NaNoWriMo 2014 and Exciting News!

Hello everyone!

Yes I'm still alive, and no I did not completely forget about my blog. It's been a busy year--actually that's an understatement. A lot has happened, some of it not that great, and it resulted in me neglecting Wribie. 

But as you all know NaNoWriMo is around the corner, creative juices are flowing and I thought I would try to start posting blog posts and reviews here again! "Try" being the key word here.

Right now I'm really excited about NaNoWriMo starting again! This blog isn't the only writing I have been neglecting and hopefully I can get some writing progress and perhaps even some sort of writing schedule *hopeful* 

Are you trying NaNo for the first time this year? Or are the jitters coming back and you've quite forgotten how to prepare for next month? Well, that brings me to the exciting news!

A couple of weeks ago I started a book-themed YouTube channel! It's called BooksandLetters, where I chat about books I've read, recommend books, show my insane bookhauls and right now, talk about NaNoWriMo! 

I hope you'll have a look and hopefully I'll see you sooner than... February...March...Apr--eh.. a couple of months (*coughprettymuchayearcough*)

Keep Writing!

The Opportunity of a New Year

The new year for me has always felt like a clean slate. The perfect opportunity to make some drastic changes in your life and to change any bad habits you might have acquired over the past year(s). And for me this is probably why I love the holidays. Not just because you are reminded of how loved you are and how thankful for all the things in your life, but also because I made it up in my mind to be this big event. When really, all it is are the ticking of the clock and fireworks. 

But right now, at the start of 2014, I feel quite different. Because this year there were a lot of bad things I had to go through. Today, I am not the person I want to be and I am utterly different from the person I was two years ago. And just because we now write a little 4 instead of a 3 whenever we have to note down the date, does not mean that I suddenly stopped going through all those things. The love and cheer of the last couple of weeks has not changed everything that was wrong. 

And I suppose I am taking it all a little harder than I thought I would. I still wouldn't want to swap my life with anyone else out there, no matter how happy or successful or loved they might be (or appear to be from the outside). I am happy with my life because it's mine. It just needs a little work. And some changes aren't easy. Some are hard and you have to fight for it and keep fighting even when you are too ill and tired to fight or when you're constantly pushed back when you think you are getting better, or when you do not even understand what is exactly wrong to begin with. 

What I am trying to say with all this rambling, is that I probably shouldn't be too hard on myself. A new year doesn't change anything, it just presents an opportunity. And I still intend to take that opportunity. There just isn't a magic wand that makes it all better once the fireworks go off. 

I have already made some promises to myself for 2014 as I am sure many of you have as well. I've added 75 books to read in 2014 as a challenge again on goodreads and have started anew on my query letter and research for agents. Which is why some more writing tips/chatter might be coming along.

I have also challenged myself to writing 1500 words a day for the whole of January... excepting January 1st because I only thought this thing up yesterday. 

If you want to follow that process, or if you want to join me in trying to write each day (whatever the amount you want) follow me on twitter or via #1500WordsaDay and #amwriting

You can befriend me on Goodreads if you're curious what kinds of books I read by searching for "Noortje de Graaff".  

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2014! May it be filled with lots of writing.
Thank you for sticking with me another year :)

Keep writing!

Xx
Noortje 

Holiday Read Book Review: Holly Claus

It's the Christmas season!! and with my exams finally being over I find myself capable of really enjoying everything I love about this time a year. :) 

Something I've wanted to do for quite a while now but never really found the time to do is book reviews.

And what better way to start then with my favourite holiday read? 

The Legend Of Holly Claus is a book that just screams Christmas and it never fails to bring me in the holiday spirit. I bought it a couple of years back and this year is my third time re-reading it. 



In this wonderful book by Brittney Ryan, Santa Claus is actually the king of Forever, which is the land of the Immortals. Every soul who changed the world in their own way, who selflessly and full of love helped those around them, becomes Immortal and ends up in Nicholas' kingdom. 

One Winter day Nicholas is reading letters from children all over the world and he gets one from a small boy who asks something nobody had ever asked him before: What Santa would like himself for Christmas. A miracle occurs and Nicholas and his wife Viviana are blessed with a child: Holly. 

But the beautiful day of her birth is ruined when an evil being named Herrikhan, who is trapped by the universe because of all the horrible things he has done, hears of Holly and her perfect, loving, selfless heart and puts a curse on her--turning her heart to snow so that it will belong to him alone when she is older. Once he possesses her heart, he will be set free...

The Legend of Holly Claus must by far be the most adorable book I have ever read. It really makes you remember what Christmas used to feel like as a child and reminds you of the wonders if every day things. Holly is a happy innocent and curious child, despite the fact that she has to stay locked up in the castle for most of the year, in her enchanted room where it always snows, so that her cold heart won't melt. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to curl up with a cup of tea on the couch, snow lazily drifting outside, book in your hands. To anyone who wishes to laugh and cry with joy (yes this book nearly made me cry many times), marvel at the breathtaking illustrations and just escape for a few hours in the wonderful and beautiful world of Holly Claus. 


Do you have a favourite holiday read? A book you simply have to read every year to get a complete Christmas? Please share in the comments!

Also let me know if you think I could improve this review and those to come. I have never really done anything like this before :) 

Now it is time for myself to curl up with Holly and later on write some pages of my own :) 

Keep Writing!

Xx Noortje 

Day 30 - Shooting Stormtroopers

Today is November 30th, which you all know marks the last day of NaNoWriMo. It isn't that surprising (to me at least) that I did not win this year. University is tougher than I realized and although last year I managed to hang on by my finger tips and reached the 50.000 mark just in time, this year it just wasn't meant to be.

Aside from my normal studies which are tough enough I also have a monstrous subject at the moment which requires us to do as much homework for each lesson than most subjects ask for a whole week. Plus we had a performance this month.

Not to make excuses, just so that you know what was going on with my life.

I'm not ashamed to say that this month has been really tough on me both mentally and physically. I have never in my life felt this tired for such a long stretch of time. Because of stress I couldn't sleep, think or function properly. I felt like a thousand voices were talking to me at once while someone was shouting questions at you in a language you didn't know and demanding an answer anyway, all the while you were so tense that you felt you wanted to scream. No wonder it was hard to write (or do anything really).

I am much better now. Once I realized what was happening to me I started to create a list of things that calm me down and started to do this every time I felt anxious again. Normally I would include writing but... the voices...
The list include:

- Shooting stormtroopers (aka play Battlefront and shoot, don't think)
- Painting
- Ink drawings (something about drawing lines really calms me down. Resulting in a lot of trees over the last couple of weeks)
- listening to music (anything from calming to really hyper music which strangely clamed me down as well)
- Singing LOUDLY and without shame
- Taking a walk
- Reading

All this to try and keep my thoughts away from school and everything that was waiting for me. Including the Shakespeare performance we had to do yesterday and prepared for, for nearly two months (a blog post on that later).

I think taking these little moments and simply doing something for ourselves, just drinking a cup of tea and thinking of nothing, listening to the Lord of the Rings music and imagining yourself to be in the Shire (very relaxing) is extremely important to keep calm and keep sane. I was so focused on everything I had to do that I forgot about the things I could and wanted to do. I forgot about the little things.

All that being said, I am happy to announced that I just spent two hours writing and managed to at least get half the words!

Final NaNo count: 25.114

That is probably about 24.000 words more than I would have writen this month otherwise. Which goes to show, NaNoWriMo is never a waste!

If you participated how did your NaNo go? And remember we're all winners! :)
If you have any more great relaxation idea's please feel free to post them in the comments!

Keep Writing!

xx Noortje
 

Guilt Post

The last week of Summer holiday is about to start and as I do almost every year: I am freaking out about how little I've done. 

Well not freaking out, per se, more like agonizing: 

Why didn't I write/edit more?
Why didn't I exercise more?
Why didn't I work and earn more money (instead of spending it all)?
Why didn't I read more? Etc. Etc.
Therefore I decided to dedicate today to editing and reading The Shadow of the Wind because Carlos Ruiz Zafón is coming to our local bookstore.

Here's what I've done today:

-Breakfast
-Watch the entire movie UP even though I already know it
- Watch ALL the extras
-Read a bit of Shadow of the Wind (+ points) 
- Lunch
- Edit like ... 2 pages (+?) 
- Watch episode of Two and a Half Men S.9 with my mom
- and another
- and another
- Try and start some writing but spend time on the internet/blogging instead.

Actually this blog post is sort of a guilt post trying to get myself to edit. Have I mentioned I'm not such a big fan of that? 

I love my story and I love how editing makes it better and I even love the idea of editing when I'm not doing it ... but I can never bring myself to edit for a longer period of time without finding distractions. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions out there except for amazing discipline (Which I don't have).

For now the guilt is working and I am very happy about where this story is going. But before I go back to my writing here's a picture I found while wasting time online: 

I WANT THIS!! 

And a picture of my holiday which was awesome! This was taken in the actual Great Hall of Harry Potter! Best day of my entire summer!

Keep Writing!

Xx Noortje 

Fearless

Yesterday, After a gruesome semester and a horrible week filled with finals, I was meeting up with some friends for some well deserved pizza & drinks.  

Due to circumstances I had to wait for more than half an hour at "het Leidseplein" in Amsterdam. I had been there many times before (our favourite pizza restaurant is there as are all the best places to go to concerts) but only passed through the square to wherever I was going at the moment.

While I waited I saw this:

Street musicians. 

I was there long enough to witness two sets of bands. First two men who sang beautiful songs with just two guitars. Then a whole band of guys with their instruments (see the pic).

People stopped. They stopped their busy lives and stood there listening to the music, watching the men perform. Some of them even sat down to enjoy the show. At the end of every song there was applause and CD"s were bought. 

And I couldn't help but wonder how they could be so brave and notice the similarities with writing--sending it to a publisher in particular.

You see writing is like learning how to play an instrument. It takes time, it will most likely suck at the beginning and only slightly resemble some of your favourite books.

Then, if you are serious about writing, after lots of practice, there comes a point where you must make a decision. Am I going to show this to people? 

 

And then comes the inevitable fear: Is it good enough? Will anyone ever like this? Can I make it as a writer? What was I thinking!?!?!?!?!

When the second band came on they seemed nervous, unsure. They were awkwardly tuning or trying out their instrument, looking no one in the eye and people got up and left. Until one of the musicians of the first band urged them on. 

It is the same fear. People could walk away. You could be playing for no one. They could even laugh at you or make fun of you.

Just like you might get a nasty rejection letter. Or someone you showed it to might ask if you're serious, you call this a novel? 

 

But it was good. You could tell that they were enjoying themselves so we stopped and listened. 

It's the same with writing. Believe in yourself, be passionate, have fun. Love your story and chances are others will love it too. Just play that first note, get over your fear. Start playing! 

And as always:

Keep Writing!

Xx Noortje