What I am up to

Goodbye 2015!

It’s been a while since I’ve done the whole blogging thing. I could make the expected excuses of all work and no play, but that feels unnecessary. Instead, let’s go with thank you. Thank you for continuing to follow this blog. Thank you for the continued support on this site as well as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and wherever else we have been able to come together. Most importantly, thank you for being you. I value each and every one of my readers, and I know that I couldn’t be who I am as a writer without you all being who you are.

Here are some of the writer-ly (or whatever) things I’ve been up to in 2015:

  • I finished my first year and a half of graduate school! This means I’m now officially halfway through my MFA program. That is both an exciting thought as well as a terrifying one. I’m not sure where I’ll be after getting this degree, but I know that I will be a stronger writer for it.
  • I started teaching English 101 (and am now prepping to teach ENGH 101 and 201 in the spring). Teaching college students has been an interesting (and usually rewarding) experience. I realize that a lot of students really value the feedback they get and take their inquiries outside of the classroom. Now I can laugh at all of the times that I used to say I never wanted to be a teacher. Well, maybe it’s more of a quick chuckle.
  • I started working on my thesis project. It’s a book I’ve tried starting two other times but ended up setting aside again. In many ways, it’s different than what I’ve written before but, in a lot of ways, it is familiar to my writing. This third start really has been the charm. I feel like I have a better understanding of my characters (who are now a lot more interesting than they were before!) and that my relatively complicated story line is becoming clearer. I’m very excited to continue working on this piece and cannot wait to let you all know when my first draft is done! (This will be quite a while. Don’t hold your breath.)
  • There has been a lot of tutoring this year. It’s been rewarding to help younger students reach their full potential in English (reading, writing, grammar, etc.). Then there’s the math tutoring that I thought I left in the past but it has actually been a lot of fun to revisit the topics I thought I left behind. It’s all so much easier now. (Having answer keys might be part of the equation there…)
  • I also spent some quality time teaching creative writing workshops as part of the Sally Merton Fellowship program. It’s fun to see how excited the kids get about getting to do something creative (and just having a new face in the classroom). Also, I value the collection of drawings and thank you cards that these kids have given me. I could probably do with a little less hair-braiding, but even I can’t really complain about that.
  • Fall for the Book 2015 was also a major success (in spite of the impending hurricane that thankfully dissipated so that we could continue the festival as planned). During the festival, I had a chance to talk to Tim O’Brien and get my book signed. Steve Watkins (a former UMW professor whose class I was sooooo close to taking) was there as well and it was nice to get a chance to chat with him. (He gets a double thanks for giving me a signed copy of his book as well!)
  • In addition to all of that, I drank obscene amounts of coffee, met new people, went new places, and lived to write about it all. Stay tuned this 2016 for more writing and reflecting on A Dose of Kyle.

 

Enough about me. What have you accomplished this year? Did you get lots of writing done? Read any good books? Travel to several cool places? Leave a comment below!

What I am up to

What I’ve been up to: New year, new blog!

It has been a little while since I’ve updating you all as to my endeavors. Right now, break is nearing an end. Grad school starts back up on Tuesday! While I am sad to say goodbye to break so soon (although writers do not get “breaks”), I am excited for what this semester has to offer.

Kyle Freelander and Dusty Dog

So what did I accomplish over my “break”?

Truth is, a lot of my time has gone into redoing my blog. A Dose of Kyle was a wordpress.com site and now I have made the switch over to wordpress.org (www.kylefreelander.com) to really get things going with my blog. That being said, I would love to hear from those of you who use WordPress.org! What are some tips you have? What plugins are you loving? What do you recommend [to me or for others]?

If you have a chance, poke around the new site and speak up! I love feedback (and admittedly it would be useful as  adapt to this new terrain).

 

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However, I did find time for some writing as well –particularly dating advice for Heyy App. Interested in checking out some of those posts? (Note: these links will take you to Heyy App’s blog under a new tab)

Are they crushing on you?

9 Dating Mistakes You Are Making Right Now

How To Tell Them You’re Not Interested

Journaling

So what is there to look forward to while I continue to work out some blog kinks? Lots!

Particularly, I’m looking to do more posts that help YOU (my loyal readers). Let me know what you want to read/ what would be most helpful for you and I will see what I have to offer.

How am I going to do that? The honest answer is I don’t have it all figured out just yet. I’m starting with something that I am passionate about: journaling.

That’s right! This blog will have its first mini-series on journaling (which I will likely add to periodically after that). The first post will be up on January 20th!

[ Update: If you missed it, you can find it here: 6 Reasons to Start Journaling Now ]

Note: Subscribing/Signing up via email on the right of this page (see the sidebar) will get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox!

Looking forward to the year of you!

<3 Kyle

What I am up to

What I am thankful for:

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we all take a moment and really appreciate the things we may have taken for granted throughout the year or even during our lives. So, while it is not meant to be a complete list, here is my list of what I am thankful for this year (in no specific order):

 

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My family.

My parents for obvious reasons, but I am especially thankful for my sisters. We may have disagreements, crankiness due to lack of coffee, and our dogs might legitimately hate each other, but those are always temporary (well, dogs…who knows). In them I have two shopping buddies, people who are forced to at least occasionally like the same types of food, ones who understand where I come from, where I’m am, and where I want to be. They are the people I can talk to about my day, tell my crazy stories to, or even just seek advice about my latest strange dream. I like the way we have inside jokes, the same sense of humor, and that we look related in photos. Mainly though, I like the fact that we’re friends when life only forced us to be related.

 

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Graduate School.

I’m not even quite sure where to start on this one. It’s almost two-fold. I am thankful for getting into George Mason’s MFA program. I remember the anticipation of waiting to hear back, the doubts as to whether or not I had made the right choice in choosing not to accept a different school’s offer the previous year, and then all of the smiles and hugs and congratulations once I got my acceptance letter –just when I was about to give up hope.

Now I am thankful for actually being in graduate school. I am currently wrapping up my first semester in the MFA program and already I feel like I have done and learned a lot. From teaching opportunities, to Fall for the Book, to all of my classes, to the books I read, to the stories I’ve written, to the horse blog I started, the new people I have met, the friends I’ve made, and everything in between –I am thankful.

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My friends.

All of them are fabulous. They are there to partake in happy hour, brunch, shopping, or even going on the boring errand I didn’t want to do alone. We swap stories, offer advice, talk about the good ole days, talk about the great new days, try new things, and just take a break from the stress of the world. I am ever thankful to each and every one of my friends for being some combination of that for me as I hope I am able to offer the same to them.

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My boyfriend.

He is there when I need a shoulder to cry on, when I have a coffee addiction to deal with, when I need a push, or even when I just need some support. We have had moments of weakness (it would be naïve to pretend that everyone is happy all of the time), but we have come out of those moments stronger and with a better understanding of who we are as individuals. He takes interest (and usually even takes part of) the things I am interested in: he listens to me read a cool story aloud, goes to horse shows with me, watches me horseback ride (and sets up the ring for me as needed), reads my writing, shares my current writing that’s out there in the world already, and then always looks for something he could be doing more. I feel appreciated, challenged as a person, and I know that there will never have a dull moment with him.

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My dog.

Dusty is an angelic soul…hahaha. Okay, but really. I am thankful for Dusty in spite of the fact that he invites himself up on the couch, barks at all other dogs, barks at all birds, manages to get his leash trapped under the hood of the car (props for that one), eats the remainder of the pre-holiday cookies for my early Christmas enjoyment, and the fact that he refuses to wear the bowtie I hand crafted him for more than maybe 5 minutes. Why, you ask? Because he is Dusty. Dusty my little shelter dog that I got during my freshmen year of college. Dusty the dog who likes cuddles, has no qualms with forcing you to pet him, follows me around the house, gets overly excited every time he sees me regardless of how long I’ve been gone, the one who thinks my shoes are the coziest dog bed, the one who lets me dress him up in clothes (which is actually a development new to this year), and the one who loves me regardless of how many things I’ve had to scold him for that day. You can follow him on Instagram @oldmandustydog (no joke –he has the occasional need in life for mindless activities to give him a break from his intensive dog studies).

Facing the Tide

My book.

My first novel, Facing the Tide, was released a little over a year ago (11/12/13) as and ebook. This year on (2/15/14), it was released as a paperback. I spend a lot of time flipping being proud of my book and trying to shield its existence from certain people. This is not because of the content/plot of my book (which I like very much), but more because of the connotation of “self-publishing” or “Indie publishing.” Some people think that this term does not hold as much merit as a book that goes through the methods of traditional publishing, and I admit that I have been guilty of similar thoughts on occasion. They are thoughts that I struggled with even before my decision to go ahead and publish my book anyway (there were several factors at play here, none of them being that my book “wasn’t good enough” for traditional publishing). Between all the time I spent writing, revising, rewriting, editing, designing the cover, formatting the layout, getting all the things that make a book a book (hello, ISBN number), and all of the marketing and promotional components to getting a book out there…I feel foolish for even being “embarrassed” for a second about my book. It is something that I have invested time, money, heart, and soul into and, for that, I am proud and thankful (especially thankful for those who have read the book and/or supported me throughout this process).

Kyle, What I am up to

The Return of the Faded: An Update

Here is where I make a list of excuses as to why I haven’t been posting lately:

1). Grad school has taken up a lot of time but, all in all, has been very rewarding

2). I was helping with Fall for the Book, GMU’s annual literary festival and for fear of getting into the blurb I gave all newcomers about the festival, I’ll opt for a link to the festival’s site for those of you who are curious enough to venture to it.

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Check out the festival here!

3). I started teaching creative writing to little kids who may or may not actually like creative writing…yet

4). I have a new blog. No, it’s not a betrayal to this one. It’s about horses and it is for one of my classes (Online Writing), so I would really appreciate any support or suggestions you all may have!

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Check out my horse blog here!

5). Did I mention all of the books for graduate school? There are like 25 of them for this semester alone.

6). I spend my rare free time sleeping or lying awake in bed thinking and thinking and thinking.

 

However, these are all just excuses and a lot of my thinking has led me to the conclusion that I would like to resume regular posting on this blog –especially the Writer Wednesday posts since I feel those have been helpful to other writers. So hang in there as I shake my schedule up some more in order to get back on track with this!

Thank you readers!

 

Featured image courtesy of flickr
Kyle, What I am up to

Current Events in the Writing Life of Kyle

1). 100 posts deep on A Dose of Kyle!

Yes, that is correct: there are officially 100 various posts on this blog. In fact, this is post 101. Happily enough, post 100 was a Writer Wednesday post for all you fellow writers out there. Thank you to all of my current followers and readers, along with all of those to come down the road. You all make blogging worthwhile! <3

2). Heyy App

You may have noticed this earlier this week, but I have begun blogging for Heyy App –a dating app that turns everyday moments into amazing relationships. Did you meet/see someone but ultimately missed the opportunity to get contact information? Wish you had another chance to talk to the woman at that party? What if you could find the man you exchanged glances with at the bar? Post a heyy! You can add text, location, and even a picture to connect with your very own missed connection. Take a chance, post a heyy. (Available July 2014).

What am I doing on their blog? Well, I am there to share your heyy moments (sparks) as well as dish out dating and relationship advice. Some of these posts will find their way onto this blog and others will only be available on heyy app’s blog, so follow them if you want to stay connected 😉

Find the blog here: http://heyyapp.wordpress.com/

3). The return of the novel

I can make excuse after excuse for why I haven’t been working on a novel currently (or at least not consistently), but I will save you all the pathetic list. I’m embarrassed to admit that I could even make a whole list of excuses! To be a writer, you must write. I’ve been doing that, but now it is time to kick my butt back into gear, so to speak. While the articles, poems, and what not will continue (right here on your top ten favorite blog), I will be returning to my habitual novel writing because that’s how I roll…especially in the summer.

 

Join me on Facebook where we party like…well, we party: https://www.facebook.com/kylefreelanderwriter

Or twitter, my little birdlings, where we can write to each other in clips and phrases that are less than 140 characters! @kylefreelander

 

Kyle, What I am up to

Why I’ve Been Sucking at Writing Lately

So somewhere within the whole getting into graduate school, packing, moving out, moving in, unpacking, starting a new job #1, starting a new job #2, and watching my baby sister graduate, I got a little off track with my writing. My blog experienced a delay in my regular posts that I am genuinely sorry for. The novel I am currently working on also got put on pause. However, I am writing this update to say that I am getting back on track starting TODAY…beginning with this post. Thank you all for bearing with me and I can’t wait to share more with you very soon (don’t fall off the edge of your seat)! For now though, quench your thirst for more Kyle by reading my articles on Thought Catalog if you haven’t already –I would really appreciate the support! <3

What the Person You Deserve is Like: http://thoughtcatalog.com/kyle-freelander/2014/05/what-the-person-you-deserve-is-like/

Love Will Knock You Down: http://thoughtcatalog.com/kyle-freelander/2014/05/love-will-knock-you-down/

Kyle, What I am up to

Moving time!

It has come time for me to move out of my apartment and in memory of my time there, I thought I would make a list of things that I will NOT miss about this place:

1. The kid running around upstairs. How a little kid manages to shake my whole apartment, I will never understand. Literally, baby earthquake every time that kid is home.

2. The finicky thermostat where my room is always too hot or too cold (never just right) and my roommate’s room is always the exact opposite. There is no winning.

3. The train. Admittedly, you only really hear it if you are outside or have the windows open but it is a little strange to be neighbors with a choo-choo train.

 

While there are things I won’t miss about this place, there are a ridiculous number of things I WILL miss that I can only begin to list here:

1. The historic downtown area as our backyard. It’s pretty cool that almost everywhere you go has a story that dates back a good hundred years.

2. Everything being within a ten minute drive. Or, better yet, a brief walk.

3. The pool. It had a sort of resort feel to it. Plus, it wasn’t very crowded during the week which was definitely a plus for my roommates and myself.

4. It’s a nice apartment. Like a Barbie dream home. You know, if that dream home was an apartment with two roommates and everyone’s respective significant others.

5. Not having to share a bathroom. This is the first time I haven’t had to share a bathroom with one or more females, so I have this apartment to thank for finally introducing me to straightening my hair, storing my products, and in general having my own decorations in the bathroom. It’s the little things…or the weird things.

6. The food. When moving away from a variety of restaurants both large and small to an area that mainly has chain restaurants, the food will always be missed.

7. The nightlife, although it occasionally felt limited, was a nice atmosphere. There were the few regulars that were always fun to spot coupled with a bunch of new people of all ages (well, above 21 that is). Plus, it was easy to barhop since everything was within a short walking distance. If one place wasn’t happening, you could easily venture forth!

8. EVERYTHING. Oh well, I am moving onto bigger and hopefully better things. Maybe you will see me there again some day…

 

What I am up to

What I am up to

I am still on cloud nine about this news, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to post it on here: I WILL BE ATTENDING GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL AS PART OF THEIR MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING (FICTION)! It has been a long road to get here, and I feel so blessed to be able to say that I have taken the next step towards my dreams.

In other news, I accidentally showered my laptop with flavored water this past week. On the one hand, it smelled like yummy strawberry lemonade but, on the other hand, it didn’t work after that. It took three days to figure out a solution that involved me showing up for tech support only to have my laptop turn back on all by itself just after the guy told me my laptop was probably a goner. Yes, I am the tiger mom of laptops over here. Hey, whatever it takes to motivate my laptop to work again!

So now I am back to working on novel #3 which falls into the category of women’s fiction (along with novel #2 which is still progressing towards its final version). Currently I am about three fourths of the way through it and hope to have a completed first draft in just a few weeks!

 

Facing the Tide, Kyle, What I am up to

Le Update. (What I am up to lately)

After hitting roughly 32,000 words on my next novel, I hit a sort of writer’s block with my project. I realized I needed some space from it to really think about how I wanted to go about the rest of the book. So, I have set that novel aside for now and….

I HAVE STARTED A NEW NOVEL.

Okay, it’s not really an entirely new novel. I started this one while I was on break from college and set it aside once it was time to go back to school. Now that I have been out of school for a while, I find myself thinking more about this novel then the one I had been working on. Now seemed like a good of time as any to switch. Currently, I am at just over 14,000 words into my first draft. Let’s see where this third novel takes me.

AS FOR BOOK #2…

It’s in beta reader mode. My mother wants it to be in “Mother-read-me mode,” but that comes later. Patience, Mom, it’s headed your way soon. I’m really excited about how this book turned out, although I am a little skeptical about some of the details. I might want to change a few things around, but I’m counting on my beta readers to let me know if that’s necessary or if I am just looking for reasons to hold onto my novel longer. We’ll see. What you should know is that it is a chic lit novel that will make you sad, happy, and (most importantly) laugh out loud (well, hopefully).

IN THE MEANTIME

Poems and various other writings are being posted on this blog. If you have the time, take a look around and feel free to let me know what you think! I love feedback.

AND THE SHAMELESS PLUG

My debut novel, Facing the Tide, is now available in both print (on Amazon) and eBook formats (on Amazon kindle, Barnes and Noble nook, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and more).

Thank you all for your support!

Kyle

Facing the Tide, What I am up to

What I am up to

Current projects:

As my second book nears editing mode, I am now a week into my third book.

In dream world, I will be writing 60,000 words in 30 days.

That means 60,000 words by March 1st.

[ [ Hold me to it. ] ]

I tell myself I have done it before and I can do it again.

I just have to keep swimming through the snow and ice that is my February.

[ [ Slow and steady wins the race, right? ] ]

Current word count: 14,162 words

Current mood: Publicly optimistic, internally worried and occasionally fighting off the feeling of defeat

Other writing news:

My debut Y.A. / new adult novel, Facing the Tide, will be available in paperback on February 15th.

And yes, there will be a giveaway. For a signed copy.

[ [ Get excited! ] ]

Like my Facebook page [ [ https://www.facebook.com/kylefreelanderwriter ] ] for forthcoming details!

[ [ Hint: Like my Facebook page. It will help you on your quest to winning a SIGNED paperback copy of my book, Facing the Tide. Also, it will make you feel loved and provide you with fun new reads and tidbits. Win-win. ] ]