K.M. Updike's Blog, page 9

5 Things I'm Inspired by This Week

Welcome to the New Year!
A new year, a new blog schedule.
Starting next Monday, every week I'll be continuing with one post Mundane Monday/Little Bits of Beauty and now a new a post about things that are, or have been, inspiring me. There will be food and tea and book recommendations, music, and more.

Where have all the writing tips gone? Never fear, they're still lurking about. More about that and a coming surprise in the next few weeks.

So, on to some inspiring things!


Stash Green Chai Tea
I love green tea. Actually if you say the word "tea" I'm pretty much a goner. So when Mom brought this home my day was instantly made. I think I'm making about two cups a day. I may or may not be making four. A lovely change from just plain green tea. Recommended sweetener: 1 tbls honey.



Notepad Mouse Pad
I saw these in Hobby Lobby just before Christmas and being an crazy note-taker, I immediately saw how awesome and handy this would be. 1) It cuts down on clutter and the amount of sticky notes and 3x5 cards one can use and lose during the course of the day. 2) It's a cute/stylish accessory to your work space/creative space. I mentioned it to someone for a Christmas gift idea, and voila. I'm happily using it now.

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown
A long time ago I read Quiet: Unlocking the Power of Introverts, by Susan Cain, and it really did have a powerful impact on me. Reading Daring Greatly has had the same effect. I'm really loving it. Just reading is changing how I view myself and others. I really thought it was going to be a much harder book to read, meaning harder to understand what the author is saying, but no, actually, I'm just buzzing right through it. Thanks to National Novel Writing Month and Christmas break it had to go back to the library, but I've secured it again and it will be finished!


Endeavour - TV Show
My sister introduced us to Endeavour last year at her mystery party. The first episode of the third season was just released on Sunday. We couldn't wait for it to start up again! The mysteries are amazing, the characters brilliant, and the dialogue fantastic. It's a spin-off of an earlier series, Inspector Morse. This focuses on a younger Endeavour Morse in Oxford, England, in the 1960s. The costuming is amazing, right up there with The Great Gatsby and Downton Abbey in my opinion. My favorite character is, of course, Morse, but Inspector Thursday is a close second.


Winter 
There's a terrible riot going on against winter these days, and it's obvious why, especially if you live anywhere where the seasons change. But I absolutely love winter, it's second to autumn on my list of favorite things. I think winter gets too much of bad rap. Yes, I know it's cold, and snow does complicate the most trivial of matters, but there's so many things that make up for that.
Winter sunsetsCozy fires Hot chocolateChristmas and New Year's.Snuggly pets The invigorating freshness of a blast of cold windYour warm breath clouding the airJoyous voices crying, "It's snowing!"Watching big, fluffy flakes flutter down to earthThe world turning whiteCar lights on lonely, wintery, country roadsNot to mention it means so much more to get home after a long day at work and nestle up inside a warm, cozy house with your family







Also, photoshoots with my spiffy, good-looking brother. If this engineering stuff doesn't work out, bro, you can always be a model for Kinfolk or something.

That's it for this week.
Love, Kayla

Let's talk! What's been inspiring you this week?

Going back in time

Farewell to twenty-fifteen. It's gone, it's done. And we, my dear people, are about to live a year we have never lived before.. . .‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey . . . See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession . . . ’  Deuteronomy 1:6-8





Hannah's 2015 mystery party was an absolute hit success. Looking at pictures again made me miss it so much, every good memory came back to me with a rush of wonderful thankfulness.



February found me putting the last edits into my book!  The Life and Death of Terry Dodd.



Also in February Joseph was accepted into South Dakota School of Mines&Technology!


I was blessed by another wonderful birthday in March. Can't have a birthday without chocolate cake.


In April, Laura darling surprised me! It was wonderful . . . *blissful sigh*


In May I cooked Mother's Day breakfast in the garage on our gas stove.


We had another killer snow storm that knocked out the electricity for a few hours.


I also shot my friend Abby's wedding. First solo wedding!

In June we went to the Black Hills Playhouse in the pouring rain and hail and had a picnic outside before we went to see To Kill a Mockingbird. It was fabulous.


July was book launch month! Wow. All I can do is heave a huge breath. I learned so  much, made so many mistakes, and came out really blessed. 

A photoshoot with this girl was a dream in August, definitely the highlight. So happy to get back together with her and so honored to take her senior photos!



August moon if ever I saw one. That night we all traipsed down the road to watch it rise. It was a beauty.


Went to my first college football game in September. I was kind of half cheering for School of Mines and half for Black Hills State. One of the receivers was a guy Dad had in highschool and we watched him play basketball. School of Mines won, but it was a good game. Huge rivalry going on there!


October's finest found us on our trip to Spearfish Canyon and into Wyoming for a little family getaway. It was so nice.



And my darling friend sent me a wonderful autumn box just in time for NaNoWriMo! It included this adorable hat and scarf and much, much more. I don't deserve that girl.


photo by Jayme
November was National Novel Writing Month. I wrote ahead for two weeks because I was off to California to see these girls.
photo by Jayme
And go to the best wedding ever!



Love you, Emily!


December was the craziest December I can remember. We were all glad for Christmas break to happen and to get two full weeks off. We had a lovely, restful, game-playing Christmas, full of love and holly and jolly-ness, Advent and Christ. New Year's Eve especially was so happy and full of laughter. It's easy to forget everyday ordinary blessings, Christmas reminds me how much I love my family and my home.
Happy New Year to you all.Much love,Kayla

3 More Favorite Christmas Books

While looking through my bookshelves the other day, and getting ready to clean my room, I happened upon three books I hadn't read in years. I had almost completely forgotten I had them. And they all happened to be Christmas books. I knew I must add them to my list. So here you are . . .


Mary's Treasure Box, Carolyn Kramlich
My mama got this book for me when I was seven. When my dad was a truck and bus driver and gone for several days sometimes, I remember, quite vividly, snuggling in bed with Mama and asking her to read this book to me. I'll love it for always. Not only because it made me think about Mary and her family outside the bounds of the Christmas story, but because it has lessons I've never forgotten.



The Quiet Little Woman, Louisa May AlcottGrandma got me this book, and I don't think I appreciated Patty's character as much as I do now. She's so special in so many ways. This is a small, illustrated version, but it is beautiful. I wish all books looked like this.
The Legend of the Candy Cane, Lori WalburgThis was given to my sister, but I love it just as much as she does. Particularly because of the illustrations, too, it could be a small, western town in my neck of the woods, and partly because of the story of the candy cane.

Merry Christmas, it's almost here!

My Favorite Christmas & Winter Books

Christmas in My Heart, Joe Wheeler
There must be dozens of these books filled with short stories about Christmas, and I haven't read all the stories in the ones we have. But these are our most favorite, most traditional things to read.
Favorite stories include:
The Jubilee Agreement
The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth
Charlie's Blanket
The Bells Didn't Ring
A Certain Small Shepherd
Trouble at the Inn
Candle in the Forest



A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
No Christmas Complete without it.



The Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp
A Christmas devotional about God's great gift shown through the entire history of the Bible. A sincere and joyful celebration of Advent.


A Season of Gifts, Richard Peck
No one is better at capturing sentimental, reminiscent Christmas spirit than Richard Peck. This one features Grandma from his other books, one of my favorite literary characters.




White Snow, Bright Snow, Alvin Tresselt
Wonderful children's story that captures the mysteriousness of the first snow fall.


Owl Moon, Jane Yolen
Favorite childhood book right there. Must have be why I love winter. Owls and snow.



Mandy, Julie Andrews Edwards
If you're looking at the cover you must be thinking, "Huh?" Mandy is about a little orphan girl who keeps a secret cottage all to herself. A summer story mostly. But this book includes one of my most favorite Christmas scenes, that's why I've numbered with the others.


The Winter Prince, Elizabeth Wein
Arthurian fantasy about the sons of Artos, Lleu and Medreut. A very deep look into the lives of them both. Includes an early Briton Christmas scene and traditions.


The Birds' Christmas Carol, Kate Douglas Wiggin
Prepare your hearts for Christmas, but if read this, prepare them to be broken. Still, one of my favorite stories to read at Christmas time.



It might be a little quiet around here next week, but . . .

Lots of love & Merry Christmas, everyone!
Let's chat! What are some of  your favorite Christmas books & why do you love them?

The Stages of Editing Pt. 1 - Developmental Stage

Oh, yes. Our favorite part of the writing process: Editing.

This is daunting task for everyone after the creative melt down in November.

Let the Manuscript Rest
Let it rest for a minimum of 6 weeks, if you can. You need to let your brain take a break from the story world so you can return to it with a fresh eye.

The Developmental Stage is the first stage you should go through to really develop your story further. It can take anywhere from a few months to a year. Scary. But I love this stage, it's where part of you begins to believe there is actually some hope for yourself as a writer and maybe for the story!


DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE

Re-read your entire work, start to finish, and develop the material you have.

NaNoWriMo novels especially can be very sparse due to the hurried rush we feel when writing. So go through, scene by scene, and develop each one to its full extent. Even though you may have already developed much of the story beforehand, this is where you get to make it even better.

1. Develop Characters
This is the place to perfect the tone and atmosphere each character brings to the story. The little things you just didn't have time to put in before - the idiosyncrasies that make each character who they are, the little extra oomph to that funny, relieving moment, or that heartbreaking reveal - this is the time to put them in. If your antagonist's power is not as scary or poignant as it should be, add and take away to the scene until it is everything it should be. Same with every other moment in the story.

2. Develop Plot
Fix the plot holes. Plot holes are anything within the plot that doesn't add up at the end or make sense to the rest of the story. Such as continuity: in the beginning a minor character was called Hannibal, but it was switched to Linus later on. Or you begin writing a scene in the morning and a few sentences later the characters are admiring the moon. If a subplot, such as the mentor's backstory, was not finished satisfactorily, you need to add detail and bring it to a satisfying close. Do the same with other things pertaining to your plot.

3. Write Transition Scenes
There's a whole world of transition scenes that, if you were running low on time, you might have skipped to write the big, major events of your story. This can leave some wide gaps and jumps between scenes and events. Fill these in wherever you feel there's a need for some explanation so that one scene flows smoothly and freely into the next.

4. Develop the Setting
If you don't have a clear picture of your setting neither will your readers. If you're writing in a historical setting, such as the 1920s Appalachian Mountains, and you still don't have a good idea about what it really looks like, or you didn't have time to really develop it before, now's the time to go in and develop all those descriptive moments. Cut the lifeless garble, and really draw your readers into the world.

Go through each scene setting, the obscure room in the castle where your antagonist and protagonist are having it out, a closet, the blacksmith shop - stop and take the time to really look at it. What props and door knobs were just a little blurry before that you could develop to add to the overall effectiveness of each moment? What natural view could you develop that could add some metaphorical insight to the protagonist's journey?

5. Cut & Rewrite
Otherwise known as Kill Your Darlings. If something does contribute to the overall story, if it's in there just because you love it and it serves no purpose or meaning to the actual story and the plot - it has to go. I hate this. I hate this. But it must be done. Never be satisfied with the first idea that pops into your head. Over the years I've come to discover that you usually think of something bigger and brighter and more exciting if you just keep thinking about it. That's what the Developmental stage is for. And many times you have to write an entire scene before the idea you want to convey really becomes clear. At which point, you must rewrite it for it to make any sense. This also must happen in the developmental stage.

Save the darlings, though. Who knows, you may be able to resurrect them for a future story.

The Steps of a Soldier

It's 40 degrees and the sky looks like snow.

We climb a hill and drive through the curving grounds of the Hot Springs VA, the veteran's town.
Today we're at another cemetery. It's nestled on a sloping green hill, surrounded by pines. There aren't very many people here, just a handful to put wreaths on the graves of those who've given . And it's the veteran's town? Where is everyone?





Actually, it's me who's thinking I can't believe I'm here when I wish I could be in bed, sleeping off the work week, getting away from people. It's me who got out of bed and hauled my camera out to a cemetery because my little brother looked disappointed when I said I wasn't coming. It's me who's selfish and I knew I should have worn some warmer shoes.



And then the boys line up, straight blue uniforms of the Civil Air Patrol. The young, ruddy cheeked boys with strong steps and sharp turns, braving 40 degrees and wind with bits of snow.

They're holding the wreaths to be placed for every branch of the service, for the MIAs and the POWs. They've not seen war or watched their friends be killed, they've not yet had to think about their families oceans away from them, and what they're doing so far apart. My brother is standing there, too. He's not crossed that threshold. And "the first casualty of war is innocence."


The veterans line up. The Army. The Coast Guard. The Marines. Merchant Marines. Navy. The Air Force. They know this, they've lived and breathed this. And they're here again, braving the cold and the wind because they've crossed this threshold and they've seen the other side. They've said good-bye to all they love and they've returned while their friends did not. And what is harder, I don't know--never returning or living on without those who will never come back.






He reads the ceremony straight from a couple of pages. A large voice the wind cannot deafen. And one by one the cadets lay the wreaths in the arms of the veterans. Their strides are sure, corners neat and sharp, their heels clicking, their about-face swift. Their salutes these slow, sincere, unmistakable military "thank you's." They give this wholehearted embrace of . . . everything. Of life, of death, of duty and country. This long and practiced procedure that I can't help but feel this sorrowful bit of pride for. That I can't help crying for. Because I can see it, in every step they take.



The veterans--they take the wreaths and secure them on the stands. Their steps less sure, their corners less quick, and you can't hear the click of their heels, nor do they about-face as eagerly as the young. One man walks with a cane, and the frail, wobbling steps of the last man tells stories of the years that have been lived before you. But you cannot mistake the salutes and you cannot take it from them. That they're standing on a hill, and they know, and the world doesn't show up, but they're here regardless. The world may turn stagnant to praise of them, but there they will be, saluting the dead, dying for the living. You can't mistake the steps of a soldier.

My heart's this sagging lump inside as I see my brother with an arm full of wreaths, standing over graves, this straight and tall boy-man in a uniform. In all his sixteen-year-old glory he's saluting.

History of the Blog + new things & some stuff

It was my blog's seventh birthday this past July! I was busy with a book release, though and I forgot about it! But I'd like to celebrate now with how I got started. Mostly to remind myself about where I came from, how much has changed, and what I can look forward to.

HOW I GOT STARTED
2008: The Song of My Soul is created. Mostly as a creative outlet where I could post about my family adventures and share the pictures I loved to take. (And keep up with my other blogger friends) That summer my younger sister was diagnosed with Crohns Disease. I took most of my pictures on a Sony recorder.

2009: I bought my first digital point and shoot with graduation money and I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time! By day I was the shy, quiet, awkward girl who liked staying home and hugging animals, and smiling to hide the fact I was afraid strangers would talk to me. By night, I was, and still am, a writer. Though writing routines have drastically changed.

2010-2013: I journey deeper into the blogging world, my new camera inspiring me with blog post ideas everyday. Writing mainly for friends and family, I never really sought to gather a following. I was content to share with those I loved.You can find everything from our grand family dress-up parties to the birth of baby goats! I write a book every year for NaNoWriMo and continue to dream about the day I'll be published.

2014-Present: I don't like to say I lost my job, because really I did not. The majority of my work ended August of 2014 and I decide to pursue a career in Independent Publishing! Better late than never, right? I knew it would be hard, and July 2015, with a lot of hand-wringing and head-holding, and love and support from friends and family, I released a small novelette, The Life and Death of Terry Dodd. There was much confusion, frustration, some tears, some fits and discontent. I can't say I've got it right or that I'm finally headed in the right direction. I've still got a long way to go, lots of headaches to conquer, but my goal is to follow my passion and not the results.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND ON THE BLOG TODAY
I still blog about the beauty of my Lord and Savior, my wonderful family, and share my photos. But these days you'll also find:
Writing tips - Things I've learned while writing, answers to questions I've never found a satisfactory answer to, mentoring(I'll help you with any writing questions you may have) and doing the best I can to serve and encourage you.News about books - mine and others!Free e-books - So I have this hope of making available for free all of the non-fiction I write. My first ever Free e-book, Outlining Your Novel For NaNoWriMo, is about structuring your novel for either NaNoWriMo or any other noveling project you have going. I also talk about Writer's Block, character creation, and there are work sheets in the back. Follow this link to join my email list and receive your copy free.A place where writers can feel safe. Where they know they'll be helped and cared for no matter what they write, how they write it, or who they are in real life.So that's a bit about where I've come from, where I've been, and where I'm going. I know there will be more surprises, more headaches, and more goodness up ahead. I hope you can find encouragement and inspiration from these small, messed-up, ring-around-the-rosy beginnings of mine.

A distant relative of mine once said,

Writers may be disreputable, incorrigible, early to decay or late to bloom but they dare to go it alone. -John Updike

Never despise beginnings, my friends. You won't get anywhere without them.

Love, Kayla

How to Make a Prairie Christmas Tree

Ingredients: SawGarden clippersOld bucketOne branchDirtChristmas misc. & music

Find one leafless branch. Conical shaped are best, but any branch will do.
Use saw to cut from tree.
Use garden clippers to trim longer stems and give it more shape.




Fill old bucket with dirt. Or mud will do, if it's the only thing on hand.
Press tree branch into the center of bucket and press dirt tightly around base.


Pick out a string of lights. May be multicolored, but homey and comforting are best.
String to tree branch and watch as it unfolds into a prairie Christmas tree.


Time for ornaments.
Don't forget to switch on Christmas carols. Old time favorites are usually Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
Classic and old fashioned ornaments are best, but use what's preferred or on hand.
Make sure you have plenty of ornament hooks.




Don't forget the star. May use a lighted star, but simple is always better.


Continue adding selected ornaments and listening to Christmas music until tree is completely decorated.


Add some happy, old fashioned, rustic looking angels . . .


Plug in the lights . . .


Grab some cocoa, sit back and enjoy. If available, fire and hearth and snuggle buddy will add to the Christmas-y, prairie atmosphere. Use as recommended, apply as desired to achieve warm, loving, peaceful wait for Christ's coming.

Merry Christmas.

Love,
Kayla

I Need Your Help - Survey

It's been a little quiet around here. November does that. Especially when you're a writer, eh?

But now, it's December! Christmas and New Year planning are headed straight for us. So I'd like to get a little head start.

I want to do some big things in 2016. I want to get to you know YOU most of all, and I want to help you MORE. But I need your help . . .

WOULD YOU TAKE THIS SHORT SURVEY TO HELP ME DECIDE WHAT 2016 SHOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THIS BLOG? CLICK HERE!

It's only 4 questions and you get multiple choice answers! 
Whether you are a book lover, writing lover, art lover, or stalker, I want your input on how I can help you better!
Merry Christmas.

Did you use Outlining Your Novel For NaNoWriMo? Would you like to take this quick survey here to tell me how I can help you better?

Books to Read This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. The last few breaths of autumn before the first snows of winter. A renewal of thankfulness for the greatest gift of all.

Here's a few of my Thanksgiving season favorites:

Molly's Pilgrim
We still read this to each other on Thanksgiving. A touching reminder of where we came from and what we should work towards for our children.













An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving
I love Louisa May Alcott's world. There's nothing else that has the ability to take me back to times long ago with authenticity and tenderness. The movie adaption is also a family must-watch for Thanksgiving Night.













Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607
Not really about Thanksgiving and not really about the Pilgrims. So why am I listing it? It's one of the best books I've read about what the New World was like, from the view point of a character based an actual boy who was part of Jamestown. 



One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
There's no better book to inspire thankfulness than the beauty of truth Ann Voskamp captures. 



Oh, There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays - Perry Como