March Wrap-Up

   What do you mean it's already a week into April this post is totally on time *sweats nervously*   

   This week/month/year is going by too dang fast! I can't believe March is over already. I still get confused sometimes when I see 2017, but here we are in the fourth month of the year. What is this.

   Reading went rather well in March, especially after the North Texas Teen Book Festival on the fourth. I also bought a lot of books...like, a lot.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - 4 stars of utter fluff

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi - 3 stars of confusion and weirdness, with a smattering of cuteness

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George - 3 stars of sweet fairy tale

Island of Silence* by Lisa McMann - 2.5 stars of bored disappointment

   I've also been thinking a lot about starting a booktube channel where I talk about, well, books. I always want to share my love for books but I'm so bad at expressing my feelings over text. I do much better when I can flail and moan and make awkward facial expressions. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested in watching!

*technically i finished this on in April but shh

      I didn't write that much during March. That seems like the theme of my writing life, honestly. I'm always behind and always doing less than I want to. But my betas aren't complaining at least not that I know of and I am making progress, so that's good!

   I only missed one week in March! I'm really proud of myself.

My posts:

Beautiful People - Danica

NTTB Festival

Krissy Has a Lot of Plot Bunnies

Friends' posts:

A Spring in Your Step // Gianna Soderstrom @ Youer Than You

Dear World, Your Words... // Caroline Meek @ Of Stars and Ink-Stained Things

How To Write a Pitch (for editors and for friends) // Hannah White @ Ink Blots and Coffe Stains

How I Go Through Drafts // Aimee Meester @ To The Barricade!

   Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir was released on Netflix in March!! If you haven't heard of Miraculous, what are you doing with your life you should definitely check it out. It's cheesy and full of more tropes than I ever thought possible and I love it to death. 

   It's about about Marienette Dupain-Cheng, a teenager who's been given superpowers and saves Paris under the alias of Ladybug. Her partner in crime-stopping, Chat Noir, flirts endlessly with her, but she doesn't reciprocate his feelings because she has a crush on her classmate Adrien Agreste...who is Chat's secret identity. It's the most ridiculous love square to ever exist and I can't wait to see how it plays out. (if you're still confused, check out this post that sums up the love square perfectly.)

that's it that's the show

   As my friend David so eloquently put it, "Looks like 2017 is the year of our Lorde". Four years after her first recent album and three years after she was a part of the Hunger Games soundtracks, Lorde has released two singles (Green Light and Liability) and told us the release date for her album Melodrama (June 16).

to say that i'm excited would be a slight understatement

   I also freaking finally saw Moana this month, so I've been listening to the soundtrack a lot. And I've listened to a lot of mashups. I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I have a big weakness for beautiful mashups. There's just something amazing about how two completely different songs can fit together. Also, my friend Emily told me about Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, and it's one of the greatest things to have ever graced my ears.

   So, uh, the biggest thing this month was that MY MOM IS PREGNANT. This is a complete shock because my youngest and only sister is 16(I'll be almost 19 when the baby is born), but it explains a lot of my mom's recent health issues. My family is so, so excited!!

   Did you recieve any life-changing news this month? Have you found any good music lately? And my apologies for being so ridiculously late with this post. Life is weird and motivation is a limited resource but I'm doing my best. Thanks for sticking around with me, friends.

Krissy Has A Lot Of Plot Bunnies

   On this blog, I post about Children of the Nameless a lot. A lot. It probably gets annoying. So today, I'm going to switch it up and talk about my other story ideas.

   I originally got this idea from Aimee, who made a post about her plot bunnies over a year ago. I tried to write about my own plot bunnies, but it was obviously never posted. And now, I have a completely new set to talk about!

disabled fairy tales: Pinterest // Spotify

rustic. victorian. magic and technology all at once. tiny skulls and old books. souls and barbed wire. dirt and anger and fear. rusty wheels and bright smiles. rough stone walls and old gowns. household dragons and love.

   This is a really fun story that I started for NaNo of last year, and I actually blogged about it here. Basically, it's a retelling of several fairy tales, and almost all of the characters are people of color and/or disabled. Also there's a body-stealing witch trying to take over the kingdom. It's kind of a mess but I'm rather fond of it.

Fireblood: Pinterest // Spotify

the only half-demon half-human to survive past childhood. learning to live in your own skin. friendship and bravery. a brewing war.

   Fireblood is a paranormal/urban fantasy about a teenage girl named Rhyn who is half human, half demon. Originally, I thought this was going to be about a currently unknown conflict between demons, angels, and humans; the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that's not the main focus. Rhyn hates demons, and the novel is mostly going to be about her becoming comfortable with herself, as well as reluctantly befriending a demon brother and sister. Outside of that, the plot is sketchy, but this is my favorite plot bunny at the moment.

Rust, Blood, and Stardust: Pinterest // Spotify

Keeli is the bright rust on a soaring spaceship, all big smiles and adrenaline rushes. Creed is the blood between your teeth as you grin at your attacker, all aggression and fear. Adra is the stardust in your best friend's eyes as they look up at the sky, all soft hair and quiet worry.

   I feel like the reccuring themes of my plot bunnies is "lol wut's a plot". This story is about three best friends—Keeli, the brunette, an pilot in training; Creed, the boy, an enhanced soldier; and Adra, the blonde, a student who hopes to become a teacher. They're all very different, but they're unbreakably close. There's a war with aliens for some reason, surprisingly little romance(if any), and shenanigans and friendship and becoming better people. I love it dearly.

ghost graphic novel: Pinterest // Spotify

a fogged-up mirror. after-school clubs. paranormal activity. innocent laughter. friendship. sacrifice.

   I'm ridiculously excited about this nameless little brainchild of mine, but it's going to be a long time before I can work on it, since I'm going to need an illustrator. The story is about Abi, a Hispanic middle schooler, who accidentally discovers and befriends Jay, the ghost-like creature that lives in her bathroom mirror. Wanting to learn more about Jay's world, Abi joins the paranormal club at school, makes some friends, and gets into investigations and mischief. But it's not as innocent as it seems; Jay is secretive, and there's things they haven't told Abi about who they are... *cue mysterious music*

   Thanks for listening to me ramble about my dumb ideas. I'm really excited to have them out in the world so I can screech about them more! Which one seems the most interesting? Is there one you'd like to someday read? Let me know what you think in the comments so we can flail together.

Beautiful People - Danica

So when I asked my beta readers who I should interview, everyone said different characters. (I love you girls but you need to get better at agreeing.) Two of the characters already have painfully awkward and outdated interviews, so we're going with the other one - Danica! She is my sweet little INFJ genius made of stardust and quiet comfort, and I love her dearly.
   As usual, I'm joining Beautiful People, a linkup hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In, who are both wonderful people that you should follow right now. I mean it. Go follow them. I'll wait.

   So without further ado, let's get to know Danica!

1. What’s their favourite book/movie/play/etc.?
   Well, she's from a fantasy world, and her family is far too poor to own any books. But if she lived in our world...
Book: Jane Eyre, The Raven Cycle, Harry Potter(duh)
Movie: Beauty and the Beast, Labyrinth
Play: Phantom of the Opera

2. Is there anything they regret doing?
   She regrets being awkward and bad with people, because that makes it hard for her to fit in and have friends.

3. If they were sick or wounded, who would take care of them and how?
   Danica is usually the one taking care of the sick or wounded, but if she needed someone to take care of her, she'd trust Egin and/or Allorie. 

4. Is there an object they can’t bear to part with and why?
   This isn't exactly an object, but she'd hate to cut her hair. It's very long and thick, and she's able to do a lot of cool braids. She considers it her most attractive feature.

5. What are 5 ways to win their heart (or friendship)?
- Pay attention to her (she was a neglected little child)
- Have philosophical discussions with her
- Treat her ideas, thoughts, and feelings with respect
- Let her be her own person and don't try to control or confine her
- Take the initiative in social situations*

   
   *Danica is an shy introverted child and appreciates when she doesn't have to make the first move

6. Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom.
   Some kind of braid, a simple dress, and during the colder months, well-worn shoes.

7. What’s their favorite type of weather?
   Clear days where the sun is bright but the air is still cool. Or nights when there are no clouds and you can see all the stars.

8. What’s the worst fight they’ve ever been in?
   She's probably gotten into some nasty fights with her stepmom or her oldest half-sister. Neither of them are very fond of Danica.

9. What names or nicknames have they been called throughout their life?
   Her siblings and the mean kids from her village have probably given her some nicknames that she'd prefer not to hear again.

10. What makes their heart feel alive?
   Stars. Late-night talks about anything. Hugging the people close to her. Stars. Learning new things. Taking time to herself to just think. And did I mention stars.

   And that's all the questions! I love participating in Beautiful People and I look forward to it every month. Thanks for reading!

   What did you think of Danica? She's pretty great, isn't she? Do you have any characters like Danica, or characters she'd get along with? (hint, she has a secret weakness for "bad boys" when they aren't actually terrible human beings.)

NTTB Festival

   So, I discovered something interesting about myself this weekend.
   When I meet famous people, I start shaking.

   On Saturday, I was lucky enough to be able to attend the North Texas Teen Book Festival (NTTBF for short). There were so many well-known authors there.
   Seriously.
   So many. Authors like Veronica Roth, Maggie Stievater, Victoria Aveyard, Marie Lu, Stephanie Perkins, and many, many, many others. The ones I was really excited about are all relatively lesser-known: Shannon Hale, Ally Carter, Ally Condie, Lisa McMann, Claire Legrand, and Matthew J. Kirby. And I got to meet all of them.

actually me, the entire day

   The day started off with panels, where I got to see and hear the authors talk about everything from mental health in books to their favorite ships in Buffy The Vampire Slayer to writing fantasy.

mental health panel featuring Jeff Zentner, Jennifer Niven, Adam Silvera, John Corey Whaley, Justine Larbalestier, and Sonya Sones.

   There was a panel with one of my favorite booktubers, jessethereader, but I was late and the room was closed by the time I got there. *cue sobbing* But actually it's okay! I met two girls, Tyler and Jewel, who were also late, and we ended up talking and hanging out for a lot of the day. I failed to get a picture with them (shame on me), but we exchanged social media so we can keep talking (hi guys). And I found Jesse! He was so incredibly nice and hugged me before I even introduced myself. I never actually told him my name, which is awkward

(also, my entire family ships us, so that's cool)

   I also spoiled myself and bought four books(technically five, because The Scorpio Races is for a friend who lives several states away). They didn't have all the books I wanted(more on that later), and I made a few surprise perchases, but I'm happy with what I got.

the haul

   I also brought alllllll these books from home to get signed. My arms and shoulders were killing me by the end of the day. Books are heavy, kids.

the books from home

   I really enjoyed the panels, but the highlight of the day was by far the signings. Ah, the signings.

Matthew J. Kirby
   I brought his book Icefall to be signed. It's a lovely book about Norse people/Vikings, survival, loyalty, family, and the power of storytelling. I'm in desperate need of a reread. He was super nice and thought it was cool that I'd brought my own copy of the book from home instead of buying it at the conference.

Ally Carter
   If I'm remembering correctly, Ally Carter was my next stop. I've read several of her books, but I was only able to bring I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You from home. try saying that five times fast. actually don't, you'll hurt yourself. I also bought All Fall Down, and got both books signed. When she saw that I was wearing plaid, she was like "ohhhh you're cosplaying as a Gallagher girl!" and then nodded encouragingly. So I was like ".....yes! Definitely!" It was hilarious. (idk why I didn't get a picture with her.)

Ally Condie
   The Allys were seated very close to each other, because their names are so close to identical. While I wasn't a huge fan of the Matched series, I loved the first book and was thrilled to get it signed. I also got to tell Mrs. Condie that I'll be attending the Minneapolis Young Writers Workshop, where she'll be teaching at this summer. She's so nice and sweet and I can't wait to get to know her better at the conference! *screams*

Shannon Hale
   Boy oh boy was I nervous about meeting Mrs. Hale. I've loved her books for so long and I really admire her writing ability. I probably sounded like an idiot while we talked, but it was worth it. I brought my copy of Goose Girl and my sister's copy of Princess Academy to be signed, because that girl has read it so many times she has the first page memorized. Mrs. Hale was very impressed. She's going to MYWW as well, and I hope I'll be a little a lot less awkward next time we talk.

Lisa McMann
   I haven't read the rest of the series, but Mrs. McMann's book The Unwanteds is one of my favorites. She seemed thrilled when I told her how much the book means to me. I also got one of the tiny squishy dragons she was giving out. *squeals happily*

Jennifer E. Smith
   I bought Mrs. Smith's book The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight on whim because it seemed cute, and I wasn't able to get all of the books I wanted. BOY OH BOY am I glad I did. It was ridiculously fluffy and I loved it; I'm so glad I got it signed. (After, I overheard a younger girl telling her friends that she was going to have Mrs. Smith sign her hand or something, so I offered her a page from my notebook so the signature would last. She was so grateful and her face just lit up.)

Adam Silvera
   So, I haven't read any of his books, but he said some wonderful things in the mental illness panel and just seems like the friendliest dude ever, so I had him sign my notebook. And no I'm not short, he's just ridiculously tall.

Claire Legrand
   And now for the grand finale. The "more on that later" from earlier. The highlight of the entire day.
   If you haven't seen my glowing review of her book Some Kind of Happiness on Goodreads, let me take this opportunity to tell you that it is one of the best books I've read in my life. It's so incredibly important to me. So when I found out that Claire would be at the conference, I just about died. I was going to buy the book! And meet the author! And let her know how much it means to me! But by the time I got to the book-selling area, it was sold out. I was absolutely heartbroken. I thought I'd lost my chance to talk to Claire. But then just a minute later, I noticed her nearby talking to her family. I worked up my courage, pulled out my notebook and pen, and approached her hesitantly. She hugged me twice(!!!), wrote me a short note that I will treasure until the end of my days, told me to email her for a bookplate, and listened to my stammering, help-I-can't-stop-shaking, rambling explaination of how much I appreciate Some Kind of Happiness.
   (Seriously, it took me like five minutes to stop shaking.)
   Then, after the signing was basically over and everyone was cleaning up and heading home, I went over to her and we talked again about depression and anxiety, writing, and how wonderful the conference was. And she hugged me again.
   I'm so grateful that Some Kind of Happiness was sold out. If I'd bought the book, we wouldn't have talked so much, and I wouldn't consider her a friend. It was proof that sometimes the things you want the least are the things you need the most.

if you hear screaming in the background, that's definitely me.

Bonus photos!

Awkward stalker-y photos of Maggie Stievater because I never actually got the chance to meet her

the ridiculous amount of bookish pins I bought

the books I bought a few days before the conference, because they came out to 95 cents and I can't pass up cheap books

   Have you ever met an author you look up to? Have you goten any good books or gone to any bookish events recently? How many signed books do you own? According to Goodreads, I have 11. That number will hopefully increase in the future.

#WIPJoy Character Takeover

   Okay, so I literally missed all of February. I've been lazy and sick and working more than normal. I'm doing my best, okay? And I have a super cool post planned for next week. Anyway, on to the post. 

   On Twitter, author Bethany A. Jennings created a hashtag for celebrating your work in progress. Every few months, she has a daily prompt so that we writers can ramble about our WIPs. Well, as much as you can ramble with a 140 character limit.

   I love participating, but I lost momentum about two weeks into January and kinda just....stopped. But there was a week I really wanted to do—the Protagonist Takeover week! So, I'm just gonna do it here.

   The thing is...I have six protagonists. So this will be interesting. I'm not sure if I'll have all of them answer each question, but they'll all answer at least one. We'll see what happens.

   (Click the links on the characters' names if you're new to Children of the Nameless or you just want a refresher.)

Describe yourself in five words

Kaleth: Courageous, strong, a good leader.

Danica: Um...quiet, thoughtful, peacemaker...tired.

Barrow: Loud. Obnoxious. An irresistible charmer. *hesitates, then winks* Recalcitrant.

Allorie: I'm gentle, selfless, and...hopeful. *feels unconfortable praising herself*

Katria: ...no.

Egin: I...um...I like trees?

One thing you'd change about your past?

Kaleth: I wish I'd known the truth about my father sooner, so I could have helped even more people.

Danica: I... *looks down* If I could, I would have my father marry someone kinder.

Barrow: *folds his arms defensively* My past is none of your business.

Favorite way to relax?

Kaleth: ....talking to Allorie or Danica, I guess.

Danica: I like going out on my own, somewhere peacful and quiet where I can just think. Maybe braid my hair or pick flowers.

Barrow: Reading. It's always been an escape for me.

Allorie: *smiles shyly* I like when Danica braids my hair.

Katria: Bein' with Conryn*. 

Egin: Being alone in the forest. Practicing my magic.

Egin spending time in the forest

*her best friend

A line you were proud to say*

Kaleth:

ah, my brave son

Danica:

technically she didn't /say/ it but it counts, man

Barrow: 

the sassy problematic fave

*I'm just including lines from the current draft. the first draft is huge and embarrassing and I am too tired to scroll through 70k+ to find good lines. You'll get snippets from the others eventually, I promise

Tell us about where you live

Kaleth: I was raised in a small village in Iyon, but now I'm traveling to world to find the other Nameless.

Danica: I lived in a village a few day's walk from Kaleth's. There are big green fields, and we're surrounded by a forest. It's beautiful.

Barrow: Most of my life was spent in the city of Reoun, a city near the edge of Frayn. But like most Fraynics, I've traveled much and spent time in other parts of the country.

Allorie: I spent my entire life in the capital city of Daglen.

Katria: Tsuki. Born an' raised. Only ever left for... *twirls knife between fingers* jobs.

Egin: I lived in the badlands between Skovia and the territories until I was six. It was just me and Lisbet* and Ma. Then she.... *trails off* Then Lisbet and I lived in Skovia.

The forest surrounding Kaleth's and Danica's villages

*Lisbet = Egin's little sister

Do you sympathize/relate to the antagonist?

Kaleth: *frowns* Absolutely not. Just because I'm Iyonian doesn't mean I agree with what my former countrymen did.

What are you self-conscious about?

Kaleth: My mistakes.

Danica: ...everything? I have all these thoughts inside my head but I can't seem to get them out. It makes me feel stupid.

Barrow: Nothing. *winks*

Allorie: *sheepishly* My hands. They're rough and calloused from working hard...I wish I could have soft hands.

Katria: No point in being self-conscious. Ain't gonna help anythin'.

Egin: I, um...not being normal.

   Well, I hope you liked this little character interview thing! I really enjoyed getting to talk about my babies. Who was your favorite/least favorite? Have you ever participated in #WIPJoy? Comment below so we can chat!

January Wrap-Up

   Shh, I know it's already a week into February. I'm just trying to stick to the schedule here.

   I honestly can't believe January is over??? It still feels like it was barely New Year's Eve, and now it's nearly Valentine's Day*. If you ignore all the crazy politics, it was a pretty good month for me.

*aka time for me to obsess over fictional boys because I can't find any of them in real life

   At the beginning of the month, I finished Unwholly(4 stars of suspense and feels and hatred for Starkey) as well as The Fire Within(2 stars of a ridiculous amount of squirrels). And then I had no new books to read and got into a reading slump. I started rereading A Time To Die but still haven't finished it. I'm really hoping February is a better reading month. (I also listened to an audiobook with my mom on our drive to work, but it was terrible so we're not gonna mention it.)

   Well writing didn't go as good as I hoped. I wanted to reach 25k by the end of the month, but I'm only at about 17/18k. I pushed back my finish-by date to April 15th, and I'm feeling optimistic.

   Also, I got a new beta!! Caroline is so lovely, you guys. She and my other betas are SO NICE.

   Miraculously, I posted three time in January. I have a few months' worth of posts scheduled, and I plan on posting every Monday and on the last day of every month. I'm really excited to become more consistent with my blogging and hopefully get a few more followers eep. I also redid the blog's design, and I am in love. It's much more my style, and I just want to flail every time I look at it.

My posts: 

New Year, New...Something

The Smashing & Dashing Character Awards

Beautiful Books ~ 2017 Writing Goals

Friends' posts:

When The Words Don't Word//A Writer's Faith (guest post by Aimee Meester)

When Inspiration Doesn't Strike//To The Barricade (guest post by Katie Grace)

How to Keep Writing Even When You Hate Your Story//Nadine Brandes

   If you follow me on Pinterest, you probably have noticed that I've been pinning a lot of Voltron stuff. That's because season 2 came out on January 20th, bringing my obsession back to life. I don't even know why I love this show so much but I do.

   My friend from church let me borrow all of Avatar: The Last Airbender on dvd, so my family's been rewatching it for the first time in years. Guys, this has got to be one of the best shows out there(in my opinion). It's the perfect blend of action, humor, character delevopment, and important lessons. The only thing I don't like is the romance. (Why on earth did I ever ship Kataang)

   Oh boy, guys. January was a good month for new music. I finally listened to Bastille's newest album Wild World and I am completely in love. My favorites are Send Them Off!, Campus, and Glory. 

   On the last day of January, I really wanted to listen to some new music, so I listened to Pvris because my good friend had talked about them and I was curious. And BOY OH BOY AM I GLAD I DID. My favorite is probably You and I, but all of their stuff is so darn good. And good for stories.

   Also, IMAGINE DRAGONS RELEASED A NEW SINGLE ON JANUARY 31. It's so lovely, you guys.

   Life was pretty good in January. I'm really pumped for the new year and planned a lot of stuff that I want to do over the course of 2017. I did some art and bought a Wreck This Journal(which you should totally check out). My little sister turned 16 which I am NOT okay with. Stop growing, child. 

   

   I'd love to keep rambling, but if I don't shut up now I won't get this posted on Monday. So tell me about your January! Did you listen to any new music? What was the best book you read this month? Also, thank you for getting through this crappy blog post.