“When I first met her, I knew in a moment I would have to spend the next few days re-arranging my mind so there’d be room for her to stay.”
— Brian Andreas
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The fact that Microsoft Word has to be a subscription is upsetting. I already paid for it why do I have to pay again
Mary Oliver, "From The Book of Time." Devotions
sarah waters, fingersmith
Whenever I feel envious of other people's work, I try to remind myself that where I see beauty, they may be overwhelmed with insecurity. This just goes to show that the part of my writing I'm insecure about, how monotonous I can be, can blind me from seeing myself the way others see me.
My advice, if you're open to receiving it, is you cannot control your emotions, so they are not an indicator of how good of a person you are. Allow yourself to feel, but don't let envy or guilt dictate your life.
For what it's worth, I find your writing so interesting! The way that I've seen you talk about love and friendship is incredible, and I envy how expressive and cohesive your writing is. Keep feeling and keep going, my guy :)
Today, I felt envious.
I don't know how to explain the guilt that comes with feeling envy, it's maybe one of the worst emotions.
You see all these poets whose work is better than yours, whether it be better worded, better written, more meaningful, etc etc... and you think: "Why can't I write like that? What am I doing wrong?"
I've often felt the topics I write about are frivolous. Most of my poetry speaks of love, or friendship, or what small things mean to me. I am not writing of my pain.
I think this is something very common amongst poets. We kinda feel as though we must write of anguish, that you have to feel drained every time you finish writing a poem to actually have something be meaningful.
I've struggled with this a lot recently. Feelings of jealousy or envy, insecurity about my work, second thoughts on if writing is really worth it, all that stuff.
I don't really have advice to give about what to do when you feel this way, as I haven't figured it out myself.
As writers, tell me what you do when you feel this way, or just tell me about a time you've felt like this, or tell me of your insecurities about your work.
what does your writing process look like?
sometimes, sentences sit in my google docs for months before I decide to revise and post. other times, I just log on and write how I feel and post it immediately. basically, it's incredibly chaotic, but it works😂
What is a genre?
A genre is a category that your story belongs to based on form, style, or subject matter.
Action/Adventure
Your book belongs to this genre if your characters are on a quest or journey to reach a concrete goal. Take The Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan. The goal is to return the lighting bolt to Zeus before summer solstice, or there will be war.
Fantasy
Your book belongs to this genre if the world in your story has a type of magic system, or includes mythical creatures. Think of Dragons, Centaurs, Pixie dust, et cetera.
Mystery
Your book belongs to this genre if the story centers around a question(Who, What, Where, Why, and How). Think of Criminal Minds, Mondays Not Coming, Lucifer, etc.
Romance
Your book belongs to this genre if your story centers around the romantic relationship of two or more characters. Think of Five Feet Apart, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Love, Simon, etc.
(Keep in mind, your story can belong to more than one genre. There are no limitations.)
If anyone has any questions, or feels as though I’ve left something out, feel free to let me know!
How to live a great disabled life- A guide full of resources to make your life easier and probably the best place to start (including links to some of the below resources). Everything from applying for good quality affordable housing to getting free transportation, affordable medication, how to get enough food stamps, how to get a free phone that doesn't suck, how to find housemates and caregivers, how to be homebound, support groups and Facebook pages (including for specific illnesses), how to help with social change from home, and so many more.
Turning a "no" into a "yes"- A guide on what to say when denied for disability aid/accommodations of many types, particularly over the phone. "Never take no for an answer over the phone. If you have not been turned down in writing, you have not been turned down. Period."
How to be poor in America- A very expansive and helpful guide including things from a directory to find your nearest food bank to resources for getting free home modifications, how to get cheap or free eye and dental care, extremely cheap internet, and financial assistance with vet bills
How to be homebound- This is pretty helpful even if you're not homebound. It includes guides on how to save spoons, getting free and low cost transportation, disability resources in your area, home meals, how to have fun/keep busy while in bed, and a severe bedbound activity master list which includes a link to an audio version of the list on Soundcloud
Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters For Housing- Guides on how to request accommodations and housing as well as your rights, laws, and prewritten sample letters to help you get whatever you need. Includes information on how to request additional bedrooms, stop evictions, request meetings via phone, mail, and email if you can't in person, what you can do if a request is denied, and many other helpful guides
Special Laws to Help Domestic Violence Survivors (Vouchers & Low Income Housing)- Protections, laws, and housing rights for survivors of DV (any gender), and how to get support and protection under the VAWA laws to help you and/or loved ones receive housing and assistance
Dealing With Debt & Disability- Information to assist with debt including student loans, medical debt, how to deal with debt collectors as well as an article with a step by step guide that helped the author cut her overwhelming medical bills by 80%!
There are so many more articles, guides, and tools here that have helped a lot of people. And there are a lot of rights, resources, and protections that people don't know they have and guides that can help you manage your life as a disabled person regardless of income, energy levels, and other factors.
Please boost!
"Are you letting yourself be led by fear or by love?"
In a 2021 musical film called Tick Tick Boom, Michael asks his friend Jonathan this question. Two years later, in the early hours of the morning, I ask myself the same thing and the answer is always the same: fear.
I think that for a long time, I lived out of fear for my emotional well-being, my mental health, and my physical safety. I've come to realize that I am no longer in danger. I've come to realize that I cannot dwell on what I cannot control. I've come to realize that I have more power than I thought, but my answering isn't changing.
I thought that if I healed, then I would be fine. But I am not fine. I am directionless.
- @annetries-towrite
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What is a Character-driven story?
Character-driven stories gravitate toward intra and interpersonal relationships with the characters. Unlike a plot-driven story, these types of stories focus on how the character(s) arrives at a choice.
Readers tend to enjoy these types of stories because of the realistic characters authors write in those books. It allows the reader to see themselves or others in those characters, developing an emotional connection.
What is a Plot-driven story?
A Plot-driven story gravitates toward the external rather than the internal conflict. Unlike a character-driven story, these types of stories focus on the choice a character must make rather than what they do to get there.
Readers tend to enjoy these types of stories because of the well-constructed plot. Seeing a character in a situation they cannot control may provide a sense of purpose or familiarity for the reader.
(This is something my friend said she likes about plot-driven stories. It may be true for other readers, as well.)
Which is best?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There is no such thing as the “best” way to write a story. It all depends on preference.
If you want to write a story for an audience who will analyze your characters, write for that audience. If you want a story for an audience who will gravitate toward your well-constructed plot, write for that audience.
There is somebody out there who will love your book, I guarantee.
If you have any questions, or feel as though I’ve missed something, feel free to let me know!