Happy August, my elflings! I am officially back from my hiatus and my GOODNESS have I missed posting and talking with you all!
July zipped on by like it had somewhere to be and couldn’t be bothered to linger long, while at the same time it feels as if it’s been positively ages since I’ve posted and been on any semblance of a routine. My task-oriented self is rather pleased to be settling back into a more productive schedule, but it was a good hiatus. Like a really good hiatus. So today I thought I’d simply share some of the things I did and what I’ve been enjoying as of late, as well as a peek into my (hopeful) future plans.
Do grab your favorite beverage (as of writing this I have a cup of coffee and water myself, per the norm) and let’s talk entertainment, life, and writing—my favorite things!
What have I been up to?
As I briefly mentioned in my hiatus notice post, I spent the first half of this year doing a major rewrite of one of my novels. And I just happened to finish said rewrite on July 1st! *confetti and fanfare* The timing was perfect, as I could properly take a hiatus with that oh-so delightful sense of accomplishment. (Am I the only one who gets addicted to finished tasks? Yes? Okay…) Said rewrites went pretty well but were, ya know, REWRITES. Which involves many headaches, smoothing out plot holes as tangled as a horde of yarn that had just been attacked by kittens, and an existential crisis or two. Also caffeine. Much caffeine.
Normal things, normal things.
Again I say, rewrites went quite well! But still. Between spending months untangling my disaster of a story, plus life ever being its stressful, chaotic self, I was definitely ready for a good ol’ fashioned REST. So come early July I shoved my whiny, workaholic self locked tight in a drawer somewhere and embraced some freedom and laziness.
SO. What did I do with this ever elusive thing called “free time”?
VIDEO GAMES
AHEM. I’m embarrassed to say I spent a ridiculous amount of time in July playing video games.
I got a Nintendo Switch this past Christmas but since I usually don’t make time for video games, I haven’t really used it all that much except for the occasional Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which is fab, by the way). But this month I finally gave my poor abandoned Switch some love. I don’t have that many games on there, but I did play:
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Of course! I’ve been a huge AC nerd since the first one released on the Gamecube, and this is 100% my favorite AC game I’ve ever played. My island is slooowly coming along. A lot of it is a bit of a mess, but my perfectionist, indecisive self can never decide exactly how I want everything to look. XD But if you need something totally relaxing with no point whatsoever, Animal Crossing is the way to go. Seriously, trying to describe it makes it sound so boring, because, honestly, there is hardly any point??? But it’s SO chill and relaxing and happy.
- Super Mario Odyssey – I made a fair amount of progress on this and am LOVING it. Possibly one of my favorite Mario games to date. (Random Fact: Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo was my first ever game to play. My brother got it when I was baby, and then I started playing it when I was around 4, and to this day it is still one of my favorite games of all time. [Yes, I’m that old. Hush.])
- Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory – A delightful rhythm game made up of songs from my favorite video game franchise. What more does one need? The KH music is some of my favorite music to exist on this earth, so basically getting to interact with the music? Dream. come. true! Sometimes the game can get a tad repetitive, but I still adore it.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Speaking of favorite games, this may be my TOP favorite game in the history of ever. It’s unhealthily addictive, guys. O.o I had played it all the way through on the Wii-U back when it released, and have been itching for a replay since. So I’m excited to play it on the Switch now. Perfect excuse to play it all over again. 😉
So yes, these games definitely kept me entertained and relaxed through much of July. Not sure when I’ll have time to continue them… But I certainly enjoyed immersing in them for a little while.
TV SHOWS/MOVIES
I didn’t just play video games though. I also watched some delightfully entertaining stuff.
- Studio Ghibli – My sister and I have been on a Ghibli kick all year, as we recently got access to them all. We’ve been watching one here and there for the past few months, but since I had more free time this month, we had some Ghibli marathons and finished watching them all. And aaaaahhhh I love these little movies! Now that I’ve seen them all, I can confidently say Howl’s Moving Castle is still my favorite, but I truly adored most all of them. I’m not sure when I’ll have time, but I’d love to do a post with mini reviews for all of them if you guys would be interested? Definitely let me know if that sounds fun!
- Leverage: Redemption – I’m not sure I’ve talked about Leverage much at all here before, which is just a CRIME (lolz, I made a funny) because it’s been one of my top favorite shows for years and years. When they announced the show was being renewed, I was both ECSTATIC because yes, my little Robin Hood-esque team of thieves are BACK, while also super wary because sequels have a terrible habit of ruining the original source AND modern TV has failed me spectacularly these days. >.> So I went into Leverage: Redemption tentative but hopeful. And…I liked it! It wasn’t perfect. I definitely have complaints, but it was a thousand times better than I feared. It still has that fun vibe the original show had, I really like Noah Wyle as a new team member, and they didn’t entirely ruin everything they built in the original show. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one and look forward to the next set of episodes (which I believe are coming this fall??)
- Loki – I’ll refrain from saying much of anything because #spoilers but AAAAAHHHH I LOVED IT I LOVED IT LOVED IT. I think WandaVision is still my favorite of these new Marvel shows, but mannn Loki was spectacular. I have a few nitpicks, but not enough for it to ruin the delightful experience that was this wacky show about our beloved god of mischief. If you’re a Marvel fan and have yet to watch this, well, YOU NEED TO.
BOOKS
Obviously book reading happened in July. What would a hiatus be without BOOKS?
(I’ve conveniently linked everything to GoodReads. You’re welcome.)
- Dana Illwind and the Growing Shadows by Arthur Daigle – OKAY BUT, GUYS. If you’ve not read this one you need to go snag a copy this very moment because it was a DELIGHT. This little fantasy about teenage, no nonsense Dana and melodramatic sorcerer lord Jayden stole my heart wholly and fully. It feels a little like Howl’s Moving Castle, but has a more epic fantasy flair with long journeys, all sorts of curious people to meet along the way, and a corrupt king and queen who is destroying their kingdom, plotting war against neighboring kingdoms, and whom Jayden will stop at nothing to bring down. The plot is fun and snappy and has seriously some of the BEST fight scenes I have ever read. (Often battle scenes kind of bore me to read, but NOT SO with this book!) But the true gold is Dana and Jayden. Dana keeps Jayden grounded, while he whisks her away on all sorts of amazing adventures. It’s a very Howl and Sophie type relationship without the romance as Dana is much younger than Jayden. I found their friendship SO refreshing. The story was originally released as a bunch of short stories, so each chapter feels more or less like a full short story, but it all still connects and is a true riot. I have my Official Bookfairy Deborah O’Carroll to thank for introducing me to this one, and I am SO GLAD she did!
- All the Wrong Questions Series by Lemony Snicket – I believe I’ve mentioned that I’ve wholly and fully fallen into the Lemony Snicket fandom this year. I don’t know why it took me this long to get into it, but I am here now and refuse to ever leave! When I realized there was a series about a young Lemony Snicket, you better believe I snagged those books as fast as my greedy paws could get them. I devoured the series this month and, naturally, adored it. Whereas A Series of Unfortunate Events has a sort of goth style, All the Wrong Questions is more going for the noir mystery flair. I loved that! I did like ASOUE more, but this prequel series was still a delight to read. And by “delight” I mean it tore my heart out and left me with more questions than answers, but at this point I expected no less from Lemony Snicket. Somehow he can get away with it.
- The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket – Like I said. I can’t stop with this man’s works halp! These letters were so confusing and delightful. And that LOVE LETTER TO BEATRICE. Best love letter I have ever read in my life and nothing will ever compare. Ever. If you know, you know.
- Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography – LIKE I SAID. So much Lemony. This was seriously one of my favorite things he did. This totally confusing nonsense was chock full of references, behind the scenes hints at things going on amidst the Beaudelaire children’s unfortunate events, gave us a better peek at Lemony’s life, and made no sense but was a riot all the way through. It’s definitely something you want to read AFTER A Series of Unfortunate Events, but whew boy, is it a treat for us fans! (It was also fun to see how much inspiration the Netflix series took from this!)
So yeah, basically I just read Lemony Snicket books for a month and I have zero regrets.
WRITING LIFE
“But you were on hiatus, Christine!”
Yes, yes. I wasn’t supposed to be doing writerly things, but hey, sometimes you gotta embrace the creativity when it strikes.
For one, I attended an online workshop the ever fabulous Mary Weber and CJ Redwine did on querying. Though I can’t say I learned anything particular new, it was entirely worth it for that validation that I have done my research properly when it comes to querying. And it is always a treat learning from these lovely ladies! I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I also wrote a 3k-word short story. Over on the fairy tale blog I’m a co-host of, TheFairyTaleCentral.com, we’ve started doing short stories about a plucky band of apprentices taking on all sorts of fairy tale problems. I got an idea for a story, thought I’d play with it to see if it went anywhere, and found myself with 3k words… Like I said, embrace creativity when it comes! It’s a story inspired by The Nixie of the Mill-pond, one of my favorite obscure Brothers Grimm fairy tales, and you can read said story HERE if you’d like or catch up on all the Apprentice Adventures stories, as we call them, HERE. I rather adore writing these tales as they feel like coming back home to that traditional fantasy I used to write. These days most of my books would fall under the “weird” fantasy category. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything in that classic medieval setting with swords and wizards and quests. Writing these AA stories brings me back to my love for those types of tales. There’s something homey about writing them, and they just make me happy.
Other than a couple of other little dabblings, that was truly it on the writing-front for July. I really did try to set the workload aside for the month, guys, I did!
VIDEO CHATS
Out of all the entertainment I consumed last month, it was video chatting that truly put the wind back in my sails and refueled me heart and soul. I’ve been trying to do more video chatting with my peeps lately, since we all live so far away. *sobs* And, let me tell you, being able to see my writing friends face-to-face and talk for hours about writing and life and stories revitalizes and motivates this extrovert like few other things. I mean, yes, I’d prefer to be able to be with everyone in person, but since that’s not an option, I sure am grateful for good ol’ technology!
YOU, my friends, fill me up more than I can ever properly express, and I feel utterly grateful that, despite distance, God has put so many wonderful people in my life. You all keep me energized and going during all the seasons of my life. <3
Overall, July proved to be a lovely month of finding much needed rest, refueling on other people’s stories, spending time with family and friends, and remembering “productivity” doesn’t always mean checking something off a to-do list. Resting and enjoying life can be just as, if not more, beneficial as finishing a task. Which is something God has been working through me in the past year now. Slowly, slowly I am taking this lesson to heart and practicing a more balanced lifestyle. After all, if we’re not living, how can we create good stories?
So what now?
Speaking of writing, now that I’m no longer on hiatus, what plans do I have in the horizon?
That query workshop I did came at such a good time, because my next plan of action is to hooopefully dive back into querying Burning Thorns. Which is my beloved Beauty and the Beast retelling I talked about recently in THIS POST. I have been meaning to send more queries all year and…I am super ashamed to say I haven’t sent a single one. This year has been a strange one for me, filled with a LOT of writerly doubts and even more questions toward my writing and Burning Thorns itself. It’s been hard to stay motivated and positive in the midst of, well, life right now. But with much, much prayer I think those wicked Writerly Doubts have been kicked to the curb and I am feeling excited about Burning Thorns all over again. So I hope to return to it and get it ready for more querying for this month. Any prayers would truly mean the world to me!
Other than that, I have no particular grand writerly plans for the next few months. Until NaNoWriMo of course! Is it too early to already be thinking about NaNo??? Something about when August hits always makes me realize how quickly NaNo will be here. But I. AM. PUMPED! You know last year how I wrote the first book of the Fragmented Worlds series and it proved to be one of my favorite things I’ve ever written? Yeah. That story has still been plaguing me nonstop. Sooo book #2 may be demanding it be written for NaNo. *grins and lurks back into the darkness*
OH. And one other super exciting thing which shall be coming SOON.
THE SILMARIL AWARDS
Yes, my dear fantasy loving frens! The Silmaril Awards is returning for its SIXTH year! :O So start getting a list ready of your favorite literary fantasy characters!
If you don’t know what this is, well, my friends, you are in for a treat. The Silmaril Awards is an annual blogging event celebrating literary fantasy characters. It’s basically The Oscars but for FANTASY CHARACTERS. So, like, way, way more epic than The Oscars.
I get the utter honor to be one of the hosts for the third year in a row, and ooooh boy are we gonna have fun! We also have some new hosts this year, which is utterly thrilling! There has been much planning going on behind the scenes and we cannot waaait to unroll the red carpets and kickoff this goodness.
The awards begin with nominations on SEPTEMBER 6TH. You can find the whole schedule on our handy-dandy website HERE. You can also join the official Facebook group HERE.
September is going to be full of fantastical shenanigans, so much fantasy character love, and a huge heaping of general epic geekiness with all of you! I cannot wait to announce which category I shall be hosting this year. *rubs hands together and grins*
Querying, The Silmaril Awards, NaNoWriMo, and returning to blogging and Instagramming—plenty to keep me occupied and excited for this second half of 2021! And now that I am rested and refueled, I am excited to dive into all of it. I have been feeling that itch to get back into story, which is always a good sign! Truly, my friends, rest is a beautiful thing.
Whew boy, if you made it through that random jumble of rambles, I commend you! But now my favorite part: Talking with you guys! I have MISSED you, so tell me all the things! How was your July? Have you seen/read/played any of the entertainment I mentioned? (Seriously, I could fangirl about any of them all the day long!) Do you have any exciting plans for August? Are you excited about The Silmaril Awards? I want to hear it ALL!
Yay, your back! Glad you had a good break and congrats on finishing the rewrite!! You must review the Ghibli films, I’ve been slowly making my way through them too! I love them so much so calming and pretty.
I need to get that Arthur Daigle book, I remember Deborah giving it a glowing review.
So glad you’re back!
D’awww! <3 Thank you! It was a very refreshing time indeed. I think it would be a blast to review the Ghibli films. I’m gonna try to do that at…some point. Haha. But YESSS. “Calming and pretty” captures everything about them. I’ve never seen anything else like them. They’re addicting and good for the soul! I am such a huge fan now and excited to hear you’re watching them too!
Oooh, I think you’d LOVE Dana Illwind. It’s definitely got some Howl’s Moving Castle vibes and is just a romp all the way through. 10/10 recommend!
You’re the sweetest, Skye! I’m happy to be back. <3
Yay! You’re back!!! Congrats on finishing your rewrites and on taking a nice hiatus and resting and relaxing!!
I really enjoyed Leverage: Redemption, as well. I’m bothered that some of my favorite moments were in the worst episode of television I’ve ever had to suffer through, but… details. 🙂 At least Elliot never disappoints. 🙂 (Also, Deborah just informed me of a show where Christian Kane is the lead. The show is called Almost Paradise and we’re 2 episodes in and I’m completely hooked. You might enjoy it too).
I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE SILMARIL AWARDS!!!!
Ooh, I’ll have to go read your story sometime. I’ve been very absent online this year (well, compared to other years). I’ve needed to step back from the internet in general (and I often feel like I need to take a couple of huge steps even further back). But it’s been good.
Good luck and best wishes on your querying efforts!
Thank you SO much, Jenelle! It’s proved to be a pretty good summer. ^_^
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it too! There were definitely a couple of episodes that just…what? (The haunted house one was it for me. Like…that one did not work. As my brother said, it suddenly felt like a Tom and Jerry episode instead of Leverage. XD) But overall, I was pleased! And yes, Eliot NEVER disappoints. (OH OH. Yes! She was telling me about that too! I had heard of it before and was kind of curious about it, so now with Deborah’s AND your recommendation clearly I need to give it a try! :D)
ME TOOOOOO! *happy shrieking* I cannot wait for all the fantasy shenanigans to come!
Oh, girl, I 10000% UNDERSTAND. I feel like I’ve done the same. I don’t read nearly as many blogs as I’d like to these days and have been trying to prioritize my own stories over internet time. But I think that’s good! We have to have a balance, and keeping up with everything is just not possible. So yes, I totally feel you and I think it’s great you’re learning to step back.
Thanks so much, dear friend! <3
I am now wondering which episode that was, Jenelle. XD (Agree, @Christine, that the spooky one was weird. o.o) OKAY BUT ALMOST PARADISE. I can see it not being for everyone but I definitely enjoyed it wayyy more than I thought I would and it’s pretty much a blast. XD I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far, Jenelle, and I think you might like it too, Christine! (I kinda just want people to watch it and hear what they think. XD) And needing to take steps back from the internet this year, oof, the struggle is real.
Deborah, the comicon one. Because the parts about the comicon/fantasy card game were super cool. But the rest of the episode felt like the writers were like, “eh, might as well get all the agenda-y bits out of the way in one fell swoop” and the bad guy made zero sense, and it was just lame and very lazy writing. But ELIOT SWORDFIGHTING!!!! So… I’m super conflicted about that episode.
Christine: Yes, the haunted house episode was also meh… it felt like an entire episode dedicated as a love song to that “girl power” moment at the end of Endgame where all the girls are like, “OHMYGOODNESSSAVETHEBABYSPIDERMAN” 😀
I…. clearly have strong opinions. LOL
I have strong opinions too! No judgements here.
I totally feel that. Like…on the one hand I LOVED the fantasy card game episode because, like you said, it had some of the BEST scenes. But at the same time it did get super agenda-y. That was my biggest worry for the show because it seems like ALL modern TV is just a soapbox to shove messages down our throats these days instead of, ya know, telling good stories. I feel like Leverage: Redemption kind of danced around that. They threw in a few things, but it wasn’t as in your face as it could of been. So it turned out better than I expected anyway. XD
CHRISTINE’S BACK!!! Cue the cheering! *applauds*
I’ve missed you and am so glad you’re stepping back into the blogosphere! You completely deserved the break. I’m so excited to hear you’re looking into querying again. I’ll be praying for you as you do so. Sounds like you’ve been productive with the rewriting and all that jazz!
Also, no shame in playing video games. They’re pretty awesome. *realizes I haven’t played one in forever* Well, maybe I should. XD
*BEAMS AND BLUSHES* JOOOOY!!! YOU ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING I CAN’T. I’m really happy to be back! I’ve MISSED you guys!
You’re gonna make me cry! Your sweet thoughts and prayers mean more to me than I can express. Thank you, sweet friend! Truly. <3
I feel you on that! I went through like a 10 year phase where I just…didn’t touch video games at all? But I’ve been dabbling back into them and it’s been REALLY fun. I feel like a kid again! They’re so great for something interactive to do while still relaxing. It’s been nice getting back to them. ^_^
AAA Christineeee welcome back!! *pouncehugs*
:OO AAA YESS FRAGMENTED WORLDS DO IT DO IT DO IT
This excites me to no end. *grabby hands* Write the thing Christine so I can read it 😀
The Silmaril Awards seem so exciting?? Where can I learn more? :D<
Best of luck and many prayers for your queries! That sounds so exciting. I myself will eventually venture into the slush pile, but that won’t be for a few years yet and hopefully by then you will be beyond it, haha. But in the meantime, you got this ;D
*POUNCE HUGS BACK* Thank you, dear Maple! I’ve missed you guys!
EEEEEEP. Your enthusiasm makes me even more excited and anxious to dive back into the world. Seriously, you guys motivate me so much! <333
The Silmaril Awards are a BLAST. You can learn more on the website HERE or you can probably type in Silmaril Awards in my search bar to see my old posts. But don’t worry! Come September 6th I’ll have a post explaining allll the things. We’re gonna have SO much fun!
MAPLE. You have become such a blessing to me! Thank you SO much! Prayers for you too, friend. ONE DAY I’m gonna hold a book of yours in my hand and it will be an amazing, amazing day. Keep pushing on! <3
Welcome back! Ooh and the Silmaril Awards is such a fun yearly tradition; I’m excited to participate again this year. 🙂 Did you see the Black Widow movie??? *squeals*
Thank you so very much, Kendra! I’m really happy to be back. <3
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoy the Silmaril Awards! It IS such a fun thing. I am PSYCHED for it this year!
Sadly I’ve yet to see Black Widow but I am so anxious too! So it was good??? That makes me even more excited!
Aaahh, so many exciting things!! 😀 WELCOME BACK! I’ve missed your exuberant posts and I’m so so sooooo happy that you had a good and refreshing rest!! 😀 HUZZAH! You totally earned a break, my goodness. Yay for all the fun gaming/reading/watching/writing things you were able to pack into ONE month! (You’re magic!) I’M SO HAPPY YOU LOVED JAYDEN AND DANAAAA!!! 😀 My favorite thing and it brings me joy that you liked it. ^_^ And video chatssss. ^_^ Loved all your thoughts about the things, and ooh, I’m going to have to check out Loki sometime–and more Ghiblis! (Yay for Leverage: Redemption. ^_^) I’m excited for the SilmAwards and I am wishing you aaall the luck on your querying plans! You’ve got this! But goodness gracious, how is NaNo getting closer?? O_O *has not planned for this, halp* Anyway thanks for sharing all the fun recaps and this exciting peek into things to come! I’m so happy you had a good vacation rest and I hope these next few months are absolutely frabjous! Love this post and love YOU! <3
D’AWWW!!! Thank you, my dearest Celti! It was a very lovely time. And JAYDEN AND DANA YASSS! I loved them so much and am still having a bit of a book hangover. IT WAS JUST SO GOOD. I’m so glad you introduced it to me!
Loki was magnificent and the Ghibli films are amazing and just YES. Such good TV!
Thank you so much for the constant support with querying and just everything. You are such a blessing to me!
It’s a little disconcerting how close NaNo is creeping up, gonna be real. Like, I’m rather pumped for it but at the same time shouldn’t it still be MARCH? I’m so confused. o.o
Awww, glad you found this fun! Thank you, dear friend! Love you too!!! <3
Oh! And mini Ghibli reviews would be sooo fun!
*BEAMS* Then I shall have to see if I can do something about that. 😀
Glad to have you back!
Thank you so much, Edna! I’m really happy to be back. ^_^
*tackle-hugs* WELCOME BACK!! I’ve missed your posts but I’m sooo glad you had such a good hiatus! <3
YAYY for finishing your rewrites!! *celebratory cookies* I’m still working on rewrites for Once Upon at the moment, but I had to pretty much just stop and focus on worldbuilding and figuring out little things that are keeping me from moving forward. Fun stuff, but also overwhelming. xD So YES, I feel your rewrites-related struggles.
AHH SUPER NINTENDO!! MY CHILDHOOD. I played my older siblings’ Super Nintendo ALL THE TIME when I was a kid. And I actually just bought Super Mario World on eBay recently and played it for the first time! *high five for the Super Nintendo Club*
ALLLL the encouragement and prayers for Burning Thorns querying!! That is SO exciting. And GIRL. I’M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT NANOWRIMO, TOO. XD Literally just the other day I realized that it’s less than three months away?? And panicked a little bit?? AND I already know what book I’m going to write this year. At least, I’m like 99% sure. I have this story idea that recently popped into my head and keeps coming back to me, so I’m preeetty sure that I’ll be very ready to start writing it by November. (well, you know. not READY. but ready. you feel me? XD) Although, for the first time, I actually WON’T be starting it brand new, because… I kind of already wrote the first scene? I think it was the DAY I started thinking about this story, and I just had to get the first scene out of my head before I lost the spark. So, I guess I’m going to be a NaNo rebel this year. XD
Again, welcome back, and I can’t wait to see your future posts!! <33
Awww, thank you SO much!!! It was a lovely time, but I’ve definitely missed being immersed with all my dear internet peeps. <3
*happily noms celebratory cookies* THANK YOU! Oh man, I FEEL YA. Rewrites are fun but at the same time…nyugh. SO MUCH WORK. I do hope the rest of the rewrites go FABULOUSLY for you! Absolutely cheering you on because we neeeeeedsss Jynnia and Trentley. NEEDS IT.
OH MY GOSH. You understaaand! To this day I still adore the Super Nintendo. The NOSTALGIA. It’s just the best. And oh my goodness, I’m thrilled you bought Super Mario World! That is my CHILDHOOD right there.
Your prayers mean SO MUCH. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend, Emily! You are in my prayers as well. <3
AAAHHHH NANO YAS. That makes me feel better it’s not just me. Seriously, the second August 1st hits my brain switches to NaNo mode. It always feels so CLOSE once August is here, I don’t even know. XD But EEP. How thrilling you know what you want to write! It’s just the best feeling in the world hitting on a story that gets us excited and won’t let go. And that is the best you already started it! I’ve actually been SO tempted to go ahead and start book 2 of Fragmented Worlds and I might still do it, so I make nooo judgements here. We absolutely should write when inspiration strikes! I cannot wait to hear more about this story of yours. 😀
Thank you again, sweet friend! *hugs*
okay, well this is a HUGE reminder than I need to finish the Leverage reboot, lol! I think I had, like, two more episodes to go and then life happened, I got distracted, and forgot to finish XD I have been enjoying it though! I have a few complaints, but nothing TOO major.
I’ve FINALLY been watching Ghibli movies. My brother-in-law is a big fan, and he and my sister have movie nights we’re they invite us over and we eat fun food and watch Ghibli movies! So far I’ve really liked them…there’s something about them that is just so *soothing*. Our last one was Castle in the Sky.
Thanks to our rpg, I feel like I’ve gotten to know you so much better these past few months, and I’ve LOVED video chatting with you!! XD
Ooooh yes! You totally do. The last episode was one of my FAVORITES. It felt the most, well, Leverage-y. It was a treat! And I totally agree. It wasn’t perfect, but very enjoyable!
GHIBLI! That’s so great you’ve been watching them too! They’re so weird but just so PEACEFUL. Yes! The way they romanticize the mundane things of life is a beautiful thing you don’t see often. I am utterly addicted. You’ll have to tell me which ones were your favorites when you’ve seen them all! 😀
Awwww, girl! I was thinking that very same thing recently–how lovely it’s been getting to know you better! I’m so glad we’ve been able to do this. You’re such a gem. <3
Hurrah! Good to see you back!
I’m glad you got to play some good video games to relax in July! That sounds very fun. 🙂
I’m very on the fence about Loki, because on the one hand, I love Marvel, but on the other, I am SO SO SO picky about time travel plots. SO picky. And I already distrust Marvel’s time travel plots because of the whole Steve thing at the end of Endgame (not going to give details b/c spoilers, but part of it was messed up in terms of the previously established time travel rules), so I really don’t want to give them another chance to disappoint me. XD
Ooh, Howl’s vibes + friendship rather than romance? SIGN ME UP I must find this book right away!
Ooh, the video chatting sounds so fun! I dislike Zoom calls with more than two/three people, but with only two/three people, they’re delightful!
Excited for the Silmaril Awards!!
This month, I’m heading off to college, so that’s my big nerve-racking adventure for the month…why again did I pick a college that’s six states away?? XD
Awww, thank you, Samantha! So glad to be back. ^_^
I definitely find video games a great way to relax while still having something interactive to do. It’s a win-win situation!
That makes sense! I feel like with time travel plots there will ALWAYS be plot holes. Always. You got to have a lot of suspension of disbelief when it comes to time travel. With that said, I ADORE time travel plots, so I was super excited about it. But I totally get where you’re coming from! Marvel is really bad about retconning. It gets annoying. :-/
YES INDEEDY. I highly recommend it! It was SUCH a fun story!
YAY! Me toooo! We’re gonna have a BLAST this year, I just know it.
Ooooh! SAMANTHA. That’s so exciting! But wow, six states away? That is a big adventure. I just know God has amazing things ahead for you though. Sending a prayer for you, friend. I hope it is a most beautiful new season of your life. <3
HI CHRISTINE!! *waves*
I’m so glad you enjoyed your hiatus, and even happier you’re back!
My July was BUSY, have you heard of Canva? It’s kinda a design website? Anyway, I’ve been doing that mostly.
Plans for August? *blinks* plans? like, having my life organized? That’s a thing?! *giggles nervously*
Well, maybe no plans as of yet, but I can’t wait to see what you’ll be up to!
BYEEE!!
HEY, AMY!!! *glomps* I’ve missed chatting with you! It feels lovely to be back.
CANVA. YES. That’s actually what I use for all my blog graphics. It is a most fabulous website.
Hahaha! I feel ya! Sometimes you just have to take each day as it comes. As much as I love to have a plan that…tends to not work out when life is involved. XD But I do hope you have a most wonderful August, dear Amy! <3
Glad to have you back, Christine! ^_^ And YASSS LOKI WAS SO SO GOOD AND I’M SO MAD SEASON 2 ISN’T IN FRONT OF MY EYEBALLS RIGHT NOW. T_T
Awww, thank you!!! I’m so happy to be back. <3
OH MY GOODNESS RIGHT???? IT WAS SPECTACULAR. AND I NEED SEASON 2 SO BAD I CAN’T. GAH.
It’s so good to see you back, Christine! I’ve missed seeing your posts popping up in my inbox every week! Shamefully, I’ve not seen or read any of the things you mentioned, except for Howl’s Moving Castle. I did start reading some of Lemony Snicket’s books years ago, and I’ve always meant to finish reading them, but I’ve just never got around it. I really should though!
Hey, Chelsea! It’s so good to hear from YOU! I’m really happy to be back–I’ve so missed you guys!
That’s not shameful at all! Too many stories, and not enough time, am I right? And, besides, Howl’s Moving Castle is the MOST important one. ;D But oooh, yes! I definitely recommend finishing Lemony Snicket’s books. A Series of Unfortunate Events just got better and better as it went along, in my opinion. It was such fun!
Yay!! You’re back!! And I’m so glad you had a lovely rest and got to work on stuff in a leisurely way!! I hope the rest of the year (four months till the end, yay) goes well with you!
*TACKLE-GLOMPS YOU* Hey, Lemon! I am so happy to be back!
Awww, thank you! ‘Twas a lovely month indeed, and I am feeling so pumped to tackle the rest of this year. (But…FOUR MONTHS??? Now why you gotta go and point that out? Brb while I go have a crisis. :P)
WHOO-HOOO!!!!!! Alert the press, y’all, CHRISTINE IS BAAAACK!!!! *hugs while making high-pitched squeaky noises* You have been sorely missed, my dear friend! 😉
*GASPS* YEESSSS TO LOKI!!!! I still think WandaVision or FATWS is still my favorite, but I definitely LOOOVED watching Loki and seeing him grow in ways we haven’t before!!! (Although, I was kinda disappointed at the end—like, Y’ALL, someone get mah boy Mobius a jet ski already!!!!) XD I also watched Black Widow and ACK, MY HEART. That movie gave me some MAJOR feels and was JUST SOOOOO AWESOME!!!! You HAVE watch it soon if you haven’t!!!!! 😀
*DOUBLE GASP* THE SILMARIL AWARDS!!!!!!!!!! I’m 99.999% sure there isn’t enough exclamation points and all caps to express all of my excitement. XD I’m already making a list in my head of nominations and am REEEAALLLY rooting for a few certain characters to get chosen this year!! 😛 Fun fact: Last year’s Silmaril Awards was when I first commented on your blog and basically exploded in ball of glitter and excitement when I saw your reply. XD *happy sighs* Memories, memories… 😉
Also, YAAAAAAY to querying Burning Thorns again!!!!!!! *showers you in confetti* I really, really, really, really hope it gets picked up soon and I’ll be praying that the whole process goes well and that God takes BT to where He wants it to go! And YES you should TOTALLY write book #2 of the Fragmented World series for NaNo!!!! (Seriously, I need updates on mah lil’ Rune!) ;P
ANYWAAAY, it is SOOOO good to have you back in the blogosphere, Christine, and I absolutely can’t wait for your next posts!!!! <333
VICTORIA. Excuse me while I explode into a ball of happiness and sunshine from this entire comment. You are the most precious soul, girl! Just THE most precious. *cries happy tears and glomps you* I am SO happy to be back. I’ve missed you all!
LOKI LOKI LOKI. Yessss! Oh man, it was fantabulous. I thiiink WandaVision is my fave of the three, but Loki came as a very close second. I just adored it all. But okay yes that ending GAH. I need season twoooo. If the series doesn’t end with Mobius happily riding on a jet ski I’m gonna have to take some torches and pitchforks to Marvel headquarters. >.>
I sadly have not seen Black Widow yet but I want to SO BADLY! That makes me even more excited about it to hear you enjoyed it! 😀
Your excitement over the Silmaril Awards is making me even MORE excited! WE’RE GONNA HAVE SUCH A GOOD TIME. And I’m so glad you’re already making a list! YES. Bring all the fabulous characters!
Oh my goodness, it’s nearing our anniversary of becoming friends??? AWWWW!!! That’s so special! You are SUCH a bright spot in my life, Victoria. I’m so happy you commented on my blog. <333
VICTORIA. You’re seriously gonna make me cry! There are no words to express how much your prayers and enthusiasm and overall support lift me up and keep me motivated and just make me feel so LOVED. You are such a blessing! And EEP. Your excitement over Fragmented Worlds makes me so ridiculously happy too. Awww, Rune has a fangirl! That is the cutest thing! I’m grinning so hard right now. I’ll have to share some Rune snippets just for you. 😉
GIRL. You’ve made me feel so loved and happy right now, I just can’t even. It feels wonderful to be back. THANK YOU for this whole wonderful comment. Love you, dear friend! *HUGS*
Yay! You’re back!!!
I’m glad you had a fun hiatus (video games and Lemony Snicket sounds awesome, btw).
I wish you the very best luck with querying!!! I hope it works out for you!
Ooh, the Silmaril awards…
*GLOMPS* I am! And so happy to be! ^_^
Awww, thanks! ‘Twas a lovely one. And I definitely agree. Sometimes we just gotta immerse ourselves in some nonsense, yes? 😉
That means so much to me! Oh my goodness, THANK YOU!!!
Yes indeedy. They a’comin’! *rubs hands together and grins*
Yay, Christine’s back!!!!!!!!!! *showers you with hugs only to jump awkwardly back because it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do something awkward* I missed talking to you and seeing your lovely posts! I’m SOOOO happy you had a great break, and congrats on finishing rewrites!!!!! That is SUCH a fantastic feeling when that happens! And good luck on querying BT! I will be praying that goes well for you and God will put your amazing book into the right hands to publish it. Because it needs to happen—I seriously need this awesome book in my life ASAP!
My writing life kinda went off the rails in July due to LIFE so I didn’t finish my edits of Book 2 like I wanted, but I hope to do so this month instead—maybe. We’ll see. My priority right now is to finish and polish up a short story to submit for possible publication in an anthology (😱) which is due by the end of September. 😳 And I haven’t finished the horrible, ahem, rough draft yet. *dies* Yeah, I’m sooo great to myself and my sanity, it’s nuts. 🤪 BUT it’s the THIRD story I’ve tried that is actually working and I like, so cheers to that!
I really want to try the Howl movie as my library actually has that one (they’re a little short on Studio Ghibli films so I gotta take what I can get) and is Your Name a Ghibli film? Because that one looks SO GOOD but alas my library system doesn’t have that one. *pout* BUT my family and I have been watching the Marvel movies for the first time and they are SO STINKING GOOD!!!!! The Winter Solider is currently my favorite and I love Cap not gonna lie he’s my fave ever not even ashamed. 🥰💖 We’re gonna be watching Age of Ultron next (VERY excited for that one!) just so you know where we are in the lineup. 😉 And I’ve been reading Harry Potter for the first time and am really enjoying them!
NaNo??!!?? *panics* Er, I have no idea what I’m doing, lol. I might write Book 3 of my trilogy, buuut…I’m not sure. Will have to check back with you on that, haha. And any book you write will be fabulous, and I will look forward to your NaNo screaming posts! (They’re my favorites)
So glad you’re back!
SARAH! *tackles you back into a hug and squeezes tight* It’s so good to hear from YOU, you precious soul! I’m grinning so much right now. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all your sweet words of encouragement over BT and your prayers! Just… *cries happy tears* That motivates me so much, I can’t even. You’re such a good friend! <3
Aw man, I sympathize! Life does so love to leap forward like a barricade in front of our perfectly orchestrated plans. >.> I’m so sorry things went off the rails! I do hope things will settle and you’ll be able to meet your goals. And EEP. You’re submitting something to an anthology??? AAAHHHH, SARAH! That’s so thrilling! It is the BEST to hit on a story we really, truly love. I am absolutely cheering you on and praying for you as you work on this thing. You got this, girl!
HOWL. YES. I couldn’t recommend it enough! Your Name? I’ve…never actually heard of that one. I don’t think it is a Ghibli film? Maybe it’s from another anime studio? I have no idea, but obviously I need to go look it up!
*SHRIEKS* You’re watching Marvel? YASSSSS. I’m so ridiculously excited to hear this! Aren’t they so GOOD? Man. I love them so much, it’s probably unhealthy. XD And aaahhhh, Cap is my fave TOO. The Winter Soldier is just… *chef’s kiss* Pure perfection. Definitely one of my faves. I’m so thrilled you’re watching and enjoying them!
Oooh, Harry Potter too??? I read them for the first time ever back in 2018 and fell entirely in love. There is definitely a reason they’re classics. That is just fantastic you’ve been enjoying so many good stories!
Eheheheh. Sorry to bring on the NaNo panic. Something about when August 1st hits my brain is like, “NANO IS COMING.” ‘Tis a problem. But DON’T WORRY. There is still plenty of time! I’m sure you’ll settle on something EPIC by the time November rolls around. And AWK. You’re so sweet! My NaNo posts are such rambly, sleep-deprived nonsense, but I am honored to hear you enjoy them! XD
Thanks so much for everything, Sarah! This comment brightened my day x10000! <3
Hi Christine!! Welcome back!!! *throws confetti*
I can’t wait to check out your 3k story! I’ve never heard of that fairytale before, so now I’m super curious.
Ooo, you’ve played Animal Crossing too?! My two younger sisters play the 3Ds version, but sometimes when one is busy with something, I’ll play the game with the other (and we switch around, which is fun!)
This August, we’re thinking of doing some more swimming before the summer officially ends.
Eek! That’s exciting that you’re going to host the awards again! Can’t wait to see this year’s candidates!
Hey there, dear Lily! Thank you so much! I’m happy to be back. ^_^
Awww, you’re the sweetest! It’s a REALLY great little fairy tale. One of my favorites of the obscure Grimm ones.
You guys like Animal Crossing as well? YAY!!! It’s just so fun and relaxing. Definitely my happy place. I’ve never played the 3DS one, but I’ve heard it’s one of the best. I definitely need to give it a try sometime.
SWIMMING! Such a fun summer thing! I do hope you’ll be able to squeeze in some more before fall gets here!
I’m so happy to hear you’re excited about the Silmaril Awards! We are going to have SUCH a fun time. We can’t wait to kick it off! 😀
Dana Ilwind!!!
I’ve not exactly read the book, but I’ve read the stories that I believe make up the book. Such fun.
Thank you for not spoiling Loki. I’m telling myself that I’ll have to get Disney+ one of these numbers, but I don’t know when it will actually happen.
I’ve been playing Lord of the Rings online quite a bit, so I certainly can’t judge. There’s something nice about losing yourself in someone else world while still being an active participant.
Aaaahhhh you’ve read it!!! Yes, I do believe the short stories are the same as the book. Isn’t it just so good??? My goodness, I fell so in love with Jayden and Dana!
I LOVE Disney+. I totally feel like it’s worth the subscription. We haven’t regretted getting it once. It’s seriously my happy place. ^_^
Ooooh, I’ve been curious about LOTR online. Looks so fun! And YES. You put it so well! Video games are like reading or watching something but MORE immersive because you’re participating. Exactly! It’s such a fun way to experience stories.
I’ve only gotten into immersive video games recently, but a friend (Kendra E. Ardnek) described then a bit like that and I found it fit. You don’t have to make up the whole story like when you’re writing, but in some ways you’ve got more control than in a book.
It’s so true! I love that description of it.
CHRISTINE!!! *squeals* *hugs* It’s so good to have you back! (I have to mention that I love how in your header picture, you flipped to the page in RotK with “Well, I’m back.” *grins*)
I am SO GLAD that you had a wonderful month with free time and fun things! I hope that God uses that time to really refill your tank and uplift you. <3
SILMARIL. AWARDS. I am SO EXCITED. AHHHHH. It’s always a BLAST, and I can’t wait for the inevitable fun times that’ll arise during Silmaril season! (SIX YEARS, WOW! *whispers* Is this the year that Malcolm Blackfire will win his most deserved Most Magnificent Dragon?)
I’m so happy you’re back, Christine! I’m so thankful for your incredible blogging and the beautiful soul you are. <3
Hey, Amelie!!! *GLOMPS* You’re so sweet! Thank you! I’m really happy to be back. (OKAY BUT. That was 1000% on purpose and I am ridiculously pleased someone noticed. ALL the points go to you!)
It WAS such a refueling time. I’m feeling so full of story and excited to dive back into a routine. It was a wonderful time and really made me realize the importance of REST.
*SQUEAKS* I’m so glad you’re excited! We’re gonna have such a good time. (Right??? Malcolm NEEDS to win, he really does!)
AMELIE. You’re going to make me cry! Thank you so much for the warm welcome back and being such a dear friend. *hugs*
Hey! Welcome back! Sounds like you have been doing all of the most delightful things! I’m so glad that this month was so restful and refreshing and fun for you!
You got to watch all of the Studio Ghibli films?! I wish I could do that. That must have been so awesome to do! I would love to see mini reviews of them all!
I’m glad you enjoyed Loki. I ended up basically hating it. I *cough* can’t not think of it without ranting in my head about it. XD It just really bothers me for so many reasons. Which such a disappointment for me since I thought it would be the one I would love the most. *sad face*
You know, I always saw writing for enjoyment quite relaxing and restful. Because you aren’t doing it as a career but as a hobby, to past the time without pressures or stress. Creativity freely flowing is something one shouldn’t ignore but embrace. After all, writing originally came from a place where it was only about creating art and not a product. So I thought it was definitely good for your soul to create like this even if it wasn’t meant to. 🙂
Hey, Miranda! Thank you so much!!! It feels wonderful to be back and reconnect with you all. <3 But it really was SUCH a good month of recharging.
I did! They were a ton of fun! Well…most of them. There were a choice few that were, erm, something. o.o But I enjoyed the majority of the films! Lol. I will absolutely have to do a review post of them sometime!
Awwww! I’m sorry you hated Loki. That’s such a shame. They definitely made some interesting choices with it, but ultimately I loved it. I can see why it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea though.
YES. YES TO ALL OF THIS. I think somewhere along the way we tend to forget the reason we write: because we love it. Sure, I want to be published one day, but that’s not the Ultimate Goal. There is no ultimate goal. I just have stories I want to tell and love to create. I think that should always be our sole motivator. I 100% agree with EVERYTHING you said, and you put it so well! It’s such an important reminder for all of us creatives. <3
WELCOME BACK! I’m sadly *behind* on all the Christine happenings and writings, but I’m over the moon that you not only finished that rewrite, but had such a wonderful hiatus afterwards!
And all those plans for what’s to come? GIRL. AHHH. Sending allll the hugs and cookies for those querying doubts you’ve been wrestling with. I’m cheering for you as you jump back into the fray. Burning Thorns is one of my favoritest fairytale retellings in the history of ALL THINGS, and I know it’s going to find a publishing home! <3
Also I know I’ve said this before, but you’re inspiring me once again to take an intentional hiatus… like the kind with predetermined start and end dates, instead of these halfway/unintentional breaks I keep tripping into. XD
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Oh psh, I feel like I’m perpetually behind on ALL the things. And I’ve also not talked about my writing projects a whole lot this year so that’s on me really.
BRB WHILE I GO CRY HAPPY TEARS. TRACEYYY. Your support for BT and all my endeavors have been invaluable and I don’t know what I did to deserve you! D’: <3 Love you so much, dear friend! Thank you for ALWAYS being such a support and encouragement.
Honestly, I wish I’d be more flexible and take more sporadic breaks when I need it. I seem to be all or nothing, but sometimes it’s GOOD to just step back for a week here and there when life gets busy, instead of pushing ourselves. I seem to forget that just because I have it on my to-do list doesn’t make it law. I CAN change my schedule as I need it. Intentional breaks are GREAT, but being flexible as life comes is a beautiful thing and something I desperately need to work on.