Quirky

Happy Monday everyone!

This week, just for fun, I'm going to tell you a little bit about me. Ten things you probably didn't know about me, so we can start to get to know each other better.

Today's topic? Quirks.

1. I read books on outer space and archeological data for fun. In other words, I'm a nerd.

2. I have an obsession with the name Percival... And I don't even know why. I have a stuffed lobster named Percival, and he's literally one of my favorite personal items. So much so that I never touch him or move him. He's essentially on a pedestal.

3. *SPOILERS* I like the Walking Dead so much that I dreamed what I thought the season five finale should be, the night before the finale aired. Unfortunately, I forgot that Beth died.

4. Nikola Tesla is my favorite inventor, and it all started with a show on Syfy. That show would be Sanctuary, for those who wanted to know.

5. Penguins. Need I say more?

6. I don't watch comedy movies. Ever. Well, that's a lie. I watch the OLD ones, like The Great Race, How to Steal a Million, and The Barefoot Executive. A lot of the new stuff tends to be focused on making sex funny, and let's face it, I don't find sex amusing.

7. I can imitate pretty much every accent on the planet, and it comes out naturally if an accented person is speaking to me. I apologize up front every time I speak to someone with an accent, because I can't help copying -- most of the time I don't even realize I'm doing it.

8. I'm a fan of the Doctor Who reboot series... But I don't like Matt Smith. And I get obsessive over it. If you'd like to have a debate over whether Tennent or Smith was better in the role, feel free to leave me a comment. I guarantee I'll respond with my fifty cents.

9. Sometimes, I wear fake glasses. But I'm really not a hipster, I promise.

10. I own seventy pairs of shoes. And I still don't think I have enough. I'm not sure if that's a quirk or just a womanly trait...


I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little better! Don't forget to stop by later on this week to find out what quirks I think make me perfectly suited for writing and editing -- and what traits might do the same for you!

[love]

{Rani D.}

The Block... Does it exist?

This week has been fun, hasn't it?

Writers vs. Depression - Writers win!

Writers vs. Friendships - Writers win! (Okay, maybe that one's more of a tie, but it still means we win)

So today we're left with...

Writers vs. The Dreaded Block

Now, if you know me at all, you'll know I don't believe in the Block. But you'll also know that I acknowledge its existence in other peoples lives. 

Here, I'm going to tell you how to live like I do, knowing that the Block does not exist, and that you can and will write whenever you want. 

1. Don't give it life

Speaking about the Block gives it life -- that's how I've always felt about it. If a concept isn't real, we don't speak about it. Don't say things like "I have writer's block." Say "I'm writing a novel." Telling yourself that you're writing a novel will help you to complete it. If you say it enough, and you believe it, pretty soon you'll find yourself saying that not only are you writing a novel, but that you've finished another one!

2. If you can't think of a good idea, maybe it's that you haven't seen or heard one in a while

If you're not getting any good ideas down on paper, it's probably that you haven't experienced any as of late. 

My advice? (it's fun, don't worry): Watch a new show or movie, or read a book, that's related to what you want to write. Look for inspiration from the Muse, from that inner voice inside you that just wants to sit down and get the story out. 

They're just waiting for you to find the right way to express it.

3. Sit down and write -- even if you think what you're writing is pure crap

This here is the big one, and it's very important that you don't skip it. Even if you feel like everything you've written in the past eight years is the worst thing that anyone's ever written in their life, keep writing. Do not, no matter what you might want to do, DO NOT STOP WRITING. To stop writing is to give in to the Block, to give it life, and to acknowledge that it exists. 

We don't want that, do we? 

I hope this helps those of you who have trouble with Block, and I hope you'll all come to trust me when I say that it does not exist if you don't let it. 

[love and hugs]

{Rani Divine}

Friendships last... don't they?

Are you a creative type?

How many close friends would you say you have, that would stick by you through literally everything?

Not many, is it?

Well, for me it certainly isn't. One of them would have to be my mother. I think I have two others. Maybe.

But why is it, that so many creatives have a hard time holding onto friends?

1. We have too many imaginary friends. 

Sometimes we call it the muse, other times we just call them the voices in our heads. They're there, and we can't help it. No matter how much they might bug other people, we love them. We really do. They're a part of us, and we couldn't give up on them even if we wanted to. 

But with that many imaginary friends, sometimes it's hard to keep both them and the real ones straight.

2. We're so involved with our work that sometimes we forget the rest of the world exists. 

And we would apologize for it, if we realized it was happening. I've done it many a time, and I didn't notice it until someone told me.

I have so many imaginary friends that I don't always notice when I'm neglecting the real life ones. So I have to remind myself to focus on the real world at least once a day.

I recommend that you do the same. It's helpful to your work, if nothing else. 

3. We don't always like to get close to people, because we've seen it happen in many a book -- and seen how badly it can go. 

Yeah, it's the pessimist in us. But sometimes we can't help it. We've all done our fair share of reading, and we know what hardships and pains can come from the loss of a close friendship. Trust me on this, because I've recently been through such a loss. Sometimes we just don't want to put ourselves out there again.

But let me tell you this:

It's important that we do put ourselves out there, that we do find close friends and put ourselves out there, because friends are some of the best ways that we're able to move up in the world, and a great system for keeping ourselves accountable and holding our heads up high.

If I can do it, so can you. We'll do it together.

[love]

{Rani Divine}

Down... and out?

Have you ever noticed how often creative types seem to be struck with depression? It's almost as though creatives have this innate need to please, and as though when they do not succeed, they don't know how to handle it.

But it's deeper than that, isn't it?

That's how a non-creative type would see it, perhaps. We creatives know it's different. It's not that we have this innate need to please, to be seen, to show you everything within ourselves through our work.

But then, what is it?

For me, the answer is very simple. It's also something that I believe we'll be able to adjust for, if we're all careful enough.

That's why I've written this. For you. So you'll know what I've been through, and so hopefully you'll now be armed with new weaponry in getting through it.

We wear our emotions as an ensemble. 

Some say we wear our hearts on our sleeves. Others say it's the cheek. But it's really that we just use our emotion more thoroughly and wholeheartedly.

There's not a problem with that. Not an innate one at least.

The problem comes when we have so much emotion that we no longer know what to do with it.

Take this for example:

I'm writing a book with five main characters, editing another (of mine) with six, and about to sign a contract with RAD Writing where I'll be editing a client's novel. That's a lot of characters, a lot of minds, inside my head. It's almost like having a hoard of friends that I have to look after and give voice to, day in and day out. Their emotions become mine, because I'm so close to them. They feed off me and I off them.

How then do I avoid the pitfall of this depth of emotion?

My solution has always been this:

Deep breath. Light music. Dimmed lights. Journal. (seasonal variants: park bench or bubble bath).

The key, at least for me, is relaxation. I need that time to sit down and think through my own thoughts, to straighten out what was me and what was them. Once I've had that time to myself (usually at the end of a work day, which is when I tend to feel the most overwhelmed), I find that I'm better able to face the rest of my life. I can sit down with friends and laugh--and really mean it. I can curl up on the couch with a glass of wine--not a bottle. I can put on upbeat music and clean the house... because that's what I like to do for fun, not because it needs doing.

That's how I do it, personally.

I know, however, that it's not the same for all of us. Which is why I've found this for you all to listen to. It's one of my favorite authors, Tosca Lee, speaking with Kevin Kaiser about her personal battle with depression:

Finding Freedom From Depression [Podcast]

And don't forget, you're not alone. If you're like this, if you're so down that you just don't know how to get up anymore, remember: I'm here for you. Even if you feel like no one else is. Send me a message, drop me a comment, let me know you're out there.

We'll take a stand together, and we'll always know we're never alone.

[love]

{RD}

Tips of the trade

All right, so maybe you've read all my posts this week and thought to yourself...

How do I get better at grammar? 

After all, some writing styles do require high levels of grammar. If it's something you feel you need to learn, read on! If you don't, well, then I trust I'll see you back here Monday. *wink*

That meme had nothing to do with anything, it was just too cute and... cookie monster, c'mon!


Three ways to improve your grammar:

1. Write. A lot. 

Why? Because it will help you to figure out your own style, and you'll know what you need to improve upon when you go back and read your work.

2. Read. A lot. 

This was the biggest one for me, personally. Whenever I feel like I'm slacking and not using my grammar the way I'm supposed to be, I read. Usually I'll go to authors like Ted Dekker or Michael Crichton, because I know both of them are very clean in their writing and they both have similar styles to a lot of the work I do.

That's what you'll want to do.

Read authors who are at least somewhat similar to you, or who are inspiring to you. Read Shakespeare if that's what you really like -- but don't expect him to be able to help you with your modern grammar rules *wink*

3. Study. A lot. 

Yeah, I know. It's the kicker, and the one thing most people don't like to do. But it's what you'll have to do if you want to get better. Buy some grammar books, and in about a quarter of your designated reading time, sit down and read those. We don't care about the names of the terms, we just care that you know what you're doing.

Unless you want to be an English teacher. But that's a whole other ball game.


I hope this was helpful! If you need some ideas of good authors to read, hit me up and I'll give you some suggestions!

[love]

{RD}

Grammar Nutzi

Monday we talked about not requiring good grammar for good writing. If you've been keeping up, you know that.

Today, we're in a similar vein.

Why are so many writers also grammarians? 

Well, I'm glad you asked. And I'll give you three good reasons.

1. We've written so much, every single day, that it's become second nature

This is just what happens, after a while. I've only been writing professionally for a few years, but still. I've written ten novels, all of them over 200,000 words. And after a while, it just gets engrained in you. I've used spellcheck and my thesaurus so much that I just know now, without even thinking.

I'd guess that it's the same for most writers, who find themselves acting as grammarians.

2. We've been through so much editing that our editors have drilled it into us

It's true.

Our editors have banged our heads against the dictionary so many times that it finally stuck. We're so nervous that our editors are hiding around every corner that eventually, perhaps even sadly, we've become like them.

We can't help it. Most of us would apologize, if we'd realized that it had happened.

Then again, most of us wouldn't want to admit that we've become our editors. It's akin to a child realizing they act just like their parent.

Scary stuff, that.

3. Really, we're just always editing

In our heads.

In our lives.

In everyday speech and even during television shows.

We can't even help it anymore.


Don't worry, if you're just starting out and you have a heart for writing (and even if you don't have one for grammar), you'll get there too.

Trust me.

[love]

{RD}

Truth-Fact

Okay, nobody start yelling at me when you read this.

Just hear me out.

You don't have to like (or be good at) grammar to be a writer.

(read the sarcasm in the meme, please :-) )

Now nobody start getting testy on me. I have my reasons for saying that, and I'm about to explain them. Read to the end and maybe you'll side with me, eh? 

You never know until you try. *wink*

Three reasons why I believe you don't have to like (or be good at) grammar to be a writer: 

1. Grammar doesn't really matter in the long run

Nobody mob me. Please. Just think about it. Think about how often people actually use proper grammar in their speaking. Now remember that a lot of what you're writing is trying to mirror actual life. 

Put two and two together, and voila! Bad grammar = ... well, equals kinda sad standards for spoken English, but decent writing nonetheless.

2. Editors fix your grammar

Well, this is obvious. 

A lot of popular writers actually do have bad grammar -- but you'll never know, because the editors polish their work until it shines. That's the truth of the matter, right there. Editors make our work look better. It's what we pay them for. (sometimes it's also why we hate them, because the process can be painful)

3. Not every story needs good grammar

Do you have any idea how many famous people published works with terrible grammar? Works that were praised as being great literature? 

I don't either -- that's how many there are. I can't even count off the top of my head, how many authors became famous off the terrible grammar they published for the world to read. 

Yes, it'll depend on the context of your story and the depth of your characters, but if you write it properly -- bad grammar or not -- people will read it, they'll like it, and they'll follow you for it. After all, if you like it, then someone else will like it to. That's the way the world works. We're never really alone, even when we think we are. 

Besides, you'll never know until you try. Why not give it a whirl, bad grammar and all? 

I believe in you. Always have, always will. 

[love]

{RD}