Questions, Questions

The last survey I did was so much fun, I thought it was high time for another. This is borrowed and tweaked from Aimee's Google+, so you can thank her later. ; )

1. Name: Kate Marie
2. Age: Young enough and old enough. ; )
3. Role model: Jesus Christ, Mommy...
4. Hobbies: The three r's (minus the 'rithmatic), cooking/baking, nephew chasing, singing with my family, writing letters, test reading, amateur sewing, talking.
5. Favorite actor: Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck. (And if you're asking about ones currently living I'll add Kirk Cameron, and David Tennant. And James from Studio C!!!)
6. Favorite actress: June Allyson, Julie Andrews, Donna Reed, and Amy Adams 
7. Best friend: I live in an artist colony (yeah, creative people who wear weird clothes--we qualify when we're still in pjs), so I'm pretty much best friends with everyone here. Outside of my family, I'd say Esther, Rebekah (both of them), Anya, and Susie.
8. Favorite band: Andrew Peterson and all his folks!!! (Though I'm beginning to branch out into some of the other Rabbit Room-ers...)
9. Favorite song: Kung Fu Piano by The PianoGuys and Rejoice by Andrew Peterson.
10. Favorite movie: Fireproof, A Man Called Peter, and Toy Story 3.
11. Favorite animal: Big dogs and small cows.
12. Favorite subject: English. (That covers about all of the wordy stuff.) ; )
13. Pens or pencils? Pencils, because I'm a fallible human. 
14. Summer or winter? Winter. It's so moody and good for inspiration and a really good excuse for reading.
15. Tea or coffee? Chai tea! It's like coffee without the dirt flavor.
16. Good day or bad day? So far, so good. I've made breakfast, read my Bible, and done my chores while talking waaay too much with my crazy siblings. 
17. Birthday: In the springtime. Lovely, lovely springtime.
18. Something that makes you happy: God's love, babies, books, breaking 13k words in my story, my family, our sweet dog Ella... I'm sorry, there are too many. ; )
19. Something you're looking forward to: In the future future, having a family of my own and Christ's return. In the present future? Eating lunch, publishing, writing more, and seeing the nephews again.
20. Tell a story in one sentence: Once upon a time, there was a problem that was solved so everyone could live happily ever after.
21. Nominate any number of people: I think it would be fun if Rebekah, Holly, and Lauren answered these questions! ; )

Now it's your turn! Answer the questions if you like or ask me an extra one. ; )

Inspiration

When C.S. Lewis was trying to describe how he got his inspiration for The Chronicles of Narnia, he wrote, "It all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy woodland. This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself: 'Let's try to make a story about it.'" (You can read more of what he said here.) We all know what happened next, and some delightful stories were born.

Just like Mr. Lewis, I'm often not sure where my inspiration comes from. Sometimes it's another story, a song, a random Scripture verse, and yes, even pictures.

I didn't really know until I had finished writing the first draft of "The Book of Dreams' where it had come from, and even now I'm not completely sure. Maybe it was the book from the BBC Voyage of the Dawn Treader that had caught my fancy years ago or my fascination with Caspian's half-dwarf tutor. Maybe it was listening to an audio drama of "At the Back of the North Wind", reading "The Weight of Glory", or listening to Andrew Peterson music that filled me with a longing for heaven. Or maybe it was just my own random thought: "What if you were chosen to have an adventure?" 

This story has been one of the easiest for me to write. The words, especially the description, just seemed to flow into the keys of the computer. I felt almost like Handel frantically writing the Messiah. Although my siblings keep begging me to let "Letters for Victory" be published next, I've decided that it must be "The Book of Dreams". It's a story that I love and can't wait to share.

I will admit to you, that not all of my inspiration has been this glorified or extraordinary. Most of it comes from everyday life and interactions with my creative and amazing family. ; ) When I was describing Grandma Rowena, I pictured her as Grandma Nutt from the board game Candyland. ; ) Cool, right? (Cinnamon doesn't quite look like her peanut dog.)

I think some of my characters would protest if they knew their origins. So, dear Sir Larkin, Drewin and Ryla, Byron, Sienna, and everyone else please stop reading this post if you won't be able to handle it. ; ) I'm about to confess.

• Sir Larkin--your name was originally a girl's name I heard at the Homeschooled Authors' book table in 2014. Very sorry, but I thought with the medieval twist it would work. Will you forgive me?
• Drewin and Ryla--your names themselves are made up because I had run completely out of medieval names since I've overused the time period/genre. But I have an ever bigger confession to make. The name of your story (The Twin Arrows) is actual the name of a local casino. I didn't know where I had picked it up until I was idly reading the billboards on our way somewhere. I'm reclaiming it though. It's mine, and it's ours.
• Byron--yes, I know I haven't visited your story in a while. I'm stuck. But your name was an awesome inspiration. I've read it almost every day of my life, and it was such a part of me that I didn't know it was the brand name on the tag of my teddy bear. He is very noble and unique, though; so you shouldn't be ashamed to be named after him. (And it's really not as bad as the random Pony Express rider who was named after my pencil case...)
• Sienna--hello, again. I want another story for you, but we'll have to get to that sometime. I believe you are named after a local resort from yet another billboard. It's a beautiful name nonetheless, and I love it. ; )
• Fiddler--I love you so much that I couldn't find a name good enough for you (and Edward already got a story, so I can't use that again); so that 's the real reason you don't have one. There's no geeky or cool reason for the "secret" except lack of inspiration and fear of ruining your awesomeness. (I don't think Isolde minds.)
• Percy--you are so cool that I'm sorry you got that name. Only thing I could think of when you needed one. (At least you aren't stuck without one like "Mr. Strathmore's boy" or "the half-grown boy with the half-grown voice"...) And by the way, if you end up in a second story, you just got ten times cooler. I was reading the Arthurian tales the other day and crying over Sir Perceval's coming to Camelot. Your name is now short for Perceval. ; )
• Isolde--you're name is also from the Arthurian tales, but hopefully your story won't be as tragic as Tristan and Yseult's. It's beautiful nonetheless, and I'm really not ashamed of it all. (You're sister Ariel is from one of Jerusalem's alternate names and the name of the sprite from The Tempest. I heard somewhere that they were naming people during the 1860s from the Bible and classics, so... And Shallia was completely from my own head.)

So it ranges from everything from billboards to Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis to teddy bears, and everything else in between. Sometimes with stories like "The Book of Dreams", I feel as if I am writing something beautiful and amazing that will bless many people and bring them closer to God. Other times I feel as if I am writing a collection of random ideas that is just a cheesy remake of The Princess Bride. And then I remember that, as long as I am writing for God, He will make something out of it that I could never have imagined being possible. He will use my crazy stories to change a life, even if it is only my own. So I keep writing. ; )

I've recently started using Pinterest to help with inspiration. I have boards for "The Book of Dreams", "Letters for Victory", "Fiddler's Bargain", "Awake", and another story currently (and boringly) known as "Kiera". I try to keep my boards God-honoring and kosher, but please use the site in general with caution. (Same warning as I give for YouTube.) And please note that there might be spoilers. ; ) 

Story Excerpt: Bringing the Plants In

I love writing the future, but it's too hard because I've never seen it. I love writing complicated, realistic characters; but they come out flat and formulaic if I've never met them.

So, once upon a time, I started a story. It's set in the future--but not too far out. Just a generation or so. The main character, Kiera, is the same age as me with similar hopes, dreams, and fears. She has a very ordinary life--just a little more future-y than yours or mine. So I've been working on the story (7k words, so far); but I still have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it.

Here's the first scene...

The water came out of the spigot in a trickle that slowly filled the watering can. Remembering the old rule about watching a pot boil, the young woman rose to her feet and dusted the dirt off her denim skirt. It was obviously going to be a while so she should find something else to do while she waited for the watering can to fill with filtered water. Giving the trickling spigot one last glance, she left the porch to inspect her garden.

            Two large raised beds on wheels sat in the center of the lawn soaking up the afternoon sun. Small patches of lettuce, salsa greens, and tomatoes filled one bed while the other held her root vegetables and as many flowers as she had found room to squeeze in. Running her fingers gently through the soft, cool earth, she began to pull the tiny weeds that had come up during the day to make room for her vegetables to grow. One of her tomato plants had started a tiny green bud that she smiled in anticipation over. A few of the flowers had wilted, and she plucked their heads to make room for others to grow.

            Something made her remember the watering can, and she hurried over to turn off the spigot before the water overflowed. Lifting the much heavier can, she carried it across the yard to her garden and gave her plants their evening drink. She smiled when she was done, satisfied that all was well and wiped her muddy hands on her oversized sweatshirt.

            The screen door opened and a voice called out, “Kiera, there’s rain forecast for tonight. Do you need any help taking them in?”

            Kiera looking up to see her mom standing barefoot on the patio, and the screen door open behind her. “Sure, thanks for telling me.”

            Mom joined her on the lawn and together they rolled the raised beds onto the patio. Putting her watering can down next to the spigot for the next day, Kiera pulled the waterproof shades that covered all sides of the porch down and made sure they were securely hooked in place. She didn’t want to risk letting her vegetables get rained on. She’d have to start all over again if that happened.

            Following Mom into the house, she remembered to ask, “Hey, is Thorne able to come tonight?”

            “Pastor Silas has offered to lead the Bible study this time, so yes he is coming,” Mom said, rinsing her hands in the kitchen sink. “I’m so glad that he’s able to get the time off. We only see him during church now.”

            Kiera laughed. “Yeah, and that’s just from our pew. Let me know if you need any help with dinner.”

            “All right, I’ll tell you. Just as soon as I know what it is.”

Mom began to rummage through the refrigerator talking aloud to herself in an unintelligible murmur of different food all run together. Kiera smiled to herself and sat down in front of the computer. Opening the weather app, she saw that sure enough a storm front was coming towards their town; and she was glad they had brought the vegetables in when she noticed that the radiation levels were extra high.

“Really high radiation, Mom,” she mentioned aloud.

“Oh dear,” Mom replied with her head half in the in the refrigerator. “I guess it will all be indoors tonight then. No barbecue, so I’ll have to think of something else.”

She returned to her murmuring, and Kiera turned back to the computer. Since she was already on, she might as well check the other apps. Shifting that app to the side, she opened her journaling one to make sure no one was talking to her there. Nothing. No mail either. She scrolled through the old messages just to make sure she had replied to them all. Seconds later she spun around in her chair and slapped her palm to her forehead.

“What’s the matter, dear?” Mom asked, standing up with a head of lettuce in one hand and a half-empty jar of tomato sauce in the other.

“I totally forgot that since it’s Bible study night, Jade will be coming. Do you think Thorne will mind sharing his evening? It’s probably too late to cancel, and I’m not sure what else Brennan would do. It’s not easy to get a babysitter,” she thought aloud with a pucker in her forehead.

“Of course he won’t mind in the least,” Mom assured her. “Your brother loves that little girl like you wouldn’t believe.”

Kiera grinned. “Do we have enough food for that?”

“The three-year-old is on hunger strike, and she asks if we’ll have enough food,” Mom told the refrigerator and shook her head.

Now Kiera really laughed. “You’re right. I’m being silly. Sorry about that.”

“No problem. Just come wash this lettuce while I roll these meatballs, and we’ll say no more,” Mom said with a teasing smile.

Her daughter stood up from the computer and took off her sweatshirt. Washing her hands in the kitchen sink, she began to rinse the lettuce. It would be a slow job since the kitchen’s filter wasn’t much faster than the outdoor spigot. Oh, well. Thorne wouldn’t be coming for another hour at least. 

So, there you are! That's a current story project.

What do you think? Does it sound interesting?

Matching Sisters Day

All of us polka dotted and/or vintage-y sisters decided to pose for a picture together last Sunday. 

Our awesome brother Paul took the pictures for us (along with a friend from church who wanted to hang out. Hi, Liberty!). That's his goofy hand there as he waits for us to position our littlest sister in exactly the right place. ; )

It was a ton of fun, but we sure did miss our oldest sister, Perry, who wasn't able to come since she was sick. We'll have to match again another day, sis. ; )

I'm Back!

Yes, I'm here again. There's a lull in the storm of things to do, so I thought I'd pop in and tell you what I'm grateful for...

The auntastic adventures I had while Aimee and I stayed at Perry and Tyler's house for a few days helping out. Chap and Chum were so hilarious and adorable with their clip-on ties, cowboy boots, and sunglasses (that don't quite stay on their heads or their noses). Their two favorite things definitely are playing outside (except one time when the sprinklers were on--then Chum was happy to just sit on the porch with me) and eating. (Eating a lot. Especially if it is "callilip", known to everyone besides toddlers as cantaloupe. The score was 8 for Chap and 5 for Chum.) ; ) We also had a great time with Perry and Tyler when they were available. Perry took us grocery shopping and treated us to Starbucks. (I got to try out their Chai tea for the first time!!)

My birthday celebration. On my actual birthday, I had a nice quiet day hanging out with my family. My two littlest sisters treated me to a treasure hunt (with very hard clues! They had recently got a kid spy book from the library, so there were a lot of really creative ones.) with a package of cards they had bought together as a prize at the end. Then all of us sibs (and Mom for awhile) played a crazy game of Ultimate Monopoly. Near the end it was just Paul and I switching back and forth, back and forth. We called it a draw, especially since it was time to eat Chik-fil-a and ice cream since Dad was home. Soooo yummy!!!! After that they showered me with presents and appreciations (that were so sweet I almost cried). It was truly a great day!

My other birthday celebration. ; ) Because my birthday landed on a Monday, the Perry and the Tyler and their very silly babies weren't able to come so they had us over that Saturday for more celebration. Ice cream, politics, silly babies, my local aunt and uncle, and leftover wedding cake from my cousin's wedding combined to make it another great celebration. (And the gifts too! More on one of them later...) ; )

Evangelism training. We are going through the Way of the Master training videos with two different groups (north and south since we are so spread out!) from church. It has been great to be able to get to know these church friends better and to grow in our ability to share the Good News. (And this lucky pastor's family gets all the info twice!) ; ) Please pray for me that I would get over my shyness and actually reach out to people.

Reclaiming Beauty webinar by the Botkin sisters. My mom and a friend of hers are leading this study together for their own daughters (that includes me!!) and some other mother/daughters from a homeschool group. It has been so amazing!! I've been learning exactly what God thinks of the whole topic, that I must dress as His ambassador and an example to my younger Christian sisters, and that it really is okay to enjoy it as long as I keep it in its right place just like any other art. ; ) (If you want to find out more about it, you can download the first episode for free here.) It's also been a ton of fun too. ; )

Anna and I spent a several sister-ly hours decorating our study guide notebooks together. (Yes, that's us! Looking weird and horribly lit.) ; )

My book on the left, hers on the right. I love how our different styles came out in the process. ; )

Over the past several weeks, we've also gotten to know some girls that we had never met before, collected a ton of info for our style files, figured out face shapes and colors (vaguely, anyway) ; ), and I had the insanely irritating and wonderful privilege of doing an entire closet inventory. ; ) Which actually turned out very helpful when we went on our field trip to our local modest (unfortunately Mormon) thrift store together. We all found some amazing things and had a great time. ; )

Our Ladies' Bible study. It only happens once a month, but it has been amazing so far. We are studying through "Living the Gospel in Relationships" by Tara Barthel. We like it so much that we've actually been watching it as a family and gleaning a lot.

Stories. What would a blog post by Kate be without her stories? (Don't answer that question. It was purely rhetorical.) In my "Year of Editing Six Large Works", I have four down and two to go! I just finished editing "Fiddler's Bargain" last night, and I can't wait to move on to its companion story. (When I say these are edited that doesn't mean they won't get more later on, but it is a step forward.) ;) "The Book of Dreams" project has progressed in one exciting way--Perry and Tyler have offered to give me a free cover!!! (That's my birthday gift from them. Aren't they just the best?!!!) I have a story spinning in my mind, but I'm not sure it will ever make it out of the idea stage. (The fact that I have 7k+ words does help to encourage me a bit. I'll share an excerpt of the beginning some time here...)

My crazy family. Right now my mom and I have ganged up on my littlest sister and are tickling her mercilessly. Other fun times include another treasure hunt Em made for Blue and I yesterday, watching the second National Treasure movie together yesterday on VidAngel (Anna and I love quoting Riley Poole to each other), coming up with eighty business/book/movie/ministry ideas a day, and listening to Mom read a book about Marco Polo aloud. Pretty great. ; )

That's just a bit of the awesome things that have been keeping me busy. ; ) What have you been doing?