NaNoWriMo 2016 Winner

NaNoWriMo 2016 Winner

This was a hard novel to complete with the addition of a toddler, work and classes but it was a great feat! The best thing I could say is that I am proud I finished and before the 30th! Good luck to the rest of you and my best friend Ari!

Fall in New York City 2016

“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love with the ground.” 

  Credit to my College Campus and Myself 😁 

Story Excerpt: Pier

The waves crashed into the side of the docks. No one else was around a slight surprise in the city that never slept. Summer nights had the streets filled with the usual drunken individuals and late raves that resounded into the morning light. Yet this night was different, the city was calm and she wasn’t.

She rocked on her brand new ankle boots and took in a deep breath that quavered her core. Her now cherry cola curled hair thrashed in the wind and faintly smacked her face. It was a chilly night, but it could have been for the fact that she was standing at Pier 66 waiting for him. He texted her at eight saying they should talk and she took him up on the offer. They had broken up three months prior and they still had this odd concept to speak to one another. One chime of the phone led to long hours of emojis and inside jokes between the two.

She let out a slow shiver and walked along the pier to admire the skyline of New York City. The bright lights that glowed from tall cold skyscrapers twinkled across the black night. A wish is what she needed more than anything right now. Yet the fluorescent lights would not grant her deepest desire. The edge of the pier had backless benches scattered across. They longed for couples and tourist to sit upon them and glance at the picturesque skyline. The skyline that New Yorkers paid for to live in cramped spaces to drive one another into insanity.  That’s what did it for them.

NaNoWriMo 2016 - Day 1

NaNoWriMo 2016

(Credits to The Writer's Circle)

Book Review: Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Rating: 4/5 Stars

NaNoWriMo'ers this book is for you! This book caught my interest because as a Writer I also have so much to learn. I am not a perfect writer and I will never be one but I do not shy away from learning. Reading this book will take you on a step-by-step plan, to create a novel from the first inkling of an idea, to a complete layered outline hat evolves into a first draft with the productivity, and grasp of an enthralling final draft. One of the things I have done as a writer is always plan, plan, plan, this book helps with all those steps! 

I would recommend this book to writers, inspiring writers and people that want to teach writing!

I Am Fern Walters

If you have ever read or seen the Arthur series, then you know exactly who Fern Walters is! If not, then I feel sorry for you, but she is an amazing character. Fern Walters is a secondary character in the series Arthur by Marc Brown and she is the embodiment of me. She is shy, a daydreamer and an imaginative writer.

Recently Season 20 of Arthur was released on PBS Kids and I watched the second episode titled “Fern's Flights of Fancy”. In this episode Fern decides to enter a writing contest in the newspaper after Buster mentions it. Everyone remarks that Fern is a prodigious writer and should enter, so she does. She writes a remarkable story and awaits the results. Unfortunately, Fern idea is rejected and feels unworthy of her talent. She gives up her dreams of being a writer and tries to indulge in other hobbies. Yet she cannot help to daydream and write in her diary. George Lundgren, her best friend finds out from Harry Mills, a reporter of the newspaper that he believes Fern will be an astonishing writer but she was outvoted. George tries to inspire Fern to enter other contests and gives her story to Francine to publish it in the school newspaper. The story is published and all the students clamor, she is an amazing writer and valued her story. Although Fern is dismayed with George she thanks him and elects to write again.

The reason I mentioned this episode is because as a writer we all shared this feeling. I’ve entered contests and did not win all them. That feeling pits in your stomach and you go over your writing with disappointed eyes. Feelings of failure grow into despair and the idea to give up is a strong one. One would not admit this, but I teared up during this episode. The connection with Fern was a strong one and I hoped she wouldn’t give up. She didn’t and the proud feeling swelled inside.

“Fern's Flights of Fancy” is a cautionary tale of not to give up. With rejection comes acceptance. You won’t win all but you can win some. Do not compare yourself to others but focus on your own work.

Happy Writings!