Words About Words

If it wasn't abundantly clear by now I really love writing. To be fair, I really love a lot of things.

I really love sleeping. That's for dang sure. At least, in the morning I love sleeping. At night I love to stay up and watch all the movies and read all the books. 

I really love dancing. It kind of explains why I've spent a huge percentage of my life engaged in that activity and have endured foot surgery and gone back to dancing. 

I really love my family. That means my Trenton, and my parents and my siblings, and my sweet niece and my adorable sisters-in-law and all my in-laws in fact, and also my extended family. I have some pretty rocking relatives. 

I really love superheroes. Oh my gosh, all the feelings do I get. And sometimes that includes supervillains. Mostly just in the case of Loki. Oh British people - making such likable bad guys. Ew, but not always. Some are just vile. However, that discussion can be saved for a whole other blog post devoted entirely to such a wonderful debate with myself. 

I really love food. Making it, smelling it, looking at pictures of it, and even, yes, EATING IT.

And honestly this post is turning into one which should be called things I love. 

Or even things I real love. 

But this post is about WRITING I promise it to you. Sincerely and with great conviction. 

I've been spending a lot of time writing or at least thinking about writing lately. Even though my actual 500 words a day doesn't take all that much time per day, it does put stories into my mind and get me thinking all the time. I've also been reading a lot this summer (good thing Trenton is awesome at falling asleep with the light on because I've been having a hard time turning the light off and shutting those silly books). Reading, while not writing, makes me think more about writing. For definitely.

Well, my main focus for the majority of the summer writing-wise has been my novel. Probably followed by this blog. However, last Friday I decided I was going to update a story I started writing three years ago (yeah. Way back in High School.) 

The thing is, it's a piece of fanfiction. And to be completely honest, sometimes I feel a little ashamed of it. Why am I spending time playing with other people's characters (JK Rowling's, to be specific)? One of the main reasons is because it means I can be published NOW. Sure, not for pay, and only online, but it means I get people reading my stories.

Not just a couple people. Somehow, this silly Harry Potter fanfic I decided to write on a whim one day turned into kind of a big deal. Over 1,400 people get emailed every single time I add a single thing to that story. Another 410,000 from countries all over the world including obscure places like New Guyana and Kyrgyzstan have read it at some point. That's kind of, um, insane. I'm not trying to toot my own horn. I don't think it's that great. My brother thinks its "creepy", but it's gotten very popular.

I am extremely well aware that in comparison to the readership of many actual books, 417,860 reads isn't truly that many. But it's way more people than have read anything else I've written. Seeing how many people read it and comment on it in the first two days a new chapter goes up kind of gives me a writer's high. I want to write again and receive feedback again. 

I want my actual novel to be read and liked and for people to beg me to write more. I don't know if that will ever happen, but it's quite a lovely little dream. It's encouraging, at the very least, that there is a group of people who already boost my self confidence as a writer, not because they're my friend or my parent or my husband but because they legitimately like reading what I wrote.

Well what prompted me to actually write this post today, was because this morning I received an email from a group called Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Basically, they collect fanfiction type stories and then people who donate to the cause get the stories submitted by various authors. That's all great, and that's awesome that people are willing to write for a good cause. I was just so. Darn. Flattered. They specifically emailed me, because my silly, random story gained enough attention that they thought my entry would be a selling point to people online. 

I AM JUST A LITTLE GIRL WRITING DOWN WORDS BECAUSE IT'S FUN! But the idea that maybe something I wrote will help people with blood cancer makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time when I'm writing. I'm not being a tortured artiste (purposeful extra 'e' there) who is neglecting other parts of life in order to create. I'm just expressing ideas, and it seems like that makes quite a few people happy.

So Imma keep on keeping on.

Also, shout out to Rylan and Sean who actually read this blog and make me feel like I should keep writing it, and to Aunt Deb. :) Anti-shout out to my sweetest big brother who makes fun of the things I say here, but thanks for reading it anyway.

Stuck Up Writing Voice

I've had a few different friends tell me that I write this blog exactly how I talk.

I guess that just means I say "even" here a lot. And ramble. Boy oh boy am I a champion rambler. That poor Trenton guy who lives with me has an awful lot to put up with.

I see no reason why this blog wouldn't sound like me, since it is me, and since I'm just writing basically whatever comes to mind. Which is grand. But sometimes when I try and write, like ACTUALLY write, this weird thing happens.

The alien stuck up writing voice enters.

And it is. The worst thing.

It sounds like this snooty boring person, who can't decide whether they want to effectively tell you nothing or whether they want to shove all the details down your throat at once. Either way this meany person assumes you're going to be tested on it at the end so you better care about what they have to say.

Well I'm not sure exactly where this comes from, but I can assure you it isn't me. Luckily, by working on the novel every day (no, just Monday through Friday but it's not a bad start) a lot of the stuck up writing voice goes away. But sometimes I open up my beautiful word document and....BAM. Stuck up writing voice mode:Activated.

Sometimes when that happens I just power through. Heaven knows this babe of a story is going to need approximately 17 months of editing before it actually goes anywhere.

Other times I do something to get that writing voice out. Sometimes that means listening to music while I'm writing, which in general I don't recommend because the mood of the music - for me - tends to influence the mood of the story. Pace, too. Other times that means TIME TO BLOG.

Because this is how we feel about the stuck up writing voice:

Precisely. Like grumpy cat.

Ain't nobody need that. 

Now off to pick up Trenton from work.

Won't he be pleased when he gets home to find out I bought doughnuts after work.

Food and Other Joys in Life

Trenton and I were very loved and given many many appliances for to help with the cooking in our home. As such, our married life has been very full of food. Sure, there have been a couple nights that we haven't eaten super fine fare...pasta roni and frozen pizza still have their place in life. There is something to be said for cheap, easy food.

Here's what is to be said about it: it's cheap and easy.

But it's also fun to make more exciting meals. So here is a look at a few of the things we've made together.

If that doesn't seem too exciting then just keep scrolling for a bit my friends because there is something fun waiting later in this post. More fun than food, even!? What could I ever love more than food!!!

A fair and a valuable question, and one which will be answered. All in due course, little ones.

Once for Family Home Evening (we have super great FHE over here. It pretty much goes like a five minute discussion of a principle, read the scriptures, watch a movie or show.) we decided to make some marshmallow popcorn. We even used our air popper to do it! It was tasty and fun and exciting. You can tell how fun and excited Trenton is.

Another time, while Trenton was at work and before I started working (note: I started working!  Over a whole week ago. That, in part, is why I've been not doing so good at my posting on here. Being at work means less free time to write all the things. Then I get home and write my 500 words - the novel is coming along! It really is! I'm pretty thrilled! - and then I go pick up Trenton from work. No blog. Sad day.) I decided to make some banana bread. We had bought bananas but some of them had got mooshy and brown and so the obvious solution was to make banana bread. This particular bread even has chocolate chips in it.

One of the first meals we made together was an Italian skillet meal. It was delicious. If you want more information on it then you can ask, but I feel like there really isn't so much that needs to be said about a skillet meal. It was way yummy though. I apologize for the non-professional plating. There is totally sauce smeared on the plate. Alex Guarnaschelli from Chopped would hate me and think it was an egregious error.

This was tasty and I totally forgot we ate it like this until just barely! Carrie Johnson, Trenton's mom's best friend and an all around lovely individual, gave Trenton and I a cookbook with a recipe for French dip beef in the crockpot. This was our first use of the crock pot the lovely Sirie McCoy and her husband gave us, so it was like a double first use of presents. The beef turned out lovely, and we put it on PRETZEL ROLLS FROM COSTCO which are basically the best. The reason I ever even knew about pretzel rolls from Costco is because I had them in Georgia with my beautiful aunt Shauna and I thought to myself, "self, these pretzel rolls are made of yum". So, certainly, I went to the store named Costco with my mom who has a Costco card (I don't) and purchased Costco muffins and Pretzel rolls and bacon, and it was a happy day. Anyway, these sandwiches were good. Good and tasty. Yum.

Also, sometimes Trenton cooks eggs for me. In these eggs he put bacon and also some of the leftover beef from our French dip sandwiches which he seasoned with Chipotle to make smoky and divine. It is worth noting that the Chipotle came from Hot Licks in San Diego. Trenton bought it and I made him pose. 

Hot licks!! See, I told you it happened!!!

Anyway, we made delicious egg on tortilla bites. Like a breakfast burrito but I didn't call it that and I'm not sure we ate it for breakfast, I really don't remember. 

Now. I promise you something else was lurking down here. And here in fact, the something is. 

What could be better than food?! Or at least as wonderful to experience!? Dancing! That's right! 

Trenton and I like to play Just Dance with his old roommates sometimes. And sometimes Trenton and Clint do the worst dances ever. This is one of them. Another time they did the "In the Summertime" dance which contained a song I'd never heard before. You're probably lucky and haven't heard it either. 

But now you have the opportunity to, should you desire it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! OH MY GOODNESS. I am so scared and horrified at this man's sideburns that I want to take it down and pretend it never happened. But I feel like maybe you should be scared with me and know what I had to see with my eyes just barely. 

I want to cry. 

This could have a post all it's own.

But now the post is done. 

I miss you all.

I hope you don't stop reading my blog forever because that man's sideburns are the scariest thing on anyone's face.