INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Bonsai trees, like all trees and plants, react to the change in seasons. If you're keeping a bonsai tree outside, it will have an even stronger reaction to the change in temperature, sunlight, and the amount of rainfall in the region. In some regions there are four distinct seasons, and in others the seasonal changes are more subtle. In any case, understand the way your tree species reacts to the seasons in your region, and let that information guide the way you care for it.  Trees lay dormant during the winter; they aren't producing leaves or growing, so they don't use as much nutrition. During this season, watering the tree is about the only care it needs. Avoid trimming it too much, since it won't be able to replace the depleted nutrients until spring. In spring, trees begin using the nutrients they stored during the winter to sprout new leaves and grow. Since your tree is in transition during this time of year, it's a good time to repot the plant (adding extra nutrients to the soil) and begin trimming. Trees continue to grow during the summer, using up the rest of their stored nutrients. Be sure to water yours well during this period of time. In the fall, tree growth slows, and the nutrients begin accumulating again. This is a good time for both trimming and repotting. Your bonsai tree's light needs depends on the species and your climate, but most will thrive in a location that receives morning sun. Turn the tree 90 degrees every few days so all of the tree foliage can receive an equal amount of light. Indoor trees may need a light shade cloth over the window during hot, bright summer months. During the summer, it's fine for the tree to spend the majority of time outside. Bring it inside overnight when temperatures dip below about 40 °F (4 °C). In preparation for the winter, get your tree acclimated to spending more time indoors by moving it inside for a few hours at a time, and increasing the time it spends indoors every day until you bring it inside entirely. Fertilize the tree with a special fertilizer meant to keep bonsai trees healthy. When the soil begins to look dusty or dry, water the bonsai. The exact watering frequency depends on the tree species and the season. You may need to provide a little water every day during the summer, but only water once every few days during cold winter months.

SUMMARY: Pay attention to the seasons. Give the tree morning sun and afternoon shade. Protect the tree from extreme temperatures. Provide food and water.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Don’t look for a boyfriend or a relationship to make you feel wanted or valued—it’s a recipe for disaster. The more confident you are in yourself, the more compelling you’ll be to your boyfriend and to other people in general. Humans are quite good at sensing when people are insecure or inauthentic, and it tends to be a universal detractor. It will inevitably leave you unsatisfied because no one else can truly make you feel valued—that’s something only you can do. If you place a significant amount of your self-worth in a relationship, you’re entrusting your value to something that isn’t about you—relationships are about two people learning to be, yes, in a relationship with each other. It not only doesn’t make sense to see a relationship as a reflection of your own worth, it will ultimately backfire and leave you irrationally dependent on another person for your sense of self. Though he can and hopefully will provide supplemental love and support, he can’t—and shouldn’t—carry the weight of all your physical and emotional needs.  Set aside time to physically take care of yourself, whether that means taking a bath, going to the gym, learning self-defense, playing with your dog, playing a sport, etc. When you’re physically well, you’ll be more naturally confident and independent, a highly attractive attribute in anyone, and particularly in a partner. Make time to emotionally take care of yourself. Check in with yourself and how you’re feeling, independent of your boyfriend. If you’re not maintaining your own emotional health, it will very quickly begin to negatively impact your relationship.

SUMMARY: Be confident in yourself. Place value in yourself rather than purely in the relationship. Take care of yourself both physically and emotionally—don’t rely on your boyfriend to do it.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: After you finish your 30 days of writing, try to forget about it for at least a week. Then, if you want to revise, or if you have more writing to do to complete your first draft, you can continue working on it! The break helps you see your story more clearly and make decisions that will improve your novel. Don’t look at it or talk about it, and try not to think about it too much. That way you’ll be able to return to it with fresh eyes and a clear head when you start the revision process. Tell your readers to be as honest as possible with you. When trying to figure out how to revise your novel, it can be very helpful to know what others think about it. Ask your readers what they liked and didn’t like about the novel. You can also ask things like, “Which characters were compelling and which were annoying?” and “Did the plot make sense?” If you think you might like to try to publish your novel, you might want to expand it. 50,000 words may be a lot, but some publishers will want more, depending on the type of novel you’re writing. Research average word counts for the genre you’re writing or aim for 90,000 words as a good benchmark.  By knowing what parts of your novel are worth expanding, you’ll have a good idea of how to move forward with it. Ask your readers which parts of the book they wish were longer to help figure out what to expand. When writing a first draft, there are always things you won’t end up liking. Be honest with yourself about what really isn’t working in your draft and decide to fix it or cut it entirely if necessary. Even if you’re emotionally attached to a certain character, scene, or subplot in your novel, you may have to cut it if it isn’t moving the plot forward. Having reactions from trusted readers and a plan in mind, you’ll be ready to return to your novel. You probably won’t have to write at the furious pace you did to finish your draft in 30 days, but you will still want to have goals and a routine for yourself. You can start revising at the beginning and work your way through the whole novel or work on sections out of order. Whatever makes most sense for your process is fine! If you end finding that you want to start your novel over from scratch, that’s fine too. But don’t think of your 30 days of intense writing as wasted time. You’ve learned a lot about the kind of novel you want to write and how to get writing done efficiently even if you don’t go further with what you wrote!

SUMMARY:
Take a break when you’re done. Get feedback from people you trust. Figure out how you’d like to expand. Decide what you think doesn’t belong or doesn’t work. Revise your draft.