One Year

Tomorrow will mark one year since I started blogging. 52 weeks since I dusted off the blog I created back in high school, 365 days since I quit overthinking everything and just wrote. So much stuff has happened this year, I don't even know where to start.

I embraced my limited knowledge of blogging, choosing to just dive right into it instead of worrying about what I was doing wrong.

I reverted to a 9-year-old mentality, abandoning the conventionally "smart" option of a back-up plan and making writing my first priority, as it should have always been.

I dropped out of university, and subsequently recovered from a spontaneous (and unintentional) 10-week hiatus.

I successfully blogged every day for a month. (Something I hope to repeat this year.)

I began sharing my writing with all of you, occasionally, through this blog.

I won NaNoWriMo, for the second year in a row.

And today, I settle down and prepare to finish the first draft of a novel; the novel I spent the past two Novembers working furiously on, and the first novel draft I will have completed since the 8th grade.

I've learned a lot, this past year. A lot about myself, about my writing, about the world around me. This blog helped me more than I ever thought it would, helped me figure out things that I needed to figure out.

I'd like to thank you, all of you, for reading through my jumbled thoughts over the last 12 months. I appreciate it, really I do.

Until later,

- Justyne

50 Book Pledge

Today, I'm going to tell you all about a nifty little website I discovered last year: 50bookpledge.ca.

When I was younger, I used to read a lot. (But of course, you already knew that.) As I grew up, though, I sort of...stopped.

Okay, I didn't stop entirely. But I definitely started reading less. In all of 2013, I read a total of 12 books--and that's counting one I read for my English class, and a barely-100-page comic book.

Considering I used to read the same amount in a month, this was pretty embarrassing. What makes it even worse is that I had planned to read 50 books that year. Which brings me back to the website.

Basically, the idea is that you set a reading goal, or a pledge, for how many books you're going to read that year. The average goal is 50, but you can change it to 25, 75, 100, or even more if you're feeling super ambitious. The idea is that, each time you read a book, you log on and record it onto your "read" shelf. It helps you keep track of all the books you've read, gives you neat little badges whenever you reach a landmark (like "First Book Read" and "Ten Books Read"), and is basically the thing that counts your books and lets you know when you've reached 50 (or whatever your goal for the year was).

You also get a "To Be Read" shelf, that you can add whatever books you want onto it and then move them over to your "Read" shelf once you're finished with them. (My TBR shelf had 30+ books on it, last time I checked.)

I first signed up last year and failed miserably. This year is a looking a lot better, though, as we're nearing the end of February and I've already read 10 books. Go, me!

If you love reading, but feel like you haven't really had time for it lately, I would suggest giving this website a go. Now I find that the thing I look forward to the most is adding books to my "Read" shelf. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

If you want to see what kind of books I'm reading, you can check out my profile here.


What books are on YOUR TBR shelf? Let me know in the comments!


Until later,

- Justyne

Distractions (Part II)

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about distractions. 12 months later, and I'm still getting as distracted as I was then. (And I still have a Sims game open in my taskbar. Some things never change.)

Here are a few new-and-improved tips to avoid various distractions:

1. Chase everyone away

Of course, if you have sisters like mine, this isn't exactly easy. Try putting a "do not disturb" sign on your door--and lock it, if you can. Keep your phone on silent and stay away from instant messengers, like Facebook and Skype. Make sure everyone knows that your writing is important, and you need time alone to get it done. Hopefully they'll understand and leave you alone. If they don't, well...

2. Designate a special "Writing Zone"

Maybe you work best in your room, or in a library or a coffee shop. Either way, get your butt down in a chair somewhere--preferably away from the television--and get to work. This can also help you get away from certain pestering younger siblings, you insist on knocking on your door even when you specifically say not to. (I'm looking at you, Mackayla.)

3. Turn the music off--or, get some playing

Maybe you work better in complete and utter silence. Or maybe you're like me, and the quiet drives you absolutely insane. Figure out which applies to you, and create playlists that match. Maybe you like movie soundtracks, or a collection of songs that help inspire the story you're writing. Either way, cranking up that music can help block out other noises around the house that could distract you.

If you prefer to work in silence, though, finding a really quiet place to work can be hard. Try a library, if you can; if you can't, for whatever reason, I would suggest listening to some white noise or rain effects to block out the TV playing in the next room or gossiping family members upstairs.

If you just like background noise, like me, I would definitely recommend Coffitivity. It plays the hustle and bustle you would normally hear at a coffee shop or restaurant, without actually having to leave your house. (Perfect for a hermit like me!)

4. Habit helps

Back in November, I made it a habit to write 500 words when I first woke up in the morning. Personally, I find that making a habit out of writing makes it easier to focus, and harder to get distracted. If you work on a story regularly, as well, it's a lot easier to fall back into the rhythm of the plot each day, rather than going days or weeks without spending time on it.

5. Sprint, don't marathon

As I discovered during last NaNoWriMo, working in sprints inspires more productivity than trying to focus for hours on end. Ten, twenty, and even thirty minute sprints allow me to stay focused a heck of a lot easier than if I try to block out my distractions for an hour or more. Write for half an hour, do some laundry. Write for ten more minutes, clean my room. Spreading out your writing time in smaller increments throughout the day still allows you to get a lot done, while making it easier to focus and concentrate enough to actually be productive.

And finally...

6. Un-bookmark Tumblr

Just do it.


Do you have any more tips for avoiding distractions? Have any of these, or the tips provided in my last blog post, worked for you? Comment below and tell me!


Until later,

- Justyne

A New Motto

A few weeks ago, I was doing something I find myself doing quite often--daydreaming. I was sitting on the couch, with the television on and my web browser of choice open on the laptop in front of me. But my attention wasn't directed toward either of those, as it should have been. Instead, my mind was drifting; wandering to the plot holes I wrestle with, the "what-ifs" that direct my stories, and the words that will make it all come alive.

I like to think that every story has this one line that defines the entire novel. It's the line that you see quoted, over and over again. The line that people get tattooed on the back of their necks, that they scrawl on a scrap of loose leaf and stick on their bedroom wall. That line could be the title; so blatantly obvious that it might as well be highlighted in every copy. That line could be hidden; as eye-popping as the other hundreds of thousands of words that form the story playing out in your mind. Either way, the meaning is the same; it sets the tone for the entire story.

I get my story ideas from endless resources; my dreams, my favourite books or movies, my own life and experiences. I take one little thing from my life and the world around me, and expand it into something bigger.

Sometimes, though, my stories branch from something much simpler: one line. One single line, that expresses a message that I wish to convey through story. This line will often come to me when I'm bumming around, zoning out and in general not paying as much attention as I should be to my surroundings. My mind wanders, stumbles upon a phrase, and the phrase...sticks. It sticks and the next thing I know I'm writing it down, eagerly scribbling it in my journal, so quickly that the words don't followed the lines quite perfectly.

So when I was zoning out last month, completely ignoring my surroundings, a phrase popped into my head. Except this time, it wasn't really a line you could insert into a novel. It wasn't one inspirational, emotionally moving line that would set the tone of whatever future story that my mind would unravel. It was more like...a motto.

Dare to dream big. Live to dream bigger.

The moment it popped into my head, it just felt...right. It felt like everything I've tried to believe in, throughout my whole life, wrapped up into two little sentences; 8 little words.

Dare to dream big. Don't be afraid of having "realistic" goals or career plans. Dare to aim for something out of your wallet's comfort zone; something that might not be achieved with the help of a college degree. If people think less of you for it, prove them wrong. That is your motivation; use it.

Live to dream bigger. Don't settle; don't stop at just one dream. Let yourself have two, five, ten. A thousand. Reach one, make another. As your life changes around you, let your dreams change with it. Don't stop. Never stop. If you think you've reached the top, prove yourself otherwise. Because even when you reach the sky, there are still endless stars waiting for you beyond it.

This phrase has become my motto; the thing I repeat to myself when I start to struggle and feel down. It helps me a little, I think. It helps me remember why I've kept at it for so long; why I left university in the first place. (Which is why I have it typed at the end of my new and improved About Me page.)

I've always wanted a motto. And now, I have one; one that is completely, totally, wholeheartedly me.


Until later,

- Justyne

Books

Books.

That's all I have to say about the matter. Just...books.


Until later...




Nah, I'm kidding. But really, books are amazing.

I first started reading when I was about 7, and I've been hooked ever since. It's one of the contributing factors that lead to my start in writing, and it's probably the one thing that I've invested more time in than Sims. (*Gasp!*)

My reading habits have changed a bit over the years. When I was younger, I would go to the library, borrow six books, and have them all read within a week and a half. Now, I've basically abandoned the library and resorted to buying all of my books--something my bookshelf loves but my wallet resents me for. My pitiful reasoning for this is that I don't read quickly enough to borrow from the library. I still read a lot, sure, but sometimes I take a good week and a half to read one book; forget the six I used to be able to finish.

The solution to this is simple, of course. "Just only borrow one book at a time!" you say.

It is physically impossible for me to walk into the library and not come out with six books. It's almost as impossible as walking into Chapters and spending less than $100. (I joke...kind of.) So I borrow six books, read half of one (maybe), and then return them all and borrow new ones.

Whereas, if I buy my books, I simply pick one and take my time to read it. Sometimes I finish it in a week, sometimes less, sometimes more. Sometimes it takes me a month to finish, and other times I read it cover-to-cover in less than 24 hours. I would love to start going to the library again (and I'm sure my wallet would love that, too); but I keep telling myself to finish the unread books on my shelf, first. Before I can finish reading what books I have, I manage to go out and buy more. It's an endless cycle.

My excuses are pathetic, I know. In the end it just comes down to the fact that I enjoy collecting books. Someday, I want to have a whole room dedicated to them--or at least a small little book nook. (You can blame Pinterest for this desire.) I want to be able to curl into a window seat (another desire of mine) as the rain pours down outside and just read, for hours on end.

But maybe I could lay off the purchases, at least a little bit. Before my wallet plots my murder.


Until later,

- Justyne