#AboutTheAuthor August Tag

Somehow we have made it to the final week of August, which is very confusing because wasn’t August 1st just yesterday??? REGARDLESS. Before the month slips away, I couldn’t help but snag a super fun tag all about the author life!

The beautiful and creative Jameson @ Lovely Whatsoevers created the super fun #AboutTheAuthor tag last year, and has brought it back this year! Technically this is a #bookstagram challenge, buuuut I fail miserably at keeping up with those daily SO I am cheating and turning it into a blog post instead!

The challenge ran from August 1st – 22nd, so now that it’s all wrapped up, I thought it’d be fun to just answer all the questions here!

Click here to see the original post.

I will be answering any WIP related questions for The Nether Isle, since that is the book that has consumed my soul since March with rewrites. Though I have newsss regarding it which I will share in the final question because I am evil like that. *cackles*

SO LET’S GET TO IT!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR TAG 

1.) Introduce yourself!

Well, well, well. I’m pretty sure most of you know me. *grins* But for any new faces, I am Christine Smith, an ENFJ, 1w9, Hufflepuff (who is really obsessed with personality types). I’m a 28-year-old who still believes in fairies and am quite put-out over Peter Pan not whisking me away to Neverland before I got so old, sheesh. >.>

Fairy tales and fantasy is my jam, and if you’ve met me for all of 0.7 seconds, I’ve probably screamed about the Howl’s Moving Castle book to you and insisted you read it. Howl’s Moving Castle is the keywords to make me your bestie for life. (Also dragons. Please come talk to me about dragons.)

I write young adult fantasy ranging from eerie fairy tale retellings to epic fantasy to quirky steampunk adventures. And though pink is my favorite color and white and bright and frilly is my trademark, my books are anything but fluff and frills. #whoops My beta-readers always seem surprised at how emotional and intense my stories get. Good times, good times. (I can wear pink and write about murder at the same time thank you.)

And if you know what this is and watched it as a kid, you get 20k bonus points.


2.) Tell us about your work-in-progress and your August goals!

About the story:

The Nether Isle is one of those weird steampunk adventure books I mentioned above. It’s about 17-year-old Karis, who gets sent to the Nether Isle—a forsaken isle where only the worst prisoners are sent. Karis expects to come across dangerous terrain, wildlife, and hostile prisoners. Instead she discovers a strange abandoned town, magical items, an island that seems to be alive and trying to kill her, and (in good ol’ YA fashion) a boy her age who is not a hostile in the least.

The story follows Karis and Jonah as they discover the secrets of this magical island, annnd it also explores the mystery of why these two cinnamon roll children were sent as prisoner there in the first place. HMMM????

The tale has a strange mix of being both eerie and dark and yet so, so soft, and though it still needs so much work, I kind of adore it.

(Yeah, no, I’ve yet to make a proper blurb for it so you get my hodge-podge explanation. #sorrynotsorry)

August Goals:

Finishing this first major round of rewrites!


3.) Introduce your characters!

Karis

An ENFP ray of sunshine carrying way too much guilt but still laughs at the most inopportune times. The spontaneous girl keeps me on my toes, I’ll give her that. Also so much energy. So much. And we’re not even going to talk about her love for explosions, my word.

Jonah

ISFJ and an actual cinnamon roll in human form. So soft, so awkward. Is way too quiet and will hardly ever divulge in what he’s actually thinking but is thinking all. the. time. Also doesn’t get enough sleep. Ever. Seriously, Jonah, put down the book and go to sleep.

(Don’t you just love my in depth character introductions? I can’t give too much away, now can I? *smile, smile*)


4.) What are you currently reading?

I don’t know what I’ll be reading when this post goes up, since I’m prewriting it like a week early. But as of typing this I just finished Omega Dragon (Children of the Bard #4), and WOW. What an emotional roller coaster! Bryan Davis’ Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series were my LIFE during my teenage years, but I shamefully haven’t read all of the sequel series, Children of the Bard, until now. But at last I’ve done it and…it’s so weird having the stories of my teenagehood at an end. I—I don’t know what to do with myself now. Probably reread them for the 19834th time, let’s be real.

Up next I’ll probably read Masque (Two Monarchies Sequence #3.5) by W.R. Gingell because I just discovered her books this year and I. AM. IN. LOVE. 12/10 recommend.


5.) Favorite genre to read and write.

Well, I inadvertently answered this in the first question.

Definitely YA fantasy. I’ve only ever written YA speculative fiction books, almost always on the heavy fantasy side of things, and like 95% of my reading material is the same. One time I was telling a friend I don’t really have any adult books, and I don’t think she believed me until she saw my bookshelves in person. She was like, “Wow, you really do read a lot of YA.” I mean, at least I know what I like. *grins*


6.) Three fun facts about your work-in-progress.

  • Though it’s written in third person, Karis is the sole narrator. We’re in her head the whole time, which is a rarity for me because usually a have multiple POVs and fairly large casts. This book is my smallest cast ever.

  • It’s set in a 1920s-esque steampunk world, which was a blast to play around with.

  • Technically it’s not a mystery,  but it’s probably the closest thing to one I’ve ever written. The amount of secrets in this novel is just absurd, honestly.

7.) You get to spend the day in your story’s world. What do you do?

Oh, HMMM. Well, if I was on the Isle, probably hide in the library in the strange abandoned town and hope nothing kills me.

If not on the Isle, I would love to explore the High City, where Karis is from. It’s the largest city in the continent and brimming with life and all sorts of 1920s steampunk goodness. I would love to walk the streets or cruise around in an automobile or hitch a ride in one of the airships.

     
     

8.) A favorite kind of character to write. 

HA. That’s funny, because The Nether Isle just so happens to have two of my most favorite kinds: the happy-go-lucky, energetic girl and the Soft Boy™ I don’t know why I love writing those so much, but they crop up in my stories a lot.

But I also really love the super shy, awkward types. OR, on the flipside, the sass-masters. I usually have to have at least one (1) snarky, devil-may-care guy causing trouble somewhere. Super important.


9.) What is your writing weakness? 

I don’t research things nearly enough, and worldbuilding is a big struggle. I have to work really, really hard to make an immersive, unique setting. I tend to accidentally fall back on pretty cliché settings—standard European medieval stuff. But I’m trying to work on that, and my last few books have had much more unique settings (I hope).


10.) What is your writing strength? 

I’m pretty good at coming up with big, complex plots…and usually not even on purpose. Books I try to make simple absolutely explode into convoluted nonsense with probably way too many subplots and twists. I mean, I love complicated books but SHEESH. Sometimes I wish mine would calm themselves. >.>

I thiiink I do well with character creation as well. People and personality typing is my jam, so creating characters is what I LIVE FOR.

Research worldbuilding? Naaah. Research random psychological facts? OH YES.


11.) What are your hobbies outside of writing? 

What is this “outside of writing” thing you speak of? There is no outside. Just writing.

In all truthfulness, once I got serious about writing, so many things fell to the wayside. I used to be super passionate about piano playing, loved video games, was even part of 4-H sewing club for a year or two, but then I realized just how much I loved writing and kind of…stopped all those things to pursue it. Even the few hobby-like things I do now (bookstagram, blogging, etc.) are still writing related. XD

I found what I really, truly love, what sets my heart ablaze, and have been chasing it ever since. #noregrets


12.) Your favorite villain trope. 

Gonna be real, I love the Drama Queens/Kings. The ones with flare. You know the type: wears all black and a cape and walks like they’re on a runway 24/7. Because, I mean, if you’re going to be evil, you may as well do it with S T Y L E.

Maleficent is the perfect interpretation of such fabulous dramatics.

Also snark. The devil-may-care, snarky boys I was talking about? Yeah, bonus points if they’re a villain/anti-hero.


13.) A favorite book you’ve read so far in 2020.

2020 has been many unpleasant things, but not in the reading department. This has been one of my BEST reading years! I’ve read so many good books, guys!  

But my two favorites so far are definitely The Icarus Aftermath by Arielle Baily (Stars Wars meets Greek mythology) and Spindle by W.R. Gingell (a whacky, magical Sleeping Beauty retelling written in the same vein as Howls Moving Castle OH YES). Helloooo new favorite books of all time!

14.) Writing playlist

You can find The Nether Isle’s playlist HERE.

It’s a bit of a different playlist from most of my stories, but this novel is quite different from really anything I’ve ever read, so it works! The Last of Us especially has just the right FEEL for TNI. I almost consider it TNI’s theme song.


15.) Your WIP’s theme colors/aesthetic 

My favorite type of question!

The Aesthetics

Gnarled trees | abandoned buildings | twisting vines | crunching leaves | morning sunlight filtering through the hazy woods | creaking cages | the soft breeze | lost things | found things | old cogs and screws | rippling water | butterflies | secrets | dusty books | rusty fire escapes | quiet tears | moss on old cracked steps | fog | whispers in the night | photographs | dark truths | old diaries | loyalty | friendship | seeking purpose wherever you are

The colors are all grayish blues and greens. My pinterest board encompasses it the best, I think.

      
     

16.) Share your social media + book links! 

Social Media: Instagram | Twitter | GoodReads | Pinterest

Here on my blog and my Instagram are my main hubs.

Book Links: Alas, I have no books published. BUT you can find my flash fiction piece, At Your Service, in Havok’s Rebirth Anthology. Shapeshifting cats and disaster dinner parties ensue. *grins*


17.) A side character you love in your work-in-progress.

As mentioned, The Nether Isle is my smallest cast to date. Karis and Jonah are the main players. But there is a character you see bits and pieces of that was just a delight to write, and I may or may not have accidentally based him off the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who, but you didn’t hear that from me. *whistles innocently*

              
             

18.) What is the best part about being a writer? 

Ah. *clutches heart* So many things. I think just the sheer creativity and wonder. Creating entire people, full worlds, crazy plots, all of it, is such a blessing. Stories are in my soul, and being able to let them out is such a gift. Being allowed to explore all sorts of people groups and personalities, to walk through an infinite possibility of worlds, to experience innumerable incredible, dangerous, wondrous things, with the expanse of imagination steering me along across infinite ideas. It makes my heart soar.

No matter where writing takes me, published or not, I can never stop creating stories. They are a part of me, and I am so grateful to God for giving me this passion and joy to be a co-creator alongside Him. It is the true meaning if magic.


19.) A genre you want to write. 

YA speculative fiction is where my heart is, and I’ve dabbled in quite a bit of it, from fairy tales to epic fantasy to steampunk to dystopian to time travel and even a bit of contemporary fantasy (though that poor book only got like 2 chapters before being abandoned).

What I haven’t done is magical realism. The idea of our world having just a slight taste of magic really awakens my imagination, and I’d love to try something along those lines one day.


20.) You’re an author on a Q&A panel! Which authors are sharing the stage with you? 

What a fun question! But goodness, so hard. It would be a dream to share the stage with so many authors. GAH.

Okay, okay. Let’s go with…

  • Nadine Brandes – Because she’s such a sunbeam even though she writes emotionally devastating books. (And I love them all.)

  • Jill Williamson – Because her YA spec-fic books are epic and she’s so passionate about everything she does and just the friendliest soul.

  • Mary Weber – She also writes epic books and is just brimming with love and wisdom.

  • Bryan Davis – I mean, his books have been favorites of mine for YEARS. And he writes the type of huge casts/convoluted plots I so love.

  • Shannon Dittemore – She has such a lyrical way of speaking truth and is so personable. I would love to meet her in person one day.

UGH. THAT WAS HARD. There are like a dozen others I could mention! I’ll just take ALL the authors pleaseandthankyou.


21.) One way you’ve grown as a writer + one thing you want to improve on. 

Oh, wow. This took some thought because I think I grow as an author every single day. Like life, it’s truly a never-ending learning experience and I’m constantly changing and growing and learning something new and experimenting.

2020 has certainly been an…interesting year. And though it’s been  hard. Really, really hard. It’s also been a year of growth.

Through these months of hardships and working on TNI rewrites, I’ve really been learning my limits. I’m a workaholic, and tend to just push myself past the healthy limit and let my to-do lists enslave me. And it was really bad during March, April, and May. Because, hey, I’m home all day, may as well be SUPER PRODUCTIVE. But the thing is, being home all day can drain me (hi, extrovert here). As writers, we NEED life experiences; to get out of our rooms and see things, talk with people, live. It’s how we bring life to our tales. But being stuck at home 24/7 has drained pretty much all the creative energy out of me. And I knew I needed to change something.

Yes, I’m still stuck at home, but after those grueling few months, I started trying to make more time for fun things. To actually start paying attention to my exhaustion levels and step away from the computer when I needed to. I realized just because I have time to be productive doesn’t mean I should. Rest is so important to God, and I’ve been failing at it miserably.

But really in just these past couple of months I’ve been finding ways to take more time for rest, to let myself recharge, to balance work and play. And it’s helped. A lot. I am in such a better place mentally now than a couple of months ago. Life is still hard, and the future is still unknown, but I am learning to find rest and peace in the storms.

But, funnily enough, the thing I want to improve on is the same: Finding balance.

Because even though I’m getting better at it, I still fail miserably on a constant basis. I want to be more spontaneous with my writing. To allow myself to write for fun, to enjoy the process, instead of following a rigid day-by-day to-do list. I think there’s such a thing as being too organized. I’m so set on having everything in its place, and only working on one project at a time, and following a very specific weekly schedule, I don’t just let myself randomly jot down snatches of stories on a spare piece of paper or spontaneously start a story idea or decide I’m too tired to follow my day’s to-do list and put things off for another day. And it hurts me, and my stories.

Yes, it’s good having balance and lists and an organized schedule. But I also want myself to throw it all out the window and just be creatively messy when the mood strikes. I need to stop being so rigid and instead be adaptable. To stop being grumpy when my day doesn’t go exactly as I planned it that morning, and just live in the moment and let my creativity guide me instead of my schedule.

So I guess I have improved in a balanced writing life, but hope to continuously make it better.

(Wow, that was almost a blog post in and of itself. MOVING ON.)


22.) Goal check-in + a snippet! 

And here we at last come to my news regarding The Nether Isle. (Finally.) At the start, I said my goal for August was to finish this round of rewrites.

I have been working on this 2nd draft pretty consistently since March. It is been my quarantine project and, being as how the first draft was a disaster, has been quite the project. Lots of headaches, lots of questioning everything, and looots of caffeine.

But, as of August 13th, the 2nd draft of The Nether Isle is DONE.

NOW. This is by nooo means the end. This was only the first round of edits. There is still so, so much to do with this novel. But it feels absolutely amazing to have the first pass over with. It’s been quite the undertaking, but it was so worth it, and I couldn’t be happier.

I hope to do a proper post with more details soon, but for now I just wanted to update you all that this round of rewrites is, in fact, finished. And say THANK YOU. I’ve received so much encouragement in the past few months as I’ve pushed on with this project. I’m not sure I could have made it to the end without my dear writing friends. Thank you all for the encouraging messages, the prayers, and the reminders to take a nap now and again. *winks* I am so blessed to have each and every one of you. *ALL THE HUGS*

ALRIGHTY. Now that this post is some 298 miles long, let’s close off with a snippet!

“Do you not like to read?” Jonah asked.     

Karis paused, the can opener resting atop the lid. “No?” she squeaked, peering up at him guiltily.

He stared for several awkward seconds. Then a smile crept up his face and mischief gleamed in his eyes. “Karis, Karis. We’re going to have to work on that.”

She straightened. Did he just tease her? She couldn’t recall him ever doing that before. A grin pushed against her lips and she couldn’t seem to stop it. “You’ve found me out. I’m not a book lover.”

He shook his head, tsking. “So we have another mystery on our hands, it seems. Why does Karis not love to read? It’s going to be a hard one to crack.”

“I fear I’m a hopeless case. They bore me to tears.” She leaned forward, dropping her voice to a whisper. “It’s my dark, terrible secret.”

“So that’s your secret, hm?”

She jiggled the can opener, struggling to pop the lid open. “That’s the one.”

“The only one?”

His quiet words brought her gaze back up to him, and her smile dropped. The playful glint in his eyes had faded. Instead he watched her intently, that questioning gaze from before returning. He said no words, but she knew.

What was her dark, terrible secret? Her real one?

Why was she on the Isle?

Whew boy. If you made it through all that, ALL the cookies for you!

A huge thanks to Jameson for making such a fun tag. Do give her blog and instagram a follow. She produces so many lovely things!


And before I sign off, one quick reminder…

The Silmaril Awards begins next week!

YEP. Monday, August 31st, the Silmaril Awards begins, in which you get to nominate all your favorite literary fantasy characters to win a coveted Silmaril. And if you have no idea what this is all about, NO FEARS. I’ll have all the details come next Monday. But for now, start thinking up your favorite characters. We’re gonna have a good time!


LET’S TALK!

I think I’ve talked plenty about myself. So let’s discuss YOU GUYS. What is your favorite kind of character to read or write? I’d love to know! And whether you’re a writer or reader, what is your favorite thing about stories? What is it about fictional tales that makes your heart soar?

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Bernadette
August 24, 2020 10:24 AM

“The Nether Isle” sounds absolutely AMAZING. I love creepy islands and that aesthetic just makes me *heart eyes*

OH MY GOSH YES. Villains with style are just on point. The book I’m currently revising has a Evil Drama Queen antagonist and I just LOVE writing her.

Lemon Duck
August 24, 2020 12:13 PM

Woo hoo!! You did it!! You finished Round 2!!! Also…the Nether Isle sounds like SO much fun (I love all the sadness and pain XD….). So much fun to read through the questions!

Steampunk isn’t usually my genre, though I suspect that’s mostly because I haven’t found many titles that speak to me. But I LOVE the sound of The Nether Isle!

Skye
August 24, 2020 2:22 PM

AHH THAT SNIPPET! I SHIP IT!! They are adorable, I love that she doesn’t read, just yes!
You definitely excel at character creation, I can’t think of a character of yours that I haven’t just fallen in love with good or evil. You also have fantastic villain taste.
I can’t not believe you have a character based off the 10th doctor!! Just ack my heart! <333
I need that! I have a feeling The Nether Isle has potential to be my next Howl’s Moving Castle level favorite.
(I have a bone to pick with Peter Pan too, as a soon to be 26 year old. He better hurry up)
XD

McKayla
August 24, 2020 5:43 PM

Your story sounds absolutely amazing! YA fantasy is definitely one of my personal favorite genres as well, along with YA sci-fi *looks at overflowing bookshelf*.
OMG, you just described me perfectly. People are always surprised at how……intense my stories are, since I wear frills and pink a lot. They’re even more surprised when I say that I play sports [yes, I’m in a pink ball gown, and, yes, I do taekwondo].
Do you mind if I steal this tag? It looks fun.

McKayla
August 24, 2020 10:30 PM

Yess, intense stories are just the best.
Well, uh, it took me awhile. Maybe I can transfer some of my athleticism to you, and you can transfer some of your piano-playing skills to me?
Yeah, it is fun. Or, at least I did, before COVID.
Ooh, yay, this is such a great tag.

Julia Witmer
August 24, 2020 6:58 PM

I had so much fun reading through this! Great post ^.^

Chelsea R.H.
August 24, 2020 7:41 PM

I’ve been so desperate to read TNI ever since you first started writing it and posts like these aren’t helping! That snippet though 😍
I really enjoyed this post though, particularly your thoughts on rest. So good. I might do this tag on my own blog before August is out.

Jameson C. Smith
August 24, 2020 10:05 PM

Oh my goooooodness. The more I hear about The Nether Isle the more I NEED IT. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON FINISHING YOUR REVISIONS! *throws confetti*

SOFT BOY SOFT BOY SOFT BOY *heart eyes*

Oooh, yes, Masque is a good one. (Which reminds me that is another series that I really must catch up on, now that there’s a new book out.) I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!

Totally with you on the worldbuilding. IT’S SO HARD. Like, I can see it in my head and everything makes sense there but trying to make it vivid and sensible on paper is a whole other thing. O_o

“Research worldbuilding? Naaah. Research random psychological facts? OH YES.” Girl, IT ME.

Stylish, dramatic, snarky villains are the BEST. I feel like that’s how I know when I’ve really clicked with a WIP’s villain when I can finally picture them in their Big Dramatic Scene.

TNI’s aesthetics *heart eyes*

That would be an amazing author panel!

This year has definitely been…something, but I’m glad to hear it’s been getting better for you! *hugs* Even though I’m *extremely* introverted, it’s had its trying times for sure.

THAT. SNIPPET.

Thanks for joining #AbouttheAuthorAugust! I loved seeing your answers! (I may have to consider making a tag version of this for next year! ^_^)

Sarah Rodecker
August 25, 2020 7:41 AM

I love the idea of this as a tag!! I might have to steal your idea…

Researching world building<psychology? So me!! I’m terrible at world building (a fact I’m currently working on improving). But ask me to research random stuff about how our brains operate? Yes, please!

Also, you used to be in a 4-H sewing club?! I did too!!!

Congrats on finishing your round of edits!!! That’s so exciting for you!!!

Kendra @ Story Full
August 25, 2020 10:50 PM

The really crazy thing is that Karis is… a… whole lot like me. I’m 17, ENFP, and sometimes struggle with guilt. I have a lot of energy and sometimes surprise people. Ok, I surprise people a lot. AND I have thought about naming a character Karis. So.

This post was so fun!! I enjoyed it a lot.

Oh, and Jonah sound a lot like a boy I’d like to meet. 😉

Sarahkey
Sarahkey
August 26, 2020 8:30 AM

First of all, this post was so fun to read!! <3

Second.. The Nether Isle just sounds so incredibly epic, the characters, just everything you’ve shared about it makes me want to hack(or steal) your computer and read it within a day, because GOODNESS I just know when it’s published it’ll end up on my favorite list, seriously.

W-wait, you never finished Children of the Bard till NOW? How. XD (Also out of the three series, which one’s your favorite and what’s your favorite book within each one?)

also I’m just in awe in your ability to write SO MUCH. Whenever you share your Camp Nano results I just look at them in shock and awe XD

(also the chiefs kiss to the aesthetics!)

Lily
Lily
August 27, 2020 3:23 PM

Cool. I love dragons too (I have a little one; her name is Singe. Totally did not come up with that on my own… I miiight have taken the idea from a kid’s book 😉

And on Prompt #18:
I too can’t stop creating stories!! They are always swirling around in my head. It’s such a wonderful and beautiful gift from God (and I couldn’t have said it better myself. I think you summed it up perfectly!) Also, my favorite part of a story is the journey alongside the MC and growing and learning with them. 🙂

And Congrats on finishing your second draft! *throws confetti*

I’m also curious. I’ve noticed that YA is extremely popular, especially among the Christian/Homeschool Author circles (I’m actually an MG writer). So, my question is, why do you love YA? What first drew you to that genre and inspired you to write it? (oops, actually that ended up being two questions *grins sheepishly*)

Lily
Lily
August 27, 2020 8:14 PM

That’s great that you have a passion to help teenage girls.
And yes, YA and MG seem to have a broader range of original ideas.

Thanks so much! That’s so funny that you and your friends were just talking about MG. I think the world needs both really good YA and MG.

Follow your passions, and best wishes in your writing! 🙂

Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 6:37 PM

WOW! “The Nether Isle” sounds fantastic! And that snippit has me thoroughly intrigued.

Congrats on finishing your second draft!

Cinnamon rolls in human form are some of the BEST characters! Karis and Jonah sound amazing and I REALLY need to know the rest of their story and how they got on the Isle in the first place.

Fellow dragon lover here! Have you read “The Inheritance Cycle” by Christopher Paolini? Awesome dragons in there and Saphira is the best!

I can totally relate to finding balance between work and fun/rest, so I’m glad you found something that works for you 😀

Looking forward to the Silmaril Awards!

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Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 6:38 PM
Reply to  Jen

Um… I didn’t mean to have that picture at the bottom… oops

Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 7:00 PM

I do recommend reading The Inheritance Cycle again, he has another book out that takes place after the fourth book and oh my goodness it was good! Even if it was on the small side ;p If you like audiobooks, I also recommend that form as well, Gerard Doyle was an amazing narrator for the whole series.

And I’m pretty new to the whole commenting thing, so the picture was probably a mistake on my end, I’ll get the hang of it eventually ;D

This will actually be my first Silmaril Awards since I didn’t know about it in time for last year, so I’m really excited to see what goes on!

Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 7:20 PM

^_^

On an unrelated note, do you have any blogs to reccomend? I’m a writer and usually follow other writers, but I’m willing to branch out. I’ve found a few blogs on my own but you’ve been blogging for a while now, so I wondered if you could help me?

Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 7:31 PM
Reply to  Jen

I LOVE your blog, by the way!!!

Jen
Jen
August 27, 2020 8:43 PM

Oh, wow! Thank you!

I’m not a teen either but I will definitely check them out!

I love following other writers too, it makes me feel less alone on this ‘writing journey’ and the more the merrier!

Again, thank you SO much for taking the time to help me!

Have a blessed night!<3

Jen
Jen
August 28, 2020 5:52 PM

I just finished checking out all the blogs you so kindly recommended, and they are GREAT! Thank you again for taking the time to help this newbie out<3

Also, I've been reading some of your old posts and found out you're a Kingdom Hearts fan. I LOVE those games! Who's your favorite character? Mine is Kairi for girl character and Riku for boy, and also, Sora is pure Cinnamon Roll!!! *ahem* Reigning in the fangirl now. XD

Jen
Jen
August 28, 2020 6:38 PM
Reply to  Jen

*reining*
spell-check is my eternal undoing…

Jen
Jen
August 29, 2020 7:15 AM

AAAAHHH!!! *glomps you back* I have played all the games too, the only one I haven’t beaten is Birth by Sleep for the ps4, REALLY hard boss at the end…

I honestly love all the characters and it was hard choosing favorites! You are mad at Peter for not taking you to Neverland, I’m mad at Riku for not taking me to Destiny Islands! XD

The third one was amazing! I won’t say more for SPOILERS *zips lips*

Yeah, Axel is the best! I just love his wit and humor and how he will always be there to bring his friends back. One of my favorite quotes of his is, “Why do I always get the icky jobs?”

I’ve been playing the games almost as long as you and my love for them is well known among my family. I’ve recieved quite a few of the games as birthday and Christmas gifts!

It’s SO nice meeting a fellow fan!!! I haven’t really come across any besides my siblings 😀

(I feel silly for asking, but what exactly does ‘glomp’ mean? Is it like a tackle hug over the internet?)

Jen
Jen
August 29, 2020 12:15 PM

Haha! *glomps you again for good measure* Kingdom Hearts is AEWSOME!!! I will honestly be playing them until I’m an old, gray-haired lady and never ever get tired of them!

Yes, it was so amazing getting the BBS story and finding out how Riku and Sora got their keyblades, and seeing them as adorable kiddos!!!<3

You'll have to tell me your thoughts on the third on when you finish 😀 *sighs dramatically and clutches heart*

Sora WAS extra cinnamon roll-y. What world are you at and which ones have you been to? Which one is your favorite so far?

YES!!! Sora can take us to Neverland!!!

Jen
Jen
August 29, 2020 7:08 PM

Tangled was one of my favorites too! Along with Frozen XD

Toy Story was GREAT! I loved what Woody did at the end! *being vague for spoiler free reading ;)*

What happened with the doors in Monster’s Inc was hands down one of the funniest things!

Experiencing the story with Sora was the best!!!

I am also a nerd so you’re in good company XD

Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the prettiest worlds in the game, I just loved it!

Jen
Jen
August 29, 2020 8:19 PM

KH2 has been my top favorite too! I’m right there with you on loving both 2 & 3!

Just wait until you get to the end o.o

Funny story is I played KH1 and then KH2 because in *normal* games and stuff the second is the second… so I had NO clue who Roxas was or all the guys in black coats. On the plus side, I was just as confused as Sora and got to experience the game with the exact same knowledge as him XD Sora was adorable in his outgrown clothes!!!

Jen
Jen
August 30, 2020 3:04 PM

Lol, the story is confusing!!! I just have to hold all the information lightly in my head and when something new is added it doesn’t throw me for quite so far a loop XD

It actually wasn’t that bad playing it in that order, I was just REALLY glad once we got Re:Coded and Days and things started making a little more sense. I can only imagine the poor people who play 1, 2, & 3 in that order without any side-games. O.o

Playing KH is like what Ansem said at the end of KH1, “You have come so far and still you understand nothing.” Uhmm, yeah, can we have detailed timelines and plot explanations, that would help greatly XD

P.S. Guess who started a blog yesterday? I would be thrilled to bits if you would come see it!!! Just… *passes a hardhat and safety glasses* beware construction tools, I’m still working on the set up ^_^

Jen
Jen
August 30, 2020 9:54 PM
Eleanor
Eleanor
August 28, 2020 2:17 PM

AHHHHH CONGRATS CHRISTINE!!! This is such an awesome milestone!! What are your plans next, writing-wise? Are you planning to let TNI sit for a while and then do another round of edits? Send it off to betas anytime soon? Or just dive into another project altogether? Regardless, congratulations!!

P.S. KARIS DOESN’T LIKE TO READ????????

Fawnabelle
Fawnabelle
August 28, 2020 5:22 PM

EEEEEEEEP. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I CAME BACK TO BLOGGING. I absolutely ADORE hearing you write about your WIP and writing and just everything book related in general! I missed this community *cries* idk HOW I ever left it for so long!! THAT SNIPPET THOUGH. OH MY HEART. Where can I sign up to be a beta reader *puppy eyes* you’re so inspiring Christine <333 (I too am very upset that Peter hasn’t taken any of us to Neverland.. it’s very disappointing. I can’t even hang out with him at Disneyland anymore :((( but anyway haha Peter’s got a lot of explaining to do!)

Florid Sword
Florid Sword
August 29, 2020 3:29 PM

THIS POST. I LOVE YOUR WIPS AND YOU AND EVERYTHING ELSE AACCCCKKKKK

Victoria Grace Howell
August 30, 2020 5:19 PM

Amanda Bynes show right? 😉 I love the concept of this book. The Last of Us has a great soundtrack! Also I didn’t know you sewed! That’s so cool! Also praying for you for this year. I’m an introvert and I’ve been going crazy even though I’ve taken a few visits to see family. Congrats on your second draft! *HUGSES*

(Random but what comments system do you use? I really like it and may use it for my new blog haha.)

Victoria Grace Howell
September 7, 2020 9:23 PM

Ohhhhhhh! I saw bits and pieces of it so long ago haha!

So cool! 😀 I’m glad I could help with that!

It’s a skill I want to get good at eventually!

Perfect! Thank you!

Hannah VanGelder
August 31, 2020 12:49 PM

Congratulations on finishing this round of edits!!!

I didn’t know you played piano! That’s so cool! Do you ever just sit down and play? Or have you totally abandoned it?

Every post you make about The Nether Isle makes me want to read it more and more!

I love complex plots and epic plot twists with “ah ha!” moments. I love heart wrenching tragedy, but also happy endings. 😉 I absolutely love the snarky characters! And the cinnamon rolls! And the bubbly, talkative ones! And you can’t forget the dark and brooding ones. 😀 I love fascinating, unique worlds. I adore stories with strong familial bonds and close friendships. And stories about truth; light overcoming the darkness. I love mysteries too!

Some of my favorite books for complex plots would be by Charles Dickens. He is a master at managing a huge cast of characters and crazy intricate plots! They just take awhile to read… ‘:D