Finding Time to Write

Finding the time to write can be challenging. Whether it's due to a packed schedule or a lack of inspiration, it's really easy to go days without writing when life gets hectic. You could also have a different sort of challenge while writing; maybe your environment, health, or other factors get in the way. What can you do about this? I don't hold all the answers, but I do have a few tips. 

     Tip one- Keep track of how much you write each day. You can put this on a calendar, in your phone, or scribble it on the nearest piece of scrap paper. Just remember to track your word count each day, whether it's zero or in the thousands. It can inspire you to see how far you've come in your story over a few days, which is really beneficial when you don't want to write. You can remind yourself that just a few minutes can make huge strides in your plot progression.

     Maybe you work best with routine. Then, finding the same time every day that you can write might be the best thing. You'll have that time caved out for writing your story each day, and then you'll go from struggling to find time to struggling to find inspiration. One battle at a time!

     Try telling yourself that you have to sit down in front of your computer for a set amount of time. Whether you write a sentence or a chapter, you've spent the same amount of time working on the project. If you're anything like me, you'll realize that it feels much better to see that you've written a lot in a short amount of time than writing a few words in that same amount of time, and you'll try your hardest to be as productive as possible. Another way to help yourself be productive in a short amount of time can be found in an earlier blog post I wrote, which you can find here. 

     Maybe you spend an hour on social media a day. Or you might mindlessly watch TV for thirty minutes before a lesson or practice. Finding little moments in your day to get work done can do wonders. Sometimes we have a completely packed schedule, and there really isn't a moment to spare. Other times, though, a few moments can turn into an awesome achievement. 

      I want to say is that everyone misses days while writing. That's okay. The important thing is that you're writing most of the time. If you skip a day, or something comes up, there's no need to beat yourself up about it. The second thing I want to say is that I by no means write everyday. When I wrote my first two novels, I did work nearly daily. I have a lot less time than I did then, though, which means it's hard to find time to write. When I type this, it's a great way to potentially help someone else get back on track with their literary projects, but it's also a good reminder to myself of some ways to help get a few more words written during the day. 

     Now that you've finished reading, see if you can get writing! 

     

 

 

 

 

 

Why I Homeschool

I started kindergarten with a batch of kids, and I stayed with them until 8th grade. New people came, and others left, but I was still with the same group of people almost every day since I was 5. Last fall, though, they all went off to high school, and I didn't go with them. I've been doing online school for the past semester, and today I wanted to finally talk about why we made the decision to go that route. 

I've never exactly had the best health. I can pull countless examples of having to miss school, or playdates. I'm sure I've had more doctors appointments than some people have in their entire lives. Thankfully, God gave my family good friends in the medical field, which has been such a huge blessing. I was never able to be completely 'normal,' but with great doctors and a lot of faith, I was doing okay. Then, very early in my 7th grade year, all of that changed.

In 7th grade, my health started getting worse and worse. I had been on a medicine for years, which we did not take lightly. We had tried all other options beforehand, and even had a plan to try and wean off of it in a few years. Overnight, though, the medicine that had been working for years stopped, and I was left with the crippling feeling of nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no anger, no nothing. Every once and a while I would be able to feel, but only sadness and the lack of hope. It was like I was walking in fog; everything was terribly blurred. It seemed like everything was reaching me with a filter that was keeping its beauty from me. 

The first part of my story is about mental health. I have clinical depression, OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and tics. All of these things, spare tics, I was born with. Clinical depression is not brought on by anything, unlike circumstantial depression. I don't feel it all of the time, but it is always there. Even if I were to wake up tomorrow and never feel the mental and physical pain that it brings again, I would still have depression.

I always describe Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a smorgasbord of all the different anxiety disorders. It isn't specific, like social anxiety, or separation anxiety. It encompasses a lot of things, more than I could ever name. 

My number one pet peeve is when people misuse the term 'OCD.' OCD is NOT wanting to keep a semi-organized room or workspace. It is NOT keeping books straight on a desk at school, or wanting pretty handwriting. OCD is being unable to leave the house for days out of fear of the oven catching it on fire, even if you haven't used your oven in weeks. It's going without sleep night after night because even though you have checked dozens of times, you're paralyzed with fear at the thought of the door's lock being turned too much one way or the other. 

Tics are movements that you do that you can't control. They can be verbal or locomotive; I have the latter. They come and go, which means you could have no tics for a while, and then a lot for a bit. You could have all sorts of tics, or just a few. Just a few examples of tics would be wiggling your nose (Bewitched style), eye blinking, or having to shrug your shoulders.  

So, back to 7th grade. My depression was back and worse than ever. My anxiety, which had never really gone away, got worse. It made, makes, and probably always will make me be afraid of being away from home too long, afraid of going out with even my closest friends, and so many other things. Recently it's taken on a more social anxiety twist as well. My OCD was luckily staying under control, as it had been really bad a few years prior. My tics were becoming very frequent, only the main ones couldn't be seen. I had, and still have, a tic in my stomach that causes my ribs to get bruised to the point where I wear a brace.

We tried a few different approaches with our regular doctor, but nothing was working, not even a bit. At that point we were transferred to the main doctor for my problems at Vanderbilt. We embarked on a few months-long journey of going back to counselors (I had gone to one in 3rd grade) and trying every single medicine that she could offer. Nothing worked; not only that, but they all made the problem worse. My body needs a certain amount of anti-depression, anxiety, and OCD medicine, but I cannot even handle a very small amount. So for every medicine we tried, which there were a lot of, I got nearly every side effect that the medicines can cause. It isn't uncommon for people to get a few side effects, but it is to get almost all of them. As well, many times the symptoms go away after a few weeks; that wasn't the case for me, though.

I was shaky, dizzy, lightheaded, had very extreme fatigue (as in falling asleep sitting up, no matter how many hours I had slept the night, or even minutes, before), and many other things. I would almost pass out in stores, and I could hardly walk at times. The doctor at Vanderbilt had exhausted all options, and told us so. That day was one of the worst of my life, as my family stood out in the parking lot wondering what we were going to do next.

We continued trying different treatment options, but I was still very sick from the side effects. It took all my efforts just to make it through a day of school, or even half of a day. At this point it was my 8th grade year. Instead of getting better, things were getting worse. My mental health was still struggling, and so was my physical health from medicinal side effects and the strain that depression puts on your body (such as constant pain, and a weaker pain tolerance). My physical health continued to decrease, though. My stomach had always had problems, less-severe ones being a few allergies to foods, but over the years they had worsened. My stomach was in pain twenty-four-seven, no matter what. It hurt to eat, to move, to even just sit still, all day every day. No one could figure out what was causing the pain, or how to stop it.

My family came to terms with how sick I was, and that there was no way I could attend school the next year. My mom began searching for an online school, and finally found one after months of searching. We decided to enroll, and regular high school was suddenly out of the picture.

After a doctor's appointment one day, I was sent to have a cat scan out of fear that I had appendicitis, or that something else was wrong. We weren't sure what we were missing, as the pain was constant and so severe. They found an ovarian cyst, and they realized that I get reoccurring cysts. As soon as one goes away, another forms. They suspected I might have endometriosis, but the only way to diagnose it is through surgery. 

Being out of school was good for our schedule, and for me, as I can have things like heating pads while I work, but it also messed (and continues to) with my mental health even more. It caused/causes me to get very depressed about not being able to go to school, see friends, and just enjoy school like everyone around me was. When going out in public, my anxiety and and tics would be off the charts. My OCD started coming back in small ways, such as having to stop and straighten all of the plates in Target. I was constantly exhausted, but I wasn't able to sleep. I had a few weeks where I wasn't able to walk, or even sit up; I had to lie down constantly. I developed horrible brain fog that prevented me from working, reading, writing, or even being able to understand what my parents were saying to me at times.

As well, my stomach problems were getting worse. The pain was still a daily thing, and the prolonged depression was making it hard to cope with the pain. We met with a doctor who specializes in cysts and endometriosis in teens, and started on treatment. The treatment didn't help the pain at all; in fact, the pain got a lot worse. I was also getting even more side effects, like more dizziness and bloating.

So, where am I today? We still haven't found an effective treatment for any of my medical problems. I still have very severe side effects from the depression medicines. I still have all of the ones I mentioned earlier, but I have new ones, too, such as overall increased stomach pain and pain when I eat. The treatment for the cysts are effecting my mental health as well. The pain and bloating have caused my depression and self-esteem to go even more downhill, unfortunately. I still have the constant pain, and the cysts are still forming. If school wasn't an option starting my 9th grade year, then it's absolutely positively not possible now. 

My family and I have had good and bad reactions when telling people the truth about our situation and my health in the past, which is why we haven't talked about it much. Now, though, I feel is the right time to finally share my story and my health problems. Not telling those closest to me has been a challenge that I'm ready to diminish.

If anyone has questions, don't be afraid to ask them. If anyone feels someone might be benefited by reading this blog post, then please share it. Posting this should be one of the scariest things I've ever done, but I have such a peace about it. Not having to beat around the bush when talking about anything concerning my health is going to be such a relief for my entire family. I'm also hoping that by this being posted, I can maybe help someone else in similar circumstances. I would appreciate prayers by anyone, and I would love to be able to pray for anyone else who might be going through a hard time as well.

I'm an author; the easiest way for me to speak is through not speaking at all. That's how this came about; a blog post instead of repeating my story over and over, trying to remember all of the details for each telling of it. That doesn't mean that this post is perfect. I'm sure I'll look back and think of things I should have mentioned, or see places that I should have cleared certain things up. It is the perfect way for my story to be told, though, and that's the only kind of perfection it needs to have.

 

 

Blogging vs. Vlogging

If you clicked on this article because the 'vs.' in the title gave you hope for an epic battle, then I'm sorry to disappoint- there won't be any dramatic fights here today. The 'vs.' is for a comparison in this case. Today I'm going to talk about blogging, vlogging, and why I'm a blogger. 

     Blogging and vlogging have the same goal, which is to discuss topics that are important to a person, or to share things from someone's life. The difference is that while blogging is written out, vlogging is a video version. I could be sitting in front of my camera right now, saying all of these things instead of talking, and this blog would turn into a vlog.

     Some people like to watch vlogs because they think that they can get more emotion out of them, prefer watching over reading, etc. They could like making them because they like to experiment with different lighting, angles, or effects. They could also feel like they're better at expressing their thoughts when they're speaking. They could have a weak spot in all things Language Arts when it comes to writing, and don't want that to hold them back.

     Some people like blogs more because they would rather read, think that they can get the same amount of information in a shorter amount of time, etc. They could like making them more because they feel like they're better at getting their point across through words. Maybe they're self conscious about their voice or look, and feel more comfortable getting their thoughts across through words. They could also lack access to a camera or a good environment to film.

     Whichever you prefer, it's entirely your choice, and there are plenty of bloggers AND vloggers who feel the same way that you do. Personally, I'm a blogger. I've considered vlogging, mostly because of all of the vloggers that I love to watch. I'm just more of a writer, though, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. For me, blogging is the best choice. As I get more and more comfortable with putting my thoughts online, I'll begin to contribute my part to the blogging community entry by entry. 

     If you want, feel free to share which you like more and why; I'd love to hear from you!

Why I Love Deadlines

Deadlines are the best things ever for me. It's not because I need someone to force me to write; I love writing. I do have a problem with writer's block, but it has to do with my main reason. It's because if I don't have a deadline, I spend too much time trying to make my writing perfect. 

     I'm not denying that taking time makes a near-perfect story. You can read account after account of authors that took years to write their wildly famous stories. The thing is, though, that you can't be too focused on perfection. Your story will never be flawless; with more and more editing it gets better, but never impeccable. There's a point when you just have to say that you're done working on the story, because you can't work on it forever. You lose experience and opportunities that way. 

     The more stories you work on, the better they get. You won't always feel that way; you may like the way you built a plot in a past story, or the characters from another. With every new narrative, though, you gain experience that you didn't have previously. Deadlines make you work hard to finish a story in a certain amount of time, so that you can move onto the next adventure and give it your all. 

THE BOOK THIEF

What's my favorite book? Alright, folks, if you know me whatsoever, you know that I'm a reader. I will read anything and everything I can get my hands on. Thus, "What's your favorite book?" is a really hard question for me to answer. However, since early seventh grade year, I've always answered with The Book Thief .

      Most books, people like because of A. the plot or B. the writing. For example, I adore Marie Lu's Legend series. What I love is the story, though. That doesn't mean that I despise her writing style; there just isn't much about it that stands out to me. When I was younger, I read books by Wendy Mass. I always loved how small details she would casually add in chapter two would rap up the whole book somehow. And while I loved the stories, her writing style sticks with me.  

     However, with The Book Thief, I don't have a preference. The author, Markus Zusak, tells a story with a plot alone that is stunning. He tells it with a style that I find hard to explain, but that stuns me. The way he describes ordinary elements is unlike anything I've ever read before.  

     So, what is the premise of The Book Thief ? This book takes place during World War II. Liesel Meminger is on her way to her new home when her brother dies. Suddenly, a place where she would have at least known one person becomes a place where she's completely alone. 

     The story follows Liesel as she moves onto Himmel Street in Munich, Germany. She begins to form a bond with her new Mama, Rosa Hubberman, who shows her affection with insults. Her Papa is an accordion player with a kind heart and a desire to help Liesel with her fascination: words. And then there's Rudy Steiner, the boy who Liesel just can't seem to shake. 

     I don't know what to say with this book except that you need to read it. The plot starts off excellent and somehow advances as it progresses. Liesel Meminger is one of those characters that you can't stop thinking about, even long after you've closed the book.

     Have you read The Book Thief ?  What did you think? I'd love to hear your opinion on the book! 

     Until next time, guys.  

Photography and Writing

Currently, I'm working on a multitude of projects. When someone asks me what I'm writing, I have the choose a narrative and go with it. 

     For me, switching between different narrators isn't a struggle- usually. Other times, I can't seem to write any story. I always have ways to try and get into a character's head, though. One thing is that I'll have a genre, artist, or playlist to go with every story I'm working on. A good song with the same tone or message as your story can keep your mind on your narrative. Also, I like to act as my character would act. Part of this includes my camera- I'll take it somewhere and I'll think "How does ____ see the world around them?" and attempt to capture the picture from their point of view. Acting like my characters could also mean I decide to pretend that I'm them, or make decisions as they would. It helps me to better understand my characters. 

     If you have any tips on how to better understand your characters or switch between narratives, feel free to comment; I'd love to hear from you! 

Transistions

Writing on a blog, I've come to realize, is much harder than I originally thought. I prefer fiction writing; maybe it's just because I'm so used to it, though. Writing on a blog is more personal; you aren't writing about or as someone else (which I happen to enjoy doing). Don't get me wrong; writing through a character is still honest and truthful, and often a little too insightful for my comfort. You're shielded, though. You could write an autobiography and deem it fiction, and few would ever know. Maybe no one would- I suppose it depends on the person. 

     Also, there are no long periods of editing. I do enjoy that- but, it also proves to be stressful. I worry about making one little mistake, and then sending it live. I think that writing a blog will be good for me, though. New experiences, less perfectionism.  

      

20 Minute Challenge

One of the most useful things I've learned about is the twenty minute writing challenge. It's simple enough- you have twenty minutes to write ____ words, and you never stop writing. For my writing class, we started off with a goal of 500 words in that time. Some people were a few words behind, some were right around 500, and some were well above it. 

     When you're writing anything lengthy, no matter who you are, you will get stuck. Don't think you won't- if anything, karma will strike. When you get stuck, sometimes it's only for a bit; sometimes, though, it's for a longggg time. And a good way to beat writer's block is to sit down with no distractions for twenty minutes and just write. You can pick up at a certain place, or write an excerpt. If you're writing an essay, you can get a good portion of your rough draft done. In case you aren't getting the gist of things- you can use this "challenge" on just about any literary writing. Sometimes you'll never use what you wrote; sometimes your unfiltered thoughts will make a beautiful edition to the next paper you have due. But no matter what, it gets your brain flowing!

 

 

A Writing Venture

I, being the person I am, was looking up synonyms for the word "project" after having used it wayyyy too many times. I was writing about literary projects: books, blogs posts, essays, magazine articles, et cetera.

     So, I go visit my best friend- Google. And Google shows me all of the definitions for "project." And with each definition comes the synonyms. I scroll down, and I find the definition I need.

And I find the word "venture."

     Yes, yes. "What is she getting at? Why am I reading this?" Thank you for asking; please hold all questions until the end.

     A venture is a risky and daring undertaking or journey. And let me tell you, writing is both risky and daring. It's sure an undertaking, and sure a journey. How daring is it to put thoughts on paper? Because I don't care when- somewhere in your writing, no matter what you're writing, you're putting your own thought down. Writing is a journey full of ups and downs. There will be times for every author where they want to do nothing but write. Then there are times where you would rather do just about anything that doesn't involve words. What an undertaking constructing a novel is. That's a lot of work. First drafts. First edits, second edits, third edits, fourth edits. Edits until you know your story like the back of your hand.

     And that's just to get a novel decent. And then some people go on to try and publish a book, and if you get lucky- guess what?! MORE EDITING!

     I'm no expert. I finished my first book last year. I've still got books upon books that I am yet to write. I have the stories I'm already working on and the ones yet to come. You have to start somewhere, though. And maybe, just maybe, once you've worked hard enough, you get a chance.

Introductions

Well, hello there! Thanks for coming to see this website; you're awesome. So, first things first- hi! I'm Sara, an author and soon-to-be blogger. On this site I'll have information on my books, I'll have reviews of other people's books, and pretty much everything else in between. This is a place for my passion- words. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!