Celebrating One Year of A Writer in Training!

Well, look at that. I've now had this blog for a year. Pretty cool, right? 

I started A Writer in Training on June 15th, 2016, with the aim of learning a bit about journalism and writing in general. It began with a book review -- The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. Since then, I've been sharing articles, book reviews, one or two stories, a sprinkling of poetry, some other book/movie-related fun stuff, and even photography. 

Overall, it's been fun learning about writing a thorough book review! I've reviewed a large handful of books so far (you can find them all under the Book Reviews tab) and should hopefully be doing more in future. 
Just for fun, here's the top three "awards" for most popular book reviews, based on number of views:
1st Place - The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
2nd Place -  Worth It All by Isabella Morganthal
3rd Place - (tie!) The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

I've also enjoyed sharing articles and various other reflections. Holiday-based ones have been fun. (And ones that technically weren't holidays; e.g., Star Wars Day, Hobbit Day. Which were quite fun to write.;))
Top three placings are:
1st Place - Rain and Responsibility (Reflections)
2nd Place - Harry Potter - To Read or Not to Read?
3rd Place - Why Do History?

And then there are the more creative-writing pieces! So far I haven't done much of that, but I hope to pursue creative writing a little more actively this summer, so you may get to see another short story or two. 
Top three placings are: 
1st Place - Short Story - The Teapot 
2nd Place - Short Story/Poetry - Winter Wonderland
3rd Place - Photos/Poetry - A Continued Celebration of Fall (+ some poetry)

Lots of variety, lots of fun. 

Tinkering with the blog site has also been interesting... several of you may remember the days when it was themed dark-red with a background of candles. Which I liked. However, I like the current look better; I want it to stay clean and professional. It's been fun learning how to tweak Blogger to make its templates look more --- well, more unique.

Goals for the future? Hopefully more articles and creative writing, and definitely more book reviews; possibly some summer reading lists? Other than that, we'll have to wait and see what happens. 

I'm going on an adventure!

So, what are you interested in seeing here this summer? What have you enjoyed? Any thoughts for blog design? 

Yes, You Can: A Guide to Writing and Sharing Your Story, by Isabella Morganthal

Today we have a rather special little book review! (For writers/prospective authors especially! :)) You may have seen the book review I did a little while ago of Worth It All by my author friend Isabella Morganthal. Well, Bella just released a new book! So today I'd like to share a review of her new book, Yes, You Can: A Guide to Writing and Sharing Your Story. 

Book Summary (from the back of the book): Have you dreamed of writing? Have you dreamed of being published? Self-published author, Isabella Morganthal shares her tips, wisdom, and advice in this new guide for writers! Sharing from over ten years of experience in writing, Isabella encourages writers to chase their dreams of being published someday. This fun guide includes advice on how to begin writing, how to edit, and how to publish and market your book. Also included are some fun story prompts to get your fingers writing and some creative writing exercises! If you're a new writer just starting out, or a seasoned writer looking for tips on publishing, this guide is for you! Yes, you can do this!

Discussions: Let's start with some things I loved. This book was quite simply fun to read. In Yes, You Can, Bella shares her experiences with writing, both with fiction and non-fiction, some lighthearted, some serious. She offers advice for developing one's writing, editing it, and how to publish your own books. (So far, Bella's self-published four books, including this one.) If you're interested in self-publishing, definitely check this book out. I thought the process was way more complicated, so that was interesting to learn about! Bella includes tips for formatting books, acquiring a cover design, and even after-publishing details like marketing and setting up book signings. Basically, Yes, You Can is a handbook for writers, with an overview of the writing/publishing process, complete with some writing prompts.  

Anything I didn't like? Not really. Except that I wish there was more of the book. :) Bella makes the most of every page, so it's very compact and rather short. Maybe it's just that I don't want to have to put one of her books down. :)

Overall, I recommend Yes, You Can! Bella writes with a conversational, friendly, personal style. She ties her Christian faith and love for Jesus into her book, keeping the importance of strong faith front and center. Strongly recommended for writers. :) 

You can find Yes, You Can: A Guide to Writing and Sharing Your Story by Isabella Morganthal on Amazon here. And while you're there, make sure to check out her other books!