Tag: young writer

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Young Writer Interview: Susannah Hoskins

I’m here today with another young writer interview. Everyone, meet Susannah Hoskins!

About Susannah

Bio

Susannah H. is a teen from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. When she isn’t studying, reading, or writing, you can find her practicing violin, playing with the family dog, or watching yet another Marvel movie. Storytelling is her second biggest life passion–her biggest one is God.

What genre do you write in and why?

I write in the fantasy, action, dystopian, and nonfiction genres. I chose those genres because I enjoy writing in them.

What genre do you read in and why?

I read almost any genre, but the main genres I read are classical, fantasy, nonfiction, and action. I read classics because they broaden my vocabulary, and fantasy, nonfiction, and action because I enjoy reading them.

What do you blog about?

(I don’t blog yet, but when I have a website, I plan to break down the worldviews behind novels, movies, tv series, etc. and point out how the worldview influences the story.)

Who or what inspired you to write?

I…had a minor obsession with a movie and decided to continue it. I was convinced my story would become the next blockbuster haha.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

I’ve learned how to communicate more effectively with others!

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

Being a Christian means that I tend to write stories with more heart and hope to them. If I wasn’t a Christian, my stories would probably be very dark because I wouldn’t see a light.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

I want to bless other people. It frustrated me to no end when I ran into stories I wasn’t allowed to read (or frankly, that I didn’t want to read) because of the content, so I want to write stories that anyone can read. My more specific goal is to provide good stories without political agendas or objectionable content.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

I define success as glorifying God. I don’t think I’ve really gotten there yet, but it may be that I’ll never entirely feel that I have.

What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?

It’s kind of elementary, but put God first. Really. I haven’t found any other way of life that doesn’t land me in a mess of trouble.

Conclusion

I hope you all enjoyed this short interview! Until next time, happy reading!

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I Worked At a Drive-Through

Wendy’s: fast food, dine-in, drive-through. Unlike “my” Pizza Hut, it has a very diverse menu with all kinds of drinks and sides. There are breakfast and lunch times, where different things are served, and the type of food, along with the drive-through aspect makes it a completely different beast to handle. The flow is very different compared to Pizza Hut. Scheduling is different, there’s a lot more prep and restocking, and the way shifts are organized took me a while to understand.

I got a job at Wendy’s. Being my second job, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Fast food, right? Cooking, customer service, and prep. Couldn’t be much different than Pizza Hut…right? (Cue me walking into an entirely different situation unaware of what I was about to face.)

Leaving Pizza Hut…Sort Of

But wait. Let’s back up. I have a job at Pizza Hut, right? Things were going well. I’d been working full-time hours there, so why—and how—was I getting a job at Wendy’s?

Like I mentioned in the last work blog post, the tip system at Pizza Hut changed. Where I’d been earning a fairly stable amount of tips per hour before, I was now getting almost nothing. Without the tips, my wage was lower than other jobs in the area. $11 an hour isn’t the most comfortable amount of money to live on, and as I intend to be able to live independently within a year, minimum wage isn’t something I want to spend all my hours working for when every other option pays better. In addition, I wasn’t seeing Pizza Hut as a possible career option. Things just weren’t heading that way. Instability abounded, management didn’t communicate, and it wasn’t something I wanted to get into over my head.

Two months passed, Pizza Hut was feeling like my home. People were beginning to look up to me. I was even put in charge of training people. However, negatives were beginning to outweigh the positives. Everything seemed to be headed in a downward direction, and payment wasn’t enough to keep me there. Thus, I decided it was time to move on.

I changed my availability. Wendy’s was early mornings; I could still work nights at Pizza Hut. Yes, I could’ve completely left. However, I decided to keep Pizza Hut as a part-time job, because one, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Wendy’s, and two, I still enjoyed working night rushes—especially with certain coworkers. Pizza Hut was my first ever job. Even though I knew I’d have to leave at some point, I wanted to hold off saying goodbye for as long as possible.

Enter 60-hour work weeks. 😁It was exhausting. It was stressful. It’s not something I ever want to do again—unless I really love my job—but we’ll get into that later.

How I Got Wendy's

I actually applied for Wendy’s a couple of weeks before deciding to move on from Pizza Hut. There had been a few instances where I’d considered leaving Pizza Hut. Things had been progressively getting worse. Management changed—and not particularly for the best—and the turnover was terrible. My hours got cut “to train the new people.” Things were done in the most inefficient and ineffective ways. Favoritism and partialism trumped justice and gave way to corruption. I’d been getting tired of putting up with it all, so the tip system change was just the last straw. That’s when I finally decided to make the move.

I’d considered leaving multiple times before I actually did. At one point, I applied to several places in my area, just to see what my options were. Among my applications was Wendy’s. I waited a couple of weeks. None of them responded. I kept working at Pizza Hut. My applications faded to the back of my memory, and eventually, I assumed none of the places I’d applied for were interested in me. Thus, you can imagine how surprised I was to get a call from Wendy’s the day after deciding to leave Pizza Hut. The timing was perfect. The job sounded promising. It was a perfect coincidence. Everything lined up perfectly, so I decided to go ahead with the interview—which led to me taking the job.

First Impression

The first thing I noticed upon starting the job was how professional Wendy’s seemed. There was mutual respect, a clear hierarchy, and good communication both within management and between coworkers. Things like tardiness and laziness weren’t tolerated. It was a refreshing change, and I was relieved to find that all places aren’t as corrupted as Pizza Hut. (Because being my first job, I didn’t know what to expect from any other place. I’d only been working for three months; my experience and knowledge were severely limited.)

Training

I was put on shoulder-to-shoulder work my first day. I pretty much just followed people around, watched what they did, and cleaned in my spare time. That was day one. For day two, I was put on training videos. I watched hours and hours of videos that taught me about the background of Wendy’s and how to be a clean, nice human. Day three is when I was given actual work.

Drive-Through

I immediately realized how bad I am at multi-tasking. As soon as I was put on drive-through/”speaker,” things went downhill. I got overwhelmed and panicked. I tried a few times, but no matter how much I attempted to remain calm and collected, things went awry. I messed up orders. I made the wrong drinks. I forgot to give customers their receipts. In all fairness, I knew I wasn’t the best at muti-tasking, but I’d assumed things would just come together somehow. (No, they didn’t. Things went wrong, and my newly-found optimism quickly changed to full-fledged pessimism.)

Customers

After that one morning on speaker, I was put on other stations. The first was front counter. I was in charge of coordinating (putting orders together) and taking orders or cashing people out. One of the managers helped me the entire time, so it wasn’t too bad. Over time, I know I would’ve gotten good/quick at it.

The second station I was put on (another day) was back cash. It’s the first window, and all I had to do was pull up orders, take payments, and hand people their receipts. It’s actually the easiest job in the entire store. Most people want it, but the station is only opened up when there are enough people working. Anyway, I really enjoyed that station. Customers commented to my manager on how I “took care of them.” I liked the interaction and simplicity of the job. (Give me one thing to do, and I’ll work hard and do well. Give me two or more, and I’ll get nothing done.😅)

So, customers loved me, and I loved them.

Coworkers and Managers

Coworkers—we got along. Everyone there is pretty friendly. People invited me in, tried to make me feel included, and taught me where everything was and how to do stuff. Unlike Pizza Hut, I feel like I got a warm and informational welcome. From the beginning, I was set up for success by both my managers and coworkers. People took active steps to ensure I felt included, and I really appreciated the change.

Leaving Wendy's

Yes.

I know.

I know I just talked about how wonderful everyone and everything at Wendy’s was, but yes, I did end up quitting. Drive-through is what really got to me. Being a morning shift person, it’s not something I can just avoid. It’s a necessary evil of the job. In the morning, you’re in charge of prep, speaker, and food production. Even if you’re not assigned speaker, you’re going to have to do at least 30 minutes of it while someone takes their mandatory break. People liked me, and I liked them, but speaker just didn’t get along with me. It pretty much broke the deal for me.

But…that’s not the whole of it. Embarrassingly enough, I actually left in order to go to Walmart (highest competitor in my area). I’d applied  around the time I decided to move on from Pizza Hut. However, because of how perfectly coincidental Wendy’s had been, plus the lack of response from Walmart, I jumped into Wendy’s right away.

I shouldn’t have. I should’ve waited for Walmart. It was my first preference. There were career opportunities and better pay there. Instead, I was hasty and gave into fear of missing out, taking the first thing that came to me.

So how I left Wendy’s? A few days into the job, as I was questioning whether it was the best fit for me, Walmart called, asking for an interview. I accepted the interview. I got all the information I could, and I told them about myself. Everything seemed to line up perfectly with what I was looking for in a job. I went back home and thought things out. A few days later when I got the formal job offer, I accepted it and put in my two weeks at Wendy’s. I then proceeded to work out those two weeks, along with Pizza Hut nights.

Juggling Two Jobs

60-hour weeks aren’t fun—that’s what I learned from having two jobs. There’s almost zero time for anything. Sleep, eat, work, eat, repeat. What little time you have extra is easily spent in keeping up with friends or family. Sometimes, there isn’t even time for that. Food? No time or energy to think about that. I was exhausted both physically and mentally.

Needless to say, when I finished my last day at Wendy’s, I was relieved. (I was working full-time hours there; part-time at Pizza Hut. Actually, if we’re being technical, I worked full-time at both for one of the weeks.) Without Wendy’s, I finally had enough time and energy to function properly.

Ending Wendy's

I left on a good note. For the short amount of time I’d been there, I met some really nice people, learned the basics of working at a fast food drive-through, and discovered some of my strengths and weaknesses job-wise. A lot of coworkers didn’t want to see me go. Some tried to convince me to stay as I worked my remaining days, and when I left, I was told that if Walmart didn’t work out, I was welcome back. I really appreciate those managers’ kindness. While the job wasn’t the best fit for me, they were patient with me, taught me everything I needed to know, and tried their best to accommodate my preferences. Why they asked me back, I don’t understand (besides the need for labor). However, I am thankful for it. I’m happy we were able to separate on good terms.

Conclusion

I learned a lot from Wendy’s. it was my first job where I feel liked I worked in a professional environment. I was able to learn about what it takes to make things run smoothly, as well as how to keep a positive, helpful atmosphere. It was a good comparison to Pizza Hut. Even though those two alone aren’t enough to tell me everything about different work environments, I feel like I know a lot more about myself and my work preferences. No, I don’t want to be in fast food for the rest of my life. I’m not sure what I want to spend my life doing, but I do know how I operate in different environments and under pressure.

I’m grateful for the experience. I’m grateful for my managers at Wendy’s. While I should have thought things out more thoroughly before taking the job, it’s not something I can say I regret. I learned a lot from it. Without this opportunity, I don’t think I’d be in the same place (job-wise) with the same conclusions as I am now.

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Young Writer Interview: Micah Collier

You guys might remember me mentioning my blogging accountability partner, Micah, in one of my earlier blog posts. Micah is a fellow writer, blogger, and follower of the Lord. We met on Instagram (I knew who he was from the writing platform I’d been a part of briefly), and we started emailing. Then, he asked if I wanted to be his blogging accountability partner. I was hesitant at first, but I agreed, and I couldn’t be more grateful for him. 

Anyway, today, I’m interviewing Micah. (He also interviewed me on his blog. 😁 Go check that out here.)

About Micah

Bio

Humorous, humble, and hearty, Micah Collier is a brother, the oldest of four sisters, and lives with his family in Philadelphia, PA. He loves writing (on paper), playing and watching basketball, he’s a blogger, and a homeschooled high schooler. Despite being imperfect, Micah wants to show God’s love (SGL) to people because of God’s overwhelming love for him. Micah is a six-plus-footer with a mohawk and adores his cat while wanting to help further God’s kingdom through his writing and blogging.
Micah

When did you start writing and what inspired you to write?

I started writing when I was nine—we had this Write Your Own Story Book, and after checking its empty pages and sections (which were all colorful), I decided to write in it. The blank pages of a child-friendly book with multiple story topics (superhero, mystery, adventure, etc.) drew me in.

What genre do you write in and why?

I write fiction and action/adventure + fantasy/speculative fiction, specifically. I enjoy the freedom in creating my own world and everything else it brings. That includes not worrying about Earth’s boundaries.

What genre do you read in and why?

Well, I don’t necessarily search for a genre, I just read something I find intriguing. However, I lean toward more of the fantasy fictional kind of stories.

What do you blog about?

I blog about writing, I post encouragement and poetry, miscellaneous posts, faith-based posts, and some life-themed posts.

What are your favorite things about blogging?

I enjoy creating content, writing newsletters, and I love when my readers respond.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

I learned to have a ‘why’ as a writer and to write for His Majesty. Also, writing is a form of loving and serving people.

What's something you're excellent at in writing and something you don't excel so much in?

I excel at imperfection and inconsistency while I don’t excel in perfection and consistency. I honestly don’t know where I excel, but when perfectionism trips me over my simple phrases, that’s a problem. So, I might call that something I don’t excel in.

What project(s) are you working on (summarize them in a sentence)?

Zest Adventures On Zeppadar Book 1: Brokenhearted

The main character must face the grief of losing his parents while trying to survive on a planet he’s never been to.

The Adventures of Georgie

A sixteen-year-old documentarist with a cringey Bri’ish accent loves animals and recording them; he broadcasts animals—friends join along the way, and he hopes people will love his voice.

I have two others, but they’re technically dormant right now.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

I want to become a published author, help further the kingdom (FTK) with my writing (by speaking life through my writing), and I also want the satisfaction of people reading and enjoying my books.

What is one piece of advice you have for other young writers?

I believe you should find your why as a writer (or make sure you have it) and always write for God. It’s never in vain if you write for Him.

Conclusion

That’s it for this interview! Micah actually interviewed me as well (on his blog), so if you want to check that out, here’s the post. Until next time, happy reading!

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A Breakdown of My Personality

INFJ personality type

I am an INFJ-T.  At least that’s what the 16Personalities test said when I took it—four times. Yes, I really did take it that many times, just to be sure it was accurate. The percentages varied each time, but overall, everything was the same.

If you don’t know, the Meyers-Briggs Typing Indicator assessment is something a lot of people do and obsess over. As far as I’ve seen, the results seem pretty accurate. As long as you are truthful in your answers, the outcome seems correct, and the page that tells you about your personality type seems to know a lot about everyone…in an almost creepy way.

I thought it would be fun to go over my test results and see what these people have to say about me. I will be critiquing their words and telling you guys why or why not I agree. Just a warning: if you don’t like deep topics, personality assessments, or long blog posts, this is one of those.

General Overview

To start off, the website gives me a general breakdown of my personality. They say I am “idealistic,” “principled,” and that I want to change the world for the better in a lofty and ambitious way. They also add on a lot about how conscientious I am—basically that I have a clear sense of my values, value integrity, and will define what truly matters in an independent way (not letting society or peers influence me).

Okay, I completely agree with this. I am a perfectionist, and I strongly value my morals. Definitely true on wanting to make a difference in the world. Maybe my ideas aren’t always the most realistic, but you can’t say I didn’t try. 😜

As for conscientiousness and all that stuff, I am in 100% agreement. I value integrity very highly. In fact, one of my main goals in any relationship is for my peer to be able to trust me without question. Trust is probably the thing I value highest. I work hard for it, and I want people to be able to talk to me freely—about anything—knowing I will listen without judgement and guard their information with discernment and diligence.

On the other hand, I have noticed my recent oversharing of other people’s thoughts 😳 I guess getting integrated into a workplace takes some getting used to. My brain is still having some trouble categorizing different scenarios and information and trying to process what’s shareable and what’s been gifted to me as private information. I’m learning, though.

Anyway, back to what I was saying….

I want people to know that I have an open mind. I want to be a safe place—where someone can come to sort out their thoughts and feel heard and loved. A place where they can feel free to be themselves, knowing that no matter our differences, I care for them for who they are.

As for integrity, it is true that I hold certain values very strongly. Peers and society aren’t going to make much of a difference. The only way my values are going to change is if experience or wisdom tells me they should, and I don’t really care if it’s not cool with the rest of the world; I don’t want to become like everyone else just for the sake of it.

INFJ personality type

Seeking Purpose

According to the website, I have a “commitment to make the world a better place.” I see my gifts as something to use to uplift others, and when I spot injustice, I don’t hesitate to step up for what is right—to the point that I want to fix society’s deeper issues.

Again, I think they’ve hit the nail on the head. I see my gifts as something God has given me to help others and glorify Him. As mentioned before, I have a strong sense or right and wrong, so I hate injustice. I do feel a need to fix everything wrong in the world. However, as a Christian, I know this world is a fallen one. My purpose is not to fix it, but to bring others to Christ. 

Digging deeper, seeing how I interact with my workplace really affirms this. I’m a change-bringer. I step into work with an ideal, give it my all, and try to bring about a positive change. When things are less-than-ideal, or when things butt their heads against my efforts, I feel frustrated—suffocated even. And I work in pizza.

Pizza.

It’s not a life goal whatsoever. I’m not looking at it as a potential career. It’s a short-term occupation, and here I am, giving it all of my energy; treating it like I’m the head of management or something. Truly, sometimes I just need to step back and give myself a break. I have to keep reminding myself that I can’t change everything. Not everything problematic is my problem to fix.

Connecting

I am introverted, yet I care about deep, authentic relationships, which I pour a lot of energy and care into.

True. I couldn’t have said it better myself. (When are we going to get to the part where I start disagreeing with everything?😂 ) I value relationships highly. When I care about something, I care with passion. If I care about you, you can bet I’m going to pour a lot—if not all—my heart into our relationship.

On the flip side of this, having friends means I am exhausted the higher the number. I prefer to have a few good friends rather than a bunch of people I don’t know well.

Criticism

Oh wait. Here comes the part where I start disagreeing with stuff 😅

“…even constructive criticism may feel incredibly personal or hurtful to these personalities.”

On the contrary, I’m a blunt person, and I like people to be blunt with me. If I did something, and it’s bugging someone, I want to know right away. I never want an invisible obstacle to stand between us. Friends or not friends—there is no in between (although I’m trying to work on that). When in doubt, it’s better to say something or apologize than wait for the other person to bring it up.

To be fair, this is probably because of my upbringing. I have a mom who is very blunt and criticizes me none-too-rarely (for my own good, of course). She touches on everything—from motives, to decisions, to actions. I’ve become so accustomed to this, the only thing that really hurts me (concerning criticism) is non-constructive criticism. If you are just saying things that have no reason or logic behind it, that’s when it really hurts.

To be extremely fair, though, whenever I feel like someone’s upset with me (e.g., when I’m criticized), it hurts. I don’t like when other people are upset. Being the cause of said upsetness is never fun. Furthermore, when the person is right in their criticism, it can sting a little bit, but I like to think that I’m good at distinguishing fact from emotion, and I don’t express the hurt. I disregard the emotions, treat the issue as such, and take any constructive criticism with a grain of salt. It’s good to grow. I don’t want to scare away any potential growth for the future (because if you react poorly the first time, you can’t expect people to come to you with honesty in the future).

Strengths

Creative: Um, yeah. Writing, art, dance, anything beautiful—I love it.

Insightful: 100% true. Give me enough information, and I’ll develop an entire picture. I want to know everything about everyone. Motive is something I find intriguing, and when my mom asked what I would do for college if I had to choose something, I said psychology. I love understanding humans. Because I do, it gives me insight into my relationships, situations I’m in, and the inner workings of complex systems around me.  I’m not saying insightfulness is always a good thing. It can lead to a lot of self-doubt, anxiety, and offended people. However, I find it a useful and sometimes fun tool when interacting with the world.

Principled: True. Integrity and trust are two things I value highly.

Passionate: When I care, I care deeply. Some people are surprised an introvert can be so talkative and excited about something so insignificant.

Altruistic: I want to do things for the greater good. I take into consideration how others are affected, and I make decisions based on that, even if I’m affected negatively. In fact, sometimes I find myself doing things for the welfare of others, despite the fact that it hurts me.

Weaknesses

Sensitive to Criticism: Again, nope. I want what you have to say, and I want it quick and straight to the point. Please don’t beat around the bush. (Maybe just don’t say it in public.)

Reluctant to Open Up: True—to an extent. It takes me a while to get to know people, but once you gain my trust, I’m pretty much an open book. I need to be careful of letting people take advantage of me.

Perfectionistic: If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it well. If I don’t feel like doing it, I won’t even attempt it.

Avoiding the Ordinary: Yes, I don’t want to be just like everyone else or just do what everyone else does. I want to accomplish great things. However, you need to do ordinary things in order to get to the extraordinary.

Prone to Burnout: I often sign up myself for a lot of stuff without realizing the energy it will take. I’m learning to manage my time and energy better. Scheduling helps me a lot.

Um…

*scrolls down the page and looks at the website’s table of contents*

  • Romantic Relationships
  • Friendships
  • Parenthood
  • Career Paths
  • Workplace Habits

Oh, my. That is a lot. If you guys want me to go over it all, I can do that in another blog post or two. (I honestly haven’t even read all the material). Tell me in the comments if you want to see more like this.

T

*pops back in* I forgot to explain the “T” connected to the end of my personality type. T stands for turbulent, meaning I have a lot of self-doubt, self-criticism, and pessimism when it comes to…well, everything. I agree with this, but I hope to become more of an “A” (opposite of T; also known as “assertive”) as I grow up. Not too much assertiveness, though. There’s a balance between the two.

Conclusion

I think the personality quiz and results were pretty accurate. It was interesting seeing an outsider’s take on my thought process and motivations. Everything was on point pretty much, and the only thing they got wrong was the criticism stuff. Supposedly only 1.5% of the population is INFJ, but that’s still a lot of people, so I think they did a great job of dissecting my personality.

I enjoyed doing this blog post, and I hope you guys enjoyed getting an in-depth look into my brain! And if you want to see more like this, tell me in the comments below. If you want to take the test yourself, you can check it out here:

https://www.16personalities.com/

Again, thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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I Got Scammed

To start off, let me just say that no, no one stole any of my money. I was too smart for that to happen 😉 My scammer left before I could waste any more of his time or energy. So how did I get scammed? I guess you could say I was scammed out of my time and energy. I put in a lot of both before I realized what was happening, and when things ended, I was left with six thousand words on the topic of alcohol abuse and nothing to show for it. Let’s jump in.

The Invitation

I’m on LinkedIn. That’s how my scammer found me. He sent me a very professional-sounding proposal through the messages feature on the platform, along with a basic outline, pay rate, and expectations of the project. Because he was so thorough, I wasn’t as suspicious as I would have been, had I got a message like any other scam offer. My scammer wanted an article:

  • on the topic of “The Effects of Alcohol Abuse”
  • 7,125 words long
  • for an audience age 17—45
  • to be used as for a seminar presentation
  • informative yet captivating
  • detailing the history of alcohol, its effects, its chemical makeup, and preventative measures for alcohol abuse
I asked questions to make sure I was capable of writing such an article before proceeding. Each question was met by a thorough answer. Information and help were provided at every turn. The conversation held a professional tone.

The Offer

$1/word. For a 7k word article. Do the math yourself.

The rate is quadruple what most beginner freelancers can get. It’s also something that was too good to pass up, given that I had plenty of time to spare, and my circumstances made it an easy choice. Thus, I accepted the original message and got down to business. I was asked to create the article in the timeframe of three to four weeks. However, I replied that I’d be able to get it done much quicker (one or two weeks instead). As soon as I got all the information I needed, I started researching and got down to business.

Suspicions and Expectations

I knew from the beginning a scam was a big possibility. Getting contacted for a job is rare unless you already have some  clients under your belt. Being contracted for a big project by a big company for a high rate is even more suspicious.

So I went in with my suspicions. I knew it was most likely a scam. However, as someone who didn’t have a job (yet), I had plenty of time on my hands. If happened to be a scam, I was fully prepared. Either way, no one was about to get any of my money. I made sure of it. Being told I’d be paid by check, I thoroughly explained how check scams work and then proceeded to talk about my concern with scams and how I was uncomfortable accepting check. I was then assured that no, this was not a scam, and no, I had nothing to worry about. (Spoiler alert: they lied.)

Anyway, I went against my better judgement and accepted the proposal. I knew the risks and was ready to put in a whole lot of work for nothing. If the offer turned out to be real, the pay was too good to pass up. If it didn’t…well, then I benefitted substantially. It would be a free push into the world of freelancing, and it would be a great place to start from. Besides, I wanted the full experience of researching a completely new topic and writing an article on it. My first time freelancing. What could possibly go wrong?

The Article

I started with an outline. Said outline quickly grew into a long, long first draft. By the end of day one, I knew so much about alcohol, I was convinced I’d be able to answer almost any related question. I’d researched almost everything imaginable on the subject. Effects, history, components, addiction—you name it.

Day two, and I’d read way too many stories on Reddit concerning the horrors and technicalities of alcohol abuse. Then some stories about addiction and first-hand accounts of how difficult and different everyone’s experience with it could be. And then some.

Day three, and I was done. I felt like an alcohol expert. I didn’t want to do any more research. This is where I ended the article and finished the first draft at over 6k words.

True Colors Revealed

I took my rough draft and messaged my scammer with the request for a review to make sure we were on the same page. I’d been told the article was for an important event. Thus, (with such a long piece), I wanted to make sure the article covered everything it was supposed to, and that I wasn’t expanding where it wasn’t important. I’d kept things pretty straight-to-the-point. At 1k words less than the intended amount, there was quite some room for improvement.

I got no response. For a couple of days, I brushed it off. It was Christmas; perhaps he was just on holiday. A fresh new article in my hands that no one other than a few of my friends had seen, I kept hoping. However, as Christmas passed, and the New Year rolled around, my hopes went down. I began to let things go. The silence felt intentional. It didn’t look like I’d be getting any pay, and the article (still in the first draft stage) hadn’t been shared with my scammer. It looked like I was on my own.

The Moment of Truth

Days passed. Maybe weeks passed (I don’t know). I forgot about the article and moved on in my head, not wanting to feel the disappointment lingering with the hope that maybe he was just on holiday still.

Then I got a message. On LinkedIn. From a completely different person. The message, however, was completely identical to the one I’d received, asking me to write a 7k-word article on the topic of “the effects of alcohol abuse.” Every singe word matched. Even the typos did. The only difference was that, instead of “alcohol abuse,” there were the words “cigarette abuse.”

I knew immediately that both had been/were scams. The offers were identical, and the messages matched in a way that couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. Just for the fun of it, I asked the second scammer questions. I pushed and pried, telling her about the identical offer I’d received and asked her to explain it. At first, she said she knew my first scammer. He “was on sabbatical.” She was the project manager, and since the first scammer had vanished for the moment, she was contacting me with an update to the project (which, in the first place, you can’t hire someone to write something and then just change the entire topic halfway through).

I kept questioning her. Soon enough, her answers changed. According to her, she didn’t know my first scammer; it was all just a big coincidence, and I should just accept her offer because it was a good opportunity. I confronted her about her lies. I showed her how her logic didn’t work. First, she was defensive. Then aggressive. Then, she vanished.

The whole ordeal over, I laid the article to rest (mentally) and accepted the fact that I’d never be paid for the thousands of words and hours of research I’d just gone through. I’d had my first freelancing experience. Although it wasn’t actually an authentic one, there was a lot to glean from the experience (besides the obvious “don’t accept random suspicious commissions off of LinkedIn”).

Feelings, Regrets, and Consequences

I don’t regret doing it. I think it was a good experience, and as I didn’t have a job at the time, I didn’t have much to lose besides a few days’ worth of time and energy. I’m mad at the scammers, granted. I’m kind of mad at myself for letting them get the best of me. However, I think it was a good learning experience, and at least I got to delve a bit into psychology and the human body (two of my favorite subjects).

In the end, I’m just wondering what the scammers hoped to get out of me. Right off the bat, they knew they weren’t going to get my money; I made that quite clear from the start. They weren’t getting my information, and they weren’t getting any money, so my best guess is that they realized pretty quickly I wasn’t worth their time, and after setting me up to do all the work for nothing, decided to vanish into thin air. Seriously. I can’t even find their profiles anymore.

My key takeaway from this whole thing? If you value your time and energy, don’t waste it on scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t squint so much that the red flags look green.

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Turning 18

I’m excited to finally be 18!

It’s a big number for many people. Eighteen. The world likes to put a ton of significance on it for some reason, and when you reach the number, you’re suddenly handed multiple privileges you’ve never had before and expected to know how to function as an independent adult (even if you’ve never done taxes.)

So what am I excited about? Definitely not the taxes—that’s for sure. The government takes too much of my hard-earned money for it to be funny in the least bit. Expecting me to calculate it all for them on top of everything definitely doesn’t make me any happier. And with the ridiculous amount of money disappearing down the black hole of government expenses and debt, I’m surprised to see there’s leftover for things I don’t actually need…like Oreos and crackers 😜 However, despite the taxes, there are things that come with being 18 that make me excited. Some of these include:

Getting a Credit Card

I looked into several credit cards as soon as I turned 18. The main reason is that I want to start building credit. Having a good score allows you to get big things at a lower interest rate, and I’m pretty sure that the earlier you start building a clean track record, the better it is for your score.

The second reason I’m trying to get a credit card is because I want to be able to buy things easily. Although debit cards work just as well, credit cards are a lot safer, and I don’t have to worry about fraud as much. They also have some nice benefits attached (like cashback). I fully intend on paying my card off in a timely manner, and I’m not going to be spending money I don’t have. (The interest rates on these cards are crazy.) Thus, for me, a credit card is just a more secure debit card with extra benefits.

So…I’m looking into a secured card. I’d originally intended to apply for ones with cash back and no security deposit, but because I don’t have a credit history, unfortunately I’m automatically excluded from such things.

Freelancing

Freelancing is difficult no matter your age. It’s even more difficult when freelancing websites don’t allow minors, or (in best-case scenarios) won’t let you join unless under a parent’s name. And that does not work if you’re trying to build a brand for yourself. Now that I’m 18, I have free rein on most—if not all—freelancing websites, and I plan on using to my full advantage. I don’t have very high expectations for freelancing, but I’m hoping it will at least pay more than my job at Pizza Hut…or at least be a fraction of the stress when it comes to getting the hours I want.

Celebrating

So what did I do for my birthday? First off, I’ll just say I like to pretend my birthday doesn’t exist. I don’t like it when I’m made into some sort of big deal, I don’t appreciate gifts in the same way most people do, and I prefer not having to deal with the hassle of birthdays. (My close friends get birthday cards and/or gifts, though.) Oh, and I do not like big, planned out surprises.

So of course, my family knowing me so well…surprised me. Okay, I’m sort of kidding.

For clearer context, I celebrated on Sunday. That morning, I got a text from my Pizza Hut area manager asking me to come into the store to help out. I hadn’t been scheduled that day. However, it’s been extra busy recently, so I’m often asked to help out off-schedule. I went in before noon, did a bunch of R4C (ready for customer; basically stretching dough and pre-making items), and prepped some stuff for the night rush. By the time rush came around, it was chaos. I clocked out anyway though, because my parents had already planned to celebrate my birthday that night.

When I got home, the area around the dining table was decorated. There were presents and brownies (instead of cake) out on the table, and my dad made kimchi fried rice and eel for dinner. We did a birthday Zoom call with some relatives. While on the call, we ate, had dessert, and I opened presents. It was pretty fun, and I’m thankful for the thought everyone put into my birthday.

Birthday Gifts

(I’m mainly including this section for the family and friends out there who wanted to know. Feel free to skip.)

As mentioned earlier, I like to ignore my birthdays. I tell people I don’t want anything when they ask, and I let them know I don’t need a celebration. Still, that doesn’t stop them from getting me stuff.

My mom gave me a black faux fur blanket 😍 I love it. It’s so soft and warm, and I love the texture.

My coworker (and new friend) gave me some things for my birthday, including scrunchies, a drawing, a painting, and a cute little stuffed animal whose fur looks suspiciously identical to the faux fur blanket my mom bought me 😂

One of my managers from work brought party supplies (noisemakers, accessories, decorations) into the store for my birthday. I think it was really sweet of her. However, I didn’t like standing out from my coworkers.  On the other hand, it was super busy that day at work, so it wasn’t like people had much time to notice me 🙂 Oh, and then because of how busy it was, she forgot about the cake she’d brought, and it stayed in the walk-in fridge until the next day, when we cut and ate it. Very sugary, but I liked it.

Some relatives sent things in the mail for my birthday. I got stationary stuff (cool scissors, mechanical pencils, etc.), hand sanitizer, cash, and a few other assorted items. And as mentioned before, I did a Zoom call with some of my relatives. That was very nice.

Age Is Just a Number

“So do you feel any older?”

I’ve been asked this question countless times in the past few days, and the answer is no, I don’t feel any older. Age is just a number. I don’t feel like an “adult” (whatever that’s supposed to mean). I feel the same as I did a few days ago, and the only reason I’m excited to be this new number is because of the privileges I gain. I don’t have to worry about legal stuff when it comes to work (except for taxes), and I’m considered a grown adult, which means I can do whatever I want based on my own judgement. The laws put in place to protect minors no longer apply to me. Thus, there’s no need to worry if I’m working “too much” or “past the legal time.” It’s all up to me now. (Of course, my parents’ opinions still play a big part in my decision-making, since I live in their house and use their vehicle to get around. That’s a whole different issue, though.)

Conclusion

I’m excited to finally be 18! Mostly, it just feels like a huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders. Legally, I’m allowed to do pretty much anything, and I don’t have to worry anymore about all the laws meant to keep minors safe (but which were really just hindering me from doing what I wanted to do). Now that I’m actually 18, I can do some things I’ve been waiting a while to try. I can pursue stuff I’ve waited on for years. I don’t expect things to go shooting off the ground or anything (I’m a pessimist, can’t you tell?), but I am hoping to do more exploring and figure out what I’m doing with my life.

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Young Writer Interview: Kathryn Braddock

I’m here today with another young writer interview. Everyone, meet Kathryn Braddock!

About Kathryn

Bio

Teenage author Kathryn Braddock finds her passion in writing stories of magic, hope, and light’s victory over darkness. She loves wolves, as seeing some in person inspired her series, The Guardian Trilogy, and she is also a poet and lyricist, finding inspiration in nature. She lives in the big state of Texas.

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_wolfpoet/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbraddockauthor/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0912XTZMQ

Kathryn Braddock

What genre do you write in and why?

I write in fantasy, medieval, and Old Norse, because I feel so much imaginative freedom with those genres.

What genre do you read in and why?

I enjoy reading fantasy as well, and medieval, because of the imagination and how easy it is for me to get lost in those worlds.

Who or what inspired you to write?

Several factors…first, my imaginative personality in my childhood, as I was writing since I was five. Then, I saw some wolves in Colorado and began writing a series about the animals. Then my writing mentor began a class, teaching me everything I’d need to know.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

How to write plots. The different twists and endings, and what makes it interesting.

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

My books are clean, compared to other books of the day, by non-Christians. I also like to add morals to them. Without my Christian writing style, they’d probably just not have as many morals.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

I want to learn everything I possibly can, and impact others with my writing.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

I believe success is achieving a goal. Once a goal is achieved, or successful, then a new one can be set up and worked toward to succeed at that.

What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?

Not to put themselves down by reading others’ writing and thinking theirs is so much worse. Everyone has room for improvement, that doesn’t make them a failure in writing. Instead of lining their writing up with someone else’s, they should line it up with their own, to see the improvement they are making.

Conclusion

I hope you all enjoyed this interview! If you want want to learn more about Kathryn and her books, check out the links I posted right below her bio. Until next time (where I talk about turning 18 😉), happy reading!

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I Got a Job

I graduated summer of 2022. That winter, my family decided to stop traveling in our RV (indefinitely) and move into a house in the city. Being the ideal (and possibly only) time to get a job, I decided to go for it. I ended up landing a job at Pizza Hut.

What I expected to get: a full-time job as a cook or something else in the background—preferably with an organized team and manager. $12/hr was my minimum starting point.

What I actually got: a part time position as a customer service representative. I’m working with very chaotic and disorganized people. A lot of them act not-so-professionally, and there’s a lot of swearing and some sexual innuendo stuff going on. I’m getting paid the absolute minimum legally allowed: $11/hr. My job consists of answering phones, placing orders, and manning the front desk—all customer service stuff. The only cooking I’m doing is wing orders.

Applying for the Job

Pizza Hut’s website allows you to apply to certain positions at certain locations. I chose the location less than two miles away from our home and selected a specific role: cook. (I needed to be able to walk to work if necessary. So far, I’ve only done that once.)

The website gives almost zero information. There was nothing on the pay or hours except that the position was “full-time,” and the website said I’d get more information at my interview. A few days later, I got a text from the area manager. She told me they could interview me, and she set up a time and place to meet.

Interview

I went into my interview ten minutes early. Ten minutes passed, and my interviewer (who I work with, by the way) was still not there. Another ten minutes. Still nothing. Another ten minutes, and my parents suggested I reschedule the interview to another day. Finally (at over 30 minutes late to my scheduled interview), the guy got in. At that point, I knew the job was super casual, and I’d pretty much lost all respect for said guy. (I mean, who comes in 30 minutes late to an interview?!) The guy called me to the back and proceeded to scroll through his phone a bit before telling me a bit about the job and asking me two questions. One of them was if I’d had a job before. The other was about…actually, let me give you the full experience.

Guy: What’s one good thing about you?

Me: I’m organized.

Guy: I’m not.

*nervous laughing*

Guy: All right, what’s one thing you don’t like about yourself?

Me: I have mild social anxiety.

Guy: *nods and proceeds to hire me*

Oh, and for clearer context, he’d just told me the position was a CSR one, which meant I’d be working with people. At that point, I didn’t care; Mr. Guy had set himself up for failure. He’d come in late to the interview, and on top of that, the job turned out to be nothing like what I’d signed up for…unless you count the fact that it’s at Pizza Hut. I was really questioning whether or not I really wanted the job. When he asked what one bad thing about me was, I purposely said social anxiety, because it contradicted the role, and it was more likely he wouldn’t hire me. But apparently, they’ll hire anybody. As long as you breathe, have a pulse, and can learn and work, you’re good to go. So he showed me the forms I’d be signing (all electronically) and left me to sign them.

At that point, the “rush” (when people start ordering all at one time because it’s a meal time) had started. Because the guy had come in late to the interview, he was busy making pizzas while I asked him questions and signed forms. I did a lot of standing around—partly because I was too nervous to interrupt, and partly because the guy kept forgetting I was there and chatted with his coworkers when he wasn’t busy.

Finally, about three hours later, I’d signed anything and had no idea what was supposed to happen next. My interviewer was still busy but managed to tell me that I could go; I was hired. I then asked about dress code and a few other things. Then, I left. (I was given almost no information. I came into the interview knowing pretty much nothing, had to press my interviewer for information, and left knowing almost nothing, since there was too much to ask about, and I was just in the way. At this point, I was really considering whether I actually wanted the job or not.)

First Day of Work

I didn’t hear anything for the first week. I’d been told I’d get an email with more information within the next couple of days. However, after many days of dead silence, I contacted the area manager and asked her about the position. (They’d really hired me, right?) She never responded to my text. A few days later, I received a call from the guy who’d interviewed me. He asked me to come in a certain day and told me my training would begin then.

For training, I watched a bunch of cringy videos (think little kid shows that try way too hard to get the viewer involved) on how to be a decent human being. The voiceovers were terrible, the acting was bad, and the videos were horrific. I don’t think I’ve ever cringed so hard in my life. It’s like Dora the Explorer, where she’s constantly asking “what do you think we should do?” and saying “let’s look at the map!” in a fake, overly-excited voice. Anyway…

My first day of work was New Year’s Eve. I came in to work thinking I was going to do more training. Instead, I was tossed straight into the mix. New Year’s Eve was super busy. I was put on phones and phones only, and they were ringing almost constantly for a couple of hours, so I had plenty of opportunity to get adjusted to the job. When things started to slow down, I found myself standing around a bit, and since I didn’t know how to do anything else and didn’t want to get in the way, I let it stay that way. When my scheduled time ended, I left the restaurant and went home.

More Training

The second time I went in for work, I learned how to cash customers out at the front desk and make sure they get everything on their orders. I also learned how to make wings, which isn’t part of the CSR role, but it’s nice to be able to help out wherever possible, since the Centerton location doesn’t schedule enough people. (They want to make as much money as possible while paying for the least amount of labor possible.)

I figured out pretty quickly that my training was going to be minimal. Instead of doing the shoulder-to-shoulder work on the lists in my training program, I was taught only as needed (whenever things happened). There was very little training and a lot of, “Here you go. Do this, and if you need help, call for someone.” A lot of times, there was no one around to coach me through things, so I was constantly asking for help with stuff I was already supposed to know. As a result, I ended up taking my training into my own hands.

If I wanted to learn how to do something, I asked about it. If a customer had a situation I didn’t know how to handle, I handed it off to a manager and made sure I got the details of how things played out and why. (I prefer to know everything than remain ignorant and have to ask for help when the situation happens again.) Some managers were more than willing to help. Others weren’t so enthusiastic about my many questions. And I get it; it’s annoying when a new person comes in and is constantly asking you to explain things to them. Thus, I ended up singling out the more friendly people for advice. After a week or two, I began to get into the gist of everything. Things started to come naturally to me, and soon, I knew how to do more things than the other CSR’s and delivery drivers (who can answer phones, do dishes and prep, and deliver food to customers).

Customers

I hit it off immediately with the customers. The rules are pretty simple: smile, give people their (correct) orders, fix any mistakes promptly with an apology, and show that you care. People seem to appreciate the way that I treat them. A few even comment on my “good attitude,” and regular customers sometimes stop to chat with me for a bit (although I have to admit I don’t remember most of them). In such a fast-paced environment, there’s no time for social anxiety to set in. Thus, I grew accustomed to interacting with strangers almost immediately. I even found myself enjoying the job.

Coworkers

I still don’t know all my coworkers, and I’m not sure all of them know me. When I first entered the job, I was pretty reserved and shied away from talking to anyone. However, one night of chaos and laughter was enough to change my mind. New Year’s Eve was crazy. Besides the many customers, someone had brought in party stuff (decorations, accessories, and candy). A few people were hard at work running the store. Meanwhile, the rest were lounging around whenever possible, joking with each other, and blowing party horns in each other’s faces. Seeing how free everyone was with each other made me let down my guard a bit, and I decided to take on socializing with an open approach.

I didn’t try to talk to anyone. I barely met anyone the first couple of days. However, when people talked to me, I welcomed them (not literally; I’m talking body language and tone of voice here), and I attempted to be extra friendly. This resulted in me making a few acquaintances. We’ll get into that in a little bit.

Work Ethics

The first thing people seem to notice about me is the way that I work. Apparently, in the fast food industry, it’s difficult to get people who work hard, treat customers and coworkers with respect, and do things with a positive, helpful attitude. In my first few days, I got a lot of comments on my “work ethic.” Delivery drivers appreciate that I help out with dishes. (That’s their responsibility in down time.) Managers appreciate that I do my job—and more—without being asked. (They don’t need to constantly check up on me like a babysitter. I know what to do, and if I don’t, I ask for advice or help.)

Of course, I didn’t know how to do everything right away. When I first started out, I was helping a lot more with dishes when things weren’t busy. However, as I learned cut table, WingStreet, make table, and front desk, I moved to doing those instead. One of the managers also recovered the CSR cleaning duty list. (Someone “lost” it, apparently.) Now, every night I’m scheduled, I spend at least an hour cleaning things, including the bathroom, windows, and phones. I’m also in charge of wiping down food areas and making sure the fridge up front is stocked. Heavy trays of soda—combined with mopping—has made sure my shoulders and neck are given a thorough workout.

Managers

I met my favorite manager a few shifts in (along with my favorite coworker, but she recently left). Unlike many of the other managers there, this manager is approachable. He shows he cares about and appreciates his employees, takes action to make sure things run smoothly, and overall just makes my shift—no matter how chaotic—enjoyable. Mostly, he doesn’t act in a condescending manner. He’s very friendly and treats everyone as an equal, and I like the way he coaches through things. (Think charismatic and hands-on, vs commanding.) He’s proactive, realistic, and knows what it takes to get things running smoothly.

Meeting said favorite manager is when I really started to look forward to work. Shifts with him are fun. Any ones without him are either fun or all right. In fact, there was only one time I didn’t like a shift, and that was when I was stuck with two managers who stayed at cut table most of the time, joking about…well, not-so-appropriate things for a professional environment.

Okay, maybe two shifts. There has only been one so far where I felt like crying, however (go-to response for dealing with stress and angry people). It didn’t have to do with the manager. We were swamped, I was the only CSR, and I was filling in for a lot of cook stuff, all while dealing with impatient customers on the phones. We also had a new cook that day (so more mistakes). Oh, and prep hadn’t been done earlier. Overall, it was super stressful, but afterwards, people were back to laughing and joking around.

I’m actually really surprised how much of a difference the manager makes. Sure, having certain coworkers around can make a difference, but the manager seems to set the tone for the most part. Some days, people are less willing to help out (“that’s not my job”). On others, my coworkers are putting in a ton of effort to help where they can—even beyond their actual responsibilities. Then, there’s the matter of how laid-back/upbeat everything’s going to be.

Actually, let me take that back a bit. It takes a majority of the team to make a difference. Starting at the top, if the managers are either ignoring their employees or going around with nothing but criticism, the workplace it bound to have a negative atmosphere. If employees come in with personal issues and are feeling down and showing it, people around them are bound to feed off of that negativity. However, if people come in with smiles and a good attitude, it’s likely that others will catch on, and work can be fun for most—if not all—employees.

Moving Up/Sideways

In the fast food industry, there’s a high turnover rate. People are constantly cycling in and out of there, and at my workplace, it’s difficult to find people who are reliable and consistent. Thus, it’s convenient to have people cross-trained in multiple roles. A couple of weeks after starting, I’d learned how to do pretty much everything except cooking, and I was even told I could become a shift leader. (After two weeks! It’s crazy how quickly you can move up here.) I didn’t become a shift leader, as I currently can’t fulfill the role, but it seems like any dedicated worker can do so.

After a few cooks left, I was asked to cross-train for the position. I agreed, and after one morning of some manager coaching, I knew how to make everything on the menu. So now I can do pretty much everything. It’s helpful on days when there aren’t enough people, and I believe it lifts some of the pressure off of my managers’ shoulders. Oh, and an update: I now work full-time. Well, I have more hours at least. Now that I’m a cook and CSR, I’m able to fill in for more of the schedule.

Plans for My Job

I’m still in the “figuring it out” stage with my job. Right now, there are a ton of reasons to leave, and the only thing keeping me there is the fact that I like it. Plus, there’s a chance I might be able to make a difference. (Side note: I went into the job “knowing I wouldn’t like it.” To my surprise, it’s turned out to be the opposite way around. I owe it mostly to that one manager. Things are changing, and I feel like a partner in crime 😉)

Reasons to stay: I love my job (currently). It’s really fun, and surprisingly, I like the fast-paced environment. I also like that one manager in particular. On days we’re scheduled together, it feels more like hanging out with a friend doing a (sometimes stressful and chaotic) activity, rather than working a job. Same with a few other coworkers. Also, due to said manager, things will be changing. I’m very excited about it. (If you know me, you know I’ll jump on any chance to be the change anywhere. I’ll literally give it all my energy, time, and motivation.)

Reasons to leave: The pay is terrible. I’m doing almost everything a manager does and making minimum wage. Even managers don’t make much. Drivers can earn $30/hour on busy days, while managers are earning like $13/hour doing a lot more. Also, the scheduling isn’t the best. They’re trying to cut down on labor, which results in chaotic shifts, managers getting more hours due to having to stay late, and everyone else feeling left out. The schedule gets posted way too last-minute. Then, things get switched around without notice. One week, I had an earlier version of the schedule and was coming in when I wasn’t supposed to…but we won’t get into that.

If I could sum up my workplace with three adjectives, it would be this: chaotic, uncommunicative, and inefficient. With the right people in higher places, things could be run a lot better. That’s all I’m going to say.

Conclusion

I know this is an entry-level job. I’m not supposed to care about the company, and I’m not supposed to want to change it for the better. However, that’s exactly what’s happening. If I see a chance to make a difference, I’m snatching it up, and needless to say, I’m going to continue to give Pizza Hut my all. So, am I staying? Yes, I am—for now, at least. Do I see this as a career? No, not really. It comes down to the poor pay and unsteady hours. If it were up to me, I’d be working four ten-hour days as a cook then night CSR. I’d also be earning at least $13/hr. However, it’s not up to me, so I don’t think I’ll be staying here too long.

I don’t plan on leaving now. As mentioned before, things are starting to change, I’m excited to be a part of it, and I enjoy the job. I guess there are only two ways I’d leave. One, if my favorite manager quit. (😅 I know I sound dramatic, but without him, I only see things going downhill.) Two, if I make a ton more money freelancing once I turn 18. However, it would probably have to be a combination of these two. I think there are a lot of ways God could use me in my workplace, and I don’t want to cut it off prematurely for money, especially when the Lord has already done some stuff. Onwards and upwards!

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Young Writer Interview: Mia Harden

I know we haven’t done one of these in a while, but that’s purely because Mia was busy, then forgot about the interview, and I’d already scheduled posts for the next two months. Anyway, now that I have an opening, here she is! Everyone, meet Mia Harden!

About Mia

Bio

Mia Harden is a young writer, musician, and actress seeking to honor God through entertainment. She writes novels, musicals, and songs in various genres and enjoys playing percussion in her church’s worship team. When she’s not curled up at her computer writing a story or composing a new song, she is spending time laughing and chatting with her three sisters and four brothers. You can find her online at windowstomia.wordpress.com, where she blogs about anything that’s on her mind in a sarcastic and chaotic way.

Mia Harden

What genre do you write in and why?

I write fantasy on varying levels with a bit of a dystopian flair, and I also write non-fiction! I write fantasy because it is SO much fun coming up with my own rules for my own little world and getting to twist and turn the lore to add new levels of mystery and magic. Worldbuilding for me is almost like developing a character — and I love coming up with characters! *glances at my 100+ characters for my main WIP alone* I also blog! My blog is a bit of a chaotic mess, but it’s MY chaotic mess and I love just letting my words spill out into a post. I may not have many followers, but the ones I have form a nice little community.

What genre do you read in and why?

Oh, all kinds! Mostly fantasy, but I also enjoy reading contemporary, dystopian (a more recent discovery heh), and select non-fiction books. For me, it’s not about the genre, but the premise and the storytelling. I have books on my shelf that cover almost all genres. And I guess that just goes to show how important good writing is!

What do you blog about?

Like I said before, my blog is a bit chaotic. I’m not sure what niche it fits into. Maybe lifestyle? Either way, some of my posts cover things like things happening in my life, my thoughts, my art, and anything else I feel like posting. I like to keep things interesting and run to read, so sarcasm runs a bit rampant over there. I may not have many followers, but I get amazing support from the ones I do have, and for that, I’m thankful.

Who or what inspired you to write?

Ha, this is actually a funny story. I started writing when I was five, and it was actually a theme from a Blue’s Clues episode that inspired me. My cousin/best friend was over for the day, and we watched an episode of Blue’s Clues, where Blue and her friends were writing “secret letters” to each other. I decided that it would be fun to write a secret letter to my cousin and I hauled her off to my room. She made one too. I don’t remember exactly what she did (I think she drew a picture), but I wrote my very first story. It was called “Lizi and the Puppy” and it was about a girl named Lizi who lived on a dog farm. She was taking care of the dogs and saw a puppy named Blue. She wanted Blue for herself and in the end, her parents decided she could keep Blue. My mom really liked my story and encouraged me to keep writing, and now, here I am!

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

​Nothing is going to be perfect. People are going to laugh. They’re going to put you down. They’re going to give you weird looks. And I know it’s cliché but it’s true. You shouldn’t give up. Trust the process and just know that if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

Well, you can definitely see Christian themes in my first stories. It was the way I was raised and I didn’t know any different. As I’ve gotten older and grown in my faith, I’ve learned to look at the world differently, especially through my writing. There are a lot of things wrong in this world, and my writing is my voice. Even if it changes the life of just one person, I can know that I’ve done what I was given this gift for.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

It would be so much fun to have a dedicated fandom to my writing, but even if that doesn’t happen, I have friends and family who are my constant cheerleaders and I can say for a fact that something I’ve written has touched at least one of them. And even if they were lying, I’ve touched myself with my writing. And I think that’s important.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

For me, success is feeling pleased with myself. I have to reach that level of success before I can reach for higher levels, the levels where other people see you as successful. I know I haven’t reached that level yet, but I’ve reached the first level. I’m proud of what has come out of my brain and my creativity is more expansive than I thought! I believe that you can’t be truly successful without feeling like you are. It’s not enough for people to see you as successful, because if you don’t see yourself as successful, even in the least, are you truly successful?

What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?

Find someone who supports you. Trust the process. And believe in yourself. You’ve got this!

Conclusion

I hope you all enjoyed this interview. If you want to join Mia’s chaotic (and I mean that in a good way) community, you can head over to her blog. Once again, thank you, Mia for doing this with me, and thank you all for reading!

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New Year’s Resolutions

I’ve never done New Year’s resolutions, since I’ve never really seen the value in them and am always striving to become a better version of myself anyway (more Christ-like). Plus, they seem kind of cliché. However, for the sake of a blog post and recording my subconscious goals on paper…ah, the screen…we are doing this. And then at the end of the year, we’ll do a review of how well I met these goals.

Grow Closer to God

The obvious goal and the entire goal of my life. Since I want to be able to measure up to this in 365 days, I’m going to put this into a more tangible form. I want to be reaching for God in any and all circumstances. I want to be praising him, pleading for His help, and everything else in between, no matter what’s going on. Knowing Him more (reading His word) will definitely help, as well as just making it a habit to be praying all the time. I’ve already found this increasing in my life because of the new friends I have now. However, I want to see this become permanent and something I do no matter if I have the same encouragement or not.

Work on Relationships

With more privilege comes greater responsibility. Recently, the Lord has blessed me with several new friendships. One of them bloomed super quickly and just took off into the sky like the fireworks in the picture above. The others sprouted more steadily. There’s a lot of potential, and I’m both excited and scared to see where they go.

This year, I want to focus on being a good friend, nurturing the relationships the Lord has blessed me with, and being an encouraging person who causes others glorify the Lord and builds up her friends through profitable speech. I’m not sure how I will measure this at the end of the year. However, I do know the things I want to do more: listen, learn, and love.

For listening, I want to hear what people have to say. Whether that be joyful news, prayer requests, or just a rant, I want to give whoever it is my full attention and just show that I care. (And if I say I’ll pray for them, I really mean it. I pray right then and there and then some afterwards.)

For learning, everyone’s got some wisdom or experiences I can learn from. I love hearing stories from older (or even younger) people and knowing their thoughts and opinions on what happened. Seeing things through other people’s perspectives is so refreshing. I want to take whatever I can learn from these people, follow their examples of Christ-like behavior, and just let the Lord speak through them.

For loving, I want to be more…loving. Each person is different. Every person has their weaknesses and strengths. Learning to love them through their flaws and preferences can be difficult, and I want to get better at letting my own selfishness go in order to serve other people. 1 Corinthians talks about what love is, and it’s a whole lot of things I am naturally not. As a Christian, I want to become more like Jesus and let His light shine through me, but I know this is going to be a difficult one—especially with people I don’t get along well with.

Step up My Social Game

I don’t do the best in social situations. I hate small talk, and my first instinct upon meeting anyone (especially a guy) is to push them away and make them not like me. This is obviously not a good place to be in. I find myself regretting the way I react in the moment when I actually have time to think—especially if the person was going out of their way to be friendly and nice to me, because I really do appreciate it.

Anyway, since I got a job as a CSR (customer service representative) at Pizza Hut, I’m definitely going to be put in many social situations. Everything is pretty casual. During the rush (which is when I’ll be scheduled), there will be many customers to interact with, both in person and on the phones. Outside of the rush, everything is pretty laid back. Some of my coworkers are really friendly, and I hope to get to know them better and maybe even make some acquaintances.

Write and Blog Consistently

Here’s a super measurable one. I want to write consistently. Whether that be in one of my WIP’s, a blog post, a journal, or an essay-like email, as long as it requires a generous measure of brain power and thought, it counts. To be extra strict on myself though, I’m going to say writing at least one word in any of my WIP’s every day. I know this will be a tough one when I’m going through the editing process.

As for the second part of this goal—blog consistently—I’ll be producing a new post every Wednesday. Currently, I have ideas planned out into May, so I’ll need to do some brainstorming before the year is over. If you guys want to see anything in particular, go ahead and write it in the comments!

Oh, and I almost forgot—my newsletter! Since adding in all the new sections and exclusive stuff you don’t see on IG or my blog, I have to put in a substantial amount of extra energy into each email. And since I send out one every week…well, hopefully I can keep up with delivering quality content to your inboxes.

Finish Filling Out My Super Secret Journal

I’m kidding. It’s not super secret, and I don’t even know if I can call it a journal. It’s a Google Docs with parchment/old paper images over each page and fancy fonts for the headings and text. The topic of the journal: my in-depth thoughts on marriage, children, relationships, and the like. It’s mostly so I can write out my opinions and thoughts and inspect them in light of Scripture. I know some girls write letters to their future husbands. I don’t do that, but I have a friend who does. I joked to her that while she’s creating something cute and adorable that she can share with her future husband, I’m making something I can dump on him before marriage to be like, “Are you sure you really want to commit to this?” 😂 Of course, assuming I actually get married. Right now, it’s just a way to self-reflect.

Publish TJB

For explanation, TJB is the abbreviation for my historical fiction WIP, The Jewish Baby. Currently, it’s in the stage of developmental editing, and I hope to get back to it after I finish writing the rough draft of my NaNo WIP. Publishing will be a huge process. Especially since I’m doing everything myself. Finishing up the novel is just the first step. Then, comes marketing. (Ah, the life of an indie author.)

Also, for those of you who don’t know, I have four WIP’s. Three are part of a fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian trilogy. The other one is a standalone historical fiction novel set in WWII. Click on the images below to learn more about the trilogy. (Each is a separate blog post covering the topic indicated on the picture.)

Start Freelancing

On February 6th, I turn 18. That means I can start working as a freelancer and easily sign the contracts that most freelancers use in order to avoid getting scammed like I may have just been. (We’ll save that for another blog post when I figure things out.) I’ve never tried freelancing, so I’m excited to get into it and start working from my computer. If things go well, it will turn into a full-time job. If things go only kind of well, it will be a source of side income. If nothing goes well at all, I’ll try to forget about it. However, freelancing has been a dream of mine for some time now, and I’m hoping it can turn into an alternative for things like working at fast food restaurants. (I’m mainly at Pizza Hut for the experience, but we’ll get into that in a few weeks.) Being able to earn money doing what I love—like writing, research, tech stuff, and design—sounds like a dream, and I’m hoping it doesn’t turn out to be just that.

Keep a More Positive Mindset

I am a natural pessimist and overthinker who is good at making anything sound depressing  and hurting her own feelings. I’m also someone who is always pushing to reach the next milestone, attain the next goal, and keep climbing. I have a difficult time seeing the small things and just living in the moment. This year, I want to be more mindful of my thoughts (taking all thoughts captive) and work on just trusting the Lord’s plan. Let’s get a little deep here.

A few months back, I was having a hard time because I couldn’t see where my life was headed. I was extrapolating where I am now into like, five years in the future and getting sad about it. (Ridiculous, I know.) Also feeling like life was a monotonous cycle that would never change. I’m not talking about my writing here. More just my life and if I’d have a family, be independent, etc. It was truly absurd—something most young adults worry about, but it’s a worldly care. I should be trusting God with my future, not falling into hopelessness.

Now I’ve come to a mindset where I’m content waiting on the Lord. I continue the cycle day in and day out. I try to serve the Lord in the small things, like helping my family. If He opens doors and opportunities, that’s great; I’ll go there. But trying not to despair and seeing the joy in the small things—God’s love in everything and everyone around me. His timing is perfect. He has everything planned out already. I just need to live in faith and follow His leading. Easier said than done, but that’s where I’m trying to be. Learning contentment, peace, and rest will all be a big part in this, and I’m already experiencing the joyous rest of laying all my burdens on Him.

Conclusion

I guess these are more goals than resolutions. Depending on the amount of time I have and how much of my life my new job takes up, I may or may not complete some of the bigger ones. However, I think the biggest thing is just growing closer to the Lord. If I don’t accomplish much in the world’s sense, it doesn’t matter if I’m in a better place with God. Our relationship matters above all else. Everything I’m going through now is to draw me closer to Him and to help others to do the same, so I don’t really care if I get X amount of books published in X amount of years.

But Granny, I do know you want me to publish The Jewish Baby, so I will try to do that. I will try to make sure you aren’t waiting that much longer for a real copy. There’s lots of rewriting I need to do.

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New Things I’ve Done This Year

So much has happened this past year, and I’m so grateful for everything the Lord has given and taken away, as well as for how much He has allowed me to grow. I’ve had so many new experiences. Some of them were exhilarating, some of them nerve-racking, and some of them heartwarming. This year, I…

…wrote a resume and cover letter

I actually wrote multiple cover letters for a variety of jobs. These ranged from editing, to website design, to all kinds of writing positions. Spoiler alert: I got none of them. I did get interviewed for several, however. One woman (the owner of a clothing store in Boulder, CO) even told me she would hire me for a social media manager/transition role in November, but then she never got back to me, so I was a little disappointed. However, I saw it as the Lord’s way of closing a door and telling me He had other things in mind.

…did job interviews

I did an interview over the phone that went well (although I didn’t end up getting the job). I did a video interview that went terribly. (There were awkward pauses, and my mind went blank at all the wrong times.) I had an in-person interview, where the guy who was interviewing me constantly got distracted because it was rush hour, and people wanted pizzas. Yes, that is the job I have now. There wasn’t much “interview” involved. I didn’t answer one of the questions how I would have, had I really cared about getting the position (I’ll tell you guys about it in a future blog post), but then again, fast food restaurants will pretty much hire anyone.

…got a job

I got a job at Pizza Hut. The hours are flexible, pay isn’t great, but I hope to gain experience and learn new stuff there. My training begins today, and my work hours will be decided in the future. Even the role isn’t very clear. It might be customer service, it could be making pizzas, or it could be a mixture. I’ll tell you about everything in more depth in a later blog post.

…got a phone

I got my first phone in October. (Or was it November?) I’m so grateful for it, as it has allowed me to have more independence both physically and on the internet. Getting a phone made doing many things way easier. It’s been so helpful to me both personally and in relation to my writing journey, and the connections I’ve made I hope will last for many years to come.

…got a driver's license

It was nerve-wracking. It was not fun. I still don’t like driving. However, yes, I do have a driver’s license, and yes, I know how to drive. I’m not the best of it and have terrible anxiety on crowded roads, but I have a driver’s license for ID and emergencies…and if my family wants me to drive them somewhere that doesn’t have a thousand other vehicles around.

(You can read a more in depth blog post about getting my license here.)

…joined a writer community

I joined a writing community…and then left. It was a great experience! I got to see what other young, Christian writers are doing, and I got to meet some people I still keep in touch with to this day. (Okay, it’s only been a few months, but it feels like I’ve known Jessica for a lot longer.) I’m so thankful I got that opportunity, and while I don’t plan on returning, it taught me a lot and allowed me to meet two people I’m very grateful for.

(If you want to read a more in depth post about my experience with the writing community, you can find it here.)

…made new friends for the first time in many years

I spent almost all of my teen years on the road without any constant in-person relationships. There was one period where we traveled with some friends, but we’d known them for years earlier. Now, (almost 18), I live in a house with my family and still don’t have any (constant) in-person relationships. I was also saved right before we started traveling. That’s not a very important note, but it’s something to consider, because it changed the way I view relationships and just life in general. Anyway…

I made new friends this year! I’ve gotten to experience new relationships as a Christian, learning to interact with new connections on my own, while using my own discernment and (not) social skills. Hehe. I’m still learning; it all feels new, especially with the fact that these are online-only relationships, but—I can’t even explain how it feels. Being able to encourage and be encouraged by fellow believers, getting to learn from other people who live in other parts of the world, hearing their stories, and listening to the way they view things—it’s…heartwarming, I guess? That doesn’t even begin to explain it. There’s something on a spiritual level that connects all of the different members of Christ’s church, and being able to meet these people and talk to them is such a privilege. Being able to revel in Christ’s love for us together, even though we just met…so amazing!

All right, the happy rant is over. You may move on XD

…did Inktober

I didn’t know what Inktober was until just right before it began. Anyway, it’s a drawing challenge, where you try to draw something for all 31 days of October. The rules aren’t strict, and it’s mainly something you just do for fun, and that’s exactly what it was—fun. I got to explore different realms of digital art I hadn’t before. I also discovered that I love the spray paint brush on MS Paint 3D. All in all though, it was a pretty relaxed challenge, and I came out with some pretty cool pieces in the end.

(If you want to read the in depth blog post about Inktober, it’s here.)

I did nanowrimo 2022

…did NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo…I don’t even know where to begin. Unlike Inktober, it was not a relaxing challenge. It was not always fun either. After 31 days of drawing each day, I dropped the digital paintbrush and picked up a pen (okay, my keyboard) and committed to writing an average of almost 2k words a day. It was tedious, and I felt like I wouldn’t be able to make it at times. But having an accountability partner who I could chat with and who was very encouraging throughout made everything a lot easier.

Also, here’s one thing I didn’t mention before: NaNoWriMo really taught me a lot about going through life in general. I’m someone who tends to look at the immediate present, extrapolate that years into the future, and get depressed about the results. But that’s not a good way to look at things. NaNoWriMo forced me to stop being so future oriented. As Adam (the guy I did NaNoWriMo with) told me, you just have to take it one day at a time. And that’s what I did. Instead of thinking “I have to write 50k in one month,” I just focused on the 2k I had to do that one day. Then, I repeated the cycle. One day at a time, and I’d reached 56k by the end of November. I’m still future oriented, but I’ve found a better way of viewing things. Also, just trusting the Lord throughout and knowing he can throw a plot twist at you that no one could have predicted.

So, while I’m glad I took up the challenge and learned a lot from both it and Adam, I don’t plan on doing it again next year.

(The blog post I wrote about NaNoWriMo is here, while the one about how I prepped for the challenge is here.)

…joined Instagram

The writer community I joined (but left) nudged me gently into the world of Instagram. I got to reconnect with a few people, as well as have a starting point for my platform. Right now, I like to share encouraging things I’ve learned from writing, updates about my WIP’s, and general things about my writing life. There’s a whole community of young Christian writers on there. They’re really supportive and encouraging, and it’s great to know that there are other writers out there writing for God’s glory.

…moved into a house

After traveling for years, my family and I moved into a house. There were a variety of reasons we did this, and I’m not going to get into them, but yeah…we live in a house now. It’s a rental. We don’t plan to stay here forever, and things could change, especially with me (the oldest) growing up.

There are pros and cons of having a house versus an RV, but I’m glad we did this. I’ve been able to get a job because of the fact that we’re currently stationary. We’ve also unpacked some things that we weren’t able to have in the RV. One of these things are a sewing machine, and I’m excited to start working on the skirt I bought material and elastic for.

…started blogging seriously

Yep, this very blog you’re on right now. I started it on September 6th, and since then, I’ve been consistently posting every week on Wednesdays. Topics range from writing, to my books, to life as a young adult (or is it old teenager?). Oh, wait, it’s adolescent—though I will be a young adult in less than two months. I like to lump all the categories together as “life as a young Christian writer and creative.” It’s been really fun, and I’m loving the responses I get from you guys 😊

I guess another part of this “blogging seriously” thing is my newsletter. I used to do automatic emails that went out whenever I created a new post. However, I recently switched to writing an actual newsletter. At the top, you get a short snippet of the week’s blog post, as well as a link to the actual post, then there’s usually some updates about my life and writing. After that, there’s usually a sneak peek of what I wrote that week, but it totally depends on what WIP I’m working on, as well as what stage I’m in. Oh, and I sometimes add one or two of my IG posts from the week to the newsletter. People can click on the images to get to the posts and read the caption, even if they don’t have an account. I just added this in like two weeks ago, so we’ll see how long it stays there.

(If you want to get my newsletter and be notified whenever I post, you can sign up at the bottom of this page.)

…got a blogging accountability partner

It wasn’t my idea. I wasn’t auditioning for more friends. However, Micah (who I knew of from my time on Ydubs) came along and started chatting with me on Instagram. I really loved his extroverted, joyful personality and the way he wants to just live for God, so Instagram chatting turned into emailing, and eventually, he offered to become blogging accountability partners. I accepted (even though I’m pretty good at holding myself accountable). We started a Trello board together. We’ve been blogging together for a total of…um, less than a week, but it’s been fun. If you click on Micah’s picture, you’ll be taken to his website, where he talks about writing, shares encouraging stuff, and talks about his favorite food—crackers 😉😂 I’m kidding, Micah. Well, you did write about crackers, but I really admire your love for the Lord. I’ve been reading some of your posts. They’re very encouraging.

Micah

Conclusion

So much has changed this year. I feel like I’ve grown a lot both spiritually and mentally, and I attribute it to the new experiences I’ve had this year. Getting to meet people on my own has definitely been a big factor. However, there’s also the fact that I did NaNoWriMo, and then just that the Lord dealt with me a lot on my perspective on growing up. I’m overwhelmingly grateful for what He has done in my life this year. As I go into 2023 (which I kind of don’t even want to say, because we humans decided to split up time into sections and give these sections values), there’s a lot of hope. Lots of hope with some fearful excitement mixed in. I know that the Lord is in control. Thus, I’m going to walk into 2023 courageously, knowing that He’s on my side and leading the way, the entire path already planned out. All I need to do is follow in faith.

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Same Interview, The First Year

same interview one year apart

After stumbling across famous people doing the same interview every year, I decided to steal some of their questions and do an interview of my own—in written form. Some questions are fun, some thought provoking, and others informational. I thought it would be a good way to self reflect, as we are coming to the end of another year. Ready to dive in?

How old are you?

17

What advice would you give yourself a year from now?

Keep going. You’ve got this, and even if you don’t, God’s got you.

What advice would you give yourself a year ago?

Trust the Lord. You may be confused and lost and hurt, but He’s working everything out for your good.

What's your biggest regret?

Not understanding as much as I do now when I was younger. I know that’s just the way life works, but things could’ve been a lot easier if I’d known more. (In all honesty, I don’t really have regrets. Mistakes are a part of life. Without them, there isn’t any growth.)

What is the biggest thing you've learned?

Trust in God. He has complete control over anything, and I really don’t need to be worrying all the time (not saying I don’t).

same interview one year apart

How would you define your style in three words?

Comfy, Black, Unusual

What is the most important thing in your life to you right now?

Serving the Lord.

Okay, I know that’s too basic of an answer, so here’s an alternative one: figuring out where my life is headed. I have many things I want to accomplish. I have many things I want to experience. I’m confused and all over the place, but I know God has already planned out my future. I’m just waiting for Him to make it clear what He wants me to pursue. On a more specific note, however, trying to finish my four WIP’s.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it?

People usually define success as fame, money, and power. However, that’s not how I see things. For me, success is having an impact on people’s lives—being able to change someone’s life for the better. I don’t think I’ve reached that point yet, and to be honest, I don’t think I ever can or will. At what point will I think it’s enough? God has called me to a lifetime of glorifying him. I think success is when I reach heaven and he tells me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What is one thing you're struggling with?

Relationships. Just…what are relationships supposed to be as a Christian? I know we are to serve, love, and uplift one another, but how does that play out in real life? Currently, all of my relationships (outside of my immediate family) are online. It’s a whole new level of challenging. You can’t do things together, be there physically for each other,  have in person, real-time conversations, or any of that stuff you normally do to get to know someone.  Plus, everyone is different. Learning to love each person individually is a learning curve and sometimes tricky.  There’s also a whole layer of stuff I’m not getting to, but yeah…relationships.

Biggest thing to happen to you this year?

So much has happened this year. However, I’ve got to say getting a phone. The internet has allowed me to grow exponentially in my writing and understanding of the outside world, and I’ve gotten to meet people I never would have otherwise. Getting a phone made everything way easier. It’s been so helpful to me both personally and in relation to my writing journey, and the connections I’ve made I hope will last for many years to come.

Do you feel pressure?

Yes, immense pressure. Mostly coming from myself. I’m really pushing myself to be in a specific place (both life and writing wise) by a certain time. I’ve been working on just laying everything in the Lord’s hand and trusting him with the process. However, as a very self motivated and driven person, I often pressure myself to get things done, taking the fun out of things. Again, this is something I’ve been working on. The Lord has been teaching me a lot about this recently, and I’m grateful for the amount of pressure He has lifted off of me.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

What's your philosphy?

The Lord is writing the world’s story, and everything and everyone is here for a purpose. Glorify Him in everything, and strive to do what you believe He is calling you to do.

What is a place you want to visit?

I’m not big on traveling (says the person who traveled in an RV for years). I’m actually a homebody, and the max “visiting” I like to do is going for day trips to do something out in nature. Thus, my answer is…a hike nearby?

How are you doing?

😃😫😭😜😟😬 Did that sum it up well enough?
Honestly, I don’t know how I’m doing. Stressed and confused are big ones, but there’s also excitement and joy. Life is a journey, and I’m definitely going through it.

What achievement are you proudest of?

I got an editor for my historical fiction book. That’s one of my proudest achievements, but then there’s also the fact that I did NaNoWriMo.

What is one goal you want to reach by next year?

I want to have a steady source of income by this time next year. I’m about 30% sure it will happen, though. Maybe even that’s a stretch.

Favorite memory from this year?

My time with my friend Maya (whom we visit about once a year). I love her. She’s a great friend 😊

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I Finished NaNoWriMo

I did nanowrimo 2022

I actually did it! In 23 days, I wrote 50k words of a brand new novel! It was a grueling, tedious process, but in the end, I’m happy with my progress. How was it? Let’s jump right into that.

Day One

For day one, I stayed up the night before writing blog posts and newsletters for the entire month of November. Once the clock struck midnight, I started writing. I was tired, but I managed to get 1.3k in before going to sleep. I finished the rest when I woke up.

I should also explain that I am a high achiever and like to push myself way too much. Thus, I set a goal of 2k words per day, just in case I ended up not being able to write every day. I also told myself I couldn’t count the thousands of words I was putting into my blog, job applications, IG, and emails. (Some of them were super long.) Spoiler alert: I wrote an average of 2k+ per day. I also finished on the 23rd instead of the 30th.

NaNoWriMo Writing

The first two weeks were probably the easiest. Spirits were high, the novelty was still there, and excitement was in the air. Over the course of 14 days, I got about 31k in—not at all bad for a first-time NaNo’er.

Then, the midway slump hit. Day 15 came around, and I was feeling really tired of writing (as opposed to just kind of tired). I was having issues with my outline, and I didn’t feel “into” my story anymore. However, I kept going through it day by day, reminding myself that I just needed 2k.

I did nanowrimo 2022

I Won NaNoWriMo

And then the 23rd rolled around. I never wake up at 5 am. However, morning came, and instead of seeing it was still early and going back to sleep, I decided to get up and write. Might have had something to do with the fact that there was only 3k left to reach my goal.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d finish NaNo that day. I’d spent some time posting on my blog and social media, as well as sending out a newsletter, and by dinner, I only had 2k (as opposed to the 3k I’d hoped to achieve). I then debated whether I should sprint to the end or save it for the next day.

I chose to sprint.

I was excited, and I was writing a good scene, so by 9 pm, I’d reached 50k. It didn’t feel real at first. I was only 40% or so through the first draft, so it also didn’t feel right. However, after telling a few people and looking at the 16 chapters I had in Google Docs, I felt somewhat accomplished. Honestly, it was kind of underwhelming. (Plus, there’s an outline situation going on, but we won’t get into that.)

My Experience + Burn Out

First of all, I knew what I was getting into when I jumped into the challenge. I knew it would be grueling, tedious work, and I knew I would probably get burnt out—and I did, to some extent.

However, I didn’t entirely get burnt out. Even though I’d done a more manageable version of NaNo a few months back (1.5k every week day) which made me feel dead afterwards, I didn’t get burnt out like before. Instead, I feel rejuvenated in some sort of way. And you know whom I have to thank for that?

1. The Lord. Obviously. Without Him, I wouldn’t have been able to do this (or anything for that matter).

2. The friend I did NaNoWriMo with. He’s been so encouraging and such a pleasure to talk to, and it made November a lot easier. Adam, if you’re reading this, thank you. I don’t know if I could’ve done as well as I did without you. You made every chunk of writing something to look forward to, and seeing your example of consistency throughout your (much crazier) life made me want to grow in that area…and just your less worried, more positive outlook on things. You’re writing style is awesome👌I can’t wait to see more of it!

3. Jessica (@a.faith.so.strong) and our wonderful email chats. The emails are long and sometimes go into great depth. Most people would be horrified by the amount of questions I ask, but Jessica and I have this in common, so everything works out perfectly. Love you, Jessica! *hugs*

4. The young Christian writer community on Instagram. I know some of you are reading this, so I’ll thank you again. You guys have held me accountable and made every day of NaNo exciting. You have cheered me on and celebrated milestones with me, and on those days when I felt like giving up and going to sleep, I knew I had to update my word count, and it couldn’t look pitiful😜

5. And of course, my family. They tried to give me as much time as possible for my writing. Even when I was feeling stressed out and grumpy from difficult writing days, they were kind to me and gave me my space. Thank you, guys.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NaNoWriMo was stressful, tedious, and sometimes tiring, but every day was filled with laughter, surprises, and fun. I’m thankful I took up the challenge. However, I don’t plan on attending again.

*remembers every time I told myself I was done writing, and a new book idea popped into my head and nagged me until I wrote it*

If you did NaNoWriMo, how was your experience? Did you reach your goal? Tell me in the comments, because I’d love to hear about it!

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Never Have I Ever: Writer Edition

never have I ever blog

Today is going to be a fun post! After stumbling across Liesl Brunner’s tag challenge post, I decided to do it myself. This is never have I ever—writer edition.

The Rules

  • Link and thank the blogger who tagged you. Thanks, Liesl! Here’s her post.
  • Include the graphic somewhere in the post (or make your own!)
  • Answer the questions truthfully and honestly.  
  • Tag 3 bloggers. 

Never have I ever...

...started a novel I didn't finish

Totally. I used to do this a lot, but I’ve gotten better recently. I think I’ve learned to outline and plan ahead (strengthening my concept) before starting to draft. There are at least two handwritten drafts of books I’ve never finished in the trash.

...written a story completely by hand

Those of you who know me know the answer to this one. I didn’t have technology or computers to assist me in my writing until I was 13. I think I wrote six complete stories by hand, and some of these I actually published later on.

...changed tenses midway through a story

Whenever I try to write in first-person present tense, it always turns into past tense. I think this is because I don’t read books written in present tense (though I’d love to).

never have I ever blog

...not researched anything before starting a story

Yes, especially when I was younger. I just used my imagination and went off writing whatever came to mind. Never mind the fact that nothing sounded realistic.

...changed my protagonist’s name halfway through a draft

I haven’t done this for any main characters, but I’ve done it for side ones. In fact, for The Jewish Baby, I changed a side character’s name after completing the final self edit, because someone had pointed out that two of my characters’ names were very similar.

...written a story in a month or less

Do short stories that are one page long count? Because I’ve done these in a couple of hours for school assignments.

...fallen asleep while writing

Five percent of the time. Whenever I hit a slow part and start trying to think up ideas, I fall asleep. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I write in my bed in the dark. Lucid dreams are cool, guys. I have to admit that mine don’t usually make any sense, and nothing from them ever ends up in the book. Still….

...corrected someone’s grammar irl/online

My brothers. It’s automatic. If you say “much” instead of “many,” it’s almost guaranteed I will correct you. Online, however, I don’t. I know people have pet peeves about this.

...yelled in all-caps at myself in the middle of my novel

What? Who wrote this question? Now I need to go back and figure out who’s crazy enough to do this 😉

...used “I’m writing” as an excuse

No. My family doesn’t take excuses. Writing is a hobby, and chores are priority. However, if I’m given a choice between writing and something else, sometimes I’ll pick writing.

...killed a character that was based on someone I know in real life

Yes. I’m currently working on a book where lots of people die. Since most of my characters are loosely based off of people I know, this has definitely happened a few times

...used pop culture references in a story

I don’t write contemporary (yet, at least), so it’s nearly impossible to incorporate pop culture into my stories. I also prefer not to if possible, just because it could outdate the novel, and I don’t have much pop culture knowledge anyway.

...written between the hours of 1:00 am and 6:00 am

Yes. If I wake up in the middle of the night and have a flash of inspiration, I will write until I’m satisfied I haven’t forgotten anything. Besides, I’m a night owl and have tons of creative energy around night time and when I wake up.

For NaNoWriMo, I stayed up through the AM’s almost every day. I usually went to bed around 12, but on weekends and days we went places, I stayed up anywhere from 1 am to 2 am.

...drank an entire pot of coffee while writing

I don’t like coffee. The end.

...written down dreams to use in a potential novel

Not written them down, but I have used dreams as inspiration for scenes or concepts in my books. One crazy dream actually became the whole premise of my Fire Trials trilogy. Check it out in more depth here.

...published an unedited story on the internet/blog/wattpad

Embarrassing story: I published seven semi-edited books on KDP, effectively ruining my reputation as an author. Sales dropped from 50 to 0 a week pretty quickly. They’re still up there. However, I discourage people from reading them unless they’re prepared to read a book that sounds like it was written by a young teenager (because it was).

...procrastinated schoolwork because I wanted to write

I was homeschooled, and so this was both easy and not looked down on to do. Whenever the flash of inspiration or that perfect scene pops into my head, I have to write it

...typed so long my wrists hurt

I’ve done this writing, crocheting, knitting, and pretty much anything else that involves my hands. I tend not to stop until I’m satisfied with my progress.

...spilled a drink on my laptop while writing

Nooo. My mom would never. In fact, drinks aren’t even allowed on the table when computers are out. Did I mention that I write in my bed? Yeah, and drinks are never allowed in my bed.

...forgotten to save my work/draft

I write on my Kindle (most of the time) with an app that crashes (all the time). I have lost pages of progress due to this. Let me tell you, the feeling of your heart dropping into your stomach is real. I’ve learned to hit “save” every sentence or so.

Edit: I now write on my computer and phone, using apps that are of much better quality. They also have autosave. Autosave is a real lifesaver.

...finished a novel

Yes! And I’m happy about it.

...laughed like an evil villain while writing a scene

In my head. I love putting my characters through things I’d never wish upon a real person. In fact, this is where a lot of my joy in writing comes from. Isn’t it fun to be the lord of an entire world and its subjects?

...cried while writing a scene

I don’t explicitly remember, but I think I have. Once. And only a tear or two.

...created maps of my fictional world

Whenever I know I will mess up my traveling descriptions, I make a map. I don’t want to publish a book just to have a reader tell me the technicalities of what I wrote. (“Earlier, you said that was there. How can these two things be in the same place?” “Wasn’t she supposed to go that way?”)

...researched something shady for a novel

Definitely. Ways to kill people, ways to die from explosions, toxic plants, deadly illnesses—I  could go on and on. If I became a suspect for murder, my search history would incriminate me.

tags

I don’t know any bloggers who haven’t done this yet, so I’m tagging YOU.

I’m not allowed to do that? *points at Liesl* She did it first. Arrest her.

In all seriousness, though, I don’t exactly know how to tag people, and like I said, I don’t know anyone to tag. If you’re interested in doing this challenge, feel free to steal it from me. (And if you want to educate me in the comments, I’d be more than happy to hear from you!)

Conclusion

I hope you guys enjoyed this (longish) post. What do you think of these questions and answers? Leave your comments down below. As always, happy reading, everyone!

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I Joined a Community for Young Writers

I joined a community for young writers…and left. Let’s jump straight into the blog post.

The Young Writer's Workshop

A few months ago, my mom came across an email from The Young Writer’s Workshop, a Christian based course where young writers can learn from published individuals and interact with other writers. The email announced a 2-day event called a summit (literally just a conference), where well-known authors would speak on different writing and Christ related topics. The conference was both online and free, so I attended.

During the summit, there was a special offer: join YWW for only $1 for the first month. The membership normally costs $30+ a month, so the offer was a good deal. I took it.

For that one month, I used YWW to its full advantage. There are all kinds of resources in the content library, and anything you want to know related to books, writing, publishing, and marketing is there. Since I’d previously had a membership to another author website, I knew a lot about writing. However, publishing and marketing in this day and age is a whole new level of information. I gleaned as much as I could from the content library on YWW, and I am very thankful I could get as much as I did out of that website.

YWW Community

Another part of my YWW membership was the community. The community is on a separate platform managed by the YWW people, and it’s basically social media for young writers. I enjoyed my time there. I got to meet so many wonderful people, and I learned so much from other young writers like myself. I even got some help brainstorming ideas as I wrote the second book in my Fire Trials trilogy.

...And Then I Left

After the $1 trial was up, I cancelled my membership. My mom offered to pay for an entire year on the site, but after lots of praying and thinking, I finally decided to leave.

Look, I loved YWW. It has a lot of helpful information and advice, and you can interact with instructors (published authors) there. You can talk to other young writers, get feedback on your work, and help others in their writing journeys.

However, YWW is tailored to young, homeschooled Christians. There are a lot of security measures in place, and they have content warnings for everything. A lot of things like magic and drinking you can’t write about unless you add a content warning to it. Some topics you can’t even post about. Non Christians wouldn’t even think of using restrictions like these.

Honestly, these measures are there to give parents a peace of mind when letting their kids on a social media-like website. I completely understand where YWW is coming from. I’m happy that young Christian kids are able to be socialize in a healthy environment, and it’s good that parents are able to keep their children safe on the internet. 

My Reasons

Buuut…(You knew the big but was coming, didn’t you?)…I am 17. I think deeply, and I like to incorporate deep elements into my writing. Some of these elements aren’t light topics, and I understand that a lot of Christians don’t want their young children reading books with darker, more heavy themes.

To put it shortly, my audience is not the people on YDubs. I’m writing for a more general audience—in particular, non Christian teens. (“Those who are not sick have no need of a physician.” See if you can catch my meaning.) YWW is there to help you in your writing process. As I am currently working on a trilogy that deals with a lot of violence, I don’t really fit in. What I can get out of the community is limited. What I can get out of the content library I’ve already watched or read.

If the membership were free or less than $10 a month, I would have stayed. I enjoyed meeting people. I enjoyed helping them with their writing. Staying would have been mostly for the support (they even have a prayer group) and being able to uplift others in their journeys. However, I was not willing to spend—or let my parents spend—money on something I would only use occasionally. My audience is out there. I just have to find them in other places.

As for the support, some YDubbers have stuck with me through email, and I’ve found some people through Instagram. It’s so nice being able to interact with other writers and Christians. Being on YDubs has encouraged me to pursue writing seriously (in hopes of publishing a good book), and I feel a lot more confident in the direction I need to head.

Conclusion

I’m so thankful for the time I spent on YDubs. I got an awesome view into the world of publishing, learned from other writers, and learned more about book marketing through social media. All of this allowed me to figure out the direction I wanted to go in writing. It also allowed me to know how to pursue writing as a career. I just think YDubs wasn’t specifically for me, and if there’s another writing community out there that fits my audience, I’ll definitely try it out.

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Anna Grace Release Tour

I’m so excited to be part of the release tour for Across All Borders by Anna Grace, hosted by Jen’s Author Assistance! In this post, I will be interviewing author Anna Grace. We’ll be talking about the inspiration behind her book, how faith affects her writing, and more.

About the Book

Across All Borders

Across All Borders

Author: Anna Grace
Publication date: November 13, 2022
Themes: adoption, love, family, sisters

Book resources:  Playlist • Pinterest • Merch • Book Trailer

Hoping. Planning. Waiting.

Everything in her life is wrapped up in the thought of this new sister, coming from so far away. Will the day ever arrive? And if it does, will it be everything they dreamed? In this short poetic narrative, follow along on a young girl’s journey as she discovers the true meaning of love, family, and sisterhood.

FIND IT HERE:

Amazon • Goodreads • Etsy

What inspired you to write this book?

Three of my siblings are adopted, so I think that says a lot. The story told in Across All Borders is inspired by my memories of my sister’s adoption, but there are elements of all three of my siblings’ adoptions woven in there, as well as some fictional parts.

Who or what inspired you to write?

I would say the authors I have loved to read!  Additionally, I am a member of the Young Writer’s Workshop, so the instructors and authors on there have been a huge help. Ava Rose Scott, who wrote For All of Them Lost, was really helpful in answering questions I had at the beginning of my working on Across All Borders.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

God has taught me a lot about Himself, especially in helping me understand what it looks like for Him to be the ultimate Author, both of the universe and of my life.  One recent example He has given me is the image of how much I love and care about my fictional characters, and then viewing that in light of how much He cares for us. 
 

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

I’ve been a Christian since before I started writing, so I can’t do a direct comparison. My faith is a theme woven into pretty much every story I write, so that would definitely be different if I didn’t have that in my own life.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

Some of it depends on the project. For Across All Borders specifically, a few different things come to mind. If an adoptive family reads it, I hope they can be reminded of just how beautiful and special adoption is. Especially for the siblings of adopted children, I think this story is one they can relate to, and I hope it can help them realize that they are going to go through the same struggles that any siblings experience. But for a broader audience, this book is for the Church as a whole. Adoption is such a biblical concept, and I think that’s something the modern church has often forgotten. It’s such a practical example of the gospel, and it’s a command repeated throughout the Bible, so I hope that maybe this book can bring awareness to the importance of adoption, especially within the church.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

That’s a great question, and something I’ve rather avoided thinking about. I honestly don’t think I will ever reach complete success, but I also don’t think I need to. God has shown me that’s not the standard that needs to define me.
Anna Grace author photo

About the Author

Anna Grace is a Christian teen with a passion for Christ and others. She enjoys worship music, reading, and writing. Adoption is very real to her as three of her siblings were adopted. For her, adoption is a meaningful role of the Church, and a beautiful picture of the Gospel.

Where to find the author:

Blog • Amazon • Goodreads • Pinterest

Release Tour Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of Across All Borders + 1 item of bookish merch.
 
  • Winner must be willing to email jensauthorassistance@gmail.com their address as well as what item from the merch shop they would like.
    https://www.bonfire.com/store/across-all-borders/
  • Neither the author nor Jen’s Author Assistance are responsible for lost or damaged prize and will not be required to replace it.
  • You must be 18+ or have parent/legal guardian’s permission to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Tour Schedule + Links

6th – Jen’s Author Assistance – Tour Opening

7th – Anna Grace – Scavenger Hunt Stop #1

7th – Vanessa Hall – Author Interview

8th – Cora – Scavenger Hunt Stop #2

9th – Vanessa Hall – Scavenger Hunt Stop #3

9th – Micah Collier – Author Interview

10th – Heaven – Scavenger Hunt Stop #4

10th – Agnès Cromwell – Book Spotlight

11th – Kristina Hall – Book Review & Scavenger Hunt Stop (Blog • Instagram • Goodreads)

11th – Vanessa Hall – Book Review (Blog • Goodreads)

12th – Lorelei Angelino – Book Review

12th – Brianna Campbell – Book Spotlight (Blog • Facebook • Instagram)

12th – Emily C. Hebert – Book Spotlight

13th – Cat T. – Book Review

13th – Deigan – Book Review (Amazon • Goodreads) 

13th – Abigail – Book Spotlight (Blog • Instagram • Facebook)

14th – Esther Jackson – Book Review

14th – Emma – Book Review

15th – Heaven – Book Review (Blog • Goodreads)

15th – Cora – Author Interview

16th – Kayla Naomi Wong – Author Interview and Book Spotlight (Blog • Instagram)

17th – Kylie – Book Review (Amazon • Goodreads • Instagram)

17th – Agnès Cromwell – Author Interview

18th – Cora – Book Review

18th – Isabella Daou – Author Interview & Book Review

19th – Katja – Book Review (Goodreads • Instagram • Amazon • Blog)

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I’m Doing NaNoWriMo

planning for nanowrimo

NaNoWriMo—the national event that writers from all over the world participate in every year. To say it is difficult is an understatement.

For those of you who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is an event held every November.  Writers who participate write tons—and by tons, I mean 50k words. It’s a lofty goal, but that doesn’t stop hundreds of thousands of people from joining every year. On average, only 12% of participants actually reach the goal.

This November, I’m doing NaNoWriMo. And I hope to be in that 12%.

What is the prize?

NaNoWriMo is a free event. There are no prizes, but if you reach the 50k, you can tell people you won NaNo. For most, it’s a way of showing yourself you can do it. Consistency, perseverance, and preparation are all key to winning.

Preparing

Writing 50k words in one month is no easy feat, and one doesn’t get there by jumping in plan-less. (If you do, I commend you.) The fact that holiday season begins around this time makes things even more difficult, and some people have to make up for missed days of writing by doing even more when they have the time. So what am I doing to prepare for NaNo?

For starters, I came up with a solid concept and then drafted an outline. The outline has been written in very great detail. That way, writing will be a breeze, and I (hopefully) won’t get stuck on parts wondering what should come next.

Coming up with my concept

When I started, I just had a vague idea what my story would be about. Basically just a theme and setting. I developed my ideas into a concept by using a plot web, which gave me tons of options on which way the story could go. When I’d found the “plot web path” I wanted to use, I put away the web and got to work on developing ideas for my story.

planning for nanowrimo

Outlining

Let me start out by saying that I’m a discovery writer. I have never made a complete outline in my life, and for the past few books, here’s how my writing process looked:

  • Create enough outline for a chapter or two
  • Write
  • Get stuck
  • Come up with more ideas and add to my outline
  • Keep writing

And repeat. This process wasn’t the most efficient. I did come up with amazing ideas this way, but I ran into a lot of issues with plot cohesiveness and plot holes. NaNo pretty much forced me to write an entire outline (for an entire book), and you know what? I’m actually not mad about it.

Resources

To start outlining, I began with the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet. This is where I came up with the big plot points and added in major characters. However, this was just the beginning.

Next, I used the Katytastic’s 3 Act/9 Block/27 Chapter Outline. I transported everything from the first outline to this one, then I added in more details and plot points. I didn’t stick super close to the prompts. This allowed me to enjoy the process as I added as much as I could to the chart.

Lastly, I copied everything from the last outline to a blank document. From here, I added in even more (yes, maybe I’m a little extreme), and kept adding until it looked like I had around 25 chapters. Obviously, I can’t really know until I write the entire book. I’m aiming for a 90k novel, and as I want my NaNoWriMo project to be the third book in The Fire Trials, it kind of has to be precise.

Strategy

November is a busy month. Furthermore, that’s also when my personal life will be more hectic than normal. I probably won’t be able to write in the day on weekends, and if I end up getting a job, neither will I be able to do so on week days. Thus, my strategy is to stay up every night writing until I have my desired word count. I’m a night owl, and night time is usually when my creative energy peaks, so this actually isn’t a bad idea. I’m just hoping I won’t be physically exhausted from what I did in the day time.

Oh, and the other part of my strategy: accountability. Honestly, I’m pretty good at keeping myself accountable, but for NaNo, I’m going to be checking in with a friend who also hopes to reach the 50k mark. It’s more for the encouragement, really.

Expectations

So, how far do I really expect to get? I’d love to win NaNo, but in reality, I’ll probably only get 40k words. If I don’t win, I won’t be sad (maybe just a little disappointed). I’ve never done something like this before, and even if I don’t get to 50k, I’ll still have other achievements to be proud of.

  • Making an entire outline for an entire book—in great detail
  • Writing more than I ever have in one month
  • Finishing (part of) a first draft more quickly than I ever have before
  • Having half a novel in my hands—I mean, computer
  • Knowing I had the perseverance and consistency to even attempt this challenge

I’m excited to see how NaNo goes, and I’m hoping to reach 50k. If you’re doing NaNo this year and still haven’t prepared, there’s still a week and a half left. *little nudge*

As for me, I think I’m prepared. We’ll see how everything goes, and at the end of it all, I’ll update you on how it went. Happy reading, everyone!

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Inspiration Behind The Fire Trials

I can’t remember exactly which idea started my writing of The Fire Trials, but I do recall a few of the original ideas. Let’s start with the main one: my dream.

Why I had this dream

I have vivid, colorful, intricate dreams all the time. At this point in time, we were staying in our RV in a place that was abundant with ticks. And by abundant, I mean if you stepped outside in the grass, you were going to get at least one tick. I was traumatized by them.

The dream...

Enter my dream. In this dream, ticks had taken over the world.  The ticks carried a deadly virus, and if one bit you, you were dead. They were red, tiny, and looked like little crab-aliens (don’t ask me what those are). As a result of this infestation, everyone left alive had built a tick-proof city, where they lived in safety and health.

Rules of the city

Every year or so, the city sent out a bunch of their teenagers to go and fight the ticks. The only way to kill these ticks was by setting them on fire. Thus, the teenagers were equipped with torches and clothes that ticks couldn’t bite through.

I don’t remember much of what actually happened, but there is one scene that sticks in my mind.

I was one of the teenagers chosen to fight the ticks. I was with three or four other people, and we were searching for ticks in an abandoned house that had a pool in its backyard. My friend (one of the teenagers) somehow got bitten by a tick. She died before we could bring her back to the city. I remember feeling heartbroken, and this feeling (like usual) lasted past when I woke up. Since emotional dreams usually stick with me, I decided I wanted to use this one as an idea for a book.

Pictures and flashes of inspiration

I remember watching an animated video for a song, and the scene I saw made me come up with a new scene. That scene inspired the entire theme of my book series. Strangely enough, I didn’t even end up using the scene.

Now, you may be wondering what this “theme” I’m talking about is. Picture this: the world, creation, and people. If you think about it, a lot of people only believe what they can physically see. This world is what they see, so that is what they believe. However, there’s the spiritual, and although you can’t physically see it, there’s a whole lot of evidence pointing straight to this invisible realm. Most people either can’t or choose not to see the evidence.

A lot of people’s reasons for not acknowledging the spiritual is because of what it would mean for their lives. Besides that, it is increasingly difficult to see the invisible when you fill yourself up with the world and all its distractions. Money, fame, fun—why chose a “boring” life over all this? The premise/theme of my trilogy is based on this, and to say more would probably spoil the story

The Hunger Games

No, I was not inspired by the Hunger Games. People tell me the plot sounds like it (teens killing teens part), but in reality, the idea developed from my dream.

The concept was to have something where people were being tested, and if they passed the test, they were rewarded. My original idea was a jousting tournament. However, I also had a very specific criteria for the test.

–  The test had to be the goal of all the teens’ lives. This was supposed to be what they spent all their time preparing for, and it had to be something people were excited about.

–  The test was supposed to have a reward that everyone wanted and envied (analogy for this world). However, when the MC’s figured things out, they had to realize nothing about what they were doing really mattered in the long run.

Overall, the test had to appear inviting and exciting. However, it had to be treacherous and unappealing in reality. Add extremity, gore, danger, and violence to the jousting idea, and you’ve got tons of kids trying to kill each other. 

Piecing it together

My dream created the concept of the world, as well as some of the plot. Meanwhile, the scene that turned into the theme of the entire series crafted most of the plot. Mash everything together, and you’ve got The Fire Trials.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me. I will be releasing updates on my WIPS in the future, so stay tuned by subscribing to my email list at the bottom of this page. Happy reading, everyone!

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Young Writer Interview: Liesl Brunner

liesl brunner interview

This is the third installment of the young writer interview series. Everyone, meet Liesl Brunner!

About Liesl

Bio

Liesl Brunner is a young Christian author of heartfelt contemporary fiction. When she’s not writing, she likes to make useless Spotify playlists and dream about the day she gets to live in a castle. She lives in Michigan with her family and beloved cat.

Liesl Brunner pfp

What genre do you write in and why?

It took me a while to figure out what genre I wrote in! When I first started out, I mainly focused on speculative fiction—fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian. For 2020’s NaNoWriMo, I tried to write a fantasy novel, and it flopped spectacularly.

I started to wonder, Do I really like to write fantasy, or am I just doing it because everybody else is? Turns out the latter was true, and I turned my attention elsewhere. Now I write contemporary, usually with some romance. I’m also working on a historical fiction novella.

What genre do you read in and why?

Mostly contemporary, though I’ll really read anything that catches my fancy in the library. Magical realism, historical fiction (depending on the time period—medieval fiction is really not my thing), and some nonfiction—I’ve discovered that I like to read memoirs lately, which is not something younger me would have ever expected. I also really like romance. Like, kicking-my-heels-up-and-squealing-when-they-kiss really like romance.

Who or what inspired you to write?

It wasn’t so much an I was inspired thing…more like I was forced to write a short story for school thing. I’d always written little stories in my journals, usually about horses or Minecraft (or Minecraft horses), but back then it was just a byproduct of my overactive imagination that came from me devouring books. In eighth grade, one of our assignments was to write an original short story. I found that I loved it and discovered the Young Writer’s Workshop the same year, and I’ve been writing ever since.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

One thing I never really thought about before becoming a writer is seasons of life. Not just, you know, spring, summer, fall, and winter, but the up-and-down periods that everyone goes through. Sometimes you have a really productive writing season, where you’re writing every day and just slamming out the words and you feel great. That’s a wonderful thing, and you wish it’ll last forever.

But then sometimes you have weeks or months where you stare at the cursor blinking and finally close out the document, trying not to cry. And that’s okay, because everything comes in seasons, like Ecclesiastes 3:1 says. It’s natural, and it’s how everything in life is supposed to be—work, mental health, physical health, relationships.

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

I write about a lot of controversial and sensitive topics (such as LGBTQ, mental health, and abuse), and both Christianity and my personal political standpoint have impacted the way I write about them so much. Without Christianity, I wouldn’t be able to handle these topics in a loving way. If I wasn’t a Christian, I’m not sure how I would be writing about these things, but I would probably be hurting people.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

I could go a thousand different ways with this answer, but I’ll give you some of my personal goals:

First and foremost, I want to glorify God. I want to point others to Him and have them find Him in every theme of my stories. 

Second, I want to help others. My writing is constructed for everyone around me. I want to help others through the things I’ve struggled with so they don’t have to make the same mistakes I did. 

Third, I want it to be my job, and I want to have fun. I started writing because I enjoyed it. I want to keep that enjoyment and use it to make a career that can sustain me in a job where I don’t just work, I play.

(I guess that these goals really reflect who I am. It seems that with me, everything is God first, others second, and me third.)

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

Again, I could go several ways here, but I think that in general, success is being happy with where you are, whatever you may be doing. Success is contentment with your life and being able to change the things that you need changed to sustain that contentment.

As for if I’ve reached it yet…I really don’t know. Well, I take that back. If my answer is “I don’t know,” then it’s really “no.” I don’t think I’ve reached my personal definition of success yet, but I’m working towards it every day, bettering the Liesl now for the Liesl in the future.

What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?

You are worth it. You’re more than the sum of your successes and failures. You deserve happiness even if you haven’t written a single word in the last day or week or month. Don’t beat yourself up over what did or didn’t happen and just continue to write. Just keep going. I promise you that picking yourself up after you fall down over and over and over again will be the most rewarding thing you do. It may not seem like that in the moment, but just wait until you land that book deal or hold your published book in your hands for the first time. You’ll be able to think, Look at that. I kept going. And now I’m here.

So keep at it. You’ve got this. You are worth it.

Conclusion

That’s the end of the interview. If you want to check out the interview Liesl did for me (it’s a different set of questions), check it out on her website.

My interview: https://lieslbrunnerauthor.wordpress.com/blog/

Liesl’s website: https://lieslbrunnerauthor.wordpress.com/

I hope you all enjoyed this interview. Don’t forget to comment down below and subscribe if you haven’t already. Liesl posts every Wednesday on her blog, so go check it out. She has some really good content!

Next week, I’ll be going over the inspiration behind the Fire Trials trilogy, so get ready.

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Young Writer Interview: Aci Enrica

aci enrica interview

This is part two of the young writer interview series. If you haven’t yet, go check out part 1.

And now, get ready to meet young writer Aci Enrica.

About Aci

Bio

Aci Enrica is a young author looking to leave her mark on the world through the power of storytelling. While her true passion lies in writing, she also loves reading books, theatre, dance, and caring for her many plants.

What genre do you write in and why?

I write predominantly science fiction/futuristic and fantasy. This is because I enjoy a good creative challenge and crafting whole worlds, magic, technology, and new species, and then spinning stories that bring all that to life.

What genre do you read in and why?

I read the same genres I write in because it has often been stated that you have to read the type of books you want to write. If you want to write a dark fantasy, action-adventure type story, then those are the types of books you read so you can get a feel of what that audience enjoys.

What do you blog about?

My blog is about writing, books, and story science. I post reviews about my writing exploits, and just writing in general.

Who or what inspired you to write?

My family has been friends with another family for as long as I can remember, and when I was ten, one of their teens was writing a book. I was so fascinated and inspired that I resolved that if he could write a book, I could. As a child, I always made up stories in my head and with my stuffed animals. It never occurred to me that I could write those stories down and he was the wake-up I needed to see that I could bring the stories to life. He doesn’t write anymore and has moved on in life, but I can see now that God used that short time of his life to set me on the path of an enthusiastic writer. Nothing we do goes to waste.

What is the biggest thing you've learned through your writing journey?

Self-discipline. Writing isn’t easy by any stretch and I spent a good part of a year teaching myself to write regardless of whether motivation was present or not. Self-discipline is a huge part of writing because most of the time you won’t want to write, and it takes steeled determination to sit down and meet your daily word goal. I can now use that skill on any hard project I need to complete.

How has being a Christian affected the way you write vs. the way you used to or probably would otherwise?

I know if I wasn’t a Christian, chances are my books would have a language, sketchy scenes, and morbid elements. As a Christian, I can write good, clean fiction that Christians can read without compromising their Christian morals.

What do you want to accomplish with your writing?

I want to fill a void in the market—providing clean fiction that isn’t strictly “Christian fiction” but conveys Biblical themes and certainly isn’t written from a worldly perspective. I also want my books to make people think. Stories carry a lot of power to change perspective and I’d like to use that power for good.

How do you define success, and do you think you've reached it yet?

Success is different for every individual. It changes with each step in life I take. I don’t believe it’s riches or fame—but I will know I have succeeded when readers are telling me my books are conveying exactly what I wanted them to.

What is one thing you want to tell other young writers?

I don’t have much experience but I will say this: It’s okay to love something flawed. Your book will never be perfect. Especially the first draft. Someone once told me that as the writer, you know what your book’s potential is. But the reader doesn’t. They only see the book as it is and if it’s truly a good story, they will love it. As the writer, you will always think it could be better, but that’s just your perfectionism talking.

Conclusion

That’s the end of the interview. If you want to see the interview Aci did for me, check it out on her website.

Aci’s website: https://acienrica.com

Aci’s author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acienricaauthor

If you enjoyed this interview, make sure to head over to Aci’s website and subscribe to her email list.

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