Category: Uncategorized

Oh Joy, a Beginning!

Camila Silvestre

By: Camila Silvestre

Beginnings are hard. The start of a new job, location, or friendship (to name a few) can bring great stress. I should know. I even struggled to come up with how to start this post! Let me let you in on a little secret though: they don’t have to be so complicated. Take a song for example. In regards to music, that one starting line can really hook the listener in and keep them engaged. How do you get started with that great line though? Read on for a few tips on how to make the beginnings of your songs the best they can be!

  1. Don’t Give Too Much Away

That’s what your chorus is for. A great opening line should set the scene, but not give so much away that your listener already gets the theme . What is the theme at hand? For example, let’s say it’s a negative change in a friendship. You’ve been wronged by someone, and you want to write a song to cope. An opening line could be: “You, an expert in keeping lies.” This draws the listener in. What sort of lies? What do you mean expert? Then, the chorus could expand on why this person is such a bad friend.

  1. Don’t Overcomplicate It

Writing a song, whether for the first time or as a seasoned professional, can be daunting. What can be said that hasn’t already been said? Will my song resonate with somebody? It’s important to keep the thought process simple: you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Writing a song should, from my experience, be fun and freeing. Don’t be afraid to mess up- if writing for the very first time! A great rough draft is better than no draft at all. 

  1. Learn from Others, but Don’t Remain Frozen

What better way to learn how to begin a song than to draw inspiration from others? Doing a bit of research into your favorite songs and how they start can be motivating. However, too often, it can be easy to feel insecure. How did they get there? Will I be able to write a song as good as theirs? To put it simply: comparison is the thief of joy. Observing can only get you so far. Getting your hands dirty (metaphorically- don’t go around playing in mud) and starting the song as best as you know how to is the best way to write a song.

Speak Up Or Speak Down

Alissa Kessler

By: Alissa Kessler

Hate something, love something? We want to hear it all! There is no right or wrong here, and every thought, opinion, and expression shared will be recognized and respected. 

The majority of people would love to speak up about something they love or hate, but due to their fear of being criticized and/or judged, they shy away from the idea. What makes one person’s opinion any more valuable than another’s? Exactly–nothing! One person’s opinion is just as important as the next person’s, and everyone has the chance to use their voice. 

People have the opportunity to speak freely, though only some people take advantage of this when they write. It is common that people will share what they think others want to hear or what they think will be most popular. However, we want to hear what people want to say. 

This is how we grow mindsets and learn from others. When we are told only what we want to hear, we have no chance of growing or seeing different perspectives. This is why it is crucial for people to share their views on ideas, situations, and environments: so that others can grow their knowledge. 

No one is held to one standard when it comes to their writing, and no one is bound to share just one opinion. Writing is the most beneficial when we use it to enhance different perspectives. While some may be nervous about this, we want to remind our authors that this is a safe space and a judgement-free writing platform. This is a professional environment, and as long as our authors are respectful and kind, we will let them speak their minds. 

Nothing is black and white, so why should we expect writing to be? We want you to use your thoughts and opinions freely and to share what you think needs to be said! 

Bitter to Bestselling: How to Turn Negative Reviews into a Positive Experience

Riley Boock

By Riley Boock

The following quote is a review written by Samuel Pepys:

“…The King’s Theatre, where we saw “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life.”

At one time or another, we’ve all gotten feedback that stung. Not even Shakespeare, the father of modern English literature, is exempt from criticism. Even with this in mind, it can be incredibly difficult to cope with rejection – but not impossible.

Here are some tips you can follow to make the best of a bad review:

Wallow (Within Reason)

I won’t sugarcoat it – rejection hurts. Your work, written or otherwise, is the result of a vulnerable and dedicated process; in a way, it becomes part of you. If you feel so inclined, treat yourself to some Ben & Jerry’s, rent a tearjerker, and make it an early night. Alternatively, you could get some fresh air, go for a walk, or journal your thoughts and feelings. It doesn’t matter which method of self-care you choose as long as it fills your cup!

Taking some time to recuperate after receiving disappointing feedback can make a huge difference in both your attitude and motivation. As humans, we have a tendency to take criticism very personally; unfortunately, as writers and creators, that’s a huge part of the process. Once you’ve channeled your initial feelings through an appropriate outlet, you can revisit your work with a fresh lens.

 Consider the Critiques

As you review your feedback, try to find the gems in the pile of rocks. Remember that most criticisms are well-meaning, even if they come across as cruel. However, some negative critiques are going to be unhelpful, plain and simple. Disregard those and keep looking for useful notes. For example:

  • This is the worst story I ever heard. – Anonymous User. (Unhelpful.)
  • This story has potential but isn’t ready for publication yet. The plot, though humorous, is underdeveloped and stale. – Editor McCritic. (Harsh, but can be helpful with some positive reframing.)

The key is to question if each review taught you something or introduced a new, informed perspective. The first example gives an opinion with no supplemental advice, but the second one points out a specific issue that can be addressed. This fundamental difference can completely change the way you view criticism.

Keep it Moving

It’s important to take corrections into consideration, but at the end of the day, don’t let it consume you. Different critics will have different insights; try to get a variety of sources to provide feedback, rather than lingering on the thoughts of just one.

Whatever you do, don’t let a negative review extinguish your spark. There is always something to improve upon, so let those critiques be nothing but an impetus. Keep working, growing, and prospering!

Too Much, Too Little?

klange7

By Kaitlyn Lange

Imagine you’re 6 years old, and this world is yours.  Pieces of chalk litter the sidewalk, and your friend’s laugh echoes across the neighborhood.  Everything is perfect. You’re chasing your dog down the street when your foot suddenly catches, and you end up sprawled out in the gravel.  You’re in pain, so you begin to cry. Emotions flow freely and nothing has made you question the connection between your feelings and reactions; if you feel something, you feel it with no remorse.  Now, you’re in middle school submitting your first ever 5 paragraph essay.  Your topic is picked by the teacher, and there’s a strict set of guidelines that follow. Your class pumps out 15 essays written by 15 different individuals that all sound a bit too similar.  Cramming for the word count, you pick and choose what adjectives make the cut.  Suddenly, your paper lacks your “style” and simply follows the teacher’s criteria, as it will for the next 6 years of your life. 

As adults with more creative freedom, this is our chance to take back our writing.  However, this is also when it becomes scary.  When is too much, too much? And when is too little, too little? 

In a 2006 TED talk, Sir Ken Robinson said, “We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather we get educated out of it”, and Peter Smagorinsky, from the University of Georgia, submitted to Writers Who Care, “…emotions are foundational to writing, and I’d add, to living life. You’d never know it, however, from the ways in which schools view writing as a form of “cold cognition”: purely analytic reasoning, unadulterated by underlying feelings, which are believed in the context of school to be illogical and inappropriate. The analysis of the most moving of literature must itself be dry as a bone, with students often forbidden from using “I” to express their interpretations, as if their papers are written by an “objective” observer….who doesn’t care at all.”

Following the thoughts of these two men, write what you feel needs to be said, and make it yours.  Submit that poem you have been worried about others seeing, and include your frivolous adjectives.  If it feels like too much, step back and review it, and if it feels like too little, then add to it.  Just write for yourself, and if it does not make the cut, at least you can be content knowing you stayed true to yourself instead of spitting out a piece that one universal system has tried to convince you feels like you. 

Stories of the Mundane: Finding Inspiration in the Uninspiring

Christopher Murray

 By Andrew Murray

              When we feel creatively exhausted, we often blame the routine and monotony of our everyday lives. Where do we turn for inspiration when our days are spent at work, at the post office, at school? What is there to tell? A lot, it turns out, if we strive to look just a little bit deeper. Many of the greatest storytellers color their most interesting characters with their perspectives on things we can all relate to – the mundane.

                Quentin Tarantino is one of the most universally revered directors and screenwriters in the history of filmmaking. His movies are also about as fantastical as it gets before dragons and hobbits get involved. Reservoir Dogs is a gratuitously violent crime drama chronicling the botched heist of six pseudonym’d criminals and their Clue­-style hunt for the saboteur in their midst. The movie opens with with a continuous, dollied shot around a diner table as six men discuss the virtues of tipping – chiefly that Mr. Pink doesn’t believe in it. These men are hardened criminals and this is the way Tarantino chooses to introduce us to them.

               The oft-lauded Pulp Fiction is too elaborate to synopsize here, but involves a pair of philosophically-waxing hitmen and their entanglements with their kingpin boss, a struggling boxer, and several other larger-than-life characters. Vincent Vega – one of the aforementioned hitmen – explains to his partner, Jules, the subtle differences between American and European fast food – like the fact that Europeans call a Quarter Pounder a “Royale with cheese,” because “they got the metric system there.”

                How much do your average moviegoer and black-tie hitmen have in common? Maybe not much, but both have probably had a quarter pounder (or a royale with cheese).

                The hit sitcom of the ‘90s, Seinfeld, landed at number three on Rolling Stone’s “100 Best Sitcoms of All Time,” edged out only by Cheers and The Simpsons. The award-winning show is known for its absurdist takes on the minutiae of everyday life. Variety ranks “The Comeback” the show’s top episode. In this episode, George flies from New York to Ohio just to deliver a comeback insult to a former coworker. This is a fantasy we’ve all had, taken to extreme lengths.

                Seinfeld the show began as an exploration of how Seinfeld the comic gathered material for his standup routine from everyday life. Topics typical of his real-life act include the joys of going through airport security, tips on choosing the freshest produce at the supermarket, and the indignity of doctor’s visits.

                Quentin Tarantino and Jerry Seinfeld are two very different types of storytellers – one a vulgar and indulgent film director; one a legendary comic known for the squeaky clean nature of his act. Both are masters of their crafts, and both often turn to the same source for inspiration: the mundane. Why? Because the mundane is relatable. So the next time you find yourself bored at work, make your work work for you.

Finding the Lesson

Jonathan Lallement

Jonathan Lallement

A lesson is something learned, it is what we take away from an experience, sometimes you have to live it, sometimes you have to see it and sometimes you can just read it. 

The beauty of reading is you gain experience in a way that describes even the smallest detail whereas modern day technology such as Television, movies and, audio versions don’t explain every detail the way words can. Reading shows a lesson in this way, when you read a story that has been turned into a show or a movie you often feel that it has lost a lot of substance and you are getting the summary that’s on the back of the book. The substance of a story in comparison to a Hollywood version can sometimes feel draining but the knowledge held between pages is much more “appetizing” than held between film. This knowledge adds to an experience that you do not have to live or even see, just imagine. The imagination of someone is so powerful that reading can create more of a level of sympathy, empathy and, understanding of the concepts of a story. We as readers get to go inside someone’s brain and see events; fictional or otherwise, as our own. 

This isn’t only for fiction stories though, when you read the news you get to see every detail of a story and every piece of bias shown. In an article writers often use certain words to show their bias and that creates a unity of sympathy between the reader and writer that should be embraced and not discarded. Nonfiction, which should not be biased, shows us events how they happened and why they happened which is like time traveling. Nonfiction and the lesson you learn should be linked with the quote  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”–George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905. Stories always have a lesson to learn and with fiction it is about building a concept of the world happening between the lines and taking what happens to the characters and applying it to a life that is felt and not read because even in a Sci-Fi novel we have emotional and logical connections that we can learn and apply. In a news article we can build a connection with the Journalist writing and be sympathetic of what is happening right now but we need the understanding of the past in nonfiction to correctly understand what is going on. These are broad lessons of reading but with these lessons a reader can search for the knowledge to carry onward into their life.

Overusing adjectives in Your Writing

Cheyenne Colt

By: Cheyenne Colt

When you are writing, you may sometimes experience writer’s block or simply run out of the words to say, while still having a minimum word count you need to reach. One way in which people handle this issue is by adding in filler words. Overusing filler words takes away from a writer’s piece, though. While it is adding to your word count, it somehow makes your writing less effective when your wording is repetitive. It can also bore the reader. The word “very” is perhaps one of the most overused words in writing, whether that be in the message you would like to convey, or the vocabulary being used. There are two instances in which these mistakes are made and can be corrected. The first is using the word “very” instead of other adjectives with the same meaning such as “remarkably” or “exceedingly” or “profoundly.”

Read the following sentences and take note of the difference between the two:

  1. It is very important to wear your mask in public.
  2. It is incredibly important to wear your mask in public.

While the two sentences essentially hold the same message, the second one sounds more serious and professional. Changing up wording also keeps readers interested.

Not only does the word “very” sometimes not hold the urgency you need, but it also just becomes repetitive to continually read/hear. Take, for example, the following two sentences:

  1. She ran very quickly to see her friend because she was very excited. They had not seen each other for a very long time.
  2. She sprinted to see her friend because she was ecstatic. They had not seen each other for an awfully long while.

By using the word “sprinted,” I avoided using a filler word, while also creating a stronger sense of urgency. Another example would be saying the word “joyous” instead of “very happy.” Using the word “ecstatic” instead of “very happy” creates an entirely different feel but still expresses the message you are trying to convey. The changes made in the last sentence make the writing sound more professional and interesting. It can be different to avoid overusing the word “very,” especially when you are trying to express urgency; however, there are ways around it. When I proofread my writing and I see that I used the word very, I will either think of a replacement word or look up a word on thesaurus that fits the sentence. I am not saying you can never use the word “very” in your writing. It is a simple, yet effective word. If you are critiquing someone’s work, there is not much of a need to use larger words. Saying “very good job” conveys the message just fine. It is always a good idea to check your writing to make sure you have not overused any words, though. While this is a simple fix, it can make a huge difference in your writing.