S. A. Crawford
Bio
Writer, reader, life-long student - being brave and finally taking the plunge by publishing some articles and fiction pieces.
Achievements (14)
Stories (211)
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Does Drinking Collagen Work?
The beauty world is a world of trending products and often spurious claims, both from the brands themselves and from the beauty influencers who are paid to market the products. Because of this, we're all becoming a little more careful when it comes to hopping on the latest trend (or at least we should be). These days, the big skincare and anti aging trends are retinol serums and edible or soluable collagen. Proponents of these trends claim that they help us stay looking youthful for longer. Whether this is true is still a matter of debate.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Longevity
How to Re-Enter the Craft. Top Story - December 2021.
Every writer has periods where the craft falls by the wayside for one reason or another. Mental health issues, family commitments, work, and even a simple loss of enthusiasm or inspiration - all of these things can cause writers to put down the pen for a while. After this kind of hiatus, it is common to find that your writing skills have become a bit rusty - the average pace of writing may have slowed, and more complex scenes could be clunky or awkwardly written as you try to readjust and get your writer brain moving again.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
Second Person Narration: Strengths and Weaknesses
While many authors are daunted by the first-person perspective, it is generally seen as a viable option. This is not the case with the second-person perspective. Seen as the unwieldy, unruly cousin of the first-person and third-person perspectives, second-person narratives are often treated as inherently lacking or unworthy by the general literary populous. In academic circles, there is even uncertainty as to what is classed as a second-person text.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
I Choose Life
It's 3 am and I want to kill myself. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to die - only at 25 did I start actively wanting to commit suicide. At 3 am on the day of my 25th birthday, I learned that there is a difference between wishing to die and planning to die. I learned as a child that self-murder is a sin. But when life is so incredibly hard there comes a time at which the hell of hell and the hell of the world seem one and the same.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Confessions
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Romance
Lust is about looks, love is about connection - romantic love, and romance, is somewhere in the middle. Creating this unique and potent experience as a writer is one of the most challenging parts of the craft (at least I think so). There are a million writing blogs, magazines, and gurus out there eager to tell you how to write better romance, but less information on how people most often go wrong.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
First Person Narration: Strengths and Weaknesses
Using the first-person point of view when writing has fallen out of popularity in many ways and is often considered 'unprofessional' or 'amateurish'. This could be because it is most often employed by new writers who find it easier to tell a story in their own voice. Nonetheless, the first-person narration style is a powerful tool when deployed with skill and creativity.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
There Was No Fight
The ring of teenagers was 30 feet wide - at least it looked like that to me- and the rain had already soaked through to the skin. On one side, a local girl and two of her friends, on the other a friend of a friend. I still can't say why I ran from the warmth of the youth club to the middle of a rain-slicked park - maybe I had some vague notion that I'd get my knuckles bloody in the same way that any teenager thinks they will when a fight breaks out. I don't remember what I thought, only how daunting the group of people was when I got there. I fancied myself the rough type, and I was wrong.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Confessions
It's Time to Stop Talking About Mental Illness
If one more mentally healthy, emotionally adjusted person tells me, with a sympathetic, rigour-mortis grin, that it's 'Ok to not be Ok' I will scream. does this sound harsh? Let me go one step further - I do not want to talk about my mental illness anymore. I do not want to talk about mental health anymore. These are discussions which primarily benefit the mentally well, children, and young men who have been conditioned to bottle their emotions to the point that it has become dangerous.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Psyche
Story Prompts to Beat the Block
Writers block is one of the most frustrating feelings in the world, and while there's no single way to 'cure' it, there are those who say that pushing through it is all you need to do... as if it was that easy to 'just write'. These writing prompts won't help you finish your novel, win the Man Booker Prize, or clear out that cupboard that you've been avoiding for years now... but they might just spark inspiration and get you writing again.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
How to Ask for a Raise
In a perfect world, we would all be paid a fair and representative salary for our skills, experience, and level of responsibility. Of course, the world is not perfect and many people go to work feeling underappreciated and under-rewarded. If this sounds like you it's important to understand that you can control the trajectory of your career if you have the right mindset. If this sounds like one of those 'Make Your First Million' books, don't worry; it's not sensationalism, just solid advice from someone who regularly has to barter for a fair wage. As a freelancer, getting paid what I'm worth is not only difficult, it's overwhelmingly important to being able to pay my bills. Here's what I've learned.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Journal
Gemini Season 2021: A Horoscope, 3 Ways
Gemini is perhaps the least understood zodiac sign of all. Misrepresented as flaky, two-faced, and unreliable, Gemini's often get the fuzzy end of lollipop when it comes to media representation. However, those born in Gemini season tend to be passionate, creative, intelligent, and adaptable. Capable of juggling complex tasks with flair, Gemini's are powerhouses that tend to succeed at whatever they put their minds to.
By S. A. Crawford4 years ago in Futurism
