Writing – Christine Smith

Hello 2024 // Living Boldly

Post published:January 15, 2024
Post category:Life
Post comments:14 Comments

A most happy 2024!!! We've accomplished another year and have a brand new one with all manner of journeys ahead. That can be a little scary, definitely overwhelming, but also so very, very exciting. I will be honest, I didn't have the easiest December. Some deep insecurities that have been slowly rising to the surface burst out at the most inopportune time, life got stressful, and I struggled with one of the worst cases of creative block I've ever experienced. This eternal optimist who usually looks to the future with hope was having severe difficulty getting excited about anything. My…

2023 in Review // My Favorite Things, Writing Highlights, & Growth

Post published:December 4, 2023
Post category:Encouragement Fangirling Life Reading Writing
Post comments:9 Comments

2023—a year of unexpected blessings and reaching for new dreams and mourning losses and praising God for renewal and failing and learning and so very much growing. It was a year of life. And though some (read: many) days were hard, there were blessings in it all, and I am grateful for each day given. Somehow we have reached the final stretch of 2023 and I'm looking over at March like, "Weren't you just here?" But my word chosen to live by for 2023 was PRESENT. I tend to fly through my days, always looking ahead and never stopping to…

My FicFrenzy Plans

Post published:October 13, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:4 Comments

FicFrenzy starts in TWO DAYS. I cannot believe it's been a full year since I launched this writing challenge. I am so excited to settle in with my FicFriends again and get some good writing in. But this year's FicFrenzy and in general fall writing for me may look a tad different. Before I launched the Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo every single year for 12 years straight. I got a smidge...obsessed. BUT. The joy of NaNoWriMo and then FicFrenzy is that it pushed me to get a full book drafted in one go. I…

I’m Back + Fall’s FicFrenzy is Coming!

Post published:September 11, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:4 Comments

Hello, my friends! I have returned from a most refreshing August hiatus and thought I'd pop in for a quicky post with some updates and announcements. I seriously cannot believe we are nearing the halfway point of September and fall is just around the corner, but I am not complaining one little bit. Though life itself had a lot of goodness during the summer, the weather was brutal and my body does not do well in extreme heat and humidity. But temperatures are finally slowly inching downward and I'm feeling myself come alive again, and with that coupled with a…

A Little Update + Hiatus Notice

Post published:July 24, 2023
Post category:Life Writing
Post comments:8 Comments

Hey, friends! It's been a while since I've talked about what's been going on in my corner of the world, so I thought I'd share a little (rambly) update today. Do settle in with your beverage of choice (I have coffee, surprise, surprise), and let's catch up! Life + Learning On the life-y side of things, there is nothing huge to report. Things have been fairly quiet, and yet feel busy at the same time? You know how life be. I've been anxiously awaiting fall because summer heat and I don't have the best relationship. At the same time, my…

Why I Believe in Happily Ever Afters

Post published:June 12, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:15 Comments

It is always the great debate: Should every story end with a happily ever after? Certainly not. Art is entirely subjective, and each story should have its own unique ending. But today I want to discuss why happily ever afters can be such powerful storytelling tools. Many people associate happily ever afters (HEAs) with fairy tales (which is kind of funny as a great number of fairy tales are far closer to tragedies *points to most of Hans Christian Andersen's works*). In doing so, the implication is that HEAs only happen to fictional princesses who can speak to woodland animals…

FicFrenzy’s Summer Event is Coming!

Post published:May 29, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:14 Comments

Hello, my friends! I have some exciting news to share today with all my fellow writers. I hope this spring has been filled to the brim with loveliness for you all. It's hard to believe we are on the cusp of summer (though the temperatures in my neck of the woods have decided summer is already here, no matter the date). I must admit, summer is not exactly my favorite season, BUT there is an excitement encompassing the season that cannot help but draw me in. Sunsets on long evenings, the sound of fireworks, pool days, the smell of hamburgers…

Announcement // Opening Writing Coach Services!

Post published:April 11, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:10 Comments

Hello, friends! I have some BIG NEWS today. Since the beginning of the year, I've been hinting at a writing related project that I am very excited about. Well, today, at last, is the day for the big reveal, and, goodness, am I excited. Ready for the news? I am offering coaching services to writers! With an emphasis on... Balancing your writing on top of the stress and chaos of life Aiding in developing characters to bring out the true heart of your story Helping you seek and hold on to the pure joy of storytelling I cannot wait to…

Announcement: FicFrenzy Spring Event + Newsletter!

Post published:February 20, 2023
Post category:Writing
Post comments:20 Comments

Calling all writers! I have some very exciting things to share with you today! If you were around during the fall of last year, you may remember I launched a brand new writing challenge that took place from October 15 - November 15 called the Fall Fiction Frenzy Writing Challenge, or simply FallFic. For a glorious word-filled fall, a great number of us convened in an exclusive Discord group where we cheered each other on as we made progress on our various WIPs and just had a grand time gathering with fellow writers. That first event was, more or less,…

2022 In Review // My Highlights and Favorite Things

Post published:December 12, 2022
Post category:Life
Post comments:18 Comments

2022 only has three weeks left! I do not understand how that is possible. It has been a blazing, whirlwind of a year but so much goodness came of it as well. So as we near its close, I'd like to look back at the highlights and reminisce. 2020 and 2021 were pretty tough years in many ways, and though 2022 had plenty of challenges, it was better, I think. Or perhaps my perspective of things has improved. These past few years have definitely been ones of learning, of adapting to changes and seeking the little good things amidst the…