"Have some chocolate."

The answer to life, the universe, and everything.

"I'll leave now."

Sometimes we need our alone time-- without idiots invading our space.

"Let's watch Avengers."

"Who's your favourite character?"

"No more dieting."

"You don't need it, anyway."

"Here's fifty bucks."

She's worth it, isn't she?

"I am Baymax."

"Your personal healthcare companion."

"I was wrong."

Aren't you always?

"You were right."

We learn to rejoice in these little victories.

"Bowties are cool."

As are fezes.

"You're a wizard."

"Who da man?!"

"I'm never saying that again."

"Don't be lasagna."

Do go eat some, though.

"On your left."

Don't you dare say it!

"Use the Force."
If only we could...

What are three words you'd like to hear more often?

What is something God has called you to do at some point? 

The Dragon's Loyalty Award is making the rounds again, with a set of brand new and dragonish rules. The stupendous Ashley has tagged me to share several truths and a few lies about myself and since the dragon in me heartily approves of spreading confusion and chaos, I have complied.

So here are seven facts or not-so-facts about me. Most of them shouldn't be too hard, so go ahead and take a guess in the comments, if you like.

Writing Advice was by far the most popular post topic (which kinda surprised me because my advice never feels all that helpful, but okay), so I'll be handing out more of that, hopefully. Pep talks were the least popular, but I happen to like writing pep talks, so I'm not going to stop. The frequency with which I throw motivational speeches at you may, however, decrease somewhat.

(Wait, how do you decrease from 0 posts a month? *shifty glance at March*)

As for new topics, apparently what people wanted to hear about most were fandoms, my relationship with Jesus, depression, and anxiety. Also, somebody wanted me to talk about peanut butter, and I'm 100% on board with that, so yeah. I may venture into other subjects occasionally, but I'm planning on making the aforementioned topics regular fixtures on the blog. (Especially peanut butter.)

In conclusion, Chasing Daisies is no longer going to be a niche blog. Yeah, writing stuff will still be the main focus, but if y'all know me at all, you know I don't like confinement and I'm not going to try to confine myself to just talking about books and such. I'm going to be branching out in my subject matter, and hopefully some of it, at least, will interest you. :)

OKAY SO YEAH GUYS I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT MARCH BUT I'M NOT PLANNING ON MAKING THAT A REGULAR THING SO DON'T FREAK OUT. (Like I'm doing. Right now.)

Ahem.

In case you didn't notice, I had an impromptu hiatus (because that sounds more mature and professional than "I was being super lazy and had really bad blogger's block and just didn't really try all that hard') in March and didn't post anything. But I don't mean to let it happen again (at least without warning) and hopefully I'll get back on a posting schedule soon.

But I am going to have to tweak the schedule a bit, at least for now, because honestly, even apart from the fact I let all my creativity die during hiatus and now I can't seem to revive it, I can't keep up with posting twice a week any more. So I'll be cutting the Sunday posts, and just try to get something up every Thursday (ish).

Also, most of you wanted me to continue doing monthly wrap-ups, so those will probably still be a thing.

So thank you all SOOOOO much for your lovely input in this section. I've duly considered all your advice, and hopefully I'll be putting it into action in these coming weeks.

Keep your eyes peeled, because changes are coming!

Yay! Time for the fun part!!

Um, well-- my favourite fantasy world would be First Age Arda (Silmarillion, yissss), and I think I'd be a Maiar. I'd use a sword most likely, but I probably wouldn't fight much. Mainly I'd just hang out with Ulmo and the Teleri, probably, because they're cool people. Unless I could be Maehdros, in which case I'd be Maehdros. Without the kinslaying, maybe.

And I don't really have a favourite sci-fi world? I guess I'd be a human with a laser pistol/blaster, and I'd explore the galaxy in my tiny space ship with a couple of really good friends.

...Did I just describe Han Solo? Apparently I'd be Han Solo. (I dunno. I don't even like Han Solo.)

Slartibartfast. (I told you it didn't matter.) I also like Marvin. And Arthur Dent. And Zaphod Beeblebrox. And the random mattress thing. And a whole lot of other characters I can't remember right now.

*high pitched screaming* SNAKE. AND IKE. AND MARTH. AND PIT.

I... may have problems.

Define "younger"??

I went through a stage where I watched How To Train Your Dragon basically every week, and it's still one of my favourite movies. And I feel sure there are more, but my mind is drawing up a blank. (I'm tired.)

I like all fries. Greasy potatoes covered in salt taste good no matter what shape they are. But I prefer normal ones.

And yeah, I've read the first Percy Jackson book, but... I didn't particularly care for it? I just didn't like any of the characters and was bored.

Um-- "Love You Like the Movies"?? It makes me laugh, and it's the first song I've ever heard by them. (My sister would go around singing it all the time.)

You all are amazing. That's really all there is to say. :)

What are some punk genres you'd like to write in? Any of these catch your fancy? Any others I should have included?

(My blog survey is still receiving responses! You can fill it out here.)

...But I'm really bad at following rules, so I won't make any promises.

1. I am not British. (You probably already knew this, but...) I do, however, use mostly British spellings of words like "colour" and "centre" and "recognise". This is a) because I can rarely remember which is the British spelling and which is the American anyway, b) because I think they look better for some reason, and c) because someone at some point set my Chromebook and iPod to English UK, and I can't figure out how to switch them back. (This gets annoying when I try to write distinctly American stories.)

2. Don't let my pink, fuzzy persona fool you. I like villains and depressing books/movies and the colour black and creepy psychological thrillers and morbid poetry. I also like pink stuff and flowers and fashion and decorating and tea parties and fluffy anything. (But you already knew that.) Are these things contradictions? No. One can be cute and dark at the same time, and I like to think I pull it off pretty well. *is not vain at all*

3. Daisies actually aren't my favourite flowers. *cue gasps* My favourite flower is actually goldenrod-- a simple weed that grows in my backyard in September and October. But "Chasing Goldenrod" sounds weird and doesn't really have the same meaning behind it. So-- yeah, anyway. I do really love daisies, but they're not my favourite ever.

4. I began writing books before I could spell. And I don't mean before I could spell words like "baccalaureate" (never mind, I still can't spell that word). I mean before I found out that "of" is not spelled "uv" and that it's "girl", not "gurl". I still have my first book (it was a very short and badly illustrated graphic novel) kicking around somewhere, and I can read exactly 0.001% of it.

5. I hand out free advice, very freely. (And on practically any topic.) Some people have told me that my advice is really good, which is surprising, since I totally make it all up off the top of my head. If I ever give you advice (for instance, writing advice on this blog) and you actually follow it, let me know how it works out, because basically nothing I say has ever been tested and I actually have no idea whether it works or not.

6. I have some very diverse interests. Now that I'm sixteen, people are constantly asking me what I want to study in college. I usually answer, "Either cosmetology, office administration, or some kind of computer programming." They always reply, "Wow-- uh-- those are three very different fields--"

7. My spirit animals are Unikitty, Kylo Ren, and the twelfth Doctor. (But, just for the record, this does not translate to me particularly liking Unikitty or admiring Kylo Ren.) Do not ask me how I relate to three such totally different people as much as I do, all at the same time. Let's just say, I do. A lot. Somehow.

And I'm just going to leave this one up for grabs. You like sunshine? Go spread some around! You don't like sunshine? Fine-- crawl back to your Gollum cave and eat raw fish. Whatever you do, have a great day!

I had this month all planned out.

I was going to pull Splitting Atoms out of its dusty hiding place, go on a rewriting blitz, and have this new edition at least halfway done by the 31st. And yet, here it is the 22nd (as I write this), and I've got 1.5 pages of complete and utter trash which haven't been modified in weeks.

Go me.

But, honestly, I'm not bothered. I'm not beating myself up about it. (or at least I'm trying not to) I'm not even sorry.

I hear a lot about "writing everyday", "not waiting for inspiration to write", and "write even when you don't want to". And, in general, I agree. Normally, I believe in forcing myself to write-- because if I didn't, I'd never get anything done.

But this month, every time I opened the document and looked at that blank space on the screen, perfectly complimented by the blank space in my mind, I didn't feel just indisposed-- I felt paralysed. Completely overwhelmed and stressed out and incapable of making my brain create words and transfer them to the keyboard.

Life has been hitting harder that usual, I guess. I feel like I've been drowning in school, and my Mom just keeps putting more pressure on me, academically. Which is a good thing, but it's stressful. Church and youth group have been intense lately, which is a good thing, but it's stressful. We're renovating our basement, which means strangers coming and going constantly and lots of loud noises coming from beneath my feet-- it's a good thing, but it's stressful.

And, outside of a couple minutes to talk to my friends at church every Sunday, my social life has been practically non-existent, which means my extrovert soul has been running on empty, which makes functioning in general just. hard.

With everything that's been going on, I don't really feel like forcing myself to work on an already complicated and stressful WIP. And honestly-- right now, writing isn't my first priority. I'm just a kid in high school, and if I don't write for a week or two, it's not going to kill the rest of my writing life. (probably)

So I've taken an unofficial break from writing. And I think that's okay. I don't think we need to beat ourselves up when we don't write regularly or when we don't accomplish our goals. Sometimes we need to step back and reassess what's really important.

Writing, or a much needed seven hours of sleep? A good night's sleep.

Writing, or a long overdue time to read God's word? The Bible.

Writing, or the loads of school work sitting on your desk? School.

Writing, or six hours binge watching Netflix? Uh-- probably writing. But not necessarily.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't stress it. There are things that are more important than writing-- like your physical/mental/emotional/spiritual health-- and if writing is getting in the way of one of those things, it is entirely justified to take a break.

My friends and I made a BIG deal out of this on FF.net-- maybe a bigger deal than we needed to. But then again, my fandom (Lord of the Rings) was renowned for churning out endless piles of 197 chapter fics, chronicling the tales of gorgeous teenaged elleths, bestowed with never-before seen powers (never-before seen in Middle Earth, anyway), who swooped into the Fellowship of the Ring and saved Frodo multiple times before finally destroying the ring themselves and riding off into the sunset with Legolas or Aragorn (or sometimes both).

It was stories like these that gave fan fiction a bad reputation, and we were determined to redeem ourselves. So no more Mary Sues. In fact, in my time on FF.net, I really only saw maybe five or six Mary Sues. Not so when I turned my eyes outside of fan fiction, and looked around at all the so-called "original" books and movies that were coming out.

Last night I watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the first time. And I should stop right about now and say there are going to be spoilers in this post because I'm assuming everyone's seen it by now. If you haven't, stop reading right here.

So you've seen it? You sure? Okay, keep reading.

I don't tend to like the girl characters in movies. They're usually wildly unrealistic, arrogant, and really only there for all the guys, both those in the movie and in the audience, to stare at. Girl characters usually just annoy me to death, because so few movies portray them correctly. And so something that really got me excited near the beginning of Star Wars episode 7 was Rey.

She was kind. She was feminine. She was good with machines and robots and space junk. She wasn't really that pretty and she definitely wasn't objectified. She was a perfectly normal and awesome human being (or alien, more likely), and it didn't take long before I was cheering wildly for her, screaming "You GO, girl!"

I liked how she was good with parts and machinery. It made up an interesting part of her personality and actually contributed to the storyline, so I was totally on board with it, in spite of the subtle hint at trying to be that strong female character. I didn't totally buy it when she beat up two guys at the same time in less than two minutes, but I supposed that it was probably good they didn't make Finn have to save her. I was extremely doubtful when she turned out to be a great pilot and a little bit upset when I found out that she had some kind of connection to Luke's lightsabre. But I still clung to the hope that eventually she'd get some flaws that would help even it all out.

And then turns out she's strong in the force-- stronger than Kylo Ren, who I'm assuming has been training since childhood (right? right?), and just-- nope. I was done.

And I'm probably more upset with Star Wars episode 7 than I would have been if Rey had just been the stereotypical strong female character that I honestly hate a lot, because instead, they created a really likeable, compelling character that I desperately wanted to be on board with. And then they ruined her, because,

a) she had no flaws, and

b) she could do anything

Nobody's perfect. I don't care if you need a mechanic AND a pilot AND a talented jedi. I don't care if you think that it will make the feminists happy to see a Mary Sue on screen. I don't care if you're trying to represent women in a positive light.

Representing women as perfect is every bit as annoying as representing them as weak. Want another shocker? We're human beings, people. We're aren't objects only there for the sake of men, but we aren't goddesses, either. We have character and personality and interests and hobbies and likes and dislikes and strengths and flaws and skills and things we're just downright bad at. Just like everyone else.

Of course, it's not just women who get painted perfect on screen. The Gary Stu counterpart isn't quite as common, but he still makes an appearance. He's still annoying. Surprise, surprise-- guys can't do everything, either! Guys mess up sometimes, too! Everybody does.

Just because you're not writing fan fiction doesn't mean you can get away with Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Thankfully, it's not that hard to avoid writing these types of characters. There's just one simple rule you have to keep in mind.

Nobody's perfect.

Nobody. Ever. So your characters shouldn't be, either. It's that simple.

(And, for the record, I did love the new Star Wars movie-- and I'm still clinging to the hope that Rey will shape up-- or down, in this case-- in the upcoming films. So don't kill me, please.)

So, what did you think of the newest Star Wars instalment? What are some Mary Sues or Gary Stus in pop culture that annoy you personally? Do you think it's ever okay to write "perfect" characters?

Okay, so now it's your turn-- Share a line or two from page 16 of YOUR novel. Bonus points if it's sixteen words long! And if you did Snazzy Snippets, maybe leave me a link, so I can check it out?

Biggest one, obviously. That's right, this little mess here has been alive and kicking for nine months, now. Back when I started this thing, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I'm not going to lie, I still don't. But that's okay, because it's been fun, and while it still is a horrendous mess, it's totally worth it.

Other Blogging Highlights:

I published 48 blog posts and wrote (or started writing) 79.
I followed way more blogs than I'm ever going to try to count.

I joined Twitter and Pinterest. (We'll just pretend this is related to blogging.)

And just as a matter of interest, Your Favourite Posts: (apparently)

Is Your Story Worth It?

7 Reasons You Should Be Writing Right Now (in gifs)

Defining Strong: Why the "Strong Female Character" Trend is Actually Anti-Feminist

Beautiful Books 1: Introducing Shadowwhisper

In Which I Compare Characters to Screaming Children

Snazzy Snippets #2 (In Which I Shove My NaNo Down Your Throats)

-- I just realized I seem to have a thing for long titles. This could be a problem.

Also, no, you're not hallucinating, THE BLOG JUST GOT A MAKEOVER.

the year I turned sixteen

the year I didn't give up on my novel

I've been rewriting and revising and editing "Splitting Atoms" all year, and by this point, I kinda hate it. I kinda hate it a lot. It's been hard and painful and that editing thing had me crying more than once, but I didn't give up. I've pushed through it (for the most part) and right about now I'm diving into yet another rewrite. Yeah, I don't have any of this figured out and I'm pretty sure I did it horribly wrong, but at least I did it.

I won NaNo and wrote a painful, scary, creepy story about two-dimensional monsters which pose as shadows. (But shhhh-- spoilers.)

Speaking of that novel, I invented my favourite protagonist I have ever written, and that's kind of a big deal. (Also, my antagonist is pretty cool, too.)

And I actually worked up the courage to share snippets and pictures and generally tell people about my writing, which I was never able to do before.

Hey, so here's the thing. There's a God who created the entire universe, a God who created me, and quite some time ago I asked this God into my heart and told him that he was my God.

And for years, I've been holding out on him. For years, I've been telling the God who made the planets and keeps Earth from burning up, the God who controls the tides and the seasons, the rain and the pressure of the atmosphere, that he can't control me. I've been acting like I'm the one in charge of my life. I've been fighting him every step of the way and screaming at him when things don't go my way.

I'm still not perfect-- nowhere close-- I'll probably have to learn this same lesson over and over again in the years to come--

But this year I learned that God is doing a better job at running my life than I ever would.

This year I learned that there's no point to being independent if you're miserable in the meantime.

This year I learned that true joy is only found when I obey God and live in accordance with his will, not mine.

This year I learned that God's grace is sufficient to get me through the things I think I can't do, if I just trust and obey him.

This year, especially, I learned that obeying God doesn't make me miss out on the fun I think I'd have otherwise, it's just a different (better) kind of fun.

And 2015 was

I loved this year. I loved blogging. I loved being fifteen, for as long as it lasted. I loved writing, even when it was hard. I loved growing deeper in my relationship with God.

I made lots of great friends and grew a lot closer to the ones I already had. I partied hard, if infrequently. I started to come out of my shell and get the better of this whole social anxiety thing. I went to camp. I worked a summer job. I kept doing the school thing. I got my learner's permit. I spent a lot of time with my nephews and nieces and other family members.

I had fun. Sure, I didn't love all of it, but I firmly believe it was all worth the bits I did love.

2015 was a great year for me, and I'm so thankful for every minute of it.

What was your greatest accomplishment/event/lesson of 2015? Did you keep any of your New Year's Resolutions? What are you looking forward to in 2016?

And sitting here, listening to Celtic Women and the laughter and chatter of my family-- I don't think I have. I don't think I'm missing it.

It's been a bit over two thousand years, now, since Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and the greatest gift of all time was given to the world. Two thousand years since the angels appeared to the shepherds-- the poor, ordinary, nothing-special-at-all shepherds-- and sang praises to God.

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Two thousand years later, I'm still feeling the joy-- the result of Christ's birth. Two thousand years wasn't enough to kill the joy or change the meaning of that gift.

Before Christ's coming, the only hope for salvation was following the strict Jewish law and offering frequent sacrifices at the temple. Before Christ's coming, a personal, close relationship with the Lord was only for the few, the favoured-- people like Enoch and Elijah. Before Christ's coming, it was ridiculously hard for a Gentile, like me, to find favour with God.

But that all changed when Jesus was born.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."

Jesus was born to rescue mankind from their sin and suffering. Jesus was born to fulfil the law and the prophets as the one true Messiah. Jesus was born to save us. No wonder the message the angels brought was of joy and peace and good will!

Christmas is a celebration of that joy. At Christmas we remember how Jesus was born, and how Jesus died, and how Jesus rose again from the dead, breaking the chains of sin and death that held us in slavery before. At Christmas we celebrate the story that never loses its power, even after two thousand years.

At Christmas we should join the angels in singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will to men!"

I don't think I'm missing it right now. Right now, I'm feeling that joy.

Are you?

Have a great Christmas, everybody!

We'll call it a 8. It needs a lot of work, yes, but overall, I am very, very happy with my new novel, and I basically love it to death. (Yes! This is the definition of success in my world!) I'm shaking at the thought of editing, at which point I will rediscover all it's weakest points and decide I detest it after all, but until I get there, I'm going to let myself love it as much as I can.

As for expectations, I don't actually remember most of my expectations for the thing before I started it, but I do know that all my characters are completely different from how I originally envisioned them. Also, it wasn't supposed to have a body count. It really wasn't. And yet here I'm left weeping on a blood stained battlefield, the bodies of the heroic dead strewn around me--

Ahem. Forgive me for waxing lyrical. Point being. People died. Good people, bad people, they all died. Though to be honest, even back when I was conceiving this thing, I knew myself well enough to suspect that the "no body count" thing might not last long.

Eh-- I don't really know?? My book is urban fantasy/paranormal/supernatural/whatever you want to call it, and I don't read or watch a lot in that genre. (I'm probably going to have to change that.) I did feed myself a sporadic diet of Supernatural fan videos for "research" while I was writing it, so it probably bears some resemblance to that, though I haven't seen the show itself and really couldn't say.

Otherwise, for you Doctor Who fans, I'd describe it as "Silence in the Library" meets "Flatline", with a bit of "Fear Her". (Wow, that just made it sound even creepier than it actually is. o.o)

Deadlines and pressure, definitely. If I don't have some kind of pressure, I don't get anything done. Anything. For most things in life, that pressure is my Mom. For writing, it's NaNoWriMo. (This is also why we need a National Novel Editing Month-- I have a feeling I would get editing done much quicker and easier.)

In theory, write-as-you're-inspired sounds pretty appealing-- especially for an overly independent, "forget rules and regulations!" type of person like me. But since inspiration rarely lasts as long as it takes to write a novel, I simply can't run that way.

Step 1: Cry and eat chocolate.

Step 2: Read through novel. (More tears and chocolate involved.)

Step 3: Get ready to edit and freak out. (More tears and chocolate...)

Step 4: Try to edit and panic. (More tears... More chocolate...)

Step 5: Throw computer at the wall and scream. (... You know the drill.)

I haven't really gotten much further than this in the process at any point in any book. Usually I just give up and do another rewrite, because while those are more labour intensive, at least I know what I'm doing. Editing I have no idea. Someday I am determined to actually sit down and make myself edit until I get it right.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

The Shadow's back story, probably. There's this creepy shadow monster who's killing my MC and is planning to take over the world or something (I should probably mention that I haven't mentioned even this in the book, so far-- it, too, will have to be inserted during edits), but I never actually told the readers what it is or where it came from. I know what it is (ha ha-- kinda-sorta-not-really), but the readers kinda have to know as well. But it's rather difficult to explain when the entire book is written from the POV of a character who probably wouldn't know where the thing came from.

So yeah-- lots of tweaking will go down in this area.

I've said it many times, and I'll say it again-- my MC, Rae. I totally adore her, and she really makes the story for me.

Aside from that, however, the theme of my story is extremely important to me as well. I didn't really have a big theme in mind when I started writing, but I did plan for friendship to be important aspect from the beginning, and it really just snowballed from there. From the verging on abusive relationship between Rae and her Shadow, Rae's third wheel position in her friendship with Micah and Glenn, the growth of her friendships with Chloe and Darryl, and even the relationships with her various family members, by the end of the month, it was obvious that the real point of the story was the difference between healthy friendships and unhealthy ones.

This is going to take a while. Just so you're forewarned.

8. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self publishing? Hiding in a dark hole forever?

Plans? HA. Who do you think I am?

In theory, I will edit it until I'm not horribly embarrassed by it, then let 2 or 3 or 20 people read it as alpha and beta and gamma readers, then edit it some more and some more and some more and maybe someday it will satisfy me enough that I can go out and see about publishing this thing.

Maybe. Someday. Keywords here.

I've already shared my favourite snippet, so we'll go with this one, just because it's short.

Again with the plans thing? *nervous grin*

I hope to have the first draft of Shadowwhisper 100% done by Christmas, after which point I will take a break until the New Year. In January, I'll probably focus in on Splitting Atoms rewrites, trying to get that in some semblance of order and distract my brain before taking up Shadowwhisper edits in February. After that I'll probably just go back and forth between the two novels, rewriting and editing whichever I feel in the mood for. April and July I plan to participate in CampNaNoWriMo, and I've got a couple plot bunnies on the brain, plus the Splitting Atoms sequel I've been wanting to write forever. November I hope I'll be able to do NaNoWriMo again.

So that's kinda the idea, but I probably won't stick to it too closely. I'm really bad at sticking to things, as you probably know by now.

Shut up, yes I can.

So maybe you're wondering, "What is an ENFP anyway? I know nothing of this type." In which case, my poor unfortunate friend, allow me to add a ray of hope and sunshine to your dismal life.

ENFPs, sometimes known as the "Champions" or the "Inspirers", are often stereotyped as being the "life of the party", having great social skills, and an infectious enthusiasm for life, the universe, and everything. And the stereotypes are there for a reason. ENFPs love new people, experiences, and ideas, and we love to get excited about the things we love. You know that one person who laughs constantly, is a notorious hugger, and might be a shape-shifting unicorn? You might just have yourself an ENFP.

We go way deeper than the stereotype though, and some ENFPs can get seriously annoyed if you act like their social butterfly side is their only (or even dominant) side, so do not try writing an ENFP character based on just the stereotypes. Just don't. We might be unicorns, but unicorns have horns and we can kill you with them.

I don't want to hurt you, though, so instead, let's talk about how to write an authentic ENFP.

ENFP: Core Traits

• ENFPs are often known as "the introverted extrovert". (This is because of the ordering of the functions, which would take too long to explain, but you can look it up if you want.) They require much more "alone time" than the typical extrovert, and are sometimes mistaken (and can even mistake themselves) for an introvert. However, they are extroverts, as they are energized and motivated by the external world of people and experiences.
• ENFPs are very curious. This is where the stereotype of the easily distracted, "Oooh-- shiny!" ENFP originates. They can come across as random and unfocused, but in reality, ENFPs are simply fascinated by every aspect of life and want to explore every opportunity that presents itself.
• ENFPs are often indecisive. This springs from their natural curiosity and fascination with everything (and I mean everything). They want to experience every possibility, and so when it comes to making decisions on which possibility they will experience, they are often caught in a dilemma. This is further aided by their Feeling function, as they want to make a decision that will make everyone happy, and this is often impossible.
• ENFPs value one-on-one, close relationships. As extroverts, they are stimulated by people and enjoy a wide variety of relationships, but unlike many other extroverted types, it is the emotional connections they make with others that they value most, not the sheer excitement and exhilaration of being with people. Because of this, close, personal relationships are more important to them than their wide circles of acquaintances.
• ENFPs are fiercely independent. "I do what I want!" is how they run their lives, and they feel stifled by norms and conventions. They desperately desire freedom to be creative and original. They are neither "leaders" nor "followers", but prefer to do their own thing and let others do their own thing. Control in all it's forms bothers them.

• Judgement. ENFPs hate being judged, and they hate to see others judged almost as much. They tend to be very tolerant people themselves (they are very set in their opinions, and are convinced they're correct, but they also realize that it's okay for people to feel differently on things) and so it especially irritates them when others don't return the compliment. (And, believe me, ENFPs can tell when they're being judged.)
• Manipulation. ENFPs believe in doing their own thing, and are extremely annoyed when others try to force them to conform to others' plans and ideas using unfair means. (Though it should be stated that unhealthy ENFPs are often quite skilled at manipulating others.)
• Conflict. ENFPs hate drama as a general rule, and will do a lot to avoid it, often to a fault. (However, remember that if someone goes to far and makes them mad enough, they can transform in a matter of seconds and become the scariest unicorns you've ever met.)

• Overly emotional. Anger, sorrow, happiness, depression-- ENFPs don't do anything by halves. They yell too much, cry too easily, and laugh too loud, and other people usually don't appreciate it.
• Get stressed easily. I'm not sure where this comes from-- maybe it's because they don't do anything by halves?-- but I know it's true in my life, and the research I've done is saying the same thing, so... any ideas why this is?
• Easily distracted. ENFPs want to experience everything, and there's never enough time to do it all in. They flit from idea to idea trying desperately to explore every possibility there is before it's too late, and often enough, they don't have time to finish with one possibility before another crops up and captures their attention.
• A bit too independent for their own good. Rules and authority are important aspects of life, but that's difficult for the ENFP to accept. Often times they are so set on their own way that they forget the rules are there for a reason and that breaking them rarely brings about anything good. This problem does usually diminish as the ENFP gains maturity, however. (And yes, a teenaged ENFP could quite conceivably fit into the "rebellious teenager" stereotype, but not necessarily.)

• Many ENFPs are easily bored.
• ENFPs tend to be very popular, because of their friendly, spontaneous, and accepting nature.
• ENFPs can shut up. Please stop this stereotype. I've known a lot of ENFPs, and while many of them (including myself) were the stereotypical obnoxious chatterbox when they were little, they all had pretty much grown out of it by high school. I'm sure there are older ENFPs who still talk way too much, but they are exceptions, not the rule.
• ENFPs are supposed to get along best with INFJs and INTJs. (And my best friend is an INFJ, so-- I dunno, there might be something to it.)
• That being said, some ENFPs do not get along with strongly expressed T types. This can be because they misunderstand a Thinker as being heartless, condescending, or just plain mean-- all of which traits are repulsive to the (healthy) ENFP. (Btw, personal note-- and, Thinker peeps, I love you and y'all are awesome people-- to be totally honest, I don't think I've ever met a T who didn't scare me to some extent.)
• Other people often think ENFPs are flirting, when they're really just being "nice".
• They procrastinate. A lot.

YES, these exist, and many of them are quite popular. It's possible to write a great ENFP, and here's a few examples you might want to check out of some very different characters who I think fit the type quite well.

• The Tenth Doctor (Doctor Who?)
• "Scout" Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee)
• Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Star Wars)
• Peregrin Took (The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien)
• Anna (Frozen)
• Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins)

Some other fun resources, if you want to write an ENFP:

25 Struggles All ENFPs Will Understand
If ENFPs Were Villains...

The Ten Stages of a Depressed ENFP

My ENFP Pinterest Board

And that's the ENFP. If you have questions, don't be shy-- ask away!

Just remember: everybody is different, and nobody fits in a box. So don't write your ENFP by the stereotype-- but don't stick to these guidelines completely either. Sure, this is what the ENFP looks like to me, but I've only met maybe 10 (myself included) in my lifetime. I'm willing to bet there's a whole lot more out there, and that they're all unique and special. The above are some general rules, but you can break one or two here and there with your character-- go ahead! It's okay!

This is a tag, so I get to spread the Meyer's Briggs love to:

Aimee @ To The Barricade!

A. M. @ The Authorist

Lily @ Life of Lily

If I tagged you, don't feel obligated to participate if you don't want to, but I really would love to read about your personality types (especially since I have characters in all of them)! If I didn't tag you and you'd like to do it-- don't hold back!! Just make sure you shoot me the link so I can read your amazing post!

Here are the official rules:

1. Link back to my blog and let me know when your post is up so I can fangirl over it.
2. Title your post "MBTI Blog Challenge: How to Write an [insert your personality type]". This should help other writers find this resource quickly and easily.
3. Give your MBTI personality type and provide a list of their core traits, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and anything else you'd like to add.
4. Tag other bloggers to do the same.
5. Share your post with other writers to help them craft their characters.