High Time for an Update

Well my dear followers, I am not very good at keeping this blog updated and for that I offer my sincerest apologies :)  I am going to be starting over with this blog. Anything that I posted previously about anything just ignore it, as it is probably not relevant any more. My life has changes so much in the last few months that basically everything is different. My stories no longer even resemble what they were, and have been very ignored in the last year. This shall be my blog's fresh start. I will attempt to keep y'all updated.

Ok, I am no longer writing Soryn and Rowan's story, and it is no longer even the same story. It has been put on the back burner until further notice. I will still write it someday, and will always think about it. Until then I have several new stories that I have been writing. The main one being called The Indometus. Here is a short description:

The Latin word “Indometus” means untamed or wild ones. In this tale it is used by the Catholic Church to refer to any “Fantasy” creatures, including Elves, Fairies, Gnomes, Warlocks, etc… They have been deemed “unsaveable” by the Church, and are therefore hunted like animals. There is a special order in the church that is trained specifically for the hunting and killing of these “wild” races. The church authorities simply want them dead, and they look the other way as the hunters brutally murder and pillage their way through towns and families of these “inhuman” races. They ignore the cries of the children and the screams of the women. The hunters are brutal; murdering, raping, and maiming all of the wildlings they happen across. It has in a way, become a war between the church, and the “unsaveable” ones… the Indometus.

I will now conduct a tag to help you all get to know my story a bit better.

Writing tag: The Indometus 

1. What’s your word count?

Currently 'tis exactly 1,821 words long!

2. How long until you finish?
I have not the faintest idea whatsoever.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?
Unfortunately I haven't finished.

4. Do you have an outline? 

Yes I do, but it changes often as the story progresses.

 

5. Do you have a plot? 

Yes I do, though it is often very rebellious, and likes to change on me often.

6. How many words do you typically write a day? 

It depends on what type of scene I am typing. If it is a fight, alot (never counted them) and if it is a slow boring scene, sometimes I'm lucky if I make it to ten.

7. What was your greatest word count in one day?
1,821, and it turned out AWESOME!!!!!!

8. What was your least impressive word count in one day?
Two puny little words... *sigh*

9. What inspired you to write? 

"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad."- Lord Byron.

I first found out that I loved writing when I was around 10, when my grandma asked my brother Dakota and I to write a short story for a homeschool project. I have been writing ever since.

10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?
It has a few, but four that come to mind right now to give the perfect combination of the feeling the story gives are "Strength of a Thousand" and "The Ancients" by Two Steps from Hell, and "House of Cards" and "Unfinished Generation" by Audiomachine. And actually, one more is ":Wind Queen" by Two Steps From Hell


11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.
Rilnor (Main Character book 1) - Die For You by Black Veil Brides

Dahvey (Secondary main in all books) - Fight Inside by Red


12. Which character is most like you?
A combination of both Dahvey and Rilnor

13. Which character would you most likely be friends with?
Dahvey. I am drawn to dark, broken people.


14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character?
Huh????


15. Who is your favorite character in your novel?
At the moment (note of caution to reader: at the moment means it could change at any time without warning) my favorite is without doubt, Dahvey Cygne. He is so broken and beautiful and lonely...


16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?
Every day... Sigh.... I love them :)

17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences?
Most certainly.


18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?
*Screams in torment and pulls on hair* I love them, really, I do.


19. Is there magic in your novel/story?
Yes, but sparingly. Dahvey is under a curse, and most elves have at least a very basic understanding of magic.


20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel/story?
I have not created any, but of course there are regular holidays such as Christmas and such. 

21. Does anyone die?
Does anyone die? What kind of question is that? I would be a disgrace to all writers and have to hide in shame for the rest of my life if no one died. It is a story of treason, treachery and good eventually overcoming, OF COURSE PEOPLE DIE!!!

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?

Tea and ink is the blood of an author, and coffee is life giving.

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?
1:45 AM

24. What is the best line?

Well, I am only in the first chapter, but I do have a paragraph that I am quite proud of

 

There are three thrones upon the platform, but only two of them are occupied. The king is a fierce man, with raven black hair and stern features. He watches me with keen, intelligent eyes, as if calculating my worth. The queen is delicate and petite beside her husband. Her pale golden hair is braided over her left shoulder and her bright green eyes flitter from place to place, as if trying to take in every face, every color. The third throne is empty save for a piece of red silk draped across it. There are many rumors concerning the prince of Arandale; that he is in some way crippled, that he is off on some great quest, that there is no prince at all. No one really knows for sure. All we know is that he hasn’t been seen since he was a child, and the king and queen will not speak of his whereabouts. 

I'll leave it at that for now.

25. What is the worst line?

Far too many to count

26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story or its characters?
Oh yes. Many times! I have come up with some of my best scenes that way.

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?
Nope.

28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words. 
Oh dear. *sighs*. Ok, here it goes, "Cursed princes struggle to survive and save his people despite the evil inside him."


29. Do you love all your characters?
Yes, even my villains because their vileness is crucial to the story.

 

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count?
Occasionally I do.

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?
Well, a bowl of oatmeal I believe.

32. Describe your main character in three words.
Strong, honest, loyal

33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween?

The Church does not celebrate such pagan holidays.

34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship?
Dahvey often goes to the Catholic monistary to cause a riot.

35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel/story?
There are three, but they are NOT in ANY WAY the sentimental, gushy talks under the moon, ect. And two out of three end tragically.


36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
Oh, yessss..... Dahvey loves explosions! He loves anything destructive!

37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel/story?
Nope.

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
No.

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?
There are just about any fantasy creature in this story, for they are the Indometus. No Zombies though.

 
40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel/story?
Yes. Dahvey was cursed by a witch.

41. Is anyone reincarnated?
No.

42. Is anyone physically ailed?

No

43. Is anyone mentally ill?
Dahvey is very mentally ill. As in Insane.

44. Does anyone have swine flu?
No. Silly question. 

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?

None so far

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
If men could be demons, Dahvey would be one.

47. How about political figures? 
Not really.

48. Is there incessant drinking?
Dahvey has a tendency to drink too much, but Rilnor usually manages to keep a pretty close eye on him.

49. Are there board games? If so, which ones?
They are too busy saving the world to play a board game, besides, Dahvey usually wins and if he doesn't then he is very pouty the rest of the day. .

50. Are there any dream sequences?
No.

51. Is there humor?
Yes.

52. Is there tragedy?
YES! What would a story be without tragedy?!?!?! *Evily rubs hands together and then bursts into tears* Yes, authors thrive on creating tragedy.

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
Dahvey often has tempers, but they are less like tantrums and more like a demon of destruction.

54. How many characters end up single at the end of your novel/story?
There is a war in my story, and unfortunately, good men die and their families are left alone. In fact, one of my main characters, Gabriel looses his father before he turns 2.

55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
No, not so far.

56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
No, they didn't have glasses in the medieval days.

57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
No. Not as of yet.

58. Your personality?
A bit.

59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
LOL, probably not. No one has read it.

60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
Only my Sister Toonee. No one else hardly even knows it exists because I don't talk about it to anyone.

61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
Tried; failed. Miserably.

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
Yes, Toonee has drawn Dahvey twice.

63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
Probably, I just haven't added it.

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Really, if people die, of course they bleed. I also have bleeding characters that don't die.

65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
Now that would be weird, wouldn't it?

66. What size shoe does your main character wear?
I don't care and neither should you. ;-) I don't pay attention to that sort of thing.

67. Do any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?
In the medieval days?!?!? You've got to be kidding me.

68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?
Run through the house screaming and crying hystericaly. I probably wouldn't re-write it for another few years. Or if I did, it would be completely different.You are cruel. Very cruel.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?
No, of course not. What would make you think *sniff* that I would *sniff* cry killing one of my *sniff* characters *bursts into tears* I'm so sorry *******. I love you, really I do, it's just... I had to! You understand, don't you? *more sobbing*

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
Uh... no. I've never hated any of them that badly.

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?
I tell my sister all the time If you would be able to write a successful story you must read, read, read.
That and that your story won't write it's self.

72. Describe your ending in three words.
Peace is restored.

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.?
Maybe just a hint of one in book two.

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank?
About my story, at this moment? Around 3.

 

75. Was it worth it? 

The tag? Maybe. It's helped me reevaluate my story. The story? I sure hope so!

Well folks, hope you enjoyed. 

Burning In The Skies

So I have decided that I want to do the ipod tag that I did a few years ago... It was very fun!

The Rules are:
1. Put your ipod on shuffle
2. for each question press the NEXT button to get your answer
3. You MUST write down that song name - NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
4. Tag 20 friends
5. Have fun!

So here it goes!!!

1. If someone says "Are you okay" you say ---- Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel

2. What would best describe your personality ---- There For You by Flyleaf (that is sooo fitting!!! I am always trying to be there for the people I love)

3. How would you describe yourself ---- Fire Dance by Loreena McKennit (oooh very mysterious)

4. What do you like in a guy/girl ---- Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran (Yes!!!)

5. How do you feel today ---- Angry and Dead Again by Hans Zimmer (lol... ok, whatever)

6. What is your life's purpose ---- Fix You by Boyce Avenue (I am honored by this!)

7. What's your motto ---- This is War by Thirty Seconds to Mars (Yes. I have always been a fighter)

8. What do your friends think of you ---- Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift (I hope my friends feel safe with me)

9. What do your parents think of you ----Guilty of Being Innocent of Being Jack Sparrow by Hans Zimmer (yeah, at least I am not Jack. What would they do with me then?)

10. What do you think about very often ---- Knives and Pens by Black Veil Brides (ok, interesting)

11. What is 2+2 ---- Hear You Me by Jimmy Eats World

12. What do you think of your best friend ---- Wild Child by Enya

13. What do you think of the person you like ---- Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas ( yeah... keep up the good fight! And do your best to live up to the Winchester boys *wink for those who get it*)

14. What is your life's dream ---- I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

15. What do you want to be when you grow up ---- Don't Want To Be Like You by BOTDF (well that was simply sassy!)

16. What do you think when you see the person you like ---- Death of Me by Red (lol!!! Liking them is going to be the death of me)

17. What will you do at your wedding ---- Friendship to Last by Two Steps From Hell (how romantic!)

18. What will they play at your funeral ---- Blackheart by Two Steps From Hell (OMG this is the most sad/beautiful song ever--infact I am going to put a link for this one... you have to listen to it... you will write to it for the rest of your days)





19. What is your Hobby/Interest ---- Song of the Lonely Mountain by Niel Finn (dead right)

20. What is your biggest fear ---- Burial Applicant by The Gazette (creepy)

21. What is your biggest secret ---- He's a Pirate by Hans Zimmer (didn't ya all know that?)

 22. What do you want right now ----Take it all Away by Red

23.What do you think of your friends ---- BlackBirds by Linkin Park (that's kind of creepy)

24. What's the worst thing that could happen ---- My Escape by Reliant K

25. What's one thing you regret ---- Jingle Bells by Craig Duncan (You know I can't even remember the words to that song... all I know is Jingle bells Batman smells, robin laid an egg! Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker got away!)

26. What makes you laugh ---- Mad World by Adam Lambert (yes, just ask Dahvey, we are quite mad here... aren't we precious!)

27. What makes you cry ---- Let it Burn by Red

28. Will you ever get married ---- Under a Violet Moon by Blackmore's Night (how romantic! Am I invited?)

29. What scares you most ---- Mama by EXO (*laughing very hard* omg..... I am afraid of Mama!)

30. Does anyone like you ---- In the End by Linkin Park

31. If you could go back in time what would you change ---- Thousand Years by Boyce Avenue (yeah)

32. What hurts right now ---- Why by MBLAQ (ok)

33. What will you name this note ---- Burning in the Skies by Linkin Park

Well that was fun! Anyone who wants to do this is welcome, but please comment and let me know you did it so I can check it out!

I Am Back

Well, it has been over a year since I really did any blogging on any of my blogs. I have most likely decided to stay here on Blogger, since I already have all my work here and all of you, my poor abused followers. Much has changed in both my personal life and in my writing life. This post will be a get to know me and my stories post.

I am 22 years old and still single. I have been going to college for 2 years, first as a Nursing student, then as an EMT. I have finally decided that I want to study something that makes me happy instead of makes me money. So a few weeks ago I switched my degree to Culinary. Taking care of people and their problems is just not for me. 

Back in September I moved out of my parents home and am now living on my own for the first time ever. I now live in Bend Oregon in a small studio apartment right next to the college. It is a bit frightening being out on my own, but it is also incredibly exciting! 

I have been fighting severe depression for a little over a year now and some days I can be downright gloomy. I don't believe in taking medication and have been totally going this alone. In fact, you my dear blog, are the only person I have told other than my Journal, who is my best friend. 

I find things that are sad and broken to be the most beautiful things on earth. And characters that are sad and broken are my favorite to read about and to write about. 

Speaking of writing, it is time to introduce you to my newest arrivals. Rowan and Soryn's story has been set on the back burner until I get some new inspiration and perspective for that tale... it is seriously lacking any plot and I cannot figure out how to save it. 

My newest story is called The Indometus. It is a series really, and I have not figured out the individual book names yet. The Latin word “Indometus” means untamed or wild ones. In this tale it is used by the Catholic Church to refer to any “Fantasy” creatures, including Elves, Fairies, Gnomes, Warlocks, etc… They have been deemed “unsaveable” by the Church, and are therefore hunted like animals. There is a special order in the church that is trained specifically for the hunting and killing of these “wild” races. The church authorities simply want them dead, and they look the other way as the hunters brutally murder and pillage their way through towns and families of these “inhuman” races. They ignore the cries of the children and the screams of the women. The hunters are brutal; murdering, raping, and maiming all of the wildlings they happen across. It has in a way, become a war between the church, and the “unsaveable” ones… the Indometus. This is actually a series, consisting of 3 books so far and a sub series.

The main character is Gabriel Moreau, a half blood. He lives with his human mother, but his father was an Elfin warrior name Rilnor. Rilnor, before his death, was the personal guardian and friend of the Elfin prince gone insane, Dahvey Cygne. Dahvey is still around and has been looking after Gabriel since he was a child, guarding him from afar. 

The secondary character and in all relaity, the main character of the overall series is Dahvey. He was once a great Elfin warrior and the prince of the mountain elves. He has always had a bit of a troubled mind, a result of a curse that happened before he was born. But he went completely insane after the death of his wife. It has been 150 years since then, and he appears sane, but his mind is only hanging on by a thread.

Oh how I love writing his broken mind... It is beautiful! There are no words to describe how much I love this man. He is a part of me in ways NONE of my other characters have ever been.

This series has a sub series with is called The Indometus: Rise of the Hunter.  Many centuries have passed since the death of Dahvey Cygne and the annulment of the Indometus act. It is now the 21^st century. The elves have established a community called the ??? and they are located at the heart of modern day Paris France. They have their own leaders (Decedents of the Cygne family), their own laws, their own school and their own army. They have learned to blend with the human culture but to also stand apart from it. Gabriel is a respected Eldar and teacher. It is well known that he is one of the few that knew the hero, Dahvey personally. Born amidst this community, is the youngest Cygne heir. He is named Joffrem, or Joff. As he grows older, Gabriel begins to see that Joff is practically a reincarnation of Dahvey, in appearance (except for the hair of course) and attitude. In Joff’s 17^th year, rumors begin to rise that an ancient evil has begun to rise again, and with the unexpected arrival of a Drakki, no one knows what to think.

Joff is a lot like Dahvey and most worrying of all, especially for Gabriel, is the fact that he bears the mark of the curse. Something that hasn't shown up since Dahvey bore it. 

Secondary character is Sevi, Joff's best friend. He is quiet and gentle, the perfect companion for hot tempered Joff.

Well, there you go. That is what has been up in my life since we last talked. I also have a couple other stories that are hovering around in my brain, but they are not  really developed enough to put here. Just know that Rachel is my emo girl in a post apocalyptic story and Misha is my deaf Asian kid who is a music prodigy in my story called Unforgiven.

 

 Talk to ya all later my friends.

Homeschoolers in the Real World

So, in the last month of my writing class I was asked to write a 10 page research argument paper. The topic was left up to me, the only restrictions were that it had to be appropriate and could not be religious in any way. And so I decided to have a bit of fun with this last assignment and at the same time, prove a point that I have been rather passionate about, especially since I started going to college. Whenever I tell anybody at school that I was homeschooled, the first reaction is always, "oh, you poor thing" and the second was always "are you finding it hard to survive out here in the 'real world'?" So this paper that I had to write kind of became my answer to all of those people who asked me those questions. So here is my answer to the world.....

Homeschoolers in the Real World:

We are Ready

The modern world is at times a complicated and dangerous place to live. It is full of challenges, including strict teachers, homework, business ads, get ‘er done bosses, two-faced politicians and many other things that every single person deals with on a daily basis without so much as a second thought. We all know how to deal with these challenges so well that they are little more than a bump in our road to greatness. When someone tells us that they are homeschooled, the first thought to enter our minds is “Whoa buddy, are you sure you are ready for this?” But contrary to modern belief, research has shown time and again that the average homeschooler is just as, or sometimes even more prepared than the average public schooled person to enter the “Real World.” A growing number of parents are withdrawing their children from public schools and beginning to homeschool them; still, there are many people that worry about the social and academic well being of the children being homeschooled. What they don’t realize is that their worries are un-grounded and that there are many ethical, cultural and even social benefits to homeschooling that public schooled children never get to experience.

What Defines a Homeschooler?

I have personally been homeschooled almost my entire life. I went to about a month of kindergarten, but my parents soon pulled me out because I was bored and academically far above the levels they were teaching. My parents have homeschooled me and the rest of my 5 siblings since then. Now, nearly 15 years later, I am attending college to get a nursing degree and preparing to enter the work world. I must admit, I was a little frightened at first, because it was all new to me and I didn’t know what to expect, but I soon realized that it was really no different than anything I had done before, in fact, sometimes it was easier because there were people waiting to help me at every turn, instead of me having to research everything on my own. I have now been going to school a year, and I am still a straight A student, and I intend to keep it that way.

Over the years I have become aware of the fact, through various comments and/or questions made to me, that it has become a commonly held belief in our day and age that most homeschoolers are socially ignorant, Bible thumping, hippie goat herders. While that may be true for a very small fraction of homeschoolers, it is untrue for most of us. Most of the time a person can look right at a homeschooler and not even know that they are different than the rest of the kids out there. In the Merriam Webster dictionary (2012), the definition of homeschool is “To instruct (a pupil, for example) in an educational program outside of established schools, especially in the home.” As we can see, religion has no part in that definition. In response to this theory that all homeschoolers are all Bible thumpers, Dr. Brian D. Ray (2003) President of The National Home Education Research Institute, states in his article “Homeschoolers to College: What Research Shows Us,” that although the current majority of homeschoolers are Christians, there is a rapidly growing number of homeschoolers from all walks of life, including agnostics, atheists, Buddhists, Jews, Mormons, Muslims and New Agers (p.6). So even though religious reasons are statistically the second most common reason for parents to pull their children out of public school, it is not only the Christian religion that is making this choice.

Religious issues are not the only reason parents are pulling their children out of public schools and choosing to homeschool them. There have been various studies conducted on this issue. In 2003 the U.S. Department of Education (ED) did a survey of homeschooling parents in the U.S. asking them why they have chosen to homeschool their children. 31% of them said that they are worried about the environment of public schools with safety, drugs, negative peer pressure etc. 30% of them did it for religious reasons. And 16% were dissatisfied with the academic instruction available at public schools (p. 2). My parents pulled me out of school because of the academic quality provided in public schools. When I entered kindergarten I was already an avid reader and was doing 1^st grade math. Because of this I found the classes unchallenging and boring. It is because we were homeschooled that my brother was able to get his GED at 15, and I was able to study extracurricular subjects such as herbology and writing fiction.   

What About Socialization?

As a Homeschooler, the most common questions I hear from people when I tell them about my educational background is “What about socialization?” It has become one of the commonly accepted myths that homeschoolers are somehow deprived of social contact because we don’t go to public school. Sylvia Biu (2009) even went so far as to say that “homeschooling is tantamount to retarding a child by isolating him from the outside world” (p. 2). To reveal the fallacy of this, we must first define what true socialization is. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines socialization as “A continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social  skills appropriate to his or her social  position.” Christopher Klicka (2007) puts forward the opinion that it is actually the public school children that have no opportunity to get true social experience as mentioned above because in the public school environment they are confined to a classroom for at least 180 days each year with little opportunity to be exposed to the workplace, go on field trips, or even hang out with groups of people other than their peers (p. 1). If we actually stop to think about it, Klicka’s position makes a lot of sense. The children are trapped with a group of children their own age with little chance to relate to children of other ages or adults. After seven hours of school, then they have to go home and complete hours and hours of homework before they can have any time to socialize with family and friends outside of the public school environment. The opportunity to pursue their interests and to apply their unique talents is stifled. The students are not really prepared to operate in the home, family or the workplace, which comprise a major part of the "real world" after graduation. In this environment, the children are actually getting less real socialization and are instead getting a fake and possibly even damaging sense of “real life” and are therefore unprepared for life in the “real world”. 

Homeschoolers, on the other hand, do not have the above problems. They are much more prepared for the "real world" of the workplace and the home. They relate regularly with adults and follow their examples rather than the examples of peers, which often turns out to be foolish. They have daily chores and responsibilities and have to learn to work in unison with the rest of their family to help the home run smoothly. They learn based on "hands on" experiences and early apprenticeship training. In fact, the only "socialization" or aspect of the "real world" which they miss out on by not attending the public school is unhealthy peer pressure, crime, drug abuse and immorality. Of course, the average homeschooler wisely learns about these things from afar instead of being personally involved in crime or immorality or perhaps from being a victim of things such as harassment, bullying and abuse.

It all sounds great all worked out on paper, but how does homeschooling effect kids in real life? Kate McReynolds (2007) is a child psychologist and a homeschool mother of 3. She has done a lot of research on this topic and has actually interviewed homeschool parents and homeschooled children. She uses her skills as a psychologist to see whether the children are maturing socially as well as public and private schooled children. She has found that “homeschool children are not socially isolated, that their self-concept, a barometer of socialization, tends to be better than traditionally schooled children, and that homeschooling fosters leadership skills at least as well as traditional schooling” (p. 40). As a homeschooler myself, I have never felt socially hindered. My family has always been a part of a large homeschool group, and have always gone to community events and even attended classes whenever possible. In fact, it has often been because I was homeschooled that I was able to participate in these events. When I was 11 I got my CPR Certificate because I attended a class at my dad’s work and when I was 13 I got a verbal judo certificate also from my dad’s work. When I was 12 I attended a weather class that was full of adults and learned how to predict the weather and tell one type of cloud from the other and what each one of them meant. Between the ages of 11 and 15 I had the opportunity to work with my dad doing landscaping for state parks. I worked along with the adults and learned how to work hard, solve problems, read instructions, and use a large amount of skills that I would find very useful in my later life. When I was 16 I worked on a horse ranch for a year in exchange for riding horses. I learned to cook from my mom, I learned to preserve food by canning from a close friend, I learned to sew by taking lessons, I learned how to make homemade soap from a lady in our church, I can garden and raise animals from experience, my dad taught me how to heal with herbs and how to survive in the woods, and I was able to take writing lessons from my grandma. Because I was homeschooled I was able to move my school schedule around to accommodate for these opportunities. I am ready to survive in the real world because I have had the opportunity to prepare for the skills I would need later in life.

 I have only provided a few examples here in this paper because I lack the space, but if you were to simply look on Google, you would see that the research on the subject of socialization has been extensive because it is such a common concern. It has been determined by most all of the people that have chosen to homeschool their children, that socialization is not really the big problem people make it out to be, but simply a myth that has been proven wrong repeatedly.

Higher Education and the “Real World”

The second most common concern many people have is that homeschoolers are not prepared for the academic challenges of college and then the “Real world” that comes after graduation. But once again, research exposes the myth. Many people worry that because homeschooled children are taught at home by their parents, without the supervision of somebody with professional teaching qualifications, that their academic levels are not as good as traditionally schooled children and therefore homeschoolers will struggle if and when they enter college. To put these fears to rest, Dr. Brian Ray (1997) tested 16,000 homeschooled students, comparing their standardized test results to those of public schooled kids. He found the nationwide grand mean in reading for homeschoolers was at the 79th percentile and for language and math, the 73rd percentile. This ranking means home-educated students performed better than approximately 77% of the sample population on whom the test was normed. Nearly 80% of homeschooled children achieved individual scores above the national average and 54.7% of the 16,000 homeschoolers achieved individual scores in the top quarter of the population, more than double the number of conventional school students who score in the top quarter (p. 11). These rates are astonishing and should do a lot to relieve the fear that homeschoolers suffer academically.

Contrary to popular expectation, not only are homeschooled students excelling academically, but they are gaining quite the positive reputation from college officials and teachers. Christopher Klicka (2006) has surveyed and interviewed admissions officers of many of the larger colleges, and has found that in general, homeschoolers are exceeding everyone’s expectations in higher education.  A Harvard University admissions officer said most of their home-educated students "have done very well. They usually are very motivated in what they do." University of Montana states, “The homeschoolers in this state seem to be up-to-date and well-organized. We even have homeschoolers in our honors programs. I know of one student for sure. She is one of our top students.” The Dartmouth College admissions officer explained, “The applications I’ve come across are outstanding. Homeschoolers have a distinct advantage because of the individualized instruction they have received.” Boston University welcomes applications from homeschooled students with open arms, “We believe students educated at home possess the passion for knowledge, the independence, and the self-reliance that enable them to excel in our intellectually challenging programs of study” (p. 3-6 of Klicka’s report). Motivation, organization, passion for knowledge, independence of thought, and self reliance are characteristics that are attributed to homeschoolers wherever they go.

Another aspect of the “Real World” that people have questions about is homeschoolers involvement in their communities, current affairs and politics. Dr. Brian D. Ray’s (2004) research goes to show us that homeschoolers are often found to be actively involved in entrepreneurial and professional occupations, their local communities, keeping abreast of current affairs, highly civically engaged, going to college at a higher rate than the national average, tolerant of others expressing their viewpoints and though they are often religiously active, they are very wide-ranged in their worldview beliefs. They can often be found volunteering in the community or being a part of political campaigns etc. (p. 9). Homeschoolers are just as involved if not more so in civic affairs. Alex and Brett Harris (2008), homeschooled twins here in Oregon, were only 16 when they got involved in politics and were invited to an internship at the Alabama Supreme Court which, of course, they accepted. The next year they were moved to the campaign headquarters where they became the grass-roots directors at age 17 (p.18). They are only one example of homeschoolers involvement in community and politics. My brother is volunteering at the public library, I have volunteered at the community kitchen, the community garden and HOPS, a non-profit organization that collected damaged food products from the local stores and gave it away for free to any family who couldn’t afford food. As homeschoolers we have spent far more time out in the community than public schooled kids because we have more time and a lot more flexibility. This time out in the community helps us to prepare for the real world, and we get to know a lot of people, not only our peers, but adults, elders, babies, and young children. We get to experience all kinds of different types of relationships, from fellow workers and the team aspect, to helping people out and providing what they need.

I have personally conducted my own survey on the topic of homeschoolers and the real world, and although it was somewhat inconclusive because of the lack of response, it still allowed me to see how people viewed homeschoolers after they had gotten to know some. Without fail, every single person who answered my survey said that the homeschoolers they knew were just as normal as anyone else they knew, and also that in their opinion, the homeschoolers are just as prepared as we are for the world. One person even claimed that they thought that the homeschoolers they knew were way more prepared skill-wise for the world than most of the public schooled people the answerer knew, including themselves.

All of this research goes to prove that homeschoolers are not only just like any other normal person, but in most cases even more well adjusted and ready for the challenges of the real world. They are not an abnormal occurrence, but regular people that you interact with every day and don’t even know it.  

Proof that homeschoolers can prosper

Many of the people and names that we have learned to look up to and respect for their brilliance, courage, independence and individuality were homeschooled.

Some of the smartest people in the world, those considered geniuses, were homeschooled. Erik Demaine, assistant professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the leading theoretician in the emerging field of origami mathematics. He was home-schooled by his father, traveled around the United States, settling somewhere new every 6 to 12 months; he started college courses at 12, and received his doctorate at 20 and at the same age became the youngest professor ever at M.I.T. In 2003 he was granted a MacArthur "genius" fellowship (K.). Another genius whose name is familiar to everyone as one of the most acclaimed geniuses of the world, is Albert Einstein (Abell). He was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. Few people know that this intellectual giant had humble roots as a homeschooler.

George S. Patton, a well known hero of World War II was homeschooled until he was 11 because he had terrible dyslexia (Nosotoro). He had a reputation for eccentricity and for sometimes-controversial gruff outspokenness, and under his command the U.S. Third Army advanced farther, captured more enemy prisoners, and liberated more territory in less time than any other army in history.

A more modern example is Elijah Wood, actor from Lord of the Rings. He was homeschooled and tutored on-set, because he started acting at such a young age and was not able to attend a school. "I'm grateful," he says in his interview with one of his fans, Patty Adams (2010). "I've heard enough from my friends to know that I didn't miss out. High school is a pretty brutal battleground." He is a very popular actor and, I must point out, he is not socially hindered.

My favorite modern example is Christopher Paolini because he is my personal role model. He is a young homeschooled kid who has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest author of a bestselling series for his four book series “The Inheritance Cycle” which include the books “Eragon” “Eldest” “Brisingr” and “Inheritance”. Christopher was homeschooled by his parents. As a child, he often wrote short stories and poems, made frequent trips to the library, and read widely. The idea of Eragon began as the daydreams of a young boy. Christopher’s love for the magic of stories led him to craft a novel that he would enjoy reading. The project began as a hobby, a personal challenge; he never intended it to be published, but it was. He was 15 years old at the time. All the characters in Eragon are from Christopher's imagination except Angela the herbalist, who is loosely based on his sister. Christopher quotes “Everything I did was only possible because my parents were dedicated and loving enough to homeschool my sister and me. My mother, a former Montessori teacher and author of several children’s books, took the time to instruct us every day. Aside from textbook lessons, she had us perform many exercises designed to stimulate our creativity.” (Paolini)

These are just a few of examples of people who were homeschooled; homeschoolers who changed the world, and are a testament to the effectiveness of homeschoolinng.

Conclusion
Homeschooling provides the opportunity to tailor the student’s education according to interest, talent, and life situations. It allows the student to get more real life skills and experiences, and it teaches the student qualities such as self discipline, intuition, problem solving, self reliance and many other qualities that are going to prepare the student to survive in the real world, where life isn’t handed to them on a silver platter. There is a growing amount of research out there that would prove wrong the belief that homeschoolers are some ragtag group of backwoods kids who are unprepared for the challenges the world has to offer. It is our job to spread the word, and speak against the myths that we now know to be founded in simple ignorance. 


Let me know what you think!!!!