Happy Sunday!

Who’s ready for 2020??? It’s the beginning of a new decade, which is a little weird to think about, honestly. The thought of next year scares me - it brings with it a lot of change and uncertainty, more so than previous years.

But there’s still two days before the new year, so let’s look back at 2019 for a moment.

(I’ll just stop the intro here. You know what this is - you’ve read a billion of them this month. XD)


So this year, I’ve decided to highlight the top five favorite memories in my fandom, blogging, and writing lives, along with . . . you know . . . actual off-Internet life. Because apparently that exists. XD

Most of these are in no particular order - do you really think I’d be decisive enough to pick my favorite 2019 fandom, for instance? HAHAHA, no.

Keeper of the Lost Cities. Obviously, this one had to go here. Legacy was one of the best installments of the series, and I am SO PUMPED for next year's release. Even if it means that something I used to prefer in the series doesn't happen. :_(

Marvel. Endgame was pretty great. Captain Marvel and Far from Home were decent, too. But EXCUSE ME if I cry any time someone says "I love you 3000."


The Flash. (only seasons 1-3 because basically anything after season 2 isn't that great) This was the first TV show I watched in 2019, and WOW was I obsessed for a solid six months. Even now, I fangirl anytime Cisco is mentioned, and the soundtrack never fails to get me pumped up. (The show's theme song is one of the best themes I've heard in a long time that was not created by John Williams. XD)


Big Hero 6. This was another obsession early on in the year. I'd been meaning to rewatch the movie for FOREVER, and one day when I was home sick I decided to just do it. Best. Decision. Ever. I am now re-addicted and will probably become your best friend if you love it too. XD

TwoSetViolin. yes, I am counting this as a fandom My WORD, I have never been as interested in a YouTube channel as I have been with this one. I even changed my iPad background screen to this screenshot from one of their videos:

my productivity has gone up by at least 60%

Yeah. It mayyyyy not have been a good time to discover them around finals. . . . XD

Realm Makers. I debated putting this under the Life category, but it was a writing conference after all. I met so many of you guys and learned so much about writing and the publishing industry! And while I don't think I'll go next year, I so want to go again and meet you all in person. <3


Finishing my NaNo ‘18 first draft. This happened during April's Camp NaNo, and while I think the ending is still a bit rushed, I'm overall proud that I finished my longest manuscript yet (about 60k words, I think) and that I wrote some of my favorite characters ever into existence.

Sending off The Inhumans #1 to my alpha reader. This was terrifying - the last time I let someone outside of my family read my work, it was in seventh grade, and . . . well, my stories weren't great. But I really like my alpha reader, and I'm excited to look through her comments soon and start implementing them!

Re-outlining The Inhumans. This was one of the things my alpha reader and I discussed, because for about a year and a half now I have HATED the pacing of the series. This is still something I'm currently working on, though - I hit a roadblock on Christmas Eve and am NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. *threatens outline*

And I thiiiiiink this story might turn into a duology instead of a trilogy. *shock*

Getting published. (!!) So . . . I may not have told you guys this, but recently Havok published my short story. I didn't mention it on my blog or on social medias because it's not under this pen name. XD Anyways, that day was super surreal and crazy and it still doesn't feel like it happened - but I GOT PUBLISHED BEFORE THE END OF THE DECADE.

Passing 50 followers. You guys - I never thought for one minute that I would have more than twenty followers on this blog, or more than 1,000 pageviews. But right now I have SIXTY-SEVEN followers and about TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND pageviews.

*mind explodes*

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. *hugs* You guys give me the motivation to keep blogging, and I love the friends I've made on this platform. <3 *gives virtual chocolate*

How to Write a Bestselling YA Fantasy Novel. This was my personal favorite post, and you seemed to like it too. It's not my most viewed post, but it's number 2 on the list. It was really fun trying out a satire post on this blog. Who knows, maybe I'll do another one in 2020! XD

It's So Classic Tag! Somehow this ended up being my number-one viewed post. maybe I would have put a little more effort into it if I had known

The top five currently are:

1. It's So Classic Tag!
2. How to Write a Bestselling YA Fantasy Novel [told you guys]
3. My Bullet Journal Journey // aka bring on the cringe [I'm surprised this was so popular - if you want a New Year bujo post, let me know in the comments!]
4. Realm Makers 2019 // the play-by-play no one asked for
5. August 2019 Happenings // I Am Exhausted [how was this so popular?? SOMEONE EXPLAIN]

(Also, 4/5 of these were published in August. ????)

Alllllll my hiatuses. ;) Just kidding. But seriously, I took like three of them this year for some reason. My hope is that I will only have one or two hiatuses next year. Fingers crossed.

Getting Instagram! (yes, this totally counts) I got it this month, and it's actually been really fun talking with you guys on there! But MY WORD, taking aesthetic pictures is hard. I mayyyyy do a post next year about Instagram, but I don't know. *shrugs*


Starting bullet journaling. I started to use a bullet journal in the first few days of January, and I fell in love with the system! Honestly, at this point I don't know how else I would plan my days and weeks out if I wasn't bullet journaling. XD

my 2019 brown bujo next to my 2020 blue one! <3

A musical. I discussed this a little in my November wrap-up, but basically I participated in a musical this semester and loved every minute of it. <3

Our family's July vacation. And I discussed this a little in my July wrap-up, but my family went to California and explored some national parks and such. I don't know how you people in San Francisco survive with 60 DEGREE WEATHER IN JULY. *shivers*


Meeting online friends for the first time. Not only did I meet online friends at Realm Makers, but I also went to a graduation party where I saw a friend that I haven't seen in years. This year was the year of reunions and meetings, and it was amazing. :D

Listening to over 490 hours on Spotify. So I mayyyyy have a little bit of a music problem . . . but I am proud to say that my artist of the year and of the decade was Hamilton. *nod of approval*


Overall . . . 2019 was probably one of the best years of my life. I met so many people I'd only communicated with online, I did some amazing things that I thought I would never do (like try sushi), and even though there were some VERY stressful periods, I'd like to think that I was generally having a good time this year.

My motto for this year was trust. I honestly don't know if I learned to be more trusting this year, but I definitely had to trust more people this year. From trusting God on plane flights to trusting that I would be on time to rehearsals, trust was a key factor.


I thought over what I wanted 2020's motto to be, and I finally decided on no fear.

2020 is not only the beginning of a decade, it's also the beginning of a lot of change that, frankly, I am scared of. I don't like change. I don't like stepping out of my comfort zone. I like where I am right now. But 2020's going to throw all that out the window and step on it and burn it.

I have to learn how to take a deep breath. Change is coming whether I like it or not, so accepting that is the only way I know of to get through it. I still have to work on trust this year, but I also have to learn to adapt.

*deep breath*

Bring it on, 2020.

-Nicole <3

During the past three weeks or so, everything and everyone has been screaming at me to be silent. Between Grace Anne's email about it, a homily at Mass one day, and maybe a blog post or two, the timing of everything has been very close together.

This is definitely God's way of telling me to sit down, shut up, and listen.



Everything at Christmastime screams. Advertisements, music, priorities, stress, exams, gifts . . . it all snowballs into constant noise, whether outside or in our minds.

I'd like to think that it was the same way the night Jesus was born. A busy Bethlehem, crowded from the census, and in the middle of it all, a man and woman looking for someplace to spend the night.

And even when they found a small stable to reside in, there were still animals, and I imagine they were not overly happy about having to share their stable. XD



Jesus was born into a loud world - maybe not loud with technology, but loud in other ways. He was born into a world that was bound to nail him to a tree, to crucify him, to condemn him even though he did nothing wrong.

He knew all of this would happen.

And yet . . . he still came, as an infant, in the lowliest of ways. Shouldn't we give that a moment of silence, just to comprehend that love?



Even in a loud world, some people still heard his voice and followed him. So too should we follow His voice.

This Christmas, even though it's loud and busy and stressful and fun-filled, go to church. Pray with your family.

And for just a moment, be silent.

And listen.

(This is the start of a new series on my blog, where I talk about fandoms that mean a lot to me. I don't know if you'll enjoy it or not, but I find it therapeutic. XD)


Dear Star Wars,

Hi.

It's kind of bittersweet for me to write this, because The Rise of Skywalker is coming out soon, and that's the last of your movies. (Well, probably. XD)

You know, for most of the fandoms I'm in, there's a before-during-after moment. One second I don't know the giant plot twist, the next my emotions are in shambles, and the next it's like I've always known.

But not with you.

It's like my entire life is the after moment. Darth Vader being Luke's father has always been a fact of life for me. I have no memory of a gigantic shock moment when watching it. I can't remember a time when I hadn't watched A New Hope.

You were my first fandom. My first story obsession. And quite possibly, the thing that got me into telling stories in the first place.

Okay, so that last one might be a little extreme, but do you remember how much Star Wars fanfiction I came up with? It was kind of insane.


When I look back at younger-me, watching the original trilogy over and over (and skipping the first thirty or so minutes of A New Hope, because Padawan Me couldn't bear to see the burning house), there's one particular character that sticks out: Luke Skywalker.

Here was a character that, even though so much older than me (at the time), I could relate to! A character that was definitely flawed, that struggled to do the right thing and to be strong and to hope, but who pushed through and won against the evil in the world. (And, as I would learn later, he was an INFP, which further cements my Myers-Briggs testing, but that's a story for another day.)

Most of my favorite characters in my Star Wars fanfiction were based off of Luke or were Luke himself.

And then, when I was in about first or second grade, I took one of these Luke adaptations and created the first character that I truly loved. Years and years later, I still want to write that character's story.


When I heard that there would be new Star Wars movies coming out - in my lifetime - to say I was excited was an understatement. I had thought that the series was finished. I never thought that I'd be able to see an all-new Star Wars movie, with new plot twists and adventures, in a movie theater. That had been my parents' experience, but not mine.

I ended up going to see The Force Awakens three times. Everything about it was incredible and amazing and beautiful. I still cry every time - especially at that ending.

And then The Last Jedi came out and I saw . . . once. XD It was okay, I guess. *shrugs* To be honest, I wasn't really a fan, and I didn't really like how some characters were portrayed. But you know what, no series is perfect. except for LOTR, which is basically actual perfection

And here we are. The Rise of Skywalker is mere days from being released, and I know that no matter how good or bad this movie is, I'll still cry at the end, because it's the end of the movie trilogies that started it all for me.



So, Star Wars . . .

Thank you. :)

May the Force be with you,
Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

So, NaNoWriMo has ended, and every single participant has entered Recovery Mode. XD To everyone who participated, both winners and losers: congratulations, you wrote something!

My NaNo experience this year was very, very different than my experience from last year and even from the year before. And what better way to discuss this than by participating in Christine's lovely Know the Novel linkup!

Come, let us travel back in time, to a month full of insanity . . .


Um. Heh heh heh.

During the first half of November, writing was going well. I was about a thousand or so words behind the daily goals, but I wasn't too stressed about it. The story was progressing well, and I was actually writing description, something I never do! *mind explodes*

Then . . . well, I stopped writing completely and didn't open the document for weeks. XD Part of that was because my stress levels rocketed sky-high, and I had so many other things to do. (Who knew that school and work should actually be priorities???? ;) )

The other part of it was that I realized that this WIP (which isn't one I've ever discussed before, but I'll gradually explain it throughout the post) isn't one that can be rushed. It's going to take a longer drafting process - more research is required, and there's a larger cast of characters than what I'm used to. It also didn't help that I literally started plotting the story FIVE DAYS BEFORE NANOWRIMO. *facepalm*
Based on the parts I've written, it's turning out like I expected it to, which is nice. I don't think it's a very messy first draft (at least, compared to other first drafts I've written . . . *cough cough* the Inhumans *cough*).

I got a grand total of 18k words written of this WIP in November, which was more than I had expected, so I'm pretty happy with what I have so far. :)

THE CHARACTERS. I LOVE THE CHARACTERS. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I love my main character. Usually I have to tolerate my MCs, but not this one. Oh, no.

Here's a quick introduction to my MC, Alison Maher:

• Flautist (aka flute player)
• Irish
• Soul-searcher (a special ability where she knows people's deepest desires and fears through seeing their most deeply rooted memories)
• So she's obviously more than a little traumatized from all she's seen BWAHAHAHAHA
• Earbuds perpetually in her ears
• A hard worker
• Is literally my obsession with TwoSetViolin written on paper (she even has a GO PRACTICE t-shirt XD)

THE SETTING.

*hides from Merie's glare*

This WIP is set in an alternate Earth, where everyone has a superpower or special ability. The majority of the story is set in Switzerland, where there's this school for teens whose powers are dangerous or out-of-control. (Guess where Alison's going??? XD)

Except . . . I neglected to research Switzerland's geography and culture before writing, so I hit like fifty roadblocks in the worldbuilding department. Go me.

See answer to #4. XD

As I mentioned earlier, I LOVE ALL MY CHARACTERS. There are five major side characters and I adore them ALL. (And Alison, of course, because she's amazing.)

I don't want to overwhelm you with characters that you probably won't remember in thirty seconds, so I'll just mention my two favorites.

THIS BOY IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I can't tell you much about him, because he doesn't know much himself. (and if THAT doesn't tell you about what torture I'm planning for him, nothing does XD) Suffice it to say that he's one of those sweet, conflicted, quiet characters that I love writing about, and I want to hug him very badly. he'll need it

While Jay leans more on the pessimistic side of the spectrum, this girl here is 120% a bright ray of sunshine and bubbly to an extreme degree. But don't let that fool you. She's got pretty dark fears that I will take pleasure in feel bad for giving her.

Wait a little while before continuing with this first draft. I might continue it over the summer, but I'm honestly not sure. It all depends on when I finish getting feedback from my alpha reader and when I want to start editing the Silver Sword (my NaNo '18 novel).

*shrugs* I don't know. I guess it would be amazing for someone to read it and love it, but that's my dream with any novel. Maybe I'll turn it into a serial, I'm not sure.

*gulps* Welcome to the segment of Let's Call Out All of Nicole's Self-Inserts! Keep score as we go, and at the end I'll tell you the grand total. XD
But hard work doesn't always mean I'll get into the orchestra. It also takes a fair amount of courage and a certain bit of luck. And I'm anything but lucky these days.
I am not going to throw away this second chance. (bonus points if you know what I'm referencing XD)
Someone runs into me, and a jolt of energy - probably adrenaline - shoots through me. "Sorry," I say on instinct as I hit the ground hard.
Nothing's seriously hurt, although my right foot might be bruised for a little while. But at least I'm not starting school with a broken bone.
I look up to see the person I crashed into. He's sprawled on the ground, but as I watch, he lifts his face up and stares directly at me.
I almost flinch away, but something in his dark eyes - fear? - keeps me riveted.
(this is my favorite scene I've written, but I can't tell you why because #spoilers)
"Don't worry, Gabby - we are going to crush the other Squad!" Jasmine tells her with all the confidence in the world. "We're going to crush them so hard that there will be nothing left of them when we're done."
"That's the spirit," Gabby says, sounding disinterested.

I counted four self-inserts. I'll leave you to figure out which snippets those are. XD

- Don't be afraid to leave a WIP aside if it's not the right time for that project.
- PRIORITIZE YOUR LIFE. Seriously. Larger obligations are more important than NaNoWriMo (sadly).

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Well, there we have it - that was my NaNoWriMo in a nutshell! It was kind of an epic fail, word-count-wise, but it was the best I could do, and I'm proud that.

To all other NaNo participants - I hope your experience was good and that you got lots of writing done!

-Nicole <3

*steps inside the blogosphere* *dusts off blog* *coughs from dust clouds*

Um.

Hello.

*shy wave*

It's been a while, hasn't it?

I know in my hiatus announcement I said that I'd be back in the first few weeks of November. And . . . that clearly didn't happen. XD

But I THINK I'm here to stay now. Things have really died down (kind of) (sort of) (okay not really but I really wanted to get back to blogging).

But we'll get into that in a second. We've got three months to cover in this wrap-up. XD I really hope you like reading my wrap-ups, because here we goooooo . . .


Musical! The thing that forced me on hiatus in the first place was our school musical. I won't go into too many details - there are some parts of my life that I'd rather keep off the Internet - but it was AMAZING, and the weekend of the performance was, hands-down, one of the best weekends of my life. <333

It was a bittersweet ending, for sure, and I may or may not have cried a lot. But it was totally worth it, and I would highly recommend doing a play or musical at least once.

Work. I also started a job at our local library! *cue bookish me screaming into oblivion* While I don't work directly with the books, I do get to walk past them every single shift and just stare at them. XD No regrets, guys.

oh yeah, also the people I work with are really nice and I work really short shifts and overall it's been great. :D 

Homework. And this here is the reason why I'm currently sleep-deprived, exhausted, and basically dying emotionally. I will say this: whoever told me that last year would be more stressful than this year was DEAD WRONG. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SO MUCH WORSE.

Also, my physical health hasn't been that great either. Yayyyyyy. *rolls eyes* For instance, I had a really long season of coughing, I hurt my arm, and almost lost my voice at least three times. (Someday ask me how I hurt my arm. It's a great story. XD) I AM feeling a lot better now, thank goodness.

Honestly, most of the past few months have just been a blur. It's been a lot of late nights and chocolate and stress, but also a lot of music and storytelling and fun. :)

The Blades of Acktar. I read this series for the first time back in August, and HOLY HECK IS IT GOOD. Leith is the best main character I've read in a while, and all the side characters are cinnamon rolls I would die for in a heartbeat. (Also, apparently there's a new book coming out soon???? *runs off screaming*)

Keeper of the Lost Cities. GUYS. LEGACY CAME OUT. AND IT WAS AMAZING AND I SCREAMED 294754 TIMES AND I NEED THERAPY NOW.

*deep breath* Okay, if I say anything more I'll spoil it for you, so just. read. the. series. It's worth it.

me @ Legacy - credit giphy

The Secret Series. I never hear this series talked about, which is really sad, because it's so funny and clever! Its narrator is deliciously funny (and is also obsessed with chocolate . . . I relate), and the plot is twisty. Plus, it's middle-grade, and I've been finding that middle-grade has TONS of hidden gems that the YA book community looks over. It's sad. :(

*I will say, though, that there is an aspect of this series that I don't really approve of and, as such, I can't completely recommend it. If you're curious what this aspect is, just message me. :)

Macbeth. this is totally a fandom, right? Okay, this play right here is definitely the reason Shakespeare is so popular. Macbeth is SO GOOD. Part of my love of this play could be attributed to the fact that I read Lady Macbeth's part aloud in our British Lit class, and my friend read aloud Macbeth, and . . . well, we might have gotten a little TOO into our characters. XD Oh, well. If you like lots of murder, betrayal, and insanity, you'll LOVE this story.

My Hero Academia. My friend forced introduced me to this TV show, and WOW did I become enamored with the plot and characters. I haven't finished season 2 yet, so NO SPOILERS, but currently my favorite characters are Deku, Momo, and Todoroki. <3 This show has amazing character development and some great lines. Highly recommend - at least the first two seasons, anyways.

THIS KID IS BASICALLY PRINCE ZUKO AND I LOVE HIM - credit giphy

My Hero Academia. Because whenever I get into a new TV fandom I obviously have to listen to the soundtrack until my ears bleed from pure amazingness. XD It's got great guitar and excellent string melodies. :)

Artemis. This is the first album that Lindsey Stirling has released since I've discovered her, and it was incredible. <3 My favorite tracks are Darksoul, Artemis, The Upside, and Underground. (And I've even created a story idea based around this album. ;) )

Ambient tracks. I've found that these white-noise songs help me focus whenever I have to study. There's really not much I have to say about this. XD

Writing . . . huh. Interesting.

I'll be talking more about my writing, especially NaNo, in my next post, but here's a quick summary of what I've been doing in regards to stories:

- dabbled in some flash fiction :D
- sent off The Inhumans #1 to my first alpha reader (!!!)
- began two rough drafts of stories you all have never heard of before but maybe will in the future XD

To be honest, my creativity was pretty low these last couple months - musicals take a lot out of you. XD But, again, this will be covered in next week's post, so stay tuned until then!

I didn't really blog that much in September, and I didn't blog at all in October and November. I did stalk a couple blogs while on hiatus, just because I get email notifications from them or else was really interested to know what they've been up to, but otherwise, I did my best to delete Blogger from my life.

Until now.

I cannot WAIT to begin blogging again. I've got post ideas and a whole lot of tags to cover. (That's another thing I did - organize all the tags I've received. YIKES, there are tons.)

But, in case you've forgotten what I've posted, or you missed a day, here are all the posts from September through November:


Rest assured, I am BACK - hopefully for a looooong time. XD I can't wait to get back to reading and commenting and writing posts and talking with you guys and just all the bloggy routines!

Aaaaannnnd, you might have noticed something different about this blog: I changed my profile picture! And it's actually a picture of me! *mind-blowing*

One more "announcement" thingy: Remember a few months ago, when I said I miiiiiight be getting Instagram?

So. I actually did it. XD It's about time. You can find me @nicoledustwriter! (Although I'm not promising impressive aesthetics - I fail pretty miserably in that department. XD)

I will talk with you in the comments - but until then, enjoy this last month of 2019! (HOW IS IT ALREADY ALMOST 2020. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.)

-Nicole <3