s Chat!

Are you participating in Camp NaNoWriMo? What’s genre are you writing? Care to share a synopsis or general idea of what your story’s about? Let me know!

2018 Holiday Gift Guide

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It’s the holiday season once again, and I’m coming at you with another gift guide!

Okay, so I haven’t actually done one of these since 2015, but… still!

Here’s the 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for bookish and writerly people!

For this guide, I wanted to focus on some of the more practical and everyday things that people can find useful in their lives, so I’ve listed five bookish related and five writerly related items below that I think you (or your favorite bookworm/writer in your life) will enjoy. I’ll include links to the various products for easy browsing!

For the Bookish

  1. Book themed planner/calendar – I actually discovered this planner while I was in Barnes and Noble a couple of weeks ago. It included spaces at the beginning of each month for books to read and books that you’ve read in that month, and each month talk about famous author birthdays, famous book publishing days, and more. But you can also find a ton of literary themed planners and calendars on etsy!
  2. Candles – Okay, I know some people don’t like them, but a lot of readers find that having a candle lit is not only aesthetic, but also very calming while reading. You can find literary candles all over, but check out Novelly Yours on etsy. They’ve got a lot of great candles in amazing scents.
  3. Totes, art, bedding, & more – Have you heard of Society6 or RedBubble? Well, people can create designs and sell them via this platform, and so there is no shortage of book themed items there. If you’re looking for a tote to carry your books in, or you need new bedding because yours are old and falling apart, check out Evie Seo’s shop for some cool designs! She’s one of my favorite designers, and the products from the companies are really good.
  4. Bookmarks – Let’s be clear: bookworms will never say no to bookmarks. They’re practical, even if they get lost easily, and there’s so many cool designs to choose from. Plus, they’re cheap enough, so why not get your favorite bookworm a few bookmarks? You could even take it a step further and get them a personalized one!
  5. Bamboo book holder – This is for my e-book readers, but say you’re trying to cook or workout or whatever, and you just can’t hold the book? Well, why not check out a bamboo book holder? Being made of bamboo, they’re sturdy and will be able to hold your e-reader perfectly.

For the Writerly

  1. Stationary – You can find TONS of different kinds of stationary online. They come in all sizes and colors, so here’s an example of some of the kinds you can get.
  2. Tombow pens – Okay, if your writer friend is into bullet journaling at all, then these Tombow pens are the way to go. They come in a multitude of colors and are pretty affordable.
  3. Lumbar pillow – Let me tell you, if you have a writer friend then their back is probably in pain. Hours of sitting wherever they’ve plopped to write can really take a toll on the back, so why not gift them a lumbar pillow? They’re these pillow that can hook onto the backs of chairs and provide that extra needed support for the lower back.
  4. Journal – Old school here, but I love getting journals. Even if I don’t use them, just knowing that I have them brings a peace of mind that I can’t explain. Writers appreciate them a lot because it gives us space to write our ideas when nothing else is around us and they can be much like our diaries, but for our stories. There are pocket-sized and regular sized journals to choose from, so pick one you think would best suit them!
  5. A mug – Listen, writers can stay up for hours on end just chugging away at their story, so they’re going to need caffeine (or whatever beverage of choice they want) to keep them going, so why not get them a mug? You can find cool writerly ones like this mug here that says, “I am a writer: anything you say or do may be used in a story.”

Okay, so some of these things are pretty obvious or ones that have been talked about more times in many blogs that I can count, but still: shopping for a bookworm or a writer can be easy if you know what to look for. Just think about what they like or what they need and apply that to your gift giving ideas this year.

Have a happy holiday season!

Let’s chat!

What kinds of gifts do you hope for as a bookworm or writer? Let me know!

Fan Fiction Galore & Why You Should Read Some

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So, as I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’ve been reading – and writing! – a lot of fan fiction lately. Like. A lot, a lot. I’ve kind of slowed down, though, but I still find fan fiction to be a very interesting genre.

What’s fan fiction?

Simply that! It’s a work of fiction based on characters or a setting from a published book that fans write their own story on, either with those characters or in that setting.

It’s all non-canon and really just fun bits of story for the fans to enjoy and divulge theirselves in when the story is over.

What kind of fan fiction is out there?

Well, there are various websites dedicated to fan fiction, such as:

And many more, I’m sure. But what kinds of stories of fan fiction can you find out there?

Pretty much if there’s a fandom for something, there’s bound to be fan fiction for it, such as:

  • Book/manga/comic fandoms: Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments, My Hero Academia, etc.
  • Video games: Final Fantasy, League of Legends, etc.
  • Movies/TV: Arrow, Supernatural, etc.
  • Celebrities/Real People: BTS, EXO, etc.

If you have a favorite of anything you can probably find a fanfic or two written about the characters from that series somewhere, which also means you can most likely find your favorite ships that may not be canon in those other forms of media.

There’s the soft, fluffy kind of writing that gives you all the warm fuzzies and makes you want to snuggle your dog close to you, and then there’s the hard smut that makes you heated and want to take a cool shower. But don’t be fooled: not all writing is well done, just like a book would be. Some stories have no plot, some just have horrible grammar, and others are just a mess and why do they exist?

But when you do find those gems? Oof, be prepared for the rabbit hole you’re about to fall into.

But doesn’t it take away from the original at all?

Not at all! There have been instances that I’ve heard of where the fanfic is better than the original, but that’s not always the case at all. It’s really just a fun and engaging way to keep the hype of the fandom thriving, to reach out to a community of likeminded people, and to just have fun.

The whole reason I got into one of my favorite anime/manga pairings, Bakugo Katsuki x Uraraka Ochako (aka Kacchako) from My Hero Academia, was because of fan fiction. I just happened to be scrolling through the tag on tumblr one day and saw someone post the next chapter to their story there. I’d never read fan fiction before that day, and boy was I sad I hadn’t done since then because WOW was it good! The writing was very atmospheric, very well done, and just had you wanting to read the next chapter and the next chapter without stopping.

That fanfic is “Two Black Dots” by Tharros. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to either get into the pairing or just as a way to see what fan fiction is like.

Through this work, I found many others like it that were written well, had a fun and engaging story, and brought me closer to the community as a whole. That’s how I found a bunch of friends that I’ve made in recent months, and even why I started to write my own fan fiction!

Here’s a few more recommendations of Kacchako fanfics:

I could link some dirty stuff, but I’m not going to. You’ll have to find that on your own lol

Writing fan fiction is…

Fun. It’s so fun! Seriously, I get to take these two characters (or more or less), whom I love, and have them engage with one another in a situation that I’ve cooked up in my head and that’s just so incredibly amazing to me. It’s like I’m writing my own personal stories, but just borrowing the characters and setting/world from someone else.

Of course I would never claim these characters to be my own. Their not, and I don’t want that kind of responsibility for such a huge series right now, haha!

But I’ve found something in writing fan fiction that I hadn’t expected to: happiness.

I had forgotten the joy of writing and how bringing a smile and happiness to other people could really just make me feel fulfilled. That’s why I mostly write fluff pieces that involve cute romances, flustered bad boys, and brave sweet girls. Seriously, it’s great.

Here’s a few of my favorites that I’ve personally written:

  • Show Me More – (ongoing series) In this pop idol AU, Bakugou Katsuki is still hellbent on becoming the number one hero and proving to himself and Japan just what kind of hero he can be. That is, until one day when he saves Uravity, a pop idol sensation that he really likes (but would never admit publicly) from a drunk man at his favorite ramen shop that everything begins to change. But will his goals be so affected from this chance encounter that he loses sight of what he’s craved most in the world since his childhood?

    As for Uraraka Ochako, living lift as an idol was something she had been doing for years now – and she loved it. She was finally able to provide for her family and make so many people happy with her music. But the longer she’s in the spotlight, the more she longs for a quiet life outside of it. She just wants to live a life where she isn’t constantly being hounded by paparazzi or having to please everyone around her. So when she meets a grumpy-faced young man at a ramen shop she snuck off to without anyone knowing, she could have never guessed how much her life would change as result.

  • Puppy Love – Bakugou gets hit by a quirk that can turn the person hit with it into any animal or object the person who hit them with it desires. Well, they turned him into a Pomeranian and he is NOT having it. Plus, someone has to take care of him until the quirk’s effects wear off in about a week, but who’s going to take care of him? Certainly not any of his friends. But then Uraraka offers and he figures it’s better than the alternative. But while in this form he realizes a few things about the brunette that he hadn’t been willing to admit before.
  • I’m Here – A group of villains attacks the facilities in which Melissa Shield works, causing a lot of destruction in the process of their endeavors, including injuring Melissa. One particular streak of green lightning comes in to save them all, but can he? And what can Melissa do to try to help, if at all?

To check out the rest of my works, you can check them out here!

Overall, I can’t believe I never gave fan fiction the chance until several months ago when I just happened upon that one link on tumblr. Since then, I’ve been supporting my friends by reading their works, writing my own, and just having a lot of fun with it.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

If you haven’t checked out any fan fiction before, what’s stopping you? You should really try a few and see how you like it. It’s fun to see what people can come up with outside of what the author originally did in their work. Let me know in the comments about your thoughts on the topic!

NaNoWriMo 2018

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Guess who’s participating in NaNoWriMo again this year? Meeeee~

Hey guys, how’s it going? Long time no see. Hope you’re all doing well!

So what’s NaNoWriMo you ask? National Novel Writing Month is a 30 day writing challenge that takes place from November 1-30 where you are challenging yourself to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s a super fun (and kind of exhausting) challenge, and if you love to write or you have a story idea that you’ve been dying to tell, then this is probably the challenge for you!

Of course you don’t have to write 50,000 words if you’re unable to or if your story doesn’t need to be that long, but the goal is to reach that word count if you can in 30 days.

I’m determined this year to reach that goal (and beyond) because last year I did terribly (only over 500 words, ouch), and they weren’t even good words. BUT THIS YEAR (since I’m writing this on the 3rd of November) I already have over 6k words of content for my story. I’ll admit that most of those words were written over the last couple of months when I had the inspiration to write them, but eh, who cares? They’re still part of my story and they still count toward my end goal, so that’s all that matters.

What’s my story about?

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.

Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.

In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

It’s a fantasy story full of elemental magic, inner and outer demons, discovering yourself, saving those you love, and the power that darkness and fear can hold and just how one simple thing can change it.

I don’t want to share too much about it as I have a lot of ideas and I want to write them all out to see what path comes into fruition and which one doesn’t. I have high hopes for this novel, though, because it deals with a lot of real emotions and themes that I have dealt with myself (depression and anxiety), so I want to take my time but also rush through it to get it all out, you know?

What are some of my goals for the month?

Here’s what I’m aiming for and hoping to make happen:

Word Count Goals

  • By 11:59PM November 3rd: Have 5k words written – COMPLETE
  • By 11:59PM November 10th: Have 15k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 17th: Have 30k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 24th: Have 45k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 30th: Have 50k words written

I’m giving myself full week stretches to reach these goals. I think they’re realistic to my writing style, and they’re in line with the actual NaNoWriMo word count goals.

Other Goals

  • Reach one major plot point by each word count goal above.
  • Flesh out the need and cause of the war more.
  • Determine what is actually going to happen at the end or toward the end, and how will it play out after that.

I think that having these simple goals in mind will help me to successfully write my novel this month.

Anyway, I’m excited about this novel. I’ve already got good response from my husband (who isn’t just hyping me because he’s my husband but because he’s genuinely interested in my story) and some friends and acquaintances from snippets I’ve shown. I finally found a character that can handle the darkness I want to write about, and with elements (literally) that I love.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you participating in NaNo this year? What genre is your story? Do you have any goals that you want to reach this month that doesn’t involve the word count? Let me know in the comments below!

Camp NaNoWriMo 2018

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Hey guys, I’m participating in Camp NaNoWriMo again this year! I have an idea I was trying to work on last year for NaNoWriMo in November, I think, but I’m deciding to revisit it because I never got farther than about 500 words into the first chapter.

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

What is Camp NaNoWriMo?

Camp NaNoWriMo is a virtual writer’s retreat, designed for maximum flexibility and creativity. We have Camp sessions in both April and July, and we welcome word-count goals between 30 and 1,000,000. In addition, writers can tackle any project they’d like, including new novel drafts, revision, poetry, scripts, and short stories.

With that being said, here are some of the basics of what my story is going to be about this time:

Word Count Goal: 10,000 words

I hope to reach 10,000 words by the end of the month. Of course, I know my story is going to be much more than 10k words, but I am out of practice with writing, so I want to give myself an easier pace and an easier time with really focusing on the story and not rushing just to reach the 50k goal.

This means I only have to write 333-334 words per day every day this month to reach that goal. Considering I can very easily write 1,000 words in a half hour if I’m on a roll and really excited for the chapter I’m writing? Yeah, it’ll be easy. I hope.

Rough Synopsis:

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.

Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.

In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

I know this doesn’t give a lot of information, but I’m still working on it haha!

I also have a Pinterest Board that shows the kind of feel and aesthetic I’m going for with this story.

So there you have it! I hope I’m successful this time around because I really want to get back into writing and creating again. I want to work on an outline before the start of the month, so I hope I’ll be able to get that done before the first (not that I’ll be able to work on it because I’ll be busy and gone all day since it’s Easter and have plans already).

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you participating in Camp NaNo this month? Even if you’re not, do you have any writing projects you’re working on? Are you trying to write more character-driven stories, or more plot-driven? Tell me all about what you’re writing!