Words On Repeat

For that trait NOT to fall totally flat, one or more of these things need to happen:

The trait exacerbates a situation in a bad way. (An extremely honest and trusting character reveals an important secret to the Big Bad’s lackey)

The character is given a choice to either act according to their traits or to subvert them. Often the subversion has the better outcome. They either maintain their trait and take a risk, or character development ensues. (A greedy character must escape. Leaving behind their riches goes against their very being, but it would allow them to escape easier. If they try to take some of their treasure with them, they do so at massive risk.)

 The character is put in an environment or must work with a person that opposes their trait. (An extremely tidy person must live in their slob cousin’s filthy apartment for a week. / The character has a debilitating fear of being alone and they are stranded on their own on an island.)

You almost never hear a Millennial say “you’re welcome.” At least not when someone thanks them. It just isn’t done. Not because Millenials are ingrates lacking all manners, but because the polite response is “No problem.” Millennials only use “you’re welcome” sarcastically when they haven’t been thanked or when something has been taken from/done to them without their consent. It’s a phrase that’s used to point out someone else’s rudeness. A Millenial would typically be fairly uncomfortable saying “you’re welcome” as an acknowledgement of genuine thanks because the phrase is only ever used disengenuously.

Baby Boomers, however, get really miffed if someone says “no problem” in response to being thanked. From their perspective, saying “no problem” means that whatever they’re thanking someone for was in fact a problem, but the other person did it anyway as a personal favor. To them “You’re welcome” is the standard polite response.

meowkattack asked: I love your blog so much! Currently I am looking for new things to read by my tastes vary- so I wanted to ask, what are your personal top 10 favorite books?

I could seriously list hundreds of my favorite books, but I am going to try really hard to give a clear top 10 just because I feel like I should be able to! Here are mind- I’d love to see yours (and anyone else’s who wants to share!) Cheated a little with the series but I can’t pick from within them haha!

1. Favorite from Childhood: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2. Favorite Mystery: Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman

3. Favorite Classic: Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

4. Favorite Romance: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

5. Favorite Young Adult: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 

6. Favorite Thriller: The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

7. Favorite graphic novel: Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore

8. Favorite Poetry collection: B by Sarah Kay

9. Favorite underrated novel: Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel

We’re Jewish, Father said. So we don’t believe in Christ. If God wanted us to worship Jesus He would have arranged for us to be born into an Italian family. I have nothing against Him. He was probably a very nice man. You have to give Him credit for trying. A lot of people still believe He’s the Son of God. I don’t know what He had against His real father. But if you ever did that to me, said you were someone else’s son, I’d be insulted.

Hi!  So for blackout poetry I usually like to use newspaper because I find it’s easier to craft with news stories and I like the look and feel of it, but today all I had were Teen Vogue circa 2013 (the one direction issue) and Poets and Writers, circa January/February 2013.  I feel like books would be great too, but it’s best to use something disposable.

First, I flip through the magazine/newspaper and find an article I think would be good.  That’s the hardest part, in my opinion.  I read through the entire thing.

Then, if I see something that catches my eye, maybe a phrase or something, then I make little marks in the article, like this:

Black out poetry is great for writer’s block because you don’t control what the poem is about or when it starts or ends.  By this point, I usually have an idea of what I want the poem to say, but that idea changes based on the words there.  I keep going until the article ends or I don’t think I can work it into poetry anymore.

I did these two short ones just to show, but there are much better examples if you look.  Black out is great for writer’s block because sometimes you’ll end up with new phrases you can incorporate into a bigger piece, if you choose.  I hope this helped!  Let me know how this goes for you!

I thought of you when I heard that song you liked I thought of you when I saw your name written I thought of you when my stomach dropped As I listened to that song As I saw what you’d wrote

I thought of you when I thought of something else Only to realise that I’d like to tell you about it I thought of you when I cried on that thought As I remembered why I can’t As I knew again love only went one way

Many budding–and established–writers have day jobs that prevent them from dedicating their days to their writing. How can you use your free time to turn your writing into something substantial? What’s the solution to that pressure? Adjust your time management skills to maximize the time you do have to create something you can be proud of.

Control what you can.

Let go of what you can’t.

Enjoy writing and the passion will show through.

1. Outline and plan.

Make a do-to list of unfinished projects or revisions. Check your list regularly and decide where to spend your time. Use a calendar to track your progress and work toward your goals. Sounds like an obvious step, but seeing it written down will help you see the gaps that need to be filled.

2. Prioritize.

80% of your accomplishments will come from 20% of your efforts. Learn to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t getting you closer to your goal. If you want to write a novel, focus on novel writing, not poetry and short stories. Know where you want your career to go and take the measurable steps to get there. There are only so many hours in a day. When you go to bed at night you want to know you’ve done everything you can to feel good about your writing.

3. Set deadlines.

Is there a writing contest coming up that you want to submit to? Focusing on working backwards from a deadline can help your motivation and feel like you are working towards something exciting. Not only will you know someone is waiting to read your work at the end, but you’ll also set yourself up for small ego-boosting achievements that let you know ‘yes, youcan do this.’

4. Organize a block of time when you can’t be interrupted.

Close the door. Leave a note. Set up a time every day or every week that is for writing and writing only. If others respect your time, you will too.

5. Have a ‘room of one’s own.’

Set up a work desk that is for writing and writing only. That way your routine is inherent: when you sit down at this desk, it’s writing time. If you share a desk with a partner, try to keep things organized in folders (digitally and physically) so that you can get right into your work instead of clearing off someone else’s things.

6. Let yourself have social (media) time.

Breaks are part of productivity. It’s okay to go on Twitter, blog about what’s on your mind, and update your Facebook status. When you take regular breaks you’ll be more focused when you settle back in. Not only online, social activity can spur on your writing too: join a critique group, go to coffee with a fellow writing friend, join a writers’ guild, or attend a writers’ conference. You’ll find others have the same hobby and want to talk about it too.

7. Stay flexible.

Working smarter isn’t about putting your blinders on. There is a fine line between defending your procrastination and using your prioritizing to get a project done. Life is the messy bits, there will always be things that get in the way of achieving what’s important to you. Knowing when to give and when to take is part of being a successful person–and a successful writer. If you start to skip your carved our ‘writing time’ ask yourself: “Did I choose the right time of day to write? What is my body clock telling me?” If you aren’t a morning person, a 6am wakeup call to write isn’t going to help you. Maybe you need to use your lunch break from work to write? Maybe you need to write after your kids have gone to bed?

“Effective goal setting is about constant ‘check ins’ and making sure your writing plan is right for you.”

8. Lean on your support system when you need to.

Ask your family do mow the lawn, do the dishes, or other household tasks. If your support system can help unload some pressure, you’ll be more free to focus on your passion. Get hungry for that ‘me’ time.

9. Plan Ahead.

MUST READ:

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried falls on our top 5 collection of short-stories in our book shelf. We read this a couple of years ago and always recommend it to young and mature readers. It’s impossible to disregard O’Brien’s brilliance, whether war fiction peaks your interest or not. 

It is best described as a collection of stories about a platoon of men during the Vietnam war which blur the lines of reality. Infused with magic realism, it’s a memoir and metafiction. Sometimes it’s hard to separate the objective truth from what is actually happened. Do not be manipulated by O’Brien’s story-telling technique. He successfully manages to confess and evoke the horrors, the fear, the shame of the Vietnam war. The Things They Carried is nothing short of a a lyrical masterpiece. The Things They Carried is a testament of what the human soul on fire can endure and survive. 

Get the book here!

Read excerpts from the book here!

Download 700+ FREE eBooks here!

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks!