A Wattpad Experiment

Hey guys!

Yes, I know... it's been awhile. I'm not continuing with the blog just yet, but I made an exception for today.

 A couple months ago, I decided to try out a website called Wattpad. Basically what happens is you can write stories and publish them without any cost, and people can vote and comment on your stories. I've discovered so far that it's been very helpful as far as receiving feedback.

At first, like the introvert I am, I was afraid to publish anything. "What if it sounds stupid?" "What if people don't like it?" "What if they say it's awful and I should never attempt to write ever again?"

But then, I remembered. I wasn't writing for all those people sitting behind their computer screens, just waiting to criticize... I was writing for me, and more importantly, I was writing to glorify God.

So now, I'm currently publishing, chapter by chapter, a fantasy novelette called The Prince's Angel that is sort of an accompanying prequel to my WIP (work in progress, for those who don't know author lingo.) If you want to check it out and read it and vote on it, please do! I'd love to hear more comments/ tips/ thoughts about the story... it really helps with development and plotting!

Here's the link:

https://www.wattpad.com/story/116568796-the-prince%27s-angel

Enjoy your weekend, and keep on writing!


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A Few Changes

Once again, I apologize for not being very regular with my posts. But the reason I am posting today is that a few changes are going to take place with the blog pretty soon. Don't panic; they're good changes!

The first is that I will be gone for two months, from August through September, so I will be taking a break from the blog. I plan to continue the blog in January or February of next year, as I need to finish high school by the end of 2017.

The second change is that I'm also considering moving my blog from Blogger over to Wordpress, as I've heard that Wordpress's format is more reliable and there's less hassle involving posting. 

So that's about it! I do plan to keep blogging at some point, but we'll just see how that goes for now.

Thanks for following this blog, and I'll be posting again sometime in the near future :)

Here's a gif of Spiderman to make you feel better!

Really Cool Locations You Can Use in Your Book

Whether you're writing a story about a huge inter-galactic war, a sweet romance, or a swashbuckling action-adventure book, location really is everything. Sometimes I think the standard locations in books these days are rather limited - you know, the never-ending suburbs of Chicago, or a vacation house at the beach, or a castle in the forest.

Which are all very well and good... until several people all decide to write about the same location, over and over.

So here's some really neat, diverse locations that are sure to spice up your book.

1. Forests
Now, forests are very common in many fantasy novels and perhaps overused. But, I realized while researching that there isn't just any one kind of forest! It will help add some variety if you specify what type of forest it is...

Pine forest, where the trees are close together and there's a lot of shelter under the trees?

Is it a redwood type forest, where the trees tower into the sky and lots of moss hangs off the branches?

Or maybe an alpine forest, covered in snow and sparse timber?

2. Jungles and rain forests

I also feel like jungles are very under-used. I've hardly ever read about jungles in books, except one. Maybe that's just because I don't read enough. But let's be honest, jungles are really awesome. Who wouldn't want to trek though a hot, steamy environment, slashing through vines with a machete and keeping watch for panthers and snakes and insects that could come flying out at you at any moment? OK, well, maybe not. 

3. Deserts

I don't see deserts a whole lot in books, either. But, there's even variety in those, too. There's the rocky deserts that can be the cold kind...

Or the kind that is made of shifting sand dunes.

4. Grasslands and plains 
Plains could be either lush and grassy, or they could be dry, cold, and barren, a bit like the alpine tundra. Either way, they make great settings for stories. Plateaus are flatter than plains, less rolling, but still ideal places.

5. Oceans, archipelagos and islands
I've always thought the ocean was super cool, if not a bit scary, but islands and reefs make really awesome places for stories. The main character in the book I'm currently writing is from a cluster of islands, and I've had fun playing around with her natural instincts for water and boats. Plus, you get to explore lots of stuff in the ocean... atolls, reefs, beaches, deltas, fjords, harbors, lagoons, and a lot more. Overall, they are on my list of top ten locations in story writing.

6. Mountains
Mountains are always great to have in any kind of story, just because they are so majestic and awe-inspiring. Plus, you can play around with the climate... cold, snowy alps that are treacherous in wintertime; wet, tree-covered ranges that trap in lots of moisture; or dry, barren peaks where almost no life forms can be found.

7. Tundra
Tundra is that weird in-between place where it snows half the year, the soil is permanently frozen, and it has no trees, but it's still very cool, pun intended.

8. Urban cityscape
This is useful when you need a high concentration of people in one area. I don't use it very often, but it will come in handy if one of your characters needs to get lost in a crowd.

9. Towns and villages
What I really like to use is quaint little rustic towns set back in the country where not much happens.

10. Planets

Or, you don't have to use any of my suggestions and just decide to come up with new planets! That's great too. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you like this blog, don't forget to subscribe to be notified when new posts come out!

Modern Names for Your Characters

If you're anything like me, chances are you've spent hours, maybe days, obsessing over the perfect name for your character. Well, obsess no more! I thought I'd do you a favor and spare you all the precious time that you could be using to write or channel your creativity. *intense stare*

So here are some names for both guys and girls that are sure to get you inspired and ready to write!

Girls:

Adrianne
Mae
Piper
Rowan
Saige
Simone
Tatum
Everly
Cecily
Jade
Adair
Bree
Chanel
Julia
Mercy
Sophie
Lida
Tory
Chloe
Jacey
Lindy
Kennedy
Elise
Charis
Blaire
Tulsa
Sadie
Gracen
Ivana
Teegan
Zuri
Baylee
Mieka
Camilla

Guys:

Lucas
Noah
Mason
Caleb
Wyatt
Graham
Nolan
Miles
Gavin
Asher
Xavier
Declan
Zane
Jamison
Alec
Colby
Jess
Cameron
Elliot
Titus
Thatcher
Neil
Tom
Tate
Landon
Asa
Michael
Finn
Oliver
Jack

And here's some last names thrown in, too. Just to help you out.

Mayfield
Harding
Preston
Wright
Darrow
Kingsley
Cooper
Erwin
Maxwell
Walters
Ross
Bronson
Addington
Bishop
Sterling
Hartley
Iverson
Randall
Tremer
Whitting
Yates
McCoy
Wheaton
Burke
Jennings
Langley
Ericson
Beckett
Weaver
Olson
O' Connell
Fenninger
Vandecamp

Hope all those names helped! And if they didn't... well, good luck scrolling through endless baby name websites.

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Character Profile Outline

Hey ya'll! I'm coming out with a post tomorrow, but I'm bored silly, so here's to my first double post.

Lately I've been trying to do character profiles on my characters because... well, because story characters are just as complex as real-life people. And somehow they just don't seem genuine if you don't give them some small quirks, funny childhood stories, and all that other fun stuff. So here's a generic character profile list to put some ooomph into your characters.

Basic

Full Name:

Nickname: 

Date of Birth: 

Home Country and ethnicity:

Occupation: 

Educational background:

Extensive Knowledge:

Personal Description: 

Beliefs: 

What haunts him (or her):

Worst thing he (she) has ever seen: 

Most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen:

Physical Appearance

Height: Weight:

Eyes: Nose:

Skin: 

Mouth: 

Hair:

Posture:

Hands: 

Scars:

Clothes:

Most striking facial feature:

Most prominent bodily feature:

Most common facial expression:

Personality

Optimistic or pessimistic: 

Displays of affection:

Competitive or Not: 

Impulsive or Cautious:

Biggest Secret: 

What they will stand up for:

What sense they most rely on: 

What quality they most appreciate:

What they would change about themselves:

Greatest strength:

Greatest weakness:

Greatest fear:

Emotion

What makes him (her) laugh:

How he (she) acts when angry:

What makes him (her) cry:

Friends and Family

Big or small:

Older or younger:

Their perception of family:

Siblings:

Past and Future:

What were they like as babies or children? 

Did they grow up rich, poor, or middle-class?

Were they nurtured or neglected?

What is the most offensive thing they ever said?

What is their greatest achievement?

What was their first kiss like?

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved?

What are their ambitions?

What advice would they give to their younger self?

What smells remind them of their childhood?

What was their childhood ambition?

Strongest childhood memory:

Has anyone ever saved their life?

Love

Do they believe in love at first sight?

How do they behave in a relationship?

Have they ever been in love before?

Conflict

How they respond to threats:

Fight with fists or words:

Choice of weapon:

Where they go when angry:

Who their enemies are and why:

Daily Life

Eating habits:

Sleeping habits:

Style of decor:

Values

What they think is the worst thing done to a human:

Their view of lying:

The last time they lied:

Other

Favorite color:

Favorite foods:

Favorite activity:

Most treasured possession:

Best abilities:

Pet Peeve:

Small Quirks:

The nice thing about character profiles is that you can always add more categories as they pertain to your character. When you're done, you'll have a character unlike any other, I can guarantee that! My personal favorite is the small quirks section. Here's one that I wrote for a rather shy character of mine.

Washes her hands obsessively, talks softly, doesn’t like killing animals, hates when her medicine cabinet is disorganized, is afraid of spiders, bites her lip when in thought

When you have little things that make up important parts of a person's disposition, such as the way someone taps their fingers on the table when they're bored, or the subtle way their eyes change when they're angry, it's easier to picture them while you're reading and overall adds a really cool element to your writing.

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How to Get Inspired When You're Not

You know the feeling. You sit down at your desk or chair or your favorite creative spot, with a mug of tea or hot chocolate or whatever drink you prefer, all prepared to write a masterpiece. But there's a problem. You know what you want to say, but you have no idea how to say it.

Don't despair. Emma is here!

Just kidding. Actually, this sort of thing happens to me more often than I'd like to admit. It's the bane of a writer's existence, more commonly known as writer's block. I like to think that there's two categories of writer's block. The first is where you totally know where you want to go with the story or even the exact scene or dialogue that takes place, but you're hindered by the fact that... well, words are tricky. People are tricky. And you're at a loss for how to go about the whole thing without making an embarrassment of yourself.

The second is where you maybe just don't feel like writing at all, and you have no inspiration whatsoever, and you just spend the day (or a few) moping about the house and wishing you had the ambition to do something about it.

Well, good news! There's a solution!

So stop whining, get off your behind, and go sit down. Or don't. Never mind. I'm about to reveal some ways that you can get more inspired to write that tricky story.

1. Listen to soundtracks from movies or TV shows. This is always great, because a lot of times, you can imagine things more vividly with the right music. I plan on doing a post or two later about some good soundtracks that have helped get me in the mood. To name a few, the Batman Begins soundtrack, the Hunger Games, the Chronicles of Narnia, etc.

2. Watch some movies with good plots and engaging characters. This one may have two sides. You can either get super inspired by it, or not want to write at all because those screenwriters are so much better at coming up with cool story lines or intense action scenes. It's not true! You may just have to watch a lot of shows and movies before you brainstorm your own great plot and combine ideas that make a good story.

3. Go people-watching. This one is especially great if you're trying to write a dialogue scene. Sometimes, being an introvert, I'm not exactly sure how people portray feelings like fear or sadness because... sigh, yes, I'm kind of a hermit. And even though the scenes in movies where the actors show the full depth of human emotion are great, it's not always how real-life people look. If you just go to a coffee shop or social event, sit in a corner, and observe, it's helpful to note how different people have different responses based on their individual personalities. Plus, many of the people I see or interact with have given me loads of character inspiration, so that's a major plus.

4. Go for a drive. Yes, I understand that not everyone has the luxury of taking off whenever they get the urge to, but when you have spare time, just hop in the car and drive anywhere that suits your fancy, whether it be a lake, forest, urban cityscape, or if you live in New Zealand, all the locations where the filming of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit took place. (Those lucky fans.)

5. Rain! I love rain. The smell of water on asphalt or garden soil, combined with the fresh feeling in the air... I love it all. I think it's the general overcast look in the sky that helps my creative juices get flowing. You may not think that rain or cloudy weather is all that interesting, but just pick whatever weather you like best and work from there.

6. Have conversations with your friends about books or the story you're writing. A lot of times, just talking through your prospective scene with a friend will help you to pinpoint the overall goal of what you're trying to convey. Bouncing ideas and schemes off of people helps stimulate a wave of theories and possible themes for your project. Of course, it really helps that most of my friends are writing enthusiasts by default and they always have great suggestions for me. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I just think, "Screw it, I don't need help. I am a literary genius." However, that only happens when I'm feeling rebellious. My chief advisor, Ruthie, has read so many books and watched so many emotional anime shows that she's practically a walking encyclopedia of good ideas. Many times I've been stumped on a character's backstory or plot details and Ruthie always manages to snap me out of it. Thanks, friend!

7. Just take a break. Nobody likes it when they feel like they've come to the end of their thinking capacity and then force themselves to think harder. It just doesn't work, no matter how much you think you're super-spy Phil Coulson.

So walk away from the computer or notebook for awhile; allow yourself to recharge, think about something else, take a walk. Also, doing dishes is a great way to brainstorm. Its worked for me numerous times.

So there you have it. If you have any more tips to add, comment and tell me what they are! I'd love to hear some new ideas! Share this post on social media if you liked it, and don't forget to come back for some (hopefully) bi-weekly posts.

Beginning of an Adventure...

I could start this blog out with saying that I don't think I'm a good writer, or that I don't expect any of my work to get published, or something else degrading about my writing skills. And I'm sure every writer or aspiring author has, at some point, I don't care who you are, wanted to chuck everything into the trash bin or burn it because it's so bad. But that's just the process of trial and error, right? Finding out what works in your story and what sounds really, really awful.

So, despite the fact that I think my writing is mediocre and no one would want to read it, I'm driven on by the fact that I'm not writing simply to please other people. I'm writing for myself, to find out how far I can push the standard, to see how well I can express myself in words, to be inspired by my own characters and to urge myself to be better.

I guess the real question would be... why do I write?

I write to create my own worlds from imagination. I write to stir emotion in whoever reads it. I write to go deeper than the surface and delve into the hard things. I write to expose myself and all my flaws. I write to challenge myself. I write to ask difficult questions. I write to make myself laugh. I write the kind of stories I want to read. I write because I believe every story should have a deeper meaning than just surface level.

But most importantly, I write because God gave me the talent and ability to do so, and that means that I should be trying my utmost to glorify Him and point others to His love.

And if I'm glorifying God while doing what I love... well, that means that I shouldn't put myself down or compare my writing to others, because God made me exactly the way He wanted me.

Even if that means I speak fluent whale and Disney song lyrics.

If I wanted you to take away one thing from this post, here it is: You should not stop writing because you think you're terrible at it, or because other people write better, or because crying over Bucky Barnes is preventing you from getting on with your life. (Trust me, it's a real thing for Marvel fangirls.) You just keep on writing because YOU want to, and because you're putting to use the amazing and wonderful mind that God gave you.

The majority of this blog will be a mishmash of writing tips and tricks (though I probably don't know enough to write a blog about it), maybe a few book reviews, and for those who are interested, maybe even some hints about the book I am currently writing/editing. I will be *attempting* to post every couple of weeks, or whenever I get the motivation, or sometime really sporadic. Thankfully, I graduate next spring, so hopefully I will have the time and the effort to put into publishing my book in process.

If you asked me to describe myself in one sentence, it would be this: A chocolate-loving, book-crazed, movie-quoting, God-fearing tomboy/nerd/fangirl/country bumpkin who has an obsession with the Chronicles of Narnia and Star Wars and who doesn't think there's enough rain in one year to possibly get enough inspiration.

So there you have it!

Oh, and I forgot the sarcasm part. I'm very sarcastic, too. And OCD. And I love organizing.
Who knows, maybe that's what makes me a pretty good writer.