Wreaking Havoc, One Misspelled Word at a Time

I just practiced my speech for tomorrow, and I realized just how frequently I mix up words like "contraception" and "conception," or "birth control" and "birth canal." I've been researching and writing about this for years, and I just now realize my book is probably filled with those mistakes? It's like a copy editor's nightmare. Oy vey.

Update: When I typed the title, I wrote "Type" instead of "time." Maybe it's just my fingers this week.

Grace

On Wednesday I give a 20 minute speech I've been working towards all semester on a paper I focused on all last semester. It's the capstone project of not only senior year, but of all of my papers and speeches in highschool. This is the worst possible week for me to get sick.

Last night one family member was up vomiting all night, another woke up with a cold so bad she cannot speak.

What a reminder that everything I do is because of God.

What Writing Really Looks Like (or "Patheticness Embodied")

I was first introduced to the topic of abortion January of 2009 when I wrote a research paper on Margaret Sanger. In August of the same year I decided to write a book and began researching, then a few months later I actually began outlining. Ever since, "the book" has been weighing on my mind, causing me to carrying around notebooks for keeping ideas and lists of things to do and outlines, and making me spend all of my breaks from school writing in my room. When I talk to people about my writing, I would love for them to imagine me sitting in Starbucks, drinking a latte, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and with a thoughtful expression on my face. While I do go to Starbucks to write sometimes, I generally don't order lattes and I never look that cool. Most of the time when I write I'm at home, in my bedroom, alone, and looking pathetic. I wish the whole ordeal would look something like this:

Hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com 

Occasionally this is fairly accurate, but generally if I'm awake at 3:17 AM it's because I'm doing homework, and I can guarantee I never have that facial expression at that time or while doing homework. What's more, my posture while writing is far poorer than this picture depicts. Over the past year I've developed the habit of writing while sitting on my floor, ever since the pad on my desk chair fell off making it incredible uncomfortable. And when I say "sitting on my floor," I really mean curled up in a pathetic little ball of sweat pants and hoodie, under an electric blanket which is tangled with my computer cord, drinking my 3rd of 4th cup of coffee for the day, and forcing myself to remain still due to the caffeine and list of other things I'd rather be doing. There's usually a space heater, mismatching socks, a crooked braid in my hair, and two or three white boards with outlines and lists of facts involved. This has become a regular event for me, and it generally lasts 20 minutes-4 hours a day, depending on how much I don't want to be doing homework. Then once I begin homework, it, too, quickly spirals from me sitting in my armchair doing homework to slumped over in the same puddle of patheticness on my floor.

The only hope for me not becoming a hunch back by the time I'm 25 is either finishing this book in the next three days or fixing my desk chair. It's not looking too good.

Well there you have it. A mental image of me writing. I just wanted to clear that up for you in case you were picturing it all wrong.

A Post About Posting Habits (and other things)

Once upon a time I posted something and said I would be consistent about posting, then I got really busy with finals and college applications and stuff. When I finally finished the semester and had three weeks off of school, I had no reason to procrastinate and thus, no reason to blog. Here I am yet again, the first Tuesday of my last semester of highschool, and I'm blogging again. Break ways amazing, but good news, world! The sleep deprived, caffeinated, blogging Becca is back!

(Another reason I stopped posting is that I decided I didn't want to post anything that wasn't super interesting and worth your time. Then I got shy and insecure and wondered why anything I had to say is worth your time. Then I got lazy. The latter is probably the most significant factor for my absence, however.)

I had some really good ideas for a blog post today, but I forgot them. Anyway. I have a ton of homework coming up, so stay tuned.

Plus also. It is my goal this semester (besides survive, finish highschool with decent grades, avoid senioritis as long as possible, get into college, make big decisions for my future, and learn some new songs on the ukulele) is to write for a minimum of 30 minutes everyday. Now, to be totally honest, I'm lacking motivation and excitement for writing these days (something you could pray for me about), but despite all of that I was able to write for about an hour today! If this is going to work in the long run, though, I need people bugging me about it to keep me accountable. My personal goals always fail because it's so easy for me to forget them. So bug me!

I think that's all I have so say for now. I'm sure after I post this, the floodgates will open and I'll have a million ideas. In the meantime, though, I must read my economics text and ponder philosophical things. (That makes "homework" sound so much more interesting and intelligent, am I right?)

Oh yeah, and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and Happy freaking Holidays, everybody! I didn't get to write a nice, long post all about thankfulness and Jesus and nostalgia, but I'll probably find myself doing that in the middle of the night a few times this semester regardless of holidays when we're supposed to do it. So get excited. ;) Happy second semester, everybody!

Roe and Doe Oral Arguments Anniversary

(So much for not posting this week while I finish up the semester.) 

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first rounds of oral arguments for Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton. 

Clark Forsythe of Americans United for Life wrote this article for LifeNews today, including links to transcripts and audio of both Roe and Doe arguments. 

Funny story: on Thursday I’m turning in a research paper on abortion history, but I was having trouble finding good transcriptions of the cases. Perfect timing. God provides again and again and again, ad infinitum. 

College Application Essays

I'm writing a college application essay about an experience that has influenced my life. Naturally, I choose my experience writing a book as a teenager about one of the most controversial subjects of our time that I apparently have no authority to write about.

Now that I've really stopped to think about it, I realize I've learned so much from this book. If you wanna learn a lot about yourself, go write a book.

(P.S. I have a list of blog posts I want to write, but college applications and a 15 page research paper stand in my way first.)

Happy 40th Post To Me

It's been a really long time since I've actually had a decent blog post, hasn't it. I have a few ideas for posts, but instead of writing them now the diligent thing would be to study for my modernity test and write my research paper. However, here is a brief, unorganized, and slightly ramble-y list of things that are happening:

• Two more weeks until this semester ends and Christmas break starts. Thus: crunch time. Thus: not much blogging or writing or ukulele other happy things. 
• College applications are happening, slowly but surely. 
• I finished a draft of chapter 1, the first draft that I'm actually pleased with. I've now rewritten this chapter 3 times, so here's hoping this one's it! 
• I will soon be letting other people read a few select chapters to get their input and edit, which is super scary. I've only let one person read anything in the book before and I made them swear to not judge me or read certain chapters. 
• I'm becoming really good at being sleep deprived. I've actually found that with 2 hours of sleep and a little more coffee than usual, I'm happier than I am when I'm well rested. Granted, I'm certainly not smarter in that state of mind. 
• Tonight I'm going to a Behold the Lamb of God concert. If you've never heard Andrew Peterson's Christmas album by that name, you should change that. I'm not a fan of Christmas music, actually, at all, but this concert and this album is my favorite part about Christmas every year. 
• I've realized why I hate Christmas music. It's too happy. Now, I'm a very happy person almost all of the time, but Christmas music just annoys me so much. I love honest music with honest lyrics, so singing historically inaccurate songs about Christmas that pretend like everything in the world is wonderful for one day a year just make me want to punch something. (There weren't 3 wise men. The wise men didn't come until Jesus was 2 or 3. Jesus more than likely cried as a baby. And no, my grandmother did not get run over by a reindeer. Gah.) Okay, I feel better. End rant. 
• I was super excited that I had over 1000 page views in all sorts of countries, until I learned that most of them are probably spam. Dang it. I should have realized that when it looked like I had such a following in countries that don't speak English, ha. 

Remember when I said I had a modernity test and a research paper? I should probably go do that now, I guess. If you actually read all of those bullet points props to you. Even if you didn't, I hope you have a wonderful day! 

This is Why I Love My School

It's 3am and I have class in 5 hours. I'm still up writing a paper, and it looks like I'll be up for a few more hours. What am I writing about? 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, proved we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

-Romans 8:14-17

I am so blessed in so many ways.

Announcements Galore!

Originally posted on tumblr, hopefully for the last time! 

Oh, hey there! Long time no see! 

I haven’t posted anything in quite a while, as you’ve probably noticed. I took a much needed break from blogged to focus on researching, writing, editing, spending time with my family in Montana, spending time with friends in Michigan, and catching up on summer reading. It’s been a great last few weeks of summer and I’m getting geared up for my second to last semester of highschool! 

Now, drumroll please, I have a somewhat-large blog announcement. After much thought and prayer during the last few weeks, I’ve decided to move my blog. While Tumblr is great and it allowed me to do a lot, it didn’t fit my blog entirely. I would love to have an opportunity for people to comment and a way to follow or subscribe without having a Tumblr account. Because Tumblr offers neither of these, I couldn’t tell if my blog was actually going anywhere or if I was just filling the internet with more never-seen blog posts. I’ve learned a lot about blogging on Tumblr, so thank you all for allowing me to make classic blogging mistakes and learn from them here! My new blog can be found here (thankfully the address is similar enough to my Tumblr that it shouldn’t be too hard to remember): beccafrench.blogspot.com. I’ll probably keep the Tumblr and update it a few times after the switch and check it periodically, but I wont make any promises other than that. I’ve already moved some of my best (judged by my own humble opinion) posts to the blogspot address. But good news, you've already found this blog! 

Another announcement! On Tuesday, a week from this very day, I will be beginning my senior year of highschool. My schedule will be pretty packed, but I’ve done my best to account blogging into it. I’m hoping to get a good blogging routine and post at the same times each week so it’s easier for you to keep up with. I’m not telling you when that/those time(s) will be, I’m keeping it nice and ambiguous for you. Once school gets rolling I’ll see what I’m capable of :) 

And while I’m at it, how’s about another announcement. Apparently, combining your professional and personal social media accounts is the number one way to kill your writing career according to this. So, despite it feeling incredibly weird and awful, I’ve created for myself a second email and facebook account. I changed my personal facebook name to avoid unnecessary confusion, so look for the new (and currently quite unpopular) Becca French on facebook. 

Here’s a little recap for you with all these new changes: 

Facebook: Becca French, Cincinnati Ohio (same picture as here) 

Email: beccafrenchauthor@gmail.com 

Blog: beccafrench.blogspot.com