Wandering through the Words

Wife, mother of two, author of LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES, and literary Peter Pan, Shannon Lee Alexander stumbles around on Tumblr trying to figure it out. Follow on Twitter @shanlalexander shannonleealexander.com

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Sunny day shelfie. . . . #harrietpotter #dogsofinstagram #amrevising #procrastinationqueen #shelfie

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Happy red, white, and blue (just imagine the blue)! If you squint, he looks a little like fireworks. Work with me, people! . Found this cool guy in Providence, RI, while exploring with the family. Did a little research and discovered he was created by @ghostbutterfingers . Love finding unexpected surprises on vacation. . . . #streetart #octopus #providencerhodeisland #rhodetrip #fourthofjuly #fireworks

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Let me just grab my crown so we can get today started. . . . #streetart #graffiti #fortwetherill #rhodeisland #crown #queen #amrevising

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Nevertheless... . . . #resist #lovenothate #thrive #rhodeisland #fortweatherill #divein

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Good morning, Bookshelf. . . . #shelfie #sundayshelfie #shelfiesunday #books #goodmorning

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Thought it would be a good idea to rearrange/clean my bookshelves. Three hours in and I’m thinking I may have made a mistake. 🤣 Until I get more shelves in here there’s just no way to get everything put away. . . . #bookqueen #shelfiesunday #booknerd #booknerdproblems #bookstagram

[lifeofaliterarynerd]

We Need Diverse Books: Black History Month Edition                                          *Books by black authors and/or have black protagonists

How It Went Down - Kekla Magoon //  When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white. In the aftermath of Tariq’s death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth. Tariq’s friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. 

X - Ilyasah Shabazz & Kekla Magoon //  Cowritten by Malcolm X’s daughter, this riveting and revealing novel follows the formative years of the man whose words and actions shook the world. X follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today.

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas // Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.  

The Women of Brewster Place - Gloria Naylor //  We follow the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak inner-city sanctuary, creating a powerful, moving portrait of the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America. Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and open-hearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects—a common prison and a shared home. 

Piecing Me Together - Renée Watson //  Jade believes she must get out of her neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Except really, it’s for black girls. From “bad” neighborhoods. 

Keep reading

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Son; Can we get my teacher a Harry Potter gift? Me: Hold my wand. . . #tistheseason #teachergifts #harrypotter #potterhead #floatingcandles #thegreathall #lumos #bemerry

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Self Care Bingo! . I made this because sometimes it’s hard to do the things you know you should do to take care of yourself. But who doesn’t love a game of bingo? . . #mentalhealth #selfcare #depression #seasonalaffectivedisorder #takecareofyourself #putonyouroxygenmaskfirst

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In honor of NaNoKeepWriMo, here’s a few shots of books that can help break out of a writing funk. Anyone else use writing prompts and classic tales as inspiration? . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #nanokeepwrimo #writersblock #storystarters #writingprompts #writingbooks #amwriting

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Well here we are on November 30. Still standing. Or sitting. Or lying prostrate in a pool of our own tears. Whatever you’re doing, NaNoWriMos, you deserve a hug and a hearty congrats. 😘 . This is the part where we all hold hands and celebrate the end of NaNo. For some of us (I’m looking in a mirror), we’ve got a little more work to do on our stories to reach The End. But we’ll get there. I’ve got some writer friends who’ve decided we’re keeping this jam going a little longer into December. We’re calling it NaNoKeepWriMo. . While I may not be finished with this draft, I am so thankful for the NaNo experience. I’ve gotten closer with some fellow writers through accountability texts. I’ve discovered that I can actually write a first draft (or 53k of it anyway) in a month AND enjoy the process. And I now know that yes, friends, there is such a thing as too much coffee. 😉 . Big thanks to all the people that make NaNoWriMo possible. I’ve loved getting all the pep talks and exploring the resources online. Thanks you for making this crazy experience fun! . Here’s to new friends and new novels! Keep writing! . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #amwriting #harrypotter #hogwarts #funkopop #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling

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We’ve reached the end of NaNoWriMo and the end of the SAVE THE CAT plotting series. Here we are at THE FINAL IMAGE, the last beat of our story. . The FINAL IMAGE should show us how the MC, the world of the book, or how we as the reader have changed. It should also reflect where the MC started as well. I like to think of it as a mirror, like the Mirror of Erised, except this one shows the past and new present allowing us to guess as the future. . THE SORCERER’S STONE began by describing The Dursley family and the very normal world they inhabited, a world poor Harry was thrust into when his parents were killed. The story ends in the wizarding world, the one Harry truly belongs to. He jokes about going back to the Dursley’s house, but this time he has his magic, his friends, and the knowledge that he is loved in this world after all. And so the story ends—happily, until the next time Voldemort comes back. . I hope this series has been helpful for some of you. It really helped me to understand the beats by laying them out for a story that I love and know so well. I suggest giving it a try yourself with your own favorite book or movie. It’ll even work on most of the Disney Pixar short films, too! They are masters at plots! . Remember that while the beats lay out a sort of framework for your plot, you don’t have to stick to them rigidly. Use them more like guideposts, landmarks, or suggestions. 🤓 . Happy writing, NaNoWriMo friends! . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #amplotting #amwriting #savethecat #blakesnyder #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #hogwarts #wizardingworld #theend

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🎶One day more!🎶 Channel your inner Les Miserables NaNoWriMos! You can do this! . We’re at THE FINALE! It’s time to wrap things up in your story. Give your MC the big win or crush them beyond recognition if you prefer to write tragedy. Either they achieve their internal and external goals (or maybe just one of them) or they fail, but this is that moment. Their last hurrah. . For Harry, this means defeating Voldemort. It means believing he is special enough—his magic is enough—to resist Voldy’s power. And knowing that he’s not just fighting to save himself, but the new friends that are becoming like family to him, too. Yes, Harry Potter, you are The Chosen One. ❤️ . I’ve reached my 50k word count goal, but my novel isn’t quite finished yet. I’m excited about reaching one goal and steeling my nerves to keep going until the story is finished. How’s everybody else feeling? . Also, yes. I accidentally posted this pic yesterday even though I totally needed it for today’s post. 😬😉🤓 . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #amplotting #amwriting #savethecat #blakesnyder #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #voldemort #finale #funkopop

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Three days left in NaNaWriMo! We’ve got this Wrimos! Whether you make your goal or not, be proud that you even attempted a feat like NaNo. Consider what kept you from your goal and how you can work to remove those hurdles next time. The number one thing that stops me in my tracks is my confidence. That negative voice in my head gets so loud and it’s so much easier to believe the bad stuff. Why are humans built this way? Doesn’t seem very Darwinian of us! 🤓 . Plotting (or plodding—you pick) right along with SAVE THE CAT, we’ve come to the ALL IS LOST beat. It’s a pretty self explanatory beat. The MC is at her/his/their lowest point. Everything seems bleak and rotten and futile. It looks like there is no way to reach the goal. . Harry and his friends have discovered the exact night someone (*cough cough* Snape) will try to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone. They’ve told their teachers, but no one believes them. And to make matters worse, Dumbledore is gone! There’s no hope left! Snape will recover the stone and bring Voldemort back for sure. . I know my picture doesn’t quite show this exact moment, but if you swipe you’ll see a hint of what the Golden Trio is hoping to avoid (and yet believe is now inevitable). 😉 I just love this illustration! 💛 . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #amplotting #amwriting #savethecat #blakesnyder #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #allislost #voldemort #funkopop #instabook

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Back on that writing train for the last week on NaNo! Choo choo! 🚂 . If you’re following my SAVE THE CAT plotting series, we’re up to the tenth beat, BAD GUYS CLOSE IN. (In my head I totally just heard the *dun dun dun* music of suspense movies.) it’s at this point that the action and tension really skyrocket. The stakes are often raised and our MCay even feel like they have no choice but to keep going. It’s important though to be sure your MC is the one moving your plot forward, especially in young adult fiction. . It’s at this point in THE SORCERER’S STONE that the trio is convinced Snape is behind all the evil doings at Hogwarts. He is the bad guy closing in so to speak. He is the one they suspect is after the Sorcerer’s Stone and possibly (probably definitely) is working on behalf of Voldemort. *dun dun duuunnnnn* . I love making Funkos part of my pics. Swipe to see the original illustration of cranky old Severus. 🧙🏻‍♂️ . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #savethecat #blakesnyder #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #plotting #badguysclosein #severussnape #funkopop #amwriting

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Happy After Thanksgiving Craziness! We always travel for the holiday to see family, and while I have pictures ready to share, I usually forget. . Last week for NaNoWriMo! Who’s ready to finish strong? . Guess I’d better catch us up on SAVE THE CAT beats! We’ve just seen all the FUN AND GAMES that can be had , and we’re reaching the MIDPOINT. The midpoint is usually the opposite of the end, so it is often a down beat. If it is an up beat, it’s a false one. The characters may think it’s a victory, but it’s either short-lived or setting them up for a big fall. . Harry and his friends have discovered there is a giant, three-headed dog and it’s guarding something important. They believe they’ve got it all figured out, but as we know, there are still a few twists! . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #savethecat #blakesnyder #plotting #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #amwriting #fluffy

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And now it’s time for a little FUN AND GAMES! I’m just wrapping up this beat in my NaNo project. It was so much fun to write these silly scenes with lots of pranks and jokes and laughter. Too bad the tide must always change. But for now, we’re going to revel in the fun! . For Harry, in THE SORCERER’S STONE, fun and games seem a little terrifying, what with the troll in the bathroom and jinxed broomsticks and baby dragons. Who am I to say what is and isn’t fun in the wizarding world? Bet I’d think a lot more things were fun if I could wave my wand and make real magic. 🤓 . What sorts of fun things are your characters doing today? . . . #nanowrimo2017 #nanowrimo #amwriting #amplotting #savethecat #blakesnyder #harrypotter #thesorcerersstone #jkrowling #funandgames #trollinthedungeon #quidditch