Novel in a month?????

Novel November

As we approach the new month I wanted to announce my intention of undertaking "Novel November." 

This challenge to write 50000 words in one month isn't too much out of the questions, as it is. Unless, perhaps you're not a full-time writer. 

So, with school on, I've decided to do my own version of Novel November. A modified version, if you will. 

I have decided to try and write half of a novel, or, 25000 words in November. This version, "Half a novel November," if you will, means, on average, I'll have to write about 833 words per day. Not too hard right?

I have, in the past, as I work on my manuscript, written over 1000 in a day but the key to "Half a Novel November," is to be consistent. Usually I get excited to write, and do get quite a few words. Then I don't look at my manuscript for days. Weeks. 

Yup...that's how it usually goes. 

But with the coming of "Half a Novel November," I'll have plenty of inspiration. Hopefully it'll last. 

Let me know if you're going to undertake this challenge as well! I'll try to keep you updated on how it's going!

 How to Improve Your Relationship with a Family Member

Does your family never get along? Are the siblings always fighting? Are they outrageous with their ear-piercing screams and yells to stop doing this, and to stop doing that?

It is a very important thing to have a good relationship with your family members and to have happiness in the home.

Below are some ways that you may find helpful to improve your relationship with one or more of your family members. 

1: Spend more time with the Family Member. 

For example you could bring the family member on a bicycle ride, pull him or her in the sled, read him or her a good book, or something along those lines. This could be a great help to you if you are seeking an improved relationship with your family member. But do remember whatever you do to spend more time with the family member, don’t be grumpy and unhappy about it. 

How would it help the family member if you left him or her in the dust on a bicycle ride and kept yelling at the family member to “hurry up!” He or she would not be having a whole lot of fun.

So remember to be joyful and grateful when you are spending time with your family. It will make a difference you can count on.

2: Don’t make the Family Member Angry.

That is a good one to bear in mind when (and when not) improving a relationship with a family member. Do the complete opposite of making the family member angry. Be nice and do good to him or her, such as: make the family member’s bed, and/or help him or her learn a new skill and so on.

A way which will Help. Example A: Correct

Todd watched the clock and calculated the time it would take in order for his lunch to be done in the air fryer exactly at twelve noon. As soon as he started putting his food into the fryer Pat walked in. “Hey, I was gonna use the air fryer first!”

“Alright, alright. No need to get all shook up about it. You can go first.” 

Example B: A bad way which will go against You.

Todd watched the clock and calculated the time it would take in order for his lunch to be done in the air fryer exactly at twelve noon. As soon as he started putting his food into the fryer Pat walked in. “Hey, I was gonna use the air fryer!”

“Well too bad! You don’t always have to go first!” 

3: Help the Family Member with Schoolwork.

Help him or her with something that he or she is struggling with. A good thing to help with is schoolwork. Helping the family member with schoolwork is another great way to improve your relationship with the family member. Although be careful to avoid helping with reluctance. Help the family member with a want to do so. Don’t get impatient with them either. Instead of blowing your top, help the family member to understand the schoolwork better so that he or she will not get the problem wrong again. 

When your brother/sister wants help. Example A: Correct.

“Hey Todd help me with this math equation will you?” 

“Sure Pat, I can spare a few minutes to help you.”

 Todd watches and sees the problem, then he chuckles a bit. “No, no Pat, you’ve got to expand the brackets first.” 

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot. Thanks a lot Todd.”

“Sure thing. Glad to be of assistance.”

Example B: Incorrect. 

“Hey Todd, help me with this math equation will you?” 

Todd frowned. “Why? I have a life too.”

“Please Todd,” the brother pleaded in vain. 

“I’m busy Pat, can’t you see? Now leave me be.” 

Example C: Incorrect #2: 

“Hey Todd, help me with this math equation will you?” 

“Fine,” Todd grumbled. He watched his brother do the equation until he found the problem. “No, no, Pat!” Todd hollered at the top of his lungs. "Don't you know you have to expand the brackets first? Weren't you listening in class?” 

4: Key Advantage: Don't be Lazy.

How much time do you waste throughout the day? Start putting that time to use, for laziness is worse than time used wisely. (Obviously).

What would it benefit you to lay on the couch watching TV or simply doing nothing other than lying there when you could be playing with your siblings? 

The time wasted will add up against you, and by the end of one year you may have wasted a whole day, likely more. 

Stop lying around and being lazy. Start spending more time with your family and improving your relationships with them. Next time when you slap the snooze button on your alarm clock remember: “A day wasted is a day squandered.”

Use your time wisely and you shall be better off than a weasel in a haystack. (Not that weasels in haystacks are bad-off). 

Stop wasting time. Example A: Correct.

“Hey Todd. Stop lying around and wasting time. Can’t you come and play catch with me? Anyway, what's the point in doing nothing?”

“Alright Pat I guess you're right. I shouldn’t just lay here. I’ll come and play catch with you.” 

Stop wasting time. Example B: Incorrect.

“Hey Todd. Stop lying around and wasting time. Can’t you come and play catch with me? 

“Why Todd? I don't wanna.” 

“Why not? You’re just being lazy. What’s the point in that?”

“Just leave me alone Pat. I’ve had a busy day.”

5: Conclusion 

Following the ways written above you should find yourself in a better relationship with your family member. Remember when you are playing with the family member make sure you're having fun too. Recall in the section titled: Spend more time with the Family Member, where it states, ‘Don’t be grumpy and unhappy about it.’ So as your brother or sister is begging you to pull him or her in the sled don’t answer with a grumpy: “Fine. I guess I can pull you for a little bit.” Reply in a much nicer way such as: “Yeah I’ll pull you in the sled.” 

Or when you're just being a bump on a log, respond: “Sure thing. What else do I have to do anyway?” 

Thank you for reading this week's post! Let me know if you have anything else you want me to write about or any questions you want me to answer!

Until next time,

The Writer

Perseverance

 Perseverance

I have gained many insights involving music since picking up the alto saxophone starting just before fifth grade. I have learned many things since that day way back then. If one looks back to my early days of playing he would notice how much improvement I have made (with great help) since I first started playing the saxophone. He may also notice, as he probably already knows, that mastery is not made in a day. And of course I, after five years, have not reached perfection. 

One may learn, though he may know it already, you cannot reach perfection just like that. You’ve got to try, to struggle, and to learn from your mistakes in order to become good at whatever skill you are learning. 

Too often one tells himself that he couldn’t do this or that without even lifting a finger to try whatever it is. He gives up before he even tries or he only tries a little before giving up. He does not persevere in trying to learn whatever skill it may be. 

I have messed up, struggled, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do this or that just because I messed up and struggled.

I have learned how to, not only play the saxophone, but also how to read music, and these insights have helped me whether it be in band class or writing music itself such as “The New Santa."

Had I never picked up the saxophone or any instrument for that matter, The New Santa would’ve never been written, at least in music. 

 I likely would have never gained the insights to write music if I had not picked up the saxophone and where

would the songs I have written be? Such as “The New Santa,” and “Get up! Get up! It's almost nine!?"

I have pasted links to me song below. Click to listen!

The New Santa

Get Up! Get Up! It's Almost Nine!

More songs

Thank you for reading. If you have anything else you want me to write about or any questions you want answered just let me know!

Until next week,

The Writer

Can you get Benefits from learning to Juggle?

The Benefits Of Juggling

Would you like to improve your hand-eye coordination, focused concentration, and have a great experience? Try learning to juggle. Start with the three ball cascade. It is one of the easiest tricks to learn. Once you’ve mastered some fun patterns with three balls, try four, then five. Maybe you will even get to six and seven. While you're learning that, get some other juggling items, such as clubs and rings. Maybe even juggling torches. It will help you greatly with many skills and you will have fun once you can juggle with dexterity. There are many benefits you can get from juggling that you probably never knew about. 

"Juggling improves hand-eye coordination, focused concentration, goal setting skills, and learning to juggle may even cause some areas of your brain to grow.” “Learning to Juggle helps with brain development, movement and vision as well.” “And yes juggling is a workout. Juggling works your shoulders, arms, upper back and more.”  “While juggling you can burn almost 300 calories per hour, just about the same as walking." Just think if you juggle and walk at the same time!

"Juggling builds hand-eye coordination that improves reaction time, reflexes, strategic thinking, and concentration. Hand-eye coordination also builds catching ability, that could improve your athletic performances in many sports." If juggling improves hand-eye coordination and hand-eye coordination improves strategic thinking, does strategic thinking help you with chess?

It likely does!

“Focused concentration is another benefit you can get from juggling.” "Focusing on multiple objects in the air and the pattern at the same time works both sides of the brain." Thus helping focused concentration. 

Does juggling actually make your brain bigger? A study in the journal Nature found “that learning to juggle may cause certain areas of your brain to grow. With each new trick you learn in juggling changes your brain structure even more. Juggling is shown to increase gray matter density in the brain, helping you to think faster and in new ways!” “Some people say juggling may help with reading skills as well.” 

There was a certain boy who learned to juggle about seven years ago. His brother had taken up the skill and he was teaching him how to juggle. First the boy learned to juggle three balls then four then five. So far that's as many as he's gotten. But, his brother has a greater skill at juggling and can juggle an astonishing seven balls at the same time.

It has been fun over the years for the two brothers, they even have juggling records kept on paper for their house. If one of them gets a record the other tries to beat it. Sometimes he succeeds, other times he does not. Sometimes a record can go back and forth quite a bit. 

They have performed in some talent shows as well, including this year (2023) where they took second place at the county fair. The brothers, known as the Dexterous Duo when performing, went on to perform at the State Fair. So not a month passed before they were wandering about the fairgrounds, awaiting the time for "showtime." When it was almost time for the Dexterous Duo to perform they went backstage. They practiced some before it was time to start performing.

He had made signs for the show instructing the audience what to do. He calls it: "audience control." After they  had finished the final act, he held up two signs. One read: Stand up the other Clap. 

That was the first year the Dexterous Duo had done a talent show for some years. Unfortunately, they didn’t win but it was a great experience them. 

The boy didn’t learn to juggle because of the benefits, but after seven years of juggling you can probably imagine how much his hand-eye coordination has improved. It not only has helped him catch juggling balls, but footballs and baseballs too. Imagine what juggling could do for you! Imagine how good your hand-eye coordination would be. Imagine all the benefits you could get. Don’t let your chance go by!

Truly juggling has great benefits. "Estimates say only about 21 percent of the general public can juggle." And you could add to that. Juggling is a great and fun experience. You can even make your own juggling balls; find instructions online.

If you learned how to juggle just think of all the benefits you could earn. Maybe you don’t want to take the time out of your day to learn to master juggling. But if you do learn, it will be worth it. Not only will you get many benefits but you will have fun while you're learning; juggling for hours on end trying to beat a world record, or just a personal record of your own.

Just remember if and when you learn to juggle, it will be beneficial. You can find the time that is required. Try practicing fifteen minutes a day. But DON'T give up on the first day or the first week or month. What would have happened if the boy had given up? All of his great experiences that he has had in juggling would never have happened. Not only that, all the benefits that he has gotten from juggling would have been wasted. You don’t want to waste those benefits, do you? What benefits are you going to get from wasting time during your day? Next time when you don’t have anything to do, remember you could be learning to juggle and earning numerous benefits. The boy and his brother were more than willing to give juggling a try. The question is “Are you?” 

    Works Cited

Juggling Benefits for Students. City of  Lakes Waldorf School.

Journal Nature study.

Iowa State University. Use it or lose it: Juggling to Sharpen your Mind (and Body). 

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Thank you for reading this week's post. Let me know what you think! Anything I missed? If you have anything else I should write about or any questions you want me to answer just let me know!                

Thanks again,

The Writer

Are people in the 21st century as gracious and welcoming as they were in 1816?

 

Why people aren't as gracious in the 21st century

About a year ago I was reading "Patterns on the Wall" by Elizabeth Yates. The book takes place in the 1800s and the people are gracious and welcoming. They gladly give strangers shelter and some food to eat.

The main character, Jared, is hired by a family (the Dunklees)  and he is welcomed into the house as a friend.  

When Jared first knocks on the door to the Dunklees, the mother of the household, Eliza, greets him warmly, saying, “Bless you, lad, come in! Is your horse all right? I’ll send one of the boys to the barn with it.” 

And when Eliza’s husband John Dunklee comes in from his work and finds Jared in the house he also greets him kindly, saying, “Welcome friend.” 

This was a normal thing to do back then, but now...?

Is it the same in modern day?

Are people in the 21st century as gracious and welcoming as they were in 1816? 

Unfortunately things have changed and I think we can all come up with the answer in a matter of seconds. Of course not. People don't just do this anymore. It's no longer safe.

Sure, people still do nice things, but in modern day things are a lot different. It's out of the question to welcome a stranger into your house.

Not that it was perfect in the 1800s either, but it still was safer. 

Another example of this kindness comes from a book on John Greenleaf Whittier (which is a true story). The Whittier family also received strangers kindly, welcoming them into their house without delay. 

So, I think the answer is clear, no, people in the 21st century aren't as gracious and welcoming as they were in 1816?

Thank you for reading this week's post and let me know if you agree. Why or why not? If you have any other questions you want me to answer, or anything else I should write about, just let me know!

Oh, in case you were wondering, the next post will be on the benefits of juggling.

Thanks for reading,

The Writer

It might have been

It Might Have Been

Last year for school I had to read a book on John Greenleaf Whittier. He was a great man and he showed incredible selflessness. He also fought against slavery, knowing, as it says it the book, “The right must win and that duty must be done at all costs.” Even at the cost of losing his career.

His first poem was published unbeknownst to himself! That is until he saw it in the Free Press newspaper. Whittier’s sister Mary had sent in the poem, for she had found out, not only that her brother wrote poems, but also the spot where he kept them hidden. 

William Lloyd Garrison, the owner of the newspaper, had the poem published, and beneath the last verse was written a note saying that he would be glad to publish more poems by the same author.  

Garrison even came to visit the Whittier farmhouse to urge his father to send John to school. 

John Greenleaf Whittier and William Lloyd Garrison became good friends and Garrison had a newspaper called the Liberator, in which he spoke out against slavery. They were both very courageous men, as they fought slavery together.

 

One of the most famous quotes by John Greenleaf Whittier is, “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘it might have been.”

 

I was asked the question weather or not I agreed with this quote and why or why not?

Of course I very much agree with this quote.

The quote is saying that we can never change the past. 

There are mistakes we have made and we can’t go back and redo those mistakes. And to think it might have been! We could have done this or that better, we could have done things differently. It all could have been done differently.  

“For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, it might have been.” 

Thank you for reading and let me know what you think of the quote. Also, if you have anything else I should write about, or any questions you want me to answer, let me know!

Do you think people are as gracious nowadays as they were in 1816? I'll be answering that next post!

 

Can reading about Nature impact your life in a positive way?

The benefits of reading about Nature

Last year I had to write a short paper answering the question, whether or not reading about nature impacts your life in a positive way. 

If we're out on a walk, bicycle ride, or just enjoying some fresh air from the lawn or porch, we definitely get benefits from nature, right? 

Right. 

But what about when we read about nature? Does this actually give us benefits? 

My short answer is: it can. 

But how and why? 

By reading about nature we come to better know and appreciate the beauty of the great outdoors. In addition to that, reading about nature may cause us to want to experience it ourselves. Even if that just means stepping outside to gaze around us; at the birds flying overhead; at the squirrels scampering across the yard, or at the rabbits looking for a tasty lunch. At the trees swaying in the breeze; at the grass under our feet; at the sky above us; or even at the little bugs and insects buzzing by, or roaming the sidewalk. 

The great outdoors is beautiful and inspiring place where we will better appreciate the creations of God. 

Maybe, as we look overhead, we’ll see a Bald Eagle soaring across the sky, or hear a Cardinal singing from the treetop. It is such a relaxation to get out there and enjoy the wonderful outdoors; to hear those birds and listen to their wonderful tunes. 

By reading about this sort of thing we might get excited to see them for ourselves as well, even to the extent of traveling to some neighboring states to see the great mountains, the giant Joshua Trees, or some other iconic thing or place in nature like the great National Parks. 

So, answering the question, even just reading descriptions of nature in books can impact mine and your life in a positive way. Even if we are just thinking of God’s great creations, because it may cause us to get "a note happier" and know that, with God anything is possible. 

Thank you for reading and let me know if you agree. Why or why not? If you have any other questions you want answered, or anything else I should write about, just let me know! 

Oh, and, have you every told yourself, "It might have been?" 

That's what my next post is going to be on. John Greenleaf Whittier's famous quote, "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been."

I'll dive a little deeper into the meaning and give a little bit of insight.

Thanks again for reading,

The Writer