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![](https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/119238233_685867065640921_6319490334947599005_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=FnAAy2S8Z4MAX_BgkOO&oh=5207f67aa8ebcf776823c05f8798ca1f&oe=5F93A355 "How are you guys doing?
This is a late post, but we are halfway through September, so I thought I\'d check-in.
To be honest, my brain is feeling extra fickle this week. Kind of like that feeling where you keep opening the fridge because you want something, but you don\'t know what that something is, so you end up eating nothing at all. Now instead of food, apply that to everything. I start classes next week, so I think my head is just heavy with anticipation, and everything feels busy. I keep getting distracted by the silliest things, both externally and internally. Smoke from the west coast fires has taken over the area for a week now, so I have a perpetual headache, and the kids are climbing the walls because they can\'t go outside. I also hoped to be farther along in my WIP than I am at this point, but instead, I\'ve rewritten the same chapter I don\'t know how many times because \\"something is just not right.\\"
If you\'re having a rough week, I just wanted to say that I see you, and I feel you. The optimist in me wants to say that this too will pass, but also, it\'s okay to be frustrated, and it\'s okay to talk about.")
![](https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/118922655_324548418766329_4125889172795121205_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=Gj59nf34gE8AX8P7inC&oh=7ff07cefd1d6903ef3d87b6f0a4e16f4&oe=5F96D3A6 "How is the weather where you are? I saw some places were already getting some snow 😱
Our world here is a bit hazy this week. There is smoke in the air from the fires burning through the west coast. My nose and my throat burn, and my heart hurts for the trees and the animals and the people who have all been affected. I\'m hoping for rain and cold air, but it\'s hotter today than it was yesterday, and tomorrow is it\'s only going to get hotter 😭. I\'d very much like it to be October already.
Writing update: I only got 20 minutes in yesterday. I kinda cheated on my tv ban last night 😂 To be fair, it was brother\'s birthday so we watched a movie, which isn\'t technically \\"tv.\\" Anyway, we watched #Alive and it was really good, so if you\'re into zombie movies, I highly recommend it.")
![](https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/118395221_397176611260425_4431500204494581414_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=NFanzLLPcwQAX_RLNpb&oh=eb0f535391e4cc5d2c81a09bde2ac37d&oe=5F94CEC8 "\\"Till this moment, I never knew myself.\\" - Jane Austen
I was inspired by @thedailymagpie \'s #5booksthatmademe challenge to share the books that have influenced me as a writer. These are the five stories that shaped how, why, and what I write.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — All of her books have had a huge impact on me growing up, but this one especially influenced me as a writer. Elizabeth was the first character in a book that I fully related to, flaws and all, and it taught me the importance of being able to find yourself in a book.
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien — This is the book that got me hooked on fantasy and showed me the types of stories I wanted to tell—stories full of grand adventures and whimsical characters. I couldn\'t get enough of the trolls and dragons and the band of dwarves. I was Bilbo waiting for Gandalf to take me on an adventure, at that same time wanting to curl up in my hobbit hole with a good book and some tea cakes. Also, it has a map.
3. Sky in the Deep by @adrienneyoungbooks — I still, to this day, cannot pinpoint exactly what it is about this book spoke to me as a writer. I don\'t know if it is the author\'s style of writing or her personal connection with the story coming through the pages or that it has everything I love in a story. Still, it shifted the way I look at writing, and it got me writing again after not doing so for quite a long time.
4. Discovery of Witches by @debharkness — This is the first book I fangirled over as an adult. I stayed up late into the night reading it, and it brought back that feeling of when I first read Twilight in high school and was obsessed with the Cullens. That is the feeling I want to give to readers one day, and this is the book that showed me that.
5. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie — This story will forever hold my heart. As a writer, I will always be Peter Pan living in Neverland. Writing is where I can run free and let myself play. It\'s where no idea is too silly, personal growth can come in the form of sword fights, and saying \'I do believe in fairies\' doesn\'t freak people out. (Swipe to see an old picture of my kids dressed up as lost boys.)")
