Tag: writingplans

WIPs, Camp NaNoWriMo + More

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Happy Friday!

This week zipped by because of how chaotic and absolutely insane it was. Not only were there assignments and projects and readings for school I had to tackle, but as the entire world knows, the COVID-19 virus has escalated intensely in the last few days. Where I live, there are only 3 known cases at the moment, but my school is still considering shutting down for a few weeks. My fingers are crossed that this doesn’t happen because we have less than a month of classes left and I would really like to finish them. That, and get marks for all the assignments and projects I have poured HOURS into! Of course, if that is the safest option for everyone then I understand but hopefully, it does not come to that.

Anyways, amongst the chaos, I have somehow found time to write so today, I wanted to share this rambly, chit-chatty post all about my writing progress and plans for the coming month.

Currently, I am writing a short story/novella based on my Aztec mythology idea and decided earlier this week that I was going to scrap what I had already written of it (around 3,000 words) and start fresh. Usually, I would highly advise you NOT to do this, but sometimes it is the best thing you can do for your project and this was one of those rare cases. I have not written too much for the new draft, but I have clocked in around 1,300 words which is better than nothing. Another plus is that I have really enjoyed writing this story and it does not feel like a drag to work on it anymore. That was my main problem with this story before. Every time I had to force myself to work on it and I never had any clear sight of where I wanted to take it. Naturally, I am a pantser so sitting down with only a rough idea in mind is how I typically write my stories, but I had no motivation or inspiration with where this story was going to start. So, long story short, I changed my idea a bit and plan on finishing my first draft (which should be around 17,000 words) sometime next week…preferably mid-week but we shall see.

Some other projects currently on the go for me is a project for one of my classes. I decided to create a zine which is a collection of various pieces of your own work. This is for my fine arts class and for it, I am writing poems and flash fiction pieces that will tell one story throughout the entire zine. At the moment, I am trying to make it so it switches between poem and flash fiction, but overall, I will just have to see what works best for the story and flow of it. I am also including some art pieces which is kind of new for me. I used to draw a lot when I was younger and I am not being modest when saying I am not the most talented drawer…but I think it will be an interesting addition to the zine. Also, a necessary one because you need art for the front cover at the least! This is due by April 3rd so I have some time but I would rather start now than leave it to the last minute. So far, I have a flash fiction piece and a poem that I am still working on. I’ve also been practicing the types of drawings I want to include. The theme is very whimsical and mystical so it has been a lot of fun so far!

Leaping into the future just a bit, I have decided to re-think my Camp NaNoWriMo plans a little more. After starting this little zine project, I thought it might be fun to work on a short story collection rather than one novel or novella project. For years, I have been working on this Aztec story, and of course, in between, I have devoted time to other projects, but this zine idea has really inspired me to take a break from that world this coming month. For now, I am thinking of just including short stories into this totally separate project from my fine arts one, but I might include other forms of written pieces as well. Basically, I am giving myself creative freedom for April which could either be a brilliant or self-destructive idea.

 

There you have it! Those are my current projects and future plans for writing and I hope you enjoyed. Let me know below what you currently have on the go, as well as if you are participating in Camp NaNo this year because I would love to know. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post, and also my social media accounts which are all linked down below!

Thanks for reading and stay healthy 🙂

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June Reading + Writing Plans

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Happy Monday!

First off, some exciting news is that I got a (kind of) part-time job that I am really, really excited about! I get to create and run marketing campaigns and ads for a website that sells some pretty amazing products. I only started working for them on Saturday and I haven’t done too much that is visible to anyone yet, but once I do I will definitely let you guys know of the website and the cool work they do!

Anyways, today I am going to be discussing my reading and writing plans for June! Yes, we are already 10 days into June which is CRAZY, but I thought it would still be fun to share with you guys everything I plan to get done.

READING

Currently, I am in the midst of reading Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and while I’ve been reading it for the past week, I’ve definitely been enjoying diving into the mystery world of literature. I’ve been reading SUPER slow because my life has been a disastrous mess that seems to include no breaks whatsoever, but I did make it a priority to get some reading done this past week so I am about 100 pages into it. This month, I plan on reading at least 2 or 3 more books which I am very, very excited to get to. The next book on my TBR is The Wicked King by Holly Black, the sequel to The Cruel Prince and I am SO excited that I finally have my hands on it. It came for me at the library over the weekend and I snatched that up as soon as I could. The other book I really want to get to this month is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I read Hosseini’s other book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, in May for English class and absolutely adored it, so I cannot wait to explore his debut that I hear nothing but fantastic things about. I know The Kite Runner will break me just like A Thousand Splendid Suns, but these stories and characters are so incredibly important to our world that it is worth it. Other than that, I don’t have any other specific reading plans, but I do want to pick up at least one other book this month to stay on top of my 60 book reading goal!

WRITING

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May was not a busy writing month, but it was busy in ALL other aspects. While June will also be the same pace,  I want to get back on the writing grind and get some stuff done. My first project is my Aztec fantasy story, but a shorter version than a novel. I wrote the first draft back in April, I think, and while my word count goal was 17,000 words, it ended up being well over 30,000…so in June, I want to write the second draft and try and get that number closer to my goal. My second project is a screenplay! I had a screenplay idea that I am super excited to work on and just delve into the world of screenplay and writing for TV a little bit more. I have no idea how long it will be, but I do want to get the first draft and maybe a second one done by the end of June. I will also probably attempt to write a short story somewhere in this month as well, but with studying and writing exams and going on a couple weekend trips, I don’t know how well this will go…I am hopeful though because I really want to enter my summer break on a productive note. I know that once school starts, my life is going to get so hectic that it will take me a couple months before I can write and read at the pace I am used to. I have to take advantage of my bucketloads of time that I will have during July and August and wriiiite! Also, Camp NaNoWriMo starts next month! What? I feel like I just finished cranking out 2k words per day for Camp NaNoWriMo back in April, yet here we are, almost mid-June and one step closer to Camp NaNoWriMo round two.

That is all for my reading and writing plans for this June, and I hope you enjoyed! Make sure you let me know below what your reading and writing plans for June are because I would love to know. Also, don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media which are all linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

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May Reading + Writing Plans!

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Happy Thursday!

I know, I know…I disappeared without warning. Again! Out of nowhere, I got hit with the WORST flu ever. Okay, well, not the worst, but pretty bad for me. I was knocked down with a fever, nausea, and just an overall feeling of death throughout my entire body. However, I am mostly recovered now and am thankful every day since for now being healthy enough to get stuff done. But, I did miss a lot. A week of school, a week of writing, a week of blogging…there are things to sort out and accomplish which is why today, I am going to lay out my reading and writing plans for this month to help me organize my brain. Enjoy!

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

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I am STILL reading this incredibly short book and I just need to get it done. Currently, I am on page 92 out of 170ish so I know I can finish reading it in a day or two if I sit my butt down. It isn’t that I am not enjoying it, because honestly, I really am. There is something so great about Austen’s books that even though not much is happening compared to the YA books on my shelf, I am still captured by the charming characters, setting, and story.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossenini 

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Something ironic about this is that lately, I’ve really wanted to read The Kite Runner to see what the commotion is about, but then my English teacher goes ahead and assigns my class this author’s other book. Regardless, I am excited to read A Thousand Splendid Suns because I have heard GREAT things about it and I have a feeling it won’t disappoint.

Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel

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This is a book I was sent a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review, and I really wanted to read it in the later part of April and have the review up for it in the first week of May buuuut yeah, that is not going to happen. I do really want to start reading this book this weekend though so I can have a review up by mid to late May because I HATE putting off books I am reading for reviews! It unfurls unnecessary stress onto my already stressed out brain so this is a priority.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

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I ordered this book from my library a few weeks ago and it has finally come! This is a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, and I have heard fantastic things about Kemmerer’s version. This is my “fun” book for the month and I am seething at the chance to dive into it but I must finish other books first sadly.

WRITING, WRITING, WRITING

April was a busy writing month with a million scholarship essays to write and submit by the end of the month (which is finally all done and I can confirm, was successful!!), and I assumed May would be a little more relaxed but NOPE. I am laughing at my past self because why would I think my second last month of school would be calm writing wise? No! There are more scholarship essays to write and other writing deadlines to meet on top of everything else school throws at me, so once again, a hectic month is on the brink of rushing in.

So, what exactly am I working on this month?

  • 3 Scholarship Essays
  • 2 BRAND New Short Stories
  • Editing An Ol’ Poem
  • Writing 17k of Fantasy Project

Relaxed? What’s that word?

I am really looking forward to working on more creative things rather than just scholarship essays though because that’s what I’m here for so regardless of the amount, I’m excited!

Anyways, those are my plans for this month and I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

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My Camp NaNoWriMo 2019 Plans!

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Happy Monday!

I wanted to start this week off with a productive blog post so that is why I am going to share with you all what I plan to get done during the first round of Camp NaNoWriMo this year in April! Let me know if you are participating and what your goals are in the comments below because I would love to know! If you have no idea what Camp NaNoWriMo is, then read this blog post HERE where I explain all of it! Anyways, onto the blog post.

This year, I’m doing Camp NaNoWriMo a liiitle differently. Basically, instead of working on one single novel idea, I’m working on about 5 different essays and stories. April and so forth is the beginning of lots and lots of scholarship deadlines so I will be using Camp NaNo to get those essays and stories written AND edited completely. Here are my specific writing projects:

  1. Ayn Rand Essay Scholarship Contest – For this scholarship contest, I have to write an 800-1,600 word essay on Ayn Rand’s book, The Fountainhead, on one of their 3 given topics. The deadline for this is April 25th so this will be my first priority during Camp NaNo!
  2. Grandfather’s Clock – This is a short story I’ve been working on for years, and while I just wrote 6 whole drafts of it in the last month, I am going to write another draft or 2, edit that and add it to my portfolio for a scholarship. The drafts always fall between 2,000-2,500 words so I am sure this one will be around there too.
  3. Another Scholarship Essay – I am very excited to write this scholarship essay because it has a travel-themed prompt, being “If you could live anywhere outside North America, where would you go and what would you do there?”. My answer is writing related because it is going to be Edinburgh, Scotland, a very writerly place. The maximum word count is only 500 words so it should not take me long to write at all.
  4. The Night Market Short Story – I have been writing and writing this short story since FOREVER because it NEVER turns out how I want it to, but I think I’ve solved my plot and pacing problem. So, I am very excited to give it another go this April. I am guessing this story will be around 5,000 words…somewhere on the longer side because it does have fantasy elements and those always take longer to develop.
  5. Project Mystic – I guess I am kind of going to be working on my novel project, but I only plan on writing like 10-15,000 words for it. Whatever amount I manage to write during whatever time I have left because the projects above will be coming first. I am very excited to pick this project back up though! It’s been a while.

Overall, I plan on writing around 20,000 words this Camp NaNoWriMo, but I have a feeling I will write a lot more than that. Don’t hold me to that though. Who knows what April will hold! If more scholarship essays come up, I will obviously add those to my project list and that means Project Mystic will get pushed back. However, I will be working on my passion project the first moment I can, whether that is at the end of April, beginning of May or sometime in the summer. My graduation is fast approaching and all the fun but stressful things that come with that, so it is really a touch and go process. Anyways, I am very excited to work on all my projects this Camp NaNoWriMo, and I hope all of you who are participating are excited as well!

Anyways, don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as all my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: creative writing assignment.

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