Websites to Motivate Writers | Autumn Writing Series Part One

*image NOT mine(but I added text)...but seriously, when I download these things they're crystal clear...until I upload them the Blogger....whuh....?*

Okay! Welcome to part one of my Autumn Writing Series! where I will be posting something about writing every week until Winter! (I don't have a specific day, like Wednesday or whatever, that I'll be posting them, but I do promise one per new week)

I thought it'b be great to first motivate you guys before getting into deep detail...

And sharing websites with awesome tips is a great way to get motivated!

I have come across LOTS of great sites related to writing, mostly through searching things on Pinterest, and here are just a few of them share with you! (I love sharing with my Baes!!)

**I'm sure several of you have heard of a few of these sites, but just in case, I thought I'd include all my favorites, and the ones I recommend.

Number One!

She's Novel

Meet Kristen! from She's Novel!

This wonderful young lady is using her gifts and knowledge to share with all who seek it!

She's working on a series of her own to publish, The Astral, and many of her posts are very logical!

Here are a few popular and helpful ones:

How to Write a Story (A post with links divided into proper categories)

33 Ways to Write Stronger Characters (And Why They Should Be Your #1 Concern)

How to Write a Novel Outline

11 Tips for Creating a Writing Routine

I would definitely recommend her!

Number Two!

Wattpad

Ah, yes, Wattpad.

Among many aspiring writing it is used!

(I'm sure many of you are going, "Oh yeah!!!!")

This is more a community than a blog with tips...

However, it would for sure be under the title "motivator".

This is a community where you would sign up (pick an attractive name, please, even if it has many numbers trialing after it), and write your own short stories, read others', and share opinions and have fun!

I don't know about you, but if I'm just doing something for myself, it having to do with no one else, I usually fall back and give up. But if I'm sharing it with other people, kind of like a blog or social media page, I'm much more motivated!

I can put out a chapter that pulls in readers, and then they're demanding the second chapter so you feel like you have to do it!

Perfect!

Number Three!

NaNoWriMo

This is another popular one, but I just couldn't resist! I mean, I heard of it through a blog post, so...

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which is November!

*You: *gasps* "Hey I'm reading this just in time!!!" ;)

This is just a website to help you accomplish that. Your goal is to write 50k words in one month. You prep your novel in October, maybe even pre-write, and then finish it off in November, then submit it, and there's prizes!

Yes, plural prize!

I read there are lots of prizes for runners-up and many places to get into!

So there's another great motivator...(I feel like my vocabulary is kinda low...)

*There are also some agents you can write to to help you along. Here is a wonderful post about writing queries.

Number Four!

Fiverr

Fiverr!

Fiverr is a marketing community where you use your skills to make $$$.

Skills as in graphic designing, animation, music composing, programming, and last but not at all least, writing.

You sign up and decide what you want to sell on Fiverr, but everything you offer will be $5 a piece! 

I wouldn't worry about it though, because its a pretty popular site, and lots of people turn to it because its inexpensive. However, some people make a living off it if they're good enough!

So check that out, because if you're selling your stuff, you're gonna wanna create your stuff. ;)

Number Five!

Better Novel Project

Run by Christine, this blog/website has lots of great advice too!

Some of their popular posts are these:

7 Tips for Writing Realistic Dialogue

Master Outline

World Building: 5 Types of Societies for Your Novel

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Well, that's all I have! If this helped you, or if you have any favorite sites you're disappointed I didn't add, please please please tell me! I'll definitely add them if they're worthy of it! :)

Stick around for part two, coming next week!

Stay awesome,

Autumn Writing Series Introduction

^^^This image is NOT mine!^^^

Omigosh you guys you don't know how much I've missed you!!!

Like the last post I did was like months and months and months (and months) ago!!!!!!

Taking a break was really worth it though. I thought I'd come back, but I'm going to use will-power and not get myself all tangles up in it.

Blogging is a wonderful thing to do, but it's not good when it takes over your life. There are better things to focus on; like family, friends, life, and...well...school.

Okay maybe not that last one, but you definitely at least HAVE to focus on it, even if it stinks.

SOOOO

I was all like, "I wanna get back at blogging!"

But it took a while to think of something REALLY worth blogging about when I'd been gone so long.

Well, I've been trying to get into writing more (I do write, I just have lots of trouble keeping at it), and I've been researching how to get better.

I haven't put all I've learned into practice, but what I have has really been helpful!

(I'm still working on that "Journey Through the Journals" book...in fact, I started over because I hated my first draft. But that's completely okay because works of art take lots of time!)

So I decided a good thing to blog about would be to do a series...an Autumn series...about...

WRITING.

"What?! REALLY?!?!?!" you say.

Yes! Writing.

What I'll be doing is posting one thing to help you every week of Autumn until it it over. Starting this week, that will be...about eleven or twelve posts!

And they WON'T just be quick tips like, "When describing a scene, try to use all senses, not just sight. See you next week!"

Oh no.

It will be so much more.

In fact, I've already started writing one about characters in my Word processor, and its pretty deep, so I think you'll like it!

***Also, I must tell you, I am coming up with these posts, but I'm getting inspiration for them from someone else, and when I do, I will share the source(s). And when I do come up with something of my own, and its very much like someone else's, it was completely by coincidence. I would never reblog something without the source. And another thing: the pictures I will be using for my intro pictures so you can pin the post (like the one above) ARE NOT MINE unless otherwise stated.

Stay tuned, fellow writers, and I'll see you soon!

Contest is Off T_T Contest Entries

HELLO!! LONG-TIME, NO SEE, RIGHT???!!!

Well, I'm truly sorry, but I've been staying away from the internet for about a month now and plan to continue until further notice. But I thought I should at least keep my word and post about the contest like I said I would. Well, as I said, the deadline was about a week ago and if I didn't get enough entries, I would have to cancel the contest. Sad but true, I did not get enough entries...and I'm calling the contest off. T_T

However, I got some wonderful entries, and I couldn't resist sharing them with you. I thought the least I could do is at least post them here!

Well, enjoy, and I couldn't apologize enough. :(

From Samantha:

(For the Art Contest)

(Samantha, you've got some serious talent! I hope you keep drawing, don't ever give it up.)

From Brooke:

(For the Photography Contest)

(I LOVE taking pics of barbed wire! And just as well, other people's pics too. Very nice) ;)

From Emily:

(For the Photography Contest)

(This one's pretty cool, Emily. VERY creative!)

From Ellie:

(For the Photography Contest)

(Nice flower, Ellie!! Love it!)

From Neal:

(For the Photography Contest)

(For the Art Contest)

(Neal, I LOVED this one! I fell in love with it, its just toooo cute) ;) <3

Thanks again for all the lovely entries, I'm glad you guys do what you do, following your talent like that! Look out, don't abandon me, because I haven't abandoned you either! Guess what? I may rehost once my break from the internet is over (I haven't the slightest idea when that will be). 'Kay?

Keep it up, you wonderful people!!

Bree

Contest Entries...Reminder

Hello, Lovelies!

So a little over a month ago I hosted a contest for art and photography, back when I had 30 followers or so. So far I only have about 3 people's entries. :/ I have extended the deadline to the end of December, but if I don't get more by then, I'll have to dismiss this contest.

Check out the post (here) for more details, and I can't wait to see y'all's entries! :D

Have a great day ;)

Minty Chocolate or Vanilla Butter cream Frosting

*This post contains affiliate links*

 Note: This post contains affiliate links. I alternated a recipe from the following recipe found here.

Introducing...

Butter Cream Frosting! :D

But not just any butter cream frosting....

Minty Chocolate and/or Vanilla Butter cream frosting!

Lol, got your mouth watering yet?

Okay, before I share my amazing recipe, let me explain why I'm doing this post in the first place first. (optional reading, I'm sure 95% of you won't read it to avoid wasting time, and that's okay, If you have time feel free, but who cares, I like typing stories!)

When I go to bake something with frosting, I rack the internet for the perfect recipe for frosting. Even if I found something perfect last time, I always alternate it and then I always loose it. Now here I am, bookmarking it for myself, and sharing it with you! Its a win-win. :D

The recipe I alternated this time can be found here.

The reason I alternated this recipe was because I didn't have chocolate chips like they called for and even if I did, I probably wouldn't have wanted to mess with melting them and dirtying up another dish just to put it over the stove's eye when...I can just use cocoa powder!!

So looking for a decent recipe that follows these guidelines:

-Must have no more than one stick of butter (1/2 cup)

-Not more than 3 cups of powdered sugar

-Dairy Free? Depends. We have two in our family who are dairy free (and just while we're at it, four who are gluten-free so if you're gluten-free check back occasionally for random recipes) ;P

And now, finally, a truly delish butter cream frosting that does not require four sticks of butter. Here you will find what you have been looking for and can actually afford:

Butter cream frosting that only requires half a cup, or, one stick, of butter.

So here I have for you, like, four different variations of different butter cream frostings. Just watch the colorful headlines for the recipe that suits your fancy. It will pass the guidelines mentioned above! If you are not dairy-free, don't worry! Check out the recipes. ;)

Doesn't it look so good???!!! You know this is what you're going to make for your little brother's yellow birthday cake...

Each of these recipes allow you to frost a two layer cake made of eight inch round pans, with frosting in the middle and on the outside, with some leftover. Serves about 15 (one pound of frosting), I would say. Perhaps more, but we made a cake (like mentioned above) that served 12, and had just a little leftover.

For each recipe the method remains the same:

Put all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and use the beaters to blend together until creamy and as few lumps as possible.

***If you are dairy-free, simply replace the whole milk with almond milk, using same amount as mentioned for whole milk.

If you really don't want it to be minty, it will not effect the recipe if you leave it out. We just added it as a little twist. ;)

Here they are:

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

(With, or without diary)

1/2 Cup (one stick) unsalted butter

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/4 Cup whole milk*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon mint extract

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

(With, or without diary)

1/2 Cup (one stick) unsalted butter

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/4 Cup whole milk*

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon mint extract

Simply Mint Butter Cream Frosting

(With, or without diary)

1/2 Cup (one stick) unsalted butter

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/4 Cup whole milk*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon mint extract

Enjoy and let me know if you liked it or not! :)

Freebies: 3 Autumn Wallpaper Photos Freebies

Introducing...

FREEBIES!! :D

I've been taking some neat pictures lately and wanted to share a few with you. I'm sharing them as Free "Autumn" Wallpapers, you have my permission to download them and use them as what you see every time you turn on your laptop or computer or check your phone. Below each picture is a description. :)

^^For laptop or computer, an "autumny" scene :)

^^Best for phone, another nice autumn picture

^^Another one for laptop or computer

I hope you like them and let me know if you use them or not! :D

Journey through the Journals Progress | 30 days of Thanksgiving Challenge

Happy November!

Here's a two part post for ya...;)

Part one:

So I've sent in my manuscript to be edited and they're working on it right now...how fun! They've designed my cover and I've set up Facebook pages and emails and everything! I don't have a website or blog, that may come later. I think a Facebook page is enough for now, being so young, people will understand. Maybe once my second book is out I'll graduate to a website/blog. Wanna read my teaser? Yeah? Okay! At first I was hesitate, I was afraid someone would steal my story, but its too late for that now!

Here it is:

________________________

Fourteen-year-old Grace Lyn Burnes’s life has just made an interesting turn. All she has, including close friends and family, is helplessly slipping through her fingers like sand when her parents make the sure decision to move from a small Tennessean town to a larger city in North Carolina. Believing living in Eden just won’t ever work out for her, someone has other plans for Grace, and things begin to go quite unexpectedly. An invite from a mysterious woman strangely causes Grace to wind up with a box of real handwritten journals from girls of the past. Scanning the pages of one of the journals, Grace is astonished to find how much she has in common with the young writers based on their entries, and she begins taking notes by underlining lines that express how alike they are. But before she can pick up the pen, she’s pulled in with a strong force and finds herself in another home. The author of that journal’s home.

   As Grace 

Lyn ventures her way through the difficult journey to find her way back home, she also finds her way back to her friends, her family, and her heart. 

________________

Whaddaya think? I like it, honestly. Its about 50 thousand words long, average for teenage novels. I plan on doing a giveaway here sometime, so, look out! ;)

________________

So here's part two:

As most of you know (hopefully) today is November the first! And twenty-five days from now is...you guessed it, Thanksgiving. I'd like Thanksgiving to be about what Thanksgiving is about! :) So, I challenge you, (I'm doing it too) to grab a pretty, fall-decorated (if possible) piece of paper and write down things you are thankful for each day, starting today. Number them, and try to think of little things, things besides "a roof over my head", or "two loving parents". I want to look for little things this year. Things more like, "The soft touch of my kitten's fur" and "starry nighttime skies", things like that. But you have to actually be thankful for them. :)

If you can, do a post on December first about them, as I would enjoy reading them! But its optional, and this is mainly just for fun, and to help us notice the little things in life we should be very grateful for, and realize how much of an impact the really make.