Smiling all the Way From A to Z -- O

Today's smiles are brought to you by something that truly brightens my spirits. The letter O stands for...

OUTDOORS

I was raised by a dad that enjoyed the outdoors more than anything. We went hiking and biking a bunch during the summer as well as road trips to see the beauties of Western United States. He taught me the importance of enjoying my surroundings to the full. It was not that difficult to do that since I grew up a mile away from the opening of a gorgeous canyon in Utah. His favorite mountain range, Mt. Timpanogos, just a 20 minute drive away from us. The Dadio is a photographer, too so nature is his canvas. He loves snapping photos of all things beautiful!

I've been backpacking many times. It's not easy and ya get rather stinky, but it's well worth the amazing scenery and calm from the sounds of rushing rivers, birds chirping, and each crunch of footsteps in the dirt. I've backpacked Zions National Park, Grand Canyon, and the Tetons, Yet, I've been able to do countless day hikes in Utah's mountains.

Here are some pics from my outdoor adventures:

Cinque Terre - Italy day hike

Grand Canyon

Great Wall of China - I'm in the pink shirt

 Dirty Dash - I can't say I smiled a lot cuz it was way cold.

I got really sweaty on my hike out of Zions. Odd that being sweaty makes me smile.

Zions East Rim

 Snowshoeing - Utah

Do you enjoy the outdoors? Have you been backpacking or hiking or snowshoeing? If so, where? Or are you more of a road trip kind of person to see the beauties of the world? Last but not least, starting with the letter O, what makes you smile?

Writing Jewels

PS: Refer to the blurb on the very top of my blogs sidebar to know why I am posting about what makes me smile. Go forward and smile!



Polished Perfection, Soon...

I captured a pretty photo of Mount Timpanogos in Utah on my way to work the other morning. Snow is here my friends. Thought I would share it with you. Enjoy! Now on to my recent thoughts about writing…
I’ve been mad about editing the past week, can’t get enough of it; although, I wish I had more time for it. I love how editing takes something good and forms it into something more pliable, more sensical (Is that even a word? I like it!). It makes it beautiful. Obviously it isn’t spectacular yet, but it can only sore to a polished perfection. Something important I’ve learned lately, critiques are the only way to improve your writing. Ever since I’ve had a couple people edit my manuscript, it’s helped me to see how I can improve as a writer. Absorbing the advice, I see more clearly how to sculpt my novel as I edit. Over the past months, I’ve been picking apart what other authors do in their work. This exercise has helped me improve my own writing, because novels, in a way, are the blueprints to writing. I see what accomplished authors have done, how they write, or how they develop the plot/characters; and I grasp a better understanding of writing. It sometimes distracts from reading, because instead of devouring the story, I'm devouring the writing. For example, if you want to learn more about science, you ask a scientist. If you want to know more about writing, you ask an author. If there's any advice I, an aspiring writer, can offer others, it’s to have others critique your work. It's the only way to hone in your writing skills. I know 20 years from now, I’ll still be learning how to be a better writer. I hope with asking others for help, and learning from experience, I will improve all the time.