M.C. Frank's Blog, page 415
October 18, 2017
Things to get your friends for Christmas: this list:
0. “What’s *your* problem?”
1. “Will you stop that constant whining? What makes you think that anyone cares?”
2. “Have you gotten tired yet of all this me-me-me stuff?”
3. “You just need to give yourself a kick in the rear.”
4. “But it’s all in your mind.”
5. “I thought you were stronger than that.”
6. “No one ever said life was fair.”
7. “As you get stronger you won’t have to wallow in it as much.”
8. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.”
9. “Do you feel better now?”(Usually said following a five minute conversation in which the speaker has asked me “what’s wrong?” and “would you like to talk about it?” with the best of intentions, but absolutely no under-standing of depression as anything but an irrational sadness.)
10. “Why don’t you just grow up?”
11. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”
12. “There are a lot of people worse off than you?”
13. “You have it so good, why aren’t you happy?”
14. “It’s a beautiful day!”
15. “You have so many things to be thankful for, why are you depressed!”
16. “What do you have to be depressed about”.
17. “Happiness is a choice”
18. “You think *you’ve* got problems…”
19. “Well at least it’s not that bad.”
20. “Maybe you should take vitamins for your stress.”
21. “There is always somebody worse off than you are.”
22. “Lighten up!”
23. “You should get off all those pills.”
24. “You are what you think.”
25. “Cheer up!”
26. “You’re always feeling sorry for yourself.”
27. “Why can’t you just be normal?”
28. “Things aren’t *that* bad, are they?”
29. “Have you been praying/reading the Bible?”
30. “You need to get out more.”
31. “We have to get together some time.” [Yeah, right!]
32. “Get a grip!”
33. “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
34. “Take a hot bath. That’s what I always do when I’m upset.”
35. “Well, everyone gets depressed sometimes!”
36. “Get a job!”
37. “Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.”
38. “You don’t *look* depressed!”
39. “You’re so selfish!”
40. “You never think of anyone but yourself.”
41. “You’re just looking for attention.”
42. “Have you got PMS?”
43. “You’ll be a better person because of it!”
44. “Everybody has a bad day now and then.”
45. “You should buy nicer clothes to wear.”
46. “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
47. “Why don’t you smile more?”
48. “A person your age should be having the time of your life.”
49. “The only one you’re hurting is yourself.”
50. “You can do anything you want if you just set your mind to it.”
51. “This is a place of BUSINESS, not a HOSPITAL”; after confiding to supervisor about my depression
52. “Depression is a symptom of your sin against God.”
53. “You brought it on yourself”
54. “You can make the choice for depression and its effects, or against depression, it’s all in YOUR hands.”
55. “Get off your rear and do something.” -or- “Just do it!”
56. “Why should I care?”
57. “Snap out of it, will you?”
58. “You *want* to feel this way.”
59. “You have no reason to feel this way.”
60. “Its your own fault.”
61. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
62. “You’re always worried about *your* problems.”
63. “Your problems aren’t that big.”
64. “What are you worried about? You should be fine.”
65. “Just don’t think about it.”
66. “Go Away.”
67. “You don’t have the ability to do it.”
68. “Just wait a few weeks, it’ll be over soon.”
69. “Go out and have some fun!”
70. “You’re making me depressed as well…”
71. “I just want to help you.”
72. “The world out there is not that bad…”
73. “Just try a little harder!”
74. “Believe me, I know how you feel. I was depressed once for several days.”
75. “You need a boy/girl-friend.”
76. “You need a hobby.”
77. “Just pull yourself together”
78. “You’d feel better if you went to church”
79. “I think your depression is a way of punishing us.” —My mother
80. “Sh*t or get off the pot.”
81. “So, you’re depressed. Aren’t you always?”
82. “What you need is some real tragedy in your life to give you perspective.”
83. “You’re a writer, aren’t you? Just think of all the good material you’re getting out of this.”
84. This one is best executed with an evangelical-style handshake, i.e. one of my hands is imprisoned by two belonging to a beefy person who thinks he has a lot more charisma than I do: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” This has actually happened to me. Bitten-back response: “Who are ‘our’? And don’t do me any favors, schmuck.”
85. “Have you tried camomile tea?”
86. “So, you’re depressed. Aren’t you always?”
87. “You will be ok, just hang in there, it will pass.” “This too shall pass.” – Ann Landers
88. “Oh, perk up!”
89. “Try not being so depressed.”
90. “Quit whining. Go out and help people and you won’t have time to brood…”
91. “Go out and get some fresh air… that always makes me feel better.”
92. “You have to take up your bed and carry on.”
93. “Why don’t you give up going to these quacks (ie doctors) and throw out those pills, then you’ll feel better.”
94. “Well, we all have our cross to bear.”
95. “You should join band or chorus or something. That way you won’t be thinking about yourself so much.”
96. “You change your mind.”
97. “You’re useless.”
98. “Nobody is responsible for your depression.”
99. “You don’t like feeling that way? So, change it.”
What not to say to a person struggling with depression.
Seriously. Everyone in my family+friends circle is getting this. (But they’ll probably still understand nothing. Will you?)
Books + blues
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Do you have auto-buy authors? These are two of...
Books + blues
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Do you have auto-buy authors? These are two of mine! Book haul day
October 17, 2017
tcstu:
bucketsiler:
One of my favorite quotes about writing....
One of my favorite quotes about writing. Don’t hoard. Give it now. (Image by @bucketsiler)
This is an amazing quote!
nikv3:Shout Out to all writers on Tumblr. You are an artist with your way with words and...
Shout Out to all writers on Tumblr. You are an artist with your way with words and imagination. Reblog to make someone’s day
For the ask :) 3, 11, 13, 48
(Did 13 before, scroll down to find it!)
Answering for F e l i x, as his answers are the less spoilery :)
Also, thank you so much for creating this, it’s my most favorite thing everrrrr… and I LOVE him it.
03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves?
He knows he’s the best soldier in the One World, but not in a cocky way. That’s just the way it is.
11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?
Lies. *whispers liiiiieeeesss*
48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious?
He does not get envious, because he’s used to thinking of himself as the best of the best, so what could someone else have that he would be jealous of? Of course, he’s not used to being in love, so if that ever happened…
1, 22, 32 are the questions I’d like answered my dear lady
Thank you for the ask, my dear lady :) Seriously, these are my favorite questions I’ve received all day!
01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded?
F e l i x: means happy. I chose it for him for 2 reasons:
It was a nickname I gave to my brother when he was little, and I still call him by that name sometimes (even thought he’s 2 heads taller than me). He is my first reader, so he recognized it immediately.
I love how it’s the complete opposite of what Felix is at the beginning of the No Ordinary Star series
A s t r a: It’s literally the plural of the Greek word for “star”. Self-explanatory? Tell me, if you’ve read the books!
22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?
F e l i x: A strand of white-blonde hair in the front of his forehead. All the lieutenants of Earth have it dyed like this permanently, like a “tatoo” to distinguish them from others
A s t r a: freckles, red hair
32. If your character’s love interest offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do?
