What I am up to Archives - Kyle Marie Freelander

Goodbye 2015!

December 31, 2015 Kyle Freelander

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!

January 15, 2015January 20, 2015 Kyle Freelander

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.

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).

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

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:

November 27, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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):

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

October 10, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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.

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!

1003856_169822736559084_23779998_n — 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

June 20, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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

Moving time!

May 21, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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

April 7, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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, list

What I am up to (outside of being snowed in)

February 13, 2014 kylefreelander

1). Hosting a giveaway of my first novel, Facing the Tide! First you’re hearing about this giveaway? Fret not: there is still time to enter. The drawing for a FREE, SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY of my book will be held on February 15, 2014, and entering couldn’t be easier. Just like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kylefreelanderwriter . It really is that simple. Best of luck to you all!

2). Wowing the world with my beautiful singing talents. WOWING.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXDFx1NZ7g

3). Okay, those weren’t my beautiful singing skills but rather a video my younger sister, Chandler, helped create for a contest. Like it? Help a girl out by voting for her video at https://www.projected.com/contests/24-words-of-renewal

(I find it’s quickest if you search her name rather than having to scroll through all the videos)

4). My third novel is just over 20,000 words long now, putting me a little behind on my goal but I wasn’t really counting on life getting in the way of my writing. Sometimes I forget that life happens all around me, even when I’m busy typing away on the computer. I have high hopes to catch back up over the next couple of days. Especially if the whole being snowed in thing continues. Yuck.

5). Drinking coffee and procrastinating. Yup, sounds about write…I mean, right.

Hope you all are having a fabulous day and if (like me) you are snowed in and looking for something to do, feel free to curl up in a comfy chair with a nice, big mug of hot chocolate and read my book! Just 99 cents for the eBook edition. Yes, another shameless plug.

Stay warm out there!

<3 Kyle

Facing the Tide, What I am up to

What I am up to

February 7, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

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. ] ]

list, What I am up to

13 Things I am grateful for from 2013

January 1, 2014January 10, 2015 kylefreelander

While 2013 brought me many things (both good and bad), I am reflecting back on the positive things that the past year has brought to me as I welcome everything 2014 has in store for me. Bring it, I’m ready.

[In no specific order]

[[This is by no means a complete list]]

1. Graduating from the University of Mary Washington.

Okay the picture is humorously dorky but it was a big accomplishment for me.

2. The beginning of a new, beautiful relationship.

We have had our ups and downs, but he challenges me to be better…to be the person I want to be and do the things I want to do. I am excited to ring in the new year with him and cannot wait to make more memories together in 2014.

3. My first book, Facing the Tide, being published.

4. Acceptance into Graduate School for an MFA in Creative Writing Fiction.

While this was an offer I sadly had to turn down, I was flattered none the less to have gotten in. Now I am in the stages of reapplying to MFA programs and hopefully will be able to pursue this particular dream in 2014.

5. Getting to spend time with my family.

6. Meeting new people, making new friends, and the continued friendship of old friends.

Imagine there’s a mirror here…

7. Learning new things like…

a). how to cut out people in my life who take advantage of me and/or our friendship.

Admittedly, this is still a work in progress but even these baby steps have been a weight off of my shoulders.

b). it’s not the end of the world to ask for help when you need it

[and the pleasant discovery that there are still people out there who love to lend a hand to those in need].

8. Knowing the best dog in the world, Pepper, who my family and myself sadly had to say goodbye to in October after 14 years.

He was the best dog a girl could ask for.

9. The chance to travel.

10. Yvonne, our fancy mouse (who passed away a few days ago).

11. Moving into a new apartment.

12. Getting back in the saddle…

…and leasing my first horse.

13. The chance to ring in another new year!

Best wishes to all of my family, friends, fans, readers, those who stumbled upon this post by accident, and everyone else. Happy 2014!