A Recipe to a Very Happy Writer

Writers are interesting creatures. We sit for hours tapping the out stories of characters that we feel emotionally attached to, we stare at a screen or a page for hours when we hit writers block (and yet don't give up), and we gaze into the sky at nothing in particular and imagine what would happen if one of our characters would do X, Y, or Z in the next chapter of our work in progress.

Yep, we're interesting creatures and readers need people like us desperately or where would they be in a bookless world? (the tragedy of a bookless world! *sobs*)

"So how do you make a writer?" you ask. Well I'm glad you did because I've concocted a recipe that's sure to result in the happiest writer out there.

Onwards to the recipe! 

1/2 Cup of Solitude

Writers love their families! We also like some peace and quiet. If we can get the house or even a single room to ourselves without much interruption, somehow the stress of writing or editing a WHOLE novel doesn't feel nearly as heavy. Also, we can play our writing music without headphones which many writers appreciate.

2 Tablespoons of Writing Music

Speaking of writing music, this is another one of those lovely things that writerly people adore. Whether it's got lyrics or is the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, beautiful music inspires our stories.

To make the writer extra happy, include a new soundtrack, or one that relates to their book genre specifically.

1 Cup of Tea or Coffee 

Let's be honest. This is pretty much how writers survive. Many of us are caffeine addicts. It's important to include this ingredient otherwise a happy writer may be a sleepy writer. 

3/4 Cup of The Internet

I couldn't really get away with writing this recipe without including the internet as one of the ingredients. I mean, writers probably spend at least a third of their 'writing time' on social media, or browsing book blogs. We need this time to 'muck around' on the interwebs though. It's partially where we get our inspiration and usually where we go to take a break from the craziness. 

1 Teaspoon of Pinterest 

Many of us writers don't consider Pinterest a form of social media—we consider it inspiration! Too much Pinterest though results in a very unproductive writer so be sure not to add too much of this ingredient.

2 Whole New Books 

(for extra happiness, feel free to increase the amount)

Maybe we spend a lot of time writing books but there will never really be anything quite like getting lost in a book that's not your own. Writers, by nature, are also readers so when addressing this part of the recipe, be sure to think of them as a book fanatic.

A Heaping Spoonful of Sugar 

(or salt...both make wonderful writers)

Snacks are a must. Some of us like cake, some like chips, and others like a platter of veggies. Regardless, this ingredient is crucial. It gives us writers life and keeps us very happy for a long time (until we need a refill).

Mix all of these ingredients together and you're certain to come out with a very happy writer!

Let's Chat!

Did I miss any ingredients? Should some of the measurements be different? Recipes are made to be refined, wordlings, so lets turn this recipe into the ULTIMATE recipe. 
Let me know if you have suggestions in the comments below, or you can tweet me your ideas @cassia_schaar, or send me a picture of the missing ingredient on instagram @cassiaschaar using the hashtag: #ultimatewriterrecipe

Keep on keeping on, Wordlings! 

February | A Basket Full of Memories

What's up, wordlings? So this summary is late but I wanted to write it the week after the conference so I could give you all the full scoop of what happened down in Florida. Also, I had a book review scheduled to go up last week while I was away but it didn't go up for some reason. That'll be ready for next week, guaranteed :) 

This month was a pretty crazy one but it left me feeling satisfied with the direction I'm headed and gave me a new drive to pursue my end goal. Besides that, everything that happened was super enjoyable and I've moved into March with a whole basket overflowing with memories.

Previously, In the Month of February...

1) I tried to write and edit, I really did. However, I realized I had more school assignments than I had anticipated and so I poured my time into that for the first ten days of the month. I'm making up for it as we speak—write like the wind!

2) Tori came up :D We spent ten days exploring the city and the mountains. Instead of rambling on about how awesome it was, I thought, I'd share some pictures instead :) 

Our Valentines Day consisted of ice-cream and a photoshoot at a national park

The ice throne at the ice castle! They played Narnia music too!

Our adventures at the science centre included giant rubber cubes, tony stark technology and a little plush red blood cell that now sits in my bookshelf as one of my writing pals

Can't go ten days without at least trying to turn Tori into a slurpee addict like me!

We visited an antique book store!

Our trip to Banff in the mountains

We signed our names on the wall of the waffle house in Banff ^ ^  

Winter hiking to the frozen water fall

3) I went to the Florida Christian Writer's Conference! If you follow my Facebook page (which you totally should!), then you'll know of the long list of amazing things have happened while I was there.

My purpose in going down was to try to pick up an agent. It's pretty much impossible to get a contract on the spot but I did have two of the agents request a full manuscript from me! One of them wants a book proposal too which is really good news.

The next piece of good news is that I won an award! I got first place for my flash fiction piece, "Adrift". The award is a really sweet victory since that story in particular has been rejected in the past.

The winners from the teen track! Anna, Bethany, me, and Laura

Beyond that, Focus on the Family has some new projects for me, Splickety wants to see my work in their magazine, and I was offered an opportunity to co-teach next year at the conference.

Maybe it sounds cheesy but my favourite part about the trip was getting to reconnect with some of my favourite people, build relationships with new peoples and talk to so many amazing authors! I'm so inspired coming home from Florida :)

Technically I met Ben Wolf last year but this year we actually had some great writerly talks

This sweet lady, Starr, was such an inspiration to me this year. I can't wait for her book to come out sometime in the future! It's gonna be amazing ^ ^ 

Me and my mentor, Bethany Jett :) 

Amanda Davis lead the Teen Track this year and she did an amazing job! I'm so glad I got to know her better this year

February's Monthly Media

1) I re-watched most of "Your Lie in April" with Tori while she was here as well as the beginning of "Guilty Crown". We've agreed to webcam while we finish the both series together. We also watched "Spirited Away" which I really enjoyed.

It was a marathon of feels

2) When I found out that Tori hadn't seen "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", I promptly sat her down, made popcorn, and played the DVD. To this day, it's probably my favourite movie of all time. If you haven't seen it, track it down! DVDs are cheap these days if you can't stream it so you have no excuse ;)

One of my favourite scenes

3) While Tori was here, we went to go see "The 5th Wave". I wasn't a fan of the book for many reasons but the movie fixed a lot of the problems. I actually enjoyed watching the film and I'll probably see the next one when it comes out too.

Well, it wasn't a trashy movie....get it? Cause there's a trash can? 

4) Unfortunately I wasn't able to read Gracekeepers as planned. Instead, I read a play for school and have started a novel for my literature class: "Station Eleven". It's a good story so far but I'm pretty early in yet so we'll see how it goes.

Coming Soon to the Month of March...

1) The rest of "Living City" is scheduled to be completely (well, at least the first draft) edited and I'll be able to write the second draft. This also means it's time for me to look for Beta readers. If anyone has tips on that, I'd be incredibly grateful ^_^

2) Flash fiction time! I've got my list of Splickety themes and I'm gonna start on them. I hope to have at least two written and polished but that's subjective to how many assignments I get this month too.

One of my classmates sent this to me after we handed in a major paper recently XD

3) "Crec" is a hard project. If you've been following me for awhile (or even for the last three months), you'll know my progress on this one isn't as progressive as I'd like. I had the beginning critiqued at the the conference and I also have been working on the timelines of each of the characters. It's difficult, to say the least. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I have to start over. This is the last time, I swear! After this, I'll just have to fix things in the rewrite.

I'm not sure if I'll actually get to starting on it this month but if not, I'll be working on my timelines still so that I'll know what I'm doing when I do start it. 

March's Monthly Media

1) Station Eleven will be read. Since it's for school, it kind of has to be XD I've been wanting to read it for awhile now, though, and I find it interesting that my prof wants to study a mainstream novel.

I have no proof to confirm this but from what I've heard, it's got similarities to that "Night Circus" book that's gotten popular in the last year. If you've read either book, let me know!

2) I'm re-watching "Heroes". For one thing, I love it. Also, I want to watch that new season that came out recently but feel the need to at least catch up on the first season to refresh myself with the premise and the characters (even though most of the characters have been excluded).

Another reason why I'm watching it is because I'm considering cosplaying as Claire Bennet when I go down to Realm Makers in July. They have a costume night and I feel like I could probably do Claire. It's a toss up between her and Tris from the first book/movie (I have long hair so...). Let me know in the comments as to who you think I should do!

So that was my month and also the plan for March :) I'm looking forward to how the opportunities that have been opened up to me will shape my year and ultimately, the path to my becoming of a writer.

See ya all in the comments!

What were some of the highlights from your month? Have any goals for next month?

Keep up the awesomeness, Wordlings! 

8 Essential Items to Pack When Attending a Writer's Conference

Happy weekend, Wordlings!

This Tuesday I'll be boarding a plane to Florida to pitch my novel :D I'm both nervous and excited; this will be a huge step in my writing journey.

Last year, I wrote a post title, "Why You Should Attend a Writer's Conference". This year, as I'm packing, I decided to write a post of the absolute essential items that you MUST pack when attending a writer's conference—cause last year I forgot a few of these things. Oops.

Onwards to the list!

1: Notebooks and Pens (plural) 

Obviously, you'll need them for taking notes from all the wonderful speakers that you're gonna learn SO much from, but they have more purpose than just that! 

Since you're surrounded by other writers and are engaged in writing atmosphere, you're gonna be bombarded with plot bunnies: notebooks are the best way to trap those little suckers. 

Lastly, when pitching to agents or editors, taking notes is uber important. Since you're already doing SO much at the conference, even with a steel-trap memory you're probably gonna forget most of what they say. Writing things down in a notebook is a great way to prevent that. 

2: USB Stick

Sometimes there's little groups of people that will do critiquing sessions or maybe someone that you meet just wants to take a look at your work. I don't trust the internet at conference centres. It's hit and miss and you're definitely not going to be the only one trying to use it (if it's available). 

*like a TV infomercial announcer* But with a USB stick, you'll never not have a way to share your masterpieces!

3: Books! 

Simply because you can't leave the house for a week without at least two books ^ ^. If you have a longer commute like I do and have to board a plane, books will keep you company ;) 

4:  Business Cards, Sample Pages, One Sheets and Author Bios (The Whole Package)

Especially if you're pitching any sort of your work, printing business cards is a great investment. Hand them out to author's you meet or the editors/agents you have appointments with. Another great use for them is that you can give them to your new friends so they can contact you and/or follow your blog when they get home.

The one sheets and such is more for if you actually plan on pitching a novel. I didn't need them last year but this year I'm creating little folders to give to all the people I pitch to. It gives them something to take home with them and remember your work by. It also says something about you as a writer.

5: A Traveler's Coffee Mug and/or A Water Bottle

Late nights and early mornings: two things you can be sre to encounter when attending a writer's conference. Besides all the writing buddies you're bound to make, caffeine becomes your bestest friend. Usually the cafeteria/hotel has tea and coffee that you can fill your mug with so you can carry it with you all day. 

Water is your second bestest friend. I don't know if it's because it's hot and humid in Florida and I'm not used to it or something but I got really dehydrated when I was at the conference last year! I didn't bring a water bottle which I sincerely regretted and am definitely not forgetting this year.

6: Authorly Attire 

Even if the conference says they have casual attire, putting a few extra minutes into your appearance is a good idea—especially if you're trying to get picked up. My view of a conference is that it's essentially an extended time period where you're pitching yourself as well as your book. 

Since there's editors and agents walking around the place, you never know when you'll randomly have a conversation with someone who may be interesting in helping you along your writing journey. I want to look the part if that happens ^ ^ 

7: Money for the Bookstore

Often times there's a bookstore with books from the authors that are there and sometimes also writerly merch :3 The bonus points for buying books here is that A) they're usually cheaper and B) YOU CAN GET THEM SIGNED! :D I did this last year with Bryan Davis' "Reapers" ^ ^

8: Extension Cord

You're gonna be using your laptop a lot but there's no guarantee that you'll get to sit near an outlet all the time to charge it. Carrying an extension cord will fix this problem and ensure that you don't run into that panicked feeling you get when your computer notifies you that you only have 2% battery left during the middle of class.

Have you been to a writing conference? Did I miss anything form the list?

Write on, Wordlings!

Beautiful People Valentines Edition | Why Can't Characters Admit Their Feelings?

Happy Valentines Day, wordlings! Even if you're not in a relationship, this is a time to appreciate your favourite fictional couples. And if you are in a relationship then you get double the love ^ ^

While Valentines Day isn't my favourite holiday, I love thinking about my characters that are together—or the ones I want to get together in a later book ;) This month, Cait @ Paperfury is giving all of us an opportunity to do just that with the Valentine's edition of the Beautiful People link up. It took me a solid few weeks to decide who to do (there's an apparent lack of romance in my novels), but I finally decided on Corson and Theron who are an unofficial couple from my novel, Crec. I'll explain the unofficial part below.

Onwards to the questions!

How did they first meet?

Corson and Theron first met when they were in school together as kids. Living in Lowground (the slums of Crec), the run down school didn't have the means to operate on a large scale. This meant that all kids, no matter what the grade level, were combined into a few classes.

During Corson's first week of school at the age of eleven, she took notice of Theron's ability to defend himself. She wanted him to teach her but was too shy to ask. Instead, she sat down against a tree Theron was sitting against and asked him what he was thinking about. Their first conversation was about their favourite foods, colours and seasons. What else do you expect from eleven and twelve year old kids though? ;)

This is them ^.^ 

What were their first impressions of each other?

Theron thought Corson was nice but a little annoying. He's definitely NOT a people person so having a random girl who had just started school that week approach him was a little weird for him. At first he thought that maybe she was trying to get food or money or something out of him. It took a little bit for him to lose the suspicious attitude.

On the other hand, Corson basically thought Theron was the best thing since sliced bread. She's the one who approached him, after all. I guess you could say she's always had a crush on him ever since she saw his wicked cool self defence moves.

How long have they been a couple?

This is where I explain the unofficial couple thing...

There was never a time when either of them asked the other one out or when they discussed being in a relationship. They've never even kissed. *communal gasp* It's more like they have this shared silent understanding that they both want to be there for each other forever. If we want to put a time on it though, they've been friends for five years.

How committed/loyal are they to each other? Would they break up over a secret or a disagreement? 

As I mentioned above, they're not officially dating so they can't really break up. Even if they were to get into a disagreement, Corson would probably say she was done with the relationship in the heat of the moment but then come back the next day and they'd both apologize and get over it. They're extremely loyal to each other despite their many differences.

Could stress drive them apart? Would they die for each other?

Depends on the type of stress. It would have to be a serious strain on their deep rooted friendship. Either one of them would have to basically go through enough that their personality changes dramatically or something.

And yes, they would die for each other but they've agreed not to. Lowground isn't a great place to live. The military that runs it can be brutal. Theron made Corson promise him one day that she would never put her life on the line for him. She agreed on one condition: that he would never put his life on the line for her. This being said, it's never had to be tested. That's what writing is all about though, isn't it? Authors love pushing the limits of their characters ;) Can I get a 'here, here' from all my author buddies? 

List 5 “food quirks” they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they’re allergic to something, etc….and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)

A slightly younger Corson (minus the pink hair)

Corson 

1) Takes her pine tea with half a spoon of sugar and a little bit of honey if she can afford it. 

2) She eats sandwiches "backwards" according to Theron. By this I mean she doesn't eat starting from that top rounded part of the bread, she starts from the bottom flat part. 

3) If someone is serving her food or tea, she sucks on the tip of her spoon while she's waiting.

4) She's allergic to nuts. She won't die if she eats them—she will get hives though. 

5) When she can find some, her favourite fruit is blueberries. She likes pairing it with goat cheese too. 

Theron

1) He likes bitter tasting stuff. For example, he eats the orange peels of the oranges. 

2) If there's one thing he won't eat, it's chives. Lots of people grow chives in Lowground but he's just not a fan. 

3) Despite not ever adding sugar to his tea or coffee, he always takes a spoon with it and stirs it absentmindedly—especially if he's in conversation with someone. 

4) If somebody doesn't finish all the food on their plate, he'll usually regard them with less respect for the rest of the day. 

5) He's more of a snacker than a big meal eater. He'd rather eat five or six smaller snacks than three meals. 

Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?

Nah. No one really knows that they're together to begin with. They don't really know they're together XD Even if people did know, I don't think anyone would disapprove.

What would be an ideal date?

Well, if they would actually ADMIT TO LIKING EACH OTHER, they'd probably find a secluded rooftop or go into the forrest and have a picnic and just talk. They love talking with each other. There would also be blueberries involved since Corson adores those little blue spheres of goodness.

What are their personality dynamics? Similar? Contrasting? Do they fight a lot or mesh perfectly?

They've got a few similarities but otherwise they're very different from each other. For the most part, they just accept their differences but it's not uncommon that they disagree. In fact, it's very common.

What have been their best and worst moments together as a couple?

They're a pretty simple pair so to both of them, their best moments would be the ones where they can just escape their worries and talk all day. Both of them love taking trips to Fromshir or Haylock Canyon so any day that includes either of those places can be added into their best moment book.

A photo that looks like Haylock Canyon

As for their worst moments, they've had a few ugly fights especially since Theron's started talking about getting revenge for the death of his parents.

Where do they see themselves and their relationship in the next few years?

Well they've recently joined Shadowfore—each with their own reasons but they joined together. Since Shadowfore doesn't allow romantic relationships between their Skaces (soldiers), they're kinda both at an understanding that they'll have to be just friends for awhile. 

Who are your favourite couples in your books? Did you do beautiful people this month?

Write on, Wordlings!

From Textbook to Your Book | The Triangular Theory of Hate

Hello, Wordlings!

This month I'm starting a series called "From Textbook to Your Book" (emphasis on the 'your' ;) ). As a student, I come across an entire....uh, herd?...of plot bunnies and story-research tidbits. University is a gem for that kind of thing!

One day while walking to my world history class, I had a lightbulb moment. What if I turned what I'm learning in school into applicable crash course writing lessons? So here we are!

Today's lesson: Psychology—how to make your characters hate each other (or figuring out why they already do) 

Back when I first started up my blog, I wrote a post called "The Triangular Theory of Love" where I covered the seven different types of relationships people—and characters—could have according to psychologist, Robert Sternberg.

This triangle was something I had randomly stumbled upon so when I was pre-reading for my psych class and came across his inverted version—the triangular theory of hate—I was pretty excited (I also felt pretty academically hipster).

As it turns out, it took awhile for hate to be discussed in psychology. In my text book, the subtitle is "Hate: A Neglected Topic". I don't really blame anyone though. True hate is a strong emotion. Maybe we joke about hating broccoli (for the record, I love those little trees of goodness!) but when it comes to something we actually hate, we probably won't admit it.

Despite this though, I think we can all agree that hate is a strong driving force in many novels that we read and also in the ones that we write.

Katniss hates the Capitol, Harry Potty and Voldemort both hate each other, Regina hates both Emma and Snow White in "Once Upon a Time", and the Loric hate the Mogadorians in the "Lorian Legacies" series. In my novel, "Crec", Ollie hates Shadowfore, the controlling force of the planet.

Hate drives all of these characters to do the things that they do. Many times, it leads to the climax of the story like it does in "Mockingjay", "Harry Potter", and "Once Upon a Time". It's a powerful force!

Just like the triangular theory of love, the triangle offers seven different types of hate all at different levels as seen below.

A visual for the triangular theory of hate

So here's the breakdown:

Cool Hate—just disgust: "I have no desire to be anywhere close to this person"

Hot Hate—just anger/fear: "I absolutely despise this person" or "I'm positively afraid of this person"

Cold Hate—just devaluation: "This person has no place in this world."

Simmering Hate (Loathing)—disgust + devaluation: "These people are the scum of the world, I don't want to associate with them in any way shape or form."

Boiling Hate (Revulsion)—disgust + anger/fear: "Do you honestly think I want to be near them after what they've done?" (can be taken in the context of both fear and anger)

Seething Hate (Revilement)—anger/fear + devaluation: "Why do they even exist? They do nothing for this world." (can be taken in the context of both fear and anger)

Burning Hate (Need for Annihilation)—disgust + anger/fear + devaluation: "I will stop at nothing to rid them from the world. They don't deserve to exist."

Hate is a dreary topic. Here's a cartoon to lighten the mood ^.^

My textbook cites Sternberg by saying, "Groups and governments that 'teach' hatred of other groups are experts at portraying these groups as evil and worthy of distain . . . . we perceive them as "subhuman" and worthy of experimentation, like insects and pests"

Part of some of the types of hatred (specifically the strong types) is the belief that the person or group is better than the group that is hated.

So did Katniss think she was better than the Capitol? Not in a narcissistic way but morally and ethically? She certainly believed firmly that she knew how the districts should be treated. This thought led to her believe that the Capitol (and Snow) should be annihilated.

A lot of the information in my textbook deals with hatred of groups by groups. However when reading up more on the topic, I've discovered that the same principles can be applied to individual people. Instead of influence by a government, perhaps their influence is coming from what their friends' opinions are or their own research and experience.

Hopefully this post has offered some insight that you can use for your story! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below :)

Who and what do your characters hate and why? Can you pinpoint a type of hate that applies to them?

Write on, Wordlings!

How to Balance School, a Job, and All Your Writing Endeavours

So I think I might be a little insane. I mean, not actually insane but when I take a look at my two packed day planers and scribbled in calendar on my wall, I have to question my sanity at least a little bit.

On occasion, I'll observe my somehow coordinated life and wonder how on earth I'm able to pour my heart and soul into a novel all while maintaining a part-time job and keeping decent grades as a full-time student in university. Oh and did I mention that I actually have a social life too?

Yes, Loki. It most certainly is. 

I know I'm not the only student writer out there. In the Go Teen Writer's Community Facebook group that I've been a part of for about five years now, I'll occasionally come across a few questions that go something like this:

Any tips for writing while in school? I just feel like I don't have a lot of time anymore.

Last year, I was one of those people. I used to feel like a fish flopping on the beach whenever I even thought of writing during the week of an exam—and there's always an exam (or a paper).

However, after a lot of trial and error, I think I have it figured out and I want to share what I've learned with all of you.

So shall we get on with it? I think we shall. Onwards!

Figure out what's most important in your life

Obviously, we can't do everything. Overcommitting is a big no-no when it comes to writing because often times, it's writing that's pushed aside when a schedule gets too full. 

For me, I decided that writing and school were my priorities. I love my job but I chose to only work sixteen hours a week. When that still didn't give me enough time for me to write, I cut back on my classes. Many full-time students are taking five courses a semester—I'm taking three. Not only that but I crammed all of them into three days leaving Tuesdays and Thursdays open for my shifts at the bookstore, housework and writing. 

Around midterms and finals, my focus shifts and I cut my word count goals in half. While I still try to write, it's not as high of a priority. 

By figuring out what's important in your life, you'll be able to determine where writing can fit in and around all of life's crazy storms. You'll also be able to see if writing is really important enough to you to cut back in other areas of your life. If it's not, that's okay! Write when you can and don't stress over it :)

Set Goals

Goals are a form of accountability. Meeting goals can also be an excuse to buy yourself new books ;)

Will your goal be daily, weekly or monthly? For me, I need weekly goals. Monthly ones don't have enough pressure whereas daily goals have too much. Do whatever works best for you and more importantly, follow through!

My colourful goal calendar for the month of January. It tracks the days that I'm in class (pinky-red) and the days that I work (blue) so that I can make reasonable goals. My school deadlines are in my day planner but I look at those too. 

Have Writing Buddies

For me, having a writing buddy makes my writing goals seem a lot less daunting. If setting goals on your own doesn't work, grab a writing buddy. They'll keep you on track! 

Writing buddies can also help out with character development and/or plot when you get stuck which will eliminate the dreaded writer's block. 

Another bonus is that you have a word warring partner! Word warring is seriously the most amazing thing for getting in a lot of words and upping your word count. If you haven't tried it, you must! 

Planning is mucho importante

I'm not a planner. Some people have planning in their blood. It's part of their genetics to keep their life organized. Lists and charts and day-planners are a part of their identity. If that's you, this will make sense to you.

But that's not me—maybe that's not you either. 

Despite not being a planner, I still force myself to stay freakishly organized. Between two planners and a calendar, I keep track of all my school, writing and contract deadlines, appointments, shifts at the bookstore and word count goals.

Some of my planning supplies. My weapons of choice ;) 

While you don't necessarily need to have planners or calendars, even sticking some things into your phone will be helpful. That's how I started out, at least.

If you want to get anywhere with writing, you need to make time for it; that means you need to know what you're doing in the rest of your day so that you can figure out when you can write. For me, that sometimes will mean waking up a little bit earlier to get in 500 words before catching the bus. Other times, I'll write 100 words while waiting for my professors to show up. It all depends on how the rest of the day looks.

Give yourself some room to breath

Attending school, holding a job and trying to get a novel published is a stressful combination. Your picture of giving yourself room to breath may be a little different than mine but regardless, it's important to find something that can offer you sanity. Here's a few ideas: 

1) Read a few chapters in a book. Escaping to another world where you don't have to do homework is refreshing!

2) Write 250 words before you study. This will prevent the thought of still needing to write from looming over your head. 

3) Go for coffee (or tea). Or treat yourself to anything before you plough into your workload. Coffee and tea fix everything ;)

4) Have a friend over while you work. For me, I just like being in the company of people. It makes me work more efficiently and also makes me happier to do what I have to do.  

5) Watch an episode on Netflix. Just one ;) Or you can use episodes as rewards for meeting checkpoints you set for yourself. 

6) Take a day off. If it's looking like you just can't make that word count, don't worry about it! It's okay to take days off on occasion. It's definitely better than getting overwhelmed. 

Feel like you can organize your life now? I hope so!

Do you have any tips of balancing writing with the rest of your life? Let me know in the comments so I can add your advice to my arsenal of survival skills ;) 

Write on, Wordlings!

Beautiful People | Maybe I'm Overly Ambitious

Hola, Worldings! This is the time of year when a lot of people are getting into the spirit of setting goals. Cait @ Paperfury is no different. Now that NaNoWriMo is over, so is Beautiful Books That means the regular Beautiful People posts have been resumed. This month, we're talking writing goals! I already touched on this in my yearly summary but the questions that Cait asks have gone into a little more depth so I figured I take a stab at it.

Let's get to it, shall we? Onwards!

What were your writing achievements last year?

I went expanded on this in my yearly summary so I'll stick to the basics. 

My three largest achievements:

1) Getting myself picked up by Focus on the Family Clubhouse Magazine for an article I wrote

2) Going to the Florida Christian Writer's conference (I learned SO much there and I was never sure if I'd ever get to a conference like that)

The awesome conference people. I'm in there somewhere XD

3) I finished my first novel ever :D 

Tell us about your top priority writing project for this year

Definitely polishing "Living City". I hope to have that done by the end of August—potentially sooner if an agent requests it (*crosses fingers that I can get an agent to begin with*). 

I know this is going to take a lot of focus and effort—I'm already finding that it's a huge challenge to edit one book while trying to write another one that's in a separate genre—so I've go to buckle down and keep this schedule of mine. 

List 5 areas you’d like to work the hardest to improve this year

I love this question so much cause it's forcing me to think. Let's see....

1) Staying consistent with my writing. That whole "write everyday" thing that people talk about has been applied to my life and I want to keep it that way. 

2) The beginnings of my novels. I know I can always edit them but I really wish I felt good about my beginnings while I write them.

Writing beginnings, I feel like this poor girl

3) Character voices. Making each character distinct from one another and also making each POV character easily distinguishable between novels is something I want to master one day. 

4) Emotion. I'm not a terribly emotional person and already I'm noticing that it's showing in my novel. The emotional reactions of many of the people isn't what it should be. I've got my trusty "Emotion Thesaurus" though. It shall be my guide ;)

5) My platform. By the end of the year, I want to master blogging and keeping up my Facebook page. By NaNo, I hope to include twitter into the mix. I also have plans to buy a domain and print business cards. It's a lot of work but I'm willing to put the time into it. 

Are you participating in any writing challenges?

Yep! Camp NaNo in April for "Crec" and NaNoWriMo in November for "Sunken Sky". I also may participate in Voice Week again. I did it in 2014 and it really changed the way I looked at writing defined voices. Since voices are a focus of mine this year, it's definitely worth the consideration.

What’s your critique partner/beta reader situation like and do you have plans to expand this year?

Currently I have seven Alpha readers. One of them who is both an Alpha and Beta reader is also my unofficial critique partner. As for expanding: yes, I DO have plans for that. I hope to get more Betas: male and female, writer and non-writer. This month I'll hunting for them since I have it in my schedule to send my manuscript out to them in February.

Do you have plans to read any writer-related books this year? Or are there specific books you want to read for research

Yes I do! "The Emotion Thesaurus" for one, is great for research; "Now Write! Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror" is one I picked up from my book store specifically for the writing exercises at the end of each informative chapter; and "Blogging for Writers" is one that my sister got me for Christmas that has some great technical and market tips. I hope to read all three and write reviews for them right here. I'm looking forward to it ^ ^

Pick one character you want to get to know better, and how are you going to achieve this?

Hm....probably Masara Gold. I know a lot about her but I can't seem to write effectively in her voice. Maybe I don't know her as well as I think I do?

Since I'm working on "Crec" this year, I definitely need to get the hang of her. I'll be CCing (character chating) with her and use her in the writing exercises in the "Now Write!" book. Also, I have a few tips and tricks I'm gonna use on her.

This picture of Masara's celebrity look alike reminds me of a scene I recently wrote :) 

Do you plan to edit or query, and what’s your plan of attack?

Edit, yes. I wrote my process down in last month's Beautiful Books post. As I mentioned above, I hope to have the whole thing polished by the end of August. Of course, this means that I'll need to edit every day until then. Bring it on.

As for querying, I'll be doing that in the summer if I don't get picked up by anyone at the conference in Florida. All I know about the queries is that I'll be looked for agents instead of going directly to a publishing house.

Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”  What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?

I want to see more retellings of stories that aren't classified as a fairytale. For example, I've found a few for Frankenstein in my bookstore and I know there's one for the Nutcracker out there. Some retellings of Shakespeare plays would definitely hold my interest.

Excuse me while I check out a few of these from my library

As for the holes, I thing YA need more mythology that's not written by Rick Riordan (which I love, don't get me wrong). Even adult fiction needs it. I want to see more of this ^ ^ I touched briefly on some other holes in my post, "7 Reasons Why Every Aspiring Author Should Work In a Bookstore". 

What do you hope to have achieved by the end of 2016?

I go into more detail with this in my yearly summary post. Basically I have four main goals. 

1) Prep for the conference in February (business cards, one sheets and all that jazz) 

2) Polish "Living City" 

3) Draft "Crec" 

4) Draft "Sunken Sky" 

I'm ambitious, I know ^ ^ I also know that I'm not the only one ;) But hey, this way I'll never run out of stuff to do this year! Three cheers for that!

Get it? Three cheers? :D 

What are your writing goals this year? 
Did you do Beautiful Books? Share a link with me in the comments and I'll stop by your blog!

Happy New Year, Wordlings!