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Tag: brave

  • TED Talk: Why you will fail to have a career?

    Loved this talk! For all of you who still hadn’t found out your passion or know what is your passion but are too afraid to pursuit, then this is the talk for you!

    Actually, this is the talk for all the people who want to have a goal in life and achieve it!

    Professor Larry Smiths presents, in quite a peculiar way, a talk that changes lives and inspires. He is a professor of economics at University of Waterloo. A well-known storyteller and advocate for youth leadership, he has also mentored many of his students on start-up business management and career development. The most notable start-up he advised in its infancy is Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry.

    Invest 15 minutes in this talk and it will be an investment for life!

    [ted id=1384]

     

  • The TED talk all women should see

    I try to start my workday with a TED talk. I wish I could say I do this daily, but sometimes I can’t. I usually do it when my work energy level is low or when I feel I need motivation to go with the work routine. Today I came across with “Why do ambitious women have flat heads?” by Dame Stephanie Shirley.  The title was enough to call my attention since sometimes when the talk’s title is too predictable, I might just pass it. But this one wasn’t and I’m glad I clicked it.

    Dame Stephanie Shirley had it rough. She was one of the Jewish kids saved by being sent to families in northern England during the Second World War . She grew up in an era where women’s only objective was to get married and have kids. There were scarce work opportunities for them. I work in the software industry. Women in the 60’s didn’t just pursuit that area at all. But one woman did it. And this terrific woman showed nothing is impossible. Yes, there was a programming market in that era, believe it or not. If you want to know exactly how it worked, then you have to check the video.

    Stephanie Shirley went through all the fights my generation didn’t have too. My generation won’t suffer that gender discrimination again. We have it easy. And what are we doing with our lives? We don’t aim high enough. We don’t dream big enough. We don’t do the fights for the next generations.

    I invite you to watch the following TED talk (only 13 minutes of your time but worth your life change).

    [ted id=2223]

  • I don’t give up

    And I’m back. I’ve missed my blog so much. All this time I haven’t been able to write it because of an extra job. It finished and I’m ready to continue. I must confess it was hard, hard to stay ok these weeks because I was at the point of exhaustion and burnout. And many things in my life were left in a standby.

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    When you put so much hope into something, into a new career chance, it’s very hard to accept that at the end you didn’t get your chance. But life is like this.  And I’m so grateful I had this opportunity because I’ve learnt I’m stronger that I think. I’ve learnt I can achieve everything, even if it doesn’t turn out like I always want. I’ve learnt that I can be as strong as steel and hardworking as million people together, and the most important thing I’ve learnt is that “I don’t give up”. I’m willing to accept those words are no longer part of my vocabulary.

    I’ve learnt life is better when you learn things the hard way. It makes you tougher and ready for the next challenges. But mostly, I’ve learnt that this blog should never be left aside. I’m thankful for all the people I shared this blog with. I’m thankful that I have a way to connect to them. I’m thankful that my words are read.

  • The good experiences that come with writers conferences…

    Well, I’m back from one of the most thrilling experiences in my life. For those who don’t know, I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Writers Digest Conference in NYC. It was certainly an opportunity you don’t get to live very often and I’m glad I was able to take a part in it.

    What did I learn? 

    I think all can be summarized to the following points:

    • There’s still too much to learn – And it comes with time and experience. I haven’t read all the “must read” classic books or the “must read best sellers” yet, but I was relieved to find that at least I’ve read the most important/famous ones. A good fact to know is that not only it’s about reading the good old classics but also reading the latest best sellers; see what formula they’re using to be highly commercial in recent times. Old time formulas may not be suitable for these days anymore, i.e. you can’t write as Shakespeare anymore…
    • I seem to be not that lost – Yeah… this was kind of gratifying actually, because even though I was there to learn new things, it was good to know that I’ve been doing my share of work and that I’m not that lost in this world of books and publishing industry. Basics such as don’t put that your “family and mom loved your manuscript” or that “you’re sure you have the next best seller” in your query letter were already good known facts to me….It felt good to know that I was not swimming in the amateur waters anymore…

    writers digest conference

    • I still have a long way – I’ve just finished my first novel and I’m one hundred per cent sure that I can do it better. I feel confident that I can plot and write better stories. I know the writing process will be easier each time (hopefully the revision process as well, which is the most terrifying one for me) Nevertheless, I feel pretty confident about my first project. There were tons of conference attendees who were already in their fourth or fifth book and still learning a lot…
    • I learned I can totally rock Pitch Slams – I think this was the main reason why I thought the conference was awesome. From the seven agents I pitched, I got requests from the seven. It was unbelievable. I managed to control my nervousness, forget that English is not my native language, and speak with confidence. I loved the process.
    • I can manage rejection much better now – I’ve already sent my material to the seven agents yesterday. One has already replied this morning saying that “it may not be for him” (I wonder why he seemed so interested in the pitch slam. Was it because he thought it well and decided it was not for him? we’ll never know…) But even if I get these sort of replies from the other six agents, it will only be the encouragement to keep growing stronger, to keep fighting. I made a good decent start, and the sky is the limit. I’ll continue with much force. I’ll do more research. I’ll read more books. I’ll write more. I’ll try harder. I don’t plan to give up, not now when I feel so full of energy 🙂

    I read a couple of blog posts I wrote more than a year ago. In these posts I was still looking for my path. I didn’t know where I stood at that point, trying to find out my true passions, looking for courage to do what I really loved. I was trying to tell the people around me that maybe I was meant to do something different from my career; ashamed to share my longtime dreams. I felt unsure of any talents I had. Now, I feel on the right path. Even though it’ll take a while to reach my goals, I know for sure, that I’m on the right track this time. And I’m very thankful to God for that.

  • I’m doing because I’m a chicken

    Well, this time I’ve been lost like for ages, more than 2 or 3 weeks without blogging. Never have I missed blogging so much. But I have good reasons, but not new reasons (for those who’ve already read my posts), it was because of my manuscript (final revision, this time is the final one). It was taking me too much time and I want it to be over for once. The person who’s editing it is already working on the second part. So that means that yes, in a couple more of days, I will have to go back to it again to go through the revisions done by the editor. But I’m not worried, I’ve managed to review the changes of the first part in just one day, so the second part is not going to take me much (hope so). Well, enough talking about editing. I plan to do another post for that (some new lessons learned as always). I’m here to talk about exciting news. I’m attending Writer’s Digest Conference in NY this July 31st. Yayyyy!!!  (insert dancing icons here) download (5) No, I don’t live in the US. No, I don’t have loads of money to go everywhere I please. I just thought that it would be a good Life investment and of course good vacations. And here are some of the plans/goals/realizations I have in mind for this trip: – I’m not doing it because I consider myself a great writer. I’m doing it because I’m a new aspiring writer and this step will allow me to compromise myself with this career. No, It won’t be a hobby anymore. – I’m doing it because of the talks and workshops. I know this conference is also about getting to know agents, publishers, etc. But sometimes, I believe that maybe I’m not ready for that yet. So I don’t have great expectations on that side. I’m doing it because of the two full days of talks, sessions, workshops, etc. I’m eager to learn as much as possible and absorb everything sponge-like. www wisegeek com

    Image source: www.wisegeek.com

    – I’m doing because I’m a chicken. Yes, you read that, and not because I consider myself an animal (or I believe the chicken is my spirit animal), but because I’m a coward for these sort of public events. You see, I’m not the most extrovert person you’ve ever known. I’m shy and I feel akward at these gatherings. And there’s a session for pitching agents in this conference where you’re supposed to dazzle them with the magnificent plot of your book. Believe me, I actually considered skipping this part of the conference (which had an extra fee) because I knew I was going to be a complete disaster. I imagined myself trembling, sweating, stuttering, and even running away. And I’m also worried about my English speaking skills, which because of nervousness, seem to flee (that’s why I prefer to write ;)) I get nervous, stumble among words, and forget parts of the language. But I refuse to be a chicken forever, so this is going to be a challenge. I know I have to do it, I have to be brave!

    (more…)

  • How to get your hand not to agree with you

    My whole life, or since I can remember, I’ve been invaded by Ganglion cysts in my wrists. Those are small liquid balls that appear in your wrists for no apparent reason but to disturb your life. They usually come and go, but some of them like to stick around causing pain. I’ve already got them surgically removed twice, leaving “good looking” scars.

    The thought about scars is that they always leave space for good stories, like the one on my right wrist that led this weird guy in a club approach and tell me that He used to do that but not anymore… it took me time to realize that he thought it was some sort drug mark or maybe suicide attempt (which would be dumb since veins are on the other side of the wrist), and when I told him No dude is not what you think, he told me something like Yeah I used to deny it too… anyway…

    www canstockphoto com

    Image source: www.canstockphoto.com

    The problem now is that the “thing” as I call it, won’t go until my hand stops making “efforts”, the good doctor has advised me to use the wrist the least possible, type the least, which me having a full time job as a Technical Writer and having the long-time dream of becoming a Fiction writer, maybe be outputting… but I guess life is not always easy…

    Luckily, there are always ways, and I’m happy that I found them. I’ve reduced my manuscript edition workload to the use of pen and paper, right hand is the good one this time (lucky me!), and I’ll see if I can find somebody later who can do all the computer typing. Also, typing at work has improved thanks to a recently acquired Ergonomic keyboard which is magnificent!  And since I had to be careful with the type of exercise I chose (one where I don’t use hands), I bought myself an AirClimber (my first Teleshopping – equivalent to QVC – purchase ever!) and I love it!.

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    And although my hand may not agree with my writing duties and lifestyle, I still have found ways to overcome this situation. And you, have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? (it doesn’t have to involve ganglion cysts) 

  • February is for slowing down…

    So February arrived, and I believe January has been one of the longest months ever!

    I started 2015 really well, with my goals set in mind all the time. I feel they are already so engraved in me right now, that it would take the end of the world to drag me away from them, which is good.

    The problem now, is that I need to slow down. I have managed to cultivate the habit of writing every single day or else I cannot go to sleep.

    In this month, I’ve read a couple of books on grammar, styling, and how to write in general. I’m also about to finish revising my first manuscript. Then, the second revision round will come, and maybe my beta readers will have to wait until March to get their hands on the story.

    But right now, I found I’m overdoing the process of writing. After I finished the first manuscript, I didn’t get away from it for a considerable amount of time (as everybody suggested) before revising. Now, I find myself confused about my main character, his role, and why he has become boring. Additionally, the story seems a little bit overwritten, too many things going on, too many things to tie, etc. So, it’s time for a break from the manuscript. I’m really looking forward for my next vacation, which will be exactly in ten days. I’m not a beach person, but this time, I’m really looking forward to go, sit, and just relax.

    evilenglish net

    Image source: www.evilenglish.net

    Slow down, should be my motto for February now. Sometimes you can be so motivated, so full of energy, that you don’t pause to breath and risk of wearing yourself out.

    So February will be the month where I find myself relaxing. I’ve already started yesterday. I’ve been reading so many books on How to Write, that it had been one entire month since I hadn’t read a good novel. Yesterday, I grabbed one book from my shelf that I haven’t been able to put my hands on yet (Exposure by Kathy Reichs, yeah, big fan of Bones over here), and the feeling of getting into a novel, discovering characters, and following the suspense building of the story, had no price. Damn I said to myself, I forgot about this, about why I wanted to be a writer in first place. I have promised to myself, that no matter what the current events in my life are, I should never forget about going without reading a good book.

    For those who write, have you ever come to a similar problem like mine?

  • Movie review – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

    I’m one of those persons that always thought “The Lord of the Rings” films were destined to be the best film-series ever. I still remember my attendance to the movie theater would be repeated several times with the objective to absorb as much as possible from this fantastic trilogy. I couldn’t get enough of it, all the Epic Fantasy in the story was so appealing that I guess many people got as obsessed with it as me. Then the Hobbit came.

    I was expecting the first movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be memorable, and the whole J.R.R. Tolkien fan base would resuscitate, Peter Jackson (the director) would be again the ultimate God, and that saving money for visiting New Zealand – the land that had seen the filming – was imperative again. But the first Hobbit move was just meeh… I don´t have other proper word. So much expectation but something was not working well with this first delivery of the Hobbit.

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    Image source: official propiety of New Line Cinema and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

    The biggest fan I know of The Lord of the Rings, must be my mother, and she felt asleep during the first Hobbit, she was, of course, disappointed. Then, a year later came The Desolation of Smug. Now we were talking again of something that was worthy of Peter Jackson and the legacy of J.R.R.Tolkien. The movie was indeed much better than the first one (Maybe it was because we got to see Legolas, our favorite Elf, or something else, but it felt better).

    Then last week, came The Battle of the Five Armies, and I was blown away. This was certainly a worthy heir of the Lord of the Rings (even though, the story is a predecessor of the others). First of all, my mother didn’t fall asleep (a good parameter of what movies work and which ones don’t). Then, there were those special moments that reminded me a lot of the Lord of the Rings, those where you felt your heart leap, butterflies in your belly, your mouth hanging open, wide smiles, extraordinary connection to the characters (which includes loud screams from my person when they are in danger), suffering, excitement, relief, everything. That’s what the Lord of the Rings was all about and we got to feel it again in this third delivery of the Hobbit. Peter Jackson, you nailed it again.

    TheHobbitTBOT5A_Teaser_Poster

    Image source: official propiety of New Line Cinema and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

    If you were one of those who got disappointed by the first Hobbit movie, then gave up on the second one, and even didn’t realize about this third one. Go to see it, trust me, you’ll live the magic again.

    And you, are you a fan of the Lord of the Rings, did you see any of the Hobbit movies?

  • Book review – The Art of Racing in the Rain

    A couple of months ago, when I started writing, I decided to do a little research on Points of View (POV). You see, when you write, the easiest Point of View to write in, is First Person (any other writers out there that find the opposite, would love to hear it in the comments). First person POV is comfortable; you identify much better with your main character, you are in his/her head, thoughts, feelings, and writing comes easier. HOWEVER, it’s not always the best, it´s limiting. You have to be careful how to handle other scenes where your character is not present (which is difficult). So of course I started to write in Third Person POV, but that’s not the topic of this post.

    When I was doing the research, I found a group post discussing this topic and a comment from someone recommending “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein (sorry I can’t remember who commented this, if you’re out there reading this post, please let me know it was you who posted the comment to thank you). The comment suggested that you could also use something original as the POV of a dog; yes you read that well, a dog! which I found hilarious. Being an animal lover, I´ve always been interested in knowing what was going on in my dog’s head whenever she had her puppy eyes directed to me. So I immediately added the suggested book “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein to my Amazon shopping cart, and one month and a half later (yes, it takes that long to reach my country) the book was in my hands.

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    Dana, my dog, getting interested in the story

    Enzo, the character of this book is brilliant. He’s complex, he has many ideas of his own, and has a deep perspective about life in general. And of course, similar to his owner, the dog is all about racing cars. He’s become an expert due to the hours exposed to watching TV races with his owner.  The story is beautiful, full of ups, downs, and real ordinary life situations, but what is most appealing is Enzo’s insights about everything that happens around him. I won’t give up any spoilers in here of course, but the scene with the Zebra for those ones that have read the book is hilarious.  Of course this book is also sentimental, and lots of tears are expected (yes, I´m one of those that suddenly bursts into crying while holding a book; actually I´m very expressive when I read a book, for instance, if the scene is funny, I’m the weird person sitting next to you laughing out loud in the doctor’s waiting room or any other public place.)

    The art of writing books is related to how you engage readers to your characters, how believable and appealing they are. I’ve never imagined a dog would create such a big connection. I loved this book, even if you’re not into racing cars – a topic Enzo is an expert on – you’ll still enjoy the story deeply. I would definitely recommend this book.

  • Guest Post: Juni Desireé – fellow blogger and writer

    When you enter the blogging world, not only you start communicating with the people that follow your blog, but also you start following other blogs you start connecting with. In my blogger journey I had the chance to meet many wonderful people whose blogs I love to read, one of those persons is Juni Desireé, a wonderful blogger and writer who has always struck me with her honest words and her openness to the world. She writes from her heart and she’s very passionate for everything she sets her mind into. I totally recommend following her blogs and checking out this interview for her future projects.
    Could you introduce yourself?
    My name is Juni Desireé (aka JD). My blog is called JD on a Page (http://jdonapage.wordpress.com). It’s a blog where I share my stories and the lessons I learn, in the hope that it offers something good to people. I also have a writing blog called Write to Wrestle (https://awrestlingwriter.wordpress.com).
    I’m currently studying a Master of Writing and Literature and I’m working on a book about what I’ve learnt this year when I moved from Victoria to Queensland.
    I love dogs! Everyone should have a dog; they make life better. And my favourite food is fish and chips with tartare sauce.
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    How did you start writing?
    My first memory of writing is when I was in my first year of primary school. We had to write a diary each week. I loved it and have been writing ever since. I started journal writing when I was eleven when my mum bought me a journal.