Tag: Writing

Monthly Recaps

March Monthly Recap

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Hello, everyone! Thank you for your patience! Last month, I remarked on how quickly my month went. March did not go as quickly. It seemed like it was taking forever to get finished! I’m sure it was mostly because I was ready for spring break.

Books

This month I finished At Home in Mitford. I LOVED IT! It was such a great book! It had a little of everything I love added in- romance, mystery, and a little adventure. Like I’m sure I said before, it’s a great book if you want to read a relaxing novel. Yes, I did say adventure and mystery, but you need at least a little action, right? Otherwise, it would be a little boring!

I also finished the second book in the series, A Light in the Window. It was just as good as the first, with a little romance and mystery sprinkled in.

Finally, I started the third book in the series. I’ll let you know what I think about it when I finish it.

Writing

So, this month, I got quite a bit of writing done. I wrote almost every day, adding to my book. For my story of the month, I have decided that I’m going to add on to the short story I did last time. But, I am going to do it in a separate post so I can write more than I usually do. Sorry for the delay!

I’m also going to do a new thing next month to help me track my writing. Whenever I write, I’ll set a stopwatch so I can write down in my bullet journal for how long I wrote each day. I’ll add up my time for each week and compare. Then, I’ll add my weekly times together to get my total writing time for the month. It’s just something I wanted to try.

Bullet Journal

So, this month, I decided that before each monthly recap, I would go ahead and get next month’s title page, overview, and trackers done so I can share pictures for next month. For April, I decided to do something spring-ish. I decided on the theme “Secret Garden”. And without further ado, here is my title page.

Next, I did my monthly overview with vines and flowers to complete the “Secret Garden” theme. I have a section for notes on the left page as usual with another section for goals underneath it. On the top left of the right page, I have a section titled, “books”. Here, when I finish a book during April, I write the name down so I don’t forget about it when it’s time for another monthly recap. To the right of that, I have a section titled, “writing”. This is where I will write down the amount of time I wrote each week. Underneath the section for books, I have a section for my blog. This is where I can plan out a post for each week. Underneath the section for writing, I have a section for memories. This where I can write down memories I don’t want to forget. I haven’t decided what to do under the section for my blog yet. I will probably do a quote.

Next, I did my sleep log. Of course, the tree and owl are there to contribute to the theme.

Next is my habit tracker. Nothing new here!

All of these pictures were taken while we were staying at a cabin in Cumberland Mountain State Park. I really enjoyed my spring break! What about you? What did you do for spring break?

Well, that’s all for this week! I hope you come back next Thursday to read my story! Comment or email me if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading! Happy writing!

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 ESV

How to Write a Story

How to Write a Story: Theme

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Hello, friends! How’s it going? This week I’ll discuss what the theme really is and how to choose what yours is going to be. So, let’s get down to business!

The theme is the main message of the story, or what the author is really trying to say. For example, let’s say you decided to write about a girl who is being bullied (I choose this example a lot… I’m not sure why. It’s the first thing that comes to mind, I guess!). What is the main idea or lesson that you’re trying to tell your readers? The theme of this story would probably be something about how it is wrong to bully. As an author, you’re trying to expose your reader to how bad bullying can really be, and that it needs to be stopped. Got it? Let’s talk about finding the theme of your story.

Pull out your plot notes and look through them. Is there an idea that just keeps popping up as you read through them? That would be your theme. Anything that you want to teach your readers is your theme.

There can be more than one theme in a story; there can actually be several. But there are also two types of themes: implicit and explicit. An implicit theme is a theme that you don’t directly state. You use details in your plot, setting, and characters to imply your theme. An explicit theme is directly stated. Ever read one of Aesop’s fables? There’s always a sentence at the end of each story that give you the theme. You can state your theme that way, or you can have one of your characters say it, or come up with some other way.

Another way to think of the theme is as the main idea. Here are a few examples:

  • Love
  • Dreams
  • Power
  • Money
  • Coming of age
  • Building character
  • Good vs. Evil

Those are just a few of the hundreds that are out there. Look it up on the Internet if you still need more examples- I found plenty!

That’s all I’ve got today. If you have any questions or comments, you can comment or send me an email.

Thanks for reading! Happy writing!

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 ESV)