Guess what???

I'M DONE WITH NANOWRIMO THIS YEAR!!! WHOHOO!!! I GOT IT DONE A DAY EARLIER THAN I THOUGHT!!! WHOHOOOOOO!!!! I'M FINALLY DOOONE AND FREEEE!!!!

It was hard, and I don't know if I'd like to write a 50,000-worded novel again in 30 days, but I don't regret doing it at all. Nope. It gave me the kind of motivation I need - it pushed me to make a goal and stick to it, no matter how hard it may be. It's inspired me to give myself a more in-depth goal in my writing so that I actually get something done. So yeah, I'm glad I did it :)

So what's been going on since my month-long hiatus?

Not much, really, but who ever says a lot has been going on in their life excluding those rare occasions? Once Upon A Time will probably go on hiatus soon (I'll rant about that later ;) and so will Agents of Shield, I think. My Little Pony's going to return for a fifth season next year (Eep! I'm so excited) and I want to watch Mockingjay Part I with some of my friends during the holiday season. I may try to get back into dance, too, and do more volunteering at the library to kind of get a feel for the work there to see if it's anything I want to do.

A sort of big change is happening, though. I'm in my senior year of high school :O (cue dramatic music - DUM-DUM-DUM-DUUUM!) So, you know, as soon as you turn 18 you have to know what you want to do with your life, right? xD Lol, jk. But it feels that way sometimes...I'm going to try and relax, though. Some of the stuff I went through this year has really taught me to stop stressing so much and take time to enjoy life. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to look at my adulthood at what it truly is - the next chapter in my life. It's exciting, just like a book - what adventure will I encounter next? I'm excited to find out myself. Life is an exciting journey; it'd seriously make a great, engaging book :)

I've been looking at universities I may be interested in going to next year in the fall...I really don't like how it seems like you have to go to college to get a "good" job, but whatever...other people have proven that you don't have to (Bill Gates, anyone? A lot of those famous actors and actresses?) But honestly, I kind of feel like I want to go to college. It's the first time I've ever actually gotten excited about school xD I suppose compulsory education, being mandatory, makes you kind of not like it since you're forced to do it :P But anyway, I feel like I want to get a higher education, and plus, from what my brother's said about it, I think I'll like it. I'm actually rather excited, to be honest. I think I may actually want to work in a college just to stay around the learning atmosphere ;)

But I'm starting off in community college, because there's no way in heck I'm going to pay $10,000+ for two years of college education that I could have gotten for about $4,000 instead! (I guess my parents are actually paying for it, but still xD) And community college isn't easier than universities or other colleges - believe me, I took an introductory course there (I mentioned this in a post about last year) and it was challenging!

Let's see..what else has been happening lately? The stuff I wrote previously was written ages ago xD Lol, well, not THAT long, but pretty long, you know. Aside from NaNo, I can't really think of what I've been doing lately. I started reading City of Fallen Angels, the sort of "second" series in the Mortal Instruments series, but I stopped. It's just not as interesting as the first series to me, but I'm glad I read through the other ones and enjoyed them :) I saw some recommendations for some interesting-sounding romance YA novels, which is different because I'm not much of a romance novel reader. But some of these books are tongue-in-cheek/humorous while others just seem more realistic (like Sarah Dessen's stuff - I haven't read much of hers yet, but so far it seems interesting). Whenever I get back to the library I'll do that.

Of course, Thanksgiving came up two days ago (only two? It fees like longer...)We didn't invitee anyone else over, but with a family as big as mine, we're already a huge bunch xD Anyway, we had our traditional foods - turkey, ham, stuffing, etc., including my personal favorite, mashed potatoes :D And I hope we'll make some mac & cheese on Sunday, since that's our "off" day when we start indulging ourselves with unhealthy eating since we were supposed to eat healthy the other six days of the week ;) Momma said she brought some, so I'm really looking forward to that. Yum...

But you know, a friend mentioned on Thanksgiving Day how we should always be thankful during every time of the year, which I totally agree with. Thanksgiving is just a day to reflect on that. We all have our problems, but we're really blessed people. If you just take the time to list a few things you're thankful for, you'll start feeling grateful and happier :) I think I may do something like that in my diary just to keep me in a good mood :)

Christmas is coming up, too, of course. Black Friday madness occurred yesterday xD Which reminds me, I'm glad there's a great deal on everything, but I don't like hearing about people getting stressed or pushing through people or whatever to get a great deal on Black Friday. People spend time with families on Christmas, and it's sort of like Thanksgiving with being grateful for one another, So just relax and go shopping for loved ones, but also remember to have fun! We all deserve to enjoy life :D

I can't really think of anything else, to be honest...I should have logged more down in my diary. The year's coming to a close end (can you believe that?) and 2015 is just around the corner. I don't mean to say that to look so ahead in the future, because we should always be living in the moment, but I say that to take a moment to reflect on everything that's happened this year. I know I have been doing that now but especially a few weeks or so ago. A lot has happened this year, more than we've even realized, and I want to write a sort of "reflection on 2014" post during the last week of December.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Almost Done With NaNoWriMo!!!

As the title implies (more like says xD lol), I'm almost done with NaNoWriMo this year! And OMG am I SO EXCITED!!! It's been a rough 20-something days or so, but it's been worth it. I can't believe I'm writing my VERY first novel! And it's going to go over the 50,000 word limit! And I'm going to finish before the end of November! YESSS!!!

Anyway, I should be done by Monday, so expect a next post by - you guessed it - next week! See, I'm going to be a little less than a week early getting back to this blog post! I've got some stuff I want to share with y'all, so be prepared! ;)

Happy writing to any NaNoWriMo-ers out there! And Happy-Upcoming-Thanksgiving week, everyone!

So...Very...Tired

In case you guys have been wondering what I've been feeling since I've been busy with NaNoWriMo, it's that. Writing 50,000 words seemed like a hefty but possible goal, but now...I KNOW I can still do it, but it just feels like so much...it's like a never-ending goal...so...many...words...I'm SO glad I'm rewriting this story instead of starting from scratch...that would have been a nightmare...

Anyway, so yeah. That's how I'm feeling this week. Tired. That's what happens with all my stories: after the first week or so, I get tired, even sick of it, in a way. I guess it's just because I spent so much time with that one story - a month, usually over 28 days unless you're February (excluding Leap Years, of course...) - but I usually get over it. Because, hey, I wasn't writing a novel then, so I figured a good 1,000 words, maybe more, a day, would work. And I didn't pay much mind to word counts, so however long I needed it to me for me to say, "Yes, that work's completed" worked well enough. I even allowed myself to take off weekends - from my story, of course: I still wrote on those days - which was REALLY nice.

But NaNoWriMo? Oh, no. It's not easy-peasy, or even a little easy. It's not even relaxed. Its' HARDCORE, man. Writing a novel is hard enough, but writing a novel in a MONTH, writing not much less than 2,000 words EVERY DAY??? It's torture somedays.

I don't regret doing it, though. I like challenging myself. I actually kind of love it, in fact, if that makes any sense. It pushes me. It makes me stop procrastinating and get the job done, a discipline that I really need when it comes to my writing. It eliminates distractions, because if you miss one day, then BAM! you're behind. It's vigorous, but it helps me write.

So yeah, I don't regret doing NaNoWriMo this year. I did the camp this summer, and that turned out pretty okay, and I just wanted to experience NaNoWriMo once, even if it's only one year. And it's looking like it just may be one year, people. Because this thing is HARD.

Anyway, that's what's been up with me. What's been up with you? Or am I just talking to air? I never know if anyone's reading this blog or not...

Anyway, like I said, that's it. Wow, this post ended up a lot longer than I thought it would. I thought NaNoWriMo had killed any other writing left in me xD. Anyway, I'm saying "anyway" too much, and I'm tired. Writing is mentally draining, but when I finish it, I'll be DONE. And I'll be proud, too. Not only will I have (hopefully) completed my story, but it will also be the first novel I've ever written! How exciting is that? :)

See you guys next week! (Even if the post is shorter ;)

Hey Guys!

Sorry I haven't gotten a long post today! NaNoWriMo's been kicking my butt! It's intense, man! Other things have been going on, too, so I just haven't made the time or felt like writing much today. But I'll post more after November is over!

The (Hopefully) Better Post

...that I promised last week, if you remember xD And I did the thing I said I was gonna do last week, where I copy what I wrote in my diary/what's happened in the day everyday, and now look! This post is longer, ain't it? I hope y'all happy xD xD xD

Autumn in my hometown is so flaky! The past week or so was COLD, but for the beginning of this week it was WARM! What the heck? Not too long ago, I just went through the time to transfer all of my summer clothes in exchange for fall/winter attire. But somedays it's hotter and other days its colder. I can never decide what I need to wear. You're moody, weather! xD

I wish Rumple had been on last Sunday's episode of Once Upon A Time :( The show is just not the same without him. I mean, I like the other characters, but he brings something special to the show. And I really wanted to see more of Hook and Rumple's rivalry this week! I wasn't really into the backstory with Emma and Tiger Lily, but it eventually served its purpose. And I wasn't big on the plot line with Snow White & Charming (it didn't seem to move the storyline), and I hope they give Will something to do, because I'm not really sure why he's here right now except to annoy the characters xD

I just wanted to get all of the negatives out of the way first, because I loved how this focused on Emma and Regina's strained relationship and Emma trying to mend it back together - but Regina's still being stubborn old Regina! Although I DON'T believe her when she said that Emma never stood up for her - that's so NOT true! In the beginning, maybe, but later on Emma stood up for Regina when no one else would! But she conveniently forgot about that when Emma ruined her love life :P Ah...I wasn't too surprised to see the Snow Queen as Emma's caretaker, it looks like, and possibly one of her foster parents? But she doesn't remember...Aha, everyone in Storybrooke always seems to lose their memory at one point or another xD Next week looks intense, but doesn't every promo do that? I mean, I'm still gonna watch it, but the promos are like movie trailers - they always cut out the less exciting stuff and only show the engaging stuff! xD

Monday was the day that Taylor Swift's fifth album, 1989, was released...and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I like how she's experimenting with other sounds - and I love pop - but, on the other hand, I don't like how it seems like (because I don't have the album yet) a lot of her songs are just fun pop songs. Don't get me wrong, I love those songs, but I wish she had some more of her older ones, you know? I just hope she doesn't have too many generic songs, because I loved her original music and how she had her own style.

It was one of those strangely-warm-in-a-transition-to-winter-weather days, so my Meemaw came over and we had a picnic! We were going to do it outside, but we did it on the front porch instead, since they're bees out. Cause, apparently, bees come out during the fall xD Lol, jk - bees don't care about which season is "right" for them to be out - they just care about whether or not if the weather's warm enough for them to pollinate ;) We had fun eating Bojangos (yum! I shouldn't have been eating fast food during the week, but I couldn't resist xD) and talking.

Later on, we went outside and just enjoyed the outdoors. Don't get me wrong, I love technology, but I know we're spending more time on it than we need to, and it's good to soak in some fresh air every now and then. I'm going to try doing that again, even as the wintertime is coming up. My mom said that she read somewhere that opening the windows for at least 5 minutes a day is supposed to be helpful, so we'll probably do that :) I also had fun taking photography - I just love taking pictures at the right angle. If I remember (and I make no promises xD), I'll try posting them up here :D

Honestly, I love outside, but I'm getting tired of getting stung by mosquitoes  -_- That's why I love our screened-in porch! (Though some bugs still get in, but not as many :) And I may need some Off spray or something, but last time it didn't work :/ I may just need something else, I dunno. But those bugs aren't gonna stop me from going outside! Even if it is out on a screened-in porch!

Speaking of that technology lecture I gave xD, I wanted to talk about that more. Part of it felt like just me, but I think a lot of us are spending a bit of an excessive time on the screens. Technology is great, but we should make sure we use it in moderation. That's with everything, of course, but I guess technology just has SO many advancements - like, I feel like I almost NEVER have time to enjoy some new tech before another one comes around! - and there's just so much to do. I'm trying to remind myself of other things I enjoy that don't involve the screens, namely, the internet: reading, handwriting, dancing, drawing, crafting, purging (yes, purging), and, while I'm not the biggest fan of sudoku, I love how it challenges my brain :) I made a list of things to do off-screen, too, which I hope will help me not to strain my eyes on the screen too much. Life can be just as fun, if not more ,off the internet :)

Agents of Shield started getting tense this week with the introduction of Ward's brother! I don't know who to trust, though...I say neither. Wit the way Grant had been acting, I have a feeling that he did hurt him, but, as the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, truth is from a point of view (Star Wars nerd, I had to make the joke xD) Anyway, it's about time Ward escaped, if you asked me! Now we'll get some action! Without Garret, though, I think he's probably just trying to kill his brother or something - what else does he have to do? He acted like he had no life outside of Garret before. Oh, well, let's see next week! (On a side note: I am in love with Mockingbird, and her and Hunter together. I ship them hard, and I rarely ship anyone ;)

As you all know (or should know! Lol, jk) it's the first day of NaNoWriMo! This is also my first year doing it. I did the camp last year and won, and I'm determined to have the same ending here The first day, of course, is the easiest, because you're all pumped and stuff. But the remaining days may become a little more hectic. But don't worry! I'm not going to give up, and neither are you, if you're doing the challenge! We can do it! I have faith<3

Anyway, I said all that to let you know, too, that I may not be posting as much this month due to NaNoWriMo. But I will post! I promise! Even if it's short, I will post! I have a goal to write everyday, and I've met that goal more times than I have missed it. I'm determined to do the same here. The other blogs may dwindle down for awhile, but I'll post if I feel like it.

Ciao! And happy first day of NaNoWriMo and first day of November!