Tag: goals

Writing is Hard | WIP Update | April 2023 | (check-in)

~ Jai Lynn ~ Leave a comment

Previous Post: Writing is Hard | WIP Update | March 2023 | Imperfect

Just a brief check in post. Short and sweet. April has been a bit better month than March. I am doing okay and for my readers out there who are still here, thank you for hanging on with me. I hope I can give you all a better post for May.

I did not work on The Lowell Saga this month. I started brainstorming on an old story instead. My head needed something simpler to wrap around and that’s okay. We will see where it goes 🙂

Until we meet again,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

(Currently still revising the first draft of TLS…../Outlining a old & new story)

Writing is Hard | WIP Update | March 2023 | Imperfect

~ Jai Lynn ~ 3 Comments

Previous Post: Writing is Hard | WIP Update | February 2023 | Cool

This post is late. Usually I am very on top of my updates, and to be honest, I almost didn’t come back to my computer to write this post. I thought why even try, you missed the opportunity. It’s already well into April (it’s the second as I am writing this paragraph if I am being real) but my brain had already resigned itself to the fact that I failed. I missed the opportunity to get my post in for the month. I am a terrible human being.

That is only a snippet of what perfectionism feels like.

If it’s not done properly why even do it at all. I am a failure.

For many years I have struggled with this mentality. It’s crippling, especially as of this March, where I barely had the energy to do much of anything. I thought at first it’s okay I just need to rest. It’s okay I’ll just do the bare minimum and the rest will come back later. This month is already written off as a joke, we will do better next time. That was midway through March.

But I didn’t do better. I fell again and then again. I spiraled to the point all I could do was stuff my face with whatever was in reach and then pace my house in anxiety of what I had gotten done and hadn’t gotten done that day. I hated myself, I lived in fear day after day of what new anxiety would come to punch me in the face. I lost time to useless thoughts that would chase me down again and again in the racetrack of my mind. Anxiety is a race that I can never win. Never. The thoughts always catch me. The race never ends. The only way to get out is to not get on the track at all.

The fact that you are reading this is a testament to me trying to change. I’m fighting back against the rough mental health month I have had. I am trying to be nice to myself. I’m trying to remember that bad times are just that, bad times and they are temporary. I am trying to be grateful for all the wonderful things in my life I do have. And I have many and many a blessing.

No, my life is not perfect. And that’s okay, that’s okay. I’m trying to rise above my anxiety and get better. In a healthy way. I am trying to pick myself up. That’s why this rambling post exists.

It’s not perfect. That’s okay. This is me trying again.

And that is what matters when for the past few weeks all I wanted to do was give up.

I did do a bit of writing at the beginning of this month and that is not for naught. I am still editing. I am still trying. I just need to stop getting in the way of myself and that is the personal journey I am on right now.

Nothing is perfect.

Nothing is perfect.

Nothing is perfect.

Until we meet again,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

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

Writing is Hard | WIP Update | February 2023 | Cool

~ Jai Lynn ~ 3 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,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

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

Writing is Hard | WIP Update | January 2023 | Constant

~ Jai Lynn ~ 5 Comments

Previous Post: Writing is Hard | WIP Update | December 2022 | Happy Holidays!

January for me has always been a month of constants. A constant start to a new me, a constant doll-drum of the winter blues, a constant threshold of health and side hustles and passion endeavors. This January was different. For once I felt like I didn’t need a fresh start. 2022 had been the year to push me to change. 2023 is the year where I am starting to see the results of everything that has changed in my life. All because of me. This January feels no different in feeling constant. It is just a different meaning of constant continuation to build on the strong foundation I already have.

Taking my dog out for sunrise walks, drinking green tea out of my Kirby mug at midday, running like I know no bounds in the evenings after work and daydreaming a universe of stories I want to write in all the time in between. All small changes I have made just leading me closer to the life I want to have. January is a fresh start for many but it is not the only time to start. Change can start whenever you choose it to.

This month I met up with a very old friend who I haven’t seen in years and can’t wait to see again. My boyfriend took me to see Hadestown on Broadway and adored it. I ate waffles for dinner for the first time in my life and 10/10 would do it again. I just started my first play-through of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I am savoring every puzzle I get to figure out. I am spending so much time with my loved ones, learning so much at my new job, following my passions, reading anything and everything and just very happy with how far I have come. Happiness is not a destination, it is the journey itself. It took me a long time to learn that lesson but I am here. Life isn’t perfect, it’s messy and hard. Life is also very wonderful and very worth it. I know what I want out of life and, even if I still have a ways to go and a lot of work ahead of me, I am happy.

That is everything. 🙂

I have found my obsessions.

The itch to write/edit has finally hit me. Now we have traction again on the revisions for The Lowell Saga Book 1. Title most certainly going to change, LOL. Once I find the right one haha 😉 I have made progress working through chapters that have already been written and have created a few new scenes which overall I feel are tying the story together more tightly. Which is a thing that is very close to my heart. I CRAVE/OBSESS on my works having resonance which is such an important part of writing and it might be my favorite part of writing overall. Though I do adore creating new characters a lot too. Progress is still slow but its moving, damn its moving and its time.

(Also I have been obsessing all day over a new story idea for the other series I want to write after TLS and I just feel all tingly, it’s great.)

I have also found a healthy obsession with running, that has really solidified this month. I have been consistently going to the gym 3-4 times a week after work and on weekends. I am going, I am doing it and I want to do it. Like, wow wow wow. Even after a long day I still want to run. When I run I feel like I can pound all my stress out through my heels and leave it behind. I also have a new obsession with spinach and hummus pitas and it is life changing. It is my go to lunch and leaves me feeling satisfied and healthy. And then a Milano cookie when I need it because you always need a treat, right? 😉 ahahahaha. My relationship with food has also changed a lot from a year ago and I am just astounded with where I am.

Reading is another obsession that I have always had but just never realized how involved I was in it. I read, like damn, I read. Consistently everyday. I average on 25 books a year, so that is NOWHERE near plenty of others but its so damn perfect for me. And I don’t know it just makes me really happy so I wanted to include it haha

BUT THE LATEST OBSESSION which is a feeling that has escaped me for years and I am SO GLAD is back is drowning myself in a video game. For so long, I was worrying and not taking enough self care time and just constantly overthinking things I didn’t need to obsess over. But now I am putting that worry time to SELF CARE time and just enjoying myself. I recently beat Pokemon Violet and loved it. Then, my boyfriend and I started a play through of TLoZ: Ocarina of Time and guys it is amazing. I love this game so so so so MUCHHHHHHHHHHH. I just beat the Fire Temple. Next is the Water Temple and I hear its a doozy. Wish me luck!

And all of this is just making me more and more inspired to write!! That was why I included all those obsessions in the writing half of my update. They are important to the plot of my life and writing journey LOL. My creative well is being filled and it is amazing. The Lowell Saga cast is so diverse and so messy and so heart wrenching. The story itself is an adventure on the outside with deeper philosophical guts as to the meaning of life itself. Reading books, playing video games, giving myself the freedom to run and live is reminding me of when I was a kid and writing was as easy as breathing. Maybe what I needed all along was just to give myself room to breathe that way the words could make their way through the walls I had put up. Only time will tell but I am having a great run, pun intended and all.

How has 2023 been treating you dear readers so far? Any good video games you’re playing?

Till next month,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

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

Snapshot 10/31/21 // “Season of the Witch”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 4 Comments

Currently listening: “Bless the Broken Road“- Rascal Flatts
Currently watching: You S3
Currently playing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Currently reading: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

I can’t imagine a world without Octobers. It is one of my favorite times of year. There is just something about the leaves turning gold and the wind whispering in your ear and thrill of Halloween around the corner that makes it feel so magical to me. Like there is something waiting to be found just where we can’t see in October. I live for that.

I also live for the fact that I got to go Salem, Massachusetts this month for a weekend. Oh, what a time to be alive.

October Goals:

  1. Work on The Lowell Saga. Fail.
  2. Maintain my healthy habits. Fail.
  3. Have fun. WIN

November (the month where I should be writing) Goals:

  • Get my priorities straight, again. I kind of fell of the wagon in a lot of regards to my life’s goals this month. I got to do better. But… I did have a lot of fun in October 😉

What I Read:

  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I don’t know how many times I have reread this book… but it has been many. Something about the autumn always has me craving the midnight diners, the Ice Garden, and the love story interwoven all throughout. This book is one of my favorites of all time. Like The Raven Boys. I know I bring up those favorites a lot in this section but that is only because I have a constant need to keep rereading them, haha! That is proof of how much I love them. And The Night Circus is something I love dearly.
  • Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks. This. Was. Adorable. The perfect fall read. I breezed through it because it’s a graphic novel and I can’t believe how wonderful it was. A nice slice of life is something we all need in our lives from time to time and this hit the perfect autumnal spot.
  • The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. Wow. What a BOOK. Read it. That’s it. Just READ IT.
  • The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Soooo, I might have mentioned that I went to Salem this month and of course I had to reread The Crucible. I read it in school years ago and though I did not appreciate it then I love it so much more now. Especially in context with the real life historical event that took place in 1692. It’s scary how easily it happened and it frightens me how easily it could happen again.

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.

My Round Up of October Posts:

November. Oh, November. I honestly… have no idea what is going to happen this month. But, life is weird like that isn’t it? We can plan and plan and plan…. then the rains pour down (or the sun comes out!). Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

Snapshot 9/30/21 // “Workaholic”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 4 Comments

Currently listening: “Astronaut in the Ocean” – Masked Wolf
Currently watching: Anne With an E S1 (rewatch)
Currently playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Currently reading: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

September wasn’t a real month. TBH in my head it is still August. I still feel summer everywhere even as I am staring down the fallen leaves in my front yard. Not much happened but at the same time I was constantly busy. Is there a word for this feeling? How do I describe it better…?

Imagine a train station. There are so many people around, all with their own agendas and thoughts, getting on the train and others getting off. Then there is you, standing stock still in the middle of the platform. You have your own agenda too. But, your agenda was to take off on a plane… and you are at a train station. Being that there are no planes around and no other way to leave the train station but on a train… you are stuck.

That was what September felt like to me.

September Goals:

  1. Work on The Lowell Saga. Check.
  2. Maintain my healthy habits. Check.
  3. Be more open to possibilities. After this month I think I can handle almost anything. Check.

October (The month where I may reveal I have supernatural abilities) Goals:

  1. Work on The Lowell Saga. Always.
  2. Maintain my healthy habits. My life is a perfect graveyard of trying to be better and consistently falling short.
  3. Have fun. A major highlight this month is a mini trip to Salem, MA which I am ECSTATIC about. Perfect timing. I need to have some fun, badly.

What I Read:

  • Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. August was a bit dark that was why I decided to pick up this book, and it was a good decision. The title says it all. Honestly. At some point in our lives we all might need this as a pick me up. I swear by Matt Haig, ever since I read The Midnight Library, and now I want to read all his books.
  • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This hit the right spot at the right time in my life. It’s a rare occurrence but when it does happen I know it does for a reason. If I had the resources and time I would totally follow in Elizabeth Gilbert’s footsteps. I want to travel and find myself for a year. Where can I sign up? All kidding aside though her struggle in this book is something we all as humans struggle with. Finding ourselves and our own version of happiness, a way to survive. After these past few years I think we could all use a way to survive, or a means to put things in perspective and find the will to go on with this crazy thing we call life.
  • Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. This book was a joy to read. Right after I watched the Netflix show I bought all the books and nothing has made me feel calmer or more steady. Anne of Green Gables is so grounding and simple in the most pleasant way. That was a weird way to describe it. What I mean is that it helps to remind you that life is more about the simple things. The air on your cheek, the flowers outside your window and your loved ones all around you. Oh, and of course there is Gilbert Blythe too haha 😀
  • Kagerou Daze v. 2 by Jin and art by Mahiro Satou.
  • Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. The Raven Cycle is so cathartic and nostalgic at the same time. I wish I knew someone like Richard Campbell Gansey III. Maggie Stiefvater is a genius at nuance and atmospheric writing. Her characters are just so real. So real. I’m an articulate mess of emotions right now. All you need to know is that this series is on my all time favorites and that is all I am going to say. I read a lot of books but nowadays it’s rare to find one to even touch this list. All of us readers have that list. The list of favorites that just speaks to our soul. The ones that hit us at the right time in our life when we needed the story most and so will forever have a special place is our hearts. This series is one of the few on my list. Okay now I promise I’m done.

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.

Serendipitous Posts I Read in September:

My Round Up of July Posts:

I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I CAN’T WAIT TILL SALEM!!!!! I’ll take pictures!!!

If any of you guys have ever been, please give me some recommendations!! This is my first time ever visiting!!

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

Snapshot 8/31/21 // “Centuries”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 7 Comments

Currently listening: “Centuries” – Fall Out Boy
Currently watching: Sailor Moon R
Currently playing: Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories
Currently reading: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

August. I let August slip away like a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Turns out I needed another mental health month and some time away, at least from blogging. In the middle of the month, I picked up writing again. Well, revising. I finished rereading my first draft of The Lowell Saga and now I have stepped onto the revising plane for the second draft. It’s taking a painstaking amount of time to go through it chapter by chapter but I’m doing it. I want to make sure that all my foreshadowing adds up and all my characters stay true to who they are at this point. I say at the point because this is only the first book of four. I didn’t do my writing update this month but it will be back in September!

In other news, I did take a trip in August! I went to visit my brother out in the country and it was awesome. I had a great time and ate a lot of ice cream. I do love ice cream. (August is also when I was born so I ate a lot of cake too to celebrate!) Then got right back into the swing of eating health after both of those fun times. I’m really proud of myself.

Me, on my birthday #noregrets

August Goals:

  1. Continue to watch my sugar intake. Checkmate.
  2. Jog. Um. I did do this but then I got really bad knee pain lol. I’m not jogging but I’m exercising so I think I will let myself have this one.
  3. Work on The Lowell Saga. Checkmate.

September (the month where Dark Academia is my vibe) Goals:

  1. Work on The Lowell Saga. Until it’s done.
  2. Maintain my healthy habits. I’ve been eating better and exercising. So I want to carry on this goal into the next month so it becomes a habit.
  3. Be more open to possibilities. I think COVID got me stuck in bit of an anxiety loop. I want to get out of that so this September I want to try some different things. Exciting things. As for what yet, I’m not sure as of writing this. But something. Something more.

What I Read:

  • Love and Olives by Jenna Evans Welch. This was the perfect summer read. Just the right amount of angsty family situations, mythological lore and summer romance. Not to mention in all takes place in Santorini, Greece. Just like every other book Jenna Evans Welch has written I adored it. If you need a lighter read please take a gander.
  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I read this for the first time in high school and I really liked it then. Rereading it now years later, I still like this book. There are two types of people in the world. Those who like The Catcher in the Rye and those who don’t. I totally get why someone would not like this book. Honestly, nothing really happens. It’s just Holden stream of conciousnessing his way through every page, but despite that and his own biases and way of seeing the world he does lay down some fundamental human truths. Usually at the most unexpected of times. Holden is one of a kind and far from perfect, but reading his story always amuses me.
  • Kagerou Daze v.1 by Jin and art by Mahiro Satou.
  • Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynn Jackson. True, awe inspiring and eye opening. I loved this book. I can honestly say I think it changed me. I will never look at life the same.
  • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Vivid, real, and a book that I knew I needed to read. I am a very learn by doing kind of person when it comes to writing but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend it for anyone and everyone out there, not just writers.

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.

Amazing Posts I Read in August:

My Round Up of July Posts:

I wonder what September is going to bring….

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

Snapshot 7/31/21 // “The Widow in Black”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 9 Comments

Currently listening: “Aerith’s Theme” – Nobuo Uematsu
Currently watching: Pokemon S1 // every Marvel movie in chronological order
Currently playing: Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Currently reading: Love and Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

I took a much needed break in July. Some of you might have noticed that I didn’t post my writing update this month. That was intentional since I didn’t write anything. Lol. After finishing the first draft of book 1 of The Lowell Saga in June I needed a mental break before I head back in to revising it. August is going to be interesting. A lot of work I know but something I am welcoming and looking forward to!

I also saw Black Widow this month and can I just say I love, love, loved it. Especially Yelena and her vest, omg. Black Widow is my favorite avenger and I am glad she finally got her own standalone movie. I loved it so much it put me in the mood to watch every Marvel movie every made again in chronological order. Yes, ambitious I know but I’m enjoying it so far. I just finished Iron Man and am going to start Iron Man 2 soon. In other news I was feeling nostalgic and a bit down as well so I started rewatching the original Pokemon anime from the 90’s. It’s doing wonders for relaxing me since it was practically all I watched as a kid.

July was a break I needed. I slept a lot, read a bit, and hung outside just taking in the sun. I might even need to do more of that in August since I have a vitamin D deficiency lol. It’s fiiiiiine. I’ll figure it out, like I always do. I also have a B-12 deficiency which could explain why I’ve been feeling so tired these past few months. But I’m taking vitamins now so all and all I should be on an upswing!

July Goals:

  1. Watch my sugar intake. Check. I gained some weight in July so that push finally got me back to making healthier choices so my sugar intake is definitely less.
  2. Work on The Lowell Saga. In a round about way by resting this month I did complete this goal because now I can head into August with fresh eyes for my manuscript and do an even better revising job because I stepped away from it. It can be like reading a new story now!

August (the month where I might have been born) Goals:

  1. Continue to watch my sugar intake. I did great in July and I am hoping to carry it through to August so it becomes a habit.
  2. Jog. I started jogging in July and want to carry this goal over into the next month while the weather is still so perfectly summer.
  3. Work on The Lowell Saga. This has been here every month and will be continue to be here until this is a published book, lol. My determination is strong.

What I Read:

  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I read this book all through June and ended up finishing it on July 1st. Right before the 4th. This book is probably one of, if not the top, book in all of the Raven Cycle to me. I love the whole series though as a whole of course, but there is just something about this one. The concept, the stealing, Ronan, Kavinsky, Gansey and Blue on the phone like…. (*INSERT MAJOR ROMANTIC SIGH HERE*). I’ve been rereading the Raven Cycle impulsively and it’s what prompted me to get my ley line tattoo back in May. I grew up with this series and because of that it made me who I am today as a person and as a writer. Maggie’s prose is beautiful and gives you just enough to surprise you and not spoil anything. I hope to be near her level someday with my own writing.
  • Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs. This was such a sweet, cute read and exactly the contemporary summer romance vibe I needed for my month of rest. Not to mention the main character suffers from anxiety so that was extra relatable to read about and the main love interest was a soft artist boy so that was also very enjoyable to read about. If you need something light with a happy ending I highly recommend.

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.

Marvelous Posts I Read in July:

My Round Up of July Posts:

August is my favorite month. For obvious reasons. It’s my birthday month! And it’s summer! And I just love everything about that. How are you guys spending your summers? Got any interesting plans? I’m laying low but still enjoying listening to those cicadas sing outside my window and watching the ocean waves roll in.

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

Snapshot 6/30/21 // “(insert big smile here)”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 5 Comments

Currently listening: “Driver’s License” – Olivia Rodrigo
Currently watching: Gravity Falls
Currently playing: The World Ends With You: Final Remix
Currently reading: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

June went by really fast. Really fast. But I think that’s because I actually had a lot of fun this month. I saw my friends A LOT, I hung out with my family A LOT, and I ate A LOT of good food. Not to mention, like, it’s SUMMER. The greatest thing to ever exist.

June Goals:

  1. Focus on the present. CHECK.
  2. Watch my sugar intake. FAILURE. Turns out I like sugar, and s’mores, and donuts and blueberry muffins. Like damn.
  3. Work on The Lowell Saga. CHECK, CHECK, CHECK.

July (the month where I just exist in bliss) Goals:

  1. Watch my sugar intake. Take 4?
  2. Work on The Lowell Saga. I FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT OF BOOK 1. Now, to edit!

What I Read:

  • Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley. This book helped me immensely this month. I read it in one gulp. Faster probably than I’ve read any other book this year. I bought it awhile ago and had always been meaning to read it. The timing just never seemed right. After I lost my dog on June 1st, I knew now was the time. This book hit every beat. Every. Beat. It was the perfect remedy to how I had been feeling. The way grief was handled throughout the book, the subtle love story, the books, the ocean… it was what I needed. Five stars. Shout out to Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books for sharing her love of Words in Deep Blue on her blog. I wouldn’t have found it without you!
  • This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura. I enjoyed reading this one! Anything involving a flower shop immediately calls to me. At times I did find CJ the main character a bit difficult to like but she grows throughout and the book, and comes into herself in the end. The lessons learned, and the histories explored through the text also gave me great perspective. The story focuses on moving forward from the past and previous mistakes of our ancestors to building a better and more equal future and taking accountability. We all have the power to do that, inside of us, and that inspires a lot of hope.

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.

Marvelous Posts I Read in May:

My Round Up of May Posts:

It’s been a slow reading month but it’s all good. I FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT, AND IT’S SUMMER, AND LIFE IS FUN AGAIN!!!

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest

Snapshot 5/31/21 // “Me in May”

~ Jai Lynn ~ 4 Comments

Currently listening: “Soul Mate” – flora cash
Currently watching: Steven Universe
Currently playing: The World Ends With You: Final Remix
Currently reading: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

May was an interesting month. It was the best of months, it was the worst of months. It was the month where I made a lot of stark changes. For one thing I got my yearly haircut, yes you read that right yearly. So the length is now at my shoulders and ready for the heat. BRING IT ON SUMMER. I also got a blond streak in my hair which I love and is something totally new. Yes, yes, yes, yes and oh one other thing. Did I mention I got a tattoo?

I wanted a tattoo since forever and was supposed to get one last year. So this month I decided to just DO IT. So I did. I know some of you know what this is haha, and all I can say is I’m in love!

May Goals:

  1. Focus on me. Yes, I think I did this.
  2. Watch my sugar intake. No, I think I did not do this.
  3. Watch my caloric intake. 😦
  4. Get at least 10,000 steps everyday. 🙂
  5. Do yoga every damn day. 🙂
  6. Work on The Lowell Saga. 🙂
  7. Watch your spending. :/ I may have indulged a little, but not a lot. It was on books, okay?
  8. GET THAT TATTOO. DONE!!!!
I did half so…

June (the month where summer is here and I am ALIVE) Goals:

  1. Focus on the present. It’s summer and I want to have fun. Enough said.
  2. Watch my sugar intake. Take 3.
  3. Work on The Lowell Saga. Keeping the dream ALIVE.

What I Read:

  • The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. This book went above and beyond my expectations. I knew it would be good, I knew it would be adorable but then I read it and it was just SO good and SO adorable that I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series. The graphics are wonderful and warm and just give you this good feeling inside as you read. I felt calm every time I picked it up and can’t say how much if you need a book to get you relaxed JUST READ THIS. Diversity, wholesomeness, dragons, and tea honestly what more do I need to say?
  • The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This book. This book. This book. I’ve read it over and over and no matter how many times it always feels like the first time. I fall in love over and over and over again. This book is complex, simple, reality, dreams, and magic all tied into one. And it all feels so real. I love it so much. I read this book years ago at the right time in my life and it has stayed with me since and will stay with me forever more. The Raven Cycle will always be in the top of the top of my favorite books and it is a series I believe that played a hand in who I am today and who I will probably become tomorrow. And I know a lot of you feel the same way if you’ve read it.
  • Fruits Basket v.11 by Natsuki Takaya
  • Kuroko’s Basketball Omnibus #3 (v.5+6) by Tadatoshi Fujimaki
  • The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Five stars all across. A beautiful perspective on living, dying and all the paths we don’t take. Definitely deserves a read, and that’s all I can say.

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.

Marvelous Posts I Read in May:

My Round Up of May Posts:

Summer. Summer! SUMMER!!! It is my favorite season and I can’t wait to go back to the ocean and eat ice cream and since we are all vaccinated now visit my family and hang with my friends and THRIVE ❤

Finally.

What are your plans for summer?

Till next time,

Twitter | Instagram|Pinterest