Writing.

This is sort of a brain dump/getting out my frustrations post. 

            As you all know, I have written a novel. It started as more of a hobby, but I now have intentions of attempting to acquire an agent. Just beginning this process is proving to be difficult. I can write 324 single-spaced pages (30 chapters and over 95,000 words), but I'm having the hardest time condensing that into a hook line, which is one sentence that sums up the entire book.

            I can't seem to figure out the perfect details to include. And it must be PERFECT. This is the first thing the prospective agents will see. It must "hook" them in and make them want to read more. If it does, they will read the synopsis. And if they enjoy the synopsis, they will request anything from a chapter to the entire manuscript.

            It's not that I don't understand my novel well enough to come up with a hook line. "A seventeen-year-old girl lives in a dystopian society in which everyone has a supernatural ability and these abilities determine their worth as humans." See, I can describe it in one sentence. The problem is, I understand my novel all too well. I understand that that sentence is merely a description. There is so much more to my novel than that. Somehow, I have to come up with a sentence that reveals enough to make someone want to read it without revealing too much. I must have written a thousand hook lines by now...

"When seventeen-year-old Her Name, who lives in a dystopian society in which the worth of the citizens is determined by their supernatural abilities, learns that she is destined to take on a role of fighting in a rebellion, she must overcome her fear of the government that oppresses her and break down the barriers that prevent her from trusting those who aim to help her in order to discover what she is truly capable of." 

-(Yes, she has a name, but I'm not yet comfortable with posting it).

            I feel like this is the best one yet, but would this make any of you want to read the book? I feel like there is so much more to the book that could draw people in, but I have no idea how to fit into one sentence. I suppose I will just have to keep trying until I feel it's right.

            Even if I never get an agent or never it never gets published, I will still be glad I wrote it. Writing a novel is like reading a book in which everything happens exactly how you want it, even if you never expected it to happen that way. Trust me when I say, I have surprised myself with some of the choices the main character makes and where the story takes her.

           In all honesty though, would any of you read something like this? Be honest. I'm not afraid of criticism. 

Mother's Day 2013.

Our Mother's Day turned out to be more than one day. 

On Saturday my mom brought my sister over for her to stay the night while my mom went to Atlanta with a friend.
I took all three of the kids to a craft store and let them pick out scrapbook paper to make cards for my mom, then we went to the park and had a cookout.

The kids were worn out by the time we got home, so they all fell asleep pretty quickly. And the next morning (Mother's Day), we loaded the kids up to go meet my mom in Atlanta. 

Brentley and Cheyenne slept most of the (2 hour) drive. Grace played with her shoes. She has such an active imagination that anything can be fun for her. 

We all ate lunch and got a special treat... 

This is my mom with all the kiddos. She finally let me take a picture of her! She hates having her picture taken.  

We also went to the Mall of Georgia, which... wow! That is a nice mall! 

Then we drove back home. Which, can I just say, I HATE traffic. Chris was driving, which is fortunate because I had about 500 minor heart attacks on the way there and back. I was literally panicking and on the verge of tears. I had to cover my eyes. People in Atlanta drive like maniacs! Luckily, Chris is a good driver, so he was able to keep us from getting hit. 

Then, this morning, my mom took me to get a mani-pedi with her. It was very relaxing. I'm not thrilled with my nails because the guy didn't understand what I was wanting, but it was still nice to get to spend some one-on-one time with her. 

And later, she watched the kids while Chris took me out. He took me to eat at TGI Fridays, then we walked around Downtown for awhile. And then we ended up getting some ice cream before going to get the kids. It was very nice to spend some time with him because we haven't been out on our own in forever!

Yeah, the sun was in his eyes.

I'm terrified of heights. It doesn't look like it, but we're high up here. My hands were shaking.

So we went to play in the water by the Aquarium instead. 

                                     

This is my foot compared to Chris's lol.

He was swinging from the trees :p

This ice cream was amazing! Cookie dough... my favorite!

                                   

I'm a very bad blogger.

I know I haven't been on here in weeks.
But this is why...

Straight As!!!!!
After three years of college, my GPA is at a 3.8. I miss my 4.0, but I'll take a 3.8!

And also, because I passed all of my classes this semester, I officially have an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education!
It hasn't been processed yet, but the paperwork is in. All they have to do is send me my degree!

According to the statistics, only 1% of those who were teen moms earn a degree by the age of 30. It might have taken me an extra year, but I'm only 21. I'm in the 1%!
And I'm not stopping here. I will be returning in the fall to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. I'll know by the end of the month if I have been accepted into the program, which there's no reason I shouldn't be.
By 2015, I should have two degrees, and I'll only be 23!


Oh, and I hit another milestone. I officially had my first creeper professor this semester. But that's another post for another day.
I promise I will try to be a more active blogger now that the semester is over! I have a free summer, so I should have plenty of time to post!