Writing Plans and Such

Hello, everyone! I’m finally posting an update on what I’ve been doing! And yes, I know it’s not Friday, but I decided to do it now before I forget or keep putting it off.

• ·        My writing is going very well. I’m almost done with one story and about halfway done with another. In order to make sure my writing keeps going well, I’ve made an hour a day writing requirement for myself. With this in place, I hope to have both stories done by Easter.
• ·        What will I do after Easter, then? The answer is go back to writing novels. My current plan is to start work on the sequel to my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel either on Easter or the day after Easter, with a requirement of eight to ten pages a day. If all goes well, this will have me finishing the novel in about fifty days. After this, I plan to work on the sequel to Gone at the same rate, which should result in being finished with it in about twenty to twenty-five days. After this point, I have no plans except to make sure that if I start a novel, I finish it in time for Camp NaNoWriMo in July. Whether or not I will stick to this plan after I finish the first novel I mentioned, however, remains to be seen.
• ·        Speaking of Camp NaNoWriMo, I’ve already started trying to decide what I’ll write for it. At the moment, one thing I’m strongly considering is giving the remade fairy tale plotline another try. As you may know, my first book, Rosa, was a remake of Snow White. Since then, however, remaking fairy tales has been pushed aside. This has changed in the last few months, however, when I’ve thought about trying to do a remake of either Rapunzel or The Twelve Dancing Princesses. However, whether or not I actually write them, like whether or not I stick with the plan I mentioned earlier, is a matter of some doubt.
• ·        In non-writing-related news, I’ve been doing some photography, though my photo assignments were neglected in the past two weeks. I recently enjoyed going to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens to photograph tulips and bluebells. Though my bluebells didn’t turn out as well as I hoped, the tulips turned out lovely and I posted some pictures of them on Monday.

Well, that’s about it. Thanks for reading and for your patience in waiting for an update.

-Sarah

Cherry Blossoms and Tulips

Hello, everyone. I've got some more pictures to show you. I took these pictures at a nearby public garden-type place last Saturday. This is one of the first times I've been out taking flower pictures this spring, and I'm really quite pleased with how the  images turned out.

I hope you like them! Thanks for stopping by!

-Sarah

Foggy Morning

Hello, everyone! I'm back, with some more pictures! I took these Saturday morning. Since it was foggy out, Daddy and I went out to take pictures at a Wetlands Preserve near our house.

 

This last picture is the result of a combination of three things: a picture I very much liked, an overabundance of quotes from The Lord of the Rings stored in my head, and a renewed interest in playing around in Photoshop. It's actually a composite of two images.

I hope you like my pictures! Thanks for reading!
-Sarah

Hands Assignment

Hello, everyone! I'm back, with my photos from last week's photo assignment: hands!

Although I had other ideas than this one, neither of them turned out. So, I was left with these two pictures: a full-color version and a selective color version. I hope you like them!
-Sarah

What I've Been Up To

Hello, everyone! I'm here with an update on what I've been doing lately.

• Today, I read The Ale Boy's Feast, the last book in the Auralia Thread series. It was absolutely incredible. I know of very few authors who can end the last book in a series like he did and not get fans mad at them, but Jeffery Overstreet managed it perfectly. 
• My writing has been going well. I've started two short stories, both of which I'm currently quite happy with. One is a sci-fi/futuristic story. The other is a story set in Berstru, the world of my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel. The second story, I think, is my favorite. It concerns a masked bardess, a prince, a masquerade ball, and a plot to kill the king. Granted, it might sound a bit cliche plotwise, but I'm hoping that it won't be as cliche as it sounds and that my characters will make up for it if it is.
• I've also been doing quite a bit of photography, though not as much as I probably should be doing. I think that part of my problem is that I think of ideas, but I either can't figure out how to do them or I decide to write or read a book instead. 

Well, that's about it. Thanks for stopping by!
-Sarah

Poptarts

Hello, everyone. Here I am with the results of last week's photo assignment: food photography. Unfortunately, my picture probably wasn't as interesting as it could've been, since I spent most of the week with the wrong idea of what food photography included. This is what I ended up coming up with:

I hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by!
-Sarah

Raven's Ladder Review

Author: Jeffery Overstreet

Characters: Excellent! Just as in the previous books, the cast of Raven’s Ladder is a colorful treat for the reader, with characters who are realistic and easy to like or dislike, depending on the character.

5/5

Location: Pretty good. I did get confused once or twice, but for the most part, the descriptions were colorful and easy to understand. I especially liked the descriptions of Bel Amica. I felt like I could almost see the city.

4/5

Plot: Brilliant! Jeffery Overstreet weaves together the lives of the characters to form a magnificent plot full of twists, mystery, and excitement. I enjoyed getting answers to some of my questions, though there’s still some questions yet unanswered.

5/5

Other: Though not quite as good as Auralia’s Colors, Raven’s Ladder is an amazing book, well worth reading.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Lensbaby Flowers

Hello, everyone. As you know if you read my latest post, my assignment last week was to take pictures with a Lensbaby. Well, these are the results of my efforts.

Thanks for stopping by, and please don't forget to vote on my poll!
-Sarah

Photography and a New Novel

Hello, everyone! I’m back with an update on what I’ve been doing lately!

·        I have started my photo assignments, and so far, it’s been going fairly well. My first week’s assignment was “Americana”, for which Daddy and I went to DC to take pictures. First we photographed the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin as the sun rose. Then we moved on to the FDR Memorial and the WWII Memorial. This week my assignment was to take pictures using the Lensbaby, a special lens that is often used for artistic effects. In doing this, I finally learned how to use it! I’ll be posting some of the pictures that I took with it on Monday.

·        I finished my story! I’m very happy about this, since I’ve been working on it since before Christmas. I finished it on Friday, February 24. It was just in time, since I was beginning to get quite tired of writing it!

·        Now, of course, I have to figure out what to write next. And, since I have four different ideas, I’m going to ask you for your opinions like I did for my NaNoWriMo novel back in October. The poll will be up for a week, and I’d appreciate it if you’d vote sometime during that time. These are my ideas:

o                   Story One: (Sequel to Gone [Camp NaNoWriMo2011 novel]) Audrey may be safe, but Kelia’s work is definitely not over. Trapped in an unfamiliar world and on the run from Lord Faldrin, she knows she needs help, but isn’t sure how to get it. An unexpected capture alerts her to the presence of possible allies, but will she be able to gain their trust? As her adventure goes on, she finds herself in situations she never would’ve dreamed of, and discovers things about herself and her family that will turn her perspective upside down. Pros: This would be a shorter novel, so I’d definitely be finished in time for Camp NaNoWriMo this year, and I’d get to write a startling revelation scene. Also, since I ended Gone on a cliffhanger, I probably should continue it. Cons: I’m not as excited about this story as I could be at the moment, and there are one or two spots where I’m not quite sure what’ll happen. Also, I was considering saving it for this year’s Camp NaNoWriMo in case I chose to do a shorter challenge.

o                   Story Two: (Sequel Idea #1 for my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel) Nightshade is back! Several months have peacefully passed since Rachelle was reunited with her family, but the appearance of their old enemy effectively disrupts their happiness. Dustin and Hunter set out to keep an eye on Nightshade and attempt to stop her. Meanwhile, Rachelle journeys south in search of an old friend whose help they badly need. At the same time, Dea Alyron has set out to make her way in the world, but when she meets first with Aleta Nernathon the bardess and then with Rachelle, she finds herself in an adventure she never would’ve dreamed of. Pros: I’m excited about this story, I want to return to the world of dragons and dragon Riders, and I also want to write about these characters. Cons: There are some spots where I’m not sure what to do, and it would have to be another novel about the same length as my NaNoWriMo novel.

o                   Story Three: (Sequel Idea #2 for my NaNoWriMo 2011 novel) Gwen and the Firhirt siblings have traveled south to search for Gwen’s brother, Jake. However, Jake seems to have disappeared without a trace. While searching, they meet up with another of Gwen’s siblings, Emma, who’s been trying to avoid her entire family, including Gwen! They soon become a bit suspicious of Emma, who seems to be hiding something. Then, when Emma learns of a plot to kill (someone, haven’t decided who), she is faced with a choice: say nothing and stay out of trouble or tell Gwen and the Firhirts and become entangled in the same danger she’s been trying to avoid for years. Pros: Same as Story Two. Cons: Same as Story Two.

o                   Story Four: (No story) I could also, instead of starting a new novel, work on writing short stories as I get ideas for them and do some worldbuilding for Berstru. Pros: This might be more relaxing for me than the other ideas, and it would give me freedom to, if I really, really wanted to, start one of the novels I mentioned earlier. Also, I’ve had ideas for a few short stories that I haven’t wanted to start because I’ve been working on something else, and worldbuilding is always helpful. Cons: I’m not sure how long I’d actually be able to go without starting a new novel, so I might end up getting tired of this after a week or so, and I’m not entirely sure I wouldn’t go crazy without a novel to work on.

Well, that’s about it. Thanks a bunch for reading this very long post. Please don’t forget to vote in my poll!

-Sarah

The Question part four

My apologies for not posting this yesterday. Here's part three, in case you need a refresher.

Part Four

Rushing,

The crowds of townsfolk

Bustle around me.

Housewives

Doing their morning shopping.

Peddlers

Hawking their wares.

Young women

Giggling and gossiping.

All these

And more

Fill the crowded marketplace.

I slip,

Unnoticed,

Between shoppers and stalls.

I listen to every word they say.

One name

Is on everyone’s lips,

The name of the one

Who I have followed.

“The Prince!”

They say,

“The one who calls Himself

Son of the Great King!”

Matronly women

Talk knowingly with their friends

About Him.

“I heard

He raised a girl from the dead,”

Says one.

“My cousin told me

That He gave sight to a girl blind from birth!”

Exclaims another.

“My husband says

That He knows more about the Great King than anyone,

Even the Elders!”

Another whispers.

Speculations fly
About who He is.

“He is the one we have heard of,

The one who says a Deliverer is coming!”

“He is one of the heroes of old,

Come back to lead us!”

“He is a prophet,

Sent with a message from the Great King!”

Everyone seems to have an opinion

But I do not think

That anyone truly knows for sure.

I leave the city,

Running out the gates

And back to the place

Where our group stopped

While I went on ahead

To find out what the townspeople say

About our leader.

I approach Him respectfully.

He turns to me.

“You have returned.

What have you learned?”

I tell Him what I heard.

“Some say

You are the One who proclaims a Deliverer is coming.

Others say

You are a hero of old

Or a prophet.”

He nods slowly.

“And you, Teresa,

Who do you say I am?”
I hesitate.

I have pondered the question

Many times

Despite having followed Him

This long.

Who is He?

Who am I following?

I feel as if every eye in the group

Is on me.

Who is He?

Who am I following?

I look up,

Into His eyes,

And I realize

I knew all along

But I would not admit it.

“You are,”

I begin.

“You are

The Prince of Peace,

Son of the Great King.”

The Prince of Peace smiles.