Adventures Up North

Hi everyone! :) One of the main reasons I haven't been blogging as much over the last months is actually because I've been doing a lot of editing on my fantasy novel!  So I thought I'd give y'all a quick update on my writing project as a blog post this week. :) 1.  My NaNoWriMo 2016 project is on the back burner as I continue to revise my fantasy novel. For NaNoWriMo 2016, I wrote a contemporary spy thriller that was actually pretty cool.  The only problem was that I was also currently not finished editing my fantasy novel, Into The Desert.  I found out that I can't handle two projects at once, it doesn't work for me that well.  So I decided that I'm gonna finish my fantasy novel before starting anything new.  Meanwhile, I'm gonna leave my spy thriller for a while until I decide to pick it up again.  Which I do plan to do at some point. 2.  December, January, & February were a writing hiatus, for the most part.   I di...

Use the blog, Luke! Hi.  'Tis me, Luke Hartman, the Phantom of the Blogosphere.  Wait, this is supposed to be Star Wars references.  Let's get back to that.  Or no wait, let's just do all my fandom references. "Sleep.  Friends.  Real life.  Writing.  Long ago, the four elements of life lived together in harmony.  Then, everything changed when real life attacked.  Only the Blogger, master of all four elements of life, could stop it.  But when the world needed him most, he vanished.  A hundred days passed before my brother and I discovered the new blogger, a college student named Luke.  And although his blogging skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to inspire anyone.  But I believe Luke can save the world." So yes, this is the Luke you used to know like a year ago when he actually blogged about writing and actually had a teeny tiny following and actually blogged like once a week, not once ...

*wakes up and realizes that I promised to do a blog post today* So yay for leaving things to the last minute again. XD Hi everyone!  This week has been...let's just call it insane and move on, but I feel like there's a more accurate word that sounds something like torture (I hope y'all know I'm being sarcastic).  Seriously though, this week was insane, yesterday I did school until 8:00pm and I still have to write a five-page paper, take three tests, type a page of notes, and post in a school discussion forum. So that's what I'm doing as soon as I post this.  I also have a funeral today (you can probably tell that I'm not particularly excited about this day). BUT.  All is not lost.  Because today, Camp NaNoWriMo begins!! :D  I am super excited to have more dedicated time for writing this month.  I will continue revising my story The War of the Dragon Stone: Into The Desert (which is a working title, btw), and maybe start planning its sequel.  ...

Hi, everyone!!!  Luke here. :) So, unless you're a brand new reader, you probably noticed that I updated my blog with one of Blogger's new themes!  I particularly liked this one a lot, it seems much less cluttered than my old design. :) Since things on my blog are so different-looking, please consider taking a moment to look around a bit and leave a comment telling me what you think of the overall design!  Does the blog still seem easy to navigate?  Do you like this design better or worse?  I'm probably going to continue to make minor changes to it, but I really do like this new theme much more than my old one. Also, to hold myself accountable, I want to let you all know that I will be back with weekly blog posts next Saturday !! :D  I've missed blogging SO MUCH, and now that I'm finally getting more used to college, I feel ready to bring it back into my life again. Thank you so much for sticking with me even when I haven't been posting as much....

Hi, everyone!  Oh my goodness, it's been over a month. First of all, I am so sorry for disappearing so suddenly and without warning.  School and some big life events kinda took over for a while, and I sorta fell off with blogging altogether.  Also, I stopped writing as much.  Basically I stopped writing at all for about a month. College has been insane.  I have four classes right now, with fifteen credits total.  That might not seem like a ton, but it's been a big adjustment for me.  Also, I recently took a psychology test for college credit, so I was studying a lot for that.  All those things on top of those life events I mentioned earlier really took over. However, I am pleased to announce that my plan is to be BACK now!!  Back to blogging, back to writing.  Because blogging and writing are two of my favorite things to do. :) Also, I want to get to know you guys more now too!  I know many of you used to leave comments on m...

Hi, guys!! :) So I started online college this week.  I got four classes worth fifteen credits, plus piano lessons and some psychology studying.  Yep, I am very busy, but I still got a sliver of time for writing blog posts!! :) Today, I'm gonna be talking about ten movies that I LOVE.  I highly recommend all ten of these movies.  I have seen all of them at least twice, and some of them over a dozen times.  Here, in no particular order, are ten movies you need to watch!! The Hundred Foot Journey This movies combines a lot of things I personally love: food and cooking, a love story, and a message about overcoming the odds.  This film is set in France, and is about a family from India that moves to the French countryside and wishes to start a restaurant there.  This movie is a visual feast. The Lady Vanishes The oldest movie on my list, the Lady Vanishes was made way back in 1938.  This mystery movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a true m...

Hi everyone, IT'S 2017!!!  And I'm back with a writing blog post!! Editing a first draft can be very daunting, especially for new writers.  First drafts are usually a complete mess, and it's scary to approach editing the first draft when it's such a mess.  But with a little preparation and brainstorming, you'll find that the editing process is much less overwhelming than you thought. I've been editing my current project for a while now, and I feel like I have found both helpful techniques and unhelpful ones.  So today I thought I'd share these tips!! :) 1.  After finishing your rough draft, LEAVE THE PROJECT BE.   Yes, I KNOW, you're dying to go back and reread that one scene in chapter 14, or make that data consistent that you changed halfway through the book.  But it really is best if you just leave your project entirely for at least a week or two and let your mind sift through everything before coming back.  You'll be less likely to burn ...

Hey, guys.  I know I have really been neglecting the blog lately, and I'm so sorry about that.  I got really sick this week, and I'm still trying to lose this cough. 2016 was a really memorable year.  There were a lot of great moments, a few bad ones, and overall this year was unforgettable.  Now I'm more reflective than ever before.  I thought today, seeing as it's New Years Eve, would be a good time to share five highlights from this year that I will always remember. 5.  I recorded a Christmas album!!   In case you missed my blog post about it several weeks ago, I recorded my Christmas album, title All About Christmas.  It was a great project to finish in my senior year of high school. :)  Listen to it here . 4.  I finished my book!!  Back in March, I wrote the last words of my fantasy novel, Into The Desert.  I am SO excited to be almost finished editing it!  I am taking the editing process slow, but the book its...

There won't be a proper blog post today, since it's Christmas Eve. :) Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas, everybody!! :D

Hey guys!! :) So something really rare happened to me on Thursday night...I actually saw a popular movie before most of my other friends!  And so I thought to myself, I don't have a blog topic for this week yet...why not do a movie review? :D So on Thursday night, I chose to go see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with my Dad and brother.  We went to a local movie theater about a half hour away from our home, and we went to see it in 2D. NOTE:   Even though I will be steering clear of major spoilers, I will be addressing some of the major plot points, as seen in the film's trailers.  If you haven't seen the trailer yet, or have chosen not to watch them to be completely un-spoiled, proceed with caution. Overall rating: ★★★★ ½ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set in the time period between the Star Wars Rebels TV series and the original Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope film.  For the first time in a Star Wars film, we have a female main protagonist, Jin Arso....

Guess what?  I finished my Christmas album!  I'm so SOOOO happy :D I have been working on this album for several long months...and let me tell you, it feel so good to be done! Here's the link where you can listen to my album for free. Sorry this isn't a REAL blog post, but now that this album is done, I will have a lot more free time to catch up with y'all, answer blog comments, and write more and better blog posts.  Stay tuned everyone!! :D

Clothes shopping is amazing.  I'm one of the rare guy shopaholics.  I LOVE to shop, and clothes shopping is no exception.  Just ask my mom. BUT.  I still have a large handful of pet peeves that come with my experiences with clothes shopping.  Furthermore, the things that annoy me are definitely different than girl's problems. I'm gonna need a guest blogger to give that point of view sometime. :) 1.  80% of men's clothes look like plastic grocery bags made of cloth.   It's true.  Most men's jeans are "loose" fit.  Plenty of sweatshirts, jackets, t-shrits, shorts, and others, especially the larger sizes, are extremely baggy and don't fit my body type at all.  Which is VERY frustrating. 2.  The amount of men's clothes in the store, as compared to women's.   It isn't 49% of the store.  Nope, not even close.  I always expect there to be a lot more women's clothes no matter what.  I mean, women own more clothes a...

Note: I'm very busy with Christmas stuff, school, church, and a million other things.  Even NaNoWriMo has gotten pushed to the sideline.  So this will be a quick, last-minute blog post.  Hopefully I can have something a little more substantial for you next week! Okay, everyone, I am completely straying from my usual writing-based posts, and tackling a completely unrelated topic: friendships. Now, if you didn't already know this, friendships are very important.  Very important.  I'm a very social person, and I really need to have relationships with people I enjoy and get along with. The tips I am about to give are not for how to make new friends.  These tips should be used once you know the person a little bit, but aren't close in any way. 1.  Be open, be honest, be vulnerable.   In relationships, honesty is SO IMPORTANT.  Be vulnerable to your friends, let them see your faults and your weaknesses.  Because it's actually strong of...

I'm so excited because I got nominated by the amazing Benita J. Prins .  I love her blog, it's a lot about LOtR, which is reason enough for you to follow her. =)  Go check out her blog, everyone, and thanks, Benita, for this tag!! The rules: –Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog. –Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you. –Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. –List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog. Benita asked me these questions: 1. Who is your favourite actor/actress and why?   Oh, my...I can't choose just one.  Sean Astin, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Scarlett Johansson, Billie Piper, and David Tennant are a few of my favorites. 2. How many languages do you speak well enough to hold a conversation?   Just one, and that's English.  I do know a bit of Latin, but really, who am I going to...

Hey there guys! My name is Sarah. Luke is one of my oldest friends and always a great encouragement when it comes to writing, so I was thrilled when he asked if I would write a post for his blog! And by thrilled I mean I thought it was really cool… But in the midst of life's craziness, this task kinda got lost in the pile of other things that I need or want to do. Now it's down to the night I have to send it in to Luke. It's now or never. Do I want to write it? Yes! Do I want to write it now? No… It's a Friday night. I want to curl up on a couch and watch a movie and drink hot chocolate. But instead, I need to write a blog post and I haven't even picked a topic. Hmmmm how about “How to write when you don't want to?” That seems applicable. I can't be the only one with this problem. The constant paradox of wanting to write but not wanting to write in that moment… What do you do in that situation? Tip #1: Write SOMETHING. How many articles/blog posts hav...

Not all of us enjoy music when writing.  But some of us don't like absolute silence either.  Sometimes, an ambient sound mixer is exactly what we need. :) Basically, an ambient sound mixer or background noise generator is an online tool that plays an ordinary ambient sound, usually one long track or a few tracks playing together.  You can usually mix these yourself, with simple sliders to adjust the sound volume of each track playing.  I find these sound mixers extremely calming, stress-relieving, and (most importantly) they help me concentrate when writing.  Here's a list of my absolute favorite online ambient sound mixers: #1: Rainy Mood.   Rainy Mood might be the most popular on this list, but in all truthfulness, it's probably my least personal favorite.  This is mainly because I find the sound of a thunderstorm rather depressing, and also rather out-of-place if it's sunny outside.  But this is a very popular and high-quality ambient sound...

NaNoWriMo is, like, three days away. :O Today I will be giving a list of NaNoWriMo terms you ought to know!  This list has is generally organized by most important to least important.  If you've participated in NaNoWriMo before, you're probably already aware of some of these terms.  But hopefully everyone will find something new that they didn't know before! -NaNoWriMo.  Hopefully all the participants know that NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and that it takes place in November.  50,000 is the set word count goal.  Some argue over the pronunciation (some still say NaNo"ree"Mo instead of NaNo"rie"Mo).  This is also often shortened to Nano as well. -Camp NaNoWriMo.  This is a program similar to NaNoWriMo, but instead it takes place in the spring or summer months (the last few years, it's been taking place in both April and July).  It's less strict than normal NaNoWriMo in that participants can choose their own word ...

NaNoWriMo is less than two weeks away.  Cue panicky GIF: So for those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.  NaNoWriMo takes place in November, in which around half a million people around the world attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November.   To find out more, visit NaNoWriMo's About page. (Someone count how many times I say 'NaNoWriMo' in this post. :P ) Surviving NaNoWriMo is no easy task.  Believe me, I've participated since 2012 (and never been very effective at it either...the best I've ever done was last year with 30,000 words).  In order to stay alive this month, a Survival Kit is necessary.  Naturally, since each writer is different, each writer's kit will be different, too.  But these are that things I need to survive this November: 1.  Computer.  Now, technically speaking, I don't have my own computer, but our family's laptop is barely ever used by anyone else,...

Guess what, guys?  Season 2 is only a month away! Oh, sorry, did I confuse you?  That's right, I probably haven't told you my plans yet...well let's get started so you're no longer in the dark! Alright, so for those of you who don't know, I started this blog back in the middle of July (this is the 13th blog post).  For the most part, it's been about writing, but I've also talked about a few other things as well. And I hope you know by now that I'm posting  every Saturday .  I try to post in the  mornings  on Saturday, roughly  between 8:00 and 9:00 AM (that's Central Time , by the way). The 1st Saturday of the month  is Blogger's Choice.  This is where I can blog about whatever I feel like, whether it's writing related or not. The 2nd Saturday of the month is Guest Week.  This is where another blogger or writer writes an awesome post for me!  Just to make sure you don't get tired of me ;) About once ever four mo...

     My name is Rebekah   and Luke asked me to be a guest blogger. Now a few things you should know about me is I procrastinate. Like a lot. I only dabble in writing. My problem is I end up with a ton of ideas, but no idea how to begin or carry on. I know it's good to have an outline, character details, et cetera. But Writing may not be my thing. However something that is, is music and movies. Ask me something about Sherlock or Marvel, and I can most probably tell you all the facts, and fan theories about that subject. So I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to stuff like that.       But that isn't what I want to talk about. I want to talk about words. Words can be used to inspire. While many of you write, or just dabble at writing, it can be the spoken words which have more of an influence on people.  It's also the unspoken words that can cause an influence. It is because of this that we must be careful of what we say and write. As you put...