Random . . . .

Hello all! I hereby challenge you to beat my score of reading 2020 words per minute.
 

Source: Staples eReader Department

 

 

I am sorry for not posting lately. I try, but it's tough with so much to do. Writing has been pretty neglected as of late. I mean, I've been writing on fanfics, but when it comes to my novel, not so well. I do have a new idea, though. Changing Time, which is currently book 1 of the series, may end up as book 2. I kind of want to make a book involving Marcus as a child/young teen, showing how everything changed. Of course, this would mean I'd have to change Changing Time a little bit, but not much.

 

For some reason, I got that idea last night, while I was half asleep. I'm surprised I even remember it. I know that, while I was falling asleep, I kept drilling it into my head, telling myself, "You gotta think about writing a prequel or making it book 1." How I would do that, though, is beyond me. I have a few ideas, but not enough to make a whole book. That's where brainstorming would come in, obviously.

Well, I can't think of anything else to say, so . . . that's all.


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

My Christmas . . .

Hello! How was everyone's Christmas? I hope it was awesome. Mine was.

My favorite part of Christmas is the food. We have turkey, ham, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, all different kinds of beans, homemade biscuits, chicken and dumplings, and some other stuff that I've already forgotten. For dessert, we have pumpkin pie, pecan pie (which was, sadly, absent this year), apple pie, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc.

Really, eating Christmas dinner at my grandma's house will cause you to gain quite some weight, even for those of us who don't gain much weight easily. After eating, I always feel too stuffed to move, until I'm forced to go outside.

This year, I had gotten The Hunger Games movie and Hunger Games board game, which two of my siblings, Randy and Hannah, were ecstatic about. So, when we went outside, Randy decided we were playing Hunger Games with those cardboard rolls that wrapping paper was wrapped around. We had plenty of those. So, I grabbed one, Randy grabbed one, and we were off. Smacking and jumping and twirling and ducking, we ran all around the backyard, which my mother and grandma found entertaining (our Capitol audience, apparently).

We got Hannah into the fight for a few seconds, by smacking her on the back with them. Her and I were allies for the ten seconds she played. After those ten seconds, she left me to fend for myself with my limp, broken cardboard roll.

My roll was in great need of retirement, but I couldn't hold Randy off with my bare hands. So, I just started twirling and swinging my roll everywhere. And then I charged at him. That always scares him. He jumped back, and I ran in the opposite direction, charging for the stack of rolls that were in perfect condition, Randy hot on my heels. I grabbed two and threw my broken one on the ground. I then started doing some kind of awkward dance that was supposed to be intimidating. Randy found it to be hilarious. -_- We ran around for about ten minutes, swinging and kicking and yelling. I had worn out all of the rolls. I finally threw my last one on the ground and screamed, "I GIVE UP!!!" before plopping down on a kiddie picnic table that I'd had when I was a wee kid. Everyone found this funny.

And then, out of no where, a perfect-condition roll appeared. I grabbed it up and went right for Randy. He smacked me in the face with his roll, leaving me half-blind for a few seconds, wildly swinging at thin air. After that, it got personal. I chased him around screaming. This went on until I started feeling sick. I plopped back down on the table, but Randy wasn't done. Oh, no. He started talking junk to me and hitting me with his cardboard. I got sick of it and threw a pinecone at him, screaming insults and threats at him, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. There were a lot of death threats.

Randy apparently got bored of this and went to play football with Daddy. And then Daddy got the brilliant idea to see who could catch the football from . . . say, 20 (estimated) yards away. Whoever did not catch the ball after two tries would have to clean the entire house. Alone. . . .

Randy caught the ball. And then, they decided I had to play. I did not want to play. Hannah screamed, "I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!!!!!" But Daddy rejected her offer. -_-

So, there I stood. 20 yards away from the person throwing the ball. I didn't even try at first. I watched it bounce off the ground in front of me. The second time, I ran towards it and opened my arms. I closed my eyes, sure I was going to get hit in the face with it. But, somehow, the thing landed in my arms. I DIDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN THE HOUSE! It was amazing.

And after eating a brownie that seemed to be imitating a pecan pie, we all went home. I watched my brand-new movie and fangirled over each wittle, bitty scene. Hannah watched with me, and we had an awesome night.


That's how my Christmas went! How was yours?

God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Miss Me?

Hello, hello! I am finally back! Well, I suppose I've been here all along, but I've been too lazy to write another post. I'm forcing myself to write one now.

Let's see . . . what is new with me? Well, for one, I won NaNo! Whoot!

 

Exciting! So, Changing Time is currently 50,380+ words long. It's not done yet, but it will be soon. I only have about 5-10K left to write. I just need to get a few major plot points I wanted to add down, and then a Christmas scene, and then . . . BAM! Big, suspenseful ending that makes everyone love and hate me. Brilliant, right?

 

Changing Time will need about three or four drafts. It's not too terrible. Of course, the plot is a bit . . . strange, considering I was forcing whatever thought entered my head onto a page for 30 days. Then again, it's not as bad as it could be.

 

I'm hoping to finish this story by the end of the month, and compete in a thing that a facebook friend of mine made up. JanNaNo. You can check it out here, if you're interested. Basically, it's NaNoWriMo, in January. (Important author note: We do not own --nor claim to own-- anything. It all belongs to the creators of NaNoWriMo) And that was to appease the NaNo people, should they be on the lookout for people who are trying to steal the name.

 

Anyhow, I plan on starting a new series (crazy, yes) in January. I'll give Changing Time a break for a month, and then come back to it once I finish The Girl Who Couldn't Cry, the story I'm starting in January. I'm super excited about it. I got the idea for it in the shower. Just gotta love getting ideas like that.

 

 

Well, I'm going to just end this post now. I'll try to do something exciting so I can blog about it. *wink* Well, see ya later!

 

 

 

God bless!

Galatians 6:9 KJV

NaNoWriMo and Random Things

Okay, so, for some reason my posts haven't been posting. I don't know why. I probably did something to cause that, but I really can't think of what. So, if this doesn't post . . . well, you wouldn't be reading it, amiright?

Anyway, NaNoWriMo begins in SEVEN days (and a few hours). Yay! Let's hope I can actually get something written. I'll be using "Changing Time" for NaNo, this year, in hopes that I can finish SOMETHING. Of course, it's really up to me. I just have to stay focused (Which is something I'm terrible at).

What am I doing to prepare? Ha ha. Really, unless you count writing fanfiction, nothing. I was thinking about finding a few writing prompts, so I'll have to do that before next week. . . November is just a really hard time of year for me. So much going on. We have my sister's birthday, and then my brother's birthday, then my dad's birthday, and then my mom's birthday (which falls around Thanksgiving), and then there's NaNo, so . . . it'll be tough. This will be my first (real) year. I found out about NaNo last year, right before it ended.

The hectic life of a homeschooling writer (Who just happens to be the eldest of seven kids). That would definitely be me. I suppose NaNo would be easier if I actually planned my story out, and I know I'll be sorry I didn't, but . . . I really stink at planning books. I've never liked planning a book, I prefer it to go wherever it goes. But, only the book. I hate it when my characters develop minds of their own. And then they start talking to me.

I hate it when characters talk to me. Unless they have a brilliant story idea. Which is rare to never. Gilbert (from Endangered) has become my biggest problem. He thinks he is so stinking smart, and tells me on a daily basis that I am definitely not as smart as him. I keep threatening to kill him. But we both know that I need him for chaos and drama. *cough* That's about all he's good at, though. *cough*

And he's fussing me out for writing that right now. Last night, I had lost a really important piece of paper for my fanfiction, and I could not find it! Gilbert told me I was an idiot for losing it. I told him I'd admit he was smart when he told me, word for word, what I have written on that sheet of paper. My oldest sibling, Randy, heard me talking to Gilbert and said Mama should stick me in a mental hospital. I told him they probably should, since a writer is only a socially accepted schizophrenic. I then had to explain what that was.

*sigh* I guess it's good, for my writing at least, that my characters talk to me. I suppose that means they're not flat characters. But I really wish they'd talk to me about important things. Things I need to hear. Not their gibberish.

Welp, I've rambled on for too long, so I'll end the post now. Thanks for reading!


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Teen Read Week; Teen Book Blog Tour - Day 4

 

Happy Teen Read Week!

I'll begin with a paragraph about myself, a paragraph about the blog, and then we'll get to the post about YA books.

 

~~~

My name is Katelyn Marie Shear, and I turned 14 years old last week. I'm the eldest of 7 children. I'm a Christian writer, and I write Christian, Historical, Romance, YA, Fantasy, Dystopian, etc. I'm currently focusing on my first novel "Endangered", which is halfway to the word count goal. I love reading and writing more than anything else.

 

I suppose that's enough about me.

 

This blog is for writers and readers, and I share all about my writing experiences. The normal posts are about my writing progress and adventures, with an occasional personal achievement and/or story. I try to stay away from the debatable topics on my blog, but will address my beliefs should they be attacked. Hopefully, in the near future, the blog name will be changed from "Teen Writer" to "Teen Author".

~~~

 

 

So, the other day I talked about stereotypes. Everyone hates them, right? That's what I thought. Now, today I'm going to talk about being a teen in today's world.

It's tough, isn't it? I mean, look at us. We have it harder than ever. Everyone wants to be popular, and the only way they can do that is to do something big. And most of the time, it isn't a good thing.

To "get in" with the "cool" crowd, you have to do what they do. They'll probably convince you to smoke, drink, do drugs, sneak out, etc. Eventually, the things you do to "be popular" will get bigger and bigger. At first, it might seem small and harmless. "Oh, they're not really all that bad." "It's only one time." "It's not like I'll get addicted to *insert addictive thing here*."

But, before you know it, you're no better than a regular criminal. The "popular crowd" has gotten you into things that you promised you would never get into. And for what? To be called popular? To be able to talk to a few kids who are really no better than anyone else?

Of course, this is a stereotype. I'm not saying all popular crowds/people are bad. No! Not at all. But, there are the bad crowds. And, in this time we're living in, it's hard not to get drawn in.

Just look out, be smart, and stay careful. Never be tempted by the small things they have to offer you. Stick with your dream, and keep smart.


Sorry for the short post. I didn't have a lot of time to write this. *le sigh* Tomorrow will be my last day posting for the blog tour! Hope you enjoyed! I know I did.


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Teen Read Week; Teen Book Blog Tour - Day 2.

 

Happy Teen Read Week!

 

 

I'll begin with a paragraph about myself, a paragraph about the blog, and then we'll get to the post about YA books.

~~~

My name is Katelyn Marie Shear, and I turned 14 years old last week. I'm the eldest of 7 children. I'm a Christian writer, and I write Christian, Historical, Romance, YA, Fantasy, Dystopian, etc. I'm currently focusing on my first novel "Endangered", which is halfway to the word count goal. I love reading and writing more than anything else.

I suppose that's enough about me.

This blog is for writers and readers, and I share all about my writing experiences. The normal posts are about my writing progress and adventures, with an occasional personal achievement and/or story. I try to stay away from the debatable topics on my blog, but will address my beliefs should they be attacked. Hopefully, in the near future, the blog name will be changed from "Teen Writer" to "Teen Author".

~~~



Now, yesterday, I explained what YA is and how it can be written. Well, today I'm going to be sparing with my post. In other words, this won't take too long.

Does no one ever get sick and tired of seeing teens texting and partying and just . . . wasting their youth? They have no imagination, no respect for their abilities, and it just makes me sick. I mean, you never know what the girl with a thousand piercings and fire truck red hair could do. She could cure cancer or become a *insert random important job here*. But, she's so stuck behind stereotypes, that she doesn't even bother to try.

Look at the guy with his pants hanging around his knees and walks like he's bow-legged, yelling "yo" and "dog" to everyone. He's trying so hard to fit in and be popular, that he forgets who he is, and what he wanted to be.

As a teen, I fight against the stereotypes and refuse to be boxed in with all the others. I say, forget what people say or think. Who cares if I'm not popular? Who cares if I'm "the weird girl"? Let it be! At least I stand out, in some way.

Never let go of your childhood dreams. Sure, they may have been silly, but there's something special about those dreams. When you were five, did you say, "I want to be a doctor when I grow up!"? Or, "I want to be an astronaut!"? If so, why did you let go of them? Because you couldn't do it? Because you lost faith in yourself? Because someone said it was crazy?

No matter what, never let anyone tell you that your dream is too crazy. If/when they do, just say, "Thanks! That's what I was going for!" Works everytime.

So . . . what is your dream? What was your childhood dream? Is it the same? Have you ever given in to peer pressure or felt you had to blend in?

Go ahead and tell me in the comments and/or ask me questions. I love hearing about these things. It sometimes gives me inspiration for a story. ;)


Here's the scheldule for today!

8:00—Inklined

10:00—________                                                                                                                                      

12:00—The Life of a Teenage Writer                                                                                                                              

2:00—Candy Apple Books                                                                                                                       

4:00—The Book Critic                                                                                                                              

6:00—________                                                                                                                                        

8:00—Inklined                                                                                                                                          

God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Teen Read Week; Teen Book Blog Tour

 

Happy Teen Read Week!

 

 

 

I'll begin with a paragraph about myself, a paragraph about the blog, and then we'll get to the post about YA books.

 

~~~

 

My name is Katelyn Marie Shear, and I turned 14 years old last week. I'm the eldest of 7 children. I'm a Christian writer, and I write Christian, Historical, Romance, YA, Fantasy, Dystopian, etc. I'm currently focusing on my first novel "Endangered", which is halfway to the word count goal. I love reading and writing more than anything else.

 

I suppose that's enough about me.

 

This blog is for writers and readers, and I share all about my writing experiences. The normal posts are about my writing progress and adventures, with an occasional personal achievement and/or story. I try to stay away from the debatable topics on my blog, but will address my beliefs should they be attacked. Hopefully, in the near future, the blog name will be changed from "Teen Writer" to "Teen Author".

 

~~~



 

Okay, so I'm going to start off by explaining the YA genre. YA stands for Young Adult. So, logically, this genre would be for young adults. This genre is also known as Juvenile Fiction. Now, the cool thing about Young Adult fiction is there are so many different ways to write it. There are endless possibilities with sub-genres. A few famous YA authors are listed below (In no specific order):

 

Sarah Dessen ~ Author of "The Truth About Forever" and "Dreamland", and many more (also one of my best friends' favorite authors.)

 

Marcus Zusak ~ Author of  "The Book Thief."

 

James Patterson ~ Author of too many books to list (Yes, he writes YA as well. Much to my surprise)

 

Katherine Paterson ~ Author of "Lyddie" and "Jacob Have I Loved" (I have read both books. They are good)

 

Lois Lowry ~ Author of "Number the Stars" and more (I have also read that book, if I remember correctly. Another very good book.)

 

Shannon Hale ~ Author of "Princess Academy".

 

Meg Cabot ~ Author of "The Princess Diaries" (Who has not at least watched the movies?)

 

There are so many more, but I don't have time to list them all. So, now I'll just list my favorite YA authors. Oh, there are so many on that list too. But, I'll just list a few. *wink*

 

 

So, my favorite YA authors are listed below (In no specific order):

 

 

 

Jill Williamson ~ Author of "Replication" and "The New Recruit" and more. (LOVE her. Her books are AWESOME.)

 

 Betsy St. Amant ~ Author of "Addison Blakely - Confessions of a PK". (SO good.)

 

 Suzanne Collins ~ Author of "The Hunger Games" trilogy (AS WE ALL KNOW)

 

 

These are only a few authors, but it would take me forever to list them all.

 

 

Now, YA goes along with anything. Romance, fantasy (especially Fantasy), dystopian, etc. The three authors I've listed above are an example of that.

 

"Addison Blakely - Confessions of a PK" is a Christian YA Romance. Here's the back cover: "Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tireless played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence."

 

"Replication" is a Christian YA Fantasy (of sorts). Here's the back cover: "When Your Life Is Not Your Own . . .  Martyr---otherwise known as Jason 3:3---is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars. As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures---the one for which he was produced and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known." As you can tell, it has some romance elements, but it doesn't overpower the storyline.

 

"The New Recruit" is a Christian YA Adventure-Action story. Here's the back cover: "Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.

These guys mean business.

Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration." I wrote a review on this book a few days ago, and you can view it here. Anyway, this book was amazing.

 

Now, "The Hunger Games". Um . . . okay. Here's an overall summary (taken from Wikipedia): "A young-adult dystopian adventure series written by Suzanne Collins. The trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The first two books were each The New York Times best sellers, and the third book, Mockingjay, topped all US bestseller lists upon its release." This trilogy made me cry and I'm still depressed. But it was amazing.

 

 

As you can see, YA is pretty popular, even among people who aren't considered young *wink, wink*. As a teen, this is a genre that you should read during National Teen Read Week. So, go out to your public library, visit the YA shelf, and pick a good book (Emphasis on good). I don't consider Twilight a good book/series (I doubt many do), so . . . skip that one. *grin*

 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Make sure to visit the other blogs on this blog tour!

 

 

Schedule:

 

8:00—Inklinked

10:00—The Life of a Teenage Writer

12:00—Candy Apple Books

2:00—________

4:00—Paulina Czarnecki

6:00—The Writer’s Way

8:00—Inklinked

 



Blog tour! "The New Recruit" review and something;

Happy birthday to me! In honor of my 14th birthday, I have a very special review and . . . something planned for you!

First off, I give this book five stars. It's exciting, adventurous, a real nail-biter. Everyone, Christian or not, needs to read this book. It's not preachy. It's not overbearing. It's perfect! If there are any aunts/uncles/mothers/fathers/grandparents reading this, you should totally buy this book for that teen in your family (Everyone has one. Don't pretend you do not). It's perfect for birthdays, Christmas, whatever. Hey, maybe you would even enjoy it. *shrug* Ya never know.

When Miss Jill Williamson asked for reviewers, I jumped at the chance. Who would ever want to miss one of HER books? Not me. And besides, this is my first (official) blog tour. Anyway . . . let's get to the review.

Meet Agent-in-training, Spencer Garmond. He's a pretty cool guy. Doesn't really fit into any stereotypes I had formed while waiting for the book to arrive at my door (it felt like yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaarsssssss). He doesn't try to get into trouble. Well, maybe a little. But not too much.

He goes to a Christian school, though he doesn't care at all for the Christians there. He would much rather play PoP on his Macbook all day and shoot some hoops. He loves basketball, and hopes to get into a good B-ball program.

The only problem . . . Grandma.

Spencer's grandmother only wants him to be a good boy. And . . . possibly one of the Mission League-ers. And ol' granny knows how to get what she wants. So, once the opportunity to give him an option she knows is none too appetizing to him pops up, she grabs hold of it and doesn't let go.

When Spencer is told he must either choose the Military school his father went to, or the Mission League, he chooses the Mission League, figuring all he'll have to do is feed the homeless in Moscow and scrub a few toilets.

But he soon finds out, the Mission League is no Bible Study group.

 

These guys are for real. Their mission: Bring down Satan's churches (AKA: cults), and show others Christ's love. Spencer isn't interested in any of that though. He just needs to get through the summer with a bunch of Bible nerds who won't leave him alone about his soul.

 

Spencer gets to Moscow. He's excited about this now (sorta). It's all like some Jason Bourne thing, now. He would totally be into this . . . except for one thing. Er, person.

 

Nick.

 

Nick is a total jerk. It's apparent to everyone that Nick and Spencer have some . . . background together. And Nick isn't about to make this mission thing any easier on his old 'pal'.

 

 

 

Now, I can't tell you too much more without giving this story away! So I won't. But . . . I will tell you one thing.

 

You need to buy the book. Or, at very least, enter this giveaway that Miss Jill has generously offered.

 

Now, I'm going to show you a bunch of cool stuff.

 

 

 

There's this contest going on over at Miss Jill's website.

 



Okay, so all you have to do (I think, if I'm not as computer stupid as I'm starting to believe) is click the picture. Then, you watch the video, follow the rules, and voila! Entered! ;)

 

 

 

You can also buy a necklace like the one Spencer's grandma gave him.

 



 

 

Again, just click the picture and it should pop up in another tab. If not, leave a comment and I'll add the link or comment it back to you.

 

 

Click here to watch the book trailer. Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to get it ONTO my stinkin' blog. So you'll just have to click that.

 

If you want to read the first chapter (do it, do it, do it, do it!), click here!

 

And, in case you're wondering, authors need tons of help. They need all the help they can get. I mean, really, they write books for us to enjoy, and, unless they're really famous, don't get paid nearly enough for these lovely works of art. But there is one way you can help.

 

No, I'm not asking for donations or whatever. All I'm asking you to do is go to Amazon and/or Facebook, like the author's page on each (if you have an account). It helps. Also, like the books too. EX:

 

 

 

 

 

See? Nothing too hard and it'll take you less than . . . ten seconds to do it. The links for these places are . . . here, here, here, here, and . . . . here! Whew! That wasn't too hard, now was it?

 

Oh, and fellow Goodreaders, click here.

 

Alright, now that you've helped one lovely author, on to the ABSOLUTELY FUN STUFF. The giveaway!!!!!! ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

Here we go!

 





a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'd like to thank Miss Jill Williamson for this awesome chance to review her book, and for offering a book to give away. Now, be polite and thank her in the comments. ;)


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

"Accidental Meeting" by Susette Williams

Accidental Meeting is a fantastic novella by Susette Williams. It's a Christian Romance full of fun and godly love. The characters jump from the page.
Abbey is a terrific character, her standards are high even when her job is at stake. She refuses to bend her morals for anything or anyone.
Bruce is an ideal hero. He's kind (though a bit annoyed at first) and handsome. He has a good heart, and loves the Lord.


I give this book 4 stars. It was awesome! After reading this book, I started on another of her books, "Winter Chill." 

You can get this book for FREE on Kindle, TODAY!!!








Now, all you have to do is click here and buy it! It's completely free. Once you finish reading it, please leave a review on Amazon.com, Goodreads, blog, etc.

And . . .While you are doing that, click the little "like" button for the book, too. We authors need all the help we can get. ;)

Click here to check out her Amazon Author page. Please click the "like" button on this too. The more likes she has, the more people will want to check her books out!

Now, you can go to www.susettewilliams.com to check out her current books, and more.


Back cover: Abbey Martin isn’t willing to be the kind of ‘player’ her boss wants her to be. When he threatens to not promote her because she refuses to get in ‘compromising’ positions, she quits. If a day can go from bad to worse, it does for Abbey. She runs into Bruce Harrington on her way home—literally. Bruce Harrington was on his way to a very important meeting. That was until a raving lunatic with brown, bouncy hair spiraled towards him in her car and then on foot. Maybe he should count it a blessing that when she sent him cascading over the side of the embankment—he wasn’t in his car. To make amends for causing Bruce to break a leg, Abbey becomes his chauffeur and helpmate until he recovers. When his cast is about to come off he has to face losing Abbey. There has to be some way he can keep her from walking out of his life forever. If a job offer won’t do it then perhaps it’s time for a proposal.


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Plagiarism.

 

Plagiarism stinks. Let me just say that right now. Stealing other people's work is low and terrible. But you know what stinks even more than plagiarism?

Being falsely accused of it.

That's right. I, Katelyn Marie Shear, have been accused of stealing work off the internet. For a stinking character study.

Now, I do character studies every single day with my own characters. And characters from other books. There is nothing I love more than tearing a character apart and learning what makes them go. So, this came as a surprise.

My darling English teacher didn't even have the decency to notify me of my charges. I wouldn't even know if I didn't keep such a good eye on my grades. When I say my English grade go from 94% to 93%, I went straight to my teacher comments.

My online school doesn't notify me when a teacher comments on a certain assignment/test/essay. I have to look through them all to find out if they did. So, I looked through tons of comments and found it. "You have committed plagiarism, blah blah blah." So I went to my messages and emailed that teacher.

I tried to tell them that I did not plagiarize. I tried to explain that this must be some sort of mistake. All they said was, "Really? Well, that's too bad. Go read our policy on Plagiarism."

I was getting angry by this time. But I went to read anyway. All it told me was why it's a crime and that if I do it TWICE, I WILL be expelled. That made me even madder. I emailed her back and told her there was no way I was going to be expelled.

It's been about a week or two since then. I've re-written the character study twice. They're still not happy. So, I have to call my teacher and talk to her about it. I can't guarantee that I will be exactly nice and polite, since the only trouble I've ever had in English happens just after she's hired. Of course, I'll try, but . . . . we'll see.

My teachers are set on giving me a hard time. Probably because I've corrected their grammar. And I've told them they need a whole new staff if they can't tell the difference between "Their" and "There", and make tons of spelling mistakes.

I can't help it, really. It drives me crazy when I see a mistake. I HAVE to correct it, ESPECIALLY if it's on my school. So, this is probably why they hate me. Not that I mind. I'm not exactly fond of them myself.

So, this is why I have been so edgy this past week. Now you know.



God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

Week #4, Day #3 of the 100-4-100 Challenge . . .

Wow, things are going great with the 100-4-100 challenge. I haven't missed a week yet.

So, far, this week I have written 2,358 words. And it's only Wednesday. Yesterday, I was at a dry spot. And I killed off a character. I have found killing my Endangered cast is heartbreaking, but it must be done.

I have written a total of 6,946 words in the last 4 weeks. Well, by the time you read this, hopefully I've gotten myself to 7,100 - 7,200 words. If not, I'm still going through my dry spot.

I don't exactly know how to deal with Writer's Block/dry spots, as I've tried every suggestion. I've thought about doing a writing prompt or something to help further it along or refresh my creativity.

I might write a little on Changing Time to give Endangered a break. I wouldn't count the words I write on there for the 100-4-100 thing, but it might help me get past this horrible Pit of No Words or Ideas.


Well, this was a really short post, but I need to write.


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

October and Writing Goals . . .

Wow, it's already October! Where has the year gone? Time flies by so fast now.

Well, I have ten days until my birthday, and my birthday happens to fall on a Thursday. Hopefully, that Thursday there will be a new Person of Interest episode on. How else to make a birthday more perfect?

Also on my birthday, there will be a review and something (!!!!!) of "The New Recruit" by Jill Williamson. Tons of fun stuff planned for that post! So be sure to check back here on October 11th.

I think I am going to start making writing goals for myself. Once I finish my daily school work, I will force myself to pound out 1,500 words before getting on Facebook, Email, Pinterest, or any other social network (and whatever else) sites.

If I stick to that goal, I should make at least 9,000 -10,500 words a week. I'm not always able to get on a computer on Sundays, which is why I put a dash.

I'm starting this goal today. Maybe I'll finish the first draft of Endangered in a couple weeks, if I keep with this. That's my goal anyway. Once I finish the first draft, I'll take six weeks away from it (To clear my mind, of course), like everyone else.

I'll use that six weeks to work on my other writing projects. And I'll continue my writing goal, and maybe bump it up to 2K a day, to further my writing production. We'll see how it all works out when the time comes.

The reason I am informing you of this is so I will actually carry through with it. I tend to work better when I tell other people what I'm doing. If I just make a promise to myself, I'll most likely break it. But, if I tell a few other people, they think I'm going to do it, so I have to.

Brilliant plan, if I do say so myself. I look forward to starting this goal and challenge others to do so. ;)

Does anyone else here have a writing goal?


God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

 

How dreams affect my stories . . .

Well, I don't normally have dreams/nightmares. I've never quite known why, but after my 7th birthday, the dreams started dying down. Sure, I get one every now and then, but probably no more than one every few months.

When I do have a dream/nightmare, it's always centered around sounds/people/places around me. Say, I'm sleeping in a crowded room with my siblings screaming and pretending to sword fight with hangers or sticks or whatever they find. I'll probably dream that my siblings are getting kidnapped or I'm surrounded by a mob of kids (The latter would be a nightmare, I'm sure).

If I have a very interesting dream (normally a fantasy kind of dream), and if I can remember it when I wake up, it'll probably become a story idea. Once, I had a dream that my FMC (Guinevere) was trying to kill me. I still haven't figured out why she was trying to kill me, but it did give me an idea for a scene in the story.

When I have nightmares, like the one where toys came alive and took over the house and tried to kill me (No, I did not watch Toy Story before bed), I normally turn those into suspenseful scene ideas. Well, I didn't turn the toy dream into a story idea. It's already a movie trilogy. ;)

But I have turned other nightmares into scenes. I don't remember them now, but they're somewhere in some story.

Recurring dreams are my favorite. They are the same, but yet, they have a different element every time. Those are the ones I make stories out of the most. I used to dream I was kidnapped at a gas station and then I was brought to the mall, where I escaped and hid in the bathroom until I was able to call the cops. Every time, though, there was something different I'd do. Whether I would escape at first and get caught again, or something else.

There was also a nightmare/dream that got me started with "Changing Time". I don't remember it all, but the story is coming along nicely, so I must have made a good decision with that one. At first, "Changing Time" was only going to be a spy story back in the 1930s. I wasn't sure if I wanted it to be time travel (I don't think it was going to be). It was with a bunch of adults of different nationalities, and more of a love story than anything else.

 

After my dream/nightmare, it became an action/dystopian/fantasy novel. I figured that, if I wanted it to be a bestseller (or at very least memorable), I would have to have the readers grow with the character. But, I wasn't sure. So I asked the terrific people on Go Teen Writers Facebook group, and they helped me out.

Now, my main characters are kids. And I have TONS more plot twists and ideas to work with now.

So, dreams and nightmares are like pals of mine (sometimes). They help me with stories. I . . . . don't do anything for them. :P


So, anyway, just . . . "watch" your dreams. If you do, you never know how many story ideas you may get!



God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV

The Fantastic Blog Award

Emily of Blog of a (Maybe) Teen Author awarded me with "The Fantastic Blog Award!" Yay! Thank you so much, Emily! <3 So . . . I will post the rules.

the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and tag them.

2. Ask the next person five questions and answer the five questions given to you.

3. Award five new people.

4. Always post the rules!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily's questions:

 

 

1. Favorites: song, music artist, color, food, season?

       Um . . . my favorite song is always changing. It really depends on how many times I've listened to it. Right now, it's "When I Speak Your Name" by Kari Jobe. My favorite music artist is Kari Jobe (big surprise). My favorite color is crimson/scarlet. My favorite food is . . . spaghetti (You'd have to taste my granddad's sauce to understand). My favorite season is . . . AUTUMN!!!!!! Autumn is . . . beautiful. You can't just NOT love fall!

 

2. Why do you blog?

      Well, I started blogging because I read that was the best way to get readers if you're a writer. After a while though, it became a part of me, like writing. I need to blog now.

 

3. If you could spend 24 hours with any one person from history, anyone at all, who? The catch: you can't tell anyone from the past who you are or anyone from the present where you went/who you met.
      Um . . . . that is tough. There are so many people I would love to meet. Hmm. . . . I would meet with one of the Founding Fathers. I wouldn't tell them who I was, but I would might try to warn them of what happens in the future, and perhaps they would do a few things differently, and maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.

 

4. Tell us the two fashion/clothing things you hate most.
      Socks and . . . . flip-flops. I hate those two things more than anything else.

 

5. Now you have to wear one of them. Which will it be?

      Flip-flops. I can say they fell off somewhere and I won't have to worry about them ever again. *smirk*

 

 

That was fun! Now . . . my nominations . . . .

 

Bethany of The Ramblings of a Young Author!

RJ of Virtuous Girlhood

Kendra of Writers and Readers Alike

Lily of Lily's Notes in the Margins

Alyson of Pages from my Journal

 

My questions:

 

1. What is your favorite book?

2. When did you start blogging and why?

3.  What do you hope your blog has/will accomplished (EX: Help other writers, etc)?

4. Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors during Autumn?

5. What is your favorite thing about Autumn?

 

 

 

Hope you have fun! I did!

 

 

God bless!

Galatians 6:9 KJV

 

Personal Achievement and short story

So, just this week, I have finished Pre-Algebra. I know, I know, this has NOTHING to do with writing! Not in a direct way, anyhow. But I am just exceedingly happy that I am finished with it for now. So . . . I wrote a story. A story to help me celebrate my newly found freedom. This is a story for and dedicated to all Math/Algebra haters!!! Enjoy!


"The Discipuli Tribe: Destroying the Mathematicans"


Areehah, Destroyer of Enemies and Leader of the Discipuli tribe, crouched low to the ground behind the dead brush, signaling for his fellow warriors to stand still. He swiped his brown hair out of his eyes and looked over the horizon and smiled grimly. Turning back to his troop, he slapped his hands together and looked at each one of them. Thousands, they were. And yet, they were still outnumbered by the Mathematica Tribe. No matter. They would still be destroyed, as everyone from the Academicorum branch had been.
     Areehah's gaze landed on Vaidya, the Healer and only female warrior. She was small and  pale, with wispy blonde hair, and many took one glance at her and decided she was weak. Oh, but how she loved to prove them wrong. She was as strong and tough as all of the men, and she could take on all of the men in his tribe, and still come out wielding her sword and shooting arrows. Areehah smiled at the image. He straightened his face and paced in front of his men. And, er, woman.
     "Alright, warriors, the time has come to destroy the Mathematica tribe. We have worked up to this. We have struck fear in the hearts of many . . . and at last, at long last, we have made it here. Let us not get sloppy and mess this lone chance up. This is our only chance! Do you understand me?"
     "Yes, Lea-der!" was shouted in unison. Areehah's eyes met with Vaidya's for a brief second before he snapped back around. It was no time to get distracted by her big, amber eyes. They needed to be focused.
     He lifted his right arm high into the air and then extended it straight forward. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaay-yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" The battle cry filled the air as his warriors formed into a human wall of ten people, in one thousand rows, as they had done before. He ran full speed, his warriors following behind him, towards the Mathematica camp. They would crush them. Destroy them. Just as the Mathematica tribe had tried to do to them so long ago.
     Images filled his mind and blinded him as he remembered the torture and pain. The way the leaders had played with their minds. The way they has stolen their uniqueness and tried to make them the same as all the others. Fury burrowed deeper into his heart, nearly exploding in a full fit of rage. But he refused to let it out. Not yet. He would need it to destroy the Mathematicans. His legs ate up the distance and he was soon inside their camp.
      The camp lied out in the open. No gates or fences to protect them. No strong walls to guard it. Fools. They thought they were big and powerful, and that no one would dare come against them. Well, they were in for a bit of a surprise, it seemed. A slow, greedy smile formed on Areehah's lips. Revenge would be given to him this day. He would see to it.
     He drew out his sword and charged into the camp. His warriors stayed behind, just as he had instructed them to. Four muscled men stepped out in front of him, their hands on the hilt of their swords. He wanted to scoff. These men were who they had guarding the city? Vaidya could kill all four of them in seconds, with no trouble.
     "Halt, sir, and state your business." The taller one of the four commanded. Areehah looked him over, determining how difficult it would be to kill him where he stood. It wouldn't be too hard, but this man would surely put up a fight. It would not be good enough, but it would be a decent fight. Areehah smirked. Finally, a man worth fighting. He would save him for last . . . or not. His warriors would take care of him before Areehah was done with the leader of  Mathematica. The smirk fled at the thought, and his eyes narrowed. He was here to accomplish something, and he had to do it before sunset. The sun was already hanging low in the sky. Better get this done with.
     "I am Areehah. I am here to speak to your leader, Algebra." His eyes bore into the other man's. Let him dare refuse.
      The man didn't seem to take the hint. "I am afraid we do not let lowly nobodies in the presence of our great leader, Algebra." The man's smirk made Areehah want to clench his fist and strike him across the face. He wanted to shout, I was one of those nobodies! But no longer! But your great leader will not see me? ME? The boy he said would make stronger? The boy he said he would make stronger and smarter and greater than ever before? The boy he beat half to death and played mind games with, making me doubt my own existence? But instead, he said nothing. He ground his teeth together and drew himself to his full height. A good four inches taller, he looked down at the man and placed his sword at the man's neck. The other three men drew their swords and surrounded Areehah.
     Had he not been here for a mission, he would have laughed outright. These men, trained men, were afraid of a boy of eighteen? One that had taught himself how to fight, his only motivation that he could someday conquer and control the whole Academicorum tribes? Never mind that. They should be afraid. They should tremble before him. A smile slowly stretched across his face, and the men surrounding him began to look uneasy.
     "I'm afraid I will see your leader. Now." He raised his left arm in the air, drew in his breath and shouted, "Attaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"
     His warriors came rushing out from behind the tall grasses and brush, some had swords drawn and others had their bows ready to shoot. Areehah broke free from the four men and went in search of the leader's building. He would only want the best, of course. It would probably be made of gold and silver, with a statue of himself outside. A growl itched low in his throat. Algebra would pay. He would suffer what they had suffered.
     Sure enough, outside one of the grandest building Areehah had ever seen, stood a six foot statue of Algebra. Rage blinded him and he charged up the steps and threw the door open. A fat, bald man came running down the hallway stairs.
     "What do you think you are doing? How dare you--" He stopped and his pale eyes widened as he looked at Areehah. "No . . . it cannot be. It is not you. I-- I-- Areehah?"
     Areehah made a show of slashing his sword through the air, and was pleased when the older man blanched. "Yes, it is I . . . Master Algebra." He walked slowly around the staircase, seemingly interested in the invisible speck of dust on his sword. "How have you been, hmm? I suppose you were too busy torturing other . . . young geniuses to help me become stronger and smarter as you promised?"
     Algebra raised his hand and attempted to speak. But Areehah refused him that liberty as it had been refused to him once before. "You promised to help me, you know. You promised to make me one of the best. The strongest. The bravest." He swiped his thumb down the long, iron blade. A lazy smile tugged at his mouth as he turned his back to the man. "The smartest."
     Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Algebra put his palms forward in what seemed like a surrendering gesture. "But I did! I . . . I accomplished all I had set out to."
     Areehah whirled back around and allowed the tip of his sword to pin the lying rogue to the wall. "Oh, really? You tortured us. You played with our minds. You beat us and made us your slaves until we wanted to die. Is that what you set out to do?" He pulled his sword back. "Yes, I suppose it was." He paced in front of Algebra, wondering what way of death would be painful and slow enough for this . . . animal.
     Algebra shrugged. "I did what I must to accomplish my goal. What's done is done. Let bygones be bygones."
     Areehah clenched his fist and hit Algebra square in the jaw. The man stumbled and fell down the stairs. He landed near the door which Areehah had knocked over. He moaned and began crawling towards the door. Areehah blocked his path. "Not this time, Algebra. I allowed you to inflict pain on me. I allowed you to control my mind until it was no longer my own. I allowed you to run away and hide out here. But no more. I will have my revenge. I have waited years for this. You will pay." He bent over and dragged Algebra up by his collar and shoved him outside.
      "Warriors! Look who I have found!" Cheers rose up through the air, and Areehah felt a burst of pride. He kicked Algebra in the ribs as everyone began to surround him. "So, men--" he looked up at Vaidya, who smiled gently, "and woman-- we have captured him. How shall he die?"
     Areehah's closest friend, Erman, spoke up. "We should tar and feather him. And then, once the feathers are many, we should light the feathers on fire. I hear it causes great pain. We can always kill him after having fun with 'im."
     Algebra groaned. "Please, no. I will pay you. I will give you everything I have. I will make you like sons!"
     Areehah kicked him in the gut. "Shut up. I don't want your money. And the last thing I would want to be is your son."
     Algebra grabbed Areehah's leg. "Don't do this. You hate me, I know. But if you do this, you will have to live with what you did forever, like I have. You will be no better than I."
     Areehah clenched his fists. "Tar and feather him now. But I wish to set him on fire." He squatted next to Algebra and narrowed his eyes. "I will never be like you. I am better than you. I am freeing others from your bond."
     Algebra shook his head weakly. "No. You are only binding yourself in chains of bitterness and hatred. It will be your death. I assure you."
     Areehah stood. "No." He snapped his fingers and two of the warriors lifted Algebra up and brought him to the bubbling tar. They stripped his shirt away and threw bucketfuls onto his chest and back. Areehah had expected delight at Algebra's screams, but all he could focus on were the man's words.
     "You are only binding yourself in chains of bitterness and hatred. It will be your death. I assure you."
      Areehah shook his head and suddenly found Vaidya beside him. He opened his mouth to thank her for helping, but she spoke first. "He is right, you know. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen who allowed bitterness and hatred to control them. They all died young."
     Areehah scowled. How dare she tell him that? If not for him, she would still be a slave to Algebra. "So now you are on his side, I suppose? Did you wish to be his servant once again?"
     Vaidya lowered her eyes. "No. But . . . do you have to kill him?"
      Areehah turned to face her. She met his glare without flinching. "Yes, I have to kill him. He stole our imaginations and our young minds. We are forever scarred because of him." He walked over to Erman and took a match from him. He then lit the feathers and watched as the old man danced as if he . . . well, as if he were on fire. The hollers and groans of pain gave Areehah a moment of pleasure. He turned and strode back over to Vaidya, who watched with compassion and -- was that sorrow? -- in her amber eyes.
     What would she feel sad over? This man had tortured their minds and haunted their dreams for years. This was the man she had pledged to help take down. He was about to ask her, when a redheaded woman came rushing through the crowds. "Metry! Metti, oh, is that really you?!" Her soprano voice echoed throughout his head, and he tried to recall where he had last heard it. Erman walked up to him. "We are ready to kill him. How should it be done?"
     Areehah shrugged. "Uh . . . just . . . toss him in that huge ant pile over there. They look to be the deadly kind. Make sure you restrain him."
     Erman nodded and walked back to the others, shouting orders. Areehah went over to where Vaidya and the familiar woman stood. The redhead jumped at him and tried to claw him with her nails. "No! Do not hurt him! Leave him alone!" It took Areehah a few moments to understand who she spoke of.
      Algebra.
      "Ah, so you know him, eh? That's right. You're his daughter. Calculus, correct?" She nodded, a defiant light in her blue eyes. Areehah faked a laugh. "Fine. We can arrange for you to die with him."
     Vaidya gasped and jumped between him and Calculus. "Please, Areehah. Do not kill her. I beg you. Please."
     Areehah looked between the two women. "How do you know her, Vaidya?"
     Calculus tilted her head. "You do not know?" When he shook his head, she gasped. "You did not tell him, Metti? Are you that ashamed of your heritage?"
      Vaidya hung her head. Areehah felt a bubble of panic. He tried to quench it. "Vaidya . . . what is it?"
      Vaidya lifted her head and met his gaze, her eyes emotionless. "I am Algebra's daughter, Geometry."
     Areehah sucked in a breath. "No, you are not. You are Vaidya."
     Vaidya shook her head. "We were given different names. Vaidya was given to me by my mother, who hated my father, Algebra. This is my sister, Candice."
     Areehah shook his head slowly as he backed away. His enemy's daughter . . . was . . . Vaidya? He couldn't -- wouldn't -- believe it. He stalked back  towards the tall grass, barely noticing the beautiful sunset that painted the sky just above the distant mountains.
     If he followed the "Tribe Warriors Law", he would be forced to kill Candice and Vaidya. If he didn't, he would have to step aside as warrior, and Vaidya would still die. Any way he looked at it, Vaidya died. Areehah sank down on a rock and put his face in his hands. What was he to do?



I hope you liked it! I am going to make this a series, of sorts. I might write a new addition once a month or something. I'm not sure. We'll see how things work out.

You can check out the Pinterest board here! It hasn't had a lot done to it yet, but there's a few things.

God bless!
Galatians 6:9 KJV