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Showing posts from March, 2018

Self-Imposed Pressure of the Perfectionist

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A s writers and artists, we feel an indescribable amount of pressure whenever we're in a process of creating a masterpiece. Part of this pressure comes from the fact that we are basically giving birth to a brain child. The better percent of it is because we can't decide how to do that correctly. But a large amount of pressure is self-imposed and due to the inordinate levels of perfectionism we thrust upon ourselves. Photo by  Felix Russell-Saw  on  Unsplash We've all looked back on things we wrote however many years ago, cringing and ashamed that your mind produced such a tangled mess of unmentionable whatnot. That's not necessarily a bad thing. This is the proof that your narrative voice and your skill has improved. But what about a present work?  There are about a thousand things for the writer to worry about. Does the narrative sound dry here? Is my dialogue floppy? Is this story too cheesy? Are my characters lame, or cliched?Did I use too many adverbs? Do

Essaying: the Process

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A s you can tell from the title, this is not so much about creative writing as it is about academic. However, even creative writers have staggered under the crushing, academic blows dealt by thesis papers and the villainous professors that assign them. But as the school year drags on (whether in high school or college), hot chocolate highs increase and eight-page papers catch us at the last minute like frightful undertows on Pacific shorelines. Essaying: The Process So! How on earth do we nail these papers start to finish, stay sane and maintain some sort of life outside of the library and three hour naps on the couch? Step One: Look ahead. For me at least, my biggest issue is letting the paper catch me by surprise. One week you're innocently sleeping-I mean sitting- through a lecture and then the next...BAM! Yup. There's an eight-page essay due. This can be avoided if we plan ahead. Why are syllabi important? Well, they're great to doodle on during the first day of

10 Old Words That Need a Literary Comeback

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As Writers, there are some words that are just music to our ears. And other words that are so stupendously different and odd that they can't be ignored. Whole books could be filled on Old Words that aren't commonly found in Literature--well, not anymore at least. Today I will be addressing: 10 Old Words That Need a Literary Comeback  10 Words That Need a Literary Comeback Let's dive right in, shall we? 1. Whelve (v.) Meaning : to bury something deep, or to hide . Old English word that isn't used anymore, but it just rolls on the tongue when you say it. Very Tolkienian and mysterious. 2. Brontide (n.) Used to describe the rumbling noise of a distant thunder. Okay, well, maybe this word isn't exactly old, seeing that it has an entry in the Webster Dictionary, but you have to admit it sounds cool. It would also help provide an interesting break from the usual "storm adjectives." (i.e. rumbling, clashing, flashing, etc.) 3. Kenning (n.) O