Category: Writing Skills

Week 4 NaNoWriMo Update + a surprise

Q'ZionLeave a comment

Hey, y’all! My name is Q’Zion, and welcome to The Joys and Trials of a Christian Teen! Week 4 of NaNoWriMo is officially over (yay!) and that means that tomorrow is the end of National Novel Writing Month of 2022. I’m still trying to process the fact that I will have written 50,000 words in only 30 days…happy is an understatement of how I feel right now!

Here is my Week 4 NaNoWriMo update (plus a really special surprise that I wanted to share with you guys.) Let’s go!

Joys and Trials

This week has been really fun, and I feel even more anxious to get finished with draft 1 of my book. I know you all are probably curious about what today’s SURPRISE is! Drumroll please! 🥁🥁🥁

I have officially started my own writing and bookish YouTube Channel, Write it Right. Considering that NaNoWriMo has got me in the habit of writing daily (and reading and writing books is something I have a true passion for) I thought creating a channel specifically for writing and reading would be a great idea. Here is my latest YouTube video, and I would really appreciate it if you guys would check it out!

Okay, so now that I’ve made that special announcement, let’s talk about Week 4 of my NaNoWriMo. After starting my new channel and resuming school after Fall Break, the ending of this week has been pretty busy. But I’m super happy with my progress; I’m less than 3.5k words away from 50,000 words! That is so insane and exhilarating to think about!

Now that I am even closer to hitting 50k, I am pretty positive that my novel won’t be finished after I reach 50k words, tomorrow. I will likely have 2-3 more chapters plus an epiloge to finish afterwards. But now that I have been writing everyday for nearly a month, I think I’ll just continue that until I finish draft one on my novel. And after a short break, I’ll probably film a video about reading my first draft, so stayed tune for that within the next two to three weeks!

Week 4 Word Count

November 23rd: 1,812 words

November 24th: 1,376 words

November 25th: 1,682 words

November 26th: 1,047 words

November 27th: 2,158 words

November 28th: 1,748 words

Week 4 Word Count: 9,823 words

TOTAL WORD COUNT: 46,662 words

Week 4 Goals Update

– Write at least 1,667 words every day

On the 24th and 26th, I did not reach this goal. I think that was mostly due to the fact that I’ve been writing late at night, and so I make up the words early in the next morning. However, I’m okay with that because I also had some really good writing days (including two 2k word days!)

– Start chapter 27 of my novel

I’m actually in the middle of chapter 26, right now. But I’m glad about where I am in my story, just because I don’t what to drag out nor rush my plot. Even though this is the first draft, I want to make it as good as possible (for a first draft.)

– Reach 47,000 words

This goal was a little ambitious considering it’s a few hundred over where I needed to be, yesterday. So, while I haven’t done this, as of now, I will be when I write later on tonight! One thing is for sure that my Word Count is definitely moving up the ladder!

Week 4 1/2 Goals (11/29-11/30)

– Write at least 1,667 words a day

– Finish Chapter 27 of my novel

– Reach 50,000 words

These are three goals that I am ULTRA confident that I can reach by tomorrow! I’m so excited!

So, that was all for my Week 4 NaNoWriMo Update. Hopefully you guys had just as much fun reading this as I had writing it! Please let me know down below in the comments what has been your favorite part of NaNoWriMo, whether it’s from this year or past years? I would love to hear from you!

Have a beautiful and blessed day, everyone! God bless you all, and I will catch you later! Peace in!

5 Tips for Anyone Who Wants to Practice Poetry #poetry

Q'Zion1 Comment

Poetry is a writing technique that I’ve loved for a long time. It allows you to express yourself, tell your story, and use your creativity to make every poem that you write your own. Today, I had a Creative Writing Club meeting, and I noticed that a lot of my fellow members said that poetry was a little more difficult than them.

I understood them completely. As writers, we all have those things that we are naturally good at and the other things that we WANT to learn but just don’t know where to START. That’s where I come in. Take a look at these tips that can help anyone who wants some extra poetry practice.

1.) Read the work of other poets. Poetry is a form of art. And just like visual art such as paintings, sculptures, and sketches, it is important as an artist to be inspired by the work of your peers. This in no way means that you should copy another poet. However, you can gain a lot of knowledge regarding rhythm, how to tell a story and really convey your emotions in your work by looking at the work of poets who came before you.

2.) When you have an idea, jot it down in a poetry journal. Every work of art starts with an idea. It doesn’t need to be specific. You may just sit down and say, “I want to write.” Then, maybe the idea will continue to become clearer as you write. Other times, they just pop into our minds randomly: while eating dinner, watching TV, or any other daily activity. Whenever this happens, write the idea down in your personal journal, whether for just poetry or writing in general. That way, when you feel motivated, you can use that idea and put it into words.

3.) Be okay with being imperfect. So maybe you tried to write a poem, and it isn’t what you thought it would be. I applaud you for being you. When your work is imperfect, that means that it has your personal touch. It is authentic, raw, and a representation of the fact that you made the choice to try something new. That is nothing to be ashamed of.

4.) Don’t focus on complexity. I think a lot of times where we go wrong, as writers and human beings, is we make the simplest things a lot more complex than they really are or have to be. Every line doesn’t need to be 20 words to make an impact. In fact, it’s sometimes the short and sweet poems that really pack a punch. So focus on the quality, not the quantity or how big the words are.

5.) Always reread, review, and revise your work. Don’t just write a poem and then continue with your day. After you finish writing the draft, reread it. Find ways to improve it. And again, they don’t have to be super complex. Does the poem have any spelling errors? Are there any boring words that you could make more vivid or descriptive? Is this poem a reflection of you trying to make a replica of someone else’s writing or a reflection of the gift that has already been given to you by the Lord? Really think about that, for a second.

It can be hard to make poems original, and if you don’t want to share them with anyone, that’s okay. You use it as a learning experience, and a stepping stone to getting better. Just keep in mind that it can make the process easier, and a lot more fun, when you just let the words flow from your heart, onto the paper.

I hope you all enjoyed! If you’re new, please like this post and follow my blog for more.

I’ll see you next time! ✨

How to Stay Organized as a Virtual Student

Q'Zion5 Comments

Something really important to me as a student that does work at home, and has been for 5 years, is organization. When my workspace is organized, I automatically feel more productive and I can remain focused on the tasks at hand. A clean space can also cause for a clean sense of concentration that will make it easier for anyone to study.

The only catch is organization is not an easy task for everyone. If you happen to be one of these people, don’t worry! I’ve got some great tips for you to help you learn how you can stay productive and confident while completing your work.

Choose a designated workspace.

This first point is a big one, and I’ll explain why: If you don’t have one fixed space where you always come to in order to study and get your work completed, it’s easy to loose track of supplies, notebooks, and other items you may need.

When you have a designated space to work, everything is where you left it, therefore making your whole study experience more enjoyable and a lot less of a hassle.

Have a calendar and/or planner handy.

Personally, I have a lot of appointments, club meetings, and live classes that I like to (and sometimes have to) attend for school.

Let. Me. Tell. You. As far as material items go, planners and calendars can be a homeschooler’s best friend. Not only do they easily allow you to document all of your to-dos, but it can also give you a peace of mind: you won’t have to remember everything by yourself. All you’ll have to do is take a look at your calendar or planner.

Take lots of notes. Organized notes.

Note-taking is a great technique if you want to get a good review of the Module or Segment before a test, and they can be extremely productive, as long as they are organized. There may even be note resources that your school provides, so if that’s available, take full advantage of that! In order to create organized notes, take a look at these bonus tips:

  • Separate your binders and notebooks by course. Every course needs a designated notebook.
  • When you do a new lesson, start a new page.
  • Write down lists with bullet points (the dots before each sentence in this list.)
  • Use highlighters to make key points stand out.
  • Organize the text by headings, always making sure to label each page with a title, explaining which lesson it covers.

Create and maintain a routine.

Things can get a little “messy” when you don’t have a routine. Without some type of schedule, there’s no specific time when you need to wake up, do your work, and meet the necessary attendance requirements your school has in place.

It’s best to create a routine where you set an alarm for when you wake up and have a time frame or fixed goal for how long you need to work or how many assignments you will submit every day. I love this method, as not only does it help create productivity in our academic lives, but it can also help us make time for family, friends, clubs, and other extracurricular activities.

Eat breakfast before you start working.

Usually, I aim to wake up 60-90 minutes before I actually start doing my work for the day. I have to clean the beds in my house, plus eat breakfast, all before I “go to school.”

Therefore, waking up a decent (but not too large) amount of time before your work begins will give you time for a nutritious breakfast to get your mind moving and start off the day strong! A good attitude is a HUGE factor in productivity, no matter how or where you learn.

Take breaks.

While a lot of people would guess that homeschoolers don’t actually have to work, I’m sure me and you know otherwise. It’s possible to spend 4-5 hours every day, Monday through Friday, working in order to complete all of our assignments.

In order to prevent fatigue, take at least one 30-minute break every day that you do your work for over 4 hours. It gives you an opportunity to get a healthy lunch, rejuvenating your energy, hence helping get you through the day.

Hopefully, this list of tips was a great help to anyone who works at home and needs some guidance on how to get and stay organized. Remember, as long as you have determination, a good attitude, and good organization, your online education is sure to be successful.

Have a great day, y’all! ✨

What Does It Really Take To Become a Better Writer? – From One Creator To Another

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What Does It Really Take to Become A Better Writer? – From One Creator to Another

-ajoyfulchristinateen ✨

Although writing is fun, it can also be a long, anticipating process to get a new project done. We can look at our writing sometimes, wondering exactly how we can improve. In fact, this is a question that should be explored by anyone who has this wonder: How can we become a better writer?

At first glance, this question might seem like a puzzle that’s almost impossible to solve. However, writing is a work in progress, and just like any skill, can be perfected and improved.

Let’s discover what it takes to truly become a better writer–from one creator to another!

1. Write. Every Day.

Writing can be a hobby, a career, and a skill. Either way, one of the key factors at making your writing skills stronger is practicing. By writing every day, you are putting all of your creativity on paper and stimulating your mind.

Each time you write, take time to think about where you could’ve done better. Make a mental and physical note. Then, carry on your own feedback, as well as another person’s, if you want to take a step further, to the next day.

2. Your Characters — Who Are They?

As writers, a huge part of our stories are our characters. We want the readers to go on an emotional ride with them. To help them feel what the protagonist is feeling. We want our readers to relate to our characters, and know who they are. But, how can we teach our readers about our characters when we don’t know who they are, ourselves?

Create a document full of information about each of your characters (appearance, personality, hobbies, likes, dislikes, motives, etc.). Afterwards, try having a conversation where you ask questions, and respond to them in the way one of your characters would. What do they sound like? What’s their body language? These are questions that we should answer in order to truly connect to the characters in our works.

3. Pay attention to your grammar.

Whether you write technically or creatively, your grammar is a must. While or after you write a new project, pay attention to things like homophones (words that sound the same), punctuation, taglines, sentence structure, and the overall flow of the words that you use.

Maybe there are sentences that, while grammatically correct, don’t flow together or make sense. Make those changes during the editing and revision processes to enhance your writing.

4. Try to avoid the overuse of words. Especially boring verbs.

One of the biggest mistakes that we can make while writing is using typical, boring verbs like “said” or “jump” or “smile.” When we do this, our readers will eventually get bored, regardless of the context around these words. The verbs that we use have an extreme effect on our writing. During an intense moment, you may want to use the word “vault” instead of “jump.” Or in a noisy moment, “prattle” sounds more interesting than “talk.”

Using strong verbs will help transport your reader into your story, which is one of our goals, as creators.

5. Read your works out loud.

Sometimes, we might feel like reading our writing in our heads, quickly scanning through the pages of alphabet soup. While it may be easier, it is much more likely that you will miss a grammatical or structural defect in your writing while doing so.

Reading your text aloud will help decrease the possibility of any issues in your writing, and possibly make the amount of required drafts drop, as well.

Although I won’t consider this a point, I will say that before you write anything, make sure you love what you are writing. If you are invested in it, then you can insure that your work is your best. Readers should be able to feel our passion for writing while reading our stories. They should be able to say “This one can write!”

Never forget this: a story starts with the one who writes it.

Have an amazing day! God loves you! ✨