A Quick Break

Hey all!

As I mentioned in my latest video, I have been extremely busy the last few days. And it turns out that this week is only busier! I have three major writing projects due this week on top of my homework, so I’m going to take the week off. No post tomorrow, no video Saturday.

I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll survive. I’m not entirely convinced I will, on the other hand.

Until next time, word nerds!

Standards or Settling?

Dear Fairy Godmother,

I am looking for the perfect girl, but it’s kinda hard. I have a checklist of qualities a girl has to meet before I’ll consider her romantically. My friends are constantly telling me that I need to settle for one of the girls I’ve already met, that my standards are impossibly high. Is that possible? Is it wrong of me to want the best? Or should I hold out for that perfect girl?

Please help!

Loveless List-maker

Continue reading “Standards or Settling?”

Words About Disney Princes

We all have our complaints about Disney’s princes. I mean, two of them don’t even have names. And I know I’m skeptical of the a man who falls in love with a girl he barely knows because she’s pretty and then can’t remember what she looks like. But why is that?

Until next time, word nerds!

What You Want

I’m going to be painfully honest with you today, word nerds. Well, it will be painful for me. Probably not for you.

Every writer is constantly trying to maintain a delicate balance between two conflicting sides when she writes (or he writes, if you prefer).

One one side are the things the writer wants to write. These are the deep things, the stories and words dear to the heart.

On the other side are the things readers want to read. Specific genres, tropes, character types, etc.

Ideally, when a writer puts a piece out into the world, it’s both what the writer wanted to write and what the reader wants to read. Sometimes the writer has to compromise to make that happen.

Continue reading “What You Want”

7 Signs of an Evil Stepmother

Dear Fairy Godmother,

My father is getting remarried and I’m a little nervous. I’ve heard so many stories of wicked stepmothers. How do I know if my new stepmother is nice, and what do I do if she’s evil?

A Scared Stepdaughter-to-be

Dear Stepdaughter-to-be,

It’s natural to be nervous in such a case as this. My advice to you is two-fold.

First, how to tell if you are the unfortunate victim of a wicked stepmother. There are seven basic signs to watch for.

1. She is vain. If she is always boasting about being the fairest in the land, and shows any signs of jealousy towards you, it is likely she is a wicked stepmother. We call this a “Snow White” situation.

2. She makes you wear ratty clothes. This ties into the “Snow White” situation. If your vain stepmother fears you are prettier than her, she may try to make you look uglier by dressing you in rags.

3. She makes you do housework. Now, there is a difference between having to do chores and being forced to do all the housework. This isn’t really a deciding factor, just a common side effect.

4. She keeps you away from other people. Another sign of an evil stepmother is imposed isolation. Consider Rapunzel. While the witch was not exactly a stepmother, she posed as Rapunzel’s mom. She hid the girl in a tower so she wouldn’t suspect the witch was up to no good. 

5. She gives you derogatory nicknames. Wicked stepmothers often insult and speak harshly to their stepchildren. In some cases, it can go so far as their names. Like Cinderella, the new name is often demeaning.

6. She attempts to curse you.One of the more obvious signs of an evil stepmother, be wary of stepmothers who attempt to curse you. Like in The Wild Swans, wicked stepmothers will try to curse their stepchildren in order to get rid of them.

7. She attempts to kill you or have you killed. This is the surest sign of a wicked stepmother. If you find yourself in such a situation, like Hansel and Gretel, run away as soon as you can!

If any of these signs show up in your relationship with your new stepmother, you may be eligible for a wish from your nearest Fairy Godmother. Please spend it wisely!

And don’t forget, never stop dreaming!

Your Fairy Godmother

4 Ways to Help Motivate Yourself

Motivation is hard.

There, I said it! I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so, right? I have a hard time making myself be productive sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean a lot. My excuses can get quite ridiculous. If they even exist.

For example, I blog on Tuesdays (obviously). I came up with a topic last night. I knew what I wanted to say. But despite the fact that I’ve been up for almost twelve hours, I am only now writing this post. No, I did not have any other things to do. I was sitting on the couch all day on my iPod. I will admit to being lazy. There were multiple points throughout the day where I thought “I should write that blog post and just be done.” Then I would return to whatever mindless activity I was doing.

Another example: I am working on a novel. Well, I should be working on it. I find myself avoiding it for the sole reason that the main character is a complete brat. It’s first person point of view, so I dislike getting inside her head. I know she has redeeming qualities and she gets a lot less bratty, but I don’t like working out of order, so I don’t have any good scenes to write yet.

An all too common sight on my computer.

I will admit that part of the reason I haven’t been productive over the past few days is because I’m on spring break and wanting to relax and spend time with family. So hopefully the rest of my week will be better spent, time-wise.

Unfortunately, there’s really no one-size-fits-all trick to motivate yourself. You have to know what works for you. For the most part, it will simply be the strength of will. But here are some helpful tips:

-Know if you are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Do you find satisfaction in meeting your goals or in rewards? This article goes into more depth about the two types.

-Know when to write. Do you work better at certain times of the day? If so, try to work during those times.

– When setting goals, figure out what works best for you. Do you prefer hitting a certain word count every day? Working for a set amount of time? Do you prefer long or short term goals?

-Cut out distractions during writing time. I know it’s hard, but it ups your productivity immensely.

None of these are problem solvers: it’s ultimately up to you to get things done. But they’re steps in the right direction.

How do you motivate yourself?

I should note that, in the process of writing this blog post, I managed to waste about 45 minutes on YouTube. *bows* Practice what you preach, eh Kate?