Bump in the road

We all have those moments where we're just staring at a wall or out the window, eyes seeing but not really looking wondering why? Why did this happen to me? Why am I going through this? What did I do to deserve this? No matter the situation, the feelings that we all go through are the same. Betrayal from the closest friend shatters our perception of trust, dishonesty from the person who you counted on to tell you the truth no matter what makes you wonder about sincerity and the deceit that you never expected hits you with pain so hard that you could never have imagined you'd experience it.
But what we should focus on in a time like this is that betrayal flushes out your true friends, dishonesty makes you more aware of the truth and pain, no matter how awful, is fleeting. As much as you think you do, you do not deserve this. Life puts you in such situations to make you learn from them. Never let the same flame burn you twice. It might take some time, but surround yourself with people who root for you when you're succeeding, who want you to prosper because your triumph is their victory too. Friends are supposed to make you feel better about yourself. And if your friends do not, then you need to re-evaluate your life and find the ones who do. Because no matter how alone you might feel right now, where you are right now is not your final destination. It is just a bump in the road that might set you back or delay you, but your journey is far from over and if you can just cross this obstacle then you can be back on your path.

NaNoWriMo 2015

It is November ! It is officially fall and that time of the year where the leaves are falling, sweaters are being worn and we get to sit in the sun to soak up its warmth. But most importantly it is time for NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it occurs in November. It is a month in which people - brave people I must say - challenge themselves to write a novel of fifty-thousand words in thirty days. It is my first year participating in NaNoWriMo even though I have known about it for a while and it takes some courage to attempt such a thing. As of today, we are one week into November and I am going strong and staying a little ahead of my word count (just a couple hundred words but I am still ahead so yay).

My story for NaNo was something that I came up with on the 1st of November. I was going to write one story but I switched and changed to this one. All I can say about my story is that it is in the fantasy genre and it is about faeries. YES FAERIES. I am very excited about it because there is a lot of world building - thus a lot to describe which is great for my word count - and there are so many plot directions that I'm exploring along the way.

I don't know if I will complete the fifty thousand words challenge but I am determined. I also don't know if this novel is something that I would ever get to. or want to, publish but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now I am enjoying myself and that is all that matters.

PS: I am posting updates on twitter all the time so check out my twitter for fun stuff. my twitter handle is bloggerofstars.

As always, thanks for reading. Happy writing to all of you participating in NaNo this year!

Writing.

He ran a hand over the spines of the books on the shelves. Some were rough , rubbing against his fingers like grains of salt, others were smooth like the marble that he was standing on. He picked out one and held it out in front of him. It was a journal of sorts, cover bound in red felt. He flipped through it not really reading anything. It was filled with scribbly writing from front to back, not a single page left blank.
“You do know that reading someone’s journal counts as eavesdropping right?”He turned around to see a girl standing behind him, her head cocked to the right. She was wearing a large red hoodie with the words ‘Music is the answer’ written on it.“You wrote this?”“Along with a couple others.” She nodded and gestured to the other books on the shelf.“A couple?” He chuckled. From his idea there were at least twenty books on the shelf.“I write. A lot. And since I work here part-time, the head librarian lets me keep them here. Besides, not all of them are as filled as that one.” She jerked her head towards the book in his hand.
He slid the book back into its slot with a slight thud.“I’m Joe,” he said as he slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Lauren.” She slipped the hood off her head and gave him a small smile.He had to catch his breath at the sigh of her. He hadn’t seen her hair yet. It was spiky and short, just reaching her ears. But the most striking feature was the color. It was a deep dark red, darker than her hoodie, definitely dyed. He smiled back at her but she was already moving towards the desk in the center of the library. She hopped up on it while he leaned against one of the book cases.“So what do you like to write?”“Everything basically. Poetry, short stories, drabbles. Whatever I’m feeling, good or bad, it goes down on paper.”
“Can I read something?”“Haven’t you already?” She teased with a smile but she jumped down and pulled out a journal and handed it to him.He scrutinized her closely then looked down at the book in his hand. It was similar to the first one he’d seen but this one was covered in blue felt instead of red. He flipped it open to a random page and started reading. Her writing was neat but became scribbly in some places. He could tell that she was the kind of person who always had a lot to say and the words could not come faster for her.‘Lyrics aren't just words in a song. They are feelings, Feelings so strong that they stir something within you. Something you can relate to so closely it feels as if the song is written just for you. Through lyrics you hear the meaning behind the words.’He looked up at her remembering the words on her hoodie. She was leaning against the bookshelf next to him with her arms folded across her chest defensively. He studied her closely then went back to reading.‘The worst part of it all is the finality of it. The realization that whats lost is lost for eternity. And the reminder that we are all but travelers who will one day reach the end of this journey too.’ “I like it. It’s, uhh, very relatable.” He was unsure of what to say.But I have to ask, he added. “Why is all of it so sad?She tilted her head to her right like she had done earlier and scrutinized him. “A lot of people ask me that. And my answer is always because the most passion is found in feelings like anger and sadness. I can write about the sky and the sun and the birds chirping in the morning at the possibility that a new day holds. Sure, love does move you sometimes but it is the anguish that brings the truth out.”

15 ways to feel happy instantly.

Happiness is a choice. Laying on bed, moping about the things you don't have will never get you anywhere. Instead choose to be happy by seizing the opportunities thrown at you. Here are 15 ways that will get you out of that mood where nothing feels right :


- Choose to be happy. I truly believe that you can decide what mood you want to be in for a day. If you choose to not be that person who snaps at everyone and is hating hard on life, you totally can be. The choice is in your hands.

- Don't be afraid to try new things. Say yes to new experiences, you never know what it might lead to. New possibilities lead to new chances to find things that make you happy.

- Pamper yourself. Have a spa day. Get a facial done. Paint your nails. Put some makeup on. Heck, no one can stop you from wearing that red lipstick if that's what makes you happy. Keeping your outer self nice and satisfied eventually leads to a happy inner self.

- Write. This one is my personal favorite, ihaveablogdedicatedtowritingsoduh. Writing is the best therapy I have found to help decide what you're feeling and how to get past it.

- Take a walk. Getting out of the house really helps relax you. In a world where everything has to be planned and you gotta get to things on time and follow schedules, doing something different every once in a while that's not planned helps you relax and breath and just notice the little things.

- Listen to music. Music is one of the best mood changers there ever can be. Playing upbeat dance music can instantly snap you out of your dull, unhappy mood. *whispers* Grab your hairbrush and sing and dance to Taylor Swift, I promise not to judge.

- Plan a trip/travel. A change of scenery can help change your mood easily and make you feel better about yourself. It doesn't have to be an extravagant vacation to Maldives - although no one will complain to that - it can be just a road trip to visit the hills near your town or the beach.

- Count your blessings. Focusing on what you have and not on what you don't and cant have is a good way to put things into perspective. When you are truly grateful for what you have, then you will never envy people again.

- Bake/cook - There is something about baking that calms me. I love how precise it is. How everything has to be perfect. And having a yummy treat at the end is a bonus.

- Go shopping - Buying new clothes and changing up your look will help you feel pretty on the outside as well as the inside.

- Declutter and clean. Spring is upon us. Throw out old things that don't please you anymore and keep the things that you truly cherish. Quality over quantity, people!

 - Hang out with old friends. Reconnect with the people who you know will have your back no matter what, even if you don't talk to them all the time. Old is gold and old friends are a perfect example of that. Surround yourself with people who you trust and love.

- Read a book. Diving into a world that's not yours really helps distract you and keeps you from over thinking. Also fictional guys are way better than real guys, don't you think?

- Sleep. We have become so busy with our lives. Always stressed out to the point of breaking that we have forgotten the best way to relax. A good nights sleep. It's the best way to refresh yourself and forget your problems for a while.

- Disconnect. Turn off your phone. Close your laptop. Just disconnect from the internet. We live in a world where we are pressurized into thinking that if we don't keep up to date with all the happenings in the world, we are 'not cool'. Banish that notion and focus on yourself and things that truly matter.

Friends.

The last time she’d seen him, he was disappearing through the door of the Starbucks they usually stopped by to get coffee from. And now here he was, half a year later outside the same Starbucks (coincidence? She didn't really believe in those)  standing in front of her, grinning that half grin of his that always made her smile, grinning at her as if the last five months they’d been apart had been just a bad dream that she couldn't shake off. 

But she knew, just as well as he did, that it was not a dream. He had really left her with no answers but an unexplained text that said “I need some time to figure out who I am” that pissed her off to no end. She could respect a person’s need for discovering their true self but vanishing into thin air was so not cool. But she was glad to see him because he was her friend, her best friend, he always would be. Her friend with whom she’d spent her whole childhood, who knew every single thing that mattered, who knew her. But because he was her friend she was not letting him get off so easily. She put a hand on her hip, tilted her head to the side and glared at him. Slowly that lazy grin of his faded and he held up his hands.

“I can explain.” He said. When she kept glaring at him he took a step towards her, hands still raised. “Or I can get on my knees and start begging for your forgiveness, whichever you prefer.”

She barely contained her smile but kept scowling at him. “How about you do both? Starting with the begging and kneeling, of course.”

“Of course.” With a dramatic flourish he bowed. He dropped to one knee and looked up at her. She started tapping her foot impatiently and tried very hard not to laugh. A few people were giving them odd stares and she knew this was really wounding his ego. After a barely audible sigh he put his other knee down as well. As he was about to speak, she burst out laughing. Now it was his turn to glare at her. He moved so he could rise but she halted him.

“Wait, wait. Hold on a moment.” She pulled her phone out of her bag and opened the camera app. “I need to capture this moment forever.”

He started getting up but she pushed on his shoulder. “You haven’t begged so this is the least you can do after you've been MIA for months.” She fixed him with a pointed look.

He sighed. “Fine. But be quick.” He looked around at the people passing by and scowled.

The look on his face made her giggle. She took her sweet time snapping a couple of pictures, making him turn this way and that before she commanded in a faux queenly voice for him to rise.

“Now can we get out of the cold and get some coffee so I can tell you where I've been?”

And because she was never one to fight frequently and hold grudges she forgave him,forgave him even before he’d apologized. She nodded and he pulled her in a warm hug and with his hand over her shoulders he pulled her into the warm Starbucks where they sat with warm cups of coffee in their hand and talked for hours as if no time had passed at all since their last encounter.

Focus. Concentrate. Write.

Focus. Concentrate. To actually make the words believable you have to put your passion into it. Find the things that make you passionate. Anger usually does it. Find your anger and use it to focus. But always ask yourself if there is another way. A way to write without it being always about anger and pain and hurt. Without going dark. And there usually is. Happiness. Joy. Exuberance. They make writing easier. Start with a memory, something that intrigued you that you'd like to reminiscence. Once you start, you lose yourself in it and can't stop, Because you're lost in the feeling that came along with it, reliving the moment. Writing. It is as easy as that. As easy as 1,2,3.

Stages.

I was the one who changed, okay? Let it be the 'it's me, not you' situation.

It's the thought that counts, not the gesture.

I said all the right things at all the wrong times.

I deleted all your texts but I still remember exactly what they said.

Be brave. It gets better if you believe.

Confused with the ways of this world.

Don't need saving. I am my own saviour.