Writing: Characters (Poll results & Archetypes)

 

 

A few weeks ago (technically, more than 4 weeks), I put up a Poll to see what kind of characters you preferred to write (female, male, or other).  Here are the results:

Female: 64%

Other: 27%

Male: 9%

 

The down-size of this poll is that it didn’t capture whether the writers were male or female so I can’t make any further correlations.   It seems that overwhelmingly we prefer females as our characters.

I wonder– why?

Do you find it easier to write from a female’s point of view?  Or, perhaps you feel there need to be more female main characters in books?

Another interesting result I found was how high the stat for “other” was.  Again, this poll didn’t capture (or further elaborate) what “other” entails.

Imagination runs rampant.

Today, we’ll continue the “character” series with another poll.  This time about Character Archetypes.

 

Creativity and Mental Illness

I read an article recently that got me thinking about creativity and its role in mental illness (or vice versa): Creativity and mental illness share genetic markers on Genetic Literacy Project.

“Scientists in Iceland report that genetic factors that raise the risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are found more often in people in creative professions.”

Hmm, this statement wasn’t anything I did NOT know; however…

“Kari Stefansson, founder and CEO of deCODE, a genetics company based in Reykjavik, said the findings, described in the journal Nature Neuroscience, point to a common biology for some mental disorders and creativity. ‘To be creative, you have to think differently,’ he told the Guardian. ‘And when we are different, we have a tendency to be labelled strange, crazy and even insane.’”

Wait, there’s more…

“Stefansson believes that scores of genes increase the risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These may alter the ways in which many people think, but in most people do nothing very harmful. But for 1% of the population, genetic factors, life experiences and other influences can culminate in problems, and a diagnosis of mental illness.”

Not only do we, as creatives, think differently I believe we also feel differently.  And we just don’t look (or feel) at the surface, we dig deep.

Very deep.

We dare to.

We must.

It’s okay if we’re viewed as being different.

Odd.

We’re used to being alone, standing in a room full of strangers (even family members tend to be viewed as strangers at times).

But do all of these make us mentally ill?

We tend to delve so deeply into our minds that we start to see things (and people) that may or may not be there.

We talk to our characters that no one else can hear.

Our minds…our imagination are our greatest weapons.

And our downfall.

All because “normal” people do not understand us.

But does that make us mentally ill?

Usher Awareness: Own the Equinox

 

 

In honor of Usher Syndrome Awareness Day on September 17th, I’m walking at least one mile a day for 25 days. I’ll then join my USH family around the world for the final 1.2 miles in this mile-a-thon.

If you can’t make a donation at this point, help me reach my goal by sharing this page on Facebook and Twitter!

Or, even better, send an e-mail to friends you think might be interested in contributing and include a link to my page!

Thanks so much for your generosity!

Help me own the Equinox. Together, we can make Usher syndrome history. #USHEQX

If you wish to follow my journey, please visit my page for updates.

A Writer’s Ultimate Dream (Poll)

 

 

*Coming this Monday, August 22nd!  A special guest post by C Hope Clark, Author of The Carolina Slade Mysteries and Editor for FundsforWriters!  Be sure to stop by!

Writing Through Your Fears

 

 

 

 

Ever had a passion project in mind that kept nudging at you all hours of the day; but, when you sat down to actually begin working on it only to find that your mind had gone completely blank?

 

What did you do?

 

If you’re like many writers, you blamed it on “writer’s block.”

 

In Gabriela Pereira’s upcoming book, DIY MFA, she states that there is no such thing as “writer’s block;” rather it’s resistance.  The more meaningful the project is, the more one has to lose so the greater the resistance.  She went on to say that instead of looking at this resistance as an enemy, look at it as a compass.    Use it to guide as you work through this resistance.

 

So, instead of running from it…

 

Face it.

 

In doing so, you may surprise yourself at what you’d uncover.  Many writers have discovered valuable breakthroughs by working through their fears.

 

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”
–Henry Ford

 

I have battled with the fear of inferiority.  That anything I do will not be good enough. So, instead of working through this and continue producing as a writer, I’d stop writing altogether.

 

Sounds familiar?

 

Over time, I have (somewhat) overcome this by writing and finishing short works of fiction, and poetry; however, I’ve yet to complete a long work of fiction (a novel; heck,  even a novella would be nice).   I’d get about a quarter of a way through, and then stop.

 

No one’s gonna want to read this.

 

It’s never going to be published so why bother?

 

On and on it goes.

 

I know where this resistance is coming from.  It’s stemming from various painful experiences in my past.  Instead of working through this, I’m allowing it to stop me from doing what I love.  And it’s making me miserable.

 

I’m going to take Gabriela’s advice and begin viewing this resistance as my compass, and allow it to guide me down the path I’m destined for.

 

Will you do the same?

 

“What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it.” –Jiddu Krishnamurti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creativity Myths

 

In Gabriela Pereira’s upcoming book, DIY MFA, she debunks the following 5 creativity myths:

1. Creativity is an exclusive club, and you can’t be part of it.
2. Creativity is innate–you either have it or you don’t.
3. Creativity is driven by chaos, so there’s no way to control it.
4. Creativity is all about getting that one “Big Idea.”
5. Creativity is focusing on an idea until it’s perfect.

#5 resonates most with me.  I’m a perfectionist in pretty much all things.  You’d think this would make me a “master” of anything I attempt.

Nope.

Instead, I rarely follow through or finish anything because I am a perfectionist.

If I can’t get it right in my first attempt, it gets discarded or set aside permanently.  I kept comparing myself to the successful writers (JK Rowling, Stephen King and Madeleine L’Engle for examples) which made things even worse for me.  I found that not only I couldn’t finish what I started, I couldn’t even get started on anything!

For a long time, I thought that perhaps I wasn’t meant to be a writer because I had no skills or talent for it.

Then, I began to study the history of these writers more closely.

It took JK Rowling about five years to write the first book of Harry Potter.  This manuscript was rejected twelve times before being accepted.

Stephen King threw his first manuscript, Carrie, in the trash because he wasn’t happy with its progress.  It wasn’t good enough.   Tabitha, his wife, retrieved it and encouraged him to not give up on it.  To finish it.  God bless that woman.

Madeleine L’Engle was very shy and introverted as a girl; so much so, many deemed her as “stupid.”  So, she reverted to imaginary friends and worlds.   Writing grew out of this.  With very few publications under her belt, she faced rejection time and time again.  Eventually, at the age of 40, she decided to give up on writing altogether.  However, the inner voice wouldn’t let her do it.  She would write A Wrinkle in Time which would ultimately be rejected more than thirty times before being published.

Wow…these writers weren’t perfect.   They didn’t happen upon success over night.

No, success came slow and hard for each of them.

Anne Lamott summed it up best for me:

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.”

Oh, this rang true and clear for me!   Other than the fact that I am a bit on the crazy side, I don’t relish the thought of being miserable for the rest of my life.  I’d rather write than NOT.  I also began to realize that just about every successful writer out there had to work hard in their craft to get where they are.

Which means that there is no such thing as being “perfect.”  Just lots and lots of practice.

 

Do any of the creativity myths listed above resonate with you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, You Discovered Your Writing Superpower-What’s Your Kryptonite?

 

In an earlier post (Every Writer Has a Superpower!), there’s a quiz you could take to find what your storytelling superpower is.  However, there is a dark side to this.  Each writer has something, a weakness, that tends to drain his or her superpower or make it useless (if we let it).

Not a very pleasant thought, huh?

What’s the key to overcoming this?

Acknowledging that yes, there is something that’s holding you back from achieving that next level as a writer.

Now, you must take action.

Find out what this Kryptonite is, and then work through it.  Instead of just accepting it, find ways to improve this area of weakness in your writing.

“Our strength grows out of our weakness.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Adversity tends to make a person stronger- if faced head-on.

A lot of times, one’s Kryptonite is related closely to one’s superpower.

For instance, my storytelling superpower is Survivor:

“You’ve got a penchant for characters who will do whatever it takes to survive….regardless of their situation, you’re drawn to creating characters your readers will admire for their pluck, determination, and sheer creative willpower.”

This is spot on for me.  My characters will do whatever necessary to survive; however, in doing so, they tend to be so focused on survival, they forget the human-side of things like feeling emotions.   They’re so busy reacting, moving from one crisis to the next like some kind of a robot, they don’t try to stop for a split moment to deal with the emotional trauma they’re experiencing.

I’m great at creating suspense in my stories; but they lack the human-element: emotions.  The one thing that grabs a reader, and hook him or her throughout the entire story.  The one thing that breathes life into characters.  The one and same that gives any given story that special uniqueness.  Otherwise, it falls short of greatness, always missing its true potential.

The same is true in my own life.  I’ve gone through several periods where I endured losses and painful changes that in order to get through them, I’d completely shut off my emotions.

My main focus was to survive.  Adding my feelings to the mix was too much for me to deal with.  I figured that I’d deal with them later.

Only I never did.

Now, I’m faced with worsening anxiety issues and becoming more of a recluse.

My family is starting to suffer because of this Kryptonite.  And so is my writing.

I’m just now acknowledging that this is my Kryptonite.

Next, I must take action.  To find ways of injecting emotions back in to my characters, my stories.

But first-I need to allow those emotions to flow through me.  To re-open the door of my heart, and allow it to breathe.

I need to live again.

Only then will my stories come to life.

What about you?  Have you identified your Kryptonite yet?  What kinds of action will you take to address it?

*Do you have that desire to get to the next level as a writer?  Here’s a book that may help you!

3 Ways Blogging Helps Keep Your Dream Alive

1. Blogging allows you to share your hopes and dreams with readers.  By sharing them with others, in essence, you are keeping your dreams alive.  It can also allow your readers to reciprocate by sharing theirs with you.  This brings me to the next point…
2. Blogging helps build a support system.  When you connect with other like-minded individuals who are also struggling to realize their dreams, you form a support system to help encourage one another in hope of achieving them.  Isn’t it nice knowing that you’re not alone?  
   
3. Blogging can help keep you accountable.  When you announce a particular goal to your readers,  don’t be surprised if they hold you accountable to fulfilling it!
   

 

 

What about you?  Can you think of other ways blogging can help keep dreams alive?

 

Reality Versus Writing

Ever had a time during your life when writing (or whatever your artistic passion is) has become incompatible with reality?

It sucked, didn’t it?

I hope that like anything else, this only lasted for a season and that you were able to go back to it.

I went through my “incompatible” period not too long ago.

Two years ago actually.

Hubby was unemployed but in college working towards a formal science degree.  I was the only one working full-time (in the banking industry).  My vision was deteriorating, but I somehow managed to put in over 40 hours each week while suffering from terrible eye strains and painful migraines.  I had a young son, and a house to also take care of.  Whenever I tried to sit down to write, hubby or son always needed me for something.  Or, if I spent “too much time” writing, hubby would complain that my priorities were to my family and job since I wasn’t making any money with writing.

Then, my father became ill with an aggressive lung disease.  I would allot whatever free time I had to spend time with him.

It was during this period of my life when I had to choose between “reality” and writing.

Writing had to be put away.  I felt like I’d lost a piece of myself for doing so; but, still the choice had to be made.

My Dad passed away a short time afterwards.  Hubby graduated from college with honors, and is now working full-time as a federal employee.  And I’m “retired” from the workforce, and am home full-time.

With these now behind me, I have ample time to write again.

 

If you’re going through an “incompatible” period, just remember this quote…

 

 

 

My Struggles to Achieving My Creative Dreams (Special Guest Post by Lidy Wilks PLUS a Cover Reveal of Her Chapbook AND Giveaways!)

*I have a special treat for you all today!  It is my honor to introduce to you Lidy Wilks who will be talking about her passion as a writer and poet, and how she came through her struggles to achieve her dreams.  The cover reveal above is for her poetry chapbook, Can You Catch My Flow?  Be sure to check out the special giveaways at the end of this post Lidy is promoting! 

 

 

I’ve taken a few detours on this creative journey. I’ve stumbled and detoured away from it.  Funny, when I think about it.  As I’d always known, from the moment I read Little Women and Moby Dick, that I wanted a future involved with books.  I didn’t know then what kind of job it’d be.  But I never doubted for a minute, that whatever that job entailed, I would find where I belong.

Yet, I’ve had my highs and lows in trying to achieve my creative dreams.  My first fan was my friend and classmate.  Her excited response supported my interest to become a writer and write more stories.  I held those aspirations all the way through high school; until a teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I got older.  Naturally I said “I want to be an author.”

Well, imagine my utter shock when I was told that writing was just a hobby.  Making money from writing wasn’t a high priority.  I wanted to write and have readers enjoy my stories.  To my teacher, becoming a published author was unrealistic.  Writing could not feed you, clothe you or pay the bills. That was the reality of things.

Despite her quick and crushing, pessimistic assessment, I couldn’t let go of my dreams.  But it still affected me so much that I changed my intended major on my college applications.  I’d decided to major in Mass Communications instead of my favorite subject English.  At least with a Mass Comm degree I can get a job in print media/publishing that’ll pay well.  Fortunately, this little detour didn’t last long.

What happened? I was reminded of what I really wanted after my first semester.  I only majored in communications because I was afraid of a future that hadn’t even happened yet.  I let that fear guide me on a different path.  A dream of becoming a magazine editor/writer as a way to hold onto my creative dream; but that fell apart because of an elective creative writing class, and the professor who encouraged me.

So I spent the next four years writing to my heart’s content.  Studied and read British and American poetry, and Shakespeare’s plays in Old English.  Taking non-fiction creative writing, and poetry workshops.  All the while minoring in Mass Comm because I might as well finish what I started.  Plus, it could come in handy (and it did a bit now that I’m a blogger). Point is, I was never happier.  And then I graduated.

True to form and I don’t want to admit it even now, I did not find a job with my English degree.  I started temping and found a job at a non-profit.  I got married, had kids and before I knew it, writing-wise I had nothing to show for it.  Life had taken me on another detour until a company move to a new city gave me the kick-in-the-butt I needed.  Dust off the story ideas I’ve filed away throughout the years, and exercise my writing muscles.  And not just write again; but, write more poetry and submit them to literary journals, magazines, etc.

Looking back, all these detours served as lessons.  To never again let my doubts, lack of confidence, or the opinions of others take me away from what I love doing.  And believe me, I almost completely turned my back from it especially after receiving a nasty rejection letter from a poetry editor.  But as much the support I’ve received helped validate my writing dreams, I should believe in myself more especially against those whose opinions would deter me from it.

After all, I will always question myself and whether I have the talent and determination to continue on this journey.  Questions like what is this poem about? Who is the poem for?  How could I ever had written this?  Or, being filled with writing envy and asking why didn’t I write that?  But these are questions I deal with whenever I pick up a pen to write, or read a poem.  And that’s not something that will ever go away.  It’s one of the things that’s part of a writer’s life. And it’s a writer’s life for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on above image to enter for the giveaway!

 

 

About the Author:

Ever since she was young, Lidy Wilks was often found completely submerged in the worlds of Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew. She later went on to earn a Bachelor degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Franklin Pierce University where she spent four years knee-deep in fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction workshops.

Lidy is the author of Can You Catch My Flow? a poetry chapbook, and is a member of Write by the Rails.  She currently resides in Virginia with her husband and two children; and an anime, book and manga library which she’s looking to expand, one day by adding an Asian drama DVD collection.  Lidy continues her pursuit in writing more poetry collections and fantasy novels all the while eating milk chocolate and sipping a glass of Cabernet, or Riesling wine.

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Stop Limiting Yourself as a Writer

Thanks to all who participated in the most recent poll (How do you really view your writing?).  The majority of you chose “as a passion/reason for being;” with equal number selecting “as a service to others” and “as a hobby.”

For me, I’ve been teetering between “as a passion/reason for being” and “as a service for others.”   So then I thought, why can’t I choose both?

Why does writing has to be labeled so narrowly?  Restricted?

I think that it can be any one of these above depending on your goal, or where you are currently in your life.

Writers shouldn’t have to confine themselves in order to fit in a mold set by others.  Our creativity needs to be kept free, unrestrained, in order to be the most productive.  Especially for the first draft.

Don’t you agree?

 

 

 

*Are you an unpublished writer?   Do you need feedback on a story?  Click here for more information.  This offer ends today!  

 

The Dreamer In Every Writer (Need Feedback?)

 

“A dreamer will not stop having that dream until it has been fulfilled” -J. Wilson

    Some time ago, I wrote a few posts on the dreamer in all of us.  At times, we even sabotage ourselves so that a particular dream doesn’t come to fruition.

    Other times, though, life just gets in the way; and we find ourselves with choices that we wished we didn’t have to make.  Dreams get put on hold, or given up altogether as we are forced to go down a different path from the one we dreamed about and hoped for.

    Years pass as do various cycles of ups and downs that come with each lifetime; but, your dream still waits for you…yearning for that moment when you decide to return to it.  By this point, you’re wondering if you still got “it.”   Is the muse still with you?  Can you still put into words those images and voices that have been locked up in your mind for so long?

“There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback – seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance.” -Rachel Griffiths

    Dreams deserve second chances.

    Don’t they???

    So, you sit down in the chair, and pen a story.  One that’s been pestering you for ages.  Done.  Finished.

    Now, what?

    You need a reader.  Some one to give feedback on your story.

    *Gulp*

    Take a deep breath, dear writer.  I like to give this feedback.

    Interested? 

Here are my prerequisites:

    1. You’re still unpublished

    2. You’re 21 years old or older

    3. Story is fiction, and is 2,500 words or less

    The feedback I’ll provide will be mainly for the content of your story (how does the story flow, are there any plot holes, are the characters interesting enough, and so on).

    Still with me?

    Awesome!

     Using the Contact form below, or if you prefer, the comment section at the end of this post:

    1. Tell me what prompted you to return to your dream

    2. A brief description of the story you’d like feedback on

    This opportunity will remain open until March 31st.   Two winners will then be selected by no later than April 3rd. At that time I will contact the winners for their stories.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Writing and Mental Health

* Journal of Life-“A piece of fiction from Carrie Ann Golden; written as journal entries of a young lady struggling with mental illness/family.” –GFT Press

I wrote a short fiction for GFT Press which was published late last week.  I took various experiences from my past, and wrote them into this particular story of a young woman.  It doesn’t work for everyone, but writing can be used as a therapeutic tool while working through life challenges.

What about you?  Has writing helped you through various dark and troubling times in your life?

Writers and Audio Books

In your opinion, do you think that listening to audio books can benefit you as a writer?  Why or why not?

In a future post, I’ll give you my thoughts on this; but first, I want to hear from you!

The Power of Spoken Words

I have a confession that I need to make:

I haven’t read a book in well over a year.

Am I proud of this fact?

Heck no!

Do I have a valid excuse for this?

Perhaps.

How can a writer be a true “writer” without reading books?

Probably still a writer, but not a very good one.

What I have been doing is reading lots of online magazine/news articles, and blog posts.

Would these count as productive reading?

I believe so; especially if one of my goals is to be a citizen journalist.  Oh, and a blogger as well.

But…

I still consider myself a short-story writer, and a poet.  I also desire to complete a novel. Here’s where I run into difficulties.  With my waning vision, it’s a growing challenge to read books.  For some reason, I don’t have as much problem reading online than I do on paper.  It’s the lack of the right lighting.  The words seem to waver in print and after a few pages, my eyes are too exhausted to continue.

Out of frustration, I stopped reading books altogether.

As a result, I felt like I was short-changing myself and my readers.

Then I read a post on a particular blog aptly titled- Like to write but don’t like to read? Help is here.  After reading this, I was filled with hope and excitement.  The author, Lisa, talks about two types of writers: reader-writer, and writer-writer.  One writer reads lots and lots of books; while the other one does not.  Lisa considers herself to be a writer-writer. Her reason?

“I love words but have trouble reading them.”

What did she do?  She began to listen to audiobooks.

    “I find that hearing the words read aloud and visualizing them in my mind actually helps me to     find new ways to put my own thoughts together.”

So, I’m going to experiment with audiobooks on my own.  I recently discovered (and have signed up for) a program called Talking Books where audio books are provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

In the near future, I will provide my own feedback on this.  Stay tuned!

What about you?  Do you think audiobooks can benefit writers?

 

Further readings:

Is Listening to Audio Books Really the Same as Reading?

Are Audiobooks the Key to Better Writing?

5 Reasons Why Writers Should Listen to Audiobooks

 

Are There Too Many Books Out There?

I posted a poll to both here and on Twitter to garner how many thought if there were too many writers and not enough readers.  Majority of those who responded (around 74%) believed that there were more than enough readers for all the books now out there.

Okay, let’s delve a bit deeper and look at some of the statistics that I’ve managed to find.

According to one article, in 2013 at least 28 million books were published in English.  It looks like this included both traditional and self-published “print” titles.  The article went on to state that in 2003 the number of books in print were only around one million titles.  Kind of put things in perspective on just how much things have exploded since the early 2000’s.

I pulled up the Worldometers’ site, its clocking the world population at around 7.4 billion.  North America has 360 million, Europe at 738 million, Africa 1.2 billion; but Asia takes the crown at well over 4.4 billion.

Of the 7.4 billion, nearly 1 billion are illiterate.

Another sobering number to look at is that at least 3 billion of the world population lives in poverty; many of these may not have access to books because of the condition they live in.

This still leaves a good chunk of people as readers, right?

How many of the remaining population actually spends the time reading books in all honesty?  With people working more hours each week, and with various technology distractions, the number of people reading seems to be on the decline.

It seems that the challenge facing writers these days is trying to get people to read their work.  With so many published titles out there (and mind you, these numbers do not include digital ones), how does a writer go about doing that?

Any thoughts?

 

 

Amazon’s terms of service won’t apply in the event of a zombie apocalypse

*I have a thing for zombies, and found this article particularly interesting!

 

 

It seems as though Amazon may really believe we are at risk of am impending zombie apocalypse.

Source: Amazon’s terms of service won’t apply in the event of a zombie apocalypse

Community Journalism and Local News (Part Two)

At first glance it seems these two should be practically the same, right?

Not really.

In a nut shell:

Local news cover broad, mainstream events that occur within a region, state, nation, and the world.

Community Journalism takes a more narrow, specific approach.  It focuses on a specific geographic locale (a town or a suburb), or a community of interest or practice, or even a community of fans.  Community Journalism is manged by the community (most are not-for-profit) and not by a commercial entity.  Its main goal is to bring a particular community together by providing relevant content for that community.

Want to learn more?

Community Journalism (Wikipedia)

Community Journalism: State of the News Media

Introduction to Community Journalism Special Issue (Rural Research & Policy)

Journey As a Writer and a Blogger (Part Two)

As you may have noticed through my recent posts, I seem to be struggling with self-identity as well as wondering what role(s) I should take on as a writer/blogger since I left the work place permanently over a year ago.

Below are some of the posts I’m referring to:

Are you a blogger or a writer? (Poll)

Journey as a writer and a blogger

Quotes about writing and blogging

One of the by-products of being home full-time (and as a person who can not drive so am pretty much house-bound) is that I tend to over-analyze things.  More times than not, this is counter-productive.

Well, for me it is.

Many of my readers have told me that blogging/writing actually work well together.  Yes, you can be both a writer and a blogger.

I’m now starting to understand what they mean.

There are those who write horror or science fiction books/stories, and then turn around and blog about things that relate to their work (such as movie or book reviews, various topics within the particular genre, etc.).

Those in the nonfiction realm would publish a memoir or essays based on personal experiences would in turn blog about topics that relate to these (mental health issues, cancer or other life-threatening diseases, victims of sexual abuse, etc.).

On and on the list of examples could go; but, I hope you get the point.

I suppose the underlying theme of all this is find your “brand” as a writer, and then build your blog(s) around that “brand.”

This is starting to sound like a marketing or business scheme…but, I guess when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all, yeah, I think that what it’s about.   It’s about sharing what you are as a writer, and your work, with your audience.  Hence, that’s where blogging comes in.

Well, that’s how I’m starting to perceive blogging to be.  Perhaps I could be wrong.

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Choose Your Path (Part Two)

“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”- (Robert Frost) The Road Not Taken

The above quote is the one I can relate to the most-at this point in my life.

I’m looking to others who have tread on before me as examples and for inspiration as I struggle to build confidence in myself as a writer; as a scribe who’s on a journey that could be considered spiritual in nature; as a journalist who’s risking much to share painful experiences, and bare thoughts and feelings to those willing to listen.

There will always be those who refuse to accept you for who you are, and for the things you stand for.   These same people will be the first to criticize and ridicule you as a writer, and a person.  And yeah, that hurts…a lot.

These are the times when I’d turn to the creative-minded individuals who’s gone on before me for strength and wisdom; to know that I am not alone in this battle is always a wonderful comfort, and to glean the motivation needed to keep traveling the path I’m on.

Someday, I hope to be strong and courageous enough to branch off, and blaze a new path for others to follow.