The Writing Lifestyle

I've found myself realizing more and more lately that I don't think like a normal person anymore.

Writing has started shaping my entire life. It's been heading that direction since I was as young as ten, but I guess I didn't know it until now. Everything I do in my day-to-day lifestyle revolves around my writing.

I'm not thinking ahead to college because all I picture myself doing in a few years is writing. How I get through doing schoolwork is thinking about how I can use this knowledge for my writing. Every morning I wake up, I wonder how much writing I'm going to get done. When my mom asks me what I'm going to do today, I have to stop and think of something besides writing I had been planning to do. It's actually a little scary to think about how unconsciously writing controls my life. I don't even really have the normal "teenage girl" thoughts of something like who I'm going to marry or what kind of house I want to live in when I get older. All I can think is, Oh, look, it's a new day. Guess I'm gonna write.

Is this unhealthy? It's either passion or a mental disorder. Probably both. Do you guys ever feel this way?

Everything around me is fuel for the writing fire. Literally almost every thought that crosses my mind about something usually turns into "how can I use this in a story?" Recently, I was playing soccer with some friends, and accidentally got a black eye from someone's elbow in the wrong place at the wrong time. And, seriously, I was kind of happy, because now I knew how to describe the pain of being hit extremely hard in the face. Great, right?

But something I have to remind myself every single day so I don't get sidetracked is to follow up the question of "How can I use this in my story?" with "And how will this glorify God?" 

I want that question to fuel me with as much passion as my writing. And it's hard. Because I've become so ingrained with the writing mindset, it's hard to fit anything else into my head with it. But it's a very necessary thought. It's an important thought. It is THE most important thought, actually. 

As I've realized how much my life revolves around my writing, I've realized how much more I need it to revolve around that question. How can I glorify God? Because that has to come before everything else. And more than anything it has to come before my writing.

I'm not sure where this post was heading. Hopefully my ramblings made at least a little sense.

How has writing shaped your life? Do you ever have to take a step back and reevaluate?

Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."

Have a lovely day!
~The Scribbler in the Attic

A Momentousness of Books

Something momentous has happened. Something amazing. Something so cool I just had to share it with you guys.

*drum roll please......* 

I own over 100 books!!!

Me, myself and I, personally own over 100 titles--obviously my favorites, plus a few random ones I happened to pick up on the way. :)

I never set a goal or anything like that for myself. I've tried to buy as many as I can, rather than get them from library, since I may end up wanting re-read or flip through them again. (And it's especially hard to do that with library books if the library you happen to go to is an hour and a half away. Heh.) Confession time, though... I haven't actually read all of them. Out of 100, I've maybe read 87. Which isn't bad, and I am working on it. :)

But anyways, I was just so excited I thought I'd write up a post about it. I'm completely out of shelf space, which is quite an awesome feeling... While I've got you, though, I apologize for my rather sudden hiatus there for a few months. It's been a really crazy time around here. A lot of traveling and a lot of bruises from a lot of soccer games. Also watermelon. A lot of watermelon. (But that's always a good thing. :D )

Do you guys have a book collection? How big has it gotten? Any suggestions for me? Which books are your favorites? Which do you wish you had bought instead of getting them from the library?

Ecstatically,
~The Scribbler in the Attic 

Death For A Single Soul || Passion Week

So, with this being Passion Week and Easter Sunday coming up, I've been thinking a lot about Christ's death, and along with that, all of the allegories in literature that have depicted this. Almost all stories have this element, and in fact, I can't think of many books I've read that don't.

But Aslan's death from the Chronicles of Narnia has been on my mind the most. I had an interesting train of thought about it this evening, and thought I would share, as I am currently plum out of blog post ideas.

We read in the Bible how Jesus came to earth, lived a painful and sorrowful life as a man, that one day he would be given up to be sacrificed for our sins. We hear all the time how Christ died to save "all sinners". But something I observed about Aslan's death in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe: He didn't die to save all the creatures of Narnia. At the time they didn't need saving. The only one who had sinned, the only one who had betrayed Aslan, was Edmund. And yet, Aslan died. We all know how the story ends: Aslan comes back to life. But when he traded his life for Edmund's, it gave the appearance of defeat, of surrender, of basically handing the victory over to the White Witch, all for the sake of one boy. One traitor.

And it reminded me all over again, that it would have been exactly like that with Jesus had I been the only one He needed to save. Jesus would have lived, suffered, been crucified and gone through hell even if it was only for single soul. And I think that fact, that knowledge, is one of the most beautiful things about the saving grace of God and His sacrifice for us. He loves us so much, he was willing not to just die for all of us, but for each and every one of us individually.

So, yes. Those are just some thoughts that have been floating around my head lately. Thanks for reading. :)

How has your Passion Week been? 

Sincerely,

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Thoughts in Caramel

     Having you ever felt so crammed full of things you need to do, of schedules and projects to work on, that your thoughts literally feel like they're racing a hundred-miles-per-hour at the same time it feels like they're stuck in glue, pinging in slow-motion, so sluggish you can barely even put two words together in your head?

     Huuuge run on sentence, I know. I'm sorry... 

     But, that's what tonight is like for me. And last night. And the night before. And every moment in between.

     My brain feels like it could explode at any second. Like all of my thoughts are stuck together with caramel. I have too many things I should be doing, too many things I need to be doing, but they can't all happen at once.

     This week has been a season of letting go for me. Between juggling school, friends, writing, video work, blogging, research, and a (sort of) job, there's just too much to handle with only two hands and one brain. I've had to prioritize. I've had to organize (weird, right? I didn't think I had it in me...). And I've had to let go of things I know are less important. Things that will get in the way of my real dreams and my real goals. Goals that I know I can accomplish and not just daydream about. 

     Maybe, one day, I can come back to them. Maybe, one day, they'll be my important goals. Maybe, one day, those dreams will come true. 

     I never thought I'd have to prioritize my dreams... It just sounds kind of wrong, doesn't it?

     But, some of these goals, some of them I've had to tell myself will never happen. That it really was just a dream, and there are better dreams for me to spend my time on. That's just part of growing, I suppose.

     I've never been a "deep" blogger. Though I spend a lot of time writing and am rather a sensitive soul, I usually stink at conveying my emotions and thoughts. I guess I deal better with describing the flashing of rapiers during a pirate duel that I do describing real thoughts and feelings.

     So, I don't know why I decided to post this today. I just felt like sharing. :)

     Have any of you all ever experienced this?

Thanks for reading,
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ Awkward & Awesome

I don't usually (never, actually) post Awkward&Awesomes, but apparently I had a very awkward week (okay, it was awesome too), and thought it might make a good post.

Yeah... I'm going to regret this. :P

Awkward:

• Running all the way down to your guest house in the your beat up truck to use the bathroom there, because at your own house your little brother is throwing up in the one and your sister is doing a health cleanse in the other.

• Going to a new gyro restaurant and not understanding the menu, so you just order soda. Then you see what your family got to eat and decide that's what you want, so you have to go and order again, and the employees there are literally hiding their smiles of amusement because you were stressing out so bad over it, and then you're mortified the rest of the meal.

• An entire lunch conversation centered around your dad guessing what obscure decoration your sister bought at Michaels, and him actually getting it right. (It was a giant Kelly-green clothespin.)

• Taking outfit pictures of your sister outside a cigar shop.

• Having to write an introductory speech for your speech class and realizing 70% of your life is spent reading books and watching movies and then geeking out about them.

• Writing an email chain back-and-forth in all caps and it feels like someone's been screaming in your ears for hours, so you walk around deaf the rest of the day for no good reason whatsoever.

• When your hair is so long that when you try to flip it over your shoulder at the dinner table, it falls in your food.

• Your family thinking you're goth when you wear a black T-shirts two days in a row.

• Your family buying a sauna and transporting it to your house via mattresses, quilts and a pig trailer behind your big white passenger van.

Awesome:

• This exchange at breakfast:

Emma: "Daniel (our neighbor) didn't get my pun yesterday about him spraying me with the bottle so often putting a damper on our friendship."
Daddy: "He totally mist that pun."
Emma: "Haha, yeah. And then I told him it was okay, it cooled things off.  And he said, 'Well, that's awkward.' And I'm like, 'Dude, I'm trying to make a pun here.'"
Me: "He should have just gone with the flow."
Daddy: "Stream of consciousness."
Me: "You were in too deep."
Emma (laughing hard): "This is why I love you guys."

• Getting a booth at a local fair to sell my jewelry.

• The first of the leaves turning red.

• Finishing writing the first half of your book... (!)

• Spotify. I did not know the extent of music streaming awesomeness until I got it.

• Starting school and not falling behind within in the first week. And not hating it. If it weren't for all the other stuff I have to get done in a very short amount of time, I would actually be enjoying it. My mom let me make my own schedule this year, and so now I get an hour of reading and an hour writing a day. :D :D :D

• Leather jackets. ATV's. Wide open fields. Good friends. And chicken-pot-pie.

What was awesome/awkward about your week? Seriously share, I love hearing from you guys! :)

Word,
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings// I'm Back! (And Book Pendants)

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!
Yes, well, so,--I'm back again! So excited to actually post again! I've got the next This Name and Moment segment in the works, as well as hopefully editing Emma's senior pictures and doing some book reviews. I read eight books last month, and several of them are just too good not to share with y'all. 
So, basically, what I've been up to is...

Shoe shopping! Finally got a new pair of converse after my last pair finally disintegrated into a puddle of threads and rubber.

Reading! Fencing, Magic, Historical, Time-Travel...

Making book pendants! Yes! You heard me--book pendants! I hand-made them from clay and put them up on Facebook to sell. I'm almost tempted to keep them all for myself...
(More on this in a later post, I promise.)

"If not for the last minute, nothing would ever get done." ~Unknown

But biggest news of all--I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SOOOOOOOO excited! It was worth it to take a break from blogging to focus on the home-stretch of writing my book. 

Sincerely, 

The Scribbler in the Attic 

(Please go and check out my jewelry business Facebook page to see more about the book pendants! 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Droplette-Jewelry/854938741186339 )

Writer's Wednesday || Apologies, Explanations and First Drafts

So... I've been rather sporatic these last few weeks.
But for good reasons.
I was finishing my book! This is a book I have been dreaming and plotting in my head since I was eight. And I finally finished the first draft! I am sooo excited! But revising said draft is keeping me extremely busy.
So, until I can get everything between my writing and my blogging organized again, I'll be taking a short break from This Name and Moment as well as blogging in general.
Y'all are awesome! So, Until I see (or read) you again--
--Adios!

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings // Souls of Ink

 Reading is not speaking the words of a book to yourself in your head. 
               It's listening.

A good book doesn't use words to tell you something. In fact, it shouldn't be saying anything at all. It should be showing you a sunset. Playing the music of ocean waves. There should be rain on your upturned face. The sound of trees in the wind in your ears. Dirt beneath your fingernails.
The pages flutter around you like fallen leaves. You don't watch them spiral one by one--marking the turn of each page--but let yourself hear their whispers as they fall. Their light touch upon your cheek.
A good book isn't paper between leather.
It's a soul. 
Bound. 
Silenced until its cell is opened. And once opened, that soul becomes part of your own. 
Even if you close it again.

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Writer's Wednesday || Time Travel--Help Needed!

Okay...So... I have this idea for a story installment here on my blog. You know, a short section of a story every week or two. And I really like it (it's got time travel--I can't help but like it.) But I need help.
I needs names.
The two main characters are a girl and a boy. Probably both around the age 13. Th boy has red hair and green eyes. The girl has brown hair and blue eyes. I would LOVE it if you guys commented and gave suggestions (for both first and last names). Think you can help me out?

"They certainly give strange names to diseases..."

~Plato

Pleadingly, 

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Monday Musings \\ Sunshine Award

Thanks to Myra, for awarding me! Go check out her blog, she does some good reviews! :) (... And there I go again with the emoticons... :P) 

Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link to his/her blog.

2.Nominate other bloggers and let them know on their blog.

3.Answer the list of ten questions given. 

4.The sunshine award must be posted on your blog.

I nominate:

Elsie (confessionsofabachaddict.blogspot.com)

Megan (meganlovessummer.blogspot.com)

Tane (tangerinetane.blogspot.com) 

Joanna (awrittershome.blogspot.com)

1. What is your favorite Bible verse?

Without a doubt, I would have to say Romans 8: 37-39: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither life nor death, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the lobe of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2. Would you sacrifice your life if it would save that of a strangers?

As a Christian, I know what is waiting for me on the Other Side. If I had the chance to save the life of another human, possibly one who doesn't know the Lord, I think I would. Maybe through my sacrifice, they will come to see the ultimate sacrifice Christ made.

3. Given the chance to swim with dolphins...would you accept?

Absolutely! Fish and deep water freak me out, but I'd brave it if it meant I could swim with dolphins. 

4. Are you more "Fascinated" by light or darkness? Why?

Shadows. Dark. Blackness. Shade. Every time I hear those words, I get a tingle. I am definitely more fascinated by darkness. Light illuminates, while the darkness hides, keeping you guessing at what secrets it's keeping. It's a mystery, and I love mysteries. 

5. Can you speak in a different accent?

I could keep up either an Australian or English accent for a few minutes (though one usually evolves into the other) and can say a few sentences in a Scottish or Cockney accent. 

6. Would you rather be disliked or forgotten?

If I was disliked for the right reasons, I would rather be remembered as the annoying pest who wouldn't shut up about Jesus, than the girl who didn't bother to raise her voice.

7. Has the ocean ever filled your dreams?

I once dreamed I was in a deep, deep lake, that had huge waves like a sea. It was bluer and clearer than the sky, set in sandstone beside a high cliff. It would have been a very serene dream if it weren't for the fact that I was drowning and woke up gasping for breath...

8. Assuming you have one, how often is your journal put to use?

Barely ever. Unless my soul is in tumult and my emotions are so jumbled all I need is to distract myself with writing, get my thoughts out on paper even if they don't make any coherent sense... Then, maybe. I just really stink at journaling. 

9. What is your favorite fictional character of all time?

No. No, no, no, no. I cannot answer this question. I have too many favorite characters--Eustace Clarence Scrubb, Bilbo Baggins, Hermione Granger, Prince Jaron, Percy Jackson, Puck, Sherlock Holmes, Henry York, Cyrus and Anitgone Smith. It's like asking me which is my favorite parent, or sibling, or memory. It's impossible to pick one. 

10. What is your favorite hymn?

Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus, On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, Mighty Lord Extend Your Kingdom, As the Deer Panteth for the Water... And a lot more. :)

Thanks again, to Myra, for awarding me! This was so much fun, and I think one of these days I'm going to create some really random blogger award and give it to each and every one of you guys. Any suggestions? I serious here... :)

Sincerely, 

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Photography Friday // Olivia and Callie

If there is one thing I appreciate about my sister Olivia, it's her ability to pull off anything. Including awkwardness. She's one of those rare souls who look good in anything--white, orange, plaid, moody, happy, awkward--you name it, she looks charming.
As some of you may know, Olivia runs a very popular modest fashion blog (click here to see it). She had a friend staying for the weekend, Callie (who also runs a modest fashion blog. Click here), and they decided to take outfit pictures for their blogs. As Olivia's "official" photographer (I like to call myself her Manager, but sadly she doesn't) I got the job of taking their pictures. With two such beautiful young ladies standing right there, willing for me to take their pictures, I couldn't help but try to sneak in a more "portrait" feel to the pictures than just "outfit photos."
I really like the way these turned out, and being with Olivia and Callie was so much fun. Hope you guys enjoy!

"True friends stab you in the front." 

~Oscar Wilde

This quote doesn't exactly fit the context of this post, but I really liked it, and haven't put up a quote in a while, so I thought it wouldn't hurt.

...So, turns out, if you spend more time editing the pictures, the nicer they'll turn out. I spent a long time on the first few of these, trying out our Lightroom to a larger extent then I have before. Up till this point, I had just been slapping filters on most of my pictures, but this time I did almost each one, I guess you could say, "by hand."

Have a spectacular week!

Stabbingly,
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Writer's Wednesday || I Know a Girl

I needed a poem to post...but I didn't exactly have much inspiration or patience at hand...Yeah, this is my finished project. So...hope you enjoy. :D

                                                Clancy McLew

I know a girl

By the name of Clancy McLew

She likes to write stories

And is a little strange too

She lives down my road

Just a few houses down

With trees in her house

And lamps in the ground

She eats ice cream for dinner

And dinner for lunch

Breakfast at midnight

And midnight snacks at brunch

I remember now

She tried to ride a bike once

Insisting it was the closest thing to a dragon  

She had ever come

She caught a raccoon to make her own hat

She hid in a trashcan all night long

She learned to play every instrument

And wrote her own opera song

In a single day

She built a wooden fort

And had me attack it

So she could see how battle worked

She owns three peacocks

A zebra and a mongoose

She’s a strange girl

That Clancy McLew

Sometimes I wish

We didn't live quite so close

As she makes her own snow

Using the air-conditioner and hose

But every now and then

She’ll give me some advice

And I find out

Just how much writers know about life

Yes, I know a girl

Who hasn't got a clue

Just how special she is,

That’s Clancy McLew

I think this was my record for the fastest-blog-post-ever. If our Internet hadn't gone funky in the middle, I would've been able to take the pics, edit them, make the poem, and post it in about twenty minutes flat. :) 
I'm hoping to do a fairy-tale themed photo shoot for this Friday, and I'm getting pretty excited. Not only that, but I finished reading Rick Riordan's latest book (House of Hades) and am pumped up for his next one. :D :D :) <3 ...Even though it won't come out until next October. :P 

Sincerely Forever, 
~The Scribbler in the Attic

A Fresh Start || Writer's Wednesday

So, here's what I'm thinking. As of right now, my blog has been rather sporadic and unstructured. I want to change that. So starting today, I'm going to begin posting (hopefully) at least twice, or even three times a week: Monday Musings (poetry or rambling) Writer's Wednesday (writing quotes, ideas, questions) and Photography Friday.
And I also think I'm going to change around my blog design.
Now, here's my big question for y'all: What do you currently like about my blog design?
I'm definitely going to change it, one way or another, but I want to know what y'all like about it at the moment, because the less work I have to do, all the better. :)

Well, to start off Writer's Wednesday, I thought I would post some quotes I found on Pinterest and found very inspiring. I don't like mushy-gushy writing encouragement, but these really make sense and boosted my confidence (which, if you think about it, is half of what it takes to be a writer. The other half is an insane amount of tolerance for having a dozen characters constantly squabbling and talking in your brain, asking when they get to come out onto the paper.)

This last one is like a thunderclap in my brain, despite it being so short. It really is true. You can make anything, be anything, have anything by writing, and I think that's one reason I do it. To feel the wind on my face, even when I'm stuck inside. To feel a hug when I need it, even when no one is around. To know what love feels like, to know what it's like to fly, to soar, to be a hero. To make sacrifices without being hurt. To be pumped with energy even when I feel sick and tired.

Just a thought. :)

Sincerely Forever,
~The Scribbler in the Attic