Music is Power, and the Writing It Produces

You ever hear a song that gives you all sorts of motivation to do something? Anything? Everything?

That happens to me a lot. Right now it's Rise Against (a very good band if you're into a little bit harder music). It amps me up, makes me want to be productive. But what can I do? I can write. Okay, what do I write? I've got this project and this project and this one over here, but I don't feel drawn to any of those right now. Okay, what about a new story? I really don't need to do that until I finish one I'm working on already. Alright, then. Draw. Drawing? I haven't drawn in forever. Too bad I don't have any homework to do, or I could get all that done. Well, you could start reading up for your research project, or working on your IRB application. Dude, I haven't gotten a day off all semester. I need to do something for fun.

And that, dear friends, is what's running through my head right now. Heh, that didn't go exactly like I planned it. But then again, when does anything we write? When does any story, any paper, project, poem, or article ever turn out the way we expect it?

It's absolutely amazing to me how music can set the tone, change the mood, completely amp up or calm down a person listening to it. Bring up memories, good or bad, and provoke deep thought.

Just thought I'd share these thoughts, as I prep my fingertips for the insane amount of writing I'm about to do. Here goes nothing.

Love Always,

Kristin

I Knew It!

So, ever since I got Levi, my precious little furbaby, I've thought that he had some Jack Russell in him. They told me he's a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix, which I can see, but he's just too stocky to not be a Jack Russell. He has a very muscular chest, and his face looks just like a JRT (Jack Russell Terrier). I believed it, though, since his coloring is so defined, I thought he had to be part Chihuahua.

I was right, though! I looked again at his rabies certificate, and *boom* there it is: "Russell/Doxie." I knew it! One more problem with that, though. His ears and tail are definitely Chihuahua. I mean, look at him. Right?

Wrong. I found out, by doing some quick Google research, that a JRT's tail is long and can curl a bit if they aren't docked. Also, Dachshunds have long, thin tails, much like Levi's. And apparently there's a "condition" in JRTs called prick-ears, which basically means they stand up straight...Just like Levi's.

I don't know why it makes me so happy to learn that he's actually a Jack Russell/Dachshund mix, but I'm thrilled. I think part of it is the validation that I knew my baby enough to know what he's not, and he is not Chihuahua.

All for now, just wanted to share!

Love Always,

Kristin

Isn't Winter Supposed to be Coming?

Well, I would say NaNo was a bust this year, but I learned a lot about myself, even if my story didn't manifest out of thin air. Today is the last day of NaNoWriMo officially, but that definitely doesn't mean the writing has to stop!

Although I'm not sure exactly how much writing I will be able to do in December, either, I hope to have things a bit more worked out so I can at least do something. This semester has been absolutely crazy for me, but I've only got to survive two more weeks! Then I get to try to catch up on everything that has been put off this entire semester...

So in addition to trying to get my life in order (and by "life" I mean my classes), I'm feverishly searching for a new job, any chance I get. I really appreciate everything my current job has done for me, but I feel like it's time to move on to bigger and better things. I've been there since January, almost a year, so I don't feel guilty for wanting to leave it. My ideal job, and the market I've been looking in, is online. Preferably online writing, but I guess I'm open to whatever God throws at me. I've been talking to my cousin, who does freelance work for a company online, about her work, so I'm hoping something will come from that line of inquiry. But of course I'm not sitting around waiting for a job to fall into my lap.

If I like the job I'm at, why do I want to leave? Well, with my schedule, especially for next semester, keeping this job would mean that poor little Levi has to stay in his crate all day four days a week. I really don't want to do that. If I work from home, I can spend more time with him, which I'm sure will make both of us very happy!

Another reason I want to leave this job is I want more time to invest in my church and small group. Next semester, I will be co-leading a Chi Alpha small group with my best friend, and I want to have the time available to pour into our girls and to meet new girls. If I work from home, I will be able to get more involved in Chi Alpha, which I really want to be able to do, and I would be able to go back to my church's youth group as a leader, and maybe even play in the worship band (the worship pastor has been asking me for about a month if I can play with the band, and I really want to, but with my current work situation there's no way).

Completely changing the topic, but since we're talking about changes, another change I will be making (starting tomorrow!) is getting back in shape. I used to be in great shape (at least for me) when I was in AFROTC, and ever since I've been out, I've let my good habits fall to the wayside. I'm starting off small, since I'll be here and there all over Texas and Oklahoma in the next month, so I've decided to do a 30-day ab challenge. *everybody hisses and boos* I know, I know, those challenges are intense, and everyone seems to hate them, but since I won't have access to my school's gym every day, I figure this is a good way for me to stay active and actually do something between semesters.

So that's what's been going on in my life! I hope all are well and ready for a month of changes!

Love Always,

Kristin

Writing Update

Well, as usual, NaNoWriMo never goes as planned.

I think my university professors conspired at the beginning of the semester to plan all of the big assignments and tests for the month of November, so it would be more difficult for me to participate.

I haven't written since Day 3 (I know, I know, please don't stone me), and even though I'm extremely behind the daily par for the month, I have decided that I will finish this novel. Probably not in November, but before December 31, 2014, I will have completed a novel. That gives me almost half a month of (nearly) uninterrupted writing time. Of course I have to account for family time with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, but I believe I can make it work. When there's a will, there's a way, right?

My story still fascinates me, but I'm sort of lost when it comes to what adventures my characters will encounter. What is the Event? I don't even know. I don't think we'll ever know. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, keep your eyes out for when my book gets published...Then you'll understand.)

I'm still excited about it, which is a good thing considering I haven't written in two weeks. Even though I'm straggling far behind all the other Rhinos, I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress as I discover this story.

Love Always,

Kristin

Four Days In…

So we're four days into NaNoWriMo, and I'm already very behind. That's okay, though, because one of the things you have to remember about NaNoWriMo is that even if you don't hit the par every day, there will be some days that you go way over the par and it'll even out.

I'm loving where my story is going. It's very rough, that's for sure, but that's okay because the point of November is not to make it pretty--It's just to make it. The only issue I have with it right now is my newly-introduced secondary character. I don't feel like he's told me his name yet, but I do feel like I know some of his personality that I maybe am not supposed to know yet. Funny how things like that work. I'm hoping that his name will come to me soon, because right now I'm working with a temporary name that may actually end up being his name? I have no idea, and that's half the fun.

Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, comment with your word count as of Day 4! I'll be posting weekly updates, so you probably won't hear from me again until Day 7, but I'm hoping by then it'll have worked some of its kinks out.

NaNoWriMo is Nigh

Three days.

Three short, dread-filled, frantic days.

Three more days of last-ditch attempts at some sort of semblance of planning.

Three more days to come up with an idea for a novel.

Luckily, I've already decided on the novel I will write this year, and as a "pantster," I don't tend to plan my novels very extensively. Writers tend to fall into two camps: "planners" and "pantsters." Like I said, I fall into the latter group, but I think mentally I always want to be a planner. I just never actually create my character demographic profiles until I've already started writing the novel, and even then, sometimes I never do any sort of extensive planning like that. I have a general theme, I have a main character, I've got a couple of supporting characters in mind, and I have a setting. Boom. Planning done.

But in reality, I'm pretty excited and nervous for this next month. It'll be fun, and it'll be intense.

I'll do my best to give you all weekly updates on how the novel is progressing, and any interesting stories I've come across in my writing ventures, but of course I can't make any promises. Once I spiral downwards into the dark abyss that is NaNoWriMo (I mean that in the best way possible, of course), it's hard to climb your way back out.

Good luck to all my fellow Rhinos! May the month of November be filled with endless inspiration and lots of caffeine!

Love Always,

Kristin

Prepping for National Novel Writing Month

Welp, it looks like I'm all prepped for NaNo! I've got my novel registered on the site (not required to participate), and I even drew a cover for it! (I'm not a very good artist, so it's not that great but I mean, I do what I can.)

I'm really stoked for this, I really want to finish this novel. You know how good that would be for my condifence as a writer? But in order to be able to do that, I've got to do a lot of schoolwork in the next couple of weeks. Just this week, I'll have an exam on Tuesday, a paper due Wednesday, a paper due Thursday, and a paper due Friday. (Here's hoping I still feel like writing a novel after all that.) I'm confident right now, and I'm praying that'll last through the month and keep me motivated.

Motivation--or rather, the lack thereof--is my worst enemy sometimes. That's why I haven't finished any of my other novels yet, that's why I'm not relentlessly contacting publishers and that's probably why my books aren't in stores and libraries yet.

This year, that will change.

I'm deciding that if I'm serious about this writing thing, which I am, I need to make it more of a priority, and not just a hobby. That means I'll be writing and publishing more articles in the future, and I'll be working on my novels like nobody's business.

Woo!

Well, now that I'm properly pumped up, I'm going to go listen to peppy music and try to knock out one of those papers.

Love Always,

Kristin

National Novel Writing Month

As NaNoWriMo 2014 is fast approaching, I figured it was time for me to check in and update all of you on how things have been going.

School is crazy busy, and I'm still trying to do damage control for the first few weeks of class when I let assignments fall by the wayside. I'm hoping that the rest of this week and this weekend will be super productive so I can start planning for NaNo.

On the note of NaNo, for those of you who don't know, National Novel Writing Month is held every year in the month of November, worldwide. The goal is to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. Scary, right?

Yes, it is.

I participated last year, but I didn't "win." (All you have to do to win is complete your novel.) I'm hoping that this year I can prioritize a bit better and beat my record for last year, which was 16,546 words. Not a lot, I know. But hey, always time for second chances, right? This year I will do better.

Now the trick is deciding what story to write...You're technically supposed to write a story you have never worked on before, so you don't start the competition (against yourself) with a running word count. I have so many ideas for novels that are either partially started or just have a title page, so it's difficult for me to comply with this. I may start a brand new story, but I think I would feel guilty for abandoning my existing novels in their time of need.

I'll keep you all updated on my planning process (since I only have two weeks left to do it...eek!) and once November starts, I'll try to post weekly updates on my progress.

If you want to participate in NaNoWriMo, or if you just want to find out a little more what it's about, visit their website at nanowrimo.org.

Love Always,

Kristin

Back to School

The sea of wide-eyed freshmen has returned to campus.

Classes begin for me on Monday. It's going to be a very busy semester, but I've got my calendar color-coded and I've got a plan. I'm hoping a specific turn of events will come about so I can be slightly less busy, but for now I'm planning for the school-pocalypse.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love learning, and I love attending school because it gives me an opportunity to do exactly that (even if it is way too expensive). But I'm honestly not excited for the hustle and bustle. I'm glad I live within walking distance from campus, because I feel like that will save me a lot of time this year. I'm also kind of sad that I didn't complete all my goals for the summer, but I still feel like I've had a productive one.

With that, I wish all students a happy school year, and a safe and productive semester. I'll still update from time to time, but I won't promise regular posts.

Love Always,

Kristin

Say Hello To Levi!

As promised (although it's a bit later than I anticipated), here is the post where I introduce my new furbaby. I got him just over two weeks ago, and he has already changed my life. He's a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix (otherwise known as a chiweenie), and he's four months old.

I've had a lot of people ask how I came up with the name Levi. One of my friends had told me I should name him Leviathan (because he's always wanted a dog named Leviathan), and I thought, "Hey, I could shorten that and name him Levi. I like the sound of that." I later was reminded by both my mother and my grandmother on separate occasions that my great-grandfather's name was Levi, so that kind of sealed the deal for me. That little fact added a bit of sentimental value to the name.

Levi is a little cuddle bug. He absolutely looooooooves attention. I've noticed he has two speeds: running around wildly or stopped. We went to my parents' house in Oklahoma this past weekend and Levi got a big kick out of running around my parents' property without a leash. Since I live in an apartment in the city, he doesn't have a yard to run around in. I take him for a walk almost every day, and he enjoys that, but he really liked being able to do what he wanted instead of what I was telling him to do.

He's also extremely affectionate. I like that about him, because I wanted a puppy so I would have a companion in my new apartment (I went from living with three other girls and a cat to living my myself). We're still training, but he knows how to give kisses on command (and not on command). He just started teething, so we're working on not biting while giving kisses or playing. He's mostly potty trained, though, which I count as a huge victory seeing as I've only had him for two weeks.

He likes to wake up early (as in between 5:00 and 6:00 AM every day)...which I don't necessarily like, but I definitely need it. I'm using him as my motivation to get up early and be productive (not that he gives me much of a choice). We usually go for walks in the morning, but this evening we went for a walk/run around campus, and now I know he can keep up with me when I run. Actually, if we're being honest, I had trouble keeping up with him...

He's so incredibly playful. He likes to hide under the couch and run laps around the living room. If we're playing, he'll run underneath the couch and suddenly run out at top speed (kind of startling if you're face-to-face with him). He has a crab with a squeaker in it which is currently his favorite toy. He's also taken quite a liking to rawhide bones.

He's so incredibly smart. Like I mentioned earlier, he's already mostly potty trained, and he's learning how to communicate with me when he needs to go outside or when he's hungry. He doesn't like it when I leave, but I think he's learning that I'll come back. He knows to go sit in the hall when I start putting his food down (that was completely unintentional, honestly, but I'm glad he's learned that habit early).

All in all, I love this sweet boy. Yes, he frustrates me sometimes, but he's totally worth it. I don't know what I would do without him.

Love Always,

Kristin

I'm Back, I Promise!

I apologize for the extremely long impromptu hiatus. I expected this summer to be pretty laid-back, but it's been a whirlwind of activity! Now that I'm practically settled in my new apartment (sans roommates, which is a huge change) and actually have wifi, I'll be able to post more regularly from now on.

So, new place, new puppy (pictures to come), three jobs, no classes, and lots of friend time. It's been pretty crazy. I'm starting to settle into a new routine though, so I figure there will be a consistent flow of new posts and new articles on my Examiner.com page (which if you haven't checked out, you should!).

Speaking of Examiner.com, I wanted to make a quick update. As of right now, I'm still only a Writing Examiner, but once I'm eligible (there are a few requirements I have to meet), I'll be applying to be a Book Examiner as well. That, I think, will expand my audience immensely, because it won't be such a niche market. Don't get me wrong, I love writing about writing, but it's difficult to keep a steady stream of articles going. I think it will be easier for me to write about writing if I can also write about books in general.

There it is! There's my re-introduction, I suppose. I'll follow up shortly with a post dedicated to the new puppy, because I know you're all dying to know about him. :)

Love Always,

Kristin

Good News, Everyone!

(Kudos to those who understand the reference.)

Remember that website I mentioned in my post yesterday? The one I applied to be a writer for?

I got it!

My first paid writing gig!

As you can tell, I'm just a tad excited.

I'll be writing articles about writing, which is fantastic. I'll make sure to let you all know when my first article is published. My compensation will be based partly on views, so I could use all the support I can get.

Love Always,

Kristin

Putting One Egg in Each Basket

I still haven't heard back from that magazine I submitted a story to, but it's only been a couple of weeks so I don't expect to for a while yet (they said they would make a decision within ninety days).

However, I did just submit an application to be a writer for a website that publishes articles about all sorts of current events/local goings-on/everything else, and I'm supposed to hear back from them within two weeks. Fingers crossed!

I've found a few more journals to submit stories to as well, so hopefully I'll be published in at least one of them by the end of the summer. I'm getting started on those submissions right now.

I'm slowly starting to regain my motivation to tackle that novel project I talked about at the beginning of the summer. I haven't done too well on my other goals so far either, but I've still got a month and a half to get on the ball, right?

Love Always,

Kristin

Reading for Pleasure (and the Amazing Woman Who Taught It)

Last one on this topic for a while, I promise. :)

I know I've mentioned her briefly in an older post, and I mentioned her in the other posts in this "series," but today I'm going to dedicate an entire post to the amazing woman who taught me what a teacher is supposed to be. I haven't asked permission to use her name, but if you know her...you'll know.

When I met her, I was a timid sophomore entering my second semester at a new school, still learning the ropes and still meeting new friends. Initially I could tell she was kind and she had a very specific set of rules that she expected us to follow in order to make the class time flow more smoothly. Nothing out of the ordinary for a high school teacher. I had no idea how important of a person she would become in my life.

The first Friday of the semester, she stopped class a little early and explained to us that on Fridays, when she dismissed us, she would yell at us, and that she expected us to wait for her to finish yelling before leaving her class. At the time I don't think many of us thought much of it, but now, her Friday "yell" has become a mantra for every student who has ever had her class. There are posts on Facebook and Twitter of other students taking up her yell every Friday. It has become a part of us, and has forever tied us to the teacher who every week would yell above conversations and the sounds of students scurrying to their next class:

"Take care of yourself, take care of each other. Buckle up, hug a dad or a mother, and tell someone you love them!"

I'm certain that anyone who attended my high school could recite this from memory, like I just did.

This definitely wasn't the only thing that stood out to me about this amazing teacher. She was so passionate about each of her students and about providing them with not only a good education, but an enjoyable one. More times than not her desk was crowded at the end of class or during passing period with students asking for a new book to read, talking enthusiastically about the book they were currently reading, or about anything else. She met each student with a smile and eye contact and undivided attention. Each one of us was infinitely important to her. She genuinely cared about what was going on in our lives, and cared about what we cared about the most.

I feel like I really connected with her while doing my reading logs for her class. She read each page and made notes or circled things or put smiley faces, or most times all three. I opened up to her in these logs, and talked about how the things I was reading were relevant to my life and told her things I didn't tell a lot of other people, just because I knew that what I wrote in the pages of my reading log was sacred, and that it would actually be read and that she would write back. Like I mentioned in one of the other posts, I still have all of the reading logs from her class (and I took it twice just because I could!). They are still sacred to me

At the end of the year, she would remind all of the seniors that she had to have a senior picture for her boards. Her entire classroom (at least the part that wasn't covered with bookshelves) was covered with cork boards that were full to overflowing with pictures of seniors from her entire teaching career--and there were some pictures of people who had been her students with children of  their own, or wedding pictures, or graduation announcements from college. My picture is somewhere on one of her many boards, amidst many others from my graduating class and those before and after me. I consider that an incredible honor. Also at graduation, she strategically positioned herself among the faculty so when the students lined up to make their way up to the stage, she could "steal hugs" from them as they walked past her. To be completely honest, that was one of the highlights of my high school graduation.

I am so incredibly thankful that I got the chance to know this amazing woman, this amazing teacher. Not a day went by when I was in her class that I thought I was unimportant. Honestly, I'm tearing up as I write this (and I hardly ever cry!). She completely changed my perspective on what a teacher should be. Even though she's now retired, she still keeps everyone updated (especially if you follow her Facebook or Twitter) on what's happening for education in the Oklahoma legislature, and what needs to change, and how we can change it. She values the minds and the hearts of her kids so much. I could go on for hours about how amazing she is and how much she does for the sake of education and for the sake of her kids, but I'm going to turn now to a more personal note.

After I graduated, and before she retired, I went back to my high school a couple of times to see her. During one of these visits, I was still in Air Force ROTC and we were talking about that, and about how I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but that I honestly still wanted to be a teacher. I will never forget that conversation, because she told me that she was so proud of me, and that she had always hoped I would be a teacher, and that she thinks I would make an amazing teacher. Something like that coming from someone like her is worth millions. The fact that this superhero of a person, a teacher, a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a friend, a reader, thinks that I, just one of her thousands of kids over the years, could be an amazing teacher...Even now, it's difficult for me to articulate just how awesome and important that conversation was to me. That conversation renewed my faith in myself and in my dream to be a teacher. Over the years I have doubted my abilities should I end up teaching, but when I remember the fact that she thought I would make a great one, there's no room left for doubt.

Having someone so great have so much faith in you is so exhilarating. It kind of forces you to have faith in yourself. And I know I'm not alone, that she has encouraged and given hope and support to all of her kids at one time or another. She has given us all the faith in ourselves to be who we are meant to be, and has been an irreplaceable cheerleader while we're on our way there.

And for that, I just wanted to tell her thank you.

Love Always,

Kristin

Reading for Pleasure (and the Benefits of the Class)

In my last post I explained kind of how the Reading for Pleasure class operated on a day-to-day basis, but today I want to talk about the more intellectual side of it.

The amazing woman who taught the class at my high school worked very hard to make a case for it, to prove to legislation that it's an important class to have. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't understand how important a class like this can be, and they just assume that it'll become a blow-off class. The thing is, though, that if you get the right people teaching it, Reading for Pleasure will never be a blow-off.

Everyone knows (or should know) that reading helps your brain function better. Reading helps you think better, be more creative, and retain more information. I've been reading since before I can remember, so obviously I enjoy it, but the amazing thing about Reading for Pleasure is that students who come into the class hating everything to do with reading leave at the end of the semester loving it as much as someone who grew up with it like I did. My teacher made us take a survey at the beginning and end of the semester, in which we said how we felt about reading (the scale was LOVE IT!, love it, like it, it's okay, don't like it, hate it, and HATE IT!). She would then compile the data from all of the surveys from all of her classes and put sticky notes on one of her white boards so we could see how her students felt about reading. She would leave the sticky notes up the entire semester, and at the end when we took the survey again, she would move the sticky notes. It was amazing to see that every single semester, so many students went from HATING reading to LOVING it!

I think one of the reason this class works is the students are able to choose what they want to read, and they're not at the mercy of "majority rules" or the teacher making the final decision. Those situations have their place, I'm sure, but in this class, the student calls the shots on what they read. When a student gets to read what they want, they end up exploring new genres and authors they never thought they would like (I will admit that part of this comes from the endless and fantastic recommendations of the teacher). When a student enjoys what they're reading, they get sucked into it. They become more invested in it. They can't put it down. And when a student is that enthusiastic about a book, they pay more attention to the little details. When they pay more attention to the little details, they remember more.

Over the course of the semester, students make a habit of this, and that carries over into other things they read. Reading what you want to read can help you pay better attention to things you have to read. This will lead to students retaining more information in other classes.

Some people assume that reading fiction is a waste of time, that you aren't gaining any real knowledge from it, but that's simply not true. When you read fiction, you're able to step away from reality for a bit and explore another world. This can allow you to rest your thoughts while keeping your brain active. You also train your brain to think creatively and develop your own writing.

I know I don't have any revered studies to cite, or statistics to quote, but I'm speaking from my own personal experience and the experiences of people I know. And honestly, I think experience speaks louder than some impersonal study done at some faraway university. Just my opinion.

Imagine what it would be like if all high schools offered Reading for Pleasure, if all of these students discovered the freedom there is in reading for enjoyment and not just for homework, and think about what it would be like when all of these students did better in all of their other classes as a result! Wouldn't it be fantastic?

Love Always,

Kristin

Reading for Pleasure (and the Way the Class Works)

When I was in high school, I had the privilege of taking a class called Reading for Pleasure. I know, it sounds like a blow-off class, but it totally wasn't.

Yes, the students got to choose what they read, but there were requirements. We couldn't read a textbook (although if we were a senior we could read our senior paper novel), and we couldn't work on homework or sleep. We had to read. The last five minutes of class, we would write a "reading log" about what we read that day, and keep track of what pages we read. Yeah, we didn't talk a lot in that class, and we didn't really get to know our classmates, but it was hands-down one of my favorite classes in my entire high school career (I guess I would say it's tied with my creative writing classes).

The reading logs were one of my favorite parts of class. I started out not knowing really how to write them, and therefore didn't like them much initially, and I tended to do a sort of synopsis about the part of the book I had read that day. But as the semester went on I started to figure out my flow and I enjoyed writing them more. At the beginning of the semester, I would struggle to find things to write about for the greater part of the five minutes, but by the end of the year I was struggling to finish writing by the time the bell rang. One of my favorite things about the reading logs was that our teacher would write back to us, comment on our thoughts, and make little notes while she was grading them. I still have all of my reading logs with all of her notes in the margins. It made me feel like I was writing for more than a grade, like I was actually having a conversation with my teacher through these five-minute assignments every day.

At the beginning of every class period, the teacher would share about a book she had recently read or was currently reading. Throughout the semester, each student was required to do at least one "book share." This was a simple thing; we only had to talk for a couple of minutes and have maybe three slides on a Power Point presentation. This was good to see what other students were reading and parts that they thought were important. A lot of people were nervous about sharing, myself included, but that was one of two chances to actually hear from the other students in the class.

Also, at the end of the semester, we had this big two-day assignment called Booksellers Day. The class would sign up to "sell" on one day, with the class being basically split evenly between the two days. When you were "selling" your book, which was one you had read at some point that semester, you had to have at least three visual aids (not including the actual book), and the whole point was to talk to other students in the class about your book for the entire period. (Our teacher warned us when explaining the assignment to pick a book we liked enough to talk about for an hour!) The other half of the class, the "book buyers," would come around to your desk and ask you questions about the book you chose. This was a great way to have awesome conversations with people about a book you loved (and a great way to try to convince them to read it if they hadn't already).

I absolutely loved my teacher for this class. She was so passionate about teaching, and was so passionate about books and about each of us, there was no way you could feel unimportant in her class. She recently retired, and although I'm pretty sure the entire district was saddened, she definitely deserves a break. She worked so hard to make an impact in so many students' lives, and she definitely made an impact in mine. I actually took her class twice, once my sophomore year of high school and once my very last semester as a senior. I'll make another post more about her later.

Also, now that I've explained how the class actually functioned, I'm going to make a post about how the class is beneficial and why it should be included as an elective for all high schools (not to get all preachy about it or anything, ha!). Hopefully you'll check those out as well.

Love Always,

Kristin

The Struggles of a Twenty-Something Writer

Is it just me, or did May fly by really fast?

I would like to say that my summer has thus far been immensely productive, but unfortunately I would be lying. I haven't worked out as much as I wanted to, I haven't written or read as much as I would like, but I still have two months to get it together.

I've been hoping that inspiration would hit me like a lightening bolt and I would have an entire story--or at least a couple of chapters--written in one night. I know it doesn't usually work like that (I've been doing this a while, even if I've never gotten paid for it), but that doesn't keep me from dragging my feet.

Motivation to write, even when I don't have a clear idea of what I want to write, is one of the hardest things to come by, in my opinion. I can be completely in the mood to write, and I sit down at my computer, and...

...the cursor just keeps blinking, taunting me on that stark-white blank page.

What I usually end up doing is reading through a story I've already started, something that I want to work on, and spend my entire "writing time" making minute edits and reading over what I already have, but not adding anything substantial. Sure, I may write a short little scene, or add a sentence here and there, but at the end of my time I feel like I've accomplished nothing and have wasted my entire evening.

There seems to be a general feeling towards my generation that we are lazy and never follow through on anything, that we don't work for what we get and expect everything to be handed to us. While this is definitely true for some people, I like to think I don't fall under that umbrella. However, I feel like the most stereotypical American twenty-something when I try to write and can't. I'll confess something: I've never finished a novel. (Well, I have, but I didn't think it was publish-worthy, so I don't count that. It's stuck away in some notebook somewhere amongst all my things.) I desperately want to, but all of the words seem to leave me around Chapter Four. Yes, I've tried writing short stories and flash fiction and other types of fiction, but the ability to write a full-length novel is something I aspire to have.

So, basically if anyone has any tips on how to get past the Chapter Four Writer's Block, let me know! I'm excited to hear your strategies.

Love Always,

Kristin

You Guys...I Think I May Have Done It

I think I may have just finished the story I was talking about in my last post, the one that I'm writing for submission to a magazine. I'm really not sure if I should add more or end it where it is, but one way or another I'm calling it done by the end of the day. And if I do say so myself, it's pretty good! Especially for the first serious writing project I've done in quite a while.

I'm going to send it off for review today. Like a child all grown up. *wipes tear from eye*

They say I'll hear back one way or another within ninety days. And so the countdown begins! I'm absolutely excited and nervous and I feel like a proud parent sending their child off to college (except in this case there's a chance of the "college" calling me and saying "Nope, your kid is horrible. Two weeks in and he's on his way home now. See ya.")

I will for sure let you know when I hear back. I think I said in a previous post that this would be my first "real" publication. Let me explain that a little more:

I was published in my high school's creative writing anthology two years in a row, and waaaay before that, I had a poem published in another anthology (my poem was on the first page, and man, was it stupid). I guess I was a good enough writer when I was ten to get published. (Look out, mama, you've got a prodigy on your hands!) Other than those two instances, I don't think I've ever had work published. I've sent a novel off to a publishing company before, but I never heard anything back from them, so I'm just going to assume that's a nope as well...Also that was probably my sophomore year of high school, so there's that.

I'm hoping this will open up all sorts of doors for me. I never heard of this magazine before I decided to submit to it, but then again I honestly don't keep up with all the magazines and literary journals out there. It appears that the first leg of my adventure is coming to a close, and the next one is rising to take its place. I'm still going to be working on novels and other projects throughout the summer, and I'm hoping to finish something before next semester starts up.

Wish me luck!

Love Always,

Kristin

Writing for Cash

I mentioned in a previous post that I plan to do a lot more writing this summer. And I do. A lot of writing. I've been looking online for literary journals that pay for stories, and came up with a nice long list to submit to.

One of those magazines requests a different genre of writing for each issue, and the upcoming one is surreal fiction. They pay for stories, so of course I'm going to submit something! The only problem is I've honestly never written surreal fiction before in my life.

So I started my story, and, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think it's coming along quite nicely. Not entirely sure where it's going, or exactly what I'm doing, but I'm sure it'll turn out fine.

If the magazine accepts my story, it'll be my first (real) publication ever. Super exciting, right? I was published in my high school's creative writing anthology a couple of times but nobody outside my high school will ever read those so I'm not entirely sure I want to count that.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew of any good literary magazines to submit stories to? I know, it's a shot in the dark, but I thought I would ask anyway. I'm really hoping to actually establish myself as a writer, because that's always been my dream, but breaking into any field is difficult if you don't know how.

I'll keep you updated on my adventures, don't worry!

Love Always,

Kristin

The Story of the Would-Be Officer

So the other day I mentioned in a post that I wanted to be in the military, then noted "that's a different story for a different post." Well, I thought I would share that story with you.

When I was a senior in high school, I decided that I wanted to be in the military. I went to talk to a National Guard recruiter (much to my parents' disapproval), I took the ASVAB, the whole bit. Then, after deciding that Air Force was the route I wanted to go, I joined the Air Force ROTC program at UNT.

I was in ROTC for almost three semesters, and boy, was that an interesting ride. Not a bad one, mind you, but definitely interesting. I wanted to be an intelligence officer, which is honestly the only job I could probably get that would use my linguistics degree, and even then I'm not sure how much of that knowledge would have actually been used.

For those of you who aren't familiar with how ROTC works, you're not legally obligated to serve in the military until after your second year (or your first for some, but I'll get to that in a bit), after you come back from Field Training. Field Training is basically a condensed version of basic training/boot camp/whatever you want to call it, and when you finish that you get to sign the papers and take the oath and all of that fun stuff. Obviously I didn't make it that far.

Anyway, the first semester I was classified as a 250, which basically means I was going to be completing the four-year program in three years (that's where the first year Field Training thing comes in). As a 250, you learn the material from the first and second years of the program at once. I was definitely overwhelmed that first semester, and my second semester I chose to drop down to a 100 (freshman-level cadet). During that second semester of my ROTC experience, I was in the best shape of my life, without a doubt.

When the fall of my second year of college rolled around, I was classified as a 200 (sophomore-level cadet) because I had already "completed" the first semester of the first year of the program when I was a 250. By that time, I had learned to dread Thursdays, and to not like Tuesdays much either. Tuesday and Thursday were PT days, and I preferred to get the physical activity out of the way as early as possible so I went to the morning PT sessions (which ran from 6:50 AM to 7:50 AM).

I didn't mind the people so much, but ROTC was just wearing me down. I didn't enjoy it anymore, I admitted to myself that I was only in it for the prospective job security (which as we all know isn't as secure anymore), I hated going to bed on Monday and Wednesday nights because that meant I had to wake up on a Tuesday or Thursday. I was very stressed as it was, and ROTC didn't help that. I had gotten "lucky" (?) and had fractured my elbow just before school began so I wasn't able to do PT, but since I didn't do any PT on my own either I was in pretty bad shape.

So, a little less than halfway through my third semester, I decided to quit. I was not looking forward to being so behind everyone else physically, I wasn't interested mentally, and I felt like I would be so much more useful somewhere else. I hated to quit, but the Lieutenant Colonel who runs the detachment was very understanding and very sad. Apparently I was ranked in the top three cadets in my class (who knew!). He hated to see me go, but he understood that if I wasn't happy, I didn't need to be there.

Since I quit ROTC, I'm a lot happier, although I'm not any less busy. I feel like now I'm on my way to becoming who I'm supposed to be, and doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Will I end up in the military someday? Who knows? I'm definitely not ruling out any possibilities, but I'm not holding my breath either.

Love Always,

Kristin

Practice What You Preach

I'm really good at giving advice, but not so good at taking it.

I had a friend call me yesterday upset about some boy issue, and was trying to decide whether to go see a movie with some of her friends or stay home and be sad by herself and crash out early. I told her that it's a lot easier to think too much when you're by yourself, and that going to see a movie with friends will probably make her feel better.

Now if I only listened to my own advice.

I tend to sulk and hide in my room and play Death Cab for Cutie on repeat when I'm down, and I don't want to talk about it with anyone or do anything about it. I know it's not healthy, but I don't seem to think there's a better way to deal with it. I mean, I know that there is, but I'm not sure I know it. I tend to internalize things and that's not too good, either.

But I'm working on getting better at that. I guess, if I want to be a teacher, I need to be able to handle conflict, am I right? Ha, it's amazing what I learn when I actually listen to myself talk.

Love Always,

Kristin

The Heart of a Teacher

You know, I guess I've always known that I'm supposed to be a teacher. Sometimes, though, I decide that I want to be something else first.

I was always one of those kids who wanted to be everythingintheworldatonce when I grew up, and now that I'm here, I've been a lot of things that I never planned or expected to have under my belt. For example, when I was ten, I never expected or particularly wanted to be a receptionist, a babysitter, a youth group leader, a chiropractic assistant, a server in a Mexican restaurant. (And yes, that basically covers the abbreviated version of my resume, in case you were wondering.) However, through all of the awesome and badass jobs I've wanted to have in the past, there's always been something on my heart telling me that someday, I will be a teacher. And a good one, at that.

I am so incredibly blessed to have had the teachers that I did when I was in high school. I still communicate with some of them, and I have such an immense respect for all of them. One of my teachers in particular has been a model for how I want to teach. She was my Reading for Pleasure teacher (yes, that class exists, and it's great! I took it twice), and I hope that one day I'll be half the teacher she is.

I know that teaching is hard, but that doesn't bother me. However, it's getting to that point that has been making me crazy lately. I'm getting a degree in linguistics and a degree in Spanish, and I've only got three semesters left to graduate. When I declared my Spanish major, my adviser asked if I wanted to get my teaching certificate and at the time, I was like, "Nah, I don't need that right now." Because eventually, I probably won't. My goal is to get my doctorate and at that point I'll be teaching university anyway, so what's the point? But recently I realized that I may not get to go straight to grad school, and everyone knows there's no jobs in linguistics unless you're lucky, so what am I left with after graduation? *shrug* I guess I could teach high school Spanish?

So I looked at what is required to get my teaching certificate. If I add it onto my degree, that's an extra 24-27 hours of classes I'll need. Ain't nobody got time for that! Well...when I think about it, I probably do. I'm set to graduate in December of 2015, so there won't be any teaching jobs available to me in the spring anyway. I could extend my graduation date another semester...But I really don't want to do that. I'm so close! I could get my certificate through an alternative program, but do they really teach you as much? And then there's the issue of where I'll be living after graduation. I honestly don't see myself staying in Texas (although between you and me, I absolutely love DFW and would not mind staying in the Dallas area at all), so wherever I go I would just have to get certified in that state anyway. *sigh*

As I'm weighing all my options, I'm trying to figure out which will be best for me and which will be best for my future. No pressure or anything, right? I wouldn't be worrying about it this much if I didn't know for sure that I was meant to teach.

After I graduated high school, I was talking to that aforementioned Reading for Pleasure teacher of mine. We met for coffee and to exchange books and catch up. She told me that she had always hoped that I would become a teacher, because she could tell that I would make a good one. Wow, what a compliment coming from someone like her!

On top of that, I've been feeling like I've gotten a lot of confirmation recently that teaching is in fact what I should be doing. Yes, I still want to be in the military (that's another story for another post, though). Yes, I still want to be a spy (completely serious). Yes, I still want to do something awesome and intense and something that people would go "Wow! You actually do that? That's so cool!" when I tell them what I do (if I was allowed to tell them, ha!). And it's really sad that teaching isn't respected in this country as the awesome, challenging job that it is, but when it comes down to it, I want to do what makes me happy. And I can't imagine anything making me happy like teaching does.

So to all you teachers out there, thank you. I truly admire what you do.

Love Always,

Kristin

The Problem With Novels

Like I've mentioned in my recent posts, I write novels. At any given time, I probably have seven or more projects in the works. Novels are a huge investment, in terms of time and sleep and effort and sometimes money, even if you work on them tirelessly until they're finished. I commend those who can finish a novel in a few months.

I, on the other hand, have been "working" on most of my novels for several years. I say "working" because I'm only about halfway through my undergraduate career, and having to deal with school and making enough money to make rent kind of took priority over writing for the past few years.

One novel, in particular, has been in the works since I was in seventh or eighth grade, which would be around 2007 or 2008. I really love the characters in this story, partly because I feel like as I've grown up they have grown up with me, but the fact that they have grown up causes issues for the story. Obviously, my writing style has changed and matured so much since 2007 (which is definitely a good thing), and I'm running into the issue of how to adapt the writing I've done so far to my current style. I don't want to have to nix the project altogether, obviously, but I don't know how to fix it without completely changing the storyline.

Another issue I'm running into is that in some of my stories, not just this one, I incorporate elements I don't know enough about. I know you're supposed to write about what you know, but honestly I see it as a learning experience if I am able to research something I know nothing about for the sake of a story. (And let's be honest, writers can get away with researching some pretty strange things by saying "It's for a story, don't worry.")

I feel like this story deserves nothing less than to be finally finished, after all of these years, but the biggest thing holding me back is me not knowing how to adjust details without changing the whole. Writing, like anything else, I suppose, is a constant learning experience.

Love Always,

Kristin

Writing Adventures

Okay, so I'm about to start working on my novel once again, but I also enjoy writing short stories, poems, vignettes, flash fiction...Basically anything. So I'm also looking to get into freelance writing for journals or literary magazines. The only issue is that I have no idea where to start! I don't want to limit myself to only creative writing, as far as finding paying writing jobs go, but I also don't want to become so distanced from creative writing that I don't feel like a fiction writer anymore. Ah, the struggle.

Anywho, I plan on updating this blog much more frequently now that the semester is over and I have more than enough time on my hands, and I will definitely keep everyone updated on how the writing is going!

Love Always,

Kristin

Summer Has Arrived!

It's finally here. I've finished my finals (with very excellent grades, I might add), finalized grades for the classes I helped "teach," and now my break can begin. I'm still working this summer, but as of right now it's only two days a week, and I'm honestly going crazy just thinking about all of the free time I'm going to have!

I've decided that I should probably set some goals for myself this summer so I don't end up wasting it away on my couch watching Netflix. And, as a form of accountability I suppose, I will share my goals here with you:

1. Exercise regularly/get back in shape. This school year has been so hectic and busy that I've really let myself get out of shape. I've been eating out way too much, and not taking care of myself the way I should. So, I bought a summer membership to the rec center on campus and in order to make the $78 worth it, I guess I have to actually use it, don't I?

2. Finish a novel. Writing, not reading. Well, reading would be fantastic too, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for that between everything I decide to load on myself. I've been working on numerous novels for the past several years, and have just let life get in the way of writing. This summer, I will finally be able to put one of those babies to bed, and hopefully by the end of this year it will be on the way to a publisher (or a bookstore)!

3. Re-learn how to play bass. I played bass guitar in high school (not very well), and I have my bass sitting next to my bed just taunting me. (I also have my acoustic guitar taunting me, but one step at a time, am I right? I'll get there eventually). So I've decided that this summer I will actually take the time to figure it out.

4. Learn Russian. This is another one of those things that I started in high school but never really followed through with. My dad and I took Russian lessons my senior year, so now I know the alphabet and how to read Russian, but I don't understand the words I'm reading. It's kind of a problem. So I've downloaded a couple of apps on my phone and I plan on spending at least a little bit every day working on Russian. I am a linguistics major, after all; society expects me to know twelve languages.

So those are my goals for this summer, not including maintaining my Spanish skill, Jesus time, friend time, or any recreational reading I plan to do. Oh, and keep this blog updated regularly, I suppose. :) Looks like my summer won't be boring after all! Comment and let me know what your goals for this summer are, and we can keep each other accountable.

Love Always,

Kristin

We Got A Puppy!

Well, okay, so I didn't get a puppy, but Samuel did, and I'm claiming part ownership (because he's just so stinking cute!). He's about ten weeks old, a Jack Russell terrier, and Sam named him Thor. (I think he did that because it's slightly ironic that he will never be big or intimidating.)

Isn't he precious? He came home on Thursday evening, so even now he's still in sensory overload. He was really scared at first, but he's finally gotten used to me, Sam, and Sam's roommate. He loves to be held and he loves to play.

He found his reflection in my bedroom mirror, and spent at least five minutes playing with it. Sam's roommate has a shih-tzu-type dog named Kojak, who has assumed a big brother role for Thor. It's absolutely precious. Anytime Thor starts whining for whatever reason, Kojak will run to the rescue. They love to play together, and I've never seen a dog show visible affection for another dog, but I can definitely see it when Kojak looks at Thor. That first night, when Thor looked at Kojak, he would stop shivering (you know how little dogs tend to shake when they're nervous).

I still hold to the theory that he's my and Sam's dog, because Sam's roommate will be moving out of town after graduation in May, and taking Kojak with him (and he knew Sam wanted a dog, so he got him a puppy). In any case, he's warmed up to me and has started to feel safe around me and Sam, which is a good thing.

Training will be a chore, though. Apparently Jack Russells train really well, but housebreaking him will be interesting for sure. He peed in my bedroom floor last night (and I wasn't even mad). The good thing is that he's still so tiny he can't make big messes yet. The first night Sam had him, he was sitting on Sam's shoulder (he likes to sit on shoulders/chests/necks) and he peed on Sam. I told him that meant Thor liked him.

He has me wrapped around his tiny little paw for sure. It was like love at first sight, and I was legitimately sad when Sam took him home last night. I won't say I cried, but I may have wanted to. I really want to go back and see him again but I guess there are other things I have to do too, like be a productive human being...

Love Always,

Kristin

I'm Back!

So my computer crashed at the end of February, and I haven't exactly had easy access to Internet (which is slightly problematic, since my job requires me to use the Internet on a regular basis).

That being said, I apologize for my surprise hiatus. Thanks for your patience, and although I don't have much time to post right now about everything that's been happening, I definitely will update you all very soon!

Love Always,

Kristin

How Wide, How High, How Long, How Deep

God is absolutely amazing. He is bigger than we can ever imagine, more loving than any human will ever be. I'm trying to get myself to the point where I accept God's immense love. I know it's there, I know it exists, but I have a hard time accepting it. Recently, I've been reminded of how great God's love is, how inherently big it is. It's humbling to think that Someone who created every single thing in the universe would take the time to care about me, and I am so incredibly thankful.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love surpasses all knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

(Emphasis my own.)

I just wanted to share this verse that I read yesterday, and the notes I wrote about it. I hope that it encourages someone. :)

Love Always,

Kristin

Be Still, And Know That I Am God

I'm a part of Chi Alpha, a really awesome campus ministry, that meets on Tuesday nights at a church here in Denton. During the worship part of the service tonight, those words just came to me, and stayed there.

Be still, and know that I am God.

I really needed to hear that from Him tonight. Life is consistently busy and consistently stressful, and I have a hard time letting things go. I know that I need to give things up to God and let Him take care of me, but being the planner that I am, that's been very difficult for me. As I was trying to worship tonight, the thoughts of everything I need to get done before spring break (which is next week for me) kept creeping into my mind. All of this work I have to get done, these midterms to study for, an apartment to clean, grocery shopping, all of these things refused to let me worship with a clear mind.

Be still, and know that I am God.

When He spoke those words to me, it gave me peace. Didn't necessarily stop the thoughts of all of my responsibilities from tiptoeing into the periphery of my thoughts, but it gave me peace. God reminded me tonight that no matter how high my ambitions or pile of tasks to accomplish, He is there guiding me through it all, and He will take care of me. Everything will work out according to His plan, and in His time. I tend to like to stress about things I really shouldn't, and God knows that. He knows that I need to be calmed and that I need to be told that I'm not alone in accomplishing all of the things I set out to accomplish. And wow, I'm so thankful for that.

If it's been a stressful day, week, month, year, whatever, just remember that you're not alone. God has everything under control and he won't let you drown.

Now, on that note, I'm off to study for my midterms!

Love Always,

Kristin

An Introduction

Life is good.

I'm in the process of building myself up from a scared little girl into a radiant woman. It's a difficult process, painful at times, but well worth it, I'm sure.

I am working towards something great, but I don't know quite what it is yet. In the meantime, I suppose I'll introduce myself.

I am a writer, and I love everything about all kinds of books. There will be books on this blog.

I am a student, majoring in linguistics and Spanish. There will be linguistics on this blog.

I am trying to make myself healthier. There will be health and fitness on this blog.

I am a musician (still learning). There will be music on this blog.

I am a daughter, a sister, and a lover of many things. There will be love and family on this blog.

Now you've been warned, and may proceed at your own discretion. :)

Love Always,

Kristin