Tag: career

  • Why I decided not to do a resolutions list for 2015

    I used to do a resolutions list every single 31st of December of every year. It always felt as if the beginning of the new year would bring the new opportunities, the new hopes, for the life of my dreams.

    My resolutions list for 2014 was different. It was not focused in the common wishes like losing weight, exercising, eating healthier, etc. They were mainly focused on writing goals and other objectives that would lead me to achieve the personal growth I wanted to achieve. I reviewed that list in the early days of December. I found out I didn’t achieve most of them, not because I’ve been lazy, procrastinated, etc. but because most of them were not the the right goals.

    memesapp com

    Image source: memesapp.com

    In 2014, I started to find my way, to grow as a person, to understand what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, to work hard on it, and to persevere until I learned what working hard on your dreams really meant. I completed all of that.

    This December 31st, I sat down with an empty paper ready to write my 2015 goals. It took me less than 15 seconds to realize that I didn’t have to write anything else. I knew clearly where my mind was heading, I knew what I have to do, I knew I was already working on it, and finally, I recognized that I was just fine, I was doing what I always wanted to do and I was on the right track. So, there was nothing else to write, things were crystal clear in my head as to how to proceed and act.

    Of course, I still have some big goals for this year, but I know them by heart, I don’t need to write them down or make an elaborate plan on how to achieve them, I already know how. I already know that it’s just about hard work, and I’m already into it. Gosh, this feels so wonderful.

    nutritionfitnessandsstilettos com

    Image source: www.nutritionfitnessandsstilettos.com

    And you, do you write resolutions every year? do you achieve them? did you write resolutions for this year? I would like to hear about you in the comments. 

  • 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.

  • The quirky/cheesy/comfy workspace of a person aspiring to be a writer…

    Last week I came across WeWork, a very interesting co-working company, and I was inspired to write a post to share a little bit more about my workspace (the one where I do the creative stuff, not the gray & white boring one from my full time job. When are companies going to realize how much the workspace “look and feel” influence people’s effectiveness and inspiration?)

    So going back to my true workspace, I must refer to my home, more specifically my bedroom.  I don’t have a desk in my bedroom to work on; I mainly lay down on my bed with a bunch of pillows behind me. Do I like working this way? I love it! I spend eight hours in my full time job working on a desk to arrive home and sit again at a desk? No way! All I want to do when I arrive home is to throw myself on the bed, get comfy, cosy, and start writing the fun stuff.

    So how would I describe this inspiring/comfy place? As a total reflection of myself. I don’t believe in rules for combining colors or patterns, I just do it the way I like it, so yes, as you can see in the pictures, there’s brilliant red combined with lime green curtains, so much for learning how to nail the right palette of colors right?

    As you may notice, I love beanbags, they are perfect for relaxing, and whenever I’m not writing on my bed, I just let myself be in the beanbags.

    Now, decoration wise? I just put everything I like. I love art, I love vintage, comics, pop art, everything, so there’s a little bit of these things everywhere.

    I love books, and that’s of course how I got into writing in first place. My dream place would be to have to book shelves from corner to corner.

    I also like objects with quotes that remind me of what I want to do with my life, so that’s why I got a couple of quirky gadgets to remind me this, even advice quotes from the good Winston Churchill.

    And I may not be the flower pink girl type, but my cheesy part allows me to keep these little ones.

    Anyway, for many people out there, this bedroom/workspace may seem some kind of store with too much going on, to many objects everywhere, not the ideal representative of a minimalist decoration magazine of course. But I feel good here, I feel cosy, and surrounded by the things I love and get inspired by. This is how I get into the mood of writing every evening, and after all, it’s all about that, isn’t it?

    And you how is your workspace? do you think it’s important to have a workspace that relates to your personality?

    P.S. If you notice the British theme somewhere, it’s because of the good memories I have from the times I visited the UK.

  • 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.
  • Guest Post: Scarlett Van Dijk – A Writing Journey: Past, Present, and Future –

    Hello everyone. Carla Doria kindly asked me to hop over to her blog and let you know a little about myself and my writing. So, to start off, my name is Scarlett Van Dijk and I am a young Australian writer who writes mostly novels but also dabbles in short stories and poetry. I like to dance, train in martial arts, read, go to the movies, and play some multiplayer online games occasionally. My novel genre is Young Adult (YA) Fantasy with my first novel, ‘Sky Stone’, published and on sale at Amazon. I am currently working on the sequel to ‘Sky Stone’, which will be called ‘Guardian Core’.

    scarlett van dijk

    How Did You Start Writing?

    I started writing novels at the age of fourteen, beginning the journey that would become ‘Sky Stone’ at the age of fifteen. Writing, especially during these early years, gave me a release. Every teen knows the hardships of dealing with school politics and writing allowed me to escape to live in my own world.

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  • Winner of NaNoWriMo 2014 lets a heavy glass pot lid fall over her head…

    Winner of NaNoWriMo 2014 lets a heavy glass pot lid fall over her head…

    Sunday I declared myself winner of NaNoWriMo 2014 and to celebrate I let a heavy glass pot lid fall over my head. No, I’m not crazy, neither eccentric, it was just an accident. Very interesting way to celebrate it though, a huge bump in the head and an ice bag over my head. So people were telling me “wow! You must be excited to have finished your writing month and must had celebrated a lot” And I just go back to my memories of the terrible pain my head was in that day. At least, I managed to write the last words before the accident, because I wouldn’t have written anything else after the glass lid decided it was good to bounce on my head. Although, a good scene of pain and suffering could have actually come up well inspired at that time.

    nanowrimo certificate

    But anyway, let´s stop talking about the bad part of last Sunday and talk about the best part. I did it! I finished the first manuscript of an entire novel, over 88000 words in total. When I started NaNo I was at 38000 words more or less, it took me around 3 months to write those 38K. If it wasn’t for NaNo, I wouldn’t had pop out those remaining 50K and I would have finished my novel next year.

    Never have I ever (I’ve just remembered a drinking game… if you know what I mean, if not just continue reading 🙂 ) I’ve would have dreamed that when I put in my 2014 New Year’s resolution “Start writing for seriously” I would have ended up the year with a whole first manuscript for a novel. Surreal.

    www focusinc group com

    Image source: www.focusincgroup.com

    Of course, I must point out it´s a “first” manuscript.  This December will be harsh polishing and editing. One of the things that you learn with NaNo is to just let it flow; write, write and let the characters guide you through the story. No editing during November, not only because it would have caused constant deletion of words but also because there was no time. And it works, it really does. This is my first time writing a novel and believe me, I struggled very much at the beginning figuring it out how to start, how to plot the story, how to define structure, pacing, etc. Now I know that there has to be some planning at the beginning, but then if you want the story to really flow and reach its end, you just have to let it go, it works. But then of course with no editing in this “flowing” stage, a second, and even third draft have to be considered, the disadvantages of spontaneity.

    But I declare myself satisfied. Never have I ever, I’ve been more consistent and persistent in doing what I want to do for the rest of my life. I proved myself that I can do it, that I can create the habit of writing every single day (including weekends and holidays). I can do it. “I’m a roller coaster that only goes up” John Green (Yeah, I’m quoting The Fault in Our Stars, but the quote felt righter than ever).

    www pic gifs com

    Image source: www.picgifs.com

  • I started to kill my darlings and it feels so liberating…

    I started to kill my darlings and it feels so liberating…

    For those who have been following my blog, you know I’ve been writing my first novel during these months, and now I’m totally trying to finish my first manuscript by the hand of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). But being my first time experience as a writer, I’ve discovered so many writing tips during these months, that I would lie if I say I knew all of them existed, like the infamous darlings for example.

    But could you imagine if I were oblivious to these writer’s tips, notes, methods, etc.? For a first time novelist, the most possible outcome would be a dreadful first draft.  Of course, I’m perfectly aware that my fist draft will not be the best, neither the second, or not even the first novel; it could take me years (hopefully not decades) to learn to write properly; but I believe that with practice and huge receptivity for criticism (read my previous post), I can actually improve a lot.

    lilliemcferrin blogspot com

    Image source: lilliemcferrin.blogspot.com

    But enough of rambling about all this writing learning-curve-process, I wanted to talk you about my darlings, yes you read well, my darlings, and I’m not talking about my beloved ones, or my several stacked virtual boyfriends (who happen to exist  in a quantity equivalent to zero), but I’m talking about William Faulkner’ famous darlings.  For those who are not into writing, a quick definition will help you not close this blog post immediately.

    What is a darling in writing? A darling, according to the Urban Dictionary, is a literary advice that refers to the dangers of an author using personal favorite elements. In other words, I interpret the darlings as those phrases that look so cute or so wording abundant and excessive vocabulary that although, they make writers feel proud, they can actually cause readers to roll their eyes.

    www rubescloset com

    Image source: www.rubescloset.com

    I’ve been struggling with darlings for months, in my excuse to find my unique voice (which for some reasons started to come with darlings) until recently, when I realized that I only needed to stop worrying about them. That all I needed was to start writing a story with truthful characters and strong emotions, and that was it.

    Darlings have started to disappear, and whenever I read my first chapters (which of course I will have to revisit later when I finish my first draft), I will be ready to push my magic Delete button on the keyboard, and kill all the darlings mercilessly, for they are only barriers that stop us telling a truthful story (no need of decoration).

    And you have you ever heard about these darlings? If you haven’t, well now you know that writers are not crazy murderers whenever they talk about killing their darlings.

    And if you’ve heard about them, how do you cope with them? Do they usually chase you in your writing?

    P.S. I tried to google images related to “kill your darlings” but it seems that there’s a movie with Harry Potter in it (I mean the actor).

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  • Why we all need feedback and why we should embrace it…

    Why we all need feedback and why we should embrace it…

    I love feedback and with the time I´ve gotten more receptive of it. Many years ago, it would have been different. I would have taken it too harsh and felt discouraged. I think that´s sign of growing up and I embrace this idea.

    Since I began writing this year, I’ve felt insecure about my writing.  The plot, the characters, the stories, have always been abundant in my head, but my problem was translating them into paper.  Having never had writing classes and having a different native language than English, there were  times where I questioned myself “What am I getting myself into?”

    crossfict ampmabry com

    Image source: crossfictampmabry.com

    Due to all in these insecurities, I’ve always looked forward for feedback, and expected the worst. However, some people have given me excellent feedback and I thank them deeply for that (even though I still feel they were condescending with me). You see, I’m actually my toughest reviewer, but isn’t´that the idea? If I were to believe that I write very well and that my writing doesn’t need improve, it would be a tragedy, I would be a mediocre writer.

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    Image source: linkedin.com

     Being able to realize that there´s always room for improvement is awesome; I mean the “realization” part. The fact that you´re not that blinded and that you can find your own mistakes, it’s rewarding. And believe me, there must be a bunch of people out there who still get sensitive with feedback, BS! This is not a career for being sensitive, it´s a career for those who accept all sorts of criticism, absorb them, and continue forward! The more you detect your mistakes, the more you’ll be able to improve and learn.

     blog synergita com

    Image source: blog-synergita.com

    Thanks for all the harsh reviewers out there. That´s what writers really need and I´m hoping to get as many as possible. That´s the only way up!

    And you, how do you handle feedback? Do you let it get to you when it´s too harsh? I would love to hear what you think! Come on express yourselves in the comments section, if you want to complain against harsh reviewers do it! this is your chance  🙂

  • Writing helps me to be sane…

    Writing helps me to be sane…

    This is a continuation from my last post (Once I forgot the typewriter, I forgot how to live) and final part (I promise):

    From those writing experiences and my relationship with my typewriter in my child years. I sadly left the writing world, and forgot about my dreams. Many years later, I started to pay attention to other things in life, and stopped writing until I was probably out of college, or even after I had finished some postgraduate studies.

    I studied a career that was never meant for me, so when I read about a short-story local contest in the newspaper, I heard a voice calling me again… I didn´t win anything, but being more mature this time, I acknowledged that writing was truly a passion for me.

    For many years, I had several jobs in a career that I never liked, and a life situation where I was always unhappy. Finally, I decided that I had to find what I really wanted to do in my life and shout it to the world, and I did.

    Now, I´m a writer, even if I don´t write that well yet, or even when I have so much to  learn, I consider myself a writer, because writing helps me to be sane, it helps me communicate with the world, and it helps me discover a life where I feel everything is possible.

    arcolatheatre com

    Image source: archolatheatre.com

    I have started writing this year, and I chose to do it in English (because all the books I read are in English and writers tend to write according to what they read) and I feel absolute and totally happy and satisfied with my life, because for the first time I´m acknowledging who I am, what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I´m totally confident that I´m working hard on it.

  • Once I forgot the typewriter I forgot how to live…

    (This is a continuation of the previous post: How to make your kid an avid reader/writer)

    I still remember when I was little, no computer yet in my house (I got my first computer when I started University) but we used to have a typewriter (well, we still do, it´s there forgotten somewhere in a dark place of my house). I had read in the newspaper about a writing contest, sponsored by the government in my city, and I thought it was a hell of opportunity for me. I was no more than eight years old, and decided to enter this contest for ‘novel writers’. I´m convinced that it was just for adults but I didn´t pay attention to it. I just wrote with my typewriter a wonderful story (that shamefully I never kept a copy) of a fantasy world. Since typewriters didn´t allow you to make mistakes, my presentation was extremely awful. Being a kid, I wasn´t conscious yet about having to redo a whole page whenever I had a mistake on the typewriter, I would just use an eraser and type over the mistake.

    Image source: site.xavier.edu
    Image source: site.xavier.edu

    When I was done, I begged my Aunt Nancy, who used to live near the post office, to put the papers in an envelope and submit it to the P.O. box of the contest. Of course, I never won or anything and the writing must had been really embarrassing, but I was just eight years old! Nevertheless, having such a wonderful imagination (that I still have fortunately), the story in itself must had been a lot of fun.

    At that age, I felt there was no limit for me and no barriers to achieve whatever I wanted. What a shame, I was never encouraged to follow these dreams. I wrote short stories for my mom and some members of my family before I was 10. I have a couple of them stored in a box, and of course the writing is terrible but the stories, the creativity, the characters were great. But what I remember the most is that I always felt fulfilled whenever I wrote those stories.That sense of fulfilment shouldn´t be forgotten, we should live our lives with the intention of feeling always like that.

    However, I did forget it… and it was shameful because it led me to years and years of an unsatisfied and unhappy life….

    P.S. will continue…