tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3315483832717466752024-03-05T06:27:47.710-05:00All About That ProseReading and Writing and Blogging, oh my!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-10866530456726632032017-05-31T20:55:00.000-04:002017-06-10T17:06:21.013-04:00Book Reviews!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey, y'all!<br />
<br />
Heather here.<br />
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And I am excited to share that I've been shamelessly enjoying my summer break from college by neglecting the real-world. Yep. I've been indulging in my favorite hobby--reading YA fiction--instead of working on house projects, swimming at the pool, and even writing my book.<br />
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But that's okay! I've earned it and will get back to revising my novel in due time. But first, books! Books! Books!<br />
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YA romance (especially when written by Miranda Kenneally) is kind of my jam right now, and I've finished three books of hers in the last week. Needless to say I haven't been writing (passively brainstorming a chapter rewrite when not reading); I have been laughing, crying, and rooting for girl to work through her issues and hang out with McDreamy, instead.<br />
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So without giving away anything huge, I'm going to share some tidbits on the books I've read this week, as well as the one I'm currently working on.<br />
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1. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catching-Jordan-Hundred-Miranda-Kenneally/dp/1402262272/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275898&sr=1-1&keywords=catching+jordan" target="_blank">Catching Jordan</a></i> by Miranda Kenneally<br />
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Jordan is the quarterback of her high school football team and to say the least, she kicks ass. And I mean everyone's. She's got her head on straight. She's focused on playing college ball for Alabama, and she has no interest in dudes unless she is throwing a pass to score a couple of yards to win the game. But then Tyler Green waltzes into her life, and he's sexy. Real sexy. But he's also a quarterback and she has enough competition securing her position because of her gender, and suddenly, Jordan starts losing focus. And to top it all off, a love triangle begins, and oooh is it good!<br />
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The characters in the story are very entertaining, fully fleshed out, and memorable. I am a huge fan of strong female characters who can pull their weight and earn respect from those around her. Jordan is one of them, and her voice will make you laugh, long, and empathize with her struggles, whether you're a fan of football, or not. If you're interested in reading who wins her heart in the end, you can find it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catching-Jordan-Hundred-Miranda-Kenneally/dp/1402262272/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275898&sr=1-1&keywords=catching+jordan" target="_blank">here. </a><br />
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2. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Annie-Hundred-Oaks/dp/1492608661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275832&sr=1-1&keywords=breathe+annie+breathe" target="_blank">Breathe Annie Breathe</a></i> by Miranda Kenneally<br />
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Tears, y'all. Tears!!!<br />
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I immediately became connected with this character, as Miranda's word choice made me empathize with her situation right off the bat. Not only did she lose her first love, but the sting of it (almost six months later) is still as fresh as it was the day their relationship ended when the story begins. But it wasn't a breakup that made her life break at the seems. It was death. And now, despite her hatred of running, she is training to take on the marathon her guy never had the chance to finish. OMG. It's amazing!<br />
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While the novel starts sad (and I'm normally not a fan of sad stories--happy Disney addict right here!) this one drew me in and kept my interest until the very last page. The story follows her road to recovery in more ways than accepting the loss of her first love. It's about endings and beginnings. Dying embers and sparks of new flames. And there are hot guys, too. Which is always important. :D<br />
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If you're looking for a character to root for, and even one that you could read and make sense of your own struggles in life (even if your guy or girl didn't die), then I highly recommend <i>Breathe Annie Breathe</i>. You can find her story <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Annie-Hundred-Oaks/dp/1492608661/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275832&sr=1-1&keywords=breathe+annie+breathe" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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3. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Parker-Hundred-Miranda-Kenneally/dp/1402271875/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275758&sr=1-1&keywords=stealing+parker" target="_blank">Stealing Parker</a></i> by Miranda Kenneally (what??? again? Yes! She's amazing!)<br />
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This one had me on edge a few times from the very beginning. Parker (our protagonist) has a mom who walked out on her family in pursuit of her female love interest. To be clear, I want to make sure you know it was not because of the homosexual relationship! It was the fact that Parker's family was very religious and the church acted as a villain in such a difficult time and made it seem one-dimensional.<br />
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I read through the pages listening to Parker being continually hurt and gossiped about from those that claimed to love God, and it was hard to swallow (and I'm a Christian!) But I kept reading, hoping Parker would leave that church and find another--one that would love her and her family as many churches in the real-world do. I was also rooting for reconciliation with her mom, despite all of the hurt and abandonment she had put her daughter through (an issue that is close to my heart, as my biological mom left my family when I was a child). And I was really hoping that Parker would find her self-worth in something other than messing around with guys. (It was so sad to read.) Identity is huge. In any society. And this book explored the struggles and triumphs of such a topic.<br />
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Well, I can say that I continued to push through--despite the politics and religious issues in the story, and can say that I was very happy with the way things turned out. Parker didn't have it easy, but her character arc was beautiful. I highly recommend it! If you're interested in reading it for yourself, you can find it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Parker-Hundred-Miranda-Kenneally/dp/1402271875/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275758&sr=1-1&keywords=stealing+parker">here.</a><br />
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4. (Currently Reading) <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pushing-Limits-Katie-McGarry/dp/0373210868/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275680&sr=1-1&keywords=pushing+the+limits" target="_blank">Pushing the Limits</a></i> by Katie McGarry<br />
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This one is...beautiful...heart-wrenching...and so difficult to put down!<br />
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Goody-two-shoes meets sexy-and mysterious-troublemaker? Um...yesssss!<br />
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Sounds a bit cliche though, right? Hasn't this story already been told like a thousand times? No. It hasn't. It definitely hasn't.<br />
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Echo (our female protagonist) has been haunted for the last year and a half by a nightmare she can't even remember. All she knows is that her mom tried to kill her and she's got the scars on her arms to prove it. What? :O I know, right?<br />
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Then there's Noah (our male protagonist), who is a troubled foster kid with an attitude and a reputation for screwing girls and moving on.<br />
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So what do the two of these characters have in common? They've both been through hell and are required to see the school social worker/clinical therapist in order to work out the futures that are coming quicker than the night their lives changed forever.<br />
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There are tears, and laughs, and cravings for justice in both of their stories. But what's even more delicious than that? The way their lives intertwine in the midst of it all.<br />
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I haven't finished this one yet, but so far (I'm halfway through) it's amazing! I'll update y'all when I'm done. But if you want to check it out before then, you can find it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pushing-Limits-Katie-McGarry/dp/0373210868/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496275680&sr=1-1&keywords=pushing+the+limits" target="_blank">here. </a><br />
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But I have a date with my book. So if you don't mind, I'm going to get back to it.<br />
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What are you reading? And does it sound like any of these stories? If so, please don't keep amazing books to yourself. It's selfish. Very, very selfish. ;)<br />
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-H<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-8488304866763310252017-04-15T10:36:00.000-04:002017-06-03T20:20:29.755-04:00Lemons<div style="color: rgb(69 , 69 , 69); font-family: ".sf ui display"; font-size: 23px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Lately I have been wondering why I should share my writing with the rest of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">I have tasted the bitterness of rejection from my peers and thought, "Should I open up myself to strangers and show them the deepest, most vulnerable part of who I am?" And, "Why should I reveal the human being beneath this mask?" I have enough heat to deal with from myself about what I don't like about my stories. Why pour gasoline on the fire?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">This battle has been raging within me, fighting the urge to slam the door when I've only just cracked it open. To remain in my comfort zone—where it's safe—and I know exactly what to expect from it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">But I don't want that. I want to share my stories with the world. I believe they have the potential to make readers laugh, cry, root for my protagonists to overcome their flaws and reach their goals, and to want an understanding of who my villains are at their core. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">But in order to do that, I will need to share these stories with agents, editors, and publishers (should they make it that far), and that is absolutely terrifying in my mind!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Don't get me wrong, I know rejection is part of the writing process, a milestone so to speak. I am expecting that, and am even looking forward to it, oddly enough. I am not afraid of getting punched. In fact, the more I get hit in the face, the more focused I become (I train at an MMA gym, so this is not just a metaphor I'm using). What I fear is failure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">I am truly, madly, deeply afraid of failure. Of total knockout. Of getting choked out and not being able to get back up again, metaphorically. And if that failure means putting my writer's soul on the line in the process, well, the thought alone makes me consider tucking tail and running for cover before I ever really make it out of my writer's hole. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">But on the day I seriously considered hiding in order to accommodate my fear, someone—or something—told me not to, everywhere I went. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">First, I was told a story about a lady who stepped out, doing what she believed God told her to do, and was rejected in front of an entire crowd. She went home and cried, believing her introverted self was not meant to stand, but instead, to remain hiding in her comfortable corner. She battled for days with her insecurities, her doubts, her fears of facing rejection. Again. But then she got up and went back for another round. She chose to be brave. She chose to fight for what she believed she was supposed to do. She fought for herself. She fought for the lives she believed she was called to step out and love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Now she travels around, speaking at conferences and concerts—encouraging others with her story; spreading hope and love and her testimony to whoever may choose to listen. And after sharing her testimony at these events, she says, </span><i style="font-family: '.sfuidisplay';">"If I would have let that rejection keep me from getting back up again to pursue the path I believed I was suppose to take, I never would have made it here today. I wouldn't have become who God made me to be. I wouldn't know what I do now, that God is faithful, and that even when others reject me and the calling He has placed on my life, I know He has a greater plan to get me where I need to go, regardless of whether they believe in me.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";"><i>Or not."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Encouraging, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">That same morning someone posted a quote on social media by John F. Kennedy that said, <i>"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."</i> The person who posted that quote added their own thoughts which read, <i>"Don't allow fear to control you and keep you from stepping out/trying. You might just be surprised by what you are capable of."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">I was like, "Okay, God. I'm listening."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Then, while making coffee, I read the "scripture of the day" I have propped up beside my beloved Keurig.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Stand firm. Fight for what I believe I'm supposed to do. </span><span style="font-family: '.sfuidisplay';">Sound familiar?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Then I read an interview with one of my favorite artists, Tori Kelly, and was encouraged by this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">These were only a few words of encouragement I received on the morning I was considering making a run for it, before I ever really tried to put myself out there. And there have been many more since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">Needless to say, readers, I have been inspired to leave my corner and fight the giant in front of me, again. I have counted the cost of what it will take to reach my dreams and become a published author, even if it takes twelve years and several manuscripts to make it happen (I have not yet queried as my manuscript is about to undergo another round of editing). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">I plan to begin the query process by the end of the year. S</span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">till afraid. S</span><span style="font-family: '.sfuidisplay';">till unnerved by the unknown of what the future could bring. But I will walk this road in faith that I heard God tell me to quit my almost-career as a teacher and to stay home and write. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: .sfuidisplay;"><span style="font-size: 23px;">I may be afraid of the unknown, but I have the courage to step out, remembering that if my God is for me, who can be against me?</span></span><span style="font-size: 23px;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: .sf ui display;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: '.sfuidisplay';">And knowing, yet again, that getting knocked down along the way will just mean more lemons—and therefore—more stories to squeeze out of those experiences. </span><span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuidisplay";">-H</span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-17954425401317613482017-04-14T12:16:00.000-04:002017-04-14T12:16:15.856-04:00Three Tips for Surviving Story Critiques<div class="m_-6057021046900172245p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
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Criticism is hard to swallow. <span id="goog_1385603347"></span></div>
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Period. </div>
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No matter how it is worded, us writers want to guard our prose babies and protect them from the harsh words of others. But it is also how our written offspring grow from helpless first drafts into published members of the literary world.</div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">You see, us writers seem to think that our work can be good on its own—and it is possible. But do we want our stories to settle for just being good, or do we want them to be great? I personally, want to give readers the best story I can give them, and I know that will require help along the way. I will need to have my story critiqued in order to learn where it is not working. Unless, of course, I want my readers to fall<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>head-first into the pot holes I left behind while paving my prose into a road my readers could follow.<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">But that doesn't mean it is easy to share our most intimate, heart-beating stories with others; especially if we know they will tear it apart so we can learn how to make it better.</span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">In my honest opinion, critique is the most difficult part of the writing process. But if I want to be a brave writer instead of one that screams mediocre, I will need to place my work into the hands of someone else; whether it be a critique partner, an English professor, an editor, or peer workshop.<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">So what are some ways we can deal with criticism in order to write a better story? Here are three tips I have learned.<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<b>1. <u>Grow thick skin.</u></b></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">We </span><span class="m_-6057021046900172245s4">cannot</span><span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1"> defend our work! The point of seeking corrective criticism is not so we can be praised for writing such a great story. It is so it could become the story we are trying to write. If we defend our work, we will be selling ourselves short. We will be wasting our time and that of others, and it will not profit anyone. So let's take a deep breath, grow lizard-thick-skin (or maybe dragon scales if we are awesome like that), and hear what our readers are saying about our work.</span></div>
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<b>2. <u>Listen to the majority.</u></b></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">If one reader states an issue, we need to consider what is being said. But if many readers state the same problem, we need to change it, remove it, or figure out a better way to communicate it more clearly. After all, if what we are writing seems clear to us but confusing to readers, our story won't be understood as we are intending it to (and we aren't trying to write a foreign language, right?) But if our prose is being read that way by the majority, the issue is not with their understanding; it is with the way we are communicating.</span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s3"><b>3. <u>Recognize what is constructive criticism and what is hateful feedback.</u><span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s3"><span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space">There is a big difference between the two, and in order for critiques to become helpful to us writers we need to understand what each of these are.</span></span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s3"><b><span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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Here is what construction criticism looks like:</div>
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<i>"This character is flat. Give him a flaw he could work through and overcome." </i></div>
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or</div>
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<i>"This part of the story does not make sense. Can you please clarify what is happening here?"</i></div>
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<i>or</i></div>
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<i>"There is a lot of telling in this story. Add more sensory detail to show us what is happening while keeping us in the moment."</i></div>
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Constructive criticism is truth--which we need--but it has the purpose of tearing down and building up behind it. If there are cracks in our foundation, the whole house will come tumbling down at some point, and the last thing we want is for our readers (not our fellow writers, but the public) to notice those cracks. The goal for constructive criticism in writing is to<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> discover what is broken so we could fix it.</span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">But some critiques are not helpful at all. In fact, they aren't even critiques! If there are no suggestions for how to improve a story (or the writing in general), and only negative remarks, they are nothing but hate-mail. Those comments only tear down a story, and leave it roofless and broken with no plans for repair. Here are some examples of hateful feedback:</span></div>
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<i>"You spent so much time writing about things I don't care about." </i></div>
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(Okay, is it the content you don't like? Could you please specify what you don't care for?)</div>
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or</div>
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<i>"This story was stupid."<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space">(Okay, could you please give me some reasons why, and more importantly, how I can make it better?)</span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space"><i>"I hate this character."</i></span></div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245Apple-converted-space">(Okay, what about them don't you like? Do you have any suggestions for how I could create a more likable character?) </span></div>
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As you can see, these statements are not helpful. However, before we set the comments aside, we need to take the time to consider if we are being sensitive and defensive (which could blind us from seeing the truth). Then we should compare those comments with what the majority of readers are saying. Do they agree with those comments? Or not?</div>
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If the majority says otherwise, we can discard those comments as hate-mail and address the other critiques for our next draft. </div>
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Now let's recap. What are the three survival tips for story critiques?</div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1"><br /></span></div>
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1. Grow Thick Skin </div>
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2. Listen to the Majority </div>
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3. Recognize the Difference Between Constructive Criticism and Hateful Feedback</div>
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<span class="m_-6057021046900172245s1">What have been your best and worst experiences with criticism related to writing? What have you taken away from those experiences? Don't be shy. Be brave. Sharing is part of the writing process. ;)</span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-52636059009668365782016-04-21T08:07:00.000-04:002017-06-03T21:00:50.071-04:00What I Learned From Hiring a Freelance Editor<div>
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<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmgeW5E3RbpOGncRrsA5OfFzVsdMXDQ_OCV_vcPApK3krOVD3VSsxiEme7si0SstDmrdHmKUogE8ms2mOq_4WpncNBQ_vJNdIYcGhX3QHgoOpArLirPneNszGIErw-15_PnrZNUDKH2hN/s640/blogger-image-1189465341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmgeW5E3RbpOGncRrsA5OfFzVsdMXDQ_OCV_vcPApK3krOVD3VSsxiEme7si0SstDmrdHmKUogE8ms2mOq_4WpncNBQ_vJNdIYcGhX3QHgoOpArLirPneNszGIErw-15_PnrZNUDKH2hN/s640/blogger-image-1189465341.jpg"></a></div>So, we have two options here. </span></div><div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">One: the truth. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Two: a sugar-coated blog post which would be a big waste of your time to read.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I prefer to waste my time doing other things (like rearranging my book case for the tenth time this month), and assuming you do too, I'll give it to you straight. :)</span><br>
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Here it goes: </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Editors are expensive, but so worth the investment.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I hired mine for a developmental edit, which is a serious line-by-line analysis of all the details in your manuscript. Every. Little. Detail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Picture it this way, you build a house and it's looking really good. You feel like your foundation, walls, paint, roof, and plumbing are coming along nicely, and you even have a family that wants to dwell within those walls that you've been working so hard on. And then the inspector comes for a visit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">They look at every detail, as you've hired them to do. After all, you want a professional opinion that is going to help you make sure the work on the house is the best it can possibly be, right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">But then the inspector tells you a wall isn't working to properly support the roof, there are some cracks in the foundation, and the family you thought would be the perfect match for the house look more like characters in a Sims game, than real people. You realize you have a lot more work to do. You realize how daunting and time consuming the task will be to fix everything. But you're willing to do it because you'd be crazy to put a house on the market that is not worth buying, correct? So you realize that bringing in an inspector was the best investment you could make for your project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Plan to make changes once you receive your manuscript back from an editor. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Before you<b> </b>ever send your manuscript to a professional you should count on putting in more time to brainstorm changes once you receive it back. This is because, although you are brilliant, a second pair of eyes to analyze your plot and story lines, characters, world building, tension building, and so on, will help you get your name out there and make an impression on readers. You may be a talented writer that will dazzle the world with your mad writing skills once they become public, but even J.K. Rowling and Stephen King have a whole team of editors to help them make their <i>good</i> project, a <i>great</i> one. (And if the editor you hire doesn't have much to say about your project, they probably aren't doing their job.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So, do the absolute best you can to build your house with purpose, passion, and a solid plan. But know that your editor's job is to help you produce the best artwork possible, and doing so may mean a lot more work for you when the time comes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Try not to be defensive while reading your editor's notes.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">When I was reading through my edited manuscript I tried to go in with a teacher/student mentality. I've been writing all my life—essays, journal entries, short stories, some blogging, but this was my first attempt at a 96,000 word manuscript. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I knew I was not an expert, and wanted to learn how to improve my manuscript and my craft as a whole. But there were points that I had to remind myself not to get defensive, because if my second set of eyes was saying that something wasn't working, I needed to take that into consideration for two reasons. One: they have 15+ years experience in writing/editing/writer coaching, and a master's degree in the field. And Two: they are an expert in helping writers develop their manuscript into something that will sell, and something that readers will enjoy and recommend to their friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So, take my advice and listen to what your editor has to say. Take a step back from your baby and look at it as a reader. If it looks like you're trying to make things work, change them. If the clothes are too small or too large, find some that fit and will make your baby the best dressed around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">So, there it is folks: what I learned from hiring an editor. While the process may be difficult, or frustrating at times, or expensive, I believe it was the best choice I could've made for my book. I also happen to think my editor is the best (maybe I'm being partial, but seriously, I learned so much more than I anticipated by bringing her in)! To read my honest review of working with her, click on this link: </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">http://tanyagold.com/recommendations/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Happy brainstorming! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">-Heather </span></div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-87041580771493755222015-06-16T15:51:00.000-04:002015-06-17T07:58:19.556-04:00Survival Tips for Revising Your Novel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Writing is hard y'all. It's time consuming, stressful, and of course there are the highs and lows the emotional roller coaster takes you on. Every. Single. Time.<br>
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But it's also one of my favorite things to do in this world (I know, I sound crazy right now). It's hard work, but when I see how my story flows, or how a character makes me laugh, and I read the words that I wrote and think, "Whoa, I wrote that?" it's one of the most accomplished feelings in the world.<br>
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Revising is no different.<br>
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The initial draft may be finished, with a detailed plot, story, and fully developed characters acting out in front of my eyes, but there's a reason the first draft is called <i>rough</i>. And now that I've written a 400 page novel of my own, I can't help but feel like the term rough has a double meaning: one for the state of the draft, and the other for the experience of the author revising that draft. <br>
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So, during the revision process of my own I've learned a few things that could be helpful to you on your journey through revising a novel. Here are some things that have worked for me.<br>
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1. Set a deadline for your draft.</b><br>
Doing so will give you an idea of how to prioritize your time and complete the task. The exact amount of time you give yourself will depend on many factors, including: how quickly you work, how much time you have to work on your draft, and when you think is realistic to have it finished. I'm on summer break (from college) right now. So, I have a lot of time that was freed up to revise my first draft. I wanted to have the second draft finished by the time classes began in the fall, and decided to set an eight week goal for myself (two weeks to take a break from my novel in order to return with fresh eyes, and six weeks to revise it). Then I contacted the editor of my choice.<br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>2. Hire an Editor.</b></span><br>
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I've been researching freelance editors for awhile now, knowing that whether I decided to query, or self-publish, I wanted a professional set of eyes on my manuscript to polish it up. I'm not perfect y'all, and neither is my writing. In fact, I have a ton of things to learn about good writing, and continue to do so on a daily basis. (Hence my "A Writer's Everyday Journey" as my blog's tag line.)<br>
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I emailed the editor of my choice and got the ball rolling. We communicated several times after that through email, and then we had a phone conversation. We got to know each other's styles a little and talked about what services I wanted from her (there are several types of editing), and what she wanted from me (notes, outlines, character sketches, etc). We also talked possible deadlines, and that's where my accountability came from. A few days later I signed an agreement to have my second draft to her by July 28th, and I've been working like a mad woman ever since. Want motivation to finish a draft by a certain date? Hire an editor. When there's money on the line, slacking off is not an option!<br>
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3. Set a Pace For Yourself.</b><br>
It could be the amount of pages you revise per day, per week, per month—this is per the author's preference. I recommend dividing the amount of pages you have to revise by the amount of weeks you have until your deadline, in order to prevent yourself from falling behind. You don't have to work on it everyday—it could be exclusively on weekends. But this way you'll know how many pages per week you'll need to revise in order to meet your deadline. Otherwise, you could hire an editor, set a deadline, but end up waiting until the last minute to revise (thinking you have more time than you do) and find yourself in a predicament.<br>
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4. Take Breaks!</b><br>
As I stated above, revising is hard. It requires time, concentration, and creativity at it's best. This combination has the ability to write Bestsellers, but each requires a break to perform at optimal level. Otherwise, you'll waste time expending loads amount of energy, trying to concentrate on being creative. It's torture. Pure torture. Don't do it to yourself! Schedule in breaks after you've revised a certain number of pages, or after working for a certain amount of time.<br>
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5. Exercise.</b><br>
I am telling you that the only way I have not gone nuts over the past few weeks was because of exercise. I'm a runner, so it's on my mind already. But there have been many times when I've sat in front of my computer having already taken a break (or several), and have felt like I was going to blow steam from my ears. Then I decided to run off that steam, and returned to my computer high on endorphins. My mood was good. I was optimistic about making my deadline and doing it well. And I didn't lose my mind. If not for anything else—run (or walk, lift, swim, yoga, etc.) to save your mind. You're a writer and you'll need to take care of it to continue doing what you love for years to come.<br>
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6. Chocolate.</b><br>
The word is self-explanatory, because chocolate is the secret to happiness. Buy some. Eat some. Revise that draft.<br>
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I need to get back to revising my manuscript now in order to meet my deadline, so I must end this post now. But head back this way in a few days to read my post about what to keep and what to get rid of while revising (it's much more than punctuation and grammar—way, way more than that!) Until then, happy writing!<br>
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-Heather</div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-57363876264646536042015-05-11T09:43:00.000-04:002015-06-17T07:58:56.128-04:005 Things to Do While Writing Your Novel<div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwVyz73xSh1WVvQz1skBTk32pbdI4ofOTuufuhlYkqo25EXV0uy6p7jnrFfjIICfbEkXKaeEXi_pUXHNrDSVgVO4aKimFpUaGkNdgtDakoFSFX67BctShmfUqn73cCrcVshrPJo2ZJgRW/s640/blogger-image-102012174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwVyz73xSh1WVvQz1skBTk32pbdI4ofOTuufuhlYkqo25EXV0uy6p7jnrFfjIICfbEkXKaeEXi_pUXHNrDSVgVO4aKimFpUaGkNdgtDakoFSFX67BctShmfUqn73cCrcVshrPJo2ZJgRW/s640/blogger-image-102012174.jpg"></a></div></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></b></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There's a difference between an author and a <i>bestselling</i> author: book sales. Below are 5 things I learned to focus on while writing my first book. They also happen to be what every bestselling author includes in their prose.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">1. Organization.</b></div>
Without it, your novel will be a headache for you to write, not to mention confusing to readers. You may know what you're trying to say, but they won't. Map out your story and scenes during the prewriting process, and stick to it. Just as every story needs a beginning, middle, and end—they also need flow. If it doesn't flow smoothly, it's not working, and this means more work for you. Remember those outlines you learned in freshmen English? Well, here's your real-world application. :)<br>
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2.</b> <b>Purpose.</b><br>
What's the point of this sentence? Paragraph? Chapter?<br>
Every line, paragraph, and chapter must be used to communicate a plot point, a character goal, action to increase tension, or action to advance the plot. If it doesn't, it's not needed and you shouldn't include it in your novel.<br>
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3. Mystery.</b><br>
Adding mystery to your novel means motivation for your audience to keep reading. This is something you want to include from the very first line of your book. Why is she on the run? How will he warn his friends? How did she become an orphan? If your book is part of a series, try and write a cliffhanger ending. Your readers will be dying to get a hold of your book's sequel to find out what happens (again– to discover the answers to their questions), and that'll mean more sales for you.<br>
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4</b>. <b>Plot Twist.</b><br>
You should surprise your reader at least three times during your novel. This will keep your reader from becoming bored. If there are no plot twists, your novel may seem dull, and a waste of time to your reader. Make your audience think they know where you're going with your plot and then rip the rug out from under them (but please do so with caution! Always make sure the twist will enhance your story, not steer it in some random direction).<br>
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5. Language.</b><br>
Think efficiency. Make your reader feel like they're in each scene, but don't overdo it. You don't need five paragraphs about what a scene looks like, because your reader wants a story that moves along anyway. If you can replace five words with one, please do so.<br>
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Well, there you have it folks- five things I learned while writing a novel. Keep them in mind as you write your Bestseller.<br>
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Want to know <a href="http://www.allaboutthatprose.com/2015/04/12-ways-to-bore-your-reader-pet-peeves.html" target="_blank">12 Pet Peeves Readers Have That Will Get Your Book Shelved</a>? Click <a href="http://www.allaboutthatprose.com/2015/04/12-ways-to-bore-your-reader-pet-peeves.html" target="_blank">here</a> to find out.<br>
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Happy writing!<br>
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-Heather<br>
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<br>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-82211762986772488652015-05-05T20:44:00.001-04:002017-04-11T10:20:42.903-04:00Savage Race 2015: Identifying With My Protagonist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Barbed wire. Ice cold water. Forty-Three foot ramps.<span id="goog_1728494762"></span><br />
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When I signed up for the Savage Race, I had watched the promo video, read articles about it, and had developed an idea of what to expect. But envisioning and experiencing are two different things, my friends. As I stated in my post <a href="http://www.allaboutthatprose.com/2015/04/acts-of-valerie-campaign.html" target="_blank">Savage Race: First Sneak Peak Into My Book Series <i>Acts of Valerie</i></a>, I was completely unprepared for an activity like this, and that was the point. I wanted to put myself into a similar situation as Valerie, in order to identify with her experience on the obstacle course during training. Well, my goal was met, and even moreso than I was expecting.<br />
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During the race I gained insight into a do-or-die mentality. I also came to understand the physical strain and requirements of such an experience. But through it all, I kept in mind that signing up for something willingly, and being forced into a situation are two completely different scenarios.<br />
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When I arrived at the event I experienced a combination of emotions. Fear and anxiety were the most prevalent. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I questioned what I was doing. I wondered many times if I were crazy, and decided with each of those wonderings that I had lost my mind. So much, that I kept walking toward the starting line.<br />
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I witnessed participants from every direction revving themselves up—chanting similar tunes to athletes before a big game. Some were crowdsurfing, laughing and carefree—as if their whole lives had brought them to that point. And despite my own fear and anxiety, the excitement around me was contagious. Which was a good thing.<br />
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I put on my gloves, started stretching, and imagined myself in Valerie's shoes. Which included identifying with her position, and why she was there in the first place. I told myself that I didn't have a choice—I had to get through it. "Don't think. Just do it," quickly became my motto; one that would carry me to the finish line.<br />
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I don't remember what prompted us to begin running. Whether it was someone shouting GO, or if it was a recorded countdown of some kind. All I remember was the crowd in front of me moving, and myself following close behind. I was in the zone—focused on what was ahead of me and how I suddenly had no way of getting out of it without becoming embarrassed if I decided to tuck tail and run the other way.<br />
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I didn't know if I was going to get through every obstacle, or if I'd fall flat on my face in the mud.<br />
I considered how my cousin had come out to race with me (who, mind you, had not ran, trained, ate, or slept like she'd needed to for such an event), and how quitting would have let her down. So I let my fear, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy be replaced by determination. All I thought about was taking one step at a time. All I knew was that I was going to finish that race, no matter how difficult it would be.<br />
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When I tell you that we ran five miles in the mud—it is no exaggeration! It stormed the day before and left the course with several different textures of dirt and water. There were spots on the course where mud was so thick, that people were losing their shoes in it (myself included about 2.5 miles in). It was like a suction cup grabbing at my shoes—slowing down my pace, and trying to convince me to quit.<br />
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Other areas were hills covered in muddy water. This mud was not thick, and made it extremely difficult for participants not to slip and fall. There were several points where I thought I was going to fall on my face and go sliding back down the hill. But I learned that if I tried to run on the patches of pine needles on the side of the trail instead of the slippery slope, it would provide me with enough traction to keep from falling. So I did.<br />
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And then came the obstacles.<br />
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The first was named "Shriveled Richard," which left a lasting impression on most of it's participants.<br />
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Myself included.<br />
<br />
This obstacle was submersion into a tub full of ice water. Getting in, we were told by instructors not to jump (no argument here), as the water only came up past my belly button. But then we realized our path was blocked by a ledge at the other end. The instructors smiled and announced that we needed to go under the ledge to get to the other side. I looked at them and shrieked, "You want me to do what?" as if maybe I'd heard them incorrectly. I hadn't.<br />
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I took a deep breath and went under water. And that's when I thought I'd died.<br />
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The water was so cold—I couldn't think about anything. I didn't know why I was there, or what was going on. I didn't know how to deal with the shock that my body was going through. And when I came out from under it, I swear I thought my heart had stopped. And so did this guy:<br />
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Like Jack from <i>Titanic</i> explained to Rose about being under ice cold water, "It's like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think." It was absolutely horrible! It wasn't an obstacle Valerie will experience, but I had to get through it because it was part of the race.<br />
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Once I could breathe again, I got the heck out of that water as fast as possible. It took awhile for the shock to wear off, but we had places to go, and obstacles to conquer.<br />
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Next, we experienced many obstacles that included barbed wire, walls that were too high for me to reach without a boost, and submersions into muddy water. I had to climb platforms that were 15-20 feet high, and jump off into muddy water. I had to climb high walls made of ropes, and then talk myself into coming down on the other side (I'm afraid of heights y'all). "Don't think, just do it," continued to be my mantra.<br />
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There were many more obstacles that were different from the rest. One in particular included walking across a narrow beam that was surrounded by water. I took one look at that water and said out loud, "I'm getting across that beam. I'm not going into that water." And I did.<br />
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It was easier said than done though.<br />
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The beam slanted halfway through, requiring me to reposition my feet while still trying to balance. The narrow beam and the slant weren't even the most challenging part, however. That took place when the people on the other beams around me started to fall—causing the entire structure to shake. I didn't breathe y'all. I stood there with my arms out like a bird—looking ridiculous, and waited for the shaking to pass. When it finally did, I would continue moving my way along the beam until I was close enough to the other side to jump. I was relieved when I had made it, because that water was nasty!<br />
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The last obstacle I'm going to write about was the one that really put me in my character's position. It was a forty-three foot wall that began as a ramp, and ended at a ninety degree angle. Here is a photo<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> of the ramp (mind you—it does <i>not</i> do it justice).</span><br />
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This obstacle was difficult for many reasons. One of them being that in order to get up the wall, I needed to catch the rope first. Easier said than done. I was determined though, and I caught it all FOUR times.<br />
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Hanging from the rope, supporting my body weight with my arms, and trying not to let it slip from my fingers—was another challenge. It was a miracle I even caught the rope to begin with, but I was also doing a run-and-jump, Michael-Jordan-leap-from-<i>Space-Jam</i> type of move.<br />
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After I caught the rope I soon discovered that it was really slippery. As much as I tried to hold on and not fall, I couldn't help it. Even with wearing gloves, friction was not my friend.<br />
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The second time, I tried to wrap the rope around my arm, but that was an epic fail. I climbed up past the first knot and had just reached the second, when I started to slip again. I tried to grip the bottom knot in between my knees, but I still wasn't able to hold it long enough. The crowd behind me started to cheer because of the tactic I was using to hang on, but then I lost traction and went sliding back down the ramp.<br />
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On my third attempt to conquer Colossus I grabbed the rope, hung on, and was almost to the top when I felt myself starting to slip again. Some participants up there tried to grab my arm to help me get over, but I slipped back down before I could reach them. That time, mud flicked into my eye as I slid back down. I spent the next few minutes trying to get it out by blinking, because mine and everyone else's hands were covered in mud (one of the reasons why the ropes were so slippery)!<br />
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The fourth time was similar. I ran, jumped, grabbed the rope, and was almost to the top when I started slipping. The same participant that had been trying to help me on my other attempts grabbed my hand from the top. The situation appeared to have more hope than my other attempts, until I lost the rope altogether. I was suddenly experiencing the sensation of what it was like to hang from a cliff. I heard the crowd behind me gasp, and I did not like the situation any more than they did. My choice was simple: find some inner strength I didn't know I had and hang on, or fall from forty-three feet in the air and become injured. I decided on my first choice.<br />
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When I looked up, all I saw were hands coming at me. I didn't see faces, I didn't know names, all I knew was I was hanging there powerless of getting the rest of the way to the top without their help. My body was aching from hanging on for what felt like an eternity (although I knew it had only been about a minute), but there was no way in heck I was falling from that position. I knew that if I did, I'd probably scrape the skin off of my face the whole way down. The odds of breaking something were also pretty high, and Valerie Deen wasn't allowed to fail.<br />
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I felt myself being lifted up, and like a bowling ball smacking into a bunch of pins—so went my body into several muscular men. I laid there for a moment—not because I wanted to, but because my body had no strength or energy. (Remember, I'm a runner—not a strength trainer, and that obstacle definitely took a toll on my upper body strength!) After a few moments I lifted myself up—ready to tackle the next obstacle. When I did, there were about five men around me yelling, "Yeah! You did it! You did it 'cuz you didn't give up!" </div>
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I could've died (exaggeration—hopefully), but they were right.<br />
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The next part was absolutely terrifying y'all. When I first began Colossus I had no idea what was on the other side of it. I labored, got mud in my eye, and did crazy leaps into the air; but my only focus was on getting past it—not how I'd eventually get back to the ground.<br />
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You see my friends, I'm really afraid of heights. I was that kid at Disneyland who climbed to the top of the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House—only to realize how high I was, and that I was in need a pep-talk to come back down (true story). And Colossus was another tree house experience for me. </div>
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I'd had to put my fear of heights in check many more times on the race, but the adrenaline was flowing freely, and the other obstacles were not nearly as high as they were on Colossus.<br />
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In order to get back down to the ground, I had to sit my rear on a ledge and slide down into a giant pool of muddy water. I was already covered in mud (one reason why the ropes were so slippery), but I'm also afraid of murky water. Basically, if it's not pool or bath water, I ain't gettin' in! </div>
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There were other small puddles of mud water that I had to submerge myself into, and even another that I had to jump into before this obstacle. But after conquering Colossus, I was just done with facing my fears for the day—even if I had been successful with all of them so far.<br />
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I took one look at the water and said to my cousin, "I'm not doing this. Where's the ladder to get back down." And I wasn't kidding.<br />
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But my dauntless-to-the-core cousin tilted her head at me and said, "Heather, it's part of the Savage Race. You need to do it. C'mon."<br />
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I thought about what she said and glanced back at the water (far below me, mind you). I thought about Valerie—who also happens to be afraid of heights, and remembered why I was doing the race in the first place—to empathize with her situation.<br />
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"Don't think. Just do it," I told myself (for the hundredth time that day).<br />
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My cousin went down first and loved every moment of it. I let some other participants go ahead of me, and finally I sat down on the ledge (believing that I had officially lost it). My cousin, who was swimming happily in the muddy water below, yelled, "Just close your eyes and do it!"<br />
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So I did. I plugged my nose, closed my eyes, and left the platform behind me.<br />
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I crashed into the water, and my legs swam above my head. I freaked out for a second, hoping I would swim to the surface instead of the bottom. I also worried about not being able to open my eyes if I felt I'd needed to, because the water was so muddy and I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway. I was terrified, and swam to what I thought was the surface—fast.<br />
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I don't think I was ever so happy to come out of water before. Including the ice water obstacle (omg that one was so horrible)! I got the heck out of that water, and back on the ground.<br />
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After conquering two of my worst fears, I only had to jump over fire and pull a cinder block up a hill and carry it back down (<i>only</i> lol). The adrenaline was still heavy, and those were no big deal. Height and muddy water weren't involved, so I was okay. :)<br />
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We finished the race and did so with pride. My cousin hadn't trained in any way for the race, except for her indulgences in fast food. She ran five miles in the mud, conquered almost all of the obstacles, and finished the race ready for a giant burger.<br />
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I struggled to conquer two of my worst fears, but I did. I ran that race high on adrenaline, for and with my character, and I overcame until I passed the finish line.<br />
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It was an awesome experience, and I could go on for several more paragraphs telling you about it. But I'll be here all night if I do! </div>
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My cousin and I went to Five Guys and ordered the biggest burgers they had, and fries to go with it. Then we went to the grocery store and loaded up on sweets to indulge when we got home.<br />
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When we arrived, we were still disgusting from our day's adventures. We showered and were ready to party, but then soon realized the adrenaline had worn off. Our appetite for sweets didn't last long, and both of us went to sleep early. We were covered in bruises, scrapes, cuts, and some serious muscle soreness. We both felt like we'd gotten hit by a bus lol.<br />
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Now that you've read about my recent adventure of being a method writer, I hope you'll enjoy the scene in my book that corresponds with the obstacle course. Will Valerie be able to push past her fears and make it through the drill? Will she obey orders at all costs? Or will she fail?<br />
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Find out in my upcoming book <i>Acts of Valerie</i>, book one in the series.<br />
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One more thing before I go: these bad boys are a replica of the t-shirt Valerie Deen wears during her training (and what my cousin and I wore during the Savage Race). They are only for sale until Saturday, May 9th. So, if you want to be a part of #teamactsofvalerie, and want others to know that you are, get one before the sale is over.<br />
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Here's the link to purchase one: <a href="https://www.bonfirefunds.com/teamactsofvalerie">https://www.bonfirefunds.com/teamactsofvalerie</a><br />
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Until then, happy writing!<br />
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-Heather<br />
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-10132093461560133102015-04-15T20:57:00.003-04:002015-04-28T23:26:37.958-04:00Savage Race: First Sneak Peak Into My Book Series Acts of ValerieI wanted to share with you my current mental state due to the Savage Race being only two days away (Cue the freaking out face emoji).<br>
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For those of you who don't know, I'm what they call a method writer. When I write fiction, I like to empathize with my characters as much as possible—especially my protagonist. I research when needed, but there are some things that not even hours of research can do justice. So, I put myself in a similar situation and try and empathize with that character's situation.<br>
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Obviously, there are circumstances I'm unable to put myself through (unless I want to come out of them with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder!), and those are the situations I research, and talk to professionals about.<br>
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But the situations I can try and gain a first-hand experience from, I do. :)<br>
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This weekend, I'll be participating in a five-mile-race. Over the course of these five miles there will be fifteen obstacles that I'll need to overcome, in order to reach the finish line. I'm participating in this event to try and identify with my protagonist, who will go through military training unprepared. <br>
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Valerie—my protagonist, is a sixteen-year-old girl as average as they come. Except, of course, for the fact that the fate of herself, her family, and her nation, rests upon her willingness to train as a soldier.<br>
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Military training for Valerie is not something she's been physically preparing for—even though she's known it was coming for a long time. She runs—because that's how she deals with life, and how she remains sane enough not to resist the factors that control her future. But training is going to be physically challenging, and not something she's prepared for. And neither am I for this race.<br>
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Like Valerie, I'm also a runner, and five-mile-runs aren't anything foreign to my body. However, I don't strength train on a regular basis and I know there is going to be some obstacles I'll be inadequate for. As crazy as this may be to register for a race I'm not ready for, it was also the plan all along. Valerie is not ready for the physical aspect of military training, and neither am I for the Savage Race.<br>
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Of course, a one day Savage Race is nothing compared to military training. But the obstacles are designed by the Air Force Reserves, and I'm thinking this race will be better than nothing. I'll understand the physical and mental challenges of the obstacle course Valerie will face, and be able to identify with her because of it. <br>
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So, wish me luck! As much as I'm excited to see and feel what Valerie does, I'm also scared out of my mind to do so. I'll be posting a video on my youtube channel (Heather Aili) before and after the race, as well as reporting back to y'all about the experience. So, make sure you head back this way to hear about my crazy experience. :)<br>
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Are any of my readers also a Method Writer? Have there been situations you've intentionally placed yourself into—in order to write from experience? If so, please do share the deets with us!<br>
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Until then, Happy Writing!<br>
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-HeatherHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-26098898062312224172015-04-13T22:27:00.002-04:002017-06-03T20:33:25.613-04:0012 Ways to Bore Your Reader: Pet Peeves Readers Have That Will Get Your
Book Shelved<br>
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A good book must include several elements to please a reader, right? An interesting hook, compelling plot, and questions that perk your reader's interests, are only a few to mention.<br>
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But what are some elements of a book that will cause a reader to put it down, and never pick it back up again?<br>
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I've asked real people what their reading pet peeves are, and I've compiled a list (based on their answers) for us writers to keep in mind. Remember these no-no's while writing your novel, unless you want to end up on the no-seller's list. :)<br>
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1. Long or Ridiculously Spelt Names:<br>
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"Joeeeelqueyszkrrr? Seriously? If you really feel the need to have a long or difficult to pronounce name, please introduce it once and give that character a nickname! Otherwise, every time I read it I may want to pull my hair out, and put down your book for good." -Ashlynn 23<br>
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2. "Big" Words:<br>
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"Just use English...please! I'm sure you're intelligent, creative, and all around good with words. But I already assumed that about you, based on the fact that you wrote a book! Just give it to me plain and simple, and save the brainstorming for the plot twists." -Anyone who's ever picked up an adult book to escape and read the first two lines of the story<br>
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3. Too Much Description:<br>
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"I'm bored with the overwhelming amount of scenery description! Make me feel like I'm there, but get to the point please." -Michelle 40<br>
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4. Backstory or Flashbacks:<br>
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"Boring! Find a way to incorporate the past into the present. I don't want to hear about what happened seven years ago, and who's dog went missing...blah, blah, blah. I'm sure that was interesting, sad, cool, weird...whatever. But so was my fifth birthday party—when I was five. I want to know about the juicy plot that's unfolding in the present. If the past is really important to the story, it should be shown, not told. Please forget that long, boring explanation. Woo me with what's happening in the now!" -Jennifer 28<br>
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5. Introducing Too Many Characters in the Beginning:<br>
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"Let me first bond with the main character. Then make their story interesting by adding characters who compliment or challenge them. In other words- put me into a room with one new person, instead of a roomful! Once I'm comfortable with my new friend, they can introduce me to the others." -Anyone of any age<br>
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6. Switching Point of View, Especially in the Beginning:<br>
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"I'm confused...did he say that or did she? Who is this story about anyway?" -Your High School English Teacher<br>
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7. Dialect:<br>
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"I don't want to spend ten minutes decoding each page when a character speaks! Let me know they have an accent, and what kind, but move the story along, please. If I wanted to learn a foreign language I'd register for one!"<br>-Everyone but old Uncle Ben, who only reads Mark Twain novels<br>
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8. Talking Down to the Reader:<br>
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"I get enough preaching from my parents, grandparents, coaches, teachers, and everyone else in my life. When I pick up a book, it's because I want to escape. For the love of doughnuts, just let me escape!" -Teens everywhere<br>
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9. Killing Off a Main or Loved Character: <div><br></div><div>Make sure your reader can justify why they had to die. Tell your story, but don't hurt your reader just to get a reaction. Make that character's death count.<br>
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"Killing off a lovable person—either too early or at all. It has to be important why they die. Like when Dumbledore died, I was tempted to stop reading." -Alex 18<br>
<br>10. Not Enough Inner Dialogue:<br>
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"Not enough atmosphere and not enough inner dialogue will get me to put something down. Obviously, we all enjoy the conversations that our favorite characters have, but where are they in that moment? Is it hot or cold? Does the breeze play with her hair and make him want to brush it from her face? When she looks at him, what is she thinking? What is she feeling? What is he thinking and feeling?<br>
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I like a lot of detail so that I can sort of paint a picture or make a movie in my head—using the author's words.<br>
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If the author isn't painting vividly enough with their words, I'm not being drawn into the world he or she is trying to create. If I'm going to keep that book in my hands, I want to be in that world. I don't just want to read about it." -Brittany 24<br>
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11. Lack of Appealing Characters:<br>
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"Make the characters so appealing that I want to spend time with them! Making them attractive isn't a bad idea either." -Inspired by Amber 27<br>
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12. When the Author Takes Too Long to Start the Story:<br>
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"I hate when it takes too long to actually start the story. I've read many books where the first 3-5 chapters are all just setting up for the story, and there's not much to draw me in. By the time I finish those chapters, I don't even care about the book anymore." -Sarah 25<br>
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So, there you have it folks! Real irritations by real people (or people in general). When you're writing your novel—be creative, have fun, and please do your homework. But also make sure you think about the don'ts as you're incorporating the do's.<br>
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What are some reading pet peeves of yours? What bores you or irritates you enough about a book to make you lose interest? Please share with us in the comments below. :)<br>
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Happy Writing!<br>
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-Heather</div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-56340734574886615632015-04-06T22:46:00.003-04:002017-06-03T20:48:40.044-04:00How to Create Believable Characters<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO4GyQmazrESrFVr1vNpW7HlPGS7hksRinloU3Jca5Y64VVRTH2L1diFQ1PH4xMc4j3RcfdTJpsukN6MVW7qIzagXd_f7NFTK85ZVwdkw2qASJ7R81TenC99IGWTBeb9WpItCVn5DPaWz/s640/blogger-image-1640957919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO4GyQmazrESrFVr1vNpW7HlPGS7hksRinloU3Jca5Y64VVRTH2L1diFQ1PH4xMc4j3RcfdTJpsukN6MVW7qIzagXd_f7NFTK85ZVwdkw2qASJ7R81TenC99IGWTBeb9WpItCVn5DPaWz/s640/blogger-image-1640957919.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Have you ever turned on a movie and experienced the horror of terrible acting? The kind of acting that is so bad, you need to turn the movie off because it's painful to watch?</span></div>
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Could you imagine reading a book with characters that were intended to be different—with varied personalities, backgrounds, reactions to life—but they all react the same exact way? That would be torture. I wouldn't want to spend my time reading a one-manned show, when it was intended for many. Nor would I want to subject my readers to that.<br>
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So, how does a writer create believable characters that are different from one another, and act that way? I do this in two steps:<br>
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1) I make a character sketch.<br>
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Whether I'm basing one of my characters off of someone I used to know, or if there's a character voice in my mind that's screaming to be heard, I bring their voice to life through a list.<br>
I brainstorm a profile on each character that includes: physical characteristics, personality traits, likes and dislikes, hobbies, passions, info about their family and background, and the essence of each character that would make someone want to be friends with the character (or not).<br>
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I refer to a character's sketch whenever writing a scene with them in it. This ensures that I capture their unique voice, instead of dialogue with one voice that seems to be talking to itself. (That would be torturous to read, right?) The last thing any of us want is a rejection letter from a publishing company because our story reeks of Castaway, when it's not intended to. A character sketch is vital to bringing a character to life, and making sure they stay "in character" throughout the story.<br>
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2) Spend time with them!<br>
(Yeah, you read that crazy sentence right—let me explain. ;)<br>
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You could know of someone, but not really know them. An example would be how people read about a certain actor. They know the actor's favorites, the current events in their lives, where they were last weekend, who they were with, and what they ate for lunch (yeah, the general public aren't stalkers at all). ;) They know the ins and outs of that actor's life from a distance, but if they've never spent time alone with that actor—reading their facial expressions, hearing about their hopes, dreams, fears and worries—they don't know them. The same goes for characters in a story.<br>
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You can make up a character sketch—complete with background story, personality traits, likes and dislikes, dreams and desires; but, unless you spend time with that character, you'll only know about them.<br>
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So, how do you spend time with a fictional character? (I know I'm sounding a little crazy right now! But trust me—this is legit!)<br>
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You interview them.<br>
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It looks something like this:<br>
Compile a list of questions about what-if scenarios. Ask them if they've ever been in love. And how it shaped their perception of what love is today. Ask them if they have a worst fear, and how they believe they'd react if that fear ever became a reality. Then ask that character more questions to better understand them.<br>
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Take their background information and their personality traits from your character sketch and put yourself in their shoes. Really think about how a person with their background/personality traits etc., would answer the questions asked (not how you would respond). Really listen for their unique voice.<br>
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The more I listen to what my character voice is saying, the more I get to know them, and the easier it is to communicate their story to my readers. I find it's easy to write from their perspective—instead of Heather's; which makes the overall book writing process go more smoothly.<br>
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3) Put your characters through the ringer!<br>
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The story aspect of a book is how the main or supporting characters are affected by the plot, how they react to the events that are plot, and how they change because of those events. As much as the reader roots for the characters to take the easy road, it's not something that can happen in order for the story to be good—or even something a reader would want to waste their time engaging in. Why? It'd be boring! The characters would not be relatable or even genuine. Real people go through stuff, and how we react to the things life throws at us helps develop our character (whether good or bad). Be mean. Be scary. Put your characters through what you'd consider to be Hell. Then show us how they overcome it, and change for the better. Give us reason to root for the characters in your story.<br>
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Bottom line? If you have a story and plot in mind, start working on character development. As you've just read, the idea of a character for a story, and bringing a character to life, are two different things.<br>
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After you've written out each character sketch, interviewed each character, spent time thinking about life from their point-of-view, and planned out how your going to put your characters through the fire—write your book. Then tell me in the comments how the character development process helped you bring to life believable characters, and turn your story into a Bestseller. :)<br>
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Until then—happy writing.<br>
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-Heather<br>
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<br>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-71065605208451965122015-03-30T12:50:00.001-04:002017-06-03T20:37:56.351-04:003 Reasons Why You Need to Finish Your Book<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iWc3D-zfw9PF8NTk9MJUXXcoLSHfsBh8R8as-DxwcCnvx7Qv190Ha5TGkzvt3WWk2A-o8-5w_H395HsDcM9gH86rLxc8S-hupmGptpzaH3pJNZ9OdHfANBsOOkcdnxAA5dXK7oAYIIrz/s640/blogger-image-112334014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iWc3D-zfw9PF8NTk9MJUXXcoLSHfsBh8R8as-DxwcCnvx7Qv190Ha5TGkzvt3WWk2A-o8-5w_H395HsDcM9gH86rLxc8S-hupmGptpzaH3pJNZ9OdHfANBsOOkcdnxAA5dXK7oAYIIrz/s640/blogger-image-112334014.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 23px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Life is hard. Time management is hard. Writing a book is an emotional roller-coaster. (Can I get an "amen" from all the other authors out there?) It steals your concentration for other tasks, keeps you awake at night writing or brainstorming, and consumes you until you feel you've made some progress for the day. But it's also a great adventure—a roller coaster worth riding.</div>
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I didn't go to college to be a writer. I didn't study the art of writing or the how-tos of constructing a plot or storyline. I wasn't born into a family of authors. </div>
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I wasn't an expert by any means when I first began writing for an audience; but, I have learned these things along the way. </div>
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When I started writing my first book, I was a reader and a journal writer with a passion for a good story. I felt I had a calling to write a book someday, but had no idea when or how. When the plot and storyline came to me like a hurricane uprooting my house, I knew I needed to sit down and put it into words or I'd never get over it. It was a burning passion that I knew my life would be incomplete without and I needed to finish it—despite its many challenges. (Especially because I had no idea what I was doing at first lol).</div>
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During my journey I learned that if writing a book were easy, everyone would write one. Why? Because I found that there's nothing more creatively rewarding (in my opinion) than to dream, write, and finish a book. It's definitely a calling to be a career-writer, but if you have a story to tell and have already started writing it, you need to finish it. Why? Here are 3 reasons: </div>
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1) You should always finish what you've started. There's nothing like starting a project and becoming unmotivated or overwhelmed during the process—only to give in and give up. You've done it, I've done it—we've all done it. It stinks. </div>
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Friends and family ask us how it's going, not knowing we've already thrown in the towel. We experience the shame of confessing that we gave in to defeat and never finished the task. We make excuses and try to justify our failure, but in the back of our minds we know that it was us who chose to be defeated. Worst. Feeling. Ever. Don't let your manuscript for your novel fall into the same pile of regrets. Shake your fist at the challenges that arise during your quest to finish your work and refuse to settle for defeat. Figure out what's not working for you and brainstorm a solution to keep moving.</div>
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Trust me in this! You'll feel so good about yourself knowing that you set out to accomplish a task and did.</div>
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2) If you give up on finishing your book, it'll nag you for the rest of your life. Years down the road it'll resurface in your thoughts and make your stomach twist in regret. Don't do this to yourself. Those who live with regret in their old-age tend to be the meanest, most negative individuals that have ever walked the face of this planet. (You know the people I'm talking about!) No one likes to be around a Negative-Nancy. So, do yourself a favor and take care of anything today that could cause your future-self to live with regret. (This can apply to any area of our lives!)</div>
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3) You have a story to tell and the world deserves to hear it. You've worked hard brainstorming, outlining, writing line-after-line, constructing chapter-after-chapter. You've dreamed up those characters of yours, and to let their story go unfinished, would be like strangling the life out of them with your own typing fingers. </div>
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You owe it to yourself and your characters to finish writing the story you've started and the world deserves a chance to read it—long after you've breathed your last breath. Your story will outlast you. Leave a legacy of words that your children and grandchildren will cherish, long after you're gone.</div>
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Writing a story is difficult. It's time-consuming. It's a battle that wages war over your mind, sleep and concentration. It's a roller coaster with many ups and downs. But it's also a journey worth taking.<br>
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Finish something today that your future-self will thank you for. Then do it again. ;)</div>
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What has been your biggest challenge for completing your novel? If you've finished the process, what helped you finish? Please share your tips in the comments below. :) </div>
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-Heather</div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-8085227857693809312015-03-21T14:44:00.000-04:002015-03-21T14:44:01.863-04:00How to Not Mess Up Your Writing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-sGKzX-8RuG3K1tclVAPpITuYfMP3uB8MS5aEu2WxwA0cuoh9PzhrRPLv1YTwuHDHzxobmEDnhkL588vbhlFNXhoa5wYiV9d4PpExtBbWxjZtc15Bzh-pEGlAwhSwhyFWma_fqz3jztb/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-sGKzX-8RuG3K1tclVAPpITuYfMP3uB8MS5aEu2WxwA0cuoh9PzhrRPLv1YTwuHDHzxobmEDnhkL588vbhlFNXhoa5wYiV9d4PpExtBbWxjZtc15Bzh-pEGlAwhSwhyFWma_fqz3jztb/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Have you ever been overwhelmed with writing the perfect story? Did you research and google, and seek out expert advise about what is defined as good writing? Have you ever become so overwhelmed that you messed up your story trying to fit every other writer's definition of good?<br />
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I have!<br />
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I google everything. Which means that my interests—such as writing, get a lot of entries from my devices. How to... What does... Why... all corresponding to my curiosity to improve the way I communicate my prose to anyone besides myself. I know what I'm trying to convey in my writing, because I'm the author. But that doesn't mean everyone else will! So I'm always looking for tips on how to improve.<br />
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But this week I learned something valuable about my quest to becoming a better writer. I questioned, and googled, and continually worked on improving my craft. But then I became overwhelmed by everyone else's opinion of what good writing was and messed up my story because of it.<br />
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On my quest of becoming a better writer I ended up confused about my own story. My writing may've been good to begin with, but because I listened to everyone else's opinion and changed my writing accordingly, I looked at what I'd written and realized I hated it. I'd strayed from the initial story I was trying to tell, because of all the changes I'd made to fit everyone else's tips on how to write. If the author of the story doesn't like what they've written, how is anyone else supposed to? That's when I decided I was finished listening to everyone else and focus instead, on writing something that I'd want to read.<br />
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You see, I've discovered that what someone else approves as good writing, may be what another sees as terrible. One writer may use basic sentences to construct their prose and another may choose to add a sense of poetry to their story. Both styles can be interpreted as good or bad, it just depends on who's reading it.<br />
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Am I saying that writing shouldn't be clean? That it shouldn't be well thought out and flow nicely? No. I'm saying that everyone has their own opinion, and opinions exist about good and bad writing. No two writers are the same—even when both are bestselling authors.<br />
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One writer may get rejected by twelve different publishing companies because of their writing style and get a book deal with another. Another writer may become a bestselling indie author because of their writing and another may sell less than ten copies.<br />
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Bottom line?<br />
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Good and bad writing is interpreted by its readers. I've read some books that I didn't particularly care to read again, and they were on the bestseller's list. I've read other titles that were indie and so fresh and so real—compared to some titles that were distributed by major publishers.<br />
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My advice on becoming a good writer is to focus on two things: telling the story you've dreamed up (not someone else) and appealing to a specific group of readers.<br />
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1) Outline your story really well. Know what the underlying message is. Have the scenes planned out really well. Know your character well: who they are, why they are the way they are, what their flaw and goal are and whether they will overcome it or not. Stay focused on the story you're trying to tell and on how you want to tell it—not how everyone else thinks it should be written.<br />
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2) Imagine yourself as a reader of your book. Some questions to ask yourself are: Who do I want this story to appeal to? Who am I writing this story for? Would I want to read my own work—not because I wrote it, but because it'd consume me until I finished the last page? What writing style do I want my readers to enjoy as they're consuming my story? And...stick with it. :)<br />
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Writing tips are great and I learn a lot from them. But at some point I need to throw out what the experts say and just write. I'll leave them to creating a story that they feel is perfect in their opinion and I'll write one that I'm in love with.<br />
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Just as we should dance like nobody is watching, we should write like no one else's opinions matter. Once we finish our first draft, then we can go back and apply those fabulous writing tips the experts gave us, in order to tighten up our prose. But until then, just write. :)<br />
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Have you ever messed up your writing? How so? Do tell us in the comments!<br />
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-HeatherHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-4325572384570239922015-03-16T20:14:00.000-04:002015-03-16T20:21:50.225-04:00How to Find Time When You Have None<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We all have a million-and-one things we need to do everyday. Between work, school, family time, extracurricular activities, staying in shape, paying bills, making phone calls, going to appointments, emergency chocolate runs to the store—all of our days are booked in one way or another. ;)<br />
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I'm one of the busiest people I know, not only because of all I have on my plate, but mostly because I'm allergic to <i>not</i> being busy. People ask me how I manage all that I do and I tell them all the same thing, "When it comes to not having time, people make time for the things they want to do. I just happen to want to do everything!" (cue maniacal laugh). ;)<br />
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I may be able to fit a lot of different extracurriculars into my schedule, but I know there are people who struggle with adding anything to their agendas outside of work and running errands. And I've gotta tell ya— that's no way to live! If you're one of these people that seems to always be bogged down by life's obligations and no time to fit anything else in, you've come to the right place. Today, I'm going to help you learn how to find time when there is none. :)<br />
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How is that even possible? How can you find something that doesn't exist? It's actually very simple. :)<br />
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As I said before, people make time for the things they want to do. No matter how busy our schedules are, we can always find time—if we know how to look for it. Think about it this way: If I want to catch the latest episode of my favorite TV show, I make time for it. If I want to go out on the weekends with my friends—I make time for it. If I want to sleep in on a Saturday morning, I make it happen! (See where I'm going with this?)<br />
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Whenever I start feeling like I have no time to live life outside of what I'm required to do, I begin to feel trapped—like I'm a prisoner to ten different agendas. When I find myself in this position I decide that I need to re-prioritize my life, or I'm going to throw everything out that I need to do and go play at Disney World instead (and let's face it—as much as I'd love to live everyday at Disney World, eventually I'll need to return to the reality of being a grown up). <br />
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So, instead of going nuts I decide to find a solution to my schedule problem. Are you ready to see how I do this? I'm going to show you how with a few easy steps:<br />
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1) Write down your current schedule:<br />
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-Take out a pencil and paper and make a Monday-Sunday calendar on a sheet of paper (nothing fancy, just so you could divide up the days of the week and fill them in).<br />
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-Think about the things you're required to do on each of those days and write them down where and when they apply (ONLY write down what's required such as: work, school, mealtimes, sleep, etc.)<br />
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*Example:<br />
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Monday-<br />
5am-3pm: work<br />
3pm-4pm: drive home<br />
5-6pm: dinner prep/eat/clean-up...<br />
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Got it? Okay, let's continue :)<br />
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2) Now, think about how you spend your time on each day of the week—outside of your obligations.<br />
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-Add these activities that occupy those "extra" hours in your schedule and the time-frame they typically correspond to. When you're finished, move on to the next step.<br />
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3) Now that you've outlined your typical daily routine, evaluate what you've written and...it's shocking right? You've found an hour here, a half hour there, fifteen minutes between event A and B—you've found time that you can open up to spending on the things you want to do in life!<br />
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Pretty great, right? :)<br />
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There are 24 hours in a day and most people spend 5-8 hours sleeping, 8-12 hours working, and the remaining amount of time...wasting it! Don't do this! Stop. Just stop it, right now! Re-prioritize your daily routine and start living life to the fullest. MAKE time for the things you want to do. Time is a gift—don't waste it. :)<br />
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So, now that you've found this "extra" time that you could spend working towards "living life," it's up to you to make a goal, commit to working on it during the time you've found in your schedule, and use it to enjoy life outside of your obligations.<br />
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If you have a goal, but always seem to fail at it—whether it's because life keeps getting in the way of it, or—you make excuses every time life happens (we've all done it! ;), I encourage you to read my post about making goals and keeping them.<br />
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What are some things you've been wanting to do that you never seem to have the time for? What are you going to start working on now that you've found the time in your schedule to do so?<br />
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Share with us in the comments below. :)<br />
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-HeatherHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-85540470100134695072015-03-07T21:52:00.000-05:002017-06-03T21:12:43.072-04:00How to Write Empowering Stories<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KYjmQcczYQtPC4VStZ2C4xkQwGvDy-qHW4VpjfjPEPLP7rPjf0aecyh7BBTFavlr1CX1sFgK4SmrVu9So-FJv-F7euG2kJ3LI8GSKFolynRy_4r6QAGSkOiNlzEsY8SBIC8SbPEtLxku/s640/blogger-image-930193512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KYjmQcczYQtPC4VStZ2C4xkQwGvDy-qHW4VpjfjPEPLP7rPjf0aecyh7BBTFavlr1CX1sFgK4SmrVu9So-FJv-F7euG2kJ3LI8GSKFolynRy_4r6QAGSkOiNlzEsY8SBIC8SbPEtLxku/s640/blogger-image-930193512.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Life is full of different scenarios and most of us experience the emotions that come with them. While I may not have the same experiences as you or the guy down the street, we're all human and will feel most or all of the emotions that human beings are prone to, at least once in our lives. Some of these emotions may include: joy, despair, anger, rage, frustration, anxiety, contentment, worry, and fear.</span></div>
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Some experiences may be awesome—they'll make us look at life and be thankful for what we have and who we share our journeys with. Other situations may be terrible, horrible, no good, very-bad day experiences. :)<br>
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While I believe that no matter what life throws at us—we control our own destinies; I have also experienced and have come to understand, that life can throw us curve balls that leave us blindsided. We can't control the crappy decisions others make that effect us or those around us, but we can control our reactions to them. If we're writers, we can use our crappy experiences to change someone else's outlook on their current situation—or even their life in general.<br>
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I was raised to believe that if we think positively, then positive things will happen. This also came with the counter idea that if we think negatively, then negative things will happen. Obviously, we're going to have times where it's hard to look at a situation and be positive lol. However, we can take those experiences and use them to breathe life into a new plot and storyline, by using the situations we encountered and the emotions we felt from them, to create a journey through words that may inspire someone else.<br>
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I love characters that overcome fear, because I can relate really well with them. I lived in fear for most of my life, until I decided that I was tired of it. That I was tired of my past dictating my present and my future. I've come a long way in facing those fears and not letting them rule over how I live my life today; but, there are still some things that I may read or hear about that paralyze me with fear for a few seconds, until I'm able to think rationally through my thoughts. But like I said, I try not to let fear dictate the decisions I make today; instead, I come up swinging.<br>
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As you read the novels I've written (once I'm satisfied with them enough to share those precious pieces of myself to the world), you'll see that many of my protagonists are females that struggle with fear in some way. It may be that they're forced into a situation that they feel they have no control over and they're afraid of what the future holds for them, or it may be that something horribly tragic has happened to them and they're trying to learn how to live life after the fact. But my goal is never to present to you a damsel in distress, because I don't believe that someone should ever allow themselves to take on such a title—even in a situation where they would have every right to. No, I believe in kicking the ass (excuse my English, I'm just a little passionate about this subject) of whoever would try and put someone into a situation that would cause them to distress in the first place. I believe in fighting back and snatching control right out of that person or situation's hands. I believe in justice and that's why I write.<br>
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Don't get me wrong, my stories aren't sad and tragic lol. They are full of what-if situations, characters that people can relate with, and crappy decisions that other characters make, who choose to be selfish. But they're not tragic. Like I said, I believe we make our own destinies and that includes taking the bad and turning them around for good. I hope that when you read my books you'll see what I'm talking about and that my writing will even cause you to laugh, cry, get angry over, and ultimately—see hope for overcoming your own struggles in life. I hope that the plot and storyline of my novels will cause you to root for the protagonist and other relatable characters and that, in turn, it'll cause you to root for yourself.<br>
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So, to sum all of this up: use what you've experienced—what you know, to write a story that will be relatable to someone else (seeing that we're all human and experience joy, fear, anger, and anxiety, at least once in our lives), and that it'll inspire them to shake their fist at life and to fight back.<br>
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There are power in words; so take your experiences and write them in such a way that they'll be used to change someone's life. :)<br>
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-Heather Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-17759048332878031302015-03-05T20:41:00.000-05:002015-03-06T13:45:42.191-05:00On Making Goals and Keeping Them<br />
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Hello awesome readers! I know it's been almost a month since I last posted (shame on me!) and I'm so sorry about that! My life has been crazy lately, especially with my college classes.<br />
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Have you ever felt like you were barely keeping your head above water and more water kept being dumped on your head? Yeah, that's how college has been for me lately. (But it will all be so worth it when I receive that diploma!)<br />
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But I have been writing <i>and</i> working on a few projects for my current novel. Some of these tasks include: revising and editing the second draft of my novel, putting together a "soundtrack" for it, and collaborating with a sketch artist to bring to life my main characters by charcoal. I cannot wait to share all of these things with you!<br />
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Concerning my not posting for almost a month now, I wanted to chat with you all about how much this has been bothering me and what I've decide to do about it. You see, I'm a very goal-oriented person and when I want something, I make a goal and then start figuring out how to achieve that goal.<br />
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I make goals for everything. Yep, everything from writing chapters in books, to running races, to making grocery lists. I make goals All.Of.The.Time. Not just on December 31st. :)<br />
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Fortunately, I'm also very good about working on my goals and fulfilling them.<br />
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Some current goals that I've been working on include:<br />
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-training for this year's 10k race<br />
-training for next year's Disney Princess Half-Marathon<br />
-finish writing the second draft of my current novel<br />
-earn my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education<br />
-get my house organized how I want it<br />
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Working on attaining these goals has been going great, but I've been bothered about how long it's been since I've posted on my blog. So, I decided to solve the problem that's been bothering me, by setting a goal for it to make sure it doesn't happen again. :) Surprised? Me neither. ;)<br />
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If you haven't guessed where I'm going with all of this, I'm going to share tonight about making goals, working on goals, and fulfilling goals.<br />
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So, without further ado, here are my tips:<br />
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1) Decide what you want and why you want it.<br />
-To attain a goal, one must first make one (Duh Heather!).<br />
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No, but really.<br />
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In order to achieve a goal, you must first figure out what you want and decide that you're going to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The decision making process—while seeming quite simple, is actually a tad more detailed than you'd expect.<br />
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If you can't figure out what you want and why you want it, how are you going to keep a goal that you never specified in the first place? There's a big difference between saying, "I want that blue sweater, because I think it'll be perfect for that work party that's coming up next month," and "I want that sweater so bad to wear to that work party next month, and I'm going to do a, b, and c to get it!"<br />
Did you see the difference? Okay good. :)<br />
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2) Once you decide what you want, write it down and make it specific. Why be specific? Because if you're not, you'll end up altering it to fit your (ahem) unmotivated self when that point hits (I've done it, you've done it, we've all done it— no judgement here!) and we know that it inevitably will. So when you're writing down your goal, be specific enough that when the lack-of-motivation stage hits you, the written contract to yourself will be a reminder of what you wanted when you first started and why you wanted it in the first place. Sound fair enough? Okay, good. Moving on. :)<br />
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3) When you've decided what you want, why you want it, and you've been specific about it enough that it'll drive you to finish what you started, make a plan (a specific and realistic one that you believe you can keep) of how you're going to work towards achieving that goal.<br />
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Ex. Say you want to lose 30 pounds by January 1st, 2016. Okay, that's awesome! Now make a specific plan to achieve that goal.<br />
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Try this: "I want to lose 30 lbs by January 1st, 2016 and I plan to do this by 1) going to the gym for 30 minutes a day, 3 times per week 2) using an app to track my daily steps and 3) counting calories. My gym days will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I will pack my gym bag the night before those specified days."<br />
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See what you did there? You brainstormed a specific plan that you believe you can stick with and wrote it down. ;)<br />
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4) Mentally prepare yourself for the fight (yes, the FIGHT) ahead of you to keep that goal. Why? Because the moment you decide what you want and why, you've been specific about that goal, and brainstormed a plan for how you're going to achieve it, life will decide to throw you a million and one distractions to keep you from working on it. It's kind of just the nature for how things work in life.<br />
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The good news? If you prepare yourself for your fight against the inevitable distractions, you arm yourself against the excuses that come with them, when they try and persuade you that you've already failed.<br />
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Expect the distractions and the excuses to come against you as fast as you're reading this post— because they will! :)<br />
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Prepare yourself for your fight by writing your specific plan down and putting it somewhere that you will see it everyday. Announce to your family and friends what your goal is and how and when you'll be working on it. Let them know that you will be unavailable for anything else during those times and days, because you have an appointment with your goal. Then ask them to remind and encourage you with your written contract to yourself, should you start making excuses or accepting defeat from life's obstacles.<br />
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5) When you've prepared yourself in all the ways stated above, make the decision that you're not going to let Timmy and his Granny convince you that what they want or need help with is more important than you being true to your word. Help the people you care about in your life by all means, but if it's not an emergency, schedule them in during a different time. Remember, your goal achieving time-slot is already taken. If you give in to any and every request that comes your way and replace it with your specified goal achieving time, January 1st 2016 will come around and you'll totally be bumming that you fell off the band wagon again.<br />
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You can accomplish anything you put your mind to! But you'll need to fight to make it happen.<br />
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6) Now, the most awesome part about making goals: achieving them!<br />
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-There is nothing like seeing the hard-earned fruits of your labor in front of your eyes. You think back on the journey and remember how sweat, blood, and tears were all a part of it, but you decide quickly that you wouldn't go back and trade the process, or your great reward, for anything.<br />
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-You realize that the process of attaining your goal, created determination, perseverance, and faith in yourself and what you think you could do (and how it's so much more than you had originally thought), and how grateful you are to yourself for fighting for what you wanted in life.<br />
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-You realize that when people told you that you couldn't do it, when life told you that the cards it dealt you were not in your favor, and when you told yourself that you didn't have what it took to achieve your goals, that all of you were wrong...and that you're a winner.<br />
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A wise and wonderful role model of mine once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."<br />
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This guy was actually fired from a newspaper company because they told him he "didn't have enough imagination." This man with no imagination was Walt Disney! (Lol, I bet they're kicking themselves now!)<br />
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But seriously, if you can dream something up, or decide on something that you want in life—you can do it. All it takes is the idea, the decision, the specific plan, and the will to fight for what you want in life to make your goals and your dreams come true. I dare you to make a goal and make it happen. ;)<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You are your biggest enemy for failing, because ultimately, it's YOU who decides your destiny, not the obstacles that life throws at you. If something major happens and you need to adapt and overcome in order to continue working towards achieving your goal, then by all means, adapt and overcome! Make a new plan—one that works for your new situation and keep the faith that it is <i>still</i> possible to reach your destination. :)</span><br />
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Wait...I almost forgot! A<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">s far as making a goal for posting on my blog goes- I decided that my goal is going to be: to post at least once per week by Sunday morning. I plan to work on my weekly post on Saturday afternoons, once softball games are over. If you don't get an email notification of a new post by Monday morning, I give you permission to chastise me by email and hold me accountable to keeping my goal. :)</span><br />
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What are some things you've always wanted to do or places in your life where you may be slacking in and want to do something about? Share with us in the comments below. :)<br />
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-91407118409149443472015-02-08T23:45:00.000-05:002015-03-07T22:01:34.316-05:00Life's Too Short: Make a Bucket List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life is full of potential to explore amazing opportunities, view different perspectives, and enjoy precious, priceless moments. I happen to believe this. I also happen to understand that life is too short to be wasted.<br />
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There are so many things I want to do, so many places I want to go, and so many different skills I want to acquire; so I decided when I was nineteen to make a bucket list and actively work on it as I live life. Here is my own personal list, which, consists of items I've completed, items that are in progress, and items that I plan to check off in the future. Those marked with an "X" are completed items, those marked with "IP" are in progress and those not marked at all are those I plan to eventually work on. So, without further ado: My Bucket list.<br />
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1) Work with inner city children X<br />
2) Get married to the love of my life X<br />
3) Have children X<br />
4) Travel to England X<br />
5) Go zip-lining X<br />
6) Visit Disney World X<br />
7) Stay on Disney property X<br />
8) Learn how to coupon X<br />
9) Run a 5k X<br />
10) Write a book (Woot!) X<br />
11) Learn Spanish fluently<br />
12) Go on a Disney Cruise<br />
15) Become a teacher IP<br />
14) Earn my masters degree<br />
15) Learn MMA<br />
16) Teach free women's self-defense classes<br />
17) Run a 10k IP<br />
18) Run the Disney Princess Half Marathon IP<br />
19) Become a higher education scholarship donor<br />
20) Go skydiving<br />
21) Visit Rome, Italy<br />
22) Visit all of the Disney Parks<br />
23) Pay off my house IP<br />
24) Take my nieces to Disney World<br />
25) Participate in a <i>Savage Race</i><br />
26) Be used to change a life X<br />
27) Make a difference in this world IP<br />
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Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen: My Bucket List! If you haven't already compiled your own list, I encourage you to do so.<br />
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As I stated earlier, life is too short to waste and before we know it, it will be gone.<br />
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Live life to its fullest and rock every part of it. Don't wait until it's too late, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Make your mark on the world and start working on it now. :)</span><br />
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So, now that you've read what's currently written on my list, share yours with us! Is there anything on mine that you've always wanted to do? Tell us in the comments below. :)<br />
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-Heather<br />
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-37847890256531096882015-02-07T23:09:00.002-05:002015-02-07T23:56:29.173-05:00How to Get a (Totally Awesome) Book Idea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Book ideas. Where do they come from? One word: imagination.<br />
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"Yeah, but, how do I use my imagination to think up a <i>whole </i>story, complete with characters, setting, plot, and the whole shebang?" you're probably asking yourself. "How do I get inspired with a book idea...you know, the kind that sell, Heather?"<br />
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The answer? You <i>use</i> your imagination!<br />
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Get this: you're walking to your cubicle and you happen to notice Chelsea- the new office intern, attempting to make copies on the "everything but the kitchen sink" copier. You see a confused look on her face as she tries to read the button labels. She leans in closer to try and figure out where the<br />
paper feeds into the machine and where it spews out the finished product. She lifts up the head and you witness a flash of light and then, she disappears. Nowhere to be found. Gone. Like she was never there in the first place. Even the clipboard and stack of papers she was holding with her left arm have vanished...<br />
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You figure you must actually be dreaming some strange recall of events from working long hours at the office today, because there's no way what you saw happen, actually just happened.<br />
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You walk over to the copier in order to prove to yourself that no one was even just there, by expecting to view a screen in hibernation mode. But to your surprise and horror, it's on, and it's anything from being blank. Written on the screen in front of you is a message that reads, "YOU'RE NEXT." </div>
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Like my little story idea I literally just made up while typing up this post for you? Want to know how I did it? I took an ordinary, maybe even boring setting and used my imagination to dream up something more exciting. Something that would take the ordinary, and make it into an extraordinary adventure. It may have been twenty years (or two days) since you watched a "children's" movie like <i>Peter Pan,</i> but that does not mean that you have the inability to think of a wonderful thought! Maybe even one that could produce a storyline, characters, setting, plot, and the whole shebang.<br />
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No, I don't believe that about you one bit. Here, let's practice and I'll prove to you once and for all that your imagination did not die with your childhood. ;)</div>
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<i>Imagine</i> yourself somewhere, anywhere, at any point in time and with anyone (or no one) of your choosing. (Take a few moments to answer each of these questions so that you're ready for the next step). Got a scenario in your head? Good. Now, begin to ask yourself questions about the picture you've created.</div>
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1) Where are you?</div>
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2) Who are you with?</div>
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3) What time of day is it? Month? Year? How old are you and the people around you? Younger than you are now? Older? The same age?</div>
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4) What's your current mood? Bored? Irritated? Happy? Relaxed? Worried?</div>
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5) Why did you picture this scene in your head? What's significant about it?</div>
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...and here comes the fun part: what-if?</div>
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The "what-ifs" are what dream up the story, plot, and characters. They are the fuel for your writing engine- what gets everything moving. It's what puts life into a lifeless "body." Or what we writers refer to as the milk in the milkshake. It's what fills the outline of the story, and there'd be no story without it. Are you beginning to understand how important what-ifs are to a book idea? Excellent! I knew you were brilliant! Let's try some together. </div>
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Take the scene you just created in your head and ask some what-if questions. </div>
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What-if someone suddenly appeared behind your car with a gun and told you that you didn't deserve to live. What-if they said that you needed to pay for the sins of the past and that they'd been dreaming of this day since you ruined their life, this same day, five years ago. What-if they shot you and when you "woke up" it was one hundred years into the future. You're lying in the same exact spot as you were when you were shot to the ground. People are standing around you asking if you're okay. They wear strange clothing and all have silver teeth. They're human, but you suddenly wonder where you are and why everyone appears so peculiar to you. The buildings you once knew to surround the area have been torn down and replaced with smaller, all-glass looking buildings, instead of the skyscrapers you once knew to litter the skies above you. What-if you started to try and sit up and noticed you were a woman instead of a man. (I'm not referencing reincarnation here, but instead some type of clever sci-fi explanation that you'd need to read on to learn what it was. ;) ) What-if?</div>
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Or think about this one: you're playing in the backyard with your younger brother as children and everything appears to be like any typical day in the backyard. That is, until he jumps off the side of the storage shed, attempting to fly by using the contraption you both just designed, and he actually <i>does</i> fly. Not because of the contraption however, because the wind broke it into a million pieces the moment it was thrust off the shed on your brother's back; but because your brother suddenly had wings that sprouted from his back and were gone again as fast as they'd come. What-if?</div>
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What-if your first love came back into your life after twenty-years of you being forced to move on without them? During your first encounter together they look at you like it was just yesterday you were in love and your stomach twists as they tell you that they'd been forced by their parents to skip town all those years ago, because of a dangerous criminal case they had testified against and that had landed themselves into the Witness Protection Program? What-if your first love standing in front of you still, only had eyes for you after all of these years? What will your fiancé think? What-if?</div>
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Are you catching my drift? Thoughts inspire imagination, and imagination causes more thoughts. It's a never-ending tool-bag for coming up with story ideas, planning out the plot and creating the characters, and the best part? All of us have one!<br />
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If your imagination is rusty, or severely out of shape, start exercising it again! Just like if you haven't jogged in years, it doesn't mean you can't, it just means you need to start reminding your body what the idea of jogging is again. They even have couch to 5k apps and great stuff like that to get you back on track to obtaining that fitness goal. ;) Your imagination is similar. The way to exercise your imagination is to start using it again, by noticing the scenes around you and asking the Who, Why, Where, What, and When questions. Then put that engine into full-force by adding the what-if fuel to it. </div>
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Interested in more tips for coming up with book ideas? Try these:</div>
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1) Take a walk and observe the life around you.</div>
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2) Listen to an old CD that's been gathering dust on your shelf ever since the mp3 player was first introduced.</div>
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3) Sit on a bench in a park, at a booth in a restaurant, or on your front porch and do some people watching. Imagine what may be going on in that perfect stranger's life and what their current struggles may be.</div>
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4) Watch a<i> Lifetime Channel</i> movie and think about how messed up humanity can be towards itself.</div>
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5) Write down a bucket-list for yourself and imagine if you were only given one more month to live. How would you spend that time? Would you be able to accomplish all of your goals before you kick the bucket? Who would you spend those last precious moments of life with and why? </div>
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I hope you were inspired today by reading my <i>totally</i> <i>awesome</i> post about how to get a book idea, and that you walk about inspiring someone else because you were inspired. ;) Are you feeling inspired now? Share your inspired thoughts with us in the comments below. :)</div>
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Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-5596267775422001342015-02-06T00:53:00.001-05:002015-02-08T23:47:59.892-05:00Once a Writer, Always a Writer <br />
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I've been a writer all my life. Not like the "I've been writing poems since I was six and had my first novel idea when I was eight," (although that's totally awesome for anyone who can say that!) type of writer. No, I've been a journaler (is that a word? Don't think so, but I'm going with it!) since longer than I can remember. I wrote about my first crush in a diary accessorized with a lock and key. I wrote about how I wanted to change the world (Yes, I was one of those weird kids that sat on the side of the tub one day and said to my mother, "Mom, I want to do everything right. I always want to make the right decisions and be a good person in this world," out of nowhere. My mom looked at me shocked, but impressed with such a statement coming out of a ten-year-old's mouth and said, "Right on! Sounds good to me!" Anyways, back to our topic here...). ;) I also wrote when I was upset, angry, excited, or just because it's what I did...write. And I did it daily. (Did I just start a sentence with "And?" Ahh the liberty of blogging...I can escape the bonds of written rules and be grammatically incorrect whenever I feel like it!)<br />
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Growing up, I also acquired a love for reading. <i>Goosebumps, The Babysitters Club,</i> and stories about famous historical heroes filled my bookshelves. I remember falling in love with my first novel in middle school, when I read <i>Fortune's Journey</i> by Bruce Coville. I was hungry for good works of literature-- ones that consumed me and left me thinking about them for days. The ones that took me on great adventures, right in the midst of my bedroom's four walls. The ones with epic characters that had qualities I admired, but that I could also relate with in other areas.<br />
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I read several more titles that upon finishing I felt compelled to own, so that I could have it in my collection for the day I'd "forget" the storyline and read it all over again (I still do that, and my friends and family still ask me why I must own each of them when "you'll only read them once!" and I still tell them over and over again, "I hate to break it to you, but I own them so that I could go back and read it one day, when I forget some of the details!) And then...my life changed forever.<br />
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I was in high school- a Junior to be exact, and I was assigned the book <i>1984</i> by George Orwell in English class. I became obsessed with the title...OBSESSED! My younger sister would glance at me and shake her head whenever I'd come up for air between paragraphs, with comments like, "What the heck? Are you kidding me? This is ridiculous! I can't believe they're allowed to do this! If I was them I'd..." as if I were having a heated conversation with a real-live person. Nope, I was fighting with the plot of a book that was written by imagination.<br />
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Then I read more titles from the Dystopian Genre of my school's library... <i>Fahrenheit 451</i> by Ray Bradbury, <i>Lord of the Flies</i> by William Golding, <i>Brave New World</i> by Aldous Huxley, <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i> by J.D. Salinger...you get the idea. I was consumed by the "what-ifs" of humanity really screwing up and trying to put itself back together again. I was haunted by the horror of their leaders making decisions with the "common good" in mind.<br />
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Then two years ago happened. I read <i>The Hunger Games</i> series and was horrified all over again, but inspired by it all. I cried over the idea of people in the Capitol being so obsessed over stupid things like (hideous) fashion sense, titles, money, and gossip, when people were being enslaved in the districts to provide for their every need in exchange for "protection." Yeah, okay.<br />
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I cried when Peeta and Katnis were at President Snow's lavish party for the new victors and the capitol citizens instructed them to drink a solution that would cause them to vomit everything they'd just eaten, so that they could go back to the banquet table and eat some more. I was angry because mothers were watching their babies die of starvation and knowing there was nothing they could do but stand by and watch. When children were summoned and forced to participate in "games" that would escort them to their nationally televised death. I was angry at such ideas and then I realized, that many citizens of the United States (although I love, love, love my country) are much like the people of the capitol. I've been to third-world countries and have fed, clothed, and helped people build roofs for their houses, dug holes for simple sanitation outposts and have seen orphans walking around dirty and in rags, with no hope of even acquiring their next meal. And here I am, thinking about what new outfit I'm going to purchase for the next social event in my life, or what designer purse I'm going to fork out a few hundred dollars for next. (I like nice stuff, but between the basic needs of people not being met and the correlation of one of <i>The Hunger Games' </i>underlying messages, it really got me thinking again).<br />
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I was inspired by George Orwell initially, then experiences in Kenya, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and then again by Suzanne Collins. I decided that one day, I'd like to write something that would inspire someone else...that would make them really think. I decided that one day, I would like to write something that I would want to read. Something that would have me on the edge of my seat and that would consume me long after I'd read the last page...and that's where my writers journey has me now. :)<br />
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In July (2014), I got my first plot idea. Then came the storyline, characters, and scene after scene...in a matter of hours. Once I had outlined my ideas for all three books in my series, I dove into sleepless nights of writing chapter after chapter. That is, until my University decided to reel us all back into reality to work towards earning our degrees. Lame...I know. So now I juggle finishing the last few chapters on the first installment of (you guessed it!) my dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA novel, between six college classes, my wonderful hunk-of-a-husband, three beautiful daughters, softball life, and training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2016, and of course, all of you wonderful people! I don't know where I find time for all of the priceless aspects of my life, but I guess I just believe that we make time for the things we want to do. So, if you're wondering how to become a writer, how to inspire people about the things you feel passionate about, or how to write the next bestseller, I'll tell you what they all have in common: a brain, an imagination, and something to write with. If you have all of these (which, if you're reading this right now I sure hope that you do!) I'd say you're in good shape to make it happen. ;) Needless to say (but I'm going to anyways), "Once a writer...always a writer."Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-60463640911133226452015-02-05T23:15:00.000-05:002015-03-09T22:06:26.511-04:00About<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First off, I want to say, "Welcome to <i>All About That Prose</i>!" My heart and my goal for this blog is to share my love for the written word by providing writing tips, promoting good reads (positive reviews only, no haters here!), and my own creative writing works. I love to talk story plots, "what-if" scenarios, and to learn about what fellow authors are working on; so feel free to share about your latest work of art! Also, if you have any questions or requests that you'd like for me to share about, post a comment and we'll get to brainstorming. Until then, happy writing!<br />
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~Heather<br />
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331548383271746675.post-74340913396304486562015-02-01T23:31:00.000-05:002015-02-07T23:39:15.755-05:00Tips For Promoting Your Book: Always Judge a Book By Its Cover<span class="Apple-tab-span"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;">"</span>Never judge a book by its cover..." that's what you were always told right? Grandma said it, Mom said it, your teacher said it, even the librarian said it and she spent forty hours a week in a room full of nothing but books. So why are your eyes focusing intently with a furrowed brow above them as you continue on to read this? Oh yeah, it's because I just told you to do the exact opposite of what you've always been told about books. Let me explain...<br />
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The thing is that as authors, we want our books to be read right? An idea comes into our head and we spend countless hours over the next year or so, plotting, writing, editing, and hopefully publishing our piece of art, in hopes that the story we had to tell will inspire someone with those same words we woke up with in the middle of the night. Those same words that brought our lovable characters to life. The ones who made us laugh, cry, and wish we could hang out with...as if they were real human beings and not just "people" we dreamt up and wrote down by imagination. We want others to be impacted by our creative writing, but how can we do that if countless passerby's reject the cover art that represents our beloved written words? Are you catching my drift now? ;) Our cover art is the most important tool we have that will be used to draw attention to what we've written...or not.<br />
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Imagine this: you walk into your local bookstore hungry to read something new, something relatable, something inspiring. You have an appetite for something to take you away from your glamorous (or not so glamorous) life-- if only by imagination, and you're searching for the perfect match that will catch your eye at any moment...in only a moment's time. You walk past the displayed books thinking that your remedy has got to be hidden in some nook or cranny near the back. You spend twenty minutes dragging your pointer finger along titles as you walk sideways down each aisle. You're about to let disappointment get the best of you and then you see it: it stands out like a sore thumb amongst all the other "best sellers" and you can almost hear it calling your name to waltz over and pick it up. You reach for it and proceed to read the title for the first time. It's compelling, mysterious, and full of wonder. The art is intriguing, and almost immediately you begin to ask questions about the small, rectangular shaped compilation of papers you now hold in your hands. Your elementary school teachers always told you and your classmates to ask questions before, during, and after you read a story. It was instruction back then, but holding this mysterious piece of work right now makes it come on more naturally than we blink without thinking about it. What's this about? Why are the characters glancing at this object like it's about to eat them? Where are they and what brought them to this place to begin with? You open up the cover and search for the synopsis, hoping that it will display the answers to some of your questions.<br />
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Then like hook, line, and sinker-- it's got you. Your hearts leaps with excitement as you stride towards the checkout line, anxiously anticipating what this story will tell you about how the plot will change the protagonist and if they will overcome their flaw or not. You wonder if the guy will get the girl, or if the girl will be too occupied by her own survival to prioritize the idea of a romantic relationship or not...like Katnis of The Hunger Games trilogy. Or if the guy who grew up neglected and alone, will learn that true friendship will help him overcome anything that life throws at him...maybe even Harry Potter? The thing is, that you picked this book up not because there was a huge billboard with lights strung across it screaming, "Pick me! This one has great characters, a great story and plot, and one that will satisfy your inner need to be fed by something that speaks louder than mere words." No, you picked it up because it had an intriguing cover. One that was worth walking over to, picking up, reading the title, and opening up to check out its synopsis. You picked it up because you judged that book by it's cover.<br />
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So, my fellow writers and soon-to-be authors, make sure that the cover art you assign to your masterpiece is one that will be enticing enough to grab your attention (from a reader's perspective) from a distance, and intriguing enough to cause you to ask yourself (again-- as a reader) questions about it; so much that you have no choice but to open it up and give it sixty more seconds of your valuable time. Make sure it's relevant to your story and worthy of the time you spent putting it together in the first place. No pressure though- it will just define how many people choose to be inspired by your creative writing and how many books you'll sell. ;) Until then, happy writing and in the words of my Father-in-Law and fellow author, "See you on the Bestseller's list!" :)<br />
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07082008044307659946noreply@blogger.com1