Hiatus

Well my dear writers and readers...

I'm going on a little hiatus.. so I can gather up more content for you lovely guys out there!

Check out my personal blog: visualizedreality.blogspot.com for my own pieces of writing as well as other things!

See you soon

x

Friday Flicks: The Real

I've indulged in this talk show since it managed to reach the UK!

I love it... each host is diverse in their own way, with their own experiences to share and their personalities. Who would of thought Tamar Braxton, Adrienne Bailon, Tamera Mowry Housley, Jeannie Mai (Never heard of her until this show, but love her!) and Loni Love would all be such a perfect formula for a talk show?

It's just great.

What do you think about The Real?

Comment time: So many killings?

I don't know about you.. but I have been reading far too many news stories of people dying, accidents and whole nine.

The newspaper has become especially grim over the past couple of weeks and I believe it is a call for concern.

Have you heard the story about the young pregnant lady in Peckham who got kicked in the stomach deliberately and lost her baby? What about the shooting in one of the American churches? What about the story about a cyclist being hit by truck a couple of days ago? Oh how about the 25 year old boy who beheaded his Grandmother?

I mean.. what is going on here? Have you noticed throughout the year.. there are particular times where there is a good week or a good couple of days where all you see are killings/suicides/deaths?

Doesn't this worry you?
Doesn't it make you think about your own life?
Doesn't it make you feel a little more cautious when you are out there in the world?

It just reminds me how precious life actually is.

#34 It's ok to not like your work

And this is what it feels like when you've written your first draft.. you read through it.. and you literally don't like ANYTHING. 

It's ok.

You'll live.

#33 Don't Censor yourself

As you are in your draft stages of your story, novel, novella, poem-- whatever it maybe, do you find that you end up 'editing' yourself as you are writing?

Stop.

Don't do it! Well at least, not in the drafting stages! The first drafts, second drafts.. third drafts.. and yeah.. however many drafts, these are the raw stages of your creation.. and the last thing you want to do is censor it and possibly limit its effect.

If you want your character to be a sweary character.. let them! When you get to your final stages, that's when you tweak (almost wanted to say twerk..!) everything and make it all polished and nice.
Obviously, you still need a purpose to why you have put particular things in your story.. but let everything flow out before you censor, delete, edit, whatever it is you find yourself doing!

I find that I end up editing myself in my raw stages.. and then I end up doing it throughout and it doesn't really help me to flow like I should.

I find it a little stifling.. but it's something that I'm learning not to do right at the beginning; and wait to do it a little later down the line.

Have you noticed yourself doing this? What are your thoughts on it? Does it help you? Does it hinder your 'flow'?

Talk to me people!!!

#32 Visualize

As a writer.. do you tend to visualize each scene as you're writing it?

The way that your character speaks; the way their lips curl when saying the words...
The expression that's on their face...
How they move...
The area they are at the time-- what's there? Is it a desolate area? Is the weather cold? Hot? Is it a busy area with noise from multitudes of people?
The way their houses look...

I think visualizing your story and how you want it to be is such a great tool and is SO effective when describing things, and implementing that 'Show don't tell' rule!

Because if you can't imagine what's going on in your story, how do you think any other reader that embarks on your story will? And even if they do imagine it, will they be able to grasp the reason to what is happening in your particular scene? Unless you are the kind of writer that likes for your readers to have their own revelations, instead of seeing exactly what you want them to see (We have that capability as writers!)

But yes. I love to visualize. It gets me motivated. It gets me excited. At some points I can't wait to see what happens next--yet I am the one that's creating the story! Sounds crazy, huh? Well it happens! And it's a good feeling when that happens.. because you are your own critic; but if you find yourself getting caught up in your own creation-- chances are your readers will too!

Try this scene to visualize:

A couple are arguing in their bedroom; they have been together for just over a year. They are a young couple. mid 20's. The woman is a little taller than the man; the woman is the one who is upset. She is shouting. Tears are flowing from her face. She is wondering why he's changed-- why he doesn't come home for days-- why in bed he seems distant. The man isn't as emotional, and he interrupts each time the woman tries to make a statement. The argument gets too much-- and he slaps her.

You can gather what's probably going on here.. but more importantly, can you SEE it? Can you see the anger in the woman's face? The tears? Can you feel the tension between them? Can you see how their bodies are? Can you see the bedroom?

I believe we all do this as writers.. but it's best to sometimes take a scene out of your story and visualize it.. see if you can see it all-- and then describe it.

Trust me. It's so effective and so fun to do.

Friday Flicks: 'Humans'

I know it's not a movie; but I found this new series SO cool!

I am NOT usually a sci-fi fan, but this show has already got me hooked. It started on Sunday last week and it's really interesting.

The first episode showed us a little back story of a particular group of 'Synths' that seemed to be on the run-- and three of them were captured.

We then find that they are bought by families to be helper robots.

I don't want to give away too much.. but it was on Channel 4, so you can easily catch up on 4OD online!

But yeah.. I wanted to watch it because of all of the creepy adverts I was seeing about it-- and it seems pretty interesting.

Every Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4!