Our Journey So Far #40: OH, MY GOSH

Alright. I think I need to come out of the hole I'm in and start talking again. I'm sure you are all wondering whether or not I'm dead. Okay, maybe not, because I'm still posting on my Tumblr (penegrace.tumblr.com). 

How is my manuscript? Ahh...

Advice For Writers #39: Quote

This post is going to be short. How short? Well, you'll see it underneath this cut. 

Weekly Muse #38: My Playlist is Awesome

Hey guys. It has been a long, long time since I have made a blog post. But when I was looking through my playlist of songs I listen to whenever I write, I realized how much it has evolved and changed. 

So here is my favorite songs I love to listen now. Top five, in no particular order. (That sounds a bit weird. But honestly, I have about a few dozen new songs to listen to.) 

Update.

Ahhh! I apologize for not updating and posting as frequently as I should had. Forgive me for my stupid, hectic, and crazy schedule for this month, next month, and probably for the rest of the year. 

I'll spare everyone the rant. I'm afraid I will start pulling ugly words out of thin air like a magician. 

Thanks!

-Penelope 

(One more word: ALWAYS KEEP WRITING!!!) 

Our Journey So Far #39: TBQ Again

Hey, it is Penelope. Again. 

Advice For Writers #38: How To Keep Focusing On Your Writing

Ha! It is Penelope again. How many of you all can stay focused on your writing? Well, it is easy to go off and look something up on YouTube. (I can't get enough of Kevin Conroy's singing.) 

Let's admit it. It isn't easy to remain focused and motivated. Everyone has a certain attention span, and others are shorter while some are longer. 

Our Journey So Far #38: Penelope

Wow. It has been a crazy month so far. July shows no signs of stopping, and I swear that everything and everyone has it out for me. Do I have a red-painted target on my back? Nope. 

Yes, it is weird that I'm posting "Our Journey So Far" on a Thursday, but I'm very late. 

Our Journey So Far #37: I'm Back!

Alright, so here is the scoop: Alex Steele (also known as Shay from The Story Goes...) has left Grace & Steele. I'm not going to be changing the url, and I'm the one who is going to be blogging now. Because I'm the only admin here, fewer posts will be going up each weeks. 

See under the cut for more details...

About: Grace & Steele

Hi! It's Penelope again, and on behalf of Grace & Steele, I want to say that we are going to take a small break (one to two weeks) to reevaluate the blog. Thanks for being with us, readers. 

Happy Writing!

Weekly Muse #37: Playlist Again

I love my playlist. I have a playlist on Youtube, and I simply love to put it on repeat. A lot of the songs come from Coldplay, One Republic, Imagine Dragons, and some indie artists. Here are my top favorites underneath the cut. 

Advice For Writers #37: Just Live

How many of you guys are tempted to simply write all day and night? I know I am. I love dunking my head into different places, places where I can spend a million dollars and not get there. 

Our Journey So Far #35: Penelope, Again

Hello, everyone!

So I'm suddenly assaulted by a plot bunny. It isn't wonderful (well, it is), because I'm working on TBQ's rewrite (which I'm so desperate to avoid). 

The name of my novel is... About A Queen.

Please note that this is a working title. I'm still trying to see whether or not this title would work. I'd done this story before, and I gave up on it. Originally, it is supposed to be a retelling of "Snow White." Now, I'm thinking of making it much more loosely based on that tale. 

The changes...

-This might be going into New Adult territory. 
-There is a twist.
-Someone is going to die, but maybe not the evil stepmother. (Oops!) 

The characters...

-Pamola (Or Pamela) Queen: She is the narrator, and she might be about twenty years old (which is a bit older than what I usually work with). Determined and assured of herself, she is the kind of lady no one likes to cross in the middle of the dark alley. 
-Margaret "Peggy" Queen: Narrator's mother, and loves to change her name like how a supermodel changes outfits. The next day, she would be called "Sara." Or "Diana." 

That is what I have so far. So what do you guys think?

Weekly Muse #35: Animals

Animals most certainly inspire me in different ways. In literature, they are used as symbolism. Sometimes, they are used as familiars to narrators and especially, characters.

Advice For Writers #35: So Now What?

Camp NaNoWriMo is over (for now). So what does one do now? I know I've probably written a version of this post, but I think repetition would definitely hit everyone in the head. Multiple times. 

So what do we do now?

Okay, first of all, if you aren't finished with NaNoWriMo, finish it. If you can't bring yourself to write it (because of a lack of inspiration, not a lack of determination), then you don't finish it. 

You put it aside. Let it sit. Let it cool down. Let yourself be removed from it, so when you start editing it, you'll be able to see it in a much better light. 

You let it sit. 

You let it sit for a long time, until a month has passed and you feel like visiting the world again. 

Then you read it. You read it again. You read it again and again. You notice the plot holes. You notice the strange words you used. You notice the lack of a good transition. You take notes. You take A LOT of notes. 

That is when you start rewriting again. Because it is a freakin' long process. But don't worry. You are getting closer to the final product. Every step is a step closer to its perfection.

Happy Writing!

Our Journey So Far #33: Penelope Grace

So, it is a busy week. Camp is closing up, and there are only a few days left! Yay, I hope you all finished your novels or are close to being finished with it.

Weekly Muse #33: Playlist Time!

Now, I'm a hurry, because there are a bunch of things to do (a list from A to Z) and I can't quite seem to finish anything (probably because I was watching Atonement and Miss Congeniality). So I'm going to list my playlist for writing The Lost Princess' fourth/fifth draft. 

Well, technically I started the fourth draft and then abandoned it because I didn't like it at all. Then I started again and called it the fifth draft. That is how it went. 

Playlist? 

Okay, here we go. Five with comments and five without. 

1. "Outside" by Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris
My comments: I like "Outside" because I like how it sounds. It totally reminds me of "Summer" and some other hits from Calvin Harris. (Yes, it sounds similar, but it gets writing, so I don't really care.) 

2. "A Team" by Ed Sheeran 
My comments: You all think I'm nuts for liking a song that is terribly sad (to me). Yes, it is depressing, and the lyrics are horrible (in the feels), but it sounds really good. Soft. The kind of song that reminds me of a heartbreak. 

3. "Geronimo" by Sheppard 
My comments: I have no idea what the lyrics are (haven't looked it up) or what the song means, but it sounds really good. 

4. "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift
My comments: Taylor Swift? Give me, give me! 

5. "Budapest" by George Ezra 
My comments: It is one of the softer songs that picks up the tempo and just makes me dance. 

6. "Your Mess is Mine" by Vance Joy
7. "Hold Back The River" by James Bay
8. "Come a Little Closer" by Cage the Elephant
9. "Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant
10. "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole

So what songs are on your playlist?

Happy Writing!

Advice For Writers #33: Panic Attacks

I have one of the worst panic attacks of all times. Well, maybe not, but to me, it certainly feels like I'm suffering through a 6.0 earthquake while trying to do tap dancing. 

So how to deal with panic attacks?

Our Journey So Far #31: Penelope Grace

Camp is still going on strong. You haven't joined? That is okay. There is still time to join. Or... you can listen to me moan and groan about how much I have to do this April? 

Or both! 

A Wordy Gift #6: Inverse

Alright. So Camp NaNoWriMo is on the move. I'm currently writing "Inverse." So below the cut is the long, lengthy, (unedited) first chapter of "Inverse." It is going to be interesting... Let's see...

"Inverse" is YA Dystopia. It tells the story of a society, which is the inverted version of ours. It is told from the perspective of Jazz, a young student living in a small town located in California.

This is the first chapter. 

Advice For Writers #31: The First Week of Camp

So we are halfway through Camp NaNoWriMo. If you haven't joined Camp, then hurry up and sign up! Come on! Don't be shy. Camp is awesome. You get to meet others like you. In my co-ed cabin (first time I'd ever been in a cabin with boys), there are people from Florida and other such places. Idaho. Many places.