Robin Takes The Scenic Route

May 2020 Writing Challenges Week 4

5/22/2020

I've come to the final week of challenge updates. I'm going to make this as short as possible and hope to keep it simple, too. So without further ado, let's get to those responses!

#1WordPromptChallenge Days 22 - 31

I didn't get to do any of the prompts for this challenge this week. I'm actually bummed about it. I may take on this challenge next month, just to help me keep up with editing. But I'll have to see how things go during the other parts of my schedule.

#WIPSoundtrack2020 Days 22 - 23

There were only two days left of this one:

Day 22 - Resolution - "Midnight Sun" by The Choir - Click here to see the lyrics on Genius Lyrics because the words are so fitting for my MC. It's definitely her theme song. She's so determined, even to the point of recklessness. She'll have to leave that recklessness behind to take on the role she's meant to play.
Day 23 - End Theme - I didn't share an end theme by the last date of the challenge, but I did want to find one. I have a whole playlist for Surge which I use while I'm writing. Songs evoke certain feelings and I find it helps me get into the right frame of mind for writing certain scenes. I found "Angel" (feat. Julie Elven) by R. Armando Moribito in my list already and it fit so well for the feeling of the current ending. Whether that ending will remain as it is, that's kind of up in the air.

#CandleloversMay20 #MindfulnessMay Days 22 - 31

I didn't get to post photos on IG for most of these prompts, but I can still offer some suggestions for you based on those prompts. I've linked to Goodreads pages where possible.

Day 22 - Food - I couldn't help but share my favorite cookbook, The Redwall Cookbook based on the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. The Great Redwall Feast is a children's picture book also by Brian Jacques and the illustrator, Christopher Denise, just really makes both these book come to life in such a beautiful way. Our favorite recipes in the cookbook have been Stones Inna Swamp, Crispy Cheese 'n Onion Hogbake (which I can't eat anymore :( ), Afternoon Tea Scones, Shrimp 'n Hotroot Soup (which I also can't eat anymore), and Veggible Molebake (which I now have to modify). The best thing about this cookbook is that it's divided into seasons. There's a story to read as you change to a new season. I highly recommend both of these books whether you have children or not. I enjoy them for the richness of the story and the pictures. But my kids enjoyed them for the fun.
Day 23 - Self-Love - The best form of self-love in my opinion is taking care of your inner person. For me, this is a spiritual and religious action. I focus mainly on biblical scriptures to help me with this, so I'll recommend to you the books Awaken by Priscilla Shirer and All in All Journaling Devotional by Sophie Hudson. I found both to be really helpful, offering poignant insights, real-life events to which I could relate, and an upbeat, joyful feeling overall. The first book would work really well for working women. The second is geared more toward younger women in the teen and college age range.
Day 24 - Magic - I don't read as many magic-filled books as I used to. It's not for lack of interest in the realm of wonder and faerie, but I just don't feel I have the time to devote mentally. But if you have not read The Demon Prince of Momochi House by Aya Shouoto, then you should check it out. My youngest is devouring the manga series right now and I'm so happy to have found a common reading ground with her. She struggles so much, being dyslexic, but these seem to be easier for her to read and understand. The pictures help, I think. :)
Day 25 - Rest - This book is always on my 'currently reading' list. It's more of a reference book for me. If you're a Christian and you feel your dreams mean something, this is a great book for you. My sister recommended it to me and I recommend it to you: Understanding the Dreams You Dream by Ira Milligan. There are so many dream interpreters out there and not many of them serve the God of the Bible. It's very hard to find these kinds of references in modern-day Christianity because there's a stigma against such things in the church. But there were several people in the Bible who had dreams and also had them interpreted. It's not something to be taken lightly, nor do I think it's something you should base your whole life and practice on. Rather, dreams can be a way God communicates with His children, a way for you to know something God is telling you. Who better to interpret that than yourself by using scripture? And before anyone even considers asking, I do not interpret dreams for others. That for me would be shaky ground indeed.
Day 26 - Hobbies - Simply Handmade: 365 Easy Gifts You Can Make by Meredith Press & Carol Field Dahlstrom - I bought this book years ago and there are so many fun crafts between the covers. I haven't even tried 75% of them yet, but they are indeed beautiful handmade gift patterns you can recreate to give someone special a special gift that matches their personality.
Day 27 - Hope - One good story filled with hope is Echoes of the Gidat by Emé Savage. It's a self-published fantasy novel that I truly enjoyed reading. If self-published makes you think 'badly edited, hard to read, choppy plot progression' and other horrific experiences, let me put your mind at rest. You'll find none of that here. Yes, there are a few typos, but they won't pull you out of this riveting tale. It does move a bit more slowly than other fantasy novels I've read but that fits the tale she's weaving with her series. Think of it as a tale told round the firepit among family or friends. It reads almost like a bardic tale so that description fits, I think. Anyway, I hope you'll give it a try.
Day 28 - Sunshine - Wild Remedies by Rosalee de la Forêt & Emily Han - I love incorporating holistic remedies and holistic living into my routines. I found that after altering my diet and drastically reducing the amount of HFCS and artificial additives in my diet, my asthma attacks came less often and were much more manageable. Any time I have a chance to catch a webinar on holistic living, I hop on it. The last one I attended offered a discounted price on this book and I can't wait to dig into the text.
Day 29 - Color - Fairie-ality Style: A Sourcebook of Inspiration From Nature by David Ellwand - I think I found this beauty on the bargain shelf at Hastings Book Store over ten years ago. I love the gorgeous photographs and color blends it contains. Though it's listed at 'want to read' on my Goodreads page, there's not much to 'read' at all. It's mostly pictures and color strips for artists and designers.
Day 30 - Gifts - Kingdom Above the Cloud by Maggie Platt - This indie book is awesome because I won it in a giveaway and it came with a couple of little gifts: a bookmark, a sticker, and a lovely little map. I can't wait to dig into this book, too. :)
Day 31 - Wrap-Up - I don't even know what a wrap-up for this type of challenge is for. Last time I share a book stack including lots of little books one might give to graduates or retirees. But I'm opting out this time.

#EpisodicLines Days 22 - 31

For days 22 - 24, I'll list character and item from left to right, top to bottom.

Day 22 - Enneagram # - Kol/1-Reformer; Edrea/9-Peacemaker; MC/7-Enthusiast; Serafin/5-Investigator; Se Lyn/5-Investigator; Binya/2-Helper; Outh'n/8-Challenger; & Eiva/3-Achiever
Day 23 - Astrology - (character/zodiac/chinese zodiac) - Kol/virgo/ox; Edrea/virgo/tiger; MC/taurus/horse; Serafin/cancer/rooster; Se Lyn/saggitarius/ram; Binya/pisces/dog; Outh'n/cancer/tiger; Eiva/capricorn/rat
Day 24 - Character Flaws - Kol/hyperfocused on tradition; Edrea/aloof; MC/impulsive & over-confident; Serain/little patience for careless, reckless behavior; Se Lyn/resists change; Binya/too blunt, sometimes tactless; Outh'n/low self-esteen, over-compensates; Eiva/contemptuous, excessively proud
Day 25 - Self/Trad/Episodic Publishing - If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you already know I am a self-published author who does most of the work myself because of a very strict budget. I have to work even harder to make sure my manuscripts are the best they can be for my readers.
Day 26 - Getaway Car - I didn't get to share the aesthetic I created for Kol Udota a couple of years ago when this prompt came around. I did find it in time to share it here, though. I hope you enjoy it. Kol is my MC's getaway car. They don't have actual automobiles in my world, but there are wagons and beasts who carry people from place to place. Those are not really found on Yacan. The inhabitants of Yacan just walk or run where they need to go.
Day 27 - Twitter Theme! Dreams - No post for this prompt, but Outh'n Durr is the only person who has a dream in this book.
Day 28 - Nightmares - Outh'n's dream is also a nightmare. In a strange twist, he only has this nightmare prior to something good happening in his life. He welcomes the nightmare because it portends good.
Day 29 - Hope - All the inhabitants of Yacan are hoping my MC will rise to the challenge and take on her role as Serafin.
Day 30 - Fears - If my MC fails, Edrea and therefore Yacan are doomed to die. It wouldn't happen immediately, but it would happen within a few minsikin at the very most.
Day 31 - Share Your Links! - You can find all my links on my landing page: Finding MKRM. It's at the top of this page, or you can click here to get there.

Overall, this month has not been my best. I don't think I worked on any revisions at all, though I did work a little on the characters and get to know them a bit better. The Episodic Lines challenge really honed my focus on that, so I think it was a good choice for me this month.
With all I have to do over the summer, I may skip writing challenges if they don't encourage me to edit and just keep everyone updated with my progress from post to post. I've participated in so many challenges since 2017 and I think I'm ready for something new.
Wednesdays will now be back to only book reviews and Fridays will be dedicated mostly to updates. These will show up as I am able to post them. Weebly is making things seriously difficult. I'm not looking forward to setting up and learning a new system, but what else can I do? I have to have a more efficient online workspace.
I'm definitely working on transferring my site. I'm also going to look into removing my physical books from publication until I can get them published through Draft2Digital. That should give me some time to do another read-through to pick up errors I missed on the last run. If you read my book and noticed errors, I'd love to hear from you. It would really help streamline the process.
Goals for June?