Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 15

In this review, I’ll be featuring eight books I recently read for review* – and, of course, reviewing them! These reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, and, if possible, NetGalley.

These reviews are gonna be in a bit of a different style than my previous one, just talking about what I thought about the book and maybe adding a joke or two (e.g. I’m not purposefully being super serious anymore) as well as allowing myself Freedom to Rant if Feelings Were Strong.

*Note: I do not accept review requests at this time. Sorry!

Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings

OKAY WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS BOOK IT IS PURE GENIUS AND I ADORE IT WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING.

Okay. Let’s be serious now. Good? Good.

I actually grabbed book 2 of this series on NetGalley a while back because the premise intrigued me so much. Turns out, it was so good I had to buy myself a paperback copy of book 1.

However, like all books I buy, it got dusty on my shelf and suffered months – even years, though I honestly have no clue how long it really was – of neglect before I picked it up.

And I’m glad I did! It was such a sweet story.

I loved the main character, and I felt like she had such a unique arc for a character in this genre. I also adored the comedic moments combined with the themes and … basically, it worked really well.

Also, kudos for a pretty well-done teenage character. You don’t see those two often, and it was great!

Overall, this was just a well done, light-hearted read. I give it 5/5 stars.

Check it out on Goodreads
A Pursuit of Home by Kristi Ann Hunter

Okay … *sigh* I’ll admit it. I held off reading this book for FOREVER because I don’t like mysteries (outside of television and movies, in which case I CANNOT GET ENOUGH SIGN ME UP FOR A MARATHON), and I didn’t think I’d like Jess that much (she just rubs me wrong), and I was being #stubborn.

But dude. We all make mistakes. Stop holding that against me! I HAVE CORRECTED THE ERROR OF MY WAYS! #forgivenesstime

In all seriousness, I did wait waaaaaay too long to read this book – and even after I started it, I delayed continuing to the point of “hooked.”

Okay, now granted, it was my least favorite of the series, and it did take me forever to read it (though only a few days once I read past the first chapter), but I did really enjoy it. The mystery part was interesting, and I liked Derek. I still don’t really care for Jess – like, she’s funny, but I never rooted for her or really got emotionally involved in her story, so that was just … eh.

I also still don’t see why someone as cool and smart and sweet as Derek has to end up with Jess, but eh. I guess it … works … ish? I just never really bought their relationship even though LITERALLY EVERYONE was telling me I should.

I also loved seeing Ryland and Miranda, though THEY SHOULD HAVE MORE KIDS WHAT THE HECK!?

Every couple Hunter has ever written may be in love, but there’s nothing passionate about their relationships, no matter what they try to tell you (or even write out heh), BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PRODUCING BABIES AT THE RATE THEY SHOULD. *tsks*

The only reason I read serieses is because then you get to see children from other couples. (I mean, not the only reason, but … that’s a big reason.)

I also wasn’t a huggggeeee fan of the ending, but that’s just me.

Overall, I give it 4/5 stars.

Check it out on Goodreads
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But … I got so bored in the modern parts. I honestly remember nothing about them, and I skim-read to the end.

I didn’t like it much at first, and the writing style was too melodic for me. I also felt that the POV wasn’t well-managed, and I’m not a fan of present tense. I feel like only The Hunger Games really did it well.

Plus, present tense in the “flashback” scenes was just … frustrating. Like, y’all, the past is in the past, right? *my brain does not equate*

I was just … disinterested. In the modern setting. In the “quaint” little town. In the characters’ emotional arcs. In anything that wasn’t related to the historical story arc.

I found that I couldn’t care less about Annie. She had the typical boring Hallmark story – she just didn’t interest me.

I didn’t like Jeremiah much at first, but I did once I got to know him, after which I found him somewhat sweet – but not enough that I was particularly interested in his story beyond the moment of, “Aw, that’s too bad.” Still, he had a sweet moment or two.

The story that started in the 1940s onward was fascinating and emotional and … awesome. I loved the characters. Robert, Eva, and Liesl were my favorites! Especially Eva. Eva is the literal bomb.

However, that wasn’t enough for me to give this book a high rating, so I settled on 3/5 stars.

Check it out on Goodreads
The Heart of a King by Jill Eileen Smith

This book was all right but nothing special, and I found a couple sections pretty boring.

It was also very frustrating because … well, Solomon was sort of a wasted opportunity. He had wisdom, yeah, but he didn’t apply it properly. Wisdom without complete surrender to God is useless.

I also feel that there were times when the author took liberties that just seemed like a bit too much of a stretch. I know we don’t know a lot about the Queen of Sheba but, to me, the author’s telling of the story seemed … unrealistic.

And also, what the heck? Is she gonna tell? Her subjects? When she gets? Home??? “Whoops”???

There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with this book, but it simply didn’t hold my interest. 2/5 stars.

Check it out on Goodreads
What Momma Left Behind by Cindy K. Sproles

Ugh, this book. I grabbed it on a whim, and honesty, it is so frustrating.

Just … the writing. And the storyline went on and on and felt so pointless. And the characters weren’t even that likable. I also found myself not liking the children! The cardinal sin for any author – I do so love children, and if they don’t write them well, I’m instantly done.

But the writing. The writing was the main thing that killed me inside. Some people might find it charming or unique. It made me cringe with every word.

And when you’re cringing with every word, it’s difficult to get invested in the story. So maybe I would’ve been more objective in that case.

I know what the author was trying to do. She was trying to be … whimsical? To get the reader inside the head of the main character?

But y’all. I write accents. I write them all. the. time. And I always try to focus in on the character’s voice, to the point where I have always told my students, “You don’t need to have a strong author voice if you have a strong character voice. Character first, you second.”

And this is just … too extreme for me? Too silly for me? And honestly, maybe even a bit too degrading for me.

It made the main character sound stupid, and I can’t stand that. Not the way she talked, no. I expected that to be accurate to the setting. The way she thought – e.g. the actual writing style.

If you wrote the point of view of a black character that way, you would be in so much trouble. I don’t see it as being any different with a white character from the Appalachians.

Especially a poor white character who, of course, was not given the benefit of an education and other things that are so commonplace to America these days. Just because she talks a bit different doesn’t mean she’s stupid!

Anyways. That’s my mini rant of the day. Because honestly, I’m not a “grammar Nazi,” but I can’t take constant misspellings, weird phrasing, etc., in the name of uniqueness. It just frustrates me and makes me dislike a poor main character who may or may not deserve my dislike.

But if that’s your thing, well, this is the book for you!

1/5 stars because I honestly could find nothing to like about it, but that’s just me.

Check it out on Goodreads
At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer

Don’t let the cheesy title fool you – this is a really good book! Also, why is book 2 not out yet? *quiet weeping* I may die.

So a bunch of random likes in no particular order:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Jonah. Oh. My. Gosh. What an awesome team! And they’re so great together. I remember them all distinctly even though it’s been a while since I read the book – they really stuck with me! (I CAN’T WAIT FOR THEIR STORIES!)

Also, Josephine is now officially the Only Type Of Offended Feminist I will accept. Patent pending. That is a trope in historical romance that I HATE HATE HATE, but the author took that hated trope and made it work so. dang. well.

Like, Josephine is STRONG but she also has relatable flaws and weaknesses but she also IS WILLING TO STAND UP FOR HER STRENGTHS (e.g. she’s like, “dudes, I am a doctor whether you like it or not, so I’m GOING to be HELPING this PERSON”) – but she also admits she needs help and is respectful to people REGARDLESS OF THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT HER.

She’s just so great. If every woman was like her, we’d have been voting … whenever this novel was set. *checks book*  We’d have been voting in 1893. So there.

She just has sooo much gumption, but it’s not Scarlett-O’Hara-in-your-face-I-do-what-I-want gumption. It’s good gumption. It’s actual strength – not just “I’m a feminist – watch me fly” (followed by a jump into the swoony hero’s arms) gumption.

Matthew also contributed to this by being legitimately respectful and strong in his own right. He was surprised at first – who wouldn’t be? – and protective – who wouldn’t be? – but he was never overbearing or cruel. And, again, I really respected Josephine’s acceptance of his protection. (I am so dang sick of heroines who are like, “I DON’T NEED HELP!” and then immediately get kidnapped. It did not play out like that.)

Anyways. I’m a fan. Karen Witemeyer, you may add me to the list of “people who are a bit tooo obsessed with my books” because I loved this story! (Thankfully, I am too lazy to stalk you online and bug you about finishing the rest of the series – which I’m sure you shall do anyways – but … I FEEL LIKE DOING IT!)

5/5 stars – and much excitement for book 2!!!

Check it out on Goodreads
Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano

Yet another book I wanted to like so much! In fact, I put off reading it because I wanted to like it so much.

It sounded like it was right up my alley … sort of a Rebecca vibe. But I knew it wouldn’t be. It’s Christian fiction. Christian fiction doesn’t do Rebecca vibes.

So yes. I was disappointed. It did not go how I wanted. And so, I shall pout and be a baby and make a big stink.

But I’d like to note that it’s not the author’s fault. She’s writing Christian fiction, not mid-century women’s fiction that doesn’t need a conclusive end. It’s not her fault that she fell in love with a story that works much better if you’re an atheist. (I’m not, but … gah, I wish everyone could just be mean to everyone. It’d be so much more intriguing.)

Let’s attack the dislikes that I can say, honestly, are fair. (The rest of them are not fair because I wanted this book to be something the genre would not be. Which is dark and brooding and Gothic.)

I found Raina’s constant waffling annoying. It was obvious from almost the first chapter what she was going to decide. Also, she kept all the wrong secrets and shared all the wrong ones, and it was just … stop, Raina. You clearly haven’t watched enough Hitchcock to know how to do this correctly. (Which makes sense since movies weren’t a thing back then, but shhh.)

I also just didn’t care about her character arc … I mean, the answer was obvious. Or what the author wanted the answer to be was obvious! It was just the painful wait until Raina caught up to reality.

Sully annoyed me on every possible level. He was condescending. He was “holier-than-thou” about everything. He was offended about things he had absolutely no right to be offended about. In fact – I would call him a chauvinist, and I never, ever use that term because I find it rather silly. But he was, as far as the term can be applied to a man in his era.

And don’t say he’s redeemed because he quoted Jane Austen once! He is not. I do not forgive him.

Here’s the thing: SULLY IS NOT MR. KNIGHTLEY! He is not older than her. He is not wiser than her. He is not BETTER than her in ANY WAY. He is not even a relative to has some rights to boss her around. He. has. no. claim. to. Raina. except. what. she. gives. him. Yet he treats her like his bratty little sister!

I know everyone is swooning over their cute system of communication and how sweet it is that they both like books … but a book lover does not make a good person. It does not. In fact, I have known a number of book lovers who are very BAD people. And Sully is one of them.

I feel like Sully was just book lover wish fulfillment combined with convenient “shoulder angel” therapy for Raina, and I couldn’t take it. I just couldn’t.

Sully functions as Raina’s conscience. And though I am not opposed to couples who are reliant on each other (that is after all what marriage is) or couples who influence each other positively (<I am very opposed to couples where one of them is the moral guider of the other. This doesn’t work, and it will lead to a bitter, empty relationship in the long run.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten my fair negatives out of the way … let’s talk about the unfair ones.

I didn’t like the plot. It wasn’t what it should have been. And the rest of this review will be semi-spoilers, but since none of this actually happened, it’s also not spoilers. But read at your own risk.

I wanted Raina to win. I wanted everyone to be convinced she was Lady Enderly. I sure as heck didn’t want her to get in trouble for it!

I wanted the lord guy to realize that she was actually really awesome. I wanted them to fall in love and get married. I wanted Sully to be executed and Raina to realize he was just a friend, grieve a little, and move onto her new life as a titled woman with a huge estate that actually belonged to her.

I sure as anything didn’t want some random cousin to get any money whatsoever. And though I wanted the other villain to get in trouble, I wanted it to be like, “And then he died in a random carriage accident” or, better yet, “And then Raina stabbed him in the gut with a letter opener.”

Basically, all the things Christian fiction will not do. All the things that are too much of a risk. All the things that are iffy or just plain immoral. I wanted them to WIN. I wanted them to GET AWAY WITH IT. I wanted it to ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

And the whole time, I knew it wouldn’t happen. I knew she’d end up with Discount Mr. Knightley. I knew she’d leave for some life of “fulfilling poverty.” I knew it wouldn’t be cool.

It wasn’t. So, my personal taste was disgusted. Reality said, “This was a good book; I can see why people like it.” But my mind doesn’t live in reality. My mind dwells in possibility – and my possibility sensors were going nuts.

Aside from that, I think it was a good book. But it’s hard to tell because I’m stubborn and annoyed, and those two things tend to lead to some very grouchy feelings.

So, upon examination, I give it 1/5 as a personal rating and 3/5 as a realistic rating, leading to an overall rating of 2/5. I’m sorry, Mrs. Politano and the many fans of this book. I tried. I could not like it.

Check it out on Goodreads
Love Riot by Sara Barratt

This book wasn’t specifically geared toward me, I feel, because I’m not your typical “grew up in the church” Christian.

I mean, my parents tried, but the options are narrow here, I never had much interest, and honestly, for years, I didn’t even want to be associated with Christians because … many reasons. Reasons discussed in this book, in fact!

I was glad to read it, though, because I’m glad someone else sees the issues in the church! And the fact that it’s someone who actually enjoys church (I never have) is also intriguing to me.

Because I still feel that the modern church (which, despite the frail efforts of a few actual Christians, is nothing but a building these days inhabited by thousands of random people and a scattering of real members of the Church) has little to offer me, if anything, and specifically the churches in our area have nothing to offer me, I didn’t glean all that much from this book. However, I think it’s a book a lot of Christian teens should read!

I would like to see teens rise up. We are a selfish generation, an iGeneration, and there is a great need for revival, for a lack of self, for actual understanding and intelligence … and if that revival comes from anywhere, it must be from Christ.

So yes, I think this is a book most Christian teens should read! I’m glad I read it because it gives me a little hope – and seeing others read it gives me a little hope, too!

4/5 stars

Check it out on Goodreads

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

What’s a book you’ve recently read and enjoyed? And what’s a book that disappointed you?

So since it’s now the 26th, meaning it’s four short days away from October, we should absolutely do a recap of the summer AND of the beginning of September (+ some goals for the next month or so).

That makes perfect sense, right? Okay, good. Glad we’re on the same page.

I’m going to do my best to recap the summer AND September, but I’ll probably miss a thing or two.

Even if you’re not ready, well, you don’t have a choice in the matter because, like it or not, five years ago I founded my blog, then (and for many years) called Reveries.

Now it’s called:

Which is very pretty, too. At least, in my opinion.

Anywho, to celebrate, I decided I MUST DO SOMETHING BIG, and after some consideration and a lot of worrying over whether or not I’d have the energy to throw something together …

I decided to have a Facebook event party, a 22-book giveaway featuring a dozen or so authors, an Instagram challenge, and, in general, drive myself absolutely mad because I have (literally) five other things going on right now that are big and time-consuming.

Sanity is overrated.

Because of this sanity, I’m going to move on to the business stuff before rambling about HOW EXCITING IT IS THAT I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING FOR FIVE YEARS!!! Like … how!? How evennnnn???

But first, the Official Stuff Like Giveaways and Facebook Events.

The 22-Book Giveaway

First, the grand giveaway … which features 22 ebooks from various clean realistic fiction authors:

Click here to enter!

And, in case you’re interested, here’s a complete list of the books you stand to win:

The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth
Ivy Introspective by Kellyn Roth
Faith Alone by Ruth E. Meyer
Hold Me Close by Marguerite Martin Gray
A Strand of Hope by Amanda Tero
Jim Wood by Rebekah Morris
Freedom by Faith Potts
Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy
Once in a While by Linda Ellen
A Pirate at Pembroke by Danielle Thorne
RES-Q Tyler Stop by June McCrary Jacobs
Out of Time by Loretta Livingstone
The Old World by Roy M. Griffis
The Cake List by Dianne J. Wilson
Trusting His Heart by Jen Peters
Sweethearts Old by Rachel A. Anderson
Sunlight and Shadows by Jessica Marie Holt
Moonlight, Murder, & Small Town Secrets by KC Hart
The Move by Lori Wolf-Heffner
Love’s Broken Road by Julie Coulter Bellon
The Seven Days of Christmas by Sarah D. Tweet
Blue Bells of Scotland by Laura Vosika

The Facebook Event of the Century

Today, I’m hosting a Facebook party, complete with giveaways and games and a live Q&A, to celebrate my blogiversary!

The Schedule

11:00 AM PST — Kellyn Roth

11:30 — Dianne J. Wilson

12:00 — Marguerite Martin Gray

12:30 — Kellyn Roth

1:00 — Ruth E. Meyer

1:30 — Kellyn Roth (live Q&A)

2:30 — Michaela Bush

3:00 — Julie Coulter Bellon

3:30 — Abigail Harris

4:00 — Kellyn Roth

Click to Join Us Starting at 11 AM PST TODAY (9/12)!

It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’d love to see you there!

And … an Instagram challenge!

Starting today, I’m hosting an awesome Instagram challenge for entrepreneurs!

I have post up on my account explaining more, but basically, it’s a way to talk about our businesses and … various things. The post explains it better.

Hello folks!

Long time no see! I’ve been working on a lot of different things, but primarily my schedule, prepping for the new school year, and of course … Growing Writers.

But what’s “Growing Writers”? you asked. Sounds a bit weird. I mean, you’re not planning on giving birth to a lot of writers, are you?

Well, I don’t know, maybe someday. *scratches chin* I sort of want one or two of my future children to like writing—or at least reading. However, given the fact that I’m not likely to have kids any time soon, I won’t plan on that.

Maybe Faith’s little David will be an author. I don’t know.

BUT ANYWAY, no. That’s not the type of growing I mean. Or rather we mean.

I feel like this has gotten weird in a hurry so I’m just going to get right into the business side of things, folks.

Introducing … 

Growing Writers

A LIVE 12-week course that teaches the basic principles of writing craft AND helps you write a short story from scratch!

These weekly videocall lessons cover topics such as plot, character, theme, dialogue, description, editing, and more.

They’re geared to help you learn all the vital writing craft skills you need to become an excellent writer … and that’s not all!

At the end of the program you’ll not only have a polished short story, but also the skills needed to continue to create stories and further your writing career.

Our program is geared for students ages 10-25 who need that extra push of encouragement and structure to equip them with the writing skills they need to write well—and to keep on writing!

Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? Well, you’re in luck! Registration is open now!

If you’d like to find out more, please check out our super special, super awesome long description (which I poured tons of work into … okay, and so did Zach and Faith, but I’m patting myself on the back because why not? My blog, my posts, my bragging!).

The Super Special, Super Awesome Long Description

How’s that?

I’m really excited about it, personally. I haven’t been teaching an official writing class since mid-June, and I haven’t had a full roster since … February?

It’s been a while.

So hopefully Zach, Faith, and I will be able to make a success of this program! We all love teaching and have a passion for encouraging growth and learning in a safe environment for young writers.

Well, that’s my spiel. Hope it wasn’t too boring.

Before we starting on ANYTHING ELSE … I DECIDED TO RENAME THIS BLOG! I mean, really, I just decided to use an old name combined with a bit of a new one that describes what I kinda feel is my … aesthetic. Per se. *shrugs*

SOOOOOOO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE:

Lilacs & Reveries. That’s right. My favorite flower, which also has become kinda a symbol of my childhood and who I am to me, combined with Reveries. Which is my writing roots. Which just represents … all the reasons I write. And more. It’s just perfection.

Take a quick tour around this one page which I redesigned slightly! (So far just the sidebar, really, and I made some tweaks to the homepage of the blog itself.) We’re getting there!

And hopefully the content on this blog is going to be a lot more fun from now one. (My sidebar sorta explains what I’m going for. Which is basically … whatever I want!)

Eventually I’m also going to get some pro graphics designed and so on, but I still want a sorta … thrown together on Paint vibe. Because … reasons.

Well, that’s a wrap! The posts on various platforms are out. The reviews are up on Amazon and Goodreads. And I’ve got ’em all in this post! (Well, ish. Y’all can click through to Amazon and Goodreads if you want, but I didn’t link to every individual review.)

I know I haven’t been as active during this tour/launch as I’d like, but I was still happy with the results of the launch – and I’m working hard to be a bit more present for the next one.

A brief note from Kellyn Roth (the author):

This post is written by Ivy Knight. However, I wanted to come in beforehand and say that this has been a crazy month! And nothing is getting done for various reason.

I feel a ton of guilt over this, as always, and I’m doing what I can for this launch—and praying that’s simply all God intended me to do. If God really wanted me to do more, I would have. There’ll be no dragging myself over glass when I know I did all I could.

Hello, folks! Today I’d like to announce the Ivy Introspective launch tour AND bookstagram! The book came out today … that’s right! IT’S LIVE ON AMAZON! EEEK!

I’m just … I’m in shock. How did this already happen?!?!

Without further ado, here’s the blog tour and bookstagram info!

About the Book

In a world that doesn’t understand her, how can she grow?

Ivy Knight lives her life in a blur of confusion as the world passes her by in a tumultuous melody. She isn’t the perfect daughter or student, but as long as she can be with her family, she doesn’t mind watching rather than living.

Mrs. Chattoway treasures both of her granddaughters now that they’re reunited. When Ivy’s parents enroll her in a Scottish school for unique children, she’s happy to chaperone.

In a new place with a new guardian, Ivy discovers a special talent that helps her see the blurred world in a new way. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and Ivy becomes determined to find it—and help others do the same.

Buy on Amazon | Add on Goodreads

Schedule
July 18th 

Beth Buckles – Book Spotlight – https://www.instagram.com/efbuckleswriter/

Michaela Bush – Book Review – https://tangledupinwriting.com 

A. Riley Vallier – Book Review – https://aval2359.wixsite.com/storywell

July 19th 

Rebecca – Book Review – https://www.instagram.com/rebeccawashburnwriter/

Maya Joelle – Author Interview – https://mayajt.wordpress.com/ 

July 20th 

Tara – Book Review – www.instagram.com/towerintheplains

Eloria – Book Spotlight – https://eloriascreativefishworld.wordpress.com/ 

July 21st

Merie Shen – Interview with Jordy McAllen- https://imperialscribis.wordpress.com/ 

Bethany Rose – Book Review – https://wildrosejournal.com/

July 22nd

Kaitlyn S. – Book Spotlight – https://www.maidensformodesty.com 

SJ Barnard – Book Review – https://sjbarnard.blog/

July 23rd

Megan – Book Spotlight – https://perfectpossibilities.wordpress.com/ 

June – Book Spotlight – https://authorjunemccraryjacobs.blogspot.com/

July 24th

Ryana Lynn Miller – Book Review – www.lifeofheritage.com

Eva Joy – Author Interview – www.classicsandcraziness.wordpress.com 

July 25th

Loretta Marchize – Book Review – https://lorettamz.com/

Alicia – Book Spotlight – https://www.instagram.com/aliciagruggieri/ 

July 26th 

Jane Mouttet – Book Review – https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/

Tarissa – Book Review – http://inthebookcase.blogspot.com/ 

July 27th 

Hannah M. – Author Interview – https://tinytownstories.wordpress.com/

Ruth – Book Spotlight – https://ruths-real-life.blogspot.com/ 

July 28th

Jana – Book Spotlight – https://reviewsfromthestacks.wordpress.com/ 

Abigail Harris – Book Spotlight – http://readreviewrejoice.com/

July 29th

Hanne – Book Review – losingthebusyness.wordpress.com

Maddie – Book Spotlight – https://www.instagram.com/hotchocconfess/

July 30th

Holly – Book Review – https://holly-christine.wixsite.com/adventure 

Kylie Hunt – Author Interview – https://www.instagram.com/thefilmdirectorswife/

July 31st

Kim – Book Spotlight – https://instagram.com/all.the.lovely.pages 

Abigail – Book Review – https://novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com/

#IvInBookstagram

I’m doing a mini Instagram challenge! This time you only have to post once to be entered into the weekly giveaway.

Here’s the graphic:

Head over to my account to join up!

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

 

Hello folks! Kellyn here, but today I won’t be writing the main blog post – a fellow writer of mine, Eliana Duran, will!

Eliana shares her experience writing her first full-length novel in 22 days today with you. Without further ado … here’s her post!

How I Wrote My First Full-Length Novel in 22 Days

I remember vividly that feeling I had on the morning of June 22nd. 

Before June 22nd, I had always thought that I would be ecstatic when I wrote the last word of my novel, Senses. I had imagined that the milestone would bring terrific excitement. 

But instead of running around the house shouting, when I finished my novel, I was stunned. 

This was different from the time that I had finished my first novella, Booker Bunny, after years of on-and-off work. This was different from the time I had finished completely rewriting Booker Bunny. 

I had just written my first full-length novel–50,000 words of hard work–in 22 days. 

I had never considered myself a rapid writer, and I still don’t, so I was surprised when I surpassed my ambitious goal of writing my first novel in a single month. But looking back, I can see several things that led to my success. Today, I’m going to share those with you. 

Even if you are a slow writer, even if you have never written a full-length novel before, I believe that you can do it if you put in the preparation and effort. I hope these tips will help you find success in your writing-a-novel-in-a-month endeavor, just like they did for me.

#1: Who says you have to write it in November?

One of the biggest reasons that I was able to find the time to write over 1,667 words a day was that I chose a month that worked for me.

June was perfect for me because the only school I had to do was math and most things were canceled because of the Coronavirus. I was able to set aside entire mornings for writing, and then do my chores and other responsibilities in the afternoon.

Sure, it might feel like a big accomplishment if you write a whole novel in a month during the school year, but I found it wiser to choose a month that actually helped me fit the novel in my schedule. Writing a novel is already a huge accomplishment on its own!

If there’s a month that would work better for you than November, have your own unofficial NaNoWriMo and go beat your goals to a pulp!

#2: Hide it under a bushel–no!

If you think you are going to get away with writing for several hours a day for a month and then surprise your family with a novel all of a sudden, burn that idea right now. Your family (and friends!) can be some of your greatest assets, so use them!

A goal as big as this needs accountability. If nobody knows about your great novel writing expedition, then you could easily quit as soon as the going gets tough. And you don’t want to do that! If you tell your family and friends, you’ll be much more likely to follow through.

A second reason you shouldn’t hide your novel-in-progress under a bush is that if your family isn’t rooting for you, they’re going to weigh you down. Parents asking you to stop writing and go do laundry… siblings (I have ten of ‘em) interrupting to tell you their latest shenanigans… friends who keep messaging you, wondering why you are not responding… Not very helpful. But what if they not only stayed away from your precious writing time, but even cheered you on?

Now you might be asking, “How do I approach my parents about this in the first place?” Good question!

If you think that part will be difficult, you are not alone. I thought my parents would shoot the crazy idea down right away. So when I approached them several months ahead of time, I even made flashcards! 

But my parents saw all the thought I had put into it, decided to support me, and even let me move chores to early afternoon so I could write in the morning. It was definitely worth talking to them first. 

My parents also gave me valuable input. For example, I had originally planned to write my novel in July, but my mom suggested June, and that turned out to be a lot better for me.

A few points to include when you talk to your parents:

Is writing a novel in a month possible? Totally! Hundreds of thousands of writers have done it, and a lot of young writers too!
How will this help you? (E.g. learning to finish your story, write consistently, discipline yourself, outline, turn off your inner critic, etc, etc.)
What will the commitment be? Try timing yourself writing 1,667 words ahead of time. It may take a good amount of time, but lots of serious musicians practice for several hours a day, so a serious writer can too.

#3: Even if you think you’re a pantser, please, please at least try outlining!

I didn’t consider myself a plotter, but I wrote a 3,000-word outline and it helped so much! Except for very minor cases, I pretty much never got writer’s block, and I always knew exactly what I needed to write next.

I know, I know, you pantsers are probably all whining that outlines suck the lifeblood out of you. But if you haven’t written an outline before, at least give it a try. 

When I wrote mine, I discovered that I actually enjoyed planning my novel, and it made me even more excited to write. I had only sketched a few plot points for my other book, Booker Bunny, so I had never discovered that side of myself before. And I’m so glad that I tried it.

And honestly, if you are going to write your whole book in a month, you are going to need to prepare ahead of time and know where you are going. It is possible for you to successfully get through it pantser style, but writer’s block could make that extra difficult. 

Also, it was very important to me that I came out with a novel and not just another novella, and my outline helped me do that. I made sure that I had enough scenes to work with, and I was able to reach 50,000 words.

To get started with outlines, I highly recommend Abbie Emmons’s YouTube channel, and if you are a visual person, also check out this article on Helping Writers Become Authors, specifically for the infographics.

#4: Take advantage of that initial excitement!

One of the greatest advantages of starting a new project for your 50,000 words expedition is the initial excitement that comes with beginning something fresh. You may think that it would be better to pace yourself and stick to 1,667 words a day, but I say take advantage of your excitement and write as much as you can.

On my first day of writing Senses, I beat my all-time words-in-a-day record with 4,437 words. It showed me that I could do this. I could write this novel in a month if I put in the time and effort.

Through the rest of the 22 days, my daily word counts looked like this:

Some of my greatest writing spurts were near the beginning–when my new project was just so fun!–and the end–when I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. (The spike in the middle was probably because my midpoint was one of the most exciting parts of my book.)

If I had not taken advantage of that excitement and paced myself instead, I probably would have taken longer to finish the novel. So take your initial excitement to its full potential! 

And take advantage of any excitement in general, too. Don’t stop in the middle of a scene just because you’ve written your 1.7K. And if you are really close to the 10,000 word mark and eager to reach it, keep going! 

#5: Conserve your mental energy!

At the same time, make sure you conserve your mental energy. You are going to need all the brainpower you can get to pull a novel out of your think tank. Here are a few things that might help:

Try writing in the morning. I hadn’t considered myself a morning writer, but it was super helpful for me. And since I got up early to write, I didn’t need to peeve my parents by staying up late. Win-win! If you are truly a night owl writer and your parents are okay with it, by all means do write during your prime writing time. But mental energy-wise, morning can be an awesome time to write.
Walks are very helpful! I convinced one of my brothers (who also happened to be a good brainstorming buddy) to get up early for quick walks with me before I wrote. This gave me accountability to get up early, refreshed my mind, and got me ready to write! 
Even if you don’t walk or do some sort of exercise before you write, make sure you don’t write after something mentally draining. For me, writing and math do not go well together. In fact, some days near my math deadlines, I needed to move my math to the morning because my writing wasn’t leaving enough mental energy for it. (I was already way ahead of my goal, so I didn’t mind.) Conserve your mental energy and use it wisely.
Spread your writing throughout the day. If you don’t have the mental energy to do everything at once, that’s fine. Just go back to it later. Also, make sure that you don’t procrastinate all your writing for the evening because then you might not be able to do it all.

#6: Give yourself permission to write garbage.

This is the whole point of writing a novel in a month. Learning to word vomit so much that you actually finish something. 

As a writer who likes to go slow and steady and get all those typos, it was hard. With how much I was writing, yes, there were days that I came out with jewels, but there were also days that I just had to slog through, writing stuff no reader would want to read.

In order to get through, you need to give yourself permission to write garbage. Turn off the red line spell checker option, and just write whatever words come to mind first. You may end up – writing sentences like “McKenzie sat on Corutney’s bed and Linaneus saw on the chair my her desk,” or “McKenzie did stuff with Courtney,” but that’s what it takes to reach your goal.

If you notice something, just make an ALL CAPS note in [brackets] to fix it later. Depending on your program, you might be able to make a comment. But if you put it straight on the document, it will count as words.

It hit me the other night …

I graduated two years ago. More than that, now, actually. I’m two years post-graduation. And what have I got to show for it?

It was a bit sobering. Since I was sixteen (almost seventeen), it feels like not much has changed.

Sure, I’ve switched my second day job out a couple times, but I still have the same primary day job.

I befriended a guy (or he befriended me & then I forced him to date me for a bit but semantics), but really, that’s not something I was able to control.

I even have managed to make some small steps forward in my writing career … but are they enough?

Ah, Doubts, my old friends. Come in—and let’s have a little chat about expectations vs. reality and why you’re not allowed to destroy my reality just because your expectations were, shall we say, great?

(How I feel sometimes?)

Okay, in all seriousness, I’m super glad I graduated two years ago, and I’m reasonably proud of the things I’ve done in the meanwhile. Would I make changes? Oh, yeah. But does that mean these last two years haven’t been fantastical? Not at all!

That first year I was crazy busy but also lost (& emotionally unstable)—this second year, I’ve found a new definition for busy (it’s the “please shoot me now” kind) but a great deal more purposeful. Or at least, I always know what to do with my time—fill it and fill it and fill it.

And now I’m a lot more confident in what I’m doing and where I’m going. I don’t exactly have a set in stone plan, no, but I don’t need one (because God has one I can’t alter, so why even try), but I do have some guidelines to follow. I’m happy with them, and I’m firm in what I’m doing now.

I still get the weird looks when I tell people I’m not in college or going to college, of course.

I probably look like a high school junior or senior, so the question is usually, “Are you still in high school?” and then “Oh, what college are you going to/planning on going to?”

“I’m not planning on going to college,” I respond. “I’ve been graduated about two years now.”

“Oh.” *disappointment because I’m not bein’ learned nothin’* “Well, what are you doing?”

I think, “I’m answering questions about my private life.” But I know they’re asking because they’re being caring, not because they are trying to pry. Probably I wouldn’t have even asked because I’m horrible at small talk, but that’s my problem. I think, “They’re the ones who are showing Christ to you right now, Kell. Jesus would care.”

Since they did ask, I owe them an answer, and I refuse to let it be colored by my natural (probably pre-Christ-Kell) lack of interest.  So I say, “I’m doing all sorts of things. I work a few part time jobs, but mainly, I write.”

Sometimes they ask about those jobs, but most the time they ask: “What do you write?”

“Historical fiction. Romances and things.”

“How many books have you written?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Ten or so.”

*realizes I’m serious* “Are you published?”

“Yes.”

Well, that’s quite a thing to be able to tell people, isn’t it? Sure, that all happened before I graduated, but it’s developed majorly since. Yes, things are going all right.

One little thing I’m grateful for right now? Jobs have always been provided for me as I needed them.

Since shortly after I turned sixteen and got my driving license (September 2017), so coming up on three years now, I’ve worked as a front office person for Riverside Gymnastics.

That job has grown to a point where I honestly know just about almost everything there is to know about running the program … and still absolutely nothing about gymnastics.