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

5 Ways I Get Over Writer's Block

Hey y'all! Sorry my super long absence. This month has been crazy, between ice storms, 70 degree weather, last-minute road trips, free archery lessons, visits to the doctor for allergy shots and home school conferences. :D 

Well, as I've been having trouble with this lately, I thought I would share with you all five ways that I get over Writer's Block, and ask about your methods. I actually haven't heard mush advice on the matter, except for the two obvious ones: Take a Break and KEEP WORKING NO MATTER WHAT I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE A BLOCK.


Anyways, here's my five-cents:

1). Sit down and write out all your favorite words.
             I was at a really desperate stage of writers block when I decided to do this. It was really late at night, everyone else was asleep, and my light was the only one on in the room I share with my three other sisters. On the edge of sleep, but unwilling to go to bed without scratching the itch I'd had all day to write, but hadn't been able to because of my Block, I rolled over, grabbed a notebook, and started scribbling down all of the words I loved most: shiver, mirror, winter, obsidian, shatter. The next morning I woke up and it was gone. 


2).  Reread a draft of a different book you haven't worked on for a while and try to identify mistakes in it that you could still be making now.
           I've done this several times, and it always helps. It reminds me where I've been and how far I still have to go, but it also helps point me in the right direction for fixing my old mistakes. And it keeps me humble. :)

3). Change the font, spacing, or coloring of your document.

          Seriously. I got this advice from Pinterest, and it actually works. When I get fed up with something, or get a headache, or even start out a story knowing it's going to give me a tough time, I change at least the color. Gray is usually my go-to.

4). Make a list of all of your characters, every single one. Then mark if they are good or bad. Then mark whether they live or die.

          *maniacal laugh* I have this old money ledger I got from my great grandmother. It has columns for expenses, income, taxes, etc. But they are unlabeled, so I made it into a "Death Book" and used the columns for Last Name, First Name, Good/Bad, Die/Stay Alive. Then I filled it out. (In case you were curious, out of all of the characters from the series I wrote down, only about half lived. :P) I know this sounds slightly psychotic, but it really can help--plus, it's kind of fun. :D

5). If you're having trouble describing a certain thing (an emotion, reaction, scenery) go to one of your favorite authors and read how they describe it. Figure out why it works for them, and then make it work for you.

           I usually go to Riordan or Rowling, as their writing style fits mine the best, and this has never failed me. I'm sure you all know the feeling, when sometimes, after writing for hours or even days on end, your patience gets so frayed that the smallest things will start to trip you up. This helps me quickly get back up without losing momentum. (I once got stuck for hours just trying to write the part of a scene where five people enter a room. Talk about stuck. :-/ )


So, what do you guys do? Any suggestions, hints or advice? I could really use it!

Hope you all have an awesome day, 
~The Scribbler in the Attic

March Reading List \\ The Obsidian Blood Throne of Doom and Olympus Staff

Hey y'all! Sorry I've been neglectful with posting this last month. It's been super busy around here. :)
Maybe I'll actually get March's "Reading List" post up before the month ends this time. :P

The Obsidian Mirror (Chronoptika #1) 

by Catherine Fisher 

This was such a good book! It finally came in at our library and I found myself completely transfixed. Catherine Fisher has long been one of my favorite authors, both for her stories and her writing style, which is chilling and enchanting all at once. The Obsidian Mirror is about a boy, Jake, who's father was murdered. Jake suspects his new guardian, Oberon Venn, the man who was his father's best friend, to be the murderer. But when Jake goes to Wintercombe Abby to confront him, he finds only secrets and a strange black mirror. I give this book 4.5 stars. I wish I had just gone ahead and bought it! (Side note: There is a good deal of mild language throughout.)

The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3)

by Jennifer A. Nielson

This. Was. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. This series has become my favorite book series ever, and I was not disappointed by the conclusion. I loved every bit of it! If you haven't heard of this series go buy it right now. :D I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

Day of Doom (The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #6)

by David Baldacci

This was pretty good. It was the last book of the series and tied up everything really well. A very good sequel series to the original 39 Clues. 3.5. stars is my humble opinion. (It does take the Lord's Name is vain three or four times, as well as using two mild curse words.)

The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5)

by Rick Riordan

Eh. I can't complain. It was exactly like all the others, which is to say, they travel around and fight monsters. It was actually rather boring until the very end, at which point I finally started to enjoy myself. It was a lot of fun and had several parts that made me laugh out loud. But I won't say anymore so that I don't spoil it for any of you who haven't read it. 3.5 stars. (Just fyi, there is a gay character in here. But nothing "happens" per se.)

The Staff of Serapis (PJO and KC Crossover #2)

by Rick Riordan

Dude. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! If you haven't read The Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson, pick them both up and then read The Son of Sobek and then read this. Worlds collide. It's awesome. 4.5 stars, definitely! 


What did you guys read this month? Any recommendations?
Adios,
~The Scribbler in the Attic

Valentine Pictures From Me To You

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. :) I had chocolate and raspberry covered homemade donuts and heart-shaped bacon for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, and chocolate covered strawberries for desert after dinner. So, yeah, my Valentine's Day was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. :D

I'd been meaning to take some holiday-themed pictures to post today, but couldn't really decide what to do, until the inspiration hit me this afternoon. Forgoing the (extremely inconvenient) self-timer on my Nikon, I got my little brother, Seth, to take these pictures. 

#teenagetroubles

Scorching sophistication.

NERD ALERT!

Can you smell the sarcasm?

I was in a super goofy mood today, if you couldn't tell. ;)

Our family has this crazy tradition of sending Valentine cards to all our neighbors, so, after our incredible breakfast this morning, we sat around and made Pooh and Captain America Valentine's for our friends. We always have a great time deciding who should get the "Ishy Squishy Hugs and Stuff" or the "I Want YOU To Have a Happy Valentine's Day" cards.

How did you celebrate? Do you have any Valentine traditions?

Love,

~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

January Reading List \\ The Hangman's Midnight 39 Crown Revolution of Clues

One of my goals this year is to read 101 books. Whether I'll make that or not, I've no clue. But I would only have to read 8 and 1/2 books a month to reach it, so that shouldn't be too difficult, right?

Have any of you ever set any large reading goals? If so, any advice?

Well, here's what I read this month. I only got around to 6, so I suppose I'll have to make up for that next month...

The Hangman's Revolution (W.A.R.P. #2) 

by Eoin Colfer

This. Was. Awesome. And so funny. I always enjoy Colfer's sense of humor and how he blends absolutely impossible scenarios with believable action and original characters. I give this book 4.5 stars. (There is a lot of mild language, and a lot of gory action, but nothing waaay over-the-top.)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it, so I checked out the second book on our online library... and still don't quite know what to think. It was good, maybe 3.5 stars, but the main character did a lot of things that were completely and breathtakingly wrong and, quite frankly, evil. I don't think I have ever seen the line of good-and-evil so blurred. I couldn't even tell where the line was. So... the plot was pretty good, even if it lagged a little, but the characters (except for Chaol, who is awesome) were really pretty terrible and had little in the way of true character development. (The language gets pretty PG-13 now and then, and because of the adult innuendo and content, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than 15.)

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers (books 2-5)

by a bunch of people

Oh! These are so good! Such a great sequeal-series to the original 39 Clues. I'm right in the middle of the last book, and seriously have no idea how it's all going to end up okay. Definitely give these 4.5 stars. (On the language: there is taking of the Lord's name in vain a few times, and three very mild instances of cursing in the 5th, Trust No One.)

Hope this broadened some of your reading horizons. :)

Got any suggestions for me? (Seriously, I have to read 101 books this year, and I need more material for my list!)

~The Scribbler in the Attic

Snow Fall || It Almost Feels Like Winter

I woke up Saturday to find our hollow covered in snow. It may look like just a dusting to those of you who get snow all the time, but for us, anything more than an 1/8 an inch is the closest thing we get to a blizzard. So, naturally, I jumped out of bed and ran outside to take pictures. :)

I once met the woman known as Winter

With eyes of frost and turquoise splinter.

And once I asked how it could be

That she was never sad.

She looked at me, with eyes of sleet

As though I were the one half-mad.

She said, "How could I ever, though,

When I'm lord of winds and one with snow?"

~W.N.H.

Have you guys gotten any good snow falls? Anyone ready for Spring yet?

~The Scribbler in the Attic