Advice
The Balance of Navigating Writing and a Full-Time Job
For most writers, there is always the dream of being able to spend the day lounging around and writing stories that sell enough to pay the bills, but instead, they have to wake up at ungodly hours and have a long commute to a job that they may or may not like, before dragging themselves home and into bed before repeating it all the next day.
By Elise L. Blake2 years ago in Writers
Building Tension and Conflict
As authors, we are the puppet masters of emotions in our novels. It is our job to keep readers on the edge of their seats, turning pages, eager to uncover the next revelation. But how do we achieve this? What are the methods to weave a web of tension and conflict that enthralls our readers?
By Wendy Van Camp2 years ago in Writers
Boundaries and comfort zones
2023 was the definitive year of change for me. 2024 will be the year of metamorphosis. A transformation of the utmost certainty will take place because it must. I have been running in slow motion. I have been standing still and wondering why I haven't moved an inch. I was always better when I was working towards something. I am at my best when I am motivated and ambitious. I love working towards a goal and establishing more goals when I advance. I love writing poetry and this platform has helped me tremendously in overcoming my insecurities. I have a fear of feedback because I am always seeking perfection when I write. I know this is meaningless because perfection doesn't exist but I am always in search of it. I want to write something that will stand the test of time, something people will speak about it decades from now. I want to write something akin to an epiphany, something that changes people's perspective that they didn't see coming. I want to write a poem that I'm so insanely proud of. I want to write the next great novel. I want to write a story that absolutely must be told. Fear and judgement has kept me from attempting my very best. I always believed my best was never good enough so I hardly even tried. I was afraid of what others would think of my work but how can they read what I've written if I never take that plunge? How can I become legendary without taking that gigantic leap off the precipice? My creative journey has always been solo but without including an audience, how will I ever progress? Writing must include other writers and feedback. Vocal media has helped me in overcoming the first obstacle which was just simply writing again. I had writer's block from 2019 to 2021. Putting pen to paper is easy. Getting the words out is also easy to accomplish. Risking myself by putting my words onto a public platform helped me grow and develop my potential. Learning to take constructive criticism and feedback is something I am still adapting to. Reading material from other writers is a goal of mine so I don't compare myself to others. Each of us has a different story to tell and we all have something so diverse and unique to contribute. Each of us has our own special voice and technique and by sharing that gift with others, we can transform ourselves into the best version of ourselves. I believe we all go through evolutionary stages to become what we already know we are. We all know how capable we are; we just don't test those boundaries and we don't jump into those frigid waters. Some of use never push ourselves out of our comfort zones but we must in order to achieve what we know we can. There is a belief that we can accomplish wonders by simply having faith and losing our fear of heights. That first step is never easy but each consequent step becomes easier because we are already flying. In order to get over my fear of nonexistent perfection, I have to try to my best and hope someone out there can connect with my words. I want my poetry, my stories of fiction, to speak to people, even if it's just one person. I want to inspire the way I have been inspired. Words are the building blocks to creativity here on Vocal media and I want to explore the unknown with these very words. Who knows what undiscovered poems lay hidden in the dark recesses of the universe? Who knows what fictional stories lay dormant in the far corners of our very own minds? We will never know until we try. In order to try, we must get over the fear of failure, the fear of falling. What if things don't work out? What if they do? What if I have the potential to be as great as I want to be? Well, the universe is beckoning me. Who will join me in this monumental crusade?
By Anna Torres2 years ago in Writers
The Power of Prompts
Introduction The blank page is a canvas of endless possibilities, waiting for a writer to paint a picture with words: a doodle, a masterpiece, or something in between. There are so many possibilities, that the most seasoned creative writer can be intimidated by the blank page.
By Randy Baker2 years ago in Writers
How to fail a business.
Three years ago during the pandemic, I recorded a mini business course called “Start your business B*tch.” The reviews were great and I was so excited by the love I received from my customers who were inspired by my journey; A journey I thought would never end. I shared from the beginning how I started my business “Quartz & Rainbows” with very little money and a whole lot of faith!
By Zakia Torres2 years ago in Writers
True Fiction
When I was a kid, scribbling stories in the margins of old notebooks, my parents would look at me with a mix of amusement and concern. "You haven’t lived enough," they'd say, "to write anything that matters." A little part of me believed them. I mean, what did I know about life beyond the confines of our quiet neighborhood and the occasional summer trip? But the larger, stubborn part of me knew better. Experience wasn’t my only tool—I had a wild imagination, a hunger for knowledge, and endless curiosity. I’d soak up everything around me and spin it into something bigger.
By Christian Bass2 years ago in Writers
