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moongurl95 · 27 days

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Writer Interview Game

Thank you for the tag @theladyofshalott1989! 💕 Yours was such an interesting read (can agree with your only child syndrome - im one as well ✌️) and it's something to think about since it's my first time receiving a tag game this long 😅

When did you start writing?

I remember making a lil homemade "Book of Jokes" (simply made out of elementary paper and just binding them with glue), my mom still has it somewhere she said she keeps as a memento.

But ive found i had a way to express myself in essay writing and with the other blogs i had before (blogspot days), before i really practiced creative writing back in 2019 by joining some writing groups online. They gave prompts and we spin a short story for it, which i greatly enjoyed doing. Joined Nanorimo in 2020 and even self published a couple of ebooks from that (not really confident to market it tho...)

But Fanfiction writing? ive honestly joined many a fandom but only Hogwarts Legacy was the one who called out to me to write something about my MC!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I curiously read smut cuz for the life of me i cannot write a sexy, intimate scene in detail - my brain just blanks when i want to write it, so always back to the drawing writing board for me 🫣

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

No one in particular really, tho i transitioned from reading the kids' books (Magic Treehouse, Geronimo Stilton and Bailey School Kids) to straight up P.C. Cast and her Goddess Summoning series. The only good 'ol YAs that touched my soul were Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver Trilogy, Emma Raveling's Ondine Quartet, Courtney Alameda's Shutter, Jess Rothenberg's The Catastrophic History of You and Me, and last but not the least (which also shaped my love for morally grey characters, Julian goddammit i cried teenage tears for him 😢) L.J. Smith's The Forbidden Game and these are most of the writers i remember growing up reading (i never even read the HP books... whoops!)

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

i don't really have a fixed one, i used to go to those co-working spaces when i started with fanfiction writing but i can type out a quick short story in notepad on any pc as long as the mood strikes. i've also adapted to typing on my cp too (OneDrive is my friend in syncing it on both my mobile and laptop) 😁

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Peace and quiet. i usually have the best ideas late into the night when everyone is asleep, and im up like a gremlin, awake and typing away on my pc (those subliminal writer sounds work on me too) and there comes a time that i just need to write the words out when they've been brewing in my head for a fortnight too long...

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

3 love interests and the 1 mc who does not have the leisure for romance (i did it once, i unwittingly just realized im doing it now with my fanfic... oh well.)

What is your reason for writing?

Granted i haven't written any original works since starting my fanfiction (all my brain juice goes into that WIP, i guess), it does give me a sense of purpose and a nice lil side hobby project i still quite enjoy coming back to every now and then ✍️🤓

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

i don't get alot so i love all of them! The ones that comment on how sweet the interactions were between the characters keeps me motivated tho, it's challenging enough for me to be naturally affectionate irl so i really think my dialogue over before capturing it in words.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

i guess just somehow who'll not leave them hanging on an unfinished work 😅 at this point in time i still love adding chapters to it, but it does take time for me (between working and adjusting in a new country). i greatly thank them for their patience and support of my work! 💌

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Slow-burns. 'Cuz maybe it takes me awhile to really understand a certain level of affection that's why im more interested in seeing how it develops. Also i do get comments on how i really visually describe a scene real well, so i hope that's true and im not really dragging it out? 🤔

How do you feel about your own writing?

i personally feel like i lack a back and forth dialogue in how i write, as i tend to be introspective, though overall i love the art of writing itself! There are days i read a random work of mine just to get motivated, read the comments on that and get encouraged more. 🥰

Hope these lovelies dont mind me tagging them 💌 @glutengoblin @animasola86 @evaslytherpuff @little-emerald-snake

#tag game #writblr #writers

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kkoehn17 · 6 years

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Last week I released my list of goals for 2019, but before I can truly dive into those new ones, let’s see how I did on my goals for 2018.

1) Do a handstand

COMPLETED

While I can’t say I can walk to work in full handstand while carrying my purse with my feet, I have come SO FAR from the beginning of the year.

2) Take a kickboxing class

COMPLETED

Guys. Seriously, take a kickboxing class. I mean, I figured I’d like it. Love it, even. But I didn’t realize it would be therapeutic. I genuinely worked through some things while I was punching and kicking that damn bag. So it’s safe to say that I will definitely make my way back to some classes in 2019.

3) Visit (at least) 20 museums in Los Angeles

WILL CONTINUE IN 2019

I only ended up making it to 8 museums this year, which is a bummer, but not that surprising when I look back at how busy my 2018 was. Instead of just letting it go however, I decided to make finishing this goal one of my goals for 2019. Hopefully this year I’ll find some more spare weekends to get out and see some ‘seums.

4) Get CPR certified

COMPLETED

That’s right, folks! According to the certificate that was emailed to me by the Red Cross, I am officially CPR and First Aid certified! I can officially save your life (if you’re having a minor crisis that was covered by the training)!!

If you’re interested in getting certified, you can find more information here.

5) Shoot (at least) 1 roll of film per month

(ESSENTIALLY) COMPLETED

I fell off a little at the end, but I shot 13 total rolls of film this year so I’m calling it good. I absolutely love that I set this goal and the pictures turned out SO COOL. Here are a few of my favorites:

6) Complete the 104 things to Photograph book

NOT QUITE

Yeahhhhhh. I just didn’t get around to this one, to be honest. I thought it would tie in really well with my film goal, but I just didn’t put in the effort to take pictures that corresponded to the prompts in the book. As of now, I could probably fill half of it, and while I will continue to fill it, I just couldn’t do it in one year.

7) Visit the sea glass beach in Fort Bragg, CA

FULLY PLANNED

I have worked out all the details needed to take this trip, and my roommates and I have thrown out potential dates. So while we didn’t take this trip in 2018, I think we will definitely make time for it in 2019.

8) Go to the dentist

COMPLETED

Yes, I went to the dentist. No, it was not fun.

9) Watch 20 documentaries

COMPLETED

This was another goal that I loved more than I thought I would. There are SO MANY documentaries out there that cover SO MANY different topics. And since I’m already someone that loves dropping fun facts, watching these documentaries this year gave me more material than I knew what to do with!

If you’re interested, these are the ones that I watched. I put my favorites in bold!

Happy (Netflix)

The Mortified Guide (Netflix)

The Mortified Sessions (Netflix)

Minimalism (Netflix)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Amazon)

Three Identical Strangers (Amazon)

Amanda Knox (Netflix)

Icarus (Netflix)

Evil Genius (Netflix)

The White Helmets (Netflix)

Tiny Shoulders (Hulu)

Conor McGregor: Notorious (Netflix)

The Mind of Jake Paul (YouTube)

Zion (Netflix)

Seeing Allred (Netflix)

Ballet Now (Hulu)

Becoming Bond (Hulu)

The Barkley Marathons (Amazon)

Blue Planet 2 (Netflix)

Batman & Bill (Hulu)

10) Perfect an omelet

DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO ANYMORE?

Yeah, I don’t really know what to say about this one. I mean, I had every intention of learning to make an omelette and I constantly mentioned buying a new pan that would help me do so, but then I just kind of…didn’t want an omelet? I don’t know. I guess I was really craving them in 2017, craving them enough to make perfecting them a goal for 2018, but here in 2019, I just want hard boiled eggs in my lunch box and fried eggs on my burgers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

11) See (at least) one movie in theaters per month

ONLY MISSED DECEMBER

Similar to the film goal, I did fall short at the end on this one, but I think I more than made up for it the rest of the year.

Here are all the movies I saw in theaters this year. And again, my favorites are in bold! 🙂

I, Tonya

Call Me By Your Name

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

50 Shades Freed

Red Sparrow

I Can Only Imagine

A Quiet Place

Book Club

Incredibles 2

Won’t You Be My Neighbor

Three Identical Strangers

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Eighth Grade

Skate Kitchen

Crazy Rich Asians

A Star is Born

Bohemian Rhapsody

12) Read 20 books off the Time’s 100 List

COMPLETED

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it one thousand times: AUDIOBOOKS. They are the only reason I made it through this goal, and since finishing Time’s list is on my 30 Before 30 list, I’m sure they’ll be the driving force behind completing that as well. #teamaudiobooks

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Dear God, it’s Me Margaret

On the Road

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Lord of the Flies

To the Lighthouse

The Day of the Locust

The Great Gatsby

To Kill a Mockingbird

Never Let Me Go

Revolutionary Road

The Painted Bird

Red Harvest

The Big Sleep

Mrs. Dalloway

The Moviegoer

Housekeeping

A Clockwork Orange

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

1984

13) Pay off credit card

MAKING PROGRESS

About halfway through the year I had to pull the plug on this one because I just didn’t have the resources to continue, but I’ve since got back on track and am making progress slowly but surely!

14) See 3 WRLA’s

COMPLETED

While on a trip to Seattle and Canada in March, I was able to complete this goal, seeing the World’s Largest Cowboy Hat & Boots in Seattle, WA, the World’s Largest Paper Airplane in Mukilteo, WA, and the World’s Largest Tin Solider in New Westminster, BC, Canada!

15) Volunteer (at least) 5 times

COMPLETED

After what seemed like a promising start, I once again found myself scrambling a little bit at the end. I did get my five slots in, but it wasn’t without a little sweat and frantic planning. The main charities I volunteered for this year were Food Forward and Children’s Hunger Fund. Check them out!

16) Donate Blood

COMPLETED

Yes, I did it! Was it my favorite thing ever? No. But will I do it again because it’s an easy way to help out? Definitely!

Find out more about donating blood here.

17) Do the 1 second/day video challenge

COMPLETED!

This was probably the most stressful goal for me because I was constantly having to remember to film a second for each day, but I genuinely love how it turned out. Shout out to everyone in the video! You are all reasons why this video/year turned out great because you were part of some of my favorite moments of 2018 🙂

youtube

Overall, I’d say this was a very successful year! It was a little crazy, a little blurry, and a little bit overwhelming, but I’m very thankful for all that it had to offer.

Now we’re off into the mysterious world of 2019!

I hope it treats you well and that you feel inspired to go for it! Whatever it may be for you. ❤

You can read more about the goals I set for 2019 here.

And if you’re looking for inspiration on goals you should set this year, check out this post!

2018 Goals Final Wrap Up Last week I released my list of goals for 2019, but before I can truly dive into those new ones, let's see how I did on my goals for 2018.

#blogging #fun #goals #goals for 2018 #Goals I&039;ve Set #inspiration #journal #life #motivation #new years resolutions #personal

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oovitus · 6 years

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Weekend Reading, 6.24.18

A friend of mine told me that he recently went to a conference where all of the attendees seemed to be talking about perfectionism, in spite of that fact that it wasn’t the conference theme. They were discussing it as people who had been susceptible to impossible standards in the past, but now counted themselves lucky to have let perfectionism go.

As we were talking, it occurred to me that I haven’t thought about perfectionism in a long time, though it had a hold on me for years. Even after I stopped trying to do everything “right,” perfectionism (and to some extent, being “Type A”) was a big part of my identity. I called myself a “recovering perfectionist,” which was truthful, but in retrospect I think it was also my way of continuing to identify with perfectionism and communicate it to others. I didn’t want to be subject to oppressive standards anymore, but I hadn’t yet figured out who I was without them.

In the end, perfectionism exited my life out of necessity; I untangled from it because I didn’t have a choice. Living with bouts of depression and anxiety in the last few years has meant letting go of a lot of my self-imposed notions of what constitutes productivity, success, or a day well spent.

A common experience of depression, I think, is that small, routine asks can suddenly seem insurmountable: doing laundry, cleaning up, running errands. This would have sounded unbelievable to me at one point in my life, when these kinds of to-dos were just afterthoughts, but now I know what it’s like to struggle with the everyday.

I’m thinking back to an afternoon two summers ago that illustrates this perfectly: my anxiety had been particularly bad, and I’d been paralyzed by procrastination all day. By dinnertime I was genuinely proud of myself for having gotten out of the house to pick up groceries and mail a package. This was a radically different measure of productivity than I was used to, and it didn’t matter: I was relieved to have done something, anything.

I’m in a different place now, capable of fuller days, but my perspective remains valuably altered by that experience. I don’t wake up with a fixed agenda anymore. I don’t plan on doing more than I know I can handle. If I notice that tasks remain undone everyday on my modest to-do list, I take it as a sign that I need to plan on doing less, rather than wondering why I can’t do more.

I’ve learned that my capacity for doing and my tendency to get overwhelmed ebb and flow. Sometimes they shift for reasons that I can identify, like how I’m feeling physically or whether something has made me anxious. Sometimes they change suddenly and for no apparent reason. I don’t try to bully myself out of feeling overwhelmed; rather, I ask what would make me feel calmer and more steady.

I often remind myself of a mantra that my friend Maria gave herself when her MS symptoms started keeping her from the pace and routines that had become customary: “better than before.” The origin of this mantra was an ongoing struggle to keep tidy the home she shared with her young son. As Maria’s “functional self” receded, she noticed the presence of another self, who “though less physically versatile, was stronger than I ever could have imagined from the perspective of the one who functioned’ throughout the day. She began to show me things my functional self simply missed.”

One of those things, she goes on to say,

was to be able to notice when I was completely out of energy to exert myself. This might be when something was halfway wiped, or not wiped at all, but I had somehow managed to put some things away. She would know to say that’s enough for now. And she was very clever about what would satisfy my functional self, who would never have been satisfied with that’s enough. It sobered that functional self to learn when the diagnosis of MS finally came that the “forcing” she had habituated herself to was the worst thing to do if she wanted to preserve her physical abilities. But as the saying goes, it’s really true that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. So my deeper wiser identity came up with something even more ingenious than this looming threat:

Better Than It Was.

Or, (depending on the context): Cleaner Than It Was.

These two statements became my mottos. And they still are. They allowed me to learn to pace myself while still satisfying that Functional Self that I was making what she considered progress through the daily requirements of life, even if many of them were slowed to a crawl or a downright standstill. Better Than It Was.

Maria’s story is uniquely her own, and my own sense of high functionality has shifted for reasons that are uniquely mine. But her clever motto has given me great comfort since I first read about it on her blog. So, too, does this quote from Melody Beattie: “Our best yesterday was good enough; our best today is plenty good too.”

The best thing about letting go of perfectionism is developing a capacity to recognize that “our best” can look very different from moment to moment. There’s no longer an immovable standard of output. I wish that I’d been able to pry my ego away from productivity and being busy on my own, rather than being forced to reckon with a dramatic shift in my capacities, but in the end, it doesn’t matter how I got here. What matters is that I’m learning to be grateful for what I can do, rather than fixating on what I haven’t, or can’t.

Throughout all of this, I’ve had the tremendous luxury of being able to adjust my schedule and responsibilities in a way that allowed me to create a dynamic “new normal.” Not every person has the space to do this, depending on his or her professional and personal circumstances. I recognize and respect the many men and women who go through periods of depression and anxiety while also keeping up with fixed schedules. And of course I worry sometimes about my DI year: now that I’m learning how to take gentle care in the moments when I need to, what will it be like to temporarily lose control of my schedule and workload?

I don’t have an answer, but to some degree I suspect that I don’t need one. My routine next year will be a challenge, but so long as I can do my best without succumbing to the influence of perfectionism, I know I’ll be OK. Much as I’ve made my schedule more realistic, letting go of perfectionism has been an inside job. It resides in recognizing how futile perfectionism is, how it discourages me needlessly while keeping me from recognizing the good that I can do, and maybe have done (another observation that’s prompted by Beattie).

Here’s to a week—and a month, and a summer, and a year—of doing my best and trusting that my best is enough. I wish the same for you, too. And here’s the weekly roundup of links.

Recipes

I would never think to put fruit in a tabbouleh, but I love Katie’s creative mixture of blueberries, parsley, mint, and quinoa—I’d actually love to try it as a savory breakfast dish!

A very different kind of quinoa salad, but no less delicious: a curried mixture with red cabbage, raisins, and pumpkin seeds from Melanie of Veggie Jam.

Two recipes for summer entertaining caught my eye this past week. The first is these show-stopping chipotle cauliflower nachos from my friend Jeanine of Love & Lemons.

Number two is this platter of green summer rolls with mango miso sauce from Anya of Lazy Cat Kitchen. The sauce alone is calling to me, but I also love all of the tender green veggies here (asparagus, zucchini, broccolini).

Finally, a summery vegan pasta salad with creamy avocado dressing—perfect timing, as pasta salad’s been on my mind lately (and I may just have a recipe coming soon!).

Reads

1. This article is about a month old, but it’s very on-topic for today’s post: why you should stop being so hard on yourself, via The New York Times.

2. Ed Yong’s new article on the threat of imminent global pandemics frightened me (and the blurb under the title didn’t help), but it’s an important topic, and I’m glad that it’s being written about. Yong notes the medical supply shortages that are becoming increasingly problematic in the US; hopefully greater awareness might somehow inspire solutions.

3. Reporting on the termination of a major NIH study of alcohol, heart attack, and stroke, which was shut down when conflicts of interest were identified. It’s an important examination of the ethics of funding and scientific research.

4. Dispatches from the Gulf of California, where the vaquita—now the world’s rarest marine mammal—is on the brink of extinction.

5. I was so full of appreciation and respect when I read my friend Karen’s latest post on numbers and body acceptance.

Like Karen, I went through a long period of asking to be blind weighed at the doctor’s office and not owning a scale. That time served a purpose, but nowadays I can be aware of the number without identifying with it, which I’m grateful for. I’ve had a bunch of doctor’s appointments in the last month, and getting weighed has been the last thing on my mind: feeling more at home in my body has been my only point of focus.

Karen opens up about her own recent experience with the scale and the annual physical, then reflects on why she’s committed to being transparent about what “balance” looks like for her. It’s great to witness her journey unfolding.

On that inspiring note, happy Sunday—and from a celebratory NYC, happy pride! I’ll be circling back this week with my first fruit-filled dessert of the summer.

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oovitus · 6 years

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Weekend Reading, 6.24.18

One of those things, she goes on to say,

Better Than It Was.

Or, (depending on the context): Cleaner Than It Was.

Here’s to a week—and a month, and a summer, and a year—of doing my best and trusting that my best is enough. I wish the same for you, too. And here’s the weekly roundup of links.

Recipes

I would never think to put fruit in a tabbouleh, but I love Katie’s creative mixture of blueberries, parsley, mint, and quinoa—I’d actually love to try it as a savory breakfast dish!

A very different kind of quinoa salad, but no less delicious: a curried mixture with red cabbage, raisins, and pumpkin seeds from Melanie of Veggie Jam.

Two recipes for summer entertaining caught my eye this past week. The first is these show-stopping chipotle cauliflower nachos from my friend Jeanine of Love & Lemons.

Finally, a summery vegan pasta salad with creamy avocado dressing—perfect timing, as pasta salad’s been on my mind lately (and I may just have a recipe coming soon!).

Reads

1. This article is about a month old, but it’s very on-topic for today’s post: why you should stop being so hard on yourself, via The New York Times.

4. Dispatches from the Gulf of California, where the vaquita—now the world’s rarest marine mammal—is on the brink of extinction.

5. I was so full of appreciation and respect when I read my friend Karen’s latest post on numbers and body acceptance.

On that inspiring note, happy Sunday—and from a celebratory NYC, happy pride! I’ll be circling back this week with my first fruit-filled dessert of the summer.

The post Weekend Reading, 6.24.18 appeared first on The Full Helping.

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