After a really hectic week, it was nice to go through my second BrainBook again in order to pick out some things for you guys to see. If I'm being honest, this was probably my favorite one to write because it was the thing that gave me hope after the whole Stage Crew ordeal. It forced me to focus on my dreams and on my stories, and honestly? If it weren't for BrainBook 2, a lot of interesting ideas I had would have been lost. This BrainBook is filled with optimism and it was here that I started analyzing writing as a craft that produced a book as its art. The summer before my senior year, I needed something to keep me hopeful, to keep me going. And between God, my little sister, searching within myself, and writing, I was able to make it through okay. Instead of talking again, I'm just going to post a BUNCH of pictures. Feel free to ask me questions about anything you see and be sure to look for the Commenting on Comments section if you left a response on the last post.
EDITED TO ADD: I've also been adding the Table of Contents so you can see what other pages I haven't included. If you want to see those, just ask! And if they're not too private, personal, or AWESOME BLOSSOM as my sister would say, I'll gladly snap a pic and show it. :)
Lots of love,
Deserae
Commenting on Comments
Sonal- Thank you, my dear, for thinking my taste in music is lovely! I like songs that have something to say. Usually, positive things, so I hope you love the groups as much as I do--- most of their music is equally amazing. :) Love ya much, and I ADORED your latest post. How inspiring, Love; thank you so much for sharing.
It's one of those days. One of those, "I have so much to do, but I'm not doing ANYTHING" kind of days. You know what helps me through those? Music. Oh sweet, sweet music--- how I love you so.
I've been up to things. SECRET things. SECRETY SECRET things that I want to (and have already) blab(bed) about because that's just the way I am. But music? It keeps me sane. It keeps me cool calm and collected. So here is some of the stuff I've been listening to, and as always, it'd be awesome if you checked out the artist and supported them if you like them!
1. All things "The Lighthouse and the Whaler"
You guys, I'm obsessed. I absolutely LOVE this group. My favorite songs of theirs are "White Days," "Windows," "The Stars and the Trees," "Under Mountain Under Ground," and "Always for You," but AGH! I love ALL OF THE THINGS! Here's one of their songs. Since I've already shared, "White Days," I'll pick a different one. If you like them, you can buy their album here. :)
2. "Bloom" by The Paper Kites
Keeping true to my love of folksy music, I find The Paper Kites truly magical, ESPECIALLY with this song. It's beautiful, whimsical, and they're an awesome group. You can tell they have fun making music together and seriously, their love for it shows when you listen to their stuff. If you like it, you can buy it here!
3. "Better Life" by Paper Route
Haha! I adore this song. It's different than the stuff they put out for their Absence album, but in a good way. It's... It's so optimistic and bouncy I honestly believe everything they say. I'm like, "YEAH! That's right!" Haha! Seriously, I jam to this song. :) If you like it, you can buy it here.
So hopefully those songs make your day progressively better. If not, I blame my love for folk music. If so, yay! I blame my love for folk music! Haha! Have a wonderful day you guys!
Love,
Deserae
Commenting on Comments
Rose- You're welcome, and I'm glad you're going to start a BrainBook of your own! You're right. A BrainBook isn't a boring journal. It's a chance to get down all of your ideas and a CHALLENGE to write more, to push yourself daily, weekly, or whenever the urge strikes you, to write SOMETHING. Hurray for the BrainBook! And good luck on your journey to becoming a better writer! It'll happen. Practice, though, makes (nearly) perfect. :)
Thank you for reading this. I hope it finds you well, and I hope you're reading it with an open mind. I also hope that you haven't been completely jaded by the realization that this dream of yours comes with a price. I hope that you haven't given up the gun just because you realized that there's a difference between a dream and reality.
Exhibit A
I am frustrated, Writer, and there are some things that we must talk about. Exhibit A (read from the bottom up) showcases some of these frustrations, but I want to expound upon them. Not everything can be said in 140 characters or less.
There are things you must know. First, you have to understand that if you're writing, you're doing it because you want to. It's not because you're expecting this to be the easy road to millions. You're not doing it because there is some mythical force or literal figure for-cing-you-to-DO-this. The thing that bothers me is that writers are creating myths--- dilusions--- that this is not something they signed up for willingly. Repeat after me: I am writing because I want to.
Exhibit B
Secondly, you have to realize that you must stop. Stop putting yourself in that place that convinces you that you're never going to get there. Stop telling yourself that every rejection means you're not worth anything; start learning from them(see Exhibit B). Stop hurting your chances at creating something great by dwelling on one thing horrible. Stop hurting yourself by pretending you can't become more. Stop limiting yourself by REFUSING to become more (Exhibit C).
Thirdly, you must know that writers write. Writers. Write. And they don't forget this fact any day of the year. Sometimes, we express this by writing thousands of words in a day. Sometimes, by writing hundreds of words. Sometimes we express that by writing one hundred words. Or a letter. Or a poem. Or a quick line here or there.
Exhibit C
But lastly, I want to make sure you understand you have every right to turn in the towel. You are always, at all moments, entitled to change your mind. To go after a new dream. To make a change in your life if that's really what you want to do. But you are NOT, under any circumstances, allowed to be a coward. You're not allowed to run away when your manuscript gets to a point that's a little tough, or when your faith in yourself is dwindling because you're comparing yourself and your accomplishments to those of others, instead of focusing on your visions, and your dreams.
It's okay to be frustrated sometimes. To angst and to whine about these frustrations to the only people who'll really understand--- to a bunch of other writers.
Exhibit D
But it's not okay to let the whining steal your joy. To let the bad spots make you lose sight of the fact that they're just dots in a picture of awesome. To let laziness cloud your judgement. To lose momentum long enough for it to become your excuse.
Because the thing is, Writer... YOU are your ONLY excuse. You are the only thing stopping that shining idea you have from becoming a finished product. You are the only person who doesn't believe that the thing you're working on isn't worth working on, and you're the only one who could change that if you wanted that fact to be different. Exhibit D showcases my BrainBooks. The reasons for my own writerly sanity. Tune in this Sunday, and I'll show you, Writer, the ways of The Book. But until then, find your own sanity. You are not alone, Writer, so please--- do me a favor--- and stop pretending that you are.
So this post is going to be about college and a phrase I use three times in the following video:
Yes. I totally named that video "Be Encouraged!" exclamation point and all. Even though looking back on it, it's not the most encouraging video in the world... The point I wanted you guys to take from it was this: that we all feel lost and confused sometimes. That it can frustrate the heck out of us in the moment. But that if we pursue our dreams and our wants and our passions with vigor, in the end, we'll be victorious. We just can't be afraid to see the project through.
The phrase you heard three times up there and the phrase I'm using (cough, cough, coining, cough) to sort of embody and speak for this mentality is called being encouraged to not be discouraged. And I'm probably going to go a little motivational speaker on you guys as I go through this, but college life is a good example of this philosophy. Of not taking no for an answer.
REALLY QUICKLY -------->
The picture over there is a snapshot of the essay I'm writing for my mandatory class. It's finished, technically, but I'm a little upset the last paragraph didn't fit and there's random punctuation flowing throughout its veins. But ANYWAY, in this essay we had to think about something in our personal style that we "stole" from something or sometime else. I wrote about my pearls and how I wear them to project a "lady-like" image and also connote that I'm a modern Wonder-woman.
OKAY. NOW WE'RE ROLLING...
My sister and her hubby dropping me off first day
When you're in college, you literally have to make every decision for yourself. The easy ones like when you'll wake up, where you'll go eat, who you'll hang out with for the day, where you'll do it, when you'll come home, etc. are pretty much the decisions you're already making in high school, but they're amplified now that your parents are away.
View of the forest near my apartment
Now that you're completely in charge, you really get to explore the following questions: What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? Where do I want to go? When do I want to get there? How am I going to get there? Why do I want this so much? And what's going to either stop me from getting what I want or help me get what I want? The questions don't need immediate answers, but they're always in the back of your mind. I was lucky. I kind of had a pretty good idea of a lot of the answers in high school, but now that I'm here, things like what I want are becoming a little blurry and how I'm going to get those things, blurrier still. But that's okay. I know, now, there are people here to help me. And while all of them REFUSE to just hand me answers (which is what I went into the office three times looking for!), all of them continued to try to nudge me in the right direction. In my opinion, they weren't nudging hard enough. But there was a nudge--- I felt the push--- and when I just decided to let go of their hand and jump, I found myself feeling a lot better--- more confident--- and now I'm in classes I love and am excited to be in.
Place where a baby deer was until I pulled out my camera
I felt lost for sure. I felt out of place and like the total stereotype of a freshman. Almost all of my apartment mates know exactly where they're going, they know the shortcuts, and they're not afraid to get lost. But me? I felt like the deer in the headlights. Confused. Out of place. About to die. Okay... so it wasn't THAT dramatic. But in the moment, it all felt so important. Like it was a sign from the heavens above that I wasn't meant to get to that freezing class after all. And maybe it was. I know it was, actually. Because now I'm in classes I love and WANT to be in. And that's the key thing here. Doing things you WANT to do. Not doing things you think you HAVE to do.
The bridge that takes me home
I just want to encourage you not to lose faith in yourself. To see that fork in the road and confidently set foot on the path you WANT to take. Don't hesitate. Don't doubt yourself even for a second. Because the thing is, there's going to be a day where you get to call all the shots. Start owning every decision, every step, every breath you make and take. This is your life. Own it. This is your shot. Take it. These are your dreams. Live them. And this is all you. So make it happen.
"Take a risk, take a chance, make a change,"
-Deserae <3
P.S. CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!! I want a "Encouraged not to be Discouraged" T-shirt, but I can't design anything! So if you want to make a design for me send it to scillafrederricks@hotmail.com and I'll get a shirt made for myself and the person who made the winning design! Make it happen, folks!
So today I was supposed to do a follow up to yesterday's post featuring my roommates. But I want to talk about something else instead and I want to start this off cara a cara (face to face).
Before We Begin...
Cyberbullying is a serious thing and it happens to a lot of people. I never, though, thought it could or would happen to me. I'm not saying this because I think I'm special; I'm saying this because I want to put it out there that the fact that it's randomly happening to me means that there is no doubt in my mind that it could happen to anyone. So if you feel like you're being victimized, know that I believe you. If you feel like you're being put down, know that there are others who are feeling the exact same way.
And this speel isn't just for those of us on the "victim" end. It's for people who may be on the "bully" end, too. Maybe you don't realize you're doing it... Maybe you don't know how much it hurts... But it does. And this post isn't going to console you. My hopes are that if you continue to read this, you'll be convicted to change the way you treat others online. Because imagine yourself on the other end. It doesn't feel good, and I hope that by the end of this, you'll see why.
I don't curse and I'm not trying to make anyone feel uncomfortable. So these are the words you'll see mostly in this post: attack, attacker, bullying, bully, and victim. These are strong, serious words, but cyberbullying is a serious offense. So let's get real, okay? And let's help each other be better people who can handle themselves in better ways.
My Story
I'm on a website.
Someone doesn't like what I say.
They take offense to it without letting me know they're offended.
They start talking about me on other social networks.
Their friends start hating me.
They feel justified in hating me.
The talking continues.
It's brought back to the original website.
There is a bang.
Without justifying the situation or the actions taken by both parties, I try to stop it.
Others intervene and the situation escalates.
Now, apologies for whatever it is I've done wrong (which I still don't know. STILL.) are in order, and also a firmer hand is needed to end the unnecessary hatred.
The someone "disappears" from the website, but continues to check in.
Every two seconds, I hear that the someone (who I thought was done and satisfied) is continuing to talk about me on other social networking sites.
I am now, not only offended, but hurt. And that's how I know this isn't just sillyness or in my head--- it's cyberbullying, and that, my friend, is serious.
What Crossing the Line Looks Like
Crossing the line from a silly argument or misunderstanding to full blown cyberbullying looks different for every situation, but here are some things I want to highlight because these are the things, in my opinon, that really separates the two:
Have you had repeated issues with the same person or group of people online?
Do you feel like they're attacking you collectively, or if it's a single person, do you feel like they attack you on a regular basis?
Do you feel like you're doing something wrong, even though you're the one being victimized?
Are you starting to feel afraid to check (social) websites because you're afraid "they" will be on or will have said something about you in your absence?
Are you being mentally and emotionally affected by what's being said about you?
Do you feel helpless or like no one cares or can stick up for you?
Look. I'm seventeen years old and have never had a problem like this before. But you know what? I can check off all of the things on that list, and this isn't just because I wrote the list--- it's because I've experienced this first hand. Age is just a number. Whether you're twelve or eighty-two, you can be a victim of cyberbullying or even the bully yourself.
Crossing the line means that a situation has gone from pettiness and human error to intentional attacks on a person to the point where mental and emotional stress is being put on another person.
We're all human. We all have the tendency to read into things the wrong way and feel the need to defend ourselves in any way we feel we can. And online, people do this by:
A. Cursing you out
B. Putting you down
C. Trying to turn the tables by making YOU feel like YOU'RE to blame
D. All of the above and more.
But the person who isn't a bully will see the error in that and apologize or will stop trying to hurt you for something that was silly. However, a bully will continue to attack you personally for reasons that usually have nothing to do with you.
What Makes a Bully and How You Can Stop Them
A bully is made of a person who:
A. Builds up defenses to protect themselves that end up hurting others
B. Likes to hurt others to keep up appearances or because it's in their nature
C. Is insecure and acts out to hide or appease these insecurities
D. Needs to put others down to feel like they're "on top"
E. Doesn't like someone and chooses to attack them physically, emotionally, or verbally
Acts of bullying include:
A. Calling someone out of their name
B. Refusing to stop taunting, teasing, talking about, or taking the time to manipulate others into disliking someone
C. Using your position, power, or privileges to take advantage of others
D. Doing something to intentionally hurt someone else
E. Egging on a situation, or making someone feel badly about themselves.
You can prevent bullying by:
A. Refusing to participate in acts of bullying
B. Engaging in the practice of standing up for people who you see are being bullied
C. Asserting yourself by standing up to bullies early on
D. Conversing civilly with the person you're having a problem with to try and rectify the situation
E. Tell someone--- anyone--- when all else fails so that you have someone to back and support you.
If You Think You're a Victim of Bullying or Cyberbullying...
Get help. Talk things out. Get support. Talk some more.
Seriously.
There's no reason not to. Because if you keep talking, I guarantee you someone will listen. And if you feel like no one else will, come to me, because I will and we'll get you some help.
If You Think You are a Bully but Want to Rectify The Situation...
Get help. Listen to what is being said. Get someone to listen back. Listen even more.
Seriously.
There's no reason not to. Because if you open your ears to hear, I guarantee you'll want to stop. And if you feel like you can't or that there's no forgiveness, come to me because I'll hear you out and we'll get you some help.
Because Seriously...
Bullying of any kind hurts. And cyberbullying IS bullying.
Believe it. Receive it. Correct it. Reject it.
A lot of times, I take myself for granted. I forget that I need to exercise to stay fit, eat to stay well, sleep to stay awake the next morning, and enjoy life to keep my perspective whole. But I mean, sometimes I really take my mind for granted. I get so bogged down by what I "can't" do, I forget there's a lot of stuff I can do while I'm learning and growing and developing mentally.
For example, I can write a darn good summary of events, but I often tell myself I "can't" come up with good dynamic plots. Today, though, I had to look at something I hadn't looked at in a while, and figure out how to make the plot more dynamic. So what did I do? I wrote a (fictional, but darn good) summary. And now I know where I'm going with this new version of this manuscript.
I've often told myself I'm not good at starting over. That I'm not good at editing for diddles or for squat. But I know that I can finish a project. I know that I can get from point A to inciting incident B to plot twist C to climax D to resolution E no problem. So although this manuscript needs to be done from scratch, it's building off of its predecessor, because no duh, Sherlock! If we finished it once, we can finish it again!
So dear project that's currently untitled but has to do with Anna, I'm not going to take myself for granted. I know that I can finish you, make you better, make you presentable. I've had faith in you since grade four when we first met, and I have faith in you, now, two weeks before I leave for college to start my so-called life. I love you, Annabee... And I'm not taking myself for granted this time, because we need to get 'er done.
And for those of you who want to get to know my MC, stop back by on Saturday where I'll be taking a pic of my screen for you. It's a first person narrative so I'm sure you'll get a sense of her no matter where I snap the pic. BUT! If you just can't wait 'til then, here's a lyrics video of the song "My Mirror Speaks" by Death Cab for Cutie. I think Anna feels like this about herself a lot through the story, so if you can relate to the song, you've already got something in common with the girl I'm about to spend the next two weeks of my life with uncensored.
I'm trying to make a conscious effort to keep my fingers on the keys. Therefore, I give you the following blog features I intend to do every Xday from here until the end of September:
Monday Mayhem
Probably sounds more exciting than it is, but I'm going to make it my intent to blog every Monday about something that's been on my mind for the week. For example, this week if I were doing a Monday Mayhem blog (which, I'm not because *whew!* I'm doing THIS blog. Hehe!), I might talk about the fact that headaches have been on my mind since I've had a different one for the past three days or so. Luckily, starting next week these things are going to be of a more philisophical nature, and if you want to participate, just let me know in the comments and I will link to your blog somewhere in my post. Who knows? Maybe your mayhem will inspire something from me!
Quick-Write Wednesdays
Originally called One-Liner Wednesdays. But I thought it over and I figured, any prompt is a good prompt. A few girls from Lisi's blah-g and I are starting this meme where we provide a prompt for each other on Wednesday and have to complete a short piece from it by the end of the day. We can write whatever we want: poetry, a short script, a short story, the first chapter of something we hope will be longer--- WHATEVER. But if it's kind of long, we post the complete piece to Figment and put an excerpt plus a link to the complete project up on our blogs, PLUS linkage to the other participants' blogs so you can check out all the goodies that our Wednesdays have produced.
You can't suggest a prompt this Wednesday, but check out our Wednesday Writes this week so you can make a suggestion for next weeks' prompt. And, again, if you'd like to participate, please let me know in the comments, so I can add you to the ever-growing list of our meme supporters. :]
Screenshot Saturdays
Which is a lot like Teaser Tuesdays. Snap a quick photo of your current WIP and then find a photo (or snap another) of something that's inspiring you to write, something that reminds you of the scene you're working with, or of something that's keeping you sane while you're busting out your projects! This post requires no words--- a HUGE reason why I'm going for it--- but feel free to let us know how awesome (or not so awesome) you're feeling at the moment you snap the photo. I am a fan of commentary. :] As I've stated before, I will link to anyone else participating so let me know in the comments...
And that's it! Three days of blogging. People, we can do this. :)
It's crazy. I am seventeen years old and caught up in the Writing Game. And seriously Sara Shepard? I think this is more dangerous than anything in which Aria or Sutton ever got involved.
Because despite its misleading title, the Writing Game isn't even a game at all. Yet it's the most competitively played, most psychologically tempermental sport I have ever willingly signed up for.
From the moment you put your pen to paper with the intent to "write a book," insecurity sets in. And I know this because I have virtually been to every writing blog, writing site, writing conference (in LA) and never once have I met an author who claimed total confidence. So from the moment you start (and even before that! When the seed called an idea is planted in your brain!), this little voice works its way into the back of your brain. And it might not become audible until you finish the first chapter, or get your first brain freeze, or hit the 30,000 word mark, or finish the first draft thinking it's perfect to later realize it... wasn't.
It's all part of the game. With insecurity comes self-doubt, and that's when most of us start looking around for all the advice and writerly info we can possibly digest. This part of the game seems to be helpful (and sometimes, really is), but some of the players get stuck in the "what else have you got?" phase. Which results in never finishing that first draft. Never getting it to a decent draft. Never polishing it to near perfection. Never finding the agent that could possibly fall in love with it.
Some take what they learn, though, and they move into the revision phase. Which makes us feel either completely unintelligent for having such sucky first drafts, or completely relieved that we had the chance to fix up the craziness before submitting. Revising tends to take longer. Much, much longer because we want to reach perfection. And some of us get stuck here because the manuscript can't ever be perfect. Because it's "not ready yet." Because other things get in the way. Because we start to wonder if we were meant to be in the pool of people who never will be published, traditionally or otherwise.
And some start to query, the mounds of rejections so discouraging they decide to fold. Or the good news of a new author's new book being so new and fabulous that you feel as if you may as well give in now.
Agh. It gets so weird talking about it like this. Because, in hindsight, writing is just something I want to do. It's not a competition. It's not a game. It's not what we're set up to believe it is. It's got an entire industry behind it, sure, but that's not all it is. Writing is the art of telling a story with ink. It's worth the hard work, the dedication, the blood, sweat, and tears. And if you don't think it is, then don't do it! There's so much more out there for us as human beings with creativity and imagination. Find what's right for you, and just love it.
Okay?
Follow the dreams that your heart longs for most,
Deserae McGlothen
The truth about contests, as in Life or anything else you want to succeed in, is that you've got to be in it to win it. Yeah, I mean that figuratively in the "if you want something badly enough, it'll come to you!" way, but, really, what I'm want you to get away from this post is that, you've literally got to put yourself out there if you hope to get what you want.
Have you ever heard the old saying, "ask and ye shall receive?" If you've read the Bible or know anyone whose spiritual, you've probably heard this a lot in your youth. At the core of this philosophy is the thought that, if you really want something, you'll request it. (I'll tell you a story about that in a little bit.) There's nothing wrong with asking. You won't be penalized for commenting, or filling out a form, or querying, or whatever. Because before you asked, you had a 0% chance of getting what you wanted, but as soon as you put yourself out there, you increased your chances of getting a yes by 50%. Of course... depending on what you've asked for, your chances could increase or decrease statistically speaking, but... uh... I'm gonna jump into that story now.
There was some gift giving holiday coming up. I forget if it was Christmas or my birthday to be honest. But there was a book I really wanted and my mom knew I wanted it. She asked me, though, if there was anything else she should "keep her eye on" while she was out, but I (thinking she'd already picked up Charlie Bone Book 5) told her that there wasn't anything else I could think of. You see where this is going, right? I open my gifts to find said book missing from my loot pile. I was disappointed, sure, but my mom just said, "Well you didn't ask!" as if that was an excuse for not getting the book I was really looking forward to reading.
I've been having a lot of luck lately with contests and things, but it's because I put a lot of faith in the "ask and ye shall receive" mantra. God handles the things that need to be handled for me; and all I have to do is ask him to.
There's a wonderful word in this world called maybe, and I've learned to embrace it for all that it is.
Maybe is not a no, so when I ask my mom if I can go to an author signing in La Habra and she says, "Maybe," I try not to throw hissy fits anymore or blame her for ruining my life.
Maybe is almost a yes, so when my sister asks if she can borrow my blazer and I tell her, "Maybe," I notice that she smiles and leaves me alone for a while. I always give in despite the fact that everyone tells her she looks great in it, and I haven't gotten compliments on it in two flipping years.
Maybe means thought is being given, so when my teachers start the class with, "Well, maybe..." I can tell they're considering giving us a break. And I find that I'm beyond grateful that they even took the time to consider this. They could have started the class with "Page three hundred and ninety-four," without thought for my feelings or of what I wanted to do. So when I hear maybe, I'm thankful. Very, very thankful.
Maybe is a good thing. It spares you outright rejection. I've been rejected before and it hurts. Maybe, at least, shows you there was something that attracted a person to you in the first place. Maybe means there's something they liked enough to not just walk away, and maybe that's a good thing don't you think?
Maybe's full of hope. Hope for what could be only had a fifty-fifty chance before maybe stepped in. It's opened a whole can of possibilities. Possibilities beget opportunities, and opportunities, as you know, are hard to come by. There's hope in some words, but not so much as there is in a maybe. Maybe that's just a coincidence. But maybe--- maybe it's not.
I have a thought for you. It starts with a "what if." What if you embraced maybe for all that it is? Maybe it'll help you take pride in yourself, your writing, and the maybes you come by on a daily basis. Here's another: what if you started to appreciate them and open yourself up to the possibilities a maybe presents to you? There's something big attached to the whole "positive thinking" thing. The cards are in your favor so long as you remember you've already turned the tide. Maybe you should try it. Tell me how believing in the power of the "maybe" works out for you.
Long time no see. It's been longer than I wanted it to be (and ohemgee! I have a mini blog series I TOTALLY wanted to finish and must finish some time soon!), but I thought I'd come by and share something I read today.
You see, there's a lovely lady called Rachel Vail (author of IF WE KISS, and the LUCKY, GORGEOUS, BRILLIANT books) and she's put up a post about a trick she uses to overcome writer's block. Although I won't go into the logistics of it, I thought I'd share about my recent ventures into editing my latest WIP because I feel that maybe, just maybe, it'll be theraputic to talk about.
I've been working with this project for at least a gillion (eight) years, so I know the characters, the plot, and the flaws inside-out. In this draft, the rough edges have been smoothed, the humor has been amplified, and it's good--- that is until we hit chapter eight. Chapter eight is where I've gone dark. Where the elusive (imaginary) writer's block has reared its ugly head. Up until this point, it's been all about rearranging, subtractions, multiplications, a little bit of division and some slight additions but CHAPTER EIGHT is kicking my butt. Why? Because now, it doesn't exist. There's chapter seven. There's chapter nine. And in between there is this hole the size of Jupiter, saying, "What now?" and I'm staring at it wondering the exact same thing.
But then I read Rachel's post, and, to some, that simple exercise may not mean much, but it was like the light in the darkness that made me say, "I know what to do" and my manuscript answered, "Whoopee! Let's do it!" Short exercise, nothing much to it, but the right something to get me motivated.
It's nothing secial but I'm writing a book, and what I've learned on the blogosphere is that to do so, one must actually WRITE. So here is my word of encouragement to you: write, Baby, write; you won't ever regret it (and can always edit it later).
BTW, that video up there is not for the faint of heart. Watch it at your own risk. :)
I pride myself on two things: being a writer and being a thinker. Being a thinker doesn't make you a writer, but as a writer, inherently, you've got to be something of a thoughtful person. And no, I don't mean "thoughtful" as kind here; I mean thought-full--- full of philosophies, opinions, and ideas that mold who we are on and off the paper.
So in the spirit of being one who thinks and one who writes, I think I will write something encouraging to you all, in the form of a four part series called BEING WRITER, a lesson (or a reteaching, rather) on what makes us writers in the simplest form of the word. This isn't called BEING AUTHOR--- this series isn't professional and it's not going to get you published. What it is going to do is encourage you. Motivate you. Slap you around a few times and then slap you again. Remind you that writing is a way of life (and sometimes, life, itself) before it becomes a career. BEING WRITER is about you; it's about all of us individually and collectively. And the four pieces that I'm going to elaborate on starting Monday of next week (Feb. 7th) are the four things that I've been meditating on for the past week or so as I attempt to understand who I am in this relationship I've invested in for the past who knows how many years of my life. Writing starts with you and starting Monday, I am going to reveal my thoughts on how to ensure that your foundation is set before, during, and after you set out to write that first draft.
Projects keep me going, People,
Deserae McG
P.S. The official schedule for BEING writer looks like this:
Monday: How to Write a Novel
Tuesday: Why we Write and What Inspires Us.
Wednesday: Handy Dandy Notebooks
Thursday: Who we be
And guess what! Tomorrow's Friday! Check back in for the first installment of my short story blog series!
After a really hectic week, it was nice to go through my second BrainBook again in order to pick out some things for you guys to see. If I'm being honest, this was probably my favorite one to write because it was the thing that gave me hope after the whole Stage Crew ordeal. It forced me to focus on my dreams and on my stories, and honestly? If it weren't for BrainBook 2, a lot of interesting ideas I had would have been lost. This BrainBook is filled with optimism and it was here that I started analyzing writing as a craft that produced a book as its art. The summer before my senior year, I needed something to keep me hopeful, to keep me going. And between God, my little sister, searching within myself, and writing, I was able to make it through okay. Instead of talking again, I'm just going to post a BUNCH of pictures. Feel free to ask me questions about anything you see and be sure to look for the Commenting on Comments section if you left a response on the last post.
