Happy Sunday!

Has anyone else noticed that the trees are finally blooming?? And the weather is slightly getting better?? I think spring has finally arrived!

(Spring is my favorite season of the year, by the way. XD)

April was a very interesting month, to be sure. Honestly, the days blurred past me, but let's see what I can remember from it. :D


For me, April wasn’t a very cohesive narrative. Little moments stand out to me, but for the most part life was a series of homework, YouTube, sleep, and food. XD

Yes, I started watching YouTube again, but we’ll get to that later. ;)

Early on in the month, I walked outside in the first 70-degree weather of the year and noticed the pink leaves on our neighbor’s tree, and I realized that spring is coming. Not even a pandemic can change that. And that’s kind of hopeful, if you think about it. XD

On Easter Sunday, we rescued a bunny that had fallen into our windowwell. <3 My brother lifted it out, and the minute it touched the ground, it shot away (and gave Barry Allen a run for his money in terms of speed). So that’s why we didn’t get any Easter eggs this year. ;)

I spent about four hours on a FaceTime call with some friends, and I think my entire family was very concerned. XD

I listened to music during a test for the first time in my life. XD I never thought I would end up doing that, but let me tell you, if you can focus through it, music makes the test way more enjoyable.

Speaking of music, I’ve been listening to a LOT of anime openings. XD My favorites currently are “Odd Future” and “Hikarunara” (from My Hero Academia and Your Lie in April, respectively).

Your Lie in April. Guys, I finished it. *sobs forever* I WILL NEVER BE OKAY. I’m going to save my ramblings for a potential blog post in May. But I recommend this show (it’s only 22 short episodes) for anyone who likes INFP main characters, classical music, great animation, and LOTS of tearjerker moments. (Don’t watch the last four episodes right before sleeping or talking with people. XD)


Alex Rider. I own basically every book in this series, yet I’ve never finished it for some reason. But I decided to go ahead and read through them all. I just finished book 4 and EXCUSE ME WHAT WAS THAT PLOT TWIST. I’m very excited to dive into book 5. :D

Mission: Impossible. Apparently I was really into spy stories this month, because I also watched two Mission: Impossible movies (the first and last) and really enjoyed them! Sure, they’re confusing at points, but the storyline is really interesting and intense. And can I just say that Fallout is quite possibly the best movie of the franchise in terms of storyline?? XD

(will I ever write a spy novel? who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if I did eventually XD)


The Silver Eye. There was a comment party (when everyone gets together and comments a ton) on this webcomic’s website, and I participated! It was a TON of fun. Guys, if you want to be a part of a super-nice community that is centered around an epic story, I point you here. It’s awesome.

TwoSetViolin. Because I started watching them again after my YouTube break and still love this channel to death. Need I say more? XD

Before we get started, THANK YOU GUYS for your kind and helpful comments on last week’s post. I was super scared to post it, honestly. And I’m sorry I haven’t responded yet - I definitely plan on answering either today or tomorrow. <3

So, Camp NaNo was a #fail, but that’s okay. I think I realized the main issues I have with The Inhumans, and it’s given me some food for thought.

I think I’m going to set The Inhumans aside for now and work on an entirely new project. Don’t worry, you’ll hear about it in time. XD But not yet. It’s a long way from being blog-post-worthy. ;)

So a lot of my energy has gone towards brainstorming said New Project. (Let’s call it Project Chaos, because that’s basically what it is right now. XD) I am SO EXCITED about it. :D

Other than that . . . not much writing. But that’s going to change in May.

In case you missed them, here are the posts I did this month, as described with sarcastic commentary. XD


And, around the blogosphere . . .

Emily @ The Ones That Really Matter wrote an excellent post about being a Christian before a writer that, regardless of whether you’re a writer or not, you NEED to read. :D

Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer celebrated her fourth blogoversary (!!!) and shared an excellent short story along with it.

Brooke’s novel How We Rise has a cover!!! And it’s beautiful!!!!! I’m reading an ARC copy of How We Rise now and am really enjoying it - this release is going to be EPIC.

And Ash is moving to WordPress! I’ll link her new blog when it launches, but I can’t wait to see what she does on the new platform!

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Well, guys, May is coming. Spring is here. And despite everything happening, I’m really excited for this new month. I have Plans and Some Motivation. we’re just going to forget about exams okay

I hope you all are doing well, and I’ll talk to you in the comment section! <3 (but if you’ve finished Your Lie in April, please don’t put any spoilers in the comments! :D)

-Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

I realized a little while ago that I haven't done a writing update in a very long time. And, since it's Camp NaNo and none of you know what my WIP's condition is, I decided that this week I was just going to spew my thoughts on writing The Inhumans (my current WIP).

Originally this was going to be a YouTube video, but that turned out to be a complete rambly mess. This post is slightly more organized, but it's still very rambly. Proceed at your own risk. XD


So, as a few of you know, for the past two years, I've been working on this duology/trilogy/series thing called The Inhumans. (I wrote a post on it about it back in 2018, but it's more than a little obsolete at this point. XD) Basically, so you don't have to go read it, it's about a boy who's attacked by this mysterious person, and through an unfortunate series of events, he discovers an entire underground society of people with superpowers.

if it sounds like a mess, that's because it is XD

I started writing the first draft in April 2018, during Camp NaNo. Over the course of the next two years, I revamped the plotline 3 times. Like, it went from being a trilogy, to a duology, to a trilogy, to a duology again. Basically, nothing is exactly the same from the original outline. except for one scene but it's like the most emotional scene in the entire book so #yikes

During this Camp NaNo, I'm working on draft three of the first book. And I've been experiencing something that I've had over the past year. It's not writer's block, exactly. I know what I need to write in the story.

I just . . . really don't want to.

It's weird - it really is. I would literally rather do anything else than add words to that manuscript - including homework XD.

I've been thinking about what might be causing it, and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. But I've come up with a few options.

1. The main character

For me, the main character (whose name is Ben) is not the most interesting character in the series. Is he important? Sure. But . . . he's not the character who sparks the most joy for me to write about. And I feel like a protagonist not sparking joy in the author is kind of a red flag. XD

While there IS a character who definitely sparks joy for me to write from his POV, his story is also kiiiiiiinda dark. And I don't know if spending an entire book in mainly his POV is the best idea. *shrugs*

2. Stress of the past year

Because, being fair, the last year has definitely added on stress and more things to do. And it's hard to focus on writing when you have to make decisions that will influence the rest of your life. I think that's why I haven't gotten as much writing done this year, and that's okay, I think. Right now, it's all about writing when I can.

3. Loss of passion

. . . If I'm being perfectly honest, I really hope this isn't the case. At the same time, though, I am seriously considering if this is the fate of The Inhumans.

Don't get me wrong, I'm passionate about certain aspects of this WIP. There are two characters in particular that I love to death (sometimes literally). There are some scenes that I'm really looking forward to writing.

But I've also put a loooot of pressure on this novel. This was the first book that I thought, "hey, maybe I'll publish this!" And, because my mind likes to be Very Contradictory, it then came up with 20398 other story ideas. And then focused on only those ideas.

Besides that, I've also noticed that when I go back and reread it, it's missing something. Sure, there's a chase scene in one draft that I actually do get breathless from. But I think it's missing heart.


Okay, that kind of got depressing fast, so, to alleviate that, here are my two favorite snippets from the current draft! XD

How curious that the fate of many would be decided by one swipe of a knife. this is my first sentence and I'm actually extremely proud of it. XD

Ben awoke to sirens and screaming.

...

So I'm not really sure what this post turned into. It's kind of just my ramble on my thoughts toward my WIP.

To all my writers out there, I'm curious - how do you know if you should set aside/shelve/move on from your WIP? I genuinely don't know.

In the meantime, I hope you all are doing okay through all this. <3 And good luck with Camp! You guys got this!

-Nicole

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!!!

I promise, today’s post is short and sweet, because today shouldn’t be a day of reading blog posts. Today should be a day of celebration! Our Lord and Savior has RISEN!

But I just wanted to throw out a couple things to do today, since today is so special. :D

will chocolate be on this list? maybe

Watch a live-streamed Mass or church service.

Since a lot of churches are closing, it’s not very realistic to go to Easter Mass anymore. :( But if your parish or congregation is going to stream their Easter service, watch it with your family! This is a perfect time to attend. <3

Say some prayers with your family. 

Easter is a time of joy, and what better way to combine family and faith than by praying together. It doesn’t matter if it’s something short, like three Our Fathers, or an entire Rosary, or something longer. Whatever works best for you!

FaceTime some family or friends. 

Since large family gatherings probably aren’t going to happen for most of us this year, video-call your grandparents or aunts and uncles! Even call your friends, if you want to. :D

Eat some chocolate.

Or some other food that you love. Our forty days of Lent have ended. It’s no longer a time of fasting - it’s a time to celebrate! Obviously don’t overeat or anything - some moderation is still important. ;)

Stay off social media.

Yes, Lent just ended, and a lot of us are probably eager to get back on YouTube or Instagram. (I know I’ve been missing my TwoSetViolin.) But hold off for one more day and celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection offline. You made it through forty days - one more shouldn’t make a difference. And all those posts and videos will most likely still be there on Monday. :)

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Anyways, I hope you all have a very happy and blessed Easter! <3 <3

and don't worry, next week's post will be as long as ever ;)

-Nicole <3

Happy Thursday!

Today’s post is short and special. My friend Kara is releasing her book, The Crownless King, later this year, and it’s time for this book’s cover reveal!

I’m not gonna lie, I like this cover even more than the one from her first book, The Broken Prince.

Ready to see it? I’m excited!




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I’ve never done one of these scrolly things before. It’s kind of fun. ;)




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That's what this book cover is saying XD

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Okay, I’ll stop torturing you.
Here we gooooo . . .




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ISN'T IT GORGEOUS???

My personal favorite part is the crown right above Kara's name, which is PERFECT. <3 <3 <3 But THAT PICTURE! :D

Here's the blurb, just in case you weren't fired up enough already:


DOESN'T IT SOUND SO GOOD???? *fangirls*

It comes out in September 2020 (so mark your calendars) but for now, you can go add it on Goodreads, visit Kara's blog, or check out her Instagram! Or, you know, you could go get The Broken Prince on Amazon. ;) (I'm about halfway through it, and it's really good so far!)

*begins counting down the days to September*

-Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

Since so many of you asked for this last week, I come to you bringing my public-school-to-homeschool experience!

For some context, I’ve always gone to a public/private school. But three weeks ago, our school shut down and started doing “e-learning.” For us, that means that our teachers send out virtual assignments, lectures, and Zoom calls. It’s definitely been an adjustment. XD

So today, I’m going to talk about the things that are the most different in this new e-learning/homeschool system and how I’m adapting to each. I’m not saying one system is objectively better than the other, but there are certainly pros and cons to both of them. And I definitely don’t have all this figured out - I’m still learning and adapting. :)


One of the biggest differences between public school and homeschooling is my newfound lack of a schedule.

In public school, every day is scheduled down to the minute, from 7:30-3:30. Each class gets a certain allotted time, lunch is at the same time every day, and there’s a set end to the day.

But in homeschooling, there . . . basically isn’t a schedule. XD Sure, there’s a few scheduled Zoom calls, and there are some homework due dates, but in terms of a day-to-day schedule, there’s nothing. And since I have a lot more free time, it’s really easy to waste time.

I discovered really quickly in this process that if I don’t have some sort of schedule, my day ends up being an epic lesson in procrastination. XD So I’ve been experimenting in some bullet journal layouts and types of schedules. Some of them have worked. Some of them . . . haven’t. ;)

I used this post by Sarah and this post by Christine to create my current system. I’m starting each day off with tackling math homework (such a great start to the day XD), and then cramming as much homework as I can into the morning. I’ve also been picking a “special project” to focus on each day. For instance, one day I focused on my religion paper, while another day I focused on a beta-reading project.

(In case you’re wondering, yes, I did attempt to time-block my days. However, I get really stressed if I don’t go by the time blocks, and you can probably guess what happened on those days. XD Suffice it to say that I’m only doing a little bit of time-blocking every day - the necessary things.)

yes, that is a Your Lie in April quote, and I will not apologize XD

Another big difference in this homeschooling system has been the lack of people.

Back in school, I’d pass my friends and classmates several times in the hall every day. We had plenty of chances to talk and catch up and complain about tests and study together and do all that fun stuff. And yeah, sometimes that would mean I’d go home socially drained and would need some recuperation time.

Going by the socially draining aspect, homeschooling and e-learning has been fabulous. Since I haven’t been talking to classmates for seven hours a day, I have way more mental energy.

But I do miss my friends. And since we’re really bad at FaceTiming and Zooming when everyone’s available . . . we haven’t really talked face-to-face in weeks. Our interaction has been limited to early-morning texts. Thank goodness for technology, honestly. :D

Anyways, I’ve been meaning to start scheduling in FaceTime and Zoom calls to my friends so we can still talk. BUT we did finally get a FaceTime call with all of us present two days ago. :)


The last big change that homeschooling has brought has been a lack of face-to-face teaching.

I’m not good at teaching myself. It really helps to have someone else explain concepts and directions to me. I like to know exactly what a teacher wants to see and how we should go about doing assignments.

Let me tell you, Zoom can only do so much. XD Our teachers only have two one-hour slots to Zoom-call us each week, and most of them aren’t even using that. For the most part, we’re on our own.

Especially when it comes to math, this has been the biggest adjustment. I think I’m doing okay so far?? But without that face-to-face interaction and ability to ask questions in person, it feels totally different.

So I’ve been reading math chapters a little more than usual, and I’ve been rechecking assignment directions to make sure I don’t miss anything. :D