Kern Carter's Blog, page 168
July 9, 2019
4 Things That Held Me Back as a Writer
Writing is a daunting task. 4 things you should know that may be holding you back from writing.
Start with a Chapbook — Suggestion for First-Time Authors
If I was coming out with my first fiction book today, I’d start with a Chapbook. It’s short (20–40 pages), you get to be ultra creative and include images, you’re getting practice building into longer stories, and you can put it out quickly without too much expectation. Plus it’s a chance to connect with your audience and test their appetite for more full-length work. When you’re just getting started, it’s important to find ways of getting attention without much commitment from readers. A Chapbook is a great way to accomplish that.
CRY
Start with a Chapbook — Suggestion for First-Time Authors was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
July 8, 2019
Two Side Hustle Courses That Actually Make You Money
When I was in teaching, I knew a lot of teachers who looked for side jobs in addition to their teaching job.
July 4, 2019
Don’t let life get in the way
Life happens — not enough time, kids, school, the need to make money. All of these are valid reasons for not writing as much as you want or writing what you want. But don’t let life get in the way, let life motivate you. Push yourself to do more writing and watch your circumstances start changing. Even better, infuse those life situations into your writing whenever possible, or let it inspire you to reach your goals more quickly.
Right now, your life may not be able to change, but your perspective can.
CRY.
Don’t let life get in the way was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
If You Cut Me Open, I’d Bleed Words
Memory of the Garden at Etten
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Vincent van Gogh/WikiCommons
People want your sob stories, your trials, and tribulations . . . They want to peek in on your life to see if you are suffering just as much as them — only, they won’t say this. I give what I can when I can and by using words, I am giving my all. There are days when I can only think about the next story, the next poem, which part of my life to share, et cetera. As a Writer, the mind often wanders, it never really sleeps. In my dreams, characters come out to play, they love to stir up a good time. I am a good host so I allow them to make themselves comfortable at home.
What I am learning with my writing is that I no longer back down — I don’t have to. There is courage and strength and an unmentionable amount of peace in not having to code one’s words any longer. I am also finding that when I allow myself to take in what is around me — nature, the buzzing of cars whizzing by, Jernee, and my family and friends, I can create things I once thought I never could. Soon, I will be taking a trip to Alaska to visit someone I call friend, sister, and a damn good listener.
“I’m really glad you found someone you connect with for therapy. Also, so glad you are working on not feeling responsible for the whole world’s well-being. You seem to be less stubborn about clinging to things you can’t do anything about than you once were. You were REALLY stubborn. LOL Congrats!” — Alexainie
And she is right. Several years back, I’d lose sleep over not being able to solve a friend or family member’s problems. I would wake up in the middle of the night, yearning for a resolution, not content with prayer and it changing things. I wanted instantly gratified results and I wanted them sooner than instantly.
The seed does not grow if it is not watered, if there is no sun, and if no one takes care of it.
A lot of shedding had to take place, a broken heart, a near-broken mind, and plenty of listening. And what else? A hell of a lot of writing. The seed does not grow if it is not watered, if there is no sun, and if no one takes care of it. I am a seed. I have been watered. I bask in the sun. I am taking care of myself. I want to grow.
This trip, one that I have planned for nearly a year, is creeping up on me and although there is anxiety about it, there is an amazing amount of peace too. I have to fly. I hate flying. I fear it — heights give me the willies, yet, I force myself to do these things when I need to. Flying is just another hurdle, a necessary evil. It will not be an obstacle that I cannot tackle, because when it is all over, I will write about it.
I wish I could describe what it feels like to watch one’s words leave their fingertips knowing that before — you had to be cautious.
I have used writing in many ways. It has been a healer, a teacher, a guide, and love when love was lacking. When there was nothing else I could do about a certain situation, I could write about it. I could share it. I could open up and be vulnerable without being questioned, however, now, I am freer. I wish I could describe what it feels like to watch one’s words leave their fingertips knowing that before — you had to be cautious. There is no yellow sign flashing before me, only green. All I can do, all I am doing, is preparing myself to go.
There is living to do. There are memories to be made. And there is writing waiting for me at every turn. I am so full of words that if prompted, they’d come spilling right out of me. If you cut me open, I’d bleed them. What I want to leave behind are pieces of me that will live on forever. Pieces of me that will touch a soul, heal a heart, and connect with someone who needs connection.
I have a fighting spirit. I have been told that several times. It is only now that I truly believe it and my words do too.
I guess one could say, “They’re right on time.”©2019 Tremaine L. Loadholt All Rights Reserved
If You Cut Me Open, I’d Bleed Words was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
July 1, 2019
Meet readers where they are — UK Publishing stats
Stats are in for the UK publishing industry and here are some interesting points to note:
Audiobooks sales are up 43% with revenues of €69 million.Digital sales are up 3% to €653 million.Physical book sales still lead the way at €2.9 billion.Main takeaway — meet readers where they are. Recognize the growing audiobook trend and make that a must when putting together your self-publishing budget.
These are all things we should know. Earning a living as a writer is easier when you’re up to date on what’s happening in the industry.
Here’s some more insight into the UK publishing numbers.
CRY.
Meet readers where they are — UK Publishing stats was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
June 30, 2019
I won my life back when I got to the first root of the universe
Human societies are far away from life
Photo by Grant Durr on UnsplashFree creation is a common ability of the whole cosmos. It starts spontaneously, step by step by small creations, like molecules and can lead even to perfect shapes with intelligence and outstanding capabilities, like human beings. Spontaneity begins with atoms gathering together with the small inclination and ends up to the glory of human consciousness.
I know I say it all the time, but it will never get boring. Reading has saved my life. Going deeper in my soul and the real history of humanity, made me realize that the root of my psychological suffering was the fact that human society is planets away from reality, the laws of the universe and the happiness of love.
Three years ago I was a result of a miserable situation that had lasted six years. I had been cultivating the idea that I am broken since I was a child. When everyone told me I was beautiful, I used to say to myself “Yes but I am broken. I will never be enough”. Most of the times I used to be even rude when someone complimented me. This idea started smelling badly in my mind and day by day, as the years were passing by, it had occupied my life. I was wrecked.
Most of the times, when something lives in your mind, someone comes in real life to confirm it. When you feel deeply that you are not good enough, someone who is not good enough will come to your life and reassure you that you are correct. Not always in physical violence. But with abandonment, disinterest, and apathy. The opposite of love isn’t hate. Hate is an emotion too. The opposite of any kind of emotion is the total lack of emotion. What else would someone who is broken and never good enough deserve anyway? And that’s why I reached my zero, zero interest for life, zero interest for food, which leads to a polite way of killing one's life. It lasted six years and it was humiliating.
A good friend of mine who had recovered from drugs once had told me that the good thing about getting in zero, is that you can’t get any lower. You can only rise. Now I knew this applied to me too. So I understood that this was my zero point and that I had to work step by step, humble and easy every day so as to rescue myself from the trap I had let myself fall. Then my new partner brought books in my life. And love. The kind of love every beautiful human deserves.
So, one day a beautiful book came into my hands, a book about a philosopher I didn’t know anything about, even though I am greek. Epikouros. Since then Epikouros definitely became the one philosopher that speaks in my soul, that gives answers for my struggles and wonders, the only one that gives practical replies for rational people. In this book, I found the root of the universe and the reply to my problem. My problem was caused by the lack of any kind of movement, any kind of decision and self-esteem. And that ended up to be the root of the universe, so I guess I was in trouble. The root of the universe is motion. Movement. Action. This is how it all began. This is how everything begins then.
The universe was born when atoms got tangled together. They would never get close together, though, if they had never moved. Movement is the origin of the universe, so this applies to all the forms of life it hosts. The atoms are not located straight, they have a short inclination. Ιf they had never inclined they would never get stuck the one from the other, so they would fall like raindrops that would never meet. So, if the atoms would never incline, nature would have never formed anything. The Epicurean theory of inclination is the nascence of creativity. This was the only way the first geometric shapes occurred in chaos. Everything that is a law in the universe is a law in any form that breaths in it.
Every existence around us consists of three notions. Our weight, our heartbeat and the fact that we move. The existence of the first two, do not guarantee the existence of the motion. Nothing can come from nothing. An existence that does not move, has weight, heartbeat but it cannot produce. There have been many theories about this opinion, but the epicurean seems to be the most fertile. It moves the mind of the brain, it helps it fly above the trees like a bird and then overview the cosmos like a spirit. We need to get out of our brains in order to use them.
Free creation is a common ability of the whole cosmos. It starts spontaneously, step by step by small creations, like molecules and can lead even to perfect shapes with intelligence and outstanding capabilities, like human beings. Spontaneity begins with atoms gathering together with the small inclination and ends up to the glory of human consciousness.
Free creation and motion can be totally different for everyone and in totally different velocities. What we need is to have them in our lives and do not pretend that we need them. I used to do it. I used to make fun of art and motion but then I ended up being rescued by both of them. If you are totally depressed for a long period of time and you need to get out of where you are, please read my article where I write about what I did to rescue myself, how I woke up all my muscles and got into motion.
And always remember. We need to get out of our heads, in order to use them. The only laws that are true are those of the universe.
I won my life back when I got to the first root of the universe was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
June 28, 2019
June 27, 2019
Don’t Let Them Tell You Books Are Dead
“The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved. You cannot make a spoon that is better than a spoon.” Umberto Eco
Check out this article about a publisher that never gave in to the “books are dead” BS.
Don’t Let Them Tell You Books Are Dead was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
June 24, 2019
No excuses
Start this week the way you promised yourself you would yesterday. No excuses!
No excuses was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
