An Interview with Myself

Do you ever feel the need to say something extremely cool about yourself, but no one is asking the right questions? I sure have. To remedy that, I decided who better to ask myself what I want than me? And so this came to existence.

image creds: this Reddit post

This is all in jest. You probably know a ton about me, but I’ve found another excuse to put the focus on me. I followed a random thought, chaos ensued, and this was born.

It’s all very unhinged, so excuse me. Behold, proof that not everything released into the blogosphere is professional and sensible.


I Meet Me from an Alternate Universe

(or something like that)

B: Hello there, Miss. [shakes interviewee’s hand] It’s a pleasure to interview you today.

Me: Thanks for the invite. What’s this for again? [sits at the chair; chains lock around wrists] Hey, wait a second—

B: I’ll ask you a series of questions you’ll need to answer honestly. If you don’t, a shock will electrocute you by my pressing this. [holds up a button and then points at chains with pen] Those chains push your wrists against a lie detector on the armrests, so choose carefully.

Me: [sigh] Of all the things to happen on a Thursday morning.

B: Now, for the first: How old are you?

Me: Why do you wanna know? Ow!

B: Questioning the questions also gets the shock.

Me: Couldn’t you have told me that before we started?!

B: Yes.

Me: Ow, stop that!

B: Answer.

Me: Somewhere between ten and twenty!

B: What’s your credit card number?

Me: Ha, ha. Nice try. I’m broke and a minor. What do you want from me?

B: Describe your your regular appearance.

Me: That’s not a question.

B: Darn it. [shuffles through cards] What’s your last name?

Me: That’s actually not much of a mystery. Do a little sleuthing and you’ll find it. [braces for shock] Oh, you didn’t press it.

B: Sadly, we didn’t account for those types of deviations.

Me: [laughs in interviewer’s face] Ha!

B: Your breath stinks. What’s your favorite food?

Me: It’s this sour Filipino soup called “sinigang.” My discord name has that word in it.

B: Care to share that discord user?

Me: Nah.

B: What grade are you?

Me: A grade level high enough to know 1 + 1 = 3 and that people who offer you free candy in exchange for a ride are the few good people on earth.

B: And that’s how you got here.

Me: And that’s how I got here, correct.

B: What was the candy?

Me: It was better: a McDonalds sundae cone.

B: I would’ve got into the van, too.

Me: As you should.

B: Let’s talk about the content you release onto your blog. Why do you say you have social anxiety when you’ve repeatedly emphasized being an extrovert? Isn’t that self-contradictory?

Me: Oof, let’s not get into my extrovertedness. I remember writing publicly about not knowing my proper MBTI, and it led to a rabbit hole into things I don’t want to remember. For now, yes, I am an extrovert because I find joy in interacting with people, but that doesn’t free me from social anxiety—what humans face when we worry about how others perceive us. It doesn’t really matter your personality. Everyone goes through that.

B: But why do you write?

Me: I haven’t the faintest clue. I saw this quote about being unable to resist giving in to a story inside of you demanding to be told, and since I don’t know who said it, let’s pretend I thought of that.

B: So you admit you plagiarize.

Me: It was a joke!

B: Are you as much a blabbermouth as you portray yourself as?

Me: First of all, that isn’t very nice. Second of all, absolutely.

B: Do you talk this weirdly in real life?

Me: Yes, sadly. I’m more formal here than in text since I’m paying attention to punctuation and word choice, but to an extent, yes. If only I’d been spared the face-to-face misunderstandings.

B: What’s a fun fact about yourself?

Me: Dying young has always been a dream of mine.

B: What’s your biggest regret?

Me: Accepting that darn sundae cone. I should’ve asked for water, too. I am parched.

B: How old are you really?

Me: We’re doing this again?

B: [lifts shock button]

Me: Kidding! Ha, I was—that wasn’t a question. That was a statement with interrogative intonation. Ignore that. I can confirm that I’m above 13 years and below 18. But no more hints.

B: Have you ever lied to your readers?

Me: Yes. No. Unintentionally. Maybe, but I don’t recall. It would be great if I got my own life wrong, though. That’d make for one laughable autobiography.

B: Where do you live?

Me: I think I’ve said this before. In the population of 118,770,782 people in the Philippines, I am one of them. That’s if minors are counted, which I am. You’ve kidnapped a minor, missy.

B: Let’s see . . . [looks through cards] Your oddest TV or celebrity crush?

Me: Barney.

B: Oh, gosh. That is concerning.

Me: He confessed to me once. He told me, “I love you, you love me.”

B: I don’t think you’re okay.

Me: [tries prying chains open with her teeth]

B: [glances around the room for nearest exits] Ignoring that, er, how? [flips card] It just says how.

Me: Sometimes you can’t help it, and other times you’ve got to convince yourself first. But as long as you can, do.

B: [silence]

Me: [stares]

B: All right. Uh. How about something less personal? What’s your favorite subject?

Me: Economics. Knowing if the economy is crashing and burning is good. Knowing how it’s deteriorating and when to clutch your pearls close is much better. I’m not knowledgeable enough about it to be aware of that, but it’s fun to pretend.

B: Who’s your favorite author?

Me: That’s tough. I’ll say N/A for now, but check this out:

favorite-author (!)
Yup, That Writer Friendâ„Ēïļ again.

I didn’t even ask for the compliment, but she hit me with it when my immune system was down, so I got all giddy. I had to confirm if she was kidding because of the joking tone tag (/j). She meant it at the time—an accomplishment enough.

Then she took it back months later. ðŸĨē

B: Is being the middle child as bad as the media portrays it?

Me: No, but as with any child with siblings, it had lows. That reminds me: I was learning about the Law of Cosines in Algebra and realized side “b” only comes first in 1/3 equations while side “a” snags that spot for itself 2/3 of the time. Dismissing that “c” doesn’t get a chance, gosh, side “b”‘s got it tough, doesn’t it? Literally the second choice.

And then it dawned on me that from my sisterly trio, I’m point B. My sister’s names and mine are also in alphabetical order.

B: What is a reasonable starting price for a kidnapping ransom?

Me: What?

B: What?

Me: It might be me, but that sounds awfully personal.

B: It’s just you.

Me: Fair enough.

B: [stands] Enough of these shenanigans. [grabs and lifts chair to knock Me out]


Unfortunately, I am still alive.

I kid. I totally kid. What’s something you want people to know about you that you haven’t had the opportunity to brag about? I can’t be the only one, right?

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2023

The author reflects on a challenging, yet enjoyable October with events like multiple birthdays, sickness, strenuous activity, and sporadic writing. She discuss their long-term engagement with ballet, which, while demanding, has provided a vibrant social community. She’s currently working on a novel-length draft of Swan Lake, despite self-doubt and new experiences in writing. She also mentions dabbling in fanfiction and their recent inclusion in Goodreads. She promises more consistent posting in the future. ~AI, coz I’m lazy.

Wait, it’s November?!

Me, rushing to catch up with time:

My October consisted of an aching back & sore leg muscles, doctor visits, getting sick, celebrating one too many birthdays (Objectively, two is too much.), and bouts with my fleeting bursts of writing inspiration.

And you already know I haven’t been consistent with posting, so there’s that. :’D

But you know what? October was a great month. I enjoyed it. I might even be coaxed into doing it over again.

Imposter Syndrome

Ballet

As with most things, dancing with grace and poise (and turnout and core strength and strong legs and back flexibility and-) requires the cultivation of time and dedication. And don’t forget not only accepting that your feet will undergo irreversible changes but actively choosing that path. GremlinToes4Evah.

Ballet is a process, they say. You won’t see immediate changes, they say. It’s true, and I believe it. But, when doing it, you tend to question if you’ve been going about it wrong all along. Worse yet, if the issue is within you.

But that’s just me overthinking.

I’ve been doing ballet for a considerable amount of my life, and a possible contributing factor to why (WHY?!) I still do it is my not having stopped yet.

Yep, so I still do it because I did. Don’t question my logic.

Fun fact: a universal ballet rule is that the student must be silenced for chatting loudly with fellow classmates. Must! If you thought ballerinas were dainty creatures—shy, polite, and quiet—rethink that. Because the extrovert within us is unleashed during âœĻballet class.âœĻ (More accurately, time before and/or between ballet classes, but bear with me.)

I’m going to be dangerously honest and admit that my past community of budding ballerinas was relatively toxic. As toxic as 8-year-olds can go, which is quite far, believe me. I dreaded going to class every Saturday. But the same community plus a pandemic later, nearly everyone is getting along. With newcomers, too! I wouldn’t trade conversations with people who choose to torture themselves weekly (even daily for some) for a taco.

But multiple tacos? 😎 I’ll get back to you on that one.

(Shhh, secret info, but we student ballerinas don’t all choose this hobby. Ha, “hobby.” As if ballet isn’t 24/7. But I digress. Our parents choose it for us, and we stick with it because the gym and other sports are too easy. You didn’t hear that from me.)

Writing

Swan Lake~

I keep sporadically mentioning this, but I’m still working on Swan Lake. I, uh, wait. I’m aiming for novel length, and I’ve never done that before, so this is all *snort* novel to me.

Oh, gosh. That was terrible humor.

Anyway, is it normal to hit 10K words after 8 *cough* inconsistent *cough* months? Probably not, and that’s okay. I think. I hope.

I’m only on the first draft and wish I could change so much already. But I can’t! I can’t make that mistake! Not with everything I’ve heard about it. And *sigh* I’d rather be safe than sorry.

That Writer Friend

I thought my retelling journey would be a one-person job, but apparently not! I met a writer friend earlier this year with a love for Greek mythology and a familiarity with fairy tales. We’ve grown so close I’ve gone as far as showing her my messy Swan Lake first draft doc file. (Not normal. This is not normal, people.) First draft. I know, crazy. But I’m not a published author; there can’t possibly be risks with that.

She’s provided immense support and even made a work based on it. She recently told me how she loves my pieces, which include a few short stories I gathered the courage to share, and joked that I was her favorite author.

And she shared a part of SL with her mom!

What is this magical feeling?!

It’s suddenly all worth it.

Oh, Woe!

I read a translated short story set in Russia for Lit and was utterly disappointed with myself. I thought I was a genius when picking names for my characters, but those in my Russian ballet-inspired draft were the same as those in the story. My “creative” names were completely generic.

Blast my lack of knowledge with Russian anything! *kicks chair*

Fanfiction Mention

I should modify the heading; instead of “Writing,” why not “Swan Lake Rants”? (Ooh, an uncreative title. Write that down!) But to avoid that, I’ll add something else: I have these two contemporary fanfictions I’m so darn proud of, despite not having drafted them yet. Writing outside of YA is so fun because you’re a child and have these unrealistic views of how having an occupation works. The prospects? Endless!

Info Dump

I’m not a plotter. However, I do organize and write down usable information. Or perhaps unusable. The opportunity to insert a character’s height down to the centimeter has yet to present itself. That means I’m not a pantser, either. What even am I?

Speaking of which, you know those moments where you wonder why you write? My SL novel is a fantasy for a younger audience with a sweet, lowkey romance and a quirky narrator. Doubtless, someone’s written something similar and executed it lightyears better than me.

Then you get encouragement from kind souls (with superb taste), as mentioned above, and you realize…

Maybe there is a story only I can tell. Something unique. Something someone will love. They’ll pick up my book with low expectations, perhaps never before having heard of it, and then they’re whisked away. And when they return from the perilous journey, they clutch the book close to their chest, bug-eyed and magic-drunk, and mutter, “I want to do that again.”

Music

We’re still under the writing subheading. Whew!

I have this Spotify playlist with Old Disney songs with romantic and magical vibes, choice numbers from Swan Lake, a song from Anastasia, the ballroom background music from the Cinderella live-action remake, and “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland—not quite in that order.

During the dead hours when I’m sitting quietly, maladaptive daydreaming and all (which wasn’t diagnosed, but I fit the symptoms *sweats*), turning on this playlist is sure to boost the fairy tale & “I’m on Cloud Nine!” feels, and I couldn’t be more thankful. But who to thank? Spotify? Disney? Music? Let’s go with myself for making the playlist. *kisses mirror*

WARNING: The author in no way promotes narcissism to this extreme. Do not try this at home.

The four I keep coming back to:

Lea Salonga!!! âĪ
Special mention because of the perfect royal romance feels~

Mid Goodreads

This grandma got a Goodreads account!

I’m clueless about adding friends, joining groups, and following someone, but I love seeing my reads in one place. And nearly everything is on there! Nearly. This Changes Everything by Jacquelle Crow, where? Where?!

I wanna pull a card on you guys and hit you with the “And because of newfound motivation, I finished 7 books this month. Ta-da!”

But nope. Four books are good enough for me. Plus, they were all a pleasure to read. Caraval, Tall Story, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys, & Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Oosh, I still have to write that post about Caraval, shouldn’t I?


That’s enough about me.

You can expect more content this month. You can, but should you?

I’m kidding.

I’m getting back into the groove! Welcome, new followers! And to those who’ve stuck around, THANK YOU.

The Sporadic Bursts of Motivation That GOVERN MY LIFE (Send Help)

What is this? A post out of schedule? That can’t be right. You might have to get your eyes checked.

Iâ€Ķ

I took a leave. Ahem, unannounced. Sorry about that.

But you see, this isn’t an actual post. See here:

The above pictures feature the title at work—a project done by some magic boost of energy, with backgrounds of…

  1. stray wires from my laptop;
  2. school books I was supposed to be studying at the time I made it; and
  3. CKJ stats (Don’t ask me why).

If I could control it, I’d channel the motivation to school, writing, exercising, or baking, at the very least, but no. It always has to contribute to a talent or hobby that isn’t useful now or in the future.

Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay. Positive.

Well, at least I used recyclable materials. Look closely and see that the parts of the miniature corner bedroom were made from a used Baskin Robbins carton. Innovative, right?

Then again, I still haven’t done that chemistry assignment. The periodic table haunts me in my dreams.


I’ll be back soon!

Don’t miss me too much.

HOLY GUACAMOLE. 50 FOLLOWERS? HUH?! + Announcement

Really just me rambling. If you’re reading this, know that I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU. Thank you SO MUCH. You’re a gem. 🙌ðŸŧ

Check with me. (Or don’t if you think this is a ploy to get more views. If that’s what you’re thinking, you’re pretty pessimistic. I call it reader interaction. But your choice.)

Go to my homepage. Scroll down. No, no, no! Not to the bottom. That’s too much! Two scrolls of your mouse (or one flick of your finger if you’re reading from a phone) is just about enough. Do you see the small button? The one that says…

What?!

How-

How is that even possible?

Wait, let me inspect it again…

WHAT?!

Okay, inhale. Exhale.

My next question: Why?

Are this [censor]-year-old’s ramblings somehow comprehensible? And why would you be so kind-hearted as to embark on this journey with me?

Am I really that charismatic? (alt text: rizzful, girl vers.)

With a year of blogging on my back, I have (somewhat) sufficient experience to make this claim: There are a bunch of inaccurate blogging stereotypes out there.

Take it from me. If you search Google with, say, “how to start a blog” (which, by the way, is what got me going, so no hate to the results) and see a featured image of two people being productive and a title similar to “10 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Blog,” don’t get caught up with following that number by number.

I’m sure somewhere in the abyss of the internet, there’s a statement that advises against asking too many questions in one post or being self-deprecative. Kinda like, “Why are you guys following me?!” And you probably can tell that not everyone follows those.

As something I used to view as complex, blogging has become something akin to a hobby. If, of course, you consider stressing about posting twice a week a hobby.

(I’m kidding.)

I never would’ve guessed my writing could improve like this. Heck, I like writing blog posts better than stories. But have you seen my stories? *shudders* Not even a month later, and my flash fiction’s already making me cringe.

Wait…what was I saying?

Oh, yeah. Thank you all so much for 53 followers! The support is a marvelous encouragement and my fuel for pressing on. Juggling school, this, extracurriculars, and life in general isn’t easy, but God provides us with strength. And, as always, all praise and glory to Him alone!

(Huh, when’d I start talking about blogging advice? That’s weird.)

And Lastly…

I have a new blog opening on September 9th titled A Christian Kid’s RANT Page, whose idea I got from a classmate. If you’re interested, submit a confession/rant through this form. Worry not; aside from your pseudonym, I won’t know who you are. Mysterious, right?

Once the blog opens, I’ll post one confession every Saturday. Honestly, I don’t expect the blog to amass a following or anything close to it. I’ll probably run it for a month or two and see what happens. Perhaps it’ll just be something that exists. But I don’t want to underestimate what a confession page can do, so who knows?

…I’m double-guessing myself. Is this a good idea? I’m not sure anymore.

Anyway.


Thanks for Reading (And Following)!

You guys are amazing. Toodles!

Until next time.

Whaddya Know, We Hit 40 Followers!

A celebratory post! Featuring:
~an idea from a blogger friend. (I bet you can guess who! I’ve linked back to her at least 13 times.)
~answering random questions
~âœĻ story time âœĻ
~getting to know me better!

(If you hadn’t already noticed, my featured images are getting randomer and randomer. That’s due to my laziness.)

Wow, 40 followers! I didn’t think we’d get this far.

Thank you to the clickers and me for achieving such a feat. Give yourself a pat on the back. You made someone happy in your lifetime.

Being the dreadful person I am, I toyed with skipping another supposed time I had to post. Mind you, I did miss blogging. It felt wrong not preparing word barf for a whole week. But when you don’t have anything to offer…you don’t have anything to offer. (Pretend I said something profound.)

The lovely Miss Texan, however, the oh-so-magnanimous blogger friend she is, lent me an idea: random questions. Cue the facepalm. Why hadn’t I thought of that?!

Perhaps because millions of ideas circulate the internet, some of which include a topic to expound on, but we won’t mention that.

It’s the perfect avenue for you all to get a glimpse of my being and for me to show I’m not just a bot. I had an idea similar to this, but answering questions off the ever-reliable internet sounds much more fun. Spontaneous and all.

In related news, I’m afraid I’ve been lurching off of her ideas one too many times. I should be developing at least an ounce of creativity. Originality. “Google, what are some synonyms for ‘originality’?”

Ingenuity. Distinctiveness.

But for another day. I’m currently happy with my snurchment.

Blastit, I’ve done it again!

Ugh. Let’s just get on with it, shall we?

Embarrassing Myself

1. What’s your favorite holiday?

Fun fact: I can testify that 90% of indigenous Filipinos’ most anticipated holiday is Christmas. Er, or maybe the least, since we celebrate it starting September (which we label the start of the “-ber months.” Get it? September?). Putting your tree up in November is considered late, and keeping them up till February is recommended.

2. Who do you resemble?

My mother. Some say I’m her carbon copy. Huge compliment!

3. Have you ever been on TV?

Well, I mean. Pretty sure the fact that I included this question gave the answer away…

Haha, it’s a no.


But there’s a story behind that! Around 6 years ago, I attended a different ballet studio. The head instructor knew a guy who saw my photo in the yearbook and invited me through my mom to audition for commercials. Young me hadn’t the faintest idea of what was happening when she was on the road to go the place where you do the thing, but she went with it.

Apparently, I was perfect. Or somewhere close to it. The guy liked my acting, however. I was too tall. My partner was shorter than me, making me ineligible for my presumed role. Which makes total sense! A girl taller than a guy? Pssh, who ever heard of that? I mean…

Pssh

…come on.

Long story short, though I could have been on TV, I was not. Man, that was a rabbit trail.


4. Do you know any jokes?

Do I?! You bet your sweet patootie I do!

But for your sanity and my reputation, I won’t share one. I don’t know if you’ve caught on, but I have been commended for my sense of humor in the past. So, the real question is, “Do I still got it?”

You tell me.

5. Can you play an instrument?

I do! The piano! I can play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Baa Baa, Black Sheep,” and “The ABC Song!” And if any professional pianist tells you those songs are the exact same thing without lyrics, don’t believe ’em. Lies, I tell you. LIES!

And maybe I have completed two books/courses on piano. Maybe.

And do not, I repeat, do not ask me to play a piece for you. I can’t get notes out of thin air! Besides, I’m a traditionalist. Classical music all the way.

6. What’s your favorite cheese?

Brie, which, by the way, is how you pronounce the first syllable of my name. /brie â€Ē YEAH â€Ē nah/

Nah, just kidding. It’s mozzarella.

7. Are you religious?

Me? Religious? Why would The Christian Kidâ„Ē of A Christian Kid’s Journal be…that?

Jokes aside, one can say they love God and not actually do so. It’s definitely more convenient when nearly no one knows who you are. You could be lying to my face through the screen! Or vice versa! But I assure you: yes, Jesus dwells inside of me, and no, my face isn’t synthesized. We good? Good.

8. What are your favorite songs?

Yes! A segue into my Spotify playlist. Don’t mind if I do.

As promoted in the CoJo podcast (Sorry, I know the link back is pretty random. Coby’s just so darn good at impressions.)
Another Michael BublÃĐ song coz his voice is heavenly.

These aren’t my No.1 songs of all time, but they are the newest additions to my lonely little playlist of secular music, which are still fresh in my eardrums. If 1 hr and 40 minutes can be considered short.

Also.

9. What is your favorite food to cook? Er, bake?

Cooking is mac and cheese.

Baking is cookies.

{I’ll insert a cookie photo here soon.}

10. If you could time travel, what would you do?

Stay where I am, of course. I am well-versed in my sci-fi movies. Tinker with anything, and the continuum would not continue. Space and time would go splat.

Look into the horror-filled eyes of the show-stealing Doc Brown and tell me nothing went wrong. That all was dandy after they altered the fabric of the universe.

I rest my case.

Okay, but so what if Back to the Future had three movies, and they never truly learned their lesson?


That’s enough word-pressing for one day.

*taps screen* Are you still there?

Ah, you are! Thanks for sticking around. You have a reward for that: part 2, coming out…sometime the following week. You can expect a post squished between this one and the coming one.

Have a great day!

Mystery Blogger Award

To be mysterious, I have purposefully left this blank as well as to invoke curiosity.

MB

Status Update

Tag: Snurched

Award: Unearned

Quota: Reached

Boo: Yah

If that wasn’t the corniest thing I’ve written, then it would…it would be…

Hello there, lovely humans and aliens! I return with another swiped tag courtesy of the splendiferous Corrie S.P. of Miraculus Homeschool. She commented on one of my posts, saying she’d take note of my stolen tags, to which I replied with, “Oh no! Corrie’s gonna start holding me accountable now. 🙈What am I to do?!” I’ll tell you what: get one of hers uninvited. Thank you, Corrie!

Rules

  • Display the award logo on your blog.
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention Okoto Enigma, the creator of the award.
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  • Answer 5 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
  • Nominate 10 – 20 bloggers. (Ha. Haha.)
  • Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog.
  • Ask your nominees 5 questions of your choice, including 1 weird or funny question.
  • Share the link to your best post.

I was never awarded per se, so I’d be vain to complete the first step. If thou doesn’t mind, I will skip it altogether. And if you need the image, refer to Okoto’s post linked above for my media’s sake. But don’t count on my nominating you.

3 Things About Me

  • My favorite food has stayed the same for the past decade.
  • I have two sisters—one older and one younger—making me the middle child.
  • Discipline and consistency are challenging for me to apply to my school life, but for some reason, it works for my blog. Mostly. But it’s still frustrating.

Interrogation

You did not hold back on the emojis, did you, Corrie? 😅

1. What would you do if you uncovered a real-life mystery?ðŸ•ĩïļâ€â™€ïļðŸ•ĩïļâ€â™‚ïļ Would you investigate? 🔎🔍Or would you stay away in fear of danger?💀

Investigate because, in reality, we’re Nancy Drew characters, and there’s no better detective than underage adolescents.

2. What is your dream hair color? ðŸ‘ąâ€â™€ïļðŸ‘ąâ€â™‚ïļðŸ’‡â€â™€ïļðŸ’‡â€â™‚ïļ Or do you like the one you have?😊

I used to pray for blonde hair nightly for the simple reason that nearly every cool Hollywood girl boss was blonde. This was not as sincere as my yearning for blue eyes was, and I have no clue why that was. Younger Breanna was obsessed with being different, I suppose.

3. Do you want animals 🐇ðŸĶĻ🐃ðŸĶŽðŸŽðŸĶ• to talk?💎ðŸ—Ļ

No. I’m afraid of what they’d say. We get it! You’re better than us!

(That isn’t biblically sound, but surely the creatures would rebuke us as a regularity. Ask Balaam.)

4. Why do you like your favorite movie?🎎ðŸŋðŸŽĨðŸŽĶðŸ“―ðŸŽž

Oh, goodness. I’m being attacked. How did you know I don’t have a set reason?

Familiarity? Lovable, relatable characters? Believable tension? Romance as a subplot? Better-than-trashy writing? The world may never know.

5. What is your worst habit?💅💈😁

Overthinking.


Now, reader, riddle me this!

1. Do you lean more toward over-perfectionism or over-lenience?

2. A drinkable potion gives you wings. An edible spell gives you horns. Which do you pick?

3. Would you advise your past self or receive advice from your future character?

4. How long have you been in the grind? Do you still care?

5. Why? (No wrong answers.)


EDIT: How could I have completely missed the last one?! That’s what I get for answering in haste.

My best post? Oh, never mind. Unnapliccable. N/A


Thank you for reading!

I was definitely feeling silly today.

Also, cloud phase—a phase I didn’t know I’d have. Unless otherwise required, my tags will now have a cloud in the featured image.

Feel free to snurch. If not, share your answers isn’t the comments. Adios, amigos!

SPOTLIGHT: Katherine Perry’s Starting Her Solo Blog!

BLOG SPOTLIGHT! And my first one, too! Katherine from TWN decided to stem out, starting her own blog (while not abandoning TWN, worry not). You can expect DIY, lifestyle, and a whole lot of writing on her blog. Read the post for more details!

Ayo, peeps! Today’s post will be slightly different because I have an exciting announcement: Katherine, one of the three lovable authors of Teen Writers’ Nook, has launched her blog! And almost equally exciting is the opportunity for me to promote it here! And go crazy with the exclamation points!

Let’s support her, shall we?

Stay alert for the giveaway at the end, and feel free to participate!

Spotlight Info

URL: katherineperrycreator.wordpress.com

Graphic:

Displaying Katherine Perry.jpg
credit: Issabelle Perry

Social links: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3902289.Katherine_Perry 

https://wakelet.com/@katherineperrycreator 

https://www.teenwritersnook.com/

Giveaway Info

The giveaway will run from July 1st through July 11th. Enter by commenting on the tour’s Welcome post (at katherineperrycreator.wordpress.com) and then earn extra entries by commenting on any post in the tour. Anyone under 18 must have their parent’s permission before entering. 

US entrants will be entered for a chance to win a free pack of summer-inspired stickers!

International entrants will be entered for a chance to win free printable bookmarks!


(This is my first blog spotlight, so correct me if I’m doing it wrong.)


Don’t forget to visit her site, spread love, and join the giveaway!

Congratulations, Katherine! ðŸĨģ I pray God will open doors for you to glorify Him through your writing!

In other news, can you believe June is over?! How was your month? I write this with swollen cheeks after my two wisdom teeth were extracted a few days ago. Oversharing? Well…yeah, I guess so. But this is a safe space. Judgment free, guaranteed.

Did you hit any blogging milestones? Did you finish that story you’ve been putting off? Coffee, tea, or water? Have you any weird writing tips to share? I heard you can type a story out in white color to silence your inner critic.

The Blogging Love Tag

Blogging is a trip. Rewarding at times, discouraging at others. I had a blog crisis last time I was supposed to post, considering whether or not I should continue. We’ll see where that goes, but for now, have a snurched tag. Always the best kind.

Is it rude to borrow someone’s tag without getting nominated? And late? I sure hope not coz that’s what I’m doing now. Not sure how I stumbled upon Heidi’s post on this, but I did.

So I’m stealing it.

Rules

  • Thank the person who nominated you or whose blog you found this on (Many thanks, Heidi!)
  • Mention the creator of this tag — Rebekah @BooksandHooks
  • Add the featured image to your post
  • Include the rules in your post (I might forget this one. :/)
  • Answer the five original questions about blogging
  • Answer the questions the blogger who nominated you asked
  • Ask the bloggers you nominate two additional questions
  • Nominate as many people as you want, or leave it at an open nomination!
  • Tag it with ‘blogginglovetag’
  • Spread the love of blogging! â™Ĩ

I was sleep-deprived when I did this, so allow me to insert the required featured image. My apologies to Rebekah for my absent-mindedness, hehe.

blogging love tag

Original Questions:

  • When did you start blogging?
  • Why did you start your blog?
  • What’s your favorite post you’ve written?
  • What are some of your goals for your blog?
  • What’s your favorite thing, or things, about blogging?

Heidi’s Questions:

  • What theme are you currently using for your blog?
  • What is one of your favorite blogging hacks?

My Answers:

When did you start blogging?

Ah, good question. I started blogging two years ago under a blog name whose acronym was “BBB.” I’m not particularly proud of what I thought up back then and won’t tell you what it was. It had my name in it, and for some reason, I wanted it to be an alliteration.

If you can’t tell, it’s dead and gone now. And I had hoped I would never be asked about it, but here we are. I’m very much happier with the CKJ, though it’s had its downs.

Why did you start your blog?

It was supposed to be about God and Christianity, but sometimes you can’t spew out devotional messages and elaborate sermons each week before tiring out. Come to think of it, that might be why I quit my first blog. Don’t get me wrong; I made it during my spiritual peak, so I had much to offer. But I don’t think there’s a place for that in WordPress, or putting content like it out there is just challenging.

I didn’t make as many connections as I did here, which is highly encouraging. That would be a great segue into a thank you for 35 followers, which reminds me…

Thanks for 35 followers, everyone! I’m trying to incorporate more gratitude into my life and want you to know I appreciate all of you. Cheers, for more to come!

What’s your favorite post you’ve written?

I’m most proud of my recent four. The wonderful thing about blogging is seeing yourself improve post by post. I’m more satisfied with my conversationalist tone now than I used to be, which I accredit to the excellent, witty fellow bloggers I’ve been hanging out with. You know who you are. 😉👉👉

What are some of your goals for your blog?

Yeah, Breanna, what are some of your goals for your blog?

I don’t have any. Perhaps getting 100 followers before my next blogiversary would be one, but honestly, I’ll see where God leads. Let’s just say I’d love to be a source of blessing for other bloggers and meet more like-minded people around here. Expand my horizons, or something like that.

What’s your favorite thing, or things, about blogging?

Let’s see…

  • finding people who aren’t fishing for readers;
  • discovering bloggers who incorporate wordplay, sarcasm, or humor into their posts;
  • meeting bloggers, who care, and who you can relate to;
  • encountering fellow Christians who are serious about God; and
  • chatting with people in the comments (while not getting into an online debate of any sort)

And okay, fine. It’s nice getting likes that aren’t from bots.

What theme are you currently using for your blog?

I am using Twenty Sixteen. Outdated? Sure. Will I change? Probably not.

What is one of your favorite blogging hacks?

Mine is using Flickr for images within your post, so you don’t use up media storage. I got that from Diamond and don’t recall how.

Some Additional Questions:

  • How do you find underrated blogs?
  • What golden piece of blogging advice would you give a newbie blogger?

Thanks for reading!

This was a fun tag. Thanks again to Rebekah and Heidi and to you for reading.

If you haven’t noticed, I changed my profile picture after two years. Skies remind me of heaven, and heaven reminds me of God and fixing my eyes on things above. I’m nothing but an overthinker.

The Get to Know Me Tag (Writer Edition)

I know, I know, the sky thumbnail is entirely out of context. But, like the pic, a lot of random things are, well, random. This tag is the perfect clump of things you might not know and probably don’t need to know about me. But not all things have to be taken too seriously, right?

There’s more to me?

Who would’ve thought?

I’m doing a tag because it’s been a hot second since I last did. I harmlessly borrowed this from Rissy @Sisters Three, whose post you can find here.

The rules:

  • link back to the tag creator, Savannah Grace
  • thank the person who tagged you (*cough*)
  • share the tag graphic (optional)
  • tag 11 bloggers (Ha, funny!)

Vital stats & appearance:

(Pen) Name: Breanna, which isn’t a pseudonym but is still slightly alien to me, considering no one really calls me by it.

Birthday: It happened this month and will likely continue in the following years.

Hair color and length: Black with a considerable amount going under my shoulders, though I’d like it more if it were shorter. Short hair gives the illusion my thin locks are…not what they are. But I can’t chop it off since tying a ballet bun is challenging enough.

Eye Color: I’ll copy what I said in my comment on Rissy’s post: A “comforting, deep dark chocolate hue. Or, in less colorful words, brown.” Don’t you just love reused creativity?

Braces/Piercings/Tattoos: I had braces, an experience I’d very much like to forget, and I have ear piercings. Getting a tattoo at my age is not legal. 👌

Righty or Lefty: Lefty. Like Jennifer Lawrence. And Barack Obama. I used to feel left out (pun unintended) by the fact, so my dad searched for “famous people who are lefties” to make me feel better. But I have found being a lefty never became a prominent part of my personality.

Ethnicity: Chinoy—Chinese-Filipino with a dash of Spanish.

Firsts:

We’re going to ignore this entire section. But if you’re going to do this tag, I’ll leave it here for copy-paste reference.

First Novel Written: 

First Novel Completed: 

Award for Writing: 

Publication: 

Conference: 

Query/Pitch: 

Favorites:

Genre: Anything clean, really. I never thought I’d like mystery, but I did, and I didn’t even think I’d read zombie-related books, but, you know, some are worth it. But I prefer fantasy and sci-fi, which is totally definitely very original.

Author: Pseudonymous Bosch, C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Dawn L. Watkins, Roahl Dahl. But I’m up for anyone with a good book. Sure, “author” is singular, but not all rules are meant to be followed. It’s fine.

Writing Music: Pixar classical, but the things I’m not too familiar with. I don’t want to bawl my eyes out to “Married Life” or “When She Loved Me” in the middle of a draft. Beware; even without the lyrics, they hold power.

Time to Write: N/A

Writing Snack/Drink: Brain juice. Very energizing.

Movie: Little Women (2019), Pride and Prejudice (2005)—the controversial stuff. Shrek 1, 2, & 3, Despicable Me 1 & 2, and Kung Fu Panda 1 &, because I’m picky.

Writing Memory: Do horrid ones count? I remember being so excited when writing this story about a princess and her butt-kicking group sometime in 2019. I reread it recently and realized a level does come before puke-worthy awfulness.

Childhood Book: The Day the Crayons Quit and Dragons Love Tacos are those I remember and still have, albeit read later. I’m still a kid, by the way. Just for future reference.

Currently:

Reading: This Isn’t What It Looks Like (Secret Series #4) by Pseudonymous, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roahl Dahl, and Shield by Dawn L. Watkins. Also, reading multiple books at once: smash or pass? (ew, internet lingo)

Writing: You’ll get tired of hearing me say this soon, so I won’t. But you can find it quite easily.

Listening to: The fulfilling sound of nothing. You know your ears are young when you still hear that ring in the silence.

But I’d never pass an opportunity for some Spotify recommendations.

(And there are two subtle Christian songs in there just so you know.)

Watching: The new Ninjago season! Sadly, I probably won’t get time to finish with life’s hecticness.

Learning: How to calm down. No need to show everyone how you’re feeling all the time.

Future:

Want to be Published: Yes, but it’s leaning more toward worry. Will I get published? Can I get published?

Indie or Traditional: Traditional for me, if God wills it. The publishing houses in my country are limited, and I wish to support them.

Wildest Goal: Magically sprout wings and live in the Barbie kingdom of fairies. Second is getting involved in my school organization, which involved a lot of…socializing with humans.

Tag, You’re It!

Feel free to snurch this.


Thank you for reading!

Any Spotify, movie/TV show, or book recommendations? How’s your writing? Do you listen to music when you write? Does munching on something make writing easier or harder?

The In Or Out Book Tag

Recall a little while back that I said I’d post the subsequent scenes of my Prompt to Paper Tag today. Scrap that, which you may already have guessed from the title. I argued with myself since doing that would be unprofessional, but such things don’t produce 3 working scenes, let alone a polished draft for the characters I introduced. So, here we are.

I snurched this from The Texas Lass (you’ve probably seen her around), who snurched this from Kate, who got this from Laura Tisdall, who got the idea from Richard Mac Donnell. According to Kate. A snurching process in all its snurching glory.

I’ll answer honestly instead of the popular vote, so if you disagree, rant in the comments. It might just change my mind.

1. Reading the last page first

Starting off strong, I see. In-N-Out. It could change your perception of a book before you even start. A colossal spoiler could be revealed for a mystery/thriller book, but I don’t see a problem with a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. So it depends.

2. Enemies to Lovers

In. At least I can pick sides for some things. My reading scope is so pathetically limited. That’s thanks to the tamed books I’m familiar with. Which is…good, but I can’t say I’ve ever read an Enemies to Lovers full-on novel. A story on the internet, maybe, but I can’t recall. If it’s anything like You’ve Got Mail, You’ve Got Me in on it. (Oh, goodness, that’s cheesy.)

3. Dream Sequences

Out. Out the window and into the burning trash. I believe it shows a lack of creativity, and why must you mislead your readers like that? Unless vital information is communicated that couldn’t have been during waking hours, I don’t wike it.

4. Love Triangles

Out. These are complicated. And messy. And weird. I don’t tolerate it, I’m sorry.

5. Cracked Spines

Imagine asking someone in reality if they prefer their spines cracked or uncracked. It could induce some confusion. Out, but not entirely. It shows use and devotion to a book, but it’s terribly inconvenient.

6. Back to My Small Town

It sounds cute. But Out for now. It gets redundant.

7. Monsters Are Regular People

The idea is intriguing. Sure. In, but humans fit that role quite well already.

8. No Paragraph Breaks

Since when is that an option? Out, thank you. There’s a difference between a stylistic choice and being plain wrong.

9. Multi-Generational Sagas

If not forced into it, I won’t read it. I can’t handle it. I can hardly differentiate the names Peter and Perry in a 30-chapter book. Out.

10. Rereading

The real question is, who doesn’t? Not me. I am In entirely.

I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and anticipate embarking on its journey again soon. The heavy prose, message, and characters are unforgettable and doubtless, worth returning to.

And some lessons books have to offer are buried deep. You have to shovel a little more to get the real gold.

11. Artificial Intelligence

Sure, why not? In. They have a heart under all the wires and thingamabobs. Or, um, somewhere in their disembodied selves. I’m looking at you, Chat GPT.

12. Drop Caps

Ahh, yes. Ancient vibes, aesthetic purposes. Something else that starts with a. In, but on the condition it’s used only in classic or fantasy books, merely because of nostalgia.

13. Happy Endings

Ou– No, I’m kidding. But let’s note that it has to make sense. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s not very satisfying when everyone leaves happy and forgets about that one issue lurking in the corner. Averting your gaze will just make it disappear, right?

It’s okay if the guy doesn’t get the girl if the relationship was unwholesome anyway. It’s okay if the MC (main character) never got what he wanted or has to let go of something he didn’t want to part with. It hurts, but it’s real. The conflicting emotions make the story more relatable.

In for this one.

14. Plot Points That Only Converge at the End

Oh, this one is so satisfying. In, please.

15. Detailed Magic Systems

You lost me at detailed. Out, for the same reason as the multi-generational sagas one.

16. Classic Fantasy Races

In. We need more of these.

17. Unreliable Narrators

In. Because.

18. Evil Protagonists

Better than morally grey, from a discerning reader’s perspective. But I’m not one (IT’S A JOKE), and I particularly enjoy reading from morally grey characters…to a limit. It can go overboard.

But evil? Maybe. I’m not sure. Make it clear. In-N-Out.

19. The Chosen One

In. I haven’t seen this particular one much, compared to most of the people who have an aversion to this. I’d like to see it more out of plain curiosity. (I’m sorry-)

20. When the Protagonist Dies

IN. I thought about it recently and how riveting it would be. I sound evil in saying that, but please. Not all protagonists are noble, self-sacrificing warriors. And sometimes they are. There are times when it’s better this way.

21. Really Long Chapters

In-N-Out because I like a mix of both. I read books at night and like finishing a chapter to claim to accomplish something before bidding the day goodbye, but it depends on my mood. And, apparently, the time of day.

22. French Flaps

Well, the name doesn’t give you much, does it?

*Google search* Oh, I see. I find those things incredibly irritating, but how come no one told me to remove them before reading? So much pain could’ve been avoided… :’)

In-N-Out because it looks pretty sometimes.

23. Deckled Edges

Annoying. No thanks. Out.

24. Signed Copies by the Author

The author already left his imprint through the words, and what would a book be without its beautifully strung words?

But sure. I certainly wouldn’t refuse one, but if it costs more, I’d have to turn it down. In-N-Out.

25. Dog-Earring Pages

“FBI, OPEN UP.”

Out. Completely and irrevocably.

26. Chapter Titles Instead of Numbers

Um, sure. The numbers are helpful, though, and very much appreciated. In-N-Out.


Thank you for reading! Oh, hold up, it was my 1st anniversary some time ago.

Happy birthday to this blog, then. And apologies to the people reading this. I’m still finding my footing as a blogger and writer in general but am very grateful to whoever shows support, even in this site’s underdeveloped state. Many thanks!

Congrats, you’ve reached the end.

What would you have answered differently? What book crimes have you committed? Do you agree that dog-earring is a crime?

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started