In this day and age, we all should have learned, not to punish one person's wrong against the rest of society as a whole. But sadly, we have not.
We look at one person's wrong, and then judge the basis of others off one person's actions.
Welcome to America.
There are a lot of uneducated people out there about the meaning of the Confederate flag. This, alone, should speak volumes.
However, it does not.
People are so quick to judge and not realize the facts. Truth.
Who are we? Who and what is America? We all know that "Americans" were not the first people. Hell, parts of America weren't even America! Florida was Spain. Texas was Mexico. (That's just the top of my head, I'm sure there's more, but it's too early and I haven't had my coffee yet)
The rest of "America" belonged to what we now call Native Americans. In other words, Savages. They are the true owners of this land.
What erks me, the American Blacks, still continue to this day to blame whites for what was done. But if you read back in earlier times, women and children were the first slaves in other parts of the countries. If you really read the history books, (the ones NOT taught in school) women, children and Savages were sold, traded, and used as slaves.
Women are told - It didn't happen to you, get over it.
Blacks are told - We're so sorry, we'll make it up to you.
Savages are told - You don't have to follow our laws.
Yet, no one has been fully compensated. In a way it does not matter. I could only trace my family tree back so far. From what I've gathered, I'm Italian, Polish, Native American, and a mixed mutt.
Did I enslave your people? No. Both blacks and savages alike. Why? My dad's, mom's parents came over from Poland. I'm the 3rd generation born in America. Grandma was born in the early 1900's. The Civil War ended in 1865. It ended a good 40 years before my grandmother was born and she's the first generation to be born on American soil.
My grandfather (my dad's, dad) - his past is a mystery. So it's under speculation.
My mom's mom, same with them, but, my mom's, mom from Italy. Again, a good 40 years after the war had ended. My grandfather, again, all I'm told is he was a mutt from the North.
So, according to my history, did my people enslave your people? No. Did savages enslave your people? No. Did whites enslave your people? Yes. Did blacks enslave other blacks? Yes.
I understand why, to a degree. However, many blacks are calling themselves African Americans when they have no ancestry to Africa. The list is too long, Europe, Rome, Ireland, well, just google it. So before you call yourself African, are your ancestors really from Africa?
We're in this day and age to where racism should be a thing of the past. But it's not. Why is that? Because people keep segregating themselves.
I am an American. My roots are from there, I believe in this, and follow that.
How I see it, this world we live in, is trying to be a new America. They want to take over a land that belongs to someone else, and make their own laws. Granted that's how it was done in the past. That's why you have the wars we had.
We are America and we work together to become great. Not fight against one another to create more enemies and sides.
There should be no right wing/left wing. Democrat/Republican, it should be "the people" and that's it. (I'll get into that in another post)
Back to my original post, the Confederate Flag, what does it stand for?
Don't tell me, "It stands for slavery." Because another person will come back with, "It stands for voicing ones opinion and standing up for it." Just because the flag goes against what "you" think/believe, doesn't mean that it's wrong or right. You have your views, just like the next person has their views.
(See, how confusing it can become?)
Not all people in the south hate the flag. Not all people from the north see the flag as something horrible. The way I see it, (whether you agree or not) are those who want the flag gone, it will not change anything. Nothing. Nadda. Zilch. If you believe that flag is horrible to fly for your believes, what about those who fly their nationality flags? Should they be banned, too?
If you're going to say, North has won, and everyone should be under the American Flag, (which I would somewhat agree) then why not raise stink about every other flag flown?
Why is there even a Flag to begin with?
To symbolize our beliefs, our nationality, where we come from, who we are. But who we are today, our ancestors is just a small part. We define who we are. I respect the fact you want to fly your countries flag on America's soil. Do I like it, eh, it all depends on WHY you're flying it. If you want America to be more like your country, well, then go back and fix your own country, stand up to your people and stop hiding behind us. If you are flying it because it is a part of who you are, you don't want to forget where you came from, what you've done to get to where you are, you have my respect.
It works in all ways. A muslim flag flying, may stand for terrorism. Does it? It's on that individual who is flying it.
We as a society has failed when we're more upset at a particular flag flying, over the nation's flag that has been burned.
These are my before coffee thoughts. As most of them were my late night thoughts as well.
We, as a society should not be concerned with the what: what a person is holding/wearing/etc we should be concerned with the why. Why did he do what they did? It's science. We are taught that in school at a young age. But we don't apply anything to what we've learned. We create new sciences that are unsupported. And downright stupid.
I always hear out everyone (to the best I can) because that's how one learns and see things. They have to listen with an open mind, and a closed mouth to fully hear.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Another day
June 23, 2015
It's amazing how some people want something, and when it's standing in front of them, they don't do anything about it. Like, they want a divorce. All they have to do is take care of some things and wahlah! They're no longer married to that person.
But, yet, they don't.
Why is that? Did they realize they made a mistake and looking for a way to correct it? Do they not want the divorce because they're trying to find a way to keep hold of the other person to control them?
I may not be a free woman according to the government. But, spiritually, I am a free woman.
It does not bother me on way or another. The longer they take, the more they will have to pay. When they say some will never learn. When standing in front of the judge and they start crying about how they can't afford it, the judge isn't going to care, because it would have taken them nothing to take care of the issue from the start. I'm not in a rush, and I'm not worried. They've done be a huge favor by doing what they did. The truth always speaks. And, shortly, it's going to be screaming. Sadly, the only thing that will save them is if they do what they need to do right now. But, yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. They're too lazy.
It's amazing how some people want something, and when it's standing in front of them, they don't do anything about it. Like, they want a divorce. All they have to do is take care of some things and wahlah! They're no longer married to that person.
But, yet, they don't.
Why is that? Did they realize they made a mistake and looking for a way to correct it? Do they not want the divorce because they're trying to find a way to keep hold of the other person to control them?
I may not be a free woman according to the government. But, spiritually, I am a free woman.
It does not bother me on way or another. The longer they take, the more they will have to pay. When they say some will never learn. When standing in front of the judge and they start crying about how they can't afford it, the judge isn't going to care, because it would have taken them nothing to take care of the issue from the start. I'm not in a rush, and I'm not worried. They've done be a huge favor by doing what they did. The truth always speaks. And, shortly, it's going to be screaming. Sadly, the only thing that will save them is if they do what they need to do right now. But, yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. They're too lazy.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Bipolar and life
I am fully aware of my condition.
I am an extreme manic bipolar.
I am not medicated.
Sometimes I can't adhere to life. My swings are worse than the bravest daredevil. No matter how much I try to control them, I can't. No matter how much I try to control my thoughts, I can't. No matter how much I try not to view something as it is, I can't.
And that's alright.
The reason I try not to view something as it is, is because I know that's how it's meant to be viewed. I don't want my thoughts controlled because I wouldn't be able to write. My swings are well, wish those could be controlled.
It is not that I don't trust myself, it's I don't trust others. In some ways I don't trust myself because of the reasons of why I don't trust others.
I'm blunt and many hate my ways for that. I would rather a sin than live a holy lie. At the end of the night, I don't regret anything I've done.
The thing I've realized, my condition is getting worse. I've come to terms with that. It does scare me in a way. I don't want to be like this. But I'm even more scared to change.
Why? Because I love myself for who I am. Would I be changing for who I am? Or would I be changing because it's how the world wants to see? That question I don't have the answer to yet.
I was proud to admit that I passed the depression side. However, I haven't. I wasn't fooling myself. It's just how things are. I want to cry but not for the reasons one would think. Or even be able to comprehend. I want to cry because the story is at a standstill.
Writing is all I am. If I can't write, I feel like a failure. I need to overcome that by myself. Here's to step one...not sure what that step is yet. But I will work on it. Right after I complete the next 75 stories...
I am an extreme manic bipolar.
I am not medicated.
Sometimes I can't adhere to life. My swings are worse than the bravest daredevil. No matter how much I try to control them, I can't. No matter how much I try to control my thoughts, I can't. No matter how much I try not to view something as it is, I can't.
And that's alright.
The reason I try not to view something as it is, is because I know that's how it's meant to be viewed. I don't want my thoughts controlled because I wouldn't be able to write. My swings are well, wish those could be controlled.
It is not that I don't trust myself, it's I don't trust others. In some ways I don't trust myself because of the reasons of why I don't trust others.
I'm blunt and many hate my ways for that. I would rather a sin than live a holy lie. At the end of the night, I don't regret anything I've done.
The thing I've realized, my condition is getting worse. I've come to terms with that. It does scare me in a way. I don't want to be like this. But I'm even more scared to change.
Why? Because I love myself for who I am. Would I be changing for who I am? Or would I be changing because it's how the world wants to see? That question I don't have the answer to yet.
I was proud to admit that I passed the depression side. However, I haven't. I wasn't fooling myself. It's just how things are. I want to cry but not for the reasons one would think. Or even be able to comprehend. I want to cry because the story is at a standstill.
Writing is all I am. If I can't write, I feel like a failure. I need to overcome that by myself. Here's to step one...not sure what that step is yet. But I will work on it. Right after I complete the next 75 stories...
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
A little more about writing...
No two authors are the same. REMEMBER THAT!
Do not compare yourself to what someone else can do.
I've run across more than one "author's blog" saying pretty much the same thing.
*Is writing a long grueling road?
Yes. Anyone can write a manuscript. It doesn't mean that it's done.
*Do you have to be "born" with the gift?
I don't know. It's hard to say. Some just happen to find it sooner than others. As much as I loved writing as a kid, (thanks to the non-supportive teachers I had), I hated to write. I didn't find I could do what I could until I was in my early thirties.
*Do I need to write every day?
Why are you asking others what YOU should do? Writing is an art. If it comes to you, don't let that slip away. Here in the author world, we call that writer's block. Some blocks go away faster and some tend to linger for awhile. (That's why we're so insane)
*Do I need to know what to write about?
Eh, a general idea is helpful. If you write about your basic thoughts, so what? Maybe something will come to you. Again, I'm NOT you! For me, it could be one sentence someone says, a nagging thing that was said in the past and I just remembered it as I crawl into bed, it could be one word, and entire story will spark. You can't make fire if you there's no spark.
*What I have, doesn't make any sense.
Maybe it's not supposed to. I don't know. Again, I'm not you. Maybe it'll make sense later. I had a saga just like that. I started writing my thoughts and then, boom, there was a plot.
*My first draft sucks. I'm a horrible writer.
Really? Practice never makes perfect. Practice always makes you better, but never perfect. Perfection means there's nothing to change. There's always something to change when you write. That's what a first draft is, a first draft. It lets you see what could be added, taken out, or whatever. You're not going to turn in your first draft of a homework assignment without having it checked. Why would it be any different for a rough draft of a manuscript?
*Your hero or heroine, make them do the impossible.
Cough, cough. The stupidest shit I've ever read. If they are sitting in a classroom and a fire breathing dragon comes in, is that that realistic? And, I'm not saying to keep it realistic. If your book is about living with dragons, okay, than that's perfectly acceptable. However, if it's in today's age, what relevance is that for the main character to fight a dragon in the middle of a class? If the danger is not supposed to be there, don't add it. Don't go overboard on something that's not meant to be thrown overboard. If you talk about the main character battling through things that are unrealistic in the book, your readers may feel lost as to why you added them in there in the first place.
*A character popped up that wasn't supposed to.
Great! I sincerely mean that. That's great writing when the story is forming as you're writing it. Some writers go off outlines. I can't. Things happen to where it makes it nearly impossible to stick to the outline. So, I don't do outlines. I go off that one word, sentence, thought and run with it and can't finish it until it's complete. Since I do type so fast, and plug away at it, morning, noon and night, I have nothing to forget. But that is me. If an outline works for you, use it. There is nothing wrong with that.
*Your book should be great if you want to devote the time to write it.
Eh, WRONG! So wrong on so many levels. Great is left up to the person writing the story - YOU! You want to write about frogs, then write about it. It doesn't fascinate me, and most likely I'll never pick it up to read it. But that's only me. I'm one person. Who cares. What will draw people into your book, is writing about what means the most to you. Readers can see if you put your heart and soul into it. If you wrote something just for "fame", yeah, good luck. You'll get fame, but not the kind you were looking for.
*Writer's block has nothing to do with confidence, lack of story, or you lost your outline and you're lost.
Writer's block is your brain's way of telling you, you need to live life. Plain and simple. Remember, writing is art. After all, how did you get that idea? Each person is different in what it takes to remove writer's block. I had a killer idea for a story. I had twenty thousand words done in one day. Then POOF the story died. I set it aside, (I didn't forget about it), but I set it aside and worked on something else. I completed five other manuscripts. I took some time off, lived life, and POW, that one book, the story started talking again. Again, if I had drawn out an outline, the book would never of followed it. It went in a completely different direction than I had originally anticipated. I see it as that's how the book was meant to go.
*I get paid to edit. I can edit my own work. I don't see anything I've missed.
That's nice. There's only a select few in the world who can actually edit their own work. I am NOT one of them. Of course you wouldn't see anything you've missed. When we write, we *think* we have written something. When we go back through our own work, we *know* what the character is supposed to be doing. But did we (you) actually write that? Or, is it only that we *think* we wrote it because that's the way we know we wrote it? You want to be taken seriously? Think of writing as a hobby. You want to display your work to the world. (With the internet, that's easily possible). Would you display something you only half ass finished and say it was done? Oh, look, I restored a car from the ground up! It's worth thousands! But, it's only half way there. It still needs a paint job, and an engine, and oh, wheels. When in reality, you had just bought the car and added a new review mirror. It's something like that. No one is going to pay you for something that's not finished. (unless they know it's not and have to put their own money into making it fully functional.) But then, they own the car, not you. If you advertise that the car is "complete" and a buyer comes along, they'll laugh at you. Then, when you do pay to have all the work done, they won't even give you the time of day. They'll wonder what short cuts you took. You may be able to edit someone else's work, (like working on someone's car) but when it comes to your own, remember, the plumber who fixes everyone else's leak, has a leak at their own house.
*It's hard to be original. I want to write a story, but I saw someone else who already wrote it.
So? Every story has the same plot. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. The end. It's how they meet, how they fall in love, and if they end up together, what makes it original. I'll go back to the subject I hate the most. Twilight. Whiny ass main character. However, girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. They get married. The end. The plots and twists, she had originality. I'll give her props on that. She had vampires to where they sparkled. (To me, that's stupid) However, it's original. She had it to where werewolves didn't just change in the presence of a full moon. (Good job) She took the basic, vampires (a mystical creature) meets werewolves (a mystical creature) interacts with humans and they all can live in somewhat harmony. (Great job) She did her job as a writer to take something old and make it new. A lot of people fell in love with the story line. (She did her purpose) A lot of people hated the way the characters took shape. (She did her job correctly) A lot of people loved the book. (Hence why it was made into movies) A lot of people hated the book. (So, they didn't like her writing style, so what?) What I give her credit for, she wrote a story to where you got lost in the plot. I personally think she continued to write because of that series. If it hadn't of grown, in all honesty, I don't think she would have continued to write. But, I'm not her, so I could be wrong. The difference between King and her, is King writes for the love. She writes for the fame and it does show in her work. She wrote Twilight for the love. She wrote whatever that name is for the fame. Look at the difference. One took off, and one sunk.
*How do you plan around your work schedule to write?
One, I hardly sleep. I run two businesses, I'm a single mother, and I write. Sleep is not in my schedule. But sometimes my body has other plans. Second, I don't plan. I learned if you plan, always make sure you have a backup plan. And then another backup plan for that. Sometimes life gets thrown in the way. I hate when people say, if you want to do it, you'll do it, or you'll find an excuse. Sorry while I cough bullshit. I planned and wanted to get in a couple of hours writing tonight, but the death of a relative happen. I'm sorry, we can predict death? When you do get home, the last thing you want to do is sit in front of that computer screen. All you want to do is crawl into bed and cry. Life is one big excuse. Two words - shit happens. There may be times to when life is so full, the last thing you can do is sit at that computer. It doesn't mean that you're any less of a writer.
*I did my best today. I wrote X amount!
Great! My personal goal for myself, to always beat my personal best. If the most you've ever written is 500 words, great! Remember this, don't force the story with something the characters can't get their way out of. Yes, there have been a few works to where I forced the story and then it all flowed. There have been other times to where I tried to force the story and it was crap and I had to end up rewriting. You can't say you wasted time. You might have, you might not have. I forced a story within a story. What I did, I removed that second story, copied it into a new document and it became a brand new story. Each time will be different.
*They (other authors) say if I wrote over X amount, it's pure crap.
And they matter why? Who are they to judge? Maybe the work was just coming to you and you plugged away at it hardcore. Who cares what they say. Even if it was King saying it, which he has never said anything like that, who cares. Yes, he knows how to write. But that means he knows how to write how he knows how to write. He doesn't know how to write what you write or how you write it. Again, STOP comparing yourself to other writers. If a writer has to "belittle" in the way one writes, they don't know how to truly write.
*How come there are more challenges in the last book than the new one?
So? It means that you're growing as a writer to work through the challenges and not see them as challenges. Just because you don't see the challenges, don't ever let someone tell you that you're doing it wrong. I wrote Temporary Home in four days and was able to work through the challenges with ease, because I didn't see them as challenges. Just because another writer may see and know their own challenges, it doesn't mean that their challenges will be the same for you.
*Stop concentrating on word counts.
I go by if I've finished a chapter, or what I wanted the main character to accomplish. Who effing cares about word counts. When you concentrate on word counts, you lose track of what the characters are doing. Yes, I'm guilty of doing that. Yes, you'll see me post what my word count is daily (if I wrote that day). However, when I'm writing, I don't even look at that. Also, just because a writer writes 10K words in one day, they may realize that only 2K of them is usable and actually pertains.
*I write to write a series.
Great. I wrote Hidden Destiny in under 10 months. Book 10 took a year of going back and forth, trying to make the ending work. I have over fifteen revisions of that book. I rewrote it so often, I can't remember the original version. (I do have it saved somewhere in my files) You don't need to be young to start a series. Who cares if it takes you the rest of your life to finish it? I have one that I started and haven't finished. It eats away at me a little, but I know that the right moment in my life hasn't come for me to write about it. Ugh, lets go back to Twilight. She spent every waking minute writing that story. Who's to say the original draft wasn't half that size? And the editor helped her fill in the blanks? We will never know unless she tells or posts about it. When I wrote Hidden Destiny, I will say, that year was the hardest. Sleep? I maybe crashed for twelve hours a week. I spent days upon days writing, with no sleep, lots of coffee, and plugging away as fast as I could. It was my worst work. It needed a lot of help. Why? Because it was my first full work ever written. Now, that I've written as many as I have, my editor says he has a lot less revising to do. But, going back to editing, I said a lot less, it still needs revising.
*I don't like what I wrote.
Then why did you write it? If you don't like what you wrote, you really expect anyone else to like it? If I'm not comfortable with what I'm going to write, I don't write it. But, again, that's me. Go ahead and write it. If you don't like it, copy and past it into a new document and save it. It may come along at a later time and you don't have to rewrite what you've already written.
*I'm afraid that my work is going to fail.
And? Why did you start in the first place? Why do you do anything in the first place? You never know unless you try. I'm not going to give you some pep talk. When I first wrote Hidden Destiny, I learned who my real friends were and who were only riding the ride. Even if it does fail, who cares. You did what most have yet to accomplish, you wrote and finished a manuscript. If you don't have it edited professionally, please don't put it out there. Again, you wouldn't boast about a car you haven't completed. Don't do that with your manuscript if you haven't completed it.
This will be continued...
Life got in the way.
Do not compare yourself to what someone else can do.
I've run across more than one "author's blog" saying pretty much the same thing.
*Is writing a long grueling road?
Yes. Anyone can write a manuscript. It doesn't mean that it's done.
*Do you have to be "born" with the gift?
I don't know. It's hard to say. Some just happen to find it sooner than others. As much as I loved writing as a kid, (thanks to the non-supportive teachers I had), I hated to write. I didn't find I could do what I could until I was in my early thirties.
*Do I need to write every day?
Why are you asking others what YOU should do? Writing is an art. If it comes to you, don't let that slip away. Here in the author world, we call that writer's block. Some blocks go away faster and some tend to linger for awhile. (That's why we're so insane)
*Do I need to know what to write about?
Eh, a general idea is helpful. If you write about your basic thoughts, so what? Maybe something will come to you. Again, I'm NOT you! For me, it could be one sentence someone says, a nagging thing that was said in the past and I just remembered it as I crawl into bed, it could be one word, and entire story will spark. You can't make fire if you there's no spark.
*What I have, doesn't make any sense.
Maybe it's not supposed to. I don't know. Again, I'm not you. Maybe it'll make sense later. I had a saga just like that. I started writing my thoughts and then, boom, there was a plot.
*My first draft sucks. I'm a horrible writer.
Really? Practice never makes perfect. Practice always makes you better, but never perfect. Perfection means there's nothing to change. There's always something to change when you write. That's what a first draft is, a first draft. It lets you see what could be added, taken out, or whatever. You're not going to turn in your first draft of a homework assignment without having it checked. Why would it be any different for a rough draft of a manuscript?
*Your hero or heroine, make them do the impossible.
Cough, cough. The stupidest shit I've ever read. If they are sitting in a classroom and a fire breathing dragon comes in, is that that realistic? And, I'm not saying to keep it realistic. If your book is about living with dragons, okay, than that's perfectly acceptable. However, if it's in today's age, what relevance is that for the main character to fight a dragon in the middle of a class? If the danger is not supposed to be there, don't add it. Don't go overboard on something that's not meant to be thrown overboard. If you talk about the main character battling through things that are unrealistic in the book, your readers may feel lost as to why you added them in there in the first place.
*A character popped up that wasn't supposed to.
Great! I sincerely mean that. That's great writing when the story is forming as you're writing it. Some writers go off outlines. I can't. Things happen to where it makes it nearly impossible to stick to the outline. So, I don't do outlines. I go off that one word, sentence, thought and run with it and can't finish it until it's complete. Since I do type so fast, and plug away at it, morning, noon and night, I have nothing to forget. But that is me. If an outline works for you, use it. There is nothing wrong with that.
*Your book should be great if you want to devote the time to write it.
Eh, WRONG! So wrong on so many levels. Great is left up to the person writing the story - YOU! You want to write about frogs, then write about it. It doesn't fascinate me, and most likely I'll never pick it up to read it. But that's only me. I'm one person. Who cares. What will draw people into your book, is writing about what means the most to you. Readers can see if you put your heart and soul into it. If you wrote something just for "fame", yeah, good luck. You'll get fame, but not the kind you were looking for.
*Writer's block has nothing to do with confidence, lack of story, or you lost your outline and you're lost.
Writer's block is your brain's way of telling you, you need to live life. Plain and simple. Remember, writing is art. After all, how did you get that idea? Each person is different in what it takes to remove writer's block. I had a killer idea for a story. I had twenty thousand words done in one day. Then POOF the story died. I set it aside, (I didn't forget about it), but I set it aside and worked on something else. I completed five other manuscripts. I took some time off, lived life, and POW, that one book, the story started talking again. Again, if I had drawn out an outline, the book would never of followed it. It went in a completely different direction than I had originally anticipated. I see it as that's how the book was meant to go.
*I get paid to edit. I can edit my own work. I don't see anything I've missed.
That's nice. There's only a select few in the world who can actually edit their own work. I am NOT one of them. Of course you wouldn't see anything you've missed. When we write, we *think* we have written something. When we go back through our own work, we *know* what the character is supposed to be doing. But did we (you) actually write that? Or, is it only that we *think* we wrote it because that's the way we know we wrote it? You want to be taken seriously? Think of writing as a hobby. You want to display your work to the world. (With the internet, that's easily possible). Would you display something you only half ass finished and say it was done? Oh, look, I restored a car from the ground up! It's worth thousands! But, it's only half way there. It still needs a paint job, and an engine, and oh, wheels. When in reality, you had just bought the car and added a new review mirror. It's something like that. No one is going to pay you for something that's not finished. (unless they know it's not and have to put their own money into making it fully functional.) But then, they own the car, not you. If you advertise that the car is "complete" and a buyer comes along, they'll laugh at you. Then, when you do pay to have all the work done, they won't even give you the time of day. They'll wonder what short cuts you took. You may be able to edit someone else's work, (like working on someone's car) but when it comes to your own, remember, the plumber who fixes everyone else's leak, has a leak at their own house.
*It's hard to be original. I want to write a story, but I saw someone else who already wrote it.
So? Every story has the same plot. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. The end. It's how they meet, how they fall in love, and if they end up together, what makes it original. I'll go back to the subject I hate the most. Twilight. Whiny ass main character. However, girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. They get married. The end. The plots and twists, she had originality. I'll give her props on that. She had vampires to where they sparkled. (To me, that's stupid) However, it's original. She had it to where werewolves didn't just change in the presence of a full moon. (Good job) She took the basic, vampires (a mystical creature) meets werewolves (a mystical creature) interacts with humans and they all can live in somewhat harmony. (Great job) She did her job as a writer to take something old and make it new. A lot of people fell in love with the story line. (She did her purpose) A lot of people hated the way the characters took shape. (She did her job correctly) A lot of people loved the book. (Hence why it was made into movies) A lot of people hated the book. (So, they didn't like her writing style, so what?) What I give her credit for, she wrote a story to where you got lost in the plot. I personally think she continued to write because of that series. If it hadn't of grown, in all honesty, I don't think she would have continued to write. But, I'm not her, so I could be wrong. The difference between King and her, is King writes for the love. She writes for the fame and it does show in her work. She wrote Twilight for the love. She wrote whatever that name is for the fame. Look at the difference. One took off, and one sunk.
*How do you plan around your work schedule to write?
One, I hardly sleep. I run two businesses, I'm a single mother, and I write. Sleep is not in my schedule. But sometimes my body has other plans. Second, I don't plan. I learned if you plan, always make sure you have a backup plan. And then another backup plan for that. Sometimes life gets thrown in the way. I hate when people say, if you want to do it, you'll do it, or you'll find an excuse. Sorry while I cough bullshit. I planned and wanted to get in a couple of hours writing tonight, but the death of a relative happen. I'm sorry, we can predict death? When you do get home, the last thing you want to do is sit in front of that computer screen. All you want to do is crawl into bed and cry. Life is one big excuse. Two words - shit happens. There may be times to when life is so full, the last thing you can do is sit at that computer. It doesn't mean that you're any less of a writer.
*I did my best today. I wrote X amount!
Great! My personal goal for myself, to always beat my personal best. If the most you've ever written is 500 words, great! Remember this, don't force the story with something the characters can't get their way out of. Yes, there have been a few works to where I forced the story and then it all flowed. There have been other times to where I tried to force the story and it was crap and I had to end up rewriting. You can't say you wasted time. You might have, you might not have. I forced a story within a story. What I did, I removed that second story, copied it into a new document and it became a brand new story. Each time will be different.
*They (other authors) say if I wrote over X amount, it's pure crap.
And they matter why? Who are they to judge? Maybe the work was just coming to you and you plugged away at it hardcore. Who cares what they say. Even if it was King saying it, which he has never said anything like that, who cares. Yes, he knows how to write. But that means he knows how to write how he knows how to write. He doesn't know how to write what you write or how you write it. Again, STOP comparing yourself to other writers. If a writer has to "belittle" in the way one writes, they don't know how to truly write.
*How come there are more challenges in the last book than the new one?
So? It means that you're growing as a writer to work through the challenges and not see them as challenges. Just because you don't see the challenges, don't ever let someone tell you that you're doing it wrong. I wrote Temporary Home in four days and was able to work through the challenges with ease, because I didn't see them as challenges. Just because another writer may see and know their own challenges, it doesn't mean that their challenges will be the same for you.
*Stop concentrating on word counts.
I go by if I've finished a chapter, or what I wanted the main character to accomplish. Who effing cares about word counts. When you concentrate on word counts, you lose track of what the characters are doing. Yes, I'm guilty of doing that. Yes, you'll see me post what my word count is daily (if I wrote that day). However, when I'm writing, I don't even look at that. Also, just because a writer writes 10K words in one day, they may realize that only 2K of them is usable and actually pertains.
*I write to write a series.
Great. I wrote Hidden Destiny in under 10 months. Book 10 took a year of going back and forth, trying to make the ending work. I have over fifteen revisions of that book. I rewrote it so often, I can't remember the original version. (I do have it saved somewhere in my files) You don't need to be young to start a series. Who cares if it takes you the rest of your life to finish it? I have one that I started and haven't finished. It eats away at me a little, but I know that the right moment in my life hasn't come for me to write about it. Ugh, lets go back to Twilight. She spent every waking minute writing that story. Who's to say the original draft wasn't half that size? And the editor helped her fill in the blanks? We will never know unless she tells or posts about it. When I wrote Hidden Destiny, I will say, that year was the hardest. Sleep? I maybe crashed for twelve hours a week. I spent days upon days writing, with no sleep, lots of coffee, and plugging away as fast as I could. It was my worst work. It needed a lot of help. Why? Because it was my first full work ever written. Now, that I've written as many as I have, my editor says he has a lot less revising to do. But, going back to editing, I said a lot less, it still needs revising.
*I don't like what I wrote.
Then why did you write it? If you don't like what you wrote, you really expect anyone else to like it? If I'm not comfortable with what I'm going to write, I don't write it. But, again, that's me. Go ahead and write it. If you don't like it, copy and past it into a new document and save it. It may come along at a later time and you don't have to rewrite what you've already written.
*I'm afraid that my work is going to fail.
And? Why did you start in the first place? Why do you do anything in the first place? You never know unless you try. I'm not going to give you some pep talk. When I first wrote Hidden Destiny, I learned who my real friends were and who were only riding the ride. Even if it does fail, who cares. You did what most have yet to accomplish, you wrote and finished a manuscript. If you don't have it edited professionally, please don't put it out there. Again, you wouldn't boast about a car you haven't completed. Don't do that with your manuscript if you haven't completed it.
This will be continued...
Life got in the way.
Monday, September 2, 2013
I do the impossible. Don't judge. Goals and writers block.
I'm not going to mention any names. I'm sure they're fabulous writers. I don't know, I haven't read their work and don't want to. Not that I don't want to read their work, I just don't read other authors solely on the principle of their thoughts.
With that being said...
Writing is not a one size fits all.
Some authors plot out exactly what they want their characters to do and be.
Not me.
Some authors have this elaborate bio on each setting/character.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first word is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first sentence is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first paragraph is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors say write what you know.
I don't.
Some authors say write what you don't know.
I don't.
What works for one, may not work for another.
Some authors say if they wrote it quickly, it's pure crap.
Umm, okay? Jealous much? How many wpm do you type? How often do you sit at the computer and put your thoughts to words? Reality is, if you don't spend the time typing, you're not going to write a story. It is true when they say, treat it like a full time job. There has been no other truer words spoken when it comes to writing.
Make your own goals. Don't listen to anyone who says, "Make yourself a list..."
Any good writer knows their characters aren't going to follow your "list". You can draw out an "idea", but a good writer lets their characters speak for themselves. A basic idea is all you need to start a story. (I said, start, not complete)
The beginning may be the hardest part for you. A friend once told me, just start writing and fill in the blanks later. With that in the back of my head, with each new idea, it makes it so much easier to write. What I'm trying to say, there are going to be problem areas for each one of you and they're going to be different. The key is locating your hurdle and getting over that.
Lets get one thing straight, yes, I brag about how fast I can produce. I can back up my words. (My editors just can't keep up with my work) As an author, I will never and I mean EVER bash an author of what they are capable of. Do they live with me? With you? No. To be judgmental, is wrong and arrogant.
An author stated, "People don't write a novel in under a month." Really? Then this poor person never met me.
Another author stated, "Those who can write, have spent over half the year outlining, so they're just filling in the blanks." Really? I can show you my "outlines". Each page in my journal has the following: series number, brief idea sentence(s), and once I get to writing the actual story, the characters names, a little about them, and locations. I also jot down any relevant information if I think it'll be needed later. I can think of an idea on Sunday and have it finished by Sunday the following week.
Another author stated, "If you write too much you lose your creativity." Huh? Really?
Again, when an author bases "their" work from what another author can do, that's shallow. This isn't a race. This isn't about who can finish first. This is about finding ourselves in what it takes us to write.
Can I produce a 100k+ word manuscript in a week or less?
Yes.
Does that mean my creativity sucks?
No.
Does that mean that I'm great I don't need an editor?
No. I will ALWAYS have an editor.
What makes me be able to produce a manuscript in a week or less? (Yes, for my longer novels it takes me a few extra days to complete)
I treat it as a full time job.
My condition allows me to stay up for days and plug away at the story. Not to mention I can type fairly fast.
The one question I get asked a lot by others, is, how are you able to write so fast?
I was never able to answer that question. Why? I couldn't find the words to express how I was able to. I just was. A teacher once said, "If you can't explain it, you don't understand it." That's true. But just because I don't understand it, doesn't mean that I can't do it. I will say this. When (I'm not on writers block), it's like I'm watching the movie of the book in my head. I'm simply writing down as much as I can, by seeing what I can in the short amount of time.
Another author said, "They're work is crap because they rushed through it".
*cough* that's why we (writers) have editors. For them to quote something without physically seeing the word, again is very arrogant. A lot of factors take place. They may not be targeting the right audience. They may not be marketing it right. They might have just thrown the book up there (after edit) and forgot about it. I don't know. I wasn't there and I don't know the author directly.
What I do agree with, (yes, I know I actually agree with something), set a goal for yourself. I don't care what the goal is. It could be producing a page in one day. It could be a word count. (Personally, those aren't and never will be my goals). But I'm not you. Set a goal for YOURSELF not anyone else. I don't care what other writers do. And neither should you!
For example. My goal is to have a novel I start, finished with a week. (again, depending on the size of the novel, it may take a few extra days). My biggest self accomplishment was 4.5 novels in one month. I tried like hell to get that .5 in. It didn't happen. But, I did accomplish the 4.5 in one month and I'm proud of myself for that. I set my personal goal for 4 books that month and I was .5 ahead.
Another hint/tip. We all get it. Writer's block. I have it right now. It sucks. I get it. And trust me, I know it gnaws away at you worse than a screaming two year with the most annoying toy that makes horrible noises. But, I see it as your mind telling you to take a break. For me, when I take that break, and just let my mind relax, instead of stressing and forcing the words out, when my mind is relax, the words flow much easier and I'm able to produce more.
I'm not going to give you any hints/tips on to relax. That's something that you have to figure out what works for you.
Even if you have had a chance to check out my work, thank you. If not, don't be like the judgmental authors. If you have and hated my work, that's fine. I know not everyone is going to like my work. But, as much as your opinion matters, it doesn't. As long as I have one person (outside of family and friends), who likes my work, then I did my job as a writer.
I don't care if you believe me or not in what I can produce. I don't write to please, I write for fun. That's what writers should be doing. A good writer writes for themselves.
With that being said...
Writing is not a one size fits all.
Some authors plot out exactly what they want their characters to do and be.
Not me.
Some authors have this elaborate bio on each setting/character.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first word is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first sentence is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors will say the first paragraph is the hardest.
Not me.
Some authors say write what you know.
I don't.
Some authors say write what you don't know.
I don't.
What works for one, may not work for another.
Some authors say if they wrote it quickly, it's pure crap.
Umm, okay? Jealous much? How many wpm do you type? How often do you sit at the computer and put your thoughts to words? Reality is, if you don't spend the time typing, you're not going to write a story. It is true when they say, treat it like a full time job. There has been no other truer words spoken when it comes to writing.
Make your own goals. Don't listen to anyone who says, "Make yourself a list..."
Any good writer knows their characters aren't going to follow your "list". You can draw out an "idea", but a good writer lets their characters speak for themselves. A basic idea is all you need to start a story. (I said, start, not complete)
The beginning may be the hardest part for you. A friend once told me, just start writing and fill in the blanks later. With that in the back of my head, with each new idea, it makes it so much easier to write. What I'm trying to say, there are going to be problem areas for each one of you and they're going to be different. The key is locating your hurdle and getting over that.
Lets get one thing straight, yes, I brag about how fast I can produce. I can back up my words. (My editors just can't keep up with my work) As an author, I will never and I mean EVER bash an author of what they are capable of. Do they live with me? With you? No. To be judgmental, is wrong and arrogant.
An author stated, "People don't write a novel in under a month." Really? Then this poor person never met me.
Another author stated, "Those who can write, have spent over half the year outlining, so they're just filling in the blanks." Really? I can show you my "outlines". Each page in my journal has the following: series number, brief idea sentence(s), and once I get to writing the actual story, the characters names, a little about them, and locations. I also jot down any relevant information if I think it'll be needed later. I can think of an idea on Sunday and have it finished by Sunday the following week.
Another author stated, "If you write too much you lose your creativity." Huh? Really?
Again, when an author bases "their" work from what another author can do, that's shallow. This isn't a race. This isn't about who can finish first. This is about finding ourselves in what it takes us to write.
Can I produce a 100k+ word manuscript in a week or less?
Yes.
Does that mean my creativity sucks?
No.
Does that mean that I'm great I don't need an editor?
No. I will ALWAYS have an editor.
What makes me be able to produce a manuscript in a week or less? (Yes, for my longer novels it takes me a few extra days to complete)
I treat it as a full time job.
My condition allows me to stay up for days and plug away at the story. Not to mention I can type fairly fast.
The one question I get asked a lot by others, is, how are you able to write so fast?
I was never able to answer that question. Why? I couldn't find the words to express how I was able to. I just was. A teacher once said, "If you can't explain it, you don't understand it." That's true. But just because I don't understand it, doesn't mean that I can't do it. I will say this. When (I'm not on writers block), it's like I'm watching the movie of the book in my head. I'm simply writing down as much as I can, by seeing what I can in the short amount of time.
Another author said, "They're work is crap because they rushed through it".
*cough* that's why we (writers) have editors. For them to quote something without physically seeing the word, again is very arrogant. A lot of factors take place. They may not be targeting the right audience. They may not be marketing it right. They might have just thrown the book up there (after edit) and forgot about it. I don't know. I wasn't there and I don't know the author directly.
What I do agree with, (yes, I know I actually agree with something), set a goal for yourself. I don't care what the goal is. It could be producing a page in one day. It could be a word count. (Personally, those aren't and never will be my goals). But I'm not you. Set a goal for YOURSELF not anyone else. I don't care what other writers do. And neither should you!
For example. My goal is to have a novel I start, finished with a week. (again, depending on the size of the novel, it may take a few extra days). My biggest self accomplishment was 4.5 novels in one month. I tried like hell to get that .5 in. It didn't happen. But, I did accomplish the 4.5 in one month and I'm proud of myself for that. I set my personal goal for 4 books that month and I was .5 ahead.
Another hint/tip. We all get it. Writer's block. I have it right now. It sucks. I get it. And trust me, I know it gnaws away at you worse than a screaming two year with the most annoying toy that makes horrible noises. But, I see it as your mind telling you to take a break. For me, when I take that break, and just let my mind relax, instead of stressing and forcing the words out, when my mind is relax, the words flow much easier and I'm able to produce more.
I'm not going to give you any hints/tips on to relax. That's something that you have to figure out what works for you.
Even if you have had a chance to check out my work, thank you. If not, don't be like the judgmental authors. If you have and hated my work, that's fine. I know not everyone is going to like my work. But, as much as your opinion matters, it doesn't. As long as I have one person (outside of family and friends), who likes my work, then I did my job as a writer.
I don't care if you believe me or not in what I can produce. I don't write to please, I write for fun. That's what writers should be doing. A good writer writes for themselves.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Beware of shady editor and publisher...warning for writers...
http://stantlitore.com/2013/05/26/warning-for-writers-beware-tony-giangregorio-and-open-casket-press/
I am forwarding you another blog I ran across. I read the blog and everything seemed valid. I'm not going to copy and paste for the wording is not my own. I'm not going to rewrite the wording for the person who wrote the blog had done a great job in stressing valid points. If and when I come across any, I will post them within this blog so you don't have to travel through all my blogs.
I am forwarding you another blog I ran across. I read the blog and everything seemed valid. I'm not going to copy and paste for the wording is not my own. I'm not going to rewrite the wording for the person who wrote the blog had done a great job in stressing valid points. If and when I come across any, I will post them within this blog so you don't have to travel through all my blogs.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Bipolar and writing
First thing's first - Bipolar is not a disease. I don't care what anyone says. It's a condition. You are born with it, 'contract' it, whatever. More often than not, you are born with it.
There are many types of bipolar. I hate when the medical profession says, "You will have an episode once or twice in your life..." It's like saying, "You're borderline diabetic." Give me a break. You have it or you don't. It's not like gestational diabetes to where once you give birth, it goes away.
Fact - Not everyone will fall into just one category of bipolar.
Fact - Not everyone will exhibit the same "what to look for".
Fact - Not everyone will abuse drugs.
Fact - Not everyone will abuse alcohol.
Fact - Not everyone will have suicidal tendencies.
Fact - Everyone expresses themselves differently.
Fact - Telling us to 'suck it up' makes us want to smack you upside the head.
Fact - Telling us it's all in our head. Uh, yeah, duh, 'MENTAL' has to do with brain functions.
Fact - There are websites out there written by "people who have the illness" backed by medical, who don't know what they're doing. Ask yourself, why is the medical taking advice from someone twenty years ago? Why are they accepting that person's logic over another person with the condition?
Fact - The condition can be 'cured' without medication. (Each person is different)
Fact - Not all medical profession is familiar with bipolar. Would you go to a surgeon fora cold? Would you go to a primary physician to deliver your baby?
There are lots of facts not discussed. The fact is yes, it does disrupt our lives. Yes, it does make our lives more complicated. That's what makes us stronger. It's the arrogant ones who can't see the pain we're living with. One measures the pain by how bad the bruise is. We can't do that. Even if the 'bruise' is horrible - our pain tolerances are different.
Bipolar and writing - the condition brings out something that no one can possibly understand. We see things differently. We process things differently. If you really want to have a look at what goes on in the mind of someone who is bipolar - read their work. You may not agree, most likely you won't. That's because you have a closed mind. Sorry, it's true. If we say the grass looks blue, it's not because we're depressed. It's because of the way we see the light shine on the grass.
Until you learn to open your mind, 1- stop reading. You'll never understand. Many authors who are bipolar, will never admit it. Society as a whole has downed the condition. If you can't accept someone for who they are, how is anyone supposed to accept you for who you are?
There are many types of bipolar. I hate when the medical profession says, "You will have an episode once or twice in your life..." It's like saying, "You're borderline diabetic." Give me a break. You have it or you don't. It's not like gestational diabetes to where once you give birth, it goes away.
Fact - Not everyone will fall into just one category of bipolar.
Fact - Not everyone will exhibit the same "what to look for".
Fact - Not everyone will abuse drugs.
Fact - Not everyone will abuse alcohol.
Fact - Not everyone will have suicidal tendencies.
Fact - Everyone expresses themselves differently.
Fact - Telling us to 'suck it up' makes us want to smack you upside the head.
Fact - Telling us it's all in our head. Uh, yeah, duh, 'MENTAL' has to do with brain functions.
Fact - There are websites out there written by "people who have the illness" backed by medical, who don't know what they're doing. Ask yourself, why is the medical taking advice from someone twenty years ago? Why are they accepting that person's logic over another person with the condition?
Fact - The condition can be 'cured' without medication. (Each person is different)
Fact - Not all medical profession is familiar with bipolar. Would you go to a surgeon fora cold? Would you go to a primary physician to deliver your baby?
There are lots of facts not discussed. The fact is yes, it does disrupt our lives. Yes, it does make our lives more complicated. That's what makes us stronger. It's the arrogant ones who can't see the pain we're living with. One measures the pain by how bad the bruise is. We can't do that. Even if the 'bruise' is horrible - our pain tolerances are different.
Bipolar and writing - the condition brings out something that no one can possibly understand. We see things differently. We process things differently. If you really want to have a look at what goes on in the mind of someone who is bipolar - read their work. You may not agree, most likely you won't. That's because you have a closed mind. Sorry, it's true. If we say the grass looks blue, it's not because we're depressed. It's because of the way we see the light shine on the grass.
Until you learn to open your mind, 1- stop reading. You'll never understand. Many authors who are bipolar, will never admit it. Society as a whole has downed the condition. If you can't accept someone for who they are, how is anyone supposed to accept you for who you are?
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