tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9582230007469531172024-03-13T06:25:04.706-07:00Writefully So...One writer's thoughts on their adventure in wordsWritefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-77324098035326213292017-01-04T04:30:00.000-08:002017-01-04T04:30:23.910-08:002016 in Review and other observations of a caffinated introvertHello all, it has been much to long since I've last updated this lovely blog but it's the new year and you know what that means. It's time to look back in order to learn and move forward. <br />
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<b>2016 was such crap on many levels and utterly wonderful at the same time. It was a year of new experiences and a year of tremendous losses</b>.<br />
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Some highlights of 2016 include:<br />
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<b>Vacations </b><br />
A trip to the beach with Handsome Jack's family which involved meeting kangaroos was a blast. <br />
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Also, I took a trip to a nearby lake with my family and we had a blast.<br />
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Lastly, I spent some lovely days with my girl friends in Memphis which was so fun.<br />
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<b>Law School</b><br />
I've survived a full year of law school!! That's 3 sets of exams I've conquered (and law school exams are just killer.) <br />
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I made the Moot Court team for our school and argued like a boss at out competition. We didn't make it to nationals but we did great.<br />
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<b>Running</b><br />
I started 2016 with the goal of running 12 5k's over 12 months....but fell short. <br />
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However, the races I attended were fun. <br />
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<b>Reading/Writing</b><br />
I crammed several 'fun reads' into my breaks between semesters including some great books by some of my favorite authors including <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6550037.Kristen_Proby">Kristen Proby</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2531619.Kate_Willoughby">Kate Willoughby</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4279769.Ashley_Poston">Ashley Poston</a>.<br />
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I did not hit any writing goals - I mean, other than the writing projects I needed for school. <br />
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There are a lot of things that I missed completely (see my <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-goals-and-my-personal-happiness.html">2016 Happiness Project post</a> or my <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/03/happiness-project-update-q1-2016-status.html">Q1 update </a>for more details on my lofty goals for 2016). And I experienced crushing loss: the loss of my friend and the loss of my nephew. <br />
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In the end, though, it was a great year. <b>I am thankful for all the time I've had with friends and family - every moment is such a precious gift - and look forward to more wonderful moments in the coming year. </b>I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow and challenge myself, intellectually and physically, with the rigor of law school. I truly love what I'm learning - even though I hate exams. <br />
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<b>I hope your 2016 had more shine than tarnish and I hope you celebrated surviving another year. Never forget to celebrate. **Cheers**</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/TyrionLannistercheers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/TyrionLannistercheers.gif" width="320" height="180"></a></div>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-34228384441279014092016-12-19T04:30:00.000-08:002016-12-19T04:30:01.228-08:00Santa's Coming!<br />
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Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas.<br />
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Hope you are able to spend this time with friends, family, and terrific stories. <br />
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Oh, and lot's of good food.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eatmedaily.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/elf-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.eatmedaily.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/elf-2.jpg" /></a></div>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-5727808677708878052016-12-15T04:30:00.000-08:002016-12-15T04:30:00.350-08:00TBT: 11 Packing Tips for a Running Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
One of my favorite races, the Walt Disney World Marathon is next month. If you're heading to Disney to run the most magical race on earth you will need to pack. Here are my 11 tips on packing for a running vacation.<br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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The time has come for me to pack my bags for Disney!! <b>(insert massive, nervous energy squee here). </b> The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is almost upon us. I’m thrilled to be going back to the parks. <br />
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<b>But I’m also nervous because this will hurt. The marathon distance isn’t easy</b>, folks. And, let’s face it, I could have trained better. I always feel like I could have done more when I'm looking down the barrel of a major event like this. <b>It will hurt. But it will also be blissful, gleeful, exciting, and fun. </b>My hubby, Handsome Jack, always says that Disney has the unique ability to transport you back in time to when magic was real and anything was possible. I tend to agree. <br />
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Disney World is a magical place. And running races at Disney is unlike any other race experience: it’s spectacular and overwhelming and easy to get swept up in the excitement. Getting swept up in the excitement can be great when you are three miles into a 26.2 mile marathon. <b>But getting away in the fantasy of it all can be detrimental to your race vacation experience if you don’t plan properly.</b> So this year I decided to plan my packing list. I did the same when I headed to RWA to ensure I didn't forget anything and the planning really helped. So hopefully my lessons learned will be useful to you. <br />
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Eleven Tips for Packing for a RunDisney Vacation:<br />
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1. <b>Carry your running gear on the plane with you </b>– don’t check the bag that includes your running clothes and race gear. Sure, you could buy all new race gear at the expo if you absolutely had to but you DO NOT want to be in that position. When I fly for non-running trips I general pack in a small carryon bag and a backpack. That’s it. But for a RunDisney trip I carry on my backpack and my gym bag. Inside my gym bag I carry body glide, number belts, extra safety pins, and hair ties in addition to my standard running gear of sports bras, leggings, and shirts. <br />
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2. <b>Doing more than one race? Bring more than one pair of shoes</b> – Handsome Jack and I learned this the hard way in 2013 when we did the Goofy Challenge. When Marathon day rolled around our shoes were still moist from the day before. Nothing terrible. But it was uncomfortable. And blister inducing. This year, with the Dopey Challenge we are definitely bringing two pairs of shoes. <br />
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3. <b>Bring hand sanitizer and EmergenC</b> – in 2013 Handsome Jack and I got the flu during the WDW Marathon Weekend. We started feeling bad the day of the Half. We spent most of the day, after the race, in our rooms, asleep. About 2/3rds of the way through the Marathon we knew something was off. We were more than tired. We were sick. WDW is a magical place but it can also be a festering pit of germs. Be prepared. Get your flu shot. Bring hand sanitizer to use between regular hand washing. And bring your vitamins or Airborne or EmergenC. Bring it and use it. <br />
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4. <b>Bring Ziploc baggies, BioFreeze, and Ace Bandages</b> – I don’t know why I didn’t think about this sooner, but your hotel will surely have an ice machine. Use it. Fill those baggies and wrap them onto sore spots with the Ace bandages. You’ll feel better, faster, with application of ice. There will also be ice available at the end of the longer races (Half and Full) which I always take advantage of. But for in-room icing you can’t go wrong with zip lock baggies. <br />
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5. <b>Bring food. Food is your friend</b> – I’m a huge fan of staying on property and using the Disney Meal Plans. We love going to the very nice restaurants WDW has to offer but running makes you HUNGRY, or as some like to say, Rungry. You may not like the snacks available in your resort. You may not want to shake up your diet a few days before a big race. Either way, it’s best to bring some simple food with you. I like to bring jerky, walnuts, almonds, and instant oatmeal. Just remember, like with most race related advice, stay away from anything new on or near race day. This is not the Disney trip where you test if the human body can sustain on nothing but Dolewhips. <br />
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6. <b>Don’t forget trash bags and tube socks </b>– okay, this one sounds strange, I know, but stay with me. The starts to the WDW races are usually a bit of a hike from where the buses drop you off. That means a shivery, early morning hike to the race start is in your future. To stay warm, consider bringing trash bags. Rip a hole for your head and suddenly your sporting something Mugatu might put in his Derelicte campaign (any Zoolander fans out there? Anyone?). Tube socks are simple, cheap ways to keep your fingers warm.<br />
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7. <b>Oh, and don’t forget your water bottle</b> – this seems like a no brainer. You can carry on an empty water bottle. I love my big 64 ounce bottle. And you can bring water into the parks. It’s important to stay hydrated. <br />
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8. <b>Costumes elements and the equally important Costume repair kits</b> – this is my first year running a Disney race in costume (and I will be doing 4 races). If costumes are important to you don’t risk checking them. Carry them on in your carryon. But if you don’t have room (like me) then you’ll need to check them. The costumes required a lot of prep work and now that they are done, I needed to make sure every costume was packed with all its pieces. To do this, I laid out each costume and all of its parts, then rolled each element (to save space) and packed them together in one bag I plan to check. Next, I gathered items that I thought would be handy in making in-room costume repairs: glue gun, glue sticks, sewing kit, etc. <br />
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9. <b>Staying on property? Don’t forget your Magic Bands </b>– again, seems like a no brainer but I nearly forgot ours. We left ours out on the kitchen counter thinking we couldn’t possibly forget them if they were sitting there…..uh, yeah. We almost did. So I shoved our Magic Bands into my carryon. Done. <br />
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10. <b>K.I.S.S. clothes for the rest of the trip</b> – running comfortably is always a priority for me, so much so that on running vacations my running gear takes up a lot of packing space. We still have fun - We try to go at least one park every day during a runDisney vacation. But the clothes I pack for the days in the park fall into the KISS category (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I bring outfit elements that I can easily wear more than once (given they stay relatively clean) and only one pair of comfortable shoes (two max, if space will allow) and a pair of flipflops. Granted, this is harder if you have any fancy plans that involve dressing up. Since it can be warm in FL, even in January, I also pack a bathing suit. <br />
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And one more for good measure: <br />
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11. <b>Bring Ibuprofen and Imodium AD</b> – these are optional, I suppose, but come in handy. I take the Ibuprofen after a race to help with aches and pains. You can buy it on property at some kiosks but it’s pricy. And the Imodium is helpful if you want to prevent going number two while on the go. If you’re running for time you might not want to take a potty break. I’m not running for time this year so I don’t know if I will use it or not. But I’m bringing it, just in case. <br />
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<b>That’s my packing plan. I hope it helps you prepare for your running vacation. Enjoy those magical miles. </b><br />
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Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-82206311130468469792016-11-21T04:30:00.000-08:002016-11-21T04:30:11.815-08:00Happy ThanksgivingIt's Thanksgiving week, which, in the wild world of law school means I'm studying all week. <br />
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Just wanted to wish you well before I fall into my inevitable carb coma. <br />
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Have a terrific Turkey Day with friends and family~<br />
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And if you are running a Turkey Trot - good luck and stay warm!Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-20856792609114199982016-11-17T04:30:00.000-08:002016-11-17T04:30:00.210-08:00TBT: Shopping This Weekend? Buy a Book (any book)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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It's that time of year - the time where we go crazy for deals. If you're going shopping (either at a brick and mortar or online) don't forget to support your favorite authors.<br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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<b>In today’s brave new world of publishing it can be easy to pit indie pub against trad pub in a real, Katniss-vs-The Capital sort of way </b>(can you tell I just saw Mockingjay Pt1? LOL). And although that can be fun, I’m not sure it's entirely accurate. <br />
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I think it can be easy to believe Authors, especially those with fancy, trad published books at your local book store (be it big or small) as just another cog in the wheel of big business. After all, they got an advance(maybe), they get royalties (possibly), they have a big 5 house backing them and doing their marketing and publicity….right? <br />
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<b>No. Not right. Not all the time, anyway. Not even most of the time.</b><br />
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Authors are a small business of one. Yes, even those who contract with a big 5 publishing house to make their book. <b>Still a business of one. </b><br />
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If the Author chooses to hire an agent (that’s right, I said the <b>author chooses to hire the agent</b>) then great, business of two. It’s the Author’s revenue that supports the Agent (and don’t get me wrong, Agents, from what I can tell, are worth every penny). If the Author chooses to hire an editor in addition to the agent, now you have a business of three. It goes on and on from there.<br />
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The author is the creator of the product. <b>Everyone else is contracted by the author to represent, polish, fabricate, sell, or market that product the author created.</b> And more often than not the Author is spending their own money on some or all of these services (marketing, editing, publicity, travel, you name it, they spend on it).<br />
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<b>Authors are CEO’s of their own business </b>(and sometimes more than that – sometimes they are CEO, COO, VP of Marketing and Distribution, etc. etc.) The publishers, whether indie or trad, are vendors hired by the Author to produce the book. That’s how I like to think of it anyway.<br />
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Somewhere along the way we stopped seeing authors as entrepreneurs and shifted into seeing them as something…else.<br />
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Well, not all of us. <a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/blog/">Chuck Wendig</a> has been calling himself an author/entrepreneur for a good long while. *tips hat to Mr. Wendig* <b>If I had a beard I would scratch it in your honor, good sir.</b><br />
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I say all of this as a reminder that this weekend, after the turkey has been devoured by you and your family, and you’ve pulled yourself out of bed at an unholy hour to go shopping , <b>we shouldn’t forget to support an Author. </b><br />
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<b>Shopping Friday?</b><br />
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Buy a book. <b>Any book. </b><br />
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<b>Shopping Saturday?</b><br />
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Indie pub’d? Great. Buy it.<br />
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Trad pub’d from a local bookstore? <b>Still great.</b><br />
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<b>Shopping Monday?</b><br />
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eBook? Awesome. Buy it.<br />
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Online bookstore? <b>Still great.</b><br />
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<b>Because with each and every purchase some of that money is flowing back to the author.</b> <b>The small business at the heart of it all.</b><br />
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Can't afford to buy a book? Consider supporting an author another way.<br />
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<b>This weekend, get out there and support an Author.</b><br />
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Want more about Author as entrepreneur? Check out these posts:<br />
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<a href="https://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=rfS04UkBAAA.VIT7KaK8TKO2Zfrp5wze9Q.JolRL-_sDSHfVpZhnhrRPg&postId=3502568935491904948&type=POST">Supporting Small Business</a><br />
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<a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/02/16/self-publishing-truism-bingo/">Self Publishing Truism Bingo by Chuck Wendig</a><br />
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<a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/02/13/check-the-box-do-you-want-to-be-your-own-publisher-yes-or-no/"><br />
Check The Box: Do You Want To Be Your Own Publisher, Yes Or No? - by Chuck Wendig</a>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-88217869439243960402016-10-20T04:30:00.000-07:002016-10-20T04:30:00.267-07:00TBT: What Really Makes A Character Strong?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
National Novel Writing Month is right around the corner and as you're prepping for the annual write-a-thon you may want to consider character. As in, what makes a strong character. Because it's the strong characters that really stick with us. <br />
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Below are some thoughts on strong characters and what it takes to write one. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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I’ve seen some posts recently about what it takes to craft a strong character. Specifically, <a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/02/16/how-strong-female-characters-still-end-up-weak-and-powerless-or-do-they-pass-the-action-figure-test/">strong female characters</a>. Probably the best stated post about this subject comes from <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig">Chuck Wendig </a>over at <a href="http://www.terribleminds.com/">Terrible Minds</a>. (Go ahead and read his post, then come back here).<br />
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What I love about <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig">Chuck’s</a> strong character theory is that the key is agency. Strong characters have to have it. Don't know what agency is? Check out his post <a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/06/03/just-what-the-humping-heck-is-character-agency-anyway/">Just What The Humping Heck Is Character Agency Anyway</a>.<br />
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I agree that <b>agency is vitally important</b> in the characters we build. Stories are flat without characters who can enact change in their world. <b>We mortals can relate to characters in stories who have doubt or fear</b> but we look up to characters who choose to act in spite of that fear and doubt. <b>It’s the action that makes a hero</b>. <br />
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For me, what makes a character ‘strong’ is their decision to act. <b>It’s what the character faces and chooses to overcome that makes them strong.</b> At least for me. <br />
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Some of my favorite ‘strong’ characters in TV:<br />
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<b>· Mindy from The Mindy Project</b> – Sure it’s a comedy but Mindy chooses to move forward and chase the things that are important to her (even the silly things). Her choice to follow her dreams is what makes her strong.<br />
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<b>· Felicity from Arrow</b> – I’m always drawn to ‘normal’ people in ‘super hero’ shows/movies because their ‘normalness’ makes their choice to act more powerful. Felicity is that powerful normalness. The quiet hero.<br />
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<b>· Tara from Sons of Anarchy</b> – She faces horrible circumstances and what she does with those circumstances makes her strong. She's not strong all the time, which I think makes her more interesting. Example, Season 1 Tara would never have said 'I don't need a boy to handle my shit.' She has growth throughout the story which makes her one strong cookie.<br />
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<b>· Daryl, Maggie, Glen, and many more from the Walking Dead </b>– I love this show (even though I haven't kept up on the last season). There are so many different strengths to see in this show it's impossible to pick just one fave (but if you made me pick I'd choose Daryl, of course).<br />
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Some of my favorite ‘strong’ characters in recent reads:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lola-Next-Door-Stephanie-Perkins/dp/0142422010"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ImlniJZCNU/VPN2Rh95gpI/AAAAAAAACTQ/Z0uP4ph7Uek/s1600/Lola-and-the-Boy-Next-Door-NC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ImlniJZCNU/VPN2Rh95gpI/AAAAAAAACTQ/Z0uP4ph7Uek/s320/Lola-and-the-Boy-Next-Door-NC.png" /></a></div></a><br />
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<b>· <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lola-Next-Door-Stephanie-Perkins/dp/0142422010">Lola and the Boy Next Door </a>by <a href="https://twitter.com/naturallysteph">Stephanie Perkins</a></b> – a Romance!! Yes, characters in romance novels can be strong. Lola is strong. She chooses to follow her heart – even when that choice means pain.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/See-London-International-School-Book-ebook/dp/B00FNJVRYQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425241760&sr=1-4&keywords=international+school+series"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x4EH1ODovU4/VPN2zn6JZFI/AAAAAAAACTY/FiYj2rOMHOg/s1600/London%2Bfalling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x4EH1ODovU4/VPN2zn6JZFI/AAAAAAAACTY/FiYj2rOMHOg/s320/London%2Bfalling.png" /></a></div></a><br />
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<b>· Maggie from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/See-London-International-School-Book-ebook/dp/B00FNJVRYQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425241760&sr=1-4&keywords=international+school+series">the International School series </a>by <a href="https://twitter.com/ChanelCleeton">Chanel Cleeton</a> </b>– Maggie travels oversees for school and chooses to have the time of her life. Her choices lead her into some challenging and steamy situations.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/After-Rain-Novel-Renee-Carlino/dp/1476763992/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425241881&sr=1-2&keywords=after+the+rain"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L7ghkoS8MuI/VPN3t_H3ZcI/AAAAAAAACTk/Ue1JHs0LGaQ/s1600/after%2Bthe%2Brain%2Bcover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L7ghkoS8MuI/VPN3t_H3ZcI/AAAAAAAACTk/Ue1JHs0LGaQ/s320/after%2Bthe%2Brain%2Bcover.png" /></a></div></a><br />
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<b>· Ava from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/After-Rain-Novel-Renee-Carlino/dp/1476763992/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425241881&sr=1-2&keywords=after+the+rain">After the Rain </a>by <a href="https://twitter.com/renayz">Renee Carlino </a></b>– Ava is haunted by personal tragedies but she chooses to grow and live. It's her choice to bravely love herself again that makes her a strong character. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Evil-Wendy-Higgins/dp/0062085611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425242082&sr=1-1&keywords=sweet+evil"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZisjKY3AR4/VPN4EGcCYlI/AAAAAAAACTs/tmMDhzDXH4o/s1600/sweet%2Bevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZisjKY3AR4/VPN4EGcCYlI/AAAAAAAACTs/tmMDhzDXH4o/s320/sweet%2Bevil.jpg" /></a></div></a><br />
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<b>· Anna from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Evil-Wendy-Higgins/dp/0062085611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425242082&sr=1-1&keywords=sweet+evil">Sweet trilogy </a>by <a href="https://twitter.com/Wendy_Higgins">Wendy Higgins </a></b>– She faces enormous pressure (internal and external) from both sides (evil and good) and what she chooses to do in the face of that pressure is what makes her strong.<br />
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Those characters stand out as 'strong' for me. What do you think?<br />
<b>How would you define a ‘strong’ character? Share your favorite strong characters from books/tv/film here.</b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-90017690519017075702016-09-15T04:30:00.000-07:002016-09-15T04:30:02.710-07:00TBT: 5 First Impressions About Law School #1Lhell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
You've done it - you've survived your first few classes of law school. If you are like me you're probably teeming with thoughts about the experience. Well, you are not alone. <br />
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I wrote this when I was still in the heat of the semester while everything was fresh. As scary as it seems, you are not alone. <br />
Here are my first impressions about law school. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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I’ve endured a little over a month’s worth of 1L hell and have had the opportunity to form my first impressions of law school. <b>And, let's be honest, what’s the point of having a blog if I’m not going to word-vomit my personal reflections into the world from time to time (or all the time…as it were *cough* *cough*). </b>So on with the vomiting, er, I mean opining. <b>Here are my 5 first impressions about law school:</b><br />
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<b>1. Back to school</b> - If you're like me and you are going back to school to study law after working for a few years <b>the stupidity of school might be challenging. </b>And when I say the stupidity of school let me be clear - universities and colleges can do stupid stuff. The people you encounter (likely students employed by various departments of the school) lack any professionalism and customer service skill (<b>I'm talking about you, Bookstore Lady. You know who you are.</b>) You pay money for the privilege of being treated like crap....it's school.<b> That won’t change because it's 'grad' school or 'professional' or 'law' school</b>. Try to take the stupidity with a grain of salt and roll with the punches.<br />
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<b>2. The work</b> – Law school is a boatload of brain-busting work. It's hard. I read cases in undergrad and it wasn't as hard as this. <b>I've read SCOTUS opinions, in full, online, that weren’t as hard as this</b>. The cases are dense, the legal scholarship is dense, and sometimes the stuff you learn flies in the face of what you spent a life time learning (<b>two spaces after a period? WTF do you think this is, 1945? Come on now.</b>) It's supposed to be hard. Expect it to be hard and you’ll be in the right mindset.<br />
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<b>3. Classrooms Aren’t As Scary As You’ve Heard </b>- you've probably heard law school teachers are different. You’ve probably heard people say <b>the professors use the Socratic Method </b>to teach, whatever that means, and they like to crush students into puddles of tears. <b>Well, those people aren't wrong</b>....but they aren't right either (who ever 'they' are. Stupid rumor mongers). <b>Teachers, from what I can tell, don’t want to see you cry or freak out.</b> The Socratic Method, for the most part, means the teachers ask questions of the class instead of lecturing. Here's an example: <br />
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Prof: "If you enter into an agreement with your friend to rob a bank is that a binding contract?" <br />
Student: "no."<br />
Prof: "Why?"<br />
Another student raises their hand: "Because there was no consideration or exchange."<br />
Prof: "Okay, let's say you and your friend enter into an agreement where if you help him rob a bank he will pay you 50% of the take. Is that a binding contract?"<br />
Student: "Yes. Because there is a promise of a consideration or an exchange."<br />
Prof: "Is it?"<br />
Different student: "Yes, it's a future promise so it's a binding executory contract."<br />
Prof: "Are you sure?"<br />
Different student: "No. It's not a binding contract."<br />
Prof: "Good. Why?"<br />
Student: "Because it's an agreement to do something illegal. The illegal nature of the activity voids the contract."<br />
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Or something like that. <br />
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<b>Not so scary, is it?</b> <br />
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<b>The key to surviving this method is doing the homework.</b> Shocker, I know~! <b>You must do the homework.</b> And if you mess up your reading (because you got the assignments confused, or a flying monkey ate your Torts book or otherwise converted your chattels, tell your professor before class. <b>I’ve witnessed someone flounder through a cold call who didn’t do the reading and it was painful. </b>After the Prof drilled them for questions (and helped them out a time or two) she asked if they did the reading. The student said he didn’t do the reading for this week because he read next week’s cases by mistake. The professor replied, “Next time tell me so I don’t call on you.” <br />
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She could have said this:<br />
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The lesson is that painful, embarrassing crap could have been avoided had the kid just let the professor know they had made a mistake (or done the reading).<br />
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<b>4. Get comfortable being average</b> – You are a high achiever, right? That’s why you got into law school in the first place. Maybe you were top of your class in undergrad. Maybe you have a Phd in some mind-blowingly complex STEM subject. Maybe you kick the LSAT’s butt until it begged for mercy. You are smart so give yourself a pat on the back. <b>Now look around you. Everyone in your law school is smart too.</b> Yep, that’s right. <b>Out in the wilds of the world you may have been a special snowflake of brilliance but in here, in law school, you are average.</b> You will not get straight A’s. You won’t. <b>You can’t get straight A', actually, because the forced curve in the 1L courses basically prevents it (or makes it nearly impossible to get an A). </b>Get comfortable being average (easier said than done for us high-achieving folks, amirite?). Chances are good you will not be top of your class. Chances are good you will not be top 10% of your class. That doesn’t mean you don’t try – try hard, do the work, etc. All I mean is you need to get snuggly with the idea that you may not be top of your class and that’s okay. I’m only a month in and have already witnessed a handful of freak-outs over this very issue. <b>Being average is relative and being average in law school isn’t (or shouldn’t be) an insult. </b><br />
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<b>5.1. The people </b>- oh my lawd, the people of law school! <b>I had to break this observation into two points because it seems that everyone in law school falls into one of two categories: A*holes and non-A*holes.</b> Let’s talk about the former first. There is a dark, sinister minority of students in law school who can make life painful. Of course I’m talking about the A*hole student. In law school they are called gunners. The stereotypical gunner is someone who works to sabotage their classmates but that is actually not the most common gunner. Mostly, gunners in the part-time evening classes are just douchey. <b>They argue for the sake of arguing. They get stuck on syntax instead of the theory. They essentially believe they know more about the law than the professor. When they get called out for their behavior they backtrack and swear that they weren't being a douche. They love to hear themselves talk so they constantly volunteer during class but not in meaningful ways</b> (.....I think I dated a gunner once....*swallows back the vomit*).Even having two of these gunners in a class can make for painful discussions. <b>So call them gunners or call them douchebags....they exist and you need to be ready.</b><br />
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<b>5.2. The people, cont.</b> – <b>The good news is there will be no shortage of nice, non-A*hole people at law school.</b> And, here again, I think I benefit from going to school as a part-time night student because my classes are mostly filled with working adults. My classmates, for the most part, are mature enough to not get swept up in the gossiping BS. <b>These cool, non-A*hole students are helpful and encouraging and funny. They are the light in the darkness so-to-speak. </b>These non-A*hole students will become your friends and together you will survive this. Gotta love the non-A*holes of the world. And aside from the occasional douche your classes will be filled with non-A*hole people who are smart. Some will be smarter than you (see getting comfortable with being average above). Some will get the material faster than you. Who cares? You'll get through it. Do the work. <b>Talk to folks, make friends, and ask for help often (before it's too late). Its school and you've done it before. You'll survive this too. At least that's my plan.</b><br />
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Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-82044245406006259372016-08-04T04:30:00.000-07:002016-08-04T04:30:01.103-07:00TBT: Tips for tackling your first semester of law school #1Lhell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And so it begins: law school. Traditionally, law school begins in August every year. Although I've been through this before, I'm still a 1L. I'm a part-time student which means I haven't accumulated enough credits to be a true 2L. So, in solidarity with my 1L brethren, I offer these insights on what to do during your first semester. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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When my study group and I were wrapping up our first semester of law school we reflected back on what we wish we would have done to make the semester a little less stressful. <br />
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<b>School is hard enough without making it harder by missing opportunities.</b> Effective and efficient management of school work is the name of the game. <br />
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<b>So, for those of you crazy enough to attempt the JD degree, here are the 5 tips from my study group on how to effectively prepare for exams:</b><br />
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1. <b>Do your reading.</b> This should go without saying but I said it so I’m going to talk about it. Being prepared is a big deal in law school. It’s considered unprofessional to show up without having done the reading. Read your cases. Brief your cases. Some upperclassmen may tell you not to ‘waste’ time with briefing but to them I say “back off you crazy, lazy, gunning b*stards.” Briefing is a substantial study tool and a helpful skill to develop. Don’t sell yourself short. You got here – now do the work.<br />
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2. <b>Start outlining earlier!</b> If your school is anything like mine, then they will have this super nice Academic Success Program. The program involves students presenting on tips and tricks for succeeding in law school. One of the tips they offered was to wait to outline until November (about a month before exams). The theory was that you, as a new law student, wouldn't really understand how the rules fit together so your outline wouldn't make sense. But, I'm telling you, start as soon as possible. And when I say start, I mean, grab the table of contents for your case book and compare it to your syllabus. Write up a rough outline of subjects using those two resources as a guide. Do it before classes start if you can. And then, each week, type your class notes under the applicable section heading. This will help you tremendously when exams are looming over you.<br />
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3. <b>Type your notes each week.</b> Some of my professors didn't allow laptops in class which meant taking notes by hand. This didn't bother me because the act of writing something down always seemed to cement it in my mind. However, outlines are typed. And outlining is easier and faster if your notes are typed. Just don't do what most of my study group did - don't let your notes pile up. It's overwhelming and you don't need anything else overwhelming on your plate. <br />
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4. <b>Run hypos sooner.</b> When you get close to exams you'll likely want to run hypos. This means finding a study aid (like E&E's) and reading their hypothetical questions and noodling out your best guess of an answer. We did this for hours and hours on end before exams. But we all agreed it would have helped us tremendously if we had tackled hypos each week. Learn something new in Contracts? Run a corresponding hypo to make sure you understand the material. The exercises help you recall the concepts and keep the materials fresh. <br />
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5. <b>Meet with your study group sooner.</b> We all agreed we wish we would have started meeting sooner. Meet each week. Meet whenever. But meet sooner than you think you need to. Meet and discuss what was covered in class. Meet and talk through your questions. Meet and work on your collaborative outline. Do whatever. But meet. Meeting helped us stay accountable and kept us on track. <br />
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<b>Hope these tips help. Have additional tips? Share them here.</b><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-14003576007287272952016-07-14T04:30:00.000-07:002016-07-14T04:30:00.185-07:00TBT: 9 Things to Do Before Starting Law School #1Lhell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's that time of year! The time of year when new 0L's law students begin stressing obsessively about becoming 1L's. (They don't call it 1L Hell for nothin'). Ah, I remember those days. It seems like a lifetime ago. <br />
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I wrote this post after wrapping up my first semester exams. I had some perspective at this point and could reflect on what you should do before you even step foot in the building. Take your freedom seriously, because it's about to end. Embrace your last bit of summer. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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I'm done with my first semester of 1Lhell. Which means I'm sleeping as much as humanly possible and trying to have fun (you know, that three letter word that was so familiar BEFORE school). So I thought I'd take a moment to reflect over the beginning of it all. If you are starting law school in the future maybe these things will come in handy. <br />
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Here are my top 9 things to do before starting law school:<br />
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1. <b>Talk to everyone!</b> Tell everyone who will listen that you are going to law school. I mean, don’t be a jerk about it but get the word out. Who knows, someone may know someone who is an attorney and *boom* instant network connection. Networking is a constant in the professional world. For those who haven’t worked in a career before this will come as a shock. For those of you (like me) who are pursuing law as a second (or third) career you know networking starts now. Heck, maybe it started yesterday. Just get to it and don’t worry about sounding silly. You’re a 1L – no one expects you to know everything.<br />
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2. <b>Get a good, light weight, laptop</b>. This cannot be understated. You will already have about a billion pounds worth of books to lug around. Who wants to lug around a 5 million pound 17 in’ laptop? No one. *insert aint no one got time for that meme* I use a Microsoft Surface (pro 2) and I love it. Some people will tell you to get a Mac – I’m not a super Mac fan but if that’s what floats your boat then, by all means, float your boat.<br />
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3. <b>Get your job sitch figured out</b> – you don’t need any extra stress. Set expectations early with your employer that you will need flexibility in order to make school work.<br />
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4. <b>Get your home sitch figured out</b> – home is essential. It’s where you unwind. It’s where you relax. It’s where you spend your time when you aren’t at work or at the library. So start talking to your SO’s or family now. Set expectations with them early and often. This is going to be a HUGE change and they need to be on board. They are your partners in this endeavor. You need their support.<br />
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5. <b>Have as much fun as possible</b> – this is your last moment of freedom before you commit to a grueling lifestyle of hard work. Take this moment to celebrate EVERYTHING and ANYTHING! Celebrate getting into school. Celebrate the fact that it’s Thursday. Just be sure you are enjoying life because when things get hard you’ll want happy memories to see you through.<br />
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6. <b>Visit family</b> – you may not be able to travel for every holiday anymore. Sure, you have Thanksgiving week off from class but it’s also the last week before finals. You’ll want that time to study. So maybe that means spending turkey day at home instead of with the fam. Plan now for how you will spend your holidays and set those expectations. You’ll feel a lot less stress if you take care of it now. Not to mention the total awesome feeling you’ll get from spending time with your loved ones.<br />
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7. <b>Get your personal medical issues in order</b> – I was getting headaches as I studied for the LSAT. I had Lasik about 10 yrs ago and knew it was guaranteed so I made time to visit with the eye doc and find out what was causing my headaches. The issue was nothing that could be corrected with a repeat procedure so it was determined that I needed glasses. Better that I got those glasses before school as opposed to suffering through and then getting them in the middle of first semester. This applies to mental health issues as well. I’m glad I didn’t wait until the semester started to discuss my mental health with my provider. This is serious stuff. You need to take it seriously.<br />
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8. <b>Plan to protect your time</b> – a lot of people will tell you that just because you’re in school doesn’t mean you need to give up on the things that you love. If you’re like me and you enjoy running and fitness then schedule time in your day to work out. It’s not enough to schedule the time. You need to protect that time like a momma bear protects her cubs. Luckily for me I’ve learned this skill because I love to write and writing is a task that can get easily run over by the rest of life. Now, this is easier said than done. For example, I regularly miss my workouts and have had to drop writing sessions completely for a while. But it’s not because I didn’t try. I did. I am. And I’m adapting my schedule to what will work.<br />
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9. <b>Sleep. Sleeeeeeeeep.</b> For the love of god sleep. You will likely run on less sleep than you thought possible once school gets underway. So make sure you aren’t going into it already operating at a deficit.<br />
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Hope these tips help you as you get ready to start your law school journey. <br />
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<b>Have you been through 1Lhell? What did you wish you could have done before the semester started? Share here.</b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-59880242337669465552016-06-16T04:30:00.000-07:002016-06-16T04:30:03.046-07:00TBT: On Burn Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In some circles burn out can been a dirty word. Or a dirty secrete at lest. But burn out happens everywhere: in relationships, in hobbies, and even in your deepest passions (be it writing, reading, or running). <br />
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Don't be ashamed of burn out. It happens to the best of us. I wrote this post after struggling with some pretty serious burn out for a few months. I hope my experiences help you through the frustration of burn out. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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I mentioned my burn out in my <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2015/06/may-2015-month-in-reiew.html">May recap</a>.<br />
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It’s been tough. A lot of times I can sense burn out coming. And sometimes I can take steps to stop burnout in it's tracks. But in May<b> I was blindsided by burn out</b>. I was riding the sugar high of just finishing a rewrite. My energy was good and I rolled that into outlining not one – but TWO – potential WIPs.<br />
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In April I was reading a ton as well. But I burned out there, too. In May I started a lot of books and put them down right away. <b>I just wasn’t connecting with anything.</b><br />
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And I think I know why –<br />
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I’m going to law school in the fall. I start in August. It’s fantastic, terrific, thrilling news. I’m ecstatic be going. I love the law and I love learning. I’ve wanted to go to law school for more than ten years so getting in and actually making this dream a reality is amazing….and also not amazing. <b>Because there’s this nagging guilt that seeps into my daily thoughts, whispering “you’ve given up, haven’t you? You’ve given up on your dream of becoming a writer.”</b> Ugh…hate that feeling.<br />
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And that feeling is total bull because it doesn’t have to be that way.<b> My rational mind knows that I don’t have to be one dimensional.</b><br />
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Yes, being a published author and writing full time is a goal of mine. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. <b>But I need a Day Job for the time being and I don’t see why I shouldn’t work a Day Job in a field I am passionate about: law.</b> So why does it feel like I tied my writing dream to a chair in the basement?<br />
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<b>Why can’t I have both? Why can’t I be both?<br />
</b><br />
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I think I can. I see men and women all the time who work as husbands/wives/mothers AND as writers, AND some other job (be it part time or full time). Not to mention all those folks likely have hobbies, and friends, and other commitments or obligations (some fun and some not so fun). <b>People are not one thing.</b><br />
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<b>So being a law student, an employee, a wife/sister/daughter/friend, AND a writer shouldn’t feel impossible.</b> It can be done. A singular passion does not define me….so why do I feel all this guilt?<br />
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I think I’ve imposed an arbitrary dedication meter to my passion. If I am not writing 1000 words a day or 3 hours a day while braiding the mane of a unicorn I’m no longer a serious writer.<b> I doubt I’m alone in this belief but it’s arbitrary.</b> And if this dedication meter is helping me to be more disciplined then great! But if this arbitrary dedication meter is making me feel terrible then it’s no longer useful and it needs to go.<br />
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<b>Because the reality of writing as work is this: sometimes you must to step back. Sometimes you must take a break.</b> And we shouldn’t feel guilty about resting but we do. At least a lot of us do anyway. Ugh. It’s the worst.<br />
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I don’t know what my life will look like after I start school. I know this new path means I will need to make a lot of changes in my life. And change is uncomfortable. <b>Waiting and anticipating this change is uncomfortable.</b> It’s a lot like riding home from the beach with sand in your shorts.<br />
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I don’t know what my new normal will look like. But I do know that in the new normal there will be writing. <b>Not just writing for school but writing for me. Fiction. My stories. The plots and characters I love. It’s important to me and that won’t change.</b> But what and how much I write is still a mystery at this point.<br />
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That should be okay with me. But it’s not. It’s uncomfortable.<br />
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This anxiety and uncertainty contributed to my burn out. Here's a glimpse inside my brain over the past few weeks.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyALi7cWdCw/VWt9czULSGI/AAAAAAAACgQ/7-0dq6Q-4Oc/s1600/scumbag-brain-meme-complaine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PyALi7cWdCw/VWt9czULSGI/AAAAAAAACgQ/7-0dq6Q-4Oc/s320/scumbag-brain-meme-complaine.png" /></a></div><b><br />
Should I start this project? Probably not because you’ll just have to put it down in Aug and you may not be able to pick it back up for a while.<br />
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Should I read this book? No, it’s part of a series and you won’t be able to finish the entire series before Aug so don’t bother starting it now.<br />
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Should I revise this project? No, there might not be time to finish it all before Aug.<br />
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Should I continue to query this project? No, because if it gets picked up by an agent they will want you to revise and you may not have time to revise it before Aug….<br />
</b><br />
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These are actual thought’s I’ve had. These are self limiting and self defeating thoughts. And there is a lot of fear there. <b>A lot of fear masquerading as practicality.</b> I am scared. I’m scared I won’t have enough time.<br />
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So I need to evaluate this further.<b> Maybe I don’t send queries for a while. Maybe I don’t revise that WIP right now. Maybe I don’t do anything for the next three months…</b>.But if that’s the case I want the decision to be evaluated on more than just fear. I want to get passed the fear so I can understand this anxiety.<br />
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I don’t have an answer for this burn out yet. <b>I plan on going through some of the burnout-fighting steps that worked for me in the past. And in addition, I plan to really get to the bottom of this fear.</b><br />
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Until then, I’m just going to take things one day at a time. Maybe I blog, maybe I don’t. Maybe I draft, maybe I don’t. Maybe I read, maybe I don’t.<br />
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This doesn’t mean I’m a failure or lazy or undisciplined.<b> It just means I’m still working things out. As uncomfortable as that is….it’s okay.</b><br />
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<b>Want more on book and/or writing related burn out? </b><br />
<br />
Check out this awesome post by <a href="https://twitter.com/jennykacz">Jenny Kaczorowski</a> on <a href="http://www.jennykaczorowski.blogspot.com/2014/05/rest-failure.html">why rest does not equal failure.</a><br />
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Or my post on <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/09/lets-talk-about-book-burnout.html">managing book burn out</a> and <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-contest-fatigue-thing.html">contest fatigue.</a><br />
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And if your book burn out is actually writer burn out (as in I can't write another book) check out this post by the lovelies at <a href="http://writerunboxed.com/2013/09/06/losing-and-gaining-heart-and-nerve/">Writer Unboxed</a><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-29256121708464566322016-05-19T04:30:00.000-07:002016-05-19T04:30:00.167-07:00TBT: 5 Reasons to Attend a Writers Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Another summer another writer's conference, amirite? Normally, I'd say yes. However, these days my summers are full of classes of the law variety. <br />
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But you can (and should) attend a writers conference! If you're on the fence just review my 5 reasons writer conferences are essential. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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Con or Con, There Is No Not-Con - Yoda.<br />
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Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly what Yoda said. I think we all know what he actually said.<br />
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But still, when it comes to the question of whether or not you should attend a writing con the answer is easy: YES. <br />
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There are so many wonderful reasons to attend a con. <b>If you are interested in any of the following 5 Reasons to Attend a Writers Conference – I’d say do it. Go.</b> <br />
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1. Networking – um hello, has to be the number one reason to attend a con. We spend so much time walled up in our writing caves, deep in our own imagination, that we sometime forget to shower, eat, or otherwise take care of ourselves. Wouldn’t it be great to spend some face time with other people who can relate? (BTW, most people do shower before actually attending a con. Just so you know. <b>And pants ARE required. </b>) Not to mention the fact that you can fangirl at cons, which, if you are like me, is your idea of networking. <br />
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2. <b>Learning</b> – Most writer cons have classes or workshops in which you can learn about craft, industry changes, publisher updates, what editors are looking for, and so much more. <b>There are even cons that include workshop elements where your pages are reviewed by industry pro’s.</b> But here’s where you’ll want to do your research. Some cons are aimed more at readers (so there is less emphasis on educating writers). Be sure you know what you want before you sign up. <br />
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3. <b>Free Stuff</b> – And I mean tons of it. <br />
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You get a book. And you get a book. And you get a book.<br />
</b><br />
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You get the idea. At cons you can snag boxes and boxes of free stuff from actual books to smaller swag, Cons are rife with free stuff. Check out these pics of all the free stuff I grabbed at RWA Nationals last year:<br />
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Free stuff day 1<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JMbqQRBUZ5g/U407FcAYrwI/AAAAAAAABTA/AN3NPz_PfAU/s1600/Day+1+swag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JMbqQRBUZ5g/U407FcAYrwI/AAAAAAAABTA/AN3NPz_PfAU/s320/Day+1+swag.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Free stuff day 2<br />
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Pretty awesome, right?<br />
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4. <b>Inspiration</b> – At RWA National’s last year the entire event oozed inspiration. I felt like Mario getting a power up from some invisible mushroom or something. There were so many wonderful stories being shared. Everywhere I turned another author was telling a tale about how they got their agent or how they sold. <b>The message wasn’t “this is some secret club that only cool kids can join” it was “if I can do it so can you.”</b> And the luncheon speakers were amazing. First of all, they took the stage to speak in front of more than 2,000 people so hat’s off to them for having amazing lady-balls of steel. Second, both of them made me laugh and cry. <b>I don’t think I’ve ever felt more motivated to push forward in my writing career than after I attended RWA Nationals (which is why I can’t wait to go back this year!).</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kdTAh_B_E58/U6l1MjCWLnI/AAAAAAAABUg/EO3mRXz0DB0/s1600/sun+exposure.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kdTAh_B_E58/U6l1MjCWLnI/AAAAAAAABUg/EO3mRXz0DB0/s320/sun+exposure.png" /></a></div><br />
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5. <b>Exposure</b> – Okay, going to a con won't turn you into a sexy sun goddess. But, a writer con is the perfect place to soak up industry knowledge. So many writers never query. They toil over their work but never find the last resource of strength needed to get their book baby out into the world. Some of that might be due to fear. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. And I firmly believe education and exposure can eradicate those fears. At many cons you can attend sessions with editors or publishing executives. <b>Some cons offer workshops where you can spend one-on-one time with publishing pro’s. </b>And still more, like RWA, offer pitching sessions where you actually, live-and-in-person, pitch your novel to an agent or editor. It’s scary. Yes. But it’s also not the end of the world. But it could be the start. A first step on a long path toward publication. And learning to pitch, learning to interact with the business side of publishing, is invaluable (or so I’m told – not that I’m published yet). <br />
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<b>But writing conferences aren’t cheap </b>(is anything cheap anymore? Sheesh): <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/2478/7666c5db7e794ec68cd5433c1ead77c0.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/2478/7666c5db7e794ec68cd5433c1ead77c0.gif" /></a></div><br />
The fact that not all cons are created equal means you should <b>do your research before you drop the big bucks.</b> Know what you’re looking for – if you want workshops and classes on craft a reader-focused event may not be worth your time and money. And if you want a smaller, more intimate setting, with a greater emphasis on critiquing/workshop then a national event like RWA may not be right for you (Remember to check local chapters of writing organizations. RWA and SCWBI have local cons).<br />
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I am a huge fan of writing cons and have included in my business plan a commitment to attend cons in the future. I want to stay current and keep improving. <br />
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<b>Have you attend any great cons? Share your experience here:</b><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-4367155900158114052016-04-18T04:30:00.000-07:002016-04-18T04:30:09.881-07:00National Poetry Month: Lily Myers, Shrinking Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1tNkIg5gK9o/UVe4qRNThUI/AAAAAAAAAiA/GaoGL-LHVrE/s1600/Ntl%2BPoetry%2BMonth%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1tNkIg5gK9o/UVe4qRNThUI/AAAAAAAAAiA/GaoGL-LHVrE/s320/Ntl%2BPoetry%2BMonth%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Last year, one of my favorite authors, <a href="https://twitter.com/DelilahSDawson/status/390794222644641793">Delilah S Dawson</a>, posted a link to a video. Now, I'm not in the habit of clicking on vid links - because, yeah - but I clicked on this link.<br />
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What I found was the most amazing, talented, and wonderful poet performing her work. I watched the video over and over again until the words had soaked into my bones. Then I sent the video to my sister and my mother. The poem was that good. <br />
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It's so good I feel compelled to share it with you now. <br />
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So, in honor of National Poetry Month I want to share the poem that blew my hair back. Shrinking Women by <a href="https://twitter.com/lmyerspoetry">Lily Myers</a>.<br />
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I hope you enjoy:<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQucWXWXp3k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-53892331605503622412016-04-14T04:30:00.000-07:002016-04-14T04:30:11.453-07:00TBT: What Working Across From a Construction Site Taught Me About Craft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When you begin focusing on craft you see craft in the world around you. And it's greater than the craft of arts and entertainment. Whether your driving over a bridge or walking along a park path you are immersed in craft. <br />
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Here's what working across from a construction site taught me about craft.<br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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First, let me just say, <b>people who build something are amazing</b>. People who build bridges, stadiums, and even backyard sheds – it just blows my hair back. The same way a story, a painting, or a song blows my hair back. <b>The thing you made wasn’t on earth before. Now it is. *whoosh* *Hair blows back*</b> Amazing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/one-world-trade-center-construction-timelapse.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/one-world-trade-center-construction-timelapse.gif" /></a></div><br />
Recently, a major sports team decided to build its new house across the street from my Day Job office. <b>I had mixed feelings about the move and the location.</b> Re: the move – I think it’s cool that the team will be closer to me. Yay sports. Re: the location – I kinda hate the fact that the beautiful green space across from my office building was bulldozed to make room for this stadium.<br />
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<b>And when I say this build site is across the street I mean that literally. Across the street.</b><br />
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They are nowhere near being done with this build. It’s scheduled to open in two years (I believe). And in watching the preliminary work I was immediately struck with how this build is like a story build. <b>So here are 5 ways a construction site is like a story:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P6mnTJtClOo/VUbjPhmlgYI/AAAAAAAACcc/Ef9GesYf_H4/s1600/seeding.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P6mnTJtClOo/VUbjPhmlgYI/AAAAAAAACcc/Ef9GesYf_H4/s320/seeding.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
1. <b> Laying the pipes – one of the first things the crew did (after clearing all the vegetation and grading the land) was lay pipes.</b> Big, huge, pipes for sewage and other unmentionables (did you notice how I mentioned the unmentionables). This is true with world building in a story as well.<b> Every writer has a slightly different process, but when I plan the world in which my story will take place I start with the basics – the rules or laws that impact my plot. </b>These can be as complex and fantastic as ‘a society where the trading of human flesh for transplant is legal,’ to as simple as ‘student loans must be repaid but my MC hates her job.’ These are the pipes in which all plot elements flow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVCmuTg2SSI/VUbjYSeLQ_I/AAAAAAAACck/AOvJIiQ46kY/s1600/foundation.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XVCmuTg2SSI/VUbjYSeLQ_I/AAAAAAAACck/AOvJIiQ46kY/s320/foundation.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
2. <b> Basements and foundations – after the pipes and utilities were installed the cred began work on the foundation.</b> Now, being that this build is a giant sports stadium the foundation included driving unimaginably large posts into the ground (with some machine that hammered the post into the ground for hours, and hours, and hours) and digging a massive basement. This required cranes, heavy equipment, and lots and lots of people. But most importantly, time. It has taken months for this phase (and it’s still not done).<b> The basement or foundation of your world will likely be the same. You will need to spend time (probably a lot of it) hammering out the specifics of this world (basic fundamental stuff like: do the laws of physics as we know them apply?) and it may require help from other people.</b> Sometimes, during this phase I like to bounce ideas off of my writing friends. Things that make sense to you may not make sense to others. <b>It’s good to get feedback from trusted CP’s at this phase.</b><br />
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3. <b> Security is important – Soon after the basement phase began, gates were erected around the build. </b> Next to the entrance were security booths. Now, trucks and workers are checked as they enter the area. Because, although it takes a team to build something there should be a limit to who participates (for obvious reasons – you don’t want Andy falling into the pit and breaking both legs a la Parks and Rec). <b>Same with a story. You don’t want to let everyone and their mother weigh in on your world building.</b> I find that it’s important to limit who you let in during the initial phases of story building.<br />
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4. <b>Problems and issues are unavoidable – during the construction of this stadium there have already been issues and setbacks.</b> Weather, for one. And the estimated budget for the build has already been in dispute. The same is true for your story. Just like you want conflict in your plot (it moves things along). <b>Building the world will likely lead you headfirst into questions without answers. Or answers that unravel everything you’ve already built. This happens. </b>And this is okay. You want these problems in the same way you want feedback – so you can make your story better/stronger/faster….wait no, that’s the million dollar man. Scratch ‘faster’ and the point is still valid. You want your world to be water tight. Poking holes in it early during the development helps you create the plugs that will later be invaluable to your story.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFTIwtcEmQw/VUbm7eNB8-I/AAAAAAAACdE/KL_SwUgdUXs/s1600/breaks2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFTIwtcEmQw/VUbm7eNB8-I/AAAAAAAACdE/KL_SwUgdUXs/s320/breaks2.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
5. <b> You gotta eat – or, in other words, you must take breaks. </b>Most of us know that taking a break during work allows us to come back with a clearer, more refreshed mind. This is absolutely the case with construction workers. And it should be the case with your world building as well. <b>Taking breaks is easy to forget and even easier to bump to the bottom of the priority ‘to-do list’ but it’s essential.</b> Sometimes stepping away from a world building construction zone is exactly what you need in order to tackle that problem you’ve been facing. <b>It’s okay to take breaks, in fact, it’s best for all involved, that you do take break</b>s.<br />
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<b>Happy building!</b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-72263558749043435452016-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:002016-04-04T04:30:04.161-07:00National Poetry Month - Jeffery McDaniel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1tNkIg5gK9o/UVe4qRNThUI/AAAAAAAAAiA/GaoGL-LHVrE/s1600/Ntl%2BPoetry%2BMonth%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1tNkIg5gK9o/UVe4qRNThUI/AAAAAAAAAiA/GaoGL-LHVrE/s320/Ntl%2BPoetry%2BMonth%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
If you follow this blog you know I have a deep love for poetry - the music of the written word. Even as a child I globbed onto verse with chubby, dirty, hands. It's my first love.<br />
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And with April being National Poetry Month I feel it is right to kick it off with one of my favorite contemporary poets, Jeffery McDaniel. <br />
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Watch this video of Jeffery performing his poem, The Ben Franklyn of Monogamy. Enjoy.<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdrddST35fI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-61741894405049554532016-03-31T04:30:00.000-07:002016-03-31T04:30:15.460-07:00Happiness Project Update - Q1 2016 Status Check<b>It’s March and that means the end of Q1 2016.</b> <insert cliché about how fast time flies. Because, seriously.><br />
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I’m more than halfway through my second semester of #1Lhell. <b>Which means I have another attempt at law school exams lurking in the not-to-distant future.</b><br />
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It also means I’ve learned a ton. I really have. It’s easy to minimalize how much you’re learning in law school because it’s all very details oriented. In the end, though, I’ve learned a lot about Torts, Contracts, Legal Writing (my least favorite class, surprisingly), Legal Research, and Property (one of my favorite classes – except for present estates and future interests because what evil demon thought that crap up!?!).<br />
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Anyway, in addition to school work I’ve had nearly three months to work on my happiness project. </b>Here are some of my results so far:<br />
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<b>January’s goal – Declutter</b><br />
· I tackled the kitchen! I decluttered the cabinets and pantry. I even decluttered the fridge. I felt really good about accomplishing this task because I’ve been cooking more and more and needed my kitchen to be orderly.<b> Of course, it’s now March and my kitchen is almost always in a state or clutter: dishes piled in the sink or drying on the counter, fruit bowl on the counter, etc. </b>However, everything does have a place to go – I just fail at putting stuff away. It’s very peaceful when I get around to putting everything away.<br />
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· For example, I’ve been meal prepping. This means on Sunday I cook all the food for the entire week, package it up in serving size containers, and store it in the fridge. As you can imagine, I have a literal boat-load of tupperwear. Before the January deculttering I could never find enough lids. Now, however, I have all my meal prep containers in one area, stacked with their lids. All other containers are in another, separate, area and those lids are in a drawer. <b>It’s so much easier to put away the meal prep containers when they are clean and to find clean containers when I need them. It’s fabulous.</b><br />
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· Now if I could just get back on top of keeping the dishes out of the sink and finishing meal prep on Sunday that would be great.<br />
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· I also failed at decluttering other spaces – didn’t get to my linen closets, the master bedroom, or the living room. <b>I did declutter my closet but it exploded almost immediately into a huge, unwieldy mess. </b>So I’m not counting that.<br />
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<b>February’s goal – Be more present</b><br />
· I pretty much failed at this goal. At least I failed at it during the month of February.<br />
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· <b>I ambitiously sought to create no-phone-zones so I could be more present with my hubby. But every time I wanted to implement a no-phone-zone it seemed impossible.</b> The first no-phone-zone I picked was the car. Seems easy, right? But then I needed directions or I needed to google the hours to some place. And when while I was doing that I would get a text from a friend at school or my sister. Then I would be texting and googling while my hubby drives….so it because pretty clear that the car was not a realistic no-phone-zone.<br />
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· Why not make the bedroom a no-phone-zone? My parents do. They charge their phones in the kitchen so they never have their phones in the bedroom. Seems easy enough. But my hubby and I use our phones more than our laptops. We are constantly searching things on our phones or checking the status of our amazon orders or browsing Pinterest (in my case). <b>We do all of these things in bed before we turn off the light so the bedroom didn’t seem like a realistic no-phone-zone either.</b> Moreover, I read my e-reader in bed a lot. And it didn’t seem fair that I should be able to read my books but Handsome Jack not be able to research the latest bike mod he likes one his phone. All things considered, the bedroom was not going to be a no-phone-zone.<br />
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· Jump ahead to March. My friends and I start a Fitbit step challenge that requires me to hit 10k steps a day. <b>This led me to take walks with Handsome Jack after work or school. Our walks became the perfect no-phone-zones! </b>We walk, enjoying the weather and each other. We talk and joke and are perfectly present. Sure, it’s a month late (March, not February) but better late than never.<br />
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<b>March’s goal – Make time for friends</b><br />
· Finally, I accomplished the vast majority of a goal on time! <b>I coordinated with my gal pals to have a ‘girls weekend’ later this year. </b>I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve been friends forever but seeing people face to face is always better than merely liking their status updates on Facebook.<br />
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· I also coordinated with both sides of my family to have family vacations later this summer!! This is a tradition that started a few years ago and has been one of my all-time favorites. <b>Handsome Jack’s family get together will be at the beach (have I mentioned how much I love the ocean!?) and my family get together will be at the lake (are you sensing a theme here?).</b><br />
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· March hasn’t been all fun and games, however. Earlier this month I learned about the tragic and sudden passing of a dear friend. His death really threw me into a spiral. I started questioning everything. Why him and not me? Why him at all? Did he know how much he was loved? And even though I hadn’t seen him in years I knew he was out in the world, shining his brilliant light into someone else’s life. Now that he has passed the world seems a little less special. But I’m better for having known his kind heart. I’m better for having learned from his determined spirit. <b>The more I focused on all we had together the more I realized the tragedy of his death is overshadowed, at least for me, in the miracle of having known him at all. Of all the people in all the world I was his friend and he was mine.</b> We were close for years and he left an indelible mark on my heart. Isn’t that what this whole happiness project is about? Being present and grateful for all we have while we have it?<br />
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· I’ve been helping, in a small way, to plan my friends memorial. As a result I feel connected with friends from my past and I’m looking forward to celebrating my friends life (because he was awesome and loved). <b>If I can help celebrate his awesomeness in any small way I knew I had to contribute.</b> Although it’s sad, this memorial is another way I’m making time for friends.<br />
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<b>That’s where I am in my happiness project. Progress, happiness, and some sadness (c’est la vie). </b>I’m not always on schedule with my goals but if you’ve learned anything from my previous posts on goals (here and here) then you know that a little slippage is okay – to be expected even. So far I’m staying the course. I don’t believe I need to make any changes to my goals so far. And I’m really enjoying the 12 smaller goals. It seems more manageable than one or two overarching, yearlong goals. My only yearlong goal is my 5k goal (one race every month). Check out my race recaps for <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/race-recap-one-down-eleven-to-go.html">January</a>, <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/02/race-recap-two-down-ten-more-to-go.html">February</a>, and <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/03/race-recap-three-down-nine-to-go-12in12.html">March</a>.<br />
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How are your goals coming along? How are you working to find your happiness?</b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-48631355862804639362016-03-28T04:30:00.000-07:002016-03-28T04:30:13.824-07:00Race Recap: Three Down, Nine To Go #12in12<b>Another month, another race in the books. And this race was the fastest yet!!</b><br />
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I signed up for a 1am, “Chasing the Moonlight” 5k on the day we set our clocks forward. <b>I stupidly confused Spring-forward with Fall-back and thought that this 5k would be an ‘impossible’ race. </b>I know there is a race called the “impossible 5k” which happens on the day we set our clocks back for Fall and the end result is that you have a negative time (impossible, right?).<br />
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<b>But this wasn’t Fall-back, it was Spring-forward. So my hubby and I got up at 11:30 pm and drove over to the mall to get ready for the 1am start.</b> As you might imagine, we were very tired.<br />
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The race had a tropical theme with tiki torches, potted palm trees, and steel drum music. Lots of people were dressed up for the event. Many people wore grass skirts or flowers around their neck. There was a long line to get your picture taken with the palm trees and tiki tourches so we headed over to the more important line - the line for the port-a-potties.<br />
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We also saw an adult running in a Pickachu costume and this terrifying raptor.<br />
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This beast stalked us while we waited in line for the bathroom.<br />
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Now, the race itself was a lot of fun. We ran a relatively flat loop of road that circled the mall. It was well lit in most sections by the parking lights. And periodically, around the loop, there was music (one DJ station and one steel drum station). <b>The lighting and music kept the early morning run fun.</b><br />
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<b>Now, my hubby and I are still not at our peek fitness levels. We are cross training like crazy but his busted ACL prevents him from putting a lot of miles on his legs.</b> The elliptical bothers both of us because we tend to hyper extend our knees on that machine. So we’ve been training with our personal trainer at least twice a week, walking 2 -3 miles every day, and doing 20-30 mins of cardio on the stair master once or twice a week.<br />
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When it came time to run we were ready. He always goes out too fast, and this race was no different. <b>We broke away and held a good pace for the first half mile. However, after that, I needed a walk break. </b>Yes, we took walk breaks. But when we ran we ran pretty fast (for us).<br />
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<b>We finished this 5k in 38.50.</b><br />
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<b>That’s five minutes faster than the January race and two minutes faster than February’s race. Woot woot!</b><br />
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My hope is that I will be back to my top running form in the next several months. In 2008, when I was 6 miles a day (injury free!!) my goal was to get my 5k time under 30 mins. <b>I would be lying if I said my goal this year is anything other than a sub 30 5k. I want it. But I’m older and heavier and injured.</b> So I know it’s silly to shoot for something so hard. But I’m doing it anyway.<br />
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<b>What’s that old saying? Shoot for the moon because if you miss you’ll land amongst the stars.<br />
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Have you run any races lately? Share your running stories here:</b><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-63821813669823370302016-03-17T04:30:00.000-07:002016-03-17T04:30:03.488-07:00TBT: How to Maximize Your Crit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the writing world nothing happens without a crit. Well, nothing should happen without a crit. But not all crit's are created equal. How you manage your critique can impact the value it has. Whether you're about to start the crit process or you're an old-pro looking to shake things up - this post on how to maximize your crit is for you.<br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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Shakespeare said it best, “get thee to a crit partner.” No? Well, then <b>the internet said it best: “get thee to a crit partner.” </b>Whether you are writing your first or fiftieth novel you need to crit partner (CP). Preferably a team of them – because the more eyes on your book baby, the better. But simply having a CP isn’t good enough, usually. To get the most of your crits you might want to take some of these steps:<br />
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1. <b>Define the aim of the crit:</b> Are you looking for a big picture crit that examines potential plot holes, character inconsistencies, opportunities for improvement, etc. or more of a<br />
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A line by line (LBL) crit that digs deeeeep into each line looking to correct punctuation, grammar, and language usage. Or what about a Structure crit and evaluates the story structure as a device (beginning, middle, end) and the structure of each chapter. Or some combo of all of those.... It’s best to know what you’re looking for early on. Establish what you need from the crit so your using your CP’s time effectively. Have 3 CP’s? Maybe have each CP read with a different goal. Remember, your CP’s may have different strengths than you – use their strengths to compliment your own. And always, always, be respectful of their time.<br />
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2. <b>Break your crit up into manageable pieces: </b>One CP I've worked with had a great system for this. She broke her MS into chunks of 3-5 chapters and sent them to her CP's with deadline 'goals' for having them returned. That way, she could work on revisions her CP’s suggested in chunks while her CP’s were busy reading the next few chapters. Also, it’s way less overwhelming to work on changes/suggestions to 3 chapters than 30. <br />
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3. <b>Don’t forget your query letter and synopsis:</b> If you plan to start down the long, and winding road of querying be sure your CP’s have had a pass at your letter and synopsis. The query letter is so critical because it’s the only thing the Agent is guaranteed to read. If you can’t hook them with the query then they may never read your sample pages or synopsis. <br />
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Defining your strategy and goals can help ensure your crits are laser focused and productive. Need more on getting the most out of your CP relationships? Try these posts – list posts. <br />
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<b>How do you approach a crit?</b><br />
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Want more about CP's:<br />
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SC Write - <a href="http://scwrite.blogspot.com/2014/02/on-receiving-and-handling-harsh.html">Handling A Tough Crit</a><br />
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Secret Life of Writers - <a href="http://secretlifeofwriters.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-secrets-of-awesome-cp-relationship.html">The Secrets of and Awesome CP Relationship</a><br />
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Ladies Who Critique - <a href="http://www.ladieswhocritique.com/critique-tips/">CP 101</a><br />
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Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-50229086640730952342016-02-18T04:30:00.000-08:002016-02-18T04:30:06.890-08:00TBT: Strategy for the Query Letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Query letters are tough and there is a lot of advice on the internet about how best to write them. Below are tips and tricks I've learned through my participation with Romance Writer's of America (god, I love that organization). <br />
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I hope these tips help you on your writing journey.<br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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Query letters are no joke. It's hard to boil an entire novel down into three paragraphs.<br />
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Luckily, I attended RWA's national conference last summer and learned some FABULOUS tips on query letters. <br />
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In general, the query should read like the back jacket of a book - high energy, low details, and dripping with suspense and tension. <br />
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Format, there is actually a format to a query. Someone at the conference was preaching about structure in queries and it finally clicked. Knowing the format took a bit of the mystery out of it for me. <br />
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Think about it like the three act structure in your novel (beginning, middle, end) only in the query it should be something like: Intro, Conflict, Stakes. <br />
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In the intro give one or two sentences setting up the character and world/setting. At least one sentence stating what the character wants and why it's important. It's okay to be direct. <br />
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Next you have the conflict: What goes wrong? <br />
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And then last but not least, we need the stakes: what happens if she fails? What does she stand to lose? What will she have to sacrifice? This should be big so it hooks us to want to read more.<br />
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Try this, exercise. Fill in the blank. <br />
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"She's a ____________ that wants nothing more than _____________. He's a ____________ that wants nothing more than______________. Together they must __________________ or stand to lose_______________________. " <br />
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Ideally, what she wants and what he wants should be in direct conflict with each other. Together, what they must do should push their limits and threaten to unravel them as individuals. What they must do together is the test that makes them grow and change. <br />
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This is a good format to start a query because it has the intro, conflict and stakes. This is also the format you would want to use if you were pitching this MS to an agent or editor live, and in person, at a conference or something. <br />
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What strategy do you use to craft your query? Share ideas here:<br />
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Want more advice on query letters? Check out this<a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/03/all-about-query.html"> post</a> and this <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/05/query-fear-to-send-or-not-to-send.html">one.</a> <br />
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Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-41658757092519977022016-02-08T04:30:00.000-08:002016-03-27T09:10:46.456-07:00Race Recap: Two down, Ten More To Go #12in12It's February and that means it's time for another 5k. Check out my quick recap of my <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/race-recap-one-down-eleven-to-go.html">January 5k here</a>.<br />
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It's been chilly so I ran the race in full gear: running pants, long sleeves, gloves, hood, and three layers. The skies were blue and beautiful. It as just a little too chilly for me. <br />
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My hubby and my sister ran with me. Well, my sister ran for time while my hubby and I ran for fun (his knee is still jacked up and he hasn't had surgery yet so we are taking it easy). <br />
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Taking it easy doesn't mean we can't have fun. <br />
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<br />
School's off to a good start this semester. I'm definitely under less stress than last year. A lot of things could be contributing to my reduced stress:<br />
<br />
1. I gave up coffee: I switched to tea so I'm not caffeine-free. More like reduced caffeine.<br />
<br />
2. I listen to music when I read: I've been listening to zen-like message music (without words) while I read. <br />
<br />
3. I'm working out again: my class schedule allows me more time at the gym which is always good.<br />
<br />
4. I've been through this before: It's not a mystery anymore. <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/i-survived-1l-exams-sorta-1lhell.html">I know what species of hell I'm in for</a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWdOPN3yYZo/Vrf8iUF4LgI/AAAAAAAACyI/3Y-GXZg7zgY/s1600/PhotoGrid_1454893698354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWdOPN3yYZo/Vrf8iUF4LgI/AAAAAAAACyI/3Y-GXZg7zgY/s320/PhotoGrid_1454893698354.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-goals-and-my-personal-happiness.html"><br />
Last month's happiness goals went fairly well</a>. I'm heading into February with a positive attitude. <br />
<br />
<br />
How are your goals coming along?Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-20434255682923309912016-01-25T04:30:00.000-08:002016-03-27T09:10:20.610-07:00Race Recap: One Down, Eleven to go #12in12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rPH3AgG31s/VpG4Ke073qI/AAAAAAAACwo/Y8Es8VlEqds/s1600/love%2Brunning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rPH3AgG31s/VpG4Ke073qI/AAAAAAAACwo/Y8Es8VlEqds/s320/love%2Brunning.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Remember when I posted my goal of running more? Specifically, <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-goals-and-my-personal-happiness.html">I want to run 12 5k's in 2016</a>.<b> Well, my first 5k of my 12 5k challenge is done! </b><br />
<br />
It took a herculean effort to get to this first race. It wasn't far from home, actually, it was right up the street and had an eight am start time (not bad). All good. <br />
<br />
I just wanted to be sleeping at home with my kitties....but, alas, I made this a goal so I was going to run this race!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e3d07HcKQ7k/VpG8XSsscFI/AAAAAAAACxU/dIXvhrpJQYw/s1600/sleepy%2Bkitty%2Bpic%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e3d07HcKQ7k/VpG8XSsscFI/AAAAAAAACxU/dIXvhrpJQYw/s320/sleepy%2Bkitty%2Bpic%2B2016.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Luckily it was barely cold that morning so Handsome Jack and I weren't completely miserable as we waited for the race. <br />
<br />
There were less than 200 people running which was exciting. <b>Sometimes a small, local race is just what you need</b>. <br />
<br />
We lined up at ten til eight and waited for the the starting gun...or, in this case, a guy yelling 'start.' <br />
<br />
We jogged along pretty well in the early morning, winter mist. Not full-on rain but not fog either. I was happy to run down streets I hadn't explored before. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3g-dc2cdZA/VpG8kE-zCMI/AAAAAAAACxc/Z5S1hp9d__k/s1600/5k%2B1%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h3g-dc2cdZA/VpG8kE-zCMI/AAAAAAAACxc/Z5S1hp9d__k/s320/5k%2B1%2B2016.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then the fatigue hit. Around mile 1 I was feeling flat. My break from running really showed. <b>My muscles didn't hurt or ache but I felt sluggish</b>. My cardiovascular fitness just wasn't there. <br />
<br />
Now, I should say Handsome Jack was running on a torn ACL.<b> Yep, that's right, he tore his ACL last year and we are waiting for a surgery slot so he can get it fixed.</b> So when we targeted this race we knew it would be a slow, run-walk, starter race. <br />
<br />
And we did walk. <br />
<br />
We finished the 5k in 41.20. <b>Not my worst time but certainly not my best.</b> It's reminiscent of my first ever 5k's back in 2008. Sigh. It's amazing how fast your fitness can go. <br />
<br />
But you know what, it's okay. It's a starting place. I can only get faster from here. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XzYgg-gr8Bs/VpG8_g_VJFI/AAAAAAAACxk/Ua9n8iQ0C9U/s1600/happy%2Bwriter%2Bpic%2B1%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XzYgg-gr8Bs/VpG8_g_VJFI/AAAAAAAACxk/Ua9n8iQ0C9U/s320/happy%2Bwriter%2Bpic%2B1%2B2016.jpg" /></a></div><b><br />
It was a great start to my goal. One down, eleven more to go!</b><br />
To help me keep focused on my goal of 12 5k's in 1 year (not necessarily one a month but not necessarily not one a month, you know) I signed up for the <a href="https://ilovetorun.org/">ilovetorun.org 100 days of miles challenge</a>. <a href="https://ilovetorun.org/">Check it out here.</a> <br />
<br />
The challenge comes with a super<a href="https://ilovetorun.org/2016-gold-challenge"> cool medal</a>. Can't wait to earn that bling. <br />
<br />
<br />
After the race I got back into studying.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oKDCNWckPSg/VpG9TNpRvTI/AAAAAAAACxs/YbNUUq_ygZ0/s1600/study%2Btime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oKDCNWckPSg/VpG9TNpRvTI/AAAAAAAACxs/YbNUUq_ygZ0/s320/study%2Btime.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Have you run any races in January? Share your experiences here:</b><br />
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Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-58794555779821438402016-01-21T04:30:00.000-08:002016-01-21T04:30:10.212-08:00I survived 1L exams - sorta #1LHellSo I survived my first pass at law school exams. Sorta. Or, said precisely, I survived exams <b>but not without incident. </b>In fact, the incident was a major, end-of-the-world mental breakdown. And I hope sharing my experience may help someone else. So, here we go:<br />
<br />
Like a lot of law schools Profs, my Torts Prof stressed again and again that our take home exam could NOT be late under any circumstances. In fact, I believe the syllabus said we would be <b>counted off 10% for every MINUTE the exam was late</b>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ods0nnEycqo/VohF0Cw0zKI/AAAAAAAADOM/dfn7xDj_jtw/s1600/Scary.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ods0nnEycqo/VohF0Cw0zKI/AAAAAAAADOM/dfn7xDj_jtw/s320/Scary.gif" /></a></div><br />
Now the concept of this late pentalty didn’t phase me, at first, because my Torts Prof also said that we would have 6 hours to complete an exam that should only take us 3 hours.<b> So, why stress about a deadline that I’m sure to beat? </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkwEFgyKqL0/VohF81GcT3I/AAAAAAAADOU/Zd_ZSHO--GM/s1600/Hairflip.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkwEFgyKqL0/VohF81GcT3I/AAAAAAAADOU/Zd_ZSHO--GM/s320/Hairflip.gif" /></a></div><br />
Then the exam rolled around. I studied with my study group for anywhere from 20-30 hours in the weeks before the exam. I felt ready. I wasn’t nervous, per say, more like excited. <br />
<br />
I popped open the take home exam starting the 6 hour time clock and got to work.<br />
<br />
I worked my little heart out. The exam was two questions. The first was your typical, crazy Torts fact pattern where everything that could go wrong would go wrong. The second question was a policy question (not uncommon in a Torts exam). <br />
<br />
Now, you’re probably thinking, <b>“two flipping questions? You lost your f’ing mind over two stinking questions?” </b><br />
<br />
Yes. I did.<br />
<br />
And here’s why:<br />
<br />
<b>I spent all six hours on the first question. </b>It wasn't intentional. I simply didn’t manage my time well because I thought I’d finish in three hours (like the Prof said) and I wouldn’t even need to manage my time. <br />
<br />
BIG MISTAKE<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/4183058/big-mistake-o.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/4183058/big-mistake-o.gif" /></a></div><br />
The first question completely kicked my ass. It was two and a half pages single spaced. There were a boat load of legal issues and a ton of potential litigants. <br />
<b><br />
This question was at least twice as long as the hypos we ran during our study session (btw, E&E's are fab). Not only was the question longer, but it was more dense.</b> It was just packed with crap. <br />
<br />
I spent at least one of the six hours OUTLINING my answer!!! Now, for those experienced in the way of law school exams you're thinking, "okay, an hour to outline? That's amateur hour. You must have chased issues that weren't actual issues." And you'd be correct. I'm owning that 100%.This was my first attempt at a law school exam. I prepared but I didn't really know what to anticipate. <br />
<br />
But none of that worried me.<b> I was calm and steady and went about my business detailing the issues and rules affiliated with intentional torts, negligence, and products liability.</b> I raised defenses and tried to argue the points of law from both sides. <br />
<br />
When I was nearly done with my first question I looked down at the clock and realized I had THREE MINUTES LEFT TO FINISH THE TEST AND UPLOAD IT TO THE SITE.<br />
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<b>Cue major freak out!</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JB0Cq3hmIfg/Vhs4LGFHCnI/AAAAAAAADF0/c1sosHikRQ4/s1600/DoneWhat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JB0Cq3hmIfg/Vhs4LGFHCnI/AAAAAAAADF0/c1sosHikRQ4/s320/DoneWhat.gif" /></a></div><br />
My hands started shaking. My heart erupted into a thunderstorm of flutters and palpitations. I felt dizzy. <br />
<br />
<b>How did I let this happen? Where did the time go? What could I do? </b><br />
I typed with trembling fingers a few bullets under question 2 (policy question) and hit save. Then I tried to log back into the electronic blue book site (aka the devil’s website) and that’s when the real panic set in.<br />
<br />
I couldn’t log in.<br />
<br />
I had 60 seconds to upload my exam or it would be late and I COULDN’T GET IN!<br />
<br />
<b>I started hyperventilating. My ears were ringing and my eyes swamped with tears. </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5d4t6oPZQ1qlpjkuo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5d4t6oPZQ1qlpjkuo1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
This wasn’t happening, I thought. This must be a nightmare. <br />
<br />
I took a deep breath and tried again. Still couldn’t get in. I tried again and again….nothin<b>.<br />
<br />
I was locked out of the site. </b><br />
<br />
At this point the clock said I was thirteen minutes late. THIRTEEN!<br />
<br />
<b>That would mean I would get 130% deducted from my exam for being late</b> (remember when the class stressed a 10% reduction in grade for every MINUTE it was late.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/RjsGkZa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/RjsGkZa.gif" /></a></div><br />
I literally screamed. I wailed. I howled. I was devastated. <br />
<br />
<b>I had just flunked out of law school because of a stupid mistake!!!</b><br />
<br />
Cue vomit. Literally.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://38.media.tumblr.com/83a1029d32927680721d288f5fbad206/tumblr_nbx2o0nMHe1rbc9h1o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://38.media.tumblr.com/83a1029d32927680721d288f5fbad206/tumblr_nbx2o0nMHe1rbc9h1o1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
<b>That’s right. I threw up.</b> I started crying hysterically and basically lost my mind. <b>I tried again and again to get into the web site with no luck. </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.khabarfeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/gifsec.com-law-5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.khabarfeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/gifsec.com-law-5.gif" /></a></div><br />
I remembered that if we had IT problems we were supposed to email the registrar….but I didn’t have their email address. So I set out on the web to find their email info. <br />
<br />
Now you may be wondering why I didn’t just email the prof and explain my situation to him. In law school all grading of exams is anonymous. We aren’t allowed to discuss our exam tragedies with our profs. <br />
<br />
I found the registrars email address and phone number and began calling. My calls went to voice mail. <b>I left 4 hysterical voice mails (not intentionally, mind you, I was just that flipped out) and pleaded my case. </b>I explained the mistake and the situation and that I wasn’t trying to pull one over on anyone. I cried. <br />
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Inbetween phone calls I sent emails. Broken, choppy, typo-filled emails with trembling fingers pleading my case. Nothing. No response.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gilmoregirls/images/c/c0/Anigif_enhanced-8507-1428775432-8.gif/revision/latest?cb=20151017070553" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gilmoregirls/images/c/c0/Anigif_enhanced-8507-1428775432-8.gif/revision/latest?cb=20151017070553" /></a></div><br />
I calmed down a bit – the horrible reality and crushing embarrassment settled over me <b>(OMG I FLUNKED OUT OF LAW SCHOOL!) </b>. I called the registrar again. This time, calm. And started repeating my case. Calmly. <br />
<br />
<b>But by the end of the message I was hysterically crying again. </b><br />
<br />
I was a disaster. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bumpbirthandbeyond.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/dying-ferris-bueller.gif?w=600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://bumpbirthandbeyond.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/dying-ferris-bueller.gif?w=600" /></a></div><br />
Finally, about an hour and a half AFTER the exam was due I received an email from the registrar.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://dezolutions.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/emo-scene-hipster-forever-a-cat-lady.gif?w=638&h=353" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://dezolutions.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/emo-scene-hipster-forever-a-cat-lady.gif?w=638&h=353" /></a></div><br />
I assumed my career in law was over. Done. Just like that. In a blink of an eye. In a moment. All the possibilities were burned to the ground. All because of a dumb mistake. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media2.giphy.com/media/hOCRBUsP6ZaA8/200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/hOCRBUsP6ZaA8/200.gif" /></a></div><br />
My muscles hurt. My throat hurt. My face hurt from throwing up. I was shaking like a leaf and I sprawled out on the bathroom floor because it was cool on my flaming hot skin. <br />
<b><br />
It was over.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/fba425f4eb1408502a99dc77ccaad36d/tumblr_mgkbsiqsb91s39n3vo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/fba425f4eb1408502a99dc77ccaad36d/tumblr_mgkbsiqsb91s39n3vo1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
I imagined telling my family that I failed. I pictured the disappointment on their face when I explained how and why I failed. The stupidity of everything. <br />
<br />
And then I pictured telling my coworkers at my Day Job. And my friends. <br />
<br />
Tears streamed down my face but I wasn’t shuddering with sobs anymore. <b>I ached all over and lacked the strength to sob.</b> <br />
I literally thought my dream was dead. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media2.giphy.com/media/AQUnucvWmJH3y/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media2.giphy.com/media/AQUnucvWmJH3y/giphy.gif" /></a></div><br />
But then my phone dinged. <b>It was an email from the registrar. </b>She said not to worry. That they have a handful of kids every year who can’t upload to the site and just to email her my exam. <br />
<br />
I did. <br />
<br />
But I also explained that it was now almost two hours late and I was going to fail because of the deductions for being late. <br />
<br />
She responded saying not to worry, that they don’t count off for lateness if the exam is late due to technical difficulties. <br />
<br />
<b>And just like that, in a two sentence email, all my crying and hysterics were wiped clean. </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://missvpage.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/ay5dm0x_460sa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://missvpage.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/ay5dm0x_460sa.gif" /></a></div><br />
I wasn’t going to fail (necessarily). I wasn’t going to get penalties for being late. I wasn’t technically late. <br />
<b><br />
I worried and lost my shit for nothing. NOTHING. </b><br />
<br />
Sure, I spent all my time on the first answer and didn’t actually answer the second question. But that didn’t mean I would fail. <b>Even with that major blunder I could still ride the curve to success.</b><br />
<br />
In the course of eight little hours I had: poured my brain into an exam answer, lost my mind, imaged the worst, cried until I threw up, and then was told not to worry – that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. <br />
<br />
It was like the clouds parted and a beam of light shone right on my face. I was going to be okay. I frantically researched the minimum passing grade in order to not have to repeat the class (D, btw). And then <b>I searched for the curve distribution from the previous years. Only 3 people get D’s. No F’s. </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/1c4cb8e2984701bdbb620cc0f266074d/tumblr_mr54k1uJJA1ql5yr7o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/1c4cb8e2984701bdbb620cc0f266074d/tumblr_mr54k1uJJA1ql5yr7o1_500.gif" /></a></div><br />
That means even if I get the lowest grade in the class I will get a D. That’s not failing. And as unpleasant as receiving a D would be it’s not all bad because: I will not have to repeat the class!!! (God I love the curve)!<br />
<br />
And when grades came out I was pleasantly surprised to receive a grade much higher than a D. <br />
<br />
So, why share my humiliation an pain? <br />
<br />
Because so much of law school is about competition and being the best. <b>It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you aren’t on top you must be failing and the world is ending. </b>It’s simply not true. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/DqIpZmW.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/DqIpZmW.gif" /></a></div><br />
You can get low grades and still pass. You can think you did poorly on an exam and still do well.<br />
<br />
<b>Law school isn’t easy. It’s meant to be hard. </b><br />
Embrace the hard --Embrace the journey--and don’t lose it over the little stuff. Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-40986123608821028312016-01-18T04:30:00.000-08:002016-01-18T04:30:00.151-08:007 Literary Agents To Follow In 2016<b>Over the last few years I've been spreading the word about some awesome Agents out there. </b><br />
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Usually the posts about agents are among my most popular posts. Which is great – yay page views. <b>But over time the information shared in my previous posts became outdated. </b>Agents leave the business or close to submissions and therefore tweet less, etc etc. This business is fast moving and full of surprise. <br />
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So once again it's time for a new and improved: <b>7 Literary Agents You Should Be Following in 2016</b>. This list is comprised of Agents who provide helpful feedback or resources to writers via twitter:<br />
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1. <b><a href="https://twitter.com/literaticat">Jennifer Laughran aka @literaticat</a></b> - Jennifer has been known to <a href="http://literaticat.blogspot.com/"><b>blog</b></a> and tweet sage advice. I love her <a href="http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-ol-genre-glossary.html"><b>Big Ol' Genre Glossary</b></a>. <br />
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2. <a href="https://twitter.com/MadmoiselleClel"><b>Clelia Gore</b></a> of Martin Literary Management. She's bright, happy, and upbeat. She has recently been involved online and participates in contests. Follow her on twitter to check out all her wonderful advice. <br />
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3. <b><a href="https://twitter.com/BookaliciousPam"><b>Pam Howell</b> aka @bookaliciouspam</a></b> - A self proclaimed super geek which immediately makes her awesome. Her <a href="http://www.literaryviking.com/">blog</a> is a terrific resource. She's moved around a bit but her advice is on point, as always.<br />
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4. <a href="https://twitter.com/petejknapp"><b>Peter Knapp</b></a> with New Leaf Literary. He reps a lot of fabulous clients and interacts with a lot of folks online. Follow him to learn what he's looking for before submitting. <br />
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5. <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraMegibow"><b>Sara Megibow</b> aka @SaraMegibow</a>, with KT Literary. She does #Tenqueries and tweets great feedback.<br />
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6. <b><a href="https://twitter.com/BreevilDead">Bree Ogden</a></b>: of Red Sofa Literary (formerly of D4EO). Tweets regularly and columnist at LitReactor. She reps darker lit and has a quirky sense of humor and style. <br />
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7. <b><a href="https://twitter.com/MandyHubbard">Mandy Hubbard</a></b>: of Emerald City Literary Agency (formerly of D4EO). She recently launched her own agency and tweets regularly. Her insight has been very influential in my writting evolution (I even took her LitReactor class on YA).<br />
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And for a bonus:<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/mobrienbooks"><b>Mark O'Brien</b></a> - okay, he's not a literary agent but he is an intern at Entangled Pub. He tweets amazing insights into writing and life (always with a splash of humor). He is a terrific resource so check him out. <br />
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Want more Agents to follow? Check out this <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/02/7-more-agents-to-follow.html">post</a>.<br />
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Which Agents do you love to follow? Has an agent tweet helped you on your path to publication? </b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-75419611298903307082016-01-14T04:30:00.000-08:002016-01-14T04:30:11.003-08:00TBT: What To Do With Feedback: Tackling Revisions #amediting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s1600/TBT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vN7s00QIvrg/VM2dqFWE_II/AAAAAAAACRQ/xfrOAKJA0s8/s320/TBT2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's a new year and that sometimes means a new WIP. If you are like me, you're probably editing an old WIP while you draft a new one. When I tackle and editing project I love to check out this post. It's a reminder that even when projects seem huge it is manageable.<br />
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Here are some suggestions on how to wrestle feedback into productivity. <br />
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<b>Enjoy!</b><br />
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You’ve done it. You’ve written a book baby and sent it out into the wild, vicious world….or, in actuality, the open arms of your CP’s. Those wonderful, insightful, challenging CP’s who really want what’s best for you and your book baby. <br />
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And what do you get? <b>Feedback. Hopefully buckets of it. </b>Here’s the thing, not all of that feedback will be good.<br />
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In fact, <b>if you are lucky, a lot of it will be difficult, hard-to-swallow, gut wrenching feedback.</b> <br />
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Did she say lucky? About receiving difficult feedback? <br />
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<b>Yeah, buddy. I sure did. <br />
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Positive feedback is great but it doesn’t help you grow. It’s the challenging feedback that makes us, and our books, better. <br />
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<b>So what do you do with all that feedback? Every writer manages it differently. Here’s how I tackle revisions:</b><br />
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1. Read over all the notes in the MS in one sitting. <br />
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If you are receiving feedback in chunks (as in ch 1-6 one week and 7-10 the next, then read through all the notes in the chunk available). <br />
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2. <b>Suppress all urges to defend your book baby. </b>It’s natural for a momma bear to defend her cubs. It’s okay that you have that urge. But you need to suppress it to improve. <br />
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3. Separate positive feedback and put it aside. Positive feedback is the best. It feels good and makes you smile. <b>‘This person gets it,’ you think. ‘I am a genius, see, my CP gets me.’ </b> Enjoy the feedback and then set it aside.<br />
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4. Consider storing positive feedback in it's own file. I like to store these self-esteem inflating nuggets of feedback in a separate word doc. Stuff that works. <b>Put it aside and open it when you need a shot of confidence about your story or your writing skills.</b> <br />
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5.<b> Bucket ‘constructive’ feedback into two camps: Quick Fixes and Rewrites (I do this by color coding the notes. </b>Easy stuff gets one color and rewrites get another.) Note: If the feedback isn't constructive at all (as in, is just shitty, then dismiss it.) I consider Quick Fixes to be any tense errors, missing words, necessary dialogue tags, copy/paste errors, etc. Rewrites, for me, are any questions digging into character motivation, suggested rewording, continuity errors, etc. <br />
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6. Tackle quick fixes fist. They're easy and completing these will feel good. <b>Get them out of the way.</b><br />
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7. Take a break.<b>Step away from the project and clear your mind.</b> <br />
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8. Now tackle rewrites. <b>I start by dividing rewrites into two buckets: rewrites I’m excited about and rewrites I’m not excited about (or don’t fully agree with - yet.) Why? Because rewrites are tough.</b> <br />
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It’s hard to tear a story apart and stitch it back together again. It’s a bit like reconstructing Frankenstein’s monster from the inside out, with nothing more than a headlamp, a dull needle and some embroidery thread. So, if I’m going to dig into the monster and get dirty, I’m going to start with the rewrites that get me excited. Suggestions that totally make sense to me or the ‘OMG why didn’t I think of that’ ideas that really get my blood pumping. I work those items into my story first. Warning: This part of the revision can take time. Remember to be patient and kind to yourself during this process.<br />
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9. Next, I take a long, hard look at the stuff that didn’t resonate with me right off the bat and ask the following questions:<br />
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<b>Why didn’t I like this idea?</b><br />
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If my answers are “it’s too hard,” or “they just didn’t get what I was trying to do” I mark those items as <b>seriously need to reconsider</b>. Just because a change is hard doesn't mean it would not be worthwhile. <br />
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<b>How would this idea strengthen my plot?</b> Seriously pause and consider this. <br />
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<b>How would this idea strengthen my character?</b> Again, seriously consider it. <br />
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10. What I’m usually left with after the question/answer reflection is a list of lots of tough rewrites. The didn’t-resonate-at-first-but-now-totally-makes-sense revisions are some of the hardest revisions, IMO. <b>These rewrites sometimes require other, supporting rewrites.</b> But by this time in my revision process I’m generally convinced they will make my story better and I’m actually excited about them. My blood is pumping. So I dig back into that rotting corpse that is Frankenstein’s monster - aka, the book baby - and start hacking and stitching until it’s done. <br />
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That’s it. That’s how I tackle rewrites. <br />
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It helps, I think, to remember your CP’s feedback is a precious gift. CP feedback is insight you cannot possibly have yourself because you are too close to the project. <b>Treat their feedback with the respect it deserves. </b>This means taking the time to truly consider it. Often we need to let the suggestions simmer in our brains before we can truly decide if it is right for our book or not. Revisions aren’t done overnight.<br />
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It’s not about what was ‘wrong’ with your book baby, rather, what can be done differently. <b>Approach feedback as an opportunity and you might just find new skills, perspectives, or ideas you didn’t originally consider.</b> <br />
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Sure, growth is hard. But it is necessary and, in the end, totally worth it. <br />
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<b>What approach do you take to tackling rewrites?</b><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-72417776844701556082016-01-11T04:30:00.001-08:002016-01-11T04:30:00.670-08:00 2016 Goals and my personal happiness project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1YsKttAJVY/VosVxT36DtI/AAAAAAAACwI/IdIvByMvBlA/s1600/Goals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U1YsKttAJVY/VosVxT36DtI/AAAAAAAACwI/IdIvByMvBlA/s320/Goals2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
If you’ve swung by this blog in the last few years <b>you’ve probably noticed my strange, sometimes creepy obsession with goals</b>. You might even say I’m Gollum-like in my obsession with goals.<br />
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That’s because I believe goals are the fuel of progress. It’s cheesy but true. <b>If you want to change, grow, learn, or do (something, ANYTHING) then setting goals will get you there</b>.<br />
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<b>Because success doesn’t materialize like magic. </b>You have to work for what you want. But you don’t want to run blindly at a goal. To make the most of your efforts, and to make large goals more attainable, I say break down your goals into smaller parts.<br />
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<b>Last year was a wild ride because I started law school. </b> <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-writerly-goals-for-2015.html">I shortened my goal year to Jan – Aug instead of Jan – Dec.</a> Aside from that change, however, I stuck to my standard SMART goal process (heck, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, amirite?). Check out <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-writerly-goals-for-2014.html">my overview of SMART goals here.</a><br />
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But this year I wanted to try something a little different. You see, I’ve recently finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006158326X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thehappproj-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=006158326X">The Happiness Project</a> by <a href="http://gretchenrubin.com/">Gretchen Rubin</a>. <br />
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<b>The book suggested working on 12 small goals (one each month of the year) instead of a few large resolutions</b>.<br />
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I loved the concept. So this year, <b>in an effort to be more flexible (since I’m still in school), I’m doing 12 goals with subparts</b>. Not all of these meet the <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-writerly-goals-for-2014.html">SMART</a> goal standard. That’s okay. <b>Different is not wrong – it’s just different.</b><br />
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<b>Here’s what I’ll be working on for 2016:</b><br />
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<b>I. Make Room for Life:</b><br />
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a. De-clutter closets, Kitchen and pantry, living spaces, cars<br />
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II. Give more of myself:</b><br />
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a. Be more present with Jeremy (develop limits on social media and create no phone zones)<br />
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b. Plan a family vacation<br />
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c. Make gifts by hand<br />
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<b>III. Make time for friends:</b><br />
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a. Visit<br />
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b. Do lunch with someone you haven’t seen<br />
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IV. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude:</b><br />
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a. Journal<br />
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b. Volunteer pro bon<b>o<br />
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V. Make time for family:</b><br />
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a. Call more<br />
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b. Visit with parents, brothers, sister, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, and in-laws<br />
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VI. Make room for things I enjoy:</b><br />
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a. Write more/ Blog more<br />
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b. Sing more<br />
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c. Dance more<br />
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d. Move more<br />
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<b>VII. Learn something new:</b><br />
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a. Make up<br />
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b. Hair style<br />
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c. Take a painting class<br />
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d. Take a riding class<br />
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<b>VIII. Develop a healthy habit:</b><br />
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a. Care for your skin<br />
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b. Floss more<br />
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c. Practice mindfulness<br />
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d. Cook more<br />
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e. See a nutritionist<br />
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IX. Give up a bad habit:</b><br />
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a. Break up with soda<br />
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b. Stop overeating<br />
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c. Stop negative thoughts<br />
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<b>X. Have more fun with fitness:</b><br />
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a. Try a new class (cycle or Zumba)<br />
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b. Race more (12 5k’s in 2016)<br />
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c. Try Yoga<br />
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<b>XI. Make time for sewing:</b><br />
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a. Alter/rescue something vintage and cool<br />
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b. Costumes for dragoncon<br />
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c. Cosplay at dragoncon<br />
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<b>XII. Travel:</b><br />
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a. Go somewhere new<br />
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<b>These are my goals now.</b> I may miss the boat on some of these. That's okay. <b>Not reaching a goal within the desired timeline is not failure. Failure is not trying in the first place. </b><br />
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Also, it is entirely possible that life might get in the way. That's okay. Hell, life is what this whole mess is about anyway (so I say, bring it on). If life gets in the way <a href="http://adventures-in-word.blogspot.com/2013/09/in-which-i-come-clean-about-writing.html">I'll redefine my timeline or goals life I have in the past.</a> <br />
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It's all about balance. </b><br />
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You might have noticed I didn't have a boat load of specific writing related goals on this list. That was intentional. I haven't given up on writing and publishing. I'm still passionate about it. But <b>I want to free myself of arbitrary structure for a while and just write.</b> I can't wait to see what happens. <br />
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<b>What are your goals for 2016?</b>Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-958223000746953117.post-50300218582913984442016-01-04T04:30:00.000-08:002016-01-04T04:30:00.567-08:00Tips for tackling your first semester of law school #1LhellWhen my study group and I were wrapping up our first semester of law school we reflected back on what we wish we would have done to make the semester a little less stressful. <br />
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<b>School is hard enough without making it harder by missing opportunities.</b> Effective and efficient management of school work is the name of the game. <br />
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<b>So, for those of you crazy enough to attempt the JD degree, here are the 5 tips from my study group on how to effectively prepare for exams:</b><br />
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1. <b>Do your reading.</b> This should go without saying but I said it so I’m going to talk about it. Being prepared is a big deal in law school. It’s considered unprofessional to show up without having done the reading. Read your cases. Brief your cases. Some upperclassmen may tell you not to ‘waste’ time with briefing but to them I say “back off you crazy, lazy, gunning b*stards.” Briefing is a substantial study tool and a helpful skill to develop. Don’t sell yourself short. You got here – now do the work.<br />
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2. <b>Start outlining earlier!</b> If your school is anything like mine, then they will have this super nice Academic Success Program. The program involves students presenting on tips and tricks for succeeding in law school. One of the tips they offered was to wait to outline until November (about a month before exams). The theory was that you, as a new law student, wouldn't really understand how the rules fit together so your outline wouldn't make sense. But, I'm telling you, start as soon as possible. And when I say start, I mean, grab the table of contents for your case book and compare it to your syllabus. Write up a rough outline of subjects using those two resources as a guide. Do it before classes start if you can. And then, each week, type your class notes under the applicable section heading. This will help you tremendously when exams are looming over you.<br />
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3. <b>Type your notes each week.</b> Some of my professors didn't allow laptops in class which meant taking notes by hand. This didn't bother me because the act of writing something down always seemed to cement it in my mind. However, outlines are typed. And outlining is easier and faster if your notes are typed. Just don't do what most of my study group did - don't let your notes pile up. It's overwhelming and you don't need anything else overwhelming on your plate. <br />
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4. <b>Run hypos sooner.</b> When you get close to exams you'll likely want to run hypos. This means finding a study aid (like E&E's) and reading their hypothetical questions and noodling out your best guess of an answer. We did this for hours and hours on end before exams. But we all agreed it would have helped us tremendously if we had tackled hypos each week. Learn something new in Contracts? Run a corresponding hypo to make sure you understand the material. The exercises help you recall the concepts and keep the materials fresh. <br />
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5. <b>Meet with your study group sooner.</b> We all agreed we wish we would have started meeting sooner. Meet each week. Meet whenever. But meet sooner than you think you need to. Meet and discuss what was covered in class. Meet and talk through your questions. Meet and work on your collaborative outline. Do whatever. But meet. Meeting helped us stay accountable and kept us on track. <br />
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<b>Hope these tips help. Have additional tips? Share them here.</b><br />
Writefully Sohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16761211073195336714noreply@blogger.com2