Rani Divine's Blog, page 46
May 11, 2016
Hearts
Last Wednesday I told you all about a word that I cut out of my vocabulary. Today, I have another for you. This is one that I'm still working on, and really one that I'm trying to limit more than completely cut out. I think you'll see my point pretty quickly.
Love
The thing with love in English is that there aren't any specific degrees to it. In Greek there are a few different words that mean love, different kinds of love, so that there's less confusion. English lacks that.
Where they have four words, we have one: love.
Other languages have words that define degrees of love, like brotherly love, erotic love, friendly love, and unfathomable love, but English somehow ended up with only one. It makes for some confusion, because we're unable to truly express our feelings about certain things—all because we use the word love very frequently and indiscriminately.
We use love in reference to a lot of different things, some of which I don't even think we really and truly love. It's just that we like them a lot, and we don't have another word to say that. Saying "I like this a lot" is many more words than the simpler, love... but it also means that love has diminished in power, in many of our vocabularies.
We say we love our moms.
We say we love our dogs. (and cats, for you crazy people out there)
We say we love pizza.
We say we love sunny days.
We say we love our friends.
But because English only has one word for the feeling, there's no way for us to express what we mean by love. I believe most of us intend to say that we love our parents more than we love pizza, but it can't come out that way. We don't have another word for it.
That being in case, in my personal vocabulary I've chosen to limit the use of love. I use it now only when I really mean it, when the thing is truly something that I love — which means I pretty much only use it in reference to people.
I don't love my dog as much as I love my mother.
I don't love pizza as much as I love my best friend.
So really, I don't love those things at all. My puppy is my buddy, and I like him a lot. Pizza is just plain delicious. They're things though, they're not people, and so I cannot love them. And before you get all uppity about the dog one, remember that even legally, your dog is your possession, not a part of your family. You can have great and deep feelings for your dog, feelings akin to a form of love, but you can't (or rather, shouldn't) love your dog the same as you love the people in your life.
Love, for me, is reserved for people, actual human beings. And that way, you know I mean it when I say that I love you. The power comes back to the word.
[love]
{Rani D.}
Love
The thing with love in English is that there aren't any specific degrees to it. In Greek there are a few different words that mean love, different kinds of love, so that there's less confusion. English lacks that.
Where they have four words, we have one: love.
Other languages have words that define degrees of love, like brotherly love, erotic love, friendly love, and unfathomable love, but English somehow ended up with only one. It makes for some confusion, because we're unable to truly express our feelings about certain things—all because we use the word love very frequently and indiscriminately.
We use love in reference to a lot of different things, some of which I don't even think we really and truly love. It's just that we like them a lot, and we don't have another word to say that. Saying "I like this a lot" is many more words than the simpler, love... but it also means that love has diminished in power, in many of our vocabularies.
We say we love our moms.
We say we love our dogs. (and cats, for you crazy people out there)
We say we love pizza.
We say we love sunny days.
We say we love our friends.
But because English only has one word for the feeling, there's no way for us to express what we mean by love. I believe most of us intend to say that we love our parents more than we love pizza, but it can't come out that way. We don't have another word for it.
That being in case, in my personal vocabulary I've chosen to limit the use of love. I use it now only when I really mean it, when the thing is truly something that I love — which means I pretty much only use it in reference to people.
I don't love my dog as much as I love my mother.
I don't love pizza as much as I love my best friend.
So really, I don't love those things at all. My puppy is my buddy, and I like him a lot. Pizza is just plain delicious. They're things though, they're not people, and so I cannot love them. And before you get all uppity about the dog one, remember that even legally, your dog is your possession, not a part of your family. You can have great and deep feelings for your dog, feelings akin to a form of love, but you can't (or rather, shouldn't) love your dog the same as you love the people in your life.
Love, for me, is reserved for people, actual human beings. And that way, you know I mean it when I say that I love you. The power comes back to the word.
[love]
{Rani D.}
May 9, 2016
Shipping
It's Monday!
Thank you to everyone who came out to Page 1 Bookstore on Saturday to support local authors and small presses! It was great to meet all of you, and I look forward to doing it all over again in June!
And I hope all you mother's out there had a fabulous weekend, and that your kiddos treated you to something special. This year, I got to give out all my regards in person, and it was lovely to do so.
For today, however, it's time to discuss a word that I greatly dislike, and one that I believe should be changed back to its original meaning and kept that way for the rest of eternity:
Shipping
Recently, as in a few months ago, one of my friends informed me that she was shipping me and this guy at our church. It took me a while to figure out what she meant. He and I were going for a friendly lunch and she wouldn't stop talking about how much she shipped the two of us.
Apparently, that meant she thought we should be in a relationship.
How and why this phenomena of shipping happened apparently relates to fans of The X-Files's main characters, and how many fans wanted the two of them to be a couple. I'm honestly not sure how that developed into a full-blown assault on the word ship, but I can tell you that I really want it to stop.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff, but it doesn't even make sense to me. Why can't we stick we the old "I think you two are cute together" line? It's so much better! It actually makes sense, it doesn't confuse half the population, and it doesn't mar the good name of shipping.
Just out of curiosity, I took a mini poll of my friends to find out how many of us had ever heard the term and how many used it, and it seems it's mostly the younger generation. The thing that gets to me is that we should be the ones teaching the younger gens how to use English properly. I know the language is support to grow and change, but still! I just can't bear this one. I can't. It's as bad as people saying they can't make an umlaut so instead of writing uber they go with oober. That just looks like they're goobers.
Don't judge me. :-P
[love]
{Rani Divine}
Thank you to everyone who came out to Page 1 Bookstore on Saturday to support local authors and small presses! It was great to meet all of you, and I look forward to doing it all over again in June!
And I hope all you mother's out there had a fabulous weekend, and that your kiddos treated you to something special. This year, I got to give out all my regards in person, and it was lovely to do so.
For today, however, it's time to discuss a word that I greatly dislike, and one that I believe should be changed back to its original meaning and kept that way for the rest of eternity:
Shipping
Recently, as in a few months ago, one of my friends informed me that she was shipping me and this guy at our church. It took me a while to figure out what she meant. He and I were going for a friendly lunch and she wouldn't stop talking about how much she shipped the two of us.
Apparently, that meant she thought we should be in a relationship.
How and why this phenomena of shipping happened apparently relates to fans of The X-Files's main characters, and how many fans wanted the two of them to be a couple. I'm honestly not sure how that developed into a full-blown assault on the word ship, but I can tell you that I really want it to stop.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff, but it doesn't even make sense to me. Why can't we stick we the old "I think you two are cute together" line? It's so much better! It actually makes sense, it doesn't confuse half the population, and it doesn't mar the good name of shipping.
Just out of curiosity, I took a mini poll of my friends to find out how many of us had ever heard the term and how many used it, and it seems it's mostly the younger generation. The thing that gets to me is that we should be the ones teaching the younger gens how to use English properly. I know the language is support to grow and change, but still! I just can't bear this one. I can't. It's as bad as people saying they can't make an umlaut so instead of writing uber they go with oober. That just looks like they're goobers.
Don't judge me. :-P
[love]
{Rani Divine}
May 6, 2016
'Course
Okay. I've pretty much said this phrase through the entirety of my life, and it wasn't until recently that I realized how very strange and useless it really is.
Let's see if you agree. :)
Of Course
Of: belonging to, relating to, or connecting with (someone or something)
Course: the path or direction that something or someone moves along
(taken from www.M-W.com)
So, logically, of course would mean belonging to, relating to, or connecting with the path or direction that something or someone moves along.
How does that make sense, considering how it's generally used?
"Did you go to the store today?"
"Of course!"
What?!
In common American English these days, of course is a phrase that pretty much means a positive response of no real rhyme or reason. It's two words put together with the general intention of saying yes or good without actually saying either of those words.
How on earth this came to be, I have no idea.
Now, don't get me wrong, it's not something that I'll be cutting from my everyday speech, but it is one that I highly recommend cutting out of your writing.
See, we only want to use meaningful words in writing. If it doesn't need to be there, then cut it. And from what we've just seen, of course does not ever need to be said. At least in this context.
There's also, however, this version:
"Of course, we could go to the store tomorrow."
And this version of of course is perfectly acceptable. It's not entirely necessary, no, but it's one that adds a smidge of flair to your dialogue. I wouldn't recommend using it anywhere else.
The next time you say of course, you're going to think about this. You will. Trust me.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
Let's see if you agree. :)
Of Course
Of: belonging to, relating to, or connecting with (someone or something)
Course: the path or direction that something or someone moves along
(taken from www.M-W.com)
So, logically, of course would mean belonging to, relating to, or connecting with the path or direction that something or someone moves along.
How does that make sense, considering how it's generally used?
"Did you go to the store today?"
"Of course!"
What?!
In common American English these days, of course is a phrase that pretty much means a positive response of no real rhyme or reason. It's two words put together with the general intention of saying yes or good without actually saying either of those words.
How on earth this came to be, I have no idea.
Now, don't get me wrong, it's not something that I'll be cutting from my everyday speech, but it is one that I highly recommend cutting out of your writing.
See, we only want to use meaningful words in writing. If it doesn't need to be there, then cut it. And from what we've just seen, of course does not ever need to be said. At least in this context.
There's also, however, this version:
"Of course, we could go to the store tomorrow."
And this version of of course is perfectly acceptable. It's not entirely necessary, no, but it's one that adds a smidge of flair to your dialogue. I wouldn't recommend using it anywhere else.
The next time you say of course, you're going to think about this. You will. Trust me.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
May 4, 2016
As luck would have it...
You know, there are some words I really don't like to say. It all started a year or two ago, when in my studies I discovered just how important the words we use really are. Whatever we say we have, that's what we have. There is power in what we say, in the words we choose, and in how we use them.
And this is the first word I ever chose to tear out of my vocabulary:
Lucky
It wasn't easy, let me tell you. So many people use it very frequently, day in and day out. For me, it wasn't quite so bad, because I really only ever used it in one phrase — but it just so happened to be a phrase I used not infrequently.
The problem with lucky is where it came from.
I like etymology. Always have, really. I like learning things, finding out the roots of things and where they came from. But in studying the word lucky, I found out some things I didn't expect to find.
It's root is actually in a name. You have to go back really far to find it, but lucky actually comes from the name Lucifer.
Yeah, you read that right.
Lucky is derived from the name of the devil.
And really, that's what prompted me (and my family) to stop using it. The word is mostly used in a positive light, in phrases like "good luck" and "you're a lucky guy," when really the word means the opposite of that.
Sure, maybe Lucifer didn't start out evil. We know he didn't, in fact. But that doesn't mean that his name can ever stand for something good, after all that he's done. He's the devil! How can we talk about luck, about being lucky as a good thing, when the word comes from something so evil?
Short version, we can't.
There are some words that we simply shouldn't use, and I believe lucky is one of them. I've torn it from my vocabulary, to the point that I can hardly bring myself to use it in my writing, even when I know it's the word I need. Using it feels wrong, knowing what I know, and I just can't do it.
Not anymore.
[love]
{Rani D.}
p.s. If you still haven't gotten your copy of Cedwig, RAD Writing is currently selling misprinted editions for 75% off! Use code OOPS at the checkout to receive your discount, now through Friday.
p.p.s. If you live in Albuquerque, you should come by and see me this weekend! I'll be at Page 1 Bookstore from 11-1 on Saturday, along with a bunch of other local authors, for their local author fair. Come on out and support small business and local authors — I'd love to see you there, and get a copy of Cedwig into your hands!
And this is the first word I ever chose to tear out of my vocabulary:
Lucky
It wasn't easy, let me tell you. So many people use it very frequently, day in and day out. For me, it wasn't quite so bad, because I really only ever used it in one phrase — but it just so happened to be a phrase I used not infrequently.
The problem with lucky is where it came from.
I like etymology. Always have, really. I like learning things, finding out the roots of things and where they came from. But in studying the word lucky, I found out some things I didn't expect to find.
It's root is actually in a name. You have to go back really far to find it, but lucky actually comes from the name Lucifer.
Yeah, you read that right.
Lucky is derived from the name of the devil.
And really, that's what prompted me (and my family) to stop using it. The word is mostly used in a positive light, in phrases like "good luck" and "you're a lucky guy," when really the word means the opposite of that.
Sure, maybe Lucifer didn't start out evil. We know he didn't, in fact. But that doesn't mean that his name can ever stand for something good, after all that he's done. He's the devil! How can we talk about luck, about being lucky as a good thing, when the word comes from something so evil?
Short version, we can't.
There are some words that we simply shouldn't use, and I believe lucky is one of them. I've torn it from my vocabulary, to the point that I can hardly bring myself to use it in my writing, even when I know it's the word I need. Using it feels wrong, knowing what I know, and I just can't do it.
Not anymore.
[love]
{Rani D.}
p.s. If you still haven't gotten your copy of Cedwig, RAD Writing is currently selling misprinted editions for 75% off! Use code OOPS at the checkout to receive your discount, now through Friday.
p.p.s. If you live in Albuquerque, you should come by and see me this weekend! I'll be at Page 1 Bookstore from 11-1 on Saturday, along with a bunch of other local authors, for their local author fair. Come on out and support small business and local authors — I'd love to see you there, and get a copy of Cedwig into your hands!
May 2, 2016
As what?
It's May! That means it's time for a new series of the month!
All month long, we'll be talking about words and phrases, some that I've cut out of my vocabulary, some that are just plain weird, and some strange phrases we use not infrequently in our daily lives. It's going to be a lot of fun, and at this point I honestly have no idea where the end of the month will take us.
Let's find out together, shall we?
"AF"
I guarantee most if not all of you have heard this before. It's been the latest thing to repeatedly hit my newsfeed, this phrase, AF.
For the record, it stands for "As F***" and I never use it. I don't use that sort of language, so I would never have the opportunity to use a phrase like this, nor would I ever actually want to.
It's weird.
Have any of you ever thought about it? Why on earth is everything "funny AF" these days?
Here's the thing:
AF is a meaningless phrase. I realized it a few weeks ago, while watching a video tag lined "when you're bored AF," and it got me thinking.
We know the meaning of the F word. Or, we know what it was originally intended to mean, though it's hardly used in that context any longer. It's now become just a word to bolster up whatever word came before it, though, it doesn't make much sense to do so. People say it when they're happy, sad, hurt, bored, or even when they just got their finger stuck in the car door.
It's become a nearly meaningless word, this curse.
But the other day I saw it used in the context of "Sexy AF" ... and I got a little more confused. This person was saying that their girlfriend was as sexy as a meaningless word. But how can a meaningless word be remotely sexy? So wouldn't he therefore be saying that his girlfriend isn't sexy at all? And then I felt bad for the girl, if her guy couldn't even find a better word to use in reference to her.
AF, really, has no function. There's no point or power in it. If you're bored, just say you're bored. Being bored AF is just being bored and stupid, and I think we'd all rather just be bored than stupid.
Please, for all our sakes, stop using this nonsensical phrase.
Our words need meaning, do they not? That's what they're there for, after all.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
All month long, we'll be talking about words and phrases, some that I've cut out of my vocabulary, some that are just plain weird, and some strange phrases we use not infrequently in our daily lives. It's going to be a lot of fun, and at this point I honestly have no idea where the end of the month will take us.
Let's find out together, shall we?
"AF"
I guarantee most if not all of you have heard this before. It's been the latest thing to repeatedly hit my newsfeed, this phrase, AF.
For the record, it stands for "As F***" and I never use it. I don't use that sort of language, so I would never have the opportunity to use a phrase like this, nor would I ever actually want to.
It's weird.
Have any of you ever thought about it? Why on earth is everything "funny AF" these days?
Here's the thing:
AF is a meaningless phrase. I realized it a few weeks ago, while watching a video tag lined "when you're bored AF," and it got me thinking.
We know the meaning of the F word. Or, we know what it was originally intended to mean, though it's hardly used in that context any longer. It's now become just a word to bolster up whatever word came before it, though, it doesn't make much sense to do so. People say it when they're happy, sad, hurt, bored, or even when they just got their finger stuck in the car door.
It's become a nearly meaningless word, this curse.
But the other day I saw it used in the context of "Sexy AF" ... and I got a little more confused. This person was saying that their girlfriend was as sexy as a meaningless word. But how can a meaningless word be remotely sexy? So wouldn't he therefore be saying that his girlfriend isn't sexy at all? And then I felt bad for the girl, if her guy couldn't even find a better word to use in reference to her.
AF, really, has no function. There's no point or power in it. If you're bored, just say you're bored. Being bored AF is just being bored and stupid, and I think we'd all rather just be bored than stupid.
Please, for all our sakes, stop using this nonsensical phrase.
Our words need meaning, do they not? That's what they're there for, after all.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
April 29, 2016
Thoughts
And so we come to the end of our series on facts and misconceptions about writers, and I saved one of the best for last.
I've heard this one before as well. People have accused me of it. I've laughed. And I've gotten glares in response, because they really think it's true.
Writers... Know What You're Thinking.
I'll save you some time here and just say we don't.
We have a hard enough time figuring out what all our characters are thinking about, without trying to determine what's going on in your head.
Remember that characters try to be as real and dynamic as actual people, but that they never quite measure up. That being the case, unless you're completely one-dimensional and utterly boring, we probably have no idea what's going on in that noggin of yours. Oh, and nobody actually has a brain like that, so you have nothing to worry about.
Simply stated, nobody knows what's going on in your head.
Sure, we're more likely to be able to tell when you're lying or when you're thinking about something in particular, but that's because we know how to read expressions, since we have to describe them on such frequent occasion. But you can't say from that, that we really know what's going on in your head.
Honestly, I barely know what's going on in my own head. Why would I want to know yours?
I might try, if you're important to me or if you're the person I'm basing a character off, but I'd never tell you if that were the case, and I promise to never let you know if I get good at reading your mind.
Mostly because it simply can't happen, and I occasionally enjoy teasing you into thinking I know more than I do. It's a writer thing.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
I've heard this one before as well. People have accused me of it. I've laughed. And I've gotten glares in response, because they really think it's true.
Writers... Know What You're Thinking.
I'll save you some time here and just say we don't.
We have a hard enough time figuring out what all our characters are thinking about, without trying to determine what's going on in your head.
Remember that characters try to be as real and dynamic as actual people, but that they never quite measure up. That being the case, unless you're completely one-dimensional and utterly boring, we probably have no idea what's going on in that noggin of yours. Oh, and nobody actually has a brain like that, so you have nothing to worry about.
Simply stated, nobody knows what's going on in your head.
Sure, we're more likely to be able to tell when you're lying or when you're thinking about something in particular, but that's because we know how to read expressions, since we have to describe them on such frequent occasion. But you can't say from that, that we really know what's going on in your head.
Honestly, I barely know what's going on in my own head. Why would I want to know yours?
I might try, if you're important to me or if you're the person I'm basing a character off, but I'd never tell you if that were the case, and I promise to never let you know if I get good at reading your mind.
Mostly because it simply can't happen, and I occasionally enjoy teasing you into thinking I know more than I do. It's a writer thing.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
April 27, 2016
Medium
Well, Wednesday is here again, and today I have a really fun topic for you. It's something I've heard from a few different people, and actually something I've joked about with my friends, here and there.
And I was very happy when one of you suggested it as a topic, because this is amazing.
Writers... Know the Future.
Okay, first off, I'm trying really hard not to laugh. I'm really not sure where this originated, nor am I certain why someone brought it up as a topic for this series, but I'm going to take it and roll with it.
My friends have joked, in the past, that I can see the future. They do this because I watch everything. Yeah, everything. I know my friends well enough to make a decent guess as to what they're going to say, what they'll do in certain situations, and what might happen in the future.
But that's all it is: a guess.
We laugh because we know it's not true. I'm wrong about half of the time, and I'd take a gander to say almost anyone could meet those odds.
Thing is, in a way, it's true. We know the future, sort of, because we know what makes a good story and what makes a bad one. We know that things in good stories are not often things that would happen in real life, and we understand that life and story are two different things.
So, we have a sort of foresight. But it's the type that anyone could develop, with time and patience.
We know the future in that we know the many possible routes it could take, and we know which ones are more likely to come to pass — all because of people's love of story. And yes, everyone loves story. You don't have to admit it, for it to be true. People love story, and they thrive on it. So we use that to get a better picture of what might be going on around us.
That's the best I can really do with this topic, because I'm still trying not to laugh at this notion.
Nobody knows the future, save One.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
And I was very happy when one of you suggested it as a topic, because this is amazing.
Writers... Know the Future.
Okay, first off, I'm trying really hard not to laugh. I'm really not sure where this originated, nor am I certain why someone brought it up as a topic for this series, but I'm going to take it and roll with it.
My friends have joked, in the past, that I can see the future. They do this because I watch everything. Yeah, everything. I know my friends well enough to make a decent guess as to what they're going to say, what they'll do in certain situations, and what might happen in the future.
But that's all it is: a guess.
We laugh because we know it's not true. I'm wrong about half of the time, and I'd take a gander to say almost anyone could meet those odds.
Thing is, in a way, it's true. We know the future, sort of, because we know what makes a good story and what makes a bad one. We know that things in good stories are not often things that would happen in real life, and we understand that life and story are two different things.
So, we have a sort of foresight. But it's the type that anyone could develop, with time and patience.
We know the future in that we know the many possible routes it could take, and we know which ones are more likely to come to pass — all because of people's love of story. And yes, everyone loves story. You don't have to admit it, for it to be true. People love story, and they thrive on it. So we use that to get a better picture of what might be going on around us.
That's the best I can really do with this topic, because I'm still trying not to laugh at this notion.
Nobody knows the future, save One.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
April 25, 2016
Spinning
Happy last-Monday-in-April! Interesting, how the older we get the more the years speed by...
But that's not what we're here to discuss.
Today, we're talking about something that I know to be fairly true, because I've tried to make it untrue in my life many a time... and failed.
Writers... Never Turn Their Brains Off.
Nope. We don't. Mostly because we can't. Even when I'm sleeping, there are still stories going on, things happening that I should be remembering and writing down, things that intrigue and interest. During the day is worse, because there are stimulants to the ideas. People, music, sounds, people, television, animals, did I mention people?
We've talked about this a lot this month. Writers bring tools with them wherever they go, so they never have to stop writing. Even when we're not working on a story, we're working on some semblance of story. It's a major part of who we are, something that we ascribe a large portion of our time, and for that reason, we rarely stop thinking about it.
Even right now, while I'm writing this blog, I'm thinking about the story I need to go write. I'm considering how to word things, how to make you more interested in what my character has to say, and how to truly show you how much she's changed throughout this series.
Many of us have tried to shut our brains off, even for a short amount of time. I've already admitted that I've tried to do so. Trouble is, even when we try, it never really goes away.
Even with the best of efforts, with the strongest of attempts to make myself rest and make everything fade away for even a moment, it only gets worse.
I only keep thinking about it.
I only get more ideas.
I only want more to sit down and write.
And so, I do. And I've stopped trying to stop my brain from doing so.
[love]
{Rani D.}
But that's not what we're here to discuss.
Today, we're talking about something that I know to be fairly true, because I've tried to make it untrue in my life many a time... and failed.
Writers... Never Turn Their Brains Off.
Nope. We don't. Mostly because we can't. Even when I'm sleeping, there are still stories going on, things happening that I should be remembering and writing down, things that intrigue and interest. During the day is worse, because there are stimulants to the ideas. People, music, sounds, people, television, animals, did I mention people?
We've talked about this a lot this month. Writers bring tools with them wherever they go, so they never have to stop writing. Even when we're not working on a story, we're working on some semblance of story. It's a major part of who we are, something that we ascribe a large portion of our time, and for that reason, we rarely stop thinking about it.
Even right now, while I'm writing this blog, I'm thinking about the story I need to go write. I'm considering how to word things, how to make you more interested in what my character has to say, and how to truly show you how much she's changed throughout this series.
Many of us have tried to shut our brains off, even for a short amount of time. I've already admitted that I've tried to do so. Trouble is, even when we try, it never really goes away.
Even with the best of efforts, with the strongest of attempts to make myself rest and make everything fade away for even a moment, it only gets worse.
I only keep thinking about it.
I only get more ideas.
I only want more to sit down and write.
And so, I do. And I've stopped trying to stop my brain from doing so.
[love]
{Rani D.}
April 22, 2016
Attached at the hip
Guess what?
It's my mommy's birthday!! She's not in town to celebrate with me today, but you're all here to witness in my saying how very much I love her, how happy I am that she's having a great time on her birthday, and how much I look forward to seeing her again.
Mom, you've been an inspiration and the best of friends to me over the years, and I wish you the happiest of happy birthdays, blessed and highly favored as you are! <3
But, sorry mom, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean we don't have a regular post.
Writers... Are Never Away from their Laptops/Notebooks.
Okay. You got us. We're not. If we are, we have our cell phones, which also serve at notebooks. There's always a way to write, and we're never far from it. Even when we promise that we're here and that we're not going to work, we're still thinking about work.
It's not to be rude, really, it's just that we enjoy writing that much, and it's that much of our lives.
See, story is all around us. As writers, we see it in literally everything. No matter where we look, no matter what we're doing or what's going on around us, we see story. Sometimes we see things that could be used in stories, funny people that could be written in, images that we need to remember. There's almost always something, and we don't want to forget it.
So we keep a device on hand, to make sure we'll still be able to write.
Whether that means we always have our computer, or that we keep a notebook in our back pocket, there's always a way.
We're sure to never go far from one.
There was a time that I tried. A day that I went somewhere, away from home, with no phone, no computer, no notebook. And I regretted it. I found so many ideas that I went to a coffee shop and grabbed a napkin and a borrowed pen. It's true.
Story is everywhere.
Writers are opportunistic enough to grab it.
And really, we're not sorry if that causes you a little bit of frustration. You'll thank us later, when you read what we created.
Trust me.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
It's my mommy's birthday!! She's not in town to celebrate with me today, but you're all here to witness in my saying how very much I love her, how happy I am that she's having a great time on her birthday, and how much I look forward to seeing her again.
Mom, you've been an inspiration and the best of friends to me over the years, and I wish you the happiest of happy birthdays, blessed and highly favored as you are! <3
But, sorry mom, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean we don't have a regular post.
Writers... Are Never Away from their Laptops/Notebooks.
Okay. You got us. We're not. If we are, we have our cell phones, which also serve at notebooks. There's always a way to write, and we're never far from it. Even when we promise that we're here and that we're not going to work, we're still thinking about work.
It's not to be rude, really, it's just that we enjoy writing that much, and it's that much of our lives.
See, story is all around us. As writers, we see it in literally everything. No matter where we look, no matter what we're doing or what's going on around us, we see story. Sometimes we see things that could be used in stories, funny people that could be written in, images that we need to remember. There's almost always something, and we don't want to forget it.
So we keep a device on hand, to make sure we'll still be able to write.
Whether that means we always have our computer, or that we keep a notebook in our back pocket, there's always a way.
We're sure to never go far from one.
There was a time that I tried. A day that I went somewhere, away from home, with no phone, no computer, no notebook. And I regretted it. I found so many ideas that I went to a coffee shop and grabbed a napkin and a borrowed pen. It's true.
Story is everywhere.
Writers are opportunistic enough to grab it.
And really, we're not sorry if that causes you a little bit of frustration. You'll thank us later, when you read what we created.
Trust me.
[love]
{Rani Divine}
April 20, 2016
Shiver
Wednesday has arrived! I'm excited for that, for some reason. Don't ask me why. Honestly don't know.
How many of you guys have your copies of Cedwig? I've been hearing from a few of you over the past week, and I'm so excited to hear what you have to say! I worked hard on this story. I actually fought this story. But that's a tale for another time. *wink wink*
Want to know what else a lot of people think about writers? They think...
Writers... Are Afraid.
Seriously, people? For the record, I got most of these topics from you, from readers of Too Many Books to Count and people who frequent my Facebook page.
Apparently, a lot of people think that writers are afraid. That or one of you lied and just wanted to see what I would say about this topic. I know who gave me this topic. I will speak to you about this.
To the point though, I don't think writers are any more afraid than any other group of people. Honestly, I'd be more inclined to say writers are stronger and far braver than average. See, we're willing to put our characters through hell time and time again, and we're strong enough to stand there and watch while they die, over and over, until everything is worded just right.
We can't afford to be afraid.
If you think writers are just afraid in life, then I'd say you're mistaken. Our work in writing carries over into life. It has to. It always does, between work and everyday life. The two can't stay separate forever.
We're strong in what we do, we're brave in what we do, and that relates to our lives.
Maybe sometimes we're afraid. Most people are. I don't think that's reason enough to say that all writers are afraid, all of the time. But there are, as with nearly everyone, things that give us pause.
Misconception, I say.
[love!]
{Rani}
How many of you guys have your copies of Cedwig? I've been hearing from a few of you over the past week, and I'm so excited to hear what you have to say! I worked hard on this story. I actually fought this story. But that's a tale for another time. *wink wink*
Want to know what else a lot of people think about writers? They think...
Writers... Are Afraid.
Seriously, people? For the record, I got most of these topics from you, from readers of Too Many Books to Count and people who frequent my Facebook page.
Apparently, a lot of people think that writers are afraid. That or one of you lied and just wanted to see what I would say about this topic. I know who gave me this topic. I will speak to you about this.
To the point though, I don't think writers are any more afraid than any other group of people. Honestly, I'd be more inclined to say writers are stronger and far braver than average. See, we're willing to put our characters through hell time and time again, and we're strong enough to stand there and watch while they die, over and over, until everything is worded just right.
We can't afford to be afraid.
If you think writers are just afraid in life, then I'd say you're mistaken. Our work in writing carries over into life. It has to. It always does, between work and everyday life. The two can't stay separate forever.
We're strong in what we do, we're brave in what we do, and that relates to our lives.
Maybe sometimes we're afraid. Most people are. I don't think that's reason enough to say that all writers are afraid, all of the time. But there are, as with nearly everyone, things that give us pause.
Misconception, I say.
[love!]
{Rani}
