Tag: writing

Hello, My Name is Shay and I Write.

I’m an aspiring author, and it’s been approximately six hours since my last prompt response.

I See What You Did There

What am I currently working on, you ask? My first order of business is this really great new Blog Challenge that a friend of mine, Amanda, is hosting. She currently owns and runs this Discord server. I’m excited to participate and think it will be a great way to stay accountable. It’s also an invaluable way to practice different methods/styles of writing. What will the challenge hold? Well now, you’ll just have to come back and see. (;

An October Midnight is my current work in progress. I started this one back in November for NaNoWriMo, and while I won, I haven’t had the chance to finish it. With Camp NaNoWriMo around the corner I will post updates as I go, but for now here’s a brief description to tide you over.

I’ve been writing since early elementary school, but I’ve told stories since I could talk. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it before, but my grandma used to remind me how I would walk up to her with my hands on my hips and I’d tell her in my two-year-old-sass, “Grandma, can I talk to you?” Apparently, I could talk forever and about anything under the sun. I used to speak to myself in mirrors as a younger child too. I might be insane, but shh. Don’t tell anyone, okay? Haha.

I remember getting excited to read in my first-grade class. I had the best first-grade teacher, Mrs. Owens. She was amazing. She encouraged all of us to want to read books. Personally? I attribute my love for books partially to her. And now? I enjoy stories of all different aspects. I love reading books, short stories, descriptions, and blogs. I am an avid movie lover and watch many television shows. I even consider music as a way of telling a story and music has such a significant impact on my life. <3

I suppose you could say that’s how I got started. Between vivid dreams/nightmares and the various ways to enjoy a story, I too thought I had a chance. When I was younger, I never really thought about publishing anything. It was never about that for me. I just wanted to document what I saw in my dreams/nightmares to remember. Not that I had an issue with that. I had many recurring dreams growing up and wasn’t likely to forget any details.

In a way, though, writing out my dreams/nightmares validated the images that I saw in my head. I acknowledged my vivid imagination and detail-oriented experiences. Sometimes, they scared even me. Other times, I wished the things I saw were real. Maybe it was my way of coping with the dramas of life that every child encounters. Or maybe, they meant nothing at all. Either way, to me, I wanted to remember them forever.

In middle and high school, I really started to pick up my writing. It was therapeutic and relaxing, it was a way to vent or express myself when I wasn’t always sure how. It was and still is a constant in my life. I’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo for quite a while now and love making new creations from scratch. Even now, as an adult, I see it as a way to take an adventure to a world far away from my every day-to-day life and an escape from the stress around me.

My “why” has changed a little bit. I still want to remember what I see in my head, or the thoughts that I come up with. But I also write with the goal of someday publishing. I write now so that one day, someone will read a story that they can relate to. It may not touch everyone, but if it makes a difference in one person’s life or allows them to find the same comforts of escape that I do, it will all be worth it in the end. If only one person enjoys what I’ve written, it’s good enough for me.

All joking aside, I enjoy spending time creating stories that will take both character and reader on a journey. It might be a post-apocalyptic world with zombies or crazy viruses that prevent you from going outside. Maybe it’s a forced marriage in hopes of avoiding war or possibly a space adventure where you choose your outcome. It could potentially be a cursed town with mysterious happenings, a cannibalistic serial killer who loves his family or even a first-timer at a college where strange and mysterious things keep happening. No matter what it is, take a second look. You might just find me somewhere in the midst.

Here are a few more writers from the server that are participating!
Check them out below.

 AJ
~*~
Looking for more of My Challenge Responses?
1st Challenge
2nd Challenge
3rd Challenge
~ 3.5 ~ Mini Challenge
4th Challenge
5th Challenge
6th Challenge
7th Challenge
8th Challenge

Back in Action

I know, I know.

It seems like I’m always saying that, but this time should be different. My goal is to stay more consistent with blogging because the writing must continue!

What have I been up to?
That seems like a relatively easy question to answer, but I’ve come to realize that a lot has changed. I’m saving money for a pupper (and moving)! I can’t wait to get one. Should be another 13 months, but it’s gonna happen! :D This girl needs a dog in her life, haha.

I switched jobs back in August of 2017 from the dog daycare/boarding facility to a new position of overnight barista where I serve coffee to many a person every night. It’s a lot of fun, and I enjoy the new crowds I meet every day. Did I mention I get free coffee/tea? It’s pretty fantastic.

I participated in NaNo, which I did a post about. However, I did not update afterward. My bad. At some point, I really will be better about updating you all on the progress of my writing. Maybe I’ll focus on that during July for Camp NaNo. I’ll definitely work on planning something so that I can keep my word. Keep a lookout for an update. :)

I got to visit with one of my favorite aunts who recently went on a writing retreat in the Bahamas! Something to aspire to, for sure. The way she described everything and her time, it sounds like she had a fantastic adventure that she’ll remember for the rest of her life. I’m a little jealous because I’ve never traveled outside the United States. Though I do plan to someday change that fact. Where will I go? Excellent question! For now, we’ll save that for another blog post.

What else… It has gotten much warmer in Colorado. Which is very helpful because I’m not a huge fan of the cold. (Though, I do enjoy sweaters/hoodies very much which comes with colder weather.) With the sun and warmer temperatures, I am more outdoorsy. I’ve already caught four fish since the fishing season began, I’ve been paddle boarding and have already enjoyed a lovely afternoon on an inflatable tube at our local theme park in the pool. Can anyone say, “This is the life?” All I need now is some summer rain on a warm day and a good book or notepad/pen.

Speaking of books, this summer, I plan on reading through quite a few books in my personal library that I have purchased but never found time to read. And maybe a couple of books I’ve already started and finished. I recently came across a few new horror anthologies and random novels that looked interesting. It’s gonna be great!

Oh!
I almost forgot to mention that I’m participating in a blog challenge from one of the servers I’m in on Discord. Keep a close eye out for these posts as you are more than welcome to join in on the challenge. It appears that we will be touching base on quite a few different prompts from a variety of places. I’m super excited and can’t wait for you all to get a taste of my writing.

For now, I’m gonna go ahead and shut this post down. But I wanted to let you all know that I’m alive and well. I hope that I haven’t lost too many of you to my hiatus. Thank you to my faithful followers. I appreciate you more than you know. As the title states — I’m back in action and the writing will continue. :D

As always, have a great day my lovelies! <3

P.s.
Coming Soon – Another Haven of Chaos (World) post. Don’t know what that is? Head on over to check it out here.