It's over

The giveaway is over. I will announce the winner tomorrow.

one more week

That's right, one more week before my first giveaway ends. If you haven't already go and enter.

The winner with be announced February 1.

Quote by Corrie Ten Boom

"Freedom isn't the right to do what we want, but the power to do what we ought." - Corrie Ten Boom

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Amazing, Delightful, Unforgettable

I can easily describe this book as that. The amazing plot and delightful characters make this book unforgettable.

About: One cruel night, young Meggie's Father, Mo, reads aloud from Inkheart and an evil ruler, named Capricorn, escapes the boundaries of fiction (along with other characters), and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books.

Somehow, Meggie and Mo must learn to harness the magic that conjured this nightmare. Somehow, they must change the course of the story that has changed their lives forever.

(Taken from the inside cover of the book)

Other:

-This book does have some occasional swear words, but not enough to make this not fun to read.

-One of the side characters in superstitious and continual talks about ghosts and curses.

All in all, this is an wonderful book that is amazingly written. Like I said above, with an amazing plot and delightful (and real) characters.

If you have any questions or comments about the book I'd love to answer and hear them. ☺

Stay Inspired!

I don't think it's to hard to get inspired. What's hard is to stay inspired. Some days you wake up with the illusion that everything is in place, and then as soon as you get your time on the computer . . .BOOM, inspiration leaves you. 'Why?' you cry out, feeling rejected by your own imagination. This dreaded feeling is called writers block.

But there are things you can do to quicken or forgo this heartbreaking situation:

-Nature. Full of some of God's most amazing creation. Take a step away from your computer and go outside. Take a notepad and write down what ever comes to mind, whether random or sensible.

-Writing Notepad. This is what that notepad is for, writers block. Make sure to keep it going because, if you haven't already, you will encounter writers block.

-Ask. As a famous saying goes, 'Two minds are better than one'. Ask if your mom, dad, friend, or sibling is willing to let you pick his/her brain. Trust me, it helps.

And if all else fails, maybe you just need a break. 'To much of a good thing is a bad thing'. ☺

a quote ☺

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life are the real ones after all" -Laura Ingalls Wilder

happy ending vs. sad ending

I think we all tend to like happy endings verses sad ones. But is one better than the other? I have read many books with both sad and happy endings.

In my personal opinion I prefer happy endings, but only if the rest of the book is quite unpredictable. I only like a happy ending when the rest of the book is quite sad. Then you have a sense that the characters deserved the happiness that ended that tale. But like I said, it is my personal opinion.

To me the kind of beginning and middle should determine the kind of ending. And if it's a happy ending, who is it for? I don't think a bad guy and a good guy could share a happy ending, although I have seen it done. ☺

And I do believe there are many different endings other than happy or sad. There are mysterious endings (Agatha Christie ends a lot of her books like this), there are neutral endings (ones that aren't happy or sad), no endings (A short storie, 'The Lady and the Tiger' makes you pick the ending yourself.), ect...

What kind of endings do you prefer?

Getting To Know Your Characters

In a book you want your characters to be real, to be someone your readers can connect with. But in order for that to happen you need to connect with them first.


Believe it or not you can actually grow distant with your characters just like real people. So what do you do when you know your character still hasn't forgiven you, for what ever reason. Or you just never clicked with your main character. If you can't click with a character chances are your readers won't either.


-Sometimes you just need to say goodbye. You may find that changing or cutting the character was a good thing to do. Who knows, maybe they will appear in another one of your stories.


-While in more fortunate times you just need to get to know your character. So just go and grab yourself some coffee (or tea), get a notepad, and ask some questions. Since your character can't really speak, you need to for him/her. Think up some questions and think how your character would answer. And if that doesn't work you can always:


-Be your character. Have some fun and get all dressed up as your character and try to look at the world through his/her eyes. I know it sound silly but it's really fun and beneficial.

Although these are not the most professional ways to get to know your characters, these have worked for me. ☺

quotes! quotes! quotes!

Hello, quote lovers, Sunday is the day for you. Every Sunday I will post a quote just for you, well, me too. I love quotes!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C. S. Lewis

P.S. Keilah Engstrom took the top left and the bottom right photos.

How to Make a Good Character

Not my photo

Tips on how to make a good character:

-Make the character believable, which means not perfect. Give him or her faults, hopes, dreams and wishes.

-Don't be afraid to hurt your character. I know this sounds mean, but if your main character had no problems or worries that would be really boring. Give him/her a trial, an important decision, or a accident.

-Layer your character. Make him/her interesting and complex.

-Base your character off someone you know. ☺ Now this is one method I've been using for a couple years now. The benefit being, that by basing a character off a real person, you can make him/her very believable. (Remember to respect peoples privacy if they don't want you to write about them.)

Look out for part 2 on characters.

4 Reasons to Write

1- Writing can be a great vent for your imagination. It allows you to make a world that you can share with others.

2- Writing can be a way to express yourself, with writing books, poetry, and journal writing.

3-Writing can be a way to inform others of a subject you enjoy, are against, or feel strongly about. Most of writing is inspired on how you view the world and issues, not just what the book is about but how the characters interact with each other, what the characters do, and how the plot goes.

4- And last but not least writing is just so fun. It's an enjoyable pass time that so many others have found.

Why did I start writing? I think for me it was the appeal of just letting my imagination flow that did it.

Why do you write? Is it number two or do you write for a totally different reason all together, I'd love to hear your reasons.

DIY: A Writing Notepad

It's midnight, you wake up and have the best idea in the world for a book. But your bed calls you to lay your head down and sleep. And so you sleep, and forget all about your "amazing" idea. Or your great idea appears to you in the mall, store, car, etc. and you have no way of writing it down. How many of you have fallen victim to these situations because of not keeping notepad, and suffering for it.


After many of these situations happening to me I pushed myself and bought a small notepad. And I am all the better for it.


What are the benefits a having a writing notepad. Need I say? Sometimes ideas get foggy and can be mixed up from when you first thought of them. When you write the idea down and find you want to change it, then change it. And you will have no fear of wondering if the first idea was better. Because you have it written down, you can just check.


If you find that notepads that are small are to pricey, make you own. I have one and love it. The plus side of making your own is that is personalized to be very you. ☺


To make one you will need:



-Several pieces of normal white paper

-Needle and thread

-Colored ink pens

-Stickers, buttons, tissue paper, cut outs, etc. (optional)


Step 1: Take the pieces of normal white paper and fold them all in half, the smallest end to smallest end. Flatten the paper out and lightly mark the crease with a pen of pencil. Cut on this mark.



Step 2: Now take these pieces of paper, combine them, and fold then in half (small end to small end). Flatten the paper out and lightly mark the crease with a pen or pencil. (Do not cut paper)


Step 3: Take the thread and push it though the eye of the needle. Then sew up the book on the line you created.


Step 4: To make it more strong you can go over and sew in between the spaces you left off.




Step 5: Open the pages and one by one, using a ruler and a colored pen, line the paper.


That's the end of it for a simple notepad. You can add anything else you want to make it more you.
If you have any comments of questions just comment. ☺

A Giveaway

Wow. Already 9 people have followed my blog, thank you. To welcome the new year and my new blog I am going to host a giveaway. The prize being *dramatic pause*:



Yep, you could win a hand knit, wool hat (with flower), in the color shown. Your can never have to many lovely accessories. To enter,


Mandatory:

Comment telling me one of your new years resolution ( 1 entry )


Extra Entries:

Follow Eat...Sleep...Write ( 2 entries )

Blog about the giveaway ( 3 entries )

Tell me another one of your new years resolutions (1 entry)


Please comment on each thing you do, and please make it separate comments. The giveaway will end January 30. The winner will be randomly drawn February 1. If the winner doe not contact me by February 5 a new winner will be drawn. I will only be mailing this hat in the USA. Happy New Year! ☺