Wrapping Things Up (December Book Wrap-Up)

It's hard to believe we've come through yet another year, but alas, here we are! As December is considered by many WriMos (myself included) to be a "recovery" month, I did not do very much at all in terms of reading or writing as 2015 came to a close. My main focus was surviving finals and then taking a well-deserved break when they were over. And that's just what I did.

Writing
Most of the writing I did this month was various essays and presentations I had to give for finals last semester, but I am proud to say I did successfully get back to "Dude, Worlds Are Gonna Collide" over on Wattpad just like I intended. The story returned on December 19. In this month two new chapters have been released, and my readers seem satisfied. I'm hoping to get back to regular updates again this semester. I intend to use the rest of my winter break to get a good head start on writing chapters so they are ready to go when I need them.

My current stats for "Worlds Collide" are: 911 reads, 87 votes, and 51 comments.

Reading
I only read one book from cover to cover this month, and that was MLP: Discord and the Ponyville Players Dramarama by G.M. Berrow. It was a real quick, fun, easy read that I completed in less than 24 hours. I really loved the many references the book made both to the show and other forms of media. Discord has a pet goldfish named Q. High five if you get that reference, because it's the best one in the entire fandom.

I started to read The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick but stopped about 50 pages in. The only reason I started it was for school, and once finals week was over and I was no longer required to read it I just lost all drive to do so, basically. It seemed like an interesting story - and I may get back to it someday - but I was just too burnt out to care at that point.

Also, on a side note, my Reading Challenge on Goodreads was to read 50 books in the year 2015. I read 47 total. So I did not complete the challenge, but I got pretty close. 47 books isn't bad, considering the craziness of this past year. For 2016 my goal will be 50 again. I intend to make it this time.

And that about sums up 2015! Be sure to check back here in 2016 for more nerdy blog posts and book wrap-ups. This is going to be a defining year for me, personally. I can feel it! Happy New Year!!

NaNoWriMo Tag (November Book Wrap-Up)

I made it! I won NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row! Sorry that my wrap-up is a bit late, but honestly, once NaNo was over I just did not want to do anything for a while. I've been sleeping so much the past two days I'm pretty sure I don't know what "awake" is anymore. Anyway!

Writing
I wrote 50,115 words in 30 days during the month of November for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). My story was titled Jenkins and Smith and was my first attempt at crime fiction. It sucked, and I have no problem admitting it. But at least I tried, and - bonus! - Jenkins and Smith was the tenth book I've ever written. I've written ten books in my lifetime! That's crazy!

That was the only form of creative writing I did last month. I put "Worlds Collide" over on Wattpad on hold until December. My current stats for said book are as follows: 644 reads, 68 votes, and 36 comments.

Reading
Although November was primarily dedicated to writing, I still managed to read four books during my free time.

• A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (started October 23)
• Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (started October 26)
• Talon by Julie Kagawa
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

A Canticle for Lebowitz was, quite simply, a masterpiece. I gave it five stars. Horrorstor was my first time reading in the horror genre, and it was a good choice for a newcomer. It was definitely creepy, but not overly so. I liked it. Talon was extremely hard to get a hold of, but it was totally worth the struggle. Julie Kagawa never ceases to amaze and she has definitely gotten me hooked on her newest YA Fantasy series. I loved Talon. I have not yet finished Androids, but I have enjoyed it so far and will be proud to be able to say I have read it, as it is considered a sci-fi classic.

The NaNoWriMo Tag

This tag was created by Kristina Horner on YouTube.

1) How many times have you done NaNoWriMo?

• 2015 was my third year doing NaNoWriMo and my second year winning.

2) How did you first find out about NaNoWriMo?

• I'm pretty sure I had heard of it before this, but the first time I remember really looking into it was when I was a senior in high school and I saw a poster advertising it in the English hall. NaNo is also the reason I found out about Kristina Horner, too, if I'm not mistaken.

3) What was the name of the first novel you attempted with NaNo?

• The first project I attempted with NaNo was Restless. It was going to be a TMNT fanfiction about Leo x Karai and Casey x April, but I never got past 10k words. I'm not proud of my first year with NaNo, but it is there anyhow.

4) Give us a one-sentence summary of what you're writing (or wrote) this year.

• Jenkins and Smith: Criminal justice student Bryan Jenkins and high school senior Wren Smith team up to stop a dangerous crime lord's human trafficking industry.

5) What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

• I believe it was Lauren Myracle who said: "I've always been told to write what you know. But I say, write what you like." The research and editing can come later.

6) Did you ever take a year off from NaNo? Why?

• Since beginning in 2013, I have never taken a year off from NaNo. I have not won all three years, but I at least attempted all three.

7) What's your biggest inspiration when figuring out what to write?

• My inspiration comes from everywhere. My inspiration for this year's novel came from Sherlock Holmes. My inspiration for last year's came from a video game series. My inspiration for my favorite novel that I've ever written (Follow the Raven) was a lesser-known video game with a beautiful protagonist (and I mean beautiful in the personality sense). I've also gained inspiration from other books, shows, and even just asking myself questions of "what if...?"

8) Read us the first sentence from one of your novels.

• "He would never have seen the murder if he hadn't been in desperate need of a cigarette." (From Jenkins and Smith, 2015)

9) Why do you love writing?

• Writing is the one thing I'm good at. It's the one thing I feel I can do well, something I can offer the world. I love creating characters and whole new worlds and dangerous villains and complex plots. I love all the mechanics of it as well as the pure, unadulterated joy that I gain from putting words on paper. I just love writing!

Again, I apologize that my November Wrap-Up is a couple of days late, but I consider myself to be in the "recovery period" of post-NaNo craziness right now. You can be sure to look forward to more regular blog posts this month! Happy Holidays!