Rani Divine's Blog, page 45
June 3, 2016
CNF, Part 3
Hooray, Friday is here! Those of you in the Albuquerque area, don't forget to come by Page 1 Books tomorrow between 11 and 1 to hang out with me and several other local authors!
For now, we focus on creative nonfiction once more. As promised, we're talking about three things I think you should never do with CNF, and why.
Don't do it.
1. Second person
Wednesday I told you a little bit about why I don't like second person writing in creative nonfiction. Today... well, today I'll expound on it.
Second person is a lot like first person. However, in second person, you're forcing a story onto the reader. It's like saying that instead of the story happening in the life of the author, it's happening for the reader — and in the case of CNF, I just don't think that works.
The whole point of creative nonfiction is to tell a story that happened in your life, something that you think readers might like to know about you, something you think other people should know, in general. It's not to force a story on them, to make them live out something that happened instead to you. Personally, I just think second person can be uncomfortable and in some cases cruel when it comes to CNF, and therefore I don't advise using it.
2. Present tense
All right, you've already heard my rants about present tense, so I won't go too deep into this one. The trouble with present tense is that, again, it makes it difficult for the reader to understand exactly what you're trying to convey. Unlike second person, where you're forcing your own story onto the reader, present tense forces your reader to imagine that this story is playing out right now.
For most readers, it doesn't make any sense. And for a lot of us, present tense will push us so far out of the story that we can't recover, and we'll simply put it down and never pick it up again.
The whole point of writing is to have people read, not to make them uncomfortable or annoyed and have them put our work down.
So my advice to you is to write in past tense, to avoid this as much as possible.
3. Extreme embellishment
We talked on Monday about how CNF is essentially embellished nonfiction. It's a nonfictional story, a real story, with a little bit of fiction mixed in for flair. But that means we have to be extra cautious with those embellishments.
A lot of readers, oddly enough, can tell the difference between reality and falsehood when it comes to storytelling. So many of them will see right through the fiction you've added to the story. But many others will think the whole thing is true, and you don't want to come out later on as the writer who completely falsified a creative nonfiction story.
That's happened in the past, and those writers' popularity has gone way down.
I hope these have all been good tips for you when it comes to CNF! If you haven't tried writing in this genre before, I highly recommend it. CNF can be a challenge, but it's also a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
Have a good weekend! I look forward to seeing all the Burquenos tomorrow at Page 1!
[love]
{Rani D.}
For now, we focus on creative nonfiction once more. As promised, we're talking about three things I think you should never do with CNF, and why.
Don't do it.
1. Second person
Wednesday I told you a little bit about why I don't like second person writing in creative nonfiction. Today... well, today I'll expound on it.
Second person is a lot like first person. However, in second person, you're forcing a story onto the reader. It's like saying that instead of the story happening in the life of the author, it's happening for the reader — and in the case of CNF, I just don't think that works.
The whole point of creative nonfiction is to tell a story that happened in your life, something that you think readers might like to know about you, something you think other people should know, in general. It's not to force a story on them, to make them live out something that happened instead to you. Personally, I just think second person can be uncomfortable and in some cases cruel when it comes to CNF, and therefore I don't advise using it.
2. Present tense
All right, you've already heard my rants about present tense, so I won't go too deep into this one. The trouble with present tense is that, again, it makes it difficult for the reader to understand exactly what you're trying to convey. Unlike second person, where you're forcing your own story onto the reader, present tense forces your reader to imagine that this story is playing out right now.
For most readers, it doesn't make any sense. And for a lot of us, present tense will push us so far out of the story that we can't recover, and we'll simply put it down and never pick it up again.
The whole point of writing is to have people read, not to make them uncomfortable or annoyed and have them put our work down.
So my advice to you is to write in past tense, to avoid this as much as possible.
3. Extreme embellishment
We talked on Monday about how CNF is essentially embellished nonfiction. It's a nonfictional story, a real story, with a little bit of fiction mixed in for flair. But that means we have to be extra cautious with those embellishments.
A lot of readers, oddly enough, can tell the difference between reality and falsehood when it comes to storytelling. So many of them will see right through the fiction you've added to the story. But many others will think the whole thing is true, and you don't want to come out later on as the writer who completely falsified a creative nonfiction story.
That's happened in the past, and those writers' popularity has gone way down.
I hope these have all been good tips for you when it comes to CNF! If you haven't tried writing in this genre before, I highly recommend it. CNF can be a challenge, but it's also a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
Have a good weekend! I look forward to seeing all the Burquenos tomorrow at Page 1!
[love]
{Rani D.}
June 1, 2016
CNF, Part 2
Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your three day weekend, and that you've made it through the first half of your week without style. I believe in you!
As we continue our series, A Study in Genre, we now take a look at what can be done with creative nonfiction, what kinds of stories are best for this genre, and a few pointers I have for making your stories work to the best of their ability.
The Triple How-To of CNF
1. What's best?
Obviously, CNF needs to be something that's at least mostly true. It needs to be a story that's based on real life, likely something that's happened to you. Of course, if you want to write about someone else's life, all you have to do is get their written permission and consent. If any of you are interested in doing that, let me know — I'd be happy to send you a copy of my consent form, to use for your own purposes.
Now then. I find that the best CNF stories are ones that seem the most like fiction. That's the beauty of creative nonfiction, you see. It's supposed to be a great deal like fiction, to the point that you'll draw fiction readers to your work.
So, my suggestion is to pick an event that isn't quite so average in your life, or pick something average and expound upon it to show how significant it became in your life. Treat it like fiction. Write a story that you think would make a good fiction story — it just has to be something that came from your life, not that of a made up character.
2. What POV?
I've read a lot of creative nonfiction in my day, mostly because I took so many classes on the subject, but I'll tell you right now that any creative nonfiction written in second person, does not work. I've only read a few of them, and I think there's a legitimate reason for that. They just don't make sense.
First person is the standard for CNF, because these tend to be biographical stories, and therefore it makes the most sense for them to be in first person. However, third person is also acceptable if you handle it well. Just make sure your story doesn't sound false, from the sheer act of its being in third person.
For the record, I've written one CNF story in third person, and I've found that it has about a 50% success rate as to whether or not people actually believe it's CNF.
3. What tense?
I'm picky when it comes to tense. I really don't like present tense. I don't trust it, it's hard to hold (for any writer — many a popular book has broken tense, and I can't read them for the simple fact of it), and it gets annoying very quickly. However, for creative nonfiction, I have a very legitimate point when it comes to writing in past tense.
Creative nonfiction, by definition, is a story about something that actually happened. That means that it can't be going on right now, which is what present tense tries to do. These are things that happened in the past. So it doesn't really make sense to write them in present tense, and it's a lot easier for your reader to believe and understand you when CNF is kept to past tense.
You wouldn't read a present tense biography, would you?
Check back in on Friday to see my top three don'ts when it comes to CNF!
[love]
{Rani D.}
As we continue our series, A Study in Genre, we now take a look at what can be done with creative nonfiction, what kinds of stories are best for this genre, and a few pointers I have for making your stories work to the best of their ability.
The Triple How-To of CNF
1. What's best?
Obviously, CNF needs to be something that's at least mostly true. It needs to be a story that's based on real life, likely something that's happened to you. Of course, if you want to write about someone else's life, all you have to do is get their written permission and consent. If any of you are interested in doing that, let me know — I'd be happy to send you a copy of my consent form, to use for your own purposes.
Now then. I find that the best CNF stories are ones that seem the most like fiction. That's the beauty of creative nonfiction, you see. It's supposed to be a great deal like fiction, to the point that you'll draw fiction readers to your work.
So, my suggestion is to pick an event that isn't quite so average in your life, or pick something average and expound upon it to show how significant it became in your life. Treat it like fiction. Write a story that you think would make a good fiction story — it just has to be something that came from your life, not that of a made up character.
2. What POV?
I've read a lot of creative nonfiction in my day, mostly because I took so many classes on the subject, but I'll tell you right now that any creative nonfiction written in second person, does not work. I've only read a few of them, and I think there's a legitimate reason for that. They just don't make sense.
First person is the standard for CNF, because these tend to be biographical stories, and therefore it makes the most sense for them to be in first person. However, third person is also acceptable if you handle it well. Just make sure your story doesn't sound false, from the sheer act of its being in third person.
For the record, I've written one CNF story in third person, and I've found that it has about a 50% success rate as to whether or not people actually believe it's CNF.
3. What tense?
I'm picky when it comes to tense. I really don't like present tense. I don't trust it, it's hard to hold (for any writer — many a popular book has broken tense, and I can't read them for the simple fact of it), and it gets annoying very quickly. However, for creative nonfiction, I have a very legitimate point when it comes to writing in past tense.
Creative nonfiction, by definition, is a story about something that actually happened. That means that it can't be going on right now, which is what present tense tries to do. These are things that happened in the past. So it doesn't really make sense to write them in present tense, and it's a lot easier for your reader to believe and understand you when CNF is kept to past tense.
You wouldn't read a present tense biography, would you?
Check back in on Friday to see my top three don'ts when it comes to CNF!
[love]
{Rani D.}
May 30, 2016
CNF, Part 1
Happy Memorial Day, everyone! To those of you who have loved ones who've given their lives in the service, I thank you for their sacrifice. They will not be forgotten. Not by you, not by me. Thank you.
And to those of you who came here looking for a post about writing, I will not disappoint.
Today starts a new month-long series, A Study in Genre. Every week I'll be talking about a different genre, what it is, how it works, how to use it, and what to avoid with it. It'll be a lesson for everyone involved, because as you'll see, every writer still has much to learn about writing. Even the pros would tell you that.
This week?
Creative Nonfiction
I took some CNF classes in college, and the first thing I noticed in these classes is that almost no one actually knew what creative nonfiction really is. All the students looked around like they had no idea why they were in this class or what they were really here to learn, and even the teacher seemed a bit baffled on how to teach it.
That's because to most of us, creative nonfiction sounds like an oxymoron.
See, we're taught that nonfiction has to be dry and boring, that there's no flair to it, no style or real story. But that's not true at all, and that's where creative nonfiction comes in.
Nonfiction, in general, just means something that isn't made up. It's real, it's things that actually happen, or even textbooks to teach about specific topics. Those books we've all read in school, in whatever class, are nonfiction. Most of the stuff we read all the way through college (even novels) is also nonfiction, because for some reason teachers think it's the best genre to learn from.
As you well know, I beg to differ.
Creative nonfiction, essentially, bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction. In CNF, we're allowed to embellish a little bit here and there. That means we can include things like dialogue, notions into the thoughts of every character's mind, and studies that go deeper than the average nonfiction novel can do.
Really, CNF is a license to lie. People who read CNF know that not everything in these stories is true, that there are things the writer has embellished upon to prove a point — and that's exactly what we should do with it (but I'll get more into that later).
For those of you who were confused, I hope this clears things up a little. CNF is a really fun genre to work with, which we'll see through the rest of this week. It's a genre that's not just about telling the story of a real person, but about telling a story, in the same way that fiction would do.
Check back in on Wednesday to read my favorite things to do with CNF, preferred POVs, and more!
[love & happy memorial day]
{Rani Divine}
And to those of you who came here looking for a post about writing, I will not disappoint.
Today starts a new month-long series, A Study in Genre. Every week I'll be talking about a different genre, what it is, how it works, how to use it, and what to avoid with it. It'll be a lesson for everyone involved, because as you'll see, every writer still has much to learn about writing. Even the pros would tell you that.
This week?
Creative Nonfiction
I took some CNF classes in college, and the first thing I noticed in these classes is that almost no one actually knew what creative nonfiction really is. All the students looked around like they had no idea why they were in this class or what they were really here to learn, and even the teacher seemed a bit baffled on how to teach it.
That's because to most of us, creative nonfiction sounds like an oxymoron.
See, we're taught that nonfiction has to be dry and boring, that there's no flair to it, no style or real story. But that's not true at all, and that's where creative nonfiction comes in.
Nonfiction, in general, just means something that isn't made up. It's real, it's things that actually happen, or even textbooks to teach about specific topics. Those books we've all read in school, in whatever class, are nonfiction. Most of the stuff we read all the way through college (even novels) is also nonfiction, because for some reason teachers think it's the best genre to learn from.
As you well know, I beg to differ.
Creative nonfiction, essentially, bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction. In CNF, we're allowed to embellish a little bit here and there. That means we can include things like dialogue, notions into the thoughts of every character's mind, and studies that go deeper than the average nonfiction novel can do.
Really, CNF is a license to lie. People who read CNF know that not everything in these stories is true, that there are things the writer has embellished upon to prove a point — and that's exactly what we should do with it (but I'll get more into that later).
For those of you who were confused, I hope this clears things up a little. CNF is a really fun genre to work with, which we'll see through the rest of this week. It's a genre that's not just about telling the story of a real person, but about telling a story, in the same way that fiction would do.
Check back in on Wednesday to read my favorite things to do with CNF, preferred POVs, and more!
[love & happy memorial day]
{Rani Divine}
May 27, 2016
Submit!
After the last two weeks’ posts about Mavguard, what sorts of things we want to publish and what we are as a business, I was asked a few questions about what you all could submit for the next edition.
The short answer is as follows:
Short storiesPoetryVisual Art
The long answer, however, takes a bit more time. Let’s do a breakdown.
1. Short stories
Our editors’ favorite pieces have been works with deep emotional meaning. We’ve most enjoyed things that explore new reality, that… well, that has fun. We like to see that writers are enjoying their work, that they’ve been working on their craft and that they’ve tried new things with their work. For me personally, I enjoy coming across submissions where I can really see the writer through the writing. Check out Emilina in Edition II to get a better idea of what I mean here.
2. Poetry
Honestly, we need more poetry. We’ve had difficulties getting very many poets to submit their work. What I really want to see is an array of different pieces, both lighthearted pentameters and deep, meaningful free verse—and everything in between. I like to see that the poet meant something by their work, that you are trying to convey something with your words. I don’t just want to read a poem that you threw together at the last minute, because you wanted something to submit. Although, some of those turn out pretty well too, I’ll admit. Check out In Bloom and Seemingly in Edition III to get a better idea here.
3. Visual art
Send us everything you have! People lately have reviewed Mavguard by saying that we mostly like to publish photography, nature shots, and things of that sort. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We’ve been pushing for more paintings, more graphic design, calligraphy, sketches, sculpture, every single form of visual art. But we can’t help it if only the photographers are willing to send in their work. After all, they make beautiful art as well. Check out some of my paintings in Edition III, as well as the various photography by Julie Haider in all three editions, to see how differing we can be in these regards.
In the end, it always boils down to the fact that we want to see what you have to offer. Whatever it is, whatever work you like best, send it in. Please. I really do want to see it, and hopefully publish it.
Oh yeah, and we’ve published 95% of people who’ve submitted for any given edition. So there’s that.
See you on the other side.
www.MavguardMagazine.com
Submissions window closes June 30
[love]
{Rani Divine}
May 25, 2016
Caution
By now we’ve talked about three different words that I’ve either cut out or limited in my vocabulary. These are words that carry meaning, words that have weight to them, weight many people choose to ignore. The last of them is no different.
Care
In the Bible, God says to cast all our cares upon Him. And that’s the basis of my decision to cut this word out of my speech. This is actually the word that I’m most working on right now, the one I’m working hard to completely cut out. It’s a word that I would rather not say, but it’s one that gets said by many people, much of the time.
Thing is, if God wants us to cast our cares on Him, then we shouldn’t care about anything down here. That starts, for me, by cutting it from my vocabulary.
It means I try not to say things like “I’ll take care of it,” or “I care for you,” or even "be careful," and change the word for something more appropriate. I now say “I can do that,” “I love you,” or "be cautious," rather than the former sentences.
Maybe that seems a bit much for some of you, and so I’ll repeat something I’ve told you earlier in this series:
Words carry power.
They carry far more weight than we tend to attribute to them. You have what you say you have, and you don’t have what you say you don’t have. Speaking can give either life or death to anything. With our words we can either build up the people and things around us, or we can break them down.
Remember Proverbs 18:21?
“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”(NLT)
How about Deuteronomy 30:19?
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (NLT)
We have the choice to either build up or destroy with our words.
Choose wisely. He already told us which one to pick.
For me, wisdom said to cut care out of my vocabulary. Maybe that's not what wisdom says to you, but I know words better than a lot of people. I'm a writer by trade, so you can't deny that. And I know how much power they really have, and how they influence people and things. I've seen it, I've lived it, and for me, this is the right thing to do.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
May 23, 2016
On... what?
It’s the last week of our series, which means we only have two posts left! (Friday is again reserved for more info about Mavguard, since that’s been so popular as of late). And since it’s the last week, I want to focus on a phrase that I honestly do not understand. I’ve looked up its beginnings, its meanings, and I still don’t get it. Most of my friends laugh at the term, but I’ve heard it enough in popular culture that I thought it was worth bringing up.
On Fleek
What. The. Heck.
So I heard this one for the first time at some point late last year, and I’m pretty sure I was struck completely dumbfounded by it. It’s not even a word! What is fleek supposed to mean, anyway?
From what I’ve gathered, it’s a positive word. When something is on fleek, it’s on point, it’s good, it’s exactly as it was intended to be. And from my research, it all started with a video of a girl saying that her eyebrows were on fleek today.
I wonder if she knew how much she would affect the English language.
Here’s the thing:
It’s very obviously not an educated phrase. Personally, I prefer to keep my words on the educated side of English. I’m a learned person, I have a degree in English, and I know a lot of words. I write many of them, in any given day. That being the case, I prefer not to sound like I’m making words up as I go.
On fleek sounds like someone made it up. Probably because someone did.
My question to you, is how many of you actually use this phrase, and how many of you pay attention to what it means? Does it bother you that it doesn’t really have a meaning, that it’s a phrase coined by some random person on some random video, someone who thought their eyebrows looked great that day?
It bothers me. But I’m a wordsmith. This is what I do for a living, it’s the thing I feel the most connected to. I know words, and I know fleek isn’t one of them.
No apologies required. *wink*
[love]
{Rani D.}
May 20, 2016
What I want
Good afternoon from your friendly neighborhood author! (You guys catch Captain America: Civil War yet? Spiderman was so funny!)
Last week got a lot of interest with my Mavguard Magazine post, and I wanted to take this time to tell you a little bit more about the magazine and what we're looking for when it comes to submissions.
1. Newbies and Pros
Really, we accept submissions from anyone. If you've been published 3+ times before, we'll even pay you if your submission is accepted for publication.
Our primary goal is to put unpublished people right next to published people and show that there isn't really a difference between the two. Our art is all beautiful, it's all from our hearts and from the depths of our souls, and that's what we want people to see and understand.
2. Art and Literature with Passion
This is the biggest thing. If there isn't any heart in your work, then you might not get accepted. But really, it's like that everywhere. You have to have feeling for what you do, to like what you do and want people to see it, to share it with the world. If you don't want that, then you really shouldn't be submitting anywhere.
If you're passionate about your craft, we want to see it. And trust me, we'll see it in your work. It's easy to find in literature, in poetry, and in every form of art.
Artists know it when we see it, and we're all artists here.
3. Short Stories, Poetry, Art
Blah blah blah, yes, Mavguard accepts fiction and creative nonfiction short stories, poetry, and all forms of visual art. But that's just what's written on the website. I'm one of our main editors, so I'll tell you right now exactly what I'd like to see in upcoming editions of Mavguard.
I want to see longer nitty gritty short stories.
I want more raw poetry, more real words with real feelings.
I want to publish more kinds of art, more than just photography and the occasional sketch.
Really, I want to see everything you have to offer. Dialogue-only short stories, heart-rending poetry, calligraphy, sculpture, creative nonfictional short stories, mixed media art, beautiful poetry that explores the world around us — I want art, real art, and I know many of you are capable of just that.
So why not send it in? Take a shot. Show us what you have.
I can't wait to see it.
Submissions Window Closes June 30, 2016.www.MavguardMagazine.com
[love]
{Rani D.}
Last week got a lot of interest with my Mavguard Magazine post, and I wanted to take this time to tell you a little bit more about the magazine and what we're looking for when it comes to submissions.
1. Newbies and Pros
Really, we accept submissions from anyone. If you've been published 3+ times before, we'll even pay you if your submission is accepted for publication.
Our primary goal is to put unpublished people right next to published people and show that there isn't really a difference between the two. Our art is all beautiful, it's all from our hearts and from the depths of our souls, and that's what we want people to see and understand.
2. Art and Literature with Passion
This is the biggest thing. If there isn't any heart in your work, then you might not get accepted. But really, it's like that everywhere. You have to have feeling for what you do, to like what you do and want people to see it, to share it with the world. If you don't want that, then you really shouldn't be submitting anywhere.
If you're passionate about your craft, we want to see it. And trust me, we'll see it in your work. It's easy to find in literature, in poetry, and in every form of art.
Artists know it when we see it, and we're all artists here.
3. Short Stories, Poetry, Art
Blah blah blah, yes, Mavguard accepts fiction and creative nonfiction short stories, poetry, and all forms of visual art. But that's just what's written on the website. I'm one of our main editors, so I'll tell you right now exactly what I'd like to see in upcoming editions of Mavguard.
I want to see longer nitty gritty short stories.
I want more raw poetry, more real words with real feelings.
I want to publish more kinds of art, more than just photography and the occasional sketch.
Really, I want to see everything you have to offer. Dialogue-only short stories, heart-rending poetry, calligraphy, sculpture, creative nonfictional short stories, mixed media art, beautiful poetry that explores the world around us — I want art, real art, and I know many of you are capable of just that.
So why not send it in? Take a shot. Show us what you have.
I can't wait to see it.
Submissions Window Closes June 30, 2016.www.MavguardMagazine.com
[love]
{Rani D.}
May 18, 2016
Grrrr...
Now that you know I don't say lucky and prefer to limit my use of love, it's time to add the third word to the list. It's logical, when you consider what the last two were. You can probably guess it right now, without having to look down and see what word we're talking about. I like logical progression. By now I'm sure you all know that. I hope.
Hate
Last week I told you about love and why I like to limit it's use, and today we're talking just the opposite. Where I limit the use of love because I think it can only be used in relation to people, I limit hate because I believe it can only be used in relation to one very specific (and yet, somehow broad) thing.
I hate the devil and his minions.
I don't hate having anchovies on my pizza or those times when I've gotten a hole in my new shirt the first time I wore it. Those are annoying things, perhaps, but not worth hatred.
Know what I do hate?
I hate sickness.
I hate weakness.
I hate poverty.
I hate pain.
I hate sorrow.
I hate grief.
I hate despair.
I hate rioting and rage.
I hate all that is opposed to the Lord and His ways.
Just like I can't honestly say that I love anything that isn't a person, I also can't say that I honestly hate anything that isn't of the devil.
I can't hate you, friend. No matter what you might have done to me, to anyone, I can't hate you. I do my very best to hold you innocent in my esteem, of all wrongdoing.
Why? Because that's what I was asked to do.
I was commanded to forgive, and so I forgive.
But that doesn't mean I can't hate the root of it all. Even God hates the root of evil: the devil himself. God would that no one should perish, that none go to the gates of hell — and the devil is the one who takes people there. God hates that. It pains Him. He despises it, because He is good. Good must despise evil.
And so I do.
I don't hate anything that is not evil. But evil I hate. I despise it.
I hope that you do as well, and that you also love those around you with the fullest of your potential.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
Hate
Last week I told you about love and why I like to limit it's use, and today we're talking just the opposite. Where I limit the use of love because I think it can only be used in relation to people, I limit hate because I believe it can only be used in relation to one very specific (and yet, somehow broad) thing.
I hate the devil and his minions.
I don't hate having anchovies on my pizza or those times when I've gotten a hole in my new shirt the first time I wore it. Those are annoying things, perhaps, but not worth hatred.
Know what I do hate?
I hate sickness.
I hate weakness.
I hate poverty.
I hate pain.
I hate sorrow.
I hate grief.
I hate despair.
I hate rioting and rage.
I hate all that is opposed to the Lord and His ways.
Just like I can't honestly say that I love anything that isn't a person, I also can't say that I honestly hate anything that isn't of the devil.
I can't hate you, friend. No matter what you might have done to me, to anyone, I can't hate you. I do my very best to hold you innocent in my esteem, of all wrongdoing.
Why? Because that's what I was asked to do.
I was commanded to forgive, and so I forgive.
But that doesn't mean I can't hate the root of it all. Even God hates the root of evil: the devil himself. God would that no one should perish, that none go to the gates of hell — and the devil is the one who takes people there. God hates that. It pains Him. He despises it, because He is good. Good must despise evil.
And so I do.
I don't hate anything that is not evil. But evil I hate. I despise it.
I hope that you do as well, and that you also love those around you with the fullest of your potential.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
May 16, 2016
YOLO
This phrase... *shakes head*
I won't lie to you here. You know that. I maintain honesty with you, because I trust you and I know you'll only judge me a little bit for whatever I tell you. So here, I want to tell you what I think about this phrase that has recently popped up in popular culture, this phrase that has been around for a very long time but only recently came back into swing as the new big thing.
YOLO
No. Please. Just stop.
It stands for "You Only Live Once," and it's a phrase to perpetuate recklessness. Most people don't think of it that way, but really, that's what it is. It stands to say that you can do whatever you want, because you only live once, so you better do it now while you can.
Problem is, there are some things that should never be done, and perpetuating this YOLO lifestyle only makes them happen more often.
I can guarantee you that there are criminals out there who use this phrase as their excuse for doing what they do, for going out and hurting people every chance they get.
I'm not saying that everyone is that way. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I like to think that most people use YOLO in a good way, to push themselves to do things that they wouldn't normally even consider doing. It can be used in a good way, in that point of view. But there's a very fine line in this case between the good and the bad, and that line gets blurred more often than it should.
Saying that You Only Live Once is like saying that you should be as reckless as you possibly can be here on Earth, because you don't know how long you're going to have.
To me, however, it sounds like you'd like to shorten that amount of time.
YOLO in itself isn't a bad phrase. I prefer it unabbreviated, personally, but that's just my preference.
This phrase can be used to get people off their butts and in a position to make a change for good in this world.
But it can also be the phrase that puts foolish people in the hospital.
So what I want to tell you here is to get some wisdom before following on the You Only Live Once bandwagon. Make sure you know what you're really capable of doing and what you really want to do with your life, because no one else can dictate that for you. You know you better than anyone else knows you, and you know what you can do.
You Only Live Once on this Earth, so make the best of it. That doesn't mean following the YOLO train and getting yourself in trouble.
Wisdom, people. Wisdom.
[love]
{Rani D.}
I won't lie to you here. You know that. I maintain honesty with you, because I trust you and I know you'll only judge me a little bit for whatever I tell you. So here, I want to tell you what I think about this phrase that has recently popped up in popular culture, this phrase that has been around for a very long time but only recently came back into swing as the new big thing.
YOLO
No. Please. Just stop.
It stands for "You Only Live Once," and it's a phrase to perpetuate recklessness. Most people don't think of it that way, but really, that's what it is. It stands to say that you can do whatever you want, because you only live once, so you better do it now while you can.
Problem is, there are some things that should never be done, and perpetuating this YOLO lifestyle only makes them happen more often.
I can guarantee you that there are criminals out there who use this phrase as their excuse for doing what they do, for going out and hurting people every chance they get.
I'm not saying that everyone is that way. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I like to think that most people use YOLO in a good way, to push themselves to do things that they wouldn't normally even consider doing. It can be used in a good way, in that point of view. But there's a very fine line in this case between the good and the bad, and that line gets blurred more often than it should.
Saying that You Only Live Once is like saying that you should be as reckless as you possibly can be here on Earth, because you don't know how long you're going to have.
To me, however, it sounds like you'd like to shorten that amount of time.
YOLO in itself isn't a bad phrase. I prefer it unabbreviated, personally, but that's just my preference.
This phrase can be used to get people off their butts and in a position to make a change for good in this world.
But it can also be the phrase that puts foolish people in the hospital.
So what I want to tell you here is to get some wisdom before following on the You Only Live Once bandwagon. Make sure you know what you're really capable of doing and what you really want to do with your life, because no one else can dictate that for you. You know you better than anyone else knows you, and you know what you can do.
You Only Live Once on this Earth, so make the best of it. That doesn't mean following the YOLO train and getting yourself in trouble.
Wisdom, people. Wisdom.
[love]
{Rani D.}
May 13, 2016
Pub
Instead of telling you about another word or phrase, I'm taking today to talk about something more important.
Too Many Books to Count was designed with writers and editors in mind, for people who have an affinity for words and want to know more about writing and reading, and most importantly, publication. I started this blog before I really got off the ground with my publishing career, but since then I feel that this blog has blossomed, and for that I have you to thank. But because this is a blog where we talk about publishing, I'd like to take a moment to remind you of something.
Mavguard Magazine is currently accepting submissions.
Yeah, I know, you hear that from me a lot.
But here's what you should be hearing, when you see those words:
There's a publisher out there who wants to publish you.
Thing is, you can't get published if you don't submit something.
I know it's hard, and that it can be scary, but I also know how fulfilling it is to see your name in print, your art on the page, and know that other people around the country are holding it in their hands as well. It's one of the most beautiful and enthralling feelings I've ever known, to the point that I have great difficulty describing or defining it.
I want you to feel it too.
I want to see your name in Mavguard.
But first you have to send something in.
Submissions window closes June 30, 11:59PM.
I hope to see your name in the submissions list. I really, really do.
And yes, I'm one of the editors, so you already know someone on the other side, and if you have any questions, I can and will answer them to the best of my ability.
[love and publication]
{Rani Divine}
Too Many Books to Count was designed with writers and editors in mind, for people who have an affinity for words and want to know more about writing and reading, and most importantly, publication. I started this blog before I really got off the ground with my publishing career, but since then I feel that this blog has blossomed, and for that I have you to thank. But because this is a blog where we talk about publishing, I'd like to take a moment to remind you of something.
Mavguard Magazine is currently accepting submissions.
Yeah, I know, you hear that from me a lot.
But here's what you should be hearing, when you see those words:
There's a publisher out there who wants to publish you.
Thing is, you can't get published if you don't submit something.
I know it's hard, and that it can be scary, but I also know how fulfilling it is to see your name in print, your art on the page, and know that other people around the country are holding it in their hands as well. It's one of the most beautiful and enthralling feelings I've ever known, to the point that I have great difficulty describing or defining it.
I want you to feel it too.
I want to see your name in Mavguard.
But first you have to send something in.
Submissions window closes June 30, 11:59PM.
I hope to see your name in the submissions list. I really, really do.
And yes, I'm one of the editors, so you already know someone on the other side, and if you have any questions, I can and will answer them to the best of my ability.
[love and publication]
{Rani Divine}
