Homeschooling & It’s Benefits For Young Writers: “The Destiny Of One” by Sarah Holman Blog Tour

If you’ve been reading my blog previously then you probably already know why I believe that teen/young writers should not feel like they have to “wait” to pursue their dreams, even if this means missing out on their high school experience. And for most teen authors, this is a sacrifice that they have had to make. Sure, there are those who perhaps could publish a book as a teen without having to homeschool. But why is it that most teen authors are, in fact, homeschooled? Perhaps it’s because of the many benefits that homeschooling provides, like being able to have a flexible schedule. There are also advantages such as getting to work at a coffee shop, library, book store, etc. Homeschooling has worked for every teen/young author that I’ve come in contact with, including Sarah Holman. She’s a homeschool graduate whose Christian fiction novel, The Destiny Of One, has been recently self-published. View the trailer to her debut novel below.

Though this is Sarah’s first book, she has been writing for years. Her articles have been seen in many different magazines, including Homeschool Enrichment, His Wonders, The Kings Blooming Rose and more. She also posts regularly on her blogs The Destiny of One and Meditations of His Love. She is a homeschool graduate and lives in central Texas. When not pursuing her passion of writing, she can be found taking long walks, reading, sewing or spending time with her family.

Be sure to order The Destiny Of One by clicking here. Want to know where The Destiny of One Blog Tour will be next? Click here.

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If you’re also a homeschooled teen writer, in what ways has homeschooling benefited you
in pursuing this craft? Have you had to sacrifice anything by doing so? Why do you think that the majority of teen authors are homeschooled?

Book Review: Departures: Two Rediscovered Stories of Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen

Back Cover Blurb:

“Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen cross paths on their way to summer vacations that reveal what a gift it is to have a true Forever Friend.

Now Boarding at Gate 10

After her high school graduation, still aching from Todd’s departure, Christy joins her family on a trip to Wisconsin to visit relatives. While there, she reunites with Matthew, an old friend from junior high. When Matthew starts to show a romantic interest in Christy, she realizes this summer vacation could change everything she thought her future would be.

In the Event of a Water Landing

Fifteen-year-old Sierra Jensen can’t wait to spend her summer vacation with her friend Jana at a pristine lake in Montana. But when they arrive, it becomes clear that Jana’s only interest is acquiring a boyfriend. Sierra just wants to hang out with the guys as friends, but Jana turns every encounter into a possible romantic relationship. As their friendship begins to suffer, Sierra wonders if it’s possible to find a Forever Friend who will listen to you, laugh with you, and keep your confidences.”

My Thoughts:

Departures contains two novellas about the adventures that Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen go on during one of their summers. Since I’ve read all of the books in the Christy Miller series, I was really able to enjoy and connect with that story more than the Sierra Jensen one. One of the many reasons I continue to read Robin Jones Gunn’s books is because she provides such spiritual refreshment and creates characters that can relate to teen girls, no matter the generation. Although it does seem that some of the things in her stories are outdated—for example, the conversations that teenagers have—she is still a brilliant writer and has a knack for showing God’s love through her stories, relating to teens and their journey to adulthood.

Final Comments:

Departures would especially be a nice summer read, preferably for the fans of Christy Miller and/or Sierra Jensen series. I feel that this book would relate best to ages 13 – 15 or 16.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

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Have you read either of these series,

or the novellas in Departures?

If so, what did you like or dislike about them?

Which character can you relate to the most - Christy or Sierra?

What To Do When Your Drain Gets Clogged & You Can't Stop Thinking Of Ideas

Many times I have blogged on how to find inspiration when you run into a writer’s block or run out of ideas to write about. But what about those times when you have too many ideas and you simply can’t think straight or focus on what you’re doing at the moment?

That’s what’s been happening to me since returning from my third writer’s conference, Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. I came back with an overdose of inspiration—a notebook full of notes and a brain overflowing with ideas. And now I can’t think of what to do next. My wheels are spinning fast... but going nowhere.

Many times this is not the case. Many times as writers we stare at the computer screen, just waiting for something to pop into our heads. But what happens when the door to inspiration finally opens, and out comes an overflow of ideas?

1. Pour the ideas out of your brain and into a notebook/new Microsoft Word document.
2. Choose only one of those ideas to focus on for now and try to come up with more ideas that branch off from the first. This way, instead of using this inspiration to create brand new ideas, you’re using it to only create new ideas for your current WIP.
3. Avoid multi-tasking, such as commenting on a few blog posts while trying to write one of your own. Focus on what you’re doing at the moment and invest all of your energy into that one project.
4. Give yourself a certain amount of time to focus on what you’re doing. Be sure to eliminate all distractions and do not let your mind wander elsewhere until your time is up.
5. Always put your priorities first. It’s fine coming up with new story ideas while already in the middle of writing one, but keep them all in the same file and make sure that they stay put and are not messed with until your current WIP is complete.

Of course, having too much inspiration and ideas is certainly better than not having enough—but it can become a bad thing if you aren’t sure what to do with these new ideas. Clean out the clog to unstop the drain, and the flow will once again start pouring at a steady pace.

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What about you?

Does your "drain" often get clogged with too many ideas?

How do you put them to the side and choose only one to focus on for the moment rather than allowing yourself to get distracted with the others?

What Are You (Spiritually) Feeding Yourself?

(The post I wrote last week on why there aren’t more teens reading YA Christian fiction lead to the discussion of media and the affect that it has on our culture today. This is another topic that I feel strongly about and wanted to share a few of my thoughts/opinions about it in today’s post.)

I like having junk food every now and then. It’s a nice snack when I’m bored or simply craving something to eat. But those are the only two things that junk food is good for. It may look good, may even taste good and satisfy my craving for the moment—but if you look at the food’s nutritional value, you’ll see what you’re eating really consists of. And if you eat too much junk, you’ll be left with a sick and nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach. Why? Because junk food isn’t nutritious, which is why our bodies shouldn't consume a big portion at a time. If you do, you just may throw up.

I feel that eating too much junk food is the same as “eating” too much secular television, movies, books, and music. These things may satisfy me for the moment, and it may be a really good movie, TV show, book or song—it may even satisfy the “craving” I have for entertainment at the time. But it is nothing compared to healthy food that provides nutrients, energy, long lasting benefits, and even more fulfillment. Sure, I’ll have junk food every now and then... but if I eat too much I’ll feel completely disgusting afterward and am sure to regret it.

Believe it or not, what we “feed” ourselves does have affect our spiritual health. If you want to get rid of excess depression and fear, stop “eating” media that will make you feel that way, such as the news. If you’re tired of throwing up (thinking, acting, and speaking in ungodly ways, regurgitating what you've "taken in") then turn off your iPod. Or better yet, replace the secular music on your iPod with Christian music. Our bodies - physical and spiritual - cannot eat all that junk and it not have some sort of negative affect on us.

I admit, healthy food such as vegetables does look boring and probably isn’t considered as “tasteful” as junk food. However, the more you eat it, the more lasting benefits you gain and less of a chance there is for your body to be unhealthy. Eventually you won’t even crave the junk food anymore because you’ll find that the health food is way more rewarding and you feel much better afterward. Of course, a bite of junk food every now and then may not hurt. But it’s not to take the place of health food.

The way we think and act is a direct response from what we’re feeding ourselves. The lifestyles displayed on television are not the kind that we should model our lives after because eventually what we watch will rub off on us. This is why I believe that movies, television, music, and books are so powerful. Which is also why I only read/write Christian fiction, listen to mostly Christian music, and only watch a few television shows. It’s because I don’t like eating trash. I’d rather use my time eating things that will do me good in the long run, not harm.

When people are trying to lose weight, they eat smaller portions than what they’re used to and include more health food into their diet. We should all take the same careful consideration into what we allow into our bodies. Too much of anything that is not of God is never good for our spiritual systems.

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Why do you think it’s so important to not spend much of our time investing in secular media? Have you noticed a change in the way you think, speak, act, and respond to certain situations because of the things you’ve watched/listened to/read? What things would you cut out of your “diet” if you wanted to clean out your spiritual system?

PS: I will be at a conference next week so there will be no posts until Monday, 5/16. See all of you then! =)