NaNo 2019: Highlights + What I Learned

Happy December, friends. <3

Remember this post, all about my NaNo plans? Well, here's the update. Brace yourselves... this is rambly and excited. XD

I was at almost 26k when NaNo began. I was unable to write Friday because I was at a pastors' conference, but I caught up later. To win NaNo, you have to write about 1,667 words a day. I decided to round up and write 1,670 words a day. Since there were a few days where I forgot to make how much I'd written on a given day, I'm not sure of my average, but I usually passed 1,700 words a day. (Sundays I didn't write, so I doubled up on Saturdays--3,340 was my goal but I usually hit far over that.) 

Highlights ~

// Hitting 30,000 words in Broken on November 4.... and dreaming of hitting 50k. 

// Hoping to write 5,000 words on November 9 for #DoubleUpDay... then 6,680... I hit 6,707. THAT WAS AMAZING. That was also the day I wrote in our library for the first time. And the day I passed 21k in NaNo. And the day I passed 45k in Broken. So yeah, it was a good day. XD

// I was in a sprinting chat with several authors and really enjoyed sprinting with them and with my writing club!

 

// Reaching 50k in Broken on November 13th. And passing 1/3 of the way through NaNo. And writing this post the next day. And hoping to reach 60k in Broken. Also hoping I would be able to finish it that month.

 

// Getting SO much help with the police/legal stuff and the paramedic stuff from my bookstagram followers and friends and from my writing club. Couldn't have done it without them!!

// Writing the suicide scene and having a friend reply very emotionally... touched by my sentence about "act, don't just say"... and being touched myself by it.

 

// Having Jesseca read my suicide scene and giving me feedback. And having Ryana Lynn, Annalissa, & Hannah help me many many times to brainstorm and figure out plot problems or character problems, and to give me feedback on many scenes. They were such a blessing. <3

 

// Writing all about my experience at the pastors' conference into Broken. That was just so FUN.

// Hitting 60k in Broken on November 19. And hitting 100 pages!!

// Sharing a snippet and having a friend tell me it was so realistic she could put herself in his situation... and going on to tell me what a good writer I was. Just when I was thinking how poorly was written. <33

// Realizing how much time it takes to write 1,670 words... and 3,340. I started to really love the number 1,000. XD

  

// Writing the salvation scene while listening to my hymns playlist and having "Just As I Am" come on... and then "And Can it Be" (which comes up earlier in the book).

// Almost tearing up more than once while writing the salvation scene... I never got so emotional over writing before!!

// Having God use my writing to make me stop & do my devotions.

// Writing a conversation with texts for the first time!! I love it!!

// Having my married couple totally melt my heart.

// Reaching 40k in NaNo on November 21!

// Writing about a six-month-old baby. My heart. <33 I melted. And wanted a baby in our house again. <33

// Getting a new wallpaper on my phone in honour of Broken.

// Passing 70k in Broken. REACHING MY ULTIMATE GOAL.

 

// Getting emotional over my poor Nathan. <33 And writing the bullying scene. Idk why. It was just cool to write.

// Finishing NaNo on November 26. I was sooooooo excited and happy. I DID NANO. LIKE WOW. I'VE WANTED TO DO THAT FOREVER AND NEVER THOUGHT I'D EVER DO IT. And on the same day... writing the epilogue and FINISHING Broken.

// Editing all week after that. XD Writing my dedication. Trying to write chapter titles. Formatting.

It was a great month. Amazingly busy, stressful, emotional, teaching, and happy. 

Things I Learned ~ 

• One Thursday I reached my goal for the day and wrote something I really really liked. Then I went on the Olive Tree Bible App for a verse and it messed everything up--the computer froze. Finally I restarted the computer... and when I opened it again, I was devastated to find that the best part of what I'd written had been lost. I was furious and very upset. I vented to my friends and family for a while, then sat down and rewrote it all. And I didn't think of it again. Well, some time later I opened the computer and opened my documents... and that lost document appeared out of nowhere. I was so happy!! I was able to compare the two versions and combine the best parts. They were almost freakily similar! 

Anyhow, that taught me that rewriting is not bad, losing words isn't the end of the world, the lost words may come back, and not to give way tony temper and lose time! XP 

• I can write big books. I can write big themes. It takes work. It takes dedication. It's hard. But I can do it and  it is so, so worth it. 
• If God gives you a story to write, He will help you through all the difficulties & give you people to help you do it. 
• Surrendering to God is the best thing you can do. Because He blesses and honours those who so... and because He gives you the desires of your heart because your desires are His.
• Perseverance, dedication, & hard work pay off & are worth it. 
• Sacrifices to do something you really want to do are worth it. 
• You lose a lot of time in a day if you're not careful! 
• Do the big things of your day first so you don't have to stress. ;) 

Basically, I think I just learned everyday, commonsensical things this November... things that I needed to be reminded of. And my laziness got a big jog... I learned that I really need to be willing to work and that it's super worth it. :)

~ / / ~

So if you did NaNoWriMo... how did it go for you?? :) 

Thoughts on Beauty // A Rambly But Heartfelt Post

You know that feeling when you catch sight of yourself in a mirror and go, “Ugh. I forgot I was so ugly”?

Yeah. 

You know that feeling when you're trying to smile for a selfie and your smile looks so dumb?

Exactly. 

You know that feeling when someone tells you you're beautiful and you're like “oh, thanks” and it just goes right over your head because you know it's not true? 

That.

But I was just thinking ... there are different kinds of beauty. 

Some girls are plump and others are thin. Some girls have crooked noses and some have pointed chins. But... that girl with the crooked nose has the sweetest heart ever. That extra-thin girl is one of the sunniest people you'll ever meet. Beauty is more than the outside. What is inside will shine out. If you have Jesus inside, He will shine out and that will make you truly beautiful. 

And besides... sometimes they aren't as bas as you think. A very dear friend has a squint she hates. I never noticed it until she mentioned it and I haven't really noticed it since. I love her, and I honestly don't see any flaw in her. Other people I know, I do notice the flaws—the physical imperfections. But it just adds to their charm and personality. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may not think you're pretty, but other people do. And who's to say they're wrong? Besides, complaining about the looks He gave you is implying that He did a bad job.

We all want to be beautiful. But what kind of beautiful? Do we want to be a jaw-dropping, flawless-face beautiful? Or do we want to be a heart-warming, reflecting-Jesus beautiful? Instead of picking on our outward flaws, let's work on our inside flaws. Let's accept the body God gave us and let Him make our hearts what He wants them to be.  

I'm always being told I'm cute. People will laugh at me in a “oh-you're-so-cute” way. I often make people laugh by just stating something or by accidentally doing something silly. I'm told I have a cute smile (I hate my smile). I'm told that people like my voice and I find it either too girly or too deep. 

But you know... if I can bring sunshine into someone's day by saying something cute (unintentionally, I mean) that makes them laugh; if I can bring a smile to someone's stressed face by having a cute voice and smile; if I can spread a little joy by doing something silly or cute... maybe it's worth being something imperfect. Maybe the ideal that I have in mind is not what I'm meant to be. Maybe my way of being pretty is by being happy and loving people. Maybe God intends for me to give smiles to people, not aesthetic pleasure. 

If so... why am I fighting against that and trying to reach my ideal? An ideal I'll never be? I'll never be tall. I'll never be slim (I'm built large). I'll never have a perfect smile or voice. I'll never be brilliant or witty.... but I was born being a sometimes brainless, mostly making-the-best-of-things person. Maybe that's the beauty God gave me. Not the physical beauty that the world asks for, but the beauty of encouragement.

I'm not anything special. I'm not witty. I'm not sarcastically clever. I'm not musically talented. I'm not outstandingly pretty. I'm not amazingly sweet. I'm not perfectly loving. I'm flawed. I'm lazy. I'm fearful. But God can still make beautiful things out of broken ones. And you don't have to be perfect to be beautiful. 

It all comes down to the kind of beautiful you want to be.

God helping me, I want to be the reflecting-Jesus, filled-with-His-Spirit beautiful. 

These thoughts are rather rambly, but I'm posting them in hopes that they can help someone.  💖

A Song Tag

I took this tag from Mikayla’s archives because it was way too fun to pass over! All these songs are from my Scottish folk song playlist. 

Favourite song: 
That is SOOOO hard to pick. But I definitely very much love Skye Boat Song, sung by Nicky Spence. It’s soooo gorgeous. I love singing it and I love listening to it even more. 

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.

Least favourite song: 
I took out the songs I didn’t like from the playlist, so I’ll go with another song I heard once and that I hate. The Lord of the Dance. Ugh. 

A song that makes you happy: 
The Uist Tramping Song (sung by Gregory Moore). It’s so happy :) Always makes me smile so wide! 

Come along, come along! Let us foot it out together, 
Come along, come along, be it fair or stormy weather, 
With the hills of home before us and the purple of the heather, 
Let us sing in happy chorus: come along, come along.

A song that makes you sad: 
O Waly, Waly (sung by Samuel Dundas & Suzanne Kompass). That particular line... 

O, love is handsome and love is fine,

And love's a jewel while it is new,

But when it’s old, it groweth cold,

And fades away, like morning dew.

So sad. 🙁 I like that song because it’s so dramatic and sad. 😝

A song that makes you think of someone: 
I know she’s dead, but The Isle of Mull (sung by Gregory Moore & the Pymble Ladies' College) kind of makes me think of Flora McDonald somehow... 

And I can't find the lyrics anywhere!

A song that makes you think of somewhere: 
MacGregor’s Gathering (sung by Samuel Dundas & the Queensland Choir) makes me think of the Highlands because it reminds me so much of Rob Roy (Sir Walter Scott).

If they rob us of name, and pursue us with beagles, 

Give their roofs to the flame, and their flesh to the eagles! 

While there's leaves in the forest, and foam on the river, 

MacGregor despite them shall flourish for ever! 

A song that reminds you of an event: 
Again, it’s history, but The Long Ships (sung by Thomas Keenan & the Pymble Ladies' College), makes me think of the Vikings disembarking in England. 

Couldn't find the lyrics for this one either...

A song you know all the words to: 
Scots Wha Hae (sung by Gregory Moore, Thomas Keenan, & the Pymble Ladies' College). 😍 Such a lovely poem and such lovely music!!! 

Wha will be a traitor knave? 

Wha can fill a coward's grave! 

Wha sae base as be a slave? 

         Let him turn and flee! 

Wha for Scotland's king and law 

Freedom's sword will strongly draw, 

Freeman stand, or freeman fa', 

         Let him follow me! 

A song you can dance to: 
I don’t dance to songs but I do tap my feet to music and one that’s definitely a foot-taper is The March of the Cameron Men (sung by Samuel Dundas & the Queensland Choir). I love the lyrics too! 

There's many a man of the Cameron clan 
That has followed his chief to the field.
He has sworn to support him or die by his side,
For a Cameron never can yield.

A song that helps you fall asleep: 

Hmmm... I don’t listen to music to fall asleep. So I don’t know. Once, though, when I was sick, I listened to my hymns playlist while lying in bed one night, and I remember that Dear Lord & Father of Mankind really relaxed me. 

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

A song by your favourite band: 

I haven’t got a favourite band so I’ll pick a favourite artist. I love Nicky Spence’s voice and my favourite of his Scottish songs is Auld Lang Syne. SO gorgeous!!! 

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn 

Frae morning sun til dine, 

But seas between us braid hae roar'd 

Sin' auld lang syne.

A song from a band you hate: 

Again, going for an artist. I dislike Moira Anderson’s voice... but I like her song so I tolerate her lol. The song’s Robin Adair. 😉

What made th' assembly shine?

Robin Adair.

What made the ball sae fine?

Robin was there

What when the play was o'er,
What made my heart so sore?

Oh, it was parting with

Robin Adair.

A song that is a guilty pleasure: 

The Loch Lomond arrangement by Deirdre Foyster (sung by Lisa Lockland-Bell, Gregory Moore, Thomas Keenan, the Imogen Men's Chorus, & the Pymble Ladies' College). I have to skip two songs in the medley. But I love the rest of it. 

A Gordon for me, a Gordon for me!
If ye're no a Gordon ye're no use to me. 
The Black Watch are braw, the Seaforths and a,' 
But the cocky wee Gordon's the pride o' them a'.

A song no one expects you like:
 Probably Ye Banks & Braes o’ Bonnie Doon sung by Suellen Cusak. I don’t like listening to sopranos generally, but she sings so well and I love her rendition of it, even if she doesn’t sing the Scottish pronunciation. 😉

Aft hae I rov'd by bonnie Doon

To see the rose and woodbine twine;

And ilka bird sang o' its luve,

And fondly sae did I o' mine;

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,

Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree!

And my fause luver stole my rose -

But, ah! he left the thorn wi' me.

A song that describes you: 
Hail, Caledonia! (sung/arranged/recorded by Kenneth McKellar & Bob Sharples). 😉 I love the lyrics and they quite apply to me. 😜

Hail Caledonia! land of my childhood, 
Home of my birth, so radiant and fair. 
Though I have roam'd through the world and its beauties, 
Nowhere on earth with thee can compare. 
Thou art majestic and regal in splendour, 
Thou art the land of the gallant and free, 
Lassies with hearts aye so true and so tender. 
Hail Caledonia! how I love thee!

A song you used to love but now hate: 
Comin’ Through the Rye. I like most of the song but... don’t agree with the sentiment. 😏

A song you hear often on the radio: 
Don’t listen to the radio really, so. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And I don't want to hear the songs on the radio, so. 

A song you wish you heard on the radio: 
Any of them! We’ll pick The Road to the Isles (sung by Gregory Moore, Samuel Dundas, & the Queensland Choir) because I really really love that one and I haven’t mentioned it yet. 

So I go on my journey, through the bonny heather, 

Never tiring, though I walked a hundred miles!

There's a song in my heart, be it black or bright the weather, 

For so much am I nearer to the Isles!

A song from your favorite album: 
My favourite songs are in two albums called practically the same thing & which are by the same people, sooo... I’m just gonna pick one song I love. Wi’ a Hundred Pipers & a’ & a’ (sung by Thomas Keenan & the Imogen Men's Chorus). This one is so Scottish and so marital!!

The Esk was swollen sae red an' sae deep, 
But shouther to shouther the brave lads keep; 
Twa thousand swam owre to fell English ground 
An' danced themselves dry to the pibroch's sound. 
Dumfoun'er'd the English saw, they saw, 
Dumfoun'er'd they heard the blaw, the blaw, 
Dumfoun'er'd they a' ran awa', awa', 
Frae the hundred pipers an' a', an' a'.

A song you listen to when you’re angry: 
None in particular... I tend to turn on the playlist and shuffle it. 

A song you listen to when you’re happy: 
Ditto... 

A song you listen to when you’re sad: 
Ditto again... I just don’t pick songs on purpose. 🤷🏻‍♀️

A song you want to play at your wedding: 
My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose (sung by Nicky Spence)... minus the last two verses because hopefully he won’t be leaving me! XD 

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, 
So deep in luve am I.
And I will luve thee still, my dear, 
Till a' the seas gang dry.

A song you want played at your funeral: 
Amazing Grace (played by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards & the Czech Film Orchestra) would be the only one eligible for this, and it would be very nice, so. I really love their arrangement of it. 

The Lord hath promised good to me,
  His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
  As long as life endures.

A song that makes you laugh:
I don’t laugh, but this one makes me smile—O Sing to Me the Auld Scotch Sangs sung by Gregory Moore & Suellen Cusack. For inside reasons. ;) I really love their voices and they sing so nicely together! And I love the lyrics. 

O sing to me the auld Scotch sangs 
I' the braid Scottish tongue. 
The sangs my father loved to hear, 
The sangs my mither sung, 
When she sat beside my cradle, 
Or croon'd me on her knee. 
And I wadna sleep, she sang sae sweet, 
The auld Scotch sangs to me. 
And I wadna sleep, she sang sae sweet 
The auld Scotch sangs to me.

A song you can play on an instrument: 
None of these, lol! 

A song you wish you could play: 
Umm... they’d all be cool to be able to play, but I don’t particularly hanker to play any of them. 

A song that makes you feel guilty: 
None on this playlist! 😉

A song from your childhood: 
Leaving this playlist... The theme song for “Country Mouse & City Mouse.” I can still sing the whole thing. :D 

Your favourite song at this time last year:
I have no idea. XD 

I don't tag anyone, but if you want to do it, go ahead! 

Reader Problems Book Tag (+ Winter Reading Challenge)

Hey, friends! Today we have a fun little impromptu post. These problems are 100% real bookish problems. It's not even funny. 

I stole this tag from Kate. xD

1. You have 20,000 books in your TBR, how in the world do you decide what to read next?
Start at A and work my way through alphabetically. (Also that sounds exactly like my TBR will be when I'm 73). 

2. You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?
If I'm just bored, I'll power through. If it’s downright bad, I'll DNF it.

3. The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge--do you try to catch up? And if so, how?
Absolutely!! With a readathon (alone or with friends). I've done it before. xD

4. The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you cope?
Complain about it to "all and sundry, near and far--my family in particular." ;P

5. Everyone and their mother loves a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?
Well, it looks like everybody loves it, so I'm 100% alone... which is rather unbelievable. I'll probably just repeat my opinion on it and if you don't care, I'll just be quiet. ;)

6. You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?
By grabbing a Kleenex and getting ready to cry. xD I loooove to cry over a book. Movies, now, I pride myself on being stoic. 

7. The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?
Yes! Even if it's a whole series. 

8. You do not want anyone to borrow your books. How do you politely say no when someone asks?
"Sorry, I can't." xD 

9. You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?
Power through one, and then the other, and then the other... I've discovered that if I make myself read I end up getting over the slump. 

10. There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?
Probably none. I have a teeny tiny budget. xP I wait until there's a sale or a special occasion. 

11. After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read how long do they sit on your shelves before you get to them?
I'll hoard them for ages until I decide to finally buckle down and read them. ;)

And I tag... whoever wants to do it. :)

~ / / ~

While we're talking books... here's the winter reading challenge! And we have a new name. Thank you to Ryana Lynn for thinking it up!

This will probably be blurry, but if you click on the image it'll take you to a new page & the copy of the image there should be good. If it's still blurry, contact me through the contact form on the side & I'll send you a good copy.

Soooo... enjoy, let me know if you join in (and when you finish!)... and read! 

The Intimidating TBR Tag

I stole this tag from Victoria's old blog Victoria's Book Nook. 

ABOUT MY TBR

Amount: 557 books. 😅  

Mostly: Historical Fiction & Nonfiction.

Since: 2016. 🙊

Will Finish By: 2020??? I don't know... probably not... those things last you all your life. But I do hope to read some books that have been on there for 3 years!! 😅

1 // A book on your TBR pile that you haven't finished.

Like, all of them? If you mean one I started & never finished... A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I loved it, I just... we were reading it for school, and when we stopped, we weren’t done it... and I had forgotten the beginning over the summer so I have to reread the whole beginning and I just haven’t gotten back to it. 

2 // A book you just haven't had the time to read for.

Basically all of them... We’ll go with A Question of Loyalty by Jesseca Wheaton. I want to reread books 1 & 2 before I read book 3, and I haven’t had time yet. 

3 // A book you haven't read because it's a sequel.

Escape & Endurance by Sarah Holman. I haven't read Dreams & Devotion yet, and I want to read Elapse first, but I haven't gotten it yet. 

4 // A book you haven't read because it's brand new.

So I don't actually have any brand-new books. But... I downloaded this book just the other day... Storm Warriors; or, Life-Boat Work on the Goodwin Sands by John Gilmore. It sounds interesting! I love books about the sea & I just recently discovered books about the lifeboats of England in the 1800s and it’s very interesting. 

5 // A book by and author you read previously but didn't really like.

I don’t happen to have any books that I’m hesitant to try for that reason. But I’m putting off The Earth & Sky by Edward S. Holden because it sounds like his astronomy book which is somewhat boring.

6 // A book on your TBR pile that you’re just not in the mood to read.

5 Secrets of Story Structure by K.M. Weiland. I just don’t feel like studying right now. 😉

(But I've heard it's super good, and it's currently still free, so maybe go check it out?) 

7 // A book on your TBR pile that you haven't read because it's enormous.

*coughs* All of Sir Winston Churchill’s books. I have books 1-3 of his Second World War series and book 2 of his History of the English-Speaking Peoples and... it takes a lot of determination to sit down and read Churchill. I love his writing, but it is long. 

        

8 // A book on your TBR you bought because of the cover.

*hides* So I used to be innocent of this but now I have fallen into it. The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson. I have three of her books now and I look forwards to reading them. 

9 // The book on your TBR you find the most intimidating.

Oooo... uh... most intimidating?? The Complete Harvard Classics. That thing is S O  B I G. 😰