July 2016 Writing Journey

Camp NaNo has started.

WRITING A BOOK IN A MONTH- IT HAS BEGUN.

I started off July praying with Yahweh to write this book, and to trust in Him and have fun. Not to worry about the outcome, or how I write: not be scared.  I am trusting God that this is what He wants me to do- and I’m not letting any bad thoughts or voices get in.

I’m looking forward to writing craziness! xD

Day One: 4,432 Words

I stayed up till 12 AM to start. I stayed up watching Jericho with Kody first, since I had to wait until it ‘technically’ became the first; and I cried with Jericho. It was the season finale so I’m allowed… *sniffle* *bursts into tears again but RAGEFUL TEARS*

I wrote over 1,000 words until 1 AM. Then I woke up the next day and wrote about 5,000. I had like 6,000 words written when… My characters told me no. My plot said no. The story slapped me and said ‘you’re not doing this right. Shut your brain up and LISTEN.’ So I did. I deleted 3,000 words because that wasn’t what happened.

I learned a lesson about trusting Creator about what to write. Not to force it. The words will come- but I can’t try and force and have it all. The journey has began and I’m trying to listen. I can’t worry and try too hard, it messes it up. If it feels wrong and uncomfy, it’s because I’m lying.

  Day Two:  4,582 Words

A great start to a great weekend! 😀 We all slept in, and the day was pretty productive. Dad and Kody mowed, and Ma and I froze fruits (I’m a sucker for strawberries). 😀 Tory, Roger, Rey, and Laney also went to a fish aquarium for the day! ♥

I wrote throughout the day, and also spent a good deal of rambling with my Ma. I vented what was worrying me and sort of blocking me in writing. Between talking to her and praying- I believe I’ve overcome some stuff. I know that I can’t compare myself to others with my writing, or judge my writing. That screws it all up. I just have to trust Yahweh and WRITE. What is right. What’s true. Not overthink. Not be scared.

It is 12:43 AM, I just wrote 2,000 words in a sitting, and finished Jericho for good. My family and I watched the last season over the past few days… And I cried again my Ma did too. Jericho’s over and so now I have no way to reward myself throughout the month. xD Oh well. It was a thought….

Considering the day ahead, I should go to bed.
*stays up and watched Back At The Barnyard because of a not-so-lousy writing day (and Back At The Barnyard is one of my favorite shows)*

Day Three:  2,416 Words

An absolute riot of a day. 😀

Tory and Roger had their ceremony! We had it at the Natchez Trace Parkway. ♥ I got pictures, and Tory’s photography friend got a ton! 😀 (Here’s the Facebook album with all of the pictures! I don’t know if it will work for y’all to see but… Maybe haha)(I am SO not techy with Facebook lol my bad): Tory And Roger’s Day (I’ll upload more pics later on here! 🙂 )

So yes, we had a beautiful day (we were all melting though, lol, it was soo hot and humid haha). ♥ Praise Yahweh for a lovely day, we are so blessed!

I was pretty tired when I wrote late that night though, lol. ;D But hey, every bit counts! *rewards self with a Little House On The Prairie episode and a bowl of ice cream. Aw yis.*

Day Four: 1,566 Words

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Let us not forget to thank the Lord that our nation was founded on such beliefs and values that makes it ONE NATION, UNDER GOD. America is beautiful, and I am glad we have this time of year to celebrate it and honor this country. This is a time to celebrate and hang with family and friends, as we share our freedom. ♥

Here’s some pictures I got of our firework show. 🙂

We have had such a great weekend here. ♥ We finished our chicken coop (also, I found a black snake or a corn snake in our hen’s laying box. It was Nai’s nesting box, and I knew she and the rooster Lucky were freaking out for some reason, so I checked for an egg and yeah. A snake all curled up in the nest, staring at me. WHY DOES EVERY SNAKE I FIND LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT. WHAT DID I DO TO THEM. Anyway, I got Dad and they shot it with a pellet gun but he scampered off before we could finish him. :/ Hopefully he doesn’t come back/eat our eggs.), had a pool fun time, and worked with our horses. We trimmed Migi’s feet and worked with Ulu. 😀 Thank you Roger for working with those girls!!

After we set off some more fireworks, and watched our neighbors really pretty firework show, I came inside and wrote. xD

 

Day Five: 2,782 W0rds

I was a little confused by numbers today. xD I forgot to put in my number count yesterday or SOMETHING (I remember doing it last night so WHAT)… Because it says I only wrote 1,000 words today, when I wrote over 2,000. I know, I went through and found what I wrote today- it added up. I’m not sure why the numbers were/are all whoozy, but I’m going to blame it on today when I went back and redid a scene… It made a big impact lol.

ANYWAY. I think I got it all fixed out for now. xD

So I was going on with a dialogue scene and suddenly my character just stares at me with annoyance and yells “THAT IS STUPID. RETHINK THIS. THINK ABOUT IT.” And it turns out he’s RIGHT of course, so yeah, not a bad day of writing but also redoing a few small scenes. I have to tweak them now or else the rest of the story, of course, is off. So yes. If this guy would stop yanking me by my shirt collar, I wouldn’t be getting anything done and nothing would make sense. Thanks, guy character. ♥

 

Day Six: 4,332 Words

I sort of feel like Jack Colton from ‘Romancing The Stone’, but I cannot quote that exact line here… For reasons… So…

I was going for 5,000, but it got too 12 AM and I wanted to watch a movie. (I was exhausted… xD)

Today was a Hades of a day. Don’t really want to talk about it. In the writing world, I was grateful to disappear into my story. I’ll vent it all into this story, in any form or fashion it concludes and seeps into. I was glad I got this much done all in all.

 

Day Seven: 4,130 Words

Still sorta tired when I woke up, but… I got past the sort of ‘clueless’ stage in my book. As in, I was sort of frazzled how to write this thing called ‘dialogue’ and ‘conversations’ and ‘problem solving.’. I mean it sort of seemed my head just sunk 70 feet down under every time I had to think an make a conversation make sense…. Hahaha. xD

Today wasn’t like that. I hit around 3,000, and when I wrote tonight, it was soo close to 12 AM and I was like… Let’s hit 4,000 at least. I did. 😀

“With God, all things are possible.”

These characters are coming more and more to life. They were alive when we first met, but after ‘working’ with these guys, I know them better than day one. SO THANK GOD FOR THAT. =D

At this point, there’s these major points and ideas/events I want for this story. I have to work them all in and out, weave ’em together… But I have no idea how long this book will be. I’m not focused on it, but at first I didn’t think it would get very long, but now… I wouldn’t be surprised (well of course I would lol) if it reached 40,000-50,000 words…. I’m still writing this book and letting it all explode before me, but I really am happy… I’m not worrying about how big it gets, but I am baffled I’ve come this far already.

Really, despite the questions, doubts, and things I know I have to figure out- I don’t have to figure them out alone. I have my family, and Yeshua is here to help me. I am very happy and am not worried about any of this. Which gives me the freedom to write! 😀

(As I write this, I am stumped because I only have 200 words till I’m at a even number and I am lost kinda… I NEED MY DAD. AND ROGER. I NEED A GUY TO HELP ME. xD Yes, currently waiting for insight so I don’t leave my character like some clueless freak which he totally isn’t…)(THEY HELPED ME. AHHH THAT MEANT SO MUCH TO ME. OK.)

This also marks an entire week of writing. *breathless laughter* High five, y’all! We’ve made it this far (kid. I couldn’t resist.). 😀 Every bit counts. ♥

 

Seek Snippet:

“I’m very sorry to say, she must come with us. No harm done that way. The boss says he wants her, that is all.” The man said forcefully, losing his patience and no longer wanting to play this off. He saw that Eli was not playing a game.
Eli clicked his gun back, ready and loaded, as response. His eyes did not waver from the large man beside my car door, who had a furious look on his own face. I saw a gun on that giant’s side- and prayed to God he didn’t reach for it.
But why shouldn’t he?

~~~

 

Day Eight: 2,308 Words

Sorta lounged around all day. xD Not entirely blamed on tiredness, but I was kind of out of it I think. xD I wrote though! xD Forced myself to reach 2,000. I kind of expected to write more but all is well. 😀

We have to wake up early tomorrow, for Kody’s orange belt karate test! 😀 I know he’ll do well. ♥

 

Day Nine: 1,010 Words

We woke up early for Kody’s karate test… And…. HE DID IT!!! HE IS AN ORANGE BELT! 😀 We are so proud of him. ♥♥

 

Then, we had to go help with a little horse, because her Mama died last night. It is so heartbreaking… We are praying for the baby, she is now eating (we went to help get her to eat/drink milk…), so we pray for her through the night. She is a sweet little thing. Yeshua brought her to this earth for a reason… ♥ (Update: The filly is doing well! She is eating.)

When we finally got home after a Hades hot day… I am so tired. Sooo tired. xD But, 200 words would put me at 25,000 so… I gotta push on. =) I am pretty happy– a week+ into writing this book, and I’m not freaking out or scared! Yeshua definitely has His Hands over me!

Day Ten: 1,000

I went back and had to erase some scenes and stuff… There was one ‘major’ point of the plot that just wasn’t quite working. it was super important to me, and because it is a subject I will research more… I plan on writing such a book with that in it.But Seek is not the book.

So, with having one thing down… That gives me a clearer game plan on how to write this all out, focus, and have it all make sense. Sorta. xD I have been praying and asking Yeshua to help me see if that fit for this book… And it doesn’t.

Honestly, I am not entirely sure how much I actually wrote today… I wasn’t writing so much as deciding what was happening/what will go on…. It didn’t feel I wrote that much, but I am pretty sure I did write 1,000. 🙂

 

Day Eleven: 3,540 Words

AHH!! xD OK, so something ‘kinda’ big happened today… I was getting to the point of my book where I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going. What was going to happen. What final things should be done… I had ideas, of course, a rough outline… But an actual, step by step outline? No.

However…. I DID IT! I outlined the last/second part of my book! I was pretty excited, and Ma was super proud! 😀 This means I have the stepbystep outline to what I am going to write/what’s left to write. I am so happy. I know this book, of course, will take lots of editing and stuff like that… BUT YESHUA’S NAME, I AM WRITING A BOOK AND FINISHING IT. HE HAS GOT ME THIS FAR!

Now I’m gonna go crash and sleep. How many nights have I stayed up till 12 AM? Not sure. Who’s counting? I’m not. With the counting of numbers in this book- yeah my brain’s dead. Haha. Ha.

 

Day Twelve: 3,369 Words

Had a pretty good day! 😀 I babysat Rey with morning with Ma and Kody. And… We got a halter on Taloowa Monday night! Thank you Roger and Dad SOOO much! What y’all have done means so much to me. I know Taloowa can be quite the mystic runner, but y’all are amazing. ♥

I have lots of thoughts in my head- and yet, none. I was worried I would get caught up in numbers and word counts and stuff- with prayer, that hasn’t been the case. I had been keeping up with numbers, and at this point, see that Seek could and probably will be a novel (40,000 words) by the end of this month. I take editing and adding and deleting all in mind- but yes. I’m not worried or too focused about that…

Instead, I see my characters unfolding. It was like, when I first started this book 12 days ago, I knew my characters, sure. I knew who could cook meals and who cooked burnt water (*cough* and can only make coffee *cough*). But after these days? I’ve met my characters. I’ve watched their personalities emerge, far more than I could try and outline before.

So overall…. I am blessed. Yahweh has given me this story, these characters, all of it- and given me the gift to write it. Do i freak out sometimes? Yeah. Do I worry? Yeah. Do I pray, above it all, that I don’t let fear consume me? That I trust Yahweh my Father to lead my way if I turn my eyes to Him? Yes. And that’s when I can actually write- when I set myself free in Christ.

 

 Day Thirteen: 1,709 Words

We went grocery shopping so I am now pretty tired. xD Wrote some later on… Look at this Koi fish I drew! 😀 I love Koi. I drew this for Ashton and Ember and I really hope they like this lil’ guy cuz I do. xD

 

Day Fourteen: 2,095 Words

LOTS of rain and thunderstorms today. xD ♥ So I woke up first thing to go get in the rain! 😀 The chickens had to be fed, so it was fun getting soaked haha. 🙂

TWO WEEKS IN, Y’ALL. 😀  THANK YOU TO YAHWEH AND MY WONDERFUL FAMILY FOR GETTING ME THIS FAR. ♥

 Seek Snippet:

“Come in and we can talk.”

I stepped forward, feet like logs, but I forced myself to move highly.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked, keeping myself seemingly oblivious. She didn’t know I knew what was going on. So I went with the act.

 I had always gone with her acts. I knew how to wear masks.

“Because, it was the only safe place.” She moved sideways, as I stepped past her. I didn’t touch her. I didn’t let myself come any nearer to her than I had to.

 I didn’t want to go in. I wanted to stay in that sunlight, where I knew Eli and Asher were somewhere out there… Not in here. Not in that warehouse. Not with Michelle, or Viktor.

Not alone.

I am with you.

~~~

 

 

Day Fifteen: 3,009 Words

Really, I’m in the mood to watch ‘Beauty And The Beast’ and hey, watch ‘Hatchi’ (I cannot watch this movie without crying.)… But I have neither so let’s proceed.

 I thought at first today was a ‘flunk’, but I acutally wrote more than I thought I did/would, so YAY! 😀 Also… I AM SO CLOSE TO A NOVEL. HOLY MOLY.

 

Day Sixteen: 519 Words

Stayed up late again but mostly played ‘Osmose Majong’ (and kept repeating ‘I hate this game’, except the times I won.)…

Though I didn’t write a lot at all, I wrote a little because I knew every bit counted and I didn’t want to miss a day and fall out of writing this book.

 

Day Seventeen: 689 Words

I am *kinda* freaking out OK…. I am less then 3,000 words away from 40,000. A NOVEL. AHHH. So yeah; I’ve got plenty to write and go back and all of THAT but YESHUA ALMIGHTY, YOU HAVE ME WRITING A NOVEL. I AM AGHAST.

At this point, also, I really, really can’t wait  till I can slam this villain’s head in. Also, make him taste his own medicine in the worst way possible. Or something like that, ha. *winks*

 

Day Eighteen: 506 Words

I need sleep. I need sleeeep. xD I realized this when my Ma pointed it out to me… I was pretending to be crashed out on the couch when Tory walked in but then I realized… I was actually tired…. Sleeping on the couch… Didn’t sound that bad at all. xD

 

Day Nineteen: 644 Words

39,000 words. My book is almost done… I just have to finish! xD Lots of praying and hugging family members lol… Have heart!

 

Day Twenty: 1,138 Words

Kinda feeling blah today… My allergies are pretty bad today so I wasn’t too well today. xD But we went to town and got stuff done so I did have a good day!

So basically Seek is at it’s ending peek and I have to dive into the action and then finish it and then cry.

I have no plan and yet I know what I have to do. And yet; I have no idea what I’m doing but my characters are going at it so therefore, I am doing. They do it I write it. I suggest something I like and they say it won’t work. they are right.

I know what will happen- and yet, I am pretty sure one of my characters will drop a hat and change what happens. I am looking forward to where they take it, because if they didn’t, I’d be a dead stick. Not saying I’m NOT a dead stick but… I should be encouraging myself right now nevermind. xD

SEEK. IS. NOW. A. NOVEL. AHH!!!! IT HAS HIT NOVEL. Glory be to God and I’m so tired but happy right now. 😀 Yes!!!

 

Day Twenty One: 1,040 Words

Y’all, it is SOO hot and humid here! xD Goodness, it’s bad… I am feeling better today though so! I broke my ‘less than 1,000 words’ zone… Haha… So YES! 😉

I was sorta in the writing frenzy except I was kinda torn/brain dead because… I sorta wanted some grand scene but… My hero isn’t a time waster (in the shortest, less graphic way of explaining it as possible… lol…). So I prayed, took a break, and let him take the scene over.

I also stayed up till 12 AM (again… this month… insane… SLEEP… WHERE ART THOU…) and did a Jericho aesthetic ‘moodboard’… Basically, I shoved pictures that reminded me of the show Jericho, into a collage. xD I plan on doing these kinda collages more, and for my OWN characters. =D (which I’ll show to y’all… When they exist…)

 

Day Twenty Two: 1,141 Words

 

We went and got Sonic and I got a blast. =D Basically, a celebration because Seek is a novel… Plus, Seek is almost-ish done… So I was feeling good and I thanked everyone. Might as well thank them as I go, because at this rate I’ll have some deep emotions planned to dump on everyone when my book is finished… But forget it. xD

*HAPPY DANCE*

Day Twenty Three: 1,050 Words

A busy, productive day! 😀 My family and I worked super hard today… And when I crashed and burned went down to write, of course, I was in good spirits. xD

I can’t wait till this book is done but also I’m going to miss these characters. But honestly; who am I kidding? I won’t have to read this book again, or miss anyone- they won’t leave me. In fact, there might even be a day where I beg these characters to leave me alone. But today is not that day.

 

Day Twenty Four: 1,026 Words

A nice weekend. =) My allergies hate me but that’s the only bad side to summer, right? ;D And this rain… It is so humid, and we finally got a few summer showers today and then it was like… Where did the rain go? Please come back. xD

But yep! Another late night, but I did really good. It’s coming to an end… I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to finish tomorrow or the next day. We’ll see! *crashes on couch with icecream*

 

Day Twenty Five: 1,033 Words

SEEK.

 IS.

FINISHED.

I WROTE SEEK. I FINISHED WRITING SEEK. Yeshua be praised! I am seriously so happy and humbled and I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF! (!!!)

I have never FINISHED writing a book before that is THIS LONG… Yahweh has helped me so much, without Him I would not have been able to do this… Any of it… He gave me strength and courage and reminded me and helped me and I am thanking Him SO MUCH.

I thank my family, too. My Ma and Dad: I talk y’all’s ears off… With all of my books… And Seek was a pretty chaotic journey for me…. I didn’t think so much would happen this month- I knew what I wanted this book to be about, what the message was… But it really did come to life this month for me. This book helped me a lot- but y’all helped me because let’s be honest; if I can’t spill every thought and random thing… Y’all always listened to me and gave input. You encourage me and love me and without y’all, my writing would not be the same and I THANK YOU. ♥

I thank Roger, Tory, and Kody. You guys are my crazy siblings, and while no, Kody, I won’t kill you off in my book: I am grateful to each of you. Y’all give some really good advice, and whenever it was probably too late for me to be writing, and I forgot a word- Kody was usually a good word helper. 😉 And I thank my lil’ helpers, Reyna and Laney! I always had y’all’s kisses and hugs, and Rey has helped me a lot with writing. And I thank my best friend, who I called and basically went on an ‘AHHH’ rampage before this month… Girl, I thank you so much for encouraging me and praying for me!

So, it has been a month. A month of writing. A journey. I did it. With Yeshua, my family… Seek is written. I’m not scared about editing, or what I’ll have to add- any of that stuff. Why? Because I’m blessed. I have my family and horses who won’t stop listening to my insane ideas (even if they want too… haha ;D) and I have Yeshua, who won’t leave me. ♥

I AM SO HAPPY. I seriously CAN believe this- it seems like time stopped this month… And yet… it ends with me having a book written. There. Not half way, not began- done. I love this! xD

To celebrate, Ma, Tory, and I went for milkshakes. ♥ A lovely way to celebrate, since I wrote most of this book in front of our window AC and froze to death. ;D I LOVE ICE CREAM too so yes! 🙂  Plus, we haven’t had a girl time in forever… so… ♥

 I had an amazing month. I went into this praying for a journey, to experience, to learn… and came out with so much more. ♥ I’m so blessed!

 So… I praise Yahweh, and my journey continues. ♥

God bless.

-A

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid. For the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. -Isaiah 12:2

O Lord, thou art my God, I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfullness and truth. – Isaiah 25:1