Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2023

Back when I cared about my featured images. Good times…Not really.

Started: 12/10/2023

As I examine my calendar’s eleventh month of 2023, I realize…I should mark my calendar more. Perhaps [Little Sister] was right; my memory is little better than a goldfish’s.

Well.

Too bad!

If given the choice, I would’ve skipped this month’s wrap-up. A lot happened; I have something to write about, and heaven forbid that. Writing is supposed to be sporadic and inconsistent. You know, chaotic…right?

But then I discovered people enjoy things they can look forward to, like monthly wrap-ups, so my people-pleasing skills kicked in. And would you look at that—it benefited all of us this time! Of course, I had to postpone this as long as my dignity permitted. But. In the end, I hauled my patootie in front of my laptop, and here we are. Isn’t it lovely how things come to play?

No? Okay.

Lessons, Tests, Quizzes, Exams, Repeat

Ah, school. That glorious thing that consumes your youthful years.

I’m not coming on here and pretending I’m a star student (Top honors since I’m the only one in my class! =D), but I have this 100% healthy habit of being extremely passionate and working as hard as possible. The downside is when I get burnt out—which is often, considering I work harder than shrewder—I sidestep the task until the risk reaches alarming levels. Ha, I’m writing this now to avoid studying for an exam.

So, obviously, I’m the role model you should follow.

But you know what? I procrastinated by watching videos on how to stop procrastinating and found the YouTuber Elizabeth Filips, who gives helpful tips for ADHD-type people. I started here and gasped halfway through because, wow, I wasn’t alone!

And the people I relate with have ADHD! Does that mean I have it, too? And that, dear friends, spiraled into a whole other distraction, which is unimportant.

What is important is that I left with applicable information that worked for about a week. Then my bad habits kicked in, and…I’m fixing it. I’m hanging a mental “Construction in Progress” beside my desk and using time with which I could be productive in finding out why I wasn’t.

Clap for me, you guys! I’m sho shmart!

Speaking of YouTubers…

Abbie Emmons.

*throws hands*

Why didn’t I encounter her videos sooner?!

To think, I’d heard people praising her around the blogosphere and never even searched her name on YouTube. Why? Why?!

Then again, my problem isn’t knowing how and what to write; Reedsy has educated me quite well. The problem is to, you know, write. Sitting down, setting a word or hour count, opening Google Docs, and typing away is what my schedule is sorely lacking.

But that’ll be a rabbit trail into why mindsets of having to write and being a writer are two separate ideas, one of which can tap into low self-esteem and trigger hidden doubt, but pssh. No one wants to read that.

Attending a pArTy

Against my will—

I went to a dress-up party as Enola Holmes. (Translation: I left my house!!!)

Mother went all out with my costume this year and even said I looked the “most elegant” among the rowdy kids that day. I wore heeled boots and make-up. My eyeliner melted a bit after the first 3 hours, which a friend so kindly (and publicly:’)) informed me. But it gave a more I’m-a-child-without-parental-supervision-roaming-the-polluted-streets-of-London-and-totally-crushing-this-creep-with-a-bowler-hat-by-kicking-his-butt-with-my-cool-martial-arts-skills vibe, anyway.

(Watch Enola Holmes on Netflix, you guys. 👌)

Like this, minus a corset and the wine-red shade. Mine was a more vibrant hue, which threw off most of those who guessed who I was.

2/5 of the people who approached me recognized my character, and the rest shot me random names that I cannot, for the life of me, remember, even if a friend who went as a Men-In-Black agent put her dart gun to my head.

And I met two Sherlocks.

My self-prepping was similar to what I’d done on *cough* a similar day *cough*, constituting soul-crushing dread. A great ball of nerves lodged in my chest vibrated with every breath, weighing down on my lungs (I don’t think that’s normal), and a million scenarios of how things could go wrong played on a loop in my imagination.

But in the end, a friend from the mentioned “a similar day” and a fellow ballerina friend I used to have theatre classes with stuck close, and I don’t have that many regrets. Hallelujah!

Er, right, there’s one regret of stalking a guy by the commission of my bestie, and I could never be a super spy because of sheer embarrassment. Who knew starting conversations just to pry information out of people could be awkward?

Note to self: Leave the Cruising to Tom.

I ate nothing but free ice cream (because I wasn’t hungry, and if I were, you can rest assured I’d have devoured and wiped out the buffet fit for 100 or so students in less than 20 minutes).

The beginning of the five hours was fun, but the end dragged on. But overall, I enjoyed it. 7/10. Would probably recommend, but it depends.

In Loving Memory of Breanna’s Toes (R.I.P, Rest In Pieces)

Four ballet classes a week = pain. Pain everywhere. Quads, calves, shoulders, ankles, lower back, metatarsals, core, shins, you name it.

My two sisters and I were the few consistent attendees, so when the day for the recital drew near, we had to double the class days to prepare. My legs have yet to recover. I was even hesitant about the party because it fell on a ballet day.

But you know, having amazing classmates has its benefits. It almost means being shushed by the teachers for making so much chismis, a Tagalog word for “gossip” but not quite gossip. That’s a terrible explanation, but sometimes things don’t translate directly. I’m doing my best here. 🤧

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Thank you for reading!

Ended: Date of Publication

Goodness gracious, this is late. Hohoho, Merry (early) Christmas, guys!

I want that sweater. But tropical country. ARGH.

Wouldn’t me making one unique post in favor of the season be cool? Wouldn’t it?

Oh, to dream.

How have y’all been? Did you forget about me? That’s a shame coz I’m popping back into the frame like a pimple breakout. Mwahaha.

‘Tis the season!

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2023

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.

Wait a second. That’s me! Where did you find actual footage of my class?!

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 ✨ballet class.✨ (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!!! ❤

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?

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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.

SPOTLIGHT: Katherine Perry’s Starting Her Solo Blog!

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:

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!

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

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

Congratulations, Katherine! 🥳 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.

Monthly Wrap-Up That Is ~Unapologetically Tardy~

Hey, aliens! I’m…late. But getting stuck between the brink of losing my mind due to sickness, coming the closest to being unable to control my own body I’ll ever get, and crying internally about schoolwork, my lateness is unapologetic.

Life is relentlessly making yanking my hair off considerable, but God’s in control, peeps. My life’s evidence for it! Hence, “the documented journey of a servant of the Lord.”

Shall we begin?

What I Learned

I spent more time than I’d like to recount in composing this part of my previous monthly wrap-up post. Maybe check it out? *innocent fluttering of lashes*

About Myself

I mentioned in a comment of “A Li’l Note from Yours Truly” that I greatly fear commenting on others’ posts. After deep pondering, I settled on “I use too-deep words for not-so-deep situations.” It amplifies what I say more than how much I want to communicate. Thank you, Corrie, for giving me that valuable piece of advice! Be careful with what you say, and be considerate of how others feel. Comments are such a great encouragement to bloggers—a little note to say “Keep going!” If you see something worth commenting on, let the author know instead of sending telepathic messages and just hoping they’ll know. 😂

I’m sociable, but I should probably keep my mouth shut more. Please, puh-lease tell me I’m not alone in the fact that I overthink all my human interactions to the point of head-throbbings. It pains me. And that is why I don’t go out much. 👍

About Life

“You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.”

Daddy Dearest

To see change takes courage. It begins with a step in the right direction and leads to a journey on the proper path. Here that, Breanna? That should put to rest yOUR OBSTINATE STUBBORNNESS. FOR SHAME!

Unlocking your full creative potential does not always result in productivity. Creativity leads you to scramble out of bed at 2 a.m. for that one plot idea can’t let slip, but productivity would’ve forced you to worry about that during working hours. For now, focus on sleep. To be creative is to sacrifice productivity and vice versa. To pick one over the other depends on which one you prioritize more at the given time.

Because of my invaluable, slippery concepts, I had desired to complete this post by February 28, but productivity (SCHOOL. Pooh!) disallowed me. To apologize would directly violate my claim of unapologetic tardiness, so imagine me saying so in your brain. Done? Done.

On an unrelated note, take this quiz to measure your attention span and get advice!

Related: Updates 📢 Page for Updates

About Unrequited Love

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It’s pronounced /ˌənrəˈkwīdəd/ love! Why did no one inform me and spare me the embarrassment?! 😩

That’s it, teehee.

About Writing

Thank you, Lord, for guiding me to these fantastic articles and posts! I strive to be a young writer, so any advice I will take when looked at with a discerning eye. Good writers know that improvement is constant.

• 10 Things Every Young Writer Should Know
• 6 Tips for Creating Your OWN Mythical Creatures!
• Writing Tips: How to Start a Chapter
• Ratatouille: How to Write Good Opponents/Villains
• How to Write a Hate-Worthy Hero
• Every Author Should Answer This ONE QUESTION Before Writing // Write a Book With Me Episode Two
• 6 Questions to Ask that Will Help with Character Development (Plus Newsletter and Hiatus Announcements) // Write a Book with Me Episode Three
• One Sure Sign of Bad Writing

Okay, maybe not all the articles apply to you, my fine fellow, but they’re my gold mines.

Also, something I want to implement in my writing is sneak peeks into thoughts and vivid imagery. Readers must connect with your character and feel transported into another world. That’s what made me fall in love with books.

About Reading

There’s something oddly rejuvenating about reading. It’s as if you take a huge weight off your shoulder while disconnecting from reality and like a deep, refreshing breath of fresh air.

This doesn’t happen all the time, but when reading This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years by Jaquelle Crow, I feel recharged. Within the pages, a sense of need to carry out what she says is rekindled in me. It’s weird in the best way possible. Weird as in “I’ve never felt this before and want more.”

That’s how we should look at the Bible, isn’t it? A sense of duty, an undying zeal, a determination to do and be. The Christian life is so crazily rewarding. Have you tried it yet?

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Thank you for reading!

Hopefully, you learned something from this post, whatever that may be.

Toodle-oo! And have a splendid day.~

Monthly Wrap-Up (February 2023)

Good day, lovely aliens! Belated Happy Valentine’s.

Let’s take a moment to admire the featured image. It never does turn out how I intend it to; nevertheless, I spent too much time on it. When will she learn?

Before you correct me, yes, I know it’s not the end of the month yet. But I’m afraid of all my learnings liquifying and slipping between my fingers.

What did I learn, you ask?

What I Learned

LOTS. At 10 years, you think you know everything—a decade of knowledge stored in one person. Invaluable!

Soon you find you never really were that intellectual. You Math skills were so-so; your vocabulary was small; your scientific knowledge fell short. Someone was always more intelligent than you. Your best was not the best. That, my friend, is the blues of aging.

Thank God I’m going through it! When you realize how inadequate you are, He opens your eyes to how He can use you despite your shortcomings. “You be you” works in the Christian life—but only to a minimum. Your skills and what you’re naturally good at don’t change, but nearly everything else does, such as your conduct, speech, thoughts, mindset, beliefs, desires, et cetera.

It’s mind-boggling how God can work in and through you. This doesn’t, however, happen at the flip of a switch. Think sanctification—the process of God changing you to become more like Him.

I, along with Christians, am currently on that road. Stumbling and tripping are the norm, but Jesus reaches out a hand, pulls us up, brushes us off, and guides us continuously. One step at a time. You start with baby steps, then, by God’s grace, upgrade to strides and skips, rejoicing in one voice to our Father God.

Now, I tend to forget how God works in my life. He does great things. I’d have a list of them, I’m sure!

…If only I remembered.

I’m trying to say I must document how God is working through me—written evidence I can wave in the enemy’s face whenever he whispers doubts in my ear. (Take that, PUNK!) And it begins now. Every month I plan on writing what I’m thankful for, what I’m learned, and what the HECK IS GOING ON WITH MY LIFE. Ehem, enjoy.

Oh, and I forgot to add: There will be points at which I just jot down random info, primarily about nutrition and health.

Let’s get TO IT!

(WARNING: Do not expect seriousness.)

About Myself

Let’s start off on a sour note: I’m a big ol’ meanie. I’m selfish, I’m prideful, and I’m insensitive. I have this horrid habit of justifying my disrespectful, mean actions. Then God orchestrates something in your life, and it clicks—it’s not everyone else on the wrong page of the sheet music. You’re the one off-key. A worthy face-slap moment. But what good does that knowledge do if you don’t check your notes and try again? Let me rephrase that: what good is knowing you’re wrong if you don’t work toward improvement?

[Cue the conviction.] Yes, yes, God, I’m working on it. [God slaps me on the back of my head] I-I MEANT WE’RE WORKING ON IT, GOD! I’m sorry.

Onto the next subtopic: I like to write. (The blogger enjoys writing?! Preposterous!) Teachers and dear ma claim that I have an undeniable knack for writing. Give me some paper, a pencil, or a keyboard, and my creativity flows seamlessly. To say the least, that statement is biased.

Nevertheless, my fire burns bright! Watch out, dear aliens, for soon, so soon you could taste it, I will reveal a story—a novella, hopefully—taking place in a faraway place. Well, er, maybe not too soon, actually. You can count on me sharing a snippet, but I’m not planning on releasing it before I’m satisfied.

Publish? No. I’m afraid. It haunts me. I can’t. Or just won’t. On second thought…no, thank you. It’ll-it’ll just be on here, on dear old WordPress.

Keep your eyes peeled for some short stories, though! After getting inspired by several blogs, I’ll post brief stories on diverse topics. (I’m thinking of writing one on Medieval Europe soon!)

{the several blogs}

Random Specific Thoughts

Teen Writer’s Nook

Low Expectations

Kari Lynn M.

Ann Brandy – Author and Mentor

Writing about…Writing

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Thank you for reading!

*checks time* Guys, I offer you my humblest apologies, but it’s 15 minutes to 12 a.m. in my time. I rushed this post wishing I wouldn’t let you poor aliens down.

This is just 1 part of the Monthly Wrap-Up. Feeling shortchanged? Stick around till the second part!

See ya, aliens! I seriously need to sleep.