All right, Readers and Writers! I've hinted about a new keyboard I purchased that makes me want to write all of the time because it's so cool—and I'm typing this post with it as we speak! I'm super excited to introduce you to the Qwerkywriter S! I absolutely love typewriters, and I've aways wanted one. I love the clikcty-clackity sound of the keys, and the old writer aesthetic that comes with them. I've been looking at some from antique shops because I finally decided I wanted to buy one, and then the Qwerkywriter came into my field of awareness. I didn't even need to think about it—I fell in love with this wireless keyboard and purchased it after Christmas. And ever since, I have loved using it for typing anything! My Qwerkywriter typewriter keyboard adds spice to my writing time! Usually I listen to music when I write, but lately I've been so enamoured with the sound of the keys that I just forget to put on my headphones. The Qwerkywriter comes with many different functions: the return bar comes programmed as the enter key, but you can add up to 15 different characters. The knobs on either side are also work—the right adjusts volume and the left controls the page scroll. I've switched the two knobs because I use the page scroll more and it was awkward behind the return bar. You can also connect up to three bluetooth devices, and there's a built in tablet stand if you want to use an iPad or phone. I've connected mine to my laptop because it's the main tool I use to write. Every time i sit down to write, I smile because of my typewriter keyboard. It's a dream come true! If you love typewriters, I would highly suggested considering the Qweerkywriter. I purchased the traditional version, but Qwerkytoys has other colours available! Now, I will offer a warning: this keyboard is considered to be in a niche which means it's on the expensive side. The keyboard is mostly marketed towards people who love typewriters but also want the functionality of a mechanical keyboard. Even though the price is high, I have no regrets buying my Qwerkywriter because it brings me so much joy—and I use it everyday when I write. ~ Mady Note: I am not receiving royalties from Qwerkytoys for posting about the Qwerkywriter S. I am simply sharing my love of typewriters with you all, and a product that suits me.
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Good evening, Readers and Writers! Lately I have been reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf for one of my classes this term. I've read Woolf's novel before, but I forgot how many commas she places within her sentences. It's enough to drive one mad! Nevertheless, Woolf is a great writer. Sometimes, when I'm not in a writing mood, I'll pretend that I'm one of my favourite writers! Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, Margaret Atwood, Cassandra Clare, Derek Landy, Natalie Goldberg, and whoever else I can't name right now. I find my writing style has changed once again because I'm putting far too many commas into my written work. This happened once before when I read Woolf's story. In fact, when I read Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, I found my writing took on an especially poetic and detailed tonality. (Again, I have been reading Woolf!) Imagining that I'm another writer sometimes helps break me out of my unmotivated state. If that doesn't work, I set writing boundaries. That means I set a date and time and I show up and write no matter what. I make sure to show up because if I don't then I won't write. I'll fold laundry instead, or listen to music as I bullet journal. Motivation doesn't have to be the key to sitting down and putting pen to paper, or opening that word document and typing away. I find when I stick to my writing boundaries, I'm happier because I'm doing what I love. By carving out writing time, I say to myself, "You're important. This matters. Just do it." Of course, there are days where I must compromise. Something urgent comes up and I need to reschedule. Okay, fine. But I always reschedule writing time....and sometimes I don't. It happens. It's not the end of the world, but I show up later. And there are days where I just don't want to write, so I'll listen to that voice. It's okay if you don't write every day. But I find that if I itch to write, nothing can get in my way. I will get to my computer or notebook, put on some music, and just write for hours. I find that if I don't write for a long time that creativity begins to build beneath my skin until I can't ignore it anymore.I easily avoid this build-up when I listen to my boundaries. I mentioned in an instagram post that I'm trying to finish a notebook in a month for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Guess who hasn't been writing in that journal for 10 days. I could be angry and frustrated with myself, but I'm also a super busy university student. I have two and a half weeks left with a lot of assignments to complete. As much as I wanted to do NaNoWriMo this year in Natalie Goldberg style, I put another task on my plate that I couldn't uphold. And that's okay. I take a moment to write personally when I have breaks so I don't go crazy with the three essays I'm slowly chipping away at. And, I'm also sticking to my blog posts. I'm not willing to compromise on them unless I have computer issues like I did last week. I hope this gives you some tools to stay motivated when you write. But remember: what works for me may not work for you. If anything, I hope this post has inspired you to write, too! Happy Writing! ~ Mady
I don't know where to begin for today's post. As the categories cycle, I have a list of topics to cover as each Monday arrives. Yet I'm struggling today. A voice in my head says, "In that case, I shouldn't fight the struggle. I won't post today." But another voice replies, "You have a schedule to keep! Don't fall back into bad habits. Write, and post." I may have admitted that I didn't prepare today's post in advance, but that's okay. Once again, I've been focusing on school because this is my final term, and I don't want to slip when I'm so close to the finish line. Nevertheless, I am here. I am writing. I am sticking to my personal promise, and that means everything. *** Towards the end of my post about Natalie Goldberg, I mentioned how I thought most creatives lose themselves to monkey mind at one point or another. Natalie uses this term for that little voice inside your head that says, "You aren't good enough. You call yourself a writer?" And it just happens. It takes one moment, and you've heard it. It's gotten into your brain and you can't get it out. Sometimes I lose myself to this voice, and it happened this weekend. Amidst homework and personal opportunities, I needed to remind myself why I write. So, I went back to old stories and new ones. I lost myself in the writing. I started to smile as the characters and worlds wrapped around me, and I fell into them. Every document I went through offered a glimpse of where I started and where I'm at now. I could see my progress as I continued to look through recent manuscripts and forgotten stories. It's a mix of education and self-exploration as I challenged myself with new ideas and concepts, some of which I didn't have the necessary technical skills to craft at the time I initially attempted them. I lost myself in the writing. I find reviewing past and present pieces help me come back to myself whenever I begin to stop and listen to my monkey mind. Passion leaps from my MacBook Air screen, and I start to inspire the creative voice instead. I find it's especially important for me to go back when I'm struggling on a specific scene because material from past stories can help ignite an idea or direction for current projects. And, if that doesn't work, I focus on side projects instead to let my main story sit and compost. Sooner or later, an idea will pop out of nowhere and I'll be back on my main project in no time! So, Readers and Writers, if you find you're struggling to remember why you started in the first place, or you listened to your own monkey mind, take a moment and remind yourself why. A simple reminder becomes the loudest voice when you need it most. ~ Mady
I find myself busier than ever now that I'm in my final university term, and the funny thing is that I'm only in my second week. Covid continues to drain not only my energy, but everyone's. No protocols, new protocols—it's never ending. But amidst the craziness of university, covid, and life I find myself drawn to blogging. It's become a bit of a saving grace as I sit on my bed, my MacBook air on my lap, and the greyish light of a Saturday evening coming through my windows. I often find myself staring outside at the clouds, the slivers of sky, and the peachy glow of the sunset just above the cul-de-sac. There's something about the pervasive cat meow throughout spans of silence and the comfort of my room that culminates in peace as I write. It's easy to get lost in thoughts about what life could be—how mine could be—as I stare out those windows. But that's not what today's post is really about. In this Writing Life segment, I want to share some of the books that made me want to be a writer. I've always said I knew I wanted to be one, but I had help from my favourite authors. The following authors I have most likely been featured in Book Recommendation Thursday content; nevertheless, they deserve recognition here since they play such an important part in my life. Cassandra Clare (Author of The Mortal Instruments Series, The Infernal Devices Series, The Dark Artifices Series, and many other books) I remember when I first got into Cassandra Clare's novel City of Bones, I couldn't put it down. The two worlds converging within her series inspired me, and my novel began as an imitation of Clare's work before numerous edits and drafts turned it into my own creation. Of course you can see hints of my novel's origins, but that may not be true when I finally publish it (which is hopefully soon!). Derek Landy (Author of the Skulduggery Pleasant Series and The Demon Road Trilogy) A friend introduced me to Derek Landy when I was in Junior High. A few books in the series had been published, and then I reached the point where I needed to wait for following publications. His books are extremely easy to binge through! And, the multilayered nature of Landy's characters encouraged me to do the same. Landy has also helped me find my sarcasm and witty comebacks, which is a handy tool when your characters need those traits. Oscar Wilde (Author of The picture of Dorian Gray and many other works including poetry) In high school I wanted to read the classics. Lucky for me, my parents had boxes of books in the basement, and one such book was The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde's poetic sentence style captured my attention, and I fell in love with the way he describes everything in such detail. Sometimes I go a little overboard with my descriptions, but I find they can be fun because it helps me envision the bigger picture. Even if I don't keep every detail, the ones that matter count! Well, these are just a few of the author 's that have influenced me as my list is quite long! I have more reasons as to why Clare, Landy, and Wilde are my favourite authors, plus the ones I haven't listed, but I figured I would give you a taste. ~ Mady
Good Morning Readers and Writers! As you've probably noticed, each Monday I switch through four topics to keep things fresh. Today's post is about The Writing Life from my personal experience. As the third post in this category, I wanted to take the time to share how the advice of a creative writing teacher changed my writing life (for the better!). And, it's about none other than Natalie Goldberg. I’ve had many creative writing teachers throughout my academic career, and all of them have impacted me as a writer in different ways. I am grateful for each and every one of my writing teachers because they believed in me when I didn’t. And when I started believing again, they harnessed my potential and pushed me every day to become the writer I am now. Before I graduated high school, my Grade 12 creative writing teacher said, “If you’re serious about becoming a writer, read Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.” That summer, I went to chapters and got the book! Now, I’m not the type of person that likes to write in books or highlight them, but as I began reading Natalie’s book, I couldn’t help myself. I had to get my thoughts out in the moment, and memorialize the passages that sparked my mind. Every year since getting The Bones I’ve read it during the summer and, I have continued highlighting and annotating its pages. I might have to get another copy, as I’m running out of colours and space! In her book, Natalie teaches us about writing practice. Many of you reading this may or may not be familiar with Natalies teachings, so here is a quick explanation: When you first start getting into writing practice, you write every day for 10 minutes. As you progress, you can write for as long as you want! Natalie has many topics within her books, and you can make your own list too! She suggests beginning with "I remember..." Now, grab a notebook and pen—you can use a laptop, but handwriting and typing can unlock two different voices—and set your timer. During the full ten minutes, just write. Follow the thoughts as they come to your mind, and write every word. It's okay to go off topic, just write. Only stop when the timer goes off. By writing unfiltered while following your mind as it weaves through different thoughts and memories, you begin trusting your own voice. This is what Natalie wants: for you to trust your mind and voice. Writing practice offers you the space to write whatever you want. It doesn't have to be good. Actually, in Natalie's world there is no good or bad: it just is. I have been doing writing practice since 2017 and I am a better writer because of it. I learned to get out of my own way and just write. I trust myself completely. Whenever a professor asks us to do a timed writing, I'm already prepared with my pen and paper. At the Go Mark, I go. I write my ass off, following every thought and word and letting it take me somewhere. Every blog post I approach as a timed writing practice. I get my initial thoughts out, let it sit for a bit, then come back. If there's a spot that needs more elaboration, then I do another practice and see what comes from it. I'm very open to the process, and more often than not it takes me in amazing directions. Sometimes I go down paths that I don't expect, but it works and the piece sparkles because I trusted my mind and the process. And the great thing about writing practice is that once you develop you spine, you can apply it to anything: novels, memoirs, poems, short stories, blog posts, scripts, etc. But first, you must learn to trust yourself. Natalie has many books published, and some go in deeper into writing practice. Of course I've read them all! And when I heard Natalie was offering an online course in 2020, I jumped at the opportunity to take it. I admit, I found myself disappointed to learn it wasn’t live videos, but I got my chance this year! I spent my Saturday mornings on Zoom with Natalie and her team for eight weeks. Hundreds of fellow students of Natalie Goldberg were in attendance, and we got to meet each other on Wednesday’s when we sat to read and write. I found myself loving every moment because I had finally found people who knew who Natalie was and loved her writing and process as much as I did. They were throwing themselves deep into writing practice like I had been, but now we were doing so in a community. During the 2020 class I met a group of lovely ladies, and for a year we have been meeting every Saturday and Monday to write. The most amazing thing about meeting with these ladies is that we connect on Zoom even though we live in different places around the world. Our time together is precious, and I always look forward to the beginning and the end of the week to see them. One of the things Natalie touches on is what she calls monkey mind, the critic, or the editor. It's the part of your brain that says, “You’re not good enough! This is all shit. You shouldn’t be a writer!” There are times I forget my creative abilities because I fall prey to my monkey mind. I think most creatives lose themselves to this voice. We’re just too hard on ourselves sometimes, which is why I love going back to old and newer pieces. I love surprising myself with what I’ve written. Reading them allows me to see the snapshot of myself that I’m missing, or don’t see. By recognizing what I’ve accomplished, I get all fuzzy inside because I remember why I’m a writer. I am good, and I have what it takes to reach my goals. But the important thing is that I am still growing! I want to learn more about my craft and how to become better than I was the day before. Occasionally I’ll look back at stories long forgotten, nicely tucked away in one of the many folders on my computer. I can see my progress rereading those stories to pieces I’ve written recently. I can’t wait for the day when I have my book in my hands. Paperback, maybe hardcover. But to go from an old black school binder and printer paper to a physical book…well, this image ignites my whole being with soaring energy. *** Natalie does a better job at teaching and describing writing practice. And ever since I received the advice to read Natalie's book, I take every opportunity pass it along when I meet a fellow writer. I recognize what works for me may not work for others, but that teacher and Natalie gave me the key to unlocking my confidence as a writer. If they can do this for me, maybe I can for someone who needs it just as much as I did. ~ Mady
Happy Wednesday! I find this has been my greeting for the past few poems, so I figured I would stick with it for a bit. See how it works out! Well, this Wednesday came faster than I expected, but I guess that's what happens when you're a busy university student. Time flies when you've got deadlines! But down to business...Since I've been doing everything I can to keep on track with my goals for this year (click here to see: goals-for-2021.html), I created a list of blog post ideas so I can begin everything in advance. When this post goes up, I should theoretically be working on my next one! Of course, things change but I am hopeful my plan will work. This week I have decided to talk about writing preferences, specifically surrounding music. The Two Sides
My PreferenceBoth methods work, and provide benefits in different ways. With that being said...I prefer music. I find it really helps me focus because it drowns out the distractions around me. I also prefer both instrumental and lyric based songs. Yes, lyrics can be distracting, but I find when I'm in the heat of writing it doesn't matter what I'm listening to. My attention is fully invested in what I'm creating. And I admit, the only time I don't listen to music when I'm writing is during the very special writing sessions I have with my Natalie Goldberg writing group. We met during her online course over the summer of 2020. Now, we meet twice a week to this day, and hopefully we will continue to do so way into the future. But since we do two 10-minute timed writing sessions based on prompts, and then read our work aloud after, it doesn't make sense to listen to music. The silence heightens the community we have. Your Turn!If you'd like, dear readers, please comment below your own preferences! I would love to hear what you think. And, if you have some song suggestions, I'm all ears! Until next time, ~ Mady
Hello my dear readers and writers! Today, I'm going to shake things up: instead of doing a book recommendation, I'm going to give a little insight as to why I am a writer. It's who I amI am a writer. I have felt this, deep within my bones for a very long time. I knew it at a young age, but it didn't really click until I started my first Creative Writing class in High School. I look back on those days fondly, because it was my creative writing teacher that saw my potential and helped set me on the path to become the writer I am today. Of course, the path has diverged, and things have blocked my way, but I have persevered through it all because I know that I will be writing for the rest of my life. Whether it's short stories, novels, or poems, I will be writing. Why write?I've always felt connected with words, with stories. They have always fascinated me. Believe it or not, I hated reading at a young age, but have since become a total book nerd. Now, I can't imagine a life without reading, either. But, I think creating also plays a big part in why I am a writer. I'm a day-dreamer, too, and there was no way for me to really express the fantasies I held within my mind until I realized, why not write them down? So I began to. At first, I would write everything I remembered about the different ideas I'd had while day-dreaming, and then the moment I got another idea, I would begin a new story. I can't even begin to describe how many stories I have that are unfinished, just sitting there, waiting for me to come back and finish breathing life into them. I have since learned to keep numerous idea journals, which help keep everything on track and some-what organized. Then came that fateful night I got the inspiration for my first book. The BookThe idea for my book is based off a dream. When I woke up the next morning, I knew I had to write it down. ...And so started the journey that would forever seal my writer fate. I began to write this dream on my iPod before bed, when I thought everyone was asleep. Years later, it was revealed that my parents and sister knew I was on my iPod, when I should have been sleeping. Oh well. It was for a good cause. Anyways, I wasn't ready at the time to share that I was working on this "big project" because I didn't like to share my writing with others. As a child, I would make up stories for my sister, but they were your typical children's story. The other ideas were more of a creative outlet for me to express my artistic side and imagination. Those stories, I didn't feel like they were something I could share. The first draft of my book had been completed on my iPod. I was extremely happy. I had the initial outline for what I wanted to happen. Then tragedy struck. I accidentally deleted it. Crushed does not capture what I felt when that happened. A deep devastation filled my heart. Now, I had to restart. This time, you'll be happy to know, that I actually began to write it on my laptop, on a word document. After I completed the draft—again—I began to edit and revise. There was something about this dream, this very story that I had to tell. It wasn't long when I stopped thinking about this idea. My book. That was it. No more. It's here, that I lost all confidence in my writing abilities. I just stopped. And it really affected me, not being able to write. Not letting myself write. Creative Writing ClassThat class I was talking about earlier? This is where I learned to write again. To not hide my writing from people, but to share it. To be who I am. A writer. And since those classes, I started writing my book again. Since those classes, I gained my confidence back, and have become a better writer. I know that I am a good writer. I know. I also know that I am always improving, always learning. Every. Single. Day. And I'm not afraid anymore. I must create—I must write, or else a void will open inside of me that nothing can fill. Except writing. Where I'm at now...A few weeks ago, I finished the fourth draft of my book. Right now, it's percolating in the back of my mind before the final draft: Lucky #5. Then, I'll either publish it traditionally, or self-publish—whichever is best for me. So, my fellow readers, please keep a watchful eye for my name on the bookshelves in the near future! I hope you enjoyed this post, as I've had a lot of fun writing it. I admit, it's a little more candid than I expected, but I'm all right with that. Sometimes, you just need to write what's in your heart. ~ Mady
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In the end, we'll all become stories. ~ Margaret Atwood
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