Monthly Highlights: March 2016

If you're here taking time out of your busy day to read my ramblings (HUGS), you're awesome. Seriously, I know it's been a hectic month for everyone. What with school, assignments, and breaks, we're all running around more than usual. If this is your first visit to Forgotten Featherpen, allow me to elaborate on this week's post. The Monthy Highlights are where I look back on the previous month and share what's been going on! It's your chance to get a glance at everything from the blog, my life, and get a peek into next month's going-ons. Let's get started!

Blogging

*hangs head* I missed a week. Sorry everyone, but I missed a Monday back there. Homework demanded every moment of my week, and I could not get a post done in time. Forgive me? You guys are awesome. So just two little (but very pretty) posts to go over with you this week.

We take off on our adventurous road trip over Spring Break! But I found my writer's spirit had been overburdened and needed a reboot. So, in the car, I shared my Care Guide for Writers On Spring Break so all my other friends could know how to take care of their writer. I thought it was funny to put it in the form of a pet care guide.

Yeah, it's from the Relient K Song :) My College has announced they are going to have something similar. In this post, I share my musings on The Sadie Hawkins: My Turn To Be A Guy. I now understand the stuff guys go through when trying to select a date for formal events! 

My Life

Uh, school? I feel like I’ve been buried up to my neck with it lately. This month I’ve been working non-stop to make sure I stay ahead and do quality work. I had to work overtime just to prepare for Spring Break. Because I was NOT going to be doing homework on my vacation! Boy, was I glad to have that week completely free. That post I wrote about caring for writers over Spring Break…that was me that week.

I and my Suitemate braved the seven-hour road trip from college to my home where a week of relaxation and adventure awaited us. We were not disappointed. Of course, every day did not go exactly according to plan. But then, when does life in general ever go exactly as we planned? Spring Break was a lovely reminder of how important it is to stay flexible. We can’t be attached to our timelines and schedules. As useful as they are, they are not what is really important. Family, friends, and quality time last longer than a planned outing. 

Impromptu sleepovers, late night trips to Walmart to randomly shop, donut runs, colored pencils and coloring books; these unplanned moments meant more to me this Spring Break than everything else I had planned. I was meeting my loved ones face to face and inhabiting their world fully in the moment. Nothing is more important. 

Speaking of plans and staying flexible, sometimes it is not as pleasant an experience. I was also reminded on this Spring Break week that staying flexible can pinch a bit at times. I thought I had set long term plans. Turns out I needed to change a few things about my direction. We’re often asked to give things up for the sake of something else. It frustrates and stresses us out. Why is it being snatched from us? Why should we have to give these things up? 

The fact is we can’t ever predict everything down the road. We have to be grateful for what God has given, take things one step at a time, and trust Him to take care of the rest. Not to say that we should never plan. But never hold to your plans so tight that God can’t steer you towards where He wants you. 

Yeah, so that’s what I learned over Spring Break. I’m very thankful I had that time with my family and friends. It’s helped me feel refreshed as I head into the last half of this semester. 

IMPORTANT!

You guys like participating in polls? Here's your chance to have some fun with it. For the next month, I will have a poll in the sidebar for you guys to participate in. If you have any comments to share, feel free to leave them below. Enjoy!  

Monthly Highlights: February 2016

Sentiments of the month have been soft and wistful while storm clouds and musings of the heart have been ever present in the sky. So pink clouds seemed appropriate as this month's image.

It has been a packed month, filled with pinnacles of encouragement and sudden drops into doubt. A lot of what I learn month to month shows up here on Forgotten Featherpen. If this is your first visit, the Monthly Highlights are where we take a look back over all the things that happened on Forgotten Featherpen this month. I also like to share a bit of what's going on in my life and let you know my plans for next month's blogging.

Let's begin shall we?

Blogging

This month I shared Why I'm Saying No to Stress.  Stress likes to invade our lives. It makes us run to stay ahead of it or hide to keep away from it. This semester I decided to start looking at stress differently. Let me tell you, it's hard to keep this perspective. But it's so worth it.

Valentine's Day can be rough for a lot of us. I struggle every year with how to orient my chaotic thoughts for it. I don't usually enjoy reading posts about Valentine's Day because they all start to sound the same. But, this year, I decided to write Five Notes for Valentine's Day to offer encouragement and some humor to my sisters.


I have learned so much about Creative Writing this Semester. Ooh there's just not enough time to write all the posts about it that I want to! To summarize some of the lessons I've learned so far, I shared the 3 Notebooks Every Writer Needs. These have been SO helpful to me! If you've started using something similar, I would love to hear about it!

I'm gonna be honest. At first, I didn't think a class about Communication or Politics would impact my abilities as a creative writer. Man, was I wrong! This month I shared the Five (Strange) College Classes To Help Your Writing. If you have the right mindset, every single class you take can make you a better writer.

My life

I've spent most of this month either keeping up with my homework and extracurricular activities or wrestling inwardly with my own thoughts. That can get pretty exhausting, let me tell you. I'm already looking forward to Spring Break so I can get some rest. But, all in all, I am living my life here at college to the fullest that I can!

What to Expect Next Month

More Creative Writing Posts! 

The ideas for these just keep coming. The textbooks I am privileged to be reading are just chock full of incredible tips for the creative writing process. I can't wait to share what I'm learning about dialogue, setting, and space in creative writing.

College Stuffs

Classes keep me musing. Especially the classes I take for my Liberal Arts major. There is some seriously good stuff in those classes that I would love to share. Keep a look out for more posts that tie back to my college journey.

Ancient Man

As always, this interest nags at the back of my mind. I'm almost finished with The Secrets of Ancient Man Book. As soon as I'm done I'm going to write that review for you! I've also been able to do some fun research into other ancient man topics this month for a class that I would love to share with y'all here. Keep your eyes open for it!

Maybe some New Stuff....

I have an idea for a new weekly post. Or maybe a bi-weekly post so I can still keep my sanity.
My creative writing classes have been encouraging me to respond to prompts and work on short stories throughout the semester. What would y'all think of a serial story or responses to writing prompts every other Wednesday?

This is the time of month when I really look forward to hearing your thoughts. What sorts of posts would you like to see? What have you liked so far? There have been some new faces around here this month, and I'm very excited to meet you all. I hope you've had a wonderful February! 

Monthly Highlights: January 2016

There's a feeling in the air. Do you know that sensation that something is coming? Something wonderful and new. Do you know that mesmerizing mix of nervousness and excitement? That is what this month has been for me. The first month of the new year is over, and now I have the opportunity to share with you all that's been going on. If this is your first visit to Forgotten Featherpen, then allow me to welcome you. I hope you enjoy your visit and come again soon. The Monthly Highlights are where I share with you all that's been going on this month in my blogging, my writing, and life in general. As always, I would love to hear about your month of life as well, so don't be shy. Let's get going!

Blogging

Yes! I'm starting the year on the right foot and posting every week! This month was all about the new and the old. It was all about ideas, memories, and dreams.



Instead of starting out the year with Resolutions, I wanted to begin by looking at the Yearly Highlights from 2015. This post was incredibly fun to put together because it gathered up the most popular posts from last year, as well as some pretty looking numbers! Looking back on my year of blogging in 2015 was so helpful in planning for 2016.






I was tempted not to write a set of Resolutions at all. It's hard not to get conflicted over it because of all the cliches you know? But in the end, if you don't set goals then you'll never accomplish anything, so I sat down and wrote down my Resolutions for 2016.






Now this is what I've been waiting to write. This month was the perfect opportunity to share my Ten Lessons from Blogging: What I've Learned from My First Year. Even though I've been blogging for more than one year, I've only been consistently blogging for that long. The lessons are more towards what I learned personally as a blogger, and less about the technical side of things. If you have any lessons from blogging feel free to share them in the comments here!

My Life

I've entered the last half of my Junior year, the second semester of my time here at Bryan College. As daunting a challenge taking on 19 credit hours is...I know in my gut that I can take this on. I have a special feeling about this Spring Semester. Something amazing is going to happen as I grow and learn more. That's the best part really, I'm looking forward to the adventure of learning. One of these days I'll share my thoughts on learning. It's been on my mind a lot lately. Anyway, what else have I been up to?

My Pretty Weekly Schedule

Well, during Christmas Break I kinda encountered my super-organized side. I wanted to learn from the mistakes I'd been making in previous semesters and get myself together! So I started making spreadsheets....lots and lots of spreadsheets. Spreadsheets for my weekly schedule, calendars for my overall schedule of classes, shower time schedules, a semester assignment spreadsheet, and even a small weekly schedule for my roommate so I would know what she was doing day to day. That's not overload...right? Even if it is, I'm looking forward to less stress in the scheduling department this semester. Already it's starting to make things easier. Has anyone else started doing this lately?

What to Expect Next Month:

Review: Secrets of Ancient Man Book 

That's right, it's finally arrived and landed in my eager hands. Somewhere in between all these classes I'm taking I am going to dive into the pages and get to work reviewing it for you. In the meantime, did you know you could purchase both The Genius of Ancient Man and Secrets of Ancient Man: Revelations from the Ruins right here on Forgotten Featherpen? Just click either of the images below or check the links in the sidebar.

Some Personal Insights

I've been processing a lot over break and now during these first weeks of the semester. A lot of it has to do with how to handle stress. We all have issues with this one don't we? I'm trying to see stress in a new light, so keep a lookout for that post.

Other posts might include topics like time management, daily devotional time, or even my spreadsheets if anyone is interested.

Being at college never fails to reveal something new to learn, so be sure to keep a lookout for these personal insight posts!

That's all for this month! February promises to be chock full of more learning experiences and awesome blogging opportunities. How was your January? Are there any particular topics you would like to see in the future? I'd love to chat, so feel free to post a question or comment below. 

Monthly Highlights: November 2015

Talk about another busy month! And, once again I'm writing the summary of this month's events during a break from classes. This month has been full of memorable events for me. Lots of adventure, hard work, and discovery. If you're new to Forgotten Featherpen, this is where I take the time to look back at the highlights from the month. This could be anything from real-life events to updates on my on-going book project. This time around I do have some exciting blog discoveries to share. Plus my thoughts on Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!

The Blog

With the approach of the Holiday Season and the close of the National Novel Writing Month, I'm happy I was able to keep up with the weekly blog posting. Let's hope I can keep this momentum through December!

I kicked off November with an exciting Release Announcement: The Secrets of Ancient Man. I'm still waiting to get my hands on the book! I can't wait!










In Calm Amidst Chaos: A Response I shared my thoughts on a Worldview Art event on my College Campus. It was a great experience getting to share some of my art and view the work of my fellow students.










In the middle of the NaNoWriMo rush, I got to feeling a little discouraged about my writing. It's happened for many years. So I shared my mixed up feelings in Writing is Hard - When a Dream has to Wait. I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to join some of my friends who have completed their novels in a month!






Lastly, in Movies and Worldview: Spirited Away I shared the results of a Worldview assignment I recently completed. I had to inspect the worldview presented in Ghibli's masterpiece: Spirited Away. It was such a fun assignment! Seriously, I could write multiple papers on that movie very happily.

In addition to all this, I found three more bloggers here at Bryan College! That brings the number up to nine people! Anyone know of other bloggers here at Bryan? Welcome to the unofficial club...

Rebekah @ Running His Road

Hollen @ The Road Less Traveled

Lydia @ Adopted and on an Adventure

My Life

Since I was entirely negligent in posting to social media this Thanksgiving, I will use the space here to share why I'm thankful this year.

This Thanksgiving, I was thankful for family.

I'm thankful for safety on the road for mine and friend's families this week. We were about to get on the highway when we turned off to pull into a gas station. We struck the curb with a horrible jerk, and when Dad opened the door to check the damage the hissing told everyone one of our tires was gone. And yet no one was hurt. Many friendly people were put in our path to help make sure we were back on the road before the night was out.

I was thankful for the old dirt road to Grandma and Grandad's out amid the cotton fields of Georgia. With the big harvest moon hanging in the sky, I could see the bare pecan trees against the wide open sky. Grandma and Grandad's house hasn't changed in years. There's still that one bedroom in the back that all four siblings have to share. My two brothers have to bear a mattress and a cot on the floor while I and my little sister claim the big bed. Sleeping with a six-year-old girl is not an easy thing. I knew I would risk an elbow to the eye or a foot to the throat from all her thrashing in the night. But I was still thankful for it. Because once the lights went out she turned towards me and held my hand as she went to sleep. I listened to my youngest brother start to snore. Judging by the white glow on the wall my other brother stayed up a bit longer on his phone. Still, I was so, so thankful.

I'd missed this closeness. And I know I won't be able to do this much longer. The number of times my family will be together like this is growing smaller. Change is always coming, so, I want to make sure I'm thankful for all the little moments.

I'm thankful for sibling telepathy and random, shared laughs. I'm thankful for sibling dates to movies and long talks with my Mom and Dad. I'm thankful for precious times with beloved Grandparents. I'm thankful for texts from friends, for health to help, and for God's provision in times of need.

Every year I'm reminded anew of why I should give thanks to God for all He's given. And yet, I need to continually be giving thanks. Every morning, every sight that meets these eyes, is a gift. Only when I'm thankful do I truly experience this thing we call Joy. As I head into this Season of Christmas I'm greeted with the anthem, "Joy to the World!" Learning the lesson of thankfulness is the only way I can have joy in the coming season and all the seasons of life yet to come.

I hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

Did any of you finish NaNoWriMo? Any more Bryan Bloggers out there? 

Have a Happy Monday, Y'all!

Monthly Highlights: October 2015

Welcome again, everyone, to the monthly highlights on Forgotten Featherpen! Fall weather is fully settled in and I am Loving it. To all my college friends, I hope y'all came back from Fall Break refreshed and ready to tackle this second half of the semester. To my writing audience, I know a lot of you have NaNoWriMo on the brain. How are plans coming along for that? I'm kicking around ideas for actually trying to participate some this November. If you're new here, the monthly highlight is a post on the last Monday of every month were I review what's been going on here. We go back to glance at this month's posts, I share some highlights from my day-to-day, as well as writing progress and plans for next month. It's usually a lot of fun so I hope you enjoy yourself and drop a comment before you leave. Let's get started! 

The Blog

So what's been on the blog this month? Since it was a packed-out month I took the opportunity to dig into the collection of Tags I had sitting around in my Bookmarks. In The Unpopular Opinions Tag I got to enjoy being a bit negative and share my unpopular opinions on some books and the cliches we often find in them. I didn't get to do all the Tags I wanted, but that just means I can do more some other time! They're so much fun. 

In the Share Your Serenity Tag I got in touch with my romantic side and shared a collage of four images that brought me a sense of inner peace and serenity. The next week was super fun with The Tag of Happiness! All these tags are open to anyone and everyone, so if you haven't done them yourself feel free to take them on! Leave a comment with the link when you do so I can check out your blog! 

My plans for November's blog posts? I'm kicking around a few ideas. My Time to Fly and When Wings Grow Weary posts have generated a lot of interest so I may write more posts that share what I'm learning here at college. Besides that, I know I really want to do a post on writing for November. You'll have to come back and check it out! And hey, if you have any ideas about what I should do a post about feel free to let me know. 

My Life

Two words. Fall Break.

It was SO needed. I'm sure my college friends can relate to this. I was settling in great to college life but I'd reached a point where I just needed a break! And it was so wonderful. Just to summarize, I returned home to Virginia and went on all sorts of adventures with my family. They involved apple-picking, making apple pie, and enjoying the fall color. 

Coming back from these adventures was bittersweet. The result though was one refreshed girl, ready for some more learning! I've got a lot to keep me busy in this upcoming half of a semester. Midterms for one thing. I'm also hopefully taking part in an art project I'm very excited about. Writing is a thing that will happen too!

My Story

I used to be able to leave my writing notebook in the dorm for several hours at a time. Now I can't go one class period without it! Seriously, in every single class there's been tidbits that I have to write down in my novel notebook so I can remember them later. It doesn't even have to be related to my setting or theme. I pick up notes from General Psychology on how people can be conditioned by stimuli or exactly how long our short term memory holds things in storage. In Interpersonal Communication I write down what makes people attract friends or what makes them interesting in dialouge. And in FIne Arts? Don't even get me started! 

The short of it is, my new advice to every writer is to take your writing notebook or some equivalent with you wherever you go. You just never know what you'll need to write down in it for later. 

That's it for this month, everyone!
Have a Happy Monday! 

Monthly Highlights: September 2015

Guess what? I survived another month of college and blogging without exploding! Yes, I’m very proud of myself too. If this is your first visit to Forgotten Featherpen then welcome to the Monthly Highlights where I briefly recount the many wonderful things that have been going on here. I’ll also touch on my ongoing writing projects and things to expect this upcoming month. So let’s get started!

The Blog

I obviously held off on the writing/reading oriented posts this month. This was my first month at college! I had to tell y’all all about it! Even the school assignments and my emerging social life couldn’t keep me from posting once a week.

I shared my some of my story in coming to college in My Time To Fly. It was the optimistic start to my big year of adventure here.

It may come across as sad, but it’s really not! When Wings Grow Weary is just a post that explained some of the real feelings that come along with a change in life. Finally, I shared 5 Ways to Challenge Yourself in College. I’m taking those challenges myself and I can’t wait to see how I grow over the year.

Next month I do plan on posting more than just pieces of my heart with y’all. I’ll probably have fun with some tags I’ve been saving. So make sure to keep coming back. As a side note, I’m so happy to have such a surge of new visitors lately! Not all of them are commenting but I can see you hanging around in the stats. :) Thanks y’all for dropping by. Keep coming!

My Life

If I tried to tell you every new thing that has happened to me since coming to college you would end up reading a short novel. So I’ll try to summarize it instead by saying this: I’m having an awesome time.

First off, I’ve met more writers here at Byran! There’s two groups I should tell y’all about.

1. Logophile

This is a small group of writers that meets weekly on Bryan campus to share their writing and work through prompts together. I was super excited to hear about this because I had never been a part of a physical writing club before. Believe me, it’s way different then the groups I’ve joined around the web or on Facebook. Different in good ways though. When I work up the courage I really want to share some of my work with them.

2. Bryan Bloggers

This should really be a thing, people. Since coming to Bryan I’ve seen or talked at least five people who blog here at Bryan College. Every single one brings unique perspectives to our time here as students. What’s so funny is that we read each other’s stuff online but rarely talk about our blogs in person! Plus I’ve noticed that all the bloggers are girls….why don’t boys blog? Okay, back on topic. If anyone is interested, here’s my list of Bryan Bloggers you should definitely follow.

Miss A Capuzzi @ HE is Truth

Kat @ Kat’s Korner

Brittanyrae @ Inspired Daughter

Karis @ Karis at College

Amber @ His Forever After

Kate @ Confessions From a Servant’s Heart

In other news Fall has arrived on campus! Along with the changing leaves….apparently there’s a lot of things here that I’m allergic to. Just another obstacle for the adventurous soul right? To celebrate the girls in my Hall had a Fall Festival night. We painted pumpkins, decorated cookies, and overall had a fantastic night!

My Story

Okay okay, so maybe I haven’t technically written any new material but I have done a lot of free writing! I was so distraught when my old, bulky story notebook was too big to fit into my backpack with all my other school junk. So I made a move from one notebook to another! I’ve found little pockets of time in-between classes, work-study, and even meals to jot down anything that comes to mind. I’ve worked out some plot issues, developed some characters, and even hit upon the genius idea for a prequel! Because I totally have time for that right?

Thanks for sticking with me here. It's been a great month and a lot has happened. Even more than I could fit into this month's highlights. If there are any other Bryan Bloggers out there that I missed let me know! Till next time!

 

 

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Monthly Highlights: August 2015

 

For a while there I wondered if I’d make it in time to post this! Hello again everyone, and welcome to August 2015’s edition of Monthly Highlights here on Forgotten Featherpen! Has it been a crazy month for anyone else? Or has that just been me? If there are any other students out there that have arrived at college then you know what I’ve been through. A month’s worth of checking off packing lists, shopping lists, schedules, and the general flurry of mayhem that goes along with starting the school year. But it's all good. I’m happily settled in my new dorm and campus and having a grand time so far. I’ll write a post next month and tell you all about it. Now let’s get start with the highlights from this month!

 

 

The Blog

Even with all the hubbub I’ve managed to post once a week! Woohoo! I’ve got lots of ideas for posts next month but if any of you have suggestions I’m eager to hear them. Let’s review what was put up on the blog this month:

 

I shared a book that changed my life in Adam and His Kin.

I Planned for Change (and downloaded cool apps) when I shared the news of my departure to College this Fall.

In StoryWorld Setting Link-Up I shared a cool way other writers can showcase the setting for the world they’re building.

Finally this month I shared a little something creative from my past in The Girl and The Bee - A Short Story.

 

 

My Life

I hesitate to share too many details about my transition to college because I really want to save that for a special post (or series of posts) all on it’s own. College-themed blog posts have been stewing in my mind for days now for obvious reasons. I can tell you all that I managed to gather, pack, and get everything to college successfully. I finally experienced a real move-in day and a real college orientation. It’s so much more exciting (and tiring) than the first week of online college. I’ve been blessed with a great roommate and some awesome suitemate. Classes have begun and I’m on my way to a busy yet fruitful semester! Ah but you want to see pictures don’t you? Alright here’s some of the few I remembered to take before being swept away by schedules.

 

 

 

 

It’s sad to say but with all that’s been going on I’ve had no time to hunt down my favorite blog posts for the month to share with you. But I’d love to hear about your favorite reads of the month! Share them below in the comments and while you’re at it tell me if you’re at a new college/school yourself and how you’re adjusting in your first weeks. Have a great end of August everyone!

 

 

 

 

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Monthly Highlights: July 2015

 

Welcome back everyone to another exciting Monthly Highlights! I've been surprised how popular these monthly updates are. I'm glad everyone enjoys them and I'll try to keep them exciting and informative for you. So, first off, how was everyone's Fourth of July?? I was a loser and didn't do anything on account of online school. But you guys had fun right? Don't forget to comment below and fill me in on the awesome things you've accomplished this month. Let's get this started!

 

 

 

Yay! Once again I managed to post once every week. I really feel convicted to try and post more but, looking ahead at what I've got coming up, I'll be happy with the consistency I already have. Here's the lovely posts up on Forgotten Featherpen this month. The one on Prehistoric Man was a lot of fun to write and something I promised to deliver. What did y'all think of it?

 

Recent Posts:

• Social Media: Are Your Accounts Healthy?
• No Joy without Sadness: Thoughts after "Inside Out"
• The Big Misconception about Pre-Historic Man

 

 

 

Without going into too much detail, I had the oppurtunity to unload a stuffed moving van the other day. It took four hours in the humid, glaring heat. And of all the things to pop into my head I thought the experience provided excellent reference material if I ever wrote a story about slaves suffering in their labors. So everyone, if you ever want to experience what your poor slave character is suffering through, just go do hard labor in the sun for four hours. You'll have a pretty decent idea after that.

Any of you remember that painting I shared last month? I was able to paint another for my American Literature class this summer. She's called "Innate Divinity" and I'm very proud of her. The painting was in response to learning about the Eastern Religion influcences found in Transcendentalism. It was super fun because of my interest in ancient religious symbolism. Also below is the painting from last month, "Culture's Modern Priest." These two were made to be companion pieces. Hope you enjoy!

 

In other news....I've finally finished all my online summer college classes! To say I'm relieved is an understatement. The classes were so taxing! But also so fun! I'm torn now between being happy with free time and wishing I was still busy learning from such amazing teachers. If anyone is ever considering Toccoa Falls College then go there. Take my word for it, they have amazing teachers. And make sure you get Professor Thomas for American Lit. It's great to be done with summer classes. I got all A's! Now to prepare for more college this Fall.

 

 

 

 

Yes, at some points during this busy month I did pay attention to the construction of my book. This month I've been looking seriously at structure and the mechanics to consider before the bulk of writing is started. I struggle between plotter and panster you see. To help with my panster side, and to give myself a kick in the pants, I joined a site called MyWriteClub. Y'all should check it out! You get to add all sorts of goals like wordcount, scenes, or whatever else you need. There's a community of other writers around to cheer you on as you work towards your goals. If you check it out feel free to follow my progress as well. It's slow going, but at least I've started!

 

Also this month I downloaded this amazing photoblending app on my phone. I've had waaaay too much fun with it. The below pictures are just the product of an overactive imagination when it gets hold of pretty pictures and an app. I've been doing lots of plotting and these pics are the offspring. It's such a wonderful thing to plot! Some might be thrown off by the pics. But trust me, I'm an author. I've got it all under control.

 

 

 

That about wraps it all up for this month! I've got some fun ideas for next month's post so I hope you'll check back to see them. If you have a tag or post idea you'd like to see me do I'd be glad to read about it. So post your comments or questions below! Now before I let you go, here's some of the interesting blog posts I've enjoyed this past month.

 

Posts I've Enjoyed

• How to Care for Your Writing Muse @ Positive Writer
• How to Write Diverse Characters (And Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to!) @ Ink and Quills
• 9 Ways to Use Point of View to Strengthen Your Story's Characters @ Helping Writers Become Authors
• Four Ways to Fail as a Writer (And One Way to Succeed) @ The Write Practice
• Confession: I Don't Really Have a Drafting Process @ Diary of a Teen Writer
• How to Overcome Writer's Block While You Sleep @ The Write Practice

 

 

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Monthly Highlights: June 2015

 

Hello Everyone! How has everyone's month of blogging, writing, and being awesome been going? The purpose of these monthly highlights is to help me and you get the bigger picture of what's been going on this month. If don't make the habit of following Forgotten Featherpen (which you should) you can come here to check out the highlights of what's been going on in the blog, my writing projects, and life in general. So let's get started!

 

First off, did every have a good National Donut Day?? I did! I can't remember the last time I actually made a decision to go out and eat a donut. It's just not normal behavior for me. Then Mom suggested I take my brother and two youngest siblings out for a day of adventure to get those free donuts. Turns out...they're not "Free". You have to buy a drink too. That part wasn't fun, but the donuts were fantastic! Who else enjoyed National Donut Day to it's fullest?

 

 

 

 

Yay for posting every week this month! Between school and life I had a little trouble with post ideas. But thanks to a bank of topic ideas and some nice Link-Ups I managed pretty well.

 

Recent Articles

- The Creative Blogger Award (a late edition from May)

- Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as Movies (part of the Top Ten Tuesday Tag)

- What Anime taught me about Memorable Characters

- Running to Finish, Still not Enough (in which I ramble)

- The Research Chronicles: June 2015 (a fun research-related link up!)

 

So this month I've kinda been going over how my hobbies have shaped my perspectives as a creative writer. It's been a light-hearted month for the most part. But I am a hopeful writer of historical fiction, so next month I hope to spend more time posting about my interests in ancient history. Hopefully, I'll introduce y'all to the accessibility of this seeming dry topic. I can make history fun, I promise!

 

 

 

 

 

I mentioned last month that I started on a full college class load this summer. Well it's really been biting into my time so I'm learning the hard lessons of how to balance my writing and other hobbies with a full school schedule. I can't wait to see what my schedule will be like on an actual college campus!

 

One of the upsides to my classes this semester has been my American Literature class. I'm reading so many fantastic autobiographies, essays, and short stories! I see a lot of people doing lists of books that they're reading. Well I have a crazy long list of amazing literature that I've been reading thanks to this class I wonder how many of you have read Uncle Tom's Cabin? Who's heard of the Blithedale Romance? Just sayin, that book deserves to be made into an incredible movie! And the Philosophy of Composition by Edgar Allen Poe is something every writer should read I think. It was very insightful. Here a list of some of the other amazing things I've been reading this month:

 

The Raven by Poe

Ligeia by Poe

The Philosophy of Composition by Poe

The American Scholar by Emerson

Self Reliance by Emerson

Woman in the Nineteenth Century by Margaret Fuller

Selections from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Stowe

Civil Disobedience by Thoreau

Walden by Thoreau

Selections from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Jacobs

The Blithedale Romance by Hawthorne

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Douglass

 

 

I've also been given the oppurtunity to provide a creative response to my American Literature and Western Thought and Culture classes. I decided on two companion paintings. Each will be representing a perspective that I've picked up from the classes. This month I did the creative response for Western Thought and Culture. I call it "Culture's Modern Priest." You can see the progression from sketch to finished product below.

 

 

 

That about wraps it up for the highlights for this month! Before I lose you, check out some of my favorite posts from other bloggers this month. Enjoy! And thanks for stopping my for the highlights this month.

 

Posts I've read:

- The Difference between Heroes and Protagonists @ Writer and Proud

- 9 1/2 Ways to get to know your Character @ Writer and Proud

- Dream Chaser @ Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant

- Why I Don't Tell People I'm a Writer @ Pages from My Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

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