Progress!

I wrote 2700ish words yesterday, bringing my word count up to 14352. I tried to write a bit more last night but once Brent went to bed Bryce refused to let me near the computer. I'm nearing a part that I've already written, I just need to rewrite it and edit it to fit the timeline of my story. This will be a huge leap in my word count and it'll be about a day's worth of writing already written out, so that's nice. I just hope I can make it for so I don't have to scrap it. I have it written into my outline, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. 

I finally feel like I'm making progress in my story though! That's a good feeling. The beginning was just weighing me down. In my original draft, I just did a quick summary of the events leading up to the scene I have to rewrite, and those events are going to cover three chapters now. It's crazy. 

Comments!

I think I figured out how to allow comments on my posts...
So, any and all comments are welcome on any posts from here on out. (Or my old ones if you want...)

Writing update!

I just hit 10k words, and I've still got a fair bit of writing to do today. I feel like the beginning is going to be so horribly bumpy, but once I make it past there, I can bust out the middle and the ending, and go back and smooth out the wrinkles and inconsistencies.
I can't believe I'm actually at 10k though. I thought I'd never make it there...
And I'm less than two full chapters in.

Dear Future Reader,

I'm sorry about what I'm going to put Nara through. I really am. Don't hate me. 

-Renae

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars (on goodreads I rated it a 4, because I can't choose 3.5 but 3 seems too low)

Plot: Charlie writes a series of letters throughout the course of his freshman year of high school, where he explores himself, friendships, relationships, and the strength of his family. This book touches on many issues that teenagers face, some of which get ignored or hushed up because they're controversial.

My Thoughts: I liked it. Then I hated it. Then I decided, "You know what? I'm not going to read this. Why should I read a book I don't like? Just because it's popular doesn't mean I have to like or read it." Then I went to work and opened my Kindle up to this book and decided to give it another go and finished it within a couple of hours. It was a good book, but it wasn't particularly great like I was expecting (thanks, Tumblr). I feel like I can relate to Charlie on so many levels, but at the same time, I don't understand how or why he works the way he does. I think that's kind of the point though. I wish I'd known about this book when I was younger. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Dobby tells Harry not to go to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron steal a flying car. They get in trouble. The Chamber of Secrets is opened. Things happen.

My Thoughts: First, I feel very silly writing out the plot of the Harry Potter books because everyone knows what happens. So hopefully ^ that will suffice. Second, and I mean this with as much respect to JKR as she deserves, but I've always kind of thought that The Chamber of Secrets was a filler book. It wasn't bad, but it definitely was not my favorite in the series. It obviously sets up a lot as far as Horcruxes go, and as far as book Ginny + Harry is concerned, but it's always just sort of been the one I skip through whenever I do a reread because I'm not that interested. 

Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Plot: Amy is home alone when They come. It's clear from the beginning that her parents are dead. Surviving only because of her mom's paranoid precautions, Amy adapts to life in the After-- lonely, and absolutely silent, because They have supersonic hearing, and if They hear her, she will die. One day, Amy stumbles across a toddler in the produce aisle of a supermarket while she's scavenging for food. After taking the little girl (who Amy calls "Baby") under her wing, the girls keep each other alive, and look out for one another. It was lonely, but they lived for each other. When Amy and Baby discover a small town of survivors, Amy realizes that there are downfalls to finding civilization, and that not everything in the After is as it seems.

My Thoughts: I won this book in a giveaway from Class of 2k14, and it sat on my shelf for a few weeks before I started to read it. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I wanted to know why it was happening. I was intrigued by the story, and very pleased with the ending. This book is fantastic. It's kind of an easy read, but that makes flying through the pages that much better. The sequel to this book is set to release in June, and I am so excited to see how Amy and Baby's story ends! If you can, pick up this book as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

Poetry Assignment 2/14/2014

This was a repetition exercise. I needed to have repetition in the way lines start and flow, as well as the rhyme scheme. It's so cheesy that it actually kind of makes me sick, but whatever.

I am a mom; my son is my life
I am a woman, and I am a wife

I’m the kisser of knees, and the maker of beds

I’m the reader of bedtime stories, in a pile to be read

I am a writer; words are my art

I am dramatic, and I take things to heart

I’m the drinker of coffee, and the lover of pages

I’m the champion of naps; I can sleep for ages

I am a cuddler; I love to snuggle

I am a student, and I’ve learned to juggle

I’m the giver of hugs and the fixer of toys

I’m the mom who does what she can for her boys

Poetry Assignment 1/25/2014

I was told to list 45-60 words that resonate with m; words I can say with conviction and feel in my heart. Then I needed to take at least seven of those words and write sentences with them, showing what they mean to me and how I relate to them. After that, I needed to write a few lines of poetry using one or more of those sentences or ideas. Poetry is not my thing, but I'm working at it slowly.

List of words: 
books coffee read peaceful alone learning teaching growing motherhood laughter closeness family
holiday longing writing together surrounded chaos beautiful wonderful memories happy mountains love
life time changes crazy habits anxiety summer daydream childhood energy husband musical tired
distractions marriage words friend delight bookshelves pages trust comfort nature remember
knowledge introvert

Seven words and sentences: 
1) The pages of my books are what an oversized sweater would be to most people—they keep me
warm, they keep me safe, and they give me the comfort that no human interaction could ever satisfy.
2) I can talk to customer after customer at work without a problem, but the anxiety that overcomes me
every time my phone rings is crippling and sickening.
3) Motherhood is a lifestyle, not a curse; it is a blessing, not a job.
4) I wish coffee gave me as much energy as a three minute nap gives my son.
5) I’m tired of being so tired; I can sleep for 12 hours and feel like I never went to bed.
6) As an introvert, I don’t crave human interaction; but that doesn’t mean that I like to be alone.
7) My family are my friends, and my friends are my family; genetics don’t mean anything when it comes
to the people you love.

Lines of poetry: 
The pages of my books are what an oversized sweater
Would be to most people—
They keep me warm
They keep me safe
They give me the comfort that no human interaction could ever satisfy
I treasure the written word
As if it were so delicate that one day
It might just disappear