The Kitchen Sink

All my posts in one convenient place.

NaNoWriMo- The Final Countdown

Posted on by emilylizthompson

It’s the final countdownnnnn! Today is not only Thanksgiving, but just two days until the end of NaNoWriMo. Looking back, this month has been a mixture of productive nights and afternoons stuck staring at a blank page. Through it all, I’ve had the encouragement of my friends and family helping me battle against my procrastinating-tendencies to keep going. While I will not finish at the 50,000 word goal, I have done a lot that makes me proud.

At the beginning of this month, I wanted to hone in on my characters, expand the plot, and build the world of my story. I feel that I have made strides in the right direction, especially with my story! Each day I got myself to the writing stage, new and interesting things would come up. Why would my main character decide to join a ban of thieves? How does the big reveal and/ or twist occur? The seeds of ideas planted themselves in my brain, and I can’t wait to see where they’ll take me next.

Writing a story is like pouring a small piece of yourself into a living, breathing, art form that others can then read. Basically, it’s horcrux. I never had anyone read the writing I worked on this month, but I did talk it through with a few people. They offered great questions and insight that helped me fill in some of the cracks. My sister was my champion in this area. We’re often on the phone for long stretches of time, so I decided to fill it with my story ideas. She would patiently sit and listen to me blab for thirty minutes about something I wanted to expand upon, and ask me some questions that sent my brain buzzing with ideas. Thanks Twin! You’re the best.

With these new ideas and a deeper insight into a few of my characters and their relationships with one another, I feel like I’ve accomplished the heart of NaNoWriMo. While it’s mostly about writing an entire novel of thirty days, it’s also about growing in your skills and learning new things about the writing process. I hope that I can use the skills I’ve gained this month and apply them into 2020.

I hope to finish this challenge with 20,0000 words under my belt. With only 2,791 words left before I hit that mark, it seems like a possibility. To me, hitting 20,000 words will be an exciting win. Last year I only wrote 6,000, so it would be over 2x the amount of words! The idea of it is very exciting. However, I still have around three days until the challenge is over. Counting my chickens before they hatch would be a bad idea. Until the final day, I’ll keep on truckin’ and hope for the best.

Good luck to all my fellow participants as we get into the last few days! How did your NaNoWriMo go? Are you hoping to expand your story after November ends? Let me know in the comments below!

5 Relatable GIFs For Readers

Posted on by emilylizthompson

In this modern world of Snapchat and Instagram stories, visual forms of communication are more popular than ever. One of the most popular, and greatest in my opinion, are GIFs. They’re relatable, hilarious, and can get your point across without saying a word. The emotions they convey can be perfect for almost any situation. Upset that your team lost again? There’s a GIF for that. Excited because your best friend got a promotion? Cue the happy dance GIFs. When it comes to readers or book addicts, the options are endless. There’s a GIF for everything from discovering your new favorite couple, to finishing a series and not knowing what to do with yourself. Here are five of those GIFs that have readers saying, “can relate”.

  1. Packing your books for a trip.
via GIPHY

When the time comes for a book lover to go on a trip, how can they just bring one book? Blasphemy! We, like Merlin, love bringing options for any mood or situation. Sadly, magical packing skills and bottomless bags aren’t something I’m blessed with.

2. Going to the library or bookstore for new books.


via GIPHY

Most readers can relate to Belle, especially in the above GIF. Going to the library or the bookstore is like stepping into a magical word of opportunity. Plus, the smell of books flooding the shop or library is like heaven to a reader’s nose. If my library had one of those ladders, you can bet that I’d be swinging along just like Belle.

3. Trying to explain why you’re obsessed with books.


via GIPHY

Some readers began their love affair with reading later in life, but some have been inhaling books since they could put letters into words. From that day on, the books you read feel like they become a part of you. It’s lovely, especially if you grew up reading something life-changing like Harry Potter or the Narnia series. The best part of all? You can share these amazing stories with the next generation and see how it shapes their world.

4. When you hear someone bad mouthing your favorite character.


via GIPHY

When a reader loves a story, they usually love it deeply. The same can be said for characters. Be it a rouge, charming villain or a wholesome sidekick, readers are protective of their favorites. Many will fight you if you dismiss or belittle the characters they’ve grown so close too. Opinions of stories are allowed to be varied, but any extreme claim about a character will have angry readers storming the internet castle. I know that I’ve grown close to Kylo-ing out when I heard someone say that Luna Lovegood wasn’t a good character!

5. When someone keeps disturbing you while you’re reading


via GIPHY

There’s nothing worse than being deep into a wonderful story, about to discover a life-altering plot point, when… “Hey!!” Someone disturbs you and pulls you out of the book and back into the dreaded real world. Important memo to non-readers or those who read less frequently than their book-obsessed friends: do NOT disturb someone reading unless it is a life or death situation. Have a funny cat meme you’ve been dying to show them? Wait until they close the book or prepare to face their wrath. I’ve been on the giving and receiving end of this look, and let’s be real, it never ends well.

I hope you enjoyed diving into the book lover’s GIF world! Are there GIFs that you relate to as a reader? Let me know in the comments down below! Also, I have a feature where you can send me book recommendations. You can send me those by filling out the survey here, or comment below this post and I’ll add it to my Goodreads!

NaNoWriMeh?

Posted on by emilylizthompson

Header Image via GIPHY

Another week, another scramble to cram as much writing as possible. With work, exercise, and my other projects, time seems to be scarce. Thank goodness for Saturdays! I can go to my favorite local coffee shop and sit for hours. Coffee is plentiful, the atmosphere is nice, and I don’t look like a weirdo squinting at my computer screen for three hours.

“How is NaNoWriMo going?” You may ask me politely at future family events or if we ever meet in public. I, being an awkward person, would perform a perfect replica of the cringe-face emoji and hope you never ask me again. The thing is my productivity train has gone off the rails. I’ve been lucky to get a few-hundred words in, let along the 1,667 they want you to write per-day. As the suggested word count graph makes a steady incline, mine’s tapered off like a tiny hill next to a giant mountain.

I have increased my word count by a total of 3,743 words this week. Sure, you may be thinking, “Emily, that’s pretty good!” While this is exponentially better than I did last year, the fact that I’m 30k words behind on the writing goal is a bit embarrassing. Sure, I never thought I would hit the writing goal, but I always enjoy surprising myself. Hopefully I’ll be able to hit my personal goal of 20k words by December 1st. The hurdle of Thanksgiving stands in my way, but I am determined to make it happen! After all, 6k words in a week isn’t completely bonkers, right?

On a more positive note, I have managed to expand the world and personalities of some of my characters in the past week. I brought back a character from death, summoned a grand escape, and even sprinkled a hint of emotional growth in there. I witnessed a new backstory unfold before my eyes, giving me even more insight into some of my characters. The world I’ve tasked myself to create has continued to grow more complicated. While this does scare me a bit, I’m also excited.

One of my goals going into the next week of this challenge is to continue expand my world. I’m hoping that, with some more information, I can fine tune how everything works in the story. In the future, I want to make a visual timeline for myself. A timeline can help me piece together the history of these secret societies, and maybe even help me add some fun historical references. Throughout this process I’ve also been doing some edits to the history of the societies, taking out things that don’t mesh and searching for new ideas that work well. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so I know that I have a long journey ahead of me. Giant stacks of notecards and story diagrams are in my future!

Are you interested in joining me in this crazy writing journey? You can sign up to get email notifications or follow me on Instagram @teaandcoffeforemmy and on Twitter at @emiliz32695. Comment down below to let me know how your NaNoWriMo is going!

A Love Letter to Libraries

Posted on by emilylizthompson

If you’ve ever read a book, odds are you’ve stepped foot into a library. The smell of books and shelves full of exciting new worlds are magical. You can get a ton of books with just a swipe of a card and not clutter up your tiny apartment with them — again, magical!

When I was younger, I read like my life depended on it. Saturday afternoon? Sure, my sister and I would play outside, but odds were when it was time for dinner we were reading on our deck. When you have two kids who read books as fast as they eat, you turn to options outside of bookstores. For a few years we went to the tiny library in our small town of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. It was great, but we tore through the children’s section like the Flash. Our mom decided to get us library cards for the Chattanooga Library, a place which still holds magical memories for me to this day.

I remember walking into the library carrying my little pink bag with a dancing teddy bear on it, ready to fill it up with as many books as possible. We could be there for hours, picking out books, reading a few, and even playing games on the early 2000’s computers. It was like a wonderland for baby Emily. Sis and I would sit in a yellow chair among the books and go through our pickings, narrowing down which ones we could take home with us. The library had a rule of 20 books each, which we usually hit every time. The great thing about having a sister who reads as much as you is that we’d leave each time with 40 books to read for a few months. I felt like Matilda every time we walked past the book fountain outside and through the library’s doors. Other than swimming, visiting the library was my favorite thing to do.

Now as a 24-year-old, the library holds many different meanings. It’s still a magical place to get books, but it’s also where I studied for finals and made friends in college. My definition of a library as an adult is not just a place for books; it’s a place where the community comes together and learns. Every time I visit my local library, it feels like a tiny ecosystem. The hardworking staff, the clubs meeting, the students studying for finals. There’s a buzz that’s both calming and electric, motivating me to sit down and read or be productive.

If you haven’t been to your local library in a while, or ever, consider carving out an hour one Saturday afternoon and make the trip. You never know what kind of magic you’ll find in between the shelves. There might be a new world waiting for you to explore, or history waiting to be told. While you’re there, consider talking to a librarian about supporting your local library. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to keep our happy places happy. Anything we can do to help a future generation discover the joys of a land of books is a step in the right direction.

NaNoWriMo Week 1- Adventures

Posted on by emilylizthompson

Hello dear readers!

Today marks a week and three days since NaNoWriMo, aka National Novel Writing Month, sent writers across the globe into a frenzy. The countless characters, plot lines, and world-building unfolding every day is insane. The number of stories unfolding in the many chat forums on NaNoWriMo’s website is almost overwhelming, with people popping in to ask questions from how to describe a gunshot wound to the hierarchy of a dystopian society. It is also inspiring to someone who considers herself to be an amateur writer. NaNoWriMo writers are bonded in this very specific quest to bring a world to life in 30 days, and they somehow have the time to offer advice and be the cheerleaders I need at 11 pm.

In the past few days I’ve given my creative brain enough jolts of espresso to get back up on the writing hamster wheel. Through what I can only call my “Emily determination”, I’ve managed to write more than I ever thought possible in one week. As I write this post, I have reached 10,797 total words! While I’m not on track for a sparkly first draft on November 30th, these 10k words are like a badge of honor.  Last year I wrote a total of 6,223 words over the entire month. You could say I’ve made progress!

The story I’m writing this year required much more planning and outlining than the one that popped into my head the year before. In June a crew of thieves slipped into my mind and refused to leave. They told me a story of cons, underground societies, and an oblivious college student who somehow gets caught up in the middle of their adventures. Even though I’ve written a rough outline and have a Pinterest board with my characters neatly lined up, they’re still telling me new information as month moves along.

Storytelling for me is usually like that. I’m brushing my teeth, or sending an email, and a character pops in my head. They start weaving a tale of their adventures, their worries. However, they never start the at the beginning, so it’s up to me to figure out how they record scratched and ended up in their extraordinary circumstance. I’m always left diving for a nearby notebook or my phone so they don’t turn into wisps and disappear from my mind before I can solve their mysteries.

Over the next few days and weeks, that’s what I hope to uncover. I’m putting on my deer stalker and channeling my inner Agatha Christie to solve the case. How does my character wind up in this gang? Why does she stay? That, and much more, will unfold before my eyes as I join them down the rabbit hole.

Want to follow my adventure as I try to write a novel? You can sign up to get email notifications, or follow me on Instagram @teaandcoffeforemmy and on Twitter at @emiliz32695. Comment down below to let me know how your NaNoWriMo is going!

The Kitchen Sink, Writing

The Journey Begins

Image | Posted on by emilylizthompson

Friends, countrymen, lend me your ear.

Or your eyes. Eyes are more appropriate.

I, Emily Elizabeth Thompson, am about to embark on a quest that could be considered a terrible idea or a great creative outlet –– that will be determined at the end of this adventure. The word “adventure” is stretching it, because for most the task of writing is nothing more than a yearly or everyday occurrence. To me, the grocery store or a trip to the nearest cat café is an adventure. With that in mind, come with me down the rabbit hole as I join the adventure of NaNoWrimo.

What is NaNoWrimo, you may ask? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, a national event every November where writers commit to creating a novel – at least 50,000 words – in 30 days.  It’s a great way to challenge your creativity and exercise your writing muscles. However, it’s also a huge undertaking. The goal of 50,000 words is a walk in the park for some, while others sweat bullets to write a thank you note.

Those people include me. I have done some writing in my time, with social media apprenticeships and writing classes in college. However, I’ve always felt like the person gasping to keep up in a marathon where everyone’s miles ahead. I would sit in my poetry class and feel the grip of anxiety while my classmates chattered about rhyme schemes and iambic pentameter. I always became lost in the technical side of writing, which I refer to as the “math side” of the craft. My sister is blessed with the magical understanding of sentence structure, but apparently that is something that can’t be passed on between identical twins. This lack of understanding and a self-conscious outlook kept me away from something that, as an avid reader, I should love.

My quest for this November is to rediscover my love of writing, and to gain confidence in my ability to tell stories. Hopefully, I’ll have a story at the end that I can one day turn into something more. While 50,000 words is the goal, I’m going to give myself a more realistic one. By the end of November, I need to write between 8,000 and 10,000 words. I also want to build out my world and characters to make them more developed by the end of the month.

Thankfully, the story I’m focusing on popped in my head during my lunch break in July, so I’ve had time to start creating some of characters and building a rough outline of the story. With my Pinterest board and ideas in hand, I hope to conquer my fears and end November with something that remotely resembles a good story. I’m also going to post here about my writing, because apparently, I’m a crazy person who wants to give herself more work during the busy holiday season.

If you are also going on this journey, I hope you have a lack of plot bunnies and a bountiful snack stash. If you’ve read this and thought, “Emily, what the heck is this and how do I find out more”? You can learn more about NaNoWrimo and all of the great work that also comes from this month at https://nanowrimo.org/.

Happy Writing!