100%

If I have learned one thing from blogging, it is never to post about the frailty of excuses. At least, not if you think you'll ever miss a posting day.

Ahem.

It was Spring Break.

Honestly, I've been a bit at a loss as to what to post. I'm practically never writing any more. On occasion, I reach day's end and realize I haven't daydreamed at all. {Daydreaming is very important to writing books.}

The reason?

I came to a decision early this semester: no more whining and complaining about how unhappy I am and how college has jerked away my writing life. I really wasn't sure how I would function if I wasn't needing to write. How could I give up that drive, the words spiraling through my fingertips? Writing is a rush. Voluntarily setting it aside sounded like torture.

But there's this verse in the Bible about doing whatever it is you're doing with your whole heart. And I wasn't. I was trudging through school and school activities while wishing I could be at home at my desk with my laptop. {You really don't want to know how many tears were shed asking God whywhywhywhy.} Everything I did, I did halfheartedly. I dedicated myself to my classes, because I don't know any other way to treat academics, but I wasn't happy about it. I wasn't passionate about physics.

And so early this semester, I vowed to be 100% where I was. I was terrified. Terrified of losing the words and the stories. Terrified even of losing my homesickness, my passionate belonging in my house with my family. Terrified of losing my identity. But I did it anyway. I promised to be "all in."

Yeah, things are different now. I'm okay with spending a lot of weekends in Austin. I'm okay if I haven't written in a couple weeks. I'm okay. Surprise.

Am I the same? No. Do I know what to make of that? No.

Am I okay with that? Yes. Life is not a stagnant thing. It ebbs. It flows.

Have I given up writing forever? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I still say that with absolute certainty. In fact, some things have happened recently that make me think writing will be a thing for Melody in the near future.

Am I happier? Yes. I've known for four semesters that I was where I was supposed to be. Now I've chosen to be all there, and it's a most freeing experience. {And yes, it took me that long. God is so patient.} To be where you are meant to be, to be 100% where you are meant to be...there are few greater adventures.

The College Variable

Thursday, I said. I'll be mostly free Wednesday night, I said.

Lies.

On the upside, I can assure you that the human body requires much less sleep than previously supposed in order to survive. Less sleep = more things done. Why didn't we think of this before? {Because survive does not equal thrive, my friends.}

Yesterday morning, I decided to post on my personal Facebook a little reminder about the signing. So many more days! is what I planned on saying. And then I thought, "How many more days is it?"

Three days.

My own post surprised myself. Three days. Well, two days now.

I have a talk to write/outline. I said I would write it earlier, edit it, polish it down. Write + edit + polish = awesome. I just forgot a variable...College. Write + edit + polish + college = LOL.

But it will get done. That's one of the many things I've learned in college. If something has to be done, it will be done. It will. Even though I agonize and fret and stress about how much time I don't have, at the end of the day, the assignment will get turned in. The talk will get written.

Sorry for all the equations scattered about this post. I've been lab-report writing. {This is the one-hour credit lab that swindles me into perfectionism every single time.} Did you know Google Drive has equations in it? They work out quite well. Not as well as other programs that I don't know how to use {yet}, but I can use it.

Okay. Keep an eye out next week for a new series: How To Paperback! :)

Blathering

One of the odd things about a daily blog is that you have to write something every day. Understandable, I suppose.

But I have nothing writing-related to write about today, and I dislike blathering on just for the sake of words. I mean, I can. I'm very capable of writing much about nothing, but I feel sometimes it's discourteous to the reader. You know, "Here are a couple hundred absolutely pointless words that I wrote just so that the daily blog would not go unblogged."

I have some deep thoughts, but I have to return to campus soon, and deep thoughts take time to blog, because I like to get them right. Campus. I live on campus. Not really. It feels like it, though. Twelve hours yesterday. And that's just the first day in a week of three tests.

Three tests, two homework assignments, and one quiz.

Yeah, I'm a little sleep-deprived. And it's only Tuesday. Oh, dear...

When Google Reader Ditched Us

My return to blogging is marred by one very sad fact: Google Reader is leaving us. Apparently we're supposed to migrate to Google Plus. Apparently that's better. Apparently it's a win-win for both parties involved.

But I liked Google Reader. And I have yet to see value in Google Plus. I may have gmail, Blogger, Google Drive, and Google Calendar, and YouTube, but I am resisting the total G-takeover of my life! I am!

I am...trying.

Anyway, I'm curious. What are you turning to since Google Reader is ditching us? Do you like it? Any app recommendations for someone whose blog-reading time now mostly occurs on the bus...with an iPhone 4? Free apps, preferably, but if there's one that's worth the money, I'm game.

7 Things

Paula tagged me for the fun Lucky 7 Meme going around the blog-sphere. It looked like fun; I enjoy sharing {and reading} random excerpts from books-in-progress. So, without further ado...

The rules - Open current novel-in-progress and:

• Go to page 77.
• Go to line 7.
• Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs as they are written.
• Tag 7 new authors.

 Seven lines from the currently-querying YA suspense novel, Those Who Trespass:

His response makes me feel like a little sister again. “Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't Shaw mention it?”

“I thought we should tell you. Shaw wanted to probe and find out how much you knew.” If I didn't know better, I'd say he looks apologetic.

“Well, I knew absolutely nothing.” I close my eyes. Swallow. “If Dad had the files to begin with, why did the FBI think Jake had them?”

“After your dad turned himself in for your mom's murder, he swore up and down that he hadn't given them to Colette. We couldn't find them when we searched the house. Jake was--is--the only other option.”

That's it! Doesn't make much sense by itself, even though I finished out that last paragraph. And now I'm going to break a rule and tag no one...if you want to do this, please do, and enjoy! :)

That Feeling

You know that feeling when you wake up and you're like, "Omgosh, I didn't blog yesterday."

I had that feeling this morning.

Anyway, this blog is going on a tiny vacation--call it Spring Break, if you wish--this week. Due to college application deadlines and a challenge by my writing-accountability-partner, I have no extra time. So, see you next week!!

Literary Jam & Toast

Okay {omgosh, my shift key is working!!! I spilled water on my laptop yesterday and endured much grief and strange beeping and lack of shift keys, but now it's working!!!!!}.

But I digress.

Here is what I was going to tell you yesterday: I'm guest blogging at My Literary Jam & Toast, also known as the illustrious blog of young adult writer, Mia Hayson, today {as in, today-today}.

I love Mia's blog because she's so very whimsical, and I had too much fun writing my guest post because I got to be even more whimsical than my normal whimsy. So. Here be the guest post.

I would be delighted if you'd go read it, and even more delighted that through it you are being introduced to Mia. Her blog is delightful, no two ways about it.

{To all those who wondered if I had agent news, I apologize for the suspense. Hopefully my guest post makes up for it.}

Thoughts on a Blog

It's been over two years since I started this blog.

Wow.

• I started this blog because I was writing a book, and my brother was having a house-wide nerf gun fight. I had long been a fan of Shannon Hale's blog, had recently seen Julie & Julia, and I figured that someday I would be as famous as Shannon Hale, and wouldn't it be nice to be able to look back and see what it was actually like {read: nerf war endurance} to write a book. So I started this blog. I had no idea that I wasn't the first to come up with this life-of-an-aspiring-author blog idea.
• I gained a couple of followers through NarniaWeb, and that was awesome. But it wasn't until I discovered Elana Johnson's blog--and thus a host of other awesome writer bloggers--through {I think} QueryTracker that I started following people. And lo and behold, they started following me back. I'm still stunned, actually.
• Then people commented. They commented with encouraging things and "I've been there, don't give up!" comments. And I realized that with real live followers actually counting me, I couldn't stop. I am not exaggerating when I say that without this blog, I don't know if I would still have a dream of being a professional author.
• One thing that makes me happy is that I never started this blog as a platform. I know people do, and I do not have a problem with that at all--I read those blogs, and I adore them--but I didn't begin this blog hoping it would ever gain me anything except a record of my writing adventure.
• At one point in my blogging process--when I was querying Stratagem--I got obsessive about making my posts super professional and platform-worthy. Soon I realized that I didn't have time to write a blog that wasn't truly me. So I reverted back to me, and subsequently missed lots of blogging days. But I've adjusted, and this time when I sent out Those Who Trespass, I didn't include my blog link in the query. Not because I think the blog is bad publicity. But my blog is not a platform. It's not meant to be a performance. It's just a blog. It's really nothing more than that.

I think those are all my thoughts. Yay for bullet points and bolded words, because if I were you reading this post, that's pretty much all I would retain.


One last blogging note: You may have noticed that 1) I've become a much steadier blogger than I was several months ago, and 2) I'm officially only blogging Mon-Thurs. Just an FYI.

Funny that my blogiversary is so close to my birthday. I'm twenty-one this month. I'm not sure what this means, although I think it implies I should really, really get my driver's license soon. {No, really, I'm attempting my license again in the next couple of weeks. And yes, I'll let you know when I get it. That's almost as big as publishing deal news, in my world.}

Thanksgiving Hiatus

So I'm taking this week off in honor of Thanksgiving.

Not going to lie, I'm also hoping for a fresh start to my poor, decrepit blogging schedule next week.

Help. Please.

I read all your lovely blogs via RSS Feed (even though I follow). However - the feed reader I'm using has pushed one button too many, and I'm looking to relocate.

Do you use an RSS reader to read your blogs? Which one? Do you like it?

Someone help me! There's too many choices.
Rules Guidelines:

• An ability to group feeds into folders
• Keywords (that I set up) would be nice
• Some sort of starring system, maybe?

I'm not sure if I want web-based or not. I have my reasons for both ways. :) So please, hit me with all the info you've got! What do you use, and would you recommend it?

Blogging About Blogging...Or Not

Last week I proposed that I blog about blogging, having been at it a year. Never mind that everyone's already beaten that topic to death, I thought. If they're all writing about it, there must be people that want to read.

It was my first post in a week and a half that garnered 0 comments.

I think that's telling. Very telling.

And in honor of that, I'm not blogging about blogging this week. Which is kind of a relief, considering that I don't really consider myself an expert on the subject.

But I am staying on a certain topic for the rest of this week (and possibly next). I've long wanted to post a Facebook note, for my non-writer friends, detailing the publishing process in layman's terms. I want to gracefully tell them that finishing a book doesn't mean it's ready to send out, and that sending it out doesn't mean it's the next NYT bestseller. Any thoughts on what I should include??

Rite of Passage

So I've had like three ideas about what to write today, and now I can't remember any of them. Should have taken Jody Hedlund's advice and started a blogging notebook, though something in me resists the idea of a notebook just for blogging. But should I resist? It's working quite well for her.

One of the things on my blogging possibilities list - located inside my mind, and barely anywhere else, unfortunately - is a few posts on blogging itself. Yeah, I know it's been done. But I've never done it, and it's practically a rite of passage for any blogger to blog about blogging, right? And since I've been here over a year (What's that you say? A blogiversary post of all my accomplishments and celebrations since February 2010? I will. Not yet. That's a lot of typing.), I figured I may actually have something to say on the subject. Maybe.

But only if you ask questions. Ask me anything about my first year of blogging - anything you want - and I'll be answering them next week! Or the next week. Or the week after. :) Depends on my topic-producing macine, hehe.

Meet the Blogosphere

Question, oh great and mighty blogosphere:

Now that I'm querying, I'm thinking that my picture should be a little more me and a little less the back of me. :) But I'm in a bit of a bind as to what sort of picture I should choose.

Should I keep my maintain my whimsical image at the risk of seeming too youthful?

Or should I nudge up my professional image just a little at the risk of seeming boring?

They're both honest, they're both me. Which one should I use, or is it just a preferential thing?

(And yes, that is my face. Melody's face, meet the blogosphere. Blogosphere, this is Melody's face.) :)

Stewardship of Time (Oh, what a highflown title...)

Our family of four once had four computers. The family computer, my laptop, Dad's laptop, and Dad's work laptop.

• Then Dad's laptop broke.
• Then he got laid off and lost the work computer.
• Then my epic wireless-router-setting-up skills somehow messed up the internet capabilities of the family computer.

• Which leaves...my laptop. For four people.
• Which means...fewer blog posts.
• ...less query writing.
• ...less beta reading.

On the plus side, I've gotten a ton of laundry done, swept/mopped/vacuumed (as the case may be) all the floors yesterday, finally organized my graduation cards from 2009, etc, etc, etc... So yeah, more work done.

But what this means is that my computer time is sparing, and when I do get a hold of it, I have to...show good stewardship with my time. Quick glance at Facebook. See if there's any important emails. Read 1-3 blogs. That process used to be 45 minutes (it included a lot more Facebook, and many more blogs). Now it's something like 10 minutes, if that.

I am learning what is important, and what is not. Blogging is somewhere in the middle. Definitely more important than movie forums and graphic-design-hobby. Not as important as my query-writing, beta-reading, and writing. (So if I seem far away, that's why...)

What about you? Any stuff happened lately that makes you realize that better stewardship of time is always possible?

Housekeeping, As It Were

Well, I honestly thought I'd be back to a regular posting schedule once NaNo was over. Guess I was wrong. :/ Sorry, to all those who have showed up to see nothing. Sorry if I haven't visited your blog. Sorry to my lovely (and very, very patient) beta reader, whose notes I have not yet finished.


Let's see...since I can't think of anything deep/intriguing/otherwise interesting, I'll give a quick writing update.

• Ivolet - should be editing. Am not editing. All my friends ask me what's up with it. I should be editing. And integrating my BR's (beta reader) marvelous notes. And writing my query letter. (Haha, I typed 'query later,' which is more or less what's happening.) MUST. PRESS. ON. MUST. NOT. GIVE. UP. PERSEVERANCE. EQUALS. PUBLICATION.
• Jenn Alistor (Aftertaste of Revenge) - should be on the back burner. Am writing and creating and filling plot holes like there is no tomorrow. The ending 'came' to me the other day (I never have endings for any of my stories), and I'm rather unfortunately obsessed with this story. Not that I'm writing a lot of words, but my brain is working overtime. I love how it's turning out. (Perhaps more on this later?)
• NaNoWriMo (The Mistress Facaade) - NOT. For all those (if any) who are wondering if I have future plans for this book - I don't. I wrote major, major crap (my ever-loyal, non-writer friends do not believe this, but I have no intention of giving them the MS to prove them wrong), and the muse has left me. I still like the story idea, but if I ever go back to it, I'll start from the beginning (though I may incorporate some things from the NaNo speed-writing version.)

Since my posting schedule is rather nonexistent, I'm going to try a Mon-Wed-Fri thing and see how it works out. In the past I've tried to hit 4 out of 7 days, but, of course, that's rather inconsistent.

Covert Operations

Yes, I know I haven't been very interesting this week. I'm sorry. I've been busy trying to figure out a *gasp* college schedule for the spring. :P Don't feel too badly, I haven't even been responding to emails.

BUT - you may remember that I won The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner from Sara B. Larson several months ago. Remember?

Well, Sara is in a slight quandary. She had 200 followers, blinked, and only had 199. All this as she was planning her 200 follower party! Now, because Sara is an amazing person, she's going ahead with the contest (today she posted her prize ideas and asked us to vote - no matter which one wins, it's going to be GOOD).

Okay, here's where the covert operations come into play. Sara doesn't know I'm writing this post. She didn't ask for more followers on her blog, she didn't ask for any promotion. But I'm on a mission to get her past 200 followers! ARE YOU IN?

If you're not already a follower, go right now and follow

Sara B. Larson's Blog

You'll be so glad you did! She has a knack for helpful posts, funny posts, informative posts, just all sorts of REALLY GOOD WRITING! You won't be sorry you followed, I promise. She's an authoress after my own heart!

Besides, there's a good contest coming, and you wouldn't want to miss that. :)

A Makeover

New look, that's right!

What do you think? Is it too hard to read with the contrast and the peacock feather fibers behind it? Let me know!

Yep, this is how I spent my labor day. I only meant to work on this for about 15 minutes...

...2 hours later.

I like peacocks, and the color scheme of peacocks. Somehow, I want to incorporate the colors of peacock feathers into my wedding colors. Not, like, I'm getting married any time soon, haha. :) Grooms are nice for weddings, you know. They're...kinda a good addition. :)

Dad to 12-yr-old-Bro: Do you plan your wedding?
12-yr-old-Bro: *nonplussed* Ummmmm, no.
Dad to Mom: When do girls start planning their weddings?
Mom & Me: *nonplussed* Like...when they're three.
Me: ...if not before...

Long-Lost Secrets

So yes, if you're wondering, this is not a scheduled post.

I'm going to have to leave you for a few days while I do my best to corral a group of Jr. High girls through waterparks and community projects, as well as maintain a halfway decent maturity level and not end up voicing, "Ohmygosh, he is SO HOT!" alongside them. And maybe, just maybe, be transparent enough for Jesus to shine through me and show them how He loves them.

I will leave you with one the most interesting blog posts I've read. It made me remember why I started blogging and redirect my focus a little bit (especially when it comes to things I'm not sure about, like Twitter - I still don't know what to do with Twitter). I think it's a really good post, and I'm really interested in what you think about it.

I will also leave you with the secret. None of us ever thought we could discover this! It's been hidden for centuries, old and dusty and surrounded by cobweb-covered skeletons in a booby-trapped cave! The answer to your question:

How on earth do I create those wacky fantasy names??

Have no fear! Just go to your favorite blog, post a comment, and look at the colored letters in squiggly type that come up.

There is your answer. I can't believe I figured it out, and I'm pretty sure that the agents are on my tail already. So I have to get out of here. If you don't hear from me for a few days, that's why. (I lied about the summer camp.)

Enemy agents aside, I did inadvertently discover the names Diessn and Emindar through this process. Aren't they just perfect for...something?