I Graduated and Got a Job as a Journalist! // Coffee Talk

Hello! It’s me, Madeline. Remember me? Yeah. I went a bit M.I.A. but I am back and figured I’d do a little post to let you guys know what I’m up to, why I’ve been absent, and what you can expect from me in the future (hint: EXCITING THINGS!!!)

Since I don’t do monthly wrap-ups anymore (I kind of miss them? but I also feel like I just babbled on about myself for waaaay too long), I realized I haven’t actually talked talked to you guys!

I spend a lot of time over on Instagram talking about myself, but not here.

Personally, I love getting to know the blogger behind the blog. So, let me spill my own personal tea. I’ve also got a few housekeeping things to say, so let’s jump to it, yeah?

I GRADUATED & GOT A JOB AS A JOURNALIST!

Yes, my friends. That’s right. I’m actually using my journalism degree.

And this is mostly why I’ve been a bit M.I.A.

I’m working for a local TV news station as a contracted freelance web producer! Basically, it’s my job to put as many stories as I can on the website.

Right now I’m working full time as I train, but in the next month or so, I’ll switch to part time. So the next few weeks I’m kind of busy and I’m not entirely sure what will happen on the blogging front.

But I did want to write this post to let y’all know what’s happening. And also make the little announcement.

I’M MOVING TO A SELF-HOSTED WEBSITE (but nothing should change for you guys at all! except for my layout and maaaaybeee my blog name)

In theory, you should all move with me. Apparently, Jetpack will migrate my followers from this WordPress.com blog to my self-hosted website. All my posts and pictures and beautiful comments you beautiful people leave me are already moved to my own domain. And, this blog will redirect you to the new one.

Aaaand one final change! I’m thinking about changing the name from Caffeine & Writing Dreams to Happy When Writing. Thoughts??

TL;DR VERSION: madelinebartson.wordpress.com will become madelinebartson.com and it shouldn’t really affect you guys at all … assuming I know what I’m doing. I think I do?? Idk stay tuned lol.

I’M GOING TO BE RECYCLING OLD POSTS FOR YOU GUYS

That’s the plan. A lot of my older posts have graphics that don’t match my aesthetic, graphics that aren’t up to date with my color scheme.

Not to mention my style has changed quite a bit since I’ve started blogging. And, I’m learning more and more about writing and blogging and creating content that actually helps you guys!

O.G. followers, you might be seeing some old content again. New followers, it’ll just be like new posts!

I’m not sure if I’ll actually do this, but I think it’ll help me keep pushing out “new” content on a weekly basis, and it’s an easy way to keep my evergreen content p to date.

I’M REWRITING MY TAROT READER WIP!

Okay, this one isn’t quite as interesting … but I feel like I haven’t talked about my WIP in a while.

After some comments from a beta reader, I realized I needed either a major revision or a rewrite.

After reading John Truby’s Story Anatomy and doing all the (LIVESAVING!!) exercises at the end of each chapter, I restructured my WIP. I got to the heart of the story. And after that, I decided to go for a rewrite. I felt like the current draft didn’t resemble the real heart, and I knew revision wouldn’t dive deep enough to change that.

Which blog name do you like better? Caffeine & Writing Dreams or Happy When Writing? Will a name change confuse you guys? Also, what have you all been up to?? How is May going?

11 Fun Facts About Madelines // Sunshine Blogger Award

Hidden amongst a pile of books and dirty coffee mugs, one can find the rare Madeline in its natural habitat.

Carefully approach it! Be slow. Don’t make your movements too big — you might spook it. If you brought it a treat (it likes m&ms and new books), hold it in the center of your palm and let the Madeline come to you.

If you want to know more about this interesting creature (which! I’m sure you do!), I’ve got 11 fun facts for you, written by the Madeline itself.

Before we begin, there are some rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the sunshine blogger award logo in your post/or on your blog.

 
*breaks fourth wall*

Okay, so I wrote this intro after I wrote all my answers which are in first person so. . . its now me, Madeline, no longer talking about myself as if I was a wild bookworm. (What am I doing with my life??? WHEN IS THANKSGIVING BREAK???)

Anyhow, I was nominated by Kimberly of Free Perspectives for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Kimberly so kind and such a bright light in my WordPress reader feed. I love reading her posts, so go check her out! ❤️

Okay. Let’s just end this weird intro and carry on with the tag.

1. Do you like pumpkin spice lattes?

Um, yes!!!!

I usually boast about my finer tastes in dark coffee (ugh I’m a snob) but I LOVE pumpkin spice lattes!

And while I like dirty chais (chai tea latte with shots of espresso) I don’t like Starbuck’s chai tea lattes at all. However, the other day on a whim I just decided to give the Starbucks pumpkin spice chai tea lattes a go and—

Wow.

Call me dramatic, but this drink is golden leaves and bright orange pumpkins and cinnamon sticks and warm drinks and reading while wrapped up in a blanket in a cup.

2. Has blogging changed you in any way? If so, how?

I don’t know! I think it’s still kind of early to tell.

It has definitely given me the opportunity to join an awesome community, so I feel more connected with other like-minded people than before which is super cool.

3. How do you deal with stress and/or anxiety in life?

I’m a really big planner.

Sometimes that makes me even more stressed when I see everything I have coming up, but most of the time it allows me to prepare for crazy weeks where I might have a lot going on—I can divide up all the work and chip away at big project one day at a time.

I try to remember why I’m here and why I’m doing what I’m doing. It all boils down to: I love stories.

That’s why I’m going to school and studying journalism. That’s why I wake up at 6:30 in the morning to write. That’s why I stay up late reading. That’s why I scoop more onto my plate with blogging and critiquing and beta reading.

4. What is your favourite book from your favourite author?

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno!

5. What is your favourite and least favourite part on being a blogger?

Favorite: I love all the happiness and positivity that gets spread around.

Least favorite: I feel like I never have enough time to keep up with the blogging community as much as I want to.

6. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, which would it be, and why?

Shoot, I feel like I already answered this and I can’t remember what my answer was? I think it would be The Sky is Everywhere, though, because I’ve read that book 5 times and it still moves me to tears every time. That’s powerful writing.

7. Do you have a favourite time of a day? If yes, what is it and why?

The morning! I love waking up before the sun and writing while it rises and the rest of the world wakes up. It feels so good to have two cups of coffee and an hour or two with my writing before the craziness of the day starts.

8. Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before? If not, are you planning to do it this year? If yes, what was your experience?

Yes, and I’m currently doing NaNo, too! I participated in NaNo in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, and this year. I also did Camp NaNo this April.

I’ve won 4 times, and I’m intent on winning this year! I’ve gotten a lot more disciplined as I’ve grown as a person and a writer.

My biggest advice for NaNo is to keep writing! Forget where you are in the month — whether you’re ahead or behind or super far behind — just let it go and write. It’s not about winning, it’s about writing.

9. What are your favourite graphic designing tool(s) to use when creating blog design elements/graphics for your blog?

I use Canva. I like it a lot better than PicMonkey. I also used their Pinterest graphic template for my new graphics, and I really like the way it turned out. I just got the color scheme from a Pinterest color combo inspired by a sunflower.

(And in case you were wondering, I get my awesome pics like this one ^ at unsplash.)

10. What words describe you the best?

Hufflepuff! I think everything about me is wrapped up there—I’m fiercely loyal and a severe people pleaser above all else.

11. 3 things that you appreciate most about yourself? (<3)

I appreciate my ambition. If there’s something that I want to do, I’ve always been driven to just do it.

I appreciate my positivity. I can’t always be positive about everything (like right now, the negativity of this semester is starting to weigh on me), but my instinctive reaction is usually positivity.

I appreciate my passion. I love how passionate I am about books and stories! I’m so grateful that I understand what sets my soul on fire.

Hi, I’m gonna flake at this point and nominate EVERYONE! I know November is a crazy time of month with exams and holidays and MORE HOLIDAYS AROUND THE CORNER (I LOVE how November fades right into Christmas time) and nominate everyone. No extra stress over here!

Here are my 11 questions if you wanna jump on in: 

1. Which Hogwarts house are you in?
2. How would you describe your blogging voice?
3. Which fictional character do you most relate to?
4. If you could have dinner with any 3 (real!) people, who would you invite, and what would you eat?
5. What’s your favorite breakfast food?
6. On average, how many cups of coffee do you drink a day?
7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
8. What’s your favorite word?
9. What’s your favorite holiday?
10. If you won the lottery, how would you spend your money? Would you do anything differently?
11. Share your favorite inspirational quote!

What’s happening in your November right now? If you’re doing NaNo, how’s it going? Do you like pumpkin spice in your coffee as much as I do?

My 10 Minute Feel-Good Morning Routine That Motivates Me Even Before My First Coffee

I love mornings. I love the fresh starts, the blank slates. I love the new breaths, the new sunrises. I love the fresher brewed coffee, spending more time in my pajamas.

I just love the peacefulness and serenity of the early hours.

That’s not to say I’m a natural morning person — I could sleep FOREVER (I’m not exaggerating) if I don’t set an alarm. But, over the years, I’ve learned that the mornings are just the best time for me creatively and productively. I also just feel awesome when I wake up early, so I trained myself to hop out of bed early on weekdays.

I’ve had the same routine for the past few years, but only in the past few months have I absolutely PERFECTED my morning routine. I hop out of bed, excited to start my day, and I feel refreshed, productive, positive, and creative before I even drink my coffee. (After my coffee, watch out world!)

YOUR MORNING SETS THE TONE FOR THE WHOLE DAY

Have you ever noticed that?

Like, when people are having a bad day, whether it’s noon or past dinnertime, we say, “Look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” (Figuratively or literally — I don’t know how you sleep.) My brother is also fond of saying, “Who peed in your Cheerios this morning?”

When you’re rushing out the door on an empty stomach, chugging coffee and late to work, you just KNOW the rest of your day will suck. And sometimes it does.

BUT when you wake up and you have 10 beautiful, peaceful minutes to yourself — that’s super awesome. And I bet the rest of the day will be, too.

For a few years now, I’ve been taking about 10 minutes to incorporate the SAVERS routine into my mornings. It took a lot of time before it became a habit (that’s just how habits work) but now I’m so glad it’s something I do.

What’s a SAVERS morning routine? It stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualize, Exercise, Read, Scribe. So what does my version look like?

SILENCE

When my alarm goes off on my phone, the first thing I do is turn it off.

The next thing I do is put my phone down. I DO NOT open up Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat or even my messages app.

I put in my eyedrops, and I hop out of bed.

A lot of versions of the SAVERS routine I’ve looked at suggest meditating for silence, but once I close my chronically dry eyes I WILL fall back asleep. So, I practice silence by quietly being with JUST my thoughts first thing in the morning. No phone. No social media.

If there’s one thing I encourage you to take away from this blogpost, it’s this: don’t look at your phone as soon as you wake up. I used to do this, and it would just bog me down so so so much before my feet could even touch the floor.

AFFIRMATION

After I get up, I head straight to the bathroom where I wash my face, brush my teeth, and go through my daily affirmations in my head.

Right now, these are my daily affirmations:

• I am radiant.
• I am enough.
• I am a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
• I am grateful for all that I am and I am becoming.

I like to do this while I’m looking at myself in the mirror, because. . .*deep breath* (buckle in for a story)

One day, when I was at the gym watching myself exercise in the huge wall mirror. I was just staring at myself, and then I thought: “Wait, this is me. THIS is me. THIS is Madeline. This is what Madeline looks like.”

And then I had a split second of an almost out of body experience where I saw myself so objectively. I saw myself as if I were a stranger. I didn’t know who I was or what I was supposed to be doing because in the grand scheme of things, while I’m the center of my own world, I was hardly the center of anyone else’s. 

Then that was all over, and I was back in my body. (Okay, it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but you get the picture, right?) I realized that my arms were hurting (because #tbt to when I was working out) and I was flooded with questions. “Who am I? What’s my purpose? What’s the point? Why am I here, on this planet in this lifetime right now?”

Then I remembered my affirmations. I remembered what I like to think of as my purpose — to be radiant. I want to glow so I can give light to other’s.

Now, it took me a long time to realize what exactly my “mission” on this planet was. For a while, it was just a quote on Pinterest that I liked. I can’t tell if one of the lines in my daily affirmations has been my life purpose and it just took me so long to realize, or if it was the other way around.

Either way, affirmations are important. They ground me. Remind me WHY I’m here.

VISUALIZE

It’s time to whip out the vision boards! I have one posted on my wall, and I also have one saved to Pinterest, which I’ll scroll through, taking time to look at the pictures and read all the quotes.

(I’m also making coffee during this time, and by making coffee, I mean using my Keurig. I’ve talked about my favorite coffee before if you’re looking for recommendations *wiggles eyebrows*)

EXERCISE

WAIT DON’T RUN AWAY (which is ironic, because running is exercise, so running FROM exercise is still technically exercise). Let’s take it easy here.

I exercise at night. I like to spend my whole mornings writing and working on my WIPs, but it still feels great to get a bit of blood moving before I sit down with my writing.

To get my body moving, I do three sun salutations in a row, trying to focus on my breathing and keeping it fast and powerful. It takes like a minute? But it’s so refreshing to get my blood and breath moving. I highly recommend you move in some way. You’re gifted with a body — use it!

READ

This is when my morning routine morphs into my writing routine, which is pretty cool!

After I finish my stretching, I grab my coffee, and light a few candles, I break out one of my favorite writing craft books and just dive in. I read anywhere from 2-4 pages, which isn’t a lot, but it adds up.

SCRIBE

Okay, this is a fancy word for “write” because SAVERW wouldn’t have the same ring to it.

Right before I start writing-writing (as in, working on my WIP), I’ll do a quick 5 minute brain dump of everything on my mind. As it’s morning time, my brain is usually still fresh, but it’s nice to make sure that I leave all my worries before I enter my writing sessions.

Then I start to really write, and I’ll put in anywhere from 1-2.5 hours of work on my dreams before I even eat breakfast.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you wish you were the opposite of what you are? Do you have a morning routine?