Writing Prompt Wednesday: Perspective at a Funeral

**Disclaimer: This is a writing prompt I found off of Pinterest.  This is all original work, so please do not alter or copy any of the details included.  Thanks!

I never thought I’d be dead at the age of 23.  I guess that’s what texting and driving gets you.  My guess is I look pretty bad considering I’m in a closed coffin.

I looked to my left at what my hand was touching.  Someone must have seen me at some point because my older sister’s college graduation photo is beside me.  And beautiful flowers are lying to my right.  Lilies.  White lilies, my absolute favorite.  I wonder who gave me these?  It’s nice of them to put me six feet under with my favorite flowers to keep me company.

Wait, what was I texting about anyway?  What was so important that I couldn’t wait?  What was so important that it landed me here, in my very own coffin?  My eyes diverted to the top of the coffin and I realized- James.  A picture of James was taped to the top of my coffin immediately in my eyesight.  I was texting James, letting him know I was five minutes from the flower shop and- oh no!!  I was only a few months away from getting married.  No, God no…poor James!  He must have waited for me for hours before realizing that I was never showing up- I can’t believe I did this to him.

I heard a sniffle immediately outside my coffin as a voice drenched in sadness whispered into the dark walnut, “I will always love you.”  It was James.

“I love you too, James, and I’m so sorry!  Please forgive me!”  No matter how much I yelled or screamed, he was never going to hear me.  I wanted nothing more than to hold him, but no matter how much I wanted that to be true, I was never going to be able to hold him again.

It was then that I looked down at my clothing and saw they (James, my parents, Hallie?) had buried me in my wedding dress…the one that I wasn’t supposed to wear for another two months.

“Casey,” a gentle voice outside my coffin said.  “Why did you have to do this?  James needed you, your father needed you, I needed you?  Why couldn’t you just wait five more minutes?”  My heart shattered- well, figuratively, because I’m not even sure I have a heart anymore, and if I do, it sure as hell isn’t working.

It was my mom’s voice I was hearing now.  Her small, disappointed and heartbroken speech was interrupted by hysterical crying.  It’s my assumption that my dad came and got her and took her to her seat.

My assumption was confirmed as only a few minutes (were they minutes? hours?) later, I heard a rough, deep voice talking to me.

“Casey, what were you thinking?  Why couldn’t you just wait?  Your mom- well she’s drinking again and your sister won’t even return our calls.  She’s too upset to even-.  You were only-well, James is a mess.  I’ve never seen him look more thin.  I don’t think he’ll ever love- well, I love you, Case…Heaven better be good to you.”

Heaven.  Wait.  Why wasn’t I in heaven?  Did I do something wrong?  Did I sin too often and not ask for forgiveness enough?  Why am I still here?

Minutes passed as I heard voices I could barely recognize, voices of my best friends, and those of people I had fallings out with, talking to me about how they’ll miss me, how I impacted their lives, how sorry they were that we had fallen apart.

Now the preacher was going on how it was my time, how God had a plan for me, and that no one should worry as I was in God’s kingdom now.  Little do they know that I’m here, trapped in this box, listening to every word they say.

After an hour (or was it minutes?) of the preacher talking, the crowd singing hymnals and speeches of those individuals closest to me (except James who I can only assume is so heartbroken he couldn’t bear to talk to me), I felt the coffin lift up.  I must be getting carried to the neighboring cemetery.  I guess it’s time for them to lower me into the ground.

James decided to speak at the cemetery.  He went on about how I was his better half and how I truly cared about the people in my life and how I always made him laugh and how I was his soulmate….and lastly, how broken-hearted he was because I will never share his last name.  A dream cut short by merely two months.

It was truly beautiful.  I wish I could cry.

I guess the speeches are over because an obnoxious hum filled my ears, one that could only be the machine that the church has to lower the deceased six feet under.

Suddenly, I heard a feint “Wait!  Wait!  Don’t lower her yet!” off in the distance, somehow over the loud machine that had begun lowering me into my final physical resting place.

The yells got louder and finally the machine turned off.  My sister’s voice was clear to me now.  Hallie- she came!  After everything- our constant bickering, her silent treatment of mom and dad, her never having the chance to stand next to me on my wedding day as my Maid of Honor.

And it was then that I realized I was waiting for closure from her- my best friend and oldest confidant, Hallie- before I could make way to Heaven.  She was the person who had been missing, since I heard from everyone else.

She said a few words on her journey to even get to the cemetery (losing her keys, missing the turn, traffic- ironically caused by a car accident)  but also how she couldn’t let me go before saying goodbye.

“Goodbye, Casey,” she said as I heard dirt fall onto my coffin.

“Goodbye, Hallie,” I wanted to whisper but nothing came out.  Instead, the coffin disappeared and everything went silent.  Finally, I saw a light in front of me with hundreds of individuals ushering me towards them.

I walked into the white light and was greeted and embraced by deceased grandparents and those family members I never had a chance to meet.

I was home.

It Gets Better

You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be. – Unknown.

Over these past few months, my life has taken many unexpected twists and turns.  When I reflect back on a year ago, it’s amazing to see how much I’ve grown and learned about myself within those twists and turns.  For instance, I was just a recent college grad who was struggling to make money as a server for a catering company at this time last year.  To anyone struggling at the moment, it’s important for you to know that it gets better.

It was about this time last year when I received an internship and a freelance writing position, both online, to help me move forward with my dreams.  The internship was short-lived (I learned quickly it wasn’t for me), but the freelance writing filled my heart with happiness as I was finally getting paid to do something that I love.

In December, I was on the phone with my dad hysterically crying about my life and how it was anything but what I expected life to be life after graduating.  I was physically worn out from working insane hours during the Holiday season at the catering company, and stressed due to the lack of articles the freelance writing company was giving me (I later found out they were going in a different direction with their freelance writing- but not before I sent them an e-mail a month later asking if they forgot about me.  Poor professionalism in my personal opinion.).  Sure, the part time job with bi-weekly paychecks and lenient bosses who approved of almost any time off that you requested was incredibly nice.  The hours, however, were not, especially in the slow periods of the year.  During the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced Christmas season, I knew that I needed to find a new path and as soon as possible.

My dad has always been one with words, and he gave me some great advice after listening to me cry for an hour.  He told me that I’m only 22.  I have my whole life ahead of me.  Accepting a job outside of my immediate field right away isn’t necessarily a bad thing- not only will I have a more solid paycheck, but I’ll be gaining experience.  He explained that I’m still young enough to get a job doing what I would like to do, as long as I never let it out of my sight and continue to work towards it.  Being so young allows a multitude of opportunities to present themselves as long as I’m willing to keep an open mind.  And that’s what I did.

It was then that I started creating multiple paths for myself.  I applied to Grad School, various jobs, and looked into employment agencies.  By February of this year, I had two interviews lined up through an employment agency and I was accepted into Grad School for a Master’s Degree in English.

The only way I could afford Grad School was if I received a Graduate Assistantship position.  Then, if I accepted one, the Grad School I was accepted to only paid a slim stipend of a maximum of $4,000 or $5,000 per year.

I never heard back about GA positions until May, when I already accepted a temp-to-hire position as a transcriptionist with a law firm in my area.  I debated whether I should accept it, but considering working part-time wasn’t cutting it anymore, I had to make the decision fast.  I compared the $4,000 to $5,000 stipend to my hourly wage, and taking the transcription position over going back to school seemed like the right path for me to travel down.

It’s now only a short-time later at the law firm and I’m full-time with benefits, and on top of that, two weeks ago I received my first “promotion.”  I’m no longer a transcriptionist- I’m now a legal secretary!  On top of that, the part of the firm I’m working with is a small medical malpractice who merged with us in May and are some of the greatest coworkers I’ve ever had.  It seems like it can’t get any better, right?

Wrong.  One of the attorneys in the med malpractice firm is not only encouraging me to follow my dreams as a journalist; he’s helping me find a way there.  A few days ago, he met with me and told me straight up that he wants me to do something that I actually love to do, not live day by day.  He told me that somehow he would help get me there, as long as I don’t mind being patient.  He has already presented an opportunity to me that could definitely help my future as a writer, but I don’t want to jinx anything before I know if it’s possible.

On top of all of the achievements in my professional world, my personal life has been getting better every day. I never thought I would fall in love with someone, especially at a young age, because of how self-conscious I was by always comparing myself to others.  I never thought my life would get any better in this aspect, but two years and some months ago, I was proven wrong all because a silly boy who was completely intoxicated just happened to land beside me on a couch at a sorority formal.

Fast forward to May 2015, when I went back to my Alma Mater to see my now boyfriend of two years graduate with both my family and his.  It was a great day as I was seeing old friends and faculty who will forever hold a special place in my heart.  Little did I know it was about to get better.

At my graduation, it hailed in 60 degree weather.  At my boyfriend’s graduation, it decided to downpour for a solid fifteen minutes which started shortly after he walked across the stage to receive his diploma.  We all ran for cover into the corridor of the main building on campus, called “Old Main.”  (Picture the outside corridors in Harry Potter– shout out to this blogger for capturing this beautiful view.)  I didn’t pay any mind to everyone gathering around me; I assumed it was all because of the rain, and that it was crowded because of the plethora of alumni, faculty, staff, family and students who had to somehow fit in the space to be sheltered from the storm.

Kyle ran to find his aunt who was lost in the sea of people, but I thought nothing of it because I knew we were all going out to eat after his graduation.  I spoke to my Alpha Xi Delta sisters and friends and family who were surrounding me about the rain, and how ironic it was that two years in a row we had awful weather for graduation.

Next thing I know, I see Kyle running up to me with a nervous expression on his face until he said my name.

“Emily,” he said as he got down on one knee.  “This is not how this was supposed to go because the rain ruined everything but I love you….will you marry me?”

I bawled.

Cried of happiness for a solid ten minutes.  Shaking and smiling and my stomach bursting with butterflies because I was overjoyed.

He made me the happiest girl in the world that day, and continues to make me happier every day that we’re together.  He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.

Nothing about our relationship has been conventional, and that makes it all the better.  The fact that everything was so rushed and so quick- it was absolutely perfect.  He later told me during our long four hour drive home his actual plan- to propose by the fountain, his elaborate speech that he had been mentally preparing for days, weeks, months.  Everyone congratulated us afterwards and told me how they all knew for months, some even for as long as a year.  Even though I know I’m still young and that I have my whole life ahead of me, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Kyle is the perfect guy for me.  I feel even luckier to find him at such a young age because that just means that I have longer to spend with him.

I’m thankful to have someone who pushes all of my insecurities aside, who makes me feel like the most loved person in the world, who will do anything for me, who makes me laugh almost every moment we’re together, who listens and gives so much to anyone and everyone around him without asking a thing in return and who proves to me every day that it/life gets better.

Here’s a picture of the fountain where he was going to propose (not taken by me- found on Google):

To anyone who is struggling to find a job after graduation, who is bothered by their self-image, or is upset about anything else in life- it does get better.  I hope my story (and update on my life) can be accepted as proof.  If you would have told me two years ago that I would be working at a law firm while living with my fiance in an apartment in a town two hours from where I was born and raised, I wouldn’t have believed you, and I probably would have laughed.  However, I’m realizing now that, at this moment, this is exactly where I’m meant to be.

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Despicable

#79: [WC: 10] Use 10 Words to Describe a despicable human being.

1. Lying
2. Cheating
3. Greedy
4. Sneaky
5. Rude
6. Abusive
7. Sadistic
8. Deceitful
9. Ignorant
10. Inconsiderate

 

Writing Prompt Wednesday: My Scar

“I think scars are like battle wounds- beautiful, in a way.  They show what you’ve been through and how strong you are for coming out of it.”

-Demi Lovato

So it’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to blog about a writing prompt from this book!  And I’m sure you can guess what my blog will be about today if you paid close attention to the Demi Lovato quote up above!

#8: How’d you get that scar?  Most everyone has a scar.  Talk about it as if you were about to get that scar for the first time.  Scar free?  Then you need to invent one!  Or talk about another person’s scar as if it was your own.

Note: I’m changing this prompt up a little bit, and you’ll understand why I’m not setting this story as if it were just happening once you read my answer.  I’m writing it as if I’m the person who has the scar.  PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER AT THE END.  IT’S IMPORTANT.

 

Ten years.  Ten years I’ve had this scar, and I’ve only recently found out the real reason behind it.  Ten years I was lied to by my scummy aunt and uncle, my only living relatives, who are anything but kind.  Ten years I’ve believed my parents were killed in a car crash and only recently did I find out that they were murdered and their murderer gave me this scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.  Ten years.

Apparently the murderer tried to kill me, too.  I don’t understand why.  I was just a baby at the time, so I’m not sure what I could have done to him.  Everyone says I’m the “Boy who Lived” and they bow down to me like I’m some hero.  Apparently I made him disappear.

Maybe soon I’ll understand the reason why I’m a hero, or why he killed my parents.  Maybe soon I’ll understand why I’m a hero to so many people.  Maybe soon I’ll understand why my scar will randomly burn and make me drop to my knees while screaming in pain.  Maybe soon I’ll understand why no one calls him by name and always refers to him as “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

———

Four years have passed, and now I’ve had this lightning bolt-shaped scar for 14 years.  So much has changed.  I now understand that I’m the “Chosen One” and that “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” is actually Voldemort.  I understand that a killing curse somehow didn’t kill me and instead made him weak.  But since then he has returned, though everyone refuses to believe me.  I now know the meaning behind my scar, and why the pain never goes away.  It burns more when he’s close to me or when he visits me in my dreams.

Now I’m creating an army- an army to defend my world against evil.  My parents were once a part of an army who fought against evil, along with some of my friends’ parents, and now I’m doing the same.  My friends at least believe me that he’s back, and that he and his followers are planning on killing.  We all know of the dangers.  We’re all reminded of the danger when we look at the scar laying upon my forehead.

———

16 years.  16 years this scar has pained me.  16 years this scar has defined me.  With this scar came hardships that no should have to go through, especially at a young age.  Everyone will be reminded of the potential evil in the world when they see the scar on my head, but I’ll only see strength, a difficult battle, and most importantly, good conquering evil.  And that’s what makes it beautiful.

———

Disclaimer: Now that you’ve read this, I’m sure you know what it’s about if you’re familiar with the story (who isn’t?!).  THIS IS NOT AN ORIGINAL STORY.  I don’t own any of the characters or names or the plot or anything.  I’m not trying to violate copyright.  I just wanted to write about this scar because this is the first scar I ever remember.  Sure, I have my fair share of scars from falling down due to clumsiness, but this scar and this character and this series of books not only changed my whole world, but also introduced me into the wonder of reading which I fell in love with while reading the first book in the series.  Thank you to the amazing J.K. Rowling for writing this series and allowing me to escape to a world that meant so much to me growing up, and giving me the opportunity to share the wonderment of this world with my kids in the future, whenever I should have them in the future.

Once again, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. (I mean the words are my own, but the words put together reflect back on the series, which obviously isn’t mine.)

 

Writing Prompt Wednesday: My Name

So I started writing this post late last night and fell asleep before I published it, naturally.  So that’s why I’m publishing it late.  But hey, at least when I don’t publish something on time it’s always published the day immediately following when it’s supposed to be published.

Anyway, today’s writing prompt is:

#7. How were you named? If you feel that your name is boring and the story behind it equally so, make up a name and come up with an interesting story behind that.

This is the true story behind my actual name.  You can see from my profile that I clearly go by Emily, but that’s actually my 2nd middle name.  Yes, I’m one of those people who have three names, one first and two middles.  It makes for a confusing life, since I clearly go by my 2nd middle.  I never know whether to put my first name on things (since legally that is my first name) or to put Emily.  It leads to some complications and some frustration.

A long, long time ago (approximately 22 years and some odd months), my mom and dad were probably annoyed to find out that they were having another kid (aka me) after already having two boys and a girl.  They had two names prepared before they knew the sex of their baby, one for a boy and one for a girl.  During that time when my mom was pregnant, her parents came to live with them down in West Virginia so they could help out around the house and help out with the kids since my siblings were such a handful and whatnot (at this time my mom had a 10 year old, a 7 year old, and a 3 year old).  Well, my parents finally decided on a name for me if I ended up being a girl and decided to tell my mom’s parents.  They would name me after my great aunt on my dad’s side, who was also my dad’s twin sister.  Her name was Charlotte Elizabeth.

Pretty, right?  Apparently my grandmother didn’t like that, and really wanted my parents to call me “Emily Elizabeth” because:

1. She really loved the name Emily
2. Because of a character from EEK the cat (I’d also then have the same initials as said cat.)

My parents considered it but then told my grandma that that wouldn’t work because they were already planning on naming me Charlotte Elizabeth.  But they decided to make a compromise.  They would add a second middle name so that way my grandma would be happy: Emily.  They figured I was the last kid, so what’s the arm in adding a second middle name?

Now you’re probably wondering how I got to be called “Emily” over “Charlotte” or even “Elizabeth.”  Well, I’m going to put the blame on my wonderful grandma on that one.  I’m pretty sure that as soon as I came out, she started calling me Emily.  And then my parents pretty much gave up and was like “Well, we have to call her that now because that’s what she’s going to respond to whenever we talk to her.”  So here I am.  Charlotte Elizabeth Emily.  CEEK.

I can’t tell you the amount of times professors and high school teachers and employees call me “Charlotte” and I have to correct them and say “Emily” and they look at me like I’m insane.  Obviously Emily isn’t a nickname for Charlotte so it’s the last thing they were expecting.  Actually, my 10th grade history teacher made the announcement on the first day of classes to let him know if you go by something other than your first name, which is often the case I’ve noticed, and he assumed I went by “Lottie” instead of “Charlotte” and he looked at me as if I were insane when I said I went by “Emily.”  Such a confusing world.

Two weeks ago, one of my packages didn’t get sent to my recently opened PO Box because the name I put on my application was “Charlotte” and it was addressed to “Emily.”

Regardless, I don’t think I look like a Charlotte at all.  I’ve been called Charlie many times, mostly by my college cross-country team but also some friends throughout grade school, but I don’t think I could pass as a Charlotte.  I definitely don’t look like an Elizabeth, Eliza, Liza, Beth or Lizzie, either.  But I feel like I look like an Em, Emmy, Emily, and even an Emma as my friend’s mom often calls me because she likes the name.

So with all of that being said, I’m wondering if you have an interesting story about your name/how you named your children?

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Six-word stories

So this writing prompt is from the awesome 1,000 awesome writing books, a gift from my best pal.

#34: [WC: 6] A popular thing on the internet are “six word stories” with the most popular being attributed to Hemingway (although the veracity of that claim is severely in question.) It goes: “Baby shoes for sale: Never worn.” Write your own six word stories. Perhaps create multiple ones.

“I don’t have time for you.”

I had everything, except for you.

Constantly started fights. Now I’m alone.

Traveled the world. Fell in love.

“I never told you the truth.”

Leap of faith. Got the guy.

Reality is finally better than dreams.

Online friends are no longer strangers.

Complaining leads to a miserable life.

Happy when drunk. Sad when sober.

Making creative strides

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.”

– Elder Uchtdorf

The Return of the King

Not only does this subtitle happen to be a title of one of my favorite films, but it’s also conveniently my last name.  I’m basically royalty (except not even in the slightest).

Anyway…hello, readers!  My name is Emily!  After a long hiatus from writing, I figured it’s finally time to jump back on the saddle and that explains why I’m currently writing this post to all of you.

Now you’re probably wondering the following questions:

1. Why are you blogging?
2. What are you going to blog about?
3. How often are you planning on blogging?
4. Why do you like writing?
5. How did you come up with your blog name?
6. Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself?

Let’s jump right in so I can happily answer all of those questions for you!

1. Why are you blogging?

Whenever I was a young girl, my sister and oldest brother both showed me completely made up stories they had created on a whim.  They inspired me to get in touch with my own creative side and I soon began creating stories about love, loss, and the hardships people face in every day life.  This passion has never gone away, though it has dulled.  Lately (quite honestly this feeling- or lack there of- has been around since I graduated high school in 2010), I’ve been feeling less inspired and less creative, so much so that one of my best friends bought me books not only on journalistic writing (a reminder to never give up on my dreams) but also on writing prompts to help my brain focus on my passion again.  This blog, though it’s mainly personal and it will most likely have a large variety of topics of things that I want to talk about, will help me get back in touch with my creative side and, in turn, help me grow as a writer.  I’m not doing this in order to gain a large following.  I’m doing this to find myself, to work on my writing, to become a better person, and to do the thing I love the most every single day of my life.  Life is too short to not be doing what you love.

2. What are you going to blog about?

Believe it or not, my tagline for my blog answers this question.  It reads as follows:

A Personal Blog with an Agenda

Lately, I’ve been inspired to create a blog that talks about my life.  Many people probably don’t care about my life, and I can’t blame you since I’m a complete stranger.  But my hope is that through this journey, you’ll be able to either somewhat relate or laugh about at least one of my posts.

The “agenda” portion for my blog comes from me deciding to structure this blog with specific topics each day in order to keep me focused and on top of my writing.  It’s a sort of challenge- week after week, I’ll have the same “prompt,” if you will, but I’ll need to change up my writing to make it more interesting or even keep coming up with topics for each thing.  I’m hoping this will get the creative juices flowing.  The agenda is as follows:

1. Sunday: Sunday News/Special Sunday
   • This is my journalistic bone jumping out.  I’ll cover top news from the previous week that I find intriguing (to be completely honest, it may just be celebrity news or it could be world news, depending on how I’m feeling).  Or it could be news for that upcoming week, or news in my life!  I’m also allowing leeway on this day, which is why it’s also called “Special Sunday.”  Now Special Sunday means that I could either interview someone on a specific topic, or I could write about whatever I want to that doesn’t fall under any of the categories below.  In other words, it could be a “free write” day, if that’s what I choose to do with it.
2. Monday: Monday Lit Circle
   • This day will probably be one of my favorites, naturally.  I absolutely love reading.  I love it almost as much as writing.  But like writing, I haven’t done very much reading as of late.  My hope is that this day encourages me to read more often.  I will either cover a novel in whole that I have read recently, talk about one of my favorite novels in general, or cover a chapter per week of a book I’m currently reading and asking you (Yes, you!) for feedback on the chapter or book.  In other words, I would love for you to join along in the literary circle (basically a book club) or put your two cents in on something I’ve said.  I encourage feedback.
3. Tuesday: Thankful Tuesday
   • There have been many times in my life where I’ve taken something in my life for granted and I’ve only realized when it was too late.  On Tuesdays, I hope to write about something in my life that I’m thankful for.  Being thankful isn’t just for Thanksgiving; it’s a full-time job.  I have a lot to be thankful for and I would love to recognize them more often by sharing those things with you every Tuesday.
4. Wednesday: Writing Prompt Wednesday
   • This goes back to the awesome prompts book one of my best friends gave to me when I was feeling down. I have a thousand different prompts to choose from, so each Wednesday will be a completely different topic.  I’m super excited for this day because this is a day when I’ll get to be completely creative by making new characters and new worlds.
5. Thursday: Throwback Thursday
   • On this day, I’m going to share a memory from my past with you.  It may be a good memory or a bad memory, but hopefully something in what I say to you will click with you and you’ll realize you can relate to my life just as I can relate to so many other people.  Sometimes it’s nice knowing that people around the world go through the same things you do, and suddenly you don’t feel entirely alone.  I would love feedback on these days saying how you relate to my memory or maybe how you can’t but you would like to share a memory from your past.
6. Friday: Friendly Friday
   • Now friendly Fridays could involve many different things.  It could be me writing about a memory I have about one of my friends (nothing personal on their behalf! I wouldn’t put them in that situation where everyone on the internet knows their business without their consent), a situation I happened to be in with one during the previous week (or anytime in my life, really), boasting about something great one of my friends did, or maybe about a time when I was super friendly toward a stranger/saw someone be friendly to a stranger.  It could even be about advice I’ve given a stranger/a friend or about advice that I’ve received.
7. Saturday: Storytelling Saturday
   • Finally, the last day is all about storytelling.  Yes, I’ve told many stories throughout the week already, BUT this day is different.  My hope (and if I fail at this or even slack off in the slightest, I give anyone reading this full permission to yell at me to get me to work harder) is to write a chapter of a continuous story each day until I finish it.  Yes, you read that right.  A chapter of a unique story that I created completely on my own without the help of those 1,000 prompts.  I’m doing this because my ultimate goal when I was younger was to become an author of a story and I’ve never given up on this dream.  I think by doing a chapter each week and posting it on Saturday for all of you to read, not only will I gain valuable and constructive criticism, but I’ll be one step closer to reaching my dream of being a published author.

**As a side note, there may be days where I post more than once with a random topic if I feel like it.

3. How often are you planning on blogging?

Every. Single. Day.

4. Why do you like writing?

I’ve included this question because many people I know absolutely loathe writing and I honestly have no idea how!  I love writing because sometimes I have a hard time saying what I feel.  I think I can write down my feelings a lot easier than saying them.  Sometimes I just can’t find the right words except for when I’m writing.  I also like having the ability when writing short stories to have complete control over the characters and what happens to them.  I guess I like this because I only have so much control over my own life, and it makes me feel better knowing what will happen in my characters’ lives because I don’t know what will happen in mine.

5. How did you come up with your blog name?

The Harry Potter series introduced me into the magical world of reading.  That series was my childhood and I’m forever grateful for reading it because it has made me who I am today.  That being said, the word “pensieve” comes from Harry Potter.

“I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.”

– Albus Dumbledore

This blog is a way to pour all of my thoughts, ideas, and feelings I have on my past, my present and my future, and on any other things that I end up writing about.  And through this pensieve I hope to better understand myself and my writing style.

6. Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself?

Absolutely!  I’m a twenty-two year old recent graduate from a small liberal arts school with a communications degree and a German minor.  I haven’t had the best job in the last seven months since I’ve graduated but I recently accepted a new position at a great company and I’m looking forward to my future there and where that will lead me in the years to come.  That job I accepted isn’t what I want to be doing, but I know it’s just a small stepping stone until I get there.

I’m also an animal lover!  I rescued my beloved pitbull Balboa from the humane society nearly two years ago and he’s the biggest sweetheart I know.  For any of you pitbull haters out there, how can you hate this face?

He loves laying in bed with me.  And here I am cuddling with him on Christmas:

Anyway, I’m also a proud sister of Alpha Xi Delta and I support Greek life.  I’m currently in a relationship with the best guy I’ve ever known for almost two years.  In my spare time you can usually catch me watching Criminal Minds, listening to music, or running.  I love traveling, and the most notable places I’ve been to are San Francisco, London, Oxford, Windsor, and Germany.  Right now my life is pretty great and I really can’t complain.

Sorry for the obnoxious length of this first post, but hey I told you I love writing!

Until tomorrow, readers!

 

P.S.- One last note: Please feel free to comment on any of this. Tell me about your day, what you like writing about, where you’ve traveled to, what your degree is in, what your favorite show is to watch on netflix, your thought on pitbulls, the reason behind your blog name, your favorite book or book series, or your thought on Greek life!  I would love to hear your thoughts.