Tag: February

Writing is Hard | WIP Update | February 2023 | Cool

~ Jai Lynn ~ 2 Comments

Previous Post: Writing is Hard | WIP Update | January 2023 | Constant

I do not know how many of these little updates I have written since the inception of my blog but I know that whenever I do sit down to write a post I tend to get lost in it. The writing takes over for itself and just goes off in whatever vibe I am currently riding in in the moment. I never have any idea of what I am going to write when I sit down to write one of these until that flow begins. Today I am writing in a different place than I normally do and though it feels a little strange it feels very relaxing, and productive too. Do those adjectives even go together lol? I don’t know they usually don’t in my life as of late but in all honesty both are very true feelings right now.

February was a month of emotions but ultimately good even though I definitely did not always feel good this month. But I did feel growth. That’s the thing about life. We are constantly changing, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. This month had some very high emotions that I am working through but at the end of it all I believe I will be a stronger person than I ever was.

Writing wise though I have made some progress! I work very slowly but I work very surely.

Haha not the happiest gif but accurate for my past month lol. It’s all good. It’s the journey!

I left off talking about my writing journey a long line of posts back. Maybe even years back…. like the summer of 2021-ish if I skimmed through my past posts accurately and didn’t miss anything haha. Well, let me pick back up on that then. Last I had spoken it was of high school and the “Wow!” I had gotten on the top of little poem I had scribbled out between classes sophmore year. A “Wow!” that had been from one of the most difficult graders at our school. A “Wow!” that had been my first exposure to the idea of having my work published.(I’ll attach the link here if anyone wants to read it again. #shamelessselfpromotion) A “Wow!” that I totally dismissed and didn’t even think possible at the time. Me? Be a writer? Me? Publish my work? What? I thought there was no way I would succeed at that. Maybe later in life but certainly not now.

Writing for me back then was all fanfiction. (And the schoolwork I had to do.) It was a release. It was my innermost thoughts and feelings. It was something I did because it just made me happy. I loved writing back then so much. I still do, just not in the same way. But I am trying to find my way back to that girl I used to be. It’s funny looking back at when I was sixteen that little did I know how how much struggle I would eventually fall into for that little dream of being a writer. Struggle, struggle, struggle..… I am 27 now and looking back now, like wow. Life is strange. Life is strange.

My first year of college was when the next major life event happened. I was in a Sherlock Holmes seminar class, and the final project was to write a story about yourself meeting Sherlock Holmes. I wrote the story, and I had a lot of fun with it. Maybe I’ll post it here one day. But, it was my professor that made all the difference. After class when I read it aloud, she pulled me aside, and she asked me “Have you ever considered taking a creative writing course?”

I was flattered, I got an A+ on the paper, and I did not know what to do. Some part of me at 27 still doesn’t…

But again I was hit with the thought. Could I be a writer…..?

I am very thankful for the teachers I have mentioned thus far. Their words were minor things but they affected my whole life. So maybe they weren’t so minor after all.

In regards to The Lowell Saga, I am plugging along. I thought today I would share a bit about my main character just so you can get the gist of the kind of person she is….. 😉

Lowell Ryan is intelligent, at least in the things that she finds worthwhile. She is obsessive, but only in regards to forgotten long lost gods. She is confident, in the only way a struggling girl could be when everything she loves is on the line. Lowell Ryan is the manifestation of a hero without actually being one. Yet.

But she also is essentially the coolest person alive that I always wanted to be but never really thought I could.

I should stop thinking that way.

Until we meet again,

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(Currently still revising the first draft of TLS…..)

Snapshot 2/28/21 // “Winter Woes”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 11 Comments

Currently listening: “Ultraviolet” – Stiff Dylans
Currently watching: Anne With An E S1
Currently playing: The World Ends With You: Final Remix
Currently reading: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

January may have been a beautiful thing but February was an ugly entity. It snowed like the ninth circle of hell over here. Listen, I appreciate snow. I really do. For summer to exist there has to be a winter. But there was just no end to the snow this month. Between the seasonal depression of it often being dark outside and then further worsened by the never-ending snow keeping me locked inside I was very, very not myself. So did I have extra hot chocolate? Yes, yes I did. Among lots of cake as well.

My healthy habits, no lie, fell to the wayside this month. Besides my winter woes, work was especially stressful and there was a lot going on with my family too. Everything is okay but not out of the woods yet. I’m crossing my fingers though as March waltzes in, so will spring.

February Goals:

  1. Do pilates twice a week! Fail. I think I did it only twice this month, nevertheless twice a week. Did I mention there was cake?
  2. Work on The Lowell Saga everyday! Check. I did do this nearly everyday. So win.
  3. Use social media more! Check. My handle is @jaiiiilynn4 for both Insta and Twitter if you want to connect!

March (the month where spring better show up to my party) Goals:

  1. Make more mindful and healthy food choices! After the eating disaster that was February, I’m looking to make better choices in March. Less cake and more fruit! Less pasta and more vegetables! Honestly, I feel so much better when I eat cleaner food and I have to remember that the next time I feel the need to reach for the chocolate bar to just not. Stress eating does not make the bad feelings go away, it only perpetuates them. I’ll take broccoli over bloated any day.
  2. Finish the middle bit of The Lowell Saga! I want to finish the tricky middle bit of my story this month. There is a very specific treasure my trio is looking for in the middle of book 1 of TLS and I have scenes scattered throughout my draft that I want to attempt to string together to get this part done this month. Then hopefully I can head to the ending bits for April. AND THEN, start book 2 draft 1 in May.
  3. Find more focus in my life! Sometimes life feels like a frozen tundra where everywhere you look is snow, icy wind and emptiness. That was an analogy but you get the point. If I haven’t said it enough February was rough in all facets of living. In March, I want to get my shit together in my personal, work and writing lives.
The year just started and already I’ve used this gif twice in my posts. Let’s keep a tally, shall we?
Tally: II

What I Read:

  • Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I enjoyed this a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely had it’s faults //SPOILERS// – insta love, definitely not a favorite trope of mine between Kaoru and Akiva, but I digress- //END OF SPOILERS//, but the writing was strong with vivid imagery, a magical world, and important moral message. Also the characters were very, very lovable. I do adore Kaoru, Zuzana and just their friendship in general. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the trilogy.
  • Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones. This book is my heart and soul. It is one of my favorites of all time and I cannot remember how many times I’ve reread it throughout the years. The only indication would be by how cracked its spine is honestly. This book will be with me till I die, it is just that kind of story and anything I say about it will be biased. I really love this book. It’s definitely not for everyone but for those to who it resonates with it really hits home. It’s so many things. A coming of age story, a love story, a story about heroes and villains and just so well balanced that no matter how many times I reread it I find more things I missed before. If any of you have read this book and know exactly how I feel and exactly what I am talking about please let me know. I need someone to vent and gush and just express all my feelings with. Let’s get together in Nowhere 😉
  • Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger and More Graceful You by Misty Copeland. I love Misty Copeland and I love ballet, even though I only took it for a year when I was five before changing to horseback riding for ten years. Honestly I wish I had stuck with it but I love horseback riding just as much. I wish I had done both actually, and karate. I did karate for a month but I digress. ANYWAY, I enjoyed reading this and learning about some of Misty’s exercise routine, food preferences and personal journey. I really respect her so it was interesting to read. I also love barre but haven’t been able to take a class in almost a year due to COVID. But as soon as the world gets up and running again I’m running back to the gym. Reading this book was meant to keep that goal in mind and remember to stay fit and make healthy choices for my 2021 resolution!

What I’ll Be Writing:

  • Poetry- posted every Wednesday
  • Writing Is Hard | WIP Writing Update- posted in the middle of the month
  • Snapshot! Monthly Recap- posted the last day of every month
  • Announcements- posted as needed

If you want more information about any of the above, you can check out the About page on my site or just click here.

Fabulous Posts I Read in February:

My Round Up of February Posts:

Can I just say Anne with an E is such a beautiful show? Honestly, like I. Am. Floored. I didn’t even finish the first season yet and I am just in love with everything. If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend. So much so, that y’all already know I ordered the complete series to read.

How did February treat you? Do you share my pressing sentiments over Anne of Green Gables? These are the questions that need to be answered.

Till next time,

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Snapshot 2/29/20 // Leaping and Living Each and Every Day

~ Jai Lynn ~ 8 Comments

Currently listening: “Careless Whisper” – George Michael
Currently watching: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir S3
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Currently reading: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

February is one of those months I always want to like but every year I get disappointed. It was a hard month. Work was extremely busy and life has been hard at home too. Every spare moment between all of that though I have been tending to my goals. I didn’t get everything done that I wanted, but I did do a lot. Road bumps happen, but you just got to make sure to keep driving until you get to your destination.

(FIGHT ON!)

February Goals:

  1. Research, research, research (Round 2)! Half a check to this one… I did do more research just not as much as I would have liked to. This one will carry on into March. As long as I keep going, I’ll finish. No matter how long it takes.
  2. Finish organizing my room/desk/work space! Check. This was where a majority of my time went and man, was this a lot rougher than I expected! I have a few little things left to sort but the hard work on this is done.
  3. Stick to my planned blog posting schedule! Major check. I did this, and I did this well. I even added an extra post for Valentine’s Day!
(The sweet scent of victory!)

March (the month where spring finally arrives!) Goals:

  1. Research, research, research (Round 3)! Slow and steady wins the race. This is the third time I’m posting this goal but every month I get a little more done. Hopefully March will be kinder than February was. (I just want to write the story already! maybe I’ll do a bit of both… hehe!)
  2. Stick to my planned blog posting schedule! I’m determined to make this a habit and the only way to do that is to treat it as such. So I’m keeping this one here so I keep holding myself accountable and get the work done.
  3. Become more interactive on Twitter! I barely use my account but I want to be more active on it! Twitter has a huge writing community and I want to contribute. If any of you have a Twitter account, we should follow each other! My handle is @jaiiiilynn4
(Deadpool clearly approves)

What I Read:

–Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This is my second reread of this book, and I loved it as much as the first time I read it (I just had more knowledge of what twists and turns were coming to better prepare myself lol). This is a great book, and I know so many of y’all out there agree. The characters are all so diverse and fantastic and real. I love Leigh Bardugo’s writing, just the right amount of description, action and feeling. I hope one day to write as well as her. ❤ If any of you have not checked out any of her works yet, I highly recommend. She is a Queen for a reason.
–The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. This was a divine little read, I really enjoyed it! Since the theme of February was cleaning up my work spaces, this book was very appropriate and informational. I learned a lot. For example, the cleaner your space the better you feel and the less distracted you are. So simple and yet so easily overlooked! It makes sense. If you have less things out grabbing for your attention then your mind in turn will become more clear too! Her voice throughout the book is cute as well, and I felt really relaxed as I learned about tidying which usually causes me stress haha! I also loved the idea of saying thank you to your possessions. You should treat them with respect and I feel like a lot of people overlook this, like when you get home and just unceremoniously dump your stuff down without another thought. You should on an everyday basis take care of the things you own and remember that they are there to make your life easier and in turn look out for you too. It was such a fresh and positive way of looking at things, and of course “sparking joy”. I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to make a change in their life.
–Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. Currently reading this and currently loving every damn second of it. I don’t want it to end, so I’m taking this one slow. You can only read a book for the first time once right? Expect all my thoughts next month on this beauty of a book.

What I’ll Be Writing:

  • Poetry- posted every Wednesday
  • Living Life vignettes- posted every other Friday
  • Alternate Reality flash fiction collection- posted the last Tuesday of the month
  • Snapshot! monthly recap- posted the last day of every month
  • Announcements- posted as needed

All of my writings are independent of each other and stand alone so no need to read any of the previous work to understand. If you want more information about any of the above, you can check out the About page on my site or just click here, lol.

Here’s another gif of Deadpool (because why not?)…. and an accurate representation of my writing in art form, lol. Basically. I love a good fight scene.

February Round Up of Brilliant Posts I Read By Other Bloggers:

My Round Up of February Posts:

If you have read this far then you must have noticed all the Deadpool gifs *wink, wink*. I love him so much and have no regrets. Deadpool is the only thing I’ll watch on Valentine’s Day. Honestly, to me, it is one of the most romantic movies of all time. That aside, let’s go out and enjoy this extra day we get this month! Happy Leap Year!

How were your February’s? Did you meet your goals? What are you looking forward to in March?

Till next time,