The Writing Community

         I've decided I want to join the United States Marine Corps after I graduate High school. There are a lot of reasons for me wanting to join but that's a whole other blog post in itself. In my getting ready for bootcamp I've gotten into running and health an fitness. Anyway the point of me tell you all this is because yesterday I was reading a magazine called "competitor" that I get for free from my gym. There was a except from John Bingham's new book An Accidental Athlete about Bingham's firs marathon. Half way through I realized something. People like love to write, and people love to run, and there are people out there like Mr. Bingham who are writing about running! Seriously I stopped reading and wrote that down because I didn't want to forget that. I've got these two budding loves and I can combined them into two things that feed and grow off each other. 

         I started digging into the running world, and found all these really amazing people who love giving advice, and love sharing tips, and their stories, and their goals. There seems to be this big family sense in the whole running world, we share similar hurdles and have similar goals, and that brings us together. Writing is the same way. I can think what I was like writing bits of stories in purple pen in the back of my science notebook, and I've found tons of people willing to help me get better at writing. 

         I never imagined these two entirely different things could have the same roots. It makes me wonder about all the other hobbies out there. What if I wanted to get into cooking, or scrap booking, or gardening, or surfing. There's something wonderful at work when you can take tiny parts of your life and line them up into who you are.

         My point of this whole post is this. If there's something you want to learn we're at a point in history where we've got the resources, ability, and support to better ourselves and learn everything there is to know about that thing. We've got nothing stopping us from finding out what we like, and learning about it, and getting better at it, and there's enough voices out there to drown out the discouraging words from those who think it's weird. In the words of Babe Ruth "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat."

Blogging is Easy

I really like blogging, it's like keeping a journal. I don't really have to think much and I can do it in the few minuets between coffee brakes. I really wish my writing could be like this, having fun with it. In December I was writing for fun. I didn't have a schedule, or a checklist, or anything to make me do it. I just did it because it was fun. I'm starting to question where that fun went. It's like I've been worrying about when and how and where I'm going to write but I haven't been doing much of it. It kinda seems like the only way I'll actually do it is if I make a check list, and make sure I do it, like a habit I have to develop. I'm just hoping the fun will come back before long.

An object at rest stays at rest unless an outside force acts upon it. I need an outside force.

I should really send ya'll a gift or something.

I know I know I know I've been a terrible blog host. This was the next to last week of school and all I'm thinking about honestly is finals, next year's schedule, and how in the world I'm going to finish everything I have to do by the time it needs to be done. I'm seriously burned out on everything. This Monday will be my first actual day off where I didn't have to go to work or school or something like that that and that's when I plan to plan (goodness I sound like my mom) how my schedule will go for summer. I'd like to be up early because I've been told the best things are written in the morning, and honestly I'm a morning person when I get enough sleep.

Today I wen to to library and pulled four really good looking books, I need to finish the two I'm on now before I start those but my dad offered to take me and I've learned to never turn down a trip to the library. I got this flier thing and my central library is hosting two creative writing classes for teens this summer and I DEFIANTLY plan on going to those, which happen to be during a German immersion camp I'll be doing. Luckily all this is after my birthday so I'll be able to drive myself. I'm kinda liking this independence idea, not having to sit around or ask if I can go somewhere or anything like that. I also like having my own money because I always felt bad asking my parents because sometimes they wouldn't seen the need in my asking. I can already tell this is going to be an amazing summer, I just need to make sure I don't ignore my friends to much and come back next year with all my friends hating me.

Tangent: I broke my phone today. I dropped it on the tile while I was trying to flip an egg without a spatula like they do on iron chef. The screen is shattered and little pieces of glass came off when I pulled the protective screen from it. Looks like that's $50 I'll have to pay. I really don't like spending money.

Writing Websites

Ok so I just want to put down a list of really good websites I use piratically every day.
1) Advanced Fiction Writing is an awesome site. While you have to pay for some things I'm finding you can get enough information just reading the small stuff


2) Dictionary.com is my homepage. I like this because it keeps me off what so and so was wearing last night and other useless things can keep me from focusing. Plus it's a great tool.

3)Almost all colleges have a writing website with guides and links. If you search "College Name Here writing resources" you'll find just what your looking for. My favorite one to use is Colorado State University's which has tons of guides on lots of different things.

4)I'm really lucky that my Library system pays for a Program called Mango Languages. While it's not a writing website I find this very helpful, I plan on learning Spanish, French and Russian a little this summer and it could help if you're doing a cultural thing.

5) I've just gotten onto Inkpop which is a wonderful website for young writers like myself. The HarperCollins publishers run the site and the top five manuscripts every month are sent off to a board of people from HarperCollins and they look at your work. I'm really loving the community on there because everyone just seems to be there because they love writing, not because they want to be the next big thing.

I hope these have helped and if you want she share anymore websites with good advice I would be so grateful. Pleas add me on inkpop, goodreads, or e-mail me, I'd love to share writing tips.

Writing Goal

It seems like all the advice I can get for finishing my first draft is to just sit down and do it. Writing is Rewriting. I know my first draft doesn't have to be perfect but that's one of my major challenges. I'll write a scene or something, then edit it and edit it and edit it and getting no where. I'm currently at 11,000 and probably have 6,000 more words of scenes I haven't gotten into my manuscript yet. Then I start to think about my 60,000 word goal I cry a little inside because it seems like I've put so much work into just this and the thought of all that work makes me want to roll over and go back to sleep. I need some small goals. I'm thinking I'll shoot for 1,000 words perhour and work for at least one hour every day but idealy three.f I love when I'm writing I get into that "zone" where I'm so enthrawled in my writing that I have no sence of time and I end up working for five hours before I need to pee or something.
I'm also needing a major Half-price Book run. I've got a huge list of books on writing. I'm loving my kindle right now because of all the free books:)