How To Become A Word War Expert

If you've been around the writing world for any amount of time you're probably familiar with this term - "word wars". But what exactly are these mysterious bouts of literary aggression? It seems like all too many people (particularly us newbies who have no idea what they're doing) are unfamiliar with this wonderful concept. So please, if you've been baffled by this term in the past, allow me to elaborate.

The "word war" is a method used by many writers to increase their productivity and/or conquer writer's block. Particularly common during NaNoWriMo, here's how these little beauties work:

1. Get some people. You find a writer friend (or two or three) and decide to essentially "race" to see who can write the most words in a given amount of a time.

Pro tip: If you don't have any writer friends handy, check online hotspots (such as the NaNoWriMo forums) and other writing associated sites to find like minded people. Even on the off seasons I've seen sprints on NaNo, Facebook groups, and even blogs. There's more writers in the world than you think and trust me, they all need more incentive to be productive.

2. Set your times. If you're doing this with writers who aren't currently in the room with you (as is usually the case), you would say, for example, that you're going for 15 minutes at the :00 (as saying "How about we go at 3:30?" tends to throw people off unless you include the timezone).

3. Write like crazy! Once the set time rolls around write as much and as fast as you possibly can! Word wars may be great for productivity and pushing past blocks but that only works if you actually write something during them!

Note: Word wars can be however long you want them to be (15-30 minutes is the usual range) but the longer the war, the harder it is to write without stopping. Just keep that in mind as you're playing around with them.

4. Regroup. Once your set time is up, everyone comes back together and tells how much they wrote. Word wars aren't actually competitive (no shame if you're a slower typer) but something about knowing that you and another person have agreed to write with reckless abandon for a given amount of time really helps you get the words rolling. And since you're not supposed to pause (though, believe me, your cat will always wait until you start a word war to walk across your keyboard), you usually get a lot more words sprinting than otherwise.

5. Repeat! Now that you've done one word war, go ahead and start another! These little beauties of productivity are for all occasions and I guarantee you that there will always be someone else who wants to sprint with you.

Now that you're a word war expert, get out there and start typing!

College Survival Tips: Baked Apples

I think we all can agree on two things:

First, desserts are sweet. 

And second, they're super hard to avoid. 

Our willpower is only so strong and, quite frankly, after forcing yourself to study, avoid Netflix, and possibly even workout, it's extremely difficult to say no to that brownie at dinner.

Which is why I've been attempting to collect easy, healthy alternatives to the oh so tempting desserts at dinner. 

Let me introduce you to my Healthy Hack #1 - Baked Apples.

What you're going to need:

-Apples (1-2)

-Cinnamon

-Honey

-Some sort of baking sheet

-Pam (optional)

1. Cut the apples. I've been doing them into chunks, but however you want - slices, cored, cubed - works just as well.

Pro Tip: I don't know about your school but mine allows me to take a piece of fruit and a baked good from the cafeteria after each meal. Instead of swiping a muffin, I try to grab an apple or two each time. They make excellent snacks all on their own and eventually I have enough to make this healthy dessert (after a one time purchase of honey and cinnamon) for absolutely nothing!

2. Spread them on some sort of baking sheet (optional: spray baking sheet with Pam). If you're a college kid, this may be a little hard to manage during the year as such specialized utensils as pots, pans, and silverware are always in short supply. I've accomplished this dish with a cookie sheet (that I got from Goodwill for super cheap) and before that I was using a cupcake pan. I imagine that cake and pie tins would work as well.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the tops of the apples as desired.

4. Bake. This may take a while. I usually put them in at 350 F and check every twenty minutes or so but on average it will take 30-40 minutes for your apples to cook through. This is a great time to do homework, catch up on your emails and phone calls, fold that laundry you've been avoiding, or clean up around the kitchen (or procrastinate on social media but hey, who's judging?). You'll know your apples are finished when they are soft, tender, and slightly caramelized. The people who poke their heads in asking why it smells so darn good are also a good indicator.

5. Remove the apples from the oven. Let cool to a comfortable temperature and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!


So there you have it, my Healthy Hack #1 - Baked Apples. It's cheap, it's easy, it's tasty, and above all, it's good for you! Who says healthy can't be delicious?

Three Day Quote Challenge: Day Three

Well, today's the day, folks. The three day quote challenge has come to an end. So I figured we should end it on a happy note. And what could happier than that truth above? "Your loyalty to God doesn't determine His loyalty to you." I don't know about you but I think I could use this one plastered on billboards. Even when I am not faithful, God is. Oh how sweet the sound, this grace that has called my name. Thank you, Lord, that you are great and mighty, that your ways are above our ways, that your thoughts are not our thoughts. It makes you like 5000% cooler. Amen.

That concludes the three day quote challenge! Woohoo! *cue confetti, trumpets, and cake*

So what now?

If you're one of my two followers out there (love you, folks!) you're probably wondering if this is the end of the Living, Loving, Trying Life blog. I have to tell you I'm honestly not sure. Writing, despite my love for it, is not one of strong suits and creativity, particularly when it comes to choosing a topic, has always been hard for me. But I've loved doing this so much that I think I might keep it up. Posts that will hopefully be coming to you in the future, include:

-OCD - Did You Know It Could Be About More Than Hand Washing?
-POV: The Three Point Version
-Healthy Hacks: Baked Apples
-Word Wars: How to Become An Expert

And many more. However, though, I do have to ask what is it that you guys would like to see on here? So today, instead of nominations (I'm sorry, Alyssa, everyone's just been nominated already!) I'm going to give you a few topics I've been thinking about. Comment below to let me know what you're interested in hearing about:

1. Psychology, OCD, Mental Illness, and Faith
2. Christian Living
3. Healthy Living
4. College - prep, tips, and survival
5. Writing
6. Tutoring

As always, many thanks to Alyssa for getting me back on here and many, many thanks to the wonderful people reading this. May you have peace, love, and walk in obedience. Stay awesome.

-Ashton