Wattpad Stories

These are the links to my stories on Wattpad (It's an app). If you get the time I would love for you to read them and vote, the more the merrier!

Three Clans Three Heroes- https://my.w.tt/kDhaCBEF6Y
This story is about three young adults from three rivaling clans who decide that friendship overpowers hate, and it's up to them to bring the kingdoms together!

Excalibur- https://my.w.tt/r2nHCLMF6Y
This is a story based on the legend of the ancient King Arthur, so if you aren't familiar with that legend you might not entirely understand what's going on. If you have read the Arthurian Legend, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

A Mentor's Struggle- https://my.w.tt/pACvArOoNZ
Sure, you've heard the countless tales of apprentice after apprentice learning a new skill, but what if there is a story from the mentor's point of view? Sir Benedict of Sirona is the royal court physician and the second in command of the king's knights. when Benedict found out he's grievously ill and has a whole different identity he never knew about, it's up to him which secrets to tell his friends, and which ones he should struggle with alone.

Excalibur

I drew Excalibur from its sheath shakily, knowing I wasn’t worthy of gazing on such a sacred artifact. The gold around the hilt danced with swirls and gems, covered in diamonds. The sunlight hit each jewel perfectly, causing an array of colors sketched across the walls and windows of the room. The steel was like iron, and any story or scroll I had ever read over King Arthur was wrong. This sword was beyond description. From the iron hard steel to the extravagant tunes that danced from the hilt to the edge of each blade. I noticed the faint red tint to the sword, and I told the stories of each man that had died by this weapon. I could practically see each Saxon he had killed, standing in front of me with a stone cold gaze as the sword plunged deeply through their chest, the blood draining onto the polished steel of Excalibur. I looked at the sword once more, admiring the runes and the ancient language, desperate to know what they spoke of. I yearned to know the hidden message, perhaps it told of the sword’s fabled origins, or perhaps it was the name of each man that had wielded such a masterpiece. In that moment, I knew what was required of me. I walked out of my door and closed it behind me, staring at the shimmering lake in front of me. The lake spread for miles and miles, for I couldn’t dream of ever seeing where it ended. Just barely in my view, I could see the faint outline of an island that had remained undisturbed for centuries, nay, eons. Avalon. The familiar sight of the ancient, yet magical land warmed my heart as if it were on fire. I looked down to my hand, which was currently wrapped tightly around the hilt of Excalibur. I let out a deep breath, watching in fascination as it turned to mist in the air. Majestically, I lifted my arm as high as it would go, plunging the sword into the sunlight. Every angle of the sword was wrapped warmly in the sun’s embrace and I never wanted it to end, sensing the urgency of the moment. I knew I could no longer procrastinate and prolong this endless moment any further, so I gently drew my arm back as if to throw the sword, much like a pitcher would during a baseball game. With all the might I could muster within myself, I threw the sword with unmatchable force towards the water. Just before it hit the glimmering, enchanting waves, a small arm shot into the air, an ivory foresleeve only just visible from my stance. The Lady of the Lake. I smiled, my mouth soon dropping in awe as the sword landed perfectly in her grasp before sinking back towards the mysterious depths of the enchanted lake. For a second, and only that, I dreamt I had kept the sword. I longed to practice with it, to have my names written in the books. I wished to swing it to and fro, threateningly towards my enemies. My mind carried me to an alternative universe, full of war and bloodshed. I stood in the heat of battle, sweat drenching my face as I relaxed the death grip I had on my dagger. I man raced at me, but with a simple twist of my wrist, I flew to a small area of his gut that remained vulnerable and endangered himself to my weapon. I sunk in with a sickening thud. I wearily drew it from his carcass and wiped the blood off on my shirt. Unprepared, I was glued back into my sad reality, staring at the lake that now held the legendary sword, Excalibur.

Solitude

Solitude

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

    Weep, and you weep alone;

For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,

    But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

    Sigh, it is lost on the air;

The echoes bound to a joyful sound,

    But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

    Grieve, and they turn and go;

They want full measure of all your pleasure,

    But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;

    Be sad, and you lose them all,

There are none to decline your nectared wine,

    But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

    Fast, and the world goes by.

Succeed and give, and it helps you live,

    But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

    For a large and lordly train,

But one by one we must all file on

    Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/solitude-by-ella-wheeler-wilcox

Encouraging Writing Quotes

I hate writing, I love having written

-Dorothy Parker

Write what should not be forgotten

-Isabel Allende

If I waited till I felt like writing, I'd never write at all! 

-Anne Tyler

You will fail. It's inevitable. Its what you do with it.

-J.K. Rowling

There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.

-Beatrix Potter

Writing is easy. All you have to do is mark out the wrong words.

-Mark Twain

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

-Anton Chekhov

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.

-Martin Luther

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

-Benjamin Franklin

I write better than I talk.

-GeniusQuotes.org

You can make anything by writing.

C.S. Lewis

The Fastest

She is the fastest.
There's no doubt in my mind.

She is like lightning, 
and beats record time!

She prowls the lone plain, 
The desert heeds her call.
She kills to eat, not in vain.
On sight, animals run, big and small.

She sinks low to the grass,
her prey is oblivious.
The idea of her presence,
would seem preposterous!

Her spots and flecks
hide her at her worst.
Catching her prey,
she easily breaks their necks.

Her speed unmatchable
Competition is impossible.
She eats zebra & gazelle
just look at her eyes and they will tell.

Tiger's Camoflauge

 Tiger's Camouflage
so very cunningly hidden.
fierce and courageous


At our sight,
he is overcome with strife.
The forest is his home
the jungle brings him life.
He roams the unknown.

A loner he will remain.
Stories of him age with time, 
He will never leave his domain. 

His stripes make him,
they protect and provide.
His stripes bring fear and sharpen whim.
They cover his body wide.

He treasures his home.
His paws shake the earth.
His heart remains wild,
his secrets continue unknown

- Adalynn Koch (me)

The Choice

The Choice, by Dorothy Parker

He'd have given me rolling lands,
Houses of marble, and billowing farms,
Pearls, to trickle between my hands,
Smoldering rubies, to circle my arms.
You- you'd only a lilting song,
Only a melody, happy and high,
You were sudden and swift and strong-
Never a thought for another had I.

He'd have given me laces rare,
Dresses that glimmered with frosty sheen,
Shining ribbons to wrap my hair,
Horses to draw me, as fine as a queen.
You- you'd only to whistle low,
Gayly I followed wherever you led.
I took you, and I let him go-
Somebody ought to examine my head! 

Dorothy Parker

Helpless

I rushed angrily from the doors and slightly winced as hey closed shut and clanged monotonously.I stopped breathing for a second to hear the soft patter of his familiar footsteps racing after me with the fury of the wind. He came to a halt behind me.
Tess, he whispered. 
I stopped walking and screamed mentally at myself for not having the strength to ignore his perfection and walk away.

Tess, he repeated. 

I gulped nervously and closed my eyes. No matter what he had done, his voice alone 
could have made me run to him with open arms and wrap myself around him. I touched my right toe to my heel and spun myself around to face him courageously. To my bewilderment, he was closer than I thought. I found myself staring at his chest and I brought my eyes up slowly to meet his.  They were warm inviting blue pools that made me want to drown in them, I honestly wouldn’t care. The smell of him intoxicated me and I lightly swayed on my feet before he gripped my arm tightly and I swallowed thickly as his striking yet dangerous eyes sized me up, analyzing me. I felt
like some kind of new bug species being examined by Bill Nye. Even in that analogy, we weren't
equaled. It would eternally be that way, The prince charming in every girl’s life versus a servant.

Kal, I can’t be with you… you’re too… too…

Before I could speak, he grabbed me firmly and wrapped me in his arms protectively. Tenderly, he

stroked my silky hair and pressed his warm lips to my strawberry blonde hair. He sighed deeply in
contentment and we stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity on earth.

Fading Reality

Nick eyed his vast green surroundings with renewed energy. The forest drapery surrounded him on all sides and he wanted to explore every inch of it. However, Nick knew it wasn't real. It couldn't be. There was no such thing as a place that truly existed. This could have only been a simulation. Nick jumped as he heard the brittle sound of a dead leaf crunching beneath a boot. He whirled around to find himself facing a man around his age. The man had dark brown hair and caring yet firm amber eyes that demanded attention.
"Welcome", the stranger said in a monotoned, robotic voice.
"What is this place? Why am I here", Nick insisted.

"You are to complete a series of obstacles. If you pass, you will join us. Fail, and well, we won't get to that yet", The robot man replied calmly. The man disappeared and Nick found himself confused and surrounded by metal walls on all sides. It suddenly seemed cold and he felt small, the forest was gone. In the middle of the room was a wall made from bars. On the other side, a black panther paced hungrily, his fangs bared. Nick felt his eyes grow round with fear and adrenaline pulsed through him at a great rate. What kind of test was this? The cage wall lifted and the panther ran at him with terrifying speed. It leaped first, straight at Nick's head. Nick closed his eyes, preparing for extreme agony and prolonged death, but to his amazement, the cat went straight through him! It was a hologram! Nick sighed in relief and opened his eyes to see the robot man staring at him with disapproval. He clicked something on the tablet he held and once again, Nick was thrown into another scenario. In this one, he was is a boat. The boat was in a river, gliding carelessly through the calm waters. Nick almost laughed. This was the challenge. He leaned against the back of the boat mockingly and yawned as if he were bored. Without warning, there was a rapid change in the current. These people knew no mercy. They had placed him on a waterfall! Nick gasped and frantically tried paddling with his hands and tried in vain to steer the boat, but got nowhere. suddenly, the river disappeared. Empty space for miles separated him and the merciless water below. If he was going to do something, now was the chance. He grasped last second at a low hanging vine above the water and wrapped his arms around it before his boat fell to its doom. He sighed in relief and allowed himself to breathe before swinging himself to the safety of the ground. Never before had he felt so grateful to be on land. A deep voice behind him boomed,
"Are you ready for the results of your tests, Nick?"

Helpful Writing Advice

1) Read a lot! The more you read, the more you can understand what books will sell the best. Also, It can improve your vocabulary and writing styles.
2) Be original! Try to do a new idea. Nobody wants to read a story they have already read before. Think outside the box and have fun. 
3) Make sure your story makes sense. If you reread your story and realize you don't understand what you just wrote, that's probably going to mean the reader won't either. Also, be wary of any inside information or jokes nobody else will get. 
4) Don't make your stories predictable. That is one thing I can't handle as a reader. It's no fun knowing the whole story within the first chapter. throw curveballs. Maybe she doesn't end up with him. Make a beloved character die every once and a while, it will be okay.
5) Vocab! It's important you sound intelligent when you write, or not many people will pay attention. I can't help but notice (I don't want to offend anybody, so please don't take this the wrong way) that older, classic books have higher reading levels. I read a label that said Twilight was a fourth-grade reading level. To help me write, I often read super challenging books. If you are still confused, I would recommend reading Jules Verne. 
6) Don't edit as you write! If you constantly change stuff, you may get confused easily, I've done it before. You can always go back and change stuff when you're finished. 
7) Be relatable as you write. It helps to include stuff the reader agrees with. If you don't do this, the reader could get bored or have no idea what you're talking about.
8) Cliffhangers, people! A good way to make money is to involve cliffhangers. The reader will have to read the next book if you leave them with an intense plot twist. Goes along with the whole be unpredictable thing. 
9) Be sure to use a lot of detail. I struggle with this too, so I'm also talking to myself here. If you use details, the reader can better picture the scenery and characters. Many of my classmates complain that they can't picture what they're reading in their head. With this being said, don't use too much either or the reader will get bored. 
10) Involve lots of action in your book. If it is boring, nobody will want to read it. Sadly, the attention spans of this generation are growing shorter and shorter. If you want your work to interest your peers, try using some battles or near death experiences to keep the reader involved alert. 
11) Create a bond between the character and the reader. To do this, try voicing the characters opinions or weaknesses that make him sound vulnerable. Try having him get injured. A quick way to make money is through doing this. Just like cliffhangers, people will want more. How do you think J.K. Rowling got so famous? 

Different Book Genres

Alrighty, folks, my father recommended describing the different genres to you people who aren't bookworms for future references I might make.
Fantasy: Not real, fiction. most of these books are set in medieval times. they often include knights, kings, vampires, werewolves, wizards, dragons,...etc.
Historical Fiction: These stories mostly take place in actual historical events, however, they do not involve the perspective of an actual historical character. 
Realistic Fiction: These are stories that could actually happen, but are not based on a true story.
Biography: A book written about someone. It can be a famous celebrity or a historical figure. Don't confuse with autobiography!
Mystery: You will always be caught by surprise by these books. Usually, they start with a character trying to solve a code or something and at the end, they figure it out or they reveal the bad guy.
Horror: Basically, it's in the name. The scary, don't read at night books. sometimes confused with mystery.
Autobiography: Like a biography, these books are about an important person, only that person wrote the book themselves. Kind of like a diary, they just share stories about themselves. A good example would be The Diary Of Anne Frank.
Nonfiction: These can be about historical events or just plain facts. If you need information for a research project, this would be the place to go. You'll find the books can range from encyclopedias to King Arthur and His Knights.
Sci-fi: Usually fiction that is explained by or involves a lot of science. Space mainly.
Adventure: Yes, I'm sure some of these other Boom genres are full of adventures, but these are non stop adventure. Either that or there was nothing fake so they couldn't identify it as fantasy.
Romance: Alright this is a shout out for all you Hallmark lovers and teenage girls. From start to finish, you read about a slow romance blossoming and on the last page, the main characters get married. Usually, they are very predictable, so I don't often read them.
Dystopian: I don't know why I love these books so much, but basically they take place in a horrifying future. To give you an idea, one example is the Hunger Games or The Maze Runner Series.
Graphic Novels: Just a fancy title for comic books. There are a lot of pictures and few words. Not exactly a picture book.

The Chase

My heart slammed into my chest repeatedly as I heard the footsteps inching closer step by step. In a matter of seconds, he would see my hiding spot and alert the others. Not on my watch, he wouldn't. I rolled across the hallway behind him, keeping in mind to remain silent. To my dismay and outrage, I paid too much attention to my foe and slammed into a metal vase on the floor. It fell over loudly with a clang and I winced as the loud sound echoed eerily through the empty hallways. The man whirled around and smiled wickedly as he saw me sprawled ungracefully on the floor. I felt my eyes grow round and I bolted. There was no possible way an nonathletic girl like me could ever hope to outrun a lithe male, but I sped faster anyway. He was drawing closer and to my fortune, I noticed a low hanging branch in my path. I lifted my hands and grabbed it, then swung myself into a sitting position on top. the man came running straight towards the tree, it was obvious he didn't notice me. He ducked right as he ran under the branch, and I leaped on his back. We toppled to the ground from the impact and I struggled to pin him down successfully. He shot me a crooked smile then screamed as loud as he could. Screech was a better word for it. My heart sunk as I heard the sounds of his whole group racing through the forest after the sound of his scream. I let the man I had pinned go and darted for it. I didn't make it far though, how could I have dreamed to? In a matter of seconds, five men surrounded me and the one in front of me grabbed my waist to pull me to a halt. He flung me mercilessly on the ground and I closed my eyes, waiting for the worst.

More Inforamtion About Me

I understand you all only know what I have put about myself in the intro of my blog, so I thought I could fill you in on a little bit more. I have one younger sister who does competitive cheer and then you have me, a bookworm. There probably isn't a set of siblings more different. My father is a youth and discipleship pastor at our church, First Missionary Baptist. My mom is a special ed teacher at the elementary school in our county. I have two cats, Sam and Sage. That is really all I know to tell you since I already listed all of my favorite books and movies. 

My Progress

Alright, guys, I thought I would let you all in on some info about the books I'm writing. I wrote a book by hand this past summer and it was about a knight and a sorcerer who go on a quest to prove their worth. I got so bored I ended it within around 80 pages and killed off the main character. Remember, I was a newbie so I struggled with keeping involved with the book. I recently wrote another book, though I typed in on google drive this time. If you guys are interested, let me know and I will share the link. Anyway, the second book was about a boy who gains the power to shapeshift. A queen soon discovers him, and he has to choose whether to remain with her and live the life of a king, or he can continue to live as a simple commoner but be with his family. I am currently working on a book continuing the first two. It stars the shapeshifter's son and daughter. The son lived his life believing he would inherit his father's awesome abilities, but is shocked when his sister receives them instead. Meanwhile, they have to put their differences aside to save their father who is being held captive by another kingdom. 

Okay, it's been a few months since I updated this post. I am still currently working on the latter of the former two and have named it the Helpless Prince. Sadly I'm struggling with writer's block when it comes to that story but I've just begun another book (I'm only working on two). It's called A Mentor's Struggle. I've read countless stories from the apprentice's point of view when it comes to books, such as Ranger's Apprentice (John Flanagan), Arc of A Scythe (Neal Shusterman), Septimus Heap (Angie Sage), and several others. The list never ends. So I decided, sure, it's fun to read about an energetic character, but how about the mentor's attitude towards the apprentice. The book is currently going amazing and I'm already 22 pages in as of today! I have big hopes. Along with that book, I have another book called Three Clans Three Heroes uploaded on Wattpad!

Common Frustrations Amoung Young Writers

Inspiration can come at the most random moments. I find it aggravating how you can lay in bed or stare at your ceiling for hours and no ideas can come to mind. Boom! You're having lunch or at a museum when an amazing book prompt comes to mind. Or does anybody out there struggle with creativity sometimes? Occasionally I will be writing only to realize that I have copied an idea from another book series I just read. Another problem I struggle with is names. It is next to impossible to come up with something original that hasn't been used in twenty other books.