“Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences."
~ Sylvia Plath
How many stories have you read (or watched, movies count, too) that involved a “chosen one” or a hero? A savior? The hero is a trope—the main character is an integral part of any story. One of my favorite parts of writing in the fantasy genre is how several books that span over a long period of time can still be part of the same overarching story. I love the connectedness.
My dad and I have both been getting over sicknesses. Yesterday we watched a season of Worst Cooks in America followed by several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Don’t worry, I also read over 100 pages of the book I’ve been chewing on for a week now.
I look forward to continuing to read with my second grade friend. He’s going places with his intense imagination and kind heart. I can’t wait to see what lesson he teaches me next.
Why do I love singing in the car? What is it about making myself hoarse that I enjoy?
Remember all of their kindness, and take whatever opportunities you get to give that kindness to others.
I’ve been blessed to work with wonderful kids and excellent educators.
This past week has brought an uncommon warm front. Nebraska (and a lot of the Midwest) is known for weather that can go from one extreme to another. I left work without my coat three times this week. I wore a skirt on Friday. I wore flats instead of boots. It felt like spring. It felt like March or April instead of January.
These things are all good. They’re things I don’t want to forget in a month or a year. Or ten.
I wish I could tell you that I never received a rejection letter—that my applications to graduate school and my submissions to short fiction markets were so perfect and on point that I got all acceptances and I’ve sold every story.
I’m sure you’ve noticed, dear reader, the fad of grown-up coloring books. They feature intricate designs and sometimes overwhelming patterns. No five-year-old would have the patience to carefully color these pages. Even I struggle to color inside of these lines on occasion—but I do enjoy trying.
So maybe I’m about making lists. And maybe I’m about setting goals. I do believe there’s always room for improvement. And maybe if you do those two things together around the first of the year it’s kind New Year’s Resolution like….
The snow outside on Christmas morning is a reminder of what makes us clean—what makes us pure as snow.
I’m excited to continue the Star Wars journey, and I’m excited for the next generation of fans.
Our house looks the most like home when it’s decorated for Christmas. My fondest and most vivid memories of childhood come out the holiday season, which is probably why Christmas feels like home. There are certain decorations that my parents have owned since I was baby, and they give me profound nostalgia.
As a little girl, the night of December 5 deserved as much careful planning at Christmas Eve. I would write up my wish list for Santa Claus and carefully pick out two of my favorite cookies to leave on a plate with a small glass of milk. I always made sure to include a few carrots for the reindeer too (I think I must have thought of the carrots as the loaves of bread Jesus used to feed the multitude, because there’s no way the carrots I left out would have fed a all nine reindeer).
Today I wanted to talk about another event that happens all month long—National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. You sign up online, for free, and you participate in the month long goal of writing a novel—or at least getting a good start of one. The challenge is to write 50,000 words in the month, so that means an average of 1,667 words a day. It sounds like a lot (and to be honest, it’s not easy at first) but it’s doable.
This last week has been a long one. Each day I felt like I wasn’t enough. No matter how much “elbow grease” I put in to work. No matter how many items I ticked off my list. It always felt like time was against me and my list grew longer with every hour.
Welcome to my new blog: Anna Katrina Artistry!
I’m so excited to be launching something new and shiny.
