Pages From My Journal

  I can't post a picture of my foster sister, but I can post a picture of  her favorite character : ) I've grown up watching Hallmark Christmas movies and enjoying how they made me laugh and cry. As I got older, I began to despise the stories. Predictable, unrealistic, sappy. Lives intertwine right around around Christmas time. Kids repair broken marriages. Letters mend hearts. Timing always works out. "Christmas Miracles" never seemed real or probable because of those movies.  My foster sister left our home 9 months ago. For the last 6 months she has been almost completely out of touch. I've only seen her once. I never expected to see her again. She was gone. We weren't her home anymore.  Two weeks ago, I was driving into the parking lot of a funeral. A friend of mine got hit by a car crossing the street after youth group the week before. I was sad, but then all of a sudden, I get a text from my mom. "B is coming here toni...

    I started my current story, Ideal Lies, last year, and this time, I decided to make it a trilogy. This story is a mix between dystopian and utopian. Living in the idealistic northern Ideal States of America, two teenagers are caught believing in an imperfect religion and go on the run as criminals to rescue their stolen family.     How I managed to keep this to myself until now, I'm not sure : )     Writing a series of any kind was something I'd never done before. I quickly found out that I needed a way to keep track of all the facts. I tried memory. My memory failed.  I tried little notes. I lost them. I tried computer files. It took me too long to find what I needed. So, with nothing else to do ... I created a fact manual. I spent hours gleaning the information from my memory, notes, and files. I created new documents and organized facts so I could put it all together in one cohesive notebook. I documented everything tha...

      I was putting together my lesson plans for my 4th Grade Creative Writing class and I saw "Archetypes" as the next subject to address. I was so excited!   I hadn't used them until my current book, but now I can spend hours studying their fascination.              Archetypes are a single word that acts as a pattern or model that helps in character development.   They help in creating variety and creativity. Choosing the right ones take time, but trust me it's worth it. Here is why I like them.  They give you insight on what the character is going to believe --what do they see as the most important thing in life? They give you an idea of what the character might stand up for-- what do they value--what matters most--what would they risk there life for? They give you a glimmer of what the character's attitude would be-- how to they respond to different situations--what is the...

   Anticipating the arrival of my big sister, I gathered a bunch of art supplies and little brother. It's always fun coloring with a two year old. ~Aly