alystowe - Tumblr blog

[alystowe]

I have decided to switch careers from writing to motivational cat poster making. Here ya go writers. Get those laptops ready :)

[alystowe]

Expose yourself. Don’t be afraid to show your character (or even yourself cleverly disguised as a fictional character) as flawed, naked, struggling.

Nora Raleigh Baskin

[alystowe]

Can you please reblog if your blog is a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, aromantic, pansexual, non binary, demisexual or any other kind of queer or questioning people? Because mine is.

[alystowe]

How to write a morally gray character:

Have their ideals be right but their methods be wrong

Make it seem like their dastardly methods are really the only way to achieve the goal for the “greater good.”

Have them develop from a flat antagonist to a well-rounded protagonist

How to not write a morally gray character

wah my childhood was hard

[alystowe]

My writer friends have such imaginative, original sci-fi plots and create such fascinating worlds -- they are inspiring and incredible people! Here’s to WRITER FRIENDS :D 

REBLOG if you have amazing, talented WRITER friends.

Because I certainly do, and I love every single one of them and their work.

[alystowe]

The holiday season as an introspective writer

9:00am - 10:00am: Wake up and drink coffee.

10:00am - 11:00am: Procrastinate. Gaze wistfully out the window, and lament over snow. Call it an inspiration exercise. 

11:00am - 12:00pm: Sit down at the computer, turn it on, play with cat. Drink a second cup of coffee.

12:00pm - 2:00pm: Write a few sentences.

2:00pm - 3:00pm: Anxiety says, “you are being anti-social and that’s not in the holiday spirit!” Go find mom. Talk about old English law. Feel guilty about not writing. Stupid anxiety! You just told me I should be socialising!

3:00pm - 4:00pm: Is there more coffee? 

4:00pm - 6:00pm: Write a few more sentences. But mostly scroll through Twitter. Check fridge for snacks every 7.5 minutes

6:00pm - 8:00pm: You really should spend more time with family. Find dad. Talk Netflix. Why aren’t you writing??

8:00pm - 10:00pm: Watch Christmas movies with family while secretly plotting next scenes. Win-win! 

[alystowe]

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

W. Somerset Maugham

[alystowe]

The best writing tips I never follow

1. Write 500 words (or 30 minutes) every day. This tip can be awesome for making writing a ‘habit.’ I know that! Yet recently, usually at 12:00am, I end up thinking, “JUST ONE SENTENCE! PLEASE! ONE SENTENCE AND YOU CAN TICK THE ‘DAILY WRITING’ BOX!” 

2. Make an outline. An outline ensures that every scene drives your story forwards. Man, my editing phase would be so much quicker if I could just follow this rule! But if you know the whole story... isn’t it a bit boring? I think the not knowing is what motivates me to write! (Please someone, find me a counter-argument!)

3. The best way to say something is often the simplest one. Artist!Aly: “But wouldn’t it sound so much more interesting/beautiful/rhythmic/revolutionary if I wrote it like... or maybe... or if I just remove these few words... nope, the simplest it is!”

4. Do not write and edit simultaneously. Finish writing first. Editing is a separate process. My inner perfectionist despises this rule. Oh yeah, it’s personal. Every time I finish a paragraph and avoid critiquing it, I feel an unnatural tension take over, and hear a small voice shout, “you’ll never be a writer!”

5. If your goal is to finish your novel, find a new goal. It leads to better mental health to think of writing as a journey, rather than a task to be completed. If you aim for the end goal, you will probably panic and catastrophise every obstacle. So I tell myself, “Aly, you don’t actually want to finish your novel. You only really want to write whatever you can reasonably achieve in the next 30 minutes.” Sigh. My life would be so peaceful if I managed to believe that shit. 

[alystowe]

Holiday Self-Care Guide

We know firsthand how hard the holidays can be many in the LGBTQIAP+ community. As it is our mission to help you find happiness, pride, and strength in your life, we have constructed a list of 10 self-care activities to gift yourself.

1. Connect with friends and family members who are affirming of your identity. Whether you send a holiday card, a text message, or call, connecting with those who respect and affirm you goes a long way.

2. Curl up with an affirming book. If you don’t know of any books that affirm your identity, ask us!

3. Finish a project you’ve been putting off. We see you, students. Turning in a project you’ve been procrastinating will give you more relief than setting down your holiday book haul.

4. Write down your 2017 achievements. Make sure you include the little ones! This is a great way to reflect on your growth and remember how amazing you are.

5. Clear out negativity on your social media feeds. If there’s anyone who makes you uncomfortable on social media, it’s time to do some holiday cleaning. You deserve to have a safe and affirming space online just as much as you do offline. 

6. Write down some affirmations. Negative thoughts can become even more invasive when we’re forced to interact with non-affirming people. Take some time to write down and recite affirmations. You can also trade affirmations with friends in the community!

7. Reach out if you need help. Talk to a friend, a school counselor, or a therapist. You can also chat online with trained mental health counselors at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Chat .

8. Spend some time alone. While it’s great to surround yourself with support, sometimes we need a few hours alone to relax. Whether you want to chill in your room, go for a walk, or drive to your favorite place, know that it’s okay if you need to take some time for yourself.

9. Support your fellow LGBTQIAP+ friends. Your community is your best source for support. Supporting others feels just as good as getting support, and connecting with others in the community to spread positivity is what we’re all about.

10. Write down a personal self-care plan. While the above are a few of our tips, there are many self-care activities that you may find more or less fulfilling. Pick up a journal or open up a Word doc and get planning!

[alystowe]

This is accurate, down to the cat on the head and zombie eyes #WritersLife

Expectation vs reality

[alystowe]

when you hit the point in your writing where you can see parallels between scenes and characters and plots and it’s great because it LOOKS like you’re being really smart and making all these connections like some omniscient puppet master but really you have no control over it and you’re just sitting at your laptop like

[alystowe]

How to Title Your Novel | Writing Advice A while back someone asked me how I decide on titles for my novel, this is some pretty basic info from me, and what i consider when working on my own projects - hope it helps!

[alystowe]

On writing and living

[alystowe]

[alystowe]

This is me...

Hi! I'm Aly. I'm a Londoner, university student, coffee fanatic and huge Netflix enthusiast. Also, I'm a writer (she says, just about convincing herself to believe it)! My first book is coming out preeeetty soon. It’ll be released on October 20th. I'm super excited. And also nervous. But hey, this whole writing thing is nothing new. I'm sure you all already know me from my previous work, otherwise known as posting fan fiction on Yahoo Groups about my favourite TV shows. That’s how I got my start, back in my teens, when everyone else was taking driving lessons or playing for school sports teams. Yep. I was a pretty big deal back then!

I've always wanted to be a writer. I know that I have quite an addictive personality, because I wouldn't just watch TV - I would want to control it. So many of my favourite shows drew me in with their relatable (usually imperfect) characters, and then… destroy everything they’d created. I got my heart crushed by directors ‘giving the audience what they need, rather than what they want.’ Or needing you to realise that ‘no one’s safe,’ even the character you love the most -- ESPECIALLY because you love them the most. I mean, what is that?! I swore, back then, that I would make my own stories. And in my stories, I would be true to character. I would build relationships that people could understand, and not break them for shock value. I wouldn’t make you love someone, simply to take them away and teach you a life lesson. There may be a time and a place for that in literature. But it’s not here!

You might ask what I was reading back then. Well, it’s all a bit embarrassing. I may have had the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel collection. It’s POSSIBLE that I also had a special edition box set of Gossip Girl books. I read Anne Rice when I ran out of Buffy books, and Harry Potter (because who didn’t?) I’m not your typical literature buff, but I love a good story that lets me escape reality, and go somewhere a little more interesting.  

So, here I am. I went to journalism school. I continued to write. And, eventually, I came up with a story that I connected with enough to see the whole novel through. What’s it about? Well, it’s about the aftermath of a high profile kidnapping case. It’s character-driven and focuses on a girl named Cassie -- the sister of the abducted child, and teenage celebrity (for reasons that she will never understand). And that’s all you’re getting from me… for now!

There’s not much else to know about me. I’m a girl in my 20’s. I have a Scottish Fold kitten (yes, just like Taylor Swift!) Sometimes I’m serious. Sometimes I’m funny. I’m ALWAYS overthinking. Like many authors, I’m introspective. I have quite a bit of anxiety, and I’m naturally quiet. But I can hide it really well, when I want to.