June Photography

More photography today! Thinking maybe I'll turn this into a monthly feature? 

Photos from June. More specifically, photos from a June visit to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Look out for flowers, fish, turtles, and more!

Okay, so for this one, it is essential that you read the name of this flower.

Check out the name of this flower, too.

Floral fireworks -- just in time for Fourth of July. 

All photos by me.

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!

May Photography

I have a new camera now! Here's some of what happened in May that I was able to capture with it. 

April showers bring May flowers... but this is a May shower. What's that going to bring?

Aha! It brought cicadas.

And their shells. 

Well, it brought some flowers, too. Love this mini carnation.

I'll do a lot for a good photo... even run the risk of getting stung. 

Other fun stuff...

Games at my class's completion-of-chemistry celebration.

Ice cream with friends. 

Foosball at a friend's graduation party. 

And it's Memorial Day today!

Red, white, and blue breakfast. 

Currently enjoying the comfortably warm weather and gradual lessening of schoolwork! What are you enjoying about spring? Are you doing anything special for Memorial Day? 

A Long Time Ago...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I saw my first Star Wars movie.

(Well, technically, it wasn't the first. My siblings and I had seen an episode of the Clone Wars once with friends. But we hadn't seen any of the actual Star Wars episodes.)

It was five years ago, in our family's schoolroom, where my siblings and I experienced Episode IV: A New Hope for the first time. 

It was amazing.

The plot...

A desperate rebellion. ("You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor." -Darth Vader) 
Tense fights with lightsabers. ("An elegant weapon from a more civilized age" -Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Swift, if battered, spaceships. ("You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought." -Princess Leia)
A dangerous rescue. ("Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." -Princess Leia)
Deadly races through space. ("I can't hold on!" -Wedge Antilles)

And the characters...

A hero eager to prove himself. ("I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you." -Luke Skywalker)
A dangerous villain. (heavy mechanical breathing - Darth Vader)
A quick-thinking, strong-willed princess. ("I don't know you are or where you came from, but from now on you do as I say." -Princess Leia.)
A cocky pilot with a patched-up ship and a tall furry companion/copilot. ("I expect to be well paid." -Han Solo. "Rrrowwwr." -Chewbacca.)
 A selfless mentor and master of the Jedi arts. ("Obi-Wan Kenobi... Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." -Obi-Wan Kenobi.)

We were thrilled by the story of a galaxy ruled by the evil Empire, a band of rebels fighting to overturn it, a hero with a mysterious past and destiny. 

Now, five years later, I've seen every Star Wars episode produced (and I'm waiting impatiently for Episode VIII! What does that trailer even mean?!)

Anyway, today is May 4th, so naturally I had to talk about Star Wars. Because every Star Wars movie is still a thrilling adventure complete with lightsaber duels, space chases, a villain, a hero, humor...

A New Hope was just the beginning that day five years ago. What a beginning.

When young Luke Skywalker stumbles upon a distress call from Princess Leia, a captive of the evil Empire, he sets off with mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi to rescue her at once. Along the way, he must learn to master the mysterious, long-hidden Jedi arts of lightsabers and the Force. For far too long, the galaxy has been reigned over by the Empire, most notably the intimidating Darth Vader. If Luke and the gang of friends he's picked up can rescue Leia, the desperate Rebel Alliance will stand a chance of destroying the Empire's ultimate weapon the Death Star and restoring peace and freedom to the galaxy. 

The story continues with Episodes V, VI, VII, and soon to be VIII. There's also the prequels, I, II, and III. Each of them is a segment of the events of the Star Wars saga, each introducing new characters (including some we'd perhaps rather not see "ahem" Jar Jar Binks) and suspenseful plotlines (which I can't describe for fear of giving secrets away). 

So there are the duels, the chases, the action, the humor. But there's more.

Goodness. Evil. Light. Darkness. Love. Despair. Captivity. Freedom. Choices. Loyalty. Trust. Hope. 

Redemption.

The Star Wars saga was first and foremost the story of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin, phenomenal mechanic, Force-user with exploding potential, best pilot in the galaxy. Rescued from a dusty desert planet to be trained as a Jedi, his destiny was glorious. 

But as Anakin Skywalker grew older, he became rebellious. He didn't want to do as the Jedi Masters wanted. He wanted to choose his own path, to do things his way. Because he was scared, scared of losing those whom he loved. His desire to protect them was not the problem; his conduct because of it was. 

He began to view his Jedi mentors, once his greatest heroes, now his enemies. They would not -- could not -- allow him to do as he wished, have what he wished. He began to make desperate choices. Driven mad by his obsessive fears, he chose a dark path, and forsook his friends in a chase after what he thought would help. 

But it did not help or heal anyone. Instead, it flipped the galaxy into darkness under the hand of a sly Sith Lord, brought agony to the Jedi and the Republic, and scarred Anakin forever with the heat of the fires of Mustafar. 

A prophecy had been whispered about Anakin. That he was The Chosen One. That he would bring balance to the Force.

But Anakin chose darkness, when the galaxy needed him to be light. 

His closest friend and mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi cried out of this as he and Anakin dueled, each believing the other a traitor. Obi-Wan fled and distributed Anakin's two children among friends and relatives to keep them safe. Then he hid. It was no longer safe to be a Jedi, one of the guardians of peace and freedom. Those times were over. 

Until a certain young man intercepted a message from Princess Leia and there was a chance to hope. 

Because there was a chance to save Anakin, athough no one, least of all he himself, knew it. He did not deserve to be pulled from his painful life of the Sith Lord Darth Vader he had become. He had made a rebellious choice and done things on his own terms. 

Yet in the end, he received the opportunity for something different, something better. 

Redemption.

It's similar with us. We chose to do things our own way, to walk the paths we wanted, instead of walking by God's commandments. We were darkness, when God had made us to be light. But he gave us the choice, and we chose sin. 

Then he sent his Son to pay the price for our wrongdoing. And that Son redeemed us with his blood. And now we have a glorious inheritance.

But we're different from Anakin Skywalker, though. For one thing, the redemption in Star Wars is a story, and the redemption in our lives is a reality. For another, our redemption is far greater and brighter. We did nothing to merit salvation and receive life through Jesus's death. But Jesus atoned for us and rose from the dead and we will be with him for eternity. 

And this is why Star Wars resonates so deeply with so many people; we identify with it. This is why storytelling is so important; it shows people truths in an alternate setting, and we return to those stories to understand the truth.

"The stories are true. All of it." -Han Solo

This is Star Wars -- a tale of light and darkness and redemption and hope. 

"What chance do we have? The question is, what choice?" -Jyn Erso

May the 4th be with you.