Carynn Bohley's Blog, page 3

What I’ve Been Up To

Hey guys, I know I haven’t posted in a long time. My schedule is completely full right now, with both my college work and my YouTube channel (which I decided to prioritize). I’ve also been writing (obviously), live streaming, and working on a stop motion movie.

As some of you know, I recently started a YouTube channel called ‘Just Carynn.’ I just posted a new video I made with my Dad, and I think you guys will love it. If you have a chance, watch it and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment what you think (on YouTube… I don’t really go on WordPress anymore)! Also, leave a like so we can get to the goal (100), at which point my Dad will do a makeup challenge with me!

Enjoy!!!

 

~ Carynn

Graduation at Sixteen + YouTube Channel Intro

Hello fellow passengers to the grave!

Recently I decided to start a YouTube channel that covers many different aspects of my life, from animals to school. I’m trying to build up a fan base right now, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribed (if you like my videos, of course). Here’s my first video, Graduating at Sixteen + Intro:

You can check out my channel and subscribe HERE.

Thanks so much, guys!

~ Carynn

The Short Movie I Was In + What I’ve Been Up To The Past Month

Long time no post!

My last post was on my birthday, which was a month ago tomorrow. I’ve had a lot going on (I promise that’s not just a lame excuse) so I haven’t really had a good opportunity to even go on WordPress.

First of all, I’m officially a homeschool high school graduate! I had to do school during the summer in order to finish early, and I’m really happy I did. Now I’m waiting to see if I’ve been accepted to Herkimer County College, where I plan to get my associates (online) in general studies, before moving to a four year school when I turn eighteen.

So yeah. I’m a bit out of breath just telling you all of that! But wait, there’s more.

As you can tell by the title, I was in a short movie. I attend a summer program called ‘Script to Screen’ where we write, act, record and edit a short movie in FIVE DAYS. I did it last year, and you can check out that movie HERE.

This year I played the villain (again… what does that say about me?), and I’m actually really proud of it. Watch until the end- it gets good!

Anyhow, I’ve also been learning to drive (I got my permit in the mail a few weeks ago), writing (of course), listening to my favorite band on repeat (it’s become a bit of an obsession), and working on mine and my brother’s new YouTube channel.

Today is my little sister Amelia’s 3rd birthday, so I better wrap this up…

Make sure to check out my newest book on Wattpad, ‘Heart Throb!’

A CELEBRITY x FAN STORY |
Bella is completely in love with the famous teen pop star, Riley King, who she both envies and adores. When she runs into him at an ice cream shop after attending one of his concerts, sparks fly. Bella slowly learns that celebrity life is more complicated than she imagined, and Riley begins to understand the significance of his fame.
But as their long-distance correspondence grows harder to hold onto, secrets build and misunderstandings take their tole on the couple's relationship.
Does love always win out in the end- or is that only in fairy tales?

My Sixteenth Birthday!

As you can see by the title, I’m officially 16 today! I’m slowly realizing that as you get older, birthdays seem less magical and more like any other day. The differences are, one, everyone acts more generous and patient with you, and two (if you’re turning an age like 16, 18 or 21), you have more rights.

I got my permit today, for example.

My Dad and I spent almost three hours in DMV in order to get it (the lines are crazy), but it was obviously worth it. I practiced a bit in an out-of-business K-Mart parking lot, and I didn’t run into anything… so I think I’ve done well so far.

I plan to watch the live-action Beauty and the Beast with the rest of my family in a little while, and I still have my birthday party to look forward to on the 20th.

Sweet sixteen! It’s crazy!

Anyway.

I’m having a medieval festival for my birthday, and I’ll probably post about it after the party. I’m super excited about it, so stay tuned!

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P.S. Who’s looking forward to the live-action Lion King??? I can’t wait to see it!

 

 

 

Powerful Language

I haven’t done many posts on the art of writing itself recently, so I decided to post about something I genuinely love about writing: Portraying emotions through fantasy characters, and in doing so connect to the reader so they can live the emotions through said characters.

It’s magical, isn’t it? Being able to put words on paper that could effect someone’s life so greatly just by reading them later?

It may not be as easy as it sounds, though… moving someone with your writing. But there are some key ways to make your writing more powerful, and in doing so make your readers fall in love with it.

What I’ll be going over in this post specifically is

Powerful language.

‘Powerful language’ can mean a lot of things. Using words that normally wouldn’t be used in a certain situation is a type of powerful language. It’s fresh and exciting to the reader, and shows that you are different from other writers. Also, the use of over exaggeration is another good use of powerful language.

Let me show you both of these examples in writing so you can see what I mean.

My vision frays as Yvette’s words tear through my head, whispering in the deepest parts of my consciousness and exploding through my memories, uniting the disconnected events into one seamless idea. It makes little to no sense, yet it is everything, and suddenly I’m collapsing to the tiled floor, mumbling incoherently.

First, notice the line ‘my vision frays.‘ The speaker’s vision didn’t become blurry, it didn’t spot, it didn’t go black, it frayed. This is an example of using unique words to describe something that would normally be described with overused words.

Then, ‘tear through my head’ and ‘exploding through my memories.’ Use strong words to show how your character feels. Even thoughts can be loud when you’re confused or surprised, so use your language to illustrate this notion to your readers.

Another good use of powerful language is figurative speech, which you’ve no doubt heard of. In the sample I gave, this line is a good example of figurative speech: ‘…uniting the disconnected events into one seamless idea…’.

Did the speaker’s thoughts literally connect this way?

Probably not. I mean, I’d hate stray from the subject and get scientific, so let’s just say that the literal process would be a bit different.

I could have just said ‘it all came together.’ But instead, I replaced that phrase with something that readers might not have heard before.

One more example of powerful language.

Do you remember in the sample paragraph how the speaker ‘collapsed?’ This may seem like a small thing to point out, but think for a moment.

What’s more powerful?

‘Suddenly I’m falling on the tiled floor,’ or ‘suddenly I’m collapsing on the tiled floor’?

Sometimes small word replacements can change the feel of a whole section.

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That’s all for now, because sadly I have a lot of work to do… (see my post about writing a book in TWO MONTHS if you haven’t already…), so I’m off to try and get some things checked off of my to-do list. I hope that this post was helpful or inspiring.

Happy writing!

 

So… I Have To Write And Publish A Book In Two Months

I’ve been busy. I mean BUSY.

In order to graduate early this year as I’d planned to, I need to get two extra credits over the summer: History, and English.

So I’m taking two courses online for history, an actual world history course, and a geography course.

For writing, my Mom told the people who need to give me my homeschool records (in order to graduate) that, for writing, I’d publish a book by August.

She expected that I’d use a book I’d already written, but I don’t have any that I think I can make work. I decided that I’d write a middle grade novel I’d had an idea for.

So now I have to not only write and edit it in two months, but publish it (or get a publishing deal, as I’d rather traditionally publish it than self-publish).

I don’t want to release too much about the book, but here’s a poster I made (using Canva and Rinmarugames) just to give me inspiration.

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Hint: It’s a superhero book, and the first in a series.

How are your writing projects going? Do you have any crazy deadlines? Tell me in the comments!

Beau and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast Fanfiction)

In an alternate universe, every character in Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has switched genders. How will this change the story?

Prologue

Once upon a time, in a grand palace with stone towers that seemed to touch the sky, there lived a princess. Her skin was fair and her hair curled in long, red ringlets, her eyes a piercing blue framed by gold lashes, and her lips full and smiling. She stood on the tips of her toes as if ready to fly away at any moment, graceful as a swan with a voice as clear as a new bell.

On the outside, the princess was beautiful. All who saw her fell before her, eager to do as she pleased. She was famous in her homeland, the grand city of Paris, and the people adored her.

But though she threw spectacular balls and wore the finest dresses and had a voice sweeter than a morning dove’s, she had no love in her heart.

In fact, the princess cared for no person but herself; she flaunted her beauty and manipulated all who saw her to do her bidding. She thought that she- and only she- was meant for greatness. She thought that she was a goddess.

On the princess’ eleventh year, she hosted the biggest, most spectacular party to celebrate her birthday, to which anyone and everyone was invited. The gates were open wide, the flags raised high, and the princess dressed in her finest gown and tiara.

The ground outside the castle walls was white with freshly fallen snow, which piled higher on the ground as the hours of festivities went on inside. There were feasts and dances, and no one inside was aware of the raging snow storm that had come upon them. A bitter wind crashed against the castle walls, tossing snow into drifts and tearing branches from the rose bushes that decorated the grounds beyond the terrace.

The princess took the center of the stage built for the band just as the moon found its peak in the sky above the castle, and as the voices and revelries ceased, she began to sing.

Her sweet voice filled the air, and all was silent. Her guests watched and listened with amazement, too shocked by the beauty of the song to look away.

This lasted for several minutes before all attention was wrenched away from the princess; a loud pounding on the castle door rang out through the grand hall.

The princess was filled with anger at the interruption, and stormed to the doors to confront whoever had distracted her from her song. She threw open the doors and met the eyes of an old peasant with shriveled white skin and a hollow face.

“Please,” the elderly man said, his voice hoarse. “There’s a wild storm outside. I need to take refuge, or surely I will be killed.”

A small crowd of spectators had gathered around the princess, watching the man with curiosity and some with disgust.

The princess let out a loud, clear laugh. “And why should I help you? What do you have to offer me?”

The man reached into the fabric of his worn coat and pulled out a rose, dry and browned from the harsh weather.

The princess frowned down at it, her nose wrinkled in repulsion. “You would offer such a shameful gift to a princess? Not only is this flower… grotesque… but you took it from my own garden. That makes you a thief, peasant!”

“Please, your highness, won’t you let an innocent old man take shelter here just for the night?”

The princess turned her back on him, arms crossed in anger.

“Do not be deceived by appearance,” the man warned. “What is on the inside of someone is far more powerful than anything on the outside.”

“Then perhaps you’ll find a way to survive,” the princess mused. “Away with you, beggar.”

She clapped her hands and the guests hurried to close the doors, but a burst of wind knocked them back.

The princess gasped as she caught sight of the transformation; the old man’s sagging skin and worn clothing seemed to shift and straighten out, and all at once he was a beautiful young man.

He wore a frown and his forehead creased as he spoke. “I warned you about looks being deceiving, princess.”

The princess fell to her knees, her eyes wide as she stared at the handsome young sorcerer. “Please spare me! I’m sorry for my ignorance… Just give me another chance!”

The man put up a hand to silence her, and her mouth fell closed. “You will have another chance, princess, and you will learn what I tried to teach you.” He snapped his fingers and the princess let out a sharp scream, and as the sorcerer directed the magic with his hand she was lifted into the air and began to change.

Her body grew to be the size of a bear, and dark hair sprouted thickly from her skin. Tusks ripped through her gums and curled over her lips, and horns sprang from her head beside each furry ear. Talons replaced her nails, her teeth sharpened into fangs, and her clothes became dark rags.

When she landed once more on the ground she laid in a heap, cowering into the floor as she realized what she’d become. Screams echoed around her as her guests caught sight of the hideous beast that had been their fair princess just a moment before, and they began to run from the cursed castle.

After he casted a spell on the fleeing guests to make them forget the princess and her castle, the sorcerer threw magic further inside. One by one, the castle staff warped into inanimate objects that were, in fact, animate.

The last thing that he did was change the rose, which perked up and became fresh and bright again at his touch.

“You have another chance,” the sorcerer repeated, and the princess looked up to meet his eyes with a painful glare. “You will learn to appreciate what’s on the inside and take no notice of outward appearance. If someone falls in love with you before your twenty-first birthday, your body and your castle will transform back into their original forms. But.” He held up the rose, and as he did so it became encased with a glass case that hovered above his upturned palm. “If you cannot accomplish this, you will live this way for the rest of your life.”

The beast squeezed her eyes shut and gnashed her teeth together in agony, before burying her head in her furry arm.

When she raised her head again, the sorcerer was gone. In his place was the glass case that held the rose that he had offered her.

A single petal floated down from the flower and landed on the floor of the case.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/191368273-beau-and-the-beast

Chronicles of a Writer

As the last shred of light descended over the horizon, the world plunged into eternal darkness, leaving only one person standing on the earth.

A girl stood alone, dark hair that matched the empty sky cascading around her shoulders. She had only two things in her hands, a notebook and a pen.

As the ink splashed the crisp white surface of the paper, the sky tore into two and light descended upon the earth. Each word that the girl wrote filled the silence with sound, filled the emptiness with color, filled the sorrow with peace.

As she restored the broken shards of the world, the darkest form of evil rose up from a rift between creativity and determination. It reeked of doubt, of procrastination, of fear.

“Writers Block,” the girl growled, her words echoing against the walls of her imagination.

“You knew I would come,” the creature hissed.

The girl narrowed her eyes, tightening her fingers around her weapon. She raised the pen at the beast, resolve hardening her features. “Perhaps. But I’ve fought you before.”

Writers Block smiled.

The girl leaped forward through the shriveling light that cowered away from the darkness, pen raised above her head. Within a second the dark force pushed her back down against the surface of the earth, knocking the air from her body.

She struggled to her feet and raised the weapon again, and Writers Block’s smile widened. “Attack me,” it whispered silkily. “Go ahead.”

The girl hesitated, before lowering her weapon. “No.”

Writers Block’s smile fell away. “What?”

“I can’t fight you,” the girl said. “But I can destroy you.”

As her pen struck the paper, the creature let out a scream that split the sky. It began to overflow with light so bright no darkness could not touch it, dancing stars and infinite suns.

Writers Block began to disintegrate, its shrieks piercing the air in hollow gasps. “WHAT ARE YOU?” It demanded.

The girl twirled the pen in her fingers and smiled, her eyes glinting in the sunlight. “I’m a writer.”

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Read more of ‘Chronicles of a Writer’ on Wattpad (coming soon)!

Destroying Writers Block

Sometimes, Writers Block is really bad. Notice that I capitalized it? That’s because it’s a monster of entirely its own species. It feeds on writer’s weaknesses and keeps their dreams from becoming a reality.

But who is the culprit? If Writers Block isn’t a physical being, what is it?

It’s you.

Maybe you’re bored with a project, maybe you lack motivation, maybe you don’t think your story has what it takes, maybe you don’t know what to do next… But that doesn’t mean you need to fight yourself. After all, there are other monsters to battle. Nor does it mean that you should give up.

As I’ve made clear in other posts, there are many ways to destroy Writers Block. Recently, it’s been extremely hard for me to write. Not only creative writing, but (as you’ve probably noticed) blog posts. I’ve just lacked the motivation, especially with everything else I have going on. I have SO many projects, many of which don’t have anything to do with writing.

Last night, I texted my grandmother and told her that I was taking a break from my current novel, Cassius. She’s been reading it chapter by chapter and asking for more each time, which was a great source of motivation for my writing. It showed me that my writing is enjoyable (my grandmother wouldn’t act like she loved it if she didn’t… I’ve learned that with some of my previous stories), and that I need to stick with it.

But what with my overwhelming amount of other projects, I started to neglect Cassius.

When I told her I wasn’t planning on continuing it, it made me feel bad. I wanted to give it another chance.

So I did something that I will now do every time I have Writers Block.

I tricked myself.

“I’m just going to write one more sentence,” I told my Mom.

“Just one more sentence,” I told myself.

A few paragraphs later, my writers block (no longer capitalized, see?) was gone. Completely, totally, not-a-trace-of-its-tyranny gone. I’ve fallen in love with the book all over again, and I even decided to submit it to be promoted on Wattpad.

The thing is, sometimes you just need to start writing. It can be hard to take that step; believe me, I know! That’s why you need to start with a small step. Just one sentence can turn into just one paragraph. Just one paragraph can turn into just one chapter. Just one chapter can turn into just one book. Just one book can turn into just one series. Just one series can turn into just one library.

Soon, the ones will add up.

Start with a small step, and work your way up.

Trick yourself. Just trust me. Try it!

Also, I’ll be posting more regularly now.

After I wrote a list of all my projects, It’s been a lot easier to keep up with them without feeling pressured. Plus it’s almost summer vacation, and I’ll be graduating (the life of a homeschooler, eh? Always ahead of the game…), which should free up some time (until college).

One more thing. You know how sometimes a writing project means everything to you, but when you want someone else to read it and love it just as much as you do they see it as a chore?

Well, I could REALLY use some more feedback on Cassius. It would mean a lot to me if you checked it out on WATTPAD.

I know that I’ve told a few people that I’d read their projects and give feedback, but as I said I’ve had a lot going on and my commitments tend to slip my mind whenever I actually have free time. Now that I’ve been writing these things down, it’s easier. If I told you I would, please send me your project via the Writer’s BloK contact page so I have a chance to read it.

That’s it for now. Thanks for sticking with me, writers!

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Trick Yourself

Sometimes, Writers Block is really bad. Notice that I capitalized it? That’s because it’s a monster of entirely its own species. It feeds on writer’s weaknesses and keeps their dreams from becoming a reality.

But who is the culprit? If Writers Block isn’t a physical being, what is it?

It’s you.

Maybe you’re bored with a project, maybe you lack motivation, maybe you don’t think your story has what it takes, maybe you don’t know what to do next… But that doesn’t mean you need to fight yourself. After all, there are other monsters to battle. Nor does it mean that you should give up.

As I’ve made clear in other posts, there are many ways to destroy Writers Block. Recently, it’s been extremely hard for me to write. Not only creative writing, but (as you’ve probably noticed) blog posts. I’ve just lacked the motivation, especially with everything else I have going on. I have SO many projects, many of which don’t have anything to do with writing.

Last night, I texted my grandmother and told her that I was taking a break from my current novel, Cassius. She’s been reading it chapter by chapter and asking for more each time, which was a great source of motivation for my writing. It showed me that my writing is enjoyable (my grandmother wouldn’t act like she loved it if she didn’t… I’ve learned that with some of my previous stories), and that I need to stick with it.

But what with my overwhelming amount of other projects, I started to neglect Cassius.

When I told her I wasn’t planning on continuing it, it made me feel bad. I wanted to give it another chance.

So I did something that I will now do every time I have Writers Block.

I tricked myself.

“I’m just going to write one more sentence,” I told my Mom.

“Just one more sentence,” I told myself.

A few paragraphs later, my writers block (no longer capitalized, see?) was gone. Completely, totally, not-a-trace-of-its-tyranny gone. I’ve fallen in love with the book all over again, and I even decided to submit it to be promoted on Wattpad.

The thing is, sometimes you just need to start writing. It can be hard to take that step; believe me, I know! That’s why you need to start with a small step. Just one sentence can turn into just one paragraph. Just one paragraph can turn into just one chapter. Just one chapter can turn into just one book. Just one book can turn into just one series. Just one series can turn into just one library.

Soon, the ones will add up.

Start with a small step, and work your way up.

Trick yourself. Just trust me. Try it!

Also, I’ll be posting more regularly now.

After I wrote a list of all my projects, It’s been a lot easier to keep up with them without feeling pressured. Plus it’s almost summer vacation, and I’ll be graduating (the life of a homeschooler, eh? Always ahead of the game…), which should free up some time (until college).

One more thing. You know how sometimes a writing project means everything to you, but when you want someone else to read it and love it just as much as you do they see it as a chore?

Well, I could REALLY use some more feedback on Cassius. It would mean a lot to me if you checked it out on WATTPAD.

I know that I’ve told a few people that I’d read their projects and give feedback, but as I said I’ve had a lot going on and my commitments tend to slip my mind whenever I actually have free time. Now that I’ve been writing these things down, it’s easier. If I told you I would, please send me your project via the Writer’s BloK contact page so I have a chance to read it.

That’s it for now. Thanks for sticking with me, writers!

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