Writing

Sukkot Lines

We recently celebrated Sukkot. We joined a group up in Iowa and throughout the week these lines came to me. Some of them I’ve no more to add to, but others I felt were incomplete.

Shine brilliantly, warmer than artificial.
Shine gently, softer than the fake.
Shine brightly, be not superficial.
Shine steadily, let no cloud overtake.

Shofars are the watchmen’s warning. Why then do you play it inside.
Can’t you hear the loud horn blaring. Meant to warn those far outside.
Esther Jackson

Yes, I’m single.
It’s easy to appear shallow.
Because it’s hard to be honest.
To show that I care.

My family is important.
But they get under my skin.
It feels like I’m doing nothing.
When I want to change the world.

So give my future .
Or leave me alone.
I don’t know what to do YAH.
I know you hold me in your hands.

To shy to mingle.
My heart lies fallow.
God, where is my nest.
How shall my future fare.

My life starts anew. Everyday I trust you.
You’re at the end of my rope. And that gives me hope.
So let me just rest. For you know the best.
Esther Jackson

Are you as bored as me God.
I know you have more patience than I can say.
They repeat themselves again God.
Give me words, words to honor you I pray.
Daily I’m in awe of you God.
You’re the one who’ll always stay.
There’s so little I can do God.
So show me your way.
To always worship God.
In word and deed each day.
What you mean to me God.
The words don’t come my way.

Some days I feel hopeless. But I should know you are near.
Some days shine with happiness. For your love is so clear.
Esther Jackson

Move in silence, that’s how it appears.
There is music in my headphones on my ears.
Why won’t we worship YHWH out loud.
Do we fear the non existent crowd.
YH doesn’t care if we’re in tune.
He’s the one who created the loon.

Come up to me brother or sister.
Talk to me, I need a friend.
Someone to talk to, just listen.
You give me hope and joy.
I’m happy alone with God.
But I wouldn’t mind you.
Esther Jackson

A Large Year End Post

I don’t know what happened this year, but I was busy. So skip what you like, but kindly pay attention to the first section.

Social Media

I started an Instagram. It’s smallish. I mainly post about Fashion, Sewing, and Life.

I started a Bookstagram. It’s a bit bigger.

I started a Youtube Channel. It will be primarily about books. I also plan on doing fact sections. My goal with it is to have five thousand followers by the end of the year. I know this is crazy as most people don’t care about the books I love at all. YAY!

I also have a Ko-fi account. This month I haven’t done much on it, but I plan on doing more in 2020.

I have a Reedsy account. I haven’t done much with it, but I could…

I use Pinterest off and on. Yeah, skip it.

I participated and won both Camp Nano’s and Nanowrimo.

I wrote some this year. I finished my novella/middle-grade novel Aleah Ash. Now it just needs a few readers, a bit more editing, and then I may see about publishing it.

I worked on plotting my steampunk trilogy. Literally.

I got a good way into the rough draft of Containsia book one. I plan on finishing it soon. My hope is to start work on book two next Nanowrimo.

I also have written a few recipes for my cookbook, but write now I’m struggling with how serious it should be. (Strange Humor or Mostly Sensible) I hope to get further along with it.

Blog

This year I grew as a blogger. I did well and learnt lots. I got rid of a bunch of pointless subscribers. I participated in blog tours.

Family and Life

January

I don’t know what happened. I visited Arkansas. Don’t have plans

February

Wrote my 100th blog post. Designed a floor plan. Still no plans

March

It happened. G-pa’s turning 90

April

Made myself a silk skirt. Participated in Camp Nano. It started raining. Maybe go to NY and Camp Nano

May

M’s best friend got married. I was part-time photographer. No plans

June

Went camping. Took a trip. Saw two weddings. Visited Canada for the first time in my memory. Explored a tornado aftermath. (Do you want to hear about that?) Went swimming. No plans

July

Turned 20. Did Camp Nano No plans Camp Nano

August

Is in the past. Plans???

September

Started Sustainable Tuesday. Started planning on my sister’s leaving. No plans

October

Planned for Nanowrimo. Had a crazy dream. Pattern tested. Got a job. Got a second job. No plans

November

Sisters left. Did Nanowrimo. Got a Niece. Updated my room. Got a third job. Saw Niece. Nanowrimo. (visit Israel???)

December

Was busy. Got left behind. Spent a week by myself. No plans.

Reading

Yes that is one hundred and seventy seven books. This year I plan on reading 500 books at least.

NaNoWriMo Recap: Way Late

Long story short. I’ve been bad at blogging this month because I’m busy. I have three jobs and I’ve been working five to six days a week so far this month.

I won NaNoWriMo. At least that’s what it shows. More truthfully my computer cord completely died on Friday, November 29th, 2019. I had less than five hundred words to go. I WON.

Thankfully once I got home I had options, but yes I’ve been busy.

My WIP is an Epic, High Fantasy and the rough draft is looking like it will be around 60K. That isn’t much in the Fantasy world, but I’ve left so much stuff out. Tret needs to get married. I’ve skipped to many birthdays. The world-building needs to be greater. It will grow. Also, this is book one of five so it can be a little shorter. I’ve a long way to go.

I’ve decided what I will reward myself with for completing my novel. I hope to do it before the end of the year. Lots to do.

Write now my main character is bonding with his dragon and actually, a lot needs to happen before the end of the book. Another wedding, a robbery, a kidnapping. Maybe my 60k guess is a bit low…

Snippet time

ns, there was a nervous energy running through both of us as we headed to places we had never been. Neither of us were afraid of getting lost, but I knew that both of us hoped to get a little turned around so that we would have to spend the night out together, so the ground underneath us was mostly ignored.

The wind had been cold enough before we had taken off, but up in the air where there was nothing it was freezing. In spite of my head to toe outfit of deerskin, I could not sit upright for very long, so I spent most of the flight laying on Sam’s back. I event

Yes. My dragon is named Sam. I love him.

I’m so excited to be writing and finishing this part of the story. I want to tell you all about it, but I don’t want to spoil you all.

I won’t be publishing this story until I have written all five books in the series. I don’t want to leave people hanging for years and years as I work on other things. That being said I will be writing short stories and essays and they might be published. I would say that I have one essay that with a bit of editing would be ready to publish. Anyone interested in nonexistent money workings. I think it’s great… I’m also really boring…

Assumptions Collab With Zielle

My acquaintance Zielle is starting a new blog that shows how she has changed over the years. I agreed to help her share it around and we decided to do a collab so here it is.

Sorry it’s so late, but Collabs take lots of time.

As Zielle is super busy with all of the things she is doing so I was the one who came up with this idea. Both of us wrote a paragraph or two about ourselves then we had a list of details that the other had to make assumptions about.

Hi there! My name is Zielle.

I have been homeschooled all my life, but next year I will be heading off to public school for my last two years of schooling. I have been playing the piano my whole life as a hobby. My sister is amazing at piano, and I used to love watching her play… it entertained me. My favourite genres to write are fantasy and contemporary fiction, although I am still dabbling in genres and figuring which one I like the best. I’m a daughter of the King, and one comfort I get is knowing that He has a great plan for my life. I enjoy singing, acting, hanging out with friends (even though I can be quite shy), and babysitting my nieces and nephews.

Favourite well known fiction book

“Little Women”

Why did I come up with this idea

Favourite well known non fiction (Bible excluded)

“Anne Frank”

It is so hard

Favourite modern piece of music

“I Surrender” Hillsong

I don’t know much of that

Favourite classical piece of music

Mozart’s Sonata in C

How much thought is to much

Dream future

Help others until she has children, then focus on homeschooling them for the first several years of schooling.

Dream vacation

A week long camping trip with all of her friends and family in the campground

Dream book to write

A contemporary fantasy about a homeschooling family. They would always seek to glorify God, but it wouldn’t be like the Cooper Kids or Jonathan Park.

Favorite religious holiday

The Resurrection.

Favorite non-religious holiday

The Fourth of July

Favorite Bible verse

Jeremiah 29:11

Well there you have my list of assumptions about her. As we were squeezed for time we didn’t talk about how she was to correct my assumptions so I’m asking her now to do it in the comments.

I’m looking forward to reading Write in the Dark.

Esther

NaNoWriMo Update: The Final One

Sorry this didn’t go up yesterday, but I don’t care to write them in advance.

Last week went great, I went from barely keeping up to nearly a day ahead. Honestly it was a bit of a blur to me.

Sunday Raked leaves and wrote.

Monday I don’t remember and wrote

Tuesday Volunteered most of the day and wrote

Wednesday Babysat most of the day and wrote

Thursday Worked at the library in the afternoon and wrote

Friday Cleaned, cooked and wrote

Saturday Rested till dark then wrote.

I am certain that I will finish now, but I want to reward myself with something. Do you have any ideas?

I only did that people would grow tired of me.” Tomsa complained.

“If we don’t go to war, no one will grow tired of you, but even if we do I’m sure that most people will be happy to have you enliven their day. Even Lorta is in a better position to be helpful to the cause than me, everyone will be glad that their children will be educated. I’m just a fisherman as