My Writing Life - April 2020

This week, I thought I'd share a little background/update about what's going on with my writing life. It's something I don't talk about much with most people, for some reason. I'm not embarrassed by it or anything, but it doesn't come up much. So I thought this would be a good place to share. 

I've been writing my whole life: journals, stories, poems, pretty much everything. In sixth grade, I had a binder I carried around, writing a novel about a game my brother and I had played as kids--The Princess and the Thief. I used to tell everyone I would get it published by the time I was 16. Then I grew up a little, realized that my book was actually not good at all (makes sense, seeing as I wrote it when I was 11) and got interested in other things. 

In middle school and high school, my main focus was friends and dance. I continued to write, just not as much. I didn't really have a dream of being a published novelist anymore. I was in my high school journalist class, went through a huge poetry phase, and started (but didn't finish) countless novels. I also wrote a date ideas book that got published when I was 19. 

After Ben and I broke up, Ben discovered Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month, where writers come together to write a minimum of 40,000 words on their novel in November. We were talking over texts and Facebook and he got me interested in it. I decided to write a memoir of types about my summer and how I dealt with the break up with Ben. Not very far in, it felt very silly to me and I gave up on it. My brother Jon read it, though, and told me he wanted to read more. That encouraged me to pick it up again. It took me a long time--I finished in February--but I finished it at over 40,000 words, more than I'd ever written on a single project before. And it ended up changing my life--because Ben had been sending me what he was writing, he wanted me to reciprocate. I pushed past feeling self conscious at how personal it was and sent it. He said he couldn't put it down and he loved how authentic I was about myself in it. It reminded him of how much he loved me. Two months later, we were married! 

After we got married, I tried Nanowrimo several times again, this time with novels. I never made it past 20,000 words, but each time I learned something new. I learned that I need structure and an outline (and I had to actually learn about story structure for that), I learned that I write better in short word count spurts (I think I could get a high daily word count, I would just need to break up my writing sessions throughout the day), and I learned that I actually can be creative. I always struggled with brainstorming and coming up with ideas, and I thought that was because I wasn't "a creative person". Now I understand that creativity is a skill like any other and I can learn it. 

I started my current project (a dystopian Rapunzel retelling) in the fall after Rylee was born, in October of 2018. Learning to write my first draft was a process, but I finished it (over 45,000 words) about a year after starting it. I'm currently working on the second draft, which (after filling in a lot of the middle and rewriting the entire ending) is going to be about 65,000 words. I'm so close to finishing, I have about one and a half scenes left! 

My plan going forward is to edit another draft of my current project and then move on. I want to get the practice of editing it, but I don't want to put in the amount of work it would take to get it to a publishable point. I have learned a ton about story structure, tension, and character arcs since I wrote the first draft of my last project. I know I still have a long way to go, but I'm confident that the first draft of my next project will be better and I'm planning on editing it to a publishable point. 

Update on the Kids

Today I wanted to do a quick update on how all of the kids are doing.

Ashtyn 

Ashtyn is flourishing. She has so many things she is interested in and is constantly learning new things. Some of the things she is interested right now include Perler beads, writing music (she's assigned notes to the baby piano we have and she writes them out into different orders and then plays them), creating recipes for a recipe book she's making (of different colored water that "tastes good"), Super Smash Brothers, making things out of paper (recently it's been necklaces and matching games), and making mini video games (Ben discovered a program that is good for kids and he and Ashtyn make them together).

Some other things she likes to do: she loves to "make pixy dust" out of chalk by grinding it to powder on the sidewalk and to make colored water out of the chalk. She also loves to dig in the dirt, play make believe games with Parker, do tricks (somersaults, jumping off the couch, etc.), do yoga, draw and color, and make blanket forts.

Ashtyn has lost five teeth now (four grown up teeth have come in) and is wiggling her sixth. She's learning to ride a two wheeler. The bike she has is a little tall, so it's harder for her to start, but once we start her she rides and stops on her own. She's also making progress with reading. She recently moved up from pre-level 1 books to level 1 books, something she was very excited about. I don't think it'll be long before she moves up again.

The chores she is in charge of right now include cleaning the bathroom mirror, sink, and toilet; getting her room ready to vacuum and vacuuming her room; cleaning up toys after she's done with them; clearing her own dishes after meals; helping set the table (she is in charge of sweeping under the table and putting waters at everyone's spot). She a dollar for doing the bathroom and her room.

She is pretty picky about what she likes, but she'll eat most anything. Her least favorite foods are beans and rice, spaghetti, and sweet chicken. Her favorite meals are chicken nuggets with honey mustard, cheese pizza, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and potato cheese casserole.

She loves reading and being read to still. Her favorite books to read are Dr. Seuss books and Elephant and Piggy books. She also loves getting nonfiction picture books about things like bugs, baby animals, and the solar system. We just finished reading the first Harry Potter book (me reading to her) and she loved that and right now we're reading Charlie and the Chocolate factory. 

Parker 

Parker is a light in our lives; when she's happy, she can't help but spread that happiness to everyone around her. She loves to do things herself and often laments that she's not a grown up yet. She loves babies-if there is a baby around, she stays close to play with the baby, rather than playing with the older kids.

Parker loves to dress up and accessorize--she will spend big chunks of time in the pantry picking out her outfits throughout the day, then shed her accessories as she plays. She still loves to dance and move her body, and often sleeps in her ballet shoes. She also still loves princess movies, but doesn't play with her princess toys as often. She's also very into super heroes, especially Spiderman now (thanks to her love of her cousin Thomas, who loves super heroes). Her favorite things to do are to play make believe with Ashtyn or to draw.

We recently potty trained Parker and she's done pretty well. She went through a period of poop accidents and that was really hard, but she makes it every time now.  She still has pee accidents sometimes, but she knows how to clean them up herself and is making good progress.

Parker cleans the lower part of the bathroom (the baseboards, doorknobs, tub, etc.), always to Disney music (so it's not "boring") and vacuums her room as well, for a dollar. She also is in charge of cleaning up toys after she's done with them, clearing her dishes after eating, and helping set the table (she's in charge of silverware and sometimes helping with the plates).

Parker is not a picky eater at all. She will eat almost anything. Her least favorite meal right now is spaghetti. Her favorite foods include crackers with sandwich meat ham, cookie dough balance bars, chicken nuggets with honey mustard, hamburger and potato casserole, and tacos.

Parker is slowly learning her letters and loves to look at books on her own. Her favorite books include Fancy Nancy books, any books of princesses or super heroes, and books with mermaids.

Rylee 

Rylee is growing up so fast, it's hard to keep up with her. She is talking more and more, copying everything anyone says. Her most common phrases are, "read the book," (while bringing us a book to read to her), "ew no!" (when we give her food she doesn't want), "Ashtyn, Parker, Mommy, Daddy", naming my body parts ("Nose," "Shoulders" "Button" (Belly button, but she does it on my chest/neck everytime), "Ariel," Jesus," "No," "yes," "Big rock!"

Rylee's favorite toy is a ball. She also loves things she can dump out and then put them back in a container to dump them out again. Her favorite thing to do is probably draw, she loves drawing (on paper, the walls, and herself). She loves counting to ten and the letters r, x, and w. Her favorite character is Elmo and she walks around singing Elmo's World. She also really loves songs and singing. She is a ham and is up for any sort of game. She loves to laugh (and her sisters love to make her laugh).

Rylee is not a picky eater, but she's really stubborn. If you can get her to try something, she'll probably eat it all and ask for more three times. But ... good luck getting her to try it. Her favorite foods are any fruit or vegetable, cheese, crackers, and candy.

Rylee loves to be read to. She is constantly asking us (and Ashtyn) to read to her. Her favorite books include Cat the Cat, Peek a Who, The Three Little Pigs, The Spooky Old Tree, Good Night Moon, Blue Hat Green Hat, Horns to Toes and Inbetween, and Dear Zoo.

All three girls are growing and thriving and healthy. I have loved watching them grow and learn, the older it gets, the more fulfilling it is. It's also so wonderful as a mother to watch them interact and learn and play together. They are such sweet girls and I love them.

Books I Read - March 2020

March was "Middle Grade March", so I was able to read quite a few middle grade books! It was a fun, if weird reading month. I had a harder time emotionally, with all the Covid-19 stuff happening, and that in turn made me not want to read as much. I still read 12 books, though, and enjoyed most of them.


The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale 
☆☆☆☆☆

This was a reread for me. I first read this as a teenager and absolutely loved it (and the other Shannon Hale books that were out at the time). I think I liked it more as a teenager than I did as an adult, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

It is a fairy tale retelling based off a more obscure fairy tale, in which a lady-in-waiting tries to steal her princess's crown, forcing the princess into hiding as a goose girl. This book has strong friendships, a sweet side romance, and a main character who learns confidence and how to stand up for herself by the end of the book. It is an awesome, clean read.


Front Desk by Kelly Yang 
☆☆☆☆☆

This is a book I picked up on a Middle Grade March recommendation and I loved it!

Front Desk follows a ten year old girl as she immigrates to the US with her family from China in the 1990's. The immigrants then faced a lot of challenges and discrimination and this book did a great job of showing that. One of the focuses of the plot shows our main character caught between her desire to be a writer and her efforts to learn English as a second language. Mia inspired me as she struggled for what was right and left me wanting to be a kinder person.

The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech 
☆☆☆

I have read a few books my Sharon Creech in the past and really enjoyed them (my favorite being Walk Two Moons). This one fell a little short of my expectations.

This book is hard to describe; it's a young girl's journey to discovering that everything--and everyone-- in the world is connected somehow. While I liked the main characters and the idea the book was going for, it was too vague and contrived for me to love it. 


At the Edge of the World/End of Time by Avi 
☆☆☆

These were the sequels to Crispin by Avi. They were just okay reads for me, Crispin was my favorite of the three.

Crispin is a boy trying to find his place in the turmoil of the middle ages. I enjoyed Crispin's character and loved the new characters we met throughout the sequels, but I had a hard time caring about what was going on. The ending also didn't give much more closure than the first book did.

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens 
☆☆☆☆

This was another Middle Grade March recommendation that I really enjoyed.

This is loosely based on Sherlock and Watson, set in a girls boarding school in 1930 Britain. Two young girls at the school solve a murder only they know about--but will their friendship survive it? It was a fun mystery and I loved our two main characters. It felt a little unrealistic, but the light hearted nature negated that for me.


The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 
☆☆☆☆

I've been reading through the Sherlock Holmes books and I've really been loving the short story collections. I think I liked Adventures more, but this one was fun.


Juniper Berry by MP Kozlowsky 
☆☆☆☆

Another Middle Grade March recommendation. This was fun, in an unexpected way. I didn't know much about this other than the cover going in.

When her movie star parents hit it big, Juniper fades into the background. But what if there's more than meets the eye to how her parents are acting? I really loved Juniper's character in this. It had a creepy (Coraline-esque) undertone and taught a lot of great morals.


The Book of Boy by Catherine Murdock 
☆☆☆

This was the group read along for Middle Grade March, and I was torn on how I felt about it. I actually originally rated it 4 stars, but the longer I thought on it, I knew I had to lower the rating.

Boy, living in the middle ages, has his life changed when a pilgrame enlists his help on a  quest, but Boy has more to hide than his humped back. I loved the middle ages atmosphere and the characters. I was invested in the story, which kept the pages turning for me. I had to main problems with it. First, the middle of the book introduces a sort of weird supernatural twist which felt very out of place for what we'd read so far; I wish it had been foreshadowed better. My other problem was that we never really got answers for most of the questions I had. We don't learn much more about Boy than we knew at the beginning. We don't know where the pilgrame ends up. We don't understand why or how these things happened. So while I enjoyed it while I was reading, the ending just wasn't enough for me.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai 
☆☆☆☆☆

This was another Middle Grade March recommendation and ended up being my favorite read of the month!

Haa is a girl emigrating with her family to the US at the end of the Vietnam War. It's written in verse, a very personal way of showing Haa's dangerous journey from a beloved homeland and the hard transition to a new life. I loved the personal feel of the book, it left me wanting to be better.

The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington  
☆☆☆☆

This was a reread for me, as a refresher to finish the rest of the series. A few years ago (before the series was finished), Ben and I heard that this series had a Brandon Sanderson-esque feel to it. We listened to this first book together and really enjoyed it. It did feel a lot like a Brandon Sanderson book until the ending, which doesn't quite live up to his endings. Rereading it, though, I remembered how much I enjoyed it and I'm loving the second even more currently. If you enjoy Brandon Sanderson, I would highly recommend this.

Faith over Fear: A Lesson from Joseph Smith

To prepare for General Conference this spring, President Nelson had asked us to study the restoration of the gospel. To help our kids do that, we have been learning the song Joseph Smith's First Prayer with them and it's been wonderful.

As I've sung this song over and over (and over and over) again with Ashtyn (she requests it every night I put her to bed), I was filled with the Spirit. My testimony of Joseph Smith was strengthened.

During this time of hardship worldwide, one phrase continually stood out to me. At the end of the second verse, the lyrics are, "But undaunted still he trusted in his Heavenly Father's care."

Those words feel so profound to me. I know that there are many who are suffering now. There are many who are worried or even scared about what the future holds. I know that there are many who are sick, losing loved ones, and out of jobs. My trials are smaller, but still there. I am struggling day to day right now, emotionally.

But I trust in my Heavenly Father's care. No matter what happens in the future, no matter where life takes me, no matter the hardships, I know that won't change. I know that as long as I keep doing the things God asks me to, He will be there for me and my faith will be strengthened.

And no matter what hardship we face, faith beats fear every time.