#devona jackson

[nanowrimo]

Road Trip to Nano:

November is coming. To get ready, we’re taking a road trip to visit Wrimos from around the world, and hear about how their regions can inspire your writing. Today, Cambodia Municipal Liaison Devona Jackson talks about how immersing yourself in other cultures can inspire your writing:

Last year on the Road Trip to NaNo blog, I spent a little bit of my time writing about the capital, Phnom Penh. Recently, I took a road trip to Siem Reap Province which means, “Siamese Defeated”, a place of beauty and rich in history. Siem Reap is stationed on Northwest Cambodia, about 320 km from the capital of Phnom Penh where I am stationed. Siem Reap has a deep history of architecture, and is now the hub of tourism, with one of the nine wonders of the world, Angkor Wat stationed there.   

As I was there for one of their special holidays: Pchum Ben, a three-day festival, where Cambodians of the Buddhist religion go to the local pagoda in their hometowns and offer and pay respect to their ancestors by leaving food, hoping they will come by. It is an interesting holiday to me as an expatriate, but still the same, a time to go visit my second home in Cambodia. There is always something more to discover throughout different parts of the country no matter how many times you have visited. Angkor Wat is just one of those examples for me. There is so much rich heritage, with much potential to document such things to share with future generations.  

This region is full of wonder with many neat things to discover, which leads me to why I have chosen to write and base all of my experiences off this country. First of all, it has become a second home to me. There is so much to write about and learn about this country. One of the things I do is I help educate the future through writing, and help locals discover something that they can do to express themselves, and that it is through writing. As a curriculum and education consultant, I take these opportunities seriously to be able to educate others when it comes to expressing themselves through writing, and learning in general. This is a passion of mine as I get to help others become literate and use that opportunity to learn how to express themselves creatively.  

Second, as I visit various places throughout Cambodia, I encourage others to take those stories they have in their hearts and express themselves. Oral tradition is huge here for many reasons, but something that I have discovered is that many people throughout Cambodia have very interesting stories and it is a great way to document what others have experienced. It has encouraged me to help share others’ stories and allow others to learn from experiences that may not have been experienced in their own lives.

Finally, as you are writing your stories this year, think about what inspires you. For me, it is the people of Cambodia as it helps me to discover new things about the people, the land, and the expatriate community that lives here. As I have lived here for the last five years, I have been able to discover what brings others here to the “Kingdom of Wonder”, a nickname that Cambodia continues to live up to.

Dr. Devona Jackson is the Municipal Liaison for the Asia::Cambodia region and has lived in Cambodia for five years; stationed in Phnom Penh, she started NaNoWriMo in 2017 but begin serving as an ML in 2018.  In 2016, she graduated with her PhD in Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Minnesota.  By profession, she is a curriculum and education consultant for Cambodia Job Foundation, helping other Cambodians gain a greater appreciation for knowledge and self-reliance.  Wedding planning is still the air for this ML with the date set to August 2020.  

[sammycoola]

Hey; I'm sammycoola, a new sixteen-year-old user of social media. I'm currently typing from a Pixel 5. I love Percy Jackson and The Olympians, but LOVE Nico di Angelo most of all. My hobbies are reading, writing, and surfing the web.

My Favorite Things

Black

Sleep

Phones

Wi-Fi

Music

My Favorite Activities:

Staying at home

Doing nothing

Going nowhere

Sleeping

Surfing the internet for spoilers to movies and books because I don't have the time to actually watch/read them

My Favorite People

Nico di Angelo

Percy Jackson

Samirah Al Abbas

Sal Vidon

Nico di Angelo again!

My stories:

Bad Habits

Bad Hearts

How To Find Your Feelings

Devona's Fall

But I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

When Pedro Met Cathy/Cuando Pedro conoció a Cathy

Heartless

[ao3feed-sterek]

Croí Draíochta(Heart of Magic)

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2j5VUqZ

by MafiaMamaJ

So the Alpha Pack. That's a thing.

Stiles and Co. face off against the Alpha Pack, but this time Stiles has an ace up his sleeve. An Ace in the form of his Irish cousin Devona. Who happens to know a lot about the Supernatural. Stiles doesn't know his mom's family very well, she didn't get along with them, and the non-relationship is something his dad has continued, but he's never known why. Maybe his cousin's knowledge of Monsters, Myths, and Magic have something to do with it.

Whatever the case, all Stiles really knows is, If Derek and his pack can't get their shit together, none of them are going to survive the school year. And a pack war is a really bad time to be having a sexual identity crisis! It's all Derek's fault, with his brooding face and leather jacket. Stiles is only human!

The Alpha Pack may be a bag of dicks, but they just might provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about his mom's relatives, and discover if there really is something more between him and Derek, like Devona keeps insisting there is, or if it's all just in his head.

Words: 2423, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, Sheriff Stilinski, Claudia Stilinski, Original Female Character(s), The Alpha Pack (Teen Wolf)

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Magic!Stiles, Spark!Stiles, Irish!Claudia, original lore, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Derek, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst and Humor, Consensual Underage Sex, Eventual Happy Ending

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2j5VUqZ

[mafiamamaj]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, Sheriff Stilinski, Claudia Stilinski, Original Female Character(s), The Alpha Pack (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Magic!Stiles, Spark!Stiles, Irish!Claudia, original lore, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Derek, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst and Humor, Consensual Underage Sex, Eventual Happy Ending Summary:

So the Alpha Pack. That's a thing.

Stiles and Co. face off against the Alpha Pack, but this time Stiles has an ace up his sleeve. An Ace in the form of his Irish cousin Devona. Who happens to know a lot about the Supernatural. Stiles doesn't know his mom's family very well, she didn't get along with them, and the non-relationship is something his dad has continued, but he's never known why. Maybe his cousin's knowledge of Monsters, Myths, and Magic have something to do with it.

Whatever the case, all Stiles really knows is, If Derek and his pack can't get their shit together, none of them are going to survive the school year. And a pack war is a really bad time to be having a sexual identity crisis! It's all Derek's fault, with his brooding face and leather jacket. Stiles is only human!

The Alpha Pack may be a bag of dicks, but they just might provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about his mom's relatives, and discover if there really is something more between him and Derek, like Devona keeps insisting there is, or if it's all just in his head.

[ao3-sterek]

Croí Draíochta(Heart of Magic)

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2j5VUqZ

by MafiaMamaJ

So the Alpha Pack. That's a thing.

Stiles and Co. face off against the Alpha Pack, but this time Stiles has an ace up his sleeve. An Ace in the form of his Irish cousin Devona. Who happens to know a lot about the Supernatural. Stiles doesn't know his mom's family very well, she didn't get along with them, and the non-relationship is something his dad has continued, but he's never known why. Maybe his cousin's knowledge of Monsters, Myths, and Magic have something to do with it.

Whatever the case, all Stiles really knows is, If Derek and his pack can't get their shit together, none of them are going to survive the school year. And a pack war is a really bad time to be having a sexual identity crisis! It's all Derek's fault, with his brooding face and leather jacket. Stiles is only human!

The Alpha Pack may be a bag of dicks, but they just might provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about his mom's relatives, and discover if there really is something more between him and Derek, like Devona keeps insisting there is, or if it's all just in his head.

Words: 2423, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, Sheriff Stilinski, Claudia Stilinski, Original Female Character(s), The Alpha Pack (Teen Wolf)

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Magic!Stiles, Spark!Stiles, Irish!Claudia, original lore, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Derek, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst and Humor, Consensual Underage Sex, Eventual Happy Ending

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2j5VUqZ

[lionel3350]

From My Good Friend Lewis J Hall-- In every religious reformation it's summer Convention time time. Pray for church chaperones everywhere. #Thankyouworkers #Lordkeeptheirmind #Whydidivolunteer #Whywhywhyyy! Sharon Jackson Steven S Golden Jr.Steve Marshall Cheryl Ann Sutton Cheryl Simmons Frederick McClung Anita Hall Melvin C. Milon Jr. Terri Jo Etiwanda Yvonne Beard Ondrik Gaillard Shantel Gaillard Latinya Wealthy Gaillard Propheticpraiser Lamont Kenner Brandon J. Colbert Deljere Hall Sharon Perie Reliford Taro Deandre Golden Sr. DeAnn Greer Aaron Mayfield Josh Mayfield Curtis Daniel Christopher C. Washington Trish Christie-Standley Trish Nelson Annette Hall Davis Annie Holmes David Wright David Hall David Brock Joe Logan Pastor Maxx Frank Randall Fats Blakely Norma J Blakely Mack Drew FromPhilly Jessie Scott Karen Peters Lionel Rush Johnson A. Beaven Elder Lemmie Sanders Jr. Gary Bush Gary Bush Sr. Devona Anderson Robert Johnson

[nanowrimo]

Camp Pep: 3 Tips to Regain Inspiration

We’re almost two-thirds of the way through Camp NaNoWriMo this April! Today, Municipal Liaison for the Asia :: Cambodia region Devona Jackson shares some writing insight about where to find inspiration and how to stay inspired throughout the creative process:

Envision with me the busy life of Phnom Penh: Noisy traffic, unique smells of durian dancing in the air, piles of trash everywhere, the blast of heat causing Westerners to glisten or gush buckets from their pores. This is where I call home, despite the chaos. It it where the birth of my inspiration—my second love, writing—came to be.  

As a professional curriculum consultant in Cambodia, writing is something that I do all day long. I love to create words on a page, and help people better use them for the greater good. It is all about expression. But there are times when I hit writer’s block. I am on a roll when it comes to writing an amazing blog post, a curriculum piece, or even a story. Then all of a sudden, I am stopped in my tracks and hit a brick wall. I think to myself, “What’s next?”  

How do you overcome a stumbling block when all your creative juices have dried up completely? Here are three things that I do to help me overcome writer’s block:  

1.  Read someone else’s work.

I love to read when I am not writing. One fellow NaNo writer, Jessica Ostler, an ML from the Minnesota :: Elsewhere region, sent me some of her short stories that she was working on, and it not only helped freshen my mind, but also helped me rejuvenate the creative juices that had been depleted. A shout out to her for being AWESOME!

2.  Exercise another creative skill.

I may not be an artist, but sometimes drawing something helps bring back some of the creative juices that I may be lacking. I have a sketch notebook, and I tend to find a place I have never been to in the city of Phnom Penh. I just sit there and draw to find inspiration. I have been inspired by drawing the Independence Monument, just focusing on the beauty of the architecture that is around me. Monuments are great places for me to gain additional inspiration.

3. Make a soundtrack for your novel.

One last thing that has worked for me, is that I will put on my fiancé’s classical piano music (or any type of music you enjoy) and just free write. I can listen to him play for hours and it has inspired me to soak it in and imagine what I could add to my story, if I were creating a soundtrack to go with it. It really has helped energize me when I am stuck.  

No matter where you are at in the writing process, everyone from time to time gets stuck and needs some extra help. It’s okay. Keep pushing forward.  It’s better to write a few words rather than not write at all. So with that said, “Keep on Keeping on. Write big, or go home.”

Dr. Devona Jackson is the Municipal Liaison for the Asia :: Cambodia region and has lived in Cambodia for four and half years; stationed in Phnom Penh, she started NaNoWriMo in 2017 but begin serving as an ML in 2018.  In 2016, she graduated with her PhD in Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. By profession, she is a curriculum and education consultant for Cambodia Job Foundation, helping other Cambodians gain a greater appreciation for knowledge and self-reliance. Recently engaged November 7th, she is currently in the process of planning a wedding and writing.  

[nanowrimo]

Road Trip to NaNo: Writing in a Place of Wonder

NaNoWriMo is an international event, and we’re taking a Road Trip to NaNo to hear about the stories being written every year in our hundreds of participating regions. Today, Devona Jackson, Municipal Liaison for the Asia :: Cambodia region, shares how her region has shaped her writing:

Cambodia: the Kingdom of Wonder. The nickname has always stuck out in my mind during the last four years I’ve lived in this country. A place of mystery, rich culture, and heritage, but also of heartbreak and despair.

This is a place of pure beauty that’s been torn apart by war, and now is slowly starting to pick up the pieces. It has taken many years of repair in order to restore the natural beauty that I see today among the rice fields, beautiful architecture, and historical monuments. Even though most of the writers in my region are stationed in Phnom Penh, we all have the ability to work together to achieve a great purpose, to write dangerously in a place that we call home.  

After spending nearly four years in this country, I have learned many things, about life and about writing. First of all, a picture is worth not a thousand words, but millions... it really does tell a story. For instance, this past week, my brother was in Cambodia for the first time since my relocation here for work, and I had the chance to take him around where I used to live and where I live now. I started out with Angkor Wat and other temples within the Angkor complex, and he was able to snap pictures, and I was able to transform those into stories that we delved right into. We saw the majestic, and the poverty-stricken. He has been able to truly see what I see every day. He heard stories that were meant to be recorded and documented for others to read.  

One of the things I’ve learned through living here is that in order to be successful in writing, start small. Don’t overdo it. I started learning about Cambodia over the course of a few years before actually living here. I learned about the culture, the history, and everything else, and even though my quest for learning is not completely over, I am still seeing things with new eyes. With writing, I start small.  As I am planning things, I break things down into small pieces and start thinking about how I want to approach this task, and what it takes to get there. There are so many things to consider—character development, climatic events, discovering problems—but these are things you can tackle if you start one piece at a time.  

With the good, there will always come the bad, and this applies to writing as well as life. We are all going to have bad writing days, and encounter writer’s block. Something that I always tell myself is, “Better days are ahead, just keep pushing.” With this photo of a sign at the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum here in Phnom Penh, that commemorates the death of nearly 20,000 innocent Cambodian people during the Khmer Rouge era, it’s true that better days are ahead for the Cambodian people as well. 

As writers, we may have a day where we can’t write anything, and that is okay. All we can do is keep on fighting and have courage to complete the task of writing 50,000 words. The Kingdom of Cambodia fought for their lives, all we have to do is fight to complete that dream of writing a book. Cambodia’s NaNo team is learning to write dangerously in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Dr. Devona Jackson leads NaNo in the Asia :: Cambodia region. She identifies as a creative-writing genius, but a noob as a ML, and has participated in NaNo since last year. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Devona moved to Cambodia in 2014 to continue her career as a education consultant for Cambodia Job Foundation after spending ten years in the ESL Education sector. Devona graduated in 2016 with her Ph.D in Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Minnesota.