My Week: Friends, Star Trek, and Drawing

I know, I know. My blog's been quiet this week. In my defense, I've kept fairly busy. With what, you may or may not be wondering? Much of the usual, such as CLEP studying, writing, and reading. But I had some fun new experiences this week as well!

Wednesday night I spent at my dear friends' the Durlings house. +Susannah and I enjoyed a delicious meal with her family and took a long walk in the rain before spending the evening watching the season finale of Supernatural. Thursday we rose not so bright and early for another walk and food (am I sensing a pattern here?) before heading to Dyno-rock Indoor Climbing Gym for our first adventure in rock climbing! We had a great time - Susannah was a natural and scaled several walls in no time. Between having shoes that were too tight and not being as strong and tough as she is, I didn't do as well, but I still had a great time. Definitely an experience we're repeating!

Yesterday I saw Star Trek Into Darkness with my dad and older brother Andrew. It was a great flick with superb acting; one I definitely recommend if you like a good sci-fi, whether or not you're a Trekkie - though I would suggest watching the 2009 movie first.


Today I've spent the majority of my day with my sketchpad on my lap and my pencils in my hand. Thursday evening Susannah drew some lovely fan art for me which I shall cherish forever - and which has inspired me to practice my drawing skills even more. I practiced an assortment of noses and eyes today, among other things. Shading is my weakness, as evident by those eyes, but I'll conquer it yet! Even though I have a long ways to go before I can consider myself a semi-decent artist, I do enjoy drawing.

So that's a brief assessment of my week. And tomorrow starts a brand new one!

The Power of Music

Everybody loves music. From alternative rock to electronic to classical to country, there's something for everyone. Each of us has our own personal taste. We all have that favorite playlist we love to listen to, or that one song we play repeatedly that appeals to us in a series of powerfully song lines. Music is so much more than just simple entertainment.

Music is powerful. It speaks to our very soul. It inspires us to be better people. It moves us to tears. It distracts us from pain. It soothes our rumpled spirits. It makes us smarter. It prompts us to go farther than we ever have before. 

Because of the effect music can have on us, it seems almost magical at times. On more than one occasion, I have been carried to different worlds thanks to the soaring vocals of a lead singer or the building strain of an orchestra. Music has helped me write more stirring scenes in my novel and get through a particularly unsavory school assignment. Even as I type, I have one of my favorite Pandora stations running in the background. Music has the capability to inspire creativity. 

But sometimes music is distracting. Like most students, I love to listen to my favorite tunes while I finish those questions or write that lab report.  But sometimes that same music keeps you from accomplishing your goal. It can drag you down obscure pathways and steal your focus. And sometimes you have to silence that outside stimulus and just think. 

I experienced this recently while writing a particularly difficult scene in my novel. With music blaring through my phone's tiny speaker, I kept writing and erasing as I struggled with pacing the development. I re-read my work and realized that the song clashed with what I was writing - the music was soaring while the scene was tense - so I flipped it off. With a little focus, words came to me more easily and the scene was quickly finished. I have also experienced this complicating effect of music while blogging and drawing.

Music can inspire creativity and have positive effects. But it can be a distraction as well. Know when to crank up the volume with your favorite tunes and when to leave the sound off. Who knows, it might make all the difference in your work.

Wrecked by Jeff Goins

For my birthday I received a copy of Wrecked by Jeff Goins. Jeff has a writing blog, http://goinswriter.com/, which I subscribe to. Jeff blogs about how to build an audience and provides inspiration and encouragement for writers.  As soon as I was introduced to his blog back in February, I knew I wanted to read his book. I'm pleased to say that Wrecked didn't disappoint.

According to Jeff Goins, to be wrecked is to find your life so affected by the suffering and helplessness around you that you can't return to how things were. The status quo has changed, the repetition of life has shattered, and you are forever altered. You have lost your self-centeredness and have become focused on the bigger world that is out there. It's a change of heart and mind.

Jeff discards our society's misguided notion that life is supposed to be comfortable. He talks about the importance of suffering.  In fact, he states that "stories worth telling are full of conflict." In a culture that always looks for the easiest, the fastest, the least painful way to accomplish things, I find this to be a refreshing point of view. 

Another point made by Jeff is that compassion literally means "to suffer with." Helping people doesn't make you feel better about yourself. In fact, philanthropy is painful and soul-wrenching. When you help someone who's hurting, you hurt, too. I experienced this while in Galveston over spring break. After distributing food to a needy community, I was pleased to be able to help these people, but I didn't experience that warm, fuzzy feeling I expected. After reading Jeff's countless anecdotes of this in Wrecked, I was glad to see that I'm not the only one.

One topic of focus throughout the book was commitment. Jeff acknowledges the thrill of adventure, but reminds us that any commitment can be risky, even dangerous. It's also character-building, and a necessary part of life. As someone who is very restless and constantly longs for adventure and new experiences, I believe these were words I needed to hear.

These were some of my favorite points in Wrecked, but this is only a small overview of the book. The whole work contains solid advice and wisdom, dotted with anecdotes from the lives of Jeff and others. This book is about balancing the tension between adventure and commitment. It's about how to handle your life when what you thought you knew has been turned upside-down. If you've been wrecked, then I recommend this book to you.

This Season of Summer

As the last day of classes has passed and finals have ended, I'm now free to enjoy summer! Historically I'm not a fan of this season of the year, partially because I detest warm weather, but for once I have been eagerly anticipating this. I'm enjoying the chance to break free of the tedious routine of each semester and move through each day freely. I have set several goals and intend to stay busy throughout these summer months.

The month of June should keep me particularly occupied. I'll be working on the UTA campus for two weeks at the beginning of June, followed immediately by being involved in my brother's wedding. Then it will be packing and heading out to Britain for 11 days with my older siblings. And once I get back, I'll be industriously scrapbooking and blogging about the trip.

Throughout May and July I intend to complete several goals. These include scholastic - passing two U.S History CLEPs - and fitness objectives. I have also committed to writing my first complete novel - approximately 100,000 words - throughout these months. I've worked on my novel in bits and pieces for ages, but I finally determined to sit down and write out a complete first draft. I'm extremely excited about this, and to be honest, quite interested to see how this first draft turns out.

Plus I'll stay busy with the norm - spending time with dear friends, learning new piano pieces, reading books (hoping to make it through at least a dozen this summer). And I'm going to step outside my comfort zone and try new things, such as going rock-wall climbing with my darling friend +Susannah in just a few weeks!

Why am I sharing this, you may ask? It seems to me that when I express my goals to others, they move beyond the nebulous stage of "I want" and into the firmer reality of "how can I?" There's a sense of accountability, perhaps responsibility that comes when other people know what you expect of yourself. So here I am, laying out my goals to further inspire myself to accomplish all my plans for the summer. And what a wonderful summer it's shaping up to be!

What about you? What are your goals for this summer? Maybe you'll be following the normal routine of work or school - and there's nothing wrong with that. Maybe, just maybe, you'll push yourself to try something new, to go on an adventure. Either way, make the most of this summer.

Back to Blogging; also, Books

Hello world! Today I finished my last day of school for the semester, so now I should have the time and mental energy to return to regular blogging. I've missed my blog and these little tidbits and musings I have shared with the world over the past few months.

I don't have anything truly exciting to share today, but I did want to show off my new acquisitions that I received for my birthday. I got several wonderful books to add to my ever-growing collection.

First up to bat: a signed copy of The Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker. Dekker is one of my favorite authors, and I'm in the process of collecting all of his novels to add to my library. I currently have about a dozen. I already own two signed by both him and Tosca Lee which I acquired when I met them last summer.

I received two more books which I've been eyeing for awhile. They are Wrecked by Jeff Goins and On Writing by Stephen King. I started Wrecked the evening I got it and will probably blog about both books once I finish them.


Finally, my brother +Aaron gifted me with a few more lovely books. I was thrilled to open my gift bag and spy two Hobbit-themed journals, one of which is leather-bound and one is a Moleskine. They have beautiful covers inscribed with the artwork from the map in the novel. I plan on taking one with me on my upcoming trip to Europe to fill as a travel notebook.

The last addition to my library is this absolutely gorgeous leather-bound, gold-edged edition of The Hobbit. Isn't it a little beauty? Tolkien was the author who sparked within me a love for fantasy and writing, and I vividly remember my first foray into the realm of Middle-earth through the pages of The Hobbit. To this day it remains one of my favorite books. Up to this point, I didn't own any of Tolkien's works - I'm glad that has changed!


Books are some of my best friends, and I love the potential of the empty page of an open journal, so these tomes will all be cherished additions to my collection. Even now I'm looking forward to perusing through the pages of my new treasures.


There is no friend as loyal as a book. 
 - Ernest Hemingway

Why I Write: Part 2

The second part in my Why I Write series. You can read the first post here. These are not in any particular order - I have a list of reasons as to why I write and will be sharing each one as I feel so inclined. 

Why I Write: To Explore What Moves Me

"Write about what interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else." C.S. Lewis."

Another reason why I write is to understand what moves me - my interests, my passions. I believe each writer is obsessed with one (or a few) specific emotions and ideas that consume them to the point where they're forced to write about them merely to keep a clear head. I know I am. I re-read everything I've written and find one particular similar strain running through each work.

For awhile I thought my overwhelming obsession was friendship. This belief was encouraged by the fact that I don't particularly care for romance novels or movies, always preferring platonic love to romantic. Don't get me wrong, I still like a well-written romance, but it has to have plenty of story to keep my attention. 

So I wrote about friendship, and continue to write about friendship. I pick up on this theme quickly in other works of fiction, and I cherish my own close friendships greatly.

Then I realized it's not just about friendship. Friendship is just a catalyst that leads to what truly moves me.

What moves me most is Sacrifice. 

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." 

Most of us are probably familiar with this verse out of The Scriptures. It speaks of sacrifice - specifically the Ultimate Sacrifice. Laying down your life to protect someone or something that you love.

This is the particular form of sacrifice that I am most enamored with, that I find myself returning to repeatedly with pen in hand, that I will shed tears over. It manages to worm its way into almost everything I write, even if this was not the original intent.

But I have to remind myself that there are other forms of sacrifice, perhaps less serious, that are important as well. It's the little things that can make such a big difference in a life. Giving some change to that panhandler on the corner. Taking a few seconds out of your day to give directions to that stranger you don't like the looks of. 

Sometimes these little sacrifices can matter just as much as the bigger ones. And that's something I would do well to remember. In my obsession with giving it all for those you love, I could stand to be reminded of the small things that can make such a big impact on a life. 

As a writer, I write not only to share what moves me, but to explore it for my own purposes. This allows me to more intimately understand it. And expressing it is helps me keep a level head. This investigation helps me to grow. So here's to sacrifice - in both big ways and small.

Dream On

Have you ever woken up and felt like you managed to live three or four lifetimes since the last time you were conscious? Has it all felt so real to you that you had to take the time to sort through your memories and determine was is real and what is just imaginings?

That was me yesterday morning. I remember waking up the instant my alarm went off, but it took six more seconds for me to regain my wits enough to turn it off.

It took a shower, a cinnamon roll, and some music by Barcelona before I figured out what was and wasn't real. It had all been so vivid. And it had all been so intense. 

I remember dreaming about traveling. Road-trip to Arizona, I believe. I remember wrangling two beautiful horses - a bay and a palomino  I remember meeting a couple of celebrities - and that's all I'm saying on that.

These dreams remind me of the time I woke up and honestly thought I was a character from a TV show - yeah, that time. I've never been so totally and utterly confused in my life. It took a few minutes to come to terms with the fact that reality was my bedroom, my snoring sister, and my blurry vision.

I dream a lot, about a wide variety of things. Through the years I've had a tendency to dream in black and white, although I've noticed that inclination diminishing recently. However, my dreams are still silent - there's never any sound. I'm not exactly sure how that works - telepathy? - but it all makes perfect sense while I'm dreaming it.

I guess that last sentence says it all. It's all so real and fantastic while dreaming it, and you never want it to end (except for those horrible dreams about deadlines and bad grades and such). And then suddenly you're snapped back to reality.

But you know what? That's okay. Because dreams give us something to aspire to. They prompt us to live a better life. They motive us to make the dream become reality. So here's to the magic of dreams, and the ways in which they move us.

You Can't Go Back

"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold." - Frodo Baggins, The Return of the King

Change. Irrevocable change. Transformation. Drastic alteration. Inability to return to the way it was.

This is an important criteria for a good story. When the last page is turned, when the final credits have rolled, I want to know that the characters have been permanently changed. I want to see that there is no possible way for life to go back to the way it was. 

This new state of existence may be better or worse. It may be an improvement on the situation at the beginning - Cinderella marrying her Prince Henry and living happily ever after. It may be heart-wrenching - Sherlock Holmes facing death while battling his mortal enemy. It may be bittersweet - Bilbo and Frodo forever changed by the Ring, leaving Middle-earth to stay in the Undying Lands. 

Of course, being the lovely human being I am, I tend to prefer the latter two types of change. I find the heart-wrenching, gut-punching, tear-jerking forms of change to leave the strongest memory, to have the greatest effect. 

But in the end, no matter what form it takes, change must come.

Staticity is boring, mundane. If characters go through an adventure only to settle back into the same dull routine in the end, what was the point? Why does it matter if nothing changes? 

The same holds true in real life. Living life in a changeless, passive, stagnant manner is meaningless. A life of adventure, exploration, and learning - that is a life that leads to growth. And growth leads to purpose and understanding.

This whole post just took an unintended tumble down the rabbit-hole. But that's okay. In what started out as an analysis of fictional elements led me to realize why I crave adventure in my own life. See? Growth just through typing out a blog-post. It can slip in anywhere if we're open to it.

Where can you grow in your life?


P.S. I've been neglecting this little blog of mine recently; apologies for that. Writing research papers, lab reports, and a novel have hungrily consumed much of my writing energies. As I move into the last six weeks of classes, I hope to find more time for my creative endeavours.

Addendum as of 11:30pm: I decided to throw a little explanation on here as to why I penned this post.

Earlier today I was browsing spoilers for the upcoming season 3 of BBC's Sherlock, which, for those of you who don't know, is an incredible show I adore. It finally hit me - Season 3 is going to be different. Very different. Sherlock's return, the imperative trust issues between him and John, the new character addition - all of these things will necessitate change in this upcoming season. At first I was uncomfortable with this. The show is such a good thing, I hate to see major changes after just six episodes. But the insightful words of Frodo quoted above along with this dialogue popped into my head:

Bilbo: Can you promise that I will come back? 
Gandalf: No... and if you do, you will not be the same.

Bring it, I say. Let's bravely face what changes come our way... both in fiction and in reality. 

Tolkien Reading Day

Today, March 25th, is Tolkien Reading Day! This annual event to read and appreciate Tolkien's works was started a decade again. This particular date was chosen because of its significance as the anniversary of Sauron's defeat in Lord of the Rings. For the past couple years, I've made it a point to read something by Tolkien on this day - and this year it's The Hobbit.

This classic story was my first introduction to Tolkien when I was 10 or 11, and other than Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, was the first work of fantasy I read. I can still vividly remember my first foray into The Hobbit - encountering Gandalf for the first time with no idea of how far his journey will go, meeting all thirteen dwarves as they tumble into Bag-End, growing with Bilbo as he changes and matures on his journey. Like so many before me, I've been in love with Middle-earth since my first introduction to it.

One major reason I wanted to re-read The Hobbit is due to the recent release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in December and the upcoming releases of the two sequels this winter and next winter. I was interested in refreshing my memory of the book and compare it to the films, seeing as how it's been a year or two since I last read it.

Now, I didn't see any of the original film trilogy in theaters, but I began to read the books about the time the movies were released, and saw the films shortly thereafter. The movies made real to me a world that I had become acquainted with through Tolkien's fantastic works. Being able to actually see those lands and the characters helped me feel connected to the world. The green rolling hills of the Shire, the White City, and the Black Gate of Mordor - seeing them was and remains an incredible experience. I remember those sensations that washed over me the first time I saw those places and scenes as portrayed through Peter Jackson's films.

But of course, there's only one time to be able to experience things for the first time. So even though I frequently re-read the tales of Middle-earth and watch the trilogy, that initial feeling of discovery can't be reclaimed. I honestly never expected to be able to have a first time in the world of Middle-earth ever again. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised - okay, I'll be honest, I was ecstatic - to learn that The Hobbit would be made (and even more excited to learn that it would become three films, but that was revealed awhile later). My excitement grew as casting choices were made - I absolutely love the performance of Martin Freeman (who plays Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit) as John Watson in the BBC Sherlock as well as Richard Armitage's (Thorin Oakenshield) rather brooding and moody portrayal of Guy of Gisborne in the BBC Robin Hood. This was a movie I was greatly anticipating.

And then the day finally came when I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in theaters (24 fps 2D the first time, followed by 48 fps 3D the second time - absolutely breathtaking). I'm glad to say it completely lived up to expectations and then some - the cast did an amazing job, the costumes and sets were lovely, and the CGI looked fantastic. Even with the changes made in the movie - I loved the film and am looking forward to the next two.

Now it may seem like I'm laying it rather heavy on the film and neglecting the books, but the truth is I adore the books. I'm a prolific reader and to be honest, it was Tolkien's genius that prompted me to begin writing - a path I'm still pursue wholeheartedly. I fully appreciate Tolkien's imagination and world-building - and he did a incredible job of story-building and character development. Bilbo's journey from timid Shireling to brave Burglar is a timeless transformation. Without Tolkien's works, the films wouldn't exist; without his works, we would be missing one of the greatest fictional works of all time.

The point of this long-winded post was to express my recognition for Tolkien's works. He was a skilled writing, and his works have impacted my life, among many others. So today let's appreciate the fantastic world he built and the characters he created with which to tell stories that will last the ages.

P.S. If the only works of Tolkien's that you have read are The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, I highly recommend you read more of his books, especially The Silmarillion. Fantastic stuff and provides so much background and history that deepens your understanding and enjoyment of the other books.

A Day on My Bike

This afternoon I spent some time on a story I fully intended to post, but that story kept growing longer and longer until I realized there was no way I could finish it this afternoon. So instead I drew up this little snapshot from my bike ride earlier this morning.


I leaned to one side as I rounded the corner, shoes firmly pressed to the peddles. A border collie came bounding out across the lawn, barking at the stranger flying down his street, and I threw him a smile. The gray clouds hovering overhead blocked the rays of sunlight and kept me cool as I traveled my regular route.

I whipped my gaze forward as the sound of tires on gravel alerted me to an approaching vehicle. With the wind roaring across my face, it was difficult to tell exactly how close the car was until I saw it. I slowed slightly and hugged the side of the road as the silver pick-up truck sped by, then began to pick up the pace.

As I crested the hill, I peddled my hardest. I rolled over the slope and stood, legs straight, neck craning forward. My bike coasted down the hill, gliding faster and faster as the momentum sped it on. The wind whipped into my face and through my hair. A laugh bubbled up from my chest. And as I sped into the wind, I could touch the sky.

The Sweet Longing of Adventure

Another note I just wrote. It was inspired while I was doing yoga. I wrote this for a dear friend - you'll know who you are.

I inhale deeply. The scent of pines mingled with the damp freshness of the fog filles my lungs. From my vantage point on the veranda I can make out the tips of the nearest mountains before they vanish in the blanket of fog. A shrill cry wings its way to my ear, and I watch a flash of brown and white as the hawk soars across my sight before disappearing from view. The hazy valley resumes its stillness and silence as the fog muffles and encases everything in its grasp.

I allow my gaze to lazily drift across the mountain peaks, ignoring the feelings of longing swelling up from my gut. Those giants were calling to me, beckoning me to come to them, to scale their highest peaks and learn their deepest secrets. Soon. Soon I would venture into those dark ranges and explore all they have to offer. But not today.

The Ocean

This idea sprang into being when I was in Galveston last week, and tonight it spilled onto the page, unbidden. This is the first time I've shared anything unedited - and honestly, it's a freeing and glorious feeling.

The ocean is alive. The white-crested waves that move upwards before crashing back down are full of life. There is no stagnation there. There is a rhythm to the way the waves beat against the rocks, yet that rhythm is ever-changing. The roar of the waves fills my ears, pulsating, causing my soul to swell with their every rise and fall. The water surges across my feet, a living thing, renewing my spirit, filling me with life.
In the ocean, I see life and motion. I see passion and restlessness. In the ocean, I find myself.

One-Minute Writer: My Mug

I was attempting to write a little fanciful piece based on an insightful moment I had earlier in the week, but it just wasn't working today. So instead, here's my response to today's One-Minute Writer prompt.

Today's prompt: My Mug
I have a favorite mug for my morning coffee. Do you have a "go-to" mug of some sort? Tell us about it!

I'm not a regular coffee drinker, and I typically reserve tea for sickness. But I do love a good mug of homemade hot chocolate (none of that pre-packaged stuff, yuck) in the winter... and to be honest, sometimes in the summer as well.

My favorite mug is one I got in the gift center at Garden of the Gods in Colorado. It's a 12oz - a little larger than most standard mugs. It's decorated with a herd of wild, galloping horses, and the name "Colorado" adorns a spot near the bottom edge. I'm pretty attached to my mug and don't like to share (I think +Susannah Durling can relate to this...). Mornings when I get to use my mug are some of the best.

Across the Sea

Before the trip to Galveston, I was eager for my first opportunity to visit the beach and see the ocean. It lived up to expectations and inspired some writings, but that will be the focus of a later post. Anyway, before the trip I saw a lovely picture of a view from the rocks across the sea to the shoreline beyond and was encouraged to try my hand at drawing it. Here is the finished result.

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Yves Cousteau

Home Again

So here I am after 5 days spent in Galveston on spring break mission trip with UT Arlington's BSM. After playing soccer matches with little kids, sharing 7 showers with 40-something other ladies, and sunburning my legs, it's nice to be home again. But what a fantastic trip it was!

We drove down to Galveston on Saturday and returned home on Wednesday. The main work my group did on the trip was hosting kids' club Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning during which we played games and shared the gospel. This was followed by block parties Monday and Tuesday afternoon, which was really a great opportunity to interact with the kids and parents in the community.

But personally, I found Saturday night to be the best experience of the trip. Before arriving in Galveston, the car I was riding in and two other vehicles made a stop at a church to provide some assistance for the evening. We served dinner to part of the community - dinner consisting of a hot dog and a bag of chips. We also handed out bags of groceries which contained eggs, meat, bread, spinach, and a jar of peanut butter. It struck me to see how needy these people are. While a hot dog is barely a meal for me, these people were so grateful for something so simple. It touched me to be able to work with the church to help this group of people and provide them with food and groceries.

Another meaningful experience was Wednesday night while driving home. After watching a gorgeous sunset, my good friend Ashlee, who was driving, and another lovely lady, Tamara, had a conversation that covered several topics, including prayer and a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, daily Bible reading, and witnessing the miraculous things God does in our lives. This discussion was uplifting to me and I hope it was a blessing to you ladies as well.

It was incredible to see how God used me and my fellow students to touch the lives of those around us. My first mission trip was a wonderful experience and I am grateful I was able to go and spread the gospel with such a fantastic group of people!

To Galveston

This spring break UTA's Baptist Student Ministries is sending a hundred students to Galveston for a mission trip. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning and spending 5 days in Galveston before returning home. Our areas of outreach and service range from manual labor to evangelism to children's ministries.

This is the first mission trip I will be going on. I'm excitedly anticipating the trip and all that's in store for us! I pray for spiritual growth for those of us going to serve, and I hope we're able to be a blessing to those we go to minister to.

Because of this, I won't be blogging again until late next week. And that's okay - it's going to be a fantastic trip!

The Story of Our Lives

I'm not typically a fan of love songs, so I was surprised when I first heard and promptly fell in love with Sleeping at Last's song "Turning Pages." One particular line from this piece always tugs at my heart every time I hear it:

"We're tethered to the story we must tell."

The poetical nature of this phrase is simply beautiful. It reminds me that we were all placed on this earth to tell a story. This story is our very own. It's personal, it's intimate, and no one else can share it. This story is told throughout our lives in the way which we touch the lives of those around us.

As a writer, this line has a similar secondary meaning to me. I have a story to tell, a story I am bound to write and destined to share. I know this story is meant to be told by the way it is constantly present in my mind, begging to be written, nagging to be shared. I only hope that I can do justice to this tale and present it as it is meant to be told.

This line of lyrics reminds me of a phrase spoken by the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC's long-running show Doctor Who.

"We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."

As one who believes in the Divine Creator, I believe that we are more than just stories when it's all over. Yet when we pass to the next life, we are stories to those left behind - stories and legacies. The question is, what sort of story will we leave behind? Is it one our descendants will be glad to share? Will we leave a heritage our grandchildren will proud to call their own? Or will they be ashamed of what we've left behind? Will they want to deny us and who we were? We have the choice to decide how we express our story.

We all have a story to tell - how will you tell yours?

The Magic of the Mundane

Mundane. Dull. Boring. Ordinary. Not words usually coupled with the sparkle and flash of magic. Yet I am convinced that it is the average, the conventional, the humdrum moments that lend the most to life. It is the regular that can give birth to the incredible, and the normal that can lead to the exceptional.

Yesterday I stood on the cold tile floor in the kitchen, rapping my fingertips against the counter as I waited for my bread to toast. It was an average Tuesday. The house was quiet and as soon as I finished my lunch I would be leaving. My gaze flitted across the crumbs and utensils scattered across the counter-top as an imaginary conversation between fictional characters played itself out in my head. As I mechanically moved through the process of making my sandwich - slicing the cheese that precise width I love so much, slathering mayonnaise across the crispy bread - an idea tumbled into my mind. The very idea I had been waiting on to kick-start a short story that has been lurking on the dusty upper bookshelves of my brain. I immediately knew I had stumbled on a gold mine. I just hope the editors I submit it to think so as well.

It was a banal, everyday process that led me to this clever idea, and the more I write, the more value I find in similar moments. I find inspiration in the little things. Yesterday it was sandwiches and imaginary conversations. Today it was tennis shoes. What will it be tomorrow, I wonder?

Don’t get me wrong – as someone with a vivid imagination, I love the grandiose, the magnificent, and the incredible. I find great delight in reading tales of fantastical adventures in far-off worlds. In truth, I have always found every day, ordinary life to be a boring undertaking. I find it hard to involve myself with my daily dealings when I would rather be in exciting, new places, seeing and experiencing wonders never before discovered. Yet I am beginning to realize that the ordinary moments have a function and a purpose. When I open my eyes, my heart, and my mind to the things around me, they become so much more than mundane, so much more than ordinary. They become catalysts for the truly extraordinary. 

Why I Write: Part 1 - To Feel Alive

"Why do you write?" I get this question sometimes from curious individuals who wonder why I don't have a normal hobby like sports or crafts or reading. Well, I do love to read, but it isn't my only pastime. Although I have never asked myself this question in such a straightforward fashion, I have always known why I write. But I decided that perhaps it was time to answer these questions in a succinct manner for those who ask. This will be a series with several parts to be posted over the next few weeks - starting today with Why I Write: Part 1.

Reason 1: I Write to Feel Alive

The arts especially address the idea of aesthetic experience. An aesthetic experience is one in which your senses are operating at their peak; when you’re present in the current moment; when you’re resonating with the excitement of this thing that you’re experiencing; when you are fully alive. - Sir Ken Robinson

Writing is an art, like drawing or painting. An artist sees the world around him with eyes that notice the intricate details. He sees every petal of each daisy in that field full of wild-flowers and the ever-changing colors of the sky as the sun sets. He is involved in the moment, drawn into the subtle shadings of the world surrounding him. The artist understands that it is these little moments that make up the whole - these little details that make the picture worth painting.

Writing is similar to this. As a writer, I feel the crisp bite of the winter air that invigorates and inspires me. I hear the swish of the wind as it dances and twirls like a child through the needles of the tall, watchful pine. I smell the musty pages of that favorite old book as its pages rustle under my fingers, willing to share its story once again. I notice the small things in life, and then place my pen to the paper so others may notice them as well.

This connectivity applies to people as well. The eyebrow raised as you listen with skepticism, the glistening tears you try to hold back as hateful words cut to your very core, the crinkling around your eyes and twitch of your lips as you try to suppress an unexpected laugh that swells up during an inopportune moment. I see these moments and can describe them in a way that allows you to see and experience them as well.

I write to feel alive. I write to fully enter the moment, to touch everything and everyone around me. I write to make the ordinary extraordinary.

One-Minute Writer: Blanket

Today I had extreme difficulty finding anything to blog about. +Susannah Durling can attest to this. So I pulled up the One-Minute Writer to see today's writing prompt - Blanket! The wheels began to rumble as memories came tumbling in... and here's the result.

My blanket is fleecy and brown. Well-loved, it has become increasingly fuzzy as the years go by. I've outgrown it now; it no longer covers me from head to toes. But I love it too much to replace it. I have many fond memories of time spent snuggled under it, reading a good book or playing a game. It plays a key role in many of my winter-time memories.

Dreaming of Great Britain

I spent a few hours yesterday listing and mapping out the various places I want to visit during our trip to the UK. So today castles and beautiful countrysides were very much on my mind. Out came my pencils and paper, and after a quick Google search I found a fitting scene to draw. Mind you, I'm well aware that I'm not the best artist, but I greatly enjoy drawing and am working on improving my skills. Here's the finished result!

"I'm just fascinated by visiting actual castles in the countryside." - Lily Collins 

Oneword: Instill

Another post for today! This is from Oneword - the prompt word was Instill.

I was about six years old when my mother read The Chronicles of Narnia aloud to us. I still remember hearing for the first time the tales of Digory and Polly, the green and yellow rings, and the wood between the worlds with all its pools. This was my first introduction to fantasy, and that event lead to a love of the genre being instilled in me. It was further cultivated when I read the The Hobbit at age 11. To this day it remains my favorite genre.

Reading in 2013

After a quick tally this morning, I discovered that over the past two years I read about a hundred books. This isn't an exact count as I'm pretty confident I missed getting one or two books onto my list, but it's close. This was encouraging to discover, because I have decided to read at least fifty-two books during 2013 - a book for every week of the year - and was excited to see that I've nearly met this goal for the past two years.

Since 2013 began I have already re-read the entire Percy Jackson series, as well as the sequel series, Heroes of Olympus, which I thought was much better than the first series. Don't get me wrong - the original series is an excellent read and extremely witty, but the intricacy of the plots and depth of each character is much greater in the second series.

I'm also one book away from finishing the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforyd. I must say, humorous novels typically aren't my mug of tea, but these books have kept me laughing. I think my interest is partially due to the whopping amount of literary references strewn throughout the pages. Between this series and the Percy Jackson books, I've already finished fifteen books this year, which puts me six weeks ahead of schedule. Not that I'm complaining - this gives me leeway in case reading doesn't happen in the weeks ahead.

Some of the books I intend to read in 2013 include Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, several of L. E. Modesitt's series, such as The Imager Portfolio and The Corean Chronicles, and finally reading all of the Honor Harrington novels.  The recent release of the beginning of The Hobbit film trilogy has me desiring to re-enter one of the first magical lands I ever visited. I also need to catch up on the few recent Ted Dekker books I haven't yet read and keep abreast with his releases throughout the year (Sovereign, I have my eye on you).

I plan to read more of Stephen Lawhead's works before traveling to Great Britain, which should put me right in the mood! I may even read some classics by Dumas, Verne, and Dickens, which I have been determined to read for awhile but keep putting off. And I might decide to worm my way back through some fantasy series such as The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, which I never quite finished the first time through, and read some new ones I recently became familiar with, such as The Kingkiller Chronicles. Needless to say, there are plenty of books I'd like to read, and I hope to make a huge dent in my reading list this year.

What about you? Do you have a reading goal set for 2013? Or have you read some good books recently which you would recommend? I'm always looking for new material to read! Feel free to share in the comments below.

Oneword: Conjure

Today's post comes from the one word prompt from Oneword - Conjure. 60 seconds to write.

A writer is like a magician. While the latter casts spells with the wave of the wand, a writer paints pictures and invokes emotions with the movement of a pencil across a blank page. Perhaps this form of conjuring is not as glamorous as a wizard's, and yet anyone who has read the written word is well familiar with the power it can carry.

Keep Calm and Go To Great Britain

It started out like any other school day. I dragged myself out of bed, took a hot shower. Made breakfast without any major mishaps, which is a bit of an accomplishment in and of itself. Headed off to school. Sat through my first two classes and tried not to be too bored. Had lunch at the BSM and enjoyed the short message provided by the speaker. Aced my French test. My afternoon was pretty chill, too. Went shopping, wrote a paper, and blogged. After dinner, Ashley and I decided to watch Prince Caspian.

So the movie has just started and I scoop up my phone to check my Facebook notifications. Nothing too interesting... until I see a status my brother +Aaron Dean is tagged in saying he's going to Great Britain this summer! My first thought was "no way" accompanied by raised eyebrows and possibly an open mouth. My second was that I had always thought I would be the first kid in our family to leave the country. And my third... was that I was not going to be left behind. No way. So I immediately messaged him about it and a few minutes later I'm pausing the movie to announce to my mom and Ashley that Aaron is going to Britain... and I'm going too!

Tomorrow

Today at Noondays (the free lunch provided by my school's Baptist Student Ministries), the speaker made a thought-provoking comment. Actually, his whole message was stimulating, but one phrase in particular stood out.

"Some people didn't wake up this morning."

I immediately became absorbed in this thought. To me, every person is a story. Every life has a tale of its own. And I began pondering the lives of those who may not have lived through the night, who may not have woken up to a brand new, glorious morning as I did.

I thought about an elderly woman, spending her last nights in a stark white hospital room, knowing her end was drawing near. Was anybody with her in her last moments? I thought of an older man, drawing his last breath at home, surrounded by loving family members. He had lived a full life and would be missed. Yet he was going to a better place.

I thought about two college students driving back to their dorm after staying out just a little too late, drinking just a little too much. Singing along with the blaring stereo. Did they see the 18-wheeler as it barreled through the intersection and smacked into their smaller vehicle, crumpling the side of the gray Honda? Was there time for a last thought to cross their mind before they never thought again? How would their fellow students, their girlfriends, their parents grieve when they learned of the accident?

I thought about a young boy rushed to the hospital by frantic parents for an unexpected health issue. A ruptured appendix, maybe. I thought about his youthful blue eyes never opening again. His sobbing, heart-broken mother and father. His little sister not understanding that she would never get to play with her brother again, not realizing that he would never chase her or tease her again. Not realizing that he wouldn't be there to support her through the toughest moments of her life, to clap and cheer for her through her proudest.

I thought about a teenage girl lying in a filthy alleyway, tucked behind some dumpsters. She was somebody's daughter, too. But would anybody miss her? Would anyone know she had left this life? Or would she be just another soul for whom the flame of life was snuffed too soon?

Some 155,000 people die every day. Tomorrow it could be you or me. Do we find ourselves saying "I'll take care of that tomorrow?" Those college students probably planned on finishing that lab report or that research paper tomorrow, too. Life is a fickle thing. There's no guarantees that you will live to your next birthday or until the weekend or even through the night. So don't waste each precious moment that you're granted. Live each day as if it matters... because it does. 

One-Minute Writer: Cartoons

Today's Writing Prompt: Cartoons

"Which cartoon or children's TV show from your childhood is most burned into your memory?"

The Batman was my first introduction to the Dark Knight, and I look back on it fondly. I loved the slightly younger portrayal of Bruce Wayne, and Two-Face's story still tugs at my heartstrings. Alfred was always good for a laugh, and I enjoyed seeing Robin and Batgirl as kids in the series. I'll always remember the episodes where the population of Gotham is seemingly turned into zombies and the one set a thousand years into the future.

A Sudden Realization

So here I was, listening to Imagine Dragons and browsing The Write Practice when I stumbled across a statement that was like an arrow streaking into my very soul. It hit home so hard it took my breath away. In an article discussing five lies that can distract you from your purpose as a writer (namely skepticism, vanity, pride, fear, and doubt), the author makes this comment:

"Slowly, that original desire became distorted until you actually believe your main goal was just to be a bestselling author, when in reality, you wanted so much more. You wanted to change the world."

How did I fall so far? How did I become so afraid of what other people might think, so concerned with writing that elusive, perfect book that I completely lost sight of my original goal? Because I did want to change the world. And maybe that sounds like naive idealism. Maybe that sounds like the dream of a child who hasn't experienced the darkness, the coldness of the real world. Yet it's true. I never wanted fame, I never craved popularity for me or my writings. I wrote because I had dreams to share. I wrote because my characters needed a voice. I wrote because I had stories to tell that could change the world, one reader at a time. 

Today I realized that unless I find my way back to that original hope and desire, I can never tell my story the way it's meant to be written. Unless I get rid of that nagging "but what will they think?" I can never be myself. So goodbye, self-doubt. Goodbye, foolish dreams of fame and fortune. This is me, making my way back to who I genuinely am and the stories I truly have to share. 

Writing Prompts

Due to a couple of queries and comments made by +Susannah Durling and +Rachel Kniffin, I decided to compile a list of my favorite writing prompt sources for curious parties. Mind you, there's quite a few here and I don't complete all of them every day. I like to skim through each day's prompts and then write on whichever one jiggles something inside my brain. Hopefully some of you will find a few that you like and be inspired to write regularly as well!

Oneword.com - Exactly what it says. You're given one word and 60 seconds to write whatever the word brings to mind.

One Minute Writer - A prompt is given for each day and you have 60 seconds to write. The prompts vary from fun to serious, fanciful to down-to-earth. 

Friday Flash Fiction - Also from One Minute Writer. You enter a short work of fiction (between 100 and 1,000 words) based on the prompt, and the winner gets shared on the sight along with a bio and small prize. 

The Write Prompts - I love this one. There's a different type of prompt for each day of the week, so let's see what they're all about!

• Journal Mondays - You're given a prompt to write about for fifteen minutes. 
• Image Tuesdays - A image is posted with the instructions to study it for a few minutes and then write about it.
• Poetry Wednesdays - The prompt reads "For the poetry writers. Even if you do not normally write poetry make an effort to complete this exercise." You're given a topic as well as a form to follow. A challenge for me, personally, as I'm not good at poetry.
• One Word Thursdays - One word is posted. No time limit.
• Dirty Dozen Fridays - You're given 12 words, all of which you are supposed to incorporate into a story of your own in 15 minutes. 
• Continue On Saturdays - The start of a line or story is supplied and are supposed to continue it.
• Quote Weekends - You're provided with a quote to write about over the weekend. These quotes are typically thought provoking or inspirational. 

52 Lists - Moorea Seal provides a different topic to form a list for every week. No time limit, a great one to ponder as the week goes on.


All credit for everything on this list goes to the owners of the respective blogs and websites; I've merely slapped a few links into a post. I'll be sure to add to this list if I find more that I like. For now, I hope this list prompts some creativity!

One-Minute Writer: Musical Prompt

Another writing prompt! This one comes from One-Minute Writer where you are given a prompt and 60 seconds to write about it.

Today's prompt... Musical Prompt

        Think about whatever song is randomly stuck in your head right now. If you are lucky enough to not have one stuck in your head, think about your favorite song. The main refrain of the chorus of that song (or the first line, if there is no refrain) is your writing prompt today.

"I gotta have/Roots before branches/Gotta know who I am/Before I know/who I wanna be" - Roots before Branches by Room for Two
As a college student, I encounter so many young adults trying to decide what to do with their life without any idea of who they truly are. It's so important to understand who you are before you can know what you want to do. Find yourself. Discover who you are. Then, and only then, can you truly know who you're going to be. 

Journal Mondays

One of my favorite sources for writing prompts is thewriteprompts.com. The blogger shares a different type of writing prompt for each day of the week. I'm a huge fan of writing prompts because they have a tendency to provide me with some unexpected but totally needed inspiration. Now that I have a blog, I'll be sharing some of my responses to prompts on here!

Today's Journal Monday Writing Prompt: For the next fifteen minutes write about a short person you know in a fond manner.

Oh my. There's obviously no contest here. My favorite short person is the awkward yet ever amazing Susannah who writes at  I'm That Weird Girl. While I adore many things about this lovely girl (far too many to list in 15 minutes), one of my favorite things is her impeccable taste in fiction. She shows her nerdiness by obsessing over an excellent selection of TV shows, movies, and books - Fringe, Sherlock, X-Men: First Class, and The Hobbit to name a few. Chances are if she likes it, I like it. And speaking of fiction, she's the Watson to my Sherlock... but that's another story.

I also love her creativity - she's what we call a craftaholic. But especially her fantastic drawing talents. As soon as she shares samples of her work on her blog, I promise you there will be shameless plugs here. Also, she can cook killer waffles. I should know.

In short (no pun intended...), Sus is amazing and without her, this blog wouldn't exist. Plus I wouldn't have anyone to share in my fictional obsessions. Also, her constant "I want to read your book!" inspires me to keep writing. My life is made more than a little brighter by her presence in it.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” 
― C.S. Lewis

Edited: As I told Susannah later, when I think of "short," two people come to mind: her and Martin Freeman. So she's in good company.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! As an aspiring author, much of what I post will be drabbles or responses to writing prompts. But there will also be other content, such as book reviews, drawings and sketches, or random comments on life. Enjoy the journey and please feed the madness!

Why scribbleholic, you may be wondering? The name was suggested by my dear friend over at I'm That Weird Girl. She is very familiar with my fondness for creative writing; in fact, she's frequently urging me to write more and has often been the source of my inspiration. I affectionately refer to my writing attempts as scribbles and never go anywhere without a notebook and pencil. And so, with the help of her genius, the name was born.